After The Flower Of The High Mountain Meets The Rough Man Ⅱ Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Kiss

“Mr. Ji fainted because he was too excited…”

“Ge! Today was the happiest day of my life.”

After leaving the amusement park, the two casually ate dinner at a nearby Chinese restaurant. While waiting for the kitchen to serve their food, Ji Shen suddenly stared at Shen Jixun’s face and blurted out that sentence.

Shen Jixun was resting his head on his hand, playing with his phone, his brow etched with exhaustion.

Hearing Ji Shen’s words, he only raised an eyebrow, offering no response, still looking down at his work messages.

“Thank you.” Only when Ji Shen’s solemn thanks sounded did Shen Jixun lift his eyelids to look at him.

Ji Shen looked incredibly energetic, his eyes bright and spirited.

Shen Jixun scoffed, then cursed him as a silly dog.

Ji Shen wasn’t angry about being scolded. He picked up the hot tea beside him, took a large gulp, and said, “I hope I can go out on dates with Ge again in the future.”

Shen Jixun quietly stared at his face, his expression placid. This was a person whose thoughts were always clearly displayed on his face, allowing Shen Jixun to see instantly that he wasn’t lying.

Ji Shen genuinely liked and cherished this date.

So Shen Jixun also took a sip of tea and slowly said, “Let’s hope so.”

After dinner, the sky had completely darkened.

Shen Jixun ordered an iced alcoholic drink, meaning he couldn’t drive home. The two sat together on a long bench outside the iced drink shop, waiting for Xiao Li to come and drive.

Ji Shen looked down at his toes and mumbled, “Ge, I’m going to get my driver’s license. Next time we go out on a date, let me be the one to drive.”

Shen Jixun’s lips curled up. “You actually have that awareness.”

“Of course! I’ve been seriously studying how to date online!” Ji Shen, praised, instinctively straightened his back, his tone inexplicably proud.

Shen Jixun said, “Oh, then tell me what you’ve learned?”

Ji Shen replied, “A lot… When going out, you should proactively help your partner carry things, and you should proactively hold your partner’s hand…”

He listed the points one by one, and Shen Jixun watched him without interrupting.

For Shen Jixun, today was indeed the most unusual experience he’d had in over twenty years.

Even though he had maintained a cold demeanor the entire time, Ji Shen kept saying understanding things and doing things that accommodated his temper.

Ji Shen was still talking.

The colorful neon lights hanging on the iced drink shop’s sign shone on him.

The lines of his profile still held a trace of youthful student air. His cheekbones weren’t high, and under the light and shadow, his jawline had a polished sharpness. His lips seemed to always carry a hint of a smile.

Ah.

Was the reason he found it amusing that night not because Ji Shen looked too foolish, but because Ji Shen had broken into his heart?

Shen Jixun seemed to suddenly understand something.

A layer of inexplicable highlight coated his light-colored pupils as he gazed at Ji Shen, his pupils slightly dilated.

The wind blew in gusts.

The stray hairs at his temples lifted, his long hair brushed past his cheek, and then slowly fell onto Ji Shen’s shoulder.

Finally, he interrupted Ji Shen’s rambling. “Ji Shen.”

Ji Shen’s voice paused. He quickly turned his head to look at him, just about to ask a question, when a pair of slender, cool hands suddenly reached out and cupped his face. Then, that almost divine face suddenly magnified in his vision, and a cool, soft sensation met his lips.

His pupils instantly contracted.

His eyes were filled with disbelief.

Their breaths tightly intertwined.

Shen Jixun gently nipped his lower lip with his teeth before pulling away.

The faint scent that had enveloped him suddenly dissipated. Ji Shen’s breathing instantly accelerated. The lingering warmth on his lips reminded him that this wasn’t a dream. He opened his mouth to speak, but his violently beating heart prevented him.

“Hoo… hoo…” Ji Shen clutched his heart, gasping heavily.

He urgently wanted to know the meaning behind Shen Jixun’s action, but at the moment, he found it difficult to even utter a single syllable.

Then, he inexplicably felt dizzy.

Everything in his vision blurred. “Ge, Ge…”

He called out.

He felt so dizzy.

He hadn’t drunk any alcohol, so why did he feel like he was drunk?

Shen Jixun frowned. Before Ji Shen could speak, his body suddenly leaned forward, and his head slumped into Shen Jixun’s lap as he passed out.

Shen Jixun: ?

*

“Tsk… hmm…” The family doctor put away his stethoscope, stood up, and said to Shen Jixun, who was standing by the bed, “Mr. Ji fainted due to excessive excitement… in layman’s terms, it’s physiological arousal.”

He was completely baffled and then asked, “Did Mr. Ji do anything very exciting or stimulating before he fainted?”

Shen Jixun rolled his eyes. He had initially thought the alcohol he’d consumed before kissing Ji Shen had caused him to faint, but he hadn’t expected this reason.

He thought to himself that Ji Shen was perhaps too pathetic.

“Nothing much,” he said. “So, is he alright?”

The family doctor quickly replied, “He’s fine, he’s fine. He should wake up soon.”

Shen Jixun nodded and instructed Xiao Li, who was waiting in the room, to see the doctor out.

Since Ji Shen moved in, he realized he had never actually spent time in Ji Shen’s room.

The room was, as Shen Jixun expected, neat and clean. On the desk were postgraduate entrance exam materials and some famous domestic and foreign literary works that Ji Shen had bought from the bookstore.

Shen Jixun casually picked up a practice workbook and opened it.

It was filled with dense, meticulous notes.

The investigation into Ji Shen had indeed mentioned that his academic performance was excellent, consistently ranking in the top five of his major for four years in university.

He had won several scholarships.

If it weren’t for his father’s issues, Ji Shen might be in his second year of graduate studies right now.

Shen Jixun’s eyes held a faint cold light. He placed the book back where it was and slowly surveyed the room again.

Just as he sat back down on the chair by the bed, the person on the bed showed signs of waking up.

Shen Jixun leaned back against the chair, crossed his legs, and watched him with his arms folded.

“Cough…” Ji Shen opened his eyes and stared at the crystal chandelier above. He was momentarily stunned because he remembered being out on a date with Shen Jixun. How did he end up lying in his bedroom in the blink of an eye?

Was the date just a dream?

Then…

Fragments flashed through Ji Shen’s mind, piecing together a complete memory.

Then, then, then the kiss was also a dream?!

“Awake?” Shen Jixun’s voice, like a cold, hissing snake, climbed onto the bed and burrowed into his ear.

Ji Shen’s sleepiness vanished instantly. He abruptly propped himself up and looked at Shen Jixun, following the sound.

Their eyes met.

Ji Shen’s tanned face instantly turned as red as a cooked shrimp, with white steam seemingly rising from the top of his head as if moisture was being evaporated.

“Ge!”

The kiss wasn’t a dream!!

He and Shen Jixun had kissed!!

Ji Shen felt his breathing quicken again, his mind turning into mush.

Oh no, he felt dizzy again.

Shen Jixun narrowed his eyes, seemingly anticipating something, and parted his lips. “If you faint again, I’ll kill you.”

The cold voice was like winter frost and snow, terrifyingly icy. Although Ji Shen knew Shen Jixun wouldn’t actually kill him, he was still shocked into sobriety by the threat.

His body wasn’t hot anymore, his head wasn’t dizzy, and his breathing became smooth.

“Ge, you… we kissed,” Ji Shen said cautiously.

Shen Jixun looked indifferent. “I know.”

“Is kissing included in the agreement… Didn’t you say that was something only real couples do?” Ji Shen gestured as he spoke. It seemed that the single kiss had truly made it difficult for the simple-minded person’s brain to function.

Shen Jixun, with rare patience, explained, “Someone was watching us at the time. I was just doing it for them to see. You don’t need to take it to heart.”

The bright light in Ji Shen’s eyes dimmed little by little. He couldn’t hide his emotions, and a sad expression crossed his face. “I knew it…”

“Next time Ge wants to kiss me, can you tell me beforehand?”

Shen Jixun smiled and asked, “Do you want a next time?”

“No, no, Ge, that’s not what I meant.” Ji Shen had indeed thought about a next time, but after Shen Jixun pointed it out, he realized he was actually anticipating it.

Shen Jixun said he understood.

Then he stood up and walked toward the door, saying, “You should go to bed early. The date is over for today. You did quite well.”

“Ge.” Just as Shen Jixun opened the door to leave, Ji Shen suddenly called out to him.

Shen Jixun turned back to look at him. “What is it?”

Ji Shen clutched the blanket. “If it were someone else who signed the agreement with you, would you kiss them like that too?”

His furrowed face showed his expectation of hearing an answer that made him an exception.

Shen Jixun did not grant his wish. He nodded. “Yes.”

As his words fell, the door closed softly with a *click*.

Ji Shen’s straight back lost its strength in that instant. He bent over, buried his head, and sadly stared at a black hair tie on his wrist.

It was the one Shen Jixun had taken off his head after dinner today.

Ah! Why was he feeling sad?!

Ji Shen balled his fist and punched his thighs, then vigorously rubbed his face. This was a transaction after all! He had already gotten the benefit of eight million yuan; did he also expect Shen Jixun’s special favor?!

Ji Shen immediately adjusted his state of mind.

Since kissing was also included in the agreement.

Then he needed to learn how to kiss well. If there was a next time, he had to make sure his employer felt that the eight million yuan was worth every penny!!

*

Meanwhile, in a luxurious residential building in the city center, a middle-aged man stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

Shen Cong was on the phone.

The veins on his temples and neck were particularly prominent.

His eyes bulged, the whites streaked with blood, and his face was filled with disbelief and hatred.

“He really found out?!”

—“From our investigation, it appears so.”

“Tell Xiao Ming not to go to crowded places during this time, and not to have dinner with his friends. When there’s an opportunity later, I’ll send him abroad for a while.”

—“Yes.”

“And the Madam… also tell her not to meet Xiao Ming for now. Forget it, I’ll talk to the Madam myself.” Shen Cong looked worried, then asked, “Did your people find out anything today?”

The person on the other end of the phone reported Shen Jixun and Ji Shen’s itinerary for the day one by one.

“He really went to those places with that kid?!”

—“Yes, I even took photos here…”

“It seems… their relationship must be real.”

No matter what, Shen Jixun was his son.

Based on his understanding of Shen Jixun, he would never waste time in those dirty places, let alone eat Chinese food in a small restaurant in an alley. He would never believe it!

But now the facts were laid out before him.

It seemed that Shen Jixun and Ji Shen’s romantic relationship was not fake.

So, trying to catch Shen Jixun making a mistake here was clearly impossible.

The moment Shen Cong thought of Shen Jixun’s face, which was almost identical to his mother’s, he felt a chill run down his spine.

He had to completely suppress Shen Jixun, otherwise, if he gave him a chance, he would surely be bitten to the bone by this lunatic.

“It doesn’t matter,” Shen Cong’s expression became smug again. “Don’t we have a backup plan? He does things flawlessly, but does his boyfriend truly have no weaknesses?”

…

*

After that day, the two returned to their usual calm relationship.

Until the following Monday morning, when Ji Shen suddenly received a WeChat message from Shen Jixun: [Come to the company to bring me lunch at noon.]

Ji Shen immediately stood up from the sofa. [What does Ge want to eat?]

[Shen Jixun: You decide.]

[Ji Shen: Okay~(≧w≦)/~]

Shen Jixun frowned: [Why are you sending those symbols?]

Ji Shen looked wronged: [I thought sending this would make me seem cute T^T]

[Shen Jixun: …]

[Ji Shen: Ge, wait for my loving lunch!]

Shen Jixun didn’t reply.

When Shen Jixun wasn’t home, Ji Shen usually didn’t have much appetite for lunch and lacked energy. So, he occasionally just made do with a quick lunch, or sometimes skipped it and waited to eat with Shen Jixun in the evening.

Today, Shen Jixun suddenly asked him to deliver lunch, and Ji Shen instantly felt full of drive.

This motivation helped him quickly prepare a hearty lunch.

After a simple lunch, Ji Shen carried the insulated box and got into the car heading to the company.