After The Flower Of The High Mountain Meets The Rough Man Ⅱ Chapter 15

## Chapter 15: The Conflict

A slap landed on Ji Shen’s cheek.

A red and black oil painting hung on the stairwell landing.

Shen Jixun stood right in front of the painting, wearing a wine-red inner shirt with his suit jacket draped over his forearm, looking as if he had just stepped out of the canvas.

Ji Shen did not make Shen Jixun wait too long.

Almost as soon as Shen Jixun finished speaking, Ji Shen followed him up with long strides.

He was pinned against the painting by Ji Shen. The other man was eager and impatient, yet he knew his limits and didn’t immediately kiss him. He arched his back, leaned in close, their lips almost touching, their breaths mingling.

“Ge, should I… should I kiss you now?” Ji Shen stammered, staring at Shen Jixun’s slightly parted thin lips.

Although Shen Jixun didn’t speak, the look in his eyes was clearly one of satisfaction.

He liked people who knew their place and were obedient.

After a half-minute silence, Shen Jixun slowly raised his hand to stroke Ji Shen’s face, then parted his lips and said, “Kiss me.”

The moment the words fell, Ji Shen immediately held his waist and kissed him.

It must be said that Ji Shen’s learning had indeed been effective. One hand held Shen Jixun’s waist, and the other gently pressed the back of his head.

Their lips pressed together. Ji Shen didn’t dare to use his tongue to pry open Shen Jixun’s tightly closed teeth as he had earlier. Instead, he gently nibbled and ground against the other man’s lower lip, his tongue occasionally licking the tubercle of his lip.

Shen Jixun was starting to feel annoyed by the teasing.

He actively opened his lips and extended his tongue.

Ji Shen was startled and immediately retreated, but Shen Jixun grabbed his collar, pulled him close, and kissed him again. This time, it was Shen Jixun who extended his tongue to pry open Ji Shen’s tightly closed teeth.

Ji Shen dared not go against Shen Jixun’s wishes, opening his mouth and allowing him to enter and explore.

Tongues intertwined, breaths entangled.

Shen Jixun’s tongue lightly scraped against his upper palate, and Ji Shen shuddered violently, instinctively tightening his grip on Shen Jixun’s waist.

The waist, only a palm’s width, was easily held in his hand, making Ji Shen feel instantly distracted.

He didn’t know how much time had passed.

Shen Jixun only released his collar when he lost interest. Ji Shen, as if losing the support that kept him standing, covered his wildly beating heart and slowly crouched down, kneeling before him.

“Hoo… hoo…” His heavy gasps echoed loudly in the slightly empty house, sounding like low pants right next to the ear.

Shen Jixun looked down at him.

Then, he nudged Ji Shen’s knee with the tip of his shoe. “Are you alright?”

Ji Shen nodded, not daring to look up at Shen Jixun. “Sorry… I, I feel a bit strange right now.”

Shen Jixun raised an eyebrow and pressed his lips into a straight line. He bent down and extended his right index finger, slowly moving it up from Ji Shen’s collarbone, sliding past his prominent Adam’s apple, and hooking his chin.

Ji Shen slowly raised his head, following the force of his hand.

Their eyes met.

Ji Shen immediately avoided the scrutinizing gaze.

Shen Jixun was puzzled. He glanced down, then suddenly let out a laugh. He withdrew his hand and stared down at Ji Shen, his eyes carrying a hint of playfulness.

Ji Shen knew he was being watched and felt utterly ashamed. His ears were burning red, and his eyes looked pitiful.

“Pathetic.” After dropping those two words, Shen Jixun turned and went upstairs without looking back.

Ji Shen hunched over, burying his face in his palms, and let out a long sigh.

So embarrassing.

What happened that night had no apparent effect on Shen Jixun.

The next morning during breakfast, he was as calm as if nothing intimate had happened between them, leaving only Ji Shen to constantly overthink and suffer from internal turmoil.

“Do you want to have dinner out together tonight?” Shen Jixun asked, putting down his knife and fork after breakfast.

Ji Shen blinked, looking excited. “Is it a date?”

Shen Jixun thought for a moment, then nodded. “Something like that?”

“Great! Should I come straight to the company to find you?”

“I’ll text you the address after work. We can just meet at the restaurant then.” Shen Jixun considered that he had indeed spent too little time with Ji Shen.

He was clearly aware that he had placed restrictions on Ji Shen in various aspects.

Although Ji Shen didn’t complain.

People always had moments of loneliness.

“Okay!” Ji Shen was noticeably more excited than usual.

Shen Jixun smiled, suddenly recalling last night’s events. He leaned forward slightly, resting his hand on his face, his tone ambiguous. “Ji Shen.”

Ji Shen immediately responded, “What is it?!”

Shen Jixun’s smile deepened. “How did you resolve things last night?”

Ji Shen had initially thought Shen Jixun hadn’t taken last night’s incident to heart and had just secretly let out a sigh of relief, but Shen Jixun suddenly brought it up again.

Blushing, he tried to pretend he didn’t know, stammering, “Resolve what… last night?”

Shen Jixun extended his leg under the table and nudged Ji Shen’s knee. “That.”

The moment his knee was touched, Ji Shen immediately sprang up from his seat, but accidentally tripped over the chair. With a clatter, Shen Jixun rolled his eyes, instantly feeling speechless.

He stood up and glanced at the person on the floor.

Ji Shen scratched his head, his expression awkward and embarrassed.

Shen Jixun looked at him, and as their eyes met, he laughed. “Are you an idiot?”

“I just wasn’t careful.” Ji Shen wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

“Mm…” Shen Jixun’s expression clearly showed disbelief.

He picked up the jacket draped over the chair back. “I’m going to work.”

“Have a safe trip, Ge.” Ji Shen breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Shen Jixun hadn’t continued the topic from last night.

Shen Jixun suddenly paused just before leaving. He turned around, walked back to Ji Shen, slowly crouched down, and reached out to brush the messy fringe from his forehead. He said, “Remember to miss me at home, and no cheating.”

He spoke the last four words slowly and deliberately.

His smile was somewhat chilling.

Ji Shen immediately shook his head. “I won’t!”

Shen Jixun pinched his earlobe with satisfaction, then stood up, changed into his leather shoes in the entryway, and left.

Ji Shen stared at his retreating figure.

He slowly slumped onto the floor, raising his hands to cover his face, his expression of excitement barely concealed beneath his palms.

Damn.

Ge looks so handsome like that!

The morning’s events kept Ji Shen in a good mood all day.

He even managed to eat lunch, which was rare.

In the afternoon.

He had originally planned to stay home until Shen Jixun texted him about dinner.

Unexpectedly, Lu Xuran, the university senior he had briefly met at the bookstore last time, suddenly sent him a message.

[Lu Xuran: Ji Shen, do you have time this afternoon? Want to come to the bookstore? I’ll treat you to coffee.]

After their last meeting, Lu Xuran had gradually started chatting with him.

He had invited Ji Shen out for coffee and meals more than once.

Considering he was going out to eat with Shen Jixun tonight anyway, and since Lu Xuran had invited him so many times, refusing again would be impolite.

So, Ji Shen accepted the invitation.

Because of the upcoming date that evening, Ji Shen even deliberately changed into newly bought clothes.

Ji Shen arrived at the bookstore punctually around four in the afternoon.

Lu Xuran had been waiting at the entrance for a long time.

Seeing Ji Shen approach, he paused for a few seconds, then immediately stepped forward. “You’re here?”

“Yes, sorry to keep you waiting.” Ji Shen apologized.

Lu Xuran waved his hand. “Not long. I work here anyway, so it’s not really waiting.”

“You sit here first, I’ll go get your coffee.” He directed Ji Shen to the rest area in front of the bookstore.

Ji Shen thanked him and sat down on the soft sofa.

A moment later, Lu Xuran came out carrying two cups of coffee.

“Thank you, Senior.” Ji Shen took the cup with both hands.

Lu Xuran gently shook his head. “No need to thank me.”

He sat down beside Ji Shen. The strong, rich scent of his perfume, which he couldn’t conceal, wafted over.

Ji Shen felt a bit strange and subtly shifted away slightly.

“What have you been up to lately?” Lu Xuran’s expression stiffened for a moment, then he chatted as if nothing happened.

Ji Shen answered truthfully. “Nothing much, just staying home, reading, and cooking for my family.”

“I see…” Lu Xuran smiled. He had a gentle appearance with almond-shaped eyes, making him look even softer when he smiled.

Ji Shen looked at him and said, “I remember back in school, so many people were chasing you, Senior!”

“Why bring that up suddenly?” Lu Xuran smiled a little shyly.

Ji Shen looked serious. “Because I feel like you’ve gotten even handsomer, Senior!”

Lu Xuran let out a sound of surprise. “Why are you saying such embarrassing things all of a sudden?”

Ji Shen looked confused again. In his eyes, the people around him fell into three categories: men, women, and Shen Jixun.

He felt that complimenting a man on being handsome was no different from complimenting a woman on being beautiful.

He only needed to carefully choose his words when complimenting Shen Jixun.

But Lu Xuran clearly didn’t see it that way.

“I’ll take it back then.” Ji Shen moved further to the side, putting a little distance between them.

Lu Xuran smiled helplessly and changed the subject. “Drink your coffee, it won’t taste good if it gets cold.”

“Okay.” Ji Shen picked up his coffee and took a large sip.

Lu Xuran asked, “Are you still staying at home now?”

Ji Shen nodded. “Yes, I haven’t been very busy lately, and I don’t need to worry about work.”

“That’s nice.” Lu Xuran smiled, then asked, “You must be twenty-four now, right?”

“I’m a few months shy of my twenty-fourth birthday. The date on my ID is a bit off.” Since Lu Xuran was a friend from university, Ji Shen didn’t hold back much when talking to him.

Lu Xuran said, “You were always busy with part-time jobs back then and didn’t have time to date. What about now? Do you have time for a relationship?”

“Why are you suddenly asking this?” Because of Shen Jixun’s father and stepmother, Ji Shen was sensitive about anything related to his own relationships. He didn’t suspect that someone in his life would deliberately try to test him.

Lu Xuran looked a little awkward. “No, we’re friends, aren’t we? I just asked casually. Did I upset you?”

Ji Shen also felt he was overreacting. He shook his head and said, “No, not at all… I’m in a relationship.”

“You’re dating? What kind of person is your partner?” Lu Xuran’s eyes seemed to show a hint of disappointment.

“Very beautiful, very gentle, and an especially kind and wonderful person,” Ji Shen said earnestly.

Lu Xuran said, “I really didn’t expect that…”

“Right? I also never expected that I would meet someone I like in my lifetime, and that we would actually end up together.” Adhering to the principle of seeing the act through and making the “eight million worth it,” Ji Shen spoke with great sincerity.

Lu Xuran smiled and leaned closer to him. “Then maybe you can bring him to meet me sometime. I’ll treat you both to dinner.”

“There’s a boiled fish restaurant that opened near our university night market. It tastes really good.”

There was absolutely no way Shen Jixun would go to a place like that, but Ji Shen still agreed. “If there’s a chance, definitely.”

“Actually, Ji Shen, I really miss the days when we worked part-time at the library together.” Lu Xuran looked down, holding his coffee cup. “I always feel like that was the happiest time in university.”

Ji Shen felt the tone was strange, but he didn’t know what other meaning Lu Xuran’s words held.

Just as he was about to ask, his phone suddenly rang.

Ji Shen looked at the caller ID, startled, and immediately walked aside to answer the call. “Ge.”

“I’ve sent you the address. I need to see you in twenty minutes.”

“Ge! Why so urgent!” Ji Shen was at the bookstore now. What if he couldn’t make it to the restaurant in time if it was too far?

Shen Jixun didn’t bother to respond and simply hung up.

Staring at the restaurant address Shen Jixun had sent, Ji Shen didn’t dare to linger. He turned back to Lu Xuran and said goodbye. “Senior, I have an urgent matter, I have to leave now. See you next time!”

He immediately ran to the elevator and went downstairs.

Lu Xuran chased after him, watching him go, his expression slowly settling.

It was rush hour, and the traffic was stop-and-go. Ji Shen had no choice but to explain to Shen Jixun that he had gone to the bookstore that afternoon and was a bit far from the restaurant, so he would likely be late.

Shen Jixun didn’t reply to his message.

Half an hour later.

The car stopped in front of the restaurant, and Ji Shen quickly got out.

He texted Shen Jixun that he had arrived, and only then did Shen Jixun reply: [I’m outside]

[Shen Jixun: [Image]]

The image showed he was in the parking lot.

Ji Shen followed the image information and found the location.

From a distance, he saw Shen Jixun leaning against a car, smoking.

The wind played with his waterfall-like dark hair, the strands dancing and falling across his face. The wind lifted the hem of his jacket, and the smoke he exhaled was also dispersed by the breeze.

The man was impossibly beautiful.

“Ge, I’m sorry I’m late!” Ji Shen ran up to him, panting.

Shen Jixun glanced at him, his tone extremely cold. “What were you doing at the bookstore?”

“I met a friend from university.” Ji Shen felt that the look on Shen Jixun’s face suggested he already knew what Ji Shen had done and was just waiting for him to tell the truth.

Shen Jixun extinguished the cigarette in the car’s ashtray, took two steps forward, closing the distance between them. They were very close now.

Ji Shen felt inexplicably nervous.

“Pa.” A slap landed on his left cheek.

Ji Shen was struck so hard his head turned away. Shen Jixun’s expression was cold and severe. He looked grim and said, “Meeting a friend from university… then your relationship must be quite good. Can you smell that awful perfume on yourself?”

“Were you planning to cheat?” Shen Jixun pressed.

Ji Shen was initially hurt by the slap, but Shen Jixun’s question made him grasp the real key point.

Shen Jixun was constantly warning him not to cheat.

So, had something related happened to Shen Jixun in the past?