Cat O, But Traveling Into The Normal World Chapter 17
byChapter 17 Bullying Him Is Too Much Fun
Yu You, who had been pushed away, looked utterly bewildered, completely unaware of what had happened.
Then, a surge of anger flared up.
Jiang Xunzhou disliked him, couldn’t accept kissing him, and just walked away?
Are you kidding me? Jiang Xunzhou was the one who proposed the fake relationship!
Yu You’s head buzzed with fury, and a faint flush spread across the corners of his eyes.
He was treating this job seriously, upholding his professional ethics. Could Jiang Xunzhou, as the boss, be this capricious?!
Not long after, footsteps approached, and Jiang Xunzhou reappeared in his line of sight.
It seemed he had gone to wash his face with cold water; a few damp strands of hair clung to his forehead, adding a touch of disarray compared to his composed look earlier that morning.
Jiang Xunzhou absentmindedly stepped into the dining room and saw the young man looking like he was about to cry. He paused, startled: “You…”
Yu You’s eyes were red, and his voice trembled slightly as he looked at Jiang Xunzhou: “Mr. Jiang signed the contract with me because of the exposed scandal. If you dislike me this much and can’t accept this, it’s only a matter of time before the fake relationship is exposed. We might as well cut our losses now and find someone else to cooperate with.”
Jiang Xunzhou quickly took two steps forward, his tone slightly rushed and tinged with panic: “I don’t dislike you, and I can accept it. I didn’t leave on purpose just now; I wasn’t prepared.”
When he was cooling down in the Restroom just now, he still felt it wasn’t entirely his fault.
First thing in the morning, Yu You sat on him and brazenly spoke in a soft, spoiled voice. Who could resist that?
Now, those thoughts popped like bubbles, completely gone.
Jiang Xunzhou hurried over, grabbed Yu You’s wrist, pulled him into his arms, and coaxed him gently: “It was my fault just now. I was too nervous and unprepared, so my attitude was poor.”
Yu You looked up, not entirely convinced: “You really don’t dislike me?”
“Truly, I don’t.”
Jiang Xunzhou’s warm fingertips brushed the dampness from the corner of Yu You’s eye, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness: “I have no intention of replacing you. Yesterday, when we were outside, I even ‘accidentally’ let the media capture the background on my phone.”
Yu You was confused: “What background?”
Jiang Xunzhou handed him his phone to look.
The lock screen background was a photo of Yu You with a cup of milk tea. The young man’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the camera, so adorable it melted the heart.
“I just arranged for the media hype; why would I want to replace you?” Jiang Xunzhou sighed. “Do you believe me now?”
Yu You’s lips curved slightly, and he nodded reluctantly: “Fine.”
His proud demeanor was like a small, swaggering kitten, full of spirit.
Jiang Xunzhou smiled faintly and pinched Yu You’s cheek.
Yet, he couldn’t help but feel a little worried.
If rejecting him once made him this upset, what would happen when the contract ended…
After they tidied up and left, Jiang Xunzhou received a message from Jiang Zuwen in the car.
I told you to remember to remind the Minor Celebrity to know his place before I left yesterday. You didn’t forget, did you?
Jiang Xunzhou got a headache seeing the message: I shouldn’t have listened to your bad idea. Do you know how much effort I spent coaxing him this morning?
Jiang Zuwen: ?
Jiang Zuwen: No, you’re about to take him home to meet the family. Aren’t you afraid the Minor Celebrity will get too invested and can’t pull himself out? If you don’t make it clear now, what exactly are you coaxing him for?
Jiang Xunzhou replied dismissively: I have my own plans.
Yu You was young and thin-skinned. If he was neglected, he would cry. He was terribly delicate. Now was not the time to discuss these things; he needed to take it slowly.
Jiang Zuwen simply didn’t understand the situation.
Jiang Xunzhou solemnly instructed: Don’t interfere anymore. I know what I’m doing.
Jiang Zuwen: ???
Jiang Xunzhou put away his phone and glanced over. Yu You was also engrossed in chatting with someone on his phone.
Yu You focused intently on the screen, not noticing Jiang Xunzhou’s repeated glances.
Jiang Xunzhou cleared his throat.
Yu You finally heard him this time. He put down his phone, opened the small car refrigerator, and happily handed over a bottle of Perrier, asking thoughtfully, “Husband, is your throat uncomfortable? Do you want some water?”
“Thank you.” Jiang Xunzhou took it, asking casually, “Are you talking about work with Agent Shi?”
Yu You obediently replied: “No, I’m chatting with Mingyan-jie. I didn’t go to the set today, and she’s telling me gossip.”
Jiang Xunzhou asked: “Are you two close?”
Yu You nodded: “Mingyan-jie and I have the least seniority on set, so we have more in common.”
Probably because of his public relationship with Jiang Xunzhou, Jiang Mingyan had categorized Yu You as one of her own and often came to hang out with him.
Yu You smiled again: “And Mingyan-jie is really funny.”
He proactively handed his phone to Jiang Xunzhou.
Jiang Mingyan: Little Fish Baby, you missed a huge drama by not coming to the set today!
Jiang Mingyan: The lighting guy and the set manager got into a furious fight over a small matter. I heard they had previous grudges. Apparently, the set manager stole the lighting guy’s girlfriend before.
Jiang Mingyan: This time, they settled both old and new scores. They were like lit firecrackers, fighting so fiercely they couldn’t be pulled apart. They ended up damaging the props, which angered the props team, who also rushed in to fight. The scene was utterly chaotic, like putting on shoes before socks, everything was upside down, hahahaha.
Yu You: Mingyan-jie, are you hurt?
The latest message popped up right under Jiang Xunzhou’s nose.
Jiang Mingyan: I’m fine, I’m fine. Don’t worry, Little Fish Baby, I hid very quickly [Kiss emoji]
Jiang Xunzhou stared at the kiss emoji for two seconds, gave a faint “Mm,” and subtly took out his own phone to message Jiang Mingyan.
Jiang Xunzhou: Either call him Little Yu or call him Sister-in-law. Don’t call him Little Fish Baby.
Jiang Xunzhou: If you send him any more messy emojis, I’ll tell your parents about you chasing the second male lead.
Jiang Mingyan: ???
After lecturing her, Jiang Xunzhou looked at Yu You and called out, “Little Fish Baby.”
Yu You instinctively looked up: “Hmm?”
Jiang Xunzhou extended his hand: “Let’s practice holding hands for a bit.”
Yu You said “Oh,” and without thinking much, placed his hand on top of Jiang Xunzhou’s.
The young man’s fingers were as pale as jade, his nails neatly trimmed and rounded, tinged with pink. They were a full size smaller than Jiang Xunzhou’s hand.
Jiang Xunzhou closed his fingers, easily enveloping Yu You’s hand entirely within his palm.
The grip was firm, and the broad palm conveyed an undeniable sense of control. An unfamiliar warmth transferred, flowing into his fingertips.
Yu You felt a little uncomfortable. To distract himself, he turned his head and spoke to Jiang Xunzhou: “Is it far to get there?”
Jiang Xunzhou was in a good mood, the corners of his lips slightly upturned, and he replied, “Not far, about twenty minutes more.”
The car took the beltway into the suburbs and arrived at the Jiang family residence.
It was a sprawling manor. The carved iron gate opened automatically, revealing a Baroque-style fountain. The cherub statue in the center glittered under the golden sunlight, and behind it stood a blue and white castle, dreamy like a scene from a fairy tale.
The car stopped steadily. The driver got out and opened the rear door.
Inside, they had already been informed of their arrival, and Su Qiuling couldn’t wait, rushing out immediately.
Jiang Xunzhou got out first, called out “Mom,” and asked, “How is your recovery?”
“I’m fine. Your father protected me during the accident, so I only had minor injuries. I’m better now. Your father felt dizzy after looking at documents for a while and went back to rest.”
Su Qiuling had a refined face, dressed like a noblewoman, and was maintained to look like she was in her early forties. She peered behind Jiang Xunzhou, asking eagerly, “Where is Little Yu?”
Yu You stepped out of the car a moment later. The young man’s figure was straight like a green bamboo, with a slender waist and long legs. Standing there, his demeanor was clean and particularly endearing.
He said obediently, “Hello, Auntie. Sorry for the intrusion.”
“No intrusion, not at all.”
Su Qiuling smiled broadly, her tone joyful: “I was worried that Xunzhou would end up lonely in his old age. I never thought I’d actually see the day he brought someone home.”
“Let’s go inside and talk.”
Jiang Xunzhou naturally took Yu You’s hand.
The Iris Flower silver chains on their wrists intertwined, the tiny diamonds sparkling brightly.
Su Qiuling naturally didn’t miss this detail and joked with a smile: “You’re even wearing matching couple bracelets. Didn’t you only like watches and dislike things like this?”
Jiang Xunzhou’s tone was doting: “I can’t help it; he likes them.”
Yu You was extremely cooperative, his eyes curving as he smiled shyly and sweetly.
The castle had typical European decor, luxurious and grand, exuding a magnificent aura.
As they walked inside, Jiang Xunzhou asked, “Is my brother coming back today?”
“Your brother isn’t coming back; he’s too busy with work.”
Mentioning this, Su Qiuling looked a little worried: “Now your brother is the only one holding up the Jianghe Group headquarters. Your two uncles are constantly looking for his mistakes, and your father still hasn’t fully recovered, so he can’t go back to help…”
The emotion in Jiang Xunzhou’s eyes deepened, but his expression remained normal. He comforted her gently: “Dad has worked hard for so many years. He should take an annual leave and rest well. It’s also a chance to spend time with you.”
Su Qiuling acknowledged this, then changed the subject: “Let’s not talk about that. Your father and I brought back a few sets of tableware from abroad. You and Little Yu can pick out the ones you like.”
She beckoned a maid to bring over the tableware gift boxes, which nearly covered the living room coffee table.
They were made of pure mother-of-pearl, shimmering with iridescent light and uniquely shaped.
Yu You immediately spotted the spoon and plate shaped like a small fish. His heart stirred, and he hooked his finger across Jiang Xunzhou’s palm.
Jiang Xunzhou understood immediately: “We’ll take the set shaped like the little fish. Thank you, Mom.”
Su Qiuling smiled: “Good, good. I’ll have someone send them to your car later. There are also some tonics, black truffle paste, and pistachio paste. Take them all back with you.”
A gentle voice came from the second floor: “Xunzhou.”
Yu You looked up. Standing behind the vintage railing on the second floor was a tall man, around forty or fifty, wearing casual loungewear. His features looked like they were carved from the same mold as Jiang Xunzhou’s, but the fine lines around his eyes carried the marks of time. His demeanor, however, was as warm as a spring breeze.
Jiang Xunzhou stood up and called out “Dad.” Yu You quickly stood up too, awkwardly following suit with “Uncle.”
Jiang Junran nodded, then said, “Xunzhou, come to the Study Room.”
Jiang Xunzhou instinctively glanced at Yu You, hesitating for a moment.
Su Qiuling teased from the side: “What, you don’t trust leaving Little Yu with me?”
Yu You proactively said, “Husband, you go ahead. I’ll chat with Auntie here.”
Jiang Xunzhou hummed and walked upstairs.
He looked back several times, seeing Su Qiuling pulling Yu You to sit on the sofa and talking intimately. From a distance, he couldn’t hear what they were discussing, but he could tell Yu You looked a little flustered, his earlobes turning red.
Jiang Xunzhou composed himself, entered the Study Room, and closed the door: “Dad, what did you need me for?”
Jiang Junran sat behind the desk, put on his glasses, and nodded: “Sit down and tell me what’s going on with you and Yu You.”
“What could be going on?”
Jiang Xunzhou smiled, walked a few steps, pulled up a chair, and sat down, his tone relaxed: “Didn’t you and Mom keep urging me to date? I actually brought someone back this time. Are you dissatisfied?”
“You choose to date neither early nor late, but precisely after your mother and I were in a car accident, you publicly announced a young boyfriend and claimed you’d been dating for months. Do you think I’ll believe that?”
Jiang Junran’s tone was flat, his gaze sharp as a knife when he looked at Jiang Xunzhou: “Your mother and I want you to date because we hope someone can be with you—gender and background don’t matter. What matters is that you genuinely like them, not that you link your relationship with personal gain.”
Jiang Xunzhou countered: “And how do you know I don’t genuinely like him?”
Jiang Junran was momentarily stunned.
“He’s young, and he likes to act spoiled, like he’s been pampered before. He can’t handle a few harsh words. He wants to get angry but doesn’t dare, so he just bottles it up. His pouting expression is particularly vivid.”
The corner of Jiang Xunzhou’s lips curved slightly: “He often gets bullied and still can’t figure out what happened. He’s a little slow, a bit clumsy, but clumsy in a… very cute way.”
He had only intended to say a few words about how he thought Yu You was great, but as the words left his mouth, a soft smile spread across his eyes, unconsciously changing into something else.
“Sometimes I wonder where he suddenly popped up from. We work at the same company, so why didn’t I see him sooner?”
Jiang Junran raised an eyebrow across the desk: “Little Yu is so much younger than you. Why are you bullying him?”
“I know I shouldn’t, maybe because…”
Jiang Xunzhou pondered for two seconds, a strange feeling spreading in his heart. He slowly smiled: “He’s too much fun to tease.”