Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 26

Miss Me

The air seemed to thicken and grow ambiguous in that moment.

Jiang Zhou couldn’t hold his breath any longer and quietly let out a puff of air. The warm breath brushed past Shen Zhiyu’s neck, causing a subtle shiver.

Shen Zhiyu suddenly released him, his tone slightly sharp, “Why are you moving around?”

Jiang Zhou didn’t dare speak, making his breathing even lighter. Yet, the drumming in his chest was deafening, nearly drowning him.

Jiang Zhou carefully tried to soothe his fiercely beating heart, hoping it would quiet down and not be discovered.

And indeed, no one discovered it.

Because Shen Zhiyu was completely preoccupied and couldn’t notice Jiang Zhou’s heartbeat.

His own heart was pounding violently, fast enough to leap out of his chest.

His gaze involuntarily fell on Jiang Zhou’s neck. Amidst the pale skin, scattered patches of redness stood out prominently.

The intense restlessness surged even more fiercely, threatening to overwhelm his rationality.

Shen Zhiyu bit his tongue. A hint of blood spread in his mouth, barely pulling him back to a semblance of clarity.

But the next second, an unnamed anger welled up.

Shen Zhiyu suddenly understood something in that moment.

Was this why Jiang Zhou tormented himself with self-harm?

Because he couldn’t control himself, he relied on physical injury to regain his senses.

But that Yuan Chong, what right did he have?

Yuan Chong, who was once again innocently implicated and scolded, sneezed violently several times. He picked up the jacket from the sofa and put it on, muttering, “What’s going on? I keep sneezing tonight.”

The more Shen Zhiyu thought about it, the angrier he became. The fury momentarily suppressed the surging agitation.

He grabbed Jiang Zhou’s hand, dipped it in the antiseptic, and applied it to the wounds without a word. His movements were heavy and rushed, completely disregarding whether Jiang Zhou was in pain.

Jiang Zhou endured the pain, letting him work without making a sound.

A strong medicinal smell filled the room, completely washing away the previous hint of ambiguity.

Besides the sprain from playing ball, Jiang Zhou’s palm had several scratches and cuts. Some had already scabbed over, while others were still fresh and raw, their edges even slightly festering, looking shocking.

Since Shen Zhiyu had seen through him, Jiang Zhou stopped making excuses to hide it, but he felt extremely uncomfortable.

Shen Zhiyu had publicly stated on a show that he liked good, flawless skin.

Jiang Zhou was afraid these wounds would be an eyesore to him.

After applying the medicine, Shen Zhiyu wrapped his hand in gauze.

“Don’t cook these two days, and be careful not to get the wound wet.”

“Mhm,” Jiang Zhou replied softly.

When Shen Zhiyu stood up, his phone slipped off the bed. The screen was still lit, silently playing a bandaging tutorial video.

He had actually been searching for this just now.

Jiang Zhou’s eyes warmed, and they uncontrollably became moist.

Afraid that Shen Zhiyu would notice, Jiang Zhou lowered his head even further.

“In the future, don’t do such stupid things.”

“He’s not worth it.”

“If you really feel the urge, just think about me.”

Jiang Zhou: “Huh?”

“Am I not better than him?” Shen Zhiyu practically squeezed the words out through gritted teeth.

“You are, of course you are.”

Hearing the affirmation, Shen Zhiyu seemed slightly satisfied. “If you feel like hurting yourself again, think about me more. You’ll forget him quickly.”

So that was the logic.

Jiang Zhou finally understood the meaning behind his words and quickly nodded in agreement.

Shen Zhiyu packed up the medicine box and then left.

Not long after he left, Jiang Zhou received several personal photos and videos sent by Shen Zhiyu.

“Look at these more, cleanse your eyes. Don’t mistake a weed for a narcissus.”

Jiang Zhou: ….

He replied with a few thankful emojis.

The photos and videos Shen Zhiyu sent were all unreleased, including a few selfies taken in Taoyuan.

Jiang Zhou reverently downloaded them all and placed them in his secret folder.

Ever since signing Shen Zhiyu, Jiang Zhou had changed all the wallpapers on his phone featuring the other man, terrified the person himself would discover them. All photos and videos were also moved into a private space, carefully treasured.

Since arriving at Taoyuan for the show recording, he hadn’t had time to admire them for two days.

Jiang Zhou clicked open the treasured photos, admiring them greedily.

In the next room, Shen Zhiyu was wide awake.

After leaving Jiang Zhou’s room, he had taken a cold shower.

Although the physical agitation was temporarily suppressed, the fire in his heart had not been extinguished; instead, it was subtly stirring. Moreover, the person who lit the fire was sleeping right next door.

Jiang Zhou’s skin felt incredibly good—delicate and warm, almost flawless.

Especially that pale neck, tinged with light pink, was particularly tempting, making one want to leave their own mark on it.

It was a pity he was too thin.

Shen Zhiyu recalled the moment he pulled him into his arms.

Jiang Zhou was alarmingly thin, his frame so delicate it felt like it could be crushed with a grip. Shen Zhiyu could almost completely embrace him with one arm.

Those images resurfaced uncontrollably. Shen Zhiyu felt as if he could still sense the warmth transmitted when his palm rested on Jiang Zhou’s back, and the faint, pearly white skin glimpsed beneath his collar.

The more he thought, the drier his throat became. His body’s reaction was almost instantaneous.

Some things, after all, must be obtained and tasted to know what they are like.

—

Jiang Zhou hadn’t expected Shen Zhiyu’s instruction to rest well to be more than just words.

For the next three days, Shen Zhiyu did the cooking.

His dishes were low in oil and salt, mostly stews. After eating rich food for several days, the guests found it hard to adjust immediately. But since the food was cooked by Shen Zhiyu, no one dared to voice their opinions for fear of dampening his enthusiasm.

Not only that, but after cooking, Shen Zhiyu personally served rice to everyone, watching them until they finished their food before relenting.

After several consecutive days, everyone’s mouths felt bland, but their weight had increased by two or three catties each.

Even Jiang Zhou gained two catties.

These days, everyone was participating in the rice harvesting activity organized by the production team. Jiang Zhou’s hand injury made it inconvenient for him to participate, so he handled his work in the morning and spent the afternoons drinking tea by the pavilion, watching them labor.

Although it was winter, the daytime sun was still scorching.

The guests had been busy in the fields for days and had all gotten noticeably darker.

Only Shen Zhiyu hadn’t tanned; instead, he seemed even fairer, drawing unanimous “condemnation” from the others.

Jiang Zhou rested for a few days, and his wounds had scabbed over.

On the day they harvested the last patch of rice, he personally cooked a feast of rich, meaty dishes to reward everyone.

The guests ate with tears of gratitude, especially Cai Zhiyang, who was so moved he almost knelt down and called him Dad.

With the late rice harvest complete, the guests became idle again and started focusing on their respective business ventures.

The business Shen Zhiyu had proposed earlier was adjusted from a study room to a reading room.

Before the reading room officially opened, he launched a book collection campaign on social media, inviting fans to recommend a book in the comments section.

He would then purchase books based on these recommendations to fill the reading room, promising that after the show recording ended, fans were welcome to visit or enjoy a quiet read.

This move not only increased fan engagement and solidified his fan base but also promoted the show and held the potential to attract tourists to Yongnan Village in the future.

It was a triple win, earning praise even from the show’s director.

As a result, Shen Zhiyu’s venture took over a week to officially complete.

This day marked the grand opening of the “Tongzhou Study Post.”

To add a sense of ceremony, Shen Zhiyu specifically asked his manager to purchase several sets of uniforms from his alma mater, Haishi Yunde International School High School, and gifted them to the guests, hoping they would wear them for the inaugural reading event.

The winter uniform design was classic: a dark blue double-breasted wool coat, paired with a plaid lining and a wine-red cashmere scarf, over a V-neck knit vest and a fleece-lined shirt, with dark gray trousers.

Jiang Zhou was familiar with this uniform.

The uniforms at Haishi Yunde International School were standardized, with only slight color adjustments. The blue deepened incrementally from elementary school upwards.

Shen Zhiyu was a prominent figure during his school days, and many photos of him wearing the uniform in middle school circulated online.

Jiang Zhou had saved all these photos and often looked through them.

He never imagined that one day he would see Shen Zhiyu wearing the uniform in person.

Jiang Zhou put on his set. The uniform was prepared for a height of 1.85 meters. Although he was 1.83 meters tall, his frame was too slender. The uniform hung loosely on him, making him look even more fragile.

Everyone agreed to meet under the banyan tree. As the initiator, Shen Zhiyu left early.

Jiang Zhou opened his phone and saw a message Shen Zhiyu had sent ten minutes ago.

He clicked it open, and the screen displayed that excessively handsome face.

Shen Zhiyu tilted his head slightly. The dark blue school coat made his skin look even colder and paler, and his collar was casually open. Light struck him from the side, casting fine shadows from his long, thick eyelashes. His nose bridge was high, his lips were fresh and vibrant, and he exuded vitality.

Jiang Zhou’s fingertip hovered half an inch above the screen. He wanted to zoom in but curled his finger back, finally just lightly brushing the faint brown mole at the corner of Shen Zhiyu’s eye.

Since the night Shen Zhiyu told him to “think about me more,” he not only sent over a dozen private photos that night but has also sent at least one photo every day since, without fail.

Every photo was captivating. Jiang Zhou saved each one carefully.

He thought that even if Shen Zhiyu discovered the truth and distanced himself in the future, at least he would have these photos for comfort.

Cai Zhiyang urged everyone in the group chat to quickly gather under the banyan tree. Jiang Zhou quickly changed his shoes and hurried over.

Everyone had changed into the high school uniform. At a glance, they looked youthful and pleasing to the eye. Even the oldest, Director Weng, didn’t look out of place among them. Except for Cai Zhiyang.

Cai Zhiyang was almost in tears. “What’s going on? You all look like clothes racks, and I’m the only one who doesn’t look like he’s wearing a school uniform?”

Zhang Qian laughed and teased, “Isn’t that right? You look like you’re ‘rich and wealthy.’ Nothing else suits you; you’re meant to wear a suit!”

That remark was comforting. Cai Zhiyang immediately puffed up his chest. “You’re right! When it comes to the CEO aura, no one here can beat me!”

“Oh, come on! You take two compliments and think it’s true! Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning saying that in front of CEO Jiang and Director Weng?”

Shen Zhiyu followed their conversation and looked at Jiang Zhou.

Too thin.

The uniform looked like a large sack draped over him. The cuffs were wide enough to fit another hand.