Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 37
byGetting Closer
Jiang Zhou left Shen Zhiyu’s room, his mind completely blank.
Not long after he returned to his own house, Yuan Chong arrived.
Jiang Zhou proactively stripped off his clothes. “Brother, look, I really didn’t hurt myself this time.”
Yuan Chong checked him twice, disbelief etched on his face. “Why?”
Jiang Zhou looked a little embarrassed. “He doesn’t allow me to hurt myself. There will be a punishment.”
Yuan Chong was battle-hardened and knew from Jiang Zhou’s demeanor that the punishment wasn’t simple.
“Did you sleep with him?”
Jiang Zhou shook his head. “No.”
At least the other party had some humanity left.
Yuan Chong asked again, “Is your body feeling comfortable?”
Ever since Jiang Zhou discovered that self-harm could alleviate the guilt of obsessing over Shen Zhiyu, he had developed a habit of doing it.
If he crossed the line and didn’t have time to self-harm immediately, he would suffer an emotional breakdown after hiding it, sometimes even fainting several times in severe cases.
Jiang Zhou nodded while putting his clothes back on. “Everything is fine.”
This time, perhaps because the main person had issued a command, even without self-harm, Jiang Zhou didn’t experience the severe reactions he had before.
In fact, his insomnia was even slightly better.
Yuan Chong also noticed the change in Jiang Zhou.
Jiang Zhou’s face had a hint of color, and even his mother, whose health had been poor, had gained a little weight.
These changes were gratifying.
Yuan Chong’s hostility toward Shen Zhiyu lessened slightly.
He even offered a bolder suggestion. “Have you ever thought about trying to be with him?”
Yuan Chong had considered this method long ago. But before, Jiang Zhou’s reaction to Shen Zhiyu was too intense; even getting a little closer to Shen Zhiyu would cause shortness of breath, forcing him to resort to immediate self-harm to regain control.
Judging by the current situation, Jiang Zhou’s reaction had greatly improved, reaching a point where he could coexist peacefully with Shen Zhiyu without needing to hurt himself.
If he truly got together with Shen Zhiyu, perhaps the obsession would be completely broken, freeing him from the constraints of self-harm.
Moreover, judging by Shen Zhiyu’s attitude, he wasn’t entirely uninterested in Jiang Zhou.
Jiang Zhou didn’t dare. “I never dared to dream of it.”
His biggest fantasy had only emerged recently: the desire to completely sink into depravity with him, just once.
Yuan Chong: “I’ll help you ask Lu Shen and see what Shen Zhiyu’s intentions are.”
Mentioning Lu Shen reminded Jiang Zhou to ask what had happened between them.
“How did you and Lu Shen… get together?” Jiang Zhou still couldn’t bring himself to say the word ‘sleep’.
“You know I slept with him?” Yuan Chong was completely unreserved. “Did Shen Zhiyu tell you?”
Jiang Zhou nodded. “He thought I had a crush on you and specifically told me to make me give up.”
“That old-fashioned guy, he spreads news faster than anyone. It was the night before last, and he initiated it.”
Yuan Chong shrugged. “You know I never refuse a beauty throwing themselves into my arms.”
Jiang Zhou finished dressing and asked hesitantly, “Are you serious about him, or is it just…?”
Jiang Zhou was naturally referring to the Lu family.
If the Lu family found out, Yuan Chong might not have an easy time of it.
“The deed is done, it’s too late to regret it. We’ll worry about the future later. Besides, he might not want to be with me either.”
As Yuan Chong said this, he reached out and pinched Jiang Zhou’s cheek.
“Little Zhouzhou, I told you you’re too innocent. Go out and try someone else; maybe you’ll break the spell of Shen Zhiyu.”
Jiang Zhou swatted his hand away, indignant. “How do you know I’ll break the spell?”
“I’m just afraid you’ll try it and realize he’s still the best.”
Yuan Chong burst into laughter. “Little Zhouzhou, you’ve really changed.”
In the past, Jiang Zhou would politely avoid his crude jokes, but now he was even joking back.
“Get lost.” Jiang Zhou was annoyed, his cheeks flushed crimson.
—-
Jiang Zhou’s sleep had improved significantly during this month in Taoyuan; he fell asleep quickly and wasn’t as easily startled as before.
But perhaps because tonight was his last night in Taoyuan, Jiang Zhou couldn’t fall asleep no matter what.
His phone battery was low and about to shut down. Jiang Zhou searched for the charger in the bedroom for a long time but couldn’t find it, then remembered that Yuan Chong had unplugged his charging cable when he left earlier.
Jiang Zhou went out, intending to look for another charging cable in the living room.
As he passed Yuan Chong and Lu Shen’s room, he happened to hear a soft, muffled whimper.
The sound was clearly suggestive; anyone could tell what was happening.
Jiang Zhou cursed Yuan Chong internally. This guy, he should watch the setting; messing around here.
Jiang Zhou quickly passed by and searched the living room using the moonlight.
Finding nothing, Jiang Zhou turned back. When he reached Yuan Chong and Lu Shen’s room, he paused, debating whether he should remind Yuan Chong not to overdo it, as the house’s soundproofing was terrible.
What if he woke Shen Zhiyu up?
Just as he was agonizing over it, Shen Zhiyu suddenly emerged from his room. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Jiang Zhou standing right outside their door.
Jiang Zhou froze. At the same time, he immediately prayed silently that those two wouldn’t make any indecent noises right now. Otherwise, he really couldn’t explain his actions.
But the more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen.
A broken, strained sound of unbearable pleasure leaked from the room.
The sound wasn’t loud, but it was enough for both of them to hear.
The blood in Jiang Zhou’s body rushed to his cheeks, drawn by the sound.
Jiang Zhou was flustered and awkwardly helpless. “I… I really was just passing by. Do you believe me?”
Shen Zhiyu didn’t say whether he believed him or not. He said, “Let’s go for a walk.”
In this situation, it was truly inappropriate for the two of them to remain in the house.
Jiang Zhou: “Okay, I’ll grab a jacket.”
Jiang Zhou returned to his room and put on a jacket. When he came out, the noise from the other room seemed to have subsided.
Shen Zhiyu also went back and put on a jacket—a bright red down coat. The color was striking, making his lips look redder and his teeth whiter.
The two left the house. Shen Zhiyu led the way, taking Jiang Zhou to the east corner gate of Taoyuan. They exited the gate and headed toward the tea mountain.
Tonight, the clouds were thick and heavy, obscuring the moonlight, and the stars were hidden away.
Neither of them spoke much on the way. The only sound was the whistling night wind, which was cold and brisk.
It was late at night, and the streetlights in the countryside were turned off early. Looking out, the tea mountain was pitch black.
Jiang Zhou stopped at the foot of the mountain. Shen Zhiyu didn’t hear his footsteps following and stopped as well, turning back to look at him.
The night was dark, and visible light was weak. Shen Zhiyu’s face was obscured in the darkness. Jiang Zhou could only vaguely make out his silhouette and those unusually bright eyes.
Jiang Zhou heard Shen Zhiyu ask, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s too dark.” This tea mountain was contracted by another farmer in Yongnan Village. Jiang Zhou had never been here and wasn’t familiar with the path.
With the dark night and strong wind, he couldn’t even see people clearly, let alone the path.
The scene of Shen Zhiyu fainting in the heavy rain that day was still vivid in his mind. Jiang Zhou was afraid Shen Zhiyu would fall and felt like retreating.
Hearing this, Shen Zhiyu somehow interpreted it as a soft plea for help.
Shen Zhiyu walked toward Jiang Zhou and took his hand. “I’m here. Don’t be afraid.”
His voice was gentle and soft, like a warm current, tenderly supporting Jiang Zhou’s wavering soul.
Jiang Zhou wanted to explain that he didn’t mean it that way, but the other party was already leading him up the tea mountain by the hand.
“If we climb over this tea mountain, the other side is a field of rapeseed flowers. I’ll take you to see it.”
His hand was large and very warm, making Jiang Zhou feel hot all over.
His voice seemed to be tinged with that warmth, carrying a slight hoarseness. “Have you been here before?”
“Yes.” The wind was strong at night, and the other person’s hand was icy cold. Shen Zhiyu frowned slightly and tucked Jiang Zhou’s hand into the pocket of his down coat.
Jiang Zhou’s fingers curled slightly, his fingertips pressing against Shen Zhiyu’s palm, trying to pull away. Shen Zhiyu held him tighter without explanation, and only then did the other party stop struggling.
“The week we were harvesting rice. The rapeseed flowers weren’t fully bloomed then, but they should look beautiful now.”
“Oh,” Jiang Zhou responded softly. His palm was starting to sweat from the heat, and he awkwardly wanted to withdraw his hand, but the other party gave him no chance to escape.
Shen Zhiyu seemed interested in his and Yuan Chong’s college life, asking several questions, such as which university they attended, their dorm room number, and their favorite cafeteria food. Jiang Zhou answered them one by one.
Listening to him, Jiang Zhou felt increasingly uneasy, and he remembered Shen Zhiyu’s original intention for building the reading room in Taoyuan.
“You want to go to college?”
“Yes, I’ve thought about it.” His previous thoughts weren’t so strong, just a feeling of regret. But perhaps it was stimulated by Yuan Chong’s extensive talk about his and Jiang Zhou’s college life tonight, or something else.
Shen Zhiyu thought that if he could have met a classmate like Jiang Zhou in college, his university life would have been very interesting.
“Do you support me?” Shen Zhiyu asked.
“Huh? Me?” Jiang Zhou hadn’t expected Shen Zhiyu to ask for his opinion.
“Of course, I support you.” Whatever Shen Zhiyu wanted to do, he would support him unconditionally.
“That’s good.” Shen Zhiyu smiled. “Then I’ll have to trouble CEO Jiang later.”
Jiang Zhou naturally assumed he was talking about the contract and quickly said, “It’s no trouble. These are our responsibilities.”
The tea mountain wasn’t very high, but visibility was poor at night, and the paths were all dirt roads. It took them a full hour and a half of climbing to reach the summit.
Both of them had worked up a sweat. Shen Zhiyu took off his jacket, placed it on a stone block, and pulled Jiang Zhou to sit down.
“It’s cold on the mountain, you’ll catch a cold.” Jiang Zhou couldn’t sit still, constantly looking at Shen Zhiyu with concern.
Shen Zhiyu was only wearing a V-neck cotton pajama set underneath, and the neckline was quite low. He looked excessively thin no matter how Jiang Zhou looked at him.
Shen Zhiyu laughed, teasing, “If you’re so worried, take off your jacket and give it to me.”
Hearing this, Jiang Zhou immediately took off his jacket without a second thought.
They had left casually, both wearing only pajamas underneath, covered by a down coat.
Jiang Zhou’s pajamas weren’t much thicker than Shen Zhiyu’s.
Shen Zhiyu looked at the expanse of white skin stretching down the neckline, feeling a slight itch in his heart and hands.
At this moment, Shen Zhiyu was even more certain that he genuinely liked Jiang Zhou’s body. This liking had reached a level of salivating at the mere thought.
Jiang Zhou took off his jacket, intending to drape it over Shen Zhiyu.
Shen Zhiyu pulled Jiang Zhou closer, so he was practically leaning against his chest.
He draped the jacket over both of their shoulders, holding the left corner himself and gesturing for Jiang Zhou to hold the other corner.
“This works, doesn’t it?”
Jiang Zhou was completely enveloped in warmth. In the silence of the mountain, he could hear Shen Zhiyu’s heartbeat against his shoulder.
This wasn’t the first time they had been this close, but it was the first time they had been so close while both were completely sober.
The factor causing the punishment suddenly became restless again.
Jiang Zhou subconsciously tried to pinch his left hand, but Shen Zhiyu caught it first.