Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 47

Hiding

Marry you!

Jiang Zhou’s voice trembled slightly. “Times… times have changed.”

Shen Zhiyu smiled, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Zhou’s gradually reddening cheeks, finding a measure of satisfaction.

He stopped teasing him.

“If this were ancient times, CEO Jiang would have to work like an ox or a horse for me for the rest of his life.”

So…

That was what he meant by marrying him.

The red on Jiang Zhou’s cheeks deepened. He shook his head, blaming himself for thinking something so improper.

“Haha—” Jiang Zhou gave two awkward laughs.

“Where’s Zhozho?”

Jiang Zhou pulled the kitten up a little in his arms.

The kitten lazily nestled in his embrace, like a puddle of melted milk, its belly rumbling contentedly. It didn’t cooperate with Jiang Zhou’s movements at all.

The camera only caught a tuft of fur on the top of the kitten’s head.

“It’s asleep.”

“Let me see its face.” The low voice came through the phone, carrying a hint of imperceptible longing.

Jiang Zhou had no choice but to lift the blanket and adjust the phone’s angle.

The camera slowly moved down, past his jawline, over his slightly bobbing Adam’s apple, and then to the beautiful, pale hollow of his collarbone…

The focus blurred and then sharpened until the sleeping face of the kitten in his arms was fully displayed on the screen.

“Did you see it?”

The kitten in his arms seemed to sense the camera’s intrusion. It stretched lazily in dissatisfaction, and a pink little paw unexpectedly slapped Jiang Zhou’s collarbone.

Jiang Zhou helplessly pulled its paw down. A faint pink mark was imprinted on his pale collarbone.

“It’s asleep and throwing a tantrum.”

“Zhozho…” The person on the video called out twice more, his voice deepening, carrying a subtle huskiness.

Jiang Zhou didn’t notice that during the tug-of-war with the kitten, the button on his collar had been pulled open, revealing a large patch of delicate skin, which, under the soft light, outlined smooth contours.

Shen Zhiyu’s gaze didn’t spare the deeply sleeping kitten a single glance. His eyes were heavy, carrying an invisible weight, fixed precisely on the small, exposed area at Jiang Zhou’s collar.

On the screen, Shen Zhiyu’s breathing seemed to pause for half a beat. The air inexplicably became thick.

Jiang Zhou belatedly realized what was happening. A burning flush quickly spread to his earlobes, even staining his neck with a thin layer of red.

He fumbled to pull his collar up and then, as a cover-up, turned the camera toward the quilt.

“It’s asleep. It won’t let you look.”

“Alright.” On the other end of the screen, Shen Zhiyu chuckled softly, a deep, pleased sound, like a satiated cat.

—-

The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant, mixed with faint odors of animal fur and medicine.

“The little guy is recovering very well.” The doctor handed the re-examination report to Jiang Zhou. “Just ensure a balanced diet and regular deworming.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Jiang Zhou took the report and the carrier box handed to him by the nurse.

The kitten was still not quite used to it and was a bit restless, lightly scratching the sides of the box.

Jiang Zhou patted the box, soothing the kitten.

The night before, Shen Zhiyu had sent Jiang Zhou the address of a pet hospital, asking him to bring the kitten for a follow-up visit.

After a week of careful nurturing, the kitten had become a little plumper, and the re-examination results showed it was very healthy.

Jiang Zhou took a photo and sent it to Shen Zhiyu. “Don’t worry, Zhozho’s re-examination results are very healthy.”

Just as he walked out of the consultation area, a young man wearing a baseball cap and looking anxious rushed toward Jiang Zhou.

Jiang Zhou recognized the person as Zhang Fanshu, Shen Zhiyu’s assistant, and his heart sank.

“CEO Jiang! Thank goodness, you haven’t left yet.” Zhang Fanshu’s voice was low, sweat beaded on his forehead, and he spoke rapidly. “Mr. Shen is trapped, and the situation is a bit tricky.”

“What happened?”

“Today’s shoot finished early, and Mr. Shen wanted to come over to check on the kitten’s re-examination, so he came straight here from the airport.”

“Who knew he’d be spotted by paparazzi staking out the garage.” Zhang Fanshu looked annoyed. “Those people acted too fast. They blocked the elevator entrance and the garage exit. Mr. Shen is currently trapped in the cleaning room down in the garage.”

“I took a huge detour and only just managed to run up through the staff passage…”

“Where is he? Take me there first.”

Zhang Fanshu immediately turned and led the way. They avoided the main entrance, quickly passed through a corridor marked “Staff Only,” winding through several turns until they reached the fire escape leading to the underground garage.

“Mr. Shen is in the utility room below the stairs. The door is locked. The paparazzi are mainly lingering near the elevator and the exit. The stairs are safe for now.”

Jiang Zhou pondered for a moment, then handed the carrier box to Zhang Fanshu. “Wait for my command. Take the kitten out through the main entrance and find a way to distract them.”

“Understood.” Zhang Fanshu nodded, holding the carrier box, and returned the way he came toward the clinic.

Jiang Zhou walked down the fire escape, vigilantly observing his surroundings.

Soon, in an inconspicuous corner below the stairs, he saw a tightly closed blue metal door labeled “Cleaning Utility Room.”

Jiang Zhou quickly walked up to the door and tapped three times lightly.

The door was pulled open a crack. Before Jiang Zhou could clearly see the person, he was yanked inside.

The space inside was cramped, piled high with cleaning tools and miscellaneous items. The air was thick with the smell of cheap disinfectant and mops.

Jiang Zhou’s back was pressed against the cold metal door. Shen Zhiyu’s tall figure was less than an arm’s length in front of him. The eyes under the baseball cap looked exceptionally bright in the gloom.

“What are you doing in here?” Shen Zhiyu’s voice was very low, slightly husky, but the tail end of his words lifted slightly, sounding not anxious at all, but rather strangely languid.

The excessive proximity and the crisp cedarwood scent lingering on the other man made Jiang Zhou’s heart rate accelerate uncontrollably. He tried hard to maintain his composure. “Zhang Fanshu said you were trapped here. I came to see if I could help.”

Hearing this, the beautiful eyes beneath the brim of the cap curved into a smile. Even through the mask, Jiang Zhou could sense his amusement.

He tilted his head slightly, leisurely sizing up Jiang Zhou, who was dressed in a suit and tie, looking utterly out of place in the messy environment.

“Oh?” he responded softly, his voice slightly breathy, making it exceptionally clear and…

Seductive in the confined space.

“CEO Jiang. Which topic do you think would be more explosive: one person being found hiding in a utility room, or two grown men hiding in a utility room?”

His gaze was locked tightly on Jiang Zhou, flickering with cunning and dangerous light in the darkness.

Naturally, two grown men hiding would be the more explosive topic.

Shen Zhiyu lowered his voice further, speaking in a near-whisper, every word sounding like it had a hook.

“Shen Zhiyu and a mysterious man rendezvous, passionate hiding in a utility room?”

A rush of heat instantly flooded Jiang Zhou’s cheeks, and his breathing became slightly uneven. He quietly exhaled, forcing himself to remain calm. “Don’t worry, we won’t be discovered. I’ll have them find a way to draw people away.”

Shen Zhiyu gave a low hum and took off his mask.

“Well, then, escape expert, how do you plan to help me escape?”

A warm breath brushed against Jiang Zhou’s cheek. Jiang Zhou tried hard to ignore the substantial gaze, quickly assessing the situation.

The garage exit and the elevator entrance were heavily watched. Zhang Fanshu going out the main entrance would draw some attention, but it wasn’t enough. To escape in the chaos, the best way was to create bigger, more widespread confusion.

Jiang Zhou took out his phone, found Wei Yan’s number, and dialed it directly.

The call was answered instantly.

Jiang Zhou quickly explained the current situation and instructed, “Have everyone from Qingran Era rush to the hospital immediately. Enter from various access points, and start quietly leaking information on the way.”

“Understood, doing it now.” The response was quick.

Jiang Zhou hung up and looked at Shen Zhiyu. “For the paparazzi, the visible faces of Qingran Era should be more appealing than baseless speculation about you. Once they arrive, Zhang Fanshu will coordinate with them at the garage entrance to create greater chaos. We’ll wait for the commotion at the main entrance to start, then slip out during the confusion.”

The corner of Shen Zhiyu’s mouth curved up, his eyes holding a deeper amusement.

“Qingran Era, huh. CEO Jiang is truly going to great lengths.”

The utility room had no windows, and the air was stagnant. A thin layer of sweat quickly appeared on Jiang Zhou’s forehead.

He deliberately ignored Shen Zhiyu’s presence and turned to grope for the light switch on the wall.

“The light is broken,” Shen Zhiyu said. “I tried it earlier.”

“Oh.” Jiang Zhou stopped his hand.

A brief silence fell over the utility room, broken only by the sound of their intertwined breathing.

Shen Zhiyu adjusted his stance, leaning forward slightly.

The space was too small. This movement brought his knee almost into contact with Jiang Zhou’s leg. Through the fabric, Jiang Zhou could feel the heat radiating from the other man.

After all the arrangements were settled, Shen Zhiyu’s crisp scent, in the murky air, became exceptionally clear, aggressively invading Jiang Zhou’s nostrils.

With a bang, Shen Zhiyu’s hand slid past Jiang Zhou’s shoulder and pressed against the metal door in front of Jiang Zhou.

The dilapidated door panel made a muffled sound, and tiny metal fragments scattered in the air.

Jiang Zhou choked and couldn’t help but cough.

The other hand wrapped around from behind his ear and covered his mouth. “Shh! CEO Jiang, don’t make a sound.”

The coughing sounds were muffled into a low groan within the palm.

Jiang Zhou’s breathing became noticeably rapid. He coughed for a while before finally stopping.

Jiang Zhou raised his hand to pull Shen Zhiyu’s hand away, his voice muffled in the palm, broken and intermittent. “You… let… go… of me… first.”

Shen Zhiyu only loosened his grip but didn’t withdraw his hand.

A clear reflection flashed from his palm. Jiang Zhou’s body instantly tensed, as if an electric current had shot through him.

Jiang Zhou immediately grabbed Shen Zhiyu’s hand and wiped it haphazardly several times on his suit jacket.

A low chuckle came from behind him, a subtle breath brushing the hair near Jiang Zhou’s ear.

“What are you doing!” Jiang Zhou complained in a low voice, his tone tinged with embarrassment and urgency.

“Tired. Changing positions.” His voice was even lower, carrying a deliberate huskiness, like a feather sweeping across an earlobe.

A stronger wave of heat swept over Jiang Zhou’s entire body. Finer beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.