Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 58

Payment

It was Saturday.

Xi Wanyu called Jiang Zhou specifically before coming over, making sure he was awake before bringing the kitten.

The kitten hadn’t seen Jiang Zhou in a long time. The moment the door opened, it pounced on him, clinging and demanding affection.

Xi Wanyu was also holding an insulated container. “A’Zhou, this is soup Auntie made. Drink more of it, okay?”

Jiang Zhou felt a little overwhelmed. “You didn’t have to, Auntie.”

“Why be polite with me?” Xi Wanyu said with a smile. “Look at you, you’ve lost weight again. Eat more!”

Xi Wanyu gave a few more instructions, then left. The kitten played for a while, then went to eat its cat food.

Jiang Zhou opened the insulated container. The top layer was a plate of stir-fried pork liver with green peppers, and the bottom was a slow-cooked chicken soup with Sichuan peppercorns.

A warm current flowed through his heart.

In the afternoon, Jiang Zhou interviewed several assistants to be assigned to Shen Zhiyu by Wei Yan. But Shen Zhiyu refused, saying he didn’t need that many assistants.

Jiang Zhou had no choice but to drop the matter, though he did remind Zhang Fanshu to pay extra attention to Shen Zhiyu.

Zhang Fanshu felt the helplessness of trying to please two masters.

In the blink of an eye, it was Monday.

After Languang Media went public, its market value doubled, and the films and TV shows it invested in this year had impressive box office and viewership numbers.

To motivate the employees, the entire company received a substantial bonus and decided to organize a company trip next month.

Wei Yan brought in several travel proposals.

Languang Media used to organize a trip every year, and the destination was always personally chosen by Jiang Zhou.

His principle for choosing locations was simple: they were based on the cities where LUMEN was active during that period.

This year was an exception. Shen Zhiyu’s schedule was only booked for about half a month, and he was in the country, so they could meet anytime.

Therefore, there were no prior instructions for this trip, and the destinations in the proposals were all different.

Jiang Zhou casually flipped through them, lacking interest. “I have no preference. Let everyone vote.”

Wei Yan acknowledged the instruction and withdrew.

At noon, Jiang Zhou received a message from Shen Zhiyu.

“CEO Jiang, is it convenient for me to come to your place tonight to pick up the bracelet?”

Jiang Zhou replied that it was fine.

For the past two days, Jiang Zhou had been thinking about why Shen Zhiyu bought that bracelet back.

He said it was a pair of bracelets. Was he planning to buy it to give to someone else?

But recently, he hadn’t noticed anyone special around him.

Jiang Zhou couldn’t figure it out.

Shen Zhiyu didn’t specify what time he would arrive.

After getting off work, Jiang Zhou waited at home.

He waited until almost midnight.

Jiang Zhou was mentally prepared that Shen Zhiyu might not come tonight.

He felt a little disappointed.

Just as he was about to go to his room to sleep, the doorbell rang.

Jiang Zhou opened the door, and a faint scent of wine mixed with a cedarwood base note rushed toward him, instantly enveloping him.

Jiang Zhou frowned slightly, looking at the person standing there.

The sound-activated light in the hallway had gone out, and only the light spilling from inside the door illuminated Shen Zhiyu.

He leaned against the doorframe, tall and slender. The faint light softened his features, and his beautiful, long, narrow eyes were slightly lowered.

Jiang Zhou felt that Shen Zhiyu really shouldn’t drink. Not even a little.

When he drank, his complexion became rosier, his usually cold and alluring eyes would be tinged with a hazy intoxication, his eyelids slightly red, and when he looked at people, it was as if he was gazing at them affectionately.

He didn’t seem to have drunk too much this time. His posture was steady, and he greeted Jiang Zhou clearly. “CEO Jiang.”

For some reason, Jiang Zhou felt a strange sense of disappointment.

He forced a smile and walked inside.

The bracelet was in a gift box on the living room table. Jiang Zhou handed it to Shen Zhiyu.

Shen Zhiyu took it casually and initiated a transfer on WeChat.

The amount was considerable, a six-figure sum.

Jiang Zhou said, “Mr. Shen, you’re too kind. You don’t need to transfer the money to me.”

“How can I not? I’m going to give this to someone. It feels more sincere if I buy it back myself.”

“CEO Jiang, please accept it.”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhou was stunned.

He really was giving the bracelet to someone, and he insisted on buying it back himself rather than letting someone else gift it.

A bitter feeling clogged his chest. Jiang Zhou felt a little uncomfortable, and an uncontrollable restlessness surged within him.

But this restlessness was different from the usual urge for self-harm and punishment; it was a desire for exclusive possession.

Jiang Zhou was startled.

How could he harbor such a selfish desire for exclusive possession over Shen Zhiyu?

How could he?

“CEO Jiang?”

Shen Zhiyu called out.

Jiang Zhou quickly lowered his eyes, hiding his momentary lapse.

“Then I won’t be polite,” Jiang Zhou said, accepting Shen Zhiyu’s transfer.

“Where’s Zhouzhou?” Shen Zhiyu placed the gift box casually on the table and walked into the living room.

“It’s sleeping,” Jiang Zhou followed behind him.

Shen Zhiyu found Zhouzhou in the cat bed, lying sprawled out, belly up, purring contentedly, sleeping soundly.

Shen Zhiyu naturally sat down on the nearby sofa.

He looked up at Jiang Zhou, his expression seeming slightly displeased.

“CEO Jiang, are your demands for your physique a bit too harsh?”

Jiang Zhou hadn’t yet recovered from the unwarranted possessive thought he had about Shen Zhiyu and was a little confused.

“?”

He followed Shen Zhiyu’s gaze, looking himself up and down.

Shen Zhiyu suddenly reached out, his large palm encircling Jiang Zhou’s waist. It was a perfect fit, his two hands easily wrapping around Jiang Zhou’s waist.

Jiang Zhou froze in place.

Shen Zhiyu seemed to only be measuring. He quickly let go and scoffed. “CEO Jiang’s waist is maintained better than a female celebrity’s. It’s so thin it’s bony.”

He wasn’t saying anything complimentary, and his tone carried clear mockery, but Jiang Zhou’s cheeks couldn’t help but flush slightly.

“Mr. Shen, you jest,” Jiang Zhou said awkwardly, taking two steps back.

Shen Zhiyu stopped looking at him and leaned back against the sofa. He closed his eyes, reached up to rub his stomach, and sighed softly.

“Jiang Zhou, my stomach hurts.”

Jiang Zhou secretly glanced at his expression. His brows were slightly furrowed, perhaps from the discomfort of drinking.

Jiang Zhou turned to look for medicine, but Shen Zhiyu grabbed his hand. “Could you cook me some congee, please?”

His voice was softer, carrying a subtle tremor, with a hint of unconscious pleading.

Jiang Zhou’s body stiffened. The possessiveness that had risen from the depths of his heart surged forth again, threatening to spread like wildfire.

He truly didn’t want anyone else to hear Shen Zhiyu speak like that.

Jiang Zhou rationally suppressed this inappropriate selfish thought. “Okay. What kind of congee do you want?”

“Lean pork and vegetable congee is fine,” Shen Zhiyu said, then released his hand.

Jiang Zhou went to the kitchen to busy himself. Shen Zhiyu leaned back on the sofa and quickly fell asleep.

Shen Zhiyu was genuinely exhausted.

He hadn’t been resting well lately, rushing through his schedule almost every day. But the main reason was that he missed Jiang Zhou.

Shen Zhiyu truly felt like he was obsessed. He was like a perverted demon, thinking about Jiang Zhou constantly. Sometimes, just thinking about Jiang Zhou’s passionate look beneath him was enough to keep him restless all night.

After finishing his schedule today, Shen Zhiyu rushed back immediately, eager to see Jiang Zhou.

The moment he saw Jiang Zhou and felt his presence, the frustration weighing on his heart suddenly vanished, and exhaustion washed over him.

Jiang Zhou finished cooking the congee and washed two bowls.

From Jiang Zhou’s observation, Shen Zhiyu didn’t like eating alone. No matter what he ate, he always wanted Jiang Zhou to eat some too.

“Mr. Shen, the congee is ready,” Jiang Zhou called out as he approached him.

Shen Zhiyu didn’t respond.

Jiang Zhou took two steps closer and realized Shen Zhiyu had fallen asleep leaning on the sofa.

The flush from the alcohol on Shen Zhiyu’s face had gradually faded, revealing his fair complexion, making his skin look white with a hint of pink.

He still had makeup on. The silver-white highlight shimmered under the light like rippling water. The foundation under his eyes was slightly worn off, revealing faint blue traces of fatigue.

Jiang Zhou had seen Shen Zhiyu’s schedule. His itinerary was brutal. He had been filming all-night scenes for the past few days.

Jiang Zhou really wanted to remind him to rest, but he felt he had no standing to say anything.

He must have been truly worn out, otherwise, he wouldn’t have fallen asleep just leaning on the sofa.

Jiang Zhou stared at him for a moment, then turned to the bathroom to get makeup remover pads and a face towel.

Jiang Zhou returned to the sofa. He held his breath, bracing his left hand on the cushion beside Shen Zhiyu’s head, and gently placed the damp makeup remover pad with his right hand, starting from his smooth forehead and wiping downward little by little.

The makeup remover pad passed over his straight nose bridge, wiped the slightly furrowed space between his brows, and then carefully avoided the area around his eyes to wipe his cheeks.

The cotton pad stained with makeup gradually changed color, revealing his original skin tone underneath, which looked slightly too pale under the light.

The only sounds in the air were the extremely subtle friction and the shallow, intertwined breaths of the two men.

When he wiped the clearly defined corners of his lips, Jiang Zhou kept his fingers steady, the cotton pad gliding lightly along the curve.

Just then, Shen Zhiyu’s head unconsciously rubbed against the cushion, his brows knitting, as if trapped in some restless dream.

Jiang Zhou paused, immediately stopping, even holding his breath.

Then, he heard an extremely low, muffled hum, like a breathy sigh, escaping from those two recently wiped, slightly dry lips.

Suddenly, a scorching hand fiercely gripped his wrist!

The force was so great that Jiang Zhou let out a half-gasp of surprise, and the makeup remover pad slipped from his grasp onto the soft carpet.

Before Jiang Zhou could react, a greater force pulled him forward.

In a dizzying moment, he was suddenly pressed down into the soft sofa cushion.

Shen Zhiyu’s body immediately followed, covering him. His arms wrapped around Jiang Zhou’s waist like iron hoops, securing him tightly in his embrace, his heavy head burying itself in Jiang Zhou’s neck.

Everything happened in a flash.

Jiang Zhou’s heart pounded wildly in his chest. The shock and the sudden intimacy made him completely rigid.

He instinctively struggled, trying to push the person on top of him away.

“Don’t move—” An extremely muffled sigh, thick with sleepiness, was branded hotly onto his collarbone.

Shen Zhiyu flipped them over while holding him, his arms tightening even more, as if he were clutching a large, exclusive sleeping doll.

His breathing was slightly more rapid than before, and the warm air swept over the side of Jiang Zhou’s neck repeatedly, sending subtle shivers through him.

Jiang Zhou stopped moving. He tilted his head slightly and could see Shen Zhiyu’s tightly closed eyes, his long lashes casting quiet shadows beneath them. Only his brows were unconsciously furrowed, as if even in his sleep, he instinctively resisted the “pillow” in his arms attempting to escape.

Was he… awake?

It felt like he was, because the embrace carried a clear possessiveness and an undeniable strength. Yet, the deeply exhausted rhythm of his breathing and his completely dependent posture clearly indicated he was submerged in sleep.

Perhaps it was just a subconscious, instinctive action, seeking a source of warmth and security.

Realizing this, Jiang Zhou’s tense body slowly relaxed. He no longer tried to break free, instead adjusting his posture very slowly.

The arm wrapped around his waist seemed to tighten a fraction more. Shen Zhiyu made a muffled sound, burrowing deeper into his neck, and his breathing finally became even and long again.

The light gently enveloped the two people embracing on the sofa. Only the sound of their intertwined breaths remained in the air.