Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 92

Willing

The car drove straight back to Jiang Zhou’s house.

As soon as they entered the door, Shen Zhiyu’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID on the screen, his expression shifting slightly, and he whispered to Jiang Zhou, “It’s my grandfather.”

The call connected, and before Shen Zhiyu could speak, a loud, vigorous voice boomed through the receiver. Even without speakerphone, it was clearly audible in the quiet living room.

“Zhiyu! How is Xiao Mo? Is he alright? That scoundrel, how dare he touch my Old Shen family’s great-grandson!” The voice on the other end made the phone vibrate slightly, revealing undisguised urgency and fury.

“Grandpa, don’t worry, everyone is safe,” Shen Zhiyu soothed gently.

He turned the camera toward Ye Mo and Jiang Yue, who had immediately settled on the carpet to play with Legos upon entering the house.

“Great-Grandpa!” Ye Mo immediately called out when he saw the elderly man on the screen.

Jiang Yue also followed suit, greeting him sweetly, “Hello, Grandpa Shen.”

“Ay! Good, good! It’s good that you’re safe! My two good children, were you scared?” Old Master Shen’s expression instantly softened as he scrutinized the two children through the screen.

“Don’t be afraid, Great-Grandpa is here! Great-Grandpa will bring you some tasty treats later to calm your nerves!”

After a few hearty words of comfort, he changed the subject, his face becoming more serious. “Zhiyu, what exactly happened? Did that scoundrel Ye Jiaming grow a pair of bear hearts and leopard guts?”

Shen Zhiyu briefly recounted the events. Old Master Shen’s brows furrowed tighter the more he listened, his anger palpable.

“That scoundrel Ye Jiaming! I shouldn’t have let him off so easily regarding Xiaoyu’s matter back then! Now look, they all think my Shen family is a soft persimmon, even daring to pull off kidnappings!”

After cursing for a few moments, his gaze inadvertently caught Jiang Zhou at the edge of the camera, and his tone abruptly softened. “Is that A Zhou?”

Shen Zhiyu slightly adjusted the camera to bring Jiang Zhou into the frame.

Jiang Zhou paused slightly, then politely nodded toward the old man. “Grandpa Shen, hello. I am Jiang Zhou.”

“Hmm, the young man looks quite spirited!” Old Master Shen assessed him. “Wanyu has mentioned you to me often, praising you for this and that. Seeing you today, she truly wasn’t wrong.”

Being praised directly by Shen Zhiyu’s elder made Jiang Zhou feel a little embarrassed, his ears warming slightly. He glanced uncomfortably at the person beside him.

Shen Zhiyu was looking at him, his face full of pride, mixed with a blatant display of showing off.

That warmth immediately shot up from his earlobes to his cheeks.

“Alright, I’m relieved that you all are fine. Zhiyu, take good care of everyone. And A Zhou,” Old Master Shen turned his attention to him, his smile kind, “How about Grandpa comes to Haishi another day and looks you up?”

This wasn’t just looking him up; it was clearly an intention to meet him.

Jiang Zhou understood the hidden meaning, and his cheeks grew even hotter. A flicker of surprise and disbelief crossed his mind. The Shen family’s attitude toward him was much kinder and more natural than he had imagined, not even feeling like strangers.

It seemed they had already learned about him.

Shen Zhiyu gently nudged him. “Grandpa is asking you.”

Jiang Zhou snapped back to attention and nodded toward the screen.

Old Master Shen gave a few more instructions before the video call ended.

Shen Zhiyu pinched Jiang Zhou’s cheek, his eyes twinkling with a teasing smile. “What’s wrong? Is my obedient wife afraid of meeting the in-laws?”

The blush on Jiang Zhou’s cheeks deepened instantly. He swatted Shen Zhiyu’s hand away and glanced nervously toward the sofa. “The children are here, what are you doing?”

Shen Zhiyu leaned closer to his ear, lowering his voice to a husky whisper, deliberately saying, “Oh, so CEO Jiang means… we can do it when the children aren’t around?”

Jiang Zhou glared at him, his earlobes so red they looked ready to bleed. “Be serious.”

Shen Zhiyu lowered his head and lightly nipped the surprisingly hot earlobe before the other man could react, then immediately released him and slipped into the kitchen to warm milk for the children.

It took Jiang Zhou a while to calm down before he walked over to the living room carpet and sat down, joining Ye Mo and Jiang Yue in building Legos.

Jiang Yue was completely unaffected, chattering away about school anecdotes while stacking blocks. Ye Mo’s mood wasn’t high, but he was noticeably more relaxed after returning home.

Shen Zhiyu stood in the kitchen, warming the milk, and looked back at the living room.

The light was soft, and the three figures huddled together. A warm current named happiness quietly spread through his heart.

Five minutes later, the two children each received a cup of warm milk.

Jiang Zhou got one too.

He looked at Shen Zhiyu with some surprise.

The other man deliberately misinterpreted his gaze, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Do you want me to feed you?”

Jiang Yue, hearing this nearby, spoke with precocious wisdom, “Brother is shy! He’s so big and still needs to be fed!”

Jiang Zhou was instantly mortified. He gulped down the milk in one go and ended up choking, coughing uncontrollably.

“See, why are you drinking so fast?” Shen Zhiyu kindly patted his back to help him breathe, but his fingertips deliberately lingered on his chest.

Jiang Zhou was speechless, only able to glare at him with wet eyes.

By the time the two children finished their milk, washed up, and went to sleep, the night was deep.

Jiang Zhou didn’t want to expose their relationship in front of the children yet, so he shooed Shen Zhiyu back to his own house to sleep.

Shen Zhiyu readily agreed on the surface, but he quickly showered at home and then quietly sneaked back into Jiang Zhou’s bed.

Just as Jiang Zhou lay down, he was scooped up into the covers.

A warm breath instantly enveloped him, and before he could gasp, his lips were firmly sealed.

The kiss was fierce and urgent. Jiang Zhou quickly reacted, letting out a muffled whimper.

His fingers instinctively clenched the fabric on Shen Zhiyu’s back, moving from attempting to push him away to helplessly submitting, finally turning into complete surrender and reciprocation.

Jiang Zhou tilted his head back, his vulnerable throat bobbing slightly in the darkness, accepting Shen Zhiyu’s dense, falling kisses. His consciousness gradually blurred in the wave of pleasure, only broken gasps escaping between their lips.

“Shen Zhiyu—” he murmured unconsciously, his voice laced with the wetness of arousal, like the most helpless plea and the most complete invitation.

Shen Zhiyu responded with deeper possession and embrace.

After an unknown amount of time, the intense tide gradually subsided. The air was filled with the lazy, intimate scent of post-arousal closeness.

Jiang Zhou lay weakly on Shen Zhiyu’s sweaty chest, listening to the other man’s heart, which had been beating as fiercely as his own, slowly return to a steady rhythm.

Shen Zhiyu’s hand stroked his smooth back in a slow, rhythmic motion.

Jiang Zhou closed his eyes, his cheek pressed against the warm skin, his voice still slightly hoarse, quietly asking, “Your grandfather, he really wants to meet me?”

Shen Zhiyu’s hand didn’t stop stroking his back. He gave a low “Mmm,” his tone lazy and satisfied from their intimacy. “Are you willing?”

Jiang Zhou was silent for a moment.

Shen Zhiyu cupped his face with his hand, forcing him to meet his gaze in the dim light. Jiang Zhou’s eyelashes were still damp, and the corners of his eyes were red.

In the darkness, Shen Zhiyu’s eyes shone astonishingly bright, filled with promise and love, like a calm and reliable deep sea, capable of holding all his anxieties.

Jiang Zhou looked into those eyes. His heart was filled with a burning emotion, swelling, aching, yet feeling unprecedentedly secure. Those feelings of inferiority and fear still existed, but they no longer seemed able to easily consume his reason.

He took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and finally, very slowly but firmly, nodded.

“I am willing,” his voice was very soft, but carried the courage of burning his bridges.

Shen Zhiyu tightened his arms, hugging the person tightly. His voice was filled with unconcealed pride. “Our A Zhou is amazing.”

—

The next day, at the Shen family’s ancestral home.

Outside the ancient and imposing iron gate, Ye Jiaming, looking crestfallen, held expensive gift boxes but was politely and firmly stopped by the butler.

“Old Master Shen has instructed that you wait outside the courtyard.”

Ye Jiaming and his father had flown back to Jing City overnight. As soon as they landed, they immediately came to the Shen residence, adopting a posture of full apology.

However, being immediately shut out ignited a fire in his heart. Just as he was about to flare up, a sharp look from Old Master Ye forced him to retreat. He had no choice but to sheepishly compose himself and stand obediently where he was.

“You stay outside the gate and reflect properly!” Old Master Ye scolded in a low voice, then took a deep breath and followed the butler alone through the heavy door.

In the living room, Old Master Shen sat upright on a huanghuali wood chair, slowly sipping tea, without even lifting his eyelids. The air was stagnant, silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Old Master Ye walked forward, his face full of apology and helplessness. He placed the carefully prepared gifts aside and sighed deeply. “Old Brother Shen, I, I truly have no face to see you.”

Only then did Old Master Shen slowly put down his teacup. He glanced over coolly and snorted. “Raising such a fine son, you certainly should have no face.”

Old Master Ye’s expression grew even more awkward. He waved his hands repeatedly. “Misfortune in the family, truly a misfortune! That idiot Jiaming, his mind was clouded! To commit such a scoundrelly act, frightening Xiao Mo and the Jiang family’s child. I won’t hide it from you, Old Brother, when I found out last night, I was so angry my blood pressure spiked, I almost didn’t recover!”

His posture was extremely low, his words sincere. “Every mistake, every fault, is Jiaming’s. It is my failure to discipline him. Old Brother Shen, whether you want to beat him or scold him, I will not utter a single complaint. I came today specifically to bring this rebellious son to apologize.”

Old Master Shen’s expression remained gloomy, and he didn’t respond, clearly indicating that these superficial pleasantries were far from enough to quell his anger.

Seeing this, Old Master Ye subtly changed the subject, adding a touch of probing and emotion. “Speaking of which, thankfully, both children are fine. I also saw that person last night, Jiang Zhou, right? Young in age, but truly remarkable.”

He displayed timely admiration on his face, as if heartfelt. “Qin had dealings with him some time ago and often praised him to me, saying that this young man started from scratch and built Languang Media to its current scale in just a few years. His vision, courage, and capability are all top-notch. Among the younger generation in Haishi today, I doubt you could find a second person so outstanding.”

As he spoke, he carefully observed Old Master Shen’s expression. Seeing that the other man, though still stern-faced, did not interrupt, he knew his words were having an effect. His tone became even more earnest.

“Zhiyu truly has good judgment. It is rare to have such a friend. With someone like CEO Jiang assisting him, it’s no wonder Zhiyu has become increasingly steady and capable.”

His words were overtly praising Jiang Zhou’s youth and talent, but subtly linking the two men, simultaneously elevating Jiang Zhou and hinting at Shen Zhiyu’s excellent choice of friends, attempting to indirectly ease the tension and lightly gloss over the trouble Ye Jiaming had caused.

Old Master Shen was a man of great stature; how could he not hear the layers of hidden meaning in the words? He pondered for a moment, noncommittal, merely picking up his teacup again and saying blandly,

“A Zhou, that child, is indeed good.”

Though he said little, this single sentence allowed Old Master Ye’s heart to slightly relax.