In front of everyone, Jiang Shiyan, who was gloating just a second ago, cleared his throat and addressed Tang Yang with unexpected gentleness: “I was talking about how adorable you are.”
He then brought Tang Yang to the front and introduced him to everyone without a hint of embarrassment: “This is my friend, Tang Yang.”
Tang Yang, not having heard what Jiang Shiyan said earlier, gave him a reproachful look.
Don’t keep calling me adorable, we’re all professionals here.
Jiang Shiyan smiled ambiguously.
Since Jiang Shiyan was introducing him, everyone had to pay attention. Shen Chuan, sitting at the edge, took the initiative to greet Tang Yang: “It’s been a while, Sister Yang.”
Tang Yang replied: “Indeed, it’s been a while.”
Then, a few starlets who frequently appeared on Weibo hugged Tang Yang.
Next was Qin Jiao, the legal counsel of the Jiujiang Group, a tall and capable woman with short hair and earrings.
Tang Yang felt she looked familiar: “Do you have any siblings? I feel like I’ve met them before…”
“My younger sister is Qin Yue, deputy director of Huishang Credit Review. She works in the office next to yours, Director Tang, though she seems to be always on business trips. I’m not sure if they’re real or just an excuse,” Qin Jiao said.
“Oh,” Tang Yang realized, smiling, “They’re real trips.”
Though Tang Yang hadn’t interacted much with Qin Yue, they both had good impressions of each other. Now, meeting Qin Jiao, she felt a sense of familiarity.
“Just call me Tang Yang,” she said self-deprecatingly, “The title ‘Director Tang’ always feels a bit off.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
After calmly greeting everyone, there was only the host left to exchange pleasantries with.
Jiang Shiyan had already pulled out a chair for Tang Yang. She picked up a cup of tea from the table and raised it towards Cheng Siran.
Cheng Siran reciprocated the gesture and said in a casual tone as if discussing the weather: “Delay Dog just said he likes you.”
At these words, Tang Yang’s gesture of raising her cup and the smile on her lips froze in place.
In the sudden silence, as Jiang Shiyan was about to speak up to rescue Tang Yang from the awkward situation, she started smiling again: “He just called me adorable too. Isn’t it normal for him to like me?”
Cheng Siran clicked his tongue twice, leaving no room for retreat: “But do you like him?”
Tang Yang replied without hesitation: “Of course I do.”
Tang Yang’s straightforward attitude won her quite a bit of goodwill. Qin Jiao and Cheng Siran started chanting: “Hug, hug!”
Tang Yang didn’t hesitate. She turned around, her eyes curved in a smile and extended her arms towards Jiang Shiyan.
Knowing she was trying to save face for him, Jiang Shiyan’s ears still turned slightly red.
“Only you would be good-natured enough to let them tease like this,” Jiang Shiyan whispered in her ear as he hugged her back.
Tang Yang made a gesture of hugging back.
She inhaled the familiar woody scent of Delay Dog and licked her lips.
Tang Yang lowered her gaze, only to realize she had forgotten to put down her cup due to nervousness…
Later, when people came to toast, both Jiang Shiyan and Tang Yang drank sparingly.
While others were moving around, clinking glasses, Jiang Shiyan sat next to Tang Yang. When Tang Yang felt too shy to reach for dishes far away, Jiang Shiyan would seize the opportunity to bring over her favorites, pass her napkins, peel shrimp for her, remove the veins, and carefully dip them in the sauce.
Tang Yang, feeling self-conscious, still ate little.
Knowing she had only eaten dinner at seven and must still be hungry, Jiang Shiyan simply used his chopsticks to serve her.
Usually, when Tang Yang wasn’t present at gatherings, Jiang Shiyan would drink, play cards, and engage in crude jokes with Cheng Siran and others. Occasionally, when girls came to toast, CEO Jiang would drink up but his smile wouldn’t reach his eyes.
Today, as soon as Jiang Shiyan arrived, he and Cheng Siran had that “do you like her” exchange. Now, instead of hanging out with the big shots, he was contentedly serving food and pouring tea for Tang Yang. Despite his well-known germaphobia, he was even using his chopsticks to serve Tang Yang…
Everyone couldn’t help but glance at the two of them a few more times.
Tang Yang, being shy, secretly elbowed Jiang Shiyan’s waist under the table. Didn’t this guy know that this was considered an indirect kiss? He should be more discreet.
Jiang Shiyan pretended not to notice.
When he served Tang Yang again, despite her flushed face, she still obediently ate it.
After several rounds of drinks, Qin Jiao organized the ladies to go soak in the hot springs.
Cheng Siran appointed Tang Yang as the vice leader of the hot spring group, so Tang Yang had no choice but to go.
Once the women left, the private room was left with a bunch of men. Some drank, some played cards, and a few even dared to call for hostesses.
Everyone urged Jiang Shiyan to choose first. Jiang Shiyan passed by several shy women and, with a “fine, I’ll sing first” expression of a righteous gentleman, selected a song.
“The vast horizon is my love, flowers are blooming at the foot of the endless green mountains…”
Jiang Shiyan sang with an exaggerated style, belting out the last three “most carefree” lines so earthily and flamboyantly that it got everyone hyped up. He suavely ran his fingers through his hair a couple of times, then retreated victoriously to a corner to play games.
After Cheng Siran had his fill of dancing on the small dance floor, he also shrank back to Delay Dog’s side.
The colorful lights on the ceiling spun wildly to the rhythm.
In the flickering lights, a dim corner was left isolated.
“Don’t you feel even worse hearing her say she likes you than if she hadn’t said it at all?” Cheng Siran poked his arm.
Tang Yang was just saving face for him, but who asked her to do that? Jiang Shiyan sighed inwardly but maintained a normal expression: “It’s fine. She’s always considerate of me.”
Jiang Shiyan’s hands moved quickly to dodge bullets in the game while Cheng Siran analyzed as he watched: “If it were just an ordinary crush, you could pursue her without worry. At worst, you’d break up and never see each other again. But you and Tang Yang are different. Counting from when you met her at fourteen, you’re now 28 – that’s half your life.”
“Your starting point was already unusual compared to others, and Sister Yang doesn’t like you,” Cheng Siran felt that Tang Yang’s hug didn’t look like she had feelings for Jiang Shiyan. He sympathized, “So you need to put in more effort.”
Jiang Shiyan remained silent.
Cheng Siran thought for a moment: “That trick of suddenly going cold for a day or two after being close definitely won’t work on you two.”
Because they would naturally assume the other person was busy.
“But the fundamental principles remain the same.”
Cheng Siran saw that all three of Jiang Shiyan’s teammates had died, leaving him surrounded by enemies in the high ground. He put his hand on Delay Dog’s shoulder and said earnestly: “Showing care and concern is essential. Besides that, you need to frequently test the boundaries of friendship, occasionally crossing the line to stir things up. No matter how rational and clear-headed Sister Yang is, she’s still a girl. When you have time, you can browse forums and message boards for lots of strategies.”
After sniping six enemies and achieving a ten-kill victory, Jiang Shiyan finally returned to normal.
He turned his head and asked Cheng Siran: “Do you pursue someone using strategies?”
Cheng Siran, relying on his dozen failed relationships, said: “Although many strategies backfire, there are also many that work.”
Jiang Shiyan gave an extremely disdainful smile, then slowly brushed off Cheng Siran’s hand from his shoulder with his phone, and said word by word: “Pursue. With. Your. Heart.”
After speaking, he snorted and got up gracefully.
Cheng Siran felt like he was about to cough blood.
Meanwhile, by the hot spring pool.
Tang Yang didn’t like the smell of sulfur and hadn’t gone in. She was wrapped in a bathrobe, drinking night tea with Qin Jiao on the shore.
Tang Yang thought Qin Jiao was still single despite her cool appearance because, to the naked eye, she didn’t seem like someone ordinary people could tame.
“Are you complimenting yourself?” Qin Jiao laughed, “My daughter is quite big now. She loves Sheldon Cooper and can play the theremin,” Qin Jiao said, “Next time you come to visit, she can perform for you.”
“Sure.”
As they were talking, Jiang Yanan returned and said to Tang Yang: “Brother Yang, can I sleep next to you tonight?”
“What’s wrong?” Tang Yang noticed that she had been fine earlier, but after going out to get a drink, her mood had soured.
Jiang Yanan sneered: “Let someone cool down a bit.”
“Mm,” Tang Yang agreed first, then asked gently, “Did you fight?”
Jiang Yanan: “His attitude is problematic. He doesn’t realize where he’s wrong and just keeps shifting the blame. I say one thing to him, and he should just listen, but he has to talk back,” Jiang Yanan got more agitated as she spoke, “So does that mean I’m wrong and he’s right?”
Jiang Yanan was fuming, and Tang Yang stroked her back soothingly: “What did you fight about?”
Jiang Yanan: “It was about, about the keys or Cheng Cheng… I forgot what we fought about, but we did fight.”
Jiang Yanan was extremely stubborn, and Tang Yang went along with her: “My things are still in the room. Are we staying far apart? Should I go back and get them now?”
“We’re on different floors. You can soak a bit longer, I’ll go get them for you, and throw that Feng jerk’s luggage over there while I’m at it,” Jiang Yanan said.
“Alright.” Tang Yang exchanged room lock passwords with Jiang Yanan.
Jiang Yanan was a woman of action.
On one side, she threw Feng Weiran’s black luggage into Tang Yang and Jiang Shiyan’s room, and just as she was carrying Tang Yang’s black luggage into one elevator, the doors of the other elevator opened, and Jiang Shiyan, who had retreated early, stepped out.
He had retorted to Cheng Siran, but he felt that some words had struck a chord.
Jiang Shiyan pondered to the door and entered the password.
After entering, he took off his suit jacket, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt with his long fingers, and sprawled on the sofa, looking at his phone for a while before ordering some late-night snacks.
The snacks were delivered around ten o’clock, but Tang Yang still hadn’t returned.
Jiang Shiyan wasn’t in a hurry. He took a long shower, came out clean, and blow-dried his hair. He stood in front of the mirror.
The man’s face was as beautiful as jade, with a faint mist seemingly covering his almond-shaped eyes.
He stood barefoot on the carpet, his legs extremely long. The black bathrobe was loosely tied at his waist, revealing an expanse of the chest with smooth muscle lines.
Jiang Shiyan pulled the collar of the bathrobe slightly lower but still felt something was off.
He looked around, his gaze falling on something.
Jiang Shiyan went over and took out some perfume, spraying it twice on his collar and wrists. He then untied the bathrobe belt and retied it in a looser, more alluring way. He looked left and right, finally satisfied.
The late-night snack he ordered was a shrimp and bacon pizza, which Tang Yang loved. Jiang Shiyan had specifically asked the kitchen to add extra cheese.
For the next part, Jiang Shiyan had a clear plan in mind—
When he heard footsteps outside, he would pour the red wine.
As the person approached, he would turn off the main lights, leaving only two-night lamps on.
When the person was at the door entering the password, he would go to the door.
Should he cross his arms?
Jiang Shiyan tried it but couldn’t show off his physique. He then switched to a pose of leaning against the wall with his face resting on his hand, but it seemed a bit effeminate.
Jiang Shiyan moved left and right, finally deciding to cross his arms while leaning against the wall.
Then when Tang Yang opened the door, what should he say?
“Brother Yang, you’re back?” “Brother Yang, how was it?” “Brother Yang, why are you so late?”…
These weren’t important.
What mattered was that after Tang Yang said one word, he would gently cover her eyes, hold her, and spin her around gracefully and romantically, then place her on the sofa and remove his hand from her eyes.
Although Brother Yang didn’t reject his hugs and intimacy, this action would cross the boundary of friendship.
If Brother Yang got angry, Jiang Shiyan thought, he would have endless reasons to coax her. He was willing to coax her for a day, a year, or a lifetime.
If she didn’t get angry, then he would… wait.
Jiang Shiyan had a sudden thought. If she didn’t get angry, did that mean…
Jiang Shiyan’s throat bobbed, but before he could figure it out, he heard the sound of flip-flops dragging outside.
Their room was at the very end, so it must be, yes, it must be.
Jiang Shiyan quickly poured the red wine.
The footsteps stopped at the door.
Jiang Shiyan swiftly turned off the main lights and turned on the wall lamps.
Outside, the “beep beep” sound of entering the password was heard.
Jiang Shiyan stood in front of the mirror, messed up his hair a bit, and then dashed to the door, leaning casually as if nothing was amiss.
Warm light suffused the room, with the entrance in darkness.
With a “click,” the door was pushed open.
“How was it?” Jiang Shiyan asked in a lowered voice.
Perhaps from soaking too long in the hot spring, the other person’s voice was a bit hoarse.
Just as the other person started to utter a questioning “Ah,” the small figure barely through the door, Jiang Shiyan covered their eyes and scooped them up in his arms.
Feng Weiran had been chased out by his wife to sleep with his brother-in-law.
He had just entered the password and pushed open the door when he heard his brother-in-law ask a question. Before he could finish his “Ah,” his feet left the ground and he found himself in a warm chest with a faint woody scent…
Feng Weiran was completely dumbfounded.
The light was dim.
When Jiang Shiyan picked up the person, his brows furrowed imperceptibly.
This Brother Yang seems a bit heavy!
Jiang Shiyan’s hands shook from the weight, but he still stubbornly and awkwardly carried the person in a clumsy spin, then placed them in the lit area of the sofa, breathing heavily from exhaustion, “Yang…”
As he saw clearly who it was, Jiang Shiyan’s voice trailed off.
Feng Weiran wasn’t tall, propped up in Jiang Shiyan’s arms. From Feng Weiran’s angle, he could just see the man’s long neck, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and following downward, the chest artfully revealed by the bathrobe, all the way down to the faint outline of his abs, exuding an alluring sensuality…
Of course, this was ignoring the man’s frozen expression.
On the table behind the man were red wine and late-night snacks.
Next to the snacks, a pink rose that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere was smiling at them.
Feng Weiran swallowed hard and shrank back fearfully: “Bro-bro-brother Yan…”
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Jiang Shiyan shot upright and covered his forehead, exclaiming, “Damn it!”