Li Yu fiddled around in the bathroom for half an hour.
That half hour felt unbearably long for both of them.
Meanwhile, Young Master Jian slowly changed into fresh clothes, lit a cigarette, and flopped onto the bed, not moving a muscle.
.
He too began regretting going too far today, even though Li Yu had clearly started it. He simply couldn't handle being provoked
and never one to swallow his pride.
But still, he was the one who had first... that thing with Li Yu...
Jian Suiying tugged at his hair in frustration. After mulling it over, he concluded the most infuriating thing was Li Yu's utter lack of taste—
wasn't good enough for him. His eyes must be covered in dog shit, damn it. Is gender really that important? Life's too short—just go for the thrill.
He was starting to doubt his own previous beliefs. Maybe there really were straight men in this world who couldn't be swayed no matter what—and he'd run into one like Li Yu.
He clung to that thought to soothe his leaking ego. Damn it.
He chain-smoked several cigarettes, sorting out his thoughts before finally getting out of bed.
The noise stopped instantly. Li Yu opened the door, her face as cold as ice.
Seeing no sign of an attack, Li Yu lowered his guard slightly and followed him out.
Li Yu fought the urge to lunge at him and bite him, clenching his fists inside his pockets.
Jian Suiying was a complete bastard—a fighter jet among scoundrels. Every single part of that fighter jet was built from shameless, domineering
and shamelessness.
He couldn't help but think of Sui Lin. How could two people sharing nearly identical blood and genes have such a vast chasm in their character?
."
Li Yu's facial muscles visibly stiffened. He replied coldly, "That's perfectly fine."
Jian Suiying heard this and, though she knew exactly what he was thinking, still felt a pang of disappointment. She waved her hand impatiently
. "Alright, you can go handle your duties now. Oh, and go get me lunch. That clay pot rice from last time was pretty good—bring the whole pot back."
Li Yu desperately wanted to slap him across the face with the sole of his shoe. He fought back the urge, finally leaving without a word.
Two hours passed without his lunch arriving. Starving, he devoured the cookies meant for coffee
As closing time approached, someone finally knocked. "Who is it?" His tone was sharp.
"Mr. Jian, it's me," came Jian Suilin's voice from outside.
"Come in." Jian Suiying wiped his face, forcing his stiff features back into place.
Jian Suiying cleared his throat. "Personally, I treat him well. But business is business. I keep my private and professional lives separate."
Jian Suilin carried the items back to the desk and organized them one by one. "Can you tell me what happened? Li Yu won't say anything either. Maybe I could help him?"
"No need. After I gave him a stern talking-to, he's realized his mistake. He shouldn't repeat it.
It's water under the bridge now."
Jian Suilin gave him a skeptical look and softened her voice. "Brother, did you skip lunch today?" "No, I ate."
"Bro, you look pretty tired. Want me to massage your shoulders?"
Jian Suiying found it perfectly natural. After all, since Little Lin had grown up, life had become much easier for both of them.
Jian Suiying lay relaxed with his eyes closed, thick lashes fluttering slightly as his nostrils flared gently. His profile resembled
a most exquisite sculpture, every detail approaching perfection.
Jian Suilin couldn't help but swallow hard. The eyes that always held a bright, gentle smile seemed veiled by
mysterious, heavy fog.
He slowly leaned closer, inch by inch, until his lips were mere millimeters from Jian Suiying's ear. Then, his voice trembling, he whispered, "Brother, don't fall asleep."
Jian Suiying had truly been on the verge of drifting off. It was only when Xiaolinzi softly called his name twice at his ear that he jolted awake.
"Huh? Huh? Did I fall asleep?"
Jian Suilin controlled his slightly ragged breathing. "It's about time. You're so tired, go inside and sleep. You won't be comfortable here,
comfortable, and you'll catch a chill."
"It's fine. I should've taken a nap at noon anyway..." Jian Suiying yawned again, then glanced at his watch. "
Go get Li Yu. I'll take you both to see the construction site."
Li Yu and Jian Suilin each began their university lives. Their campuses weren't far apart—just a twenty-minute drive.
.
Xiao Linzi, however, was very proactive in scheduling his shifts, managing to come in for a day and a half or two days a week.
Jian Suiying felt deeply disappointed. Going from seeing him daily to suddenly only catching him twice in a month—and both times because he'd
had to be coaxed back with various excuses. It was genuinely hard to adjust.
But his chance came soon enough.
Just before the National Day holiday, he received a particularly delightful call from Li Yu's older brother, Li Xuan.
This call couldn't have come at a better time, and Jian Suiying's spirits soared instantly. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays happened to fall back-to-back.
With his spirits lifted, he decided to grant his office staff a full nine-day break.
The news sent his employees practically wild with excitement—they were nearly moved to tears.
Li Xuan naturally welcomed the idea.
After hanging up, Jian Suiying eagerly began planning for the holiday.
The day before Mid-Autumn Festival, Li Xuan returned from Guangxi.
Jian Suiying, accompanied by Xiaolinzi, loaded the trunk with gifts and drove up to the Li family's gate. Li Xuan and Li Yu personally came out to greet them.
The two drove into the courtyard and unloaded mooncakes, cigarettes, liquor, and a pile of health supplements from the trunk. Li Xuan smiled and said, "Suiying
, you're too kind. Why bring so much?"
Jian Suiying laughed heartily: "We can't just come over for free meals, can we?" The two entered the house chatting and laughing.
Li Yu hadn't seen Jian Suilin in over two weeks either. He barely glanced at Jian Suying, heading straight for the little forest instead.
.
Both of Li Yu's parents were present.
Upon seeing Li Yu's father, Jian Suiying instantly transformed into a humble and polite younger relative, occasionally flattering him and trying to build rapport.
The Li family was also very keen to win Jian Suiying over. After all, the two families hadn't been close in the past, and establishing a harmonious, friendly relationship could only be beneficial.
Li Yu's father repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Jian Suiying for nurturing Li Yu during the banquet. Jian Suiying took the opportunity to
encouraged Mr. Li to let Li Yu continue working part-time for him during college.
Mr. Li naturally hoped his son would gain more experience. Li Yu calmly replied, "I'm pretty busy at the start of the semester
, let's talk about it later."
Jian Suiying felt a bit disappointed and decided to focus his efforts on Li Xuan instead. After several interactions, he had noticed that Li Yu listened to Li Xuan quite attentively.
After dinner, the six of them sat in the living room chatting for about an hour. Seeing it was getting late, Jian Suiying excused herself with Xiao Linzi.
.
This time, the entire Li family rose to see them off at the door. Li Xuan even invited him to dinner the day after tomorrow for a detailed discussion.
Jian Suiying was more than happy to oblige. Before leaving, she hooked her arm through Li Yu's and playfully slung her arm over his shoulder, "Li Yu, you've got to come along too, you know!"
."
Since their falling out last time, the two had never had physical contact again, let alone spoken so politely and intimately. Li Yu stiffened momentarily and nodded, "Alright."
Jian Suiying gave him a satisfied, hearty pat on the back. The thud made Li Yu grunt softly, and Jian Suiying felt
a sense of satisfaction.
On the way back, Jian Suilin asked, "Brother, are you really planning to go to Guangxi?"
"Of course. I need to conduct on-site research. This project has significant potential for going public." "Can I come with you?"
Jian Suiying instinctively refused, "What would you do there?" "I... I want to learn more."
Jian Suilin said: "Originally, Li Yu and I planned to go to Tibet during the National Day holiday. Now that Li Xuan has invited you to Guangxi, Li Yu will have to
go with him. That leaves me with nothing to do. Bro, just let me tag along with you guys."
Jian Suilin frowned. "No. I won't take you."
Jian Suilin pursed his lips, stealing a glance at him before speaking softly, "Bro, I see you and Li Yu have been at odds lately.
. Whatever the reason, don't dwell on it too much."
He frowned. "Fine, you can come along. At least you kids will have company while we adults talk. It won't be so boring for you."
Jian Suilin smiled, though the warmth didn't reach his eyes. "Brother, you still treat me like a child."
Every year during festivals like Mid-Autumn or New Year's Eve, Jian Suying felt utterly drained.
It wasn't just physical exhaustion—it was mental fatigue. He had to attend to relatives on both his father's and mother's sides, ensure gifts reached all important people
and fend off waves of gift-givers. That’s why he dreaded holidays.