I’ve Never Had a Husband Since I Was Young 22

Chapter 22

Xiang Ye’s words were obviously a joke, meant to lighten the mood, anyone could tell.

But Jiang Chaochao was very quiet at this moment.

Quiet to the point where he didn’t know what to say, quiet to the point where he was lying on the bed picking at the pillowcase, quiet to the point where the sketch he drew this afternoon inexplicably popped into his head.

Xiang Ye in a white shirt and suit, tilting his head back, looking at Jiang Chaochao with playful eyes, saying rather suggestively, “Baby, punish me.”

Very strange, truly strange, instantly switching the channel from heartwarming to sensual.

“Thinking about something?”

In the silence, Xiang Ye’s voice came from the other end.

His voice was soft, but it startled Jiang Chaochao.

He instantly felt a flush of heat.

“Thinking about what?” Xiang Ye asked again.

Jiang Chaochao: “Nothing,” he said again, “Not thinking,” he continued, “Thinking about what?”

Xiang Ye laughed.

A soft chuckle, then he called, “Jiang Chaochao.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Mm-hmm?”

Xiang Ye: “Nothing.”

Jiang Chaochao felt even hotter.

Jiang Chaochao felt that this couldn’t go on, so his mind raced, searching for a related topic they had just discussed.

“Aren’t you curious how I know your Weibo?” Jiang Chaochao asked.

Xiang Ye seemed to think for a moment, then said, “Curious.”

Jiang Chaochao: “If you’re curious, why don’t you ask?”

Xiang Ye: “Would you hang up on me if I asked?”

Jiang Chaochao burst out laughing. He suspected that this person was doing this on purpose.

Jiang Chaochao: “My friend told me, Xu Hengzhi.”

Xiang Ye said, not surprised at all, “So it was him.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Did you already guess?”

Xiang Ye: “I thought it might be him. Many people from his company follow me.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Do they all call you ‘husband’?”

Xiang Ye: “No, those who know me wouldn’t call me that.”

Jiang Chaochao: “…”

Why did he feel like he had just been insulted?

“Okay,” Jiang Chaochao returned to the question he wanted to ask, “How did you know this account was mine?”

Xiang Ye: “You’re being aggressive.”

Jiang Chaochao paused: “Huh? Am I?”

Xiang Ye’s voice lowered: “You are.”

Jiang Chaochao thought back and realized his tone was indeed a bit harsh.

He pursed his lips, suddenly finding it a bit funny.

Xiang Ye’s occasional, sudden coquettishness was really…

It wasn’t the first time. Those seemingly lilting tones, not overly drawn out, just the right amount each time, hit Jiang Chaochao right in the heart.

Fine.

Then…

“How did you know this account was mine?” Jiang Chaochao softened his tone.

Xiang Ye also softened his tone: “When Shici mentioned Teacher Bianbian in the car that day, you acted very unnatural.”

Jiang Chaochao: “…”

Jiang Chaochao made a sound: “Really? What was wrong with me?”

Xiang Ye said: “You were very nervous.”

Jiang Chaochao: “…”

Jiang Chaochao: “Was I?”

Xiang Ye: “You were.”

Jiang Chaochao closed his eyes: “And that’s how you knew?”

Xiang Ye said: “Partly.”

Xiang Ye continued: “That wasn’t the first time Shici mentioned Teacher Bianbian to me.”

Jiang Chaochao: “She mentioned him before?”

Xiang Ye gave an “mm-hmm”: “The night of the party where we met, she told me there was a very talented artist whose,” Xiang Ye paused here, “brooch fell off and was picked up by a handsome guy.”

Jiang Chaochao should have carefully considered this sentence, but because of Xiang Ye’s last phrase, his focus shifted: “You call yourself a handsome guy quite easily.”

Xiang Ye continued smoothly: “Am I not handsome?”

Jiang Chaochao laughed: “Handsome, of course, you’re a super handsome guy.”

Xiang Ye said: “You’re also very handsome.”

Jiang Chaochao also replied smoothly: “I know.”

After saying that, both of them laughed.

Of course they knew what the other was laughing about.

How interesting, there were two handsome guys in this world who knew they were handsome.

“And that’s how you knew?” Jiang Chaochao continued asking.

“I wasn’t entirely sure,” Xiang Ye said, “It wasn’t until today when Xiaoying mentioned your hand that I confirmed it.”

Xiaoying was Xiang Ye’s cousin.

“What’s wrong with my hand?” Jiang Chaochao asked.

Xiang Ye said: “There’s a faint scar on the web of your left hand.”

Jiang Chaochao looked at his hand: “Yes, I accidentally cut myself with a pencil sharpener when I was a child.”

Xiang Ye continued, “Your double-skin milk Weibo post also showed this scar.”

After hearing this, the Weibo post Xiang Ye mentioned immediately appeared in Jiang Chaochao’s mind.

Another Bian didn’t post much on Weibo. Although it was a year ago, it was easy to find by scrolling through.

Bright sunlight, a clear picture of his hand.

Jiang Chaochao struggled for a while, then resignedly said, “Okay.”

Fine.

“Then, then,” Jiang Chaochao was about to get to the most important point. “How much do you, no, how much do you know about Teacher Bianbian?”

Xiang Ye thought for a moment: “I know as much as Shici told me.”

Jiang Chaochao became a bit nervous: “How much did Shici tell you?”

Xiang Ye: “That you’re a very talented artist, she likes your work a lot.”

Jiang Chaochao gulped: “Did she say what I draw?”

Xiang Ye: “No.”

Jiang Chaochao asked again, “Do you know this is my secondary account?”

Xiang Ye: “I just found out.”

Jiang Chaochao breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t think Shici would tell Xiang Ye what kind of things she usually looked at.

Fortunately, he only used this secondary account for fun, and there weren’t any of Teacher Bianbian’s posts on it.

But Jiang Chaochao still had to ask: “Then, will you, look me up?”

Xiang Ye replied quickly: “No.”

Jiang Chaochao gave an “ah”: “Really? Aren’t you curious about me?”

Xiang Ye said: “Curious.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Then why?”

Xiang Ye: “I’m afraid you’ll hang up on me.”

Jiang Chaochao laughed: “It wouldn’t just be hanging up.”

Xiang Ye also laughed: “I’ll wait until you want to show me, then you can show me.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Okay.”

Jiang Chaochao thought for a moment and asked again, “What if I never show you?”

Xiang Ye: “Then I’ll never see it.”

Jiang Chaochao again: “Okay.”

Wow.

This conversation was so comfortable.

Of course, he knew it wasn’t about hanging up or not. Xiang Ye’s actions were telling him, I don’t understand, but I respect you.

And I followed you just to let you know that I’ve recognized you, I don’t want to hide it from you.

From their conversation about Jiang Chaochao’s family to the topic of Teacher Bianbian that Jiang Chaochao didn’t want to surface, every word Xiang Ye said was the best possible response.

Jiang Chaochao felt he should restrain himself.

But at this moment, his rationality could only watch as his emotions gradually escalated.

It was scary, he wanted to have some kind of intimate relationship with Xiang Ye.

“Happy now?” Xiang Ye asked from the other end.

He really couldn’t restrain himself.

He even started being stubborn: “When was I ever unhappy?”

Xiang Ye chuckled: “Okay.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Hmph.”

Xiang Ye: “Okay~”

Again, that perfectly placed lilting tone.

Jiang Chaochao’s head rested softly against the pillow.

Xiang Ye then said, “You startled me.”

Jiang Chaochao: “How?”

Xiang Ye: “I thought you were angry.”

Jiang Chaochao said: “You’re afraid of me being angry?”

After saying this, he felt it wasn’t quite right, a bit too ambiguous, so before Xiang Ye could speak, he quickly added, “Why would I be angry? You didn’t do anything wrong. You even bought me the ugly duck, treated me to barbecue, and bought me double-skin milk.”

Speaking of which, Jiang Chaochao laughed himself.

“Um,” Jiang Chaochao said. “Let me treat you to dinner tomorrow.”

Xiang Ye: “Suddenly inviting me to dinner.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Are you free?”

Xiang Ye: “Not really free tomorrow, I’m going to B City tomorrow.”

Jiang Chaochao gave an “ah”: “When will you be back?”

Xiang Ye: “Back tomorrow night.”

“So soon,” Jiang Chaochao said, “Then when are you free? I’ll treat you to dinner.”

Xiang Ye was silent for half a second: “Why are you treating me to dinner?”

Jiang Chaochao: “You’ve treated me to so many things, I should return the favor.”

Xiang Ye, for some reason, chuckled: “Then wait for me to let you know.”

Jiang Chaochao chuckled even louder than Xiang Ye: “Heh! You’re quite arrogant.”

Xiang Ye laughed: “I’ve been a bit busy lately. I’ll definitely let you know when I’m free, okay, Mr. Jiang?”

Jiang Chaochao: “So what!”

Xiang Ye: “Nothing.”

Just then, a message from Xu Hengzhi popped up on Jiang Chaochao’s WeChat.

He asked Jiang Chaochao: “How was the barbecue today?!”

Jiang Chaochao felt strangely awkward: “Oh, how was what?”

Jiang Chaochao: “It was fine.”

Xu Hengzhi said, “Fu Jing posted pictures of your barbecue on Weibo, have you seen them?”

Jiang Chaochao: “Not yet.”

Xu Hengzhi: “Forget about that.”

Xu Hengzhi: “What progress did you make today?”

Xu Hengzhi: “Why didn’t you tell me after you got back?”

Jiang Chaochao: “Aren’t you busy?”

Jiang Chaochao said again: “So what! Do I have to tell you everything I do?”

Xu Hengzhi: “Of course not everything else, but what you did with Xiang Ye, of course you have to tell me!”

Jiang Chaochao was the type of person who would meet stubbornness with stubbornness.

With Xu Hengzhi being so righteous, his awkwardness instantly vanished like smoke.

Wow, that rhymed.

Jiang Chaochao: “Why! What makes you think that?!”

Xu Hengzhi: “What makes me think that! Can’t I know?”

Jiang Chaochao: “Why should you know?!”

Xu Hengzhi: “Because I’m the stepping stone to your love!”

Xu Hengzhi: “Because I’m your witness!”

Xu Hengzhi: “Because I’m your Steve!” (Likely referring to Steve Harvey, the officiant at weddings)

Jiang Chaochao was instantly amused by Xu Hengzhi.

“Laughing at what?”

He laughed so hard that Xiang Ye could hear it.

Jiang Chaochao composed himself a little: “Oh, nothing, just Xu Hengzhi, chatting with him, he’s being crazy.”

Xiang Ye: “That guy.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Yes.”

Xiang Ye: “Speaking of him, Chen Ke also mentioned him today.”

Jiang Chaochao was puzzled: “Mentioned him? About what?”

Xiang Ye: “Said he was asking about me.”

Jiang Chaochao was even more puzzled: “Asking about what?”

Xiang Ye suddenly laughed: “Don’t you know?”

Jiang Chaochao: “Should I, know…?”

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Chaochao understood, and instantly became nervous.

No way?

“You don’t know?” Xiang Ye echoed.

And this sentence seemed to carry a slightly playful tone.

Jiang Chaochao continued pretending: “What?”

Xiang Ye chuckled softly: “He was asking if I’m gay.”

Jiang Chaochao: “…”

Jiang Chaochao: “…”

Jiang Chaochao: “???”

Jiang Chaochao didn’t know how to pretend anymore, whether he should pretend he didn’t know what “gay” meant, or pretend he didn’t know about this matter.

He felt like Xiang Ye had seen through him.

Xiang Ye also stopped talking, as if waiting for Jiang Chaochao.

Jiang Chaochao’s mind was a bit overloaded, so he could only say what was perhaps the most appropriate thing at this moment: “Did you tell him?”

“Not yet,” Xiang Ye said.

Jiang Chaochao mumbled: “Oh.”

Xiang Ye continued: “You can tell him for me.”

Jiang Chaochao mumbled even more: “Ah.”

But Xiang Ye didn’t say it directly, he asked first: “Do you want to know?”

Jiang Chaochao, like a fish attracted by bait, clearly aware of the danger, was still hooked.

All he could answer at this moment was: “Yes.”

The fish took the bait and was dangling mid-air.

“I am,” Xiang Ye said.