Chapter 65

After finishing lunch, Jing Chi returned to his workstation. The entire afternoon passed without incident.

His job really was quite leisurely.

Jing Chi couldn’t help but sigh to himself.

It wasn’t until evening that Special Assistant Zhou wheeled Yin Hexuan out.

The moment he spotted Jing Chi, Zhou’s eyes lit up faintly. He quickly composed himself, leaning down to whisper a few words to Yin Hexuan.

He had been a little worried that this suggestion might earn him a cold stare from their president.

Instead, Yin Hexuan lifted his head and glanced in Jing Chi’s direction.

The young man was propping his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the computer screen. His eyelids drooped half-closed in boredom, as if he might nod off at any moment.

He actually had no idea how easy it was to earn money at their group.

Yin Hexuan narrowed his eyes slightly. For reasons he couldn’t quite pinpoint, he gave a slow nod.

Seeing a chance, Special Assistant Zhou suppressed his inner excitement and called out to Jing Chi by name:

“Jing Chi!”

Jing Chi, who had been half-dozing, shot to his feet on reflex at the sound of his name. “Present,” he boomed back loudly.

Chuckles erupted around him.

Every eye in the office turned to the bewildered young man.

Jing Chi’s eyes flew wide open. He took in the grinning faces surrounding him before his gaze finally landed on the man in the wheelchair.

That man leaned back against the chair’s rest, idly toying with the watch on his wrist. As their eyes met, he slowly raised his head. His light brown eyes were as calm and still as a lake, utterly serene.

Then, Yin Hexuan’s thin lips parted, and he murmured two words:

“Awake now?”

His voice was even, but the teasing undertone made it clear to Jing Chi that he was doing this on purpose.

The onlookers froze at his words. The president’s reputation was legendary, after all—no one dared laugh now. They all ducked their heads and buried themselves in work, terrified of drawing attention next.

Just as the man intended, Jing Chi’s face turned beet red. He nervously twisted the hem of his shirt and stammered, “P-President, I-I wasn’t slacking off on purpose!”

Yin Hexuan’s fingers drummed lightly on the wheelchair’s armrest. He tilted his head, watching as bewilderment made the young man’s clear eyes grow misty and dewy, like those of an abandoned puppy—so heartbreakingly pitiful.

He hadn’t realized he had a taste for teasing people like this.

With that thought, Yin Hexuan looked away and said coolly to Zhou Bin, “Let’s go.”

Zhou Bin hadn’t expected the president to catch Jing Chi slacking off. He hesitated briefly before asking, “What about that matter you mentioned earlier, President…?”

Yin Hexuan gave a casual hum of assent before he could finish.

Only then did Special Assistant Zhou relax. Grinning, he beckoned to Jing Chi. “Jing Chi, over here. You’re riding with us.”

Jing Chi’s damp eyes brightened at once. He couldn’t suppress a grin and hurried after them.

Special Assistant Zhou pushed Yin Hexuan’s wheelchair ahead, with Jing Chi trailing behind.

Recalling the earlier exchange, Jing Chi pursed his lips.

He never would have guessed that this Big Villain, this Big President, had a hobby of picking on a weak, defenseless college guy like him.

Tsk, he’d really underestimated the man.

Yin Hexuan’s leg issues meant his car was specially modified—a wheelchair ramp let them roll right in.

Special Assistant Zhou took the front passenger seat, leaving Jing Chi the unexpected honor of sitting beside Yin Hexuan.

No sooner had they settled in than Yin Hexuan closed his eyes.

Jing Chi, words already bubbling up, swallowed them back down.

He let out a quiet sigh.

He didn’t notice the man beside him crack his eyes open for a quick glance before shutting them again.

Roughly half an hour later, they pulled up to their destination.

Special Assistant Zhou wheeled Yin Hexuan into the banquet hall, Jing Chi still tagging along behind.

It was almost too perfect a coincidence—this was the exact same venue where Jing Chi had first transmigrated.

The hall buzzed with clinking glasses and dazzling lights.

Women glided about in opulent gowns, while the men all sported crisp, identical suits.

Everyone here had clearly come prepared—except Jing Chi, who was flying by the seat of his pants.

Luckily, it was only his first day on the job. The casual suit he’d thrown on was a little unconventional, but it didn’t clash too badly.

While Yin Hexuan chatted with fellow executives, Special Assistant Zhou stepped back and murmured to Jing Chi, “Don’t wander off. I’ll need to step away for a bit later—you look after the president, okay?”

Special Assistant Zhou felt a swell of satisfaction. He was truly going above and beyond, pouring his heart into securing their president’s lifelong happiness.

Jing Chi didn’t think much of it right then, assuming Special Assistant Zhou had something important to discuss. He nodded earnestly.

“Got it, Assistant Zhou.”

Once Yin Hexuan finished talking with the others, Jing Chi walked up behind him.

“President, do you need me to push you somewhere?”

The young man’s crisp, lively voice rang right in his ear. At the same time, as Jing Chi drew closer, a faint vanilla scent enveloped Yin Hexuan.

The fragrance felt oddly familiar, leaving him momentarily dazed. He snapped out of it and said indifferently, “Push me over there.”

He pointed to a spot—a somewhat secluded corner with hardly anyone around.

Jing Chi could tell the President didn’t want to be disturbed. He replied at once,

“Got it, President.”

He pushed him over and settled him there. The position was conveniently close to a square table laden with all sorts of desserts.

It was already five in the afternoon, and they had come straight here without dinner. Jing Chi was starting to feel hungry.

“President, are you hungry? Shall I grab you a couple pieces of cake?” Before Yin Hexuan could respond, the young man’s gaze locked straight onto the table.

Yin Hexuan arched a brow, eyeing the undisguised hunger for food shining in Jing Chi’s eyes.

Asking if he was hungry was just an afterthought—what this guy really wanted was to eat.

“Not hungry,” Yin Hexuan replied coolly.

Sure enough, disappointment bloomed large across Jing Chi’s face, and he couldn’t help an inward chuckle.

This person’s thoughts were so transparent, impossible to hide.

“If you want some, go ahead and get it yourself,” Yin Hexuan said helplessly, the corners of his lips curving into a gentle smile.

At those words, Jing Chi promptly squatted at the man’s side. He excitedly grabbed Yin Hexuan’s arm, blinking his big eyes as he beamed.

“President, you’re the best!” His tone brimmed with utter sincerity.

Before the man could react, Jing Chi released his grip and hurried toward the dessert table.

Only once his back was turned did he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

After all, he had no idea how tolerant Yin Hexuan might be. If he’d misjudged the boundaries and angered him, the cost would be far too high.

But the experiment had succeeded, more or less. The corners of Jing Chi’s lips lifted slightly.

Yin Hexuan was clearly caught off guard by Jing Chi’s earlier move. His arm still tingled with the lingering warmth of the young man’s touch.

He hadn’t expected Jing Chi to be so bold.

Even before the car accident, he’d despised physical contact from anyone unfamiliar.

If one of his previous assistants had touched him without permission, they’d have been gone by the next day.

But with Jing Chi…

He watched the young man in the distance, utterly absorbed in his food, face alight with satisfaction.

Yin Hexuan could only rub his forehead helplessly.

Whatever. The kid was just a kid, after all.

As Jing Chi ate, he kept his main gaze on Yin Hexuan while scanning the surroundings with his peripheral vision.

To his surprise, he spotted a familiar face.

Not far off, Jing Shu was chatting animatedly with a man, his posture radiating intimacy.

Jing Chi recalled the plot.

There had been this incident: the Big Villain invited the shou protagonist to attend the banquet with him, only to be turned down on account of work commitments.

The Big Villain had been understanding about it, unaware that work wasn’t the real reason for the refusal.

It was because, at the exact same time, another man had invited the shou protagonist.

That man—one of the shou protagonist’s harem members—was the president of a top-tier entertainment company, Kong Zheyan.

In other words, the very person standing beside Jing Shu now.

Unlike Yin Hexuan’s reserved demeanor, this president was gregarious and smooth, the epitome of a playboy. He had Jing Shu smiling from ear to ear.

Compared to Yin Hexuan, who would steadfastly guard his back, Jing Shu had naturally chosen Kong Zheyan without a second thought.

In the original plot, the villain had coincidentally never crossed paths with these two.

Thus, Yin Hexuan remained oblivious to Jing Shu’s secret flirtations with other men behind his back.

In the villain’s mind, Jing Shu had always been so understanding, gentle, and kind.

Jing Chi rubbed his chin, a sly glint flashing in his eyes.

Since he’d stumbled upon this, he had to make sure the villain found out.

Jing Chi messily swallowed his last bite of cake, picked up another piece, and headed back to Yin Hexuan.

“President, you really have to try this. It’s delicious,” he said with sincere enthusiasm.

Hearing him, Yin Hexuan looked up, his gaze landing first on the crumb at the corner of Jing Chi’s mouth.

There was a dab of creamy white frosting clinging to the corner of his mouth.

The man’s germaphobia flared up. He frowned and said to Jing Chi,

“There’s some frosting on the corner of your lips.”

Jing Chi’s eyes curved into gentle crescents at the words. He parted his lips and licked it away with a casual swipe.

The young man’s pink, tender tongue tip glided over the edge of his mouth, leaving behind a shimmering sheen of moisture.

Yin Hexuan hadn’t expected such a bold move from Jing Chi. He froze for a moment, then looked away, a touch of discomfort settling over him.

Jing Chi, however, flashed a carefree grin.

“Thanks for the heads-up, President. It might get crowded around here soon. Let me take you over there instead.”

Yin Hexuan had no qualms about something so trivial. He gave a slight nod.

Yet the image of Jing Chi’s tongue lingered in his mind, impossible to shake.

With his objective accomplished, Jing Chi set the cake aside and wheeled Yin Hexuan toward the other side of the room.

That spot was sparsely populated, and the view was unobstructed—perfect for Yin Hexuan to spot the shou protagonist with just a glance upward.

But Yin Hexuan seemed lost in thought.

Jing Chi rolled his eyes inwardly. Was the pull of the plot really that irresistible? He couldn’t even see it right in front of him.

Unable to hold back, Jing Chi called out, “President!”

Only then did Yin Hexuan look up on instinct, his gaze falling directly on Jing Shu across the way.

The man’s pupils constricted.

As if on perfect cue from the heavens, Jing Shu suddenly slumped into Kong Zheyan’s arms.

One of the other man’s arms wrapped securely around Jing Shu’s waist, the other steadying his shoulder.

The pose was intimately close, with no attempt to hide it.

Jing Chi caught the sudden darkening in Yin Hexuan’s eyes; even if his face betrayed no change, his fists were clenched tight at his sides.

Jing Chi chuckled to himself. The guy was a master at playing it cool.

Yin Hexuan hadn’t expected to run into Jing Shu here.

He recalled the excuses Jing Shu had given about being tied up, and now the man was here with someone else.

Had Jing Shu just been upfront, Yin Hexuan would have understood. Who Jing Shu dated was his own business, after all.

But he despised being lied to above all else.

Especially by Jing Shu—the one he trusted most after the rescue, his closest friend, perhaps even…

Jing Chi’s heart leaped at the faint disappointment in the man’s eyes. Feigning innocence, he asked,

“President, do you know someone over there? Want to go say hi?”

The response was a cold glare.

Jing Chi sneered inwardly but let his face drain of color on the surface, adopting a pitiful tone.

“President, did I say something wrong?”

Realizing he’d let his irritation over Jing Shu spill onto Jing Chi, Yin Hexuan massaged his temples and tamped down his emotions.

“No. I’m tired. Let’s go.”