Kneeling All Night

The bodyguards on night duty tonight were originally Sang Ye and Jiang Qiao, one guarding the main entrance, the other the outer room of the bedroom.

The one guarding the entrance could only stand by the door all night.

The outer room, on the other hand, was like a living room. One could sit on the sofa or recliner, and as long as it did not disturb Shi Junyi, one could even make a drink to pass the long night.

Shi Junyi was not particularly harsh on his own people. So long as they did not delay important matters, such small things fell within what he tacitly allowed.

Now that Sang Ye had been confined, Chen Sheng temporarily transferred Chris over.

Chris was not actually a bad person; he was just a little petty.

He had always held a grudge over Jiang Qiao shoving his head into the fish tank.

The moment he saw Jiang Qiao, he wore a disdainful expression.

Since it was Jiang Qiao's first time standing night watch, he should, by rights, have been assigned to guard the entrance.

Yet just as Chris was secretly planning how he would lounge against the recliner at night, sipping coffee and showing off to Jiang Qiao, who would have to stand at the doorway without leaving a one-meter radius—

Shi Junyi suddenly said, "Chris, outside. Jiang Qiao, come in."

He glanced at Chris's instantly fallen face, then said to Jiang Qiao, "If you had not provoked Sang Ye, he would not have laid a hand on you. Causing trouble—come in and take your punishment."

Sure enough, Chris immediately looked smug again, his little thoughts written plainly across his face.

Chris asked Shi Junyi, "Young Master, do I still need to go inside tonight?"

"Jiang Qiao has a lot to learn. By the time he finishes, it will probably be dawn."

When Shi Junyi said this, his handsome face was exceptionally indifferent, as though no one in the world were more proper than him.

After saying that, he shot Jiang Qiao a glance. "Get in here."

Jiang Qiao gave an "oh." Under Chris's gleeful gaze, he followed Shi Junyi through the door with his head hanging low.

Yet the moment the door closed behind them, he threw himself directly into Shi Junyi's arms. Shi Junyi held him by the thighs, carried him into the bedroom, and viciously tossed him onto the bed.

Jiang Qiao truly had a great deal to learn.

And theory alone was not enough for these matters. After all, practice was the sole criterion for testing truth.

Shi Junyi said Jiang Qiao would study until dawn, so Jiang Qiao could only study until dawn.

"Are you going to the company this morning?" Jiang Qiao asked hoarsely, lying shoulder to shoulder with Shi Junyi on the bed.

Shi Junyi hummed. "There's a meeting at nine thirty."

Jiang Qiao checked the time. It was already past five in the morning.

"Then get some sleep, Brother. I'll go outside. Chen Sheng will come relieve me at seven."

One of Shi Junyi's hands still rested on Jiang Qiao's lower abdomen. His eyes were closed, and his voice was lazy. "Leave after the shift change."

For a fleeting moment, Jiang Qiao felt that, at least right then, Shi Junyi was relying on him too.

Jiang Qiao turned and kissed Shi Junyi's lowered lashes. "Okay."

He watched over Shi Junyi as he fell asleep, but he himself had no desire to sleep. He simply traced the contours of the person he loved with his gaze again and again.

Only at six thirty did Jiang Qiao carefully climb out of bed and get himself ready.

He had barely reached the outer room and made himself a cup of black tea when the door gave a beep as it unlocked. Chen Sheng had arrived with Zhang Liang to relieve them.

"How was last night?" Chen Sheng asked Jiang Qiao quietly.

"Everything was normal," Jiang Qiao replied.

Chen Sheng wiggled his eyebrows. "I mean you."

Jiang Qiao was startled. Did Chen Sheng know about him and Shi Junyi?

He narrowed his eyes, about to ask what exactly Chen Sheng knew, when Chen Sheng tilted his chin toward the door and said sympathetically, "I just heard from Chris that you were punished last night?"

Only then did Jiang Qiao relax.

His relationship with Shi Junyi was still unclear. They were neither cleanly superior and subordinate nor openly lovers.

Shi Junyi would not say anything, and neither would he.

Jiang Qiao let out an "ah." "It was all right. He said I had no manners and made me kneel."

Chen Sheng understood. "Don't hold a grudge. The young master may have a bad temper, but as long as you're loyal, he won't treat you poorly. All right, go back and rest early."

Jiang Qiao nodded, finished the black tea in two gulps, and smiled. "No grudge. I'm leaving."

When he stepped out, Chris was still standing at the door whispering to Zhang Liang. Seeing Jiang Qiao's limp and somewhat awkward gait, Chris felt a burst of satisfaction.

"See that? The young master must have made him kneel all night," Chris said smugly.

Zhang Liang nodded. "He can't even walk straight. What bad luck."

"What bad luck? Being arrogant never ends well. He had it coming..."

Jiang Qiao did not care what Chris thought. He had just taken the elevator down to the third basement level, and before he could even step out with one foot, Fu Zhilan dragged him onto a sofa in the public lounge.

Watching Fu Zhilan act all sneaky, Jiang Qiao raised a brow and asked, "What is it?"

Fu Zhilan looked around, and only after confirming no one nearby was paying attention to them did he whisper to Jiang Qiao, "Brother Qiao, have you started standing night watch by the young master's side?"

Jiang Qiao gave a perfunctory hum. "Why?"

Fu Zhilan cautiously asked, "Then do you know who went into the young master's room the night before last?"

Hearing that, Jiang Qiao understood. Fu Zhilan had come to gather intelligence on a rival.

He did not answer directly and only said, "I only started duty last night."

Fu Zhilan asked again, "What about last night? Did you see anyone go to the young master's room?"

His large, watery eyes stared unblinkingly at Jiang Qiao. With that expression, no one could bear to deceive him.

Jiang Qiao did not deceive him either. He said, "No. Why?"

Fu Zhilan beckoned to Jiang Qiao, signaling for him to lean closer.

Jiang Qiao leaned slightly in his direction.

He felt Fu Zhilan's warm breath against his ear and heard him whisper, "I discovered that someone is Cheating with the young master."

Jiang Qiao feigned surprise. "No way. How did you find out?"

Fu Zhilan said, "I was cleaning. There was a whole pile of tissues on the floor! At a glance, you could tell they weren't used by just one person! And what's worse, I couldn't find even a single condom!"

Jiang Qiao's expression turned a little strange. "You specifically went looking for that?"

Fu Zhilan nodded. "And I found absolutely nothing. Brother Qiao, who do you think could be so shameless? Seducing the young master is one thing, but not even using protection!"

Jiang Qiao rubbed his chin, propping his head up with one hand as he asked Fu Zhilan, "So what are you planning to do?"

Fu Zhilan thought for a moment, his sharp little chin nearly resting on Jiang Qiao's arm. "Brother Qiao, can you help me?"

Jiang Qiao looked at him with a half-smile and raised a brow. "How?"

Seeing that Jiang Qiao was willing to consider it, Fu Zhilan hurriedly said, "You don't need to do anything else. Just keep an eye on what's happening around the young master. If any suspicious person gets close, give me a heads-up, okay?"

Jiang Qiao looked at him. "What if there isn't anyone?"

Fu Zhilan stared into Jiang Qiao's eyes and said with certainty, "My intuition says there definitely is."