Bringing Someone Home

Jiang Qiao took Shi Junyi through street after street, leaving behind only the roar of the engine.

Afraid someone might block their way back to the Shi family, he did not head straight there with Shi Junyi.

They parked the motorcycle, which had run out of gas, outside a nearby traffic police station. Then they crossed two blocks and hailed a taxi by the roadside.

There were not many cars on the road at dawn to begin with, and the two of them looked especially disheveled. Shi Junyi was better off; he had thrown away his dust-covered jacket, and the shirt underneath was still clean, with only his hair slightly mussed by the wind.

Jiang Qiao looked far worse. His clothes were torn, his pants were dirty, and at some point, a cut had appeared on his cheekbone. The blood had already dried.

Any taxi driver with eyes generally would not dare pick up passengers like them. It was nighttime, too, and several taxis drove past without acknowledging the two men trying to flag them down.

"Do you have money? Why not get a room?" Jiang Qiao suggested. His old-fashioned phone had broken when he jumped from the vehicle.

"My ID is in the car." Shi Junyi lowered his gaze. His phone was not broken, but it was out of battery.

Jiang Qiao said, "There are places that don't require ID."

Shi Junyi refused, just as firmly as he had refused to wear a dead man's helmet.

He would rather stand by the road all night.

As the pampered young master, Shi Junyi could not stand the terrible conditions of some sketchy little inn. Jiang Qiao could understand that.

"Doesn't your family own hotels?" he asked.

"They're at least ten kilometers from here," Shi Junyi answered.

So, ten minutes later, Jiang Qiao brought Shi Junyi to the entrance of a small villa facing the street.

Jiang Zhenhai had given this place to Jiang Qiao four years ago as an adult gift.

This was only Jiang Qiao's second time here.

The first time, he had merely passed by without going inside.

Staring at the fingerprint-free keypad lock on the door, he fell into deep thought.

Jiang Qiao cautiously entered his own birthday.

[Incorrect password]

Then he entered Jiang Zhenhai's birthday.

[Incorrect password]

He tried the last six digits of phone numbers and the last six digits of ID numbers one by one, but every attempt came up with an incorrect password.

Shi Junyi stood behind Jiang Qiao. "What are you doing? Hacking in? Breaking and entering?"

Jiang Qiao turned to glance at him. "This is my house."

Shi Junyi's face practically had two huge words written across it—"Don't believe you."

"Really. I just haven't been here in a long time, so I forgot the password," Jiang Qiao defended himself.

Just as Shi Junyi was about to give up wasting time here with Jiang Qiao and make do with finding a convenience store to charge his phone first, a voice sounded behind them.

"Qiao-ge, you're back?"

Jiang Qiao stiffened and turned around.

Fu Zhilan stood behind them, wearing an oversized white shirt and black shorts that exposed two slender, pale legs.

He wore slippers that were obviously too large for him, his ankles thin and delicate. Standing beneath the streetlight, he had a fragile beauty that could stir pity in anyone.

Jiang Qiao inwardly cursed. Without drawing attention to it, he shifted sideways to block Shi Junyi from view. "Why are you here?"

Fu Zhilan looked at Jiang Qiao anxiously. "I couldn't get through to your phone. I was a little worried, so I came to find you..."

"I'm fine," Jiang Qiao said.

Fu Zhilan handed Jiang Qiao the plastic bag he was carrying. "There was nothing in your refrigerator. I was afraid you'd be hungry when you came back..."

Seeing Jiang Qiao's furrowed brow, he pitifully asked, "Can I go inside and change my shoes? My bag is still in your house."

Seeing Fu Zhilan shivering slightly in the wind, Jiang Qiao helplessly took the plastic bag. "Open the door."

Fu Zhilan gave an "oh" and hurriedly entered the password. With a beep, the door opened.

When Jiang Qiao saw the password Fu Zhilan had entered, he wanted to slap himself twice.

It was actually Fu Zhilan's birthday!

He let Fu Zhilan go inside first, then stood outside and looked at Shi Junyi. Taking off his jacket, he pulled it over Shi Junyi's head.

For the two of them to run into each other like this—what a miscalculation.

Fortunately, Shi Junyi had been standing in the shadows just now, and Jiang Qiao had blocked him, or Fu Zhilan would have seen Shi Junyi's face!

Shi Junyi yanked Jiang Qiao's jacket off. "Are you sick?"

Jiang Qiao put it back over his head. "You need to be careful. This is a special time. What if he was sent by them?"

Shi Junyi looked at Jiang Qiao as if he were an idiot. "Isn't he your lover?"

"Whoa! Don't say things like that! There's nothing between us!" Jiang Qiao was horrified.

The two of them tugged and shoved each other as they entered the house. While Fu Zhilan had his back to them, Jiang Qiao grabbed Shi Junyi by the head and dragged him into the nearest bedroom.

Jiang Qiao shut the door behind them. "Stay here. Don't go out no matter what."

Shi Junyi folded his arms and looked at him, clearly dissatisfied.

Jiang Qiao reached out and gave him a hug, patting his back. "Be good. Don't throw a tantrum. I'm doing this for your own good."

After saying that, he quickly released Shi Junyi and went out to find Fu Zhilan.

After soothing one side, he still had to soothe the other.

Every word and action made him look exactly like a scumbag caught cheating on two people at once.

Fu Zhilan was standing beside the sofa. Barefoot on the floor, he skillfully poured the milk he had bought into a glass and put it in the microwave to warm.

Then he carefully took out the warm milk and handed it to Jiang Qiao.

"Qiao-ge, you're hurt here." Fu Zhilan pointed at his own cheek.

Jiang Qiao raised a hand and touched his face. The cut was not long, and the wind from speeding all the way here had already numbed it. The scrape on his arm hurt much more noticeably.

"It's nothing."

Fu Zhilan stood on tiptoe and opened the cupboard above the microwave, taking out a compact first-aid kit. "I'll treat it for you."

It was obvious that he was very familiar with the house. He must have visited often before.

Jiang Qiao refused. "No need."

He only wanted to send Fu Zhilan away as quickly as possible so he could be alone with Shi Junyi.

Fu Zhilan took out iodine and cotton swabs from the first-aid kit and walked over. "You should still clean it, or it could get infected."

"Really, no need."

Jiang Qiao backed away, and Fu Zhilan moved closer.

Jiang Qiao backed away again, and Fu Zhilan moved closer again.

Whether deliberately or not, when Jiang Qiao dodged Fu Zhilan's approach for the third time, Fu Zhilan slipped and fell into Jiang Qiao's arms.

At the same time, the bedroom door opened.

Shi Junyi stood in the doorway, looking at the two men embracing as he calmly asked, "Where's the bathroom?"

Jiang Qiao sucked in a breath and quickly held Fu Zhilan down before he could lift his head, helping him back to his feet.

He grabbed Fu Zhilan's bag, rushed frantically to the door, pulled a handful of loose change from the entryway drawer, stuffed it into Fu Zhilan's hands, then swiftly opened the door and shoved him outside.

"Go back first! I'll reimburse your cab fare! I have something to do! Bye!"

With that, he slammed the door shut.

Afraid Fu Zhilan might unlock it with the password, he even locked the door from the inside.

What a joke. If that little temptress Fu Zhilan saw that he already knew Shi Junyi, who knew what trouble he would stir up.

He absolutely could not let those two meet.

Shi Junyi looked at Jiang Qiao. "You don't have to be so nervous. I don't interfere with my subordinates' relationships."

Jiang Qiao could not explain himself. Just as he was about to say outright, "I'm single! What relationship am I supposed to be in?"

He thought of Fu Zhilan's delicate, pitiful appearance, and swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

Lowering his head, he said aggrievedly, "I already said there's nothing between him and me. Why does gege have to misunderstand me?"

Although Jiang Qiao did not have Fu Zhilan's delicate, pretty features, that expression did not look out of place on him.

He was like a large dog acting cute.

Shi Junyi found it somewhat amusing. He was clearly a wolf, yet he insisted on wearing sheep's clothing before him. Shi Junyi had no idea what Jiang Qiao was trying to do.

He did not continue arguing with Jiang Qiao over the matter, only asking, "Where's the bathroom?"

Jiang Qiao did not know either, so he pretended to be sulky. "Gege can find it himself."

After Shi Junyi went upstairs, Jiang Qiao took off his shirt and reached behind himself to inspect the scrape on the back of his arm.

It was about fifteen centimeters long. The skin and flesh had separated slightly, but the wound was not deep, and the blood had already clotted.

Having spent years in boxing rings, even his cell regeneration and wound-healing speed had been trained up.

Jiang Qiao picked up the iodine and cotton swabs Fu Zhilan had left on the sofa. Bare-chested, he raised his arm and tried to clean the wound himself.

When Shi Junyi came downstairs and stood behind Jiang Qiao, this was what he saw.

There was no denying that Jiang Qiao had a beautiful body.

His muscles were smooth and clearly defined, not overly bulky, yet without an ounce of excess flesh. His body was filled with a powerful kind of beauty.

Especially that waist.

From his broad shoulders and back, it narrowed down along the shallow groove of his spine and disappeared into his black dress pants.

For someone of his height and build, his waist was a little too slim, making certain parts farther down look especially round and pert, enough to invite wild thoughts.

Without even touching him, simply looking was enough to imagine what a sight he would make in bed.

Hearing Shi Junyi come down, Jiang Qiao lowered his arm, turned around, and handed him the cotton swab. "Gege, can you help me? It hurts a little."