Those pecs were rock hard!

Meng Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes at the figure beneath the covers and stepped closer.

Jiang Ze was sleeping soundly, his mouth slightly open and one arm tucked beneath his cheek, leaving several red marks on his face. He looked rather cute.

After a moment's thought, Meng Zhiyuan had a fair idea of what had happened. Knowing Grandpa Meng, he had most likely arranged this.

He did not wake the boy and simply began changing in the bedroom.

Jiang Ze was a light sleeper. Hearing a faint rustling beside him, he slowly regained consciousness and cracked his eyes open, only to be greeted by an expanse of bare skin.

The man had just taken off his shirt, putting his perfectly sculpted upper body on full display before Jiang Ze.

Jiang Ze jolted and sprang upright in bed.

What's going on? Am I dreaming? Why else would I see the big boss taking his clothes off right in front of me? No way. Have I been thinking about him so much that I'm dreaming about him now?

Dreaming about what he thought about all day, was he?

Meng Zhiyuan gave the still-bewildered Jiang Ze a couple of inscrutable looks and finished changing.

"You're awake?"

The man's deep, rich voice brought Jiang Ze back to reality. Only then did he realize he was not dreaming.

But why was the big boss in his room?

As though he could see his confusion, Meng Zhiyuan said evenly, "The servants probably got the room number wrong. If you don't want to share with me, I'll have someone prepare another room."

Jiang Ze rubbed his eyes and shook his head instinctively.

He was supposed to be someone secretly in love with Meng Zhiyuan anyway. Besides, it was late, and troubling people in the middle of the night would not be very nice.

"No need. What's the big deal about two grown men sharing a bed?"

The moment he finished speaking, both of them fell silent.

Meng Zhiyuan said nothing more and switched off the lights, leaving only a bedside night-light on.

Jiang Ze felt the mattress dip beside him as the man got into bed. He leaned against the headboard, apparently dealing with work.

For all his breezy talk, Jiang Ze actually felt a little awkward.

He might have looked unconcerned, but in neither his previous life nor this one had he ever been this intimate with anyone, especially given that his sexual orientation differed from most people's.

That was right. Jiang Ze had been gay from the start, even in his previous life. He talked a big game, both aloud and in his head, but he had never dated anyone in either of his two lives.

Taking the opportunity, Jiang Ze quickly slipped away to shower and get ready for bed. When he returned a little later, the man was already lying down with his eyes closed.

He climbed onto the bed carefully. Seeing that Meng Zhiyuan seemed to be asleep, he stealthily reached across him to switch off the bedside night-light.

But perhaps because he was being too cautious and nervous, his arm slipped, and he fell straight onto the man's chest.

Meng Zhiyuan let out a muffled grunt beneath him.

"Are you trying to crush me to death in my sleep?"

Jiang Ze felt as though his nose had hit a rock. It hurt so much that tears nearly spilled from his eyes.

The big boss's pecs are so hard! That hurt like hell.

Hearing that, Meng Zhiyuan held down his struggling body with one hand and caught his face with the other.

Sure enough, his nose was bright red from the impact.

The young man's eyes brimmed with tears, and he looked thoroughly bullied. Paired with that face of his, at once innocent and alluring, the sight made Meng Zhiyuan's chest tighten.

Finding his face caught in the man's grip again for some inexplicable reason, Jiang Ze made muffled noises. His tears blurred the man's face.

All he could hear was the man's husky voice, as though he were holding something back.

"Get off me."

Jiang Ze was speechless. Then let go of me first!

After a good deal of fuss, the two finally settled down in bed.

Jiang Ze let out a relieved breath. The day's exhaustion washed over him, and he soon drifted off to sleep.

Meng Zhiyuan, however, could no longer sleep.

His body was unusually aroused. Meanwhile, Jiang Ze slept without a shred of decorum, soon draping both an arm and a leg over him and sleeping soundly as though he were a body pillow.

After a while, he had no choice but to resign himself to getting up for a cold shower.

When he returned, chilled all over, Jiang Ze had taken over most of the bed. Seeing his little face flushed in sleep, Meng Zhiyuan could not bring himself to be angry.

Forget it. It's been far too long since I last had sex. Even a kid can get a reaction out of me.

Meng Zhiyuan frowned and dozed in bed for a while, barely managing to sleep until dawn.

When Jiang Ze woke early the next morning, he was alone in bed. The spot beside him was already cold, so the man had probably been gone for quite some time.

He checked the time. It was only seven in the morning. Remembering that he was at the Meng Family Estate, he hurried out of bed to wash up.

When he went downstairs, he found that everyone in the Meng family was indeed already awake and chatting with Grandpa Meng.

Apart from Meng Zhiyuan and the other elders who had companies to manage and had to go to work, those remaining were mostly the younger members of the family.

At that moment, Meng Ziqing stood surrounded by the others, looking utterly lost.

When he saw Jiang Ze approach, the boy's eyes suddenly lit up as though he had spotted his savior.

"Seriously? The little grandson Grandpa went to all that trouble to find is a mute?"

"So this little mute is why Third Uncle wrecked himself like that year after year?"

As Jiang Ze drew closer, he heard the hostility in the younger Meng family members' voices.

They apparently resented all the attention this newly returned boy was receiving, and their words were particularly nasty.

Surrounded by them, Meng Ziqing had no idea how to respond. All he could do was stand there and let them bully him.

Jiang Ze saw that the speaker was a young girl. She was pretty enough, but her spoiled expression made her thoroughly unlikable.

The little brat standing beside her looked just as arrogant and overbearing.

"Ziqing, where's your dad?"

Jiang Ze stepped forward and pulled Meng Ziqing to his side. Third Master Meng treasured his long-lost son more than anything, so why had he left him here alone?

Meng Ziqing hid behind Jiang Ze, pointed toward the study, and made a couple of gestures. He apparently meant that his father had gone into the study to discuss something and told him to play here by himself.

"Who are you? You're not one of us, are you? What are you doing in our home?"

Seeing how close the little mute was to Jiang Ze, the girl who had spoken earlier took a dislike to him as well and immediately began interrogating him.

Jiang Ze thought she looked familiar. Before he could speak, a familiar voice rang out.

"Ziyao, this is the one who used to follow Zimu around all the time... He went to see Zimu again a couple of days ago. I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. Ah..."

Jiang Ze looked over and found that Shen Yun had appeared beside them at some point. He had not left yesterday and had even stayed at the Meng Family Estate.

The Meng Family Estate was not somewhere just any riffraff could stay. Guests were generally direct family members whose backgrounds were well known, or honored visitors.

It did not take a genius to figure out that Meng Zimu was the reason.

"Oh, so you're Jiang Ze, the shameless pest who won't stop clinging to my brother! You're pretty crafty, aren't you? You even chased him all the way to our home!"

Hearing Shen Yun say her name, Jiang Ze finally remembered who this girl was. Of course-she was Meng Zimu's younger sister, Meng Ziyao.

In the novel, Meng Ziyao had obeyed Shen Yun without question because of her brother, believing everything he said and helping the two of them do plenty of despicable things.

"I'm telling you, give up already. How could my brother ever like someone like you? Shen Yun is the only one he loves. Shen Yun is gentle, kind, and a top student. Why would my brother want a useless loser like you, with nothing going for him except his face?"

"Exactly! Zimu and Shen Yun are already together, and they'll be getting engaged soon. What are you doing here, you homewrecker? Disgusting!"

The younger Meng family members had little to entertain them at the estate. Seeing a spectacle unfolding, they all gathered around to enjoy the show, but not one of them stepped in to stop it.

"Hey, I think he's pretty good-looking, and he carries himself well too. How did he fall for a hypocrite like Meng Zimu?"

The speaker looked to be in his twenties and did not seem to belong to the Meng family. He apparently did not get along with Meng Zimu, and his voice dripped with disdain.

Jiang Ze saw that the foul-mouthed little brat looked only eleven or twelve. He was probably Meng Zimu's younger half-brother on his father's side.

Sure enough, not one of that lot was any good.

Smiling, Jiang Ze paid their remarks no mind and simply said to Shen Yun, "Oh? You and Meng Zimu are getting engaged? You really are a perfect match. I can't compete."

Seeing his tone soften, Shen Yun felt pleased, though he maintained an understanding expression.

"Jiang Ze, you're still young. You should spend more time studying. Don't let other people lead you astray and teach you all these bad habits. When Zimu and I get married, we'll definitely invite you."

Jiang Ze ignored the mockery in his voice, his expression unchanged.

"But why do I remember you throwing yourself at Uncle Zhiyuan last night? I even heard you muttering something like, 'Second Uncle, I love you,' as you rushed over, all flushed. Honestly, you gave me quite a fright. Luckily, I was beside Uncle Zhiyuan and blocked you. It wouldn't have been good if your Zimu got the wrong idea."

An uproar broke out around them. To them, Meng Zhiyuan was practically a god, the idol of the Meng family's younger generation.

The younger Meng family members all looked up to him. Besides, everyone knew Shen Yun was the person Meng Zimu had loved since childhood. Who would have thought he was two-timing him?

Shen Yun's face alternated between pale and red, and his gentle expression nearly cracked.

When had he ever muttered those words? Could the dose last night have been too strong, making him say them without realizing it?