Had the iron tree finally bloomed?

"What, didn't I teach you last time?"

Meng Zhiyuan chuckled as the boy lay panting against his shoulder.

"You... it's because you were too rough!"

Jiang Ze touched his lips, swollen and red from the man's kisses again, and pouted. Even touching them hurt a little now.

"I was rough? Hiss..."

The man touched his lips with an exaggerated wince. Traces of blood had seeped out, leaving them especially red after all that kissing.

"I wonder who bit me like this, hmm?"

Jiang Ze lowered his eyes guiltily. Then he remembered that he had been the one to initiate it, which left him with even less ground to argue.

But then he remembered what he had come for, and his tone softened again.

"Uncle Zhiyuan~"

Meng Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes and pinched the boy's face a little roughly with his large hand, his voice low.

"Talk properly. Do you know what'll happen if you keep teasing me?"

The look in the man's eyes scared Jiang Ze into nodding frantically. Though he didn't know what consequences the man meant, he felt an inexplicable sense of danger.

Only after the man released him did Jiang Ze notice how intimate their position was, making him blush fiercely again.

But thinking of that deal, he had no choice but to press on.

"Uncle Zhiyuan, how about not signing that contract? That man's son Daniel doesn't seem like a good person at all. Who knows what your business partner's character is like? What if you end up losing money?"

Meng Zhiyuan lounged back in his chair, watching the boy in his arms plead so earnestly, and a wicked idea rose in his mind.

"You want me not to sign?"

Seeing that the man might relent, Jiang Ze nodded like a chicken pecking at grain.

Yes. Absolutely. More than anything!

"Then..."

The man leaned forward slightly, slowly drawing close to the young man's ear. The emerald-green earring swayed gently as he approached.

"Take the initiative one more time, hmm?"

Jiang Ze blinked his big eyes. The man's deep, magnetic voice warmed his ears, and what he said left him even more flustered.

"Baby... will you?"

Jiang Ze was so flustered by his teasing that he nearly cried, his cheeks burning red. The man was calling him baby while wearing that same austere, restrained expression.

Who could possibly resist that!!!

"Don't... be like this..."

The young man seemed to shift slightly. Feeling the discomfort beneath him, he appeared to steel himself before leaning close to the man's ear and whispering something.

Meng Zhiyuan's eyes instantly darkened. Looking at the shy yet bold young man before him, he curled his lips.

Tsk. People really did get greedy so easily.

In the end, Jiang Ze rushed out of the conference room with flaming cheeks and headed straight for the restroom.

Xiao Liu, who was sorting documents outside the door, was left utterly puzzled.

What's wrong with Young Master Jiang? Did he argue with the CEO? The CEO's ruthless-he actually made him cry!

While he was still inwardly criticizing his boss, the conference room door opened. His boss seemed to be in an excellent mood and even gave him a polite nod.

Oh my God, has the sun risen in the west? The CEO they call the Ice Prince is actually smiling!

Before long, the entire company knew their CEO was in a fantastic mood today. Gossip started up in the group chats again, and they discovered that his young boyfriend had arrived just a little while earlier.

"Oh, I told you! People in love get carried away so easily!"

"Oh my God, who would've thought our CEO's iron tree would finally bloom?"

"I just saw the CEO. Guess what? He was smiling as he talked to his young boyfriend! I don't know what he said, but he made the boy blush!"

"Ooh, who knew? Our CEO looks so cold, but he's actually this good at romance!"

"His young boyfriend looks so sweet and soft. That's our CEO for you-he really landed himself a catch!"

For a while, gossip spread throughout the company. After Jiang Ze saw yet another person deliberately come upstairs just to get a look at him, he grabbed Meng Zhiyuan and insisted on leaving.

[Oh my God, am I a monkey? Why is everyone staring?]

Jiang Ze had been on the verge of losing his mind all day and desperately needed somewhere to relax.

Suddenly, he remembered Mu Shaoxuan, whom he had stood up earlier that day, and inspiration struck.

"Uncle Zhiyuan, I heard Uncle Shaoxuan opened a bar. I even went there today! It officially opens tonight, so let's go show him some support!"

Meng Zhiyuan frowned, but seeing the boy's excitement, he didn't object.

Inwardly, however, he marked a hefty black mark against Mu Shaoxuan.

Very nice. Teaching the boy bad habits behind my back.

The two drove to the bar. By now, it had grown dark, and the neon lights outside had begun to flash. The two large characters stood out clearly against the night.

"'Leisurely Sip.' That's quite a classy name for a bar."

Jiang Ze stood outside with Meng Zhiyuan. He hadn't paid much attention to the bar's name during the day and only noticed it now.

He entered the bar with Meng Zhiyuan and found that there weren't many people inside, but they all looked either wealthy or influential.

Gentle, soothing music filled the bar, and Jiang Ze couldn't help relaxing.

"Uncle Zhiyuan, come on! Let's sit over there!"

Most of the people looked their way the moment they walked in. There was no helping it-the man was simply too striking.

Having just left the office, the man had only had time to put on a black overcoat. He had already taken it off and draped it casually over his arm.

With sharply defined, handsome features, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist, he exuded a composed, commanding presence. Every movement carried a pressure that was impossible to ignore.

Jiang Ze noticed those gazes too. He glanced at the man beside him and gave a quiet huff.

"Why are you upset? Weren't you the one who wanted to come?"

The man took his hand and tugged gently, drawing him closer.

Those people's stares really irritated him.

"Meng Zhiyuan?!"

Before they could sit down, Mu Shaoxuan's exaggerated cry of surprise rang out from nearby.

"Well, look at you! You're really doing me a favor here. You clearly said yesterday that you weren't coming!"

Mu Shaoxuan looked at Meng Zhiyuan's still-expressionless face, then at Jiang Ze, whom he was shielding so closely.

He understood everything in an instant.

I knew it. Brotherhood can't compete with a single word from your partner!

He was busy wallowing in his own misery, but Meng Zhiyuan gave him no time for it.

"Find somewhere quiet. It's too noisy."

Seeing him sweep the room with a cold gaze, Mu Shaoxuan understood perfectly. Resigned, he turned and led them to a private room.

"Zhiyuan, you know this is Chu Chen's bar, right~?"

After saying that, Mu Shaoxuan deliberately glanced at Jiang Ze, his meaning unclear.

Jiang Ze was baffled by the look. Seeing that Meng Zhiyuan's expression hadn't changed at all only made him more puzzled.

"Uncle Shaoxuan, who's Chu Chen? Oh, wait, is he the lead singer from earlier today?"

Mu Shaoxuan coughed lightly and stole another discreet glance at Meng Zhiyuan. Unwilling to say more, he simply nodded.

"Oh, he's a pretty good singer."

While they were talking, the door to the private room suddenly opened, and a handsome man in a leather jacket walked in.

Jiang Ze looked up and saw none other than the person they had been discussing: Chu Chen.

After entering the room, he first greeted Mu Shaoxuan, then turned his gaze to Meng Zhiyuan beside him.