Extra-strength mint

Wu Jiangyuan returned to his room and buried his face in the covers.

After lying there like a corpse for a good while, he finally raised his flushed face, covered the back of his neck, and muttered.

"If you want to talk, just talk. Why did you have to talk right against my gland?"

The tingling in his neck still hadn't faded.

Pei Jinghe had been acting strange since they got married.

After lying there a while longer, he opened his phone to look at the information He Qu had sent.

The third male lead loved the female lead but couldn't win her over, then turned evil later on, becoming the drama's final villain.

The things he did after turning evil were utterly vicious. He was absolute scum.

Although the character was a villain, the drama was adapted from a popular webnovel, had a major production team, and came with a built-in audience.

And the villain's screen time was second only to the second male lead's, making him an important character.

Taking the role would give him plenty of exposure.

He looked at He Qu's final messages.

[Well, I did say you'd be better off avoiding roles that hurt your audience appeal, but this production team is good. You'd definitely learn a lot if you joined.]

[Of course, I'm just throwing it out there. The choice is yours.]

After reading them, Wu Jiangyuan remembered what Pei Jinghe had told him. Wouldn't he learn more from Liang Changju's film than from this?

Having made a certain choice in his mind, he couldn't help smiling and called He Qu.

He Qu picked up quickly.

"Hey, have you read the information I sent you?"

Lying on the bed, Wu Jiangyuan played with the hair over his forehead and replied lazily, "Yes. Turn it down."

He Qu said, "Just like that? Sure, he's a villain, but the drama itself is really good."

Wu Jiangyuan said, "Turn it down. There's another production I want to join."

He Qu said, "Hmm? Let's hear it."

Wu Jiangyuan said, "I can't explain it properly over the phone. Let's talk in person tomorrow."

He Qu said, "All right."

That evening, Wu Jiangyuan came out to find something to eat.

An enticing aroma greeted him downstairs, and he headed toward the kitchen, his eyes bright.

He saw Auntie Zhang's back as she busied herself cooking.

"Auntie Zhang."

Wu Jiangyuan walked up to greet her.

Auntie Zhang quickly turned around with a kindly smile. "Young Master Wu, dinner isn't ready yet. You can sit down first."

"Don't call me Young Master Wu. Just call me Jiangyuan."

Wu Jiangyuan felt the same warmth from her that he felt from Sister-in-law Wansang.

Auntie Zhang said helplessly, "That would be terribly impolite. Young Master Wu, you should head outside first. There are too many cooking fumes in here."

Wu Jiangyuan gazed longingly at the unfinished dishes. Judging by the ingredients, they were things he liked.

Feeling even hungrier, he rubbed his stomach and asked, "Where's Pei Jinghe?"

He hadn't seen any sign of him since coming downstairs.

Auntie Zhang said, "The young master is busy in his study."

Then she suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "Oh, this memory of mine! I should have given him his drink ten minutes ago. I got so busy I forgot."

She glanced at the dish on the stove, which was at a crucial stage, and asked Wu Jiangyuan hesitantly, "Young Master Wu, could I trouble you to take this to him?"

"No problem," Wu Jiangyuan readily agreed.

He took the cup and sniffed it, immediately frowning. "What kind of drink is this? It smells so bitter."

Auntie Zhang said, "The young master has insomnia. This helps him sleep. There are some Chinese medicinal herbs mixed in."

Wu Jiangyuan asked in surprise, "Pei Jinghe has insomnia?"

Auntie Zhang looked troubled at the mention of it. "Yes. It started when he was abroad. He's seen many doctors since coming back, but nothing has helped."

Wu Jiangyuan said, "Could it be an aftereffect of his Enigma differentiation?"

Auntie Zhang shook her head. "I'm not sure about that."

Wu Jiangyuan didn't ask any more questions. "I'll take it to him, then."

Auntie Zhang said, "Sorry for the trouble, Young Master Wu. Please make sure he finishes it. Those are the master and madam's instructions."

On his way to the study, Wu Jiangyuan was still puzzled.

He couldn't normally tell, but from what Auntie Zhang had said, Pei Jinghe's insomnia was quite serious.

The door to Pei Jinghe's study was half-open.

Wu Jiangyuan pushed it open without knocking.

Pei Jinghe was sitting at his desk in front of his laptop, apparently on a video call.

He paused when he saw Wu Jiangyuan, then said to the computer, "That's all for now. Meeting adjourned."

After closing the video meeting, he stayed seated and looked at Wu Jiangyuan. "What is it?"

Wu Jiangyuan gestured with the cup in his hand. "Auntie Zhang's busy, so she asked me to bring this over."

One glance told Pei Jinghe what was in the cup.

He asked Wu Jiangyuan, "Are you planning to throw it straight over here, then?"

That sounded like he wanted it delivered right to him.

Wu Jiangyuan raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you come get it?"

Pei Jinghe considered this, resting his arm on the desk and tapping his fingertips lightly.

"Weren't you the one who told me not to come near you?"

Wu Jiangyuan said, "..."

That made so much sense that he suddenly had no way to argue.

So he could only walk over himself.

Despite having been home for so long, Pei Jinghe was still wearing his shirt and waistcoat, his sleeves partly rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms.

What drew the eye most was the hand wearing Stars.

The watch was dazzling, but the owner of those hands was even more striking.

The charm he exuded with every movement carried an unspoken elegance.

Wu Jiangyuan casually averted his gaze and set the cup down.

Then he stood there, showing no intention of leaving.

From the moment he set it down, Pei Jinghe hadn't so much as glanced at the cup. His gaze had stayed on Wu Jiangyuan.

Unable to hold out any longer, Wu Jiangyuan asked first, keeping his face stern, "...Why aren't you drinking it?"

Pei Jinghe said, "I'll drink it in a bit."

Wu Jiangyuan thought, Like hell I believe you.

Between Auntie Zhang's instructions and this guy's current reaction, it was clear that he was extremely resistant to taking this medicine.

Wu Jiangyuan stepped forward, braced both hands on the desk, and offered an innocent suggestion. "Why not drink it now?"

Pei Jinghe replied mildly, "It's fine. Drinking it later makes no difference."

Wu Jiangyuan said, "That won't do."

He had come with instructions from Auntie Zhang and Uncle and Auntie Pei, after all.

"Drink it now. Once you're done, I'll leave and stop bothering you."

"Later."

"Who are you trying to fool? Later, you might just pour it out in secret. Auntie Zhang told me everything. This is good for your sleep."

"..."

An odd expression crossed Pei Jinghe's face, but he quickly hid it and sighed helplessly. "Why did Auntie Zhang tell you even that?"

Wu Jiangyuan said, "She only wants what's best for you. Hurry up and drink it."

Pei Jinghe looked at the cup of medicine, his brow creasing slightly in obvious resistance.

"Why won't you drink it? Is it because it's bitter?"

"Yes."

Pei Jinghe admitted it without hesitation.

Wu Jiangyuan snorted. "An Enigma who can't handle bitterness or spice. Pei Jinghe, you're still just as fussy as before."

Pei Jinghe wasn't annoyed. Instead, he smiled faintly. "If you have a way to make it less bitter, I'll drink it."

Wu Jiangyuan picked up the cup and held it to his lips. "Sure. Drink it first."

Pei Jinghe glanced down at it. "What if you're lying to me?"

Wu Jiangyuan said, "Then do whatever you want."

Pei Jinghe smiled at that. "You said it."

He took the cup, tipped his head back, and drank it in one go.

Not a drop remained. Suppressing his aversion to the taste, he looked up at Wu Jiangyuan.

He had only just opened his mouth when something was pushed inside.

A cool mint flavor spread through his mouth, tempering the nauseating bitterness.

"..." Pei Jinghe's gaze turned strange. "A mint?"

Wu Jiangyuan's eyes curved slightly. "Well? Is it still bitter?"

These were the mints he carried everywhere. Having one after eating was a matter of respect for both parties.

With the mint in his mouth, Pei Jinghe said expressionlessly, "Bitter."

Wu Jiangyuan was puzzled. "That's impossible. These are extra-strength mint, too."

"Want to know what it tastes like?"

"Huh?"

The moment Wu Jiangyuan spoke, the other man's palm landed on the back of his neck.

Then his head was pressed down, his lips meeting those thin lips that still held a bitter taste.