Exes Reunited, I Want to Stay at Your Place
"..."
Jiang Nian collected himself, wiped the sweat from his face, and stepped forward to knock on the car window with a smile.
After quite a while, Cheng Jing finally opened the door and got out.
A blast of cool air from the car hit Jiang Nian in the face, clearing his dizzy head considerably. He greeted Cheng Jing with feigned calm.
"Brother Jing, long time no see."
"..."
Cheng Jing swept a cold gaze over him, as if cooling him down with the power of his mind, then took his suitcase and walked to the trunk.
It was awkward, sure, but Jiang Nian had to thicken his skin. He stared unabashedly at the man he hadn't seen in so long.
There was no question Cheng Jing was taller and more handsome than him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become such a simp back then.
His short hair was combed back, and he wore a black shirt with trousers in the same color. He had no tie, and two buttons were undone. His business-casual outfit gave him a more mature, steady air than he had two years ago. He looked a little hot, but then again, he only left the air conditioning occasionally, so it wasn't a problem.
Cheng Jing was a classic strikingly handsome man, with deep-set features, sharp contours, and perfectly balanced proportions. He naturally had a bit of a roguish soldier's air, and paired with his 190-centimeter height and well-trained physique, he looked seriously hot in a suit!
Those legs of his looked longer than Jiang Nian's life.
And without his clothes, Cheng Jing had a mouthwatering physique. To be frank, Jiang Nian was really envious. He worked out too, and had abs and an Adonis belt, but working out at the gym didn't produce the same results as Cheng Jing's kind of training.
So, looking back, he'd had it so good, yet he'd chosen to break up with him on his own. He really hadn't known how good he had it.
Cheng Jing could sense someone staring at him. Jiang Nian had always liked looking at him that way, his eyes full of affection, as if he was crazy about him. Then he'd turned around and dumped him!
"Bang!"
The sound of the trunk closing pulled Jiang Nian from his wandering thoughts. His ex had clearly slammed it shut on purpose.
Cheng Jing returned to the driver's seat. Jiang Nian took the hint and climbed into the passenger seat, buckling his seat belt and tugging at his collar to fan himself.
"This damn weather is killing me!"
Cheng Jing looked grim. Even though the car maintained its temperature automatically, he reached up and turned down the air conditioning. His voice was cold.
"It's almost two. Let's eat first. What do you want?"
"Anything's fine. You can decide, Brother Jing."
Jiang Nian spoke brightly, making a point of being good and obedient. As long as he was good enough, Cheng Jing couldn't get angry to his face, and if he didn't get angry to his face, Jiang Nian could push his luck and keep doing as he pleased!
Cheng Jing turned his head to glance at him with restraint, then pursed his lips and started the car, driving out of the parking lot.
Melodious music played, easing the awkward atmosphere a little.
They were both fairly familiar with Qingyun City, and when it came to eating, drinking, and having fun, Yingbin Road was naturally the place to go.
Cheng Jing drove to a private restaurant with practiced ease.
They parked, went upstairs, and ordered. Jiang Nian didn't ask many questions, and Cheng Jing didn't say much, but everything he ordered was something a certain someone liked. It wasn't deliberate; his fingers just moved on their own.
Jiang Nian was secretly delighted, warmth filling his heart. His smile was harder to suppress than an AK.
And so, amid a subtle tension, the two began their first lunch as reunited exes.
Several times, Jiang Nian wanted to start a conversation, but whenever he met Cheng Jing's gaze, he swallowed his words along with his food. The mood wasn't right, and it wasn't as if he had to say anything.
Cheng Jing had originally wanted to politely ask what he thought of the food, but held back when he saw him guiltily shoveling it into his mouth. He looked very hungry, so the taste probably wasn't that important.
After they'd eaten and drunk their fill, Cheng Jing went to pay, while Jiang Nian used the restroom and returned to the parking lot.
Jiang Nian had thought Cheng Jing would take him home, but instead, Cheng Jing took him straight to a hotel, where he'd already booked him a room.
After seeing off the attendant who had helped with the luggage, Jiang Nian's face fell.
If he stayed at the hotel, how was he supposed to cling to Cheng Jing's thigh? Besides, hotels were among the hardest-hit places when the apocalypse arrived.
But then again, Cheng Jing had only agreed to let him come. He hadn't said he would take him in. Booking a room at a five-star hotel for his ex was already more than generous.
Seeing how dejected he looked, Cheng Jing frowned and asked,
"What are you unhappy about?"
They hadn't settled their old scores yet, and he was already giving him attitude?
Jiang Nian sincerely asked in return,
"Um, Brother Jing, I don't want to stay at a hotel. Could I stay at your place?"
When clinging to someone's thigh, the closer the better, of course.
"..."
Cheng Jing looked at him steadily. Remembering why he'd come to see him, he suppressed the anger in his heart, unable to bring himself to speak too harshly.
"You came here to clear your head. The surroundings are nice, and our company handles the hotel's security, so it's safe."
Jiang Nian pouted.
"I said I came to clear my head, but really I came mainly to see you, so I want to stay with you. And I don't have much money right now. Besides, ever since Mom died, I've been having these terrible nightmares and suffering badly from neurasthenia. I'm a little afraid to be alone at night..."
"..."
Cheng Jing's heart trembled slightly. Was he saying he wanted to sleep with him?
Jiang Nian understood his look, and his cheeks burned as he argued,
"Um... I don't mean I want to sleep with you. Just being closer to you makes me feel safe, and then I won't be anxious."
Though he did find his ex quite tempting, climbing into his bed when things between them were unclear wasn't his style.
Every major disaster had its signs, and dreams were the most common. After the apocalypse arrived in his previous life, many survivors said they'd dreamed of the disaster before it came.
He was saying this now to lay the groundwork for explaining his stockpiling later. If he just came out and said the apocalypse was coming, any normal person would think he'd gone mad.
"..."
Cheng Jing's expression turned cold again. This man didn't plan to sleep with him or get back together, so had he come all this way just to use him?
Was he doing whatever he pleased because he knew Cheng Jing would indulge him?
"You're just too upset about what happened to your mother. You won't have those dreams if you sleep somewhere different. Take some time to relax and adjust. Don't worry about money; just stay here without worrying."
After taking several deep breaths to suppress his wandering thoughts, Cheng Jing comforted him in a somewhat stiff voice, then added,
"It's not convenient for you to stay at my place right now."
"..."
Jiang Nian's expression stiffened, and he froze. He was just about to ask something when a phone suddenly rang.
Cheng Jing took out his phone and looked at it for a moment, unable to keep from frowning. He spoke to the dejected man.
"I still have something to take care of. Get some rest."
With that, he answered the call and left.
"Ah..."
Jiang Nian slumped on the sofa in defeat. There were less than two weeks until the apocalypse. He'd miscalculated; he could only cling to half a thigh.
Cheng Jing had said it wasn't convenient at his place. Judging by his expression, there was probably someone staying there.
But as far as Jiang Nian knew, Cheng Jing's family were all in a city farther north, in another province. His younger brother attended military academy there, and Cheng Jing's parents had gone with him, so it couldn't be family.
It was unlikely to be a friend or subordinate either. Cheng Jing was very territorial about his private space. Most likely, it was a romantic partner.