Chapter 22
Jiang Qingyu stopped chewing and instantly sat up straight, looking at Fu Jingqiu with a somewhat frightened expression.
No one could blame him for reacting like that. Someone was knocking outside—no, not knocking, pounding on the vehicle. The noise was shockingly loud, like some drunken, hyper-aggressive man looking for something to vent his anger on without caring about right or wrong.
Fortunately, his RV had been upgraded. Otherwise, after such a frantic round of smashing, it might really have been smashed out of shape.
No, what was going on? He was just eating dinner nicely inside the vehicle. Who had he offended???
Jiang Qingyu slapped his chopsticks onto the table and shot to his feet. With food still in his mouth, he said unclearly, “I’ll go take a look.”
“Wait.” Fu Jingqiu reached out and held him back. “Don’t rush. Did you install surveillance cameras on your vehicle?”
“Yeah,” Jiang Qingyu said. “I was going to check the surveillance footage.”
What else did you think?
I’m not stupid. The movement outside is obviously not very friendly. Even you didn’t say you were getting out of the vehicle, so why would I rush to the front?
Fu Jingqiu was rarely choked speechless by someone. For a moment, he actually did not know how to respond. Fortunately, Jiang Qingyu had already turned around to check the cameras, so he immediately got up and followed him.
Logically speaking, there was nothing wrong with where their vehicle was parked. They were not blocking anyone or getting in anyone’s way, nor had they caused trouble for anyone. There was no reason for someone to come smashing the vehicle so aggressively in the middle of the night, right?
The surveillance screen was beside the multimedia equipment behind the dinette. With a little operation, the camera feed could be pulled up.
The 360-degree online surveillance mode clearly showed everything around the body of the vehicle. Three men were blocking the driver’s-side door, very roughly prying and groping everywhere, trying to find a place where they could force the door open.
However, his vehicle had hidden electronic door locks. There was no way to pry them open.
Perhaps because of this, those men were enraged. After discovering this, they became even more irritable, clenching their fists and starting to bang hard against the vehicle.
But sorry.
The vehicle body’s materials had also been upgraded. Their punches had no effect at all. Instead, they hurt themselves badly. As if becoming angry from embarrassment, they tried to find stones from the nearby green belt to smash the vehicle.
Jiang Qingyu stared in disbelief. “Are these people crazy?”
What were they doing? This was still a society ruled by law, okay? They were just openly smashing things?
He turned to look at Fu Jingqiu, who was standing beside him with furrowed brows. “Shouldn’t we call the police?”
Fu Jingqiu said with a dark expression, “We definitely need to call the police, but we also can’t let them keep smashing it like this.”
He did not know the RV’s real condition, but from a visual judgment, this RV truly could not withstand them messing with it.
Jiang Qingyu could not very well tell him the truth, so he said a little awkwardly, “Um… There are three of them, and two of us. My combat power is equal to zero, so it seems like we can only call the police and wait for them to come.”
“It’s fine,” Fu Jingqiu said. “We can’t let them damage your RV.”
He looked around, his tightly furrowed brows not relaxing in the slightest. “Didn’t you buy anything for self-defense to keep in the RV?”
Jiang Qingyu said, “Uh, well…”
Let him think. Pepper spray, stun baton, baseball bat, even a chainsaw.
He had bought all of those.
But the problem was, how was he supposed to take them out right now?
Jiang Qingyu hesitated. “I… I have a baseball bat in the bedroom. Should I go get it?”
Fu Jingqiu nodded. “Okay.”
Okay?? Was he really preparing to fight?
Jiang Qingyu was somewhat shocked. His eyes widened into round circles, and he did not know what to say.
In truth, he had not thought it through either. But since Fu Jingqiu had already said that, he cooperated and pretended to go to the bedroom to get the baseball bat. He theatrically opened the cabinet door. “Um…”
He asked cautiously, “Are you planning to fight?”
Jiang Qingyu was a little worried. “The injuries on your body haven’t healed yet.”
Originally, he had planned to have Fu Jingqiu go to the hospital for a physical examination. Later, the other party had reassured him that his younger brother had probably drugged him with sleeping pills, that there was no need to worry too much, that he knew his own body best, and so on. Only then had Jiang Qingyu stopped trying to persuade him.
But aside from that, the wounds on Fu Jingqiu’s body still needed several days to heal. Going head-to-head with people who looked like petty thugs at a time like this seemed like a bit of a disadvantage.
Fu Jingqiu hung up the emergency call and said calmly, “It’s fine. I’m a reasonable person.”
Big brother, the way you’re weighing that baseball bat in your hand doesn’t look like you’re going out there to reason with them at all.
Jiang Qingyu followed Fu Jingqiu all the way to the front of the vehicle like a little tail. The other man stopped him. “Don’t get out.”
Jiang Qingyu said worriedly, “You’re really going?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “They don’t look like the type to smash the vehicle a couple of times to vent their anger and then leave. To deal with people like this, you can only confront them directly.”
Jiang Qingyu said helplessly, “All right. Then be careful.”
The three men had already circled around to the rear of the vehicle and were planning to puncture their tires. Fu Jingqiu opened the door from the front of the vehicle and got out, which could catch them by surprise.
When the two sides came face to face, the three men first froze in unison. Then they exchanged glances and, with great tacit understanding, walked toward Fu Jingqiu while shouting.
“Why are you only getting out now?”
“Didn’t you hear us calling you?”
“Are you deaf or what?”
“Tell the other person in the vehicle to get out!”
Jiang Qingyu cautiously poked half his head out from the rear window to observe in secret.
These men looked fierce, their faces full of thuggish aggression. If Jiang Qingyu were the one being surrounded by them like this, he would probably have been frightened into turning and running on the spot.
Yet Fu Jingqiu stood there steadily, his gaze sharp, his expression cold and severe, looking extremely imposing.
By comparison, even the tallest of the three men was a head shorter than Fu Jingqiu.
They had already lost at first sight.
Fu Jingqiu accurately caught the key words in their speech. His brows furrowed even tighter, making him look even fiercer. “The other person? What do you want with him?”
The yellow-haired man at the front lifted his chin contemptuously. “When he placed an order with our boss this afternoon, he didn’t pay. He secretly hauled the goods away behind our backs. We’re here to collect the debt!”
Jiang Qingyu was stunned by those words.
No, what? He had never taken goods without paying!
Forget this afternoon; every batch of supplies he had bought while stockpiling had been confirmed by both sides, with payment and goods settled face to face.
He had developed a habit back in university from buying breakfast: after paying, he would even show the boss the successful payment page, and only after confirming the other person had seen it would he leave. How could he possibly not have paid?
He could not stand being wronged like this. With a whoosh, he pulled open the window and stuck his head out. “Nonsense! I paid for everything!!”
The three men heard the voice and turned to look. When they saw his face, they instinctively tried to run over. “It’s you, kid—”
Fu Jingqiu stretched out his long arm and grabbed the back of the man’s collar, saying in a deep voice, “What do you think you’re doing?”
His grip was extremely strong. With this tug, it was as if he had strangled the man by the neck. The man’s breath caught, and his face turned red. Feeling even more humiliated, he struggled with all his strength and shouted, “Let go!!”
Fu Jingqiu naturally would not let go. His large hand was like an iron clamp, holding the yellow-haired man firmly and preventing him from taking even one step toward Jiang Qingyu.
Seeing this, the other two men wanted to come over and help. Fu Jingqiu moved even faster. He kicked the first one who rushed over in the knee, and the man’s body instantly dropped by half. He hugged his knee, collapsed to the ground, and wailed.
That man reacted quickly too. Seeing that Fu Jingqiu was not easy to mess with, he immediately changed strategy and began crying loudly, “They took someone’s goods without paying and now they’re beating people! Is there anyone this unreasonable? Is there no justice anymore?!”
Jiang Qingyu had only been shocked for an instant by Fu Jingqiu’s clean and efficient movements. Then his attention was pulled back by the thug’s fake crying, and he angrily said, “Who’s the unreasonable one here? When did I not pay? Stop being shameless, okay? Besides, I didn’t even see you today. What goods did I take?”
Wasn’t this pure extortion?
Fu Jingqiu suddenly said, “Did you go to a slaughterhouse today?”
Jiang Qingyu froze slightly. “How do you know?”
He subconsciously lifted the collar of his hoodie and sniffed it. “This is hotpot smell, right?”
No, even if there really was a smell, could he smell it from that far away?
Fu Jingqiu pressed down on the yellow-haired man’s shoulder, making the other man cry out strangely again from the pressure. Only then did he say, “I smelled it on him.”
This smell was a little special. Fu Jingqiu had previously come into contact with people who worked in slaughterhouses, and they carried a similar smell on their bodies.
Smell? Jiang Qingyu instantly reacted. What Fu Jingqiu was referring to should be the smell of meat grease. It seemed that the clothes of slaughterhouse workers did indeed have that kind of smell.
Jiang Qingyu shouted at the yellow-haired man, “I did go to a slaughterhouse this afternoon, but I didn’t underpay the boss by even a single cent! And who are you people? I didn’t do business with you!”
He remembered it very clearly. Because he had paid so readily when buying things, the boss had even given him two extra jin of ribs.
If Jiang Qingyu had not paid, why would the boss give him anything extra?
The yellow-haired man was still being stubborn. He twisted his head aside and shouted with his neck stiff, “Of course the boss sent us to collect the money. It’s normal that you haven’t seen me! It’s bad enough that you didn’t pay, but you even found someone to beat us. I want you to compensate us for medical expenses! And emotional damages!!”
They had been the ones to provoke them first, yet now they were turning around to accuse them. This operation truly left Jiang Qingyu dumbfounded, and his face turned red with anger. “Nonsense!”
The yellow-haired man did not care about him, or rather, had no time to care about him.
As the one with the relatively higher “status” in the three-man group, he had not even had the chance to show off before being held like a little chick. He was about to lose all face.
The yellow-haired man gritted his teeth. “Didn’t you hear me telling you to let go? Let go of me!”
Fu Jingqiu said, “What if I don’t?”
“That’s simple too.” The yellow-haired man’s eyes flashed fiercely with hatred. “Don’t blame me for being impolite!”
From Jiang Qingyu’s position, he could see the other man’s expression and movements clearly. His expression changed immediately. “Be careful! He has a knife!”
As soon as the words fell, the yellow-haired man somehow pulled out a curved knife shorter than a forearm and swung it backward toward Fu Jingqiu’s face!
Fu Jingqiu reacted extremely quickly. He immediately let go, lifted his foot, and kicked the yellow-haired man in the back, directly sending him flying several meters away. The man could not even stand back up.
The one whose knee had just been kicked had only just recovered a little. Seeing that the yellow-haired man had already made a move, he could only follow.
Unsurprisingly, he ended up lying on the ground together with his other good brother, wailing miserably.
Fu Jingqiu sneered. “You even brought knives? Looks like you came fully prepared.”
If Jiang Qingyu had been alone today, he did not even dare imagine what might have happened.
Smashing the vehicle, puncturing the tires. And then? Would they smash the glass too and force their way in?
Even if they did not smash the glass, if the tires were punctured, how would Jiang Qingyu drive away? How long could he stay inside the vehicle?
These men, on the other hand, could take turns guarding him.
People always had a particular patience when doing bad things, let alone when money was involved.
Fu Jingqiu believed that Jiang Qingyu was not the kind of person who would run off without paying over a bit of money and then refuse to admit it after being found.
This was clearly because he had been targeted by these thugs at some unknown point. A complete undeserved disaster.
Seeing that the men had more or less lost their ability to fight, Jiang Qingyu finally dared to get out of the vehicle. After confirming several times, he was sure that he had never seen these faces before.
The yellow-haired man and the others did not dare shout at Fu Jingqiu, but they did dare yell at Jiang Qingyu. Seeing him get out of the vehicle and walk over, they began cursing filthily.
Jiang Qingyu was already extremely unhappy at being falsely accused. Seeing this, he went forward and kicked the yellow-haired man. “Try cursing me again!”
Try, then try. The yellow-haired man did not fall for this at all. His lips moved, and he cursed even dirtier.
Fu Jingqiu said, “You kicked too lightly.” He instructed, “Kick him in the face.”
The yellow-haired man shouted at the top of his lungs, “You dare!!”
Fu Jingqiu dragged him in front of Jiang Qingyu. “Aim properly.”
When the police arrived, the yellow-haired man and the other two had been tied together by Fu Jingqiu with one rope, sitting back-to-back beside the RV, looking thoroughly dispirited.
The yellow-haired man’s hair color was the most obvious and quite eye-catching.
But compared with the footprints on his face, even his hair color was nothing much.
Jiang Qingyu stood half a step behind Fu Jingqiu, his expression open and upright.
After taking the men to the police station, Jiang Qingyu and Fu Jingqiu followed along to give their statements.
After all the commotion for so long, only now did Jiang Qingyu remember that his act of going to the slaughterhouse to buy meat seemed a little too suspicious.
There were only two of them, and the vehicle was not large either. How many jin of meat did he need to buy for it to be necessary to go to a slaughterhouse? Even if he wanted freshness and cheaper prices, as long as the quantity was not large, it would not be much cheaper.
He braced himself and tried his best to gloss over this part of the situation. Because it had been a normal transaction, the police did not ask further.
But because he felt guilty, Jiang Qingyu did not really dare turn his head to see what kind of expression or reaction Fu Jingqiu had, afraid that the other man would be too sharp and notice something.
The police were very efficient. They contacted the boss at the slaughterhouse and learned that these men did indeed know the boss and had worked there for a period of time before.
It was just that these men were lazy and greedy, with plenty of crooked thoughts. They also delayed work, so the boss had fired them.
When Jiang Qingyu had gone there today, the yellow-haired man and the others were there because they were not very satisfied with the new jobs they had found and had remembered their former employer, the slaughterhouse boss.
They all thought he was easy to talk to and softhearted, so they wanted to come back.
That boss truly did have a kind heart. Seeing these people crying and begging, he thought, forget it, forget it. He would give them a mouthful of food, let them help with some work normally, and provide food and lodging.
But the yellow-haired man and the others were restless. They had not settled down for long before they started causing trouble again. When Jiang Qingyu arrived, they had just parted on bad terms.
The yellow-haired man had plenty of bad ideas, and when he turned around, he set his sights on Jiang Qingyu.
Jiang Qingyu looked easy to bully. He was not a local, and he spent money generously. If they used the slaughterhouse’s name to ask him for money, most people would choose to calm things down first and settle accounts afterward.
By then, the yellow-haired man and the others would have gone off somewhere to enjoy themselves. If Jiang Qingyu went to the slaughterhouse boss afterward to settle the account, that would have nothing to do with them.
If they were questioned afterward, they would simply pretend to be dumb and say they did not know. In any case, they had done this sort of thing more than once.
Or if Jiang Qingyu swallowed his anger and silently accepted the loss, then they would profit even more.
That kid looked like a soft persimmon, the kind that could be squeezed with one pinch. They had seen plenty of people like that before, and it had almost always worked.
They had calculated everything, but they had not calculated Fu Jingqiu.
This man’s aura was simply too obvious. After only exchanging two or three sentences, the police officer took the initiative to ask him whether he had served in the military before or graduated from a police academy.
After learning that his military rank had been retained after retirement, the officer’s attitude became even warmer. He told them to drive the vehicle over for an inspection tomorrow, saying that if there was any damage, the yellow-haired men would have to compensate them.
Jiang Qingyu agreed, but did not really take it to heart. He knew very well that the yellow-haired men’s little tricks were nothing in front of the upgraded vehicle. They probably had not even scraped off any paint.
They did not waste too much time at the police station. On the way back, Fu Jingqiu drove, and they returned to their original place to rest.
After Jiang Qingyu had checked the surveillance footage, he had already carried Meimei into the bedroom. She knew nothing of what had happened outside and was sleeping sweetly on the bed by herself.
The hotpot had long since cooled. The side dishes and dipping sauces lay dried out in bowls and plates. Thinking of the dinner they had not enjoyed to the fullest, Jiang Qingyu could not help sighing.
“Unlucky.”
“Sorry.”
The two of them spoke at the same time, which made Jiang Qingyu freeze for a moment. He turned his head to look at Fu Jingqiu, who had taken the initiative to go to the dining table and clean up. “Why are you apologizing?”
Putting aside the fact that neither of them had done anything wrong tonight, even if blame had to be forced onto someone, the three yellow-haired men had been attracted by Jiang Qingyu.
Originally, he had thought that he would only stay in one place for a few days and buy some things. Even if the quantity was a little large, it should not be enough to get him targeted.
However, reality proved that sometimes, one really could not say for sure.
Fu Jingqiu said calmly, “My luck has never been very good.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “Huh?”
Fu Jingqiu seemed to smile slightly. “Because my luck is bad, I always attract these kinds of things and affect your mood.”
Even if Jiang Qingyu were a fool, he could tell that this was not something good. Although Fu Jingqiu said it with a smile, that expression looked as forced as it could possibly be in Jiang Qingyu’s eyes. Instinctively, he refuted him. “Can you not talk nonsense? What happened today was clearly because those men were stupid and greedy. How can that be blamed on you?”
Fu Jingqiu did not speak.
After a brief silence, Jiang Qingyu indeed became anxious. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
His slightly irritable appearance was like a little cat whose fur had puffed up. He opened his round eyes and stared tightly at Fu Jingqiu, urgently wanting to receive a direct response from him.
Fu Jingqiu met his gaze for ten-some seconds and said, “Actually, your safety awareness is a little low.”
Jiang Qingyu: ?
Fu Jingqiu suddenly became serious. “They followed you the whole way and even knew that you changed vehicles midway. You didn’t notice?”
Jiang Qingyu looked at him for a few seconds and inexplicably felt guilty.
Speaking of that… In truth, Jiang Qingyu had not changed vehicles midway. He had merely found a place to change the vehicle’s skin.
He clearly already had a very strong sense of safety!
Jiang Qingyu wrinkled his nose and said unhappily, “There are so many cars on the road. How would I know which car was following me? And later, I went to pick you up too. Didn’t you also fail to notice?”
Fu Jingqiu: “…”
At the time, he had been affected by that atmosphere, and his vigilance had indeed dropped quite a bit. He had also failed to notice.
Fu Jingqiu admitted his mistake very quickly. “It was indeed my problem. I did not notice them in time back then.”
Otherwise, they could have simply driven away and shaken them off directly. There would have been no need to go to the police station, and Jiang Qingyu would not have been frightened.
“Don’t change the subject,” Jiang Qingyu said. He was not easy to fool. Fu Jingqiu had said his vigilance was low and his safety awareness was not high enough. He had heard that kind of thing before and was not moved by it. “Did you listen to what I said just now?”
Fu Jingqiu looked at him for a few more seconds, then lowered his head to collect the dishes. “Which sentence?”
Huh? This reaction was clearly him pretending to be stupid, right?
What was wrong with this guy? He had no reaction when others said bad things about him, but when someone comforted him a little, he became too embarrassed to respond. Such a big man, yet he was playing dumb with Jiang Qingyu.
After figuring this out, Fu Jingqiu’s reaction became very amusing.
Jiang Qingyu deliberately pulled the topic back. “Actually, if it weren’t for you, I would have been even more unlucky today. You yourself couldn’t see it, but from my perspective as a bystander, I saw everything clearly. You practically didn’t do much, and those people were already twisted by the arm and pressed to the ground by you.”
Fu Jingqiu said, “Mm.”
Jiang Qingyu secretly moved closer to him. “Thinking about it now, my luck is actually very good.”
Fu Jingqiu said, “Mm?”
Jiang Qingyu immediately retreated back to his original position and calmly swept his gaze around. “Ah, just put these in the dishwasher. Actually, I didn’t eat enough just now. Do you want another bowl of noodles?”
Fu Jingqiu: “…………”
He cleared his throat and pretended as if nothing had happened. “All right. What can I do?”
Jiang Qingyu rarely played tricks on people and found it terribly interesting. He really did go take out ingredients and start preparing to make zhajiang noodles.
Fu Jingqiu silently followed behind him and helped. He truly could endure it, not asking a single question.
They had indeed not eaten enough earlier, but at this point, reheating the hotpot to cook vegetables no longer had the same feeling.
Jiang Qingyu stir-fried some meat sauce, adding mushrooms, diced dried tofu, and minced tribute vegetables. It smelled incredibly fragrant. Then he sprinkled in some tender celery stems and cilantro, and saliva began to uncontrollably gather.
The noodles were springy hand-rolled noodles, the best match for sauce. After cooking them, he rinsed them in cold water, then sliced some fresh, juicy cucumber shreds and placed them on top. It was truly both beautiful and delicious.
Meimei had already been fed earlier when they were eating hotpot. Now, even after smelling the aroma, she showed no intention of trying it. She obediently kept them company on the side, wrapping her tail around herself as she dozed.
They sat down to eat noodles. With delicious food in front of them, there was no need for unnecessary words. Jiang Qingyu lowered his head and ate half a bowl. Only then did he have time to lift his eyes and look at Fu Jingqiu. The other man clearly liked it too and ate very carefully.
Jiang Qingyu dug out a generous spoonful of meat sauce and mixed it with the noodles, letting every noodle be fully coated in sauce. After solidly eating a big mouthful, he finally said, “What I said just now about having good luck was sincere.”
Fu Jingqiu had not even managed to put a mouthful of noodles into his mouth when he suddenly heard this sentence. For a moment, he did not know how to react.
He had thought Jiang Qingyu would not bring up this topic again.
Jiang Qingyu took in his reaction and could not help laughing. “What? Are you surprised?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “It’s already been more than half an hour.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “That’s because you looked like you really wanted to know but wouldn’t ask.”
“…” Fu Jingqiu corrected him. “I was only curious.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “If you were curious, you could have just asked openly.”
So reserved.
Jiang Qingyu said frankly, “Anyway, I don’t believe in things like so-and-so bringing bad luck. Before, I was alone. My safety wasn’t guaranteed. I ate alone and bought things alone. Sometimes it was still quite lonely.”
Like that rainy day, when he had lain in the vehicle and watched other people gather outdoors for barbecue, the atmosphere good, everyone laughing and talking until midnight.
He had naturally been very comfortable inside the vehicle too, and he had his little cat with him. But at that time, if there had also been someone to talk with him, that would have been even better.
Jiang Qingyu did not want much. Things like that were already enough.
Oh, that did not mean he did not want the RV system.
In short.
Although it had happened by coincidence, staying up all night to chase after Fu Jingqiu’s vehicle had allowed him to have a clear conscience. In exchange, he had gained a reliable teammate. Jiang Qingyu genuinely felt that his luck was very good.
At least, that was how it seemed for now.
After hearing this, Fu Jingqiu did not speak for a long time. His eyes lowered, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Jiang Qingyu smiled and said, “Let’s eat the noodles first? Although the noodles won’t clump, they won’t taste good if they get cold. This sauce is really fragrant.”
Fu Jingqiu said, “Mm. All right.”
After this late-night meal, it was still Fu Jingqiu who cleaned up, while the dishwasher did its work.
They should have gone to shower and sleep, but the two of them had just eaten bowls of noodles, so it would not feel comfortable to shower right away. Jiang Qingyu suggested going out for a walk, and Fu Jingqiu agreed.
As they tidied up and put on clothes and shoes, Meimei ran over to their feet and meowed, standing up to paw at Jiang Qingyu’s pant leg.
Jiang Qingyu bent down and picked Meimei up like a child. “What do you mean, Meimei? Do you want to go out and play with us too?”
Meimei placed one arm on his shoulder and meowed again.
When facing his little cat, Jiang Qingyu was very easy to compromise. This plump little cat, whom he had picked up when she was tiny and raised until she now weighed over ten jin, had always grown up spoiled.
At this hour, there were probably not many people outside. Meimei was not afraid of strangers, so since she wanted to go out and play, he would bring her along.
He put a harness on Meimei and carried the little cat up onto his shoulder. Before her paws could even settle there, Fu Jingqiu said, “Let me.”
Jiang Qingyu raised his eyes to look at him. The other man asked again, “Is that okay?”
“Sure,” Jiang Qingyu said, letting go and allowing Fu Jingqiu to take Meimei. “If she isn’t used to it, then I’ll carry her.”
Fu Jingqiu said okay and placed the little cat on his shoulder.
Meimei surprisingly did not resist. In the past, she had often gone out with Jiang Qingyu in this posture. After slightly adjusting her position, she obediently sat down on Fu Jingqiu’s shoulder, looking very proud.
Honestly, Fu Jingqiu’s shoulder did look more comfortable to sit on than his own.
Tall and broad, with a good view. Little cats liked climbing high after all.
The night wind was cold. When they went out, Fu Jingqiu had reminded him to wear one extra layer. Now, with his hands tucked in his pockets, he could not really feel the chill. Taking a walk to aid digestion was quite comfortable.
Fu Jingqiu walked very steadily, doing his best not to make Meimei uncomfortable. Jiang Qingyu watched from the side and kept smiling, his steps becoming much lighter.
This was just the right chance. In this atmosphere where everyone was comfortable, Jiang Qingyu could talk to him about something.
“You should know that some people have a hoarding habit, right?”
Fu Jingqiu nodded. “I know.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “I like buying things. The more things I have, the more secure I feel.”
Although this did not seem to explain why he had gone to the slaughterhouse to buy meat, and the RV’s refrigerator had not actually gained that much more stock, it could count as a small warning. Since they had decided to travel together from now on, there were some things he had to make clear in advance.
Fu Jingqiu stopped walking.
Jiang Qingyu also stopped and turned to look at him.
The other man was standing against the light, his hair outlined with a faint golden edge. Because they were close, it did not affect Jiang Qingyu’s ability to see his expression clearly.
Meimei also stood up, her tail held high as she lifted her head and puffed out her chest. She looked exactly like a little cat knight.
Fu Jingqiu said, “I understand what you mean. But this is your matter. What you do and how you do it, as long as it doesn’t violate the law or disrupt social order, are all fine. I may be curious, but only curious.”
So serious.
Jiang Qingyu could not help laughing slightly and said directly, “Your expression is so serious.”
“Is it?” Fu Jingqiu pulled the corners of his mouth upward on both sides. “What about now?”
Pfft, hahahahahaha!!!
Jiang Qingyu nearly doubled over with laughter in his heart. The muscles in his cheeks kept twitching from holding back his laughter, puffing his face into a little bun.
“…” Fu Jingqiu was puzzled. “Is this not okay?”
Jiang Qingyu held it in with great difficulty. “It’s still okay.”
Meimei did not know what they were doing. At just the right moment, she used her paw to paw at Fu Jingqiu’s face. He caught her little mangosteen paw and rubbed the paw pad twice.
Meimei did not hurry to pull her paw back. Instead, she rubbed her head against Fu Jingqiu’s face, purring in her throat. Clearly, she liked Fu Jingqiu very much.
Watching the interaction between one person and one cat made Jiang Qingyu’s heart soften. He reached out to stroke Meimei’s head and was similarly rewarded with a rub from her pink nose.
As Jiang Qingyu stroked the little cat, he said, “We’re going to spend a lot of time on the road from now on. There are two of us, and we have a cat too. I bought the RV in the first place because I wanted to be more comfortable while traveling. I don’t want to live on dry rations.”
Fu Jingqiu said, “I understand.”
He still did not explain to Fu Jingqiu about “changing vehicles,” brushing over it vaguely. “I like spending money and buying things. If I have the conditions in the future, I’ll keep spending too.”
“All right.” Fu Jingqiu asked, “Do you have enough money?”
Jiang Qingyu’s motion of stroking the little cat stopped. He seemed somewhat unable to confirm the implication behind Fu Jingqiu’s words. “What?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “If you don’t have enough money, tell me. I still have some. My friend said my house already has a buyer. If everything goes smoothly, the money can be transferred over in a couple of days.”
His expression did not look like he was joking, but for some reason, Jiang Qingyu felt it was a little absurd.
Jiang Qingyu had already felt that the more than five hundred thousand yuan was very hot to hold. He had thought to himself that he absolutely could not take advantage of Fu Jingqiu. Even if later, after getting along, they found that something was not quite suitable and parted ways, he would still give the other man supplies of equal value.
Who would transfer so much money to a stranger they had only known for a few days?
Jiang Qingyu said helplessly, “Do you know that this kind of attitude, giving whatever someone asks for, makes it very easy for people to develop bad intentions?”
Fu Jingqiu was unexpectedly very open about it. “I know.”
“If you know, then why are you still…”
Fu Jingqiu said, “If someone can’t restrain their own desire and morality, then that should be their problem, not mine.”
“….” Jiang Qingyu deliberately pulled his face down. “Are you hinting at me?”
“No.” Fu Jingqiu supported Meimei, letting the restless little cat stand firmly on his shoulder. “I’m not this generous to everyone.”
“Have you forgotten? You’re my lifesaver.”
The term “lifesaver” was a very old-fashioned way of addressing someone. Before this, Jiang Qingyu had only seen it in dramas and novels, and he was still not quite used to having it applied to himself.
This person clearly looked like a cold, tough, fierce man on the outside, yet his personality could be described as simple, or perhaps… cough cough, single-minded.
Thinking of his eldest uncle’s family, who had fought him tooth and nail over money and wished they could turn the world upside down without leaving any feelings intact, Fu Jingqiu’s trust and generosity could be said to make Jiang Qingyu feel flattered.
“All right.” A slight smile unconsciously appeared on Jiang Qingyu’s face. On his fair, clean face, there was a shallow little dimple. With half his chin hidden by the hardshell jacket, his face looked as small as a palm, cat-like and cute. “Then today’s heart-to-heart talk ends here. If there are any problems later, we’ll talk again.”
He raised his face slightly. “Thinking about it carefully, I actually had quite a happy day today.”
After the chat ended, they returned to the vehicle to wash up and rest.
This time, Jiang Qingyu did not close the door as soon as he entered the bedroom, so Fu Jingqiu also saw his very clean and tidy bedroom.
He did not know whether it was a stereotype on his part, but Jiang Qingyu’s bed was unexpectedly large, with bedding spread thickly across it.
The light-colored four-piece bedding set looked like the kind made of very soft, skin-friendly material. Just by looking at it, one could imagine the comfort and happiness of lying on it.
Aside from two pillows at the head of the bed, there was also a throw pillow by the side of the bed, a pink rabbit pillow with long arms and long legs.
At the foot of the bed was a half-enclosed pale pink cat bed shaped like a silkworm cocoon. Meimei had already slipped inside with practiced ease, resting her head on the natural “pillow” at the entrance, sleeping sweetly with her eyes closed.
Both outer sides of the bed were lined with various cabinets and drawers. There were also several large drawer handles under the bed. Presumably, many pieces of luggage were stored inside.
Jiang Qingyu had already finished washing up and came out of the bedroom wearing pink pig pajamas, carrying two large bags of clothes.
Fu Jingqiu took them from him smoothly. They were heavy in his hands.
Jiang Qingyu said, “These are today’s spoils. There are some shirts, hoodies, sweaters, hardshell jackets, down jackets, and I bought a lot of pants too. Try them on later. The sizes aren’t wrong, so they shouldn’t be too short.”
“Also, there are more than ten shoe boxes that I put in the living room. Aren’t we going to Xinjiang later? There are styles with all kinds of functions. I don’t know whether these brands have size differences, so just try them on.”
Fu Jingqiu had an extraordinary memory. Jiang Qingyu only had to say it once, and he remembered everything, agreeing one by one.
“Oh right.” Jiang Qingyu returned to the bedroom and carried out two new bags of clothes. “These are pajamas. I don’t know whether you’ll like them. Just make do with them.”
“Thank you,” Fu Jingqiu said. “On my way back from handling business today, I also bought a few pieces.”
That was very good.
Unlike his cousin, who would sit cross-legged like a hands-off boss and act like a lord, Fu Jingqiu had needs and would solve them himself. Not bad. Bonus points.
While Fu Jingqiu went to the bathroom to shower, Jiang Qingyu sneakily added quite a lot of things to the refrigerator.
Thank heaven and earth. Fortunately, he had kept the double-door refrigerator at the time. As long as Fu Jingqiu did not deliberately remember what was in the fridge, he probably would not discover the trick inside.
What should they eat tomorrow?
It seemed he had not yet asked Fu Jingqiu about his preferences.
Although Fu Jingqiu said he was not picky, there had to be foods he liked, right?
Since Jiang Qingyu was responsible for food and drink, he had to arrange things the other person liked.
But there was one thing he could be sure of: Fu Jingqiu was definitely a carnivore.
Just as Jiang Qingyu was secretly listing tomorrow’s menu in his heart, Fu Jingqiu happened to come out of the bathroom while wiping his hair. The moisture around him had not yet dispersed. His handsome face was wet, and water droplets slid down his collarbone all the way downward without obstruction.
His honey-colored skin had strong, firm lines, and the blocks of his muscles were clearly defined.
It had already been obvious when he wore clothes. Now that he had taken them off, everything was exposed at a glance.
An inverted triangle. Uh, the real double doors had arrived.
Proud chest muscles, a strong and lean waist.
Damn!
Why was there only a bath towel wrapped around his lower body?
