Chapter 51: Ji Xu’s Choice
Han Cheng ignored Wei Rang, selected the seafood, and led Jiang Yu to the private room they had reserved earlier.
But he underestimated Wei Rang’s shamelessness. Wei Rang dragged Ji Xu along and barged right into their private room. Ignoring Han Cheng’s frosty expression, Wei Rang remained enthusiastically chatty.
“Little Chengzi, after all this time you’re still not cute at all. Since we ran into each other, it must be fate—this meal’s on me.
“Hello there. My name is Wei Rang. Han Cheng and I grew up together—we’re very good friends.” Wei Rang sat down across from Jiang Yu, openly sizing him up without any restraint, making Jiang Yu feel extremely uncomfortable.
“Oh.” Jiang Yu forced an awkward smile and nodded, with no intention of continuing the conversation.
“What a cold little beauty,” Wei Rang said after taking a sip of wine. Setting the glass down, he looked at Han Cheng and asked familiarly, “If I remember right, you and Ji Xu have been together since middle school. So—when are you two planning to get married? I can help you register overseas. The country I stayed in allows same-sex marriage.”
Those words instantly made the atmosphere awkward.
Jiang Yu drifted outside the triangle of tension, sipping his wine and observing the expressions of the three through the glass.
Wei Rang’s smile was clearly provocative—Jiang Yu could tell he was deliberately stirring things up.
Ji Xu looked at Han Cheng. Han Cheng remained expressionless. Disappointed, Ji Xu withdrew his gaze—then suddenly shot Jiang Yu a glare. Jiang Yu almost choked on his wine.
How is this my fault now?
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Wei Rang continued. “Is it because your families don’t approve? I remember when we were kids, everyone liked pairing you two up, and neither family objected.
“Could it be that now you’re grown, your families have started opposing it? Why—because you’re both men?”
“No. Don’t guess randomly,” Ji Xu said, lightly pushing Wei Rang to stop him. If this went on, the one who’d be embarrassed would be Ji Xu himself.
“Then why?” Wei Rang suddenly turned to Jiang Yu, examining him in surprise. “Don’t tell me, Han Cheng, you really fell in love with your little lover?”
He looked Jiang Yu up and down, then compared him to Ji Xu, still puzzled. “Han Cheng, what do you see in him? He’s not as good-looking as Ji Xu, skinny like a utility pole—hugging him must hurt. He’s inferior to Ji Xu in every way.
“Is he some newly risen young tycoon? But I haven’t heard of any new families rising since I got back—if anything, I heard you brought down the Zhuang family. Or is he just that good in bed, so good you can’t let go?”
The insults made Jiang Yu frown as he looked at Wei Rang in displeasure. Wei Rang didn’t care at all, still eyeing Jiang Yu with keen interest, a trace of lewdness creeping into his gaze.
“Why are you with him?” Han Cheng suddenly asked Ji Xu, ignoring Wei Rang entirely.
Ji Xu opened his mouth, but for some reason said nothing.
Wei Rang, however, wrapped an arm around Ji Xu’s shoulders in an intimate display. “What’s wrong, Little Chengzi? Didn’t I say I just got back and don’t know my way around yet? That’s why I asked Little Xu to show me around.”
“I wasn’t asking you,” Han Cheng said coldly, giving Wei Rang no face at all. He kept staring at Ji Xu, his expression darkening several shades, his gaze sharp enough to seem like it could pierce straight through the arm draped over Ji Xu’s shoulder.
Jiang Yu curled his lips. So this bastard really does still care about Ji Xu. Just having a meal with a friend was enough to make him furious—jealousy practically overflowing. That possessiveness really did fit his domineering CEO image.
Being with him… was probably just to protect Ji Xu after all.
“Han Cheng, that was ten years ago,” Ji Xu said, brushing Wei Rang’s arm away and trying to persuade him. “Sister Li doesn’t pursue it anymore—why are you still holding on to it?”
Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow. Looks like there was something here he didn’t know about.
“And who are you to act magnanimous on behalf of the Han family?” Han Cheng snapped.
Ji Xu’s face changed instantly; his eyes reddened.
Jiang Yu widened his eyes, watching the drama unfold. This was the first time he’d ever seen Han Cheng speak to Ji Xu so harshly.
Is this the part in a domineering-CEO novel where the male and female leads start misunderstanding each other? Is this heading straight for a “chasing-the-wife-through-the-crematorium” storyline?
“Little Chengzi, it’s been ten years. I hid overseas for ten years—that should be enough, right? Besides, your sister’s fine, isn’t she? If you keep pressing this, I won’t hide for another ten years,” Wei Rang said, sounding almost helpless.
“Hide?” Han Cheng sneered. “I let you cling to life abroad for ten years—you should’ve died there. And you still dare come back and show your face in front of me. This time, even if you want to hide, you won’t be able to.
Ji Xu, you’d better keep your distance from him. Don’t force me to deal with you too. Waiter, throw these two out. This is our private room—do you just let anyone in like this?”
Han Cheng, his face dark with rage, dropped those harsh words and began driving them out.
Each private room in the hotel was served by three attendants. When Han Cheng shouted, the three young women jumped in fright, exchanged looks, and hesitated, unsure what to do.
“Heh, why make things hard for the waitstaff?” Wei Rang laughed lightly. “Little Chengzi, you’re still as hot-tempered as ever, always dragging innocent people into it. I won’t hide this time. I’m looking forward to your revenge. Little Xu, let’s go—let’s eat in another room, just the two of us.”
Wei Rang stood up, only to find Ji Xu still sitting there. The smile Wei Rang had worn all evening finally cracked.
“Little Xu, you promised me. Don’t forget,” Wei Rang said, gripping Ji Xu’s arm in a subtle warning.
Ji Xu looked at Han Cheng. Han Cheng stared back coldly, his expression unreadable.
Wei Rang tugged Ji Xu again. Seeing Han Cheng’s unmoved face, Ji Xu clenched his teeth, stood up, and said, “Han Cheng, I’ll terminate my contract with Han Entertainment. I’ll pay the penalty in full. Brother Rang, let’s go.”
In the end, Ji Xu chose Wei Rang.
Wei Rang took Ji Xu’s hand and bared his teeth in a grin at Han Cheng.
Watching the two leave hand in hand, Jiang Yu glanced at Han Cheng cautiously. This was the first time he had ever seen Han Cheng’s face so dark—it was genuinely a little frightening.
Catching Jiang Yu’s wary look, Han Cheng closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened them again, the killing aura around him had faded. He gave Jiang Yu a gentle smile and said, “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
Jiang Yu tugged at the corner of his mouth. Fine? You look like Bao Zheng himself—who are you trying to fool?
Jiang Yu really wanted to know what had happened between Han Cheng and Wei Rang, but he didn’t dare ask.
The seafood they ordered was served one dish after another. Han Cheng peeled shrimp for Jiang Yu, picked meat out of all kinds of shellfish, sliced squid legs—busy around Jiang Yu the whole time, yet not taking a single bite himself. What had just happened had clearly ruined his appetite.
Han Cheng placed a peeled shrimp into Jiang Yu’s bowl. Jiang Yu looked at the shrimp, thought for a moment, then picked it up and held it to Han Cheng’s mouth.
Han Cheng looked at him. Jiang Yu smiled and said, “You eat too. Don’t just keep peeling for me.”
Han Cheng smiled faintly, opened his mouth, and ate the shrimp from Jiang Yu’s chopsticks. After thinking for a bit, he said, “Let me tell you what happened between us.”
Here comes the gossip. Jiang Yu immediately put down his chopsticks and listened attentively.
