Jing Luo was already asleep, his small hand tightly gripping Jing Mian’s shirt, his head nestled against the young man’s neck, sleeping peacefully and deeply.
Jing Mian looked at the rosy-cheeked little bundle and couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss Jing Luo’s forehead.
Turning his head, he noticed Mr. Ren’s gaze, which had been sidelong in the night.
He had just seen this scene.
Jing Mian: “…”
For some reason, he suddenly remembered what Ren Xingwan had said earlier, that after they held hands, they would become a bit more familiar than Jing Luo.
So now, did this mean that their progress was… lagging behind?
Jing Mian felt a tingling sensation at the back of his neck.
…Fortunately, Mr. Ren was always cold and restrained, so he probably wouldn’t want to catch up on ‘this kind of progress.’
The hastily arranged marriage partner wasn’t mature enough… Mr. Ren might not have said it, but Jing Mian understood his feelings.
This was a literal business marriage, and their childhood friendship made the marriage seem reasonable, but it couldn’t change the fact that they were destined not to meet, fall in love, and have children like most couples.
Everything they did could only be called fulfilling marital duties and obligations.
And Jing Mian wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but since he returned from the restroom, Ren Xingwan’s expression seemed… different from usual?
But Jing Mian couldn’t pinpoint what was different. It seemed like he was holding back, or perhaps he found it amusing and frustrating. Although Mr. Ren usually didn’t talk much, in the second half of the evening, the man seemed… unusually silent?
Jing Mian thought Ren Xingwan might be hungry or too busy dealing with Jing’s father and stepmother to eat, so he was in a bad mood?
To make up for it, Jing Mian gave the man a large chicken leg and a bowl of soup, placing them next to the chicken leg.
After the two parties said their goodbyes.
Jing Mian, holding little Jing Luo, sat in the back seat. The crisp autumn air seeped through the car windows, and when the young man breathed, a faint mist would form and then dissipate.
The warm air gradually filled the car, but Jing Mian’s tense figure didn’t relax.
“Your engagement party with Ren Xingwan has been set by me and the Ren family parents.”
As the car drove, Jing Guozhen suddenly said in a deep voice.
Jing Mian’s thoughts paused.
He had never told his father and stepmother that he and Mr. Ren had secretly registered their marriage, so in their eyes, he and Ren Xingwan were just strangers who had met once.
Jing Mian had even mentioned that he and Mr. Ren… probably wouldn’t have a future.
Such a clear and obvious statement of resistance was too insignificant and was ignored.
But even so, just because the Ren family parents were ‘very satisfied’ with him, and the marriage would benefit the business dealings between the two families, Jing Mian was married in a hurry and was notified of the upcoming engagement party without ever being asked for his opinion.
It was as if he had been traded like a commodity or a bargaining chip.
Jing Mian remained silent.
The cold that had been dispelled earlier now lingered, seeping into his fingertips, mingling with a bitter taste. Jing Mian couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling.
After all, over the years, he had formed a habit of compliance, and by the time he realized it, he had already lived in a daze for many years.
On a whim, Jing Mian spoke up, “What if… I don’t like Mr. Ren?”
Jing Guozhen was taken aback, as if he had heard an incomprehensible and absurd question. He frowned and scolded, “Ren Xingwan isn’t good enough for you? You’ve always been proud and arrogant. Do you want me to find you a celestial being to marry? Talking about liking or disliking someone, you sound like a child who doesn’t know any better at twenty.”
These words were heavy and cold, lowering the temperature in the car to an icy point.
Jing Mian suddenly remembered that Mr. Ren had also called him a child.
Now, it seemed he had heard this more than once.
Li Qiao sighed and leaned over from the front seat, smiling gently. “MianMian, is it because Mr. Ren looks too intimidating that he scared you?”
“Don’t worry. People like Mr. Ren are cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Once you get to know him, he’ll be good to you,” Li Qiao said. “Our MianMian is so beautiful, just like your mother. What kind of person wouldn’t like MianMian?”
Mentioning ‘mother’ clearly affected the pale, beautiful boy in the back seat.
…
Jing Luo woke up from his sleep.
He had sensed a subtle change in his dream.
He opened his eyes and found himself in his brother’s arms.
From his angle, he could see Jing Mian’s pupils, which seemed to be involuntarily filled with a red-tinged mist, hiding deep, untouchable memories that trembled and surged.
Jing Luo had never seen his brother look so vulnerable, as if his wounds had been freshly reopened.
The hand holding him was subtly trembling.
Jing Guozhen seemed to ponder for a moment but didn’t speak.
“Alright.”
After a long pause.
The warm, hesitant voice paused for a few seconds before continuing:
“I will marry Mr. Ren.”
The next day.
Jing Mian returned to the school gate in a private car. The air was particularly cold, seeping through his thin sleeves and making him shiver.
“Master, put this on.”
Driver Old Chen took a dark overcoat from the back seat and handed it to Jing Mian. “You left it in the back seat the other day and forgot to take it. It’s a bit big, so I thought it might not be yours, but the style is a bit young, and it doesn’t seem like Master’s…”
Jing Mian was taken aback, looking at the familiar coat.
He then remembered the Cross-Server Competition the other day, when Mr. Ren had draped this coat over him. In his haste yesterday, he had forgotten to return it.
Jing Mian, fearing that Old Chen might guess who it belonged to, quickly took it, looking embarrassed. “Thank you, Uncle Chen… it’s mine.”
Putting it on, the cold and bitter chill that had been so persistent was gradually driven away.
Jing Mian faintly caught a familiar scent.
Mr. Ren had changed a lot since his youth… no, almost completely. His cold, taciturn presence was so imposing that even ordinary people would avoid him, leaving one at a loss and unsure how to handle him.
But the scent… seemed unchanged.
Through this, Jing Mian could vaguely glimpse those long-forgotten childhood memories.
Jing Mian had no classes in the second period and had planned to return to the dormitory, but he was asked by a classmate from the student council to attend a meeting with the freshmen before lunch to explain the school’s rules and procedures.
Although Jing Mian wasn’t in a position of authority… he was just there to lend support.
After all, during the first meeting with the freshmen, among the uniformly sharp and capable seniors, Jing Mian stood out for his gentleness. During his self-introduction, he was so charming and well-behaved that the freshmen teased him, making him flustered.
What a rare treasure.
The girls’ eyes lit up.
“MianMian is a piece of meat.”
A sophomore classmate couldn’t resist whispering in his ear.
“What do you mean?” the other person asked, confused.
“Humans are carnivores,” he explained matter-of-factly. “Lusting after a beautiful prey is natural, especially when the prey is obedient and soft and polite to you. Who can resist that?”
“MianMian was coveted by seniors when he first entered college, and during the semester, he was pursued by a class beauty…” He nodded toward the freshmen. “Look, these freshmen have the same look in their eyes, don’t they?”
“Damn.” The other person cursed. “Can’t they keep it in-house? They’re even eyeing our territory?”
“Next time, just don’t drag MianMian along to support the scene.”
“We can’t do that. We can’t let these freshmen think we don’t have a class heartthrob…”
After the meeting.
Jing Mian’s roommates, Li Dong and Jiang Chen, were waiting at the classroom door with Song Yuhang, who was from the local area, to eat with Jing Mian.
Jing Mian, holding a stack of forms, tilted his head and said, “You guys go ahead. I’ll finish this and catch up. I can order takeout when I get back to the dorm.”
“We can bring you food, MianMian. What do you want to eat today? Dad told the cook not to shake when serving you, so you’ll get extra meat,” Li Dong said.
Jing Mian thought for a moment, just as he was about to speak, a large hand gently supported the bottom of the forms.
“Jing Mian, I’ll help you.”
A tall boy said softly.
As he spoke, he glanced sideways, his lips close to Jing Mian’s ear.
Jing Mian was taken aback. Before he could react, the stack of forms was taken from his arms. “The counselor’s office, right? I have nothing to do, Jing Mian. You go eat with the seniors.”
Jing Mian’s expression froze. Just as he was about to refuse, Song Yuhang draped an arm over his shoulder and led him away, saying, “Thanks for the trouble, little brother.”
“The last time I added you on WeChat, I had a question about a scholarship, but you haven’t accepted my request yet…”
Jing Mian suddenly remembered this was the freshman he had met once before, who had asked for his WeChat.
Li Dong chuckled. “We’ll make sure he accepts it. Don’t worry, little brother.”
Jing Mian: “…”
The two groups parted ways.
“This He Zhiyang,” Jiang Chen said. “He’s always different from the others. He refuses to call you ‘senior’ and only calls you ‘Jing Mian.'”
Li Dong stroked his chin and nodded, analyzing, “When he added you on WeChat, he deliberately changed the nickname to ‘senior,’ making it seem official so you wouldn’t have a reason to refuse… That’s some clever thinking.”
“If we weren’t keeping an eye on him, would he have already won MianMian over in a week?”
Jing Mian’s eyes widened, and he pursed his lips, protesting, “He won’t win me over.”
After all, he was already married.
But his small protest was ignored by his roommates, who clearly didn’t find it convincing.
“This freshman is tall and handsome, probably 185 cm,” Li Dong whistled. “He never makes eye contact when he talks to MianMian, so shy and innocent.”
The three of them were chatting animatedly.
Song Yuhang, who had his arm around Jing Mian’s neck, suddenly looked up and paused for a few seconds. “Hmm?”
“Is that… Ren Congmian?”