Chapter 5

The cancellation of the engagement did nothing to dampen Xi Shi’s mood; in fact, the mere thought of seeing Jing Chen later that evening filled him with pure delight.

Hehehe.

He had chosen a clubhouse for their dinner. Despite it being an entertainment venue, the food was exquisite and required reservations well in advance. When he arrived, Jing Chen wasn’t there yet, having sent a message to say he was stuck in traffic and asking for a little patience. Xi Shi entered the clubhouse and waited in the lobby lounge.

No sooner had he sat down on the sofa than a voice rang out: "Well, well, isn’t this Xi Shi?"

Xi Shi turned his head to see a group of young men and women. They hadn’t noticed him at first, but at the sound of that voice, they all stopped in their tracks and stared. They were a group of idle rich kids he wasn’t particularly close with.

"It really is you! Who are you waiting for? Don't tell me it’s Shao Xun."

At these words, the others burst into laughter. The Shao family, likely out of spite, had leaked the news of the annulled engagement that very afternoon. Bad news travels fast; by now, the entire Yanjing social circle must have heard. Xi Shi knew he would be mocked for a while, so he had already steeled his heart and chose to ignore them entirely.

The group, however, was relentless. They walked over and sat on the adjacent sofa, feigning concern while clearly reveling in his misfortune.

"So, did Shao Xun really break off the engagement just for that Wang Yang?"

"You should have held onto that engagement contract for dear life! That Wang Yang doesn't have your looks or your background; why on earth should you let him have it?"

"You came here to drown your sorrows, didn't you? We can keep you company."

...

Xi Shi, annoyed by their chatter, sighed softly and said, "Sigh, I’m so miserable, really."

The troublemakers, thinking he was about to pour out his heart—giving them gossip to spread so that public opinion would turn against Shao Xun—felt a glimmer of excitement at being the first to hear the scoop.

"How miserable? Tell us, maybe we can help you out."

Xi Shi’s eyes lit up. "Well, since you insist, I won't be shy."

With that, he pulled up his WeChat QR payment code and said, "My biggest problem right now is that I'm broke. Since you’re all so eager to help, why don't you lend me some money? It doesn't have to be much—just a million or so from each of you."

The gossips: "..."

As idle rich kids, they were used to putting on a front even when they were broke. What kind of tactic was this?

Seeing them hesitate, Xi Shi thrust his phone toward the person who had been barking the loudest. "Peng Hao, didn't you say you wanted to help? Lend me a million and let me see how serious you are."

"..." Peng Hao’s mouth twitched. Did he think a million yuan was just a radish plucked from the dirt?

"And Li Jie, back when my father was alive, he was friends with your dad. You should at least lend me a million to help me through this rough patch, right?"

"I, I..." Li Jie looked at the others, panicked by the moral blackmail.

"And you must be Young Master Zhu, right? Your family is truly wealthy. A rich guy like you wouldn't even blink at lending me two million, would you?"

Young Master Zhu: "..."

"You’re insane."

Young Master Zhu cursed, stood up, and left. Seeing this, the others scrambled to follow, sweating profusely, while Xi Shi called after them.

"Hey, don't go! I’m really poor, just lend me a little bit!"

The group picked up their pace, vanishing from the clubhouse entrance in an instant.

Jing Chen, having witnessed the entire scene, watched as Xi Shi put his phone away with a look of genuine regret, and couldn't help but chuckle. In truth, he and Xi Shi had arrived almost at the same time, but he had caught sight of the group mocking Xi Shi as he walked in. As a "kept" lover, there wasn't much he could do to help; his presence would only cause Xi Shi to lose face. Seeing that the others were merely being catty and not malicious, Jing Chen had chosen to observe.

Besides, he was curious to see how his "patron" would handle the mockery of these idle youths.

The result was... quite bold.

Xi Shi noticed Jing Chen then, and the sight of that heart-thumping face swept away all his annoyance.

"Over here!" Xi Shi waved at him happily.

Jing Chen walked over. Xi Shi coughed lightly, asking with feigned nonchalance, "When did you get here?"

"Just now."

"Oh..."

*So he must not have seen the money-lending scene... right?*

Thinking this, Xi Shi still felt the need to clarify: "I'm not actually short on money."

*What if Jing Chen thinks I'm broke and decides to leave me? I haven't had enough of him yet.*

Jing Chen feigned confusion. "Why bring that up all of a sudden?"

Seeing his puzzled expression—which didn't look faked—Xi Shi let out a sigh of relief and grinned. "It’s nothing. Let’s go."

He reached out his hand to the man. Once Jing Chen naturally took it, Xi Shi held on tight. "Let’s eat first, then go to the plaza nearby. I want to buy you some clothes."

He didn’t know how other people handled keeping a man, but he knew those other socialites liked to shower their little stars and lovers with bags and jewelry. Jing Chen was a man, so he had no use for those. But he loved Jing Chen’s physique, so he would simply invest in his appearance. The mere thought of putting Jing Chen in nice clothes and dressing him up to please his own eyes made him deeply happy.

Inside the restaurant, the waiter led them to their reserved table. Jing Chen said to the waiter, "These chairs are uncomfortable. Could you please bring me two soft cushions?"

The waiter paused for a second, then replied politely, "Of course, one moment please."

Only then did Jing Chen sit down, noticing Xi Shi propping his chin on his hand, smiling at him.

"You’re so considerate."

The chairs here were hard. Jing Chen must have noticed that a certain part of him had been overused and was uncomfortable, which was why he asked for the cushions. And by asking for two, he ensured the waiter wouldn't suspect anything, sparing Xi Shi from embarrassment.

How thoughtful, how considerate!

The waiter soon returned with the cushions. They were soft and comfortable; once placed on the chair, the discomfort was greatly relieved.

Service was slow, and while waiting for the food, Xi Shi sighed. "School starts the day after tomorrow. It won't be as convenient to meet up after that."

Jing Chen paused. "You’re still a student?"

"Yeah, I'm starting my junior year. Can't you tell?" Xi Shi couldn't help but touch his face. He shouldn't look that old, should he?

Jing Chen’s expression was complex. Xi Shi didn't look old; on the contrary, he was incredibly young, especially his eyes—clear and bright, like those of a high schooler. Jing Chen had assumed he was just baby-faced. In his view, a college student should be busy chasing beautiful romances, not playing games of "keeping" someone. He hadn't expected to be so wrong.

"A local university?" Jing Chen asked.

"Yeah, Yanjing University. Well, it's local, but it's on the other side of the city from where you work, so..."

Xi Shi pushed his car keys toward Jing Chen. "Take my car. It’ll be easier to meet up. Our school is strict and doesn't let students drive, so it’s just collecting dust anyway."

Jing Chen always took a taxi to meet him, so he must not have a car. Xi Shi currently saw Jing Chen as his most precious treasure and wanted to give him the best of everything.

Jing Chen didn't take them.

*Yanjing University.* The name hit him hard. He suddenly recalled a scene from a month ago: a figure waving an acceptance letter, shouting, "Dad! I got into Yanjing University!"

This was absurd. Jing Chen considered ending the relationship right there.

However, looking at the burning, focused gaze of the young man before him, he sighed softly. "You must be somewhat well-known at your university. If I keep showing up, I might run into your classmates. Wouldn't that be bad for you?"

Xi Shi wasn't worried about being seen by classmates. Such a handsome partner deserved to be shown off. But then he remembered his cousin was a freshman at Yanjing University this year. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he should probably be cautious.

"Then let's try not to meet at school, and we can get hotels further away. If a classmate does see us, I'll just say you're my cousin. Is that okay?"

Jing Chen breathed a slight sigh of relief. "That’s fine."

Xi Shi had no idea he had just narrowly avoided a breakup. He grabbed Jing Chen’s hand from the table, placed the car keys in his palm, and gave his palm a playful scratch, winking suggestively.

"My car has plenty of space, too."

"..."

Jing Chen laughed. *This is probably why I misjudged him.*

Still, thinking that he couldn't just keep taking taxis to see Xi Shi—he hated the smell of those cars—he accepted the keys.

After dinner, Xi Shi immediately took Jing Chen to the nearby mall, heading straight for the menswear section. Jing Chen was like a clothes hanger; he looked good in everything. Xi Shi picked out a few casual outfits, but seeing a sharp, tailored suit on a mannequin in the store next door, a mischievous thought sparked in his mind, drawing him inside.

Fine, he admitted it—he was a sucker for suits.

Unfortunately, that idiot Shao Xun didn't like wearing them, and he hadn't felt comfortable forcing him. But Jing Chen was different. He was paying for him; he could rightfully make him wear whatever he wanted.

Xi Shi picked out a suit for Jing Chen to try on. Jing Chen usually had tailors come to his home to measure him for bespoke, handmade pieces; every one of them was unique and fit perfectly. This was his first time buying off the rack and trying things on in a store.

Jing Chen found it quite refreshing. He went into the fitting room and put on the shirt and suit Xi Shi had chosen. When he emerged, Xi Shi’s eyes lit up. His judgment hadn't failed him—Jing Chen was born to wear suits; he possessed a natural, noble air.

Dressed in the crisp suit, he looked like a CEO accompanying his partner on a shopping trip. The aura was undeniable; no one would ever believe he worked on a construction site.

"Wow, President Jing, you look so handsome."

Xi Shi was once again hopelessly charmed. Thinking that this was his man, he felt incredibly satisfied. He leaned in close to Jing Chen’s ear and whispered, "Don't change. Keep it on. Let’s go to a hotel later..."

Jing Chen raised an eyebrow. He thought that after last night, he wouldn't be in the mood for at least three days. It seemed he had underestimated him.

Xi Shi realized he was truly a hopeless suit-addict. Especially when a man was wearing a formal suit while... well...

The consequence was that the next day, he was even more sore, his legs trembling. He truly understood the misery described in novels where one doesn't even have the strength to move a finger.

Meanwhile, Jing Chen woke up bright and early, full of energy, ready for work.

Xi Shi, half-asleep, checked his phone—it was only 6:30 AM. He couldn't help but click his tongue.

*He really has so much energy.*