Translated by Eve
Edited by Kara
“Xiao ge, I"ve already looked through the doc.u.ments Louis sent over. I think that it would be fine to cooperate with the Grier Group, but there are still some details that require….”
Snow fell gently outside the windows. Yang Jie poured some piping hot, brewed tea into a small redware cup before gently pushing it over to Xiao Yuanmu. When he noticed that the other didn"t move, he looked up. He saw the other glancing outside at the snowy landscape with a pensive look on his face.
Yang Jie"s hand paused in the air. He then lowered his gaze and said, “Xiao ge, it"s Old Mr. Song"s birthday today. Song er shao will probably head home right after work. He likely won"t come looking for you. You needn"t worry.”
Xiao Yuanmu"s cold face turned to face him. His eyes were icier than the frost that was dusted over the plants outside. In contrast, his tone was much more mild. “It"s none of your business, w.a.n.g Dong.”
Yang Jie"s pupils shook. A while later, he continued, “That Song er shao doesn"t like you nor cares about you. If he did care about you, he would have at least told you about the birthday banquet today. But, he….”
“w.a.n.g Dong.”
Xiao Yuanmu"s voice sounded indifferent, but there was a warning within it.
Yang Jie pursed his lips. His birth name was Yang Jie, but he loathed his alcoholic, abusive father. When that had happened to his mother last time, he had changed his name. But, because people were used to calling him by his birth name—and because Xiao Yuanmu had said that it would be more appropriate to call him by this name for now and change it later after they had left—Xiao Yuanmu had been calling him Yang Jie all this time.
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It was only when he was angry that he would call him w.a.n.g Dong.
Prior to this moment, the only other time Xiao Yuanmu had ever called him w.a.n.g Dong had also been because of Song Xuanhe.
The first time had happened on a Wednesday two weeks ago. It had rained hard the night before. Xiao Yuanmu"s car had been parked at the orphanage"s gate and had ended up getting crushed under a tree. Therefore, Yang Jie had gone to pick him up. At that time, Song Xuanhe had also been there. The atmosphere between them had been strange. Yang Jie didn"t like Song Xuanhe, so he didn"t ask about it. But when he had seen Song Xuanhe"s cold expression, he couldn"t help but feel unhappy.
Therefore, after sending Song Xuanhe back to his office, he hadn"t been able to stop himself from saying, “Xiao ge, you"re going to leave soon. When will you break up with him?”
Xiao Yuanmu had been watching Song Xuanhe walk into the Song Group"s building. He had then looked away and answered in a flat voice, “Does me leaving have anything to do with whether I break up with him or not?”
Yang Jie had been taken aback. When he had finally understood what the other was saying, he had been startled. He hadn"t been able to stop himself from blurting out his thoughts. “Xiao ge! Are you saying that you still want to be with Song Xuanhe even after leaving the country?! He"s a fickle playboy! He might cheat on you. Moreover, even if he doesn"t cheat, I doubt he"d be willing to maintain a long-distance relationship with you!”
Originally, there had still been a bit of a smile on Xiao Yuanmu"s face. At that moment though, it had been completely replaced with ice. But, Yang Jie was his loyal subordinate, who had followed him throughout two lifetimes. Therefore, his tone had still been very serene. “It"s fine if you don"t like him, but I don"t want to hear you speak ill of him behind his back again. I"ll overlook it this time. There better not be a next time.”
If it had been Yang Jie from Xiao Yuanmu"s previous life, who had understood Xiao Yuanmu extremely well, he would have shut up upon hearing these words. However, the current Yang Jie did not have that kind of tacit understanding with Xiao Yuanmu. Moreover, ever since he had found out about how Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu had gotten together, he had loathed Song Xuanhe, this rich kid who liked to use his power to bully people. It had made him disapprove of their relationship even more.
“Xiao ge, he has never given you a pleasant expression any time I have seen him. In the past, he used his family background to force you to be with him. But now, with your current ident.i.ty, you don"t have to be held back by him. Besides, even if you like him, he doesn"t like you, ah. I can tell just by looking at the expression he had on when he was with you this morning!”
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Xiao Yuanmu"s cold look had eased up when he had heard Yang Jie mention Song Xuanhe"s expression that morning. His lips had even curled up into a smile. They had just “helped” each other out with a very typical issue men faced in the mornings. He hadn"t expected Song Xuanhe to get so mad. When he recalled that ashen expression on Song Xuanhe"s face when the other had gotten out of bed to wash his hands, the smile in his eyes deepened.
“It"s not your place to talk about our relationship.”
Xiao Yuanmu"s mood had improved after thinking about this, and his tone had also eased up. Therefore, Yang Jie had mistakenly thought that Xiao Yuanmu didn"t really care. Thus, he continued speaking his thoughts, “Xiao ge, I think that Song Xuanhe isn"t worthy of you. He"s nothing but a good-for-nothing rich second-generation living under his ancestors" shade. He can"t be compared to you at all. He"s unworthy of you in every aspect. Furthermore, a long-distance relationship is hard to maintain. He doesn"t even seem to like you at all. When the time comes….”
“w.a.n.g Dong.”
Xiao Yuanmu had looked up. There had been a frosty chill repressed in his eyes. Even through the rear view mirror, Yang Jie had been able to feel the cold. “I won"t warn you a third time. Don"t meddle in our affairs.”
The tone of the man in the back seat had been very mild and had even sounded refreshingly pleasant. But, it had made Yang Jie"s back go cold. He had gripped the steering wheel tight and had replied in a quiet voice, “I understand.”
At that time, Yang Jie had decided that he would not meddle anymore. But, Song Xuanhe was really too much. He and Xiao Yuanmu were clearly lovers. It was one thing for him to not invite Xiao Yuanmu to Old Mr. Song, Song Yansong"s birthday banquet, but how could he not even tell him about it?
Song Xuanhe clearly didn"t take Xiao ge seriously. Yang Jie just didn"t get it. There were people in this world who looked gentle, n.o.ble, and easy-to-interact with but actually had hearts colder than ice. Meanwhile, there were people who looked aloof and hard-to-approach but were actually more soft-hearted than anyone else. Song Xuanhe was the former whereas Xiao Yuanmu was the latter.
In this relationship, the only person who would be hurt was Xiao Yuanmu.
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Not only was Xiao Yuanmu Yang Jie"s saviour, but he was also the person who he admired and planned to follow for the rest of his life. He didn"t want to see him fall for someone like Song Xuanhe, who was nothing but a good-for-nothing, cold-hearted rich kid.
Yang Jie finished his own cup of hot tea and then turned to Xiao Yuanmu. “Xiao ge, I know that you don"t like it when I talk about Song er shao, but this is just how it is. I don"t want to speak ill of him, but think about the last two weeks. You"ve been so busy that you don"t even have time to eat lunch, but you still squeeze out time to make dinner and eat with him. But, what about him? Is he grateful? Not only does he not come, but he also goes to hang out with his friends. He has so many people by his side. He doesn"t need you to care about him.”
Xiao Yuanmu looked at the redware cup in his hand. There was a stark contrast between the dark colour of the cup and his fair fingers. Placed on this table within this antique-styled pavilion, the image of his fingers around the cup made for a shockingly beautiful sight.
He didn"t look up. He didn"t seem angry either. He said in a flat tone, “And?”
Feeling encouraged, Yang Jie continued to persuade him. “Xiao ge, he"s not even willing to give you any sort of official t.i.tle. Why must you like him? With your qualifications, you can choose anyone else. Why must you insist on falling for someone as heartless as Song Xuanhe?”
“Are you done?”
Xiao Yuanmu looked up, his eyes calm. Yang Jie didn"t know why, but the other"s gaze made him feel like he was in imminent danger.
“If you"re done, let"s go.” Xiao Yuanmu put his cup down and stood up. When he noticed that Yang Jie was still sitting in his seat, motionless, he peered down at the other. “Things should not be attempted more than three times. I"ve already reminded you twice before this not to stick your hands in our relationship. I don"t want to have to remind you a fourth time.”
Yang Jie was taken aback. Panic clenched his heart. He parted his lips, wanting to say something, but Xiao Yuanmu had already left the pavilion and walked into the snow. His voice was immeasurably cold as if it was stained with the frost and snow. “I"ll give you five million. That should be enough to ensure that you and your mother will be able to live comfortably from now on. Don"t come looking for me again.”
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Xiao Yuanmu"s legs were long, and his steps were quick. Very soon, his silhouette was about to disappear behind the rock garden as he turned the corner. Yang Jie stared at his back in a daze. A cold breeze blew against him, and he abruptly came back to himself. He didn"t even have time to throw on his coat as he dashed after Xiao Yuanmu.
“Xiao ge!”
Yang Jie had never worshipped someone as much as he did Xiao Yuanmu. He also knew that there wouldn"t be a second person. He had already decided to be Xiao Yuanmu"s right-hand man for the rest of his life. He didn"t want to stop now.
“Xiao ge, I was wrong! I promise there won"t be a next time!” Yang Jie sprinted. He increased his speed when he caught sight of Xiao Yuanmu"s figure. When he had accidentally b.u.mped into someone, he could only give them a rushed apology. “I"m sorry.”
He caught up with Xiao Yuanmu and stood in front of him, cutting off the other"s path. There was regret and pleading in his voice. “I know I was wrong, really. Xiao ge, I promise never to talk about your relationship with Song Xuanhe again. Please don"t abandon me.”
Yang Jie really regretted it. He shouldn"t have spoken ill about Song Xuanhe. No matter what Song Xuanhe was like, he was the person Xiao ge liked. No one was allowed to get in-between their feelings. It was only to be expected that Xiao ge would be angry. If someone had called the person he liked into question, he"d also get angry.
Xiao Yuanmu didn"t speak, but he didn"t walk around him either. He only looked at him coldly.
Yang Jie sighed in relief when he saw this. “What"s going on between you two is your own business. You"re boyfriends. Regardless of what happens, it"s up to the two of you to resolve it yourselves. I will never mention anything I shouldn"t again. From now on, when I see him….”
“Yo!” Before Yang Jie could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a voice that seemed to carry a smile. “I was wondering why you looked so familiar? Turns out it"s my cousin"s little boyfriend. What? Did he not take you to the old sir"s birthday, because he was too ashamed to show you off in public?”
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Song Jiabao walked over with a smile on his face. He had been full of rage when someone had b.u.mped into him. He hadn"t expected that that person would be with Song Xuanhe"s boyfriend though. Furthermore, Song Xuanhe wasn"t around. This was a chance bestowed to him by the Heavens!
When he saw that Xiao Yuanmu wasn"t going to respond, he pushed Yang Jie aside and walked over to face him. When he saw Xiao Yuanmu"s face that was even more perfect and otherworldly than the snow, amidst the winter scenery, he couldn"t help but feel like his breath had been taken away for a moment. When he spoke again, his tone had changed. “Now that I"ve taken a good look at you, I have to say you"ve got a nice face. Otherwise, there would have been no way you would have been able to infatuate that cousin of mine otherwise. You had even seduced Boss Sun on the cruise and made him spare no expense when asking Song Er for you. How about you dump Song Er and get together with me? I promise to take you to the old sir"s banquet and let you walk in with great fanfare. How about it?”
Yang Jie"s fists had already been tightly clenched when he had heard Song Jiabao"s first sentence. But, he had forced himself to endure it when he had seen Xiao Yuanmu"s expression. When he had heard Song Jiabao"s later words, he could no longer bear it. He sent a kick towards the other"s abdomen, causing the other to fall head-first into the snow. He then said in a cold voice, “Who do you think you are to actually dare speak to Xiao ge like that?”
Song Jiabao had never expected for Xiao Yuanmu"s people to lay a hand on him. When he crawled back up, shock was written all over his face. His expression twisted, and he gnashed his teeth. “Do you know who I am? I"m going to go to Old Mr. Song"s banquet and tell everyone what just happened! Forget walking through the Song Family"s doors. You"ll never be able to stay in the Capital again!”
“Then, I"ll make sure you can"t go to the Song Family banquet!”
Yang Jie advanced again. Song Jiabao was prepared this time, but he was no match for Yang Jie, who had received special training. When he was kicked to the ground again, he once again threatened them. He said that he"d come after their lives tomorrow for daring to do this to him today. But under Yang Jie"s merciless kicks, he could only curl up on the ground in the end and beg for mercy.
Xiao Yuanmu had been watching on the sidelines the whole time. When he saw that it was about time to stop, he raised a hand to put an end to this. Under Yang Jie"s confused stare, he said in a flat voice, “People might pa.s.s by later. Take him to the parking lot. Remember, don"t kill him.”
Song Jiabao raised his head, incredulous. When he met with Xiao Yuanmu"s emotionless, ice-cold gaze, he felt his back go cold. Belatedly, he felt fear bubble up in his chest.
The author has something to say:
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I don"t know if this POV change will catch you guys off guard. But, we can"t let Xiao Yuanmu disappear for a long time after they break up. Therefore, we"ll be getting two POVs for some time. I wrote this chapter in Xiao Yuanmu"s POV to help you guys get accustomed to it.
Theater:
Song Xuanhe: Even if you beat me to death, I won"t sleep in the same bed as Xiao Yuanmu again! Luckily, I had been able to hold it in, so he hadn"t realized that I had been lying about having erectile dysfunction!
Some time later:
Xiao Yuanmu: So, you weren"t lying to me.
Song Xuanhe: !!! A man"s first time doesn"t count!!!
Eve: Omg the morning "issue" that men have…"helping each other out"….Mumu really moves fast. *blushes* Also, violence is never the answer, friends. Except when you"re dealing with a fictional a.r.s.e like this who deserves no pity imo.
Kara: Ahhhh! I"m back! Real life kicked me in the face, so I disappeared for a week. But, I"m back and missed my babies!!! And, wow, I"m excited to come back to Mumu"s POV! His thoughts and actions have always been more difficult to understand since we"re always viewing him through SXH"s eyes, so this is a nice surprise! o(≧∇≦o)