Chapter 114:
Bo Zhen had been restless all day, calling his assistant twice in a row. A familiar marketing account had sent him a message, saying someone wanted to collaborate with him regarding Jiang Yunjian, though the specifics were unclear.
Jiang Yunjian had faced a lot of negativity before. Bo Zhen had seen all kinds of storms and remained unbothered in the past. They usually carried themselves with dignity and confidence, never fearing much. However, this time felt different, and Bo Zhen couldn’t shake a sense of unease.
Outside, heavy snow fell, marking the first snowfall of the year, which added to Bo Zhen’s irritation. Unable to hold back any longer, he took out his phone to call Jiang Yunjian.
Just as he was about to make the call, the doorbell rang.
He was startled to see someone standing outside, covered in snow.
Jiang Yunjian had clearly dressed up for the occasion, his expression calm, and he held several items in his hands.
“You…” Bo Zhen couldn’t hide his surprise. He quickly stepped forward to brush the snow off Jiang Yunjian’s head. “What are you doing here?”
Jiang Yunjian raised his hand, offering a cake. “Want some?”
“……”
Bo Zhen brought him inside, tossing a towel at him. “Dry your hair first so you don’t catch a cold.”
Jiang Yunjian acknowledged him with a nod, rubbing his head absentmindedly.
Bo Zhen knew him well enough to read his emotions from his expression. After a moment of thought, he cautiously asked, “Is it over?”
The question seemed vague, but Jiang Yunjian understood immediately. “No.”
“Then why did you…” Bo Zhen glanced at the table, “Come back without delivering the cake or bringing a gift?”
Jiang Yunjian replied, “He had other cakes.”
Bo Zhen wanted to say more, but a simply dressed woman came down from upstairs, talking about the snow outside. Upon seeing the person on the sofa, she abruptly stopped. “Yunjian? What are you doing here?”
Bo Zhen said, “He got caught in the snow. You should get him some hot water so he can take a bath.”
The woman, Bo Zhen’s wife, nodded in response. “Okay, I’ll do that. Should I bring him some medicine too, to prevent a cold?”
“No need, sister-in-law.” Jiang Yunjian stood up, picking up the gift box. “I just came to deliver the cake. It’s too big to waste. If you and brother like it, go ahead and eat it; if not, just throw it away. I have things to do, so I’ll leave now.”
Bo Zhen tried to stop him but couldn’t. His wife looked at the cake on the table and asked, “What about this?”
“Eat it. He brought it over.” Bo Zhen began to unwrap it.
The cake had been made by a small private shop, white in color with simple decorative patterns, and on top stood a small figure in a gray suit, holding a black umbrella, alongside a tiny chocolate plaque.
**Happy Birthday to You**
The handwriting was messy, clearly indicating that the person who wrote it was not very skilled at this.
Bo Zhen suddenly remembered yesterday when Jiang Yunjian had worked from four in the morning until eight at night, exhausted to the point of falling asleep in the car, yet still insisted on visiting the cake shop.
“It’s so cute!” the woman exclaimed. “Is this little figure supposed to be you?”
“……No.” Bo Zhen sighed, removing the plaque and tossing it into the trash. “Just eat it.”
On the way to Bo Zhen’s house, Jiang Yunjian had considered asking the driver to turn around countless times. Each time he began with “Driver,” he found himself unable to continue.
Eventually, even the driver couldn’t help but speak up, “Young man, if you have something to say, just say it. Did you forget something?”
The driver’s words jolted Jiang Yunjian into realization. “…No, just keep driving.”
It hadn’t belonged to him in the first place, so there was nothing to forget.
Once home, Jiang Yunjian sank into the bathtub, the hot water enveloping him and finally providing some warmth.
In truth, he had entertained such thoughts before.
After his last relationship ended, he had visited Cheng Peng’s company under the pretense of seeking collaboration. At that time, Cheng Peng had spoken to him in a usual tone, saying, “I’m sorry.”
And then, “Goodbye.”
In his mind, he pictured himself overlapping with the young star who had once sobbed and pleaded with Cheng Peng backstage.
He wasn’t special; he had known for a long time.
At midnight, he emerged from the bathtub, his fingertips all wrinkled from the water.
As his phone rang, he was just about to fall asleep.
“Where are you?” The man’s voice was as usual.
Jiang Yunjian thought he had come to terms with everything quite well.
However, upon hearing Cheng Peng’s voice, he immediately surrendered, his nose tinged with bitterness, almost on the verge of tears, and he remained silent for several seconds.
Cheng Peng paused, listening to the other person’s breathing for a moment before asking, “Why aren’t you speaking?”
Jiang Yunjian lay on his side, gazing out the window. “… I’m sorry, the signal was bad just now.”
“Hmm, where are you now?” Cheng Peng was fastening his tie. “If you haven’t left yet, don’t come over; I have something urgent.”
Jiang Yunjian bit his lip. “I haven’t left.”
“Then I’ll contact you after I’m done,” Cheng Peng said.
The last sentence Cheng Peng had said before they ended their relationship had been the same.
— I’ll contact you next time.
And then they never contacted each other again.
Jiang Yunjian felt his eyes reddening. “… Will you really contact me?”
Cheng Peng was momentarily taken aback before he smiled. “I will.”
He was always so gentle.
Gentle when they met, gentle during intimacy, and gentle when parting.
Jiang Yunjian heard himself respond, “Okay.”
Cheng Peng moved to the window, recalled something, and said with a smile, “It snowed today; did you see it?”
“I saw.” It felt as if a sore spot had been touched, and Jiang Yunjian couldn’t help but choke up, his voice barely above a whisper, sounding like a cough. After a while, he managed to squeeze out, “Happy birthday to you.”
Cheng Peng was stunned; if it hadn’t been for Chen An bringing a cake just now, he might have forgotten about it: “How did you know? You too, happy first snow.”
—
After Cheng Peng sent Chen An off, he received a call from Ji Ran, who said it was urgent and asked him to come to a particular restaurant.
He initially thought Ji Ran had gotten so angry that he smashed the place and hurried over.
However, as soon as he entered the restaurant, he was startled by a red banner that dropped from above—
【Happy 28th birthday, Mr. Cheng! Wishing you blessings as vast as the East Sea and a lifespan as long as the South Mountain!】
Cheng Peng: “…..”
Yue Wenwen jumped out and shouted, “Surprise!”
Cheng Peng squinted at him. “Is this what you call urgent?”
“He forced me to make the call,” Ji Ran walked out with his hands in his pockets, handing him a gift. “He said calling wouldn’t work to trick you.”
“Come on, he just wanted to celebrate your birthday!” Yue Wenwen pushed out the cake. “I booked a table at Bob for tonight, and I got the drinks too. It’s the weekend, turning 30 is a big deal; we have to celebrate you properly.”
“Twenty-eight,” Cheng Peng corrected him.
“Close enough, close enough.” Yue Wenwen urged, “Sit down; I ordered a whole table of dishes.”
In the past two years, Cheng Peng had been busy working out of town during his birthday; this was the only time he had celebrated it in recent years.
Yue Wenwen smugly said, “If I hadn’t said anything, would you have forgotten today was your birthday?”
“No,” Cheng Peng replied calmly, “I just received a cake.”
Yue Wenwen’s eyes widened. “A cake? Who sent it?”
“Chen An.”
There was a moment of silence at the table.
Ji Ran frowned. “Why is it him again?”
Yue Wenwen crossed her legs. “Last time you said you didn’t want to hear about him; why is it different now?”
“Things aren’t better; don’t say that.” Cheng Peng’s tone was flat, clearly not wanting to discuss it. “He came to pick up something.”
“After two years, he’s only just now picking something up?” Yue Wenwen was clearly skeptical.
Cheng Peng smiled faintly.
He didn’t believe it either, yet he still let Chen An in.
Some matters needed to be clarified. He and Chen An had been broken up for so long, yet they hadn’t had a calm discussion about it. He had been too good to Chen An before, giving the other person too many misconceptions, leading him to think that all mistakes could be forgiven.
Recollecting his thoughts, he said, “I won’t be going tonight; I have a client to meet this afternoon.”
“Don’t,” Yue Wenwen said. “Come after your meeting.”
Cheng Peng chuckled. “I have other matters.”
“What other matters?”
“I have a date; I’m meeting someone today.”
Yue Wenwen suggested, “You could just bring him along.”
Cheng Peng shook his head. “He can’t.”
“What’s inconvenient about it? Oh, it’s Jiang Yunjian, isn’t it?” Yue Wenwen understood. “Don’t worry; wearing a mask is fine; it’s just us here, no one else.”
Cheng Peng thought for a moment, took out his phone, and sent Jiang Yunjian a message asking if he was free tonight.
“If he comes, don’t tease him.”
To Cheng Peng’s surprise, he didn’t receive a reply to that message until he finished with his client. After calling twice, he found that Jiang Yunjian’s phone was off.
This was the first time he couldn’t reach Jiang Yunjian; usually, even when he was busy filming, Jiang Yunjian would reply within half an hour.
Yue Wenwen, who loved to have fun, rushed into the bar, taking He Han straight to the dance floor. After they left, Ji Ran quietly asked, “What’s going on?”
Cheng Peng looked up. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve checked your phone eight times tonight,” Ji Ran reminded him.
Cheng Peng was startled, then laughed as he put his phone down. “Really?”
“Is it about work?” Ji Ran asked. “Or is it about Chen An?”
“Neither; don’t mention Chen An; he’s a thing of the past for me.” Cheng Peng took a sip of his drink.
Not long after, Yue Wenwen rushed down again. “Jiang Yunjian hasn’t arrived yet, right?”
Cheng Peng set down his glass. “No, why?”
Yue Wenwen handed Cheng Peng her phone. “… I think he might not be coming.”
Cheng Peng took the phone and saw a Weibo post.
The first line of the post read: 【Jiang Yunjian spending the first snow with his male assistant, gifting a million-dollar watch】.
The article was filled with images and details, starting with a photo of Jiang Yunjian’s assistant’s car from that morning, followed by an order receipt for the watch, and close-ups of the large bags he held. It then included so-called insider information from the production crew, stating that Jiang Yunjian’s dressing room was frequently locked, culminating in a photo of the “male assistant” walking out of the hotel with him, clearly intimate. Each photo was timestamped.
The article concluded by mentioning Jiang Yunjian’s diva behavior on set, taking frequent sick days and delaying filming, with the director too afraid to voice his anger.
While others might not recognize him, Ji Ran and Yue Wenwen knew right away.
The person who walked out of the hotel with Jiang Yunjian was not some “male assistant”; that figure was unmistakably Cheng Peng.
—
Jiang Yunjian only realized he had trended after waking up.
“If you don’t pick up, I’m going to your house right now!” Bo Zhen’s voice was anxious. “What do we do now?”
After reading the Weibo post that exposed him, Jiang Yunjian fell silent for a long time before replying, “You handle it. As long as he isn’t involved, everything else is fine.”
“I really can’t manage this. Didn’t you notice how full of holes that article is? What’s so questionable about an assistant entering an artist’s room? They’ve already traced Cheng Peng back to where you were at noon! And they matched Cheng Peng with the man who came out of the hotel that day… The assistant is just a cover; they’re trying to get me to negotiate a price!” Bo Zhen lamented, “The price they offered is outrageous; the company will never agree to it… Why don’t you ask Cheng Peng? He should have a way to handle this.”
“… No.” Jiang Yunjian immediately refused without hesitation.
“Why not? President Cheng treats you well, and this matter involves him too; it makes no sense for him not to help us…”
Jiang Yunjian replied, “He can’t.”
Bo Zhen asked, “What’s so inconvenient about it?”
How could he explain?
— Cheng Peng might have reconciled with his ex, and it would be inconvenient for him to get involved because of Jiang Yunjian?
Besides, he was the one who had entangled Cheng Peng; why should Cheng Peng help him?
At that moment, Jiang Yunjian realized that his feelings could cause trouble for others.
“… Just don’t trouble him. How much did they ask for? I’ll pay.” He regained his composure.
Bo Zhen grimaced at the thought of that number. “It’s several million; how much do you have on hand?”
Having worked for many years, Jiang Yunjian had some savings, but he had recently made investments and donated quite a bit, leaving him with very little cash.
After some calculations, he said, “… It might not be enough. Ask them if they can extend credit; I can write an IOU.”
“Are you crazy?” Bo Zhen exploded with anger. “Writing an IOU means they’ll have leverage over you forever! Do you realize how terrible of an idea that is?!”
Jiang Yunjian remained calm. “I understand, brother.”
“… But I have to get him out of this situation.”
“I was the one who got involved with him; I need to take responsibility.”
The doorbell rang, and Jiang Yunjian held the phone as he stood up.
On the other end, Bo Zhen continued, “Why are you so stubborn…”
Jiang Yunjian looked through the peephole and froze.
After a moment, he murmured, “Brother, I have something going on; I’ll call you back later.”
Bo Zhen was taken aback. “What could be more important at this hour than what I’m saying—”
Jiang Yunjian hung up.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.
Cheng Peng stood outside the door, holding a black umbrella, silently watching him.
Too many things had happened today, and Jiang Yunjian’s mind was in complete chaos. “…Why are you here?”
Cheng Peng said, “I saw the news.”
Jiang Yunjian’s face turned pale in an instant. He could only say, “I’m sorry, really sorry.”
Seeing the redness in his eyes, Cheng Peng unconsciously frowned. “Why didn’t you answer my calls? Why didn’t you contact me when something happened?”
“I’m sorry.” Jiang Yunjian seemed to only know how to say those words. “It was my own responsibility. I’ll handle it myself. It won’t involve you, so please don’t worry—”
“Your own responsibility?” Cheng Peng sounded as if he had just heard a joke.
He closed his umbrella, stepped forward, and forcefully walked into Jiang Yunjian’s home. “Who do you usually sleep with?”
Jiang Yunjian was stunned. “What?”
“Answer me.”
“…You.” Thinking he had misunderstood something, Jiang Yunjian spoke hurriedly. “Only you.”
“So you do know it’s me.” For once, Cheng Peng’s tone carried a trace of temper. He gritted his teeth and asked, “I was the one who took off your clothes, kissed you, and fucked you. Now that something has happened, how has it suddenly become your responsibility alone?”
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
