Chapter 18

Jian Anmian swallowed nervously twice, his legs as heavy as though they had been filled with lead, leaving him unable to move.

Yan Zhimo’s brows immediately furrowed even more deeply. Turning toward Yuwen Chi, he called in a low voice, “Yuwen Chi.”

“Yes, President Yan.” Yuwen Chi immediately strode over, twisted Miss Rong’s arms behind her back, and hauled her upright, taking Yan Zhimo’s place in restraining her. He didn’t appear surprised in the slightest by anything that had happened inside the room.

Yan Zhimo casually pulled out two tissues and unhurriedly wiped his hands, his icy gaze sweeping carelessly toward Secretary Liu, who stood frozen in the doorway.

Secretary Liu’s heart gave a violent thump. She realized almost instantly that she had been exposed, and a chill immediately swept across her back.

“P-President Yan…” Secretary Liu instinctively retreated two steps on trembling legs, looking as though she intended to flee. “No… it isn’t what you think…”

Jian Anmian froze, then instinctively stuck out one leg, which Secretary Liu happened to bump into as she backed away.

Secretary Liu cried out in alarm and toppled to the floor with a heavy thud.

Jian Anmian: “…”

Secretary Liu: “…”

Jian Anmian awkwardly withdrew his leg. “I’m sorry! I didn’t do it on purpose!”

Secretary Liu raised her head and glared viciously at Jian Anmian.

The next moment, a group of men in matching black uniforms suddenly poured into the corridor from nowhere. Two of them efficiently hauled Secretary Liu up from the floor, while another two went over to Yuwen Chi and took Miss Rong from him. They then stood silently to one side with both women restrained.

Jian Anmian immediately shrank into a corner like a timid little quail, trembling all over.

“Mianmian, come here,” Yan Zhimo called for the second time.

Jian Anmian knew that if he continued disobeying, the man would certainly become angry. He clenched his sweaty palms, then tremblingly walked over to Yan Zhimo.

Yan Zhimo swept out a long arm and skillfully, domineeringly pulled Jian Anmian into his embrace. Ignoring the crowd watching them, he affectionately pinched Jian Anmian’s cheek and asked, “Are you full?”

“Mm… yes, I’m full,” Jian Anmian answered haltingly with his head lowered.

“What did you eat?”

Searching his memory, Jian Anmian listed the dishes one by one.

“Mm. Did you have anything tasty?”

Jian Anmian thought carefully. “There was a lychee egg tart that was pretty good. It [bailiantales.com]was sweet and delicious.”

Yan Zhimo nodded. “All right. Once the banquet ends, I’ll go to the kitchen and buy the recipe from them. When we return home, I’ll have Auntie Wang make it for you every day.”

Jian Anmian was stunned by the man’s domineering-CEO declaration. It took him several seconds to recover before he waved his hands and said, “There’s no need to go to so much trouble!”

“It’s fine. Consider it my way of making amends. Eat two more when we get home to calm your nerves.” Yan Zhimo slowly caressed Jian Anmian’s soft earlobe, speaking very close to his ear in a low voice. He watched with satisfaction as the thin patch of skin easily turned a beautiful peach-pink, then gave a quiet chuckle deep in his throat. “I frightened our timid little boy. I’m truly sorry.”

Jian Anmian’s cheeks immediately flushed even more deeply. The skin from the roots of his ears down to the back of his neck tingled and itched, while his heart began racing for an entirely different reason.

This time, it was no longer fear, but intense embarrassment.

So the man had noticed long ago that he was frightened. That was why he had patiently and gently coaxed him for so long and even wanted to make sweet egg tarts for him.

Yan Zhimo lowered his thick black lashes. As he gently stroked Jian Anmian’s neck, he murmured softly beside his ear, “Were you afraid I would treat you the same way I treated them? Hmm?”

Jian Anmian instinctively wanted to deny it, but then remembered how much the man hated it when he lied. He had no choice but to nod honestly. “A… a little.”

After speaking, as though afraid of angering the man, he raised two slender white fingers and held them slightly apart, cautiously gesturing in the air as he said, “Actually… it was only a tiny little bit.”

Yan Zhimo chuckled softly. He caught Jian Anmian’s gesturing fingers, cradled them in his palm, and gently squeezed them as though kneading a puppy’s paw. In a low, tender voice, he said, “Don’t worry. As long as you remain good, obey me, and don’t make me angry, I’ll always be this gentle with you. All right?”

Jian Anmian pursed his lips and nodded. “I understand, read the original at bailiantales.comMr. Yan. I’ll always be good and obedient from now on.”

“Mm, good boy.” Yan Zhimo smiled and stroked Jian Anmian’s head.

Jian Anmian’s lowered eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of red. Only then did he notice that Yan Zhimo’s right palm had been cut by the shard of porcelain he had gripped earlier. Crimson blood seeped between his well-defined knuckles and still hadn’t completely dried.

Jian Anmian instinctively cradled the man’s hand and said anxiously, his voice filled with concern, “Mr. Yan, your hand is injured too!”

At that moment, the last trace of fear Jian Anmian felt toward the man was washed away by his concern.

“It’s nothing. It’ll heal soon.”

“No, it could become infected. Let me clean it first.” Jian Anmian stubbornly took a tissue, went to the bathroom to dampen it, then returned and cradled Yan Zhimo’s palm. He carefully wiped away the blood and meticulously cleaned the scratches on the man’s arm as well, like a little puppy licking its master’s wounds.

Yan Zhimo gazed at Jian Anmian’s serious, lowered face, the corners of his mouth curving upward in pleasure. With a somewhat perverse sense of satisfaction, he suddenly felt that cutting his palm had been entirely worth it.

Yuwen Chi quietly waited until they had finished flirting before finally asking, “President Yan, how should we deal with these two?”

“Proceed directly through legal channels.” Yan Zhimo swept a disgusted glance over the two women being restrained together and said coldly, “The soup is in the glass inside the cabinet. Testing it will reveal the drug. I installed a camera above the cabinet, so the entire incident was recorded. I also spoke to the kitchen in advance, and we’ve already obtained evidence of them adding the drug. Take everything we uncovered earlier, along with these two women, to the police station and hand them directly over to the police. You and Old Fu are to follow the entire process. Call me if anything happens.”

Old Fu was Yan Zhimo’s personal lawyer and one of the few friends Yan Zhimo trusted most.

Yan Zhimo felt assured leaving the matter in his hands.

Miss Rong raised her head in disbelief and met Yan Zhimo’s cold, merciless eyes. She shrank back, then spotted Jian Anmian beside him, whose entire face practically proclaimed that he was easy to talk to. Turning toward him as though he were her final lifeline, she cried, “Mr. Jian! Mr. Jian, please plead with President Yan for me, all right? I truly didn’t mean to do it. Please don’t treat me like this. I know you’re so kind—you’ll forgive me, won’t you?”

Jian Anmian threw the used tissue into the trash and looked hesitantly at Miss Rong. “Miss Rong, you…”

Miss Rong gazed at Jian Anmian hopefully, putting on her best pitiful and helpless expression.

What she didn’t realize was that with her hair disheveled and her face covered in blood and tears, she looked rather terrifying.

Jian Anmian said innocently, “You and Mr. Yan’s stepmother would definitely have plenty to talk about.”

Miss Rong froze. “Wh-what?”

Jian Anmian said bluntly, “Because you’re both white lotuses. You like pretending to be pure and pitiful, and you both love to cry.”

Miss Rong: “???”

Yan Zhimo burst out laughing. Only after the boy finished speaking did he wave dismissively at the bodyguards. “Hurry and take them both away. They’re an eyesore.”

“Yes, President Yan.” The bodyguards hurriedly dragged away the sobbing Miss Rong and the utterly defeated Secretary Liu.

Jian Anmian watched innocently as they disappeared through the doorway, thinking speechlessly to himself that he wasn’t some saintly savior. He was merely a salted fish ​unauthorized copy​waiting to be tormented by the protagonist gong. They had made their own mistakes, so they should bear the consequences themselves. What good would begging him do?

Come to think of it, the protagonist gong hadn’t been drugged at all, had he?

So… it seemed Jian Anmian had once again escaped being tormented.

Yay! And he wouldn’t have to serve him in bed either!

Salted Fish Collapse.jpg

In the blink of an eye, the room fell silent.

Yuwen Chi walked over to Yan Zhimo, lowered his head, and asked respectfully, “President Yan, regarding the Rong Corporation…?”

Without betraying any emotion, Yan Zhimo walked to the window and pulled aside the curtain. Gazing at the Rong family members in the garden outside, where waves of shocked cries and anguished wailing could be heard, he said coldly, “The weather is turning cold. It’s time for the Rong Corporation to go bankrupt.”

Jian Anmian: “…”