Isn't This a Contract Marriage? Why Are You Sneaking Kisses! - Chapter 20

The meal had just ended; the scent of cake still lingered in his nose, now mixed with the man’s aquatic cologne and a blend of other strange perfumes.

Shen Silie’s face turned pale. For the first time, he experienced what it felt like to be “scent-sick.”

“Are you here looking for me?”

Ji Yunshen looked delighted, noticing none of the abnormalities. He even excitedly grabbed the youth’s wrist.

“I’m sorry. I know I was wrong before. I’ve already talked to my mom—as long as I have a child in the future, she won’t interfere with me.”

Ji Yunshen spoke too fast; Shen Silie didn’t quite catch everything he said. He only felt the suffocatingly heavy perfume was too much. Enduring the nausea churning in his stomach, he tried to shake the man off.

“Let go.”

Ji Yunshen ignored him and gripped tighter, his tone bordering on a plea. “Stop being angry, okay? I know I was wrong.”

“I promise that as soon as I take over the company, I’ll never let you suffer any grievances again. I can give you anything you want.”

Before he could finish, Shen Silie’s face went deathly white. He turned around, braced himself against the sink, and began to retch.

Only then did Ji Yunshen realize something was wrong. He reached out to pat Silie’s back to help him breathe, but Shen Silie slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch me,” Shen Silie rasped.

Water droplets slid down his jawline, soaking his collar. The look in his eyes was one of pure resistance.

Ji Yunshen froze in place, the warmth of the other’s wrist still lingering on his fingertips. He opened his mouth, about to say something.

“Silie, are you finished washing?”

“It’s time for us to go.”

A steady, cool male voice drifted from the hallway.

Ji Yunshen turned around.

Shang Jichen appeared at the door with a black overcoat draped over his arm. His initially peaceful expression darkened instantly as his gaze swept over Shen Silie’s pale face and Ji Yunshen, who was practically pressed against him.

“My friend doesn’t seem to be feeling well. Would you mind stepping away from him?”

Shang Jichen’s voice was impossibly gentle, yet his green eyes looked as though they were submerged in ice—piercingly cold.

Shen Silie felt as if he had seen a savior. He stepped quickly behind Shang Jichen, hiding himself like a cat.

Shang Jichen was tall and sturdy enough to completely shield the youth. When he glanced back, he saw the soft, messy strands of hair at the top of Shen Silie’s head.

He shifted his body slightly, wordlessly blocking Shen Silie’s trembling shoulders.

The aura between the two men shifted instantly, carrying a faint hint of hostility as they sized each other up.

Ji Yunshen looked at the distinguished man before him, then at Shen Silie hiding behind him. An inexplicable surge of anger rose in his heart. “Who the hell are you?”

Shang Jichen lifted his eyelids and gave him a cold, fleeting glance. “We met at the hospital last time.”

At this, Ji Yunshen remembered who he was and immediately sneered, “The perpetrator?”

Shang Jichen didn’t look him in the eye, letting out a light, airy laugh. “It seems the elders in your family didn’t teach you what manners are.”

Ji Yunshen’s expression soured.

“I am Silie’s current friend. For convenience, you can just call me Shang Jichen,” Shang Jichen introduced himself casually.

Upon hearing the name, Ji Yunshen’s face changed. Before he could think of a retort, the voices of other people could be heard nearby.

Ji Yunshen hesitated no longer and began to walk out.

As he passed by, Shang Jichen reached out and put an arm around Shen Silie’s shoulder, pulling him into his embrace and leaving Ji Yunshen no chance to get close.

Ji Yunshen turned back to give them a long look. His gaze lingered on the coat over the man’s arm for two seconds before slowly pulling away.

“Silie, give me a little more time.”

“I will definitely make it up to you.”

Shen Silie didn’t look up at him. Shang Jichen spared him a stingy bit of attention, wearing a look of innate nobility mixed with faint mockery.

With just that one look, Ji Yunshen felt the fire of jealousy surge. Yet, he remained confident that nothing would truly change.

“Xiao Shen!”

A woman’s call came from not far away. Ji Yunshen gritted his teeth and turned to leave.

The footsteps receded.

Shen Silie was pressed very close to Shang Jichen, almost close enough to hear the man’s steady, powerful heartbeat. The scent of sandalwood and the man’s body heat enveloped him, and the discomfort from the perfume slowly faded.

“He’s gone,” the man’s crisp voice murmured in his ear.

Only then did Shen Silie realize the situation and hurriedly backed away. He stumbled over his own feet.

“Careful.” Shang Jichen was quick to catch the falling Shen Silie, his palm pressing against the youth’s bruised wrist.

Shen Silie furrowed his brows and steadied himself. He hadn’t expected to run into Ji Yunshen here. While he felt a sense of relief, he also couldn’t help but feel apologetic.

“I’m sorry. That was my friend just now. We have a bit of a conflict; I’ve caused you trouble.”

Shang Jichen looked down. The youth before him had his head lowered, his thin shoulders slightly tensed. He looked like a kitten who had done something wrong—fearful and anxious.

Recalling something, Shang Jichen’s gaze shifted down. Seeing the purplish bruises on the youth’s wrist where Ji Yunshen had gripped him, his eyes darkened. His tone remained gentle:

“Don’t apologize. You haven’t caused me any trouble, and this wasn’t your fault.”

“It was my failure for not choosing a better dining environment, which caused you to be startled.”

Shen Silie looked up, falling into the dark undercurrents swirling in Shang Jichen’s eyes. The man’s thick lashes cast a shadow over his eyelids, making him look like a predator waiting to strike—yet the moment their eyes met, it vanished completely, as if it had only been an illusion.

“Let’s go.” Shang Jichen turned and looked casually at the worsening downpour outside. “The rain is getting heavy. I’ll take you back first.”

The car door shut with a thump.

Shang Jichen closed his umbrella and entered from the other side. Shen Silie gave his address.

The car started moving. Aside from a few initial bits of small talk, neither of them spoke. Shen Silie tilted his head to look out the window, waiting to arrive home.

“Stop here for a moment,” Shang Jichen said suddenly. The driver hit the brakes, and the car pulled over smoothly.

Shen Silie turned to look, but before he could ask anything, Shang Jichen had already pushed the door open. The sound of the umbrella popping open was clear against the rain.

The door closed. Only he and the driver were left in the car. Shen Silie peered outside anxiously.

The rain was becoming even more torrential; thick droplets streamed down the glass, leaving only a blur of light.

Less than ten minutes later, the car door opened again.