Isn't This a Contract Marriage? Why Are You Sneaking Kisses! - Chapter 24

[Shang Jichen: I’m just about ready on my end. Do you need me to pick you up?]

[Shang Jichen: Are you there? I’ve arrived at the place you mentioned. When will you get here?]

[Shang Jichen: Are you busy with something?]

[Shang Jichen: If today is inconvenient, another day is fine. (︶)]

Shen Silie slapped his forehead hard. Glancing at the time of the last message, he frantically typed a reply, threw on some clothes at random, and dashed out the door.

Shang Jichen leaned back against the car seat, the corners of his half-closed eyes tracing a lazy arc. His gaze lingered for two seconds on the message on his screen: Wait for me.

He signaled the driver to stop the motion of driving away. Then, he closed his eyes to continue resting.

He didn’t have to wait long.

A soft knock sounded against the car window. Shang Jichen opened his eyes.

The moment the glass slid down, the crisp scent of body wash mixed with a hint of orange blossoms flooded into the car, accompanied by the sound of hurried, heavy breathing.

“I am so incredibly sorry. Too many things happened today and I didn’t check my phone. I’ve kept you waiting way too long.”

Shen Silie’s lips were swollen and red from hyperventilation and a slight allergic reaction. He gripped the window frame, gasping for air, completely unaware of how close the two of them were currently standing.

Shang Jichen propped his elbow on the edge of the window, his gaze lifting slightly to study the youth from below.

Shen Silie was leaning over the car door, his collar slightly open from his heavy breathing, revealing fair collarbones. The stray hairs on his forehead were damp with sweat, trembling slightly with every breath.

With barely a fist’s distance between them, Shang Jichen could even see the fine texture of Shen Silie’s skin. The flushed corners of his eyes. The unnaturally red lips.

Shang Jichen’s eyes darkened, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He simply let out a low chuckle and reached out a hand to touch the top of the youth’s head.

“Why the rush?”

Shen Silie froze for a moment, following the man’s hand with his eyes.

That hand, with its well-defined knuckles, wove through his hair, brushed past the tip of his ear, and very gently plucked away a peach blossom petal.

“Where did you pick up a petal?” Shang Jichen twirled the petal between his fingers, looking at him with a smile, showing none of the irritation one might expect after waiting nearly half an hour past the scheduled time.

The taxi drop-off had been at the wrong location, so Silie had jogged through two streets to get here. His old leg injury felt as if glass shards were embedded in the joints; even a slight movement was agonizing.

Shen Silie braced himself against the car window to steady his body before explaining sheepishly, “I was in such a hurry just now, I ran straight through the flowering trees.”

Shang Jichen stared at him for two seconds.

“Will you get in? Or should I get out?”

Shen Silie adjusted his mask and gestured to the man. “The restaurant isn’t far from here. If you walk with me for a short bit, we’ll be there.”

Shang Jichen gave the driver a few instructions and pushed open the car door.

A cool scent of sandalwood wafted out. The height difference made Shen Silie take a step back, which caused Shang Jichen to lower his head slightly toward him.

“Just lead the way.”

The sun had already set, and there weren’t many pedestrians on the road. The streetlights stretched their shadows long. Shang Jichen had a naturally large stride, but he took care of Shen Silie by intentionally slowing his pace, his peripheral vision fixed on his companion.

Most of Shen Silie’s face was buried behind his mask. The youth’s legs weren’t short—in fact, they were quite long—but his steps were abnormally slow. He was clearly forcing himself to keep up, his gait trembling with every step. Anyone who wasn’t blind could see his discomfort.

Shang Jichen paused imperceptibly and slowed down even further.

Shen Silie finally adjusted to the pace, but he also sensed this quiet consideration. He apologized softly to the man.

“I’m sorry. I have an old leg injury, and after running just now, I can’t walk very fast. I’m wasting your time.”

Shen Silie’s voice was low, sounding either exhausted or strangely dejected.

Shang Jichen stopped walking.

Shen Silie turned to look at him blankly, about to ask what was wrong.

Shang Jichen took his hand and placed Shen Silie’s arm within the crook of his own. He lowered his eyes and said softly, “Then let me serve as your temporary crutch.”

Shen Silie’s expression went dazed. He slowly looked away and unpracticedly leaned against the man beside him. With his body weight supported, the bones in his knee and ankle finally stopped hurting so much.

Shen Silie let out a sigh of relief. The night breeze blew against their clothes as they walked side by side.

“It’s just past this little alley,” Shen Silie’s voice was muffled behind his mask, carrying a sense of dependency he hadn’t even noticed himself.

“Mm,” Shang Jichen responded warmly.

The two stopped outside a hot pot restaurant. Shen Silie entered and expertly found the female owner.

The owner, who had been chatting with her staff, brightened up the moment she saw him and immediately came over.

“My darling! You haven’t been here in so long.”

The woman speaking was attractive and in her late thirties, with a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth. Her curly hair was in a bun held by a pearl hair comb; the pearls glowed softly under the warm yellow lights. She smiled with a gentle, motherly warmth.

Zhang Lixiu stepped forward and linked her arm with Shen Silie’s. “Haven’t you been eating properly? Why have you lost so much weight? You’re nothing but skin and bones.”

Spying Shang Jichen to the side, Zhang Lixiu looked him up and down with renewed surprise. “This friend of yours is quite handsome!”

Shen Silie glanced at the other customers in the shop who were already starting to look their way and gave her a meaningful look.

Zhang Lixiu skillfully led them into a back room.

“Don’t worry, I kept this specifically for you; no one else can come in.” Zhang Lixiu pulled out a menu and handed it to Shen Silie, scolding him playfully: “You haven’t come to see your Auntie Zhang in ages.”

Once inside the private room, Shen Silie finally took off his mask. Though his peak popularity had passed, he still had a massive number of anti-fans; he didn’t want to cause a scene for the shop or create extra trouble for himself.

Shang Jichen followed them in.

Shen Silie exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhang Lixiu before finally introducing Shang Jichen. Shang Jichen expertly deployed his social talents, chatting with Zhang Lixiu and making her laugh within a few sentences.

Learning that Shang Jichen was a new friend of Shen Silie’s, Zhang Lixiu’s smile widened. She praised: “This friend of yours has a much better personality than the one you had before, and he’s good-looking too. I told you before you should look at other people more, but you never listened.”

Shen Silie felt there was something slightly odd about those words, but he didn’t quite catch the meaning. He laughed and made small talk with the woman before handing the menu to Shang Jichen.

Although this was a hot pot restaurant, it was large and also sold home-style stir-fry and desserts.

Shang Jichen looked down at the menu.

Without looking at the menu, Shen Silie expertly ordered several dishes, then looked up at the woman and said, “My friend can’t eat very spicy food. Give us a three-section pot. One in my flavor, one medium-spicy, and an extra clear broth pot.”

“Make my brown sugar rice cakes as usual, but for my friend’s portion, you can add a bit more brown sugar. He likes things a bit sweeter.”

Shen Silie gave his instructions one by one.

Shang Jichen’s hand paused for a beat. His cold eyes flickered, but he didn’t look up.

Zhang Lixiu nodded and noted it all down with a smile. Once they finished ordering, she personally went to the kitchen to supervise.

Left alone in the room, Shen Silie sat in his chair and exhaled deeply. He casually took off his jacket and scratched at his neck a couple of times. Running through the peach trees earlier had gotten pollen on him.

He had a highly sensitive constitution—his skin was exceptionally reactive. He was sensitive to pain, itching, cold, and heat; even a slight touch often left a mark. Now, the places that had touched the pollen were beginning to itch.

Fortunately, while he was sensitive, it wasn’t severe; he only occasionally broke out in a few red hives, and once the itch passed, it was no big deal. Thus, Shen Silie didn’t pay much attention to the marks on his body.

Shang Jichen gently set the menu on the table. His gaze drifted over the youth, finally coming to a halt on several red marks on his neck.

After a long moment, Shang Jichen looked away, moving past those red traces to look back at the menu.