ACMS 29

Chapter 29 – Besieged on All Sides

Shen Hechuan’s master bedroom was huge—so was the bed!

Qiao Le stared at the massive bed in the center of the room—no less than 2.2 meters wide—and couldn’t stop his mind from replaying the chaotic aftermath of their drunken night together.

Even though he and Shen Hechuan were in a marriage of convenience, they were technically newlyweds. If they were going to share a room and a bed, it’d be hard to say nothing inappropriate would happen between them.

After all, he was perfectly healthy. So was Shen Hechuan.

Just imagining it was enough to make his face burn red…

“What are you thinking about?” Shen Hechuan’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Why’s your face so red?”

It’s because you keep saying things that make people think dirty thoughts!

Qiao Le grumbled in his head but didn’t dare say it out loud. He quickly crossed his arms in an X and said, “I wasn’t thinking anything! Don’t get the wrong idea!”

“What could I possibly be thinking?” Shen Hechuan leaned in, closing the distance. “Tell me. Be specific.”

“How would I know what you’re thinking?” Qiao Le feigned calm as he took two steps back and turned to flee.

But Shen Hechuan was quicker—he grabbed him by the collar. “Where are you going?”

With his fate seized by the throat, Qiao Le gave in and confessed, “I’m going to stay with Xiao Man. His bed’s big enough for the two of us.”

Shen Hechuan said slowly, “Sounds more like you’re planning to sleep in the tent.”

Qiao Le froze. “How did you know?”

The moment he said it, he realized—Shen Hechuan must have seen him sneaking off to test the tent earlier. He frowned. “You were spying on me?”

“I wasn’t,” Shen Hechuan said calmly. “You were just too focused and didn’t notice.”

Qiao Le: “……”

As he spoke, Shen Hechuan released his grip on Qiao Le’s collar and instead placed a hand on the back of his neck. He enunciated each word clearly: “Don’t mistake a good man.”

Shen Hechuan = a good man. Officially Qiao Le-certified.

Qiao Le felt like a boomerang had hit him right in the face again. He was done.

Warm fingers pressed against the nape of his neck, making Qiao Le shiver. A little jolt of electricity ran down his spine, prickling and ticklish.

Qiao Le: Okay, okay—I’ll behave.

Seeing Qiao Le’s obedient expression, Shen Hechuan gave a quiet chuckle. He released his hand with visible reluctance and, out of benevolence, let him off the hook. “Just teasing. Your room’s this way.”

The appartement at the complex had been delivered fully furnished, and Shen Hechuan hadn’t made any changes when he moved in. Naturally, there were spare rooms for Qiao Le.

He was only teasing because Qiao Le had been acting too cheeky.

Shen Hechuan’s words instantly revived Qiao Le, who cheerfully followed him to his room.

The room was right next to the master bedroom, facing the same direction. It came with a massive balcony overlooking the river—scenery that was absolutely stunning. The bedding looked incredibly soft and cozy.

There wasn’t a tent, but Qiao Le liked it anyway.

No tent? No problem. He could get one himself. Once the lights were off and the little lamp inside the tent was on, he could curl up inside with a book or play games. It would be perfect.

“How is it?”

Leaning against the doorframe, Shen Hechuan asked, “Satisfied, gege?”

Gege.

That one word made Qiao Le’s ears heat up. It also made him want to laugh. Pleased, he played along with a grin, “Very satisfied. Thanks, sister-in-law.”

Shen Hechuan asked, “Whose sister-in-law?”

Qiao Le replied, “Xiao Man’s sister-in-law.”

The two exchanged a look and burst out laughing. Shen Hechuan shook his head in resignation. “Such a mouth.”

“You’re only realizing that now? Too late.” Qiao Le puffed up smugly. “We’ve already signed the agreement. No refunds. If you’re not satisfied, you can just return the goods.”

Besides, he hadn’t ended the lease on his place in Baihui District. He could pack up and leave at any time.

“Return the goods? That’d be a loss of ten million.” Shen Hechuan raised an eyebrow. “Businessmen don’t do losing deals. You’re staying put. In a few days, we’ll head back to Pengshan.”

Which meant: meeting the parents.

Not that he hadn’t met them before, so Qiao Le agreed readily. “Got it. At your service.”

Shen Hechuan hadn’t told his parents about their registered marriage yet. He planned to break the news during their next visit. For now, he told Qiao Le to unpack while he went to fetch the kindergarten info.

Qiao Le had only brought a few changes of clothes, so he finished unpacking quickly and joined Shen Hechuan to pick a school.

Shen Hechuan had prepared info for three kindergartens, all with good reputations.

When choosing a kindergarten, the key factors were environment, teachers, distance, and cost. All three schools checked the boxes—except the prices were outrageous.

But Qiao Le didn’t need to worry about that. According to their agreement, during the contract period, Shen Hechuan would cover all expenses for both Qiao Le and Qiao Man.

That meant not only Qiao Man’s schooling, but also the costs if Qiao Le returned to school—all of it on Shen Hechuan’s dime.

In short, this agreement was pure profit for him.

After comparing the options, Qiao Le chose the kindergarten closest to the complex and asked, “How about this one?”

Not only was it nearby, it was also on the way to Yunjing University—perfect for dropping Qiao Man off.

He explained his reasoning, and Shen Hechuan nodded. “You don’t need to worry about pickup. There’s a housekeeper who’ll come to handle meals. She can also take care of Xiao Man.”

Then it was settled. Qiao Le clapped his hands. “This one, then.”

“Alright.”

Shen Hechuan took a photo of the selected school and sent it to Judy via WeChat—she’d take care of the rest.

With that done, it was almost dinnertime. Shen Hechuan planned for them to eat out, so he didn’t have the housekeeper come over.

The moment Qiao Man heard they were going out, he dropped his building blocks. “Are we having pizza? I’ve got money!”

He ran to the cabinet, pulled out his piggy bank, and handed it to Shen Hechuan. “Uncle Shen, I’m treating you to pizza to thank you for all the gifts!”

Holding the little piggy bank, Shen Hechuan looked at Qiao Le. “This is…”

“Xiao Man’s piggy bank,” Qiao Le said. “He doesn’t have much, but it’s enough to treat us to pizza. Wanna go?”

Qiao Man looked up expectantly at Shen Hechuan—he’d been waiting for this chance forever.

A five-year-old offering to treat him to pizza—Shen Hechuan had never experienced anything like it. Qiao Le nudged him, and he finally said, “Alright.”

So the three of them tidied up and headed out.

When they arrived, it was peak dinner rush, and they had to wait for a table.

Qiao Le had queued last time too, so he didn’t think much of it. Still, Shen Hechuan in a full suit lining up with them outside looked a little ridiculous. Not that Shen Hechuan seemed to mind.

The restaurant also served Western food and desserts. Qiao Man, menu in hand, struck a pose like the grown-ups on TV. “My treat—don’t hold back!”

Both Qiao Le and Shen Hechuan laughed. “Thanks, Boss Qiao.”

Qiao Man: “Hee hee.”

In the end, Qiao Le paid. It didn’t really matter—Qiao Man’s money came from him anyway.

When they got home, Qiao Le ran a bath for Qiao Man. Shen Hechuan stood at the door. “Need help?”

Qiao Le waved him off. “Nope.”

The kid could bathe and dress himself. After he was done, Qiao Le blow-dried his hair. “Alright, off to bed.”

Qiao Man nodded and said to Shen Hechuan, “Good night, Uncle Shen.”

“Good night,” Shen Hechuan replied, then added, “Sweetheart.”

Hearing himself called “sweetheart,” Qiao Man blushed and smiled shyly.

Qiao Le tucked him in, pulling the blanket over him.

Shen Hechuan watched them from the doorway, feeling a strange sense of wonder.

Before meeting Qiao Le, he’d never seriously considered marriage. He always brushed off his parents’ nagging with excuses and had never even thought about having kids.

He was used to living alone. His parents’ vision of a “loving couple with children” had never appealed to him.

But after Qiao Le appeared—

More precisely, after he fell for Qiao Le, he realized that marriage might not be such a bad thing after all. He’d even rushed to lock it down with a contract.

They weren’t exactly a “loving couple” now, but that was fine—time would take care of that.

As for the “children” part, two men couldn’t have kids, but that didn’t matter either. He could raise Qiao Man with Qiao Le.

Qiao Le stepped out and saw Shen Hechuan standing at the door. He made a “shhh” gesture and gently closed Qiao Man’s door.

“Asleep?” Shen Hechuan asked.

Qiao Le nodded. “Out like a light.”

“You going to school for registration tomorrow?” Shen Hechuan asked.

“Yeah.”

“What time? I’ll take you. I have to go to the office anyway.”

“Will that get in the way of work?”

“No,” Shen Hechuan said. “By the way, do you have a driver’s license?”

“Nope.” Qiao Le shook his head. He’d meant to get one last year, but things happened at home and it got delayed.

“You should take the test during winter break,” Shen Hechuan suggested. “It’ll make things easier.”

“Okay.” Qiao Le was already planning on it. He stretched. “I’m gonna shower and turn in early. It’s been forever since I kept a normal sleep schedule.”

Over the past year, he hadn’t gone to bed before 2 a.m. once.

Shen Hechuan noticed the faint dark circles under his eyes. “Get some rest.”

“You too.”

Qiao Le grabbed some clothes, showered, dried his hair, turned off the lights, and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

—

The next morning, as soon as Qiao Le opened the door, he smelled something delicious.

He peeked out and saw a woman in her fifties carrying breakfast from the kitchen.

She saw him and greeted him with a smile. “You must be Xiao Qiao? I’m Auntie Yang. Mr. Shen told me you were going out today, so I came early to prepare breakfast.”

Shen Hechuan had already told Auntie Yang that Qiao Le and Qiao Man had moved in. From now on, she’d be in charge of meals—and looking after Qiao Man.

“Good morning, Auntie Yang.” Qiao Le greeted her warmly and walked over to take a look. “Smells amazing. You’re incredible—it looks delicious!”

She had made pork bone congee, some pastries, and freshly ground soy milk. Everything was piping hot and mouthwatering.

Everyone loves compliments—especially when they come from a good-looking, polite young man like Qiao Le.

Auntie Yang beamed. “Go wash up. It’ll be ready soon. See if it suits your taste.”

“Okay!”

Qiao Le went to wake up Qiao Man. The two brushed their teeth together. By the time they finished, Shen Hechuan had also come out of his room.

He was already dressed. Qiao Man lit up when he saw him. “Good morning, Uncle Shen~”

“Morning, Xiao Man.” Shen Hechuan patted his head and looked at Qiao Le. “Sleep well last night?”

“Slept like a log. Super comfy,” Qiao Le replied.

“Me too!” Qiao Man chimed in.

Shen Hechuan smiled. “Let’s eat.”

After breakfast, Qiao Le and Shen Hechuan took Qiao Man to his old kindergarten for one last day—to give him a chance to say goodbye.

Qiao Le had prepared small gifts for the teachers and classmates to thank them for taking care of Qiao Man over the past year.

Qiao Man was not only adorable but also well-mannered—very popular among the teachers. Everyone was reluctant to see him go.

After dropping him off, they headed to Yunjing University.

Qiao Le got out of the car. Shen Hechuan reminded him to contact him if there were any issues—he’d have someone help out. Qiao Le nodded and waved him off.

Once Shen Hechuan left, Qiao Le walked into campus with his paperwork.

The re-enrollment process went smoothly. When he came out of the academic office, he didn’t head straight back. He stood by the road, looking down at the application in his hand.

On the back was the leave of absence form he had submitted a year ago. Both forms bore his signature in the bottom-right corner, stamped with the university’s seal.

How great. I’m finally back in school again.

Qiao Le couldn’t help but smile, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

The burden over the past year had been too much—he was on the verge of getting frozen shoulder.

He dug his phone out of his bag and snapped a photo of his reinstatement approval letter, then sent it to Shen Hechuan, telling him that the paperwork was all done and he’d be able to resume school after the National Day holiday.

Shen Hechuan called right away. “Congratulations. Dinner tonight to celebrate?”

“My treat. I’m rich now,” Qiao Le said as he headed down the stairs. “Made the money off you.”

A low chuckle came through the phone. Qiao Le’s ears tingled at the sound. He thought, Not only is Shen Hechuan good-looking, he’s got a nice voice and he’s rich—I really hit the jackpot.

They chatted for a bit, and when Qiao Le got to the bus stop, he said, “I’m taking the bus to meet Jiaxu. Talk later.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Qiao Le boarded the slowly approaching bus.

He called Fang Jiaxu and invited him to lunch.

They met at a spot they agreed on, and Fang Jiaxu rolled up on a skateboard—the one Qiao Le had just bought him.

When he first got it, he scolded Qiao Le for spending money recklessly. But the moment he found out Qiao Le was with Shen Hechuan, he immediately changed his tune and told Qiao Le to buy something even fancier next time—he’d even picked out the brand and model.

They found a restaurant and sat down. Qiao Le pulled out his reinstatement letter and handed it to him, making a formal announcement: “I’m going back to school!”

“What?!”

Fang Jiaxu jumped to his feet with the letter in hand, drawing attention from the nearby tables.

Qiao Le smiled awkwardly at the others and quickly pulled him back down. “Keep it down.”

“Why should I? This is great news!”

Fang Jiaxu flicked the letter with his finger and raised his voice. “Yunjing University, holy hell! My best bro is going to one of the best schools in the city—I should be out here banging drums and holding a banner!”

Then he turned to the nearby diners. “Don’t you all agree?!”

“Yes!!”

The other customers responded enthusiastically, and Fang Jiaxu burst out laughing.

Qiao Le felt embarrassed but also touched. He couldn’t help remembering the expression on his father’s face when he’d gotten the acceptance letter last year—relieved, yet full of guilt.

Back then, he hadn’t known about his father’s debts, nor could he read the emotion in his eyes. It wasn’t until his father jumped from the rooftop that he finally understood.

Guilt. Heartache. Powerlessness.

“Boss, four bottles of beer.”

Fang Jiaxu’s cheerful voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The owner brought over the drinks, and as he opened the bottles, Fang Jiaxu said, “This is worth celebrating.”

He poured them each a glass. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

They clinked glasses and drank over half in one go.

“I’m really happy for you,” Fang Jiaxu said, setting his glass down. “You should be going back to school.”

If Qiao Le’s family hadn’t fallen apart, he should have been attending classes at Yunjing University—carefree at the best university in the city—not spending his days delivering food and his nights working in a bar.

“I know.” Qiao Le clinked glasses again. “Brother Jiaxu, thank you. You’ve taken care of me and Xiao Man this whole time. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it through so easily.”

He meant it. But Fang Jiaxu didn’t like hearing it. He frowned and said, “What are you saying that for? Just for calling me ‘brother,’ of course I’m going to help you.”

Even so, Qiao Le knew that nothing in this world was a given.

He would always remember Fang Jiaxu’s kindness.

They had another drink in silence, no need for words.

“What about your family’s debt?” Fang Jiaxu asked.

“It’s all been taken care of,” Qiao Le said. “Shen Hechuan helped me. I’m debt-free now.”

Fang Jiaxu nodded. “That’s good.”

“And…” Qiao Le hesitated, “we got married.”

“What?!”

Fang Jiaxu shot to his feet again. “You two got married?!”

Qiao Le pulled him back down. “Keep it down! Don’t shout like a gong!”

“What do you mean you got married?” Fang Jiaxu couldn’t believe it. Dating was one thing, but marriage was huge!

Qiao Le said, “Couldn’t help it.”

“…”

Once the shock wore off, Fang Jiaxu couldn’t help getting nosy, asking how they ended up together. After all, Qiao Le had been adamant before that it was impossible.

Qiao Le made something up. “I had dinner at his place that one time, then we kept in touch, and it just happened.”

He suddenly remembered that Shen Hechuan was also from Yunjing University, so he added, “He’s a senior from my school. We have a lot in common, so we clicked.”

“I see.” Fang Jiaxu nodded, not suspecting a thing. “Same school—what a coincidence.”

Qiao Le nodded as he ate. “Yeah.”

Fang Jiaxu rubbed his chin, then leaned in. “Now that you’re married and living together, you’d better be careful, you know, safety and all that.”

“Pfft—”

Qiao Le choked. “What are you talking about?”

“You know—bedroom stuff.” Fang Jiaxu said, “You said his checkup came back clean, but safety’s still important. Actually, that reminds me…”

He winked. “You still haven’t answered me—is he any good or not?”

“…”

Is Shen Hechuan any good?

Why did the conversation keep circling back to this? Wasn’t that misunderstanding in Shen Hechuan’s car embarrassing enough?

Qiao Le grabbed a steamed bun and shoved it into Fang Jiaxu’s gossiping mouth. “What business is it of yours whether he’s good or not? Eat your food!”

Fang Jiaxu took a bite and grinned. “I’m just looking out for you! Whether it’s a husband and wife or a husband and husband, a good sex life is key. If it’s not good, most couples break up.”

Qiao Le gave him a look. “You sure know a lot.”

“Of course I do, I’ve been through it.” Fang Jiaxu said seriously. “In a relationship, love without sex doesn’t work, and sex without love doesn’t either. The best is when you’ve got love—and you enjoy the sex too. Best of both worlds.”

Love and sex, together?

Qiao Le was stunned by that.

It… kind of made sense, but he wasn’t sure if it was entirely right.

His only experience was with Shen Hechuan. That time was probably what Fang Jiaxu would call sex without love. As for now, he and Shen Hechuan were in a contract marriage—so definitely not love, and not sex either.

Strictly speaking: no sex, no love.

No sex, no love.

Those four words sounded so bleak and lonely, they chilled him just hearing them.

But it was fine. Qiao Le thought, At least I’ve got money.

Even if he had to spend the next five years in a no-sex, no-love marriage with Shen Hechuan, he could deal with it.

Shen Hechuan had no idea Qiao Le had just given himself a pep talk. All he noticed was that, that night, Qiao Le kept looking at him with a weird expression but wouldn’t say why.

If he’d known the reason, he definitely would’ve made sure Qiao Le personally experienced what a love-and-sex-filled marriage was like.

But that’s a story for later.

After Qiao Le’s school issue was settled, Judy also finalized Qiao Man’s kindergarten transfer—he could start at the new school right after the National Day holiday.

The coworkers at a Drink To Unwind, once they heard he was going back to school, were all sincerely happy for him. Qiao Le promised he’d find time for a farewell meal.

As for the matter of repaying the debt—well, 1.6 million wasn’t a small sum. Paying it all off at once might raise suspicion. He needed to come up with a reasonable cover story.

On National Day, when Shen Hechuan found out that Qiao Le had a classmate reunion, he offered to watch over Qiao Man for the evening.

The event was dinner and karaoke, held at night.

Shen Hechuan dropped Qiao Le off at the venue and said, “Text me when it’s over—I’ll come get you.”

“I know, you’ve told me like three times already.” Qiao Le replied, then patted Qiao Man. “Be good for Uncle Shen. I’ll be back later.”

“Okay, brother!” Qiao Man replied cheerfully. “Uncle Shen and I are going to KFC!”

“Great.”

Qiao Le got out of the car and sent a message to Song Tongyu from the hotel lobby, letting him know he was downstairs.

Song Tongyu replied with a voice message, saying he’d come down to bring him up.

So Qiao Le waited in the lobby. After a short while, someone tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey—it’s you!”

He looked up and saw a young man with silver-dyed hair standing in front of him. “What a coincidence.”

Qiao Le didn’t recognize him. “Hi… you are?”

“I’m Zhao Lei,” the guy said. “I came to your bar for drinks once—on Shili Street. What was the name again…”

“A Drink To Unwind,” Qiao Le filled in, now vaguely recalling him. So he was a customer.

“Yeah, that’s it. Small place, but nice vibe. And the cocktails you made were great.”

“Thanks,” Qiao Le said politely.

“So what are you doing here?” Zhao Lei asked casually. “You by yourself?”

“Waiting for someone.”

“Who? Boyfriend or girlfriend?” Zhao Lei asked with a smirk.

That was crossing a line.

Qiao Le didn’t want to keep chatting. He smiled and said, “A friend.”

Zhao Lei pulled out his phone. “Hey, we met by chance—add me on WeChat? Next time I stop by, I’ll make a reservation with you.”

It sounded familiar. Qiao Le remembered Judy had said the same thing.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the bar’s WeChat QR code with him, so he said, “Sorry, I don’t work there anymore. If you want to reserve a seat, just call ahead.”

He gave him the bar’s number, but Zhao Lei didn’t take it down. He just said, “Eh, doesn’t matter. Let’s still add each other—we can go have drinks at your old place sometime.”

Why was this guy as clingy as Yang Mu?

Qiao Le was getting irritated and was about to reject him again when a familiar voice came from behind: “Zhao Lei? What are you doing here?”

It was Shen Hechuan.

Qiao Le turned around and sure enough, Shen Hechuan was standing behind him—with Qiao Man in tow.

Seeing him call Zhao Lei by name, Qiao Le gave the two of them a curious look. Do they know each other?

“Brother Shen? You’re here too?” Zhao Lei looked surprised but pleased. “What’ve you been up to lately? I’ve asked you out a few times, but you never showed.”

“Been busy,” Shen Hechuan said curtly. Then he asked, “Why are you pestering him?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Zhao Lei pointed at Qiao Le. “I just wanted to add him on WeChat—grab drinks sometime, you know how it is.”

Shen Hechuan: “…”

Know how it is?

Is the whole world trying to steal my man?