CTS 4

The moment Shen Mo heard that name, he sobered up completely. He tried to turn around, but Ji Mingxuan held him tightly in his arms.

A moment later, Zhou Yang’s voice came from the doorway. “You two have been gone for a while. An’an was getting worried and asked me to come check.”

“Oh, nothing serious. Shen Mo was feeling a little unwell.”

“Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“No need. I will just have the driver take him home first.”

Zhou Yang suddenly called his name directly. “Ji Mingxuan..”

Ji Mingxuan smiled.
“Just call me big brother like An’an does. It will not be long before we are family anyway.”

He enunciated the words “family” heavily, making sure Zhou Yang heard it clearly.

There was a brief silence outside the door, then the sound of footsteps fading into the distance.

As the footsteps grew farther away, Shen Mo felt all the strength drain from his body.
The moment Ji Mingxuan let go of him, he collapsed beside the sink.

Ji Mingxuan did not even look at him.
He simply took off the ring on his hand and washed his hands under the running water.

Unable to hold back, Shen Mo asked,
“Mr. Ji, did you do that on purpose just now?”

Ji Mingxuan focused on washing his hands and asked back, “What do you think?”

Shen Mo understood everything.

Ji Mingxuan had beautiful hands.
When he finished washing and slipped the ring back onto his finger, he glanced at Shen Mo and said, “Do you believe Zhou Yang will be engaged to my sister soon?”

Shen Mo nodded. “I believe it.”

He looked down at his own left hand and said slowly, “There is nothing Mr. Ji wants to do that he cannot accomplish.”

Ji Mingxuan narrowed his eyes, turned around and said, “Let’s go.”

Since he had been drinking, he could not drive. He had the driver take Shen Mo back to the villa instead.

Shen Mo was not physically unwell, but after dealing with Ji Mingxuan for so long, he was weighed down by an indescribable exhaustion. As soon as he entered the room, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

He slept heavily.

By the time he woke up, it was already past ten at night. Hungry after skipping dinner, he went downstairs to find something to eat. He did not expect to bump into Ji An’an as soon as he stepped into the kitchen.

Both of them looked a little awkward.
In the end, it was Ji An’an who spoke first.

“Brother Shen…”

Shen Mo had no idea how Ji Mingxuan had explained their relationship, so he could only respond vaguely and ask,
“You haven’t eaten dinner either?”

“I did, but I’m hungry again. I was looking to see if there’s anything for a late-night snack.”

“I was just about to make some noodles. Want to eat together?”

Ji An’an, who looked delicate and pampered, was not picky at all. She quickly agreed.

Shen Mo found half a container of dried noodles in the cupboard, boiled some water, and threw them in to cook. Ji An’an helped out at the side, chatting with him casually.

“Brother Shen, are you feeling better?”

“Mm. Just a little tired earlier. I’m fine now. Sorry about making you miss out on seafood.”

“It’s fine. Big brother said he would make it up to me.”

“You didn’t have dinner with them?”

Ji An’an blushed slightly.
“I went to eat at the Zhou house. It had been a long time since I last saw Uncle and Aunt Zhou.”

Shen Mo let out a soft “oh”. “I heard the two families have been close for a long time. I am sure Uncle and Aunt Zhou must like you a lot.”

“The Zhou and the Ji family do have a lot of business dealings. Zhou Yang and I grew up together, but he’s always been so quiet. I had to be the one to take the initiative with everything. Even after we went abroad…”
Ji An’an pressed her lips together, then mumbled, “I heard that if two people are each other’s first love, their feelings will be even stronger. I wonder if that’s true?”

The water for the noodles started boiling.
When Shen Mo lifted the lid, a rush of steam hit him in the face. He blinked hard against the heat and said softly, “Of course.”

Ji An’an was still young after all. Feeling a little embarrassed, she quickly changed the subject. “It’s already past ten. Why isn’t my brother back yet?”

Shen Mo cracked two eggs into the pot. “He often has social gatherings at night.”

“Brother Shen, you really have a good temper.” Ji An’an looked at him curiously.
“How did you and my brother meet? Was it love at first sight, or did the feelings grow over time?”

Shen Mo had not expected her to ask that.
His hand brushed against the hot steam and he quickly pulled back.

He stayed silent for a long time.

So long that Ji An’an started to feel awkward. Finally, Shen Mo looked out at the deep, dark night beyond the window and said calmly, “Mr. Ji… saved my life.”