He's Really So Hard to Pursue - Chapter 11

The consequence of a night of indulgence was that a certain someone, whose tattoo hadn’t even fully healed yet, found himself lying back in Room 1 just a few days later.

Jiang Yanci propped up his arm, carefully keeping it at his side.

Jiang Yi, wearing a mask and gloves, disinfected the area once more, performing an emergency rescue on the irritated skin.

“I guess one really shouldn’t overindulge. Lust leads to trouble,” Jiang Yanci sighed with a smile.

Jiang Yi looked up, his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses cold and indifferent. “Mhm. Thanks for the reminder.”

Jiang Yanci: “…Fuck, that’s not what I meant.”

Jiang Yi: “Then what did you mean?”

Jiang Yanci: “Boss Jiang, we’re officially ‘benefits buddies’ now. Shouldn’t you be a diligent farmer, working the field with passion?”

“A field can’t be worn out, but I have no desire to be the ox that drops dead from exhaustion.” Jiang Yi packed up his tools. “Alright, pay more attention the next few days. No alcohol, no spicy food.”

After tossing his gloves into the bin, Jiang Yi added one more thing: “Celibacy.”

Jiang Yanci, who had just enjoyed himself half the night, covered his eyes with his left hand, speechless and helpless. He had just gotten a taste of the good life, and now he was being forcibly shut down.

The rain outside had stopped, replaced by a scorching sun. Jiang Yi had a client in the afternoon for a large piece; it would likely take three or four hours.

Bored on his own, Jiang Yanci grabbed a loose shirt from Jiang Yi’s closet. Passing the front desk, he greeted Xiao Zhao: “Is a morning without work beautiful or what?”

“Beautiful! I’m dying of happiness!” Xiao Zhao’s eyes crinkled into a wide grin. “If I didn’t have to work every morning, I could sleep until I woke up naturally. I wouldn’t even mind if the Boss cut my pay.”

Jiang Yanci chuckled. “I’m happy too. Dying of happiness!” He mimicked her tone playfully.

Xiao Zhao looked curious. “Brother Jiang, did something wonderful happen to you this morning too?”

“A bit earlier than that. It happened last night.” He kept it vague and grabbed a tangerine. “I’m heading out to pick up dinner. Wait for me, and we’ll eat together.”

Xiao Zhao waved. “Sure! Brother Jiang, there’s an old lady selling fresh vegetables at the east end of the street today. Grab me two pounds of wild rice stems and two pounds of peanuts, would you?”

“Got it.” Jiang Yanci was just looking for a way to kill time, so a stroll through the old street suited him perfectly.

Compared to the bustling, impersonal office buildings downtown where coworkers barely nod to each other, the old street was thick with the scent of real life. Since this wasn’t Jiang Yanci’s first time appearing at Jiang Yi’s shop, the neighbors smiled and greeted him.

“Xiao Jiang! The roasted corn is sweet today. Want two ears?”

Jiang Yanci tilted his head. “Sure! Thanks, Uncle. How much? I’ll transfer it to you.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a fresh pick, on the house. If you like it, come back and buy more later.”

Jiang Yanci noted the price listed on the roaster. He thanked the man but scanned the QR code to pay anyway after he turned the corner.

The vegetable stall Xiao Zhao mentioned was temporary and mobile. An old lady sat on a low stool next to a tricycle, her wares spread out on clean fertilizer bags.

Jiang Yanci hiked up his trouser legs to crouch down. The angle was a bit uncomfortable, a sharp reminder that a certain part of him had been overused last night and hadn’t quite recovered.

The old lady looked at him kindly. “What would you like? It’s all fresh, grown myself.”

Jiang Yanci picked up a bunch of wild rice stems. “Grandmother, give me two pounds of these and some peanuts. My ‘little sister’ loves your vegetables.” Seeing the greens looked good too, he took two pounds of those as well.

After weighing the items and taking the money, the old lady stuffed a handful of green onions into the bag. “Take these to stir-fry with some meat. They’re very fragrant.”

Jiang Yanci thanked her and strolled past the bar without going in. He decided to get some barbecue for the shop, finding a stall on the old street. He ordered a large spread, all to go.

The owner clearly recognized him. “Buying for Jiang Yi and the crew? I’ve had this shop for over a decade. When Jiang Yi was seventeen or eighteen, he used to work here to earn his tuition.”

Jiang Yanci’s interest was instantly piqued. “Owner, did Jiang Yi live here back then?”

The BBQ owner nodded, pointing toward a building with peeling paint. “That unit there, it used to be theirs. Later, they sold it to pay for his mother’s medical bills.”

He shook his head regretfully. “He’s had it rough. An unreliable sister, a sick mother… he has to carry the whole family on his back. He worked his way through college. I heard back then, in his junior year, he had a chance to study abroad, but he gave it up because of his family. Most people on this old street are elderly; there are very few young people left. He’s one of them. But since they sold their house, now that he’s back, he has to rent a place to live.”

Jiang Yanci listened quietly, asking a question here and there. “What about his father?”

“He was good to them, just… didn’t have much ability.” The owner asked, “Extra spicy and numbing?”

“Yes,” Jiang Yanci answered without hesitation. “Actually, make it mild.”

“You got it.” The owner skillfully grilled a massive stack of skewers, packing them into boxes. “Eat them while they’re hot. Some meats get fishy when they’re cold.”

Jiang Yanci took the food. He was curious about Jiang Yi’s old home, but the food was a priority. The building wasn’t going anywhere; he could check it out later. He picked up some stir-fried rice cakes and radish rib soup for himself before heading back to the shop.

“I knew I smelled BBQ! Xiao Zhao thought I was hallucinating from hunger,” Jiang Xi greeted him immediately, his nose twitching. “Whoa, that’s a lot of skewers. Smells like the local touch.”

Jiang Xi took the dinner while Xiao Zhao took the vegetables. “Did you buy extra greens?”

Jiang Yanci: “Those are for me, for some noodles later. You take the green onions the old lady gave me; I won’t use them.”

Xiao Zhao put the greens in the fridge. “I’ll drop these off at my place and be right back to eat. Thanks for the treat, Brother Jiang!”

Jiang Xi yelled along as he unpacked the bags, “Thanks for the treat, Big Brother!”

Jiang Yanci sat on the sofa for a bit, sharing the “good news” of sleeping with Jiang Yi with Qu Yehui. He could still hear the faint hum of the tattoo machine from the workspace. “Jiang Xi, is your uncle still not done?”

“Probably not.” Jiang Xi didn’t even look up, already halfway through a skewer of grilled pork belly. “That piece is huge. I saw it when I went in to help earlier; it’ll be a while. Big Brother, let’s eat first. We’ll put some aside for Uncle in the oven at fifty degrees to keep warm.”

Jiang Yanci was surprised. “You’re pretty good at this.”

“You flatter me,” Jiang Xi joked. “My uncle often forgets to eat when he’s busy. I always keep his food warm so he can have a hot meal whenever he finishes.”

Jiang Yanci gave the nephew a thumbs-up. “Truly a good nephew.”

Jiang Xi picked out Jiang Yi’s favorite skewers and set them aside. “Big Brother, go ahead and eat. Don’t wait for him.”

“I’m sticking to the rice cakes and radish soup.” Jiang Yanci sat down and started eating.

“So bland,” Jiang Xi teased. Feeling the skewers weren’t spicy enough, he dumped on an extra bag of chili powder. “You can only watch, no touching!”

Jiang Yanci was expressionless, but the chili powder was pungent. He couldn’t help but turn his head and sneeze twice.

Xiao Zhao smelled it as she walked back in. “Jiang Xi, what are you doing? Using chili powder as a weapon? That’s too much; it’s stinging my nose.”

Jiang Xi: “The ones Big Brother bought weren’t spicy enough. I just added a little.”

Xiao Zhao, who could handle her spice, took a bite. “It’s fine. The owner knows our taste; he just balanced it out. You’re being dramatic.”

Jiang Xi’s reaction finally caught up to him. Right. They ate at that stall all the time. On the old street, everyone knew everyone; the owner naturally remembered their preferences.

“Open a window.” Suddenly, a weary, impatient voice came from the other side.

Jiang Yi was rubbing his tired brow. “Get the smell out of here.”

Jiang Xi silently moved to open the window, grumbling under his breath, “Opening the window with the AC on… what a waste of electricity. It’s expensive!”

He curled his lip. “When we signed the contract, we should have made the landlord cover water and electricity. Such high rent, and it includes nothing. What a cheapskate.”

The landlord heard every single word and started sipping his soup with even more relish.

Xiao Zhao, knowing the full story, pinched Jiang Xi’s arm. “Stop talking nonsense! If the landlord hears you, what if he raises our rent next year?”

“He’s not even here. Can’t I just vent a little?” Jiang Xi hollered. “I’m not wrong; this rent is expensive! If we hadn’t sold our house back then… Wait, why do you keep pinching me? Xiao Zhao, this is a real arm, not a mannequin’s!”

Xiao Zhao gave Jiang Yanci a fawning smile, then turned back to Jiang Xi, speaking through gritted teeth: “And?”

Jiang Xi: “…It hurts.”

Realizing her slip, Xiao Zhao naturally let go and patted down his rumpled sleeve. “Oh, I forgot. Turns out you actually are human.”

Jiang Xi: “…”

The client in the workspace finished cleaning up and emerged. He seemed quite familiar with Jiang Yi; both of his exposed arms were covered in tattoos. After swapping a few pleasantries, he took his leave.

Jiang Yi saw him out and turned back. He frowned slightly when he saw the BBQ, but after spotting the relatively light rib soup and stir-fried rice cakes in front of Jiang Yanci, he swallowed his words.

“I’m going to the hospital for the night shift after dinner,” Jiang Yi said.

Jiang Xi looked confused. “I know. You told me this morning.”

Jiang Yanci knew the statement was actually directed at him. He nodded, even though he had also overheard it that morning.

Then came a sudden, soul-piercing question.

Xiao Zhao: “Boss, you were at the shop this morning? Didn’t you say you had ‘business’ to attend to?”

Before Jiang Yi could open his mouth, Jiang Xi’s words tumbled out like beans from a jar, rapid-fire style: “He was! When I got here, he and Big Brother had just woken up. I almost caught them.”

“Shut up.” Jiang Yi kicked Jiang Xi under the table. “Can’t even all this food stop your mouth?”

Jiang Xi clutched his aching shin, looking pitiful. “I’m telling the truth—the honest truth. These days, you get beaten for being honest. There’s no justice in this world.”

Jiang Yanci watched Jiang Yi deal with his nephew with great interest. But out of the corner of his eye, he caught Xiao Zhao’s suggestive, scrutinizing gaze and paused, his soup-sipping slowing down.

Xiao Zhao noticed his look and covered her mouth, her laughter sounding both sneaky and uncontrollable.

She had discovered the Boss’s biggest scandal!

What “business”? She was willing to bet Jiang Xi’s tuition and living expenses for the next four years of college that this was absolutely personal business!

She was about to faint from the secondhand excitement.

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