He's Really So Hard to Pursue - Chapter 2

While Jiang Xi was still trying to figure out how exactly the seniority had “flipped,” he heard Jiang Yanci let out a low whistle of genuine admiration. “So this is why your uncle won’t let you up here.”

Jiang Xi snapped out of it and followed his gaze.

The entire floor was filled with easels. Each one held a canvas, showcasing a staggering variety of styles.

Jiang Xi’s eyes widened, his mouth dropping open. “Holy… crap,” he managed, his voice thick with awe.

Jiang Yanci was equally stunned. Usually, tattoo artists were decent illustrators, but he hadn’t expected Jiang Yi to be an artist of this caliber. Jiang Yanci didn’t know much about the technicalities of art; usually, a trip to a museum or a gallery was just an excuse for him to find a quiet corner and take a nap, but Jiang Yi’s work was different. It was magnetic.

The styles shifted from one canvas to the next. The colors were bold and vibrant, save for a few dark, eerie pieces tucked away in the corner that felt hauntingly beautiful.

Jiang Yanci wandered through the space with his usual lazy grace. He reached out to touch one of the paintings, then caught himself and pulled back. Right. I’m soaked. Better stay away from the masterpieces.

According to the nephew, this was Jiang Yi’s sanctuary. No one was allowed up here, not even his own flesh and blood.

“Where’s the bathroom?” Jiang Yanci’s voice finally broke Jiang Xi’s trance.

“Wait… you haven’t seen it?” Jiang Xi blinked.

Jiang Yanci swallowed a smile and shook his head. “No. Your uncle doesn’t exactly invite me over for tea. I haven’t seen any of this before.”

Jiang Yanci arched an eyebrow, deep in thought. Talk about perfect timing. Did he just happen to stumble in while Jiang Yi was airing out his collection?

Outside, the rain intensified. Fat droplets hammered against the windowpanes with a rhythmic, chaotic clatter. Jiang Yanci glanced at the glass. Not exactly prime weather for showing off oil paintings.

Jiang Xi led him toward the room on the left. “The bathroom is in here. Go ahead and wash up.”

Jiang Yanci stopped at the threshold.

One look at the bedding and the style of the clothes lying around made it obvious: this was Jiang Yi’s bedroom. The kid clearly wasn’t thinking; his brain was probably still stuck on the paintings.

Even if Jiang Yanci had set his sights on the man, they were still strangers. He wasn’t the type to go snooping through someone’s private living quarters. He hooked a finger into the hood of Jiang Xi’s hoodie and pulled him back. “Are you sure you want me showering in here?”

“Huh? What… Oh! Shit!” Jiang Xi jumped. “Why did I bring you to my uncle’s room? Quick, quick! The room on the right is the guest room. There’s a bathroom in there too. Go use that one. Bi—”

Remembering the “seniority” comment, Jiang Xi bit his tongue and corrected himself. “…Uncle?”

Uncle?!

Jiang Yanci didn’t know whether to be annoyed or amused. “Fine by me, nephew.”

******

Downstairs, Jiang Yi finished the touch-up for his final client of the day. Xiao Zhao let out a long yawn. “Boss, we’ve got two bookings tomorrow. One at 9:00 AM, one at 2:00 PM. The morning one is a large piece, so that’ll take a while. The afternoon is just a small design; should be quick.”

Jiang Yi stood at the sink, scrubbing his hands. He’d been working with disinfectant all day, and he took his time washing it off. He nodded in response. “Got it. It’s late—you should head home.”

Xiao Zhao gave him a playful wink. “Boss, I live right next door. Don’t worry about me; I’m perfectly safe. By the way, Jiang Xi took Mr. Jiang upstairs. Do you need me for anything else?”

Mr. Jiang?

The formal title felt slightly out of place. Jiang Yi looked at the steady stream of water, then glanced up at the window. The rain showed no signs of letting up. “No. Clock out.”

Spoken like a true worker, the moment she was told she could leave, she was ready. Xiao Zhao tidied the front desk, gave the lucky cat statue’s paw a little poke for good luck, and grabbed her bag.

“Xiao Zhao,” Jiang Yi said suddenly. “Have Jiang Xi walk you home. Jiang Xi!”

He shouted toward the second floor. Two seconds later, Jiang Xi’s head popped over the iron railing. “Yeah? Uncle, you calling me?”

“Walk Xiao Zhao home,” Jiang Yi said curtly.

Jiang Xi nodded. “Sure thing. Just a sec—Uncle, don’t you have some new clothes that haven’t been worn yet? I couldn’t find them.”

Jiang Yi narrowed his eyes. “What for?”

Jiang Xi made a face. “My… uncle is in the shower. He can’t exactly put his old, soaked clothes back on after a hot bath. That’d defeat the whole purpose, wouldn’t it?”

“There’s a clean bathrobe. Give him that for now,” Jiang Yi replied.

Jiang Xi knew where that was. He grabbed it, left it outside the guest bathroom door, and bounded down the stairs. “Let’s go, Xiao Zhao. I’m your escort tonight.”

As he walked out, he looked back over his shoulder. “Uncle, don’t lock the door! I’m coming back in a bit.”

Jiang Yi let out a cold snort. “Like hell you are. Get home and do your homework.”

Jiang Xi’s face fell. “I hate studying.”

Jiang Yi simply raised his phone. “Do you want your allowance next week or not?”

Caught by his lifeline, Jiang Xi folded instantly. “Yes, yes, okay! I’ll walk Xiao Zhao back and then go straight home.”

Still, he looked back at the second floor with a hint of concern. Jiang Yi massaged the bridge of his nose and said, somewhat enigmatically: “He’s more familiar with this place than you are.”

****

Upstairs, Jiang Yanci finished his shower. The old street used to have issues with hot water, but the infrastructure had improved recently. The gas-powered heaters were reliable now, no more sketchy gas canisters or fluctuating temperatures.

He slipped into the bathrobe and caught his reflection in the mirror. His skin was pale, a trait he’d inherited from his mother, but his lips were naturally a deep, vivid red.

Steaming from the bath, the bathrobe hung loosely open, revealing his collarbones and a lean, slightly damp chest. His dark hair was a mess of effortless, post-shower waves. He looked… well, he looked like he’d been caught in a rainstorm and then slowly unwrapped.

Damn, Jiang Yanci thought, a small smirk playing on his lips. I’ve still got it.

Knock, knock.

Someone was at the guest room door. Jiang Yanci glanced at the scar on his right wrist and gave a soft laugh. Before heading out, he wiped a broad streak through the fog on the mirror.

The door creaked open.

Jiang Yi stood there, his eyes heavy with fatigue. “Jiang Xi went home. Where do you live? I’ll drop—”

He stopped mid-sentence. His gaze swept over Jiang Yanci, and he frowned with a hint of irritation. “Does that robe not have a belt? Or is the collar just broken?”

Jiang Yanci leaned against the doorframe, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek. “It has a belt. I tied it. The collar… well, it just won’t stay shut, I guess.”

They were both grown men. Jiang Yanci’s intent was crystal clear, and Jiang Yi wasn’t an idiot. He saw exactly what was happening.

But he was exhausted and had designs to finish. He didn’t have the energy for games.

“I’ll get you some clothes. Change, and I’ll take you home,” Jiang Yi said, turning away.

Jiang Yanci watched his back and followed him leisurely. He’d known he was into men for a long time. Everyone at his bar knew it, too. He hadn’t been sure about Jiang Yi until that very second.

The “test” confirmed it. Jiang Yi was definitely “on the team,” and likely a prime specimen at that.

“These are new. Washed, but never worn,” Jiang Yi said, pulling a pair of black cargo pants and a black t-shirt from his wardrobe.

Jiang Yanci took them. “Manager Jiang.”

Jiang Yi looked back, a silent question in his eyes.

Jiang Yanci shook out the clothes. “Are you really expecting me to go commando all the way home?”

Jiang Yi’s expression went cold. He wasn’t biting. “Is there a problem?”

Jiang Yanci: “?”

“You’re wearing pants over it,” Jiang Yi said flatly. “Who’s going to know?”

Jiang Yanci: “…”

Well, he’s not wrong. Hard to argue with that logic.

But Jiang Yanci wasn’t one for following the rules. In front of Jiang Yi, he didn’t hold back. He reached back and kicked the bedroom door shut, then took two long strides forward, pinning the man against the wall near the bathroom.

“Hey handsome,” he said, his voice direct and dropped an octave. “How about we try dating?”

Jiang Yi didn’t even flinch. His expression remained unchanged, his breathing perfectly steady.

Jiang Yanci let out a low laugh. “Cool as a cucumber. I guess you get this a lot.”

Jiang Yi took off his glasses and tossed them onto the nightstand, revealing the eyes hidden behind the lenses. Without the frames, his gaze was sharper—colder. He looked genuinely annoyed, a man who didn’t care to hide his desire for space.

And yet, his response was surprisingly polite. “I appreciate the sentiment.”

He paused. “But there’s a bar two blocks down, turn left. If you’re single, you should spend some time there.”

In other words: go drink, burn off some steam, and stop wasting my time with flirting that’s going nowhere.

Jiang Yanci’s breath hitched. Did I hear that right?

Was Jiang Yi telling him to go find a “professional” at a bar? He’d been that direct, and the guy’s response was to tell him he had too much energy and should go “buy” some company?

And more importantly… that bar two blocks down…

That’s MY damn bar.

I run a lounge, you bastard! We don’t sell ‘company’ there!

Jiang Yanci laughed out of pure spite. “You really do have your rejection routine down to a science, don’t you?”

Jiang Yi stood by the window and pulled out a cigarette, placing it between his fingers. “Thanks for the compliment.”

Jiang Yanci: “…”

“Though,” Jiang Yi added, “I’ve never been cornered in a bathrobe before. I suppose I have ‘Uncle’ to thank for the new experience.”

Jiang Yanci: “…”

That kid. ‘Uncle’ makes me sound ancient.

Jiang Yi finished his cigarette and crushed the butt into an ashtray on the windowsill. He opened the windows to let the smoke out and jerked his chin toward the street. “It’s going to rain all night. I’ll take you home.”

Jiang Yanci looked outside. The thunderstorm had settled into a steady, heavy rain. The old street was full of ancient, uneven paths; the government had designated it a heritage zone, so the roads were preserved in their original state. On a sunny day, they were charming. On a rainy day, they were a muddy minefield of puddles. One wrong step and you’d ruin a good pair of shoes.

Jiang Yanci was about to nod when Jiang Yi spoke again.

“Or, you can stay.”

Jiang Yanci’s eyes sharpened.

“The guest room is empty,” Jiang Yi said tonelessly. “You can sleep there.”

Jiang Yanci couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Jiang Yi, let me get this straight. I hit on you, and you reject me. I get ready to leave, and you ask me to stay. Wow. You really like playing hard to get, don’t you?”

Jiang Yi’s face remained a mask of indifference. He thinned his lips and spat out two words:

“The landlord.”

Jiang Yanci: “…”

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