In a Relationship With the Rugged Guy Next Door - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: I Have No Charisma.

Chen Jingming was tossed and turned for a whole night—angry, exhausted, yet admittedly satisfied.

He was still asleep in the morning when Chu Feng woke him for breakfast. Despite having no appetite, he mechanically ate a steamer of soup dumplings, a bowl of red bean porridge, and a glass of milk. Once Chu Feng left for work, Jingming went right back to sleep.

The business trip had drained his brain; the previous night had drained his body. For the first time in a while, he let his mind go blank and slept heavily for a few days.

A week later, his travel reimbursement from Sing-Yu and his salary from the Media Center hit his account—totaling 30,000 yuan. Looking at the balance, Jingming felt a surge of joy and announced he would treat everyone to dinner over the weekend.

Since he was currently between major projects, he started working at Chu Feng’s ranch. Chu Feng had officially given him a “front desk” position just so he could pay for Jingming’s social security and insurance. During the day, Jingming worked at the ranch; at night, he returned home to write his script.

…

The Sun and the “D”

“Put on some sunscreen, Baby.” Chu Feng sat at his desk, pulling a tube out of the drawer.

A few days ago, Chu Feng hadn’t been at the ranch to nag him, and Jingming had come home with the skin on his neck peeling from the sun. The plateau’s UV rays were brutal, even if the air felt cool.

Jingming, already wearing a bucket hat, tried to bolt. “I don’t need it!”

“Yes, you do.” Chu Feng caught him by the back of his collar. “Come here. Be good.”

“I’m just getting some Vitamin D!” Jingming huffed.

“The sunscreen won’t stop the vitamin, but it will stop the burn,” Chu Feng laughed, applying the cream. “If you get too dark and lose your ‘handsome’ look, you’ll be the one crying later.”

Jingming grinned. “Actually, dark-skinned muscular guys are very popular in our circle. Huge muscles, perk butt—total ‘Heavenly Food’ (天菜)!”

Chu Feng paused, holding Jingming in place to let the sunscreen set. He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Heavenly food? You’re a genius.”

…

Brothers and Plans

While Jingming was out helping workers patch the grass, Chen Lang walked into the office. “Big Brother, you’re like a helicopter parent. You nag him about everything.”

“I’m his brother!” Chu Feng snapped playfully.

Lang sat down. “The accountant told me you want to withdraw your year-end dividends along with last year’s. That’s a huge chunk of change. What for?”

Chu Feng didn’t hide it. “Lawsuits cost money. And I want to bring the baby home for real.”

Lang was confused. “He’s already here.”

“I want him to legally terminate his adoption status with those parents and move his household registration back to Changxi,” Chu Feng said, his expression serious. “I’ll try to negotiate first. If that fails, I’ll sue. My lawyer says I’ll likely have to pay them compensation for the ‘upbringing costs.'”

“Why?!” Lang barked. “They have the nerve to take money?”

“They provided him with a good material foundation; we can’t deny that. But more importantly, Jingming can’t get over his guilt. He feels he owes them his life. I want to solve this in the most peaceful way possible so it doesn’t leave a thorn in his heart.”

Lang sighed. “I get it. Jingming is too sensitive.”

“He’s just a good person,” Chu Feng corrected.

…

The Crisis of Charisma

Lately, Jingming had been helping with the renovation of the local Ethnic Museum. The designer, a strict woman in her forties, was hard to please, but Jingming’s sensitivity allowed him to anticipate her needs perfectly.

However, the physical labor of construction and the mental strain of writing were taking their toll. Every day, he came home and collapsed on the sofa like a boneless cat.

One night, Chu Feng made a big plate of toothpick beef and cured meat with mushrooms—Jingming’s favorite. Jingming didn’t even move.

“Time to eat, Baby.” Chu Feng patted his rear.

“Ow! That hurts!” Jingming rolled over, pouting. “You have too much ‘ox strength’ (牛劲).”

After dinner, Jingming mentioned that his friend Xue Dongni was coming to visit. “Can she stay with us?”

“Of course. I’ll clear out the room next door,” Chu Feng said.

“Wait, you told me that was your uncle’s room and couldn’t be touched! That’s why you wouldn’t let me sleep there when I first moved in!”

Chu Feng grinned. “If I hadn’t said that, you would have moved in there instead of sleeping with me. Call me a man of strategy.”

Later, as Jingming sat with his laptop, he looked at his finished 150,000-word script. He had finished it two days ago, but he hated it. He felt it was shallow. His articles weren’t getting much traction, and his podcast was quiet.

He watched Chu Feng and Chen Lang talk passionately about the ranch. People who do what they love are so charismatic, he thought. My career is going nowhere. My future is a blur.

“I have no charisma anymore,” he whispered to himself.

That night, he lay in bed facing the wall. When Chu Feng tried to touch him, Jingming mumbled, “Not doing it.”

Chu Feng froze. “What’s wrong? Why don’t you want to do it with me?”

“I’m tired. And you… your libido is too high! All you think about is ‘doing it’!”

Chu Feng looked genuinely hurt—an expression Jingming had never seen on him. Jingming immediately felt guilty and pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry, Brother. I didn’t mean it. I’m just… I’m in a bad mood.”

He confessed his anxiety about his career. Everyone else had a clear path—Chu Feng had the ranch, Xiao Yun had the restaurant—but he had nothing. Not even a piece of land.

Chu Feng comforted him. “Different things have different harvest cycles, Baby. Tomatoes take three months, cattle take two years. Your harvest just hasn’t arrived yet.”

Jingming smiled weakly. “Well, I guess I’m still charismatic to you, at least.”

…

The “Little Girl” Misunderstanding

That weekend, Chu Feng bought a new bed for the guest room. He even bought a set of pink and blue floral bedsheets.

“Is it cute?” Chu Feng asked proudly.

“Very cute,” Jingming said.

“I went to the city to get these. I figured your friend would like this kind of thing—she’s a little girl, after all. Her name is Nini, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Nini,” Chu Feng said, tucking the sheets away. “Sounds like a cute little girl, just like my Baby.”

Jingming scratched his head guiltily. Brother… I think you might have a slight misunderstanding about what kind of person Xue Dongni is.