The Sickly Beauty Can’t Escape the Obsessive Lover - Chapter 20.2

Jing Yuan lay on the bed like a dried-up fish flailing without moisture, the room filled with his sighs.

The next day, the head physician came as usual to check on his condition.

Jing Yuan cooperatively raised his hand, looking despondent.

The physician felt his pulse: “Young Master Jing, your heart and kidneys are out of balance recently. Are you having trouble sleeping?”

Jing Yuan recalled how his usual 15 hours of daily sleep had indeed been disrupted over the past few days and obediently agreed: “Mm.”

The physician continued examining his pulse: “You have heart fire. It would be best for you to go out for walks. Only when your mood improves will your illness recover faster.”

Jing Yuan politely expressed gratitude: “Alright.”

After the physician finished prescribing medicine and left, Jing Yuan rested his head on a pillow and sighed in admiration—the physician truly had foresight. Given the current situation, he really should go out to clear his mind.

Of course, that was on the condition that Ji Yan didn’t follow him.

Humming a little tune, Jing Yuan opened his iPad and began catching up on matters related to the tea house. The designer had already sent him the drawings, which overall looked quite complex, with many areas needing revision. They deviated from what he had envisioned. Moreover, there were some issues with the tea house’s transaction procedures, likely related to urban planning, and there was a chance his carefully chosen location might fall through.

Originally, he had been quite anxious, but Jing Baiwei had been helping him manage these matters, which gave him some peace of mind.

Lately, Manhe had been contacting him repeatedly about whether he could return to work. He had already taken a week off—any other employer would have fired him by now. It was only because Li Mo was a decent person that he didn’t pressure Jing Yuan to return and would find someone else to cover for him instead.

With so many things demanding his attention recently, Jing Yuan’s energy was indeed limited. He leaned limply against the headboard, fantasizing about a windfall—like an existing tea house he could take over directly.

Time flew by, and three days had already passed since Jing Yuan returned from the resort. During this time, he and Ji Yan rarely crossed paths. Whenever Ji Yan came home, Jing Yuan was either sleeping due to a headache or soaking in the hot springs, doing his best to avoid contact with him.

But he knew that hiding from Ji Yan wasn’t a long-term solution.

Even a cornered rabbit will bite, and Ji Yan was far more terrifying than a rabbit.

That afternoon, after waking from his nap, Jing Yuan stretched and did some exercises before settling in to enjoy his afternoon tea.

His dessert was crème brûlée and lemon black tea, which suited his taste perfectly.

Just then, his bedroom door was knocked on.

Usually, no one disturbed him at this hour.

Curious, Jing Yuan said, “Come in.”

Ji Yan pushed the door open and strode into his line of sight with his long legs.

Jing Yuan, who had been gulping down his tea, immediately started coughing.

It was a workday—why had Ji Yan come home so early?

“Are you alright, Yuan Yuan?” Ji Yan sat opposite Jing Yuan, pulled out a few tissues, and handed them to him. “Why are you drinking so quickly?”

Jing Yuan’s face was red from coughing: “…I was a bit thirsty.”

After not seeing each other for three days, Ji Yan noticed that Jing Yuan had grown noticeably thinner. Earlier, he had asked Chen Tian about Jing Yuan’s recent health condition, and the head physician had mentioned that Jing Yuan was suffering from heart fire and couldn’t sleep at night.

“I finished work early today and wanted to give you a gift,” Ji Yan said gently, his gaze fixed on Jing Yuan.

Jing Yuan’s throat finally cleared. He lowered his head, stealing glances at Ji Yan’s expression out of the corner of his eye, his mind tangled in hesitation.

Given his recent state, he would normally have refused Ji Yan’s offer outright. But handling people required a balance of tension and relaxation. To take the initiative, he needed to be flexible.

So, Jing Yuan asked softly, “Are there any conditions?”

Ji Yan smiled: “No.”

Jing Yuan was somewhat surprised, a trace of wariness still lingering in his eyes: “What gift is it?”

Ji Yan took his hand: “Come with me.”

…

Soon, the two arrived by car at the foot of a large building. Jing Yuan had never been here before and sat in his wheelchair, letting Ji Yan push him.

After a few minutes, Ji Yan stopped him in front of a grand logo at the ground-floor commercial space of Building B.

“Where is this?” Jing Yuan looked around curiously, reading the words on the logo: “Yun Shui Jian?”

Ji Yan: “Mm.”

As they were talking, a chubby middle-aged man hurried out from inside and greeted them warmly: “President Ji, you’ve brought your beloved with you!”

Jing Yuan was still confused until he entered and saw several rows of display cabinets standing in the center of the hall. Only then did he realize belatedly that this was a tea house.

His love for tea had its origins.

Long before he transmigrated into the book, he had enjoyed playing with and tasting tea.

It was just a pity that he never had the chance to realize this passion.

Now that he had money, he wanted to try opening a tea house.

“Are you here to help me learn from experience?” Regardless of Ji Yan’s intentions, Jing Yuan was still very happy. From the selection of tea varieties to the decor in every corner, everything here was to his liking.

Ji Yan chuckled softly in response and continued to guide him around.

“Our tea house covers a large area. This is the general area, and the backyard is the VIP hall. Every evening, tea masters come to perform for the guests,” the manager of the tea house explained.

Jing Yuan grew interested: “Do you get many customers here?”

Manager: “It’s busier on weekends—the private rooms in the backyard are in high demand. On weekdays, the occupancy rate is about 75%.”

Jing Yuan: “So, it must be very profitable?”

Manager: “Yes, mainly because of the clientele here. Most of the customers who come to drink tea are business owners discussing deals.”

Jing Yuan couldn’t wait to crane his neck toward the backyard and patted the armrest of the wheelchair Ji Yan was pushing: “I want to go there.”

Ji Yan glanced at his own hand and smiled: “Alright.”

For the entire afternoon, the manager patiently shared the tea house’s operational experience with Jing Yuan. Jing Yuan listened attentively, opening his phone’s memo app to take careful notes.

By the end of their conversation, Jing Yuan felt a bit embarrassed and smiled shyly: “Thank you for sharing so much experience with me. Let me treat you to dinner tonight.”

He felt the manager was very sincere, having shared both what was appropriate and what wasn’t.

Upon hearing this, the manager quickly waved his hand: “You’re too kind. From now on, we’re family. If there’s anything you need from me, just say the word.”

Jing Yuan was a bit bewildered by the phrase “family” and instinctively looked at Ji Yan.

Ji Yan leaned down to explain: “The tea house you originally chose had a lot of procedural issues. If you wanted to open it smoothly, it would take at least two years. The owner of this tea house is planning to move abroad. If you like it, you can take it over directly.”

Happiness came too suddenly, and Jing Yuan felt a bit overwhelmed.

He kept reminding himself that this was Ji Yan’s sugar-coated bullet with impure intentions, but he couldn’t help feeling overjoyed.

“Then… how much would it cost to acquire it?”

Ji Yan: “About the same as the one you initially chose, around 17 million.”

Jing Yuan’s eyes lit up: “Really?”

The manager smiled warmly: “Why would I lie to you?”

Jing Yuan immediately stood up from his wheelchair, clasped his hands behind his back, and began pacing around the hall with an air of importance, inspecting his future territory.

Seeing the manager stunned, Ji Yan explained, “He’s not disabled.”

The manager patted his chest. “I thought so.”

After looking around for a while, Jing Yuan was very satisfied with his future tea house. Turning to the manager, he asked, “Can I hire some handsome tea masters in the future?”

The manager glanced at Ji Yan. “No problem.”

Jing Yuan asked again, “What if I hire some good-looking guys with great figures to dance? Wouldn’t that make the business even more popular?”

The manager twitched his lips. “You make a good point. But what kind of dancing are you referring to?”

Jing Yuan said casually, “Classical dance related to tea culture, of course.”

The manager instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had almost thought it would be pole dancing or striptease.

“For the interviews, I plan to handle them myself.” Talking about this, Jing Yuan suddenly perked up, his spirited expression making the manager break into a cold sweat.

This Boss Jing and Mr. Ji really have a great relationship.

Even when Boss Jing said things like that, Mr. Ji still kept smiling, fully supporting his lover’s endeavors.

Until evening, Jing Yuan sat in the hall admiring the tea masters’ performances, completely unwilling to go home.

The tea house was called Yun Shui Jian. Though the name was pleasant, Jing Yuan decided to change it to highlight a fresh new image.

From beginning to end, Ji Yan quietly accompanied Jing Yuan, occasionally responding when Jing Yuan shared his ideas.

However, by the end, they still hadn’t settled on a name for the tea house.

After spending the whole afternoon there, Jing Yuan was starving. He devoured three plates of tea snacks and a plate of nuts in one go.

Seeing Jing Yuan eat so heartily, Ji Yan’s gloomy mood lately inexplicably improved.

It felt a lot like a cat that had been sulking and refusing to eat finally letting go of its pride and willingly rubbing up against its owner again.

…

When they left the tea house, Jing Yuan tucked his hands into his sleeves, his eyes sparkling. “Ji Yan, thank you for thinking about the tea house with me.”

Ji Yan’s voice was gentle. “You’re welcome. We’re family. It’s only right that I help you.”

Hearing this, Jing Yuan froze for a moment. His usually bright smile took on a hint of complexity.

In the harsh winter, his reddened nose tingled with emotion.

He remembered again what Ji Yan had said in the garden.

If he didn’t know the truth, he would have been deeply moved by Ji Yan’s words.

He zipped his down jacket all the way up, burying his chin inside, and avoided looking Ji Yan in the eye.

Today was the Great Cold.

Since evening, sparse snowflakes had begun to fall from the sky. Though light, they melted into noticeable wet patches on people’s shoulders.

Ji Yan opened an umbrella and held it over Jing Yuan. “Yuan Yuan, I think you’ve been troubled by something lately. It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me, but don’t keep it bottled up. The director said you have internal heat. I’m worried about your health.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Jing Yuan’s eyes.

Then, a faint blush spread across both his ears.

Look at how sincere Ji Yan’s sweet talk was when he was acting.

If he didn’t know the truth, he might have ended up losing both his heart and his fortune, completely manipulated by Ji Yan.

But it seemed Ji Yan was very concerned about his unusual behavior.

He’d better rein it in quickly.

“Okay, I’ll take good care of myself.” Jing Yuan flashed a row of small white teeth, smiling brightly. “Ji Yan, don’t just hold the umbrella for me—come under it too.”

They only had one black umbrella. Ji Yan had been holding it over Jing Yuan the whole time, leaving himself exposed to the snow.

Ji Yan adjusted his glasses. “Mm.”

He took a step forward, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Jing Yuan toward the parking lot.

By the time they headed home, the snow along the way had grown heavier. Jing Yuan stretched his hand out of the car window, curiously feeling the temperature of the snow.

He had never seen snowfall before.

Just then, he caught sight of a sugar painting stall by the roadside.

“Driver, could you pull over for a moment?”

The driver parked by the curb. “Young Master Jing, if there’s anything you want to buy, I can go for you. The wind and snow are fierce outside.”

Jing Yuan tightened his down jacket. “I’ll be right back.”

Ji Yan was on a phone call but followed Jing Yuan out of the car, continuing to discuss the implementation details of a project while watching Jing Yuan buy the sugar painting.

By the time he ended the call, Jing Yuan had already returned with his purchase.

In the car, Jing Yuan held up a sugar painting with his name on it. “Look, the shopkeeper even drew a little figure for me and wrote many auspicious phrases.”

Ji Yan nodded. “Looks nice.”

Jing Yuan handed Ji Yan a paper bag. “There’s one for you, too.”

Ji Yan was quite surprised. “Thank you.”

When he opened the bag, he was met with the clumsily written characters for “Ji Yan.”

Without needing to look closely, he could tell it wasn’t the shopkeeper’s work.

The sugar painting was simple, without elaborate decorations—just the two characters for his name and a blessing.

“Peace and safety year after year,” Ji Yan read softly, as if recalling something from the past.

“Mhm,” Jing Yuan replied, licking his sugar painting without further explanation. Ji Yan’s sugar painting was something he had playfully asked the shopkeeper for the materials to make himself. As for why the blessing was “peace and safety year after year,” he hadn’t given it much thought. Perhaps, deep down, he felt that Ji Yan’s life had not been smooth, and the most important thing was for him to live peacefully through each year.

Ji Yan didn’t eat his sugar painting. Instead, he carefully stored it away, unable to hide the melancholy and resignation in his eyes.

He, too, wished for peace and safety year after year.

But certain people and matters had disrupted his peace.

If only, in this lifetime, he could truly have peace and safety year after year.

“Thank you,” Ji Yan said, his voice slightly hoarse.

Jing Yuan chewed on his candy. “You’re welcome.”

It would’ve been a waste to throw away the leftover materials, so he might as well make use of them.

Too bad he could only write a few words.

…

Time passed quickly, and three days went by in the blink of an eye.

Early in the morning, Chen Tian noticed that Ji Yan seemed to be in a much better mood.

Although his experience told him not to pry into his boss’s personal affairs, he couldn’t resist his curiosity and asked, “Mr. Ji, has something good happened?”

Ji Yan fastened his shirt buttons unhurriedly. “No.”

Chen Tian joked, “You seem to be in a good mood.”

Ji Yan raised an eyebrow slightly. “Jing Yuan’s matter is pretty much settled.”

Chen Tian was a bit surprised. “It seems the tea business has really pleased Young Master Jing.”

“Mhm,” Ji Yan replied, sitting at the dining table and recalling the sugar painting Jing Yuan had given him on that snowy night. Three days had passed, and the candy was probably no longer edible. Still, he said, “Don’t throw away the sugar painting in the fridge.”

Chen Tian nodded. “Understood.”

In the evening, Ji Yan returned home early and knocked on Jing Yuan’s door to invite him to dinner. His relationship with Jing Yuan had just been mended, and he felt they needed to continue building on it.

Today, he had specially ordered Jing Yuan’s favorite Black Swan cake, hoping they could have a good chat.

But after knocking for a while, Ji Yan received no response.

He pushed the door open and, seeing the empty bedroom, felt a sense of foreboding.

He strode quickly to the wardrobe.

Sure enough, Jing Yuan’s suitcase was gone.

Pursing his thin lips tightly, Ji Yan called for Chen Tian with a frosty expression: “I told you to keep an eye on Jing Yuan. Where is he?”

Chen Tian, flustered, opened his phone: “Let me check the hallway surveillance.”

Ji Yan’s face was as cold as ice when he suddenly noticed a letter left under Jing Yuan’s pillow.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he stepped forward and tore it open.

[Ji Yan, thank you for helping me keep the tea house in mind. As the owner of the tea house, it’s my duty to ensure quality control and find better tea leaves. Yesterday, the tea house manager recommended a tea-growing region to me, and I’ve decided to stay there for a while to cultivate the finest tea. Don’t worry about me, no need to miss me~]

On the high-speed train, Jing Yuan wore black sunglasses, held a thermos cup, and had a lollipop in his mouth, looking utterly content.

He had been struggling to find a reasonable excuse to leave Ji Yan.

And now? Ji Yan had handed it to him on a silver platter!