When Qi Mu remembered Jiang Shao’s gaze and those words from earlier, he had nearly believed he would not be allowed to leave.
But in the end, Jiang Shao still let him go.
Qi Mu returned home with lingering fear.
He told himself there was no reason to be afraid.
Jiang Shao would never know what he did at home anyway.
It was not as though Jiang Shao had cameras installed there.
Not working overtime was impossible. Qi Mu paid no attention to Jiang Shao’s warning. After dinner, he went into the study and began reading reports.
The company had been exceptionally busy lately.
Qi Corporation had taken on a great deal of new business, and the financing had also come through. The company was preparing to expand production and construct new production lines. There were several possible sites for the new factory, and the relevant departments had already researched factors such as geography and tax incentives.
But the final decision still rested with Qi Mu.
He wanted the new factory site settled as soon as possible. Construction afterward would still require time, and to him, time was money.
Thick stacks of documents and reports were spread across the desk.
Wearing his glasses, Qi Mu frowned in concentration as he read.
The cap of his fountain pen lightly tapped against his chin.
Qi Mu was deeply immersed in thought when an urgent ringtone suddenly sounded.
He jumped.
Turning his head, he saw a video-call request from Jiang Shao on his phone.
Qi Mu: …
What Jiang Shao had said before they parted at work suddenly resurfaced in his mind. He glanced at the desk covered in reports and did not dare answer the call.
It felt like hearing a death knell!
Qi Mu sprang from his chair, hurried out of the study, changed into pajamas in the bedroom, then leaned back against the bed before picking up his phone again.
The video call had rung for so long without an answer that it had already disconnected.
Qi Mu immediately called back.
Only a few seconds passed…
Before the other side answered.
Jiang Shao sat in a cramped, dimly lit room, staring gloomily at Qi Mu like some sinister criminal in a movie.
Before Jiang Shao could interrogate him, Qi Mu hurriedly explained, “I was taking a shower just now. I didn’t hear it.”
Jiang Shao studied Qi Mu through the phone screen.
Qi Mu was wearing gray silk pajamas. Probably because he had changed too hurriedly, the buttons had been fastened into the wrong holes, leaving the front crooked instead of impeccably neat as usual. Qi Mu had not noticed because of his nervousness. His hair was also slightly messy, but it was completely dry and fluffy, without the slightest hint of moisture. There was no way he had just gotten out of the shower.
It looked far more like he had thrown on pajamas at the last minute specifically to deceive Jiang Shao.
Heh.
Jiang Shao gave a cold laugh inwardly but did not expose him. Instead, he asked, “Did you eat dinner?”
Qi Mu immediately replied, “Yes.”
Ever since Jiang Shao had fed him congee that one time, Qi Mu had etched the importance of eating on time firmly into his memory so he would never have to be fed again. In just a few days, he had somehow corrected his bad habit. No matter how busy he was, he remembered to eat first.
Jiang Shao said, “Show me.”
This time, Qi Mu was not nearly as nervous. He secretly congratulated himself for genuinely having eaten.
Otherwise, he would never have passed this inspection.
He went to the dining room and showed Jiang Shao the table. The empty takeout containers had not yet been cleared away.
Jiang Shao’s expression eased slightly.
At least Qi Mu remembered to eat.
Qi Mu carried the phone back to the bedroom, wondering how he could end the call without trouble.
Then Jiang Shao suddenly asked, “Are you planning to work overtime now?”
Qi Mu’s heart clenched. “No. I’m getting ready to sleep.”
The corner of Jiang Shao’s lips twitched, his expression carrying faint disbelief. “You’re going to sleep at eight?”
Qi Mu pretended to be perfectly calm. “I’ve been focusing on my health lately.”
Jiang Shao appeared to genuinely believe him and nodded. “Then go to sleep.”
Hearing that was like receiving a royal pardon.
But before Qi Mu could disconnect, Jiang Shao calmly ordered, “Don’t hang up. Put your phone on the bedside table and let me watch you.”
Qi Mu: .
So I’m not even allowed to hang up now?
Qi Mu was deeply reluctant. If Jiang Shao kept watching him, how was he supposed to sneak away and work?
Besides, Qi Mu simply did not like being watched.
But he looked at Jiang Shao on the screen. His gaze was calm yet brooked no refusal, while the sharp planes of his face looked even more dangerous and oppressive in the shadows.
In the end, Qi Mu did not dare hang up on this menace.
Resigned to his fate, he set the phone on the bedside table.
Jiang Shao’s calm voice came through the speaker.
“A little farther left.”
“Too far. Back to the right.”
“Lower the angle.”
“Good. Right there.”
Numbly, Qi Mu adjusted the phone according to Jiang Shao’s instructions, then stared at the screen without knowing what he was supposed to do next, almost as though he were awaiting another command.
Seeing his bewildered expression, Jiang Shao finally chuckled. A faint, helpless sigh seemed to follow.
“Weren’t you going to sleep?”
Oh…
Qi Mu finally remembered the lie he had just told.
So Jiang Shao actually intended to sit there and watch him sleep?
Qi Mu was speechless.
But the lie had already left his mouth. He could only carry the act through.
Qi Mu lay down, closed his eyes, and pretended to sleep.
Everything around him was quiet.
Although the call remained connected, not a single sound came from the other side, so it was not noisy.
Even so…
Qi Mu could not sleep.
Simply knowing that somebody was watching from far away, silently observing his prey like a beast hidden in darkness, made his entire body uncomfortable.
Chaotic thoughts filled his mind.
One moment, he was thinking about the work he had been doing earlier. The next, Jiang Shao’s words and voice occupied his thoughts.
Everything left him unsettled.
He had always believed his home was the only quiet space where he could truly be alone.
No person and no matter could enter it.
There, he could isolate himself from everything.
But Jiang Shao had still barged in forcefully, heedless of everything.
Qi Mu could practically feel Jiang Shao’s hawk-like gaze passing through the phone screen and falling upon his face like a predator claiming its prey.
Yet he did not dare open his eyes to look.
He did not dare meet that gaze.
Qi Mu had assumed he would be unable to sleep and remain awake like this until dawn.
But he had overestimated himself.
Without realizing it…
He fell asleep.
＊
Jiang Shao sat inside his tiny room in the employee dormitory.
His phone was propped on the desk.
A black laptop lay open in front of him.
Jiang Shao already worked in the President’s Office and knew the company’s affairs inside and out. Besides, Qi Corporation’s internal network could hardly stop him from obtaining anything he wanted.
So he knew exactly what had been keeping Qi Mu busy recently.
Jiang Shao copied the relevant materials for himself and read through them while occasionally looking at Qi Mu.
At first, Qi Mu had obviously been pretending to sleep. His eyes moved constantly beneath his lids, making him look restless. But he must truly have been tired. After lying there with his eyes closed for a while, he fell asleep.
He was not particularly well behaved in his sleep. He liked curling into a ball, kicked off his blanket, wrinkled his silk pajamas, left one foot exposed, and completely mussed his hair.
He looked nothing like the impeccably neat, meticulously composed man everyone saw during the day.
Instead, he looked lazy and adorable.
Jiang Shao had never known that simply watching another person sleep could hold his attention for so long.
He could hear Qi Mu’s extremely soft breathing.
The sound traveled through the phone.
To hear it more clearly, Jiang Shao turned the volume all the way up.
Qi Mu’s even breathing drifted into his ears.
Like a gentle breeze brushing his eardrums rhythmically, it gradually settled Jiang Shao’s heart.
Even simply listening to the sound…
Made him feel completely satisfied.
With Qi Mu’s breathing accompanying him, Jiang Shao reopened the files.
It’s just selecting a factory site. He actually wanted to sneak around behind my back and work overtime for this? Jiang Shao scoffed disdainfully, lowered his head, and began going through the material for Qi Mu.
＊
Qi Mu had no idea when he had fallen asleep the night before.
He had never gone to bed that early. The next morning, he woke at seven before his alarm even sounded.
Unexpectedly, he had slept rather well.
He was still somewhat groggy when he first opened his eyes. After staring hazily for a while, Qi Mu finally remembered that, at Jiang Shao’s insistence, he had left the video call connected all night!
Qi Mu immediately jolted awake and looked toward the phone on the bedside table.
The call had ended a little over an hour earlier.
The displayed call duration was 09:43:56.
Qi Mu had never been on the phone with anyone for that long. Jiang Shao could not possibly have spent the entire night watching him sleep, could he?
Probably not.
That was far too long.
Most likely, Jiang Shao had gone to sleep himself and only remembered to disconnect after waking in the morning.
You hung up yourself. You can’t use this as an excuse to make trouble for me.
Qi Mu felt surprisingly refreshed today.
He got up, washed, dressed, and went to the company.
Qi Mu had a meeting at ten that morning to discuss the new factory site.
Only now did his head begin to ache. He had planned to work overtime and review the materials last night, but Jiang Shao had completely disrupted his schedule. He had barely started before Jiang Shao forced him into bed, so he had essentially read none of the documents.
He was completely unprepared for today’s meeting.
Maybe he should simply cancel and reschedule. Qi Mu sighed helplessly and was about to have someone cancel it when…
Jiang Shao pushed open the door and walked inside.
Qi Mu had no choice but to put down the phone.
Jiang Shao probably had not caught him doing anything suspicious last night, and Qi Mu had complied with every demand. Jiang Shao therefore had no reason to punish him today.
Qi Mu steadied himself, prepared to deal with whatever Jiang Shao tried next.
Jiang Shao caught the guarded, cautious look in Qi Mu’s eyes and raised an eyebrow without commenting. He merely dropped the report in his hand onto the desk and lazily said, “President Qi, the report you wanted.”
When did I ever ask you to make a report?
Who would dare order you around?
Qi Mu lowered his head toward the report, only for surprise to flash across his face after a single glance.
After reading merely a few lines, his expression turned serious. He even forgot Jiang Shao was standing beside him as he opened the report and carefully continued.
Jiang Shao did not disturb him.
By the time Qi Mu finished, he felt both surprised and complicated.
It was a comprehensive research report on the proposed new factory site. It combined all the background investigations previously conducted by Qi Corporation with additional information that the company’s departments had failed to uncover. It was exceptionally thorough and clearly organized.
After reading it only once, the entire issue fell neatly into place in Qi Mu’s mind, saving him an enormous amount of time.
When did Jiang Shao do this?
Qi Mu instinctively turned toward him.
And as he turned…
His lips brushed Jiang Shao’s.
Jiang Shao seemed almost to have anticipated his movement and had been waiting there. Looking into Qi Mu’s startled eyes, amusement appeared in his own. He loved seeing Qi Mu caught by surprise.
Without hesitation, Jiang Shao seized him like a rabbit that had wandered straight into a trap.
He deepened the kiss.
Jiang Shao never worked for free.
Of course he intended to collect payment.
Expertly, Jiang Shao parted Qi Mu’s teeth and slipped his tongue inside. He had still been somewhat inexperienced during their first kiss, but after practicing every day lately, his technique had improved by leaps and bounds. Entirely self-taught, he now knew Qi Mu’s sensitivities extremely well.
Soon, Qi Mu’s breathing became rapid.
However, Jiang Shao stopped before going too far and withdrew. Qi Mu still had a meeting at ten, and Jiang Shao had no intention of leaving him looking disheveled.
Otherwise, Qi Mu would feel wronged again.
Even after Jiang Shao stopped, Qi Mu remained frozen, unable to recover immediately.
He looked at the man only inches away.
At Jiang Shao’s smiling dark eyes.
For once, there was almost none of his usual wicked teasing in them, only a profound, lingering tenderness, and Qi Mu’s heart gave one hard thump.