114: On business trip

"Alright." Shen Lian smiled faintly. "If there's nothing else, I'll get back to work."

Jiang Nong suddenly took a large step forward and blocked Shen Lian's path. "It's not like that, Brother Shen! That's not how it is!"

"Then how is it?"

Jiang Nong couldn't say. He hadn't meant to insult Shen Lian; he hadn't even realized that aspect of it. He knew his mother wouldn't agree easily, but that didn't matter—he would handle it afterward. In those few minutes just now, he had only been intensely focused on Shen Lian's feelings.

But Shen Lian said he already liked someone and that it had to be them.

"Brother Shen, I apologize on my mother's behalf," Jiang Nong said in a low voice. "But don't deliberately provoke me like that either."

Shen Lian sighed. His tone was gentle, but his words were merciless. "Jiang Nong, I can't even say I treat you like a younger brother. I treat you like a colleague. Our relationship hasn't even reached the level of friends. I have no reason to provoke you. Furthermore, your mother is doing this for your own good. If there are issues, we bring them up and clear the air; there's no need for apologies. Truly, focus your mind on acting. Dawn can be a hit, so don't waste such a great opportunity."

Jiang Nong's heart plummeted straight to the bottom.

Shen Lian was drawing a clear line between them.

At this moment, Jiang Nong's mind went blank as things he had long ignored suddenly flooded his mind. He realized something was wrong; the way he and Shen Lian had started was wrong.

He was spoiled; he got whatever he wanted, so he assumed Shen Lian would naturally like him. He unconsciously placed himself in a superior position. Because he had fallen for him, he subconsciously expected Shen Lian to tolerate his small temper and love him unconditionally. This was the romantic relationship Jiang Nong envisioned, but no matter how one looked at it, it had to be built on mutual affection.

After finishing his one-man show and overthinking a bunch of nonsense, Jiang Nong turned around only to find that Shen Lian was still standing where they had first met, not having moved forward even half a step.

What on earth am I doing? Jiang Nong couldn't help but ask himself.

This was likely one of the few instances of self-reflection in his twenty-plus years of life. With this beginning, Jiang Nong started to feel afraid and guilty. The "lack of boundaries" Sun Binghe had mentioned suddenly became concrete. He realized with a start that he had been offending Shen Lian all along.

Including his mother's interrogation—he should have stepped up immediately.

"B-Brother Shen." Jiang Nong's emotions could easily overwhelm his reason. His lips trembled, and the color drained from his face. He wanted to reach out but restrained himself halfway, his voice becoming even lower and smaller: "I was wrong. I'm sorry..."

Jiang Nong's Mother was full of worry. "Xiao Nong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"Mom, wait a second." Jiang Nong was anxious to explain himself to Shen Lian.

But Shen Lian shook his head slightly. "Jiang Nong, I understand. I'm not angry, but I really do have someone I like."

The light in Jiang Nong's eyes faded bit by bit. He looked like he wanted to cry, his eyes completely red, but he managed a rare moment of restraint. "I see," he said. After a pause, he asked, "Brother Shen, is it someone in the industry?"

"No."

"To be liked by Brother Shen, they must be a very good person, right?"

The corners of Shen Lian's lips curled up. "Yes, very good."

Jiang Nong fell silent.

Shen Lian walked past him, and this time, he wasn't stopped.

He wasn't a bad kid, otherwise Shen Lian would have lost his temper long ago. But someone like Jiang Nong, even without Chu Yilan, wouldn't pique his interest.

The kind of emotion Shen Lian needed was one devoid of willful childishness—one that wished to consume the other person whole.

Jiang Nong seemed to have choices, but whether it was his older brother or his mother, if even one of them stepped forward to slightly obstruct him, he would be thrown into a dilemma.

He had his own Eden; he couldn't burn. But on the wilderness where Shen Lian and Chu Yilan stood, the fire was roaring, swirling up to the sky. It was a matching weight of love and possessiveness that could crush all doubt and betrayal into ash. Jiang Nong didn't even have the possibility of catching a glimpse from afar.

"Teacher Shen." Sun Binghe found him just as he turned the corner. He glanced behind Shen Lian, his expression unpleasant. "Jiang Nong, he..."

"It's settled," Shen Lian cut in. "Forget it, he's just a kid."

Both Shen Lian and Sun Binghe had upbringings vastly different from Jiang Nong's. Shen Lian was fine; he was highly tolerant. Sun Binghe, however, purely detested that sense of entitlement born from a smooth life, showing not a shred of consideration for others.

Chu Yilan had called that afternoon; he had to go to Region Name. Xu Jingge's movements were too large and had provoked a string of people.

Shen Lian felt a momentary emptiness upon hearing this, but on second thought, it wasn't a big deal—he was still filming anyway.

"Alright, go ahead. Roughly how many days?"

"Three days," Chu Yilan said. "I figured you won't be finished by then."

"Mm." Shen Lian's anxiousness to rush the schedule immediately eased. "Work with peace of mind. Assistant Sun is with me, and the Bodyguards are here too. Everything is fine."

The two didn't even have time to meet. Aunt Fen helped pack the luggage, and within twenty minutes, Yang Bin arrived to pick him up.

Shen Lian sat on a stool clutching his phone until he received a message from Chu Yilan saying he had boarded the plane. Only then did he stand up and straighten his back.

Jiang Nong's Mother had long since left. Jiang Nong remained silent most of the time, but at least he didn't bring his personal emotions into the filming. Though there were some stumbles, he could pass after a few serious attempts.

Once Jiang Nong quieted down, Sun Binghe felt relieved.

He held the diamond drill; in any case, he would surely protect his Boss's little patch of land.

*

Region Name was colder than Qudu. As soon as Chu Yilan got off the plane, he felt a series of chills. Before the car arrived, Yang Bin took out an overcoat and draped it over him.

"Once the blue sea project is completed, I'll give you some time off," Chu Yilan said.

Yang Bin asked, "What about Binghe?"

Chu Yilan replied, "Isn't he on vacation right now?"

Yang Bin couldn't argue with that.

Don't be fooled by Xu Jingge's sweet talk in front of Chang Qing, making him seem like a love-struck fool who could be swindled out of everything in an instant. His boldness in fighting the local natives for port usage rights in Region Name was so great he practically rode up to their faces and said, "I'm taking this."

Chu Yilan had unwittingly become tied to the same rope as Xu Jingge. Of course, there was no need to break free; he just treated it as helping a friend.

Now, Chu Yilan didn't have time to reply to messages from Sun Binghe or Shen Lian. He was picked up by Xu Jingge's car and taken straight to a drinking table.

Xu Jingge cast a grateful glance at Chu Yilan, his confidence growing.

The two lost track of how much they said and drank. When they emerged from the restaurant, a misty autumn rain was drifting through the sky, and the crisp, cold air rushed into their lungs.

Chu Yilan's vision was swimming. Disregarding his image, Xu Jingge sat on the nearby steps with his phone. Before the car arrived, Chu Yilan heard him muttering, "Let's see what my Chang Qing said to me."

Chu Yilan also checked Shen Lian's messages. Actually, Yang Bin had already notified him that tonight would be busy, but Shen Lian still left a message every few dozen minutes after filming ended. He even sent a photo of a hole in a towel.

The last message was at 11:30 PM. Shen Lian said he had a heavy filming schedule tomorrow and was going to sleep, followed by a bunch of "mwah mwah mwah" red lip emojis.

Chu Yilan couldn't help but chuckle.