AMBTICBPIB Chapter 45

Chu Yi glanced at the doorway. Jiang Xu had been gone for over ten minutes.

When Jiang Xu left, he appeared calm, but Chu Yi could sense the suppressed anger simmering beneath the surface. Yet when he returned, he looked refreshed, as if he had finally vented his pent-up frustration.

Everyone else assumed Jiang Xu had stepped out to take a phone call. But Chu Yi noticed Jiang Xu’s phone still lying on the table. How could he have taken a call without his phone, especially for such a long time?

A moment later, Jiang Xu returned.

Looking at him, Chu Yi suddenly understood. “Are you okay?”

“What could possibly be wrong? I just stepped out to make a call,” Jiang Xu replied, then noticed his phone beside Chu Yi.

Chu Yi’s question likely meant he already knew what Jiang Xu had been up to.

“I’m fine. He’s the one who’s in trouble,” Jiang Xu said. “Serves him right for provoking me earlier.”

Chu Yi gazed at him silently, his eyes too gentle. Jiang Xu awkwardly blurted out, “Hey, don’t look at me like that! I just couldn’t stand him. It has nothing to do with you, so don’t overthink it.”

Chu Yi knew Jiang Xu had gone to settle the score for him.

After his experience with Li Wenxing, Chu Yi had become wary of making friends easily. He feared another betrayal like that.

Yet today, Jiang Xu had beaten Li Wenxing up for him, only to insist it had nothing to do with him. Jiang Xu never pried into things Chu Yi didn’t want to discuss.

Deeply moved, Chu Yi said, “Jiang Xu, thank you.”

Jiang Xu scoffed, “What are you thanking me for? We’re friends.”

Chu Yi nodded. “Yeah.” They were friends.

Jiang Xu was a sucker for looks. The moment he first saw Chu Yi, he was struck by his exceptional beauty and striking features. He had immediately sought to befriend him.

Time had proven his judgment correct. He was certain Chu Yi was his friend.

Jiang Xu understood perfectly what Li Wenxing had been up to. How could he stand by while his friend was being bullied? He had to help Chu Yi get revenge.

Of course, his official reason was that Li Wenxing had bumped into him.

The others noticed them whispering. “What are you two talking about?”

Jiang Xu laughed. “It’s a secret. I’m not telling you.”

The others chuckled good-naturedly, the group of teenagers radiating youthful exuberance and carefree abandon.

In the main hall, Chu Yi spotted Li Wenxing, a fresh cut on his lip. When Li Wenxing noticed him, he lowered his head, avoiding eye contact with both Chu Yi and Jiang Xu.

Li Wenxing’s colleague noticed the injury. “What’s that cut on your lip?” He hadn’t seen it before. Did you get into a fight?

Li Wenxing mumbled, “It’s nothing. I just accidentally bit my lip.”

The colleague nodded and didn’t press further. Their jobs in this place were temporary, and their relationships with colleagues remained lukewarm. Besides, he’d always found Li Wenxing’s temperament odd—bitterly cynical and prone to unsavory habits.

When Li Wenxing saw Chu Yi, he ducked his head and slunk away to his duties. After today’s humiliation, he wouldn’t dare cause trouble for Chu Yi again, knowing there were always people ready to defend him.

Shortly afterward, Li Wenxing left Lanch City and returned to his hometown. Chu Yi never saw him again.

As Jiang Xu returned home, he spotted Zhou Huaixiao’s figure at the entrance of the residential complex and couldn’t help but gasp. He glanced at his right hand, feeling a pang of guilt. *Zhou Huaixiao probably can’t see it in this dim light, right?*

As he got out of the car, Jiang Xu decided to take the offensive: “What are you doing here?”

Zhou Huaixiao immediately noticed Jiang Xu keeping his hand in his pocket. “What’s wrong with your hand?”

Jiang Xu’s eyelid twitched. “Nothing.”

Zhou Huaixiao’s voice deepened. “Let me see it.”

Faced with Zhou Huaixiao’s insistence, Jiang Xu felt a mix of tenderness and apprehension. He reluctantly pulled his hand out.

Zhou Huaixiao’s gaze immediately fell on the injury, his expression darkening. “How did this happen?”

Jiang Xu’s voice grew even softer with guilt. “I accidentally bumped into something.”

For some reason, Zhou Huaixiao always became unusually tense whenever Jiang Xu was involved.

Zhou Huaixiao saw through the lie instantly. “Tell me exactly how you ‘bumped’ into something to get this kind of injury.”

Jiang Xu fell silent. “Hey, don’t be angry. I promise it won’t happen again. Please don’t be mad.”

Chu Yi had just returned to the villa when he received a gift from Shen Jin.

Upon seeing what Shen Jin had given him, he was so astonished he thought he was dreaming.

It was the pair of headphones he had always wanted, an incredibly expensive model. They were rare not just in China, but worldwide.

Chu Yi had seen online reviews praising the headphones for their exceptional sound quality, comfort, and automatic noise cancellation. In short, they were perfect in every way—except for the exorbitant price.

That day, while browsing the internet, Chu Yi had lingered on the product page. Shen Jin, passing by, noticed his rapt attention and asked, “What are you so engrossed in?”

“Headphones,” Chu Yi replied.

He then briefly explained to Shen Jin why these particular headphones were so highly regarded.

At the time, Chu Yi assumed Shen Jin was just making casual conversation and didn’t give it another thought. Even if he could afford them, actually obtaining a pair was far from guaranteed.

So much time had passed that Chu Yi had completely forgotten about it. He never imagined Shen Jin would actually buy them for him.

Chu Yi caressed the headphones, his heart swelling with emotion. No one had ever remembered his preferences or taken his words to heart—except for Shen Jin.

Seeing the excitement in Chu Yi’s eyes, Shen Jin knew he had chosen the perfect gift. He loved seeing Chu Yi so happy.

Chu Yi eagerly put on the headphones to test them out.

After listening, Chu Yi finally understood why the online reviews were so glowing. The sound quality was exceptional—a true auditory feast for the ears. They were also incredibly comfortable, not pinching at all. Gaming, watching movies, or listening to music with these headphones would be an indescribable pleasure.

The moment Chu Yi put on the headphones, his youthful, student-like aura resurfaced, stirring an overwhelming urge to care for him. Shen Jin stepped forward and ruffled his hair.

Chu Yi took off the headphones. Shen Jin asked, “How are they? No issues?”

“No, no, they’re perfect! You should try them too,” Chu Yi replied.

Chu Yi stood up and gestured for Shen Jin to sit in his chair. He then leaned down and carefully placed the headphones on Shen Jin’s head, the music slowly filling Shen Jin’s ears.

Just as Chu Yi was about to release his hand, Shen Jin suddenly gripped it.

Chu Yi looked at Shen Jin but didn’t pull his hand away. The heat from Shen Jin’s palm, almost scalding, traveled from Chu Yi’s cool fingertips to the very core of his heart.

They remained in that position for the duration of a song.

Only then did Shen Jin slowly remove his headphones and look at Chu Yi. “You’re right, it’s really good.”

That night, Chu Yi felt incredibly happy.

Chu Yi sighed contentedly, “I feel so lucky.”

Shen Jin picked up on something in his tone. “What happened?”

In the past, Chu Yi would have kept it to himself, silently burying the incident in his heart and letting it fade away as if nothing had occurred.

But now, he wanted to tell Shen Jin.

So he recounted his encounter at the hotpot restaurant.

After listening, Shen Jin asked worriedly, “He didn’t bother you again, did he?”

“No,” Chu Yi replied. “He wouldn’t dare. Jiang Xu taught him a lesson for me.” Though Jiang Xu insisted it had nothing to do with him.

Judging by Chu Yi’s expression, he was no longer troubled by Li Wenxing. This was a welcome change.

In truth, Chu Yi’s newfound confidence stemmed from Shen Jin. Knowing Shen Jin stood behind him, he no longer felt afraid.

Shen Jin was delighted to witness this transformation in Chu Yi.

Chu Yi understood that he seemed to be no different to Shen Jin than Uncle Wen was, which troubled him.

The weather in early March wasn’t as frigid as midwinter, but the nights still carried a sharp spring chill.

However, Chu Yi never had to worry about the cold. His room was always kept at a comfortable, warm temperature.

But tonight, Chu Yi sensed something was off. After lying in bed for less than half an hour, he felt the room’s temperature suddenly drop. His fingers, exposed while he scrolled through his phone, grew cool. He tentatively stuck a foot out from under the covers—it was icy cold.

This wasn’t right. Even when it was snowing heavily outside, the villa remained warm, and his bedroom was always as cozy as spring, requiring only a thin blanket for sleep.

Yet now, Chu Yi felt as if his bedroom had turned cold.

He sat up, threw on a coat, and stepped out into the hallway. The temperature there seemed warmer than in his room. Chu Yi confirmed it: the heating system in his bedroom had malfunctioned.

He knocked on Shen Jin’s door. When Shen Jin opened it, Chu Yi stood there, looking utterly forlorn.

“Shen Jin, the heating system in my room seems to be broken.”

Shen Jin followed Chu Yi back to his room and confirmed that it was indeed chilly.

Shen Jin examined the system briefly. “There must be a problem. It’s late already. Why don’t you sleep with me tonight?”

“Huh?” Chu Yi replied, surprised.

“Uncle Wen handles all the household matters, big and small,” Shen Jin explained. “I don’t really understand these things.”

“Then it must just be the system in my room that’s broken,” Chu Yi suggested. “I’ll sleep in one of the guest rooms.” The villa had plenty of spare rooms.

“The other guest rooms haven’t been cleaned yet,” Shen Jin said. “They’re not ready for anyone to stay in.”

Seeing Chu Yi still hesitating, Shen Jin added, “Or I could wake Uncle Wen right now and have him call someone to take a look. He dotes on you—he’d get up even if he’s already asleep.”

“Don’t wake Uncle Wen,” Chu Yi said. “I’ll just sleep in your room with you.” It was already so late. If they woke Uncle Wen now, he might not be able to fall back asleep until much later.

Chu Yi followed Shen Jin to his room, Shen Jin walking behind him, the corners of his lips curving into a charming smile.

As Chu Yi turned back, Shen Jin’s expression returned to normal.