Chà Chà Novel

“As men, we have a duty to look after delicate beauties”

Ji Shileng glanced up at him, his voice soft and innocent. “Even your uncle’s spouse?”

Shang Shengge gave him a puzzled look. “At most, you look a little like Ji Shileng. You want to marry my uncle? Keep dreaming for another few hundred lifetimes”

Ji Shileng rested both hands on the desk, veins clearly visible beneath the skin of his slender hands.

He did not get angry. Instead, he asked, “Does your uncle know you have improper thoughts about his spouse?”

Shang Shengge brushed at the hem of his jacket and chuckled, seemingly answering a different question. “Well, he does have a beautiful face, doesn’t he?”

Leaving character and background aside, Ji Shileng’s face was exquisite.

Most people would find it hard not to entertain a few improper thoughts.

“Besides, without that face, he’s nothing but trash. If he hadn’t kept clinging to my uncle, how could he possibly have become the general’s spouse?”

Ji Shileng’s expression did not change. Propping his elbow on the desk, he rested his chin in his hand.

“So you hate Ji Shileng, but because he has a pretty face, you want to have some fun with me?”

“Isn’t hating him perfectly natural? Honestly, he was never good enough for my uncle” Spoiled for far too long, Shang Shengge spoke without thinking. “You’re just an imitation. You should feel honored that I’m willing to play with you”

Ji Shileng nodded repeatedly in agreement, then picked up the bottle of mineral water on the desk.

Unscrewing the cap, he stood up unhurriedly. Shang Shengge thought he was about to offer him a toast with the water.

Instead, Ji Shileng poured the entire bottle over his head.

Water streamed down Shang Shengge’s hair and soaked his formal clothes.

Caught completely off guard, he was chilled to the bone.

Ji Shileng shook the bottle to make sure not a drop remained, set it down empty, and bent toward the stunned young man’s ear.

“Sorry to disappoint you. I’m Ji Shileng—the pile of trash you were talking about”

“Long time no see, Shang Jianli’s useless nephew”

Already bewildered, Shang Shengge froze at those two sentences.

Water ran into his wide-open eyes, blurring the world before him.

His heartbeat thundered louder. His hands and feet went cold.

“You… you…”

His throat seemed blocked. All he could produce were meaningless syllables.

The guests nearby gave them strange looks, but Ji Shileng’s “polite” explanation smoothed everything over.

“Oh, Mr. Shang said he thought he had heatstroke. I was afraid he might faint, so I had to resort to this”

Leaning against the desk, Ji Shileng smiled as he addressed the surrounding guests.

Beneath the two open buttons of his shirt, a delicate VEKAL diamond necklace rested against his slender neck, above his beautifully defined collarbones.

VEKAL was a renowned luxury brand across interstellar society, with exceptionally strict purchasing requirements.

Its recently released limited-edition diamond necklace, themed around “Parental Love,” incorporated a miniature tracker and a solar-powered audio recorder.

People had mocked VEKAL for releasing an exorbitantly priced “dog collar.” After all, once someone put it on, the person who had given it to them would know everywhere they went.

The widespread ridicule had not stopped the necklace from selling out in a single second.

And right now, Ji Shileng was wearing one of those astronomical “dog collars.”

It glittered beautifully beneath the lights, making him look all the more distinguished.

The surrounding guests wore a variety of expressions, but all were “wise” enough not to challenge his explanation.

The volunteers and the Imperial delegation arrived almost one after the other upon hearing about the “disturbance.”

“I’m sorry to trouble you with the cleanup,” Ji Shileng said politely, his smile gentle.

The volunteer waved their hands repeatedly, the tips of their ears bright red. “It’s all right. Really, it’s no trouble at all”

Ji Shileng had not intended to cause a scene, but Shang Shengge had gone too far.

In the past, he had endured things again and again for the sake of “harmony” in the Shang family. After several months apart, he had discovered that the useless nephew even harbored indecent intentions toward him.

It thoroughly disgusted him.

Looking up, he saw Shang Jianli standing a few steps behind the volunteer. His smile quickly vanished.

His head was beginning to ache. Without bothering to see what happened to Shang Shengge, he walked slowly out.

He went down the long corridor and entered the restroom at its far end.

The succession of incidents that day had left his emotions running high and his thoughts muddled.

Taking off his suit jacket, he splashed cold water on his face, then stood quietly before the mirror for a long time.

“Ji Shileng”

Shang Jianli’s voice came from the doorway. Ji Shileng lifted his gaze and gave him a fleeting, indifferent glance.

His eyes, still bright with emotion, held a thin sheen of moisture. The light shifting within them lent his gaze an unwitting intimacy.

Ji Shileng could not be bothered with him. Did he really need to wonder why Shang Jianli had come?

Clicking his tongue dismissively, he turned to walk around him.

As he reached Shang Jianli’s side, the man caught his arm.

Shang Jianli deliberately restrained his strength, holding him only loosely.

“I’m sorry”

Those words from his thin lips stopped Ji Shileng in his tracks.

“You’re sorry?” he echoed, imitating Shang Jianli’s tone.

Then he looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile.

“Are you hinting that I should apologize to that useless idiot?”

Now that his identity was fully exposed, Ji Shileng no longer concealed his true opinions.

He could not even be bothered to say Shang Shengge’s name. “Useless idiot” conveyed his feelings well enough.

Seeing that he was no longer trying to leave, Shang Jianli released him. But Ji Shileng’s skin was more delicate than he had imagined.

Even that brief contact had left a distinct red ring around his arm.

Shang Jianli pressed his lips together, regret flickering in his eyes.

“No”

“I came to apologize on his behalf”

Surprised, Ji Shileng finally looked at him properly.

“Are you serious?”

Shang Jianli closed the restroom door and locked it from the inside.

“I am”

Turning back, he looked at the red marks on Ji Shileng’s arm and let out a barely perceptible sigh.

“I’m sorry. I was too anxious just now. I hurt you”

The repeated apologies extinguished Ji Shileng’s anger.

When he spoke again, his tone was less sharp, carrying a trace of curiosity instead.

“When did you learn to apologize?”

During their seven or eight years together, Shang Jianli had been as cold and unyielding as the snow on a mountain peak. Ji Shileng had always been the one to go to him and make peace.

Shang Jianli had always behaved as though victory was assured. He never admitted he was wrong.

“Shh”

Ji Shileng held an index finger beside his lips and said softly, “Don’t tell me you learned to apologize because of me”