Chapter 23: Lawful Sleep

Tonight, Villa XiShan is still picturesque.

The movement of the Maybach pulling into the garage brings the painting to life.

Sheng Mingzhi was almost sober by the time he got off the bus.

The more I read, the better I got.

He even felt that some of the marketing agencies didn't go into enough detail, so he could go anonymously and describe the scene of the day in graphic detail.

But then he remembered Little Wang's thinning hair and the fact that he was too young to have a family.

Sheng Mingzhi has temporarily shown mercy and abandoned this intention.

So until Lu Jiayan got out of the car, he was still in a melon-eating state of mind and didn't react.

Sheng Mingzhi froze, put down his phone and saw only Lu Jiayan's back.

It is not the first time that Lu Jiayan has left first.

Only this time, there was something odd about leaving.

Sheng Mingzhi seemed a little taken aback and froze for a good two seconds.

Then, as an afterthought, he realised that Lu Jiayan had been ...... exceptionally silent all the way?

He also thought.

The last time the dog went booze-crazy at the villa, the car would have been full of sarcasm and cynicism.

As a result nothing happened.

It gave Lu Jiayan, who is used to his toxic tongue, a feeling of a punch to the cotton.

Sheng Mingzhi, who had been bellyaching for a while, followed him out of the car.

The Maybach is parked directly in the underground garage of One XiShan, which has a direct lift to the villa's living room on three levels.

Lu Jiayan was perversely excessive, getting out of the car and into the lift without even waiting for Sheng Mingzhi to join him.

If you miss it once, you'll have to wait another three minutes.

Sheng Mingzhi was thrown down, bewildered once again. Immediately afterwards, a nameless fire had risen in the heart of Mr. Gao.

The residual alcohol in his system ignited, making the door slam louder than a thunderclap as he went upstairs.

It was thought that this mischievous act would attract Lu Jiayan's attention.

If the other person is so fond of being his father, then he should be able to stop banging on the door.

But there was nothing.

Lu Jiayan doesn't say a word, a far cry from his usual state.

When I went upstairs, I could not see Lu Jiayan's face from Sheng Mingzhi's angle, but he seemed to be sullen, and his peach blossom eyes had lost their smile.

In this moment, it is as if the two of them have been transported back to the time when they were first married. Lu Jiayan was so distant and noble that he was as unapproachable as if he were separated by a layer of glass.

Once on the first floor, Lu Jiayan went into the bedroom.

From the moment they got off the bus to the moment they entered the house, there was not a single word of communication with Sheng Mingzhi.

-

Lu Jiayan's perversity haunts Sheng Mingzhi.

They have only been married for three years, four years short of the seven-year itch, so can Lu Jiayan not stand the marriage so soon?

However, on second thought.

Both of them seem so unfeeling about the marriage that the seven-year itch seems to be unmistakable.

Sheng Mingzhi rolled over, with some subtle discomfort in his heart.

It was around the time of Lu Jiayan's return that their relationship improved considerably. The sudden coldness towards him now made the starry-eyed young ancestor feel the coldness and a pang of discontent.

The more I think about it, the more upset I get.

Why should Lu Jiayan give him a look first? Even if he wants to fight, he should give him a look himself.

It's as if whoever flips out in this plastic relationship first wins a round in front of the other person. But again, it's the most taboo to win or lose when it comes to relationships.

Sheng Mingzhi was originally lying in bed sulking, who knew that the anger was confusing, and with the catalyst of alcohol, he drifted off to sleep.

Somehow, he suddenly dreamed of his student days again.

By the time Sheng Mingzhi was a senior, Lu Jiayan was already a senior in college.

In the first semester of his senior year, Lu Jiayan's alma mater, Beijing University, changed its location, moving from the city centre to the suburbs and celebrating its centenary at the same time.

Sheng Xu and Lu Jiayan enrolled in the same major at university and by chance shared a dorm room.

The main reason for this was that Lu Jiayan had a higher face than him and had been the schoolboy for three years in high school, making Sheng Xu feel resentful.

When he went to university, Sheng Xu thought he was going to have a spring in his step, but he ended up in the same dormitory as Lu Jiayan, studying finance, and not only did he fail to make it to the university, he also failed to make it to the department.

Four years of university and not a single girlfriend.

The menopause is coming on early.

YunJing is not too big to say that it is a four-hour drive from the eastern suburbs to the western suburbs.

The Sheng family's home is in the city centre and the University is in the eastern suburbs, a two-hour drive away.

It's only a couple of hours, but after Sheng Xu went to university, she bought a house near her school and doesn't go home once a month.

Naturally, Sheng Mingzhi saw him only a handful of times, and he didn't see Lu Jiayan for a whole term of his senior year.

When he met Lu Jiayan again, it was the centenary of the Beijing University.

Sheng Mingzhi signed up for the winter camp at Beijing University and was thrown by his father to his brother as if he were in trouble.

He still remembers the day when Sheng Xu came to pick him up in his car, but Sheng Mingzhi was too busy to go down to the third floor of the villa and asked Sheng Xu to go upstairs to help him carry his luggage.

Sheng Xu saw the two or three large boxes he sent over in WeChat and replied directly to him with a question mark.

His brother's question marks usually mean only one thing: Are you sick?

The two brothers had an argument by voice, which Sheng Mingzhi won in the end, and Sheng Xu, unable to resist him, cursed and went upstairs from the car.

Sheng Mingzhi leans against the doorway looking down on his brother in a triumphant manner, but little did he know that Sheng Xu would be accompanied home by Lu Jiayan.

See Lu Jiayan again after a four-month hiatus.

His hair was a little longer than the last time we saw him, and he was wearing a thin black trench coat with broad shoulders and long legs, and his peach blossom eyes were gently raised as they crashed into Sheng Mingzhi's eyes.

He froze for a moment and blurted out.

" Jiayan 哥 ......"

Before Lu Jiayan could answer, Sheng Xu's voice rang out in his ears, "Who did you shout at first? Have you seen your own brother? Who went out of their way to carry your luggage? Have you no conscience?"

Sheng Mingzhi just came back to his senses, a little embarrassed by Sheng Xu's comment.

Since Lu Jiayan was with his brother, he must have been overheard on the phone arguing with his brother, and the teenager felt more humiliated than ever.

Only Sheng Xu opened his mouth as an old yin-yang man, and Sheng Mingzhi was not convinced: "Isn't it normal for me to see him first? Everyone in a crowd will see a handsome man first."

He thought about it for a moment and decided that the reasons were not good enough.

Exasperated, he added, "And the theory is that one's eyes will see the taller ones first. You're so short, it's normal for me not to see you."

A straightforward look.

Sheng Xu laughed at him, "Aren't I handsome?"

Sheng Mingzhi hesitates and pauses: "No, I guess. Average. Just, a popular face? Pooh-boy?"

Sheng Xu let out a "ha" and continued to pick a fight, "And how am I short? How can I be as short as you, Shorty Le?"

He raised his voice sharply: "Why am I short? I'm 15 years old and I'm already 5'7", and I'm still young, so I can still grow. Can you be a little kinder at your age? Why are you so competitive? Don't bully children just because you can't compete with your peers."

"Okay." Sheng Xu gave him a thumbs up and chillingly said, "Then ask your tall and handsome Jiayan brother to carry your things. Your prince's things are too noble for me, a common man, to be worthy."

Sheng Mingzhi: ......

Sheng Xu said that he had really quit, turned on the TV in the bedroom and watched a movie with his legs crossed.

Sheng Mingzhi was left standing awkwardly in his place, glancing at Lu Jiayan, who seemed to be answering WeChat and not looking at him.

After university, Lu Jiayan would have had more friends.

Sheng Mingzhi knew he was popular in high school, and the only person he knew in common with Lu Jiayan was his brother.

Only then did he remember to greet Lu Jiayan, and after a long search, he managed to squeeze out a few words: "Jiayan, long time no see."

Lu Jiayan glanced at him in the interval between replying to WeChat and nodded, aloofly and appropriately.

Then the air just went straight to awkward.

Sheng Mingzhi's heart is empty, I can't tell you what it feels like.

After four months of absence, Lu Jiayan seems to have become even less familiar with him.

He hesitated for a moment, not quite so cheeky.

Let an outsider help you carry your stuff.

After a long silence, Sheng Mingzhi took it upon himself not to speak to Sheng Xu and lifted his luggage.

Who knew that the moment he lifted his luggage, the weight was off his hands and Lu Jiayan carried it for him.

Sheng Mingzhi felt his fingers curl involuntarily.

He was quite rude to Sheng Xu, but he had an inexplicable respect for Lu Jiayan.

It is probably because the other person is always clean and cold and looks like a highbrow flower.

A world away from his brother's big, flirty, red trumpet flowers that bloom like that.

Sheng Mingzhi spoke in a hesitant manner, "Brother Jiayan, I can do it myself."

"How can I do that?" Lu Jiayan's voice was cool, he had put away his phone at some point and laughed softly, "If I don't help you carry your things, you're not praising me for nothing."

He paused and said, "We adults don't take advantage of children."

Sheng Mingzhi was embarrassed by his remark about children.

He looks down, but his eyes accidentally catch a glimpse of one of Lu Jiayan's wrists, wearing a thin hair band with a small strawberry pendant.

His gaze froze for a moment.

Here the dream comes to an abrupt end and Sheng Mingzhi is awakened from his dream.

In the dream, Lu Jiayan retains the cold temper of his teenage years, which Sheng Mingzhi still remembers after all these years.

So there is a basis for the saying that things are what they are.

Lu Jiayan has been hanging out with his brother for too long, which is why he's getting more and more mouthy, stepping on Sheng Mingzhi's fried fox's tail with precision every time.

He woke up thirsty as hell, and when he looked at the time, he had only been asleep for half an hour.

Probably because he had too much wine in the evening, he drank all the water in his glass, so Sheng Mingzhi had to put on his slippers and go downstairs to get some water.

When he reached the centre island counter, he hesitated for a moment, pulled open the fridge door and blended a glass of honey water.

For some reason, the Lu Jiayan of the dream inexplicably overlaps with the Lu Jiayan of tonight.

Sheng Mingzhi suddenly realises that although his cheap business associate husband is arrogant and venomous and mouthy.

But it did help him a lot, both as a child and now, Lu Jiayan's tenderness seemed to be hidden under a heavy weight of emotion, a subtle and imperceptible flow.

Helped him remove the heat and hold his drink tonight as well.

Sheng Mingzhi recalls the look on Lu Jiayan's face when he went upstairs just now, with a little bit of weakness.

Lu Jiayan does look as if he is quite uncomfortable.

He hesitated, put the honey water on a tray and knocked on Lu Jiayan's bedroom door.

Who knew that Lu Jiayan had left the door unlocked?

Sheng Mingzhi Once you knock, the door opens automatically.

The room was dark and not even a night light was on.

Sheng Mingzhi froze, probably not expecting Lu Jiayan to go to bed so early.

Slight night blindness makes groping in the dark particularly difficult.

He spoke softly, " Brother Jiayan. Are you asleep?"

All that answered him was the sound of breathing.

Sheng Mingzhi If one's sense of hearing is slightly more acute at this time, one can hear how abnormal the breathing in the room is.

It was not at all like the shallow breathing of a person who has fallen asleep.

It was more like a desperate attempt to hold back something, wrapped up in a thick, weary love. The desire is long and heavy.

Sheng Mingzhi barely made it to the bedside by the faint light of his mobile phone.

He half-crouched on the floor, put the honey water on the bedside table, and hesitated: " Lu Jiayan, are you not feeling well? I've mixed the honey water for you and put it on the bedside table."

Having said that, it felt as if I had been a little too attentive.

So Sheng Mingzhi hastened to add, "You can drink it if you like. I'm leaving."

It says go, but Sheng Mingzhi's feet are as fixed to the ground.

Why does the dog man still ignore him when he has condescended to bring him water and hand him a step down?

Sheng Mingzhi is sulking as he thinks about the dream he just had.

For some reason Lu Jiayan just wanted to have a ride with him.

Sheng Mingzhi reached out to push him, and before he could touch him, his wrist was violently grabbed by Lu Jiayan.

The man sat up from the bed, startling Sheng Mingzhi and causing him to fall sideways directly onto the edge of the bed.

Sheng Mingzhi suddenly realised that Lu Jiayan's palms were horribly hot.

After a few seconds of silence in the darkness, he snapped back, "Why are you so hot. Got a fever?"

Sheng Mingzhi thinks of the night when Lu Jiayan had a stomach bug.

He hesitated for a moment, "Are you suffering from an upset stomach?"

That night, he also had a bit of a low fever.

Sheng Mingzhi subconsciously touches Lu Jiayan's forehead.

But once again, his arms were restrained and his hands were pinned down, and Sheng Mingzhi reflexively moved forward and almost crashed into Lu Jiayan's arms.

This time it was even closer, closer than Sheng Mingzhi had in mind as a safe distance.

Even if he was slow, Sheng Mingzhi sensed that the other side was not in the right state.

He froze for several seconds and whispered, "What's wrong with you?"

The silence seems to melt away in the darkness.

Just after Sheng Mingzhi could only hear his heart beating, Lu Jiayan opened his mouth.

The voice was as low as it had ever been.

"I'm fine. Just had too much to drink."

Drinking too much?

What a lie! You can drink like that with just that one drink?

Sheng Mingzhi was just about to spit, but I don't know what came to mind.

The brain was struck hard by an explosive thunderbolt at that very moment.

He has been in the entertainment industry for three years and has seen pigs run even without having eaten pork, so he is not too retarded to go too far.

Lu Jiayan has had one drink tonight, and by the way he's reacting now, it seems nothing like being drunk either. I've seen a lot of nasty things in the entertainment industry, and it's not unheard of to hear of similar things. But Sheng Mingzhi never thought that being drugged could happen to Lu Jiayan.

For a moment, Sheng Mingzhi's mind went blank.

Lu Jiayan has an explanation for all his strange reactions tonight - there's something wrong with the glass of wine he drank for him.

Lu Jiayan seems to have guessed it from Sheng Mingzhi's reaction.

The man exhaled a deep breath, "It's late, go to bed."

Sheng Mingzhi is like having his soul drained out of him.

Only his body remained numb as he listened to Lu Jiayan's commands, scrambling to get up from the side of the bed, even accidentally knocking over the glass of water on the bedside table and spilling the wet, sugary water on the floor.

The air was suddenly sticky and cloyingly sweet.

Sheng Mingzhi turned around with a blank expression, only to discover on his first step that Lu Jiayan had never let go of his hand.

The inertia caught him off guard and he fell onto the bed, feeling a tighter force at his wrists that almost gave him a painful squeeze.

The certain male vixen who had crowned him and said he should go to bed, leaned lazily against the bed with his bones, but his eyes were locked firmly on him.

After a long time, Sheng Mingzhi saw the hidden love in Lu Jiayan's peach blossom eyes. He sighed softly, "Little heartless. I'm drinking this wine for someone."

Sheng Mingzhi felt stiff and immobile.

Can't hear a thing.

In the darkness, Lu Jiayan's voice was inexpressibly compelling, soft and gentle, like a pout: "Are you really going to sleep in your room?"

He paused for a moment, trailing off with what seemed like a bit of levity, suggesting as if nothing had happened, "It's legal to sleep here, too."