Chapter 28 A-Choo-Choo Ginger: Coward!!!

He lowered his gaze.

"Lin Yu, you know the situation at our company as well as I do. Those old geezers are waiting for me to make a mistake so they can push me out of the decision-making circle."

"And my brothers—not a single one of them has any interest in the company."

"You know as well as I do that this company is my parents' lifeblood."

"I don't need Shen Changhui to do anything special. If he just follows the standard procedure, submits his resume, and comes in for an interview, I swear to you, he will definitely be selected!"

Having said this, Fu Jiajin looked Lin Yu straight in the eye.

In Lin Yu’s eyes, he saw the yearning of a young woman in love, not the simple admiration of a sister for her brother.

Fu Jiajin’s mind suddenly felt as if it had exploded, only to immediately reconstruct a new circuit of memories.

This Lin Yu was truly not the real Lin Yu.

His sister Lin Yu had always looked at him with admiration because he was everything she wasn't. She had come from the deep mountains, naive and inexperienced. If it hadn't been for his family's sponsorship, she would have been married off early, burdened with the endless chores of her husband's household.

Therefore, the real Lin Yu had always looked at his family with a mix of worship, envy, and gratitude. In other words, she might have felt many things, but never the romantic love between a man and a woman.

Lin Yu, intoxicated by Fu Jiajin’s gentle words, felt completely spellbound and nodded obediently.

"Alright then, brother. I'll try to persuade her."

"Good."

***

Returning home, Fu Jiajin locked himself in his bedroom.

He sat on the edge of the bed, scanning his surroundings. Suddenly, he clutched his head.

Fragments of memory forced their way into his mind, returning to where they belonged. As he stood up, he felt a wave of dizziness. Those lewd, chaotic images rushed in like uninvited intruders.

Fu Jiajin frowned, glancing around.

He... he actually did it.

He actually did those things with Jiang Jiujiu.

Without realizing when he had picked up his phone, he fumbled until he found Jiang Jiujiu’s contact. But he hesitated. In his old memories, the ID for Jiang Jiujiu in his phone had been just two cold characters: "Jiang Jiu."

But now, he stared at the contact named "A-JiuJiu Jiang." His fingers hovered, unsure of how to proceed.

Jiang Jiujiu was the one who lost patience first. A flurry of messages flooded the screen, too many to count.

A-JiuJiu Jiang:
[Are you going to send it or not?]
[All this deleting and re-typing—are you doing this on purpose to torture me?]
[If you have something to ask, ask it already! I have so much to do tomorrow!]
[Fu Jiajin, where are you?]
[You coward, why did you run away again?]
[Whatever, don't bother if you don't want to.]
[Seriously, if you don't have anything to say, why are you staring at the chat window? Having a rave in there?]
[I give up. I can't take this. Bye, goodnight.]

...

Fu Jiajin, panicked, called her immediately. What was worse, Jiang Jiujiu picked up instantly.

Jiang Jiujiu checked the time. "Hello? Say something!"

"I..." Fu Jiajin felt as if a small-scale battle was raging in his mouth, making it impossible to speak. Finally, his tongue won out. "We, really, happened, no—we had, just, that kind of, er, that we, it is true, we already, not that we..."

"Mr. Fu, we really slept together!"

Fu Jiajin hadn't expected Jiang Jiujiu to be so blunt, and he choked on his own saliva, coughing violently for a long moment.

Jiang Jiujiu stared at her flushed reflection in the mirror.

—Jiang Jiujiu, have you no shame!
—How could you say something like that!
—You’re finished. Your image as a lady is gone forever!!!!

Fu Jiajin was still in a daze. "I'm sorry, I..."

"What are you sorry for? It was mutual, and we’re both adults!"

Something seemed to be driving Jiang Jiujiu’s tongue; once she started, she couldn't stop. "What, did you go home and remember something? I’m telling you the truth, thanks for the great experience!"

"Besides, it’ll be legal soon enough anyway. There’s nothing to be shy about."

Jiang Jiujiu’s voice was soft and sweet, tickling Fu Jiajin’s heart and making his blood boil.

"Though, Brother Jin, could you finish a little faster next time? I was about to be worn out by you!"

*Click.*

The call was disconnected.

Fu Jiajin touched his face, then dragged his hand down to touch his lips. Suddenly, he gave his own head a slap.

He muttered to himself, "Fu Jiajin, stop thinking about it!"

"How could you lose your composure like this!"

Fu Jiajin’s face turned bright red; he looked like a boiled shrimp. He had known Jiang Jiujiu was straightforward, but he never expected her to be *this* direct.

He shook his head vigorously, but certain memories remained vivid, enough to stir him up. Fu Jiajin patted his face and finally sighed in defeat.

He ended up taking a cold shower. Sometimes, things just had to go against one's will. Fu Jiajin felt helpless, lingering in the bathroom for hours before finally coming out, radiating a cold aura.

Whether his mind had gone off the rails or not, he felt an inexplicable, faint fragrance lingering in his private space—the scent of Jiang Jiujiu. The sensation made his breathing shallow, as if he were still held in her embrace.

After a long time, Fu Jiajin found the camera Fu Jiahua had left behind.

Watching the content and listening to the recording he had made for himself, the temperature around him dropped to its lowest point. His eyes filled with the image of Lin Yu touching him earlier, and the more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. He tossed his clothes into the trash can and even scrubbed his hands!

***

Fu Jiahua’s mood was no better.

He had rushed back, but standing before the small villa, he lacked the courage to step inside. He stood out in the wind until the lights went out.

Only then did he step in, heading straight for his destination to retrieve his notebook of secret crushes. By the dim light, he pored over it cautiously. The more he read, the clearer his mind became. Then, a crushing sense of emptiness enveloped him, leaving him drenched in a cold sweat.

Fu Jiahua hurried upstairs. He placed his hand on the doorknob, pressing it down with extreme care. He slowed his steps, eventually kneeling by the bedside.

His fingertips gently caressed Lin Xiangge’s face. Thanks to her habit of leaving a nightlight on, he could clearly see the girl he had loved since he was sixteen.

Fu Jiahua’s gaze was tender, yet fiercely possessive. He wished he could see right through her.

The night was as cool as water, the wind rustled, and the white sheer curtains swayed in the breeze.

Fu Jiahua kissed his beloved girl.