Chapter 63: The Apple of His Eye, His Lifeline

Wang Zhuo, not believing it, went to the airport early the next day to wait.

He knew Cheng Ye was tall, and in a crowd, he was always the one who stood out like a crane among chickens. So when the crowd came out, Wang Zhuo subconsciously glanced at the tall people.

He did indeed see Cheng Ye at first glance, but in the next second, his attention was drawn to the person next to him.

The young man was dressed simply, in black pants and a white shirt. It was hot, so he wore a baseball cap, pulled down low, revealing only half of his face. His skin was fair, his chin well-shaped. He turned his head and said something to Cheng Ye, and Wang Zhuo saw Cheng Ye give a rare smile.

Liu Man was right. Cheng Ye indeed hadn’t come alone. But Wang Zhuo couldn’t figure out how Liu Man had guessed.

While he was dazed, Cheng Ye walked up to him with the person.

“This is the one I told you about before, Wang Zhuo.”

Wang Zhuo wiped the cold sweat from his palms and extended his hand to Jiang Shi. “Hello, Wang Zhuo.”

Jiang Shi shook his hand. “Hello, Jiang Shi.”

Cheng Ye, standing to the side, watched their briefly clasped hands, his brow furrowing imperceptibly.

He took a step forward, stood between them, and reached over to take Jiang Shi’s hand, enveloping his fingertips with his own and giving them a squeeze.

“Did you call a car?”

“I did,” Wang Zhuo said, glancing at the two of them. He felt their behavior was a bit too intimate.

Actually, they weren’t standing that close, and Wang Zhuo didn’t see Cheng Ye and Jiang Shi holding hands. It was just that Cheng Ye usually gave him a very cold impression. He thought that was just his personality, but the sudden appearance of Jiang Shi made him seem like a normal person.

It was the normalcy that felt strange.

But Wang Zhuo didn’t think too much of it and led them towards the taxi. “The restaurant is booked. They’ve all arrived and are just waiting for us.”

Behind them, no one paid attention to Wang Zhuo’s words. Jiang Shi pulled his hand out of Cheng Ye’s. “It’s so hot. Cheng Ye, stay away from me.”

Cheng Ye moved two centimeters away. “I saw some dust on your hand.”

Jiang Shi said, “I see a hole in your head.”

“…”

Wang Zhuo, walking in front, was oblivious. He opened the car door and turned back with a simple smile. “We’re here. Let’s get in.”

The car headed towards the restaurant. Jiang Shi and Cheng Ye sat in the back, and Wang Zhuo sat in the front passenger seat.

To be honest, he was very curious about the unheard-of Jiang Shi. Especially when he stood next to the rugged Cheng Ye, the contrast was obvious. He didn’t look like someone who could be friends with Cheng Ye.

The rearview mirror reflected Jiang Shi’s figure.

In the car, he took off his hat, revealing his entire face. His features were exquisite, every line on his face perfectly drawn. He was definitely a conspicuous presence in a crowd.

Jiang Shi bent down and took a pack of tissues from Cheng Ye’s pocket. He took one out, pushed back the hair on his forehead that was damp with sweat, revealing a smooth forehead, and then pressed the tissue to it.

The wind blew in from outside. In the rearview mirror, the young man faced the wind and squinted his eyes comfortably.

Wang Zhuo was a little mesmerized.

Almost instantly, he felt a cold gaze fall on him. Wang Zhuo paused, his gaze shifting a few degrees in the rearview mirror, and met a pair of pitch-black eyes.

The gaze was very cold, like a warning from a wild beast whose territory had been invaded.

He withdrew his gaze. It took a few minutes before he reached back to touch his neck, feeling a handful of cold sweat.

…

Jiang Shi threw the tissue he had used to wipe his sweat back into Cheng Ye’s hand and had Cheng Ye hold up his phone for him to fix his hair.

The restaurant Wang Zhuo booked was very famous in Jiangcheng. It was large but only had ten floors. Here, anyone with money could come to eat, but the higher the floor, the higher the class. As you went up, not just anyone could enter.

Jiang Shi had eaten here a few times when he was a child, but with the Song family’s strength, the highest he had ever gone was the eighth floor.

After all this time, he never thought he would have a day to eat here again.

The taxi they took couldn’t go in, so they could only get out at the entrance.

Jiang Shi stood at the entrance, looking up at the gilded sign above. “It’s been a long time, but this place is still the same.”

Every time he came here, it was to entertain with Song Bo. Jiang Shi didn’t remember the taste of the food much. The only thing he remembered was…

“Their fish is pretty good, quite delicious.”

Fish…

Cheng Ye was stunned. “I didn’t see fish on the menu.”

“It’s normal not to see it. That fish is only served on the fifth floor and above. What you can order are just some common dishes.”

He explained the rules of the floors to them in a few words.

Such a large restaurant, yet it played the class privilege of Jiangcheng so clearly.

Wang Zhuo listened and said, “I didn’t expect you to know this place so well. I’ve been in Jiangcheng for so many years, and I’ve only heard that this restaurant is very famous. I didn’t expect there to be so many twists and turns inside.”

Jiang Shi stepped inside. “I came to eat when I was a child, so I know a little.”

Cheng Ye followed beside him, nonchalantly. “One day, I will let you eat fish too.”

Jiang Shi was stunned and explained, “That fish is just a river fish. The chef’s skills are just a bit better. There’s nothing special.”

“It’s different…” Cheng Ye said, “You like it.”

The fish wasn’t special, but if Jiang Shi liked it, it was special.

Jiang Shi didn’t take his words to heart. He didn’t deny that Cheng Ye had the ability, but with his current small office of only one room, by the time he could afford to eat on the fifth floor, the chef might not even be there anymore.

He smiled and replied, “Alright, then I’ll wait. I’ll wait for Boss Cheng to take me to the fifth floor.”

Although the studio had made a profit, the celebration banquet was not that extravagant. Wang Zhuo had booked a special-priced table at the restaurant, which was the table near the corridor by the door on the first floor.

It was a very inconvenient spot. People coming and going had to pass by them, and since the door was never closed, people passing by in the corridor could see inside, offering no privacy at all.

But it was 60% off.

Wang Zhuo took it with tears in his eyes.

The employees hired by the studio were all recent college graduates. To be able to eat at a place like this, let alone by the corridor, they would be happy to eat squatting in the corridor.

Jiang Shi was placed in the most hidden spot against the wall, with Cheng Ye sitting next to him.

Besides Wang Zhuo, Liu Man, and Xiao Liu, there were three other people in the studio, two men and one woman.

Jiang Shi had never even seen the other three before, and even Cheng Ye had only met them after the college entrance exam. Cheng Ye was not old, but he often had a cold face and spoke without mercy. They were all a little afraid of him from the bottom of their hearts. They didn’t dare to ask who Jiang Shi was, only secretly sizing him up.

Cheng Ye had no self-awareness of being a boss. He sat next to Jiang Shi, poured him water, and took his bowl and chopsticks to rinse with hot water. Looking at them, the motionless Jiang Shi looked more like the boss.

Wang Zhuo was also rinsing his bowl. He took out his chopsticks and asked Liu Man beside him in a low voice, “What’s the background of this little brother? I’ve never seen the boss treat anyone like this.”

Compared to the others’ restraint, Liu Man was much more at ease. Hearing Wang Zhuo’s words, he also lowered his voice. “I don’t know his background, but I know that this one is Brother Cheng’s lifeline, the apple of his eye. He can’t be provoked, can’t be touched, can’t be valued, and can’t be ignored. Anyway, in short, it’s better to offend Brother Cheng than to offend him.”

Thinking of Cheng Ye’s gaze in the car just now, Wang Zhuo shivered.

There were many people on the first floor, and the dishes were served exceptionally slowly. Jiang Shi drank a glass of orange juice, and only a cold dish was served.

He stood up. “I’m going to the restroom.”

Cheng Ye also stood up. “I’ll go with you.”

Jiang Shi immediately glared at him. “Go with you, my ass. Sit down.”

He wasn’t a child who needed someone to accompany him to the restroom.

Cheng Ye was still worried. “This place is too big. You won’t be able to find it…”

“I’m more familiar with it than you are.”

Cheng Ye had nothing more to say.

Jiang Shi pulled out his chair and went out. He had been here a few times, but he had never been on the first floor. He had to ask a waiter to find the restroom.

He came out after using the restroom and saw a group of young people, both men and women, talking and laughing, coming towards the door from a distance.

After a year of reading a lot, Jiang Shi had become a little nearsighted. The prescription wasn’t high, so he had never worn glasses, and thus couldn’t see the group’s faces clearly.

He didn’t pay attention, shook the water droplets from his hands, and walked towards the dining hall.

He had only taken two steps when a slightly puzzled voice came from behind him. “Song Shi?”

Having not heard this name for a long time, Jiang Shi was a bit dazed. It wasn’t until the person called out a second time that he came back to his senses.

He turned around. The group of people behind him had various expressions.

Too much time had passed. It took Jiang Shi some effort to match their faces with their names. They were all his former “classmates.”

Standing in front was Xie Hong, who had caused trouble at Old Mrs. Song’s banquet. It had been almost a year since they had seen each other. He had gained some weight, had his hair dyed an exaggerated green, and was covered in jewels.

He had his hands in his pockets and took two steps towards Jiang Shi. “Yo, who do we have here? Isn’t this the little Young Master Song from back then? What are you doing here? Having a meal?”

Jiang Shi couldn’t be bothered to get entangled with these people and turned to leave.

Xie Hong was faster than him. He darted in front of him in a few steps, blocking Jiang Shi’s path. “What’s the hurry? Old classmates can’t even catch up?”

Jiang Shi’s face was cold. “I have nothing to catch up on with you. Move.”

Xie Hong didn’t move. He scanned him up and down, but to his disappointment, Jiang Shi hadn’t changed much from before. Although he looked thinner, his lips were red and his teeth were white. The white T-shirt looked simple, with no logo, but it fit him well, making him look clean and fresh.

“Where are you going? I heard your mom is a farmer. Can you afford to eat at a place like this? It just so happens that we’re having a class reunion today. We were in the same school before, after all. Why don’t you join us? You don’t have to chip in. How about it? My treat.”

Being blocked repeatedly, Jiang Shi was clearly getting impatient.

He frowned slightly. “I don’t need your treat. I’m afraid I’ll be too disgusted to eat. And, I don’t have a hobby of hanging around in a garbage dump.”

Xie Hong always liked to get close to Jiang Shi, but he never got anything good out of it. Yet, he was incorrigible.

“Song Shi!” he gritted his teeth. “How long do you think you can be arrogant? Huo Ji has gone abroad. Let’s see who will protect you in the future.”

Jiang Shi was baffled. “When did Huo Ji ever protect me? If you’re sick, get treatment. Eating can’t cure brain damage.”

After saying that, he walked around Xie Hong. He had only taken two steps when a hand grabbed his shoulder.

Jiang Shi turned his head. Before he could do anything, another hand shot past his head, grabbed the hand on his shoulder, and then…

Bang—

Xie Hong was thrown with great force and kicked against the wall.

The dry smell reached Jiang Shi’s nose. He looked up. Cheng Ye’s jaw was tight, his eyes dark.