Chapter 90: A Wild Boar Can’t Appreciate Fine Chaff

Jiang Shi was stunned for a long while before he came back to his senses.

He tightened his coat and got into the car. Cheng Ye, sitting beside him, reached out and kneaded the space between his eyebrows. Besides the smell of alcohol, there was also a faint scent of perfume on him. His head was a bit groggy, and even his reactions were much slower than usual.

Seeing Jiang Shi get into the car, it took him half a minute to pull out a steaming hot roasted sweet potato from the other side. “For you, bought it on the way. Fresh out of the oven.”

Jiang Shi took it, his cold fingertips warmed by the heat of the sweet potato.

The low-key Rolls-Royce closed its windows and merged into the stream of traffic.

In the car, Jiang Shi tore off the soft skin of the sweet potato and joked with Cheng Ye with a smile, “CEO Cheng is truly something else. Haven’t seen you for a while, and you’re already driving a luxury car.”

Cheng Ye said, “It’s rented.”

Jiang Shi: “…”

He choked for a moment. “What about the clothes?”

“Also rented. It’s supposedly high-end custom-made, three hundred a day. The owner wouldn’t let me bargain.”

“…”

He complained to Jiang Shi, “Three hundred could buy a whole new set. Wang Zhuo kept telling me it lacks class. A stupid set of clothes for three hundred a day, why don’t they just rob someone?”

As he spoke, he adjusted the sapphire cufflinks on his sleeves. His eyes were deep, his side profile cut by light and shadow, his nose as straight as a mountain peak.

Jiang Shi poked him. “Shut up.”

Cheng Ye turned to look at him, “??”

Even more aggrieved.

The Rolls-Royce stopped downstairs from the apartment complex. The driver cleared his throat. “Mr. Cheng, we’ve arrived.”

The two got out of the car, and the driver followed, jogging to Cheng Ye’s side. “Sir, about the final payment…”

Cheng Ye pulled out a stack of cash from his suit jacket and settled the final payment.

After being blown by the cold wind for a while, his muddled brain finally cleared up a lot. He noticed the different way Jiang Shi was looking at the Rolls-Royce.

He paused. “You like it?”

Jiang Shi took a bite of the sweet potato.

“It’s alright.”

He just thought Cheng Ye looked a bit handsome sitting in the car just now. It would have been more perfect if he could just donate his mouth.

Cheng Ye thought he liked it and silently added buying a car to his agenda.

…

Jiang Shi found that the only impact of Cheng Ye becoming rich was that he became even busier. But his essential nature was still stingy. He would even grab a couple of extra napkins when eating out to take home. Every day he wore that well-worn black jacket of his to work, and didn’t even notice the hole in his old-man-style tank top underneath.

He really couldn’t stand it anymore. Just as they were about to go home for the New Year, he dragged him to the mall to buy clothes.

Cheng Ye was not happy about going to the mall and instead dragged Jiang Shi to a wholesale clothing market.

“We’ll buy here.”

Jiang Shi was speechless. “CEO Cheng, can you please wear something decent?”

CEO Cheng was not very decent.

With his rough physique, what was the point of wearing such nice clothes? But Jiang Shi was different. Jiang Shi had to wear nice things. When Jiang Shi dressed well, undressing him was like unwrapping a gift.

After Cheng Ye got rich, the things he bought for Jiang Shi became more and more expensive, going from hundreds to thousands, and now extending towards tens of thousands. It was just that Jiang Shi didn’t pay much attention to these things, so he hadn’t noticed the change in their standard of living.

As for himself… Cheng Ye had never had many demands. Having clothes to wear and food to eat was enough. As long as Jiang Shi was willing to be with him, he would be happy even if he had to eat salted vegetables for the rest of his life.

Jiang Shi stood next to him. “Cheng Ye, I’ve discovered you look a bit handsome in a suit.”

Cheng Ye said to the shop owner, “Excuse me, could you please use the hook to get down that suit from the very top?”

“…”

Hook my ass. Jiang Shi pulled him out of the wholesale market and into an inconspicuous clothing store.

For a man with a career, a suit is his face. Cheng Ye didn’t care about face, so Jiang Shi had to personally find one for him.

This shop was one that Song Bo used to frequent when he was a child. They made custom-tailored suits, and the master’s craftsmanship was excellent. Although it couldn’t compare to big brands, the fit and cut were very proper, very suitable for Cheng Ye at this stage.

Jiang Shi explained their purpose to the owner. The old master pushed up his presbyopic glasses and took Cheng Ye’s measurements with a soft tape measure.

Cheng Ye stood with his arms outstretched and casually asked the price.

The old master quoted a number that was enough to buy two of Jiang Shi’s outfits. He immediately refused, pulling his arms back.

Jiang Shi stood behind him and poked him. “What are you doing? Spread your arms.”

Cheng Ye turned to look at him. “Let’s not, young master. It’s expensive…”

Jiang Shi knew there was no reasoning with Cheng Ye. He glanced at the somewhat hard-of-hearing old master and leaned close to Cheng Ye’s ear. “The material of this suit is good. You’ll look as handsome as a male model in it, even better than the celebrities I see at my company.”

Cheng Ye’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He gritted his teeth. “Buy it.”

The young master held his bank card and swiped away tens of thousands in one go. Cheng Ye’s heart bled watching it, feeling that he had wronged Jiang Shi.

He had spent tens of thousands, which meant Jiang Shi would have to buy two fewer outfits.

It was all his fault, but Jiang Shi had called him handsome…

Jiang Shi had no idea about the train of thought in his head. He watched as the master took the measurements, they settled on the details, and finally set a time to pick up the clothes. Then he took Cheng Ye back to the mall.

They were going home for the New Year soon. Cheng Ye had suffered for so many years; he deserved to be dressed smartly.

Having spent so much money on the suit, Cheng Ye was dead set against buying any more clothes.

Jiang Shi had figured out a trick. He held up a black overcoat and measured it against him. “Cheng Ye, you look very handsome in this too. I’ve never seen you in this style.”

Cheng Ye: “…”

Buy.

“This one is handsome too, practically god-level.”

Buy.

“This one…”

Buy.

Jiang Shi was satisfied. Cheng Ye was depressed.

The temperature had been low these past two days, and the faucet at home had frozen and cracked. After shopping, CEO Cheng, wearing his old tank top with a hole in it, squatted on the balcony fixing the water pipe.

Jiang Shi, in his bunny slippers, strolled over from the living room. Seeing him, he turned back. “Still not fixed?”

The water had splashed a dark patch on Cheng Ye’s pants. He put the broken faucet he had removed to the side and replaced it with a new one. “Just need to replace it with a new one. It’ll be done soon.”

Jiang Shi stood for a while. “Why are you still wearing this torn tank top?”

“This is comfortable.”

“…”

A wild boar can’t appreciate fine chaff.

It didn’t matter whether the faucet was fixed or not. They were going home for the New Year the next day.

They lived on the fourth floor. Outside the balcony was a tall plane tree.

The new leaves of the plane tree had sprouted a few times, and time had passed in several rounds. The treetop had quietly grown upwards, year after new year.

When the first firework of the year shot up into the Jiangcheng sky, Jiang Shi raised his hand and closed the door of the bedroom he had lived in for more than three years.

Jiang Xue’s voice shouted from the doorway, “Jiang Shi, are you packed? The moving truck is already downstairs.”

Jiang Shi rubbed his ears. “Stop rushing me. It’s not like I’m the one packing. Why don’t you go yell at Cheng Ye?”

Jiang Xue said, “You brat.”

Cheng Ye emerged from the adjacent bedroom, carrying a cardboard box.

In the past few years, the immaturity in his features had completely faded, transforming him into a mature man. His expression was composed, his wildness reined in. All his emotions were hidden in those dark, deep eyes, making it difficult for anyone to get a glimpse.

He put the box down by the door. “Done.”

The movers came up and began carrying things down. Jiang Shi was allocated two guavas. He held one in each hand, so he could take a bite if he got tired of walking.

Jiang Xue followed beside him with a bag. “I’m not saying, but how can you two grown men have so much stuff?”

Today was the 28th of the lunar month. It was bustling everywhere. The sky hadn’t even darkened yet, but someone was already setting off fireworks in the distance.

Amidst the sound of exploding fireworks, Jiang Shi spoke, “How would I know? I didn’t buy anything. It was all bought by Cheng Ye.”

Now that he said that, Jiang Xue understood. This whole pile of things was probably mostly Jiang Shi’s.

With Cheng Ye’s current net worth, he truly deserved the title of CEO Cheng. Just two days ago, he was on the finance report, and his picture in a suit was on the front page of the news, honored as a representative of entrepreneurial youth.

And now, the CEO with a net worth of over a hundred million was wearing the same black cotton jacket Jiang Xue had seen him in years ago, with several gray smudges on his pants, honestly moving things into the truck.

He had broad shoulders and long legs, carrying two boxes at a time.

Jiang Xue turned her head again.

Her own son was holding a half-eaten guava. Feeling tired of standing, he looked around and sat down on a suitcase that had been placed to the side.

In the past few years, the boyishness on Jiang Shi’s face had also faded. He was said to be joining a film crew next month to play a character with long hair, so he had been growing his hair out, which made the face beneath the long hair even more androgynous.

Jiang Xue really wanted to find some evidence that Jiang Shi was not living well, but his face, far from showing any trace of hardship, looked so tender that you could probably squeeze water out of it. The two fingers holding the guava were slender and long. Forget about doing manual labor, he probably hadn’t even washed a piece of fruit.

Cheng Ye had bought a house. Jiang Xue had come over to help them move and celebrate the New Year together.

The house was a two-story detached cottage. There weren’t many rooms, but it had a separate courtyard. Tucked away in the bustling city, it was surprisingly quiet.

Jiang Xue was stunned for a long time when she saw the house. She remembered that the place Cheng Ye used to live in was a dilapidated wooden house. It had only been a few years, and he still had half a year of university left, yet he had already bought a villa.

Her first reaction was shock, then worry.

In just these few years, Cheng Ye had developed so much. In the future…

Thinking of this, she looked at Jiang Shi.

Jiang Shi had finished his guava. His hands were sticky with juice. Not finding any paper, he held out two fingers to Cheng Ye.

Cheng Ye lifted his own jacket and wiped them for him. “It’s cold outside. You and Auntie Jiang go inside first.”

Jiang Shi looked at the movers who were still carrying things. “Didn’t we pay for people? Why are you still moving things yourself?”

Cheng Ye said, “Several of the boxes are filled with your things.”

“?”

So?

“How can I let other people move your things?”

“…”

Jiang Shi pulled his hand back.

A faint, cool touch lingered on Cheng Ye’s palm. He withdrew his hand, his expression a little regretful.

Jiang Shi couldn’t understand his train of thought. He led Jiang Xue into the villa.

The floor heating was on inside. He took off his jacket, let Jiang Xue sit down, and after a thought, he strolled to the kitchen to wash some fruit for her.

The fruit bowl was half full of water and half full of fruit. Jiang Xue picked up a dripping orange, suspecting that her son had been completely spoiled by Cheng Ye.

They were still moving things outside. Jiang Xue ate two oranges and couldn’t sit still. She looked at the sky. “It’s already dark. Why don’t I go make dinner first?”

Jiang Shi was nestled in the sofa he had chosen for himself. He took out his phone, skillfully opened a game, and said without looking up, “Cheng Ye will do it.”

Jiang Xue wanted to smack him. “He’s been busy moving all day. How can you still make him cook?”

Jiang Shi said, “Well, I can’t cook either.”

Jiang Xue: “…”

Jiang Xue raised her hand, looked at his beautiful head, and then put it down again.

“I’ll do it.”

Jiang Shi said again, “Better let Cheng Ye do it. Your cooking isn’t as good as his.”

Jiang Xue couldn’t bear it anymore and finally gave his beautiful head a smack.

After Cheng Ye finished moving Jiang Shi’s things, he didn’t rush to unpack. After seeing the movers off, he went to make dinner first.

He was young, full of vigor, and his body temperature was always high. Once he took off his cotton jacket, he was only wearing a tank top underneath. Since Jiang Xue was there, he didn’t walk around the house in just a tank top. He put on a T-shirt and stood in the kitchen, starting to pick and wash vegetables.

The floor of the new villa was shiny. With the lights on, it was bright everywhere. Jiang Xue could see her reddish-dark face reflected on the floor when she looked down.

She really couldn’t sit still. She stood up to help Cheng Ye.

Cheng Ye knew she was probably not used to the new house. He had her help with some simple tasks and chatted with her in their dialect. In no time, he had dispelled the awkwardness in Jiang Xue’s heart.

Jiang Shi lost a game and angrily turned off his phone, sulking on the sofa. The kitchen door was not closed, and the voices of Cheng Ye and Jiang Xue talking clearly reached his ears.

Cheng Ye said, “That yard behind the villa, I’m planning to develop it for growing vegetables. And on the other side, I’ll build a chicken coop to raise chickens. Isn’t there a swimming pool in the back? Jiang Shi doesn’t like to swim. We can use it to raise fish.”

Jiang Xue said, “I was just thinking that when I saw the yard. What a waste to plant flowers and grass. It’s better to grow some vegetables. So many vegetables now are sprayed with pesticides. It’s safer to grow your own.”

“Exactly,” Cheng Ye deeply agreed. “Growing your own is not only safe, but it also saves money.”

Save a little today, save a little tomorrow, and Jiang Shi would have new clothes to wear.

Jiang Shi, who had heard the entire conversation: “…”

At that moment, the magnificent little mansion instantly turned into a farmhouse resort.

A wild boar can’t appreciate fine chaff.