Luck Ch.8

Chapter 8: “One where there are many people to serve you”

Jiang Chi was startled and quickly grabbed a tissue from the coffee table to help Qin Yan wipe the water.

“Cough, cough, cough.”

Qin Yan coughed so hard that the corners of his eyes turned red. His chest and face were soaked with water, his white shirt damp in several places, with tiny droplets sticking to his body. Since he was sitting on the sofa, even his pants were soaked in a large patch.

Seeing this, Jiang Chi panicked and hurriedly patted Qin Yan on the back to help him catch his breath, repeatedly asking, “Are you okay?”

It seemed as though Qin Yan hadn’t just choked on water but nearly drowned.

For some reason, Jiang Chi always felt that Qin Yan wasn’t in good health, and he was afraid that the other might accidentally choke to death or suffer from a lung infection due to the water.

Qin Yan lowered his head to shake the water off his clothes and softly apologized, “Sorry, I’ve dirtied your carpet.”

Jiang Chi didn’t even care about the carpet and kept saying it was fine. He also raised his hand to wipe the water from Qin Yan’s face.

Qin Yan paused for a moment while wiping his face, instinctively rubbing his face with his hand.

Jiang Chi’s palm wasn’t rough, but when it brushed over his cheek, it still left a strong impression.

The dry, wide, and firm touch was fleeting, the movement smooth and without any hint of flirtation, as natural as wiping water droplets from porcelain.

Qin Yan’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he suddenly stopped his movements. “Do you often help others?”

Jiang Chi grabbed another tissue and pulled out a few more, half-squatting on the floor, wiping the water off Qin Yan’s neck.

Hearing the question, Jiang Chi raised his face, his gaze pure and innocent. “Help others with what?”

Qin Yan’s expression was neutral, his tone indifferent and cold as he uttered a word: “M**turbation.”

Jiang Chi’s hand trembled slightly as he wiped the water, staring at Qin Yan in disbelief, strongly suspecting that he had misheard. “What did you say?”

Qin Yan knew Jiang Chi had heard him clearly, so he didn’t repeat the two words. Instead, he warily asked, “What are you talking about?”

Jiang Chi replayed the entire conversation in his head and realized that from the moment Qin Yan mentioned “washing clothes at noon,” they had been speaking past each other, each on a different wavelength, not communicating on the same channel at all.

He had thought that Qin Yan was asking, “Why wash clothes at noon?” but in reality, Qin Yan was asking him: “Why m**turbate at noon?”

“I thought you were talking about washing clothes,” Jiang Chi finally understood, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “No wonder you reacted so strongly when I said I’d help you… I was wondering what kind of mood you’d need to wash clothes, but it turns out you were talking about…”

Qin Yan’s gaze was sharp, scrutinizing Jiang Chi.

In Jiang Chi’s calm and sincere gaze, Qin Yan realized that the two of them hadn’t been talking about the same thing at all.

Feigning composure, Qin Yan said seriously, “I was talking about washing clothes.”

Jiang Chi caught sight of the faint redness on Qin Yan’s neck and decided not to call out the clumsy lie.

In the end, it was Jiang Chi who had been the one acting strangely since returning home, so it wasn’t surprising that Qin Yan had misunderstood.

“Speaking of which, it’s a little embarrassing, but I still need to explain to you. Just now, Hong Zixiao downstairs said that I… that my former body owner might have…”

Jiang Chi thought for a moment and decided to use a professional term to make it sound more serious. “Might have er*ctile dysfunction. I got a little anxious and decided to try it out. Normally, I don’t do this, not at noon, and not when I’m taking a shower…”

Jiang Chi had never found that term so hard to say before. Back in high school and university, he could talk about anything with his roommates, but in front of Qin Yan, he suddenly became very cautious.

It was probably because Qin Yan had such a cold, reserved aura. Casual jokes between friends always seemed disrespectful when said in front of Qin Yan.

Jiang Chi tried hard to hide all of his unreliable traits, but things didn’t go as planned. In just two short days, his flaws had been displayed in every way possible.

Qin Yan, holding the soft, white tissue, made his allergic reaction on the back of his hand look even more obvious, with the redness spreading.

The book had never described the protagonist being allergic to mosquito bites, but after staying at his place for just one day, Qin Yan had been bitten by toxic mosquitoes like this.

It seemed like he wasn’t really good at taking care of people.

This realization made Jiang Chi feel quite depressed, even more so than the feeling of having a huge flaw in a carefully designed security blueprint.

Jiang Chi’s sudden mood drop surprised Qin Yan. He didn’t know why Jiang Chi was upset, but naturally, he connected it to what Jiang Chi had said earlier… about er*ctile dysfunction.

This was quite a tricky situation. If he were in Jiang Chi’s shoes, it would indeed be hard to accept.

Qin Yan wasn’t very good at comforting people, so he simply said, “It’s okay, it’ll get better.”

Jiang Chi was deeply moved.

As expected of the ‘protagonist’—he was so understanding. Even with his hand so swollen, he was still comforting him!

Jiang Chi’s gaze swept over “Ji Yu’s” hand, and he made a silent vow to take even better care of him from now on.

Neither of them realized that, without meaning to, they had started talking about two entirely different things again.

It was strange—despite the topics being so different, they somehow still meshed well together, and neither of them thought anything was off.

Jiang Chi stood up. “You should change your clothes. They’re all wet. The new pajamas I washed this morning should be dry by now. Let me get them for you.”

Qin Yan followed Jiang Chi to the balcony and took the pajamas. “Do you always… take care of people like this?”

Jiang Chi smiled brightly. “This is nothing. You’re a guest at my place, so it’s only natural for me to prepare these things. I actually feel like I haven’t taken good enough care of you… Do you need any medicine for your hand?”

“No need.”

Qin Yan took the pajamas and walked out, saying something else.

Just then, the washing machine on the balcony started spinning, buzzing loudly and drowning out Qin Yan’s voice.

By the time Jiang Chi stepped out onto the balcony and closed the door to block the noise, Qin Yan had already gone back upstairs.

In the afternoon, Jiang Chi hung the dried mosquito net in the master bedroom.

When the mosquito net was crumpled up and tumbling in the washing machine, it had one effect; when it was spread out on the bed, it created a completely different feeling.

The pink sheer curtains hung low, gently swaying with the breeze, exuding a dreamy, ethereal quality.

The mosquito net didn’t quite match the style of the entire apartment. Amidst the cool tones of the fashionable, luxurious decor, it awkwardly introduced a bright, cheerful shade of smoky pink.

Jiang Chi and Qin Yan stood side by side at the head of the bed, staring at the dreamy curtains.

As the head of the Qin family, Qin Yan was used to having his word be law, but ever since meeting Jiang Chi, he had found himself wanting to retract some of the things he had said.

For example, the phrase “any color is fine.”

Jiang Chi couldn’t quite understand why a pink mosquito net looked so girly, but it was probably because it was adorned with so much lace and embroidery. The excess decoration inevitably gave off a sense of extravagant luxury.

The whole curtain was filled with a sweet, delicate atmosphere that not only clashed with the other furniture in the bedroom but also seemed completely out of place with the two tall men standing in front of it.

Jiang Chi couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would look like for Qin Yan to lie in bed— the sense of disharmony was so strong it almost felt terrifying.

Well… it’s not that pink is bad. Pink is beautiful, soft, and delicate. It’s just that… it doesn’t suit them.

Jiang Chi and Qin Yan exchanged glances.

“How about we go buy a different color?” Jiang Chi suggested.

Qin Yan quickly agreed with the idea, “Okay.”

The two of them changed clothes and hurried downstairs, eager not to spend another second near that pink mosquito net adorned with butterflies.

*

When Qin Yan left the Qin family and returned to Jiang Chi’s apartment, he never expected that he would end up living there for so long.

Jiang Chi was the perfect roommate—he had a very weak presence. Every day, he would be tinkering with security designs in his study, rarely going upstairs to disturb Qin Yan.

He gave up all the rooms on the upper floor, creating a relatively independent space and allowing Qin Yan the maximum freedom.

Since birth, Qin Yan had never lived such a peaceful life.

From the time he had memory, there had always been many people around him. Rather than saying they were there to serve him, it was more accurate to say they were there to supervise him.

From the moment he opened his eyes—not even that, from the time he was still asleep—his wake-up time was already fixed. Servants would knock on his door at six every morning, arranging his morning exercise routine, and a fitness coach would be waiting for him downstairs.

What clothes to wear, what to have for breakfast, what time to leave, what arrangements were made—everything was taken care of by someone else, and Qin Yan never had to worry about these trivial matters.

“Your thoughts should be focused on more useful things,” was something his grandfather often said.

In the evening, a nutritionist would bring him a bowl of soup. This bowl of soup marked the end of Qin Yan’s day, and it was a subtle reminder to him: ‘Your rest time has begun; you should be going to sleep now.’

Of course, Qin Yan could choose not to sleep, but every fifteen minutes, a servant would continue knocking on his door, reminding him, “Young master, it’s time to rest.”

After three rounds, his grandfather would personally come and knock on his door.

This cycle repeated, and this lifestyle continued for eighteen years, until his grandfather passed away a few years ago.

But Qin Yan’s routine had already been ingrained, and habits are notoriously hard to change.

Even though his grandfather was no longer around, and even though no one dared to knock on his door anymore, and even though he could fire all the annoying people, Qin Yan still felt confined.

It was like a little elephant chained by an iron chain. Even though it had grown up and had the ability to break free from the shackles, its subconscious would still limit it, forcing it to follow the rules.

Maybe it would take another eighteen years, or even longer, for him to completely break free from the old circle of habits.

But what would be the point of breaking free?

It would just be jumping from one circle to another. As long as Qin Yan was still the head of the Qin family, he would have responsibilities he couldn’t avoid, paths he had to follow.

The environment has a significant impact on a person.

Maybe it was because of the completely new environment, or perhaps because Jiang Chi treated Qin Yan like a completely different person. In front of Jiang Chi, Qin Yan somehow detached from his original life and finally managed to escape that vicious circle.

Being around Jiang Chi made Qin Yan feel at ease.

This was an unprecedented sense of freedom.

The second floor of Jiang Chi’s apartment was only about fifty square meters, but for Qin Yan, it felt so spacious.

It was so quiet here.

In the past, Qin Yan was always surrounded by people. Even just going from home to the office, there would always be at least one secretary, two assistants, and several bodyguards and drivers accompanying him.

He never thought there was anything wrong with this lifestyle. However, during his time back in the country, Qin Yan realized: this way of life was off.

He had used all his time and energy to quickly grow into an excellent head of the family in a short period. But behind the identity of ‘family head’ lay a large void in practical life skills.

Qin Yan couldn’t hang a mosquito net, couldn’t change the sheets, and couldn’t do laundry.

While living with Jiang Chi, he consciously tried to learn these everyday skills, but the progress was slow.

Jiang Chi was diligent and capable, always quick in action, and very good at taking care of others. This often left Qin Yan with little chance to practice these things himself.

They had known each other for a short time, but they were surprisingly in sync. Sometimes, Qin Yan would only make the slightest move, and Jiang Chi could already tell whether he wanted to drink water or needed a tissue.

But occasionally, just occasionally, they would talk past each other, each speaking their own language.

However, more often than not, their communication was very smooth, sometimes even without words. Jiang Chi could read Qin Yan’s emotions, and the two of them worked in perfect harmony, completing any task with high efficiency.

In this synchronized understanding, language became a hindrance.

This surprised Qin Yan, and he couldn’t help but consider the idea of hiring Jiang Chi to work for him.

As headhunting companies often say: a good partner is harder to find than a suitable spouse.

Qin Yan wholeheartedly agreed.

A compatible personal assistant was hard to come by, and if he had someone like Jiang Chi around, he wouldn’t hate work as much as he did every day.

The biggest difficulty Qin Yan encountered at work was having to collaborate with a group of idiots.

Of course, evaluations were two-way. In the eyes of others, Qin Yan was also a very difficult boss to please.

He was domineering, results-focused, controlling, emotionally distant, and unpredictable… Without conducting any research, Qin Yan was well aware that these were the true assessments his employees had of him.

But in the end, it all came down to the incompetence of these people.

Jiang Chi never found him hard to please.

Qin Yan folded his arms, silently observing Jiang Chi.

Jiang Chi could drive, take care of the housework, was very capable in a fight, and was also strong-willed with the ability to solve problems promptly and effectively. Just this alone already made him stand out from many job seekers.

He never disturbed Qin Yan, yet always appeared at the right moment when Qin Yan needed him.

On top of that, Jiang Chi was also very interesting.

To be honest, there were many interesting people in the world, but among them, only Jiang Chi was both interesting and not annoying to Qin Yan.

Qin Yan personally brewed a cup of hand-poured coffee and handed it to Jiang Chi. He asked, “Do you have any career plans after graduation?”

Jiang Chi picked up the coffee cup, “I still want to work in security engineering design. I really like this field, but my dad… he thinks engineering is useless and that I should study business management instead.”

Qin Yan gently guided the conversation, his tone hinting at something, “Practice is more important than theory. As long as you have the right partner, managing a company isn’t difficult.”

Jiang Chi shook his head, “I don’t like doing business.”

It seemed that Jiang Chi had no intention of entering the corporate world.

Qin Yan lowered his gaze slightly, a barely perceptible disappointment flickering in his eyes.

Jiang Chi had always been attentive to Qin Yan’s emotions, and noticing his change in mood, he asked, “What’s wrong? You’re not happy?”

Qin Yan sighed inwardly.

His subordinates always complained that they couldn’t understand what he was thinking, but Jiang Chi could clearly read him.

Strong people never complain about their environment; they adapt to it or even change it.

The unfortunate part was that all Qin Yan had under him were worthless employees who constantly complained, with none of them being as emotionally intelligent as Jiang Chi.

Qin Yan sighed again, “I was thinking, one day, I’ll have to return to my old life… working with a bunch of idiots who can’t read the room.”

Jiang Chi didn’t say anything, but simply looked into Qin Yan’s eyes.

In that sincere gaze, it felt like everything could be confessed.

Qin Yan spoke in a calm tone, recounting the life he had grown used to, “Everyone keeps asking me what I should do, constantly bringing up new problems, and it’s an endless cycle. It’s as if there’s an invisible hand pushing everyone forward… No one cares whether I get tired or not, as if I was born to bear these responsibilities and honors.”

Jiang Chi patted Qin Yan’s shoulder and comforted him, “Everyone’s life is like this. My dad always uses the interests of the Jiang family to pressure me, but I never listen to him… Many things in life are inherently contradictory. Nothing is perfect. For example, I like security design, but I really hate dealing with Party A companies. But because I like it, those things I dislike don’t feel as bad.”

Qin Yan succinctly replied, “Weighing the pros and cons.”

Those five words summed up a whole paragraph from Jiang Chi.

Jiang Chi: “…”

Qin Yan: “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Chi raised an eyebrow and said, “The way you looked just now, you really resembled a hard-to-please Party A boss.”

Seizing the opportunity, Qin Yan persuaded Jiang Chi to change professions: “Yes, being on Party B side is tough. Have you ever considered switching careers?”

Jiang Chi paused, “Actually, all professions are the same… Do you think the big boss on Party A side doesn’t have their troubles?”

Qin ‘Party A’s Big Boss’ Yan: “…….”

Qin Yan sincerely said, “Maybe he is annoyed because there are too many people serving him. They are dangling around in front of him, making him feel annoyed.”

Jiang Chi cursed in his mind, tilted his head back, and lay down on the bed: “Damn it… Let them come and serve me, I won’t find them annoying.”

Qin Yan thought for a moment, then nodded slightly.

If Jiang Chi could work for him in the future, then those people who used to serve him could serve Jiang Chi instead. It made perfect sense.

Qin Yan quickly agreed to the suggestion: “Alright, once you graduate, I’ll hire you.”

Jiang Chi turned over and teasingly said, “Oh, I almost forgot. According to the plot of the novel, you’ll be the future CEO’s wife of the Qin Corporation. You could easily arrange a job for me where I just eat and wait to die.”

Qin Yan said arrogantly, “Whether it follows the plot or not, I’ll arrange a job for you that you’ll be satisfied with—one where there are many people to serve you.”

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