Chapter 40: Fame Spreads Far and Wide 1

Holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit!!!!

This bastard actually made a move on me!!

Heh heh heh!!!

I knew it! All that talk about being an aloof iceberg, keeping away from women, and being indifferent to desires—what a load of bullshit!!

Step two of handling Jiang Chi… complete!

Ji Yuenian internally cheered, almost ready to pop open champagne on the spot.

But on the surface, Ji Yuenian-no, Ji Qingchan-still wore the shy, flustered expression of a bashful bride, her delicate oval face flushed so red it seemed about to bleed.

“Senior Jiang, you…”

Before Ji Qingchan could finish, Jiang Chi’s face suddenly turned deathly pale, his expression twisted in agony. 

He bent over, a low, guttural sound escaping his throat, followed by dry heaves before spitting out several mouthfuls of yellowish bile.

“Jiang Chi?” 

Ji Yuenian’s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of panic crossing her previously rosy, shy face. 

She hurried forward, reaching out to steady the swaying Jiang Chi.

However, as if triggered by something, Jiang Chi violently shoved her away, the force sending Ji Yuenian stumbling and nearly falling.

Then, without a backward glance, he turned and bolted, vanishing from sight in an instant.

Ji Yuenian stood frozen in place, staring blankly at Jiang Chi’s retreating figure, utterly baffled.

He threw up?

He threw up.

He threw up!

Glancing down at the half-digested, sour-smelling bile on the ground, Ji Yuenian reached up to touch her forehead-the warmth of his kiss still lingered.

Pinching the soft flesh of her cheek and sniffing herself, she noted she was fragrant, soft, and carried a faint hint of gardenia.

“I’m a sweet, soft girl, and he actually puked because of me?!” 

Ji Yuenian couldn’t help but grumble, her voice laced with confusion and indignation.

Then, stroking her chin, she muttered to herself as she watched his retreating figure, “Could it be that Jiang Chi really doesn’t like women?”

* * * * * *

Jiang Chi’s home.

“Why so soon?” 

Drawn by the rapid, urgent knocking, Chen Mengrou walked out from the inner room, her face covered in a sheet mask, and opened the door.

Outside stood Jiang Chi, his face pale and stiff. 

He trudged in with his head hanging low, his blue eyes dull and lifeless, silent and unresponsive.

Chen Mengrou closed the door and turned to him. 

“A-Chi, why did you send that female classmate home so quickly? Tell me, how did you feel about her?”

Jiang Chi stared vacantly ahead, his voice muffled and indistinct.

“Mom… I kissed her.”

Chen Mengrou froze.

Then, her eyes lit up—this was great news! 

Her little piglet had finally learned to take the initiative and go after some cabbage!! 

“And then?” 

Chen Mengrou pressed eagerly.

Jiang Chi’s face remained ashen. 

He slowly raised his head to look at her, his voice low and hoarse. 

“And then… I threw up.”

“That’s it?”

“There’s more.”

“What else?”

“I ran away.”

“…….”

Chen Mengrou’s lips twitched.

“Mom… I think she likes me.” 

Seeing no response from Chen Mengrou, Jiang Chi continued, voicing his speculation.

At this, Chen Mengrou’s lips twitched even harder.

Well, her little piglet was undeniably handsome, so it was only natural someone would like him. 

The problem was, he was utterly clueless when it came to romance.

“Chi, do you have feelings for that junior of yours, Qingchan?” 

Chen Mengrou probed tentatively.

Jiang Chi shook his head.

“Did she resist when you kissed her?”

Jiang Chi shook his head again.

Chen Mengrou’s equally azure eyes flickered as she gazed at her precious son, coaxing him with a hint of temptation, “Chi, wouldn’t you like to experience a passionate romance?”

Jiang Chi hesitated for a moment before giving a slight shake of his head. 

His long lashes cast a shadow over his eyes, and a trace of complexity flickered in those deep blue irises.

“I can’t. I… have a condition.”

“Obsessive cleanliness isn’t a big deal, Chi. You have to believe in yourself, and in your parents. You’ll get better eventually.”

“But in the meantime, you should try filling your monotonous life with something sweet-like love.” 

Chen Mengrou continued to gently persuade him. 

With her son’s cluelessness, if no one gave him a push, he really might end up single for life.

“Chi, do you remember how it felt when you kissed her?”

“How it felt?”

“Aside from the nausea and disgust your condition forced on you, what else was there?”

“What else…” he murmured, his eyes glistening.

Suddenly, he remembered the original sensation, like an electric shock that had stolen his breath. 

Soft, warm, carrying the faint fragrance of gardenias, like the most delicious pudding.

“Mom, I want pudding,” he said, lifting his gaze to meet hers, his eyes shimmering.

Chen Mengrou beamed. A mother knows her child best, and she could tell that her precious son had already found his answer in that moment.

“There’s plenty in the fridge. What flavor does my dear Chi want?”

“Gardenia.”

“We don’t have that, but…” 

Chen Mengrou picked up her phone and waved it playfully, grinning. 

“We can still place a custom order now.”

Jiang Chi suddenly smiled, a faint flush returning to his pale cheeks.

“Thank you, Mom.”

“Don’t mention it! I’m your mother-I carried you for ten months before bringing you into this world. If I don’t take care of you, who will?” 

She chided him affectionately, reaching out to pinch his cheek before hesitating and withdrawing her hand.

“Hurry up and find a girlfriend. You’re not getting any younger. I heard from Xiaohuang that his second son already has a girlfriend at school and is constantly researching dating advice. My Chi can’t lose to him.”

“Qingchan isn’t a bad girl, and after all these years, your mother knows how to read people. There’s purpose in her eyes, but more than that, there’s curiosity and concern for you.”

Jiang Chi nodded, a flicker of determination passing through his azure eyes.

“I’ll try dating her.”

Before long, the delivery arrived with the custom gardenia-flavored pudding. 

The mother and son sat on the sofa, finishing every last bite. 

As Jiang Chi prepared to return to his room, Chen Mengrou stopped him.

“Chi, you’ve been resting for a week. When are you planning to go back to school?”

“In a few days. I need to finish that thing first.” 

As he spoke, the image of that grinning, red-vested, sunny boy flashed through his mind.

I have no intention of competing with him over this.

Besides, he’s far more suited than I am to stand in the sunlight, basking in others’ admiration.

“Alright, take your time.” 

Chen Mengrou didn’t press further about what “that thing” was. 

As parents, she and her husband trusted their son. 

She simply reminded him to “get some rest” before letting him go.

Once the bedroom door closed, Chen Mengrou pulled out her phone and opened her best friend’s WeChat.

“Little Phoenix, did you adopt a goddaughter? I saw so much of you in a girl today…”

“Hehehehe~~ I have a feeling this girl might just cure my Achi’s cleanliness obsession, just like how it was with me and Yushu back then-“