Chapter 149

Wang Chuang was thinking too, talking as he went: “Like, you could give him a plot of land you bought…”

Jiang Luo: “……”

Wang Chuang: “Or a construction team to help him build a house in Pudong?”

Jiang Luo: “……”

Wang Chuang: “Or… just give him a big company?”

Jiang Luo: “……”

He raised a hand toward the door. “You should probably just go.”

“Don’t.”

Wang Chuang: “I’m just trying to help you think.”

He paused, then clicked his tongue. “It’s tricky. I think it’s really tricky.

“If you liked Xiao Lu, giving some clothes or a watch would be fine.

“But you like Mr. Huo. That’s a whole other level.

“It’s like trying to chase the daughter of the Hai City Chamber of Commerce.

“Think about it. Hard, right?”

Jiang Luo: “You live with the Chamber president’s daughter?”

“His daughter gives you a factory?”

Wang Chuang suddenly slapped his palm. “You’re already living close, so just test the waters. You just…”

He ran a hand through his hair. “What’s that called?”

“You know, putting a frog in a pot of water and…”

Jiang Luo, a total illiterate in idioms, guessed: “Boiling it in hot water?”

“Yes! That’s it!”

Wang Chuang: “Just… boil it.”

“You’re already living together, so close. Just slowly boil him.

“Sit next to him today, hug him tomorrow, hold him the day after.

“Eventually, if you sleep together, he’ll be responsible. Problem solved.”

Makes sense.

Jiang Luo nodded.

The next moment, he got up, walked around the desk, and headed straight out.

Wang Chuang called after him: “Where are you going?”

Jiang Luo didn’t look back, opening the door as he ran: “Find the frog.”

“Huh?!”

“Hey!”

Wang Chuang was bewildered at how frenzied Jiang Luo was. Not exactly impatient—well, maybe a little.

Mostly, it was his first time liking someone, and it was Huo Zongzhu. He couldn’t quite contain himself. He desperately wanted to know if Huo Zongzhu liked him back. After all, giving someone a factory could mean he felt something unusual toward him.

So what did Jiang Luo do rushing out?

He went to Huo Zongzhu’s company.

He wanted to boil the frog—no experience, totally naive when it came to romance, prone to impulsive action.

At Huo Zongzhu’s office, he knocked and walked in, closed the door behind him, dragged over a chair, and plopped down directly across from Huo Zongzhu. Without preamble, he said: “Come on, Mr. Huo, I have a question for you.”

Huo Zongzhu: “…?”

“What is it?”

He set aside the qualification materials he was reviewing for several construction companies and looked at Jiang Luo.

They had just returned from Shenzhen, and after landing, they had gone straight to their respective companies due to busyness. Just over an hour ago, they were still together at the airport.

Jiang Luo had come to the company intentionally, so Huo Zongzhu assumed it was important.

Jiang Luo leaned close to the edge of the desk, eyes serious: “I have a question. Answer me truthfully, okay?”

He emphasized: “I want the most honest answer, no hiding, no lies. Deal?”

Huo Zongzhu nodded, waiting to hear what he had to say.

Then Jiang Luo asked: “Mr. Huo, do you like guys?”

Huo Zongzhu: “……”

His heart almost leapt into his throat.

Back in Shenzhen, when he’d given Jiang Luo the factory, Jiang Luo had asked something similar, but jokingly and casually, so Huo Zongzhu hadn’t taken it seriously.

Now Jiang Luo came to his company, asking seriously face-to-face. Naturally, Huo Zongzhu wondered if someone had told him something or if Jiang Luo had figured something out.

He felt a twinge of unease, though outwardly calm, and asked: “Why… why the sudden question?”

Jiang Luo: “No reason, just asking.”

Huo Zongzhu realized Jiang Luo must have suspected something.

This was the last thing he wanted.

He kept a calm exterior, denying it: “No, not at all. Why would you think I like guys?”

At the factory office, Wang Chuang was making tea at the side table, waiting for Jiang Luo. Seeing Jiang Luo storm in like a whirlwind and slam the door behind him, Wang Chuang raised an eyebrow.

Jiang Luo plopped into the chair opposite him, leaning back with closed eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Wang Chuang asked, still pouring tea.

Jiang Luo opened his eyes, expressionless: “Heartbroken.”

Wang Chuang: “…?”

He set down the teapot, confused. “Heartbroken? Didn’t you go to boil the frog?”

“What did the frog say?”

Jiang Luo took a deep breath, sat up, grabbed a cup of hot tea from the tray, and gulped it down—nearly burning his tongue. He tossed the cup aside, gasping, fanning his mouth. “You almost killed me!”

Wang Chuang blinked. “It’s your first time using this tea tray, rookie.” He set the cup back in place. “So… what did the frog say?”

Ignoring the burn, Jiang Luo sat back down, took another deep breath, then said: “I asked him. Straight up. If he likes guys.”

“He said no. He doesn’t like guys.”

Wang Chuang: “….”

That direct?

You can just ask straight out?

Holy crap, so bold, like streaking naked—who does that?

Wang Chuang thought for a moment and sighed. “Condolences, then. Looks like this frog’s probably unboilable.”

“Normal guys can’t accept other guys’ confessions, no matter how close. Impossible.”

“Huo Zongzhu giving you a factory? Probably just because you’re close, he’s rich, and generous.”

Yet Jiang Luo suddenly got up and strode out again like the wind.

Wang Chuang turned: “Hey? Where now?”

Jiang Luo didn’t look back: “Find the frog.”

He plopped back across from Huo Zongzhu, who was talking with a mid-level manager. They both looked up, puzzled by Jiang Luo’s blank expression.

“What’s going on?”

Huo Zongzhu signaled the colleague to leave. Once the door closed, he started: “Did someone tell you something—”

Jiang Luo, dead serious: “Sit down. I have another question.”

Huo Zongzhu froze, then sat back.

As soon as he sat, Jiang Luo looked at him: “Do you… like me?”

Huo Zongzhu: “……”

His heart nearly skipped a beat. If it weren’t for the Shenzhen backlog, he would have immediately tried to figure out why Jiang Luo was asking about liking guys.

Now Jiang Luo asked him straight if he liked him personally, and Huo Zongzhu’s heart shot into his throat.

If he found out who had leaked anything to Jiang Luo, he’d punch that person’s mouth.

All along, Huo Zongzhu didn’t want Jiang Luo to know about his selfish little feelings.

Jiang Luo must never know.

“Like?”

“Yes.”

Huo Zongzhu’s face remained calm, as if talking about what he ate today.

“You know I’ve always liked you.”

“I mean, not that kind of ‘like.’”

Jiang Luo already had an answer but wasn’t giving up.

“I mean the kind of like a man has for a woman. Love.”

Huo Zongzhu fought to keep his composure.

“Why ask this? Who told you?”

He maintained his usual calm. “Of course no one did. You just asked earlier—you know I don’t like guys.”

Back at the factory office, Jiang Luo leaned back in the boss chair, staring at the ceiling, eyes slightly red.

Wang Chuang leaned across the desk to comfort him: “Don’t be sad. There are plenty of fish in the sea.”

“Just one guy. Plenty of guys out there…”

Jiang Luo, expressionless, like a dead fish: “I just like him.”

Wang Chuang tried to reason: “Feelings can’t be forced. You like him, but he doesn’t like you. And he’s a normal guy…”

Jiang Luo: expressionless, dead fish, low voice. “He’s a normal guy. Doesn’t like men, likes women.

“In the future, he’ll fall in love with a girl, get married, have kids.

“I’ll attend their wedding, give a red envelope, call that girl ‘sister-in-law.’ I might even be a groomsman…”

Wang Chuang looked over. Yep, a tear slid down Jiang Luo’s cheek. Like a scene straight out of a Qiong Yao drama.

Jiang Luo still staring 45° at the ceiling, tear glistening: “He doesn’t love me. My heart is dead.”

“From now on, my life will be nothing but a shell—alive but without a soul.”

Wang Chuang: “…………”