When He Changning woke up again, the golden light of dusk was shining gently through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the two of them in bed. He reached out and gently traced the bridge of Shang Yushang’s sharp nose, mischievously poking at his eyelashes. He giggled when he saw the other man’s eyelids twitch.
A warm breath brushed against He Changning’s cheek.
“Still satisfied with how good-looking your man is?” Shang Yushang opened his eyes, gazing fondly at his little troublemaker who’d just been caught red-handed.
He Changning huffed and glared at him playfully. “You were awake and still pretending to sleep?”
“I wanted to see if my Changning has been completely conquered by my good looks… maybe even decided to spend the rest of his life with me, no turning back.”
Rolling his eyes, He Changning flicked a finger at his forehead. “You narcissist. Get up. I’m hungry.”
After stealing a kiss, Shang Yushang happily helped his husband up, took him to the bathroom, and even carried him downstairs. He added a soft cushion to the chair before gently lowering him onto it.
He Changning felt utterly embarrassed. His pride was in shambles. He’d insisted that he could walk just fine—he wasn’t even in that much pain anymore. But Shang Yushang had completely ignored him, acting on his own domineering logic and refusing to budge.
And even though the household staff looked at him with quiet understanding, being carried around like that in front of everyone was mortifying. Even the thickest skin would turn red.
He Changning’s dignified reputation had been completely ruined by this shameless man.
When he looked at the feast laid out on the dining table, he seriously considered grabbing a watermelon knife and going after Shang Yushang with it—or better yet, committing seppuku and ending it all.
Shang Yushang scooped some light side dishes onto his plate and set a bowl of de-oiled black chicken soup in front of him. “Eat up. Drink the soup—our chef made it especially for you, light and not greasy.”
He Changning wanted to say, Can I not? Why does this feel like postpartum recovery?! But looking at Shang Yushang’s earnest face, he sighed. Fine, whatever. It smells good, and at this point, food is food.
After dinner, Shang Yushang held him on the couch. “Still sleepy?”
He Changning shook his head. “Slept too much already. I want to go outside for a bit.”
Shang Yushang frowned. “Changning, be good. Rest for another day or two before going out.”
Blushing, He Changning muttered, “I’m fine. I’m just feeling stuffy from staying indoors. I need some fresh air.”
Without another word, Shang Yushang scooped him up and walked slowly toward the yard. “Fine. I’ll carry you. We’ll get some fresh air, then head back.”
He Changning groaned inwardly. There’s no saving this man. My dignity is gone.
They wandered slowly through the garden. When he got tired, they sat on a bench, chatting and stargazing. Just like He Changning said—they were simply getting some air… even if one of them was being carried the whole time.
Looking up at the stars, He Changning felt his heart grow calm and open. He rested his head on Shang Yushang’s shoulder and asked, “Yushang, why did you want me to call you Jianzhi?”
Shang Yushang tightened his embrace as if afraid he’d slip away. “My grandfather gave me that name. He thought ‘Yushang’ sounded too aggressive, so he gave me the courtesy name ‘Jianzhi’—something gentler.”
“I like the name Jianzhi.”
“Very few people even know I have another name. But if you like it, then call me that.”
“Jianzhi.”
“Mm.”
“Jianzhi.”
“Mm.”
Like two kids, one calling out and the other answering again and again—until both of them burst out laughing, ending the silly little game.
Time flew. It had already been nearly ten days. Just as He Changning was finally allowed to walk around again, Shang Yushang made plans to take his husband to the Maldives.
But a single phone call from back home derailed everything.
Standing by the window, Shang Yushang held the phone while He Changning wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, resting his cheek against his strong back and listening to the steady beat of his heart.
“It’s okay,” He Changning said softly. “Take care of business. We can always go later, whenever we want.”
Shang turned around and pulled him into his arms, kissing his cheek with regret in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”
“What are you talking about?” He Changning smiled. “We’re married, aren’t we?”
Shang Yushang kissed the top of his head. This little guy really was understanding to the core. “Mm. Once things settle down, I’ll bring you back here myself.”
They packed up their things, and that very night, the couple boarded a flight home.
A little over ten hours later, Shang Yushang brought He Changning back to the Shang family estate. Old Madam Shang was already waiting at home.
She held Changning’s hand warmly. “Changning, I’m sorry the company’s issues interrupted your time away. It’s all my fault.”
He Changning quickly reassured her. “Grandma, please don’t say that. The company matters are more important.”
She patted his hand. “Alright, I know you’re a thoughtful boy. Go upstairs and get some rest. Come down and eat after you’ve had a good sleep. This is your home, understand?”
He Changning felt a wave of gratitude rise from deep within. “Thank you, Grandma.”
Back in their room, the couple changed clothes. Shang Yushang kissed him and said, “Get some sleep. I have to head to the office. Don’t wait for me for dinner. I’m sorry I have to leave you so soon after our honeymoon.”
“Don’t say that,” He Changning frowned. “I’m more worried about you. You just got off a long flight, and you haven’t even adjusted to the time difference. Can your body take this?”
Shang Yushang hugged him tightly. Having someone beside him who genuinely cared, who truly worried for him… that feeling was everything. It made all his efforts worthwhile.
“I’m fine. Really. As long as you’re doing well, that’s all the motivation I need,” he said, kissing Changning on the cheek.
After Shang Yushang was picked up by Da Zhou and taken to the company, He Changning tried to rest but couldn’t fall asleep. His mind kept drifting to the troubles at Shang Group.
Those bastards, he thought. Not only did they ruin our honeymoon, they’re now making Yushang work himself to the bone. They really need to be taught a lesson—make them understand what they can and can’t do, and who they should never cross.
Unable to sleep, he got out of bed, turned on his laptop, and started searching for information about the situation online.
Sure enough, the internet was filled with stories: a guest at one of Shang Group’s hotel restaurants had been hospitalized after eating food contaminated with toxins. Though they were resuscitated, the victim was still in a coma and might never wake up. And that wasn’t all—some jewelry counters at Shang Group-owned malls had been found selling fake diamonds with dangerously high radiation levels. Consumer complaints had already been filed with the quality inspection department, and independent testing confirmed the diamonds were 100% fake and dangerously radioactive.
Netizens were outraged, accusing Shang Group of being heartless and deceitful—saying the company would do anything for profit, even endanger lives. Some were already calling for a public boycott, demanding that the government step in and give the people answers. With the speed these stories were spreading, He Changning suspected someone was deliberately fanning the flames behind the scenes.
He logged into his long-unused QQ account. The notifications exploded—most of them were messages from readers, though quite a few were from his editor.
Opening the chat window with her, he found the usual dramatics:
Duck Pear:
“Qingshui, I’m going to die. If you don’t show up, I’m taking poison, and my ghost will haunt you forever!”
“Qingshui, I’m your mother in a past life! How could you betray your ancestors and your editor? Please, please, just give me a sign of life! AHHHHH!”
Qingshui:
“You there?”
Duck Pear:
“Qingshui? Is that really you? Did you come back from the dead?!”
cue dramatic wailing
“You heartless fiend! You just stood there and watched me die, and you didn’t even blink! I hate you!!! sob sob sob”
Qingshui:
“I’ll update the backlog. Soon.”
Duck Pear:
“If you don’t, I swear I’ll sacrifice my body to the cause!”
He Changning couldn’t help twitching at the corner of his mouth. His editor had always been… a bit much. Wildly scatterbrained yet oddly meticulous—a walking contradiction that somehow just worked.
Qingshui:
“What do you make of the stuff about Shang Group online?”
Duck Pear:
sends a question mark emoji
“What’s that got to do with you?”
Qingshui:
“My life savings are tied up in Shang Group. Think it’s relevant?”
Duck Pear:
“…What do you mean?”
Qingshui:
“Don’t ask. Just tell me what you think.”
Duck Pear:
“You’re smart enough to know someone’s obviously manipulating the narrative, right?”
Qingshui:
“Yeah. Looks very suspicious.”
Duck Pear:
“Then why bother asking me?!”
Qingshui:
“Help me find out who first posted the news.”
Duck Pear:
“I’m your editor, not a hacker, okay?”
Qingshui:
“Should I explain to your boss why there are certain photos of him and his side fling on your hard drive?”
Duck Pear:
gritting teeth
“Qingshui, your moral compass is broken.”
Qingshui:
“Cut the nonsense and do me this favor. I’ll make it worth your while.”
Duck Pear:
“Seriously?”
eyes sparkling
“What do I get?”
Qingshui:
“Exclusive first rights to My World 2.”
Duck Pear:
“For real?! Amazing! I love you to death! I’ll have ten babies for you to show my gratitude!”
He Changning shuddered violently, goosebumps rising all over his body as a wave of pure dread swept through him.
Qingshui:
“Cut your creepy fantasies right now. I don’t want to die young from sheer disgust.”
Duck Pear:
“Tch. Fine. I’ll dig up the info. Expect something by 3 PM.”
Qingshui:
“Don’t let me down. Or else… wash your neck and get ready for your boss’s watermelon knife.”
Duck Pear:
“Awoo—Qingshui, I hate you!! I’m drawing a curse circle as we speak!!”
He logged off. Sitting in front of the screen, He Changning fell into deep thought. Shang Yushang’s team was probably already investigating, and whether Duck Pear’s intel would prove useful remained to be seen. It had only been two days since the whole thing broke out, and already the internet was flooded with news—clearly a sign of manipulation. He was sure Shang Yushang had already considered this and would be checking every possible angle: internal leaks at Shang Group, rival companies, even enemies from the past or infighting within the Shang family. The fact that it happened right in the middle of their honeymoon clearly pointed to a premeditated setup.
As for the hospitalized victim—it was entirely possible they really were poisoned and in a coma. But it was just as likely they were part of a scheme. The best approach would be to investigate not just their identity and environment, but also the hospital itself. That meant Bai Mo would probably be stepping in soon. He trusted Shang Yushang to get him involved—finding the truth was just a matter of time.
And then there was the matter of the so-called “high-radiation” fake diamonds in the mall. That reeked of an inside job. Somewhere along the line, someone had to have messed up. But what really bothered He Changning was: without Shang Group’s approval or confirmation, where had the so-called “quality inspection report” come from? And who leaked it?
For two days straight, City Daily had splashed huge front-page headlines about the poisoning scandal and the radiation-laced jewelry. The headlines were inflammatory, and the articles were dripping with moral outrage. The journalist’s tone was scathing and certain—he tore into Shang Group like they were criminals, accusing them of valuing profits over lives, of deceiving customers, and violating national laws. They didn’t even bother getting Shang Group’s side of the story. Judging by the tone, the press had already declared them guilty, just waiting for the CEO to surrender and accept punishment.
He Changning rubbed his temples. Just thinking about it gave him a headache. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the amount of psychological strength and energy Shang Yushang needed to hold everything together under this kind of pressure.
He suddenly felt a deep hatred toward those useless scumbags who had nothing better to do than stir up trouble. Would it kill them not to scheme and manipulate every damn second? But no, of course not. These people were bitter, jealous, twisted, sick—mentally unwell, even. If others were doing well, they couldn’t stand it. If others were suffering, they were happy.
There were always people like that in the world—never content, always convinced they were meant for greatness, for glory. They wanted to shake the world, make history, be someone important. But they never stopped to ask themselves whether they even had the brains or ability to step on everyone else and rise to the top. They dreamed of rebellion, of success, of shouting once and having the whole world bow to them. But the gap between reality and fantasy was a chasm they’d never cross.
And yet they still tried—flailing, kicking, screaming, crawling desperately across it.
Was it more pathetic that people like that existed… or was it more pathetic that he had to waste time and energy cleaning up their mess?
