LABMY CH29

That night, when Wei Zhenge returned home, he told Jian Yuanbai about the matter.

“I talked to that stall owner. He doesn’t understand much about stone gambling. It should be his first time selling raw jade materials, trying to pass off as an expert and score a lucky find. But from the way he spoke, those raw stones weren’t stolen from anywhere.”

“So, I want to go with him and take a look,” a strange light flashed in Wei Zhenge’s eyes. “Maybe… it’s an undiscovered jade mine.”

Jian Yuanbai carefully recalled the rough plot he knew. It did mention that during Wei Zhenge’s early days, he discovered a small jade mine.

So, he didn’t object and asked, “Alright, how many days will you be gone?”

“If things go smoothly, two days. If not, maybe four or five. I’ll go check out the situation first,” Wei Zhenge replied.

Jian Yuanbai looked at him and said, “After all, you’re heading into the mountains. I can’t be at ease with you going alone. I’ll go with you.”

Although Wei Zhenge was smiling, he refused, “Your company is swamped with work right now. If you come with me, it’ll be inconvenient everywhere. And if something comes up, you won’t be able to handle it.”

Zhenge Group had just gone public, and things were chaotic. Of course, Wei Zhenge knew that.

Jian Yuanbai: “Then hire a few people to go with you. It’ll be safer.”

This time, Wei Zhenge didn’t refuse. The matter was settled. After dinner, he packed up and lay on the bed, thinking about whether he had forgotten anything for tomorrow’s trip.

He lay there quietly with his eyes closed, but Jian Yuanbai couldn’t fall asleep. Two days at the shortest, four or five at the longest. That meant he wouldn’t be able to see his “little pillow” for several days.

Jian Yuanbai waited for a while. When he felt that Wei Zhenge had fallen asleep, he reached out and pulled him into his arms.

It was winter, and the warmth of holding someone he liked in his arms made Jian Yuanbai sigh softly.

With his 193 cm height and broad shoulders, Jian Yuanbai made the 175 cm Wei Zhenge seem small and delicate in his embrace. Jian Yuanbai rested his chin on Wei Zhenge’s head, gently rubbing against his soft hair, like a dragon guarding its treasure, protecting it from any prying eyes.

Jian Yuanbai looked calm on the surface, but a certain part of him was burning with desire, making its presence known.

Wei Zhenge had to leave early the next morning, so Jian Yuanbai didn’t want to bother him. Even though he couldn’t fall asleep because of his body’s reaction, he forced himself to ignore it.

But this… ended up tormenting the supposedly “asleep” Wei Zhenge.

The heat pressing against his inner thigh was impossible to ignore. He tried to pretend he didn’t notice, but the burning sensation became more intense, as if that patch of skin had been isolated from his body and was now extremely sensitive.

The rest of his body felt distant, while the heat against his leg grew stronger. Wei Zhenge’s face flushed with heat.

He even felt… the fabric of his pajama pants was getting damp. Was it intentional? Or an accident?

Unable to bear it anymore, Wei Zhenge opened his eyes and gritted his teeth, “Let go of me.”

Jian Yuanbai was startled by his sudden voice. For a moment, he tightened his grip instead of letting go. Then, realizing the situation, he loosened his hold slightly and stammered,

“S-sorry… I like hugging something when I sleep. And… you just happen to be my little pillow…”

Under Wei Zhenge’s gaze, Jian Yuanbai’s words trailed off. He couldn’t help but stare at Wei Zhenge’s flushed face and shimmering eyes.

He slowly leaned in and buried his face in the crook of Wei Zhenge’s neck, hiding the increasingly intense desire in his eyes. He mumbled, “I can’t bear to see you leave.”

Feeling the hot breath against his neck, Wei Zhenge instinctively tilted his head and sighed helplessly, “It’s just a few days.”

His movement exposed his slender, fair neck, like a swan stretching its neck, revealing his vulnerable spot to the beast’s fangs.

Jian Yuanbai’s eyes locked onto his ruby-red earlobe — something he had tasted before.

A man who had gotten a taste of “meat” but hadn’t fully indulged couldn’t resist this temptation. Jian Yuanbai slowly opened his mouth and whispered, “Wife…” before licking the earlobe with the tip of his tongue.

Wei Zhenge’s body trembled, and the moan that almost escaped was suppressed into a muffled hum. He tried to push Jian Yuanbai away, but the moment he moved, Jian Yuanbai bit down gently on the soft flesh, causing a slight sting.

“Jian… Jian Yuanbai!”

Wei Zhenge turned his head in embarrassment and managed to pull his ear free. The first thing he asked was, “What did you just call me?”

Jian Yuanbai, whose brain had been clouded with desire, snapped back to reality and awkwardly stammered, “N-nothing…”

He reached out to hug Wei Zhenge again, rubbing against him like a big dog, “Let me go with you, okay? Forget about the company… I just don’t want to be apart from you.”

His hair brushed against Wei Zhenge’s neck, making him itch, but he still asked seriously, “Why don’t you want to be apart from me?”

Jian Yuanbai looked up, eyes filled with confusion and struggle. He opened his mouth, about to say, “Because we’re good brothers.”

Before he could speak, Wei Zhenge covered his mouth and said, “Forget it. Don’t say anything. Think it through first. Tell me when you’re ready.”

Wei Zhenge’s warm palm pressed against Jian Yuanbai’s lips. Jian Yuanbai looked at him, his heart softening. He kissed the back of Wei Zhenge’s hand and whispered, “Okay?”

In that moment, it felt like they were kissing, separated only by a hand. Jian Yuanbai’s Adam’s apple bobbed as his heart skipped a beat.

When Wei Zhenge removed his hand, Jian Yuanbai’s gaze couldn’t help but chase after his pale lips, eager to kiss him.

“Sleep.”

Wei Zhenge said indifferently and got up to grab a pillow from the sofa. He handed it to Jian Yuanbai and said, “Since you like hugging pillows, here, take this.”

When Jian Yuanbai took the throw pillow, he wore a sullen expression and didn’t dare let Wei Zhenge see. He buried his face in the pillow and muttered, “Mm.”

Wei Zhenge’s mischievous side emerged. “I went out in the freezing cold to get you a pillow, and you’re not even thanking me?”

Jian Yuanbai, feeling aggrieved and frustrated, turned his back to him. “Thank you.”

The corners of Wei Zhenge’s mouth lifted silently. He didn’t tease him further and slowly fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, a throw pillow was disdainfully tossed off the bed. The two who had been sleeping separately ended up close together again. The taller man trapped the slimmer one in his embrace, creating an inescapable net with his body.

Wei Zhenge set off at ten o’clock. Since he had allowed time for the hired workers to pack up, calling them “hired workers” was a bit misleading. They were actually security personnel from the Zhenge Group, who voluntarily tagged along for some extra pay.

Since he was only going to check out the situation, Wei Zhenge didn’t bring too many people, just two others.

The stall owner’s expression darkened when he saw that Wei Zhenge wasn’t alone. Three people—if he found out he’d been scammed, the stall owner wouldn’t stand a chance.

But he had already taken half the payment as a deposit and couldn’t return it now. He had no choice but to accept the presence of the two strong-looking men.

Wei Zhenge looked at him and said, “We have a car. Just guide us.”

The stall owner shook his head. “The mountain roads are tough. Your car can only reach the town. After that, you’ll have to ditch the car and switch to other transport. Might as well just take the bus. There’s only four of us anyway.”

He didn’t understand why this man insisted on coming along. He had inquired the night before and heard that those who search for jade mines always bring various instruments. He thought this guy would bring some equipment, but he came empty-handed.

What the stall owner didn’t know was that Wei Zhenge’s eyes were more effective than any instrument.

Since he wasn’t familiar with the road conditions, Wei Zhenge decided to follow the stall owner’s advice and took the bus instead of driving.

The road to the mountains was even more complicated than expected. Although Wei Zhenge had grown up living a life similar to that of poor families, he was still raised in the city and had never ventured outside the urban area.

They first took the bus, enduring the stuffy air and the swaying ride for two hours before reaching a small town.

The streets of the town were chaotic, but there were plenty of people, mostly middle-aged and elderly. Young faces were rare. When Wei Zhenge and his companions appeared on the street, they immediately attracted countless stares.

The locals were not subtle. They stared directly and even commented with curiosity to those around them.

After two hours on the bus, Wei Zhenge discovered for the first time that he was prone to motion sickness. As soon as he got off, he took a deep breath of fresh air to rid himself of the stale air he had inhaled during the ride.

Feeling a bit nauseous, he went to a small convenience store to buy some chewing gum. While paying, the shopkeeper, a middle-aged woman, stared at his face and smiled, “Young man, where are you from? Never seen you around before. You look unfamiliar.”

“Visiting relatives? Or here for something else? Do you have a girlfriend? Or anyone you like?”

Wei Zhenge couldn’t handle her enthusiasm. After paying, he quickly escaped the overly eager shopkeeper who was trying to set him up with her daughter. He then asked the stall owner, “What are we waiting for now?”

The stall owner grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. “We’re waiting for the bus. Then, we’ll transfer to a three-wheeler.”

The town’s bus stop was nothing more than a simple signpost, already yellowed with age. There were no seats, so they could only stand and wait.

The stall owner simply squatted by the roadside. “Take it easy. The bus we’re waiting for comes late.”

The four of them silently waited at the bus stop as the sky gradually darkened. Layers of thick clouds piled up, threatening rain.

Wei Zhenge took out his phone and sent a message to Jian Yuanbai: “We’ve arrived at the town.”

In his office, Jian Yuanbai replied with a “Stay safe” and then sighed while holding his phone.

He really wanted to tag along. It wouldn’t matter if he left the company unattended for a few days.

But he couldn’t always follow Wei Zhenge around. Wei Zhenge was already eighteen. He had to let his little pillow grow independently, with confidence and strength, to become someone who could stand on his own.

This was the process of Wei Zhenge building his jewelry empire step by step.