ABSTIWTVMST Chapter 138

Suburban Area, Outside the City.

A sudden raging fire, fanned by the wind, burned fiercely. The scorching red flames devoured everything in their path in the blink of an eye, dyeing half the darkness crimson, as if a firework had unexpectedly blossomed, dazzling yet perilous.

Chen Long and Zhao Jun were assisting the firefighters in battling the blaze. However, despite their efforts, the greenhouse still collapsed into the sea of flames, leaving behind only a heap of charred, desolate ruins.

By the time Xu Chenghao and Jing Yicheng arrived, everything had already settled. The previously chaotic scene had faded back into the darkness along with the distant wails of police sirens. If not for the lingering acrid stench in the air and the residual heat still radiating from the ground, Xu Chenghao might have thought he had come to the wrong place… The fire had burned everything far too cleanly.

Chen Long and Zhao Jun lowered their heads in shame. “We’re sorry, President Xu, Mr. Jing. This was our negligence.”

Jing Yicheng’s eyes flared with rage. He stepped forward and snapped, “You still have the audacity to speak? Is this what we’re paying you for? Just to tell us you were negligent?”

The two men bowed their heads even lower in guilt. “We’re truly sorry, Mr. Jing. We know it’s too late for words now. Other than compensation, anything else we say would be meaningless… We’re willing to compensate President Xu for all the losses.”

Jing Yicheng let out a furious laugh, his voice ice-cold. “You think you can afford it in this lifetime?!”

“S-Sorry…” Chen Long and Zhao Jun mumbled. Besides apologizing and offering compensation, they truly didn’t know how else to calm the fury of their two employers.

Xu Chenghao finally snapped out of his thoughts during their conversation and exhaled a heavy sigh. “Forget it, Cheng-ge. Let’s just call the police first.”

Jing Yicheng turned to look at him. Seeing the gloom in his expression, his heart ached, but his anger only intensified. He spun back around and barked, “Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear him tell you to call the police?!”

Chen Long and Zhao Jun exchanged glances before Chen Long reluctantly pulled out his phone to make the call.

As they waited for the police to arrive, Xu Chenghao stepped forward, using the car’s headlights to examine the burned ruins carefully. The scent of gasoline lingering in the air made him frown slightly. This fire had come too aggressively—it was clearly intentional… or was it a deliberate provocation?

Boom!

A bolt of lightning suddenly streaked across the sky. A blinding flash of purple tore through the darkness, followed by an ear-splitting clap of thunder. Xu Chenghao, deep in thought, instinctively looked up and saw the sky shrouded in thick, ominous clouds. Before anyone could react, torrential rain poured down, instantly quelling the lingering heat of the fire.

Jing Yicheng reacted the fastest. He reached out, grabbed Xu Chenghao, and shoved him into the car. “Stay inside,” he ordered.

Xu Chenghao grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”

Jing Yicheng spoke in a gentle tone, “Whoever did this timed it perfectly with the storm. By the time the police get here, all the evidence will be washed away. I need to check it out first, but I’ll be right back… I left the keys in. Lock the doors and windows. If anyone approaches, don’t be afraid.”

Xu Chenghao frowned. “I’m coming with you.”

“No. You’ll get sick in the rain.” Jing Yicheng was firm on this matter and stated seriously, “Lock the windows and do not get out. Try disobeying me and see what happens.”

Xu Chenghao pouted. “Oh.”

“Good boy.” Jing Yicheng ruffled his hair, then shut the car door. He waited for Xu Chenghao to lock the windows before turning and heading toward the greenhouse ruins with Chen Long and Zhao Jun.

As they moved farther away, Xu Chenghao could no longer see anything clearly through the rain-streaked windows. He could only lean against the driver’s seat, racking his brain for any recent enemies he might have made—any powerful adversaries who would go to such lengths…

Business had always been akin to warfare. Countless people had turned against each other over profits—some suffering financial ruin, others even losing their lives. If he had blocked someone’s path, burning down his greenhouse as a warning wouldn’t be unheard of.

But the real question was—who in the industry would dare lay a hand on him? Everyone knew he and Jing Yicheng were an unstoppable duo now. Even Ruan Chenxuan, with his memory loss, no longer held deep grudges against him… Yet no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t pinpoint a suspect.

One thing was certain, though—if the culprit had intended to provoke him and ruin his mood, they had certainly succeeded!

Xu Chenghao didn’t dare show it in front of Jing Yicheng for fear of making him worry, but in truth, he was utterly heartbroken! His little chili peppers…! Which bastard was vicious enough to target his little chili peppers?! And right before the final harvest of the month!

AAAHHHH! DAMN BASTARD!!!

Xu Chenghao was both furious and heartbroken. He slammed the steering wheel several times, but it still wasn’t enough to vent his anger. Left with no choice, he hugged his little yellow duck flower pot, pouted, and tried to cleanse his mind, forcing himself to calm down.

Getting angry now was useless. He could only wait until tomorrow morning to see how the chili pepper harvest fared and whether he could complete the task. If he really failed… he would absolutely beat this person to death!

Absolutely!!!

Moments later, police sirens echoed in the distance. A beam of light swept across the car window. After realizing it was a one-way mirror, someone tentatively knocked on the glass. Xu Chenghao had been planning to open the door and step out, but as soon as he cracked it open, Jing Yicheng, who had rushed over upon hearing the sound, pressed the door shut again.

Xu Chenghao was aggrieved. He was the victim—the one with the most right to speak! Why wasn’t he allowed to handle the negotiations?!

Jing Yicheng coldly glanced at the car window before continuing his discussion with the police. After explaining what had happened and what they had discovered, he even made a call to his higher-ups, requesting a thorough investigation and a reasonable resolution.

By the time everything was taken care of, the sky had already brightened.

Xu Chenghao sat in the car, watching eagerly. He waited and waited, and when the rain finally lessened enough for him to step out, Jing Yicheng beat him to it—getting into the car first and stating, “We’re going home.”

Xu Chenghao: “……”

He glanced at Jing Yicheng’s soaking wet clothes, swallowed all his questions, and started the car. Upon arriving home, he immediately shoved Jing Yicheng into the bathroom for a hot shower. Then, he searched online for how to make ginger tea and carefully prepared a bowl.

Though the taste of the ginger tea was far from pleasant, at least it carried good intentions. Jing Yicheng silently finished the entire bowl, then calmly said, “Flattery won’t work. I’ll handle this matter—you don’t need to get involved.”

Xu Chenghao, who was in the middle of blow-drying his hair, didn’t hesitate to raise the hairdryer and knock him on the head. Exasperated, he said, “Can’t I just be concerned about you?!”

“Of course you can.” Jing Yicheng, knowing when to back down, immediately softened. He turned around, grabbed Xu Chenghao’s wrist, and pulled him into his arms. In a gentle voice, he said, “I care about you too, which is why I don’t want you involved in this matter.”

Xu Chenghao turned off the hairdryer and said slowly, “But I’m the victim. No matter what, you can’t just leave me out of this, right?”

Jing Yicheng stroked his wrist and said calmly, “That’s precisely why you should be protected—to prevent another attack.”

“I trust that you won’t let me get hurt.”

“Mhm, that’s true.”

“Then isn’t that settled?” Xu Chenghao lifted Jing Yicheng’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. “You just said you can protect me and keep me safe. If that’s the case, my involvement won’t be dangerous. If you still refuse, you’d just be contradicting yourself.”

Jing Yicheng gazed at him indulgently and chuckled. “I can protect you. But I never planned to get involved in the investigation either, so you might as well give up.”

Xu Chenghao: “……”

Unable to hold back, he pinched Jing Yicheng’s cheek and gritted his teeth. “You’re just worried this whole mess started because of you and don’t want me to get dragged in, huh? You think I can’t tell? Or do you think I’ll be scared?”

Jing Yicheng sighed helplessly. “Haohao is very smart.”

“You’re the one who gave yourself away because you care too much,” Xu Chenghao said smugly. “Since you’ve chosen to be with me, you should’ve already considered the special circumstances of your identity and the trouble it might bring me. Shouldn’t you be helping me grow stronger? Spoiling me all the time is actually harming me.”

Jing Yicheng lowered the hand under his chin and held it in his palm. He spoke softly, “Growth is exhausting. I can’t bear to see you go through it.”

Xu Chenghao smirked. “But if you keep doing this, you’ll be the one who gets exhausted.”

“I don’t mind.”

“So… you plan to protect me for the rest of your life?”

“Of course.”

“……”

Xu Chenghao was utterly defeated by the sudden sweetness. Nestled in Jing Yicheng’s embrace, his heartbreak over the lost chili peppers seemed to ease a little. He nuzzled closer and playfully whined, “Then you have to find the culprit and help me beat them up.”

“Alright.” Jing Yicheng tilted his head and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. However, a fleeting glint of coldness flashed through his eyes.

No one understood how important the chili peppers were to Xu Chenghao better than Jing Yicheng. He could feel the emotions Xu Chenghao was suppressing, and he knew that the only reason he hadn’t had a complete meltdown was because he was waiting for the final harvest results. If the task was completed, things might settle down. But if it failed…

Jing Yicheng gently patted the man in his arms, comforting him while his own expression turned icy cold. His gaze darkened with a chilling intensity.

He was going to find out just who had the audacity to do this!

“Ah—” The person in his arms suddenly let out a long sigh. Jing Yicheng glanced down at him. “Sleepy?”

“No, I sighed because I can’t sleep.” Xu Chenghao grumbled as he buried his face in Jing Yicheng’s chest, trying to force himself to sleep. But no matter how Jing Yicheng patted his back, sleep wouldn’t come. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the greenhouse engulfed in flames. One moment, he was worried about his chili pepper harvest; the next, he was afraid of oversleeping and missing the harvest window entirely—leading to a complete loss…

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. The more frustrated he became, the harder it was to forget. Xu Chenghao felt suffocated and ultimately gave up on sleeping. He sighed and said calmly, “Forget it. I’ll wash my face and head to the office.”

Jing Yicheng frowned and followed him into the bedroom to change clothes.

Xu Chenghao’s mood was so sour that he didn’t even eat breakfast before rushing out. Jing Yicheng dragged him back, made him eat three stuffed shumai, and even force-fed him a few bites of mangosteen beef balls before finally letting him leave.

President Xu, who usually arrived just on time, unexpectedly became the first person to show up at the office. Employees who weren’t aware of what had happened immediately had a bad premonition and tensed up, working diligently to avoid triggering their unusually early boss.

When Li Nian arrived at the company, someone even took the time to pull him aside and explain the situation, warning him to be careful at work and not get caught slacking off.

Li Nian was puzzled. He couldn’t figure out what could possibly make President Xu, who had been thriving in both his career and love life, this upset… Could it be Jing Yicheng?

Li Nian sneaked a glance at Jing Yicheng. As if sensing his gaze, Jing Yicheng immediately looked up. His cold, piercing stare sent shivers down Li Nian’s spine, making him quickly avert his eyes. Forcing a smile, he said, “If President Xu is in a bad mood, he should talk to President Jing. He’ll definitely cheer him up. I’ll just get back to work now—bye, bye!”

“Stop.”

Jing Yicheng’s voice called him back. He stood up and said, “I’m heading out. You two talk.” As he passed Li Nian, he gave him a long, meaningful look, his gaze practically screaming: Go cheer him up!

Li Nian: “……”

 

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Three billion yuan isn’t easy to earn—said Li Nian, who just got tricked into a tough job.