ABSTIWTVMST Chapter 139

For the sake of that three-billion-yuan mansion!!

Li Nian silently swallowed his frustration, sat down across from Xu Chenghao, and said, “Alright, let’s talk.”

Xu Chenghao didn’t want to speak.

Li Nian scrutinized him. “Your dark circles are so heavy—it’s obvious you didn’t sleep well last night. Don’t tell me you and Jing Yicheng had a fight because of… bedroom incompatibility?”

Xu Chenghao: “……”

“Can you shut up?”

“Nope.” Li Nian refused mercilessly. Propping his chin on his hand, he continued studying Xu Chenghao. “Logically speaking, you two have been an old married couple for a while now. You shouldn’t suddenly be having top or bottom issues. Or… could it be that the other party is being too excessive? No, that doesn’t seem right either… You don’t have any hickeys on your neck.”

Suddenly, a realization dawned on Li Nian. “Wait—don’t tell me you’re the one who’s being excessive?”

Xu Chenghao: “……”

“Get lost!”

Li Nian tilted his head to dodge the flying pen and laughed. “Just joking to lighten the mood—don’t get mad~”

Xu Chenghao remained displeased. “That wasn’t funny at all.”

Li Nian clicked his tongue twice. “Look at what Jing Yicheng has turned you into. Before, no matter how big the problem was, you’d always stay calm and composed, working hard to find a solution. Now, all you do is throw tantrums.”

Hearing this, Xu Chenghao smugly glanced at him. “Well, I have someone who spoils me. Do you?”

Li Nian: “???”

Xu Chenghao suddenly realized something and feigned surprise. “Ah! Look at my memory—I completely forgot that no matter how many blind dates you go on, you’re still a single dog.”

Li Nian: “……”

Damn it! We were just having a conversation—why did it turn into a personal attack?! What kind of hero fights like this?!

Li Nian rolled his eyes in frustration and slapped the table. “Alright, stop, stop! I came here to help you relieve your worries, but if you’re just going to use me as a punching bag, that’s really shameless.”

Xu Chenghao smirked. “So you can joke around, but I can’t?”

Li Nian: “I was only joking because you weren’t saying anything—I was trying to lighten the mood!”

“I just have a slow reaction time. That’s not allowed?”

“I believe in your nonsense!” Li Nian clasped his hands together in mock surrender. “Fine, fine, I admit defeat. You win. Happy now? Can we finally talk about why you’re so angry, upset, and miserable?”

Xu Chenghao curled his lips, but as he recalled the topic at hand, his smile immediately faded. He sighed. “The greenhouse caught fire last night.”

Li Nian’s eyes widened. “The pepper base?!”

Xu Chenghao nodded. “It burned completely. And right after the fire, a thunderstorm hit—most of the evidence was washed away.”

Li Nian’s expression turned serious as he pondered, “This was premeditated.”

Xu Chenghao: “And the fact that they could set the fire under the watch of two retired soldiers means they’re no amateur.”

Li Nian nodded. “Everyone who knows you is aware that you’ve been obsessed with agriculture for the past six months. They also know how much effort you’ve put into growing chilies—how you never give them away and never show them off to outsiders… Yet this fire came so fiercely, targeting your chili greenhouse specifically….”

Li Nian lifted his gaze to Xu Chenghao. “A warning?”

Xu Chenghao met his eyes calmly. “Or a provocation.”

“That’s possible.” Li Nian rubbed his chin, going over the people they had interacted with recently. His eyes turned cold. “The question is, did we step on someone’s toes by making too big a move recently? Or have we become a thorn in someone’s side?”

Xu Chenghao responded, “What I can’t figure out is that Jing Yicheng and I only announced our relationship recently. Logically, no one in the circle would dare provoke both of us at the same time—they wouldn’t be able to withstand the backlash. But after filtering through all the potential suspects, I still can’t pinpoint anyone.”

“People risk their lives for money. Someone might have been desperate enough to take the gamble,” Li Nian muttered, then suddenly glanced toward the door. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Could it be from Jing Yicheng’s side…?”

Both of them understood the unspoken words, but Xu Chenghao shook his head. “Right now, nothing is certain—every possibility is on the table.”

Li Nian didn’t press the issue further and instead asked, “So, what do you plan to do?”

“Jing Yicheng won’t let me interfere.” Xu Chenghao sounded rather resentful. “But I know he’s suppressing the news. He also passed the investigation request to his connections higher up. The rest is being handled by his assistants, so I have no idea what’s happening.”

Li Nian tapped his finger on the table, frowning. “Jing Yicheng must also suspect it has something to do with his background, which is why he doesn’t want you involved… If the trouble really stems from his side, you’re better off following his lead.”

“I know.”

Li Nian sighed. “Let’s hope it’s not. If it’s just a grudge from our side, it’ll probably be easier to deal with.”

Xu Chenghao gave him a half-smile. “Still in the mood to laugh? Now do you get why I’m so upset?”

“Are you questioning my observational skills?” Li Nian smirked. “From the moment we started talking, you’ve checked the time at least seven times. If that doesn’t mean you’re worried and anxious about something else, then I don’t know what does. Your mood doesn’t seem to have much to do with the case itself.”

Xu Chenghao: “…Your observational skills are getting terrifying.”

Li Nian chuckled. “And your ability to dodge topics is getting more impressive.”

After all that talking, both of them were parched, yet Xu Chenghao still hadn’t revealed what was truly bothering him.

After some back-and-forth, they finally called a truce. Li Nian said, “There’s no point stressing over it now. Even if you’re frustrated, it won’t change anything. Instead of sulking, why not grab some lunch and enjoy life a little?”

Xu Chenghao glanced at him. “Li Nian.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve gained weight.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“By my estimate, at least fifteen pounds.”

“……”

Damn, dead on target. Li Nian grumpily pinched his belly. “Fine, I’ve gained 14.89 pounds… It’s 14.89, not fifteen, got it?”

Xu Chenghao: “One meal and you’ll hit fifteen, so why nitpick?”

“It’s not the same.” Li Nian frowned. “How are your eyes that sharp? You can pinpoint exactly fifteen pounds? Is my weight gain that obvious?”

Xu Chenghao propped his chin up and studied him. “Not too obvious. I know because I saw your health check report.”

Li Nian: “……”

What a waste of emotions. He was leaving!

Watching Li Nian storm out without looking back, Xu Chenghao finally cracked his first smile of the day. Feeling much better, he called after him, “Jing Yicheng will settle your bill this morning!”

Li Nian: “I’m dieting. Go away!”

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat?”

“…Eat!” Li Nian instantly changed his mind. “I’ll diet after this last meal!”

Xu Chenghao didn’t believe such nonsense at all. But since Li Nian was tall with long legs, the extra weight didn’t show much, so he let it go. With one last glance at his little yellow duck flower pot, he lowered his head and got back to work… He needed to free up time to visit the chili base.

Outside the Office.

The moment Li Nian stepped out, he saw Jing Yicheng leaning against the wall openly, clearly having overheard their entire conversation. Even though he had expected this, Li Nian still felt a bit tense under the man’s dark gaze. He shut the office door and whispered, “President Jing, do you have something to say?”

“No.”

“……”

Then why are you staring at me like that?! Li Nian was sweating. “If there’s nothing, I’ll head back to work.”

Jing Yicheng remained silent.

Li Nian hesitated before taking a cautious step back. Seeing no reaction from the other, he turned and left. On the surface, he walked calmly to his office, but internally, he was completely panicked.

It had been a long time since he had seen Jing Yicheng look this intimidating.

…

“Boss?”

A faint vibration from his phone pulled Jing Yicheng’s attention away from Li Nian. He answered, “Speak.”

“The police just reported that after last night’s heavy rain, all traces around the greenhouse have been washed away, making further investigation difficult. However, they detected petroleum residues inside the greenhouse. After multiple rounds of questioning, Chen Long and Zhao Jun speculated that there was more than one perpetrator. The arsonists likely operated as a team, each with a specific role, indicating experience and premeditation. The police are now starting their investigation by tracking large petroleum purchases, but it’ll take at least three days for results.”

Jing Yicheng frowned. “Too slow.”

Assistant: “There’s no other choice. The evidence is too scarce, and every gas station in the city needs to be checked individually. We also can’t rule out the possibility that they brought the fuel from outside… Right now, investigating blindly is like searching for a needle in a haystack.”

Jing Yicheng: “Try looking into my and Xu Chenghao’s network.”

Assistant: “Understood. We’ll start screening immediately.”

“Make it quick.”

“Yes.”

After hanging up, Jing Yicheng leaned against the wall, spinning his phone between his fingers. His gaze darkened, and a faint trace of bloodlust surfaced in his eyes. He couldn’t wait to find out who was behind this…

Click.

The office door beside him suddenly opened from the inside. The moment he turned his head, the murderous aura vanished without a trace. He swiftly put his phone away and, upon seeing the person before him, his expression softened in an instant. His voice was gentle as he asked, “Feeling better?”

Xu Chenghao sighed. “I’m not that fragile.”

Jing Yicheng coaxed, “Mhm, Haohao is very strong. Even stronger than I imagined.”

Xu Chenghao faltered slightly. “Not that strong.”

Right now, all his focus was on the chili base and the mission results. The tension and anxiety kept him from getting overly angry. But if the mission failed… he might just die on the spot for Jing Yicheng to see. Who knew how much pent-up emotion would explode then?

Jing Yicheng understood exactly what he meant and couldn’t help but pull him into an embrace. “It’s okay. You still have me.”

“Little Yellow Duck, Little Yellow Duck—” Xu Chenghao braced his hands against Jing Yicheng’s chest, carefully making space around his little yellow duck flower pot. Anxiously, he said, “Don’t knock my flowers off!”

Jing Yicheng: “……”

Once again, less important than the chili peppers.

Fortunately, none of the white chili flowers had fallen. Xu Chenghao breathed a sigh of relief and looked up. “Let’s go to the chili base earlier today.”

Nothing would ease his mind more than seeing things with his own eyes. Even though the results weren’t out yet, he wanted to check whether the chili seedlings were still growing in the soil, whether the chili flowers were still blooming on the stems.

Jing Yicheng had no reason to refuse. With a simple “Okay,” he got in the car and drove straight to the base with Xu Chenghao to wait for the results together.

The Chili Base.

They had arrived far too early. It took another two and a half hours before they finally witnessed the shocking scene before them—

Bright red chili peppers had pushed the delicate white flowers off the stems. Some had grown into the usual sharp, elongated shape, while others had turned into various bizarre, round, and quirky forms.

The long-awaited machinery instantly sprang into action, swiftly harvesting all the chilies and sending them onto the conveyor belt into the warehouse.

Jing Yicheng and Xu Chenghao followed closely behind. Inside the warehouse, the two previously idle robots suddenly lit up, their eyes glowing red as they began scanning the chilies and preparing for the next step.

 

 

 

T/N: Hoping the harvest is enough to complete the mission