YPHC Chapter 40

“Does Little Spring need to escort you back to your room and tell you a warm bedtime story…”

 

Jiang Nan’an nodded, scooped a spoonful of milk porridge, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

 

The hot porridge carried the fragrance of milk and rice. Yan Jie had also added some salt, making it taste quite savory. However, Jiang Nan’an had never tried this way of eating before, and the flavor was somewhat strange to him, so he unconsciously frowned.

 

Yan Jie had been observing Jiang Nan’an’s expression the whole time. Seeing this, he immediately pushed another bowl toward him:

 

“One bowl has salt, one has sugar. You don’t like the savory one, right? Here, have this sweet one!”

 

“?” Jiang Nan’an didn’t understand why this previously silent person suddenly came to such a conclusion. He looked at him a bit bewildered, holding his spoon:

 

“I didn’t say that.”

 

“You frowned, I saw it. Frowning means you don’t like it, so don’t force yourself.”

 

Yan Jie didn’t wait for him to find an excuse to refuse and quickly switched the two bowls, pointing to the sweet one:

 

“Try this one.”

 

Jiang Nan’an hesitantly looked at him, and under his encouraging gaze, scooped up another spoonful and put it in his mouth.

 

Hmm, sweet.

 

This time it was much more normal.

 

Jiang Nan’an slightly narrowed his eyes.

 

Yan Jie, watching his small expression, nodded silently.

 

Understood. He likes corn sausages and prefers sweet milk porridge. Based on observation, he generally eats rather bland food, but it’s unclear whether this is due to work requirements or personal preference, so further analysis and confirmation will be needed in the future.

 

Tonight, the staff and contestants had all gone out, leaving the building quite empty. Only the lights in the cafeteria were on, making it feel quiet and desolate.

 

Jiang Nan’an finished a bowl of milk porridge in small sips, then ate a marinated egg and a corn sausage. He wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin and very politely said “thank you” to Yan Jie.

 

“No need, we’re close, aren’t we?” Yan Jie had already finished his bowl of porridge in two or three gulps, and had spent the rest of the time watching him:

 

“Is your stomach feeling better?”

 

“Mm.” Jiang Nan’an responded, thought for a moment, and added:

 

“It’s not a big deal, I could have ignored it.”

 

“How could that be okay?”

 

Yan Jie stood up to clear the bowls and chopsticks:

 

“Oh, Mr. Hang, I’ve found that you really don’t care about yourself. You can’t be like this, you know? As a person, you must be good to yourself, can’t be perfunctory or negligent. When you’re hungry, eat, don’t hold back. If you don’t like something, don’t touch it, don’t force yourself. A person must first love themselves enough, so they have enough love to give to others, and then others will love them too. That’s how life becomes beautiful and colorful. Understand? Class dismissed!”

 

Yan Jie rattled off a string of words that Jiang Nan’an didn’t really understand. But he didn’t want to continue debating the question of “love or not love”-these things always gave him a headache. So he just nodded confusedly and was about to take the bowls and chopsticks from Yan Jie’s hands:

 

“Give them to me.”

 

Qi Hong had said before that the person who cooks doesn’t wash the dishes-that’s the rule.

 

“No need.” Yan Jie dodged his rule-abiding hands and carried the bowls and chopsticks toward the back kitchen himself:

 

“I’ll go wash the bowls, you go rest. Oh my, with the building so empty, I wonder if Teacher Jiang will be scared being alone. Does he need Little Spring to escort him back to his room and perhaps stay by his bedside to tell him a warm bedtime story?”

 

“In Little Spring’s eyes, how old is Teacher Jiang now?”

 

“Some people have grown up, but in some people’s eyes, they’re still babies who need to be taken care of. I’m just making the mistake that everyone in the world makes.”

 

Previously, Yan Jie didn’t understand why Jiang Nan’an’s agent and assistant still treated him like a child every day, even though he was in his twenties. Only now that he had reached this point himself did he fully understand. It wasn’t that Hong Jie couldn’t let go; it was that Teacher Xiao Shan was the kind of person who should be carefully cared for by everyone, held in the palm of their hands, and it made people unconsciously want to do so.

 

“Suit yourself.” Jiang Nan’an walked a few steps, then turned back to look at him:

 

“…I’ll go back first?”

 

“Go ahead, go ahead. If you’re worried about me being scared washing dishes alone and want to stay and keep me company, that’s fine too.”

 

“…”

 

Jiang Nan’an turned and left.

 

Yan Jie watched his retreating figure, couldn’t help but smile, and carried the bowls and chopsticks to the back kitchen.

 

Since they hadn’t eaten anything heavy or oily, washing the few bowls was quick work. Yan Jie dried and put away the dishes, checked that he hadn’t disturbed anything, then turned off the kitchen lights and headed toward the dormitory area.

 

He walked along the corridor toward the dormitory area at the other end of the building. The cold fluorescent lights in the corridor, combined with the gray and white colors of the building, made his eyes dizzy.

 

Yan Jie strolled along with his hands in his pockets. When he happened to look up, he noticed what seemed to be a faint shadow cast on the ground beyond the corner in the distance.

 

“Who’s there?”

 

The production team’s staff all lived in another building, and at this time on this floor, there should be no one except the contestants. But now everyone else was out team-building. Could it be Jiang Nan’an?

 

But why would Jiang Nan’an be standing here instead of returning to his dormitory? Did he forget his room card? His dormitory wasn’t even in this location.

 

Yan Jie raised an eyebrow slightly.

 

–

 

“…I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Xiao Shan wife, I didn’t mean to scare you, and I won’t hurt you. I just like you too much. Haha, it’s so difficult to see you in person. You’re even more handsome in real life than on TV… Let me hug you, or at least shake hands, better yet take a photo together. Wife, I truly love you, I’ve watched all your works…”

 

“Don’t call me that.” Jiang Nan’an cautiously stepped back, staring at the strange man who suddenly appeared, his voice cold:

 

“How did you get in?”

 

“You don’t need to worry about how I got in. You just need to know that I love you, love you very much. Wife, listen to me, those people in the show aren’t really good to you, especially that actress and that game streamer. They’re just trying to hype up a CP with you to ride your popularity. Wife, listen to me, stay away from them!”

 

“The one who should stay away is you. Leave here within three seconds, or I’ll call the police.”

 

“Don’t do that, I haven’t done anything to you, why call the police? I just like you too much. Wife, it’s so hard to see you. Let me hug you, come on, you must smell so good.”

 

The man had suddenly emerged from the stairwell on the side when Jiang Nan’an was passing by. He looked to be in his thirties, wearing a black jacket, a black baseball cap, with his mask pulled down to his chin, and thick glasses that couldn’t hide the pathological fervor in his eyes.

 

As he spoke, he opened his arms and walked toward Jiang Nan’an, who stepped back, instinctively repulsed by the man’s gaze and posture:

 

“Don’t come any closer.”

 

After being repeatedly rejected, the man seemed to get angry, his expression revealing a hint of ferocity:

 

“Damn, I said I like you, I treat you as my wife, how could I bear to hurt you? Why can’t you understand, why are you so ungrateful?”

 

With that, the man strode toward Jiang Nan’an.

 

His face was buried in the shadow of his cap brim, and with his lowered tone, he appeared extremely sinister.

 

Jiang Nan’an had no time to refute the man’s words. Even someone as slow as him could sense that the current situation was not right.

 

He turned to leave, reaching for his phone to call the police, but a hard object flew from behind and precisely hit the back of his hand.

 

It was a photo frame that had been placed on the small platform protruding from the sides of the corridor for decoration. The man had grabbed it and thrown it at him.

 

This attack came suddenly. Jiang Nan’an’s right hand loosened in pain, causing his phone to fall to the ground. The photo frame also shattered, scattering glass fragments everywhere.

 

He also stumbled due to the force, and the man seized the opportunity to catch up, grab his jacket, and pull him back. The next second, a pair of vise-like arms locked around his waist from behind.

 

“Let go!”

 

“What if I don’t? Don’t think I don’t know that everyone’s gone out tonight. Forget about not letting go, even if I pinned you down and f*cked you tonight, what could you do about it? Wife… oof!”

 

The man’s tone was sticky and disgusting, but before he could finish his sentence, Jiang Nan’an delivered a powerful elbow strike to his side, followed by a kick to his shin.

 

The pain in two places caused the man to loosen his grip, and Jiang Nan’an broke free. But unexpectedly, the man reacted quickly. Not wanting to hit him, he grabbed Jiang Nan’an’s hair and viciously slammed him to the ground:

 

“Wife smells so good, such slender arms and legs but quite strong. It feels so good when you hit me.”

 

Jiang Nan’an felt the world spinning, and he found himself on the cold floor covered with glass shards.

 

“So beautiful, wife, I really want to f*ck you right here.”

 

Jiang Nan’an had originally wanted to get up quickly, knowing that in a physical confrontation, the first to fall would be at a severe disadvantage.

 

But under the harsh white light from above, Jiang Nan’an saw the man reaching out toward him.

 

A dark shadow pressed down, his pupils trembled, and for a moment he forgot everything, instinctively closing his eyes and raising his arms to protect his head.

 

That second seemed to stretch endlessly, like a century passing, but the anticipated attack never came.

 

Jiang Nan’an only heard a series of chaotic footsteps, followed by another dull thud, as if someone had hit the wall.

 

A thunderous curse.

 

Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Nan’an suddenly came back to his senses.

 

He slightly moved his arm and opened his eyes to look.

 

The earlier thud was the man being thrown against the wall. Yan Jie was seen grabbing the man’s collar, punching his mouth, and then kicking him to the ground.

 

Jiang Nan’an was stunned.

 

The aura emanating from Yan Jie at this moment was extremely unfamiliar, like a dangerous carnivore. The eyes beneath his hair no longer carried a smile but a ferocity Jiang Nan’an had never seen before.

 

“What the f*ck did you just say? Huh?! Come on, say it to me again if you dare! Damn, what kind of f*cking thing…”

 

Yan Jie cursed, and seeing that the scum was trying to get up and fight back, he immediately went over and delivered another kick to his abdomen.

 

This kick was delivered with full force, and the man immediately curled up like a shrimp in pain.

 

Yan Jie, recalling the two sentences he had just heard, was filled with rage and wanted to kick him again. But before he could raise his foot, he heard Jiang Nan’an’s voice:

 

“Yan Jie, call the police, stop hitting him.”

 

Yan Jie looked back at him, his expression immediately softening:

 

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop. Hey, don’t lean on the ground, let me help you up. The ground is full of broken glass, don’t cut your hands…”

 

Yan Jie had hit hard in his anger, and the guy wouldn’t be able to get up for a while. After confirming that Jiang Nan’an was okay, he called the police directly. The person in charge of the program, who lived in the adjacent building, arrived before the police.

 

Late at night, a crowd of staff entered the building. Several men restrained the culprit and locked him in the tea room to wait for the police, while the person in charge, sweating profusely, wanted to check on Jiang Nan’an’s condition but was pulled aside by Yan Jie and given a severe scolding.

 

“How the f*ck are you doing your job, huh?! This building has become a sieve, right? This kind of scum can just walk in? Is this a vegetable market? Can I bring in a theater troupe to bang gongs and drums?! Haven’t you learned enough from last time’s incident? Pinhole cameras installed everywhere, and now you’ve upgraded-perverts crawling all over? Such a large person comes in and none of you noticed? Do you only realize the severity after something happens?!”

 

Yan Jie stood with his hands on his hips, his usual casual and laid-back demeanor completely gone, replaced by an unfamiliar fierceness and sense of intimidation:

 

“Come on, tell me, what if Jiang Nan’an had come back alone tonight? What would have happened if he was alone here? When I arrived, he was already pinned to the ground. What if I had been delayed a bit longer, or if I had taken another route and hadn’t discovered this at all? What then? Apologizing, apologizing-what the f*ck is an apology good for when we have police? You already apologized a basketful to his agent before, but I didn’t see you make any changes. Hurting Teacher Jiang like that… Hurt where? You have the nerve to ask? Hurt inside! F*ck, encountering a pervert in your own hallway in the middle of the night-isn’t that psychological trauma big enough?!”

 

Jiang Nan’an sat on the sofa. From this angle, he could only see Yan Jie’s back as he stood in front of him, and a small half of his profile.

 

Actually, he had just been hit on the hand and fallen down. The biggest injury on his body was the bruise on the back of his hand. As for the strange person who inexplicably broke in, they should just call the police and handle it accordingly.

 

Jiang Nan’an didn’t feel that the harm he suffered was serious enough to warrant someone protecting him like this and getting so angry. Moreover, Yan Jie had already punched back for the physical confrontation he had endured. Compared to himself, he thought the man with the bruised face clutching his stomach and howling in pain was actually more vulnerable at the moment.

 

But Yan Jie seemed to care a lot.

 

Jiang Nan’an watched as Yan Jie stood with his back to him, losing his temper, and found himself momentarily lost in thought.

 

Qi Hong would get angry and protect him because she was his agent, had signed a contract, and was responsible for everything about him. Xiao Sun would worry because he was his assistant, and his life was closely related to Xiao Sun’s work.

 

But what about Yan Jie? Why was he doing this?

 

Because of the injury on his hand? But that was just a bruise, it wouldn’t affect the upcoming matches.

 

Jiang Nan’an couldn’t figure it out.

 

He wasn’t even an important person.

 

Why would Yan Jie care more than he himself did?

 

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(advanced chapters available on kofi)