08 Please Come Over for Dinner 08

Jiang Yi has clearly been in a good mood these past two days. Perhaps it is not just because he has grown closer to Lu Jin; he has visibly relaxed, and his fatigue has vanished, which likely also has to do with his work.

Su Ran is well aware of Jiang Yi’s professional competence. With no connections and no background, climbing to the position of company vice president in just a few years would have been nearly impossible without extraordinary ability and shrewdness.

The atmosphere between them has mellowed over the last couple of days. As they cleaned the kitchen together, Su Ran would glance at Jiang Yi from time to time, habitually asking with concern, "Has work been alright these past few days?"

Jiang Yi was indeed in a good mood; at the very least, he did not resist Su Ran’s concern. He replied casually, "It's going well. My new boss is quite easygoing."

"That’s really good," Su Ran said with a smile. He didn't know what else to add; he didn't understand Jiang Yi’s work, nor could he offer any insightful commentary.

Jiang Yi was washing the dishes while Su Ran cleaned the stove. Su Ran enjoyed these moments. Jiang Yi used to share the household chores, but as his work became increasingly demanding—to the point where he rarely ate at home—he had neglected the house. Su Ran preferred it when he wasn't so busy.

Suddenly, 555 went online in his mind, interrupting his train of thought.

"Ranran, pay attention. A new character is about to appear," 555 said.

Su Ran sighed. "He’s the last one. Let’s get it over with so I can finish this plot."

"Yes, this character is similar to Lu Jin. You could call him a benefactor of sorts," 555 replied.

Su Ran understood. Although the world’s plot made him uncomfortable, seeing it progress smoothly was a relief; it wasn't as difficult as he had initially anticipated.

He had already made a good start on Lu Jin’s storyline and established a connection. From here on, as long as Jiang Yi maintained a good relationship with Lu Jin, it would only be a matter of time before Lu Jin brought him into profitable ventures. The hard part was over; the rest would be easier.

However, after a portion of Lu Jin’s plot was unlocked, it left Su Ran somewhat confused. Why did the storyline between him and Jiang Yi feel so… ambiguous? Some scenes felt almost like flirting.

This forced him to wonder if his and the system’s initial classification of this world was wrong. This world wasn't just erotica; the protagonist was a heartthrob. If that were true, perhaps Lu Jin’s help to Jiang Yi wasn't just based on his competence, but also on a deeper intimacy between them.

Seeing the unlocked sections, Su Ran’s head was spinning. He realized once again that an erotic world has no bottom line.

Then again, he had to admit, if his suspicions were true, it was… certainly more stimulating.

Looking at it this way, Jiang Yi was truly a winner in life; his protagonist script was flawless.

Ye Qiao had an elite family background, which would elevate Jiang Yi’s entire family in status once they were together. Lu Jin would provide a continuous stream of wealth, and now, the new character about to appear was also arriving with generous "gifts."

As Su Ran pondered life, a ringtone brought him back to reality. He looked over at Jiang Yi, who had taken off his gloves and pulled his phone from his pocket.

Su Ran happened to see the display: it was Zhou Luo. He immediately became alert. Jiang Yi glanced at him subconsciously, but with a calm expression, he answered the call.

Su Ran strained his ears to listen, but whether it was because Jiang Yi had turned the volume down too low or not, he couldn't hear a thing.

He saw Jiang Yi frown. "That child is indeed difficult to soothe, but have all the people we’ve tried really failed?"

As he spoke, Jiang Yi rubbed his brow. "It’s fine. The person I borrowed from a friend didn't work out either, and they were someone all my other employers were satisfied with. It seems the issue lies with the child."

"In any case, this matter has nothing to do with me. I’m only putting in the effort because I want to maintain a good relationship with Mr. He..."

Su Ran was bewildered. He moved a step closer to Jiang Yi and finally caught the word "nanny." He was hypersensitive to that term, so he captured it immediately.

Just then, Jiang Yi looked at him, and their eyes met. Su Ran felt guilty and quickly looked away, fearing he’d been caught eavesdropping. But judging by Jiang Yi’s reaction, that mention of a "nanny" seemed to be about him.

That Zhou Luo was truly insufferable.

Feeling stifled, Su Ran put down the rag, untied his apron, and went to sit on the living room sofa.

A moment later, Jiang Yi walked over. He looked at Su Ran, wanting to say something, but seemed to be debating how to phrase it.

He sat down right next to Su Ran. This made Su Ran’s muscles tense; he felt uncomfortable, as Jiang Yi rarely sat that close to him.

"My secretary called just now, saying the person we found to look after Mr. He’s child quit again," Jiang Yi said, explaining the phone call.

Su Ran listened intently, sensing that Jiang Yi was about to steer the conversation toward him.

Jiang Yi continued, "Mr. He’s cousin just got divorced and went abroad to travel because she was upset. She left her three-year-old child with Mr. He. The kid has a difficult temperament, and it’s very inconvenient for Mr. He to manage him lately, but the nannies they’ve hired haven't been satisfactory..."

At this point, Su Ran understood. He lowered his head. His submissive nature meant he only knew how to suffer in silence, and he couldn't refuse Jiang Yi; he was too used to listening to him.

In reality, Su Ran marveled at the system’s precision. Sure enough, the new character had been delivered right to his doorstep.

Jiang Yi looked at Su Ran, whose bowed head and soft hair covered most of his face. The curve of his neck looked fragile, and he was thin; he hadn't gained any weight since they started living together, and anyone who didn't know better would think he was being mistreated.

The words he intended to say suddenly got stuck in his throat. A strange sense of guilt washed over him. Finally, he stood up and muttered, "Why am I telling you this?"

Su Ran looked up in surprise. Seeing Jiang Yi about to leave, he immediately called out to him and whispered, "It’s okay... is there anything I can do to help?"

Su Ran almost thought Jiang Yi was glitching; he wasn't following the script.

Jiang Yi paused and looked at Su Ran for a long moment. His eyes darkened, and he said, "I actually do want to ask you for a favor. Could you try looking after Mr. He’s nephew? I’ve seen how you’re quite popular with the kids in the neighborhood. Just try it—if it works out, you can look after him for a while. If not, then forget it."

Su Ran had intended to haggle with him for a while, but the slight anomaly in Jiang Yi’s behavior made him decide it was better to just agree.

So, he lowered his head again, looking resigned. "Alright, I can try."

Jiang Yi smiled. Looking down at the person on the sofa, he felt a sense of control that was satisfying beyond measure. "By the way, I haven't transferred your living expenses for this month yet, have I?" He took out his phone. "Buy whatever you want with the extra."

Jiang Yi was shrewd in all his dealings. Su Ran usually received ten thousand yuan a month for household expenses, which was mostly spent. His salary from the dessert shop was standard for the market, but he treated it as his own business and poured more heart and soul into it than any ordinary manager could.

The benefit was that he used the living allowance for daily expenses, allowing him to save his entire salary.

He looked at the screen of his phone: it showed a transfer of sixty thousand yuan. The extra fifty thousand was a significant sum for him.

The money he saved in this world could not only be used here but would also be copied into the system’s piggy bank. To him, money was always useful.

"Come with me tomorrow morning when I head to work," Jiang Yi said.

As a weak and sensitive spouse, although Su Ran accepted the money, his expression was complex. If Jiang Yi had given him extra money to buy something he liked, he would have been happy, but now it felt more like a transaction.

Su Ran replied softly, "Alright."

Watching Su Ran’s expression, Jiang Yi suddenly had an urge to ruffle his hair. The feeling was inexplicable, but he quickly suppressed it.

He didn't want Su Ran to develop unnecessary expectations. He had decided from the beginning that they would separate one year after the "marriage." He would give him some compensation then, and they would part ways.