Chapter 42: CH 42

When Feng Si came in, Lu Jingshen was still staring at the photo, his fingers pressed on the laptop keyboard, the back of his hand showing prominent blue veins.

Feng Si walked over, placing the breakfast he bought on the table. He casually put the flower into the vase on the table and then noticed the spilled coffee near Lu Jingshen’s feet.

“You…” he started to say, but seeing Lu Jingshen’s troubled expression, he stepped forward and held him. “What’s wrong?”

Without thinking, Lu Jingshen forcefully closed the laptop screen.

Feng Si reached out but was stopped by Lu Jingshen, who pressed the lid shut. They struggled for a moment, but when Feng Si saw the frown on Lu Jingshen’s face, he asserted, “Let go.”

Lu Jingshen looked at him with a complicated expression.

Feng Si lifted his chin, gesturing again, “Release your hand.”

After a moment of hesitation, Lu Jingshen gave up and let go. Feng Si reopened the laptop and lit up the screen.

The photo of them kissing under the rainbow flag was displayed again. Feng Si raised an eyebrow and scrolled down. The email only contained one sentence.

“Don’t want this photo to go viral? Pay me one million.”

There was an overseas bank account attached.

Feng Si sneered, “Trying to extort a million with this kind of photo? Quite ambitious. Why doesn’t he just rob a bank? Who sent this photo?”

“I don’t know,” Lu Jingshen’s voice was cold.

Feng Si checked the email address, and it was also from a foreign mailbox. There was probably no way to trace anything.

He didn’t take it seriously. “Forget it, ignore him. This kind of photo isn’t anything to be ashamed of.”

Lu Jingshen remained silent, and after calming down, he thought for a moment before saying, “Contact Ron and ask for his help. Gather as many photos of us taken that day at the gathering as possible, and do it quickly.”

“Why do you need those photos?” Feng Si asked.

“I want to see if I can find the person who took this photo and blackmailed me. It should be someone I know,” Lu Jingshen replied.

Feng Si looked deeply at him, took out his phone, and sent a message to Ron.

Ron was a night owl, and it was past 2 or 3 AM on the other side, but he still replied immediately.

Feng Si didn’t elaborate on the reasons and casually chatted with him for a few sentences before Ron readily agreed to help.

After putting down the phone, seeing that Lu Jingshen’s expression hadn’t improved, Feng Si pouted at him. “Your feet are all red. Don’t you feel it?”

Lu Jingshen looked down and couldn’t help but frown, seemingly just noticing what happened.

Feng Si didn’t say anything more. He pressed Lu Jingshen to sit down and went back to get the burn cream he hadn’t used.

As he applied the ointment, Feng Si looked at the bright red on Lu Jingshen’s calf and clicked his tongue. “It’s just a photo, and it scared you like this? You didn’t even react to the burn.”

Lu Jingshen made a muffled sound, “I’ll do it myself.”

“Alright, then stop spacing out. Quickly apply the cream and have some breakfast. Eat a little more since I bought so much. Don’t just drink coffee,” Feng Si said, handing him the cream and then going to clean up the mess on the floor.

Lu Jingshen had no appetite.

Feng Si had bought seven or eight items, but he only took a bowl of plain porridge, drinking it tastelessly, taking only a few sips.

As his gaze flickered, he noticed a vase on the table with a strikingly beautiful rose. He paused for a moment.

Feng Si finished the remaining food, casually explaining, “I bought the flower on a whim when I got back.”

A faint voice from Lu Jingshen, “You were only supposed to buy breakfast.”

“I originally wanted to buy a flower to make you happy,” Feng Si said with a wry smile, “but it seems unnecessary now. You don’t seem to like flowers.”

After a moment of hesitation, Lu Jingshen said, “Thank you.”

Feng Si put down his chopsticks, “I’m full. I’ll take a shower. You take care of the rest and eat a bit more. I bought so much, and you shouldn’t just have porridge.”

As he got up, he suddenly stopped, leaned forward, and plucked the rose from the vase, casually trimming the overly long stem before inserting it into the buttonhole on Lu Jingshen’s shirt.

With just one red rose, Lu Jingshen’s complexion looked much better.

Feng Si was somewhat satisfied and smiled at him, “Relax, the sky hasn’t fallen.”

Lu Jingshen’s throat tightened, slowly nodding.

Despite that, for the rest of the day, Lu Jingshen remained restless. He stayed in the study, trying to distract himself with work.

Feng Si didn’t bother to say much and spent his rare vacation time playing games to pass the time.

In the evening, Ron replied to Feng Si’s message, saying that everything had been taken care of.

The photos from the gathering were easy to find as they were all over the internet. Ron had them organized and sent to Feng Si’s mailbox, totaling over a thousand pictures.

Feng Si casually asked, “Are there any pictures of me and Alex in there?”

“I don’t think so,” Ron replied. “I specifically had someone pay attention, but I didn’t seem to see any.”

Feng Si downloaded the photos and flipped through them one by one, with Lu Jingshen joining him.

Feng Si turned his head and asked him, ‘Do you think this will help us find the person who’s blackmailing you?’

Lu Jingshen replied, ‘We have to give it a try.’

Feng Si said, ‘Alright, then let’s get to work.’

They spent four hours going through a thousand photos, from dusk till nightfall.

Feng Si kept clicking on the next photo absentmindedly.

As a photo passed by, his hand holding the mouse suddenly stopped and he scrolled back.

“We don’t need to look further, I found him.’

Lu Jingshen looked over, and Feng Si pointed to the lower-left corner of the photo on the screen and said, ‘he’s the one.’

It was a slightly chubby middle-aged man wearing glasses, holding a camera in his hand.

Though only half of his face was visible, it was enough for them to recognize him.

He was Zhao Yuanping, the former CEO of Xinfeng Technology, who was forced to give up his shares after Lu Jingshen acquired the company but was unwilling to quit. Zhao Yuanping and his entire family had emigrated to France. Lu Jingshen had almost forgotten about him, but now he was surprised to see that Zhao Yuanping was still pursuing trouble.

Lu Jingshen’s expression turned cold, and Feng Si reminded him, ‘If this is really him, I suggest you ignore him. He made several billion from selling his shares, so he doesn’t need money. He’s just trying to give you a hard time. If you get involved with him, you’ll be playing right into his hands.’

After a moment of silence, Lu Jingshen calmly picked up his phone and sent a message to Liu Jie, asking her to transfer one million to the private account provided in the email.

Feng Si couldn’t stop him in time, and the message was already sent.

‘Hey, are you serious? Just because someone threatened you casually, you readily give away one million?’ Feng Si frowned, unable to understand why Lu Jingshen acted so impulsively.

‘It’s to ward off future troubles,’ Lu Jingshen replied with an unusually calm tone. To him, one million was like a hundred bucks to an ordinary person; he didn’t care.

Feng Si lowered his voice, ‘Are you so afraid of people knowing about our relationship? Are you willing to give away one million just to shut anyone up? Moreover, how can you be sure there won’t be a next time? If the other party finds you easy to manipulate and gets a taste of the benefits, they might ask for five million, ten million, or even more next time. Are you planning to give in every time?’

‘Just this once. The people who tried to kidnap me last time have significant influence over there. I asked Ron to mediate, and I hired them to teach Zhao Yuanping a lesson. I told him that the money I gave him is a one-time deal. If he’s sensible, he’ll take the money and delete the photos. If he wants to live a peaceful life over there, he should stop using this photo against me,’ Lu Jingshen explained.

Feng Si almost chuckled with frustration. ‘Alex, are you really like this? When I asked a friend to deal with that spoiled kid from the Li family, you thanked me verbally, but deep down,I know you didn’t agree with that approach. Why are you doing the same now? Just because Zhao Yuanping has a photo of us kissing in public?It’s just an intimate photo taken in a public place; there’s nothing inappropriate about it. I even think it looks good. I wish he had taken more shots. Are you really overreacting to this?’

Lu Jingshen disagreed. Just the thought of being labeled as homosexual, treated as an outsider, and potentially pursued by other men was suffocating him.

He thought he could take this step, but apparently, he couldn’t.

Feng Si reached out and pinched his chin. ‘Alex, your expression doesn’t look right. What exactly are you afraid of?’

Lu Jingshen shook his head, insisting, ‘I don’t want this photo to spread.’

Feng Si said, ‘You promised me last night that you’d try your best, but is this your idea of trying? You can’t even face a single photo?’

Lu Jingshen replied, ‘… Give me a little more time.’

It was the same phrase again. Hearing it so many times, not only Feng Si but even Lu Jingshen himself seemed uncertain.

Sweat started to form on his forehead, showing how uncomfortable he was.

Feng Si stared at him, contemplating something.

When he finally withdrew his hand, all he said was, ‘Do as you wish.’

Although Lu Jingshen persisted in doing this, Feng Si didn’t bother saying anything more. He arranged everything as Lu Jingshen requested and contacted the other side through Ron. The other party accepted Lu Jingshen’s offer and promised to handle it quickly.

Lu Jingshen did feel a sense of relief, even though he knew Feng Si was probably disappointed in him again.

Feng Si closed his notebook. ‘The matter is resolved. Let’s go to bed.’

As he stood up, Lu Jingshen reached out to grab him.

Feng Si looked at him, asking, ‘What’s wrong?’

Lu Jingshen hesitated for a moment, then held Feng Si’s hand. However, Feng Si gently pulled his hand back, brushing his face instead. ‘Planning to use that trick again?’

Lu Jingshen had a habit of trying to compensate Feng Si by being intimate with him whenever he sensed Feng Si’s dissatisfaction.

It was fun once or twice, but Feng Si wasn’t always up for it.

‘Forget it, let’s just go to sleep,’ Feng Si reminded him, ‘If you’re not in the mood, I might not be either. No need to force it.’

Being rejected so straightforwardly, Lu Jingshen felt embarrassed. Feng Si released his hand and returned to his room.”

Lu Jingshen was stunned for a moment, supporting his forehead and wearily closing his eyes.

On the last day of the New Year holiday, they were immersed in a subtle mood resembling a cold war, or at least that’s what Lu Jingshen thought.

Feng Si didn’t seem any different from before, still being aloof and speaking in an uncoordinated manner. However, Lu Jingshen vaguely felt that Feng Si’s dissatisfaction with him was gradually accumulating. Maybe it started after that night when they returned from the resort, or maybe even earlier, possibly dating back to seven years ago when he disappeared without any explanation.

The person who made the first mistake was him, so he had no reason to blame Feng Si.

……..

On their first day back to work, Lu Jingshen arrived at the office at 8:30 in the morning, as usual.

Ten minutes later, Feng Si entered the room, exchanged Lu Jingshen’s coffee for milk, and sat down on the nearby sofa to flip through a magazine.

Lu Jingshen’s gaze lingered on him for a moment, but he withdrew it. Soon, more people would be coming in and out of the office, but he couldn’t bring himself to say what was on his mind.

Feng Si picked up his phone and glanced at it; Ron had just sent a new message.

They had found Zhao Yuanping. He was indeed responsible for the incident, and with a little pressure, he spilled everything.

“He saw you guys on the street that day and took photos of you. He didn’t plan on doing anything at first, but after drinking that night, he remembered the past and felt resentful. So, fueled by alcohol, he sent that photo to blackmail you. He has already handed over the camera’s memory card and backups. However, he mentioned that he had sent the photos to someone else earlier, a friend of his in China.”

Feng Si frowned but was about to explain to Lu Jingshen when Liu Jie hurriedly knocked on the door and entered.

As Liu Jie walked in, she glanced at Feng Si sitting on the sofa, looking particularly odd. With a stiff expression, she approached Lu Jingshen and said, “Boss, something has happened.”

Lu Jingshen raised his head, and Liu Jie handed him the opened laptop.

It showed the same email interface, Liu Jie’s personal company’s internal mailbox, with a new email received just two minutes ago, containing the kissing photo of Lu Jingshen and Feng Si.

Lu Jingshen’s face darkened.

Liu Jie cautiously observed his expression and asked, “Is this photo fake, Boss?”

Lu Jingshen nodded, trying to calm his racing heart and pretending to be composed. “I don’t know where this photo came from, but it’s definitely meant to cause trouble. Whoever got access to all the employees’ internal email addresses can’t be an outsider. Have the security department investigate, and if they find out who did it, report it to the police immediately. Quickly draft a statement to dispel the rumors and shift everyone’s attention away from this matter.”

Liu Jie said, “Understood. I’ll do it right away.”

Lu Jingshen gave a few more instructions, and Liu Jie nodded in response.

Seeing Lu Jingshen’s nervous state, Liu Jie didn’t dare to ask further questions. Although she felt that, based on her experience, the photo didn’t seem to be Photoshopped,but if the boss said it was fake, then it must be fake.

Before leaving, Liu Jie reminded Lu Jingshen that there would be a meeting in ten minutes.

After Liu Jie left, Lu Jingshen’s internal phone rang.

He hesitated for a moment before picking it up. It was Lu Jingqing, evidently having received the same email, asking him what was going on.

Lu Jingshen calmly replied, “The photo is fake, and I will report it to the police.”

The person on the other end of the line fell silent for a moment, then asked, “Is it really fake?”

Lu Jingshen responded, “Yes, it’s fake.”

“Good. Using such means against you is despicable. Don’t worry about it; it’s not a big deal. Once clarified, it will be fine,” Lu Jingqing seemed relieved.

Lu Jingshen reminded her, “Don’t tell Mom and Dad; there’s no need to trouble them with this.”

“I know, I’ll keep it from them,” Lu Jingqing promised.

After a few more words, they hung up the phone. Lu Jingshen still didn’t look at Feng Si, quickly tidied up the messy files on his desk, and left for the meeting.

As he walked out, he felt as if he was about to collapse, with cold sweat all over his back.

For a full half-minute, he leaned against the wall, feeling a heavy discomfort, before he took a deep breath to calm himself. He caught a glimpse of his disheveled reflection on the glass wall and closed his eyes tightly.

After ensuring that his heartbeat was back under control, he stepped forward into the crowd’s view. Liu Jie followed him, coming out of her own office.

Lu Jingshen didn’t say a word and walked quickly toward the meeting room.

The employees around were busy as usual, and perhaps some were looking at him, while others weren’t. Knowing they wouldn’t dare to show their curiosity on their faces, Lu Jingshen still felt a heavy unease, and he quickened his pace even more.

In the eyes of others, their boss seemed to be in a bad mood that day, with a tense face showing no expression. That might be a prelude to someone’s bad luck.