Chapter 168: Can I Hug You?
The August heat climbed to another peak.
Sitting in a car without air conditioning, Su Tao felt her head getting stuffy from the heat. Only after rolling down the window to let in some cool air did she feel a bit better.
When she returned to Taoyang and got back to her room, she called Jiang Yu over.
“I don’t have any extra rooms at the moment, so you’ll have to make do with the study for a few days.”
Jiang Yu didn’t mind at all. In fact, he felt that the study was far better than the shared dormitories in the military—big windows, bright sunlight, and not too hot.
Xuedao, who had been napping, noticed the unfamiliar person and slowly walked over to sniff Jiang Yu. After determining he posed no threat, the dog simply turned away and went back to sleep.
White Sesame, curious, hopped onto the dining table, its big round eyes staring at Jiang Yu.
The cold and indifferent Jiang Yu remained unfazed by the two furry creatures.
“You go ahead and unpack. I’ll go next door for a bit and be right back.”
She wanted to check with Aunt Wu, who lived on the second floor next door, to see if she’d be willing to move to a higher floor.
She preferred to have Jiang Yu live next door, so he could respond quickly in case of an emergency.
As for sharing the same living space, that wasn’t an option—after all, Jiang Yu was an adult man, and it would be inconvenient.
Of course, Fang Zhi didn’t count.
In her heart, Fang Zhi was still just a baby.
However, just as she stepped into Aunt Wu’s room, Fang Zhi, who had just finished his studies and work, returned home.
The moment he saw Jiang Yu—an unfamiliar person around his age—his internal alarm bells rang.
“Who is this?”
Jiang Yu, cold and aloof, had already decided he wouldn’t interact with anyone other than Su Tao. He didn’t answer, simply finished unpacking his things, and then disappeared into the shadows.
Fang Zhi stood there, stunned.
He had just watched, with his own eyes, a living, breathing person vanish in broad daylight.
For a long moment, he stood frozen. Then, in a panic, he began searching the entire house.
Jiang Yu, hidden in the shadows, the awakened Xuedao, and White Sesame, who was licking its paws, all silently watched him rush around looking for someone.
Then, Su Tao returned from the neighbor’s house.
Seeing Fang Zhi peering out the window, looking left and right, she asked curiously, “What are you looking at?”
Before she even finished speaking, Jiang Yu reappeared, leaning against the study door with his usual indifferent expression.
Su Tao didn’t think much of it and quickly pulled Fang Zhi over to introduce the two.
Fang Zhi finally understood.
This person was here to protect Tao.
This person was going to live with them.
This person would be spending more time with Tao than he would.
He looked toward the study, where a single bed had been set up, and that person’s belongings were already hanging on the wall.
A strange feeling arose inside him—like something that belonged to him was being taken away.
His life with Tao had suddenly been invaded by a stranger.
He struggled to accept it.
Then, he saw Tao teaching Jiang Yu how to use the appliances—just like she had once taught him when she first took him in.
That fear and unease deepened.
His hands trembled slightly as he clutched his small blanket tightly, feeling like the warmth he had finally found was slowly slipping away.
He didn’t dare look at Jiang Yu.
He didn’t dare listen to Tao’s voice.
Like a thief hiding in the dark, he curled up into himself and eventually retreated into his own space entirely.
Meanwhile, Su Tao finished giving instructions and turned around, ready to take them both to eat.
But when she looked back, Fang Zhi was gone.
She called for him several times, but he never appeared.
Thinking he had gone out for something, she didn’t dwell on it.
After all, in the past, even if he was inside his space, Fang Zhi would always appear quickly whenever she called him.
Su Tao had no choice but to give up. She left a message for Fang Zhi on his communicator and then took Jiang Yu out for dinner.
Jiang Yu had long heard about Taoyang’s prosperity and stability, but actually seeing elderly people chatting and playing chess downstairs, and children splashing around in the water, still left him a bit shocked.
Along the way, everyone they passed greeted Su Tao warmly, and even Jiang Yu, who was by her side, received an enthusiastic welcome.
This kind of atmosphere was something Jiang Yu had never experienced before.
He was even a little dazed during dinner.
Unlimited servings of white rice, fresh and crisp vegetables, all kinds of snacks and drinks…
His little sister had never eaten any of this.
The night before she was taken, she had acted spoiled and told him she just wanted to smell what grains were like. She didn’t even want to eat them, just to take a whiff.
He had promised her that the next day, he would sneak over a warlord’s wall and steal a handful of rice for her…
He had succeeded in stealing that rice.
But by the time he returned, his sister had already been taken away.
Jiang Yu closed his eyes briefly and swallowed the lump in his throat.
He hid his emotions too well—so well that Su Tao didn’t notice any change in his expression. She simply instructed him to follow the same route back to rest, while she went to a weekly meeting with Zhuang Wan and the others.
Last month’s lease renewal fees had been received, and Qian Rongrong was grinning from ear to ear.
Su Tao took the financial report and was stunned. A full 1.05 million had come in just from lease renewals last month.
With the remaining balance, their total assets had reached 2.16 million.
Zhuang Wan reported, “Right now, Taoyang has 210 tenants. If we include Panliu Mountain, we’re approaching the 300 mark. Boss, have you noticed that the cafeteria is getting too small? During peak meal times, many tenants have to stagger their meals to avoid long lines.”
“Since the office building was expanded, maybe it’s time to upgrade the cafeteria too?”
Su Tao sighed, “Thanks for the push—I’ll do my best.”
Qian Lin chuckled. “Since we’re at it, Boss, could we also set up a sales hall? That way, harvested crops can be transported directly there, making it easier for tenants to buy them in one place.”
Su Tao groaned, “I swear, it’s already in the works. If you rush me any more, I might just drop dead.”
Ma Dapao, who had been about to suggest expanding the Panliu Mountain lodge, immediately swallowed his words.
Qi Yunlan gave her usual security report for both locations. Everything remained normal, except for Meng Qian, who had been harassed while camping out in hopes of trading herself for supplies.
After acknowledging the report, Su Tao asked Zhuang Wan about hiring administrative staff and Professor Mei’s students.
Zhuang Wan sighed, “A lot of people applied, but none of them are quite right. I’ll work harder and try to finalize a candidate this month.”
After the meeting, Su Tao spent another hour working on construction, hoping to get Taoli Tower’s rooftop finished in the next day or two.
At 11 p.m., exhausted, she finally came downstairs, ready to head home.
But just as she stepped out of the building, she saw someone in military uniform—Shi Zijin, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.
The moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and the night wind lifted the edge of his uniform slightly. Under the moonlight, he looked just as tired as she felt, with even a hint of stubble on his chin. Yet, his posture remained straight and unwavering.
For a moment, Su Tao felt that this person was both incredibly close and impossibly far away.
She asked, “You’re back? Why aren’t you resting?”
Shi Zijin smiled, but it was a forced smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Su Tao’s heart sank.
A familiar sense of foreboding told her that something big had happened.
Shi Zijin was the kind of person who remained unfazed even if the sky came crashing down.
No matter how much hardship, exhaustion, or difficulty he faced, he would never show vulnerability like this.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
But the man only shook his head and reached out toward her.
“Nothing. I’m just tired.”
His voice was low, almost hoarse.
“Can I hug you for a moment? Just for a little while.”
