When Jiang Yuan woke up, his mind was a hazy muddle. The heating in the room was turned up too high, and he had been meticulously bundled into the quilt, leaving him drenched in sweat. Feeling sticky and uncomfortable all over, he tried to kick the covers away, but a slight exertion brought a sudden *jingle-jingle* of bells.
Realizing the source of the sound, Young Master Jiang reached up to his neck in shock. He discovered that the black leather collar was still fastened around his throat, clearly left there on purpose by a certain someone.
Memories of the previous night flooded back—the frantic ringing of the bell and the shameless things Xie Chengnan had forced him to say. Jiang Yuan’s face flushed crimson instantly, and he felt a sudden urge to tear the thing into a thousand pieces.
Perhaps because expensive items generally boasted decent quality, Jiang Yuan hooked two fingers under the collar and tugged hard several times, but it wouldn't snap. Instead, he only succeeded in choking himself slightly.
He fumbled around trying to find the buckle, only to realize the design was quite intricate. He lay there for a moment with a look of distress, unable to recall how he had even managed to put it on the night before.
The intermittent sound of running water drifted from the bathroom. His germaphobia flaring up, Jiang Yuan decided to stop wrestling with the collar for now. All he wanted was to take a satisfying shower and then sink back into a refreshing nap.
Jiang Yuan tentatively tested his aching waist and legs before slowly sliding off the bed. However, he had barely taken a single step when he stepped on something long and furry. His legs gave way, and he nearly collided with the bedside table.
Holding his breath, the young master looked down to see that cat tail lying brazenly by his feet. The scenes of his "preparations" in the bathroom the night before began to play in his mind like a revolving lantern, making his face burn so hot he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
Xie Chengnan happened to step out of the bathroom at that moment, only to see his young lover standing awkwardly by the bed, wearing nothing but the collar and clutching a certain toy in his hand. His pale skin was flushed pink and covered in red marks; in some places, where the grip had been too firm, they had turned a deep purplish-blue. It was a sight that made one's heart race.
Jiang Yuan glanced at the cat tail in his hand, then looked up to see his boyfriend, who had clearly become aroused again right before his eyes. He promptly hurled the object at the man.
"You old beast!" the little kitten began to curse again.
"Present," the old beast replied, thick-skinned as ever.
Jiang Yuan hadn't expected him to actually answer. He was both annoyed and amused. "You're shameless!" After the insult, he added, "If I ever let you in again, I'll take your surname!"
Xie Chengnan: "..."
Jiang Yuan: "..." *Wait, why does that flag sound so familiar?*
Professor Xie arched an eyebrow. "Xie Yuan? That name sounds quite nice, actually."
Shame turning into rage, Young Master Jiang’s chest heaved, and the corners of his eyes reddened. Every time, he was the one cursing and swearing, yet he was also the one who delivered himself to the door. He had lost all face.
Xie Chengnan didn't care about any of that. He stepped forward, scooped the boy up, and tossed him back onto the bed. The bells jingled frantically once more. Risking the chance of having his back clawed raw, the man made sure to complete his "morning exercise."
Afterward, the two lay in bed—one with his back turned, seething in silence, while the other held him from behind, coaxing him.
"Baby, don't be angry. It was my fault, I apologize." President Xie’s apologies were always exceptionally sincere, though he never missed a single beat of what he intended to do after apologizing.
Young Master Jiang kept his eyes shut and remained silent, truly fuming.
The old beast had pressured him into crying and mimicking a cat's meow while he was caught in the throes of passion. Now that the man had had his fill, retribution had come; he was banished to the "cold palace," denied even a single glance.
"Baby..." President Xie held him, acting pitiful.
"You bastard!" Young Master Jiang finally reached his limit and exploded. "You aren't sincerely apologizing at all!"
President Xie shamelessly pleaded his innocence. "My heart is as sincere as can be."
The little kitten's fur stood on end in a second. "If you're so sincere, then why are you hard again?! Is this the attitude of someone apologizing?!"
President Xie: "..." The evidence was conclusive; there was no room for denial.
This spat didn't die down until Xie Chengnan’s alarm had rung three times.
Although Jiang Yuan’s waist and legs were too weak to move, fortunately, the highly capable Professor Xie hadn't injured him again.
After having Freesia perform a full-body scan on Jiang Yuan to confirm his young boyfriend was fine, Xie Chengnan went to the walk-in closet to pick out a suit. As he dressed, he instructed, "Rest well at home. I'll come back at noon to have lunch with you."
"Mm..." Jiang Yuan gave a soft, muffled response. He reached out, grabbed the man's tie to pull him down, and exchanged a tender, lingering kiss. "Come back early," he murmured lazily before closing his eyes to catch up on sleep.
Xie Chengnan chuckled softly and pulled the quilt higher for him before quietly closing the door.
Downstairs, the "reborn" Little Jason was vacuuming the house, wandering around the living room while muttering to itself: [No, no, no. Jason does not want to be dismantled again.]
Xie Chengnan guessed that Jason was currently livestreaming. As he passed by, he patted its head and cautioned, "A-Yuan is still sleeping. Keep your voice down."
The clip from Jason’s livestream was quickly uploaded to the internet. Most people felt that an AI couldn't lie, concluding that Jiang Yuan was definitely the crown prince of the Jiang Corporation. However, some felt this might be the "Nancheng Couple" trying to drum up hype, intentionally making their AI say ambiguous things. After all, being a "Jiang" didn't necessarily mean belonging to *the* Jiang family; he could be a distant relative.
More people began to join the ranks of those trying to unmask him.
For instance, one year, Chairman Jiang had mentioned in an interview that he was in a good mood because his son had placed first in his final exams. Someone dug up that Jiang Yuan, who was then in his first year of middle school at an international school, had indeed ranked first in his entire grade.
Furthermore, Chairman Jiang’s first wife had passed away due to depression. That same year, Jiang Yuan, who had just started his first year of high school, suddenly took a leave of absence. The timing was exactly one week after the funeral.
Additionally, in September of last year, the Jiang Corporation had donated a laboratory to Nan University. Jiang Yuan had been admitted to Nan University just last year.
With one piece of evidence after another, Jiang Yuan’s identity was essentially confirmed. The topic "Jiang Corporation Crown Prince" quickly trended on the hot search list.
Jiang Yuan had no idea that the netizens had discovered a new way to enjoy the gossip. He woke up after a short nap and, feeling disinclined to move, curled up in bed to browse Weibo. He was currently reading the thread unmasking his identity with great interest.
He had to admit, the netizens all seemed to possess microscopes. Jiang Yuan hadn't expected that not only would the groundwork he laid previously be connected, but even minor details he wasn't aware of were being unearthed completely. He didn't even need to hire anyone to create momentum anymore.
As noon approached, his secretary sent an email. The user registration for Onion Live had exploded once again. This morning, the real-time concurrent viewers in Jason’s livestream room had surpassed fifty million. All the data indicated that Onion Live had officially stepped into the ranks of the "Big Three" in the livestreaming industry.
