DHLM 2
Teacher Xiao Jiang
The air fell into a brief silence.
"Teacher Xiao Jiang?"
After learning that Jiang Heng was ten years younger than him, Jin Ze subtly adjusted how he addressed him.
Jiang Heng gave a soft "hmm" but remained silent.
Not only had he never been a sugar baby, but he had also never even been in a relationship before. When faced with the question of how much he should charge, he had no idea how to respond.
"What do you think?" Jiang Heng tentatively asked.
Jin Ze rubbed his temple with his fingers, a wry smile appearing on his lips. "You’ve never done this before?"
Jiang Heng shook his head. "Never."
"Alright then."
Looking at Jiang Heng’s youthful and innocent appearance, Jin Ze couldn't help but feel amused. "Then how much do you think is appropriate?"
Jiang Heng thought about the outstanding medical bills and looked at Jin Ze. After a moment of hesitation, he answered honestly, "One hundred and fifty thousand?"
Jin Ze didn't respond immediately. He blinked.
"Is that okay?"
The smile on Jin Ze’s lips slowly widened.
If it were anyone else, Jiang Heng might have thought they were mocking him for being naive. But looking into Jin Ze’s smiling eyes, he couldn’t detect any ridicule.
Jin Ze—he just seemed like someone who naturally smiled all the time.
From the moment Jiang Heng first saw him, there had always been a faint smile playing on his lips. His upturned, fox-like eyes shimmered with an ever-present amusement, like the endless ripples on a tranquil lake.
"Then, for 150,000, how long should our contract last?" Jin Ze asked.
"I'm fine with anything. You decide."
Jin Ze glanced at the résumé in his hands. A two-inch blue-background ID photo was attached to it, showing the same tightly pressed lips and faint melancholy in the eyes as the person sitting in front of him.
This face—flawless.
Jin Ze suddenly understood the phrase, humans are visual creatures.
His gaze drifted down the thin résumé, which listed all of Jiang Heng’s academic achievements and competition awards since middle school. It was clear that he had always been an outstanding student.
But—
"Why exactly 150,000?"
Jin Ze finally lifted his eyes from the résumé and looked at Jiang Heng.
"My mom is sick. We still need 150,000 for her treatment."
Jin Ze’s smile faded. "What illness?"
"Nephritis. She needs a kidney transplant. We’re still 150,000 short."
A brief silence filled the office.
Moments later, Jin Ze’s tone lowered, losing its earlier lightheartedness.
"In 2009, the average salary for a Tsinghua University graduate was 5,000 yuan per month. Even with bonuses, a year’s income wouldn’t reach 150,000."
Jiang Heng lowered his eyes. He understood what Jin Ze was implying.
It wasn’t going to happen.
Just as Jiang Heng was about to give up hope, Jin Ze spoke again.
"So one year isn't enough. We'll need a 15-month contract."
Jin Ze stood up, walked to his desk, wrote a check for 150,000, and handed it to Jiang Heng.
"Go find Ji Miao and sign the contract. I'll contact you when I need you."
Jiang Heng took the check in disbelief. The numbers were crystal clear.
In less than fifteen minutes, he had received 150,000 from Jin Ze?
Did this mean that for the next fifteen months, he belonged to Jin Ze?
Jin Ze saw him staring at the check. "Do you know how to cash it?"
"I do."
"Good. Go sign the contract, then head to the bank and pay for your mom's medical bills."
Jin Ze didn’t consider himself particularly kindhearted. This was the first time he'd ever done something so charitable, and he needed Jiang Heng to quickly take the money and leave before he changed his mind.
"Alright. Thank you, Mr. Jin."
After signing the contract, Jiang Heng left. Even as he stepped out of the office building, he still felt like he was in a dream.
He pinched his cheek—
It hurt. Not a dream.
He had really just received 150,000 from Jin Ze.
The first thing he did was withdraw the money and pay off the overdue hospital bills, securing his mother’s place on the transplant waiting list.
Ever since Jiang Yuxia was hospitalized, they had sold everything they could. Jiang Heng even considered selling their old family home, but his mother refused. She didn’t want to be a burden and had even attempted to end her life several times, only for Jiang Heng to stop her in time.
When Jiang Heng returned home, his mother was in the kitchen making dinner.
"Mom, I told you to wait for me so I could cook," Jiang Heng said as he rushed in to help, gently guiding her out of the kitchen.
Jiang Yuxia had grown up in comfort and had never experienced hardship. After their downfall, the drastic change in lifestyle was hard for her to accept. Just as she was coming to terms with reality, she was diagnosed with kidney disease right before Jiang Heng’s college entrance exams.
Watching her son busy in the kitchen, she felt guilty. "I can cook on my own. You don’t have to worry about me. You shouldn’t keep coming home and missing your classes."
Jiang Heng paused while chopping vegetables. "Actually, Mom, I probably won’t be able to come back as often anymore."
"Why? Are your classes too demanding? I told you, you don’t have to keep coming back. Focus on your studies."
Jiang Heng explained, "No, it's not that. I got a part-time job as an English tutor. My boss is really nice—when he heard about our situation, he paid me 150,000 in advance. I already paid for the medical bills, so you don’t have to worry anymore."
"Why would your boss give you so much money all at once?" Jiang Yuxia asked in surprise. "Did you take money you shouldn't have?"
"Of course not, Mom. Don’t worry."
"He’s just a generous person. When he found out about your illness, he paid me upfront. I'll be tutoring him in English whenever I'm free."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I even signed a contract with his company. It’s all legitimate."
It wasn’t until she saw the black-and-white tutoring contract that Jiang Yuxia finally relaxed.
After dinner, Jiang Heng lay in bed, debating whether he should send Jin Ze a message.
But he didn’t even have Jin Ze’s contact information.
Ji Miao had mentioned that when Jin Ze wanted to contact him, he would.
Just as Jiang Heng was hesitating, his phone rang.
"Hello, this is Jin Ze."
Jin Ze was in his car, glancing at his watch. It was 10:30 PM.
"Hello, Mr. Jin." Jiang Heng noticed that Jin Ze’s voice was slightly slurred, as if he had been drinking.
"Are you free tomorrow?"
"I am," Jiang Heng quickly replied.
"Tomorrow morning at nine. Meet me at No. 8, Guanshan Villa."
"Okay."
"Get some rest. See you tomorrow."
Jin Ze hung up, exhaling slowly.
It was just English tutoring. No big deal.
But he was determined to master it.
