Chapter Text
Jiang Cheng is a man of many qualities, one of those is having terrible luck.
Since he was born, people has expected much of him with the goal of being the future heir of the Yunmeng Enterprises.
Some might say that he was blessed but oh how wrong they were, first half of his life was completely controlled by his mother. She had the last word on his education, friendships, social life, hobbies and everything related with the household.
Secondly, his childhood and teenage life was rocky and lonely.
Don’t get him wrong, he did love his family, but it was broken, oh so broken; there was not a possible solution for it. Everyday his parents had a discussion for any issue possible and his siblings never knew fully what it was about, but it might be related to his adopted brother because his mother had always hated him.
He doesn’t fault his mother for hating him thought. He is quite the troublemaker and for a traditional family that is a negative look socially, at their business partners and their staff.
The worst was that his father did never gave her the place she deserved as his wife. He was all smiles with others and his siblings, but for her mother and him there was nothing, only coldness.
It was so heartbreaking because he knew that his mother did loved him with all her heart, but his heart was never for her.
He wished to had it too, but it seems that he was also unfit to have a piece of it.
…
Sometimes he hoped to have his mother’s heart too, but he is pretty sure he didn’t because when he was 13 she just left him. She left the mansion one day at night and didn’t even left a note.
That was his second and most painful heartbreak yet.
Now he was completely alone on that cold home.
He likes to think that his siblings loved him too, but sometimes part of him also doubt it, how can he not when the only person who ‘cared’ about him left; how can not when his only father does not even look at him at his eyes; how can not when they were together -his siblings and him-, his sister pamper his older brother and talk endlessly but he can’t, most of the time, not even be able to enter the conversation.
His only comfort since he was a toddler has been his best friend, Nie Huiasang and if it wasn’t for his friendship, he doubts he would make it so far.
When he was 18 years, a set of family secrets came out to light and finally understood why his mother left.
His father, Jiang Fengmian, had lived a second life, before and after he married his mother.
He secretly had two lovers who spend his time with even when his mother was expecting his sister and him.
He had no shame, specially when Wei Ying was born on a 31 of October.
As the secret files said, his father abandoned his mother on a Halloween Gala because Wei Ying was born on that same day of the party, making her the laughing target of a lot of people.
… People can be cruel at times.
The worst came when he was ready to born.
His mother was close to birth when on the 30th his father took his older sister with him and left his mother at the mansion; alone only with her trusted staff. His excuse was that he took her to a father-daughter small vacation for her good grades, but in reality it was so she could meet the 2 year old Wei Ying, their possible half-blood brother and his two lovers.
What Jiang Fengmian didn’t expected was that not much later her mother entered on labor.
She endured the pain and the birth all alone.
Maybe that was the reason of why she couldn’t love him… that is why he could not be angry or disappointed of her. At least not now.
Worst came of course when his two lovers died from a car accident, but there is no point in remember the sad facts, like him giving away his dogs just because his new brother was scared of them or him not even asking for his mother’s thoughts.
The Board of Directors of the Yunmeng Enterprises were pissed.
They don’t know who leaked the secrets of their director but now the whole world knew that the owner of one of the biggest companies of the country was an asshole.
Terrible husband and terrible father to one of his kids just because he looked and had the attitude of his mother.
A fucking cheater and ‘promiscuous’ man.
He always dared to say to everyone that the most important thing for him was his family. A total hypocrite of a man.
Yunmeng Enterprises’ stocks started to fall like crazy, investors stopped their activities with them and business partners ended their associations with them just because of one man.
He entered in a big stage of depression.
Quite the hypocrisy because his mother was the one who suffered years of being badmouthed by others while he was having the time of his life and now that he was the point of focus of everyone, he now dared to fall.
His brother and sister were utterly concerned about him but he couldn’t do the same, his heart had hardened for him long time ago.
How can care for someone who didn’t cared for him?
How can care for someone who didn’t even went to his graduation ceremonies or even his parent-teacher meetings?
Not him. Not anymore.
His brother and sister never cared to learn a thing from their family business. They always had the freedom to choose what they wanted to be, what they could do but not him.
That was the first time he had to step up even if he would loose precious teenage and young adult time.
At 18 he sold his soul to the Board of Directors.
He made his father give him his actions early, removing him entirely from the enterprise.
He finished remotely the rest of his high school, meanwhile on his “free time” he had to be fully trained to take the full grasp of the company as the new CEO.
At first they only did it because they didn’t had any other option, his family still had the vast majority of the actions, but later they saw his potential, specially on stress inducing times.
His perseverance and bullshit detector made him successful.
He and his team was able to stop the bankruptcy, stakeholders started to buy actions again after seeing him and their old business partners returned just for one simple reason;
Jiang Cheng, the poor abandoned and mistreated but hardworking kid, was the new face.
His personal and social life ended, but he did what their company motto was most famous of. He attempted the impossible and succeeded.
Jiang Cheng is just 25 years old and he is ready to kill himself.
“Care to repeat that Huiasang?”, he said while he tiredly started to rub his eyes with his fingers, trying to stop a migraine that started to come out.
The shorter man visibly pouted, “I said that or you need to get laid or get a fucking hobby Jiang Cheng!”
Jiang Cheng groaned.
“He has a point boss. Your lifestyle is terrible, you are working yourself to an early grave.”
“Not you too MianMian…”, he grumpily lamented now with his hands on his face.
These two were supposed to be his right hand and his best friend but now they were just ridiculous.
“Jiang Cheng, it has been 7 years now! The Yunmeng Enterprises is 100% stable, you finished your Business Degree and Master Degree with flying colors even when you were managing the company! How the fuck did you did it is a damn mystery, but god, you need a break.”
Luo Qingyang nods at everything he is saying.
“Yeah. ‘Sir’, you didn’t even took any vacations”
“Oh shut it MianMian, don’t Sir me when we are only us, I feel old when you say it” Jiang Cheng huffed.
“Well, you act like one Boss.” She sassily replied.
“Rude”, he said.
“Jiang Cheng, we are serious. You gave us a big fright when you fainted after that last project, Wen Qing was scared and pissed at your terrible workaholic lifestyle. She even told us that next time this happened and she would be the one who killed you.”
“Hot” Luo Qingyang nodded again.
“Ugh, gross”
“You only say that because you have never been in a relationship or had sex.”
Nie Huiasang snorted.
“Why I have both of you as friends?” Jiang Cheng lamented.
“Because we are the only ones who know how a big softy you are~”, Nie Huiasang sang.
“Rude”, he repeated.
“Boss, or you get laid or you get a hobby and that is final. If you don’t, I will cancel all the reservations you had of your collectibles.”
Jiang Cheng gasped dramatically.
“YOU WOULDN’T DARE”
“Do you want to make a bet boss?”, MianMian lifted one of her eyebrows.
“…. FINE”
“Excellent. So what would you like to do? I can give you some suggestions.” She said.
“Oh, oh!”, Huiasang excitedly began, “you can join my fan painting class!”
Jiang Cheng and MianMian rolled their eyes for nth time that day.
“NO”, both rejected, making Nie Huiasang pout even harder.
“You two are boring”
“No, you are just giving bad ideas”, she told him
“Nuhu”
“Yes.”
Jiang Cheng unconsciously started to mute his friends childish discussion. Thinking hard of what he could do as an activity that could relax him and something flashed in front of his eyes.
It was a long time memory, but he remember it fondly.
He was 10 years old and mother’s day was just in the corner. That time he wanted to do something more special to his mother after a really bad discussion she had with his father but he didn’t knew what. Suddenly he overhead a conversation made by one of his female classmates.
‘So Daisy, do you already know what you are going to gift your mom?’, one of his classmates asked her friend.
'Yes! Daddy and I will make her a cake, it will be so fun!’, she replied.
'A cake? Why not just buy it? Won’t that be easier?’
‘I asked the same to daddy but he later told me that the best way to win someone’s heart is pouring your love into the food you make and gift it to them.’
Those words said reflected what he wanted to show his mother.
Excited, he asked his staff if they could help and teach him to make her mother a cake for mother's day.
He explained his reasons of why he wanted to make it personally and they wholeheartedly accepted to help him.
Knowing her food likes, they searched for a cake that fit her liking and started to cook it.
Surprisingly he had a natural talent for it, but the best part was his mother's reaction.
That day the staff gave it to her in 'secret' for her afternoon tea time. When she gave the first bite he felt like crying.
For the first time his mother's face gave him a soft smile. His love for her were transmitted in just that bite.
When she asked the staff where did they got that cake, they pointed at him that was hiding in one of the garden's pillars.
She opened her eyes surprised, never imagining that her youngest son was the one who created that for her.
“A-Cheng, come here”, she told him.
Nervously he come out from his hiding place and walked towards her.
“Is it true that you made this for me?”
Shyly he nodded.
“Why?”
He looked at her with big bright eyes and with all the sincerity his young age could muster he answered.
“Because I love Mother and today is her day”
Her eyes started to get wet.
She lowered herself in front of him and pulled him into a hug.
“Thank you, A-Cheng. Really, thank you.”
After that moment, he, Jiang Cheng felt completely in love with baking.
He would repeat the next years that, but he stopped entirely when she left the mansion for good.
His principal motivation was gone.
“I will bake”
His voice made his friends stop.
“Excuse me, what?”, Nie Huiasang asked confused.
“I said that I will bake.”, Jiang Cheng repeated.
“…”, “…”
Both stopped their childish fight to look at Jiang Cheng as he grew two extra heads.
“Ummmm, are you sure that you don't prefer hockey?”, Nie Huiasang asked.
“Or golf?”, MianMian added.
Jiang Cheng looked at both unimpressed by their reaction. Arms crossed on his chest.
“Baking and that is final”
He stood up from his chair after he gave his final choice.
“Luo Qingyang, I will leave everything to you, clear and rearrange my schedule for the rest of today”, Jiang Cheng grabbed Nie Huiasang from his front and pulled him towards the door.
“I will take the rest of the day with this idiot to buy all things needed for my new hobby so don’t get scared if you see a lot of movement on my account. Also, both of your will be my next 'test' subjects when I finish the first batch; is not a question, is an order.”
“J-Jiang Cheng?!”
Nie Huiasang tried to resist but the slight older guy was much stronger than him.
“You started this, so suffer the consequences. Now move, we don't have the whole day.” He said while he pushed his best friend towards the parking lot.
Jiang Cheng’s right hand and his best friend’s last words for the day where, 'Please God, don't let us die from food poisoning'.
Jiang Cheng ended expending a lot of money to accommodate his whole kitchen for his re-exploring passion as a kid.
Before his kitchen looked quite basic. Everything that was normal for someone who only cooked the essentials (breakfast, brunch, dinner). Now it looked like a professional pastry cuisine. He was kind of proud of finding everything on the same day, specially on his favorite color.
Nie Huiasang couldn’t say the same, he couldn’t move his arms or legs after all the carrying and walking he had to do. His Da-Ge laughed at him when he heard his predicament, making him pout like the big man-child he is.
Other than that everything went perfectly. MianMian helped him on overlooking at all his kitchen changes while he ordered his best friend to get him and buy the ingredients he has sent him as a list format.
Neither of them were expecting him to be really enthusiastic with this hobby idea, much less with baking -and they still feared for their lives and stomach-.
By the end of the week, his new fancy kitchen was ready and on his free day (Sunday), he began his new journey with his old love.
The next day, he brought with him a huge batch of white chocolate and caramel cookies for his friends and his staff. He did baked a lot… stress baking at its finest.
Anyways, he knows that he couldn’t eat everything himself, unless he wanted to end fat -no thank you, he loved his abs-, but he did tried the firsts ones that came out and they tasted fine, he was still rusty after all.
When he arrived at his floor, he made his right man and friend to call everyone.
He waited foe everyone to be on front of him before he started talking.
“Good morning everyone. As you guys know, I have persuasive friends so they made me start a hobby. This box in front of me is the result of the first week of it and I want all of you to take some and eat it.
Sadly, I can’t eat all of them or I will end like that Mo guy from that annoying woman who came here to yell at is because we didn’t hired him.
Everyone snorted at the forwardness of their boss.
“So congratulations, all of you had become my newest tests subjects and you can say thanks to those two.”, he pointed at MianMian and Nie Huiasang.
One brave young intern lifted his hand to ask something.
“E-excuse me, Mr. Jiang… is it possible to pass this 'test'?”
Jiang Cheng looked at him coldly.
“No.”
Everyone lamented their life at that moment.
One by one started to pick the cookies in front of them and they were at first surprised that they actually looked good, but… would it taste also good or decent?
Everyone looked at the baked good like if they should hide it, actually eat it or lose their job.
'Fuck it', everyone thought.
When they bite it and explosion of flavor surrounded their taste buds.
It was actually DELICIOUS!
“Oh my GOD”, Nie Huiasang moaned. Small tears of happiness fell from his cheeks.
Everyone had a similar reaction to him. Some more hidden than the other, both otherwise with the same thought.
Jiang Cheng smirked at them, cockily.
“Well, those were good reactions, I should’ve filmed it. Congratulations, yes, neither of you will not die and each week I will try to at least bring once something.”
“Please”, everyone begged at the same time.
He snorted and started to go back to his office.
“Alright, pick more if you want but go back to your workstations. We have a lot to do!”
“Yes Sir!”, everyone expressed enthusiastically.
From that day onwards, his employees’ productivity went up and his old love made him become more loved and popular on his company.
The news about his new hobby went fast within the whole corporate world.
The fearsome Sandu Shengshou, baking? Impossible and clearly laughable.
All of his employees gave the stinky eye to anyone who said shit about their boss, specially at his blessed and magical ability. ’They know shit’, everyone grumbled.
Jiang Cheng didn’t care thought, he just shrugged or hummed when he heard from his right hand that other CEOs started to talk shit about him and his baking.
But because their friends have a pride for him, they made a plan to let all the bad rumors and laugher finally end.
On one important bi-annual reunion, Jiang Cheng and several small business CEOs meet at the Jin Group to try to re-enforce their partnership.
Is not unusual for the invited party to bring something for others to enjoy and that was the moment to truth; and just because MianMian and Nie Huiasang went to annoy the shit out of him to fucking bake a damn whole shop of different pastries.
No one told them of course that they were made by him at first; not that they would guess anyways because they thought that his baked products were probably ugly and with bad taste.
But they forget one important fact. Jiang Cheng was a perfectionist guy; he goes full or goes home, never in between.
And Gods, everything looked as if it was made by a 5-star pastry chef.
He made of everything; cookies, macaroons, individual cakes, chocolates and even some croissants with chocolate.
Everyone was practically drooling at this point, including his peacock brother-in-law and his cousin.
Their reactions when they tried it were very similar to those of his employees and friends that day at work, but this time with more moaning -he really didn’t want to hear +50 y/o guys moaning, thank you-.
When everything was gone, they started to ask, almost beg, the place where it was made, only for Luo Qingyang proudly say that it was him.
The shock on their face was amazing, specially Jin Zixuan.
‘Ah… I really should’ve filmed this guys too', Jiang Cheng lamented, again.
After that day, all negative comments ended, now everyone hoped to try at least once anything he would bake.
~oOo~
“So, what they said about that Jiang kid is true, he does know how to cook”, Nie Mingjue said to his friends.
The 3zuns are having their bi-weekly brunch time at their usual café on the top of a fancy restaurant. Unsurprisingly this time's main conversation theme was what happened that last week on the Koi Tower.
Jin Guangyao chuckled. “I wasn’t been able to be inside the meeting room but it was really funny to see Zixun being all flustered around the Jiang CEO”, smile growing bigger at remembering the situation.
“His face was so red that you couldn’t distinguish the vermillion mark in his forehead anymore.”
“Damn it, now I am really curious to try something of what he does, but I heard that everyone at Yunmeng are really protective of their boss and of course his 'magical' pastries”, Nie Mingjue said putting emphasis on the magical part.
“Really, how good they can be to make everyone lose their shit.”, Nie Mingjue muttered.
“Da-ge, don't be so rude.”, Lan Xichen mediated.
“Is true thought, I think they are just exaggerating”
“Well, his food did leave a good impression on all those people that day, specially Zixun”, Jin Guangyao hummed, “I even hear a small rumor that he was thinking on courting Jiang Cheng”.
“What?! Bullshit, there is no way”, Nie Mingjue screeched.
Jing Guangyao shrugged.
“Now I am really curious”, Lan Xichen confessed.
“Likewise,”, Jin Guangyao agreed.
“Fuck it. Is time to use my persuasive tactics”, Nie Mingjue smirked.
Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao looked at each other, silently asking each other if they know what he meant.
In the next second Nie Mingjue took out his phone and dialed Nie Huiasang.
“A-Sang, I need a favor and no, you can no say no.”
“JIANG CHENG!!!!”
Jiang Cheng was working on some documents when suddenly his office door was harshly opened by Nie Huiasang.
“A-Cheng, ChengCheng, the love of my life, my-“
“Stop.” Jiang Cheng pinched the bridge of his nose.
“You only do that when you want something, so spill it”
“Jiang Cheng, how can you say those cruel things about your best friend”, Nie Huiasan ‘cried’ behind his fan, earning a neutral look of his friend.
“… ok, I do need a favor”
Jiang Cheng snorted.
“Typical. What do you want?”
Nie Huiasang walked and sat in front of the desk of the young CEO.
“Soooo, do you know that everyone now loves your food right?”
“I am kind of aware.”
“And that you are getting also really popular with everyone inside our circle-” his friend continued.
“Go to the point Huiasang.”, Jiang Cheng stopped his rambling.
The younger Nie closed his fan and hit side on his hand.
“My brother and his best friends want to try your pastries and if I get them, I will get days off from my training at the Nie Corp.”
The young CEO lifted his eyebrow, sassily.
“And why should I accept?”
“Jiang Chenggggg!” Nie Huiasang pouted, “I am your best friend!”
“And sometimes my best personal nightmare.”, Jiang Cheng refuted.
“Pleaaaase Jiang Cheng, I don’t like my training lessons!”
“Oh, come on. You spend more time here than at the Nie Corp.”
“… Yes, but that is beside the point! Please!”, he clapped his hands to beg his friend.
“Still not moved. Give me a good reason and I will”, Jiang Cheng told him.
“I promise that I will help you to get a good deal with at least my brother”, Nie Huiasang nodded enthusiastically.
“… really?”
“Yes! Please Jiang Cheng, please!”
Jiang Cheng finally sighs at his friend’s antics.
“Alright.”
“YES!”
The next day Nie Huiasang send a message to his brother that he finally gave the goods.
“A-Sang, gave me everything as if he was a drug dealer”. Nie Mingjue snorted at the memory.
Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao laughed at his friend´s comment.
“He has always had a really vivid imagination”, Jin Guangyao replied him.
“Incredibly vivid”, the older Nie rolled his eyes.
“Is not that bad Da-ge”, Lan Xichen chuckled.
“Because you don’t live with him Xichen. The guy spends all his time doing his art stuff and almost living on the Jiang’s kid office.”
“Well, its his best friend. Is something similar like us that we meet each other at least 2 days a week if we are not so busy”.
Jin Guangyao tried to reason with him.
“EVERY. DAY. GUANGYAO. Not two days a week but EVERY DAY.”
“You kind of sound jealous”, the shorted man argued.
“As if!”
“A-Yao, Da-ge, we don’t need to fight. We came here to do something, don’t we?” Lan Xichen tried to stop them before they started to fight like always.
“Ah, right. Here is what A-Sang gave me.”
Nie Mingjue placed the 3 black boxes at the center of the table they were sharing. Each box had around a velvet violet ribbon with a matching violet tag with their name on written with a gold pen.
“Oh, it looks pretty and mysterious, just like its chef”, Lan Xichen admired the aesthetics of the younger man.
“Indeed, is really pretty”, Jin Guangyao nodded.
“Wait”, Nie Mingjue took out a letter from his pants, “A-Sang also gave me this letter, telling me to read it until we were together”
He opened the now crumbled letter and started to read.
“To the Venerated Triad,
Nie Huiasang asked to bake the three of you something; on his words: “If I get what Da-ge asked me, I will finally get days off from my training!” which is kind of stupid because he spends all his time nagging me at my office.”
The three guys laughed and snorted at the man’s frankness.
“To be honest, I don’t understand much the hype that everyone is having with my stress relief baking, but a part of me is glad that they are enjoying them because it brings to me a fond memory that made me fall for this activity.
I will explain the contents now.
Firstly, I asked Huiasang for a list of what could describe each of you. Based on his description I baked something that I hope it will fit your tastes.
-For Lan Xichen. Green Tea roll cake filled cream and strawberry. The combination of the flavors gives a balanced but elegant taste. It also reflects the calm but sweet atmosphere that my friend describes you. I recommend it with any tea of your liking, especially black types.
-For Nie Mingjue. Dark Chocolate Tart with bourbon. Strong flavor, not overly sweet and simple but also with an strong presence and stunning. Will recommend eating it with a dark coffee.
-For Jin Guangyao. Pear and cheese Soufflé. Sweet and sour but elegant at the same time. Really stunning for the eyes. Mysterious but unforgettable. I recommend it with any white tea or coffee with milk.
Hope they are enough for your big curiosity.
Regards,
Jiang Cheng.
The three pulled the ribbon that kept together the box with different levels of enthusiasm, reveling 3 stunning small cakes.
They let out similar soft gasps.
Is much better than what they expected, now they could understand why people were praising him like he was baking god.
They couldn’t believe all the work the young CEO made for them just for their own desires.
The Venerated Triad smiled fondly at the idea of this being created only for them; like if they were special.
Warmth invaded the chest of the three of them.
The worst came later thought when they took the first taste. At exactly that moment they knew that they were in trouble because they knew they had fallen for a man, that they don’t really know them, but he still gave his best to make them happy and comfortable.
Now it was their time to steal the heart of the man in purple for them.