A mouthful of old blood surged up his throat. The flashing multicolored lights in the private room reflected across Pei Zhiheng’s face. He didn’t even need to change his expression, the lighting took care of adding color for him.
At this moment, the actor beside him seemed to hear the sound of glass falling on the ground and shattering.
Looking at Pei Zhiheng’s completely defeated expression…
Oh, it turned out to be his fragile heart.
Bai Shuijin raised his glass. “Let’s toast to this pair of lovers!!!”
Everyone raised their glasses. “Cheers!!!!”
Pei Zhiheng wanted to explain, but not a single word came out of his mouth. How could he explain? How was he supposed to explain?
Was he supposed to say this farewell party was just to test whether Bai Shuijin actually cared about him?
If he said this, he’d instantly become the biggest joker in the whole school.
“Young Master Pei, who would’ve guessed you already had someone you liked.”
“No wonder there was suddenly an unfamiliar face here today. So it was someone you brought.”
Standing there, Pei Zhiheng might as well have slapped on a red clown nose.
A glass of wine was suddenly shoved into his hand. Pei Zhiheng looked down at the drink with ice, then looked up at Wang Huanxiu, who had suddenly appeared next to him in a suit, looking elegant and impressive.
Pei Zhiheng’s face turned green. “What?”
Wang Huanxiu’s glass clinked against his, making a crisp sound. “Congratulations.”
Pei Zhiheng: “…”
Your face didn’t look like that just now.
Looking at the smug and triumphant Wang Huanxiu, the smile on his face made it seem like he’d just closed a deal worth hundreds of millions.
In the dim lighting of the private room, Wang Huanxiu’s eyes carried a seductive glint, exuding a mature charm that outshone everyone else present. “You two are a great match.”
Pei Zhiheng gritted his teeth so hard they creaked. “You…”
Wang Huanxiu: “What’s wrong? So happy you’re speechless?”
Pei Zhiheng looked at the face that looked AI-generated. He knew Wang Huanxiu’s heart was blacker than ink and sewer water, but he didn’t expect that a man of his age would still get happiness from watching people suffer and throwing sarcastic jabs at them.
Despicable.
Truly insufferable.
“Don’t smile so arrogantly.”
‘Arrogance?’
“I’m genuinely happy for you,” Wang Huanxiu narrowed his eyes. “Little Brother.”
Pei Zhiheng: “…”
Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!
He wanted to kill someone!
Their grandfathers had been close family friends, but by their generation, they only kept up appearances. Behind the scenes, they probably wished they could bury each other with just the head sticking out.
It was only during moments of mockery that he’d get called “Little Brother.”
‘What bullshit Little brother! You are still snatching deals and intercepting projects, you blackhearted profiteer!’
Pei Zhiheng nearly passed out from rage.
While everyone else partied, Pei Zhiheng muttered with his mouth closed, “I really want to pour this drink on your head.”
Wang Huanxiu smiled with squinted eyes. “Is that so, Little brother.”
The “Little brother” was the ultimate kill skill. Pei Zhiheng seethed helplessly, wishing he could rip Wang Huanxiu’s face off.
After celebrating Pei Zhiheng’s exit from the single’s club, they began the next two rounds of the game.
Bai Shuijin hadn’t drunk much tonight, mostly juice and fruit. He’d only taken one or two sips of actual alcohol.
It was already past midnight. Before midnight, Bai Shuijin was already sleepy. Full and content, he was ready for bed. But the later it got, the more the excitement of the game kicked away his sleepiness. Now he was as excited as a monkey in the tropical rainforest.
The second round of the game began. Wang Huanxiu still sat beside him. Noticing the fabric at the back of Bai Shuijin’s collar had flipped up, he thoughtfully smoothed it back down.
He had never done chores, but flipping a collar was something anyone with hands could do.
When his fingertips brushed the skin at the back of Bai Shuijin’s neck, it was as if 502 glue was automatically excreted from between his fingers. The hand did not leave the back of Bai Shuijin’s neck after touching it, but massaged Bai Shuijin’s neck from time to time.
Bai Shuijin arrived at the school at eight o’clock this morning to handle the withdrawal process. In order to feel the school atmosphere for one more day, he attended a class and finally had fun at the farewell party. He was exhausted, and the sudden massage at the back of his neck felt so good that he leaned back. Wang Huanxiu’s arm naturally rested on the sofa along with him.
The second round ended with the bottle pointing at a girl, who had to perform a wild dance. After that, the round concluded.
Then came the final round, and the tension began to hang over everyone’s heads.
After this round, the party would end. Naturally, it would be a big one, just like Pei Zhiheng’s earlier. No one wanted to be the unlucky target, but misfortune always blessed people indiscriminately.
The bottle spun rapidly on the floor, so fast that only its afterimage could be seen. The wait felt endless.
Gradually, the bottle slowed down and eventually pointed in a direction.
Looking at the mouth of the bottle, Bai Shuijin blinked. “Me?”
Such a dramatic moment.
“All right, today’s farewell party is for Bai Shuijin. The final game ends with Bai Shuijin.”
“Fate is wonderfully mysterious~”
“Truth or dare! Dare!”
“Come on, someone give a dare!”
Everyone was in high spirits. Bai Shuijin didn’t hesitate and sat up straight. The hand at the back of his neck kept massaging.
Wang Huanxiu looked at the eager Bai Shuijin lounging on the sofa. He had no intention of joining these college students in their silly games.
Pei Zhiheng suddenly jumped up. “Bai Shuijin, kiss the person you like the most here for ten seconds. If you don’t, drink!”
He was going all out with a self-destructive move.
If Bai Shuijin kissed Wang Huanxiu, fine…he’d be crushed but could finally give up.
Even though Bai Shuijin didn’t like him now, he was still young and had to give it a try. If Bai Shuijin didn’t kiss Wang Huanxiu, then that meant he won! That would be his victory!
Wang Huanxiu, who had been sitting lazily, now sat upright and entered their play zone.
It was time to join in.
Bai Shuijin showed no change in expression at the dare. It clearly wasn’t hard for him.
He turned to look at Wang Huanxiu.
“Laogong-ge.”
Wang Huanxiu pressed his lips together. “Mm.”
Joy and anger didn’t show on his face, this was something he had mastered over many years. Earlier, mocking Pei Zhiheng had been purely out of the genuine desire to mock.
Looking into Bai Shuijin’s bright, sparkly eyes, Wang Huanxiu was already thinking about what angle to tilt his face for the incoming kiss.
Even though it would be their first kiss, he was already prepared to respond smoothly.
This is all thanks to that book “How To Make Your Husband Unable to Resist You.”
Chapter 83 of “How To Make Your Husband Unable to Resist You”: Want some intimacy with your lover? Want swollen lips every day? Kissing tips and tricks, exclusively for you.
Play a few exciting little games with your partner, and bet on intimate actions. Don’t say it directly, just call it “dare” or “a challenge.” Once you win, you can go directly for the kiss.
At that point, they’ll definitely agree. What? You think they say yes because they like you? Don’t be silly, playing games is fun and exciting, they’ll say yes in the heat of the moment. Of course, some people are all about saving face. (So don’t play games with anyone casually.)
Wang Huanxiu sat beside Bai Shuijin, conveniently positioned for him to be used at any moment.
Bai Shuijin: “Laogong-ge, hand me that bottle of wine.”
Wang Huanxiu’s expression froze. The smile on his face looked like it had been paused mid-frame. “What?”
Bai Shuijin grinned. “The bottle I was using *to raise fish is right next to you.”
**Meaning the bottle was left sitting there like a fishbowl, instead of drinking it.
He looked down. Sure enough, there was an opened bottle of wine on the low coffee table beside him. Judging by the liquid level, Bai Shuijin had only taken one sip.
Wang Huanxiu numbly passed him the drink. The lights in the private room were still as dazzling as ever, and the multicolored beams reflected over his face.
Bai Shuijin held up his bottle of wine and opened his little mouth, “Let me show you all something cool.”
“Wuhu!!!!”
“Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!!”
“Bai Shuijin you’re awesome!!”
Wang Huanxiu sat gloomily in the dark corner.
At the same time, a part of the private room turned from cloudy to sunny. Pei Zhiheng grabbed the microphone and went straight onto the stage, “Lastly, lastly, I’ll sing a song of Good Luck Comes for everyone.”
Festive drumbeats rang out from the speakers, as if they were going to jump out and smash into Wang Huanxiu’s face.
Pei Zhiheng raised his voice high, “Fold a thousand paper cranes, then tie a red ribbon!!!”
He held the microphone and twisted off the stage. Bai Shuijin, surrounded by cheers and worship, lost himself completely, chugging down wine.
Pei Zhiheng sat down beside Wang Huanxiu and threw an arm around his neck like two good brothers, howling, “Good luck comes! Wishing you good luck!”
“Good luck comes! Brings joy and love!”
“Good luck comes! We all get good luck!!!!”
Pei Zhiheng shoved the mic at Wang Huanxiu’s mouth, “Big Brother Huanxiu! Sing!!!”
Wang Huanxiu: “…”
Great. Now neither of them were happy tonight, and somehow it left people feeling all warm inside.
Pei Zhiheng gifted a song of “Good Luck Comes” to Wang Huanxiu.
‘Brother Huanxiu, you’re the true ace in the poker deck.’
‘You’ve been married so long, don’t tell me those little lips still haven’t been kissed.’
Pei Zhiheng laughed so wildly his jaw was about to fall off.
Wang Huanxiu sat in the lively, noisy private room, completely disgraced in a world he never understood.
Pei Zhiheng patted his shoulder, “‘Brother Huanxiu, Bai Shuijin recently changed to a new lip balm, you know that?”
He saw it earlier. Bai Shuijin’s lips got dry and he pulled a lip balm out of his bag and dabbed it on.
Wang Huanxiu turned to look at him, “What are you trying to say?”
“No way, no way.” Pei Zhiheng squeezed out a wicked smile, “Brother Huanxiu, don’t tell me the number of times you’ve kissed Bai Shuijin is still less than that lip balm?”
“…”
For the first time, Pei Zhiheng completed his victory epic, this would be one of the most glorious chapters in his life of struggle.
Even for business marriages, they still kissed at the wedding. Wang Huanxiu didn’t get even one.
Looking at Wang Huanxiu, Pei Zhiheng felt a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
This “brother” was his 999 cold medicine.
He remembered he still had the other party’s WeChat. When he visited the Wang family as a guest, the two old men had forced them to add each other. Pei Zhiheng had made up his mind, he’d take Wang Huanxiu out of the blacklist now.
As fast as lightning, Pei Zhiheng held up his phone, the light from the screen casting a glow on their handsome faces as he scrolled through Wang Huanxiu’s Moments.
A completely blank interface, without a trace of life.
“Brother Huanxiu, how come you don’t have any Moments? You guys don’t post to show off your affection?” Pei Zhiheng launched a full-on assault. “Real couples always show off.”
Wang Huanxiu: “…”
Amid the cries of monkeys, Bai Shuijin chugged another bottle of alcohol. From the cheers, one could tell that there were many students born in the year of the monkey in this class.
Bai Shuijin still had some clarity after drinking, and said goodbye to classmates one by one with high fives.
Only when he high-fived the last person did Wang Huanxiu stand up to support him out.
As the host of the farewell party, Pei Zhiheng walked them out all the way to the parking lot.
After settling Bai Shuijin in the passenger seat and closing the door, Pei Zhiheng stood beside Wang Huanxiu with fake concern, “Brother Huanxiu, if you really can’t go on, you have to tell me…I’ll buy fireworks in advance.”
Wang Huanxiu: “…”
Looking at the wicked expression on the young man in front of him, Wang Huanxiu even suspected that it was Pei Zhiheng who had watered the money tree on the first floor of his company to death.
Pei Zhiheng laughed so hard his face nearly split open, watching Wang Huanxiu’s car drive off.
Nothing could’ve made him happier.
Up ahead the green light was clear, but Wang Huanxiu’s mood wasn’t as open as the traffic. Bai Shuijin was munching on snacks they’d brought from the KTV.
They were small, thumb-length fries, nobody could resist deep-fried puffed snacks.
He drank a bit too much and it showed on his face, but he wasn’t drunk. He’d had some light wine, which was not very strong, milder than the drinks he had overseas during the dance show.
Seeing that the fries were almost gone, Bai Shuijin grabbed a few and offered them to Wang Huanxiu.
“Laogong-ge, eat.”
Wang Huanxiu had no appetite, but still ate the fries.
Up ahead was a DUI checkpoint, and Bai Shuijin shivered in fear, “Quick, laogong-ge, hide!”
Wang Huanxiu was confused, “Hide for what?”
“There’s a DUI inspection up ahead.”
“I didn’t drink.”
“But I did. Husband and husband are one body…if we get caught, Muguang and Zhenzhu won’t be able to take the civil service exam.”
Wang Huanxiu: “…”
One could tell at first glance that Bai Shuijin had been drinking.
While waiting to be checked, Wang Huanxiu reached out and touched Bai Shuijin’s face…it was a little hot.
They passed the DUI point and drove another half hour before finally reaching home. Bai Shuijin had already fallen asleep in the passenger seat, still hugging the farewell gift his classmates gave him.
His head was tilted against the back of the seat, eyes half-closed and eyelashes resting on his lower lids. His lips looked glossy, thanks to frequent application of lip balm lately.
He wore a light gray hoodie, light blue jeans, and limited-edition sneakers.
Bai Shuijin used to dress with some style, but his whole outfit usually cost around a hundred yuan, and he never wore anything that totaled more than two hundred.
In the Wang household, he was the only one who didn’t spend money lavishly. He always thought of everyone else, so naturally, everyone else thought of him.
Every time Wang Zhenzhu came back from shopping with her girlfriends, she always brought back a bunch of things for Bai Shuijin.
She studied design, and Bai Shuijin’s figure made him the perfect model, often used for real-life outfit mix-and-match games.
As a result, Bai Shuijin’s closet now had more and more clothes and shoes, he could wear something different every day for 365 days and still not run out.
Wang Huanxiu looked at him sleeping, and recalled the truth-or-dare game back in the private room.
His eyes kept falling on those lips. The car had been parked in the parking lot for forty minutes, yet he hadn’t woken Bai Shuijin…or taken advantage of the moment to steal a kiss.
He really wanted to kiss him, but if the other party didn’t respond, he’d die.
Just like every step of his life, he only did things when it promised the greatest gain.
Suddenly, Bai Shuijin shuddered in his sleep and snapped his eyes open.
He had fallen asleep?
As consciousness slowly returned, he turned his head and saw Wang Huanxiu looking at him like he was about to sell him by the kilo.
Bai Shuijin: “…”
“You’re awake.”
The man’s deep voice echoed inside the car.
Bai Shuijin nodded and even stretched lazily. A strip of white waist peeked out from under his hoodie, then vanished again as his arms dropped.
He’d slept well. It was already three in the morning. After the nap, he felt wide awake, and still warm from the alcohol.
They unbuckled their seat belts and got out of the car. Wang Huanxiu asked, “Do you want some hot water to sober up when we get home?”
Bai Shuijin shook his head.
“No need, I’m very sober now.”
He didn’t walk straight, brushing up against Wang Huanxiu now and then and humming a tune as he went.
In the elevator, the metal walls reflected Wang Huanxiu’s deep, unfathomable gaze. “I’m not that sleepy either. And there’s not much fun in going back.”
Indeed, when leaving a lively place for a quiet one, there’s always an inexplicable sense of loss. The heart feels restless, and the urge to keep playing lingers, wanting to play games till the end of time.
“Me too, laogong-ge.”
Wang Huanxiu pinched the back of his neck with his big hand. “Do you want to play a game?”
Bai Shuijin looked up at him with a blank expression. “Play a game?”
Wang Huanxiu’s lips moved slowly. “How about hide-and-seek?”
Bai Shuijin: !
Laogong-ge finally realized that you could play hide-and-seek in this house?!
Bai Shuijin got a little excited. To be honest, he had wanted to play for a long time.
“Okay, when do we play?”
“Start when we get home?”
Take advantage of Bai Shuijin’s excitement, while he still had the energy and mood to play games.
What he feared most was the enthusiasm cooling off.
Bai Shuijin was eager to go. “Then I’ll hide, and you come find me, laogong-ge.”
“What’s the bet?”
Wang Huanxiu: “I haven’t thought about it yet.”
Bai Shuijin started thinking too, but right now, all he wanted was to play. He couldn’t think of any stakes.
Wang Huanxiu: “How about unconditionally agreeing to the other person’s request?”
Bai Shuijin: “Deal!”
After agreeing on the rules, they arrived at the entrance.
Bai Shuijin threw his bag and snacks onto the empty floor. “Laogong-ge, count to a hundred, then come find me.”
“No need to go through all that. Don’t we have phones? You just hide well, then text me once you’re ready.”
Bai Shuijin thought that was a good idea. Anyway, the phone was on silent, the other party couldn’t hear it, and this way he could hide even longer.
“Okay, laogong-ge, then stand here and don’t go anywhere. I’ll text you after I hide.”
Everyone at home was already asleep. Bai Shuijin took off his shoes and didn’t even put on slippers, tiptoeing inside.
Wang Huanxiu kept his word and strictly followed the game rules, with no intention of peeking.
Bai Shuijin was an expert at hide-and-seek, so he wouldn’t hide inside the house stupidly. Even though this house was absurdly huge, big enough that someone could spend three days and nights searching and still not find him, he still chose to play it safe and took a different approach.
He opened the floor-to-ceiling window and ran toward the garden.
There was a greenhouse in the garden. Inside the greenhouse was a hammock. He could lie down and sleep while waiting to be found.
As he lay on the hammock, Bai Shuijin chuckled out loud.
Laogong-ge would never find him. He took out his phone and sent Wang Huanxiu a message.
[OK!]
The reply came quickly. [I’m starting to look for you.]
Bai Shuijin remained unmoved.
Looking for him? He was as slippery as a wild dog from the mountains.
After receiving Bai Shuijin’s message, Wang Huanxiu walked in from the entrance hall. He didn’t search, but went directly to the study.
Hide-and-seek didn’t allow peeking, but…
Wang Huanxiu turned on the house’s surveillance system.
But it didn’t say you couldn’t “check”.
There was no dirty capitalist that didn’t have a pitch-black heart.
Five minutes later, the squelching wet sounds inside the greenhouse were loud and clear. Bai Shuijin clung to the fabric on Wang Huanxiu’s chest, and he moved around like a loach, wriggling all over from being kissed. His eyes closed tightly as he felt the sudden invasion of a tongue in his mouth.
He didn’t even have the courage to open his eyes and look at the person in front of him.
His tongue was nudged, and Bai Shuijin reflexively stretched it out, only for the other party to suck it in, all the way into his mouth. The two kissed until their faces turned red. They didn’t even know how shy they looked. Shy or not, their hearts pounded like they were about to blow up the Earth. The main issue was…they didn’t know how to breathe, and their faces were flushed.
Wang Huanxiu supported himself on the hammock with one hand and held Bai Shuijin’s waist with the other to keep him from escaping.
Bai Shuijin was kissed until stars danced in his vision.
He couldn’t even figure out how he ended up kissing someone.
Even now, he hadn’t recovered from the shock of being found. He had only lain down for a while when the door to the greenhouse was pushed open from the outside.
No way. No way he got found already.
But the truth was, he was indeed found.
Seeing Wang Huanxiu appear before him, Bai Shuijin was so startled he almost jumped up. But a bet was a bet. He had to agree to one request from the other party.
He wasn’t someone who went back on his word. The other party made a request, and he could only agree… and then, he agreed.
Bai Shuijin choked on the exchanged saliva in his mouth.
Wang Huanxiu pulled back for a moment. “Swallow.”
Bai Shuijin, uncomfortable from choking, obediently did so. His heart was beating so hard it echoed in his ears, each beat like a small earthquake.
“Have you swallowed?”
Bai Shuijin looked at Wang Huanxiu’s Adam’s apple as it rolled up and down. For a moment, he didn’t know how to move and nodded stiffly.
The atmosphere between them was awkward, like waking from a strange dream.
Bai Shuijin silently called Wang Huanxiu a pervert in his heart. Just now he really acted like one.
Wang Huanxiu leaned in and pecked him on the lips again, his nose pressing into Bai Shuijin’s cheek. Bai Shuijin looked at him with his fists clenched tightly.
His heart was beating irregularly now, like he’d been up all night for several days in a row. His lips also felt strange too.
He wanted to ask Wang Huanxiu why he kissed him, but now he didn’t even dare look at him.
Wang Huanxiu was in even more of a daze and wanted to keep going, so Bai Shuijin had no choice but to pout his lips for the kiss.
By the end of their kissing, their movements got too aggressive, and the hammock flipped. Wang Huanxiu immediately adjusted his position, and Bai Shuijin fell on top of him with a soft groan.
He didn’t get hurt, since he landed directly on Wang Huanxiu, but he still felt dizzy.
Bai Shuijin didn’t even know how he got back to the bedroom in the end. When he opened his eyes the next day, Wang Huanxiu was already up.
Thinking about what happened in the greenhouse last night, Bai Shuijin shut his eyes and pretended to sleep, his toes curled tightly into the bedsheet.
Help!
Was there anything more awkward in this world?
Wang Huanxiu looked at Bai Shuijin’s trembling eyelids and deliberately spoke to him. “My lips are a little dry. Can I have that lip balm you’ve been using lately? I thought it looked good yesterday.”
Bai Shuijin buried himself in the quilt and played dead.
“If you don’t say anything, I’m taking it.”
Bai Shuijin: Damn it! Is he a bandit?!
Wang Huanxiu: “I’ll buy you a new one tonight.”
Bai Shuijin: …Fine.
And so, Wang Huanxiu left with the lip balm. When the door closed, Bai Shuijin threw off the quilt and rolled all over the bed in shame.
.
Pei Zhiheng was awakened by the chirping of birds in the morning.
Another beautiful day.
He picked up his phone and opened his Moments, starting the day by appreciating his friends’ lives.
Wang Huanxiu: I got a new lip balm. [Image attached]
Pei Zhiheng: “…”
