IROAWTMTFL Chapter 23.1

The trousers hung loosely around Yan Yan’s waist, and the shirt’s hem was pulled out on one side, revealing a slender and pale waist with the subtle curvature of the hip bones. Yan Yan had consumed who knows how much alcohol; his eyes were misty, giving them a damp appearance. His redness extended beyond his cheeks, the collarbones at his chest were flushed, and every exhaled breath carried an intoxicating scent of alcohol.

Zhuang Yiyun stood motionless beside him.

“*You’re last name really fits you. Keep pretending… Do you think I can’t see through it?” Yan Yan tilted his head and blinked those seductive eyes at him. He began tugging at his trousers, but while he was nimble with the button, he didn’t know how to unzip, so he just pulled them straight down. Of course, that wouldn’t work…

*”Zhuang” means solemn/composed.

Yan Yan pouted in frustration and yelled, “I can’t get it open… you’ll have to take it off yourself.”

Zhuang Yiyun pressed his tongue against his back teeth, and for a moment, he wanted to hold down this bold drunkard and give him a good spanking. He pulled at his pajama collar to let in some air, feeling a bit hot from looking at the drunkard.

Zhuang Yiyun turned around to get some hangover medicine from the medicine cabinet, but when he turned, Yan Yan suddenly pounced on him. Zhuang Yiyun didn’t know where he had been all night, but he was surrounded by the chaotic scent of men’s cologne. Zhuang Yiyun frowned. Where had he been? Had he been intimate with someone? Had he been held by someone?

Before Zhuang Yiyun could let his imagination run wild, Yan Yan hugged his waist from behind and whispered, “Don’t go.”

The two words were filled with tenderness, as if the rogue from earlier wasn’t him.

Zhuang Yiyun’s heart immediately softened, and his voice became gentle as he tried to explain, “I’m getting for you…”

Before he could finish his words, they were abruptly cut off and he swallowed the rest. He turned in shock, feeling his heart rate spike to 180.

What had Yan Yan done just now… The culprit who had been buried in his back looked up under his stare, completely unrepentant and smiling triumphantly. Zhuang Yiyun’s gaze landed on the lips that had just kissed him—they were soft and scorching, as if branding the back of his neck. He trembled all over, and the tingling sensation spread uncontrollably from the place that had been kissed, washing over his entire body.

This liar. Did he use alcohol to pretend to be crazy and deliberately embarrassed him? He first pretended to be well behaved, threw a tantrum, then suddenly attacked—he did it all effortlessly. How many different faces had he hidden?

Unable to hold back any longer, Zhuang Yiyun forcibly turned around and pulled the person off his back, dropping him onto the couch.

With that single motion, the force performed with exquisite timing and Yan Yan’s pants zipper slid open. He fell on the sofa with his legs splayed, and his shirt rumpled. It was just like an invitation. The man seemed to be unaware, or perhaps he thought it was an honor as he even kicked off his shoes and let them roll onto the couch.

Zhuang Yiyun’s breath was stifled by this person, and his qi surged. Forget about hangover medicine; he didn’t even drink alcohol normally, so there was none at home.

“Yan Yan, I admit I was wrong about standing you up tonight, but isn’t staying out all night and getting this drunk taking it too far?” He struggled several times and finally said this.

“What are you saying?” Yan Yan, who had been rolling around, stopped and listened carefully, but he didn’t understand. “What’s wrong with drinking? I’m not even drunk…”

His tone was genuinely puzzled, devoid of mockery. He sounded truly confused. In just ten short minutes, Yan Yan’s carefully crafted image had completely collapsed. Dyeing his hair, getting ear piercings…Zhuang Yiyun could understand differences in aesthetics, but heavy drinking crossed the line.

“What am I to you? Why do you get to tell me whether I come home or not?”

“I’m your… I’m your husband! Of course, I have the right to care about whether you come home or not!” Zhuang Yiyun suspected that he had been contaminated by the alcohol fumes this drunkard had exhaled and was starting to speak nonsense.

“Husband? You don’t sleep with me, so what kind of husband are you?” Yan Yan said. He propped himself up, grabbed Zhuang Yiyun’s collar, and dragged him onto the couch.

The drunkard seemed to have gained strength from nowhere, and Zhuang Yiyun was pulled off balance, almost falling onto him. He supported himself with both hands near Yan Yan’s neck, and ended up half-kneeling on the couch.

“Let go.”

Yan Yan obediently released his grip. Just as Zhuang Yiyun was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Yan Yan’s hands then rose and tightly encircled Zhuang Yiyun’s neck.

With gleaming eyes, rosy lips, and the scent of alcohol wafting through the air, the intense hormones coursing through the young man wrapped around him like a hot spring.

Zhuang Yiyun felt like his heart was about to give out. His throat itched, and his breath became hot. He repeated, “Let go,” but the tone of his voice shifted, cracking like parched earth.

Yan Yan had regained some sobriety, but he wanted to continue using the influence of alcohol. He said coquettishly, “Husband, I won’t let go.”

Zhuang Yiyun: “…”

Hearing Yan Yan call him “husband,” so sweetly and tenderly, even though he knew it was a pretense, somehow touched him more.

Zhuang Yiyun fiercely closed his eyes, steeled himself, and straightened his back. However, he underestimated Yan Yan’s strength. As he stood up, Yan Yan refused to let go. He hung on him by the neck and used his momentum to tackle him, sending him crashing onto the sofa.

With Yan Yan straddling him, Zhuang Yiyun’s chest heaved heavily, unable to contain the burning fire within him. He finally erupted, and gave Yan Yan a cold expression.

“Get off.”

“I won’t! Zhuang Yiyun, are you even a man? We’ve gone this far, be a man and continue!”

Zhuang Yiyun, who was feeling anything but manly, felt his temples throbbing. He gripped Yan Yan’s waist firmly, using all his strength to lift him off the couch.

Yan Yan leaned back on the sofa, breathing heavily. He didn’t want to continue this fight; he’d hold on to his pride. His expression visibly stiffened, and he took a deep breath before standing up, swaying slightly on bare feet as he walked towards the door.

Zhuang Yiyun grabbed him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“None of your business.”

Yan Yan struggled against Zhuang Yiyun’s grip, but the latter held on tighter, his face as cold as ice, saying through gritted teeth. “Why shouldn’t it be my business?”

Yan Yan suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter growing louder as he stopped resisting.

“Zhuang Yiyun, do you still think I married you just to do a good deed? I’m here to sleep with you. Such a handsome face, it’s making me ache in places I didn’t know could ache.” Yan Yan turned around, and his free hand climbed onto Zhuang Yiyun’s shoulder with a mix of strength and gentleness. His fingers traced the exposed half of Zhuang Yiyun’s collarbone, forming a large half-circle in his neck hollow.

Zhuang Yiyun’s eyes widened suddenly, and he looked down at him in disbelief. Yan Yan’s head was at Zhuang Yiyun’s neck, and their gazes met in the most intimate of postures, yet it shattered all ambiguity.

Seeing Zhuang Yiyun’s expression, Yan Yan reveled in his apparent victory even though his initial plan hadn’t succeeded.

“So, were you deceiving me all along?”

“Deceiving you? What did I say to deceive you? Don’t tell me you thought I was doing your laundry and cooking for you because I’m a natural housewife? I was just paying in advance, I just want a fun romp with you. You misunderstood everything. But… I’ve realized something now. A man like you who doesn’t understand the fun of it is not worth my time. There are plenty of handsome guys out there who want to share my bed. It doesn’t have to be you, so I won’t cater to you anymore.”

“Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“I’m saying you’re useless to me now. Don’t you understand, Dr. Zhuang? You want to lecture me just because I had a drink? You’re so annoying. Let go, I’m packing up and leaving right now.”

“Say that again.”

“I said I’m leaving now, let go!”

Yan Yan hadn’t expected that they would end up arguing like this, but he was full of anger and had nowhere to vent. He was overwhelmed with frustration from being rejected repeatedly, the anger from being stood up, that casual denial the other day, and the presence of Luan Qing, who seemed more compatible with Zhuang Yiyun. All these emotions had driven him to lose all rationality. He couldn’t care less about his initial intentions or methods, he just wanted to let out this pent-up anger, even if it means killing a thousand enemies at the cost of hurting himself eight hundred.

As he tried to move, a surge of strength came from his wrist, so powerful that it threw him onto the sofa.

Zhuang Yiyun, towering above him at 1.9 meters, exuded an imposing presence like a mountain range. Yan Yan gazed up at him, feeling like he was looking up at the sky from the depths of an abyss. Zhuang Yiyun’s eyes were like a lone wolf’s, cold and fierce.

Suddenly, he leaned down in an irresistible manner, his entire being radiating a violent aura.

“If you want to sleep with me, get yourself ready. I don’t like messy people. If you want to get into my bed, do you want to do it yourself or should I do it for you?”

Yan Yan instinctively shrank back, his voice weakening half an inch. “Do what?”

“What do you think I meant? Since you got along with Zhong Lu, he must have told you I studied medicine as an undergraduate? It’s been years, but I still remember the basics.”

With that, he used one hand to hoist Yan Yan onto his shoulder. With his free hand, he opened a nearby medical kit and put on a pair of gloves before heading to the bathroom.

Now Yan Yan was genuinely scared. He hit and scratched him repeatedly, leaving red marks on his tense back muscles. He kicked his feet wildly, yelling, “Let go, damn it, Zhuang Yiyun, put me down!”

Zhuang Yiyun was tall and with long legs, and he quickly reached the bathroom door. Yan Yan’s survival instinct kicked in, and he planted his hands on either side of the door, refusing to let Zhuang Yiyun enter. He didn’t want to suffer that!

The two of them struggled for a while, but then Zhuang Yiyun changed his mind, lifting Yan Yan and carrying him to the bedroom. He threw Yan Yan onto the bed and stood there, watching like an unrelenting ghost.

“Don’t come any closer!” Yan Yan’s shouted plea sounded a bit weak, considering he had just experienced the vast difference in their strengths.

Zhuang Yiyun’s gaze settled on the red marks in Yan Yan’s palm, left from their struggle against the door. The storm in his eyes had yet to subside, but he suppressed it in the blink of an eye.

“You sober up yourself, and we’ll talk tonight.”

“Talk about what? Who wants to talk to you! Get lost!”

Zhuang Yiyun paid no attention, closing the door and leaving. He stood outside Yan Yan’s room for a while, his eyes bloodshot from staying up all night.

After a while, he turned and headed back to his room. Twenty minutes later, he was all cleaned up, shaved, and changed into fresh clothes. He was the same stern Dr. Zhuang as always. When he drove to the research center, he seemed colder than usual, but no one could tell that he hadn’t slept all night. However, the oppressive atmosphere surrounding him made his team members keep their distance.

In their private group chat, they joked that Dr. Zhuang’s expression today seemed like his husband had run away. It had to be said that these people had accidentally hit the mark; his husband was indeed planning to leave.

After Yan Yan was thrown back into his room, he was so exhausted from the scare that he fell asleep immediately. Since Zhuang Yiyun had said they’d talk in the evening when he got off work, he might as well leave before then. When he woke up, he had no gaps in his memory; everything from yesterday was crystal clear, every word and action.

“Heh.” Yan Yan sneered coldly. Zhuang Yiyun made him angry, refused to touch him and even scared him. What did he still want from this man? After taking a shower, he began to pack his things.

As Yan Yan packed his suitcase, his mind wandered. The image of Zhuang Yiyun from yesterday was still vivid in his mind. Zhuang Yiyun had seemed like a stern monk who adhered to rules and lacked human emotion. However, when he removed that mask, it turned out he had desires too. A perverted tyrant forcing love on him—how could anyone understand that? Yan Yan smiled unconsciously, but his smile faded abruptly when he thought of something else.

“Why am I thinking about this?”

Zhuang Yiyun wanting to “examine” him… that was terrifying! Even though he talked a big game, Yan Yan, who rarely visited the hospital due to his robust health, would never agree to such an ordeal. He needed to run away from this madman.

He cursed under his breath but couldn’t help recalling what Zhuang Yiyun would look like with those medical gloves on. Long and powerful fingers, deliberate movements while putting on the gloves. Just holding the gloves, Yan Yan’s mind conjured up scenarios of Zhuang Yiyun giving him a physical examination. Men are truly sensory creatures… Yan Yan slapped himself on the forehead.

“Get a grip! If the price of seeing such sexiness is suffering, then remember, you already saw it yesterday. Don’t try to possess it again.” Yan-Philosopher-Yan’s movements in packing became more proficient.

Despite not living here for long, Yan Yan had quite a lot. Besides the clothes he brought with him, he had also packed a few of his favorite small ornaments into the suitcase.

What? You say these were bought with Zhuang Yiyun’s money? He had put so much effort into decorating this house, and he hadn’t even received compensation, not to mention souvenirs. You say he should have some self-respect; he shouldn’t take advantage of Zhuang Yiyun like this. Ridiculous, if he didn’t then who would? If it weren’t for the hassle of calling a moving company, he’d have taken away the sofa, coffee table, and even the massage chair!”

After tidying his room, Yan Yan wandered around the living room and kitchen, passing by the broadcasting room. He wondered if anything was left there, so he opened the door and took a look.

Pushing the door open and turning on the lights, the broadcast room, which used to have a modern feel, had changed without his knowledge. The furniture had been rearranged, creating a corner space.

In that corner, there was a computer desk, and the desktop computer he hadn’t had a chance to assemble after moving had been set up. Two floor lamps were placed on either side of the desk. The microphone and camera on the desk had been replaced; the equipment that had cost him a few hundred yuan had been upgraded to five figures. On the right was a small decorative cabinet. Originally, he used it to display small ornaments for added artistic flair. But now, the expensive ornaments were gone, and in their place were rows of dolls.

Panda, rabbit, pig, and dog. In the corner next to the low cabinet, there was a life-sized body pillow. It depicted a manga character with soft chestnut hair flying in the wind, wearing a white shirt, a light yellow sweater, and jeans. The crescent-shaped eyes in the drawing had a playful smile. It was a drawing of him.

The body pillow leaned against a makeshift curtain that had been installed. To be honest, the color coordination was terrible. Pink and gray clashed horribly, especially with all those colorful dolls and the huge blue and white body pillow. Yan Yan even suspected that Zhuang Yiyun might be color-blind.

He made a disdainful face at it, but he still walked over. Sitting at the computer desk, he noticed a card on the table.

[Happy Birthday, Yan Yan.]

Opening it, it contained a simple sentence, but it softened his heart in an instant. Zhuang Yiyun had seen him enjoy himself in his last live stream in the study, thought it was his birthday and prepared this birthday gift for him?

“This is so tacky… Pink? I’m not a girl… And why did he get such a good camera for me when I don’t show my face?” Yan Yan muttered as he touched the upgraded microphone, “If he’s willing to spend so much, why didn’t he upgrade my computer too?”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but smile. He casually picked up a doll, hugged it tightly and gave a firm tug at the piglet’s ears.

‘For the sake of the gift, I’ll stay and talk. Just a chat, who’s afraid of who?’ He chose his favorite ripped jeans, put on a striking large cross earring, carefully blow-dried his semi-long golden hair to look both sweet and cool. Now he was all set. He placed his packed suitcase in the center of the living room, a clear indication of his intentions. Sitting on the sofa, he waited for Zhuang Yiyun to return from work.