Wang Huanxiu was stunned. It was the first time he’d seen this kind of expression from the person in front of him.
In his memory, Bai Shuijin always wore a silly, cute smile every day, like a little lamb who would instinctively smile at you whenever he saw you.
Wang Huanxiu’s hand rested on the white bedsheet. He didn’t know what he’d done wrong to make Bai Shuijin’s mood shift like this.
He couldn’t help but start thinking. And when he thought, his expression was the same as when he worked: cold and distant, the kind of aloofness that told strangers to stay away. It was like even talking to him required checking his mood.
Handsome, temperamental, sharp-tongued, a good figure, and not fond of talking to people.
Bai Shuijin pursed his lips. Who would get the benefit in the future?
Just thinking that it wouldn’t be him made Bai Shuijin so anxious he started scratching his butt.
Thinking about how Wang Huanxiu probably didn’t have any feelings for him, he remembered what Zhenzhu had said about his looks being Wang Huanxiu’s ideal type.
When your ideal type is right in front of you, you’d feel something, right? He thought with his head hanging low. Even if it wasn’t the personality you liked, you’d still be moved and tolerant just by the appearance.
But thinking back, his laogong-ge seemed to have never liked him very much. From the start, he didn’t want him bothering him, didn’t like talking to him, even said he was clingy.
If you liked someone, you’d have endless things to say, endless things to do together, wanting to stick close every minute of every day. But in Wang Huanxiu’s eyes, there was only work.
So…
Bai Shuijin looked up at the man again, eyes full of grievance.
Laogong-ge didn’t like him at all.
Realizing this made Bai Shuijin feel both angry and a little sad.
Wang Huanxiu’s throat tightened as he met that gaze. He started to turn around, but the moment he did, Bai Shuijin suddenly rolled across the bed and climbed over to the other side like a clock hand spinning.
Wang Huanxiu: “…”
He pounced at nothing.
The little pharmacy had closed. Earlier it had opened with such enthusiasm, but now that it was shutting down, the mood had taken a complete nosedive…like a frostbitten sprout, cracked soil, and a dandelion with all its seeds blown away.
His mood had plummeted from sky-high to rock bottom.
He lowered his head and organized the medicine box, placing it by the bedside.
“The application is done. I’m going to sleep now.” Because of the other party’s villain character, Bai Shuijin added dutifully, “Good night.”
Then he wrapped himself in the quilt and flopped face-down on the bed and back turned, his whole aura screaming: I’m sad, I’m upset, I’m disappointed.
The other party started to behave abnormally from the moment the medicine was applied. Wang Huanxiu’s robe was still draped around his waist. Normally, Bai Shuijin would never be like this when they were resting in the same room.
Lying alone and huddled up like this was never in Bai Shuijin’s books. Normally, after putting on the medicine, he’d say the room was cold, and then the two of them would naturally lie close together, with his hand on his abs, and their legs would tangle.
This was the correct sequence.
Wang Huanxiu sat on the edge of the bed. The CEO who ruled the business world with a word was now sitting on his own bed and in his own room like he was on pins and needles.
He had no idea why Bai Shuijin was angry. He had never slacked off at the gym.
Wang Huanxiu wasn’t someone who overthought. In his world, that term didn’t even exist.
Once the ointment on his back dried, he pulled off the robe and tossed it aside.
His dark eyes stared at Bai Shuijin’s curled-up back. “You’ve wrapped up the whole quilt. How am I supposed to sleep?”
Bai Shuijin’s head twitched slightly on the pillow. After hesitating for a long time, he shyly offered a corner of the quilt.
Wang Huanxiu looked at him. “Not enough.”
Bai Shuijin was still angry. He pushed the corner of the quilt that he had released earlier down hard under his butt and retorted, “That’s all there is.”
But after saying that, he felt a little scared and added, “There are more quilts in the wardrobe.”
Hopefully Wang Huanxiu wouldn’t hold a grudge.
The next second, he suddenly felt himself go weightless and float in the air. When he was put down again, the corner of the quilt under his butt was gone.
Wang Huanxiu tugged the quilt with a sharp pull, and Bai Shuijin rolled out of it like a spinning top.
Bai Shuijin: Damn it.
He was mad right now! This made him completely lose face.
Furious but powerless, Bai Shuijin’s heart was swarming with chirping crickets, all cursing Wang Huanxiu.
The man reached over and turned off the bedside lamp, then lay down beside him. The quilt was now covering the two of them perfectly…except there was a huge canyon’s worth of space between them.
The room was extremely quiet. With the blackout curtains drawn, it felt like a pitch-black cave without day or night.
“Why aren’t you coming over?”
Even though Wang Huanxiu had never taken the initiative when they shared a bed before, they were always snuggled together by morning.
Bai Shuijin didn’t say anything.
This question made him feel even more aggrieved, and his tone was sharp and moody. “Don’t you hate it when I cling to you?”
He buried his face into the quilt. “And you don’t like talking to me either.”
Wang Huanxiu wanted to say something. He had never been at a loss for words, but now he was a bit speechless and didn’t know what to say.
Bai Shuijin was just stating facts, but it made his chest ache in waves.
He thought maybe… maybe he should treat him a little more gently.
After all, he really hadn’t paid much attention to the other person before, nor had he talked to him much.
The silence between them only made Bai Shuijin feel worse.
The other party said nothing, as if silently confirming everything he’d said.
They had already spent a long time together, they had spent the entire winter together and were now into spring.
Bai Shuijin’s fair fingers twisted the bed sheet. “You don’t like talking to me, so I won’t talk to you anymore either.”
He really wouldn’t talk anymore.
The middle of the night always made people emo. The more Bai Shuijin thought about it, the more pitiful he felt. It was not easy being alone in a strange world. He just wanted to ride a handsome guy and couldn’t even do that.
Maybe his personality wasn’t likable either. After divorcing Wang Huanxiu, he might end up alone for life.
Suddenly, a heavy breath sounded beside him, and a large hand pressed against his waist through the robe.
Even through the fabric, he could feel the heat of the man’s palm.
Bai Shuijin: !
Was he going to get thrown out for being noisy?
He instantly panicked. He was too busy being angry just now and had completely forgotten about Wang Huanxiu’s dark villainous personality. Now he felt small and helpless.
His voice softened. “Laogong-ge.”
‘Don’t throw me out.’
Wang Huanxiu’s arm stiffened for two seconds as he tried to retrieve the person, then he quickly and a little anxiously pulled him in.
Bai Shuijin felt the world spin. By the time he came to his senses, his face had smacked into Wang Huanxiu’s left pec, and his mouth had even bounced off it.
Bai Shuijin: “…”
‘Wow, a state banquet!’
He had kissed Wang Huanxiu’s chest.
Would he think he did it on purpose? He hurriedly tried to get up. “Laogong-ge, I…”
Wang Huanxiu placed a large hand on his waist. He had never noticed it when they used to sleep together, but now that his full attention was on Bai Shuijin, he realized just how slender his waist was. And how smoothly it transitioned into full, rounded hips.
He remembered the way Bai Shuijin had looked on the dance floor on Zhenzhu’s birthday. He could dance, and it looked like he had really great dance skills.
Dancers have very high standards for physique. Unless you have very strong ability, you can’t make up for natural shortcomings. But Bai Shuijin had that ability, and no shortcomings to begin with.
His waist-to-hip ratio was excellent. Whether it was dress pants or dance tights, he wore them with curve and flair.
Wang Huanxiu’s hand rested at the dip between his waist and hips. When Bai Shuijin suddenly bounced out of his arms like a missile, he murmured lowly:
“Didn’t we used to sleep like this?”
Bai Shuijin froze.
Come to think of it, they indeed used to sleep like this…but this time, he felt a little shy.
Being the one to take initiative felt different from being the passive one. If he was the one who had made the move, he wouldn’t be feeling this shy and embarrassed now.
But since the other party already said they wanted to sleep like this, he had no reason to refuse. After all, between the two of them, he was the one taking advantage.
Bai Shuijin closed his eyes, steeled himself, then lay down.
He threw out a stiff, “I’m going to sleep.”
Then, out of habit, he lifted his leg and draped it over Wang Huanxiu.
Tonight’s sleeping arrangement was slightly different from before. This time, Wang Huanxiu wasn’t wearing his bathrobe, there was only a thin layer of fabric covering his well-built body. So when Bai Shuijin, still wrapped in his own bathrobe, lifted his leg over the man, he clearly felt the burning-hot skin contact.
Bai Shuijin’s scalp tingled, like it was pressed against hot iron, and he subconsciously wanted to pull his leg back down.
But the next moment, he felt a hand caressing the area around his knee.
Under the covers, Bai Shuijin’s eyes widened like bronze bells.
!! Why was laogong ge touching him?
Is laogong ge a pervert?
Bai Shuijin hadn’t even realized that he subconsciously classified his own touches as acceptable behavior, but when Wang Huanxiu touched him, he was being a hooligan.
Just as he was about to question him, he felt a tingling sensation in his ears due to the vibration of Wang Huanxiu’s voice.
“Did you forget to put medicine on your knee?”
Bai Shuijin was stunned. “Huh?”
Snap!
The bedside lamp was turned on. The sudden brightness made Bai Shuijin squint and burrow his mutton fat jade into Wang Huanxiu’s chest, only to be pulled back out by the man.
Wang Huanxiu didn’t get up. He leaned back against the headboard and reached for the medical box Bai Shuijin had just placed on the nightstand.
“Lift up your bathrobe so I can take a look.”
Only then did Bai Shuijin remember the embarrassing incident at the old house. Ha had collided head-on with a walking stick. The cane was fine; it was his knee that became swollen.
As Wang Huanxiu grabbed the ointment, Bai Shuijin scooted aside a little.
When the man returned with the medicine, he stared at Bai Shuijin with a thoughtful expression.
Being stared at like that made Bai Shuijin feel extremely flustered.
“W-What is it?”
“How am I supposed to apply the medicine if you don’t come over?”
Bai Shuijin reached out. “I can do it myself.”
But just as he was about to touch the ointment, it was pulled back.
Bai Shuijin stared at Wang Huanxiu’s outrageously handsome face under the warm glow of the bedside lamp.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ll do it for you.” His voice had a low chuckle that made Bai Shuijin’s heartbeat skip.
Wang Huanxiu offering to apply the medicine was rare, almost as rare as the sun rising from the west.
For a moment, he couldn’t understand why the man was acting like this. Wasn’t he always annoyed by him?
Could it be… because he’d helped steal Wang Huanxiu’s parents’ memorial tablets out of the old house, so now he wanted to repay him?
Bai Shuijin’s eyes lit up at the thought.
If that were the case, wouldn’t now be a good time to make a request? Since he’d just done something worthy of gratitude, Wang Huanxiu should agree to whatever he asked for.
He looked at the man’s faintly visible physique under the covers and gulped slightly, feeling a bit greedy.
“You’re lying down. I should come over. It’s not convenient for you to put the medicine on me like this.”
At his words, Wang Huanxiu moved as if to get up, but Bai Shuijin immediately pushed him back down.
He looked like a little fox, with a blush on his face, but he was not shy at all when he said, “How about this? I’ll ride on top of you, and you put the medicine on me.”
“…” Wang Huanxiu suddenly felt a rush of blood and Qi, and his gaze lingered on Bai Shuijin’s legs. “Okay.”
As soon as he agreed, Bai Shuijin pulled his bathrobe up above his knees and sat down on Wang Huanxiu’s waist.
It was unknown if it was because the bed under Wang Huanxiu was soft or because the man’s waist was particularly firm, but when Bai Shuijin sat down, he bounced a little. The unhappy expression on his little face instantly vanished, replaced by a look of satisfaction.
He pointed at the red swelling on his knee, stretched out his leg so his ankle reached near the pillow. “Laogong ge, right here.”
He didn’t expect the swelling to be so severe. He didn’t feel anything until Wang Huanxiu mentioned it.
But lack of pain didn’t stop him from feeling pitiful. “Laogong ge, look how swollen it is.”
He lowered his head and watched Wang Huanxiu’s long, slender fingers apply the ointment to his knee.
Sitting on someone like this really felt different, his whole body and soul felt relaxed.
And the feeling below the waist wasn’t bad either. It was his first time riding someone like this.
He had never been in a relationship before; his finances didn’t allow it. Working nonstop, he never had the time. When he got the urge, he could only go watch boys play basketball at the basketball courts.
Bai Shuijin was so satisfied now. He was like a proud little fox riding on a tiger, showing off his might.
Wang Huanxiu could clearly feel the person on top of him was happy.
“Are you happy now?”
Bai Shuijin smiled shyly. “I’ve been happy the whole time.”
Wang Huanxiu chuckled but didn’t say anything. Once he was done applying the medicine, Bai Shuijin automatically climbed off his waist. This time, he turned off the bedside lamp and naturally snuggled close.
His smooth, soft cheek pressed against Wang Huanxiu’s neck. “Laogong-ge, it’s getting late. Let’s sleep.”
Bai Shuijin closed his eyes, and before long, he was fast asleep.
But that night, Wang Huanxiu couldn’t fall asleep.
.
It was already 9 a.m. by the time Bai Shuijin woke up. He remembered he had a class at 10:30.
He brushed his teeth, washed up, and rushed out the door after hurriedly getting dressed.
Since he hadn’t had breakfast, Auntie Li gave him a lunchbox to eat on the way there.
But Bai Shuijin left it in his backpack and completely forgot about it.
It wasn’t until after class that he remembered.
It was noon. He and his roommate Ji Cao were heading toward the cafeteria. Just as they reached the landing between the third-floor stairs, they ran into Pei Zhiheng.
Suddenly a bad premonition burst out in his heart, and sure enough, Pei Zhiheng’s eyes lit up the moment he saw him.
“Bai Shuijin!”
Bai Shuijin shrank behind Ji Cao. For some reason, seeing the protagonist now gave him the same feeling as seeing the village idiot at the entrance of the village.
Probably because Pei Zhiheng’s last attempt at a magic trick had been full of loopholes, it completely shattered the other party’s image in his mind.
He used to think the protagonist of the business-war novel was diligent and self-disciplined, moving forward courageously for his dreams and never flinching in the face of difficulties.
Now, when he looked at Pei Zhiheng, all he saw was a silly and wholesome musclehead.
“Finally I met you.”
Pei Zhiheng pulled out a hat from who-knows-where. “I learned a new magic trick. Take a look.”
Bai Shuijin declined, “N-No thanks. I’m in a hurry to eat.”
“It’ll only take a second, I promise.”
Ever since his last failed trick, Pei Zhiheng had been practicing hard. He believed that if his magic improved, Bai Shuijin would change his mind and his feelings would return.
Seeing how earnest he looked, Bai Shuijin tugged on the strap of his backpack and said, “Okay.”
Pei Zhiheng shook the magician’s hat up and down in front of Bai Shuijin and Ji Cao. “See? There is nothing inside, right?”
Both of them nodded in unison. Indeed there was nothing.
He covered the hat with a red cloth. “Count to three and a miracle will happen.”
‘A miracle?’
Bai Shuijin was a little curious.
He obediently counted to three. When the red cloth was lifted, a white pigeon flew out and hit him right in the forehead.
Pei Zhiheng: “Fuck!”
Bai Shuijin: O×O
Ji Cao: “…”
Bai Shuijin and the pigeon both felt dizzy.
Pei Zhiheng quickly stepped forward and asked with concern. “Are you okay?”
“Pei Zhiheng.”
“Yes?”
“I told you, I have another choice for watching magic tricks.”
“…”
This magic trick still ended in failure. Bai Shuijin clutched his aching forehead and followed Ji Cao to the cafeteria with a bitter expression.
He really shouldn’t have let himself hope.
The two ordered tomato beef brisket, which was the signature dish of the third cafeteria and was only sold until 2p.m in the afternoon every day.
The tender beef brisket paired with tomato sauce made Bai Shuijin and Ji Cao eat with great satisfaction.
There were no classes in the afternoon, so after lunch, the two of them rested at their seats for a while.
Bai Shuijin caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye and noticed a black shoulder bag on the ground by his feet.
No one had been sitting next to him this whole time, so the bag must have been accidentally left there by someone before they started eating.
He picked up the bag from the ground and patted the dust off it.
Ji Cao noticed it too. “Did someone lose it?”
When he saw the brand on the bag, he sucked in a sharp breath. “Fuck, this bag is a luxury brand.”
He immediately searched it up on the official website and found the shoulder bag cost as much as fifty thousand yuan.
Such an expensive bag had actually been forgotten in the cafeteria.
Bai Shuijin looked at the bag. “What should we do now?”
Ji Cao: “Turn it in like a good citizen.”
Bai Shuijin weighed it in his hand. “It’s over ten kilograms… let’s keep it.”
“…”
After a little joke, Bai Shuijin held the bag. “Let’s wait here for a while. The person who lost it should realize it’s missing soon.”
“Alright.”
They had plenty of time in the afternoon, so the two of them sat in the cafeteria waiting. Before long, Ji Cao got a message from his girlfriend.
He stood up and said, “I’m heading off first. My girlfriend’s looking for me. Are you going to keep waiting? If not, come with me and drop the bag off at lost and found.”
Bai Shuijin thought for a moment. “You go ahead. I’ll wait a bit longer. If no one comes by 1:30, I’ll take it to the lost and found office.”
After Ji Cao left, he waited in the same spot for another twenty minutes. Just as he was about to get up and take the bag to the lost and found, a wall of a person blocked his path.
“Why are you holding my bag?”
Bai Shuijin looked up and saw a face that looked very similar to Wang Huanxiu.
It was none other than Wang Huanxiu’s cousin, Wang Yan.
The two of them didn’t know each other, and aside from that accidental collision last time, they had never interacted.
The other person was breathing heavily, his hair messed up by the wind. Clearly, he was in a panic over losing the bag.
“I didn’t take it. I was just planning to take it to the lost and found,” Bai Shuijin said.
Wang Yan took the bag from his hands and said, “Good thing you know what’s good for you.”
Bai Shuijin frowned. What the hell. This attitude was really rude.
Just like the last time they bumped into each other.
Wang Yan didn’t stick around. He took the bag and didn’t even say thank you before turning to leave.
Bai Shuijin noticed his shoelaces were undone and kindly reminded him, “Classmate, your shoelaces are untied.”
Wang Yan looked down and saw that they were indeed untied. His face was instantly taken over by frustration. Then he turned around and looked at Bai Shuijin, full of arrogance. “Hey! Tie my shoelaces for me.”
Bai Shuijin: “…”
‘How about a big slap instead?’
.
In the upper floors of the building, a secretary knocked on the office door and walked in. Today was Chen Ji’s turn on the secretary office schedule. He was the only male among the secretaries.
Wang Huanxiu only hired based on merit, not gender. Whoever was the most capable got the job.
Chen Ji walked up to the desk with some documents in hand, only to see that Wang Huanxiu was staring at the papers without moving.
He remembered that when he came in, the boss had been in that same position.
This was serious! The sky was falling! President Wang was actually distracted during work!
This kind of situation was even rarer than glaciers melting.
He carefully tested the waters. “President Wang?”
Wang Huanxiu came back to his senses and realized how much time he had just wasted. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“The documents.”
The secretary reached out and handed them over, then asked when he saw how distracted Wang Huanxiu looked, “President Wang, is something troubling you?”
He, Chen Ji, had one dream: to firmly hold onto his seat in the secretary’s office and be the lapdog of capitalist Wang Huanxiu.
This was his golden opportunity to earn credit. With his silver tongue and helpful nature, he had already talked several secretaries out of their breakups, proving his strength.
But the next second, he was met with a cold glare from Wang Huanxiu.
“It’s none of your business.”
Chen Ji shrank his neck. O-okay…
Wang Huanxiu hadn’t slept all night. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Bai Shuijin’s disappointed expression. Even though Bai Shuijin had eventually cheered up and returned to his usual self, he still couldn’t forget the way he had looked so down at first.
Normally, Bai Shuijin wished he could pounce on him if he saw him shirtless. But yesterday, there was an unexpected turn.
He couldn’t figure it out, no matter how he thought about it.
Just as Chen Ji was about to leave, his capitalist boss stopped him.
“Wait.”
“Is there something else, President Wang?”
Wang Huanxiu hesitated for a few seconds. Beating around the bush was pointless, so he got straight to the point. “If someone who was very obsessed with your body suddenly stops being passionate, what’s the reason?”
Chen Ji’s mind worked at lightning speed. He didn’t ask questions, he knew no one liked having their privacy probed. The best move was to give a direct answer and solution. “That’s obviously because the novelty is gone. If you want them to get excited again, just add some stimulation. President Wang, you could try…”
.
At the Wang family house, Wang Muguang was lying on the bed reading a trashy romance novel when a message popped up on his phone.
[I want to buy some clothes. Come help me pick.]
His big brother wanted to buy clothes?
Wang Muguang didn’t think too much of it. As a big star who walked at the forefront of fashion, it was normal for his brother to ask him for help picking outfits, he had good taste.
He geared up fully and drove his sports car out, all the way to the address Wang Huanxiu had sent him.
It was probably another serious ship that customized suits.
But when he saw the store sign, Wang Muguang fell silent.
[Aisi Aimu Sex Toys Shop.]
“…”
What the hell? Did his brother owe someone money? Or did someone have something on him?
