Chapter 37: Mask

Chapter 37: Mask

Tang Yun called him crazy, clarifying that the man was Kuang Yanhe, not an escort. No club offers someone that attractive.

This revelation excited Leung Song even more: [When did you two become an item? No wonder he booked you the presidential suite for no apparent reason! Were you using work as an excuse to honeymoon? You seemed to have intentionally hidden your relationship status.]

Tang Yun explained: [Nothing happened! He mentioned his eyes were sore, so I gave him a massage.]

Leung Song, feeling somewhat betrayed, shot back: [Damn! My arm was aching after playing ball, and when I asked you for a massage, you claimed your arm was broken. But his eyes hurt and you rush to massage him, even letting him lay on your lap. Is this how massages are done? Since when do therapists let their clients lie on their laps?]

Tang Yun ignored his accusations and asked: [He's asleep on my lap now. What should I do?]

To Leung Song, this seemed like blatant bragging, so he sarcastically retorted: [Wake him up with a slap! How could a CEO carelessly sleep on a contractor's lap? Such impropriety! He probably does this with hundreds of men. Today he sleeps on your lap; tomorrow, he might seek company in a bar. He seems to lack moral boundaries. Stay away from him; he might be trouble.]

Tang Yun laughed: [Hahaha, are you mad? Why are you bad-mouthing him? He didn't harm you.]

Leung Song responded: [Just think about it. He, a gay man, is having another man massage his eyes in the middle of the night, and then conveniently falls asleep. What's he playing at? Don't be naive, Tang!]

Tang Yun replied: [He didn’t fall asleep on purpose. He's genuinely exhausted after several sleepless nights.]

Leung Song rolled his eyes, convinced that Kuang Yanhe was pretending to be harmless while trying to ensnare Tang Yun, who couldn’t see through it.

[What a pity it's just his eyes that are sore, not something else.]

Tang Yun sent back one word, "Scram."

Leung Song replayed the video and magnified it. Objectively, this sly man had commendable genes, and Tang Yun would indeed be fortunate to be with him. However, Leung feared Kuang Yanhe had ulterior motives that Tang might not see.

On the surface, Tang Yun seemed rational and detached, seemingly uncontrolled by anyone. But Leung Song had witnessed his relationships and knew once Tang got involved, he was all in.

Remembering the past, the night Tang Yun confirmed his relationship with the orthopedic doctor, he had immediately set their silhouette as his wallpaper and screensaver, subtly flaunting their love. He eagerly shared their relationship with close friends, proudly showcasing the doctor’s handsome profile.

Constantly updating his whereabouts when he was out became routine. Every day after work, Tang Yun would cook for Shen Ji'en, do laundry, and clean the room. Although Shen Ji'en could cook, his demanding job as a doctor left little time to do so for Tang Yun.

Whenever Shen Ji'en worked overtime, Tang Yun would prepare meals and deliver them to the hospital, come rain or shine.

But Liang Song had never seen Tang Yun in Shen Ji'en's social media updates. One day, unable to contain his curiosity, Liang Song mentioned this to Tang Yun, asking why Shen Ji'en didn't post pictures of the two of them together.

Tang Yun thoughtfully explained that many of Dr. Shen's WeChat contacts were clients and superiors. Revealing their relationship might reflect poorly and potentially hinder Shen's career advancement.

That's just how he is. When in love, he'd rather bear discomfort than question his partner, always finding excuses for their selfishness.

Even if they had disagreements and quarreled, Tang Yun would always be the first to compromise, apologize, and make amends.

Even though Tang Yun wasn't as head over heels for his subsequent partners, he still acquiesced to their every irrational demand. He was a die-hard romantic—though he would never admit it.

Liang Song later theorized that Tang Yun's behavior might stem from a lack of affection during his childhood. While his parents hadn't divorced, their constant fighting was almost as damaging.

Tang Yun yearned deeply for a stable, long-term relationship, hoping it would validate his worthiness of love.

Whenever a partner pointed out his flaws, he'd take it to heart, constantly self-reflecting and doubting his own worthiness.

He did his utmost to nurture and maintain the relationship, expecting the same level of commitment in return. Sadly, the three partners he'd met were far from ideal.

As for the young man currently cozying up to Tang Yun, he hardly seemed like someone interested in a stable life.

"Just have some fun and don't take him too seriously," Liang Song warned with good intentions.

Tang Yun didn't respond.

Tang Yun stayed in the dark, quiet room until 2 am, turning off the lights and music to avoid waking Kuang Yanhe.

He adjusted his sitting position a couple of times to ensure blood circulation and prevent numbness in his legs. Later on, perhaps finding Tang Yun's lap uncomfortable, Kuang Yanhe returned to sleeping on the pillow.

Tang Yun tucked him in and quietly retreated to his room.

The exhilaration of their close encounter lingered as Tang Yun lay in bed, restless. Every time he closed his eyes, he could feel Kuang Yanhe nestled against his thigh, one arm wrapped around his waist, and his nose nudged against Tang's abdomen, as if showing affection.

Tang Yun's heart raced, and he felt an overwhelming warmth. His hand ventured inside his pajamas, seeking relief. But ever since a previous intimate encounter, his threshold for pleasure had increased, and simple touches were no longer sufficient.

He tried emulating a past act of intimacy, gently exploring himself. Yet, whether due to the shortness of his fingers or their inflexibility, he couldn't find that sweet spot that left him breathless.

After several unsuccessful attempts in various positions, frustrated, Tang Yun abandoned the idea. He took a couple of melatonin pills to force himself to sleep.

The next morning, after a refreshing wash, Kuang Yanhe cheerfully knocked on Tang Yun's door, greeted by a sleepy-faced Tang Yun.

"You didn't sleep well?"

Tang Yun rubbed his eyes, his voice raspy, "I'm not used to new beds."

Kuang Yanhe said, "Why don't you rest a bit longer? I'll go and grab some breakfast."

"No need." Tang Yun summoned his most professional service attitude, smiled, and said, "I'll just wash my face, and I'll be good to go."

After driving for over an hour, the two arrived at Cao Mengmeng's residence—a high-density building complex commonly known as a studio apartment. From its exterior, it appeared to be designed in a style from two decades ago. As they drove into the compound, Tang Yun caught a whiff of a sour, decaying stench, reminiscent of garbage trucks.

He quickly rolled up the car window.

The old complex didn't have dedicated parking spots; everyone just parked on the sides. Fortunately, it was daytime, and most apartment residents were at work, so there were plenty of spots. Kuang Yanhe impressively reversed into a spot with ease.

As Tang Yun got out of the car, he noticed the strange odor still lingered in the air. Kuang Yanhe offered him a mask, asking, "Want one?"

"Thank heavens," Tang Yun asked, "Do you have another one?"

"Yep." Kuang Yanhe took another from the car and put it on. The mask's top left corner had a cute cartoon—a bear making a heart shape with its hands.

Tang Yun glanced at his own mask, which had a rabbit making the same heart shape. Clearly, these were matching couple masks.

Such a cartoonish mask didn't seem to match Kuang Yanhe's usual aesthetic at all.

Could it be... Kuang Yanhe was in a relationship? Was this mask bought for him by his boyfriend? Maybe that's why Kuang Yanhe was so resistant when he wanted to examine him the other day...

As if struck, Tang Yun's mind blanked for a moment. Following behind Kuang Yanhe, each step felt like he was walking in a daze.

"What's the matter?" Kuang Yanhe turned to look at him, slowing his pace, "Is it too hot? Or did you not sleep well last night?"

Tang Yun shook his head. He was desperately curious to know if Kuang Yanhe was secretly dating someone, yet he was terrified of knowing the truth.

And the reason for this fear was the hope that the exposed Kuang Yanhe had given him the previous night.

The sun scorched his back, making every second unbearable. He finally couldn't resist and pointed to the mask in his hand, "Is this your mask? It doesn't seem like your usual style."

"You noticed, huh?" Kuang Yanhe admitted, "I swiped it from Yan Chu's desk. Don't tell her, okay? She's been thinking the sales manager took it."

Tang Yun chuckled, the melancholy from earlier instantly vanishing. He nodded vigorously, "Deal!"

The small dimple lingered at the corner of Tang Yun's mouth for quite a while. Kuang Yanhe truly couldn't fathom why his emotions were so unpredictable.

"What are you smiling about now?"

Tang Yun put on the rabbit mask, pressing down on the bridge of his nose, "Just thinking that sometimes, the way you speak is quite endearing."

Kuang Yanhe replied, "When I took a psychology course, I heard a theory."

"Oh?"

"One of the first signs of falling for someone is suddenly finding them cute and irresistibly praising them."

Tang Yun froze, almost unable to believe that what could be considered flirtatious words came from Kuang Yanhe's lips.

The eyes visible above the bear mask were curiously intent on his, as if they had seen through his embarrassment, understanding his feelings, and were probing for something.

Tang Yun's heart raced, his lips quivered as he tried to speak, but words failed him, his mind once again blanked out.

"Have you heard of this theory before, Attorney Tang?"

Tang Yun swallowed, shaking his head, "No... this is the first time I'm hearing about it."

"It's normal if you haven't," Kuang Yanhe put on his sunglasses, chuckling softly, "Because I made it up on the spot."

Tang Yun: "..." He was at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond to such a mischievous joke.

"But that's how I feel," Kuang Yanhe stated, gazing intently into Tang Yun's moist and puzzled eyes, smiling, "When I like someone, I find everything they do adorable."

If he could say that, it meant someone held a place in his heart. Tang Yun managed a smile, thinking whoever was liked by Kuang Yanhe was truly fortunate.