Chapter 140

Chapter 140

After the storm had passed, Yu He lay on Fu Yunzheng’s shoulder.

Fu Yunzheng brushed away the wet strands of hair on Yu He’s forehead—

Don’t be fooled by Yu He’s lazy and lethargic demeanor in everything he does; he truly gives it his all in these moments.

Fu Yunzheng remarked, “Whose husband flops down on someone’s shoulder after every round, all lively vigor gone, like a little dead dog?”

Yu He didn’t move an inch, “I’m tired, okay?”

A warm hue touched the corners of Fu Yunzheng’s eyes and brows as he gave Yu He a nudge, “You’re soaked in sweat, go take a bath.”

Yu He wiggled his fingers, “Don’t have the energy.”

Fu Yunzheng sat up on the bed, jokingly saying, “Shall I carry you there?”

True to form, Yu He immediately stretched out his arms, wanting Fu Yunzheng to carry him.

Fu Yunzheng indulged him, getting up and bending over to actually lift Yu He into his arms.

With his long arms and legs, Yu He forcefully squeezed himself into Fu Yunzheng’s embrace, “Boss Fu is indeed omnipotent, I’m thoroughly convinced.”

Only when Fu Yunzheng stood up did he feel the pain in his back, but considering the bathroom wasn’t far, he gritted his teeth and carried Yu He there.

Yu He sat on the edge of the wash basin, a huge vanity mirror behind him. With his arms propping him up behind him, he asked, “Ready for another round?”

Fu Yunzheng turned on the shower, “Get lost, you’ve practically shattered my bones.”

Hearing such a compliment, any man would probably feel quite pleased with himself. Yu He was of course no exception, playfully splashing water with his long legs.

Fu Yunzheng first rinsed off the sweat from his body, and as he was washing his back, he suddenly felt a burning sensation. However, when he turned around, he saw Yu He fixing his hair in the mirror, seemingly not paying any attention to him.

Yu He looked everywhere except at Fu Yunzheng. Through the mirror, he noticed that Fu Yunzheng was continuously watching him, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise, his expression asking what was wrong.

Fu Yunzheng: ???

What’s going on? Is it just my imagination?

Something's not right.

Fu Yunzheng’s long eyes shifted slightly, he remained silent and turned back to continue washing.

He made a fake movement of reaching for the shower gel, while simultaneously turning his head. Caught off guard, he caught Yu He spying on him red-handed.

Yu He was staring intently at Fu Yunzheng washing up, his eyes bright as stars, shimmering with a wolf-like green light, and his neck stretched out so long it was almost pressed against Fu Yunzheng’s back!

I knew it!

“Scram!” Fu Yunzheng, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed, splashed water to shoo Yu He away, “Stop staring at me. What are you looking at?”

Yu He closed his eyes to dodge, not daring to admit what he had been looking at.

He turned around to open a disposable toothbrush, squeezed out some toothpaste, and put the toothbrush into his mouth with a serious demeanor. He appeared to be brushing his teeth in front of the mirror, but in reality, he was secretly observing through the reflection.

Fu Yunzheng was completely unaware and continued to shower as Yu He turned his back to him.

In short, as long as Fu Yunzheng was showering, Yu He was brushing his teeth.

By the time they got out of the bathroom, the soft tissue inside Yu He’s mouth was slightly wrinkled from the toothpaste, temporarily losing his sense of taste.

But it was worth it.

Lying back on the bed side by side with Fu Yunzheng, Yu He finally remembered to ask, “How did you know Huang Shaohang was Lao Ma’s man?”

Fu Yunzheng turned to face him, “I understand Burmese.”

Instantly, Yu He, who was feeling a bit drowsy, was wide awake.

“You understand Burmese?” Yu He’s eyes widened, “How come I didn’t know that?”

Fu Yunzheng spoke in a low voice, “The last time I was in Northern Myanmar, I suffered because I couldn’t understand Burmese. After returning to China, I specifically took some time to study it, but I didn’t tell anyone.”

Huang Shaohang thought neither Fu Yunzheng nor Yu He could understand Burmese, so no one here deliberately avoided speaking Burmese in front of Fu Yunzheng.

Fu Yunzheng kept his composure, silently gathering information about everyone present.

Yu He was utterly shocked, thinking to himself, is this even possible?

Isn’t this just like an open-book exam?

Yu He was astonished, murmuring, “You’re really cunning and shrewd.”

Fu Yunzheng gave Yu He a gentle kick under the blankets, “What are you talking about?”

Yu He hugged the quilt and chuckled secretly, “Oh, so now we can't say that Boss Fu is getting old, or he'll get angry.”

“Your junior is young.” Fu Yunzheng turned over, showing his back to Yu He, “I haven’t even blamed you for attracting bees and butterflies all day long, resulting in this mess of emotional debts.”

Yu He propped himself up on his elbow, sat up, and pursued the topic, “What emotional debts? I’ve always treated him as a junior. Besides, we were still young back in school; I didn’t even notice he had such feelings.”

Fu Yunzheng curved his lips, barely holding back a smile, his voice calm, “What can you notice? Now that you've grown up, have you finally noticed his feelings?”

Yu He was left speechless.

He was indeed quite obtuse when it came to relationships; the quickest he’d ever caught on was with Fu Yunzheng.

“Anyway, anyway, we were just classmates, and I had plenty of friends in high school…”

Yu He didn’t realize that Fu Yunzheng was teasing him and thought that Fu Yunzheng was actually jealous. He felt a bit anxious to explain himself and secretly pleased that Fu Yunzheng, a man of such stature, would be petty over such a small matter, showing how important he was to Fu Yunzheng.

Of course, Yu He already knew how important he was to Fu Yunzheng, but he still enjoyed seeing Fu Yunzheng show signs of jealousy.

Yu He leaned in and asked, “Boss Fu, are you jealous?”

Fu Yunzheng closed his eyes, avoiding the question, “The food in Yun Su is light; they don’t really use vinegar.”

Trying to cover it up just made it more apparent.

Yu He was delighted inside, and he teasingly retorted, “They all say people from Yun Su are gentle, but you’re not gentle at all.”

Fu Yunzheng turned around, his voice as cold as solid ice: “Am I not gentle?”

“Gentle, very gentle,” Yu He's ear itched, and he stretched out his hand to rub it: “You're the gentlest, so gentle it's killing me.”

Fu Yunzheng lifted the stray hairs by Yu He’s ear: “What’s wrong with your ear, got a rash?”

Yu He shook his head: “No, I was just checking if the back of my ear is hard.”

Fu Yunzheng asked: “So, is the back of your ear hard?”

“Yes, it is,” Yu He fiddled with the back of his ear: “That’s why I said it shouldn’t be.”

“Shouldn’t be what?”

Yu He, with his highly intuitive sixth sense, suddenly felt a chill down his spine and didn't dare to continue. He changed the subject, discussing the matters ahead with Fu Yunzheng.

Yu He said: “When you go back to China, I'll find a chance to make my escape as well.”

Huang Shaohang had never restricted Yu He’s personal freedom. If Yu He wanted to leave, there would be plenty of opportunities.

Fu Yunzheng commented: “The way you put it, it sounds a bit like you're being unfaithful.”

Yu He, somewhat helpless, said: “Call it unfaithful if you want, but I only have one heart, and since I’ve promised it to you, I can't give it to anyone else.”

*

The next morning, Yu He woke up early.

Fu Yunzheng, whose biological clock was always punctual, was still sleeping, unusually failing to wake up on time.

Signs of last night’s indulgence and exhaustion were still evident on Fu Yunzheng’s face. He lay on his side, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, a duvet of goose feathers covering him, with faint love bites visible near his collarbone.

Yu He rested on his arm, kissing the sleeping Fu Yunzheng with his gaze over and over again.

He really liked Fu Yunzheng so much, not wanting to be apart from him even for a second.

Fu Yunzheng must feel the same, which is why he kept indulging Yu He in postponing his return date, until a significant issue arose at the company, necessitating his return to China. Such a serious issue that required Fu Yunzheng’s personal attention must be quite grave. However, probably not wanting to worry Yu He, Fu Yunzheng only mentioned it briefly.

Once Fu Yunzheng leaves, Yu He also wants to find an opportunity to hurry back to China when Huang Shaohang is not paying attention.

He was originally worried that Huang Shaohang would be bullied by Guai Zi San, but it turned out that Huang Shaohang, using another identity, played everyone around, successfully plotting against both Yu He and Fu Yunzheng, while also scheming Guai Zi San into a huge gambling debt. He was just one step away from completely driving this opponent out of Northern Myanmar.

Who would have thought that solid glutinous rice balls would turn into sesame glutinous rice balls?

Huang Shaohang is thriving in Northern Myanmar, leaving Yu He with nothing to worry about. He is somewhat angry at Huang Shaohang for scheming against him. Even though it's hard for Yu He to remain calm after being manipulated like this, he can’t help but feel sentimental about how the once innocent and harmless young master has now become inscrutable and unpredictable.

People must grow through trials and tribulations.

Yu He's mentality has also changed due to certain experiences, whether it's becoming more mature, more steady, or more realistic. In any case, he is closer to what people generally define as ‘growing up.’

Honestly, it doesn't feel great.

Many say that Northern Myanmar is a treacherous place. Climbing to the pinnacle of the pyramid in such an environment, Huang Shaohang had to abandon all his once weak traits, undergoing trials and tribulations unknown to others, and emerging stronger from the fire.

Yu He is happy that his former friend has become a stronger person, but he is also saddened by the pain his friend has endured.

Such a transformation is hard to simply define as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’

The complexity of this world is beyond words. After a tumble through the mundane world, those who survive are covered in scars, having undergone a complete transformation, with innocence and the weak perishing together.

There are very few, like Yu He, who have just tasted the bitterness of the mortal world when Fu Yunzheng came to rescue him.

Fu Yunzheng is the lover destined for Yu He, as well as the benefactor in his life.

But not everyone is so lucky to meet their benefactor at the right time.

Yu He has no right to criticize Huang Shaohang's transformation.

A teenager of sixteen or seventeen doesn’t know how to disguise themselves. Yu He knows what kind of person Huang Shaohang is; he wouldn't have changed like this if he hadn't been pushed to the brink.

Yu He himself has struggled in desperate situations before, and he knows what it feels like.

Lifting his hand, Yu He's fingertip touched Fu Yunzheng’s forehead.

It was Fu Yunzheng who brought him out of it.

Fu Yunzheng’s eyebrows moved slightly, and he fluttered open his eyes.

“What are you doing?” Fu Yunzheng spoke, his voice uncharacteristically hoarse.

Yu He reached out to feel Fu Yunzheng’s forehead, “Why is your voice so hoarse? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Fu Yunzheng feels uncomfortable all over.

His body feels as if it has been stuffed into a washing machine and tumbled around three times. Opening his eyes only brings dizziness and a feeling of weakness in all his bones. A slight movement causes the muscles between his waist and legs to ache severely.

Propping himself up on his arms to sit up, his arms tremble slightly under the strain, the fatigue no less than that of returning from a rock climbing session.

He can't blame his body for not being able to take it; he did indeed...indulge a bit too much yesterday.

The thought of having to sit through several hours of car and plane rides in this state makes Fu Yunzheng’s vision go dark.

Fu Yunzheng massages the bridge of his nose, saying, “Next time before we go out, try to hold back a bit.”

“I was holding back,” Yu He responds, pulling back the duvet from Fu Yunzheng’s body, “Come on, let me give you a back massage.”

“You did not hold back.” Fu Yunzheng points out expressionlessly, “You're young, but can you really handle four times in one day?”

Yu He’s fingertips work to undo Fu Yunzheng’s pajamas, revealing a body covered in bite marks and bruises. He can’t help but feel a bit guilty, “Isn’t this me showing my loyalty to you?”

Lying face down on the bed, Fu Yunzheng turns his head to give Yu He a sidelong glance, “So your loyalty means turning from a crane to a dog that bites, huh? Where did you pick up this bad habit?”

Yu He admits openly, “I don't know. But seeing the marks I left on you makes me happy.”

“Hmm, not bad,” Fu Yunzheng responds casually, “That’s probably what a little dog thinks when it's marking its territory with urine.”

Yu He gives Fu Yunzheng a gentle kiss on the back of his neck, “Do you prefer little dogs then?”

Fu Yunzheng closes his eyes, “Whatever you are, I like it.”

This pleases Yu He, making him even happier than leaving marks on Fu Yunzheng’s body, “So am I a little dog or a little crane?”

After a moment of silence, Fu Yunzheng raises a profound question, “Can't you just be a person?”

Yu He tends to persist with weird questions, insisting that Fu Yunzheng gives an answer, “You were the one who said I’m like a little dog. I think little dogs are pretty good too; they’re the most loyal. Hey? Is there an animal that's both a dog and a crane?”

Struck by a sudden thought, Fu Yunzheng plays along, “Isn’t that just you? A Dog-Crane.”