Chapter 30: A Deadly Agreement

Chapter 30: A Deadly Agreement

Rong Xiao felt an unprecedented rage, as if his entire being was fuel to the fire. This anger wasn't directed outward, but inward, like the Sword of Damocles piercing him from head to toe, nailing him to the pillar of shame, finally facing this belated judgment.

He dialed Meng Wen directly, his voice low and decisive, "Your vacation is over."

When Meng Wen received the call, he was wearing only a simple shirt, casually buttoned. His hair wasn't meticulous but loosely hanging over his forehead. Holding the phone between his shoulder and ear, one hand held a spatula while the other tossed an egg in a frying pan, exuding a homely vibe.

"Okay," Meng Wen responded, turned off the gas stove, and hung up. He served the fried egg on a bowl of instant noodles set aside.

With a clang, he placed the noodles on the dining table and looked towards the living room, addressing the man sprawled on the sofa, legs wide open, engrossed in a gaming console, "How much longer will you stay?"

As the enticing aroma wafted out, Yan Si sat up like a golden retriever, his messy blond hair bouncing, "Is it ready to eat?"

He put down the console, sat at the dining table but noticed there were no chopsticks. He looked at Meng Wen, acting like a pampered young master, "Where are the chopsticks? Do you expect me to eat with my hands?"

Meng Wen locked eyes with him for a few seconds, silently turned around, grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the rack, and slammed them down in front of him with a snap.

Yan Si, a handful himself, seemed like a dog trainer, picking up the chopsticks and started slurping down the noodles.

Meng Wen, no longer paying attention to him, turned and walked into the bedroom, opening the wardrobe. Inside were neatly arranged white shirts and black suits, all identical in style, perfectly ironed without a single wrinkle, requiring no time to choose.

As he took off his shirt, revealing a well-toned muscular body, his back muscles flexing with movement, he was about to take off his pants when he abruptly stopped, turning towards the door. There stood Yan Si, leaning against the doorway, holding a bowl of noodles, watching him change while eating. Noticing Meng Wen had paused, Yan Si chewed on his noodles and urged, "Keep changing."

Meng Wen's brow furrowed, his voice deep, "Get out."

"I'm not stopping you from changing." Yan Si took a sip of the noodle soup, then bit into the fried egg with his chopsticks, "Hurry up."

Meng Wen let go of his pants, which hung loosely on his hips, loosely enough to reveal a hint of abdominal hair. He walked over and slammed the bedroom door shut, refusing the audience.

However, just as he was about to continue changing, a faint noise came from the door. A flamboyant mobile phone slid through the door crack, its camera aimed right at him.

Caught off guard, Meng Wen, "...",

He threw his shirt at the camera, accurately covering the lens, and quickly dressed in his suit, adjusting the cuffs before yanking the bedroom door open.

Yan Si, who had been peeping through the crack, suddenly fell into his arms, "Damn—!"

Meng Wen caught him by the waist with one hand, cushioning the impact with his muscular arm, then pushed him away firmly, "I'm off to work, Mr. Yan, please make yourself at home."

"What work?" Yan Si, like a clingy snake, reached from behind to grope Meng Wen's firm buttocks, his fingers daringly slipping into the waistband, "In such a hurry?"

Meng Wen grabbed his wrist, now visibly annoyed, "You—".

Unexpectedly, Yan Si flicked his finger and pulled out a tag from Meng Wen's waistband, laughing, "So rushed you didn't even cut off your underwear tag?"

This time, it was Meng Wen's turn to feel embarrassed. A visible flush of red appeared on his usually emotionless face, almost cursing in his mind, 'Damn it, if you hadn't been peeping, would I be in such a hurry?'

Suddenly, Yan Si leaned down towards Meng Wen's waist, his breath palpably close. This sudden move made Meng Wen tense up in his lower abdomen, but unexpectedly, Yan Si only used his teeth to bite off the nylon thread of the tag and then pulled it off.

"There," Yan Si casually tossed the tag into the trash can, "You can go now."

This 'You can go now' sounded almost like an imperial pardon, leaving Meng Wen momentarily disbelieving. Had he really been entangled by Yan Si for two whole days, just to be allowed to leave this easily?

"What?" Yan Si, arms crossed, watched him with an amused smile, "Another round?"

Upon hearing that, Meng Wen turned and left immediately, slamming the door shut behind him.

Yan Si stood in the living room for a while, reminiscing about Meng Wen's irritated expression, and couldn't help but chuckle.

He flopped down on the sofa, picked up the latest gaming console that Meng Wen had bought for him, and continued playing contentedly, muttering, "Tougher than a dick."

Meng Wen appeared in front of Rong Xiao at exactly a quarter past nine, still in his black suit, like a sheathed ink-black blade, giving a slight nod to Rong Xiao, "Director Rong."

"Find someone." Rong Xiao tossed his phone to him, the call log with Yun Zi'an already exported, "Immediately."

"Okay," Meng Wen was evidently accustomed to such tasks. His role was to execute all of Rong Xiao's commands, "I'll get on it right away."

Just as he was about to leave, he noticed Rong Xiao frowning and looking at him, so he paused and asked, "Do you have any other instructions, sir?"

Rong Xiao noticed a faint red mark peeking out from Meng Wen's collar, reaching out to adjust his collar upwards, "Mind your appearance."

Meng Wen's pupils dilated slightly, frowning as he touched his neck and lowered his head, murmuring a "Got it," before hurriedly leaving.

Watching his erect posture, Rong Xiao's voice deepened after a few seconds, "That knife, still under investigation."

The word "knife" brutally struck Meng Wen's nerves, making his figure shudder momentarily, but he quickly regained composure, clenched the hand wearing the glove, turned, and nodded slightly to Rong Xiao, "Thank you, Director Rong."

Meng Wen's efficiency was always reliable. In just a few minutes, he had located the hotel and room number. Once he had all the data, he volunteered to drive for Rong Xiao, his excellent driving skills evident not just in city traffic but even in desert terrain.

During the drive, his personal phone rang repeatedly with an old, bloodstained song of a hundred years, "Вставай, проклятьем заклеймённый (Rise, you who are branded with a curse), Весь мир голодных и рабов! (All the world of hungry and slaves!), Кипит наш разум возмущённый (Our incensed minds are boiling), И в смертный бой вести готов (And ready to lead a mortal fight)."

Sitting in the backseat, Rong Xiao observed Meng Wen disconnecting the calls repeatedly, his brows knitting slightly, "Answer it, I don't mind."

"It's nothing." Meng Wen simply removed his personal SIM card and broke it in half, "Just spam calls."

Remembering the vivid kiss mark beneath his collar, Rong Xiao didn't say much more. As he got out of the car, he tossed a set of car keys to Meng Wen, "My private car is parked in the company's underground garage. It's yours now."

Rong Xiao got out of the car, glanced up at the restaurant in front of him, straightened his coat's collar, his eyes fierce as if seeking vengeance, making the waitstaff too scared to approach.

The elevator door dinged open, Rong Xiao's shoes clacking against the floor, his presence intimidating. As he saw the room number, he spun and delivered a powerful kick, the rotation amplifying the force, and with a loud bang, the door burst open.

Rong Xiao reached through the hole, easily unhooking the safety chain, then pressed down on the handle and entered.

He had expected to find a lurid scene, naked bodies intertwined, but instead found the room empty, void of any human presence.

As he moved through the rooms, he finally saw Yun Zi'an, dressed in a burgundy silk robe, legs crossed, sitting on the bay window sill. Water droplets fell from his hair, the steam still rising off his body, a glass of red wine in his hand, swirling and discerning its aroma, appearing as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Rong Xiao was momentarily stunned as he entered the room. In the few minutes since he had arrived, he had confirmed there were no other men in the room, just two breathing sounds: one from Yun Zi'an and one from himself.

After a half-minute pause, he turned to walk towards the bedroom, but Yun Zi'an called out from behind, "Rong Xiao."

A mocking smile played on Yun Zi'an's lips, "Are you an unweaned child?"

His words were a taunt at Rong Xiao's childish behavior, implying that only a child would jealously guard a toy, not allowing others to even touch it.

Rong Xiao's brows furrowed deeply, his throat tightening involuntarily, "Did that Lee... leave?"

"He left," Yun Zi'an raised his chin towards an empty set of drinkware on the bar, "I told you, I was going to drink with a man tonight."

Rong Xiao couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly was making him angry. Before he could speak, Yun Zi'an slapped a stack of documents against his chest, "I invited him to drink because I want him to join my next film project as the chief outdoor photographer. Lee has extensive outdoor experience, his skills surpass most local photographers."

Rong Xiao quickly scanned the contract, a series of familiar, small country names causing his eyes to redden. Clutching the papers tightly, he looked up incredulously, "You're going to F country to shoot?"

"Yes," Yun Zi'an leaned on his cheek, smiling at him, "What about it?"

"I don't allow it," Rong Xiao knew all too well the situation there – war, disease, poverty, chaos... any of these could easily cost a life.

He slammed the contract onto the table, expressing his stance forcefully, "You can't go!"

Yun Zi'an observed him for a few seconds, then suddenly chuckled, "And what right do you have to make such demands?"

Rong Xiao stepped forward to confront him, his tall figure casting an oppressive shadow on Yun Zi'an's face, his voice deepening, "As your husband."

Yun Zi'an nodded, smiling, "Okay."

Suddenly, he grabbed Rong Xiao's arm and pushed him down onto the velvet carpet of the bay window. Then, he straddled Rong Xiao's waist with his long legs.

Rong Xiao was taken aback and just as he was about to get up, Yun Zi'an pressed him down. The next second, his wine glass tilted, spilling the pale red liquid with a strong herbal aroma all over his chest, soaking his shirt, revealing the contours of his muscles.

With a clang, Yun Zi'an discarded the wine glass, his fingers trailing down dangerously over Rong Xiao's abdomen. Eyeing Rong Xiao, he licked his lips mischievously, "As long as you can stay soft, I'll agree to your terms."