Chapter 34: Kiss on the Eyelid – Huo Zong, I’ll Die with You

Chapter 34: Kiss on the Eyelid - Huo Zong, I'll Die with You

"Huo Zong."

Jiang Fengmian grabbed Huo Zong's wrist, but as soon as his fingertips touched the scars, Huo Zong pulled away.

He tucked his arm behind his back, seemingly unable to face Jiang Fengmian, and took small steps backward.

"Brother, don’t shut me out, okay?"

Tears streamed down Jiang Fengmian’s face, his heart aching with concern. He was careful not to upset Huo Zong as he gently hooked his wrist.

"Brother, I’m worried about you."

"Jiang Fengmian, please, don’t look."

Huo Zong’s eyes were half-closed, his nails digging deeply into his palm, afraid of frightening Jiang Fengmian.

"Huo Zong, didn’t you say yesterday that I’m your kitten? Let the kitten see. I just... I’m heartbroken for you."

Once Huo Zong seemed a bit calmer, Jiang Fengmian wiped his tears and slowly pulled his wrist, placing his hand over the scars, both deep and shallow.

Tears fell hot onto Huo Zong’s wrist, some leaving marks on the raised scars, which had built up over the years and now looked horrifying at first glance.

"Huo Zong, does it hurt?"

Jiang Fengmian had always thought Huo Zong’s anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder were severe, but he never imagined that in places no one could see, Huo Zong had wanted to give up on himself countless times.

"It doesn’t hurt."

"But I am, Huo Zong. I’m in agony. How could you do this? How could you?"

Jiang Fengmian’s tears kept falling, and he cried so hard he could barely breathe. Hatred for the Huo family welled up inside him, and he wished he could destroy them all right then.

"Don’t... don’t cry. It doesn’t hurt, really, it doesn’t."

Huo Zong awkwardly wiped Jiang Fengmian’s tears. He had expected Jiang Fengmian to be afraid of him, would think he was mentally ill, but instead, Jiang Fengmian was only concerned for him.

"Kitten, please don’t cry anymore, okay?"

"Yesterday... was it...?"

Jiang Fengmian couldn’t finish his sentence. Were the scissors on the nightstand used for this?

Using dull scissors to cut into the skin of the wrist—how excruciating must that have been?

"Brother, how could you do this? How could you?"

Jiang Fengmian gripped his chest, his heart wrenched in pain, as if an invisible hand were crushing it, pierced and shredded, letting everything spill out.

"I’m sorry."

Huo Zong desperately tried to hide the scars on his wrist. The watch Jiang Fengmian had given him was still clutched in Jiang Fengmian’s hand, its face completely shattered, impossible to conceal.

All his darkness was laid bare in the sunlight, and Huo Zong’s mind buzzed as he kept muttering apologies.

Jiang Fengmian’s figure in his eyes began to blur again. Huo Zong blinked, panic spreading through him, and he instinctively glanced at the fruit knife on the coffee table.

"Huo Zong, from now on, don’t do this anymore, okay?"

"I'm not scared, not at all. You're Huo Zong, the Huo Zong I've trusted all along."

"I'm just afraid, afraid that one day I could lose you. Huo Zong, if you go, I'll die with you."

I'll die with you.

Huo Zong's mind was in turmoil, and he instinctively murmured, "What?"

"I said, Huo Zong, I'll die with you."

Jiang Fengmian picked up the fruit knife on the table and pressed the handle against his own wrist. He gazed intently at Huo Zong, a smile still lingering in his eyes, his tone was soft, yet his words were firm.

"Huo Zong, for every cut on your wrist, I'll make one on mine. I'm not joking."

The knife fell with a clang.

Huo Zong snatched the knife and threw it away fiercely. He embraced Jiang Fengmian fearfully, his entire body shaking uncontrollably.

"No more, not ever again."

The high wall in Huo Zong's heart was breached by Jiang Fengmian's gentle touch. He allowed Jiang Fengmian in and then sealed the breach. Once inside, there was no way out.

"Jiang Fengmian, you said you'd die with me."

"Yes, I said I'd die with you."

As he held Jiang Fengmian, Huo Zong's surging emotions slowly subsided. He nestled his chin into Jiang Fengmian's neck, slightly turned his head, and pressed against Jiang Fengmian's earlobe, exercising immense restraint to keep from kissing him.

"Little cat, please stop crying. Only you have seen it, only you know."

"Jiang Fengmian, I've bared everything to you."

"Yes, no more tears."

Jiang Fengmian tried hard to hold back his tears. He pulled away from Huo Zong's embrace, pulled the watch from his pocket, and before fastening it, his fingers traced over the scars, closing his eyes briefly.

Each time Huo Zong cut, it was just deep enough to bring him to the brink of death. Before, Jiang Fengmian didn't understand why the medical kit was so well-stocked. Now he understood, Huo Zong had a morbid fascination with the thrill of death.

He could vividly picture Huo Zong's state, the blood flowing from his body, Huo Zong coldly watching the blood drops fall, until the thrill of near-death surged, then calmly sutured and bandaged.

His expression was likely mocking, indifferent, like someone beyond life and death, living just to get by, with nothing to regret in death.

"Jiang Fengmian, isn't it ugly?"

"No, not at all."

The obsession was at its peak, controlling every mark on the skin, one cut misaligned from the next, starting again from the middle each time.

Huo Zong was truly a madman.

Jiang Fengmian thought, he was the madman he loved.

Jiang Fengmian couldn't resist lifting Huo Zong's wrist and kissing the scars.

A series of light kisses, devoid of any lust, just kisses of heartache.

"Jiang Fengmian," Huo Zong murmured.

The skin on his wrist felt like it was on fire, burning intensely, urging him to tie Jiang Fengmian up, to keep him in his sight, to kiss him gently like this.

"You don’t have to go through with this."

"Brother, I don’t think it’s ugly—it’s actually really nice."

It’s like a piece of exquisite art, but the artist chose the wrong canvas.

Jiang Fengmian’s fingertips brushed over it once more before gently clasping the watch around Huo Zong’s wrist.

"Brother, the watch is for you."

Jiang Fengmian belongs to you too.

The watch strap hid those marks perfectly, and Jiang Fengmian’s red eyes softened. "Huo Zong, do you want to take the little one out for Children’s Day? They’re itching to go."

"Sure, we’ll go wherever they want."

Jiang Fengmian went back to the bathroom, washed his face, pressed an ice pack to his eyes to ease the soreness, and practiced smiling in the mirror.

When they went downstairs, neither brought up the earlier topic, and the knives that had been out were now gone.

Since it was Children’s Day, Huo Zong decided to take Jiang Fengmian to the amusement park.

It was a weekday, so the park wasn’t crowded, and most rides had no lines.

"Jiang Fengmian, are you scared of heights?"

With so many intense rides, Huo Zong worried Jiang Fengmian might not be up for them.

"Not scared of heights."

As they boarded the roller coaster, Jiang Fengmian’s eyes widened, his fingers clutching Huo Zong’s, his mouth slightly open but silent.

The wind ruffled his hair, and when Jiang Fengmian turned to Huo Zong, he was met with Huo Zong’s gentle gaze, which never wavered from him.

"Jiang Fengmian, if you’re scared, just yell."

The roller coaster halted at its peak, and Jiang Fengmian’s heart skipped a beat. Huo Zong squeezed his hand, leaned close to his lips, then casually pulled back.

The next moment, the roller coaster plunged, and Huo Zong’s words floated on the wind.

He said, "Jiang Fengmian, you gave me this watch—does it mean something more?"

"Something more?"

Jiang Fengmian’s lips curved into a smile as he called out Huo Zong’s name.

That’s what it means—the name engraved, that’s his message.

After the roller coaster, Jiang Fengmian’s legs gave out as he leaned into Huo Zong, his eyes half-closed, hoping Huo Zong wouldn’t revisit the earlier topic.

"Jiang Fengmian, still up for something that intense?"

"Nope, nope."

Jiang Fengmian: Thanks, but I’m good.

His head was spinning, and his legs were too weak to walk.

"Kitty, can you walk? If not, I’ll carry you."

Jiang Fengmian hesitated for a moment, then nodded. It would take about ten minutes to walk from here to the entrance, and there was no place to sit and rest around. The blazing sun made it pretty unbearable.

Jiang Fengmian lay on Huo Zong's back, holding tightly around his neck, and mumbled, "Brother, I'm not scared, just a bit tired."

"Hmm, my little cat is the bravest, not scared at all."

A hint of triumph flashed in Huo Zong's eyes. He walked very slowly, and with each step, his hand gradually rested on Jiang Fengmian's roundness, just holding it properly.

Jiang Fengmian bit his lip, shyly fiddling with his earlobe, lost in thought. He remembered that last time Huo Zong carried him, he held his legs.

If this kept up, he might just do something crazy right there.

Just as various thoughts arose, Huo Zong gently placed him on a bench and sat down next to him, casually peeling an orange candy.

"Jiang Fengmian, am I really that boring?"

He was so uptight that even at an amusement park, he couldn’t relax, unsure of how to "play."

In his past, there was no room for such things. He stuck to a routine of studying and working, with hardly any fun. He was different from Su Yanchu, who’d taken countless flings to all the hot spots in the city, always having a great time.

"It's fun. Being with you, everything is fun."

Just sitting in the breeze and eating a piece of candy, as long as he was next to Huo Zong, Jiang Fengmian found it fun.

Huo Zong’s gaze lingered on the tip of Jiang Fengmian’s nose. He remembered from the files that Jiang Fengmian didn’t have this mole on his nose.

"Brother, I’m craving hotpot for lunch, is that cool?"

"Sure, I know a pretty good place nearby."

Once they’d rested enough, Jiang Fengmian stood up, leaning on Huo Zong’s hand, hooked a finger around Huo Zong’s and swayed as they walked.

"Brother, is that Huo Qilin up ahead?"

At the corner of the street, Huo Qilin entered a coffee shop with a briefcase.

"Let's go take a look."

The café was divided into private sections. Using the crowd as cover, Huo Zong led Jiang Fengmian through the maze of tables, sitting right behind Huo Qilin against the wall.

Huo Zong tapped the menu, casually ordering two drinks, and made a shushing gesture to Jiang Fengmian.

"Mr. Huo, have you decided yet?"

Jiang Fengqiu cursed Huo Qilin’s family tree in his head. After leaving Heaven and Earth, he came down with a fever.

He’d walked by the river many times, but this was the first time he’d gotten his feet wet. Jiang Fengqiu wished he could slap Huo Qilin twice.

"Check out my proposal and see if it aligns with your company’s vision."

Huo Zong's lips curled into a mocking smile. This proposal was tailor-made for Huo Qilin, flawless and ready to go.

"Mr. Huo's ideas are indeed much more advanced than ours. I wonder if Mr. Huo is participating individually or with a team. You know, it’s not easy for the Jiang family to secure this opportunity, and we're short on both personnel and funds."

Mentioning money, Huo Qilin remembered he still owed Heaven and Earth a million.

"Jiang Fengqiu, let’s split the tab for the drinks and the room, but forget the condoms."

"What?"

Perhaps because he was too shocked, Jiang Fengqiu's voice rose several decibels.

Damn, I’ve never seen someone so shameless, sleeping with someone and then asking to split the room and drink bills.

And he even has the nerve to mention the condom, as if he was the one who needed it.

Jiang Fengmian looked like he had just stumbled upon some juicy gossip, his expression one of pure amusement. Huo Qilin was shameless to the extreme—like the internet meme says, it was a "0-frame start."

"Brother... mmm."

Probably knowing what Jiang Fengmian was about to say, Huo Zong quickly covered his mouth and leaned close to his ear, speaking in a tone only the two of them could hear, "This isn’t something a kid should hear."

Jiang Fengqiu laughed bitterly, clutching his coffee cup as he stared at Huo Qilin in disbelief, "Mr. Huo, you’re not serious, are you?"

"Why would I joke? The drink bill is 347,000; I’ll round it down, so you owe me 340,000. I’ll consider the clothes a gift, fair enough?"

Fair enough, my ass.

"Mr. Huo, you’re the one who ordered the drinks and tore the clothes. Honestly, I never expected the precious young master of Huo Corporation to ask for a split bill after sleeping with someone."

Huo Qilin’s face turned almost crimson. What could he do? The old man hadn’t sent the money this month, and the club had already reminded him twice. The message was clear: if he didn’t pay within three days, he’d have to go back to the old house and confront the old man.

The good image he had maintained with the old man couldn’t be tarnished over something like this.

"Fine, I’ll split it. Mr. Huo, you’re something else."

What kind of partnership is this? He already had the plan figured out; he didn’t need Huo Qilin as deadweight.

"Will you scan me or wire the money?"

Jiang Fengqiu barely restrained himself from flipping the table. He forced a murderous smile and said through clenched teeth, "I’ll transfer it."

"Mr. Huo, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way."

"There is. You’ve seen the plan; what about the partnership?"

Jiang Fengqiu’s phone landed on the table with a thud. He crossed his arms and stared at Huo Qilin, his eyes filled with disgust.

"Mr. Huo, to be honest, you only have one plan, and all the follow-up is handled by the Jiang family. With that level of detail, our company could handle it too. It’s nothing groundbreaking."

"How about I give you a friendly price—347,000—and you generously round it down to 340,000. How’s that?"

Hehehe. Jiang Fengmian couldn’t contain his laughter. This cutthroat drama was truly entertaining. He wished there was more of it.

"Jiang Fengqiu, are you insulting me?"

"Mr. Huo, you were the one who insulted me first. That day, both of us were drugged; it was an accident. But what’s your point today? If it’s not an insult, then what is it supposed to be?"

"Mr. Huo, we’re all human. Don’t go too far."

Every man he’s slept with has been all sweet and eager to shower him with money. Only Huo Qilin, this moron, would ask to split the bill. Only a lunatic would give him a good face.

Tsk, Huo Qilin seemed to relish being scolded, smiling as he stroked his chin.

"Jiang Fengqiu, say a few more insults, let me hear them."

"Trying to get my attention, huh? These tactics of yours are centuries out of date, but it’s fine. I actually do fall for this kind of thing."

Thud.

Jiang Fengqiu picked up his coffee and splashed it on Huo Qilin's face, cursing in a fit of rage, "You have no shame."

Huo Qilin sneered, wiping his face, and hummed with interest.

"I really do like this type, Jiang Fengqiu. Sit down, let's talk about the cooperation properly."

Like hell we will.

"Huo, there’s nothing left to discuss. The profit from the cultural tourism project is still up in the air. If all you’re bringing is the plan, I can’t give you much profit, and that’s only if we win the bid."

"I’ll sell you the plan for 700k, and I’m out. Deal?"

Jiang Fengqiu hesitated. The Jiang family is a bunch of clowns; the people they poached can't even come up with a decent plan. If he had any other choice, he’d have slapped Huo Qilin ages ago.

"Words mean nothing. How do I know you won’t come back?"

"The contract’s ready. Take a look."

Huo Qilin had it all figured out. He knew Jiang Fengqiu wouldn't give him much profit. 700k was his target, enough to plug the hole in Tian Shang Ren Jian.

By then, Huo Corp would have the plan too, and it’d be out of his hands. It would depend on who could seize the opportunity first.

"Fine, but I can’t pay it all upfront. The plan still needs work, and I’ll need your input."

"Fine, give me 500k upfront."

Using Huo Zong’s plan, he scammed 700k. Huo Qilin was sickened. If the old man had just handed over the cash, he wouldn’t have been humiliated.

"What the hell are you all staring at?"

Huo Qilin’s hair was a mess. He wiped it with a wet wipe and kicked every chair in sight.

"Sir, you haven’t paid for the coffee."

34.7—the change Jiang Fengqiu left—was a slap in the face.

Huo Qilin paid and snapped, "Get lost."

"Bro, can I talk now?"

Huo Zong’s hand was still over Jiang Fengmian’s mouth. The small patch of skin had been licked by Jiang Fengmian’s tongue, leaving a burning itch.

"Mm."

"Huo Qilin’s a total idiot—stupid and rotten."

Don't think he didn't know; that was clearly Huo Zong’s plan.

"It's fine. The company's important confidential documents are missing. Chen Chen has already reported it to the police. As for when it will be discovered, how it will be discovered, and what will be done once it is, that's Huo Qilin's problem."

There's still some time before the bidding ends. Once Dong Li's character designs are all completed, game modeling can begin.

Huo Corporation has many departments working together with high synergy. Once the character designs are finalized, the game product can be completed in as little as a month.

No matter how good the stolen project is, Huo Zong has plenty of ways to make them lose everything.

Some of the content in the project proposal is simply beyond the capacity of a company of Jiang family's scale. What else can they do? Steal, copy, and grab.

Huo Zong tapped on the table, in an unusually good mood.

"Brother, try this, it's really bitter."

Huo Zong turned the coffee cup around, right where Jiang Fengmian had sipped.

He squinted and murmured, "It's quite sweet."

Jiang Fengmian felt burned by Huo Zong's stare, awkwardly looking away, playing with his messy hair while softly chuckling.

Does Huo Zong maybe have a little bit of a thing for him?

"Jiang Fengmian, let's go get the hotpot you love."

"Okay."

As they waited for the hotpot to heat up, Jiang Fengmian took out his phone and sent a message to Huo Zong.

[Jiang Fengmian: Cat belly up.jpg]

[Jiang Fengmian: Brother, my tummy's really soft, wanna feel it?]

[Huo Zong: I'll feel it once we're home.]

[Jiang Fengmian: Hmph, bro, I'm exhausted, my eyes are killing me, I need a kiss to feel better.]

The message was retracted.

[Jiang Fengmian: Hmph, bro, I'm exhausted, my eyes are killing me, I need you to blow on my eyes to make it better.]

Huo Zong was left speechless, holding his phone. A kiss, huh.

Is this how a silly little cat thinks?

"Jiang Fengmian, the meat's done, put your phone away."

"Okay."

Jiang Fengmian, still a kid at heart, got two more dolls for Children's Day, but this time they were won by Huo Zong at the balloon shooting game.

It was already dark when they got back to the villa.

Jiang Fengmian silently followed Huo Zong upstairs, the clicking sounds making him oddly nervous.

As they walked, Huo Zong stopped, and Jiang Fengmian looked up, realizing he was in Huo Zong's bedroom.

The door slammed shut.

Huo Zong pinned Jiang Fengmian against the door, one hand holding him in place while the other slid under Jiang Fengmian's shirt, feeling his soft belly.

With a blend of urgency, panic, and a touch of caution.

Jiang Fengmian's wildly beating heart suddenly calmed down, as if stepping into this room was like signing a consent form, silently agreed and mutually acted on.

"Brother, isn't it soft, feels good to touch."

"Hmm."

Huo Zong's fingertips brushed over the skin under the clothes, the smooth texture leaving him dazed and indulgent. He loved this skin-to-skin contact.

After a long while, Huo Zong's fingertips reluctantly moved away from Jiang Fengmian's v-line. He cleared his throat, "Jiang Fengmian, do you want to see the stars?"

"Yes."

The professional astronomical telescope was positioned in Huo Zong's bedroom. Huo Zong encircled Jiang Fengmian's back and adjusted the angle for him.

"Jiang Fengmian, the stars form a heart shape, and the one right in the center is unique."

"It's Jiang Fengmian's star."

Encircled by Huo Zong's heart, that star was trapped.

Jiang Fengmian whispered, "Such a beautiful star, thank you, brother, I really, really like it."

"I'm glad you like it."

Huo Zong stepped back slightly, his eyes fixed intently on Jiang Fengmian without blinking.

His fingertips twitched nervously, a strange tension filled the air. He lowered his brow and, upon seeing Jiang Fengmian's crimson earlobe, made up his mind.

Pecked.

It was a kiss that landed on Jiang Fengmian's eyelid, quick and light.

A kiss that accidentally landed on Jiang Fengmian's eyelid when he turned his head abruptly.

Jiang Fengmian's mouth slightly opened, and under Huo Zong's calm gaze, he couldn't help but brush his burning eyelid.

Was it really an accident, or...

He purposely sent that message, sure that Huo Zong had seen it.

So, it might have been Huo Zong's intentional mishap.

"Brother."

"Just now, did we, like, do this and that?"

Wow, the kitten really went for it, it wasn’t like that.

It could only be considered a staged accidental kiss.

"Jiang Fengmian, it was an accident."

Jiang Fengmian smirked, "Okay."

Hehe, such 'accidents' should happen three times a day—no, ten times!