Chapter 23

Chapter 23

After Assistant Song returned with the materials related to the TV drama, Shang Huoyong quickly skimmed through them and could undoubtedly confirm that this TV drama, titled "Yu Lin Ling," was the one that had been a huge hit in his previous life.

As for whether the cast and the broadcast performance of the TV drama would remain the same as in the previous life after the investor changed from Shang Yizhi to Su Tinghe, it was still unknown.

Shang Huoyong stared at the pages in his hand, lost in thought. Seeing this, Assistant Song assumed there were no issues but sensed something odd between the boss and his wife today.

At that moment, the secretary came to knock on the door, saying that someone from the Su Group had arrived. Assuming it might be Su Tinghe's father or a senior executive coming over regarding the follow-up cooperation, Shang Huoyong went to the meeting room, only to encounter Su Tinghe's younger brother, Su Qingyue.

Su Qingyue stood up and greeted enthusiastically, "Hello, Brother Shang."

Shang Huoyong frowned slightly and nodded slightly in return.

Su Qingyue didn't start with work but instead mentioned Su Tinghe: "I ran into my brother at the hospital yesterday and found out his hand was injured. When I told my parents about it, they were deeply concerned."

"Your brother's phone is on, and my door isn't closed either," Shang Huoyong said. "If they were really worried, they could have called or come over directly."

Su Qingyue's face tightened, and he explained, "My parents are swamped with work and couldn't find the time, so they specifically sent me today to check on the situation."

Shang Huoyong retorted directly, "Does your mother have a job?"

Su Qingyue's face stiffened even more, and he said dryly, "My mother has been occupied with other matters recently." He cleared his throat awkwardly twice and changed the topic: "But fortunately, Shang Yizhi accompanied my brother to the hospital yesterday. Why didn't you accompany him, Brother Shang?"

Shang Huoyong replied succinctly, "I was away on business."

"No wonder," Su Qingyue remarked knowingly. "Otherwise, my brother would definitely have asked you to accompany him to the hospital first, not Shang Yizhi. But my brother and Shang Yizhi were very close back in school—so close that I almost suspected they were dating."

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Qingyue suddenly realized he had said something wrong. He observed Shang Huoyong's expression, laughed awkwardly twice, and tried to cover up by saying, "I was only joking, Brother Shang. Don't take it seriously."

Shang Huoyong said indifferently, "Why would I take it seriously?"

Su Qingyue continued to laugh awkwardly twice, hinting, "Indeed, there's no need to dwell on it. We're all family. If the older brother isn't around, it's normal for the younger brother to accompany the sister-in-law to the hospital."

Shang Huoyong's gaze turned icy, and he said seriously, "What exactly are you trying to say? Let's set personal matters aside for now. Can we talk business?"

Shang Huoyong could plainly see that Su Qingyue was attempting to sow discord, but his acting was too clumsy. In comparison, Su Tinghe was at least like West Lake Longjing tea, while Su Qingyue was completely a low-quality green tea.

Su Qingyue hadn't expected Shang Huoyong to be so unyielding. He had almost explicitly hinted that Su Tinghe and Shang Yizhi had an affair, but Shang Huoyong showed no reaction.

This suggested two possibilities: either Shang Huoyong didn't care about Su Tinghe at all, or Shang Huoyong had an extraordinary ability to remain indifferent—or he was pretending. Su Qingyue preferred to believe it was the former.

Su Qingyue decided to stop while he was ahead and started talking about business, but Shang Huoyong frowned as he listened and interrupted him, "Do you have specific data?"

Su Qingyue stammered and couldn't provide a clear answer, fumbling through the documents he had brought. Shang Huoyong's patience ran out, and he said coldly, "I think it would be more appropriate to have someone more familiar with the company's business come next time. Don't you agree?"

With that, Shang Huoyong made a move to stand up and had Assistant Song see Su Qingyue out. Su Qingyue reached out to stop Shang Huoyong, hurriedly explaining, "I've done a lot of preparation work regarding the cooperation between our two companies. Brother Shang, please listen to me."

Shang Huoyong subtly avoided Su Qingyue's outstretched hand, and Assistant Song, with great tact, stopped Su Qingyue, saying, "Young Master Su, this way, please."

Su Qingyue's hand fell empty, and he called out plaintively, "Brother Shang." Anyone who didn't know better might have thought Shang Huoyong had done something wrong to him.

Shang Huoyong only glanced at Su Qingyue briefly, his expression unchanged, and left directly.

Su Qingyue's face contorted with anger, stomping his feet in frustration. He had insisted on this trip, boasting to his father about it. Now, stuck in this embarrassing mess, he knew he'd catch hell when he got back.

But if he could ever win Shang Huoyong over, that would be the ultimate win.

Su Qingyue's nails were digging into his palms, torn between confidence in winning Shang Huoyong and fury over today's humiliation. With a stony face, he stormed off.

Across town, Su Tinghe and Bai Hua were chatting away in a coffee shop, fine-tuning their plans for the night.

As they parted, Bai Hua hugged Su Tinghe and said, "Good luck."

Su Tinghe hugged him back, murmuring shyly, "Take care of yourself. If you need cash, just hit me up."

Bai Hua chuckled softly, "Don't sweat it, I'll be fine." Then, leaning in, he whispered in Su Tinghe's ear, "Take it easy tonight, don't push yourself."

Su Tinghe blushed, nodding as he said, "Okay."

Back home, Su Tinghe made a beeline for Shang Huoyong's wardrobe, sifting through a stack of white shirts. He picked one that was soft, baggy, and a bit see-through.

Su Tinghe stood in front of the mirror, practicing sultry looks from online tutorials. His eyes were nearly twitching from the strain by the time Shang Huoyong got home.

The moment Shang Huoyong walked in, Su Tinghe eagerly greeted him, his eyes lighting up as he cooed, "Honey."

Su Tinghe's enthusiasm was back, stronger than ever. Shang Huoyong, suspicious, thought Su Tinghe was trying to seduce and throw him off. He was determined to stay sharp, no matter what Su Tinghe did.

Shang Huoyong gave a casual "Hmm," deliberately avoiding Su Tinghe's eyes.

Su Tinghe slipped his arm through Shang Huoyong's, following him back to their room. He fetched Shang Huoyong's loungewear himself, saying, "Honey, go change. Need any help?"

Su Tinghe's enthusiasm today was overwhelming. Shang Huoyong, keeping a straight face, waved him off, "No need, I can change by myself."

"Then after you change, come out quickly for dinner, okay?" Su Tinghe lingered at the doorframe, reluctantly letting go while subtly sending flirtatious glances toward Shang Huoyong.

Shang Huoyong deliberately avoided looking at Su Tinghe, focusing on unbuttoning his shirt, waiting for Su Tinghe to leave before changing.

The loungewear Su Tinghe had prepared for Shang Huoyong was a soft, silky, and loose mulberry silk set, designed so that a gentle lift of the foot could easily reveal more during dinner.

Su Tinghe had made thorough preparations, but when they sat down to eat, he realized for the first time how wide their dining table was.

Su Tinghe was dumbfounded, angrily sipping his juice through a straw. It wasn't until he had drunk most of it that he suddenly remembered the juice was an important prop.

Su Tinghe quickly stopped drinking, leaning to the side. When Shang Huoyong looked up, Su Tinghe bit the straw and winked at him.

Su Tinghe thought he had executed it perfectly, having practiced this move in front of the mirror for a long time.

But Shang Huoyong simply asked, "Did you get an eyelash in your eye?"

Su Tinghe was instantly deflated, exhaling sharply as he emphasized, "No, my eyes are fine."

Shang Huoyong put down his chopsticks, seriously saying to Su Tinghe, "Then you might have dry eye syndrome. You should use some eye drops."

Su Tinghe: "..."

Shang Huoyong added, "We happen to have some at home. Do you want them?"

Su Tinghe: "..."

Su Tinghe sucked down the rest of his juice in one go, gritting his teeth as he said, "No need."

Su Tinghe angrily poked at the rice in his bowl, asking, "Don't you think our dining table is too big? I can't even reach the dishes."

Shang Huoyong thought for a moment and said, "You can sit over here, and then there won't be this issue."

"I mean," Su Tinghe gestured, "it's just the two of us. Do we really need such a big table?"

Shang Huoyong nodded, "I think it's necessary."

"Fine," Su Tinghe gave in, "I'll just sit over here."

With that, Su Tinghe scooted over to the other side of the table corner, placing himself diagonally across from Shang Huoyong, bringing them closer.

The distance now was just right, and Su Tinghe was finally satisfied. After eating for a bit, he gently kicked off his slippers under the table and slowly slid his toes onto Shang Huoyong's foot.

Su Tinghe sneaked a peek at Shang Huoyong's face, finding no expression as he continued to eat quietly.

Su Tinghe breathed a sigh of relief, his courage growing a bit. His toes slowly moved up along Shang Huoyong's foot, reaching near the ankle, but Shang Huoyong still showed no reaction.

Su Tinghe then tensed his toes, lifting Shang Huoyong's pant leg up to near the calf, when suddenly his foot was caught by Shang Huoyong.

Feeling guilty, Su Tinghe preemptively snapped, "Let go of me!"

Shang Huoyong: "Why are you messing around instead of eating properly?"

Su Tinghe pulled out his pre-prepared excuse, feigning calm, "My slipper is missing. I'm looking for it."

Shang Huoyong glanced under the table, and indeed Su Tinghe's slipper had ended up on his side. Shang Huoyong released the foot he had caught between his legs and kicked the slipper back to its owner's feet, saying like he was teaching a child, "Put your shoes back on."

With Shang Huoyong watching his bare feet, Su Tinghe felt an inescapable sense of shame, hurriedly pulling his foot back and putting on the slipper.

Su Tinghe's feet were unusually delicate and tender for a man, with round, reddish toes like a baby's, especially in the current season where the evening carried the chill of late autumn. Barefoot in the air, it was somewhat cold. Shang Huoyong asked him, "Why aren't you wearing socks?"

Su Tinghe buried his head, not daring to look at Shang Huoyong, and muttered softly, "I don't want to."

Shang Huoyong said indifferently, "Cold starts at the feet. You should wear socks next time."

"Got it," Su Tinghe responded casually, but in his heart, he lamented the lack of progress in his plan, thinking he must push harder later.

During his evening bath, to test Shang Huoyong's reaction, Su Tinghe intentionally didn't bring a towel into the bathroom. After finishing his bath, he quietly opened a crack in the door and called out, "Honey, can you hand me a towel?"

Shang Huoyong told Su Tinghe, "There's a spare in the cabinet, second shelf to the left of the sink."

Following Shang Huoyong's words, Su Tinghe went to look in the cabinet and, upon seeing there was indeed a spare towel, was completely stunned.

The servants in the villa were too thorough—how could there be one hanging outside and another stored in the cabinet?

Su Tinghe was almost in tears, having to use his final trump card—a boyfriend-style white shirt.

Su Tinghe took out the white shirt he had secretly taken from Shang Huoyong's wardrobe and, following the online tutorial, left the top two buttons undone, going for the 'disappearing lower half' look.

After putting it on, Su Tinghe looked at himself in the mirror and immediately lost his nerve.

He was a virtuous and well-behaved young man, but this was too much like a shameless courtesan from a brothel, even if the target was his own husband. Su Tinghe couldn't get past this mental barrier.

Su Tinghe tried to psych himself up, but as soon as his hand touched the bathroom door handle, he pulled it back.

No, no, absolutely not. This is too embarrassing.

If Shang Huoyong isn't interested, then so be it. He shouldn't push it either. After all, marry a chicken and follow the chicken, marry a dog and follow the dog. Except for this one thing, Shang Huoyong is a great husband in every other way.

Su Tinghe gave up, wanting to change back into his regular pajamas, only to realize he hadn't brought a towel or pajamas into the bathroom. This time, he had really overdone it.

Shang Huoyong was right outside, and Su Tinghe was deeply conflicted, unsure of how to step out, pacing back and forth anxiously.

Shang Huoyong glanced at the time, realizing Su Tinghe had been in the bathroom for an unusually long time. Worried that something might have happened, he knocked hard on the bathroom door, asking Su Tinghe what was wrong.

Su Tinghe bit his lip, feeling anxious and embarrassed, almost ready to cry, and shouted, "Don't come in!"

Su Tinghe's voice sounded strange, and Shang Huoyong's mind raced with dreadful possibilities. In his panic, he burst in, asking, "Are you okay?"

Once inside, Shang Huoyong was stunned. There sat a delicate figure by the bathtub, skin so delicate it seemed like it could be squeezed to release water, collar wide open, revealing clearly visible collarbones. The steam made the skin under the white shirt see-through, with long legs crossed and stretched out in front.

Shang Huoyong's sudden entrance startled Su Tinghe, who trembled slightly, his eyes wide with fear as he looked at Shang Huoyong.

Shang Huoyong's eyes darkened, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

Su Tinghe, embarrassed, pulled his collar together and said, "I forgot to bring my pajamas in."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Shang Huoyong beckoned to Su Tinghe, "Come out, there are clothes out here."

Su Tinghe stood up, took Shang Huoyong's hand, and followed him out of the bathroom.

Shang Huoyong made Su Tinghe sit on the edge of the bed, throwing a blanket over his lower body, and tugged at Su Tinghe's shirt collar, asking, "Whose shirt is this?"

Su Tinghe glanced at Shang Huoyong, then looked down, softly admitting, "Yours."

Shang Huoyong pressed on, "Why are you wearing my shirt?"

Su Tinghe bit his lip and stayed silent.

Shang Huoyong repeated, "Why are you wearing my shirt?"

Su Tinghe, too embarrassed to tell the truth, blamed it on a TV show, "People in TV shows wear their husband's shirts like this."

Shang Huoyong asked, "If that's the case, why were you hiding in the bathroom?"

Su Tinghe stayed silent again. Shang Huoyong stood by the bed, leaned over, and pulled Su Tinghe into his arms, "If you want to wear it, just wear it. I'm not going to stop you."

Su Tinghe looked at Shang Huoyong in surprise, hesitating before speaking, "I didn't... really want to wear it."

Shang Huoyong asked him, "So, are you going to keep wearing it or change out of it?"

Su Tinghe's lips moved, but he didn't know how to respond. Shang Huoyong made the choice for him, "Keep wearing it."

Su Tinghe looked at Shang Huoyong in surprise, hesitating before saying, "I think I'll change out of it."

Shang Huoyong released his hold on Su Tinghe, "Suit yourself."

Su Tinghe pushed the blanket off, walked barefoot to the bedroom wardrobe, and tiptoed to grab the hanging pajamas.

As he tiptoed, the shirt rode up, revealing a glimpse of skin.

The pajamas were silky, and as he took them off the hanger, they accidentally fell to the floor. Su Tinghe bent over to pick them up, revealing even more.

Shang Huoyong saw everything from behind, and he couldn't help but admit to himself that Su Tinghe really seemed to be seducing him.

Su Tinghe, with his back to Shang Huoyong, put on his pants, then quickly took off the shirt and changed into regular pajamas.

After changing, Su Tinghe turned around to find that Shang Huoyong looked somewhat displeased.

"Is there something wrong with these pajamas?" Su Tinghe thought Shang Huoyong didn't want him to change, "Should I change back?"

"No need," Shang Huoyong said with a stiff face, his tone cold and hard. "This is good enough. Don't just wear my shirts without asking in the future."

Su Tinghe was confused by Shang Huoyong's sudden change in attitude. Taking advantage of Shang Huoyong's absence to freshen up, Su Tinghe quietly vented to Bai Hua.

Bai Hua carefully chose his words and replied, "I think your husband might really have issues (sigh.jpg)."

Su Tinghe: "!!!"

Bai Hua: "A normal guy would get really turned on seeing his wife dressed like that, but your husband doesn't seem happy at all. He even told you not to wear it like that in the future."

Bai Hua: "This suggests your husband might not be normal."

Bai Hua: "Because he can look but can't touch."

Bai Hua: "He's mad because he can't do anything about it!"

Bai Hua: "Sorry about that -_-"

Su Tinghe: "...No way (sobbing)."