Chapter 33

Chapter 33

After the drama wrapped up filming, Su Tinghe underwent rehabilitation training and was finally able to walk normally again. Before he could set up a meeting with Bai Hua, Shang Huoyong took him to attend a banquet.

Before the banquet, Shang Huoyong informed Su Tinghe that the Qin family, who was hosting the event, had a quite good relationship with the Shang family. It was said that they had recently found their long-lost youngest son and intended to formally announce his identity at this banquet.

Su Tinghe wasn’t particularly interested in wealthy family gossip but was genuinely happy for the family reunion. However, when they arrived at the venue, his gaze swept through the crowd and landed on someone unexpected.

Su Tinghe never imagined that the Qin family’s long-lost youngest son would be Bai Hua. But considering Bai Hua’s background, it all made sense.

Shang Huoyong, however, was not at all surprised by Bai Hua’s identity. Noticing the shock in Su Tinghe’s eyes, he asked, “Didn’t expect the Qin family’s youngest son to be someone you know, huh?”

“Completely unexpected,” Su Tinghe replied, his mind racing with questions. He really wanted to talk to Bai Hua privately to understand what had happened.

Right after they finished speaking, Su Tinghe saw Bai Hua coming over, accompanied by his biological parents. Both of Bai Hua’s parents were smiling broadly as they greeted Shang Huoyong and Su Tinghe.

Su Tinghe looked at Bai Hua, who was dressed impeccably, and for a moment, he felt a sense of unfamiliarity. Hesitating, he said, “Qin Song.”

Qin Song was the name of the Qin family’s youngest son and Bai Hua’s original name.

Bai Hua looked straight at Su Tinghe and corrected him, “You can still call me Bai Hua.”

Bai Hua’s parents exchanged a glance, their faces showing a hint of hurt. Su Tinghe looked at them awkwardly, not sure what to do.

Bai Hua’s father stepped in to defuse the tension, “You can call him Bai Hua or Qin Song, whichever you prefer. As long as we know you’re safe and sound, your mother and I are relieved.”

The awkward atmosphere eased, and after a few more casual chats, Bai Hua’s parents took him to meet other guests.

In the packed banquet hall, Bai Hua’s retreating figure was soon lost in the crowd. New guests came over to chat with Shang Huoyong, while Su Tinghe quietly listened to their conversation.

Noticing Su Tinghe’s disinterest and considering his ankle injury, Shang Huoyong suggested he find a seat and grab something to eat.

Su Tinghe had just sat down to relax when he saw his dad, stepmom, and stepbrother coming over. His father looked stern and spoke in an aggressive tone, “Don’t you know to come and greet your parents when you see them? You ungrateful brat. Don’t forget you’re still a Su.”

Su Tinghe was confused by his father’s sudden accusation. From the moment he arrived, his attention had been on Bai Hua, and he genuinely hadn’t noticed his father.

“Hello, Dad,” Su Tinghe nodded in greeting.

His father was left speechless, his anger simmering. This son of his had never been likable, and even a simple greeting could come off as sarcastic. What he wanted wasn’t just a greeting—it was an attitude. But from the beginning until now, neither Su Tinghe nor Shang Huoyong had taken the initiative to greet him.

Outsiders might think that the Su and Shang families had formed a beneficial alliance through marriage, but in reality, Shang Huoyong was utterly unreasonable. As an elder, Su Tinghe’s father had received no respect or courtesy from Shang Huoyong, and this had left him deeply resentful.

His stepmother, Ceng Zhirou, smiled warmly and tried to soothe her husband, “He’s still young. Why are you getting so angry? It’s not worth ruining your health over this.”

“It’s not like he’s blind,” Su Tinghe’s father retorted coldly, his anger still evident. “Qingyue is much younger than him, but he’s far more sensible.”

Su Qingyue stopped a passing waiter and took several glasses of champagne from the tray, handing them to everyone. “Dad, Brother didn’t mean to ignore you. You’re overthinking it,” he said, then gestured for everyone to clink glasses and move on.

Su Tinghe took a sip of his wine, holding the stem of the glass in silence. His father, seeing Su Tinghe’s unresponsive demeanor, felt like he was talking to a brick wall. Unable to hold back, he launched into a lecture, reminding Su Tinghe that the Su family would always be his true home.

Su Tinghe lowered his head, seemingly listening to the scolding, but in reality, his mind was wandering. He recalled a teacher from his childhood who would often get angry and scold him, even looking down on him for being the son of a merchant family. Eventually, his mother couldn’t stand the old man’s outdated ways and firmly dismissed him.

“Uncle seems to have quite a few opinions about Tinghe,” Su Tinghe suddenly heard a familiar voice. He looked up and realized that Shang Huoyong had quietly joined them.

Su Tinghe’s father’s angry expression froze for a moment, but in the blink of an eye, he replaced it with a gentle smile. “No, no opinions. It’s just that since the marriage, Tinghe has had fewer opportunities to see the family. I just hope he can visit more often.”

Shang Huoyong asked, “Uncle, didn’t you know that Tinghe injured his ankle? Why didn’t you come to see him?”

“Oh,” Su Tinghe’s father looked embarrassed. “I didn’t know about that.”

Su Qingyue spoke up for his father, explaining, "Dad's been swamped with work and traveling a lot lately, so he had no idea my brother got hurt." Su Qingyue's mother, Ceng Zhirou, added, asking how Su Tinghe's ankle was doing.

They were all being so fake. Shang Huoyong looked at Su Tinghe and felt that he was actually quite pitiful.

His mother's dislike for Su Tinghe's father wasn't without reason. While his wife was ill, he was having an affair with another woman, and right after his wife passed, he married her. How could someone like that truly care for his first wife's child?

Unfortunately, Su Tinghe was the child of his mother's best friend, who was also his first wife. If it weren't for this close relationship, he wouldn't have married Su Tinghe.

The three of them shuffled off awkwardly. Shang Huoyong thought about whether he should comfort Su Tinghe, but the comforting words caught in Shang Huoyong's throat.

Su Tinghe handed the champagne he had been holding to Shang Huoyong, "You drink it." Shang Huoyong didn't think much of it, thinking it was just an extra glass Su Tinghe grabbed. He drank it in one go, placed the glass aside, and told Su Tinghe to take it easy since he couldn't handle his liquor.

Su Tinghe nodded in agreement and chatted briefly with Shang Huoyong. However, Su Qingyue came over with a plate of fancy little desserts, saying he wanted to have a little talk with Su Tinghe.

Shang Huoyong shot Su Qingyue a weird glance. Just then, someone came over to speak with him. Su Tinghe told Shang Huoyong to go ahead and handle it, as he would sit for a while and have some cake.

Su Qingyue noticed the empty glass beside Su Tinghe and casually asked, "What happened to the wine?"

"I drank it," Su Tinghe replied.

"Want more wine?" Su Qingyue asked.

Su Tinghe, knowing his low tolerance and having just been reminded by Shang Huoyong, shook his head and said, "I'll just have some water."

Su Qingyue flagged down a waiter and ordered two glasses of water. They chatted while eating the pastries.

Seeing Shang Yizhi not far away, Su Qingyue suddenly asked, "You and Shang Yizhi were close during school. Do you still keep in touch?"

"Not much," Su Tinghe replied reservedly, clearly not wanting to say more.

Shang Yizhi had just entered the room from the courtyard outside, his expression tense, like something bad had happened. A waiter approached with a tray of champagne, and Shang Yizhi quickly drank two glasses. Su Qingyue noticed this and gave a faint smile.

After finishing the pastries and water, Su Qingyue said he needed to use the restroom and left. A while later, a waiter approached Su Tinghe, saying that Mr. Shang wanted to see him in room 1407, and handed him a room key.

Su Tinghe scanned the room but didn't see Shang Huoyong. Confused, he asked the waiter what was up. The waiter said he didn't know, but Mr. Shang didn't look so good.

The waiter pointed Su Tinghe toward the elevator. Su Tinghe took the elevator to the 14th floor, holding the room key. As he searched for room 1407, he saw a familiar figure opening a door ahead.

Su Tinghe ran over and asked Shang Huoyong what was the matter. Without a word, Shang Huoyong dragged Su Tinghe into the room and forcefully closed the door.

Su Tinghe leaned against the wall, his shoulders pinned by Shang Huoyong. Shang Huoyong's breath was rapid and hot against Su Tinghe's cheek. In the darkness, Su Tinghe's heart raced as he nervously asked, "Honey, what's wrong?"

Shang Huoyong's hand gripped Su Tinghe's neck, tightening involuntarily but with controlled force. His voice was cold and hoarse, "Are you doing this on purpose?"

"What?" Su Tinghe didn't understand Shang Huoyong's words and grew even more anxious. "Honey, what's really going on?"

Shang Huoyong sneered, "You know exactly what's going on. Isn't all this thanks to you?"

"What did I do?" Su Tinghe was even more confused. He cautiously reached out and held Shang Huoyong's wrist, which was gripping his neck. "Honey, could you let go first?"

The heat radiating from Shang Huoyong's skin was alarming. Su Tinghe's palm felt as if it had been scalded by a hot iron, and he quickly let go, only to grasp it again. "Honey, your body is burning up. Are you running a fever?"

Su Tinghe, holding Shang Huoyong's wrist, tried to reach out and feel his forehead, but his hand was immediately caught by Shang Huoyong.

Shang Huoyong pinned Su Tinghe's restless arm above his head against the wall, while his other hand gripped Su Tinghe's waist.

Su Tinghe swallowed hard, not daring to breathe too loudly. He whispered softly, "Honey, can we turn on the light? Your body doesn't seem right. Let's go to the hospital, okay?"

Shang Huoyong pulled Su Tinghe closer, pressing his body against his own. He leaned down and whispered into Su Tinghe's ear, "Still pretending, huh?"

Shang Huoyong's breath brushed against the area below Su Tinghe's left ear and neck, making Su Tinghe feel a mix of ticklishness and tingling. His mind went blank, and he stammered, "Pretend... pretend what are you talking about?"

Shang Huoyong recalled every detail of the food he had consumed that night and was certain everything was fine—except for the glass of wine Su Tinghe had handed him. It was only after drinking that wine that his body began to act strangely.

He kept his composure and calmly requested a guest room from the waiter. But just as he was about to swipe the key card to open the door, Su Tinghe appeared. This couldn’t possibly be a coincidence.

It seemed Su Tinghe was hell-bent on seducing him, even if it meant using the most underhanded tactics.

Shang Huoyong had barely managed to hold on until now with sheer willpower, but he could clearly feel the changes in his body. It felt like a fever—his entire body was on fire, and an uncontrollable heat surged through him, craving something sweet to cool it down.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Shang Huoyong pulled Su Tinghe close by the waist and kissed him.

Su Tinghe was startled, his eyes wide open as he stared at Shang Huoyong in the darkness.

Their lips pressed and moved against each other, their tongues intertwining in a heated rhythm. Saliva escaped the corners of their mouths, trickling down. Su Tinghe’s mind went blank, and he struggled to catch his breath. But for Shang Huoyong, it still wasn’t enough. His grip on Su Tinghe’s soft waist tightened.

Shang Huoyong’s body was clearly acting strange, and this only heightened Su Tinghe’s panic.

Their lips barely separated, and Shang Huoyong let go of Su Tinghe’s arm. His hand slid to the back of Su Tinghe’s neck as their bodies pressed tightly together. Su Tinghe felt the heat radiating from a certain part of Shang Huoyong’s body and nervously whispered his name.

Shang Huoyong suddenly spoke cruelly, "Isn’t this what you wanted? You got your wish, didn’t you."

Shang Huoyong slung Su Tinghe over his shoulder and, even in the dark, navigated steadily to the bed thanks to his sharp night vision.

Su Tinghe’s panic intensified, and he squirmed uncomfortably, patting Shang Huoyong’s back and pleading, "Shang Huoyong, put me down."

Shang Huoyong ignored him. He gave Su Tinghe’s backside a firm pat, and Su Tinghe froze, too afraid to move.

Shang Huoyong tossed Su Tinghe onto the bed, and the moment he landed, Su Tinghe scrambled to crawl away.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Shang Huoyong grabbed Su Tinghe’s ankle and pulled him back. He then tossed his jacket aside and fumbled impatiently with the buttons of his shirt.

Su Tinghe tried to crawl away again, but Shang Huoyong yanked him back, flipping him onto his back.

Su Tinghe pushed himself up on his elbows, his voice pleading as he said, "Shang Huoyong, let’s talk about this."

"Talk about what? Just take off your clothes," Shang Huoyong replied.

Su Tinghe shook his head, "Not like this."

"Then help me with my pants," Shang Huoyong growled, grabbing Su Tinghe’s hand and forcing it onto his belt.

"Not this either," Su Tinghe whispered, shaking his head, his hand frozen in place. Impatient, Shang Huoyong took Su Tinghe’s hand and forced it to undo his belt.

Su Tinghe’s heart hammered in his chest, threatening to burst out at any second. He swallowed hard and tried to inch backward.

Shang Huoyong knelt on the bed, following Su Tinghe’s movements. Su Tinghe had nowhere to retreat. Shang Huoyong removed Su Tinghe’s jacket and used his own tie to bind Su Tinghe’s wrists.

...

"Shang Huoyong, the master said..."

"What master?"

Only muffled sobs remained.

"Who am I?"

"Shang Huoyong."

"Who is Shang Huoyong?"

"My husband."

"Who am I? Say it clearly."

"Shang Huoyong is Su Tinghe's husband."

"Then make sure you remember it."

Su Tinghe couldn't fathom why Shang Huoyong was acting so erratically, but she was forced to physically and emotionally remember this sentence.

In this rollercoaster of a tug-of-war, Shang Huoyong was like an insatiable wolf, while Su Tinghe was like a gentle little lamb, utterly defenseless against the wolf's relentless assault.

After one round, Su Tinghe was utterly exhausted and pushed Shang Huoyong, whispering, "I'm so tired."

"I'm not tired."

Whimpering...

After yet another round.

"I need to take a bath."

"Together."

"Okay... no, I mean I need to take a bath."

After countless times, Su Tinghe finally fell asleep, completely out.