Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Being randomly told by a stranger that he looked like the guy's mom was both abrupt and super rude.

Tian Ruan shot an angry glare at the man who had appeared out of nowhere. The original novel hadn’t mentioned any other side characters at the hotel—the main plot revolved around the male lead, the protagonist, and He Lansi as the supporting character in their romantic tension, leading to an accidental kiss in the pool.

“Who are you?” Tian Ruan needed to figure out whether this was just some random extra who'd crashed the scene.

The man stepped closer to Tian Ruan, keeping a polite distance of about a meter, but his gaze remained fixed on Tian Ruan’s face. “I’ll show you a photo of my mom on my phone.”

“?”

The man nimbly hopped out of the pool and went to retrieve a black bag on the edge. He pulled out his phone, scrolled through his photos, then held it down in front of Tian Ruan. “See? I wasn’t lying.”

Tian Ruan widened his eyes. The woman in the photo was in her forties but well-preserved, looking more like she was in her thirties. She had an oval face, almond-shaped eyes, arched brows, and a faint smile on her lips.

Her face shape and features were at least 80% similar to Tian Ruan’s.

Tian Ruan: “...”

The man locked his phone and put it away, the curve of his lips eerily similar to the woman’s in the photo. “What a coincidence.”

Tian Ruan figured—there were countless people in the world who looked alike, and as a background character, it wasn’t strange for him to resemble some non-character woman.

After all, NPCs didn’t need detailed descriptions from the author; this world naturally generated many similar faces at random.

“My name is Du Henbie. And you?” The man smiled, studying Tian Ruan's pretty features.

Tian Ruan froze, disbelief flashing across his face.

The name Du Henbie was way too unique. In the original novel, he was the only male character who had the qualifications to fight for the protagonist alongside the male lead. Though he didn’t appear until the latter half of the story, his family background, smooth charm, and ruthless methods nearly won the protagonist over.

Tian Ruan couldn’t bring himself to dislike this second male lead. During the five-year separation between the male lead and the protagonist, it was Du Henbie who occasionally stayed by the protagonist’s side, helping him get through tough times.

“Henbie” meant “to part with regret,” and the chapter where Du Henbie decided to let go had made readers everywhere cry.

But now, Du Henbie had shown up way earlier than he should have.

Even if minor changes in the plot—like Tian Ruan going to school—had a butterfly effect, they shouldn’t have impacted the main storyline. So why had such an important character like Du Henbie appeared early?

Something must have gone wrong.

Tian Ruan’s mind raced—what could have caused Du Henbie’s premature appearance?

He couldn’t figure it out. It was too sudden.

“Little one, I’ve told you my name, but you haven’t told me yours yet,” Du Henbie said with a smile.

Snapping back to reality, Tian Ruan mumbled absently, “I’m Tian Ruan.”

“Fits you perfectly.”

“?”

Du Henbie draped a towel over himself and looked over Tian Ruan’s glow-in-the-dark alien swim trunks. “Who picked this swimsuit for you? It’s kinda lame.”

Tian Ruan shot back defensively, “My hubby picked it. I think it works just fine.”

Du Henbie was taken aback. "Your *husband*? You're married?"

"Mhm."

"You’re *twenty*?"

"Kid’s gotta grow up sometime."

Du Henbie fell silent and went to drink bottled water nearby. Yu Shang frowned at the unfamiliar man, his gut telling him this guy wasn’t simple. He walked over.

"Mr. Du, hello. I'm Yu Shang." Yu Shang politely extended his hand.

Du Henbie shook it briefly. "I've heard of the Yu family. You're the most promising heir."

"You’re too kind. Smart people *are* refreshing to talk to."

"My family does indeed focus on foreign trade, so no wonder you haven’t heard."

Yu Shang: "Back in the country to expand your business here?"

"That is indeed the intention. But there are other reasons—family stuff. I’ll keep that to myself. My apologies."

"Didn’t mean to overstep."

The two exchanged polite words, each feeling the other out.

Lu Qiuyan was bored stiff and swam off on his own.

He Lansi, however, watched Du Henbie and Yu Shang thoughtfully. "Smells like a corporate showdown."

Tian Ruan: "...Don’t *put that out there*."

In the original novel, though Du Henbie and Yu Shang competed for the protagonist's affection, it never escalated into a business war—they *ended up* working together in the end. Who would turn down money? But now that Du Henbie had appeared ahead of schedule, anything was possible.

To make things worse, He Lansi kept winking at Tian Ruan and Lu Qiuyan. After completing a lap, He Lansi strutted around showing off his *clearly* padded swim trunks and said, "Impressive, right?"

Lu Qiuyan ignored him.

Tian Ruan instinctively glanced over and, fair and impartial, remarked, "Not *nearly* as big as Yu Shang’s—*right*, Lu Qiuyan?"

Lu Qiuyan: "...Why the hell would I know?"

He Lansi sneered. "Tian Ruan, you’re full of shit. I’m ten years older than Yu Shang."

Tian Ruan: "Age ain’t got shit to do with size."

He Lansi planted his hands on his hips and shouted, "Yu Shang, come over and compare!"

Yu Shang *deadpanned*: "...The *hell* is wrong with you?" What annoyed him even more was that when Lu Qiuyan glanced over, he *totally* eyeing his junk.

He Lansi couldn’t accept the idea that he might be smaller than a seventeen-year-old. Gesturing to Du Henbie, he declared, "Then let an outsider judge—who’s *packing more*?"

Du Henbie arched an eyebrow, amused. "*Gladly*."

Yu Shang *deadpanned*: "...Whatever."

Du Henbie gave Yu Shang an appraising look and praised generously, "Kid’s *got* a solid build."

(Note: *Jiji*—slang for male genitalia.)

After speaking, he gazed at He Lansi on the opposite side of the pool and crooked a finger. "Come over."

He Lansi hesitated briefly before diving into the water, sleek and graceful as a mermaid, swimming over. Du Henbie watched the figure bobbing in the water, then took another sip of mineral water.

Tian Ruan dragged Lu Qiuyan over to gawk. "Quick, let’s check who’s packing more."

Lu Qiuyan: "...I don’t care."

"Well, Yu Shang’s bigger—that’s just facts."

Lu Qiuyan was speechless.

He Lansi pressed his hands against the pool’s edge, kicked off, and climbed up smoothly, pulling himself upright before walking over to Du Henbie. He shot a sidelong glance at Yu Shang.

Yu Shang’s expression was icy—it looked like his junk was doomed to be the talk of the night...

Tian Ruan glanced between them, thinking, *No surprise, the lead’s packing heat.*

Just then, the butler stepped forward, silently blocking Tian Ruan’s line of sight.

"What?"

The butler smiled faintly. "Madam, your eyes belong only to Mr. Yu."

Tian Ruan: "...He’s not even here."

The butler pointed toward a flowerbed not far away. "The guards are here—they’ll report back on you in a heartbeat."

Tian Ruan stared blankly at the flowerbed. "They’re still on duty this late? Tell them to go home."

The butler: "Apologies, Madam. They only take orders from Mr. Yu."

Tian Ruan: "I’m not doing anything wrong. I have nothing to hide."

The butler: "Of course. I’ll be watching where Madam looks."

Tian Ruan fumed. "This is too much."

The butler bowed slightly. "My apologies."

The others cringed at their back-and-forth. Du Henbie gave Tian Ruan a strange look and commented, "Guys his age are still filling out—of course he’s bigger."

Yu Shang remained silent, but He Lansi wasn’t having it, baring his teeth in a smile. "Wanna drop trou and settle this?"

"Ridiculous." Yu Shang had had enough. He leaped into the pool, powerful as a whale.

He Lansi glared at Du Henbie. "You’ve got a real talent for bullshitting."

Du Henbie smiled, charming but shady. "I wouldn’t dare."

He Lansi sneered. "Bet. Race you—loser eats crow."

"What mistake?"

He Lansi gnashed his teeth. "You in or not?"

"I’m a damn good swimmer. Are you sure you want to challenge me?"

"Bring it."

"Alright, let's go." Du Henbie yanked off his towel, revealing a toned, athletic torso.

Not having paid much attention before, He Lansi now noticed that the guy was ripped, with chiseled muscles, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist like a professional athlete. He Lansi looked away and called Tian Ruan over to referee.

Tian Ruan chimed in eagerly, "Ready, jump!"

He Lansi immediately leaped into the pool.

The two went at it hard, staying neck and neck, but on the return lap, Du Henbie suddenly shifted into overdrive, as if evolving from a dolphin into a shark, swiftly and powerfully surging to the finish line.

The outcome was clear without Tian Ruan’s verdict.

So Tian Ruan left them be and ran over to where Yu Shang and Lu Qiuyan were, hell-bent on catching the "first kiss" between the protagonist couple tonight.

However, Yu Shang and Lu Qiuyan swam several laps, chatting and drinking water, without so much as a touch—at most, Lu Qiuyan occasionally stole glances at Yu Shang. Teen hormones—what can you do?

The emperor stayed cool, but his eunuch was sweating bullets. Tian Ruan was buzzing around the pool, occasionally splashing in the water.

He Lansi, still hyper-focused on beating him, couldn’t ignore it. "Tian Ruan, what are you splashing around for? Don’t get in the way."

Tian Ruan shot He Lansi a resentful look. *You useless top, shouldn’t you be harassing Zhu Jueshou right now, only for the protagonist to swoop in heroically and kiss him?*

Instead, Du Henbie had to butt in, and He Lansi was dead set on competing with him.

At this point, Tian Ruan had no choice but to play matchmaker.

He slowly swam between Yu Shang and Lu Qiuyan, then pretended to slip, yelping, "Whoa—!" and feigned drowning.

Sure enough, Yu Shang and Lu Qiuyan both swam over, calling his name as they frantically hauled Tian Ruan out of the water. Tian Ruan took the chance to flail around, pretending to panic while subtly pushing Lu Qiuyan toward Yu Shang.

Splash—thud—the three of them went down like a stack of cards.

He Lansi: "?"

Du Henbie chuckled. "Kids these days go hard."

About a minute later, two figures shot up from the glowing blue water, its surface shimmering with golden reflections.

Tian Ruan couldn’t see clearly underwater, but it seemed like Lu Qiuyan had fallen onto Yu Shang. *Heheh, an underwater kiss—how romantic!* But when he turned his head and saw Yu Shang standing alone in the middle of the pool, his face fell.

*Did his precious son just abandon his future wife like that?*

Yu Shang wiped the water from his face, irritation faintly showing. "You got butter on your feet? You keep slipping around."

Tian Ruan: "..."

Tian Ruan didn’t know what to say, gawking at Yu Shang like an alien crash-landed on Earth.

Yu Shang had been furious, but seeing Tian Ruan in that ridiculous swimsuit—the one his dad had bought for his younger stepdad—he couldn’t stay angry.

"Where’s Lu Qiuyan?" Tian Ruan suddenly asked.

Yu Shang froze, only now realizing Lu Qiuyan hadn’t resurfaced. "Lu Qiuyan? Lu Qiuyan!"

He dove in, pulling Lu Qiuyan from the bottom before dragging him onto the chilly pool deck.

Tian Ruan panicked too. *Wasn’t Lu Qiuyan a good swimmer? How could he have sunk? If something happened to him—no, no, plot armor, don’t fail me now!*

The pool wasn’t deep, and soon Yu Shang had Lu Qiuyan sprawled out on the tiles.

The butler jumped in alarm: "Should we call an ambulance?"

Yu Shang didn't have time to answer. He climbed ashore, dropped to Lu Qiuyan's side, and started CPR, sealing their mouths together to give him air.

Tian Ruan's eyes widened—so this was where the leads' first kiss was waiting.

Under Yu Shang's continuous chest compressions and rescue breaths, the drowning Lu Qiuyan suddenly coughed up a mouthful of water. Yu Shang tilted his head to the side to prevent the water from entering his windpipe.

Lu Qiuyan slowly opened his eyes, his vision filling with the youthfully stern yet handsome face of a young man, gazing at him with deep concern. Beneath the high bridge of his nose, his lips were red and glossy.

Those lips… had they just been pressed against his?

Lu Qiuyan: "..."

No, that was just CPR.

Even so, Lu Qiuyan's ears burned hot. He hastily averted his gaze, only to catch sight of Tian Ruan's ridiculous alien swimsuit. "Blinding..."

Tian Ruan: "..."

"How do you feel?" Yu Shang asked.

Lu Qiuyan, blushing: "Could be better."

Yu Shang: "..."

Their eyes met, their words completely at cross-purposes.

Tian Ruan got a mischievous idea: "If it's not great, Yu Shang, you should kiss him—I mean, perform CPR again until he's satisfied."

Yu Shang & Lu Qiuyan: "..."

Lu Qiuyan turned beet red, hurriedly pushing Yu Shang away. "Thanks..." He tried to stand but swayed weakly. Yu Shang instinctively caught him.

Both froze, speechless, their heartbeats beating loudly against each other.

Tian Ruan, enjoying the show, discreetly blocked He Lansi and Du Henbie's line of sight.

He Lansi scoffed: "Knew there was something between them."

Du Henbie chuckled: "Young love is obvious—it's clear at a glance." As he spoke, his gaze drifted to Tian Ruan. "Who's married to that little alien?"

"Yu Jingmo," He Lansi said indifferently. "The man who calls the shots in Su City—even the mayor answers to him."

"That powerful? How did he end up with that little alien?"

"He slept his way up."

"Him?" Du Henbie looked doubtful.

"Who knows?" He Lansi teased. "Maybe Yu Jingmo wanted him bad enough to take him by force."

Du Henbie remained outwardly calm, though his eyes darkened slightly. "Quite the story."

He Lansi laughed: "Just kidding. You’re not taking it seriously, are you?"

Du Henbie merely smiled.

He Lansi looked the taller man up and down, who towered half a head above him. "You must get it from your mother, Mr. Du. You look kinda similar."

"Really?" Du Henbie turned his chiseled face, his amber eyes bright as a moonlit spring, devoid of any emotion, like a predator.

He Lanshi nodded solemnly, "But Tian Ruan’s clearly a little bunny—you? Total beast."

Du Henbie gave a noncommittal smirk.

...

On the other side, Lu Qiuyan packed his things, ready to go home. Yu Shang insisted on seeing him off, and Tian Ruan quickly chimed in, "Good luck finding a cab this late. Let Yu Shang take you."

"It's only 9:30, I can get a cab," Lu Qiuyan said.

Yu Shang insisted, "I'll take you."

"No need."

"I will."

They went back and forth like this ten times before Lu Qiuyan finally gave in, muttering, "You’re both stubborn as mules—definitely related."

Tian Ruan followed them to the hotel entrance, waving them off as he watched the driver take the two youths into the night.

The butler remarked fondly, "Young Master’s smitten. They’re perfect."

Only then did Tian Ruan remember to hush him, "Uncle Wang, don’t tell Mr. Yu."

The butler, pleased, assured him, "Not a word, Madam. My lips are sealed tight like a vise. I’ll definitely keep the young master’s crush a secret."

"...It’s not a crush. Stop talking nonsense."

During their high school years, due to Jinjiang’s strict no-dating rules, the protagonist pair could only tip-toe around their feelings, head over heels but never labeling it.

Just as they were on the verge of confessing, Zhu Jueshou, weighed down by family expectations, chose to enlist in the military after the college entrance exams.

Everything Yu Shang and Lu Qiuyan were experiencing now laid the foundation for their eventual explosion of feelings.

Tian Ruan couldn’t do more for them. He could only wait for time’s alchemy to turn the impossible into reality, to bring the one they loved back to their side.

Suddenly, Tian Ruan thought of Yu Jingmo. Under the moonlight, he called him, but no one answered. Scrolling through WeChat, he saw Assistant Xu had posted airport photos half an hour ago.

So he was on a flight.

Tian Ruan left a message for Yu Jingmo: *Mr. Yu, Get some food and sleep after landing.*

Though simple, this was the only care Tian Ruan could offer.

Then he returned to his room, got ready, and went to bed.

At 6:30 in the morning, Tian Ruan woke up and immediately checked his phone.

Yu Jingmo: *Mn.* (A grunt-like acknowledgment, typical of Yu Jingmo’s terseness.)

Just that one word. For some reason, Tian Ruan felt a twinge of disappointment, but then he reminded himself that Yu Jingmo was a man of few words. Shaking it off, he prepared to wash up and eat, planning to send another message during breakfast.

But as he stepped out of the master bedroom after getting ready, Tian Ruan suddenly caught a hint of sandalwood in the air, mingled with a crisp, icy undertone—exactly like Yu Jingmo’s.

Tian Ruan: (silence)

He shook his head, trying to shake off the imagined scent.

How could Yu Jingmo be here? He was across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.

Suddenly, Tian Ruan heard a faint breath. Startled, he listened again, but the sound was gone.

Tian Ruan shook his head, trying to dispel the auditory hallucination.

Rubbing his temples, he headed toward the dining room. Waking up so early left him groggy—was it because he’d dreamed of Yu Jingmo?

Then, Tian Ruan heard another sound, as if someone had turned over on the sofa, knocking a pillow to the floor.

Tian Ruan froze. This hallucination was too vivid.

He glanced at the overly pristine, lifeless living room. The wide beige leather sofas were neatly lined up, their high backs obscuring any possible hidden figure from his angle...

Tiptoeing closer, his heart hammered in his chest.

There lay a man so tall the sofa could hardly hold him—his long legs slightly bent, propped on two printed cotton pillows as he lay on his side. Even his broad shoulders seemed cramped.

Those broad shoulders, those long legs—it was unmistakably Yu Jingmo.

Tian Ruan gaped in disbelief. In three quick steps, he reached the sofa and bent down, hesitating to touch him, afraid he might wake. Instead, he crouched and studied him closely.

Yu Jingmo was deep in sleep, his thick brows relaxed, dark circles under his eyes—probably from the grueling red-eye flight.

Dawn light seeped through the sheer curtains, a sliver of light landing on the sofa’s edge, trailing up the thin blanket to illuminate the travel-worn Yu Jingmo. His long lashes caught the light, his brow furrowing slightly in response.

Tian Ruan reached out to block the mischievous ray. The shadow of his hand fell over Yu Jingmo’s face like a gentle touch.

Suddenly, Tian Ruan felt a flutter in his chest, light as a feather. He stared unblinking at the man before him—so impossibly handsome, like something out of a legend—a god walking among mortals.

And now, that deity was right beside him.

Tian Ruan’s mouth went dry. In a hushed voice, he murmured, "Mr. Yu?"

At the sound, Yu Jingmo’s eyes snapped open in alertness, his fingers snapping around Tian Ruan’s slender wrist. His sharp, upturned phoenix eyes were icy at first, but upon seeing Tian Ruan, the ice thawed into something softer.

"Mm," Yu Jingmo responded. "You’re up already?"

Tian Ruan asked, "Do you want to sleep in a bed?"

The suite had multiple bedrooms—aside from the master bedroom, there were two guest rooms. Tian Ruan didn’t understand why Yu Jingmo hadn’t chosen one of those. Was he angling for the master bedroom?

Yu Jingmo slowly released his wrist, turning onto his back. Rubbing the bridge of his straight nose, he said, "If I’d slept in the bedroom, I might’ve scared you."

True—waking up to an unexpected person in your room would be jarring.

Kneeling on the carpet, Tian Ruan picked up the fallen blanket and draped it over Yu Jingmo. "Why did you come back so soon?"

Yu Jingmo gazed down at the fair-skinned young man, a playful gleam in his eyes. "What do you think?"

Tian Ruan recalled his earlier blunder and hung his head. "If you want to scold me, go ahead."

Yu Jingmo’s chest shook with a quiet laugh. "Fast to apologize, slow to think ahead."

"...I didn’t mean to," Tian Ruan weakly defended.

"Won’t scold you," Yu Jingmo said.

Tian Ruan lifted his face. "So… are you gonna hit me?"

"I'm not going to hit you."

"?"

"I'll punish you."

"How are you going to punish me?"

"By making you follow me around for the next few days, staying by my side without taking a single step away. I'll keep an eye on you personally."

"..." This is supposed to be a punishment?

"Do you accept?" Yu Jingmo sat up, his long legs resting on the carpet. Even seated, his imposing presence was like a small mountain.

Tian Ruan looked up at him in a daze. "I accept."

Yu Jingmo curled his lips and reached out to him.

Hesitantly, Tian Ruan placed his hand in Yu Jingmo's broad, strong palm. Just as he tried to push himself up—perhaps from crouching too long—his ankles felt numb, his legs gave way, and he lurched forward—

Their bodies collided with a muffled thud as Tian Ruan tumbled onto Yu Jingmo. The cool, woody scent washed over him like a tide.

Yu Jingmo fell back against the pillows, his forearm muscles tensing as he steadied Tian Ruan.

Since their marriage, apart from the car accident, the two had rarely been this close—close enough that only four or five layers of fabric separated them, their bodies pressed flush together. Their ragged breaths, suddenly racing heartbeats, and the blood rushing to their faces gave them away completely.

Tian Ruan met Yu Jingmo's gaze in flustered panic.

Compared to his startled expression, Yu Jingmo remained as steady as a mountain—just like every time he faced danger, growing calmer as things got more dangerous.

Tian Ruan frantically tried to get up, but the more he struggled, the clumsier he became, his hands pressing repeatedly against Yu Jingmo's firm chest and abs like a kitten kneading dough.

Yu Jingmo caught his restless hands, his voice growing deeper. "Stop pawing at me."

Tian Ruan fell silent.