Chapter 98

Chapter 98

That evening during dinner, Wen Cishu, Zhu Wei, and Zhou Xu simultaneously shared a group photo of their gathering on social media.

Chu Han was absent, so Zhu Wei even edited her and Xingxing (a nickname) into the picture.

The afterglow of the hit variety show was still strong, and the photo quickly shot to the top of trends.

Fans of the show were engaged in wishful thinking, hoping they’d have another chance to collaborate.

"Wow, I love it when the cast hangs out after the show ends—it feels like the warmth from the livestreams carries into real life!"

"Exactly! Everyone looks in great spirits! All embarking on new chapters (except my wife, who didn’t enter the industry—the only regret from the show)."

"Can no beauty escape the mainland entertainment industry? Why is Ming Zai’s little dad the exception?"

"Not even Ming Zai has shown signs of joining the industry… in tears."

After dinner, everyone waited outside the restaurant for their rides.

Bo Yiming looked around and spotted their family car approaching. Catching a glimpse of the figure in the back seat, he shot a furtive glance at his little dad.

Wen Cishu was chatting with Xiao Qi, the little one, and didn’t notice the car’s arrival.

It was Zhou Xu who gave him a look: "Looks like someone's special someone is here, huh."

Zhu Wei deliberately bent down to peek: "Well, would you look at that!"

As the car arrived, Bo Tingyuan stepped out from the back and greeted them: "Hello."

"Hello, Ming Zai’s papa!"

"Next time, dinner’s on us!"

Bo Tingyuan nodded politely: "Sounds good."

Wen Cishu was surprised, only realizing then that the little monkey had tipped him off.

Bo Yiming shuffled his feet to the side and, the moment his papa opened the car door, darted into the car.

The three of them then drove off.

Wen Cishu sat in the middle, suddenly recalling their phone conversation about the "bed."

He glanced at the person beside him: "Why didn’t you tell me?"

Bo Yiming whispered: "Little dad! Papa told me not to tell you."

The implication was clear—it wasn’t that he’d deliberately kept it a secret!

Wen Cishu huffed: "Ganging up on me!"

"Aww~" Bo Yiming tilted his head and snuggled against his little dad’s arm. "Little dad!"

Bo Tingyuan said gravely: "Yi Ming."

"Huh?" Bo Yiming perked up and looked at his papa.

Wen Cishu also glanced at him.

Outside the car, a streak of light flashed past his brows, a fleeting but dazzling brilliance.

Bao Tingyuan’s gaze lingered for a few seconds before he took his hand and pulled it onto his lap, then looked at his son’s face. "It's nothing."

Bao Yiming: ?

The kid didn’t get why his dad seemed hesitant, but Wen Cishu caught the meaning in Bao Tingyuan’s eyes. He averted his gaze and fidgeted with his fingers in the other’s palm.

The couple held hands in silence.

-

They arrived home.

Bao Yiming was the first to push the car door open and step out. Wen Cishu was about to follow, but Bao Tingyuan didn’t release his hand, so he had to wait.

Once Bao Tingyuan steadied himself, he bent down and lifted him out of the car.

Wen Cishu said nothing, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and studying his sharp profile.

The silent Bao Tingyuan had an oddly magnetic presence.

It was late, so they went straight upstairs.

Uncle Xu brought them warm water in the bedroom.

Bao Yiming had been sleeping in his dad Wen Cishu’s room these past two days, and today was no exception.

From the stairs, he called out, "I’ll go back to my room to shower and come over later!"

Bao Tingyuan, holding Wen Cishu, paused and addressed his son. "Don’t go yet. We need to talk about your school matters."

"Huh?" Bao Yiming froze.

Wen Cishu was startled too, suddenly feeling the chillingly detached gaze behind Bao Tingyuan’s glasses.

Bao Tingyuan didn’t give his son a chance to speak, striding directly into the bedroom’s sitting area and helping Wen Cishu sit down first.

Bao Yiming had no choice but to obediently sit on another sofa, sitting on his hands.

When Uncle Xu entered with the warm water, the room was already tense, as if a storm was brewing.

He thought, What’s happening?

Wen Cishu asked softly, "What’s the matter?"

Bao Tingyuan picked up a glass of water and handed it to him. "There are some things to discuss about Yiming’s school term."

As Wen Cishu reached for the glass, his fingers grazed Bao Tingyuan’s hand. He grumbled inwardly: Could you just say everything at once? I have a heart condition, you know!

Meanwhile, Bao Yiming puffed up his cheeks like a little pufferfish.

Boo, he didn’t want school to start!

Bao Tingyuan began detailing the school’s reopening arrangements and schedule.

His tone was all business, carrying the same seriousness like he was running a board meeting.

Seeing the little monkey squirm cautiously in his seat, Wen Cishu was instantly reminded of his own school days and couldn’t help but sympathize.

Still, if the kid was in school, there’d be fewer shenanigans to worry about.

——A huge plus for parents.

Tingyuan looked at his younger son's reluctant expression and frowned deeply. "There will be a parent-teacher meeting before school starts."

"Hmm?" Wen Cishu's eyes lit up as he gazed into Tingyuan's green eyes behind the glasses. "Are you going?"

Bao Yiming blurted out, "Can you go, Papa?!"

He asked with puppy-dog eyes, "Papa, you've never attended one of my parent-teacher meetings before~"

Wen Cishu nodded. "Alright, I'll go~"

He blinked at Tingyuan, as if to say "case closed."

Tingyuan fixed on his glistening lips, then raised his hand to remove his glasses, his slender fingers slowly folding the arms.

Wen Cishu: "?"

Catching his drift, he quickly turned to his son. "What do I need to prepare?"

Tingyuan: "The school has some materials. It's a bit late today, so rest first. I'll give them to you tomorrow."

"Oh." Wen Cishu cradled his water glass. "Yiming, are you still sleeping with us tonight?"

Bao Yiming lowered his head and sniffled, "Papa, I feel like I need to talk to Xingxing..."

His tone was dripping with hurt.

Before Wen Cishu could comfort him, Tingyuan spoke up. "Go ahead."

Bao Yiming lingered reluctantly, peeking his face through the door before leaving. "Goodnight, Dad~"

Then he bolted away, twin trails of imaginary tears gushing down his face.

The door clicked shut, leaving the living room in silence.

Wen Cishu watched as Tingyuan's long, well-defined fingers idly twirled his glasses, as if masterfully controlling them.

"Do you have something to say to me?"

Tingyuan raised his hand, placed the glasses on the coffee table, and looked back at him.

Wen Cishu's gaze followed the glasses before returning to his face, pressing his lips together.

The water he had just drunk seemed to suddenly heat up. Deliberately lowering his eyes to avoid Tingyuan's hunting gaze, he asked coolly, "What is it? Is Chairman Bao in the mood for kisses today?"

The words barely escaped his lips when Tingyuan leaned in, closing in like a predator.

Wen Cishu instinctively leaned back, his back pressing against the sofa as he stared straight at the face before him, lips pressed thin.

"I... I'm tired today. I want to take a bath."

Tingyuan's fingers caught his chin, his gaze dropping to his lips as he asked in a low voice, "No kiss?"

Wen Cishu mumbled, "It's not that you're stopping me—ow..."

His lips stung, and he frowned, arching his neck in feigned protest.

As the arm around his waist tightened, his lips were sealed in a relentless assault. The moment his lips parted slightly, he was completely claimed, their tongues tangling as their breaths came hotter.

Over ten minutes later, Wen Cishu, dizzy and floaty, melted into the sofa. Remembering something important, he pressed a palm against Bao Tingyuan's chest and pushed firmly. "Need to talk to you."

Bao Tingyuan brushed his lips against Wen Cishu's soft ones. "Wanna talk in the bath?"

"Okay." Wen Cishu had just agreed when a knock sounded at the door.

Soon, Uncle Xu's voice came through. "Young Master Bao, there's something I need to discuss."

"Go to my study." Bao Tingyuan's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

Wen Cishu shoved him away. "I'll go bathe by myself."

Bao Tingyuan carried him into the bathroom instead.

Seeing that Bao Tingyuan wasn’t in a hurry to leave, Wen Cishu bossed him, "Go fetch me a book."

No sooner had he spoken than Bao Tingyuan’s large hand cradled the back of his neck, tilting his face upward. "What the hell? Making an old man like Uncle Xu wait?"

Bao Tingyuan crushed their lips together, his other hand sliding to Wen Cishu’s waist and lifting him forcefully.

Wen Cishu was hoisted up, then set back down, panting slightly.

Their heated gazes locked.

Wen Cishu urged in a low voice, "Hurry up and go."

Bao Tingyuan dug his fingers into his waist, suppressing the turbulent desire in his eyes.

He strode to the bedroom, retrieved a poetry collection from the drawer, and returned to hand it to Wen Cishu. "Wait for me."

Wen Cishu thought to himself, *What’s with all this mushy stuff?*

Come to think of it, he hadn’t even had the chance to check out how "smart" that smart bed really was.

After leisurely washing up, he sank into the hot water of the bathtub with a long, contented sigh.

Heaven.

He flipped open the poetry collection, savoring it slowly.

A good ten minutes later, Bao Tingyuan finally finished his conversation with Uncle Xu and returned to the bathroom.

Hearing his footsteps, Wen Cishu peeked open one eye. "What was it about?"

Bao Tingyuan stepped closer, glancing at the blue-tinged bathwater.

"He has some personal matters to attend to and requested half a month off."

Wen Cishu rested the back of his neck against the tub, tilting his head up in confusion. "Took that long to say? Were you refusing his leave?"

Bao Tingyuan looked down at his face and explained, "He was feeling guilty about it himself."

In the past, Bao Tingyuan had even wondered if he’d been too strict, making Uncle Xu painstakingly careful and thorough in everything he did.

Over time, he came to understand that’s just how Uncle Xu was—he treated him the same way he had treated the late Elder Bao, or perhaps not him specifically, but whoever Uncle Xu saw as his employer.

He playfully pinched Wen Cishu’s cheek, pulled a chair over to sit beside him, and took the poetry collection from his hands. "I'll read to you."

Wen Cishu shifted slightly in the bathtub, thinking he’d get in too.

He closed his eyes. "Mm."

Bao Tingyuan sat close, one hand holding the book while the other rested on his slender neck, fingertips tracing the delicate skin back and forth.

Wen Cishu listened to his deep, sensual French, his throat moving slightly.

The bathroom was filled with the heady scent of violets from the dissolved bath bomb, rich and intoxicating.

Bao Tingyuan's voice sounded deeply focused, as if lost in it, yet his hands were engaged in something far more intimate.

His palm slid from Wen Cishu's damp, flushed neck to his chin, finally pausing between his lips, a curled finger slowly pushing in.

With his eyes closed, Wen Cishu tilted his neck in response to the subtle movement, his tongue teasing Bao Tingyuan’s fingers.

Silence enveloped them, quiet but electric.

"By the way," Wen Cishu opened his dark, wet eyes, bringing up something else.

He first briefly mentioned his investment in Zhu Wei's studio, then slowly straightened up, looking at Bao Tingyuan with a serious expression. "I plan to establish a heart disease patient aid fund."

Bao Tingyuan closed the poetry book and set it aside on a nearby shelf. "What can I do?"

Wen Cishu smiled. "Tons. I have no experience in this, so I’ll be bothering President Bao nonstop~"

He raised his hand and splashed a little water onto Bao Tingyuan's face.

A few drops darkened his black shirt, while others slid down the side of his face, tracing his jawline.

Bao Tingyuan just stared at him.

Seeing his furrowed brows and the burning desire in his eyes, Wen Cishu instinctively sank his shoulders deeper into the water.

Bao Tingyuan stood up.

"Hm?" Wen Cishu looked up in confusion, thinking he was leaving, only to find him looking down at him like a predator, unbuttoning his shirt.

Wen Cishu wanted to avert his gaze but couldn’t help staring at the opening shirt.

As the shirt fell away, the perfectly sculpted muscles of his chest and abdomen were impossible to ignore.

When Bao Tingyuan undid his pants, Wen Cishu finally turned away, scooting over in the tub to make room.

With a splash, Bao Tingyuan slipped into the water and pulled him close.

Wen Cishu asked, puzzled, "Aren’t you in a hurry to show me your new bed?"

Bao Tingyuan rubbed his nose against Wen Cishu's cheek. "We have all night to test it. No rush."

His hand trailed along Wen Cishu's waistline, disappearing beneath the water.

"Mm—"

Wen Cishu arched his head back, resting against Bao Tingyuan's shoulder, his closed eyelids catching the glittering lights like scattered diamonds.

Whenever Bo Tingyuan's palms kneaded with a certain pressure, Wen Cishu always felt his languid frame tightly pressed together, the slight soreness giving way to an exceptionally comfortable satisfaction.

But occasionally, it tickled so much he squirmed in Bo Tingyuan's embrace.

Bo Tingyuan caught his hand and guided it to his own body, guiding him to grip tightly as well.

Wen Cishu suddenly opened his eyes—the bathtub water suddenly felt scalding, making him want to leap up. "How could you—"

Bo Tingyuan leaned in close, cutting off his question.

He hadn’t taken his medication recently, and the pent-up desire in his body had grown overwhelming, needing relief twice nightly, even at dawn. Now, with the two of them pressed together like this, holding back was out of the question.

The water churned violently as Wen Cishu peeked through one half-lidded eye.

Noticing this, Bo Tingyuan freed a hand to press the bathtub’s drain switch.

As the water level slowly descended, Wen Cishu’s already ragged breaths grew heavier, his face buried in Bo Tingyuan’s damp neck as he murmured in shame, "Don’t..."

When the water drained to a certain point and stopped, Bo Tingyuan pressed tightly against his temple, his low, rough voice hot against Wen Cishu’s ear.

Wen Cishu was set alight by him, eyes dazed as he met his lips hungrily.