Chapter 38

Chapter 38

The burly man nearest to them was yelling the loudest, even gesturing wildly with his arms.

Fu Xie was startled, shrinking his shoulders and pressing right up against Xi Wenlun, practically clinging to him.

At the same time, the aquarium’s background music, originally soothing, switched to something more upbeat.

Fu Xie hesitated, “Is that… the wedding march?”

Xi Wenlun nodded.

“Huh? Did we just stumble into a wedding?” Fu Xie seemed to calm down slightly, looking curiously toward the center.

Xi Wenlun gave a casual glance. “Probably a proposal.”

Fu Xie grew even more curious, craning his neck to see better.

The soon-to-be couple in the central area had thoughtfully prepared a large projection screen so everyone could share in their happy moment.

The lights changed, and one partner slid on a dazzling, pigeon-egg-sized diamond ring before throwing themselves into the other’s arms, tears in their eyes.

The applause lasted a long time before finally dying down, and then the head chef began a knife skills demonstration for the guests.

Everyone received a dish from the happy couple.

Throughout the ceremony, Fu Xie kept his eyes fixed on the center, a look of longing on his face.

It was rare for Xi Wenlun to see him so interested in something romantic, and he found himself wondering.

Was he wanting a romantic gesture like that too?

Come to think of it, they had never truly expressed their feelings to each other in private.

Fu Xie had always said he liked him, and over time, Xi Wenlun had almost assumed their mutual feelings were understood—now they just needed to make it official.

As for the contract they’d signed back then, he’d practically forgotten about it.

If Fu Xie wanted, the money could be transferred to his account immediately.

He had planned to make a formal confession on the day the contract ended, but a little romance couldn’t hurt.

Though he had no experience with love, he just knew that setting up romantic surprises for your partner made them happy.

Fu Xie wasn’t one to show his feelings, but for all he knew, he might love big, public displays of affection.

Xi Wenlun got lost in thought. Time was tight, but if Fu Xie liked it…

Meanwhile, Fu Xie was happily digging into the dish from the happy couple.

So delicious! He’d had his eye on that dish during the proposal—now that he tasted it, it was absolutely divine!

*

Once he’d eaten his fill, the ceremony ended, and people began to leave the aquarium.

Fu Xie had already wandered around earlier and realized the hotel’s aquarium had many limitations—it was much smaller than a real one.

A few laps and you were done, barely different from their suite’s view.

So he followed Xi Wenlun back to relax.

Eating your fill and then sleeping—that’s the way to live.

Fu Xie had been food-coma drowsy after lunch, so he took a nap and woke up at three in the afternoon.

Although coming to Country M was a last-minute idea, Xi Wenlun still had to handle the paperwork.

Since they were already here, he might as well swing by the branch office.

So Fu Xie was totally cool with finding himself alone in the suite.

Most of the servants had left the suite—the chef usually didn’t come by until mealtime.

The huge room was occupied only by Fu Xie.

It was a rare outing, and he didn’t want to waste time.

He first sat on the balcony admiring the flowers and greenery, but quickly realized it wasn’t really his scene. He turned around and went back inside.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t tried the sauna or the spa pool yet.

He stripped off his clothes, rinsed himself clean under the shower, slung a towel around his waist, and made his way to the sauna.

Along the way, he passed a full-length mirror and paused to examine himself.

To his surprise, he found that his original body actually had some decent muscle tone—though he’d nearly ruined it, leaving just a thin layer.

Fu Xie admired his figure for a while—slim waist, straight legs—damn, he was practically falling in love with himself.

When he noticed the marks Xi Wenlun had left on him the night before, he looked away in a huff and marched straight toward his destination.

As soon as he stepped in, the thick steam hit him, and even the wooden floor beneath his feet felt scalding.

The space was spacious, so Fu Xie chose a corner to settle into.

He was all about corners.

After staying inside for a while, he felt his pores fully open.

Just as he was about to pass out, he bolted out of the sauna, grabbed a bottle of thick yogurt from the nearby fridge, and chugged it down.

“Ahhh!” The cold drink hit the spot.

Nothing hits like an icy drink after a good sauna!

He drank too fast, and some of the yogurt dripped from the corner of his mouth, sliding down his chin and onto his chest.

A soft sound came from the doorway. Fu Xie turned his head and locked eyes with Xi Wenlun, who stood frozen at the door.

Fu Xie: “….”

Talk about perfect timing, man.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

At first, Fu Xie felt a flicker of embarrassment, but after seeing each other so many times, what was the point of being shy now?

Xi Wenlun’s Phoenix eyes locked onto Fu Xie like a hawk eyeing its long-awaited meal.

“Fresh out the shower?” Xi Wenlun asked. Even someone as clueless as Fu Xie couldn’t miss the hunger in his stare. Automatically covering his chest, he mumbled, “Uh, just had a sauna,” he said.

The yogurt, thinned by steam and sweat, dripped onto the floor.

The sound stood out sharply.

Xi Wenlun gave the sauna a disinterested glance. "Tried the hot spring yet?"

"Not yet," Fu Xie answered distractedly, only to realize he'd walked into a trap when he saw the other man's sudden smirk.

His cheeks were still pink from the sauna, tiny beads clinging to his lashes, glinting as he spoke with a hint of irritation, "I just wanted a *normal* soak in the hot spring!"

"Mhm," Xi Wenlun hummed, amused.

Seeing the man was completely unfazed, Fu Xie rolled his eyes behind his back and dashed toward the hot spring room.

While *that bastard* wasn’t around, he’d enjoy it *properly* for once.

No clue how the hotel designed it, but the artificial hot spring looked almost real, its walls cobbled together with uneven stones.

Fu Xie kept his towel on, dipping a toe in to test the water before wading in still wrapped up.

Petite pastries, fruit, even sake floated on the water.

Fu Xie quickly pushed the tray with alcohol to the far edge—if he drank now, tomorrow would be a *write-off*.

The warm water enveloped him, the heat lulling him into relaxation, and Fu Xie closed his eyes contentedly.

He was *this close* to dozing off.

Until the sound of water beside him broke the silence, and the water suddenly rippled.

Fu Xie’s eyes flew open.

It was Xi Wenlun, who’d waded in without a care.

Fu Xie immediately moved to the opposite end of the pool, putting *maximum* distance between them.

Xi Wenlun: "..."

"Not joining me?" Xi Wenlun arched a brow.

Fu Xie shook his head, exasperated. "Mr. Xi, do you remember the first time we had dinner together?"

Xi Wenlun thought back—he remembered Fu Xie practically throwing himself at him then.

"You were so... proper back then!" Fu Xie *almost* said "chaste"—but chickened out.

"Oh?" Xi Wenlun’s lips curled mockingly. "I recall you were quite bold yourself. Now you won’t even come near me."

He sighed theatrically.

"Sometimes I really wonder if you actually like me."

Xi Wenlun lowered his eyelids, feigning a pitiful, wounded expression.

Fu Xie desperately wanted to call him out—*Dude, if you weren’t saying this fully naked, maybe I’d believe you. Right now? Not a chance.*

And back then, who knew you were *that* kind of freak?!

Remembering how naively he’d thought ED meant smooth sailing, Fu Xie really wanted to travel back in time and punch his past self twice.

The two continued their stalemate in the hot spring.

Under the pressure, it was Fu Xie who gave in first.

Reluctantly, he moved closer to Xi Wenlun until their shoulders touched.

Fu Xie said in resignation, "Close enough now?"

Xi Wenlun instantly beamed and pulled them even tighter together. "You're adorable."

Always with the "adorable"—he said it every day.

Fu Xie lowered his lashes, thinking to himself, Is he a dog? Actually, more like a cat, considering he'd once put a bell on him.

At this thought, a wicked impulse seized Fu Xie. He turned Xi Wenlun's face toward him.

That handsome face was endlessly captivating.

Just seeing it improved his mood. He planted a loud, smacking kiss on Xi Wenlun's lips.

Before Xi Wenlun could react, Fu Xie held his gaze, staring deep into his eyes. "Mr. Xi, I love you so much."

"Do you love me?"

"Do you love only me?"

Fu Xie waited for Xi Wenlun's answer. He already knew Xi Wenlun was madly in love with Lin Yubin—so much so that he was considerate enough not to interfere with Lin Yubin's choices, only relentlessly sabotaging Li Junyuan.

Right, even back at the golf course, they'd never gotten along. Maybe Xi Wenlun had begun interfering back then?

He just hadn't noticed.

Fu Xie stared obsessively at Xi Wenlun's beautiful face, mentally steeling himself to make his words and gaze seem more sincere.

The thought of Xi Wenlun struggling with this question gave him intense satisfaction.

They'd been playing couple for too long. Fu Xie simply didn't want him chasing after his white moon while playing pretend with the replacement.

Now, pushed by his substitute for an answer, what would Xi Wenlun do?

Would he turn his head away, too guilty to meet his eyes, and awkwardly change the subject?

Or would he force the words out, claim to love only him, then feel so disgusted he'd vomit, mentally ruining their "pure" feelings beyond repair?

Fu Xie was eagerly anticipating it.

Xi Wenlun seemed moved. His lips parted slightly before he suddenly stood up and gave a solemn, chaste kiss to Fu Xie's pink lips.

Like an angel's feather grazing past, the touch was fleeting, devoid of any lust.

Fu Xie went completely still.

"I love you, only you, forever."

Xi Wenlun gazed deeply into his slightly stunned almond-shaped eyes, speaking each word clearly.

Fu Xie saw no trace of discomfort or deceit in his eyes—only profound, overwhelming love, as if ready to overwhelm him completely.