Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Fu Xie went limp like a popped balloon, letting go awkwardly before submerging himself in the hot spring, with only his eyes and forehead above water.

Xi Wenlun hadn’t planned to confess his feelings to Fu Xie under such circumstances, but if he brushed it off or changed the topic, what would Fu Xie think?

Their relationship had always been messed up from the very beginning.

Even if Xi Wenlun later tried to fix things, the contract between them remained like an invisible wall, keeping them rigidly separated.

Fu Xie couldn’t bring himself to look up at Xi Wenlun. He didn’t need a mirror to know his face was already flushed red.

Luckily, the steam rising from the hot spring gave him a perfect cover.

“Oh…” Fu Xie finally managed after what felt like forever.

He had been the one to provoke first, yet now he was chickening out.

Xi Wenlun didn’t seem to be lying—who could say no to a handsome man’s confession?

But the plot… wasn’t supposed to go like this at all. Did he really like him?

Suddenly, Fu Xie felt like his scheme had blown up in his face. Not only had he failed to achieve his goal, but he’d also been played, leaving him second-guessing everything about their relationship.

Not ready to face it, he started edging away, but before he could get even half a meter, Xi Wenlun pulled him back.

Xi Wenlun gripped his pale arm with one hand while the other landed on his shoulder, holding Fu Xie in place. “Don’t go. Where exactly would you go?”

Fu Xie gave up paddling with a pout.

Xi Wenlun lowered his gaze to look at him, noticing that his entire body had gone all pink from the heat.

Like a delicious little cake.

Fu Xie let out a nervous laugh to ease his own awkwardness, casually grabbing a plate nearby.

On it lay two strawberry daifuku, their originally white mochi skins dyed pink by strawberries, chubby and sitting pretty in the middle.

Fu Xie picked one up, dangling it over the plate to avoid spilling the powdered sugar.

“Mr. Xi, would you like to try?” He stiffly changed the subject, avoiding any response to the earlier question.

Fu Xie expected Xi Wenlun to press further, but the latter merely gave a slight nod, not pressing the issue.

Relieved, Fu Xie thought—well, in for a penny!

Just as he was about to take a bite, his fingers bumped into something warm and soft, another person’s breath suddenly close.

Xi Wenlun leaned in and took a bite of the daifuku right from his hand!

Perhaps acting a bit too hastily, a dab of pink cream clung to the corner of his lips. After swallowing, he remarked with lingering satisfaction, “It really does taste good.”

Fu Xie: “…”

His dessert snatched away, Fu Xie decided to go all out—crammed the rest of the daifuku right into Xi Wenlun’s mouth.

Caught off guard, Xi Wenlun nearly choked on the cream, and Fu Xie hurriedly patted his back to help him breathe.

Oh no! Had he just accidentally killed the villain?!

"Mr. Xi!" Fu Xie watched as he coughed harder and harder, tears nearly falling. "Are you okay?"

Just as he was about to call a doctor at the last moment, Xi Wenlun finally recovered.

He exhaled deeply. "You..."

Fu Xie knew he was to blame and apologized frantically: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Xi Wenlun, however, remained expressionless, his face blank.

Seeing him like this, Fu Xie felt certain he was angry. "I'm truly sorry! Punish me! I'll do whatever you want!"

"Really?" Xi Wenlun's tone was still cold.

Too afraid to look at his face, Fu Xie could only nod furiously.

"Then lick all this cream clean."

Fu Xie felt like he'd been pardoned. He did exactly as Xi Wenlun said, tightly closing his eyes and leaning forward.

Sticking out his pink tongue, he gently licked the corner of Xi Wenlun's lips.

Only after completely licking off the cream did he realize something seemed off.

He jerked back slightly and immediately checked Xi Wenlun's expression.

Seeing him trying to hide a mischievous smile while staring at him, Fu Xie suddenly understood everything.

"After all my worry!" Fu Xie huffed angrily, his eyes reddening.

A sudden fear gripped him—why had he gotten so worked up?

Seeing he'd actually made him cry, Xi Wenlun gripped his shoulders and pulled him into an embrace. "My fault."

Fu Xie felt the warm, firm contact of their skin pressed together, the secure hold of Xi Wenlun's arms strangely comforting him.

Gradually calming down, he began to feel embarrassed about how he'd acted earlier.

He didn’t want to think about it anymore.

Sensing Fu Xie snuggling even closer into his arms, Xi Wenlun couldn't help but smile. "Alright, I went too far with the joke."

Fu Xie surreptitiously wiped his damp eyes on Xi Wenlun's shoulder.

He hadn't been crying.

Just overly tense—anyone would panic if a long-time friend suddenly collapsed in front of them.

Besides, if Xi Wenlun really liked him, he wouldn't mind giving it a try.

Neither of them treated the earlier "confession" as serious.

Xi Wenlun gently stroked the back of his head.

They held each other, neither speaking.

But reality wouldn't allow this to continue. Being so close, they could sense every little change in each other.

Fu Xie squirmed slightly. Though he hadn't yet uncovered what had happened to Xi Wenlun in the past, it was undeniable that his health was improving day by day.

"Dr. Fu, I'm really unwell. Could you do me a favor and treat me?" Xi Wenlun's tone was soft, but his eyes were intensely dark, his arms locking Fu Xie in place.

"Don't call me that!" Fu Xie thrashed weakly in the water, unable to move. "You've used up all your treatment sessions!"

Fu Xie had initially planned well—limiting their interactions by restricting treatment sessions. He hadn't expected, however, that he'd be outmaneuvered. A gullible college student like him stood no chance against a shrewd businessman.

It wasn’t bad enough that Xi constantly found excuses to get favors—he’d use one pretext of “treatment” today, another tomorrow, and never played fair.

He totally ignored Fu Xie’s rules!

At this thought, Fu Xie shot Xi Wenlun a fierce glare.

Xi Wenlun, delighted, couldn’t hide his smirk. "Then I’ll change how I address you—how about 'sweetheart'?"

Fu Xie thought Xi was trying to embarrass him to death. The last time he accidentally saw the nickname Xi had given him on social media, he choked on his coffee mid-sip.

Xi Wenlun got splashed too, his suit taking the brunt of it.

Of course, Xi didn’t miss this golden opportunity, extracting plenty of "repayment" from Fu Xie over the following nights.

Back then, Fu Xie even considered asking the servants to prepare some dishes to boost his stamina.

He was at his limit.

Now, faced with the same situation again, Fu Xie felt completely defeated. Already in Xi Wenlun’s arms, where could he possibly escape?

Resisting was all part of the act—if anything, getting caught again would only lead to more teasing.

Suddenly, Fu Xie asked, "Mr. Xi, do you have work tomorrow?"

"Hm." As soon as Xi Wenlun made a sound, Fu Xie suddenly moved, pushing off his shoulders to rise and bite down on his throat.

For a moment, Xi Wenlun gasped. After a brief sharp pain came the wet glide of a tongue, sweeping back and forth relentlessly.

"You brought this on yourself," Xi Wenlun murmured, a flicker of danger flashing in his eyes.

Water was the perfect cover, hiding every heated moment.

The towel had long drifted away, steam rising and blurring their figures.

Only fragmented gasps echoed around them, his clear voice suddenly pitching higher, now tinged with something far more sensual.

*

At dawn, Xi Wenlun woke up right on time.

Fu Xie was still asleep, his pink hair disheveled, yet none of his beauty diminished.

Xi Wenlun studied his innocent sleeping face for a while, thinking this was when he behaved best.

Like a playful little cat, always knocking things over at home but forgiven every time because it was just too endearing.

Xi Wenlun gently touched Fu Xie’s cheek.

Fu Xie seemed to sense the intrusion in his sleep, frowning slightly as if about to wake.

Xi Wenlun quickly withdrew his hand.

If not for his actual schedule today, he would’ve gladly slept in with Fu Xie until noon.

Just looking at that face over breakfast would make the whole morning better.

Xi Wenlun gave Fu Xie one last look before turning to leave the suite.

With most of his business matters wrapped up, Xi Wenlun took a short break in the reception office.

Yesterday, Fu Xie had given him a small problem—those marks were in an awkward spot, forcing him to endure the knowing looks from others while covering them with a scarf.

He was sipping his coffee when his assistant approached and whispered, "Mr. Xi, your cousin seems to have dipped into some of your assets."

"How much?" Xi Wenlun frowned.

The assistant quoted a figure.

"You're bothering me over that amount? Never mind, leave it be. I'll deal with it back home," Xi Wenlun said dismissively.

The assistant quickly complied.

After sending the assistant away, Xi Wenlun began planning the romantic surprise he'd been thinking about.

This time, he wanted to handle it personally—he intended to design it himself.

Fu Xie was into quite a few things—starting with high-end gaming electronics and delicious food.

Occasionally, they would visit unique experience spots, which always interested Fu Xie.

Of course, all this was better without spectators.

How to please him?

The top-tier business magnate who usually commanded respect in the corporate world was now completely stumped over how to win the affection of his darling at home.

Even during meetings, Xi Wenlun's mind kept circling around this question.

He absently doodled with his pen as his business partner pitched in English about their product’s bright prospects. When they turned to him for feedback, Xi Wenlun nodded slightly in response.

"Recently, M Country has been considering labeling B Country as a currency manipulator—this is inside information we’ve obtained, not yet public. So, B Country’s industries..."

Xi Wenlun suddenly caught onto this piece of news and asked, "What's the current exchange rate?"

As he asked, he checked the latest financial updates on B Country.

After receiving the details, Xi Wenlun's lips curled into a smirk. "This should be good."

Zhuo Huilian—and by extension, the Zhuo family—had close ties with B Country. This was the perfect opportunity to spring a trap.

At the same time, Xi Wenlun had a brilliant idea for Fu Xie’s surprise.

Fu Xie finally hauled himself out of bed and went straight to the bathroom, automatically checking himself over.

*

Another patchwork of bruises—blue, red, and purple.

The handprints around his waist were nearly violet. When he pressed his fingers over them, he could still feel the pressure from yesterday’s grip.

Typical.

After some getting used to, he had come to accept it well enough.

After cleaning up, he dug through the walk-in closet looking for clothes, accidentally uncovering that carefully wrapped tail.

Fu Xie: "..."

For some reason, that ache in his back was coming back again.

They had been in Country M for so long, but Xi Wenlun still hadn't noticed the existence of this tail.

Fu Xie wondered if he should just throw it away.

But then he worried—what if he needed it someday? Where would he find another tail exactly like it?