Chapter 43

Chapter 43

With that settled, Fu Xie felt completely justified lounging at home.

While he lounged, Xi Wenlun remained swamped, yet still insisted on coming home whenever possible, even if it meant rushing to deal with the piles of documents on his desk the moment he arrived.

Today was no different. Fu Xie would pause his game early to greet him at the door, then take a few quick steps to dart into Xi Wenlun's embrace.

The latter hugged him back, their lips meeting in a brief, tender kiss.

They parted after only a moment.

Fu Xie's lips were left kiss-swollen and pink. He held Xi Wenlun's gaze before mumbling, "Busy again tonight?"

"Yeah." Xi Wenlun stroked his hair. "Don't wait for me past midnight. Go to sleep first, alright?"

Fu Xie rose on his toes to give him one last peck. "Okay."

Xi Wenlun patted him and turned to head upstairs to his study.

On his own again, Fu Xie considered how to pass the time.

He was clueless about Xi Wenlun's work, and going in would only distract him.

"The currency of Country B is experiencing its worst depreciation in twenty years..."

Fu Xie mindlessly switched off the TV, which he'd left on for background noise while waiting.

Dull.

Xi Wenlun had been too busy—their last time together had been right after returning home. Fu Xie wondered if he had anticipated this hectic period and taken the chance to wear him out in advance.

Just as he was about to head upstairs, someone knocked at the door.

A staff member verified the visitor's identity before opening it, accepting a package.

Fu Xie glanced back, and the servant, noticing he hadn't left yet, handed it to him. "Mr. Fu, you—"

"I'll take it." Fu Xie took it without thought. He could just bring it up to Xi Wenlun later.

But when he glanced at the package details, he froze.

Disbelieving, he read aloud, "Recipient: Xi Wenlun. Sender... Lin Yubin?"

He hesitated outside the study for a long time before finally stepping inside.

"What's wrong?" Xi Wenlun had subtle shadows under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept well for days.

Fu Xie had intended to confront him, but his courage faltered. Instead, he held out the package. "Uh, Lin Yubin sent you something."

Xi Wenlun looked puzzled as he took it. Then, as if remembering something, he barely looked at it before setting it aside. "Probably a mistake. I'll have the butler return it later."

Fu Xie let out a relieved breath. It didn't seem like Xi Wenlun was lying to him—and with how busy he'd been lately, when would he even have time to see Lin Yubin?

Even if the Protagonist Bottom had sent it, it was probably just out of courtesy for their past acquaintance, right?

"Then get back to work." Fu Xie lowered his gaze and left the room.

*

One day, while inspecting a subsidiary of the Xi Corporation, Zhuo Huilian suddenly received a call from her secretary, asking her to come immediately to Manager Xi's office.

Her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed as she hurried over in stiletto heels.

Xi Jinggen was flying into a fury in the office, smashing objects in his usual rage—sending things crashing noisily across the floor. The secretary cowered in a corner, trembling.

Noticing Zhuo Huilian’s arrival, Xi Jinggen reluctantly stopped, grudgingly muttering, "Mom," before glaring viciously at the secretary.

"Madam," the secretary bowed slightly upon seeing her savior and quickly fled the scene.

Zhuo Huilian eyed her furious son. "What’s the point of smashing things? Do it at home if you must, but out here, you’re just creating a public spectacle."

"Mom! Don’t you see how Xi Wenlun is undermining us? If this goes on, there’ll be no foothold left for us in Xi Corporation!"

"Once XX Company collapses, Xi Wenlun will drive us out completely!"

"Enough!" Zhuo Huilian cut him off, her eyes flashing with resentment. "There’s nothing we can do about it for now..."

Xi Jinggen was momentarily stunned. "Mom, haven’t you always had a solution? You’ve saved me every time! If all else fails, go beg Dad—he must have a way!"

Zhuo Huilian shot him a glance and snapped, "I’m not omnipotent. That useless father of yours has never been capable. If it weren’t for clinging to the Zhuo family, would he even be living comfortably now?"

"Mom..." Xi Jinggen stared at her blankly. "What are we supposed to do now?"

Zhuo Huilian sighed. "There’s an opportunity now—high risk, but high reward."

Xi Jinggen caught on immediately. "You mean the one in Country B."

"Exactly." Zhuo Huilian nodded. "I’ve made contact with their insiders. With Country B’s currency devaluation, the stock market will soon hit new highs. If we pull out more cash to buy in and then short-sell, we could secure substantial profits."

"But right now, we’re cash-strapped. The only assets left are some Xi family shares."

She fixed him with an intense stare. "Your grandfather is stingy—I don’t hold any shares, but you and your father have plenty."

Xi Jinggen cut in, "Mom! I get it."

Zhuo Huilian nodded. "Sell some first. Once the money comes in, we can buy them back. Luckily, the Zhuo family is all on our side..."

"Understood." Xi Jinggen agreed readily, though his mind was already calculating his next move.

*

Xi Wenlun had been buried in work for a long time. At first, Fu Xie was relieved to avoid exhaustion, but as days passed, he couldn’t help feeling lonely at night.

Fu Xie never mentioned moving his room over, and Xi Wenlun assumed he wasn’t willing, waiting for him to bring it up.

Meanwhile, Fu Xie figured Xi Wenlun had enough on his plate and decided to wait until he was less busy to discuss it.

So every time, they’d share a brief kiss before retreating to their own rooms.

Over time, Fu Xie saw Xi Wenlun like forbidden fruit dangling just out of reach—no matter how much he craved it, he couldn’t take a bite.

Though physically exhausted, Xi Wenlun’s actions betrayed his desires. Despite only one kiss a day, each time, he’d kiss Fu Xie until they were both breathless before finally letting go.

This prolonged tension left both of them at their breaking point.

Fu Xie realized sitting idle wasn’t the solution—he wanted Xi Wenlun to see him, not just spreadsheets!

After some thought, he decided that fox tail accessory might finally come in handy.

He retrieved it from his luggage, unwrapped it, and ran his fingers through the soft, pitch-black fur.

The fur felt luxurious under his fingers.

His fingers then traced from the tip of the tail to its base, where the rounded end felt cool and metallic to the touch.

The sensation made Fu Xie shudder as he quickly withdrew his hand.

He returned the tail to the gift box, took a deep breath, and called the butler.

Xi Wenlun’s plan was nearing its end—fooling Zhuo Huilian and her family hadn’t been easy.

After handing off tasks to his team, he finally had a moment to relax.

Last night, when he caught a glimpse of Fu Xie’s slender waist peeking out from beneath his pajamas, his restraint had snapped.

Yet the other man seemed oblivious, even gazing at him with eyes glistening like peach blossoms after their usual kiss, his leg brushing against Xi Wenlun’s slacks.

He couldn’t remember how he’d managed to tear himself away and leave Fu Xie behind to go upstairs.

Finally, today was his release.

But when he returned to the villa, Fu Xie wasn’t there to greet him like always.

Xi Wenlun looked around the empty living room, finding only servants.

A maid took his blazer, and after loosening his tie and changing his shoes, he marched upstairs.

He headed straight for the study.

Xi Wenlun: "..."

Routines could be dangerous.

But what he didn’t expect was someone already waiting inside.

Soft pink hair crowned by two pure black fluffy cat ears.

A weather-inappropriate knit onesie clung to his frame, the back boldly open to reveal snow-white skin and the tempting curve of his waist.

A black cat tail peeked from beneath the short sweater, scarcely hiding his backside.

The soft flesh of his inner thighs pressed together, the tail large enough to conceal any suggestive areas.

Xi Wenlun stopped breathing.

Hearing the noise at the door, Fu Xie turned abruptly, peach-blossom eyes glistening with anticipation. "Mr. Xi?"

The front was even more dangerous—a heart-shaped cutout beneath the high neckline, stopping just above the ribs.

Like blushing pearls in milky skin.

Under Xi Wenlun’s gaze, Fu Xie’s face pinked beautifully.

Those flushed buds tightened.

He panted between broken phrases, "Are you... still working... today?"

Xi Wenlun came fully alert.

Noticing the change, Fu Xie bit back the discomfort and shakily closed the distance, his tail and thighs trembling enticingly with each step.

Walking was clearly a struggle—his blush deepened with each unsteady step.

Xi Wenlun could only watch as he inched toward him.

By the time Fu Xie reached his destination, his face was already flushed deep red.

He gave Xi Wenlun a puzzled look—why was this man still pretending?

Xi Wenlun's breathing grew heavier, his almond-shaped eyes reflecting Fu Xie's figure.

Fu Xie paused for a moment, catching his breath before speaking, "Mr. Xi, do you like it like this?"

This was the first time he had dressed like this. Though he had worn something similar before, there'd been more fabric, and it had been actual clothes.

This time, he had asked the butler about Xi Wenlun's work progress and purposely put on this getup to wait for him in the study.

Fu Xie glanced up and noticed that despite Xi Wenlun's rigid posture, his increasingly ragged breathing betrayed him.

This was clearly working!

Fu Xie was quite satisfied—otherwise, all his effort working that tail in all afternoon would have been wasted. If someone else had done it, it might have been bearable, but doing it himself had nearly killed him.

"Mmm, it's a shame the tail can't move. Mr. Xi, do you not like this style?" Fu Xie forced out before pressing his lips tightly together.

He was afraid that if he kept talking, his voice would crack and betray him.

Xi Wenlun's chest was heaving more visibly, his gaze never leaving Fu Xie. "You..."

Fu Xie blinked innocently, taking another moment to steady himself. "If Mr. Xi doesn't like it, you can take it off. You can do it yourself, okay?"

As he spoke, he reached out with slender fingers to touch Xi Wenlun's hand, trying to pull it back.

But the moment Fu Xie's fingers brushed Xi Wenlun's palm, the latter suddenly grabbed his wrist and yanked it up.