Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Xu Yan immediately locked his phone screen, terrified the messages might be seen by the person in front of him.

His heart still hammered, refusing to settle. His mouth was slightly agape, breath coming in short, quick gasps.

Year’s words had startled him, and he hadn’t expected Wen Sinian to suddenly lean in and look at him.

Year had said he was coming to catch him, but now he had not only finished his hot pot but was also standing here safe and sound. Did that mean Year was just trying to scare him?

If you weren't a student at Beishi University, you definitely wouldn’t know the campus layout. He had only vaguely mentioned the back street—an area outside the school, a large, open snack street with heavy foot traffic. How could anyone possibly find him there?

Xu Yan stepped back half a pace, feigning nonchalance as he slipped his phone back into his pocket and averted his gaze, looking toward Li Huaiche and the others walking ahead.

"Nothing! Just…" He didn’t realize his tone carried an unmistakable tremor of panic. "Senior Li and the others are walking so fast. Should we hurry and catch up?"

Wen Sinian’s gaze remained fixed on his face.

Earlier, during the hot pot dinner, he had noticed Xu Yan only ate from the bone broth side—probably not good with spicy food. His appetite was small too, filling up after just a few bites. Whenever he accidentally ate meat marinated with chili, his fair cheeks would instantly flush red from the heat, and his soft, pink lips would swell slightly, shiny from being licked a few times, always seeming to glisten with a faint sheen of moisture.

Even now, under the dim glow of the streetlights, his small, plump lower lip was slightly red and swollen, looking adorably pitiful.

"No rush," Wen Sinian matched his pace. "Let’s walk slowly."

The two finally continued side by side. Xu Yan was paranoid, his eyes darting around as if searching for anyone following him or any suspicious figures nearby.

Noticing his behavior, Wen Sinian didn’t find it odd. Instead, he asked considerately, "Looking for someone?"

Xu Yan startled, whipping his head around to look at him. "No one! I mean—no. Not looking for anyone. Just... glancing around."

"At what?" Wen Sinian was unusually attentive. "I’ll help you look."

Xu Yan had no choice but to face forward again, insisting, "Seriously, it’s nothing..."

He changed the subject. "Senior, are you staying in the dorm tonight too?"

Otherwise, why were they heading toward the dormitory building together?

Wen Sinian: "No, my car is parked downstairs."

"Oh."

The conversation lapsed again. Xu Yan wondered what else he could say to fill the silence.

But Wen Sinian asked, "Do you want me to stay in the dorm?"

Xu Yan hurried to explain, "That’s not what I meant. Your workshop must keep you busy, right?"

He’d visited once before and remembered Wen Sinian wearing casual home clothes, likely living there most of the time. Xu Yan remembered it clearly.

Wen Sinian replied patiently, "I was preparing for a competition recently, and there’s a busy project coming up for internal testing. It’ll ease up after a while."

"I know about that competition—the one in Europe during the National Day holiday, right?" Xu Yan’s voice lightened. "Senior Li mentioned it in the dorm."

"Hmm." Wen Sinian turned the question back on him. "What about you?"

Xu Yan: "What about me?"

"What else have you been doing lately?"

Xu Yan hadn’t expected him to take an interest. Their academic and personal lives rarely overlapped. If Wen Sinian didn’t stay in the dorm, they might as well be strangers.

Xu Yan answered honestly, "Nothing special, really. Just attending classes, eating, working part-time at the café, and sleeping in the dorm."

Wen Sinian’s tone carried a hint of guidance. "And?"

Xu Yan thought for a moment. "Oh, I also filmed a promotional video for Ares. It’s already submitted."

They had run into each other at the martial arts gym, so he figured Wen Sinian already knew.

Wen Sinian: "Nothing else?"

Xu Yan nodded. "Nothing else."

His real life was just that of an ordinary college student. As for online matters... those weren’t something he could bring up.

Wen Sinian didn’t press further. After they walked a few more steps, he finally said leisurely, "I thought you might be dating someone."

Xu Yan almost tripped over his own feet, freezing in place, breath held as he gaped at Wen Sinian in disbelief.

Had he... had he seen his phone after all?

Did he know about the online relationship?

What should he do—

Wen Sinian stopped too, tilting his head slightly, the corner of his lips curling coldly.

"With Zhou Zhengyi."

Xu Yan’s soul immediately returned to his body. He exhaled sharply, taking two quick steps forward, the tension vanishing completely.

That had scared him to death. They hadn’t been talking about the same thing at all.

"Of course not!" Xu Yan said earnestly. "I’ve been avoiding him all night. You even helped me earlier, didn’t you? There’s nothing going on between us. I don’t like him, and I’ve spelled that out to him."

Wen Sinian lowered his gaze. "He doesn’t seem to get it."

He’d been hovering like an annoying fly all evening, unbearable to watch.

Xu Yan sounded frustrated. "I really don’t know what else to say. He told me he liked a girl, so I agreed to eat with him, but he lied..."

Wen Sinian asked, "Was filming together a lie too?"

"Filming?" Xu Yan understood. "Yes, he tricked me then too. But I’m so stupid—I only realized tonight when that girl told me."

His eyes were wide and honest, glistening slightly, as if pleading for the other to believe him quickly.

Wen Sinian stared straight into them before finally saying, "Stay away from him from now on."

Xu Yan nodded firmly. "I’ll never eat with him again. I’ll avoid him whenever I see him."

"Aside from him," Wen Sinian continued, "is there anyone else?"

This time, Xu Yan didn’t answer immediately. He wanted to say no, but the words caught in his throat. If he said yes... well, maybe after tonight, once he came clean with Year, there wouldn’t be anyone either.

Noticing his hesitation, Wen Sinian probed, "Is it a difficult question?"

"Not really..."

Xu Yan muttered under his breath, perhaps psyching himself up. Then, he made a decision and looked up with certainty, declaring, "There's no one."

Breaking up was no big deal anyway.

He'd just tell Year he wanted to end things once he got back. It's not like they were ever serious to begin with, and Year had been hiding things from him too.

If 'sincerity' was just empty words, impure and unreliable, then he didn’t want it.

He wanted to break up.

Wen Sinian's eyes might have darkened - or maybe not. He was too tall; unless he bent down, Xu Yan couldn’t clearly make out the emotions in his eyes.

Just then a bike came speeding by, hitting the speed bump near Xu Yan and nearly hitting him.

Xu Yan jumped aside but got yanked back by hands at his waist. He spun around and plowed straight into a broad, warm chest.

The hand that had merely rested politely at his waist earlier in the hotpot restaurant now tightened with force, the thumb digging in just above his hip, gripping the narrowest part of his waist. Fingers laced behind his back, pulling him in so tightly he couldn’t move.

Xu Yan’s forehead smacked against rock-hard pecs—hidden beneath fabric, the solid muscles beneath were unmistakable.

He didn't get why it felt so unyielding, like a brand searing his delicate skin.

Xu Yan found himself hoisted onto the small curb by the roadside, toes barely scraping the pavement as the grip on his waist held him suspended.

He gasped for air, his hands pushing weakly against the chest in front of him.

"Thank you…" His voice was kitten-soft.

But the hands at his waist didn't let up. Instead, they pulled him even closer. Eyes glinting in the shadows were like venomous snakes slithering up his pale face—fangs still sheathed, the threat alone spiked his adrenaline.

Xu Yan's heart hammered under that gaze. His spine locked up; hands fisting unconsciously, pushing weakly at Wen Sinian's shirt.

Senior Wen had been decent to him all night, humoring his bad mood.

But he hadn’t broken up with Year yet. It was better to keep some distance from others.

Yet the grip didn't loosen. He couldn’t break free, and his waist was starting to throb under the pressure.

Under the dense canopy, the surroundings were dim and indistinct. Xu Yan couldn't see a thing, unable to see the path ahead.

Wen Sinian’s voice stayed level, like this was just about hearing him better. "What did you say?"

Xu Yan repeated, "I can stand on my own now. You can let go…"

Those cold eyes narrowed slightly. Wen Sinian reminded him, "The line before that."

Xu Yan wracked his brain, trying to recall what he’d said before being interrupted.

Then it clicked. "I said I'm not seeing anyone. There’s no one else."

He added, "So, there’s really no one."

Clear enough for you?

Wen Sinian smiled. Though the corners of his lips lifted slightly, it chilled Xu Yan to the bone.

Clear. Very clear.

Venomous fangs brushed his slender neck, tempted to sink in recklessly. But in the end, they softened, just ghosting over his throat before retreating, hidden once more beneath the icy gaze.

Xu Yan squirmed, murmuring, "It hurts a little…"

Wen Sinian withdrew his hand, even smoothing Xu Yan’s shirt down to cover the faint red marks circling his slender waist.

The whole thing lasted seconds, but to Xu Yan, it felt endless.

"Sorry, I have a strong grip," Wen Sinian said. "Did I hurt you?"

Xu Yan stepped off the curb and gave him a good-natured smile. "It’s fine. I almost got hit earlier—thank you."

His fair skin, likely bruised red by now, finger marks still visible. Yet here he was, thanking the very person who’d caused it.

Wen Sinian replied, "You’re welcome."

Li Huaiche and the others had probably already entered the dormitory. The two walked all the way to the building’s entrance without spotting them again.

A black car idled not far from the dorm. Probably Wen Sinian's, Xu Yan figured.

Wen Sinian accompanied him to the door. Xu Yan waved. "Goodbye, Senior. Drive safely."

Suddenly Wen Sinian asked, "Was the cake good?"

He must have been referring to the small ice cream cake he’d given Xu Yan at the studio—the same brand as the one Year had sent, though with different fillings: one sea salt coconut, the other camellia.

Xu Yan nodded. "It was delicious. The chocolate was great too. I finished all of it."

Wen Sinian said nothing more, simply telling him, "Go on up."

By the time Xu Yan returned to his dorm, it was almost lights-out. He hurried through his bedtime routine, washing up and preparing for bed.

As he undressed, the skin around his waist still felt warm, as if those scorching hands were still gripping him.

He lifted his shirt in the bathroom for a look. Faint red marks circled his fair skin, the outlines of broad palms and long fingers imprinted on his slender waist like some peculiar ornament.

He took a sharp breath. This wasn’t just a "strong grip"—it was practically enough to snap his waist in half.

Li Huaiche and Zhao Qingji had already returned and finished washing up. Seeing Xu Yan bustling about, Li Huaiche asked curiously, "Did you two walk that slowly, or did you and Senior Wen have a long chat downstairs?"

Xu Yan, toothbrush in mouth, mumbled, "We walked slowly."

Li Huaiche sighed. "That must’ve been really slow. But I didn’t know you guys knew those guys from the sports department. We didn’t even plan to eat out tonight—Senior Wen suddenly said he’d treat us. And then we ran into you at the first place we went to on Backstreet."

Zhao Qingji added, "That’s quite a coincidence. You guys showed up right as our food was being served."

Li Huaiche agreed, "Yeah, we decided on hotpot last minute too."

Just then, the dorm lights went out.

Xu Yan finished brushing his teeth by flashlight and climbed into bed.

He lay there in the dark, staring blankly for a while before finally opening his alternate account to check.

Miraculously, there were no new messages.

He reread Year’s last few lines again and again. They felt unnervingly real—not just empty threats.

Unease gnawed at him. He bit down on his knuckle under the covers, then slowly typed out a tentative message.

"Yan Yan": Are you really here?

It was already past eleven, yet a reply appeared instantly from the other side.

"Year" sent a picture.

Xu Yan didn't need to enlarge it—it showed the gate of Beishi University, specifically the north gate he often used.

Year had mentioned being in Beishi for work recently, but his IP address had always shown Haishi before, so Xu Yan assumed he was just there on assignment. He never expected Year to still be in Beishi after all this time.

Xu Yan bit down hard on his blanket, panic surging through him, his mind going blank with fear. His eyes wide, unblinking, glued to his phone screen, terrified of missing even a single message from the other side.

He had almost forgotten that tonight was supposed to be when he broke up with Year. Yet just a casual photo of the campus gate was enough to make his heart pound so hard it made him lightheaded, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, his ragged breath warm against the blanket.

He's really here…

Is he still waiting at the school gate right now?

Has he left, or has he already come inside?!

What should he do? How can he hide properly? Should he just stay in his dorm and avoid going out for a few days…

"Year": You vanished all night.

"Year": Babe.

"Year": Do I really have to drag you home and lock you up to make you behave?

Xu Yan didn't dare challenge Year now, afraid he'd follow through on his threats.

One second he says he's coming to get him, the next he's already at the school gate.

"Yan Yan": Can you go back first?

Xu Yan made up an excuse.

"Yan Yan": I didn't go back to the dorm today. I'm not at school.

"Yan Yan": You'll just be wasting your time waiting outside.

"Year": Oh.

"Year": Out getting a room with someone?

Xu Yan didn't expect him to jump to that conclusion and could only keep up the lie.

"Yan Yan": Of course not! The dorm was just locked because the curfew passed, so I'm staying with a friend.

"Yan Yan": Please just leave.

But he was terrible at lying—Year didn't seem convinced.

"Year": Share your location.

A request popped up immediately.

Xu Yan absolutely didn't dare turn it on. If he did, Year would instantly see he was lying in a dorm building at Beishi University.

"Yan Yan": I don't want to.

"Yan Yan": You said you wouldn't force me if I didn't want to meet.

"Year": Turn it on.

That single icy word made Xu Yan feel even more wronged. That familiar sting returned to his eyes, and as he typed, a wave of sadness and disappointment welled up inside him, blurring his vision slightly.

Even though it was just an online fling, even though he'd never even seen Year's face, even though if he turned off his phone, they'd have no way to contact each other—the long hours of chatting and companionship weren't fake. He couldn't pretend it meant nothing at all.

Xu Yan had never been in a relationship before. He didn't even know if this even qualified as a real relationship. He never expected it to end up like this.

The sadness and frustration he'd been holding back all night finally overflowed, bursting out accusingly.

"Yan Yan": No.

"Yan Yan": You don't even like me.

"Yan Yan": Everything you said before was a lie.

"Yan Yan": You said I didn't have to meet if I didn't want to. You said you wouldn't show up uninvited.

"Yan Yan": But you're here now, forcing me to share my location. You just want to find me, to know who I really am.

"Yan Yan": Why do you have to come looking for me? Can't you go bother someone else?

"Yan Yan": Don't you like a lot of people? Do you stalk other people's schools too?

"Yan Yan": You're unbelievable.

"Yan Yan": I really, really hate you.

"Yan Yan": I'm breaking up with you.

"Yan Yan": I never want to talk to you again.

"Yan Yan": I hate you!

After sending the messages, he tossed his phone aside, burying his face in the blanket, huddled under the covers, breathing shakily. He rubbed his aching eyes gently with his fingers.

After calming down for a while, his eyes finally felt better. He wiped his face against the blanket, brushing away the dampness, then poked his head out, closing his eyes and trying to sleep.

His phone, placed beside him, kept blinking incessantly like the world was ending—messages were pouring in nonstop.

Xu Yan was utterly fed up. He shoved his phone under his pillow, out of sight, out of mind.

At least he'd said the words—he'd broken up. Whether the other person accepted it or not didn't matter anymore. He had class at eight tomorrow morning and needed to sleep early.

But after lying there with his eyes closed for a while, sleep wouldn't come. Frustrated with himself, Xu Yan grabbed the stuffed rabbit plush beside him and squeezed it tightly a few times before fishing his phone out from under the pillow.

Over twenty unread messages, all from the burner account.

He bit his lip and opened them.

He wanted to see—now that he'd broken up—if the other person had left. The school gates stayed open all night, and outside cars could enter. He hoped Year had left on his own.

The flood of messages made Xu Yan's vision swim. He read them one by one, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Year": Don't worry, babe. I won't come in.

"Year": No way we're breaking up.

"Year": I wasn’t lying to you before

"Year": I really like you, only you

"Year": Don’t you dare break up with me, and don’t you dare ignore me

"Year": But you can hate me

A photo came through, showing an unfamiliar roadside. The person in the car held up their phone with one hand, the driver's side window open, their other arm resting on the window, aimed at the steering wheel and windshield.

No face was visible in the rearview mirror, only a slender, pale hand in the night, with prominent bones and veins, so large that the phone looked like a mere prop in their grasp.

They had indeed left the school gate and driven onto an unknown road.

"Year": You okay now, baby?

After sending a bunch of sweet-talking texts, as if noticing something off, "Year" suddenly shifted the topic.

"Year": Why did you say I like a lot of people?

"Year": Who told you I went after others?

"Year": There’s only you, baby

"Year": Want me to show you?

Below was a WeChat screenshot. The chat interface wasn’t just limited to Xu Yan’s alternate account—Xu Yan was pinned at the top. Below were a few groups and some contacts without nicknames, with the latest messages all from yesterday or earlier, showing nothing suspicious.

"Year" wasn’t even using an alternate account to chat with him. Xu Yan was surprised to see his own nickname set as "Dummy."

Xu Yan, both embarrassed and annoyed, wanted to throw his phone again. How dare he call him dummy!

So annoying, so annoying, so annoying.

Even though Xu Yan hadn’t replied to a single message, the other person didn’t seem upset at all. In fact, Xu Yan’s sulking seemed to have lifted their mood, and they just kept spoiling him rotten.

"Year": I can give you my platform account password too, go ahead and log in

Sure enough, they sent the app’s login details.

That was the last message, sent two minutes ago, as if genuinely waiting for Xu Yan to log in.

Xu Yan typed angrily.

"Yan Yan": I don’t want to log into your account

"Yan Yan": I don’t want to invade your privacy

"Year": But I want you to see, baby. I have no secrets from you

"Year": Let my baby monitor me, okay?

Xu Yan replied coldly.

"Yan Yan": No

They were breaking up—why would he bother keeping tabs on them?

Within seconds, another message arrived.

"Year": So that’s why

A screenshot followed—the app’s following list. Aside from Xu Yan’s account as the only special follow, there was indeed one thirst-trap account.

"Year": Is this why you’re mad at me?

"Year": Are you jealous, baby?

As if called out, Xu Yan stayed silent, secretly watching the screen.

"Year": Dummy

"Year": Why didn’t you just ask me? I didn’t follow them—it must’ve been follower botting by the platform

"Year": Standard tactic for many apps

"Year": I had no idea

To prove it, "Year" somehow pulled up the creator’s follower growth chart.

"Year": From last night till now, they bought over 100k followers—half bot accounts, 40k+ real users, and a few premium-tier accounts

"Year"’s account was premium-tier due to heavy spending, but with low activity, making it a target for some creators buying followers at high prices.

Another screenshot followed—login location history.

"Year": There’s an abnormal login from a different location today

"Year": Baby, log into my account

Their proof was so solid that Xu Yan was almost convinced. He quietly logged into "Year"’s account in the background.

Checking the following list, Xu Yan saw "Year" had already unfollowed that creator. Since he’d logged in via phone, the backend IP showed three entries—his own and two abnormal logins.

Xu Yan peeked at the wallet balance—there was a crazy balance inside. He didn’t dare look closely, just skimmed the transaction history. From top to bottom, every payment was just sending him gifts.

It… seemed real.

He really might’ve misunderstood "Year." Now what?

Xu Yan switched to another platform and searched the creator’s name. Many recent posts complained about being bought as followers around the same time, trash-talking the app in the process.

At this point, Xu Yan was almost certain—the follow was just a misunderstanding.

He no longer doubted "Year," but now he felt a little guilty.

"Year": Believe me now, baby?

"Year": I only have you, right?

"Year": My mind’s on you all day, I’d spend every second with you if I could—how would I have time for anyone else?

That much was true. Xu Yan sometimes wondered if they even had a real job or had been fired, given how much they talked to him.

Way too needy.

"Yan Yan": But you came to my school earlier

"Yan Yan": You scared me

Noticing Xu Yan's softening attitude, Year bombarded him with messages.

"Year": I just wanted to hold you

"Year": When you ignored me, I was so worried I couldn’t focus on anything

"Year": I’m your guy. I want to know what you're thinking, what you’re doing, whether you’re happy or sad right now

"Year": No matter what happens, you never seem to choose to tell me first

"Year": Have you never really cared about me?

"Year": Am I just someone disgusting, repulsive, and shameful to you?

Each sentence felt like an interrogation, but even more like a heartbroken complaint, making Xu Yan squirm and feel as if he’d committed some terrible wrong.

"Year": Baby, I’m really hurt

Guilt twisted in Xu Yan’s chest. He knew full well that Year had said he’d worry if he didn’t see his messages, but at the time, he’d been too upset himself and left him on read on purpose.

He never expected Year would actually worry so much that he’d wait outside his school late at night. If he’d kept ignoring him, what would Year have done? Stay outside the school gates all night?

He’d misunderstood him, coldly said he hated him, and even dropped the breakup bomb.

He really was a terrible, terrible person.

"Yan Yan": Don’t be sad anymore

Xu Yan licked his lips and typed hesitantly.

"Yan Yan": I won’t say we’re breaking up

Maybe tonight wasn't the night.

"Year": Baby, are you still mad?

"Yan Yan": I’m over being mad, it’s my fault, I misunderstood you, I’m sorry…

"Year": It’s okay

"Year": Because even when babe’s angry, you’re so cute

So cute I could eat you up.

With the misunderstanding cleared, Xu Yan felt much more at ease, the weight in his chest finally lifting.

He curled up on his side, finding a comfortable position and closing his eyes, thinking he could finally sleep well.

Just then, Year sent another message.

"Year": Baby, I miss you so much

"Year": I’m feeling kinda off

Maybe it was because he’d genuinely hurt Year tonight. After all, no one would feel good after being misunderstood.

Xu Yan’s heart ached with guilt, melting at the needy tone.

"Yan Yan": You still driving home? Are you feeling sick?

"Year": Yeah

"Year": I want to see you

The dorm had gone still. Xu Yan listened carefully—the other two roommates were already breathing steadily, out cold. There was no chance he could sneak to the bathroom to change into a skirt and take a photo now.

"Yan Yan": But my roommates are asleep. I can’t disturb them

"Year": Stay right where you are

"Year": Just snap one under the covers for me

"Year": Okay, baby?

Another photo arrived—still the same road from earlier, the car hadn’t budged.

"Year": I can’t leave without seeing you

Xu Yan’s pulse jumped. How he put it made it sound like if he refused, the car would turn right back to the gates of Beishi University.

"Yan Yan": Alright

"Yan Yan": Just one

He pulled the blanket over his head, turning on the flash inside. His pajama bottoms were shorts, and by now the legs had crept up his thighs, the pale skin practically glowing under the light.

Xu Yan tugged the fabric down, but it still only reached mid-thigh. He didn’t have any long pants on his bed to change into, so he could only hide his legs under the blanket, taking a selfie of his curled-up form in his pajamas, a few snow-white bunnies peeking from the top.

"Year": Baby’s pajamas are so cute too

"Year": You going commando?

Xu Yan checked the photo he’d just sent—the shorts were hidden under the top, making it look like he wasn’t wearing anything below at all.

"Yan Yan": I am

"Year": Take them off

Xu Yan’s eyes flew open.

"Yan Yan": No

Year backed off easily.

"Year": Okay

"Year": Then just let me see those legs, alright?

This condition was much easier to accept, so Xu Yan dug back under the blanket and took another photo.

The flash lit up the blanket’s dark nest, revealing two slender, pale legs emerging from the slightly too-short, loose shorts. In the side-lying pose, his legs were tucked together neatly, the soft skin sealing the space between them seamlessly.

If someone tried to slip a hand between, it might part those thighs just enough, the fingers then enveloped by warm, yielding softness. With fingers splayed, they could easily encircle the slender thighs.

Even his knees were pretty, slightly bent, the rounded bones pink-tipped, the skin pale and smooth. If they got roughed up from kneeling, they’d surely turn into two sinful shades of red.

His calves were slender and straight, the widest part seemingly easy for his hand to span completely. Hiked up and bent, they could be arranged into whatever position.

That telltale red mole wasn’t visible—it must’ve been hidden between his thighs.

Xu Yan's head was still buried under the blanket after sending the photo, his breath stuffy and damp with warmth.

"Year": Your legs are so slim, baby.

"Year": You barely eat anything, not eating enough, right?

"Yan Yan": I have been eating well.

"Year": Why are your legs so bony? Pinch them and send me a pic.

Xu Yan reached down and pinched his own thigh. There was clearly a layer of soft flesh wrapped around it—how could anyone miss that?

He really did pinch and take a few photos, but paused before hitting send.

It was kind of... kind of...

"Year": You're not even in bed, are you?

"Year": Is this some old pic you're trying to pass off?

"Yan Yan": Of course not.

"Year": Should I come back over?

Xu Yan closed his eyes and hit send without thinking.

"Yan Yan": No, don't even think about coming back.

"Yan Yan": It was really just taken. You saw me—you should know it's real.

"Yan Yan": If you’re not feeling well, go back and rest quickly.

First things first—he needed to get him to leave.

In the photo he sent, a pale, delicate hand gently pinched a soft curve of his pale thigh. It was unclear how many times he had pinched it for the shot, but a small area nearby had already turned red—pale skin blushing pink, like delicate peach blossoms blooming on fresh snow.

Year was clearly entranced, pausing for a moment.

This was the first time he had seen these legs so clearly and up close, no pesky skirt in the way, with only loose shorts riding up his thighs.

"Year": Baby, your legs are all red. Poor baby.

"Year": Does it hurt?

"Year": Want me to kiss it better?

Xu Yan seemed momentarily stunned, freezing for two seconds before the meaning sank in. His damp eyelashes trembled slightly, and his eyes went wide with flustered surprise.

He blinked at the words on the screen, equal parts mortified and irritated, his fingers trembling weakly as they tapped lightly on the keyboard.

"Yan Yan": I hate you.

"Year": You hate me again.

Xu Yan thought for a moment, then took the initiative to reply.

"Yan Yan": You have to send me a photo too.

"Year": Just got home. Wait a bit, okay?

"Year": Stay awake for me, baby.

They had been chatting for a long time—it was already past 12:30—and Xu Yan was genuinely drowsy, his eyelids growing heavy.

But he was still fixated on the fact that "Year" had promised to send him a photo, fighting to keep his eyes open and stare at his phone.

"Yan Yan": Fine, but hurry up.

"Yan Yan": I’m so sleepy.

Yet the other side remained silent for a long time, and Xu Yan almost wondered if he was being played. He yawned widely, nearly dozing off—

Then, a photo finally came through.

It was a selfie of someone sitting in a black office chair, with only a dim desk lamp casting shadows.

The person in the photo wore a black shirt, buttoned only from the chest down, leaving the collar and collarbone exposed. His muscles were perfectly defined, like a predator lying in wait in the dark, his gaze burning through the screen to fixate on its oblivious prey.

His bare chest was adorned with several chilly silver chains that traced the contours of his muscles, spreading outward from his chest like icy tributaries clinging to his powerful frame. The obsidian stones embedded in the chains were partially obscured by the shirt, resembling flimsy restraints on something dangerous—creating the pretense of being tamed.

Though the photo was static, the chains seemed to shimmer with each breath.

Desire. Restraint.

Right on the edge.

Just one glance at the photo, and Xu Yan’s knees nearly gave out, like his legs turned to jelly. His face burned so hot he could barely breathe.

He, he actually sent a... a chest chain selfie?!