Chapter 169

Chapter 169

An oral… massage?

So… that’s just kissing, isn’t it?

Shen Que’s pupils dilated, his gaze fixed on Chen Zui’s parting lips.

Chen Zui was kissing some man he didn’t even know!

A sudden, inexplicable rage flared within him, so intense it felt like the hair on his head might ignite.

It was as if a flower he had meticulously nurtured had been plucked by another, or like his tender, homegrown cabbage had been rooted up by a pig.

The mere thought made him want to tear the other man to shreds. He simply couldn't accept it.

How could someone as fragrant as Chen Zui kiss a stinky man!

After dropping this bombshell, Chen Zui pushed off his knees and stood up. "Brother Shen, I’m going inside first."

The moment he turned, his wrist was seized.

He tilted his head, looking down at Shen Que, who was still crouched on the ground. His long, thick eyelashes obscured the moonlight, making his dark eyes appear deep and shadowy, as if they could swallow Shen Que whole.

Shen Que: "No."

Chen Zui feigned ignorance. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

Shen Que’s grip tightened, becoming forceful. "You cannot give this kind of massage treatment to anyone else. Oral massage is also forbidden."

His tone was almost a command.

Though Shen Que still had many questions, he trusted his intuition.

Chen Zui, however, was puzzled. "Why?"

Shen Que couldn’t answer his question.

"Why is it okay for me to give this treatment to you, Brother Shen, but not to others?"

The only response Chen Zui received was a silence as profound and still as the night.

Perhaps the wind began to stir.

But it hadn’t yet reached them.

Shen Que watched as confusion gradually clouded Chen Zui’s eyes, and his grip on Chen Zui’s hand slowly relaxed.

Chen Zui said nothing more and returned to the clinic.

Shen Que remained, still looking up. Chen Zui’s "why" was like a pebble dropped into a lake, sending ripples spreading outward.

Why?

Why couldn’t he accept it?

Shen Que’s mind was consumed by this question. If it were someone under his command—say, Xiao Xu—kissing Xiao Wu, he’d find it a bit cringey and think they were just fooling around, but it wouldn’t really concern him. They could do whatever they wanted.

But why was it different when it came to Chen Zui?

And Chen Zui even had a legitimate reason.

That night, Shen Que never entered the clinic again. Chen Zui listened to Ao Tian’s report: Shen Que’s favorability toward him had jumped to 5% that night.

Before dawn, Shen Que walked in, smelling of cigarette smoke, his eyes bloodshot and stubble dotting his chin.

Old Xu was asleep on another bed, while Chen Zui had diligently stood watch in a chair all night.

Chen Zui met Shen Que’s gaze.

Shen Que still hadn’t figured it out. The confusion gave him a splitting headache. He wondered if he saw Chen Zui as a younger brother—maybe that was why he felt such a strong protective instinct, not wanting him to sacrifice or give too much.

That must be it.

That was the conclusion Shen Que tentatively reached.

Shen Que said softly, "You’ve worked hard. Go freshen up. Once Song Luo and the others arrive, have breakfast and get some proper rest."

Chen Zui complied without protest.

Not long after he left, Xiao Xu woke up, blinking groggily. When he saw Shen Que, he murmured, "Huh... I’m still alive."

Shen Que: "Of course. Don’t say such unlucky things."

Xiao Xu’s eyes reddened as he glanced at Old Xu sleeping in the next bed. When he was in excruciating pain, his biggest fear had been what would happen to his father if he died. Besides that, his biggest regret was not having confessed to Meng Meng.

"Boss, once I recover, I’m going to confess to Meng Meng."

Even if she rejected him, it was better than her never knowing how he felt.

Shen Que: "Confessing is fine, but don’t pester her."

Xiao Xu: "Don’t worry. If I like her, I won’t make things difficult for her."

—

After breakfast, Shen Que went to work. Chen Zui briefed Song Luo and the others on Xiao Xu’s condition before heading upstairs to catch up on sleep.

Many people in the town had heard the news and came to see Xiao Xu, expressing gratitude that their town had someone like Chen Zui. They practically wanted to worship him like a god.

Chen Zui lay in bed. Shen Que still hadn’t made any moves.

He took a cigarette from the pack on the bedside table—Shen Que’s brand. The tobacco scent was very mild, so he could tolerate it.

Ao Tian: "A straight man’s heart is as hard as steel!"

Ao Tian: "But a straight man’s intestines are still warm!"

Ao Tian: "How about you two kiss first? I have a feeling that if you kiss him, his favorability will definitely increase."

Chen Zui tilted his head back slightly, exhaling smoke upward. "I trust your judgment."

He watched the dissipating smoke, but he found it a bit boring.

If it were killing someone—

He’d prefer to strike the enemy down in one blow.

But when it came to winning someone’s affection, he preferred them to want him desperately, to crave him actively.

Compared to tame love,

he preferred something more twisted.

Chen Zui took a drag of his cigarette, feeling he might be a little twisted.

Shen Que had kept himself busy all day, filling his mind with work so he had no time to think about anything else.

He didn't even come back for dinner.

After washing up around 9 p.m., he first went to check on Xiao Xu. Xiao Xu mumbled that Xiao Wu had visited him earlier, saying he had taken over his bed.

Xiao Wu had his cast off and was back home, though he was still hesitant to put full weight on that foot when walking and needed time to adjust.

“By the way, boss, Dr. Chen said he went to see a patient and might be back later, so you don’t need to wait for him.”

Shen Que instantly became alert. “What did you say?”

Xiao Xu didn’t understand which part his boss hadn’t caught, so he repeated it.

“Did he say whose house he went to?”

Xiao Xu shook his head. “Dr. Chen said it’s the patient's privacy.”

Shen Que was sure that Chen Zui had gone to see the person he mentioned last night!

The thought of what they might be doing… Shen Que bolted toward the door.

“Boss, where are you going?”

Shen Que ran out the door but then stopped short—was he supposed to knock on every door and ask if Chen Zui was there?

That would only make things worse and cause panic.

Old Xu walked over, sucking on a popsicle. “Boss, were you waiting for me?” He quickened his pace and came closer. “Alright, you go do your thing. I’ll watch over Xiao Xu.”

Shen Que’s jaw tightened. The silvery moonlight washed him in a cold, harsh light, making his feet feel as though rooted, requiring all his strength to move. He turned stiffly and walked upstairs, step after heavy step.

On the bedroom wall hung a tree-shaped clock, ticking relentlessly. Each tick marked another second passing, and with each one, Shen Que’s expression grew grimmer as he sat on the edge of the bed.

He looked like a beast with no way out.

23:24

Shen Que heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He turned his head and made to stand in the darkness, but he had been sitting motionless for so long that he couldn’t get up immediately. Only his head turned toward the door.

His eyes locked intently on the entrance.

The door opened, then the lights flicked on. The sudden brightness made Shen Que squint, but he refused to close his eyes. In that instant, he saw Chen Zui’s swollen, red lips, like a flower that had been roughly handled.

It made his eyes redden.

Chen Zui gawked at him. “Brother Shen, why are you sitting there in the dark?”

As he spoke, he closed the door and walked in, hanging his satchel on the coat rack. “Brother Shen, let me tell you, I was so embarrassed today when I treated that person with the same illness as you. After all, I’ve never kissed anyone before, so I had no idea how to do it. The other person showed me.”

“But kissing is really quite…”

A strong hand yanked him forward and pinned him against the wall.

He flinched in pain, looking confusedly at Shen Que, who resembled a furious beast.

“Brother Shen, what’s wrong?”

“Brother Shen, you’re hurting me…”

As he spoke, his swollen lips moved, starkly reminding Shen Que of how intensely he had kissed someone else.

Unbearable.

Shen Que’s rationality shattered. Before Chen Zui could say another word, he kissed him fiercely.

Ao Tian: “Well, well~ Now this is getting interesting.”

Chen Zui lifted a brow wordlessly, raising a hand to push against Shen Que’s chest, pretending to struggle.

Shen Que’s kiss was forceful and messy, sloppy. He only wanted to cover up the taste of someone else in Chen Zui’s mouth, to claim it with his own.

He ignored Chen Zui’s struggles and resistance, even feeling a flicker of anger because of it. Why was it okay for him to kiss someone else, but not okay for Shen Que to kiss him?

He grabbed Chen Zui’s hand, which was pressed against his chest, and raised it, pinning it to the wall.

He deepened the kiss, as if staking his claim.

Ao Tian had been through many worlds with Chen Zui, but this was the first time he’d seen Chen Zui be cast as the weaker party, being forcibly kissed. Even though it was an act, and even though the swollen lips were just from Chen Zui irritating them himself, the scene was still quite new to him.

The one who seemed vulnerable was actually in control of the entire situation. Ao Tian learned something new.

And the favorability shot up to 15%.

Shen Que’s kiss grew increasingly skilled, tangling with Chen Zui’s tongue. Chen Zui, unable to resist, let him claim his mouth inch by inch. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, making soft, hurt sounds.

Hearing those noises, Shen Que only wanted to keep kissing him forever.

So sweet.

So fragrant.

He wished he could drink in Chen Zui’s taste.

Only when the air between them grew thin and the feeling of suffocation became overwhelming did Shen Que finally end the kiss, his chest burning.

As he pulled away, his tongue dragged over Chen Zui’s palate, sending a shiver through him.

Shen Que, content yet hungry for more, saw the confusion, doubt, and red-rimmed, watery eyes in Chen Zui’s eyes, and his sanity rushed back.

And then it exploded.

What… had he just done?!

Chen Zui pushed him away and ran to the bathroom.

Shen Que stumbled backward, no longer a fierce beast but a shattered man.

He looked toward the bathroom, listening to the muffled crying coming from inside.

He had kissed Chen Zui.

Not for treatment, without his consent, he forcibly kissed him.

He's simply a beast!

He deserves to die!

Shen Que slapped himself in aggravation and rage, the loud sound causing the crying to pause for a moment.

In the bathroom, Chen Zui was putting on a show—all thunder but no rain—though this wasn't what he had hoped for.

He splashed some water on his face and wiped it before emerging from the bathroom, his gaze still guarded as he looked at Shen Que. His eyes fell on Shen Que’s swollen cheek—he really had hit himself hard.

Shen Que walked straight toward him, and Chen Zui retreated fearfully.

Seeing this, a flicker of disbelief crossed Shen Que’s face, followed by overwhelming guilt.

"I'm sorry."

He suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud.

Ao Tian: “The saying ‘a man’s knees are as precious as gold’ isn’t worth much, you know.”

He thought, *I’ve already knelt before you—what more do you want?* But this kind of apology is meaningless.

Shen Que: “As long as it makes you feel better, as long as I can make it up to you, I’ll do anything you ask.”

Ao Tian: “Silly straight guy, you shouldn’t say things like that so carelessly.”

Ao Tian: “What do you want him to do?”

Chen Zui looked at the kneeling man: “He should crawl on his knees to me and give me head.”

For someone like Shen Que, kneeling might be the ultimate gesture of apology.

But he didn’t really care about that.

Chen Zui hurried over to Shen Que’s side and knelt as well, holding his shoulders: “Brother Shen, what are you doing? You just startled me.”

“I just don’t understand, Brother Shen—why did you suddenly kiss me?”

Just like last night.

Last night, he asked why he wasn’t allowed to give massages for treatment.

Tonight, he asked why he was kissed.

Step by step.

Leading the straight guy Shen into his trap, making him fall, forcing him to seek rescue as he falls, only to drag him down instead.

He’ll even believe it was his own fault for dragging him into the abyss.

It was his fault.

He, Chen Zui, is innocent.