Chapter 95 The Reason for Blindfolding

Chapter 95: The Reason for Blindfolding

As the long summer rain gradually subsided, Shi Zai could finally breathe deeply and quietly. Yet his heart still pounded fiercely, and his entire body shook uncontrollably. Even nestled completely within the broad embrace, he couldn't stop shivering, letting out shaky, whimpering sounds one after another, much like the steady drip-drip of rainwater from the branches outside—continuous and unending. The night had been exquisitely pleasurable.

He had brought this upon himself, and he was utterly content.

Licking his lips, he was given cool sips of plum water, one after another. Shi Zai’s throat, raw from crying out, was soothed, and tilting his face up, he eagerly chased after the gulps of cool sweetness trickling down his throat. It was a different sensation from the searing heat earlier, yet it equally made his heart flutter with bubbles of joy. Shi Zai squinched his eyes in contentment.

Unaware of how his expression looked to the man, he still felt it wasn’t enough.

After finishing the water, Shu Yangkuo lay sideways, one hand cradling the head of the person in his arms, the other tightly wrapped around his waist. The person in his arms continued to tremble slightly, pressing against his chest and humming. The guilt of having pushed him too far had almost vanished, replaced only by bliss and satisfaction. Gently patting and caressing, lowering his head to kiss and soothe, he enveloped him entirely in this seemingly endless embrace, sharing moments of deep intimacy again and again.

The embrace heated up again, starkly contrasting the chilly air seeping through the window. Shi Zai opened his damp eyes, nestling deeper into the man’s arms, only to be held even tighter, pressed together perfectly, his entire body soothed. Unable to see past the man’s shoulder, Shi Zai adored this feeling of being completely enveloped, as if... even if a snowstorm raged outside, he had this sanctuary protecting him.

With this solid mountain, he could flourish freely.

With this enduring love, he could play without restraint.

Shi Zai reached a hand out from between them, fingers still trembling slightly, yet unable to resist misbehaving. He pressed rhythmically against the man’s bulging Adam’s apple, smirking smugly as it moved up and down, almost too quick to catch. Then he explored the muscles elsewhere, already sensing the man’s renewed arousal, yet he insisted on stoking the fire... Finally, bothered by the pressure, he messed around purposefully, like gripping a handbrake.

In the silence of the night, every sound was clear, every intention transparent in each other’s eyes.

Shi Zai tapped Shu Yangkuo’s chest with a finger, telling him not to move—he hadn’t rested enough yet. Raising his hand, he gently brushed the man’s long eyelashes. Since their first meeting, he had always loved those lashes, adored the reactions they caused because of him. Blinking, he lowered his gaze, his heart melting, then lifted the man’s eyelids again. How wonderful—his eyes were filled entirely with him. So handsome, just like before.

Suddenly lunging upward, just as he had years ago, he nestled into the steady, restrained man’s arms, eagerly sucking on those enticing lips.

However, even the most composed man could become a little wild in moments like these. And a reserved man, after years of daily togetherness in love, had become more open, actively seeking new pleasures with the one in his arms.

His hands were bound behind his back, his bright, wide eyes blindfolded, pressed against the man’s shoulder.

Shi Zai hadn’t laughed much before he helplessly surrendered his emotional reins and all his senses. For the first time like this, he blinked under the blindfold, seeing nothing but darkness, yet feeling even happier in such love.

Just like earlier, when he was completely enveloped in the man’s embrace, oblivious to the outside world, experiencing everything only within his arms.

Every sensation was magnified, the joy doubled. Shi Zai tilted his neck back; after being covered in nibbling kisses, he buried his face in the man’s chest, rubbing vigorously, soon rocking like a small boat, his words coming out in broken tones:

“Brother... did you... peek at my... bookmarks?”

“...”

The response was a torrent of passion.

Loss of control.

During a sudden brief respite, he heard the rain outside starting again. How nice—tomorrow would be a very cool, pleasant day.

Shi Zai felt his eyes were soaked and blurry, rubbing them, wanting the blindfold removed. But unexpectedly, he heard the man’s voice, extremely hoarse and carrying a tone that sounded almost despairing to him, slowly saying:

“Xiao Zai, if you’re not satisfied... you can picture me when I was younger.”

“...???”

“Keep it on. Pretend I’m still in my thirties or forties.”

“...Shu Yangkuo, are you insane?!”

Unexpectedly, the oddly worked-up old man actually hummed in agreement, then, without letting him curse further, tightly gripped his wrists, pressing on relentlessly. Fierce, extremely fierce, as if... trying to prove something.

But... he’s only fifty! What is there to prove?!

The man had been working out daily in recent years, far more robust than him. Shi Zai hadn’t wanted to continue earlier, but played along to let Shu Yangkuo enjoy himself. Why did it seem like he was the dissatisfied one... insane. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out what he’d done wrong this time.

Ah, the older the man gets, the more sensitive he becomes—sensitive all his life, always analyzing his every move.

Shi Zai was truly baffled. Everything had been fine until evening and the first half of the night; he had no idea what he’d said or done to trigger the man’s sudden age anxiety again.

He felt like an essay prompt.

But! He’s the author of the article—why should some reader misinterpret it?!

By the time it ended, dawn had broken. After being bathed and tucked back into bed, Shi Zai yawned. Whatever, sleep first. Old man, just wait! Pretending not to see Shu Yangkuo’s wary, anxious behavior, he closed his eyes and slept.

Hmph, it’s always like this—acting out, then trying to cover up and apologize, only resolving things after he presses relentlessly.

He slept straight until mid-afternoon. Upon opening his eyes, Shi Zai saw Shu Yangkuo holding him, watching quietly. Seeing him awake, the man quickly asked:

“Wife, are you hungry? At noon, I only fed you a bowl of porridge. Have some noodles, I’ve already...”

“Not hungry. Who told you to force-feed me porridge? Am I your captive? Eat while asleep, then be used when awake?”

“...”

Breathing completely halted, Shu Yangkuo didn’t dare move, his mind frozen, unsure how to respond.

Shi Zai snorted, pushed him away, and hissed in pain—it really was a bit too much... Thinking of his younger self... Tsk, who’s the one not young anymore?... Back then, he could go all night and half a day, but now a full night was impossible.

Glaring coldly, he wordlessly warned off the stinky man’s attempt to help him. Staggering slightly as he got out of bed, he felt dizzy. Tsk, staying up all night will do that. He stretched, washed his face to clear his head.

Turning around, he bumped into a wall—Shu Yangkuo—and let out a soft gasp, nearly falling backward, but was quickly steadied.

Shu Yangkuo lifted him easily, holding him in one arm, carrying his wife back to the bedroom:

“Wife, I went too far. Let me massage you.”

“What? Help me recover faster so you can continue?”

“...”

After a moment of silence, Shu Yangkuo hugged him tightly. “I’m sorry.” The apology only fueled Shi Zai’s anger. “Shu Yangkuo, how many times have I told you? Never say those useless three words to me!” Breaking free, Shi Zai started changing clothes.

Shu Yangkuo opened his mouth but ultimately closed it, lowering his eyes and nodding. Yeah, he was becoming more and more useless.

Seeing this, Shi Zai didn’t want to say another word—originally, he’d considered giving him a chance to confess his insecurities honestly, and he’d let it slide. But instead, it worsened? Pushing his luck? Three days without punishment, and he’s tearing off the roof tiles!!

One fuming, determined to leave alone; the other anxiously, red-eyed, trying to stop him.

Shi Zai glared, pointing at his nose and yelling:

“I’m going to see a doctor! I’m not serving you, you bastard!”

“...Don’t be like this, Xiao Zai. I’ll go with you.”

Even with the choke in his voice, Shi Zai remained unmoved, his resolve firm:

“I’ll count to three—let go! Otherwise, we’ll live like this, cold and distant, from now on!”

“...No...”

"Let go! I swear I'll go on a hunger strike! Three, two..."

Before he could finish counting "one," Shi Zai was released. He opened the door and turned to leave without looking back.

Slam— The moment the door shut, Shi Zai let out an uncharacteristically heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. His waist felt sore and achy... Ugh, why does that jerk care so much about age anyway?

After standing dazedly downstairs for a while, Shi Zai suddenly had an idea—grab a taxi and go to the hospital.

Not for himself, of course. His own condition... a couple of nights of medication and a massage from that man would fix it. But as for the massage... Hmph, it depended on whether the guy genuinely apologized tonight. Otherwise, he wouldn’t let him lay a finger on him—let him worry helplessly.

Endocrinology Department, waiting area.

While waiting, Shi Zai burst out laughing heartily at the messages Shu Yangkuo had sent him. Amusing, utterly amusing—he’d sent loads of super cute emojis, but the man hardly ever used them, only replying with a few relatively normal ones like "hugs." Now, after sending paragraph after paragraph of long messages, he’d spammed all sorts of adorable emojis: "sending love," "crying for a hug," "pouting for a kiss," "cat sticking out its tongue," "dog winking," and more. It made Shi Zai’s heart dance with glee, imagining the stern-faced man trying to act cute to win him over. So entertaining.

But he deliberately didn’t reply to a single one, leaving him twisting in the wind.

After a while, he reopened his phone and burst out laughing again... The guy had started another round of essays and emojis.

But Shi Zai couldn't care less. If he had time to write long messages, why couldn’t he just say it to his face? Besides, none of these essays reflected Shu Yangkuo’s real emotions or thoughts from last night. They were just full of empty promises like "I’ll never act up again" and "I love my wife so much." Useless!

Shi Zai put his phone down and glanced around. Tsk, quite a few people here for the same issue—male menopause. It was when he’d been spacing out downstairs at the hotel that a couple passed by, and the woman said to the man, "Your menopause is never-ending!" Only then did it click for Shi Zai. He quickly looked it up on his phone: male menopause typically occurs between ages 45 and 60, with most people starting after 50...

So that’s it!

Suddenly, the concept of aging became tangible to Shi Zai when he heard those words. He finally understood Shu Yangkuo’s worries—though not entirely, since Shi Zai was optimistic and firmly believed he wouldn’t be like that at 50. So he made an appointment to see how he could help the man cope.

But to his surprise, shortly after entering the examination room, Shi Zai was flushed and abruptly ushered out by the elderly doctor, who scolded him for making a fuss over nothing.