Chapter 120 Rope

Chapter 120: The Rope

Last night, with Yan Zhoubai's mind a complete muddle, Zhan Jiayu leaned in close and whispered, asking why he was so happy to see Lin Qihua and why he insisted on calling her "Sister Qihua."

At that moment, his mind was too clouded to process anything, leaving him speechless. He didn't want to answer, but Zhan Jiayu pressed him relentlessly. If he remained silent, Zhan Jiayu would intensify the physical sensations, forcing a response.

"She... she's older than me. Calling her... calling her Sister Qihua... what's wrong with that? And we're... good friends..."

Yan Zhoubai couldn't fathom why Zhan Jiayu was so fixated on such an insignificant question.

"Then do you know I'm jealous?" Zhan Jiayu gently pecked the tip of Yan Zhoubai's nose.

"Jealous?"

Only then did Yan Zhoubai finally grasp Zhan Jiayu's meaning and understand his consistently cool demeanor towards Lin Qihua.

"You two were almost engaged in an arranged marriage. And I remember you said she was pretty. Also, do you recall the circumstances of our first meeting?"

Zhan Jiayu meticulously recounted every detail that bothered him about Lin Qihua. Yan Zhoubai was astonished that Zhan Jiayu remembered even the most minor points.

"We... weren't going to have an arranged marriage. She was the match my parents found for Bu Qiran. And besides, it didn't work out in the end."

Hearing these details from Zhan Jiayu, Yan Zhoubai's scattered thoughts finally began to coalesce.

"Besides, isn't it obvious she has no interest in me? She wanted to collaborate with you through me, and weren't you two getting along quite well?"

Yan Zhoubai mumbled softly, a hint of grievance in his voice.

His long hair, untied, cascaded over his shoulders, now almost entirely soaked. Earlier, his consciousness had been hazy, his eyes misty. Now, with greater clarity, his eyes seemed brighter. Half his body submerged in the water, he resembled a mermaid rising from the deep.

Initially, Yan Zhoubai hadn't realized Lin Qihua intended to use him to connect with Zhan Jiayu and secure a partnership between Zhan Jiayu and the Lin family. But when Zhan Jiayu mentioned his company's collaboration with the Lin Corporation and his investment in them, Yan Zhoubai understood.

Still, it wasn't cause for anger, nor could it be labeled exploitation. Lin Qihua had never concealed her intentions—it was all perfectly normal. Even though her arranged marriage with the Yan family fell through, the friendship between the Yan and Lin families endured, and Yan Zhoubai considered them friends.

He just never expected Zhan Jiayu to have dwelled on it so much, even working himself into a jealous fit.

"What? Did you want it to work out?" Zhan Jiayu twirled a strand of Yan Zhoubai's long hair around his finger, his tone subtly chilling, carrying a dangerous edge.

"Of course, I wanted it to work out—I wanted it to work out between her and my older brother. That way, my brother would have an extra ally and wouldn't have to work so hard."

"But it's not for me to worry about these things anymore."

Yan Zhoubai's tone grew somber. He was referring to his heated argument with his family earlier that day and his declaration that he wouldn't be returning home. These matters truly held little relevance for him now.

Suddenly, a sharp pinch on his cheek—Zhan Jiayu gently squeezed the soft flesh. "I didn't get along that well with her. Those were purely business matters, strictly professional. And you really don't need to worry about your family's affairs. You know your older brother better than I do—when has he ever needed anyone's help?"

Seeing the conversation shift to the Yan family and noticing Yan Zhoubai's discomfort, Zhan Jiayu immediately offered comfort.

"Besides, someone with Lin Qihua's personality would never be anyone's assistant—at least not your brother's type of assistant. You don't know what she truly wants."

In the past, if Yan Zhoubai had heard Zhan Jiayu say something like "your brother's type," he would have instantly defended Yan Anxuan, demanding, "What kind of person is my brother? Explain yourself!" But today, he was completely indifferent to such remarks.

Yan Zhoubai shifted, wanting to move away. He felt they had been at this long enough. Even if Zhan Jiayu had been jealous because of Lin Qihua, surely he should have calmed down by now after talking it out. But as soon as he moved, he realized Zhan Jiayu's arms were still firmly wrapped around his waist, leaving him unable to budge.

"Where do you think you're going? I haven't finished talking."

"Mmm... You're awful, let go..."

Yan Zhoubai was fuming. If he had something to say, he should just say it! What was with all the fidgeting?

"Since we've laid everything bare, from now on, you're not allowed to call her 'Sister Qihua' anymore."

Zhan Jiayu buried his face in the crook of Yan Zhoubai's neck, seizing the opportunity to make his demand.

"Then what should I call her?" Yan Zhoubai found this request rather peculiar.

"Just call her Lin Qihua. Use her name in daily life and her title in professional settings," Zhan Jiayu stated.

"Title? I don't even know what her title is." Yan Zhoubai found it even more perplexing.

"You'll find out during business dealings with her in the future."

Zhan Jiayu continued to bury his face in Yan Zhoubai's neck.

"Alright then."

Though he didn't understand why, Yan Zhoubai obediently agreed. He wondered if agreeing meant they could finally be done for the day. He was so tired, his entire body sore and aching.

"Agreed then. If you call her 'Sister Qihua' again, you'll be punished."

Zhan Jiayu bit on Yan Zhoubai's earlobe, his voice low and husky. The earlobe, already flushed pink, turned even redder, as if about to drip blood.

"Punished? What kind of punishment?" Yan Zhoubai turned to look at Zhan Jiayu, who was still nestled by his neck. "Oh, so you actually want to punish me?"

Yan Zhoubai's tone was light, clearly treating Zhan Jiayu's words as a joke and not taking them seriously.

"Xiao Chuaner, have you noticed the rope in that cabinet over there?"

Zhan Jiayu spoke suddenly, like a demon from hell slowly opening its bloody maw.

"If you can't remember, I'll use that rope to tie you up, and then..."

Zhan Jiayu leaned close to Yan Zhoubai's ear, unhurriedly outlining his "punishment plan," watching as Yan Zhoubai's face flushed from a soft pink to a bright apple-red.

"Ahhh, stop it! Shut up! Shut up! Ahhh...!"

Yan Zhoubai suddenly thrashed like a beached fish, reaching out to cover Zhan Jiayu's mouth. Zhan Jiayu didn't resist, allowing Yan Zhoubai's palm to press against his lips.

Yan Zhoubai was stunned. He never expected Zhan Jiayu to utter such vile words.

What did he mean by tying him up and then... Ugh, he couldn't even finish the thought. It was all too indecent. He was glad the system was offline at that moment.

If the system had picked up their conversation, Yan Zhoubai didn't know how embarrassed he would have been.

Seeing that Zhan Jiayu had finally quieted down after having his mouth covered, Yan Zhoubai breathed a sigh of relief. But the next second, he felt a hot, wet sensation on his palm.

Zhan Jiayu was licking his hand. The surprise of it, Yan Zhoubai impulsively slapped Zhan Jiayu.

"Smack!"

It wasn't a hard slap, but with his wet hand striking Zhan Jiayu's face, the sound was sharp and clear.

The slap was entirely an unconscious reaction. Yan Zhoubai hadn't meant to actually hit Zhan Jiayu, so when it happened, he was just as shocked.

"No, I didn't mean to..."

Yan Zhoubai hurriedly apologized, then tilted his head to look at Zhan Jiayu's expression, afraid that he was angry.

"Hehe..."

Unexpectedly, Zhan Jiayu wasn't angry at all—he was actually laughing? What was wrong with him today? Had he lost his mind?

"How are you going to make up for slapping me?"

Zhan Jiayu truly didn't take it seriously. Yan Zhoubai hadn't used much force; it just sounded loud, but the impact on his face didn't hurt at all.

"I'm sorry..."

Yan Zhoubai knew he was in the wrong and quickly apologized.

"It's fine, no need to apologize. Just agree to what I asked earlier, and that'll be apology enough," Zhan Jiayu said with a smile.

Yan Zhoubai knew he was doing this on purpose, but since he really had hit him, he obediently agreed.

……

Recalling what he had agreed to last night and the "dirty talk" Zhan Jiayu had spouted about tying him up with rope, Yan Zhoubai had an automatic reaction as soon as he heard the word "rope."

"I—I—this doesn't count! I'm still... still getting used to it. You have to give me time to adapt, yeah!"

Whenever Yan Zhoubai got flustered, he'd start stammering, doubling down on denial.

He wanted no part of that rope stuff. Zhan Jiayu had already gone too far last night—he didn't dare imagine what could be worse.

Seeing Yan Zhoubai's flustered, stammering demeanor, Zhan Jiayu's heart melted. He pulled Yan Zhoubai close and kissed him.

He did harbor some wicked thoughts—last night, emotions had been heightened, and he was genuinely jealous of Lin Qihua, which was why he'd used the idea of tying Yan Zhoubai up for some kinky games as leverage to make him agree to change how he spoke.

But in reality, how could he bear to do something Yan Zhoubai didn't like?

"Alright, alright, this time doesn't count. This time doesn't count."

Zhan Jiayu kissed Yan Zhoubai from his forehead all the way down—his eyes, nose, lips, chin—until Yan Zhoubai was completely agitated, pushing at Zhan Jiayu like an angry kitten, trying to get him to back off.

But he was also surprised that Zhan Jiayu was being so easygoing—he hadn't been like this last night.

Although Zhan Jiayu had spent the whole evening saying things that made Yan Zhoubai blush, his attitude had been insistent, not letting Yan Zhoubai leave, which was why he was so exhausted now.

Yan Zhoubai stared at Zhan Jiayu's face for a long time, examining him from all angles to make sure he hadn't been replaced, then asked, "Why am I not sore today? You were like that last night."

"Like what?"

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*Author's Note:*

*Lin Qihua: Seriously, you two play your games without dragging me into it.*

*Zhan Jiayu: When my wife's slap landed, the first thing I smelled was her scent. [Let me take a look]*