Chapter 12

Chapter 12

These? Which ones?

Shen Yue winced as the aggressive scrubbing caused a sharp sting, and he shoved the other man away with force. Caught off guard, Wei Jinchuan slammed into the corner of the desk with a loud crash—he had no idea how badly he’d hit it.

But he had no time to worry about himself now. Wei Jinchuan’s mind was completely consumed by those jarring marks on Shen Yue’s body—from his slender, pale neck to his delicate, beautiful collarbone, and further down to the faintly defined muscles on his chest and abdomen. Layer upon layer, dense and overlapping. Even someone with as little practical experience as him could tell just how intense a bout of sex Shen Yue had experienced.

When did it happen? Who did it? Wei Jinchuan’s mind was a muddled mess. He involuntarily recalled how Shen Yue had moved beneath him that night, and he couldn't help but replace his own face in that memory with someone else’s. His heart ached with sorrow and rage.

Was Shen Yue… willing?

"Are you okay?"

Amidst a numbness that made it impossible to tell whether his body hurt more from the impact or his heart ached more fiercely, Shen Yue’s concerned voice sounded like it came from another world. Wei Jinchuan slowly raised his head, his dark eyes mechanically shifting toward the source of the sound, as if rusted in place.

Wei Jinchuan watched expressionlessly as Shen Yue smoothed his collar, covering up those suggestive marks as if they had never existed.

But Wei Jinchuan knew: they were there. Those marks left by someone’s teeth were right there. Even hidden beneath a thin layer of fabric, no amount of pretending everything was fine could change the corruption festering beneath the surface.

Beside him, Shen Yue continued to fret over his injury—asking if it hurt, suggesting they buy some ointment, blaming himself for acting so impulsively moments earlier. He looked utterly distressed.

Yet he didn’t move an inch. For all his flowery words, there was not a single tangible action to be seen.

In that moment, Wei Jinchuan felt he had seen through Shen Yue’s true nature—a smooth-talking liar.

So Wei Jinchuan pushed aside the liar who was fussing around him pointlessly. He didn’t use much force—compared to how Shen Yue had shoved him earlier, it was merely a gentle nudge.

He pointed to his own neck, his voice hoarse and nearly gone, but his gaze burned intensely as it fixed on Shen Yue, refusing to look away. "Are those bite marks on you?"

Shen Yue stopped his exaggerated display of concern and froze.

He realized almost immediately what Wei Jinchuan was referring to.

Although Shen Yue knew he had slightly better looks than most, he wasn’t vain enough to stare at himself in the mirror every day. That was why he hadn’t noticed the marks on his body sooner. The last time he’d been with someone was Zhong Yuan, but…

Had it really been over half a week? How were those marks still there?

Just how hard had Zhong Yuan bitten him?

He fell silent for a moment. Wei Jinchuan’s gaze clung to him like fire, as if trying to burn away Shen Yue’s clothes along with those indiscreet marks, remaking him until he was spotless.

Shen Yue met his gaze and, after a moment, suddenly smiled.

His lips and eyes curved simultaneously as he casually pulled his collar open again and asked, "What bite marks?"

With that movement, the previously hidden marks were exposed once more. A sharp pain pierced Wei Jinchuan’s heart—he could no longer deceive himself. He was about to snap at Shen Yue when, unexpectedly, a pair of jade-like hands took hold of his.

Cold, soft, like a deliberate provocation. Wei Jinchuan’s mind went haywire, yet strangely, his negative emotions dissolved.

Shen Yue didn’t grip him tightly—he didn’t need to. With just a light tug, Wei Jinchuan’s hand instinctively followed, landing on Shen Yue’s collarbone.

"...What are you doing now?"

Wei Jinchuan regained some semblance of clarity. He craved the cool sensation beneath his fingers but resented Shen Yue for resorting to tricks he’d likely used on countless other men. Just how skilled was he to lure someone into lingering so effortlessly?

He tried to pull his hand back but found himself unable to break free from the other man’s light hold. Wei Jinchuan gritted his teeth. "You—"

"Jinchuan," Shen Yue interrupted, cutting off Wei Jinchuan’s words like a waterfall abruptly halted mid-fall.

Shen Yue guided Wei Jinchuan’s hand gently over the spot he had rubbed raw earlier, his gaze intense. "I can’t see… Jinchuan, what bite marks? Can you show me?"

"......"

Wei Jinchuan unconsciously obeyed, pressing his finger slightly above Shen Yue’s collarbone with deliberate malice. "You dare show up in public covered in these, and now you’re playing dumb? Isn’t it a little too late for that?"

"I…" Shen Yue seemed to recall something and suddenly looked conflicted. "I told you to be gentle that night. Why didn’t you listen?"

"......" The implications of that statement were staggering. Wei Jinchuan narrowed his eyes, his voice urgent. "What do you mean?"

"Don’t you get it?" Shen Yue suddenly lowered his voice. He tilted his head with a smile, grabbed Wei Jinchuan’s collar, and pulled him close, whispering into his ear, "Jinchuan, all these marks on me… you’re the one who left them."

Even though he had suspected it, hearing it directly from Shen Yue left Wei Jinchuan in disbelief. He nearly lost his voice. "Impossible! It’s been almost half a month. These marks look fresh—how could they be from me?"

"That’s why I said you’re exceptionally gifted," Shen Yue said matter-of-factly, blowing softly into Wei Jinchuan’s ear, his voice light as a whisper. "If you don’t believe me, we can try again. Then you’ll see if I’m lying or not."

As he spoke, one of his hands slid inside Wei Jinchuan’s collar and downward—a classic seductive move.

Yet Wei Jinchuan couldn’t even bring himself to stop him. His mind was now a complete mess.

The marks on Shen Yue were his doing? Was he really that… skilled?

No man could resist praise for his sexual prowess, especially when it came from the person he loved. Though Wei Jinchuan suspected Shen Yue might be lying, the other man did have more experience than him, and he spoke so convincingly it hardly seemed like a deception.

Wei Jinchuan wanted to ask more. "But I—"

"No buts," Shen Yue cut him off, leaving no room for doubt. "I know who I’ve been with. Do you think I wouldn’t remember?"

"......"

Wei Jinchuan’s face flushed with unnatural redness. He was now completely convinced by Shen Yue’s words.

Just as Shen Yue had said—who he’d been with was something he would know better than anyone.

His gaze returned to Shen Yue’s collarbone, but this time, there was no anger, accusation, or frustration in Wei Jinchuan’s eyes—only regret for having been too rough and hurting someone so delicate.

His fingers gently traced the marks on Shen Yue’s body, and he began to regret not listening when Shen Yue had asked him to be gentler that night. How could he have turned such a beautiful body into such a mess?

At the same time, he couldn’t suppress the urge to mark Shen Yue even more deeply, to cover every inch of him, so that anyone who saw would know he was taken.

Shen Yue, seeing that he had successfully smoothed things over, raised an eyebrow in satisfaction. "You’re the one who did this, and now you’re denying it? Jinchuan, are you going to turn your back on me now?"

Wei Jinchuan looked up, his eyes unreadable. "Do you need me to take responsibility?"

"......"

Shen Yue hadn’t expected him to bring that up again. Afraid he might agree too hastily, he quickly changed the subject. "Alright, have you eaten? If we don’t go soon, there won’t be time."

"......" Not getting the answer he wanted, Wei Jinchuan seemed displeased. He tried hard to act nonchalant, not wanting Shen Yue to notice his disappointment.

His eyes drifted back to the bowl of soup. Their confrontation had taken a while, and the soup had cooled. Condensation dripped down the transparent lid, killing any appetite he might have had.

Wei Jinchuan pressed his lips together. "What about this soup—"

"We’re not drinking it." Shen Yue tossed the soup, bag and all, into the trash right in front of him, then tilted his head with a smile that showed no trace of regret.

Wei Jinchuan asked casually, "Who sent it to you? Day after day—doesn’t that person have anything better to do?"

He was implying he had a job and wasn't like those idle people wasting their time on such trivial matters every day. Shen Yue picked up on the implication but pretended not to, keeping a straight face as he said, "A friend."

Wei Jinchuan recalled the flowers and other gifts designated for Shen Yue that the company receptionist received daily: "You sure have a lot of friends."

"Getting older, not many other interests, just enjoy making friends," Shen Yue said. "Going to eat? If we don't go now, we really won't have time."

"..." Although Wei Jinchuan was still somewhat unhappy, since Shen Yue had said that much, he couldn't really press further.

After hesitating for a while, he ultimately declined Shen Yue's invitation. Shen Yue seemed relieved and quickly left.

Wei Jinchuan stood in place, staring at Shen Yue's back as he walked away until he disappeared from sight, then slowly pulled up his phone.

He pulled up his chat with a friend. They texted frequently, but most of the content wasn't about the two of them—instead, it centered around discussions about a certain "him."

That "him" was Shen Yue.

Wei Jinchuan typed as he walked out of Shen Yue's office: [Those tricks you taught me before aren't really working. Are you sure he'll like me if I play hard to get?]

[I feel like he's getting more and more impatient with me.]

A reply came quickly: [I already told you, it depends on the specific situation. You won't introduce him to me, but I need to scout out the competition to help you win him over more effectively.]

[Or do you think I'm that kind of person? Are you afraid I'll steal him from you?]

Wei Jinchuan hesitated for a couple of seconds. Thinking about Shen Yue's recent attitude, he reluctantly shared Shen Yue's WeChat contact.

That evening, Shen Yue finished work and went home, where he saw a friend request notification.

He didn't add people casually and was about to decline, but his finger accidentally hit "Accept."

Shen Yue had to go through the trouble of removing the person. Just as he was about to press the red button, a photo of some sexy abs, hinting at an inverted triangle shape, popped up on the screen.

Nian Bai: [Sorry, sent it by accident. Can't retract it. Mind pretending you didn't see that?]

Author's Note:

----------------------

Someone: You think I'd steal your man?

Also someone: Can't retract the abs pic, just pretend you didn't see it.

Spent the whole day revising the synopsis today, shattered my morale. Ended up sticking with the original version. Suddenly doubting myself, sigh.

Also, thank you today to baby Gui Lingxing for irrigating with a bottle of nutrient solution, and to the calm koi baby for irrigating with a bottle of nutrient solution, and to baby Wu Yiling for irrigating with a bottle of nutrient solution~