Chapter 26 Is My Husband a Virgin?

Chapter 26: Is My Husband a Virgin?

On the way home, Lin Zaishan didn't say a single word to Yuan Che.

He gripped the steering wheel, eyes fixed straight ahead, driving at a steady pace. All his focus was fixed on the road beyond the windshield—not because he was concentrating on driving, but because he didn't want to speak. The moment he opened his mouth, he couldn't help but curse, and then he'd seem petty. He'd never been married before, but he'd been in relationships—when had he ever gotten worked up over something like this?

Yet today, he was worked up.

Nearly thirty years alive, he'd always gotten what he wanted, never backing down. Whether in business or romance, he'd never been in a subordinate position. He admitted he was strong-willed, domineering, even a bit overbearing at times. But he wasn't unreasonable. All these years, his principle had been simple: put up with what you can; if you can't, get lost.

And now?

Just because he fell short of the Yuan family in terms of money, he'd somehow ended up married to a man, and since then, he'd had no peace.

Yuan Che—he'd never understood him from start to finish. Say he was good—he'd go and do something to annoy you. Say he was bad—he was usually hard to fault. It wasn't that Lin Zaishan tolerated him, but the biggest impression this guy left on him was that he always managed to piss him off.

Like today.

He knew deep down that Yuan Che didn't like that kind of place, and he certainly didn't like those flamboyant little queens around Lin Wenjun. But knowing was one thing; seeing it firsthand was another. When he saw Yuan Che sitting among that crowd at the private room, with a heavily made-up little twink batting his eyelashes at him, the fire in him flared up in an instant.

He didn't really have any standing to demand anything of the other man, but at least they should keep up appearances, shouldn't they? A married man—what was he doing in a place like that? It wasn't his business which pretty boy Yuan Che was thinking about, but hanging out with those shady people in those shady places—that he couldn't accept.

"Are you angry?"

The person in the passenger seat suddenly spoke.

All the way, Yuan Che had been carefully watching him. Lin Zaishan had noticed, but noticing didn't mean he felt like acknowledging it. He kept his eyes on the road ahead without even a flicker of his eyelids.

He was genuinely tired and didn't want to waste another word on this little brat.

"Bro?" The little bastard called out again, refusing to give up.

That single word hit like a thunderbolt.

The string in Lin Zaishan's mind snapped with a sharp crack. He slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to the side of the road.

The vehicle jolted, both of them lurching forward before the seatbelts yanked them back. Yuan Che clutched the belt across his chest, staring at him wide-eyed and speechless. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, his chin was roughly squeezed.

"What did you call me?" Lin Zaishan leaned in close, staring at him intently.

"I... I..."

Yuan Che had never seen him this angry. He was completely tongue-tied, and the more anxious he got, the less he could speak. He struggled for a long time but still couldn't force out a single word.

"Did you do that on purpose? Huh?"

Lin Zaishan tightened his grip, coldly watching the person in the shadows who was clearly at a loss. Seeing Yuan Che so scared, a strange sense of satisfaction surged in his heart—not from a perverse pleasure, but from the thrill of finally getting even.

That realization hit him hard: he'd been led around by the nose by this little brat for too long.

So, a man shouldn't act like a doormat for money. He'd been in the wrong for taking favors from the other. The little fag had said he liked gentle types, and so Lin Zaishan had pretended to be gentle, giving him too much kindness, which just kept pushing this guy to provoke him again and again.

Calling him "bro"? What's that about? Only calling when you need something, right? When there was no pretty boy around, he'd be all over him; once one showed up, he wouldn't even pretend anymore.

The more Lin Zaishan thought, the angrier he got. He kept applying pressure, but Yuan Che showed no sign of resistance at all. The fear on his face gradually faded, replaced by a strange calm.

Just as Lin Zaishan was wondering, the man in his grip slowly spoke—

"So you don't want to divorce me?"

That question caught Lin Zaishan off guard. Before he could react, the other man's eyes suddenly lit up, his gaze grew even more passionate.

"Earlier, it was because I called you 'bro' that got you angry, right?"

"..." Lin Zaishan couldn't answer.

He opened his mouth to say something but found he couldn't even force out a "no." Worse, he acutely sensed that things were spiraling in some bizarre direction.

"I really thought you wanted to divorce me," Yuan Che continued, his voice trembling as if he'd finally found a release for the words he'd been holding all day. "Husband, even though I was a little upset, I got over it fast. You might not know, but today I've been worried all day. I couldn't even eat!"

Lin Zaishan frowned, utterly bewildered. What was this guy talking about? Divorce? Anger? When had he ever mentioned divorce?

"You know what?" Yuan Che suddenly straightened up, easily shaking off the grip on his chin. "Since this morning, I didn't dare call you 'husband' because I was afraid you'd be upset..."

He paused, then leaned in under Lin Zaishan's astonished gaze.

The car was cramped; with this move, their distance shrank to nearly nothing. Lin Zaishan could feel the heat of his breath, catch the faint smell of alcohol. It made him uncomfortable, and he tried to recoil, but his back was already pressed against the car door.

"So Mom was right!" Yuan Che exclaimed, his voice laced with the relief of a survivor. "I was really overthinking it!"

Lin Zaishan felt unnerved by his gaze, trying to figure out what madness had taken hold. Under the streetlights outside, he studied Yuan Che's expression. But no matter how he looked, all he saw was a pair of eyes brimming with love.

That discovery made him shudder.

Before he could react, the man inches away spoke again, his voice low, carrying a hint of cautious hesitation—

"Husband... can I hold your hand?"

The car fell silent for a few seconds.

The air seemed to vanish. Lin Zaishan could hear his own heartbeat, pounding against his chest, heavy and steady. This unusual rhythm felt strange and unsettling. He took a deep breath and met Yuan Che's eyes. There was no evasion, no fear—only an almost devout expectation.

Then it hit him: his heart was racing because this little fag was pissing him off!!

"No, you cannot!" he roared, his voice echoing in the closed space. "Get back!"

The shout made Yuan Che jump, but his face quickly lit up again—that expression of being yelled at and still looking delighted was unnerving. He immediately obeyed, pulling back into his seat, hands placed neatly on his knees, not moving a muscle.

"Husband, as long as you don't divorce me, I'll do whatever you say."

Lin Zaishan looked at him and felt a mix of exasperation and amusement.

Fine. Whatever I say, huh?

He suddenly smiled—not a happy smile, but a cold "just you wait" grin. Since it had come to this, he might as well take this opportunity to straighten this little brat out once and for all.

"Alright," he nodded toward Yuan Che, his voice dropping. "Since you've put it that way, I won't hold back. There are plenty of things you do that I can't stand. I'll tell you now, and I don't want to see you do them again."

He paused, his gaze fixed on Yuan Che in the dim light. "Got it?"

"Got it!" Yuan Che nodded repeatedly. "Husband, go ahead. I'm listening."

Lin Zaishan let out a dismissive "hmph," the irritation in his heart finally easing a little thanks to this regained control.

"First, that place you were at—no decent person goes there. Understand? I don't want to see you in a place like that."

"But today, Mom told me to go make friends—" Yuan Che quickly defended himself.

"I know," Lin Zaishan raised a hand to cut him off. "Otherwise, how would I have known where you were today?"

But—"

"Shut up." Lin Zaishan interrupted again unceremoniously, his tone carrying an authority that brooked no argument. "From now on, you don't have to do everything my mom says. You're a grown man—don't you have any opinions of your own? That kid Lin Wenjun's out there getting wasted every day; you expect him to introduce you to any decent friends?"

"But I really don't have any friends..."

"Are friends that important?"

"Mom said they are."

"You're still bringing her up?"

"Sorry..."

This admission of fault satisfied Lin Zaishan. He shot Yuan Che a cold look and went on. "Second thing: don't bring up buying a phone with me ever again."

At that, Yuan Che's ears perked up. So that was it—Lin Zaishan was indeed angry about last night's phone request. He had already figured it out: Lin Zaishan's house didn't even have a television, so how could he afford something as high-end as a phone? Now in his eyes, a phone had become a sacred object—one he couldn't casually mention or ask for, or else his husband would get angry!

"Okay, I'll never mention it again!" he promised Lin Zaishan with a devout expression.

Good. Seeing how serious he looked, Lin Zaishan had mostly cooled off.

Now for the real issue—the little gay's lover, that pretty boy.

By the light of the streetlamp, he took in Yuan Che's face, which looked both loyal and sly in the darkness, feeling troubled. This pretty boy thing was a real headache. Strictly speaking, he shouldn't interfere so much—after all, that was between them as a gay couple. He wasn't gay himself, so why poke his nose in?

Besides, their marriage was a special case. The rules he could set for Yuan Che were only superficial. Apart from that, what else could he demand? Loyalty? Not to mention that little gay—if he himself had a woman he liked, he couldn't be loyal either. They were both men; he didn't want to be too harsh. Being assertive was one thing, but he didn't have double standards: why demand of others what he couldn't do himself?

"One last point." He chose his words carefully, trying to sound businesslike. "I don't want to get too involved in your love life. My only rule is: don't overdo it."

Yuan Che blinked, then frowned, clearly not understanding.

Lin Zaishan glanced at him helplessly and forced himself to continue. "Who you like is your freedom, and what you want to do is your freedom too, but don't go overboard. As long as you keep up appearances decently, I certainly won't treat you badly. As for the rest... figure it out yourself."

After these words, there was a long silence from the other side.

Lin Zaishan looked at his dumbfounded expression and felt even more helpless, but he figured a slow thinker just needed time to let it sink in. Anyway, he had said everything that needed to be said.

"Alright, do you have any more questions?" He asked in a tone he used for idiots, unable to hide the mockery.

The idiot next to him first shook his head blankly, then, as if suddenly remembering something, began nodding vigorously.

"Ask."

He had said everything. What else could he even ask? It was getting late, so Lin Zaishan finished speaking and was about to drive home.

He started the engine with one hand, the other on the gear shift, about to back up, when the man beside him spoke up—

"Hubby, are you a virgin?"