TAMW CH22

Yuqing’s clothes were gripped tightly by him, the long gown pulled almost taut.

He felt a bit of pity for Zhou Xiao. His palm gently stroked the man’s face. “Young Master, you wanted freedom. Isn’t this for the best?”

Yuqing watched him cry like a child. Zhou Xiao’s face was truly young. Unlike Yuqing’s delicate beauty, it was a vigorous and energetic face with deep-set eyes. Right now, those eyes reflected nothing but Yuqing’s compassionate expression.

His chin clung affectionately to Yuqing’s gown, rubbing gently. As he sobbed, his nose could still catch the scent of jasmine on his wife.

“Ruan Yuqing, you ruined me… I had already left the Zhou family, but you dragged me back. What gives you the right to just walk away whenever you please?”

Gritting his teeth, he took Yuqing’s fingertips into his mouth, then pecked and kissed Yuqing’s palm. The man knelt before him in a bewildered daze.

Yuqing only felt a wetness in his palm, unable to distinguish if it was tears or saliva…

“I don’t believe it.”

Just as Yuqing was about to ask what exactly he didn’t believe, in the next second, Zhou Xiao swiftly and decisively ducked under his long gown.

“Zhou Xiao—!” Yuqing almost screamed. “You’re crazy!”

The window of the private box was open. Down below on the stage, they were performing The Drunken Concubine. Yuqing didn’t dare shout aloud and could only bite his lip tightly. He had nowhere left to retreat, leaning against the wall with one leg slightly bent.

Looking down, Yuqing could see his slightly bulging abdomen, but the much more prominent bulge under the gown was Zhou Xiao’s head. The man had broad shoulders; the gown couldn’t fully conceal him, merely draping barely over a portion of his back.

“And you still dare say you feel nothing for me…” Zhou Xiao, hidden beneath his gown, spoke with a voice full of resentment, yet laced with a trace of raw desire.

The man’s low sobs mingled with the sound of Yuqing’s sharp intake of breath.

“Don’t bite, Zhou Xiao—!”

His face was buried between Yuqing’s slender, pale thighs, his forehead pressing against the swollen belly.

Yuqing’s toes curled inside his soft leather shoes. His slender neck leaned against the wooden wall, the veins faintly bulging. His waist trembled slightly. His hands pressed against Zhou Xiao’s head through the fabric of the gown. Being bitten down on, he was unable to move, but deep in his heart, he surprisingly didn’t want to refuse…

The stage performance continued, the melodies wafting up gracefully from downstairs.

‘Seeing the Jade Rabbit, the Jade Rabbit rises early in the east—’

‘Heaven and earth are exceptionally bright.’

‘The bright moon hangs in the sky, just like Chang’e leaving the lunar palace…’

“Ah…” Yuqing’s knees almost buckled, swaying unsteadily. Zhou Xiao caught him firmly and slowly stood up.

This time, it was Zhou Xiao holding his face. Cupping it in both hands, he kissed from Yuqing’s slightly damp nose down to his lips, forcefully prying open Yuqing’s tightly sealed mouth to tangle with him.

Yuqing’s stamina had never been great. Having been separated from Zhou Xiao for so long, and perhaps due to the pregnancy, he had genuinely thought of this young man on several late nights… In his impression, Zhou Xiao was unbearably arrogant, not someone who would care a bit about his feelings.

But at this moment, Zhou Xiao was willingly kneeling before him. Ducking beneath his long gown. Serving him.

Yuqing never expected him to be so bold. In a place like this… what exactly did he learn in France?

Yuqing leaned against the wooden wall, almost sliding down it. Zhou Xiao cupped his face, lowering his head for a deep kiss. As they entangled, what coated their mouths was the lingering, unswallowed slickness of…

“You—” Yuqing’s chest heaved violently as his hands pushed against him.

Zhou Xiao looked down and saw a flush of pink staining Yuqing’s thin eyelids. His gaze landed on the glistening lips. “What about me?” his voice was hoarse.

“And you still dare say you feel nothing for me? That Zhao Fu by your side, does he have the right to do these things? Does he have the right to make you feel good?” Zhou Xiao’s large hands gripped his waist tightly, wishing he could embed the man into his own chest. “Ruan Yuqing, look into my eyes and tell me. Has anyone else ever done this to you?”

For the first time, a hint of evasion appeared in Yuqing’s eyes.

That split second of panic was captured by Zhou Xiao. He stared at Yuqing, forcing the man to meet his gaze. “No one?”

Yuqing awkwardly turned his face away, his ears slightly red. “Did the Young Master go to France just to learn how to… speak such obscenities? Taking another trip to France has only made you more fond of spouting arrogant nonsense.”

Zhou Xiao chuckled softly, his breath hot against Yuqing’s ear. “Because you are my legally wedded wife.”

The man’s voice was hoarse, veins throbbing at his temples from restraint. Yuqing could even feel his endurance… practically rubbing against his own abdomen. The swollen belly pressed against him, so hot…

“Because of me, you are a member of the Zhou family. What you carry in your belly is my seed.”

“Ruan Yuqing, who do you think you are showing blind filial piety to? Zhou Yuzhang? No…” Zhou Xiao’s mind had cleared. “He is dead, so for the rest of this life, because of this child, you will forever be tied to me. Even down in the underworld, the one inextricably linked to you can only be me, Zhou Xiao!”

He had seen the world and understood human nature. In a short amount of time, he had figured out Ruan Yuqing’s motives with absolute clarity. That whole spiel about how if his father was willing, he’d have to call him ‘Little Mother’—that was just Ruan Yuqing’s excuse to drive him away. With Ruan Yuqing’s heavenly schemes, taking down an old man would have been child’s play. It wasn’t that Zhou Yuzhang wasn’t willing; it was that they simply didn’t love each other. There was only the gratitude of a saved life.

Ruan Yuqing only had blind filial piety towards Zhou Yuzhang.

But it was different with him. They slept together the very first time they met. He was young, handsome, heavy-endowed, and capable of getting him pregnant. Whether in terms of reputation or reality, he was Ruan Yuqing’s ultimate choice.

Ruan Yuqing only felt something for him. A person who insisted on being a male wife, a person who strictly adhered to the rules, would never betray their husband. The rigid rules and conventions ingrained in his bones had locked him in.

“I am a man. This is just a normal physiological reaction,” Yuqing bit his lip, meeting his gaze again so as not to lose the upper hand.

Zhou Xiao shook his head. “No.” He pressed his thumb against Yuqing’s bitten lip. “You won’t look for anyone else. If you look for someone else, you betray the Zhou family. You won’t do that, Ruan Yuqing. You won’t…”

Zhou Xiao rubbed his nose affectionately against Yuqing’s. “So for the rest of your life, you’ll only use me, right? Tell me… If I don’t want freedom, do you also really want me to be your husband?”

Yuqing’s mind actually went completely blank. He never felt he needed to rely on another man to live his life, but as for whether he would only use him in this lifetime… Yuqing didn’t know. Desire wasn’t that important to Yuqing, but Zhou Xiao had actually gotten one thing perfectly right. Yuqing would not find anyone else in his life, because that would be a betrayal of the Zhou family. He would raise the child alone.

“Playing with me?” Zhou Xiao laughed when he found that trace of bewilderment in Yuqing’s eyes. “Then you’d better play well. Since you don’t love me, I will give you time to fall in love.”

He pecked Yuqing on the lips. “It’s too rich, but it tastes very good. It’s my first time tasting it. Are you satisfied with your husband?”

“Zhou Xiao…!” Yuqing trembled like a fragile, slender willow. Growing up in the deep mansion, he had never heard such debauched words.

“Ruan Yuqing,” he called back. Under Yuqing’s disbelieving gaze, he leaned in close to his ear: “Don’t disturb the fetal qi.”

With that, Zhou Xiao turned directly, pushed open the door, and walked out.

Yuqing collapsed back into the rocking chaise longue, swaying gently. Downstairs, there was another thunderous round of applause. Watching Zhou Xiao’s departing back, it took him a long while to recover before he couldn’t help but laugh helplessly. He had thought Zhou Xiao was a reckless, easily manipulated greenhorn. This kid—crying as if he had been terribly wronged, yet his brain spun incredibly fast to sort the whole situation out in such a short time. It felt quite like meeting his match on the chessboard.

A young master returning from studying abroad, actually willing to open his mouth to serve someone…

Yuqing rubbed his temples, only then realizing the tips of his ears were slightly red. Thank goodness… thank goodness he hadn’t lifted the gown and touched higher up. Yuqing instinctively pressed his chest; it still stung a little.

He was already five months pregnant. Not only was the pregnancy process far more agonizing for a man than an ordinary person, but the physical changes were also pronounced. Because he lacked female reproductive organs, the pregnancy showed much earlier. His body had also begun to change quietly over these few months. A man’s chest is naturally flat, and Yuqing was already thin, so when this area began to swell and tighten, the stinging pain was intensely clear.

He had clearly dealt with it this morning. Why was it hurting again now…? The doctor had quietly told him that this was a change meant for nursing the child. If his body was well-nourished, it would soon become full… With a flat chest, even a slight accumulation inside had to be squeezed out, otherwise it would only hurt more and more. This was a condition that had only recently appeared. With Zhou Xiao causing such a scene, Yuqing had almost forgotten about it, and now he felt a bit of a headache.

He was still living in the Zhou residence. Usually, Zhao Fu brought the bank ledgers back; he rarely went out. As for this business deal, Zhou Xiao hadn’t agreed to the sixty percent cut, nor had he given an answer on whether they would cooperate. And yet, he had taken advantage of him for free.

Truly… he was simply a dog. An ungrateful, untameable wolf.

Yuqing cursed him a few times in his mind. Zhao Fu knocked on the door of the private room and entered with his head bowed. “The Eldest Young Master has left.”

“Mhm…” Yuqing sighed. “I suppose he won’t stay in Baizhou for long.”

“I heard Deng Yongquan say that he might have gone to find….”

“Spit it out,” Yuqing cleared his throat.

“General Jiang.”

“He’s not stupid. I wanted sixty percent profit. When he hit a wall with me, he figured the military, who also oversees the port, could pressure me.”

But Jiang Sui had long been his man. Even if Zhou Xiao went to him, it would be useless. If he wanted his ships to dock at the Baizhou port, Yuqing wouldn’t nod his head unless he spat out that sixty percent cut. Thinking back to his unreasonable behavior just now, Yuqing felt a flash of resentment. He should have asked for seventy percent, making him work for nothing.

Before leaving, Zhou Xiao said he would give him time to fall in love with him? Truly crazy… truly… childish.

“Young Master, Young Master—” Deng Yongquan hurried after him, carrying bags large and small. “The candied dates you asked me to buy… do you… do you still want them?”

Before entering the private room, he had instructed Deng Yongquan to go buy dates. But Deng Yongquan had also clearly seen the face of the boss inside. It was obviously their Young Madam. The Young Madam had taken the Zhou family’s money and started his own business. No wonder the Young Master was so furious.

“Zhao Fu, Zhao Fu! Sooner or later, I’m going to castrate him, that cheap slave!” Zhou Xiao snatched the dates and threw them far away. “Buy my ass!”

Deng Yongquan: “…”

Watching the bag of dates roll far away, Zhou Xiao got into the car. Deng Yongquan stood there, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, Zhou Xiao stuck his head back out. “What are you standing there for? Go pick it up!”

Deng Yongquan: “…”

He had no choice but to put the luggage away, then go pick it up. Before he could even get in the car, Zhou Xiao said again, “Go buy another bag.”

Deng Yongquan: “…”

“They’re dirty, who’s going to eat them?” As he spoke, he tossed the candied dates Deng Yongquan had picked up into a corner next to the car seat. Seeing Deng Yongquan unmoving, he kicked the back of his seat. “Hurry up and go!”

“Yes, yes, yes…” Deng Yongquan could only get out of the car and rush back to Xianxiang Restaurant to buy more candied dates.

As soon as he was gone, Zhou Xiao couldn’t wait to tear open the wax paper and stuff two dates into his mouth. They didn’t taste good at all. Chewing on the dates, he only tasted bitterness. The tears on his face just wouldn’t wipe away, no matter how hard he tried.

Ruan Yuqing…

When he finally calmed down, the words Yuqing had said about not loving him burst into his mind again. And that he had never drugged him in the beginning.

How is that possible?

Zhou Xiao simply couldn’t believe it. How could Ruan Yuqing not have drugged him? Ruan Yuqing actually didn’t love him. He actually didn’t love him!

Thinking of this, Zhou Xiao wanted nothing more than to clutch his head and sob all over again. How dare Ruan Yuqing not want him… He was definitely going to remember this. How dare he play him like this! In the future, when Yuqing fell in love with him, loved him so much he couldn’t extricate himself, he would absolutely kick him aside and make him brutally taste the feeling of being played with. He, Zhou Xiao, always exacted revenge. To this day, no one who offended him had ever met a good end.

Deng Yongquan returned carrying another bag of dates, pretending not to notice his Young Master’s red eyes. Even though he had grown up alongside the Eldest Young Master, he rarely saw the man cry. Even when Zhou Xiao traveled far to France back in the day, he had kept a stoic face. Though his temper was eccentric, he was easy enough to serve. How come after marrying the Young Madam these past six months, his temper had become like a frantically spinning top—spinning one second, stopping the next, occasionally shooting off sparks? It was terrifying.

Guo Zhengming was even more confused. He had originally wanted to wait in the restaurant for the big boss to come down so they could still negotiate the sixty percent cut. Looking at Zhou Xiao’s state, it seemed he had completely fallen out with the big boss. Where else in all of Baizhou could they find such a massive sum of money? He waited a while, but the people in the private room showed no signs of coming out. When he finally went outside, Zhou Xiao’s car was already gone, leaving him completely bewildered as to where he should go, standing messy in the wind, only catching sight of a small pile of date pits tossed by the trash can next to the streetlamp.

“Young Master, are we not going to the Jiang residence?” Deng Yongquan asked while driving.

“Why would we go there!” Zhou Xiao retorted.

When he first returned to Baizhou, the port had already banned opium imports. That meant Ruan Yuqing hadn’t just gained power after the old man’s death. He might have hooked up with that guy surnamed Jiang long ago. It was only after the Old Master’s death that Ruan Yuqing got his hands on enough usable capital to establish Qingming Bank.

Qingming Bank…

Qingming. That was their child’s name. Regardless of the origin, Yuqing had named a bank after their child. It showed he still cared a lot about this baby. He had contributed the effort, after all. How could Yuqing look at the child and not think of him?

Thinking of this, his originally irritable mood improved significantly. Zhou Xiao let out a breath. Deng Yongquan peeked back from the front seat, not knowing what had put the Young Master in a good mood again, but at least his face wasn’t tense anymore.

“Was the person inside the Young Madam…?”

“Mhm.” Zhou Xiao rubbed his temples. “Do you know which clinic used to treat the Old Master’s illness?”

Deng Yongquan actually did know: “The Old Master never liked seeing Western doctors. It was always Doctor Liu in the eastern suburbs who treated him.”

Zhou Xiao immediately told him to turn the car around and head straight for the traditional clinic.

At this hour, the clinic had long since closed. Zhou Xiao stood by the door for a while. He thought again about all that dark, bitter medicine Yuqing had drunk back then. He had suffered, all to get pregnant.

Zhou Yuzhang simply wasn’t worth him going to such lengths. A coward, a weakling trapped by feudalism and unable to escape—what right did he have to make Yuqing ruin his entire life?

He just found a random hotel to stay in. The dignified Eldest Young Master Zhou had arrived on his own turf, yet no one even invited him home. The Zhou family was truly dead and gone!

Tossing and turning in the hotel, he couldn’t sleep. If the port issue wasn’t resolved, he had to think of other methods. He had calculated everything, but he had never factored in Ruan Yuqing.

In the dead of night, muffled sobbing echoed in the silent hotel room. Sorrow truly came from within!

Zhou Xiao felt he was the most pitiful person in the world. His father was weak, his adoptive mother abusive. He had thought that after their marriage, they would respect each other like guests and had genuinely made up his mind to treat Yuqing well, only to be played like a fool. His heart burned with fury.

He only stayed in Baizhou for a single day before being woken up the next morning to head back to Shencheng. He came in a hurry and left in a hurry.

Early in the morning, a package tied with a ribbon was left at the door of Qingming Bank. The bank staff then delivered it to the Zhou residence.

Once opened, the package revealed a variety of candied fruits and pastries. Aside from Xianxiang Restaurant, there were items from several time-honored brands in Baizhou. They weren’t hard to buy, but a few required lining up early; otherwise, they’d be sold out.

Exquisite pastries, and the candied dates had even been meticulously pitted. People had always sent gifts to President Ruan, but someone sending pastries was a first.

Ruan Yuqing touched the ribbon and took a small bite of a candied date. His palate had long stopped favoring sweets, yet tasting it today, the flavor was surprisingly quite good.

—

After a week of tossing about, Zhou Xiao first sold a ship full of parts. The outside market had gradually driven up the price of railway parts, and one shipload was enough to kickstart the railway construction in Liu County.

It was just that another batch had to be shipped back from France. Zhou Xiao needed to first sell the cargo docked at Baizhou Port and deal with the items inside. Li Yuanjing was confused: “Why are you in such a rush to go back to Baizhou?”

Zhou Xiao thought to himself, What does a man without a family understand?

During this time, he also made a trip to Shanghai and casually inquired at a hospital he passed by. Even Western medicine had no way to make a man pregnant; only bizarre, ancient folk prescriptions could do it, and the records of such things were pitifully scarce.

Childbirth for a normal person was already a near-death experience, let alone for a man. Before Zhou Xiao’s eyes, the image of Yuqing supporting his lower abdomen, walking with slight difficulty that day, would occasionally flash by.

Perhaps it was simply a man’s strong sense of responsibility, but he couldn’t stop worrying. Having contacted the buyer for the parts and scheduled the transaction at Baizhou Port for the day after next, Zhou Xiao arrived in Baizhou a day early, late at night.

But not long after he woke up, Deng Yongquan knocked frantically on his door.

“Young Master, hurry to the port! Something happened!”

Zhou Xiao yawned. “What is it.”

“The Young Madam! It’s the Young Madam…”

Without waiting for him to finish, Zhou Xiao grabbed his coat and followed him straight downstairs.

“Everything was fine during the week we were gone, but three days ago, war broke out in the west. Jiang Sui was temporarily transferred away, and people have already started moving opium through the port!”

Zhou Xiao frowned. “The west?”

In these chaotic times, warlords carved out their own territories, generals and marshals acting as local emperors. Jiang Sui’s soldiers usually guarded the port. If opium couldn’t enter the province’s largest port, naturally, it couldn’t enter anywhere else either. Now, the moment Jiang Sui left, opium operations commenced. The Chamber of Commerce President turned a blind eye. After all, the port was currently managed by Qingming Bank; the money wasn’t falling into his pockets, so he couldn’t be bothered to care.

“I originally went to check on our cargo ship this morning, and I unexpectedly saw the Young Madam!” Deng Yongquan said.

“What is he doing at the port?” Zhou Xiao couldn’t help but urge, telling him to drive faster.

“The Young Madam refused to let the opium into the port. He’s already doused a portion of it in water and buried it in the dirt. Those people are about to riot… I heard the two sides have been in a standoff for two days.”

The port had been restless these past two days; the workers who usually loaded and unloaded cargo were nowhere to be seen. It was already late autumn, and it might even snow in a few days. The sea breeze blew bleakly, carrying the salty dampness unique to coastal cities. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the churning surface of the sea was bathed in golden light.

“Unlock the port today, and we can still talk this out. Otherwise, don’t blame us brothers for being ruthless.”

“Brothers, grab your weapons!”

At least several hundred people surrounded the port entrance. Ruan Yuqing only had a few domestic servants by his side. He was still wearing that heavy black cloak, its fur collar practically swallowing half his face. He was clearly paler and thinner than he had been a few days ago.

“You stepped out of our household, after all. You ungrateful wretch.”

“What are you saying? Back in the Ruan family, I indeed should have called you Second Aunt, but I was kicked out long ago. How can I still be considered a member of the Ruan family?” Ruan Yuqing smiled pleasantly, his temper mild.

“You’re only this smug because you have Jiang Sui backing you. When the Eldest Madam didn’t directly kill you and your mother back then, it was just her being too soft-hearted.”

Old Master Ruan had always wanted the position of Chamber of Commerce President just so he could open the port and resume the opium trade. But Jiang Sui usually guarded it strictly with his troops. Now that he was gone, they were exploiting the loophole within days.

Ruan Yuqing’s face was completely drained of color by the biting wind. The opposition brought a full hundred people. Yesterday, Yuqing could still bring the few guards Jiang Sui left him to hold the line and intimidate them. But news arrived today that the battlefield over there was a massacre with almost no survivors. Even with these few soldiers as a front, no one was afraid anymore.

“You’re monopolizing the port all by yourself! Are you trying to funnel all the money of Baizhou’s commoners into your own pockets? What cargo can enter the port, and what can’t—does that mean you get to make the call all on your own?!”

As soon as she said this, the onlookers at the port couldn’t help but whisper among themselves, “A monopoly is the most feared thing at a port. Otherwise, today someone bribes their way in, and tomorrow those who don’t bribe can’t enter. Wouldn’t it slowly become a parasite?”

The Ruan family’s Second Aunt had always been capable of reversing black and white, twisting the truth. With just a few words, she could rally a crowd.

Ruan Yuqing said, “Second Aunt, your mouth has always been formidable at saying whatever suits you.”

“Back then, you also falsely accused me of stealing a pearl necklace of yours. You punished me by making me kneel in the snow for two whole days. My mother knocked her head against the ground until it bled, but it was useless…”

“So you are using public office to avenge private grudges!” The Second Aunt’s voice grew even louder. “Look at this! How many days has someone like this been hiding here?!”

“No wonder the President of Qingming Bank became the Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce yet didn’t dare show his face! I’m afraid he bankrupted the Zhou family to line his own pockets, and now he wants to seize the port!”

“Wasn’t he taken home by Old Master Zhou to be a male concubine?”

“No wonder the President of Qingming Bank hasn’t shown his face for so long. It was him all along…”

“The port must be opened today!”

“Our cargo is still on the ships… It’s not just opium, on what grounds are you detaining our goods too!”

“You must open it all. We can’t let you monopolize it!”

Instantly, the pier erupted into a cacophony of voices, noisy and chaotic. The few soldiers at the front could no longer hold them back, and even the iron chains separating the crowd seemed ready to snap. The clash of metal rang out sharply as the harsh chains rattled under the crowd’s violent shaking.

Ruan Yuqing coughed softly twice. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled a short gun from his black cloak. He didn’t even fire a warning shot into the sky; instead, he raised his wrist and fired directly at the pearl earring dangling by the Second Aunt’s ear.

Bang—

No one expected the shot to be fired so cleanly. Before the Second Aunt could even react, she was nearly paralyzed with fear.

Ruan Yuqing spoke: “Everyone, I say the port will not be opened today. If anyone dares step over this chain, there are still six bullets left in this gun. Who wants one?”

The crowd instantly fell silent. They had been clamoring together, but when it truly came down to sticking their necks out, they were all incredibly quiet.

“I’ve said it before: once the opium is thoroughly investigated and cleared out, the goods that should be released will be released, and those that should leave the port will leave. I’ve said my piece. Anyone who strongly objects can step forward right now—if they have the life to make it to me.”

The Ruan family’s Second Aunt gritted her teeth. She had several death-sworn servants by her side, and just as she was about to push them forward, another gunshot rang out from behind!

Zhou Xiao, clad in a suit, seemed to step out of the thin mist. His expression was extremely dark. He strode over the barricading iron chains and stood sideways in front of Yuqing.

“President Ruan only has six bullets, but I have far more than six here. Have you all thought this through?”

“You…” Ruan Yuqing hadn’t expected him to show up.

Zhou Xiao frowned: “Are you always getting bullied when you’re out?”

Too lazy to waste words with this crowd, he directly pulled Ruan Yuqing into his arms, turned, and walked away, throwing his gun to Deng Yongquan. “Handle it!”

Deng Yongquan: “…”

Zhou Xiao’s cargo ship didn’t just contain a pile of parts; it also carried imported guns. However, they would be discovered the moment they were unloaded, which was why the ship had remained docked at the port. Zhou Xiao took the person away, leaving behind a chaotic crowd. But that noisy crowd didn’t dare step forward at all, because Deng Yongquan truly held a gun in his hand.

The two of them seemed to vanish into the thick fog.

Ruan Yuqing was taken away from the port. Just as he was about to get into the car, he was swept up into a bridal carry. He couldn’t help but cough softly twice. “Why did you come back?”

“Just passing by.” Zhou Xiao held him tightly. A nameless fury seemed to burn in his heart, flaring even brighter after feeling Yuqing’s icy hands. “Just wanted to see if you’ve been in the mood to play with me lately.”

“You’re so heartless and ruthless to me, but turn around and let yourself get bullied by others. You’re really something.” Zhou Xiao sneered coldly. “Zhao Fu is a useless piece of trash, too.”

Ruan Yuqing couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “I didn’t have time to get bullied…”

“Who could those few words of yours possibly intimidate?” Zhou Xiao roughly stuffed him into the car, not rushing to drive. Instead, he got in, grabbed Yuqing’s hands tightly, and breathed hot air onto them, his expression still dark.

Ruan Yuqing’s lips curved. Like a snow sprite, he tapped the tip of Zhou Xiao’s nose with his fingertip. “I’m afraid I intimidated you quite well a few days ago.”

Zhou Xiao felt comforted by his teasing and snorted, “Tch…”

It had been a week since they last saw each other. Zhou Xiao was still angry and didn’t want to speak to him, but seeing him being harassed made him incredibly furious. Seeing his awkward demeanor, Yuqing found it amusing.

He opened his heavy cloak, revealing the swollen belly underneath, and asked softly, “Do you want to touch?”

“Who cares.” Zhou Xiao gently placed his hand on it. After a moment, unable to hold back, he leaned down and buried his head between Yuqing’s legs. “You don’t even love me, why should I touch you?”

He hadn’t smelled this jasmine fragrance in a week. Taking a deep breath now, it almost made him dizzy with infatuation.

__

Author’s Note:

Date-pit bro: I will make you fall in love with me, and then I will ruthlessly take my revenge and kick you to the curb!

Yuqing: Kick with what?

Date-pit bro: Will my mouth work? Good Yuqing… I missed you to death, let me kiss you [Milk Tea]. I’ll give you a chance to kiss me [Milk Tea]

Yuqing: …

Date-pit bro will discover Yuqing’s chest tomorrow; this greedy boy is going to suck fiercely again.