Chapter 17
The tables had turned. With Zhong Yuxiao’s move, everyone’s attention shifted from Zhong Yuxiao to Xi Shi.
His cheeks flushed, a clear bite mark on his face, his eyes dazed, like a lamb lost on the prairie, shocked and bewildered.
Xi Shi was a notorious rebel in the wealthy circles, even daring to hit his own father. He was always the one bullying others, and no one had ever seen him so disheveled. People whispered, saying he was deeply in love with Zhong Yuxiao.
The Xi family’s young master had finally turned over a new leaf.
What just happened?
Zhong Er bit him and said something.
“You want to make me unable to get out of bed, you…” Xi Shi finally found his voice after a while. “Are you going to tie me to the bed?”
Zhong Yuxiao choked. “Your train of thought is as unique as your taste.”
“It can’t be that you want to fuck me until I can’t get out of bed, right?” Xi Shi joked.
Zhong Yuxiao didn’t respond, just looked at him quietly. The smile on Xi Shi’s face gradually disappeared, and his expression darkened.
Fuck, could it be that Zhong Yuxiao really wanted to fuck him?!
As men, they could understand each other’s thoughts with just a glance. Zhong Yuxiao wanted to sleep with him, just like he wanted to sleep with Zhong Yuxiao. Whether they liked each other or not was another matter, but they both had the intention of taking the other to bed.
Xi Shi’s feelings were complicated, a mixture of joy and frustration.
He was happy that it wasn’t just wishful thinking on his part, that Zhong Yuxiao was also interested in him now. He was frustrated that Zhong Yuxiao had the same idea as him, and they still couldn’t sleep together.
Forcing himself on him was out of the question. If they really fought…Xi Shi thought of Zhong Yuxiao’s good physique and had to admit one thing: he probably couldn’t beat Zhong Yuxiao.
Thinking of this, Xi Shi’s mood suddenly became heavy.
Zhong Yuxiao raised an eyebrow, amused. In such a short time, Xi Shi’s face had gone from red to white, then to black, like an overturned palette, changing several colors.
Finally, Xi Shi’s expression turned serious. “Zhong Yuxiao, jokes aside, there’s one thing you need to remember.”
“What?”
He had never seen Xi Shi so serious since they met.
Was he scared, completely giving up on the idea of taking him to bed? Or was he going to use that useless contract to suppress him?
Based on his understanding of Xi Shi, it was probably not the former.
Zhong Yuxiao was rarely curious.
The bite mark on Xi Shi’s face had almost faded. Zhong Yuxiao hadn’t bitten him hard. His tolerance for Xi Shi’s face was higher than for Xi Shi himself.
But it was still a bite.
This experience was too profound, leaving a deep mark on Xi Shi’s life. After careful consideration, he stiffened his neck and threw out six resounding words: “Marital rape is illegal.”
He could lose face, but he couldn’t lose his dignity as a top!
“Marital rape is illegal? No way, hahaha, did he really say that?”
Xu Linfeng was almost in tears from laughter.
Zhong Yuxiao remembered Xi Shi’s expression at that time and couldn’t help but smile.
Was he afraid that he would force himself on him?
Tsk, if he hadn’t thought about it, he definitely wouldn’t have considered that aspect. Xi Shi saying that probably meant he had thought about doing it.
He really needed to be taught a lesson.
“Night, I think I know why you’re interested in him.” Xu Linfeng finally calmed down after laughing for a while, his voice still filled with amusement.
Zhong Yuxiao paused.
He didn’t contact Xu Linfeng much, only twice since returning to China. Recently, Xu Linfeng’s family asked him to return home, so he called to inquire about the situation.
Zhong Yuxiao didn’t know what happened to the Xu family. They chatted, and the conversation drifted to the banquet.
He hadn’t told Xu Linfeng much about Xi Shi, yet the other party could tell he was interested in Xi Shi, which was quite unexpected.
“You have too much, you’re not interested in anything, so the only things that can attract you are unconventional anomalies, just like in school, everyone thought the school bully and the delinquents were cool.”
And Xi Shi happened to be the biggest anomaly in Lincheng.
Zhong Yuxiao played hard but was very firm on his principles. He was like a contradictory combination of ice and fire, playing the role of a good student in the eyes of his teachers, while indulging in the pleasures of the love scene.
Xi Shi was very similar to him, but without any pretense, rebellious, wild, and fearless. He was an extreme, attracting attention wherever he went, making people wonder what outrageous things he would do next.
“I never thought school bullies and delinquents were cool.”
“I’m just making an analogy. Anyway, you know what I mean.”
Zhong Yuxiao was noncommittal. “You seem to know me very well.”
“We’re close, we’ve been through thick and thin together… I mean, we studied abroad together, as good brothers. I wouldn’t say I know you completely, but I know your personality to some extent.”
Zhong Yuxiao remained silent, and Xu Linfeng couldn’t tell what he was thinking. After some consideration, he carefully asked, “Night, I’ll be back in a few days, want to hang out?”
He knew what Xu Linfeng was thinking, nothing more than wanting to use him to get close to the Zhong family. The Xu family’s situation was similar to the Xi family’s, but Xu Linfeng’s situation was much worse than Xi Shi’s. He was somewhat forced to go abroad, and this time, he needed to be prepared.
Zhong Yuxiao didn’t mind Xu Linfeng’s little scheme. Children from their kind of families, if they were truly innocent, it would be like a phoenix rising from a chicken coop.
They all maintained appearances, but who knew what they were plotting behind the scenes. That’s why Xi Shi, who didn’t bother with pretense, was an anomaly. Even though Zhong Yuxiao didn’t care about offending people, he wouldn’t directly voice his displeasure like Xi Shi. This was family education, decency, and upbringing.
“Let’s meet up after you come back.”
“Alright, Young Master Zhong.”
Xu Linfeng hung up the phone cheerfully. Zhong Yuxiao thought for a moment and asked Zhong Zhili about the Xu family.
The other party was probably busy and didn’t reply.
“No way, you’re really in love with Zhong Er?” You Jiayu didn’t attend the banquet, but he heard about what Xi Shi and Zhong Yuxiao did in public and was shocked.
“You called me this early in the morning just to say this?”
Xi Shi yawned. He didn’t stay at the banquet for long. Zhong Yuxiao wanted to leave at nine o’clock, and he was forced by Xi Chongyang to be Zhong Yuxiao’s chauffeur. He sulked all night and had just fallen asleep when he was woken up by You Jiayu’s call.
“This is no small matter. You, this iron tree, has actually bloomed. It’s as surprising as it raining blood.”
“Why didn’t the blood rain drown you?”
Xi Shi put his phone on the pillow beside him and closed his eyes, trying to go back to sleep. You Jiayu chattered non-stop, two out of every three sentences mentioning Zhong Yuxiao.
Zhong Yuxiao, Zhong Yuxiao, why was Zhong Yuxiao everywhere?!
He just had a dream, and it was also about Zhong Yuxiao. He was pinching Zhong Yuxiao’s face in retaliation, biting his neck, then his chest, his abs…
The image in his mind became clearer, and Xi Shi suddenly woke up.
Fuck.
How did the dream develop like that?
“…Hello? Hello? Hello? Xi Shi, Young Master Xi, are you listening?”
“Yes.” Xi Shi picked up the phone and ruffled his hair. “You Jiayu, your call is very timely.”
This call was great, whoever said it wasn’t, he was very grateful for it.
If it weren’t for this call, he wouldn’t know how to end that dream.
“Huh?”
“Bye.”
Before You Jiayu could react, Xi Shi hung up.
It was just past six. It was cloudy today, and the outside was foggy. Xi Shi glanced at the closed door of the second bedroom and picked up the pillow from the sofa.
Zhong Yuxiao hadn’t woken up yet.
Xi Shi stared blankly out the window. It had been a long time since he had seen the sun this early.
The old residence had a large garden. When he was young, he loved watering the flowers with Xi Yue, waking up early every day and looking for Xi Yue with his little watering can.
Xi Yue loved flowers, saying that seeing flowers improved her mood. He followed her, planting and watering flowers, trimming branches and leaves, and he also came to love flowers.
The vase on the table was empty. Xi Shi stared blankly for a while, then grabbed his phone and went out.
When Zhong Yuxiao came out of the second bedroom, he happened to run into Xi Shi, who was returning with something in his hands.
“You’re awake?”
Zhong Yuxiao nodded. “Up so early?”
He thought Xi Shi would sleep until noon.
“Woke up early, went for a walk.” Xi Shi handed him the bag in his hand. “Breakfast, take it and eat. You’re welcome.”
He took the flowers into the kitchen and came out a moment later, taking the vase from the living room.
The breakfast was freshly steamed buns, still warm. Zhong Yuxiao washed his hands, put the buns on a plate, and ate while watching Xi Shi busy himself.
It was too early, and the flower shop wasn’t open yet. The flowers were picked by Xi Shi from the community’s green belt, and he even paid a hefty fine to the property management.
The sweet-scented osmanthus trees in the green belt were starting to bloom these days. The branches Xi Shi picked were specifically chosen for him by the property management, saying that they would bloom after a few days in water.
Zhong Yuxiao ate his buns while watching Xi Shi trim the flower branches, suddenly feeling like he was back home, playing chess with his father while his mother tended to the flowers.
This scene, with Xi Shi, was unexpected, yet strangely harmonious.
Xi Shi put the arranged vase back in the living room. The sun broke through the clouds, golden light shining behind him, illuminating the fragrance of osmanthus.
Xi Shi proudly showed off, “How about it, isn’t it beautiful?”
Zhong Yuxiao swallowed his bun, his gaze fixed on his warm, golden silhouette, and slowly nodded.
The girl at the tailor shop was right, it was indeed beautiful.
“It’ll be even more beautiful when it blooms in a few days, and it’ll smell very fragrant.”
Xi Shi washed his hands and glanced at the table. The buns were all gone. “Are you full?”
“Mm, have you eaten?”
“Yes.”
“So you specifically brought this breakfast back for me?” Zhong Yuxiao raised an eyebrow.
Xi Shi paused for a moment, then raised his voice. “Of course not, I bought too much and couldn’t finish it, so I brought it back for you.”
Such a grown man, didn’t he know how much he could eat?
Zhong Yuxiao didn’t expose him, glanced at the time, and stood up. He needed to go to work.
His class was in the morning again.
“Are you going out?”
Xi Shi looked him up and down, his gaze falling on the bag Zhong Yuxiao was carrying.
“Mm.”
“Where to?”
“Lincheng University.”
The steamed buns were delicious, and Zhong Yuxiao liked them. A full stomach in the morning always put him in a good mood.
Zhong Yuxiao joked, “You’re like a wife checking up on her husband, worried he’s going out to cheat.”
“What checking up? What husband and wife? We’re just in a sham marriage. I don’t care where you’re going or who you’re meeting.” Speaking of meeting, Xi Shi paused, his face suspicious. “What are you going to Lincheng University for?”
He had also seen Zhong Yuxiao at the gate of Lincheng University before, and when they went to have dinner with Zhong Zhili, Zhong Yuxiao was also at Lincheng University.
“Who are you going to see?”
He still said he wasn’t checking up on him.
A thought struck Zhong Yuxiao, and he swallowed the words “go to work.” “To see a lot of people.”
He had just started teaching an elective course, and there weren’t many students enrolled, mostly those who couldn’t get into other courses and chose his to get credits. It was far from “a lot of people.”
Oh, Zhong Er, a lot of people, huh? Don’t tell me you’re going to university to pick up people!
Xi Shi’s eyes widened, his tone righteous. “Cheating in marriage can lead to you losing everything in the divorce.”
“We’re just in a sham marriage.”
He sometimes couldn’t understand what Xi Shi was thinking. He said he didn’t care, yet he acted like he did, very contradictory.
Zhong Yuxiao didn’t like him like this. He preferred Xi Shi’s carefree attitude. “If you’re worried, you can come with me.”
“I’m not worried.”
Despite saying so, Xi Shi honestly stood up. “Wait for me for ten minutes, no, five minutes is enough. I’ll go change.”
