Chapter 46 Part 1

Soothing music played in the room as Zhu Ran lay on the massage bed, beginning to reflect on exactly which step he had taken wrong. How had things between him and Huo Boyan turned out like this?

The cool air stimulated the skin on Zhu Ran’s back, and when Huo Boyan’s palm touched it, he trembled like a startled bird.

“Don’t move.” Huo Boyan’s voice was cold, but his palm was very warm. Seeing Zhu Ran fidget, he reached out and patted the soft flesh just below his lower back.

Zhu Ran’s whole body jolted. He felt a bit aggrieved, yet also a shameful pleasure. He bit his lip, refusing to let any strange sounds escape.

“You’re too tense. Relax a little.” Huo Boyan’s voice suddenly softened. His palm pressed against Zhu Ran’s skin, kneading away the prickling pain, crushing it entirely, with a gentle and caring demeanor.

Zhu Ran desperately wanted to tell Huo Boyan to get lost and stop touching him, but his body gradually softened and melted under those large hands.

The rose essential oil was both fragrant and thick, mingling with the sea-like scent on Huo Boyan’s body. The two aromas intertwined and diffused through the dimly lit massage room, making Zhu Ran’s brain feel dizzy. He even involuntarily began to imagine where Huo Boyan would touch him next.

His back, shoulders, arms… The large hands slid down along his erector spinae…

Zhu Ran gritted his teeth, exerting all his effort not to make a sound.

Huo Boyan began working on the muscles strained from Zhu Ran’s prolonged sitting, occasionally brushing against the back and the middle…

But what made this man so wicked was his unpredictability. Whenever Zhu Ran thought he was about to do something, Huo Boyan would act perfectly professional, just massaging. Yet when Zhu Ran truly believed it was only a massage, Huo Boyan would wickedly tease that spot.

Zhu Ran couldn’t catch his breath, neither inhaling nor exhaling properly. After several repetitions, he finally exploded: “Huo Boyan, do you even know how to massage—”

The tone of Zhu Ran’s complaint suddenly warped as Huo Boyan pressed heavily on an acupoint.

It was both sour and painful, as if it made the top of his head fly off.

Zhu Ran struggled like a fish out of water, only to be pressed back down by Huo Boyan at his lower back.

“Don’t move.”

“Wu… it hurts so much…” Zhu Ran lay on the bed, waves of soreness tormenting him. He finally caught his breath with difficulty, only for Huo Boyan to press the other side—and that side hurt even more!

Zhu Ran couldn’t hold back anymore and cried out heedlessly.

He cried out so miserably that even the two ladies next door heard it and laughingly asked what was wrong.

Zhu Ran had no strength to respond. His muscles and nerves were highly tense, exerting all his effort to resist the pain.

“Relax. Don’t hold your breath.” Huo Boyan commanded.

Zhu Ran felt like he was in so much pain he was dying—how could he relax? He clutched the pillow and babbled nonsense: “It hurts too much, I can’t relax. Huo Boyan, just kill me already…”

Huo Boyan chuckled lightly and mercifully released his hand. Whether he was amused by Zhu Ran or softened by his pitiful appearance, he no longer tormented him. Instead, he reached out to rub the painful acupoint.

Zhu Ran finally regained his breath, feeling like he had died once under Huo Boyan’s hands.

Strangely, he had been very angry, but when Huo Boyan’s large hand pressed down again, his whole body relaxed, like a big cat whose fur had been stroked smooth. He couldn’t even curse anymore.

“Sacroiliac joint pain, piriformis strain, sciatic nerve compression,” Huo Boyan listed Zhu Ran’s bad habits one by one, finally concluding, “Zhu Ran, do you never exercise at all?”

“Don’t you know college students are all fragile?” With his body feeling comfortable, Zhu Ran’s brain started to perk up too. He muttered complaints: “Huo Boyan, do you really know how to massage? Whose SPA is as brutal as yours?”

Under Huo Boyan’s massage technique, even a succubus couldn’t get aroused.

“You can’t handle the oil push, and you scream during the massage. Zhu Ran, are you acting coquettish with me?”

Zhu Ran: “…”

Huo Boyan sighed, wearing an exasperated expression as he said, “Fine then. Let’s hug first.”

The curses were on the tip of Zhu Ran’s tongue, but they were blocked by Huo Boyan’s embrace.

Zhu Ran’s head rested against Huo Boyan’s neck hollow, where he fiercely despised his own weak willpower.

How could a person be so useless? Bought off with just a hug?!

“Are you cold?” Huo Boyan asked softly.

“A little.” Zhu Ran told the truth, forgetting he was still supposed to be angry.

Huo Boyan covered Zhu Ran’s body with a blanket and smoothly removed the glasses from his face.

When Huo Boyan took off his glasses, it usually meant…

Zhu Ran’s face heated up, and he reflexively closed his eyes.

One second, two seconds, three seconds… But the anticipated kiss didn’t come. Zhu Ran puzzledly opened his eyes to see Huo Boyan pulling off his tie. The next moment, darkness fell before his eyes, instantly depriving him of all sight.

“Huo Boyan, you—mmph…” A wet, hot tongue blocked his lips, the fiery tip sweeping over his upper palate, bringing a terrifying sensory stimulation.

But the sensation came fast and left just as quickly. Before Zhu Ran could react, Huo Boyan suddenly ended the kiss.

Zhu Ran’s mouth felt numb and spicy. He sat on the massage bed with his legs stretched out flat and reached to tug at the tie over his eyes.

But the next moment, a large hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. Huo Boyan asked, “Are you afraid?”

Zhu Ran had been tugging the tie to demand more kisses and didn’t understand Huo Boyan’s meaning at first.

Until Huo Boyan asked again: “You can’t see now. Are you afraid?”

The passion receded, and darkness enveloped Zhu Ran’s body once more. For a moment, he felt like he had regressed to his childhood, afraid to sleep alone because of the dark.

Huo Boyan said, “If you’re afraid of the dark, I can take it off.”

Zhu Ran stayed silent for a long time without speaking. He remembered that night watching shooting stars with Huo Boyan. In the darkness, there were no monsters, no ghosts, and no one would hurt him anymore. And even if someone tried, he could fight back now.

“I’m not afraid.” Zhu Ran shook his head, saying affirmatively, “Huo Boyan, I’m not afraid anymore.”

Huo Boyan laughed, then pressed the back of Zhu Ran’s head and rewarded him with a gentle kiss.

It was so gentle that Zhu Ran even felt something was missing—like playing a rhythm game where the progress bar fluctuated high and low but never broke the top.