Chapter 50 Part 1

The next morning, Zhu Ran wore Huo Boyan’s shirt and sat gravely at the dining table eating breakfast. On one hand, he worried that his mom might notice something, and on the other, he feared she would ask about his trip.

Sometimes he even wanted to just come clean, but their mother-son relationship had only recently thawed, and Zhu Ran was unsure if dropping this bombshell would backfire.

“Why the long face? Who upset our little piggy?” Huo Boyan spoke up from across the table. Unlike Zhu Ran’s drained and listless state, Huo Boyan was full of energy, practically glowing.

They had all done the same things—why did Huo Boyan look completely unscathed? Zhu Ran felt a twinge of annoyance and deliberately picked a fight. “You did.”

“Still sore?” Huo Boyan glanced at his lower abdomen with a concerned tone. “I remember last night I didn’t thrust too hard mmp—”

Zhu Ran’s face flushed red as he shoved a sausage into Huo Boyan’s mouth and glared fiercely. “Huo Boyan, you’re not allowed to speak anymore!”

Huo Boyan bit off the sausage and licked the remaining end with suggestive intent, his action and expression identical to how he had licked Zhu Ran the night before…

Startled, Zhu Ran’s hand shook, and the other half of the sausage dropped into his plate, splattering milk across his face.

Zhu Ran: “…”

The bit of melancholy in his heart, which hadn’t been much to begin with, was completely driven away by Huo Boyan.

He finished breakfast in some disarray, then went back to wash his face and change into the clothes he had brought. The loose hem revealed the young man’s pale, slender waist, and from the side, one could even see the handprints Huo Boyan had left.

Huo Boyan wrapped his arms around that section of waist from behind and leaned in stickily for a kiss.

Zhu Ran’s body trembled. He didn’t dare let Huo Boyan kiss for too long and quickly pushed him away. “Huo Boyan, I have to go to the gallery.”

The other man clung to his waist and said in the tone of a foolish emperor, “What to do? I don’t want you to leave.”

Zhu Ran was reluctant too, but he didn’t dare show it as obviously as Huo Boyan—as if showing even a little more affection would put him at a disadvantage, make him seem lesser.

But he did like Huo Boyan and wanted to respond as much as possible.

Zhu Ran wasn’t good at sweet talk, so he went straight for something big.

He glanced at Huo Boyan and hesitated. “How about I quit the internship…”

He already had another one lined up anyway, starting at the beginning of the semester. Staying at the gallery now was mostly out of a sense of responsibility and to reassure his mom.

“Lust clouding your judgment, little piggy classmate?” Huo Boyan pinched Zhu Ran’s nose tip, his smile turning more serious. “Don’t force yourself. I didn’t say those things to pressure you—including yesterday’s. I just wanted you to know I’m serious about this relationship. We’re not in a rush. We can take it slow, okay?”

Zhu Ran let out an “oh,” feeling a bit touched, but also embarrassed and foolish. It was like playing cards—Huo Boyan had played a pair of threes, and he had slapped down the King Bomb.

Zhu Ran wasn’t skilled at handling relationships, couldn’t grasp the push-pull dynamics or the right amount of calculation. He either gave nothing or everything. After Huo Boyan pointed it out, he realized how reckless he had been.

Zhu Ran pushed Huo Boyan away to leave, but the other man grabbed his wrist and said happily, “But I’m glad you thought that way.”

Zhu Ran paused, his face instantly reddening again. “Huo Boyan, why do you have to say it like…”

“Hm? Like what?”

“You’re just so cheesy.”

“Am I? I’m just saying what I think,” Huo Boyan said earnestly. “And I haven’t even said many sweet nothings.”

Zhu Ran: “…”

Wang Xingchen had once said he was easily scammed. Back then, Zhu Ran dismissed it, thinking his intelligence and vigilance would spot a con artist’s intent from a mile away. But now, he felt like he just hadn’t encountered the right scam yet—if it was Huo Boyan scamming him, he probably really couldn’t refuse.

He needed to install an anti-addiction system on himself… With that thought, Zhu Ran dazedly leaned in for another kiss.

He closed his eyes, thinking he really was letting lust cloud his judgment.

“Ding dong—”

The next moment, the doorbell rang suddenly. Zhu Ran jumped in fright and tried to pull back, but Huo Boyan held the back of his neck and deepened the kiss.

Zhu Ran was always shy and reserved during intimate moments. Now that he had taken the initiative for once, Huo Boyan kissed more fiercely, almost as if he wanted to meld Zhu Ran into his own body.

The doorbell went unanswered for a while and finally fell silent. Zhu Ran thought the person at the door had left, but the next moment, the bulletproof door opened, and a voice came from the living room. “Bro, are you home?”

Huo Junlin?!

Terrified, Zhu Ran shoved Huo Boyan away and dove into the closet.

Huo Boyan felt a bit annoyed at the interruption but found Zhu Ran’s reaction adorable. Helplessly, he said, “Why are you hiding?”

It had been pure instinct. Zhu Ran didn’t bother explaining and waved him off. “Don’t worry about me. You go out first.”

Footsteps approached the bedroom door. Huo Boyan finally pushed the door open and lifted his eyelids coolly. “Something wrong?”

Huo Junlin carried a bag, his skin two shades darker, and flashed a bright smile. “Bro, I’m back from vacation. This is a gift for you.”

After his breakup, Huo Junlin had rallied some friends for a trip abroad and had landed that morning before coming straight up.

Huo Boyan thanked him but didn’t ask about the trip like he usually would. He just told him to set it down and leave.

Huo Junlin placed the gift on the coffee table, but his attention was caught by a backpack on the sofa.

It was a 20L white lightweight hiking pack, youthful and stylish, with a garish plush toy dangling from it—clearly not Huo Boyan’s style.

Big bro had someone over? Huo Junlin instinctively glanced toward the bedroom, where the door was shut tight.

“Anything else?” Huo Boyan shot him a look.

Huo Junlin shook his head but couldn’t quell his curiosity and asked cheekily, “Bro, you have someone here?”

“Yes.” Huo Boyan said bluntly.

Huo Junlin was stunned. “I have a sister-in-law now?”

Huo Boyan hummed in affirmation and added, “I’ll introduce you next time.”

Huo Junlin should have been thrilled, but a strange suspicion lingered, reminiscent of the arm that had fallen from Huo Boyan’s lap on the cruise ship. Many thoughts flashed through his mind, but he didn’t want to be a third wheel, so he offered some blessings and left.

After sending Huo Junlin off, Huo Boyan returned to the bedroom and let Zhu Ran out of the closet. The latter was still curled up inside; when the door opened, he asked tensely, “He gone?”

Huo Boyan hummed, feeling both heartache and amusement at Zhu Ran’s state. “You picked the closet? Why not hide somewhere else?”

Zhu Ran grabbed Huo Boyan’s arm as he emerged and explained, “I just didn’t want to be seen.”

Huo Boyan narrowed his eyes. “You don’t want him to know?”

Zhu Ran felt a bit guilty and whispered, “I’m afraid he’d mind.”