Chapter 46: The Incompetent Husband 01 Part 2

He was still dazed when the pain in his tailbone hit him. His face paled, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

Was it reasonable for his wife to have such strength?

Ye Mingxu snapped back to his senses, a rare look of surprise crossing his face. He hurried over to help Yu Sui up. “Are you okay?”

He hadn’t expected Yu Sui to go down so easily—didn’t he have any defenses at all?

Yu Sui furrowed his brows. “Try letting me push you and see.”

He spoke with obvious irritation.

Ye Mingxu said nothing and just helped him onto the sofa.

The moment Yu Sui settled against the cushions, he let out a cry of pain.

He figured this was karma for his misdeeds.

“You actually dared to lay hands on me?” He glared at Ye Mingxu, throwing himself into the task with dedication. “You’ve really betrayed me!”

Ye Mingxu hadn’t expected him to still be hung up on that after taking a fall like this. He pressed his lips together and frowned. “If that’s what it takes for you to believe me…”

He took a step back and slowly began unbuttoning his shirt.

When his abs came into view, Yu Sui’s eyes widened.

“Who’s the real husband here?” he grumbled inwardly.

[He’s the protagonist shou. We’re just cannon fodder. No comparison,] the System said.

Ye Mingxu felt the burning gaze on him, and his body stiffened.

“Is this enough?” Yu Sui asked the System in his mind.

[It’s enough,] the System replied. [Now we slowly humiliate him bit by bit.]

Yu Sui sighed. “You’d better not let me catch you.”

With that, he limped back to the bedroom.

Ye Mingxu watched his retreating figure, lost in thought.

He’d only checked out his abs?

Come to think of it, he’d never asked about Yu Sui’s own attributes. If the man was impotent, then didn’t that leave only one path?

His fingers paused on the shirt buttons. Swap their roles, and with his own aloofness—he’d never touched the other man. It really was hard not to suspect something.

So Yu Sui actually liked him. All those questions were meant to get him to…

Ye Mingxu frowned. He had no interest in that kind of relationship with anyone.

His emotions tangled, he hurried back to his room.

Hearing the task complete notification, Yu Sui breathed a sigh of relief. This was a good start.

“I’m so unlucky,” he muttered, clutching his lower back as he inched to the bathroom to freshen up, then crawled back to bed at a snail’s pace.

Meanwhile, Ye Mingxu tossed and turned sleeplessly in the guest room.

Over the six months since their marriage, he racked his brain trying to recall Yu Sui’s attitude toward him.

He couldn’t remember the expressions clearly, but those words—now that he thought about them—had all taken on new meanings.

The complaints, the suspicions—they were all pleas for him to take the initiative…

Ye Mingxu frowned. He didn’t like men at all. And he hated Yu Sui. So what if the man liked him?

Having sorted that out, he closed his eyes.

The next day was Monday.

Yu Sui had to get up for work. When the alarm jolted him awake, he was irritable, yanking the covers over his head.

Ye Mingxu had made breakfast. Seeing no sign of the man stirring, he remembered the fall from yesterday and went to knock on the door. “Yu Sui, are you awake?”

No response.

He opened the door and heard the alarm blaring away while the man lay curled on his side, clutching the blanket tightly.

His pajama pants had ridden up with the motion, exposing pale legs.

The man’s feet were slender, the veins on the tops standing out clearly.

Something mumbled from his lips.

This was a side of Yu Sui that Ye Mingxu had never seen. He froze for a moment.

The alarm kept diligently ringing.

Yu Sui’s head throbbed. He rolled over to grab it but forgot about his injury. He heard a faint “crack” and froze, tears welling up in pain.

Ye Mingxu hurried over, worry etched on his face. “Yu Sui, are you okay?”

Yu Sui opened his misty eyes and looked at him. His pale lips were bitten red, giving him a pitiful look that stirred protective instincts.

Ye Mingxu averted his gaze and turned off the alarm. “You…”

“My back hurts,” Yu Sui squeezed out, inwardly cursing his rotten luck.

Hearing that soft voice paired with the man’s face—like a whine or a complaint—it was hard not to imagine what might have happened yesterday.

Ye Mingxu’s ear tips burned. “I’ll get the ointment.”

Yu Sui just frowned without a word.

Ye Mingxu rummaged up the medicated patches and returned to the master bedroom.

The man hadn’t moved, looking all obedient and pitiable.

In truth, Yu Sui simply couldn’t.

Ye Mingxu pulled back the covers and tugged up the pajama shirt a bit. Feeling deeply awkward, he placed a hand on the man’s waist. “Where does it hurt?”

“Lower,” Yu Sui rasped, frustration thick in his voice. “Further down too.”

Ye Mingxu went rigid. He glanced at Yu Sui’s explosively red ear tips, suspecting it was on purpose.

Any lower, and he’d see…

His…

His husband wanted…

Smooth nails, long fingers, cool skin—the touch from his wife made Yu Sui deeply uncomfortable.

But he didn’t overthink it; applying medicine was perfectly normal.

Ye Mingxu hooked the hem of the shirt and fully exposed the spot.

He took a deep breath.

He knew Yu Sui was pale-skinned, but he hadn’t realized…

The man looked slim, but all the meat was right there.

Lost in illicit thoughts, his breath hitched. Ye Mingxu bit his lip, then applied the patch, pressing down all four corners firmly so it wouldn’t peel.

He straightened the clothes. “Get up and eat soon.”

With that, Ye Mingxu fled the bedroom.

Yu Sui inhaled sharply; that patch of skin felt like it was on fire. “My life sucks.”

[I’ll light a candle for you,] the System sighed.

Thinking of work ahead, he despaired.

Ye Mingxu retreated to the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face several times. He dropped his gaze to his damp fingers.

Frowning, what was he thinking? Even if his suspicions were true, the man’s words had still hurt him, laced with malice.

Back in the living room, Ye Mingxu watched Yu Sui sit at the table, head bowed as he slowly spooned porridge.

Maybe he was overthinking, but Yu Sui seemed to be eating more deliberately—blowing on each spoonful, tongue darting out to test it first. It felt intentional, like a show just for him.

Ye Mingxu pressed his lips together and sat across from him. “You’re injured and it’s inconvenient. I’ll drive you to the office later.”

He’d suggested it before, but Yu Sui always refused, hating the idea of others knowing he lived off soft money and losing face.

“No need,” Yu Sui declined.

Ye Mingxu raised a brow. “Don’t push yourself.”

“Worry about yourself,” Yu Sui snapped, looking up irritably. “And stay away from flowers and grasses out there.”

Normally, those words would spark anger in Ye Mingxu, but today they left him utterly calm. “Trust me. I’ve never done anything to betray you.”

He gazed at Yu Sui with deep affection.

Yu Sui paused, then looked away. “Easy to say. Who knows what you get up to in private…”

He trailed off; those words were too vicious.

Ye Mingxu took it as more jealousy. Probably because he’d professed love without ever holding or kissing him. With his own hang-ups and their status gap, Yu Sui lacked confidence and grew suspicious.

From Yu Sui’s perspective, it all made sense.

But should he kiss him? Make that sacrifice?

His eyes lingered on those glistening lips, and Ye Mingxu realized he wasn’t as repulsed as he thought.

No—he didn’t like men, especially not someone who’d hurt him.

He didn’t press further, just told Yu Sui to take good care of himself.

Yu Sui said nothing, watching him leave.

“He’s got such a good temper,” Yu Sui remarked to the System inwardly. “I’d be mad for him hearing that crap.”

[He’s lovesick early on, so shatter his rose-tinted glasses,] the System said.

“I will,” Yu Sui replied, feeling guilty toward the man. The original plot’s fate for this husband was harsh, but not harsh enough.

After breakfast, he tossed the bowl in the dishwasher, changed in his room, grabbed his briefcase, and squeezed onto the subway.

Yu Sui felt utterly wretched.

The crowd pushed him to the edge.

Gazing out the window, he sighed. “It’s my first real job. What if I screw up?”

[Relax, it’s just going through the motions. None of it matters,] the System assured him. [Your salary won’t touch the fancy stuff anyway.]

Yu Sui relaxed.

His back twinged again, paling his cheeks.

More people boarded, and someone bumped into him from behind.

Yu Sui grunted, twisting to glare at the culprit. Who didn’t watch where they were going?

The man in the impeccably tailored suit sported an eye-catchingly expensive watch on his wrist. His handsome features were etched with impatience as he lowered his gaze to meet Yu Sui’s, his presence radiating intimidation.

Yu Sui shuddered and immediately averted his eyes. This guy was trouble—better not to mess with him.

Meng Chenxiao’s expression grew grave. The stench in this subway car was utterly unbearable.

In all his years, this was his first time riding the subway.

He thought back to what his secretary had said: experience the daily grind of the employees firsthand, empathize with their struggles, and understand just how tough life was for the working class.

He certainly felt it now. This suit was crawling with bacteria—he had no intention of keeping it.

The person next to him spoke with a heavy garlic tang on their breath.

He felt like his secretary had set him up, and his parents had too.

The air around him was thick and foul, but the clothes of the man standing right in front of him carried a refreshing fragrance—a rare clean note amid the chaos of the crowded car.

Meng Chenxiao couldn’t help but lean in toward it.

He dipped his head slightly, his nose nearly brushing the man’s neck.

A warm puff of breath tickled the back of Yu Sui’s neck. He jolted upright, eyes flying wide. Had he just run into a pervert?

He whipped his head around. The man clearly hadn’t expected the sudden turn and hadn’t pulled back yet.

Their foreheads knocked together with a sharp crack. Both men sucked in a sharp breath at the same time.

Meng Chenxiao frowned faintly. “Are you okay?”

“You… what the hell are you doing?” Yu Sui reached up to rub his forehead.

Meng Chenxiao cleared his throat lightly, realizing he’d been badly misunderstood. With utter sincerity, he said, “I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that the smells around us are so awful, so…”

Before he could finish, another wave of passengers surged into the car, shoving Meng Chenxiao forward a step.

He reacted quickly, throwing out his hands to brace against the doors on either side—but the two of them were pressed far too close now.

Cloth clung to cloth, chests pressed chest to chest, their long legs in suit pants tangled together.

The subway rattled with noise, but in that moment, all Meng Chenxiao could hear was the thunder of his own heartbeat.

He stared at the man in front of him—eyes wide with shock, frozen in stunned disbelief—and swallowed hard.

He was in love.