Chapter 72: Heart-Manipulating Older Chaebol

Zheng Shiyan realized what had brushed against him, and his jaw clenched tight. His entire face flushed red.

He was furious.

Veins throbbed violently at his temple, but remembering that he still needed Han Wu to track down the merman, he forcibly swallowed his anger. He merely gritted his teeth and shoved the young man away.

“What I meant was, after you find the merman.”

With a sharp slap, he knocked Han Wu’s hand aside.

“And I’m not doing that.”

Seeing him angry, Han Wu thought to himself that if he wanted to annoy Zheng Shiyan in the future, he should lead with this approach.

As for pretending to date, past experience showed that wouldn’t work. It was too risky.

“Come with me tomorrow,” Zheng Shiyan said as he stood up and vigorously wiped his cheek. His tone carried a commanding edge. “Go to bed early now.”

Han Wu started to follow him.

“I said tomorrow. Don’t follow me now.”

He pushed the stubborn young man back into the room, his voice cold and firm. “I’m not sleeping with you. Stay here and behave yourself.”

Before leaving, he turned back sternly, like a parent on the verge of losing it to a bratty kid.

“Don’t turn on the faucet again!”

“…”

Bored, Han Wu scanned the cramped space, his gaze finally settling outside the window.

In the distance, a river glimmered faintly under the moonlight.

That night, Zheng Shiyan didn’t sleep well.

His earlobe stung every time it brushed the pillow. When he woke in the morning, he had no idea why, but he was drenched in sweat—and fully aroused, painfully so.

Still groggy, he instinctively reached down to take care of it.

But his phone vibrated, snapping him awake.

A message from one of his subordinates: That albino boy seems to have stood outside his door all night.

“…?”

“!”

Zheng Shiyan yanked the door open.

Somehow, Han Wu was soaked through again, like a drowned stray dog, standing there blankly and staring at him.

Water dripped from the young man’s hair, pairing with his pale face and the bruises around his eyes to make him look utterly pitiful.

Zheng Shiyan dragged him into the room and sucked in a sharp breath when he touched Han Wu’s ice-cold wrist.

“Go take a hot shower. Now.”

Han Wu stared at him blankly.

Zheng Shiyan shoved him straight into the bathroom, turned on the hot water, and briskly yanked the drenched hoodie off over his head.

“Hurry up!”

In just a couple of tugs, Han Wu was stripped bare. He had no choice but to obey as the warm water poured over him.

When he emerged from the bathroom, Zheng Shiyan was surprisingly gentle. He reached out to feel the young man’s forehead.

The handsome face leaned in close, his low, pleasant voice brushing Han Wu’s ear.

“No fever, right?”

Han Wu lowered his lashes and shook his head.

Zheng Shiyan glanced at the bruises on his body, which had nearly faded, and felt a bit surprised. “Heals pretty fast.”

Youth really was on his side.

Perhaps realizing Han Wu’s value, Zheng Shiyan was exceptionally mild-mannered that day. He even personally took him out for breakfast.

“I’ve already eaten,” Han Wu said softly.

Zheng Shiyan found it amusing. “Where’d you eat? The kid’s probably broke.”

Han Wu didn’t answer. Zheng Shiyan chalked it up to teenage pride and didn’t press. “Eat a little with me anyway.”

At the restaurant, Han Wu looked a bit lost. For once, Zheng Shiyan patiently explained, “It’s a buffet. Just grab whatever you want.”

He took the young man’s hand and led him through the buffet stations.

Seeing how obediently Han Wu followed, he piled on extra portions. Back at the table, sure enough, the young man ate a good amount. He sure didn’t look like someone who’d already eaten.

Zheng Shiyan smiled faintly. He knew it wouldn’t be hard to make a country boy like this take a liking to him.

For now, he’d keep him sweet-talked until they caught the merman.

But when he drove Han Wu back to the village, something was off.

A large crowd of villagers had gathered at the seaside, their emotions running high as they surrounded Han Xu’s family fishing boat. Several burly men were raising clubs, ready to smash it.

“It was him who went out to sea last night! My old man was found dead this morning!” a middle-aged woman cried hoarsely.

“We can’t let them go out to sea again!” An elderly man pointed a trembling finger at the ocean. “This is inviting disaster!”

The crowd roared in angry agreement. “Surround this stretch of sea! Take shifts guarding it! Don’t let them go down there again!”

Zheng Shiyan’s car had just pulled to a stop when the villagers swarmed over, brandishing farm tools in furious protest. He stepped out calmly and raised a hand for silence.

“Everyone, please calm down.” His voice was steady and authoritative. “We’re developing this area so everyone can live better lives. When the economy improves, we’ll all benefit.”

He scanned the crowd, his tone sincere. “It’s tragic that the old man passed, but please trust in science. This has no direct link to going out to sea.”

As he spoke, the crowd miraculously fell silent. At first, he thought his words had worked. Then he noticed all eyes had shifted past him, fixing in horror on Han Wu behind him.

The pale young man hadn’t gotten out of the car to avoid the sun. He simply sat quietly in the back seat.

When someone met his gaze, the corners of Han Wu’s mouth curved in the faintest arc.

“It’s that Han family kid…” The crowd gasped.

“He didn’t… die ages ago?”

“Dead!”

Finally breaking free from the crowd, Han Xu rushed over to defend his brother. “My brother’s not dead! Back then, Mom took him away!”

The villagers’ faces grew even stranger. They backed away frantically, as if they’d seen something terrifying.

“Too late…” one old man muttered.

“It’s all over…” Another woman covered her mouth, her eyes filled with despair.

A wide berth instantly cleared around Han Wu, as if he were the source of a plague. The heated protest fizzled out just like that.

Zheng Shiyan: ?

He had no idea what was going on, but he wasn’t complaining. He found an excuse about compensating for the boat to send Han Xu away, then headed straight to the seaside with Han Wu.

This time, he pinpointed the spot he’d marked the night before, ready to dive again.

The only issue was keeping Han Wu in line.

The midday sun blazed fiercely. Han Wu held a heavy black umbrella, completely shrouding himself in shadow.

He sat obediently by the boat’s edge, but his gaze was fixed straight on the sea.

Zheng Shiyan approached and waved his subordinates back a bit. Then he ducked under Han Wu’s umbrella into the shade.

The cramped space brought them close. He could almost feel the faint chill radiating from the young man, at odds with the surrounding heat.

Zheng Shiyan smiled at him.

“Help me out, okay?”

He lowered his voice so only Han Wu could hear, lacing his tone with deliberate coaxing.

“If it works, I’ll grant you one request.”

Han Wu looked at him and immediately took his hand.

Zheng Shiyan closed his eyes, his mouth twitching again.

“No, I won’t touch you there…”

Han Wu’s gaze shifted to the man’s chest.

Zheng Shiyan took a deep breath and forced a compromising smile.

“Fine.”

He pulled Han Wu into his arms and patted his shoulder. “Be good and help me catch the merman…”

His warm breath brushed against Han Wu’s cold earlobe.

“You can touch me however you want.”

Han Wu seemed to agree just like that.

He said nothing, simply handing the black umbrella to Zheng Shiyan. Then, before anyone could react, he turned and leaped into the sea with an almost elegant grace.

“???” Zheng Shiyan blinked in stunned surprise as he instinctively caught the umbrella. “Wait… at least take the diving gear!”

He watched helplessly as Han Wu’s figure vanished, the water barely rippling in his wake. The subordinates on the boat exchanged bewildered glances. No one had expected this frail-looking young man to be so reckless.

Time ticked by, second by second, and the sea surface returned to a disturbingly calm stillness, as if no one had ever jumped in.

Zheng Shiyan’s expression grew darker by the moment. He barked an order. “Get me the diving gear!”

He suited up quickly and plunged into the water himself.

The underwater world was nothing like he’d imagined. The seawater was unnaturally clear, which only made it feel all the more eerie.

As far as the eye could see, there were no schools of fish—not even the usual patches of seaweed were anywhere to be found.

This stretch of ocean was as silent as a liquid tomb. Without any points of reference, he quickly lost his sense of direction.

Suddenly, a strange warm current enveloped him, starkly contrasting the chill of the surrounding water.

At the same time, a wave of intense dizziness crashed over him. His eyelids grew heavy as lead, his consciousness blurring as an overwhelming urge to sleep pulled at him…

Just as his eyes were about to close, a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind, hauling him rapidly to the surface.

Splash—

They burst out of the water. Zheng Shiyan coughed violently, only then realizing that Han Wu had been the one to save him.

The young man was soaked through, his silver hair plastered to his cheeks, but he showed no sign of discomfort—his breathing was steady as ever.

“You guys… are all such strong swimmers?”

Zheng Shiyan was hauled aboard by his subordinates. Still panting, he reached down to pull Han Wu up after him.

“So, did you find the merman?” He couldn’t think of anything else, his voice urgent.

Han Wu didn’t reply. He simply handed over a small underwater camera.

The footage on playback left Zheng Shiyan holding his breath in shock. It had actually captured them.

But it was nothing like the magnificent, fantastical scene he’d envisioned.

In the shaky footage, the few mermen that appeared looked like bloated, waterlogged corpses—swollen and grotesque.

Their skin hung loose and wrinkled, their hair dull and gray, their backs covered in dark blotches. They drifted along like nameless bodies, only twitching suddenly in what seemed like fear when they noticed the camera before vanishing from view.

The sight wasn’t beautiful at all. If anything, it carried a visceral, unsettling horror.

Zheng Shiyan frowned deeply.

This was a merman? They might work for research purposes, but he’d been planning to capture a couple and display them in the custom-built aquarium as the star attractions to boost tourism development.

In their current zombie-like state, how could they draw crowds?

He’d need to find one that matched people’s aesthetic ideals—a “pretty” one.

Speaking of pretty, a cool body pressed against him from the side just then.

Han Wu had sidled up close at some point, extending his dripping arms and silently wrapping them around Zheng Shiyan, bringing the chill of seawater with him.

Zheng Shiyan startled, his ears turning red as he hurriedly grabbed the young man’s hands.

“Not here…!”

He lowered his voice, mindful of the subordinates nearby.

“Be good.”

But Han Wu had no patience left. After being rebuffed a few times, his whole face went cold, like he was about to throw a tantrum.

Zheng Shiyan had no choice but to placate him and steer the boat back first.

Even once they were in the car, Han Wu wouldn’t let up.

He glared straight at Zheng Shiyan.

As if he were some big fat liar.

He even reached for the door handle.

No way!

The car was still moving! Zheng Shiyan was at his wits’ end. He yanked the young man back and hiked up the hem of his own shirt.

“I said… wait until we get back…”

His eyes suddenly squeezed shut, his lashes trembling. “…Go easy.”

Han Wu’s head slowly settled on his shoulder, his ears flushed red as he sneaked peeks at Zheng Shiyan’s pained expression.

But he was still mad and paid no heed.

There was a driver up front, and people on the street outside.

Zheng Shiyan suddenly felt like some beleaguered mother out in public with a fussy baby demanding to nurse—forced to drape a jacket over them for cover.

He’d never felt this humiliated in his life.

Han Wu’s fingers kept teasing him relentlessly. Zheng Shiyan could only grit his teeth and stifle any sound that might escape.

By the time they finally reached the hotel, Zheng Shiyan was unusually disheveled, his forehead and collarbone flushed bright red.

The moment the room door clicked shut, he opened his mouth to scold.

But Han Wu stepped forward, roughly yanking open his buttons before pulling him into a hungry embrace.

???

“Hey! I didn’t say you could…!”

He was pinned against the wall and couldn’t push him away.

Brat…!

Zheng Shiyan took a deep breath, trying to brainwash himself.

Just imagine him as a dog, that’s all.

Dogs were clueless, barging around recklessly, slobbering everywhere… No need to get mad!

But it felt completely different.

Maybe because it had hurt so much in the car—almost like bruising—and now…

It actually felt…

He cradled Han Wu’s head, his eyes half-lidded in a daze. His face grew hotter and redder by the second, sweat beading at the nape of his neck.

He even started responding eagerly.

Han Wu looked up at him, those gray-blue eyes like the unfathomable depths of the sea from earlier. Then he bit down.

“Ah…!”

Zheng Shiyan nearly arched back, his reaction explosive.

When Han Wu released him, his canine teeth left a vivid red bite mark.

“You… damn mutt.” Zheng Shiyan gasped raggedly, his words slurring from the pain.

He glared fiercely, but with his eyes so red, there was hardly any intimidation left.

The ravaged spot quickly rallied, perking up cutely once more.

Its owner, meanwhile, was already having trouble standing.

“To… to the bed…”

Han Wu obeyed this time.

The young man a decade his junior scooped him up effortlessly.

Zheng Shiyan had never felt so mortified—but he’d also never been this aroused.

How strange. Pinned down by another man, hands held above his head while his chest was devoured… and he felt no revulsion or anger. Instead, he couldn’t help savoring it, aching to grind against him.

His blood felt like it was on fire, his ears filled with the pounding of his own heartbeat. It was as if he were back on that ship, his consciousness swaying in the deep sea, his vision blurring before his eyes.

He must have blacked out for a moment. When awareness returned, he found Han Wu cradling his head.

The young man gazed down at him, color finally returning to his pale cheeks.

“Open your mouth.”

Zheng Shiyan’s eyes widened in shock.

Open… what…?

But it was already too late.

He was pinned down hard, suffocation hitting him instantly. His face flushed crimson, tears streaming from his eyes in a purely physical reaction as he swallowed uncontrollably.

He couldn’t even tell what he was swallowing.

This damn brat—how was he so huge? It was like shoving some living monster down his throat, lodged there and probing toward his stomach.

“Mmph!” Terror and the choking sensation wrapped around him like a vise. The tears kept falling.

Not until Zheng Shiyan’s eyes rolled back and his hands went limp did Han Wu finally release him.

Zheng Shiyan collapsed to his knees, coughing violently as his stomach heaved with dry retches.

“?” Han Wu looked utterly baffled, crouching innocently beside him and tilting his head.

Zheng Shiyan’s grip on the carpet turned his knuckles white, veins bulging across the back of his hand.

Suddenly, he surged to his feet and seized a fistful of the young man’s silver-white hair.

“You little mutt!” The words hissed through gritted teeth, his voice rasped raw from the abuse to his throat.

His eyes swept the bedroom. The bathtub Han Wu had filled to the brim still sat there.

Blinding rage overtook him. He dragged Han Wu over and shoved the boy’s head into the icy water.

“When did I ever say you could…! You think this is comfortable?!”

Yet the young man in his grasp didn’t struggle even a little.

Something felt off to Zheng Shiyan. On pure instinct, he yanked Han Wu’s head back out of the water.

“What’s your deal? Like you’ll live if you can and die if you can’t?”

Water droplets rolled down the boy’s silver hair, plastered wet against his face once more. It was just like that pitiful sight of him waiting outside the door that morning.

Staring at him now, Zheng Shiyan felt the fight drain out of him. He couldn’t muster the anger anymore; it was exasperatingly helpless.

“Don’t ever do anything like that again.”

Zheng Shiyan coughed through the words.

Han Wu’s expression remained blankly puzzled.

“You’re just a kid. Can’t you find something more… age-appropriate to do?”

He studied Han Wu’s delicate features—the white lashes, the stunning pale eyes… He wasn’t sure what had gotten into him, but

he leaned in and kissed him.

He’d only meant it to be a light brush of lips.

The moment they met Han Wu’s cool mouth, though, he deepened it without thinking.

They didn’t part for a long moment.

Zheng Shiyan pulled back, breathing a little harder. Han Wu’s face made his lips curve into a smile, his tone softening on its own.

“See? You like it too.”

Han Wu blinked his eyes open at that, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.