Chapter 24: Taking the Initiative Part 1

Tao Zhi wanted to adjust his position again.

Fu Si Heng held him in place with his arms, keeping him seated on his lap without any room to move, and it truly felt uncomfortable.

But whether it was his waist or his thighs that ached, Tao Zhi could not quite tell.

He figured it was probably the latter.

Because beneath his butt, it was really hard—rock-hard, even more uncomfortable than the long wooden benches back home.

Tao Zhi did not understand why it was like that.

But now that he was up there, there was no way he could get down. He could only shift slightly, trying to find a position that felt somewhat comfortable.

Tao Zhi was too focused and did not notice how Fu Si Heng’s gaze beside him grew increasingly intense. He even whined softly and playfully pushed at his arm. “Brother Fu, your arm is so tight. Could you loosen it a bit?”

—Though Tao Zhi did not think he was whining or acting coquettish.

But to Fu Si Heng, that was exactly the situation.

The little fool had finally started taking the task assigned by Fu Zheng seriously and was pulling out all the stops to seduce him.

In that case, there was no need to rush. As Tao Zhi wished, he loosened his grip a little.

But only a little.

Not as tight as before, yet his arm still encircled Tao Zhi’s waist with a strong sense of power.

“Like this?” Fu Si Heng asked.

Tao Zhi looked down.

Tanned skin, sharp and defined lines on his forearm, veins bulging against the taut skin… The sight made Tao Zhi a bit uneasy, and he did not dare contradict him. He just kept his head lowered and nodded like a little chick pecking at rice. “That’s fine, that’s fine.”

Fu Si Heng: “Mm.”

No sooner had the word left his mouth than he lifted Tao Zhi up a bit higher.

Now they were even closer. Tao Zhi’s shoulder pressed against Fu Si Heng’s shoulder, and with the arm around his neck, it felt like leaning into the man’s nape.

Tao Zhi had never been this intimate with anyone before; he really could not adapt. He grew restless again and wanted to move.

Slowly, he wriggled back and forth on Fu Si Heng’s lap, shifting this way and that.

It took a good while before he was satisfied.

Alright, this would do.

It was almost ten o’clock; he could not keep dawdling.

Tao Zhi decided to chat with Fu Si Heng in this position.

He thought for a moment about a topic. “Brother Fu, what kind of girls do you like?”

He paused.

Tao Zhi still maintained his politeness. “Can we talk about this?”

“Sure,” Fu Si Heng agreed.

As he spoke, the fingers resting on Tao Zhi’s thigh pressed down gently.

Tao Zhi’s fair and soft thigh flesh contrasted sharply with his own currently tense and heated body. Where the pad of his finger pressed, the skin dipped slightly, rippling out like waves in water. When he released, it slowly bounced back, leaving a faint red mark.

Such tender skin.

“I don’t have a specific type,” Fu Si Heng answered Tao Zhi’s question offhandedly, his tone light and upright, giving no hint of his thoughts. “But probably gentle and intellectual ones.”

Fu Si Heng made it up on the spot.

Tao Zhi’s leg twitched slightly, as if trying to escape.

He did not know if Tao Zhi was too sensitive or if Fu Si Heng’s fingers—honed from past rock-climbing—were truly that teasing, but even the slightest movement made him uncomfortable.

Tao Zhi trembled involuntarily and wanted to move Fu Si Heng’s hand away, but his words drew his attention naturally.

“Gentle and intellectual…” He repeated it, realizing he did not quite fit.

But upon second thought, it was not entirely mismatched.

Maybe he had 20% intellect—

“Also, the age gap can’t be too big. I can only accept a difference of three years or less,” Fu Si Heng added the fatal blow.

“…”

Well, now even the 20% was gone.

It had nothing to do with him at all.

He did not meet Fu Si Heng’s requirements in the slightest.

Sigh.

What kind of task had Fu Zheng given him without doing any prior research?

Tao Zhi sighed softly.

His little expression was quite cute; all his thoughts showed on his face.

From Fu Si Heng’s angle, he could perfectly see the small puff on Tao Zhi’s left cheek balloon a bit more.

“Seems different from me,” Tao Zhi said softly, unsure if he was talking to himself or Fu Si Heng.

Fu Si Heng heard it and responded.

He hummed, then deliberately said, “A big gap.”

Tao Zhi: “…”

How could he say something so blunt?

Tao Zhi had previously thought Fu Zheng and Fu Si Heng did not resemble brothers at all.

Fu Si Heng was mature and steady, gentlemanly and considerate. Though cool toward people, he was actually very friendly, evident from little interactions.

Turned out there was no difference.

Fu Zheng had a bad temper, poor personality, no patience, and always spoke in a sarcastic tone that left people defenseless. Fu Si Heng was no better; his words were venomous, leaving no room for face.

Even someone as good-tempered as Tao Zhi could not help but secretly badmouth him a bit in his heart.

But badmouthing aside.

He still had to think of a way.

He shifted slightly on Fu Si Heng’s lap and turned to look at him, his eyes earnest and full of curiosity. “Then what should I do?”

Fu Si Heng: “…”

He could not seduce for the life of him, yet he always sat so precisely.

Impressive.

Because of Tao Zhi’s unconscious movements, Fu Si Heng’s fingers slowly tightened. The knuckles clenched, stretching the skin into even tauter lines, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged more prominently.

“What do you mean, what to do?” Fu Si Heng finally spoke in a low voice after a moment, pretending not to understand.

“If I’m not your type,” Tao Zhi said.

“Oh.” Fu Si Heng nodded. “You want me to like you.”

Such straightforward words again.

Though Tao Zhi had been straightforward today too, it felt entirely different when he did it versus when Fu Si Heng said it.

Tao Zhi’s toes curled, and he nodded shyly yet firmly.

Fu Si Heng chuckled.

Knowing he would get nothing out of questioning this little fool, Fu Si Heng stopped beating around the bush and got straight to the point. “Then you’ll have to think of some other way.”

“What other way?” Tao Zhi asked immediately.

Fu Si Heng said nothing.

He stayed silent, just staring at Tao Zhi.

Tao Zhi met his gaze while racking his brain following Fu Si Heng’s hint.

…Racking his brain.

He came up empty and drooped his head dejectedly, but he wanted to struggle a bit more.