“……?”
How could someone say something so, so not mundane in such a flat tone?
Upon hearing Fu Si Heng’s suggestion, the first three words that popped into Tao Zhi’s mind were “shameless.”
Really, extremely shameless.
Even someone as good-tempered as Tao Zhi couldn’t help but be shocked by his words, describing him with those three words.
“……”
But one can’t be so rude. Tao Zhi was a well-mannered university student. After the shock passed, he replaced “shameless” with “not mundane.”
Yet that impression still lingered, impossible to shake off.
He stared at Fu Si Heng for a long while, opening and closing his mouth, his throat feeling choked, his ears turning bright red as he stammered in panic, “W-what? Don’t joke with me like that.”
“I’m not joking with you.” Fu Si Heng watched Tao Zhi flounder awkwardly, unsure where to put his hands and feet, and felt pretty pleased.
Lately, this old man’s happiness—no, his life’s joys—had almost all come from this earnest young male college student.
No more days filled with nothing but work, meetings, socializing, and business deals that left him feeling bored and empty.
Now, he spent more time thinking about Tao Zhi.
Young, timid, full of vulnerabilities.
Though Tao Zhi wasn’t exactly dedicated when it came to seducing him, that didn’t stop Fu Si Heng from finding the experience of falling in love so intriguing. No wonder so many people were obsessed with it.
He was hooked now too.
“Desensitization therapy has scientific basis,” Fu Si Heng said calmly.
Tao Zhi: “……”
Even more shameless.
Especially saying something so shameless in such a serious tone—Tao Zhi was really struggling to keep it together.
It was so strange.
The words were coming from Fu Si Heng’s mouth, but the one feeling embarrassed and awkward was him.
Tao Zhi simply lacked experience dealing with older men.
“No, I don’t want to.”
After a brief silence, the usually obedient little rabbit rejected him without hesitation this time.
He struggled to get off Fu Si Heng’s lap, but Fu Si Heng’s arm was wrapped around his waist, pinning him in place.
Tao Zhi grew rare urgency, patting his arm. “Brother Fu, let go. Stop teasing me.”
“I’m not teasing you.” Fu Si Heng denied Tao Zhi’s words.
Tao Zhi: “If this isn’t teasing, then what is? You…”
He paused, realizing his tone was rude, and softened to a mutter: “There’s no one like you.”
“What am I like?” Fu Si Heng’s tone remained unhurried as he countered, “Aren’t we at the point where we can use kissing for desensitization?”
Tao Zhi: “No… we’re not…”
“Then why are we kissing?” Fu Si Heng asked. “Do you think that night I kissed you on a whim, or that I kiss anyone who comes along? Or maybe this morning I only said those things to tease you?”
Tao Zhi, who had just resolved to keep refuting with “no”: “……”
“But…” No had turned into but. Tao Zhi racked his brain desperately for a way out.
But the more urgent the moment, the blanker his mind went, unable to think of anything.
Fu Si Heng chuckled.
“Given that you might have some misunderstandings about me, let me clarify something.” While Tao Zhi’s head felt like it was exploding, Fu Si Heng was completely at ease.
His arm stayed around Tao Zhi’s waist. “Yesterday’s kiss was my first kiss.”
“I’ve never had a girlfriend before, never been ambiguous with anyone. You’re the first. I’m not teasing you.”
“……”
What? Why was he suddenly telling him this?
Tao Zhi didn’t feel joyful hearing it. Instead, he grew even more awkward, completely at a loss.
But he didn’t forget his mission.
Very professional about it.
Even if he couldn’t react or come up with a response, he was diligently analyzing whether this counted as Fu Si Heng’s confession.
If it did, then he’d completed the first phase of Fu Zhen’s task. Going back, he’d definitely get the 60,000 yuan he’d been longing for.
Did he just need to go along with Fu Si Heng’s words now, acknowledge their relationship, and that’d be it?
“No reaction at all after hearing that?” Fu Si Heng looked at the dazed Tao Zhi on his lap and pinched his cheek.
It snapped Tao Zhi back to reality.
His gaze gradually focused as he looked at Fu Si Heng, seeming to ponder something but unable to figure it out.
Fu Si Heng: “Say something.”
“O-okay, okay…” Tao Zhi, who hadn’t figured it out yet, subconsciously echoed him. But then he felt something off and abruptly stopped. “No, wait, no!”
Fu Si Heng: “Hm?”
No way. He couldn’t just go along and acknowledge their relationship, or agree to a confession.
Because Tao Zhi suddenly remembered what Fu Si Heng had said that morning.
Especially that line: If we’d confirmed our relationship yesterday, you wouldn’t have had a chance to go back to your room.
We’d go to bed.
…How could he dare confirm a relationship with Fu Si Heng now!
Even if it meant giving up that 60,000 yuan, he wouldn’t dare.
Tao Zhi shook his head like a rattle drum.
Fu Si Heng let him flail, saying nothing, not loosening his hold. When Tao Zhi ran out of energy and tired himself out, his movements naturally stopped. He propped his hands on Fu Si Heng’s arms instead, looking at him pitifully. “Brother Fu, can you stop bullying me?”
“How is this bullying?” The trick that worked on Fu Zhen didn’t faze Fu Si Heng one bit.
He lowered his gaze to Tao Zhi’s fingers resting on his arm.
“This is bullying…” Tao Zhi muttered in protest.
Fu Si Heng said nothing, but the corner of his lips curved up.
It was bullying, sure.
He admitted he was pretty awful—teasing the little rabbit put him in a great mood.
“This isn’t bullying.” What he thought and what he said were two different things. Fu Si Heng’s tone stayed calm and steady. “This is a confession.”
“I’m confessing to you.”
He’d said it after all.
At this point in the conversation, Fu Si Heng laying it all out was no surprise to Tao Zhi. After all, a man willing to take responsibility wouldn’t hesitate to keep things ambiguous.
But… right now, the one hesitating and wanting to keep this ambiguous relationship going is him.
Because he wants it both ways.
For the first time, Tao Zhi realized he was actually this bad.
What should he do?
He couldn’t make up his mind, and there was no one to give him advice—his brain was burning up like crazy right now.
He was thinking.
Fu Si Heng wasn’t rushing him.
Tao Zhi was thinking, and he was waiting, but his waiting wasn’t exactly well-behaved.
Tao Zhi’s fingers were resting on his arm, and he naturally took hold of them.
The slender fingertips were gripped in his hand. Before long, Tao Zhi noticed and tried to pull them back.
