His body warmth gradually returned.
Fu Si Heng: “No heating at home?”
“Southern homes don’t have central heating,” Tao Zhi said, pulling the blanket tighter.
Fu Si Heng: “No air conditioning either?”
Well.
His room had an AC unit, but it was old, and the air it blew felt stale and muggy. He didn’t like it.
“It’s fine. I’m in bed now; not so cold anymore.” Tao Zhi scratched his nose, changing the subject. “I visited my high school homeroom teacher today.”
“The one who sponsored your tuition?” Fu Si Heng asked.
“Yeah.” Tao Zhi sprawled on the bed, elbows propped on the pillow, nodding vigorously at his phone.
Fu Si Heng: “Did you bring a gift?”
“I did,” Tao Zhi replied. “Brought a gift and even a red envelope.”
“Paid back three years of high school tuition.”
He inevitably faced an interrogation.
The teacher hadn’t pressed him for repayment, saying back then to pay it back slowly after college graduation and finding a good job—no rush.
But this year, Tao Zhi had earned quite a bit from Fu Zheng—over a hundred thousand in total.
He couldn’t hand it all to his parents at once; they’d worry he was doing shady things outside.
So he decided to repay the tuition first, but he still got grilled.
Sitting obediently on the teacher’s sofa, answering questions, nearly spilling all his secrets: what part-time jobs, hourly rates, how he saved so much in one semester.
So many questions. Tao Zhi could only answer half-truths. He couldn’t say he’d seduced his roommate’s brother, right?
The scene was pretty awkward, but he muddled through.
Unexpectedly, this made it the third interrogation.
Though Fu Si Heng’s questions differed.
“After paying the tuition, do you still have money left?”
“Huh?” Tao Zhi blinked. “Y-yeah, some left.”
After expenses and repayment, he still had tens of thousands.
He’d really made a lot from Fu Zheng.
Fu Si Heng: “If you’re short on money, tell me.”
He truly minded this. Tao Zhi only earning from Fu Zheng.
Fu Zheng just had too much money to burn.
Tao Zhi: “……”
Tao Zhi mumbled an “oh” without answering directly.
He already felt guilty toward Fu Si Heng; scamming money from him too would make his conscience even heavier.
He didn’t want to answer, wanted to change the topic, but his little schemes couldn’t fool Fu Si Heng.
Fu Si Heng frowned, as if someone had force-fed him ten pounds of vinegar, the sourness filling the entire room.
His boyfriend wouldn’t spend his money but spent his brother’s—what kind of nonsense was that?
“We’re in a relationship, and we’ll get married someday,” Fu Si Heng said flatly, but every word dripped with possessiveness. “What’s mine is yours.”
“………………….”
N-no way they’d get married.
Tao Zhi started fiddling with the pillow edge again, mortified, unsure how to retort. His lips moved several times without a sound.
He was at a loss.
Tao Zhi feared most when the other person kept talking nonstop.
That feeling of being unable to respond left him anxious. Though Fu Si Heng’s tone wasn’t aggressive or like Fu Zheng’s barrages, he just… didn’t know what to do.
He wanted to hang up.
Tao Zhi glanced at the call time—less than ten minutes.
Usually, they talked for about half an hour.
Tao Zhi thought for a moment. “Fu-ge, I—”
Planning to say he was going to sleep.
But before he could, Fu Si Heng interrupted.
“Forget it, I won’t make things hard for you.” Fu Si Heng showed rare mercy.
Huh?
Tao Zhi opened his mouth.
Really—?
“Can you do a video call?” Fu Si Heng asked calmly.
Tao Zhi: “……”
Fake.
Though unrelated topics, Tao Zhi understood Fu Si Heng’s implication.
Refuse to spend his money, so “make it up to him.”
And “making it up” meant a video call.
Ever since getting together with Fu Si Heng, Tao Zhi constantly wavered between this guy’s not bad and this guy’s deliberately making things difficult.
“I…” Tao Zhi hesitated.
He hadn’t brought his women’s clothing or wig home—how could he video like this?
“I’m not really convenient,” Tao Zhi made an excuse.
Fu Si Heng: “What’s inconvenient?”
“……” Tao Zhi couldn’t say, stammering several times.
Fu Si Heng didn’t rush him, just let him fumble.
Tao Zhi: “……”
Five minutes passed, and the stammering grew awkward.
Especially with Fu Si Heng silent, not hanging up, just listening to his ums and ahs with indifferent hums. Over time, Tao Zhi grew inexplicably anxious, not knowing what to do.
In the end, Tao Zhi compromised.
Fine, not entirely impossible.
He could cover his head with that fluffy pajamas—it was just the difference between long and short hair.
Tao Zhi really wasn’t good at refusing people, especially dominant personalities. He got led along easily.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been pushed into this with Fu Zheng back then.
And his luck had always been good.
Perhaps never having been exposed before gave him courage, and Tao Zhi finally agreed.
He told Fu Si Heng to wait a moment, hung up, and changed into the pajamas.
The fluffy white-and-pink bunny onesie with rabbit-ear hood, bought for him by Fu Zheng last time.
After putting it on, Tao Zhi mustered his courage and started the video.
Fu Si Heng picked up quickly.
In the frame, half of Tao Zhi’s fair little face appeared.
“Uh.”
Compared to Tao Zhi’s trepidation about being exposed, Fu Si Heng’s side was far more uninhibited.
He seemed to be sitting in his study chair, bathrobe collar open.
In view was a expanse of solid chest muscle.
Tao Zhi froze.
