Tao Zhi ducked his head out of frame, blew the fluff away, and only after a while did he slowly inch half his face back into view. “Stop bullying me, Brother Fu.”
“Oh.” Fu Si Heng’s lips quirked as he threw the same line back at him. “Stop acting spoiled, baby.”
“You’re just making people want to bully you more.”
“…”
“Then I’m hanging up.” Tao Zhi scratched his nose tip, threatening softly.
Impressive—he’d even learned to threaten.
Fu Si Heng was in a pretty good mood.
“I won’t video call with you anymore.” The soft, mumbled threat continued. “Never again.”
“Wait.” Fu Si Heng stopped him.
“Hm?” The polite, well-mannered college student wouldn’t hang up on someone, even if teased till his face was beet red.
He asked, “What’s up?”
“Nothing.” Fu Si Heng held his cigarette between two fingers, elbow propped on the armrest—a very relaxed pose.
He casually added, “Just thought, you’ve been staring at me this whole time. Shouldn’t you let me see you too?”
“Ah?” Tao Zhi didn’t catch on at first. “See what about me—”
“No!” He reacted immediately. “I wasn’t looking at you.”
His tone was frantic.
He was frantic and panicked as he defended himself. “You didn’t wear clothes yourself. The video opened like that—h-how can you say I was looking at you…”
He’d even dropped the polite language in his panic.
Besides, if he agreed, wouldn’t this basically be… cybersex?
How could he do something like that?
The innocent college boy’s face turned even redder.
Even his fingers clenched into fists.
He absolutely wouldn’t do something like that with Fu Si Heng—
“Show me your neck.” Fu Si Heng’s calm words brought him back down.
Tao Zhi indeed froze.
After a moment, he said, “My neck?”
Fu Si Heng: “Mm.”
Tao Zhi: “…”
Could he not leave such huge pauses when talking?
Also, what kind of fetish was this? So weird.
Tao Zhi’s expression stiffened on his face.
Once he snapped out of it, he thought for a bit.
Fu Si Heng didn’t rush him. While Tao Zhi pondered, he just quietly watched, as if he could never get enough—even if it was just half a side profile.
Tch.
Actually, half a face was even more tempting.
It was tantalizing.
Fu Si Heng’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his gaze barely shifting.
“…Fine.” After nearly a minute of thought, Tao Zhi agreed.
He figured showing his neck wasn’t a big deal. In summer, necks were often exposed anyway—not a private area. Plus, he’d already sent Fu Si Heng deep-V photos before.
Besides, compared to showing his face on video, the neck felt like it had less risk of exposure.
Yeah, after this interruption, Tao Zhi had completely forgotten he was supposed to hang up.
He held his phone and carefully adjusted the camera.
His chin appeared on the screen.
“Your clothes are blocking it,” Fu Si Heng reminded.
Tao Zhi let out an “oh” and undid one button.
He’d originally planned to tilt his head back for a clearer view but suddenly remembered his Adam’s apple and pulled back.
In the frame, Tao Zhi revealed a delicate jawline and a fair, slender neck.
“Like this?” At this angle, Tao Zhi couldn’t see the phone screen.
He could only ask Fu Si Heng, “Is this okay? Can you see?”
“I see it.” Fu Si Heng popped a mint into his mouth, crunched it, and took a drag of his smoke.
The mint’s coolness mixed with the tobacco, the strong burn spreading from his mouth to his throat. Fu Si Heng narrowed his eyes and slowly exhaled the smoke.
So cute.
Want to fuck him.
“Good now?” Tao Zhi asked again.
Holding his arm up like this was tiring.
Fu Si Heng hummed and casually added, “A bit flat-chested.”
Tao Zhi: “?”
Tao Zhi: “…”
Tao Zhi’s expression froze on his face.
Bewildered and at a loss.
“I’ve wanted to say it since those photos you sent before,” Fu Si Heng said mildly. “Isn’t it a bit too—”
“…You’re too much.” Tao Zhi couldn’t help interrupting him.
Fu Si Heng laughed again.
A muffled laugh rose from his chest, nasal, his torso rising and falling slightly.
“I’m hanging up now.” He finally remembered after being bullied.
“Wait.” Fu Si Heng stopped him a second time. “Want to see my abs?”
“It’s only fair. Can’t let you miss out.”
Tao Zhi: “………………”
Could “fair exchange” be used like that?
No, no.
Tao Zhi: “I’m not looking.”
“I’m really gonna—”
He hadn’t even finished saying “hang up” when a knock came from Fu Si Heng’s side.
Tao Zhi was startled.
“Wait, I’ll go check.” Fu Si Heng said to Tao Zhi, then got up, properly wrapped his bathrobe, and went out.
Fu Si Heng’s figure vanished from the frame, and Tao Zhi’s whole face poked into view, filling the screen with his curious expression.
…
With Chinese New Year approaching, Fu Si Heng had moved back to the old estate.
Besides him, Fu Zheng was home for winter break, staying at the old estate. Three days ago, Fu’s mother had returned from seeing the northern lights in Iceland.
So the person knocking now was either the housekeeper or, most likely, his mom.
Sure enough, when Fu Si Heng opened the door, he saw Xu Yujia. He called out “Mom” and asked, “Need something?”
“A-Heng.” The door had barely opened when Xu Yujia grabbed Fu Si Heng’s arm, her expression grave and worried. “I have something very serious to tell you.”
Fu Si Heng: “?”
“It’s really serious,” Xu Yujia repeated.
Fu Si Heng: “Go ahead.”
Xu Yujia had married young, right after college graduation, to a husband fifteen years older.
In this older husband-younger wife pairing, Fu’s father doted on her endlessly. Aside from dining, socializing, and running her own gallery, Xu Yujia didn’t have to handle anything. Even at fifty, her personality was still like a little girl’s.
“What I’m about to say,” Xu Yujia gripped Fu Si Heng’s arms, tone solemn. “You absolutely mustn’t get scared.”
Fu Si Heng: “…”
To be honest, Fu Si Heng’s past dating criteria included strict age requirements, largely because of his mother—aside from his brother.
“Did you have a nice fling on your trip? Planning to remarry?” Fu Si Heng teased on purpose.
“What nonsense,” Xu Yujia glared at him.
After glaring, her expression turned serious again.
Like she was acting in a play.
“I suspect Xiao-Zheng’s gotten into gambling and owes money outside.” Xu Yujia told him.
Fu Si Heng: “?”
“Xiao-Zheng sold his sports car—that was his favorite car! The kind he’d study properly for! It was my gift for his eighteenth birthday, and now he’s sold it—!”
“If he wasn’t short on cash from gambling, why would he do that?!”
“A-Heng, Xiao-Zheng’s been acting really off lately!” Xu Yujia was utterly serious.
…
Tao Zhi waited for Fu Si Heng with his phone for a bit.
He didn’t know what Fu Si Heng had gone off to do. After three minutes without him returning, he figured something must’ve come up. After hesitating, he ended the video call.
He’d just hung up and was about to watch a documentary when Fu Zheng, who hadn’t been in touch for ages, suddenly messaged him.
No—
It was a sudden transfer notification.
The avatar flashed wildly in the notification bar. Tao Zhi puzzledly tapped in.
【Fu Zheng transferred you 10,000.】
【Fu Zheng transferred you 10,000.】
【Fu Zheng transferred you 10,000.】
【Fu Zheng transferred you 10,000.】
【Fu Zheng transferred you 10,000.】
…
Tao Zhi: “?”
??? What?
What the hell was he doing?!
