This was the second time Yi Chen had brought Yu Xi back to his place.
Yu Xi was not very clear-headed.
Apart from a faint awareness that the person leading him along was Yi Chen, he no longer had the energy to care about anything else. When he finally woke up in a daze and regained some sensation of his surroundings, Yu Xi realized someone was wiping down his body, washing his face, and cleaning his hands.
The water temperature was just right, and the touch was gentle.
It was Yi Chen.
“You bastard,” Yu Xi suddenly lifted his head, his voice weak but seething with gritted teeth.
Yi Chen: “?”
Yu Xi dropped back down, burying his face in the pillow. “You actually drugged my drink.”
“…” Yi Chen soaked the towel in water, wrung it out, and wiped Yu Xi’s nape. “Don’t talk while panting like that.”
Yu Xi did not reply right away but paused to process it. “…Oh.”
Yu Xi still felt terrible.
It was truly strange—usually, he wanted to stay far away from Yi Chen and keep their distance, but at that moment, being by Yi Chen’s side and catching the faint scent of pomelo mint actually made him feel extremely at ease.
He even wanted to stay a little longer.
Yi Chen let out a long sigh. “Good thing I got there in time.”
Yu Xi: “Otherwise, I would’ve been taken away.”
Yi Chen: “Or I’d have to bail you out from the police station.”
Yu Xi: “…”
Yu Xi truly lacked the strength to open his eyes and let himself flop onto the bed. Whether he spoke or listened to Yi Chen, it was all on instinct. “Then I guess I should thank you.”
“Not just thank me.”
Yi Chen extended his arm in front of Yu Xi. Bruises in the shape of fingerprints stood out vividly on his skin, with faint red scratches from nails that showed traces of blood. “Don’t you owe me some compensation too?”
Yu Xi: “Special effects makeup? Looks pretty good. What’d you film today?”
He was clearly planning to deny it to the death.
Yi Chen decided to address it later and went to dump the warm water from the basin first.
Just as he picked up the basin, Yu Xi suddenly flipped over, propping himself up with effort to sit. He reached out with both arms, hooked them around Yi Chen’s neck, pressed his cheek to Yi Chen’s ear, and nuzzled lightly. “Thanks for the hard work.”
The scorching breath brushed past his ear along with the words, and Yi Chen froze for a moment.
So it wasn’t that he refused to acknowledge it—Yu Xi simply wasn’t clear-headed at all. He was out of it.
Out of it, and still nuzzling his face.
A bit too out of it.
Sober Yu Xi had the hardest mouth on his whole body, but dazed Yu Xi might soften up a little.
Yi Chen naturally steadied Yu Xi’s arms, which made them look like they were embracing. He leaned close to Yu Xi’s ear and asked, “A-Yu, to you, am I that special one?”
“What?” Yu Xi seemed not to understand.
“Do you like me?” Yi Chen rephrased it.
But he heard no answer.
What reached his ear instead was gradually lengthening breaths.
He had fallen asleep.
Compared to earlier, when he had unconsciously gripped Yi Chen’s hand deathly tight, muscles tensed in defense, Yu Xi’s body was much softer now. He was truly resting in sleep.
Yi Chen gently laid him back on the bed and tiptoed out to the living room to make a call.
“President Yi.” The voice on the other end was warm and refined, instantly conveying patience and good breeding.
It was his father’s special assistant, surnamed Wu—Assistant Wu.
That form of address made Yi Chen’s skin crawl. “Don’t call me that.”
“Got it.” An excellent assistant fulfilled every demand from the boss’s son, including titles. “Young Master.”
Yi Chen: “…Fine, whatever.”
“Do me a favor,” Yi Chen said. “Ruan Yan Shan.”
He had only said the name and not yet explained what happened when Assistant Wu immediately responded, “Understood, Young Master. Ruan Yan Shan of Ruan Group. Do you want him bankrupt, disgraced, or his family destroyed?”
Yi Chen: “…”
“Just kidding—I know the right measure. Give him some setbacks and leave traces for him to realize it’s your doing, as a warning, right?”
A professional assistant needed no further communication; keywords told him exactly what to do.
The young master stayed silent, confirming he was spot on. Assistant Wu was very pleased with himself and chuckled. “I’ll prepare a plan right away. Oh, and by the way, Fu Le—the one you asked me to keep tabs on—has some new updates. Some pretty juicy gossip. Shall I report now?”
From the nearby room came a loud “bang”—the sound of a cabinet door slamming heavily against the frame.
“Just send me the info; I’ll look later. Gotta go.” Yi Chen hung up and hurried toward the room.
He shouldn’t have left Yu Xi alone in there.
At a time like this, one person couldn’t rest properly.
Yi Chen felt a twinge of worry.
—Until he pulled open the door.
Yi Chen froze.
Yu Xi had woken up again.
Not only that, he had opened the wardrobe. Those two loud crashes earlier were probably from Yu Xi’s shock at seeing what was inside, slamming it shut and yanking it open again.
—Yi Chen’s wardrobe was stuffed full of little dresses.
Yu Xi glanced at the wardrobe full of women’s clothes, then turned his gaze to Yi Chen. “Why do you have women’s clothes at your place?”
Yu Xi’s brain clearly wasn’t fully awake yet; he was still in a groggy state.
His body was awake, eyes open, but his mind remained foggy.
When the brain stalled, people’s reactions always ran counter to reality.
Just like Yu Xi right then—he practically grabbed Yi Chen’s collar, his face a mix of bewilderment, shock, and anger. “Didn’t you say you like me? Haven’t you been hinting at me all along? So why are there women’s clothes in your wardrobe?!”
Yi Chen: “!”
With that, Yu Xi let go, randomly picked one out, yanked it off the hanger, and started trying to pull it on.
Yi Chen: “!!!”
Yi Chen: “This is…”
Yi Chen wanted to explain.
There were no other women; these were birthday gifts Luo Qin had bought for his sister and temporarily stashed at his place. They’d be picked up in a few days.
But Yi Chen only opened his mouth briefly before closing it again, swallowing the explanation.
The Yu Xi before him moved clumsily. His head spun badly, and women’s clothes always had buttons or zippers in tricky spots he didn’t know about. He struggled with it. The one he’d grabbed was a backless crop top and a tight pleated mini-skirt, with straps and decorative chains tangling his hands.
Yu Xi’s movements slowed to a halt, a hint of giving up in his posture.
Yi Chen’s throat bobbed. “Your figure’s not up to it. Better not wear it.”
Yu Xi: “!”
Yu Xi’s expression sharpened. “Heh.”
His thoughts cleared in an instant. He changed into the top, the skirt—smooth as silk—and rummaged in the wardrobe for new thigh-high stockings. He took the wig Yi Chen handed him, put it on, and stood squarely in front of Yi Chen.
That comment about his figure was total bullshit—fake, wrong, utterly ridiculous!
Yu Xi’s figure was perfect.
Ideal head-to-body ratio, long straight legs, the high-waisted pleated skirt elongating them further. The thigh-high stockings hugged his calves, concealing the muscular lines. Boys’ shoulders were always a bit broader than girls’, but the big wavy long curls draped down, visually fixing that minor flaw.
Yu Xi stood barefoot on the floor and looked down at Yi Chen.
Straight, beautiful legs.
The stockings were thin, translucent with a hint of skin tone.
Yi Chen was completely stunned.
Yu Xi wasn’t clear-headed, and now Yi Chen wasn’t either.
Yi Chen could barely control his breathing.
“Hiss.” Yu Xi suddenly sucked in a sharp breath.
“What’s wrong?” Yi Chen snapped back vaguely.
Yu Xi lifted his legs a couple times and gave an honest review. “A bit chilly.”
“Am I prettier, or is she?” Yu Xi suddenly asked.
Yi Chen was too dazed to respond.
Yu Xi got no answer.
He was displeased.
“Hey, say something.” He lifted his leg and planted it on Yi Chen’s knee, leaning down.
Yi Chen: “!”
“Am I prettier, or is she?” Yu Xi asked again.
Yi Chen’s throat bobbed.
“Talk.” Yu Xi leaned even lower, long hair falling and brushing Yi Chen’s neck. “Answer me.”
Their breaths mingled closely. The skirt hem grazed Yi Chen’s arm; as it swayed, the skirt seemed weighted down, chains and decorations visibly swinging with his movements, giving off faint crisp sounds. The toes in the stockings curled slightly.
Yi Chen’s mind went “boom”—blown to bits.
Reason vanished entirely. He grabbed Yu Xi’s arm, pulled his waist down, flipped their positions—Yu Xi on the bed, him half-kneeling at the edge. His breathing came ragged, heart pounding against his ribs.
Yu Xi felt Yi Chen’s breath, saw his reaction, and smiled. He knew Yi Chen’s answer now.
Yu Xi hooked his arms around Yi Chen’s neck. “I knew it.”
He kissed Yi Chen lightly and groped for the phone under the pillow.
It was Yi Chen’s phone, but Yu Xi didn’t realize; he only knew inputting his birthday unlocked it successfully.
He opened the camera, pulled Yi Chen closer, and before Yi Chen could react, “click click”—snapped several photos in a row, setting them as the wallpaper.
With that done, Yu Xi seemed to use up his last bit of battery. His eyelids fluttered, body went limp, arms flopped slack on the bed, and his breathing evened out once more.
Yu Xi fell asleep, satisfied.
Yi Chen: “…”
This time, Yu Xi had probably truly fallen asleep.
After teasing him to the point of emotional explosion, he just conked out!!
So irresponsible!!
Yi Chen sighed in resignation. Worried about waking the hard-won sleep, he couldn’t change Yu Xi’s clothes back now. He could only adjust the AC temperature and tuck in the covers.
That night, Yi Chen stayed in the bathroom for a very, very long time.
Yu Xi slept deeply without dreams.
The next morning, Yu Xi woke up refreshed. Though he couldn’t remember what happened later,!!! He remembered Ruan Yan Shan crystal clear.
That bastard!
He actually dared to drug him!!!
Fuming, he sat up from the bed—and then—
His back felt cool, legs cool too, like no fabric covering them.
Yu Xi looked down.
What pajamas had he worn to bed last night—
Yu Xi: O.O
Yu Xi: “…?!”
He was wearing a backless tight crop top, high-waisted pleated mini-skirt, thigh-high sheer stockings, waist-length hair.
Yu Xi was dumbfounded.
Yu Xi froze.
What????
Why?
What the hell did he do last night?!
Why was he… dressed like a girl?!
