What the hell?!
The two exchanged a glance and recoiled in mutual disgust.
Lin Yao was thoroughly grossed out. “Are you blind? How could I possibly want to kiss him?”
Shen Leyuan smiled and shot it down. “The teacher doesn’t like young guys.”
Little Deer jumped in at once. “Then what does the teacher like?”
He paused, then answered his own question. “Right—the teacher likes older ones. You like my dad.”
“Not really…” Shen Leyuan muttered weakly. “Can’t I just swear off romance and dedicate my life to education?”
He and the big shot were pure as driven snow. There was no shady affair between them.
Little Deer grew even more frantic at the answer. “No, no! The teacher can’t swear off romance. The teacher has to like Little Deer!”
“You two fucking flirting right in front of me?”
Lin Yao shoved himself between them with brute force and unleashed sarcasm mode on Shen Leyuan. “Hey, can you stick to seducing just my dad? Hooking three at once? Ever check if you can even handle it?”
One for the big shot, one for Little Deer—and the third wouldn’t be him, would it?
Shen Leyuan debated whether to mock the guy’s overconfidence first or tell him to quit spreading filthy rumors, but he decided to stick to business. “The only thing I want to nail right now is your studies. Since you’re too embarrassed to show up for class, how about online lessons?”
Little Deer cut in eagerly. “Little Deer wants online lessons too!”
Lin Yao shot Little Deer a gloomy glare and laughed in fury. “Who said I’m embarrassed? I just can’t stand the suffocating vibe of this Chinese-style education. Teacher, shouldn’t you be looking for the problem—in the mirror?”
Of course he had to go to class. How could he not?
If Little Deer spent a few more days alone with the Fox Spirit, his hat was going to turn fluorescent green!
Shen Leyuan ignored the snark and asked kindly, “Then I’ll apply to Mr. Lin for an outdoor class. Tomorrow afternoon work for you?”
It was like punching cotton. Lin Yao felt utterly off-balance.
Why wasn’t the Fox Spirit arguing back? Hadn’t his mouth been sharp as a tack just moments ago?
As his thoughts raced, he replayed the exchange—and his face suddenly darkened. Damn. He’d fallen right into the Fox Spirit’s trap!
Shen Leyuan amped up the provocation. “Afraid Mr. Lin won’t approve?”
“Ha? Me, afraid?” Lin Yao sneered at him. For some reason, his expression turned profoundly meaningful.
“Fine. Tomorrow, I. Will. Definitely. Be. There.”
He bit down hard on “definitely,” clearly brewing something nasty.
Shen Leyuan: …
His elite teacher’s sixth sense was screaming bloody murder: When the kid goes quiet, he’s definitely up to no good!
No, he had to come up with a plan.
That night, as he applied for the outdoor class, Shen Leyuan also put in a request for a bodyguard.
Lin Yuan neither agreed nor refused. He studied him silently for a moment before asking abruptly, “Lin Yao didn’t give you any trouble?”
“No.”
“He’s always had a bad temper.”
“It’s manageable.”
“His teachers call me all the time, complaining he won’t obey.”
Sigh, yeah, he was a handful.
You’re not exactly easy to deal with either, as a parent.
To smooth things over between father and son, Shen Leyuan racked his brains for positives. “Young Mr. Lin has tons of vitality, imagination, and creativity.”
—Loves picking fights, jumping to wild conclusions, and spreading rumors.
Lin Yuan keenly caught the exhaustion flickering in the young man’s eyes. Probably only he and the young man knew just how thick the notebook on Lin Yao had grown, how many lesson plan drafts had been scrapped, how every provocative line had been weighed a dozen times.
“He’s mature, handsome, full of responsibility. His disability doesn’t diminish his charm—in fact, his age is a bonus. Not everyone goes for immature young pups.”
In the notebook, those lines were followed by notes: Considering the unique physical and mental development of adolescents, provocation can be flexibly deployed to motivate Student Lin’s enthusiasm for learning.
Motivate Student Lin’s enthusiasm for learning.
The praise for Lin Yao was just another little teaching trick.
Lin Yuan didn’t bother digging further. “Tomorrow morning. Pick one yourself.”
He wouldn’t get the truth anyway.
Whatever.
Shen Leyuan’s eyes lit up.
Before heading back to his room, he messaged Blushing Boy without hesitation: [Hey bro, outdoor class tomorrow—you in?]
Blushing Boy took a while to reply: [Off tomorrow.]
Fine. Shen Leyuan scrolled down his friends list and poked the handsome bodyguard who’d taste-tested his mini cakes last time.
Reply: [No time.]
Next, he poked the handsome guy’s little brother.
Brother: [Sick.]
Further down: the burly guy who’d installed his multimedia setup, the aloof one who’d delivered meds, the guilty one who’d sworn the dog was friendly only to apologize later after it bit, the enthusiastic one who’d dug up dirt on Lin Yao, the nervous one who’d hand-delivered that apology letter…
One after another—no replies, or no time.
What was this? Pure coincidence? Not deliberate, right? Am I really that unpopular?
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan was equally baffled.
His bodyguards were paranoid as hell, but almost none could say no to Shen Leyuan. They’d eagerly added him on WeChat, even grumbled when he confiscated their phones—cursing him a “stuffy tease” behind his back.
These guys were being lured into doing things they never would have.
He analyzed as he replied to the WeChat messages one by one, his expression growing icier without him realizing it. He just figured the young man was too good at making “friends”—way too chummy, not nearly formal enough.
Finally done, he watched as the young man on-screen puzzledly set his phone aside.
No more. Those were all he’d added.
Lin Yuan was certain he hadn’t miscounted—but the next moment, the young man picked up his phone again, typed and deleted a few times, then sent a message.
One of the phones in front of him lit up almost immediately.
Sent to me?
Lin Yuan’s brows knitted tight. Suspecting some pointed accusation, he felt an odd twinge of guilt. His hand slowed as he reached for the phone, mind racing for an explanation.
He opened it. A message from his most trusted subordinate.
[Sir, Teacher Shen asked if I have time tomorrow to join his extracurricular activity. Is my long vacation over?]
Lin Yuan: …
When the hell did they add each other???
Shen Leyuan waited without much hope—and got his first solid yes of the night.
The cool, stoic guy who’d escorted him back to the complex last time was available.
But wasn’t he on long vacation?
Cool Bro: [On my way back.]
Shen Leyuan: ???
It was eight or nine at night. Wasn’t that a bit rushed?
Cool Bro: [Not rushed. Live close.]
Cool Bro was the head bodyguard, the longest-serving in the Lin Family—practically Lin Yuan’s half-adopted son or brother. He’d even outlasted Lin Yao in terms of time under this roof.
Shen Leyuan’s mind stirred. “Do you know anything about Lin Yao’s mom?”
The story never mentioned her—just that Lin Yao had grown up without one.
No mom from childhood, starved for affection, desperately clingy and mommy-obsessed. Somehow projecting it all onto Little Deer, who occasionally coaxed him—guarding against the “mistress” by day, whimpering “little mommy” by night. Total pervert stalker vibes.
The bedroom scenes? Lin Yao’s kinks were straight-up unwatchable.
Sadly, Cool Bro didn’t know much. Just that Sir had been in a foul mood back then—and initially refused to acknowledge Lin Yao at all, nearly shipped him off to an orphanage.
[Does Lin Yao know?]
[Yes.]
[Father-son relationship always this bad?]
[Yeah.]
Shen Leyuan flopped back on his bed, his mind flashing four huge words: I! KNEW! IT!
Rebellious to Lin Yao’s level? Had to be family drama.
But what can I do? Can’t drag the big shot to a therapist. Can’t magic up a mom for Lin Yao.
Sigh. Such a headache. Why won’t the big shot acknowledge him as his son?
Unless… he was forced into it? Like, hardcore?
The possibility wasn’t zero. The more he thought… Save me. How am I supposed to face the big shot from now on!
Shen Leyuan fired up Baidu, searching trauma recovery stuff. On page four, Cool Bro messaged: [Sir hadn’t had any sexual experience back then.]
Shen Leyuan: …
Huh?
Huh???
Cool Bro: [Keep it confidential.]
As he sent that, he’d already reached the door of the Monitoring Room. He hesitated briefly before knocking and entering. “Sir, anything else you want me to relay?”
Lin Yuan was staring at a screen.
The young man on it was glued to his phone, face cycling through bizarre expressions. Zoomed in, the Baidu search bar blazed with his bewilderment: How long does hand-extracted semen last? Can it be used for surrogacy?
Cool Bro: …
Lin Yuan: …
What the hell does that brain churn on all day!!!
The monitor flicked to Lin Yao’s feed. Awkwardness oozed through the empty Monitoring Room until Cool Bro broke the silence. “Do I need to hand over my WeChat and phone?”
Lin Yuan frowned. The wild emotions sparked by that man settled abruptly, plunging him back into this dull, bizarre reality. He glanced up for a moment before saying gravely, “A Si, my orders were for you to rest easy on vacation.”
The phone-handover protocol—the long-vacation guy shouldn’t even know about it.
Cool Bro: “Yes, sir.”
But he’d missed Little Deer too damn much to obey.
Or rather… he’d lodged that figure in his heart long ago. Feared being driven away, so he’d masked it for years—until that last incident, their first real contact. He’d slipped up.
Then the nightmare came true: long vacation. Return indefinitely delayed.
Beneath the young man’s icy facade burned a feverish heart. He’d restrained himself for years because the antidote was so close. Now he couldn’t even look—reduced to prying for scraps, envying Little Deer’s steamy entanglements with others. How could he hold out?
Maybe sensing he’d be shipped off, A Si’s breathing grew ragged. Under the elder’s gaze, he clenched his fists and blurted, “I accept his fickleness. I accept any third party that might come between us.”
“Third party.” Lin Yuan echoed the term with keen interest. “And if there’s a fourth? A fifth? Countless others—everyone his eyes land on…?”
A Si’s face paled faintly. “I accept.”
He dropped to one knee. The youth, usually so steely and aloof, choked up. “Uncle Lin… that’s my one wish.”
Lin Yuan gazed down at him. His first reaction wasn’t disappointment—it was a bone-deep chill.
What kind of spectacle is this?
“Please.” A Si groveled in plea. “It’s my love. Whatever it bears, I’ll take it.”
He hadn’t wanted it to come to this.
Originally, just watching from afar would do.
One glimpse a day would’ve satisfied him. Even if Little Deer was with someone else, fine—he’d never thought himself worthy anyway. But now, even that crumb of sweetness was being stripped away.
He’d been exposed. He’d be sent far from Little Deer.
Just like Lin Yao back then.
But Lin Yao had been a kid—helpless. I can fight. For my love, I can try.
“A Si.” Lin Yuan’s voice dripped exhaustion. “You sure about this?”
The young man blinked dazedly, snapping back from his venomous fantasies. His face drained whiter still, baffled at his own dark thoughts.
He lurched to his feet, unsteady. “Sorry, sir. I’ll leave right—”
“You can.” Lin Yuan cut in.
A Si whipped his head up in disbelief, certain he’d misheard.
Lin Yuan clarified. “You already agreed to join Shen Leyuan’s outdoor class. Go. Obey him. Help him look after Little Deer.”
A Si’s joy exploded, breath coming in sharp gasps. “Thank you, Uncle Lin!”
He knew full well: without their shared history, without growing up at Lin Yuan’s side from childhood, Lin Yuan would’ve never forgiven this—let alone approved.
What he didn’t know was that Lin Yuan spent the rest of the night fixated on Shen Leyuan.
Ever since this soul appeared at Little Deer’s side, everything had started improving, bit by bit. The bodyguards gossiped less about the “young master.” Fewer eliminations than before—things stabilizing, almost normal.
Little Deer had changed too, his focus laser-locked on the “teacher.”
But was he another monster?
Was that personality real? Was my fondness real?
Unknown. Unclear. Unconfirmable.
Pain clawed at his nerves, howling for him to purge the anomaly. A Si’s “betrayal” looped old memories: subordinates, brothers—even roadside strangers—falling head over heels for Little Deer on sight.
Then he became their father-in-law… or rival.
Shen Leyuan was the same. Orbiting Little Deer, nothing but Little Deer in his heart and eyes—for Little Deer, he’d defy him, curse him, scorn him.
He didn’t know when Lin Yuan had picked up the phone.
“Hello?” The voice on the other end sounded groggy, the tail end of it rising in an unwitting coquettish lilt. “What’s up, Boss? Something wrong?”
Silence stretched across the line from the phone, the breathing so faint it was nearly nonexistent.
Shen Leyuan jolted fully awake with a shiver. Wait, what the hell did I just call him?
Pretending nothing had happened, he sat up straight, grabbed the notebook and pen from the table, and slipped into serious work mode. “Did something happen with Little Deer? Or Lin Yao?”
Lin Yuan let out a dark, eerie chuckle.
So he misunderstood. Not just circling Little Deer—he’s circling Lin Yao too.
He really likes the young ones.
After a long pause with no reply, impatience crept into Shen Leyuan’s tone, the subtle irritation of someone roused from sleep. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
It’s five in the morning. What could be so important that he calls me now?
The young man’s mood soured bit by bit. Lin Yuan belatedly realized he’d disturbed the other’s peaceful slumber. His already poor impression was probably about to take another hit—wonder if it had reached negative territory yet.
After a moment of silence, he said, “Lin Yao…”
“Hm?”
“Lin Yao went to the Kennel and picked out three big black dogs.”
It had happened last night—his son up to no good, as expected.
Shen Leyuan: ???
He thought it over, then thought some more, really mulled it through, and finally asked with utmost caution, “Can I bring thirty bodyguards?”
“Reason.”
“Because… I need a little sense of security?”
“Why should I agree?”
Without missing a beat, Shen Leyuan blurted, “Because you’re mature, steady, and full of responsibility?”
Shit—why did that rehearsed line come out?
Shen Leyuan’s face burned red. The big shot seemed embarrassed too. The line stayed dead silent for a good while before two nonchalant words finally came through.
“Okay.”