At nine-thirty in the evening, Di Junya returned to the complex reeking of alcohol.
His eyes, rubbed raw from pepper spray, were still red. His usually neat clothes were slightly wrinkled, and his shoulder-length hair hung messily around his pale, handsome face. He looked dazed and lost, evoking a pitifully endearing sight.
This kind of skill, he had mastered to perfection.
He had only drunk enough to feel a slight buzz—normally, it would just help him sleep better—but tonight, it ignited the pain on his forehead, churning his irritable emotions into a storm.
Shen Leyuan is someone I can see through at a glance.
Yet this very person he could read like an open book had never given him any positive feedback since they met. Even his gentle side only showed kindness when Di Junya was in drag.
He slowly climbed to the sixth floor, his eyes rimmed red as he knocked on the door.
The door opened almost instantly.
He looked up with utter pitifulness. “Leyuan…”
Huo Tingfeng sneered, dropped the suitcase and bundled bedding at his feet, and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
“Take your time leaving—no need to see you off.”
The mocking tone lingered in Di Junya’s ears.
He took a deep breath, inhaled, exhaled again, inhaled once more. Then he kicked the suitcase hard down the stairs and glared darkly at the door, his mood exploding in rage.
Fine, you want to play it like this?
His heart pounded with fury. He raised his fist to pound the door but held back just before impact. Closing his eyes, he regulated his breathing, then hauled the suitcase back up.
He straightened his clothes and knocked lightly.
He knocked again, and kept knocking.
This time, Shen Leyuan opened the door. He stepped aside slightly with an apologetic look. “Sorry, Mr. Huo applied for close protection duty. There might not be any room for you here anymore.”
Di Junya glanced toward the spot that used to be his. The man was clearly doing it to spite him, leaning against the open doorframe to show off the room’s new setup, looking like a smug little villain.
Idiot, Huo Tingfeng mouthed silently at him.
Shen Leyuan noticed Di Junya’s darkening expression and turned to look. Huo Tingfeng was bent over making the bed, his waist-to-hip ratio striking from this angle, drawing the eye.
Di Junya naturally spotted the petty trick. His smile turned even colder.
But as soon as Shen Leyuan looked back, he switched to a bitter smile. “I can sleep on the sofa.”
He showed Shen Leyuan the suitcase. “Can I move out tomorrow?”
Shen Leyuan hadn’t planned to force him out tonight. But Huo Tingfeng had shown up suddenly with Director Hao’s orders, packed Di Junya’s things ahead of time, and rushed to the door to evict him the moment they knocked. By the time Shen Leyuan snapped out of it, everything was neatly resolved.
And truthfully, he didn’t want to live with Di Junya anymore either.
He frowned in hesitation. “How about I help you take it downstairs?”
Di Junya: …
If it were anyone else playing pitiful at the door, Shen Leyuan would have let him stay.
With genuine emotion, his eyes reddened and his voice choked. “Why are you so harsh with me? What did I do wrong?”
Shen Leyuan wanted to explain apologetically, but his boss hadn’t approved his request to come clean about the experiment. So he schooled his face into character. “You’re not suitable anywhere. Don’t ask!”
The door slammed shut again with force.
Huo Tingfeng heard it and crept over cautiously. “Did he upset you?”
“No, it’s me who…” Shen Leyuan responded on instinct, then stopped and kept his stern face. “It’s late, Mr. Huo. Please rest first. Tomorrow, I’ll apply to Director Hao for a new bodyguard.”
“That won’t work,” Huo Tingfeng said bluntly. “None of them match my solo combat skills.”
Shen Leyuan: “Then I’ll request two.”
Huo Tingfeng: “Two couldn’t beat me either, and there are only two rooms here.”
Shen Leyuan grew annoyed. “I’ll request as many as it takes to beat you, and switch apartments while I’m at it. Happy?”
Huo Tingfeng: “You’d have to switch to a hotel…”
Shen Leyuan turned away, nearly laughing at the god-tier response.
“Go to sleep.” He waved him off gruffly, a bit sulky. “I’m done talking to you. You never listen anyway!”
Huo Tingfeng trailed after him like a shadow but didn’t enter his room.
“I’m sorry.” His voice was low and somber. “I know I’m annoying you. You hate seeing me, but I really can’t stand witnessing something like last time happen right in front of me again…”
“Lin Yuan’s guys are too weak, and you don’t like them living with you. If something happens, they couldn’t be relied on.”
No response from inside, so Huo Tingfeng pressed on. “I’m not trying to belittle them on purpose. You know how it was—those losers were guarding, and I still slipped in easy as pie?”
Inside, Shen Leyuan had been about to reply but rolled his eyes hard at that.
And you’re proud of it?
He said coldly, “Go to sleep!”
Huo Tingfeng wandered back to his room in a daze, lying stiffly on the bed without a wink of sleep.
We used to be so close.
Shen Leyuan liked hugging something to sleep. For a few days, it had been him. But back then, he hadn’t realized it was the guy opening his heart to him. He’d missed the chance for honesty.
In the dead of night, he couldn’t hold back. He picked the door lock with a wire and sat by the bed watching Shen Leyuan.
The young man wasn’t sleeping peacefully.
His fine brows were furrowed tight, lips pressed thin, as if even his dreams were full of worries.
Huo Tingfeng instinctively smoothed his brow.
Sensing the familiar presence, Shen Leyuan rolled over, hugged the arm, and nuzzled his cheek against it. His brows relaxed.
“Mr. Chu…”
He mumbled dependently, humming softly.
Hearing that name twisted Huo Tingfeng’s heart with sour pain: For so long, Shen Leyuan hadn’t known his real identity—not even his name was real—leaving him with this brand that belonged to him yet had nothing to do with him.
He slept the whole night in that rigid position by the bed, slipping away hastily as dawn approached.
Half an hour later, Shen Leyuan yawned as he got up.
He’d expected insomnia from his pent-up worries, but surprisingly, he’d slept well. It felt like all the energy he’d burned lately was restored.
Stretching as he stepped out, the aroma of food enveloped him.
Huo Tingfeng bustled in the kitchen, wearing a mismatched pinkish-blue apron—meant for Little Deer. The contrast was so stark it gave off lingerie vibes.
Hearing the door, the man turned. “Food’s almost ready. Go wash up and brush your teeth first.”
“You actually know how to…”
Shen Leyuan trailed off, finishing his own thought. “Oh, basic skill for studying abroad.”
Huo Tingfeng chuckled.
His features were usually sharp and intimidating, but dressed like that and grinning like a sunflower, he looked neither fierce nor smart—just a bit silly.
“No, I learned before going overseas.”
The soup bubbled away. He stirred it with a ladle, tossed in some greens, eyes on the porridge but thoughts on Shen Leyuan. “Lots of little brothers at home. Had to look after them sometimes.”
Shen Leyuan hadn’t imagined this domestic side of him.
Three dishes plus veggie porridge—tasted great. Shen Leyuan ate quietly, head down, sensing something familiar but unable to place it.
Huo Tingfeng watched eagerly, hoping for praise.
But Shen Leyuan was dead set on drawing a line, holding back comments. After, he just said thanks and offered to wash the dishes—distant as mere meal buddies.
Huo Tingfeng ached inside. He wanted to refuse, take over all chores, live comfortably with the man he liked, care for the one he desired.
Before speaking, Lin Yuan’s warning flashed: Be an obedient mute.
He nodded reluctantly, staying silent.
Di Junya trailed far behind, watching the tall man follow the youth like a loyal dog. On the subway, he even circled him protectively, carving out a comfy bubble amid the crowd.
[Requesting to continue observation.]
He typed: [From what I know, Huo Tingfeng liked Little Deer before waking up. After, he fell hard for Shen Leyuan fast. This shift is obviously abnormal—needs recording.]
[Just continuing unfinished work. I think Mr. Shen won’t refuse.]
Normally, his requests took hours to reach superiors.
But lately, he was on the radar. Minutes later, his form landed alongside Shen Leyuan’s—one wanting to end, the other to continue. Both deemed the others’ feelings for Shen Leyuan abnormal.
His boss rubbed his temples: And your obsession is normal?
After agonizing, the boss decided.
“Harshly reject Di Junya, mock and ridicule him?”
Shen Leyuan read aloud in confusion. He knew each word, but together? Nonsense.
Huo Tingfeng itched to ask but held back.
It was a forward from Director Hao. Scrolling down: [I think you being liked by Old Lin and Lin Yao is normal enough—higher-ups heard. Using this to test how obsessed Di Junya really is with you.]
Shen Leyuan: [This isn’t abnormal?]
Director Hao: [Nah. Team analyzed: Kid’s used to smooth sailing, keeps getting shut down by you, so he’s hooked.]
Director Hao: [Says he likes you, but crossed out your pics in the little black room a bunch.]
He quickly deleted that last one.
Ever since Lin Yuan’s mad rant lumped Lin Yao, himself, Huo Tingfeng, and Di Junya as “abnormals,” they’d zeroed in on this trusted colleague. They caught his late-night basement visit.
Following the trail revealed Di Junya’s private stash over the years.
Danger rankings now: Little Deer first by far, Di Junya second, Huo Tingfeng third, then Lin Yuan and Lin Yao, Shen Leyuan dead last.
No helping it—Shen Leyuan was too upright. Spotting a bullied student? First calls the state. How bad could he be?
The tests weren’t about him harming the world, but gauging his sway over this crew—to decide his post once formalized.
Sighing inwardly, Director Hao rephrased:
[TL;DR: Torment Di Junya. Abuse him hard. No mercy.]
Shen Leyuan pondered.
A bit later, he poked at Lin Yao, his little buddy grinding studies lately.
[You’re good at cursing people, right?]
,,in a high-pitched voice,, Little Lin Yao refuted righteously: [No! I never swear, for real! ]
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