Chapter 16: Be Good, Stop…

Lin Jianxi’s voice was very soft. Aside from Song Cheng’an, no one heard him call out “Husband.”

Those two words happened to reach the ears of the one person who least wanted to hear them. Lin Jianxi realized this and looked into Song Cheng’an’s eyes. His hands were still pressed against the other’s chest, though without much force. When his own eyes met those cool, slightly narrowed ones, he felt his strength drain away entirely.

These eyes…

Lin Jianxi’s hands slowly fell away.

In the darkness, his clothes hung half-open. His shoulder was gently nipped and licked as Song Cheng’an gripped his waist and leaned in close, coaxing him softly.

“Look at me, Lin Jianxi.”

~~~

Song Cheng’an smiled. “You didn’t call him ‘Husband’ often back then. What’s this? These past few years of pining away, calling it to yourself every day until it stuck?”

“No. I called him that before too, but you weren’t around then.” Lin Jianxi’s gaze drifted aside, his lashes lowered. His profile was exquisitely beautiful. He didn’t resist—in fact, he seemed compliant, indulgent even—merely advising, “Song Cheng’an, this isn’t the place for that.”

Song Cheng’an turned his face back toward him. “So how did he kiss you? In the bathroom?”

“…”

Song Cheng’an: “Your ex-husband’s right there behind you. Won’t you say hello?”

“…”

Song Cheng’an: “You two aren’t secretly carrying on behind my back, are you? Him by day, me by night.”

Plenty of people were glancing their way. Lin Jianxi closed his eyes for a moment, patience finally spent. He rapped his knuckles—not too hard, not too soft—against Song Cheng’an’s forehead. The other man yelped in surprise and clutched his brow with a wronged expression.

Lin Jianxi: “Enough with the snide remarks. Buzz off. I had no idea he was out, and it wasn’t even him who kissed me.”

Song Cheng’an let out a laugh. “Oh, so there was a third person.”

“…”

Song Cheng’an rose and sat down beside him.

Gu Heng was nowhere in sight. Lin Jianxi scanned the area but saw no trace of him. Song Cheng’an was being stubborn—told to leave, he stayed, relentlessly prying for answers. Lin Jianxi had no choice but to hold his ground here with him.

The two of them made for an odd pair. Song Cheng’an’s status was known to everyone, while Lin Jianxi… most people had no idea who he was. They knew the name from rumors at best, and only a few had seen his face. To many eyes, he was just some man in his thirties, utterly without status or standing.

Song Cheng’an leaned in close, murmuring intimately at his ear. Lin Jianxi answered when he felt like it; otherwise, he stared into his glass. If something got under his skin, he’d give Song Cheng’an’s cheek a light slap or knock his head—

A gentle dominant.

It was a quality that seeped from his very bones, tempered by the trials of life.

—Once frequently cherished by his husband, no doubt.

Ji Xingyan’s gaze lingered on Lin Jianxi, and he couldn’t help imagining what Lin Jianxi looked like pinned beneath Gu Heng.

Every motion so practiced, so yielding. Every night when Gu Heng came home, there would be this man in his pajamas on the bed. Gu Heng had only to approach, lift the hem of his clothes… Lin Jianxi wouldn’t protest. He might even take Gu Heng’s jacket as he shrugged it off and hang it in the closet.

Ji Xingyan leaned against the wall in a corner of the hall, his eyes magnetically fixed on Lin Jianxi—

Who was that Song Cheng’an?

His foster son?

Did Song Cheng’an eavesdrop?

Of course he did.

How could anyone not fall for someone like Lin Jianxi?

They’d probably even locked eyes through a crack in the door.

Ji Xingyan’s lips twitched.

He understood Song Cheng’an’s taboo desires, but that didn’t mean he’d step aside for him.

He just wanted to take Song Cheng’an’s place.

~~~

Song Cheng’an had gone off to chat with someone else.

Lin Jianxi glanced around. Still no sign of Gu Heng. He let out a breath of relief. As long as the man was doing well, that was enough for now. Better to avoid running into him—not with Song Cheng’an…

Lin Jianxi closed his eyes briefly.

No one could accept something like that.

He knew how Gu Heng’s story ended. Even if he couldn’t change it, he didn’t want to witness it so soon with his own eyes.

Lin Jianxi headed outward. Passing a station offering small bowls of ice cream for kids, he suddenly remembered how he’d often buy ice cream for Song Cheng’an after school when he was little. On impulse, he stepped over to grab a bowl for him.

But did Song Cheng’an still like it?

Lin Jianxi had no idea if Song Cheng’an cared for ice cream anymore, but the man certainly had a taste for him…

Lin Jianxi sighed.

How had things spiraled into this?

Coveted as he was, he’d grown somewhat numb to it.

What scared him was the chance that one of these admirers might actually mean it.

Something occurred to Lin Jianxi, and he asked the System, “During my blackouts, did anything happen with Song Cheng’an too?”

System: “Yep. About two and a half years after you came back. One day you wandered into the basement by mistake and caught sight of filthy, blood-smeared Song Cheng’an. You noticed he was hiding something behind his back, so you fished a pink envelope out of his hand.”

Lin Jianxi perked up. “A love letter?”

System: “Spot on. But you were drunk. You didn’t accept it or reject it, didn’t even scold him. Under Song Cheng’an’s gaze—terrified out of his mind—you grabbed a pen, corrected his typos, and taught him calligraphy.”

System: “Your handwriting was gorgeous. Song Cheng’an loved copying your connected script. He wrote the character for ‘sun’ like a theta. You took his hand and practiced with him all night long. Eventually you dozed off, and Gu Heng carried you back.”

Lin Jianxi chuckled to himself as he held the ice cream. Song Cheng’an really had been adorable as a kid.

Shorter than him, skinny and small, so obediently practicing characters alongside him.

And so pitiful… covered in all those wounds…

Lost in thought, Lin Jianxi looked up to find Song Cheng’an suddenly in front of him, eyes curved in that captivating way. “Lin Jianxi, you look awfully happy.”

Lin Jianxi shoved the ice cream into his hand and smiled gently. “Just remembered something. You—”

Before he could finish, Song Cheng’an pulled him into his arms. His lips lingered, pressing a deep kiss to Lin Jianxi’s earlobe…

…

~~~

The rush of sensation yanked Lin Jianxi back to the present.

He squeezed his eyes shut, lashes quivering faintly.

The past was the past.

Lin Jianxi trailed off. He figured that, setting aside the location, the ice cream wouldn’t have made it anywhere near Song Cheng’an’s mouth.

Instead, Song Cheng’an claimed an ice cream-flavored kiss from him.

No one was around their secluded spot, so Song Cheng’an grew even bolder. Lin Jianxi’s legs buckled; he could only cling to the other’s shoulders. Then he leaned in to lick the white dab of ice cream from the corner of his mouth…

Lin Jianxi froze.

—He spotted a man in black leather shoes.

“…”

Lin Jianxi slowly lifted his gaze. The instant it locked with the other’s, his tongue forgot to retract, and his body shivered faintly.

Gu Heng stood right behind Song Cheng’an—that is, directly in front of him—fingers clenched around the wine glass as if he meant to shatter it, knuckles white, eyes bloodshot with a flash of heartache and barely perceptible anger.

Gu Heng, his ex-husband, was watching him and their “adopted son,” Song Cheng’an…

…engage in foreplay.

Lin Jianxi dodged Gu Heng’s stare, biting his lip, his expression one of utter distress.

“…Stop.”

He pushed at Song Cheng’an. “Be good, Song Cheng’an. Stop…”

Song Cheng’an smiled and nipped at his ear. “Lin Jianxi, I know he’s watching us. And right behind you is the window—I can see them reflected in the glass.”

Them…?

Lin Jianxi’s damp eyes widened slightly.

—Behind Gu Heng, in the dim corridor, Ji Xingyan leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, watching it all with a mocking half-smile.

Song Cheng’an sighed, lowering his gaze to pin Lin Jianxi’s eyes. “Even those two can hook up. Lin Jianxi, how do you attract so many people?”

“…”