Chapter 75: Tryst

Lin Jianxi woke up in utter embarrassment.

He remembered everything from the night before with perfect clarity: crying and throwing a fit with A Yi, even snatching the man’s phone to listen to music.

And in the end, he’d said, “Me and the little friend can finally relax now.”

Him relaxing was one thing, but tagging on “little friend”? That kid had zero connection to A Yi—in fact, he was the child of their enemy…

Lin Jianxi stared at the black phone and earbuds on the pillow beside him, massaging his temples against the pounding headache.

Ah…

Emotions were proving impossible to control. Everything had spiraled far beyond his expectations.

Had it been like this last time? He couldn’t recall. Or maybe it was because he’d been surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids back then—plenty of masters even more delicate than him—which made his behavior seem almost normal by comparison?

Would he even succeed at the mission like this?

Lin Jianxi sighed and glanced at the clock on the wall. Breakfast time was fast approaching, so he headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

He pushed open the door to find his roommates crammed inside.

They had claimed all four sinks perfectly. Lin Jianxi started to step aside to wait, but two voices piped up at once—

Sun Wei: “Use mine.”

A Yi: “Over here.”

Lin Jianxi glanced between them.

Truth be told, he wanted nothing to do with Sun Wei. Anyone who’d teamed up with others to ostracize the original host couldn’t be up to any good.

A Yi, though… talk about awkward.

He could stomach faking a few tears, but bawling for real and pitching a childish tantrum? No way.

He stood there frozen, unsure how to proceed, until A Yi’s brows furrowed faintly. The man leaned in and murmured by his ear, “Feeling off again?”

“…No.”

Lin Jianxi mumbled back. Right on cue, A Yi stepped away from his sink, so Lin Jianxi took his place and got to washing.

A Yi seemed to catch on. He crossed his arms over his chest, propped himself against the wall, and let out a low chuckle.

Lin Jianxi kept his expression frosty, acting like nothing had happened. He finished up quickly and strode out of the bathroom—only to freeze at the sight awaiting him.

His bed was surrounded by stacks of large cardboard boxes. Lin Jianxi drifted over in a daze, pried one open, and discovered it brimming with clothes of every kind: socks, scarves, even hats.

“…”

A Yi’s tone dripped with implication. “Courtesy of the Chief Judge. Happy now?”

Gazing at the mountain of garments, Lin Jianxi felt like some pampered concubine tucked away in the palace harem. Happy? Not really. Angry? Nah. Just… mildly detached.

He ignored A Yi and started sorting through the clothes on his own when a hand darted in to snatch one of his shirts. Lin Jianxi whipped his head around to see Sun Wei holding it.

Sun Wei wore a smile, but jealousy flickered in his eyes behind the lenses. “So after quitting your job, you really ended up slinging drinks at a bar, huh.”

“Yeah.” Lin Jianxi didn’t deny it.

“I figured. Back then, you wouldn’t shut up about how much you liked Cheng Yedu and his bar-hopping. Never thought you’d stoop to that line of work just for him.” Sun Wei flung the shirt back into the box with a sneer of disdain.

“…”

Lin Jianxi picked up another detail about the original host.

So right after transmigrating, he’d been a bar server.

Lin Jianxi had assumed he’d just been out drinking.

He and Cheng Yedu had knocked back drinks one night, and the guy—drunk as they both were—had dragged him off to get hitched. After that, Cheng Yedu never let him set foot outside again, so work had never been on the table.

In hindsight, keeping him cooped up must have been Cheng Yedu’s way of protecting him.

One outing, and he’d been nabbed and slapped with a life sentence here.

It also sharpened his view of Sun Wei.

He could hear the calculated digs in the man’s words—purely an attempt to poison the roommates against him, recreating the old pattern of isolation and torment.

Under normal circumstances, he’d brush it off. But his temper had been hair-trigger lately. Lin Jianxi abandoned the clothes, chucked them aside, and fixed Sun Wei with a stare.

Eyes like chips of ice.

His anger hadn’t even fully ignited when Sun Wei’s stench assaulted his nostrils.

His stomach roiled.

Lin Jianxi’s face drained of what little color it had left. He ducked his head and retched softly.

Sun Wei: “…”

A Yi had been enjoying the spectacle until he clocked Lin Jianxi’s distress. His own mood soured in tandem. He snapped his lighter shut with a sharp click. “Hey, you done blabbering? Forgot the rules around here? I’ve been tied up lately, so you think you can forget your place?”

Sun Wei flinched in panic. “What? No, I was just catching up with him.”

“Brain-dead moron,” A Yi spat with revulsion, then turned to the other two roommates. “You two—entertain him. Make it a real heart-to-heart.”

With that, A Yi sauntered over. Irritation still lingered on his face, but his mouth curved into its habitual smirk. “You pestered me all damn night. No tip for your efforts?”

Lin Jianxi: “…”

The annoyance in Lin Jianxi’s chest evaporated in an instant, replaced by pure mortification. He didn’t even feel nauseous anymore.

A Yi showed no real distaste—in fact, he seemed faintly thrilled. “How about I pick out an outfit for you?”

Lin Jianxi blinked in confusion. “Clothes?”

“Mm-hmm. Call it payment.” A Yi grinned. “I’ll make you look good.”

~~~

Once the roommates dragged Sun Wei off, the cell fell into rare silence.

Lin Jianxi ended up puking anyway. Exhausted and limp, he slumped against the headboard, his face ashen.

Right now, he desperately wanted to summon Cheng Yedu and yank the man bald.

“Try this on.”

A Yi offered him an exquisite oatmeal-colored cashmere sweater.

Lin Jianxi eyed it but made no move to take it.

That quiet refusal only stoked A Yi’s curiosity further.

“No strength left?” A Yi cocked his head. Far from annoyed, he edged closer. “Want me to help, then?”

He reached out—not roughly, but with intense focus.

It wasn’t about desire; it was the reverence of an artist handling a masterpiece, like dressing a beautiful, vacant doll.

As the buttons came undone, his fingertips grazed Lin Jianxi’s skin now and then, leaving trails of coolness in their wake.

Lin Jianxi shut his eyes. His lashes quivered faintly as he surrendered to the motions.

When the old clothes came off, revealing his slender yet elegantly curved body, A Yi’s movements paused for an instant.

Then he picked up the cashmere sweater and carefully slipped it over his head, his touch gentle.

The sweater enveloped Lin Jianxi’s frame, turning his sickly pallor into a fragile sort of elegance. In the dim cell, it shone brighter than the bare bulb overhead.

“Too beautiful.”

A Yi sighed, then rummaged for a necklace.

“Lift your head,” A Yi commanded.

Lin Jianxi half-opened his eyes and tilted his chin up slightly, baring the graceful line of his neck.

A Yi fastened the chain around his neck. The cool silver pressed against his skin, the pendant settling perfectly in the hollow between his collarbones.

“Damn…” A Yi clicked his tongue. “You’re a work of art. Cheng Yedu eats well.”

“…”

Lin Jianxi suddenly wanted to salvage a bit of face.

So he looked at A Yi, bent his neck, and brushed a kiss across the knuckle of A Yi’s index finger.

A fleeting touch.

This time, A Yi didn’t freeze. He laughed instead, leaning in close and sitting right beside him. “What’s that mean?”

Lin Jianxi met his gaze. Those beautiful eyes were pure, yet laced with the most secretive, lethal hooks. He curved his lips faintly and said nothing, just watched A Yi.

“Does it mean…” A Yi’s nose nearly touched his. “…that I can have something this good too?”

Lin Jianxi didn’t answer. He lifted his chin again and pressed a light kiss to A Yi’s cheek.

“…”

His kisses carried a sweet, addictive scent, light as a dragonfly on water—teasing, elusive, offering just enough stimulation without ever letting the other reach the peak.

It left a person suspended in that heady rush for far too long.

Because it was voluntary. His willing kisses were worlds apart from ones forced out of him, and A Yi had felt the difference deep in his bones.

Eyes filled with utter trust and dependence outshone wary, fearful ones by a thousandfold.

This kind of unforced intimacy felt even more real than simple reliance.

For A Yi, who had grown up amid violence, it was a thrilling new sensation that set his heart racing.

Lin Jianxi didn’t pull away afterward. He held that intimate distance, gazing at him with eyes clear as glass, like amber.

In them lingered only the probing he had deliberately sown, laced with the faintest indulgence.

As if savoring the fireworks he had lit himself.

Watching them spin out of control.

Letting them burn themselves out for him.

A Yi’s throat bobbed. His smile faded a touch. “Lin Jianxi.”

Lin Jianxi said nothing, just lowered his gaze and blinked slowly, lashes fluttering.

He lifted his hand a fraction, fingertip grazing A Yi’s hand where it rested on his neck. Then he slid downward, clasping the other’s palm. Tilting his head, he leaned his cheek gently against the back of his own hand.

He looked half-asleep already, ready to drift off like that.

His breathing evened out, light and steady.

What had just happened might as well have been a dream.

Only A Yi would remember it.

For Lin Jianxi, it was a mere hazy moment in sleep. When he woke, everything would snap back into place.

“…Lin Jianxi,” A Yi said through gritted teeth, softly. “You’re doing this on purpose.”

Lin Jianxi opened his eyes slowly. “Did you like it?”

A Yi blinked. “What?”

Lin Jianxi: “The kisses.”

A Yi grinned. “Liked it. Want more.”

He added, “Kiss somewhere else this time.”

Lin Jianxi nodded faintly. “Can you get me some aromatherapy?”

“Aromatherapy?” A Yi clearly hadn’t seen that coming.

“Yeah.” Lin Jianxi closed his eyes for a beat. “Right now… some smells are hard for me. Too many people in the cell. All those mixed body odors—it’s nauseating.”

He looked at A Yi. “Something light. No heavy scents or sweets.”

“You’re plenty fragrant already.” A Yi’s eyes trailed from his face down to his ankle, then back up. “The whole cell reeks of you.”

Lin Jianxi sniffed his own wrist.

Nothing.

A Yi tugged the corner of his blanket. “Even your blanket’s marinated in it.”

“…”

Lin Jianxi had long stopped trying to follow A Yi’s train of thought. He just asked again: “So, can you?”

“What’s in it for me?” A Yi hinted.

“A Yi, this is just the start. I don’t trust you yet. Why would I reward you?” Lin Jianxi replied coolly.

“Just the start?” Something flickered in A Yi’s eyes. “So there’ll be more… deeper stuff?”

Lin Jianxi didn’t answer, only watched him.

A Yi’s excitement built. “Does Cheng Yedu know?”

“Do you want him to?” Lin Jianxi sidestepped, as always.

“Nah.” A Yi dropped his voice. “I like the thrill of sneaking around.”

“…”

A Yi leaned in for a quick hug, then stood. “Deal. This is just the beginning. When I get back, I want better.”

Lin Jianxi blinked once.

A Yi flashed a satisfied smile, humming under his breath as he left the cell.

Silence settled over the cell.

Lin Jianxi shut his eyes and drew a deep breath. The emotions drained from his gaze, leaving only bone-deep weariness.

He tamped down the queasiness stirred by the cell’s stench, collapsed onto the bed, and sank into sleep.

~~~

Lin Jianxi woke to a kiss.

He opened his eyes to Cheng Yedu’s familiar face. The man still wore his dark uniform, kneeling on one knee by the bed. He kissed Lin Jianxi’s face—from forehead downward—before lingering on his lips, deepening it.

Lin Jianxi shoved him back, chill creeping into his eyes.

Cheng Yedu panicked at once. “What’s wrong?”

Tantrums with A Yi embarrassed Lin Jianxi. But with Cheng Yedu—the one responsible for his pregnancy—he had zero patience.

Lin Jianxi sat up in bed and crooked a finger.

Cheng Yedu immediately leaned closer. Lin Jianxi’s hand settled on the top of his head, stroking slowly. The moment Cheng Yedu relaxed, Lin Jianxi grabbed a fistful of hair, yanking hard enough to draw a sharp cry of pain from him.

The jailers waiting outside the cell for the Chief Judge seemed to feel the sting themselves, letting out startled yelps in echo.

As the overlapping cries faded into silence, nothing remained but quiet.

“I was wrong! I was wrong!” Cheng Yedu threw up both hands in surrender.

“Where were you wrong?” Lin Jianxi asked coldly.

“Everywhere,” Cheng Yedu said quickly. “Wrong from head to toe.”

“Then stay on your knees.” Lin Jianxi released his grip. “I’m going to sleep.”

“Alright, alright,” Cheng Yedu agreed. “You sleep. I’ll give you a massage.”

“Mm.”

At home, Cheng Yedu’s offers of a massage usually turned into wandering hands and teasing touches. But now, knowing Lin Jianxi wasn’t feeling well, he actually massaged in earnest, murmuring under his breath, “Your eyes look a little swollen… Have you been crying?”

Lin Jianxi’s temper flared hot and faded just as fast.

Within minutes, the last traces of his anger had melted away. He opened his eyes and turned onto his side to gaze at Cheng Yedu, a soft smile curving his lips.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Cheng Yedu’s heart turned to mush at the sight. He reached out, brushing a finger against Lin Jianxi’s lashes. “So beautiful.”

“Aren’t you mad?”

“Mad about what?”

Lin Jianxi said, “I hit you out of nowhere.”

“If I said I was mad, would you make it up to me?” Cheng Yedu’s lips quirked up.

“No,” Lin Jianxi replied. “You already admitted you were wrong. Why should I make it up to you?”

“Fair enough… So can I get up now, Boss Lin?”

“No.”

“Come on,” Cheng Yedu whispered. “There are so many people outside. This is embarrassing.”

“What do you want, then?”

“I want to kiss you.” Cheng Yedu’s eyes drifted over the clothes hugging Lin Jianxi’s frame. “You changed already? Looks good. You look good in anything.”

“…”

Lin Jianxi had completely forgotten about the new outfit until Cheng Yedu mentioned it.

…The one A Yi had changed him into personally.

A Yi had gone to fetch the aromatherapy… Lin Jianxi glanced at the time, figuring he should be back any minute now. “Husband, get up—mmph.”

Before the words were fully out, Cheng Yedu’s lips claimed his.

The kiss left Lin Jianxi dazed and foggy-headed. Just as he tilted his head to pull away for air, his gaze locked onto A Yi—standing in the doorway, aromatherapy in hand.

“…”

“…………”

Lin Jianxi froze for a split second.

Cheng Yedu sensed his distraction and pulled back with a scowl, following his line of sight. When he spotted the blond figure at the door, his eyes sharpened into a glare, brimming with undisguised hostility.

A Yi stood frozen there, idly toying with the aromatherapy bottle, his face a blank mask.

He didn’t spare Cheng Yedu a glance. His eyes fixed squarely on Lin Jianxi’s kiss-swollen lips.

The air thickened, heavy and suffocating, as if time itself had stalled.

Then, abruptly, A Yi’s lips twitched into a smile.

It was an even “purer” smile than usual, but the words that followed were pure chaos.

“Lin Jianxi, I got your aromatherapy,” A Yi said evenly, strolling to the bedside as if nothing were amiss. His gaze dropped once more to those reddened lips, heavy with implication. “Don’t forget what you promised me… tonight…”

Ignoring Cheng Yedu entirely, A Yi scraped a knuckle gently along Lin Jianxi’s cheek and smiled. “Tonight, give me something even better.”