Zhou Xuying gave his secretary a meaningful look, and the secretary nodded before departing. Only then did Zhou Xuying take the clothes out of the gift box and walk toward the lounge.
As he entered the room, he brought the dress to his nose and inhaled; it carried a faint, delicate fragrance. He ran his fingers over the fabric and tucked it beneath his pillow, treating it like a precious treasure. As his fingertips brushed against the dress, his eyes shimmered with excitement.
When he first met He Qian, He Qian had been wearing a dress just like this one. Zhou Xuying stared, lost in the memory.
He Qian noticed Zhou Xuying’s burning gaze and looked at him calmly. “I am a man.”
After He Qian left, Zhou Xuying watched his retreating back and smoked for a long time. Eventually, he reached a conclusion: a man would also work.
The Zhou Residence
When He Qian returned to the residence, he was still clutching the envelope in his hand.
He Qian admitted he held a prejudice against Zhou Xuying. Zhou Xuying’s love for him was obsessive, frantic, and morbid. He had once believed that this was simply Zhou Xuying’s nature: to obtain whatever he desired by any means necessary. From the Zhou family assets to He Qian himself, it was always the same.
In He Qian’s eyes, Zhou Xuying was someone who would use any unscrupulous method to achieve his goals. However, the situation with Xia Tian made He Qian realize his mistake. Zhou Xuying had no personal connection to Xia Tian, yet he was willing to offend the powerful elites of the capital for the sake of the Xia family. Zhou Xuying was not as cold-blooded as He Qian had imagined.
Perhaps this was He Qian’s chance.
Setting aside his feelings, Zhou Xuying’s underlying character was acceptable. This meant that if Zhou Xuying ever lost interest in him, his end might not be too miserable. Recently, He Qian’s attitude toward Zhou Xuying had been too cold and sharp. This had gained him no advantage; instead, he had suffered quite a bit. Men were, by nature, creatures with a strong desire for conquest.
He Qian realized that perhaps he needed to change his strategy. As he passed the kitchen, he saw the butler giving instructions to a maid. “The young master did not eat dinner. He will be home in half an hour. Prepare some noodles in a bit.”
The butler looked up and saw He Qian. “Will Mr. He be eating?”
He Qian hesitated. “No.”
He Qian frowned and went upstairs, only to come back down ten minutes later. He looked at the butler sitting downstairs and asked, “Does he have anything he likes to eat?”
“Hmm?”
The butler took a moment to realize that the “he” He Qian referred to was the young master. “Last time Chef Wang made braised pork, the young master ate quite a bit more than usual.”
He Qian glanced toward the kitchen. “Oh.”
He Qian then proceeded to chase the maid out of the kitchen.
Half an hour later, Zhou Xuying returned home. As he passed the kitchen, he noticed a bowl of noodles and a side dish on the table. He set his coat down and went to wash his hands. When he came out, He Qian was sitting at the dining table.
“Are you hungry?”
“No.”
Zhou Xuying nodded and sat down, patting his thigh to signal He Qian to sit. To his surprise, He Qian rose and obediently sat on Zhou Xuying’s lap. He Qian pursed his lips.
“Say it,” Zhou Xuying commanded.
“Zhou Xuying.”
“Continue.”
He Qian took a deep breath and repeated Zhou Xuying’s name several times. Zhou Xuying picked up a piece of meat and took a bite. His expression immediately turned strained as he placed it back on the plate, his brow furrowed.
Zhou Xuying was usually calm; even if his palm were sliced open by a sharp machine, he would only stanch the bleeding with indifference, showing no emotion. Yet, because of a piece of meat, he was frowning.
Zhou Xuying stopped eating the meat, but He Qian pushed the plate an inch closer, as if nudging him. Zhou Xuying picked up another piece and ate it.
Only then did He Qian speak. “Zhou Xuying, I…”
Zhou Xuying took a sip of water and interrupted, “Have you tasted this cured meat?”
He Qian’s expression darkened. “What did you say?”
“This cured meat…”
He Qian clenched his fists. “I have not tasted it.”
He stood up, dumped the “cured meat” out, and accidentally broke the plate in the process. He then transferred money to Zhou Xuying to pay for the damage. When he came back out, Zhou Xuying looked at him. “What were you going to say just now?”
“Nothing.”
He Qian went to his room to lie down. He covered his head with a pillow and tossed and turned in bed, teeth gritted in frustration. It was only when he heard footsteps at the door that he stopped moving, turned off the light, and lay still.
Zhou Xuying did not turn on the light when he entered. He walked expertly to He Qian’s side, climbed onto the bed, lifted the corner of the quilt, and settled in gently, hugging He Qian from behind. As Zhou Xuying lay down, He Qian heard the tinkling sound of bells.
“Are you angry?”
He Qian remained unmoved. On one hand, he knew he had no talent for cooking and would not try it again anytime soon. On the other hand, he was focused on that eerie sound of bells.
Zhou Xuying looked at He Qian’s back. “I prepared a gift for you. Do you want me to put it on you?”
He Qian immediately heard the bells jingle again. He shuddered, his heart jumping into his throat. A sense of foreboding washed over him.
“No.”
In the next second, He Qian’s resistance was smothered by a kiss. The sound of the bells was incredibly clear. Every time He Qian’s leg moved, the bells began to ring.
“It is too noisy,” He Qian said, feigning annoyance. “How am I supposed to sleep at night?”
“You can sleep if you do not move.”
“Be good.”
Zhou Xuying hooked He Qian’s leg and propped up his knee. “Have you bathed?”
He Qian knew exactly what Zhou Xuying meant. “No.”
“Then I will help you,” Zhou Xuying said suggestively.
Zhou Xuying carried He Qian into the bathroom. As the bathwater submerged them, the sound of the bells in the water became muffled and dull, losing its clarity. When the bells rang, ripples spread across the surface of the water in layers.
By the time He Qian landed back on the bed, he felt completely weak. Zhou Xuying turned him over so they were face to face and pulled him into a tight embrace. This time, Zhou Xuying was no longer facing a cold back. He took He Qian’s limp hand and placed it around his waist.
Zhou Xuying said, “If you are not here tomorrow morning, I will punish you.”
“Zhou Xuying…”
He Qian was exhausted. Summoning his last bit of strength, he bit down hard on Zhou Xuying’s shoulder.
“Hiss!”
Zhou Xuying narrowed his eyes and gave a wicked smile. “You really know how to bite.”
He lifted He Qian’s chin and kissed him. He Qian’s jaw felt sore and his lips were swollen. In the silent night, the sound of the bells continued to ring, making it feel like a nightmare. Zhou Xuying, however, was ecstatic. The sound was so pleasant that he could not help but want to preserve all of this.
He turned He Qian over and opened his phone.