Wind blew in through the window crack, causing the gauze curtains to sway gently. Shen Zui sat on the black sofa in the center of the room, casually glancing over the tabletop.
Then, his gaze paused slightly. In the corner of the table lay a pair of silver handcuffs, intricately engraved with a rose.
Shen Zui: “…”
Could this… be the very pair used to cuff Jiang Songyue to the bed in the book?
Perhaps noticing Shen Zui staring blankly at the table, Yi Chao quickly stepped forward, blocking his line of sight, a hint of annoyance faintly visible in his expression.
He had clearly put those things away before leaving. No doubt, Yi Mu had deliberately dug them out.
Knowing he would bring Shen Zui here, he had intentionally wanted Shen Zui to see.
Shen Zui also shifted his gaze away uncomfortably.
These two brothers each held half the territory in the BDSM community.
The older brother was a clingy S-type Alpha.
The younger brother was a yandere M-type Alpha.
“Mr. Shen, please have a seat for a moment.”
Yi Chao’s tone returned to calm. “I’ll go set up the easel.”
With that, he pretended to tidy the table. By the time he left, the handcuffs on the table had vanished without a trace. Not long after, just as Yi Chao had finished preparing the easel, the studio door was gently knocked.
The door was pushed open.
Yi Mu sat in a wheelchair, slowly wheeling himself in. On his lap rested a tray holding a freshly brewed pot of fruit tea and a plate of finely sliced mango.
“Brother, really now.”
Yi Mu said with a smile. “How could you not offer Mr. Shen a glass of water?”
Seeing this uninvited younger brother, Yi Chao immediately frowned.
“Get out.”
His tone was cold. “I don’t like being disturbed while I paint.”
Yi Mu acted as if he hadn’t heard at all, his curved eyes smiling gently, yet his gaze almost clung to Shen Zui.
This Mr. Shen’s physique… was truly impressive.
He must be quite strong too.
Hmm.
If those hands were to grip his neck tightly…
At the thought, Yi Mu could almost feel himself getting a little wet.
Yi Chao could tell at a glance what was going through his brother’s mind, his expression darkening slightly. Meanwhile, Yi Mu had already placed the mango on the coffee table and picked up the fruit tea, preparing to pour a cup for Shen Zui.
Just as Shen Zui was about to thank him and accept it, the next moment—
“Oops.”
As if he hadn’t held it steady, Yi Mu spilled the fruit tea directly onto Shen Zui.
Shen Zui: “…”
It was hard not to suspect this was intentional.
After all, in the original plot, Yi Mu truly disliked him, not just because of Jiang Songyue, but simply because Yi Mu felt Shen Zui didn’t suit his taste.
But this was too obvious—wasn’t he even going to bother pretending?!
“S-sorry, Mr. Shen.”
Yi Mu hurriedly apologized, pulling out a tissue with a look of remorse and wiping Shen Zui’s dampened white shirt.
The fruit tea had soaked through the fabric, the thin shirt clinging almost transparently to Shen Zui’s body, faintly outlining the clear lines of his muscles.
Yi Mu lowered his head to wipe the clothes, but his fingertips seemed to linger and slide unintentionally around Shen Zui’s waist and abdomen.
He licked his slightly dry lips.
Such a firm waistline.
Just then, Yi Chao suddenly stepped forward, firmly grasping Yi Mu’s wrist in a swift, decisive motion.
“Enough.”
His voice was low.
Then he said to Shen Zui, “Sorry, Mr. Shen. Your clothes are all wet. How about you change into one of mine first? This one… I’m afraid it’s unwearable now.”
Only then did Yi Mu slowly raise his head and look at his dear brother, his smile deepening a little more.
No wonder his brother hadn’t immediately kicked him out when he entered earlier.
So he was waiting for him here.
Not long after, Yi Chao came out from the inner room with a black shirt. He handed the clothes to Shen Zui, his tone somewhat restrained.
“Mr. Shen, you and I are about the same size. It should fit.”
Shen Zui took the shirt, nodded, and smiled amiably.
“Alright, thank you, Xiao Chao.”
As his words fell, the atmosphere in the studio inexplicably grew quiet.
Yi Chao and Yi Mu stared at each other, neither speaking. An invisible tension seemed to pull through the air.
And just as the two brothers were silently confronting each other, Shen Zui, off to the side, had already casually taken off his soaked white shirt.
The fabric was tossed aside. In that instant, both Yi Chao and Yi Mu seemed to have been paused.
Their movements halted simultaneously, their gazes turning toward Shen Zui in unison.
Shen Zui stood with his back to them.
His bare back appeared exceptionally fair under the soft light, almost glowing with a cold, jade-like sheen. The lines of his shoulders and back were smooth and sharp, his waistline tightly tapered. His muscles weren’t exaggerated, but just right.
He raised his hand and draped the black shirt over himself.
The fabric slid over his shoulders and back. Then Shen Zui turned around, lowering his head to slowly fasten the buttons. The black shirt wasn’t fully buttoned yet, his chest faintly visible.
And the two forbidden-to-mention points on his chest, pink and adorable.
By the time he fastened the last button and looked up, Yi Chao and Yi Mu had long since averted their eyes from him, as if nothing had just happened, and they were still staring at each other.
In the end, Yi Mu was still kicked out by Yi Chao.
“Sorry, Mr. Shen. My brother has caused you trouble.”
Hearing this, Shen Zui couldn’t help but laugh. “Haha, it’s fine. It was just an accident. Come on, let’s start painting.”
Yi Chao lowered his eyelashes and nodded. “Mm. Mr. Shen, just lie on your side on the sofa.”
Shen Zui did as he was told, lying on the sofa, one hand propping up his head, the other occasionally feeding himself pieces of cut mango.
Soon, the room was filled only with the soft rustling of pencil on paper. Shen Zui couldn’t play with his phone and was getting a bit bored, so he took the initiative to chat with Yi Chao.
“Speaking of which, did your brother’s legs become like that because of some accident?”
After all, in the plot, by the time Yi Mu and Yi Chao appeared, they were already somewhat famous, and there was almost no description of their past experiences.
Hearing Shen Zui mention Yi Mu, Yi Chao’s expression darkened slightly.
He said quietly, “Yes. When we were kids, he saved me and got both legs run over by a car. They’ve been like this ever since.”
Shen Zui was taken aback, not expecting that to be the reason.
No wonder later, when both of them fell for Jiang Songyue, even with his strong possessiveness, Yi Chao was willing to share with Yi Mu. Shen Zui had thought it was just deep brotherly affection, but it turned out there was also a sense of debt mixed in.
Shen Zui thought for a moment, then said casually, “But speaking of which, your brother does seem to smile more than you do.”
Yi Chao’s hand holding the pencil tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white.
He replied softly, “Yes, since we were young, the people around us have always preferred Yi Mu.”
Shen Zui didn’t think much of it and said casually, “That’s normal. Yi Mu does seem easier to get along with.”
Yi Chao’s pen suddenly slipped on the paper. He quickly stopped writing as if nothing had happened, picked up an eraser, and gently rubbed away that short, crooked line.
“Is that what President Shen thinks too?” he suddenly asked.
Shen Zui propped his head up, still chewing on a mango, his words slightly muffled. “Not really.”
Yi Chao’s movements paused ever so slightly.
Shen Zui continued, “I actually think you’re more likable.”
At least he wouldn’t deliberately spill fruit tea on him just because he disliked him.
Thinking of this, Shen Zui couldn’t help but complain inwardly—Yi Mu was really childish, resorting to such petty tricks.
Yi Chao’s wrist stilled. His eyelashes fluttered lightly, and a faint glimmer flickered in his eyes.
“So… President Shen means you like me more?”
Shen Zui lazily hummed in agreement.
But in Yi Chao’s mind, only one sentence echoed over and over again.
President Shen said he liked him.