At approximately six o’clock the next morning, Lin Yanxu was already up, standing by the sofa and tying his necktie. Although the sun had fully risen, the room remained dim, illuminated only by a faint, weak light. After folding the thin quilt and placing it in the cabinet, he paced over to the bedside.
On the large bed, a significant portion of the duvet had slid onto the floor. A person lay curled on the edge of the bed, sleeping soundly with their back exposed to the air, their fair skin contrasting sharply against the dark sheets. Lin Yanxu averted his gaze after a single look. He pulled the quilt up to tuck the person in properly and then picked up the clothes scattered on the floor, placing them neatly on the garment rack.
Once everything was in order, Lin Yanxu took his gold-rimmed glasses from the nightstand and put them on. He glanced at the time on his wristwatch and quietly left the room.
Because he had been kept up so late the previous night, he nearly missed his clock-in time today. Entering the school just in the nick of time, Lin Yanxu did not have a chance to stop by his office; instead, he carried his laptop bag directly into the classroom for his first morning lecture. It was only after finishing his morning classes and auditing another session that he finally managed to find a moment to rest.
Meanwhile, in a hotel room far away in the Fengshan District, Yun Deng did not wake up until the sun was high in the sky. He had been immersed in dreams and felt utterly exhausted; eventually, it was the numbness in his arm from sleeping on it that pulled him back to reality.
The first thing Yun Deng saw upon opening his eyes was the black-and-white ceiling. Last night, he had persistently pestered Lin Yanxu until the man, finally losing his patience, used a necktie to bind Yun Deng’s wrists to the drawer handle of the nightstand. Due to the limited length of the tie, Yun Deng had been forced to lie face down on the bed and admit his mistakes before eventually drifting off to sleep in a daze.
Yun Deng rolled over and pulled the quilt up from the floor to cover himself. As his waist brushed against the silky fabric of the sheets, he sensed that something was not quite right. He rubbed his groggy eyes and lifted the quilt to look inside.
Excellent. He was completely naked.
“Ah!”
Yun Deng let out a howl and scrambled up from the bed, wrapping the entire quilt around himself. He wondered if he had mistaken this place for his own home in his dreams and stripped everything off. However, the next second, he began to doubt that he was the one who had removed the clothes. A strange pain radiated from his backside the moment it touched the bed, as if he had been bumped or bruised.
Yun Deng’s mind was a complete blank. He scrambled to the edge of the bed, using both hands and feet, trying to find his clothes on the floor. If he had taken them off himself, the garments would definitely be on the floor, as he always threw them around carelessly. To his despair, the floor was spotless. His white T-shirt, underwear, and that qipao were all hanging neatly on the room’s dedicated garment rack.
Yun Deng got up and hurriedly dressed, though even the act of lifting his legs caused a dull ache behind him. While his face showed panic, his heart was weeping. There was no sign of a “small umbrella” in the room, and the trash can was so clean he could have licked it. He had not expected Lin Yanxu to be so heartless as to not even use protection.
If he had known, he would not have provoked the man last night. Now, he was filled with genuine regret as his psychological defenses collapsed.
Yun Deng called Xia Shisheng to pick him up from the hotel. Throughout the ride, he remained silent and sullen, not knowing how to broach the subject. Once they returned to Xia Shisheng’s apartment, Yun Deng finally could not hold back his aggrieved tears, a reaction that gave Xia Shisheng a fright.
“Damn it, what are you crying for? What happened now?”
Yun Deng took a step forward, leaning on Xia Shisheng’s shoulder as he wailed, “I am no longer a top tier alpha.”
Xia Shisheng had no idea what he was talking about. He grabbed Yun Deng’s shoulders and looked him in the eye. “Speak clearly; I cannot understand you.”
“I said I am no longer a top tier alpha! I was slept with!” Yun Deng grit his teeth and forced the words out one by one before wiping away his tears.
Xia Shisheng finally understood the situation. His first reaction was that Yun Deng was joking, but seeing how heartrendingly he was crying and knowing his personality, Xia Shisheng immediately believed him.
“Wait, stop crying first. Let us talk this through.” Xia Shisheng quickly cleared the sofa in the living room and pulled Yun Deng down to sit, intending to get the full story.
Yun Deng stood in place and did not dare to sit; the pain in his backside made sitting the last thing he wanted to do. Xia Shisheng wanted to laugh but also felt angry on his friend’s behalf. He did not know who had the audacity to sleep with Yun Deng, but now he had to help find a solution.
“Were you not with Song Shuya last night? Did you not leave with her?”
“Then who exactly did you sleep with?”
Despite Xia Shisheng’s repeated inquiries, Yun Deng refused to reveal the person’s name, leaving Xia Shisheng helpless. By the afternoon, Yun Deng was in so much pain that he could no longer bear it and asked Xia Shisheng to drive him to the hospital for a checkup.
The sun was scorching and the sky was clear, but the roads were still heavily congested. To make the registration process easier, the two of them got onto the elevated highway, intending to visit the Third Hospital in the Jingshan District. Huddled in the passenger seat, Yun Deng sent messages to Lin Yanxu to denounce his behavior.
Mianmian Yu: “Why did you do that to me!” Mianmian Yu: “My backside hurts so much; what am I supposed to do now?” Mianmian Yu: “I did not expect you to be this kind of person.” Mianmian Yu: “[Orange cat crying.jpg]”
After sending the messages, he followed Xia Shisheng’s advice and used the official social media account to register for an appointment. In all his years, he never expected he would have to visit the proctology department; the very thought felt like a bucket of cold water being poured over him.
“How are you going to explain this to the doctor? How do they even perform the examination?” Xia Shisheng asked. As a straight man who only liked long-legged beauties, he could not imagine what two men doing “that” looked like, and now he was incredibly curious.
“Exactly. How am I going to tell the doctor?” Yun Deng just realized this problem. He was very concerned about his pride, and he knew he would never be able to say it out loud.
“Hahaha, then you go in by yourself later. I will stay in the car with the air conditioning on and wait for you.”
Yun Deng had initially wanted to get to the hospital quickly, but now, out of embarrassment, he began to have second thoughts. He leaned back against the car seat and closed his eyes in despair.
“Do you think, if I explain that I accidentally sat on a mineral water bottle while showering, the doctor will believe me?”
“No, that will not work. That is too thick.”
Xia Shisheng did not even have a chance to interject as he listened to Yun Deng talking to himself.
“You might as well just tell the truth.”
“No! Absolutely not!” Yun Deng flatly rejected Xia Shisheng’s suggestion. He truly could not say it. If it were not for the severe pain, he would have preferred to treat it as an accident and pretend nothing happened.
While they were still stuck in traffic on the highway, Yun Deng immediately went online to search for what the doctors in that department examine and what questions they ask. As he typed those words, his heart raced with shame and his earlobes turned a bright red. Upon learning that he would have to pull down his pants for the examination, Yun Deng immediately refused to go to the hospital. He told Xia Shisheng to move to the right lane and take the next exit to turn around.
“I am not going. I am not going. Going to that department for an examination is no different from killing me.”
“But will you really be okay like this?”
“I am fine now. It does not hurt anymore. I am not going.”
Although Xia Shisheng was still quite worried about his friend’s health, he followed his wishes, exited the highway, and turned back.
An hour later, they arrived back at the apartment. After all the commotion, Yun Deng had not even managed to eat. Within twenty-four hours, he had suffered a stomach flare-up from drinking and had been “counter-slept” by the person he wanted to sleep with; the double blow left him restless. After eating a simple meal, he felt drowsy and lay on the bed to sleep for a while, but not before sending another barrage of messages to the culprit.
At 4:30 in the afternoon, Lin Yanxu finished his public lecture and returned to his office. Today’s workload was double the usual amount, and he had not even assigned the homework for the classes he taught in the first year of high school. After finishing his tasks, he prepared to grade the unit exams left over from yesterday.
Fang Yu was lying on a recliner, typing on a computer and complaining incessantly about how the leadership was tagging everyone in the work group again. Hearing this, Lin Yanxu picked up his phone to check. Because he had been giving a public lecture today, he had set his phone to silent mode. Upon opening his messaging app, he found several unread messages, most of them from Yun Deng.
Lin Yanxu took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose to relieve some stress before clicking into the chat to check.
Two hours ago: Mianmian Yu: “Heartless man! Heartless man! Heartless man!” Mianmian Yu: “What are you doing? Why are you not replying to me?”
One hour ago: Mianmian Yu: “[Orange cat disappointed.jpg]”
After reading the messages, Lin Yanxu realized the other party had misunderstood something. He could not help but smile as he typed a reply. On the other side of the room, Fang Yu noticed Lin Yanxu smiling at his phone and asked curiously, “What is it, Teacher Lin?”
“Nothing, I just encountered a clingy fellow.” After replying, Lin Yanxu put down his phone and continued grading papers.
Hearing the word “clingy” made Fang Yu a bit worried. When Lin Yanxu first started teaching, many female students found his phone number through class groups and tried to add him as a friend under the guise of studying. Eventually, he had to get a new work number and avoided going out frequently during that period. Now that the students had experienced Lin Yanxu’s strictness, those feelings had largely subsided, though they still complained about him in secret. Fang Yu started to say something but ultimately swallowed her words.
Suddenly, Fang Yu seemed to think of something and said, “Teacher Lin, are you free to have dinner at a restaurant tonight? A nice new barbecue shop just opened near the school.”
“I am sorry, I have an appointment,” Lin Yanxu declined politely.
“All right,” Fang Yu replied, hiding the flash of disappointment in her eyes.
At 6:30 in the evening, Lin Yanxu left school exactly on time and drove to the location Yun Deng had sent to pick him up. When he arrived, Yun Deng was crouching by a traffic barrier, looking around and waiting. However, when Lin Yanxu rolled down the window to call him into the car, the younger man’s expression shifted from surprise to a feigned look of reluctance.
As night fell, the streetlights flickered on. The city was filled with skyscrapers and dazzling neon lights. After sitting in the passenger seat, Yun Deng scolded himself in his heart. He had prepared himself to ignore the man, yet the moment he saw him, he could not suppress the anticipation in his heart. For a while, neither of them spoke.
Lin Yanxu waited until the other man had fastened his seatbelt before merging into the main road and driving south.
“Where are you taking me?” Yun Deng finally could not help but ask after they had driven for a while.
Lin Yanxu watched the car in front, maintaining a safe distance. Hearing the question, he replied calmly, “Did you not say I caused your backside to hurt?”
At the mention of those words, Yun Deng was suddenly choked up and became somewhat incoherent. Through the rearview mirror, Lin Yanxu saw the man’s face turn red because of his single sentence. He continued, “I am taking you to the hospital for a checkup. I have already made an appointment.”
“What!” Yun Deng was instantly displeased. He had managed to escape this ordeal at noon, and now he was being taken to the hospital again. “I do not want to go. Let me out of the car.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“No means no.”
Yun Deng was close to tears. Seeing that his protest was ineffective, he planned to run as soon as they reached the hospital entrance. Before he had time to mentally prepare, they arrived near the hospital.
There are many hospitals in the capital. At those with the best medical equipment, it is almost impossible to get an appointment, as people travel from thousands of miles away just to save their lives. Local residents usually choose to visit the nearby Second Hospital or the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Lin Yanxu anticipated that Yun Deng would run upon exiting the car. The moment the younger man tried to slip away, Lin Yanxu grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close.
“Let us go.”
“I do not want to. That examination is truly lethal.” Yun Deng wanted to escape but could not; he was forced into the hospital entrance by Lin Yanxu.
This private hospital was not very crowded, and the lobby was about half the size of the First Hospital in the neighboring district. As they entered, they saw several people in wheelchairs passing by.
“Brother, I think it does not hurt anymore. I really do not want to go,” Yun Deng said in a low voice.
Lin Yanxu did not respond but instead pulled him by the wrist toward the elevator. A minute or two later, they arrived at the waiting area for the corresponding department. Yun Deng looked on in despair, hoping the doctors inside were all male, as he still had his pride to consider. He glanced up at the department name and was suddenly confused to find that he was not at the proctology department.
Before he could ask, Lin Yanxu led him inside. The doctor sitting behind the computer looked to be around the same age as him and clearly knew Lin Yanxu well. After inquiring about the situation, the doctor told him to get a CT scan first.
After waiting for about an hour and having the doctor review the report, Yun Deng finally learned that his backside hurt only because he had fallen and bruised his coccyx. Fortunately, it was a minor injury and was not very serious.
By the time they left the hospital, Yun Deng was still in a daze. After pestering Lin Yanxu for details about last night, he learned that he was still a “top tier alpha” and had not been slept with. At eleven o’clock, he had not gone back to the room he booked but slept in Lin Yanxu’s bed. In the early hours of the morning, he had stripped his clothes in his sleep because he felt hot, and because he was sleeping on the edge of the bed, he fell straight off. Ultimately, Lin Yanxu, who was sleeping on the sofa, heard the noise and got up to carry him back to the bed.
Hearing this, Yun Deng had only two thoughts. First, he was still a top tier alpha. Second, he had apparently been seen completely naked by Lin Yanxu.
After getting into the passenger seat, Yun Deng kept his head down and did not speak. His earlobes were a deep red, and his entire face burned with embarrassment; he did not dare to look up at Lin Yanxu at all.
“What is it? Are you shy?” Lin Yanxu leaned in and hooked the man’s chin with his finger, taking in his bashful expression. Seeing how wilted he looked, Lin Yanxu could not help but tease him.
“I am sorry, I misunderstood you.” Yun Deng stammered.
“Misunderstood me about what?” Lin Yanxu asked softly, clearly knowing the answer.
Seeing the man bury his head even lower, Lin Yanxu did not want to tease him too hard since he was easily embarrassed, so he changed the subject. “Is it still the same address? I will take you back.”
Yun Deng did not even hear what the other man said and simply nodded in agreement. Once the car started, he took out his phone and frantically messaged Xia Shisheng. The other man had sent him several unread messages, but he had been too busy struggling against going to the hospital to reply.
One hour ago: min: “Buddy, are you okay? Where are you two going to play?” min: “Not that I am criticizing you, but since you just rolled around in the sheets with him, you might as well just finalize the relationship. Otherwise, what are you aiming for?”
Yun Deng felt incredibly awkward seeing those words and immediately typed a reply.
Mianmian Yu: “Help! I am still a top tier alpha! I was not slept with.” Mianmian Yu: “This is so embarrassing. Truly embarrassing.” Mianmian Yu: “It turns out I just fell off the bed and hit my coccyx.”
Xia Shisheng replied almost instantly, sending several voice messages. Yun Deng did not even need to listen to know they would be filled with laughter and insults.
min: “If it really does not work out, you should go back to your old hairstyle.” Mianmian Yu: “Why?” min: “Since you got curly hair, not only do you not look like a top tier alpha, but this hairstyle seems to lower your IQ. Hahaha.” Mianmian Yu: “…”
After replying with an ellipsis, Yun Deng put his phone face down and peeked at Lin Yanxu. Even after such a blunder, he still desperately wanted to win over the man in front of him. Even if he could not have him, just thinking about it was enough.
The roads were clear, and in less than half an hour, Yun Deng reached his destination. He got out of the car and ran toward the community entrance without looking back. Upon returning to the apartment, he found Xia Shisheng standing in front of a full-length mirror, choosing accessories for his outfit. On a nearby chair, a stack of gift boxes was piled up, looking precarious. Xia Shisheng sprayed hairspray on his hair, ensuring every strand was perfect before sitting on the sofa to check his messages.
Seeing how carefully he was dressing up, Yun Deng asked, “Are you going on a date?”
“Do you remember the Moonshadow Mansion? Did Ke Ningsen not message you?”
Yun Deng was confused. “Who is Ke Ningsen? Do I know him?”
“The one whose family sells water heaters and does international trade.” Xia Shisheng was utterly speechless at his memory.
Only after hearing about the water heaters did Yun Deng remember the man’s face. He immediately took out his phone to check his unread messages. His message list was almost entirely unread, but he generally replied selectively. Eventually, among the many red dots, he found the message Ke Ningsen had sent him. The general content was an invitation to meet at Moonshadow Mansion tonight.
For the past month or two, Yun Deng had been chasing his own love life, neglecting his group of fair-weather friends. Furthermore, since he developed stomach problems from drinking, he had visited entertainment venues much less frequently.
“Let us go, top tier alpha. It has been a long time since we went out for drinks and found companions together.” Xia Shisheng stood up, walked over to Yun Deng, and threw an arm around his shoulder, pushing him toward the bedroom.
After showering and changing into different clothes, the two of them went out together. Moonshadow Mansion is located next to the central commercial street in the Fengshan District. The overall architectural style mimics the design of Suzhou gardens; the entrance features rockeries and green bamboo, with a large fish tank in the center where several massive carp swim. Behind the classical exterior is an entertainment club that includes a bar, KTV, bath center, and restaurant. Countless luxury cars were parked outside, each worth a fortune, with young, fashionably dressed men and women moving in and out.
After parking the car, Yun Deng adjusted his hair in the rearview mirror. He had not made a public appearance since he got his hair permed. Once his hair was in order, he put on a pair of rhomboid sunglasses and got out of the car. Xia Shisheng had also brought out his own sports car today and parked it not far away. After entering and showing their membership cards, they went directly through the VIP passage.
The interior was magnificently and dreamily decorated. Passing through the winding corridors led to the main hall of the club, where rhythmic music was playing and several people were dancing on stage. Upon arriving at the second floor private box, Yun Deng finally met the Ke Ningsen he had no memory of.
“Hey, Brother Yun, long time no see!” Seeing that the invited guests had arrived, Ke Ningsen immediately stood up to greet them and offer cigarettes. Usually, at such gatherings, the seat of honor was reserved for Yun Deng, and several people stood up to greet him. Xia Shisheng sat down familiarly and popped a kumquat from the coffee table into his mouth.
In public, Yun Deng maintained his persona. Regardless of who he was in private, he acted as a cool top tier alpha in front of outsiders and friends. The private box was very spacious and was not soundproofed from the dance floor below; standing by the railing provided a clear view of everything.
“Brother Yun, it has been a long time. You did not go home to cultivate your character and inherit the family business, did you?” Ke Ningsen said after lighting a cigarette for Yun Deng.
“No, I have been playing in the main city area. I have not come to the Fengshan District much lately.” Yun Deng simply watched the cigarette between his fingers burn; the bright yellow flame looked particularly brilliant in the purple atmosphere of the room. Even as the ash was about to burn out, he never once put it to his mouth. These people knew full well he did not smoke, yet they always offered him cigarettes.
As the host for tonight, Ke Ningsen immediately called for the manager to bring in companions once everyone had arrived. In addition to Ke Ningsen, there were two others Yun Deng recognized; they had often drunk and played together last year. Being of similar age and having a playful nature, they naturally bonded.
Seeing that Yun Deng had noticed him, Huang Chongwen immediately picked up a glass, sat in the empty seat next to him, and poured him a drink. “It has been a long time; let me propose a toast to you.”
“Yes, it has been a long time.” Yun Deng raised his glass and nodded slightly. Then, while the other man threw his head back to drain his glass, Yun Deng secretly spilled all his own alcohol onto several tissues. Immediately after, he pretended he had just finished drinking and began chatting. He was afraid that if he waited too long to speak, the other party would pour him another drink.