Early the next morning.
Lin Zhuo opened his eyes, his vision blocked by a warm, solid body. It took him a few seconds to process what was happening, and then he kicked the person beside him straight out of bed.
Fu Baizhou rolled across the floor, opened his eyes, and looked up to see an enraged Lin Zhuo.
“Why are you in my bed?” Lin Zhuo yelled, his face flushed with anger, making it sound as if the two of them had done something scandalous.
As soon as he finished shouting, he suddenly noticed the strange sensation beneath him and hurriedly pressed the blanket over his waist.
He hoped it was just his imagination.
Fu Baizhou pointed to the empty bed nearby, his eyes brimming with tears as he aggrievedly said, “I thought my wife wanted to sleep with me.”
Lin Zhuo followed the direction of his finger. The bed by the window was the one he had slept in last night.
In other words, he was currently sleeping in Fu Baizhou’s bed.
Lin Zhuo did not remember having a habit of sleepwalking, and furthermore, he could not avoid Fu Baizhou fast enough, so he certainly would not have willingly crawled into the man’s bed.
“No way, you must have done something,” he retorted defensively, though lacking in confidence since the fact that he was in this bed was undeniable.
Fu Baizhou pushed himself up from the floor. Because Lin Zhuo had delivered an unthinking kick, the wounds that had healed somewhat overnight began to seep with fresh red blood again.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Lin Zhuo called a doctor for him, then grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom.
If he took good care of himself, surface wounds would not take long to heal. But going back and forth like this, in the eyes of the doctors and nurses, was complete disregard for one’s own life.
At first, they would try to advise such patients, but if the patient stubbornly refused to listen, there was nothing staff could do.
After re-bandaging Fu Baizhou’s wounds, the doctor left the room without a single word of persuasion.
Lin Zhuo remained as silent as a misbehaving child.
He had asked the system, and the system confirmed that he was the one who had crawled into Fu Baizhou’s bed.
Sensing Lin Zhuo’s self-reproach over that morning kick, Fu Baizhou comforted him, saying, “Wife, I am fine.”
“Who cares if you are fine or not?” Of course Lin Zhuo knew he was fine, but this time it truly was his fault, yet the words “I am sorry” simply would not cross his throat.
For some reason, saying those words to Fu Baizhou felt a bit strange.
It was not shame, nor was it disgust.
He could not sort out this emotion for the time being.
Ever since that day, the two of them had spent a relatively peaceful period together.
With no external interference, Fu Baizhou’s wounds healed exceptionally well.
After staying in the hospital for a week, the doctor said he could go home to recuperate.
Lin Zhuo had bought two sets of casual clothes for Fu Baizhou. Clothes make the man, yet this saying seemed to work in reverse for Fu Baizhou.
He changed into a casual outfit costing only a few dozen yuan with almost no distinct style, but when Lin Zhuo looked closely, he somehow managed to pull it off with the texture of high couture.
An Wan had prepared a two-bedroom apartment for Lin Zhuo in the city center a couple of days prior. On the day of Fu Baizhou’s discharge, An Wan had work to attend to, so she sent a driver to pick the two of them up.
The sky was cloudless, as blue as a pair of bleached denim jeans.
Arriving at the basement parking lot, Lin Zhuo got out of the car and reached to grab the items they had acquired over the past few days, but the driver took them first.
Not liking to trouble others, Lin Zhuo said, “I will take those.”
The driver pulled his hand back, avoiding Lin Zhuo’s grasp, and replied, “I have got it.”
Lin Zhuo did not press the matter further and smiled at the driver. “Then I will trouble you.”
His puppy-dog eyes curved slightly, and the small dimples beside his lips looked innocent and cute.
The next moment, Fu Baizhou tightly gripped Lin Zhuo’s hand. The sudden pain twisted the smile on Lin Zhuo’s face, and as he yanked his hand away, he snapped, “Are you out of your mind?”
Fu Baizhou cast a faint glance at Lin Zhuo, then lifted his chin slightly, walking ahead like a proud peacock.
Lin Zhuo rolled his eyes in speechlessness. Was this guy seriously unhinged?
The three of them stepped out of the elevator. Since it was Lin Zhuo’s first time here, the driver led the way and accurately found the apartment prepared by An Wan.
Only Lin Zhuo knew the password. He punched it in, the door lock let out a chime, and he pressed down on the handle to open the door.
Lin Zhuo originally wanted to invite the driver in for a moment, but the driver simply handed over the bags and turned back into the elevator.
Changing into the provided slippers at the foyer, Lin Zhuo eagerly walked inside.
The living room was spacious and bright, featuring a large balcony.
The overall color scheme of the apartment relied on black, white, and gray, offering a minimalist yet sophisticated design aesthetic.
Lin Zhuo had long wanted to rent a place with a large balcony and plenty of sunlight, but high prices had always held him back.
It was still early, and the sun had not reached this side yet; by afternoon, he could lie on a rocking chair, sunbathing while taking a nap.
After checking out the living room, Lin Zhuo ran off to inspect the bedroom.
The bedroom was not large; a custom wardrobe and a bed practically filled the entire space.
Yet a small room felt much more secure.
He had to admit this place was prepared entirely according to his preferences.
Lin Zhuo threw himself onto the bed. The mattress was soft, and the sheets and quilt carried a faint, pleasant fragrance. He could not help rolling around a few times.
He planned to check out the bathroom and kitchen next, but Fu Baizhou was standing silently at the doorway, watching him.
Locking eyes, Fu Baizhou spoke with a hint of amusement, “Wife, you seem very excited.”
His overly long hair was tied up with a rubber band, making his jawline appear even more defined.
His features were exquisite and striking, resembling a handsome figure from a classical oil painting.
Bold and vibrant, exceptionally clear-cut.
Of course Lin Zhuo was excited. Though being dragged into this world was not by his own choice, since he was here he might as well make the best of it. With such great accommodations, he was naturally going to enjoy himself.
“Are you hungry? I will go make lunch,” he said, walking over to Fu Baizhou and curving his lips into a smile.
They had been getting along quite well lately. At least Fu Baizhou was genuinely obedient; when told not to do something, he did nothing.
Fu Baizhou’s gaze fell upon Lin Zhuo’s lips, a hidden edge lurking in his eyes as he smiled and asked in return, “Can I eat anything I want?”
Carried away by his excitement, Lin Zhuo failed to notice the dangerous undertone in his words. “Of course you can.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Fu Baizhou stepped forward, cupped the back of Lin Zhuo’s head, bent down, and planted a kiss on his lips.
His fair hand stood out sharply against his dark hair, knuckles prominent and full of bone structure.
Lip touched lip, and an ambiguous warmth melted and fused within the confined space, transforming into countless invisible bubbles.
Lin Zhuo had never kissed anyone in all his years. The soft sensation was much better than he imagined, and for a moment he completely forgot to push Fu Baizhou away.
By the time he realized he was being taken advantage of, his earlobes instantly flushed red.
Furious, Lin Zhuo bit down on Fu Baizhou’s lip, and a metallic taste spread between their teeth and lips. He shoved Fu Baizhou away, slapped him across the face, and stammered in anger, “What are you doing?!”
A red mark appeared on Fu Baizhou’s cheek, showing just how much force Lin Zhuo had used.
Lin Zhuo was internally freaking out; the mere thought of kissing a man made him want to vomit in disgust.
He brushed past Fu Baizhou, bolted into the bathroom, and turned on the tap to rinse his mouth, determined to wash away that disgusting taste entirely.
Fu Baizhou wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb, the streak of red stoking his desire.
His ink-black pupils turned crimson, and a bizarre smile spread across his face.
After two minutes, his pupils returned to black. Only then did he step out of the bedroom and head toward the bathroom where Lin Zhuo was.
Standing at the bathroom doorway, he spoke with the aggrieved and uneasy air of a misbehaving puppy, “Wife, are you angry?”
Hearing the word wife made Lin Zhuo even angrier.
Wiping the water droplets from his chin, he glared gloomily at Fu Baizhou. “Why did you kiss me?”