Wei Chi’s breath suddenly hitched. He never expected the husband to agree. He looked down at the two thin adhesive bandages in his palm, and before him was the man trembling, biting the hem of his sweater with tear-rimmed eyes. Slender, white fingertips gripped his wrist as if unaware of what such a gesture implied.
“Here,” Lin Min whispered. He felt the man’s gaze and knew his own actions were abrupt. Wei Chi might not have heard him clearly, or perhaps the man simply found it hard to believe.
However, there was no other way. His mission was to show excessive concern and perform actions that the players would misinterpret. To fulfill the task, Lin Min’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, repeating himself with a shameful tremor. “Just stick it on.”
With his hand held by the beautiful husband, Wei Chi’s gaze involuntarily fell toward the spot. It was indeed severely swollen, its rounded contour faintly visible through the gaps of his fingers. His Adam’s apple bobbed. For the first time in his life, he felt utterly at a loss.
Wei Chi was unsure of the husband’s intent. His voice was deeper and hoarser than usual. “Are you sure? You want my fingers to touch you there?”
His throat moved again. For some reason, his breath felt scorching. Although he did not know much about such matters, he realized how lewd his earlier excuse must have sounded to others. He never thought the husband would actually consent.
Wei Chi had been prepared to be driven out by a shamed, tearful husband. He never imagined that in the master bedroom of the widower and his late husband, he would be watching the man lift his hem with trembling fingers to show him a place that looked as if it had been bitten.
The small strips of paper in his palm suddenly felt as hot as glowing iron. Lin Min desperately wanted him to stop asking questions. However, his nature was overly submissive and honest. Even though the man’s words bordered on humiliation, he ultimately only nodded gently with wet eyes, looking both pitiful and alluring as he bit his lower lip.
He could not see Wei Chi’s expression. He could only feel the chill surrounding that thin patch of skin, causing a wave of shivers. Lin Min trembled instinctively. A flash of memory seemed to cross his mind, and his body reacted to the cold with an embarrassing physiological response.
Before he could process what was happening, he heard the sound of the bandage being peeled open.
“Your skin is a bit too delicate. You might feel uncomfortable when I touch you,” Wei Chi said, his breath hitching. He felt this situation should not be developing this way. What started as a casual excuse had turned into a moment of hesitation as he prepared to touch that skin.
He knew he should not do this, but it was all for the mission.
Lin Min flinched. Performing such an act with a virtual stranger was deeply shameful, but for the sake of the mission, he remained obedient and did not hide. When the cool bandage finally touched the swollen area, he could not help but let out a whimper. His waist went so soft he could barely stand.
Wei Chi had to reach out to steady him, encompassing the slender waist within his palm. Surprised, he remembered supporting the man through his clothes at the funeral parlor. He had not expected that while the husband looked thin, his flesh was soft enough for his fingers to sink into.
“Mm,” Lin Min groaned. He had not expected the man’s hands to be so rough. The mere friction felt like an electric current, bringing a strange itchiness. Embarrassed, he pressed his legs together and curled his toes, trying to resist the inexplicable reaction.
His upturned eyes widened slightly. His beautiful black hair was a mess against the man’s chest, the firm muscle pressing against his pale, soft cheek.
Wei Chi froze as if struck by lightning. He was too soft. He almost immediately held his breath. The hands that could easily break an opponent’s ribs now hovered awkwardly in the air, unsure of where to rest.
Does he react like this to just a light touch? Wei Chi knew he should use this opportunity to check the pattern on the pendant, but feeling the softness in his palm, his gaze uncontrollably drifted to the red marks on the pale skin.
Lin Min did not notice the look in the man’s eyes. He took a moment to recover before pulling away from the embrace. He vaguely remembered Zhou Jin telling him that Wei Chi was an underground pit fighter; no wonder his fingers were so heavily calloused.
However, the other side still needed a bandage. Seeing the mission was only half finished, the beautiful husband shyly grabbed the man’s hand again. “There is, there is still this side. It has not been covered yet.”
With every word, he lowered his head further. The tips of his ears were flush pink.
“You just need to stick it on. You can do it without touching me,” Lin Min said. After what had just happened, he dreaded the sensation of those fingers touching him again. He fumbled to lift the hem once more.
Just as he bit down on the fabric, a steady knock sounded at the door.
The door was not soundproof. Before Lin Min could react, he heard Zhou Jin’s casual, rasping voice. “Little widower, what are you doing in there? I can hear your cat-like crying all the way out here.”
Lin Min instinctively held his breath. Wei Chi, about to finish the task, paused. His rough thumb accidentally brushed against the skin. The beautiful husband, who was biting his lip to suppress his voice, suddenly shuddered. A whimper escaped his throat.
Outside, Zhou Jin’s knocking stopped. He had clearly heard the sudden sound. Silence hung in the air for a moment before Zhou Jin asked, his emotions unreadable, “I thought I saw Wei Chi coming to your room earlier. Is he in there with you right now?”
Though phrased as a question, Zhou Jin’s tone suggested he was already certain. Wei Chi felt the husband in his arms tremble. Realizing their current posture was highly misleading, he looked down at the man. Lin Min was clearly nervous; his thick, long eyelashes were fluttering incessantly.
Lin Min had not expected Zhou Jin to come looking for him. Did the man not hate him? Why was he here? But he had no time to ponder. If the door were pushed open, how could he explain Wei Chi’s presence in his room?
Moreover, Zhou Jin had a difficult, meddlesome personality. Lin Min did not want to be interrogated. He pulled away from Wei Chi’s embrace and responded with a trembling voice, “Mr. Wei is not in my room.” He just wanted to send the intruder away.
“If no one is there, then what were you yelling for? Were you doing something to yourself?” Zhou Jin sneered, his mocking voice carrying through the door. “Open the door. Let me in.”
He resumed knocking. He sounded like a hot-tempered college student talking trash, but a subtle underlying emotion was present. It was not just simple disgust.
Lin Min’s heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. He did not know why Zhou Jin was being so persistent today, but he had an ill omen about the man’s intentions. In his panic, he grabbed Wei Chi and looked up with his beautiful, pale face. “Mr. Wei, perhaps you should hide first?”
The system had not prompted a mission update yet. Lin Min did not want to endure a scolding for no reason. He tried to recall the layout of the room. Although there was a bathroom, it was small and the glass door was transparent, making it an easy place to be discovered.
Finally, he thought of the heavy wardrobe against the wall.
“The wardrobe, yes, the wardrobe!” Hearing the knocking, he fumbled for Wei Chi’s wrist and led him toward it with urgency. “Mr. Wei, please bear with it for a moment. I will send him away quickly.”
As he spoke, he kept a nervous ear toward the door, terrified that Zhou Jin might break it down. Wei Chi looked down at the hand gripping him, its knuckles white from the force. He then looked at Lin Min’s beautiful face, which was filled with panic and plea.
As if possessed, he did not resist. He allowed himself to be pulled to the wardrobe. The door opened to reveal several plain garments, smelling faintly of Lin Min’s scent. Wei Chi’s muscles tensed instinctively; his tall frame felt cramped inside the narrow space. He leaned down, his deep gaze locked onto Lin Min’s face.
He did not want to be misunderstood as having any off-task connection with this NPC, but being discovered would be troublesome. Considering Zhou Jin’s personality, Wei Chi’s cold, handsome face looked stern in the shadows. His deep voice resonated in the small space. “Call me if anything happens.”
Lin Min nodded haphazardly and closed the wardrobe door, leaving only a tiny crack. He rushed to the entrance, but before he could calm his racing heart, Zhou Jin’s knocking became heavier and more impatient.
“I am coming!” Lin Min took a deep breath, trying to sound calm. He straightened his collar and hair, and once he was sure there were no traces of Wei Chi, he opened the lock with a trembling hand.
The moment the door opened an inch, Zhou Jin pushed his way in without ceremony. He had changed into casual clothes, his fiery red hair looking rebellious. There were dark circles under his eyes, but his sharp gaze scanned the room like a searchlight. When he saw the flushed husband, he quickly looked away with annoyance.
Zhou Jin had intended to rest, but ever since the incident in the car, he could not close his eyes without dreaming of the husband. In those dreams, the beautiful man would look at him exactly like this, whimpering as he sat on his waist. He did not know what was wrong with him; he was supposed to be straight. He had spent the time awake just to escape the dreams.
Now, seeing the man in person, the chaotic images from his dreams began to resurface. He remembered the husband’s attempt at seduction last night and had planned to set things straight, only to see Wei Chi acting suspiciously outside the door.
And those sounds from inside the room.
Does he even like a cold, boring guy like Wei Chi?
Although the little widower denied it, Zhou Jin was no fool. After confirming Wei Chi’s own room was empty, he had waited outside and never saw him leave. He narrowed his eyes dangerously toward the bathroom.
He had no idea that the boring guy was currently inside the fragrant wardrobe. Wei Chi’s position was cramped; any move might make a sound. Fortunately, his physical conditioning allowed him to control every muscle, and he managed to shift slightly without making noise.
Listening to the footsteps outside, he felt a strange, misplaced sensation, as if he were the other man, caught during an affair. This thought made his muscles tighten. He accidentally brushed against something, causing a hanger to fall. A small, thin piece of fragrant fabric landed right on his face.
It was small. It was thin. Wei Chi froze, instantly realizing exactly what that light fabric was.
The person outside heard the noise. Lin Min’s white fingertips gripped Zhou Jin’s tense arm. Just as he was about to struggle for an explanation, he heard the system voice.
[Plot generating…] [You did not expect your secret to be uncovered. Though you fear the ill-tempered Zhou Jin, your overly kind nature compels you to protect Wei Chi from being misunderstood. You decide to distract Zhou Jin at any cost. Even if…] [Saint value +15%]
Lin Min’s fingers tightened. Although he did not understand the final sentence, he knew from past experience that it likely involved a shameful scenario.
Especially since Wei Chi was watching him from the closet.