Xie Jingting noticed the doctor running out of the villa clutching a medical kit and quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Leave it to the doctor,” he suggested.
The injury was not particularly severe and had not affected the bone. The doctor applied some medicine and carefully bandaged the area. “Getting it wet is fine,” he instructed, “but just make sure you avoid strenuous exercise for a while.”
Shen Zhinian asked how often the dressing needed to be changed. The doctor replied that tonight would be fine and that he would check on Mr. Shi Yu after the banquet. Shen Zhinian thanked him for his help.
Once the doctor had left, Shen Zhinian knelt beside Shi Yu and placed a gentle hand on his back. “It is a relief the bone is not damaged, but you still need to take good care of it,” he said softly.
Shi Yu shook his head gently. “It is fine, Brother Zhinian.”
A sudden crunching sound broke the quiet. Duan Jinghuai, who was sitting nearby drinking water, slowly crushed a plastic mineral water bottle in his hand.
Hao Shuai said with a grin, “Shi Yu, you are really good at tennis. That was the first time I have seen Old Duan pushed into such a corner. When he suddenly rushed toward you earlier, I actually thought a fight was about to break out.”
Jiang Yinni added thoughtlessly, “Exactly. Old Duan had such a cold expression; he gave us quite a scare.”
Shen Zhinian lowered his voice and said with concern, “You should not push yourself so hard. If Jinghuai had not noticed it in time, you would have ended up with a lot more than just two layers of gauze around your ankle by the end of the match.” After speaking, Shen Zhinian looked toward Duan Jinghuai with a smile. “Thank you, Jinghuai.”
It was the first time Duan Jinghuai had ever heard someone thank him from the perspective of being close to Shi Yu.
Duan Jinghuai knit his brows and pressed his thin lips into a tight line. He slowly screwed the cap onto his bottle. Even after tightening it, he did not let go. The plastic bottle was squeezed flat in his palm before he tossed it accurately into the trash can with a loud thud. He grabbed his jacket and walked into the villa with a dark expression.
Xie Jingting gave a small scoff from the side, finding it amusing. “If he has something to say, he should just say it. Why take it out on a poor bottle?”
As dusk turned to evening, the remaining sunlight vanished. The large dining room was brightly lit, featuring an intricate pattern on the ceiling and a warm orange crystal chandelier hanging from the center. The walls looked as luxurious as if they were made of gold dust.
Being a private gathering, Xie Jingting did not care much for formality. He sat at the head of the table while the others, all being well acquainted, took seats along the sides of the long table. Duan Jinghuai arrived late, and by the time he appeared, the only seat left was the one to the left of Xie Jingting. Hao Shuai had saved a dessert for him, but he found it too sweet and asked the waiter to take it away.
Shi Yu sat diagonally opposite him, right next to Shen Zhinian. The ethereal and soothing sound of a cello filled the room. The two of them frequently turned to each other to talk in low voices, the soft light falling on the hair of Shi Yu like a thin veil. When Shen Zhinian said something, Shi Yu let out a small smile, and his beautiful eyes filled with a gentle warmth.
Duan Jinghuai felt his throat tighten, and his fingertips curled slowly. Once everyone was present, the butler instructed the waiters to serve the meal. Hao Shuai and Cheng Sheng were masters at livening up the atmosphere, frequently cracking jokes that left everyone laughing. Xie Jingting acted dismissive yet indulgent, adding a few sharp-tongued remarks of his own. The entire dinner was filled with relaxed laughter.
Qin Hao mentioned a restaurant in America called Char that had been getting a lot of hype lately. Shen Zhinian shook his head and noted that while the marketing was good, the taste was mediocre.
Shi Yu was slowly peeling a crab shell. His fingers were white and slender, his fingertips pressing lightly against the orange-red shell as it came apart. The juice dampened his jade-like fingertips, making them glisten under the lights. He placed the meat onto his plate, and as he looked up, Shen Zhinian handed him a wet wipe at just the right moment. He took it and whispered a thank you. Shen Zhinian smiled, his eyes bright.
Shen Zhinian picked up a piece of tuna from his own plate and placed it on the plate of Shi Yu. “Try this,” he said gently. “Does the taste of this tuna remind you of the place we used to go to during university?”
Shi Yu wiped his greasy fingers, picked up his fork to try a small piece of the fish, and nodded slowly as he chewed. “Yes, the fishy taste is indeed very similar.”
The smile in the eyes of Shen Zhinian grew wider. “Right? I remember Kevin used to complain about it every single time, yet he ordered it every time.”
The others took in the entire scene. Duan Jinghuai fiddled with his wine glass, his cold gaze fixed on Shi Yu. He felt as though the air in the dining room was suffocating, and his chest felt blocked by a mass of murky air.
Jiang Yinni sensed something unusual. Driven by a sudden urge to gossip, she leaned forward while biting her fork. “By the way, Brother Zhinian, you and Shi Yu were in different years. How did you two meet?”
Shen Zhinian explained they met in a human geography club. He recalled how they had to talk the club up to trick him into joining. He mentioned that they did not have much hope, but when he walked into the club the next day, he saw Shi Yu sitting by the window with headphones on, looking at the brochures they had drawn. He noted that they drew those brochures themselves and that while Shi Yu was too shy to say anything at first, he eventually became critical of their drawing skills.
Hao Shuai chimed in excitedly, “I bet the little beauty is very skillful.”
“Him? He certainly is,” Shen Zhinian said, looking at Shi Yu with a focused and deep gaze. “He is excellent at everything he does.”
Hao Shuai groaned and asked when Shen Zhinian would ever praise him like that. Qin Hao added with a smile that there really were not many people whom Shen Zhinian admired.
Although Shi Yu had a cold personality, he was thin-skinned. Being praised made him feel a bit embarrassed, and a faint crimson flush appeared on his ears and nose. This expression was purely emotional, and Shi Yu only took the words of Shen Zhinian as polite encouragement. However, in the eyes of Duan Jinghuai, the scene looked entirely different and resembled flirting during a honeymoon phase.
After dinner, the butler informed them that the custom-made cake had been delivered to the outdoor pool area. Hao Shuai was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. He tugged at his tie and shouted that they had agreed on an all-night party. He mentioned that he had invited a lot of girls.
Someone else got excited and asked if it was just girls. Hao Shuai gave a look that said he understood perfectly and noted there were also athletes with eight-pack abs. Cheng Sheng teased Hao Shuai about whether the person he slept with last time was there. Hao Shuai dismissed the question, saying he never remembers one-night stands.
Xie Jingting gave him a kick. Hao Shuai protested, telling Xie Jingting that tonight they would do whatever the birthday boy wanted.
Shi Yu felt a bit suffocated. He stood up first and said calmly, “Pardon me, everyone. I am going to find the doctor to change my dressing. I will take my leave for the night.” He then turned to Xie Jingting and nodded slightly. “My apologies, President Xie.”
Xie Jingting smiled and said it was no problem. Shen Zhinian stood up as well and offered to go with him. Shi Yu laughed and told him there was no need to trouble himself since he could move around just fine. Shen Zhinian told him to call at any time if there were problems.
The night was as thick as ink, and a silver crescent moon hung in the sky. Shi Yu finished his shower and walked out of the bathroom while drying his damp hair. His bathrobe was a bit loose, the collar slightly open to reveal his fair, slender neck. Moonlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto his shoulders. As he stood by the window, he could clearly see a corner of the outdoor pool, where the lights twinkled like sparks and a crowd of people was gathered.
He instinctively looked for a certain figure, his heart fluttering as his gaze swept the area. He found nothing, and his heart sank a little. A moment later, the doorbell rang. It was most likely Dr. Chen, whom he had notified earlier.
The lights were off in the room, and he had no idea where he had kicked off his slippers. He walked barefoot across the floor to the entrance and opened the door. The dim yellow light from the hallway spilled inside, casting a translucent shadow on the floor.
A tall, slender man stood against the light. His features were deep and sculpted by the shadows, creating an imposing presence. Shi Yu froze, his hand stopping mid-motion as he dried his hair. His fingertips curled slightly on the door handle.
Duan Jinghuai was silent for a moment. His gaze traveled from the face of Shi Yu down to his bare feet, and he slowly frowned. Shi Yu stepped back uncomfortably and was about to speak when Duan Jinghuai suddenly strode forward, scooped him up by the waist and legs, and carried him inside.
The door was shut tight, and the towel Shi Yu had been using to dry his hair fell to the floor. Falling suddenly into a warm embrace caused the heart of Shi Yu to skip a beat. Before he could react, his vision blurred, and he was tossed onto the soft bed.
Duan Jinghuai knelt at the foot of the bed and grabbed the ankle of Shi Yu without a word, using the moonlight to examine the injury. The swelling had mostly gone down, but the purple bruising remained. In the cold moonlight, the already delicate ankle looked even more pitiable.
The only sound in the room was the sound of their intermingled breathing. Shi Yu blinked blankly and noticed that Duan Jinghuai was holding medicine and gauze. Duan Jinghuai carefully rested the heel of Shi Yu on his own thigh. He lowered his head and silently used a cotton swab dipped in medicine to apply it bit by bit, his movements meticulous and gentle. The lines of his profile seemed softened by the moonlight.
The lips of Shi Yu moved slightly. It felt as if a tight string in his chest had been plucked, and his heartbeat began to lose its rhythm. The medicine initially felt cool against his skin, but after a brief pause, it began to sting. He instinctively let out a small hiss of pain.
Duan Jinghuai paused and looked up at him. Realizing he had reacted, Shi Yu looked away, cleared his throat, and said quietly, “It is nothing.”
The air remained still for a moment. Then, a soft, warm breath blew across his ankle. Duan Jinghuai leaned forward slightly and carefully blew on the area where the medicine had been applied. The breath carried a slight coolness. It felt as if an invisible current was waking up inch by inch from his foot, traveling through his body to his chest and leaving him feeling tingly.
The gaze of Shi Yu shifted, and he felt as though he had no strength in his limbs. Moonlight saturated the floor, and a lingering, flirtatious atmosphere began to fill the room.
“Does it still hurt?” the man asked in a low, husky voice that sounded especially deep in the silence.
Duan Jinghuai slowly lifted his eyelids. Light and shadow played in his eyes, making them look even deeper and more profound. Shi Yu felt burned by the emotion in those eyes, and his throat felt as if it were filled with sand, leaving him unable to speak. Their breathing and their intermingled gazes were entwined.
Just then, the phone of Shi Yu on the bedside table suddenly rang, breaking the tension in the air. As if waking from a dream, Shi Yu abruptly pulled his ankle away and turned to grab the phone. It was Shen Zhinian.
Duan Jinghuai also saw the caller ID. He stood up, and the light in his eyes vanished instantly.
“Hello, Brother Zhinian.”
Shi Yu lay on the bed, panting slightly. He realized that his heart was pounding like a drum, and the blood rushing through his body was thudding against his eardrums.
Shen Zhinian asked if he had finished his shower. The room was exceptionally quiet, and being so close, Duan Jinghuai could hear the voice of Shen Zhinian clearly. With a cold face, his jaw worked as he knelt on the bed. He leaned down, supporting himself with his arms on either side of the body of Shi Yu, and looked down at him.
Seeing the dark emotions in the eyes of Duan Jinghuai, the voice of Shi Yu trembled involuntarily. “Yes.”
Shen Zhinian did not notice anything unusual and asked if Dr. Chen had come to change the dressing yet. A cool hand traveled up from the knee of Shi Yu. His body stiffened for a moment, and his eyes widened as he looked at Duan Jinghuai. The man curled his lips wickedly. His dark eyes were like hidden reefs in the ocean as he gripped the waist of Shi Yu and began to provoke him. The nerves in his blood were jumping.
When no response came from the other side, Shen Zhinian asked again.
“Ah,” Shi Yu bit his lip, his breathing heavy. He said through gritted teeth, “He changed it.”
Shi Yu lifted his leg to try and kick the man, but his calf was caught. He glared at him in frustration, but the man continued his mischief. After several struggles, the legs and waist of Shi Yu felt completely weak.
Shen Zhinian asked if it still hurt. Shi Yu replied that it was fine.
Duan Jinghuai leaned down and began to bite and kiss the side of the ear of Shi Yu. The earlobe was thin and delicate, like fine porcelain. He bit down on it and licked it gently. The hot breath on his ear was as searing as a branding iron. Shi Yu tilted his neck back, feeling as though his heart were being scorched.
Shen Zhinian paused upon hearing the hurried breathing and asked what was wrong.
His waist was pinned down, and a kiss fell upon him. Shi Yu made a muffled sound and instinctively pushed against the chest of Duan Jinghuai. The phone slipped from his hand and fell onto the floor with a loud thud.
Shen Zhinian’s voice grew more urgent when he received no response. Nearby, Hao Shuai asked what was wrong with the little beauty. Shen Zhinian replied that he did not know. Xie Jingting said nonchalantly that he was not a child and the security was thorough.
Shen Zhinian still could not set his mind at ease. He put down his wine glass and said he was going up to check on him.