When Shi Yu finished brushing his teeth and walked out, Duan Jinghuai was sitting at the foot of the bed holding his phone and scrolling through messages. The cigarette between his fingers had burned down more than halfway, and the corners of his mouth were pulled into a faint, lazy curve. His tired features were blurred by the rising smoke.
Hearing the movement, he crushed the cigarette butt into the ashtray and lifted his eyelids to look over.
Shi Yu tilted his head with an air of arrogance and cast a cold, distant look toward the man. “Why have you not left yet?” he asked frostily.
Duan Jinghuai arched an eyebrow. His gaze swept over the body of Shi Yu, and he smirked. “The clothes,” he noted.
Shi Yu was silent. He looked down at himself. The shirt he was wearing was clearly a size larger than his usual fit. The hem barely covered the tops of his thighs, and his smooth, straight legs appeared dazzlingly white under the morning sunlight. He had simply grabbed the first shirt he found by the bed, only now realizing that what he had been wearing, and what had been stripped off him last night, was a bathrobe.
Shi Yu curled his fingers slightly then relaxed them. He struggled to keep his emotions steady and composed as he offered a nonchalant “Oh.”
With an air of indifference, he walked up to Duan Jinghuai. His jade-like fingers pressed against the shirt buttons, and he began to unbutton them one by one, slowly and elegantly, before sliding the garment off. His skin was so pale it was almost translucent. With a lazy flick of his fingers, he dangled the shirt over the space between the legs of Duan Jinghuai. He let go, allowed the fabric to drop, and blinked innocently. “Thanks. Here is your shirt back,” he said.
His thick eyelashes swept over his eyelids. His face looked exceptionally pure, yet his eyes betrayed an air of naive, natural allure. Duan Jinghuai watched the entire performance without blinking. His deep eyes narrowed slightly, and he felt a sudden tightness in his throat.
Just then, a WeChat notification chimed from under the bed because the phone of Shi Yu was ringing. Shi Yu looked away and scanned the carpet, but seeing nothing, he knelt on the floor with his back to Duan Jinghuai. He arched his back slightly, reaching deep under the bed for the phone. His rounded, firm hips were positioned right by the feet of Duan Jinghuai.
Duan Jinghuai gritted his teeth, feeling his suppressed desires stir back to life. Just as Shi Yu grabbed the phone, a powerful hand gripped his waist. He was pulled up and hauled back onto the bed.
“What are you doing?” Shi Yu blinked blankly with misty eyes.
“What do you think?” Duan Jinghuai asked. His voice was low and carried the faint scent of tobacco. He leaned down, hovering over Shi Yu. “You think you can flirt and then just run away?”
“You are being ridiculous,” Shi Yu replied. He deliberately ignored the man and slipped out from under his arm to check the message.
Shen Zhinian had sent a message asking if he was awake and noting that breakfast was ready downstairs.
Duan Jinghuai saw it too. He frowned, grabbed the waist of Shi Yu, and pulled him onto his lap. “This friend of yours is certainly concerned about you,” he said coldly.
Feeling the hot, firm muscle beneath him, the eyes of Shi Yu flickered. He gave his hips a slight, deliberate twist. Duan Jinghuai gritted his teeth, certain that Shi Yu was doing this on purpose.
The culprit blinked innocently. “You wanted your shirt back, so I gave it to you. I was looking for my phone; what does that have to do with you?”
Duan Jinghuai knew he was playing dumb. He gave a dry laugh. “Hao Shuai is probably downstairs bragging about his heroic deeds from last night. Maybe I should go down and have a chat with them, too.”
Shi Yu thought to himself that he should stay calm and let the man stew. He looked down and quietly opened his chat with Duan Jinghuai. He tapped the screen and sent a transfer. A notification chimed, and Duan Jinghuai frowned as he glanced at his phone. He had received a transfer of two hundred and fifty dollars.
He looked up. The mouth of Shi Yu was pulled into a slight pout, and his beautiful eyes were full of mock innocence. “Then I will just have to tell them the experience was terrible. You are only worth that much.”
Shi Yu dressed in casual clothes and went downstairs. Seven or eight people were sitting in the living room, and the sound of laughter echoed through the hall as someone told a joke. Seeing him approach, Hao Shuai waved enthusiastically. “Morning, little beauty! How did you sleep last night?”
Shi Yu reflected that he had barely slept a few hours and had spent the morning dealing with the nonsense of Duan Jinghuai. His head was currently throbbing. “It was fine. Good morning,” he responded politely and sat down next to Shen Zhinian.
A sophisticated, nutritious breakfast was laid out on the table. He picked up his knife and fork and cut a piece of ham. The group was discussing investments as he listened quietly. A moment later, Duan Jinghuai came downstairs. He had changed into a dark ink-colored shirt with the sleeves rolled up carelessly to reveal his muscular forearms.
Hao Shuai was bragging that the luxury yacht he bought was actually incredible. Duan Jinghuai stepped up behind him and interjected in a deep voice. “Yes, it is incredible in that the exterior is all for show and the internal structure is a complete mess.”
Hao Shuai turned to him with a pained expression and asked if he could not pour cold water on him for once. Duan Jinghuai ignored him and walked straight to the side of Shi Yu. He pulled out a chair and sat down, lazily draping one arm across the back of the seat of Shi Yu.
The spine of Shi Yu stiffened. The bite of ham he had just taken got stuck in his throat. This gesture, full of intimacy and possessiveness, was seen by everyone. However, given the naturally lazy and casual personality of Duan Jinghuai, most people just glanced over and went back to their conversation. Only Shen Zhinian narrowed his eyes, his gaze burning as he focused on the hand of Duan Jinghuai.
Qin Hao suddenly asked where Duan Jinghuai had gone last night. Hao Shuai added that there were plenty of beauties performing lap dances. Xie Jingting arched an eyebrow and asked if he was sneaking off to eat behind their backs.
Every nerve in the body of Shi Yu tensed. He continued cutting his sausage with feigned indifference, but his leg slowly slid over to the foot of Duan Jinghuai and stepped on it. Sensing the pressure beside him, Duan Jinghuai gave a long, low laugh. “I had a last-minute video conference,” he explained.
A friend nearby noted that he thought Duan Jinghuai had pushed all his work. Xie Jingting interjected that since the man makes millions every minute, they should let him be. The group moved on to other topics, discussing a famous male star named Zhou Yangyi.
As they spoke, Cheng Sheng came downstairs, yawning and complaining that the soundproofing in the house was not great. At those words, Shi Yu stopped chewing. His heart skipped a beat. If he remembered correctly, the room of Cheng Sheng was right next to his.
Xie Jingting laughed and asked if Cheng Sheng and his girlfriend had collapsed the villa. Cheng Sheng explained it was the sound of everyone singing in the pool at three-thirty in the morning. Shi Yu breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense legs finally relaxed. In that moment of relaxation, his knee wobbled and accidentally brushed against the knee of Duan Jinghuai. He startled and instinctively looked up, meeting the playful, nonchalant smile in the eyes of Duan Jinghuai.
Before he could process it, Duan Jinghuai leaned in close. His hot breath brushed against the ear of Shi Yu as he whispered, “If I am only worth two hundred and fifty dollars, what are you so nervous about?”
Shi Yu realized the man really held a grudge. He steadied his breathing and continued to pick at the food on his plate. Then, with a tiny, subtle motion, he gritted his teeth. Duan Jinghuai smirked, thinking that Shi Yu had been deliberately provoking him in the room but was now acting like an ostrich in front of everyone. His heart suddenly softened. Their interaction was silent and subtle, but Shen Zhinian saw every bit of it.
After breakfast, Xie Jingting invited everyone to a seafood lunch on a yacht. Behind the villa lay a stretch of golden sand bordering the sea. The yacht sat peacefully on the water with soft sofas, lounge chairs, and sun umbrellas set up on the beach. The yacht had two levels with a luxurious interior and polished windows. On the deck, there was a long wine table and a champagne tower.
The sunlight hit the sea like fragments of silver. Shi Yu stood on the deck in sunglasses. He tilted his head back slightly, and his hair was blown messy by the wind. Shen Zhinian walked over and handed him a special cocktail. He noted that the environment was nice. Shi Yu agreed and thanked him.
Shen Zhinian mentioned that Xie Jingting has a good eye for investments and is professionally trustworthy. Shi Yu replied that he knew and thanked Shen Zhinian for bringing him there. Shen Zhinian smiled and then asked what Duan Jinghuai had said to him during breakfast.
The breath of Shi Yu hitched. He looked sideways. Shen Zhinian noted that he seemed a bit angry and asked if Duan Jinghuai had said something offensive. Shi Yu pursed his lips. He felt his ears getting hot as he remembered the man leaning over. He looked at the concerned eyes of Shen Zhinian and felt it was necessary to explain that he and Duan Jinghuai had known each other since childhood.
However, before he could speak, a burst of excited screams erupted nearby. The next second, a violent wave surged up and soaked the two people closest to the edge of the deck. The jet ski of Duan Jinghuai idled at the edge of the deck. He shook his water-soaked hair and used his fingers to push back the damp strands from his forehead. He lifted his sunglasses to reveal deep, intense eyes. Hao Shuai also sped over on a jet ski. Looking at the two soaked figures, he burst into a laugh and asked if they had just taken a swim in the ocean.