Cheng Sheng lounged comfortably in the sofa and remarked leisurely that he had told everyone to wear swimwear. He questioned the point of wearing such heavy clothes on a yacht. Slightly salty seawater dripped from the tips of the hair of Shi Yu onto the floor. Shi Yu used his sleeve to wipe his face and took a shallow breath. He wondered if this was really a question of how much he was wearing. Duan Jinghuai had intentionally flicked the tail of the jet ski as he approached the deck to splash water all over him on purpose.
The two men from the water stepped onto the yacht. A waiter standing at the bottom of the stairs thoughtfully handed them two bath towels. Hao Shuai took his and rubbed his head vigorously. Meanwhile, Duan Jinghuai, with his eyelids drooping lazily, took his towel and walked straight to Shi Yu. He draped the towel over the head of Shi Yu.
His vision suddenly plunged into shadow. Shi Yu froze for a moment then raised his hands to pull at the edges of the towel as he struggled to see.
“Do not move,” Duan Jinghuai said softly in a low and husky voice. With his long fingers pressing down on the towel, he lowered his head. His wet bangs hung naturally and partially obscured his dark, narrow eyes. His movements as he slowly dried the hair of Shi Yu were focused and gentle.
The hand Shi Yu had placed on the arm of the man lost its strength and slid down slowly. He stood obediently and let the man tend to him. The waiter also gave Shen Zhinian a towel. He offered a brief thanks though his brow furrowed with confusion as he watched Duan Jinghuai.
Hao Shuai could not help but exclaim that he thought the two were rivals and wondered if they had actually bonded over the match yesterday. Cheng Sheng echoed the sentiment and asked what had gotten into the usually inconsiderate Duan Jinghuai. Hao Shuai added that Duan Jinghuai was only drying Shi Yu despite Shen Zhinian being much wetter. Duan Jinghuai ignored them completely and told them to leave.
Once the hair was halfway dry, Duan Jinghuai wrapped Shi Yu in the towel and gestured toward the jet ski with a tilt of his chin. He asked if Shi Yu wanted to play. Shi Yu was still a bit angry. His voice was cold though it held a trace of a spoiled pout as he noted that he did not know how to ride one. Duan Jinghuai looked down with the corners of his mouth curling into a low laugh and offered to teach him.
He asked the staff for life jackets and a full set of riding gear then meticulously helped Shi Yu put everything on. The people on the yacht watched in amazement and whispered about what this could possibly mean. The scene of the two fighting fiercely on the tennis court was still fresh in everyone’s minds. In just one night, the hostile dynamic had vanished and was replaced by a harmonious if somewhat awkward flirtatious atmosphere.
Once the gear was on, Duan Jinghuai stood on the deck holding the handle of the jet ski with one hand. He arched an eyebrow and signaled for Shi Yu to join him. Shi Yu lowered his eyelashes, narrowed his eyes, and looked at the hull of the craft as it bobbed with the waves. Duan Jinghuai tilted his head slightly and licked his lips to ask if Shi Yu was scared. Shi Yu shot him a look and asked who would be scared.
Duan Jinghuai gave a long and drawn-out response then nodded slowly. His gaze fell on the slender waist of Shi Yu. He smirked, reached out, and gave the rear of Shi Yu a firm and deliberate swat. Shi Yu felt a sudden jolt in his nerves and glared at the man with wide eyes. His body still ached from the night before, and that single swat made his legs feel weak.
The culprit showed no remorse and gave a low laugh. He lifted a long leg and easily straddled the jet ski then patted the empty space in front of him. He mockingly told Shi Yu to get on. Shi Yu gave him a harsh and cold glare but grabbed the handle and sat down nonetheless.
As soon as he was settled, a surge of heat pressed against him and swirled around his ear. The heart of Shi Yu skipped a beat, and he felt a searing sensation throughout his body. Duan Jinghuai leaned his neck forward with his jaw brushing against the ear of Shi Yu. His muscular arms reached around the man to insert the key into the slot then clipped the safety lanyard to the life jacket of Shi Yu.
As he fastened it, his arms encircled the waist of Shi Yu from behind and made it look as though he were embracing him. A few murmurs rose from the deck. Shi Yu felt the tips of his ears turn red instantly, and the spark quickly spread to his burning cheeks. Sensing the body in his arms stiffen for a moment, Duan Jinghuai smirked with a roguish and wicked glint in his eye. He noted that Shi Yu was easily embarrassed.
He rested one arm on the handlebar with his head tilted as he stared at the jade-like and crimson ear of Shi Yu. Shi Yu quickly replied that he was not embarrassed then turned his head and swallowed the rest of his sentence. Duan Jinghuai was within breathing distance. They were so close their noses almost touched. Duan Jinghuai looked down at him with hot breath and a dangerously alluring smile. Shi Yu closed his eyes briefly, pulled back slightly, and struggled to steady his breathing and heartbeat before turning away as if nothing had happened.
Their actions were seen clearly by those on the deck. Xie Jingting swirled his wine glass and remarked that the world was truly changing. Cheng Sheng narrowed his eyes and wondered if Duan Jinghuai was planning mischief. Qin Hao noted that a jet ski can bring people closer together. Hao Shuai let out a wide yawn and said that anyone who did not know better would think they slept together last night. The words caused everyone to freeze and look at him in unison. Hao Shuai startled and claimed he was just talking nonsense. Cheng Sheng took a long breath and admitted that it was not entirely impossible.
Jiang Yinni interjected that they should stop talking nonsense because Duan Jinghuai was incredibly straight. Another girl agreed and added that he was also homophobic. She recalled a male model who bribed hotel staff to accidentally enter the room of Duan Jinghuai, who then literally threw him out. Someone added that he was so angry that he fired the entire hotel staff. The group concluded that he was truly homophobic. Shen Zhinian stared solemnly toward the stairs. For some reason, he felt as if a heavy glass cover had been placed over his heart since last night and made the air feel stagnant and suffocating.
The palm of Duan Jinghuai covered the back of the hand of Shi Yu and guided him to grip the handlebars. He leaned over and encircled him in a back-hug. The warmth of the man against the wrist of Shi Yu was intense though his fingertips were slightly cool. After pressing the ignition, he guided the fingers of Shi Yu to the throttle next to the handle and asked if he was ready. Shi Yu nodded.
The jet ski started slowly as the hull churned the surface of the sea into waves and a damp, salty breeze hit them head-on. Shi Yu felt every cell in his body wake up. The wind lifted his hair and a sense of cool excitement pressed against his skin. Countless splashes hit his calves and felt refreshing. As the throttle opened, the waves rose higher. Duan Jinghuai leaned in and whispered to ask if it was fun. Shi Yu replied that it was.
After sprinting in a straight line along the coastline, Duan Jinghuai took control and weaved the craft back and forth. Shi Yu instinctively held on tight. Under the skillful hands of the man, the craft leaped over the waves, performed a slight tail-flick, and landed steadily. Behind them, the churned water fanned out like the tail of a peacock and created a massive white curtain. Seawater ran down the neck of Shi Yu into his clothes and felt a bit itchy.
After riding smoothly for a while, Duan Jinghuai whispered that he was letting go. The hand of Duan Jinghuai slid from the knuckles of Shi Yu to grip his waist tightly. The heart of Shi Yu skipped a beat, and his arms holding the handlebars wavered instinctively. The craft lurched and splashed water everywhere. He felt a vein in his forehead throb and quickly calmed himself to steady the vessel.
A low laugh sounded in his ear. Shi Yu gritted his teeth and asked if the man could just be still. The man asked what he meant by being still and if he was not allowed to hold Shi Yu. The corners of the mouth of the man curved up as he asked where else he should put his hands. Shi Yu was silent. He ignored the man and focused entirely on the jet ski. He was gradually mastering the speed and could even perform small drifts. Although he nearly capsized at the beginning, his reactions were quick, and with Duan Jinghuai helping him steer occasionally, he felt much more secure.
Duan Jinghuai noted that the progress of Shi Yu was fast. He reached out a hand and patted the head of Shi Yu as encouragement. Shi Yu gave a small and cold huff. The next second, he jerked the handlebars and sent a massive wave upward from the rear. Since he was in the front and Duan Jinghuai was behind him, the wall of water crashed directly over the head of the man. Duan Jinghuai was silent. Seawater streamed down his hair and face. Seeing that his prank had worked, Shi Yu lowered his head and let out a low laugh.
Duan Jinghuai was moved to an angry laugh. He brushed his wet hair back and leaned forward to pinch the waist of Shi Yu. He asked if Shi Yu was already learning bad habits. Before Shi Yu could respond, he tucked his hand under the edge of the T-shirt. On the yacht, the group was gathered around the table drinking and playing dice. Only Hao Shuai was still eagerly watching the pair through binoculars. Suddenly, he let out a shout. The group startled and asked what happened. Hao Shuai began to explain that Shi Yu had just kicked Duan Jinghuai into the water.
After dinner, the guests began to bid farewell to Xie Jingting and leave the estate. Shi Yu rarely drove himself and planned to go back with Shen Zhinian. He thanked Xie Jingting and waited for Shen Zhinian by the courtyard fountain. The moon was exceptionally bright tonight. Standing in the moonlight, the cold and clear light wrapped around the skin of Shi Yu like silk. He tilted his long neck back, and his skin appeared almost translucent.
Duan Jinghuai was not far away. He leaned against a wall with a cigarette between his lips. The villa lights fell across his profile and cast dappled shadows on his face. The smoke drifted and made his expression difficult to read. He stared at the back of Shi Yu and never looked away.
Finally, Shen Zhinian came down while buttoning his suit jacket. Hao Shuai, Xie Jingting, and the others followed. Xie Jingting asked Shen Zhinian to help with a case in Boston. Shen Zhinian agreed and told Xie Jingting to give his regards to his father. Xie Jingting laughed and noted that his father was currently worrying about what gift to send to the grandfather of Shen Zhinian. Shen Zhinian smiled and turned to Shi Yu to say they should go. Shi Yu nodded and signaled to the group behind him.
Duan Jinghuai crushed his cigarette and stepped out from the shadows while carrying his jacket. He lifted his eyelids lazily and tossed his car keys to Xie Jingting. He noted that his car was broken and asked Xie Jingting to have it towed back tomorrow. Xie Jingting raised an eyebrow. Duan Jinghuai suddenly spoke to Shen Zhinian and arrogantly asked for a ride.