Shi Yu’s movements paused slightly. The stream of clear water hitting the emerald-white wall of the sink came to an abrupt halt a few seconds later.
He kept his eyes down and lightly shook the water from his hands before speaking in a cold tone. “What I wear is none of your business.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Duan Jinghuai grabbed his arm and jerked him around, bracing his palms firmly against both sides of the sink.
Shi Yu’s back bumped against the edge of the basin. A flicker of shock crossed his eyes, and by the time he could react, he was already trapped tightly within the circle of Duan Jinghuai’s arms.
With only a few centimeters of height difference between them, warm breath enveloped him from a distance where heartbeats could almost be heard. His own heart suddenly skipped a beat.
His ears grew warm. He looked up to glare at Duan Jinghuai and tried to pull his hand away to leave.
Duan Jinghuai pulled him back again, locking his arms around Shi Yu’s waist.
The door to the women’s restroom on their left opened with a click. Two girls stepped out and were startled by the sight. They exchanged a knowing glance, grabbed each other’s hands, and walked away quickly.
“What do you think you are doing?”
Shi Yu’s beautiful almond eyes widened as he glared at him. The deep frown on his face suggested he was losing his temper.
Duan Jinghuai tilted his head slightly. His gaze landed on Shi Yu’s rounded, jade-like earlobe. It was originally thin and pale, but now it was flushed with a light crimson hue.
The gloom in Duan Jinghuai’s heart dissipated significantly.
He arched an eyebrow and looked at Shi Yu with a half-smile, his tone carrying a hint of mischief. “Are you shy?”
“We have already slept together, so what are you shy about?”
Shi Yu ground his teeth. He wanted to hit the man, but after a quick mental calculation, he decided the cost was too high.
He took a small breath and maintained a fake look of calm. “Even if I paid for you for one night, how much do you want? Though, I did not feel much of anything all night.”
Duan Jinghuai let out a lazy chuckle at those words. “But that is not how you were crying out that night.” He paused and leaned close to Shi Yu’s ear to whisper, “I sent you the evidence, did I not? Did you forget already?”
“Duan Jinghuai, are you sick?”
Unable to win in a contest of vulgarity, Shi Yu gritted his teeth and stepped hard on Duan Jinghuai’s foot.
Duan Jinghuai’s jaw tightened as if he were grinding his teeth. He frowned, grabbed Shi Yu by the waist, and lifted him directly onto the sink.
Suddenly losing the support at his back, Shi Yu’s body instinctively leaned forward. He subconsciously grabbed Duan Jinghuai’s shoulders, but Duan Jinghuai pinned his hands down and leaned in closer.
“Who was that man you were with that day?” he asked with a cold face.
He could not deny that he was exceptionally bothered by this matter.
What kind of man could make Shi Yu send a message to clear all ties immediately after having a meal with him?
Someone he liked? A boyfriend?
The sink was not very high. Even sitting on the counter, Shi Yu could look him straight in the eye.
He was bewildered by the question. “Which man?”
“Shi Yu, stop pretending.”
Shi Yu let out a cold, arrogant scoff. “Did you not say you never wanted to hear my name again? What does it matter to you who I am with?”
The rest of his words were completely cut off by a sudden, forceful kiss.
The man’s scorching breath overwhelmed him. His lips and teeth attacked with a restless heat, forcing Shi Yu’s teeth apart without hesitation. He bit and kissed with a fierce, surging momentum, as if he wanted to rub Shi Yu into his very bones.
The air in Shi Yu’s lungs was completely stolen.
“Duan,” Shi Yu struggled desperately in his arms, his teeth nipping at the other man’s tongue.
It felt as if an invisible electric current was traveling from his lips to his chest. His limbs grew soft and lacked the strength to resist.
After several attempts at defiance, a faint taste of blood lingered between their teeth.
Duan Jinghuai had no intention of letting him go. His hand tightened around Shi Yu’s waist as he bit down on his lower lip. His tongue swept heavily across the roof of Shi Yu’s mouth, making the kiss even deeper.
A breeze drifted in from the window and swirled around Shi Yu’s ankles.
Gradually, the hands pushing against the man’s shoulders lost their strength.
Soft murmurs escaped Shi Yu’s throat. He arched his neck and his fingertips gripped the man’s collar.
Duan Jinghuai’s heart pounded hard.
Shi Yu was slowly and gently responding to him.
Duan Jinghuai pulled back slightly. The angry kiss subsided and his tongue curled around Shi Yu’s again, turning into a more lingering and suggestive embrace.
The sound of the kiss filled the quiet, empty restroom area. Shi Yu felt a rhythmic drumming in his ears, a heartbeat that was chipping away at his logic.
Their breaths were entangled, and the scorching heat made his heart feel restless.
As the passion intensified, a clicking sound suddenly came from the other side of the restroom. Startled, Shi Yu quickly pushed Duan Jinghuai away and jumped down from the sink.
Su Rong stood dazed at the door, his face still as red as spilled paint. Behind him stood Huo Chenzhou, whose face was as dark as coal.
“Brother Shi Yu,” Su Rong called out weakly. He was mostly sober now, though he could not quite suppress his hiccups.
Shi Yu felt his lips aching from the intensity of the kiss. He calmed his breathing, and seeing that the two in front of him were a mess from being splashed with water, he calmly pulled out some paper towels and handed them over.
“I will pay you back for the clothes.” Shi Yu pulled out his phone to transfer money to Huo Chenzhou.
“No need,” Huo Chenzhou replied. His voice was deep, and his dark eyes held a cold, sharp intensity. “Just take him away.”
Su Rong kept his eyes down and his face crumpled. He whispered, “I am sorry for causing trouble.”
Huo Chenzhou dried himself slowly and cast a contemptuous glance. “If you cannot handle your liquor, do not push yourself to come to places like this.”
Su Rong gripped the hem of his shirt, his eyes slightly red and full of grievance.
Seeing that the others had not returned, the girl in the white pleated skirt and Luo An walked over from the booth to find them. When Guan Jiaran saw them standing there, she asked with concern, “Is everything okay?”
Huo Chenzhou threw Su Rong’s jacket over his head and strode toward the booth first. Su Rong pulled the fabric down bit by bit and sighed softly.
The girl pulled on Duan Jinghuai’s arm. “Everyone is waiting for you. Let us go back.”
Shi Yu looked away.
Duan Jinghuai shook off the girl’s hand and tilted his chin toward Luo An. “Call a car.”
Shi Yu said coldly, “No need. My driver is waiting outside.”
He grabbed Su Rong to lead him out. As he passed Duan Jinghuai, his wrist was firmly caught.
The warmth of the man’s palm traveled from his wrist to his heart. Shi Yu blinked and returned to his cold and distant demeanor. “Is there anything else?”
Duan Jinghuai did not know what to say. He had grabbed the person in front of him almost out of instinct.
Even though the two of them had been flirting and kissing here five minutes ago, Shi Yu still maintained this distant attitude. This made Duan Jinghuai’s chest feel tight, as if it were stuffed with suffocating cotton.
During the standoff, a group of drunken young men crowded in from around the corner. The air became filled with the stench of alcohol. They stumbled along, and the leader bumped into Su Rong. Su Rong spun around and was about to fall onto Shi Yu when Duan Jinghuai acted quickly, pulling Shi Yu by the wrist into his own arms.
That scorching breath was inches away once again. With his waist held tight, Shi Yu’s nose bumped into Duan Jinghuai’s jaw unexpectedly.
“Hiss.” He inhaled sharply from the pain and rubbed his nose, instinctively glaring at Duan Jinghuai.
That look lacked any real aggression. It was more like a pouting or a sulking expression.
Duan Jinghuai leaned against the wall. Seeing this expression, he raised an eyebrow meaningfully and leaned in closer. “Is my chin really that hard?”
“Obviously.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Yu froze. The two of them were pressed close together, and he could clearly feel the physical reaction that had started back during the kiss.
Crap.
Meeting the careless, almost wicked smirk on Duan Jinghuai’s lips, Shi Yu’s face turned completely red.