Jiang Zao’s mind went completely blank for a moment.
A hickey? What hickey?
He saw Zhou Yuchi walking toward him at an unhurried pace. The man’s calm, cool aura carried an inexplicable pressure, mingling faintly with the scent of dark ebony and dragon musk.
Zhou Yuchi stopped right in front of him, only a few centimeters away. His eyes were calm and bright, gaze steady as he reached out, tugged down the collar of the young man’s shirt, and exposed the patch of pale skin there, where a red mark stood out vividly.
“Who kissed you?”
The man’s sharp, handsome face loomed close. From this angle, Jiang Zao could clearly see his well-defined lashes, those ink-dark eyes, and the faint lines of veins running along his neck.
Under that intense stare, even without being touched, Jiang Zao could feel the heat radiating off Zhou Yuchi’s body. His skin seemed to burn just from being in proximity.
Kissed? What kissing?
It took Jiang Zao a few seconds to realize what Zhou Yuchi was even talking about.
Good grief, he thought that mark was a hickey!
Seriously, only a straight man could be so oblivious. Couldn’t he tell it was from a suction toy? Still, assuming it was a hickey was taking it a bit too far!
“It’s not, what are you even talking about? I told you already, that’s a mosquito bite,” Jiang Zao muttered, turning his face away and covering his neck.
“Are you out of your mind? Who would even kiss me? What kind of nonsense, are you a pervert or something?”
Zhou Yuchi lowered his eyes, looking down at him. The young man’s small face was tinged pink, his brows drawn together in irritation.
He didn’t let him off that easily. “Then why are you blushing?”
“I’m not blushing!” Jiang Zao snapped. “I’m just… nervous.”
Zhou Yuchi tilted his head slightly. “Nervous about what?”
“…”
Jiang Zao was at a loss for words. His eyelashes fluttered twice, his nose reddened slightly, and his lips pressed together tightly, the soft curve of them warping faintly from the pressure.
Of course he was nervous, if this man found out about the toy, he’d die of embarrassment on the spot. But he couldn’t exactly say that out loud, could he?
Think, think, think!
His brain spun wildly, scrambling for a halfway decent excuse. After several painful seconds, he finally squeezed out something weak and unconvincing. “Because… you touched me.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted it instantly.
Oh, fantastic. What kind of stupid excuse was that? It sounded way too shy, Zhou Yuchi would never buy it.
Jiang Zao felt utterly doomed, already bracing himself for the man’s next interrogation.
But suddenly, the room fell silent.
The amber glow of the nightlight mixed with the cool white of the indoor lights. A faint breeze slipped through, brushing against their clothes and hair, softening the air between them.
Zhou Yuchi seemed to freeze for a moment, like his thoughts had been caught by the wind.
Huh? That expression,
Before Jiang Zao could get a clear look, the man standing against the light suddenly lowered his head. His fringe fell forward, casting a shadow over his eyes.
Then, two warm hands came up to cradle Jiang Zao’s face.
Jiang Zao froze, eyes widening.
Zhou Yuchi’s hands were big, enveloping his face completely, pressing his cheeks together just enough to make the soft skin puff up. His thumbs rested against the underside of Jiang Zao’s jaw, the heat of his palms seeping directly into his skin.
The young man’s skin was soft and delicate; just a light squeeze left a faint mark behind.
The man’s gaze traced the outline of his features, brows, eyes, nose, lips, before his palm slid lower, fingers brushing against Jiang Zao’s mouth. He caught the corner of those pale pink lips between his fingers, rubbing gently, almost teasingly.
A soft squeeze. A slow, deliberate touch.
Jiang Zao was completely stunned.
His round almond eyes stared up in disbelief as Zhou Yuchi kneaded his cheeks like he was petting a cat. It was absurd, utterly unbelievable.
The air from the balcony was cool and damp, rustling the leaves outside. The world seemed dim except for this small patch of light between them.
Zhou Yuchi’s expression softened slightly, and under the warm orange light, the sharp lines of his face looked gentler. His bone structure was still aggressive, but his eyes… his eyes were smiling.
He leaned down, close enough that his breath brushed against Jiang Zao’s ear. His voice came low and rough, the tone languid and teasing, vibrating with a magnetic warmth that filled the small space.
“Nervous?”
Jiang Zao: o… o##!
Jiang Zao nearly exploded.
“You’re insane! Can’t you go one day without tormenting me?” he shouted, twisting his head frantically and trying to pry the man’s hand away.
Zhou Yuchi only chuckled, watching as Jiang Zao’s lips were squeezed into a small pout, soft and pink, his voice rising in indignant protest that sounded suspiciously like a whine. His mood brightened instantly.
The tips of the young man’s ears were flushed, the color spreading slowly down his neck and across his cheeks, fading into a hazy, peach-tinted glow.
Finally, Zhou Yuchi let go, lazily watching the furious little ball of fluff in front of him.
Mad dog. Absolute mad dog.
Jiang Zao’s anger hit its limit. He kicked him several times in frustration, then bolted out of his grasp.
He stormed back into his room, yanking the glass door shut behind him with a sharp click. “You’ve asked your questions, haven’t you? Now stop following me around! You’re so annoying!”
With that, Jiang Zao darted off to his bedroom and slammed the door shut hard.
The sky outside was starless that night.
Zhou Yuchi didn’t return to his own room right away. He lingered on the balcony, leaning against the railing for a long while.
Then he took out his phone, scrolled idly for a bit, and opened his notes app.
It seemed inspiration had struck.
…….
The next morning, Jiang Zao went about completely ignoring Zhou Yuchi. He left the apartment without so much as a glance in his direction and headed straight for work.
It wasn’t until he reached the subway station that he glanced at his phone. A message from Zhou Yuchi was waiting.
【Mad Dog (▽皿▽#): You forgot your breakfast.】
Jiang Zao’s expression darkened. He typed back:
【ZaoZao Sleeps: I must be blind.】
Then he closed the chat, ready to block him entirely, except he remembered that he’d promised not to blacklist the man. So, with great reluctance, he let him stay on his contacts list.
“Morning, boss,” Qi Yiran greeted when he arrived at the office.
“Morning,” Jiang Zao replied with a small smile.
Cheng Jiamin eyed the rice ball in Jiang Zao’s hand. “Whoa, the boss is eating breakfast in the office today? Didn’t your roommate make any for you?”
“I didn’t ask him to,” Jiang Zao said flatly.
The words came out with a hint of defiance. Cheng Jiamin could feel the sparks but wisely didn’t tease him about it. “Got it, got it. Oh right, boss, we’ve got a few new concept scripts for the lingerie line. Can you take a look?”
Jiang Zao took the tablet and looked at the first script.
“The Naïve Bunny Student and the Big Bad Wolf Professor in the Changing Room, XX Scene.”
Jiang Zao: ?
“This one’s a no. Absolutely not. No teacher-student stuff! We still have to maintain basic market order,” he said seriously.
“Then how about this one?” Cheng Jiamin swiped to the next.
“The Athletic Roommate Who Went Seven Rounds in One Night.”
Was this supposed to be a sports-themed cosplay? All he could picture was some over-muscled, overly sweaty guy, definitely not sexy.
“Next.”
“The Dashing Student Council President and the Innocent Athlete, A Punishment of Love.”
Hmm. That setup might actually have potential.
He opened the file, half hopeful, but after reading just three lines, he fell silent.
He’d thought his standards were low, especially for smutty writing, but this one was too much. Not only were the words short and clumsy, it was the kind of thing that would get taken down the moment it was posted.
“Uh… do we still have anyone left in the copywriting department?” Jiang Zao asked faintly.
“Good question,” Cheng Jiamin replied. “Actually, we’re still hiring. You know how it is, with our kind of company, turnover’s always high. A few of the girls quit recently because their families thought it was embarrassing.”
Jiang Zao nodded quietly. It was true, sex was still something most people couldn’t talk about openly. Society wasn’t ready to look at it straight.
“I think we need to come up with something better,” he said after a pause. “The writing style and the setting both matter. A well-written short piece really enhances the emotional pull.”
“Got it,” Cheng Jiamin said with a grin. “But boss, why don’t you try writing one? You’ve read plenty of novels, haven’t you?”
“…”
How did she even know that? Had she caught him sneaking web novels during work hours?
“I’ve… never written anything like that,” Jiang Zao muttered.
“No worries, babe,” Cheng Jiamin said brightly. “If my Chinese grades weren’t so terrible, I’d give it a try too.”
Jiang Zao could only sigh and start brainstorming ideas, after all, he was the boss.
They worked through the morning and had lunch together.
After eating, Jiang Zao lazily checked his phone and saw a string of messages from Bai Yunfan.
【Bai Yunfan: Morning!】
【Bai Yunfan: Don’t forget about the physical test this afternoon!】
【Bai Yunfan: Our class’s turn is in an hour, so make sure you come back to campus, or you’ll have to retake it later.】
Jiang Zao stared at the messages blankly.
Physical test?
Physical test!!
He shot up from his chair like a man resurrected from his deathbed.
Oh no, he’d completely forgotten!
Fourth-year fitness testing, the worst kind of torture imaginable. Which meant he’d have to run a thousand meters in front of everyone soon.
【ZaoZao Sleeps: I’m doomed, I totally forgot!】
【ZaoZao Sleeps: Alright, alright, I’m on my way!】
For someone as hopelessly unathletic as Jiang Zao, the physical test was a nightmare. Especially when all the activities were crammed into one exhausting afternoon, it was pure suffering.
He looked down at himself: jeans.
Yeah, that wasn’t going to work for running.
“Boss, here’s a document you might want to look at,” Qi Yiran said as he entered.
“Can I check it later? I need to take the afternoon off, I forgot about my university’s physical test and need to rush over,” Jiang Zao explained quickly.
“No problem. Go ahead,” Qi Yiran said.
Jiang Zao started packing up, then remembered that Qi Yiran often went to the gym and sometimes brought a sports bag to work. “Hey, do you happen to have an extra pair of workout pants? I don’t have time to go home and change.”
“Oh, sure. Give me a sec,” Qi Yiran said, stepping out.
A few minutes later, he came back holding several pairs of pants.
“Boss, try these. You’re pretty slim, though, might be a bit loose at the waist.”
Jiang Zao held one up against himself and immediately saw that it was way too big. “Yeah, this one’s huge.”
Qi Yiran rummaged through the pile again, then pulled out another pair, knee-length shorts, and handed them over. “Try this one instead, boss.”
Jiang Zao held it up to his waist and nodded. “Hey, this one fits perfectly. Just right.”
But as he lifted it, something about it looked strangely familiar. “Wait… why does this look so familiar? The style’s kind of different from your usual ones.”
Qi Yiran said calmly, “That’s because it’s a prototype we just got in, a sample for the new sporty gymnastics-themed lingerie line. The over-the-knee shorts version.”
Jiang Zao: *Cough* *Cough* Cough!*
He almost choked to death on air.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
This is not a bribe. It is a totally legitimate caffeine-based appreciation system.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · The BossChapter 2 · Childhood FriendChapter 3 · Settlement of AccountChapter 4 · Button UnderwearChapter 5 · Open The DoorChapter 6 · (O△O)!Chapter 7 · Woe to himChapter 8 · Break The JarChapter 9 · Keep your promiseChapter 10 · MovieChapter 11 · Try on clothesChapter 12 · Hide! Hide! HIDE!Chapter 13 · ShameChapter 14 · ProtocolChapter 15 · TraceChapter 16 · What are you nervous about?Chapter 17 · Physical TestChapter 18 · Protect One’s OwnChapter 19 · MassageChapter 20 · BiteChapter 21 · Bring him homeChapter 22 · True LoveChapter 23 · After drinkingChapter 24 · MarketChapter 25 · Temporary TattooChapter 26 · Shooting GameChapter 27 · Escape GameChapter 28 · Terrifying dreamChapter 29 · ExhibitionChapter 30 · Pocky GameChapter 31 · TeasingChapter 32 · Pure scoundrelChapter 33 · Straight menChapter 34 · Gay BarChapter 35 · Lip lickingChapter 36 · Doesn’t seem like a good personChapter 37 · AddictionChapter 38 · Reporting videoChapter 39 · Rough LanguageChapter 40 · Wow!Chapter 41 · Hot spring resort～～Chapter 42 · It looks good!Chapter 43 · Hot SpringChapter 44 · HonestyChapter 45 · VinegarChapter 46 · I’ll keep you companyChapter 47 · Rocking ChairChapter 48 · VileChapter 49 · Losing ComposureChapter 50 · A Guide to Identifying Gay MenChapter 51 · Going HomeChapter 52 · KissChapter 53 · PeckChapter 54 · Pearl Wedding AttireChapter 55 · For No ReasonChapter 56 · Stop CalculatingChapter 57 · HandcuffsChapter 58 · Too FarChapter 59 · The MuzzleChapter 60 · Taking It FurtherChapter 61 · Does kissing feel good?Chapter 62 · HmmChapter 63 · GuidanceChapter 64 · VideoChapter 65 · No ProblemChapter 66 · Come DownChapter 67 · Is That All?Chapter 68 · HmphChapter 69 · Applying MedicineChapter 70 · ToysChapter 71 · BathroomChapter 72 · PlacementChapter 73 · WaitingChapter 74 · LoveChapter 75 · StarsChapter 76 · RoommateChapter 77 · BoyfriendChapter 78 · MouthChapter 79 · MidsummerChapter 80 · Aeroplane ChessChapter 81 · Ice CubesChapter 82 · All Night LongChapter 83 · SleepChapter 84 · The Alt AccountChapter 85 · End of the Main StoryChapter 86 · Extra 1Chapter 87 · Extra 2Chapter 88 · Extra 3Chapter 89 · Extra 4Chapter 90 · Extra 5Chapter 91 · Extra 6Chapter 92 · Extra 7Chapter 93 · Extra 8Chapter 94 · Extra 9Chapter 95 · Extra 10Chapter 96 · Extra 11