Inside the bathroom, the sound of dripping water echoed softly, “How come you were having dinner with him?”
Bai Yun lowered his head slightly, his tone gentle and casual, as if he were merely asking about the weather or whether Lu Jiu had eaten.
“He was having dinner with my seniors from the company where I’m interning,” Lu Jiu replied naturally. His sharp eyes suddenly caught something, and he reached out to tug open Bai Yun’s collar, “What’s this?”
There was a faint red mark there.
Just moments ago, he looked like he was about to leave. But now, his tone had turned suspicious, almost like he was checking up on him.
Bai Yun glanced down at the mark, then curved his lips into a smile. His voice was soft, smooth as silk. “Spilled wine.”
Then he asked, “Interning?”
“Yeah,” Lu Jiu said lazily, “I was bored, so I figured I’d get a bit of work experience. You know, prepare for the future.”
He released Bai Yun’s collar, but his hand didn’t move away. Instead, it slid to rest on the man’s shoulder, then hooked around his neck.
The space between them shrank.
They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before Bai Yun’s voice dropped to a murmur, “Why haven’t you replied to my messages these past few days?”
“Work and study,” Lu Jiu said, voice light, teasing. “I’ve been so busy I’ve practically been sleeping at the office. What, do you think a mere college student can’t possibly be busier than you?”
Bai Yun gave a low chuckle.
“I never said that. I just thought… ”
“Thought what?”
The man leaned down, close enough for his breath to brush Lu Jiu’s ear.
“I thought maybe my little Jiu was playing a bit of… neglect play.”
Lu Jiu’s pupils contracted sharply. A jolt ran down his spine.
He lifted his eyes, staring directly into Bai Yun’s, whose smile remained calm and graceful, infuriatingly composed.
“…I wasn’t planning on it,” Lu Jiu said softly, his voice like a breath, his hands tightening on Bai Yun’s neck. “But now that you’ve said it… I almost want to try.”
The voices of Ding Jiaye and the others had long since faded away down the corridor. The hallway around them was silent, an isolated pocket of stillness.
Their kiss was silent too but far from gentle.
Lu Jiu’s body arched backward, his spine curving in an almost unnatural bend. The kiss was all-consuming, like Bai Yun himself: seemingly tender, but in truth, firm and unyielding.
Lu Jiu hadn’t felt particularly tired lately, but at that moment, he realized just how much exhaustion had accumulated in him, perhaps even carried over from another world. Yet within that kiss, the fatigue began to dissolve.
His fingers threaded through Bai Yun’s hair, rough, slightly prickly, yet oddly pleasant to touch.
Dazed and dizzy, he thought fleetingly that maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just take this man home tonight..
Until a sudden set of heavy footsteps echoed from behind, followed by a furious shout.
“Lu Jiu, you little bastard, what the hell are you doing!!”
Lu Mingyang burst into view, his eyes widening to the size of saucers.
Bai Yun bit Lu Jiu’s lip sharply, turned around, and met the man’s stunned gaze. Lu Mingyang’s words froze in his throat, dissolving into a violent coughing fit.
He coughed so hard his face turned crimson, utterly aghast. “You… you two… !”
Lu Jiu calmly withdrew his hands from around Bai Yun’s neck and stepped back slightly.
Bai Yun glanced at him, the heat still smoldering in his eyes, but he straightened his posture smoothly, regaining his usual composed elegance.
Tsk. The way this man could turn it on and off so effortlessly, kind of impressive.
Lu Quning arrived just behind them, stopping short at the sight before him. “Dad, just now Ding Jiaye was here, and suddenly there’s, wait, why is Bai Yun… ”
Bai Yun cast him a look.
Lu Mingyang immediately clamped a hand over his son’s mouth.
“Mm?!” Lu Quning muffled a confused protest. Why cover his mouth?!
Lu Mingyang was still trembling all over, not with anger this time, but sheer shock. He looked like an old tree struck by lightning, seconds away from splitting in half.
“You two… Two…” he stammered, voice shaking uncontrollably.
Lu Jiu tilted his head, smiling politely. “Dad, are you all right?”
“?!!”
Lu Mingyang nearly passed out on the spot, his face turning ashen.
Bai Yun chuckled softly, his tone courteous as ever. “Uncle Lu, should I call an ambulance?”
Lu Mingyang’s face went from red to green.
He grabbed Lu Quning and fled.
When he finally stumbled back into the private room, he was drenched in cold sweat, his whole body trembling.
An old business partner was startled, “Old Lu, heart acting up again?”
Lu Mingyang clutched his chest. He didn’t have heart disease, but he sure felt like he did now.
The partner hurriedly said, “No rush on today’s meeting, go get checked, quick!”
Lu Mingyang waved him off, dragging his bewildered son out. He didn’t even dare take the guest elevator, he used the service lift instead.
Outside, Lu Quning was still full of confusion. “Dad, Ding Jiaye really was there earlier! I just didn’t expect Bai Yun to be there either… But why did we have to run away?”
What was there to run from?
Lu Mingyang wiped the sweat from his forehead, his grave, “Do you know what’s going on between your brother and Bai Yun?”
Lu Quning blinked, “What could be going on? Last time, Bai Yun just took him home because Gege wasn’t feeling well.”
“And besides that?!”
Lu Quning hesitated, “Didn’t my brother say Bai Yun was angry with him before? Maybe he made him mad somehow…”
“Oh, right!” He suddenly remembered something. “Dad, did you notice? My brother’s lip was bleeding. They probably argued and maybe fought?”
“……”
Lu Mingyang stared at him blankly.
Lu Quning grew even more certain, “Yeah, they must’ve fought! Brother must’ve really pissed Bai Yun off!” He looked anxious. “Should we go back and get him?”
“You….. Forget it.”
Lu Mingyang rubbed his chest. He really was going to have a heart attack at this rate. After thinking for a moment, he still called Lu Jiu.
When the call connected, his tone was icy, “How much longer are you planning to stay up there? Get down here now!”
“But Bai Yun ge said he still has something to talk to me about,” came Lu Jiu’s teasing voice on the other end.
Lu Mingyang froze. His heart skipped painfully and he hung up.
Dogs! They were both dogs!
Upstairs in the hotel, Lu Jiu looked at his phone after the call ended, all innocence.
Bai Yun, however, couldn’t stop laughing, “Uncle Lu seems a little… excitable.”
Lu Jiu laughed too, “Can’t argue with that.”
When their laughter faded, Bai Yun asked, “How are you getting back?”
“Taxi,” Lu Jiu said with a big yawn.
“So sleepy already? It’s only nine.”
Bai Yun reached out and brushed a finger along the corner of his eye, wiping away a faint trace of moisture. Lu Jiu leaned into the touch, mumbling, “Yeah… I’ve been feeling really tired lately. Don’t know why.”
Bai Yun’s gaze deepened, “Then why don’t you come home with me tonight?”
Lu Jiu smiled. “If I go home with you, do you really think I’ll get any sleep?”
The man gave a slow grin, “Do I look like the kind of person who’d wear you out?”
Lu Jiu tilted his chin and said cheekily, “Fine, fine, Daddy.”
Bai Yun pinched his chin lightly, “Behave if you want me to actually send you back.”
The night passed like a brief interlude, one that Lu Jiu didn’t take to heart.
If not for Lu Mingyang’s repeated calls the next day, each one probing for hints about Bai Yun, he might’ve forgotten the whole thing.
Of course, Lu Jiu dodged every question smoothly, and after a few tries, stopped picking up entirely.
But something strange was happening.
He was getting sleepier by the day.
“Your stomach hasn’t even fully healed, and now you’re constantly drowsy. Host, your body’s definitely having issues,” System 111 said worriedly.
Was it the old stomach problem flaring up or something else entirely?
After two days of thought, Lu Jiu decided not to gamble with his health. He booked a gastroscopy appointment.
The test results were ordinary, just mild gastritis, nothing serious.
The doctor asked him to describe his symptoms. Lu Jiu listed them carefully:
Strong smells, whether it was cooking oil or alcohol, made him nauseous to the point of vomiting. Food he used to love now made his stomach turn.
He had no appetite at all. He was constantly sleepy, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, no energy for anything.
The doctor was silent for a long moment, then asked, “You’re male, right?”
“…?” Lu Jiu glanced at the computer, “Doesn’t my chart say that?”
“It does,” the doctor replied evenly, “Then never mind.”
When he left the hospital, Lu Jiu couldn’t shake a sense of unease.
He replayed the doctor’s reaction in his head, went over the symptoms again.
“…111,” he said seriously.
“What? What’s wrong?” system 111 asked back,
“Why exactly did the Bureau make my first task sleeping with Bai Yun?”
“Because that’s how you and your destined lover are supposed to bond quickly, of course!” the system chirped. Then it froze.
“Wait… Host, don’t tell me you’re thinking… You can’t seriously think you’re pregnant, right? You’re both men! Besides, didn’t you guys use protection?!”
The little system had clearly been reading too many fantasy romance novels, but now its host was joining it in delusion!
Lu Jiu pressed his lips together, face blank, “…It broke.”
“…”
“I only noticed afterward.”
“……”
“He finished inside.”
“…………”
“And then I got kicked back home by that bug before he could even… clean up.”
“……………………”
Silence fell between man and machine.
Lu Jiu clenched his teeth, stood up, and turned around. “I’m booking an appointment with gynaecologist.”
An hour later, he was practically chased out of the department, along with a scolding, “You people are unbelievable! Don’t come messing around here just because you’re bored!”
System 111 coughed awkwardly, “Host, I think we’re definitely overthinking this. You literally don’t have the organs for that…”
Lu Jiu squatted by the roadside, deep in thought. After a long silence, he made a phone call.
The line connected quickly. A deep, velvety voice answered, laced with a trace of amusement, “Jiu? To what do I owe the honor of you calling me first for once?”
Lu Jiu wasn’t in the mood to flirt, “Hey… does your friend’s hospital have any good OB-GYN doctors?”
A pause. The faint tap of a pen cap on wood came through the receiver, “Of course. Who’s the patient?”
“An old high school friend,” Lu Jiu said vaguely, scratching at his scalp, “She’s got… a special situation. Could you find someone really discreet? High skill level, strong nerves, won’t gossip to anyone.”
“To anyone?” The man’s tone lowered slightly.
“…Yeah. To no one.”
Especially not to you.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
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ChaptersChapter 1 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (1)Chapter 2 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (2)Chapter 3 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (3)Chapter 4 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (4)Chapter 5 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (5)Chapter 6 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (6)Chapter 7 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (7)Chapter 8 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (8)Chapter 9 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (9)Chapter 10 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (10)Chapter 11 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (11)Chapter 12 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (12)Chapter 13 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (13)Chapter 14 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s room (14)Chapter 15 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (15)Chapter 16 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (16)Chapter 17 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (17)Chapter 18 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (18)Chapter 19 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (19)Chapter 20 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (20)Chapter 21 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (21)Chapter 22 Part 1 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (22)Chapter 22 Part 2 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (22)Chapter 23 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (23)Chapter 24 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (24)Chapter 25 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (25)Chapter 26 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (26)Chapter 27 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (27)Chapter 28 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (28)Chapter 29 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (29)Chapter 30 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (30)Chapter 31 Part 1 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (31)Chapter 31 Part 2 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (31)Chapter 32 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (1)Chapter 33 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (2)Chapter 34 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (3)Chapter 35 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (4)Chapter 36 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (5)Chapter 37 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (6)Chapter 38 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (7)Chapter 39 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (8)Chapter 40 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (9)Chapter 41 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (10)Chapter 42 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (11)Chapter 43 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (12)Chapter 44 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (13)Chapter 45 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (14)Chapter 46 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (15)Chapter 47 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (16)Chapter 48 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (17)Chapter 49 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (18)Chapter 50 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (19)Chapter 51 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (20)Chapter 52 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (21)Chapter 53 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (22)Chapter 54 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (23)Chapter 55 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (24)Chapter 56 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (25)Chapter 57 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (26)Chapter 58 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (27)Chapter 59 · Hatching Baby Zombies (1)Chapter 60 · Hatching Baby Zombies (2)Chapter 61 · Hatching Baby Zombies (3)Chapter 62 · Hatching Baby Zombies (4)Chapter 63 · Hatching Baby Zombies (5)Chapter 64 · Hatching Baby Zombies (6)Chapter 65 · Hatching Baby Zombies (7)Chapter 66 · Hatching Baby Zombies (8)Chapter 67 · Hatching Baby Zombies (9)Chapter 68 · Hatching Baby Zombies (10)Chapter 69 · Hatching Baby Zombies (11)Chapter 70 · Hatching Baby Zombies (12)Chapter 71 · Hatching Baby Zombies (13)Chapter 72 · Hatching Baby Zombies (14)Chapter 73 · Hatching Baby Zombies (15)Chapter 74 · Hatching Baby Zombies (16)Chapter 75 · Hatching Baby Zombies (17)Chapter 76 · Hatching Baby Zombies (18)Chapter 77 · Hatching Baby Zombies (19)Chapter 78 · Hatching Baby Zombies (20)Chapter 79 · The Mermaid on the Shore (1)Chapter 80 · The Mermaid on the Shore (2)Chapter 81 · The Mermaid on the Shore (3)Chapter 82 · The Mermaid on the Shore (4)Chapter 83 · The Mermaid on the Shore (5)Chapter 84 · The Mermaid on the Shore (6)Chapter 85 · The Mermaid on the Shore (7)Chapter 86 · The Mermaid on the Shore (8)Chapter 87 · The Mermaid on the Shore (9)Chapter 88 · The Mermaid on the Shore (10)Chapter 89 · The Mermaid on the Shore (11)Chapter 90 · The Mermaid on the Shore (12)Chapter 91 · The Mermaid on the Shore (13)Chapter 92 · The Mermaid on the Shore (14)Chapter 93 · The Mermaid on the Shore (15)Chapter 94 · The Mermaid on the Shore (16)Chapter 95 · The Mermaid on the Shore (17)Chapter 96 Part 1 · The Mermaid on the Shore (18)Chapter 96 Part 2 · The Mermaid on the Shore (18)Chapter 97 · The Mermaid on the Shore (19)Chapter 98 · Give me a drop of blood (1)Chapter 99 · Give me a drop of blood (2)Chapter 100 · Give me a drop of blood (3)Chapter 101 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (4)Chapter 102 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (5)Chapter 103 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (6)Chapter 104 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (7)Chapter 105 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (8)Chapter 106 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (9)Chapter 107 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (10)Chapter 108 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (11)Chapter 109 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (12)Chapter 110 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (13)Chapter 111 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (14)Chapter 112 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (15)Chapter 113 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (16)Chapter 114 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (17)Chapter 115 · Extra 1: A Little Conversation After Drinking (1)Chapter 116 · Extra: A Little Conversation After Drinking (2)Chapter 117 · Extra: A Little Conversation After Drinking (3)