AD Chapter 47

They hadn’t driven today, and the weather wasn’t too hot.

The two of them decided to walk back.

The evening glow colored half the sky, neon lights flickered, and the streets were bustling with people. Shen Du walked out of the shop and saw Qin Yi holding a cigarette between his lips, silently watching the passersby as they took pictures of the sunset.

Almost everyone on the street was taking photos, except for him, standing alone on the side. A layer of smoke circled around him, his profile calm and aloof, as if the surrounding bustle had nothing to do with him.

Shen Du took a few long strides and ran over. “Qin Yi!”

Qin Yi turned around at the sound of his voice. The next second, a soft warmth spread across his eyes. He took the cigarette from his mouth and held it between his fingers, opening his arms to him.

Shen Du moved quickly, running towards him in just a few breaths. He didn’t collide into Qin Yi’s embrace as he had imagined, but instead jumped up on the spot, wrapping his arms around Qin Yi’s neck and pulling him down.

“You little bastard, you made me discover you lied to me. You like to mess around with younger guys, huh?”

“What?”

The smell of nicotine lingered between them.

Qin Yi, slightly bent over by Shen Du’s pressure, moved the hand holding the cigarette to the side. After a while, he remembered that he had indeed said something like that before.

At the time, he had just turned 26 and felt that the people around him had very clear, utilitarian purposes. They were boring, and compared to them, younger guys were definitely more interesting.

“Where did you hear that? Did Xiang Nan tell you?”

“So it’s true?” Shen Du relaxed his hold, easily pressing Qin Yi, a man over 1.8 meters tall, into his arms in a strange position.

He could smell the scent of medicine, and the tattoo on Qin Yi’s collarbone had already healed.

Qin Yi’s nose brushed against his shoulder, and he chuckled, asking, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Du smiled and asked back, his other hand scratching at Qin Yi’s side: “What do you think?”

“If I say no, would you believe me?” Qin Yi wasn’t afraid of being tickled and didn’t try to avoid it.

“I don’t believe you.” Shen Du pressed him down, “Tell me honestly, have you ever messed around with other younger guys?”

“No,” Qin Yi replied.

“Really not?” Shen Du’s hand moved to his cheek, and he lightly slapped his chin. The sound of the slap was crisp, and the evening glow reflected in his eyes as he smiled and asked, “Didn’t you say you’re interested in younger guys?”

“…Really not. Fine, I have.”

Shen Du’s smile immediately disappeared.

Qin Yi, taking control, stretched out his arm and pulled Shen Du into his embrace. The two of them held each other like good brothers, one hugging the other.

“You say no; you don’t believe me. You say yes, you’re upset.” Qin Yi rubbed his head, “What do you want me to do, hmm?”

“You’re treating me like your son!” Shen Du fumed, his hair disheveled.

“You’re the one being flirtatious,” Shen Du said.

“How am I flirtatious?”

Shen Du: “The first time we met, you were already interested in me, dangling around, leading me on. You liar. I was perfectly straight before you.”

“Do you even believe what you’re saying?” Qin Yi asked. “I recognized you back then.”

“How could I not believe it? It’s true.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Qin Yi turned his head and kissed him on the lips.

Shen Du’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy? We’re on the street!”

Then Qin Yi kissed him again.

“……”

Recently, Qin Yi had become busier. He rarely went to the shop and, after sending Shen Du out the door, he drove to the villa to meet Zheng Qing and the others.

Their project was nearing its end, and once they passed this last hurdle, the follow-up would be much easier. Shen Du had visited once, and there was a mess of foreign documents. He almost understood it all.

Zheng Qing and Lu Ning were fine, but Shen Du had thought that people like Fang Zhao Yi and Cheng Qi, who seemed unreliable, would be just as clueless as him. However, one was on an international call, and the other was scolding his subordinates fiercely. Their clarity and focus were remarkable, and they seemed like completely different people when working seriously.

Shen Du suddenly felt a little anxious.

It was that kind of uneasy feeling when you feel like you can’t keep up.

His boyfriend and his friends were all so excellent, and he was the only one who did nothing every day, feeling restless.

He was afraid of falling behind Qin Yi.

He couldn’t understand what Qin Yi liked about him anymore.

Although his family didn’t have much of an inheritance for him to take over, they did have a small mine, and his basic needs were always met. Shen Du had always been laid-back and never thought about starting a career, but after being around these five people, his ambition suddenly sparked.

He couldn’t fall too far behind; he needed to have his own career.

But he wasn’t skilled in either the arts or sports. After thinking for a while, the only thing that seemed like it could give him some success was live streaming.

So, Shen Du opened the Cool Cat app, which he hadn’t used in a while, and contacted the official account he had been in touch with before to ask about signing a contract. After chatting for a while, they complained that his streaming frequency was too low, and his streaming schedule was inconsistent. Shen Du got annoyed and decided to start a live stream.

What really moved him was that despite not streaming for so long, there were still people waiting for him.

[Oh my God, let me see who this is!!]

[Grandma!! The blogger you follow is finally streaming!!]

[Wuwuwu, Shen Sama, I missed you so much, wuwuwuwu, everyone thought you stopped streaming because you were in a relationship.]

The barrage of comments flooded in quickly, and Shen Du squinted his eyes and picked a few to reply to: “I didn’t disappear, just been a bit busy for three times.”

Although he didn’t know exactly what he had been busy with, it felt a bit inexplicable.

“Yes, I’ve really been busy with a relationship,” Shen Du laughed, “You’re not wrong.”

[Looks like Shen Sama has been really happy lately.]

[Laughing to death, I can’t even call him my husband anymore.]

[Will you still stream? Give us a clear answer, as long as you keep streaming, we’ll always be here.]

“I’ll stream. I’ve been thinking about signing a contract recently,” Shen Du put on his headphones, opened the game, and didn’t want to talk about it too much. He casually said, “It’s not about money, just want to find something to do.”

The evening was peak gaming time, and Shen Du had to wait a while before he could get into a game. Unlike other streamers, he usually didn’t use a microphone when playing solo and didn’t interact much with the chat, just quietly focused on playing.

At this time, the fans put their phones aside and did their own things. Just listening to his breathing and the sound of the keyboard was a kind of enjoyment.

It even helped them fall asleep.

After a few rounds, when he returned to the live stream, he saw the ID [Dreamy Affection] light up.

Shen Du quickly found the comment among the barrage.

[Dreamy Affection: When are you sleeping?]

He had been staying at Qin Yi’s house lately. After dinner, Qin Yi started working on the computer again, and Shen Du, thinking about resolving the live stream issue, went to the study to stay for a while.

[Affection 1 Brother is back, he’s become the Dreamy Affection who used to control everything again.]

[Laughing to death, he just started playing.]

[Who goes to sleep so early, hurry up and fight till dawn.]

Shen Du was actually getting a bit into the game and wanted to play a few more rounds. He hesitated and didn’t speak until he was in the matchmaking screen, then said, “I might be a while longer. You do your thing.”

As if he had just noticed.

On the other side, Qin Yi slowly turned off the computer.

In the live stream, the hero ban/pick phase had already started, and the chat was going crazy greeting him.

There were already fans who shipped [Shen°] and [Dreamy Affection]. Some people even followed [Shen°] because of their story.

A while ago, Shen Du had suddenly announced his relationship, and to them, it felt like a betrayal. They thought [Shen°] was like those streamers who broke up after gaining CP benefits. However, the gifts that [Dreamy Affection] sent during the final moments gave [Shen°] enough face.

He automatically filtered out the negative comments and only saw a few like this.

[Affection 1 Brother, I’m crying, don’t love him too much.]

[They’re in a relationship, and you’re still… wuwu.]

[Don’t, dear, your heart is fragile, not suitable for watching tragic love stories.]

Tragic love? Who said that?

Qin Yi moved his fingers and sent out another wave of star seas, making sure the annoying comments were gone before he stopped.

After enjoying the special effects for a while, he suddenly remembered something. He returned to the homepage and changed his ID to [1°].

Then he sent out a few more star seas.

The system kept reminding him: [1°] sent 99 star seas to streamer [Shen°]!

Message: Please wish them a long-lasting relationship ^_^!

*

In late August, just before school started, many people were returning to school.

Shen Du quit his job at the shop and planned to study hard during this time, then amaze everyone when school started.

He had already made up his mind—since he couldn’t keep up with Qin Yi’s pace, he wouldn’t try to. He was still young, and there was no point in thinking too much. Whatever happens, happens. He would deal with future problems when they came.

But his grades were really something he couldn’t be proud of.

The second semester was almost over, and the new year was approaching. He was afraid that when he went out to play with Qin Yi and ran into some relatives who lacked tact, they’d ask about his grades, and he’d be embarrassed.

In families like that, where everyone was used to dealing with geniuses, encountering someone like him, who was nothing special, would probably become a topic of gossip for a long time.

Losing face for Qin Yi is a small matter, but what’s worse is losing face for Shen Du himself.

Can he afford to lose face?

What should he do when his boyfriend is too outstanding?

Can he give up his boyfriend?

No, he can’t!

He can’t!

He sighed.

So, he could only start studying and working hard from now on. Shen Du, you can do it!

In fact, Shen Du really thought so.

But his effort only lasted for two days.

Recently, many people returned to school, and his former basketball friends came back. Lin Yan, Jin, and others couldn’t settle down to prepare for the postgraduate exam and started persuading him to go out and play.

They had a big group chat. When they wanted to play, they would shout in it, and soon a bunch of people would show up.

Shen Du played basketball with them for a few days. Everyone went crazy, and he completely forgot about the grand plan he had set for himself a few days ago.

After a game, Shen Du was drenched in sweat and extremely thirsty, looking around for water.

He was about to go out and buy a bottle when a hand suddenly reached out in his line of sight. “Drink mine, it hasn’t been touched.”

It was Qi Fei.

The idol of the School of Science.

He and Shen Du were famous for being the two outstanding students from different fields.

Shen Du had a good relationship with him, which was forged through basketball, so he wasn’t polite. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Qi Fei was holding another bottle of water. The two of them sat together on the bleachers, unscrewed the caps, and drank water, their actions surprisingly synchronized.

Qi Fei drank quickly. After a big gulp, more than half of the water in the bottle was gone. He wiped his mouth and smiled. “Shen Du, it’s been a while since we played together. It seems like your skills have regressed.”

“Really?” Shen Du had sweat all over his throat. He adjusted his headband and felt a bit cooler on his forehead.

“I think your skills haven’t improved much either.”

“Ah, it’s been a while since I played,” Qi Fei said.

Since the topic had come up, Shen Du followed up, “What have you been up to lately?”

“Studying,” Qi Fei shrugged.

“Are you preparing for the postgraduate exam?”

“No, I’m preparing to go abroad. I’ve been studying for the IELTS,” Qi Fei smiled and added, “What about you? What are your plans for the future?”

When he asked that, Shen Du’s thoughts, which had just calmed down, started to get busy again.

It seemed like everyone else had something to do, with clear goals.

Only he hadn’t thought about what he wanted to do in the future.

Qi Fei was a smart person. Seeing his expression, he understood. “Actually, it’s not just you. Everyone feels the same.”

The third year of university was a critical time. It seemed like in this semester, everyone started to get tense.

But goals are not something that can be figured out just by being tense.

The reason everyone was tense was because they were just going with the flow. Everyone else was busy, and if you weren’t busy, it felt like you weren’t fitting in.

“Actually, Lin Yan, Jin, and the others are the same. Do you think they really want to do research after the postgraduate exam? It’s just because they don’t know what to do in the future. I’m the same. Going abroad is just to have more options. That’s why it was better in the first and second years.”

At this point, it seemed like someone on the opposite court had made a three-point shot. Qi Fei, who had been sighing just a second ago, suddenly yelled, “Nice shot!”

That’s how youth is. Worries come quickly and go quickly.

Shen Du looked over and noticed that the people over there looked unfamiliar. “Which department are they from?”

“No way, you don’t even know him? Shen Du, have you been off the internet recently?” Qi Fei said.

Shen Du was confused. “Should I know him?”

“He’s the main character that everyone was talking about in the group the other day. He’s from the Department of Computer Science, Shen Yi.”

Those five departments, including the Department of Computer Science, all had freshmen in the Qingying campus. They only moved back to the main campus in their second year.

Shen Du said, “Oh,” and glanced at him from a distance, vaguely judging that this junior was handsome and very young.

He suddenly swore.

Why did it feel like he was getting old? He seemed to understand how Qin Yi felt when he looked at him.

But before he could feel sorry for himself for too long, Qi Fei interrupted him with a sentence.

“Hey, Shen Du, come check if there’s something on the back of my neck.”

Shen Du leaned over to look. Qi Fei tilted his head and saw the butterfly tattoo under his collarbone.

“Yo, you have a butterfly tattoo here?”

“Ah, isn’t it pretty?” Shen Du said.

Qi Fei smiled. He wanted to say “flirty,” but he was afraid it would affect their friendship, so he just said, “What have you been doing this summer? You got a cat tattoo and now a butterfly? Did the tattoo shop owner kidnap you?”

“…”

In other words, it wasn’t far from the truth.

Just as Shen Du was about to speak, Qi Fei suddenly patted him.

“Hey, look at that person. His eyes are fierce.”

Shen Du turned his head and saw Qin Yi standing at the entrance of the court. His eyes lit up, and he waved his hand.

“You know him? I feel like he’s looking at me with hostility. You—”

“I’m not talking to you. My boyfriend’s here to pick me up. I’m leaving.”

Qi Fei: “???”

“You’re—”

Oh my god, Shen Du has a boyfriend now?

Isn’t he straight?

Qi Fei stood there in shock for a while, then took out his phone and sent a message to the group.

[Fei: Who was it that wanted to chase Shen Du?]

[Anonymous Netizen: There were quite a few, which one are you talking about, Da Fei?]

[Fei: Which one of your brothers?]

[Anonymous Netizen 2: He’s my brother. He came back to school a few days ago and asked me to help set him up.]

[Anonymous Netizen: I don’t think it’ll work. Shen Du doesn’t seem to be gay.]

[Anonymous Netizen 2: He knows. He just wants to get to know him first.]

[Fei: He’s gay.]

[Anonymous Netizen: ???]

[Fei: But I advise your brother to give up on this idea.]

[Unknown Netizen 2: Why?]

[Fei: Because I almost got killed by his boyfriend’s glare just now.]

……

Shen Du ran over and hooked his arm around Qin Yi’s shoulder: “You came so early?”

The indoor basketball court had air conditioning, and after Shen Du had been there for a while, he had cooled down.

Qin Yi’s neck was chilled by his touch, and he glanced at him, then calmly swapped the water bottle fromShen Du’s hand with his own. “Who was that guy just now?”

“Qi Fei, from the School of Science,” Shen Du replied.

“Are you close with him?”

“Not really, just okay,” Shen Du said. “We only talk when we run into each other.”

“Is that so?” Qin Yi’s tone seemed uncertain.

Shen Du could tell he didn’t believe it. “What kind of expression is that?”

“That Qi Fei was practically burying his head in your neck just now,” Qin Yi said, his expression unchanged.

“He was looking at my butterfly tattoo, your Cupid,” Shen Du said, pulling his collar to the side to reveal a small, clean patch of his chest.

Psyche, the lover’s kiss. Just as he had designed it, it was perfect for a man. It was blue, dreamy, beautiful. He could use many adjectives to describe it, but after looking at it, only one word came to mind.

Clean.

His boyfriend’s chest was so clean.

Qin Yi said nothing, his lowered eyelashes hiding most of his emotions.Shen Du, still with his arm around Qin Yi’s shoulder, walked out the door. As they strolled down the campus path, Shen Du suddenly realized: “Are you jealous?”

Qin Yi didn’t respond.

This made Shen Du more certain: “You are jealous.”

The guy held him tight, moving slightly, and Shen Du could see his boyfriend’s pale neck and collarbone right in front of him.

Qin Yi casually put his hands in his pockets and glanced at the people passing by.

Shen Du followed his gaze. “What are you looking at?”

Qin Yi, with little emotion in his voice, said, “Looking for a place with fewer people.”

Shen Du: “…”

He thought Qin Yi was trying to threaten him, but Shen Du only thought more about it.

He was clearly jealous but still too proud to admit it. Shen Du secretly laughed, not understanding what was so embarrassing about it.

Fine, if he wouldn’t admit it, then Shen Du would pretend not to know.

Let’s see how he handles this.

In the following days, Shen Du almost played basketball with Qi Fei every day. And at exactly six in the afternoon, Qin Yi would always appear at the court.

Shen Du kept track of the time. When he noticed Qin Yi had arrived, he deliberately leaned in to talk with Lin Yan, Jin, and Qi Fei, laughing loudly.

After a while, Shen Du pretended to casually glance at where Qin Yi was standing, as if he had just noticed him and then jogged over.

He focused on studying Qin Yi’s expression, couldn’t figure anything out, then secretly chuckled in his mind, wondering how long he could keep pretending.

Shen Du didn’t show it on his face, acting as though he didn’t know anything. “Let’s go.”

However, Qin Yi only looked at him, his eyes on his clean neck and arms.

This continued for several days.

On the first day, when Qin Yi arrived, Shen Du was talking with Qi Fei, their heads almost touching.

On the second day, when Qin Yi arrived, Shen Du had his arm around Qi Fei’s shoulder, commenting on the basketball skills of a junior from the adjacent court.

The third day…

……

On the seventh day, Qi Fei finally couldn’t take it anymore.

After the game, when he saw Shen Du approaching again, he took several steps back, as if avoiding a plague.

“My good brother, spare me; if you come any closer, your boyfriend might come and assassinate me tonight.”

Shen Du laughed. “What are you afraid of?”

“I don’t get your gay preferences. But if I have to face your boyfriend’s icy stare, I’ll be dead within a week. If I come back, I’ll die right here.”

Once upon a time, he had said the same thing to Xu Qingluo. After a few days of testing, Shen Du was getting tired. He still couldn’t understand Qin Yi. Could it be that he really wasn’t jealous?

Shen Du expressionlessly twisted the cap off his water bottle. He was about to drink when he heard Qi Fei call out, “Your boyfriend is here.”

“I’ll stay out of this, I’m leaving now.”

Qi Fei quickly ran off.

Shen Du felt bored. After being excited all week, his mood suddenly dropped. He lowered his eyelids and walked over without the usual enthusiasm, not even bothering to look at anyone, not even calling their name. “Let’s go.”

“Shen Du,” Qin Yi called from behind.

“What?”Shen Du didn’t turn around, not in the mood to talk to him right now.

Qin Yi said, “I finished handling the stuff over there. I have time the next few days.”

What does it matter if he has time? Shen Du replied indifferently, not wanting to talk. He didn’t care about this and didn’t notice Qin Yi’s gaze on him, which was like a starving beast’s.

So when they got home, he was picked up suddenly, still dazed.

“Hey, what are you doing? Put me down; I’m dizzy.” Shen Du kept patting his shoulder, feeling a little irritated and not wanting to talk much.

Qin Yi slapped his butt. “Shut up.”

The tone carried so much meaning that Shen Du wasn’t sure if he was overthinking it, but his right eyelid twitched heavily. He immediately shut up and said nothing.

Qin Yi carried him, took two or three steps to the bedroom, kicked the door open, and then closed it.

Qin Da Mao and Shen Er Mao were woken up by the noise. They looked up from their bed, their curious grape-like eyes staring toward the bedroom, meowing a few times.

Shen Du was thrown onto the bed, and stripped in a few swift motions. When he met Qin Yi’s heavy gaze, he suddenly realized what was about to happen. Instinctively, he swallowed and tried to get up and run, but before he could get far, Qin Yi grabbed his ankle and dragged him back.

“Where do you think you’re going? I won’t eat you.”

Shen Du was stripped completely, thinking, “Aren’t you trying to eat me?”

Maybe it was because the air conditioning was too cold, or maybe it was the way Qin Yi was looking at him, but Shen Du’s skin broke out in goosebumps.

The dark blue sheets, the pale person—truly the most beautiful scenery tonight.

Qin Yi’s gaze was dark, his movements slow but deliberate, and his tone remained calm as he spoke, “Baby.”

He started with this address, leaving Shen Du completely stunned.

Even though the fire was already burning at his heels, he still had the mental space to wonder if Qin Yi was calling him “baby”… Should he respond?

“I want to play a game with you.”

Shen Du instinctively felt that this was not a good game. He opened his mouth to refuse, but the sound of Qin Yi unbuckling his belt silenced him.

The room was eerily quiet. Qin Yi moved slowly, seemingly very patient. His handsome face showed no particular expression, neither joy nor anger.

But it was precisely this calmness that was the most terrifying. People fear the unknown. Shen Du felt like a criminal awaiting judgment, not knowing his fate or if he would live to see the sun rise tomorrow.

Shen Du tried one last attempt to resist, softening his voice to act cute: “Brother… don’t do this, I haven’t showered yet.”

Qin Yi let out a short laugh.

His voice was pleasant, low, and when tinged with amusement, it had a unique charm: “You’re always like this.”

When you need something, you call me Brother.

When you’re being naughty, you call me Boss Qin.

When there’s nothing, you just call me Qin Yi.

See, his boyfriend was actually quite simple. With a little thought, he could tell what was on his mind.

That mouth of his, when kissed, was soft, like it was coated with honey, but sometimes the things he said weren’t so pleasant.

Qin Yi sometimes didn’t want to hear him say so much; he wanted to hear him say something else.

For example… change the way you address me.

“Let’s play a role-playing game.”

Shen Du was momentarily stunned. “Role-play what? In bed?”

“Yeah… I’ll be your husband, and you’ll be my wife who’s trying to cheat on me,” Qin Yi said calmly, as if he had rehearsed this line a thousand times, speaking without a second thought.

When Shen Du heard this, he was completely shocked. Wasn’t this just like the dream he had?

The images in that dream were so sensual, so R-rated. He had barely managed to forget it, but now someone had stirred it all up again.

He remembered that in the dream, Qin Yi had been terrifying.

Shen Du instinctively wanted to refuse, turning over to get off the bed. But it was too late. Qin Yi raised his hand to remove his shirt, revealing tattoos on his abdomen and chest that looked like two ancient fierce beasts, making Shen Du want to hide in fear.

“Brother, I was wrong, I don’t want to play.”

“Come on,” Qin Yi coaxed him, his seductive words hammering into Shen Du’s ears like a sledgehammer: “You used to like playing games with Qi Fei, didn’t you?”

Without even looking back, Shen Du could sense what was happening: “No!”

He struggled to escape, but a hand covered in veins easily pulled him back.

“…”

Shen Du knew he couldn’t escape, so he could only soften his voice and beg: “Brother, can you go easy?”

But Qin Yi had already entered his role, raising an eyebrow coldly. “Brother? You should call me husband now.”

Shen Du immediately changed his address. “Husband.”

He never thought he would call him that, let alone so easily.

This word “husband” seemed to flip a switch, and Qin Yi suddenly became a different person. His expression was completely unfamiliar, devoid of the usual gentleness when teasing him. He seemed like a god, high above, controlling everything. Shen Du was just his little canary, to be disposed of as he pleased.

“…”

Shen Du’s body trembled.

He was scared.

“That Qi Fei, what’s your relationship with him?”

It seemed that in this scenario, Qi Fei was his “cheating partner.”

Shen Du couldn’t get into the role, so he honestly answered, “Classmate.”

“Classmate? A classmate gets that close to you? Doesn’t he know you have a husband?”

Shen Du’s fingers clutched the sheets. “No… he doesn’t.”

When he said that “no,” his voice cracked.

“Does he know your husband doesn’t like others getting that close to you?”

“No…”

The boy’s voice was pleasant to hear.

He used to do live streams and would provide various sounds as perks, including some suggestive ones. Qin Yi had heard them more than once, but none of them felt as real as tonight.

Every word that came from his mouth sounded like a temptation.

And since it was a temptation, he willingly took the bait.

“Baby, see how much your husband loves you? Don’t go looking for other men.”

“…”

After the storm, Shen Du felt like tonight was truly unreal. Nothing felt right. He felt like he was going crazy, like he was bewitched, and wanted him to hurry up.

Qin Yi, just like in the dream, made his move.

A person with a strong need for control becomes very dominant once they have the rhythm in their hands.

They must have changed positions countless times throughout the night. Shen Du was worn out, his body no longer had a single clean spot, and his round eyes were shimmering with a mix of spring water and tenderness.

He had indeed… been too inexperienced.

For someone like Qin Yi, if he wanted something, he would get it. If he wanted to learn something, he would master it.

Shen Du was fully aware that he might be forever trapped in Qin Yi’s hands.

In his drowsy state, Qin Yi bit his earlobe, his voice husky as he asked, “Baby, will you cheat again?”

Shen Du almost immediately realized that these past few days, he had practically been courting death. Finally, he understood what the “time these past few days” meant.

He buried his face in Qin Yi’s chest, hiding from the fierce firebird, and muttered a promise in a muffled voice: “I won’t, never again.”

After a satisfying embrace, the beast once again donned the skin of a human. Qin Yi gently kissed his lips, his voice sweet enough to make one sick: “Baby, you’re so good.”

“I will also remain faithful to you.”

I am yours, and always will be.

…

Later that night, when Shen Du saw the voice message sent by Xu Qingluo, he had just recovered and was lying back with a pillow behind his waist, leaning against the headboard. His hands were so weak that he could barely hold the phone.

He put it on speakerphone.

“Brother Shen, my event is almost over, and I’ll be able to meet you soon!”

The voice came through, sweet and clingy. Shen Du shuddered and instinctively glanced at the person sitting at the edge of the bed. He saw Qin Yi unwrapping a piece of toast, his expression unchanged.

Shen Du secretly breathed a sigh of relief and converted the rest of the voice message into text.

[Xu Qingluo: I broke up with that guy. He’s going back to his place, and I’m heading back to Yunshan. We’re square. But to be honest, he was great in bed. I’m very satisfied with this one-night stand.]

[Xu Qingluo: He’s good in every way, just a bit indecisive, always wanting more, which is annoying. Anyway, I’ll be back in Yunshan in a few days, so I’ll dump him then.]

[Xu Qingluo: He’s interesting, though. He said he wanted to pay me, so I wouldn’t feel like I was used. Isn’t that funny?]

[Xu Qingluo: Hey, today’s the third day since I dumped him. The night sky is so dark, and Brother feels lonely, thinking about men.]

[Xu Qingluo: Thinking about so many men, thinking about men like Boss Qin, wanting to flirt, wanting to hook up.]

[Xu Qingluo: Hey, what do tattoo artists do when they’re free?]

By the time Shen Du read this last message, Qin Yi had just finished unwrapping the toast and handed it to him.

Shen Du glanced at him, bit the bread, and without thinking, expressionless, typed: “Do me.”