PTBLSI chapter 31

 

The ripples on the water’s surface gradually calmed down. Qi Xi instinctively dodged Fu Yanchuan’s hand brushing against his ear, but he couldn’t do that under the water. No matter how open he acted when speaking in front of Fu Yanchuan, he was still unbearably shy in reality.

Unable to dodge, he tried to arch his back, but Fu Yanchuan’s hand was firmly locked behind his waist. He avoided looking into Fu Yanchuan’s eyes and said in a soft, almost inaudible voice, “Brother Yan, you’re touching me.”

“Mm.”

Fu Yanchuan replied with a sound that carried no clear meaning. Qi Xi couldn’t tell if he meant that he knew he was being touched or something else. The floating sensation in the water made him afraid to let go of Fu Yanchuan.

After replying with that one sound, Fu Yanchuan didn’t move. He had no intention of continuing, nor of letting go. But that unfamiliar yet familiar sensation was impossible to ignore. Feeling flustered and anxious, Qi Xi hugged Fu Yanchuan. He hid his burning-red face in the hollow of Fu Yanchuan’s neck and asked pitifully, “Can you move back a little?”

“Where?”

Qi Xi’s face grew even redder. He felt like the water around his face was about to heat up. Too embarrassed to say it out loud, he didn’t dare look. Instead, he gently leaned forward and whispered in Fu Yanchuan’s ear.

The next moment, he heard Fu Yanchuan’s breathing grow heavier. Then, Fu Yanchuan lifted his face. Before he could make a sound, one of Fu Yanchuan’s thumbs pressed against his lips and slid inside.

“Bro—”

Qi Xi’s saliva dripped down along Fu Yanchuan’s finger. He used it to smear his Adam’s apple, then held Qi Xi’s neck and kissed him. This position controlled Qi Xi’s breathing.

In an instant, Qi Xi sensed danger—as if it came from the water that left him with nowhere to land and from Fu Yanchuan. He wanted to struggle, but his movements dissolved into the water. Then, Fu Yanchuan pressed him firmly against the pool wall. His whole body was half-suspended, relying entirely on Fu Yanchuan to keep him from floating away.

Fu Yanchuan invaded every corner of his mouth before finally releasing him. He lingered briefly over his lips, pulled back, and pressed against them, saying, “Idiot, breathe.”

Qi Xi let out a breath; his voice carried a sob as he murmured, “But, but—”

“This is normal. I’ll help you.”

Qi Xi’s eyes widened instantly. He couldn’t see underwater; he could only feel Fu Yanchuan’s hand slipping away from him. The water lifted him slightly, but Fu Yanchuan pulled him back.

He had never felt anything like this before. It felt as if all his bodily senses had slipped out of his control. Instinctively, he hugged Fu Yanchuan’s neck tightly and leaned his head over. His gaze passed over Fu Yanchuan’s shoulder, just enough to see the water’s surface behind him gently rise and fall with the movement beneath the water.

“Brother Yan—”

Qi Xi suddenly dug his fingers into Fu Yanchuan’s shoulder. A moment later, he completely lost his strength. Fu Yanchuan gently pulled him under the water. Qi Xi slid down and instinctively wrapped his legs around Fu Yanchuan again. He saw Fu Yanchuan’s expression; it was as if he were laughing at him.

“Don’t laugh!”

Not daring to let go with his hands or feet, he swung his head up and smashed it toward Fu Yanchuan’s face. There wasn’t much force, but Fu Yanchuan’s nose still hurt from the blow.

When Qi Xi moved his forehead away, Fu Yanchuan looked at him with a half-smile and said, “From now on, you’re not allowed to hit me with your head.”

“Mm.”

Qi Xi realized that his movements in the water had caused him to touch Fu Yanchuan again. He immediately put his feet down and nodded obediently. “I’m not swimming anymore. I want to go up.”

Fu Yanchuan stared at him without saying anything. He adjusted Qi Xi’s swim trunks in the water, then led him to the ladder to get out.

Qi Xi had just grabbed the handrail when a voice suddenly rang out from the entrance.

“Mr. Fu, you can’t go in!”

Fu Yuejiang didn’t care at all. He didn’t know when it started, but making things difficult for Fu Yanchuan had become his greatest pleasure.

He pushed aside the staff member blocking the door and walked in with his new lover, who was wrapped in his arms.

Hearing someone come in, Qi Xi hurriedly shrank back into the water. When he turned his head, he saw a man about the same height as Fu Yanchuan walk in.

The man wore a pair of floral shorts and had an arm around a young man. He exuded a frivolous, hooligan-like air.

“President Fu, what a coincidence!”

Fu Yuejiang stumbled to the edge of the pool, his gaze locking onto Qi Xi, who had shrunk behind Fu Yanchuan. He laughed loudly. “So the seemingly holy President Fu isn’t that pure after all! So this is what you like?”

As he spoke, he sat down on a nearby lounge chair, crossed his legs, and sized Qi Xi up disdainfully. “I thought you were deeply in love with Qiao Ye! No wonder that guy got you someone as wild as Qiao Ye and you didn’t even spare him a glance.”

Qi Xi didn’t know what Fu Yuejiang was talking about, but he felt his gaze. He subconsciously turned his head, and suddenly met Fu Yuejiang’s eyes head-on.

Fu Yuejiang immediately let out an “Oh—” like he had just seen a good show.

Fu Yanchuan ordered the staff who had followed Fu Yuejiang in, “Bring me a bath towel.”

The staff had allowed someone to barge into Fu Yanchuan’s private pool, and he could only think about how to apologize. For a moment, he didn’t hear what Fu Yanchuan had said clearly.

“Bath towel.”

Fu Yanchuan’s voice sank. The staff member finally reacted, hurriedly running to fetch a towel and kneeling by the pool to hand it to Fu Yanchuan.

After taking the towel, Fu Yanchuan draped it over Qi Xi’s shoulders and helped him up the ladder.

The chair that Fu Yuejiang was sitting on was right opposite the ladder. As soon as Qi Xi got up, Fu Yuejiang retreated to the side. His instincts told him this man was not a good person.

However, the other man looked him over even more openly and said, “He looks just like Qiao Ye. So President Fu likes this stand-in after all!”

Fu Yanchuan came ashore, water dripping from his body onto the floor. Fu Yuejiang’s new lover and the staff subconsciously stepped back. However, Fu Yanchuan only briefly glanced at Fu Yuejiang, then turned to get a bathrobe and carefully shielded Qi Xi, replacing the wet towel. In a voice tender enough to be called gentle, he said, “Go inside and wait for me.”

There was a lounge next to the pool. It looked like the perfect place to rest—there was a wide sofa on which one could sleep directly, and the glass window facing the pool had thick curtains that could block out everything.

Qi Xi glanced at Fu Yuejiang and ran toward the lounge.

Fu Yuejiang’s eyes followed Qi Xi as he ran. He said recklessly, “It’s rare to run into each other here after so many years. Wouldn’t it be great to call him over and play together?”

Fu Yanchuan said nothing as he watched Qi Xi go inside. He picked up another bathrobe, put it on, and looked at Fu Yuejiang. “Get out.”

“Did President Fu finally get poked in a sore spot and fly into a rage out of embarrassment?”

Fu Yuejiang laughed loudly as he spoke. “So, in the end, you’re still thinking about Qiao Ye. Too bad Qin Hui died too early. Otherwise, he could’ve learned to act like Qiao Ye by now and could still be your stand-in. Don’t you think—”

He had only spoken halfway when Qi Xi, who had just entered the lounge, suddenly ran out. He went up to Fu Yanchuan, stood on his tiptoes, and put on his glasses. Then, he stuffed a mop handle into Fu Yanchuan’s hand.

“If he bullies you, use this to hit him!”

Qi Xi gave Fu Yanchuan a very serious, affirmative look. Then he swept a glance at Fu Yuejiang and ran back inside.

Fu Yanchuan looked at the mop handleand couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

That smile stimulated Fu Yuejiang. His entire life had been a game of indulgence in sex and pleasure. His father was his grandfather’s youngest son and was raised extremely doted on. When his father was 17, he had Fu Yuejiang with someone, and by the time Fu Yuejiang was 12, he had seen his father sleep with countless men and women.

After he grew up, he became just like his father. He didn’t want to blame his personality entirely on his father, but he did indulge in sensual pleasures just like him—until he met Qin Hui, who was always following behind Fu Yanchuan like a dog’s tail.

Qin Hui’s presence in the Fu family was like a fragile white flower blooming among thorns—despite his strong vitality, he had no ability to protect himself.

Yet, despite being useless, Qin Hui dared to covet the Fu family’s born crown prince.

He loathed Fu Yanchuan for not loving Qin Hui. If Fu Yanchuan had cared more about Qin Hui, he would have noticed what he did to him. How could Qin Hui have died because of his heartlessness?

Seeing Fu Yanchuan show a gentleness and protection he had never shown anyone before toward another person made him hate Fu Yanchuan’s lack of love for Qin Hui even more.

He pushed away his lover leaning against him, walked toward Fu Yanchuan, and said provocatively, “Looks like President Fu really likes this little stand-in. What do you see in him? Is he prettier than Qin Hui or better than Qin Hui?”

He sneered. “That’s true. Qin Hui is such a boring person—so stubborn and unromantic. He always has the face of someone who just lost their mother. It’s nauseating. Who would be interested in him? If he were still alive, I might have been disgusted to death by him first—”

Qi Xi suddenly rushed out and slammed straight into Fu Yuejiang.

He had gone inside but not all the way, clinging to the doorway and peeking in when he heard Fu Yuejiang speaking badly about Qin Hui.

Qin Hui was Fu Yanchuan’s only friend. If someone spoke this badly about Xie Hui after his death, he would definitely be furious.

He waited anxiously for a long time, but Fu Yanchuan didn’t move at all. Without thinking, he rushed out.

He had originally intended to knock Fu Yuejiang into the pool, but he miscalculated and couldn’t stop himself in time.

As a result, not only was Fu Yuejiang knocked into the pool, but Qi Xi fell in as well.

No one expected Qi Xi to suddenly rush out. Fu Yuejiang fell into the water angrily. When he realized Qi Xi was beside him, he instinctively pressed his head down into the water.

“Fu Yuejiang!”

Fu Yanchuan reacted the fastest. He jumped straight into the water, threw a punch that knocked Fu Yuejiang away, and immediately scooped Qi Xi out of the water.

Qi Xi couldn’t swim to begin with. Falling into the water suddenly scared him badly, and being held under the water—even for a moment—made him choke on water.

Fu Yanchuan hurriedly carried Qi Xi ashore. As soon as Qi Xi touched the ground, he began coughing violently, expelling the water he had inhaled. But instead of improving, he started breathing rapidly and gasping.

For a moment, Fu Yanchuan wasn’t sure if Qi Xi was hyperventilating from panic or if water had entered his lungs. He covered Qi Xi’s mouth and nose with both hands and told the staff running over, “Call an ambulance.”

Fu Yuejiang surfaced and saw Fu Yanchuan carrying Qi Xi away. Fu Yanchuan glanced at him as he left. Fu Yuejiang was certain that the look meant that Fu Yanchuan wanted to kill him.

He climbed ashore and lay on the ground, laughing loudly. When his lover came over to show concern, Fu Yuejiang shoved him straight into the water, cursing, “Get lost!”

Qi Xi was admitted to the hospital. Although he was rescued in time, an infection appeared because water had entered his lungs. He had a fever and was vomiting. By the time he reached the ward, he looked drained and wilted, squinting as he looked everywhere for Fu Yanchuan.

Outside the ward, the doctor reported to Fu Yanchuan. “The situation isn’t serious. His immune system is just relatively weak, so he may need to recuperate for a while.”

Fu Yanchuan had already changed his clothes—they were new ones someone had brought over to the hospital. He stood there without moving, not saying a word.

The doctor felt uneasy standing beside him, afraid of saying the wrong thing and being blamed. Suddenly, Qi Xi’s voice sounded from inside the ward.

“Brother Yan—cough, cough!”

Fu Yanchuan finally turned around and entered the room. He saw Qi Xi stretching his arm to reach for the water cup on the bedside table.

Fu Yanchuan crossed over in two steps and handed him the cup. Qi Xi was on an IV drip and could only hold the cup with one hand. With tear-filled eyes, he looked at Fu Yanchuan as he said, “Am I too useless? I was trying to help you get revenge for Qin Hui.”

“Drink some water first,”

Fu Yanchuan reminded him. Only then did Qi Xi remember that he wanted to drink water. But after just half a sip, he started coughing again. He coughed until his face turned red, and he curled up into a ball. Fu Yanchuan bent down and took the cup with one hand while rubbing Qi Xi’s back with the other.

After he finally finished coughing, tears brought on by the cough hung at the corners of his eyes. He grabbed Fu Yanchuan’s hand, pressed his face against it, and said, “Brother Yan, I feel awful. Who was that person? Why was he so fierce?”

“Someone unimportant. Don’t mind him.”

“But he scolded Qin Hui! How could he be so mean? Qin Hui was already so pitiful.”

Fu Yanchuan put the cup away and looked over. He realized that Qi Xi was really crying. He sat on the bed, wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes, and asked, “Why are you crying, idiot?”

“If I die and other people scold me, too, will you help me beat them up?”

Fu Yanchuan’s breathing suddenly stalled. Holding Qi Xi’s face, he said, “It’s my fault. I let someone bully you.”

“It’s okay. I knocked him into the water, too.”

Looking into Fu Yanchuan’s eyes, Qi Xi felt even sadder and cried nonstop. “But when I was pressed underwater, I thought I was going to die.”

The more he spoke, the sadder he became. He couldn’t help but entrust his last wishes to Fu Yanchuan. “If I die someday, could you please take care of Dasheng for me? We signed a contract. You must take care of him until he is old and see him off. Even if I can no longer be your stand-in, will you still take care of Dasheng until the end?”

For the first time, Fu Yanchuan’s language system was unable to form a coherent response. He stared at Qi Xi’s tear-streaked face for a long while before finally responding with one word. “Okay.”

 

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