Xiao Cheng felt as though every step Luo Jingshu took was stomping directly on his heart. Each time the soles of his shoes hit the floor, Xiao Cheng’s heartbeat jolted violently.
The sensation was terrifying.
It was like the few seconds before a monster appears in a horror movie—when the eerie, tense music swells, warning of something dreadful about to happen, yet all one can do is brace for it.
That was exactly how Xiao Cheng felt right now.
He knew Luo Jingshu was unhappy—the displeasure was written all over his face. Those usually charming peach blossom eyes held no trace of a smile, only a deep, oppressive gaze fixed on him.
Xiao Cheng swallowed hard. The dizziness he had felt upon waking up completely vanished. His red-rimmed eyes and pale lips made him look particularly pitiful as he stared at Luo Jingshu.
The fury raging in Luo Jingshu’s heart eerily subsided a little, but not enough to make him let Xiao Cheng off the hook.
His Brother Cheng was getting bolder and bolder. Did he even still remember that he had a boyfriend?
Xiao Cheng asked uneasily, “How long have you been here?”
When Luo Jingshu had called him, he was still on the road. But Xiao Cheng had only taken a nap, and now Luo Jingshu was already here?
It caught him completely off guard.
He had thought he still had time to figure out how to deal with this, maybe even talk to Mr. Bai and ask him to cover for him.
It was all his fault for being too tired earlier. He had fallen asleep before he could even say a word.
If he had known, he would have told Mr. Bai on the way to the hospital.
Xiao Cheng was filled with regret, and his frustration was written all over his face. But unfortunately for him, Luo Jingshu was terrifyingly perceptive—he saw through his thoughts in an instant.
The bit of anger Luo Jingshu had managed to suppress flared up again, this time even stronger.
Even now, Xiao Cheng was still trying to hide things from him.
Luo Jingshu felt both furious and bitterly disappointed.
Did Brother Cheng not trust him at all?
Something this serious had happened, yet Xiao Cheng didn’t even consider asking him for help. Worse, he was trying to keep it from him entirely, as if nothing had happened.
Luo Jingshu even suspected that in Xiao Cheng’s heart, Bai Yiheng held a more important place than he did.
At least, when trouble arose, Xiao Cheng had immediately contacted Bai Yiheng.
Even though Luo Jingshu knew rationally that it had been the best choice, he still couldn’t suppress the immense sense of loss.
He should have been the one Xiao Cheng relied on the most.
But in reality, Xiao Cheng didn’t even want to talk to him.
Luo Jingshu remained silent, and Xiao Cheng didn’t know what to say either.
He used to be good at softening his stance, but after everything that had happened, perhaps he had been standing his ground in front of Luo Jingshu for too long. Now, he found himself at a loss for how to properly express his feelings.
He opened his mouth, trying to say something to ease the tense atmosphere, but no sound came out.
Luo Jingshu took note of his hesitation, his heart sinking with disappointment.
Brother Cheng wasn’t even willing to coax him a little.
After a long silence, Luo Jingshu was the first to speak. “Are you still feeling unwell?”
The moment he spoke, Xiao Cheng immediately responded, “My head feels really dizzy.”
Perhaps because Luo Jingshu’s cold expression had scared him, Xiao Cheng’s tone carried a rare hint of sweetness and dependence, almost like a child seeking comfort.
Luo Jingshu closed his eyes briefly, then sat down by the hospital bed. He took Xiao Cheng’s hand—the one with the IV drip—and used his own warmth to gently warm his cold fingers.
“If you’re feeling unwell, just lie down a little longer.”
As he spoke, he reached out and touched Xiao Cheng’s cheek, making sure his body temperature was normal before finally letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
Xiao Cheng secretly hooked his pinky around Luo Jingshu’s finger, lightly scratching his palm, eyes fixed on him with an expectant gaze.
Was Luo Jingshu still mad at him?
A faint smirk curled at the corner of Luo Jingshu’s lips. He slowly rested his head against Xiao Cheng’s shoulder, his lips brushing against the side of Xiao Cheng’s neck. His warm breath ghosted over the sensitive skin as he spoke.
“Brother Cheng, don’t worry. I’ll always be with you.”
The ticklish sensation of Luo Jingshu’s hair against his neck made Xiao Cheng shiver. He didn’t reply, but a smile had already appeared on his face.
He much preferred Luo Jingshu like this. That cold, unreadable expression from earlier had truly scared him.
Luo Jingshu lowered his eyes, concealing the frost hidden within them.
Xiao Cheng, thinking Luo Jingshu wasn’t as angry anymore, asked, “Did you take leave from school?”
“Mm.”
Luo Jingshu’s response was somewhat muffled. He pressed his lips against Xiao Cheng’s neck, sucking lightly at the delicate skin and leaving behind scattered marks of possession.
A faint blush crept up Xiao Cheng’s cheeks. His half-lidded eyes and tightly pressed lips concealed the subtle tremors in his breath, but his flushed expression betrayed his emotions.
Luo Jingshu’s actions stirred something in his body, awakening memories of certain sensations. Xiao Cheng wanted to push him away, but images of Luo Jingshu’s icy gaze kept flashing through his mind.
His hand, already placed on Luo Jingshu’s shoulder, hesitated. In the end, instead of pushing him away, he simply gripped Luo Jingshu’s shirt tightly.
To Luo Jingshu, Xiao Cheng’s acquiescence was the greatest encouragement. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Xiao Cheng’s waist, pulling him halfway into his embrace, and continued his deliberate, possessive kisses along his neck.
Xiao Cheng closed his eyes, furrowing his brows. His slightly parted lips let out shallow breaths, filled with quiet tension.
Only after leaving several prominent love marks in conspicuous spots did Luo Jingshu finally feel some of his anger dissipate.
This was also related to Xiao Cheng’s compromise.
Although Xiao Cheng didn’t know the real reason for Luo Jingshu’s anger, his natural instinct for self-preservation made him instinctively choose not to resist at this moment.
That choice was undoubtedly the right one. Only when he had completely trapped Xiao Cheng in his embrace could Luo Jingshu feel that this person truly and entirely belonged to him.
In this situation, any slight struggle from Xiao Cheng would make Luo Jingshu feel that Xiao Cheng wanted to escape from him.
Because Xiao Cheng did not resist, Luo Jingshu stopped pushing his luck. He held Xiao Cheng in his arms, gently patting his back to help calm his rapid heartbeat.
After a long moment, Xiao Cheng finally let out a long breath and reached up to touch his neck.
He couldn’t see what his neck looked like now, but he could already guess what Luo Jingshu had done.
Puppies always like to mark their territory, wanting to declare their ownership in this way.
Xiao Cheng didn’t find it annoying—he had long gotten used to Luo Jingshu’s personality—it was just a little embarrassing.
He was thin-skinned and didn’t like exposing these private moments in front of others. But if this could soothe his little dog, Xiao Cheng didn’t mind.
Luo Jingshu stayed by his side while he was on the IV drip, more attentive than even Xiao Cheng himself. After removing the needle, he only let Xiao Cheng lie down to rest after making sure the puncture site had stopped bleeding.
Xiao Cheng curled up under the blanket, revealing only his eyes. Luo Jingshu’s fingers twitched at the sight, itching to touch his head.
Xiao Cheng didn’t even realize how much this look of his could tug at the heartstrings. He rolled his eyes and asked, “Where’s Mr. Bai?”
The smile on Luo Jingshu’s face faded. “Why are you asking about him?”
That uneasy feeling in Xiao Cheng’s heart crept up again. For some reason, tonight, Luo Jingshu gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.
But Xiao Cheng really couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong.
The only thing that might have upset Luo Jingshu was his attempt to hide this matter from him—but that had failed anyway.
In Xiao Cheng’s view, he was the biggest victim tonight, the one who had the most right to feel wronged. Luo Jingshu couldn’t just pin all the blame on him, could he?
Seeing Luo Jingshu’s face suddenly turn cold again, Xiao Cheng shrank his neck slightly, his expression also tinged with grievance.
“I was just asking. After all, Mr. Bai was the one who brought me to the hospital.”
Unexpectedly, this sentence hit another sore spot for Luo Jingshu.
He hadn’t even wanted to go back to school, but Xiao Cheng had insisted that he go back to study.
If he had been by Xiao Cheng’s side, would that man have had the chance to interfere?
“So it was him who brought you here. Does that mean Brother Cheng thinks I’m useless?” Luo Jingshu clenched his jaw tightly, his face tensing up as he stared at Xiao Cheng without blinking.
Xiao Cheng had endured his sarcastic remarks several times now, and the fire in his heart was also rising.
Tonight, he had been drugged, tied up, and thrown onto a man’s bed. He had already been fuming inside. In the hotel, he had held back again and again, barely stopping himself from beating the man on the ground half to death.
Anyone who went through something like this wouldn’t be in a good mood. Xiao Cheng had already been patient enough, even letting Luo Jingshu take advantage of him earlier, leaving his neck covered in bite marks. He thought he had done his best, yet Luo Jingshu still had the nerve to speak to him like this.
So what, he couldn’t even mention another person’s name?
Luo Jingshu was acting like everything was his fault, as if he subscribed to some kind of victim-blaming logic.
“Luo Jingshu.”
Xiao Cheng clenched his fists tightly under the blanket, his red-rimmed eyes staring at Luo Jingshu. “I never begged you to come.”
“If you think it was such a burden to drive here in the middle of the night for me, I’ll reimburse you double for the gas and have someone send you back.”
He knew full well that wasn’t what Luo Jingshu meant, but he still deliberately provoked him.
After all, Luo Jingshu had done the same to him just now.
Not a single word of comfort, just subtle accusations instead.
Maybe it was because he wasn’t feeling well, but Xiao Cheng’s tolerance had dropped. His heart was filled with grievances and confusion, and he wanted nothing more than to kick Luo Jingshu twice.
Dogs always lose interest once they get what they want.
Before sleeping with him, Luo Jingshu had been endlessly gentle, constantly fawning over him, calling himself Xiao Cheng’s little puppy and swearing to do whatever he said.
But once he got his way, Xiao Cheng went from being a high-hanging moon to just another blade of grass at his feet. Now, he never even gave him a good look.
Xiao Cheng closed his eyes, refusing to look at Luo Jingshu. “Leave.”
Though he said that, he was secretly listening for Luo Jingshu’s movements.
If the bastard really dared to leave, then he could go from current boyfriend to ex-boyfriend immediately!
Luo Jingshu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He closed his eyes in restraint, his heart twisting painfully. The thing he feared most was seeing Xiao Cheng look at him like that—like he was about to lose him at any moment.
Brother Cheng told him to leave. Did that mean he didn’t want him anymore?
Looking at Xiao Cheng’s tightly shut eyes, Luo Jingshu’s own eyes turned red and sore. His chest felt stifled, like a heavy weight pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
“Brother Cheng.”
Xiao Cheng’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, but he didn’t open his eyes.
Luo Jingshu half-knelt by the bedside, reaching under the blanket to find Xiao Cheng’s fingers and clasping them tightly.
He held them like a dying man clutching a canteen with his last drop of water.
Seeing that Xiao Cheng didn’t push him away, Luo Jingshu tentatively rested his head on Xiao Cheng’s shoulder. His voice was hoarse, carrying a slight sob, “Brother Cheng.”
“I was wrong. Please don’t leave me.”
Xiao Cheng’s eyes flew open, a faint shimmer of tears visible in his red-rimmed gaze.
This was exactly what he had wanted to hear, yet for some reason, hearing Luo Jingshu say “I was wrong” didn’t bring him any joy at all.
Instead, it felt like a heavy stone pressed down on his chest, making it hard to breathe, his throat tightening unbearably.
Luo Jingshu’s tears dripped onto Xiao Cheng’s neck, and the moment he felt the warmth, he snapped out of his daze.
He heard Luo Jingshu’s stifled sobs by his ear and his whispered apologies: “Please don’t push me away.”
He was truly terrified of being abandoned.
Xiao Cheng didn’t understand how things had escalated to this point, and while he felt heartache, he also vaguely realized—there was a deep-seated conflict between him and Luo Jingshu.
Not just because of tonight’s events, but something that had been simmering for a long time, hidden in the little moments of their past. Neither of them had noticed it, and Luo Jingshu had never voiced it.
Xiao Cheng decided it was time to have a proper talk.
At his core, he was still the same straightforward and decisive Xiao Cheng.
Avoidance never solved anything. The more afraid you were, the more you had to confront it.
Xiao Cheng pushed Luo Jingshu’s hand away. “Get up.”
Luo Jingshu remained silent for a few seconds before suddenly climbing onto the hospital bed, pinning Xiao Cheng’s body down with his legs and kissing him with forceful determination.
Xiao Cheng was caught off guard, and any words of protest were instantly swallowed by Luo Jingshu’s kiss. His eyes widened as he clenched his teeth tightly in resistance.
Seeing that Xiao Cheng refused to open his mouth, Luo Jingshu bit down hard on his lower lip. Xiao Cheng winced in pain and instinctively loosened his jaw.
Luo Jingshu kissed him with such intensity, as if he wanted to devour him whole. This was no longer a mere kiss—Xiao Cheng’s lips felt sore and numb. His initial resistance gradually turned into apprehension.
After what felt like an eternity, Luo Jingshu finally pulled back slightly. He looked down at Xiao Cheng and said, “You can’t drive me away.”
“Brother Cheng, you can only stay by my side. There’s nowhere else for you to go.”
Luo Jingshu gazed at Xiao Cheng’s flushed face with satisfaction, then leaned down to whisper in his ear, “If you dare to run, I’ll lock you up…”
“I’ll make you wear…”
“I’ll put on…”
“You’ll have no choice but to accept it. You won’t be able to refuse.”
“…And you won’t be able to get out of bed.”
Xiao Cheng’s face turned crimson. His worldview felt like it was on the verge of collapse.
Has Luo Jingshu really lost his mind?
