Chapter 17
Lu Zhiyue was shoved a step sideways, his gaze flickering slightly. Not only did he not push back, but he also stepped even closer.
Under Chi Suinian’s stunned gaze, he placed one hand on the young man’s waist and the other under his thighs. Ignoring the other’s cursing and struggling, he directly lifted him up and placed him on a chair.
Chi Suinian had just taken a shower after returning home. Since he didn’t like wearing heavy clothes to sleep, he was only dressed in a thin bathrobe at the moment.
But now, thanks to Lu Zhiyue’s handling, the bathrobe was almost undone, revealing his pale, slender shoulders and neck, as well as black boxer briefs peeking out from his waist.
Freshly awakened, Chi Suinian radiated warmth all over, his skin glowing with a healthy flush. The low neckline of the bathrobe exposed a striking beauty mark just below his collarbone, crimson and dazzling.
Perhaps even Chi Suinian hadn’t realized how captivating that beauty mark was—vividly red, alluring, and nestled right along the loose bathrobe’s edge. It would appear and disappear with the rise and fall of his chest, tantalizing to the eye.
Lu Zhiyue averted his gaze, his long lashes lowering to obscure the darkness in his eyes. He crouched in front of the chair and, without hesitation, took hold of Chi Suinian’s bare leg.
“You’re f***ing done yet?” Chi Suinian twisted his ankle, pressing his pale foot against the man’s arm.
Lu Zhiyue lifted his gaze.
His line of sight swept across the gap in the loosened bathrobe…
“Where are you looking!” Chi Suinian clutched his bathrobe closed, an embarrassed expression surfacing in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and growled, “Shameless!”
Unbothered, Lu Zhiyue held onto Chi Suinian’s ankle firmly and slid his foot into a pair of house slippers. “How does helping you put on shoes make me shameless?”
“…Did I ask for your help?” Chi Suinian tried to pull back his legs and close them. But then he reconsidered. Acting overly flustered would only make him seem weak. Instead, he narrowed his icy peach-blossom-shaped eyes and cast Lu Zhiyue a disdainful sidelong glance.
Lu Zhiyue, kneeling with no regard for his own dignity, had to tilt his head up slightly to look at Chi Suinian from below. From this angle, his posture appeared somewhat disheveled.
Only then did Chi Suinian feel a little vindicated. But the next moment, he noticed his other leg was still resting on Lu Zhiyue’s knee. The contrast between his fair skin and Lu Zhiyue’s dark clothing made his complexion seem almost translucent, strangely exuding an air of sensuality.
Startled as if burned, Chi Suinian jerked his leg back and nudged Lu Zhiyue’s knee. “Move! I’ll do it myself.”
“Also, fix your clothes,” Lu Zhiyue reminded him.
Chi Suinian’s temper flared again. “…Get lost!”
Lu Zhiyue’s gaze lingered on Chi Suinian’s pale, slender legs for a moment before he replied, “Or would you rather have me help you get dressed?”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
“Ahem…” Lu Heng’s awkward voice came through a phone nearby. “Uh, why don’t you both quit the game and then continue talking?”
This was followed by a soft, frustrated female voice whispering, “Oh no, cousin! Don’t say anything…”
“…”
“Lu Zhiyue!”
The next day, Tang Jin invited a group of people for a hot spring trip. Chi Suinian, feeling sore and tired all over, thought a soak might do him good. So he got up early in the morning.
When he went downstairs, Lu Zhiyue hadn’t left for work yet. He was sitting at the dining table, sipping porridge while browsing something on his tablet—acting every bit the gentleman.
Chi Suinian scoffed quietly, pulling out a chair at the farthest end of the table. “Aunt Xu, what’s available to eat? I’m in a hurry.”
Aunt Xu poked her head out of the kitchen. “Young Master Chi, how about silver ear porridge with crystal dumplings?”
“That’ll do.”
With the two masters of the house at odds, the atmosphere at the dining table felt icy, broken only by the occasional clink of porcelain spoons.
In the silence, Lu Zhiyue glanced up at the young man seated at the other end of the table.
The weather was warm, and Chi Suinian was wearing a clean, loose outfit. The neckline of his white sweatshirt was slightly wide, revealing his long, slender neck. When he lowered his head to drink his porridge, a glimpse of collarbone would occasionally show.
Lu Zhiyue’s gaze lingered on that pale neck. His thumb, pressed against the porcelain spoon, tightened slightly. “Where are you going?”
Irritated at being questioned, Chi Suinian frowned, put his spoon down, and looked over. “Lu Zhiyue, did your company go bankrupt?”
Lu Zhiyue: “No.”
“Then why are you meddling in my business?” Chi Suinian said coldly. “We’re just in a sham marriage. It’s clearly stated in the agreement: don’t interfere in each other’s lives.”
Yet another argument. Chi Suinian lost his appetite, wiped his mouth, and stood up to leave.
Lu Zhiyue called out, “Finish your meal before you go.”
In response, the door slammed shut without a hint of courtesy.
Through the dining room window, Lu Zhiyue saw Chi Suinian standing outside for a moment before a sleek G-Wagon arrived to pick him up.
Lu Zhiyue put down his spoon and picked up the phone next to him.
Two seconds later, the screen displayed: [Tang Jin—Connecting]
“You’re kidding, right? You want to bail out Chi Yu?” Tang Jin’s voice was filled with incredulous surprise.
“Yeah.” Chi Suinian leaned lazily on the sofa, rubbing his ear that had been numbed by the loud voice, looking at Tang Jin with exasperation.
Tang Jin had chosen a hot spring resort in the mountains. The area had been developed into a wellness retreat with natural hot spring pools.
However, they arrived too early. The pools hadn’t been cleaned yet, so they had to wait in the lounge.
“Did your aunt ask for this?”
“Yeah.”
Tang Jin gave him a bewildered look.
Chi Suinian: “What?”
“I can’t believe you’re still letting her manipulate you after all these years.”
Chi Suinian chuckled coldly. “She saved my life.”
Tang Jin cursed angrily, “After so many years, that debt should’ve been paid in full! What, are they going to keep draining you until there’s nothing left?”
Unwilling to dwell on the mess surrounding Chi Mingyao’s family, Chi Suinian frowned. “Are you helping or not?”
Tang Jin clicked his tongue. “When have I ever turned my back on you? Fine, I’ll help you find a good lawyer when I get home.”
“A lawyer? What lawyer?” Lu Heng, drenched in sweat, jogged over from the tennis court and plopped down beside them. Chi Suinian promptly shoved him to the other side. “Are you hiring a lawyer?”
Tang Jin tilted his chin. “Not me—Suinian. He’s trying to bail out his idiotic cousin.”
Lu Heng wiped his sweat and said, “Seriously? You’re actually going through with it?”
Chi Suinian raised an eyebrow. “Obviously. You think I’m joking?”
Lu Heng replied, “Then you don’t need to look far. My aunt’s a practicing lawyer—a criminal defense attorney with a spotless ten-year record.”
“You have an aunt?” Tang Jin exclaimed. “You’ve never mentioned her before!”
Lu Heng sighed. “She had a falling out with my grandfather years ago and hasn’t been back in over a decade… Anyway, I’ll send you her WeChat contact. You can talk to her yourself.”
Chi Suinian didn’t waste words. “Alright.”
Outside the resort, a man and woman strolled hand in hand, their demeanor intimate. The woman’s laughter was crisp and cheerful, but what caught Chi Suinian’s attention was the bouquet of flowers she held.
The petals were slender and wavy, a vibrant, fresh green.
Balloon flowers again.
Chi Suinian fell into a brief contemplation before suddenly asking, “When did you two transfer to Jin City?”
Lu Heng was startled. “Seventh grade.”
Tang Jin added, “Just half a year after you. Why?”
Half a year… That matched the timing of when those flowers started appearing.
Chi Suinian asked, “Do you remember if someone used to send me flowers when we first transferred to the affiliated middle school?”
Lu Heng’s eyes widened. “What the hell? Someone sent you flowers?”
Tang Jin, on the other hand, seemed to recall something, his expression pensive. “I think I remember… Someone did send you flowers for quite a while.”
Chi Suinian’s eyes lit up. “Do you remember who it was?”
Tang Jin shook his head. “No, it’s been too long.”
Over a decade had passed, and the details of that
time were lost in the haze of memory.
“Oh,” Chi Suinian said faintly.
“You’re really interested in flowers?” Lu Heng teased.
Chi Suinian suddenly smiled. His exquisite peach-blossom-shaped eyes curved slightly, his smile dazzling. “Yeah, I want to figure out who to beat up.”
Thinking this, Chi Suinian suddenly recalled the phone call from yesterday afternoon.
Lu Zhiyue had asked if he was free.
Probably wanted someone to celebrate his birthday with.
Chi Suinian sneered coldly. A guy like Lu Zhiyue was destined to die alone. It would be best if no one celebrated his birthday.
“Honored guests, the VIP hot spring is ready. Please follow me,” the resort manager personally escorted them to the changing room.
Chi Suinian changed into a bathrobe and followed the staff into a private hot spring pool.
Tang Jin, knowing his preferences, had specifically reserved a single-person pool.
The pool was surrounded by screens for privacy, and in the center, the small hot spring emitted dense white mist that drifted around, making the scene look like a fairyland.
Chi Suinian removed his bathrobe, leaving only a pair of close-fitting shorts, and sank into the water.
He didn’t like wearing clothes in the hot spring; otherwise, the rising temperature would make him unbearably hot.
The warm water gently wrapped around his body like a soft massage. Chi Suinian sighed contentedly, letting his body slowly sink down until only his snow-white upper body was visible. The red mole below his collarbone appeared even more striking in the mist.
Just as he was enjoying the moment, his phone vibrated lightly on the table. Annoyed from being pestered by Lu Zhiyue recently, he grabbed the phone and said, “Spit it out already.”
There was a brief silence on the other end before Qin Sui Tian’s voice came through: “…Why are you so grumpy this early in the morning? What’s wrong?”
Chi Suinian opened his eyes to glance at the screen. “Nothing. Is there an issue at the company again?”
“Wow, you really underestimate me,” Qin Sui Tian chuckled. “I just wanted to let you know that the funds from the Lu Corporation have arrived, and it’s double the expected amount.”
Chi Suinian’s lips moved slightly, displeased. “How do you even mess up something like that? Is the Lu Corporation’s finance department unprofessional or what?”
“…” Qin Sui Tian sighed. “I think their finance department is quite competent. This is probably Lu Zhiyue’s way of helping you out in an emergency, so we don’t have to go looking for loans elsewhere.”
“…Oh.”
Chi Suinian irritably rubbed his hair. “Anything else? I’m soaking in a hot spring.”
“Uh, no, that’s it.”
Chi Suinian ended the call without hesitation.
Though he remained in the same position, the hot spring no longer felt as relaxing.
Double the loan amount.
Was Lu Zhiyue stupid? If it wasn’t within the contractually agreed amount, Chi Suinian wouldn’t repay it—not the principal, not the interest.
After all, it wasn’t his mistake.
…Let that bastard Lu stew over it.
After sitting quietly for a while, Chi Suinian opened his eyes, annoyed. Frustrated, he splashed the water and got out of the pool.
“Didn’t you just get here? Why are you leaving already?” Lu Heng, soaking in the neighboring pool, saw Chi Suinian walking out with an irritated expression and asked, “Where are you going?”
Chi Suinian growled fiercely, “Going home to beat someone up.”
“…Huh?”
The resort provided cars to shuttle guests. After changing into his clothes, Chi Suinian went straight back to the city.
Instead of going home, he asked the driver to drop him off at a mall.
Standing in front of a spacious store, Chi Suinian hesitated.
“Sir, are you looking for a watch?”
Chi Suinian replied, “…Just browsing.”
The saleswoman nodded graciously. “Alright. Is this for yourself or a gift?”
“A gift,” Chi Suinian muttered.
“Would you like me to introduce some options?” The saleswoman offered a polite smile.
At the villa, Lu Zhiyue was in the living room on the phone. It was just past ten, and he was about to leave for work.
“I’ve reviewed the contract. Print it as is, and I’ll sign it at the office later…”
The door suddenly swung open, and Lu Zhiyue instinctively looked over.
Young Master Chi had returned unexpectedly. From the tight press of his lips, it was clear he was upset about something.
“We’ll leave it there,” Lu Zhiyue said, hanging up the phone. He frowned slightly. “What’s wrong?”
Chi Suinian, having just done something foolish, was caught red-handed.
For once, his usually flawless composure faltered. His face felt unusually warm as he gripped the small box in his hand, unsure what to do.
Lu Zhiyue’s gaze fell on the item in his hand, and his eyebrows rose slightly.
The small box was exquisitely wrapped, tied with a beautiful ribbon. A tiny card peeked out from the packaging, bearing two English words in elegant script:
Happy Birthday.
Lu Zhiyue asked, “Is this for me?”
Chi Suinian now deeply regretted letting the saleswoman package the item.
“I picked it up on the street. Figured I’d use it to pay off my debt.”
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