Chapter 51
Chi Suinian’s entire face was flushed red. He couldn’t see Lu Zhiyue—only the flickering lights before his eyes, while the hair brushing against his abdomen tickled unbearably.
His fingers clutched tightly at the bedsheet beneath him, his whole body trembling from Lu Zhiyue’s teasing, yet unable to find release no matter what.
“Lu Zhiyue…” Chi Suinian drew in light, shaky breaths, his brows knitting. “Stop messing around…”
“Almost there,” Lu Zhiyue replied in passing.
Chi Suinian’s mind went blank for a second, then he realized and ground his teeth. “You’re almost—your whole family’s almost… tsk.”
Chi Suinian swore at Lu Zhiyue for several minutes, but the man seemed deaf to it, until a sudden knock came from the door outside.
“Mr. Lu, Young Master Chi, are you two resting already?”
Chi Suinian jolted in fright, shoving at Lu Zhiyue with trembling hands. “Someone’s here—”
“Ignore it.”
“…”
The word “shameless” had long since lost its edge in his mouth.
Though Aunt Chen and Uncle Zhang’s voices drifted in from outside—sometimes near, sometimes far—Chi Suinian couldn’t make out a single word. All his senses had been stolen away by Lu Zhiyue.
He felt like a boiled egg—his whole body scalding hot.
He kept cursing under his breath until finally all his strength was gone, leaving him like a stranded fish, panting softly, unwilling to move even a finger.
Lu Zhiyue finally lifted his head, his lips glistening. Glancing at the wall, he wiped his thumb across the corner of his mouth and chuckled. “Do you like it?”
Chi Suinian had to admit it felt good, but saying that out loud would make him feel as though he’d been completely at the mercy of Lu Zhiyue’s control—every reaction, every sensation dictated by him.
It was… a blow to his dignity.
Given the man’s usual shamelessness, there was only one thing Chi Suinian wanted to say—
…Like your damn uncle.
With limbs weak, he rolled into the blankets, wrapping himself tightly before shooting Lu Zhiyue a cold sideways glance. His tone was sharp: “Meh, just so-so. Don’t you have any sense of your own skill?”
It was the kind of remark that could infuriate someone—like a scumbag putting his pants back on and denying everything afterward. But Lu Zhiyue didn’t seem to mind. He only curled his lips into a smile. “It’s my first time doing it. I’m not very skilled. We can practice together a few more times.”
“…Get lost,” Chi Suinian snapped, eyes still wet.
This man’s shamelessness knew no bounds.
Lu Zhiyue raised a brow. “From the way you were talking earlier, you sound pretty experienced yourself. Why not show me? Teach me?”
Chi Suinian blinked blankly for a moment before realization dawned.
What kind of nonsense was this?
Show him? That would mean…
Blushing furiously, he hurled a pillow. “Get out!”
Lu Zhiyue caught it and set it back on the bed, then went to the wardrobe, pulled out some clothes, and headed into the bathroom.
Just then, the door was knocked again.
Uncle Zhang usually wouldn’t disturb them at night unless something was urgent. For him to come twice tonight, there had to be a reason.
Lu Zhiyue stepped into the bathroom, saying as he shut the door, “Go see what Uncle Zhang needs. I’ll take a quick shower.”
Chi Suinian buried his head under the blanket, voice muffled. “You go yourself.”
Right now, he was drowning in shame, unable to face anyone—especially after Uncle Zhang had knocked earlier.
If the man had overheard anything…
He didn’t dare imagine if he could still show his face in this house.
Damn it, it was all Lu’s fault.
“I’m not exactly… presentable right now,” Lu Zhiyue said from inside.
Chi Suinian threw the blanket back and sat up, glaring. “So I’m presentable—”
Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open, and his eyes fell straight on a rather… prominent bulge. His words cut off instantly.
In a soothing tone, Lu Zhiyue said, “Be good. Go see what Uncle Zhang wants. I’ll be down soon.”
Chi Suinian paused, then arched a brow. “How soon?”
Lu Zhiyue smirked. “As soon as you like. I can be as fast as you want.”
“…!”
The sudden dirty innuendo left Chi Suinian momentarily speechless.
By the time he regained his composure, the sound of running water was already coming from inside the bathroom.
…Lucky for him he ran fast.
Or I would have killed him.
Climbing out of bed, Chi Suinian grabbed a random set of clothes from the wardrobe and changed. Worried there might still be a lingering scent in the room, he even opened the window—half hiding, half drawing attention to it.
By the time he was done, Uncle Zhang had already left, so Chi Suinian slipped on his slippers and headed downstairs.
Halfway down, he realized why Uncle Zhang had come knocking twice, even risking disturbing their “rest.”
The living room downstairs was filled with people.
Ding Xuxing was among them, sitting beside a tanned middle-aged man with a cigarette between his fingers, who looked like he’d been waiting a while—the coffee table before him holding three burnt-out cigarette butts.
Behind the middle-aged man stood several rows of black-suited, expressionless bodyguards wearing sunglasses. Any one of them standing on the roadside could probably scare a little girl to tears.
Chi Suinian’s gaze swept over the group, his thoughts still muddled, only catching on one stray idea—
Wearing sunglasses at night… can they even see where they’re going?
Uncle Zhang stood just outside the living room, looking at them with a troubled face. “Mr. Lu and Young Master Chi have already retired for the night. Please come back tomorrow.”
“It’s this early and they’re already asleep?” The middle-aged man blew out a smoke ring. “That’s fine. Your Mr. Lu has to get up sometime in the morning, right? Since we’re here to apologize, we can wait all night if we have to.”
Uncle Zhang frowned. His voice was even but firm. “This is not the time for a visit. If you don’t leave, we’ll have to get unpleasant.”
The man chuckled, stretching his arm across the sofa as the ash from his cigarette dropped onto the pristine white upholstery.
“And what exactly would you do to be ‘unpleasant’ with me?”
No sooner had he spoken than the bodyguards behind him stepped forward in unison.
Ding Xuxing let out a cold laugh, leaning back lazily into the sofa.
They might have said they came to apologize, but he knew perfectly well that his domineering father would never show weakness to a younger man. Bringing this many people was meant to intimidate—Lu and Chi must be too scared to come out and face them now.
Let’s see if they dare to stab him in the back again!
Smug, he looked up—and froze when he saw Chi Suinian standing on the stairs.
Uncle Zhang saw him too and quickly walked toward the staircase. “Young Master Chi.”
“What’s going on?” Chi Suinian asked as he stepped down the stairs.
Uncle Zhang walked up to him, leaning closer to lower his voice. “Sorry, this bunch is too overbearing. They just barged in with bodyguards, saying they came to apologize, but to me it looks more like they’re here for trouble.”
“It’s fine, leave it to me,” Chi Suinian said. “You go rest.”
Uncle Zhang hesitated. “Is Mr. Lu asleep?”
“He’s overheated, taking a cold shower.”
Uncle Zhang: “…”
A cold shower… cures overheating?
He was still puzzled when Chi Suinian had already walked straight into the living room.
Ding Xuxing spotted him, and the smug look on his face deepened. He leaned toward the middle-aged man beside him. “Dad, that’s Chi Suinian.”
The middle-aged man lifted his eyes, looked at Chi Suinian for a few seconds, and suddenly raised his hand and slapped Ding Xuxing.
Ding Xuxing was stunned. “Dad?”
“Useless thing, don’t call me Dad.” The man’s voice was low and cold. “You can’t even take down a little pretty boy. What’s the point of raising you?”
Ding Xuxing covered his face and said nothing.
Chi Suinian just quietly watched this father-son scene play out, saying nothing, his face carrying a faint, unreadable smile.
Father Ding kept waiting for Chi Suinian to snap back at him. Young guys, after all, were prideful — they hated being called a pretty boy or effeminate. Even a clay figurine has a temper, let alone a brat like Chi Suinian.
But after a while, the kid still didn’t speak.
… Kids these days, are they all this patient?
Father Ding coughed lightly, changing his tactic. “You must be Chi Suinian.”
“I’m Ding Xuxing’s father. I heard you two have some conflict. I specially rushed back from out of town today to mediate. We’re all making a living in Jin City — we see each other all the time. If we clear up the misunderstanding now, things will be easier in the future.”
At that, Chi Suinian finally lazily closed his eyes halfway and spoke in a casual drawl. “How do you want to handle it?”
Seeing him being “reasonable,” Father Ding gestured, and a bodyguard immediately stepped forward, placing a suitcase in front of Chi Suinian and snapping it open.
Chi Suinian was greeted by a full suitcase of red bills.
He raised an eyebrow. “What’s this supposed to mean?”
“This is compensation money. About what happened before — let’s say my son was immature. Take the money, and our two families can call it even,” Father Ding said.
Chi Suinian let out a short, cold laugh.
“What are you laughing at?”
Chi Suinian casually pulled out a stack of bills and waved it. “How much is here?”
“One million,” Father Ding said with a deeper smile.
Still a kid — dazzled by money. Just one million and he’d be bought off.
Chi Suinian tossed the money back, shut the case, and kicked it back toward them. “I’ll give you two million. Tie your son up and put him at the door so I can run him over once.”
“What do you mean?” Father Ding frowned.
“Compensation,” Chi Suinian said, lifting his eyelids to give a cold look. “I’ll hit him once and pay you double the compensation. Is that enough?”
“You little punk!” Father Ding slammed the table and stood up, fury written all over his face. The bodyguards behind him also grew tense.
He’d been swaggering around for decades — probably never suffered this kind of humiliation from someone younger. His eyes were round with rage.
Chi Suinian didn’t care what he was thinking. Barging into someone’s home and acting high-and-mighty — serves him right.
“Not enough? Then I’ll offer three million,” Chi Suinian said lazily.
Father Ding: “…”
Ding Xuxing almost laughed out of anger. “Chi Suinian, what crazy act are you pulling now?”
“Shut up,” Chi Suinian said coldly. “I’m talking to your dad. Who asked you to butt in?”
Ding Xuxing: “…”
Damn it.
Where the hell did this Chi guy get his nerve?
“Looks like you won’t drink the toast but insist on drinking the forfeit,” Father Ding said coldly. His fingers tapped lightly on his knee, and one bodyguard understood the signal, removing his sunglasses and walking toward Chi Suinian.
“Young man, there’s always someone stronger out there. Don’t be so selfish. You were the one who offended my son first, he just retaliated a little, and the two of you should be even now. Why cling to such a petty matter?”
Father Ding said, “Take the money and shut up — it’s better for both of us.”
Chi Suinian gave a small laugh, tilting his head and watching Father Ding with leisurely interest. “I hear the Ding Corporation is bidding for the Rongcheng Mountain Park project?”
Father Ding froze.
He stared at Chi Suinian for a long moment. Without a signal, the bodyguard stopped and stepped back.
Father Ding’s expression shifted. A few seconds later, he asked in disbelief, “How do you know that?”
The bidding process was entirely confidential. Where had the leak come from?
“I also know your Ding Corporation is engaging in shady dealings — secretly reporting competitors, cutting corners on the project, tax evasion…” Chi Suinian hadn’t even finished before Father Ding stood up, visibly rattled.
“You might know, but so what? You don’t have proof,” Father Ding said.
“I don’t,” Chi Suinian spread his hands lazily, “and I don’t need it. I just need to hand over a lead — verifying it isn’t my job.”
The living room fell silent. Father Ding stared at Chi Suinian for a long while, then suddenly barked, “You bastard, get on your knees!”
Chi Suinian didn’t move.
Ding Xuxing chuckled, “Chi Suinian, if I were you, I’d—”
Before he could finish, his father kicked him to the ground. “I’m talking to you! Apologize!”
“…Huh?” Ding Xuxing was stunned and confused.
“What do you mean ‘huh’? Apologize, now!” Father Ding’s brow furrowed tightly. “What stupid nonsense — two kids get into a fight and you make your father come running? Pathetic.”
Blindsided by the scolding, Ding Xuxing didn’t dare argue. He reluctantly muttered an apology.
“Louder,” Father Ding smacked him on the back of the head.
“…Sorry! I was wrong!” Ding Xuxing shouted through gritted teeth.
Once he’d finished dealing with his son, Father Ding lifted his gaze toward Chi Suinian.
Chi Suinian lazily raised his eyelids. “See yourself out.”
Father Ding stared at him for several long moments before finally leaving with his son and bodyguards.
Chi Suinian watched them march out in a grand show. The lingering stench of smoke in the living room bothered him; after opening the window, he headed upstairs.
Halfway up, he remembered — he used to smoke a lot. But since losing his memory, he hadn’t really felt the urge. Could amnesia… cure addiction?
He was about to turn the doorknob when the door opened from the inside. Lu Zhiyue, dressed in casual clothes, looked at him in surprise. “What happened?”
“It’s handled,” Chi Suinian yawned and gave a brief account of what had just happened before stepping into the room.
Lu Zhiyue frowned. “When did you dig up that dirt on the Ding family?”
“I didn’t,” Chi Suinian said lazily.
“You were bluffing?”
A low hum of agreement.
He had asked Qin Suitian to investigate Ding Xuxing, but there hadn’t been enough time to find anything solid. Still, given Father Ding’s fierce and domineering way of doing things, shady dealings were a safe bet — so he’d just thrown out a few common guesses.
He hadn’t expected to actually hit the mark.
Chi Suinian’s lips curved slightly. Leaning against the headboard, his black hair and red lips gave him a striking, vivid air — like an ink painting brought to life.
Smiling, he said, “If an idiot tries to humiliate you with money, the best revenge is to keep him looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life.”
Lu Zhiyue looked at him, a gleam flashing in his dark eyes. He loved this side of Chi Suinian.
“Wanna do it?”
“…?”
It took Chi Suinian a full ten seconds to react. He stared at him in disbelief. “What the hell… are you in heat?”
“No,” Lu Zhiyue said without hiding the hunger in his gaze. “Once you get a taste, you can’t stop. If we don’t do it, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
“…Right. How about you die of exhaustion instead, you pervert.”
At this point, Chi Suinian couldn’t stand hearing any word with “taste” in it. Not wanting to get dragged into trading indecent remarks, he dove into the bed, rolling himself up tightly in the blanket like a fat sushi roll.
“You might not be able to sleep, but I can. If you wake me up, I’ll cut you to pieces tomorrow.”
Lu Zhiyue raised an eyebrow. “Pretty carefree of you — enjoying yourself and then pretending nothing happened the moment you pull your pants back up.”
Chi Suinian’s face turned red under the covers. Remembering how he’d just enjoyed himself and run off, he felt a flicker of guilt — but then again, it hadn’t been his idea in the first place, and hadn’t Lu Zhiyue taken a cold shower?
Still, saying that out loud would be mortifying, so he stayed wrapped in the blanket, playing dead, and rolled further toward the inside of the bed.
“Really not interested?” Lu Zhiyue asked again.
Chi Suinian wanted to leap up and smother him.
“…Fine.”
The mattress dipped as Lu Zhiyue lay down behind him, his solid body pressing against him through the thin blanket.
Instinctively, Chi Suinian wanted to move away — but remembering what Lu Zhiyue had just said, he couldn’t quite bring himself to push him off.
Forget it.
A hug was just a hug. It wasn’t like they hadn’t done it before. He could think of it as a little “compensation” for his run-off-after-fun behavior tonight.
Chi Suinian thought to himself with a wooden expression.
this ding father and son are so stupid. lu zhiyue still dont settle the score with them yet but they still try to push their luck.