SBS chapter 57

Because of the madness of that night, Ye Xi couldn’t get out of bed the next day.

In the morning light, he stared at the embroidery on the canopy, pondering life.

Turns out, smut novels weren’t all nonsense. After a first night, it really was possible to not be able to get up.

Not that it was unbearably painful—Bai Yue had been very patient. Even if, in bed, he exposed an entirely different nature, whispering gentle words while moving with the cruelty of a tyrant.

At least he still had some rationality. He gave Ye Xi plenty of foreplay, even tucked a pillow under his hips as support.

So Ye Xi wasn’t hurt—just completely worn out.

“…”

Ye Xi smacked his lips.

To be honest, there was a bit of aftertaste.

Though exhausted—so much so that upon waking, he wondered if he’d torn a ligament, with his waist sore beyond belief—he couldn’t say it hadn’t been enjoyable.

More than enjoyable.

Bai Yue’s mix of tenderness and cruelty in bed suited him perfectly.

Floating in and out, it felt like his soul drifted above, only to be dragged back down, pressed into the sheets for more kisses.

Half-dreaming, half-awake, his lashes damp, through a blur of sweat and tears, he looked at Bai Yue’s face—handsome to the point of wickedness at that moment.

Then Bai Yue lowered his head, mouth opening to bite his wrist.

Ye Xi blinked.

Just recalling that scene was enough to make him stir again.

But last night had drained him too much. His body simply couldn’t keep up.

Eyes bright, he thought: Though exhausted, though mortified at being forced to accept medicine from Bai Yue—still, five stars. Would recommend.

Just as he debated whether to rate last night a 4.5 or a full 5…

There was a sound at the door.

Bai Yue walked in carrying a tray.

Since Ye Xi was too worn out, Bai Yue had brought breakfast into the room, letting him eat in bed.

When he had left, Ye Xi was still asleep. Now, walking back in, he found Ye Xi lying there, wide-eyed.

Bai Yue couldn’t help but smile, setting the tray down.

The breakfast wasn’t homemade—it had been sent by the hotel. But that day, of course, no staff would be allowed in. He insisted on doing everything himself.

He bent down, holding Ye Xi gently, asking softly, “Can you sit up? Does your waist still hurt?”

Ye Xi thought: this guy really loves asking what he already knows.

But he still nodded lightly, voice a little hoarse. “I can. It’s not that sore.”

Bai Yue slid a cushion behind his waist and laid out breakfast on the small table.

It was all light fare, but plenty of variety, filling the table.

Ye Xi scooped a spoonful of soup, tasting crushed nuts inside.

Bai Yue kept watching him. He himself didn’t seem very hungry, just ate a burrata ham sandwich and drank an Americano.

Ye Xi felt too embarrassed to raise his head.

This scene… strangely resembled a newlywed couple’s morning.

He felt shy, but happy too.

Still, after a bite of roasted tomato, he whispered, “Don’t keep staring at me.”

Bai Yue chuckled. “Why not?”

He simply couldn’t tear his eyes away.

The white silk robe from last night was ruined, too fragile to wear again.

So he’d changed Ye Xi into a light-gray silk robe, its soft sheen warm and gentle, neckline gaping open to show his neck and collarbone marked with kisses.

He knew he’d been a little too indulgent last night.

Ye Xi had cried so hard his eyelids were still swollen.

But with the person he’d longed for lying beneath him, how could any man—let alone him, a flawed mortal—possibly restrain himself?

Bai Yue leaned closer, eyes fixed on him, lips curling.

“Was my performance lacking yesterday? Did it bore you?”

God, what wolfish nonsense.

Ye Xi bit his spoon in frustration, staring at Bai Yue with no words.

No way was he falling for that trap again—no “not bored,” no “I like you.”

But he wasn’t quick with words anyway. Even if he had a thousand comebacks, he couldn’t say them. He could only mutter feeble protests.

And with Bai Yue ignoring those protests, still staring at him so intently…

He had no choice but to lower his head and nibble at avocado, docile as ever.

So after breakfast, he was dragged back into Bai Yue’s arms again—kissed from fingertips to lips, cheeks nearly swollen from all the biting.

…..

Because of Ye Xi’s condition, Bai Yue extended their stay at the villa for another three days.

If it were up to him, he’d stay another month.

But Ye Xi insisted on traveling with Li Rui and attending a class reunion, so he firmly refused.

Bai Yue had no choice but to give in.

For the next two days, Ye Xi mostly lounged in the garden or on the sofa. Not a fan of outdoor activities to begin with, with his waist still sore, he avoided moving too much.

But he did attempt to bake another apple pie.

The one he’d once given Bai Yue had been tossed out untouched by classmates—something Bai Yue had never gotten over.

Even if that pie had been inedible, practically poisonous, it still stung.

So now, with a fully stocked kitchen, Ye Xi rolled up his sleeves and gave it another try.

Apples, cake flour, sugar, butter, eggs…

Simple ingredients, and the steps weren’t complicated. But he treated it like a battlefield, double-checking his phone at every step.

Maybe because Bai Yue supervised this time, even adjusting the ratios a little, the result was a complete success.

A perfect apple pie, golden lattice crust crisp and fragrant, the scent of sweet apples filling the room.

Ye Xi couldn’t believe it—he had actually made this.

He stared at it for several seconds before remembering to take pictures.

Photos from every angle, determined to immortalize this in his personal portfolio.

Only after he’d snapped enough did he cut out a small slice, placing it carefully on a white porcelain plate and handing it to Bai Yue.

Even now, offering Bai Yue that apple pie still gave him a tiny thrill.

It felt like he had returned to those sour, bittersweet days of secretly loving Bai Yue.

Just the smallest bit of closeness was enough to make him overjoyed.

“Bai-ge, try it?”

He spoke softly.

Bai Yue picked up the slice of apple pie with his hand. Following his request, Ye Xi had nearly replicated the original version one-to-one.

So beneath this apple pie, Ye Xi had carved his birthday.

June 1st, Children’s Day.

That year, because the college entrance exams were approaching, they hadn’t managed to throw Ye Xi a grand birthday party. They had only shared a birthday cake with him and recorded a video for his eighteenth birthday as a coming-of-age keepsake.

So, when Bai Yue booked this mountain villa, he’d also intended to make up for Ye Xi’s birthday.

Bai Yue gently bit into the apple pie, and the full, rich fragrance of the fruit burst in his mouth.

Considering Bai Yue’s taste, Ye Xi hadn’t made it too sweet, and he’d even added a little cranberry.

“Is it good?” he asked nervously.

Bai Yue directly brought the other half to Ye Xi’s lips. “You try it.”

Obediently, Ye Xi took a bite—and then widened his eyes.

In a daze, he thought: Though I have no talent for cooking, maybe I’m a genius when it comes to apple pie.

“It’s delicious,” Bai Yue said softly beside him.

He finished off the small piece of pie. The taste of the fruit lingered on his tongue, carrying the sweetness of summer.

Although he hadn’t gotten to taste Ye Xi’s very first pie—the one that carried the weight of his secret crush—he still, at last, had Ye Xi’s homemade apple pie.

It could serve as a kind of consolation.

Ye Xi had only two pieces before he was sick of it, so Bai Yue ended up eating almost the entire pie.

Like Ye Xi, Bai Yue also took many photos of the pie—who knew who he planned to show off to.

That night, the two of them slept in each other’s arms. Ye Xi couldn’t help himself, kissing and rubbing against Bai Yue, until finally Bai Yue pressed him down into the bed.

Aside from the final step, Bai Yue gave him almost the full experience.

Ye Xi lay against the soft white down pillow, staring at his devastatingly handsome boyfriend, thinking that he could live like this for a hundred more years.

But perhaps joy brings misfortune.

That night, Ye Xi slept so deeply that not even his phone alarm woke him the next morning.

He vaguely heard the sound of singing, but only groaned in annoyance, burrowing deeper under the covers and shoving his head inside to deceive himself.

Bai Yue, however, was woken up.

But since he and Ye Xi used the same model of phone—one he had given Ye Xi as a gift after the college entrance exams—he reached for it in a bad mood, eyes half-closed. Seeing that it was Zheng Yang calling, he answered without thinking, his tone unfriendly: “Hello?”

He thought, Zheng Yang had better have real business, otherwise he could easily end up having someone sent to “take care of him.”

As he spoke, he sat up slowly, intending to get out of bed so as not to disturb Ye Xi.

But Zheng Yang was silent for a long while before suddenly asking: “This early in the morning… I called Ye Xi’s phone, so why are you answering?”

Bai Yue froze.

In that instant, he was wide awake. He looked down and saw his own black-cased phone lying right there beside the pillow.

He fell silent.

Even now, Bai Yue could have lied easily and smoothed things over.

But he glanced at the sleeping Ye Xi beside him, and chose not to say a word.

Even Zheng Yang, dull as he could be, finally caught on.

“Bai Yue!!!!”

“You beast—what did you do to Ye Xi!!!!”

Zheng Yang was thunderstruck, unable to believe it.

“Let Ye Xi answer the phone! Did you force him?!”

“Damn it, are you even human? I was only away a few days, and you made a move on Ye Xi! Do you have any shred of decency left?!”

“Where did you take him—did you take him abroad? Did you imprison him? Just wait, I’m calling the police right now to have you arrested!!”

What kind of nonsense was this?

Bai Yue pressed his fingers to his temple, his head aching from the shouting.

Yet, since a few of Zheng Yang’s words actually held some truth, he kept a strange silence.

Finally, Zheng Yang’s frenzied roar woke Ye Xi. He painfully poked his head out from under the blanket, his pajama top slipping off his shoulder to reveal a hickey.

His face was displeased. Even with Bai Yue beside him, his morning temper flared.

“Who is it?” he asked hoarsely. “This early, who’s yelling complaints?”

Otherwise, how could anyone be that loud?

Bai Yue looked at Ye Xi helplessly, shrugged, and replied with two words: “Your brother.”

In an instant, Ye Xi was fully awake.