The driver in front scarcely dared to breathe. Just as the tense atmosphere was becoming suffocating, the car suddenly jolted.
The car had hit an uneven obstacle in the road ahead. The driver turned pale with fright and looked in the rearview mirror.
Perhaps the jolting had made Bai Le uncomfortable. After swaying from side to side, he simply tilted his head against Xi Yan's shoulder, entirely oblivious to the cold attitude of the man beside him.
Bai Le's head was muddled. He yawned, murmured, and said, "Happy birthday."
Xi Yan stiffened. "What?"
"Your birthday. Yours is August seventeenth, mine's December seventeenth. I only remembered because they're on the same day of the month." Bai Le sounded a little impatient.
Xi Yan frowned slightly. He hadn't celebrated his birthday since he was five. Now, no one in the Xi Family even knew when it was, and he didn't like celebrating it.
The coldness remained in his eyes. "How do you know today is my birthday?"
Without so much as lifting his eyelids, Bai Le mumbled, "I saw it in a book."
"What book?"
"A book is a book. Stop bothering me. I want to sleep," Bai Le said, drawing out his words.
Xi Yan lowered his eyes. The frail, slender neck of the person before him was completely exposed. With one gentle grip, he could have him entirely in his grasp, with nothing concealed from him.
Author's note: Five thousand characters today. Let's be frank: I want to hear some rainbow farts. Thank you to the little angels who sent me overlord tickets or watered me with nutrient solution from 2020-02-05 23:52:56 to 2020-02-08 01:05:55~
Thanks to the little angel who watered me with nutrient solution: 星夜印记~﹃~, 5 bottles;
Thank you all so much for your support. I'll keep working hard!
Chapter 10
Two hours later—
Soaking in the hot spring, Bai Le wanted nothing more than to bury his head underwater too. He felt he couldn't show his face to anyone.
After sleeping for a while and letting the hangover soup take effect, he had mostly sobered up.
But everything that had just happened remained vivid. Those scenes were etched firmly into his mind, and he couldn't forget them even if he wanted to.
The steaming mist rising from the pool made his face feel a little hot. Bai Le sank slightly lower and looked at Xi Yan, several meters away. Saito was beside him, saying something to him.
The tall man who always followed Xi Yan around as both his driver and bodyguard was gone, though. He had probably gone outside to stand guard, like Ye Xiaosi.
"President Bai, you're awake."
Saito noticed Bai Le looking over and gave him a polite smile and nod. His pronunciation was a little hesitant, but it didn't affect communication.
Xi Yan turned his head slightly, his dark eyes looking toward Bai Le. Bai Le didn't know if it was his imagination, but he always felt there was some other meaning hidden in them. His instincts told him it wasn't anything good, anyway.
He remembered mentioning the book just now, but fortunately he'd retained a shred of reason and hadn't told him everything.
"Haha, President Bai, do you remember how you clung to Mr. Xi and wouldn't let go when you got out of the car drunk just now?"
A scene appeared in his mind: he had been burrowing his head into Xi Yan's arms and clinging to him with all his might.
He laughed awkwardly. "Sorry you had to see that. I really was drunk. I've forgotten every bit of it."
He knew he was a bad drunk and made a scene when he drank too much. At one gathering, he had even thrown himself on the ground outside, rolling around and making a fuss, until Wu Hua and a few of their buddies carried him into a car and sent him home.
After they had soaked for a while, someone came in and whispered something in Saito's ear. Saito smiled apologetically at them and said he had to step out for a bit, and it might be a while before he returned.
Bai Le froze when he heard that. Wait, if Saito left now, what was he supposed to do? He had just spouted so much drunken nonsense. How awkward would it be if he and Xi Yan were left alone? And if Xi Yan questioned him, how would he answer?
But Saito had no idea what was going through his mind. With someone's help, he put on a robe, then lifted the curtain and left.
Bai Le couldn't help looking at Xi Yan again. He was leaning against the wall of the pool with his eyes quietly closed, his face still an unhealthy pale. From this angle, Bai Le could see his eyelashes, damp with mist.
He seemed to be asleep.
Bai Le held his breath. After a few seconds, he made sure Xi Yan hadn't moved at all, then relaxed, leaned back, and let out a long breath.
"You seem to like lying."
Bai Le went rigid and slowly turned his head. Xi Yan was still in the same position, unmoving, but the voice had unquestionably come from him.
"What?" Bai Le forced himself to stay calm.
"You still remember what happened just now, don't you?" Xi Yan's tone was completely flat, and he didn't even lift an eyelid.
Bai Le denied it. "I really forgot."
Xi Yan slowly opened his eyes. Most Asians had dark brown irises, but his were completely black, without a trace of light in their depths.
He stared at Bai Le without blinking, remaining motionless for a long time.
Bai Le instinctively looked away, feeling as though needles were pricking his back.
Suddenly, the water stirred, ripples spreading across its surface. Bai Le looked over in confusion, then his eyes widened in fright.
Xi Yan had suddenly stood up in the water and was walking toward him at an unhurried pace.
Unlike the frail and sickly appearance he presented to outsiders, his exposed upper body had not a scrap of excess flesh. Even the abdominal muscles formed through long-term exercise were visible. As he walked, he cut through the water, sending ripples across its surface.
Fuck... why did he stand up?
Watching the man come closer and closer, Bai Le instinctively wanted to retreat, but he was already against the pool wall. There was nowhere to go unless he got out of the pool.
"Haha, we've soaked so long my hands are all wrinkled. I'll be going first. Take your time, Fourth Master."
As Bai Le spoke, he started to get up and slip away, but a strong hand came over and blocked his path.
A tall shadow fell over him. Pressured by Xi Yan's imposing presence, Bai Le nevertheless looked back at him.
Xi Yan gazed at him with his eyes half lowered. He was keenly observant and had noticed long ago that Bai Le's attitude toward him was very strange.