Reluctant to Go Back? Or Are You Trying to Hook Me Again?

Song Mingzhou's eyes lit up.

He immediately went back to fetch his pajamas, then slipped into the bathroom.

More than half an hour later.

Song Mingzhou came out wearing a bathrobe. Duan Xun sat at the table reading. Hearing the movement, he did not even look up, white light falling over him.

Quiet and aloof.

Song Mingzhou used a towel to dry his dripping hair. A few drops of water ran down his collarbone and into his bathrobe.

In slippers, his long, straight, fair legs carried him directly toward Duan Xun.

"Brother."

A foot so beautiful it was almost excessive appeared in Duan Xun's field of vision. His eyes darkened slightly as he lifted his head from the book, his tone oddly eager. "Hmm?"

Song Mingzhou blushed. "What are you reading?"

Duan Xun gestured for Song Mingzhou to look at the title himself.

It was a famous book about crime, a serial murder case.

Song Mingzhou frowned and sat down opposite him, asking obediently, "Did you bring this, Brother?"

"Yes."

Song Mingzhou rested his chin on his hand and watched him. His focused features truly resembled an exquisite work of art, something one did not dare defile or bear to destroy.

The air was quiet for a long while before Duan Xun turned a page.

The sound of paper naturally calmed people.

Except Song Mingzhou.

Simply staring at Duan Xun made a fire rise in his heart, burning hotter and hotter. His breathing gradually grew heavier as well.

Heavy enough to catch Duan Xun's attention.

Duan Xun looked over in confusion. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Song Mingzhou said, "...No."

"Then why is your face so red?"

"..."

7! Men with no sense of romance really deserve to die! Do I seriously have to make the first move?

Can't he see my desire at all? It's such a perfect night, and I finally get to stay in the same room as him, yet he...

There was not the slightest change in Duan Xun's expression.

Only the fingers holding the book tightened imperceptibly.

Song Mingzhou remained equally composed and said, "Maybe I'm a little hot after showering. When are you going to take a shower, Brother?"

Duan Xun set down his book with a soft laugh. "Do you want me to go now?"

"Hm?"

Why ask me? Of course I want you to go now. I wish I could shower with you, but I'm a decent person. I won't say that.

Song Mingzhou scratched his head. "Uh, I was just asking."

"Mm."

"?"

Bzz.

The phone on the table vibrated. Duan Xun freed one hand to unlock it and swiped to WeChat.

Song Mingzhou quietly rose onto his toes to peek. He could not see clearly, but the profile picture looked familiar.

Like... Shen Qing's.

Shen Qing was in his contacts too, added by the original owner. When Song Mingzhou had first transmigrated and learned the plot, he had deliberately checked. Shen Qing's profile picture was a very cute rabbit, easy to recognize.

Song Mingzhou felt a little sour.

Why is he messaging at this time? That lovesick idiot Duan is definitely going to chat with him. Lovesick idiot!

Duan Xun turned his head and gave him a complicated look.

Why is he suddenly looking at me? Did that bastard Shen Qing badmouth me? Is he tattling?

Why is he still looking at me? No way, does he believe Shen Qing? This is infuriating.

Why doesn't that damn green tea drown?

Song Mingzhou ranted wildly and darkly in his heart, but his obedient face revealed not a trace of abnormality. He conscientiously fulfilled the duties of a canary, standing honestly before Duan Xun.

At his mercy.

With some difficulty, Duan Xun pulled his gaze away from those misty, glistening eyes.

Still, the kid's acting was quite good.

If he could not hear his thoughts, he would have been fooled by that cool, obedient appearance. He had the makings of a fine actor.

Duan Xun briefly lost himself in thought, then his slender fingers tapped the phone screen.

He seemed to be typing.

Bzz.

Bzz.

Bzz.

The other person sent several more messages in a row. The repeated vibrations made Song Mingzhou hum softly. Duan Xun casually raised a hand to block his view, typed quickly, then turned the phone face down.

Song Mingzhou: ??

What are they saying that he has to hide it?

Duan Xun raised a brow. "I'm going to shower."

He stood up. As he passed Song Mingzhou, he casually rubbed his head before heading into the bathroom.

Song Mingzhou said, "??"

Why did he touch my head? Is he trying to seduce me?

Flirty bastard, so that's what you're doing? Let's see whether you can hold out once you come back out.

Duan Xun entered with a smile on his lips.

When he came out again,

Song Mingzhou indeed had not left. He was reading the book from earlier, his brows tightly furrowed and his back ramrod straight, as though he were completely absorbed in it.

Duan Xun was mildly surprised. He walked behind him and gently patted his back. "You..."

"Ah!!!"

Song Mingzhou was so startled that he flung the book far away.

Duan Xun: ...

He really was both timid and eager to play. He was scared so easily, yet he had dared immerse himself in the book. Duan Xun could not understand it.

Song Mingzhou had genuinely been frightened. Still shaken, he patted his chest, his face pale as he gasped, "That's too perverted!"

Duan Xun silently went to pick up the book. "It's fine."

"It's fine??" Song Mingzhou had not recovered from his shock. "You..."

Is something wrong with your mind? Don't tell me you want to...

Commit a crime?

Song Mingzhou was truly afraid of such things.

In the real world, he had been a pampered young master, born into a wealthy family and exceptionally well protected. He liked things that were fun and relaxing, and never read anything like this.

Or perhaps it was because of the huge, perpetually empty villa. Since childhood, he had been a little afraid of horror elements and thus did not dare come into contact with them.

He had thought that after entering the world of a book, perhaps he had become braver. Curiosity overcame reason, and he had wanted to see what the books Duan Xun liked were like, to understand him...

In the end, he had frightened himself instead.

Duan Xun wiped the dust from the book cover and chuckled. "If you're scared, don't read it."

Song Mingzhou silently said nothing. He recalled the plot summary. The man before him was the most vicious villain, ruthless and cruel in his methods, and later on, he killed without batting an eye.

He liked reading such twisted books so much. Could he really be planning to use Song Mingzhou for practice, just like in the original plot??

No way.

Hearing Song Mingzhou's wildly imaginative thoughts, Duan Xun could not help laughing. He casually placed the book on the table, then fondly rubbed the young man's hair again. "Stop guessing. Don't read it next time."

"Hm?"

He had not said anything.

How did Duan Xun know he was guessing wildly??

Song Mingzhou looked up, tears still glimmering in his eyes from fright. He took a step forward, half sincere and half feigning, his eyelashes trembling lightly. "Brother... do you really like reading these?"

Duan Xun found it amusing, but nodded solemnly. "Mm, I do."

"?"

What was so good about it?

The entire book was filled with... cruel, twisted methods of torture and murder, drenched in blood and violence.

Fine.

Song Mingzhou digested that by himself for a while, then looked at Duan Xun. At some point, Duan Xun's robe had loosened, vaguely revealing his collarbones and chest muscles.

His even breaths rose and fell, fully exuding the allure of male hormones. Song Mingzhou silently swallowed.

He remained standing there without moving.

Duan Xun took in every one of his little movements. As though deliberately teasing him, he muttered to himself, "The air conditioning is still too high. It's a little hot. It's late—you should go back and sleep too."

As he spoke, Duan Xun casually tugged at his robe, making it seem as though even his abs were about to be exposed.

"!!"

Song Mingzhou restrained the urge to rush over and pounce on him. In his heart, he plotted how to stay behind naturally and spend another wonderful, thrilling night.

Suddenly.

Duan Xun mercilessly exposed his thoughts. "Why are you standing there? Reluctant to go back? Or are you trying to hook me again?"