Applying ointment

Full and satisfied, Cheng Yue curled up on the sofa and grew sleepy after his meal. The IV infusion he had received earlier had something to do with it too; fever reducers generally contained sedative ingredients.

Someone suddenly plucked the phone from his loose grip, and he instinctively caught the culprit's hand. "Hmm?"

Ji Huaijin had just finished cleaning the kitchen, and his fingers still carried a chill from the cold water. He flexed the fingers Cheng Yue had clutched tight. "Go to the bedroom."

Cheng Yue abruptly let go and craned his neck toward the dining room. "Finished cleaning?"

He put on the air of someone discarding a tool now that it had served its purpose. "Okay, then you can leave."

Ji Huaijin let him take his phone back and stepped aside, accommodating him in every way. "All right. You go in first."

Although Cheng Yue was suspicious of his meek obedience, he chose to put his trust in his fellow man. Leaving Ji Huaijin to gather his things in the living room, he yawned and went into the bedroom.

He had broken out in a cold sweat that morning, leaving the bedding damp. Fighting off sleep, he changed the sheet, tossed aside the quilt, and wrapped himself in a blanket. Listening to the faint rustling outside the door, he slowly closed his eyes.

Half asleep, Cheng Yue suddenly felt a chill against his lower back. Almost instantly, he grabbed his waistband on reflex and stared wide-eyed at the man beside the bed.

"What are you doing!"

Ji Huaijin showed no panic at being caught. His voice was low and firm. "Let go."

The bedroom was dark, with only a sliver of light slipping through a gap in the curtains. The man wore blue disposable gloves, and mottled light and shadow fell across his face, his gaze unfathomable.

"Be good. It'll be over soon."

To Cheng Yue, he looked no different from Satan descending to earth, whispering like a demon.

Cheng Yue clung desperately to his waistband and shouted in disbelief, "Ji Huaijin, have you lost your mind? I'm still fucking sick!"

He was so worried about the safety of his ass that he failed to notice the ointment beside the bed, taking Ji Huaijin for nothing more than a depraved bastard.

"If you stop now, I'll pretend nothing happened. Otherwise, an ambulance will haul you away, and the cops will take me!"

He tried to scare him off with vicious threats, hoping to awaken his conscience. Yet Ji Huaijin not only refused to let go, he even gave a soft, provocative laugh.

"Then do you know that the more you struggle, the more excited I get?"

His brazen words made Cheng Yue falter, and his grip loosened slightly. Ji Huaijin seized that brief opening and flipped him over with one hand.

Cheng Yue thrashed in panic. "Ji Huaijin, don't you dare!"

A grown man's strength was not to be underestimated. Seeing how fiercely he resisted, Ji Huaijin lifted a leg onto the bed to pin him down, then wasted no more time pulling down his pants.

"Behave. I'm short on time, so let's make this quick."

He was, of course, talking about applying the ointment, but Cheng Yue heard something else entirely. With his ass about to fall into enemy hands, he let out an anguished howl. "Ji Huaijin! You're not human!"

"I'm warning you, if you dare touch me, I'll never let you get away with it-uh..."

His scream cut off abruptly. The injured area had already been burning, and the touch of the cool ointment made him tense up instantly.

Feeling resistance against the cotton swab, Ji Huaijin lifted his eyes toward the now-motionless back of Cheng Yue's head. "Relax. I'm not done yet."

The room, so chaotic moments earlier, seemed to have been muted. Apart from the humidifier still running, it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

Cheng Yue was both embarrassed and furious. His ass might have escaped abuse, but it seemed his dignity had not survived intact.

In this situation, he truly had no idea what to say. All he could do was bury his burning face in the pillow and grit his teeth to keep any strange sounds from escaping.

He had not fully recovered and could not risk getting chilled. Ji Huaijin finished applying the ointment in a few quick strokes, carefully pulled his pants back up, and tucked the blanket over him.

When Ji Huaijin returned after washing his hands, the person on the bed was still in the same position. His lips curved in a silent smile as he gently set a glass of water on the nightstand. "Done howling?"

Cheng Yue whipped his head around, a faint blush still lingering on his face. Perhaps because he had been biting his lip, its pale color had deepened to a vivid red, making his lips look even fuller.

Ji Huaijin's composure, unshaken throughout the entire ordeal, suddenly developed a crack.

"You have the nerve to say that! If you were applying ointment, why did you make it look like a crime scene?"

With his clothes back in place, Cheng Yue regained his confidence. "Besides, who told you to take it upon yourself to apply it for me? Can't I do it myself?"

Ji Huaijin averted his increasingly restless gaze. When he looked up to meet Cheng Yue's eyes, his expression was more serious. "If you'd behaved, you wouldn't have given me a chance to use force."

So you think you're in the right, huh? Whose fault was it that I ended up like this!

The fury in Cheng Yue's eyes seemed almost tangible, crackling as it shot toward him. "Whether you have somewhere to be or not, hurry up and leave!"

Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll kick your head around like a ball!

Ji Huaijin really could not stay any longer; he had a class that afternoon. Glancing at his watch, he reminded Cheng Yue before leaving, "Remember to apply the ointment again before bed tonight. Don't eat anything spicy for the next couple of days."

Cheng Yue closed his eyes without responding.

But his eyes kept darting restlessly beneath his lids. Ji Huaijin stepped forward and tucked his exposed feet under the blanket, amusement coloring his voice.

"Of course, if you really enjoyed today's experience, I wouldn't mind making another house call."

Cheng Yue kicked hard and successfully struck nothing but air. "Get ooouuut!"

Even after the apartment fell quiet, that low, rich chuckle still echoed in his ears.

Cheng Yue angrily pulled the blanket over his head, hoping to drive those sounds from his mind, and silently repeated a prayer.

Dear heaven above, this humble believer is willing to eat vegetarian for three days in exchange for certain people who keep haunting him disappearing from his world!

He felt he had not been this devout even during his college entrance exams. After repeating the prayer three times, he was certain that every deity out there could feel his sincerity.

Taking stock of his newly restored spiritual resolve, Cheng Yue could finally fall asleep in peace.

At Kyoto University, Ji Huaijin had caused a sensation in just two short days. Men and women alike were talking about the young, handsome professor who had returned from abroad.

The classroom for second-year law students was packed. More than half had come for the lecture; the rest were fans of Professor Ji's looks.

Ji Huaijin walked in carrying his laptop, and the noisy classroom instantly fell silent. His explanations of international cases brought the dry, tedious course to life, and no one dared let their mind wander for fear of missing something.

After two consecutive classes, his clear, mellow voice had grown hoarse. Ji Huaijin's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he packed his things and headed for the door.

"Professor Ji!"

A girl with a high ponytail squeezed through the stream of students. When she saw that he had noticed her, a bright smile spread across her face.

"Professor Ji, I didn't quite understand some of the key points just now. Could I add you as a contact?"

Ji Huaijin did not understand what necessary connection there was between those two things. Looking down at the WeChat QR code she confidently presented, he paused, then recited a string of numbers without expression.

"What?"

"For academic questions, email me directly."

The implication was clear: if it had nothing to do with her studies, she should not bother him.