When Ji Huaijin said he would see things through to the end, he really meant he would not be done until he had personally watched Cheng Yue get into bed.
Cheng Yue's sense of territory was like a sheet of paper in front of him, pierced with a single poke.
Whatever Cheng Yue said, Ji Huaijin had a response ready. Once he realized he could not stop him, Cheng Yue gave up. He might as well shut his mouth and save his breath.
Actually, he could still have refused if he really wanted to. In the end, it was that little bit of vulnerability brought on by illness that was making trouble; he could not bear to push away warmth so readily within reach.
The moment he stepped inside, a wave of heat washed over him. Cheng Yue's mind, which the wind had cleared somewhat, instantly turned to mush again.
He pushed away the arm supporting him, found his bedroom by instinct, and wrapped himself snugly in the covers, not forgetting to remind the man following him, "All right, you can leave now."
Before he had even finished speaking, his drooping eyelids fluttered twice, then lost the strength to lift again. After that, he sank into a deep sleep.
"Cheng Yue?"
The man who had been all claws and teeth just moments earlier now lay meekly curled beneath the covers, his expression soft and quiet. The sight alone was enough to soften anyone's heart.
Ji Huaijin stood tall and elegant, gazing intently at the man on the bed. In their few encounters since first meeting, Cheng Yue had always been full of life, every emotion written plainly on his face.
But there was no denying that even illness could not diminish his good looks.
Ji Huaijin admitted that, yes, it was physical attraction that had first drawn him in.
With flirtatious, alluring eyes, a gentle, composed air, and a smile that often felt like a refreshing breeze, he should have been the sort to flit from lover to lover. Instead, he had developed a temperament that kept him detached from the world.
Apart from a mild interest in his studies, nothing and no one could provoke any great emotional highs or lows in him.
His few close friends had long since seen through appearances to his indifferent nature, teasing him and placing bets on when he would become a monk.
Ji Huaijin usually just smiled calmly and let them joke.
Whether they called him the saint of Beijing's elite or a paragon of chastity, he had no interest in any of it. He knew perfectly well that he was an ordinary man, with ordinary appetites for food and sex.
He simply had not met anyone who could stir his heart.
At some point, the humidifier on the bedside table had been turned on, moistening the dry air.
The family doctor reached the entrance to the residential complex at the last possible minute and followed instructions to make a house call. After a round of examinations established the cause of the illness, he hurried downstairs to prepare the medication and bring it back up.
After leaving his medical instructions and being politely escorted out, the family doctor looked up at the bright, sunny sky and could finally walk at a leisurely pace.
"Young people these days. Tsk."
Cheng Yue woke because he desperately needed to pee. He hurried to the bathroom at a light jog, passing right by the man sitting comfortably on the living room sofa, handling work with practiced ease.
Only after emptying his bladder did he realize something was wrong. Without even stopping to wash his hands, he yanked the door open.
"Why are you still in my home?!"
Ji Huaijin finished typing the last few words, leisurely closed his laptop, and looked up at him. "You're awake? Go take a shower, then come out and eat."
Cheng Yue strode over to the coffee table, glaring with his brows drawn up. "I asked why you haven't left!"
The living room clock showed one in the afternoon. In other words, this man had been in his home for several hours.
Ji Huaijin was still wearing the same shirt and dress pants, except he had changed into a familiar pair of slippers. His easy, unruffled manner made it seem as though he belonged in this home too.
Seriously, did people these days have no sense of being a guest?!
What decent person just made himself the host while the actual homeowner was asleep?!
The more Cheng Yue thought about it, the angrier he became. "Hurry up and leave. I've got a vicious dog here. Watch out, or I'll set it on you."
"Aren't you uncomfortable after sweating so much?"
Ignoring the question, Ji Huaijin walked past him into the kitchen at an unhurried pace. "Keep your hand dry while you shower."
Only then did Cheng Yue notice the medical tape on the back of his hand, the trace of an IV he had received while asleep.
The anger in his chest inexplicably subsided. Watching the other man use his kitchen utensils as though he were perfectly at home, he said hesitantly, "I don't think we're close enough to come and go from each other's homes whenever we like, are we?"
Ji Huaijin switched on the microwave and leaned sideways against the dining table. His gaze traveled slowly over Cheng Yue's body, inch by inch, as a meaningful smile curved his lips.
"A relationship where we can have sex together isn't intimate enough?"
After a deathly silence, the room erupted into chaos.
"Y-you-you... pah! Who said we were close?!"
Faced with such a shameless man, the innocent Cheng Yue fled in disarray, his face bright red.
Ji Huaijin raised an eyebrow, his gaze resting on the tightly closed door, then suddenly chuckled.
All at once, he found himself enjoying this moment-being a little less rational, a little less restrained.
On opposite sides of a single door, their moods could not have been more different.
Every five seconds, Cheng Yue regretted failing to perform better yet again. He should have righteously condemned the man's shamelessness. What kind of filthy things was he saying in broad daylight?
No! That was getting off track! He should have cursed him out for taking advantage and then acting all innocent!
No, that wasn't right either! Obviously, the proper thing to do was throw him straight out!
Standing beneath the shower, Cheng Yue clenched his fists, his expression indignant. "Just you wait. When I get out, I'll..."
Knock, knock, knock.
"Make it quick. You're not fully recovered yet. I've left your clothes outside the door. Remember to dry your hair before you come out."
There was no answer from the bathroom apart from the sound of running water. Ji Huaijin did not mind. After lingering for a moment, he curved his lips and turned away.
Only after listening to the footsteps fade did Cheng Yue resume breathing normally. "Hmph. All this unasked-for attention-he must be up to something."
Pah! What was he saying? This was his own home. He didn't need that man's fake kindness!
That said, Cheng Yue took looking after himself quite seriously. Ji Huaijin had brought him a fairly thick set of pajamas, the sort whose style alone made it clear they would never have appeared in his wardrobe.
Digging out his familiar underwear tucked at the very bottom, Cheng Yue muttered as he dressed. This debt-collecting jerk had no sense of boundaries, rummaging through someone else's wardrobe like that.
Once he had finished getting ready, he pulled the door open with an imposing air.
"All done?"
After looking him over, Ji Huaijin said casually, "I needed them in a hurry, so I just picked a set. Make do with them for now."
Noticing his tightly pressed lips, he added, "Don't worry. They've all been washed."
Cheng Yue opened his mouth, then swallowed every argument he had prepared, silently thinking that this man never played by the rules.
"I'm hungry."
Forget it. Food came first. He might as well eat.
Sometimes it really was strange. Someone he had declared only yesterday that he never wanted to see again could be sitting at the same table with him today, sharing a meal in an atmosphere that was eerily harmonious.
They finished the meal in silence.
"Go rest for a while first. In a bit, it'll be easier to... medicine."
The clatter of dishes and cutlery kept Cheng Yue from hearing him clearly. Since someone was so eager to wait on him, of course he would accept it as his due.
"Wash them properly. I'll be checking later."
Ji Huaijin lifted his eyes to glance at him and gave an inscrutable little smile.
"Sure."
As long as you still have the strength.
Before you continue