Pei Jinghe did not reply. He looked thoughtful before finally asking a question.
"Is it that embarrassing for Wu Jiangyuan to be kept by Pei Jinghe?"
The corner of Wu Jiangyuan's eye twitched. "If you say so."
For some reason, he could not bring himself to say the real reason.
He simply did not want Pei Jinghe to have anything to do with the entertainment industry.
It was that simple.
Ideally, he would have no connection to it whatsoever.
Someone like Pei Jinghe and a place as materialistic as the entertainment industry belonged to two completely different worlds.
Having spent so many years in the entertainment industry, Wu Jiangyuan knew all too well how murky its waters were. He did not want to drag Pei Jinghe into it for his own selfish desires.
The Pei family was a prestigious, established family with a legacy passed down through generations, something that could not be summed up in mere figures or money.
Pei Jinghe, in particular, was a gifted golden boy who had been groomed as the heir since childhood.
The prominent families of high society were his circle. No matter how much Wu Jiangyuan disliked him, he could not let the Pei family's sole heir become entangled with such a chaotic place.
He was not that bad.
But Wu Jiangyuan's answer left a bitter taste in Pei Jinghe's mouth.
Did he hate him that much? Was even letting outsiders know about their relationship embarrassing?
Pei Jinghe's lips curled into a cold sneer, his eyes devoid of warmth. "Suit yourself. I respect your wishes."
He stepped forward and reached out.
Wu Jiangyuan thought he was about to hit him and instinctively stepped back.
Pei Jinghe's outstretched hand paused. His expression grew colder as he reached past him to push open the fitting room door.
He walked straight out without looking back.
Watching his retreating figure, Wu Jiangyuan suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.
It wasn't like he owed him money. Why the sour face?
He quickly composed himself and left the fitting room.
The designer had been waiting for some time and circled Wu Jiangyuan, looking him over.
"The silhouette looks perfect. If anything feels tight, please let me know."
Wu Jiangyuan moved his shoulders. "Nothing does. It fits very well. I'm very happy with it."
"Your partner said the same thing just now." The designer smiled. "Shall we confirm the color next?"
In that short time, he had already created a mock-up of the finished suit on his computer.
Wu Jiangyuan's eyes lit up the moment he saw it.
He instinctively glanced at the pink bougainvillea outside the window.
"The color is beautiful," he praised sincerely.
The designer smiled. "This color is perfect for spring. It's the most popular color among Omegas out of all the designs I've worked on."
Wu Jiangyuan laughed, unable to bring himself to tell him the truth.
This was actually for an Enigma. Pink on an Enigma was like a burly man in a miniskirt.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Pei Jinghe still standing by the window, also looking at the bougainvillea outside.
Remembering the strange atmosphere between them earlier, Wu Jiangyuan abandoned the idea of going over.
Better not go over and be an eyesore.
After he confirmed the final cut and color with the designer, everything about the suit was settled.
Pei Jinghe had gone outside five minutes earlier. After saying goodbye to the designer, Wu Jiangyuan got up to leave.
But when he pushed open the door, he saw Pei Jinghe, who should have left, standing beside the car on the phone.
The sunset glow fell across the Enigma's shoulders. Pei Jinghe's suit jacket hung over his arm, and his waistcoat perfectly showed off his broad shoulders and narrow waist. The cuffs of his cream-colored shirt were rolled up, revealing part of his lean, muscular forearms.
On his wrist was Tassilo's Stars watch, the same model Wu Jiangyuan had worn before.
Just standing there, Pei Jinghe drew countless looks with the mature masculine appeal radiating from him.
Wu Jiangyuan stood there admiring him for a while, then sighed inwardly. How could this guy be so good-looking?
Before differentiating, he had clearly still been a delicate, beautiful boy. How had his masculine charm become so off the charts?
Pei Jinghe noticed him and wrapped up the call with a few words.
Wu Jiangyuan's gaze lingered on his wrist for a long moment before he asked, "Is that the Stars model from last time?"
"Yes," Pei Jinghe said.
Wu Jiangyuan blinked, then suddenly asked, "Can I take a look?"
The chill in Pei Jinghe's brow eased. "Yes."
Despite saying yes, he made no move.
So Wu Jiangyuan stepped forward and took his hand. He had not looked closely at the watch last time, but now he examined it carefully.
The watch was just as its name suggested: Stars.
It was like a disk of the cosmos, holding a vast, mysterious starry sky, tiny points of light twinkling inside like stars.
Wu Jiangyuan offered his sincere assessment. "Yes, endorsing this watch actually suits my image."
Pei Jinghe could not help smiling, his eyes curving, but he soon resumed his cold expression. "Wasn't the one from last time given to you?"
"..." Wu Jiangyuan thought for a moment. "It's at the company. If I'd known it was this beautiful, I would've taken it home ages ago."
"The design for Stars came from my inspiration."
Pei Jinghe said this out of nowhere.
Wu Jiangyuan paused and met his gaze. "Then that was some pretty good inspiration."
Pei Jinghe said nothing more, merely gazing steadily at Wu Jiangyuan with those pitch-black eyes.
His stare made Wu Jiangyuan feel inexplicably uncomfortable. Suddenly realizing he was still holding his hand, he hurriedly let go.
"All right, I've had my look. I'm leaving."
He turned to leave, and Pei Jinghe did not stop him.
Only after watching him get into his car and drive away did Pei Jinghe raise his hand to look at the watch on his wrist, remaining silent for a long time.
That night.
Wu Jiangyuan fell asleep on the sofa.
He had a strange dream. When he opened his eyes and woke up, he was in a dim room.
The furnishings were all too familiar to Wu Jiangyuan. It was the room he had shared with Pei Jinghe that night.
It felt as though all the strength had been drained from his body. He lay on the bed, unable to move.
As he lay there in frustration, another sound of breathing suddenly appeared in the room.
Wu Jiangyuan turned his head and saw Pei Jinghe suddenly standing beside the bed, dressed just as he had been while taking that call outside the suit shop that afternoon.
The sight Wu Jiangyuan had found so pleasing to the eye had now absurdly reappeared.
He opened his mouth, only to discover that he could not say a word.
The next second, Pei Jinghe suddenly bent closer. An indistinct darkness obscured the upper half of his face, hiding the look in his eyes.
Only the lower half of his face remained visible, an eerie smile playing at his lips.
Unable to move or speak, Wu Jiangyuan could only watch as Pei Jinghe planted a hand beside his ear and lowered his whole body over him.
At the same time, a hand settled on his lower abdomen and slowly stroked upward.
Wu Jiangyuan's eyes widened, the curses caught in his throat refusing to come out.
Damn it!
He could only let the other man slip a hand beneath his hem and brazenly leave marks.
Wu Jiangyuan's scalp prickled. The tickling sensations against his skin felt utterly real. His chest heaved violently, and through gritted teeth, he forced a broken sound from his mouth.
"...Get lost."
Pei Jinghe's hand paused, then the smile at his lips deepened. His voice was full of intimate enticement. "Don't you love this? Tangtang."
With that, he spread Wu Jiangyuan's thighs...
"!"
The scene slammed to a halt. Wu Jiangyuan jolted awake on the sofa, his heart pounding wildly, a thin sheen of sweat having formed on his body at some point.
He touched the burning back of his neck, still shaken by the dream. He repeatedly tried to calm himself down, but finally could not hold back a curse.
"Fuck!"
Why the hell had he had a wet dream about Pei Jinghe??
It was all that damned temporary mark's fault!
He'd forgotten to confront Pei Jinghe about it again that afternoon!
Before you continue