…Sleep?
Yan Xun didn’t take this word to mean anything inappropriate; he just looked at Chu Tingyun’s face, which showed no sign of fatigue, and after a few seconds, he responded with an “Alright.”
But it was indeed very late now, already half-past one in the morning, and it was time to sleep. What’s more, they had to get up early tomorrow to attend a wedding.
Yan Xun said to Chu Tingyun:
“If you’re tired, go ahead and sleep first. I’ll organize the lychees and put them in the fridge.”
A large bouquet like this wasn’t easy to store; he’d have to dismantle it and repackage it.
The slight curve that had just lifted the corners of Chu Tingyun’s lips instantly flattened. He didn’t leave; he just leaned against the kitchen island with his arms crossed, watching Yan Xun work.
That intense gaze was really hard to ignore.
“What’s wrong?”
Yan Xun looked at him in confusion and, after a moment of thought, asked,
“Do you want to eat some?”
Originally, he didn’t want to eat, but with Yan Xun asking like that, the word “no” circled around Chu Tingyun’s mouth and came out as—
“Hmm.”
So, Yan Xun picked a few and handed them to him, but Chu Tingyun didn’t take them.
He said, “I just washed my hands.”
“…”
Yan Xun understood what he meant: he wanted to eat but didn’t want to dirty his hands.
He really was a pampered young master accustomed to being served by others.
So, Yan Xun peeled the lychees for him.
After all, the lychees were bought by Chu Tingyun, so peeling a few for him wasn’t a big deal.
Who knew where Chu Tingyun had bought such high-quality lychees in the middle of the night during this season? The skins were bright red, and the flesh inside was fragrant, sweet, and juicy.
After peeling just a few, Yan Xun’s fingers were already drenched in juice.
Chu Tingyun’s gaze was unconsciously drawn over.
Yan Xun was tall, with long limbs and long fingers, but his fingers were not as slender as Chu Tingyun’s; instead, they were slightly thicker.
During his childhood and teenage years, he loved spending time in the martial arts school run by his adoptive father. Sometimes, he would even participate in small competitions to promote the school and bring in business. As a result, his hands were covered in a thin layer of calluses. Chu Tingyun was well aware of how they felt: if they were holding hands, the touch would feel dry and warm; if they brushed against sensitive skin, it would create a significant sensation.
After peeling the skin, Yan Xun even took a clean disposable straw from the side of the counter to remove the pit.
“Here you go.”
Chu Tingyun didn’t pretend anymore. He took a step forward, lowered his head, and ate from Yan Xun’s hand.
It was indeed very sweet and delicious.
Perhaps because he had rarely eaten fruit as a child due to limited means, Chu Tingyun never developed the habit of regularly eating fruit. Later, when he got busier with work, he primarily relied on taking multivitamin pills to supplement his vitamins.
“Peel another one.”
Chu Tingyun made a reserved request.
Yan Xun peeled a few more, but seeing that Chu Tingyun was getting a bit hooked, he stopped.
“It’s too late, and eating too many will cause you to overheat. You might have a nosebleed tomorrow.”
“…Fine.”
Chu Tingyun clicked his tongue, agreeing reluctantly.
He watched Yan Xun wash his hands, remove the packaging, and put the remaining lychees in the fridge, before following him back to the bedroom.
Yan Xun, who had been stuck with all the way, felt that something about Chu Tingyun seemed a bit off.
He didn’t know why, but the Chu Tingyun he met after being discharged from the hospital seemed somewhat different from the one he first met in the café and the one he chatted with on WeChat while he was hospitalized.
Previously, he felt that this man was like a distant, aloof CEO from a TV show—dignified, restrained, elegant, and composed—giving Yan Xun a very distant and unfamiliar feeling.
Now, though not completely opposite, there was still a sense of change.
Although it wasn’t a very apt description, Yan Xun felt like there was a “I can’t keep up this act anymore” vibe around him.
Or maybe it was just his imagination, and because they had been married for many years, they quickly became familiar and close after meeting?
Originally, Yan Xun had planned to not divorce immediately and to spend some time with Chu Tingyun to recover his memory and understand why he was so determined to divorce before making any decisions.
This plan seemed sound, and now Yan Xun had indeed learned some things about the past. However, he noticed that Chu Tingyun didn’t seem to have much intention of divorcing…
He kissed him yesterday, slept in the same bed, and then came rushing back at one in the morning today just to bring him lychees.
This didn’t look like someone who wanted a divorce…
Various confusing thoughts flashed through Yan Xun’s mind, but he suppressed them again. Never mind; he should get some answers when they meet the senior sister tomorrow.
They had already brushed their teeth earlier, so Yan Xun just rinsed his mouth with some water to wash away the sweetness and was ready to sleep.
It seemed that lychees did have a bit of a sleep-inducing effect because he was starting to feel sleepy.
As for Chu Tingyun, who had just talked about going to sleep, he now appeared quite awake as he stood in front of the wardrobe, thinking about which pajamas to wear tonight.
The apartment Yan Xun rented was really small, with no separate walk-in closet. The wardrobe in the bedroom was also small and had to be shared between the two of them, so he could only store two or three sets of pajamas.
Chu Tingyun found it quite unsatisfactory.
He decided that after the wedding, he would immediately take Yan Xun back to their marital home.
After dawdling for about ten minutes, Chu Tingyun finally changed into his pajamas in a nonchalant yet charming manner, only to turn around and find that Yan Xun had already fallen asleep with an eye mask on.
“…”
Yan Xun had a habit of wearing an eye mask to sleep because the small room he used to live in had poor curtains that didn’t block light well, and the neon lights outside always disturbed his sleep.
Chu Tingyun walked to the bedside, lifted the blanket, and got in. This time, he didn’t keep any distance between them but instead directly reached out to hold him.
It had been almost four months since Chu Tingyun had hugged Yan Xun to sleep, counting from when his little husband started insisting on a divorce.
When planning to deceive his young husband, Chu Tingyun had thought it all out. He even designed a new persona for himself—someone like a CEO who had helplessly succumbed after being passionately pursued by a male college student.
He would first lay the groundwork through Zhou Ze’s words and then use a video and jade pendant as evidence. This lie’s structure would be easy to construct.
At the moment Yan Xun said “Don’t get a divorce,” Chu Tingyun almost felt his plan was flawless, with stunning results.
However, more patchwork would be needed, more detailed evidence to support it.
The key point was that Chu Tingyun needed to make Yan Xun believe that he liked him—madly in love.
So, President Chu even went through a dating guidebook, learning tactics like playing hard to get, using push and pull, and how a high-level hunter should appear as prey…
In short, one word: bait.
But now, Chu Tingyun was finding it hard to keep up the act.
He had only stayed at the Jiang residence for four hours before he became restless and uncomfortable. When he lay down on the bed, it felt like his face was hurting, and there was a metallic taste of blood in his mouth.
He kept replaying the scene in his mind where Yan Xun ran off with a cat that day, leaving behind only a divorce agreement. Back then, it took Chu Tingyun an entire month to find him.
He thought, what if Yan Xun suddenly regained his memory in the middle of the night and ran away again while he was alone at home?
This thought grew more and more intense.
So, the moment it turned past midnight, Chu Tingyun couldn’t wait any longer and rushed back.
This wasn’t a wise decision.
Chu Tingyun was well aware of that.
Yan Xun wasn’t stupid; on the contrary, he was very smart. He was only suffering from temporary amnesia. If this continued, his cover might soon be blown.
So, while despising his own foolishness, Chu Tingyun only held Yan Xun tighter.
Like a fish willingly caught on the hook.
At this moment, Yan Xun was completely unaware of the intense mental battle Chu Tingyun was going through. His consciousness was hazy, and he was about to fall asleep.
So, when the man’s hand reached over and wrapped around his waist, Yan Xun didn’t react much, letting the other cling to him like a koala.
He vaguely sensed a warm, moist feeling at the corner of his lips, as if someone was kissing the small dimple on his cheek.
Yan Xun had a slight dimple when he smiled, but he rarely smiled, so few people noticed it.
But that feeling lasted only two seconds, like an illusion, and then it was silent again.
The entire bedroom fell into the silence of the night.
Chu Tingyun buried his face in the blanket, letting out a silent breath.
Forget it…
Just then, Yan Xun, who had been lying on his back, suddenly turned over to face him. His arm stretched out and pulled him into his embrace.
“Go to sleep now.”
He gently patted the man’s back, his lowered voice sounding very soft in the darkness.
“Good night.”
Yan Xun didn’t know what kind of grievance Chu Tingyun had suffered at the Jiang house to make him rush back in the middle of the night, heedless of anything.
But at least, for now, this was the place he considered home, and perhaps he himself was the only family Chu Tingyun had.
So, Yan Xun thought, maybe hugging him now would make things a little better.
“…”
Chu Tingyun’s body noticeably stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed. He closed his eyes and buried his face in Yan Xun’s neck. After a long while, he let out a muffled “mm.”
Now he could sleep well.
Smelling the scent of the young man, Chu Tingyun’s consciousness quickly drifted into slumber.
The moon set, and the day broke.
When he woke up in the morning, Yan Xun had already prepared breakfast and called him to get up.
“Wake up, don’t sleep in today.”
“…”
Chu Tingyun looked at him, dazed for a long time before he came back to his senses.
“Mm.”
There were too many clothes bought yesterday, and it was hard to keep them all in this rented place, so two addresses were left. Only two sets of suits for attending the wedding were delivered here.
One set belonged to Chu Tingyun.
He had deliberately chosen two similar styles, treating them as matching outfits.
Yan Xun took his set to the bedroom to change, but he didn’t expect Chu Tingyun to suddenly push the door open halfway through.
“…”
Yan Xun paused his actions, calmly picking up a shirt. The movement made the muscle lines on his waist and abdomen particularly clear and beautiful.
After putting on the shirt, he asked,
“What’s wrong?”
Chu Tingyun stared at him intently,
“To see if you know how to wear a suit.”
Yan Xun: “…”
He was silent for a moment and then handed a tissue to Chu Tingyun,
“Next time, don’t eat lychees at night. It’s causing you to overheat.”
“?”
President Chu took the tissue, belatedly realizing—
He seemed to have a nosebleed.
The man took the tissue silently, turned around, and went to the washroom to deal with it.
When he came back fifteen minutes later, he found that Yan Xun still hadn’t finished dressing.
Yan Xun, whose memory was stuck at eighteen, had never worn a suit. He struggled in front of the mirror for a long time without getting it right.
Chu Tingyun watched him for a while before calling out, “Come here.”
He helped Yan Xun fasten his cufflinks, teaching him step-by-step how to tie a tie, and finally smoothed out the slight wrinkles on his chest with his thumb.
Yan Xun obediently let Chu Tingyun adjust him. His bangs had a bit of wax applied, and they were being brushed back by Chu Tingyun, revealing his full, prominent forehead.
Without the bangs covering it, Yan Xun’s features suddenly appeared sharper, giving him a more mature and stern look.
If Chu Tingyun in a suit gave the impression of a suave scoundrel, Yan Xun in a suit had a dignified and severe aura.
“This hairstyle…”
Looking at himself in the mirror, Yan Xun thought for a moment and suddenly said,
“It looks like the one we had when we took our marriage certificate photo.”
This sentence made Chu Tingyun pause. His gaze froze for a moment, then slowly softened.
“Mm, I did it back then too.”
Only, at that time, when he styled Yan Xun’s hair this way, Yan Xun’s face was cold, without a smile, like a silent, hollow doll.
So, a lot of effort went into retouching the photo to make him appear as if he were smiling.
But now it seemed different.
“Really?”
The young man was a bit surprised but found it reasonable. Then he rarely smiled, showing a faint dimple.
“Chu Tingyun, you’re quite good at this.”
“…”
Chu Tingyun stared fixedly at Yan Xun’s face, suddenly feeling an urge to kiss that little dimple.
Lol getting a nosebleed. That would be very embarrassing if Yan Xun knew it wasn’t because of the lychees