“Chu Tingyun—!”
Yan Xun was enraged and suddenly stood up, forcefully pushing him away.
Chu Tingyun was immediately knocked off balance, his back hitting the bookshelf with a dull thud. But he wasn’t angry. Instead, he leaned against the bookshelf in a relaxed manner.
“What’s the matter?”
He stared intently at Yan Xun, licking the blood from his lower lip in a manner that seemed unsatisfied.
“Now that we’re married, can’t we kiss?”
“……”
Yan Xun didn’t speak. He closed his eyes, as if trying hard to endure something, then turned and strode toward the door.
Chu Tingyun’s smile instantly faded, and his tone suddenly became fierce.
“—Where are you going!”
Yan Xun’s footsteps paused. He answered impatiently, “……To get the cold compress.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Tingyun felt immediately better. Even though it was late at night, he felt like the whole world had become bright and sunny.
He immediately followed Yan Xun, mirroring his steps from the study to the living room.
“So you really care about my face?”
Chu Tingyun’s tone was quite pleased when he said this. As a result, Yan Xun turned around and pressed the cold compress onto his face, causing the other to suck in a sharp breath, his pretty features twisting in pain.
Yan Xun’s tone was mocking: “I’m just afraid of having nightmares.”
“Nightmares?”
Chu Tingyun laughed at this, wincing in pain while laughing,
“Will you dream of me?”
“……”
Yan Xun refused to speak to him again and instead increased the pressure on the compress, using actions and pain to silence Chu Tingyun.
“Hold it yourself.”
“I won’t.”
Even though it was very painful, Chu Tingyun refused to do it himself. He insisted on hugging Yan Xun’s waist, tilting his head to lean on Yan Xun’s palm, forcing the other to continue applying the compress.
“It’s a pity you didn’t see it today. The old man’s face turned from a tomato to an eggplant and then he he fainted. Jiang Yuheng, that little bastard who usually has all kinds of schemes, was scared out of his wits today.”
“That bastard was almost scared out of his mind, afraid his source of income for the rest of his life would disappear. When the ambulance came, he even lost his high heels and almost fell down the steps at the front door.”
“It was so funny, haha… haha, ouch… Damn, the old man really hit hard, it hurts so much…”
Although Chu Tingyun always referred to him as the old man, Jiang Shenghai was only in his fifties, quite healthy, and strong. The slap he delivered in his rage was indeed not to be underestimated.
So because his face hurt so badly, Chu Tingyun could barely laugh heartily, only managing to chuckle softly while wincing.
Yan Xun thought that laugh sounded a bit like a fox.
This comparison was quite fitting, as Chu Tingyun was indeed a black-hearted and cunning fox.
At this moment, the black-hearted fox’s laughter suddenly stopped.
“Xun Xun, why aren’t you speaking, hmm?”
Chu Tingyun slightly tilted his head back, a few strands of his combed hair falling down. His injured half-face was pressed against the cold compress, making it damp, with tiny droplets of water on his brows and lashes.
The living room was dark, only illuminated by a sliver of light from the study. Therefore, those beautiful blue eyes looked deep and dark, gazing at Yan Xun with a probing look.
“Are you waiting for me to talk about Jiang Jiangshu’s reaction?”
Yan Xun’s face showed no expression, letting him scrutinize. His dark eyes were calm, like a deep pool frozen over.
“Does it make any difference whether you say it or not?”
“Of course it does.”
Chu Tingyun’s hand slowly moved up, from holding Yan Xun’s waist to hooking around his neck,
“If I say she’s very sad, almost devastated, what will you do?”
Yan Xun stared at him, suddenly feeling very powerless.
“Chu Tingyun, if you really care so much, why did you marry me?”
“……”
Chu Tingyun did not answer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t, but the answer was quite obvious.
—Because he’s despicable.
He happened to fall in love with his sister’s ex-boyfriend, used many underhanded means to snatch him away, and was now eager to lick the cold face of his acquisition.
Chu Tingyun hated his mother’s romantic obsession, feeling that being abandoned by a man was like the end of the world. He also hated Jiang Shenghai’s impulsiveness in marrying on a whim, and despised Chen Wanqing’s interference as a mistress.
Yet, he had ended up doing all the things he once hated and despised the most.
After a long silence, Chu Tingyun suddenly laughed again. He hooked his arms around Yan Xun’s neck, deliberately softening his tone to coax:
“Alright, alright, don’t be angry. She wasn’t there when I went.”
Yan Xun was used to how quickly this person could change his attitude. He pulled Chu Tingyun’s hand away and placed it back on the cold compress, stepping back.
“There’s leftover food in the pot. You can eat it yourself. I’m going to bed. I have work tomorrow.”
Chu Tingyun never stayed for dinner when he returned to the Jiang family because he couldn’t bear to sit at the same table with them.
So at this time, he was probably hungry.
After saying that, Yan Xun was about to leave.
“Wait!”
But the next moment, he was entangled by Chu Tingyun again, the latter’s tone cautious,
“Work? When did you get a job?”
Yan Xun calmly explained: “I had an online interview in the afternoon with an internet technology company called Zhou Heng. I’m going to complete the onboarding procedures tomorrow.”
Nine-to-five, social insurance and housing fund, weekends off, and an annual salary of thirty to forty thousand, with plenty of benefits during holidays. For Yan Xun, who had just experienced a failed startup, this was a very good job.
In fact, after marrying Chu Tingyun, he had been given a card with enough money to spend the rest of his life without worrying.
But he had not used a single cent. Before the marriage registration, he insisted on signing a prenuptial agreement and notarizing it.
Yan Xun had been very clear about the nature of this marriage from the beginning. It was nothing more than a helpless transaction and compromise forced by reality and threats.
Therefore, maintaining his financial independence was the only thing he could do now.
At this moment, Yan Xun noticed that Chu Tingyun was silent and clearly knew what he was thinking. So he added:
“It’s not far, just a half-hour commute by subway.”
As he spoke, Yan Xun lifted his wrist and shook the electronic watch he was wearing in front of the other person. At that moment, a mocking smile suddenly appeared on the young man’s indifferent face:
“If you’re still not reassured, Mr. Chu can keep an eye on the location 24/7, right?”
“……”
Chu Tingyun wasn’t surprised that Yan Xun had discovered the location; he just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. His fingers silently clenched and then relaxed.
“There’s nothing to worry about. I had originally planned to go on a honeymoon trip.”
Chu Tiingyun casually tossed the cold compress onto the island counter and came over to hug him.
“Yan Xun, where do you want to go? Anywhere in the world, just the two of us.”
“And then?”
Yan Xun allowed him to hug him but did not respond physically.
“Then you’ll lock me in a remote place, strip me of my clothes, tie me to the bed, and have your way with me, right?”
“……”
At this moment, Chu Tingyun’s patience was probably nearing its limit. His eyes reddened slightly as he struggled to control his voice.
“Yan Xun, why would I lock you up? Don’t you know in your own heart? Didn’t you say you broke up with Jiang Jiangshu?”
But Chu Tingyun still couldn’t control himself. He suddenly grabbed Yan Xun’s collar and slammed him against the wall.
Bang—
Yan Xun’s back hit the wall with a muffled thud.
At that moment, Chu Tingyun looked like a madman pushed to the edge of a cliff by jealousy.
“Then why the hell did you run off with her?! To Sochi, my mother’s hometown! The place where she rests! You even…”
“Alright—“
Yan Xun grabbed Chu Tingyun’s hand.
All the past grievances had already happened. Earlier, he had been too impulsive. Digging up old wounds would only cause both of them to suffer. It had no real purpose.
Yan Xun closed his eyes and ultimately compromised first.
“In a month, it will be New Year’s. The company will have a holiday. You can plan where you want to go.”
“Just not the seaside…”
Because Yan Xun had been drowned when he was young, he was afraid of water.
Chu Tingyun looked at the person in front of him and suddenly said:
“Yan Xun, you’re not good at comforting people.”
He pulled on the young man’s collar and leaned in to whisper,
“If you kiss me, I’ll be fine.”
“……”
Yan Xun was silent for a long time and did not move.
Just as Chu Tingyun thought this was a refusal, the other person suddenly gently cupped his face and placed a kiss on the injured area.
It was very light, like a butterfly’s wing brushing by, or even more like an illusion. Chu Tingyun even suspected that the other was just pretending to deceive him.
But he saw a faint water mark on Yan Xun’s lips.
And the cold compress had condensed droplets of water, making Chu Tingyun’s face damp.
This small “piece of evidence” instantly pacified Chu Tingyun.
“Is it alright now?”
“Not enough.”
He still wanted to take advantage, asking Yan Xun to heat up the food and serve it to him.
Yan Xun pulled his arms and, like a bone setter, pinched his joints, asking:
“What’s wrong, did you break your hands too?”
“No, but I think the old man might have given me a mild concussion. It’s not suitable to move too much now.”
Chu Tingyun’s lies came easily.
“……”
The two looked at each other for a few seconds, and in the end, Yan Xun turned and went to the kitchen.
At this time, Chu Tingyun sat at the dining table waiting, and even seemed in good spirits as he admired the wedding photo and the framed marriage certificate hanging on the living room wall.
When Yan Xun came out with the food, he poured a basin of cold water on him:
“It’s fake.”
“Really? I think it looks quite realistic.”
Chu Tingyun had become completely immune to Yan Xun’s cold words because he had already heard the worst during their time in the snow-capped villa.
“However, it’s not my fault. Who told you to refuse to smile at that time? Su Yao said that’s the best retoucher she knows.”
Yan Xun stopped talking to him.
After spending so much time with Chu Tingyun, he had roughly figured out his style.
Whether it was endless lies, threats, or coaxing and acting pitiful, Chu Tingyun would never give up until he achieved his goal.
He placed the still-warm food on the table.
“Eat.”
Yan Xun made porridge and stir-fried two small dishes for dinner. Since Chu Tingyun’s mouth was injured, he found a thick straw in the kitchen to use with the bowl.
But Chu Tingyun was very disdainful of the straw, feeling it damaged his domineering CEO image. He tossed it aside and stuffed a spoon into Yan Xun’s hand, saying with great justification:
“Feed me.”
“……”
Even though the other person was eight years older than him, Yan Xun felt that Chu Tingyun resembled a spoiled child at that moment. But in the end, he still took the spoon and fed the “child” mouthful by mouthful.
Finally, he consciously put away the dishes and utensils in the kitchen, placing them in the dishwasher.
Chu Tingyun did not leave but stood at the door watching.
Due to family circumstances, Yan Xun had to do many things from a young age, so he could do almost everything when he grew up, especially being an excellent cook. Unless he was really out of time, he generally did not eat takeout and always cooked himself.
However, Chu Tingyun found that Yan Xun particularly disliked washing dishes.
There were still over a dozen dishwashers of different brands and models in the shopping cart. He had even studied the internal structure and smart algorithms of dishwashers.
Chu Tingyun did not understand mechanical structures and smart algorithms, but he knew that this indicated affection. So when decorating their marital home, he specifically bought the most expensive and best dishwasher. Later, when Yan Xun secretly rented a house, Chu Tingyun also bought one for him.
But at this moment, Yan Xun was completely unaware, thinking that dishwashers were standard in the CEO’s house.
Ding—
After setting the cleaning mode, Yan Xun looked back at the door, and Chu Tingyun was already gone.
Probably to take a shower.
Given his slight obsession with cleanliness, Chu Tingyun’s first action when returning home was usually to shower. Today, probably because of the slap at the Jiang family’s house, he was a bit abnormal.
Yan Xun didn’t think much of it. He needed to tidy up his things and prepare for the next day’s onboarding.
Although they had just registered their marriage in the morning, Yan Xun had no emotions related to the marriage. Because even now, he still didn’t quite understand why Chu Tingyun wanted to marry him.
He thought it might be out of revenge.
Revenge for the first meeting when he tied him to the bed and used a leather shoe to hit him, and for their subsequent confrontations.
Or maybe it was just a rebellious act to get back at his unfaithful father.
Or using the same means to steal away Jiang Jiangshu’s beloved boyfriend to get back at her mother’s past interference.
But perhaps the most likely reason was revenge for Yan Xun and Jiang Jiangshu stepping into his mother’s resting place.
……
Yan Xun had considered many possibilities, but the one he hadn’t thought of was that Chu Tingyun actually fell in love with him.
Because Yan Xun couldn’t understand how Chu Tingyun could treat him this way if he truly loved someone.
Hiding someone in a big house, stripping them of all their clothes, locking them in bed, and recording intimate videos. Then, during a catastrophic crisis in his career, using family as leverage to appear as a savior.
Finally, condescendingly saying to him:
“Yan Xun, marry me.”
“……”
What else could he choose?
Yan Xun could only accept this transaction named marriage.
He thought that maybe after some time, when Chu Tingyun had vented enough and got bored with him, this kind of life would come to an end.
Returning to the study, Yan Xun tidied up the things he would need for the next day’s job. After checking everything again and confirming it was correct, he planned to go to sleep.
When he returned to the bedroom, Chu Tingyun had already finished his shower and was making faces at the mirror. Probably because of the irritation caused by brushing his teeth and pulling at the wound, Chu Tingyun looked quite disheveled.
But as soon as Yan Xun entered, Chu Tingyun instantly adjusted his expression, turning to face him with only the uninjured half of his face.
But Yan Xun had already seen his most disheveled and ridiculous appearance. Such a repair was of little use.
The young man lay down on the bed, not glancing sideways, and put on an eye mask. His sleeping posture was straight and proper, his hands naturally resting by his sides.
The first time they slept together, Chu Tingyun had commented on Yan Xun’s sleeping posture, saying even a stone statue couldn’t sleep so straight.
But Yan Xun was much more comfortable to hold than a stone statue, especially when his chest muscles weren’t tensed. For a long time, Chu Tingyun liked to sleep with his head on Yan Xun’s chest.
But today, that probably wouldn’t happen because his face hurt.
From childhood to now, Jiang Shenghai had hit him twice.
The first time was when Chu Tingyun had just returned to the Jiang family. His cheap younger brother had fallen into the swimming pool in the middle of winter and almost lost his life. After being rescued, he insisted that his brother had pushed him.
Young Chu Tingyun didn’t understand Chinese very well at that time, and Jiang Shenghai wouldn’t listen to his explanation. At that time, he received a harsh slap.
Back then, no one held a cold compress to calm or relieve the pain, and no one left him food or patiently fed him bite by bite.
That night, fourteen-year-old Chu Tingyun was both hungry and in pain, unable to sleep all night. He developed a high fever, and by morning, half the pillowcase was stained with blood. The next day, his face swelled up like a pig’s head.
At school, his classmates took ugly photos of him and posted them on the school bulletin board.
They laughed at him for a long time.
Actually, tonight was also very painful, but Chu Tingyun felt it wasn’t as painful as last time.
He crawled into bed and hugged Yan Xun.
The latter did not reject him, nor did he respond, maintaining his usual indifferent attitude, but he was warm.
In fact, Chu Tingyun didn’t hate Jiang Jiangshu at all because he knew this girl was different from her mother and brother.
When Jiang Yuheng lied, she was the only one who stood up and said that her brother wouldn’t do something like that.
Chu Tingyun was just envious, uncontrollably envious.
Envious that she met Yan Xun first, envious that she was genuinely loved by this person for seven whole years.
After quietly hugging for a while, Chu Tingyun began to kiss him, and his hand lifted Yan Xun’s nightshirt to feel inside.
But the next second, he was grabbed by the wrist.
“Didn’t you get injured tonight?”
In the dim, warm light of the night lamp, Yan Xun’s calm voice surprisingly sounded somewhat gentle.
“Just go to sleep well.”
“……”
But this sentence only made the other person pause for a moment, and then he gently bit Yan Xun’s most sensitive ear and licked inside bit by bit.
Because of the eye mask, Yan Xun couldn’t see anything, so the licking and the sound of breathing were amplified in his ear canal, making his breath almost immediately heavy.
“Just a face injury, not a big deal.”
He heard Chu Tingyun’s low laugh,
“Or do you need to see my face to be satisfied?”
This sentence was like a trickle of low voltage electricity, instantly stimulating Yan Xun’s sensitive nerves.
He wanted to pull down the eye mask but was held by the other party’s hand.
“Don’t look tonight; just do it like this.”
Saying this, Chu Tingyun pulled his hand to his lower back. Yan Xun suddenly stopped and refused to move further down.
He said, “Tomorrow is my first day on the job.”
“Yeah… so?”
Chu Tingyun’s voice sounded intermittent because he didn’t stop kissing.
Probably because his mouth was injured, his kisses tonight weren’t as eager and rough as before but were rather gentle and slow.
From the earlobe to the Adam’s apple, from the neck to the collarbone.
Tiny kisses and soft nuzzles, like the licking of a small animal.
Yan Xun’s chest began to heave uncontrollably, but he still asked:
“Can we just sleep quietly tonight?”
Chu Tingyun’s movements paused.
“……No.”
He almost immediately refused.
Chu Tingyun leaned close to Yan Xun’s ear and whispered in a low, hoarse voice:
“Tonight is our wedding night, and according to the marriage agreement, you must fulfill your duties as a partner, including… in bed.”
Yes, the marriage agreement.
The main content was that Yan Xun agreed to marry Chu Tingyun and voluntarily fulfill the duties of a partner.
And Chu Tingyun would help Yan Xun pay off the massive debt to the venture capital company, ensuring that his family living abroad would not be affected.
Additionally, he would absolutely ensure that the private videos from the villa would not be leaked.
Of course, the last item was added by Yan Xun. Originally, he wanted Chu Tingyun to delete them, but after bargaining, it was changed to “not disclose.”
Even though Chu Tingyun never intended to use these videos to threaten him, he just wanted to keep them for his own enjoyment.
But Yan Xun certainly didn’t believe it.
When they signed that agreement, both of them understood that the contents were legally invalid, but so what.
It was effective for Yan Xun.
He had been firmly grasped by Chu Tingyun’s weakness, no matter how unwilling, how much he struggled, he could only weigh his options and helplessly choose to accept.
It was like walking on a crooked path while awake, knowing it was wrong but unable to stop, resulting in one wrong step leading to another.
It was a deadlock.
Yan Xun closed his eyes.
The partner duties on the bed…
At this moment, there were no ropes or handcuffs, no snowstorm.
Just Chu Tingyun’s light words.
But Yan Xun wished he were really chained by Chu Tingyun like before, so he could deceive himself into thinking he was just a tool trapped by human force, doing such things with the other person.
Rather than consciously shattering his dignity, actively flattering and seeking affection.
But in the end, he still obediently followed Chu Tingyun’s hand and reached down to him, and the next moment, his fingers easily became secret intruders.
“Hmm…”
Chu Tingyun straddled Yan Xun’s waist and suddenly turned to press down on him. His flexibility from childhood figure skating training allowed him to coil around like a water snake.
The deprivation of sight made Yan Xun’s other senses more acute, and Chu Tingyun had just taken a shower, with a strong lychee-scented shower gel on him.
This reminded him of a few months ago when he was locked in bed.
Yan Xun deliberately starved Chu Tingyun, saying he wanted to eat lychees.
But that season, in the extreme northern city of Russia, fresh lychees were unavailable.
Later, in the early morning, Yan Xun, half-asleep, was awakened by Chu Tingyun’s kiss. Before he could push him away, a piece of candy was stuffed into his mouth.
“I didn’t buy lychees.”
The other person’s voice trembled coldly as he said:
“But I found some lychee candy for you.”
