In any case, this so-called sleepless battle finally ended in the early hours of the morning.
Chu Tingyun couldn’t even remember how he got back to the bedroom in the end. He vaguely recalled being especially grateful that he had bought an electric retractable sofa. When fully extended, it became a spacious double bed.
The round massage bathtub was also a good purchase; even with two people in it, it didn’t feel cramped. However, the surface of the sink counter was too slippery to lean on properly, and they’d need to get someone to clean the mirror tomorrow…
After that, he remembered nothing, as if his memory had cut off.
A blackout…
What a rare experience.
Chu Tingyun had a very high alcohol tolerance, and even several bottles of vodka wouldn’t have knocked him out like this, but Yan Xun managed to do it.
He suspected that the other guy must have secretly drunk some deer blood or something. How could his energy be so boundless?
He slept straight through to three in the afternoon the next day, naturally skipping a full day of work. Fortunately, he had informed everyone in advance yesterday, and now that Jiang Shenghai had returned to the company, Chu Tingyun could throw all responsibilities onto the old man. Skipping a day of work wasn’t a problem.
He rolled over to grab his phone to check for any messages, but as soon as he moved, he couldn’t help but hiss softly.
“Hiss…”
His waist was sore, his legs ached, and his rear felt like it was on fire. All the sensations combined into something indescribable. The more exhilarating the previous night had been, the more painful today was. Chu Tingyun touched his chest, and sure enough, he found two familiar band-aids.
Next time… next time this couldn’t happen again.
President Chu solemnly reflected.
The old days were better…
Back then, they would do it twice a week, an hour and a half each time. Healthy, regular, and enjoyable, leaving Chu Tingyun feeling refreshed afterward, always craving more.
But now it was completely unhealthy. Every time he passed out, Yan Xun seemed intent on overfilling him, leaving his once-flat stomach bulging. As a result, Chu Tingyun had to eat light for a week or two to recover.
Just then, Yan Xun pushed the door open.
“You’re awake?”
He said as he lifted the blanket and reached in, seemingly checking something.
“Mm…”
Chu Tingyun hummed softly, letting him feel around.
“Yan Xun, did you like pacifiers or something when you were a kid?”
He deeply suspected that not only did Yan Xun like them, but he also had a strong obsession with them.
Because as he spoke, Chu Tingyun lifted the blanket and glanced down, noticing faint red teeth marks around the band-aids.
Yan Xun’s movements paused. Instead of answering, he asked:
“Do you want some water?”
“Yes.”
Yan Xun turned to pour him some water.
Chu Tingyun watched Yan Xun’s back, his gaze lingering on his little husband’s butt.
Speaking of which, they had known each other for four years and had been married for three. Chu Tingyun had only touched Yan Xun’s butt when he first lured him into bed. Thinking back now, it seemed like it had felt pretty good.
Tsk…
The more he thought about it, the more tempted he became.
At this moment, Chu Tingyun began to seriously contemplate the possibility of switching roles.
Mainly because being the bottom was… a uniquely intense experience. Chu Tingyun really wanted Yan Xun to try it for himself.
The more he thought about it, the more he reached out to touch.
But before he could make contact, Yan Xun, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, grabbed Chu Tingyun’s hand and pulled him up.
“Drink.”
“…”
Alright.
Given the absolute disparity in their physical abilities, it seemed like the possibility of switching roles was slim to none for the time being.
President Chu silently buried that idea again.
For lunch, Yan Xun made soup. It was nourishing, but most of the ingredients were food rather than medicinal herbs, so it tasted great. He also made two side dishes.
Chu Tingyun was starving. As soon as he stepped out of the bedroom and smelled the aroma, his stomach growled.
However, he ate this meal with little dignity.
No masculine dignity, that is.
Tsk.
While eating, President Chu glanced around and noticed the house was as spotless as ever, showing no signs of the previous night’s craziness.
“Hmm? Did you clean again? Why not hire a cleaner?”
Although President Chu was a neat freak and didn’t like having outsiders in the house, he disliked low-efficiency manual labor like cleaning even more. He also didn’t want Yan Xun doing it, as he hadn’t married his little husband for the sake of having someone to do chores.
So they usually hired a cleaner every two weeks for a thorough cleaning, and in the meantime, they used a robotic vacuum.
Yan Xun paused and asked:
“Hire a cleaner to clean what? The stuff you sprayed all over the mirror?”
So generally, Yan Xun ended up cleaning at times like this because he couldn’t imagine a cleaning lady walking in and seeing the… results sprayed all over the mirror. While Chu Tingyun was passed out this morning, Yan Xun had thoroughly scrubbed the entire sofa, replaced the rug, and cleaned the bathroom top to bottom.
“…”
Chu Tingyun’s expression stiffened. He said nothing, quietly sipping his soup.
Ding dong.
Yan Xun glanced at his phone and frowned.
“Jiang Yuheng has escaped. The police are still searching for him, but he probably won’t get far. It should be over in a few days. Stay alert; I think he’s dangerous. He might act out of desperation.”
“Mm.”
Chu Tingyun wasn’t particularly concerned. Even with a cushion under him, sitting still felt uncomfortable.
At that moment, Yan Xun asked him:
“I’m going to the hospital to see Lin Ran. Do you want to come?”
“No.”
President Chu was too exhausted; he just wanted to curl up at home today.
Besides, Jiang Jingshu wasn’t at the hospital. She’d been taken home by the old man this morning, likely to deal with matters involving the He family.
So Yan Xun went to the hospital alone that afternoon, bringing Lin Ran some fruit and supplements.
When he reached the hospital room, he was surprised to find Xie Fengjun there.
The atmosphere in the room was warm and cheerful, with occasional bursts of laughter.
Yan Xun had thought that Lin Ran, being so reserved, might feel awkward and nervous around his own mother. But to his surprise, they seemed to get along quite well.
Just as he was about to knock and enter, he heard Lin Ran say:
“Yes, this one was taken during his eighth-grade sports meet. He won first place in the 100-meter dash. He also came first in the high jump and the 1,000-meter run. It’s a shame one person can only register for three events, otherwise he could have taken home all the prizes.”
Yan Xun didn’t have many photos from his childhood. He wasn’t the kind of person who enjoyed being photographed, so most of his pictures were either taken by the school or during school events, or by Zhou Ze.
As a young man with dreams of becoming a star, photography skills were a must.
So sometimes Yan Xun ended up being his practice model.
Most of those photos were left behind at the old house in Nancheng. Yan Xun himself didn’t have many, but he didn’t expect Lin Ran to still have quite a few on his phone.
Yan Xun: “…”
Suddenly, he felt the same kind of awkwardness he had last night when he and Chu Tingyun had brought up old issues, only to realize just how differently they thought.
After ten years… this quiet guy sure could keep things in.
So Yan Xun deliberately waited at the door for a couple of minutes. When Lin Ran was in the middle of his story, he pushed the door open.
“Oh, and this one, Auntie Xie, this was when Yan Xun was sixteen—”
Before he could finish, Lin Ran’s gaze met the subject of the photo.
The room fell silent.
Xie Fengjun looked between them, confused. But in the next second, Yan Xun casually walked in with the items and placed them on the table.
“Mom, what were you guys talking about? You seemed to be having a great time.”
“About you, of course.”
Xie Fengjun replied with a warm smile.
“You two brothers have such a good relationship. Your brother just showed me a lot of photos of you when you were little.”
Xie Fengjun had always regretted missing her child’s growth. Yan Xun couldn’t find many of his old photos, but today, thanks to Lin Ran, she finally got a glimpse of what her son’s childhood was like.
“Oh?”
Yan Xun feigned surprise.
“Turns out brother have got quite a few photos of me on your phone, huh? When did you save them? I had no idea.”
He heavily emphasized the word “brother.”
Lin Ran: “…”
The man who had been chatty and enthusiastic just a moment ago suddenly seemed like someone had pressed the mute button. He hung his head and didn’t say a word.
But Yan Xun didn’t let him off. He went straight over and snatched the phone to check for himself. He found that his photos had their own album, with pictures from when he was a kid up to now—even his college graduation photos, which he had no idea how Lin Ran got his hands on.
Yan Xun: “Wow, quite a collection.”
“…”
Lin Ran noticed that lately, Yan Xun’s tone had been changing more and more—getting increasingly sarcastic.
The conversation didn’t last long, as Lin Ran brought up the topic of dissolving the adoption, transferring the household registration, and updating Yan Xun’s ID information.
It wasn’t until today, after meeting Xie Fengjun, that Lin Ran realized Yan Xun was actually over a year younger than he thought. Yan Xun hadn’t gone missing at age six but at five.
Thinking about this made the heaviness in Lin Ran’s chest grow even more.
However, the two other people in the hospital room didn’t notice Lin Ran’s inner thoughts. Xie Fengjun felt somewhat awkward and guilty when Lin Ran brought up the issue. After all, they had raised Yan Xun for over ten years, and now, with the real parents back, it seemed like they were taking him away.
“This, well, there’s no rush. Honestly, there’s no real need to dissolve it. As long as Yan Yan accepts us as his parents, that’s enough.”
“No, no way!”
Yan Xun wasn’t even anxious yet, but Lin Ran got anxious first.
“He’s your biological child! How could you not take him back?!”
“…”
Xie Fengjun was a little taken aback, not understanding why Lin Ran was so agitated. Yan Xun stepped in to smooth things over.
“Mom, we’ve already discussed this. My adoptive mother and Lin Ran, they all agree.”
“Oh… alright then.”
Xie Fengjun sensed that something was off.
“Once you recover, my husband and I will accompany Yan Yan to Nancheng. We’ll take the opportunity to visit and thank your mother.”
“No need!”
Lin Ran immediately refused.
“There’s no need to visit. I’ll cooperate with you to handle the dissolution of the adoption; I’ve already looked into the process.”
“Why?”
Xie Fengjun was genuinely puzzled.
Lin Ran glanced at Yan Xun, who wasn’t saying anything, then explained:
“Well, mainly because my mother… she hasn’t been doing well mentally for the past two years, and her eyesight’s also been a problem. She’s been in the hospital receiving treatment, so it’s inconvenient for her to meet people.”
“I see.”
Xie Fengjun nodded and didn’t ask further questions.
Yan Xun stayed in the hospital with them for the whole afternoon, and most of their conversation was about Yan Xun’s childhood. Many things Yan Xun didn’t even remember, but Lin Ran recalled clearly.
One thing was for sure: Yan Xun, Lin Ran, and Chu Tingyun had one thing in common—they only shared the good memories when talking about the past.
This pleasant atmosphere in the hospital lasted until around 4:30 p.m.
Before leaving, Yan Xun’s mom gave him a bag, saying it contained a scarf she had knitted for Xiao Chu.
“Alright, I’ll pass it on to him.”
Yan Xun took the bag, but didn’t mention that the first scarf she’d knitted had already been claimed by Chu Tingyun.
After saying goodbye to his mom, Yan Xun went home, as he still had to bring dinner for Chu Tingyun.
Meanwhile, not long after Xie Fengjun got in the car, she received a phone call from Lin Ran. A little confused, she answered.
“Hello? Xiao Ran, is something the matter?”
“…Auntie Xie, there’s actually something I didn’t mention earlier.”
Because Yan Xun was there at the time.
Lin Ran had been waiting until now, after Yan Xun had left, to call Xie Fengjun. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said,
“It’s about my mother… and our family’s relationship with Yan Xun.”
…
At the same time, Yan Xun had no idea that the things he had been trying so hard to hide were now being fully revealed to his biological mother by Lin Ran.
Yan Xun took a cab to one of Chu Tingyun’s favorite restaurants, ordered a few light but delicious dishes, and brought them back.
When he got home, Yan Xun found Chu Tingyun curled up on the sofa with a cat, playing on his phone.
“Back already?”
Seeing Yan Xun, Chu immediately tossed aside his phone and stretched out his arms. Yan Xun naturally went over to give him a hug.
Chu Tingyun felt that a hug wasn’t enough, so he hooked his arm around Yan Xun’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss.
The cat, squished between the two dads, immediately jumped down from Chu Tingyun’s lap, stretched lazily, and swished its tail in annoyance before walking away.
The two of them quietly kissed on the sofa for quite a while.
When it was over, Yan Xun took a few deep breaths, pulled Chu Tingyun’s hand out from under his shirt, and then handed him the scarf from the bag.
“Mom knitted this for you. Want to try it on?”
“Did she visit the hospital too?”
Chu Tingyun was now calling Yan Xun’s mom “Mom” more naturally than Yan Xun himself. He immediately wrapped the scarf around his neck but seemed a little regretful.
“Yan Xun, why didn’t you tell me earlier? If I’d known, I would have gone with you this afternoon.”
Before Yan Xun could answer, Chu Tingyun rushed off to check himself out in the mirror. He admired his reflection from every angle, clearly satisfied with what he saw. The scarf matched Yan Xun’s, making it obvious they were a couple. Plus, there was even a small, discreet “Chu” stitched on the inside.
He absolutely loved it!
He immediately called Xie Fengjun on video chat. Every word he spoke was as sweet as honey, making Yan Xun’s mom beam with joy. She was so delighted that she said she’d knit a sweater for Chu Tingyun next, without even mentioning her own son.
Yan Xun: “…”
He realized that Chu Tingyun could, in fact, be quite the sweet-talker when he wanted to, with a seemingly endless supply of compliments.
At that moment, Yan Xun thought that Chu Tingyun and Lin Ran should be the ones who were brothers. Both of them had no kind words for him but were remarkably good at sweet-talking his mom.
“Tsk.”
Yan Xun couldn’t help but click his tongue, imitating Chu Tingyun’s mannerisms.
After hanging up, they had dinner together.
After getting his new scarf, Chu Tingyun insisted on taking Yan Xun out for a walk, like a child showing off new clothes during New Year.
Yan Xun: “…Alright, but you need to wear more layers.”
He refused to let Chu Tingyun go out in just a coat, and instead bundled him up in a long, thick winter jacket, along with the scarf and a hat.
Chu Tingyun had never felt so down-to-earth, looking like he’d gained three sizes. But he couldn’t argue with Yan Xun, so he went out dressed like that.
Whoosh—
The snow from the past few days had mostly melted, and the cold was unbearable.
In this weather, wearing just a coat would’ve been freezing.
Both of them wore the scarves Yan Xun’s mom had knitted. As soon as they were outside, Chu Tingyun practically glued himself to Yan Xun, sticking his hands in Yan Xun’s pockets.
He realized that not only was Yan Xun energetic, but according to traditional Chinese medicine, he also had excellent qi and blood circulation. Despite the freezing winter in the capital, Yan Xun felt like a little furnace, radiating warmth.
Even just cuddling in bed for sleep felt nice.
About two kilometers from their neighborhood was a small park, the same one where Yan Xun had once thrown his ring. Chu Tingyun deliberately took him back there to revisit the spot and even pinpointed the exact location where they had argued.
“Show me again how you threw it.”
Yan Xun: “…You’re still hung up on that?”
Chu Tingyun: “I trust my hearing.”
After all, he had really heard something fall into the water at the time. How else could Yan Xun’s fake gesture have fooled him for so long?
“Alright.”
Yan Xun found it both exasperating and amusing.
He took off his wedding ring and showed it to Chu Tingyun, confirming he was really holding it. Then, with a strong motion, he pretended to throw it toward the center of the pond.
The ring that had seemed to be at his fingertips suddenly disappeared, as if he had actually thrown it.
Chu Tingyun immediately grabbed Yan Xun’s hand to check, only to find that the ring was still caught between Yan Xun’s fingers.
“…”
Chu Tingyun: Impressive.
He’s performing magic tricks now?
Just then, both of them heard a “plop.”
It was faint but sounded like something small had fallen into the water.
Yan Xun froze for a moment, looking confused. He hadn’t noticed any sound like that when he threw the ring in anger before.
Chu Tingyun immediately turned to him, wearing an expression that said, “See, I wasn’t wrong.”
The two of them looked around, searching for a while until they spotted a six or seven-year-old boy on the opposite bank, clutching a helium balloon and tossing stones into the pond for fun.
Chu Tingyun: “…”
Case solved.
Damn it!
Yan Xun couldn’t help but turn away and laugh softly.
But then, he noticed Chu Tingyun storming over to the little boy.
Yan Xun: “…”
Could this person really be bullying a child?
Turns out, yes, very likely.
Chu Tingyun, with a cold face, angrily questioned the kid:
“Hey, kid! How can you throw stones into the pond?!”
“What’s it to you?”
The child gave him a puzzled look, snorted, and found the largest stone he could, throwing it right into the water next to Chu Tingyun.
Splash!
The winter water level was low, so the stone not only splashed water but also threw up some mud.
Chu Tingyun, now with dirt on him: “…”
Great!
He took the safety pin off his shirt and, without expression, lightly poked the balloon the child was holding.
Bang—!
The balloon popped.
“…”
The kid was stunned by the noise.
“Wah… waaaahhh!!!”
Looking at the broken balloon, it seemed like the child’s heart shattered along with it. He immediately began wailing, calling for his grandpa.
Before long, an old man came rushing over, fuming with anger.
“Hey! How can you bully a child like that?!”
Just as Chu was about to throw money at the situation to settle it, Yan Xun stepped in.
“Hello, sir. We popped the balloon, that was our fault. Here’s ten yuan to replace it.”
Seeing this, the old man’s expression softened, but he was still not willing to let it go.
“Not enough! You bullied my grandson; you can’t just leave it at that! You need to—”
Before he could finish, Yan Xun cut him off:
“But your grandson dirtied my husband’s clothes. The original price was over seventy thousand yuan. We have the official tag and purchase records, so it’s only fair you pay a thousand yuan for the dry cleaning, right? If not, we could call the police to help mediate.”
The old man: “…”
After a moment of silence, the old man turned and smacked his grandson’s backside.
“That’s for throwing stones! That’s for splashing someone!”
“Waaaaaahhh!”
The child cried even harder as the old man scolded him and dragged him home.
Yan Xun didn’t chase after them, only watching the spoiled child wail as he walked away.
Chu Tingyun was very satisfied. He found this way of dealing with things far more satisfying than just throwing money at it. He wanted to move closer and hug his little husband, but was stopped by Yan Xun.
“We’re outside.”
In other words, public displays of affection were inappropriate.
Yan Xun pulled out a tissue, knelt down, and tried wiping the mud off Chu Tingyun’s pants, but the dry tissue wasn’t doing the job.
“Wait here, I’ll go buy some wet wipes.”
There was a store nearby.
“Alright.”
Chu Tingyun smiled and nodded, staying in place. Watching Yan Xun run off, he suddenly felt a warmth in his heart. Just then, a familiar voice called out behind him.
“Chu Tingyun!!!”
Yan Xun heard it too and froze, immediately turning his head.
—Because it was Jiang Yuheng’s voice.
Jiang Yuheng didn’t run, knowing he couldn’t escape. He knew, after Jiang Jingshu successfully fled to the police station, what was coming for him.
This older sister had stabbed him in the back as a child, and now, grown up, she had done it again.
Jiang Yuheng knew clearly that his life was over.
And it was all because of Chu Tingyun!
Why did he have to come back? Everything would have been fine if he had never shown up!
Why didn’t he just die?!
“Go to hell, Chu Tingyun!”
From about ten meters away, Yan Xun saw Jiang Yuheng suddenly charge at Chu Tingyun, holding what seemed to be a fruit knife, and stabbed straight at him.
Completely off guard, Chu Tingyun froze when he turned, his back bending sharply as the knife appeared to pierce his chest or abdomen.
From Yan Xun’s angle, he couldn’t see exactly where the injury was. He only saw Chu Tingyun clutch the knife, stumble back two steps, and collapse, blood covering his hands and body.
The people around were shocked, and after realizing what had happened, screamed and ran in all directions.
Yan Xun’s mind went blank, his entire body seemingly frozen. When he regained his senses, he was already rushing over, tackling Jiang Yuheng to the ground.
Bang!
The body hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Jiang Yuheng spat out a mouthful of blood along with two broken teeth. Then, Yan Xun kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying several meters, crashing into a metal trash can. The extreme pain left Jiang Yuheng unable to even scream, curling up like a shrimp in agony.
But Yan Xun didn’t have time to vent his anger on Jiang Yuheng anymore. He immediately rushed back to check on Chu Tingyun.
Just as Lin Ran had instinctively avoided the blade before, Yan Xun instantly realized the fruit knife had hit a vital spot. The light-colored down jacket was soaked with blood, the red glaring.
“Chu… Chu Tingyun…”
Yan Xun knelt beside the man, not even daring to touch him.
At this point, security guards from the nearby park had arrived, quickly restraining the incapacitated Jiang Yuheng.
But Jiang Yuheng didn’t seem to care anymore. After catching his breath, suppressing his pain, he screamed hoarsely, filled with malice and hysteria—
“Hahaha… Chu Tingyun, I… my life is over, and you won’t get to live happily either!!!”
At that moment, Yan Xun felt an overwhelming urge to kill, but he didn’t have time to deal with Jiang Yuheng.
Chu Tingyun lay on the ground, clutching the knife in his abdomen, seemingly wanting to say something,
“Yan Xun…”
He only managed to say two words before Yan Xun cut him off,
“Don’t move… don’t speak. It’s going to be okay… you’ll be okay…”
Yan Xun knew very well that pulling out such a sharp object would be dangerous. The best course of action was to lay Chu Tingyun flat and call an ambulance immediately.
But before Yan Xun could do anything, Chu Tingyun grabbed his hand. The position of the two of them looked just like the tragic final farewell scene from a drama.
Chu Tingyun’s voice sounded incredibly weak at that moment:
“Yan Xun, do you love me?”
“I…”
Yan Xun tightly held his hand, his body bent deeply in fear, trembling uncontrollably, even his eyes reddening quickly.
He couldn’t help but choke up, but he still spoke clearly,
“I love you… so, Chu Tingyun, you have to hang on, don’t…”
“What?”
Chu Tingyun, with barely any breath left, looked at him as if he was about to close his eyes for good.
“I… I didn’t hear clearly. Who do you love?”
“I love you, I love you, Chu Tingyun…”
Yan Xun, panicking and choking on his words, desperately wanted to hold him tightly, but reason told him not to move rashly.
Also, he needed to call for help right away.
“Hang on, the hospital is nearby, I’ll take you there right now…”
As Yan Xun quickly pulled out his phone to call 120, just before dialing, he suddenly heard Chu Tingyun ask—
“If I survive this and make it, will you let me top just once?”
Yan Xun: “…?”
He was about to agree instinctively when suddenly something felt off.
His finger hovering over the dial button paused, and he cautiously touched Chu Tingyun’s wound, feeling blood—but it wasn’t coming from inside his clothes. Instead, it was on his hand.
And, there wasn’t much blood.
It seemed like… he’d just cut his hand.
“…”
Something clicked in his mind. Yan Xun immediately lifted Chu Tingyun’s clothes. Before leaving the house, Yan Xun had insisted Chu Tingyun wear extra layers. The down jacket and sweater were both pierced, but the knife had ultimately stopped at the waist support he was wearing.
Because of last night’s, uh, activities, Chu Tingyun’s waist was still sore, so he had put on a support. Unexpectedly, it ended up being the final layer of defense.
Yan Xun peeled back the waist support and saw that Chu Tingyun’s skin was unbroken, except for the reddish marks left from last night’s, uh, fun.
Yan Xun: “…”
The culprit watching this unfold from a distance: “…”
Jiang Yuheng had originally aimed for the heart, but Chu Tingyun dodged slightly and raised a hand to block. Fortunately, he still managed to land a hit, although Jiang Yuheng vaguely felt something was off. When he saw Chu Tingyun collapse on the ground, blood pooling from his abdomen, he thought he must have succeeded.
However…
“Chu Tingyun!!!”
Jiang Yuheng immediately broke down his defenses.
But now he was pinned to the ground by three security guards, struggling to no avail.
Chu Tingyun didn’t even spare him a glance; instead, he quickly pulled his clothes down.
“Xun Xun, be careful, I’m exposed.”
“…”
Yan Xun said nothing, his eyes red as he stared at him. His expression was terrifying, as if he wanted to devour him whole.
Chu Tingyun swallowed silently, reaching out to touch Yan Xun’s chest, asking, “Xun Xun, you still love me, right?”
He tried to awaken the love hidden in his little husband’s heart.
Yan Xun coldly smirked, “What do you think?”
Chu Tingyun: “…”
This is bad; it seems like he’s gone too far.
Lmao buddy, you did something beyond too far. I seriously wasn’t expecting that it was all a show 🤣🤣🤣🤣