“…No.”
Since Chu Tingyun was injured, Yan Xun, of course, didn’t really feel like spanking him, but after receiving the apology, his anger subsided, and he gave a muffled hum.
“Sleep.”
“…Not sleeping!”
Suddenly, Chu Tingyun sat up and turned on the lights, pulling Yan Xun up as well.
With one hand pulling his little husband, and the other wrapped in bandages, he headed straight to the corner of the living room to open the piano.
Yan Xun: “…?”
What was this move now?
Yan Xun had long known that Chu Tingyun could play the piano. The man had even posted videos in the middle of the night on his social media before. During their marriage, Chu Tingyun would occasionally play, but it was always very high-brow classical pieces, and whenever he played, there was a bit of showing off involved.
However, Yan Xun wasn’t too interested in those pieces, though he thought they were impressive. Sometimes, Yan Xun even felt that Chu Tingyun might be intentionally mocking him.
This was because the only instrument Yan Xun could play was the guitar, and although he played it well, he wasn’t at a professional level. But Chu Tingyun was very professional.
Whether Chu Tingyun was showing off or genuinely immersed in the music, Yan Xun didn’t understand why, in the middle of the night and with one injured hand, Chu Tingyun suddenly wanted to play the piano.
“Chu Tingyun, you…”
Before Yan Xun could finish his sentence, a few piano notes interrupted him.
Do…
At this moment, Chu Tingyun used his left hand to try a few notes, cleared his throat, and then began playing.
This time, the prelude wasn’t some famous or sophisticated classical piece, but a very simple melody, almost like a children’s song.
“Sorry, excuse me.”
“Sorry, excuse me~”
“These are the nice words I can say.”
Yan Xun froze: “…”
It was indeed a very familiar children’s song, one that taught little kids in kindergarten how to apologize.
The man’s voice was deep and pleasant, carrying a slight magnetism in the night. He deliberately slowed the originally cheerful melody by half, turning the children’s song into something that sounded like a love ballad.
Yan Xun was completely rooted to the spot, feeling as though each note was materializing in the air, transforming into countless soft feathers that gently brushed across his heart.
Then, it was as if his heart was bewitched, pounding crazily in his chest, thump, thump, thump, as if it desperately wanted to leap out and nestle into the arms of the man playing the piano.
So, after the 30-second children’s song clip was finished, Chu Tingyun had successfully soothed his little husband completely. When he leaned in for a kiss, Yan Xun didn’t even try to dodge.
“Xun Xun, are you still mad now?”
“…”
It was really hard to stay mad.
Yan Xun let out a short breath, unable to help but ask him:
“Chu Tingyun, who did you learn this from?”
This kind of trick—Yan Xun didn’t think Chu Tingyun would come up with it on his own.
“Why, can’t it be that I’ve made great progress on my own?”
His injured right hand was indeed inconvenient, so Chu Tingyun could only use his left hand to feel his little husband’s abs.
Seeing that he wouldn’t get an answer, Yan Xun stopped asking. The cold expression he had been holding on to completely melted, and even the little dimples at the corners of his mouth began to appear faintly. Chu Tingyun pressed in for another deep kiss.
Yan Xun turned his head in slight embarrassment:
“Chu Tingyun, how old are you this year? What kind of tricks are these… childish!”
At some point, Yan Xun had realized that Chu Tingyun was becoming more and more childish.
All that talk about being a domineering CEO and a mature gentleman—this guy hadn’t even graduated from kindergarten! Perhaps people deeply in love always behave this way, but Chu Tingyun didn’t mind the “childish” label at all.
Right now, all he wanted to do was kiss.
So, Yan Xun’s effort to turn his head only meant that the dimple on the other side also got kissed.
“…”
In truth, Yan Xun was slightly annoyed with himself—for letting Chu Tingyun cheer him up so easily—but he couldn’t suppress the happiness he felt.
He even wanted Chu Tingyun to sing it again.
But just then, Chu Fox unceremoniously extended his hand—
“Alright, Xun Xun, now you can carry me to bed.”
Yan Xun: “…”
His legs were working perfectly fine; he had just been pulling Yan Xun along moments earlier. But in the end, Yan Xun still carried him.
Most men resist being carried like a princess, feeling that it’s humiliating, but Chu Tingyun didn’t mind at all. He didn’t feel his dignity was compromised; in fact, he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Two minutes later, while Yan Xun went to the living room to tidy up the blanket on the sofa, Chu Tingyun quickly grabbed his phone to send a message.
Xiao Chu: [Mom! You’re amazing!!!]
Xiao Chu: [cat with sparkling eyes emoji]
Xiao Chu: [cat with a rose in its mouth emoji]
Xie Fengjun: [Have you made up?]
Xiao Chu: [Mm-hmm~]
Xie Fengjun: [covering mouth and smiling emoji] [covering mouth and smiling emoji] [covering mouth and smiling emoji]
Xie Fengjun: [Now that you’ve made up, go to bed early. Goodnight.] [moon emoji]
Xiao Chu: [Goodnight~]
Xiao Chu: [cat tucked in bed emoji]
At this moment, Chu Tingyun felt like he had discovered the ultimate method for handling Yan Xun. All the tips his friends had given him were nonsense—terrible advice!
His mom was the real deal; she knew exactly how to handle Yan Xun!
It had to be from his mother!
Tsk, tsk, tsk…
Chu Tingyun felt so overjoyed inside that he could burst into flowers.
He even thought that this victory deserved to be recorded in the “History of Love,” summarized as: “In 30 seconds, make your husband surrender for love.”
Yan Xun, meanwhile, had no idea that his own mother had become Chu Tingyun’s behind-the-scenes strategist. He quickly finished tidying up the blanket he had used for less than ten minutes and obediently returned to bed with his pillow.
The next day, Chu Tingyun, unsurprisingly, skipped work again, using his injury as an excuse.
His lousy father, Jiang Shenghai, had pulled an all-nighter and had already gone to the company early this morning, shouldering the work that should’ve been his son’s without complaint.
Yan Xun also got up early. After going for a jog, he brought back breakfast. He also video-called his parents to give them a brief update on last night’s events. Of course, he left out the most dangerous parts, but even so, his parents were still quite shaken.
“The people have all been caught. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for the police to finish their investigation. The lawyer said the evidence is solid, so the case should be transferred to the court in about two months.”
Yan Xun and Chu Tingyun spent a long time reassuring them, and eventually, the two parents felt somewhat relieved.
Just as the call ended, Jiang Jingshu called Chu Tingyun. The relationship between these siblings was awkward and delicate, so she cautiously asked about his injury and apologized.
After all, she and Jiang Yu Heng shared half the same blood, and Jingshu couldn’t shake a sense of guilt.
“It’s nothing, just a minor injury.”
After saying that, Chu Tingyun’s tone changed:
“Jiang Jingshu, you’re you, and he’s him. What, do you still want to be a family with that idiot?”
“No, of course not!”
Jingshu quickly denied it. Ever since Jiang Yu Heng tricked her into running away from her wedding, their sibling bond had almost completely eroded. After the kidnapping, Jingshu wished she had never had such a brother.
Not wanting to talk more about Jiang Yuheng, Chu Tingyun changed the subject:
“How’s it going with the He family?”
“Mm, they’ve agreed, and we’ve signed the divorce papers. Once the cooling-off period is over, the divorce will be finalized.”
Jingshu’s tone became noticeably more upbeat as she talked about this.
Chu Tingyun responded with a grunt and asked:
“What about the division of assets?”
“The female lawyer Dad found is really good, and because we signed a prenuptial agreement, I didn’t lose much.”
Jingshu didn’t care much about the division of assets, though. At this moment, she felt like a bird about to break free from a cage and soar into the sky.
“That’s all small stuff. Even if I walked away with nothing, I’d still want the divorce!”
“What’s your plan after the divorce?”
Chu Tingyun had expected her to mention Lin Ran, but to his surprise, his sister didn’t bring up that name.
“After the divorce, I just want to rent a place and move out of the house. Then I’ll look for a new job. I don’t like being a teacher. I want to do something else, maybe learn something interesting…”
Jingshu talked about many future plans. It was probably the longest conversation she and her brother had ever had.
At the end of the call, she hesitated for a long time before finally asking cautiously:
“Ge, can I call or message you often from now on?”
“…Sure.”
President Chu nodded, keeping his composure.
He had time for that.
“Great!”
Jingshu happily hung up the phone.
Thus, Chu Tingyun’s private WeChat, which had initially only included Yan Xun, later added Yan Xun’s parents, and now had one more person—Jiang Jingshu.
Just as she said, after that day, Jingshu would occasionally send messages to Chu Tingyun or even call him.
Yan Xun overheard Chu Tingyun mention that she had made herself a countdown calendar and was marking the days until her divorce was finalized.
After Chen Tengxiao and his father were detained, all of Hongyuan Real Estate’s projects came to a halt. Old reports that had been suppressed were brought back into the spotlight, and many board members and executives were called in for questioning.
Ye Cunshan had also restored the
traffic footage from back then. With modern technology, it was confirmed that the motorcycle had indeed malfunctioned.
Before long, there was new progress in Li Rong’s case. The woman who had accused him of rape retracted her statement, saying she had been coerced by the Chen family…
Everything seemed to be moving in a good direction.
Now that Yan Xun finally had some free time, he arranged a lunch meeting with Zhou Ze.
“Chu Tingyun, do you want to come along?”
“No, thanks.”
It wasn’t that Chu Tingyun didn’t want to meet Zhou Ze, but he had his own plans today.
“Xinghen successfully went public, and Gu Shanqing is throwing a celebration party. I need to attend.”
“Alright then.”
Yan Xun went to meet Zhou Ze on his own, and they had planned for hotpot.
At 8 p.m., Yan Xun was the first to arrive at the private room and had already ordered the broth and dishes. Soon after, the door opened. A man wrapped up tightly from head to toe snuck in, acting all suspicious and not closing the door immediately, still looking outside to see if anyone had followed him.
After all, Zhou Ze was no longer the failed idol who hadn’t debuted after returning from abroad. In the past two years, he’d played several supporting roles, one of which—a secondary male lead in a niche web drama—had gained some popularity. He’d also released a few decent songs. He could barely be considered a minor celebrity, familiar to the public.
Yan Xun wasn’t surprised by his actions.
“Don’t worry, this hotpot place is quite private.”
He stood up and walked over, intending to pat his friend on the shoulder. But Zhou Ze suddenly turned around and threw a punch at Yan Xun’s face.
“?”
Yan Xun instinctively tilted his head, easily and precisely dodging the blow.
In the next instant, he grabbed Zhou Ze’s wrist, twisted it with a deft motion, and kicked him behind the knees. In less than two seconds, he had Zhou Ze pinned to the ground.
Bang!
The sound of a human body hitting the floor rang out loudly.
Immediately after, Zhou Ze, like a puppy being disciplined by its owner, started to cry out.
“Ow! Ow, ow, ow, it hurts—!”
“It hurts! It hurts, it hurts!!!”
“I was wrong, I was wrong, Yan Xun, my hand is going to break!”
“…”
Yan Xun was speechless, though also amused.
However, he didn’t let go, continuing to hold Zhou Ze down.
“Been a few months, and our big star’s gotten some new skills, huh?”
Zhou Ze: “…”
In the end, with teary eyes, Zhou Ze conceded, “Waaah, I was wrong, Father Yan!”
“Hmph.”
Yan Xun snorted and finally let go.
“Zhou Ze, what were you thinking?”
He could understand Zhou Ze’s awkwardness and bad mood, but he couldn’t figure out how Zhou Ze had the nerve to try and fight him.
“I…”
Zhou Ze, still wincing in pain, propped himself up against the wall and got up from the floor. He was wearing a mask, and his voice came out muffled.
“The stunt coordinator on our set said I had some talent for fight scenes.”
Yan Xun was at a loss for words. “So you got cocky because of that?”
Zhou Ze: “…”
“Sorry, Father Yan, I overestimated my abilities.”
After that bit of nonsense, Zhou Ze took off his coat and removed his hat and mask.
Yan Xun was startled to see that his friend had grown out his hair.
“Your hair…?”
Zhou Ze sat down across from him and explained, “It’s for a historical drama. Wigs look fake, they’re not good on camera and uncomfortable to wear. So I grew out my hair and got some extensions. It speeds up styling, and it looks better in close-ups and fight scenes.”
“Oh…”
Yan Xun nodded in understanding, but he still couldn’t help staring at Zhou Ze.
Since they had graduated high school, the times they met had been few and far between, but every time Yan Xun saw Zhou Ze, it felt like he’d gone through a major transformation.
When Zhou Ze had first returned from Korea, he was a failed idol with blue-dyed hair and a typical Korean pretty-boy style.
A few months ago, when they met at the hospital, Zhou Ze had smoky eye makeup, a leather jacket, and looked like a cool, trendy heartthrob.
Now, his makeup was simple and elegant, and his long hair softened his previously sharp handsomeness, making him look almost… pretty.
Chu Tingyun, while also striking as beautiful at first glance, had a sort of mixed-race male beauty.
But Zhou Ze, with his makeup, long hair, and possibly the fact that he’d just finished playing a eunuch in a historical drama, gave off the vibe of a classic Chinese beauty.
For a moment, as Yan Xun stared at Zhou Ze, he felt like a father who no longer recognized his own child after they’d grown up.
Zhou Ze noticed Yan Xun’s gaze and smugly asked, “What do you think? Am I even more handsome now?”
“…”
The familiar feeling came back as soon as Zhou Ze opened his mouth. Yan Xun nodded.
“Celebrities really are different from regular people.”
“That’s right!”
Zhou Ze lifted his chin proudly.
“Let me tell you, Yan Xun, I’ve become pretty amazing these past few years. I even learned how to do my own makeup, and I’m better at it than a lot of professional makeup artists!”
“Mhm, mhm.”
While listening, Yan Xun pulled out his phone and started a video call.
Zhou Ze was confused. “What are you doing? Who are you calling?”
Yan Xun replied, “Calling Chu Tingyun.”
Zhou Ze: “…”
You have to check in even for dinner?
Tsk, married life really takes away all your freedom.
But Zhou Ze also knew how petty Chu Tingyun could be. Now that Yan Xun wasn’t getting a divorce, and Zhou Ze wasn’t about to end his friendship with him, he figured he’d just endure it.
When the video connected, even Chu Tingyun was a bit taken aback by Zhou Ze’s current appearance. He did look good, but for a moment, Chu Tingyun wondered if Zhou Ze had made some drastic personal sacrifice for the role.
However, this time, instead of reacting negatively, Chu Tingyun spoke in a gentle tone. Not only did he explain the past misunderstanding about cutting off ties, but he also invited Zhou Ze to come over for dinner sometime.
Zhou Ze: “…???”
At that moment, Zhou Ze seriously doubted whether Chu Tingyun had been possessed by someone else.
But in the end, he reluctantly agreed for Yan Xun’s sake.
“Oh, alright… sure.”
At that moment, Gu Shanqing pushed open the office door and called for him to hurry up for the celebration party.
Chu Tingyun waved, said a few words to Yan Xun, and hung up the phone.
Beep…
As soon as the call ended, Gu Shanqing leaned over and asked,
“Hey, Chu Tingyun, who was that beautiful woman next to Yan Xun just now?”
Beautiful… woman?
Chu Tingyun: “…?”
“???”
He doubted his ears for a second, but even more so, he doubted if Gu Shanqing’s eyes were working properly.
“Who are you talking about?”
“The one next to Yan Xun just now, the one with the long hair.”
Gu Shanqing was also surprised; he thought he had been pretty clear.
“…”
Chu Tingyun carefully observed Gu Shanqing, confirming that his eyes were fine. He stayed silent for a long moment, his expression complicated.
“Are you… interested in him?”1Since in Chinese, pronouns for male and female sound the same, he can’t tell the difference.
“Ahem, not exactly; I was just curious why you didn’t get jealous when Yan Xun was having dinner with such a beautiful woman.”
Such a beautiful… woman?
Chu Tingyun squinted slightly, then suddenly smiled.
“What’s there to be jealous about? He’s just Yan Xun’s friend. Sure, he’s single, but there’s no chance of anything happening between them. What’s there to worry about?”
“…”
Gu Shanqing looked at him with an expression that said, “Are you kidding me?”
Chu Tingyun spun his phone in his hand and casually asked,
“Oh, by the way, he might come to our place for dinner in a few days. Do you want to join? He’s a decent guy.”
Gu Shanqing was stunned for a second, clearly surprised, but then couldn’t help laughing and asked,
“Chu Tingyun, are you… trying to set me up?”
“Huh? Set you up? I’m just introducing a friend. Why would you think that?”
Chu Tingyun looked at him, perplexed.
“Besides, Gu Shanqing, you’re thirty-five, and he’s twenty-six. What are you thinking? A cougar after a young cub?”
“…”
Gu Shanqing laughed in exasperation.
“Chu Tingyun, you’re the last person in the company who has any right to talk about cougars after young cubs. Aren’t you also nine years older than Yan Xun?”
“…That’s different!”
President Chu spoke in a very righteous and confident tone:
“I’m Chu Tingyun—handsome, rich, in great shape, multi-talented, and caring. Besides, when I started dating Yan Xun, I was only twenty-nine, right at my peak in looks, body, and stamina. We were a perfect match.”
“And you, Gu Shanqing? You’re already thirty-five, almost forty. Putting aside talents, all you have in your life is work and dogs. Do you think anyone would date you?”
Gu Shanqing: “…”
Damn!
President Gu’s fists clenched.
But after thinking for a long time, he couldn’t find a single word to refute.
“Fine, fine!”
At that moment, Gu Shanqing smiled through gritted teeth,
“Since President Chu is so enthusiastic, fine, tell me when. I’ll definitely come to visit and properly meet the friend you want to introduce me to.”
“Don’t be in such a rush.”
Chu Tingyun picked up his phone and messaged Yan Xun,
“I need to ask first if they’re willing to have dinner with you.”
Gu Shanqing: “…”
On the other side, Yan Xun was a bit surprised when he got the message.
“Zhou Ze, Chu Tingyun is asking if you’d mind if he brings a friend over when you come to our house for dinner in a few days?”
“Sure!” Zhou Ze had no objections and was even happy.
“Then there will be four of us. Perfect for a game of mahjong!”
Yan Xun: “…Alright.”
The message was sent, and the conversation ended.
Yan Xun put his phone aside and focused on having dinner with his good friend.
Zhou Ze asked for a bowl of plain water, since he had to manage his figure and was skimming off the hotpot oil before eating. As he ate, he shared his recent updates with Yan Xun.
“Oh, by the way, Yan Xun, I just switched to a new agency, Tianji. I mentioned them to you before. The terms they offered were pretty good—at least fair—and their plans for my career development are solid…”
Yan Xun: “…”
Chu Tingyun really did sign Zhou Ze.
Zhou Ze was quite chatty. After discussing the agency, he started complaining about the drama he was acting in.
“Sigh, let me tell you, this show is adapted from an old-school romance novel. The female lead is totally lovesick. And the male lead in the novel isn’t great either—lustful, using his power to coerce and blackmail, and later even locks the girl up and forces himself on her.”
Yan Xun, listening, paused his chopsticks. It all sounded oddly familiar.
Zhou Ze was still deep in his plot explanation:
“Man, let me tell you, the original plot would never pass the censors. The screenwriter had to rewrite it several times. But that’s how these old-school melodramatic novels are—no matter how terrible the male lead is in the beginning, the female lead forgives him in the end, and they get their happy ending.”
If Zhou Ze hadn’t actually acted in this drama, Yan Xun would’ve thought he was shading him.
“So Zhou Ze, what role do you play?”
“Me?”
Zhou Ze’s attention shifted instantly.
“I’m the female lead’s older brother! He castrates himself to seek revenge, climbs his way into the palace, secretly protects the female lead in every way possible, and in the end, dies for her. Ugh! Let me tell you, this character is intense.”
“Oh~ definitely sounds good.”
Yan Xun nodded.
Zhou Ze slapped his thigh, his emotions fully invested.
“So Yan Xun, do you get it? Do you understand how heartbroken I was watching the female lead forgive the male lead so easily?”
Yan Xun: “…What if the two of them truly love each other, but there were just too many misunderstandings?”
“???”
After hearing this, Zhou Ze looked at Yan Xun with shock.
“Yan Xun, you didn’t use to talk like this!”
“Hm?”
“You once said that if your partner ever did something that crossed your bottom line, you’d definitely divorce them!”
Yan Xun was silent for two seconds and then said, “Well… in principle, yes.”
In principle?
Zhou Ze: “Heh…”
“Yan Xun, was that whole ‘it’s about the cat’ excuse just a front? What made you go against your principles?”
“…”
Yan Xun lowered his head and took a sip of water.
“Well, it’s just…”
Before he could finish, Zhou Ze cut in:
“Don’t bother, I get it! You’re just in love.”
“You just imagined Chu Tingyun divorcing you, falling for someone else, getting married to them, and sleeping with them every night, and you couldn’t accept it at all…”
Crack.
The glass cup in Yan Xun’s hand cracked.
Zhou Ze immediately shut his mouth.
“…”
In an instant, the atmosphere in the room froze.
After a long silence, Zhou Ze cautiously asked,
“Yan Xun, buddy, there’s actually been something I’ve been wondering about for years. It’s been on my mind for a long time. Could you satisfy my curiosity today?”
Yan Xun put down the glass and wiped his hands with a napkin.
“What is it?”
“Were you originally from some kind of ancient martial arts world?”
Yan Xun: “…”
“Zhou Ze.”
“Hm?”
“It’s been so many years, and your middle school syndrome still isn’t cured?”
The frozen atmosphere returned to normal. But after hearing what Zhou Ze had said, Yan Xun found he couldn’t enjoy the rest of the meal.
In the past, he used to think that spending time with good friends was one of the few moments of relaxation and joy. But after being apart for so long, when he finished the meal with Zhou Ze, Yan Xun just wanted to go home.
But Chu Tingyun wasn’t done on his end.
Yan Xun sent him a message.
“When are you coming home?”
No reply.
So Yan Xun called via video, only to have Gu Shanqing answer.
The music was loud.
President Gu had booked out an entire bar, hired professional bands and dancers to perform, and invited company executives and business partners to join.
There was nothing suggestive or shady in the video—just pure partying.
In the shaky camera shot, Yan Xun spotted Chu Tingyun in the distance, surrounded by people. His face was a bit red, clearly having drunk quite a bit.
With his impressive alcohol tolerance, it was only when Chu Tingyun had a lot that his face would show it.
“Chu Tingyun!”
Gu Shanqing handed him the phone,
“Your spouse is checking in.”
“Hm?”
President Chu pushed through the crowd and sat at the bar.
“What’s up, Xun Xun?”
He propped his face up with one hand, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, revealing his beautifully shaped collarbones.
Under the influence of alcohol, the man’s blue eyes looked noticeably moist, and even his unconscious blinks seemed seductive.
Yan Xun looked at him for a few seconds and said nothing else, only one thing:
“Send me your location.”
“Hm? You wanna come play?”
Chu Tingyun smiled at the phone.
“Alright, I’ll wait for you.”
Yan Xun hadn’t had any alcohol that night, so he drove himself and arrived in about half an hour.
When he got there, Chu Tingyun was still at the bar, but instead of sitting, he was behind the counter.
“What would you like to drink, classmate?”
He stared directly at Yan Xun, like a bartender flirting with a well-behaved student.
“Not drinking.”
“Hm?”
Chu Tingyun had prepared quite a bit, but the next second, Yan Xun pulled him out.
“Hey, wait a minute, Yan Xun, what are you doing?”
The dim, ambiguous lights dazzled the eyes, and the pulsating music stirred the most sensitive nerves. At that moment, many people’s gazes were drawn to the two men in the corner.
A young man was tugging at President Chu, and eventually, he just lifted him onto his shoulder, striding through the crowd and kicking the door open as he left.
“?”
“…Damn!”
“Isn’t that President Chu’s partner? So fierce?”
“Wasn’t that the one who officially announced the marriage on the company website? Wow, he’s so handsome!”
“…”
The astonished voices of the onlookers were drowned out by the music. Gu Shanqing had originally wanted to keep drinking with Chu Tingyun, but he just watched him leave like that.
“…”
Gu Shanqing took a swig of his drink.
“Tsk! What’s so great about being married?”
On the other side, Yan Xun led Chu Tingyun all the way to the parking lot, opened the car door, and shoved him into the back seat.
Chu Tingyun had drunk a bit too much and didn’t quite understand what was going on with Yan Xun tonight.
“Yan Xun, you…”
But the next second, the car door closed, and Yan Xun leaned in to kiss him.
“Mm.”
Chu Tingyun let out a very brief moan.
He didn’t resist, just whispered with a laugh:
“Ah… be gentle, my little husband.”
