Chapter 76
In just a few seconds, teardrops gathered on Yu Chen’s hand, slipping down one after another.
He Zhen had always been Grandpa’s favorite. Beaten like that, Yu Chen didn’t dare imagine how furious Grandpa must have been that day.
Yu Chen’s Adam’s apple rolled slowly, his left chest aching with panic. “Are you hurt anywhere else? It’s been this long, and the bruises are still there. That first day must have hurt so much…”
He sniffled, embarrassed by his own tears, his eyes flooding.
“Boss, how long were you going to keep this from me?”
Yu Chen gasped, unable to catch his breath, and slowly crouched down, sobbing.
“Chenchen.”
“I’m fine.”
“Look at me now—aren’t I okay?”
He Zhen supported Yu Chen, frowning as he coaxed him. “A few scrapes and bruises, and I get to be with you. I wouldn’t have dared dream of such a deal.”
Yu Chen closed his eyes, tears streaming down, his neck damp without him realizing it.
No matter what He Zhen said, he was still heartbroken.
He Zhen simply pulled him up and held him in his arms as he sat down. “To be honest, I’m not in pain anymore. But if you keep crying, I’ll start hurting again.”
Yu Chen knew He Zhen was comforting him. He looked down, and a scalding tear fell right onto He Zhen’s chest. “Don’t you lie to me now! Tell me everything—exactly what you said to Grandpa.”
“Alright, I’ll tell you everything.” He Zhen wiped his tears. “You’ve been crying so much, your face is a mess.”
Yu Chen shot him an angry glare, tears brimming in his eyes, looking absolutely pitiful.
“I didn’t say much. I just told Grandpa that I like you and want to pursue you.” He Zhen recounted lightly, then smiled at Yu Chen. “How did you find out? Did He Heng tell you?”
“Don’t change the subject.” Yu Chen pressed on. “Why did Grandpa say you’d cause me trouble? Did you tell him I don’t like you?”
“Yeah.” He Zhen lowered his lashes casually, as if discussing something amusing. “I said I would chase you relentlessly until you became my lover.”
Yu Chen had just managed to hold back his tears, but now he started crying again out of frustration. “But this is about both of us. We should face it together. I was even thinking I’d take the beating for you.”
“It’s okay. Consider it done on my behalf.” He Zhen pressed a button by the desk to signal his secretaries not to disturb them, then turned and smiled at Yu Chen. “Feeling bad for me?”
“Obviously!” Yu Chen hung his head, rubbing his chest, his voice hoarse and petulant. “I almost died.”
“Then let me rub it for you.” He Zhen placed his palm on Yu Chen’s chest and pressed his lips to the tear lingering at the corner of Yu Chen’s eye. “Looks like you’re not wearing your ring.”
“I went to the lab today and was afraid of damaging it, so I put it in my pocket. Then I worried Grandpa might ask about it. If I told him you gave it to me when you were sixteen, he’d think we started dating too early, so I didn’t dare wear it.” Yu Chen pulled the ring from his pocket and held it out for He Zhen to put on. “I almost blew it. You should have warned me.”
He Zhen gently rubbed his chest. “Clever little chubby baby.”
Yu Chen snorted and buried himself in He Zhen’s arms. “Boss, can you promise not to keep anything from me ever again?”
He Zhen’s gaze was infinitely tender. “I promise.”
Yu Chen nuzzled against He Zhen like a baby seal. “Let me see your injuries tonight.”
“No.” He Zhen pecked Yu Chen’s ear. “They’re ugly.”
“You care about that with me?” Yu Chen pressed, mumbling. “Let me see. I’ll put medicine on them for you.”
He Zhen didn’t agree, just quietly played with Yu Chen’s ear.
“Is there anywhere on you I haven’t seen? I’ve even seen you naked. When you had a fever as a kid, Dad and I changed your clothes and wiped you down with alcohol.”
He Zhen raised an eyebrow slightly. “Still no.”
“You’re impossible!” Yu Chen turned his head away in frustration. “Fine, I’m going home to my place.”
With that, Yu Chen jumped off He Zhen’s lap.
He’d barely taken a few steps when He Zhen grabbed him and pulled him back into his arms.
“What’s so interesting about black-and-blue bruises?” He Zhen cupped Yu Chen’s face and gently pinched it. “I have to keep some dignity in front of the one I love.”
“Where was your dignity when you were running around in split-crotch pants?”
He Zhen laughed in exasperation and squeezed Yu Chen’s cheeks harder. “Explain yourself. Who wore split-crotch pants?”
Yu Chen frowned sulkily and said nothing.
“Fine, look if you want. Put medicine on me tonight.”
Yu Chen perked up defiantly. “I don’t like forcing people. Find someone else.”
“Oh really?” He Zhen turned Yu Chen around to face him. “You’re not going to look?”
Yu Chen pouted angrily. “Nope.”
“Not even the abs?”
Yu Chen’s lips twitched into a small smile. “…Nope.”
He Zhen scooped him back up and sat down on the black sofa beside them. “Don’t regret it.”
“Hmph.” Yu Chen buried his face in He Zhen’s chest, holding back a laugh.
“Wait an hour for me. I’ll leave early today.” He Zhen kissed Yu Chen’s forehead, set him down beside him, and walked to his desk. “Go home, get cleaned up, and wait for you in bed.”
Yu Chen’s face flushed against his will. He turned away, feigning aloofness. “I’m not putting medicine on you.”
That evening, He Zhen took Yu Chen home.
Because of something urgent, He Zhen went straight to the study as soon as they arrived and hurriedly opened his laptop for a meeting.
Yu Chen, bored, ordered some ingredients to make spaghetti for dinner.
As he cut the beef, he thought about coming clean to Li Huan.
Originally, He Zhen was supposed to handle it. But this time, he wanted to be brave for once and tell Li Huan everything on his mind. His dad adored him, and He Zhen was so wonderful—surely they would get his father’s blessing.
Lost in thought, Yu Chen got distracted. He didn’t even notice He Zhen standing behind him until He Zhen suddenly hugged him from behind, making him flinch and turn around. “When did you get here?”
He Zhen took the knife handle and began cutting gently. “Two minutes ago.”
“What are you thinking about, chubby baby?”
Yu Chen didn’t tell the truth. “How to prepare the beef.”
He Zhen sliced it expertly, rinsed it, and marinated it. “Leave it to me. Go rest for a bit?”
Yu Chen frowned. “No, I want to stay with you.”
He Zhen naturally agreed but couldn’t resist teasing him. “You’ve got work to do later. I don’t want you too tired.”
Yu Chen was trapped in He Zhen’s arms, unable to move, so he just turned his head to gaze at He Zhen’s profile. “What work?”
He Zhen deliberately dragged out his words. “Night work, of course… putting medicine on me.”
Yu Chen’s moist eyes shimmered with a hint of embarrassment. “Changing medicine is easy. Just dab and spread—one minute, done.”
“That won’t do.” Whether intentional or not, He Zhen’s lips kept brushing against Yu Chen’s ear, tickling him. “I’m very picky. If I’m not satisfied, you don’t stop.”
Yu Chen laughed and protested, “You’re harder to please than a landlord’s son.”
“Isn’t that the truth…” He Zhen teased, “So you’d better eat well tonight. If you don’t have the strength to work, there will be consequences.”
Yu Chen’s face grew even hotter.
How did He Zhen manage to look so serious while saying such outrageous things?
And without an ounce of shame.
“Baby, why is your face so red?” He Zhen’s gaze was tender. “Got a fever?”
Yu Chen couldn’t handle this version of He Zhen. He seized the chance to duck down and escape. “I’m going to get some water.”
“Okay, go ahead.” He Zhen smiled faintly.
After dinner, Yu Chen could clearly feel his own temperature rising. Especially when he caught sight of He Zhen walking into the bathroom with that affectionate, soft look in his eyes—the fire inside him burned hotter and hotter.
He stared at his reflection in the glass, his face as red as a tomato.
Why did you have to provoke him?
It’s just applying medicine. Why make it so steamy?
The water in the bathroom pattered down. The sound was no different than usual, yet Yu Chen was unusually sensitive, his ears almost filled entirely with the noise of He Zhen showering.
Ten minutes later, the bathroom door slid open with a swoosh.
Yu Chen had his back to He Zhen, but he could still feel the steam and moisture radiating from him.
Suddenly, that misty warmth drew near and enveloped him.
“Chenchen, go take a shower.”
Yu Chen instinctively clutched his collar, not daring to look up. “I’ll go right away.”
He Zhen moved closer to Yu Chen, droplets of water from his shoulders and neck sliding down his strong, beautiful waistline—sensual yet restrained.
“Heh.”
He Zhen chuckled. “Why are you gripping your shirt?”
“I… I…” Even with his head bowed, Yu Chen could still glimpse the firm, well-proportioned pectoral muscles faintly visible under He Zhen’s loose bathrobe.
“Why do I need to take a shower?”
He kept his eyes lowered, shy as a virgin. “I’ll put the medicine on you first, then shower.”
“Alright, thank you.” He Zhen didn’t hold back. Right in front of Yu Chen, he took off his robe, leaving only a white towel wrapped around his waist. Water dripped from his sleek black hair, trailing from his straight shoulders down his sexy collarbone, over the defined lines of his V-cut, and finally disappearing beneath the towel.
Yu Chen could barely breathe. He silently cursed himself for being such a coward.
And he’d actually dared to flirt first and even prepare some little toys.
At this rate, he was the toy—He Zhen’s toy.
He Zhen’s light brown eyes casually fell on Yu Chen’s face. He dried his hair, wondering what Yu Chen was thinking.
Then, he lay down on the bed. “Come on, little hired hand.”
Yu Chen shot him a glare and finally got a clear look at the bruises.
He Zhen’s entire back and right leg were covered in fading bruises. Some were pale yellow, others still dark purple.
It had been a week since He Zhen told him Grandpa agreed to let them be together. It was hard to imagine how terrifying the injuries must have looked right after they happened.
Yu Chen opened the medicine bottle, dipped a cotton swab in alcohol, and gently dabbed.
He was afraid of hurting He Zhen, worried he wasn’t applying the medicine evenly, and doubted his own technique.
“Little hired hand, you need to rub that in.”
He Zhen lay on the pillow, turning his head to look at him. His handsome, deep-set eyes held a teasing edge. “Looks like this is your first time doing something like this.”
Yu Chen’s ears burned fiercely. He mumbled shyly, “I got it, you landlord’s son!”
He Zhen still gazed at him from the side. “The little hired hand looks really pretty today.”
Yu Chen pressed his lips together, his throat dry. “Turn your head away. Stop looking at me.”
He Zhen obeyed, readjusting his position to let Yu Chen apply the medicine.
Over the years, Yu Chen had learned decent massage skills from He Zhen. Once he found the right method, he melted the bruise ointment into his palms and rubbed it vigorously into the injured areas.
Within minutes, a thin layer of sweat formed on Yu Chen’s back.
“Feel good, boss?”
Yu Chen couldn’t resist joking. “You’ve got a great body, boss. I’d give you an eight out of ten.”
He Zhen narrowed his eyes. “Can I ask where the missing two points went?”
Yu Chen couldn’t help but grin, showing a row of small white teeth. “Nope! Figure it out yourself!”
He Zhen opened his eyes and slowly sat up.
Yu Chen turned sideways, tilting his head. “Done already?”
“Yeah.” He Zhen didn’t hurry to put his robe back on, his brow furrowed as if deep in thought. “I’m reflecting on what part of my physique didn’t satisfy my chubby baby.”
Yu Chen had just said it offhandedly. Truth be told, he’d snuck plenty of looks at He Zhen’s V-line while rubbing in the medicine, and he was very satisfied.
“Okay, you think about it.”
Yu Chen grinned as he closed the medicine kit. The frustration and shyness he’d felt earlier under He Zhen’s control vanished instantly.
He declared victory for the night.
Just as Yu Chen got up, an arm wrapped around his lower back.
In the next second, He Zhen effortlessly pinned him down like a ragdoll.
He Zhen’s fingers brushed through his hair, his smile gentle. “I figured it out.”
Yu Chen’s chest rose and fell with nervousness. He avoided He Zhen’s burning gaze. “What are you talking about?”
He Zhen’s long, slender fingers slowly intertwined with Yu Chen’s palm. “I haven’t seen all of your body yet. Is that where the points are missing?”
Yu Chen froze for a moment, then tried to push He Zhen away, only to realize he was completely trapped.
He Zhen’s lips landed softly on Yu Chen’s forehead, ears, and neck, as if playing with him. When he’d had his fun, he kissed Yu Chen’s eyes and murmured in a low, intimate voice, “None of the things Xiao Yu bought are suitable for a beginner. What should we do?”
Yu Chen’s shoulders trembled uncontrollably. His clear, dark eyes held a trace of timidity as he exhaled warm breath. “C-Can you let go of me first?”
“It’s okay.” He Zhen’s breath drew closer as he guided Yu Chen’s hand to untie his bathrobe. “There are other ways to play. I’ll make sure you’re satisfied.”
