Chapter 6: The Dark Circles Faded
Although shocked, Chi Wang quickly took in his surroundings. As his memory pieced itself back together, he couldn’t help but cover his face with his hands.
He belatedly noticed the discomfort in his body. Though his pain tolerance was higher than most, the soreness and lingering heat were hard to ignore.
Taking a moment to steady himself, Chi Wang turned his head to the side. There, lying with his back to him, was a man—shirtless, his pale, jade-like skin visible on his broad shoulders. Though much of his body was concealed by the blanket, the defined lines of his muscular frame were evident.
Chi Wang: “…”
The damp, chilly sensation between his legs suddenly made sense. It wasn’t bedwetting—it was that.
Though Chi Wang hadn’t eaten pork, he’d seen pigs run. He didn’t need an explanation to understand what had happened.
He took a deep breath, feeling the sheer absurdity of the situation. Glancing at the sports watch on his wrist, he saw it was 5 a.m. The summer sun had already risen. Normally, this was the time he would wake up and head out for his daily 45-minute run.
Thinking back, he couldn’t recall why he’d felt so sleepy so early yesterday. The only plausible explanation was the juice he’d drunk at the mixer. Maybe he’d had too much, or maybe it had some alcohol content he hadn’t noticed.
But now wasn’t the time to ponder. There was only one priority: get out before the man woke up.
Chi Wang tried to get out of bed, only to feel a sharp ache in his waist. With a loud thud, he tumbled to the floor.
It didn’t hurt much—just left him numb. Glancing down, he realized his clothes were completely gone. Not even his underwear had been left behind.
Worse, his body bore evidence of last night. There were faint marks everywhere, including a fading bite mark on the inside of his thigh.
Supporting himself on the bed, Chi Wang stood and found himself locking eyes with the man on the bed.
Chi Wang: “…”
The man sat up, his brows furrowed in a stern, somber expression. His strikingly handsome face, framed by black eyes that seemed to hold a layer of frost, stared at Chi Wang with an inscrutable intensity.
The awkwardness was palpable. Chi Wang knew how bad this looked. After all, he’d helped this man last night because he’d been drugged, only for the situation to spiral into this. How ridiculous!
A paranoid person would undoubtedly think Chi Wang had taken advantage of him while he was vulnerable. But Chi Wang, having lost his own “purity” in the process, felt no need to be meek. If anything, he was also a victim here.
Summoning his composure, Chi Wang feigned nonchalance and said with an air of righteousness, “I don’t need to pay for the room, right?”
The moment he spoke, he realized his voice was hoarse. Startled, he reached up to touch his throat, confused.
Xie Siheng: “…”
With an equally hoarse voice, Xie Siheng replied, “You don’t.”
Sunlight streamed through the half-open curtains, illuminating both their expressions with brutal clarity.
Chi Wang could see the faint anger simmering on Xie Siheng’s cold face, his gaze sharp with suppressed fury. Yet, just as quickly, the man seemed to swallow his emotions, regaining control.
Chi Wang decided it was time to retreat. Quickly locating his clothes, he grabbed his T-shirt from the foot of the bed and spotted his pants draped on the edge, one leg pinned under Xie Siheng. He tugged it free without a word, slipping it on without bothering with underwear—he couldn’t find it anywhere.
Throwing on his T-shirt, he muttered dryly, “I’m leaving now.”
Before Xie Siheng could react, Chi Wang darted out of the bedroom.
Just as he reached the door, he remembered the bottle of mineral water he’d taken last night. Digging into his pocket, he fished out two coins meant for bus fare and placed them on the bar counter.
Retrieving his phone from the couch, he closed the door softly behind him, careful not to make a sound.
—
Once outside the hotel, Chi Wang finally had a chance to check his phone. Luo Lianyun had sent over fifty messages. Skimming to the last one, Chi Wang froze as he read it.
“Dorm check deductions—penalty points added.”
It felt like a thunderbolt on a clear day.
Forget it, forget it. Just participate in more club activities to make up for the penalty points.
It was only a little past five in the morning, too early for the buses to start running. Gritting his teeth, Chi Wang spent a small fortune on a taxi to get back to the dorm.
Once there, he grabbed clean clothes and headed straight for the shower. However, as the water washed over him, a new problem came to mind.
The other party hadn’t used protection. That meant potential health risks.
Chi Wang wasn’t the type to gamble, especially given his unlucky streak. The man—Xie Siheng—was undeniably a handsome guy, clearly someone who frequently stayed at hotels. That alone raised suspicions. If he were the type who played around, who knew how many STDs he might be carrying?
It wasn’t malice that led Chi Wang to such thoughts. His early forays into the working world, especially during high school, had exposed him to the grittier side of nightlife. At the time, his options for high-paying part-time jobs were limited due to his inexperience and tight schedule. Working at a bar had been a rare find.
Two years in that environment taught him plenty. He’d met countless attractive men and women, many of whom led messy lives. Casual flings were rampant, and rumors of cross-infections spread like wildfire. Having heard enough horror stories, Chi Wang wasn’t willing to take any risks.
He spent extra time scrubbing himself clean in the shower. His poor, delicate body had taken a toll, leaving certain areas swollen—not painful, but certainly uncomfortable when moving around.
After dressing, Chi Wang stepped out of the bathroom, only to slip on a wet spot. He nearly fell but caught himself on the windowsill. Unfortunately, a sharp edge jutted out, slicing his finger and drawing a steady trickle of blood.
Chi Wang: “…”
He sighed.
After bandaging his wound with some medicine and a band-aid, Chi Wang climbed into Luo Lianyun’s bed and unceremoniously shook him awake. “Get up.”
Luo Lianyun groggily cracked open his eyes. “…Where did you go last night?”
Chi Wang asked, “Did you find a girlfriend?”
The mention of this perked Luo Lianyun right up. Grinning with pride, he said, “Not yet, but I got a number, and we hit it off.”
Chi Wang nodded, then changed the subject. “What was the name of that juice we drank yesterday?”
Luo Lianyun replied without hesitation, “Oh, that was probably fruit beer. Not expensive, and the girls loved it. The brand’s TEMPT—a Danish fruit brew.”
I knew it! Chi Wang thought. Aloud, he muttered, “…But there was no alcohol taste.”
“Exactly why the girls like it,” Luo Lianyun explained. “It’s sweet and fruity. Even Shu Tingyu loved it. He already looked it up online and ordered 12 bottles last night for 180 yuan. Great deal.”
Chi Wang: “Sigh.”
Seeing Chi Wang’s rare troubled expression, Luo Lianyun couldn’t help but be curious. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Just that he’d have to spend money.
Chi Wang glanced at the schedule pinned to the wall. Their first class wasn’t until 9 a.m., and the hospital opened at 8:30. He’d have to take a leave.
—
Meanwhile, after Chi Wang left, Xie Siheng lay back down.
Reaching into the blanket absentmindedly, his fingers closed around a pair of men’s boxer briefs printed with a cartoon sheep.
Xie Siheng: “…”
He tossed the underwear onto the bed and sat up, his brows furrowed tightly.
After a moment, he got out of bed and yanked the blanket off. The gray sheets were stained with damp spots, the contrast stark. Worse still, patches of white residue dotted the fabric, glaringly obvious against the muted background.
The combination of gray and white was particularly jarring, impossible to ignore.
Xie Siheng pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling silently.
He bent down to retrieve his phone from under the bed and dialed Zuo Qianxing. As soon as the call connected, he said, “Get over here.”
Zuo Qianxing, hearing his tone, immediately sensed trouble. Glancing at the time, he muttered, “It’s only five in the morning. What’s up?”
In response, Xie Siheng hung up without a word.
Zuo Qianxing: “…”
He didn’t even say where he is—how am I supposed to go?
Resigned, Zuo Qianxing sent a message asking for Xie Siheng’s location.
Xie Siheng had multiple places he could crash, and there was no telling which one he was at this time. Fortunately, he replied with the address.
Still, Zuo Qianxing was reluctant to head out at this hour. As he had explained to Xiao Chengfeng, Xie Siheng often suffered from chronic insomnia, which naturally made his temper short.
Isn’t that how Korean idols go nuts when they’re sleep-deprived? Zuo thought. Xie Siheng hadn’t reached that level, but his outbursts could be intense. His cold, aloof demeanor fooled outsiders into thinking he was some unattainable “iceberg prince,” but in truth, he was more like a dormant volcano—ready to erupt with the right trigger.
Xiao Chengfeng’s brother, Xiao Fu, loved pushing Xie Siheng’s buttons, leading to many fights back in their compound.
—
Zuo Qianxing arrived at Minglong Hotel and knocked three times on Xie Siheng’s door. The door opened.
Seeing Xie Siheng standing there in a bathrobe, Zuo was about to step inside when his gaze caught on something. A sly smile spread across his face. “What’s that on your neck?”
Xie Siheng froze, his hand reflexively brushing his neck. His expression turned colder, his voice cutting like frost. “Get in.”
Zuo wisely fell silent and followed him into the room. His curiosity burned as he glanced around, looking for clues. His efforts paid off—he noticed the washing machine humming softly and peeked into the master bedroom, where the bed linens were conspicuously missing.
Oh, ho. Something definitely happened.
Zuo wanted to ask but didn’t dare, opting instead to sit on the couch awkwardly.
Meanwhile, Xie Siheng walked over to the bar counter. Noticing the two coins left on it, he paused. Picking them up, he stared at them for a moment before slipping them into the drawer below.
Zuo, sensing the silence dragging on too long, finally asked, “So, what’s up?”
Xie Siheng’s icy gaze bore into him. “Lu Xiao drugged me. Whose idea was it?”
Zuo froze, his face filled with faux horror. “You slept with Lu Xiao?”
Attempting to bait him—check.
Xie Siheng didn’t take the bait. His dark eyes carried a frigid light. “Did Xiao Chengfeng have a hand in this?”
Bait failed.
“…” Zuo rubbed his nose, deciding against playing games. “I don’t know. Last night, Xiao Chengfeng dragged me out for drinks. I’m still hungover.”
“Go investigate.”
“…Alright.”
It’s been all night, Zuo thought. Plenty of time for them to cover their tracks. It’ll be tough to find anything.
But Zuo also knew this wasn’t about uncovering the truth—it was an excuse for Xie Siheng to retaliate. His methods were as clear as day.
Unable to resist, Zuo teased, “So, who’d you sleep with last night? How did your first time feel?”
Xie Siheng: “Do you have a death wish?”
Zuo: “…”
Alright, alright. Message received—you’re not in a good mood.
Fighting the urge to laugh, Zuo asked in mock concern, “You think there’s any safety issues? Did you, uh, use protection?”
Attempting to bait him—check.
“Get out.”
Bait failed.
“Got it.”
So, he didn’t use protection?
Zuo couldn’t help but notice that Xie Siheng didn’t seem particularly furious. Even his usual morning grumpiness was less pronounced.
In fact, now that he looked closer… were Xie Siheng’s dark circles lighter?
Wait.
Not only were his dark circles fading, but his complexion seemed healthier, almost glowing.
Zuo: “…”
Losing his V-card made him radiant?
No, no. This is practically vampiric—like he drained someone’s vitality!
Case closed!
