Chapter 90: “Ge-ge.”
Xie Shibai held the medicine with an expressionless face, recalling the many clues he had discovered over the past few days.
He had originally thought Lu Ciheng was just faking how much it hurt, but it turned out there was no major problem at all. The severity of the wound was all an act.
Tudou followed at his heels, wagging its tail with a happy gait.
Xie Shibai pushed open the ward door.
Lu Ciheng looked up. “You’re back?”
Xie Shibai stared at Lu Ciheng for a few moments, taking note of his complexion. He looked so healthy he could probably climb over a dozen flights of stairs without his breathing becoming labored.
Lu Ciheng lowered his eyes and began to act, clutching the side of his waist. “Xie-laoshi, my wound hurt a bit while you were gone.”
Xie Shibai quietly watched Lu Ciheng’s performance.
“Let me see.”
Lu Ciheng leaned over and naturally pulled up his shirt, exposing his abdomen wrapped in bandages. The white bandages were wound around, tightening over his firm, blocky abs. “Xie-laoshi, you should touch it.”
Xie Shibai stared at the abs presented before him and remained silent for a few seconds. “Don’t you say it hurts?”
Lu Ciheng’s dark eyes looked very innocent as he grabbed Xie Shibai’s hand and placed it on his abs. “It’ll stop hurting as soon as Xie-laoshi touches it.”
Xie Shibai was a bit speechless.
Did he have some special ability? Could a gunshot wound heal just by being touched?
Xie Shibai stared at the bandages for a few seconds. His fingers conveniently brushed against the side as he mentioned casually, “It should be time to change the bandages, right? Shall I help you?”
Lu Ciheng paused for a few seconds and gave a light cough. “The doctor said it’ll take a few more days.”
Xie Shibai’s fingertips touched the bandages and he gave an ‘Oh.’
Liar.
Seeing that Xie Shibai no longer intended to help him change the bandages, Lu Ciheng let out a sigh of relief. Although the idea was very tempting, the lie would be exposed the moment the bandages were removed.
Xie Shibai stuffed the medicine into Lu Ciheng’s hand, his lowered eyes filled with thoughtful consideration of how to expose Lu Ciheng’s lie.
The voyage ended, and as the cruise ship was about to dock, the pier was already swarmed with reporters.
Ye Yingpu was in handcuffs, and the moment he stepped off the ship, he was met with a barrage of flashes.
During this time, the public opinion online had fermented far beyond Ye Yingpu’s expectations. With such a high level of attention, no matter how capable Xu Ruixin was, she wouldn’t be able to suppress it, especially since the Xie family had already collapsed.
Despair spread through Ye Yingpu’s heart, along with a thick sense of hatred.
Most of that hatred shifted toward Xu Ruixin.
As one of the parties involved, Xie Shibai and Lu Ciheng’s arrival off the ship was also the center of attention. However, the production team had a way of dealing with it, quietly switching directions and leaving early from another side to avoid any contact with the reporters or the police involved in the transfer.
Under the pressure of public opinion, the police involved in the transfer were very diligent. After a brief handover ceremony, they took the person away.
Xie Shibai sat in the car arranged by the production team, looking down as he sent a message to Chen Qisheng.
Beside him, Lu Ciheng glanced over and leaned in, his nose brushing against Xie Shibai. Like a clingy large dog, he didn’t say anything, simply sticking to the other man for fun.
Xie Shibai calmly reached out and blocked Lu Ciheng’s face. “The camera is filming.”
The chat in the car livestream was boiling.
[Why are you still treating us like outsiders!]
[Is there anything we aren’t allowed to see?]
[Kiss more, kiss more!]
[It’s been so long, why does it feel like Lu-gou has become even clingier?]
[It’s not an illusion. He’s been sticking to Xie-laoshi the whole time, tsk tsk tsk.]
[Xie-laoshi, don’t spoil him so much!]
Lu Ciheng rested his chin in the crook of Xie Shibai’s shoulder and said in a low voice, “It’s not the first time.”
Xie Shibai: “…”
That did make some sense.
Xie Shibai had to deal with Xu Ruixin’s matters, so he ignored Lu Ciheng and focused on the messages from Chen Qisheng.
Lu Ciheng wrapped his arms around Xie Shibai, treating him like a giant ragdoll. He held him with affection, even showing off a bit in front of the camera.
They went to the hotel where they would be staying with the production team’s car.
Considering that Lu Ciheng was still in the recovery period, the production team didn’t turn on the cameras in the room, letting them rest well without any burden.
When they arrived and were moving the luggage, Su Xingran volunteered to help Xie Shibai. He and Li Lechi stood on either side of Xie Shibai, physically isolating Lu Ciheng.
Lu Ciheng, who was only injured and not dead: “?”
Su Xingran ran back and forth. “Xie-laoshi, would you like some water?”
Xie Shibai shook his head. “No, thank you.”
Su Xingran nodded. “Alright. Li Lechi and I will move the luggage for Xie-laoshi. Xie-laoshi, you sit and rest for a bit.”
[LMAO, seizing every opportunity.]
[Taking advantage of Lu-gou’s ‘illness’ to take his ‘life.’]
[What a look on Lu-gou’s face, hahahahaha.]
[I’m betting Lu-gou is going to get hit.]
Lu Ciheng didn’t want anyone else touching Xie Shibai’s things, but he remembered his persona of someone with a waist injury. He stared at Su Xingran’s movements. “I’ll carry it.”
Xie Shibai glanced over and frowned at Lu Ciheng. “Do you not want your waist anymore?”
Lu Ciheng almost forgot his persona again. He gave a light cough. “Thanks for your hard work.”
Xie Shibai watched Lu Ciheng calmly.
Still faking.
Once they entered the hotel room, Lu Ciheng didn’t even hide his jealousy. He seized every chance to pitifully act like a victim. “Xie-laoshi, the wound hurts again.”
Xie Shibai arched an eyebrow, thinking he was truly addicted to faking it. “Why does it hurt again?”
Lu Ciheng sighed. “It’s probably because Xie-laoshi hasn’t kissed me today.”
Xie Shibai gazed at Lu Ciheng. His finger brushed against Lu Ciheng’s abdomen through the clothes, neither too hard nor too light. “It hurts here?”
Lu Ciheng’s Adam’s apple rolled. Having his abdomen lightly brushed by those pale fingers, he immediately had a reaction to the itch. His abs tensed. “A bit lower.”
Xie Shibai was observing very closely, not missing a bit of the excitement in Lu Ciheng’s eyes.
He couldn’t see any pain, but there was plenty of pleasure.
The corners of Xie Shibai’s mouth curled slightly, his cold face looking like a melting glacier. His fingertips pressed against the fabric of the clothes, sliding downward. The fabric creased and made a slight rubbing sound, brushing over him like a feather.
“Like this?”
Lu Ciheng’s breathing grew heavy as his eyes stared directly at Xie Shibai. “Mm, a bit lower.”
Xie Shibai’s eyelashes lowered slightly. His finger hooked into the hem of the shirt as he said, “Your clothes are in the way.”
Lu Ciheng was about to take off his shirt when, in the next second, Xie Shibai’s finger hooked the shirt and brought it to Lu Ciheng’s mouth. His cold eyes looked up slightly as he said in a steady tone, “Bite it.”
Lu Ciheng’s throat rolled, his dark eyes stained with excitement. He felt that Xie Shibai was exceptionally different today. He obediently bit the shirt. At the same time, his arms wrapped around Xie Shibai’s waist, and with a light tug, he pulled him back, causing the two of them to fall onto the sofa.
Xie Shibai’s brow furrowed slightly. With his waist held by the other’s arms, he was straddling Lu Ciheng’s lap, his hands avoiding the area of the injury.
Lu Ciheng’s large palms gripped Xie Shibai’s waist as he stared up at him, the excitement in his eyes not hidden in the slightest.
White bandages were wound around the firm abs. Xie Shibai found them a bit of an eyesore and wanted to remove them to see exactly what the wound on Lu Ciheng’s waist looked like.
Xie Shibai’s pale fingertips hooked into the bandages as he stared at him. “Does it hurt like this?”
Lu Ciheng’s grip tightened a bit more as he held Xie Shibai’s waist, his Adam’s apple rolling.
Xie Shibai’s fingers paused. Looking at the way Lu Ciheng was biting the hem of his shirt, his heart stirred as his finger brushed against the man’s face. “I forgot you can’t speak.”
Lu Ciheng’s abdomen was tense as he bit his shirt. His breathing became scorched. His dark eyes stared at Xie Shibai, filled with obsession. He tilted his face slightly to nuzzle Xie Shibai’s hand, excited and waiting for his master to give him a new reward.
Xie Shibai didn’t let him down for long. His fingertips slid down his skin, touching the white bandages before slowly hooking onto the edge of the black pants.
Lu Ciheng’s body tensed, the excitement in his eyes suddenly flaring up.
Xie Shibai leaned in slightly. “Lu Ciheng.”
The next second, Xie Shibai felt the sensation near his leg, and the hand on his waist was so heavy it felt as if it would leave fingerprints. He had only called his name, yet Lu Ciheng was already this excited.
Liar.
Xie Shibai’s tongue pressed against his cheek. The shadow from his lowered eyelashes made his eyes look inscrutable. He touched the bandages. “Does it still hurt?”
Lu Ciheng paused for a moment, feeling Xie Shibai’s hand shifting, and nodded.
Xie Shibai’s thumb ground against the abs. After feeling the slight tremor of the skin beneath his hand, his mood became cheerful. His desire for control was satisfied in this moment, and the straddling posture also satisfied his craving for skin contact.
Lu Ciheng was stunned for a few seconds before letting out a soft, pitiful sound. “It hurt just now, but it doesn’t hurt as soon as Xie-laoshi touches it.”
He took the initiative to grab Xie Shibai’s hand and nuzzled it, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “So, Xie-laoshi has to keep touching me.”
Xie Shibai wouldn’t let go of this chance to toy with Lu Ciheng.
A bad dog that lied had to be punished.
Xie Shibai was a bit dissatisfied with Lu Ciheng’s extremely pleased look and felt like doing something mischievous.
His pale fingers hooked into Lu Ciheng’s collar, forcing the man to prop up his body and lean toward him. The air between their noses suddenly became ambiguous.
“Why don’t you touch me instead?” Xie Shibai’s eyes flickered with a faint light, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly. His beautiful face looked like an ice flower blooming on a snowy mountain. “Ge-ge.”
Lu Ciheng’s breath suddenly hitched. His fingers gripped the waist tightly, his dark eyes filled with waves of intense excitement and a heart-stopping possessiveness. “Xie-laoshi…”
The breath near his lips was scorched and hot. Xie Shibai narrowed his eyes and, before Lu Ciheng could lean in to kiss him, he pushed the man’s face away with a palm. His tone was unhurried and vague. “Lu Ciheng, why did your wound suddenly stop hurting?”
Lu Ciheng paused for a few seconds. He looked down and realized that Xie Shibai’s knee was pressing exactly against the wound. He had been so stimulated by Xie Shibai calling him ‘Gege’ that he had ignored it, and his persona had collapsed.
Xie Shibai sneered and pushed the man away forcefully, standing up. “Liar. Get lost.”
Lu Ciheng’s tongue poked his cheek. He immediately realized what had happened today. A light smile appeared in his pitch-black eyes. The moment Xie Shibai stood up, he suddenly grabbed his waist and flipped him over, pinning him onto the sofa.
His knees practicedly nudged the legs apart. Lu Ciheng held the man firmly between the sofa and his embrace, one hand across the waist and the other pinching Xie Shibai’s chin.
The veiny hand stood in stark contrast to the pale face. Lu Ciheng forced Xie Shibai to look up. His downward gaze was filled with hidden obsession as his nose touched Xie Shibai’s. “Xie-laoshi, say it one more time.”
Translator’s Note:
- Ge-ge (哥哥): Meaning “older brother.” In romantic contexts, it’s used as a pet name or a form of flirtation. Lu Ciheng has been wanting Xie Shibai to call him this for ages to satisfy his ego as the “protector.”
- Safe Word: Lu Ciheng is teasing Xie Shibai about their previous intimacy where names were off-limits.
- Punishment: Xie Shibai’s “punishment” of calling Lu Ciheng “Gege” backfired because it only made Lu Ciheng more excited and led to his own “defeat” on the sofa.
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