A hand in long silk gloves gently caressed Huo Youqing’s cheek. His eyes darted nervously as he struggled to get up, but Dai Yixin’s strength was far superior. With just a firm pull, Huo Youqing was back in his arms.
“Please don’t be afraid of me,” came a muffled voice from under the bridal veil.
At this moment, Huo Youqing was in a pitiful state, kneeling on the bed with the white bridal veil between their faces.
Pale skin, crimson lips painted in stark contrast, high brows and deep eyes—a striking kind of beauty. But Huo Youqing had no mind to appreciate this eerie elegance. After his failed struggle, he understood that he had no chance of resisting. And what would happen if he angered Dai Yixin?
Most likely, it would lead to even worse retaliation.
So, he stopped moving, allowing the other man to hold him as he listened to the request: could he lift the bridal veil?
There was no hint of force in Dai Yixin’s voice, only a gentle, almost humble plea.
It was a strange feeling. He was the one being trapped in someone else’s embrace, yet the one holding him was asking him so cautiously.
Huo Youqing frowned slightly, then slowly raised his hand to lift the veil. As he did so, the long veil brushed across his face uncontrollably.
It carried a faint scent.
Dai Yixin smiled softly under the veil.
That smile only deepened the chill creeping over Huo Youqing. Fearing that his visible discomfort might anger Dai Yixin, he quickly lowered his gaze. But when he sensed Dai Yixin moving closer, he couldn’t help but lift his eyes again.
Before he realized it, Dai Yixin’s lips were dangerously close to his, almost touching. There was no mistaking it: Dai Yixin’s gaze was fixated on his lips.
The last time he had kissed someone, it had been Dai Yuan, and he had been drunk.
But this time, he was fully aware—being stared at by another man, one even taller and stronger than him, made him feel unbearably uncomfortable.
Especially when he noticed the strange flush spreading across Dai Yixin’s cheeks.
For a moment, he wanted to run away again.
This time, the situation was even worse. As soon as he moved a little, someone wrapped him up completely. Dai Yixin coaxed him as if he were a child, with a hint of grievance in his tone, “I won’t kiss you, I won’t. Don’t be afraid of me.”
Even though he said that, Huo Youqing’s cheek was kissed, and sticky lipstick smudged his face. This made Huo Youqing’s face turn even paler. Anyone, no matter how slow-witted, would understand Dai Yixin’s twisted intentions at this point.
He stiffened, forcing himself to endure the kiss with sheer willpower.
Dai Yixin didn’t kiss his lips but kissed his cheek, earlobe, and the side of his neck. Wherever he kissed, a faint red mark appeared, accompanied by the sweet scent of lipstick.
Enduring this was already the limit, but Dai Yixin went even further—
Not only kissing, but he also tried to lick his face.
This utterly disgusted Huo Youqing. He didn’t know where he found the strength, but he pushed Dai Yixin away forcefully, hurried off the bed, and started wiping his cheeks frantically while looking at Dai Yixin with deep revulsion.
Dai Yixin’s amber eyes had lost their clarity, resembling those of a wild beast. Most of the lipstick on his lips had transferred to Huo Youqing’s face, and the remainder, Dai Yixin licked off with his tongue, all the while staring at the red marks on Huo Youqing’s face caused by his kisses.
About ten seconds later, he seemed to realize something and softly said, “Sorry, I couldn’t control myself.”
Huo Youqing didn’t respond. He wiped his face for a long time but still felt disgusted, as if Dai Yixin had licked his entire face and hands.
Although it was clear that Dai Yixin was a hygienic person—when they were close earlier, Huo Youqing hadn’t smelled any unpleasant odors. On the contrary, whether Dai Yixin was speaking or moving, there was always a faint pleasant fragrance around him.
Maybe it was the scent of perfume or hygiene products.
But no matter how clean Dai Yixin was, that didn’t mean Huo Youqing could accept such behavior.
Without any manners, Huo Youqing rushed to Dai Yixin’s bathroom, turned on the faucet, and frantically washed his face, scrubbing so hard it was as if he wanted to peel off his own skin.
Halfway through, another figure appeared in the mirror.
Dai Yixin’s flushed face had faded, and he had changed from the wedding dress into casual home clothes. He watched Huo Youqing’s actions, his eyes under his long lashes becoming dark and brooding.
Huo Youqing scrubbed his face until it was red and painful before stopping. He stood up straight, his face wet, but he didn’t bother wiping off the water. Instead, he stared at the other face in the mirror, just about to say something when the other person beat him to it.
“Sorry,” Dai Yixin said.
Huo Youqing was silent for a moment, then muttered, “It’s fine.”
What else could he say other than “It’s fine”?
Dai Yixin seemed to believe this insincere “It’s fine.” His pale face smiled faintly. He handed Huo Youqing a towel, adding, “It’s a new towel. I haven’t used it.”
Not wanting to strain the relationship further, Huo Youqing took the towel and quickly wiped his face before putting it down on the sink.
He didn’t notice Dai Yixin’s hand hesitating to reach out or the way he stared at the towel for an extra second.
As soon as Huo Youqing walked out of the bathroom, his hand was grabbed again.
“Let go,” Huo Youqing tried to pull his hand away, but Dai Yixin didn’t let go, assuring him he wouldn’t do anything this time.
“You look too tired. I just want you to sleep well.” As if afraid Huo Youqing wouldn’t believe him, he added, “You can tie me up.”
Huo Youqing turned his face away in annoyance but had no choice but to listen to Dai Yixin’s suggestion. However, he refused to change into pajamas and lay on Dai Yixin’s bed in his own clothes. Of course, he also refused to tie up Dai Yixin—he wasn’t a freak.
Dai Yixin closed the curtains with a remote, adjusted the room’s temperature and humidity, lit some aromatherapy, and then left the bedroom. This surprised Huo Youqing, who had been pretending to sleep. He thought Dai Yixin would continue to pester him and stay in the room.
Like sleeping next to him.
After thinking for a moment, Huo Youqing got up, locked the door, and finally felt relieved. He didn’t return to Dai Yixin’s bed but chose to sit on the sofa instead.
He wasn’t sleepy. Anyone would find it hard to fall asleep in such an environment. Sitting with his legs hugged to his chest, his almond-shaped eyes stared blankly at the painting on the wall.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when the door suddenly knocked.
“Mr. Huo.” It was the butler’s voice outside.
Upon hearing the voice, Huo Youqing immediately got up and opened the door. As expected, it was the butler, but he didn’t seem to be there to send him off. On the tray in his hand was a glass of milk. “Mr. Huo, the young master hopes you can sleep well before going home.”
There was an underlying message.
Huo Youqing sarcastically curled his lips but said nothing, taking the milk and drinking it.
After the milk, sleepiness began to take over. By the time Huo Youqing woke up, the sky was completely dark. He glanced at the clock in the room and immediately jumped up—it was already 8 p.m.
He had snuck out this time, so being this late meant he would definitely be caught.
In a panic, Huo Youqing rushed to the door. As soon as he opened it, the figure outside nearly made him scream.
It was Dai Yixin. He had no idea how long he had been standing there.
“Dinner is ready,” Dai Yixin said softly, holding a steaming hot towel in his hand. As he spoke, he helped Huo Youqing wipe his face.
The warmth of the towel soothed Huo Youqing’s nerves.
He quickly backed away, his expression distant, “No need. I’m going home now.”
Dai Yixin paused, putting the towel down. “Alright, I’ll take you home.”
“No need!” Huo Youqing refused too quickly and realized his attitude was too obvious, so he pressed his lips together.
Luckily, Dai Yixin didn’t seem to take offense and instead had the family driver take him home.
—
When Huo Youqing arrived home, his uncle and aunt were sitting in the living room waiting for him. Before he could say anything, his uncle angrily shouted, “Kneel!”
Aunt quickly pulled Uncle back when she saw what was happening. “If you want to talk, just talk. He’s already grown up. Why are you asking him to kneel?”
“He won’t know he’s wrong unless he kneels today!” Uncle’s face showed both pain and anger. “Who told him to go to the Dai Yuan family on his own? What if something had happened there… You’re meddling in adult matters. I think it’s better if you don’t stay here any longer. I’ll book your flight for tomorrow, and you’re going back to China!”
Huo Youqing’s nose tingled, but he shook his head, refusing Uncle’s arrangements. He knelt down on both knees. “Uncle, I can’t go back to China. I want to stay here. I’m already an adult. You’ve always been the ones protecting and taking care of me, but this situation concerns me, and I can’t be so selfish. Besides…” He paused, “I like Dai Yuan. I want to stay where he is.”
He lied.
But he had no choice. He couldn’t possibly tell the truth to Uncle and Aunt.
“I went to the Dai Yuan family today to talk about this. Dai Yuan’s brother said he needed time to process it, but he would try to persuade his father. After all, it was an accident.”
Huo Youqing was too afraid to lift his head, scared his lie would be exposed. It wasn’t until he was embraced that he finally couldn’t hold back the tears in his eyes.
The family cried together. Uncle choked out, “It’s my fault for not being capable as an uncle, forcing you to go and beg for help. Dai Yuan is a good kid, but no matter how much you like him, you can’t give up your life for him. You still need to return to China to study.”
Huo Youqing felt sorrow in his heart but forced a smile. “Studying here is the same as studying there. Uncle, I want to study business—it’s Dai Yuan’s favorite major.”
To cover up one lie, he had to tell a hundred more.
He had thought about whether to lie and say he liked Dai Yixin, but that was a lie that wouldn’t hold. Uncle and Aunt knew that his relationship with Dai Yixin was just average. He always went on trips with Dai Yuan, not Dai Yixin.
Besides, if he claimed to be in a relationship with Dai Yixin, Uncle would easily figure out the truth.
Uncle and Aunt would never allow him to sacrifice himself for the peace of a family.
So, he could only lie and say he liked Dai Yuan. After all, someone like Dai Yixin, who loved to steal things from others, would soon grow bored of him. By then, he could tell Uncle and Aunt that he had moved on from a broken heart, and then he could return to China.
“Uncle, I won’t go back to China to handle the paperwork,” Huo Youqing said, feeling dirty and unworthy of facing his friends back home. “You can help me take care of it.”
He took the phone from Uncle, replied to some messages, and then turned the phone off, never turning it on again.
He never expected Gong Lang would come all the way to another country to find him.
The day he saw Gong Lang, Huo Youqing was sitting in Dai Yixin’s car. The car was parked two streets away from his house. Huo Youqing didn’t want his family to see Dai Yixin or to know he had just gotten out of Dai Yixin’s car before going home.
While being kissed, he accidentally caught sight of a pedestrian outside. He recognized the person instantly, his fingers tightening.
The person beside him took a sharp breath, but he couldn’t focus on that anymore.
Gong Lang was dragging a suitcase, trying to find his way. There weren’t many people on this street, and his English wasn’t good. After struggling to ask for directions, the people either waved him off or spoke in languages he couldn’t understand.
Frustrated to the point of wanting to throw his suitcase on the ground, he suddenly spotted a car across the street that hadn’t turned off its engine. After some hesitation, he walked over, thinking that whoever was driving must know the area.
It was a luxury car, with windows specially tinted so only the inside could see out. Gong Lang knocked on the window, but no one responded, though he thought he saw the car shift slightly.
He knocked again. This time, there was no sound or movement, but he was sure someone was inside, so he pressed his face closer to the window.
Inside, Huo Youqing’s fingertips were about to tear the skin of his palms. His childhood friend’s face was so close that he feared he could see the absurd scene inside the car.
At that moment, the hand he had clenched tightly was pried open. The tall, elegant youth beside him released his ankle and bowed his head, gently licking the palm of Huo Youqing’s hand, carefully kissing the red marks he had caused.
Outside, Gong Lang’s eyes widened.
“Youqing?” he muttered, reaching for the car door.
The door opened.
