"Get out."
"Are you sure?"
"Get back here first."
Qin Sheng scoffed, "Is it that junior?"
Bai Yi gave a vague hum in agreement, stepping onto the plush carpet as he returned to the mirror. The young man reflected in the mirror possessed beautiful features, yet his expression remained cold and distant. Back in the day, he had relied on this aloof facade to ward off many pursuers, and with a huge contrast, successfully captured He Chengxiao, the real unattainable beauty.
He wasn't even thirty yet; how could he be considered old?
He thought for a moment, then undid the buttons of his black shirt, gesturing at his figure. He was very aware of his limitations, maintaining only a thin layer of abs, giving He Chengxiao ample face. And because of his slender frame, his figure wasn't obvious when he put on clothes. A gust of wind would make him look like a frail white flower, arousing pity.
Although...
His gaze gradually shifted downwards, landing on the openwork pattern of the clothing.
They were already an old married couple; wouldn't playing these games again make him seem like he was trying to look young?
"Hello? Hello? Is anyone there? Why aren't you talking? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I was just looking in the mirror."
"..." The other side instinctively felt he didn't have anything good to say, "Are you feeling a sense of crisis?"
"No." Bai Yi was unusually certain, "I'm really damn good-looking."
Qin Sheng: "..."
Qin Sheng: "6."
The person on the other end of the phone suddenly changed, obviously Zhuo Shen was unhappy that they had been chatting for too long: "President Bai, if you want to find someone, I can lend you some manpower."
"No need, I know where he is."
Qin Sheng's voice squeezed in, "President Bai is generous."
Bai Yi slowly buttoned up his shirt: "I have a clear understanding of my own beauty."
Hanging up the phone, he threw himself onto the soft bed, opened an app and ordered two takeout meals—he didn't want anyone else to know that He Chengxiao had abandoned him on their wedding anniversary, taking his little junior to visit his Honored Teacher.
The newly sunned quilt in the air-conditioned room was soft and comfortable, enveloping his entire body. He drifted off until a short ring of the doorbell startled him awake. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he went downstairs to open the door.
"Are you Mr. Bai? Your—roses!"
Bai Yi lowered his eyes to look at the vibrant and passionate roses in the deliveryman's hands. The petals were sprayed with fruity perfume, smelling sweet and warm. The corners of his lips curved into a small smile: "Thank you."
The deliveryman scratched his head: "Then please give me a good review, and I wish you a happy life!"
He carried the large bouquet into the living room, placing it on the dining table, which looked somewhat monotonous with only a lonely plate of noodles.
Anyway, He Chengxiao wouldn't be back anytime soon, so why not learn how to make longevity noodles?
Boiling water near the edge of the pot, stirring evenly with chopsticks...
Bai Yi, as expected, cooked a pot of floury water.
Fortunately, he had experience dealing with food scraps, filtering out the water and poking at the remaining lump of noodles with his chopsticks, he muttered to himself, "Connected from beginning to end, a complete whole, that's quite auspicious too."
-
The clock in the living room pointed to eleven o'clock. Bai Yi stretched lazily, went to the balcony, found a clean bucket, filled it halfway with water, and removed the ribbons and tissue paper from the bouquet, inserting each rose one by one into the bucket.
Ninety-nine roses, filling the bucket to the brim, looking somewhat comical.
Then, he packaged up the wrapping and the candle stubs on the table, thought for a moment, put on a mask, and went out to throw them away. However, in the short time it took to throw out the trash, two figures had already blocked the doorway when he returned.
"President He, is the key in your pocket?"
"I... I'm sorry, it seems like no one's home, I..."
"It's a fingerprint lock." Bai Yi approached slowly, "Assistant Ning?"
Ning Weixin's body stiffened: "Madam."
Bai Yi frowned slightly. Huanya's territory was larger than Chengfang's, and others would flatter him by calling him "President Bai" or "Mr. Bai," but only this little assistant called him "Madam" at every turn.
"Give him to me."
Bai Yi bypassed them, unlocked the door, and took the drunken He Chengxiao from his hand, "It's late, you should go back and rest too, thank you for your hard work today."
Ning Weixin quickly sized up his figure, hesitating, "President He is a bit heavy, let me help you carry him inside."
Bai Yi gave him a light, nonchalant glance, maintaining his posture, bent down and scooped up He Chengxiao's knees, easily princess-carrying him.
He threw the man onto the sofa and, hearing no closing door, turned around to ask, "Anything else?"
Only then did Ning Weixin react, quickly shutting his mouth that had widened in surprise: "Madam is very strong."
"Don't call me Madam." Bai Yi passed by the dining table, casually picked up the small plate of cold noodles, and dumped it into the trash can: "Call me President Bai, your President He is the madam. Oh, and take this out and throw it away."
-
Ning Weixin left in a daze. Bai Yi returned to the sofa, patted He Chengxiao's face: "Aren't you usually very good at pretending to be drunk? Did you really drink too much today?"
He Chengxiao mumbled something and turned over.
When He Chengxiao first started his business, he often went in and out of banquets to build relationships. Sometimes he would get drunk and hide alone in his rented room, sending him a bunch of cat and dog emojis rubbing against things. At first, Bai Yi was secretly delighted to have discovered this unknown side of him until he accidentally saw He Chengxiao covered in alcohol and realized that he had been living in an ivory tower for too long, forgetting the difficulties ordinary people faced when climbing upwards. Afterwards, he couldn't help but use his connections to help him.
Yan Bo Feng was right to be envious. If it weren't for Huanya's support, Chengfang wouldn't have been able to climb so quickly.
He went to the bathroom to wash his hands, then covered his face directly with his wet palms, pinching his nose. His breathing was obstructed, and He Chengxiao finally woke up a little: "Baby?"
Bai Yi held up a finger in front of his eyes: "How many is this?"
He Chengxiao stared at the finger, his pupils darkening, and opened his mouth to bite it, gently licking it.
Bai Yi felt a small jolt of electricity run straight from his skin to his brain. Without the obstruction of his glasses, He Chengxiao's eyes were confused and fiery, like a wolf who had strayed into a flock of sheep, dazzled for a moment, unsure which one to prey on.
Letting him lick for a while, Bai Yi pushed him with his other hand: "Go take a shower."
He Chengxiao obediently climbed up from the sofa, staggering towards the bathroom on the first floor.
Bai Yi rubbed his eyebrows, grabbing him before he turned on the showerhead: "Go upstairs and use the bathtub, be careful not to fall."
He Chengxiao was led upstairs by him, sitting on a small stool in the bathroom, watching him fill the tub with water, sprinkle in bath salts, and adjust the water temperature to a constant level. He consciously took off his clothes and said seriously, "You have to wet yourself before taking a bath."
Bai Yi picked up the showerhead and sprayed him haphazardly, making He Chengxiao's hair stick wetly to his scalp, and his eyes unable to open due to the water droplets.
"Okay, get in."
He Chengxiao fumbled in the air for a moment: "Do you want to shower with me?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I've already showered."
He Chengxiao wiped his face with his palm, opened his eyes, and looked at Bai Yi pitifully: "Really not?"
A little bit tempted, a faint blush rose on Bai Yi's face: "Forget it, I've already showered."
He Chengxiao's eyes drooped, like an abandoned little puppy: "Is that so..."
Before Bai Yi could cave in, He Chengxiao reached out and wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him into his arms. The water on his body instantly soaked Bai Yi's back collar, revealing a triumphant smile: "It's wet, what a shame, let's take a shower together."
...
Bai Yi suddenly regretted changing into that outfit today; otherwise, he wouldn't have to face He Chengxiao's dull gaze with a head full of black lines.
Yes, this guy, he drank alcohol.
And he drank a lot.
The result was that He Chengxiao pointed at his own limp member, his voice trembling as he asked: "Am I...broken?"
Nonsense.
Bai Yi coaxed the man into the bathtub, using a towel to rub a cloud of bubbles on top of his head: "Be good, wash yourself clean, I'll take you to see a doctor tomorrow."
He Chengxiao's brain failed to think, and he nodded with a serious expression.
-
That kind of clothing was never made with good quality, and by the time Bai Yi changed out of it, several holes had been accidentally torn. He regretfully crumpled it up, sealed it in a bag, and threw it into the trash can, wrapping himself in a bathrobe and going downstairs to shower again.
Visible, but untouchable.
Too much torment.
When he came up again, He Chengxiao was sitting naked on a small stool, using the automatic dryer to dry his hair, wiping the water off his body with the black shirt he had changed out of, the incriminating evidence still clutched in his hand.
Seeing him come over, He Chengxiao's eyes lit up: "Baby."
"Hmm?"
"Happy Wedding Anniversary."
Bai Yi paused, glanced at the time. After all this tossing and turning, it was already past midnight. The sourness in his heart was stirred up again by his words, but meeting He Chengxiao's bright eyes, he didn't expose him after all: "Yes, Happy Wedding Anniversary."
-
The next day was the weekend, which was why Bai Yi was willing to give himself to him.
——Although it failed.
He finished washing up and went downstairs. He Chengxiao was cooking porridge, and when he saw him, he avoided his gaze: "You're awake."
"Why did you drink so much yesterday?"
He Chengxiao's neck and ears were all red, obviously he didn't have amnesia: "I saw you used the pot? The housekeeper isn't here, did you make the food yourself?"
Bai Yi sluggishly remembered that he forgot to clean up after cooking the noodles yesterday. He quickly recalled it and, realizing he hadn't left any evidence, nodded generously and without any burden: "Yes, nine dishes and one soup."
He Chengxiao came over and hugged him: "I'm sorry... did I make it in time?"
Bai Yi sniffed the pleasant lavender scent, not answering directly: "Why did you drink so much?"
He Chengxiao muttered softly: "I don't want to say."
Didn't want to say?
What else could it be, other than because of that new assistant. He said yesterday that he was going to fire him, and drank with his advisor all night. He probably can't touch him anymore. Did this Ning Weixin save Professor Mu's life? An old professor from A University, losing face twice for a student's internship.
He had to find someone to investigate his background.
He was unhappy, too lazy to maintain a smile on his face, holding a tablet and sitting on the sofa to deal with messages. After the porridge was ready, He Chengxiao stood behind him and called him: "Baby, are you angry?"
Bai Yi came back to his senses, deleting the somewhat vicious replies on the screen word by word, and putting on a gentle facade again: "We need to investigate Chengde's motives for returning. This doesn't seem like an ordinary move; I suspect Zhang Lao intends to move the headquarters back to China."