Futile Devices Scans

Elio’s Notes: Fun fact—In Chapter 48, Yanyue Security was mentioned and this company is currently managed by Yan Ye, the gong in “No Such Bird.” Fang Fei and the math teacher, however, are the lead couple in another novel written by the author called 不良人. We initially intended to translate this novel before choosing No Such Bird. I guess maybe once we finish some of our projects, we’ll work on it. ^o^

When Lin Yi woke up that evening, he instinctively reached out to feel beside him, only to find nothing but cold sheets. Zhou Ruo An was gone.

In the silent room, only the faint sound of running water came from the bathroom. Lin Yi frowned slightly, threw on some clothes, and followed the sound toward the bathroom, raising a hand to push open the half-closed door.

Steam filled the bathroom, fogging the mirror. Zhou Ruo An stood quietly in one corner of the cramped space with his head slightly lowered. Warm yellow light filtered through the mist, outlining his slender figure. Even through the heavy steam, the bite marks on his shoulders could not be fully hidden. The swollen red marks were shocking to look at, their edges still tinged with traces of blood.

Lin Yi stood where he was, slowly clenching his fists. Cold air swept in through the doorway, dispersing the drifting steam. He turned around to close the bathroom door, then unbuttoned his clothes and stripped them off.

Stepping into the bathroom and walking behind Zhou Ruo An, he gently pulled him into his arms. “Was doing this really worth it?”

Within the curtain of water, Zhou Ruo An slowly raised his eyes and stared at the cold, hard wall. His voice seemed trapped within the steam before him. “That night, two daggers were stabbed through Zhou Ran Ming’s sleeve cuffs, the vice chairman of Shengkai Trading’s board broke two ribs, and the company’s biggest partner pissed himself on the spot.” His tone was calm and methodical, as if he had already calculated every gain and loss involved.

“I was the one who sent Fang Fei into the mountain villa. I caused the trouble. Tell me, if I walked away completely unharmed, what do you think Zhou Ran Ming and those people would do to me?” A trace of self-mockery entered his voice. “Do you believe that within three months, Zhou Ran Ming would use some fabricated accusation to kick me out of Jinggui Electronics, leaving me with no place to stand in Shengkai ever again?”

“So I actually wanted Zhang Xu Yao to retaliate against me, because only then would Zhou Ran Ming feel balanced inside. I thought at worst I’d just get beaten up. My life’s cheap and rotten anyway. I stopped caring about physical pain a long time ago.”

Water streamed over the dark red finger marks along his collarbone. Zhou Ruo An lowered his eyes to the bite marks on his shoulder, and his body began trembling uncontrollably. “But I never thought he’d go this far.”

Lin Yi gently covered the mottled marks on Zhou Ruo An’s shoulder with his hand, blocking his view of them.

The slow sound of Zhou Ruo An’s voice echoed through the bathroom again. “Tomorrow, go get a clean HIV test report for me, then find someone to spread the story.”

“A test report?”

The voice trapped within the bathroom sounded as though it were being torn from a wound, yet Zhou Ruo An still tried to keep it calm. “The report has to be clean. I only need to prove that those people… did things to me. But I can’t actually have a disease.”

Lin Yi’s brows tightened slightly, disbelief surfacing in his eyes. “For the sake of climbing higher, you don’t even care about your reputation anymore?”

Zhou Ruo An let out a low laugh filled with mockery. “Reputation? Since when did I, Zhou Ruo An, ever have a reputation?”

He hugged himself tighter, curling inward slightly as he said softly, “I’m already this miserable. At the very least, my misery should be worth something, shouldn’t it?”

It felt as though a dull blade were scraping against his heart. Lin Yi pulled Zhou Ruo An tightly into his arms. “An An, you weren’t violated. They only…”

“Only what?” Zhou Ruo An suddenly exploded. He used all his strength to slam Lin Yi against the slippery wall and roared, “They only forced me the same way you do! The only difference is they didn’t get the chance to finish! Lin Yi, you’re no different from those people behind the fake mountain!”

“There is a difference.” Ignoring the pain in his back, Lin Yi pulled him into his arms again, brushing Zhou Ruo An’s wet hair back with his fingers. “An An, you know we’re completely different.”

He kissed Zhou Ruo An lightly on the forehead. “I like you. I’d do anything for you.”

Water from the shower streamed down his face like tears. Zhou Ruo An suddenly leaned forward and kissed Lin Yi, his movements carrying urgency and dependence as he whispered, “Give me one of the pills.”

“You don’t need pills.” Lin Yi kissed him back. “I’ll make you forget those people. Forget everything that happened tonight.”

————

Steam curled upward, and the air carried a faint scent of soap. The cramped bathroom felt stuffy and oppressively hot.

A muscular arm stretched across the space between Zhou Ruo An and the wall. Water droplets rolled down Lin Yi’s Adam’s apple, splashing against Zhou Ruo An’s taut back in tiny ripples.

Lin Yi’s size suited his appearance—frightening and ferocious.

At moments like this, he always spoke in a commanding tone. “Turn around.”

Zhou Ruo An pressed his forehead against the slick wall. A beat later, he slowly turned to look behind him.

He had been taught well. There was little resistance left in him now, only blind obedience. But Lin Yi still found him too slow. Grabbing his chin, he rubbed a thumb across Zhou Ruo An’s lips. “Come kiss me.”

Wet lashes held trembling droplets of water. Zhou Ruo An struggled to press his lips against the man’s. He had always been forced to receive, never to initiate. Even now, he only clumsily pressed against him without knowing what to do next.

Fortunately, Lin Yi was merciful tonight and did not pressure him further. Instead, he pried his lips apart and kissed him deeply.

Their breathing tangled within the damp air. Water cascaded down onto Zhou Ruo An’s face, suffocating him like drowning.

Tilting his head slightly upward, he exposed his long neck without reservation. The kisses slowly moved downward until Lin Yi’s lips settled softly against the bruised and purplish marks on his shoulder.

Zhou Ruo An trembled faintly while gripping Lin Yi’s arm tighter, as if within this chaotic and dark world, Lin Yi was the only thing he had left to rely on.

“Can I bite you?” Lin Yi suddenly asked.

Zhou Ruo An froze, remaining silent.

Lin Yi’s fingers brushed gently across his shoulder, stopping at the existing bite marks. “I’ll cover these up for you.”

His lashes lowered, but Zhou Ruo An still said nothing.

The next second, Lin Yi’s kiss landed with irresistible force. His teeth were sharp, just like the man himself, always capable of driving people to the brink of madness.

The moment deliberate biting touched his skin, Zhou Ruo An suddenly trembled. Weak, muffled whimpers slipped uncontrollably from his throat before he bit down and swallowed them back.

“Don’t be afraid. It’s me.” The force at his shoulder eased slightly as Lin Yi tenderly kissed the spot again.

Gradually, the sensation changed. The relentless assault grew denser, heavier. The feeling became too distinct, even sharp, sending tremors from his skin into the depths of his body. Zhou Ruo An could no longer tell whether this was the lingering terror from before or the waves now rising within his own heart.

He suddenly grabbed Lin Yi’s wrist wrapped around him. “Gentler…”

The arm around his waist abruptly tightened, locking him firmly within Lin Yi’s embrace and effortlessly crushing all resistance.

But the pressure eased just as quickly. Lin Yi’s fingers brushed over Zhou Ruo An’s mottled shoulder hollow as he whispered, “Sorry. I lost control.”

His forehead returned against the wall as Zhou Ruo An said softly, “You said I wouldn’t need pills.”

Lin Yi gently lifted Zhou Ruo An’s chin, his movements tender as if handling a precious treasure. “An An, stay with me.”

That deep and steady voice was like the best medicine. Zhou Ruo An closed his eyes, feeling Lin Yi’s warmth as his body slowly relaxed and lost its stiffness.

“Good boy.”

“Don’t call me that.” Even in the humid and stifling bathroom, the flush spreading across Zhou Ruo An’s face was obvious.

“Alright.”

The instant the words fell, Zhou Ruo An’s hands were suddenly pinned behind his back. His entire body could only fall backward into Lin Yi’s arms. Something tightened around his neck as Lin Yi pressed the crook of his thumb against the soft cartilage of his Adam’s apple and said darkly, “Good boy, did you call that woman ‘darling’ today?”

Some debts needed to be settled.

Warm water sprayed endlessly around them while thick steam spread through the air. Within this tiny bathroom, all the chaos of the outside world was completely shut away…

—————

The next day, Zhou Ruo An found Lin Yi a gaudy floral shirt.

“Put this on. We’re going to put on a show.”

Lin Yi glanced down at it and gave his evaluation. “Ugly.”

“And your bedsheets look good?” Zhou Ruo An teased while chewing candy. “Don’t you love flashy colors and flowers everywhere? This fits your aesthetic perfectly.”

Lin Yi suddenly cornered Zhou Ruo An against the wall, gently cupped his face, and kissed him. His tongue slipped deftly inside, hooking the candy out of Zhou Ruo An’s mouth into his own. As though reluctant to leave the sweetness behind, he lingered there for quite some time before finally pulling away.

Zhou Ruo An was left breathless from the kiss. He cursed under his breath but did not bother arguing much. Lin Yi kissed him endlessly all day long. Zhou Ruo An treated it like being bitten by a dog—what was he supposed to do, bite back?

After putting on his coat, Zhou Ruo An turned toward Lin Yi just before opening the door. “Do you know how to act?”

Lin Yi and Zhou Ruo An had not touched each other for months, and those things in bed had long since stopped as well. Yesterday’s reconciliation had left him physically and mentally satisfied, so he cooperated readily. “Explain the details to me on the way.”

The two left side by side. The narrow old alley was deserted.

“In Zhou Ran Ming’s eyes, I’m just a twenty-two-year-old brat who relies on dirty tricks to fight for opportunities. Whatever achievements I have only exist because Old Master Jin is backing me from behind. So in his mind, I’m not even worth taking seriously.”

It was already late autumn, and mornings and evenings had turned cold. Zhou Ruo An’s hands were long-boned and thin-skinned, unable to tolerate the cold at all. He slowly removed his leather gloves, took out a cigarette, and slipped it lightly between his lips.

“The only reason he uses me is because he thinks I’m easy to control. He likes playing with idiots. Fine. Since that’s what he thinks, I’ll just follow along and put on another performance—‘stupidly’ going after Zhang Xu Yao in retaliation.”

Lin Yi suddenly grabbed Zhou Ruo An’s arm. “You’re still going to provoke Zhang Xu Yao? We can’t afford to mess with him at all. He’ll retaliate even worse.”

“Mm.” Zhou Ruo An brushed away Lin Yi’s hand and kept walking. He removed the cigarette and held it between gloved fingers, his expression cold and resolute. “But I don’t have another choice.”

“Come on. Let’s spread the news first.”

Lin Yi remained silent for a long while before asking, “Who are you planning to use to leak the information?”

Zhou Ruo An continued walking, casually tossing out a name. “Fu Chun Shen.”

“Wasn’t he fired? You think he’s still secretly in contact with Zhou Zhe?”

“We’ll know once we test it. Besides, he already knows I’m not biologically related to the Zhou family. Before, he just lacked the evidence to bring me down. Later, you’ll expose my real identity directly. I want to see how he reacts.”

“Why take such a risk? Aren’t you afraid he’ll secretly record it and use it against you?”

“Of course I’m afraid. So first call Bai Ban and tell him Brother Zhou is treating him to Japanese food.” Zhou Ruo An casually tossed the car keys to Lin Yi, remaining perfectly calm. “There’s nothing especially reckless about this. If he’s still Zhou Zhe’s dog, then we’ll pull out his teeth so he can never bite anyone again.”

Lin Yi got into the car and started the engine. “You want to recruit him?”

“I don’t have that kind of ability.” Zhou Ruo An took out his phone and pulled up Ren Yu’s number. “But someone else does.”

He tapped the call button lightly. The call connected quickly, and Ren Yu’s respectful voice came through the speaker. “Fourth Young Master.”

“Tonight, arrange dinner for Zhu Shan Shan at the revolving sky restaurant. And prepare flowers and gifts for me.”

After hanging up, Zhou Ruo An turned to look at Lin Yi. The man’s expression remained calm as he steadily controlled the steering wheel. Only the faint sound of candy being crushed between his teeth escaped from his tightly shut lips.

Zhou Ruo An looked out the window, weighing gains and losses. Lin Yi was a key part of his plans and not someone he could afford to offend. At least for now, he needed to keep him pleased. So a perfectly measured smile appeared on his face as he explained lightly, “If Fu Chun Shen really has cut ties with Zhou Zhe, then I’ll need someone else to spread the story. Zhu Shan Shan is the best choice.”

Lin Yi remained silent in the driver’s seat.

Zhou Ruo An cursed inwardly, then lightly tugged at Lin Yi’s sleeve. “I left my watch at your place. Tonight… I’ll come pick it up.”

“No need.” Lin Yi turned onto the city’s main road, his eyes passing over a billboard advertising one of Bai Jiu’s companies. “If I don’t contact you, then don’t come looking for me. If there’s something important, use the new number I gave you.”

Zhou Ruo An’s expression tightened immediately. “Lin Yi, what exactly are you planning lately?”

“Worried about me?” Lin Yi stared straight ahead. “Zhou Ruo An, you’re still not qualified to interfere in my business.”

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