Futile Devices Scans

When Yan Ye finally came back to his senses, it was because a damp hand towel soaked with water had been thrown at him. Pulling the cold wet cloth off the side of his face, he panted heavily and buried himself into Xue Bao Tian’s shoulder.

“Awake now?” Xue Bao Tian wiped the moisture from his lips. Using one hand, he fastened the buttons of the shirt that had been roughly pulled open. His fingertip accidentally brushed against something, making him hiss before immediately cursing, “Fuck. If you like biting so much, I’ll buy you two pounds of pork tomorrow and let you chew all you want. If you ever use your teeth again, I’ll personally help you enter old age ahead of schedule.”

After taking a moment to recover, Yan Ye straightened up and silently helped Xue Bao Tian tidy his clothes. His gaze couldn’t help slipping beneath the collar. His fingers curled, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and the fire he had barely suppressed threatened to flare up again.

The man buried himself against Xue Bao Tian’s shoulder once more, arms tightening as he struggled to restrain himself. The warm breath against his neck made Xue Bao Tian flinch slightly. Looking at Yan Ye’s miserable state, he suddenly laughed. “Am I really that charming, Master Xue?” He pulled open his own shirt and glanced downward. “Well, fuck, I do look pretty good.”

Xue Bao Tian possessed very little sympathy. He shoved the ostrich-like Yan Ye away and jumped down from the sink. “Pathetic. How are you supposed to accomplish anything big with that little self-control?”

After straightening his clothes, he headed for the door. Yet he didn’t hear footsteps following him. Turning around, he found Yan Ye cleaning up the restroom. The water droplets that had splashed everywhere when Xue Bao Tian threw the wet towel had already been wiped away. The sink and floor looked spotless again.

When Yan Ye finally walked over, Xue Bao Tian clicked his tongue. “What a mother hen.” Still, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a breath mint, and tossed it over. Lowering his eyelids, he turned around and crooked a finger. “Let’s go.”

When Yan Ye slipped half the mint into Xue Bao Tian’s mouth, the latter was staring at the snowfall filling the sky.

“Still no driver accepting the request?”

As he hooked the half mint away with his tongue, he accidentally brushed Yan Ye’s finger. Rubbing his fingertips together, Yan Ye hummed. “Let’s walk. It’s not far.”

The sky was dark and boundless, making the snowflakes seem even whiter and lighter. Unlike the harsh blizzards of previous days, tonight’s snow felt like poetry written across the heavens, drifting gently and endlessly, speaking only of tenderness and longing.

“Let’s go.” Having grown tired of waiting, Xue Bao Tian wrapped his coat tighter around himself, stepped off the curb, and plunged straight into the endless fresh snow.

The club really wasn’t far from Yan Ye’s apartment. Two intersections and a shortcut through a small park. It was already well past midnight. Few people remained outside. Beyond the commercial streets, the streetlights grew dim. Only the park’s main path remained lit by pale yellow lamps. Snow drifted through the beams of light, looking strangely warm and gentle despite the cold.

The wind stirred his drunkenness again. Xue Bao Tian crushed the remaining half mint between his teeth and swallowed it before pulling out a cigarette.

Finding a sheltered spot, he brushed the fresh snow off a bench and sat down. Instead of lighting the cigarette immediately, he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “Let me sit for a bit.”

“Feeling bad?” Yan Ye bent down to look at him.

“That drink was too strong. And I drank it too fast. My head’s spinning now and my legs feel weak.”

“Then sit for a bit.” Yan Ye pulled him up, sat down on the bench himself, then patted his thigh. “The bench is cold. Sit here.”

“Fuck off.” With the cigarette still hanging from his lips, Xue Bao Tian brushed snow off the seat beside him and deliberately sat as far away from Yan Ye as possible.

Yan Ye was long accustomed to being rejected by him and didn’t mind. He plucked the cigarette from Xue Bao Tian’s lips and took the lighter from his hand. Under Xue Bao Tian’s astonished stare, he lit it himself.

Yan Ye possessed a rugged, handsome face. When he wasn’t smiling, he radiated a sharp masculine aura. Combined with the cigarette, that aura became strangely lingering and evocative. Snow fell around him as he bit down on the filter. The metal lighter spun smoothly between his fingers. With a flick of his wrist, the lid snapped open. The tungsten filament glowed softly. He leaned forward and took a drag before closing the lighter and removing the cigarette. The smoke he exhaled mingled with the yellow glow of the streetlights, creating a scene straight out of an old Hong Kong film—one frame enough to stay in memory forever.

“Cough, cough, cough—” Several miserable coughs shattered the cinematic atmosphere and dragged Xue Bao Tian back to reality. “If you can’t even smoke, why steal my cigarette? Stop pretending when you’re still wearing open-crotch pants.”

Yan Ye held the cigarette out toward him. “I learned how to smoke from you. Master Xue looks sexy when he smokes.”

Yan Ye knew exactly how to handle people. The compliment instantly robbed Xue Bao Tian of his temper. Ignoring the dampness left on the filter, he reached out to take it back. Yan Ye dodged him. With his free hand, he wrapped his fingers around Xue Bao Tian’s cold fingertips. “Keep your hands in your pockets. I’ll hold it for you.”

Xue Bao Tian looked at the cigarette, then at Yan Ye, wearing the expression of someone who had encountered a complete idiot. “Could you do me a favor tomorrow and eat all my meals too?” He snatched back the cigarette and stuck it into his mouth. “Yan Ye, I’ve figured it out. You’re basically central heating. As long as a guy’s even remotely decent-looking, you go running over there and start humiliating yourself.”

Then he reflected for a moment. “Actually, can’t blame you. I’m the same whenever I see a pretty girl. Men are men. I get it.”

“Who am I central heating for?” Yan Ye asked. Then realization dawned. “Brother Tong?”

Xue Bao Tian nudged him with his knee, eyes gleaming with gossip. “You into that type? Going downstairs to pick him up, helping him hang his coat.” He thought back for a moment. “You even called him simple and pure.”

Removing the cigarette, Xue Bao Tian leaned closer and whispered like a conspirator. “So our General Manager Yan started playing high-level games at such a young age? Exciting?”

They were close enough that Yan Ye could see a six-pointed snowflake land on Xue Bao Tian’s lips. It instantly melted into a tiny droplet of water. Before the warmth of his lips could dissolve it completely, Yan Ye leaned over and kissed it away.

“Master Xue, stop talking nonsense.” Yan Ye rarely contradicted him. Whether right or wrong, he usually accepted everything Xue Bao Tian said. Yet this time he refused. His voice remained calm and measured, but every word landed with certainty. “My games are indeed high-level. But Tong Yan has nothing to do with them.”

“Fuck.” Xue Bao Tian covered his lips and cursed. “If you want to talk, then talk. Why are you treating a teddy bear like family?”

Yan Ye held the back of his head and gently kissed him again. “I don’t like Tong Yan. And I never courted him.”

Xue Bao Tian’s lips were soft. Far too kissable. Yan Ye couldn’t resist pressing another kiss there. “I once took an injured Tong Yan home. Sheng Yu thought I liked him, so he chased Tong Yan first.” Seeing the gleam of gossip flare up in Xue Bao Tian’s eyes, Yan Ye sighed helplessly and kissed him again. “Sheng Yu ordering me downstairs to pick him up, making me hang his coat—it was all meant to humiliate me. And I was happy to let him find satisfaction in that. Let him think he’s crushing me. Let him underestimate me.”

“You want him to underestimate his enemy?”

“When people become too inflated, they make mistakes. I don’t want Sheng Yu treating me like an enemy. If he fears me, he’ll be cautious and careful and never make any mistakes.”

Another kiss landed. “So, Two Hundred, you’re the only person I’ve ever humiliated myself for. And so far, the only person I want to humiliate myself for.” Yan Ye’s hand slid from Xue Bao Tian’s jaw to his throat. His thumb brushed over his Adam’s apple as he deepened the kiss. “In the future, I won’t do those things for Tong Yan anymore. I don’t want you unhappy.”

Suddenly, fingers grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked backward. Yan Ye was forced away from Xue Bao Tian’s lips.

“You’re thinking too much, General Manager Yan.” Xue Bao Tian released his hair and shoved him away. “If stupidity ever becomes fashionable, you’ll have admirers lining up around the block.”

His reddened lips reclaimed the cigarette. Moist eyes glanced sideways. “Why did you deliberately expose your sexuality to Sheng Yu?”

“Because I can’t hide it forever. My stepmother already knows some of it. I might as well make it official and let them become even more complacent. The less wary they are, the better my chances.”

Xue Bao Tian exhaled a stream of smoke and laughed. “That’s pretty damn underhanded, Brother Chi.”

Yan Ye laughed as well. “It is.”

Resting an arm along the back of the bench, Xue Bao Tian looked at him seriously. “You’ve hidden yourself this deeply because you’re waiting for the right moment to seize power. But now I’m standing beside you, which means more variables. Today I even publicly declared I’d help you take power once I recover my family’s assets. Sheng Yu’s definitely going to be more cautious around you now. I’ve disrupted your plans.”

Yan Ye brushed the snow from Xue Bao Tian’s hair. “Master Xue, there are plans for staying curled up, and there are strategies for stretching your limbs. Maybe the road we’re on now is actually faster. Besides, I was getting tired of staying curled up. Thanks for giving me room to straighten my back.”

“Fuck.” Xue Bao Tian laughed. Removing the cigarette from his lips, tiny sparks of light flickered in his eyes. “Yan Ye, most of the time you’re a complete bastard. But every now and then, you’re actually kind of likable.”

The smile on Xue Bao Tian’s face was unusually bright. Yan Ye felt his chest grow warm. Unable to resist, he leaned in for another kiss. This time Xue Bao Tian turned his head away. Lowering his eyes, he spoke slowly. “Yan Ye, your future boyfriend is going to be very happy.”

Beyond the bench stretched darkness. It was impossible to tell whether it was a plaza or a distant lake. Staring into the void, cigarette hanging from his lips, Xue Bao Tian said, “Yan Ye, I really want us to be friends. Once my family’s problems are solved, and once you find someone you truly like… can we go back to being friends?”

With both elbows resting on his knees, Yan Ye rubbed his hands together slowly. After a long silence, he asked an entirely different question. “Why do you want me as a friend?”

The cigarette ember glowed red in the darkness as Xue Bao Tian rolled it between his fingers. “You’ve been good to me. Ever since my mom died, nobody’s treated me this well. And you put up with my awful temper. Honestly, that’s not easy.”

“Can we?” He looked into Yan Ye’s eyes. “After you find someone you like, let’s just be brothers.”

Yan Ye was silent for a while before asking, “Still dizzy?”

Xue Bao Tian froze. “A little.”

Yan Ye stood and crouched in front of him. “I’ll carry you home.”

Xue Bao Tian was about to refuse when he saw the heavy seriousness in Yan Ye’s gaze. “We’re not brothers yet.”

To be honest, when Yan Ye stopped smiling, Xue Bao Tian found him a little intimidating. After hesitating, he extinguished the cigarette, steeled himself, and climbed onto the broad back.

Xue Bao Tian was nearly six feet tall. Thin, but still the weight of a grown man. Yet Yan Ye lifted him effortlessly. One hand supported him from behind while the other gently pressed his head against his shoulder. “You’ll be more comfortable like this.”

At first, Xue Bao Tian’s body remained stiff. Gradually, he relaxed. Eventually, he went completely limp, draped bonelessly across Yan Ye’s back. Only then did he sigh sincerely. “Fuck. This is comfortable.”

The snow continued falling soundlessly. Yan Ye walked steadily through it, leaving only a single set of footprints behind. Resting on his shoulder, Xue Bao Tian could see the snow accumulating at Yan Ye’s temples. The hair there was cropped short. Warm from body heat, the snowflakes rarely lasted long before melting. Occasionally one stubborn flake survived a little longer. Unable to tolerate exceptions, Xue Bao Tian impulsively leaned down and melted it with his lips.

“Master Xue sneaking kisses now?” Yan Ye finally broke the silence, laughter evident in his voice.

Slightly embarrassed, Xue Bao Tian immediately fought back. “When Master Xue wants to kiss someone, there’s no sneaking involved.” Tightening his arms around Yan Ye’s neck, he planted a fierce kiss against his temple. “When Master Xue was bullying men and women alike, you were still a wandering little tadpole.”

The broad shoulders beneath him shook with laughter. “Then carry me properly.”

Suddenly, something occurred to him, and his voice softened. “The last person who carried me like this was my dad. Back then, riding on his back felt like the safest place in the world. But now he’s lying in a hospital bed with barely anything left but bones.”

“We’ll find Wei Hua,” Yan Ye said steadily. “And we’ll make him pay.”

“Pay?” Xue Bao Tian laughed bitterly. “Even if we catch Wei Hua, my dad’s never getting his health back.” His voice drifted through the snowy night, stripped of its usual sharp edges. “Sometimes I think about what life would’ve been like if my dad had never donated a kidney to Ruixiang’s old chairman. If he’d never accepted that final gift. I miss that old street. Those chaotic days. My mom was still alive. My dad could still beat me. My sister spent every day secretly staring at the guy next door, while he never gave her so much as a smile.”

The snow fell softly. Yan Ye’s boots crunched through it.

After finally tearing himself free from the memories, Xue Bao Tian fell silent for a while before muttering irritably, “Fuck. That was sentimental as hell. Why am I even telling you this?”

Yan Ye adjusted him higher on his back. His sideways glance was gentle and clear. “Two Hundred, you once said life is hard enough already and nobody should be melodramatic. But sometimes I also want someone to talk to about the past. To tell them about the bitterness I’ve carried. There’s nobody else around me. Can I tell you?”

“Me?” Xue Bao Tian turned his face away, pretending reluctance. “Since you lent me money, Master Xue will reluctantly listen.”

Yan Ye’s voice became impossibly soft. “Then Master Xue can be sentimental with me too.”

Warm breath brushed against his ear. Yan Ye waited a long time. Eventually, he received only a low, hoarse, soft curse.

“Fuck.”

The snowfall gradually weakened. The edge of the park was already close. Looking at the distant lights between the buildings, Yan Ye suddenly spoke.

“Okay. I agree.”

“Huh? Agree to what?”

“In the future, we’ll be brothers.”

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