As soon as Yan Ye left, Xue Bao Tian called Zhou Yi Ming. After confirming that Yan Ye had not been exaggerating, he learned that the situation at Yanyue had already undergone a dramatic reversal. The previously incompetent young master who could not separate personal matters from business had now transformed into General Manager Yan, quietly accomplishing great things behind the scenes. Meanwhile, those aligned against Sheng Yu’s faction were currently wearing expressions as dark as the bottom of a pot and were in exceptionally foul moods.
After hanging up, Xue Bao Tian relaxed slightly. He spent the entire day half-asleep in bed, and when he finally woke up, he was so bored that he remembered Yan Ye’s demand for three meals a day. Letting out a cold sneer, frost settled over his brows and eyes.
Mushroom hotpot—fresh broth, rich flavor. Even someone as picky as Xue Bao Tian loved the taste. Yan Ye, however, preferred spicy and heavily seasoned food and always found mushrooms too bland. Turning down the flame beneath the gas burner, Xue Bao Tian cursed, “A bastard who doesn’t know how to appreciate the finer things.”
The wooden stairs creaked noisily.
Glancing at the clock, Xue Bao Tian saw that it was about the time Yan Ye usually returned.
There were only two rooms in the stilt house, facing one another directly, door to door. One room had always been empty before, but now both were occupied.
The footsteps stopped outside.
Instead of entering his room, however, the door opposite was opened.
Tapping his fingers lightly on the table, Xue Bao Tian looked out toward the distant mountains veiled in mist.
The broth continued boiling.
Bubbles swelled and burst.
More than ten minutes passed before a knock finally sounded at Xue Bao Tian’s door.
Removing the cigarette from his lips, he gave a noncommittal hum.
The half-closed door was pushed open.
Standing outside was Yan Ye, dressed in a tailored suit.
The evening sunlight had an aged quality to it, warm golden rays wrapping gently around him. The British-cut suit fit flawlessly, elegant and formal. Every stitch emphasized a sense of timeless beauty, making Yan Ye appear even taller and straighter than usual, while adding an air of noble refinement. He looked nothing like the “bastard who can’t appreciate the finer things” Xue Bao Tian had just been cursing.
Lounging carelessly in his chair, Xue Bao Tian asked, “Going out?”
Yan Ye looked at the dining table set up on the terrace and nodded.
“Going out for dinner.”
Suddenly, excited children’s voices erupted from downstairs.
Resting one arm on the railing, Xue Bao Tian lowered his eyes and glanced below.
Luxury car. Man. Children. Even Old Huang from next door.
Pretty damn lively.
The man leaned casually against the car, his back facing the stilt house, only a small portion of his profile visible. Tall, fair, and slender—exactly Yan Ye’s type. Whatever he was saying to the village children had them grinning from ear to ear. He looked approachable enough.
Lifting his chin toward the window, Xue Bao Tian asked, “The phone salesman?”
Yan Ye answered, “Lin Zhi Yi.”
After a pause of several breaths, he added, “He invited me to dinner tonight.”
Holding his cigarette, Xue Bao Tian crooked a finger.
“General Manager Yan said this morning that I don’t need to repay you with my body anymore, but I still owe you something. You set the rule that I have to provide three meals a day. Master Xue here is obedient as hell and follows the rules. Dinner’s already made. Right now, nobody’s stopping me from repaying my debt. Come over here, eat this meal first, then go on your date with the phone salesman.”
Yan Ye stared silently at the bubbling hotpot for a moment.
Then he walked inside.
As he walked, he undid the buttons of his suit jacket, removed it, and draped it over the chair.
Taking the seat opposite Xue Bao Tian, he sent a text message, locked his phone, placed it face-down on the table, and finally spoke.
“I’ll only eat a little.”
Holding a cigarette between his lips, Xue Bao Tian ladled him a bowl of soup.
“Fine. Wouldn’t want to keep him waiting too long.”
Leaning back in his chair, he watched Yan Ye drink the soup.
Steam rose between them.
They sat close enough to touch simply by reaching out.
Yet the distance felt as vast as mountains and oceans.
Suddenly, a lyric surfaced in Xue Bao Tian’s mind.
I never got to taste the sweetness of love, but somehow I tasted its bitterness first.
Fuck.
What a goddamn ridiculous life.
Yan Ye was not particularly refined when eating in private. Finishing the last mouthful of soup directly from the bowl, he set the spoon down.
“I’m going.”
He reached for the suit jacket hanging over the chair.
“Wait.”
Turning his head, Xue Bao Tian exhaled smoke before crushing the cigarette into the ashtray.
His tone sounded casual.
“In the future, I’ll deliver the food to your room.”
Looking directly at Yan Ye, he continued, “You don’t need to come over and eat with me anymore.”
The hand gripping the suit jacket tightened slowly.
In a low voice, Yan Ye asked, “Is this a farewell dinner?”
“Not that dramatic. We can still grab drinks together or sing karaoke sometime. We’re still friends. You helped me this much. If I turned around and acted like we’d never met, it’d make no sense. It’d also damage Master Xue’s reputation.”
Picking up his chopsticks, he placed a slice of mushroom into his mouth and chewed slowly.
“But meals like this? No need anymore. You understand. Master Xue finds it uncomfortable.”
Yan Ye stared at him for a long moment.
He neither agreed nor disagreed.
He simply turned and walked toward the door.
“One more thing.”
Xue Bao Tian placed a piece of porcini mushroom on a small plate to cool and lifted his eyes with a malicious smile.
“Doesn’t it feel weird going on a date wearing clothes I picked out for you?”
“Not really.”
The man’s voice was lower than usual, carrying the faint pressure of suppressed anger.
“You may not feel weird. I do.”
For the first time, cracks appeared in Yan Ye’s calm expression. His eyes darkened as he fixed Xue Bao Tian with a cold stare.
“Xue Bao Tian, we were never a couple, and you were never my ex. I don’t see anything inappropriate about wearing clothes chosen by a straight male friend while meeting the person I currently like.”
Before the last syllable had fully fallen, Xue Bao Tian slammed his chopsticks onto the table.
“Fuck your uncle, Yan Ye! I may not be your ex, and we may not have been a couple, but after I picked out that suit for you, you wore it and slept with me that very night! If there’s nothing inappropriate about that, then by all means wear it when you meet the person you like!”
“I…”
Clearly recalling a certain indescribable scene after Xue Bao Tian’s reminder, Yan Ye’s ears turned red. For once, the young man looked genuinely embarrassed.
“I didn’t think of it that way. I’ll go change.”
Picking his chopsticks back up, Xue Bao Tian placed the now-cold mushroom into his mouth.
“And the shirt.”
“What else?”
For perhaps the first time, Yan Ye lost his temper too.
He tossed the suit aside and began unbuttoning his shirt.
The black patterned dress shirt fell to the floor.
Following Xue Bao Tian’s gaze, he reached for his belt.
A perfectly sculpted physique gradually came into view.
The setting sun slanted through the room, blending warm bronze tones into his skin. Golden proportions. Smooth lines. Strong, powerful muscles balanced by flexibility and explosive force. Combined with the pressure in his lowered gaze, the entire room suddenly felt suffocating.
Looking at the man who was now left with only the bare minimum of clothing, Xue Bao Tian gave a disdainful smile.
“The underwear too. I bought that.”
Yan Ye spent more time naked than clothed in front of Xue Bao Tian and felt no embarrassment whatsoever. Calmly and openly, he stripped completely.
“Anything else?”
He walked slowly toward Xue Bao Tian.
The powerful body grew increasingly imposing with every step.
“How else does Master Xue plan to draw a line between us?”
“You motherf—”
Before Xue Bao Tian could finish his curse, a knock sounded at the door.
The half-open door was pushed inward.
The phone salesman stood frozen in the doorway, completely dumbfounded.
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