He was just about to pull out that all-purpose line.
Lan Xi abruptly hung up again, leaving the two brothers on the other end alarmed and wondering how much Fu Hui had just heard.
Fu Hui had only just entered the room. He did not even need to ask to know who Lan Xi had been talking to.
After all, there were only those two people he knew.
Fu Hui slowly approached without saying a word.
Seeing this, Lan Xi immediately wanted to say, I wasn’t calling Wen Yue. But that would make him look far too guilty. Unacceptable.
So Lan Xi invented a benevolent lie. “I told Wen Yue not to come looking for me anymore.”
“Really?” Fu Hui looked at him with amusement.
Lan Xi did not even blush. “Mm-hm.”
Fu Hui said softly, “Perfect. Then just delete him.”
“Delete what?”
“WeChat, his phone number—delete every way you have of contacting him.”
“…”
Lan Xi could not help lowering his head and seriously considering the possibility of letting Fu Hui go out and find other people.
No. No way! That would really make me want to strangle Fu Hui!
Lan Xi pouted. “Fine. Delete him.”
It was not as though he could not add Wen Yue back later, just like Fang Nianqing.
Fu Hui nodded. “You delete him.”
Lan Xi lit up the phone screen and opened Wen Yue’s chat. Ah, I forgot to delete the location-sharing record!
Lan Xi quietly looked back at Fu Hui.
Fu Hui said nothing.
Lan Xi deleted Wen Yue.
Fu Hui suddenly asked, “What are all these contact names?” Before Lan Xi could answer, he realized it himself. “Was this how you avoided Wen Yue’s searches before?”
Lan Xi said, “Mm.”
Unlike Wen Yue, Fu Hui had never carefully inspected Lan Xi’s phone.
His gaze remained on the screen as he smiled. “Pretty clever. Mm, you changed all of them into people selling food.” His interest was piqued. “Then what do I sell?”
As he spoke, he abruptly leaned closer until he was pressed against Lan Xi.
[Malatang Seller] immediately came into view.
Fu Hui did not think it was particularly good or bad. He was only puzzled. “Why malatang?”
Lan Xi really did have his own logic behind the name. He gave Fu Hui a sidelong glare. “One bite and it’s spicy. And such a hassle.”
It matched the complaints about Fu Hui in his diary perfectly.
Difficult. Annoying.
Fu Hui certainly did not regret how he had behaved before. They had only known each other for a few days then, and his attitude toward Lan Xi really had consisted mostly of cold scrutiny.
But watching Lan Xi seriously explain his reasoning now, Fu Hui found him unbearably cute.
Fu Hui wrapped an arm around Lan Xi’s back and easily lifted him.
Lan Xi had not forgotten why he had called Fu Hui back in the first place. He agonized for a moment: should he eat first, or eat first?
Before he could settle the dilemma, Fu Hui tossed him onto the bed and asked with a smile, “Does it dig into you?”
Lan Xi rolled over and discovered that the blanket really had been sewn with lots of gemstones.
It was not quite the same as sleeping directly on gemstones the way he had imagined, but Lan Xi already loved it.
“Doesn’t dig in,” Lan Xi insisted stubbornly.
Fu Hui ignored him and nodded. “Good. You can sleep here by yourself tonight.”
Lan Xi: ?
There had never been any need for Wen Lan to teach him how to accuse people. Lan Xi was naturally gifted at it. He immediately asked Fu Hui unhappily, “Don’t you like me anymore?”
Having to answer the same thing again and again was honestly childish. What kind of elementary-school romance was this?
Lan Xi sat up and glared at him. “Then why are you still locking me up? Let me out. Let other people like me.”
“…”
Fu Hui pushed him back down. “Fine, fine. We’ll sleep together.”
Only then was Lan Xi satisfied.
That night, he even had the bodyguards bring food to the bedside. He wanted to lie on the gemstones while he ate.
Fu Hui could barely stand it. “What if you drop food on the blanket? When you fall asleep, mice will come looking for it and crawl inside…”
Lan Xi immediately assigned him a job. “Then you’re responsible for killing the mice.”
“…”
Lan Xi loved his gemstone blanket so much that from the moment he sat on it until the following morning, he could not bear to leave.
When Fu Hui woke the next day, the gemstones had pressed marks into his body. Lan Xi, utterly heartless, was still tugging at his shirt and refusing to let him put it on.
What? Did Lan Xi want him to run around naked too?
“Fu Hui…” Lan Xi lay across his chest and carefully felt along the gaps between his shoulder blades. “Where are your wings?”
“What?” Fu Hui caught his hands to stop him from moving around.
“I want to see your wings.” This time, Lan Xi chose to say it directly without the slightest attempt at subtlety.
Fu Hui had already locked him up. What was wrong with letting him see his wings?
“Wings?” Fu Hui repeated uncertainly.
“Mm-hm.”
Fu Hui’s heart sank slightly.
He thought of the word “Heaven” written in Lan Xi’s diary. Why had Lan Xi used that word…? Now it felt as though Fu Hui had finally glimpsed one corner of the iceberg.
“Show me.” Lan Xi patted him impatiently.
Fu Hui watched his reaction. “Lan Xi, I don’t have wings.”
Lan Xi froze. Then his expression became fierce. “You’re trying to lie to me? You don’t want to show me? Do you…”
…not like me anymore?
Fu Hui interrupted him. Meeting Lan Xi’s gaze, he repeated with unusual seriousness, “Lan Xi, I don’t have wings.”
Lan Xi looked genuinely furious, his chest rising and falling continuously.
If his notebook had been nearby, he probably would have written: Fu Hui was especially bad today.
Fu Hui’s heart skipped a beat. He tightly gripped Lan Xi’s wrist and asked in a low voice, “Lan Xi, why do you think I must have wings?”
Lan Xi threw off his hand. “Are you messing with me?”
“Have I ever lied to you?” Fu Hui paused, realized that did not sound especially convincing, and added, “Lan Xi, at most I tell you half and keep half to myself. But I haven’t lied to you.”
Fine. Fu Hui really did follow through on what he said.
Lan Xi pressed his lips tightly together and thought of an explanation. “Were you injured in battle? But you’re so powerful. How could you get hurt?”
Battle. Heaven. Wings…?
Fu Hui’s heart sank further, though nothing showed on his face. He tentatively asked, “In your eyes, I’m… an angel?”
Lan Xi rolled his eyes irritably. “What else would you be? A demon?”
After saying that, he stared at Fu Hui again.
Sometimes Fu Hui really does act like a demon…
But there isn’t any trace of Hell’s aura on him.
Fu Hui lightly pinched Lan Xi’s chin until they were almost face-to-face. “Then what are you?”
Lan Xi answered vaguely, “I’m obviously an angel too.”
That means Lan Xi doesn’t actually think he’s an angel. He thinks he himself is a demon?
But he thinks I’m an angel?
Fu Hui pressed his tongue firmly against his teeth, unable for a moment to describe the shock inside him.
“Lan Xi…” he called softly, then lowered his head and kissed him.
Lan Xi: ?
We were talking properly. What are you doing?
Lan Xi angrily pushed Fu Hui away. “So what happened to your wings?”
Rationally, Fu Hui felt that telling Lan Xi there were no angels, no demons, and no Heaven in this world… was not a good approach right now.
Perhaps Lan Xi had constructed this fantasy because some part of him needed a figure like an “angel” to protect him?
But Fu Hui did not want to lie to him either, so he simply remained silent.
Lan Xi continued guessing. “You weren’t injured in battle? Then what happened? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Lan Xi looked horrified. “You don’t have even one wing left?”
Lan Xi fell into thought as well.
How could that happen?
Is Fu Hui ashamed?
But the golden aura around him was clearly still extremely dense, which meant he was still very powerful. And he genuinely was powerful. So many people feared him. Wen Yue and the others feared him, Luo Jin feared him, even Luo Jin’s father feared him…
Can he be this powerful even without wings?
Then how does he fly when there’s a battle?
Lan Xi was completely bewildered.
Fu Hui caught sight of his expression and could not help pulling him tightly into his arms again.
So really, how could he possibly let Lan Xi go?
Over the next few days, Lan Xi seemed to sink completely into thought.
He even lost some interest in eating and naturally stopped insisting on leaning against the gemstone blanket while snacking.
He also refused to let Fu Hui come near him and spent every day staring at his diary in deep thought.
During this period, Fu Hui called the doctor.
The doctor was very surprised. He advised Fu Hui to observe Lan Xi closely for now and said Fu Hui had done the right thing by not following Lan Xi deeper into the belief, since doing so could reinforce the patient’s delusions.
Hearing the word “patient” made something inside Fu Hui feel as though it had been pinched.
He did not like that word.
…
Lan Xi zoned out for another long stretch of time. When he finally came back to himself, he discovered that he had pinched a piece off the edge of his notebook.
He sighed, deeply worried and even… a little afraid.
Ever since arriving here, whether Wen Yue and Wen Ming had behaved unreasonably or Fu Hui had suddenly turned on him, Lan Xi had only ever felt anger, never fear…
What am I afraid of?
He had realized that ever since coming here, he had never once seen an angel reveal their wings.
Not once!
Low-ranking angels inevitably needed wings to help themselves!
And higher-ranking angels should be even more willing to reveal their wings to display their power and authority!
Why is “Heaven” like this?
“Lan Xi.” Fu Hui once again approached from behind.
Lan Xi instantly snapped his notebook shut, then covered his ears with both hands to show that he did not want to hear Fu Hui speak.
But this time Fu Hui did not continue indulging him.
Lan Xi once again felt that strange tingling sensation sweep suddenly through his body, and he fell limply backward.
Fu Hui caught him from behind.
Lan Xi glared furiously at him.
Pretending not to notice, Fu Hui carried him to the bed and then had a bodyguard bring in food.
Because Lan Xi had once again lost control of his limbs, his attention was forcibly redirected to the food.
Lan Xi snapped, “How am I supposed to eat like this?”
“I’ll eat. You watch.”
Lan Xi was furious.
Then his chest suddenly felt cold as his shirt was removed.
The air-conditioning had been turned very low. This was Fu Hui’s latest method for curing Lan Xi of his habit of running around naked.
Before Lan Xi could process what was happening, he discovered that Fu Hui had squeezed cream onto his chest.
Lan Xi stuck out his tongue.
Couldn’t reach it! He was angry. Furious.
Instead, Fu Hui lowered his head, gently kissed his chest, and swept away some of the cream with his tongue.
Cold, hot, and ticklish all at once.
Lan Xi shivered lightly, and every bit of his tortured contemplation about “Heaven” flew straight out of his head.
…
Lan Xi felt as though both his legs and hands had cramped, but he still could not run away.
…………
…He drifted hazily through endless waves, as though he were about to drown only to be pulled back out the next moment.
I want cream cake too… so annoying… Fu Hui is so annoying… I want to eat. I want it. I’m going to strangle Fu Hui!!!
…
Damn Fu Hui. He’s still ridiculously strong even without wings…
…
Lan Xi’s habit of insisting on eating while lying on the gemstone blanket was completely cured.
He also gave up the diligent spirit of investigation that had kept him staring at his diary in deep thought.
The next day, he went downstairs to eat and angrily devoured five enormous bowls.
“You’re not allowed to eat,” Lan Xi said coldly to Fu Hui.
Fu Hui obediently nodded.
“You have to watch me eat!” Lan Xi chewed viciously.
Fu Hui remained obedient. “Fine.”
But Lan Xi was still dissatisfied. He picked up a piece of braised beef brisket with his chopsticks. The brisket had been stewed until soft and tender, and its rich meaty aroma instantly filled the air.
Lan Xi waved it in front of Fu Hui. “Smells good?”
Fu Hui understood what he wanted.
“It smells good. Very fragrant.” Fu Hui paused. “I really want to eat it.”
“I’m not giving you any.” Lan Xi stood beside him and looked down at him coldly.
Fu Hui looked into Lan Xi’s eyes.
They really were beautiful… excessively beautiful, to the point of possessing an almost inhuman quality.
Fu Hui froze briefly. When he came back to himself, he saw that Lan Xi’s brows were still furrowed.
Clearly, he still was not satisfied.
Fu Hui cooperatively said, “But I really do want some. Could you allow me one bite?”
Lan Xi pressed his lips together in a delighted smile. “Not even one bite.”
Fu Hui raised a hand and covered his face, propping his elbow on the dining table.
Lan Xi could not help asking, “What are you doing?”
Fuck, he’s so unbearably cute…
Fu Hui said, “I’m sad.”
Really?
But Lan Xi refused to let him keep his head lowered. Domineeringly, he ordered, “Raise your head. You have to watch me eat.”
Just as Fu Hui had made him do the day before.
Fu Hui sighed lightly and cooperatively raised his head again.
His expression was dark, the muscles of his face tense enough to create the illusion that he was in a bad mood.
Lan Xi’s appetite immediately soared.
Lan Xi ate wildly.
Fu Hui badly wanted to tell him to stop, but it took enormous effort to hold himself back. Instead, he first had someone bring Lan Xi a sheet of digestive tablets.
Lan Xi rubbed his round, bulging stomach and walked over to Fu Hui. Naturally, he had no intention of letting him off. “You’re not allowed to eat until tomorrow.”
The bodyguard beside them looked as though he wanted to say something.
But Fu Hui’s tolerance at the moment was frighteningly high. He first let out a long sigh, then said, “Fine.”
Lan Xi felt as though something was still missing and frowned.
Then he heard Fu Hui say, “Well, I’m the one who locked you up.”
That was the sound of regret and self-reflection.
Now nothing was missing.
Demons loved hearing that sound!
Once Lan Xi had eaten his fill, he prepared to lie down and watch a movie.
Fu Hui caught him. “I’ll teach you how to play a game.”
“A game? What kind?” Lan Xi tilted his head.
“You’ll understand once I teach you.” Fu Hui brought him to the computer and introduced him to a PC game called Angels vs. Devils.
Lan Xi was immediately extremely interested.
Fu Hui sat behind Lan Xi with his legs relaxed, his posture almost enclosing Lan Xi within him.
He reached out and rubbed Lan Xi’s stomach. “Tell me if you feel uncomfortable.”
Only now did Lan Xi actually feel overstuffed, but he stubbornly insisted, “Very comfortable!”
Fu Hui did not say anything and continued teaching him the controls.
“Players can choose to play as angels or demons. You gain human faith through battle and ultimately become ruler of the world. Which side do you choose?”
Lan Xi blurted, “Demon!”
After answering, he could not resist glancing at Fu Hui.
Fu Hui did not suspect anything.
Lan Xi learned extremely quickly. Before long, he had mastered the character’s various abilities. He was delighted, muttering, “You can even do that?” while beating angels senseless.
In the end, Hell won.
That evening, Lan Xi moved like a gust of wind. Delighted, he repeatedly threw himself straight into Fu Hui’s arms, each time colliding with him in a full embrace.
Fu Hui… could not say he disliked Lan Xi throwing himself into his arms like that.
Fu Hui decided to remove the “restraints” from Lan Xi.
The devices worked by releasing tiny electrical currents that simulated neural signals and sent false instructions to the limbs, which could naturally cause someone to suddenly lose control of their body.
Fu Hui caught Lan Xi’s arm and first reached for the bracelet on his left wrist.
But Lan Xi abruptly jumped up. “What are you doing?”
“Taking it off…”
“No! It’s mine!” Lan Xi turned over and pointed his butt at him.
Fu Hui: “…”
Lan Xi wrapped himself tightly in the blanket and pretended he had already fallen asleep. When Fu Hui reached for his other hand, Lan Xi turned his head and bit him.
Lan Xi became so occupied with fighting Fu Hui that he completely forgot to take the digestive tablets.
The uncomfortable fullness lasted all the way into the next morning. His body might be extremely durable, but discomfort was still discomfort.
That morning, he sat at the dining table with Fu Hui.
Lan Xi said hypocritically, “Oh dear, you can’t eat breakfast today either. I’ll keep you company.”
The corner of Fu Hui’s mouth twitched slightly, but he did not expose him.
He nodded. “Mm.”
That’s it? Just ‘mm’?
Fu Hui looked at Lan Xi. “You’re so good to me.”
Lan Xi lifted his chin. “Mm-hm.”
No wonder angels liked hearing nice things. Demons liked them too. No, no, that was wrong. Fu Hui should praise him by saying, You’re so bad. Now that would sound good!
Lan Xi felt as though he was changing a little.
Amid this worried feeling that he seemed to be changing, Lan Xi—who had spent days addicted to the game—finally remembered that he still had a phone.
He picked it up.
So many people had sent him messages!
There were repeated friend requests from Wen Yue, along with text messages mostly asking how he was doing, what was happening, and whether he was all right.
Wen Ming had even gathered enough courage to call him more than ten times, and his text messages looked even closer to a breakdown than Wen Yue’s.
There were also messages from Fang Nianqing. Lan Xi skipped those for now.
Below them were messages from Cheng Yiran and Luo Jin.
Cheng Yiran: [Sister-in-law, where did you go?]
Cheng Yiran: [Talk to Bro and tell him not to be so angry.]
Angry about what?
Luo Jin supplied the answer.
[AAAAAA Wen Lan and you really are two different people!]
[But I hereby declare that as far as I’m concerned, you’re the best!]
[Buddy, where the hell did you go? Missing our last meetup really was a misunderstanding. I got it wrong. Please answer me.]
[We’re screwed. Someone’s actually spreading rumors that Mr. Fu is involved with Wen Lan. Help—please tell Mr. Fu this absolutely did not come from our family! I swear!]
…
At that moment, Lan Xi heard Fu Hui’s footsteps.
Like a thief, he glanced toward Fu Hui. Fu Hui was not looking at him and seemed to have come in merely to retrieve something.
Lan Xi relaxed.
Fu Hui deliberately walked around twice before leaving.
He stopped outside the door and could not help lowering his head with a quiet laugh.
Seriously, why does Wen Yue make checking a phone so complicated?
Fu Hui did not even need to check… Lan Xi had been having so much fun that several days had passed in a flash. Why did his phone still have battery?
Fu Hui had charged it.
＊
Sunday.
Fu Hui dressed Lan Xi in a small white suit and reached up to tie his hair. “Your hair’s gotten so long.” He slid his fingers through it and lightly combed along the strands. It felt exceptionally good. But why was the newly grown hair an even deeper shade of purple?
Lan Xi happily touched the ends.
Then he heard Fu Hui say, “I’m taking you out today.”
Lan Xi was surprised.
Did Wen Yue’s plan work?
The car slowly descended the mountain, passed several security checkpoints, then drove another half hour before finally entering the city.
Is this what Wen Yue meant—Fu Hui is taking me out to appear in public?
Lan Xi pressed himself against the car window, watching the scenery change until they stopped outside the hotel where the Luo family had once held its banquet.
Fu Hui’s voice sounded behind him. “Didn’t you really like the chandeliers here?”
Lan Xi’s eyes lit up. He tried the car door.
Uh. It would not open.
He turned and looked at Fu Hui.
Fu Hui looked back at him. “I thanked you that day. How are you going to thank me?”
So he just wanted Lan Xi to say something nice.
Lan Xi declared firmly, “I like you!”
Fu Hui remained unmoved.
Lan Xi frowned.
Suddenly, a sentence flashed into his mind. He stared at Fu Hui and murmured, “Even if you don’t have a single wing, I still like you.”
Fu Hui’s expression changed almost imperceptibly.
He bent down and opened the car door for Lan Xi.
Actually, Wen Yue had not needed to go to so much trouble… Fu Hui and Lan Xi had been getting along very well lately.
Fu Hui had already intended to loosen the restrictions somewhat.
Fu Hui walked behind and watched Lan Xi enter first.
Nobody had expected Lan Xi to come inside alone.
The Wen brothers’ gazes landed on him almost immediately.
Lan Xi had changed… uh, he had become even better-looking. His complexion was healthier, and his skin looked even more luminous.
The brothers exchanged a baffled glance.
After a moment, Wen Ming awkwardly said, “Did we… actually not take very good care of Lan Xi before?”
Wen Yue was not so easily shaken. He said in a deep voice, “Either way, we need to ask Lan Xi himself later how he’s been doing lately.”
Wen Ming said, “Mm.”
“Lan Xi!” Cheng Yiran suddenly shouted, as though desperate for everyone to hear those two words.
In truth, even if Cheng Yiran had not shouted, everyone’s attention was already fixed on Lan Xi.
Fu Hui had pinned a purple sapphire brooch to Lan Xi’s chest. The stone was exceptionally clear, yet still less dazzling than Lan Xi’s eyes. Could colored contacts really create that effect?
“Who is he?”
“A celebrity?”
The guests were briefly dazed.
Lan Xi stopped and looked back.
Hm? Fu Hui didn’t come inside.
Fu Hui had no interest in Wen Yue’s childish scheme, but he did want everyone to distinguish Lan Xi from Wen Lan properly.
That would prevent future misunderstandings.
So he simply let Lan Xi enter by himself.
The bodyguards followed at a distance. They were Fu Hui’s eyes.
The Wen brothers repeatedly confirmed that Fu Hui really had not appeared…
Wen Ming could no longer hold himself back and rushed over. “Lan Xi!”
Wen Yue’s expression darkened slightly. He was a little worried this might be a trap…
Lan Xi ignored everyone else and crooked a finger at the brothers. “Come with me.”
Wen Ming immediately followed.
Wen Yue hesitated for a moment and glanced back toward the entrance before following too.
“Sister-in-law?” Cheng Yiran froze, then quietly hurried after them.
The remaining guests were thoroughly confused, but nobody dared ask.
Lan Xi casually found a more secluded place to stop. Almost immediately, he impatiently asked Wen Yue, “Where are your wings?”
Wen Yue froze.
Lan Xi cut straight to the point. “Show me your wings!”
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