YiHan swirled the water as he said, "You'll know once you try it." Then, he shoved the glass into JingYuan's hands and turned back to the room. As he walked away, he continued, "If you wanted to drink it, just say it. I really can't stand you."
"No, HanHan." JingYuan hurriedly raised his hand up in an attempt to stop the other man. "I…" didn't want to drink it.
All of a sudden, YiHan turned around. His teeth flashed as he said, "Since you want it, then finish it all. If you dare waste the honey water I worked so hard on mixing up…hmph." He then swivelled and went for the hair dryer.
JingYuan stood there, glass in hand and a bitte smile over his face: It seemed like he'd really raised his little one's hackles tonight. The other man was now furious from embarrassment. Fine. It's just a glass of honey water. He'll drink it up. He might not like sweet drinks but what else was he meant to do? He's the one with a lover who loved to act all coy and cute. (Are you sure that's what he's doing?)
With a few big gulps, the glass was empty. It tasted a little odd and it was too sweet. It was so sweet that his tongue went numb. However, JingYuan rarely drank anything like it so he didn't think much of it. He thought his little one intentionally made it exceedingly sweet just to prank him. He walked over to the desk and poured out some water to wash out the sickly-sweet taste, a smile on his lips the entire time. He then walked over and took over the task of drying out YiHan's hair. His fingers combed through the soft hair as heat blew against them. He could feel his heart melting into a puddle. Once the hair was dry, he couldn't resist laying a kiss on YiHan's head. He placed the hair dryer down and curled his arms around YiHan.
"Are you angry at me, HanHan?" he gently asked.
YiHan turned to shoot JingYuan a look and remained silent.
Seeing a chance, JingYuan kissed YiHan on the cheek and said, "HanHan, I actually want you even more than you do but you keep getting hospitalised. I'm just so scared. I don't want to injure your body even further because of this. We have plenty of time.
HanHan, once you're fully recovered, don't punish me please? Don't force me to hold it in? I really do want you."
YiHan couldn't resist letting a laugh slip at that. "Am I that easily angered?" he said. "Also, don't make it sound like I'm really that thirsty for it."
At the sight of a smile cracking through, JingYuan smiled back too and replied, "You're not thirsty at all. I'm the one who's burning with lust here."
"Come, sit," YiHan said, laughing once more and turning fully around to look at JingYuan. "I'll help you dry your hair. You can't go to sleep with wet hair."
JingYuan let out a low chuckle and loosened his grip around YiHan's shoulders. The two men switched places. Strand by strand, YiHan blew JingYuan's hair dry with warm bursts of air. Through the mirror, JingYuan watched their reflections. Then, suddenly, he let out a huff of laughter.
"What are you laughing about?" YiHan asked.
"HanHan, this really is my dream life," JingYuan replied with a grin. "I hope our lives can stay the same even as we grow old. Just like today. We'll shower together in the evenings and dry each other's hair."
YiHan tilted his head to a side and thought about it. "You wish," he rebuked with a smile. "Who'd want to blow your hair dry? You don't even know to sit lower. Don't you know it's exhausting having my arm raised this high up?"
"I like to dry your hair. I like to wash your face, wash your back. I like doing anything and everything for you," JingYuan confessed. "When I was taking care of you at the hospital, your parents would often say I'm running myself ragged. However, I felt so happy. You'd obediently sit on the bed and wait for me to wash your face with a wet towel. You were just so adorable. I like it even when helping you in the toilet."
"Finally, you've shown your true self as a great big pervert," YiHan laughingly scolded. "I was wondering why you insisted on helping me in the bathroom even though I said I didn't feel dizzy anymore. So that's why! Are you a creep? Do you have some weird fetish? I should call the police on you."
YiHan let out another laugh, turned off the hairdryer, tousled JingYuan's hair and said, "All done."
JingYuan leaned back and laid his head against YiHan's chest. His eyes were still stuck on the figures in the mirror as he said, "HanHan, you're right. Before, I could still control myself. But ever since I've gotten together with you, I've realised I'm becoming more and more of a pervert. I want to hold you every single moment of the day. My hands never want to part with your skin. I'm always thinking about kissing you. It doesn't matter if it's your hair or your feet. I also want to be in the bed with you forever. When you change clothes, I want to lean in and take in your scent. HanHan, I might be touched starved or something worse. I want to turn you into a tiny version of yourself so I can bring you with me everywhere I go. I don't want to be parted from you, not even for a minute."
JingYuan could feel his eyelids getting heavier. His voice slowly softened into a whisper. YiHan could tell JingYuan was about to fall asleep. He leaned in and kissed the man's cheek.
"Let's go to bed. Hm?" YiHan gently said. "Together."
"Okay," JingYuan replied, forcing his eyelids to open. "Let's sleep. Together."
With YiHan's help, JingYuan made it to the bed. Then, JingYuan curled YiHan into his arms and let out a satisfied sigh. As the two laid there, YiHan looked up at JingYuan and began to lightly draw on the older man's cheek with a finger. It was eventually enough to make JingYuan chuckle from how ticklish it felt.
"Little one," he rasped, "stop fooling around."
"JingYuan, you're not touch starved or anything bad," YiHan's gaze was filled with warmth as whispered back in a voice so low it's as if he's afraid of waking the older man up. "You're perfectly fine. You love me just like I love you. I totally understand your feelings because I think the same too."
JingYuan eyes remained shut as his smile lingered on his lips. He hummed in reply but said or did no more. The arms around YiHan's waist gradually relaxed.
With a hand on JingYuan's cheek, YiHan rose to kiss JingYuan's forehead and whispered, "Sleep. I don't believe you'd date anyone else. Even if you do, it shouldn't be Tao Qi. I must get a clear answer. I secretly bought these pills back when I was just reborn and had trouble sleeping. It doesn't hurt the body at all. Babe, I wouldn't hurt you. Don't be angry at me."
JingYuan stayed still. His breath evened out.
YiHan gently lifted JingYuan's arm and got out of bed.
***
At the basement door, Chen Feng was found standing right before it. He was surprised to see YiHan walking towards him.
"Little Master, why are you still up?" Chen Feng asked.
"I suddenly remembered I have some questions for Tao Qi," YiHan replied. "Open the door, please."
Chen Feng stayed where he was. "Little Master, it's cold in the basement," he coaxed. "Your head injury is still healing. It's too late. I think it's best not to go down. Anyway, this Tao Qi looks insane. You'd better not meet with her alone. How about you tell me what to do? Or maybe wait until Mr Mu's men arrive?"
"Chen Feng," YiHan said with a smile, "I know you're worried about me, but don't forget. I'm a man. No matter how crazy Tao Qi really is, she's just a tied-up woman. How much of a threat could she be? Could I really be that weak in your eyes? That I need to be afraid of a bound woman?"
"It's not like that, Little Master," Chen Feng muttered. He may be a great fighter but he's not all that smart with his mouth. "I'm afraid the nonsense she'll spout might anger you."
"I'm not a kid anymore," YiHan said, patting the other man on the shoulder. "Would I really be brought to tears because of mere words? Alright. Stop dawdling around like an old hen and open the door."
"I'll go with you," Chen Feng said after a moment of contemplation.
"What for?" YiHan turned and asked.
"To protect Little Master," Chen Feng answered in a matter-of-fact tone.
"It's fine," YiHan sighed. "I want to see her alone. Hurry up and open the door."
Still, Chen Feng hesitated.
YiHan's face darkened as he growled, "Chen Feng, do you even respect me? Am I unable to order you around now?"
"I do, Little Master," Chen Feng gasped in shock. He then took out the key to the basement as he continued on, "How could you think that? If you ever notice anything off with her later, remember to…"
"I'll remember to shout for you. Okay?" YiHan sighed again.
Chen Feng smiled and said, "Yes. I'll be at the door. If there's anything you need, just shout and I'll hear you. There's also an alarm bell near the door. You could use that."
"I know," YiHan said, another sigh hiding within his voice. "Open the door."
In the basement, Tao Qi was tied to a chair. No lights were on. It was pitch black. Due to having sat down for way too long, Tao Qi's body ached. But she was also terrified. Fear kept her from sleeping. All she could do was curse out YiHan in her mind to alleviate the fear. She didn't know what would be awaiting her tomorrow and she didn't understand why the gods would be so unfair to her. She had read many transmigration novels. All of them ended up as champions in life. They had harems of handsome men. Why was she locked up in this dank, dark basement instead, shivering and waiting for tomorrow's judgement?
Just as Tao Qi was fuming and cursing up a storm internally, she heard the door click. She was the only person in the basement. It's so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Any slight movement rang loud. She was both anxious and scared stiff. Her eyes darted over and were glued to the direction of the door.
The door slowly creaked open and the light from above splayed across the floor. Tao Qi squinted against the sudden burst of light. After a long moment of letting her eyes get used to the light, she finally saw who was standing by the door. A tall man walked through the door. His figure was thinner than most men and he had something akin to a suitcase in his hand. His back was against the light. Those slender legs and slim waist were clearly outlined. A hand rose and flicked a switch. A light turned on. It wasn't bright but it was enough for her to see who the newcomer was. Bai YiHan!
For some reason, the Bai YiHan before her now felt different to the man who was with Mu JingYuan. There were no emotions visible on his face but, strangely enough, she could feel a chill run down her spine.
YiHan turned and nodded to the man standing beyond the door. The door then slowly closed. The man still in the door just stood there in silence and looked at Tao Qi. Those long legs stretched out and crossed each other as he gradually descended down the steps.
Tao Qi could feel her hair stand on end from the gaze. She was petrified. Any courage to make a fuss drained out of her. All she could do was stare in a daze at this very much different Bai YiHan walk towards her, step by step. It was only when he'd gotten closer did the light show the item in his hand. It was a tiny toolbox.
Bai YiHan stopped before her and looked down at her for a long moment. "I know you're not Tao Qi," he calmly said. "You don't need to argue about it. There are too many things that can't be explained in this world. You two are poles apart."
Translator's Note:
Are you a creep?: In Chinese, the "creep" (猥亵病人) refers to someone with a mental illness that results in sexual assault (usually paedophilia). It's referred to as a medical condition sometimes but it's not a medical term. MTL readers beware, there's a typo here. MTL may give you something nonsensical.