Cheng Yue changed into slippers and was about to squat down on the sofa when Ji Xu grabbed him and lifted him up.
“Your pants are filthy,” Ji Xu said, placing the cake he was holding on the coffee table. “Go take a shower.”
Cheng Yue looked down at his pants covered in shoe prints, then remembered the crazy person he had encountered today and the inexplicable fight he had gotten into. It all seemed a bit surreal. It didn’t hurt at the time, but now that he came to his senses, his whole body ached.
After retrieving some clothes from his room, he went straight into the bathroom.
As Cheng Yue undressed and passed by the mirror, he was startled by the bruises on his body.
He had a large bruise on his abdomen, bruises on his thighs, his ankles were swollen, and his back was covered in red and purple splotches, resembling an abstract painting.
“Crazy,” Cheng Yue muttered under his breath, not daring to touch the bruised areas. He cursed the guy he had encountered today again and gritted his teeth as he stood under the shower.
The water wasn’t very hot, but as it flowed over his bruises, Cheng Yue couldn’t help but let out low cries from the intense soreness all over his body.
Ji Xu tossed Cheng Yue’s backpack into his room and then began tidying up the living room.
Noticing the car keys left on the coffee table, he frowned and picked them up.
Cheng Yue had said that the car was a gift from Ke Miao, which meant it was paid for before Ke Miao’s company went bankrupt or when she passed away. Legally, the car should have been mortgaged and not left with Cheng Yue.
The sound of the bathroom door opening pulled Ji Xu out of his thoughts.
“I’m done. I’m going to sleep now,” Cheng Yue said, keeping his head down and leaning against the wall, eager to return to his room.
“Come here,” Ji Xu said, narrowing his eyes as he sensed something was off.
“I’m tired…” Cheng Yue tried to protest.
“Come here,” Ji Xu repeated.
With no other choice, Cheng Yue shuffling slowly over with his head lowered.
Ji Xu watched him approach, then grabbed his chin and forced him to lift his head, noticing his reddened eyes. “Did you cry?”
Cheng Yue shook his head. He couldn’t admit that he cried from the pain while showering; it was too embarrassing.
Ji Xu scrutinized him, noticing that Cheng Yue’s loose white T-shirt revealed bruises on his collarbone.
“Why are you crying?” Ji Xu asked, his gaze becoming more intense as he gently traced his fingers over the bruise.
“It’s just that water got in my eyes while I was showering…” Cheng Yue was thinking up an excuse when he felt a sharp pain on his collarbone and cried out, “Ah!”
Hearing his cry, Ji Xu eased his grip on Cheng Yue’s collarbone. “Are there any other injuries?”
“Huh?” Cheng Yue was momentarily stunned but instinctively lifted his leg, pointing to his thigh.
Ji Xu looked over, his voice tinged with a restrained emotion. “Anywhere else?”
“On my back and stomach,” Cheng Yue answered obediently.
“We need to apply medicine,” Ji Xu said, standing up to fetch the medicine box.
“Oh,” Cheng Yue nodded, too numbed to notice anything unusual when Ji Xu began to undress him and touch his back.
Cheng Yue lay on the sofa, moved by Ji Xu’s care. Even though Ji Xu was helping him with the injuries from the fight, he was deeply touched.
So touched, in fact, that he didn’t even recognize the painful cries coming from himself.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!” Cheng Yue arched his back, trying to pull his thigh away from Ji Xu’s grip, but Ji Xu’s strength was too much.
“Bruises need to be massaged out,” Ji Xu said calmly.
The pain in Cheng Yue’s thigh brought tears to his eyes. With Ji Xu’s firm grip on his ankle, he couldn’t kick free and could only try to curl up as much as possible.
Ji Xu held onto his leg and massaged out the bruises, leaving light red marks on Cheng Yue’s pale skin.
By the end of the day, Cheng Yue was exhausted both physically and mentally. When he was too tired to continue, he collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep, still groaning in pain.
Ji Xu looked at his face resting on his lap, gently pinched his cheek, and then carried him back to his room.
The next morning, when Cheng Yue got up, he felt sore all over from head to toe. After eating breakfast, he quickly ran off to school.
After arriving at school, Cheng Yue discreetly felt the bruise on his abdomen from yesterday to see how it looked. He found that it didn’t hurt as much to touch and seemed to have improved significantly since it was massaged.
Thinking back on Ji Xu’s method of massaging his injuries, Cheng Yue broke into a cold sweat. He felt like something was off with Ji Xu, but he couldn’t pinpoint what exactly.
Ji Xu finished his breakfast at a leisurely pace and then tidied up before heading to the company.
The person they had caught a few days ago had revealed the mastermind behind everything, which led to the capture of several more people. They compiled the evidence and the list of relevant individuals and submitted it. The authorities quickly opened a case, with the court hearings scheduled in the next couple of days. They had prepared their materials well and aimed to catch the big bosses off guard.
Tang Jing also posted related public opinion online, which quickly became the top topic within eight hours in terms of views and discussions.
The official in their city added fuel to the fire by deploying plainclothes officers to monitor those bosses and confiscate their passports, leaving them only the opportunity to appear in court.
After organizing the materials, Tang Jing suggested picking Cheng Yue up for a meal after work.
Ji Xu, remembering Cheng Yue’s expression this morning as if he wanted to stay several meters away, suddenly smiled.
“What’s so funny?” Tang Jing asked, feeling uneasy about Ji Xu’s smile.
“Nothing,” Ji Xu said, wiping the smile off his face, grabbing his coat, and leaving the office. “Let’s go.”
Cheng Yue looked at the car not far away, and the soreness in his body, which had subsided for a day, began to return with a vengeance.
Ji Xu was different from usual last night. Although his face showed no change, Cheng Yue could sense an unusual… excitement.
Was Ji Xu a pervert…?
He seemed to enjoy pressing on his wounds. What kind of twisted habit was that?
Ji Xu rolled down the car window and waved to Cheng Yue, who, startled, took a step back and then hesitantly walked over to the now seemingly normal Ji Xu.
“What does Cheng Yue like to eat?” Tang Jing asked with a smile after Cheng Yue got in the car.
“Anything,” Cheng Yue answered, keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact.
Ji Xu glanced at the rearview mirror, only seeing the top of Cheng Yue’s black hair.
They arrived at a restaurant guided by Tang Jing.
“I was supposed to take you out for a meal yesterday, but something came up. Today, I’m making it up to you. Eat more,” Tang Jing said with a smile, patting Cheng Yue on the back.
Cheng Yue stiffened at the pat and suddenly stood up from his seat. “I need to use the restroom.”
“You…” Tang Jing’s eyes were a bit complicated. He had noticed Cheng Yue’s discomfort throughout the trip, especially when Cheng Yue and Ji Xu’s eyes met.
Tang Jing grew increasingly uneasy and leaned in to whisper to Ji Xu, “What did you do?”
“Removed the ‘bad’ part,” Ji Xu said.
“You’re a pervert…” Tang Jing muttered to himself, feeling disoriented.
“Is your big stomach not enough for your appetite? Do you need to use your brain as well?” Ji Xu looked at Cheng Yue, who had jumped back to avoid the waiter and had moved far away. He loosened his tie and casually tossed it on the table. “Can he even bounce around here if he’s really done something?”
“Hey!” Tang Jing shot him a disdainful look. “Can you cover up? You’re showing your true colors.”
Ji Xu smiled but said nothing. He only watched Cheng Yue from a distance. He could control his own quirks and had no intention of experimenting with others or any specific person.
Cheng Yue was an exception, but this exception made Ji Xu hesitant. He began to doubt.
Cheng Yue saw him as the only person he could rely on and trust. If Ji Xu wanted to do something, he could ensure that Cheng Yue, with his timid nature, wouldn’t dare to resist.
But Cheng Yue wasn’t just some kid he picked up randomly; he was entrusted to him by his sister and had just turned seventeen.
Ji Xu furrowed his brow, trying to suppress the emotions driven by his control issues and some kind of pathological excitement.
After Cheng Yue returned from the restroom, the dishes had been served.
When Cheng Yue and Tang Jing started eating, he noticed that Ji Xu remained seated without touching his food.
Cheng Yue tilted his head and asked in confusion, “Aren’t you eating?”
Tang Jing quickly answered, grabbing a plate of shrimp, “He won’t eat.”
“Why?” Cheng Yue asked.
“He has a weird habit,” Tang Jing said while peeling shrimp.
“In the days leading up to the trial, he avoids eating anything and only drinks water. I figured out after a few years that he probably fears losing the case and vomiting on the judge.”
Cheng Yue looked at Ji Xu’s usual expression and thought for a moment before offering his bowl of porridge. “Have some.”
“Forget about him; it’s too much trouble,” Tang Jing said with a smile, placing a shrimp in Cheng Yue’s plate. “He won’t eat it. You’re still growing; eat more.”
Ji Xu lazily looked at Cheng Yue, then glanced at the bowl of shrimp porridge in front of him. He scooped a spoonful, blew on it, and brought it to Cheng Yue’s mouth.
Tang Jing, sitting beside them, stared wide-eyed in surprise.
“What are you doing?”
Ji Xu waited for the porridge to cool down and then offered the spoon to Cheng Yue.
“Eat more.”
