In the brief moment Bai Zhen was distracted, Cheng Yue had already managed to run at least two or three meters away from him.
“Hey!” Bai Zhen hurried after him and grabbed his arm. “What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”
“Going home,” Cheng Yue said urgently, “I need to go, hurry up.”
“Curfew?” Bai Zhen raised an eyebrow. “You don’t look like someone who follows curfew.”
“Can’t you see the words written on my face right now?” Cheng Yue pointed seriously to his forehead.
“Huh?” Bai Zhen leaned in to take a closer look. “I don’t see anything.”
“Nothing? Then how did you figure out I’m not someone who follows curfew?” Cheng Yue frowned and pulled Bai Zhen’s hand away. “I thought it was written on my face.”
“Wow, you’ve got quite the sharp tongue,” Bai Zhen sighed, taking out the car keys from his pocket and shaking them. “Even if you’re going back, you need a ride, right? It’s hard to get a cab at this hour.”
Cheng Yue thought about it and nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”
“Fine, fine,” Bai Zhen sighed and walked back to his car. “You’re really something.”
There weren’t many people on the road at this hour. Cheng Yue glanced at a billboard by the roadside and, as the car moved, read each word from the first to the last, finally letting out a sigh.
He couldn’t help but think that Bai Zhen’s driving style was completely at odds with his personality.
Even during evening study, their high-end motorcycle was almost overtaken by a girl on a small electric scooter.
Eventually, Cheng Yue arrived home, though his legs were shaking as he entered the apartment complex.
“No way,” Bai Zhen said, watching Cheng Yue’s unsteady legs and reaching out to support him. “I rode so slowly, and you’re still like this?”
Cheng Yue was too preoccupied to respond, his mind racing with excuses to explain to Ji Xu.
“Studying? Working on homework? Dragged into extra tutoring by classmates?”
No way, the thought alone made him shiver.
After hesitating, Cheng Yue stood in front of the apartment door, reluctant to go inside.
Ji Xu stood on the balcony, his head lowered as he observed two people standing by the flower bed below.
One was Cheng Yue, and the slightly taller boy next to him was the one who had driven with Cheng Yue last time.
The taller boy had his hand on Cheng Yue’s shoulder, and the two of them had been lingering there for at least five minutes without going inside.
Ji Xu squinted his eyes, pulled off his tie, and began wrapping the long black tie around his wrist in circles.
Cheng Yue glanced at the time on Bai Zhen’s phone again and realized he couldn’t delay any longer. Summoning his courage, he wiped his face and said, “Alright, I’m going in.”
“Legs still shaking?” Bai Zhen looked down at Cheng Yue’s legs, noticing they were shaking even more. He asked with concern, “Your legs…”
Cheng Yue tried to reassure himself, “It’s not shaking; it’s just strict family upbringing.”
Cheng Yue stared at the apartment door and entered, noticing the lights were off inside. Only a light was left on in the hallway. No one was on the sofa, which made Cheng Yue breathe a sigh of relief. He slowly changed his shoes and went inside.
As he passed Ji Xu’s room, he tiptoed, crouched down, and listened carefully at the door. There was no noise from inside Ji Xu’s room. Cheng Yue let out a careful sigh of relief and quietly moved away from Ji Xu’s door.
As he walked toward his own room, he pondered how to explain things to Ji Xu tomorrow, not realizing that Ji Xu’s door was already open behind him.
When he heard footsteps behind him, he hadn’t reacted in time. Suddenly, everything went dark, and something blocked his view.
Cheng Yue was startled and reached out to pull it away, but he heard Ji Xu’s voice, muffled and laughing.
Cheng Yue froze, not daring to move. Ji Xu rarely laughed, and hearing him laugh in the dark made Cheng Yue feel unnervingly uneasy.
“Ji Xu…” Cheng Yue spoke but didn’t move.
“Hmm?” Ji Xu carefully tied the black tie around the back of Cheng Yue’s head, his tone casual yet laced with hidden meaning.
“I was with classmates…”
Before Cheng Yue could finish, Ji Xu pulled him by the wrist and led him to the sofa, pressing him down by the shoulders to sit.
“What time is it?” Ji Xu glanced at the clock on the wall.
Cheng Yue didn’t expect this sudden question and answered uncertainly, “One o’clock?”
“Wrong,” Ji Xu said.
Cheng Yue wasn’t sure why Ji Xu asked this but didn’t dare ask further. He thought for a moment and said, “1:10?”
“Wrong again,” Ji Xu’s voice carried a cold tone. “You have one more chance. If you get it wrong, there will be a punishment.”
“Punishment?” Cheng Yue suddenly remembered the embarrassing situation from last time, feeling nervous yet strangely expectant.
“Yes, punishment.” Ji Xu picked up a cup of water from the coffee table, took a sip, and showed no expression. His face looked grim.
Thinking about how Cheng Yue stayed out so late because Ji Xu couldn’t pick him up, and especially seeing the boy who clearly wasn’t a good influence, made Ji Xu’s anger rise.
Ji Xu squinted at Cheng Yue’s left shoulder, his eyes burning with fury.
Cheng Yue blinked, feeling his heartbeat quicken, his other senses heightened by the darkness.
For instance, Ji Xu’s breathing and the sound of him swallowing water.
Also, the crisp scent from Ji Xu and the intense gaze Cheng Yue felt made him feel faint.
“You have one minute to think,” Ji Xu set the cup down and picked up a book, rolling it up. “Start now.”
Cheng Yue gripped the sofa nervously, trying to figure out the time.
A minute passed in a flash.
Ji Xu stood up from the sofa, using the rolled-up book to tilt Cheng Yue’s chin and asked, “What time is it now?”
Cheng Yue’s mind was in a jumble. He was so anxious he couldn’t think clearly.
He only heard Ji Xu say, “Wrong again,” and felt Ji Xu’s breath against his face.
Cheng Yue was impressed with himself for being able to zone out at that moment.
Ji Xu tapped his head with the book and ordered, “Stand up.”
Cheng Yue hesitated for a moment but carefully stood up, holding onto the sofa.
Ji Xu saw him stand and said, “Half-squat, with your hands raised in front of your chest.”
“Huh?” Cheng Yue was confused.
Wasn’t this a horse stance?
Ji Xu didn’t say anything, and the rolled-up book tapped against Cheng Yue’s legs.
Although the force wasn’t heavy, it startled Cheng Yue, who quickly squatted down.
“Hands cut off?” Ji Xu said, tapping Cheng Yue’s arm.
Cheng Yue raised his hands.
“Straighten your back.” Ji Xu poked his waist with the book.
“Hahahaha…”
Cheng Yue suddenly relaxed his waist and couldn’t control his laughter.
His waist was full of soft flesh, making him laugh uncontrollably when poked. Ji Xu’s repeated prodding made it even harder to control.
Seeing this, Ji Xu raised an eyebrow and poked him again on the waist.
“Hahahahaha… Ah, don’t poke… Hahahahaha…” Cheng Yue laughed so hard he could barely catch his breath, trying to block Ji Xu’s poking hands with his own.
“Ticklish?”
Ji Xu looked at Cheng Yue, who was sprawled on the sofa laughing uncontrollably, with some interest. He continued to poke Cheng Yue’s waist without stopping.
Cheng Yue laughed so much that he curled up. With his eyes shut, he tried to catch Ji Xu’s hand, and somehow ended up wrapping his arms around Ji Xu’s neck. Using the momentum, he pulled Ji Xu down onto him.
Ji Xu furrowed his brow at the unexpected movement.
Now Cheng Yue was lying on the sofa, holding Ji Xu’s neck with both arms. Ji Xu bent slightly, pressing his body down, and placed his hands on Cheng Yue’s waist. The distance between their heads was very close, and Ji Xu could feel the warm breath from Cheng Yue’s breathing on his face.
Ji Xu’s Adam’s apple moved up and down as he looked at Cheng Yue’s gasping mouth, the flushed cheeks, and the small piece of tongue, suddenly feeling a bit warm.
“I’ll definitely come back earlier next time,” Cheng Yue quickly explained when Ji Xu’s tickling hands stopped.
He didn’t want to be tickled anymore; it was too uncomfortable, and he felt like his waist was sore and immobile.
“No next time,” Ji Xu said sternly, pulling Cheng Yue’s hands from his neck. “Remember to keep your promises.”
“Okay!” Cheng Yue promised earnestly.
Ji Xu looked at the black tie wrapped around Cheng Yue’s eyes and then at his fair skin, his expression tense and cold.
Cheng Yue didn’t hear anything and continued to assure Ji Xu, “Really, I’m not lying.”
“Got it,” Ji Xu said, his brows furrowing. “Go to bed.”
Without waiting for a reply, Ji Xu turned and went back to his own room.
Cheng Yue was left stunned by the sudden departure, his mind only catching up after a moment. As he pulled his hand away from his leg, he accidentally touched something…
Cheng Yue’s mind was buzzing.
He felt as though he had… gotten aroused…
Being tickled to the point of getting hard, Cheng Yue stared at the pitch-black ceiling in disbelief, taking a long time to untie the blindfold.
Once the tie was removed, the light from the living room suddenly blinded him, forcing him to close his eyes.
However, Cheng Yue suddenly remembered something.
It was the same kind of tie that had been used to blindfold him in the restroom at the milk tea shop, the one he vaguely remembered from that time.
After his eyes adjusted to the light, he picked up the tie he had thrown aside and examined it closely.
Cheng Yue thought he might be delusional from laughing, making him believe that person was Ji Xu.
No way, it couldn’t be. How could Ji Xu be that pervert?
Cheng Yue lay on the sofa for a long time, and once he calmed down, he got up and went to his room to sleep.
The night passed in silence.
The next morning, after finishing his morning run, Ji Xu was about to wake Cheng Yue when his phone on the table rang.
He picked up the phone and saw it was a call from Tang Jing.
Ji Xu answered the call.
“Hello? Just finished running, huh?” Tang Jing greeted cheerfully, “I timed it right.”
“What’s up?”
Ji Xu asked, walking over to the fridge, taking out a bottle of mineral water, placing it on the table, and unscrewing the cap to take a sip.
“I’ve finished checking the information on those three people you wanted me to investigate,” Tang Jing said, looking at a stack of white papers. “They are currently security guards at a company in the city called Tianrong Trading. I’ve sent you the detailed info. Among the people they’ve had contact with since you released them, one suspicious person has been tentatively identified as a woman named Tan Minmin.”
Ji Xu wasn’t surprised by this name and felt it was expected.
“But Tan Minmin is a bit strange,” Tang Jing said, clicking his tongue. “She used to work at Tianrong as a minor assistant for less than a year and now has opened her own studio and become an editor.”
Ji Xu’s expression grew colder, and he said mercilessly, “Editor? I think she’d be more suitable as a crutch.”
