Chi Xingge, who had been absorbed in the images just moments ago, suddenly frowned, as if irritated, his lips pressing down.

“Send them? They look terrible.”

But his eyes never left the screen. Chi Xingge stared at Yu Zao’s confused face, an inexplicable frustration building up. “What kind of photos are these? They’re no good. You… don’t send them, okay?”

Yu Zao, who had been criticized so harshly, felt a little upset. But he also thought the photos were just average. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he grumbled, “I’ll just retake them then.”

Chi Xingge opened his mouth but said nothing.

He felt a strange irritation but couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

To be honest, anyone with eyes could see that the photos were fine. Even though Yu Zao had taken them casually, that very casualness gave the photos a lazy, sultry vibe, with the dim, ambiguous lighting adding to the mood.

But just the thought of sending them to Quan Lushen made Chi Xingge feel particularly annoyed.

Chi Xingge stayed silent, and Yu Zao, thinking it was because his photography skills were poor, became sulky. Worried Chi Xingge might ask for a refund, he explained, “It’s my first time, I don’t have any experience.”

“I know.” Of course, Chi Xingge knew it was Yu Zao’s first time. One look at his blushing little face was enough to tell how shy he was. He added, “Next time you take pictures, show them to me first. I’ll approve them before you send them. For example, that second row, last picture… that one’s fine. You can send that to Quan Lushen.”

Yu Zao glanced at it, speechless.

That was one of the blurry, out-of-focus shots he’d accidentally taken when his hand shook. You couldn’t even see his legs clearly.

Yu Zao seriously began to doubt Chi Xingge’s taste.

Just as Yu Zao reached for his phone on the stand, there was a knock on the door—Chu Xi.

Caught in the middle of doing something guilty, Yu Zao panicked, knocking the stand over and sending the phone crashing to the ground.

Startled, Yu Zao lifted his feet, and the phone ended up under them.

Chi Xingge’s mind went blank, watching as the phone landed at Yu Zao’s feet. At the same time, Yu Zao bent down between his knees, brows furrowed, glancing down.

Chi Xingge was utterly stunned—this angle was… He couldn’t help it; a nosebleed began to drip down.

Afraid that Chu Xi would hear, Yu Zao whispered, “I’m hanging up now…”

Chi Xingge, still reeling, said, “Don’t, don’t hang up. Just… let me look a little more.”

Yu Zao glanced at him in disgust. “Wipe your nose first, that’s gross.”

No one had ever spoken to him like that. The strangest thing was, despite being insulted, Chi Xingge found Yu Zao’s expression and tone ridiculously enticing.

It was too captivating.

And those pictures…

What man could see those and not get lost in them? Even someone with a weak constitution would find strength just for him.

Chi Xingge had no doubt—Yu Zao didn’t need to try any seductive tricks. He didn’t have to do anything. Just standing there, scolding people, was enough to make these foolish men lose their minds.

…

Chu Xi finished the chores.

Hearing some noise from the bedroom, which sounded like something heavy had fallen, he hesitated for a moment but decided to check on the situation.

Yu Zao took his time opening the door, and when he finally did, only part of his flushed face appeared through the gap. His clothes and hair were a bit disheveled.

Chu Xi arrived just in time, as Yu Zao had something to discuss.

Chi Xingge’s taste was questionable, and since 0926 was just an AI, Yu Zao decided to show the photo to a few more people, like distributing a survey, to get opinions on which picture looked the best.

“Come in,” Yu Zao said, “I have something to show you.”

He tightened his grip on the object in his hand.

Chu Xi followed Yu Zao into the room, and sure enough, Yu Zao picked up his phone. Nowadays, most people have a backup phone, but Chu Xi clearly remembered that this particular phone was the one Yu Zao used to threaten him with.

It had photos of him stored in it.

And now, Yu Zao had called him in, saying there was something to show him.

What was this? Did Yu Zao feel that just ordering him around wasn’t enough and now wanted to subject him to even deeper humiliation?

Yu Zao was truly malicious—more so than he had imagined.

“Do you like it?”

The room was warmly lit, but Chu Xi felt cold inside. What was he expecting from Yu Zao?

He lowered his gaze to Yu Zao’s thin arms and legs. Yu Zao sat at the edge of the bed, raising his chin and speaking to him. There was a significant height and build difference between them. It wouldn’t take much effort for Chu Xi to pin Yu Zao down and take the phone.

Yu Zao was so weak; he couldn’t resist…

“Say something,” Yu Zao said, kicking Chu Xi’s knee lightly with his toes, “Does it look good?”

Chu Xi glanced at the phone screen and froze.

It wasn’t a picture of him—it was of Yu Zao.

Chu Xi wasn’t sure what Yu Zao was scheming now.

The photo was taken from a high angle. It was a live photo, and as Yu Zao moved his knees slightly, his soft inner thighs quivered faintly.

Was it his imagination, or was there a small red mole somewhere deeper? He couldn’t be sure—he’d need to take a closer look to confirm if it was a mole or something else.

Chu Xi looked away from the photo, his eyes falling on Yu Zao’s legs instead.

Yu Zao was baffled by Chu Xi’s reaction. What was this? Did his photo really look that bad? He was getting both angry and frustrated: “What are you looking at? Did I say you could look?”

He clamped his knees together, refusing to show any more. Annoyed, he snapped, “Why are you still here? I need to take a shower and go to sleep.”

Yu Zao put his phone away and shot Chu Xi a glare. His delicate face had turned slightly red, and his eyes glistened with irritated moisture, making him look both lively and striking.

Was he angry? But why?

Yu Zao always got angry for no reason and took it out on him. Chu Xi had gotten used to it, but this time, he was unusually curious about the reason.

Chu Xi remained rooted to the spot, so Yu Zao got up and tried to push him out. Despite using all his strength, he couldn’t budge Chu Xi, and his neck turned red from the effort. Finally, Chu Xi pretended to be pushed and moved toward the door.

Just as Yu Zao was about to shut the door, a hand suddenly stopped it.

Yu Zao was about to start scolding him, but the tall young man before him stood with his gaze lowered.

After what seemed like a long and difficult moment, Chu Xi finally muttered, “It looks good.”

Yu Zao raised an eyebrow, confused. “What?”

Chu Xi’s fingers curled against the doorframe, and after his Adam’s apple bobbed, he looked at Yu Zao with a determined expression. “The photo is good.”

“Your legs… they’re beautiful.”

…

Late at night, LIN Group held an emergency meeting.

Accompanied by a group of elite professionals, Quan Lushen entered his private elevator, while his assistant briefed him on the upcoming meeting’s agenda.

Having been in back-to-back meetings all day, Quan Lushen’s face showed no signs of fatigue, resembling a well-tuned machine. The mechanical watch on his wrist slowly ticked to 12:00, the moment the elevator doors opened, and he stepped out in sync.

At the long conference table, many were already seated. Quan Lushen sat at the head of the table without a glance to either side, and the meeting officially began.

The harsh white fluorescent lights from above accentuated his sharp, imposing features. As he listened to his subordinates’ progress reports, his phone screen lit up next to his watch.

Noticing the contact name, Quan Lushen paused for a moment longer than usual. Unlocking the screen, he opened the chat, only to be met with a bright, eye-catching white image. Against the dark conference table, it stood out sharply.

The photo showed someone sitting, captured from above. The boy’s knees were slightly pressed together, his thighs smooth and soft. However, parts of his skin appeared reddened, possibly from the rough fabric of his shorts.

Even his toes, rounded and plump, had accidentally made it into the frame, pressing into the plush carpet below.

In the cold, serious atmosphere of the meeting room, the image seemed entirely out of place.

Quan Lushen glanced calmly at his phone screen.

A few seconds later, the photo was deleted.

Yu Zao: [Sorry, I sent that by mistake. You didn’t see it, right?]