Chapter 35 – 035

“What help? What counts?”

Gu Xian’s mind went blank for a moment, and he blurted out, “I never said that!”

“Planning to go back on your word?” Xie Yunjing looked at him with amusement. “Do you need me to help you recall?”

“Damn!” Gu Xian jerked upward and quickly grabbed Xie Yunjing’s hand. “Are you seriously doing this?”

Xie Yunjing, pressing down on him, tilted his head in feigned confusion. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

“…” Gu Xian took a deep breath and pushed the face that was so close to his face away. “When I said you had a crush on me before, you clearly denied it!”

Xie Yunjing neither dodged nor avoided, even rubbing against Gu Xian’s hand. “Did I ever deny it?”

Gu Xian’s hand froze in place, unable to stay or retreat, his mind buzzing in confusion.

This bastard Xie Yunjing really hadn’t denied it even once!

“Ha.” Gu Xian didn’t want to show any weakness in front of Xie Yunjing, so he put on a confident demeanor. “So you’re saying you really do have a crush on me?”

He tilted Xie Yunjing’s chin up, finally freeing himself from Xie Yunjing rubbing his palm. “Go ahead, tell me, when did it start? Could it be that you’ve had a crush on me since before? Middle school? High school? Or maybe even elementary school?”

“I’m not quite sure about that. But—” Xie Yunjing leaned in close, placing Gu Xian’s hand, which had just lifted his chin, into an awkward position. “I realized it because not long ago, you got drunk and forcefully kissed me.”

“Stop talking nonsense! Who forcefully kissed you?!” Gu Xian pulled his hand back as if he’d been burned, but there was nowhere to escape. “With your strength, like a damn wild ox, if you didn’t want it, how could I possibly kiss you?! Get off me! You’re so heavy! Hurry up and get off me!”

“You were the one who said you could help me. So now, are you planning to go back on your word, or…” Xie Yunjing’s eyes curved with a smile. “Are you scared?”

Xie Yunjing’s taunt left Gu Xian in a dilemma. If he said he wasn’t scared, it would be like willingly handing himself over to Xie Yunjing. But if he admitted he was scared, that was something he absolutely refused to acknowledge in front of him.

He glared resentfully at the crafty arch-enemy pressing down on him. “I don’t want to!”

“Hmm?”

“You like me now, and you’re fully aware of it, right? Well, let me make this clear—” Gu Xian emphasized each word, “I. Don’t. Want.”

So he likes me, huh? Then let him show some awareness of what liking someone entails!

Xie Yunjing chuckled. “But I think something like forceful conquest suits us better, right?”

Under Gu Xian’s wary gaze, he suddenly added, “Forget it. Who told me to like you, anyway?”

Gu Xian subtly let out a breath of relief but immediately put on a look of disdain. “Is this your latest trick to disgust me?”

Xie Yunjing didn’t bother explaining and instead answered with action.

He didn’t even close his eyes, simply gazing into Gu Xian’s wide, shocked eyes. He pried open his lips and teeth, invading his mouth, entangling Gu Xian’s stiff tongue, and forcing him to dance along.

“You—mmph—” The words of refusal were stuck in his throat, his attempts to push away ineffective, and his defiant glare only seemed to make things worse.

As he was kissed to the point of almost losing his breath, Gu Xian suddenly remembered he had another way to fight back.

With a loud clack, Gu Xian’s teeth collided forcefully.

Xie Yunjing, who had pulled back just in time, raised his eyebrow. “That harsh?”

Gu Xian, enduring the soreness in his gums, warned him, “Marital r||ape is still r||ape!”

Xie Yunjing couldn’t help but laugh again. While massaging Gu Xian’s sore gums, he calmly reassured him, “I won’t r||ape you.”

Even if the person he liked was his arch-enemy, he hadn’t sunk to the point of forcing himself on them.

Under Gu Xian’s distrustful and dissatisfied glare, Xie Yunjing explained, “Going back on your word deserves punishment.”

Gu Xian rolled his eyes at him without hesitation. “Get off me!”

The weight on him finally disappeared. Gu Xian pulled the blanket over himself, turned his back to Xie Yunjing, and lay down, putting on a clear “I’m going to sleep now” attitude.

Gu Xian was prideful, especially in front of his arch-enemy. Sleeping on the floor or in separate rooms, acts that symbolized retreat or weakness, were things he would never do, even though he was fully aware that his arch-enemy had begun to harbor designs on him.

Gu Xian, wary, only revealed the top of his head. Xie Yunjing leaned closer, stopping near his ear. “Good night.”

Irritated, Gu Xian tugged the blanket up even higher.

*

The next morning.

Everything about Xie Yunjing’s behavior during breakfast was completely normal, leaving Gu Xian in a daze, almost wondering if what happened last night was just a strange dream he had in the middle of the night.

Until—

When Uncle Kang turned his back, Xie Yunjing suddenly kissed him.

This kiss wasn’t as deep as the one last night. Xie Yunjing merely brushed against him, gently biting him twice before straightening up again.

“Good luck with work.” Xie Yunjing winked at him, then turned to Uncle Kang, who had just turned back. “I’m off to work, Uncle Kang. Goodbye.”

Xie Yunjing left decisively without a hint of hesitation, while Gu Xian was still struggling to decide what expression to wear on his face.

Uncle Kang asked in confusion, “Young Master Gu, did you forget something?”

Gu Xian gritted his teeth silently and then turned around with a forced smile. “I was just thinking about that—no, I didn’t forget anything. I’ll be off now, Uncle Kang.”

Once he got in the car and was out of sight, he angrily wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and then slammed a fist onto the steering wheel.

What the hell is Xie Yunjing up to?!

Even with his guard up, living under the same roof made it impossible for Gu Xian to prevent Xie Yunjing from stealing a kiss whenever he turned his head.

He couldn’t lose his temper in front of Uncle Kang, but as soon as he entered the bedroom, he immediately grabbed Xie Yunjing by the collar. “Has no one ever taught you that you can’t just kiss someone without their consent?!”

“Shy?”

“Bullshit!”

If the redness on Gu Xian’s face wasn’t so obvious, that “bullshit” might have been a bit more convincing.

He grabbed Xie Yunjing’s collar and shook it vigorously. “I’m teaching you right now that you can’t commit s||exual har||assment!”

“But you’re not losing out either, are you?”

Gu Xian choked for a moment. “That’s not a valid reason for you to kiss me without my consent!”

Xie Yunjing took two steps closer, looking at his face up close and lowering his voice. “Keep your voice down; Uncle Kang might hear you.”

Gu Xian hadn’t taken more than a few steps into the room before he couldn’t help but take action, making their current proximity to the door a bit too close for comfort.

He shook Xie Yunjing off and stormed over to sit by the bed, pulling out his phone with an attitude that clearly said he didn’t want to talk anymore.

Yet, the mattress beside him sank, and that irritating presence drew closer.

Gu Xian leaned back abruptly, dodging Xie Yunjing. “Haven’t you had enough?”

He sneered, “I don’t think you actually like me. You’ve probably caught some weird virus that can only be relieved by kissing people!”

“Maybe.” Xie Yunjing glanced at Gu Xian’s phone screen, which displayed a search result page.

—What kind of illness makes a person want to keep kissing others?

Xie Yunjing chuckled and began defending himself, emphasizing that he wasn’t sick. “From a practical standpoint, you and I are married. Kissing, hugging, and even going to bed together are legally recognized obligations between husbands. From an emotional standpoint, I like you, and wanting to kiss you is the most natural desire.”

Back when they got married, it was clearly meant to disgust Xie Yunjing and take advantage of him a little. How did it end up backfiring on him instead?!

Gu Xian tried once again to emphasize, “But you still need my consen—”

“And you look really cute after being kissed,” Xie Yunjing interrupted, while gently stroking the corner of Gu Xian’s eye with his thumb.

His eyes would widen, a subtle blush would appear at the corners, his lips would part slightly, his face full of surprise and confusion, yet there was absolutely no trace of disgust.

“Anyway, I’ve kissed you many times before. No need to be so hung up on it, right? Besides, you’ve never dated anyone before, don’t you have any need to let off some steam?”

Gu Xian’s lips twitched, and then he dodged Xie Yunjing’s hand. “Shut up!”

He wasn’t sure if he was losing his mind, but if he let Xie Yunjing continue acting so recklessly, he was truly going to lose completely.

He bit his lip and looked up.

He had to admit, kissing Xie Yunjing did feel pretty good, but…

“If you kiss me again without my permission, don’t even think about taking the next step!”

Author’s Note:

Xiao Gu: I must find a way to keep him under control!

Xiao Xie: Hehe 😀

Just a pair of scheming gay men, that’s all.