Jian Yang froze, holding his phone, and saw Guan Ciyan’s displeased expression in the mirror.

His heart skipped a beat. His fingers quietly moved to the center of the screen and ended the call.

“What’s wrong?” Guan Ciyan touched Jian Yang’s face from behind, his gaze heavy.

He had just returned to the private room when someone told him Jian Yang had gone out with a cake. When he found the restroom, he overheard Jian Yang saying not to tell him. His expression was flustered and sad, water dripping from his chin onto his chest, soaking a patch of his old cotton T-shirt.

Jian Yang was speechless, his mind completely blank.

“Who bullied you?” Guan Ciyan’s voice turned cold, the pressure in it making one want to escape.

Jian Yang took a deep breath. “No… nothing.”

“Sir.” Jian Yang lowered his eyes. “I prepared a gift for you, but I just found out someone bought it before me. So I thought… I wouldn’t tell you.”

“That’s all?” Guan Ciyan looked at him, as if he were about to cry. What kind of gift could make him this upset?

Jian Yang’s gaze flickered. He leaned back against Guan Ciyan’s chest, and the droplets on his eyelashes trembled before falling onto his cheek. “That’s all, sir.”

“It’s such a small thing,” Guan Ciyan murmured, “and you’re this upset.”

He turned Jian Yang around and pulled him into his arms. “What was the gift?”

Jian Yang looked up at him. “Do I really look that upset?”

“Very upset.” Guan Ciyan carefully wiped the water off Jian Yang’s face. “I thought someone had bullied you.”

Someone did.

After all his struggles, in the end, he was still just a stand-in.

He just wanted to know—had Guan Ciyan been with him because he was a stand-in, or did he fall in love with Jian Buqing afterward?

“Sir, you…”

“What’s wrong?” Guan Ciyan thought he was still unhappy. He kissed his forehead lightly. “Why are you hesitating?”

“You promised me I’d be the only one. Do you still remember?” Jian Yang couldn’t help but ask.

He could accept being physically involved with Guan Ciyan—it was just between men, no one owed anyone anything. But if Guan Ciyan was also keeping the same relationship with Jian Buqing, it would disgust him.

“Of course.” Guan Ciyan lifted Jian Yang’s chin. “Did something happen? Tell me, Jian Yang.”

Jian Yang shook his head. “Then… have you kept that promise?”

Guan Ciyan looked at the traces of water at the corners of Jian Yang’s eyes. To avoid scaring him, he deliberately relaxed his tone. “Why? Have I not been satisfying you lately?”

“Where would I find the time for someone else?”

Jian Yang’s face flushed red, and he lowered his head.

Thinking about their recent frequency, Guan Ciyan shouldn’t have had the energy for someone else. And considering that every time he came, it lasted more than an hour, he had never disappeared long enough for an affair.

Jian Yang exhaled.

Good. Jian Buqing wasn’t interested in him—Guan Jingyu was the real one in control.

“Jian Yang.” Guan Ciyan’s tone turned sharp. “What do you mean by sighing in relief? Are you really not satisfied?”

Jian Yang weakly looked up and half-heartedly denied, “No.”

That response only made him seem more dissatisfied.

Guan Ciyan grabbed the back of Jian Yang’s head, forcing him to keep his face up. “Are you really upset about this?”

“Mm.” Jian Yang didn’t bother explaining and couldn’t think of a better excuse. “I just feel like you weren’t giving it your all and still had the energy to flirt with others.”

“You!” Guan Ciyan tightened his grip, pulling Jian Yang against him. “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

Jian Yang didn’t think he was wrong and looked at Guan Ciyan defiantly. “Haven’t you had inappropriate thoughts about someone else?”

Guan Ciyan didn’t say a word. He just captured Jian Yang’s lips, without any foreplay, invading his mouth aggressively. That soft lower lip had long been accustomed to being toyed with—when he bit down gently, Jian Yang would tremble uncontrollably. Guan Ciyan’s tongue scraped along the seam of his lips, coaxing his tongue out and sucking on it repeatedly.

The empty restroom echoed with intimate sounds.

As the familiar scent of warm wood engulfed him, Jian Yang’s panic transformed into overwhelming sadness. His tightly shut eyes released two silent tears.

Even after witnessing Guan Ciyan standing next to Jian Buqing with his own eyes, he still couldn’t let go of his attachment.

Would he have agreed so easily to sleep with any other man?

Hadn’t he left home so many times, secretly hoping Guan Ciyan would come after him and beg him to return?

Every time he threw a small tantrum, wasn’t it because he expected Guan Ciyan to coax him back?

He was spoiled. Guan Ciyan made him breakfast every morning, prepared clothes for him throughout the seasons, and even lowered himself to beg Su Lao for him.

So annoying.

He had always reminded himself to stay cautious, to never fall too deep.

He thought he had controlled himself well.

But the warmth had slowly seeped into him over time, fusing into his flesh and bones without him even noticing.

The salty taste of tears slipped between their lips. Guan Ciyan was about to pull away when Jian Yang suddenly wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pressing closer, taking control, deepening the kiss.

“Yang… Yang…” Guan Ciyan’s voice was slightly unsteady.

The loose T-shirt couldn’t block the rising body heat. Guan Ciyan’s hands roamed Jian Yang’s waist, lifting him onto the sink counter—their height difference now perfect for kissing. Jian Yang tilted his head up, pressing forward, eliminating every last inch of space between them.

Their shared heat rose. Lips and tongues entwined, and something else stirred uncontrollably.

Jian Yang had never been this proactive before. He had always been the one to endure, never passionate. This time, he bit down hard enough to taste blood. Guan Ciyan felt his blood rush backward, an overwhelming urge to devour him whole.

Pa—

The bathroom door was pushed open.

Jian Yang instantly sobered up and forcefully pushed Guan Ciyan away with an unprecedented strength. At the same time, he jumped down from the sink and splashed another handful of water on his face in the mirror.

It was Bai Shun, supporting a drunken Wen Ye as they entered. He glanced at the two of them and said to Wen Ye, “I’ll be right outside. Call me if you need anything.”

Wen Ye drowsily hummed in response and entered a stall.

Bai Shun walked over to the sink to wash his hands while Jian Yang kept his head down, continuously washing his face. Bai Shun glanced at him but said nothing. As he passed by Guan Ciyan, he lowered his voice and said, “Go back to the hotel. Don’t do this here. Show some respect.”

Guan Ciyan’s back ached from the impact, and he was just about to explain when Wen Ye emerged from the stall. Bai Shun helped him out, leaving without another word.

Guan Ciyan let out a helpless chuckle, pulled out a tissue, and wiped Jian Yang’s face. “Enough, they’re gone.”

Jian Yang’s ears turned red, and he murmured softly, “Mm.”

“You’ve made some real progress in the gym, huh?” Guan Ciyan teased, trying to lighten the mood.

“S-Sorry, does it hurt?”

Jian Yang hadn’t held back earlier; he had heard the loud thud when Guan Ciyan hit the wall.

“It doesn’t.” Guan Ciyan tossed the tissue aside, pulling Jian Yang back into his arms, their bodies pressing together just enough to feel each other’s reactions.

He whispered into Jian Yang’s shoulder, “Yangyang, let’s go back to the hotel.”

Jian Yang was struggling too. Men were creatures ruled by their lower halves—this was undeniable.

“…Mm.”

With that single word of consent, Guan Ciyan grabbed Jian Yang’s hand and strode towards the underground parking lot, practically shoving him into the car.

“Raise the partition,” Guan Ciyan ordered the driver in a cold, clipped tone.

The moment the divider went up, Guan Ciyan pulled Jian Yang into his embrace once more. His kisses came down in an overwhelming storm.

Jian Yang found himself trapped in the small space between the seat and the car door, his chest pinned firmly against Guan Ciyan’s body. The kissing skills he had recently worked so hard to improve were rendered useless due to the lack of oxygen caused by his squashed position.

His lips and tongue were sealed off, giving him the suffocating illusion of drowning. He was powerless to resist the man’s dominant onslaught. The familiar scent of wood and spice clung to Guan Ciyan like an intoxicating drug, ensnaring his senses. There was no escape—not that he wanted one.

By the time the kiss ended, Jian Yang’s fingers were weakly hooked around Guan Ciyan’s neck, his body trembling slightly. His mouth had been ravaged so thoroughly that saliva leaked from the seam of their still-touching lips, leaving a glossy sheen.

The car had been parked in the hotel’s underground garage for quite some time.

Guan Ciyan finally pulled back, his palm pressed against Jian Yang’s heaving back. He licked at the corner of his lips, leaving a lingering kiss on his cheek.

“Still don’t know how to breathe properly during a kiss?” Guan Ciyan smirked, helping him sit upright in the seat.

Jian Yang’s chest rose and fell rapidly as he adjusted his breathing, turning his head away.

A wave of regret washed over him.

He had lost his chance to take control—forever.

The difference in their physical strength was undeniable.

If he were the one on top, Guan Ciyan would probably be feeding him kidney supplements every day just to keep up.

“What are you so shy about?” Guan Ciyan pressed his forehead against Jian Yang’s. “You were biting me like crazy just a second ago.”

“I wasn’t…” Jian Yang’s lips were dry, and his voice was hoarse.

Guan Ciyan exhaled roughly against his skin. “Yangyang, have you rested enough? Let’s go upstairs.”

Jian Yang lowered his gaze.

Guan Ciyan only ever called him that when he was turned on.

It was intimate.

It was seductive.

Jian Yang’s body responded to it, waves of heat rising within him. He gave a shallow nod.

Guan Ciyan took his hand and led him out of the car. Under the surveillance cameras, it was just a simple hand-hold—nothing to suggest the wild things they had done in the backseat.

But Jian Yang’s oversized T-shirt was wrinkled and damp with sweat, clinging to his skin. His face was flushed with a faint pink, and he only dared to look at the ground.

Guan Ciyan traced his palm with a teasing touch, his fingers slipping between Jian Yang’s and applying just enough pressure to stretch them apart. His knuckles were thick, almost too large for Jian Yang’s slimmer fingers, yet he deliberately squeezed them tight, rubbing each one slowly.

Jian Yang swallowed hard, drawing in a sharp breath of air.

Guan Ciyan leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Yangyang, are you thirsty?”

“…No.” Jian Yang forced himself to sound calm.

“But I am,” Guan Ciyan murmured, wrapping his entire hand around Jian Yang’s.

Ding—

The elevator doors opened.

Before Jian Yang could react, Guan Ciyan tugged him inside. They hurried down the hallway, practically running, before slamming the door to their hotel room shut.

Jian Yang was shoved against the door. His old, sweat-dampened T-shirt was yanked over his head in one swift motion, disappearing like a magician’s trick.

The air conditioning inside was cool, and the door was icy to the touch. Jian Yang instinctively flinched away, pressing forward to escape the cold—only to be slammed back into place.

The chill never fully reached his back. A warm hand was there, acting as a barrier.

Their interrupted kiss resumed, hotter and more urgent than before.

Jian Yang shivered, pressing his body closer. The thin dress shirt separating them was useless against Guan Ciyan’s scorching heat.

The difference in temperature—warmth in front, cold behind—made Jian Yang tremble.

“Sir… it’s cold…” he whimpered.