A shameful sense of loss gripped Zhou Jun’s heart as he watched Yong Jin’s body move backward. His body reacted before his mind did, and by the time he realized what was happening, his fingers had already caught the edge of Yong Jin’s clothing. Yong Jin paused, his gaze dropping to look at Zhou Jun’s hand. The phone rang again, more urgently this time, causing Zhou Jun to let go, leaving creases in the fabric where his fingers had been.

When Yong Jin stood up to answer the phone, Zhou Jun sat up straight on the bed, adjusting his clothing and retying his sash. They now seemed as if nothing had happened, as if they hadn’t just been rolling around in bed, desperately wanting to swallow each other whole. Yong Jin leaned against the table, holding the receiver, his voice polite and gentlemanly as he nodded occasionally.

From the bed, Zhou Jun noticed that several buttons on Yong Jin’s clothes were undone.

The vest was over the shirt, and the watch chain was tangled in the vest’s buttons. This left his chest partly exposed, revealing a hint of pink that indicated his arousal. Zhou Jun suddenly realized that he had never actually seen Yong Jin’s body before.

After Yong Jin hung up the phone, he said to him, “It’s your older brother.” Zhou Jun was startled and didn’t have time to digest the information before he saw Yong Jin’s smile fade slightly. “Your brother is very angry about your situation; he is on his way here.” Zhou Jun instinctively replied, “I have a wife.” As soon as he said this, he seemed to notice Yong Jin’s expression freeze.

His smile gradually fade, Yong Jin crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, asking, “What does Mr. Zhou mean by that?” Zhou Jun swallowed a sip of tea, not looking at him but instead gazing out the window. “Sorry, I just said that off the top of my head.” Suddenly, Zhou Jun remembered, “How does my brother know about what happened? Did you tell him?”

Yong Jin shook his head, “No.” 

He wanted to ask, what exactly was going on between you and my elder brother? But the words never left his mouth. Surely, it couldn’t be what he was imagining. Perhaps it was all because of what Yong Jin had done to him that made him overthink; his elder brother wasn’t that kind of person.

Recalling how his elder brother warned him to stay away from Yong Jin, it seemed that the relationship between the Zhou Family and the Yong Family was indeed delicate. Now that his elder brother was coming personally to the Yong Family to find his foolish younger brother, he certainly wouldn’t be pleased. It’s possible he’d confine him and cut his allowance, forcing him to stay home obediently for a while.

Zhou Jun glanced at the somewhat inappropriate robe he was wearing, “Does the Major General have any other clothes?” Yong Jin seemed not to understand his request and replied, “Is this one not good?” Zhou Jun gave an awkward smile, “It’s just not very presentable.” He heard the man snort, as if mocking his idea of presentability, “With women, you don’t seem to care about being presentable.”

These words left Zhou Jun feeling anxious; he frowned, wondering if Yong Jin was really following him. Had the earlier incident in the car with that lady also been spied upon? Hence, he jumped up, feigning anger, “You’re actually following me. Did you see something? I don’t like this.”

Perhaps moved by the innocence in his tone, Yong Jin said, “So before I saved you, you really did something.” This statement, linked back and forth, left Zhou Jun feeling both stifled and reluctant to say more. The more he said, the more mistakes he’d make; no wonder his elder brother advised him to stay away from Yong Jin.

Wanting to change the subject, he tried to steer away from it, “Did you hear the tune I played for you?” Yong Jin walked past him, heading to the bathroom to wash his hands. His voice emerged from inside, calm and unhurried, “I heard it, why?” Zhou Jun couldn’t continue; he felt utterly embarrassed, as if turned into a joke.

Yong Jin came out of the bathroom, wiping his hands with a towel, and remarked critically, “Didn’t play well, the tune was all off.”

Zhou Jun remained silent, sitting quietly in his chair, frowning at Yong Jin who had just emerged from the bathroom. His gaze was both scrutinizing and puzzled as he pondered why he had gone astray. Aren’t women good? Man like Yong Jin shouldn’t be provoked; it’s a waste of effort and time, and nothing good comes from it. He admitted that being with Yong Jin elicited a secret thrill that brought him a shameful pleasure.

But this pleasure would inevitably come to an end one day, and there was a price to pay. Yet, he was irresistibly tempted, thinking about it all the time. Knowing that it was unwise, he still did it, and this might be the retribution for setting his own fire. He adored Yong Jin’s handsome face too much. When he leaned out of the window and looked at him, he knew he liked that face.

Whenever he saw Yong Jin, any thoughts of Miss Wen or the beautiful Shirley vanished completely. Yong Jin observed Zhou Jun’s transition from annoyance to sudden realization, not knowing what was on his mind. He fixed his gaze steadily on him and finding it amusing, he gradually approached Zhou Jun step by step.

Zhou Jun was a true young master, his face was fair and soft. His white neck, surrounded by the dark patterns of silk, still bore faint fingerprints. Yong Jin thought absentmindedly about how he had been a little too rough earlier, and he felt little regret. Zhou Jun was just too delicate, easily hurt with a single touch.

This fragility made him even more captivating. Yong Jin liked rare and special things, and Zhou Jun fit his taste, just like his favorite horse, his beloved wine, and his most trusted gun. He reached out to touch Zhou Jun’s face. Zhou Jun’s long lashes lowered, and without realizing it, he adorably rubbed his cheek against Yong Jin’s palm.

Thinking of the taste of their earlier kiss, Yong Jin’s throat tightened, feeling the urge to go for another. His eyes drifted down, noticing that Zhou Jun’s hand was already on his shoulder, lips slightly parted as if waiting for a kiss. His fingers lightly scratched Yong Jin’s shoulder, the sound of nails brushing the fabric filled with unspoken anticipation.

But Yong Jin pulled back again, grabbing Zhou Jun’s wandering hand and pressing it down. Like a polite host, he said, “I’ll have someone bring you some clothes, Mr. Zhou. Would you like some afternoon tea?”

Zhou Jun was startled and mumbled a soft response, eventually signaling that he didn’t want any tea. When Yong Jin left the room, Zhou Jun threw himself onto the bed, burying his face into the soft pillow, rubbing it furiously out of frustration.

The clothes Yong Jin sent were a long robe embroidered with dark patterns. After getting dressed, someone came to escort Zhou Jun downstairs. As he descended the staircase, he saw who was sitting on the large brown leather chair in the hall and immediately wanted to turn back.

But it was too late; he had already come down, and his older brother, Zhou Yan, was staring right at him. His brother’s face was dark with anger, and Zhou Jun knew that if they weren’t in the Yong household, the tea cup in his brother’s hand would likely have been thrown at him by now.

Zhou Jun’s expression was odd, but Yong Jin didn’t seem to care. He held onto Zhou Jun, like he was helping a pregnant woman, with one arm around his waist and the other supporting him. It almost seemed like he wanted to carry him down the stairs. Zhou Jun, not happy with this, tried to push Yong Jin’s hand away but couldn’t, so he had no choice but to let Yong Jin help him to the sofa, all while feeling his older brother’s piercing gaze.

Yong Jin, acting unaware of the tension, said to Zhou Yan, “I’ve always respected you, Mr. Zhou, but what happened to Jun Jun after he left your house really concerns me. I care about him and don’t want him to get hurt, so I hope you can understand.”

Zhou Yan smiled coldly and said, “How could I not? General Yong has been so attentive, even looking after my family.”