Chapter 29 “Bed or Bathroom.”

After the door opened, Jiang Yao was half-embraced from behind by Duan Zhuxian as he was pushed inside. He quickly put some distance between them.

Duan Zhuxian seemed to have acquired a new tactic recently, frequently making ambiguous comments that had a particularly strong impact, causing Jiang Yao’s heart to race uncontrollably. It felt like his vulnerabilities were being exposed, leaving him momentarily unable to respond.

In truth, such taunts weren’t new in the world of men—things like “Daddy loves you” or “Be my wife” were common banter among his group of friends.

But with Duan Zhuxian, his throat seemed to get blocked by his heartbeat, rendering him speechless.

Even just imagining it made him break out in a sweat, and his toes curling into the floor.

It must be because he didn’t have Duan Zhuxian’s thick skin!

To avoid revealing his weakness, Jiang Yao chose to ignore it. He changed into his slippers after entering, but his ears still burned from the phrase “model husband.”

A friend from the racing event sent Jiang Yao a message: [Check out the trending topic!!!]

Jiang Yao casually opened the link his friend sent and froze.

Twenty minutes ago, Zhang Sheng’s pre-debut drug history had been exposed, and it was now a raging topic online. Comments demanding his retirement and apology had already reached the tens of thousands.

Jiang Yao sneered. This guy really was capable of any evil deed.

The exposé came from Xinrui Weekly, a highly credible media outlet known for exclusive stories on well-known celebrities. Reporting on a minor figure like Zhang Sheng was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. With photos and records from his detention, there was no room for any public relations maneuvers.

As for Zhang Sheng himself, he could essentially be covered with a white sheet and carried out.

The ability to leverage Xinrui’s resources and do so with such ruthless efficiency likely involved Duan Zhuxian.

Jiang Yao looked up to see Duan Zhuxian already in the living room, heading towards the kitchen island filled with tea sets.

Making a pot of tea after coming home was Duan Zhuxian’s habit, though he didn’t always drink it. Most of the time, he simply waited for the aroma to fill the air.

Jiang Yao had seen this several times, always feeling that Duan Zhuxian looked like a refined scoundrel behind the tea’s smoke.

Putting away his phone, Jiang Yao asked, “How did you know right away that it was Duan Feiyi trying to set you up?”

“Because it’s not the first time.”

Duan Zhuxian, having washed his hands, was placing tea leaves into the pot. Standing under the small pendant light at the island, half of his face was in shadow, giving him an oddly sinister look.

Then, in another moment, it seemed like just a trick of the light.

Jiang Yao narrowed his eyes. “You’ve never told me any of this, about your brother.”

He hadn’t intended to pry into Duan Zhuxian’s private matters, but with Duan Feiyi scheming against him, he couldn’t stay in the dark and be manipulated.

Jiang Yao walked to the sofa opposite Duan Zhuxian, sat down, crossed his arms, and raised a leg. “So, what’s the real deal between you two?”

For a moment, the steady stream of water from the teapot spout interrupted before resuming its flow into the cup.

“When we were younger, there were some minor conflicts,” Duan Zhuxian said nonchalantly, holding the teapot. “Like blaming me for his mistakes, damaging my personal belongings without permission, and teaming up with his mother to try to kick me out of the Duan family.”

Seeing Jiang Yao’s surprised expression, Duan Zhuxian paused.

“And then, during the college entrance exams, he remotely paid off a student abroad to switch out my exam admission ticket.”

Jiang Yao’s eyebrows knitted tighter and tighter until they could crush a fly.

He vividly remembered that day.

A crowd of teachers and students had gathered in front of the exam hall. In the center stood Duan Zhuxian, looking displeased. Jiang Yao had walked by, pulled someone aside to ask, and found out that Duan Zhuxian had lost his admission ticket.

Time had passed, and Jiang Yao could no longer accurately describe his feelings from that day. However, the sense of being struck hard was still vivid. His mind had gone blank, as if all the blood in his body had suddenly flowed backward.

Standing in the chaos created by the scorching sun and the cicadas’ drone, there was a moment when he felt even more anxious than Duan Zhuxian seemed to be.

What if Duan Zhuxian couldn’t get into B University because of the missing admission ticket?

He couldn’t distinguish whether he was worried about Duan Zhuxian’s future or simply didn’t want to lose a rival he could continue competing with at B University.

Even later, when this event reoccurred in his nightmares, he asked himself the same question and still couldn’t find an answer.

Fortunately, the admission ticket was found through surveillance.

Though in the end, Duan Zhuxian changed his initial plan and didn’t go to B University but instead applied to Q University, just like Shen Tang…

How is this considered Duan Zhuxian’s “small quarrel”? It’s already far beyond the scope of sibling rivalry; it’s pure bullying, determined to make the other person’s life miserable.

“If I were you, even ten lives wouldn’t be enough for him to squander.”

Jiang Yao’s face was as dark as iron, and his voice was chillingly cold, unlike his usual tone.

The tea’s fragrance wafted up, and Duan Zhuxian set down the tea set, glancing at Jiang Yao with a slight upward curve of his lips.

He understood Jiang Yao well. If Jiang Yao had been in that situation, he would never have done something as foolish as fighting a losing battle, because Jiang Yao, like him, was someone who assessed the situation carefully. Despite his often aggressive demeanor, Jiang Yao knew when to lie low and wait for the right moment.

On major issues, he and Jiang Yao shared almost identical views.

Sometimes, looking at Jiang Yao was like looking in a mirror. Through their contrasting exteriors, he could check whether his own core principles were still aligned.

But he liked seeing Jiang Yao stand up for him.

It was irrational and incredibly endearing.

“Do you want to keep listening?” Duan Zhuxian asked.

“No,” Jiang Yao replied darkly.

He feared he wouldn’t be able to control his temper and would go back to beat Duan Feiyi up.

Duan Zhuxian noticed Jiang Yao’s clenched fists and smiled.

Even if Jiang Yao wanted to hear more, he wasn’t planning on saying anything further.

For example, more than a decade ago, when he first showed his potential, Elder Duan called him to the old house for a talk. Young Duan Feiyi, out of jealousy, attempted to stage a car accident, hoping he would never return.

Later, when the plot was exposed and the evidence was irrefutable, he dragged Duan Feiyi in front of Duan Song. After He Lu found out, she cried and made a scene, but in the end, Duan Song brushed it off with “a younger brother’s immaturity,” and forbade anyone from mentioning it again.

Duan Zhuxian didn’t want Jiang Yao to know the darker, more fragmented parts of his life. 

In front of someone you like, you always want to show your best self.

It was a bit of his selfishness.

Duan Zhuxian said, “Getting you involved was my oversight.”

Jiang Yao raised an eyebrow, completely unconcerned. “We’re married now, so stop with the hindsight. Do I look like someone who’s afraid of trouble?”

Duan Zhuxian chuckled and poured a steaming cup of tea. “Want some?”

“Sure,” Jiang Yao replied, feeling a bit thirsty. He lazily stood up, muttering as he walked towards Duan Zhuxian, “I don’t get what’s so great about this stuff. Every business meeting, people always insist on offering tea.”

Jiang Yao leaned casually against the outside of the island, with his elbow on the counter. He extended a few fingers carelessly, as if ordering a drink from a bartender, still mulling over the situation with Duan Feiyi.

When the tea was handed to him, he blew on it haphazardly a couple of times and took a sip, bracing for the usual bitterness. Instead, his expression softened in surprise. “Why is it sweet? Did you add sugar?”

Duan Zhuxian said, “You can’t handle tea that’s too bitter.”

Normally, Jiang Yao would have taken Duan Zhuxian’s words as a jab at his pampered upbringing. But at this moment, holding a cup of fragrant, sweet tea and having just heard Duan Zhuxian recount his harrowing past, Jiang Yao couldn’t muster his usual defensiveness. Even his reflexive responses seemed to fail him.

It was a strange feeling, as if the meticulously guarded man before him had suddenly opened a door to his heart for a brief moment, allowing Jiang Yao to peer inside before pushing him out again, leaving his thoughts unsettled.

Jiang Yao finished the tea and handed the cup back to Duan Zhuxian, signaling for a refill.

Under the overhead light, Jiang Yao noticed the faint dark circles under Duan Zhuxian’s eyes, a rare sign of fatigue.

He had always thought of someone like Duan Zhuxian, an overachiever, as being invincible.

Thinking about how Duan Zhuxian had traveled between two cities non-stop and, without resting, had rushed to the racetrack to handle his situation, Jiang Yao felt a small, unexpected stir of emotion.

They finished the small pot of tea together. Duan Zhuxian rolled up his sleeves and began to clean the tea set with swift, and elegant movements. His forearm muscles cast beautiful shadows under the light.

Jiang Yao propped his chin on his hands, watching idly. He suddenly realized that Duan Zhuxian had a pair of exceptionally attractive hands—long fingers, broad palms, even the prominent knuckles had a certain allure.

As a man, Duan Zhuxian’s physical attributes were undoubtedly perfect, and Jiang Yao had always acknowledged this. But now, it felt like there was more to that perfection.

Perhaps it was the familiarity or the years of aesthetic fatigue, but Jiang Yao had never been able to pinpoint his most admired feature on Duan Zhuxian. It was like looking at a blinding light, too glaring to focus on any one part.

This was the first time he noticed something different.

Duan Zhuxian’s hands were exceptional, even mesmerizing, especially when they held him. The slight bulge of veins on the back, the perfect balance of speed, grip strength, and warmth of his palm…

Jiang Yao’s thoughts started to wander in an unspoken direction as he stared, lost in his own musings. Suddenly, a deep voice broke his reverie. “Are you hurt?”

Looking up, he instinctively followed Duan Zhuxian’s gaze to the tea table where a medical kit and some ointment for swelling and pain relief were scattered.

“Oh,” Jiang Yao responded, pointing to his back nonchalantly. “Just a minor bump at the club last night, around the shoulder blade. It’s already healed.”

The bunch of losers that Li Ruizhi brought were like chickens pecking at rice in a fight. Even though they ganged up on him, they didn’t break his skin. Plus, with his strong physique, the dull pain had dissipated within a day.

“Really?” Duan Zhuxian raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. He lifted his hand to Jiang Yao’s nape, his fingers brushed his skin and slipped into his collar. “I need to check.”

His voice was low on the last part.

Jiang Yao squinted at him. “Where do you want to check?”

The floor inside the island was slightly elevated, allowing Duan Zhuxian to lean in closer, with his elbow resting on the counter. His warm breath descended from above, hitting the nape of Jiang Yao’s neck, stirring a certain wild, reckless muscle memory beneath his skin.

“Bed or the bathroom, your choice.”

Jiang Yao rolled his eyes, having expected Duan Zhuxian’s ulterior motives.