Chapter 30 “One More Time.”

Jiang Yao, with his hands in his pockets, leisurely walked around the dining area, heading towards the independent bathroom on the first floor. Before entering, he took off his short jacket.

The man behind him followed closely, locking the door behind them as if committing a crime.

“Let’s do the check-up here.”

Standing face to face, Jiang Yao ignored Duan Zhuxian’s deep gaze, which seemed to suck him in. He nonchalantly unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt. Just as he was about to turn around, Duan Zhuxian grabbed the back of his neck again.

Jiang Yao paused, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Without a word, Duan Zhuxian, still holding Jiang Yao in that position, pressed him into his chest with one hand, his other hand sliding down the collar and directly to his back.

Caught off guard, Jiang Yao staggered, his chin hitting Duan Zhuxian’s shoulder, nearly knocking him out. He cursed, “You bastard,” but the sudden tremor in his Adam’s apple made him unable to finish the curse.

The hand on his back traced down his sensitive spine, counting each vertebra, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, sometimes pinching, sometimes rubbing. It was unclear if it was tormenting or igniting, but it definitely had nothing to do with checking his injuries.

His collar had long since fallen apart, exposing not just one shoulder blade, but half of his back to the air. His skin reacted endlessly to the stimulation, while Duan Zhuxian’s actions became even more unhurried.

Jiang Yao, feeling slightly annoyed at being teased, raised his head and forcibly put some distance between himself and Duan Zhuxian, shaking his shoulder to return the collar that had slipped down to his upper arm back to its original position.

“Did you see clearly?” Jiang Yao asked.

Duan Zhuxian stepped closer, his lips near Jiang Yao’s ear as he whispered two words: “Not yet.”

Only a fool would believe that!

Jiang Yao rolled his eyes dramatically. “Are you blind?”

Without a word, Duan Zhuxian responded with the sound of Jiang Yao’s shirt being pulled out from his waistband.

Jiang Yao tried to stop him but failed.

He said irritably, “You’re not just blind; you’re deaf too. I told you the injury is on the upper part…”

But soon, he couldn’t say anything more…

Over ten minutes later, Duan Zhuxian chuckled lightly, “Seems like you’ve been holding it in for quite a while.”

Jiang Yao, breathing unsteadily in the aftermath, didn’t deny it.

Ever since that day when Jiang Yao set the “three rules” for Duan Zhuxian, Duan Zhuxian hadn’t sought him out for such things again, as if a ravenous beast had suddenly donned human skin and transformed back into a gentleman.

Of course, Duan Zhuxian wouldn’t mention it, and Jiang Yao was determined not to take the initiative either. The most recent related incident was just yesterday morning, when Duan Zhuxian used his hand to “wake him up.”

Actually, when Duan Zhuxian was touching him at the kitchen island earlier, Jiang Yao’s mind was already wandering, and his body responded quite honestly. Duan Zhuxian must have noticed. Men naturally lack willpower in this regard; it’s nothing shameful.

But he just didn’t want to see Duan Zhuxian always so confident and smug about such matters. He would rather frustrate Duan Zhuxian, making him want but unable to have.

Before long, the sound of rushing water echoed in the bathroom. Skin exposed to the warm air ignited instantly, the scorching tongues of flame penetrating flesh, exploding with significant force, pushing their souls to chase each other…

From the bathroom to the bedroom.

Like a boat cast off anchor being dragged into a whirlpool, with seawater lapping at an unreachable shore.

*

The ship docked, and the bed sheets were a mess.

Jiang Yao, using the last of his energy, flipped over and sat on Duan Zhuxian, ignoring his own heavy breathing, vindictively pressing all his weight onto Duan Zhuxian’s abdomen.

Duan Zhuxian, half-draped in a nightshirt, leaned against the headboard, calmly texting someone on his phone. He showed no sign of discomfort, as if he wasn’t bearing the weight of a grown man. His other hand teasingly caressed Jiang Yao’s back.

Jiang Yao’s skin was smooth, an exceptional tactile sensation, especially the undulating line from his spine to his waist and hips, perfectly fitting the shape of Duan Zhuxian’s palm. Whether arched or flattened, it matched his hand seamlessly.

Seeing Duan Zhuxian remain motionless, Jiang Yao lowered his eyes and glared at him. “Are you really a beast in disguise? Don’t you ever get tired?”

Duan Zhuxian lifted his eyelids. “Not even two hours, and you’re tired?”

Alright, you’re good at retorts.

Jiang Yao shut his mouth, afraid to reveal that he was exhausted because it had been a while since he’d indulged so excessively.

Earlier, he had even thought Duan Zhuxian seemed a bit tired, feeling a small pang of sympathy for him rushing to the racetrack in such a hurry.

In the end, it was Jiang Yao who got exhausted from trying to torment Duan Zhuxian. He gave up pretending to be strong, threw on some clothes, and leaned against the headboard to rest.

For no reason, he thought of yesterday, recalling Chen Yiqi’s phrase “to die under a peony blossom,” and lightly kicked Duan Zhuxian.

It should be a carnivorous flower, the kind that devours people without leaving a trace.

For a long time, neither of them spoke.

Jiang Yao broke the silence first. “Do you know about your brother’s gambling?”

Duan Zhuxian paused. “Gambling?”

Jiang Yao replied with a “hmm” and turned to face Duan Zhuxian. “The way he plays cards is very professional. Sometimes he slips into gambling jargon, and his eyes… only someone addicted to gambling has that look.”

Duan Zhuxian studied Jiang Yao’s serious expression, raising an eyebrow. “You know about these things?”

Jiang Yao rolled his eyes at him. “Stop questioning me and just admit you don’t know.”

He hated this tone of Duan Zhuxian’s the most, as if doubting his abilities, making him always want to prove himself in front of Duan Zhuxian. By the time he realized it, he had already spent too much time and energy on Duan Zhuxian.

So much so that half of his life from high school until now had been overshadowed by someone.

Duan Zhuxian nodded, deliberately teasing Jiang Yao. “I forgot you like to play cards.”

Jiang Yao took the bait immediately, eager to explain. “I only play Dou Dizhu; it’s rare that we actually bet money. At most, it’s just small-time gambling for fun. A few years ago, when I was traveling to a casino, I watched some internal games. Those were all seasoned gamblers.”

After he finished, he stared directly at Duan Zhuxian’s expression, waiting until Duan Zhuxian ambiguously responded with an “hmm.”

Jiang Yao frowned. “You don’t believe me?”

Though it was expected, Jiang Yao’s reaction was still endearing to Duan Zhuxian, causing a smile to tug at the corners of his lips.

Of course, he believed him.

Duan Zhuxian knew better than anyone that despite Jiang Yao’s arrogant and proud demeanor, he was actually a model young man with a clean background, like a fierce yet clear ray of sunshine that had once swept away many of the shadows in his heart.

Moreover, Jiang Yao had always had an excellent memory and deductive ability. Back in school, he was a naturally gifted student, scoring nearly perfect marks in math, physics, and chemistry. To him, the people and events in the world were simply divided into those he cared to notice and those he didn’t.

“Mm, you’re a good kid,” Duan Zhuxian said.

Jiang Yao was at a loss for words, unable to tell if Duan Zhuxian was complimenting him, teasing him, or taking the opportunity to lower his status and take advantage of him.

As they spoke, that restless hand of Duan Zhuxian’s touched him again. Jiang Yao didn’t evade it, his waist firmly pulled to Duan Zhuxian’s steaming bare chest by a strong arm.

Jiang Yao wondered if Duan Zhuxian had some sort of skin hunger because he always liked to touch him after they were done, despite having the same parts himself.

He asked Duan Zhuxian, “Don’t you have any thoughts on what I just said?”

“Yes,” Duan Zhuxian replied, this time not questioning him. “I hadn’t noticed these things before. I’m wondering where he got the money to gamble.”

Seeing Duan Zhuxian’s rare humble attitude, Jiang Yao felt quite gratified and continued, “Last night, after running into him at the club, I got bored and asked a friend to look into it. It turns out he has quite a reputation at the casino over there. His win rate isn’t high, but he spends a lot of money.”

Seeing Duan Zhuxian’s thoughtful expression, Jiang Yao narrowed his eyes. “Looks like I’ve sold you some major intel?”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “Mm, name your price.”

Jiang Yao asked, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll make a huge demand?”

Duan Zhuxian smiled. “Anything except a divorce certificate. You can have whatever you want.”

“What does a divorce certificate have to do with this? Even if you wanted to give it to me, I wouldn’t take it. I wouldn’t push Jiang Li into a pit of fire,” Jiang Yao muttered, then his eyes brightened as if he thought of something fun. “I’ll keep it in mind for now and ask you later.”

“Okay,” Duan Zhuxian agreed readily.

He knew Jiang Yao was deliberately baiting him, trying to keep him on the hook, but he was willing to bite and looked forward to the day Jiang Yao would reel him in with a surprise.

The arm around Jiang Yao’s waist tightened, and before long, they were both sweating again, their bodies sticking together.

After going home and having a pot of tea, they started fooling around, finishing dinner only around midnight.

In the study, Duan Zhuxian sat in front of the computer with a cold expression, listening to the recording that assistant Lin had sent over.

In the audio recording, Li Ruizhi’s tone was uneasy, as if he was under some kind of duress, and he fully confessed to the person questioning him about blocking Jiang Yao at the bar’s entrance last night.

The bruises on Jiang Yao’s back likely came from this incident. Although they had mostly faded, if you looked closely, you could still see a ring of brownish spots, resembling the marks left by being hit with a stick or something similar. It was definitely not as simple as Jiang Yao had explained, saying he had just bumped into something.

Talking about the group beating, Li Ruizhi tried to justify himself: “Although it was many against one, we absolutely didn’t get any advantage. On the contrary, we were the ones who got beaten up badly. Young Master Jiang initially didn’t want to bother with us, but the moment he heard someone slandering Mr. Duan, he went crazy and taught each of us a lesson. Oh, and by the way, the one who first slandered Mr. Duan wasn’t me, I only heard the rumors from Duan Feiyi!”

“Young Master Jiang also said that from now on, no one is allowed to speak ill of Mr. Duan, no matter who it is, or it would be on my head, and I would regret it.”

By the end, Li Ruizhi was almost incoherent, and his descriptive words contained some degree of exaggeration.

But Duan Zhuxian was still very surprised.

When it came to Jiang Yao, he could hardly associate words like “went crazy” with himself. 

Yet, he had indeed driven Jiang Yao crazy a few times before.

Jiang Yao had long made his feelings clear to him: dislike, resistance, incompatibility… he had practically used every negative word. Duan Zhuxian had accepted this a long time ago, even growing accustomed to this situation. He wouldn’t easily cross the line of being “mortal enemies,” which could unbalance their relationship and lead them into the unknown.

Yet, while Jiang Yao wrapped himself up like a hedgehog, he still instinctively defended Duan Zhuxian in front of others, unintentionally showing him a bit of his soft underbelly. On the other end of the seesaw, he broke all the rules, creating unpredictable and willful variables.

This made Duan Zhuxian waver, made him want to corner Jiang Yao and force him to reveal what he really thought.

But he always kept his rational side in control, swallowing these thoughts and locking them away with countless suppressed impulses, constantly raging in darkness.

*

In the living room, Jiang Yao paced back and forth by the window, frowning as he flipped through his contact list. When he turned around, he unexpectedly collided with a hot chest, surrounded by male hormones.

Annoyed, Jiang Yao pushed Duan Zhuxian away. “Move aside, I’m trying to find someone to fix my car.”

Although Duan Feiyi had promised to take care of his car, Jiang Yao still feared he might be brushed off. After all, he had only acquired that sports car last year, using his promise to diligently manage the family business as leverage with his parents. He had worked hard to get it, and now the driver’s seat hadn’t even warmed up before it got wrecked.

Duan Zhuxian looked down and said, “If it can’t be fixed, I’ll buy you a new one.”

Jiang Yao sharply looked up, annoyed. “So what if you have money? It’s not your car, of course you don’t feel any pain.”

Duan Zhuxian mentioned a sports car model.

Jiang Yao fell silent.

How did this man know he had been coveting that car for a long time?

Taking advantage of Jiang Yao’s moment of distraction, Duan Zhuxian lifted him by the buttocks and carried him to the sofa a few meters away.

“Tomorrow is Sunday.”

Duan Zhuxian, facing him, grabbed Jiang Yao’s thighs, pushing them toward Jiang Yao’s chest in a folded knee position. The loose silk robe draped over him slid down due to gravity, piling up around his abdomen.

“So what?”

Jiang Yao couldn’t stand the ridiculous position, wanting to lower his legs, but Duan Zhuxian held them firmly.

Duan Zhuxian lowered his head, kissed the inner part of Jiang Yao’s exposed thigh, and said in a hoarse voice, “So there’s still plenty of time. Let’s do it one more time.”