Chapter 52 “Make You Feel Good”

Duan Zhuxian, although often not acting like a gentleman, was usually gentle. But today was different.

The same warm palms, the same considerate posture, but every touch seemed to suppress something immense, ready to break through all calm and engulf the person in front of him in a suffocating wave.

Both restrained and indulgent.

For the first time, Jiang Yao felt a palpable conflict in someone who usually remained unflappable. It was like being suspended on a tightrope, his heart trembling with unease, always feeling like Duan Zhuxian might go crazy the next second, yet also faintly anticipating the unknown that awaited.

Eventually, all restraint disappeared, leaving only indulgence and madness.

Jiang Yao finally fell from the invisible tightrope, and in that moment of freefall, he was caught by Duan Zhuxian, their sweat-drenched skin and frantic heartbeats blending together.

In that instant, he had the illusion of being ensnared by a marauder, never to escape for the rest of his life.

Outside, the moon climbed high. Inside, the nightlight cast a dim glow. After a brief clean-up, they slipped under the same blanket, and fell silent, with only the lingering afterglow quietly spreading.

Jiang Yao, used to checking his unread messages before bed, and noticed his phone lying on the nearby table.

After their post-climax relaxation, Jiang Yao’s satisfied blush faded. He stretched his weary limbs, planning to get up and grab his phone. As soon as his head lifted a few centimeters from the pillow, the person behind him moved, and an arm encircled his waist.

“Yao Yao, don’t run away again.”

Ever since unlocking this new term of endearment, Duan Zhuxian seemed to use it naturally.

Over the past two hours, whenever Jiang Yao wanted to scratch or kick him, Duan Zhuxian would whisper “Yao Yao” in his ear with a coaxing tone, though his actions were anything but gentle.

Now, hearing Duan Zhuxian call him that with his cool voice made Jiang Yao’s ears burn, sending tingles from his tailbone to his scalp.

“I told you, I didn’t run away. It was a team-building event!”

Duan Zhuxian responded with a soft “Hmm,” as if he believed him, but his arm tightened around Jiang Yao’s waist.

Lying flat, Jiang Yao turned his head slightly, glancing at Duan Zhuxian from the corner of his eye.

Duan Zhuxian’s eyes were closed, his face softened by desire, no longer cold and indifferent. One side was buried in the pillow, with eyes half-closed as if asleep.

In his side-lying position, the elegant line of his neck extended past the prominent Adam’s apple, disappearing into the exposed shoulder adorned with red marks Jiang Yao had left. It exuded a lazy, sexy allure, quiet yet captivating.

Forget it, I’ll check the messages tomorrow.

Jiang Yao stared at the sleeping beauty for a while, then forcibly turned around in Duan Zhuxian’s grasp, facing away from him.

Staring too long would make it hard to fall asleep.

“Yao Yao,” the deep voice sounded from behind.

“What?” Jiang Yao replied irritably.

Was he going to keep calling that pet name forever?

“I like you,” Duan Zhuxian said.

Jiang Yao froze, his heart skipping a beat as he waited tensely for Duan Zhuxian’s next words.

After a long pause, Duan Zhuxian added, “Let’s have breakfast together tomorrow.”

Jiang Yao said nothing, closing his eyes and forcing himself to sleep.

*

The next morning, Jiang Yao woke up half an hour early. He made a couple of funny faces at Duan Zhuxian and then made a provocative gesture. Seeing that Duan Zhuxian remained completely unresponsive, he stealthily slipped out of bed, quickly got dressed and washed up, didn’t even bother with his hairstyle, and snuck downstairs like a thief.

Their work schedules usually didn’t align, so it was rare for them to have breakfast together. Jiang Yao was very casual about meals, and often eating with the employees in the cafeteria.

Duan Zhuxian’s formal invitation for breakfast, especially after saying “I like you,” had a clear intention—he was likely looking for an answer.

But Jiang Yao hadn’t figured things out yet.

Before and after the New Year, various events and emotional roller coasters, all related to Duan Zhuxian, had left him feeling disoriented.

He had initially planned to use the team-building event to sort out his feelings, but that plan fell through.

Right now, his mind was still a mess.

He couldn’t respond to Duan Zhuxian’s passionate and straightforward confession, but he also couldn’t bring himself to reject him.

Whether he agreed or refused, he and Duan Zhuxian would still have to continue being husbands, going home to the same place, and sleeping in the same bed.

They could even maintain their physical relationship, though it would be a bit awkward. But as Duan Zhuxian himself said, being friends or lovers didn’t interfere with sleeping together.

Therefore, he felt he could still delay giving an answer.

As he hurried through the living room with car keys in hand, a familiar scent wafted into his nose, making him abruptly stop. Almost instantly, he recognized it as the smell of xiaolongbao, specifically the kind unique to his hometown, the most delicious food in his memory. Unfortunately, since moving to Lingbei, he hadn’t tasted anything like it.

Following the scent from his memory, Jiang Yao walked to the kitchen door. The chef standing by the steamer greeted him with a hometown accent.

Jiang Yao asked curiously and found out that the chef was specially hired by Duan Zhuxian from his hometown. The chef had run a bun shop for twenty years and was a true expert.

Could this be a trap?

Jiang Yao speculated maliciously, but warmth surged in his heart, accompanied by a bit of guilt.

After leaving the kitchen and taking a few steps, he couldn’t resist and turned back to the kitchen, and took a basket of xiaolongbao with him.

At the company, his secretary greeted him and, while bringing him coffee, asked why he had arrived so early. He replied that he had some work to handle.

But in reality, there wasn’t much work to do.

The “Le Dong” project he was leading was already on track. With the major directions set, each detail had dedicated personnel handling it. He only needed to check the results periodically. Moreover, most of the core team members were still at the resort for team building, so no one was submitting reports to him.

After turning on his computer, Jiang Yao sat at his desk, staring blankly. Suddenly, his phone vibrated, and he glanced at the screen, and saw a message from “A Certain Duan.”

Feeling inexplicably guilty, he opened the message.

Duan Zhuxian: [Didn’t we agree to have breakfast together?]

Who agreed with you? I didn’t even respond to you last night!

Jiang Yao rolled his eyes but typed: [Suddenly remembered there’s something urgent at the office.]

After that, Duan Zhuxian didn’t reply.

Is he angry?

Jiang Yao pouted, deciding not to bother with this petty person.

Yet, he checked his phone messages a dozen times that morning.

At noon, just as Jiang Yao was about to head to the employee cafeteria, he picked up his phone and received a message from Duan Zhuxian, nearly dropping it.

Duan Zhuxian: [Just met with the CEO of Hongle Company. Now I’m near your office. Want to have lunch together?]

Jiang Yao unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Duan Zhuxian wasn’t angry.

Then, alarms went off in his head.

He had dealt with Hongle Company before. They were located in another district, at least twenty kilometers away, though not far from Hua Yan. Why would Duan Zhuxian arrange a meeting with Hongle’s CEO near his office?

Clearly, this was just an excuse. Duan Zhuxian’s real intention was likely the same as his breakfast invitation.

Jiang Yao replied: [I’ve already eaten. Next time, make an appointment earlier.]

He rubbed his nose, not waiting for Duan Zhuxian’s reply, and stuffed his phone back into his pocket.

Avoidance is shameful, but useful.

To stick to this principle, Jiang Yao deliberately stayed at work until after 8 PM. When he got home and saw Duan Zhuxian’s slippers still in the shoe cabinet, his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

Upstairs, Jiang Yao received a message from Duan Zhuxian: [Working late tonight. Wait for me at home.]

Jiang Yao was stunned.

Wait for him at home? For what?

Immediately after, Duan Zhuxian sent another message: [I’ll be home around ten.]

Jiang Yao replied with an [Oh.]

Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll definitely be asleep by 9:59.

After a quick shower and blow-drying his hair, Jiang Yao sat down on the bed, only to receive a call for help from Chen Yiqi.

Chen Yiqi was currently starting a business and needed financing. Despite using his connections to contact several investment companies, he couldn’t decide which one was the best fit. Having lived as a privileged second-generation heir for over twenty years, he was now facing the consequences of his lack of skills and urgently sought help from his friend.

This kind of task was a piece of cake for Jiang Yao. After analyzing the pros and cons for Chen Yiqi, Jiang Yao hung up the phone, only to hear a noise at the door.

He froze, the word “sleep” flashing through his mind. Like a startled ostrich, he buried his head under the covers. Before he could fully dive in, the familiar sound of footsteps was already close.

“Is your head cold?” Duan Zhuxian’s voice came from behind.

Jiang Yao’s body, mostly exposed outside the covers, stiffened. He poked his head out, trying to appear nonchalant. “I was looking for something.”

Then he reached under the covers, pretending to search, and actually grabbed something. Pulling it out, he found it was a condom, pink packaged, strawberry-flavored.

Duan Zhuxian raised an eyebrow.

Jiang Yao was stunned for three seconds, then dropped the item, and his face turned crimson. “Who the hell threw this here so carelessly?”

Duan Zhuxian said, “Last night, there was one left. I planned to use it, but you stopped me and took it, stuffing it under the covers. I guess the bed wasn’t made properly.”

Jiang Yao: “…”

Duan Zhuxian was just that unrelenting, not sparing him any dignity at all!

With things at this point, was the other issue also going to be brought up?

Sure enough, Duan Zhuxian walked straight toward him, his gaze dropping from above to Jiang Yao’s face, instantly unsettling his heartbeat.

Now there was no way to avoid it.

Just when Jiang Yao was about to resign himself to his fate, Duan Zhuxian stopped in front of him, bent down, picked up the discarded strawberry condom, and placed it in the storage box on the bedside table. Then he took off his jacket, loosened his tie, and headed straight to the bathroom.

After his shower, he opened his laptop and sat on the sofa, browsing information.

The whole time, Jiang Yao sat on the bed, head down, seemingly scrolling through his phone but not absorbing any content.

This was not what he had imagined.

As time ticked by, Jiang Yao couldn’t stand the feeling of having a sword hanging over his head.

Jiang Yao walked over to the sofa in a few quick steps, asking casually, “By the way, you invited me to breakfast last night. Did you have something to say to me?”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “I just wanted you to try the new chef’s cooking. If it wasn’t to your taste, we could change it.”

Jiang Yao was stunned and then asked, “What about at noon? Did you deliberately go near my office to find me?”

Duan Zhuxian shook his head. “The location was set by Hongle’s CEO.”

Seeing Jiang Yao’s stiff neck and skeptical expression, Duan Zhuxian took out his phone, opened a chat, and showed it to Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao glanced down.

Indeed, the meeting location was proposed by the other party.

Not giving up, Jiang Yao asked, “What about now?”

Seeing the nervous flicker in Jiang Yao’s eyes and his almost red face, Duan Zhuxian looked puzzled.

Jiang Yao frowned. “If you didn’t have anything to say to me, why did you want me to wait for you at home?”

Duan Zhuxian said, “As your husband, it doesn’t seem like I need a reason to say that.”

As he spoke, he closed his laptop and walked towards the table.

Jiang Yao didn’t have time to argue about Duan Zhuxian’s casual verbal advantage. He turned to stare at Duan Zhuxian’s back with a burning gaze, as if trying to bore a hole through him.

Seeing Duan Zhuxian’s indifferent attitude, it seemed like he had been worrying over nothing and misinterpreting everything from the start.

“Stop!” Jiang Yao called out sharply. “Don’t you want an answer?”

Duan Zhuxian placed his laptop on the table and turned around, not speaking, just looking at him.

That gaze was too complex for Jiang Yao to understand.

He tried to decode it: “Don’t you dare say something like ‘liking you is my business and has nothing to do with you.’ I don’t want to hear it.”

Duan Zhuxian laughed at that.

So Jiang Yao had been worried that he would demand a confession response, hence the avoidance and anxiety all day, only to finally confront it himself.

How could someone be so adorable?

Duan Zhuxian restrained the smile on his lips and said, “Of course liking you isn’t just my business. After all, it’s you that I like. In this relationship, you’re the main character.”

Jiang Yao’s heart started racing uncontrollably again. He didn’t dare to look at Duan Zhuxian, so he lowered his gaze, and speaking in a muffled voice, “Your confession was too sudden. There are some things I still need time to figure out. You’re pretty smart, so you should understand what I mean, right?”

“You don’t need to explain all that,” Duan Zhuxian said, his Adam’s apple moving slightly, and his overly steady voice masking a hint of suppressed tension. “Just tell me if this is a rejection.”

Alright, Duan Zhuxian is an idiot!

Jiang Yao kept his head down, struggling to get the words out. “It’s not a rejection, okay!”

Duan Zhuxian’s heart skipped a beat. The normally composed and clear-headed brain suddenly stalled, replaying Jiang Yao’s words several times.

Jiang Yao’s face was burning, but he feared that Duan Zhuxian, this idiot, still didn’t get it. So he added, “I admit that you are attractive to me, ever since the first time we slept together…”

Duan Zhuxian was stunned again. He had thought that after that accidental incident, Jiang Yao must have hated him to the core and that later, it was only due to their arranged marriage that he chose to tolerate him.

Jiang Yao had always been very tolerant of him.

Unaware of the turmoil in Duan Zhuxian’s mind, Jiang Yao continued, “So I can’t figure out right now how much of this attraction is physical. You used your looks to seduce me so many times.”

Duan Zhuxian nodded. “I understand.”

When it came to their physical relationship, he and Jiang Yao were indeed very compatible. He had also intentionally used this compatibility to make Jiang Yao accept him. However, he didn’t presume that Jiang Yao would fall in love with him because of it, especially after being a thorn in Jiang Yao’s side for so many years.

Jiang Yao expected Duan Zhuxian to argue but was surprised by his understanding.

He couldn’t help but recall ten years ago, that snowy night when Duan Zhuxian left him with a cold and ambiguous back without any explanation. Back then, Jiang Yao saw Duan Zhuxian as a jerk.

Now, it seemed like he was the one being the jerk.

Jiang Yao had experienced being “jerked around” for many years and knew how unpleasant it felt. Someone like Duan Zhuxian, who was used to being on top, probably didn’t have as strong a heart as he did.

Rubbing his nose, Jiang Yao felt a sudden calmness settle over his previously restless heart. He looked up and finally met Duan Zhuxian’s gaze. “In summary, I think I might like you a bit too.”

As he said this, he saw a tremor of shock in Duan Zhuxian’s eyes.

“But I’m not sure if my feelings for you can match yours for me. And don’t think it’s unfair; after all, you’ve had at least a two-month head start since you began hinting with ‘familiarity breeds fondness’…”

Jiang Yao paused. “I’ve finished. Your turn to say something.”

Duan Zhuxian didn’t say anything. Instead, he pulled Jiang Yao into a tight embrace.

What does fairness have to do with love?

From fifteen to twenty-seven, twelve years—by Jiang Yao’s calculation, he’d never catch up in a lifetime.

This guy, who barely understood the basics of love, was already trying to pass love letters and have a teenage romance back then.

With his lips against Duan Zhuxian’s shoulder, Jiang Yao whispered, “Anyway, I’ll seriously think about my feelings for you. Don’t rush me.”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “I won’t rush you, but I will pursue you.”

Jiang Yao said, “You already liked me two months earlier. If you keep pursuing me, my little bit of affection might never seem significant.”

Duan Zhuxian chuckled, “How about you pursue me then?”

Jiang Yao paused, unable to make sense of it, and said resignedly, “Go ahead and pursue me if you want. But you know, we’ve been rivals for so long. I have a conditioned reflex to always run ahead of you, so you might never catch up.”

He spoke very slowly, one word at a time, as if afraid Duan Zhuxian wouldn’t understand, or perhaps giving himself more time to think.

Duan Zhuxian laughed, “Then I’ll start pursuing you right now.”

With that, he untied Jiang Yao’s robe belt.

Jiang Yao’s eyes widened in disbelief as he took several steps back, his calf hitting the edge of the bed, causing him to lose his balance and plop down onto the bed.

“This is how you pursue someone?”

Duan Zhuxian walked closer, his actions speaking louder than words.

Jiang Yao protested, “Not today. There’s an important meeting at the head office tomorrow. I need to get up early.”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “It won’t take much time.”

With that, he suddenly knelt down, and lifted Jiang Yao’s robe.

Jiang Yao’s fingers, which had been supporting him on the bed, instantly tightened, gripping the bedsheet.

He stared at Duan Zhuxian’s head for a long time, his voice dry and shaky as he said, “Duan Zhuxian, don’t…”

The rest of his words turned into sharp gasps, swallowed by an overwhelming sense of satisfaction rising from deep within him.

Duan Zhuxian occasionally looked up at him.

Jiang Yao looked down at Duan Zhuxian, feeling his nerves magnified infinitely, but he still couldn’t accept the reality.

This man in front of him, the cold and aloof flower on the high ridge, the revered Mr. Duan, his former nemesis, was doing this to him…

The thought flashed through his mind, and Jiang Yao couldn’t hold back. After a moment of stunned realization, he hurriedly helped Duan Zhuxian wipe his face.

Such a distant and harsh person, initially more arrogant and colder than the clouds in the sky, untouched by the mundane world, had now been tainted by him.

A secret thrill grew within him, but Jiang Yao still murmured, “Duan Zhuxian, you must be crazy.”

Duan Zhuxian’s lips curved into a moist smile, and his voice a bit hoarse, “You made me happy earlier, now let me make you feel good.”