Chapter 58

Ye Chen didn’t want to lie but felt embarrassed to tell the truth, so he simply hung his head down in silence.

As he lowered his head, his gaze inadvertently fell into Shen Mofeng’s collar again. Those two muscles were robust and firm, with a shallow groove in between, magnetically attracting the attention of onlookers.

How did I never notice this before, Shen Ge’s chest… Ye Chen felt a bit frustrated and forcefully closed his eyes.

Upon reflection, aside from those few times when Shen Mofeng had to apply medicine to his injured shoulder and went shirtless, he hadn’t actually exposed much in front of Ye Chen. Despite his lecherous remarks, he had been quite decently dressed during their time together these days.

I wonder what I ate today that’s making me act so recklessly.

Ye Chen didn’t want to seem like a creepy guy peering into someone’s collar, so he blushed deeply, silently helping Shen Mofeng fasten the two unbuttoned buttons on his pajamas.

Can’t control my own eyes, and now you expect me to control your buttons?!

Shen Mofeng: “…”

Ye Chen spoke with a respectful tone tinged with awkwardness, “Uh, don’t catch a cold.”

“I was asking you,” Shen Mofeng mentally made a note and continued, “Are you afraid I’ll give him my WeChat?”

“No,” Ye Chen replied honestly, “You wouldn’t do that.”

Firstly, they were filming a show at the time; secondly, Shen Mofeng wasn’t that type of flirtatious person; thirdly… although the young boy was quite handsome, Ye Chen was confident his own looks surpassed his by miles.

Shen Ge… wouldn’t be interested in him, Ye Chen thought.

“Why did you still tease him then?” Shen Mofeng persisted.

Ye Chen fell silent again.

“You and your mouth…” Shen Mofeng ran his thumb over Ye Chen’s lips and said softly, “It’s not just for talking, is it? It’s for someone to kiss?”

“Not really,” Ye Chen hardened his scalp and honestly described his feelings, “It’s just… I’m a little upset.”

Shen Mofeng suddenly felt an inexplicable tingling sensation deep inside, “You know I wouldn’t do that, so you’re upset?”

“Uh…” Ye Chen cleared his throat roughly at first, then quickly raised his hand, pinching a tiny gap of about two millimeters between his thumb and index finger, calmly adding, “But just a little bit, not very upset.”

Ye Chen didn’t know how to explain his behavior. If this was jealousy, the threshold for jealousy was too low. His displeasure was minimal, as insignificant as a speck of dust on a glass of milk, not worth mentioning. He hadn’t thought much when he intervened; it was an instinctive reaction. Now, with Shen Mofeng bringing it up, he was forced to confront his slight irritation at the time.

Taking a book can’t be considered stealing, and feeling a little displeased can’t be considered jealousy—it’s just being displeased! Can these emotions really be considered jealousy?

Shen Mofeng, however, pinched his nose tip. “Little vinegar ^[1]Vinegar is usually used to refer to jealousy jar.”

Ye Chen felt guilty. “At this level, it doesn’t count…”

“Doesn’t matter,” Shen Mofeng said mischievously, like a schoolboy giving his desk mate a nickname, “Little vinegar jar.”

Ye Chen tried to argue, but Shen Mofeng’s lips ambiguously approached, brushing against his soft lips, making him shiver. Then, Shen Mofeng pulled away briefly, only to heatily suck his lips again. The words were broken by the sticky sound of saliva, and he ambiguously demanded, “Tell me, were you jealous?”

“Mm… no,” Ye Chen’s cheekbones and face were a deep red. As soon as he spoke, Shen Mofeng found a weak spot, slipping in a smooth tongue that carried the sweet scent of candy mixed with a hint of mint. Shen Mofeng never forgot to pop a mint candy before kissing him, a meticulous habit ingrained in him.

Shen Mofeng grumbled, “Not being honest. I’ll kiss you to death.”

The door of the old farmhouse, which had seen better days, made soft noises under the shifting weight of the two.

Creak, creak… the rotten wood strained under the burden.

Thud… the little vinegar jar trying to escape was shoved back and pinned down.

Moments later, their glued lips parted, and Shen Mofeng interrogated again, “Were you jealous?”

Ye Chen’s rationality still intact, he wiped his mouth and muttered quietly, “Just didn’t.”

Adding “just” before “no” made it sound like he was acting coquettish. The moment he said it, Ye Chen scared himself and quickly tried to correct, “…No, there’s no ‘just’ ^[2]Ye Chen initially uses “就没” to emphasize that he “just didn’t” feel jealousy, trying to downplay his emotions. He then switches to “不是” to state more … Continue reading.”

Shen Mofeng couldn’t be bothered to respond. He lowered his head and kissed him again, fiercely enough to leave Ye Chen breathless. While kissing, he wickedly grabbed Ye Chen’s hand and placed it on his own chest. “Too shy to look… are you brave enough to touch?”

Ye Chen immediately collapsed.

The sensation in his hand was both hard and hot, but not as rigid as stone; it carried a moderate resilience that conveyed a distinctly… corporeal feeling.

What was even more maddening… Ye Chen, breathing rapidly, suddenly realized that Shen Mofeng had changed his cologne.

The cologne Shen Mofeng used before, even earlier today, had a fresh scent, like frost or a mountain spring. But tonight, the fragrance had a warmer note, with a seductive hint of powder, almost… like the scent of a midnight gigolo.

For the proud Young Master Shen, having to resort to seducing someone through such subtle means was quite the fall from grace. If the second-generation elites in the capital knew about this, they’d laugh at Young Master Shen for “using his looks to serve others” for at least half a lifetime…

Ye Chen’s heart trembled violently, his eyes turned a shade of pink, and it felt as if his entire skeleton was being melted by the intoxicating scent and the carnal touch. Leaning against the door, his legs went weak, unable to support him as he slid down…

He had never been so seduced that his legs went weak before; he would merely blush, his heart would race, and his head would steam.

“Can’t stand?” Shen Mofeng pulled him back to his original height and then pressed harder against him, his voice hoarse with insistence, “Did you eat vinegar ^[3]Get jealous… I advise you to confess honestly. Confession doesn’t mean leniency, but resistance makes it worse.”

Ye Chen was so flustered he couldn’t recognize his surroundings. Clinging to Shen Mofeng, he parted his shiny red lips, his dazed eyes showing a bit of grievance, “Ate… Please stop, I can’t take it anymore…”

Even as his hands and feet went limp, he still tried to arch his back and keep his hips away from Shen Mofeng, maintaining a few millimeters of distance, afraid that Shen Mofeng would notice his embarrassing condition—though Shen Mofeng had long since noticed.

Shen Mofeng pressed him further, “Ate what?”

Ye Chen, reduced to incoherent whimpers, admitted, “Ate vinegar.”

Shen Mofeng’s Adam’s apple bobbed, “Then do you like me?”

Ye Chen was on the verge of breaking down, mustering his strength for three seconds, trying to assert himself, “I just ate a little vinegar, why are you doing this…”

“Eating vinegar means liking,” Shen Mofeng seemed determined to use this opportunity to settle the matter, asserting strongly, “You have feelings for me, dare to admit it?”

Ye Chen’s attempt to stand up for himself failed, and he backed down.

Shen Mofeng cut him off in advance, threatening, “If you dare say you’re straight again, believe it or not, I’ll…”

Ye Chen shook his head vigorously, “Not straight, not straight anymore.”

“Then why?” Shen Mofeng pressed.

His family’s little friend had a bit of an ostrich personality, and Shen Mofeng suspected that if he didn’t push him, Ye Chen would keep this ambiguous relationship going indefinitely.

Ye Chen said, “I always thought of you as Lao…”

Shen Mofeng was stunned and looked around, “Lao Fuqin ^[4]Old Father?”

His inner thoughts suddenly exposed, Ye Chen almost peed his pants in fright and hurriedly completed the sentence, “Laoshi ^[5]Teacher! I thought of you as a teacher!”

“Then who just said ‘Old Father’?” Shen Mofeng looked genuinely puzzled, not like he was joking.

“Just now? No one said anything!” Ye Chen also looked around, thinking some mischievous divine beast cub might be eavesdropping, but he saw nothing.

Shen Mofeng rubbed his ears, “… Auditory hallucination”

Misheard so accurately! Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief and continued, “I’ve mostly come around, but there’s still a bit of awkwardness. Also…” Ye Chen licked his swollen lips, “I still feel like… I’m not good enough for you.”

Shen Mofeng chuckled, “A pair of fish sellers, isn’t that a good match?”

“Not that,” Ye Chen mumbled, “I really… am not good enough…”

After these days of close interaction, he deeply felt that he and Shen Mofeng were from completely different worlds.

Wealth, status, background… let’s not even talk about those.

The gap between them was evident in countless small ways.

Ye Chen struggled to pass high school level English exams, while Shen Mofeng could chat and joke with foreigners effortlessly. When visiting a museum, Shen Mofeng could explain any exhibit in detail, but Ye Chen understood nothing. He anxiously tried to memorize those difficult names and art movements, but within a few days, he had forgotten half of them. Shen Mofeng had a wide range of interests and even had a room at home dedicated to storing trophies. Ye Chen had seen photos of that room, which was larger than his bedroom back home. The trophies included a third-place award in the National Youth Golf Championship at age fourteen, and a championship in the X Province Youth Equestrian Championship at fifteen. These various trophies and medals were displayed alongside his Best Actor award.

At fifteen, Shen Mofeng spent his spare time learning equestrian skills, and his stable might even have housed purebred, prestigious racehorses. Meanwhile, fifteen-year-old Ye Chen worked part-time at a small restaurant near his home during summer vacation, trying to sell his old, rustic bicycle as scrap metal to save up a few hundred yuan for a cooler one.

Ye Chen felt outclassed by Shen Mofeng in every possible way.

If Shen Mofeng were just someone he admired from a distance, Ye Chen wouldn’t feel any inferiority. He would happily be a loyal follower, praising Shen Mofeng endlessly. But Shen Mofeng actually… liked him.

Even though Shen Mofeng didn’t care about these disparities, Ye Chen couldn’t get past them himself. Besides, he was burdened with over a billion yuan in debt. If Shen Mofeng hadn’t been so relentlessly assertive, Ye Chen wouldn’t have considered a relationship under such financial strain. He didn’t want Shen Mofeng to help pay off his debts or to know just how dire his financial situation was—that would hurt his pride. In this situation, even if he gave in to his feelings and got together with Shen Mofeng, Ye Chen would still feel insecure, lacking the confidence to stand as an equal partner. This confidence was something Shen Mofeng couldn’t give him; Ye Chen had to find it himself.

“…How can I make you realize that you’re good enough?” Shen Mofeng pondered, “Is it that nothing I say will help?”

He could see that Ye Chen was indeed very self-conscious around him.

His little friend had placed himself too low.

Ye Chen clenched his fists. “Just give me some time… I’m really not ready.”

Shen Mofeng looked at him quietly for a moment and then said, “Come here.”

Ye Chen obediently followed him.

They walked to the bed, and Shen Mofeng sat down, patting his lap. He said kindly, “Sit.”

Ye Chen: “…”

Shen Mofeng gently pulled him, and Ye Chen straddled his lap, held by Shen Mofeng’s arms around his waist. Their faces were close, breaths mingling.

“If I understand correctly, you’re sort of agreeing,” Shen Mofeng said, looking up at him slightly. “You have feelings for me and aren’t unwilling to be with me, but you want to wait until you feel the time is right to make it official, right?”

Ye Chen hesitated for a few seconds before finally nodding slightly. “Mmh.”

He had already come to terms with his feelings and couldn’t find any reason to deny it.

A weight lifted from Shen Mofeng’s shoulders. Tonight’s efforts had not been in vain. “So, I’m your prospective boyfriend. Do you acknowledge that?”

Ye Chen blushed. “…Mmh.”

“Then,” Shen Mofeng nodded slowly, “shall we establish the rights and obligations of being each other’s prospective boyfriends?”

Ye Chen: “…”

Here we go again, huh?

Twenty minutes later—

Shen Mofeng twirled a pen with his long fingers: “…Article 15, as Chen Chen’s prospective boyfriend, to what extent can I post fan benefits for the FengYe girls on Weibo?”

Ye Chen, who had been interrogated thoroughly: “What do you think?”

“Not giving them any concrete proof?” Shen Mofeng eagerly sought his opinion, “Ensuring it can be explained as ‘just good friends,’ how about that?”

Ye Chen, with a flushed face, held his forehead: “Fine.”

Shen Mofeng seriously: “Should I gauge the specifics myself? Or should I run it by you before posting?”

“You gauge it.” Ye Chen feared that going through each item one by one would be unbearably embarrassing. “But they don’t actually need you; they can find anything themselves. No clue escapes them, so you being deliberate…”

Shen Mofeng smiled innocently, “I pamper my fans; I don’t want them to overwork.”

Ye Chen took a deep breath: “…”

Shen Mofeng deftly wrote it down on the paper.

After finishing a line, Shen Mofeng continued: “Article 16, as Chenchen’s prospective boyfriend, can I let my assistant, manager, and parents know that I am your prospective boyfriend?”

It would be hard to hide it from close people anyway. For instance, Gao Ran had long seen through everything, and it would be meaningless to try and conceal it. Ye Chen thought for a moment and said, “I think… you can.”

Shen Mofeng quickly wrote it down and moved on to the next question: “Article 17, as Chenchen’s prospective boyfriend, can I…”

Ye Chen licked his lips and gathered the courage to interrupt: “Shen Ge, can I ask you something?”

Shen Mofeng: “Go ahead.”

Ye Chen, barely audible, asked: “Will you ever… be done?”

Shen Mofeng calmly replied, “I think after another ten articles or so, it should be about right.”

Ye Chen collapsed onto the bed.

The author has something to say:

Rounding it up, they’re basically together~! I think Chenchen seems pretty bent, so he might as well stop struggling… But a very official ‘together’ will have to wait until Chenchen makes a fortune and becomes a winner in life, haha.

Another chapter of romance talks… For those eager for the plotline, don’t worry, the next chapter will get back to it. _(:з」∠)_

[Little Theater]

During the kiss, the old rogue places Chen Chen’s hand on his own chest muscles.

Shen Mofeng: Not daring to look… then do you dare to touch?

Chen Chen: Please don’t do this, I don’t want to, let go.

Inner monologue: … F*ck, why does groping a guy feel so good!!! Pretend I can’t resist Shen Ge, touch a bit longer… ( ?艸｀)