Seeing his lover utterly exhausted in his arms, sighing softly yet still holding him tightly, Xiao Zhan kissed the tip of Bai Rui’s nose in satisfaction. Finally, he relaxed his grip on his hips then let go.  

His large hands skillfully massaged Bai Rui’s flexible waist as he pulled him into a secure embrace. But when he lowered his head to check on him, he found that Bai Rui had already fallen into a deep sleep.  

There was still a lingering flush on Bai Rui’s face from their passion. Xiao Zhan didn’t know why, but even though he had taken him so many times already, just seeing his lover lying obediently in his arms made an uncontrollable heat rise within him again. 

But when his gaze fell on the dark circles under Bai Rui’s eyes, Xiao Zhan pressed his lips together.  

In the end, his heartache for Bai Rui outweighed his desire. He sighed, placed a soft kiss on Bai Rui’s hair, and finally closed his own eyes. 

—

When Bai Rui opened his eyes again, he realized he was no longer in the guest room from before but had been brought back to Xiao Zhan’s home. 

The room was empty, with only him inside. His body, covered in lingering marks from the night before, lay bare beneath the sheets. Bai Rui sat up, rubbing his temples, thinking to himself that this was just like Xiao Zhan; it was completely in line with his usual domineering ways. 

Just then, Xiao Zhan entered the room carrying a bowl of porridge. When he saw Bai Rui awake, he smiled, his gentle expression making it impossible to associate him with the insatiable beast he had been in bed. 

The moment Bai Rui saw him, he beamed and stretched out his arms toward him, patting the empty spot beside him on the bed with a playful grin. 

“Come here and feed me!”

The moment he spoke, Bai Rui realized his voice was unbearably hoarse. He raised an eyebrow and shot Xiao Zhan a glare.  

Anyone who had been made to cry out for so long would end up like this. But Xiao Zhan particularly enjoyed hearing his voice when they were together. Even if Bai Rui kept his mouth shut, Xiao Zhan would always find a way to make him moan.  

Feeling a little guilty, Xiao Zhan rubbed his nose sheepishly before obediently climbing onto the bed. He pulled Bai Rui into his arms, letting him lean against his shoulder, and began feeding his little lover spoonful by spoonful.  

Bai Rui kept his eyes closed, enjoying the pampering as he mumbled, “You disappeared halfway through the banquet. Was that really okay?” 

“It’s fine. The Ye family and the host have a long-standing relationship. It won’t be an issue.” 

Bai Rui raised an eyebrow in surprise. So it was connected to the Ye family. That meant Xiao Zhan had likely used the banquet as an opportunity to send a message to them and to make a stand about their relationship. Bai Rui was naturally satisfied with Xiao Zhan’s approach. 

Seeing Bai Rui smile, Xiao Zhan decided to push his advantage further. With a hint of flattery in his tone, he added, “Tomorrow, Feng Yan is going to make his move. Do you want to go see for yourself, Xiao Ran?” 

Bai Rui opened his eyes in surprise.  

“I didn’t expect it to be so soon. I thought Feng Yan would at least take a few days to prepare first.”

Xiao Zhan’s face flushed slightly, and he cleared his throat. 

“Actually… a few days have passed. It’s been three days since we attended the banquet.” 

Hearing this, Bai Rui turned his head and stared straight at Xiao Zhan. He kept staring until Xiao Zhan couldn’t bear it anymore and was about to lower his head. Then, Bai Rui leaned in close, their noses almost touching, and said in an incredibly amazed tone:  

“Darling, you’re truly amazing! Being with you makes me so happy!”  

Inside Bai Rui’s mind, Lao Hei almost stumbled mid-air, nearly falling out of the sky. As expected, dignity was something that simply didn’t exist for Bai Rui. 

Xiao Zhan, seeing his lover speak such shameless words with an utterly sincere expression, felt his face turn even redder. This kind of straightforward love… he couldn’t help but adore it. 

However, the next day, Bai Rui didn’t go to watch Feng Yan’s so-called operation. That evening, news of the entire Feng family’s banquet being poisoned flooded the headlines of the capital. The elders who held power in the Feng family all perished, and Feng Yan was in critical condition, though he barely managed to survive. 

Since it was an internal family banquet for the elder generation, younger members like Feng Yuzheng and outsiders like Liu Xue weren’t allowed to attend. That meant Feng Yan was the only one affected. The police investigation quickly identified the Feng family’s chef as the culprit, but anyone with a brain knew he was just a scapegoat.

Through Lao Hei, Bai Rui saw Feng Yan’s miserable state in the hospital and rubbed his fingers together with interest as he looked at Xiao Zhan. 

“This is really unexpected. I slept for a few days, and he actually went this far. I have to say, Feng Yan is truly ruthless with himself. He even dared to swallow such a poison—this time, he’s lost half his life.” 

Xiao Zhan was sorting through documents with one hand while firmly holding Bai Rui’s waist with the other. Every now and then, he would turn to plant a kiss on his lover; he was smiling as he spoke, 

“To truly become the head of the family and gain complete control over the Feng family, sacrificing half his life might be a worthwhile trade for him.” 

Bai Rui nodded. 

“Let him enjoy his victory for a few days. I just wonder how he’ll feel when he gets out of the hospital and realizes the Feng family is now nothing more than an empty shell.” 

Xiao Zhan put down his documents, turned, and gently pinned Bai Rui down, swallowing hard as he spoke. 

“Xiao Ran, I’ve done everything you asked. Now, the Feng family is entirely yours. Don’t I deserve a reward?” 

Bai Rui reached out, wrapped his arms around Xiao Zhan’s neck, and pressed himself tightly against him, engaging in a deep, passionate kiss. Xiao Zhan instantly grew excited, roughly tearing off his lover’s clothes and eagerly claiming his reward. 

To ease Xiao Zhan’s worries, Bai Rui didn’t mind occasionally relying on his lover’s strength. Although he thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of enacting his own revenge, love was a two-way street. Drawing too clear a line between them would only hurt Xiao Zhan’s feelings.

While smiling and cooperating with his lover, Bai Rui couldn’t help but think to himself that he was really going all out, even handing over his body just to ease the possessiveness of his overly jealous partner. 

Meanwhile, Feng Yan’s plan was well-known to Liu Xue and Feng Yuzheng. Now that they had fully taken control of the Feng family, Liu Xue was feeling extremely smug, convinced that Feng Yuzheng was the indisputable heir. 

The female lead, Jiang Peipei, was indeed skilled. Bai Rui didn’t know what she had said to Feng Yuzheng, but somehow, she had managed to establish herself within the Feng family during this time. She even seemed to get along very well with Liu Xue—so much so that Liu Xue had expressed interest in formally recognizing Jiang Peipei as her goddaughter. 

Jiang Peipei, however, had not given up on Xiao Zhan. She understood that Xiao Zhan was not someone to be trifled with. While she wanted the Feng family to discover the relationship between Feng Ruiran and Xiao Zhan, she knew she absolutely couldn’t be the one to reveal it. 

Glancing at the overly confident Liu Xue, Jiang Peipei curved her lips into a smile. The perfect scapegoat was standing right beside her. 

After Feng Yan was discharged from the hospital, he announced that the family should gather for a proper celebration. As part of the Feng family, Bai Rui had to attend, and due to the Feng family’s consideration of their interests with the Xiao family, Xiao Zhan was also invited. 

Under normal circumstances, Xiao Zhan would never attend such a gathering. However, since Bai Rui had to go, and given his firm principle of never being separated from his lover, he had no choice but to agree. 

At the family banquet, Bai Rui was somewhat surprised to see Jiang Peipei present. Although Feng Yuzheng’s attitude toward her was neither warm nor cold, he didn’t seem to reject her presence either. 

Noticing the way Jiang Peipei’s gaze frequently drifted toward Xiao Zhan, Bai Rui immediately understood—she still hadn’t given up.

Seeing the greed and scheming in that woman’s eyes, Bai Rui sneered inwardly. 

At the dinner table, Liu Xue and Feng Yan played off each other, appearing especially concerned about Bai Rui, as if trying to create the illusion of a harmonious family gathering. 

Bai Rui and Xiao Zhan simply sat back and watched the performance in silence. They were so used to being affectionate with each other that Xiao Zhan instinctively served food onto Bai Rui’s plate. Liu Xue observed the natural intimacy between the two and felt an inexplicable sense of unease, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why. 

After the meal, Xiao Zhan had no interest in engaging in fake pleasantries with Feng Yan, so he suggested taking a walk in the backyard. Feng Yan eagerly offered to accompany him, but Xiao Zhan refused, leaving with Bai Rui alone. 

Once they reached the secluded backyard, the two immediately relaxed. Bai Rui stretched lazily, and Xiao Zhan hugged him from behind, pressing gentle kisses onto the young man’s neck as he murmured, “If you’re bored, let’s just go home.” 

Bai Rui playfully ruffled Xiao Zhan’s hair and chuckled. “I still want to see what kind of show they’re putting on. Don’t you think watching these clowns jump around is entertaining?” 

Xiao Zhan sighed helplessly, kissing Bai Rui’s nose before capturing his soft lips once more. In his heart, he thought, ‘as long as Xiao Ran is happy, everything is fine’. 

With no one around, the two were deeply engrossed in their passionate embrace—until a sudden, sharp scream shattered the moment. 

Xiao Zhan abruptly lifted his head, only to see Liu Xue staring at them in utter shock. And right behind her, the rest of the Feng family was arriving.

Xiao Zhan held Bai Rui tightly in his arms, unfazed as the entire Feng family gathered around them. He had no intention of letting go—after all, the person in his embrace belonged to him. Since they had already been caught, there was no need to hide anything. 

In fact, if it weren’t for Bai Rui stopping him, Xiao Zhan would have long announced their relationship to the world, proudly declaring his claim. Seeing Xiao Zhan’s possessive stance, Bai Rui didn’t object, silently allowing him to do as he pleased.  

The Feng family, however, was far less composed.  

Feng Yan’s face darkened at the sight of the two locked in an intimate embrace. His hand trembled as he pointed at them, gritting his teeth.  

“You—you two, separate this instant!” he barked.  

Jiang Peipei glanced at Feng Yan, who was practically shaking with rage, and a flicker of satisfaction crossed her eyes. Originally, she had planned to use this opportunity to let Liu Xue discover the truth and then have her report it to Feng Yan. But now, things had escalated beyond her expectations—everyone had found out at once. 

Even better. 

Feng Yuzheng, meanwhile, was staring at Xiao Zhan with an intense, burning gaze. Watching the man effortlessly hold the person he had yearned for but could never have, his fists clenched tightly and his teeth grinded together. 

How could this be? 

How could Ruiran and Xiao Zhan be in this kind of relationship?!

No wonder Xiao Zhan had always taken extra care of Ruiran—so this was their true relationship.  

Feng Yuzheng clenched his fists in frustration, his knuckles turning white. Yet despite his anger, he didn’t dare make a single move against Xiao Zhan.  

Feng Yan, on the other hand, didn’t even dare glare at Xiao Zhan. Instead, he locked his furious gaze onto Bai Rui. While it was true that many elites in high society had same gender lovers, such things were always kept hidden in the shadows, never brought to light.  

To Feng Yan, Bai Rui had utterly humiliated him.  

What made it worse was that, in the eyes of outsiders, Xiao Zhan could be considered half a mentor or elder figure to Feng Ruiran. If word got out, Feng Yan felt he’d have no face left in high society.  

Bai Rui rubbed his forehead, then patted Xiao Zhan’s arm, signaling him to let go. Only when Xiao Zhan saw that his lover wasn’t upset did he reluctantly release his hold, though he remained close, standing protectively behind Bai Rui.  

“So, what’s the matter?” Bai Rui crossed his arms, his tone casual, yet his very stance exuded an innate defiance.