BTMDY Chapter 109

The next afternoon, sunlight streamed through the narrow gap in the blackout curtains, spilling into the room. The boy’s shallow breathing rose and fell with a steady rhythm. The sound of water from the bathroom had abruptly stopped, and Shi Yuan stepped out softly from the slowly opening door.

 

The lingering scent of their warmth still hung faintly in the air.

 

Shi Yuan sat down on the edge of the bed and struck a match to light the scented candle on the bedside table, its gentle fragrance meant to soothe and lull sleep.

 

Lin Wangye, still asleep, habitually wrapped himself in the blanket, leaving only his serene face exposed. His features were quiet and delicate, and he looked like he was enjoying a deep, undisturbed sleep.

 

Shi Yuan reached out and gently ruffled his hair, silently gazing at his eyes, still swollen and red, a trace of guilt flickering in his own.

 

He hadn’t left since Lin Wangye had fallen asleep, wanting to be the first thing he saw when he woke. He was even too worried to step out for food, afraid Lin Wangye might wake at any moment.

 

By now, the clock hands pointed to four. Lin Wangye had been asleep for nearly ten hours.

 

When Shi Yuan noticed his eyelashes twitching and his breathing shifting subtly, signs of waking, he reached over and brightened the bedside lamp. Moments later, Lin Wangye’s heavy, sleepy eyes slowly opened.

 

He emerged from the half-dreaming haze quickly, but opening his eyes felt unusually difficult.

 

Though he was no longer tired, his eyelids felt like they were weighed down with sandbags, dry and stubborn.

 

He tilted his head against the pillow, rubbing his eyes, but before he could clear the heaviness, his wrist was caught and restrained.

 

Shi Yuan gently guided his hand back under the blanket and whispered,

 

“Don’t rub. I’ll get a damp towel for you.”

 

Half-awake, still fuzzy in his mind, Lin Wangye instinctively nodded. Hearing the footsteps fade away, he lay for a few seconds before stretching his arms out from under the blanket. Supporting himself on his elbows, he tried to sit up—but a sudden wave of soreness from his waist down forced him back onto the bed.

 

His mind spun. Not just his waist and hips, even his spine ached subtly. Testing a small movement, his joints creaked loudly, the sound traveling up his bones to his brain in a shockingly vivid way.

 

At that moment, Lin Wangye felt like a toy doll that had been taken apart and reassembled—his arms and legs felt new, every movement an effort.

 

Scenes from last night came flooding back. His face instantly turned crimson. He grabbed the blanket and buried his face.

 

Shi Yuan returned quickly with the damp towel.

 

He didn’t know what was wrong with the boy on the bed. His first instinct thought Lin Wangye was just being lazy. Without a second thought, he lifted a corner of the blanket—only to meet Lin Wangye’s eyes, nearly glowing red with embarrassment.

 

Lin Wangye couldn’t bear to recall the words he’d blurted out last night when adrenaline had surged.

 

But the more he tried to avoid it, the more those words replayed violently in his mind, looping like a virus over and over again.

 

Shi Yuan quickly understood what he was embarrassed about. A gentle smile softened his expression. He first used the towel to tenderly wipe Lin Wangye’s face, then folded it and covered his eyes.

 

He gently stroked the top of Lin Wangye’s head, his voice soft as he asked, “Feeling uncomfortable?”

 

“No…” Lin Wangye’s voice cracked the moment he spoke, and he realized his throat felt like it had been dried overnight in salt—unnatural and stiff, forcing him to struggle just to get words out. “…My waist… aches… feels like… I’m falling apart… nothing else…”

 

“All right, all right, don’t talk for now.”

 

Shi Yuan had already guessed that after the way Lin Wangye used his voice last night, he’d be hoarse today—and sure enough.

 

He stood, bringing a cup of warm water over, guiding the straw to Lin Wangye’s lips.

 

Lin Wangye gulped down most of the water, feeling the long-awaited warmth slide down his throat into his stomach. His parched throat finally felt relieved.

 

Shi Yuan flipped the towel over and placed it back on his eyes, using his fingertips to wipe the water from the corners of his mouth, speaking gently, “I shouldn’t have pushed you like this. That’s on me.”

 

After drinking, Lin Wangye fully relaxed, letting out a satisfied sigh.

 

Covered by the clean white towel, he searched through the darkness for Shi Yuan’s presence and pulled the straw from his mouth.

 

“Nonsense. You’re amazing.”

 

Saying that, he stretched his hand out from under the blanket, forming a heart with his fingers.

 

Shi Yuan couldn’t help laughing and shaking his head. The few lingering pangs of guilt he had melted away instantly at that comment.

 

He set the water on the bedside table, smiling as he guided Lin Wangye’s hand back under the blanket.

 

“Next time, I’ll be careful.”

 

“Don’t you dare.” Lin Wangye grabbed his finger and, eyes closed, found the ring on his ring finger, spinning it in his hand. He said seriously,

 

“I really love this style. You, ruthless and cold, are just too captivating. I never get to see this side of you normally.”

 

Just a minute ago, his face had been beet-red with embarrassment.

 

The next second, he was boldly speaking wild, fearless words.

 

Shi Yuan didn’t know how to respond immediately. He lowered his eyes, shook his head, and spent a few seconds choosing his words carefully.

 

Lying on the bed with the towel covering his eyes, Lin Wangye’s vision completely taken away, he couldn’t help but recall certain thrilling experiences.

 

At that moment, Shi Yuan’s hand—once gently stroking his head—suddenly moved downward, the fleshy part of his thumb and forefinger pinching Lin Wangye’s chin just right. His voice lowered.

 

“Like this?”

 

Lin Wangye’s blood seemed to boil uncontrollably. He nodded vigorously, so honest in his reaction that the towel covering his eyes slipped off within seconds.

 

After a simple cold compress, the water from the damp towel soaked into his eyes.

 

When Lin Wangye opened his eyes again, they were clear and bright.

 

That overwhelming mix of love and desire, fully ignited once, seemed to etch itself into his soul.

 

In broad daylight, Lin Wangye was so excited he could barely sit still, instinctively looking toward Shi Yuan.

 

Yet Shi Yuan’s expression had already softened to the gentlest, most tender look before Lin Wangye even opened his eyes. His gaze overflowed with silent affection, in stark contrast to the aggressive movements of his hands.

 

To avoid wetting the freshly changed sheets, Shi Yuan released his grip on Lin Wangye’s chin and set the towel aside, a small smile tugging at his lips.

 

“Hungry?”

 

“Yeah.” Lin Wangye nodded, rolling over in bed and pressing his face lightly into Shi Yuan’s palm. “The xiaolongbao and seaweed egg drop soup from the shop downstairs aren’t bad.”

 

Shi Yuan pinched his cheek playfully before standing up.

 

“All right, I’ll go get them.”

 

“Hurry up and come back.” Lin Wangye tugged on his clothes. Though it was just a quick trip downstairs, there was a surprising note of reluctance in his voice. He looked at him anxiously. “If it takes more than ten minutes, I’ll start missing you.”

 

Shi Yuan couldn’t help but laugh. Since he wasn’t sure whether he’d have to wait for the xiaolongbao, he couldn’t promise an exact time. “Okay, I’ll be quick.”

 

Lin Wangye finally let go. “Go on.”

 

With that, Shi Yuan immediately put on the jacket hanging on the gaming chair, grabbed his wallet and phone, and headed out.

 

Meanwhile, Lin Wangye lifted the blanket and rolled around on the bed, trying to loosen his stiff joints and sore muscles. Surprisingly, it worked—probably because his circulation was getting back to normal. Most of the soreness faded quickly.

 

Except for his waist, which still ached no matter how he rubbed it.

 

He finally gave up, sitting on the bed to massage his legs for a bit before getting up to wash his face and brush his teeth. Just as he finished and changed clothes, Shi Yuan returned.

 

After placing the bag of xiaolongbao on the table, Shi Yuan went over to Lin Wangye and adjusted the hood of his reversed hoodie.

 

“Why’d you get up on your own before I got back? What if you fell? I remember you hurt your knee last night.”

 

He squatted down, rolling up Lin Wangye’s pants. Sure enough, his kneecap had a faint bluish tint.

 

Sitting in the gaming chair, Lin Wangye opened the plastic bag holding the xiaolongbao.

 

“It’s fine. Scrapes happen all the time. No big deal.”

 

Speaking casually, he bent forward and placed a kiss on Shi Yuan’s lips.

 

Their lips and teeth touched, and love surged between them.

 

During the day, Shi Yuan’s kisses were softer and more lingering, even letting Lin Wangye take the lead entirely. The tingling from their lips brushing over each other sent shivers along Lin Wangye’s nerves. Seeing that Shi Yuan made no aggressive moves, he didn’t hesitate to pry open his lips, pressing close to coax out even more tender responses.

 

In that sitting-and-squatting position, both of them were starting to feel the strain.

 

Plus, Lin Wangye’s waist still ached, so the kiss didn’t last as long as usual. When he could no longer maintain the bent-over position, it ended abruptly.

 

Their breaths mingled as they gazed at each other, eyes full of affection.

 

After a moment, Shi Yuan stood and grabbed a pillow, placing it behind Lin Wangye to make him as comfortable as possible.

 

Halfway through his xiaolongbao, Lin Wangye suddenly remembered something. He turned and tapped Shi Yuan’s arm.

 

“Grab my phone for me—I forgot to ask Old Lin for leave.”

 

Hearing this, Shi Yuan immediately stood and picked up the phone charging not far away. Lin Wangye casually asked,

 

“Did Old Lin call me this morning?”

 

“Not that I know of. If he couldn’t reach you, he’d probably call me. I didn’t get any calls from him.” Shi Yuan handed the phone over, shaking his head.

 

Lin Wangye had put his phone on silent on the way back yesterday.

 

He unlocked it and glanced at the missed calls. Most were work-related messages; those who couldn’t reach him had sent texts instead. A quick look showed nothing urgent.

 

Seeing no calls or messages from Lin Shen, Lin Wangye frowned suspiciously.

 

Wait a minute.

 

Even if he was late by ten minutes from oversleeping, he’d normally get scolded over the phone.

 

Something felt off. He immediately dialed Lin Shen’s number.

 

The call connected quickly—but it wasn’t Lin Shen who answered. It was Lu Chengxuan.

 

“Why is it you, Brother Lu? Where’s Old Lin?”

 

“He’s playing.”

 

“Oh.” Lin Wangye nodded instinctively. It didn’t matter who he asked for leave, so he continued,

 

“I forgot to mention yesterday—I want to take a long leave. If there’s nothing pressing at work, I probably won’t be coming in. You get me?”

 

“I don’t get you.” Lu Chengxuan, sitting in the boss chair of the Linhong Building CEO office, surrounded by piles of work, glanced at Lin Shen sprawled on the long sofa playing games. “Lin Wangye’s asking for you.”

 

Lin Shen didn’t even think about answering. Holding his game console, he called out,

 

“Too busy! No way I’m approving leave! Finish your stuff and then obediently get over here to work!”

 

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