In Love With An Idiot

Chapter 5

Once again, Jian Suiying left early. After everything that had happened, there was hardly any point in staying. Remembering the look Li Yu had given him before he left, he regretted acting so impulsively. But he quickly reminded himself that once a man had done something, he'd done it. There was no point in regrets. At least he'd got his kiss. He hadn't come away empty-handed.

 

The great hooligan Jian savoured the memory of that faint, soft taste. It was so different from Li Yu's cold demeanour that the contrast only fascinated him more.

 

But bloody hell, that blow had hurt. Jian Suiying rubbed his stomach, still shaken by it. Because of the angle, Li Yu hadn't even been able to use his full strength. Otherwise, would he have ended up with internal bleeding? That boy's fighting ability was rather higher than he'd estimated. He'd have to change his tactics. It wouldn't do to die before he'd even managed to get anywhere.

 

Young Master Jian sighed. His stomach hurt, but it was also full of pent-up fury: jealousy, anger and unwillingness to accept defeat.

 

The highest principle he'd followed throughout his life was simple: *As long as I'm happy.* He didn't like beating about the bush when he spoke or acted, and he couldn't be bothered to conceal what he liked or disliked. As far as he was concerned, wanting to be with someone he fancied was the most natural thing in the world. It wasn't as though he'd really done anything much to Li Yu. So why did Li Yu always get so furious with him? Was it really necessary?

 

And he simply couldn't understand what Li Yu found so objectionable about him.

 

Thinking about it left Young Master Jian rather dejected. He'd been arrogant and vain since childhood, and he'd never doubted his own appeal. Male or female, when had anyone ever rejected him like this? He felt terribly wronged.

 

While waiting at a red light, he scowled and scrolled through his contacts. He found a lover he'd been finding reasonably attractive lately and called.

 

An ingratiating voice answered almost immediately.

 

Jian Suiying said unpleasantly, “Go to XX Hotel and wait for me.”

 

Despite looking rather like a hooligan, Jian Suiying wasn't particularly obsessed with sex. It was normal for a man to be lustful, but if that was all he thought about, he was either a sex maniac or an idiot.

 

He got up and took a shower. When he checked the time, it was already after three in the morning, and he was feeling sleepy.

 

Just then his mobile rang. He picked it up and was surprised to see Jian Suilin's name.

 

Where had Jian Suilin found the nerve to call him at this hour? Was he asking to be told off?

 

Unless something urgent had happened?

 

He quickly answered. “Hello?”

 

But the voice that came through was Li Yu's. It was the first time Jian Suiying had heard Li Yu so obviously slurring his words while still trying to sound composed. One listen was enough to tell him the boy had drunk too much.

 

Jian Suiying's heart began to race. He had no idea what had happened.

 

“Little Li? What's wrong?”

 

“Suilin's drunk.”

 

“What about you? Are you drunk too?”

 

“No… but… I can't drive. It's too… too late. I want to take him home, but… I don't know… how to get there…”

 

Li Yu could barely keep up with his own thoughts. Jian Suiying knew that state of drunkenness far too well. Li Yu probably had no idea what he was saying or doing. Calling him must have been a decision made with the last scrap of reason he had left.

 

The miserable mood that had plagued Jian Suiying for most of the night suddenly vanished without a trace. He wasn't merely relieved; he was so happy he wanted to laugh. Even if Li Yu had called without thinking, with his mind clouded by alcohol, it was enough to make Jian Suiying feel encouraged.

 

If Li Yu had thought of him when he needed help, then surely Jian Suiying occupied some sort of place in his heart, however you looked at it.

 

He hurriedly pulled on his clothes while reassuring him. “Don't panic. I'm very close to you. Stay right where you are. I'll come and find you now.”

 

Li Yu gave a slow, drawn-out “Oh.”

 

Jian Suiying ended the call, got dressed at lightning speed and rushed out of his hotel room. He jumped into his car and sped towards the address.

 

Fortunately, there was little traffic at three in the morning, and the roads were clear. Jian Suiying even ran two red lights. It wasn't a particularly urgent situation, really, but he had an overpowering desire to reach Li Yu as quickly as possible. Li Yu needed him. For the first time, Li Yu actually needed him.

 

When he arrived, several young students were sprawled around the hall in awkward positions. Those who couldn't make it home had apparently fallen asleep there, with a few members of staff keeping an eye on them.

 

These youngsters really did go mad the moment they were set free.

 

Jian Suiying spotted Li Yu immediately. He was slumped on a sofa, practically embracing Jian Suilin. His eyes were tightly closed, and his long eyelashes cast gentle shadows beneath them. His cheeks were flushed, his breathing calm and steady. Sleeping so peacefully, he looked innocent and adorable.

 

Most of Jian Suilin's body was lying across Li Yu's lap in an uncomfortable-looking position. He kept frowning in his sleep.

 

Jian Suiying almost laughed.

 

He went over and pulled Jian Suilin upright. “Little Lin, wake up.”

 

It took Jian Suilin ages to open his bleary eyes. He glanced at his brother, closed them again and let his entire weight sag against Jian Suiying's arm.

 

Drunk people were exceptionally heavy. Jian Suiying quickly found it hard going, so he kicked Li Yu lightly with his foot.

 

“Li Yu, wake up.”

 

Li Yu didn't seem quite as drunk. He struggled to open his eyes and said weakly, “You're here.”

 

“How did you two get into this state? You're normally so careful with your drinking. You hardly let a drop past your lips. What happened tonight? Look at you.”

 

He called over a young, strong waiter to take Jian Suilin's weight. Once the waiter had helped Suilin away, Jian Suiying hauled Li Yu to his feet.

 

Li Yu was swaying so badly he could barely walk. His reactions were dulled too, and he didn't even respond when Jian Suiying wrapped an arm around his waist to support him.

 

“Take Suilin home,” he murmured.

 

“I'm already here. Do you think I'm going to dump him in the street?”

 

*You ought to be worrying about yourself instead,* Jian Suiying thought wickedly. *In your condition, you could lose your virtue, and you're still thinking about someone else.*

 

Li Yu appeared reassured. He lowered his head and allowed Jian Suiying to help him into the car.

 

Jian Suiying drove them back to the hotel where he'd just been staying. On the way, he telephoned and asked the hotel staff to clean his room, and he booked another one as well. With help from the security guards, he deposited Jian Suilin in one room, then brought Li Yu into his own.

 

Once the door was shut, Jian Suiying truly felt like the big bad wolf looking at a rabbit laid out for dinner.

 

He sat beside the bed and stared at Li Yu.

 

If Li Yu could have seen the look in Jian Suiying's eyes just then, it would probably have frightened him sober, no matter how much he'd drunk.

 

But after staring and thinking for ages, Jian Suiying suddenly found he had no idea how to make a move.

 

Young Master Jian didn't consider himself a particularly upright person. His family background and life experiences had left him less sensitive to morals and shame than most people. To put it bluntly, he was thick-skinned and daring, and there were very few people who could keep him in line.

 

But he wasn't thoroughly evil, either. As much as he wanted to have sex with Li Yu, doing whatever he pleased to someone who was unconscious would be going too far, even for him.

 

Besides, knowing Li Yu's temper, wouldn't the boy try to kill him when he woke up the next morning?

 

Jian Suiying sighed and reached out to stroke Li Yu's face, tracing from his handsome brows and eyes down to the straight bridge of his nose.

 

He took off his own clothes, which smelled of alcohol, and went into the bathroom for another shower. He wanted to cool both his head and his body. When he came out, Li Yu was still sleeping deeply, breathing evenly.

 

Jian Suiying went over and took off Li Yu's shoes. Then he looked at his clothes and hesitated.

 

His clothes didn't seem dirty, so there was no need to take them off… But sleeping fully dressed was uncomfortable. Perhaps he ought to remove them after all.

 

While his mind invented excuses, another part of him tried to stop him. In the end, he couldn't resist. He decided to strip Li Yu completely. Even if he did nothing else, he could at least enjoy looking and touching. And tomorrow, he could create a misleading impression of what had happened, then blame it on Li Yu's drunkenness while pretending he himself was entirely innocent.

 

Having made up his mind, Jian Suiying got to work.

 

He had plenty of experience with this sort of thing. First, he struggled to pull off Li Yu's shirt. Li Yu made a few sleepy sounds and tried to roll over, but only got halfway before rolling back.

 

That startled Jian Suiying, and he froze.

 

After watching for a while and confirming that Li Yu had fallen back asleep, he decisively tossed the shirt aside and began undoing the belt on his trousers. Just as he continued with the excitement of a man searching for buried treasure, a cold voice suddenly sounded above his head.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

For the first time, Jian Suiying truly understood how a thief felt when caught red-handed. His heart gave a violent jolt. It was as though all the blood had drained from his head to the soles of his feet, and his first instinct was to jump off the bed and run. Fortunately, he restrained himself.

 

He raised his head. Li Yu was squinting at him. His eyes were bloodshot, his gaze unfocused and still clouded by alcohol. His voice lacked strength, but Jian Suiying noticed that his hand was already curling into a fist.

 

“I… I was helping you take your clothes off. It wouldn't be comfortable to sleep in them. How come you're awake?”

 

“…Get off.”

 

Li Yu was exhausted. His thoughts were slow, and he didn't have the strength to spring up and beat Jian Suiying, so all he could do was warn him in a low voice.

 

Jian Suiying shifted as though he was about to move away, but in the end he stayed where he was and tilted his head to look at Li Yu.

 

Li Yu closed his eyes briefly and struggled to clear his head. When he opened them again, his gaze was icy.

 

“I'll say it again. Get off.”

 

He didn't believe Jian Suiying would actually dare do anything to him, unless he had a death wish. But even with his mind working at half speed, Li Yu knew exactly what the man wanted. Right now, he was drunk and weak, and the situation was clearly against him. All he could hope to do was keep Jian Suiying under control and settle the score when he was sober tomorrow.

 

Jian Suiying planted his hands on either side of Li Yu's head and looked down at him with a wicked smile.

 

“Little Li, do you know something? You're much cuter like this, all soft and helpless, than you are normally. If only you were always like this.”

 

Li Yu stared at him coldly and tried to clench his fist. It was a strange sensation. It seemed as though his fist had closed, yet the hand didn't quite feel as though it belonged to him. The slightest movement made him dizzy, and his head throbbed unbearably.

 

“Come on, Little Li. You can't even stand up straight right now, never mind hit anyone. Don't be nervous. If only you could stay like this…”

 

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jian Suiying gently leaned down towards him.

 

Li Yu said darkly, “Jian Suiying, are you… tired of living?”

 

Young Master Jian replied, “What do you think I'm going to do? Relax. I'm not that much of a beast.”

 

Li Yu was so humiliated and furious that he sobered considerably.

 

“You shameless bastard!”

 

Jian Suiying chuckled. “Then don't go along with my shamelessness.”

 

Li Yu struggled to sit up, but Jian Suiying gave him an easy shove, and he fell back onto the bed.

 

Jian Suiying narrowed his eyes at him and deliberately licked his lips in provocation.

 

Then a single sentence from Jian Suiying weakened Li Yu's imposing manner considerably.

 

“What? Going to pretend it never happened?”

 

Li Yu glanced down at himself, and the humiliating state he was in filled him with shame and fury.

 

He felt he'd never been so thoroughly humiliated in his life. What on earth was wrong with the world?

 

Jian Suiying knew when he'd pushed his luck far enough. Having taken all the liberties he could, he left feeling pleased with himself and wonderfully refreshed.

 

Once he got home, he decided not to go to work. He flung himself onto his bed and went straight to sleep, intending to think about his next move when he woke up. He'd always been like this, even as a child. Before making a mistake, he could still have a few scruples. Once he'd caused trouble, though, he immediately adopted a *might as well go all the way* attitude. His father would scold or beat him regardless, so why not relax, eat, drink and carry on as usual?

 

Young Master Jian had sauntered through life with that unruffled, outrageous attitude ever since childhood. He relied on one thoroughly crooked guiding principle: *It's not as if they can kill me.*

 

He slept until after two in the afternoon. The moment he switched his mobile back on, notifications of missed calls and text messages began appearing in rapid succession. Almost all of them were from Little Lin or Secretary Liang.

 

He returned Secretary Liang's call first. Xiao Liang reported on work matters, ran through several appointments and asked when he would be coming into the office. After hanging up, Jian Suiying thought for a moment and called Little Lin. Mainly, he wanted to find out how Li Yu was doing.

 

Little Lin sounded dreadful, with the familiar after-effects of a hangover.

 

“Brother, you finally answered your phone.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Well, Li Yu said you brought us to the hotel last night. I'm sorry, Brother. We caused you trouble.”

 

Jian Suiying snorted. “At least you know it. If you can't hold your drink, why the hell did you drink so much? Know your limits.”

 

Jian Suilin said plaintively, “They kept making us drink…”

 

“Then practise. There's not a single man in the Jian family who's a coward at the drinking table. I used to drink on Dad's behalf. From now on, you're going to have to help me.”

 

Jian Suilin chuckled softly, his voice gentle. “Don't worry, Brother. I'll drink however much you need me to.”

 

Jian Suiying laughed derisively. “You little brat. You're bloody good at saying the right things. Anyway, where are you? Still at the hotel?”

 

“Mm. I can't get up. My head hurts.”

 

“Where's Li Yu?”

 

“In the room next door… Hmm? Someone's knocking. It might be him.”

 

Jian Suiying heard rustling and the sound of someone getting out of bed. He suddenly grew nervous, his heartbeat quickening.

 

Very soon, he heard Li Yu's voice. It sounded tired, but his tone was full of concern.

 

“Suilin, are you feeling any better?”

 

“My head hurts. I don't even want to get up. What about you? Are you better?”

 

Jian Suiying heard Li Yu enter and shut the door.

 

“I'm all right. I asked the staff to buy some medicine. I've brought you some. Have you eaten? Eat something first, then take it.”

 

“I've got no appetite… You kept drinking for me yesterday. You must be feeling worse than I am. Have you taken any medicine yourself?”

 

Hearing the two of them talk so solicitously to each other left Jian Suiying feeling thoroughly uncomfortable. He was even a little jealous of Jian Suilin.

 

Li Yu seemed gentle with everyone else. Only Jian Suiying got barely a smile from him all day, and by now Li Yu probably hated him. Admittedly, that was entirely his own doing. But if Li Yu hadn't been so difficult to deal with, Jian Suiying wouldn't have wanted things to become so awkward between them. He wanted a romantic, tender relationship with Li Yu too.

 

When it came to making someone happy, Jian Suiying could have treated Li Yu wonderfully. He could have made him very happy indeed. Unfortunately, Li Yu wasn't interested.

 

He heard Li Yu ask, “Hmm? Are you on the phone?”

 

Jian Suilin replied, “Ah, it's my brother…” Then he brought the phone back to his ear. “Brother, it's Li Yu. He woke up before I did.”

 

Jian Suiying didn't know whether he was being oversensitive, but he heard a dull thud, as though Li Yu had thrown something heavily onto the table.

 

His heart sank. He answered with a couple of distracted sounds. “All right, you two sort yourselves out. I'm hanging up.”

 

He ended the call in a hurry.

 

Imagining the expression of disgust Li Yu must have shown when he heard his name, the normally thick-skinned Young Master Jian suddenly felt a sharp pang of misery. He stayed at home for the rest of the day without going out.

 

The following morning, his body clock woke him promptly at around seven. He got ready and drove to work.

 

Even with skin as thick as his, he felt a little apprehensive when he reached the company entrance and thought about seeing Li Yu again.

 

Jian Suiying rubbed his nose and forced himself inside.

 

As soon as he got upstairs, he saw Li Yu outside his office, standing with his back to him and talking to Secretary Liang. Today Li Yu wore a grey-green shirt and black suit trousers. The well-cut clothes showed off his broad shoulders, narrow waist and long, slender legs perfectly.

 

He bent slightly to accommodate Secretary Liang's height, looking gentle and gentlemanly. The sight of his back alone was enough to send Jian Suiying's heart racing out of control.

 

Jian Suiying deliberately coughed.

 

The two people talking turned around together.

 

Li Yu's eyes were dark and icy. When Jian Suiying met them, they seemed bottomless. A little startled, he felt a chill creep into his heart.

 

Secretary Liang looked visibly relieved.

 

“President Jian, you're finally here. Have a look at this. We've been waiting for your answer…”

 

Jian Suiying took the document, cast a quick glance at Li Yu and went into his office first.

 

Li Yu followed him inside.

 

Jian Suiying leant against his large desk and folded his arms, putting on an air of casual ease.

 

“Have you read this report? Give me a quick summary. Oh, and that contract you wrote last time was quite good. You revised it three times, didn't you? You must have learnt a lot.”

 

Li Yu tilted his head slightly and stared at him coldly.

 

Jian Suiying felt increasingly uneasy.

 

“Well, you know… Since we're at work, let's talk about business. We can discuss anything else after work. What do you say?”

 

Li Yu's expression changed. He suddenly lunged forwards.

 

Jian Suiying's eyes widened as Li Yu shoved him hard. Half his body fell backwards onto the desk, striking his shoulder blades painfully against it.

 

Li Yu pressed his elbow down viciously above Jian Suiying's collarbone, putting considerable pressure on his throat. Jian Suiying's face reddened immediately, and he struggled to breathe.

 

Li Yu's expression was fierce and cold. His face was so close that the breath from his thin lips struck Jian Suiying's skin. He didn't raise his voice, but every word was chilling.

 

“Jian, I'm giving you face for the last time, and only because of Suilin. If you dare provoke me again, I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life.”

 

Jian Suiying's breath caught. An unfamiliar pressure spread through his chest, and his temper flared almost instantly.

 

Never in his life had anyone dared speak to him that way. Everywhere he went, who failed to address him respectfully as Young Master Jian? What the hell did Li Yu think he was? He was nothing but a wet-behind-the-ears brat with no status or position. It was bad enough that he'd rejected Jian Suiying time and again. Now he dared speak to him like this?

 

Jian Suiying's eyes bulged. He raised his knee and slammed it hard into Li Yu's thigh.

 

Li Yu loosened his elbow in pain, and Jian Suiying seized the chance to shove him away. Furious, he swept everything on the desk onto the floor and jabbed a finger towards Li Yu's face.

 

“I fucking dare you to say that again! Who the hell do you think you are, Li Yu? Me fancying you is an honour!”

 

Li Yu looked ready to devour him. Those words had completely enraged him. With things said so openly, there was no pretending they hadn't fallen out.

 

He snarled, “Fuck you! I can't stand shameless bastards like you who keep throwing themselves at me. Who do you think you are? If you weren't Suilin's brother, I'd beat a filthy bastard like you every time I saw you.”

 

Jian Suiying's face went scarlet with rage, and he launched himself at Li Yu, intending to punch him.

 

Li Yu dodged, grabbed his shoulder and dug his fingers into the flesh like iron pincers. Then he landed a heavy punch squarely in Jian Suiying's stomach.

 

Jian Suiying nearly vomited. He doubled over, clutching his belly, unable to recover for a long while.

 

Li Yu caught him by the hair and glared fiercely at him.

 

“What other disgusting things do you want to do to me? Go on, tell me. Let's see how many lives you fucking have.”

 

Jian Suiying felt as though he were meeting Li Yu for the first time. The Li Yu he'd known was calm and reserved, a man of few words who treated people politely and properly. At times, he'd even thought Li Yu was a little shy. How badly would someone have to offend that sort of person to bring out such a terrifying side of him?

 

Jian Suiying couldn't fucking understand it!

 

He glared back just as fiercely and slammed his head against Li Yu's chest. Li Yu stumbled backwards in surprise. Jian Suiying followed with an elbow to the stomach, repaying the pain he'd just suffered in full.

 

Li Yu staggered back several steps before finding his balance.

 

Both adjusted their expressions, then charged at each other and began wrestling.

 

Although both were fighting in a blind rage, there was something rather ridiculous about the brawl. They were careful not to make noise, and neither attacked the other's face. Venting their anger and hatred was one thing, but they hadn't entirely lost their minds. They knew that if they walked out of the office looking obviously battered, the problems they'd have to deal with would be far more troublesome than the beating itself.

 

As they fought, Jian Suiying cursed Li Yu inwardly for hitting so bloody hard. The bastard was ruthless. At first, Jian Suiying had held back because he didn't want to hurt him, but Li Yu hadn't shown him a scrap of consideration. Eventually, Jian Suiying got properly angry and began raining heavy punches down on him too.

 

The two rolled back and forth across the thick wool carpet.

 

Li Yu drove his foot into Jian Suiying's stomach. Young Master Jian's back slammed hard against the leg of the solid-wood desk. That blow really did him in. He curled up instantly, falling silent as he struggled to recover.

 

Clutching his stomach and rubbing his thigh, Li Yu scrambled to his feet with a pained grimace. Panting, he looked down at Jian Suiying, whose face was twisted in agony.

 

Both men were covered in shoeprints, especially on their trousers. They looked utterly dishevelled.

 

Li Yu's punches were too heavy. Young Master Jian had suffered a serious defeat this time. His whole body hurt so much he didn't dare move. Never in his life had he been so humiliated in a fight. He felt he'd lost because he couldn't bear to hit Li Yu properly.

 

Fuck, how embarrassing. Jian Suiying felt like lying there forever and never getting up again.

 

Li Yu flexed his arms and legs, then went over, hauled Jian Suiying off the floor and dumped him onto the leather sofa. He looked at him contemptuously.

 

“Still want to fight?”

 

Jian Suiying cursed, snatched the ashtray off the coffee table and hurled it at him.

 

Li Yu dodged, but all the water in the ashtray splashed over him. Looking at his own bedraggled state and thinking about how badly he'd lost his temper, he grew even angrier with Jian Suiying.

 

Jian Suiying gritted his teeth, sprang off the sofa and tried to rush at him again.

 

Li Yu was prepared. He shoved Jian Suiying straight back onto the sofa and pressed himself over him. One hand pinned his chest while the other closed around his neck, a thumb resting against the artery. He hadn't applied much pressure yet, but his eyes were full of cold menace.

 

“From now on, wipe every one of those disgusting thoughts out of your head!”

 

Jian Suiying was beside himself with humiliation and anger. Li Yu's unconcealed disgust had dealt his pride a blow unlike anything he'd experienced before. Never had he pursued someone only to make them despise him so much. It was the greatest failure of his life.

 

He'd always been a domineering man who could only be handled gently, and every concession he'd made to Li Yu now erupted into resentment.

 

*You've humiliated me this badly, you bastard. Do you think I'm going to make things easy for you?*

 

He narrowed his eyes at Li Yu. After what had happened between them, there was surely no chance left. So what did he have to worry about? He might as well do whatever made him happy. He decided then and there that he'd disgust Li Yu as thoroughly as he could, just to vent his anger.

 

He smiled with deliberate insolence.

 

“Since when can you decide what I think?”

 

Li Yu's eyes blazed. His thumb began to press harder, and his lips trembled with anger.

 

“You… Have you no shame at all? You…”

 

Jian Suiying's face turned crimson.

 

“Cough, cough… I'll do whatever… the hell I want… What can you… do about it? Me fancying you… is an honour…”

 

At that moment, Li Yu truly wanted to strangle Jian Suiying. Nobody had ever provoked him to such a degree. He'd been right about Jian Suiying since they were children. The man was not only petty and bullying, someone who used his position to push others around, but also utterly shameless.

 

Remembering the ways he'd oppressed and tormented Jian Suilin over the years, and thinking about the disgusting ideas Jian Suiying had concerning him, Li Yu felt that allowing this man to live would only be leaving a scourge upon the world.

 

Jian Suiying's face and neck were swelling red under Li Yu's grip. He drove his knee hard into Li Yu's side. Li Yu went pale with pain, his hand loosening. Jian Suiying took the opportunity to throw him off the sofa. Coughing, he jumped to his feet and faced Li Yu from the other side of the coffee table.

 

He assessed the distance and obstacles between them. Convinced that Li Yu couldn't come flying over to bite him to death, he opened his vicious mouth and let the insults pour out like floodwater through a broken dam.

 

“Li Er, what the fuck is it about me you don't like? Tell me one way in which I, Jian Suiying, am not outstanding.”

 

He watched Li Yu's face contort almost into that of an alien, and a perverse satisfaction rose inside him.

 

Li Yu's usual calm self-control had completely disappeared. Right now he was nothing more than an enraged young man who wanted to beat his opponent half to death before he'd feel any relief from his fury.

 

The word *fear* simply didn't exist in Jian Suiying's vocabulary. He'd genuinely never been afraid of anyone. Li Yu looked frightening, but that wasn't enough to intimidate him. Nobody could stop him from getting satisfaction out of tormenting Li Yu to soothe his own broken heart.

 

He wouldn't show it, but he really was hurt.

 

He thought… perhaps what he'd wanted was, with Li Yu…

 

The moment that thought appeared, he found it rather laughable.

 

Li Yu was already clenching his fists and trying to circle round to his side of the coffee table. Jian Suiying kept moving with him so he couldn't be caught, deliberately trying to drive him mad.

 

Li Yu cursed, “You shameless bastard! You actually think you can… You… How dare you… Go to hell!”

 

In all his life, he'd never encountered anyone who dared have those sorts of intentions towards him. It wasn't as though he'd never been harassed by another man, but those had always been obviously effeminate boys. He'd never experienced anything like being desired by Jian Suiying. This feeling of being… being insulted…

 

Li Yu's head felt ready to explode.

 

Jian Suiying wasn't nearly so troubled by conflicting thoughts.

 

As the two remained at an impasse, Li Yu's mobile suddenly began ringing merrily.

 

Both were so furious they ignored it at first. After it rang several times, the familiar melody brought Li Yu's reason back in a flash. It was the special ringtone he'd assigned to Jian Suilin.

 

Li Yu searched around for his mobile, eventually finding it beneath the desk. He answered hurriedly, and his voice immediately changed from a raging storm to a gentle breeze.

 

“Hello, Suilin.”

 

Jian Suiying hadn't taken his eyes off Li Yu's face for a second. He was stunned by the sudden change in expression and tone. It struck him that Li Yu was far too… far too gentle with Little Lin.

 

He didn't know whether he was being oversensitive, but he couldn't stop recalling all the occasions when the two had been together. Li Yu took extraordinarily good care of Little Lin. It was almost excessive.

 

Jian Suiying's heart suddenly tightened. A string of questions rang through his mind like bells.

 

Could it be that youngsters nowadays all behaved this way with each other?

 

He heard Li Yu say, “Not yet. I've still got work to finish. You go and eat first.”

 

“All right. Bring me back a takeaway meal.”

 

“…Yes. Yes, I'm with your brother.”

 

After saying that, Li Yu shot Jian Suiying an icy glare.

 

Jian Suiying cursed inwardly. *You change faces faster than a whore takes her clothes off. You can roll your eyes right out of your head for all I care. It won't cost me a single hair.*

 

Controlling his voice as carefully as he could, Li Yu asked, “Suilin wants to know what you want for lunch. He'll bring you back some food.”

 

Jian Suiying bellowed, “Lunch, my arse! You haven't finished your work, and you've still got the nerve to eat? Live on fresh air!”

 

Li Yu angrily ended the call.

 

“Jian Suiying, I'm going to fucking kill you today!”

 

He charged forwards.

 

Jian Suiying was already aching all over and wasn't keen to fight to the death. He stayed behind the coffee table, leading Li Yu round it like a man walking a dog.

 

A short while later, a cautious knock sounded at the door.

 

Jian Suiying roared, “Who is it?”

 

Jian Suilin's gentle voice came from outside.

 

“President Jian, whatever's going on, you still need to eat lunch.”

 

Anxiousness flashed across Li Yu's face. He looked helplessly at his own dishevelled appearance and Jian Suiying's. He was terrified that Suilin might come in. How could he explain? He could hardly say, *Your brother tried to take advantage of me, so I beat him up.*

 

Jian Suiying had calmed down a little too. He looked at himself, then at Li Yu. Fighting with a teenage intern in the boss's office was humiliating, even for him.

 

He shouted towards the door, “Go and have your lunch. Don't worry about us. We'll eat when we've finished what we're doing.”

 

Jian Suilin hesitated. “Brother…”

 

“Get lost. Don't make me say it again.”

 

Li Yu glared furiously at Jian Suiying, then forced his own voice to soften.

 

“Suilin, don't worry about me. We'll be finished soon. Go and eat first.”

 

There was silence outside for several seconds, followed at last by retreating footsteps.

 

Jian Suiying ran a hand through his hopelessly disordered hair. He glanced sidelong at Li Yu and snorted.

 

“Now what?”

 

Li Yu looked back at him coldly. “You tell me.”

 

Jian Suiying pointed towards the back of his office, where he had a private rest room and bathroom.

 

“Wash your shirt and trousers, then dry them with the hairdryer before you go out.”

 

Li Yu knew there was no other choice. Still simmering with anger, he went into the bathroom.

 

Jian Suiying changed into another set of clothes in the restroom. Once dressed, he lay wearily on the bed and listened to the sound of running water from the bathroom. Several places on his body seemed to be hurting more and more.

 

Li Yu spent half an hour sorting himself out in the bathroom. For both of them, those thirty-odd minutes felt unbearably long.

 

Although anger still churned inside Li Yu, he'd recovered a great deal of his composure. He wasn't afraid of offending Jian Suiying. In fact, finally being able to curse at him and beat him after holding his temper for so long had felt wonderful. But he was worried about how he'd explain things if Jian Suilin discovered what had happened.

 

He absolutely couldn't let Suilin know what sort of intentions Jian Suiying had towards him. Otherwise, Suilin would certainly distance himself from Li Yu. All the worries and problems Jian Suiying had unilaterally forced upon him left Li Yu irritable and furious.

 

Meanwhile, Young Master Jian lay on the bed smoking a cigarette, unwilling to move a muscle. He was starting to regret going a bit too far that day. But Li Yu had been the one to start the fight, hadn't he? Jian Suiying couldn't tolerate being provoked, and he'd never been the sort to swallow an insult.

 

Still, he had been the one to offend Li Yu first…

 

Jian Suiying grabbed at his hair in frustration. After turning everything over in his mind, he decided the most hateful thing of all was that Li Yu was blind. How could he fail to appreciate such a perfect man? The bastard must have dog shit smeared across his eyes.

 

By now, Jian Suiying was even beginning to doubt his earlier ideas.

 

He smoked several cigarettes in quick succession, organised his thoughts and finally got out of bed.

 

The hairdryer was still running in the bathroom. He went over and banged impatiently on the door.

 

“Are you fucking finished yet? What do you think this is, a room you've hired by the hour? Hurry up and come out when you're done drying yourself.”

 

The hairdryer stopped immediately. Li Yu opened the door, his expression frosty.

 

Jian Suiying looked at his shirt and trousers. They were probably still a little damp, but at least it wasn't noticeable. He gazed at Li Yu's face, which remained beautiful even when it was cold and distant, and felt a pang of sadness.

 

“Come out. I want to talk to you.”

 

Seeing that Jian Suiying didn't seem about to throw himself at him, Li Yu let down his guard slightly and followed him out.

 

Jian Suiying dropped into his executive chair and looked at him arrogantly.

 

“Li Er, I can't be bothered arguing about what's happened before. I admit I was wrong about some things, but the main problem was that your horizons were too narrow…”

 

Li Yu's eyes slowly widened.

 

Jian Suiying coughed and quickly changed the subject.

 

“Forget it, forget it. There's no point arguing about who's right and who's wrong. Since you look down on me so much, I won't keep pestering you. You really think you're some kind of irresistible treasure, don't you? Look how worked up you get. Is it necessary?”

 

Li Yu struggled desperately against the urge to lunge forwards and bite him. His hands clenched into fists inside his trouser pockets.

 

Jian Suiying was truly a champion among bastards. Every part of this particular fighting machine had been built out of shamelessness, arrogance and sheer bloody nerve. Li Yu couldn't help thinking of Suilin. How could two people who shared so much blood and so many genes be so different?

 

Jian Suiying tapped his fingers against the desk, looking thoroughly reasonable.

 

“From now on, let's forget everything that's happened, all right? We'll just be boss and employee. I'll teach you properly, and you'll work properly for me.”

 

The muscles in Li Yu's face stiffened.

 

“Nothing could be better.”

 

Despite already knowing what Li Yu thought of him, Jian Suiying still felt disappointed to hear it aloud. He waved a hand irritably.

 

“Fine, go and get on with your work. Oh, and buy me some lunch. That claypot rice from last time was good. Bring me a whole pot.”

 

Li Yu wanted to slap him across the face with the sole of his shoe. He restrained himself with enormous effort and eventually left without a word.

 

Jian Suiying watched his retreating back with a cold smile. He wasn't someone who could be defeated so easily. Everything he'd just said was merely to keep Li Yu calm for the moment, a temporary delaying tactic.

 

Two hours later, his lunch still hadn't arrived. He ended up so hungry that he ate all the little biscuits served with the coffee. His sharp teeth crunched loudly through the crisp biscuits, swallowing them along with his resentment and wounded pride.

 

He didn't leave his office all afternoon. Everyone outside seemed to know he was in a bad mood, and nobody came in. Li Yu certainly wouldn't come in. For those several hours, Jian Suiying got no work done at all. He simply sat there stewing.

 

At last, just before the end of the working day, someone knocked.

 

“Who?” he demanded unpleasantly.

 

“President Jian, it's me.” Jian Suilin's voice came through the door.

 

“Come in.”

 

Jian Suiying rubbed his face and forced his stiff features back into place.

 

As soon as Jian Suilin entered, he saw documents, a cup and a telephone scattered across the floor where Jian Suiying had swept them off the desk. He frowned slightly and bent to pick them up.

 

“Brother, what happened? Why were you so angry? I thought you were usually quite nice to Li Yu.”

 

Jian Suiying coughed. “Personally, of course I treat him well. But business is business. I'm a man who keeps work and personal matters separate.”

 

Jian Suilin carried the things back to the desk and arranged them neatly.

 

“Can you tell me what it was about? Li Yu won't say either. Perhaps I could help him.”

 

“No need. After I gave him a talking-to, he understood what he'd done wrong. He probably won't make that mistake again. The matter's over.”

 

Jian Suilin gave him a doubtful look, then softened his voice.

 

“Brother, you haven't eaten lunch, have you?”

 

“I've eaten.”

 

“You look tired, Brother. Shall I massage your shoulders?”

 

Jian Suiying yawned and leant back in his chair, relaxing his entire body.

 

“Go on, then.”

 

He closed his eyes.

 

Jian Suilin began massaging his shoulders with practised skill. Whatever else he might or might not know, he'd certainly mastered looking after his older brother. Ever since childhood, he'd done plenty of things like bringing him tea and running errands. Jian Suiying considered it only natural. After all, once Little Lin had learnt how to behave tactfully, life had become much easier for both of them.

 

Jian Suilin kneaded Jian Suiying's shoulders with just the right amount of pressure. His eyes lingered on the little patch of skin exposed by his brother's collar and the slightly prominent collarbone beneath it. He only had to lower his head a little to catch the clean scent of Jian Suiying's aftershave. If he bent any closer, he could easily touch the skin of his face.

 

Jian Suiying rested with his eyes closed, his thick eyelashes trembling faintly and his nostrils moving gently with each breath. His profile was like the finest sculpture, every detail approaching perfection.

 

Jian Suilin couldn't stop himself swallowing. His eyes, usually full of a gentle smile, seemed to have been veiled in a thick, mysterious mist.