After Accidentally Sending Empathy Dolls to My Four Top Donors - Chapter 9

It was Fu Tingchuan who moved first to break the ice. Without seeking Wen Leling’s consent, he picked him up. His movements were no longer brutal or forceful, but unexpectedly steady.

Unfortunately, Wen Leling remained convinced that this was a trap. Filled with resistance and knowing the vast difference in their physical strength, he realized struggling would be a waste of energy. He focused instead on ensuring he would not be tossed away recklessly again; his fingers gripped Fu Tingchuan’s clothes tightly, and his long arms hooked and locked around the man’s neck, squeezing hard.

Fu Tingchuan carried Wen Leling forward. He was initially surprised by the lack of a struggle, but after a couple of steps, he realized the counterattack was already underway.

As Wen Leling gradually increased the pressure of his chokehold, Fu Tingchuan was forced to tilt his chin up. His neck went rigid, and he accidentally strained a muscle. Still, he did not move or make a sound. He did not want to ruin the experience of being carried for Wen Leling.

The veins on the side of his neck began to bulge from holding his breath, looking as though they might burst at any moment. Wen Leling ignored this until Fu Tingchuan, enduring the discomfort, gently placed him back onto the bed in a manner completely different from before. Only then did Wen Leling release his grip.

Fu Tingchuan straightened up, his brow furrowed, and pressed his palm against his forehead. Perhaps due to the lack of oxygen, his complexion was no longer just gloomy; it looked sickly and uncomfortable.

He appeared quite disheveled.

Wen Leling watched him with a sense of disappointment, pouting slightly. His gaze wandered aimlessly until it landed on the clothes that Fu Tingchuan had likely brought for him to change into. For some reason, he felt a sudden chill.

He shivered and asked in a small voice, “Fu Tingchuan, hiss!”

His teeth chattered, causing him to bite the tip of his tongue and cutting his words short.

Fu Tingchuan, having recovered, asked, “What is it? If you have something to say, say it. But do not expect me to let you go.”

Fu Tingchuan ruthlessly added his condition. “You can only leave this place if you agree to join Team 012.”

This was simply absurd. Wen Leling questioned him with unreasonable defiance: “Based on what?”

The only response he received was the man’s silence.

Time and again, his right to choose and his personal freedom were stripped away. Since Fu Tingchuan was ignoring him, a justifiable spark of anger flared up in Wen Leling’s heart. His cheeks tightened and his lips thinned into a straight line, looking like a child angry at a parent’s lecture. But Fu Tingchuan would not coax him; he was the type to slap him twice for throwing a tantrum and tell him to cry all he wanted.

The mere thought felt like something out of a horror movie. Wen Leling could not even muster the courage to throw a pillow, fearing Fu Tingchuan might slap him across the room.

Fu Tingchuan watched him for a moment. Wen Leling’s reluctance was palpable; his lowered eyelashes were tinged with a faint dampness that invited pity. He and his team members were currently in need of a tool who did not actually want to be their Guide, someone who would simply hold the title and collect a salary.

Previously, he had actually planned to persuade him with a few words before sending him back to Xia Congmian. Looking back now, he had almost missed out on a partner.

Looking at the suitable candidate before him, Fu Tingchuan let out a soft chuckle. “Xia Congmian told me I must convince you to join Team 012.”

“I.”

“Do not be in a hurry to refuse. Listen to me first.”

Interrupted by Fu Tingchuan, Wen Leling felt like a frost-bitten blade of grass. He slumped dejectedly against the quilt, and though his expression was one of utter despair, he pricked up his ears to hear what the man had to say.

“You should be aware of the consequences of refusing. Xia Congmian will not let you go. He has all the time in the world to wear you down.”

Yes, I know, Wen Leling thought, nodding his head.

“But if you agree, he will treat you like a precious treasure. We will too. Furthermore, we do not require your mental guidance; you only need to put on an appearance for the higher-ups.”

“So, what do you think? Do you want to change your mind?”

Wen Leling was puzzled. Was the man hiding a stomach full of bad intentions, just waiting for him to take the bait?

Wen Leling raised an eyebrow. He had zero trust in Fu Tingchuan; his eyes were filled with doubt and surprise.

Fu Tingchuan sensed this and explained further: “Do not be afraid. There is no trap here. I will not do anything to you, nor will my team members. We simply want to discuss a partnership. Because we all have boyfriends, we must.”

Fu Tingchuan turned his head and went silent.

The sentence was left unfinished, but Wen Leling’s mind automatically filled in the remaining words: Keep our purity?

No way.

Wen Leling’s eyes half-closed, his lashes fluttering as if a freezing spell had been cast on him. His brain stalled for a moment. His lips moved slightly, but for a long time, not a single word came out.

His delicate face, which had not yet lost its youthful air, was a map of confusion and shock. The expressions shifted gradually, as if he were slowly digesting a piece of information that was very difficult for him to understand. Every word needed to be weighed and confirmed in his mind for its true meaning.

They all had boyfriends?

Almost the moment Fu Tingchuan finished speaking, Wen Leling thought of Xiao Wenye. That man who would affectionately call him “baby” actually had a boyfriend?

Then what was he? What was he supposed to be?

Did this not make him the third party that everyone despised?

Wen Leling’s heart skipped a beat. His bright pupils turned cold, like crushed ice sinking into a clear spring.

No one wanted to add such an unnecessary, shameful blemish to their otherwise beautiful life. Anger filled his eyes. Standing to the side, Fu Tingchuan watched Wen Leling’s expression turn strange. Thinking he might have said something wrong, he observed for a moment but found nothing. Unable to restrain himself yet still maintaining a calm facade, he asked, “Do you have some concerns? You can tell me. We can negotiate any conditions.”

“Wait, wait a minute.” Wen Leling raised his hand to stop him. A buzzing sound rang in his ears, and he felt his stomach churning with a sense of nausea. Clinging to the hope that this was all a misunderstanding and he was not wrongly accusing someone, he asked, “Xiao Wenye, does he have a boyfriend too?”

His face turned pale and then green; his voice was hollow.

Even before asking, he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. During the wait for an answer, Wen Leling stared intently at Fu Tingchuan, watching for any sign that the man might be lying just to get him to join Team 012.

There was nothing unusual.

The man merely raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze as cold as an ice pick. “Yes. Why? Did you know him before? Did he lie to you?”

His flat tone felt like a heavy stone pressing on Wen Leling’s chest. Wen Leling was speechless for a moment before opening his mouth. “No, I do not know him. No.”

“Then why ask about him so suddenly?”

“It is nothing. I just wanted to learn a little about him.” Wen Leling covered his stomach with one hand and rubbed the edge of his clothes with the other. His brow remained furrowed as he broke into a cold sweat.

How should he describe his current feelings?

It was not a single emotion like anger. He did not feel an empty or bitter sensation in his heart because his top donor had a boyfriend. It was shock, guilt, and anxiety. He had been kept in the dark and had become the other person without even knowing it.

This was immoral.

Wen Leling whispered to himself, do not panic, do not panic. He could not let Fu Tingchuan see anything unusual. These people were all on the same side; if they knew something, they would surely report it. Despite his internal warnings, cold sweat continued to pour out.

He straightened his collar and tugged at his lapel. A moment later, he straightened his collar and tugged at his lapel again. He did not know what to do with himself; his heart felt as though it were being gnawed by many small mice, and he could not find peace.

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