Don't Give Your Heart to Your Nemesis - Chapter 12

9:59 PM.

As the second hand approached twelve, a knock sounded at Yan Ruixing’s door.

Wen Xiaomian stood there with his left hand in his pocket and his right hand resting on a small suitcase. He wore a face that practically begged for a beating. “Yo, were you waiting anxiously?”

Yan Ruixing opened the door and ignored him completely.

Stepping into the house, Wen Xiaomian found a pair of brand-new slippers placed before him like a protective screen.

Yan Ruixing sprayed the wheels of the suitcase with alcohol three times, then pointed toward the bathroom. “Take off your coat. Wash your hands. Three times.”

Used to this behavior, Wen Xiaomian rolled up his sleeves and went to the bathroom. After washing his hands, he followed Yan Ruixing to the door of a room. He hesitated for half a minute, not daring to step inside.

“Yan Ruixing, just how many illnesses do you have?” Wen Xiaomian felt as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff, about to commit a despicable act of lovers’ suicide. “What kind of sane person builds an operating room in their own home?”

The room was dim and pale, fully equipped with shadowless lamps, an operating table, a ventilator, and a defibrillator.

Yan Ruixing put on a white lab coat, ignoring the comment. “Come in. I do not want to say it a second time.”

Under the eerie, cold lights of the “operating room,” Wen Xiaomian lay flat on the bed like a piece of meat stripped of its personality. Yan Ruixing took out several electrode pads and attached them to various areas of his head.

At the same time, his eyes were covered. It was only when he felt a sense of restraint on his body that Wen Xiaomian realized something was wrong.

Damn, I am tied down.

The straps were tight. Wen Xiaomian struggled to no avail. “What are you doing? Playing S.M. in broad daylight?”

“I am conducting a monitoring test. This is to prevent you from struggling.”

With his vision blocked and unable to move, Wen Xiaomian could only review the years he had known Yan Ruixing, recalling their tragic past grievances. Finally, he offered a last word: “My grandfather is a Buddhist. Can you leave me an intact corpse?”

Yan Ruixing turned on the auditory nerve cortical monitor. “I will try.”

Following a surge of strong electric current, Wen Xiaomian’s entire body convulsed.

“Fuck!”

Yan Ruixing wants to play with me before murdering me!

Pain spread from his cerebral cortex to his entire body. It felt as if his skull were being pierced by a sharp instrument, followed by the sensation of wheels grinding over him layer by layer, only to press down on his other organs again.

As time passed, drops of sweat seeped from Wen Xiaomian’s forehead. His face paled as if it had been soaked in disinfectant, losing color layer by layer.

Halfway through, Yan Ruixing asked if he could endure it. A meaningless sense of competitiveness surged within him, and Wen Xiaomian nodded.

Even if he died of pain, he did not want to be looked down upon.

The pain soon soaked his shirt. Fortunately, a “Snail Girl” appeared halfway through to help him wipe away the sweat. The touch was gentle and meticulous; the hands were fragrant and soft.

The test lasted about twenty minutes. Yan Ruixing unfastened the straps before helping him remove the blindfold.

Regaining his sight, Wen Xiaomian immediately looked for the “Snail Girl,” only to see an indifferent, heartless face. Yan Ruixing only let his gaze linger on him for half a second before quickly looking away.

Wen Xiaomian sat up, rubbing his neck which was stiff from pain. “Were you the one who wiped my sweat just now?”

Yan Ruixing organized the test data, his tone flat and detached. “No.”

“Oh, so it was an idiot who wiped it then.”

Yan Ruixing: ” ”

Wen Xiaomian straightened his collar. “Is there anything else?”

In the corner of Yan Ruixing’s eye was the shirt, now wet enough to be translucent. “You can go take a shower.”

“Together?” Wen Xiaomian ran his fingers through his sweat-dampened hair and leaned in with a smirk. “Seriously, my physique is quite good.”

Back in school, Wen Xiaomian used to play basketball before evening self-study. To avoid getting his clothes dirty, he often played shirtless.

Such showy behavior always drew a crowd. There were often admirers chasing him and screaming; Yan Ruixing had been forced to see it a few times as well.

Through the semi-transparent shirt, Yan Ruixing’s gaze stayed on his chest for a few seconds. “It is indeed quite good. Very suitable for use as an anatomical model. I have already decided where to make the first cut.”

“Dr. Yan, if you like it, just say so.” Wen Xiaomian pressed forward, attempting to get close to his neck. “Being so duplicitous makes it easy for people to misunderstand.”

“Check the occasion before being narcissistic.” Yan Ruixing dodged before the breath could reach him. “In my eyes, the value of your body is no different from that of a cadaveric teacher.”

Wen Xiaomian scoffed and turned to go take a shower.

As the sound of water came from the bathroom, Yan Ruixing sent the collected data to Professor Hoffman while importing it into his own data system.

Through this data, one could capture the electrical fluctuations of the auditory nerve and brainstem, monitor the inner ear balance center, and avoid post-operative vertigo and imbalance.

At the same time, it could lock in the stability of electrical signals for the facial and glossopharyngeal nerves, calibrating for the “Retropharyngeal Reverse Approach.”

The sound of water stopped, and Wen Xiaomian walked out of the bathroom.

In Yan Ruixing’s line of sight were solid arms and an inverted triangle-shaped back. The muscle lines were much richer than they had been in high school, but they were not exaggerated; they looked like a piece of art under the hand of a painter or photographer.

Unconsciously, Yan Ruixing’s gaze followed him for a distance. He quickly pulled away when he realized, but the image remained in his mind.

Yan Ruixing looked up and rubbed his brow, muttering softly, “So showy.”

A second later, Yan Ruixing’s brain felt a jolt of electricity, and he turned back in horror. He watched as that shameless show-off walked openly into his bedroom.

By the time Yan Ruixing rushed in aggressively, Wen Xiaomian had already pulled back the covers and was lying comfortably on the bed.

Seeing him enter, Wen Xiaomian thoughtfully patted the other side. “Come in quickly. I have already warmed the bed for you.”

“Who told you to sleep here?” Yan Ruixing was so angry he pulled at the duvet. “Go sleep next door!”

Lying there was a man wearing nothing but boxers. Yan Ruixing suffered a stress-induced cardiac reaction; clutching his chest, he hurriedly looked away. “Wen Xiaomian, do you have no shame!”

“The thief is crying thief. Why are you pulling my covers?”

Yan Ruixing wanted to rip the bed in half. “That is my duvet!”

“We are both men. I haven’t even complained about being at a disadvantage; why are you acting shy first?” Wen Xiaomian was gloating, pushing his luck. “Are you afraid I will do something to you?”

Yan Ruixing deeply regretted his decision; he should not have let this bandit into his home. “Go put on your pajamas!”

“I did not bring any.”

“What is in your suitcase then?” Yan Ruixing wanted to inject himself with Lorazepam to stay rational. “Is it the brain you left behind?”

“I sleep naked at home. How was I supposed to know I would have to change my lifestyle at your house?” Wen Xiaomian looked down at his lower body. “Oh, that is right. Why am I still wearing underwear? The old expert said sleeping in underwear affects male functions. I have to…”

“Put them on!” A set of pajamas was thrown at Wen Xiaomian’s chest. Yan Ruixing was dizzy with rage. “If you dare to expose that dog-thing of yours, I will castrate you right now!”

“Look at you getting all anxious. I will wear them, okay?” Wen Xiaomian spoke in a feigned, deliberate, and false tone of grievance. “Living under someone else’s roof, I have to follow the local customs.”

Yan Ruixing still kept his back to Wen Xiaomian, ordering him to go sleep next door.

“Yan Ruixing, are you crazy?” Wen Xiaomian retorted. “If you want to sleep in that perverted operating room, you go sleep there.”

Yan Ruixing’s head felt like it was going to crack from anger. “That is the study!”

“I do not care if it is a study, a wedding room, or whatever room. In short, I am going to sleep in your bedroom!”

“You called me over to live together, so you have to take responsibility for me.”

“Besides, I have your child in my belly. If I have to vomit or get up at night, do you not have to take care of me?”

“Do you not agree? Husband.”

“WEN! XIAO! MIAN!”

Through arguing, fighting, and scuffling, and under Wen Xiaomian’s displays of faking misery, illness, and acting pitiful, the battle for the bed finally came to an end.

Yan Ruixing gave up the bed. The price was that Wen Xiaomian had to wear a dynamic brain monitor all night.

The agreement took effect, and the war subsided.

Wen Xiaomian lay under the brand-new cotton duvet, turning his head to look at Yan Ruixing who was lying on a floor mattress. “If you beg me, I would not mind sharing the bed with you.”

The “back of the head” on the floor ignored him completely. The “shameless one” on the bed continued: “Do not be embarrassed. I definitely will not touch you randomly at night. If you cannot control yourself and touch me, I will try my best to endure it.”

Yan Ruixing wrapped himself in his duvet. “I do not have the habit of sleeping with dogs.”

“Is that so?” Wen Xiaomian relentlessly provoked him. “How come I remember that during high school military training, you held me all night? You held me so tightly.”

“That night, only one idiom was in my mind. Do you know what it was?”

“I do not want to know.”

Wen Xiaomian insisted on saying it, drawling his words with a smirk: “A persistent man can win over even the most virtuous woman.”

“Virtuous woman, are you finished?” Yan Ruixing turned back, having reached his limit. “If you do not sleep now, go downstairs and walk yourself like a dog.”

“I’m sleeping, I’m sleeping. Goodnight, persistent man.”

The noisy room suddenly fell silent. Yan Ruixing closed his eyes and lay flat.

Not two minutes later, the person on the bed made another sound. “Hey, I have one last thing. Can I ask?”

Yan Ruixing ignored him, but Wen Xiaomian kept babbling. “It has been bothering me for a long time. I promise I will sleep after asking.”

“If I do not ask, I will feel uncomfortable and will definitely have insomnia.”

The vision at night was blurry. One could vaguely see the electrode pads on Wen Xiaomian’s head. His eyes were bright as he looked at Yan Ruixing, like a mistreated big dog.

Wearing electrode pads all night would not be comfortable.

“Speak.” Yan Ruixing’s tone softened slightly. He looked up, waiting for him to speak.

“Fine, then I will say it.” Wen Xiaomian specifically sat up, posing formally and with great solemnity. “What color is your underwear, exactly?”

Before he could find out the color of the underwear, Wen Xiaomian’s vision went dark. Yan Ruixing, carrying his own dark cloud, rushed over with a roll of medical tape. One would not even have this kind of stance unless there was a blood feud.

“Yan Ruixing, what are you doing?” “What are you doing with that tape?!” “I cannot take S.M.!” “Bondage play is no good either!”

“If you say another word, I will be using surgical sutures instead!”

Yan Ruixing had invited a bandit into his home and ended up being tossed around until late at night. Having exhausted all his energy before sleep, he unexpectedly slept soundly.

It was a day off. Driven by his biological clock, Yan Ruixing woke up early and turned toward the bed.

Wen Xiaomian was still fast asleep. The area around the bed was a mess, with tissues, crumpled clothes, and torn tape all over the floor.

Recalling Wen Xiaomian’s scandalous words from last night and looking at all this, it truly felt strange.

After a quick cleanup, Yan Ruixing gently removed the electrode pads from Wen Xiaomian’s head and exported the data.

He usually slept lightly, but he had not heard a sound all night. He originally thought Wen Xiaomian was in good condition, but he only knew after looking at the brain waves that he was just good at enduring.

There was no deep sleep all night. The continuous sleep time did not exceed two hours. Eighty percent of the time was spent in paroxysmal pain.

He looked like nothing was wrong, but in reality, he was just enduring. Even though he was right there, he did not mention his discomfort at all.

Do you really distrust me that much?

After uploading the data, Yan Ruixing prepared breakfast.

He usually ate simply: boiled eggs, green vegetables with vinegar, and a small amount of carbohydrates. He never touched coffee or fried food.

Considering Wen Xiaomian’s situation, Yan Ruixing specifically prepared sandwiches and milk, accompanied by pan-seared steak and a vegetable salad.

Yan Ruixing walked softly back into the bedroom. The person on the bed had his eyes closed. He turned his back to the bed, took off his loungewear, and found a shirt to put on.

Just as he was about to change his pants, Yan Ruixing’s mind was filled with Wen Xiaomian’s nonsense: “What color is your underwear, exactly?”

Yan Ruixing held the waistband of his pants and turned his head.

” ”

Wen Xiaomian’s eyes were wide as brass bells. His hands were crossed behind his head. His gaze slid from Yan Ruixing’s lower back to his eyes. “Morning, Dr. Yan.”

Yan Ruixing threw the shirt at his face, grabbed his pants, and went to the bathroom.

When he came back, Wen Xiaomian had already changed his clothes.

Yan Ruixing pointed to the bed. “Clean that up before you come out to eat.”

Wen Xiaomian said righteously, “A housekeeper cleans everything at my house.”

“From today on, you are the housekeeper.”

” ”

Young Master Wen cleaned up while grumbling. He sat at the dining table and picked up the glass of milk. “Are you still hoping I will grow taller?”

Yan Ruixing peeled an eggshell. “Anyone with a dream is remarkable.”

“You are still not satisfied when I am half a head taller than you?” Wen Xiaomian went to grab the cola he brought last night. “Then what should I do to satisfy you?”

The soda was snatched away and thrown directly into the trash can. Yan Ruixing brought over a cup of health tea. “Before the surgery, you can only drink this.”

Wen Xiaomian looked at the strange-colored ghost of a drink. “I am not drinking it.”

“Drink it or do not.” Yan Ruixing glanced at the breakfast. “Are you going to eat? If not, I am clearing it away.”

Wen Xiaomian was quick, stabbing a piece of steak and stuffing it into his mouth. He almost spat it all out. “Fuck, did you not put any salt in this?”

“I was afraid you would have tear stains if you ate too much salt.”

” ”

Wen Xiaomian forced a stiff smile. “Are you really feeding me like a dog?”

“Not exactly.” Yan Ruixing took a sip of his milk. “After I feed a dog, I wash its bowl for it. But for your breed, you need to wash it yourself.”

” ”

Yan Ruixing, you just wait.

Wen Xiaomian had just finished his “dog food” when Yan Ruixing took out a box of new medicine for him. “Twice a day, after meals.”

Wen Xiaomian was still suppressed with anger. “I am not taking it.”

Even a dog would not eat it!

Too lazy to waste words, Yan Ruixing immediately popped out two pills. In a lightning-fast move, he pried open the mouth, tossed in the pills, tilted the neck back, and tapped the chin. Without even needing water, he pushed them right in.

“I do not mind prying open a dog’s mouth every day!”