Don't Give Your Heart to Your Nemesis - Chapter 5

His heartbeat floated back up from his sinking chest. This time, Yan Ruixing did not hold back. He snatched the cigarette from the other man’s mouth first, and then he reached out again.

“Hey, there are people around, give me some face,” Wen Xiaomian said as he proactively handed over the cigarettes and lighter. “Passersby are watching.”

Yan Ruixing did not stop. He ruffled Wen’s clothes, scouring him from top to bottom before finally letting up. He stuffed the lighter into his own pocket and tossed the cigarettes into the trash. “Should we talk?”

Wen Xiaomian curled his lips. “Sure!”

They moved to the brightly lit coffee shop next door and sat face-to-face. The rare moment of harmony shattered the instant Yan Ruixing pulled out a thick stack of documents. Wen Xiaomian had a flashback to high school, specifically the days when Yan Ruixing would force him to sign letters of guarantee.

“How old are you? Are you still doing this?”

“Letters of guarantee are useless to you,” Yan Ruixing said as he pushed one of the documents forward. “So, this is a contract.”

Wen Xiaomian looked at him sideways. “We are adults. Can’t you have something on your mind meant for people over eighteen?”

Ignoring him, Yan Ruixing began explaining the terms. He detailed the preoperative preparations, surgical risks, postoperative precautions, and matters requiring mutual cooperation. Aside from a brief glance at the cost of the imported equipment, Wen Xiaomian did not care about the rest.

The type of contract did not matter to him. Wen Xiaomian only wanted to know one thing: “When is the surgery?”

“In about two months.”

“Did compulsory education not teach you to value time?”

“The equipment needs to be ordered, and it takes a month to ship to China. I also need a month to adapt to the procedure.”

“Is this your first day as a doctor? What is there to adapt to?”

Yan Ruixing spoke solemnly. “That is your life we are talking about.”

Wen Xiaomian was speechless, actually feeling a bit moved.

Yan Ruixing continued, “Even if it is a dog’s life, it should not be trifled with.”

Wen Xiaomian suppressed a raging fire inside and snapped, “Is there anything else?”

Yan Ruixing pulled out a bracelet for him to wear. Wen Xiaomian did not take it. “What is this for?”

“To ensure your safety before surgery, I need to monitor your health indices in real-time.”

Wen Xiaomian scoffed. “That is too much effort.”

Seeing him unmoved, Yan Ruixing proactively unwrapped the bracelet and slid it onto Wen’s wrist. Wen Xiaomian watched him but did not refuse. Once it was set up, Yan Ruixing asked for his phone.

Wen Xiaomian pulled it out and handed it over. “Now what?”

“Activation.” Yan Ruixing swiped open the phone. There was a lock screen passcode, so he tried the digits Wen Xiaomian used to love in high school: 979372.

The phone unlocked successfully.

Wen Xiaomian fiddled with the bracelet. “How do you take this thing off?”

“You cannot.”

“What?”

“I set a password. No one can open it except me,” Yan Ruixing said. “The bracelet uses solar power and is waterproof and sweatproof. You need to wear it twenty-four-seven until you get on the operating table.”

Given Wen Xiaomian’s past record of being riddled with bad habits and lies, Yan Ruixing swiped his own phone to pair them. “The bracelet has a precision tracking feature. All your movements will be reported to me.” Yan Ruixing warned him, “So, do not mess around, do not run off, and do not think about lying to me until you are on that table.”

Wen Xiaomian maintained his previous posture, looking at him with a gaze of utter disbelief. “This is a violation of human rights.”

Predicting this, Yan Ruixing took out another bracelet, put it on his own left wrist, and activated it on Wen Xiaomian’s phone simultaneously. “Now, both of our health indices and locations are completely transparent to each other. This is not a violation; at most, it is location sharing.”

After the pairing was complete, Yan Ruixing shook his wrist. “Is it fair now?”

“Not quite.”

Immediately, Wen Xiaomian grabbed Yan Ruixing’s wrist and fumbled with it for a long time until he set a password for Yan’s bracelet too. “Now it is fair.”

“Solar power, waterproof, and sweatproof.” Having succeeded in his scheme, Wen Xiaomian shook his wrist as well. “Please wear it until I get on the operating table, Dr. Yan.”

In the coffee shop near closing time, the two childish men argued in the corner for half an hour. Finally, they reached a temporary truce, each looking at the shackles tethered to their wrists with expressions that grew increasingly grim.

Yan Ruixing’s wrist had been pinched red. He tried entering the code 979372, but it was the incorrect password. He realized he would not be that stupid twice, which only made Yan feel like the fool.

Wen Xiaomian did not know Yan Ruixing’s password habits. After several wrong attempts, the system prompted: Device locked. Please try again in 5 minutes.

“Damn it,” Wen Xiaomian fumed. “Checking in on a partner is not even this malicious.”

“You are overthinking it. I am not like this when I am in a relationship.”

“Oh?” Wen Xiaomian tilted his head. “Let us hear it then. What are you like in a relationship?”

“I will not be in one with you, so there is no need to tell you.” Yan Ruixing pushed the contract and pen forward. “Sign.”

Once the contract was signed, they reverted to their usual rival state and left separately, without even a fake goodbye.

In reality, Wen Xiaomian’s head hurt so much he had wanted to run long ago. He only felt better after stealing a pill in his car. Driving past the coffee shop, he saw Yan Ruixing still standing by the road, shivering occasionally with his face pale from the cold.

Wen Xiaomian pulled up in front of him and rolled down the window. “Where is your car?”

“It is in maintenance.”

Yan Ruixing rarely visited the commercial district on his days off and had not expected it to be this hard to catch a cab at this hour.

Wen Xiaomian signaled for him to get in. “Consider this the Young Master returning good for evil.”

Yan Ruixing sat in the passenger seat. “Did you take your medicine?”

“No.”

“Stop faking it.”

Yan Ruixing continued, “Luningding works fast, but do not take too much. Remember to take the other one before bed; it helps with nighttime discomfort.”

“I understand.”

The car moved smoothly, but they had nothing to talk about. Yan Ruixing opened his laptop, immersing himself in his own world. He was like this in school as well, keeping study and work strictly separate. Back then, he was not just the Class Monitor, but also the Head of the Disciplinary Department. His overly serious and strict personality made the other students quite afraid of him. Once in study mode, Yan Ruixing ignored everyone. Even if someone stared at him for a long time, he would not notice.

While waiting for a red light, Wen Xiaomian’s gaze shifted from Yan’s eyelashes to the laptop. It was full of English medical literature and technical terms. Wen did not recognize all of them, but they appeared to be related to his own condition.

When the car stopped at Yan Ruixing’s home, the person in the passenger seat was still focused. After waiting for half an hour, Wen Xiaomian finally spoke. “If you want to crash in my car for the night, you should give me a heads-up first.”

Yan Ruixing snapped back to reality, checked the time, slammed his laptop shut, and stepped out of the car.

Wen Xiaomian lowered the window, calling after his back, “I drove you home, and you do not even invite me up for tea?”

“There is plenty of tea.” Yan Ruixing turned back with a fake smile. “All day Friday, on the West side of the third floor of the Provincial Hospital Outpatient Building, in the Otonerosurgery Clinic Number 2. Remember to register before you come.”

The two parted on bad terms, and Wen Xiaomian drove back to the old family mansion. Growing up, few people could restrain him, but now he was limited by a tiny bracelet. He looked at the brand again and realized it was actually a product under his own company’s umbrella. He immediately dialed Guo Hao.

Guo Hao, whose salary was paid as usual but was unnaturally idle, finally received the call. “Boss, I missed you so much!”

“If you are feeling lonely, use a tissue. Do not disgust me.”

“Understood, Boss.”

With the current economic climate, Wen Xiaomian rarely gave him work, making Guo Hao feel insecure and fearing he might be fired. Although his boss was an occasional idiot and was unreasonable during overtime, the pay was good. As long as the pay was enough, he was a refined corporate slave who could drive a Rolls-Royce and wear Hermès. Every unpleasant part of the job was just because the rations were not high enough. In terms of rations, Wen Xiaomian was a qualified boss.

As CEO, any rumors could affect the stock price. As an assistant, Guo Hao was smart. He did not mention a word about Wen Xiaomian’s illness or ask a single question. All he had to do was work hard for his salary and kiss up. “Boss, what are your orders?”

“Did the company invest in smart bracelets?”

“Of course, Boss,” Guo Hao said proudly. “A measly little bracelet is nothing to us.”

“When was it developed? Why did I not know?”

“A small investment of a few million, letting that cross your desk would be an insult to you.”

“How do you crack the password on this thing?”

“Which one?”

Wen Xiaomian checked the model. “JGH868.”

“Oh, that one! It is the new product, Generation 2. It has ultra-high security. Unless you are the one who set the initial password, you could not open it even if you hacked it to bits.”

“I want to hack you to bits.”

Guo Hao sensed something was wrong. “What happened, Boss?”

“If you ever come up with something with such a brain-dead feature again, you can pack your bags and go back to the countryside to herd cows.”

Guo Hao broke into a sweat. “Wait, Boss, I oversaw the entire line for this one. The Private Couple Mode is in final testing; we wanted it on the market by the end of the year. What is wrong with it?”

“What is Private Couple Mode?”

According to Guo Hao, the Generation 2 bracelet launched a new SVIP paid version to unlock exclusive couple interactions. Once activated, it could synchronize intimacy levels and happiness indices, scientifically calculate the other person’s emotional state, and provide various custom vibration modes to enhance the interaction and intimacy.

“Can it be installed one-way?” Wen Xiaomian fiddled with his wrist.

“It can be installed, but this thing is only fun when played together,” Guo Hao said excitedly. “My partner and I tried it, especially when we were using it for…”

Wen Xiaomian had no interest in his private life. “Install it for me. One-way.”

In less than two minutes, Wen Xiaomian received a link. Once the data was installed, the app showed much more detailed content. Beyond the usual heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen, he could also see the other party’s mood index and fatigue index.

[System]: Detection shows the other party is currently moderately fatigued with a medium mood index.

The ambient humidity increased, there was no wind, and the temperature remained constant. The system inferred that the user had entered the bathroom. Based on posture and movement range, it inferred that the user was removing their top. One button was undone, then two buttons, then three. The movements were slow and gentle, and the emotions were relaxed.

The system then inferred that the user was removing their pants, belt, zipper, socks, and underwear. It calculated the shape as briefs, but because the capability was restricted, it was unable to estimate the color.

Yan Ruixing dried his hair and came out wearing a soft bathrobe. He clicked on the bracelet app to check the data. He frowned. What is he doing?

In the time it took to take a shower, Wen Xiaomian’s heart rate had been like a roller coaster, and his blood pressure had spiked. However, his blood oxygen remained the same, so it was not intense exercise. Was he watching a horror movie?

Yan Ruixing dialed the number. It was picked up quickly, and Wen sounded like he had swallowed gunpowder. “What?”

“Did you take your medicine?”

“Yes.”

“Send me a photo of the blister pack.”

“Got it. Bye.”

“Wait.”

“Now what?”

“While you should relax before surgery, I suggest you avoid horror movies, especially ones with intense visuals. It might worsen your tinnitus or trigger dizziness,” Yan Ruixing added. “If you cannot sleep, listen to light music or watch a comedy.”

“Who is watching a horror movie?”

“Do not watch thrillers either.”

“I am not.”

“If you are not, then why is your heart rate so high?” Yan Ruixing stopped, suddenly realizing the situation. “Then, adult films are also…”

From a scientific standpoint, being overly repressed is worse for the condition. Proper relaxation can secrete dopamine and release endorphins, which is positive for both the mood and the body.

“Even if you want to watch them, do not find anything too intense. Hardcore content is even worse.”

Wen Xiaomian was annoyed. He muttered “got it” and hung up. Less than thirty seconds later, Wen Xiaomian called back. “You still have me blocked on WeChat! How am I supposed to send a photo?”

Yan Ruixing realized he had forgotten. “You can send a text message.”

Wen Xiaomian was unyielding. “If you do not unblock me, I am not sending it.”

After hanging up, Yan Ruixing pulled him out of the blacklist and sent a message first.

[Yan Ruixing]: You can send it now.

Wen Xiaomian’s message arrived immediately. It was a video showing the entire process from popping the pill out of the pack to putting it in his mouth and tilting his head back to swallow with water. Yan Ruixing had only wanted a photo, but the other man was unexpectedly obedient.

[Wen Xiaomian]: Is this okay?

Even his tone had softened significantly.

[Yan Ruixing]: It is fine. Use this standard from now on.

[Wen Xiaomian]: Okay.

[Yan Ruixing]: Get some rest. Goodnight.

[Wen Xiaomian]: Let me ask you something.

[Yan Ruixing]: Go ahead.

[Wen Xiaomian]: What color are your underwear?