Found Him! My 'Glass-Hearted' Ex is a Pop-Up Star - Chapter 16

A box of condoms.

Ying Ruo was completely stunned.

His rounded eyes widened instantly, and he stared in disbelief at the brand-new box. Why would something like this be in Duan Zhuyan’s house? Why was it on the bed, placed right next to his teddy bear?

His hands involuntarily gripped his clothes as Ying Ruo hurriedly looked toward the closet. Aside from Duan Zhuyan’s jackets and hoodies, he spotted several pieces in very familiar styles. They were Ying Ruo’s clothes.

Ying Ruo’s brain was currently a chaotic blank. His heart seemed to stop for a few seconds before it began to race uncontrollably. The faint woody scent in the air grew stronger, as if it were constantly closing in on him. Blood rushed to his face, and his hands went numb for a moment.

“Did you find them?”

Ying Ruo practically jumped out of his skin. With his heart in his throat, he spun around to see Duan Zhuyan walking in from outside.

The man entering the room was tall, and his damp hair hung messily. His shirt collar was half-unbuttoned and loose, revealing sharp, angular lines. He glanced at the clothes in Ying Ruo’s hands and reached out, saying, “What is this? You actually found it.”

In the next second, Ying Ruo’s small hands clutching the clothes suddenly jerked back, causing Duan Zhuyan to grab empty air.

Duan Zhuyan asked, “What are you doing?”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Ying Ruo said. He looked at Duan Zhuyan while speaking quickly, his cheeks tinged with a faint blush. He asked in a small voice, “Did I live here? Were we living together?”

Duan Zhuyan raised an eyebrow at the reaction. “Did you remember?”

Ying Ruo glanced at the bed. “How many rooms are in this house?”

“There is a study over there,” Duan Zhuyan replied, looking puzzled. “Why?”

Ying Ruo’s eyes widened even further.

“Me and you?” He pointed at Duan Zhuyan, then at himself, and finally at the large two-meter bed. His voice was full of disbelief. “We slept in one bed?”

Duan Zhuyan replied, “Yes.”

Ying Ruo asked, “Did we sleep together?”

“Is that such a strange thing? Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” Duan Zhuyan furrowed his brows in displeasure. “We were dating. Why wouldn’t we sleep in the same bed? Even ordinary friends squeeze onto one bed to sleep. We have already kissed, so why wouldn’t we cuddle at night?”

Ying Ruo exclaimed, “We even cuddled while sleeping!”

Duan Zhuyan remained silent.

Ying Ruo gripped the clothes so hard they were wrinkling. His face and ears were completely flushed. His voice grew smaller, and he did not even dare to look at Duan Zhuyan. “Then, let me ask you something.” As he spoke, his thick eyelashes trembled and his neck turned pink. “When we were dating, besides kissing, did we do anything else more excessive?”

Duan Zhuyan froze for a moment at the question. Then, his eyes quickly landed on the box of condoms sitting under that fragrant little bear.

Duan Zhuyan’s ears turned beet red instantly. He hurriedly turned his head away, looking down and covering half his face with his large palm. He stood before Ying Ruo and did not reply immediately.

The two stood there with red faces for a long time. Eventually, Duan Zhuyan wiped his face and adjusted his expression and breathing. He said with feigned composure, “Basically, everything that should be done was done.”

Upon hearing this answer, Ying Ruo’s brain completely short-circuited.

What! He and Duan Zhuyan had done it? He was no longer innocent?

Ying Ruo stood there in a daze. He looked up and down at Duan Zhuyan’s burly physique for a long time, then covered his mouth and sighed, “My god, was I actually that impressive?”

Duan Zhuyan asked, “What are you thinking?” He took a half-step toward him, instantly closing the distance. The gap between them vanished, and the proximity of their different builds felt predatory. “You were the one on the bottom, okay?”

Ying Ruo was shocked. Good Lord!

Ying Ruo felt that Duan Zhuyan was too close. The man had an indescribable scent that was warm and slightly feverish. It carried a masculine sense of territoriality that made Ying Ruo’s skin flush in an instant.

“Then our relationship should have been very close. Why did we break up?” Ying Ruo was so focused on backing away from the man that he spoke without thinking. “Was it because your technique was too bad?”

Duan Zhuyan was stunned. The temperature in the room plummeted. Ying Ruo realized he had misspoken and was about to frantically correct himself, but then a large hand moved first.

With undeniable force, one hand grabbed Ying Ruo’s slender wrist while the other cupped the back of his head. With a firm grip on his neck, Duan Zhuyan tilted the small face upward. His dark pupils looked like they were locked onto prey. He approached closely, as if he might bite down at any second.

“Are you crazy, Ying Ruo?” Duan Zhuyan’s teeth were nearly gritting as he said fiercely, “My technique is bad? Are you kidding me? Do you want me to let you experience it right here, right now?”

Ying Ruo panicked. “No, no, no, no! Please do not be so polite.” Ying Ruo’s face turned from red to pale as he resisted weakly. “We broke up! You absolutely cannot do anything reckless!”

After saying this, Ying Ruo felt the atmosphere freeze again. He almost thought Duan Zhuyan was going to hit him. Unexpectedly, the man just let go of his wrist. Duan Zhuyan remained silent and looked away. His expression cooled instantly. His tone was flat and devoid of ripples, yet it seemed to carry a hint of grievance and sadness.

“So, you do know we broke up.”

Ying Ruo watched him lower his head. His sharp features were softened by the hair falling over his eyes, making him look like a fierce, abandoned dog.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you,” Duan Zhuyan said.

Ying Ruo felt strangely tongue-tied. He wanted to comfort Duan Zhuyan, even though there was nothing to comfort him for. “I did not mean it like that.”

Before he could continue, he saw Duan Zhuyan grab his shirt and pull it off cleanly. Ying Ruo was startled. The man took off his shirt, wearing nothing underneath. He was half-naked, with a powerful chest and six-pack abs with clearly defined lines. His upper arms were thick, with faint blue veins tracing over muscles that looked ready to burst.

Ying Ruo quickly covered his own body. “You big liar! You said you would not do anything!”

Duan Zhuyan was utterly speechless. He snatched his clothes from Ying Ruo’s hand and pulled them on.

As Duan Zhuyan straightened his clothes, he glanced at the red-faced Ying Ruo and teased, “Are you disappointed that I did not do anything?”

“It is not that I am disappointed,” Ying Ruo’s answer was a confused mess. His mind was filled with those massive pectoral muscles. “Your body is really, really good.”

Duan Zhuyan was exhausted by the conversation. His gaze slid from Ying Ruo’s soft hair to the corners of his eyes, which were slightly red from the scare, down to the tip of his small nose, and finally rested on those slightly parted, shimmering red lips. It was a beautiful lip shape that was small, soft, and tender. A flick of the tongue could pry them open. They could not hold much, but they were perfect for being kissed.

Again, that feeling returned. To be honest, Duan Zhuyan was used to being angered by Ying Ruo. In the past, a deep kiss would have settled his temper. Now, he had to endure it and swallow his frustration.

Duan Zhuyan was in a terrible mood. With a dark face, he walked out and said coldly, “Come out and eat.”

Ying Ruo replied, “Oh.”

Duan Zhuyan went to the kitchen. The braised pork ribs were finished, and the house was filled with the aroma of meat. Ying Ruo was starving and voluntarily sat at the dining table. Duan Zhuyan served the ribs and placed them in front of Ying Ruo, then went back to stir-fry the shredded pork with garlic sauce.

This time, he put on an apron. It was a rather cute one that clashed completely with his personality. Seeing him in the kitchen created a massive contrast. Who would have thought that a guy with so many ear piercings could be so handy with housework? Ying Ruo watched his back quietly.

Once the dish was done, Duan Zhuyan even sliced an apple and served the rice, bringing everything to the table. Ying Ruo sat obediently. He looked up at the man, wanting to ask if he could start, but Duan Zhuyan had already placed several pieces of ribs into his bowl.

“Thank you, thank you.” Ying Ruo was truly hungry. He had not had a proper Chinese meal in a long time, and the ribs smelled heavenly. The ribs were tender enough to fall off the bone. They were juicy and had a sweet and sour glaze that went perfectly with rice. After one bite, he could not help but praise him. “Heavens, this is delicious! You are a genius!”

Duan Zhuyan gave a small huff and served him some shredded pork. While Ying Ruo was easy to please, he did not actually like carrots, so he usually picked them out of shredded pork dishes. Just as he was about to do so, he realized there were no carrots in the portion Duan Zhuyan gave him. He looked up and realized there were no carrots in the entire dish. Normally, this dish always includes carrots. Was it because they were out?

“Because you do not eat carrots,” Duan Zhuyan said.

Ying Ruo looked at him. Duan Zhuyan was expressionless. As if sensing Ying Ruo’s confusion, he spoke casually while eating, as if he were simply mentioning that the weather was nice.

This was strange. Ying Ruo couldn’t help but wonder. Duan Zhuyan was handsome, rich, a good cook, attentive, and had a great body. Why did they break up? Or rather, why would Duan Zhuyan date him? Ying Ruo felt that a person of this caliber would not usually fall for someone like him.

Noticing Ying Ruo’s stare, Duan Zhuyan’s brow furrowed. He shot back a fierce, somewhat rude look. “What now?”

Ying Ruo replied, “Nothing.” He thought he might be mean because of his bad temper. Ying Ruo shoveled a few mouthfuls of rice and said, “Actually, I want to talk to you about what happened between us before. Or maybe look at photos or videos? People say it helps recover memory.”

Duan Zhuyan’s chopsticks froze in mid-air. His expression turned extremely displeased, and his dark eyes were cold as he looked at him.

“You are saying you want to reminisce about sweet times with your ex-boyfriend?” Duan Zhuyan pressed his thin lips together. His face was gloomy, and his breath was hot with irritation. He said crossly, “Are you planning to get back together with me? Do you even remember me?”

Ying Ruo realized his mistake. It was true. Who in their right mind reminisces about the past with an ex?