Found Him! My 'Glass-Hearted' Ex is a Pop-Up Star - Chapter 18

The temperature of his hands had risen significantly from the friction. His palms were burning hot, though his fingertips remained slightly cool. As they lightly brushed against the soft flesh of the stomach, they pressed down, creating a small indentation.

Ying Ruo looked thin. His slender bones were wrapped in delicate skin with no excess fat or signs of gym training, yet his belly was fair and tender.

Duan Zhuyan’s hand grazed that smooth, soft patch of skin, bringing a hint of cold air with it. It was only a light touch, but it sparked a numbing electric current that crawled deep into Ying Ruo’s body.

Ying Ruo’s breath hitched instantly.

Like a startled squirrel, he abruptly tensed his abdomen and instinctively hunched his back. Because the person in his arms moved so violently, Duan Zhuyan clearly felt the belly beneath his hand suddenly tighten as the body leaning forward recoiled away from him at high speed.

He hurriedly reached out to catch him, fearing Ying Ruo would fall off the sofa. The back of the intruding hand propped up the hoodie, stretching the fabric into an extremely ambiguous curve.

The youth’s shallow chest seemed to be delivered directly into Duan Zhuyan’s open, supporting palm, resulting in total intimate contact. Consequently, that small, pink nipple happened to be caught between two fingers and was lightly pinched by his uncontrolled strength.

Then, Duan Zhuyan saw Ying Ruo’s eyes. He had hurriedly looked back, his eyes wide with utter terror and shock.

Ying Ruo was speechless. Duan Zhuyan remained silent for a long moment.

The air froze.

Due to the way his body was curled up, the hoodie had bunched up slightly over Ying Ruo’s chest. The large hood pressed against his cheek as he turned his head. His round apricot eyes were misty and glistening, filled with disbelief.

Duan Zhuyan was stunned for a long while. In the next second, his ears turned a violent red, visible to the naked eye. He hurriedly withdrew his hand from Ying Ruo’s hoodie and turned his head to tidy his hair, pretending to be very busy.

Damn.

What was he doing to his ex-boyfriend?

Why was he acting like he was in heat? They had already broken up. Doing something like this was sexual harassment.

Duan Zhuyan’s facial expression did not change much, but his ears were entirely red. Clearly forcing himself to remain composed, he explained stiffly, “I did not do it on purpose. I was afraid you would fall off the sofa, so I touched you by accident.”

Ying Ruo ended up falling off the sofa anyway. He squatted, dazed, on the carpet and tilted his head up to look at Duan Zhuyan. After a long pause, he asked, “Then why did you put your hand inside my clothes?”

Without thinking, Duan Zhuyan blurted out coldly, “I just wanted to confirm if I was pressing the right acupoints on your abdomen.”

Ying Ruo was silent.

Duan Zhuyan maintained a handsome, aloof face, though the base of his ears was crimson as he threw out that sentence at high speed.

Silence reigned again.

Ying Ruo had not expected this. The man before him sat on the sofa with his legs spread, head down, and elbows on his knees. His fingers were tightly interlaced, and his knuckles were turning white from the grip. Yet, he still insisted on keeping a straight face, acting cool and composed.

Clearly, Ying Ruo was the one whose chest had been touched, so why was Duan Zhuyan more nervous and embarrassed than he was? Had they not even had sex before? For some reason, Ying Ruo found him looking like this particularly interesting and fun.

“Oh,” Ying Ruo said. He did not have any ill intentions. Since Duan Zhuyan said so, he followed along. He pulled the edge of his hoodie up slightly and said, “Then do you want me to take it off so you can confirm carefully?”

Duan Zhuyan was startled.

Ying Ruo did not actually intend to take it off; he only pulled up the hem a tiny bit. But before his white belly could even be exposed, Duan Zhuyan lunged with lightning speed and yanked the clothes back down.

The calluses on his fingertips felt exceptionally distinct, and his temperature seemed much hotter than before. Ying Ruo heard a heavy intake of breath.

As he squatted on the carpet, Duan Zhuyan sat before him in a commanding posture, leaning down until he almost completely overshadowed him. Outside the window, the night was turbulent and desolate, and the sound of rain grew louder. Ying Ruo felt an intensely dominant pressure advancing toward him. It was dangerous and barely restrained.

“Are you losing your mind?” The man looked down, frowning impatiently. His dark gaze stared deeply at him, and his voice was low and slightly raspy, as if he might throw a punch in the next second. “If you act up again, I will throw you out. Or do you really think I do not dare to do anything to you?”

Ying Ruo was silent. Scared by that gaze, Ying Ruo quickly bit his lip and offered a sheepish smile. He had played too much.

Ying Ruo was genuinely afraid Duan Zhuyan might hit him, but fortunately, Duan Zhuyan was well-bred enough not to do so. He grabbed a nearby blanket and threw it over Ying Ruo, then stood up and walked toward the kitchen without looking back.

Ying Ruo thought, Great, I have annoyed him again.

As he thought this, he glanced at the boxing championship certificate sitting on the shelf. Ying Ruo remained quiet.

Not daring to make a sound, Ying Ruo tried to stand up from the floor, only to find that his legs had gone numb from squatting and would not move. He wondered if he should squat a bit longer to recover or try his best to stand up immediately.

Then, a pair of hands hooked under his armpits and lifted him directly off the floor, placing him onto the sofa. Duan Zhuyan had arrived just in time, though his expression remained sour. After picking him up, he stuffed a cup into Ying Ruo’s hands and said indifferently, “Drink it.”

The color alone looked unappealing to Ying Ruo, and the smell was strange. He poked his tongue out for a shallow taste and immediately wrinkled his nose at the bitterness. “What is this? It tastes so weird.”

“Poison. Satisfied?” Duan Zhuyan said coldly without changing his expression. “Down it in one go.”

Hearing this, Ying Ruo clutched the cup and looked at Duan Zhuyan with a face full of terror.

Duan Zhuyan let out a deep sigh. He helplessly brushed his hair back. It took a massive effort of will to finish his sentence properly. “It is medicine for your stomach. Drink it quickly, and do not make me say it a second time.”

Ying Ruo gave an “oh” and drank the medicine under Duan Zhuyan’s intense gaze.

Alright, the taste was actually a bit better than he expected. It was not particularly bitter. After finishing the medicine, Ying Ruo realized his original plan to chat and find his memories had not been implemented, and there was no point in staying any longer.

It was getting late. Staying at an ex-boyfriend’s house in the middle of the night felt strange. It was probably time to go back.

So, he looked up and said, “Then, maybe I should head back now.”

Hearing this, Duan Zhuyan merely frowned. In truth, he did not want Ying Ruo to leave so soon. He wanted him to stay, to live here, to cook for him, to hold him while they slept, to kiss him, and to see him every morning upon waking up.

But saying such things to an ex-boyfriend was too crazy. It would make him look like a pathetic, obsessed person who could not move on. He had to be tough. He had his pride. Since they broke up, they should remain strangers.

If anyone was going to bow their head, it had to be Ying Ruo first.

Even though Duan Zhuyan thought this, his actions were remarkably honest even as his words remained stubborn. “How are you going to go back while your stomach hurts?”

Ying Ruo checked his feelings and said honestly, “Thank you, it does not hurt anymore.”

Duan Zhuyan was silent. He dropped his eyes and muttered unhappily, “It is raining outside.”

“I thought of that,” Ying Ruo said. He pulled out a folding umbrella. “I brought an umbrella on purpose.”

Duan Zhuyan was frustrated. He turned his back angrily, refusing to look at him, and said through gritted teeth, “Tch, if you are going to leave, then leave already. Stop loitering around your ex’s house.”

Ying Ruo wondered when he had been loitering.

“Thank you, Duan Zhuyan.” Ying Ruo stood up, sincerely thanking him for the hospitality. “Actually, I was very happy today. I have not had a meal in a place that felt so much like home in a long time.”

“Like home? What, if it feels like home, are you going to marry your ex?” Duan Zhuyan seemed completely unappreciative, giving a nonsensical reply. “If you are not getting married, then stop with the nonsense.”

Ying Ruo was confused.

Duan Zhuyan clearly did not want to deal with him anymore. Ignoring his words, he walked straight into his room and closed the door.

Is this a cold shoulder because he is angry?

Ying Ruo could not figure the man out. Without saying more, he took his things to the entryway to change his shoes and prepare to go home. Just as he was about to step out, he saw Duan Zhuyan come out of the room in a change of clothes, holding an umbrella.

The man who had been throwing a tantrum just moments ago had somehow wandered up behind him, looking quite reluctant. Their eyes met, and Duan Zhuyan clicked his tongue, still wearing a sour expression. “Let’s go. What are you looking at me for?”

He did not forget to maintain his tough act. “I have business to attend to outside. I am just checking to see if you can make it back alive since it is on the way.”

Seeing Duan Zhuyan’s forced indifferent expression and slightly reddened ears, Ying Ruo could not help but burst into laughter. Displeased, Duan Zhuyan frowned. “What are you laughing at?”

Ying Ruo’s eyes crinkled into crescents, and two little dimples appeared on his face. He looked full of joy and cute. “You do not have to walk me back. I can go back by myself.”

Duan Zhuyan was now the one who was unhappy. With his ear tips turning red, he said forcefully, “Who said I was walking you back? Which ear heard me say I was walking you back?”

Nevertheless, he pulled Ying Ruo into his car and safely delivered him back to that dilapidated studio. By the time they arrived, it was very late. Duan Zhuyan stood downstairs, waiting until the lights in Ying Ruo’s home turned on before silently withdrawing his gaze.

The rain outside had lightened slightly. There was no need for an umbrella. The dim yellow streetlights turned the raindrops into fine golden threads, cutting diagonally into the puddles on the ground. The air was damp, and the rain pitter-pattered, carrying the scent of earth and fallen leaves.

Duan Zhuyan opened his phone. As he looked at the message sent by Song Chengxu, his gaze suddenly darkened. The light from the screen reflected on his face. The few traces of gentleness vanished entirely, like a silent crack appearing on an ice surface as coldness seeped in.

He said nothing, silently put the phone back in his pocket, and turned into the darkness.

Waste Gold Club

“I am leaving. I am leaving. No more playing.”

Wu Tao had a bit too much to drink tonight. He nearly lost his balance as he walked out of the club. It was always raining at night in London. After walking through the rain for a bit, he felt exhausted and wanted to lean against a wall to rest.

But just as he passed an alley entrance, his collar was suddenly seized. A massive pulling force yanked him. The movement was as crisp as tearing a piece of scrap paper. It effortlessly and violently dragged an adult man into the alley.

The dark, cold alleyway puddles reflected flickering, broken light. Wu Tao was dizzy from the pull. He stumbled a step and began to curse immediately. “Fuck, are you out of your mind!”

Before he could finish, a fist slammed down mercilessly, striking his abdomen heavily. The dull sound of a fist hitting ribs mixed with the sound of rain hitting the ground. Wu Tao was stunned by the blow and fell directly to the ground.

“Ugh, shit.”

Dizzy and in pain, Wu Tao clutched his stomach and struggled to open his eyes. A crimson spark flashed blurred in his vision, followed by the click of a lighter, which sounded exceptionally clear in the rainy silence.

Duan Zhuyan stood at the edge of the dim yellow glow, a cigarette hanging lazily from his lips. The wind moved the slightly damp black hair on his forehead, revealing eyes devoid of emotion as he looked down at the person slumped on the ground.

The smoke dissipated slowly, hanging heavy and coiling around the man’s sharp wrists. Duan Zhuyan’s eyelids drooped lazily. He took the cigarette between his fingers, kicked the person on the ground like a piece of trash, and then knelt down.

The profile of his face was blurred by the night and the smoke. The cigarette ember burned quietly, flickering. He grabbed Wu Tao’s hair with one hand and jerked it downward. The tugging on the scalp caused sharp pain, forcing Wu Tao to look up.

“Agh!”

Immediately after, the cigarette was brought close to Wu Tao’s eye. The glowing red tip brushed right past Wu Tao’s face, scaring the voice out of him, before being extinguished against the wall behind him.

Duan Zhuyan looked at the man nonchalantly. He raised an eyebrow, his jaw lifting slightly. His gaze suddenly shifted. His pupils were pure black, cold and bottomless. When he spoke, his tone was icy and flat, without fluctuation, yet it carried an unquestionable, encroaching pressure.

“The one who injured my partner was you, was it not?”