Gold-Devouring Bottom: A Guide to Pampering - Chapter 13

Shen Xinghuai choked for a second. It was true that staying out so late wasn’t ideal, but he had only gone to Tian Yuanyuan’s house; it wasn’t a crime. “Tian Yuanyuan and I are best friends. Nothing was going to happen at his place. Why are you so angry?”

Ye Xiuchen breathed heavily for a few moments, then let out a sharp, angry laugh. “I really shouldn’t be angry. Next time you decide to sleep with someone, I should just skip the lecture and make them disappear forever.”

Shen Xinghuai found this utterly unreasonable. “Who did I sleep with? I’ve only slept with you!” Go ahead, make yourself disappear right now then.

“I didn’t touch you that night! It’s your own body—you know better than anyone!” Ye Xiuchen had been fuming about Shen Xinghuai’s attempt to “frame” him since the beginning; he felt like he was being treated as a fool. His suppressed rage spiked instantly. He leaned down, clamped onto Shen Xinghuai’s shoulders, and pinned him to the bed with enough force to make the bedframe creak. A dangerous aura enveloped them. “Shen Xinghuai, you provoke me over and over. Do you really think I won’t do anything to you?”

Shen Xinghuai looked up at the man looming over him and froze.

He realized that when this man went crazy, he lost all restraint. If he kept pushing back, he’d be the one to suffer. As his logic returned, he decided he needed a different approach to deal with a madman in such a rage.

He slowly raised his arms, his pale, slender fingers reaching for the collar of Ye Xiuchen’s shirt.

The grey-blue fabric made his fingers look as white as jade. His fingertips caught the top button and nimbly undid it. One, two.

As the collar fell open and cool air swept over his skin, Ye Xiuchen blinked, his trance breaking as he grabbed the hand that was causing chaos. “What are you doing?”

Shen Xinghuai looked back at him calmly. “Since you keep denying what happened that night, let’s just do it again.”

Ye Xiuchen’s dark eyes clouded over. He was stunned.

Shen Xinghuai successfully unbuttoned the rest of the shirt. One hand hooked intimately around the man’s neck, while the other reached for his belt buckle. Their breath mingled as the distance closed. Shen Xinghuai’s soft, moist lips formed words that were even sweeter and softer: “Brother?”

Click! The belt buckle snapped open.

At that exact moment, Uncle Ming’s voice rang out from the doorway: “Young Master, Dr. Lin is her—”

The rest of the sentence died in his throat.

Shen Xinghuai’s fingers were still hooked onto the waistband of Ye Xiuchen’s trousers.

Despite being in his fifties, Uncle Ming’s reflexes were lightning-fast. He shoved Dr. Lin back out the door in the blink of an eye. Simultaneously, Ye Xiuchen slapped Shen Xinghuai’s hand away in a desperate attempt at “concealing the obvious.”

“He already saw,” Shen Xinghuai reminded him.

Ye Xiuchen’s face was darker than ink. He hissed through gritted teeth, “Shen. Xing. Huai!”

“It’s your own fault for being a ‘big tail’ and not closing the door.”

Ye Xiuchen quickly refastened his belt, his eyes darting toward the door. “Uncle Ming.”

After a few seconds of silence, Uncle Ming reappeared, his expression already restored to its usual professional calm. “Young Master, Dr. Lin is here. Shall he examine Mr. Shen now?”

Ye Xiuchen, face still cold, buttoned his shirt while glaring at the person on the bed. “Examine him now.”

Seeing no way out, Shen Xinghuai smacked his lips and prepared to get up. He wasn’t actually sick and didn’t want to lie in bed looking pathetic; if the doctor got overzealous and prescribed a round of injections, it would be a disaster.

As he kicked off the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, his pajama pants rode up, revealing a stretch of pale, slender ankle. The ankle bone was smooth and delicate—slender, but not frail, appearing as if it would fit perfectly in a man’s palm.

That glimpse of ankle was too conspicuous. The madman leaned over, his large hands scooping up Shen Xinghuai’s legs and stuffing him back under the covers before Dr. Lin could walk in. He tucked him in tightly and barked a warning: “Behave!”

Shen Xinghuai, with only his small face peeking out from the quilt, gave a reluctant “Oh.”

Lin Xiao entered the room. He didn’t seem in a rush to start the exam; instead, he greeted Shen Xinghuai with a cheerful smile, though his eyes kept darting back to Ye Xiuchen.

Ye Xiuchen glared at him.

Shen Xinghuai watched their interaction silently. He wondered if he was imagining things, but he felt like this doctor’s gaze was filled with a certain “begging for a beating” cheekiness.

After several rounds of silent eye-contact, Ye Xiuchen looked ready to take action, his voice strained. “Lin Xiao!”

Lin Xiao laughed and finally turned his attention to Shen Xinghuai, twirling a thermometer in his hand. “Undo your shirt. I need to take your temperature.”

Since they were all men, Shen Xinghuai wasn’t shy. He threw back the covers and grabbed the hem of his pajama top, ready to pull it up.

“Ahem!” Ye Xiuchen coughed, as if his throat were suddenly uncomfortable.

Lin Xiao simultaneously stopped him. “Actually, don’t lift the shirt. Just slide it in through the collar.”

Shen Xinghuai let go of the hem and pulled his collar open. “Is this okay?”

“Fine,” Lin Xiao said, leaning over to place the thermometer.

“Ahem!” Ye Xiuchen’s throat apparently wasn’t getting any better. He coughed again.

Lin Xiao froze mid-lean, looking at Ye Xiuchen with annoyance. He scoffed. “Fine, fine. Touch is forbidden. Put it in yourself, kid. Hold it tight so it doesn’t fall.”

Shen Xinghuai was baffled by their unique way of communicating as he took the thermometer and tucked it under his arm.

Lin Xiao stood up straight, finally adopting a serious doctorly persona. “Do you suffer from insomnia often?”

Shen Xinghuai shook his head. “Rarely.”

Lin Xiao took out a stethoscope and listened through the clothing. “Then what was bothering you last night?”

Shen Xinghuai shifted his gaze to Ye Xiuchen. “Last night, it was because my heart was unwell.”

Lin Xiao noticed where he was looking. He paused, pulled away the stethoscope, and began slowly coiling the cord. “Why was your mood bad? Can you tell me about it?”

Shen Xinghuai glanced at Ye Xiuchen again. “Just a bad mood.”

Lin Xiao understood. He smiled at Ye Xiuchen. “Did you two have a fight?”

“We didn’t,” Shen Xinghuai said, looking down at his fingertips. “He just ignored me and shut me out.”

Lin Xiao was genuinely surprised. He stared at Shen Xinghuai for a long time, then back at Ye Xiuchen, his expression growing increasingly grave. “Ignored you? Uh, are things perhaps ‘inharmonious’ in that department?”

Shen Xinghuai was still distracted by the events of the previous night. “Which department?”

“The bedroom department,” Lin Xiao explained patiently. “Are things disharmonious?”

Shen Xinghuai was startled by his bluntness. He looked up, his large eyes blinking.

Seeing this reaction, Lin Xiao was even more convinced he had guessed correctly. “Truly disharmonious? That shouldn’t be. Xiuchen’s physicals over the years show no issues; in fact, all his indicators are excellent.” Lin Xiao pondered for a moment. “Is it a lack of experience? After all, he’s never been with anyone else before. He’s still a vir—”

“Lin Xiao! You talk too much!” Ye Xiuchen had reached his limit with Lin Xiao’s big mouth.

The doctor was surprisingly bold; even being warned by a dark-faced madman didn’t faze him. “There’s nothing wrong with saying it! You really shouldn’t hide from these problems. You need more communication and experimentation.

Try changing the environment to get a different vibe. You should talk more during the process; it helps build the rela—”

“Doctor, you can take the thermometer now.” Shen Xinghuai’s face was beet red. Ye Xiuchen’s face, meanwhile, had reached a peak level of darkness. Shen Xinghuai was afraid that if he didn’t interrupt, the doctor might actually be murdered on the spot.

Lin Xiao took the thermometer and checked the reading. He let out a sigh. “Sigh, both of you are so shy. Xiuchen, your little boyfriend is perfectly fine. Don’t worry. He just hasn’t rested enough. More sleep and he’ll be as good as new.”

Lin Xiao finished packing his bag. Before leaving, he didn’t forget a final piece of advice: “Heartaches require heart medicine. Remember: more communication.”

Ye Xiuchen hissed through his teeth, “Uncle Ming, show him out!”

The room fell into silence. It took quite a while for the heat in Shen Xinghuai’s face to fade. He hesitated before speaking. “Brother, are you still angry?”

It was actually a redundant question. Ye Xiuchen was still fuming, staring at him with a cold face without saying a word.

Shen Xinghuai patted the space beside him. “Come here.”

Ye Xiuchen watched his movements but didn’t sit. Instead, he took a step back. “If you have something to say, say it.”

Shen Xinghuai bit his lip. “Are you ignoring me because of my chat with Ye Xiujun, or because Grandfather doesn’t like me?”

Although Lin Xiao said he was fine, he still looked haggard and his voice was muffled. Seeing him like this made Ye Xiuchen feel inexplicably restless. It wasn’t the kind of restlessness that made him want to lash out, but rather a feeling of anxious helplessness.

After a brief internal struggle, his tone finally softened. “Grandfather doesn’t dislike you. He is very satisfied with you.”

Shen Xinghuai had already lost hope looking at Ye Xiuchen’s dark expression; he never expected this answer. His furrowed brow smoothed out instantly, replaced by a surprised smile. “Really? Grandfather is satisfied with me?”

“You’re that happy that Grandfather likes you?”

“Of course I’m happy!” The “Life-Saving Gold Plaque” had been recovered!

“Why?” Ye Xiuchen didn’t let a single micro-expression on his face escape his notice.

Shen Xinghuai turned back into a happy little puppy, the smile on his face washing away his haggard look. “If Grandfather likes me, he’ll be very supportive of us being together!” And if you ever go crazy, I’ll have a powerful thigh to cling to!

The smile on his face was genuine; Ye Xiuchen couldn’t find a trace of deceit. After a long moment, he withdrew his gaze and checked the time. “I have things to attend to. Get some rest.”

Shen Xinghuai sat up, clutching the quilt. “Are you going to work, Brother?” Or are you going to go cause trouble?

Ye Xiuchen’s footsteps faltered. He had no intention of going to the office. Lu Yan had been hospitalized unexpectedly, and he was currently busy preparing a “congratulatory gift” for Lu Yan’s discharge. “I’m handling other matters.”

“Oh. Will you be back tonight?” If you aren’t coming back, I’m going out to play. Before we parted yesterday, Tian Yuanyuan’s friend invited me to the racetrack, saying there was a meet today.

Shen Xinghuai was a huge fan of racing; the mere mention of it made his heart itch with anticipation.

Ye Xiuchen stopped at the door and looked back at him. “I’m not sure.”

Shen Xinghuai’s face immediately fell. “Not sure” made things difficult. It wouldn’t be great if he came home late again.

His disappointment was so obvious that Ye Xiuchen saw through it instantly. “Do you have plans?”

Shen Xinghuai considered it for a moment, deciding that playing hard-to-get was a better way to achieve his goal. “Mm, some friends invited me out. But if you’re coming home tonight, Brother, then I won’t go. I’ll wait for you here. After all, the doctor just said we need to communicate more.”