Gold-Devouring Bottom: A Guide to Pampering - Chapter 26.2

Ye Xiuchen circled the wrist with his thumb and forefinger, looking down at him with a smile. But the more Shen Xinghuai looked at that smile, the more his heart hammered with dread. Even the stray tuft of hair on his head stood up in alarm.

Then, he heard Ye Xiuchen speak slowly: “A bracelet doesn’t suit you. I should have sent you handcuffs instead.”

Shen Xinghuai: !!!!!

The tuft of hair on Shen Xinghuai’s head practically exploded into an exclamation point. He had to have misheard. “Handcuffs?”

Ye Xiuchen continued to smile at him. “Yes. What kind of handcuffs do you like? Gold-set diamonds? Platinum filigree?”

There are options? He’s into some really ‘varied’ stuff.

Shen Xinghuai stared at the madman in shock. The madman stared back, appearing slightly dissatisfied. “Actually, I don’t think those materials suit you. Not sturdy enough. Let’s go with steel.”

The grip on Shen Xinghuai’s wrist tightened suddenly, the smile never wavering. “Once they’re locked, you’ll never be able to open them. Do you like that idea?”

Shen Xinghuai swallowed hard. Is this man even human? If you don’t want someone to leave, just say so! Why offer a pair of stainless steel handcuffs?

He told himself not to panic. Squeezing out a strained smile, he struggled to pull his hand back. “Stop joking. Let go of me first!”

“I’m serious,” Ye Xiuchen replied. “I have time tomorrow. I’ll take you to get fitted for the size.”

Shen Xinghuai exerted every ounce of strength, but he couldn’t wrench his wrist free. The skin was already rubbed red and stinging. Realizing struggle was futile, he stopped, lowered his head, and fell silent, opting for a different strategy.

Ye Xiuchen looked at the person before him—shoulders slumped, head bowed, looking utterly pathetic. He recalled the ugly faces of the Shen family earlier that day. His grip on the wrist loosened. Seeing the red marks, his gaze flickered; perhaps he really had scared the boy. Just as he opened his mouth to offer a few softer words, Shen Xinghuai bolted.

He was like a gust of wind, reaching the door in an instant. Before vanishing, he threw one last line over his shoulder: “Keep the handcuffs for yourself!”

By the time Ye Xiuchen chased him out, he was nowhere to be found.

The manor was massive; it was easy to hide but nearly impossible to find someone. After two fruitless laps, Ye Xiuchen returned to the foyer where the two elders were still chatting. Xiao Zheng had just returned from the backyard. “Old Master, I’ve escorted Young Master Shen to a guest room to rest.”

Ye Xiuchen thought for a moment. “Grandfathers, please rest early. I’m heading to my room as well.”

Old Master Ye nodded. “Go on.”

Once Ye Xiuchen was out of earshot, Old Master Tian remarked, “That boy has changed quite a bit since I last saw him.”

Mentioning his grandson made Old Master Ye beam with pride. “Ever since he started dating, he’s matured. He’s putting his energy into the business. Xiao Zheng told me he’s been working tirelessly at the office lately.”

Old Master Tian tapped his grandson with his cane. “Hear that, Yuanyuan? You need to work hard, too.”

Meanwhile, the “hard-working” Ye Xiuchen stepped out of the foyer and locked his gaze on a second-floor window where the lights were still on.

Shen Xinghuai splashed his face with water and stared at his reflection, his mind a chaotic mess. He had been too optimistic and had managed to screw everything up. Based on Ye Xiuchen’s behavior just now, the man had zero intention of letting him go.

Knock, knock!

The sound drew him out of the bathroom. He pressed his ear against the door. “Who is it?”

“Me.”

Shen Xinghuai: !!!!

Click! Click! Click! Shen Xinghuai engaged all three locks on the door in rapid succession.

Outside, Ye Xiuchen heard every single one. “Open up. I’m staying in this room tonight.”

The door handle rattled; the madman was trying to enter.

Shen Xinghuai grabbed the handle from the inside, forcing it back up to stay level. “I’m not staying with you! Go find another room!”

The hallway went silent for two seconds. “We need to talk.”

“I’m sleeping.” To be safe, Shen Xinghuai dragged a cabinet over and wedged it against the door.

This was the old manor, after all. No matter how crazy Ye Xiuchen was, he’d respect his grandfather enough not to break the door down. Hearing no more movement, Shen Xinghuai finally felt safe. He returned to the bathroom, drew a bath, and took a soak.

Later, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, he tried to figure out his next move. He had made a disastrous play today, squandering all the goodwill he had painstakingly built over the past weeks.

What a waste. Back to square one, and I’ve alerted the predator.

It was infuriating. He just wanted to give up and stop trying.

Suddenly, he heard a click-clack from outside the balcony—the sound of footsteps landing.

Shen Xinghuai held his breath, ears straining. Silence returned. Nothing. He figured he had misheard, rolled over, and pulled his blanket tight.

Click-clack! There it was again!

This time, it wasn’t footsteps; it was the sound of the sliding door between the balcony and the room being pushed.

This time, he was certain. He sat bolt upright, glaring warily toward the balcony. Nothing moved. But he knew what he’d heard. He climbed out of bed, walked to the balcony, and opened the door to investigate.

The balcony was empty. Had it just been the wind?

Returning inside, he meticulously locked the balcony door and pulled the heavy curtains until they were tightly sealed. He brushed his hands together, satisfied with his work, and went back to bed.

He turned around to see a man sitting squarely on his bed.

Shen Xinghuai could swear on his life that he had never been this terrified. He felt his hair stand on end as he literally jumped back.

“Ye Xiuchen! You bastard!” His voice cracked in a panicked shriek.

Ye Xiuchen hadn’t expected him to be that startled. “Uh, so little courage?”

Shen Xinghuai wasn’t just startled; his temper was flared to the point of total irrationality. He swung a fist blindly.

With his height advantage and longer reach, Ye Xiuchen caught the boy’s wrist with ease, adding a breezy: “Missed.”

Shen Xinghuai swung his other arm, but alas, that wrist met the same fate.

Ye Xiuchen effortlessly pinned both wrists in one hand, not forgetting to pat down the stray tufts of hair on the boy’s head. “You can’t beat me.”

Shen Xinghuai was fuming. Even if he couldn’t win, he was going to fight! He ducked and charged, slamming his shoulder hard into Ye Xiuchen’s chest.

He didn’t hold back. The impact forced a muffled grunt out of Ye Xiuchen as the momentum sent them both tumbling backward onto the bed.

The innocent furniture couldn’t withstand the sudden impact of two grown men. CRACK! One of the bed’s legs snapped.

Shen Xinghuai was pinned on top of Ye Xiuchen, his hands still captive. Because the bed was now tilted, he had lost his center of gravity. With no hands free to brace himself, he couldn’t get up. “Let go of me!”

Ye Xiuchen had the audacity to let out a cold chuckle. “Say you won’t hit me again, and I’ll let you go.”

Shen Xinghuai panted, struggling frantically. But because the bed was slanted, his head was lower than his feet; the more he squirmed, the closer his face got to Ye Xiuchen’s until they were nose-to-nose.

Ye Xiuchen watched him teasingly, still mocking him. “Just admit defeat and I’ll—hiss!”

A sharp sting on his lips cut him off.

In a fit of pique, Shen Xinghuai’s brain had short-circuited. That talking mouth of Ye Xiuchen’s was so incredibly annoying that he simply bit down on it.

The metallic tang of blood exploded between his teeth, snapping him back to reality. Wait, why did I bite his lips?

Couldn’t I have bitten his face? At the very least, I could have turned my head and bitten his ear! Why the lips? Had his IQ officially deserted him?

The wound stung sharply, but the surrounding sensation was undeniably soft and warm. That warmth slowly began to numb the sharp edge of the pain.

Ye Xiuchen instinctively released the boy’s wrists, staring unblinkingly at the person on top of him.

Free at last, Shen Xinghuai bounced off him instantly, backing away until his calves hit a chair.

Ye Xiuchen propped himself up on his elbows and sat up. His tongue flicked against the fresh wound on his lip. “Little dog.”

“Shut up!”

Shen Xinghuai cast a resentful glance at the bite mark he’d left, then at the broken bed. “This is all your fault. What now?”

Ye Xiuchen glanced at the wreckage and pulled out his phone. “Let Xiao Zheng handle it.”

By then, the hour was late. Old Master Ye and his friend were tired of chatting, so Xiao Zheng was pushing the Old Master’s wheelchair as they escorted the Tian family back to their guest rooms.

Just as they reached the guest wing, the phone rang. Xiao Zheng was surprised to see the caller ID. “It’s the Young Master.”

Old Master Ye gestured for him to answer. “Didn’t he go back to rest? Why is he calling you?”

Xiao Zheng spoke for a few moments and hung up, looking utterly bewildered. “The Young Master says the bed in the guest room collapsed.”

Old Master Ye and Old Master Tian were equally stunned. “How does a perfectly good bed just collapse?”

Only Tian Yuanyuan’s eyes lit up with a scandalous glint. He teleported to Xiao Zheng’s side. “The bed collapsed? I’ll go with you to see what happened!” He desperately wanted to confirm if things were exactly as he imagined.

Xiao Zheng, whose mind wasn’t nearly as “active,” simply nodded. “Very well, Master Tian.”

After the elders were settled, Xiao Zheng led Yuanyuan to the second floor.

The door to Shen Xinghuai’s room was open. Inside, two men were staring at each other beside a ruined bed. Xiao Zheng froze at the entrance, eyeing the splintered leg. “It actually snapped?”

Behind him, Yuanyuan poked his head out. His eyes darted between the two suspects before landing squarely on the cut on Ye Xiuchen’s lip. The light in his eyes intensified. “And someone got bitten!”

At the prompt, Xiao Zheng’s gaze shifted to Ye Xiuchen. His previous confusion vanished instantly, replaced by a sudden, clear realization. No need to ask—the “cause” of the broken bed had been found.

Under their scorching, gossipy gazes, Shen Xinghuai wished he could hoist the broken bed onto his back and flee the manor into the night.

Ye Xiuchen pointed at the wreckage. “Find a room with a sturdier bed.”

Xiao Zheng: “Then please return to your original bedroom on the fourth floor. The bed there is larger and much sturdier.”

Yuanyuan snickered behind them. “Can I stay on the fourth floor too?”

Xiao Zheng nodded. “Certainly.”

The group followed Xiao Zheng upstairs. Yuanyuan trailed behind, pulling Shen Xinghuai back to give him a series of suggestive winks and nudges. It was incredibly irritating. “Act normal!” Shen Xinghuai hissed.

Yuanyuan gave a cheeky grin and pointed at the corner of his own lip, laughing silently. Shen Xinghuai couldn’t take any more and hurried ahead to leave him behind.

Under Xiao Zheng’s arrangement, Yuanyuan watched with a grin as Shen Xinghuai and Ye Xiuchen entered the bedroom.

As soon as the door closed, Shen Xinghuai stood like a statue by the entrance. Ye Xiuchen idly loosened his tie and tossed it aside before taking off his coat. Shen Xinghuai watched him with a resentful, silent glare.

Ye Xiuchen shot him a cold look and headed straight for the bathroom. The door closed, and soon the sound of running water filled the room.

Handcuffs, midnight jump-scares and you think I’m still sleeping with you? Shen Xinghuai thought. Go sleep in your little bathroom chair!

Ye Xiuchen was a fast showerer; he had to move quickly!

Shen Xinghuai scanned the room. The nightstand looked promising. He exerted all his strength to drag it in front of the bathroom door, blocking it completely.

He stood back, panting as he surveyed his work. Not enough. He eyed the small sofa on the balcony. Hunching over, he began dragging the sofa toward the bathroom door.

Though small, it was heavy, and the distance from the balcony was significant. He had to stop and catch his breath every few feet. Finally, the sofa was in place. This time, the “mad dog” was truly locked in. He wouldn’t be getting out until tomorrow!

Shen Xinghuai climbed triumphantly into bed, waiting to hear the madman’s inevitable outburst of frustration.

The water finally stopped. Shen Xinghuai sat upright, staring at the door.

But a long moment passed, and there was still no sound from the door.

Just as Shen Xinghuai was about to get up and check, the bathroom door finally moved. It was pushed from the inside, causing the nightstand and sofa piled against it to shift slightly.

Shen Xinghuai couldn’t help the smirk spreading across his face as he watched the door triumphantly.

The door was pushed again, and the person inside seemed to confirm that something was blocking their exit.

Ye Xiuchen’s voice drifted through the gap in the door: “Shen Xinghuai, what on earth are you doing?”

Shen Xinghuai trotted over in his slippers and patted the back of the sofa. “Blocking you in. You can sleep in there tonight!”

There was a two-second silence from behind the door. “I’ll give you one chance. Open this door, or you’ll regret it.”

Ha! Regret?

What a joke. Shen Xinghuai truly admired the man’s ability to keep acting tough even now. “I’ll let you out early tomorrow morning.”

Ye Xiuchen: “…”

Total silence followed.

Shen Xinghuai rolled his eyes, sauntered back to the bed, and flopped down comfortably, even rolling around a few times in excitement.

That’s for scaring me with handcuffs, and that’s for creeping up on me in the middle of the night. You stay right there in the bathroom, you jerk!

While Shen Xinghuai was rolling around in glee, an inconspicuous door on the far side of the bedroom swung open.

As it turned out, the bathroom had a second door leading to the walk-in closet, which in turn had two exits of its own. Shen Xinghuai, staying in this room for the first time, had no idea.

Ye Xiuchen stood by the bed, watching the person frolicking on the mattress with a chillingly calm gaze. “Are you having fun?”