Hormones That Can't Be Hidden - Chapter 18

Dong Junhao was awakened by a strange, overly soft sensation of sinking.

The dull throb of a hangover hammered at his temples. He forced his heavy eyelids open, his vision blurry as he scanned the ceiling clean lines, recessed lighting. This was not the mottled, peeling ceiling of the dormitory. Faint, grayish-white light filtered in through the window; the day was just beginning to break.

For a moment, he was dazed, unable to distinguish where he was. He only remembered drinking a lot of wine last night, and then…

Habitually, he tried to roll over and sit up. Just as one long leg reached past the edge of the bed, his foot slammed onto a warm, elastic obstacle on the floor.

“Aow—!”

A short, sharp cry of pain instantly shattered the morning silence.

Dong Junhao jolted. The lingering drunkenness was scared away by the yell, leaving him wide awake. He looked down, and his heart nearly skipped a beat Fang Mingxuan was curled on the floor, sleeping on a simple bedroll. He was clutching his side, wincing as he looked up at Dong. He had clearly been kicked squarely in the ribs.

“You’re awake?” Fang Mingxuan sucked in a breath of cold air, rubbing the sore spot while propping himself up. From this angle, his gaze naturally moved upward, landing directly on the waist of the thinly clad Dong Junhao sitting on the bedside.

A man’s body functions wake early in the morning. Dong Junhao already possessed a superior physique, and in the dim morning light and a state of total exposure, his vitality was naturally even more apparent.

Dong Junhao followed Fang Mingxuan’s gaze downward. His face instantly turned a deep crimson, nearly steaming. He frantically grabbed the messy down duvet and wrapped it around himself, his movements so hurried he almost tripped.

“You, you… I…” He was incoherent, so embarrassed he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

Seeing him so utterly mortified, Fang Mingxuan quickly recovered from the pain of being kicked. A flash of a smile crossed his eyes, quickly replaced by a gentler expression. He gestured toward the nightstand, where a set of clean clothes was neatly folded the same ones Dong Junhao had worn yesterday, but clearly washed and pressed flat.

“Don’t be nervous. Your clothes were stained with grease and sweat yesterday. I helped you wash and dry them.” Fang Mingxuan’s tone was as natural as if this were a mundane chore. “Don’t worry, I only helped you off with your outer layers; I didn’t do anything else.”

Dong Junhao didn’t have the capacity to think deeply. Like a drowning man catching a life raft, he grabbed the stack of clothes and bolted into the en-suite bathroom, locking the door with a crisp click. Inside, there was a flurry of rustling and the sound of minor collisions as he dressed in a panic.

A good while later, the bathroom door reopened. Dong Junhao was fully dressed. He had even splashed cold water on his face, though the tips of his hair were still dripping. The flush on his face hadn’t completely faded, and his eyes darted around, avoiding Fang Mingxuan’s gaze. His voice was dry: “Yesterday… I drank too much. I don’t remember anything that happened after. I… I didn’t cause you any trouble, did I?”

“No.” Fang Mingxuan had already stood up, nimbly rolling up the bedroll. “You’re a good drinker. You just fell asleep and stayed quiet; you didn’t even get sick. I was the one overthinking it, I was afraid you’d feel unwell in the night, so I set up camp on the floor to keep an eye on you.” He smiled with a touch of self-deprecation. “Seems it was a wasted worry.”

“Let’s have a simple breakfast,” Fang Mingxuan suggested. “I’ll prepare something light to help with the hangover.”

Dong Junhao shook his head quickly. He glanced at the brightening sky outside, his tone urgent: “No, no. It’s getting late, and I have to get back for my shift today. I’ve troubled you enough already. It’s just… I have to trouble you one more time to take me back to the city. If it’s convenient for you.”

Fang Mingxuan looked at him and didn’t insist. He nodded. “Alright. I happen to have an important meeting this morning anyway. Give me a moment to clean up, and we’ll head out.”

As he spoke, he walked naturally to the bedside and reached out to untie the belt of his silk robe. The silk slid down his body, revealing a long, well-proportioned, and defined masculine physique in the morning light. While he lacked the exaggerated muscle mass of Dong Junhao, his lines were tight and firm the result of careful training exuding a beauty of elegance and strength.

He walked toward the bathroom with composure, as if he were alone in the room.

Despite working in a bathhouse and being used to seeing all kinds of male bodies, Dong Junhao felt a strange sense of awkwardness and… embarrassment watching Fang Mingxuan walk around so openly naked. He instinctively looked away, his gaze wandering aimlessly around the room to find a safe spot to land.

The room followed the villa’s minimalist style spacious and bright, with few decorations, though every piece was clearly expensive. Everything was organized with obsessive-compulsive neatness. However, a book left half-read on the nightstand, the glimpse of a vast collection through the walk-in closet door, and the faint, crisp scent of Fang Mingxuan’s personal fragrance… these details silently declared that this was no cold guest room, but the master bedroom where Fang Mingxuan actually lived.

Fang Mingxuan finished washing up quickly. He used a towel to casually dry his dripping black hair and walked out while still unclothed. Water droplets slid down his collarbones, over his flat abdominals, and disappeared into the shadows of his V-line.

He walked to the closet and pressed a button; a massive walk-in closet opened, revealing another world. Two entire walls were filled with categorized clothing from sharp custom suits and cashmere sweaters to high-fashion streetwear. The color coordination was harmonious and the materials were visibly premium; it looked like a high-end boutique.

Dong Junhao stared, dazed. This was a world apart from his own meager locker that could barely fit a few work shirts and old clothes.

Fang Mingxuan seemed to only then realize his “lack of decorum.” He turned to Dong Junhao with an apologetic smile. “I’ve gotten too used to being loose when I’m home alone. Sorry you had to see that.”

His tone was natural as he pulled out a light gray shirt and black trousers, dressing nimbly. Simple clothes looked exceptionally good on him. “Alright,” Fang Mingxuan picked up his car keys, his tone light and teasing, “We can head back to the city now and continue being hardworking ‘beasts of burden.'”

The atmosphere seemed to return to the lightness of the previous night’s drinking session.

However, just as the car reached the grand iron gates of the villa, Fang Mingxuan’s brow suddenly furrowed. A silver-gray luxury sedan was parked arrogantly across the center of the exit, blocking the narrow driveway completely.

Fang Mingxuan honked a short, loud blast that was particularly jarring in the silent morning. The driver-side door of the silver sedan opened immediately.

A tall young man in a well-tailored beige trench coat stepped out. He was handsome with deep-set eyes, but his face was currently pale with dark circles underneath. His expression betrayed an unmaskable exhaustion and… gloom. He had clearly been waiting there for quite some time.

He walked straight to Fang Mingxuan’s window. His gaze first swept sharply over Fang, and then, like an ice-dipped blade, it stabbed toward Dong Junhao in the passenger seat.

“Fang Mingxuan,” the young man’s voice was husky, yet filled with suppressed rage and sharp bitterness. “Did you blacklist my number? I’ve been looking for you for days! Hiding from me… what is the meaning of this?”

The lightness on Fang Mingxuan’s face had vanished, replaced by a cold, bored indifference. He didn’t even get out of the car; he simply lowered the window, his tone flat. “Isn’t the meaning obvious enough, Liu Wei? We broke up. Please stop pestering me.”

“I’m pestering you?” The man called Liu Wei seemed stung by the words; his voice rose sharply with mockery and anger. “Who was the one who came after me first? Now that you’re bored and find me uninteresting, you want to toss me aside like a used rag? Fang Mingxuan, what the hell do you take me for?!”

His chest heaved violently. His gaze fixed once more on Dong Junhao who was clearly out of place in this environment, looking silent and awkward. Liu Wei’s eyes were filled with undisguised scrutiny, disdain, and a sense of betrayed hatred.

“Heh… I really want to see what kind of fox-spirit has the skill to steal the heart of the Great Young Master Fang!” As Liu Wei spoke, he reached out and violently pulled open the passenger door!

Dong Junhao was caught completely off guard, exposed to the man’s cold, poisonous gaze. Wearing a faded old T-shirt while sitting in a priceless sports car, he formed an absurd and embarrassing contrast with the polished, yet snarling handsome man before him.

Liu Wei looked Dong Junhao up and down, his gaze evaluating him like cargo or something loathsome. A mocking sneer curled his lips, his voice high-pitched:

“Oh—! Fang Mingxuan, your taste has certainly shifted fast! Didn’t you used to look down most on this type the ones with nothing but raw muscle and empty heads?”

“What, did you suddenly flip and get hooked on the ‘rugged muscle-man’ look? Wanted to change flavors and try something ‘wild’?”

His words were like poison needles, each one stabbing into Dong Junhao’s most sensitive, insecure nerves. “You want to have one-night stands and play for thrills I can’t stop you. It’s just…” He paused intentionally, the contempt in his eyes nearly overflowing. “What does a piece of ‘merchandise’ of this level have to offer besides a body of hard muscle?”

“What common topics could you possibly have? Chatting about how to get bigger? Or exchanging recipes for fitness meals?”

“Oh, that’s right. I heard you’ve been frequenting a bathhouse lately… surely you didn’t ‘discover’ this ‘master’ there, did you? Ha!”

Every word hit home. Dong Junhao’s face flushed red, then turned pale. His lips were pressed into a hard line, and his hands on his knees clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white. But he didn’t look at Liu Wei and didn’t speak; he just stared straight ahead, his jaw as stiff as rock.

“Liu Wei!” Fang Mingxuan’s voice was suddenly cold and sharp, filled with warning and rage. “Shut up! My business is none of yours to judge or talk about!”

Liu Wei was startled by the shout. Then, the resentment and bitterness on his face intensified. Seeing Fang Mingxuan protect Dong Junhao, his eyes flickered with complex emotions before settling into a near-venomous sneer.

“Fine, fine… You’re the boss, Fang Mingxuan.” He nodded, stepping back. His gaze darted between Fang and Dong. “But don’t get ahead of yourself.”

He looked back at Dong Junhao, his tone returning to that high-handed sharpness, each word clear:

“The heart of our Young Master Fang is a fickle thing. Tiring of the new and longing for the newer is his norm.”

“You think you can hold on to him with just those muscles and a bit of ‘freshness’? Let’s see if you can last a week before he gets bored of you.”

“Oh, and by the way, you probably don’t even know what he truly likes or the kind of people he usually associates with, do you? How pathetic.”

“Liu Wei! Have you said enough?!” Fang Mingxuan shoved his door open and stepped out, standing between Dong Junhao and the car door. He was slightly taller than Liu Wei, and his dark expression was imposing. “We’re all adults. Let’s end this cleanly. Continuing this harassment benefits no one, and we won’t even be able to remain business partners!”

Those final words acted like a bucket of cold water, damping the fire in Liu Wei’s eyes, but the resentment settled deeper.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Liu Wei’s voice dropped, becoming colder. “Fine. I never used our business cooperation to threaten you, yet you dare threaten me? You’ve forgotten who’s who’s benefactor, haven’t you?”

He turned slowly toward his car. Before opening the door, he looked back at Fang Mingxuan one last time, his gaze unreadable. He left behind one final, meaningful sentence that drifted in the cool morning air:

“Fang Mingxuan, one day you’ll understand who truly belongs by your side.”

The silver sedan let out a frustrated roar, reversed, turned sharply, and sped away.

Fang Mingxuan stood on the spot for a moment before getting back into his car and closing the door. The interior was filled with a suffocating silence. He glanced sideways at Dong Junhao, who remained in his previous position staring straight ahead, face pale, lips tight. Only his slightly heaving chest showed the turmoil within.

“I’m sorry,” Fang Mingxuan started the car. His voice had returned to a calm state, yet it held an untraceable tension. “Sorry you had to see that… unpleasantness. Don’t take his words to heart.”

Dong Junhao didn’t answer. He only gave a nearly imperceptible, slight shake of his head.

The scenery outside the window receded rapidly, but his vision lacked focus. Liu Wei’s sharp words echoed in his mind like a recurring strike. The chasm between their two worlds had been ripped open before him in the most humiliating and direct way possible.

As the car re-entered the city traffic toward the bathhouse, the lightness and intimacy born from the time in the garden and the alcohol had vanished. Only cold reality and a deeper sense of bewilderment remained, sitting heavily in his heart.