Mr. Lu Was Devastated After I Left - Chapter 26

Xu Zhuoyang did not know why Lu Beiye was asking, so he answered truthfully, “Yes, we get along quite well.”

Lu Beiye sat on the edge of the bed, staring at him quietly. “You should learn to maintain appropriate boundaries.”

Xu Zhuoyang lowered his head slightly. Lu Beiye knew that this reaction was equivalent to a concession.

Lu Beiye took off his suit jacket and hung it up. He removed his cufflinks and watch one by one and placed them on the nightstand. Xu Zhuoyang was surprised and blurted out, “Are you sleeping at my place tonight?”

Lu Beiye, mid-action as he unknotted his tie, paused, clearly displeased by the question. “This is our home. Is there any reason I cannot sleep in my own home?”

When had Xu Zhuoyang silently begun to exclude him from this home?

Xu Zhuoyang watched him walk into the bathroom. Moments later, the sound of running water echoed through the room. Xu Zhuoyang stared at the empty space beside him, his mind drifting.

After Lu Beiye finished showering, he saw Xu Zhuoyang still sitting there like a statue, showing no reaction. He stepped forward, reached out to pinch Xu Zhuoyang’s cheek, and turned his head to face him. “What are you thinking about?”

“I am wondering how many nights you will stay here.” Xu Zhuoyang looked at the man so close to him, feeling a sudden surge of grievance. “Will you still go back to Mu Yuan?”

Lu Beiye interrupted him softly. “When we are together, let us not mention him.”

He gripped Xu Zhuoyang’s chin firmly, tilted his head up, and kissed those soft lips.

Xu Zhuoyang clutched his shoulders, responding to the kiss. Lu Beiye felt his response and his body reacted instantly; his hand slid under Xu Zhuoyang’s pajamas, stroking skin he had longed for.

He had not touched Mu Yuan in days. Even when Mu Yuan offered subtle invitations, he had remained indifferent. His mind was filled entirely with Xu Zhuoyang. The only time he had had excessive contact with Mu Yuan in recent days was when he had been completely unconscious from alcohol, but he did not know that the marks on Mu Yuan’s body were actually there before he had even gone to the apartment that day.

The faint, familiar scent of Xu Zhuoyang filled his nostrils, intoxicating him. He did not know why, but holding this person in his arms gave him a sense of peace that Mu Yuan could never provide. He had to admit that, over these past few days, he simply could not let him go.

Xu Zhuoyang was exhausted, pushing against Lu Beiye mindlessly. Lu Beiye caught his hands and kissed them. “One last time.”

Xu Zhuoyang whispered weakly, “You said that just a moment ago.”

Their breathless, flushed gasps drowned out the sound of a phone vibrating inside the pocket of the clothes hanging nearby. Mu Yuan called again and again, relentless, but the only response was the cold, mechanical system tone.

No answer. Still no answer.

Mu Yuan threw his phone aside in frustration, staring at the bruises on his neck in the mirror with lingering fear.

Li Peixin was a crafty veteran. During their scene today, Li Peixin had improvised, pinning him against the wall by his throat with such a crazed look in his eyes that Mu Yuan was still trembling from it.

Lu Beiye had left yesterday after telling him to call if he needed anything. The fact that he had not come over today meant he was almost certainly with Xu Zhuoyang. Lu Beiye still harbored attachments to Xu Zhuoyang; it seemed he could not be fully relied upon.

Mu Yuan picked up his phone from the floor and dialed a familiar number. After a pause, the call connected, and a lazy, slow male voice drifted through the line. “Missing me after only a few days?”

“Brother Xiang, can you do me a favor?”