The Husband From the Original Pairing is Now Divorced - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Control — Then prepare to endure a little hardship

“Baby, open up a bit more…”

Zhou Zifei’s muffled voice came from beneath the blankets.

Sheng Jia’s breathing was unstable, his chest heaving slightly, and his cheeks were flushed crimson. He did exactly as Zhou Zifei asked. The bulge in the duvet shifted, flattening from back to front as Zhou Zifei leaned down.

“Hah—”

Sheng Jia immediately arched his back, thrusting upward uncontrollably, his palms resting on Zhou Zifei’s head through the layer of the blanket.

Soon, Sheng Jia felt as if he were riding an unruly wild horse, tossed by the undulations until he had to grip the duvet tight. In the midst of the high-speed gallop, a whistling sound filled his ears. He tightened his grip on the “reins,” demanding the beast slow its wild movements.

But in an instant, Sheng Jia’s expression changed. Tears flickered in his eyes, and his red lips parted slightly. He looked like a fish tossed onto the shore, gasping for air.

However, the fisherman was far kinder than he imagined. The other party soon scooped up a handful of clear water and poured it over him, moisturizing his dry scales. And so, once again, the fish found its water, and the flower met the spring. The autumn afternoon was gradually swept by a humid, sweltering summer breeze.

It was hot. It was suffocating.

His consciousness rose and fell, first floating in the clouds, then plummeting into the earth. Sheng Jia gradually let himself go.

…

After an unknown amount of time, it finally ended.

“Baby, wait… don’t sleep yet. Let me wipe you down and change you into clean clothes, okay?” Seeing Sheng Jia’s exhausted eyelids drooping, Zhou Zifei gently pinched his soft cheek, not wanting him to sleep in damp clothes.

A few days ago, the two had shared an intimate moment in a small alley. As a result, Sheng Jia started sneezing the moment they got home. Originally, they were supposed to just kiss and go home, but Sheng Jia had been kissed into a daze and felt “the spark” when Zhou Zifei touched his belly. He had clung to Zhou Zifei, refusing to leave.

“Gege… touch more… want to kiss more…”

Fearful that Sheng Jia would catch a cold, Zhou Zifei tried to coax him home. But Sheng Jia mistakenly thought he had to call him “Gege” to keep the kisses and touches coming. Under this misunderstanding, Sheng Jia had whispered “Gege” repeatedly, his limp fingers pulling Zhou Zifei’s wrist upward. Those few cries had made his own face flush and his eyes turn hazy with a deep, bone-deep thirst.

Seeing the man in his arms looking like a stray cat in spring, rubbing against his chest, Zhou Zifei’s logic failed him. He pressed Sheng Jia against the wall, draped his overcoat over him, and knelt down. Fortunately, the alley was dark and secluded; no one discovered them.

But after returning home, Sheng Jia’s sanity returned, followed by an intense sense of shame. He banished Zhou Zifei to the guest room that night. When Zhou Zifei knocked on the next morning for breakfast, he saw Sheng Jia with flushed skin and dry lips. Only then did he realize that while they both enjoyed themselves, Sheng Jia had fallen ill.

With the autumn flu going around, Sheng Jia feared infecting the children at the kindergarten. Their immune systems were weak, and being sick would be far worse for them than for him. So, he took a leave of absence.

“I can’t let you mess around like that again,” Zhou Zifei said as he wiped the sweat from Sheng Jia’s body and changed him into cotton pajamas. His tone was serious and self-reproachful. Seeing the rosy color from their intimacy fade back into a sickly paleness made his heart ache.

Sheng Jia sat at the head of the bed, taking small sips of hot water. Hearing this, he lowered his head and whispered hoarsely, “It was… me. You don’t have to blame yourself.”

It was me who wanted it so badly.

He slurred the words, feeling that if he said them clearly, he would sound like a man who was… particularly thirsty for intimacy. But it was the truth. Lately, he desperately wanted to be with Zhou Zifei. As long as Zhou Zifei was there, his heart felt full and secure.

This emotion made him crave physical closeness—especially the kind of intimacy on the bed where there was no space between them. Without it, even just holding Zhou Zifei’s hand or hair was the only way he felt safe.

He didn’t know if Zhou Zifei noticed, but his need had evolved into wanting Zhou Zifei to kiss and touch him every few hours. The intense desire made him react just by making eye contact; his chest would itch, and his mouth would water. This afternoon’s encounter happened simply because they were sunbathing on the balcony and Sheng Jia’s thigh accidentally brushed Zhou Zifei’s hand.

“Teacher Sheng, do you want to go out for a walk after you wake up?” Zhou Zifei asked tentatively.

Sheng Jia was mostly recovered, but lately, every time Zhou Zifei suggested going out—even just to the courtyard—Sheng Jia was extremely reluctant.

“No…” Sheng Jia reached for Zhou Zifei’s hand, wanting him to join him for a nap.

Zhou Zifei sighed internally and climbed into bed. “Then you sleep. I’ll go out to run some errands and buy some throat lozenges. I’ll be back soon, okay?” He pulled Sheng Jia into his arms, patting his back rhythmically.

Sheng Jia, who had been nuzzling Zhou Zifei’s chest and inhaling his scent, froze. He didn’t want to go out, and he didn’t want Zhou Zifei to go out either.

On the day he had a high fever, Zhou Zifei took him to the hospital. In the fever clinic, they saw a couple.

“If you’re sick, come by yourself! Why did you have to wait for me to get off work to accompany you?” “I can’t do it alone! Can’t you just stay with me?” The man suddenly screamed at the woman: “You’re an adult and you can’t even take care of yourself? Why do I have to accompany you for everything? Don’t I have my own life?”

Sheng Jia, leaning on Zhou Zifei’s shoulder, felt a sudden, sharp panic. The fever had destroyed his mental defenses, and a cold thought slithered into his mind like a venomous snake: This couple isn’t an exception. This is the ugly truth of where all love eventually leads.

So, how long could the currently tender Zhou Zifei stay on this path before reaching that inevitable end?

In the hospital hallway, the couple’s argument turned violent, hurling insults at each other until nurses pulled them apart. “You bastard! I should never have been with you!” “Then let’s break up! I’ve had enough of your ‘princess’ temper where everyone has to coddle you!”

Sheng Jia grew paler. He trembled. Even in Zhou Zifei’s arms, he felt freezing. “I… I don’t want to see the doctor. Let’s go back? Let’s go back, okay?” He gripped Zhou Zifei’s hand, his nails leaving red marks, pleading with red-rimmed eyes.

“What’s wrong, Baby? It’s almost our turn. Just a bit longer and you won’t feel so bad.” Zhou Zifei was entirely focused on him, touching his forehead and hugging him tighter, not paying any attention to the couple.

“I want to go back. Take me back. Let’s stay home together…”

In his blurred vision, Sheng Jia felt the hysterical woman’s voice was coming from his own throat, and the twisted face of the man had Zhou Zifei’s eyes. They looked through the current, patiently coddled Sheng Jia toward a future where they would inevitably loathe each other.

He couldn’t lose to Zhou Zifei. Zhou Zifei was the only driftwood he could cling to in the stormy seas of his emotions. Only with Zhou Zifei could he be happy.

How could he keep this happiness stable and permanent?

When Lu He left, he was a child and couldn’t stop her. When Yu Xianghang cheated, he endured out of fear of losing protection. But Zhou Zifei was different. Zhou Zifei loved him.

Therefore, as long as he didn’t let Zhou Zifei leave, Zhou Zifei wouldn’t leave—this thought was a wicked spell. It brought a moment of peace, but it also made Sheng Jia hate himself for this selfish desire for control. He knew this would push his lover away, but it was the only thing he felt he could “control” in a life full of uncontrollable harm.

Snapped back to reality by Zhou Zifei’s touch, Sheng Jia wrapped his arms around the man’s waist. “Can you… not go out?” he asked softly.

Zhou Zifei paused. He didn’t speak but cupped Sheng Jia’s face, forcing eye contact. “Baby, what have you been worried about these past few days?”

He wasn’t blind. From the constant need for intimacy to the refusal to let him leave the room, he knew Sheng Jia was hiding something. He had pretended not to notice to spare Sheng Jia’s feelings, thinking it was just the aftermath of the talk with Lu He. But today, Sheng Jia’s refusal to let him take even one step out the door forced the issue.

Sheng Jia turned his head. “Nothing…” His trembling lashes betrayed him.

“Tell me what’s wrong. I can solve anything,” Zhou Zifei emphasized.

Sheng Jia didn’t want to talk. He pressed into the embrace, lifting his chin to offer a kiss to dodge the question.

“No kissing yet. Tell me why you don’t want me to go out.” Zhou Zifei caught his chin, avoiding the kiss. Sheng Jia’s eyes immediately welled up.

“Why won’t you kiss me? Why do you have to go out? I’m still sick, can’t you stay with me more?”

His long hair, un-cut for weeks, sprawled across the pale sheets like black silk. With his delicate features and downcast eyes, he looked like a young wife complaining about a neglectful husband.

Zhou Zifei’s heart softened. He pecked the tip of Sheng Jia’s nose. “I kissed you. Now tell me what’s wrong, okay?”

“Not enough…” Sheng Jia flipped over, straddling Zhou Zifei’s powerful waist. He pressed his palms against the warm muscles, pulled down his own collar, and leaned down. “Kiss me more… here…”

His face was flushed, his eyes watery. His long hair brushed against Zhou Zifei’s neck. Zhou Zifei saw a vision of pink and white, with two points of crimson proving particularly inviting. The scent of laundry detergent and the encroaching snow-white skin made Zhou Zifei turn his head in a bit of a panic. He gripped Sheng Jia’s shoulders, stopping his approach. “Not now…”

The rejection made Sheng Jia’s heart sink. This was the first time he had been so bold, even if it was to distract him. He felt an overwhelming shame, but also a secret hope. Would Zhou Zifei like this? Would he like me sitting on him like this?

But Zhou Zifei said no.

A hollow itch spread through Sheng Jia’s body. He pulled his collar wider, leaning into Zhou Zifei’s face. “Why? Why not? Are you unwilling? Do you not want to be intimate with me anymore?”

He began to cry—quiet, secret tears that fell onto the pillow behind Zhou Zifei’s head. “Is it because I… have no charm? Are you bored of me? Am I not likable enough in bed, so you—AH!”

Sheng Jia’s suppressed sob turned into a broken, high-pitched cry as he was flipped over. Zhou Zifei pinned him down, the muscles in his arms bulging, veins popping on the back of his hands. A heavy, hot breath hit Sheng Jia’s chest. He was bitten with a fierce intensity, making him gasp in pain.

A loud thud—Sheng Jia’s vision blurred, and he was flat on his back with Zhou Zifei looming over him.

“No charm? Bored? Not likable in bed?” Zhou Zifei repeated the words with an unreadable tone and a cold laugh.

Outside, a large cloud blocked the sun, plunging the room into shadow. Zhou Zifei’s sharp features were dark and heavy, suppressing a violent emotion that finally made Sheng Jia shrink back in realization.

“Baby, do you have any idea… every time I kiss you, I want to swallow you whole?”

The shadow engulfed Sheng Jia. He heard what sounded like a beast grinding its teeth. Then, the husky, low voice came again:

“Teacher Sheng, since you want to finish the ‘business’ before we talk… then prepare to endure a little hardship.”

The drawstring of Sheng Jia’s pajama pants was pulled. Then, the crisp sound of a metal zipper opening echoed in the empty room. Zhou Zifei grabbed Sheng Jia’s ankle and yanked him forward, eliciting a sharp gasp.

BOOM—

A crack of thunder exploded outside, the lightning illuminating Zhou Zifei’s cold, handsome profile. His eyes were deep, with a startling flame burning in the darkness.

Sheng Jia stared, stunned, his heart racing as sweat broke out across his skin. Zhou Zifei sat back on his heels, looked at him, and slowly tilted his head to kiss the pale foot resting on his shoulder.

“Baby, keep your legs tight this time.”