What Bad Intentions Could a Spoiled Little Brat Possibly have? - Chapter 12.1

“Brother, You Can’t Escape the Palm of My Hand”

No. 77 Guange Academy was sparse with pedestrians both inside and out. It was a picture of tranquility, broken only occasionally by the roar of a car engine. The thick fragrance of osmanthus lingered in the air, though the fallen blossoms on the path had long been trampled into a mess of lingering yellow a beauty that felt somewhat out of season.

Cheng Huai stuffed the clothes he had changed out of into the washing machine. As the drum began to whirl, he walked to the balcony and pushed the window open. A gust of wind blew past, bringing the scent of osmanthus right to his face.

Cheng Huai looked down and turned on his phone screen; it was just past ten o’clock. The wave of sleepiness had dissipated with Fu Zheng’s departure. With things weighing on his mind, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep even if he tried to squeeze in a nap, so he simply gave up on the idea. Having a predictable time for Fu Zheng’s return made the wait feel interminably long.

Cheng Huai opened the laboratory recruitment poster again, staring at it for at least five minutes before snapping back to the realization that he still had business to attend to. He returned to the living room, dumped a bag of plush toys onto the sofa, picked up a Strawberry Bear (Lotso), poked its nostril, and sat it upright on the corner of the Lawrence sofa.

There were plenty of dolls to go around. He found several other spots the entryway, the TV cabinet, the bedside, the bay window, the kitchen island, and he didn’t even spare the bathroom vanity. The originally cold and spotless home suddenly took on a sense of ludicrous cuteness with these decorations. In short, it was the complete opposite of Fu Zheng’s style.

Cheng Huai was quite satisfied. Standing with hands on his hips, he admired his masterpiece and snapped a dozen photos in a row, firing them off to Fu Zheng. At the end, he attached a message: “Brother, is it cute?”

Fu Zheng was busy, so Cheng Huai’s message sank into the sea without a trace.

Holding his phone, Cheng Huai picked up the Strawberry Bear from the sofa and took a selfie. His reddish lips were pouted, almost touching the lens. He sent it to Fu Zheng again: “Brother, who is cuter, me or the bear?”

Fu Zheng still didn’t reply.

Cheng Huai was persistent. Getting a bit addicted to taking selfies, he changed angles and took photos of his eyes, his fingers, and his ankles, sending them to Fu Zheng one by one.

After entertaining himself for a while, he grew bored. Cheng Huai fished a tiny, sophisticated instrument out of his backpack and toyed with it in his hand, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes. He observed several positions in the room and finally decided to install the devices inside the smoke alarm and the power outlets.

This was a scenario he had rehearsed in his mind countless times. How to operate it, the steps, and the flow had flashed through his heart over and over again; he only needed the right moment to make it a reality. And now was that moment.

Cheng Huai rummaged through the living room drawers and quickly found a simple toolbox. He moved a stool over from the island and, with a great deal of effort, disassembled the smoke alarm. He took out a tiny indicator light he had prepared in his pocket and tucked it into the gap revealed by the smoke alarm.

Whether it was due to nervousness or the magnitude of his movements, a thin layer of sweat had soaked Cheng Huai’s back, and his arms were aching from being held up for so long. Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated suddenly. Cheng Huai’s footing faltered, and he nearly fell off the stool.

He set the screwdriver on the ground and unlocked his phone. He saw Fu Zheng’s reply: “What do you want to eat for lunch?”

A smile spread across the corners of Cheng Huai’s mouth, his eyes curving unconsciously. Squatting on the floor, he began tapping on his phone: “I want to eat glutinous rice lotus root and foie gras sushi, plus a Tom Yum soup.”

He listed a few dish names that drifted through his mind. After Fu Zheng replied with a “Good,” the chat window returned to silence.

Cheng Huai typed quickly. He tilted his head in thought and followed up: “Brother, are you coming back soon?”

Looking at the messy items scattered all over the floor, he estimated the time. If Fu Zheng came back early, he would have to tidy up in advance to avoid being exposed.

Fu Zheng replied: “One hour.”

“Okay ^o^”

Cheng Huai sent an emoji of a puppy squatting at the door waiting expectantly. He put down his phone, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and continued disassembling the power sockets.

Half an hour later, he tossed the screwdriver into the toolbox. Mission accomplished!

But it wasn’t over yet.

Cheng Huai opened his phone and searched for the Wi-Fi in the house. All the instruments he had just installed had to be connected to the internet to work. His first instinct was to message Fu Zheng to ask for the Wi-Fi password, but then he thought of a simpler way.

Cheng Huai quietly slipped into Fu Zheng’s study. Even though there was no one else home, he felt a bit like a thief, so he deliberately lightened his footsteps.

The decoration of Fu Zheng’s study was similar to the other rooms, featuring a consistent palette of black, white, and gray. In the center of the study was a long table made of natural jade. Behind the table was a wall of floating bookshelves displaying various books. On the desk sat a computer, and on the opposite side was a seamless LED screen used to project the computer display.

The faint scent of bergamot flooded Cheng Huai’s nose. He sat at the desk and picked up a photograph placed there. The person in the photo was as cold as ever, but his eyes were like ink, seemingly able to pierce through the photo and look directly into the depths of Cheng Huai’s eyes.

Fu Zheng was wearing a graduation gown, standing casually in front of the school gate without a smile on his face.

Cheng Huai’s heart stalled, and a sour, numbing pain began to ache in his chest. The Fu Zheng in the photo was a version he had never seen before. He stroked the photo with his finger, his eyes looking at the person in the picture with infatuated longing, allowing the possessiveness in his heart to grow wildly.

After a while, Cheng Huai’s focus slowly returned. He turned on the computer. After the black startup screen finished, a password input box popped up.

He first tried Fu Zheng’s birthday; it showed the password was incorrect. He then tried his own birthday; likewise, the password was wrong. Time was limited; he had no way to brute-force the computer password, so he could only plug in a pre-prepared USB drive to bypass the password and cut directly into the hard drive.

He pressed the Enter key, and the Linux system interface popped up. Cheng Huai breathed a sigh of relief. Fu Zheng had not encrypted the hard drive; otherwise, everything he had done would have been in vain.

He first checked the computer’s IP and gateway address to find the router’s address. After performing a series of operations on the computer screen, four images successfully popped up on his phone: the living room, the bedroom, the kitchen, and the bathroom.

Holding the phone, a dark surge of emotion rose in Cheng Huai’s eyes as he whispered softly, “Brother, you can’t escape the palm of my hand.”

Everything was settled. Cheng Huai unplugged the USB drive, turned off the computer, and acted as if nothing had happened. Humming a little tune, he slipped all the way to the balcony and took the clothes out of the washing machine to hang them up.

As soon as the clock struck twelve, the living room door slowly opened. Cheng Huai accurately captured the sound and flew down from the second-floor bedroom. Seeing Fu Zheng carrying groceries, he didn’t even wait for the man to put them down before leaping directly into his arms.

“Brother, I missed you so much…” Cheng Huai wrapped his arms around Fu Zheng’s neck and hooked his legs around his waist, clinging tightly to him like an octopus.

“Coddled,” the deep voice entered his ears, and a numbing sensation spread from Cheng Huai’s tailbone all the way to his neck. It had clearly only been half a day, yet it felt like a long time had passed.

Fu Zheng’s broad palm stroked Cheng Huai’s back and gave his firm butt a light squeeze. “Get down.”

“I won’t… I won’t… Hold me.” Cheng Huai squirmed and clung to Fu Zheng’s neck, acting spoiled and clingy.

Fu Zheng had no choice but to stay in that position, carrying him inside. He walked all the way to the kitchen island, put the things down first, and then placed Cheng Huai on the dining table.

Cheng Huai’s legs were still hooked around Fu Zheng’s waist. Sensing Fu Zheng’s intention to step back, he directly hooked the man back with his calves. The itching sensation gradually spreading through his body reminded him of his desire for Fu Zheng.

Fu Zheng was hooked forward, then backed away, and was hooked forward again. He couldn’t be bothered anymore and simply stood still. Cheng Huai whimpered and hugged Fu Zheng, his legs wrapped behind his waist, refusing to separate even an inch.

Fu Zheng let him hug for a while, his fingers resting on Cheng Huai’s spine, pressing the small protrusion there. He asked hoarsely, “What did you do at home?”

Cheng Huai pressed against Fu Zheng’s neck, his lips seemingly touching it inadvertently. “Mmm… washed clothes, decorated the house…”

At this point, Cheng Huai looked up and shook Fu Zheng’s neck, asking dissatisfiedly, “Brother, you still haven’t answered my question.”

“What question?” Fu Zheng looked down at him, using the opportunity to pull away slightly.

Cheng Huai pouted. “Who is cuter, me or the bear?”

Fu Zheng stared at his glistening lips and was slow to answer.

“Tell me.” Cheng Huai shook Fu Zheng again. Seeing Fu Zheng’s Adam’s apple bob, he didn’t even think before brushing his fingertip against it.

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