Your boyfriend is great. He's mine now. - Chapter 2

“Brother Xiao, you’re not really in the mood today, are you? Maybe take a break and come back later?”

Xiao Yu had lost interest. “Get lost.”

He grabbed his clothes, ready to leave, when he suddenly heard sobbing from beside him. His footsteps paused for a moment.

Xiao Yu turned back, looked down at Lin Jinghe from a height for a while, then pinched his chin and raised an eyebrow. “What are you crying for?”

“Brother Xiao, I know I’m not good enough for you, but I really like you. I don’t want any status just keep me company every now and then, that’s all.”

Xiao Yu stared at him meaningfully. Some people looked beautiful when they cried, like rain-drenched pear blossoms, which easily evoked a man’s protective instinct. Lin Jinghe was exactly that type of person.

He possessed a temperament similar to Shen Xubai’s pure and innocent when dressed, but recklessly wanton when undressed. This contrast gave a man a great sense of accomplishment.

He had tasted him a few times, and the more he did, the more addictive he became.

Lin Jinghe raised his wet, fluttering eyelashes and cautiously sized up Xiao Yu. He rubbed against his pant leg flatteringly, his voice intentionally softened to sound coquettish. “Brother Xiao~”

Usually, Xiao Yu really would have stayed, but perhaps because he had just seen Shen Xubai, he felt a lack of interest.

He raised his hand and patted that upturned face in a perfunctory manner, his fingers brushing against the flushed skin, and chuckled lightly. “Put the cost on my tab.”

Shen Xubai worked at a financial firm, helping clients with investment and wealth management. This time, he was handling a major client introduced by one of his own clients. However, the other party was based in City B. Given the large sum involved, there was no reason to make the client travel.

It was still early, so it wasn’t convenient to rush the client yet. He ordered a latte and waited in the coffee shop.

Just then, he received a text message from an unknown number.

It was a photo of Xiao Yu passionately kissing another man in a bar. He recognized that man, too.

Then, a few words followed: 【Your boyfriend is cheating.】

Shen Xubai gripped his phone tightly. Frowning deeply, he dialed the number back. The other side didn’t answer, but they didn’t hang up, either.

Just as he lowered his head to type a reply, a shadow fell over him.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

Shen Xubai looked up instinctively and met a pair of dark, brooding eyes.

“Gu… Gu Linyuan?”

Gu Linyuan’s mouth hooked into a smile, his face revealing the familiar, gentle expression he always wore. “Long time no see, Senior.”

That title, “Senior,” pulled Shen Xubai back to his senior year of university.

That day was the orientation for the freshmen. As a senior, he was responsible for greeting the new students. Given his personality, he didn’t like such scenes, and since he kept a poker face and did things strictly by the book, not many people came to him for help.

Jiangcheng in September was sweltering. He was drinking a bottle of mineral water that had already turned warm.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a tall, handsome boy staring at him with a beaming smile.

“Senior, could you tell me how to get to Dorm Building C?”

“Go straight and turn left. It’s the second building past Siyu Hall.”

The boy looked ahead first, then put on an expression of difficulty. “Senior, I’m a bit directionally challenged. Could I trouble you to take me there?”

It was Shen Xubai’s job to do exactly that, so he nodded.

The boy was dragging a suitcase and walked very slowly; Shen Xubai didn’t find it appropriate to walk too fast, either.

But out of the corner of his eye, he kept catching the boy looking at him. Although the gaze didn’t seem malicious, it still made him feel uneasy.

“Do you need help?”

Shen Xubai stopped and stared at the suitcase.

The boy let out a pleasant laugh. “No need. Are you this nice to everyone, Senior?”

It was just a matter of politeness nothing to do with being ‘nice’ or not.

Such idle, probing questions left Shen Xubai with no desire to chat, so he continued walking forward. The boy was sensible enough not to say another word.

But that straight-on gaze was impossible to ignore. It felt cold and clingy, like a snake, making him very uncomfortable. However, whenever Shen Xubai looked over, the boy’s smile was always elegant and soft. Truth be told, his features were sharp, his brow deep, and his eyes very dark a very aggressive appearance but that gentle smile managed to dilute the distance.

There was a strange sense of dissonance about this person.

Shen Xubai picked up his pace, and Dorm Building C was soon in sight. Just as he was about to leave, the boy called out to him.

“Shen Xubai, aren’t you going to ask my name?”

Shen Xubai didn’t know how the boy knew his name, though it wasn’t hard to guess; he was a top scorer in the college entrance exam, so he was somewhat famous.

“I have things to do. I’m leaving.”

“Senior, my name is Gu Linyuan.”

After saying this, the boy stepped in front of him. He wasn’t smiling anymore; he just stared at Shen Xubai, exuding an underlying sense of oppression. It wasn’t until Shen Xubai frowned that he took a step back and resumed his gentle, harmless smile.

“Make sure you remember it.”

That faint smile seemed to overlap with the person in front of him across the years of mottled light and shadow. Even though they had met a few times since then, the image of that first encounter remained etched in Shen Xubai’s mind.

Seeing an old acquaintance softened his earlier feelings of unease and anger. He put away his phone and offered a polite smile. “What a coincidence. What are you doing here?”

“On a business trip.”

“I see.” Just as Shen Xubai was about to chat a bit more, he received a call from his client. “I’m sorry, I have matters to attend to. Let’s talk another day.”

Gu Linyuan rose elegantly and extended his right hand. “Sure. I won’t disturb you. See you another day.”

They shook hands briefly and didn’t linger. They didn’t even exchange phone numbers. Gu Linyuan watched Shen Xubai’s retreating back, his lips curling into an expression of victory.

Everything went smoothly for Shen Xubai. The trip that was planned for two days was resolved in one. He didn’t tell Xiao Yu, nor did he contact that unknown number again.

He believed that seeing was believing. And even if Xiao Yu were truly cheating, he wanted to ask him face-to-face to clear things up.

The elevator reached the eighth floor. Shen Xubai stood in front of his door with his carry-on suitcase, frowning slightly.

This building… didn’t have the best soundproofing.

Standing before his door, he could faintly hear some unclear sounds coming from inside.

Suit jackets, ties, shirts, shoes, and socks were scattered everywhere, from the entryway all the way to the bedroom door.

One could imagine just how impatient the two of them had been. The bedroom door wasn’t fully closed. The faint, metallic scent wafting through the air made one’s face burn, but it left Shen Xubai’s face deathly pale.

“Ah, un…” “Brother Xiao, slower~”

After the sounds of impact and high-pitched cries subsided, a deep panting followed. The man said, “You clearly love it when I do this, don’t you? You little slut.”

The overly familiar voice made the blood in Shen Xubai’s veins turn cold.

After taking a minute to build his psychological resolve, he finally pushed open the door and gazed indifferently at the two figures tangled on the bed.