Chapter 14

Nie Jun escorted the man toward Kong Wenyu’s room. When they reached the door, he stood still for a moment before asking, “What’s your name?”

“Sasa,” the young man answered. “Like the word ‘sā’ in ‘xiāosā’—dashing.”

It didn’t sound like a proper name—more like a nickname. About as unserious as “Xiao Lang.” Not as respectable as “Yuan Laisheng.”

Nie Jun waited briefly, then said, “When you go inside, behave yourself. Don’t touch anything in the room.”

Sasa nodded, then smiled quickly. “Other than Mr. Kong, I doubt I’d have a chance to touch anything else.”

Nie Jun turned his head to look at him.

Sasa sensed the scrutiny hidden in that look and pressed his lips together.

Nie Jun didn’t move. Sasa waited a moment before whispering, “Can I go in now? I still need to shower—Mr. Kong might get impatient.”

Nie Jun studied him for another moment, staring until Sasa lowered his head, and only then did Nie Jun raise his hand to knock on the door.

A few seconds later, unhurried footsteps approached. The door swung open.

Kong Wenyu stood there, damp hair dripping water, a loosely tied bathrobe draped over him.

He had already showered.

Water traced from his shoulders, droplets slipping down past the neckline into the depths below.

Nie Jun froze, staring for a moment, forgetting what he was supposed to say.

Kong Wenyu leaned lightly against the doorframe. “Is there a problem with him?”

Nie Jun realized he was asking about the person behind him. After a brief pause, he said, “No problem.”

Kong Wenyu’s expression didn’t shift; he simply relaxed his brows slightly, pulled the door open wider, and stepped aside to make space.

Sasa tried to step in but had to brush past Nie Jun. The man blocking the way didn’t move, and the veins faintly visible on his exposed arms looked tense and unyielding—a warning that he wasn’t someone to mess with.

Sasa had no choice but to murmur, “Excuse me.”

A flicker crossed Nie Jun’s brow—barely visible—before, after a brief standoff, he shifted aside.

Sasa edged into the room, automatically addressing Kong Wenyu: “Mr. Kong, I’ll go take a shower first.”

Kong Wenyu gestured for him to go ahead. Sasa stole one quick glance at Nie Jun, grabbed a bathrobe, and hurried straight to the bathroom.

Almost immediately, the soft hiss of running water filled the room.

After a few moments, just as Kong Wenyu was about to close the door, Nie Jun said, “I’ll be waiting outside. I’ll check the room’s surveillance feed every two minutes. Don’t go near the window—it’s a blind spot.”

Kong Wenyu gave no sign of agreement, just held the door as though ready to shut it at any second.

Nie Jun added, “If anything happens, call me right away.”

For the first time, Kong Wenyu’s patience seemed to fray. He lifted his hand to close the door.

Nie Jun abruptly reached out to stop it.

Kong Wenyu looked at him. Nie Jun’s breathing wasn’t as steady as before.

“…Don’t forget to use protection.”

Kong Wenyu stared at him for a few seconds, his expression unchanged. “Didn’t you say you already checked—no issues?”

“Some infections don’t show,” Nie Jun said after a pause. “It’s safer if you wear one.”

Kong Wenyu’s gaze shifted from Nie Jun’s face to the hand braced against the door.

That silent pressure made Nie Jun loosen his grip slightly, but he still didn’t let go entirely.

Kong Wenyu, at this moment, displayed an unusually large amount of patience—

Though it was about to run out.

“Do you have anything else to say?” Kong Wenyu asked.

Nie Jun seemed to finally make up his mind. Staring at him, he asked, “Are you going to take him home?”

“Is that a question you should be asking?” Kong Wenyu countered.

Nie Jun opened his mouth, but Kong Wenyu cut him off. “Watch the door.”

Then, as if his patience had completely vanished, he slammed the door shut.

The heavy “bang” echoed down the corridor. Nie Jun stood facing the door for a few moments, then pulled out his phone and connected to the room’s surveillance feed.

He couldn’t even wait the two minutes he’d promised—he was desperate to know what Kong Wenyu was doing.

Would he use his foot?

Like that night.

Or would his eyes grow hazy as he leaned in for a kiss?

Like three years ago.

The screen lit up. Because of the lighting, one corner of the room was darker than the rest.

Kong Wenyu sat at the edge of the bed, drying his hair with careless, rough motions.

The bathroom door opened. Sasa came out wrapped in a towel, water still dripping from his hair, and walked straight toward Kong Wenyu.

Kong Wenyu tossed the towel aside. Sasa glanced at it, then stepped forward, straddling his lap and wrapping his arms around his neck.

Nie Jun’s breath caught. The veins on the back of the hand gripping his phone stood out, taut.

He quickly slipped in his Bluetooth earpiece. Through it, he heard Sasa whisper in Kong Wenyu’s ear, “Mr. Kong, do you want to go straight in? I’m already ready.”

Kong Wenyu didn’t answer. He paused for two seconds, expression unreadable, then placed his hands under Sasa’s thighs, lifting him as he rose from the bed.

Sasa gasped softly and clung tighter to his neck.

Kong Wenyu carried him steadily toward the balcony—out of the camera’s view.

Nie Jun shut his eyes briefly, inhaled sharply, and turned to pound on the door.

No response.

Sweat beaded in Nie Jun’s palm as he knocked harder, calling out, “Mr. Kong, open the door.”

The surveillance feed still showed no one. Nie Jun twisted the doorknob, voice tense: “Kong Wenyu!”

Just as he was about to kick the door open, the lock clicked. The bedroom door cracked open halfway.

Kong Wenyu stood there looking exactly as before, his eyelids half-lowered, except now his bathrobe had fallen loosely open, revealing a pale stretch of collarbone.

Nie Jun’s throat bobbed twice. His chest rose and fell as he said, “You disappeared from the camera’s view.”

Kong Wenyu leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed lazily. “That’s all?”

Nie Jun’s grip on his phone tightened. The muscles in his jaw turned hard as stone.

“Don’t bother me again,” Kong Wenyu said and started to close the door.

This time Nie Jun acted decisively, pressing his hand against the door and forcing the narrow gap wider.

“You have a fiancée,” Nie Jun stated flatly. Then he asked, “If she asks about this, what will you tell her?”

Kong Wenyu seemed to find the question amusing—he actually laughed.

“Do I owe anyone an explanation for anything I do?”

Nie Jun braced the door, silent.

From inside the room came a soft prompt: “Mr. Kong?”

Nie Jun froze, staring at Kong Wenyu.

Sasa, not hearing a reply, called again, this time louder, “Mr. Kong?”

Kong Wenyu turned his head as if to respond, but Nie Jun, thinking he was about to go back inside, reached out and grabbed his wrist.

Kong Wenyu lowered his eyes briefly and said nothing.

Nie Jun said, “I’m not sure if he meets the standard. Hai Ming said he needed to be clean. I can’t tell.”

The corner of Kong Wenyu’s lips moved slightly. Slowly, he asked, “Is that because you lack experience and can’t tell, or because of some other reason?”

Nie Jun didn’t answer right away. Kong Wenyu didn’t push him to suddenly become articulate either.

He waited patiently for a while, until Nie Jun finally said, “Both.”

“What should we do then?” Kong Wenyu’s lashes were half-lowered as he looked at him quietly.

Nie Jun stared at him, tugged at his wrist once. Kong Wenyu didn’t move. Nie Jun pulled his own hand back.

This time, Nie Jun followed with two steps forward, standing so close their noses almost touched.

Holding his breath, Nie Jun said, “I—”

“Then take him away,” Kong Wenyu interrupted. The light cast a shadow along the side of his nose. “Find somewhere for him to sleep for the night. Bring him down tomorrow morning.”

Nie Jun froze for a second. Kong Wenyu had already turned back toward the bedroom.

Nie Jun followed him inside and immediately saw Sasa lying on the bed, his towel tossed aside. His legs and upper body were bare, a quilt barely covering the essentials.

The pose was clearly well-rehearsed—teasing no matter whether the lights stayed on or off, like a ripe fruit waiting to be plucked.

Nie Jun grabbed the clothes hanging outside the bathroom and threw them onto him. “Get dressed,” he said curtly.

Sasa blinked, not understanding.

He glanced toward Kong Wenyu, but Kong Wenyu was already standing by the window, leaning on a glass table and staring at the night view outside.

Sasa turned back and shot Nie Jun a glare, then snatched up the clothes, got dressed, and followed him out.

Nie Jun placed him in a room far from here and called Xiao Jin to keep watch, ordering him not to let Sasa wander.

When he returned, Kong Wenyu was still standing by the window, lost in thought. The only difference was the glass of red wine now in his hand.

Nie Jun considered reminding him that he shouldn’t drink too much while out, but then remembered that tonight’s events were already over—he was safe now.

Kong Wenyu didn’t move, his fingers loosely resting on the stem of the glass. “Go rest,” he said.

Nie Jun paused.

He stood there without moving, and Kong Wenyu didn’t move either.

Only the yacht swayed gently, with the thump of bass-heavy dance music vibrating faintly upward from below. Whatever was happening downstairs was loud, lively, and full of excitement.

Nie Jun’s lips shifted slightly. “Do you need—”

Still gazing out the window toward the distant horizon, Kong Wenyu’s soft black hair falling across his shoulders, asked, “Do you know someone reliable?”

“I don’t know anyone,” Nie Jun replied. After a few seconds, he added, “If you need… could I…?”

Kong Wenyu laughed softly, almost soundlessly.

Nie Jun’s heart was racing. On the rocking waves, it felt like the same drained, fluttery sensation one gets after taking too much cold medicine—weakness paired with palpitations.

Before he could wipe the sweat from his palms, Kong Wenyu, still facing away, said, “I don’t need it.”

Nie Jun paused, then reminded him, “Drink less wine. It’ll help with the seasickness.”

Kong Wenyu set the glass down on the table, as if silently asking whether Nie Jun had anything else to say—if not, he wanted to be alone.

Nie Jun looked at him for a moment. When he finally turned to leave, he said, “I’ll be outside. Call me if you need anything.”

Kong Wenyu withdrew the fingers resting on the rim of the glass and replied lightly, “Mm.”

Nie Jun shut the door, leaned against the wall beside it, and listened for sounds inside.

He heard nothing after a while. Hesitating briefly, he pulled out his phone and connected to the room’s surveillance feed.

Kong Wenyu appeared on the screen. He stood still for a moment, then picked up the remaining half glass of wine and downed it. After setting the empty glass back in its place, he walked to the liquor cabinet, selected another bottle, checked its label, and returned to the window.

He poured himself a drink, took a sip, then another, until the glass was empty again.

Nie Jun saw him pour more wine. He hesitated but didn’t intervene.

Kong Wenyu finished a second glass, placed the empty stemware on the table, and reached for the half-full bottle.

Nie Jun prepared to knock, ready to go inside if Kong Wenyu poured another.

Fortunately, Kong Wenyu only stood there for a moment before letting go. He went back to the bed, lifted the quilt, and lay down.