Chapter 111#
“I hate you so much.”#
Jian Yunchen didn’t remember how long he had been crying.
When he woke up the next day, his throat felt parched and burned intensely. His eyelids felt scorching hot; he didn’t even need to look in the mirror to know they must be swollen.
The culprit was sleeping peacefully beside him, breathing steadily, with an arm firmly anchored around his waist.
As he moved slightly, tears almost fell again on the spot.
“Awake?” Qin Mu kept his eyes closed as he pulled him closer, his palm pressed against Jian Yunchen’s waist, slowly kneading and massaging it. The dim light fell on his face, deepening the satisfied smile at the corner of his mouth.
“Does it hurt?”
Jian Yunchen bit his lip and shook his head gently while hiding in his embrace.
It had hurt at the beginning… but after the aching numbness faded, his mind was filled with nothing but comfort.
The hand at his waist moved slowly, rubbing away the stiffness in his muscles. Jian Yunchen let out a small whimper.
Qin Mu couldn’t help but chuckle at the provocation.
He opened his eyes and applied a bit of pressure. Jian Yunchen, who was still quietly rubbing against him, suddenly stiffened.
“Don’t keep teasing me, Jian Yunchen,” Qin Mu warned softly, his voice slightly hoarse.
Jian Yunchen slowly settled down.
The invisible film between the two of them seemed to have completely shattered; even their silence carried a sense of lingering intimacy.
Having spent the night under the covers, the iron chains had been warmed by their body heat. With every movement of the wrists, they made a faint clinking sound.
Hearing the noise by his ear, Jian Yunchen couldn’t help but look up at him.
“Qin Mu…”
Qin Mu paused his movements, lowered his gaze, and responded with a soft “Hmm?”
“You…” Jian Yunchen’s eyes wavered, his fingertips twitching slightly. “Don’t you hate me for treating you like this?”
Like what?
Qin Mu’s mind whirred for a second, and he dragged the iron chains, making them rattle. “Like this?”
Jian Yunchen pursed his lips, his gaze darkening as he looked at the chains.
He reached out and interlocked his fingers with Qin Mu’s hand, which was suspended in mid-air. Though his body was covered in lingering red marks, his tone was chillingly cold.
“Qin Mu, is this the only way you’ll stay obediently by my side?”
Qin Mu paused, but before he could speak—
“You’ve always tried every possible way to push me away. That was your plan from the very beginning, wasn’t it?”
“You were the one who gave Jian Xin’s information to Jiang Yunhan. Yan Yi’s revenge was also part of your plan. Publicizing your identity as President Shan and expressing your ‘feelings’ for Jiang Yunhan were all just hooks to lure Jiang Sheng into the trap.”
“Your target was Jiang Sheng? From the start, you intended to take all of this on by yourself, right?”
“Then what about me?”
Qin Mu looked silently at Jian Yunchen’s lowered face, his knuckles slowly tightening.
As Jian Yunchen spoke, his voice carried a faint, weak sob.
He couldn’t accept that Qin Mu had silently handled everything behind his back while pushing him away completely.
To him, this wasn’t the kind of protection he wanted.
“Then what about me… Qin Mu? Why do you always cast me aside?”
“That day, you said everything you did was for Jiang Yunhan, and then later, you let yourself be taken away right in front of me. Qin Mu… in your eyes, am I really that untrustworthy?”
“You can achieve all this alone, but I can’t. I can’t accept you sending me away to sacrifice yourself for some ‘greater cause.’ Do you think I’ll be grateful to you for doing this?”
Jian Yunchen kept his head down, tears splashing onto Qin Mu. He gritted his teeth, his breathing trembling. “I hate you so much.”
Qin Mu let out a soft sigh.
He released Jian Yunchen’s tightly clasped hand.
Jian Yunchen’s released hand hung stiffly in mid-air, soon beginning to tremble.
Qin Mu grabbed his wrist, pulled it back under the quilt, and held him tightly.
Returning to that warm embrace, Jian Yunchen’s accumulated grievances finally seemed to find an outlet. He bit his lower lip hard, yet tears still fell uncontrollably onto Qin Mu.
The cold liquid splashed against Qin Mu’s burning heart.
Qin Mu looked down to wipe away the tears, teasing with a light laugh, “Is Jian Yunchen made of water? Why are you such a crybaby?”
Jian Yunchen dodged his touch and shrunk into his arms, falling silent.
Qin Mu smiled, resting his chin on the top of the other’s head, and said softly:
“Don’t hate me, okay?”
“If you hate me, I’ll be very sad.”
Jian Yunchen actually sensed a bit of sincerity hidden beneath the playful tone.
He held Qin Mu tightly, his voice muffled against his chest.
“How sad…?”
Qin Mu curled his lips, being intentionally hyperbolic: “So sad that I might die…”
Jian Yunchen abruptly reached out and covered that reckless mouth, glaring up at him. “Can’t you stop talking nonsense?”
His gaze gradually turned fierce, and he said coldly, “Right now, Qin Zheng and Yan Yi are looking for you everywhere. I won’t let them get away with it.”
Qin Mu pulled his hand down and pressed a light kiss to his palm. He closed his eyes slightly, inhaling the unique scent of Jian Yunchen. With a sigh of contentment, he buried his face in the side of Jian Yunchen’s neck, nuzzling gently.
There were still bite marks on his neck, and Qin Mu bit down gently on the same spot the next second.
“Ugh!” Jian Yunchen was startled and pushed him, cursing through gritted teeth, “Qin Mu! Are you a dog?”
After one night, there was hardly a patch of intact skin left on Jian Yunchen’s body.
Qin Mu let go slightly and licked the spot gently. “You can deal with Yan Yi however you want, but you can’t touch Qin Zheng.”
Jian Yunchen tilted his head back to push him away, but paused in disbelief upon hearing this. He instinctively repeated, “I can’t touch Qin Zheng? Why can’t I touch him? I—”
Qin Mu leaned forward and lightly kissed the corner of his mouth.
The tips of Jian Yunchen’s ears turned red, and he slowly shut his mouth.
“Leave him for me to deal with. If you finish him off, who am I going to take my anger out on?”
Jian Yunchen’s eyes flickered slightly.
He looked at Qin Mu and nodded.
Qin Mu was amused, thinking that Jian Yunchen was currently both well-behaved and obedient, making his heart feel incredibly soft.
He cupped Jian Yunchen’s cheeks, their noses touching lightly. Qin Mu’s voice still held a lingering hoarseness: “Be careful during this time too, don’t make me worry, okay?”
Jian Yunchen’s heart began to accelerate unreasonably, thumping against his ribs.
He cooperatively leaned in, gently rubbing his cheek against the other’s. “I told you, I won’t let anyone bully you… Something happened to Jiang Ming… Now the Chairman’s position is vacant. Nearly 20% of the shares were suddenly acquired by a mysterious boss. Now that Jiang Sheng is under investigation, that person has become the largest shareholder. I will make him see my capability, and I will protect you.”
Being protected for the first time, Qin Mu smiled slightly but didn’t speak.
Jian Yunchen closed his eyes slightly, leaning into the embrace with full devotion. “Qin Mu, don’t do ’things alone’ anymore, okay? You still have me. Don’t leave me behind or exclude me again, okay? I can help you. Please, trust me a little, okay?”
Qin Mu sighed softly and tightened his embrace.
After a long silence.
He whispered a single word: “Okay.”