WIL CH 11

Chapter 11:  Why Exactly Does He Want to Leave Him

Lin Xi stared at the computer screen for a while, but his dizziness only grew worse. Because of that, he couldn’t even process the proposal that Lu Mingyu had just given him.

When Kong Zhao came out of Lu Mingyu’s office, Lin Xi was resting his head on his desk.

“Lin Xi, Lin Xi! Did the boss tell you yet? He wants us both to present the game content together!”

Lin Xi was shaken awake. He pressed a hand to his forehead and braced himself against the table, his voice weak. “Mm-hmm… Mr. Lu just told me.”

“That’s awesome! So cool!” Kong Zhao waved his arms excitedly, a complete change from how nervous he had looked before going into the office. “They’re probably going to livestream it on mobile too, right? This time, I’ll finally be able to show off in front of my parents—let’s see if they’ll still tell me to go home and take over the family business!”

Lin Xi said quietly, “I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll go.”

“What? You’re not going? No way—you have to come with me!” Kong Zhao shouted.

He grabbed Lin Xi’s arm and shook him so hard that Lin Xi’s head spun even more. “Kong Zhao, I get stage fright. I’m afraid I’ll forget my lines if there are too many people there.”

“Lin Xi, if you don’t go, then I won’t either. I’ll tell Lu Mingyu I’m backing out too!” He actually turned around and started heading toward the office.

Lin Xi quickly stopped him. He could tell that Kong Zhao really wanted this opportunity. He couldn’t let his own fear hold him back and ruin it for Kong Zhao too. “Alright, alright, I’ll go.”

“Xi Xi, I knew you were the best!” Kong Zhao said, relieved. With his work partner agreeing to join him, he happily went to report the good news to his family.

Lin Xi watched him, his face lit up with excitement as he proudly spoke into his phone. A warm, affectionate voice came from the other end, full of praise.

Lin Xi lowered his gaze and looked at his own phone. His joy had no one to share it with—he couldn’t share it with Lin Youshan, who had passed away two years ago, and he couldn’t share it with Wen Feng either.

Dazed and weary, he slumped over his desk. Passing coworkers were gossiping about some celebrity scandal, their voices carrying clearly across the office.

“Ugh, this guy is disgusting—two-timing like that.”
“And he’s even got a ‘beard’ wife^[1].”
“The video’s so clear, it’s solid proof.”
“Yeah, what a shame, though. The girl’s so pretty.”
“These days, you can’t trust anyone—doesn’t matter if it’s a guy or a girl.”

The chatter gradually faded away, but Lin Xi could still hear bits and pieces of it through the haze. Normally, he didn’t care about this kind of gossip at all. The only ones he’d ever bothered to look at… were the ones about Wen Feng.

He felt unwell the entire day.

By the time he got home after work, he was already swaying on his feet. Without turning on the lights, he just wanted to get to his room and lie down.

Pa-ta, pa-ta, pa-ta—

The sound made Lin Xi look up. On the balcony stood a tall figure, his silhouette outlined by the faint flicker of a lighter. The dim flame highlighted his sharp, rigid outline, and the surrounding plants flickered between shadow and light. The curtains stirred in the wind, occasionally concealing his figure from view.

“Wen Feng?” Lin Xi slowed his steps, quietly approaching the balcony.

The two had just quarreled the night before. Wen Feng ignored him, and Lin Xi didn’t know what to say either. After standing there for a moment, dizziness overcame him, and he turned, intending to head back to his room.

Suddenly, Wen Feng’s strong hand caught his wrist. His face was hidden in the shadows, his tone low and unreadable.

“Why are your hands so cold?” he asked, his voice heavy.

Lin Xi sniffled and pulled his hand back. “It’s nothing. Maybe it’s just a bit chilly tonight.”

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Wen Feng’s face became clearer—he looked tired and slightly unkempt, a faint layer of stubble shadowing his jaw. Yet the intensity he carried never faded.

“Lin Xi,” Wen Feng’s voice dropped lower, “what you said yesterday—about wanting to break up—did you mean it? Do you really want to be with Jiang Boqing? Even if it means being his secret?”

That same helplessness swept through Lin Xi’s body. Every one of Wen Feng’s questions cut deep, sharp as invisible knives. His lashes trembled slightly as he whispered, “I never wanted to be with him.”

Wen Feng’s lips curved faintly, though his expression remained cold. “Are you lying to me?”

He lifted his hand and took off the ring from his finger, staring at it for a while before sliding it back on. Slowly, he stepped closer. The shadow swallowed the space between them. Lin Xi could hear his calm breathing—yet beneath it lingered a restrained storm.

Wen Feng reached out, the hand with the ring brushing over Lin Xi’s cheek again and again.

“There’s a video,” he said, his voice dangerously calm. “You were in his arms. Someone filmed it and posted it online. I didn’t want to believe it. But that spot had no security cameras, and in that video… you two looked far too close. Lin Xi, how do you plan to explain that? I warned you long ago—if you ever betrayed me, don’t expect forgiveness. Why can’t you ever listen?”

Lin Xi froze. He hadn’t expected anyone to have taken photos or recorded them, let alone that it would spread online. Things weren’t like that at all. He shook his head, trying to explain, his voice trembling.

“It wasn’t like that. He suddenly hugged me—I pushed him away right after.”

Wen Feng’s eyes grew sharper. His hand, once steady, turned forceful as he gripped the back of Lin Xi’s neck and drew him close.

“Then why did you say you wanted to break up yesterday?” Wen Feng’s voice turned cold. “I gave you a chance, Lin Xi. You’re the one who refused to take it.”

Lin Xi clutched at Wen Feng’s sleeves tightly, his knuckles pale from strain. Meeting Wen Feng’s piercing gaze, he said through clenched teeth, “It’s not because of him that I want to leave. It has nothing to do with Jiang Boqing. It’s because of me—because I want to.”

A faint, icy smile flashed across Wen Feng’s lips.

“You think I’ll believe that? Lin Xi, do you take me for a fool? You let him hold you, came home angry, and said you wanted to leave me—and now you claim it’s unrelated?” He leaned in closer, voice low and furious. “Then tell me, why exactly do you want to leave me?”

Lin Xi’s mind went blank, buzzing with chaos. “I…”

What could he say? That he’d seen Wen Feng with someone else? That he had watched them together, laughing and close? The words stuck in his throat. For some reason, he couldn’t say them. He was afraid—afraid that if Wen Feng confirmed what he saw, the truth would crush him completely.

Wen Feng’s patience snapped. “I warned you,” he said through gritted teeth, “but you never listen.”

Lin Xi stared at him through the dark, his voice trembling. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I told you the truth—you just won’t believe me.”

Wen Feng’s tone grew colder. “Three years’ worth of unanswered messages, every glance you’ve given Jiang Boqing—tell me, Lin Xi, what part of you deserves my trust?”

Then, without warning, Wen Feng seized Lin Xi’s arm and dragged him toward the bathroom. His steps were long and fierce, and Lin Xi stumbled as he was pulled along, barely keeping up.

In the next moment, the sound of running water echoed sharply through the room. Lin Xi stood shivering under the shower’s icy spray as Wen Feng turned on the tap without hesitation. The cold hit his skin like tiny needles, stealing his breath.

“Wen Feng, please don’t…” Lin Xi choked, his voice trembling.

But Wen Feng didn’t stop. He grabbed a bottle of body wash, poured it all over Lin Xi’s shoulders, and began roughly scrubbing at him, as if trying to erase something invisible.

“Wash it all off,” Wen Feng said hoarsely. “Every trace of him—wash it clean.”

The water flowed down endlessly, soaking Lin Xi from head to toe. His skin turned red from the cold and from Wen Feng’s harsh movements. The humiliation and pain blended together until all he could do was bite his lip, his tears mixing silently with the running water.

To Wen Feng, it wasn’t simply jealousy—it was a wildfire of possessiveness, consuming him until reason was lost. The moment he saw that video, he had smashed his fist into the wall. He couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else touching Lin Xi.

Lin Xi’s pale face gradually flushed with an unnatural redness. His body grew weak, and he almost couldn’t stand upright, collapsing against Wen Feng’s chest. Wen Feng’s suit was already soaked through, water continuously dripping down. Lin Xi half-closed his heavy eyelids, his voice frail and trembling, “Wen Feng, don’t do this… I don’t feel well.”

That sight, however, only stirred something dangerous in Wen Feng’s eyes—it was full of temptation.

“Don’t feel well?” he asked, his tone low and dark. “Where exactly do you not feel well? Are you craving it?”

“Then I’ll satisfy you.”

He shoved Lin Xi into the bathtub and pressed down over him, kissing him harshly—his lips biting and tearing at Lin Xi’s tongue and lips like a punishment. The metallic tang of blood quickly spread between their mouths.

Lin Xi cried out from the pain, struggling to push him away. His voice was filled with agony.

“Don’t… please don’t…”

As they struggled, waves of water kept spilling over the edge of the bathtub, splashing onto the floor. The loud sounds of water echoed throughout the bathroom.

Wen Feng looked at his pained expression, his own lips trembling almost imperceptibly.

“Why not? You don’t want me?”

(To be continued…)