BIAC CH 22

Chapter 22: You Really Slept with Them?

Tang He dragged Du Jianyou all the way to the parking lot, shoved him into the passenger seat, then walked around the front of the car and got into the driver’s seat with a dark expression.

Du Jianyou, who had been pulled along without any clue what was going on and shoved into the seat with such rough force, looked at Tang He’s gloomy face and genuinely didn’t know what had happened. Rubbing his reddened wrist where he’d been grabbed, he cautiously asked, “Ge, what’s wrong? Are you in a bad mood? Did something happen?”

Seeing Du Jianyou’s utterly confused face, still unaware of the situation, Tang He’s inner fury flared up again. He didn’t say a single word, just started the engine and sped all the way back to Du Jianyou’s apartment.

Throughout the entire ride, Du Jianyou was racking his brain—what exactly happened? Ever since he and Tang He had confessed their feelings to each other, he’d been glowing with happiness, like his heart had been soaked in honey. Tang He, on the other hand, remained the same domineering tycoon at work, handling business with ease and still making time to tease him.

Watching Tang He like that, Du Jianyou couldn’t help but pull back a bit from the lovey-dovey state and pour more of himself into work.

“My man is standing at the top of the game, so I can’t afford to fall too far behind,” Du Jianyou had thought to himself.

Throwing himself into work wasn’t difficult. He’d always been that way, even before meeting Tang He. But now, with that once-empty space in his heart completely filled by Tang He, he found himself even more driven. His improved focus was so noticeable that even Zhao Tiancheng remarked that his recent work had been of much higher quality.

However, what troubled him was that Tang He had been acting off lately—his face clouding over at random times, requiring Du Jianyou to carefully coax him back each time. What exactly had happened? He wouldn’t say when asked, but if Du Jianyou didn’t ask, his face got even darker. It left Du Jianyou feeling constantly on edge, always tiptoeing around with a forced smile.

Truth be told, he wasn’t feeling great himself lately, not with those constant rumors about Tang He and different women popping up one after another.

But then again—what could he do? Tang He had women in his life—had in the past, has now, and will likely continue to in the future. Wasn’t that obvious? Should he really ask for explanations every time a woman shows up?

This was the path he’d chosen. He already knew it wouldn’t be easy. So who could he blame now? He’d just have to grit his teeth and keep walking—even if that meant crawling forward on his knees.

Besides, he was a man who also worked in the business world. When it came to fake or real socializing, was he really supposed to take it all at face value? And even if it was real—so what? Did Tang He not already have enough women in his past? Was he supposed to act like a petty, narrow-minded partner and throw each one in Tang He’s face for questioning?

If that was the case, then he might as well go all in and put on a melodramatic performance—crying, throwing a tantrum, threatening to jump off a building—just to show how hopelessly love-struck and ridiculous he, Du Jianyou, had become. Sigh. He couldn’t even vent his frustration. All he could do was keep repeating to himself: “A sense of security comes from within. Be good. Be a calm, sensible, and understanding partner.”

Du Jianyou felt that he’d been doing pretty well on the not throwing a tantrum front. At the very least, every time he saw a tabloid report, he kept his discomfort well hidden. So why was Tang He still mad at him? After thinking it over, the only real issue left between them was… the bedroom.

Back then, Tang He had said he was willing to wait until Du Jianyou was ready. But more than a month had passed, and he still couldn’t get past his mental block. Every time Tang He got close—clearly, both of them were emotionally and physically moved—and even though he was well aware that they were lovers now, not in some sordid sugar-daddy setup, he would still suddenly recall all those nasty rumors right at the critical moment and instinctively want to escape.

He knew the problem was with himself. He thought: Maybe once their relationship deepens a little more—from like to deeply in love—I’ll finally be ready. I’ll be able to open up and enjoy being intimate with him.

As Du Jianyou ran through all the possible reasons for Tang He’s moodiness in his head, they finally arrived home. Tang He parked the car and got out without a word, briskly walking toward the elevator, not sparing Du Jianyou a single glance. Caught off guard, Du Jianyou scrambled out of the car and jogged to catch up. After days of pent-up frustration, a quiet spark of anger finally began to rise inside him—ready to ignite.

They took the elevator back up to the eighteenth floor. Tang He stepped out first and, without a second thought, treated Du Jianyou’s place like his own—punching in the code and letting himself in.

Du Jianyou followed him inside and saw Tang He standing by the window, his back to him, staring out at the city from the eighteenth floor. The storm cloud around him hadn’t lifted a bit.

Du Jianyou sighed, remembering his promise to himself—to be a good partner. He resisted the very strong urge to shove Tang He out the window and instead dutifully walked over, wrapping his arms around him from behind, resting his head against Tang He’s broad back, and gently asking, “Are you upset? Want to talk about it with me?”

Tang He was already burning with fury, and hearing Du Jianyou’s soft, accommodating voice only made it worse. At this moment, he was no longer the shrewd and capable business shark—he was just a fool in love, desperate to throw a tantrum.

“I think… you don’t care about me at all. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be like this…”

“Like what? What do you mean by like this, ge? You have to spell it out for me,” Du Jianyou said, completely confused.

“Like this… we don’t even feel like a couple anymore.” What he really meant: What kind of lover doesn’t even get jealous?

Tang He felt a bit awkward about his own pettiness and, a little embarrassed, pried Du Jianyou’s arms away from around him and stiffly spit out the words.

Being pushed away made Du Jianyou’s heart sink. Here it comes, he thought. Yup, I knew it—it’s about that. Next, is he going to say: “If you really loved me, then you’d give yourself to me”? What the hell? Du Jianyou was a grown man in his thirties and still had to listen to this kind of sleazy line used to scam innocent girls? What a joke.

Fine! If he wanted it, then so be it. He’d just give it. It was going to happen sooner or later anyway—what was the point of holding back? It’s not like he was clinging to some outdated notion of chastity. Even if he didn’t think their feelings had reached the point of perfect physical union yet—so what? They were both men. If he wanted to unleash some beastly instincts, how hard could it be?

Du Jianyou shut his eyes and, as if coming to a firm decision, began unbuttoning his shirt.

Tang He hadn’t heard any reply, only the faint rustle of movement behind him. Feeling something was off, he turned around—and was shocked to see Du Jianyou with his eyes lowered, face expressionless, calmly unbuttoning his shirt one by one with those long, elegant fingers.

“What are you doing?!” Tang He exclaimed.

“Isn’t this what you want? If you want it, then go ahead. Just assume I’m ready,” Du Jianyou replied in a flat tone, neither angry nor emotional—scaring the hell out of Tang He.

“I—I—That’s not what I meant! Don’t do this!” Tang He panicked. He scrambled to button the shirt back up, but Du Jianyou kept unbuttoning it. One was unfastening, the other buttoning—it turned into a chaotic tug-of-war, and Du Jianyou’s simmering anger finally exploded.

With a sharp tug, he yanked the shirt open completely. The buttons popped off and scattered across the floor with sharp clicks. He tore the shirt off and threw it onto the ground with force, revealing his lean, toned upper body, then reached for Tang He’s belt.

Tang He quickly shielded his waist, refusing to let him undo it. So Du Jianyou let go and instead started unbuckling his own.

Tang He had never seen Du Jianyou like this—angry, wild, completely unrestrained. He realized he’d pushed things way too far this time. He quickly picked up the shirt from the floor and wrapped it around Du Jianyou, pulling him tightly into his arms.

Du Jianyou tried to struggle, but he couldn’t break free from Tang He’s embrace. The two of them wrestled, grappling and clinging, until their strength finally gave out and they collapsed together, breathless.

Only when Du Jianyou stopped struggling did Tang He relax his grip a little, wanting to check if his little bunny was okay now. But all he saw were lashes glimmering with unshed tears, and a cold, biting voice: “What, you don’t want it now? Guess me being proactive just ruined the great President Tang’s mood.”

He pushed himself out of Tang He’s arms and hastily threw his shirt back on, turning to leave.

Shit. The moment “President Tang” was dropped, Tang He knew this was serious. All he’d wanted was to complain a little about his lover being too indifferent, but he’d totally misjudged the situation and ended up pissing him off. Now he’d turned the whole thing into a mess. Seeing Du Jianyou storming off like an angry cat, Tang He hurriedly grabbed him back, anxious to explain.

But Du Jianyou didn’t give him a chance. As soon as he was pulled back into Tang He’s arms, he wrapped both hands around his neck—and kissed him hard.

It wasn’t a gentle kiss—it was angry, biting, full of fury, as if trying to pour out all his pent-up frustration. Tang He let him vent, responding with tenderness, lips brushing and sucking gently, until Du Jianyou finally calmed down and the kiss softened. Only then did they end it—a kiss that had started far from romantic.

Leaning against Tang He’s chest, Du Jianyou panted slightly, tasting a faint sweetness on his lips. He realized he’d broken the skin—bitten too hard—and guilt crept into his heart. His voice was tired, a little hoarse, tinged with a soft plea: “Ge… I’m sorry. Let’s not fight, okay? I’ll be good. I won’t make you angry again, alright?”

He buried his face into Tang He’s chest, voice full of confusion and helplessness.

Tang He, seeing the whole string of breakdowns and rash actions from Du Jianyou—especially the random apologies—realized he honestly had no idea what Tang He was even mad about. And frankly, it was true—this entire outburst had been ridiculous from the start. It was his own fault. All he’d wanted was to throw a little tantrum and be coaxed by his boyfriend… but somehow it had spiraled into this mess. Now he had to explain his childish fit—and frankly, he had no idea where to put his old, embarrassed face.

Still, holding this wounded person in his arms, he knew no matter how humiliating it felt, he had to clear things up. He couldn’t let Du Jianyou continue to carry this weight on his own.

He led Du Jianyou to the sofa and sat him down, letting him lean into his arms. One hand gently rubbed his back in soothing strokes as he slowly began to speak.

“Listen to me. First of all, I really didn’t mean what you thought just now. I said I’d wait until you were ready, and I meant it. I won’t pressure you about it again—do you believe me?” Tang He needed to make it clear that he wasn’t that much of a beast. At least gain back a few points first—he’d need them later when the rest got deducted.

Du Jianyou nodded dumbly, feeling a bit embarrassed about his own recklessness.

“Then tell me—why have you seemed unhappy lately? Did I do something wrong? I’ll change,” Du Jianyou asked softly, even more submissive now that he realized he’d misunderstood Tang He.

“…Let me ask you—have you heard any of those gossip articles about me recently?” Tang He hesitated, but figured he had to come clean about his childish behavior.

“Mm, I’ve heard them,” Du Jianyou admitted honestly.

“Why didn’t you ask me about them?” Tang He pressed.

“Why would I ask?” Du Jianyou replied with a question of his own.

“Why didn’t you get mad?” Tang He asked again.

“Why would I get mad?” Du Jianyou echoed.

“…Why didn’t you get mad?” Tang He asked again, as if stuck in a loop.

Du Jianyou sighed and looked at him. “Did you really sleep with them?”

Tang He froze, not expecting him to be so direct. “…Yes…” he mumbled guiltily.

“Before you met me?” Du Jianyou asked again.

“Before I met you,” Tang He confirmed.

“All in the past now?” Du Jianyou asked for a third time.

“Of course all in the past,” Tang He promised.

“Since we got together, it’s never happened again?” Du Jianyou asked a fourth time.

“I swear—absolutely never happened again,” Tang He said firmly.

Du Jianyou sighed again and seriously asked him, “Then why should I get angry over something that happened before you even met me—and hasn’t happened again since we got together?”

Tang He was left speechless. He suddenly realized just how foolish he had been.

Du Jianyou was quiet for a moment before speaking again.

“Actually, it’s not that I don’t care at all… I just don’t know if I even have the right to ask about it.” His voice carried a trace of sorrow, the grievances he had been suppressing for so long now beginning to surface.

“Why wouldn’t you? You’re my lover, my partner. The women I used to date would all get jealous…” Tang He said.

“But I’m not like those women,” Du Jianyou said plainly.

“What they could offer you, I can’t. They were fighting for the position of Madam Tang. But me… what am I fighting for? What do I even have to fight with?”

“…I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant,” Tang He said, hating himself for being so terrible with words.

“We agreed to walk this path together for a while,” Du Jianyou continued.

“Before this… and after this… we don’t belong to each other. So how could I demand you explain a past where I didn’t even exist? Or interfere in a future that I know we’ll eventually part ways from?”

Tang He looked at his sorrowful face and found himself unable to respond.

“Ge, we’re together now not because we signed some contract binding us, but because we like each other. If someday, one of us gets tired of it, then we part ways peacefully. So while we can still get along well—don’t doubt, don’t overthink, and don’t feel wronged. Okay?” Du Jianyou looked at Tang He with clear, unwavering eyes.

Tang He thought, people in love are all fools. He was foolish—but Du Jianyou was even more so.

He gently ruffled Du Jianyou’s hair, then hugged him tightly.

“Don’t say things like whether or not you have the right. Of course, you do. If you see anything or hear anything, you can ask me. You can get jealous, throw a fit, or get mad at me. Doing that shows you trust me.”

“But… isn’t that annoying?” Du Jianyou looked confused at Tang He’s logic.

“I want you to be annoying like that—I want you to be that willful with me,” Tang He explained patiently while hugging him. “That’s how you won’t feel wronged, right?”

Du Jianyou nodded.

“Then what about me?” Tang He asked. “What do you want from me?”

“…Trust and honesty,” Du Jianyou answered after giving it some thought.

“We’re both adults now, so I hope our relationship is based on maturity. When we’re together, there should be absolute trust, no suspicion. And if either of us falls out of love… we should be honest about it. Don’t drag it on like some drawn-out bad drama—”

Before he could finish, Tang He silenced him with a kiss.

“…There you go again.”

The kiss ended, and the two were back to being lovey-dovey as if nothing had happened. Du Jianyou’s eyes sparkled with their usual liveliness again.

“Ge, you said I can ask you about all your gossip stuff?” Du Jianyou looked at him with a half-smile.

“Of course! As long as you ask, I promise I’ll tell you everything—open and honest, no holding back!” Tang He, unaware of the storm he had just summoned, patted his chest in assurance.

“Then start reporting now. In chronological order. Let’s begin with the most recent one—Yan Qiao,” Du Jianyou said, pulling out a neat stack of tabloid clippings from under the couch and handing them to Tang He. The top page was the latest gossip issue featuring Yan Qiao.

So he did care after all. This was actually the reaction Tang He had hoped for—but at this moment, all he could do was groan inwardly and beg for mercy.

“TuTu, I’m hungry…”

“Mm, I’m hungry too. So you’d better finish reporting quickly so you can take me out for a fancy meal.” TuTu gave him a not-so-smiling smile, completely unmoved.

Tang He had only himself to blame. Originally, this little demon had evolved into a well-mannered, understanding, calm and reasonable perfect boyfriend. But for some reason, he’d gone and messed it all up, forcing him back into his original form: an aggressive, overly-sensitive, and totally unreasonable spirit.

I, Tang He, am really such a big idiot!

That night, not only did he have to give a full report of his romantic history across time and space, but he also had to treat Du Jianyou to a very expensive dinner, open a very expensive bottle of wine—and worst of all, he could only sit there and watch Du Jianyou eat, while he himself had to nibble on the free bread and drink plain water.

You think it ended there? Then you’ve seriously underestimated this master-level mischief-maker Du Jianyou.

Royal decree from the Sovereign Du Jianyou, bestowed by the Mandate of Heaven:

Duke Tang He, due to acts of indescribable stupidity, is hereby placed under restricted residence. He shall not be permitted to see Du Jianyou for a duration of two weeks. Any violation of this decree will result in an extension of said restriction. So decreed.

Two weeks. Was this punishment meant to kill him?

A perfect footnote to the proverb: You reap what you sow.

(To be continued…)