Chapter 40

The room was so silent that a pin drop could be heard, with only Li Yan’s furious shouting echoing continuously.

“Mi Zhao, answer me!”

“Did you dump me for that wild man?”

“If it weren’t for your club’s president telling me, I’d still be in the dark!”

“Why did you betray me? What did I do wrong?”

Mi Zhao never expected this call to be from Li Yan. His face darkened instantly, and he didn’t even have time to process what Li Yan meant before he reacted swiftly, pressing his finger against the screen to hang up the call.

Silence fell abruptly.

Li Sipei remained in the posture of holding up the phone, not speaking for a long while.

Even though Mi Zhao was looking down at the phone screen, he could feel Li Sipei staring at him without blinking. A bead of sweat seemed to slide down his forehead.

After a long struggle, Mi Zhao finally forced himself to speak hoarsely, “That was the person you heard on the phone last time.”

He lifted his gaze after speaking.

Sure enough, Li Sipei’s expression was emotionless. A faint, almost imperceptible coldness shrouded his finely shaped brows. “An ex?”

“Mm…”

Mi Zhao didn’t know why he felt guilty. These days, having an ex was the most normal thing, wasn’t it? He was twenty, not two.

Besides, Li Sipei had an ex too!

Thinking this, he tried to bolster himself and cleared his throat twice. Just as he was about to speak, he met Li Sipei’s cool brown eyes—

And instantly deflated.

“I don’t know what he’s talking about. I haven’t contacted him in ages. The last time I ran into him—”

“Enough.” Li Sipei lowered his phone. “Finish your shower first.”

Being stared at by Li Sipei made Mi Zhao feel unbearably guilty, so much so that he wished he could write a declaration of severance on the spot to cut off any association with Li Yan. Seeing that Li Sipei was about to walk away, he panicked and reached out to grab him.

Li Sipei was caught off balance and staggered slightly, the thud of his cane hitting the floor echoing dully.

Mi Zhao’s heart clenched. Ignoring his own lack of clothing, he rushed out from behind the door to steady Li Sipei.

“Don’t go! I haven’t explained clearly yet!”

Li Sipei quickly regained his balance and used the hand holding the phone to push Mi Zhao’s hand away.

Li Sipei was taller than Mi Zhao, and when he looked at him, his thick eyelashes lowered slightly, his lips pressed into a faint, unreadable line, his entire demeanor exuding an unapproachable chill.

This was Li Sipei’s usual expression. In the past, Mi Zhao never thought much of it, but now—he felt a creeping sense of unease straight down his spine.

Li Sipei was angry.

He was absolutely sure.

His hand, which had been pushed away, hung stiffly in midair for a while. He wanted to reach for Li Sipei again but hesitated multiple times before reluctantly withdrawing it. He looked at Li Sipei with a pitiful expression. “I really have nothing to do with him anymore.”

Li Sipei let out a soft “Mm.” “I believe you.”

“Then you…” Mi Zhao wanted to say don’t be mad anymore, but he didn’t dare. He was afraid that saying it would only make Li Sipei even angrier.

Li Sipei pressed his lips together, repeating, “Finish your shower first. You’ll catch a cold.”

Mi Zhao hesitated but, seeing that Li Sipei had already walked away, could only hang his head in defeat and return to the bathroom.

—

Meanwhile, Li Sipei sat back down on the sofa. The phone rang again.

It was still that unfamiliar number.

He tossed his cane onto the carpet, sitting completely still, his fingers gripping the phone tighter and tighter, the tips reddening, the nails turning white.

The moment the call ended, his grip suddenly loosened.

He had never found a ringtone so piercingly grating before.

When the phone rang for the third time, he leaned forward, placing Mi Zhao’s phone onto the coffee table. Then, he took out his own phone.

And dialed a number.

It barely rang twice before being picked up. On the other end, Li Yan’s voice sounded, a mixture of surprise and delight. “Uncle?”

Perhaps he had been drinking—his words were slightly slurred. He panted for a moment, and the noisy background gradually faded into silence.

Li Sipei leaned back against the sofa, tilting his head to stare at the stark white ceiling. But all he could hear in his mind was Li Yan’s furious shouting from earlier. That all-too-familiar emotion slithered up his spine, silent yet insidious.

He knew.

It was jealousy.

More than the shock of realizing that Mi Zhao’s ex was his own nephew, what consumed him was jealousy—burning, suffocating jealousy at the fact that Li Yan had once been with Mi Zhao.

The thought that Li Yan had, in some unknown past, done countless things with Mi Zhao that only lovers could do made his jealousy so intense that he wanted to erase Li Yan from existence.

His chest ached with sourness, so much so that even hearing Li Yan’s voice made him nauseous.

Fingers trembling from the effort to suppress his emotions, he forced himself to stay calm. “Where are you?”

On the other end, Li Yan was far more subdued than before, clearly thinking carefully before answering. “I’m at a bar with some friends. Why are you calling me so late, Uncle?”

Li Sipei closed his eyes. After a long moment, he finally said, “Find some time. Let’s meet.”

—

Mi Zhao was on edge. He rushed through his shower, skipping even drying off, hurriedly throwing on his pajamas before stepping out.

Li Sipei was still sitting in the living room, as if frozen in time. Even when he heard Mi Zhao approaching, he didn’t lift his eyes.

Bracing himself, Mi Zhao sat down beside him, replaying the speech he had prepared in the shower. Finally, he spoke hesitantly, “That person was also a student at A University, from a different department than mine. We met through friends and dated for about half a year.”

At last, Li Sipei turned to look at him.

Under the bright light, his brown eyes appeared even lighter, deep-set features accentuating his strikingly handsome face—he looked like he had walked straight out of a painting.

Mi Zhao was momentarily stunned before continuing, “Do you remember when I drank a lot at the villa while waiting for you two months ago? It was around that time that I broke up with him…”

Before he could finish, Li Sipei covered his mouth.

“I don’t want to hear it,” Li Sipei said coldly.

“…” Mi Zhao felt helpless. If he didn’t explain, it wasn’t right, but explaining didn’t seem to help either. Still, he never went against Li Sipei’s words. “Alright, alright, I won’t say anything.”

He grabbed Li Sipei’s hand and gently pulled him closer, pressing his body against him.

“Let’s not talk about him anymore. Just pretend he never existed, okay?” Mi Zhao rubbed his chin against Li Sipei’s, and as he did so, his lips brushed against him.

Li Sipei remained completely still, neither responding nor pushing him away.

Mi Zhao knew this meant tacit approval, and his eyes brightened. He didn’t dare to deepen the kiss right away, only lightly testing with the tip of his tongue.

Seeing that Li Sipei still showed no reaction, his confidence grew. He slid his hands under Li Sipei’s shirt while prying open his lips.

His tongue traced the inside of Li Sipei’s mouth, and the exchange of saliva made his heart race. His cheeks and ears burned. Just as he was about to take things further, Li Sipei suddenly pulled back.

Their lips parted, leaving behind a thin, silvery thread.

Mi Zhao squinted at Li Sipei and instinctively cupped his face, chasing after his lips again.

But just as he made contact, Li Sipei withdrew once more.

Mi Zhao followed.

Again, Li Sipei retreated.

After several rounds of this, Mi Zhao grew frustrated. He simply held the back of Li Sipei’s head, half his body pressing down against him.

Yet before he could deepen the kiss, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his lower lip.

“Hiss—” Mi Zhao’s eyes stung, tears nearly welling up. He immediately let go and tried to pull away.

As if deliberately going against him, Li Sipei grabbed his wrist and forcefully threw him onto the sofa.

Li Sipei used considerable strength. Mi Zhao’s wrist throbbed with pain, his vision spun, and before he could react, his back was already pressed against the couch.

The next second, Li Sipei’s tall figure loomed over him.

Mi Zhao’s heart skipped a beat as an overwhelming sense of danger surged through him. Being pinned down and stared at from above was unsettling—especially with Li Sipei’s expression as cold as frost.

His instinct was to struggle, but Li Sipei anticipated this. He seized both of Mi Zhao’s wrists and pinned them above his head, his warm, rapid breath brushing against Mi Zhao’s face.

“Li—”

Just as Mi Zhao opened his mouth, Li Sipei suddenly lowered his head.

A sharp pain shot through his throat.

Li Sipei had bitten his Adam’s apple.

“Li Sipei…” Mi Zhao’s eyes widened in disbelief. Under the bright light, everything blurred into dazzling halos. He gasped, feeling as though his breath had been stolen.

He swallowed instinctively.

His fingers, which had been gripping Li Sipei’s shoulders, tensed before slowly curling, finally clutching onto him tightly.

Li Sipei first bit down harshly but seemed to sense Mi Zhao’s intense reaction, so he switched to a softer gnawing.

Minutes felt like an eternity.

When Li Sipei finally let go, he wiped away the lingering saliva. Two deep bite marks had formed on Mi Zhao’s Adam’s apple, making the skin there look inflamed and red.

He brushed his fingers over it. “Does it hurt?”

Of course, it hurts!

But Mi Zhao shook his head. “I can endure it.”

As he spoke, he swallowed again.

Li Sipei watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed, sliding up past the red marks before falling back down—trapped within the imprint of his bite.

This sight pleased him. The coldness in his eyes melted slightly, and a faint smile curled his lips.

Mi Zhao shrank his neck, looking pitiful, daring not to voice his anger.

At 11 p.m., Mi Zhao dragged his suitcase back to school after stopping by his rental apartment.

Today was the last day of the National Day holiday, and the school required all students to return to campus. The dormitory lights had already been switched off at ten.

After settling his suitcase, Mi Zhao went to inform the dorm supervisor of his return before heading back to his room. He patted Yan Qinting’s bed. “What did you want to tell me?”

Yan Qinting had long since showered and was lounging comfortably in his blanket. Hearing this, he threw on a jacket and climbed down.

The main dorm light remained off, with only a small desk lamp providing dim illumination. It barely lit up the corner of the desk.

Mi Zhao pulled over a chair and sat down facing Yan Qinting. Before he could even get comfortable, he heard an exclamation.

“What happened to your neck?!”

Heat rushed to Mi Zhao’s face as he instinctively covered his throat. “Nothing.”

Yan Qinting had initially assumed it was a mosquito bite, but Mi Zhao’s reaction immediately clued him in. Clicking his tongue, he waggled his eyebrows. “Damn, you two play rough, huh?”

Too lazy to argue, Mi Zhao simply tugged his collar higher to hide the marks. “So what did you want to say?”

Yan Qinting adjusted his expression, adopting a serious tone. “You’ve been with him for a while now—haven’t you noticed anything… odd?”

Mi Zhao thought for a moment but found nothing unusual.

Seeing his clueless expression, Yan Qinting sighed and got straight to the point. “He has a driver, an assistant, a dedicated care team, and even a medical team. Not to mention, he casually transferred 200,000 yuan to the president. Do you really think someone with his status needs to be kept by someone else?”