Chapter 73

The bathroom door wasn’t locked. When Mi Zhao pushed it open, it slammed violently against the wall.

With a loud bang, the noise overpowered the sound of running water inside.

Li Sipei wasn’t using the bathtub. He stood stark naked under the showerhead, his wet hair slicked back. Water streamed down his sharply defined face, cascading over his chest and abs before rushing further down.

Mi Zhao was furious. Even at the sight of this scene, no improper thoughts crossed his mind. Instead, he felt as if a massive, dark cloud had settled over his head.

And that damn cloud was green.

So green that he practically glowed.

“Li Sipei!”

His chest heaved violently. He wanted to throw the booklet at Li Sipei, just like in those TV dramas, but he was afraid the water would ruin it, making the words illegible. And if that happened, wouldn’t it just give Li Sipei the chance to deny everything?

His hand raised halfway before he forcibly pulled it back down.

His face was flushed red as he glared at Li Sipei. “Explain this to me!”

Li Sipei turned off the shower. With the water silenced, the noise in the bathroom faded, leaving only the exhaust fan whirring faintly.

“What?” He didn’t understand at first. He reached for a towel and wrapped it around his waist before extending a hand toward Mi Zhao. “Let me see.”

Mi Zhao was utterly heartbroken. He couldn’t even begin to describe what he felt when he discovered the arranged marriage booklet. Saying the sky had collapsed wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

The booklet detailed women’s informations with meticulous detail, complete with photographs.

So, why the hell was Li Sipei throwing a tantrum at him tonight? Compared to this damn arranged marriage booklet, his little issue was nothing!

Mi Zhao took a step back, held up the booklet, and flipped open the first page.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to get married.”

Li Sipei seemed to have completely forgotten about the booklet. He gave it a quick glance, then suddenly remembered. “My mom gave this to me.”

Mi Zhao’s eyes burned, his throat tightened, and the lingering steam in the bathroom felt like layers of damp tissues wrapping around him—suffocating, inescapable.

His hands trembled as he clutched the booklet.

“You want to get married?”

Li Sipei immediately realized Mi Zhao had misunderstood. “No, I—”

“Bullshit! If you didn’t, why would your mom give you this? For bedtime reading?!”

Mi Zhao finally lost control. He flung the booklet at Li Sipei, and when it hit the wet floor with a dull thud, tears spilled from his eyes, hot and unstoppable.

He suddenly recalled the night he discovered Li Yan’s betrayal.

Back then, he had seen Li Yan and Lin Qiuzu tangled together, their clothes in disarray. Yet, he had remained calm. He hadn’t lost his temper, hadn’t yelled. He had just stood there, dazed, until Li Yan finally noticed him and, in a panic, shoved Lin Qiuzu away. Then, Mi Zhao had turned and left without looking back.

They say that once you experience something, the second time should be easier.

So why was he falling apart over a damn arranged marriage booklet?

Why did this hurt even more than breaking up with Li Yan?

When he was angry with Li Yan, he had lashed out, saying the most vicious things he could muster, cursing Li Yan until he was left speechless.

But now, standing in front of Li Sipei, he couldn’t bring himself to say a single harsh word.

“Mi Zhao.” Li Sipei called his name softly and stepped forward, trying to pull him into his arms.

But before he could touch him, Mi Zhao’s knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the wet floor with a plop.

“How could you do this to me?” Tears streamed down his face like shattered pearls. He didn’t even bother wiping them away. His hands rested limply on his lap as he tilted his head back and sobbed like a wounded child. “You’ve already met my parents. You can’t just leave me and get married!”

His cries were raw, his breath hitching between sobs.

“You’re being irresponsible! You slept with me, and now you have to take responsibility!”

What upset Mi Zhao the most was the realization that he was completely helpless against Li Sipei.

All he could do was cry.

Even when he broke up with Li Yan, he hadn’t shed a single tear in front of him.

Li Sipei seemed taken aback by Mi Zhao’s reaction. He hesitated for a moment, then let out a sigh. Furrowing his brows, he reached out and grasped Mi Zhao’s arm, attempting to pull him up. “The floor is wet. Get up.”

Mi Zhao’s eyes were swollen red, his face tear-streaked. His shoulders trembled as he sniffled heavily. He wrenched his arm free. “Don’t touch me.”

“I told you, my mom gave me that booklet. I never wanted it. If it didn’t contain private information about those women, I would’ve thrown it away already.”

“But you didn’t throw it away. You had Ruan Xin pack it up and send it here,” Mi Zhao shot back between sniffles, still glaring at Li Sipei.

“I meant to have Ruan Xin get rid of it, but I was too preoccupied worrying about us, and I forgot.” Li Sipei softened his voice, reaching for Mi Zhao again.

This time, Mi Zhao didn’t resist.

But he still refused to get up, stubbornly sitting on the wet floor like a child throwing a tantrum in a toy store.

Li Sipei let out another sigh, this time sounding a little more impatient. “Get up. You’ll catch a cold. We can talk outside.”

“No.” Mi Zhao was dead set on staying put. Though the tears had stopped, his chest still felt tight, an unbearable weight pressing down on him. He scowled. “Explain everything to me right here, and then I’ll get up.”

Li Sipei’s brows knitted tighter. “Mi Zhao.”

Mi Zhao locked eyes with him, his gaze unyielding despite the redness. “Why did your mom give you that booklet? Does she want you to get married?”

Li Sipei pressed his lips together in silence, gazing down at Mi Zhao.

A few moments passed. Just as Mi Zhao was starting to feel restless under the weight of that stare, Li Sipei suddenly turned and walked out of the bathroom.

Mi Zhao was stunned for a second. His first instinct was to stand up, but he forced himself to stay put. Even so, his heart was burning with anxiety.

Li Sipei just left?

He left him here?

Damn it…

Mi Zhao scrambled to his feet, hands and feet working together. A surge of anger shot straight to his head. He was about to start cursing when he caught sight of Li Sipei walking back in with something in his hands.

As Li Sipei drew closer, Mi Zhao finally saw that he was holding a set of pajamas and a bath towel.

Without a word, Li Sipei placed the pajamas on the metal rack, neatly folded the bath towel, and spread it over the sink. From start to finish, he didn’t say a single thing—not even a glance in Mi Zhao’s direction.

Mi Zhao stood there like an idiot, still trying to find his voice when Li Sipei suddenly turned and lifted him, settling him down onto the towel-covered sink.

“Li Sipei—”

Before Mi Zhao could finish speaking, the sound of rushing water filled the air again.

Li Sipei picked up the showerhead and tested the temperature for a moment. As warm steam began to rise, he expressionlessly aimed the showerhead at Mi Zhao’s chest.

The already damp homewear was instantly soaked through, turning a deep shade.

Startled, Mi Zhao instinctively tried to back away, but the cold tiles behind him left him with nowhere to go. He reached out to push Li Sipei’s hand away. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Giving you a shower.” Li Sipei stood firm, unmoving, as he deftly maneuvered the showerhead past Mi Zhao’s struggling hands and directed the water to his stomach. “Are you going to take your clothes off yourself, or should I do it for you?”

The warmth of the water chased away the lingering chill. Feeling a bit steadier, Mi Zhao relaxed his shoulders and found his voice again. “You still haven’t answered me. Does your mom want you to get married?”

Li Sipei didn’t answer. Instead, he tugged at the buttons of Mi Zhao’s shirt. His movements were firm and swift, and within moments, he had peeled the wet fabric from Mi Zhao’s body.

Then, he reached for his pants.

“She used to bring it up,” Li Sipei said as he stripped him efficiently. “Back then, she didn’t know I had a boyfriend. But after I told her, she never mentioned marriage again.”

He shoved the showerhead into Mi Zhao’s hands, then knelt down and lifted one of his feet, placing it onto his knee.

Mi Zhao instinctively tried to pull back.

Unfortunately, Li Sipei’s grip was too strong.

“So, she’s okay with it?” Mi Zhao asked cautiously.

“She probably is.” Li Sipei pulled down his pants, his gaze unwavering. “She saw us when we left on my birthday.”

As the pieces finally clicked into place, Mi Zhao suddenly felt embarrassed about his earlier outburst. He wiped his face and muttered, “So… you’re not planning to get married, then?”

Before he could even process what happened, a light slap landed on his hip.

“Lift up.”

“…” Mi Zhao obediently raised one side of his hips. After Li Sipei pulled the pants down, he lifted the other side on his own. Then, with his foot, he nudged at Li Sipei’s bare chest. “Say something. You’re not getting married, right?”

Li Sipei caught his restless foot and sighed before finally answering, “I’m gay. What the hell would I get married for?”

Mi Zhao curled his toes. The anguish that had been suffocating him moments ago vanished in an instant. Now that the misunderstanding had been cleared up, all that remained was a creeping sense of awkwardness.

He cleared his throat and stiffly propped himself up on his hands, his shoulders hunching. “Then why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Li Sipei pulled off his pants and underwear in one swift motion, countering, “Did you even give me a chance?”

“…” Mi Zhao huffed. “If you saw me with a matchmaking booklet, your reaction would’ve been way worse than mine. I thought you were cheating on me! What guy wouldn’t lose it if he thought he was getting cheated on?”

Li Sipei toyed with Mi Zhao’s foot, watching as the warm water washed over it, leaving it clean and fair. His toes were rounded, his nails neatly trimmed—it was a beautiful foot.

Unable to resist, he lowered his head and took a bite.

“Ah—” Mi Zhao yelped. “Shit, that hurts!”

At the same time, his other foot kicked at Li Sipei’s wet hair.

Li Sipei ignored him completely. Without the slightest mercy, he bit down hard enough to leave a clear set of teeth marks on the delicate skin of Mi Zhao’s foot.

Mi Zhao howled, “Li Sipei! Are you a goddamn dog? Why do you keep biting me?!” In retaliation, he aimed the showerhead straight at Li Sipei’s head.

Water drenched his black hair, plastering it to his forehead. The strangest part was that, even with such a disastrous hairstyle, Li Sipei’s looks remained completely unaffected.

“Maybe now you’ll learn your lesson.” Li Sipei rubbed at the bite mark before standing up and cupping Mi Zhao’s chin, tilting his head up for a kiss.

His agile tongue slipped in effortlessly.

The sound of their mingling breath and saliva was drowned out by the continuous rush of water—until Mi Zhao let out a muffled protest.

“You kissed my foot but didn’t rinse your mouth first.”

“…”

“You’re disgusted by your own foot?”