WIL CH 5

Chapter 5: Witnessing It Firsthand

Feeling Wenfeng’s warm breath on the back of his neck, Lin Xi’s dazed mind gradually cleared. He panicked and pulled away from Wenfeng’s embrace, lifting his tear-streaked eyes to say, “Thank you, Senior.”

The blue neon lights flickered on and off, casting an almost unreal glow over Wenfeng’s face. Lin Xi vaguely heard him reply, “No need to thank me, Lin Xi. I can help you.”

Even to this day, Lin Xi couldn’t recall the details—how he ended up signing that marriage agreement, what exactly was in it, or if he even looked at it at all.

At that moment, he had no choice. One million to repay debts, five hundred thousand to support Lin Youshan’s retirement—totaling one and a half million. He hadn’t sold himself to the club, but he had sold himself to Wenfeng.

The incident with Lin Youshan bringing men to the school to confront Lin Xi eventually spread like wildfire. Rumors of him being gay circulated, and soon the whole campus forum was buzzing with gossip about him.

During that time, Lin Xi’s mental state deteriorated. Every day he was bombarded by rumors: a gambling father, his sexuality, and even false claims that he was selling himself elsewhere.

When Lin Xi decided to withdraw from school, he felt calm. He had once thought the school would be his Eden, but it wasn’t. That place, once full of vitality and sunlight, had turned into a blood cage, devouring everything in its path.

Wen Feng didn’t oppose his decision at all. Lin Xi still remembered him saying, “Do whatever you want, as long as it makes you happy.”

For a brief moment, Lin Xi had even been somewhat confused by those words.

A few days after signing the agreement, Wen Feng took him abroad to register their marriage. Even now, everything that happened in that short span of less than a week still felt like a dream.

Lin Xi sat dumbly on the bed for a long time. As sleep gradually overcame him, he lay down, staring at the empty pillow in front of him, slowly closing his eyes.

It was just seven in the morning when a sharp ringing of the doorbell jolted him awake. Having stayed up late last night thinking about everything, his eyes struggled to open.

Who could it be so early?

Groggy, Lin Xi got out of bed, swaying as he walked to the door.

“Hello, may I speak with Mr. Lin?”

Still half-asleep, his voice weak, he replied, “Yes, that’s me.”

The courier handed him a box, then pulled a pen from his pocket and held it out: “Here’s your delivery. Please sign for it.”

“Oh, okay, thank you!” Lin Xi quickly scribbled his signature and carried the box inside.

When had he even ordered this? He had no memory of it. Had he been too busy with work to remember?

He placed the box on the living room coffee table and ran to grab scissors. As he opened the box and saw its contents, his mouth fell open in shock.

This is…

An entire box of condoms—every style, every brand, all kinds imaginable.

Now there was no need to think—he knew exactly who was behind this.

Wen Feng had bought a year’s supply—or no, maybe two years’ worth. They wouldn’t even be able to finish it in two years. Who knew if any of it would expire?

Apparently, not letting him have fun yesterday had left Wen Feng in a bad mood. And in the middle of the night, he had stormed out. Where would he have gone?

After being woken up, Lin Xi didn’t feel like going back to sleep. After washing up, he stood in front of the wardrobe, choosing what to wear today. The wardrobe was large, split evenly between his clothes and Wen Feng’s. Their styles couldn’t have been more different. Lin Xi preferred comfortable, simple clothes—like the white loose shirt he picked today, with a cartoon little bear printed on the back, paired with blue jeans. It gave him a clean, youthful vibe.

Lin Xi stood 178 cm tall—not extremely tall, but his proportions were excellent. Being a workaholic, he often skipped meals, so he had almost no excess fat.

After getting ready, he grabbed some of the stocked mini-breads and milk from the snack cupboard and headed to work. Lin Xi was often alone at home. When Wenfeng wasn’t around, he rarely cooked, relying on delivery or snacks. It wasn’t that he couldn’t cook—he just found it tedious. Shopping, washing, cooking… then eating alone only amplified his sense of loneliness. So he either ate at the company or in his own converted game room at home.

After months of non-stop work, the game they were developing was finally ready for its last dungeon design. The early-stage art tasks were complete, and the later stages could be handled by the marketing team. The art team could finally breathe a little before the game’s official release. Of course, after launch, they would still need to update dungeons, characters, and skins. There would always be more work.

The head of the art team, Lu Mingyu—Lin Xi’s mentor—stood tall in the middle of the office hallway, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Everyone, you’ve worked hard these past months. Tonight, we’re going to relax. Team-building time. Want to eat or play something? Vote in the work group chat. Budget is unlimited. The big boss will cover it.”

The whole floor erupted in excitement. Lin Xi couldn’t help but smile, catching the infectious mood. Sitting next to him, Kong Zhao nearly cried from happiness. He kicked the wheel of his chair and rolled over to Lin Xi.

Kong Zhao had a charming, rebellious artist look, with a wolf-tail hairstyle—top tied in a bun, bottom left loose over his shoulders. He was responsible for the design of each dungeon scene, often more work than Lin Xi. Sometimes Lin Xi left the office and Kong Zhao was still at his desk groaning, with obvious dark circles under his eyes.

“I’ve been about to collapse at the company. Finally, some breathing room.” He showed Lin Xi a high-end Japanese restaurant on his phone. “Vote for this one! This is five-star level. We’ll treat the company right!”

Lin Xi had no strong preference for food. Since Kong Zhao wanted to go, he voted for it too.

“Sure, I’ll vote for it too,” Lin Xi said with a smile.

“Lin Xi, you’re always so kind to me, unlike the boss who just scolds me.” Last night, he could have left early. If Lu Mingyu hadn’t insisted on changing the colors of that pile of messy grass textures, he wouldn’t have gotten home at one a.m. He rolled his eyes at Lu Mingyu’s back. “Such a perfectionist.”

Lin Xi was used to his complaints. Though he muttered, he still followed instructions. “Lu is just careful. After you made the changes, the effect really is more realistic.”

Kong Zhao crossed his arms, leaning back and raising his brows while pouting. “I just don’t like his attitude. Every time, it’s like he’s lecturing a child.”

“Lu is just more serious,” Lin Xi replied.

Kong Zhao shot him a teasing glare, dragging out his words: “You always defend him because you respect your teacher.”

When Lin Xi first joined the company, no one wanted to guide him. Lu Mingyu recognized his talent, decided to mentor him, and gave him opportunities. Naturally, Lin Xi respected him the most.

Kong Zhao worked to win everyone over, and as he wished, the Japanese restaurant received the highest votes.

After work, Kong Zhao dragged Lin Xi into the elevator, a lollipop in his mouth, acting nonchalant. Lu Mingyu followed them into the elevator.

Lin Xi politely greeted him, “Teacher Lu.”

Kong Zhao, unwilling to acknowledge his boss but unable to be rude, muttered a greeting: “Boss.”

Lu Mingyu gave a light “hm,” acknowledging them.

The elevator was silent. Suddenly, Lu Mingyu said, “You two can ride with me.”

Kong Zhao’s expression immediately brightened: “Oh, that’s great! Lin Xi doesn’t need a taxi. We’ll just hitch a ride with the boss.”

Truly shameless.

Lin Xi was stunned by the sudden change in his attitude.

He wasn’t used to raw food, so the expensive sashimi platters were only for looking at. Fortunately, there were plenty of cooked options, like Japanese grilled skewers, which he enjoyed.

Most of their department were young art students, all with distinct personalities. During the dinner, they chatted freely about everything. Lin Xi was relatively introverted, quietly listening most of the time, occasionally speaking a sentence or two.

At some point, someone started a drinking game. Losers had to drink as a punishment. Lin Xi had never played such games, so he didn’t understand the rules. After a few rounds, he had drunk quite a bit. His head felt fuzzy, but he didn’t want to disrupt the fun. Since it was a rare team-building event, he tried his best to fit in.

Kong Zhao noticed he was slightly drunk and defended him: “Hey, don’t always target our Xi Xi just because he seems innocent. Go for the boss instead—he hasn’t lost a single round.” Only Kong Zhao dared to say such a thing. Everyone else was curious, and the target shifted. Lin Xi finally escaped being pressured further.

He whispered to Kong Zhao beside him: “Thanks, Kong Zhao.”

Kong Zhao laughed heartily: “No problem.”

The alcohol gradually took effect, making his face feel hot. Lin Xi went to the restroom to splash cold water on his pale, flushed face, finally feeling a bit more awake, though his head was still heavy. He grabbed a tissue to dry the water off before heading back.

On the way back, still a little dazed, he accidentally bumped into a waiter. “Sorry!” he said hastily.

As he turned, a familiar figure caught his eye. He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus, and saw Wen Feng clearly now. The man sat at a window-side table in a perfectly tailored suit. The night view outside framed his handsome features. He elegantly maneuvered the knife and fork in his hands. Across from him sat a gentle, beautiful lady. They seemed to be talking quietly, and Wen Feng’s lips curved in a soft smile—gentle, beautiful. Wen Feng rarely smiled at him like that.

His eyes grew hot. In the past, he had only seen Wen Feng on his phone, going on dates with others. Seeing it in person was a completely different experience—an indescribable mix of bitterness and heaviness. Not just his eyes hurt, but his whole body ached. Silently, he turned away, refusing to watch their date, and numbly returned to his seat, staring blankly at his cup.

Kong Zhao thought he was very drunk: “Lin Xi, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just a bit sleepy. I want to head back and rest first.”

“You must be drunk. I’ve never seen you drink before. I’ll tell the boss for you—go home quickly.” Kong Zhao leaned toward Lu Mingyu and whispered a few words. Lu Mingyu then looked at Lin Xi and nodded, signaling he could leave.

Lin Xi forced a smile and responded silently.

On his way out, he deliberately avoided Wen Feng’s area.

At home, Lin Xi sat in the quiet living room, deep in thought. When they got married, Lin Xi had just turned twenty, and Wen Feng was only twenty-four. Perhaps back then, he couldn’t resist his parents and had to use strong measures to prevent them from interfering in his love life.

But now, Wenfeng had grown strong enough to support the entire Wen family, and Lin Xi’s role as a shield was no longer necessary. Lin Xi thought perhaps it was time to leave him. Someone like Wen Feng needed a child to inherit the family business—and Lin Xi was a man, so he could never fulfill that role.

One day, Wen Feng would marry the person he truly loved and have children—and that person could never be Lin Xi.

(To be continued…)