With the New Year holidays, traffic was sparse. Jian Suiying reached his residence in under half an hour. He waited another thirty minutes before hearing the key turn in the lock.
Over the past six months, Li Yu had visited at least once a week, so Jian Suiying had simply given him a key.
Li Yu unzipped his jacket but didn't take it off.
"I took a taxi. Driving into the garage makes too much noise and I didn't want to wake the family."
Jian Suiying rubbed his ears as she spoke.
"You should've called me. I could've picked you up."
" No need..." Li Yu slowly pried her hands away, his dark eyes fixed on her. "I need to tell you something. After I'm done, I have to leave."
Jian Suiying felt an uneasy premonition wash over him. He lowered his hand and looked at Li Yu. "Go ahead."
Li Yu didn't laugh. His expression turned serious as he said stiffly, "You never know what might happen. You really should cut out these pointless games."
Jian Suiying grew irritated too. "I already did it. What's the big deal? It's New Year's. Did you come all this way just to pick a fight over something so trivial?"
just to make me miserable?"
Li Yu replied coldly, "I don't consider it trivial."
Jian Suiying felt an urge to slap him. "Why are you so damn slow? Are you some kind of woman?"
Li Yu shot him a fierce look, zipped up his coat forcefully, and turned to leave. Jian Suiying grabbed his sleeve, furious. "Get back here!"
Li Yu pushed his arm away.
Jian Suiying grabbed him again, sneering, "What the hell do you want? Do you think I should apologize to you?"
."
Li Yu stared at him coldly, "Did you ever think about me? You may have no shame, but I still have mine."
This remark thoroughly enraged Jian Suiying. He yanked Li Yu by the collar and slammed him against the door, snarling, "Who the hell do you think has no shame? Say it again!"
Li Yu met his glare coldly. "Let go."
Li Yu's eyes burned with rage. "What do I have to say to you? Let go."
But this time was different. He sensed Li Yu was deliberately picking a fight, and he was genuinely furious. For once, Jian Suiying found himself reflecting on his own actions.
Thinking this way, Jian Suiying felt a pang of pity for Li Yu. His own actions today must have really stressed the boy out.
Jian Suiying adjusted his mindset. Usually, Li Yu was the one who conceded first. Today, he needed to show some adult grace and give Li Yu some leeway.
Even though he felt he hadn't done anything wrong.
Jian Suiying sighed, loosening his grip and murmuring softly, "Alright, Little Li, let's not fight anymore. It's the New Year
. Can't we just get along peacefully?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Li Yu's eyes.
Jian Suiying conceding first? That was like the sun rising in the west—it genuinely stunned him for a moment. The words he'd prepared before coming now stuck in his throat.
Jian Suiying gave his lips a soft peck. "Alright, alright, let's turn the page on this. I won't act like that anymore, okay?
how nervous you are. Come on, take off your coat. Aren't you hot?"
In truth, Li Yu was already sweating. Half-resisting, half-yielding, he let Jian Suiying peel off his coat and toss it aside. Yet doubt lingered, his gaze scrutinizing Jian Suiying.
Jian Suiying chuckled, "What's with that look? Do I seem so unreasonable to you?" Li Yu grumbled, "When have you ever been reasonable?"
Jian Suiying pinched his soft cheek. "What can I say? I just adore you. You really have me wrapped around your finger."
An indescribable feeling surged within Li Yu. He glanced at Jian Suiying before averting his gaze.
Jian Suiying remained planted before him, forehead pressed against his, smiling suggestively. "Did you miss me these past few days?"
?"
Li Yu stared at him without speaking.
"Didn't I just tease you today because I missed you?" Jian Suying slipped his hand inside Li Yu's shirt, caressing his spine, gently
pecked his lips, his voice husky. "Want to do it?"
Li Yu spun him around and slammed him against the opposite wall, violently sealing his lips with a fierce kiss, sucking him roughly.
Jian Suying clung to his shoulders, his fingers digging into his thick black hair as he ravaged his lips and teeth.
The two seemed to possess boundless energy, igniting instantly with every touch.
By the time Li Yu finished, Jian Suiying was already half-conscious, lying dazed on the bed.
Soon after, the sound of running water reached him from the bathroom. A little while later, Li Yu emerged, fully dressed. Jian Suiying asked in a hoarse voice: "Are you going back?"
"Mhm."
"Stay a little longer. It's barely anything yet." "It's almost dawn."
Jian Suiying lit a cigarette, her hands trembling. "You fucked me for three fucking hours, and it's too much trouble for you to make me a meal?"
?"
Li Yu paused, then stripped off his clothes again and walked silently to the kitchen.
A moment later, Li Yu carried in a bowl of noodles and set it on the nightstand. "I'm leaving."
Jian Suiying stared at the bowl of noodles. The rising steam stung his eyes. He waved his hand forcefully, sending the noodles
soup all over Li Yu.
Li Yu froze, grabbed Jian Suiying by the collar, and raised his fist to strike. But when his eyes met Jian Suiying's, his fist halted mid-air.
Jian Suiying whispered, "Li Yu, you're a fucking piece of shit."
Li Yu slowly released his collar and finally voiced what he'd been wanting to say all night, "Let's just call it quits here."
."
Today, Jian Suilin's cold, suspicious gaze had suddenly jolted him awake.
He had been deceiving himself by maintaining this ambiguous relationship with Jian Suying, believing he could always keep things under control.
. But now he realized their relationship was spiraling beyond his grasp, hurtling toward consequences he couldn't even imagine.
Everything Jian Suiying did today made him realize their secret would eventually be exposed to everyone—Sui Lin, his brother,
even his family—would discover it sooner or later. Perhaps by accident, perhaps because Jian Suiying would slip up.
In any case, given the ever-deepening closeness between him and Jian Suiying, that day would inevitably come. The mere thought of it filled him with helpless anxiety.
He had no idea how he would cope if that day truly arrived.
before things spiraled out of control.
And today—this day that had jolted him awake, weighed him down with pressure, and finally allowed him to make a decisive choice—was the perfect day
day.
Jian Suiying's eyes were bloodshot as she glared at him, teeth clenched.
No matter how fierce and relentless Jian Suiying usually was, unable to let go when he was in the right, he was now too overwhelmed with pain to speak.
Deep down, he knew Li Yu would eventually want to distance herself from him, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
He had hoped for more time together, thinking perhaps Li Yu would grow to love him wholeheartedly. But now it seemed utterly out of reach—not just distant, but about to become impossible forever.
He couldn't accept it.
In his twenty-plus years, this was the first time he'd cared so deeply for someone, going out of his way to please and accommodate them—even compromising on matters in bed.
All these concessions were meant to draw Li Yu closer, inch by inch, until he could love him as deeply as he loved Li Yu.
Yet all he got in return was that insubstantial "This is where it ends."
He truly regretted not drugging Li Yu and taking him right from the start. Wouldn't that have spared him all this mess?
If he'd satisfied his desire then, perhaps he wouldn't have tried to inch closer to Li Yu, step by step, attempting to conquer him, only to trap himself in utter stupidity.
If he could start over, would he still end up so utterly humiliated and look so pathetic?
Li Yu couldn't meet Jian Suiying's gaze. He acted as if he hadn't noticed the noodle soup dripping down his clothes, grabbed his
his coat and fled.
Jian Suying stood frozen for a long moment before violently sweeping every ornament from the bedside table onto the floor.