Chapter 25: Touch
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
The weekend flower market was bustling. Lin Su sifted through the fresh blooms in front of him and asked, “Why didn’t you tell Xu You I’m not part of the inspection team?”
“To give him a bit of pressure to study,” Shi Wenze said. “He failed all six exams. Right now, the department head’s covering for him. But if the real inspection team shows up someday, he’ll have to pack up and become a mukbang streamer. Better to pass early and rest easy.”
Failing all six exams was quite the record. Yet Xu You still had the boss’s protection. Lin Su said, “Then his work performance must be really good.”
“He did bust a hidden illegal ferocious beast den that had been underground for ten years right after joining the Emergency Incident Handling Department,” Shi Wenze said, pulling out a multi-flower rose and smelling it. “The department head was pretty proud for nearly a month. But pride can’t make up for failing the exams. Why don’t you help a bit? Go back and keep an eye on Xu You. Maybe tonight he’ll voluntarily do a couple of practice questions.”
Lin Su thought for a moment. “Did he handle the raid alone?”
Shi Wenze cleared his throat and replied, “There was me too—we did it together. Plus, I passed all six exams.” He leaned in slightly. “Any rewards?”
Since the Kakale Planet Bucket incident, Shi Wenze’s sweet-talking skills had become smoother each time. It was hard for an artist sugar daddy to resist constant buying. Lin Su said, “This flower’s for you.”
Shi Wenze glanced at the small bloom in his hand—a modest stem with three purple buds. Though simple, the gesture mattered more than the flower itself. It felt beautiful, like 999 red roses, full of sweet love. He asked, “What kind of flowers do you like?”
“Save your money for a house,” Lin Su said. He asked the vendor for a price list. “Or lend it to Xu You so he can sign up for some exam prep classes.”
“Forget classes. Before the last exam, the department head tutored him personally, and he ended up scoring ten points lower. Nearly got sick from the stress.” Shi Wenze chuckled, glancing sideways at Lin Su. “As for buying a house, I actually contacted several real estate agents. If you have time, want to help me pick one? There’s a nice townhouse with a loft and a terrace perfect for a studio, right by the Third Ring Road.”
Lin Su pretended to ignore the terrace and studio part. He hadn’t figured out how to respond to that open confession, so he chose a less artsy angle. “That kind of townhouse must be expensive, right?”
“Almost saved enough.” Shi Wenze smiled. “My salary’s really good, and the benefits aren’t bad.”
Lin Su thought that was true—after all, chasing someone had come with a free Armani suit paid by the company.
The flowers at the market weren’t expensive. After browsing around and choosing a few samples, Lin Su was about to pay when the vendor said a big boss had already covered it.
Lin Su was confused. “What big boss?”
Shi Wenze asked, “Who?”
The vendor pointed toward the market entrance. A group was loading flowers into a vehicle, and nearby stood a slick-haired man, talking on the phone while waving at the two. The face was unfamiliar, but the car was recognizable—every man was powerless to resist the charm of a Wuling Hongguang van. He was the owner of the Fortune Hotel.
In the human world, the chicken-foot boss hadn’t flamboyantly donned red jackets and leather pants. His style was low-key, more like a local entrepreneur. Shi Wenze stepped forward to pay him, but the man flat-out refused, just saying, “It’s a new store opening. Hope to see you often.” Then he ducked into the van, which roared off. When a big boss said he was treating, it was real—no one dared pay.
Though it was only about five hundred yuan, Lin Su thought, I don’t even know you. Shi Wenze was baffled too. The little flower in his hand suddenly felt like a gift from the chicken-foot boss—not beautiful anymore. So purple it looked like Thanos’s gauntlet.
First the emperor’s suite, then forced flower gifts—why were there people so dedicated to ruining a romantic mood? But the boss probably didn’t see it that way. According to the flower vendor, they were there to order roses for a new “adult” hotel.
An adult hotel carried an unmistakable illegal vibe. Paired with the Fortune Hotel and its boss’s eccentric aura, Shi Wenze and Lin Su couldn’t help but imagine the scene.
“…”
“Ahem.” Shi Wenze cleared his throat. “How much in total? I’ll swing by later and pay him back.”
Lin Su suspected, You’re not actually planning to check out that hotel, are you?
He had been planning to visit the Mist Realm again to try the 888 Supreme Bath package, but now it felt awkward to mention. Saying so would make him sound like he was into adult fun. No way—a cold, melancholy artist wouldn’t think like that. But maybe the Fortune boss’s infectious weirdness was like a virus—catching.
The two left the flower market and wandered aimlessly through a plastic greenhouse. Lin Su kept thinking about their earlier conversation. He had planned for Shi Wenze to keep chasing for a while longer, but judging by how anxious he got just hearing “adult hotel,” maybe that wouldn’t last. If anyone was to blame, it was the college guy’s ridiculously good figure.
Shi Wenze wasn’t wearing the company-sponsored Armani today. He’d changed into a plain black shirt, but even through the fabric you could see the beautiful lines of his muscles. When he bent over, his broad shoulders and narrow waist showed perfectly. His shirt was tucked into his jeans. His long legs bounced as he stepped over the strawberry beds, then he picked a flower off the ground and turned to ask, smiling, “Do you know this one?”
Faced with such pure, youthful playfulness, Lin Su thought, You must have rehearsed this.
Shi Wenze reached out his hand. “Jump over here—I’ll catch you.”
The irrigation ditch was less than twenty centimeters wide—a five-year-old could walk across it by themselves. But the artist didn’t even know how to put on a motorcycle helmet properly, so needing a hand was understandable. Shi Wenze grabbed just the tips of his fingers, pulled him close, and didn’t let go. Instead, he intertwined their fingers smoothly and kept walking forward without missing a beat.
Lin Su tried to pull his hand back, but Shi Wenze gripped even tighter. Suppressing a laugh, Shi Wenze said, “Here’s your one-day boyfriend experience card.”
Lin Su thought he definitely shouldn’t have gone soft on the big romantic gesture earlier. How had it only been less than a week and he was already acting like a punk? But on the other hand, it was a shame for that face not to be a little punky. After a few steps, he asked, “Is that the only thing on the experience card?”
“Hm?” Shi Wenze paused. “No, you can get whatever service you want.”
Lin Su stopped in place, his gaze dropping to Shi Wenze’s lips. Shi Wenze’s heart quickened under the look, and his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. But Lin Su didn’t linger. His gaze traveled down Shi Wenze’s chest. Shi Wenze hadn’t expected things to develop this way. His breathing grew uneven—going from an experience card to a deep-dive experience was a surprise he needed some time to process.
Lin Su said, “Then stand still.”
Shi Wenze replied, “Okay, I won’t move.”
Lin Su placed both hands on Shi Wenze’s shoulders and began to explore inch by inch—down from the deltoids to the biceps, from the pectorals to the abs, leaving no muscle untouched. It was exactly what he had wanted to do ever since sitting on the back of the motorcycle! He had to admit—the feel was really something.
Shi Wenze was a little dazed by the attention. This wasn’t quite how he’d imagined things going. It seemed intimate, sure, but there was nothing romantic about it. The reason, he realized, was Lin Su’s expression—too serious, like an acupuncturist searching for pressure points rather than someone enjoying a boyfriend experience card.
Dr. Lin tried to keep his investigation above the waist. Though the lower half was equally worthy of study, this was an open-air setting after all, and he had no particular fetishes, so he wisely let it go.
Shi Wenze gently reminded him, “That’s not how you’re supposed to use the experience card.”
Lin Su patted his chest. “Customer’s always right. Now go pick some strawberries.”
Since he had permission, Lin Su wasn’t about to waste it. For the rest of the time, Shi Wenze weaved through the various greenhouses, diligently fulfilling his duties as boyfriend-in-training. By the end, he had carried four baskets of strawberries and stepped in the mud once. Whether the seller made a profit was anyone’s guess, but the buyer certainly didn’t lose out. They timed their return perfectly around mealtime.
The patrol team took the strawberries to wash, and Xu You was about to sneak away to another room. But fate caught up with him—Lin Su found him and asked, “Have you finished memorizing the statutes?”
Xu You’s heart clenched hard. He decided to compromise with reality. He was willing to be that food streamer caught in a tug-of-war between L’Oréal and Olay sponsorships. Shi Wenze and Lin Su teamed up, hooking Xu You’s arm and dragging him into a corner. They lowered their voices. “Listen, you’ve got to pass at least one exam next month.”
Xu You wore a miserable face. “Even passing one wouldn’t be a pass. What’s the point?”
“No worries. I already arranged for you to pass three this year and three next year,” Shi Wenze said. “You don’t have to cram them all into next month.”
Xu You was shocked. “That’s against the rules, right?”
Shi Wenze’s gaze grew serious. “For you, I made an exception.”
Xu You whispered like a guilty thief, “How did you convince Lin Su?”
Shi Wenze sighed deeply. “You’ll understand later.”
Xu You was stubborn. “No, I can’t wait until later—I want to know now! You didn’t bribe the inspection team, did you? We don’t even know Lin Su well. Honestly, did you threaten him with force? What if he goes back and complains about us?”
Shi Wenze was struck by how limited and crude Xu You’s imagination was. He didn’t bother replying further and went back to the kitchen to fetch some love-imbued strawberries.
Xu You was still puzzled when suddenly a junior member burst in, panic-stricken. “Brother Xu! Brother Xu! Brother Xu!”
“Did you eat a broken record or something?” Xu You asked. “Slow down—what happened?”
“I was just in the greenhouse picking chives when I ran into the boss and the inspection team,” the junior swallowed nervously several times before continuing, “And then—I saw the inspection team member… touching the boss’s chest.”
Xu You nearly choked on the orange in his mouth, barely managing to avoid calling 911.
“Really, really, it’s true! I didn’t dare record it, but it’s true.” The junior patted Xu You’s back. “The boss’s expression was so serious. I think he was holding back an unbearable rage at having to submit to these powerful people.”
Xu You couldn’t even picture the scene. If the junior wasn’t mistaken, surely Shi Wenze hadn’t bribed the inspection team with his body on his behalf? That was too terrifying and made no sense. Given his style, shouldn’t he have used his thunderous iron fist the moment anyone coveted his beauty? How could he submit to that degree? What kind of brotherhood was this—more touching than socialism’s own fraternal bonds?
Xu You downed the lemon drink in one gulp and slammed the cup down. “Whatever you do, don’t let this get out!”
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