Two hours later, in the wine cellar on the second basement level of the Yu family's old mansion.
Huddled in a corner, Hu Xiaoyu glanced at Yu Tan, who stood silently with damp hair and clothes clinging to his body. He tightened his arms around himself.
Still so fierce!
Was even the wine cellar off-limits?
Yu Tan saw the light dim in those foxlike eyes, the lids drooping again. A tightness seized his chest.
But the frustration that had been building up didn't just vanish.
Standing tall, he barked coldly, "You're getting bold, aren't you? Hiding like this—were you waiting for me to come carry you out? Get up!"
Yu Tan had a cold personality, and even his voice had a sharp, crystalline edge. Normally, Hu Xiaoyu liked hearing it.
But now, he was so tired, and Yu Tan just sounded annoyingly loud.
His long lashes fluttered slightly, but he kept his foxlike eyes down, hiding the exhaustion beneath them.
To Yu Tan, it looked like silent defiance—like he didn't care at all.
One sat, one stood.
One curled up dozing.
One practically vibrating with anger.
Ah Jiu stood at the door and said hesitantly, "Xiaoyu, let's go back. The boss has been looking all over for you—"
Yu Tan cut him off coldly, "Looking for him? I just happened to want some wine. Came down to choose a bottle."
And as if to prove his point, he really did walk around the racks, carefully selecting a bottle. But his gaze kept drifting back toward the corner, though he got no response from the little lump huddled there.
Moments later, Yu Tan left with Ah Jiu.
Hu Xiaoyu curled up tighter. He was upset.
He was scared of thunderstorms, and yet Yu Tan had come down to the wine cellar for a drink in the middle of a storm? So unfair.
As for not being let into the room earlier… well, the room was Yu Tan's. He had every right to say no.
Still, he couldn't help but think—if it were the Yu Tan he remembered, he never would've shut him out.
The wine cellar grew quiet again.
No thunder here. No Yu Tan barking at him.
Peaceful.
Good for healing.
Ah Jiu followed Yu Tan out.
He wanted to mention how pale Hu Xiaoyu looked, like he was really sick. But when he saw how tightly wound his boss was, he hesitated.
Maybe he'd sneak a doctor in later, just to be safe.
Before he could finish that thought, Yu Tan hurled the bottle of wine against the wall.
The crash of glass echoed sharply in the enclosed space.
Then, stormy-footed, Yu Tan turned and marched back.
Hu Xiaoyu wasn't really asleep. His heart still ached, and he'd just been resting his eyes.
When Yu Tan came back in, he opened his eyes.
And saw Yu Tan kneel down beside him with a face like thunder.
A moment ago, his heart had been full of rage. But the moment his arms closed around that small bundle, a strange calm washed over him.
Hu Xiaoyu's cheek brushed Yu Tan's damp shirt.
He wasn't stupid. He hadn't thought about it earlier, but now it clicked.
"You weren't picking wine... were you looking for me?"
"Shut up."
"Oh."
Hu Xiaoyu reached out, wrapped his arms around Yu Tan's neck, and remained still in his arms.
He felt a little embarrassed. Yu Tan was cold, and he didn't have enough spiritual power to warm him right now.
Yu Tan carried him straight back to his room.
He stripped him down to just his underwear, and only when he brought out the first-aid kit did Hu Xiaoyu realize his knee was scraped.
Right. He must've banged it when he rushed downstairs earlier.
Then Yu Tan bundled him into bed.
Rain still drummed against the windows, but not as hard.
Yu Tan said nothing more, as if still brooding. He grabbed clean clothes and headed for the shower.
Hu Xiaoyu sniffled. The blankets smelled like Yu Tan. So nice.
But the room was too cold now. He couldn't take it.
The rain had let up. Yu Tan didn't seem to want him here.
Hu Xiaoyu climbed out of bed.
He barely got the door open before being scooped back up.
"Where do you think you're going?" Yu Tan asked, hair dripping wet, body bare, lean and strong.
"C-cold… Going back to my room," Hu Xiaoyu stammered.
He'd glanced somewhere he shouldn't have.
It was… big.
Maybe he was the one who needed more physical training.
Yu Tan tossed him back into bed. Because of how they were standing, that certain part of Yu Tan's anatomy was now directly in his line of sight.
Extremely arrogant. Slightly rising.
Yu Tan didn't flinch or hide. His brow arched. "Do you like what you see?"
Hu Xiaoyu: "..."
Among males, that question had a very specific meaning.
His face turned bright red.
He was still young! He'd grow!
He threw the blanket over his head. "No! It's ugly! I'm cold! Let me go back!"
Yu Tan pulled up the covers and kissed one flushed red ear. "Doesn't matter how it looks. You'll like how it feels."
His voice was soft, with a teasing edge.
Then he straightened, silent again.
When he touched Hu Xiaoyu, he noticed something.
No warmth.
Was he really that scared?
Yu Tan had never told anyone he liked Hu Xiaoyu's warmth.
Soft and cozy.
He'd expected to hate it, but if it was Hu Xiaoyu…
Maybe it was okay.
Hu Xiaoyu hid under the covers, waiting for Yu Tan to leave.
He felt a pat on the blanket, then Yu Tan's quiet, almost tender voice:
"Tonight… won't be cold."
When he peeked out again, he realized the room's temperature was rising.
Eventually, he drifted off to sleep.
When Yu Tan came out of the bathroom, he found the little fox curled around his pillow, fast asleep. A rare smile tugged at his lips.
But he never let go of grudges.
Five minutes later, at that exact moment—
Liu Luanzhou received a message from Yu Tan:
[You there?]
He blinked.
They hardly ever talked, except about work.
[Something up?]he replied.
Yu Tan's eyes were cold.
Good. He's there.
A moment later, Liu Luanzhou received a photo.
In it, the breathtakingly beautiful Hu Xiaoyu was fast asleep, his face peaceful despite signs of fatigue.
What made it worse was the hand resting on his lips—strong, elegant, clearly not his own.
The image alone suggested an intimate, suggestive scene.
Liu Luanzhou:
[What's the meaning of this? Xiaoyu is innocent. This has nothing to do with him.]
No response.
He tried messaging again—
Blocked.
Furious, he almost threw his phone.
But in the end, he saved the photo.
The next morning, Hu Xiaoyu returned to his own room.
After he got dressed, Yu Tan reset the room's temperature in front of him.
Hu Xiaoyu: "…"
So that was just temporary?
Yu Tan beckoned. When Hu Xiaoyu came close, he pulled him into his arms.
He kissed him until his lips flushed again. Then:
"I'll go to Liu Luanzhou's birthday party with you."
Yu Tan never explained himself to anyone.
To explain was to admit weakness. He had no need.
He despised Liu Luanzhou's fake politeness.
Liu Luanzhou probably thought he was cruel and underhanded.
To Yu Tan, attending that birthday party was an act of generosity.
But going as Hu Xiaoyu's partner?
Now that… might be entertaining.
Seeing Hu Xiaoyu sneak shrimp from the boss's bowl again, Ah Jiu finally let out a sigh of relief.
For the past few days, he hadn't even dared to breathe loudly.
That afternoon, Hu Xiaoyu went back to his room for a nap.
While watching the monitor feed of the little fox sprawled out like a starfish in bed, Yu Tan gave an instruction to Ah Jiu:
"Install surveillance on the second basement level."
On the day of Liu Luanzhou's birthday party, Hu Xiaoyu wore the outfit Yu Tan had prepared for him.
A pure white suit—hard to pull off for most, but on him, it looked stunning beyond words.
Even Yu Tan looked at him several times.
Pleased with himself, Hu Xiaoyu twirled in front of Yu Tan and asked, "Do I look good?"
Yu Tan, ever composed, replied calmly, "Acceptable. There's another set—why don't you try that one too?"
Hu Xiaoyu headed to the walk-in closet connected to the bedroom to change.
But just as he'd taken off the first outfit, Yu Tan, who claimed he was going to fetch the other set, suddenly locked the closet door behind him.
Two hours later, Hu Xiaoyu was carried into the bathroom by Yu Tan for a bath.
In the closet, the two hadn't gone all the way.
But what had happened was already… quite intense.
Yu Tan had never lost control like that before. He'd practically coaxed and tempted Hu Xiaoyu, trying to push things to the final step.
But to his surprise, the little dummy had gotten clever at just the right moment—repeating that same line:
"Not until it's not cold anymore."
In the end, Yu Tan had no choice but to stop.
That kind of frustrated intimacy was something he had never experienced before.
But the tingling pleasure and the release—it was also something he'd never felt before.
Especially when the little fox looked up at him with those dewy, innocent eyes…
He looked exactly like a delicious, tempting treat.
Just one glance could—
Sitting in the car on the way to the banquet,
Hu Xiaoyu didn't know what Yu Tan was thinking.
As for himself…
He finally understood what Jinbao meant by "very, very comfortable."
So that's what it meant.
He really liked it.
But still, he hoped it wouldn't go any further.
Just thinking about the way Yu Tan had looked at him back then made his heart beat nervously.