Chapter 94 – Effortless Mastery

Wei Lai felt suffocated in his sleep. When he opened his eyes, he found Chu Yin’s head pressing down on his chest.

Wei Lai reached out to push him away, but Chu Yin wriggled around and buried his face in Wei Lai’s armpit.

Wei Lai: “You should be glad I don’t have body odor, or I’d suffocate you. Did you not sleep all night?”

Chu Yin muttered, “I couldn’t sleep. I looked it up on Baidu—it said you’re supposed to bring gifts when meeting parents. What should we buy?!”

Wei Lai stretched lazily. “They don’t need anything. Don’t bother—it’s not like we’re going for New Year’s.”

Chu Yin thought about it and found Wei Lai’s reasoning sound. The two dressed up flamboyantly, took Wei Gui with them, and sent him home.

The moment Wei Gui saw Yan Xueni, he basked in three seconds of maternal love before charging into his room like a wild boar.

Wei Lai: “Safe and sound delivery. We’re leaving now.”

Yan Xueni wouldn’t let Wei Lai go so easily. “Hey, hey, since you’re already here, stay for dinner tonight! It’ll just be our family, no outsiders.”

Wei Lai smiled but refused firmly. “No.”

Yan Xueni knew that while Wei Lai always wore a smile, his heart was as unyielding as steel. On the other hand, Chu Yin, who usually wore a cold expression, was softer. She turned to Chu Yin instead. “Chu Yin, you must be tired after a whole day of flying, right? I’ve kept Wei Lai’s childhood room clean all these years, and the bed’s already made. Why don’t you two take a nap? It’s the New Year—don’t exhaust yourselves!”

Chu Yin glanced at Wei Lai. For him, visiting Wei Lai’s childhood room was as tempting as cat food to Big Orange. But since Wei Lai didn’t say anything, Chu Yin wouldn’t make the decision himself and wisely hid behind Wei Lai.

Wei Lai: “… Another time.”

Yan Xueni sensed Chu Yin’s hesitation and half-dragged them inside. “Just take a nap, okay? Just a short one, then you can leave. Do it for Wei Gui’s sake—I promise I won’t bother you!”

True to her word, once she got them inside, Yan Xueni vanished without a trace.

Wei Gangzheng’s home was decorated in a heavy, imposing style, with calligraphy, paintings, and antiques. Chu Yin was stunned. “Are these real?”

Wei Lai: “… Fake. The real ones are in the study.”

Chu Yin: “…”

Wei Gangzheng came from a military background and had secretly engaged in business using his political status. Though wealthy and influential, he couldn’t afford to be too ostentatious, so the living room was filled with fakes.

Chu Yin was a little shocked. “Madam Wei… were you really a rebellious rich kid before?”

Wei Lai laughed. “Do I look like one?”

Chu Yin thought about it and nodded. “Yeah.”

Wei Lai led Chu Yin to his room. It was flooded with sunlight—so much that it nearly blinded them when they opened the door.

The room was immaculate, with powder-blue walls and a large desk by the window. The sunlight reflected off the desk’s surface in a dazzling glow.

Chu Yin could easily imagine Wei Lai in high school—his frame still carrying the lankiness of youth, wearing pajamas as he did homework at that desk. When the sunlight hit him, Wei Lai must have looked radiant.

Chu Yin blinked hard. “… Now I get why you’re not as fair-skinned as me. You were sunbathing indoors every day.”

Wei Lai: “Nah. That’s from digging for seafood by the beach when I was little.”

Chu Yin: “I want to see your childhood photos.”

Wei Lai pointed at the bookshelf. “There should be a photo album in there. Look for it yourself—see if you can find it.”

Standing in front of Wei Lai’s four-tiered bookshelf, Chu Yin gasped in amazement. “You have so many books! I can’t find it—what color is the album?”

Chu Yin stood on tiptoe and pulled out the book that looked most like an album from the top shelf.

The moment he opened it, a handsome Western face leaped out at him, with Wei Lai’s handwritten note beside it: I must study hard, break out of Asia, and taste the world!

This… this turned out to be Wei Lai’s scrapbook of hunks from around the world.

And he wanted to taste all the 1s worldwide!

“Madam Wei!” Chu Yin’s ears burned red with anger. “You little slutty chicken!!!”

Wei Lai’s scalp prickled. He snapped the hunk scrapbook shut and pulled out an actual photo album.

“Here, this one. Don’t be mad—I was young and dumb back then. Look, aren’t all the books on our shelf now just your photobooks?”

Wei Lai’s damage control was swift and effective. Chu Yin considered it and found it reasonable. Pursing his lips, he didn’t throw a tantrum.

Wei Lai’s childhood photos were all taken in professional studios—each one polished and adorable, making him look like a proper little gentleman. But Chu Yin preferred Wei Lai’s flashy, shameless selfies on his phone—those were more like the Wei Lai he knew.

At the very end was Wei Lai’s high school graduation photo. Wearing a blue school uniform, he stood smiling under the shade of a tree, dappled sunlight scattered across him.

Chu Yin stared at it for a long time before whimpering, “Wei Lai, you were so handsome in high school!”

Wei Lai: “Am I not handsome now?”

Chu Yin: “It’s different! You look amazing in a school uniform!!!”

Chu Yin took out his phone and snapped a picture of the photo. “I wish I’d gone to the same school as you in high school.”

Wei Lai: “What were you like in high school?”

Chu Yin was a little embarrassed. “I wasn’t good at academics.”

Wei Lai suddenly grinned, revealing his slutty chicken essence. “Need tutoring?”

Chu Yin was confused. “Huh? What?”

Wei Lai opened his closet—sure enough, his old clothes were still hanging inside, untouched.

He pulled out his school uniform and tossed it to Chu Yin. “Don’t wear anything underneath—just put this on. Go change in the bathroom.”

Chu Yin flushed. “Isn’t that… bad? This isn’t a hotel.”

Wei Lai: “Then let’s grab the uniform and go to a hotel?”

But Chu Yin’s tail was already perked up.

When Chu Yin emerged from the bathroom, he saw Wei Lai sitting at the desk in his school uniform, back turned, scribbling something in a notebook.

Chu Yin wore nothing under the oversized uniform and felt oddly exposed, as if he’d forgotten how to walk.

Wei Lai turned slightly and tapped the desk with his pen. “You’re late.”

Clearly, Wei Lai effortlessly embodied the study god persona, acting so naturally that Chu Yin was genuinely intimidated by his academic aura. For the first time ever, he apologized. “Sorry.”

Wei Lai: “The second mock exams are coming up, and you’re still wasting time. Whatever—come here, I’ll go over the key problems with you.”

Chu Yin approached. “There’s only one chair.”

Wei Lai: “Sit on my lap.”

Wei Lai pressed close to Chu Yin’s ear as he explained problems from the Five-Three workbook. Over a decade later, Wei Lai’s teaching skills were still sharp—unfortunately, Chu Yin understood none of it.

Wei Lai: “Here, try this problem.”

Chu Yin: “… I can’t do it.”

Wei Lai groped him. “After all the tutoring I’ve given you, you’d better figure it out.”

Chu Yin forced himself to attempt the problem, his hands so weak he could barely hold the pen.

……

Since they weren’t at home, Wei Lai only used his hands—but they were his hands. A little fingering here, a little poking there, and Chu Yin was left sprawled over the desk, dazed and unresponsive.

Wei Lai: “Get up—aren’t you cold?”

Chu Yin’s voice was hoarse. “… No strength.”

Wei Lai’s bed had two pillows and looked clean and soft. He helped Chu Yin back into his clothes and carried him to bed.

Chu Yin hadn’t slept all night and had just been thoroughly toyed with by Wei Lai. He let out a huge yawn and murmured, “Madam Wei, I’ll just nap for half an hour. Don’t leave.”

Wei Lai sat beside him, pinching the back of his neck. “Got it. Sleep.”

Chu Yin wrapped his arms around Wei Lai’s thigh and was out in seconds.

Wei Lai listened to Chu Yin’s steady breathing as the sunlight outside the window slowly faded.

Wei Lai’s room was on the second floor. The window was much newer than the others in the house, and the door was a different color.

That was because six years ago, Wei Lai had smashed both the window and the door of this room.