TF01 93

Shi Yi’s business deal had gone remarkably well.

The smug grin on his face was practically begging for a punch, and Ying Ming didn’t even have to ask to know he had nailed it.

“A powerful outsider doesn’t challenge the local kingpin. With our official partnerships impacted, the company’s collaborators in the north have dropped off, but we’ve still got traction in the south. I’ve never been eager to expand too far too fast. We hadn’t even solidified the local market yet, and I didn’t want to spread ourselves too thin. But since my uncle’s dead set on pressuring me, guess I’ve got no choice but to run around more myself.” The biggest challenge with long-distance cooperation was communication. Relying on calls alone wasn’t reliable. Some things just couldn’t move forward without a face-to-face meeting.

As the saying goes, hardship forces change, and change brings opportunity.

Pleased with his progress report, Shi Yi let out a long, excited breath and collapsed onto the bed.

“But I’m exhausted. I hate going out of town.”

Being off his own turf always gave him a headache. Transportation, personnel, and accommodations had all been a hassle. The entire trip had been a blur of nonstop logistics, and not a single part of it had felt comfortable.

Ying Ming was leaning against the bed, watching TV. He laughed when he heard the complaint.

“You haven’t seen anything yet. At least you’re still in civilized territory.” The location he had scouted with Si Ji was so remote it felt like not even a living creature could survive there.

The landscape was great, but whether the whole crew could survive a shoot out there was another question entirely.

Even water and food could be a problem. If things got rough, they might have to assign a dedicated catering truck every day.

Right after Ying Ming said that, Shi Yi grabbed him and yanked him onto the bed, pulling him off-balance.

His nose nearly touched Ying Ming’s cheek as he pressed close.

“I saw that trailer, by the way. What the hell was that?”

He had caught the news in the hotel room the night of the deal. Judging by how successful they had been at generating buzz, it was clear the film had hit its mark. Even the host introducing the clip on the entertainment segment couldn’t hide her gossipy thrill, laughing suggestively. And that trailer, every frame was dripping with bait. If he hadn’t known the actual plot, he would’ve thought they were shooting something way more explicit.

The sudden tug startled Ying Ming. He caught himself on the bed just in time to avoid crushing Shi Yi’s glasses. He frowned.

“You’re reacting way too late. That trailer dropped ages ago.”

“I hadn’t seen it before.”

Shi Yi leaned in and bit his lip playfully, not hard, just enough to tickle. Ying Ming gave a sharp exhale through his nose.

“Ou Yang was right. That film’s probably not something I should be watching.”

The nibbling slowly turned into a kiss. Shi Yi kept it deliberately light, teasing him with brief touches that never lingered. Each time their lips met, he would pull away again, again and again, until Ying Ming finally lost his patience and grabbed him by the collar. That was when Shi Yi laughed and kissed him deeply, all at once.

In the middle of catching his breath, Ying Ming mumbled against his mouth, “Ou Yang knows?”

“Mhm…” Shi Yi’s kiss grew heavier. “He’s known for a while. Just didn’t say anything. That night he said he was coming over to work, I told him.”

As both his business partner and a friend of many years, Shi Yi hadn’t felt right keeping it from him.

Ying Ming gave a slight nod. He reached up and removed Shi Yi’s glasses, which had been getting in the way. His fingers moved slowly over the man’s face, tracing features that felt both familiar and subtly changed. The outline beneath his hand seemed to carry a sharper edge now, a trace of maturity that hadn’t been there before. It was sentimental, maybe even cheesy, but he couldn’t help feeling like Shi Yi had picked up a hint of something weathered, something seasoned.

“Was the pressure from the company really that bad?” It would take more than a small problem to shake the cocky, overconfident aura that Shi Yi normally wore like a badge.

But Shi Yi had no interest in talking about any of that. Ying Ming’s question only earned a soft grunt in response before Shi Yi reached up and cradled the back of his head. The two of them slowly rolled from the edge of the bed toward the center, while the news broadcast on the TV droned on with mechanical detachment. Around them, however, the air was thick with tension and desire.

Shi Yi didn’t want to talk about work.

Partly because Ying Ming couldn’t really help even if he knew, and partly because Shi Yi already had his own plan. He hadn’t gotten this far because luck dropped into his lap. Every step had been carved out with his own hands. If he could fight for a seat at the table but couldn’t hold it, then he had no business talking about ambition.

It had been a while since they’d touched each other, and both of them were clearly feeling it. Shi Yi had originally said he was going to shower, but now he couldn’t be bothered to wait. The shift from kissing to full-body heat didn’t take long at all. They tore each other’s sleepwear off quickly. Shi Yi remembered all too well how things had gone last time, so he didn’t waste a second. He reached into the drawer, grabbed the lube, and poured out nearly half the bottle. Before Ying Ming could get a word of protest out, he was already pressing in.

The phone rang.

The shrill, repetitive tone was grating. Shi Yi frowned and didn’t pause. “Ignore it.”

But Ying Ming had already pulled away and sat up. “No, it’s not a cell.”

Only a few people knew the number to the landline. And everyone who did also knew he usually kept his phone on. So anyone who called that number probably had something important to say.

Especially lately, when even the smallest ripple could mean something.

He reached for the phone. Just as he picked it up, Young Master Shi yanked him back onto the bed, limbs spread out like a blanket as he sprawled over him, the heat between his legs pressing hard into the base of Ying Ming’s thigh. His breath was blowing against the back of Ying Ming’s ear.

Ying Ming tilted his head back slightly, but his voice when he answered was coldly composed.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Mingzi.” It was Kou Jing.

Ying Ming raised an eyebrow and relaxed slightly. Shi Yi also recognized who it was, and since it was a familiar name, he took the chance to flip Ying Ming over and grind their painfully hard bodies together. Watching Ying Ming’s brow tighten, he grinned and puckered his lips, blowing him a shameless air kiss. Then his hand slid down between them, and he gave a sudden, firm squeeze.

Ying Ming inhaled sharply.

Kou Jing, mid-sentence, suddenly stopped like a broken cassette tape. He hesitated, and then said in disbelief, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Are you two seriously going at it again? Am I cursed or what?”

It had happened last time too, and now again, before sunset no less. What kind of degenerate lifestyle were these two living?

Kou Jing’s reaction made Ying Ming laugh. He had to admit the timing was a bit ridiculous, but before he could say anything, Shi Yi reached over and snatched the phone.

“If you’re not calling for an ambulance, call back in thirty minutes!” he barked, and hung up.

But it was as if fate had a bone to pick with him, because the moment the call ended, the phone rang again.

Shi Yi scowled, while Ying Ming, flat on his back next to him didn’t move.

Muttering under his breath, Shi Yi picked it up again. He barely raised it to his ear when Kou Jing’s furious shout exploded from the receiver.

“Fuck your entire family, Shi Yi! If you croak in thirty minutes I swear I—”

Shi Yi hung up on him again.

Before Kou Jing could finish yelling, Shi Yi hung up on him again.

This time, he was smarter about it. He didn’t hang up all the way, just enough to shift the ringing tone into a busy signal, the stuttering kind that made it impossible to call back. Ying Ming couldn’t help laughing, which earned him an irritated glare from Shi Yi.

Still, the heat they had built up earlier had already been ruined by Kou Jing’s interruption. In the end, all Shi Yi did was press up against Ying Ming and get them both off using friction alone. The air in the room was still heavy with heat and the smell of each other’s skin, the sheets already stained with traces of them both. Ying Ming kicked him off toward the bathroom.

“These sheets were just changed. Don’t be such a beast. You just got back from a trip. Go take a shower and get some rest unless you want to drop dead from exhaustion.”

Shi Yi groaned reluctantly and scratched his head. “Then stop teasing me. There are some words you really shouldn’t say to a man.”

After a beat, he added, “Especially not to a man’s man.”

That last part nearly made Ying Ming’s face contort. He resisted the urge to comment and simply raised an eyebrow. Shi Yi walked into the bathroom and, as if performing on purpose, left the door wide open. The sound of running water mixed with the silhouette of his body in the rising steam made the whole scene feel like something out of a softcore action movie. Shi Yi kept posing shamelessly, dragging things out for quite a while. But Ying Ming didn’t react, letting him fool around without so much as blinking.

By the time Shi Yi came back out in a robe and climbed into bed, the frustration on his face was obvious.

“Sometimes I seriously think you’re terrifyingly calm. Not even a twitch.”

Desire wasn’t something you could turn on and off like a faucet. The fact that Ying Ming could control it so precisely was actually a little scary.

Ying Ming only gave him a sideways glance and muttered lazily, “Ever heard of youthful impulse? You don’t know what the word youthful means anymore?”

Shi Yi’s eye twitched at the word.

Having acted in so many films, especially with so many intimate scenes, Ying Ming had learned to keep his reactions completely under control. If actors started getting aroused over every touch, they’d either get laughed off set or have to throw themselves into the nearest lake.

And for someone like Shi Yi, who hated hearing anything that reminded him of his age, that one line hit right where it hurt.

Shi Yi liked everything about Ying Ming. Except his mouth. The rest of the time, he swore it was impossible to love.

But he really was tired. Even though part of him was still a little worked up, his body gradually relaxed. It didn’t take long before he drifted off. Ying Ming listened to the quiet rhythm of his breathing, turned off the TV, and let himself fall asleep while the sun was still high.

Earlier, Kou Jing had said something about Wang Yiqi, but he hadn’t sounded too urgent. He could follow up later.

He had been running around nonstop these past few days and was completely worn out. If Shi Yi hadn’t told him in advance that he’d be home today, he probably would have spent the whole day asleep.

Fatigue settled into his limbs, and Ying Ming closed his eyes. The last time he checked the clock, it had been four thirty in the afternoon.

By the time he woke up again, it was already eleven thirty the next morning.

He was woken up by the sound of his phone. Shi Yi was still asleep. The phone had been left right by his ear, and the vibration felt especially loud. Half-asleep, Ying Ming fumbled around for it and glanced at the screen.

It was a call from home.

A little surprised, he answered. His mother’s voice came through the line.

“Ying Ming, do you know someone named Chen Cheng?”

His brow furrowed. “Why?”

“He’s here right now.” Her voice was tight with frustration. “Said something about you. I don’t know who this guy is, but I’d like to kick him out.”

She paused, hesitating, then added, “But I didn’t want to cause trouble for you, so I figured I’d check. Can I throw him out?”

“Yes.”

Ying Ming answered flatly. “You can kick him out, or literally throw him out.”

Then he hung up and turned toward the bed, grabbing Shi Yi by the arm and yanking him upright.

“Shi Yi. Get up.”

Still half-asleep, Shi Yi groaned and growled, clearly annoyed. He cracked an eye open and looked at him.

“What?”

“We’re going to see your uncle.”

Ying Ming had already put on his pants. Shi Yi sobered up slightly at the chill in his voice and frowned.

“My uncle?” He was still trying to figure out what was going on. Instinctively, he asked, “What for?”

Ying Ming looked up as he buttoned his shirt and gave him a cold smile.

“To beat the shit out of him.”