EIP 14

A shameful sense of loss gripped Zhou Jun’s chest as he watched Yong Jin pull away. His body moved before his mind could catch up, and by the time he realized what he was doing, his fingers had already caught the edge of Yong Jin’s clothing. Yong Jin paused and lowered his gaze to look at the hand gripping his clothes. The phone rang again, more urgently this time, and Zhou Jun let go. His fingertips left shallow creases in the fabric.

When Yong Jin stood up to answer the phone, Zhou Jun straightened on the bed, adjusting his robe and tying the sash. From the outside, it looked as if nothing had happened, as if they hadn’t just been tangled together, desperate to devour each other. Yong Jin leaned against the table, holding the receiver. His voice was composed and gentlemanly, and he nodded politely as he listened.

From the bed, Zhou Jun noticed that several buttons on Yong Jin’s shirt were undone.

The vest was still worn over it, and the watch chain had gotten tangled in the buttons. His chest was partly exposed, revealing a faint flush of pink, subtle evidence of arousal. Zhou Jun suddenly realized that he had never actually seen Yong Jin’s body before.

After hanging up, Yong Jin turned to him and said, “It was your older brother.” Zhou Jun was startled and had no time to respond before Yong Jin’s smile faded. “Your brother is very angry about your situation. He’s on his way here now.” Zhou Jun blurted out, “I have a wife.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he noticed Yong Jin’s expression freeze.

Yong Jin’s smile faded completely. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “What does Mr. Zhou mean by that?” Zhou Jun took a sip of tea, avoiding his eyes and looking out the window. “Sorry. I just said that without thinking.” After a pause, something occurred to him. “How does my brother know what happened? Did you tell him?”

Yong Jin shook his head. “No.”

Zhou Jun wanted to ask what exactly was going on between Yong Jin and his brother, but the question never made it past his lips. It was probably just his imagination. Maybe it was because of what Yong Jin had done to him that his thoughts were spinning out of control. His older brother was not that kind of person.

He remembered the warning his brother had given him to stay away from Yong Jin. The relationship between the Zhou family and the Yong family was indeed delicate. Now that his brother was personally coming to fetch his foolish younger sibling, he would definitely not be pleased. He would probably confine him at home and cut his allowance, forcing him to behave for a while.

Zhou Jun glanced at the golden robe he was still wearing and asked, “Does the Major General have any other clothes?” Yong Jin seemed confused by the request and replied, “Is this one not good?” Zhou Jun gave an awkward smile. “It’s just not very presentable.” He heard the man snort softly, clearly amused. “You don’t seem to care about being presentable when you’re with women.”

The words made Zhou Jun uneasy. He frowned, wondering if Yong Jin really had been following him. Could he have witnessed what happened in the car earlier? Startled by the thought, Zhou Jun jumped up and feigned anger. “You really were following me. Did you see something? I don’t like this.”

Perhaps moved by his childlike tone, Yong Jin said calmly, “So before I saved you, you really did do something.” The response threw Zhou Jun off. He felt cornered and reluctant to explain. The more he said, the more mistakes he would make. No wonder his older brother told him to stay away from Yong Jin.

He tried to change the subject. “Did you hear the tune I played for you?” Yong Jin walked into the bathroom to wash his hands. His voice came from inside, calm and unhurried. “I heard it. Why?”

Zhou Jun could not bring himself to answer. He felt ridiculous, like he had made a fool of himself.

Yong Jin came out of the bathroom drying his hands and commented, “You didn’t play well. The tune was all wrong.”

Zhou Jun fell silent. He sat quietly in his chair, frowning as he looked at Yong Jin. His expression was mixed with frustration and confusion. He could not understand where things had gone wrong. Women were fine. What had he been thinking? Men like Yong Jin should never be provoked. It was a waste of time and energy, and nothing good ever came from it. Still, he had to admit that being with Yong Jin gave him a secret kind of pleasure, something dark and thrilling that he could not resist.

That kind of pleasure always came with consequences, and he knew it. Even so, he could not stop. He kept thinking about him. He knew it was foolish, but he kept doing it anyway. Maybe this was the price for lighting his own fire. He had always liked Yong Jin’s face too much. Even just seeing him leaning out the window made Zhou Jun realize how much he liked it.

Every time he saw Yong Jin, all thoughts of Miss Wen or the beautiful Shirley would vanish completely. Yong Jin noticed the change in his expression, from annoyance to quiet realization. Not knowing what Zhou Jun was thinking, he stepped forward slowly, amused by what he saw.

Zhou Jun was a true young master. His face was pale and delicate. His white neck, framed by dark silk, still bore the faint outline of fingertips. Yong Jin recalled how roughly he had handled him earlier and felt a trace of regret. Zhou Jun was too delicate. Even a light touch could leave a mark.

But that was what made him so alluring. Yong Jin liked rare things, things that felt like treasures. Zhou Jun fit that taste perfectly, just like his favorite horse, his best wine, or the gun he trusted most. He reached out to touch Zhou Jun’s cheek. Zhou Jun’s eyelashes lowered. Without thinking, he leaned into the palm, rubbing against it like a cat.

Yong Jin remembered the taste of that earlier kiss. His throat tightened with the urge for more. His eyes dropped. Zhou Jun’s hand was already resting on his shoulder. His lips were slightly parted, as if waiting for another kiss. His fingers scratched lightly against the fabric, the motion quiet but full of longing.

Yong Jin pulled back. He caught Zhou Jun’s wandering hand and pressed it down. Then, with the calm of a gracious host, he said, “I’ll have someone bring you a change of clothes, Mr. Zhou. Would you like some afternoon tea?”

Zhou Jun looked stunned and mumbled a quiet response, then shook his head to refuse. After Yong Jin left the room, Zhou Jun threw himself onto the bed. He buried his face into the pillow and rubbed it hard in frustration.

The clothes Yong Jin sent were a long robe embroidered with dark patterns. Once dressed, someone came to escort Zhou Jun downstairs. As he descended the staircase, he spotted the man seated on the large brown leather chair in the hall. He instantly regretted coming down.

But it was too late. His older brother, Zhou Yan, was already looking at him. His expression was dark with anger. Zhou Jun knew that if they were not in the Yong residence, the teacup in his brother’s hand would have been smashed against his face by now.

Zhou Jun’s expression twisted awkwardly, but Yong Jin did not seem to care. He placed an arm around Zhou Jun’s waist and another at his back, supporting him like one might help a pregnant woman. It almost looked like he was about to carry him down the stairs. Zhou Jun tried to push his hands away in embarrassment but failed. He had no choice but to let Yong Jin help him to the sofa, all the while feeling his brother’s gaze bore into his back.

Yong Jin, appearing oblivious to the tension, said to Zhou Yan, “I have always respected you, Mr. Zhou. But I’m truly concerned about what happened after Jun Jun left your house. I care about him and don’t want to see him get hurt. I hope you can understand.”

Zhou Yan smiled coldly. “How could I not? Major Yong has certainly been thoughtful. Taking such good care of my family.”