RTCBM 16

Since then, Mu Yuan had taken to visiting Wen Shang’s place frequently under the excuse of checking in on his Nai Gai. The real reason was to familiarize himself with the layout of Wen Shang’s home, laying the groundwork for a thorough search later.

Tomorrow was Wen Shang’s birthday. Coincidentally, it fell on the same day as He Dongying’s. Mu Yuan went to the mall, wandered around, and bought each of them a birthday gift.

“Dongzi, I’ve got business to handle tomorrow, so I’m skipping your party,” Mu Yuan said, shoving a gift box into He Dongying’s hands. “Take it. I picked this out especially for you. No need to get on your knees and thank me.”

He Dongying unwrapped the box. Inside was a gold tie clip. He noticed Mu Yuan holding another box about the same size and pointed at it.

“You got us the same thing?”

“Of course not. Yours is a brand name. His is some cheap knockoff. How could they even compare?” Mu Yuan smirked. He Dongying was his bro. Wen Shang was his target. Naturally, they deserved different treatment.

“Still, you could’ve put in a bit more effort. Would it kill you to pick something unique for me?”

Mu Yuan’s patience ran thin in under three minutes. “Cut the crap. If you don’t want it, just give it back.”

Sometimes, He Dongying really wanted to beat the hell out of him.

Wen Shang didn’t like anything flashy. Even for his birthday, he didn’t bother with a big celebration. He only invited a few close friends over for dinner, drinks, and a good chat. That was his idea of comfort and ease.

These friends had known Wen Shang for years. They were all old acquaintances. Mu Yuan was the only unfamiliar face in the group, which naturally stirred up a wave of curiosity.

“Hey, Shang, who’s this? Aren’t you gonna introduce your buddy to us?” Gao Zhiyu draped an arm around Wen Shang’s shoulder and smiled warmly at Mu Yuan.

Mu Yuan gave a polite nod and a quiet, shy smile, quietly nibbling on his food.

“His name’s Xiao Xing. A friend I met recently.”

“Friend? What kind of friend exactly?” Lin Haoran arched an eyebrow and shot Wen Shang a knowing look.

“A regular one.”

Lin Haoran clearly wasn’t satisfied with that answer and pressed on. “There are all kinds of regular friends, Mr. Wen. Mind being a little more specific?”

“Yeah, exactly. Spill the details,” Gao Zhiyu chimed in.

Mu Yuan hid a smirk as he listened, head down. Wen Shang, clearly irritated, shoved the two of them away.

“You guys here to celebrate or just cause trouble?”

“We’re just worried about you.” Gao Zhiyu put on a serious, heartfelt face. “It’s been forever since you’ve dated anyone, right? Not since back in college when you and—”

Before he could finish, Wen Shang shot him a glare sharp enough to kill.

“Hey,” Lin Haoran elbowed Gao Zhiyu as a warning not to step on any landmines.

Gao Zhiyu instantly got the message, mimed zipping his lips, and shut up.

Mu Yuan had been listening carefully, hoping to catch some juicy gossip, but the conversation was abruptly cut off. He was a little disappointed, though a part of him found it hilariously satisfying to discover that Mr. Wen actually had a sensitive nerve no one was supposed to touch.

The atmosphere at the dining table grew a little awkward. Luo Zixin, who had been quietly eating at the side, finally broke the silence.

“Do you guys know where Xiang Yang went? Why didn’t that guy show up today?”

Wen Shang returned to his usual expression, as if nothing had happened earlier.

“He said he had something to deal with. He’ll be coming by later.”

The brothers from House Six gathered to celebrate He Dongying’s birthday. After dinner, they headed straight to a bar to keep the party going.

As they left the restaurant to get their cars, someone called out to He Dongying from behind.

He turned around and saw a blond-haired man standing there with a cheerful smile.

“Happy birthday.”

With that, he handed over a neatly prepared gift.

“This is for you.”

“Thanks.”

“Aren’t you going to open it?” Xiang Yang asked.

He Dongying gave him a small smile and opened the box in front of him. Inside was a Patek Philippe watch. The moment he saw it, the smile on his face vanished completely.

“Take it back.”

Xiang Yang pretended not to understand and chuckled.

“It’s really nothing. Just a gift between friends. Don’t take it the wrong way.”

“Do normal friends give each other watches worth hundreds of thousands?” He Dongying found it ridiculous. “Xiang Yang, let me say it again. I’m fine being friends. As lovers, forget it.”

Whatever hope Xiang Yang had been holding onto disappeared. His expression dimmed.

“I never take back gifts I’ve given. If you don’t want it, toss it.”

He came alone and left the same way. He had expected this, but it still stung a little. Halfway through his drive, Xiang Yang pulled over. He sat in the driver’s seat, smiling bitterly to himself. Out of all the men in the world, he just had to fall for a hardcore straight guy. Wasn’t he asking for heartache?

Who knew how long had passed before Wen Shang called. The phone rang over and over before Xiang Yang finally picked up, his voice faint.

“Hello?”

“Where are you? Everyone’s waiting for you. When are you coming?”

“I’m not coming. I’m feeling a little off today. You guys have fun. I already sent your gift.”

He paused, then added softly, “Happy birthday.”

After hanging up, Xiang Yang slumped over the steering wheel with his eyes closed, staying like that for a very long time.

By the end of the night, Gao Zhiyu and the rest had drunk and partied to their hearts’ content. One by one, they collapsed on the living room floor, completely passed out.

Wen Shang went into the dining room to clean up. Seeing this, Mu Yuan stepped in to help.

“Xiao Xing, go sit outside. I’ll take care of this.”

“It’s fine. Two people get it done faster.”

Mu Yuan quickly gathered up the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. Then he grabbed a cloth from the kitchen and wiped down the table with practiced efficiency.

Before long, the place was spotless. As Wen Shang was about to leave the dining room, Mu Yuan reached out and gently tugged his sleeve.

“A Shang, I have something for you.”

Mu Yuan walked over to the chair where his coat was hanging, took out a gift wrapped in decorative paper from the pocket, and handed it to Wen Shang.

He mulled it over for a while, then finally spoke, sounding a little embarrassed.

“I was actually planning to give this to you earlier, but when I saw your friends bringing all those fancy name-brand gifts, I felt like mine was too cheap to show. I hope you don’t mind.”

Mu Yuan looked up with a trace of unease in his eyes and glanced at him.

Wen Shang took the gift and opened it right away. With the kind of feelings Mu Yuan had for him, there was no way he’d spend more than a hundred bucks on a present. The tie clip in Wen Shang’s hand was clearly several classes below the one He Dongying got. It was crudely made, the design basic and unimpressive, a cheap piece of crap. But because it was from Xiao Xing, Wen Shang still thought it was great. Love really could turn shit into gold.

“Compared to the rest of their gifts, I actually like yours more. Thanks.”

The Xiao Xing in Wen Shang’s eyes finally let out a breath of relief. This wolf dressed as a harmless little bunny gave him a bright, almost fake smile and said cheerfully, “As long as you like it~”

He really was dramatic as hell.

The mood in the room started to shift, a little hazy with something more intimate, but it didn’t last.

Gao Zhiyu, drunk out of his mind and swaying on his feet, leaned against the wall and shouted, “I’m fucking dying of thirst. Got any water?”

“In the fridge. Go grab it yourself,” Wen Shang replied, pointing toward the corner.

Gao Zhiyu burped, mistook Wen Shang for the fridge, and staggered toward him. Just then, his stomach churned violently and he threw up all over Wen Shang.

A vein on Wen Shang’s forehead twitched. If Xiao Xing hadn’t been standing right there watching, Gao Zhiyu would’ve gotten decked on the spot. Holding in the urge to punch him, Wen Shang helped the drunken bastard to the couch in the living room and left him there. Then he told Xiao Xing he was going to shower and change clothes.

That left Mu Yuan alone in the living room with three drunk idiots sprawled out and unconscious.

He’d been waiting forever for this moment.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Wen Shang wouldn’t be coming out anytime soon. Mu Yuan moved fast. He dashed into the bedroom and started searching. He went for the computer first, but there wasn’t one in sight. If the video wasn’t stored on a computer, it had to be on his phone, or a USB, or memory card.

Wen Shang’s phone had a lock. Mu Yuan tried a few times and failed, cursed, “Fuck your damn mother,” and tossed the phone aside before rummaging through everything else.

Drawers, cabinets, every corner got searched. But still nothing suspicious turned up. Could the video really be on that fucking pervert’s phone? If that was the case, this was going to be tricky.

Mu Yuan thought about it for a second and decided he might as well just take the phone with him.

Right as he was about to grab it, Nai Gai, who had been sleeping under the bed, suddenly launched out and pounced on him. Mu Yuan hadn’t been ready. Startled, he tried to dodge, but it was too late. Nai Gai’s claws caught his pant leg and yanked.

“You little shit, let go. Stop getting in my fucking way.” Mu Yuan glared down and whispered harshly.

Nai Gai seemed to understand. He lifted his head and glared right back, sticking out that long, forked tongue.

“Oh yeah? Keep being a little shit and I swear I’ll stew you alive.” Mu Yuan narrowed his eyes and warned him.

Nai Gai clearly didn’t give a fuck. He flicked his tongue again, still mocking him.

“Xiao Xing?”

Mu Yuan froze like he’d been electrocuted. He’d been so busy arguing with Nai Gai, he didn’t even notice the water had stopped running.

“What are you doing in my room?”

“……”

The man standing at the door wore nothing but a towel slung low around his waist, just enough to cover what needed covering. He might have looked lean with clothes on, but underneath, Wen Shang was all muscle. Broad shoulders, defined biceps, and a set of hard abs made it obvious he trained regularly.

With that kind of face and body, if he were a woman, most people would probably throw themselves at him and beg to be fucked. But Mu Yuan wasn’t most people. No matter how hot Wen Shang was, not even a millimeter of his dick would get hard for him.

Still, the act had to go on. He widened his eyes in fake surprise, then quickly looked away in a flustered panic. After stammering for a long time, he finally managed to say, “I… I just wanted to take a look at your room. Sorry. I walked in without permission.”

After that, he turned to leave, silently praying Wen Shang wouldn’t suspect anything. If the bastard found out, all his effort would go to waste.

But Wen Shang was quick. As Mu Yuan passed by, he reached out and grabbed him, pulling him in close.

The atmosphere shifted again, turning suggestive. Mu Yuan couldn’t think of anything to say. Wen Shang leaned in, gently brushing kisses across his forehead, eyelids, and cheek. Mu Yuan squeezed his eyes shut, frozen and tense. This time, he wasn’t acting. In his twenty-five years of life, this was the first time he’d ever been kissed by a man. He was so nervous he couldn’t even move.

Normally, he would’ve beat the guy to a pulp. But he didn’t forget who he was pretending to be right now. He was Xiao Xing, not Mu Yuan.

This was bad. That fucking pervert wasn’t wearing anything under the towel. If this kept going, Xiao Xing was going to get fucked up the ass.

The doorbell rang.

Wen Shang placed a hand on Mu Yuan’s head, ruffled his hair a little, grabbed the robe next to the bed, put it on, and went out to answer the door. Seizing the moment, Mu Yuan slipped out of the room.

Wen Shang stood at the door, said a few words to whoever was outside, then came back into the house carrying a heavy box in his arms. Mu Yuan, eager to steer things away from that earlier situation, quickly shifted the topic and asked with curiosity in his voice, “What’s that?”

“A birthday present from a friend. He was supposed to come tonight, but he wasn’t feeling well.”

Mu Yuan leaned in, pretending to be interested. “Wanna open it and see what’s inside?”

Wen Shang thought about it, then nodded. He grabbed a pair of scissors, sliced along the clear packing tape, and popped it open. He must’ve used too much force, because the contents of the box immediately spilled out onto the floor.

The first thing that caught Mu Yuan’s eye was a massive dildo with bumps. Then came a fox-tail butt plug, a headband with cat ears, lube, condoms, vibrating cock rings…

A full set of sex toys, everything imaginable.

Wen Shang: “……”

Mu Yuan: “……”

Fucking hell. This goddamn pervert hadn’t even gotten a taste of the meat yet and already had every kind of play lined up in his head.

Wen Shang cleared his throat awkwardly and rushed to explain. “I really didn’t know he was going to send me this kind of stuff…”

Mu Yuan turned his face away, not wanting to say another damn word to this pervert beside him.

Wen Shang wasn’t sure if his flushed face was from the alcohol or from embarrassment, but that bit of pink on his cheeks made him look pretty damn cute. Something inside him began to stir.

Nai Gai had somehow come running out from the bedroom and was circling around his owner’s feet. Its eyes landed on the dark red dildo on the floor. Thinking it was some kind of tasty treat, it stretched its neck out and took a big bite, stuffing the whole thing into its mouth.

Wen Shang rushed forward in panic. “You can’t eat that. Come on, be good. Spit it out for me.”

Man and lizard began fighting over the dildo like their lives depended on it. Mu Yuan rolled his eyes so hard they nearly got stuck in his skull.

Like owner, like pet. The guy’s a pervert, and even his lizard’s a freak.