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Join the ServerThe other end of the line fell silent again.
After a long while, Jiang Yu finally spoke, his voice low.
“I just think… it’s not worth it.”
“Whether it’s worth it or not, I decide.”
Li Xiao’s voice was heavy.
“He hurt you. He has to pay the price.”
“But my hand will heal,” Jiang Yu said.
“If this gets you into big trouble, I’d feel… like it’s my fault.”
“It’s not your fault.”
Li Xiao answered immediately.
“It’s mine. I didn’t protect you.”
“Li Xiao…”
Jiang Yu’s voice was barely a whisper.
Li Xiao’s fingers tightened around the phone. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“…Fine.”
His voice was hoarse.
“I’ll listen to you.”
On the other end, Jiang Yu seemed stunned.
Li Xiao’s “I’ll listen to you” came too abruptly—so abrupt that Jiang Yu couldn’t react in time.
When Gu Ran said Li Xiao would listen to him, Jiang Yu had taken it as polite talk. Someone as strong-willed as Li Xiao wouldn’t really change his mind just because of one person’s words, would he?
But now…
“You… you’re really listening to me?”
Jiang Yu’s voice carried clear disbelief, even a slight tremor.
“Of course. I have to listen to your words.”
Li Xiao’s voice came through the receiver.
“I heard… listening to your boyfriend… brings good luck!”
Jiang Yu’s face instantly flared up, burning from his cheeks to his ears, even his fingertips holding the phone felt hot.
“Who… who’s your boyfriend?!”
He practically gritted his teeth to force out the words, his voice shaking from embarrassment and annoyance.
“Whoever says yes is.”
Li Xiao chuckled lowly on the other end, his voice magnetic and infuriating.
Jiang Yu was so angered by his shamelessness that his chest felt tight. Without thinking, he moved to hang up—
“Don’t hang up.”
Li Xiao seemed to anticipate his action, his voice suddenly softening, with a hint of pitifulness.
“…Something else?”
Jiang Yu’s finger hovered over the end button as he asked impatiently.
“Nothing.”
Li Xiao paused, his voice dropping even lower, crystal clear through the line.
“Just wanted to hear your voice.”
Jiang Yu’s heart clenched, as if gently bumped by something soft.
He opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word.
Finally, he only managed to throw out:
“…Bye.”
He pressed the red end button with force.
The moment the call cut off, the world fell silent.
Jiang Yu sat on the sofa, staring at the dark phone screen, his chest still heaving.
That “wanted to hear your voice” from Li Xiao earlier felt like it carried warmth, burrowing into his ears and scalding his entire being.
A few seconds later, the screen lit up again.
It was a WeChat message from Li Xiao.
– What do you want to eat tomorrow?
Jiang Yu stared at those words, his finger hovering over the screen. But in his mind, he uncontrollably replayed the tone and expression Li Xiao must have had when he said that.
He took a deep breath and typed:
– Don’t come tomorrow. Jiang Qing has no afternoon classes, so she can come back at noon to cook.
Almost instantly, a reply came.
– Oh, right, tomorrow is Sunday, Jiang Qing has no afternoon classes. Then I’ll bring lunch for three tomorrow noon.
Jiang Yu: “…”
He felt his temples throbbing.
– I meant don’t come, not bring lunch for Jiang Qing.
– I know. But I want to.
– Don’t come.
– No.
Jiang Yu stared at that resolute “no” and suddenly remembered how Li Xiao had said “I’ll listen to you” on the phone. He laughed in exasperation.
– You just said you’d listen to me.
This time, Li Xiao paused for a few seconds before replying:
– So… you admit I’m your boyfriend?
Jiang Yu glared at the message, feeling like Li Xiao’s logic was about to drive him crazy.
He took another deep breath and typed:
– Your comprehension skills are really something.
– Not bad.
Jiang Yu: “…”
He didn’t want to continue this topic.
– Tired. Going to sleep.
Li Xiao replied quickly:
– Okay. I’m going to sleep hugging your sweater.
Jiang Yu stared at that sentence, his cheeks flushing again. He opened his sticker library, scrolled for a while, found a panda head rolling its eyes in disdain, and sent it.
– Or should I come hug you to sleep?
Jiang Yu didn’t want to deal with him anymore. He directly sent a “zzZ” sleeping sticker.
Li Xiao sent back a smiley face and two words:
– Good night.
Jiang Yu turned off his phone, stuffed it under his pillow, and closed his eyes.
But his mind was full of Li Xiao’s voice, and the expression he might have had when speaking.
****
At the same time, in the villa.
Li Xiao leaned against the headboard, hugging Jiang Yu’s sweater. He wasn’t going to sleep just yet.
He picked up his phone and dialed his subordinate, Xiao Feng.
“Young Master Li.”
The call connected quickly.
“Have you made a move on Chen Rui?”
“Not yet, Young Master Li. Our people are following him, waiting for the right moment.”
Xiao Feng’s voice was respectful and calm.
Li Xiao’s fingers gently stroked the soft cashmere of the sweater. He was silent for a few seconds.
“Leave his hand alone.”
He spoke, his voice unusually clear in the quiet bedroom.
“Give him a beating, teach him a lesson, make sure he remembers. But don’t cripple him.”
There was a clear pause on the other end, but Xiao Feng quickly replied, “Understood, Young Master Li.”
“Mm. Don’t hit too hard either. A month or so in bed is enough.”
Li Xiao added flatly.
“Yes.”
After hanging up, Li Xiao tossed his phone aside and picked up the cream-colored sweater again, burying his face in it as he took a deep breath.
The scent of Jiang Yu lingered at the tip of his nose, mixed with a faint trace of bar alcohol.
Li Xiao closed his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips.
Listening to his boyfriend.
Felt… not bad.
****
The next day at noon, the knock came right on time.
Jiang Qing had gone to school in the morning, and Jiang Yu was sitting on the sofa, clumsily scrolling through his phone with his left hand.
He got up, walked to the door, and looked through the peephole.
Today, Li Xiao wore a black down jacket over a dark gray turtleneck sweater. He carried several insulated bags and a large duffel.
Jiang Yu opened the door.
Li Xiao’s eyes lit up the moment he saw him, a grin spreading across his face.
Jiang Yu stepped aside to let him in.
Li Xiao walked in naturally, set the insulated bags on the table, then turned and handed Jiang Yu the large bag.
“Your stuff. I got it from the bar’s changing room.”
Jiang Yu took it with his left hand.
Inside were his spare work clothes from the bar—jeans, a down jacket, and also the notebook for recipes and… a pair of gloves.
Jiang Yu rummaged through it, then looked up at Li Xiao.
“Where’s the sweater?”
Li Xiao was busy taking containers out of the insulated bags. Without looking up, he said:
“Confiscated.”
“…What?”
“I said, it’s confiscated.”
Li Xiao set out the last container, then turned around, leaned against the dining table, crossed his arms, and looked at Jiang Yu with utter justification.
“I need to hug something to sleep at night.”
Jiang Yu’s face instantly flushed bright red, the tips of his ears turning pink.
He glared at Li Xiao, his lips pressed tight. After a long pause, he finally managed to choke out:
“Bring it back tomorrow.”
“No.”
Li Xiao raised an eyebrow, a roguish smile on his lips.
“My boyfriend won’t let me kiss or hug him. What can I do? I have to settle for hugging his sweater instead.”
“You…!”
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