Song Liang wasn’t an idiot.
Back at the Xiao estate, he could explain Xiao Yi’s help as a matter of necessity. But now they were at the villa. There were plenty of servants who could help him out of the car and upstairs. Failing that, there was always Yang Xuan.
There was no reason for someone of Xiao Yi’s standing to do it himself.
Yet he had not only volunteered to help, but chosen the strangest possible method: carrying Song Liang upstairs in front of the household staff and his assistant, then personally bringing him into his room.
After all that, Song Liang would have to be a fool not to notice.
So he had pinned the man down and asked directly, only to discover an unexpected bonus.
Through the expensive fabric of his trousers, the man beneath him pressed hot and hard against his lower abdomen.
Song Liang deliberately shifted, then smiled in satisfaction as Xiao Yi’s breathing deepened.
“Nothing to say, Chairman Xiao?”
“…”
Xiao Yi’s jaw was rigid. Whether from anger or something else, a faint flush had spread over his cool, pale face.
Gripping Song Liang’s left hand, he tried to push him away.
“Get off!”
Song Liang only had one good hand, and he wasn’t as strong as Xiao Yi. Forced upright, he still found time to remark, “You even remembered which hand wasn’t injured.”
“…”
At the end of his patience, Xiao Yi shoved him aside.
Song Liang toppled onto the bed. By the time he recovered, Xiao Yi was standing several steps away.
His clothes were disheveled, his hair falling over his forehead. His cold, handsome face had lost some of its lofty composure.
He stared at Song Liang darkly, anger and frost mingling in his green eyes—an ice-bound abyss, yet also a green wilderness beneath a blazing sun.
Song Liang couldn’t resist propping his chin on his hand to admire him.
“You look good angry too, Uncle.”
Xiao Yi: “…”
His face grim, Xiao Yi forced the words through his teeth.
“Do you know what you’re doing?”
Song Liang glanced pointedly downward.
Xiao Yi’s expression changed. Turning sideways to escape his gaze, he hurried toward the door.
“Chairman Xiao—”
Bang!
The door slammed so loudly that practically the entire villa heard it.
The servants hardly dared breathe. Yang Xuan was stunned.
He had watched Xiao Yi go in, then watched him storm out and slam the door as though possessed.
He had never seen anyone make Xiao Yi this angry.
Neither had the servants.
Aunt Jiang hesitated, wanting to check whether Young Master Song was all right. She worried he might have provoked Xiao Yi into hitting him.
Their employer had never been one to strike people, but this particular young master was exceptionally good at causing trouble. It wouldn’t be the first time he had driven their boss to physical anger.
The servants turned pleading eyes on Yang Xuan.
His expression stiffened.
“…Fine. I’ll check on him.”
In the end, Yang Xuan went upstairs, knocked on Song Liang’s door, and called cautiously, “Young Master Song?”
A languid male voice answered, “Come in.”
He didn’t sound as though he had been beaten.
Relieved, Yang Xuan decided his boss had remained rational after all. The male temptress hadn’t quite managed to make him burst a lung.
He opened the door.
Song Liang was reclining on the bed, chin propped in his hand, a mysterious smile on his lips.
He lazily lifted his eyes.
“Something you need?”
“…Nothing.”
Yang Xuan looked him over, confirmed he was unharmed, then said, “Aunt Jiang asked me to see whether you needed any help.”
Song Liang beckoned him closer.
Yang Xuan approached hesitantly.
“I think your boss likes me.”
“…”
Yang Xuan felt as though lightning had struck him.
“I-I… I wouldn’t know.”
He was so frightened he could barely speak.
He didn’t know how to answer. If he said yes, Song Liang might be fishing for information. If he said no, he might be falling behind his boss’s plans.
If his boss had already decided to pursue this scandalous relationship, he couldn’t be the one holding him back.
Song Liang raised an eyebrow.
“He even got hard for me.”
Yang Xuan: “!!!”
Was his boss really that uninhibited?!
Though his thoughts were in turmoil, Yang Xuan stubbornly answered every subsequent question with “I don’t know.”
Song Liang finally let him leave.
【…I don’t think this proves anything.】
“He reacted,” Song Liang said.
【You’d react too if someone rubbed against you like that.】
“I wouldn’t.”
【???】
The system suddenly realized something.
They had been in this world for months, and it didn’t seem to have ever seen its host get hard. Not even first thing in the morning.
【Are you impotent???】
“I simply don’t want to.” Song Liang remained unfazed. “That kind of physical response is easy to control.”
3085 conceded defeat.
It had forgotten this man could even regulate his body while suffering from hypothermia. Controlling a response like that was hardly beyond him.
After enough shocks, it had somehow grown used to them.
【Ordinary people can’t do that. Especially adult men who haven’t had sex in a long time—they can react easily. It doesn’t prove he’s interested in you.】
“And carrying me in front of everyone was just him looking after his nephew’s partner?”
【Maybe he isn’t gay, so it never even occurred to him to see it that way?】
That was the most reasonable explanation. Song Liang couldn’t refute it.
Still, he had finally found something he might be able to offer Xiao Yi, and he wasn’t willing to give up so easily.
He would find another chance to test him.
Something about that sounded wrong to 3085, though it couldn’t immediately pinpoint why.
Only at dinner did it suddenly click.
【Isn’t this cheating?!】
The unexpected outburst startled Song Liang.
His silver spoon struck the side of his bowl with a clear clang, breaking the dining table’s peculiar silence.
Xiao Ji swallowed, looking distinctly uneasy.
At the head of the table, Xiao Yi appeared composed. In reality, he was eating at half his usual pace.
Neither of the other two noticed; both were distracted themselves.
The sudden sound seemed to rouse uncle and nephew at once. They both looked up at Song Liang.
He instinctively raised his head too—but looked first at Xiao Yi across the table.
Their eyes met.
Xiao Yi visibly paused, then discreetly lowered his gaze.
Song Liang raised an eyebrow.
Deliberately avoiding suspicion?
Xiao Ji missed the exchange. He was busy wondering whether Song Liang was trying to remind him about their engagement.
Song Liang deliberately kept watching Xiao Yi, curious how long the man could withstand his stare.
Then Xiao Ji abruptly spoke.
“We’re planning to get engaged after the New Year.”
Clang.
Another sound.
This time, it wasn’t Song Liang.
It was Xiao Yi.
Xiao Ji had never seen his uncle lose his composure at the table before.
Apparently, he still disliked Song Liang intensely. The mere news of their engagement had provoked such a reaction.
Feeling guilty, Xiao Ji was about to say something when his uncle asked, “Have you set a date?”
“Before the Lantern Festival.”
“Mm.”
Neither spoke further after that brief exchange.
Studying the man across from him, Song Liang suddenly said, “It’s fine to postpone it.”
The man opposite him paused almost imperceptibly.
Xiao Ji froze, his tone cooling.
“Why?”
Song Liang considered it. “I haven’t graduated yet.”
“Are you sulking because I wouldn’t agree to get married immediately?”
“You never intended to marry me anyway,” Song Liang said calmly. “You’re doing this for the Emperor’s Tear. You don’t really want to get engaged to me. You should be happy I’m offering to postpone it.”
“Who knows? Delay it long enough and I might stop liking you. Then I might even give you the Emperor’s Tear for nothing. Wouldn’t that make you happy?”
His complete indifference stung Xiao Ji.
“Found someone richer than me?” he sneered.
The table went abruptly silent.
Xiao Ji realized how hurtful that sounded and regretted it.
He already knew Song Liang didn’t like him for his money. But the moment he heard that Song Liang no longer wanted the engagement, anger had surged through his head.
The words had escaped before he could stop them.
He swallowed and was about to explain when Song Liang spoke leisurely.
“Money isn’t really important. Life experience is.”
Xiao Ji blinked.
Across the table, Xiao Yi unconsciously slowed the movement of his water glass.
“Lately, I’ve realized I prefer older men. Experienced. Mature.”
Song Liang smiled slowly at the man opposite him.
“And, of course, beautiful would be even better.”
Xiao Yi: “…”
Xiao Ji’s face darkened.
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