09

 The boy had been cooped up in the closet for a long time, and the chafed areas were all red. His whole body looked white/pink, and the tear stains on his jade-like face were still wet, making him look pitiful.

Lu Baiyu almost didn't recognize that the person in front of him was Song Yu.

He only noticed that there was someone in the closet, but when he pulled him out, it turned out to be the usually arrogant young master.

However, at this moment, the other party was huddled in a pile of messy clothes, looking frightened, and making a whimpering sound like a small animal.

He was much more pleasing to the eye than when he was always picking fights. After

a few seconds of silence

, Lu Baiyu half-squatted down and picked up the bathrobe that Song Yu was pressing against his body, and the snow-white soft flesh in certain places was immediately covered.

"How did you get here?"

he said in a deep voice, his dark eyes staring at the other party.

The man had single eyelids, and his direct gaze inevitably gave off a sense of pressure. Unaware of this, Song Yu caught a whiff of the man's strong shower gel scent and his fingers curled slightly: "Put your clothes on."

Song Yu only glanced at him before his spine went numb, but judging from the man's gesture of covering him with clothes—he probably wasn't a bad person.

He licked his dry lips and pulled his bathrobe up.

At least he didn't look so disheveled now.

Song Yu was about to say thank you when 009 stopped him.

[Host, this is the protagonist, Lu Baiyu.]

[According to your character setting, you cannot say thank you to him.]

009, having just been released, finally saw its host's pitiful state: [Host, are you... alright?]

Song Yu sniffed. He really wanted to act cute with 009, but now wasn't the time; Lu Baiyu was still there to settle scores with him.

"Scared stiff?" Seeing Song Yu staring at him for a long time without speaking, his expression somewhat dazed, Lu Baiyu looked down. "Isn't the ground cold?"

This young master was delicate and pampered; he didn't want to cause trouble, so he reminded him before he spoke.

Sure enough, the other's attitude changed noticeably after seeing him: "Didn't you drag me out?"

Lu Baiyu narrowed his eyes, too lazy to pay attention to Song Yu's provocation.

But the next second, he saw Song Yu lower his eyes, his eyelashes wet and sticky with tears, then he twitched his small nose.

Song Yu's eyes were light in color, with a hint of gray, and when he looked lost, they appeared particularly broken, making one want to protect him.

Like a pitiful kitten, bullied to the point of being unable to fight back.

Lu Baiyu ignored the other's counterattack. He never liked to touch people, but seeing Song Yu's weak appearance, he couldn't help but extend his arm.

Song Yu looked at him in surprise: "...Wh-what are you doing?"

His voice sounded very nervous, as if he was afraid of what he was going to do.

What could he do?

Lu Baiyu remained expressionless as he offered help: "Didn't you say I was arrogant? I'll help you up now."

He didn't seem to have such a bad temper, just a fierce face. Song Yu

was about to reach out when an OOC (Out of Character) warning sounded in his mind.

[Host, you consider Lu Baiyu your mortal enemy and hate his charity the most.]

Song Yu listlessly withdrew his hand: "I can get up myself."

Seeing that the other party didn't appreciate it, Lu Baiyu withdrew his hand.

He remained squatting, while Song Yu, wrapped tightly in his bathrobe, awkwardly scrambled to his feet, his thighs visible through the gap, right in front of his face.

They looked very soft, swaying gently with the movement, trembling like ripples of white water.

However, they were quickly covered by the loose bathrobe.

Lu Baiyu stood up.

Song Yu had already put on his bathrobe and was now frowning, as if deep in thought.

He didn't seem to care where he had been for the past few months, but was worried about something else entirely.

Before, whenever he was around, Song Yu's attention was always on him, watching what he wore, what he did, what perfume he wore, and then verbally attacking and complaining while secretly copying him.

It was annoying, but at least he was watching him.

Not like now, being bewitched by a man he'd only known for a few months.

Lu Baiyu left the room with a grim face, and after only a few steps, he heard footsteps following him.

He stopped and turned around, the little cat behind him almost bumping into him.

Song Yu took two steps back, his voice barely audible, completely disregarding him as a guest: "Why did you suddenly come here..."

Lu Baiyu looked at him without speaking.

Song Yu felt his scalp tingle under his gaze: "Look...what are you looking at?"

He started off arrogantly, but his voice grew weaker and weaker, completely losing its momentum.

Damn it.

Had Lu Baiyu already discovered he'd been cheated on and was going to throw him out?

It wasn't time to beat up the adulterer yet; Song Yu had to maintain the plot first.

He felt so miserable; one second he was terrified by a pervert, and the next he had to explain to the main character that he hadn't cheated on him. "

Let's finish this quickly, I want to go home."

"I came to help you take care of your boyfriend, isn't he face-blind?" Song Yu tried to appear less guilty, glancing around the living room before remembering Zhou Qiao was missing.

"Where's Zhou Qiao? He—"

Lu Baiyu's pupils grew even colder as he interrupted Song Yu: "You don't seem very surprised by my appearance."

Song Yu was taken aback.

Lu Baiyu didn't seem to want him to mention Zhou Qiao.

No wonder 009 described him as seemingly cold but actually very possessive.

"You…" Song Yu pursed his lips, stammering for a while before finally coming up with a suitable reason, "Gu Linwei has been investigating and mentioned it to me, you should be alright."

The coldness around Lu Baiyu dissipated somewhat.

Then, the other man lowered his head, staring at his phone as if texting someone, ignoring him.

Song Yu pouted and sat down on the sofa. He had completed his mission, his mind a mess from the shock, and now he just wanted to go home.

But his clothes were dirty, and he was still in the bathroom; it wouldn't be appropriate to wear Zhou Qiao's clothes in front of Lu Baiyu.

He was only wearing a bathrobe.

There were police patrolling the neighborhood every day; they might arrest him for being an exhibitionist.

Song Yu shrugged and picked up her phone.

She naturally called Gu Linwei.

The call connected quickly: "Xiao Yu?"

Hearing Gu Linwei's voice, Song Yu felt a surge of grievance, her voice half-crying, half-coquettish: "Brother Lin, I'm at Zhou Qiao's house right now." Her

sweet, soft voice reached her ears clearly.

Lu Baiyu stopped typing.

He had never known Song Yu's voice could be so sweet.

At least, the other person didn't speak to him like that.

"Um, any clothes are fine... your coat will do too." Song Yu finished stating his needs, hung up the phone, and completely wrapped himself in a bathrobe.

Only a section of his slender calves and pinkish-white toes were exposed.

His toes were curled together, each one round and full.

Song Yu lowered his eyes to calm himself down, when suddenly a pair of cotton slippers appeared beside his feet.

"Aren't you cold?"

Lu Baiyu uttered two words indifferently.

Song Yu looked at him in surprise, instinctively wanting to say thank you, but then silently swallowed the words back, remembering his persona.

After putting on the slippers, his body warmed up a lot, but his mouth was very dry.

The hot water was in the kitchen.

Although it was only separated by a door, Song Yu was quite frightened and didn't dare to go to the kitchen to get water alone.

He licked his lips and could only look at the man who was packing his suitcase, tentatively asking, "Lu Baiyu... are you thirsty?"

Lu Baiyu glanced at him.

A moment later.

"Where's the water?"

"In the kitchen." Song Yu immediately stood up. "I won't pour you water, but I can take you there."

The boy's voice was a little hurried, and the fear and unease in his eyes hadn't completely disappeared. Lu Baiyu had already seen through him, but he didn't say anything and followed him to the kitchen.

Song Yu said he wouldn't pour him water, but in the end, he still took out two disposable cups.

He must have been very thirsty, because Song Yu drank two cups in a row before putting them down. His lips were completely wet, and under the light, they looked incredibly vibrant.

If you looked closely, his lips were rather small, with the lower lip being thicker than the upper lip, but the cupid's bow of the upper lip was small and upturned, making the combination very harmonious.

They were the kind of lips that would be perfect to bite and rub back and forth in your mouth.

Song Yu didn't notice Lu Baiyu's gaze fixed on his face. After finishing the water, he didn't want to stay in the kitchen and urged Lu Baiyu to come out.

Lu Baiyu poured out the water he had only taken a sip of and threw away the paper cup.

He was much taller than Song Yu had imagined, probably 1.9 meters tall, and now, standing at the kitchen doorway, he completely blocked the way like a wall.

He leaned down slightly.

The man's sharp, indifferent eyes looked over: "You've recovered?"

Song Yu: "..."

Being stared at like that lessened his unease considerably, replaced by dissatisfaction: "What do you want to say?"

"Now you should tell me why you were hiding in the closet wearing only a bathrobe." Lu Baiyu stared at the dried marks on his face, "And you were crying like that."

Perhaps not wanting to be looked down upon, Song Yu's first reaction was to retort: ​​"I wasn't crying."

Lu Baiyu's lips were flat, his expression clearly showing disbelief.

Hiding in the closet like that was strange. Song Yu thought Lu Baiyu wasn't asking because he was too lazy to bother with him, but it turned out he was waiting for him to rest before interrogating him.

He was already the adulterer, what could he be doing hiding in the closet?

Of course, Song Yu didn't dare say that.

He thought for a few seconds, wanting to push the other man away... but he quickly failed.

The main characters were all incredibly strong, which surprised Song Yu. After thinking for a while, he finally gave a vague answer: "...Playing games." Unexpectedly,

Lu Baiyu asked, "What games?"

"...Hide and seek. Zhou Qiao said he's a bit bored."

Lu Baiyu's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Before opening the closet, he had already checked the entire house. Clearly, the clothes in the bathroom didn't belong to Zhou Qiao.

A hoodie, very small pants, and a small piece of white fabric.

They hadn't even had time to take the clothes out of the bathroom before starting the game.

Playing games while only wearing a bathrobe… Lu Baiyu never imagined these two could go this far.

He didn't ask further, only saying, "Are you the cat?"

Song Yu countered, "Is that not allowed?"

"Yes."

Lu Baiyu finally moved aside, making way.

Song Yu felt his breathing lighten instantly, stepping out in his soft slippers. The two walked towards the sofa one after the other, when he suddenly heard the man behind him say abruptly, "If we catch it, how will the cat be punished?"

Song Yu's ears burned with rage.

This person… He took back his earlier compliment. Now it seemed Lu Baiyu was inherently malicious; no wonder he considered him a mortal enemy.

In short, he was prone to provoking people unexpectedly.

Even someone as good-tempered as Song Yu would be angered, let alone someone with a short temper.

“I’m not playing games with you,”

Song Yu snapped, sitting back on the sofa.

They went about their own business: Lu Baiyu continued packing, while Song Yu stared blankly at his phone.

Gu Linwei arrived half an hour later. Lu Baiyu opened the door, and the two equally tall men stood face to face, their eyes meeting.

“You’re back?”

“Yeah.”

Gu Linwei was slightly surprised. He knew Lu Baiyu’s disappearance for the past few months was intentional, but he hadn’t expected him to return directly to Zhou Qiao’s place.

And Song Yu… When he received the call, Song Yu’s voice clearly trembled with tears; Gu Linwei had assumed she had been bullied by Zhou Qiao.

Could it be that Lu Baiyu had bullied her?

His gaze quickly shifted to a small, huddled figure on the sofa, and he said lightly, "Xiao Yu!"

Gu Linwei was a lifeline for Song Yu at this moment. The boy immediately got up from the sofa, tightly gripping the other's arm, finally feeling completely at ease.

Half of his body, held by Song Yu, was numb. Thinking of Song Yu and Zhou Qiao, Gu Linwei whispered in the other's ear, "Where's Zhou Qiao?"

Song Yu shook his head and whispered in his ear, "I'll tell you later."

Gu Linwei didn't speak again, the tips of his ears turning an unnatural red, his chest rising and falling slightly, as if he were having difficulty breathing.

"Clothes," Gu Linwei said steadily, "I took them from your closet. The coat is mine; it can cover you up."

Lu Baiyu witnessed their whispered conversation.

He had always known that Song Yu only disliked him, and that his relationship with Gu Linwei was slightly better than with him.

But it was only slightly.

It wasn't a close relationship where their faces were almost touching.

What had happened during the three months he was away?

What could have made Gu Linwei act like a dog being toyed with by a pretty young man?

"I need to go inside to change my clothes. Can you wait for me at the door?"

Song Yu was still a little scared and needed someone by his side to feel safe.

His eyes were round and blunt, and his red-rimmed eyes could easily make Gu Linwei fall head over heels for him, let alone something like this.

However, Gu Linwei didn't take advantage of the situation by standing at the door with his back to the person changing clothes inside. To avoid having any impure thoughts from the sound of fabric rubbing together, he started chatting with Song Yu about what to have for lunch.

After asking around, he remembered that his brother, whom he hadn't seen for several months, was still in the living room: "By the way, Lu Baiyu, do you want to come with us?"

Gu Linwei had only asked casually, but he didn't expect Lu Baiyu to actually agree .

He awkwardly scratched his hair, then felt his arm being pinched hard.

Turning around, he saw Song Yu looking at him with displeasure.

Gu Linwei leaned closer: "Just lunch... You'll break up with Zhou Qiao soon, he won't know."

He wanted him to know, but not now.

Song Yu was annoyed by Gu Linwei's idiot behavior, but for the sake of the clothes, he only hummed in agreement.

He slumped his head, like a little unhappy kitten that was only angry with him.

His cheeks were puffed up.

Gu Linwei couldn't resist pinching his cheek.

So soft.

After they got married, he could probably touch it every day, and kiss it every day too.

Now that Lu Baiyu is back, Song Yu no longer needs to see Zhou Qiao, that scheming woman, and their wedding day is getting closer.

Gu Linwei didn't waste any more time. He took the bag that originally contained clothes and went to the bathroom to fold and put Song Yu's dirty clothes inside, including more private items like underwear and socks.

His movements were practiced and natural,

as if he was already used to cleaning up Song Yu's messes.

Lu Baiyu looked away.

Then the three of them went downstairs together.

Song Yu wasn't in the mood to go out to a restaurant for dinner; he just wanted to go home as soon as possible.

Gu Linwei then had the chef deliver the food to Song Yu's house. The three of them sat around the table, Lu Baiyu on one side, and Song Yu and Gu Linwei on the other.

It was supposed to be a gathering of good brothers, but the atmosphere was completely awkward.

"Where have you been for these past three months?" Gu Linwei suddenly asked midway through the conversation. Seeing Lu Baiyu's expression, he knew the other party didn't want to answer, so he waved his hand, "Never mind, it's good that you're back."

"Your boyfriend was kicked out by the Lu family, and you relied entirely on me and Song Yu for support. It's good that you're back safely. Quickly take him back to the villa and raise him."

Gu Linwei deliberately cleared Song Yu of any involvement, using the word "boyfriend."

Song Yu sat in his chair, listening with his eyes downcast.

Lu Baiyu seemed to accept this explanation, and didn't suspect anything when he appeared at Zhou Qiao's house.

Wearing only a bathrobe and hiding in the closet, he was playing games with his canary who had lost her lover.

Is the protagonist of this world too easy to fool?

And where is Zhou Qiao herself?

A bunch of complicated questions arose. Song Yu looked up at Lu Baiyu, who had a very keen eye for observation. Almost the instant Song Yu looked up, Lu Baiyu also looked in his direction. Their eyes met unexpectedly

.

Song Yu felt guilty under his gaze, and a layer of sweat appeared on his nose. He lowered his head and stuffed a piece of salmon into his mouth.

The three of them were simply having a meal together. Aside from Gu Linwei occasionally asking a question, which Lu Baiyu answered, everything was quiet.

009: [Host, you usually cause trouble whenever you see the protagonist. Please match your character and improvise.]

Song Yu thought for a moment: [What does he hate to eat?]

009: [He hates everything on the table right now.]

"?"

Song Yu gave up on the tactic of serving the other person food they didn't like, and simply used the most direct and simple method—he got up, pretending to go to the bathroom to wash his hands, and patted Lu Baiyu's shoulder: "Move aside, I'm going out."

Lu Baiyu knew that the young master had regained his energy and was about to start causing trouble.

But this time, he didn't find it annoying at all; instead, he felt a slight sense of joy because the other person's attention was finally somewhat on him.

Lu Baiyu didn't understand why he felt this way, and for the first time, he didn't ignore the other person as usual. He got up and pulled his chair back.

Song Yu, seeing that it was about time, prepared to walk through the middle, but Lu Baiyu sat down again.

What... is he doing?

He stared wide-eyed, like a bewildered, clumsy rabbit, and obediently said to the other person, "I can't get through like this."

There was still a gap between Lu Baiyu and the table. He glanced at Song Yu's waist: "You can get through." It was so narrow.

Song Yu: "..."

Song Yu was still completely confused, but Gu Linwei's expression paused slightly. He glanced at Lu Baiyu, whose expression was the same as usual. But Gu Linwei knew that this was not Lu Baiyu's usual reaction.

The other person should have simply ignored him or silently gotten up to let Song Yu pass.

This was all Lu Baiyu's way of being too lazy to deal with Song Yu. He didn't care about Song Yu's provocation, or even about Song Yu as a person.

But now, Lu Baiyu's action of getting up to make room and then sitting down made Gu Linwei subconsciously uncomfortable.

—It was a man's sixth sense.

He felt that Lu Baiyu's behavior just now was a bit like an immature little boy in elementary school deliberately provoking a girl he liked.

On top of the childish behavior of a primary school kid, there was an added layer of ambiguous flirting between adults.

If these were just Gu Linwei's uncertain deductions, then Lu Baiyu's subsequent behavior confirmed his thoughts.

Song Yu, clearly still somewhat timid around Lu Baiyu, didn't dare ask for anything more and squeezed through the gap, rubbing against the edge of the table.

But inevitably, he still brushed against Lu Baiyu's knee.

Gu Linwei saw a deep emotion rise in the man's usually indifferent eyes.

He instantly clenched his fists.

What's going on? Are

these two really sick? Why do they like dragging a third person into their married life?

Gu Linwei imagined Song Yu being sandwiched between Zhou Qiao and Lu Baiyu, being caught and kissed indiscriminately the moment he turned over, and finally having both mouths covered—his breath almost stopped.

No, he had to marry Song Yu quickly.

Song Yu, who had just washed his hands in the bathroom, was completely unaware that the atmosphere had changed. Lu Baiyu had other things to do and went straight home after lunch.

Only after he left did Gu Linwei begin to ask Song Yu what had happened today, focusing on why he was only wearing a bathrobe.

Gu Linwei was now the only person Song Yu trusted, and given how frightening today's events were, Song Yu told him everything.

Gu Linwei looked shocked: "You suspect they're twins?"

Song Yu nodded: "Zhou Qiao doesn't have moles on her hands; I saw them."

Gu Linwei hadn't expected this; it seemed his investigation wasn't thorough enough.

"Leave this to me. Don't contact Zhou Qiao anymore." The twins might have already been in contact with Song Yu without her knowledge. Gu Linwei frowned, his heart pounding with anxiety, but he still reassured Song Yu, "If either of them, or Lu Baiyu, contacts you, let me know first. Try not to meet them alone."

Song Yu nodded obediently, "I will."

Yeah, right.

Song Yu also hoped it was the truth. But just as she was seeing Lu Baiyu off, 009 suddenly issued a new mission.

[Host, a mission has arrived.

In the original story, after Lu Baiyu returned, Zhou Qiao confused you with Lu Baiyu, treating both of you as her husband. You had already fallen in love with Zhou Qiao and missed her terribly, so you secretly went to see her while Lu Baiyu was away. Just as you were rolling around on the sofa, Lu Baiyu returned and caught you red-handed.

He then realized that you had been mistreating his lover all along, and was furious, launching a campaign of revenge against the Song family's businesses. Zhou Qiao, feeling guilty for her infidelity to Lu Baiyu, also completely hated you.

Your love and career were utterly devastated.]

[This mission will occur three days later.]

[Please prepare for a chaotic situation.]

*

After Lu Baiyu returned, Zhou Qiao still did not come back.

He was used to the empty house. Sitting on the sofa, he looked at the messages Zhou Qiao had just sent him.

【They've noticed too.】

【Don't make any rash moves these next few days.】

【I'll hide for a few days and come back.】

Lu Baiyu scrolled through his phone, but something beside him was distracting him.

It was a faint floral scent.

Lu Baiyu turned and looked down. In the corner of the sofa was Song Yu's bathrobe, neatly folded and tucked away.

He could still clearly remember how the robe had looked scattered.

His breath grew heavier.

He remembered Song Yu, her face streaked with tears, curled up on the floor. Suddenly, he wasn't surprised that even a man like Zhou Qiao, whose heart was black, could have such thoughts.

For some reason, Lu Baiyu suddenly remembered that he had sent Zhou Qiao a surveillance camera to install in her home, so he would know immediately if the police came.

He still had the software for the surveillance footage, but he had been too busy to open it lately.

And this period of not opening it was precisely when Song Yu and Zhou Qiao got together.

Half a minute later, Lu Bai, almost inexplicably, opened the software.

He didn't slowly exit until night fell.

The man, his face expressionless, got up and went to the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water from the cup Song Yu hadn't thrown away.

The cold water couldn't quell the boiling blood; images he could never forget resurfaced in his mind.

For example, Song Yu's unfocused eyes, swollen tongue, and mouth that couldn't close.

← Previous Chapter Next Chapter →