Greek’s heart skipped a beat.
He never expected that while tracing the source of the sound, he would encounter such a scene.
Standing before him was a completely unfamiliar man.
“…”
Greek’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
Even though he didn’t know the man, as a sane human being, he could feel the intense murderous intent and hostility radiating from the man’s gaze, especially when his eyes fell on the pajamas Greek was wearing.
Greek pursed his lips. Perhaps because the pressure was too overwhelming, he, who usually feared nothing, felt a chill run down his spine.
But strangely, the man’s face wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.
Greek’s mind raced in astonishment. He wasn’t someone from the esports circle, nor was he connected to Li Shengwen’s father… but soon, he found the target in his memory.
Could this person be… Ren Congmian?
That famous celebrity??
What’s going on.
Why would someone like that appear here?
However, before he could ponder the question further, the man suddenly moved.
The sound of footsteps crossing the threshold was heavy, like an approaching demon, each step resonating in his heart.
Greek involuntarily took a step back. Even if he lacked perception, he could sense the almost overflowing coldness from the other party, for no apparent reason.
Greek raised his hands in a gesture to calm the man down. Pointing out that the other party was a celebrity wouldn’t do him any good at this moment. So, the man awkwardly forced a smile and said, “Sir, you must have the wrong door, right?”
“We don’t know each other, do we? I’m just here on vacation with my boyfriend…”
Before he could finish, Greek suddenly felt a strong and ruthless force gripping his chin, cutting off his words and making him forget to swallow.
The next second, Greek’s shoulder blades and back slammed hard against the wall. The collision between his body and the cold, hard surface produced a creaking sound of twisting bones. Greek almost forgot to breathe, the intense impact making him see stars and feel dizzy.
Greek’s eyes widened in disbelief, bloodshot veins spreading.
Even though he was considered tall among his peers and had spent years in the gym, confident in his strength, he tried to pry off the wrist restraining him, only to find it as immovable as a branding iron.
…How could the difference in strength be so vast?
Greek felt the blood congesting in the vessels of his head, causing pain and leaving him with no strength to fight back. This sense of despair and helplessness made him even more panicked.
“What did you do?”
Hearing this voice, a cold sweat broke out on Greek’s temple.
This voice wasn’t spoken through clenched teeth, but rather with an extreme, bone-chilling coldness and calmness.
Which made his spine tingle even more.
Greek struggled to speak in broken sentences, “Are you Ren Congmian?… Why… how did you find this place…”
Wait.
Greek’s voice paused.
Jing Mian just mentioned… Mr. Ren.
The man before him was named Ren Congmian.
It couldn’t be…
Greek’s heart jolted, as if numbed by a heavy blow. Suddenly, an absurd and unbelievable thought surfaced in his mind: Ren Congmian… is he the Mr. Ren that Jing Mian mentioned?
Jing Mian’s marriage partner is actually Ren Congmian, the most prominent star in the industry right now?!
How could this be?
How could he have just drugged a twenty-year-old esports player and ended up offending someone so untouchable?
Even without knowing much about that circle, people could still have a rough idea of this person’s background. Without overworking himself, he had entered the awards circuit with just three works. He never participated in any variety shows or promotions. After only three years in the industry, he had almost stepped into the background. Rumors had it that he entered the entertainment industry merely to expand his connections, but in reality, he was backed by the powerful Ren family.
Due to the vast disparity in status and position, no paparazzi dared to expose any scandals about this person.
For some reason, such an unreachable figure filled Greek with endless panic and fear. This bleak and powerless feeling, almost crushed and heavily suppressed by despair, strangely seemed to overlap with what he had felt a few days ago.
“…”
Greek’s pupils trembled.
Somehow, he suddenly thought of Ash.
That night, Ash, who had been offline for five years, suddenly logged in without any reason, not only shocking all Glory players but also making an earth-shattering move.
Ash had challenged him to a PK. At that time, he had felt the same way as he did now, as if the other person was a cold and merciless Asura from hell, staring at him with a chilling suffocation that made the blood in Greek’s heart nearly freeze.
And that night seemed to slowly overlap with the present.
Only now,
through the reflection in his pupils, Ren Congmian’s expression made him feel a bone-chilling fear from the inside out.
Cold sweat soaked through the fabric on his back.
At that moment.
The sound of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, each step landing heavily, rapidly and urgently, getting closer and closer.
“Brother Mianmian!”
As Song Xianyang’s voice rang out, he also ran to the door.
Seeing the chaotic scene before him, his expression shifted from shock to one of rage, veins bulging on his fists. Song Xianyang gritted his teeth and walked towards Greek, whose temple was bleeding,
“Damn it, Greek, you despicable, disgusting bastard…”
The moment President Ren let go, Song Xianyang grabbed Greek by the collar and slammed him to the ground.
Then, Song Xianyang bent down, and his clenched fist immediately followed.
As he punched, he cursed,
“Do you know I’ve searched the entire M city? If it weren’t for running into Li Shengwen, I would never have thought you took Brother Mianmian to a guesthouse, you shameless bastard, doing such shady things in such a hidden place…” Song Xianyang’s knee pressed against the ground, each punch landing without mercy, “Brother Mianmian is someone you can covet?! He’s from the Ren family! Do you know this is a sexual assault charge? Still thinking about competing in e-sports in the future? You’re going to jail, you…”
…
Jing Mian felt as if he was being picked up.
His consciousness was too hazy to think, so he stiffened for a moment and instinctively struggled to break free.
However, just as he was about to escape, he suddenly heard a man’s voice in his ear,
“MianMian.”
Jing Mian was startled.
His heart seemed to skip a beat.
Then, his stiff body relaxed completely, going limp.
Jing Mian caught the familiar scent from Mr. Ren’s neck, soaked into the fabric, faint yet fragrant, filling his nostrils, instantly pulling him away from the sense of crisis and tension, allowing him to fully calm down.
He was picked up face-to-face.
Mr. Ren’s hands firmly lifted him, and Jing Mian could just slightly lower his head, wrapping his arms around the man’s neck, being held in an extremely secure embrace.
Jing Mian felt an inexplicable heat spreading, accompanied by a warmth mixed with electric currents, his nerves seemed to be soaked in a spark that could ignite at any moment. Jing Mian’s eyelashes fluttered, realizing that Greek must have tampered with that cup of coffee, but it was too embarrassing to mention, so he had to endure it silently.
He spoke in a low voice,
“Husband… how did you find me here?”
“There’s a tracker in your phone.”
Mr. Ren’s voice was hoarse, and as he spoke, his gaze would also fall on him.
For some reason.
Just feeling his husband’s gaze on him made him feel hot.
Jing Mian thought hazily, when did he have a tracker installed in his phone? Did Mr. Ren install it?
…Huh? Mr. Ren installed a tracker in his phone?
Jing Mian pondered confusedly in his mind, resting his chin on Mr. Ren’s shoulder, his arms instinctively tightening a bit, his cheek brushing against the other’s skin.
Jing Mian inexplicably swallowed.
After a moment of thought, he explained,
“I didn’t mean to drink the coffee… I just didn’t expect him to drug it.” Jing Mian’s voice grew softer, as if admitting a mistake, “I’ve caused you trouble.”
Jing Mian felt that Mr. Ren seemed to pause.
Then, the arms holding him seemed to tighten even more.
“It’s my fault.”
Mr. Ren’s voice was deep, “Sorry, I was late.”
Jing Mian thought, not late at all.
Although he didn’t know how Mr. Ren had rushed here so quickly, in fact, he was faster than Xianyang, making it hard for Jing Mian to imagine how Mr. Ren had made his way here… or with what kind of feelings.
“Are we going home?”
Jing Mian asked.
“Not home.” Mr. Ren’s voice was lighter than usual, Jing Mian suspected this was the treatment for a patient, giving him a sense of gentleness, “First, to the hospital.”
“We need to check if the drug he gave you has any other side effects.”
“…”
Jing Mian was carried by Mr. Ren through the corridor of the guesthouse.
Although he was draped in a coat, Jing Mian still felt the cold air in the corridor, but at the same time, there was an endless surge of scorching heat inside him, even more intense than before.
The alternation of cold and heat was like a battle between heaven and earth.
Jing Mian took a light breath, instinctively shrinking into Mr. Ren’s embrace.
How could there be any side effects?
Jing Mian thought to himself, for some reason, he inexplicably resisted going to the hospital, or rather, what he deeply desired or wanted at this moment… was not to go to the hospital at all.
Perhaps the drug was gradually taking effect, and continuously amplifying, as if a string was being forced to tighten, with countless straws piling on, at risk of snapping at any moment.
…This feeling was driving him mad.
But he knew that once Mr. Ren made a decision, it was extremely difficult to change, and no one else could interfere. Going to the hospital meant going to the hospital. Once Mr. Ren said it, there was no possibility of going home. Soon, he would be sitting in the passenger seat on the way to the hospital.
Jing Mian’s throat felt dry as he tried to negotiate with his husband, “Can we not go to the hospital?”
“I don’t have any other symptoms, so there’s no need to go to the hospital.” Jing Mian lightly licked his dry lips, attempting to reason and persuade, “Husband, we’re already so tired today… We just finished the match, I don’t want to go to the hospital.”
From Jing Mian’s angle, he could see Ren Xingwan’s eyelashes pause for a moment, but the next second, the man’s reply shattered his hopes, “I’ll carry you there. It’ll only be tiring for a little while.”
Mr. Ren fell silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, “Be good.”
Perhaps this was not a word Mr. Ren usually said, so for some reason, Jing Mian’s ears burned, his body trembled, and tears inexplicably welled up in his eyes.
He bit his lip slightly, unsure whether the heat he felt was his own, or if it came from his husband, or perhaps a mix of both. The warmth in the crook of his neck felt like it was trapped in a corner with no escape.
In this corner, the temperature kept rising, with no way to cool down.
Jing Mian pursed his lips.
He tilted his head, his warm breath brushing against Mr. Ren’s cheek. Jing Mian’s arms around the man’s neck didn’t loosen; instead, they tightened even more, as if he were holding onto a bundle of fragrant straw.
Then, Ren Xingwan heard Jing Mian’s lowered voice,
“Husband, can we fulfill our marital duties?”
This time, the man’s steps clearly paused.
And in the next moment, Jing Mian saw his husband’s Adam’s apple move.
Because he was being carried, he was close enough to see it.
“A little later, after we get home,” Mr. Ren replied in a low voice, his tone tinged with an imperceptible hoarseness. “MianMian, let’s get you checked first.”
After a brief pause, Jing Mian felt the man’s steps resume as he carried him. This time, panic surged in Jing Mian’s heart.
Jing Mian looked up. From the angle of his neck, he could see through his husband’s jaw that they were getting closer and closer to the exit of the guesthouse. It felt like once they stepped through that door, they would immediately head to the hospital.
Jing Mian’s lips moved slightly as he whispered,
“…Husband, let’s fulfill our duties first, then go to the hospital.”
His head felt heavy, and the heat came in waves, each one hotter than the last, nearly drowning him.
“I’ll be good.”
Jing Mian felt like he was going crazy, relying on instinct and a hazy logic to negotiate with Mr. Ren, “You don’t have to carry me. I can go get checked on my own.”
But this time, Mr. Ren didn’t respond.
“…” Jing Mian wasn’t sure if this was a rejection of his suggestion, or if his husband didn’t know how to answer to calm him down.
But what he could be sure of was that both outcomes were the same.
Jing Mian was at a loss for words this time.
Not only because, after nearly two months of living together, he had a rough understanding of Mr. Ren’s personality, but also because, rationally speaking, in this situation—not knowing what drug Greek had given him or the potential side effects—he really should go to the hospital first.
In M City, they didn’t have their personal doctor, and under such circumstances, there really was no better solution. Mr. Ren had already acted quite decisively and rationally.
But…
Jing Mian’s Adam’s apple bobbed restlessly.
Although he didn’t know what the side effects of this medicine were, one urgent side effect was that he couldn’t help but abandon his rationality.
Jing Mian softly called out to Mr. Ren, and he also called him “Husband” many times. Although the man responded to him each time, the current topic seemed to have been deliberately skipped over.
Hope grew increasingly faint.
Time passed second by second.
“…!”
The footsteps on the deep brown floor suddenly halted, and the surrounding sounds seemed to come to an abrupt stop. In that moment, Mr. Ren’s pupils slightly contracted.
Because Jing Mian had kissed his cheek.
The next second, almost right next to his ear, where his breath reached, it sparked a shiver-inducing and scorching electric current,
“Brother.”