AFM 67

Jing Mian was lifted into Mr. Ren’s arms.

The man walked slowly toward the distant car.

The night grew darker, the deep sky staining the entire city in shades of gray-blue ink. The only sources of light were the moon by the sea and the towering buildings and streams of traffic flickering with illumination.

Mr. Ren’s figure was silhouetted against the faint glow, his outline briefly illuminated before dimming again into the deep blue of the streets, blending seamlessly with the black car beside him.

The assistant, who had been waiting for some time, gave a slight nod and asked in a hushed voice, “Mr. Jing… does he need to go to the hosp—?”

“Not the hospital.”

Mr. Ren parted his lips lightly and said, “Home.”

The car door opened.

Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from nearby.

Xuan Cheng came running over, seemingly having noticed the commotion. He paused, then gradually slowed to a stop.

His gaze met that of the tall man holding Sheep in the distance.

Xuan Cheng unconsciously swallowed.

This was Jing Mian’s lover.

Jing Mian’s lover… was actually a celebrity, that renowned, larger-than-life figure.

Even now, he still couldn’t quite come to terms with that fact.

After a moment’s hesitation, Xuan Cheng nodded slightly, acknowledging the strikingly handsome man before him.

He hadn’t expected a response.

Yet, after a brief silence, Ren Xingwan returned the nod.

The assistant quickly stepped forward and greeted politely, “Mr. Xuan.”

“Hello.”

The assistant asked, “Did you come here for something?”

Xuan Cheng hesitated. “Yeah, Jing Mian left something behind at the hotel—a letter.”

“I thought…” He scratched his head, the earlier panic now faded, and smoothly shifted the topic. “Never mind.”

His voice dropped to nearly inaudible. “…As long as he’s okay.”

Ren Xingwan had already carried Jing Mian into the car.

Xuan Cheng handed the letter to the assistant. “I’ll be going now.”

“This letter was probably written by MianMian for his husband. I’m just returning it to its rightful owner.”

The assistant accepted it. “Thank you for making the trip.”

“Don’t mention it.” Xuan Cheng paused, then added solemnly, “I’ll head back first. When Jing Mian wakes up, please let him know to contact the team captain.”

The assistant nodded. “I’ll pass on the message.”

Xuan Cheng put on his cap, turned, and slowly walked back down the street.

Not far behind him, the car drove past.

Xuan Cheng couldn’t help but stop and watch as the sleek vehicle glided by, its edges gleaming under the night sky, smooth and elegant.

Until the light shrank from a line to a dot, fading into the distance.

Standing in the dim streetlight, Xuan Cheng pressed his lips together, sinking into silent contemplation.

He still remembered—

Back when he first signed Sheep, Sheep’s lover had come to see him.

Though it had been a brief meeting, the impression it left remained vivid even now.

At the time, he hadn’t known that Jing Mian’s husband was Ren Congmian.

So when Jing Mian’s husband took a seat across from him, Xuan Cheng’s jaw dropped, and for a long moment, he couldn’t utter a single word.

The man’s presence was imposing and cold, making Xuan Cheng feel as though he were sitting in some high-level meeting. He instinctively straightened his posture, sitting rigidly upright.

The other man got straight to the point.

There was no small talk, no pleasantries.

“So,” the man said, “if you, as the team captain, can bear all the risks that may arise from Sheep’s unforeseen circumstances, then the contract stands.”

Xuan Cheng’s face showed surprise.

“If it’s not possible,” the man said calmly, his expression unchanged, “then terminate the contract with Sheep now.”

“I’ll cover the penalty fee.”

“And you won’t need to handle the aftermath.”

Ren Congmian’s thin lips pressed together slightly as he said solemnly, “I’ll find a way to tell him.”

…

“I can bear it.”

“Signing Jing Mian wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. I’ve been following his skills and progress since Sheep first joined the streaming channel,” Xuan Cheng rubbed his fingers together and admitted frankly, “I truly want him.”

“He will bring unimaginable glory to ME.”

“I’ve always believed that.”

Xuan Cheng said firmly, “For this, I don’t mind any risks. Should any unexpected situations arise, I won’t just bear the consequences… I’ll also become Sheep’s strongest support.”

…

Xuan Cheng later thought that perhaps it was these words that convinced the other party.

This secret meeting thus came to an end.

Before leaving, the man’s light-colored pupils, slightly lowered, seemed to hold an unfathomable glimmer. This version of Mr. Ren Congmian suddenly spoke while looking at him: “Since you’ve chosen to keep him.”

“Don’t be kind to him first, only to abandon him later.”

Hearing this, Xuan Cheng couldn’t help but feel surprised, yet he nodded earnestly, “I won’t do that.”

…

Ren Congmian was silent for two seconds, his turned back inexplicably somber.

The man murmured softly:

“Please be kind to my little one.”

Jing Mian was sleeping deeply.

Tear stains still lingered at the corners of the young man’s eyes. Ren Xingwan reached out, gently wiping them away with his fingertips, feeling the warmth and dampness.

“All of Mr. Jing’s belongings from the hotel room have been brought over,” the assistant turned and said quietly, “President Ren, as you instructed…”

“Except for the ten-thousand-yuan fine.”

“Should I retrieve that bag of cash from the organizers…”

Ren Xingwan said, “No need.”

The assistant, who had turned slightly, was taken aback.

“This is his way of taking responsibility.”

After a moment of silence, the man added, “I respect him, but I have no right to interfere with his decisions.”

The assistant quickly understood and replied, “Understood.”

As if remembering something, the assistant turned and picked up a slightly crumpled yet neatly folded piece of paper, handing it to President Ren:

“This… seems to be a letter Mr. Jing left for you.”

“Would you like to read it?”

…

Ren Xingwan’s slender fingers took the paper.

Unexpectedly, he hesitated to open it.

Soon, the assistant, somewhat bewildered, took back the letter and looked up at the expressionless President Ren.

The man’s voice was unreadable as he said softly:

“Throw it away.”

After an unknown amount of time.

Jing Mian woke up.

Only, the place he woke up in didn’t seem quite right.

Surrounded by complete darkness, without a single visible light source, the only thing he could feel was an indescribable sense of oppression and depth. Though he couldn’t see anything, he could sense his hair floating and the deep blue covering his fair skin.

It seemed… he was submerged in the depths of the ocean.

The moment Jing Mian realized this, panic surged uncontrollably in his heart.

At the same time, an overwhelming sense of suffocation washed over him.

The struggle to breathe as the seawater stole his air, the creeping sensation of drowning, it all happened in an instant.

Suddenly, Jing Mian felt his wrist being grasped.

Instinctively, he opened his eyes.

Before he could see clearly who it was, his lips were captured in a kiss.

In that instant, he realized it was Mr. Ren.

Cool, refreshing air was breathed into his mouth. Perhaps it was Jing Mian’s imagination, but the suffocating sensation gradually dissipated.

He began to recover.

Yet when he opened his eyes again,

He was still surrounded by the deep sea, with no sign of his husband.

Jing Mian: “?”

Jing Mian wanted to call out, but suddenly remembered he was underwater, no sound could escape.

There was nothing around to catch his attention, no seaweed, coral reefs, or even nameless fish… nothing at all.

Jing Mian suddenly realized this was a lifeless abyss.

Where he floated,

Only endless darkness and deep blue stretched before him.

Just as Jing Mian felt lost, he caught sight of a faint light source not far away.

Like finding an oasis in the desert, Jing Mian seized this lifeline and swam swiftly toward it.

But as he drew closer, his pace involuntarily slowed.

The increasingly dazzling light made him squint, filling him with both wonder and confusion.

It looked like a cluster of stars.

And not just one.

They varied in size, scattered without pattern, yet each emitted a breathtakingly beautiful glow.

Jing Mian’s throat moved.

Now within reach, he stopped. The stars weren’t large—he could cradle them in his arms.

His hair and face were illuminated, his pupils wide with astonishment.

He didn’t understand why this spectacle had appeared.

Then, in the next moment,

The most inconspicuous little star suddenly changed course, drifting unwaveringly toward Jing Mian!

Initially so dim its color was indiscernible, it grew brighter and more radiant as it approached him.

The light was intense yet gentle.

!!

Jing Mian opened his eyes.

This time, he finally awoke in the quiet car.

Warmth surrounded him, the air crisp and fresh.

The deep sea and stars—all had vanished.

Only Mr. Ren remained, holding him close.

Jing Mian: “??”

Jing Mian: “???”

Mr. Ren: “?”

…

Jing Mian swallowed hard.

What… was that just now?

“Husband.”

“Hmm?”

“Could you… put me down first?”

Jing Mian whispered, “I can walk on my own now.”

Mr. Ren: “No.”

Jing Mian: “…”

From the moment Mr. Ren carried him out of the car until they reached home, Jing Mian had been awake.

Moreover… it was a one-armed carry.

And right in front of the driver and Big Brother, the assistant, no less.

Despite this, he hadn’t managed to persuade his husband.

Jing Mian pressed his lips together and reminded him, “The neighbors in the complex might see.”

Mr. Ren tightened his grip and murmured,

“Why should you feel ashamed of being carried home by your own husband?”

Jing Mian froze.

A flush quickly spread to his ears.

The door unlocked with the man’s fingerprint.

Jing Mian was set down on the sofa. His palms and fingertips felt slightly cold, and he unconsciously rubbed them together, though his body and mind had fully relaxed.

This was his home.

Though he’d often subconsciously denied it before, his body knew the truth. Perhaps without realizing it, he’d already transformed this place from “Mr. Ren’s domain” into “his and Mr. Ren’s home.”

As his thoughts drifted away…

A warm cup of water was suddenly placed in his palm.

Jing Mian instinctively grasped it, feeling the steam slowly dissipate against his skin. His chilled fingers and palms were instantly enveloped in warmth.

He froze when a small capsule touched his lips.

“One pill,” Mr. Ren said softly.

“This too.”

Mr. Ren was now leaning down, almost at eye level with him, watching silently.

He was being fed medicine by his husband.

The realization struck Jing Mian, stirring an indescribable feeling in his chest.

Obediently opening his mouth, Jing Mian sat against the dark night outside. His tongue accidentally brushed against his husband’s fingers before quickly retreating, swallowing the pill.

Then came the next one.

After finishing the medicine, he gulped down half the cup of water.

Silence lingered between them.

It was Mr. Ren who broke it first.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Jing Mian flushed slightly. “No reason.”

After a pause, he couldn’t help asking, “Did you… see that letter?”

“‘You’?”

Jing Mian corrected himself, “…you.”

After half a year, Mr. Ren was once again correcting how he addressed him.

Jing Mian wondered if his husband was secretly annoyed.

“I didn’t read it,” Mr. Ren replied. “Didn’t you already tell me what it said?”

Jing Mian swallowed. “Yes, that’s true.”

“Then… can I have the letter back?”

Mr. Ren: “?”

A hint of confusion flickered across the man’s brow, but he answered calmly, “I threw it away.”

Jing Mian stiffened. “Threw it away?”

“Mn.”

“Why?”

Surprise flashed in Jing Mian’s eyes.

That letter was now lost, and before its disposal, his husband hadn’t even glanced at it.

Meaning no one in this world knew what the letter had contained anymore.

As if a weight had lifted, Jing Mian quietly exhaled in relief.

He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

“…”

Mr. Ren teased lightly, “You keep saying ‘it’s nothing’ today.”

Jing Mian smiled. “Do I?”

His husband answered with silence.

Warmth spread through his chest, his stomach following suit. Jing Mian felt every cell in his body relax unwittingly.

It was always like this as if every problem could be effortlessly resolved by the man before him.

Softly, he murmured, “…Maybe it’s because you’re here.”

“That’s why everything is ‘nothing.'”

Though his answer seemed disjointed,

it successfully made the man pause slightly.

At that moment, Jing Mian felt the atmosphere grow somewhat… delicate.

But soon, he realized it was just his imagination, his husband’s phone rang abruptly, the sharp tone piercing the quiet by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

After checking it, Mr. Ren said, “Xuan Cheng wants you to contact him when you wake up.”

Jing Mian hesitated, looking slightly flustered, but nodded. “Okay.”

As Ren Xingwan set his phone down, Jing Mian sensed his husband’s gaze lingering on him, unwavering for a long while.

Finally, he heard that deep, magnetic voice again.

“About your national tournament.”

Mr. Ren spoke casually,

“Are family members allowed to watch?”