DASFAM_39

The dim overhead light in the car was turned off in time, leaving only the starlit ceiling emitting a faint glow.

There was no such thing as consent. The moment Bai Xu asked the question, the clamoring hormones took complete control, prompting him to kiss.

Bai Xu's right hand pressed against Shang Yanxiao's shoulder as he kissed lightly, tasting briefly. He had no experience and only relied on instinct to nibble on the thin lips before him.

Warm and soft.

Bai Xu seemed to have discovered some new continent and pulled back slightly, "Shang Yanxiao? So soft."

"......"

Shang Yanxiao lightly touched his nose tip, suppressing his breathing that was about to explode, "Bai Xu, was the wine good?"

"Mm?"

Bai Xu murmured half a beat slower, "Good."

Shang Yanxiao's hand that had been resting on his wrist withdrew, instead supporting the back of his head, "Then let me taste it too."

"Mmph... mm!"

The kiss fell once again.

The remaining liquor transferred and spread between lips and teeth, becoming more and more intense.

Bai Xu hooked onto Shang Yanxiao's arm, almost delivering his entire self into the other's embrace. Shang Yanxiao added some force to his palm, stroking the soft hair of the person in his arms in a manner that seemed both comforting and forceful.

The moonlight and clear breeze, the sound of waves and tree shadows, everything intertwined with passion and desire.

"Be good, breathe, don't hold your breath."

"...I, I don't need you to teach me, mmph."

The competitive spirit in their bones still played a stubborn role in this situation. Exploring, teasing, intimate, full of wildness, neither willing to yield to the other.

No one knew how much time had passed.

It wasn't until the air in the car had completely burned up that Shang Yanxiao was willing to pull back a bit of distance.

Bai Xu raised his head and withdrew from this prolonged restraint, his urgent breathing carrying an uncontrolled tremor, the moisture in his eyes appearing particularly alluring.

Shang Yanxiao leaned close against his forehead, his fingertip slowly wiping across the corner of his eye, "Continue?"

"......"

Just from a kiss, Bai Xu had already exhausted all his strength.

He didn't try to understand the meaning in Shang Yanxiao's words and closed his eyes on his own, tilting his head to find a comfortable sleeping position in the other's embrace.

Shang Yanxiao sensed his drowsiness and was still somewhat unsatisfied, "Bai Xu?"

Bai Xu limply raised his hand and randomly patted Shang Yanxiao's cheek, "Don't make noise."

Pat.

A painless slap that instead felt more like some indescribable form of flirtation.

"......"

This was the first time in Shang Yanxiao's life being treated this way by someone. After a few seconds of surprise, he 'angrily' tilted his head and bit Bai Xu's palm.

"Mm."

Bai Xu pulled his hand back in pain, still burying his head and murmuring without acknowledging him.

Shang Yanxiao was helpless and held him even tighter, "Sleep then, good night. I'll take you home later."

...

Another round of early sun rose.

Chen Yufei had spent many years in the military before, developing a particularly strong biological clock, able to wake up on time every day to jog and do morning exercises.

At six o'clock sharp, Chen Yufei quickly got up and ready as usual.

Because he was afraid of disturbing Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu on the second floor, he opened the door very gently, but the scene that followed made him freeze in place.

Shang Yanxiao, who should have been sleeping on the second floor, unexpectedly appeared in front of the garage, wearing only a thin silk pajama set, carefully lifting Bai Xu out from the passenger seat.

Chen Yufei almost thought he was hallucinating. Only when Shang Yanxiao looked over did he hurriedly step forward, "Third Young Master, what happened to Young Master Bai? You two..."

Halfway through his concerned question, Chen Yufei suddenly noticed something was wrong.

Shang Yanxiao's pajama collar was open a bit too much, and on his neck extending to his shoulder was even an ambiguous red scratch mark.

And Bai Xu, sleeping in his arms, also had lips that were abnormally red.

Being a man himself, even someone as honest as Chen Yufei understood what was going on.

His gaze immediately dodged, not daring to look anymore, but his mind was in turmoil.

Which step did he miss?

How had the relationship between Third Young Master and Young Master Bai already advanced by leaps and bounds to this degree?

Going out driving in the middle of the night last night, could it have been to do that kind of thing? Wasn't it too intense?

Shang Yanxiao was completely unaware of his bodyguard's rare rich inner drama, nor was he embarrassed about being caught, "Yufei, come help cover his blanket."

Originally, they should have driven back in the early morning hours, but at that time the two had just finished their heated intimate actions, and Bai Xu was drowsy and sleepy.

Shang Yanxiao was afraid of waking him, so he lay down with him for a while, but ended up falling asleep as well without realizing it.

There was only one blanket in the car, and it had covered Bai Xu the entire night.

At this moment there was some temperature difference between inside and outside the car. Shang Yanxiao was afraid Bai Xu would catch a cold, and it wasn't convenient for him to adjust things himself.

Chen Yufei stepped forward and secured the blanket that was about to fall off on Bai Xu, quickly withdrawing his hands, "Done."

Shang Yanxiao involuntarily held the person in his arms tighter, "You go do your morning exercise. I'll take him back first."

"Alright."

Shang Yanxiao carried Bai Xu back to the second floor. His steps near the two bedrooms only paused slightly, then he unhesitatingly brought the person in his arms into the master bedroom.

The sleep in the car hadn't been restful. He needed to hold him and get some proper rest.

...

When Bai Xu woke up, sunlight had long since shone through the gauze curtains, illuminating the master bedroom with complete transparency.

"Mm."

The dull pain lurking in his mind faintly awakened. Bai Xu instinctively chose to escape, furrowing his brows and burrowing into the covers. But very quickly, he realized something was wrong.

The scent clinging to the blanket was very familiar, even somewhat intense.

"......"

Bai Xu slowly opened his eyes. His gaze fell upon the deep blue and black bedding, and he suddenly sat up wide awake.

The headache after getting drunk hit him. He frowned as he looked at the furnishings in the master bedroom. The scenes in his mind that should have been blacked out slowly coalesced, ultimately becoming incredibly clear.

He had clung to Shang Yanxiao demanding kisses, and Shang Yanxiao had chased after him plundering them.

Both sides seemed to be competing for a necessary victory, kissing inseparably. Under the moonlight, the sound of distant waves, along with their heavy breathing and muffled groans.

When the scene replayed to the end, it was his impulsive words from the very beginning:

"Shang Yanxiao, I want to kiss you. May I?"

"......"

Holy shit.

Bai Xu's dry throat rolled. Even he cursed at his own absurdity, "Am I crazy?"

Kissing Shang Yanxiao?

And it was even that intense?

The more Bai Xu thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. For a moment, he even forgot about his own heart racing out of control just from the memories. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his phone on the nightstand and hurriedly picked it up to look.

It was already 2:40 in the afternoon.

Bai Xu couldn't stop that guilty feeling of 'acting wild after drinking'. He didn't dare stay in Shang Yanxiao's master bedroom for even one more second.

Fortunately, there was no sign of the other person in the bedroom, so he wouldn't have to face an awkward situation immediately upon waking. Bai Xu threw off the covers intending to sneak away, but the moment his feet touched the floor, his legs went weak, nearly causing him to take a big tumble.

"......"

Bai Xu stumbled before barely managing to steady himself. While muttering 'drinking causes trouble,' he quickly slipped back to his own room.

...

Half an hour later.

Bai Xu worked hard to adjust his state before finally walking down to the first floor.

The butler was the first to notice him, greeting with a smile, "Mr. Bai, you're awake? Would you like to have a meal?"

Bai Xu nodded, his gaze quickly sweeping around, "Where's Shang Yanxiao?"

The butler said, "He went out temporarily with Assistant Xie. I heard it's a private appointment, and he won't be back for dinner tonight either."

"......"

A private appointment? With whom?

How come Shang Yanxiao never mentioned this to him?

A faint sense of possessiveness welled up in Bai Xu, and his brows furrowed tightly.

The butler observed Bai Xu's state and asked, "Mr. Bai, do you need me to prepare some sobering tea? Mr. Shang specifically instructed this before leaving."

Bai Xu responded indifferently, "Mm."

A few minutes later, sobering tea and steaming hot food were brought over together.

Bai Xu ate absentmindedly, but the lingering intimate scenes in his mind wouldn't go away. When he furrowed his brows for who knows how many times, Chen Yufei, who had been idle at home, finally came out of his room.

The two made eye contact.

Chen Yufei carried a restraint heavier than usual, "Young Master Bai."

Bai Xu said "mm" and probed uncertainly, "How did I get back last night? Did I act crazy drunk after coming back?"

After the kissing, he had no recollection of the scenes at all.

Chen Yufei thought of the scene he stumbled upon in the early morning and answered honestly, "Young Master Bai, Third Young Master carried you back. You were sleeping in his arms."

"......"

There really was no need to describe it in such detail.

Bai Xu silently ladled himself another spoonful of soup. After staying silent for a long while, he still couldn't hold back, "Who did Shang Yanxiao make plans with tonight?"

Chen Yufei only said what he was certain of, "Third Young Master has an old friend he knows here in Singapore, quite reliable."

Bai Xu blurted out, "Male or female?"

Chen Yufei said, "Female."

"......"

Bai Xu bit down hard on the spoon with a crunch, letting out a hum he couldn't control.

Chen Yufei couldn't read Bai Xu's expression at this moment and tried to change the subject, "Young Master Bai, you don't have any plans for this afternoon yet. Would you like to go out for a walk?"

As soon as the words fell, his phone vibrated.

Bai Xu looked down and saw it was a message from Chu Yate: "Young Master Bai, are you free tonight? We didn't drink to our heart's content last night. Should we find a place to gather again? Have Mr. Shang come too. I'll treat you both to dinner."

"......"

Why was he looking for him?

That Third Young Master Shang had friends everywhere and certainly didn't lack dinner invitations.

Bai Xu sourly thought to himself with hidden resentment, then casually typed out a message accepting the invitation: "Send the address. I'll come over."

...

At six in the evening, Disheng Private Restaurant.

As soon as Bai Xu entered the private room, he saw Chu Yate dressed flamboyantly, "Young Master Bai, over here."

Bai Xu sat down across from him, "Second Young Master Chu's taste in clothing really is quite exceptional."

The other, relying on his mixed-blood good looks, was lawless, daring to wear shirts of any pattern. Right now, the flower butterflies on his clothes were almost blinding.

Chu Yate generously spread his hands in display, "Doesn't it look good? This is custom-made."

Bai Xu smiled, essentially agreeing by default.

Some people's temperament was innate. Even though this outfit's style was exaggerated, when worn on Chu Yate, it carried a gorgeously flirtatious charm.

Shang Yanxiao was the same.

No matter what he wore, he could easily give off the proud air of a wealthy young master.

"......"

Bai Xu realized he had associated things with Shang Yanxiao again, and a trace of annoyance flashed across his brow.

Chu Yate just had to ask, "By the way, where's Mr. Shang? Why didn't he come again?"

Bai Xu picked up the warm water on the table and replied quickly, "Don't worry about him. He already had plans tonight."

"Oh?"

Chu Yate didn't pick up on the sour tone in those words and snapped his fingers at the one-on-one server, "The food can be served now. Also, bring out the red wine I stored here last time. I want to treat Young Master Bai well tonight."

"Wait." Bai Xu stopped him, "I'm not drinking tonight. Get me a glass of juice instead. Soda is fine too."

Chu Yate was puzzled, "Not drinking?"

Naturally, Bai Xu wouldn't reveal everything that happened last night, and brushed it off, "I'm not feeling well today. Drinking more would easily cause trouble."

Chu Yate found it boring but didn't want to force Bai Xu, "Alright, I'll drink by myself. Do as you please."

Food and drinks were quickly served.

Chu Yate took the initiative, "Young Master Bai, a toast to you?"

Bai Xu used soda in place of alcohol and first clinked glasses with Chu Yate, "You should be two or three years older than me, right? Just call me by my name. No need to be formal."

"Okay."

"Second Chu, you didn't call me today just to drink, did you?"

"Originally it was to drink and chat, but since you can't drink, I'll just get straight to business with you."

"What is it?"

"Didn't you ask me yesterday if I had any projects suitable for investment?"

At his core, Chu Yate was a straightforward person. Things he promised wouldn't be empty talk, "I really did find two. Want to hear about them?"

Bai Xu pressed on, "Tell me first."

Chu Yate spoke readily, "This first one, I have an actor friend who plans to leave his old agency to go solo and establish a film and television company. He has good resources and connections in the industry, quite promising development prospects."

The other party originally wanted to find Chu Yate to invest, but he really lacked interest in investing in the entertainment sector.

"Bai Xu, if you're interested, I can introduce you two? However, my friend wants to hold the majority stake himself. You'd purely put in some money as a hands-off shareholder and just wait for dividends every year."

Bai Xu raised an eyebrow, "That does sound quite relaxing."

Chu Yate was blunt, "Of course. Rich people have too many ways to make money. Although opening a film and television company might lose money, the entertainment industry is one of the fastest places to rake in cash."

As long as one project takes off, recovering costs and making profits happens in minutes.

Bai Xu didn't refute, "It's just lacking in difficulty."

Seeing his reaction, Chu Yate acted mysterious, "If you want something challenging, I have another even bigger project here."

Bai Xu became more curious, "What is it?"

Chu Yate countered, "You should have heard of North America's Eaglet Industries?"

Hearing this name, Bai Xu nodded.

The world in the book was almost identical to the real world, with many things nearly one-to-one replicas.

North America's Eaglet Industries was the world's largest film and television industry base, with a long history. All the world's major famous film festivals had connections with it.

Eaglet Film and Television Industries had numerous IPs under it, with countless explosively popular ones. The "Eagle Studios" derived from this was a world-renowned amusement venue.

Chu Yate got straight to the point, "Inside information: the Singapore government and Eagle Industries have already reached an agreement for cooperation. The newest global film and television amusement base will be located in the N City."

"It's expected that within three months, the first round of initial bidding will begin, from initial construction to subsequent joint operations."

Bai Xu knew the value of these words, and his expression gradually became serious.

Although the lion's share after the studio was built would still go to Eaglet Industries, if they could get a piece of the pie, the benefits would be extremely considerable.

Chu Yate stopped there, "Young Master Bai, interested?"

But Bai Xu asked, "Such a good project right here in the N City, wouldn't your Chu Group be going all out for it?"

Hearing this, Chu Yate showed unprecedented confidence, yet it wasn't off-putting, "This project will definitely belong to Chu Group, but the chief person in charge needs to be fought for. Even in the same family, hearts don't necessarily align."

Bai Xu understood, "No wonder you weren't interested in the Juesheng and AW projects. So the focus is here?"

"Yes, the old man is about to retire. Whoever can secure this project gets the real stepping stone."

Chu Yate didn't hide his ambition, but he was also clear about his shortcomings, "I entered the group later than Chu Yuncheng. To be honest, it's not easy to handle this alone."

In the same group, it was impossible to participate in bidding with two teams and let outsiders 'laugh at them'.

Bai Xu caught on immediately, "You hope me or Shang Yanxiao will step forward? Final shareholding cooperation?"

Chu Yate nodded clearly, "As long as I can secure this project, I don't care how much profit I end up with."

"......"

This project was indeed very challenging and very tempting.

If this were in the real world with sufficient funds, Bai Xu would definitely agree immediately, but right now he really lacked financial strength.

Bai Xu suppressed that hint of 'no money' helplessness, "I'll think about it more."

Chu Yate nodded, accepting by default that Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao were on the same side, "Mm, go back and discuss it more with Mr. Shang. I'll wait for your reply."

...

When Bai Xu returned to the villa, it was already past 10:30 at night.

He looked up and saw the light in the second-floor study. The scenes he had finally managed to suppress surfaced before his eyes again. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, hesitating and not daring to go up.

Click.

A faint sound of a door opening.

Within seconds, Shang Yanxiao's figure appeared at the stair railing, looking at him from afar, "You're back?"

"Mm."

Bai Xu steeled himself and went upstairs. In just a few seconds, he rapidly adjusted his emotions.

"When did you get back?"

"You went out to eat with Chu Yate?"

The two threw out questions at the same time, then fell silent simultaneously.

Bai Xu was the first to break the silence, "Mm, Second Chu invited me to dinner, so I went."

Shang Yanxiao's voice was somewhat hoarse, "You've only met a few times? But you seem to get along quite well."

He had been thinking about Bai Xu and ended his dinner with his old friend before eight, hurrying home.

And the result?

After waking up, the other not only didn't send him a single text message but went out to eat dinner and chatted until this hour before coming home.

Bai Xu detected the stiffness in these words and instinctively retorted, "Only Third Young Master is allowed to have a date with a beauty tonight, but I'm not allowed to make a new friend?"

Shang Yanxiao's gaze deepened, "That was..."

Bai Xu realized the impropriety of his tone and corrected himself in time, "I'm joking."

Facing Shang Yanxiao's unwavering stare, he felt an inexplicable panic. Even his next words came out without going through his brain.

"By the way, I blacked out from drinking last night and don't remember clearly."

"......"

"I didn't bother you, did I?"

Bai Xu asked despite knowing the answer, trying to casually turn the page, "Anyway, don't take it to heart. I'll definitely drink less in the future."

Shang Yanxiao's breathing suddenly grew heavier. He didn't respond but directly stepped closer, "You forgot?"

Bai Xu stepped back, feigning surprise, "Ah, I- I didn't really do something, did I?"

"......"

Shang Yanxiao sensed the person before him retreating. After a long silence, he went along with the answer the other wanted, "No, you fell asleep after making a fuss."

"Oh."

Bai Xu secretly breathed a sigh of relief but didn't dare stay in front of Shang Yanxiao any longer, "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll head back to my room first? I'm a bit tired."

Shang Yanxiao stepped aside, making way for him, "Alright."

Bai Xu pressed his lips together, "Good night."

With that, he quickly slipped back to his room.

Click.

The sound of the door closing gently struck Shang Yanxiao's ears, making his heart tighten.

Xie Qi, who had stayed downstairs, belatedly came up, holding a cup of freshly brewed cold medicine, "Third Young Master, drink your medicine before sleeping. Should I call a doctor to take a look?"

Shang Yanxiao took the cup and drank the moderately warm medicine in one gulp, "No need, I'll be fine after sleeping."

Xie Qi glanced at Bai Xu's tightly closed door and tentatively suggested, "Should we tell Young Master Bai?"

Shang Yanxiao refused, "It's just a minor cold. Why tell him? You should rest too. Tomorrow, contact Queyan and have him coordinate the project with Sister Lan's side."

Xie Qi nodded, "Alright, Third Young Master, you should also rest early."

"Mm."

...

Naturally, Bai Xu didn't know about the conversation happening beyond the wall. He quickly showered and lay down on the bed.

Once night deepened, his thoughts seemed to press pause.

The scenes from last night kept appearing in his mind over and over, impossible to discard, impossible to sleep through.

Bai Xu wrapped himself in the blanket, his thoughts circling endlessly.

Why didn't Shang Yanxiao refute him just now? Did he also think what happened last night was too absurd, so he didn't want to acknowledge it?

No, that's not right. Shang Yanxiao didn't drink at all last night, so why would he acquiesce to him doing that kind of thing? He even kissed back more intensely than him later!

"......"

The more Bai Xu thought about it, the more confused he became. He could only force himself to close his eyes. After a long time, occasional hints of drowsiness would emerge.

But the brief dreams were filled with intense entanglement, scaring him into not daring to continue sleeping.

This state of waking and sleeping continued until dawn broke. Only after being forced to stay up half the night did Bai Xu finally fall into deep sleep mode, completely giving in to the continuation of his dreams.

When he woke up again, Shang Yanxiao was once again not at home. Even Chen Yufei and Xie Qi had disappeared without a trace.

Bai Xu rarely felt this sense of being left behind. He had no appetite for food and only had the servants make him a cup of oat milk before going back upstairs.

With nothing to do, Bai Xu simply started researching N City's relevant land contracting and large-scale amusement facility regulations.

Honestly, he was very interested in the cooperative project Chu Yate proposed. He purposefully conducted preliminary research and unknowingly became absorbed in it.

It wasn't until his stomach protested strongly after a day of hunger that Bai Xu reluctantly extricated himself from the pile of professional materials.

At the same time, long-absent sounds came from the master bedroom next door, rustling but indistinct.

Bai Xu couldn't help but get up and push open his door.

Just then, Xie Qi was leading a doctor out of Shang Yanxiao's master bedroom, "Young Master Bai."

The two parties came face to face.

Bai Xu saw the unfamiliar face beside Xie Qi, and his unease gradually rose, "When did you all get back? What's wrong with Shang Yanxiao?"

"......"

Xie Qi originally wanted to say 'it's nothing,' but the words stopped urgently at his lips. Looking at Bai Xu, whose worry was hard to conceal, he thought of his own boss.

In an instant, years of experience accumulated as an assistant prompted him to emphasize his words, "Young Master Bai, Third Young Master just finished getting an IV for his fever. He's practically delirious from the fever!"

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