Chapter 20

“Mm.”
Bai Xu groaned. Hot. Eyes open.
Alcohol heat climbed—restless and wrong.
Changxu heard. Turned first. “Mr. Bai?”
Bai Xu half-heard. Alert buried deep clawed up—
Eyes snapped. Sat straight—seatbelt slammed him back.
Too big—temples pounding. “Ngh.”
Changxu read the reflex guard. Brow pinch. “Mr. Bai—awake? We’re at the Shang villa gate.”
“……”
Bai Xu lips shut. Tried to read outside.
Good—the closed gate opened soon.
Xie Qi ran out—word from Yanxiao. Changxu’s look—rear door open.
Night wind in. Heat down a notch.
Bai Xu saw Xie Qi. “Huh? Here?”
Xie Qi helped him down. “Mr. Bai—you okay?”
“Fine.”
Drunk—but proud bone. Shook Xie Qi off. Stagger-walked inside.
Changxu watched his back. Soft sigh. “Drunk and still runs home. Trusts you lot.”
---
Xie Qi pushed glasses. “Dr. Zhang—thanks for the trouble.”
Changxu looked back. Loaded. “All still good?”
Meant Yanxiao’s fake coma at home.
Xie Qi synced nod. “Visitors keep coming. So far fine.”
Changxu wrapped. “Mm. Scheduled ‘checkup’ in two days. Late tonight—I’ll go.”
“Okay. Drive safe, Dr. Zhang.”
Xie Qi long strides inside—afraid drunk Bai Xu falls.
Villa door shut soft—Changning in front seat mumbled.
Changxu leaned close. Messy curls. “Ningning?”
Changning drunk-comfy. No eyelids. Turned away. Petulant. “Second Brother—you’re loud.”
“……”
Changxu laughed helpless. Adjusted AC. Drove off.
…
Xie Qi shut the door. Turned—Queyan in the wheelchair.
“Fourth Young Master—still up?”
“Mm.”
Queyan didn’t say—
He knew Bai Xu went for Third House tonight. Guilt at his coward moments—and fear Bai Xu’d get mocked there.
This shouldn’t have landed on an outsider like Bai Xu.
First sound at the door—Queyan moved. Body slow. Wheelchair to door—Bai Xu already upstairs uneven steps.
Queyan. “Bai Xu—drunk?”
“Yeah. Bad looks.” Xie Qi glanced up. “Fourth Young Master—lots happened. Tomorrow I’ll brief you. I’m checking Mr. Bai.”
Queyan nod. “Okay.”
Xie Qi took stairs—not elevator.
Bai Xu stood at his bedroom door. Didn’t enter. Thinking what.
“Mr. Bai—not going in?”
No answer to that. Turned—master bedroom. Stagger fast. Speed unaffected.
Click.
Master handle down clean.
Xiao Deng inside and Xie Qi on the stairs—both startled. Xie Qi chased. “Mr. Bai—wrong room—”
“Shut up.”
One look—drunk eyes cold noble distance. Nobody dared again.
“……”
Xie Qi stuck rare.
Bai Xu in. Pointed at frozen Xiao Deng. “You. Out.”
Xiao Deng blank. Eyes to Xie Qi.
Bai Xu again. “He’s useless. I decide. Out!”
Xie Qi couldn’t gauge drunk level. Glance at “comatose” Yanxiao. Instinct—stepped out.
Boss and luck-marriage partner—less meddling.
Xiao Deng got it. Shrank. “Mr. Bai—call if you need us.”
“Annoying.”
Bai Xu kicked the door shut. Cut off both men.
Wide quiet master—monitor beeps only.
Heat rising. Jacket off. Tie off. Collar loose—two breaths easier.
Done—already at the bed edge.
Drunk haze on Yanxiao. Unnamed irritation. Sat bed edge. Shoved hard.
“Hey!”
“Wake up!”
“……”
“You—Shang—Third—Third Young Master—” Drunk tongue tangled. Petty spike. “What stupid title?”
“Third House gets all the eyes. Know—know how much I blocked today? You don’t—huh?”
Last breath trailed cute—never shown outside.
Hands again. Poked sleeping cheek.
Yanxiao’s cool skin killed fingertip heat. Bai Xu bolder—big toy to squeeze—
Nose tap. Ear rub. Lip pinch. Throat hook.
Drunk fun. Missed the body tightening below.
“You—you look—pretty good. Shame—”
“Pretty face~ no~ use~ Tsk. Can’t~ perform~”
“……”
Yanxiao “out”—grinding teeth at “can’t perform.”
Another wave of spin.
Bai Xu braced down—through cloth hit hard abs. Slow beat. New continent surprise.
Huh?
Abs still?
Bed this long—and?
Curiosity drunk-fueled—no ceiling.
Finger poke. Another poke. “Hm?”
Next second—Yanxiao’s eyes snapped. Grabbed wrist. Flip—Bai Xu pinned under him.
---
“Poke again. Try.”
Hoarse low. Every syllable helpless.
Monitor lines torn floor. Yanxiao didn’t look. Faked this long—lost to Bai Xu.
“……”
“……”
Bai Xu vertigo—Yanxiao doubled. Caught ink-dark eyes—brain crashed.
Seconds stretched.
Lashes flutter. Real or dream—
Wait.
Yanxiao’s awake?
Luck marriage worked just like that?
Drunk thought. Pillow soft behind neck. Question mark still turning—eyes lost to sleep.
“……”
Yanxiao watched Bai Xu sleep peaceful. Eyes complex—shift after shift.
Asleep?
Stormed his room. Hands everywhere. One second out?
First time Yanxiao felt laugh-cry. Deep breath. “You’ve got nerve.”
Still—had to settle this.
Yanxiao off the bed. Fixed messy clothes. Close to sleeping Bai Xu.
“Bai Xu?”
“……”
No answer now.
Yanxiao helpless brow. Two seconds—bent. Lifted him bridal-style.
“Mm.”
Dream float—Bai Xu shifted. Soft hair on Yanxiao’s neck. Heat through cloth—
Weird feeling surged again. “Don’t move!”
“Why—listen to you?”
Drunk—but won’t lose.
Bai Xu frowned. Ignored order. Found comfortable lean. “I won’t!”
Only when still—Yanxiao dark breath—carried him out of master.
Door open again. Xie Qi and Xiao Deng—eyes huge. “Third Young Master?”
“Mr. Bai is—”
Yanxiao cut them. “Done. All off duty tonight. Rest.”
Xie Qi and Xiao Deng traded looks. Yanxiao carried Bai Xu to guest room across the hall.
Door left a crack.
No lights—sensor floor glow. Onto mattress—Bai Xu eyes open sudden.
Dark—drunk eyes oddly focused. “Shang—Yanxiao?”
“……”
Yanxiao breath stuck. Almost exposed panic.
Before words—Bai Xu drunk hand up. “So this is awake-you? Pretty.”
Next—soft fingers on his earlobe. “Your ears—so red?”
Low laugh unknowingly flirty. Heart mess.
Drunk no logic. Fake clarity two seconds—down again.
Slapped mattress unhappy. “Why—why mine’s not this soft?”
Random shout. “Shang Yanxiao!”
Yanxiao subtle. “Mm?”
Bai Xu muffled in blanket—order. “Change it!”
Yanxiao rarely commanded. Surprised brow. “Bai Xu—what?”
“……”
Perpetrator silent again.
Yanxiao stared at half a head out of covers. Tonight absurd and real—laugh he couldn’t explain.
Luck-marriage partner?
More like he invited an ancestor.
…
Yanxiao settled Bai Xu. Corner smile he didn’t notice—out of guest room.
Soft steps to master. Past long-unused elevator—ding.
Heart jump. Too late to hide.
Doors open—
Queyan in wheelchair about to exit. Face-to-face with his brother!
Eyes huge. Breath shake. “Bro—you—you’re—”
“Shh.”
Yanxiao finger to lips. Glance guest room—afraid to wake someone.
“Quiet. Everyone’s sleeping.”