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Lu Huan’s gaze descended to Yu Baihan’s wrist, ensnared by the cabinet door.
Instead of rushing to release it, he extended his hand and rested it on the delicate chain imprisoning Yu Baihan’s wrist, as if contemplating his achievement.
The tall silhouette cast its shadow, and Yu Baihan leaned against the cold iron cabinet. Gazing up, he met Lu Huan’s slightly lowered face.
A peculiar thrill coursed through him. His heart raced as he lifted his hand and tugged at the side of Lu Huan’s shirt.
Lu Huan shifted his attention, inquiring, “What are you doing?”
Yu Baihan’s cheeks flushed, feigning a struggle with his bound hands while suppressing his excitement. He smoothly slipped into a playful scenario, “Please, release me…”
Lu Huan, puzzled, inquired, “Which one is this?”
Yu Baihan momentarily broke out of character but swiftly resumed, “Star Wars, and you are the commander in combat.”
He continued, “I’m not an undercover agent, Commander Lu, you have to trust me.”
With this, he reached out and gently pulled Lu Huan closer.
Lu Huan glanced down at him. “I see…”
Taking a small step forward, he “bang” supported Yu Baihan’s side. Their faces were almost inches apart as they scrutinized each other, Lu Huan tilting his head to maintain eye contact.
With a cheeky yet shy smile, Yu Baihan locked eyes with Lu Huan.
Lowering his eyelashes, Lu Huan observed Yu Baihan for a few moments before breaking into a smile. “Oh? You’re not an undercover agent. How can I trust you?”
His fingers that rested on Yu Baihan’s wrist toyed with the thin silver chain, running his fingertips along its length.
The sensation tingled as fingertips brushed against the bracelet, eliciting a subtle discomfort.
Yu Baihan’s heart raced.
Lu Huan… Well played.
He attempted to move his hand but stopped, confessing earnestly, “I’m all yours, Commander Lu. There’s nothing I’m hiding. If you don’t believe me, Commander, you can inspect me…”
In response, the hand at his side suddenly ascended, gripping his chin.
Lu Huan halted his words, his gaze meticulously traversing Yu Baihan’s features, as though tracing each line. After a while, a low smile played upon his lips. “Of course, I trust you completely… comrade.”
His tone conveyed a pleasant mood.
Yu Baihan gazed at him with sparkling eyes. Lu Huan lightly pressed on his chin and withdrew his hand.
Then, with a “click,” the lock was undone.
Yu Baihan released his hand, pulling his wrist free.
Lu Huan took a step back, and the light cascaded once more over the area. Yu Baihan lowered his gaze to his wrist, noticing a faint red mark where the thin chain had restrained him.
In mock accusation, he quipped, “Commander Lu, you nearly strangled me.”
As he spoke, he extended his wrist beneath Lu Huan’s watchful eye.
Lu Huan pressed down on his wrist lightly, observing Yu Baihan’s delighted expression. He asked softly, “Is that smile because of the pain?”
Yu Baihan promptly suppressed the corners of his mouth, now displaying an appropriately restrained expression.
Oops, forgot to complete the act…
Lu Huan gently reminded him, “Are you still planning to have a massage?”
“Yes, I am.” Yu Baihan dispelled the theatrical antics, pivoted, and secured the cabinet door once more.
…
Upon exiting the changing room, they were prompted to select a masseuse before proceeding to the massage chambers.
Lu Huan opted for a male masseuse, and he also selected a female masseuse for Yu Baihan. Yu Baihan turned to him and inquired, “Why are we getting different ones?”
“The male masseurs tend to provide stronger pressure,” Lu Huan replied in his usual tone. “Remember last time when you got hurt?”
Yu Baihan was taken aback. “You remember all that? Our Mr. Lu…is genuinely considerate.” His compliment caught him for a moment.
Oops, that was close. He almost let slip that he cared too much with outsiders around.
Lu Huan merely huffed and turned to be arranged.
—
They had reserved a double room.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Yu Baihan, in a placating tone, responded, “It’s just easier to chat like this.”
Lu Huan frowned, asking, “Can’t you stay still for a moment?”
Yu Baihan offered, “It’s alright if you don’t want to talk. You can bury your head in the hole and leave your ears exposed to listen to me.”
The mental image was almost overwhelming.
The two masseurs standing by the bed instinctively glanced at Lu Huan’s ears.
Lu Huan replaced the pillow with an exasperated sigh. “Not necessary.”
He then turned to face Yu Baihan, his voice gentle as he said, “I’m watching you too, to listen to you.”
Yu Baihan beamed. “Alright.”
…
This marked Yu Baihan’s second massage experience.
He noticed that his waist was a tad sensitive, which he first became aware of during his last massage. He also recalled the sensation when Lu Huan had rubbed his waist the previous night.
Quite the pleasant feeling.
Today, as the masseur began to work on his shoulders, Yu Baihan was still able to converse with Lu Huan comfortably and naturally. However, when the masseur’s hands reached his waist, Yu Baihan suddenly shivered and let out a soft hum.
Perhaps this kind of humming was quite common, as the masseur didn’t pause their motions.
Without interrupting his speech, Yu Baihan continued to hum softly.
He moaned and whimpered for a couple of minutes. But Lu Huan, who had been silent during this time, abruptly cut in, seemingly unable to bear it any longer. “Si Baihan.”
“Hmm?” Yu Baihan’s face was buried in the pillow as he looked at Lu Huan.
Lu Huan’s deep gaze settled on him, and after a few seconds, he seemed to grasp why Lu Huan had interrupted him.
Ah, Commander Lu was being impure again.
Yu Baihan signaled the masseur to stop for a moment. He initially wanted to explain to Lu Huan that he couldn’t help it, but then he realized that Lu Huan hadn’t uttered a word throughout the process, which piqued his curiosity.
He stared at Lu Huan. “Why aren’t you making any sounds?”
Lu Huan replied, “Not everyone is like you, you know?”
Yu Baihan raised an eyebrow and turned to the masseur beside Lu Huan. “Please apply more pressure to his waist. Let’s break through Lu Huan’s stoic exterior! Make him vocalize.”
Lu Huan sighed and said nothing, while the masseur couldn’t help but chuckle, though they dared not heed the request.
Their mutual teasing came to an end.
After nearly two hours of massage, Yu Baihan and Lu Huan got up and headed back to the dressing room to change into their steaming suits.
This time, Yu Baihan was extra cautious and made sure not to repeat his previous blunder.
Once he was ready, he exited the changing room to find Lu Huan already waiting by the door. Lu Huan’s gaze fell upon his wrist, and he offered a half-smile, “I thought our Baihan was going to be rescued again.”
Yu Baihan walked alongside him towards the sauna room, shaking the bracelet as he responded, “I did say it was too big.”
“Tomorrow, we’ll get a shorter one.”
“Alright.”
Lu Huan inquired, “Is there something on your mind?”
Yu Baihan swiftly concealed his expression, wondering how Commander Lu had seemingly read his thoughts.
While they walked and chatted, they unexpectedly encountered another couple head-on.
As they locked eyes, both pairs came to a halt simultaneously.
Yu Baihan gazed at the visage before him, a countenance he had glimpsed once before. The other party appeared equally taken aback, their delicate brows arching ever so slightly, enhancing their already delicate and soft features.
Swiftly comprehending the situation, the person murmured softly, “Isn’t this Xiao Han?”
Yu Baihan responded in kind, “Second Sister.”
They both stood there, regarding each other with a fragile demeanor. To those unfamiliar with the scenario, it might appear that the healthcare center was hosting an assembly of individuals from the Si family, all recovering from various ailments.
However, Yu Baihan was merely playing a role, whereas Si Tan was the genuine article.
A brief, almost transient character in the grand narrative, such was the character designated for her by the original author. Due to her fragile disposition and the blessing of the protagonist’s aura, she undergoes a series of miraculous “life-changing” transformations.
A true transformation, far more intense than Si Yanting’s brainwashing.
As they stood, locking eyes, the man accompanying Si Tan inquired, “Is this your fourth brother?”
Si Tan and her husband, Cui Haosheng, nodded in agreement before addressing Yu Baihan, “It’s been a while since we’ve seen you. Xiaohan seems to be in much better spirits. I have some business to attend to today; we can catch up another time.”
Their words were exchanged casually, like the typical banter among siblings.
He neither inquired about Yu Baihan’s affairs nor mentioned the other two brothers, as if he were outside the vortex of familial conflict.
Yu Baihan mentally added another note: His social standing is certainly much loftier than Si Yanting’s.
Stepping aside, Yu Baihan made way for Lu Huan. “Goodbye, Second Sister.”
Lu Huan raised his hand, placing it on Yu Baihan’s lower back, as though it were a customary gesture.
Si Tan offered a parting smile to Yu Baihan and left with Cui Haosheng. The two made their way to a booth at the opposite end of the hall, where several people awaited them.
With his gaze following their departure, Yu Baihan eventually turned to Lu Huan.
Placing one hand over the back of Lu Huan’s knuckles, he playfully suggested, “You were a tad slow in your performance today. When I first met my second sister, you should have clung to my waist and, in a jealous tone, demanded, ‘Who is this woman?'”
Lu Huan’s lips curled upward as he looked down at Yu Baihan. “Then the entire upper-class circle would begin speculating about which mental institution I hailed from.”
Yu Baihan’s expression shifted, and he tightened his grip on Lu Huan’s waist as he steered him toward the sauna room.
In a hushed tone, Lu Huan murmured, “Come on, let’s go and steam that juicy brain of yours.”
—
Yu Baihan’s thoughts didn’t wander for too long.
His physique was frail, and despite staying in the Lu residence for a while, he still hadn’t fully recuperated. The public sauna room here was set to a high temperature.
Yu Baihan steamed for a while, emerging as if he’d been plucked from a pool of water, his entire body drenched. His dark bangs clung wetly to his fair cheek, and even his eyes seemed moist, as if perspiring from the heat.
Lu Huan cast a sidelong glance at him and then helped him out of the sauna room with a gentle hand.
The moment Yu Baihan stepped out, a gust of cold wind hit him, causing his entire body to shiver. He leaned his head against Lu Huan’s shoulder.
The sweat on his forehead left damp marks on Lu Huan’s shoulder.
Lu Huan carried him back to the dressing room. He glanced sideways at the large wet spots on his shoulder and let out an expected chuckle.
Yu Baihan raised his head from his palm, giving him a deep, questioning look.
What did that chuckle mean?
If you don’t like it, I’ll take it back.
They left the nursing home nearly in the evening, and Fan Lin drove to pick them up.
As Yu Baihan followed Lu Huan into the back seat of the car, he spotted Si Tan and her companions once more through the car window. They were exiting the health care center’s entrance, likely the people who had been waiting in the booth earlier.
“What are you looking at?” Lu Huan’s voice drifted in from the side.
“Do you know those people over there?” Yu Baihan turned his gaze away.
Lu Huan glanced at him and signaled for Fan Lin to drive. “Yes, your elder brother’s associates.”
Yu Baihan: …
Impressive. This was the Si family’s traditional art of betrayal.
The private car started and swiftly departed from the nursing home. In the retrograde streetscape, Lu Huan reclined casually in his seat, observing Yu Baihan curling his lower lip. “What’s on your mind?”
Yu Baihan was about to respond when he noticed Fan Lin in front of him.
Once again, he withheld his personal revelations and gently patted his hand. “Sharing partners, it’s all good.”
“……”
The new bracelet arrived the following afternoon.
Lu Huan had gone to the office, and it was Qin Lun who delivered the bracelet.
Yu Baihan received the new chain and tried it on his wrist, finding it to be the perfect size. As expected of Lu Huan, his precision was remarkable.
However, the clasp of the bracelet was a bit more intricate and couldn’t be fastened with just one hand.
Qin Lun watched Yu Baihan struggle for a while with one hand, then offered, “Should I help you put it on?”
Yu Baihan withdrew the bracelet, shaking his head. “No, it’s fine.”
The “shackles of love” were meant to be put on by Lu Huan later that night.
Qin Lun hummed in response and remained where he was. He observed Yu Baihan for a moment, then suddenly inquired, “Do you… have any thoughts in your heart?”
“What do you mean?” Yu Baihan shot back, puzzled.
Qin Lun furrowed his brow, his hand absently ruffling his hair, “Never mind, forget it. It’s nothing.” With that, he turned and walked away, his departure carrying a sense of weight and desolation.
Yu Baihan:?
This tone and expression were reminiscent of Hua Wu’s behavior the last time.
…Could they have misunderstood something?
Unconcerned about the complicated thoughts swirling in Qin Lun’s mind, Yu Baihan pocketed the bracelet and returned home.
In the evening, Lu Huan came home for dinner.
Yu Baihan sat beside him and halfway through the meal, Lu Huan inquired, “Have you received the bracelet?”
“I have.”
“Why aren’t you wearing it?”
Yu Baihan paused with his chopsticks mid-air, gazing at Lu Huan, “Well, who’s going to put it on for me?”
“…” Lu Huan halted his own movements.
He glanced at Yu Baihan, then averted his gaze and resumed eating. After the meal, Lu Huan got up and casually said, “Go upstairs.”
Yu Baihan, still sipping the last of his soup, looked up from behind his bowl. “What are you doing?”
Lu Huan raised his wrist, his lips curving, “Cuff it on you.”
Yu Baihan:…
It seemed that the title of “Commander Lu” had earned Lu Huan’s favor.
Setting aside his bowl, Yu Baihan followed Lu Huan to the master bedroom upstairs.
In the master bedroom, they both sat at the table.
Lu Huan lowered his head, his fingers deftly playing with the bracelet. The main part of the tracker was the “whale pendant.” This time, he had replaced the chain, so he needed to remove the pendant first and then fasten it to Yu Baihan’s wrist.
Lu Huan’s hands were agile, and it didn’t take long for him to complete the task. He then requested, “Extend your hand.”
Yu Baihan complied, stretching out his wrist to let Lu Huan put on the bracelet for him.
Sitting about an arm’s length apart, Lu Huan leaned forward slightly. As he fastened the clasp, his eyelashes dipped, and his thin lips pursed with a look of utmost concentration.
Yu Baihan gazed at his handsome face for a while, then inquired, “By the way, what does the master device look like?”
Lu Huan didn’t lift his head, replying, “The one you made is also a whale.”
Yu Baihan queried, “Then why haven’t I seen you wearing it?”
The person in front of him finally raised his head, moistening his lips, “I keep it in the drawer. I don’t need to wear it. After all, life is wonderful without our interference.”
“……”
The memory of handcuffing himself behind his back remained vivid in Yu Baihan’s mind.
Sensibly, he shifted the conversation, “May I have a look?”
“It’s in the drawer beside you.”
The drawer slide open.
Yu Baihan peered inside, spotting another silver tracker. A lone pendant lay peacefully in the drawer, clearly a matching piece to the one in his hand.
His gaze lingered on the tracker with a contemplative air…
Then suddenly, he clenched his fists, and when he turned to look at Lu Huan, the man was already watching him with the intensity of a radar, his voice laced with knowing, “What’s on your mind?”
Yu Baihan’s eyes remained innocent, “On my mind? What could it be?”
Lu Huan toyed with his bracelet, a faint hint of amusement curving his lips, “It seems I perceive a vibrant and intricate drama unfolding in your eyes.”
Yu Baihan shut his eyes briefly and replied with gentle resolve, “There’s nothing of the sort.”
The bracelet clicked shut around his wrist.
Lu Huan continued to stare at him with that unwavering smile, “Really? My apologies then?”
Yu Baihan, maintaining his calm, affirmed, “Absolutely.”
The two locked eyes in silence for a few more moments, and Yu Baihan’s gaze flickered subtly…
Lu Huan teased, “Hehe.”
Yu Baihan:…
This is pure torture.
It seems Commander Lu can discern the drama unfolding in his eyes all too well.
YBH makes me think of a golden retriever who tries to pretend that nothing happened while sitting between a broken vase and an emptied food container.
Lu Huan’s line here doesn’t seem to fit? ‘The one you made is also a whale’. Isn’t he referring to the master device that’s with him? 🤔
And Commander Lu definitely knows his comra- wife well 😂
Yeah, it’s Whale shaped pendant device
Well, they’re spending quality time together 😁
Thanks for the chapter 💞
Thank you so much