Chapter 86 Competition
compete
My heart was pounding uncontrollably. I knew Xie Yong would use some "not-so-gentle" methods to force his way in.
"Don't do this... You said you'd end things between us if I said so." I pressed myself against the door and whispered to him, "You're the mayor's only son. If you stay here like this, aren't you afraid I'll call the police? Your father's election..."
"Of course you can, call the police. I'll wait for them to arrive." Xie Yong was even more nonchalant. With his family's capabilities, dealing with the Imperial State Police would indeed be a piece of cake.
Seeing that I remained silent, Xie Yong calmly spoke up: "Xiao Fu, are you completely uninterested in me? Why should I approach you? I clearly have many suitors, but I would rather interfere in your relationship with another man than choose the woman you consider to be my equal. Aren't you curious?"
His tone even carried a hint of arrogance, perfectly capturing all my doubts and concerns.
Xie Yong liked to use this kind of coaxing to break down my already faltering psychological defenses, and I was overly concerned about what Lin Zhi'en had said.
He didn't speak, waiting quietly outside the door. After about half a minute, I gently opened the door.
I opened the door a crack, but Xie Yong, as if he were my boyfriend, grabbed the doorknob and forcefully pushed his right foot in. I watched helplessly as he entered my room.
Xie Yong glanced at the foyer, but instead of rushing in, he slowly asked, "You're not living with Jiang Mingzhuo? I can't see any of his things in the house."
It then dawned on me that he had been checking the house for signs that another man had moved in.
"No, we've only been on a few dates."
“But his cat is with you.” Xie Yong smiled. He saw the cat feeder and water dispenser placed in the living room.
I don't know when Jiang Mingzhuo moved these things over. After his car accident, Jiang Zhao forcibly took me to the hospital. The kitten was alone at home, curled up on the sofa, looking a little pitiful, and meowed softly.
I quickly went over and picked it up. Pets aren't allowed in the apartment, so it couldn't stay with me for long. But Jiang Mingzhuo was unconscious, and I couldn't contact his family at all, except for Jiang Zhao.
But Jiang Zhao's personality didn't seem like that of someone who would take good care of it, so I couldn't help but hug the cat tightly.
"Do you like it, or do you like Bruce?" Xie Yong approached as well. "Answer me."
“I like them all. I like small animals.” I said softly. I carefully checked the cat’s physical condition and breathed a sigh of relief when I found that nothing had happened in the past two days. I put it on the floor and kept a polite distance from Xie Yong: “Now you can tell me why you are interested in me.”
Xie Yong took a few more steps closer. "Let's play a game, Xiao Fu."
"What?" I was extremely wary.
The already small living room seemed even more cramped, and I slowly began to feel nervous and scared.
Xie Yong's lips curled slightly. "We'll just use playing cards to guess the numbers. One piece of clothing per round, or answering a question from the other side, with the winner choosing. How about that?"
I glanced at him instinctively. He wasn't even wearing his black overcoat, only a well-tailored, high-quality bespoke suit. I, on the other hand, was wearing three or four more layers than him, including my short jacket and scarf, in addition to the ones I was still wearing.
"Okay." My heart skipped a beat, and I agreed.
Xie Yong raised an eyebrow, picked up the playing cards on the table, and I stared intently at him. Xie Yong said, "I won't cheat."
Do I have to answer every question?
"Of course." He smiled, his expression once again one of exceptional confidence.
He handed me the shuffled cards, saying, "Ladies first."
I hesitated for a moment, then picked a card from the right side; it was the 7 of Hearts.
Xie Yong chose the card next to him, the 9 of spades. His voice grew darker, "I won. You can stall now."
"You don't want to ask me?"
"I don't want to, let's just drag it out."
I gritted my teeth, took off my coat, folded it neatly, and put it aside.
The second round started quickly. This time, I took the cards and shuffled them three or four times, but my score was still lower than Xie Yong's. My face turned red, and I had no choice but to take off my scarf. The third round, the fourth round... My fingers touched the black off-the-shoulder knit sweater, and my fingertips trembled slightly.
I thinned it down to my shoulders. Xie Yong's eyes held arrogance and amusement. I bit my lip, my ears burning. "You did this on purpose?"
"I suppose so. You can beat me, Xiao Fu. Don't draw cards from the right side next round. Your habit has never changed."
"I'm not playing anymore." I stood up defiantly, and Xie Yong suddenly hugged me tightly from behind.
I shuddered. He lowered his head and kissed my neck. "Then let me ask you a different question. You don't need to stall, just answer me. Do you and Jiang Mingzhuo wear condoms together?"
"..." In the dimly lit living room, I couldn't see his expression, nor did I understand the purpose of his question. I think my cheeks and neck must have been burning red.
I remained silent for a long time. Xie Yong's long, slender, and pale fingers pulled the knitted sweater down to the shoulder, revealing the slightly daring apricot-colored lace, the final touch.
"Take it." I trembled all over and could only tell him that I had lied.
Xie Yong put his arm around my shoulder, making me face him. His tone was slow, and his smile deepened: "Is that so? Then he definitely won't let you have any pleasure. Don't you want to try me?"
My eyelashes fluttered, my cheeks flushed, and I could only meet his gaze. "You fouled. One question at a time."
Xie Yong leaned down and kissed me, pressing down on my waist, which was too slender for him. His hands held me tightly, and the ambiguity between our lips, along with our breathing, gradually turned into the sound of water. Xie Yong let me hold onto his shoulders, which were broad, firm, and muscular.
In the blink of an eye, I was on the sofa, all sounds were silenced. He was sucking on my lips, and I could vaguely see the veins bulging on the back of his pale hand. His watch was taken off and silently placed on the table.
"Don't you want to try me? I'll give you the option to try it first and pay later." Xie Yong laughed. He knew I had just recovered, so his movements weren't forceful. He just ambiguously lifted me from head to toe, then put my legs on his shoulders.
"I just want to know why you're interested in me, and what you really want. If you're just trying to compete with Jiang Mingzhuo, or if you want to keep me as your mistress, I won't agree."
"What I want?" Xie Yong looked at me. "I want to be your boyfriend in name and in fact, and in the future, I want to be your husband. When you meet anyone and mention my name, you can't hide from me. You have to tell everyone about our relationship openly and honestly."
I had a vague feeling that Xie Yong's sense of identity was stronger than that of any other man I knew.
"You can pursue me, why do you have to use this method?" I couldn't help but ask.
Xie Yong smiled slightly and said calmly to me, "I started pursuing you the first time we met, but you chose Jiang Mingzhuo. It seems that every time I pursue you, there's always another man by your side. I guess I'm too late."
My mind went blank. Xie Yong seemed to be out of his mind. We had only known each other for less than half a month. Why would he say that?
They know everything about me, but I know nothing about it.
Xie Yong always loved kissing, especially holding me tightly in his arms and then leaning down to kiss me, from my forehead to my eyes, the tip of my nose, and finally my lips. His kissing skills were excellent; he always seemed to be stirring things up. My arms were still slightly numb, and I couldn't push him away. I could only remind him, "Not on the sofa..."
Washing the sofa cover is so uncomfortable.
Xie Yong glanced at me for two seconds, then said clearly, "I'll give you a new one."
I grabbed his tie, and finally, it drooped limply... He sent me to the peak, and then slowly fell back down.
Afterwards, Xie Yong carried me to the bathroom, dried my hair, and we returned to the bed in the bedroom. The kitten was already fast asleep in the corner, purring occasionally. Xie Yong hugged me tightly from behind and kissed me, clearly not wanting to stop. Even his little Xie Yong was still squeezing restlessly between my breasts.
We did almost everything except for the actual acts. Xie Yong was much better than Jiang Mingzhuo in this respect. As long as I explicitly refused, he would stop very gentlemanly. Even if little Xie Yong looked frighteningly purple, he wouldn't care.
"You still have a question for me, Xiao Fu," Xie Yong asked me in a low voice.
I was in his arms, and it was strange. My relationship with Xie Yong was no different from that of running buddies, but the reassuring feeling he gave me gave me a vague illusion that we had known each other for more than ten years and that he knew everything about me... I was getting sleepy.
"What's the problem?"
"Do you prefer Bruce or Jiang Mingzhuo's cat?"
I turned my head away. "I already said, I like them all."
Xie Yong forcefully pulled me into his arms again, "What about Bruce and me?"
I looked at him. Xie Yong's jet-black hair hung down between his eyebrows and eyes, and there were bite marks on his neck. He was completely different from the handsome and composed noble young man who appeared in the news this morning. He actually had a kind of cynical feeling as a "third party".
My heart skipped a beat, and I told him, "I like dogs."
"Woof woof woof." Xie Yong immediately barked a few times, "Is it me?"
He truly is a natural-born politician, adept at knowing when to advance and retreat, always able to find the most suitable approach for himself without batting an eye or showing any shame.
I remembered that not long ago, Jiang Mingzhuo had said the same thing to me, that he was willing to be my dog. My face flushed slightly. I knew that my nominal date was in a coma because of a car accident, yet I was sleeping with the person he disliked the most.
Excitement, frustration, and a sense of immorality all rushed at me at once.
I quickly closed my eyes.
“Xiao Fu, I often dream about you.” Xie Yong’s hand, with its distinct knuckles, reached out with a hint of aggression. He smiled and said, “I dream that we were together for a long time, a full ten years.”
Seeing me looking at him, Xie Yong's Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes deepened. "I'm not someone who's easily attached to things. Many things are too simple for me, so I quickly lose interest. That's why I'm curious about what it is that has kept me entangled with you for so long."
We looked at each other, and I bit my lip: "So..."
"Many people might not remember the people who appear in their dreams, but I remember your face perfectly. So the first thing I did after waking up was to arrange for someone to find you, until the day you saw Bruce. However, I also knew I was too late; you were already dating Jiang Mingzhuo. Compared to Jiang Mingzhuo, I'm not the type you would fall in love with at first sight. And I know you're the kind of person who, once you've made up your mind, will never change it. To get you to see me, I can only lower my standards and find a way to make him leave you without ruining your relationship with your current boyfriend."
He pressed down on my waist, drawing me closer. I had to lean against his chest, and I thought of the dreams I'd had. Although I'd never actually met Xie Yong, Jiang Zhao and Jiang Mingzhuo always mentioned him from time to time, which gave me a feeling that the fog of mystery was slowly clearing.
"Is it like this in your dreams too...?" I asked him.
"What."
"Knowing I'm married to another man, she still chose to be a mistress..."
Thinking back on our several meetings, I realized that this question was really quite foolish.
From the moment I first met him two weeks ago, he completely disregarded the fact that Jiang Mingzhuo and I were on a date, and even brazenly told me that he simply enjoyed being the other woman.
Xie Yong was clearly a man who was very interested in destroying and interfering in other people's relationships. Unlike Lin Jindong, who was willing to be a lover, Xie Yong always had a crazy desire to kill the other woman's husband and take his place.
Maybe what happens in my dream will happen sooner or later... I shuddered.
A somewhat frightening but clear thought surfaced in my mind, and my voice trembled slightly, "Xie Yong, is Jiang Mingzhuo's car accident related to you?"
He looked down at me in the darkness, his fingers sliding easily under my nightgown.
"Don't you already have the answer in your heart?" Xie Yong smiled. "Besides, our game agreement is that you have to beat me before you can ask me a question, Xiao Fu."
I looked up at him one last time, and my body felt a little cold.
He opened his arms so I could rest my head on him, and I slowly closed my eyes and gradually drifted off to sleep.
The next day, I woke up very early and found that someone was holding my waist tightly. Those hands were a pampered, cold white, with distinct knuckles, which were very sexy. I blinked and saw Xie Yong's face so close to mine.
That's when I realized he wasn't wearing a shirt at all last night, but just a bath towel, which was almost torn to shreds.
From his arms to his shoulders and neck, and down to his abdomen... his muscles were exceptionally well-defined and beautifully sculpted. The grass along his V-line was neatly trimmed, completely different from the way Jiang Mingzhuo deliberately kicked it.
"Meow~" The cat jumped onto the bed from the side. I got up and found that my nightgown had been pulled down to my waist. Xie Yong and I were sleeping naked together like this. If those gossip-loving reporters took pictures, I think Xie Yong would be associated with the word "debauchery" for the rest of his life.
I thought he was fast asleep, so I quietly got up. Xie Yong didn't open his eyes, and his voice was a little low and lazy, "So early, where are you going?"
He pulled me into his arms again, and with his eyes still closed, he habitually kissed me.
I pushed him away, and he kissed my neck, picked up his phone from the side, and said, "It's only a little past seven, sleep a little longer."
"I'm not going to sleep anymore, I have things to do today." I prepared to get up and pulled my shoulder strap back, but Xie Yong's hand pressed down on my waist again, pulling me to his side and looking at me with his chin propped up on his hand.
"Are you feeling better?" He bit my lip and reached out to touch my forehead. "You look much better."
"I have class today, and I need to find a pet store; my landlady is already urging me to go." I stood up. "Aren't you going back?"
Even such simple words made Xie Yong frown.
He clenched his teeth, as if his defenses had crumbled, and said to me, "If Jiang Mingzhuo were here, would you be in such a hurry to get rid of him?"
“You’re different from him.” I turned my back to Xie Yong and took out the clothes I was wearing today from the closet. A few seconds later, he kissed me from behind, revealing the clearly defined lines of my arms.
His arms tightened around me, and we sank into the soft bed, Xie Yong holding me close.
I could clearly sense that Xie Yong was controlling himself. He moved his Adam's apple and said, "Give the cat to me, and I'll take good care of it for you."
"Really...no need." My legs trembled slightly. I was exhausted after squeezing into Xiao Xie Yong's place all night last night.
Sweat slid down his neck, and a few seconds later, he leaned down and kissed me fiercely.
"Sleep a little longer. I'll have someone bring breakfast."
After a passionate encounter, I got up, my arms aching even more. I moved slowly, and Xie Yong carried me, helped me change my clothes, and said, "Someone will bring breakfast later."
The bedroom door opened.
Someone had already delivered the breakfast to the apartment. I took it, and the person then brought Xie Yong's things in. He came out of the bathroom, holding a white towel to dry his hair, and changed into a very casual shirt from an obscure brand, with the collar slightly open.
"After you finish eating, I'll take you to school, Xiao Fu."
His tone was as intimate as my boyfriend's, but I subconsciously shook my head, "No, thank you."
Jiang Mingzhuo has given me a grand send-off several times, which has already attracted a lot of attention. I don't want to appear with the mayor's son again. You can imagine what those gossipy students will do. They might even upload it to social media and expose my identity...
No, I hesitated and wavered.
I already have doubts about my past, but I have no way of finding out the truth on my own. What if I were exposed online? There will always be people who know me, maybe my childhood friends, my high school classmates...
At this moment, my heart felt like a swaying scale. I knew that I had only been dating Jiang Mingzhuo for a short time, and being with Xie Yong would arouse suspicion. But with so many doubts, I couldn't pretend to be indifferent. Weights were being added to one side of the scale...
I wavered.
The mayor's only son, a perfect, textbook-perfect nobleman.
Outstanding academic performance, versatile in sports, enthusiastic and active in public welfare and social activities, with no criminal record.
What kind of women would such a privileged son of heaven, a second-generation member of the top class, associate with?
The topic of social celebrities is never short of people talking about it.
If I become one of his frequent date companions, there will always be people who will try to find something out about me, dig up my past, expose me to everyone's scrutiny, and put me on trial.
I think the fact that he and Jiang Mingzhuo had the same date would be noticed by the news reporters.
I racked my brains for an excuse: "I want to go to the pet store first, since my school classes are in the afternoon. How about you come with me to the store first and find someone who can take good care of the cat, then we can go to school, okay?"
Xie Yong's lips curled slightly.
Around 10 a.m., we left the apartment together. As I expected, the housewives who lived in the same building all looked at me with curiosity. But what surprised me was that they, who usually loved to gossip about the residents, were completely indifferent.
I turned around, and one of the housewives saw me and smiled naturally, "Good morning, Xiao Fu."
"Hmm..." I also gave a very polite smile.
I got into Xie Yong's car and closed the door. It was only by chance that I noticed the women in front of the apartment building. They always went out to shop and chat after their husbands went to work. It was almost always like this every day, and I was already used to it.
However, I suddenly noticed that their Walmart-branded eco-friendly bags were completely full today.
But I clearly remember that Walmart had been temporarily closed for the past few days because of the blizzard and was unable to restock. It was the only supermarket in the vicinity for several kilometers. So where did they buy their things?
Just then, the car started.
I blinked.
Xie Yong drove away from the neighborhood and, following the navigation, went to the nearest pet store.
The environment on this street is not comparable to that of my apartment; it's a bit worse. The apartments are all old buildings that have been renovated. The lush sycamore trees are bare in winter, which is quite desolate. The street is lined with grocery stores selling fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as Mexican restaurants, hot dog stands, and coffee shops.
The subway here goes directly to the polytechnic, so it's also a gathering place for university students.
At the end of the street corner is a pet store with a green sign.
I carried the airline case, with Xie Yong accompanying me. His face was undisguisedly indifferent. I knew him; he was just maintaining a basic expression with his polite manners, but in reality, he was very dissatisfied with this neighborhood.
A man like him, who lives in an affluent area, finds this place, which resembles a slum, utterly unappealing.
"Okay, why don't you wait for me at the door for a while, and I'll come find you, okay?" I said to Xie Yong in a slightly coquettish tone.
He crossed his arms, his expression indifferent yet indulgent. "Hmm, hurry up. Take a look, and if it's not good, you should give the cat to me."
The pet shop wasn't big, but it was bright and clean. A young boy in a staff uniform was standing with his back to me, patiently bathing an adorable Schnauzer.
The dog stood obediently on the table, its tongue lolling out.
There was another boy in a dark blue baseball jersey, about my age. His appearance was naturally not comparable to Xie Yong's, but he was very comfortable and natural.
He looked at the boy who was bathing the dog and coughed a few times. "Yu Xu, how much longer?"
"Be patient, it'll be done soon." The boy washing the dog smiled, his voice clear and pleasant. "Didn't you play with it all day? It's all dirty. You need to comb its fur first, otherwise it'll get tangled and the dog will be uncomfortable."
"Oh, I see." The dog's owner turned around and saw me.
He froze, staring at me without blinking. I've seen that expression on many men's faces. I just smiled politely and looked around the store.
There are several kittens and puppies.
Those who had finished showering were all sleeping quietly there, snoring.
The pets that hadn't been bathed yet were playing. The atmosphere in the store was great, and you could tell that the boy was taking good care of the pets.
"Hello, I have a kitten and I would like to ask if the store can take care of it for a while. Its owner had an accident, and the landlord of my apartment does not allow pets."
The boy turned his head away.
Because he was busy, his short hair was messy, but his eyes and brows were gentle and had a familiar feel to them.
The moment their eyes met, he politely spoke, "You..."
“Have we met before? The last time at Imperial University, you picked up the bracelet for me,” I said naturally, even blurting out his name, “Yu Xu, right?”
[Author's Note]
This chapter reveals why Xie Yong was unable to ascend to power for ten years: because he couldn't kill Jiang Zhao.
Xie Yong could have easily eliminated everyone without making a sound and then married the young widow, but he couldn't kill Jiang Zhao (this will also be written in the side story).
So, the person who administered the drug to Yu Xu in the previous playthrough was him.
In this playthrough, the kitten Jiang Mingzhuo painstakingly used to gain favor with himself turned into a witness cat for Yu Xu and Xiao Fu's love, which can be considered as him asking for trouble.
I'll send out the Mid-Autumn Festival red envelopes in this chapter before tomorrow's update. They've already been sent in the first two chapters. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
