When Xu Zhuo entered the bathroom, the steam inside filled the air with the scent of shower gel. Having been rained on, it was likely that Du Ziyu was taking a hot bath.
Xu Zhuo quickly removed the wet clothes sticking to his body and turned on the shower. The hot water rushed down from the top, washing away the chill.
To be honest, he never expected that one day he would be taking a shower at Du Ziyu's house.
Downstairs were the mingling of important officials and wealthy people, while outside the room, thunder and lightning were present. It was a strange environment with unfamiliar smells. The image of a pale, handsome face covered by his palm flashed in his mind, a drop of fresh blood seeping from the lips, blending with the rain, tracing along the perfect jawline... and the accidentally touched soft and flexible sensation...
He turned the shower on to the maximum, and the water flowed into the drain in a swirl.
He closed his eyes, emptying his mind for a moment, then he was seized again by the troubles before him.
Good Lord!
Only now did he have the opportunity to be shocked. Twenty minutes ago, he had been kissed by a man!
A man! He almost French kissed him!
And then he was thinking about the other person!?
Alright, he did have friends like that around him, so he reluctantly accepted the weirdness. Maybe he really had the potential to be attracted to men.
But!
The person who forcefully kissed him, yes, "forcefully kissed" him, was his icy boss!
"Ah, ah, ah!!!" Xu Zhuo covered his face with his hands as the hot water dripped down his body.
Earlier, when he was giving a speech downstairs, he could already see that Du Ziyu was not acting normal. He didn't know what prompted him; maybe it was fear of him getting into trouble, so he paid attention to Du Ziyu's movements and rushed over.
Du Ziyu was clearly shaken, not in the right state of mind, which led to him doing what he did.
But no matter the reason, he still had to walk out of that door later and face the awkward situation caused by that kiss.
As expected, it would be an awkward apology, understanding forgiveness, and then silently agreeing to let the secret rot and die within them.
"Ugh..." Xu Zhuo sighed heavily. The steam made his head feel heavy, so he adjusted the water temperature. As he habitually reached for the shower gel, he retracted his outstretched hand.
Using the same shower gel, carrying the same scent, felt strange.
He usually took a quick shower. After his body warmed up again, he turned off the shower, finally remembering an extremely serious problem.
He didn't have clean clothes.
The soaked business shirts on the floor were definitely not feasible to wear again, unless he wanted to be lectured by the old man. The only bathrobe had been taken by Du Ziyu.
The only piece of dry, cover-up fabric left in the bathroom was a large white bath towel.
Clearly, it had been used once.
It was obvious who the user was.
Xu Zhuo didn't have many particularities; what was wrong with a grown man wearing it temporarily? It's not like it was his underwear.
But as soon as he thought about the fact that the towel had been used by the other person to dry off, and possibly touched certain areas...
Stop!
The situation was stronger than him, he couldn't afford to be so annoying!
As long as his face was thick enough, embarrassment couldn't catch up with him!
He figured it out, bit the bullet, and wrapped the towel around his waist, securing it tightly at one end to ensure no melodramatic incident like in a TV drama would occur.
Coming out of the bathroom, he wanted to immediately explain to Du Ziyu and have him find replacement clothes, but he didn't see him in the living room.
Xu Zhuo's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, did he leave him here and go away?
He turned his head and saw a half-open door nearby, revealing a corner of a bed. Although there was no movement inside, he felt something and followed his instincts into the room.
The huge bed was covered with fluffy beddings, and the silk reflected a warm glow. Du Ziyu leaned against the head of the bed, reading a book with Latin text on the cover, although Xu Zhuo could only recognize it as such.
Du Ziyu was still wearing the same robe, pulled tightly on both sides with only his neck visible, and his legs hidden under the covers.
His gaze was unfocused, clearly not on the pages of the book, and when he heard the noise, he immediately looked up.
"Mr. Du." It was a bit cold in the room, and Xu Zhuo's bare upper body had a thin layer of goosebumps.
Du Ziyu nervously closed the book, tilting his face to look at him, his cheeks flushed.
In this situation, Xu Zhuo cleared his throat to break the romantic atmosphere and said, "Mr. Du, would you mind finding me some clothes to change into?"
Du Ziyu was momentarily puzzled, then seemed to relax, hesitated for a moment, and said, "You can wear mine."
Xu Zhuo was momentarily confused. Why did Du Ziyu act as if he was being forced by him?
Clearly, he was the one who was...by the other person! Or was he?
Xu Zhuo nodded in confusion, gesturing with his thumb behind him, "Then I'll go first..." Without waiting for a response, he turned and went into the dressing room.
Although Du Ziyu usually didn't live here, the clothes were very complete, made of high-quality fabric and well-tailored. The only problem was that Du Ziyu's custom-made suit was a bit small for him.
Eventually, he found a likely looser one, a matching black set like his own, a bit tight when worn, the pants also showed some ankle, but it wasn't noticeable if you didn't look closely.
Putting on clothes not only made him much warmer, but also gave him more confidence. Du Ziyu has always had a strong presence. It was difficult to have an equal conversation with him when he was only wrapped in a piece of cloth.
Now that he has psychologically overcome the disadvantage, it's time to focus on the real issue.
Du Ziyu is still sitting on the bed, and when he sees Xu Zhuo coming out in his clothes, he stares at him intently, waiting for something.
"Mr. Du," Xu Zhuo sits on the sofa next to the bed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, locking eyes with Du Ziyu. "About what happened earlier..."
He doesn't directly say it, after all, Du Ziyu is his boss, so he has to maintain a certain level of respect. Therefore, the initiative should be left up to him. Whether he wants to apologize, avoid the topic, or even reprimand him, Xu Zhuo is ready to accept it.
Du Ziyu purses his lips and looks at him, nodding gently.
Xu Zhuo: "So, what do you mean by this?"
Xu Zhuo continues, "You were not in a good mood just now, and for a moment..."
Come on, big boss, make a move!
Du Ziyu still meets his gaze and takes a deep breath, as if gathering courage, and finally speaks slowly, "Okay."
Xu Zhuo: "???"
Wait, what do you mean by that?
He knew a long time ago that they were not on the same page mentally, but he didn't expect the difference to be this drastic!
In the next second, Xu Zhuo is about to jump up and grab his shoulders, but is interrupted by the ringing of a phone.
Then, with a crack sound, Du Ziyu tenses up as the call connects, and a hoarse voice comes through the phone, the same voice Xu Zhuo heard in the garden earlier.
"Second Young Master, are you there? Second Young Master?"
Xu Zhuo looks at Du Ziyu, but finds that he is also looking at him, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions - disgust, helplessness, anger, and... hope?
Xu Zhuo hesitates and leans forward, lowering his voice as he asks, "Aren't you going to answer?"
He moves closer to the edge of the bed, and Du Ziyu immediately reaches out for his hand. He has no choice but to extend his hand and hold Du Ziyu's, sitting at the edge of the bed.
The call continues, "Second Young Master, the guests are still downstairs. Please maintain the family's etiquette."
Du Ziyu leans against Xu Zhuo, who has to open his arms to let him lean on his chest.
Du Ziyu hugs him, seeming to calm down a bit, and loudly tells the unseen person, "I don't feel well."
The other end pauses for a moment and says, "I will call the doctor."
"No need!" Du Ziyu quickly adds, coughing twice. "I just got caught in the rain. I'll rest for a while before going down."
The other end's tone is indifferent, "Please do so as soon as possible. If you get seriously ill, the doctor will come up." The call ends with a click.
Xu Zhuo immediately senses the threat in the last words.
"Haha..."
He hears a light laugh, and when he looks down, the person in his arms is also looking up at him, smiling with curved eyebrows and eyes.
For a moment, Xu Zhuo is stunned. These delicate features, the curve of the smile, and even the laughter seem like they were all specially tailored for him, hitting his aesthetic preferences right on target.
After a while, he realizes something isn't right. Du Ziyu's laughter gets louder and louder, as if a floodgate has opened and he can't control it, as if he's not laughing, but releasing all the pent-up emotions from the long, dark night, finally finding a glimmer of hope.
"Mr. Du," Xu Zhuo's hand gently strokes his face, calling out in concern, "Mr. Du!"
Du Ziyu's eyes get wet with tears from laughing so hard, and he buries his head in Xu Zhuo's chest again.
Is he going crazy for real?
Xu Zhuo feels very uneasy. Finally, when the person in his arms calms down, he pats his back and asks, "Are you feeling any better, Mr. Du?"
Du Ziyu breathes heavily and shakes his head, the softness of his hair rubbing against the fabric of his suit, making a rustling sound.
What does shaking his head mean?
Just as Xu Zhuo thinks about this, Du Ziyu looks up at him and says, "In the future, call me by my name."
Xu Zhuo is taken aback, "Huh?"
Du Ziyu's dark eyes are filled with a layer of mist, giving him an innocent and harmless look, but then he drops a bombshell on him, "Don't lovers call each other by their names?"