Chapter 187: Compensation

Evening.

Chu Yi knocked on Ling Wu's door; he stood in the hallway waiting for a few seconds, and the door was quickly pulled open.

Ling Wu was wearing a bathrobe, holding a towel in his hand to dry his hair; he stood at the boundary of the light, and because he had just finished bathing, his skin was flushed slightly red amidst its fairness from the heat.

Chu Yi had not expected his timing in coming over to be so coincidental.

Seeing him not speak, Ling Wu called his name: "Chu Yi?"

"It's cold outside, you come in first."

Chu Yi: "Alright."

Ling Wu closed the door, drying his wet hair with one hand, a few droplets of water falling onto the floor: "Did you come to find me for something?"

When he walked, the hem of his bathrobe revealed his well-proportioned calves, the lines beautiful and the proportions excellent; the scent of body wash lingered where he had passed.

The heater was on in the room, so one didn't feel cold even dressed thinly.

Chu Yi's gaze dodged, not daring to look at him, his cheeks burning hot: "The hot water in my bathroom had some trouble, I contacted the front desk... could I borrow your bathroom for a moment?"

Ling Wu nodded: "Of course you can."

Then he cleared the way for him.

Ling Wu bent down to take the hairdryer out of the cabinet, preparing to plug it into the socket; just as he stood up, he saw Chu Yi still standing in place, meeting his dark, heavy eyes.

"Aren't you going to use the bathroom?"

Chu Yi tightened the corners of his mouth, his voice very low: "I'll help you."

"What?"

Just as Ling Wu finished speaking, Chu Yi walked to his side, took the hairdryer from his hand, and then turned the switch on; the hot air blew onto the nape of his neck, causing a bit of an itch.

"No need to trouble yourself."

Ling Wu turned his head to look at Chu Yi, his slender fingers gripping the wrist holding the hairdryer; just as he wanted to stand up from the chair, he was pressed back down.

The sound of the hairdryer was too loud.

Chu Yi seemed not to have heard what Ling Wu said; his fingers interlaced through the wet hair tips, his knuckles distinct and the veins on the back of his hand visible, very sexy; his large palm lifted Ling Wu's face from bottom to top, leaning down to his ear: "Not a trouble, I'll help you."

His voice was low and slightly hoarse, carrying a hint of refusal to be denied.

Ling Wu heard the sound of his breathing.

His chin was held tightly by Chu Yi, his upper body pressed closely into his warm embrace; this posture didn't look like simply drying hair, but more akin to flirting.

Chu Yi's hand moved slightly, the hairdryer tilting to blow at Ling Wu's neck, and he pinched his earlobe with his hand, then asked deliberately: "What are you shivering for?"

A bit sensitive.

His fingertips kneaded that piece of soft flesh, reluctant to let go.

Fearing he wouldn't hear clearly, Ling Wu pulled out the plug: "Chu Yi, stop touching me."

"Don't you like it?" Chu Yi lowered his head, his eyelashes drooping, and blew a breath toward his earlobe: "But you are very sensitive."

He wanted to get closer, and closer...

Ling Wu changed the subject: "No need to dry my hair anymore."

"Alright then." Chu Yi took the plug from his hand, his expression very calm, his side profile reflected in the dim light appearing noble and indifferent; when his eyes were half-closed, a gloominess leaked out, as if he were dejected after being rejected: "But Ling Wu, I was helping you dry your hair out of kindness, and you rejected my kindness; I am very sad."

"So, are you going to compensate me for something?"

Ling Wu didn't even understand how he had gotten to compensation.

"Hmm?" A bit confused.

"You don't want to give me compensation, right?" Chu Yi was very strange and stubborn, making a move to plug the cord back in: "Then I'll continue drying your hair."

Ling Wu felt his emotions were very off, so he followed his lead and asked: "What compensation do you want?"

Chu Yi's eyes brightened a little; he put down the hairdryer and replied: "My request isn't excessive, it's very simple; did you bring cigarettes?"

Ling Wu nodded: "I did."

Chu Yi said: "Where are they?"

Ling Wu fished the Cigarette Case and lighter out of his down jacket pocket and handed them to him, asking as if puzzled: "You want to smoke?"

"I don't smoke." Chu Yi opened the Cigarette Case and pulled one out casually: "You don't allow it."

His movements in holding the cigarette were very unfamiliar; he held the cigarette between his thumb and index finger, then placed it at the edge of Ling Wu's mouth, like feeding a lollipop, saying coaxingly: "Open your mouth, take it in."

Ling Wu bit down on the cigarette, his gaze suspicious, wanting to see what exactly he wanted to do.

He saw Chu Yi cup the flame of the lighter with his hand and offer it to the cigarette; that faint flame was reflected in both of their eyes, their nose tips both cast with a warm orange glow, and Ling Wu just stared silently at this Crown Prince leaning over to light his cigarette, the meaning of ingratiation and showing weakness quite heavy...

"Chu Yi, do you want to watch me smoke?"

Chu Yi didn't make a sound; he pushed him into the bathroom and stood before the mirror. His height was a head taller than Ling Wu's, and standing behind him created a sense of oppression. With both hands braced on the vanity, the scene in the mirror presented the moment where Chu Yi rested his chin on Ling Wu's shoulder, the hazy smoke blurring their brows and eyes, full of tension.

"Ling Wu, I think you are a good person from beginning to end."

Chu Yi's arm was horizontal in front of his neck, imprisoning him in the space between his chest and the vanity with overwhelming force; he pulled at his collar, revealing his collarbone, the cigarette scar becoming less distinct, and his fingers rubbed over it: "This... did you burn this?"

"I hate this person, but I don't hate you."

He seemed to be asking, yet he already had the answer.

Ling Wu took the cigarette out of his mouth: "What do you mean?"

He was sharp-witted and clear-sighted, knowing what Chu Yi was hinting at.

Could it be that Ming Tan told him?

Chu Yi: "I don't mean anything."

Chu Yi straightened his body, their eyes meeting, his large palm wrapping around the hand Ling Wu was holding the cigarette with, moving toward his collarbone; just as the cigarette butt was about to burn his skin, Ling Wu struggled: "What are you doing?"

"Ling Wu, burn me with the cigarette butt." Chu Yi said very obsessively: "Burn a new scar to cover this one up, alright?"

"You promised me compensation."

Ling Wu didn't understand; he furrowed his brows and shook off his hand: "Are you crazy?!"

"What on earth is wrong with you today!"

"I'm jealous." Chu Yi pressed his knees between Ling Wu's legs, pinned him against the vanity, caught his wrists and pulled them behind his back, then took the opportunity to steady his waist, and finally guided his hand holding the cigarette to his own collarbone, perfectly covering the previous cigarette scar in the mirror: "I am jealous of every man by your side; you really ought to leave some marks on me..."