Blinded by Lust chapter 55

Huo Zhanyan rubbed his bruised cheek, looking up at the furious Wu Bie, seemingly pitiful but actually self-assured. “Wu Ge, how could you let someone introduce you to a date?”

How absurd. Wu Bie was, after all, a wealthy and handsome eligible bachelor. It was only natural for someone to want to introduce him to a girl. Did Huo Zhanyan expect him to stay single just for him? What right did Huo Zhanyan have to demand that?

Wu Bie wanted to yank Huo Zhanyan’s brain out to see what was going on inside. Even though he wasn’t currently looking for a relationship, Huo Zhanyan had crossed the line by kissing him like that. Wu Bie couldn’t just let it slide.

“So if I want to date someone, I need your approval?”

Huo Zhanyan looked hurt, staring at Wu Bie. “You can be mad at me, but you can’t be with someone else. If you do, I’ll have no chance at all.”

Still fuming, Wu Bie spoke without thinking, pushing Huo Zhanyan’s hand away. “You’ve got it wrong. Whether I date someone or not, you never had a chance.”

With that, he stood up, wanting to leave this place as fast as possible. He must have been out of his mind to come to Huo Zhanyan’s room.

He was a man, after all, and knew full well what men were like. Entering a hotel room and expecting to leave unscathed? Gay or not, men were still men, and they all had certain things on their minds.

“Wu Ge! Wu Bie! Don’t go!”

Fuming, Wu Bie ignored Huo Zhanyan’s attempts to stop him, yanking the door open. His face stiffened when he saw two female college students standing outside—the same ones he’d seen earlier.

The girls were startled by Wu Bie’s expression, exchanging glances before one finally spoke up, “We… we came to ask you guys to join us for dinner…”

Something seemed stuck in Wu Bie’s throat. Not wanting anyone to notice the tension between him and Huo Zhanyan, he forced a strained smile. He couldn’t take out his anger on them.

Before he could say anything, Huo Zhanyan quickly jumped in, “Yeah, let’s go. We’ll come with you.”

Wu Bie shot Huo Zhanyan a furious look. Huo Zhanyan pretended not to notice, confidently pulling Wu Bie along to follow the students.

Wu Bie tried several times to pull away, but Huo Zhanyan held his wrist firmly. Not wanting to cause a scene in front of others, Wu Bie had no choice but to grit his teeth and head to the restaurant.

It was dinnertime, and Wu Bie worried they might run into Shen Jixue and Chen Xian. Thankfully, Huo Zhanyan and his classmates had reserved a private room.

When the door opened, the tables inside were already filled with young faces. Wu Bie hesitated slightly, but it was just a meal—he wasn’t that awkward. Especially after Huo Zhanyan introduced him to everyone, and all the students began addressing him as “Ge,” Wu Bie felt a bit embarrassed by their enthusiasm. They even warmly invited him to watch a performance later.

They were all young people, so Wu Bie didn’t feel right letting them pay. He covered the costs for both dinner and the show, making the college students very happy, almost worshiping him.

Despite being angry at Huo Zhanyan, Wu Bie still sat down and ate dinner properly. Eating with the students turned out to be lively, and by the end of the meal, most of the food had been eaten.

After dinner, Wu Bie was surrounded by the group and taken to queue for the show. With such a large crowd, they made quite a scene, and Wu Bie didn’t dare to refuse, fearing he might draw the attention of Shen Jixue and Chen Xian.

Generously, he let the others stand in front of him, but he didn’t expect Huo Zhanyan to squeeze in right behind him. The crowd was so packed that people were pressed against each other, and it felt as if Huo Zhanyan was embracing him from behind. His chest pressed against Wu Bie’s back, and his lips occasionally brushed Wu Bie’s ear.

Wu Bie clenched his fists, really wanting to turn around and punch Huo Zhanyan. He shot him several warning looks, but Huo Zhanyan pretended not to notice. This guy was truly pushing his luck.

“Here’s your ticket.”

Just past the ticket check, Wu Bie was looking for his seat when he spotted a familiar figure in the stands, nearly making him squat down in fear.

“Shit! Why is Shen Jixue everywhere?!”

A hand grabbed his arm, and Huo Zhanyan’s voice whispered in his ear, “If you squat down now, you’ll cause a stampede.”

Though Wu Bie didn’t want to talk to Huo Zhanyan, he had to admit that he made a good point.

“Follow me.” Huo Zhanyan pulled him to the left side of the crowd, squeezing through to a small path. At the end of the path was an old, rusty iron gate, half open, with a small warning sign next to it reading “No Entry.”

Once they were outside, the noise from the music diminished, and the lighting became dim. The night was hazy, and the sky looked as if it might rain.

“We’ve left the venue, but this place is huge. We’ll have to circle around to get back to the hotel entrance.”

Away from the crowd, Wu Bie didn’t feel any gratitude toward Huo Zhanyan. In fact, he was annoyed and shook off Huo Zhanyan’s hand as soon as they were outside.

Huo Zhanyan quickly caught up, “Be careful. This area isn’t fully developed yet, and hunters sometimes come here. They usually don’t allow tourists through.”

Wu Bie just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. The more attentive Huo Zhanyan was, the more Wu Bie wanted to avoid him, not even paying attention to where he was walking. His foot stepped on wet grass, and before he realized it, he was falling into a hole.

“Ah!” Wu Bie screamed. Just as he was about to hit the ground, someone grabbed his wrist, and he fell into a warm embrace instead of the hard earth. Feeling dazed, he realized his hand was resting on something soft. Looking down, he saw that Huo Zhanyan had cushioned his fall, grimacing in pain.

“Hiss…”

Wu Bie quickly got off Huo Zhanyan and frantically checked him for injuries. “Where are you hurt?”

Huo Zhanyan pointed to his leg. In the moonlight, Wu Bie could see that his sweatpants had been torn by something sharp, and his leg was bleeding slightly.

Injuries could happen anywhere, but seeing Huo Zhanyan’s leg hurt made Wu Bie suddenly anxious. “Are you an idiot? Why did you jump down after me?”

“I called you, but the more I called, the faster you ran. If you hadn’t been in such a hurry, you wouldn’t have fallen.”

Feeling more frustrated than ever, Wu Bie glanced up at the hole. It wasn’t that deep, probably meant to catch small animals.

What kind of people are still hunting these days?

“Let’s get out first.”

Wu Bie found a foothold and quickly climbed out of the hole. Then, he reached down to help Huo Zhanyan up.

The pit wasn’t deep, but it still took some effort to pull Huo Zhanyan out. Once they were both out, they collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath for a good while.

“Nothing good ever happens around you. You can go back to your room now; I’m heading down the mountain.” Wu Bie was too angry to stay, getting up to leave, but Huo Zhanyan grabbed his pant leg.

“Ge, I think I twisted my ankle.”

Wu Bie glanced at Huo Zhanyan’s exposed leg. The cut wasn’t deep, but blood was oozing from it.

“Damn! Why is it bleeding so much?”

Huo Zhanyan frowned. It was just a surface wound, but his ankle was genuinely twisted.

“Take me back to my room first. I have a first aid kit there.” He added, worried that Wu Bie would leave him, “I fell trying to save you, after all.”

“Did I ask you to save me?”

Annoyed, Wu Bie grumbled but still crouched down in front of Huo Zhanyan.

Huo Zhanyan didn’t hesitate and wrapped his arms around Wu Bie’s neck, climbing onto his back.

The venue was indeed large. It took Wu Bie ten minutes to carry Huo Zhanyan back to the hotel entrance, where most of the guests had already gone to the show, leaving the place quiet.

As they got into the elevator, Wu Bie adjusted Huo Zhanyan on his back, sweat visible at his temples.

“Ge, are you tired?”

Wu Bie wanted to snap back at Huo Zhanyan, but when he looked up and saw the loving gaze reflected in the elevator and the injury on his leg, he decided it wasn’t worth it.

“Shut up.”

Back in the room, both of them were a mess. Huo Zhanyan fussed about needing a shower. Wu Bie glanced at the dirt on his neck and figured he should clean up.

Huo Zhanyan was surprisingly cooperative. After Wu Bie brought a chair into the bathroom, Huo Zhanyan took a quick shower, got dressed, and then called Wu Bie in for help.

Wu Bie, now wearing just a thin shirt after taking off his coat, placed Huo Zhanyan on the bed. His dress pants were crumpled and dirty.

Pointing to his luggage, Huo Zhanyan said, “I’ve got clean clothes in my bag. You should take a shower and change too.”

At this point, Wu Bie had no energy left to argue. He grabbed the clothes, went to the bathroom for a quick shower, and when he came out, Huo Zhanyan was still sitting on the bed, waiting expectantly.

“Where’s the first aid kit?” Wu Bie asked.

Huo Zhanyan looked toward the cabinet in front of him, but before he could react, a towel flew directly into his face, momentarily plunging his vision into darkness. Wu Bie’s voice followed immediately, “Dry your hair.”

Suddenly, the quiet room was filled with a scream like that of a pig being slaughtered. Wu Bie slapped Huo Zhanyan’s good leg, “Don’t move!”

Huo Zhanyan twisted around on the bed like a fish. “Ah! Stop it already.”

“What are you screaming for?” Wu Bie held up a bottle of alcohol. “If I don’t disinfect your wound, it’ll get infected.”

“You’re just taking revenge on me.”

“Can you blame me? There’s only alcohol in your kit, no iodine.” Wu Bie defended himself verbally but was secretly pleased, knowing full well that he was indeed taking revenge. What could Huo Zhanyan do about it anyway? “You’re such a crybaby. You’re making such a fuss over a little pain.”

Huo Zhanyan’s eyes reddened, and his bangs fell forward over his forehead. “I’m just afraid of pain.”

Wu Bie had intended to mock him a bit more, but when he looked up, he saw two tears fall from Huo Zhanyan’s eyes. He was reminded of the time Huo Zhanyan complained about the pain during his rehabilitation training. Maybe he really was afraid of pain.

Picking on him like a kid wasn’t much fun anymore.

“Fine.” Wu Bie set down the alcohol and tried to stand, but Huo Zhanyan pulled him back. “What now?”

Huo Zhanyan opened Wu Bie’s palm, revealing a red mark. “It’s not cut, but it must’ve hit something, right?”

Wu Bie hadn’t even noticed this small injury until Huo Zhanyan pointed it out. He pulled his hand back, not caring much. “It’ll heal in a few days.”

Huo Zhanyan didn’t let him move and took out a sprain spray from the first aid kit. “There’s no open wound, so it won’t sting. Don’t move.”

Despite his words, the spray still felt cool on contact. Wu Bie looked at Huo Zhanyan’s serious expression, and his anger subsided. He pointed at Huo Zhanyan’s ankle.

“Spray some on your own ankle too.”

After applying the spray, the room fell silent again. Wu Bie was ready to leave, but Huo Zhanyan suddenly spoke. “Are you staying the night?”

That phrasing made Wu Bie glance at him expressionlessly. “Don’t make it sound so ambiguous.”

Anyone listening might think something was going on between them.

“I…”

A deafening clap of thunder interrupted Wu Bie, and both of them turned to look out the window. Heavy rain began pouring down without warning.

“It’s raining so hard; don’t leave.”

Wu Bie said nothing and picked up the room phone to call the front desk, trying to book a room. However, due to the competition, all the rooms were already fully booked.

Huo Zhanyan overheard everything, and once Wu Bie hung up, he patted the bed. “You can sleep here. I’ll take the recliner.”

“No need. I’ll sleep in the car.”

“It’s cold in the mountains at night. If you turn on the heater, you’ll risk carbon monoxide poisoning.” After laying out the facts, Huo Zhanyan added some pitiful acting. “I only kissed you once, and you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder all night?”

How dare Huo Zhanyan bring that up? Wu Bie’s glare grew even more menacing.

Huo Zhanyan always had a good attitude when admitting fault, but he was also the type who would repeat his mistakes. He mumbled softly, “It was my first kiss, and you don’t even appreciate it?”

Wu Bie laughed in disbelief. “Do you have no shame? Does your ‘first kiss’ reset every morning when you wake up? It’s not like it’s your first kiss. Where do all these ‘first kisses’ come from?”

“So you do remember our last kiss? I thought you’d forgotten. Didn’t you say you’d only kiss your wife?”

So that’s what Huo Zhanyan was waiting for. Wu Bie’s temper flared. “What do you want me to remember? That your kissing is terrible? Do you expect me to take responsibility for you just because you’re still a virgin?”

“If you didn’t want to take responsibility, why did you say you wanted to marry me?”

A flicker of anger crossed Wu Bie’s eyes. He grabbed Huo Zhanyan by the throat and pressed him forcefully into the pillow. He hadn’t even applied much strength, but the veins on the back of his hand were bulging.

He was definitely enraged, completely losing control. He knew clearly that he had fallen for another man, but he couldn’t psychologically accept it. He had warned Huo Zhanyan many times, but this stubborn fool kept flaunting that face he both loved and hated in front of him.

Whether he admitted it or not, Huo Zhanyan was still Zhanyan. But how could Wu Bie accept that he had fallen for a man?

His grip on Huo Zhanyan’s throat remained loose, though his eyes were bloodshot. Huo Zhanyan was startled. The only reason he dared to act so recklessly was that he knew Wu Bie liked him. He knew he had hurt Wu Bie’s feelings, and no matter how Wu Bie treated him, he would take it all.

Wu Bie knew he couldn’t hurt him and was tired of wasting energy on Huo Zhanyan. Just as he was about to escape this humiliating situation, Huo Zhanyan reached out, grabbed the back of Wu Bie’s head, and, following gravity, their lips collided.

This kid!

Wu Bie was furious. He punched and kicked, even landing a blow on Huo Zhanyan’s wound. But Huo Zhanyan didn’t let go, his stubbornness kicking in. He endured the pain, flipping over and pinning Wu Bie beneath him.

Wu Bie raised his hand to hit him, but Huo Zhanyan grabbed his wrist and wrapped it around his own neck. Wu Bie tried to kick him, but Huo Zhanyan bent his knee, pressing down on Wu Bie’s thigh, and effectively restrained him.

“Wu Bie, didn’t you say my kissing was terrible? Teach me, then. Teach me until you’re satisfied,” Huo Zhanyan whispered hoarsely in Wu Bie’s ear.

Wu Bie turned his head and glared at him fiercely. “Teach you, my foot!”

Huo Zhanyan met Wu Bie’s gaze and gently kissed his cheek. Wu Bie froze, surprised by the sudden softness. “You really can’t teach me? If even you don’t know what to do, then how could I?”

He kissed Wu Bie’s cheek, and Wu Bie didn’t resist. Gaining some courage, Huo Zhanyan touched Wu Bie’s lips. “Ge, teach me.”

His voice was full of sadness. Wu Bie was hurt, and so was he. As Wu Bie had said, he was a virgin who had never been in love before, and now he was at his wit’s end.

The soft sensation on his lips lingered. They were so close that Huo Zhanyan could feel every breath and heartbeat.

When Wu Bie saw Huo Zhanyan’s innocent eyes, his trembling lips, and the saliva at the corner of his mouth, he couldn’t describe what he felt. There was hate, resentment, and a love he couldn’t admit. In that moment, it all surged to his head. Grabbing the back of Huo Zhanyan’s head, he kissed him roughly.

The moment their tongues intertwined, a hint of surprise flashed in Huo Zhanyan’s eyes, but he didn’t have time to think. Before long, they were entangled together.

That kiss carried a lot with it. Wu Bie kissed deeply and harshly. He bit harder than Huo Zhanyan, and even when the taste of blood became strong, Huo Zhanyan was still unwilling to let go.

Wu Bie regretted his actions, but he knew it was too late to turn back—he was losing control.

After a long while, the room finally quieted. Wu Bie lay on his side, staring out the floor-to-ceiling window. Behind him, there was a rustling sound, and Huo Zhanyan’s arm wrapped around his waist as he snuggled up close.

“Ge.”

“Let go.” Wu Bie pried Huo Zhanyan’s hand away and got up to go to the bathroom.

Cold water washed over Wu Bie’s face, but it couldn’t clear his chaotic mind. He turned to look at the frosted glass, thinking he shouldn’t have stayed on shore.