Don’t Ignite It chapter 74

Difficult to Escape Blame – Xu Zhan x Ruan Sen (Part 3)

The last ray of sunlight sank beneath the sea. With a snap, Ruan Sen turned on the room’s lights, instantly brightening everything. The messy bed, residual water stains on the floor, and overturned decorative stones were now all exposed.

Ruan Sen bent down to pick up the decoration, saying, “Dinner will be here soon. Are you hungry? I have bagels here; you can have a bite as a snack.”

As he spoke, he sat on the bed and pulled Xu Zhan into his embrace.

Xu Zhan didn’t have a slender or frail build, in truth he was a bit muscular, but he fit perfectly in Ruan Sen’s embrace.

Xu Zhan looked at the man in front of him, his mind finally returning from their initial encounter. However, instead of answering Ruan Sen’s question, he looked at him thoughtfully, wondering how he had agreed to keep this person.

He had spent the night with Ruan Sen that day. The next morning, in the gentle morning light, he should have put on his clothes and left. However, he found himself looking at Ruan Sen, asking what Ruan Sen did for a living and how old he was.

At that time, Ruan Sen was still lying in bed, lazy and carefree, a smile on his lips. “Can you guess?” he asked.

Xu Zhan had guessed many times, but Ruan Sen shook his head each time.

“Why are you asking me these questions?” Ruan Sen still wore a smile, but his gaze turned cold. “Can’t bear to part with me? Want to make plans for another night together after getting addicted in just one night?”

Xu Zhan felt embarrassed by the teasing in Ruan Sen’s words, and his hands trembled as he tried to put on his clothes. However, he couldn’t come up with a retort, and his fair and gentle face turned slightly red as he lowered his head, avoiding a direct answer.

His silence, though, piqued Ruan Sen’s interest.

In truth, Xu Zhan didn’t seem like someone who would engage in such affairs. Some people could immediately discern his integrity, and to be honest, Ruan Sen was quite satisfied with him. He behaved well in bed, though a bit shy and nervous, he wasn’t overly dramatic. That was what everyone liked in a compliant lover.

Ruan Sen was no different.

But he detested hidden complications and emotions. So, with some unspoken thoughts in mind, he pulled Xu Zhan closer with one hand and pinned him to the bed.

“I don’t like being in relationships, I prefer business deals. I’m currently between relationships and single. I can keep you company for three months,” he touched Xu Zhan’s slightly swollen lips, where tiny wounds from their kisses were visible, and he smiled in a seductive and dissolute manner. “But when the time’s up, I’ll leave. Will you accept fifty thousand for three months?”

Xu Zhan was taken aback. Three months, fifty thousand, a straightforward transaction. This was far from what he considered acceptable; it felt even worse than a one-night stand.

But his instinctive refusal was stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t utter the words.

Ruan Sen lowered his head, looking at Xu Zhan with a teasing expression. His young face was attractive, and the warmth of his fingertips felt almost scorching.

Ruan Sen had been right about one thing: Xu Zhan did feel attached. He always seemed to inappropriately like people he shouldn’t get involved with. But he also had to admit that when Ruan Sen had handed him that cigarette and looked at him with that enigmatic smile in the bar, his heart had raced more intensely than ever before.

He asked in a low voice, “Is this your job? To accompany people for a few months and then move on for money? Are you… a sugar baby or escort?”

Ruan Sen clearly hadn’t expected such a direct question, and his expression turned extremely odd. He suddenly burst into laughter for quite some time, almost to the point of tears, before calmly looking at Xu Zhan.

“Yes, I live off deceiving sugar daddies for money. I just finished my last job and am currently between relationships,” he said candidly, without a trace of embarrassment. “You’ve already experienced my services. Want to continue?”

Even now, Xu Zhan still found that day’s events absurd. He had followed rules and conventions all his life, but on his twenty-ninth birthday, he had given himself a bizarre and dangerous birthday gift. He had actually agreed to this arrangement.

Fifty thousand, a beachside villa in a five-star hotel, and three months of intimacy. And now, as Ruan Sen held him after their lovemaking, this tenderness was something he had paid for with money.

“Why so quiet?” Ruan Sen pinched his ear gently, “What are you thinking?”

Xu Zhan shook his head. ‘Nothing, I’m just a bit hungry.’

After about half an hour, the pre-ordered dinner arrived. It was all Chinese food that Xu Zhan liked. Xu Zhan put a piece of crab meat tofu into his mouth and noticed that Ruan Sen was struggling to pick up a piece of roasted duck with his chopsticks.

Xu Zhan smiled, watching Ruan Sen’s unsteady chopstick skills. It seemed that he hadn’t been properly taught when he was a child, making it difficult for him to pick up small foods.

However, at this moment, Xu Zhan seemed to have some mischievous thoughts and didn’t offer any help. He just watched with a smirk.

Xu Zhan took a sip of the clear soup and asked Ruan Sen, ‘What have you been up to this week? I usually only come here on weekends. We rarely meet during the weekdays. And you’re not always at the villa. Young people are full of energy and like to have fun everywhere.’

Ruan Sen replied candidly, ‘I’ve been rock climbing, scuba diving, and waiting for you.’

He said it straightforwardly, but his eyes were naturally seductive, and his voice was alluring, making his words almost sound like a flirtatious confession.

Xu Zhan’s heart skipped a beat, and his spoon lightly tapped against the porcelain bowl. He wasn’t skilled in flirting, and he didn’t know how to respond to such a statement. He just stared blankly at Ruan Sen.

Ruan Sen leaned in and kissed his lips, lightly brushing them with his tongue. ‘You’re not like any other sugar daddy. You’ve spent so much money, but you’re not making the most of it. You only come once a week.’

His words sounded like a complaint, like genuine concern, and they carried an ambiguous and elusive undertone.

Xu Zhan lowered his head again, feeling a bit awkward. ‘My work has been busy.’

But Ruan Sen was just teasing him. He had never asked Xu Zhan about his profession. It was a straightforward transaction of money for goods, much like what he had demonstrated to Xu Zhan. He didn’t even care if the name Xu Zhan had given him was real. His only requirement, or you could say his bottom line, was that he didn’t want to get involved in emotions.

But based on Xu Zhan’s shy reaction and the absence of any complicated scent on him, he was probably genuinely single.

So, what was there to be dissatisfied about?

After dinner, Ruan Sen went swimming again. He seemed to have an endless supply of energy. Xu Zhan didn’t want to get into the water, so he sat by the pool, watching Ruan Sen’s movements in the water. Ruan Sen swam gracefully like a fierce and agile merman but could also be playful and obediently circle around his legs when needed.

Xu Zhan lay by the pool and watched him, looking almost cute in this pose.

Unable to resist, Xu Zhan reached out and ruffled Ruan Sen’s hair.

After some hesitation, he said, ‘I’ll be on a business trip in Yinhe City for a few days.’

Ruan Sen lazily responded.

He thought Xu Zhan meant that he wouldn’t be able to come for a while, which was fine as he also had some things to take care of. However, not long after, Xu Zhan said, ‘I’ll have a couple of extra days after finishing my business. Will you come? I’ve heard that the maple trees in Yinhe City are beautiful.’

Ruan Sen suddenly opened his eyes, staring at Xu Zhan, and smiled. ‘Are you inviting me on a date?’

Xu Zhan didn’t know if it could be considered a date. He just wanted to take Ruan Sen on a short trip. However, he didn’t deny it and asked calmly, ‘So, will you come?’

Ruan Sen’s lips curled up. ‘Sure.’

That night, Xu Zhan stayed over without any hesitation. He had always been a good sleeper, and today was no different. However, Ruan Sen couldn’t sleep. He put on his headphones and played a video game, displaying a high level of composure even when dealing with unreasonable teammates.

However, after a while, his phone received a video call request.

Seeing the profile picture, he clicked his tongue in annoyance, then glanced back at Xu Zhan, who was peacefully asleep, before stepping outside.

The caller was one of his old friends, someone he had grown up with since childhood.

‘What’s up?’ he answered the call with a hint of irritation, sitting on a lounge chair on the balcony.

The person on the other end squinted at Ruan Sen’s surroundings. ‘You seem to be living the good life, Qin. Where are you?’

Ruan Sen shrugged, slightly adjusting his phone. Expressionless, he said, ‘I’m someone’s little lover.’

The person on the other end paused for a moment, then burst into uncontrollable laughter. ‘No way, you’re still playing the sugar daddy game? You’re so ruthless! The people you bump into must be in a sorry state, spinning around like tops.’

Ruan Sen retorted, ‘Lower your voice; don’t wake anyone up.’

But he felt no guilt as he ran his fingers through his slightly curly hair.

He chuckled indifferently, ‘What’s ruthless about it? It’s consensual. Besides, he misunderstood my intentions himself. Moreover, it’s not like he’s losing out when he’s sleeping with someone like me.’

That day at the hotel, when he told Xu Zhan, ‘Three months, fifty thousand,’ he meant he would pay Xu Zhan. Of course, he could tell that Xu Zhan wasn’t in dire need of money and probably came from a well-off family. But he detested complications, despised getting entangled in genuine emotions. That’s why he initially framed his offer in such an unattractive manner, so they could negotiate later.

If Xu Zhan agreed to the initial proposition, that was perfect. If Xu Zhan refused, he could suggest being friends with benefits, no strings attached, and ready to part ways anytime.

If Xu Zhan also refused that, well, he wouldn’t become infatuated with a person he’d met just once.

But Xu Zhan had somehow misunderstood his intentions and readily accepted the offer of fifty thousand for three months.

Ruan Sen, or Qin Shen, couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

With his prominent family background and his grandfather’s doting, he had no shortage of fifty thousand. But he was currently in the gap year after graduating from college, a time to indulge and enjoy life to the fullest.

Xu Zhan suited his tastes very well. Who wouldn’t appreciate a gentle and affectionate lover? However, he obviously wouldn’t linger for long.

They would just spend time together, with no knowledge of each other’s true identities. When he grew tired of it, he would simply leave, both parties forgetting about each other.

He smiled and told Zach, ‘I won’t mistreat him. How about I gift him a sports car when I leave? It should compensate for any emotional attachment he might develop.’

Xu Zhan’s feelings were all plainly visible in his eyes. They were gentle and filled with admiration.

He knew, but he pretended not to.

Zach shrugged and didn’t take it to heart. He laughed and said, ‘You’re quite the scoundrel.’

After the casual conversation, Ruan Sen returned to the bedroom. He didn’t play games anymore, lying next to Xu Zhan, watching his delicate and innocent face. He felt rather satisfied and pinched Xu Zhan’s chin before planting a kiss on it.