LTD - 10

Chapter 10

"Jiajia?"

Wen Chen pulled the white cloth from his face, and upon seeing Luo Qingjia's face, his surprise carried a hint of displeasure. "Uncle is taking a shower. how could you just barge in like this?"

As he spoke, he turned off the showerhead, casually grabbed a bath towel and wrapped it around his waist, then draped another towel over Luo Qingjia as well. His scolding tone softened into something more indulgent.

"How could Jiajia just rush in like this? Your clothes are all wet. what if you catch a cold?"

His posture was graceful, his voice steady, with none of the panic of being caught, nor any trace of aftermath from what he'd been doing.

If not for the thick scent lingering in the air, Luo Qingjia would have suspected he was overthinking things, seeing things that weren't there.

"I left my spare underwear behind. I didn't expect Uncle to be using the guest bathroom for a shower either. Uncle, what were you doing with my underwear while showering?"

Luo Qingjia asked as he leaned in to snatch the "evidence" from Wen Chen's hand, expecting that Wen Chen wouldn't let him have it so easily. that their little tug-of-war would create some physical contact.

But Wen Chen just looked bewildered and han ded over the item in his hand, asking in confusion, "What underwear?"

Luo Qingjia hadn't expected Wen Chen to deviate from the script, and for a moment he was stunned. Before he could say anything, his wrist was suddenly seized.

"Wh-what? It's underwear?" A flicker of confusion and embarrassment crossed Wen Chen's face. "I thought I grabbed the face towel." He turned his head to look at the towel rack.

Luo Qingjia followed Wen Chen's gaze and indeed saw a small white square towel, about the same size as his underwear.

Right—Wen Chen had a thing about cleanliness. He strictly separated towels for his face, body, and feet. The face towel was the small square one.

"Doesn't Uncle prefer black items? Why use a white face towel?" Luo Qingjia pressed on, unwilling to let it go.

Wen Chen picked up a black towel and began drying Luo Qingjia's hair. "I bought this face towel for Jiajia, but Jiajia never uses it, so Uncle started using it instead."

He then naturally draped the black towel over his own head, lowering it slightly as he unhurriedly dried his hair. His deep eyes, hidden beneath the stray strands of hair on his forehead, stared at Luo Qingjia unabashedly, lingering from his innocent brows and eyes down to his sensual lips...

At some thought, Wen Chen's Adam's apple bobbed. He abruptly closed his eyes, tilted his head back slightly, and press ed the towel over his face with one hand, moving it inch by inch, his nose brushing against the black fabric as he inhaled deeply.

Until he found the area where the white tea fragrance was strongest. His fingertips paused, traced, and finally pressed a gentle kiss there.

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze had returned to clarity, settling back on Luo Qingjia's brows and eyes. His expression was calm, as if he had no desire to explore further downward.

Luo Qingjia didn't notice the color of the towel, didn't realize Wen Chen was sharing the same towel to dry his hair, and certainly didn't catch those restrained yet frantic movements.

He kept his head lowered, lost in his own emotions. embarrassed that his little sloppiness had been exposed, and even more disappointed by Wen Chen's composure.

Maybe he really was overthinking it.

He had tried every kind of seduction before, and Wen Chen had remained unmoved. These past few days he hadn't done anything out of line, so there was no reason for Wen Chen to harbor any desire for him.

Even if he gave it the benefit of the doubt, Wen Chen was upright and self-disciplined. Even if he did have desires toward him, he wouldn't be so depraved as to use his underwear for something like that.

Besides, if this innocent old stick-in-the-mud had been caught using his underwear for something dirty, he'd definitely be embarrassed enough to have red ears, and his expression wouldn't be this composed.

This morning, his wisdom tooth had been hurting, and when the cotton swab with medicine touched it, it made him tear up. Wen Chen had to use his finger to apply the medicine instead.

Afraid of drooling and making a fool of himself, he'd been slurping desperately, not paying attention to where his tongue was, and accidentally sparked something. When it was over, he'd caught a glimpse of Wen Chen... standing at attention.

Wen Chen had explained it away as a normal reaction with a straight face, but his ears had been red and he'd looked embarrassed—nothing like the calm he showed now.

So Wen Chen must have genuinely mistaken his underwear for a face towel. He was just flattering himself.

What Luo Qingjia didn't know was that compared to this morning's unexpected situation, this time Wen Chen had come fully prepared, which was why he could stay so composed.

In fact, what had first roused Wen Chen wasn't Luo Qingjia's voice, but the warm breath against his ear and the unique fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose.

In countless bold fantasies, Jiajia's voice and figure had always lingered. In the heat of the moment, Wen Chen couldn't distinguish illusion from reality through sight or sound.

But breath and body scent were different—they couldn't exist in his fantasies. They could snap him back to reality in an instant.

The moment Jiajia leaned in, he caught the familiar white tea fragrance and was instantly sober. He hadn't responded right away because he needed time to cool down.

As for preparation beforehand, he'd been thorough. After all, it was his first time doing something so indecent, and he was terrified Jiajia might catch on to something.

He'd sabotaged the facilities in his own bathroom to prevent Jiajia from asking why he was showering here.

Though he hadn't anticipated Jiajia barging into the bathroom, he'd still prepared a similar small towel in advance. It had come in handy after all.

The only slip was that, with the arrow already drawn and his head running hot, he'd forgotten to lock the door.

"Jiajia, go back to your room and change your clothes first. Don't catch a cold." Wen Chen ruffled the little one's adorable head and reminded him gently.

Luo Qingjia happened to want to smell the white cloth in his hand to verify his suspi cions, so he obediently replied, "Okay."

Just as he was about to step forward, his wrist was caught again.

"Jiajia, leave the underwear. Uncle will wash them for you." Wen Chen took the item from Luo Qingjia's hand without allowing any argument, then added a somewhat transparent justification: "Uncle used to wash them for you all the time. Why is Jiajia suddenly being so distant with Uncle now that we've talked things out these past few days?"

Luo Qingjia thought to himself, The only reason I let you wash them before was to tease you.

But he noticed that Wen Chen was acting really off tonight.

This situation was already awkward to begin with. Given how rigid and old-fashioned Wen Chen was, shouldn't he be telling him to leave immediately? Why would he pull him close in such an ambiguous atmosphere and offer to wash his underwear?

Unless—there was evidence on them that Wen Chen hadn't had time to destroy.

"No need, Uncle. I'll do it myself." Luo Qingjia leaned against Wen Chen's arm and reached out to grab them, but Wen Chen refused to let him, stiffly holding the white fabric high above his head.

This move was completely out of character for the composed Wen Chen, which only deepened Luo Qingjia's suspicion and strengthened his resolve to get his hands on the evidence.

He hopped up a few times but still couldn't reach what Wen Chen was holding. For the first time, he hated the man's 1.92-meter height.

In a fit of frustration, Luo Qingjia jumped onto Wen Chen, wrapping around him like an octopus. Seizing the moment of his stunned hesitation, he snatched the now-warm fabric from his hand.

This time, he didn't need to bring it to his nose to smell it. The heat had accelerated the evaporation of the scent molecules, and the distinctive odor confirmed his suspicions.

Overjoyed, Luo Qingjia quickly jumped off Wen Chen. But he accidentally stepped on something warm and slippery, his foot skidding beneath him, sending his full weight crashing into Wen Chen.

Whether it was the slippery bathroom floor or Wen Chen still being dazed from their earlier physical contact, he was actually pushed back by the impact—all the way to the corner of the wall—before he wrapped an arm around Luo Qingjia's waist and hoisted him up.

Luo Qingjia was pressed flush against Wen Chen's body, forced onto his tiptoes, practically hanging off the man.

He looked up and met Wen Chen's burning gaze, feeling his whole body go weak and tingly, melting further into the man's embrace.

"Jiajia... don't..." Wen Chen's voice was hoarse, hesitant, laced with obvious longing and reluctance.

Luo Qingjia was speechless.

He really couldn't figure Wen Chen out. If he had desire for him, why couldn't he just be honest? Why did he keep pushing him away?

Why suffer like this? Wasn't it better to seize the moment? They weren't blood-related, weren't even on the same household registry—what was there to fear?

The Wen family depended on Wen Chen; even if the clan members were displeased, they wouldn't dare make a scene. And as for negative press, with the Wen family's control over the media across all sector s, they could easily silence it.

Besides, the Wen family's power was so far ahead of everyone else that they didn't need to worry about a little "family scandal" affecting business partnerships.

At the end of the day, Wen Chen couldn't face his own feelings because he couldn't get past that mental block. The education he'd received since childhood had shackled his mind, teaching him to suppress his desires.

His father had been too strict, demanding he preserve heavenly reason and extinguish human desire.

How could that work?

Wen Chen had no father's love, no mother's affection, and his older brother and sister-in-law only added to his pain. Suc h a pitiful man—surely someone needed to love him, right?

He was the one who loved Wen Chen most in this world.

A few days ago, when he thought Wen Chen had no romantic interest in him and only wanted familial affection, he could bear the pain and play the role of a proper nephew.

But now that he knew Wen Chen had feelings for him, of course he was going to go all out. If Wen Chen didn't dare to love, then he would shower him with love—so much of it. Satisfy him completely, body and soul.

"Wen Chen, do you have feelings for me?" Luo Qingjia brought up the old question again.

Wen Chen froze for a moment, then released his hold around Luo Qingjia's waist. "Jiajia, didn't we agree to always be family? I don't... feel that way about you."

"Is that so?" Luo Qingjia lifted his leg high, pressing his sticky left foot against Wen Chen's chin. "Then what's this?"

"This is Uncle's stuff, isn't it?"

"If I hadn't stepped on this stuff and slipped into Uncle's arms, and if Uncle hadn't pushed me away but instead pulled me into his embrace looking like he wanted to kiss me, I wouldn't have thought anything of it."

"And when Uncle put my underwear on his face—was that really a mistake, or did you do it on purpose?"

Luo Qingjia waved the white fabric in his hand, hoping Wen Chen would be honest. But he didn't close off all avenues of escape. He didn't tell Wen Chen that he'd already smelled it.

"It really was a mistake, Jiajia. Uncle didn't mean to offend you." Wen Chen couldn't look Luo Qingjia in the eyes as he said this.

Luo Qingjia didn't use the evidence in his hand to expose Wen Chen. He just rolled his eyes internally.

Fine. You want to hold back that badly? Then hold back all you want.

"Alright, I believe you, Uncle. But—"

Luo Qingjia wiggled his left foot, feigning embarrassment. "This is Uncle's stuff. Could Uncle help me wash it off?"

Seeing Wen Chen purse his lips in silence, Luo Qingjia blushed and added, "If I wash it myself, the after-feeling is too strong."

"Okay." Wen Chen's voice was hoarse.

The moment the word left his lips, he scooped Luo Qingjia up in his arms and set him on the countertop. He cradled that fair, delicate foot in his palm, rinsing it under the shower spray while gently stroking the soft pink sole.

"Hahaha, that tickles!" Luo Qingjia laughed, her whole body swaying with mi rth, her jade-like feet dangling and kicking in front of Wen Chen. "Uncle, press harder—too light is ticklish. Harder feels better."

Wen Chen's heart itched like a cat was scratching at it, an unbearable restlessness threatening to consume him.

Just as he was about to lose control, a seductive voice drifted down from above. "Wen Chen, I want to tell you a secret. Promise you won't be mad, okay?"

"Mm, go ahead, Jiajia. Uncle will never blame Jiajia."

As he said this, Wen Chen's heart pounded wildly. He knew these words weren't mere indulgence—they carried a hidden expectation. He longed for his precious baby to say something bold, and his words were a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Sensing his own ulterior motive, Wen Chen inwardly sneered at himself. What a sanctimonious hypocrite.

"Actually, a few days ago when I said my admiration for you was fake... that was a lie."

"I once admired you deeply, and that feeling hasn't completely faded. I only buried it because I knew you had no interest in me."

"Just now, when I mistakenly thought you were using my panties for... wicked things, I was secretly thrilled. I know that's wrong. I already have a boyfriend. I shouldn't be so fickle."

"Most importantly, you have no feelings for me..."

"Jiajia." Wen Chen opened his mouth, wanting to say. I love you, I want you.

But he had held back for so long that he'd forgotten how to voice his love. Just as he was about to force the words out, he was doused with ice-cold water.

"Oh, by the way, Uncle, can I borrow a shirt from you? My boyfriend likes it when I wear just an oversized shirt, and I don't have one in that boyfriend style. He's not here with me, so I thought I'd ask you."

"If someone else likes it, you'll wear it?" Wen Chen heard his own voice turn cold and trembling.

But his precious baby, oblivious, continued speaking in his icy tone.

"I feel so guilty for being so fickle with my boyfriend. So I want to take some sexy photos to send him, as a way to apologize."​