Isn't This a Contract Marriage? Why Are You Sneaking Kisses! - Chapter 2

“Brother Shen, although, uh, this Shen Silie is indeed good-looking, and same-sex marriage was legalized not long ago, you can’t actually marry a man, right? They can’t give birth…”

“Exactly, exactly. Playing around is one thing; everyone turns a blind eye to that. But Brother Shen, you mustn’t let yourself become muddled.”

“Right, right. Brother Shen, playing with a man is fine, but you absolutely cannot lose your heart.”

The people gathered in this room all came from distinguished backgrounds. While most of them didn’t mind playing with men or women, it was only a matter of time before they entered an arranged marriage with a woman of equal social standing—it was manageable if they had an older brother or sister to carry the family line.

But Ji Yunshen was not only the one with the best family background among them, he was also the only son of the current Ji generation. Sooner or later, he would inherit the family business. When that time came, his family would no longer turn a blind eye.

Even without saying it out loud, this group of people knew exactly what the others were thinking.

Ji Yunshen lowered his head, gently swirling the wine in his hand. The ice cubes clinked against the glass with a crisp, sharp sound.

He stared at the swirling red liquid in the glass, his mind pulled back to the lecture his mother had given him earlier that day.

“I remember that kid’s dead father still owes a lot of debt, right? He’s currently working as an actor to pay it back…”

“I don’t care about those little flings in the past. After your grandfather passed away, there was no longer a place for me over there. If something goes wrong with you, there are so many people outside eyeing your position. Do you think if you fell from grace, that father of yours would care about so-called ‘marital affection’?”

“You’re already twenty-four. At this age, you should know what to do and what not to do. You can play around all you want; I don’t care if you keep him as a pet on the side. But you must grasp the limit. Don’t cross the line.”

After a long silence.

“Xiao Shen, Mom only has you to rely on.”

The woman’s weary voice seemed to echo in his ears. Ji Yunshen stared at the shaking ice cubes.

His heart thudded against the walls of his chest, mirroring the ice against the glass.

It made a faint sound, cracking with invisible, hairline fractures.

The person next to him leaned in closer and nudged his shoulder with an elbow. “Brother Shen, what are you dazing out for?”

Ji Yunshen looked up, his gaze piercing through the swirling smoke in the lounge. His face still wore the same carefree, laughing mask, but the words he spoke were cruel and arrogant.

“Please, I’m not blind. How could I not see that he likes me? It honestly makes me sick.”

The people around him exchanged glances; for a moment, no one spoke.

In the corner, the red-haired man gripped his glass tightly, looking over with an expression of pure disbelief.

The air fell silent.

Only the background music continued to play, thumping against their hearts beat by beat.

Ji Yunshen arched an eyebrow and shot back a question: “You guys didn’t actually think I liked him, did you?”

Only then did the others snap out of it, acting as if his response was the most natural thing in the world.

“You brat, you’re usually so close to him, and you used to stand up for him every day. I always thought you liked him.”

“Shen Silie is indeed beautiful. If he were a girl…”

Ji Yunshen’s gaze wavered, and he let out a sudden burst of laughter, raising his voice: “Please, what are you all thinking? I just think it’s fun to keep a follower by my side.”

“When something is delivered to my door for free, it’s interesting to tease it like a little pet.”

“Besides, don’t the others like him too?” Ji Yunshen said meaningfully, “It saves me the trouble of having to find someone else.”

Several people widened their eyes in surprise, suddenly remembering the people the Ji family had been getting close to recently.

“Holy crap, that’s smart.”

“I was wondering why you brought Shen Silie to the party, Brother Shen. But if you toss him up like a side dish, won’t Shen Silie throw a tantrum?”

“He doesn’t know. Besides, he likes me. If I just act a little pitiful, he won’t be able to leave again,” Ji Yunshen laughed dismissively.

The others caught the deeper meaning in his words and immediately began to flatter him.

The red-haired man, who had been silent on the side, frowned. He slammed his glass down with a “bang,” as if he didn’t believe it, or perhaps because he was indignant for some reason.

The corners of his mouth turned down, his expression twisting slightly.

“If you don’t like him, why did you stand up for him back then? If you don’t like him, why do you keep doing these things that cause misunderstandings?”

Ji Yunshen spared him a glance and sneered, “Even if I raise a cat, I still have to feed it. Not to mention a human.”

“Don’t you agree?”

“Wang Ze’an.” Ji Yunshen elongated the name with pointed intent.

Hearing his full name, the red-haired man suddenly realized he was merely a child who had struggled to be recognized by his family; he was only able to mingle with this crowd because they had attended the same school as children.

He remembered that the only reason he got a kind face at home was because his social circle was of some help to the family.

His face flashed between pale and dark, and he could only resentfully shut his mouth again.

Someone let out a “whoa.”

“Badass. As expected, Brother Shen knows how to play.”

A young man with white hair, who was busy peeling grapes, added: “Yeah, if someone had that face—forget about them sucking up to me—if they just said a few words to me, I’d crawl over to them with a smile.”

“You cheapskate,” someone cursed with a laugh.

Seeing that Ji Yunshen truly didn’t care about Shen Silie at all, a person who had been itching with desire all night suddenly spoke up.

“Brother Shen, if you ever get tired of him and don’t want to play anymore, just give him to me to play with.”

“Damn, me too! I’ve been eyeing that face of his for a long time.”

“Together, together!”

Ji Yunshen narrowed his eyes at the first person who spoke, his gaze cold yet wearing a half-smile. “Sure. Whenever I’m tired of playing with him and he’s useless, I’ll give him to you.”

The people in the room broke out into laughter and chatter once again.

Shen Silie stood by the door, quietly listening to the laughter inside. It was still late winter, and the heating in this club was very strong; wearing a heavy coat, he felt sweltering after just a few steps.

But at this moment, he couldn’t feel any warmth. The blood in his entire body seemed to be rushing to his head, and his chest was thumping in ragged intervals.

A buzzing sound filled his ears.

His heart plummeted into the abyss.

Shen Silie let go of the door handle, his eyes lowered so his expression couldn’t be seen. He turned and walked away.

Inside, the young man sitting beside Ji Yunshen suddenly noticed something. He squinted and pointed at the redwood prayer beads on the man’s wrist, partially hidden by his shirt sleeve.

“By the way, Brother Shen, what’s that thing you’re always wearing? The craftsmanship is so poor.”

As soon as he said this, the eyes of the others were drawn over.

Because of the heat, Ji Yunshen’s sleeve was rolled up slightly, and the roughly textured redwood beads sat quietly on his wrist.

Someone squinted to get a closer look, only then seeing that the surface of the redwood beads actually had some uneven scratches carved with a small knife. It clearly wasn’t an expensive item.

Ji Yunshen froze for a moment. He looked down at his wrist, his fingertips involuntarily stroking the beads. He felt the slight unevenness beneath his touch—a crescent moon pattern.

It was a break after lunch in a classroom with only a few scattered people.

“You’ve been carving for so long. Who do you want to give it to?”

The teenage Ji Yunshen leaned his arm against the desk, propping his chin with his left hand. His words sounded indifferent, but his face was written all over with annoyance.

The boy by the window ignored him, continuing to work with a small file.

“Why are you carving a moon on it? It looks hideous. What girl would ever like something like this?”

Ji Yunshen ranted incessantly, his insults hitting like a barrage of artillery. Shen Silie just kept his head down, focused on his work.

“The college entrance exams are coming up soon. If you dare to have a secret romance, I’ll be the first to report you,” Ji Yunshen spat out through gritted teeth. He let out a cold snort and turned away, refusing to look at him.

Shen Silie, who hadn’t made a sound, finally looked up. He gave him a single glance before lowering his head again.

“……” Unexpected silence. Ji Yunshen bit his lip, determined not to look at him.

Until the very second before the bell rang for class.

The movement beside him finally stopped.

Ji Yunshen was just about to throw out a few more mocks.

His left hand, resting by the edge of the desk, was suddenly pulled underneath. The beads, still carrying lingering warmth, slid across his palm and finally settled firmly on his wrist.

“Happy birthday.”

Ji Yunshen whipped his head around, colliding with those eyes kissed by the sun. The midday light flowed within those honey-colored irises, tinting them with both trepidation and courage.

The class bell rang. Shen Silie turned his head away and stopped looking at him. The crescent moon birthmark on the back of his neck was exceptionally striking.

Ji Yunshen’s pupils shrank, his heart skipped a beat. As if struck by lightning, he lowered his head, staring blankly at the redwood bracelet on his wrist.

It wasn’t until the end of the bell that he forced a sentence out of his dry throat.

“It’s so ugly…”

The sound of the school bell drowned out the violent thudding of his heart.

The clinking of ice against the glass rang out.

“This is…” Ji Yunshen’s movement of swirling the wine paused for a moment. His voice was very soft. “A gift from my family.”

“It’s not worth much.”

Hearing this, the people around him immediately lost interest and turned back to continue their other topics.

“I knew it. How could Brother Shen wear such cheap junk?”

“I thought some girl gave it to him.”

Ji Yunshen smiled. He raised his glass and downed it in one go. The cold, pungent liquid slid down his throat, triggering a burning, searing pain in his stomach.

In the darkness, the flash of the screen irritated his eyes, forcing him to close them.