BF Chapter 24

After they hugged in silence for a while, Xu Shen’s emotions gradually settled.

He turned his head and bit Zhan Shili’s neck hard. He pulled away, his expression returning to normal.

Zhan Shili asked him, “Planning to let him stay inside all night?”

He wanted to, but he couldn’t.

Both of their phones had been left in the car according to the kidnappers’ instructions, so no one would come looking for them in a short time unless a large police force was deployed. Still, if they were out of contact for a long time, that may no longer be the case.

Xu Shen glanced at his watch; it was already past eight o’clock.

“Can you clean up this mess neatly?” he asked Zhan Shili. “Guarantee that there won’t be follow-up troubles?”

Zhan Shili said confidently, “Those kidnappers should have already taken the money and fled overseas by now.”

Since he put it that way, Xu Shen asked no further questions. Catching a glimpse of the fruit knife dropped on the floor out of the corner of his eye, he gestured to Zhan Shili: “Pick up that knife.”

Zhan Shili guessed what he wanted to do almost instantly, “Are you sure?”

Xu Shen said: “You were right. I have to thank you for providing me with this opportunity. Xu Shiji didn’t trust Xu Ziren all that much, and he might not necessarily trust me either.But things will be different after this. He needs a filial son he can rely on, and I’ll be just that.”

Seeing the mockery in his eyes, Zhan Shili didn’t persuade him further. He took a tissue to cushion his hand as he picked up the knife, lifting his gaze to look at Xu Shen, reminding him: “It’s going to hurt a bit, bear with it.”

Xu Shen pulled up his shirt sleeve and extended his left hand.

Without hesitation, Zhan Shili slashed the knife across his forearm; blood instantly gushed out, staining the pure white fabric red.

Xu Shen bit his lip, and aside from his brows furrowing slightly, he didn’t make a single sound.

Zhan Shili threw the knife aside, leaned over and kissed him: “Don’t keep biting. Does it really hurt?”

Xu Shen stared at his lips and said, “You’ll know once you give it a try yourself.”

Zhan Shili said, “I’ll pass.”

He wasn’t Xu Shiji’s son, so there was no need to go to such lengths. Besides, if both of them were injured yet no bloodstains from any kidnappers were left at the scene, it would instead draw some suspicion.

The trunk lid was pulled open with force. Xu Shiji, on the verge of oxygen deprivation and suffocation, struggled to lift his eyelids. The first thing he saw was Xu Shen’s outstretched hand, the glaring blood, and then within his blurry vision, his son’s face, filled with anxiety.

“Father! How are you? Are you okay?”

Xu Shen and Zhan Shili flanked Xu Shiji, helping him out of the trunk. Xu Shiji was barely clothed, his hands and feet tied, and his mouth taped shut. He had been locked in this cramped, narrow trunk for several hours. Already in poor health and shaken up, he couldn’t even stand steadily at this moment, only barely managing to squeeze out a few indistinct sounds from his parched throat.

Xu Shen asked him if he was hurt with great concern, while Zhan Shili reminded them: “Let’s get going first, don’t linger here. This isn’t the place to talk.”

Supporting Xu Shiji, they helped him down the mountain path they had come from. As darkness set in, the slippery mountain trail became very difficult to traverse. Xu Shiji stumbled along, nearly slipping several times, relying entirely on Xu Shen and Zhan Shili, in an exceptionally sorry state.

After walking a stretch, Zhan Shili suggested taking a break. They helped Xu Shiji sit down on a nearby tree stump. Zhan Shili pulled Xu Shen aside and said, “Young Master Shen, your arm is still bleeding; it needs to be bandaged to stop the bleeding.”

As he spoke, he ripped off his own tie, lifted Xu Shen’s arm, and deftly wrapped the tie around it twice, tying a dead knot.

By now, Xu Shiji had recovered a little bit of his strength, asking them in a raspy voice, “Do you know who those kidnappers were?”

Zhan Shili recounted everything after receiving the kidnappers’ call last night, repeating what every single person at home had said and done word for word to Xu Shiji without any bias nor emotion at all, leaving it entirely to Xu Shiji to judge for himself: “When Young Master Shen and I came up, we only saw two kidnappers at the scene. They were wearing hoods, so their faces couldn’t be seen. We got into a fight with them, and Young Master Shen’s arm was slashed. They ran off afterward, and only then did we find you in the car.”

Xu Shiji’s expression turned grim. Suspicious by nature, he immediately realized there was something fishy going on despite his mental turmoil. The kidnapping scheme turning into reality meant that someone must have leaked the information and tampered with things behind the scenes.

Zhan Shili and Xu Shen acted ignorant, letting him speculate and suspect as he pleased.

After a long pause, Xu Shiji said to Xu Shen, “It’s been hard on you.”

Xu Shen said nonchalantly, “I’m fine. As long as you’re safe, Father.”

Exhausted, Xu Shiji sighed, not wanting to say more.

After descending the mountain, they got into the car immediately. Zhan Shili started the vehicle while Xu Shen called home to report their safety.

Twenty minutes later, the car returned to the downtown area where police cars were already waiting to pick them up and escort them to the hospital.

The Xu Family rushed to the hospital and gathered around the ward to offer their concern and greetings to Xu Shiji, who had survived the ordeal.

Xu Shen went to get stitches and bandaged up first.

When the police came to take his statement, he told the exact same set of excuses Zhan Shili had told Xu Shiji earlier without a single flaw, explanation airtight.

By the time Zhan Shili arrived, the police had already left, leaving Xu Shen sitting alone outside the emergency room, resting with his eyes closed.

“They’re all gathered around your father’s hospital bed putting on a display of filial piety. Aren’t you going over?” Zhan Shili asked, handing over a cup of warm milk he had just bought.

Xu Shen reached out to take it, staring at it for a moment. He recalled the question he had asked Zhan Shili in the funeral home corridor that day: if he had a stomachache, would Zhan Shili buy him warm milk? He hadn’t expected Zhan Shili to actually remember.

“Drink it while it’s hot.” Zhan Shili’s voice was warm and deep. He sat down opposite him.

Xu Shen tossed the blood-stained tie over. Zhan Shili didn’t mind the bloodstains on it at all, rolling it up and stuffing it into his pants pocket, perhaps intending to keep it.

Watching his actions, Xu Shen took a slow sip of the milk, licked his lips, and said, “I don’t need to stay there at a time like this. Let them be; it’s all just in hindsight anyways.”

Zhan Shili said, “Your father didn’t tell the police that the kidnapping was planned by himself at first, probably not wanting to complicate things further. He’s rather displeased, especially with the Second Young Master. Second Young Master suggested calling the police, and given the boss’s personality, he’ll probably feel Second Young Master didn’t want him to return safely.”

Xu Shen smiled, “That’s great.”

Zhan Shili continued, “Actually, back when the Eldest Young Master died, your father already suspected the Second Young Master. Although it was ultimately determined to be an accident, the brothers had always been at odds, so it’s impossible for people not to overthink.”

Xu Shen hadn’t expected there to be such a backstory: “No wonder; not surprising either.”

“Even so, Second Young Master still got his wish and sat in the CEO position, since there was no one else but him,” Zhan Shili, looking at him. “But it’s different now. If it was impossible for the boss to consider an illegitimate child like you before, after this incident, you should already be qualified in his heart.”

Xu Shen’s expression was calm: “Let’s talk about it when that day actually comes. It’s still too early to say all this now.”

“Mn,” Zhan Shili agreed.

Xu Shen looked him straight in the eye: “Nic, will you help me?”

“Of course,” Zhan Shili answered. “You said before that I was using you as a gun, but I believe it’s more accurate to say I want to cooperate with you for mutual benefit.”

Xu Shen asked: “Is that so?”

Zhan Shili saw the undisguised passion in Xu Shen’s eyes. Zhan Shili had to admit that, regardless of how much of it was genuine, he was indeed moved.

Zhan Shili stood up, gesturing to Xu Shen with his eyes.

Xu Shen understood, watching him push the door open and walk into the adjacent stairwell. Finishing the last sip of milk in the cup, he threw away the empty paper cup, got up, and followed him in.

As soon as he walked into the dim stairwell, he was pulled over forcefully by Zhan Shili’s outstretched hand.

The stairwell door behind him snapped shut, blocking out the light.

Held by the wrist and pressed against the wall by Zhan Shili, Xu Shen complained softly, “It hurts.”

Zhan Shili rubbed his wrist: “Where does it hurt?”

“I regret it,” Xu Shen’s gaze was dark. “If I knew it’d hurt this much, I wouldn’t have injured myself.”

Zhan Shili said, “I reminded you.”

“You didn’t say it would hurt this much.”

Xu Shen spoke with laughter, his voice heavy and indistinct in the obscure darkness, as if he was acting coquettishly, a stark contrast to his previous outburst of ruthlessness on the mountain.

Zhan Shili’s heart swelled with joy at his laughter, and his breathing grew somewhat heavy: “What should we do if it hurts this much?”

“Yeah, what should we do?” Xu Shen repeated, seemingly distressed. “Nic, kiss me. Maybe it won’t hurt so much if you kiss me…”

Before he could finish, Zhan Shili’s lips were already on his, impatient and eager.

This was their second real kiss between. Their tongues plunged into each other’s mouths, exploring freely. The soft, lingering touch was utterly unforgettable.

Zhan Shili’s kisses went from gentle to rough. At first, it was to comfort Xu Shen, but it gradually grew out of control as he sucked at his tongue and ravaged him, snatching his breath away.

Xu Shen swallowed instinctively, saliva overflowing from the corners of his mouth, his pants and gasps amplifying as it mingled with the ambiguous watery sounds, growing louder and louder.

“Can’t take it anymore…”

Xu Shen felt he was about to run out of breath. Their lips and tongues separated slightly, his back pressed against the wall as he tilted his head up to breathe, both hands still resting on Zhan Shili’s neck, intimately entwined with him.

Zhan Shili  braced one leg between Xu Shen’s legs, forcefully lifting him up. Xu Shen’s feet left the ground, barely able to support his body by being held by Zhan Shili.

“What are you doi—”

Zhan Shili kissed him again, leaving Xu Shen no chance to complain. One hand pinched his chin while his unruly tongue swept through his mouth even more domineeringly, kissing him deeply and intensely.

Xu Shen’s hands around his neck tightened, completely pulled into the wild, frenzied rhythm.

When he finally stopped, Zhan Shili’s breathing paused by his ear, asking, “Was what you said earlier about being scared of the dark true? Because you were kidnapped before?”

Caressing his nape, Xu Shen’s movements stopped for a moment. He swallowed hard and said softly, “Yes, I was less than seven years old back then—how could I not be afraid after being locked in the trunk of a car for so long? I had nightmares every night afterward, I had to sleep with the lights on, and I often suffered from insomnia. It’s been a problem since I was little.”

Zhan Shili’s lips gently rubbed against his cheek. Xu Shen sensed it, “Nic, is your heart aching for me?”

Zhan Shili asked, “What do you want me to do?”

“It’s very simple,” Xu Shen cooed. “If your heart aches for me, just put me before Xu Zikang from now on. You can do that, right?”

After a long time, a muffled sound came from Zhan Shili’s throat: “Okay.”

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t/n: no more first come first served, Shili?

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