Pei Xu turned toward the sound and only then noticed that Qiao Nan was standing not far behind him, though he had no idea when he had come back.
Holding a wine glass, Qiao Nan didn’t come closer.
His beautiful eyes looked somewhat displeased, like a wary little beast, scanning Bai Rao from head to toe.
He was still young and not the type to hide his emotions; his dissatisfaction and hostility were almost on full display.
It was obvious he had heard Bai Rao’s words.
Everyone else present had heard of the Qiao Family’s Xiao Shaoye and some of the stories about his respectful and friendly nature with his brothers.
But now, seeing this, they simply took it as Qiao Nan disliking Bai Rao becoming his sister-in-law and sent teasing glances Bai Rao’s way.
Bai Rao shrugged indifferently, his smile unchanged.
Only Pei Xu’s expression shifted slightly, as if he realized something, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He beckoned to Qiao Nan, signaling him to come sit by his side.
Qiao Nan looked a little unhappy but still walked over and sat next to him, his beautiful peach blossom eyes darting around.
Pei Xu introduced the unfamiliar faces one by one to Qiao Nan.
When it came to Bai Rao, his tone remained even and detached, polite yet distant: “This is Bai Rao, the second young master of the Bai Family, Xu Nan’s business partner.”
Just like the others, the introduction was brief and courteous, with no extra embellishment.
It was as if Bai Rao’s earlier provocation had left no trace at all.
Bai Rao glanced at him, recalling their first meeting at a bar in another province—the man with a sharp aura holding a wine glass, bluntly telling him to “get lost.”
Although rude and impolite, that had been more genuine and likeable than this current polite yet intentionally distant attitude.
At least then, it had felt real.
Now, the politeness felt false, drawing a deliberate dividing line.
As if in his eyes, Bai Rao was no different from the mediocre middle-aged men around him.
Though Bai Rao liked conquering powerful men, he wasn’t one to blindly fawn over them.
Since Pei Xu wasn’t planning to give him any face, Bai Rao naturally wouldn’t be polite.
He deliberately pressed his sore spot: “Pei, you seem to be in a good mood lately? Not like the last time at the bar when you drowned your sorrows. Now even your words are more tactful.”
He swirled his wine glass and took a light sip.
“But I still prefer your rough and straightforward side—it’s cuter that way.”
He provocatively raised his glass toward Pei Xu, paying no mind to the expressions around him, then swayed off toward the dance floor.
Cheng Yu, who had arrived upon hearing the commotion, looked at Bai Rao’s retreating figure with interest.
“Tsk tsk, even hotter than the rumors. You really not interested?”
Sometimes he truly doubted if Pei Xu was asexual.
“If you don’t want him, I will.”
Pei Xu lazily glanced at him and said, “Bai’s family and Xu Nan have a project together. No messing around before it’s done.”
Cheng Yu slumped onto the sofa, deflated, muttering, “Boring.”
While they were talking, Qiao Nan was busy typing on his phone.
He slightly turned his body to prevent Pei Xu from seeing his screen and tagged everyone in their group chat.
[Who has intel on Bai Rao, the Bai Family’s second young master? Come quickly!]
A minute later, Qian Chuan messaged him privately: [Why are you asking about Bai’s illegitimate son?]
Qiao Nan: [You know him?]
Qian Chuan: [Who in Nanjiang doesn’t? You just don’t usually pay attention.]
Qiao Nan: [Spill it!]
Qian Chuan sent a smiling soybean emoji: [Tell me first why you’re asking? Did he try to hit on that wild man of yours?]
Qiao Nan replied with three exclamation marks.
After hesitating a moment, curiosity overcame embarrassment, and he asked, [How do you know?]
[Damn! He really did hit on him?]
Qian Chuan quickly typed a long message detailing Bai Rao’s glorious exploits.
Cornering someone else’s man was a small matter.
It was said the Zhou Family Eldest Young Master even came out of the closet for him and had a huge fallout with his family over it.
But Bai Rao used the Zhou Family Eldest Young Master to pave his way and then kicked him away, only to hook up with the Wang Family Fourth Young Master instead.
[You know Wang Jin? He’s Wang Family Fourth Young Master, Wang Jin’s uncle. This just happened last month. His circle of friends is either cursing Wang Jin’s uncle for being blind or calling Bai Rao a fox spirit who put a curse on him.]
In short, this fox spirit sure knew how to seduce men.
Qiao Nan definitely couldn’t compete.
Qiao Nan frowned, not very pleased, and typed out word by word: [My corner isn’t that easy to steal.]
His brother hadn’t even bothered to pay attention to him!
Still, as he put away his phone, Qiao Nan couldn’t help but glare at Pei Xu.
A true provocateur!
Pei Xu noticed the look and leaned close, whispering in his ear, “Nan Nan, why the sour mood?”
The bar was dimly lit, with colorful spotlights flashing, making details blurry.
To outsiders, Pei Xu just seemed to be speaking softly to him.
But only Qiao Nan knew that as Pei Xu leaned in, he licked his earlobe.
The wet touch spread, setting Qiao Nan’s ear ablaze.
He suppressed the urge to touch his ear, lifted his chin, and said each word deliberately, “I’m not unhappy.”
Pei Xu chuckled softly, placing his hand on the back of Qiao Nan’s neck and squeezing gently.
“You little liar.”
Qiao Nan, afraid someone would notice, shrank his neck to dodge the hand, grabbed his wine glass, and darted to the other side.
By the time the birthday party was ending, it was almost midnight.
Cheng Yu and the others, still unsatisfied, wanted to continue elsewhere, but Pei Xu politely declined and asked Zhao Bo to entertain them.
He found a designated driver and drove Qiao Nan home.
Qiao Nan had drunk a few more glasses.
Though not drunk, he was a little excited.
Before the car even stopped, he grabbed Pei Xu and ran upstairs.
“Hurry, we’re running out of time.”
Pei Xu was pulled into the study, his gaze falling on a painting leaning against the wall, covered with cloth.
Qiao Nan glanced at the time—it was just right.
Blushing, he walked up to the painting and said nervously, “Here, a birthday gift for you. Happy birthday.”
Pei Xu stepped forward and slowly unveiled the canvas—
The frame measured four feet long by two and a half feet wide.
The painting showed a man in a gray silk robe sitting at the bedside.
Orange-yellow light poured down from an angle, illuminating his handsome face and the letter in his hand.
The detail was exquisite—Pei Xu could clearly see the neat handwriting on the letter.
“The bright moon hangs high in the night sky, and now is spring.”
Pei Xu recognized the line from Fernando Pessoa’s poem, “The Shepherd in Love.”
The next line read, “I think of you, and my heart is whole.”
Undeniably, it was a love poem.
Pei Xu suddenly looked up, waves of emotion stirring in his eyes, as if ready to swallow Qiao Nan whole.
Qiao Nan felt the heat on his face intensify, lowering his gaze slightly and whispering, “This painting is called ‘The Man Reading a Love Letter.’”
This was the best response he could give.
He had never truly liked anyone, let alone experienced love.
He spent a lot of time hesitating and thinking, finally confirming that he did like Pei Xu.
He didn’t resist closeness with Pei Xu; in fact, he quite liked it.
“Nan Nan.”
Pei Xu’s voice was dry and hoarse. He stepped forward carefully and held him close.
“This is the most perfect birthday gift I’ve ever received. I’m very happy.”
He cupped Qiao Nan’s face, lips warm as they kissed his eyes, nose tip, cheeks, and lips in quick succession, breath scorching.
Qiao Nan, infected by the heat, responded shyly but actively, climbing onto his shoulders.
Their lips tangled for a long time before they broke apart, gasping for breath.
Qiao Nan hung weakly on Pei Xu, barely able to stand without his waist being held.
He panted and rubbed against Pei Xu restlessly, emitting low, soft hums.
Pei Xu lifted him onto the desk and knelt on one knee.
Qiao Nan barely pulled some clarity from the haze and stopped him, blushing as he said, “Don’t… I still have a question.”
“That Bai Rao… how do you two know each other?”
He was still bothered by Bai Rao’s words, as if Bai Rao had seen a hidden side of Pei Xu.
But Qiao Nan had never experienced anything like this, and he stumbled over his words, his collarbone reddening before he even finished.
“Nan Nan, in what identity are you asking this question?”
Hearing that, Pei Xu’s eyes gleamed with amusement.
He pressed Qiao Nan against the desk, his long, dark eyes fixed on him, awaiting his answer.
Embarrassed, Qiao Nan turned his head away: “Does it… really make a difference?”
“The difference is, if you ask as a little brother, I’ll say we met during a business trip.”
Pei Xu’s fingers traced the lines of Qiao Nan’s cheek repeatedly, his voice low and magnetic, full of temptation:
“But if you ask as a boyfriend, I’ll say we ran into each other at a bar, said just two sentences, aren’t close, and I don’t like him.”
He kissed Qiao Nan’s reddened lips: “I only like you, Nan Nan.”
Qiao Nan’s eyelashes fluttered, his heartbeat involuntarily quickening.
He wanted to say, “Now I’m already your boyfriend,” but such a direct confession was too embarrassing. He opened his mouth but couldn’t get the words out, finally muttering, “I still need some time to adjust…”
“That’s fine.”
Pei Xu understood his hesitation.
His lips followed the line of Qiao Nan’s neck, kissing down softly.
When he knelt, he looked up and said warmly, “It’s okay for Nan Nan to stay just as he was before. Leave the rest to me.”
Qiao Nan blushed in response and soon sank into the whirlpool Pei Xu created.
Pei Xu always knew exactly how to please him.
In the end, Qiao Nan was carried back to the bedroom.
After showering and hiding beneath the covers, he glanced at Pei Xu’s restrained expression, hesitated briefly, then muttered with muffled frustration, “If you’re uncomfortable, I could actually…”
There was something especially alluring about a shy person taking the initiative.
But this time, Pei Xu surprisingly declined.
He climbed into bed, held Qiao Nan close, kissed his forehead, and said hoarsely, “No rush. I’m not ready yet.”
Qiao Nan looked at him in confusion, not understanding what he still needed to prepare for.
Pei Xu didn’t explain further, only ruffling his hair and holding him tighter: “I’ll tell you when I’m ready.”
Qiao Nan gave a dry “oh” and buried his burning face in Pei Xu’s chest.
If not now, then forget it!
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