Singer

Translator: Lynn

Long Zichen’s decision to take a roundabout approach was driven by the fact that he knew someone who had received an endorsement but was hesitant to bring it up to Yuan Chao. Given the criticism Yuan Chao faced due to his relationship with Ye Jing, he wanted to avoid any business connections with her family, as it might give the impression that he pursued Ye Jing for personal gain. Yuan Chao’s current infatuation made him unreliable in handling such matters, so Long Zichen had to make some sacrifices. His connection with Jian Jie seemed like a fortunate coincidence.

Jian Jie and Yuan Chao were blissfully unaware of these complexities and were enjoying themselves. It was the first time Jian Jie had visited a hot spring resort since he used to travel with his elder brother, but their outings together had become less frequent due to his brother’s increasing workload.

The resort, spanning over 100,000 square meters, was surrounded by mountains and sea, offering breathtaking scenery. With a fresh snowfall, everything was draped in a silver-white blanket. After checking in, they took a tour in a sightseeing car before heading to their villa suites. Long Zichen had booked two villa suites for two people and planned a two-day, one-night itinerary for the four of them. They would indulge in an indoor couple’s bath and spa in the afternoon, followed by evening entertainment, a medicinal bath the next day, and finally, return to their daily lives feeling content.

Over lunch at the resort’s restaurant, Yuan Chao was affectionately wrapped up with Ye Jing in their own little world. Before they left, he slyly winked at Long Zichen and whispered, “Brother, enjoy yourselves, but don’t stare too much. Haha!”

Concerned about Jian Jie’s presence, Long Zichen had to suppress his anger and secretly thought of giving Yuan Chao a piece of his mind later. He then turned to Jian Jie, realizing that there would be great benefits in the future, and smiled brightly, “Let’s not bother with him and just enjoy our hot springs together.”

“Sure,” Jian Jie agreed with a smile.

At the hot spring center, they were guided to a reserved couple’s bath to maintain privacy as Jian Jie was a public figure. The couple’s bath was a separate closed room of around one to two hundred square meters with a transparent roof, creating a warm and bright atmosphere.

Before getting into the hot spring, they had to rinse their bodies. Without realizing that someone was behind him and about to turn green with envy, Jian Jie undressed in the locker room without any hesitation and prepared to take a shower. With his broad shoulders, narrow hips, and well-toned body from sports, he had an enviable figure.

This sight caught Long Zichen off guard, and his blood rushed to his head. He felt dizzy, unable to move his eyes away from Jian Jie’s body. It was unusual for him because he had bathed in public areas before, but today seemed different. His gaze kept shifting between Jian Jie’s legs, comparing himself subconsciously. His imagination ran wild, and the more he thought about it, the thirstier he felt.

“Brother Chen, are you okay?” Jian Jie noticed that Long Zichen was staring at him without undressing for a long time.

Long Zichen snapped out of his daze and quickly undressed. Seeing Jian Jie’s pure and tender body and then looking at his own, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated for lacking pectoral muscles and a proper posterior.

Suppressing his excitement, Long Zichen joined Jian Jie in the shower. Watching crystal droplets of water slide down Jian Jie’s body through the steam made his heartstrings almost snap again. It was like having a delicious cake in front of him, but he was only allowed to look and not touch. The torture was cruel, making him feel even more restless.

“I shouldn’t have looked!” Long Zichen thought to himself, happy yet melancholic.

Even Jian Jie sensed that something was off with Long Zichen today. He kept looking at him with strange eyes. Could Brother Chen be jealous of my figure? Jian Jie could only speculate.

Under the shower, Long Zichen’s burning eyes remained fixated on Jian Jie’s body, making him uncomfortable. Jian Jie quickly wrapped himself up in a bathrobe, and Long Zichen sighed, looking away reluctantly.

“Why does Brother Chen keep staring at me?” Jian Jie asked, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“I can’t help but admire your great figure!” Long Zichen responded candidly, appearing entirely innocent. Despite his internal turmoil, he maintained a calm facade. Jian Jie was puzzled by his response.

The two of them put on their slippers and stepped outside. The water was clear like the blue sky, adorned with bright flower petals. Beside the bath were drinks and a row of red candles, creating a romantic atmosphere for couples.

“Why is this place so beautiful?” Jian Jie expressed his surprise, unaware of the ulterior motives behind the setup.

Long Zichen playfully opened his eyes wide and teased, “They probably know you’re a big star, so they arranged all this to please you. Look how popular you are! When you become a superstar in the future, you’ll be picked up by a private plane wherever you go. The red carpet will be rolled out to your door, and you’ll live in a presidential suite with thousands of fans outside. Red wine will be poured for you—that’s the style! So you have to work hard!”

Jian Jie blushed with embarrassment and replied with a bitter expression, “But I prefer drinking fruit juice. Isn’t that more down-to-earth? Let’s forget about opening bottles and pouring thousands.”

Long Zichen exaggeratedly exclaimed, “Wow, you’re too extravagant!”

Amidst laughter, they sprinkled some hot spring water on their bodies before getting into the pool. The water temperature was pleasantly warm, soothing their pores and making them feel incredibly comfortable. However, Jian Jie remained in his bathrobe, and Long Zichen regretted his intense gaze from earlier. He was concerned that Jian Jie might have noticed his reaction but also hoped that Jian Jie could understand his intentions—a conflicted state of mind.

Jian Jie playfully extended his hands and feet in the water, smiling widely. He said, “This feels amazing, Brother Chen. Thank you for bringing me here to enjoy this.”

Long Zichen was captivated by his smile and couldn’t help but glance at Jian Jie’s delicate calves and feet. He swallowed hard and responded, “No need to thank me. I’m the one who should be grateful. You’re so busy, yet you came out to play with me. I’m the one who’s happy!”

At that moment, Jian Jie suddenly felt something tickling his feet and exclaimed, “What’s touching my feet?”

Upon closer inspection, Long Zichen smiled and said, “It’s fine. They’re just a few small fish nibbling on the dead skin on your feet. Don’t be scared.”

Jian Jie noticed the little fish and laughed at his own momentary fright, saying, “I got startled. I thought something was in the pond. It’s amusing how these little fish eat dead skin. It’s a fun experience.” He happily stretched his feet out, allowing the fish to swim around, tickling him, and adding to the fun.

Long Zichen couldn’t help feeling a bit envious. How dare those fish touch Xiaojie? It was too much! He moved closer to Jian Jie, pretending to casually touch his calf with his foot, and said in jest, “Give me a couple of those fish to play with. They’re biased and ignoring me because you’re too handsome.”

“Are you sure it’s not because of your athlete’s foot?” Jian Jie teased.

Long Zichen pretended to be offended and said, “Xiaojie, you’re slandering me. My feet may stink a little, but I don’t have athlete’s foot!” He looked wronged, like a cute little creature that could charm anyone.

After soaking for about 20 or 30 minutes, they got out of the pool to drink some water before soaking again. Eventually, they washed up and put on clean bathrobes to head to the spa.

While they were enjoying an essential oil massage, a waiter came to inform them that Yuan Chao wanted to speak with them. Long Zichen grinned mischievously, excited about the opportunity to witness Yuan Chao seeking their help. After all, Yuan Chao deserved a taste of his own medicine for his earlier teasing.

Author's NoteApologies for the delay in today’s update. To make up for it, here’s a Children’s Day Theater story:

The annual Children’s Day party is here again, and the kindergarten is filled with children wearing red cheeks and beauty marks on their brows. Among them are four-year-old Jian Jie and five-year-old Shui Xiaoren. The teachers say, “Let’s invite the children from Class Two to perform the dance ‘Flying Butterflies’!” Baby Jian Jie and Baby Shui Xiaoren, with little wings on their backs, step onto the stage with their classmates. They stretch their arms, wiggle their bottoms, and spin around—but oh no! Their wings fall off! Baby Jian Jie stops and stares at the fallen wings, while Baby Shui Xiaoren also pauses and peers at them. Throughout the show, they both stand there, fixated on the pair of wings…

Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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