Let Me Be Spoiled - Chapter 32

Cool guys don’t let people touch their heads easily.

Just like Xie Yan. He had been a prickly one since childhood, so of course no one ever got to touch his head, let alone wash his hair. Yet now he was sitting properly on a stool, letting Fu Qing knead his hair with his hands.

It was starting to tickle a little, and he had to fight the urge to dodge but Fu Qing’s movements were gentle, and he asked as he massaged, “Is this too rough?”

Xie Yan shook his head, causing the foam to fly everywhere.

Fu Qing crouched in front of him, leaned in to look at Xie Yan’s face, and wiped the foam from his lips with the back of his clean hand.

Lips are warmer than other parts of the body and you can feel the heat immediately. They were smooth, like peeled jelly, rising and falling slightly with Fu Qing’s movement.

Before he could finish wiping, Xie Yan turned away and brushed it off himself with the back of his hand.

Fu Qing thought that Xiao Xie seemed soft all over—except for his temper. His hair was soft, his cheeks dampened by water were soft, and his lips were even softer

Actually, not even the temper was an exception.

Fu Qing realized even that was soft—at least toward him.

He had never washed anyone’s hair before, so there were some small mishaps. Every time he accidentally touched the inside of Xie Yan’s ear, his body would flinch a little, and his ears would twitch hard.

After getting poked a few times, Xie Yan ended up covering his ears with his hands.

Fu Qing couldn’t help but ask, “Did water get in?”

The first two times were accidents. After that, not so much.

Xie Yan didn’t think much of it. He trusted Fu Qing completely and answered plainly, “No, it just tickles when you touch them.”

Fu Qing thought it was a pity—Xiao Xie twitching his ears like that was just too cute.

Xie Yan had medium-short hair, so it didn’t take long to wash but while someone else could help with shampoo, bathing was out of the question.

Fu Qing gave a few instructions. “Don’t use the shower. Fill some water and wipe down slowly.”

After stepping out of the bathroom, Fu Qing originally planned to shower and head to bed, but a phone call came in.

He picked up the call and casually took a cigarette from Xie Yan’s pocket, heading out to the balcony.

It was news about the fan who had attacked someone.

The police had already detained Chen Xiaoxiao. Xie Yan’s arm injury was classified as minor, so at most she’d face a few days of administrative detention. If Xie Yan agreed to mediation, she could pay some medical expenses and go home. Chen Xiaoxiao refused to mediate and instead presented a recently diagnosed report of bipolar disorder, claiming mental illness and exemption from legal responsibility.

Fu Qing’s voice turned cold. “She hurt someone and doesn’t want to pay any price?”

The response came, “Mental illness complicates things. We’ve already notified her parents to pick her up but they’ve been divorced for years, each with new families, and neither wants to deal with the shame. If no one comes for her, she’ll probably be released soon.”

The bathroom had been full of steam, soaking half of Fu Qing’s shirt. Now the sea breeze made it a bit chilly.

He lit the cigarette, thought for a moment, and said, “If she hurt someone and has no guardian, can’t you apply for compulsory medical treatment?”

“You mean…”

Fu Qing felt no sympathy for the fan who hurt someone. She did something wrong and there should be consequences. A diagnosis alone wasn’t a free pass.

She had hurt Xie Yan.

Fu Qing lowered his eyes, amber irises indifferent. He took a drag of the cigarette. “If she’s sick, then she should get treatment.”

With that, he ended the call, finished his cigarette, and turned back toward the window—just in time to see Xie Yan stepping out of the bathroom.

He was wrapped only in a large bath towel. He was so tall that the towel barely covered his thighs, revealing large patches of bare skin. Though Xie Yan was thin, it wasn’t just skin and bones. He had a thin layer of muscle over his frame, giving his figure a smooth and graceful line.

He had just bathed, and water still dripped from his hair. He grabbed the corner of the towel to rub his head, but that made the towel slip further, barely covering even the tops of his thighs.

Almost nothing was left to the imagination.

Fu Qing clearly saw a small mole at Xie Yan’s waist, a stark little mark on his pale skin.

Xie Yan thought he was alone, until Fu Qing’s voice came from the balcony, “Xiao Xie.”

There was someone on the balcony.

Xie Yan froze and turned his head in that direction. The towel slipped slightly as he said, “I thought… thought Fu Ge had gone back.”

As he explained, droplets ran down from his hair, along his neck, across his chest and stomach—who knew if they would end up passing that little mole.

Fu Qing took several sharp drags of his cigarette, then stubbed it out. The ash scattered quickly in the wind, leaving only the faint smell on his fingers.

Xie Yan walked to the bed, lifted the blanket, lay down, and only then slowly pulled out the towel.

Fu Qing stepped in from the balcony, head down, not looking at Xie Yan at all. He only glanced in passing at the door, quickly looking away. He stood at the threshold for a few seconds before saying suddenly, “Goodnight, Xiao Xie. Sleep early.”

“Goodnight.”

After going back, Fu Qing took a cold shower, but it did nothing to calm the heat in his chest. He thought about drinking, but he hadn’t bought any.

He never lied to himself and was well aware—he had felt desire for Xie Yan’s body just now.

If it had been someone else standing there, Fu Qing wouldn’t have looked twice but Xiao Xie was too adorable. He was just standing there, and Fu Qing, knowing it was wrong, still couldn’t look away.

Xie Yan hadn’t even been truly naked yet the temptation was overwhelming and irresistible.

At least for that moment, Fu Qing couldn’t resist. Even now, he still couldn’t.

He was painfully clear that the desire didn’t come from base instinct—it was because the person was Xie Yan. His Xiao Xie.

He treated Xie Yan differently.

It had been different from the start. Just like Grandpa Fu had said—on Xie Yan’s twentieth birthday, there had been many ways to help the angry and upset Xiao Xie but Fu Qing had chosen to bring him home and celebrate his birthday.

It was just love at first sight, carefully hidden away.

Ever since he had gotten those fan art images from Yang Xun, Fu Qing had followed several of Xie Yan’s fans. Sometimes he scrolled Weibo to see if they’d drawn anything new. He’d learned about this incident through Weibo and rushed over from Ji’an without a second thought. He was too unsettled to keep working and he had to come see his little one in person.

Was it because Xie Yan was pitiful?

No. Xie Yan was strong and resilient. He didn’t need anyone’s pity, nor did he think of himself as pitiful.

Fu Qing just couldn’t bear to see him hurt.

Or more precisely—it was because he liked him. Because he liked him, he found him adorable. Because he was adorable, it stirred desire. He wanted to kiss him, hold him, and even be more intimate.

For the first half of his life, Fu Qing had rushed around, burdened by duty, always doing what had to be done. Falling for someone—for the first time—someone so much younger than himself, was a completely new experience.

And it was nothing like the affection between brothers.

He still remembered the scent of the shower gel from the bathroom. It was rare pear, faint and sweet.

Just like Xie Yan. Sweet, but never cloying.

But Fu Qing couldn’t bring himself to take a bite.

That night, Xie Yan slept well. He was still running a low fever, exhausted after so many errands, but the days that followed were completely free, perfect for letting his arm heal.

With nothing else to do, Xie Yan spent his time watching movies, learning from how others performed and expressed emotions. Fu Qing accompanied him, just watching movies—nothing else.

One day, Sun Huaijun called and said the fan who attacked them had claimed mental illness, couldn’t be detained, and with no guardian to take her home, had been sent to a hospital for treatment.

The local police didn’t want extra trouble and detaining someone for a few days was no big deal. Compulsory treatment required reporting up the chain, which was a hassle. Before applying, they had specifically asked Chen Xiaoxiao if she had truly been in a state of mental breakdown during the attack.

Chen Xiaoxiao had smiled at the police indifferently, “My medical records aren’t fake. You can check with the hospital or do a psychiatric evaluation—whatever you want.”

The officer replied, “Alright, the hospital has already sent back their report.”

Chen Xiaoxiao got excited. “Then shouldn’t you let me go? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

After filling out the paperwork, the officer said, “We notified your parents. They both said you’re an adult now and they’re not responsible. Since you hurt someone due to illness, and you pose a social threat with no guardian, we’ve applied for compulsory treatment. The hospital staff should arrive this afternoon.”

Chen Xiaoxiao was stunned. She asked the officer several times, but got the same answer every time. Finally, she exploded, “I’m not sick! I’m not sick! Why are you sending me to the hospital?!”

The officer was a patient middle-aged man. He had explained everything carefully before. He sighed and said, “Young lady, you can’t claim illness when you hurt someone and then say you’re fine when it’s time to go to the hospital. Besides, I think you really should get checked. Once you’re better, you won’t act like this anymore so it’s a good thing.”

Xie Yan had almost forgotten about the whole situation. He just said, “If she’s sick, get her treated. Just don’t act like a rabid dog and keep chasing Yang Xun.”

The incident caused a huge uproar online. That “XiaoYang Forever” account had always been infamous for vulgar insults, often claiming depression and threatening suicide when called out. No one had expected she really did have a condition.

Fu Qing stayed with Xie Yan for a week. By the time his stitches were almost ready to come out, work at the company had piled up too much—he had to return.

The night Fu Qing left, Zhou Yu arrived in a rush and said to Xie Yan, “Uh, Xie Ge, Fu Ge told me to stay with you for now. Mainly to keep an eye out for anyone blind enough to try anything. I’ll block them if needed.”

Xie Yan: “……”

So this was how a street thug protected people.

Zhou Yu still felt spooked thinking about Fu Qing’s detailed instructions before leaving—what time to take medicine, when to remove stitches, all listed out precisely. Most importantly, Fu Qing told him not to mention anything about the company. Let Xie Yan believe he was just some local punk and made a living that way.

Zhou Yu couldn’t help but wonder, maybe this was just some couple’s quirky game?

Either way, he was a coward. Not a word would leave his lips.