Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 59

Satisfaction

Shen Zhiyu’s breathing completely steadied, as if he had fallen into a deeper sleep.

Jiang Zhou remained motionless, feeling the weight and warmth of the embrace beneath him, even slowing his own breathing.

Just then, an abrupt buzzing vibration rang out from Shen Zhiyu’s body.

Shen Zhiyu’s brows furrowed slightly, and a muffled, impatient grunt escaped his throat. The arm wrapped around Jiang Zhou’s waist instinctively tightened, and his head rubbed discontentedly against Jiang Zhou’s neck, as if trying to shut out the annoying noise.

The phone was in Shen Zhiyu’s pants pocket.

Jiang Zhou gritted his teeth and cautiously tried to pull out his trapped arm. The subtle movement seemed to disturb the person on top of him again. Shen Zhiyu let out a clearer, sleep-laden sigh of irritation, and the muscles in the arm gripping him tensed, instinctively resisting his movement.

Jiang Zhou immediately stopped moving drastically. His hand slowly, and with extreme difficulty, wrapped around Shen Zhiyu’s waist and fumbled toward the pants pocket.

This posture made his movements very awkward, his arm almost twisted as his fingertips strained toward the edge of the pocket.

The phone ringing stopped at that moment.

Shen Zhiyu seemed to sense the slight disturbance, moving restlessly and unconsciously brushing against Jiang Zhou, sending an electric-like tingle through him.

Jiang Zhou sensed something, held his breath, and froze, feeling his cheeks and the back of his ears flush hot.

Fortunately, Shen Zhiyu did not wake up, merely adjusting his posture.

The ringing immediately started again.

Taking advantage of this gap, Jiang Zhou’s fingertip hooked sharply, finally entering the pocket and touching the cool phone casing. He carefully pinched it, drawing it out little by little, extremely slowly.

The moment the phone left the pocket, the screen light flashed in the darkness, revealing the incoming call display: Ms. Xi Wanyu.

It only lit up for a second before the person on the other end hung up, and the screen immediately went dark.

Soon, a third call came through.

Clearly, Xi Wanyu was persistent and determined to get through.

Jiang Zhou thought for a moment, swiped the answer button, held the phone to his ear, and lowered his voice, “Auntie—”

There was a pause on the other end, followed by Xi Wanyu’s gentle, smiling voice.

Without surprise, she asked naturally, “Ah Zhou. Where is Zhiyu?”

“He—” Jiang Zhou’s throat felt constricted, and his gaze fell upon the defenseless sleeping face of the person beneath him.

Their posture was intimate, skin touching, breaths mingling. A sense of guilt and hidden shame crept up his spine, making the back of his ears burn.

“He’s asleep,” Jiang Zhou mumbled, quickly glossing over the words.

“Oh, he’s asleep?” Hearing this, Xi Wanyu’s tone still held little surprise, but rather a knowing smile. “That’s good. He’s been too tired lately.”

“Is Zhouzhou being good these past two days? Has he been bothering you?”

“No, he’s very well-behaved.”

The voice on the other end then asked, “Ah Zhou, are you free tomorrow?”

Jiang Zhou thought she was coming to pick up the kitten and quickly said he was free.

“That’s good. Ah Zhou, I wonder if you could help me with something?”

As the call went on, the person beneath him seemed to sense the sound, and his brows furrowed slightly again.

Jiang Zhou lowered his voice even further, “Please tell me, Auntie.”

“It’s like this. Zhiyu had a stage accident during his global tour before, and his waist was seriously injured. He didn’t get proper treatment over there, and after returning home, he hasn’t taken it seriously, dragging his feet and avoiding it whenever possible. He just won’t listen.”

Jiang Zhou had seen the video of that stage accident.

It was a group performance in their fourth year after debut. During the performance, after Shen Zhiyu finished his dance segment, he retreated toward the back of the stage. But the lift platform hadn’t risen in time, and Shen Zhiyu fell straight down.

The sound of the impact startled both fans and teammates.

The person involved merely waved his hand, said nothing, climbed up from the lift platform, and continued his dance moves, forcing himself to complete the performance.

Everyone thought it was a minor issue, that the microphone had amplified the sound of the fall.

It wasn’t until clear videos from different angles were released later that everyone realized how serious it was. If Shen Zhiyu had deviated even slightly, he would have fallen directly onto the lift platform’s cables.

Fans protested against the company and the venue contractor, and it was only Shen Zhiyu coming out to calm the fans that settled the matter.

The team of traditional Chinese medicine experts sent to Yanzhen last time hadn’t mentioned the waist injury to Jiang Zhou either.

Perhaps Shen Zhiyu was reserved about it.

This person was always so considerate of others, neglecting himself.

Jiang Zhou lowered his eyes to look at Shen Zhiyu, feeling a pang of heartache.

“If I talk to him about it now, he just ignores me. But if it’s you… perhaps he might listen to a few words.”

Jiang Zhou thought, how could that be?

When he was with Shen Zhiyu, he was always the one being led by the nose. Whatever Shen Zhiyu said, he would never refuse.

But would Shen Zhiyu listen to him? Jiang Zhou thought back, and it seemed he had never asked Shen Zhiyu to do anything.

“So, Ah Zhou, could you accompany Zhiyu for physical therapy tomorrow?”

Jiang Zhou hesitated. But he had already said he was free and agreed to help, leaving him no room to refuse now.

Jiang Zhou had no choice but to agree, “Of course, Auntie.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Ah Zhou. Get some rest early.”

“You too, Auntie. Please rest early.”

The call ended, and the world returned to silence, leaving only Shen Zhiyu’s steady breathing sweeping against his neck, warm and real.

Jiang Zhou looked at Shen Zhiyu’s sleeping face, so close, and his gaze shifted down, finally resting on the area of his lower back.

He recalled the moment Shen Zhiyu fell on stage, and a strong wave of distress washed over him.

Shen Zhiyu lifted his arm, holding Jiang Zhou even tighter, his warm breath regularly brushing Jiang Zhou’s neck.

Jiang Zhou closed his eyes, allowing this stolen warmth to envelop him. In the silence and the sound of their heartbeats, a huge sense of exhaustion surged up.

Wrapped in that familiar yet unsettling scent, Jiang Zhou drifted into sleep.

Late into the night, Shen Zhiyu woke up.

His consciousness had not fully returned, but his physical senses were the first to revive.

Soft, heavy. A feeling of extreme intimacy and satisfaction.

Almost instinctively, Shen Zhiyu tightened his arms, pulling Jiang Zhou more firmly into his embrace. The physiological reaction that hadn’t subsided was direct and honest, stirring restlessly through the thin clothing, proclaiming possessiveness.

Shen Zhiyu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The familiar, intensely aggressive impulse began to awaken.

Jiang Zhou’s cheek was pressed against his neck, and every breath stoked Shen Zhiyu’s frantic, clamoring desire.

The late night nurtured the wicked elements within him. Shen Zhiyu felt Jiang Zhou’s breath, and his mind began to uncontrollably wander into fantasy.

He could clearly recall the sight of this body turning a beautiful pink under his control, the subtle trembling and warmth during arousal, and the moving expression when suppressing a whimper.

He lowered his head, looking down with the languor of just waking up and a gaze that was almost like scrutinizing his own possession.

The soft, warm light gently outlined the curve of Jiang Zhou’s profile.

Jiang Zhou was sleeping soundly. The stray hairs on his forehead were slightly messy, and his long lashes cast shallow shadows beneath his eyes. His breathing was light, his lips unconsciously slightly parted, revealing a completely unguarded vulnerability and docility.

A strange feeling struck Shen Zhiyu unexpectedly.

The impatient urge to wake him up and possess him, along with the primal, animalistic impulse, strangely and slowly subsided upon seeing Jiang Zhou asleep.

In its place was a more unfamiliar yet softer emotion. His heart felt gently filled with something, a warm sense of contentment.

The person in his arms frowned tightly, breathing becoming rapid, perhaps dreaming of something.

“Ah Zhou—” Shen Zhiyu called out, wanting to smooth the deep furrow in his brow with his finger. His fingertip unexpectedly touched a crystal tear.

Shen Zhiyu lifted his finger and, on an impulse, licked it.

The tear was salty.

For some reason, Shen Zhiyu suddenly felt a blockage in his heart, as if something was stifling his chest, making it hard to breathe.

Shen Zhiyu carefully wiped away his tears, without any provocative intent, but with a sense of… pity.

He actually felt pity?

Shen Zhiyu was slightly surprised by his momentary softness. He had always thought he only wanted Jiang Zhou’s body, craving the extreme pleasure and sense of control that body provided.

But at this moment, looking at the person sleeping defenselessly in his arms, he felt a thought that transcended physiological urges for the first time.

It seemed that sometimes, not doing anything was fine; just holding him like this was enough.

Shen Zhiyu moved very slightly and realized that Jiang Zhou seemed uncomfortable, having been held tightly for so long.

Two grown men sleeping on a sofa was truly too cramped.

Shen Zhiyu carefully supported Jiang Zhou, getting up with extreme caution, trying his best not to disturb the person in his arms.

Jiang Zhou unconsciously smacked his lips in his sleep, and as Shen Zhiyu rose, his limbs instinctively wrapped around him.

Shen Zhiyu watched this unconscious little action, and that soft spot in his heart was gently nudged again.

He couldn’t resist leaning down and kissing Jiang Zhou’s lips.

Jiang Zhou instinctively nestled against his chest.

Shen Zhiyu’s arms held him steady and tenderly as he walked toward the bedroom, gently placing him on the inner side of the large bed.

As soon as he was set down, the person clung to him again, incredibly sticky.

Shen Zhiyu lay down with him, turned onto his side, and gently wrapped his arm around Jiang Zhou’s waist, pulling him back into his embrace.

Jiang Zhou seemed to sense this security in his sleep, unconsciously snuggling closer to him.

The restlessness of desire had not been relieved, clamoring uncomfortably. But as Shen Zhiyu looked at the peaceful sleeping face so close, the animalistic urge seemed less important at this moment, superseded by a calm desire simply to hold him until morning.

He took one last look at Jiang Zhou, kissed his eyes, and closed his own, allowing sleepiness to envelop him once more.

This time, the embrace was full of a warm, reassuring weight that dispelled all fatigue and brought with it a ripple of emotion he didn’t yet fully understand.