After My Rebirth, My Husband Pampers Me Everyday!

Chapter 173: YOUR WAIST IS JARRINGLY SNATCHED

Liuxian’s voice stayed low, right at Guiying’s ear. "That’s what you expected to hear, right?" His breath was warm against Guiying’s skin. "That I’d snap. Grab you. Prove you pushed me far enough."

His hand on the chair back tightened until his knuckles went white, then he let it relax. "But that’s not what I’m going to do."

Guiying’s fingers curled around the edge of the table. He didn’t turn around because he couldn’t.

"I love you," Liuxian said, simple and heavy. "How can I bear to hurt your beautiful body. Only a crazy person ruins what they love. For me, I cherish mine."

Silence dropped between them and it felt thick.

Guiying swallowed. The smirk he’d been wearing slid off his face slowly. His boot stopped tapping against the floor. For a second he looked almost thrown, like he had braced himself for a fight and received a confession instead.

"...cherish?" Guiying echoed, and his voice was quieter than he meant it to be. He tried for a laugh, but it came out soft and crooked. "That’s your move? Words? After everything I did to piss you off?"

Liuxian didn’t move back and he didn’t step away. "Words are all I need," he said. "If you’d just listen. Plus how could I get mad at something so silly. I’m not that petty."

Guiying stared at the plate in front of him. The stolen dumpling was half-eaten and the chilli oil was cooling. His throat felt tight, so he covered it by reaching for his bag on the chair beside him while his fingers fumbled with the strap.

"Right," he muttered. "Cherish. Cute."

But he didn’t stand up and he didn’t leave. He just sat there under Liuxian’s hand on the chair while the alpha behind him waited, patient and steady.

Guiying’s voice came out smaller when he finally spoke again. "So... what now? Are you going to stand there all day, cherishing?"

Liuxian’s laugh was quiet and barely there. "No," he said. "Now I’m going to eat breakfast with you. Unless you’d rather I kiss your forehead and go back to sulking."

Guiying blinked fast. "...Don’t be dramatic," he said. But his shoulders dropped a little.

Breakfast wound down quietly while the food disappeared between them and the morning light moved across the table.

Liuxian stood first. He straightened his jacket, picked up his phone, and looked down at Guiying. "I’ll drop you," he said.

"You don’t have to—"

"I’ll drop you," Liuxian said again, in the tone that meant the conversation was settled.

Guiying picked up his bag and followed him out. Wang Chengli had the door open before they reached it. The morning was cool and bright, the gravel was pale under the early light, and the car was already waiting at the bottom of the steps. Haiyan stood beside it.

Haiyan straightened when he saw them and bowed slightly. "Good morning, Master Xue. Master Liuxian." He paused briefly. "It’s good to be back."

Guiying looked at him for a moment. "Good to have you back," he said. "How are you?"

"Very well, thank you, Master Xue." Haiyan opened the door. "I apologise for the trouble."

"It wasn’t your fault," Guiying said simply, and he got in.

Liuxian followed and the door closed, and the car pulled smoothly down the drive and through the gates into the morning traffic.

Guiying was quiet for a moment with his bag on his lap while he watched the city begin outside the window. Something about seeing Haiyan standing there had pulled a thread loose and now it sat unresolved in his chest.

"Ren Hao," he said.

Liuxian looked at him.

"Shen Zihao’s assistant," Guiying said. "Is he okay?"

Liuxian held his gaze for a moment before he answered. "He’s safe," he said. "He’s out of the hospital and away from Shen Zihao. His mother is being cared for, and his siblings as well." He paused. "He’s somewhere Shen Zihao can’t reach him. He’s being looked after properly."

Guiying turned back to the window. "Okay, that’s nice to hear," he said quietly.

The city moved past while the morning light lay clean across the buildings, and Guiying sat with his bag in his lap and let the weight of it settle and then release.

Liuxian looked at him, and then he reached across the seat between them and took Guiying’s hand in his own. He threaded his fingers through Guiying’s without asking and moved his thumb once across Guiying’s knuckles. He didn’t say anything else. He just held on while the car carried them both into the day.

Minutes later.

The car stopped outside TongShu at half past eight. Haiyan came around and opened the door, and Guiying stepped out into the morning while the heels of his boots met the pavement with a clean sound and the Balenciaga bag settled at his hip.

Liuxian had not gotten out. Guiying turned and looked at him through the open door. Liuxian was looking back at him with that expression, the one that had no composure left in it, the one that only came out in specific moments and that Guiying had started collecting without meaning to. Liuxian’s eyes went down to Guiying’s waist and then came back up to his face.

"Go," he said. "Before I change my mind."

Guiying almost smiled. He leaned in through the door and pressed a kiss to Liuxian’s cheek, quick and warm, he straightened before Liuxian could do anything about it.

"Behave yourself," Guiying said.

"I make no promises," Liuxian said.

Guiying smiled and closed the door. He stood on the pavement and watched the car pull away into the morning traffic with Haiyan’s hands steady on the wheel, and he stayed there until it turned the corner and disappeared. Then he turned and faced the TongShu entrance. So this was his last shoot.

He picked up his bag, pushed through the glass doors, and walked in. Bai Zichen was already in the lobby with coffee in his hand, and he turned when he heard the boots and looked at Guiying from the floor up. He immediately put his coffee down on the reception desk.

"No," he said. Guiying slowed because he was a bit confused. No for what?

"Um... Good morning," Guiying said.

"I said no," Bai Zichen said. "You cannot walk in here looking like that on the last day. It’s inconsiderate. Some of us have to keep working after you leave."

Lin Yansu appeared from the elevator, looked at the outfit, looked at Bai Zichen, and pressed the elevator button again. "I need a minute," she said, to no one in particular.

Guiying walked to the elevator. "You’re all being dramatic," he said.

"Have you seen your waist?" Bai Zichen said with the energy of a man lodging a formal complaint. "Your waist is jarringly snatched, so you decided to wear this so none of us would be able to take our eyes off you."

The elevator opened. Guiying got in. "See you upstairs," he said pleasantly, and he let the doors close on Bai Zichen’s expression.