Dr. Su still came, but the person who called him over was not Sanqianwan (Thirty Million), but Shen Yanzhou.

Shen Yanzhou thought that his body would feel a bit more comfortable after a shower.

As long as he washed away the marks left from last night and cleaned out what that stray dog had left inside his body, he could put on a proper suit just like usual and return to being the flawless head of the Shen family.

But he had overestimated his own physical endurance and underestimated the abnormal physiological anatomy and terrifying capacity of an S+ class Alpha.

That dog had absolutely no idea how to practice moderation.

His body had been pushed to its absolute limit, and with everything built up inside him overnight, he could faintly feel that he had developed an inflammation because of the dog now kneeling on the floor. A heavy, dull ache throbbed in his lower abdomen.

In this state, let alone attending a charity gala, he found it uncomfortable even to press his legs together without feeling chafed.

If it were anyone else in this miserable physical condition, they would have used it as an excuse to cancel the gala long ago, comfortably lying in bed to recover.

But he could not.

The word absence had never existed in the vocabulary of his life.

Whether it was negotiating with difficult shareholders while running a high fever, or dragging a broken leg to inspect the docks during a typhoon, he had never shown weakness in front of others, nor had he ever taken a single day off.

If he were absent tonight, the Hong Kong media, whose mouths were more poisonous than cobras, would definitely not have anything nice to print on tomorrow morning’s front pages.

They would most likely include suggestive, photoshopped images alongside shocking, bold red headlines:

“Breaking News! Did Shen and Fu Play with Fire in a Pre-Marital Trial? Mr. Shen Misses Gala with Weak Knees!”

“Suspected Overnight Battle with the Eldest Young Master Fu, Young Master Shen Physically Exhausted and Unable to Get Out of Bed!”

So, he had to go.

He could never allow this reckless stray dog to break his rules.

Thinking of this, he glared once again at the man kneeling on the floor. The man looked completely wronged by the glare and obediently lowered his head, looking so aggrieved he was on the verge of shedding tears. Seeing him like this only made Shen Yanzhou angrier.

This guy actually managed to feel wronged before he did.

Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was the one bullying the dog.

When Su Muran received Shen Yanzhou’s text message and walked into the bedroom carrying his medical kit, the first thing he saw was Shen Yanzhou lying limply on the bed.

The dark gray silk duvet only covered him from the waist down, and his upper body rose and fell slightly with his breathing. His cascading silver hair was scattered in a mess over his smooth, jade like back. A few strands fell along the side of his face, covering half of it, but they could not hide the flushed color around the corners of his eyes.

Anyone who saw this would probably want to pull him tightly into their arms.

Just as this thought crossed Su Muran’s mind, before he even had a chance to speak, he felt a murderous gaze. Shaking, he followed that gaze and saw the man kneeling silently by the bedside.

The hand Su Muran used to hold the medical kit began to shake uncontrollably. The suffocating feeling of being tightly choked in the back alley on that rainy night rushed back like a tidal wave.

The man did not speak, but through his eyes, Su Muran understood exactly what he wanted to say: If you do not want to die, keep your mouth shut tight.

Cold sweat broke out on Su Muran’s back. He recalled the phone that had been snapped in half that night, and remembered this madman threatening to gouge his eyes out in the rain. Pure terror made his legs go weak.

During this suffocating standoff, Shen Yanzhou, who was lying on the bed, opened his eyes impatiently.

With some effort, he propped up his upper body, coldly glancing at Su Muran who was frozen at the door, and then followed his gaze to look at Sanqianwan, who was kneeling on the floor looking completely docile and innocent.

“Su Muran, what are you spacing out for?”

Shen Yanzhou frowned, his tone full of displeasure at being ignored:

“I am the one who is hurt, and I am the one lying on the bed waiting for medical help.”

“Why do you keep staring at my dog?”

Su Muran’s face turned stark white. Not daring to steal another glance at that corner, he could only force his eyes onto Shen Yanzhou’s pale face, his voice trembling as he spoke:

“Yan, where, where do you feel uncomfortable?”

“Where?”

Burying his face in the pillow and enduring an unspeakable sense of shame, Shen Yanzhou squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: “That… it is swollen back there, and inside… it feels heavily congested. It is probably inflamed.”

“Come over and check how bad the injury actually is, and see if you can use some special fast-acting medicine to reduce the swelling as soon as possible.”

As he spoke, he reached back and tried to lift the corner of the duvet.

Just as he was about to expose the fair skin around his waist, which was covered in dark bruises and finger marks,

a large, heavily calloused hand suddenly intervened, firmly tucking the lifted corner of the duvet right back in without leaving any room for argument.

“Master, do not lift it.”

The man’s handsome face was filled with worry. “The door wasn’t closed properly when Dr. Su came in just now, and it is windy. You have just taken a bath, so your pores are all open. If you uncover yourself and catch a cold, it will only make things worse.”

Shen Yanzhou did not have the energy to argue with this dog, so he could only glare at him in annoyance. The man obediently pulled his hand back.

“Dr. Su, what should I do now?”

Forcing himself forward, Su Muran took two steps, opened his medical kit, and tremblingly pulled out a tube of silver metallic ointment.

“This… this is the best anti-inflammatory and soothing cream available right now, and it contains a small amount of pain reliever.”

Shen Yanzhou glanced at the tube of ointment and asked impatiently: “How do I use it? Apply it to the outer edges?”

“No… not the edges,” Su Muran’s voice was dry. “The injury is inside, and the swollen area is quite deep. You need to, you need to reach inside and apply the ointment evenly throughout.”

“Then put it on quickly,” Shen Yanzhou buried his face even deeper. “Stop wasting time, I am in a hurry.”

Su Muran’s hand, holding the ointment, froze in midair.

Because as soon as Shen Yanzhou finished speaking, the man’s gaze shot over to him.

A powerful sense of possessiveness swirled in the man’s eyes. He did not say a word, but simply made a very subtle, sharp chopping motion with his hand toward him.

His expression clearly communicated:

Do you dare to try putting your fingers inside?

If you dare touch the inside even once, I will chop your ten fingers to pieces one by one tonight and feed them to the dogs.

The ointment in Su Muran’s hand dropped onto the floor.

“Su Muran!” Hearing the noise, Shen Yanzhou turned his head impatiently. “What on earth are you doing? Your hands are shaking so much, did your Parkinson’s kick in or what?”

He looked in the direction of Su Muran’s terrified gaze, but only saw Sanqianwan submissively adjusting the pillows for him. Noticing his look, the man even raised his head and gave him an innocent, pleasing smile.

“Why do you keep looking at my dog?” Shen Yanzhou was truly furious now. “Su Muran, how did I never notice before that your eyesight is this bad? Who is the patient here anyway?”

“I, I think…”

Su Muran took a deep breath. Caught between being scolded by Shen Yanzhou and having his hands chopped off by a rabid dog, his survival instinct guided his choice.

He took a massive step backward, establishing an absolutely safe distance, and stammered:

“I think… it might be better if you apply it yourself, Yan.”

“What did you say?” Shen Yanzhou could hardly believe his ears.

He laughed from sheer anger, pushing his body up and pointing a pale finger directly at Su Muran’s nose: “Su Muran, I already thought it was strange when you dropped off a USB drive and ran away last time. What is it? Do you think the Shen family’s money is too hot to handle, or has your medical ethics been eaten by a dog?”

“Apply it myself?”

“Right now my hands are so weak I can’t even hold a glass of water steadily. I can’t see behind me, and I can’t reach inside! How do you expect me to apply it myself?!”

“This… this…” Cold sweat poured off Su Muran. He cast a desperate look at the man, who was currently rolling up his sleeves.

“I think…” Su Muran closed his eyes and said slowly:

“For something this private, it is better to let… whoever caused it apply the medicine!”

“After all, he should be more familiar with the internal structure than I am.”

“What did you say?”

“Su Muran, repeat what you just said right now.”

Shen Yanzhou felt incredibly miserable. He was like a cat waiting for its owner to feed it, only to be suddenly told that there were no cat cans today. Amid his disappointment, he wanted to throw a tantrum, but unfortunately, he was currently sprawling on the pillow, his long hair messily tangled around his neck. He looked fierce, but lacked even a shred of intimidation.

“I mean, since he was the one who did it, Sanqianwan knows the area best, so it is most appropriate for him to apply it!”

Braving the gaze from the corner that felt like it was slicing him into pieces, Su Muran forced himself to pick up the tube of ointment and place it on the nightstand. Before Shen Yanzhou could respond, he hurriedly added: “Um… there is an emergency at the hospital, Yan, I really have to go first!”

“Su Muran! Get back here right now!”

Shen Yanzhou’s words were cut short as Su Muran grabbed his medical kit, shut the bedroom door, and bolted.

The bedroom fell silent.

With Su Muran gone, someone still had to apply the medicine. Shen Yanzhou turned his head to glance at the man kneeling by the bed. The man’s large hand hovered in midair, looking like he wanted to reach for the ointment but did not dare step out of line.

“What are you still standing around for? Hurry up and apply the medicine, do not delay my work.”

“Yes, Master.”

He crawled on his knees onto the bed, lifted the duvet, and then removed Shen Yanzhou’s pajama pants.

Two cheeks like the finest mutton fat jade were exposed uncovered before his eyes, looking so tender that the slightest pressure could bruise them or draw moisture. He had indeed squeezed them last night, and they were indeed incredibly tender.

So tender that they were covered in intricate patterns of dark blue and purple finger marks.

The light had been too dim yesterday, but with the ample daylight now, it finally made him realize how narrow that place was.

He didn’t even know how it managed to take him all in last night.

Honestly speaking, his heart ached for him.

Even though he had always known Shen Yanzhou was delicate and fragile, he just couldn’t help holding him, unable to stop no matter what.

Seeing that the man had not applied the medicine yet, Shen Yanzhou could not help but urge him out of embarrassed anger:

“What are you still standing around for? Hurry up.”

“Alright, um…”

“Um what?”

“Master, could you raise your buttocks a bit higher.”

“Shut up.”

Shen Yanzhou buried his face deeply into the dark gray soft pillow, wishing he could stuff himself straight into the stuffing and never face anyone again.

Seven in the evening, Tsim Sha Tsui, The Peninsula Hotel.

The Typhoon Signal No. 8 warning was still hoisted high, but this could not dampen the enthusiasm of Hong Kong’s high society for charity, or rather, their curiosity regarding the hosts of the gala, the Fu family.

The black Maybach stopped steadily by the fountain pool of The Peninsula Hotel, and the waiter quickly pulled open the car door.

As soon as Shen Yanzhou leaned half his body out, his knees buckled. If it hadn’t been for Shen Xici reaching out a hand just in time, he probably would have given a grand bow to the Hong Kong media waiting to mock him the moment he stepped out of the car.

“Brother, slow down.”

Shen Xici’s arm was very steady, shifting most of Shen Yanzhou’s body weight onto his own shoulder discreetly in an almost half embracing manner.

To outsiders, this looked like nothing more than close and supportive brothers, but only Shen Xici, who was holding him tightly, knew just how violently his older brother’s body was trembling beneath his haute couture suit.

“Mr. Shen! Look over here!”

“Young Master Shen, could you talk about the wedding news with Fu Sihan?”

Flashbulbs flashed wildly. Catching the scent of blood, the Hong Kong media swarmed around the moment they spotted Shen Yanzhou.

But Shen Yanzhou had no intention of paying attention to them. He narrowed his eyes slightly and walked toward the hotel interior on the damp red carpet, supported by Shen Xici.

Before he could take more than two steps, a middle-aged man with a beaming face suddenly darted out from the side, clutching a gold embossed business card, pushing past two bodyguards to force his way over.

“Oh my! Isn’t this Mr. Shen! What a rare guest!”

The newcomer was Director Huang, who worked in the construction materials business and loved to scheme. The moment he saw Shen Yanzhou, it was like laying eyes on the God of Wealth. His small, beady eyes darted over him a couple of times before settling on Shen Xici, who was supporting him, making his smile even more flattering:

“Mr. Shen is truly radiant tonight. I heard that your happy union with the eldest Young Master Fu is approaching, congratulations indeed! The Shen family is bound to reach new heights!”

Shen Yanzhou glanced at him with a lack of interest, offering no reply and keeping his pace steady.

Director Huang wasn’t embarrassed at all, shamelessly tagging along beside them and turning his attention to Shen Xici:

“This must be Xici, right? My, what a fine young man! Young people nowadays like Xici, who is both a top-tier lawyer and can support the family business, are truly far and few between.”

He rubbed his hands together. “I wonder if the Third Young Master has a suitable match yet? My youngest daughter just returned from her studies in the UK, also in law. Although her looks can’t compare to yours, Mr. Shen, she is quite elegant and not yet married…”

Shen Xici’s grip on Shen Yanzhou tightened, his gaze instantly turning cold.

Who in this circle didn’t know he was an adopted son of the Shen family? Although he held the title of the Third Young Master, in the eyes of these old foxes, he was nothing more than the Shen family’s high-grade watchdog. Wanting to push a daughter onto him was purely a bid to use him as a stepping stone to cling to the great tree of the Shen family.

Furthermore, regardless of Director Huang’s daughter’s appearance, her promiscuous nature was hardly a secret within the circle.

“Director Huang.”

Just as Shen Xici was about to decline,

“Director Huang, you certainly know how to look out for your own interests.”

A cold, lazy voice cut him off.

Shen Yanzhou stopped in his tracks, turning slightly to block Shen Xici half an inch behind him in a fiercely protective gesture, his beautiful silver gray eyes narrowing with a faint smile at Director Huang.

“But unfortunately, I only have this one younger brother, and I have raised him to have very high standards.”

He didn’t even look directly at the business card being offered: “Since your daughter just returned to the country, she should spend more time at home with her parents.”

“That wouldn’t be an issue.”

“Xici belongs to my Shen family, so his marriage will naturally be overseen by me, his older brother.” Lazy to waste any more breath, Shen Yanzhou lifted his chin toward the nearby bodyguards: “Director Huang, the road ahead is slippery, please suit yourself.”

The bodyguards immediately stepped forward, separating them from Director Huang, who was sweating profusely.

Their surroundings finally became peaceful.

Just as Shen Yanzhou wanted to move forward, he felt that the hand supporting his waist was still stiff. He turned his head, looked at Shen Xici’s lowered eyes, and sighed helplessly in his heart.

This child was still as sensitive as ever.

“What? Are you angry?” Shen Yanzhou asked.

He turned around, straightening Shen Xici’s slightly crooked tie with complete familiarity.

“Xici.”

Shen Yanzhou looked into his eyes, his tone softening a rare bit: “Don’t listen to those people talking nonsense. From the day you entered the Shen family home at twelve years old, you have been my younger brother, a true member of the Shen family.”

“You don’t need to settle for the daughters of those overnight millionaires for your marriage. You are excellent, ten thousand times better than those freeloaders in the Shen family who just sit around waiting to die.”

Shen Yanzhou’s hand slid up along the tie, gently patting Shen Xici’s head with a touch of fondness, just like he used to do when they were young:

“You are my right hand man, be more confident, no one dares to look down on you.”

Shen Xici allowed that slightly cool hand to stroke the top of his head.

His brother’s hand was very soft, and his tone was very gentle.

Yet his brother’s words stirred up a mixture of sweetness and ache within him.

Younger brother…

Just a younger brother?

Shen Xici’s gaze slid uncontrollably down from that gorgeous face, moving down along the slender neck.

Because of the action of straightening the tie just now, the collar of Shen Yanzhou’s black velvet formal attire had parted slightly, opening a small gap.

Just a tiny crack.

But it was enough for Shen Xici to clearly see the deep crimson on his brother’s pale skin, which had not yet fully faded.

They were hickeys.

They were marks left behind by highly possessive, savage sucking.

Any man could guess how insatiable the person wreaking havoc on his brother’s body must have been to leave his physical state in such a condition.

“Brother…”

Shen Xici grabbed Shen Yanzhou’s wrist just as he was about to pull it back, his grip tightening to the point of losing control.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Yanzhou frowned.

Shen Xici’s eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was hoarse:

“You and that dog… did it?”

Shen Yanzhou froze slightly, then pulled his hand away, casually adjusting his cuffs.

Since it had been discovered, there was no need to hide it.

Because it was Shen Xici, and there were never any secrets between them to begin with.

“Yes,” Shen Yanzhou responded flatly, “we did.”

“Why…” Shen Xici grit his teeth, trembling, his eyes carrying a self-destructive persistence as he demanded to know clearly:

“Brother, how was he?”

“Is his technique that good? To make you… make you indulge him like this?”

Hearing this, chaotic and wild scenes from last night flashed uncontrollably through Shen Yanzhou’s mind.

He remembered the pathetic way the man knelt by the bedside, yet in bed possessed a ruthlessness that folded him into all sorts of shameful positions, along with that clingy nature of refusing to let go, keeping him tightly held in his arms even when it was clearly over.

After lowering his head in brief reflection, Shen Yanzhou replied to Shen Xici: “Too wild.”

And when he lifted his head, he saw someone walking toward him with a smile from the entrance of The Peninsula Hotel.

On the newcomer’s wrist was a string of prayer beads.