Chapter 76: Bad Egg

If it weren't for the contract, Ming Zhuo would definitely have answered "No, it doesn't hurt." But with the contract in place, saying that would be like covering one's ears while stealing a bell, so he didn't respond.

Luo Xu continued to apply the medicine, not particularly gently. His fingertips brushed over the incantations, and due to the pressure, it felt like a massage.

Ming Zhuo felt itchy, with a bit of pain. He endured it for a moment, then suddenly raised a hand to block Luo Xu: "That's enough, I don't want any more."

"This is how applying medicine goes, you have to get used to it," Luo Xu said, pinching his chin. "Lift your head, there are still marks from my fingers."

Ming Zhuo tilted his head slightly, looking at Luo Xu as he approached: "Shouldn't those marks have disappeared by now?"

"Who knows," Luo Xu replied calmly. "Maybe I pressed too hard."

He dipped his finger in the medicine and spread it out. The ointment, warmed by his touch, covered Ming Zhuo's fair and delicate skin, resembling pearls and jade on snow. Luo Xu's thumb traced down Ming Zhuo's throat like gliding along a crescent moon.

It felt very smooth.

Ming Zhuo, unused to it, squirmed a bit, but Luo Xu's figure loomed over him, and with a slight exertion of force, he kept Ming Zhuo's head still.

"If you keep dodging, you'll have to lie down," Luo Xu said. "Are you afraid of me or afraid of the tickling?"

He asked casually, not expecting Ming Zhuo to answer truthfully. But Ming Zhuo, supporting himself, stared at him for a while and then replied, "You."

Luo Xu's hand paused.

Ming Zhuo's breathing was slow. He looked down at his own chest, then lifted his gaze to Luo Xu: "You said your finger chains have a blessing that can erase anything, so you lied to me, the finger marks are already gone. You've been applying the medicine for so long without any marks, do you want to bite me?"

Luo Xu said, "Do you even know what it means to bite?"

Ming Zhuo, unrestrained, grabbed Luo Xu's hand, the one dipped in medicine and pulled it to his lips. He first gently sniffed Luo Xu's fingertips, which smelled of the medicine. Then, he sniffed along the fingers until he reached the base of Luo Xu's thumb and bit it.

He knew what biting was.

The dog leash around Luo Xu's neck jingled instantly as he was yanked forward—

"Not like that," he said, bowing his head awkwardly, pinching Ming Zhuo's face with two fingers, his entire shoulders and back tense, emphasising each word, "You... person."

Ming Zhuo was held in place, his gaze provocative. He retaliated, "Isn't biting just like this? Even Prime Minister Hua understands, so stop—"

Luo Xu suddenly leaned forward, like a wolf or tiger lying in wait, and kissed Ming Zhuo. Ming Zhuo was pressed into the bedding, the small porcelain bottle immediately toppled over, old clothes scattered to the side, and he hastily grabbed Luo Xu's collar from behind.

"Sc..."

Luo Xu released Ming Zhuo's hand, and as Ming Zhuo tried to escape, Luo Xu sharply pushed Ming Zhuo's face upward.

Ming Zhuo was completely defenceless, his tongue soft, his words disjointed. The kiss was rushed and awkward; Luo Xu was indeed biting him, but Ming Zhuo wouldn’t close his eyes. Even when his tongue was bitten, his eyelashes only trembled.

Their noses bumped, and their tongues and teeth clashed. Ming Zhuo still clung to Luo Xu's collar from behind, while Luo Xu grasped Ming Zhuo's hand and pulled it to his neck. 

This was the action of tugging the dog leash.

Scoundrel, shameless, call it what you will, pulling him, yanking him, trapping him was fine.(1)

Luo Xu gasped, breathless, admitted through that kiss that it wasn’t the dog leash pulling him just now—it was himself. He wanted to cross that line. He wasn’t a gentleman at all; he was a bad egg hiding his true nature. From the moment Ming Zhuo had hooked his fingers, Luo Xu harboured the most shameless thoughts.

Ming Zhuo was sweating, his robes a tangled mess, and the medicine was completely wasted. He struggled to catch his breath, his eyes shimmering with tears, shrouded in a haze. 

"Luo—"

Luo Xu bit him again, causing numbness to spread through his lower back. This sensation was more terrifying than pain, like a flame licking throughout his limbs and internal organs. He reached out a hand, clutching Luo Xu's back haphazardly.

He couldn’t take it—

The corners of Ming Zhuo's eyes were damp, tears slipping down without warning. Luo Xu pressed down on him, bringing him to the brink of suffocation. No matter how much he tried to endure, his body betrayed his fear. When Luo Xu finally stopped, Ming Zhuo could only tilt his head back and gasp for air.

"Sc..." His voice was hoarse from panting, "You scoundrel... that's not a bite..."

Tears continued to fall, one after another, wetting Luo Xu's fingers. Ming Zhuo's eyes were tinged with red, and he realised belatedly what was happening, only recognising that he was crying after a long while.

He was incredulous. After a moment, he suddenly gritted his teeth, pushed Luo Xu away, and with a trembling voice said, "I'll kill you... get away!"

Luo Xu was still holding Ming Zhuo's face, their breaths mingling because of their proximity. He demanded, "Will you still bite me?"

Ming Zhuo ignored him, fiercely repeating, "Get away!"

Ming Zhuo's voice was muffled, unable to form a complete sentence. The phrases "I'll kill you" and "don't touch me" turned into disordered breaths. Hearing him pant, Luo Xu, unable to control himself, rubbed at the corner of Ming Zhuo's eyes.

Stop—

Ming Zhuo's eyes were moist, tears brought on by physical sensations. He stopped pushing Luo Xu, his fingers sliding down Luo Xu's arm to grab his forearm.

Stop kissing me—

However, this action was all wrong, carrying a hint of pleading. Ming Zhuo was drenched in sweat; unable to move Luo Xu's forearm, he switched to grabbing Luo Xu's wrist, leaving marks on his arm.

Luo Xu seemed addicted, rubbing more heavily with his fingertips.

Ming Zhuo started trembling again, the knot of his throat moving as he swallowed clumsily and frantically. The suffocating feeling reignited, and as Luo Xu pried open his lips and teeth, capturing his tongue, the numbness returned to his lower back, and tears involuntarily streamed down the corners of his eyes.

"Nn!"

Ming Zhuo was drenched in sweat, his entire body flushed red. He hooked onto Luo Xu's sleeve, and as he struggled to breathe, his knees instinctively pushed against Luo Xu's abdomen.

Luo Xu suddenly pressed down with one hand, still panting. He stopped the kiss, holding Ming Zhuo's knee, feeling the dog leash tugging at him again, his throat tightening to the point of losing control.

He felt like he was going to die.

Luo Xu didn't move, but Ming Zhuo already felt it. With his tears still unbrushed, lightly gasping, he realised in that moment that he was being taken advantage of.

"You," Ming Zhuo was furious with Luo Xu, his voice filled with anger, "you—"

His voice abruptly cut off because he realised that his anger was only making Luo Xu even more—

Obvious.

The old clothes were scattered, and the small porcelain bottle had long since rolled away somewhere. Luo Xu's forearms were covered in scratch marks, and he asked again, "Still want to bite me?"

Ming Zhuo's face was a mix of sweat and tears, his breathing ragged, "I'll bite you to death!"

Luo Xu leaned down, pressing against him, and went to kiss him again.

In a panic, Ming Zhuo pressed his hand against Luo Xu's face, trying to push him away. But instead of being pushed away, Luo Xu pressed back against his hand.

Ming Zhuo's breathing became erratic. His back pressed into the bed, completely trapped, with nowhere to escape. Luo Xu slightly tilted his head, his nose nudging aside Ming Zhuo's fingers, kissing him once more.

This was the third kiss, through the palm of his hand.

Ming Zhuo's lips pressed against the back of his own hand, while his palm felt Luo Xu's kiss. Though their lips and tongues did not intertwine this time, their breaths mingled through those fingers, and it was intimate as if in a lover's caress.

Scoundrel, liar, cuckold’s balls!(2)

Ming Zhuo's eyes were glistening with moisture, the last vestiges of defiance in his gaze: "I... I didn't give you permission... to bite!"

Luo Xu kissed along Ming Zhuo's palm, moving up to the base of his fingers. Ming Zhuo immediately shrank back, forgetting whatever he was about to say.

This time, the kiss was light and slow, a stark contrast to earlier, almost overly polite. However, the gentler Luo Xu's kisses became, the tighter Ming Zhuo's abdominal muscles tensed because Luo Xu was pressing more than just his nose against him.

Luo Xu demanded an answer: "Still want to bite me?"

Ming Zhuo lifted his eyelids slightly, meeting Luo Xu's unrestrained, greedy gaze. He instantly understood Luo Xu's trick; no matter what he answered, Luo Xu would bite him anyway. So, this time, he just panted, refusing to respond.

Luo Xu lingered at the base of Ming Zhuo's fingers, his breath heavy, almost laughing. He was addicted to Ming Zhuo's reactions, lowering his gaze and kissing up from the base of his fingers along the inside.

Ming Zhuo seemed unable to withstand it, curling his fingers and turning his palm upwards to push away Luo Xu's kiss. But this was like a sheep entering a tiger’s mouth; Luo Xu followed the line of his palm, kissing up to his wrist, then his forearm.

Ming Zhuo's sleeve had slid down to his elbow. He wanted to push back forcefully but was rendered weak and soft by the kisses. Whether he answered or not, he was kissed; he truly didn't understand!

The scratch marks on Luo Xu's forearm stung, the pain adding fuel to the fire, lashing him like a whip. His chest heaved subtly as he took in every detail of Ming Zhuo's expression from above.

It was a mess.

Luo Xu's tongue pressed against his soft palate; his throat so dry he couldn't force out a word.

A complete mess.

He had overestimated his own capabilities, having kissed Ming Zhuo into such a state—he...

Luo Xu suddenly pushed himself up, grabbing the old clothes and wrapping them around Ming Zhuo. The pillow and the small porcelain bottle fell aside as he scooped Ming Zhuo up with a slightly heavy arm.

"From now on, only bite me," he said, trying to sound calm. "Don't bite anyone else."

"You stop... stop ordering me around!" Ming Zhuo's tongue was numb, his words slurred and unsteady.

Luo Xu used his thumb to wipe away the tears from the corners of Ming Zhuo's eyes, his movements awkward and hurried. These tears were his doing, and with each swipe, the thought hung over him like a cat's tail.

This was fatal!

The veins at Luo Xu's temples throbbed. He realised that even stopping wasn't helpful; the invisible leash still tugged tightly, his dark thoughts pushing to the surface.

Ming Zhuo was wrapped tightly, the places on his neck and chest where the medicine had been applied were now all sticky and damp. Just as he was about to free a hand, he was flipped over completely. His face buried in the bedding, he was momentarily stunned, wanting to lash out but also deeply bewildered, finally managing to squeeze out a sentence after a long pause: "Luo Xu, you—what’s come over you!"

The Author Has Something to Say

Dōng!

This is the sound of me kneeling!

Foot Notes

1. All the swear words here (and the one that gets cut off a few lines above) use the character “混” (hùn), which means “mix” or “muddy”. So, in Chinese, the narration is more like “Mixed-egg, mixed-account, mixed whatever”. This is also where the chapter title comes in, “坏胚子” (huái pēzi) is a “bad egg” (different from the egg in 胚子, which is more like an embryo, but still can be derogatory).

2. 王八蛋 (wángbadàn) is “王八” or tortoise, cuckold, or pimp, and “蛋” is “egg” or “egg-shaped”. The phrase is often translated as “son of a bitch”.