Chapter Text
The lamps lit on both sides of the road in the middle of the night cast a long shadow behind Luo Wenzhou as he returned from work. But he was certain that this shadow wasn’t his alone—someone was watching him
Luo Wenzhou, a veteran officer, had been suffering lately because of a mysterious case. There was almost no evidence, few witnesses, and it didn’t seem like the administration cared much about it. That’s why, until now, he hadn’t obtained a warrant to check surveillance cameras or search the locations he suspected the criminal might be hiding in
And this was what forced him to search dangerous and suspicious places by himself until such late hours
suspiciously, Wenzhou turned around, watching his shadow stretch and shrink several times, regretting lending Fei Du his car—only to end up with a punctured bike tire. The situation was dangerous for two reasons: first, Luo Wenzhou’s weapon was empty, and second, he was approaching his house. What if the criminal already knew where he lived?
What truly frightened him wasn’t being watched or not knowing where he was, but it was the fact that Fei Du live where he live.
At that moment, Luo Wenzhou halted abruptly, pulled out his phone, and called Fei Du. It was late, but he knew this young man hardly ever slept. Unusually, Fei Du answered with a sleepy, heavy voice.
“Sorry, did I wake you up?”
“Ah, Shixiong... it’s past midnight. You okay? Did something happen?”
“Everything’s fine, nothing to worry about. Can I ask you something?”
That night, when Luo Wenzhou finally returned home, exhaustion was clear on his face. Yet the first thing he did was reassure himself that the video Fei Du had taken was safe
Fei Du didn’t even understand what had happened, or why Shixiong had asked him to take that video
“You know you’re worrying me too much, don’t you?” Concern filled his eyes as he stared closely at Shixiong’s face, sleep suddenly vanishing from his expression.
"Don't worry"
Wenzhou studied the man in his arms for a moment, smoothing out his disheveled hair, and in his usual tone—as if nothing had happened—began to pat him. “Nothing really. I guess I made a mistake this time. But everything will be fine”
But How could he not be worried, when he himself had recorded a man-his face hidden under a hat- following Luo Wenzhou from one street to the next, passing by their house, until Wenzhou disappeared once more into the darkness?
Fei Du knew that Wenzhou usually talked about every detail when something was weighing on him at work. He trusted him, and believed in President Fei’s mind. So not telling him what was going on could only mean one thing: it was dangerous
Luo Wenzhou believed that keeping him in the dark would somehow make it less dangerous for Fei Du
When that conclusion crossed Fei Du’s mind, his brain was already drifting off to sleep. He reached out and held Luo Wenzhou's hand, making a mental note to ask him about it in the morning
The first ray of sunlight made its way through the window and curtains, searching for the beautiful face in the room before finally resting on his cheeks. Fei Du stirred in his sleep and rolled to the other side of the bed, only to realize it was cold. He opened his eyes despite the weight of sleep still on them, glanced at the clock, and saw it was 5 in the morning. Very early.
There was no way Luo Wenzhou would be awake at such an early hour—especially not after sleeping so late last night. Which could only mean one thing; he hadn’t slept at all
Fei Du spent a few more minutes rolling in bed before finally getting up. a sudden smile appeared on his face when he noticed the floor wasn’t cold; because, of course, his husband hadn’t forgotten to put his always-forgotten slippers there
The fleeting things Fei Du noticed in the ten minutes since waking up were; it was a holiday
—which made it stranger he was up so early—, all the laundry had been collected, the cats were fed, and a huge mess had been left in the basement... and there he was, asleep in the office in front of his computer screen
At least he hadn’t left the house. Otherwise, he would have worried about him all day. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth.
Fei Du hesitated, not knowing what's the best—should he wake him up and bring him to bed, or let him sleep? Finally, he decided to cover him with a quilt and let him rest
taking advantage of the fact that Shixiong was asleep and wouldn’t scold him, Fei Du spent his morning lounging around and drinking coffee before milk, before returning to the office to take a look at the still turned on computer
The screen was filled with incomplete photos and several blurry, yet very recognizable shots of the same person. Fei Du scrutinized the hazy features for a few minutes before confirming it was the same man Shixiong had urgently asked him to record from the house balcony
He quietly took a pen and paper from Wenzhou’s desk, careful not to wake him, and began noting the facial details, trying to sketch an approximation.
An hour might have passed before Wenzhou finally stirred. Though Fei Du was still taking notes, he immediately noticed the change—Wenzhou never woke up quietly. Like a lion, he began to move around, rubbing his eyes with his hands, his hair a scattered mess like a bird’s nest
Fei Du smiled at the sight, he looked adorable like that. But Wenzhou stared at him strangely, then asked in a hoarse, sleepy whisper, “What are you doing up so early?”
“Good morning, Shixiong. It’s nearly nine”
He jumped up in a panic. “Damn it! It’s too late.” He scrambled to gather the papers on the desk and looked for his phone. Fei Du said nothing and just laughed
“Instead of laughing, you should’ve had the decency to wake me up earlier”
still chuckling, Fei Du finally stood and set everything aside.
In a parody of Luo Wenzhou, Fei Du pointed at the disgruntled man in front of him and said confidently, “Today is your day off, Shixiong. Staying up is bad for your health. I told you to sleep early and stop staring at screens and—”
The suppressed smile on Wenzhou’s face was very telling, but still, he refused to show it fully. Instead, he gently slapped Fei Du’s hand away and pressed a finger to his lips.
“Shh, stop being annoying. I’m really tired”
Fei Du tilted his head slightly and leaned in to kiss the finger that lingered too long on his lips. He said, with a piercing, teasing look
“I can help you relax now”
Wenzhou raised an eyebrow, smirking. “How’re you gonna do that, shameless President Fei?”
Fei Du gasped dramatically “Shixiong! You’ve wronged me!” He took two exaggerated steps back, then suddenly dropped the act and retrieved the notes he’d been working on
“What’s this?” Wenzhou asked, sitting back down.
Fei Du took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and casually sat on Wenzhou’s lap—ignoring the extra chair, and his Shixiong’s stunned gaze lingering on him.
“Well, I’ll explain what I noticed before I show you the sketch”
The stunned Luo Wenzhou said nothing, maybe mumbled something Inaudible, pretending everything was normal and that his heart wasn’t pounding from Fei Du’s scent at such close range. Absentmindedly, he slipped an arm around Fei Du’s waist, adjusting him into a more comfortable position so the younger man could lean back and rest against his chest.
Of the many things Fei Du mentioned—which Wenzhou, completely distracted, probably didn’t hear— only one point stood out; their suspect was left-handed. That didn’t match several pieces of evidence in the case file, such as the marks left on victims’ arms during the serial armed robberies and home invasions
“This doesn’t make sense,” Luo Wenzhou whispered, thinking aloud as he handed Fei Du the paper showing the victims’ wounds
“A left-handed person couldn’t have done this. Look here”
Fei Du’s analysis was sound, but one detail remained unsolved—Luo Wenzhou couldn’t explain the bruises on the right side of one victim’s body
“Unless he had a partner!” Luo Wenzhou turned to the boy still seated on his lap, tilting his head slightly upward to meet his eyes
Fei Du grinned, eyes forming crescents as he pointed at Luo Shixiong's chest. “What a brilliant detective you are!”
Luo Wenzhou could hear the sarcasm, but he knew better—Fei Du was being deliberately teasing, while still telling the truth, as he often did.
“Shixiong’s right. Either he has a partner, or he can use both hands skillfully”
Luo Wenzhou gave a brief nod. “But that’s not very likely” After a moment of silence, he weighed the second option in his mind.
A pair of eyes silently watched him, observing every reaction, every blink, waiting for Shixiong to elaborate.
“That would only make sense if the suspect were doing a task that didn’t require strength, speed, or skill. Where would he find the time to train his other hand?”
What Shixiong said made perfect sense; especially since the wound on the victim had been executed with precision.
It wasn’t deep enough to be fatal, only enough to hinder movement and ensure the suspect’s escape
Fei Du clicked his tongue. “I suggested it anyway. we can rule it out later”
Then he added, “Shixiong, I didn’t show you the sketch”
“Show me what you have”
Fei Du pulled a sheet from the pile and held it up. Just as he was about to explain the facial features, the captain snatched it from his hands
With a frown, Wenzhou pointed at the portrait, which didn’t include many details except for a clearly outlined chin
“He’s ugly”
“W-what?” Surprise and confusion crossed Fei Du’s face as the older man continued frowning
“Don’t draw any of these again”
His tone was vague and unreasonably displeased. Fei Du turned the idea over in his head, trying to figure out what “these” meant
Wenzhou had already slipped the paper aside, hiding it among the others, when the realization hit Fei Du
He smirked and locked eyes with him. “Shixiong… are you jealous because I drew someone other than you?”
One of Fei Du’s unspoken rules was that he rarely drew anyone but his handsome Shixiong. He even shows it off, along with the drawing he dedicated to Luo Wenzhou
Every time he buys a new frame, he places the drawing inside to decorate his home—or even his office—without caring whether it’s appropriate for guests to see or not
Occasionally, he’d sketch their two young sons—Fei Qian and Luo Yiguo—but other than that, Luo Wenzhou hadn’t really seen him draw anyone else
Fei Du hadn’t thought the older man had noticed—but now, he finally knew from the feigned displeasure on his dear Shixiong’s face.
The older man grimaced as he pinched Fei Du’s waist—not quite gently, but not too harshly either. “Jealous? You’re imagining things”
Fei Du gasped dramatically, wearing a pained expression “Shixiong, you could’ve acted a little more civilized”
But the uncivilized man didn’t pay the comment much mind. Instead, he carried on with his thoroughly uncivilized behavior—tickling Fei Du in all the spots he knew were sensitive, laughing along with him as he giggled uncontrollably
The playfulness between them lasted for a while, until Fei Du suddenly threw himself against Luo Wenzhou, relaxed his muscles, and leaned back, using Luo Wenzhou’s chest as a comfortable pillow
The abrupt gesture calmed Wenzhou. Feeling Fei Du’s weight settle on him immediately slowed his heartbeat, clearing the thoughts that had been clouding his mind
“Fei Du, did you have any breakfast?”
Fei Du didn’t dare admit that he’d only had a cup of coffee on an empty stomach—it would’ve led to serious consequences.
His hesitant silence was answer enough for Wenzhou
“We’ll have breakfast together” he assured leisurely
Breakfast passed in complete peace—so much so that Luo Wenzhou had not yet realized Fei Du had made himself coffee early that morning without bothering with a proper breakfast. Or perhaps he had noticed and simply said nothing. All he could think about was what had happened the night before, and although captain Luo wasn't the type to show anxiety or complain easily, his tone betrayed his unease when Fei Du asked, “How did the man follow you home?”
At that moment, Wenzhou couldn’t hide the fact that he had gone to spy on the man in the slum himself—but he hadn’t expected the man to follow him in return.
In fact, Wenzhou didn’t really know any of the men in the neighborhood, nor did he know what his suspect looked like. But the knives used in the armed robbery were said to be sold in that area—that was his only clue. So he spent his time watching for any suspicious activity in the neighborhood
“Shixiong, don’t worry about me”
“Then who should I worry about? Mr. Fat Yiguo?”
Fei Do tried hard to assure him that he’d be fine even if he stayed alone, But mere words weren’t enough to convince Captain Luo, and he couldn’t be blamed for his concern—he had been through a lot for his president Fei. Now, he was thinking of ways to keep this president safe—either with someone else or by his side. “I installed surveillance cameras in front of the house and even in the Parking lot. Maybe I’ll ask Xiao Haiyang to take you to the bureau if I know I won’t be back early”
The surveillance cameras had been stored in Wenzhou's basement after they broke down, and he had been too busy with work for long stretches to find time to fix them. But he couldn’t sleep that night until he’d finished repairing them and gotten them working again; making sure Fei Du wouldn’t overlook any details while he is at work.
Determined to inform Chief Luo personally of all the latest developments, he finally requested permission to collect surveillance footage from the slum where the suspect was believed to live, or at least frequent
“I'm fine with what shixiong decide”
When Fei Du thought this would be enough to reassure the captain, he was surprised to find the basement transformed into something resembling a training room. Luo Wenzhou had made sure Fei Du ate properly, waiting until he finished his entire plate before calling him downstairs
He had already gone down to the basement, both cats trailing after him, before Emperor Father Luo promptly kicked them out
“Not you two!”
The basement was already clean. All the mess had been cleared away to its usual place, and there was now an empty, tidy space, ready for their training.
Wenzhou stood in the middle of the room, his sleeveless tank top riding up just enough to reveal part of his stomach. Fei Du leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised as his camera-like eyes carefully observed the fine muscles of his shixiong
“I see. This looks interesting to me,” he said, his tone more amused than surprised, expressing his admiration for whatever the captain was about to do
The said captain, however, paid no attention to his tone or piercing gaze. Instead, he motioned for him to move and not linger
“How about you shut up for a bit, give your tongue a rest, and move the rest of your muscles, better?”
Wenzhou tossed him a pair of gloves. Fei Du caught them, though he clearly had no intention of putting them on immediately. Instead, he strolled over leisurely and extended his hand to his shixiong
Without saying a word, he waited as the captain secured the gloves on his hands. “Shixiong,” Fei Du murmured, “you know I’m not the type to do these things. Hands like mine aren’t meant for barbarism”
“Barbarism?” Dumbfounded, Luo Wenzhou looked down at him in surprise, mouth slightly agape as he tightened the gloves around Fei Du’s slender wrists
“So tell me, what type of person are you, President Fei? The type who willingly walks to his death?”
Fei Du shrugged carelessly “Or maybe... your type.”
“You!... I wish you were as skilled at survival as you are at talking”
If it weren’t for the faint flush creeping up Captain Luo’s face, Fei Du might’ve wondered far in the delusion that he really wasn’t his type
“Shut up and square up” Wenzhou clicked his tongue.
Fei Du smiled triumphantly as Luo Wenzhou stepped in front of him, placing his hands lightly on Fei Du’s shoulders to adjust his stance, and then using his own feet to nudge Fei Du’s into the right position
“First rule: don’t punch with your arm; punch with your whole body. Feet shoulder-width apart. Back heel slightly raised. Hands up to protect your pretty face. Chin down”
“You sound like professional training—admirable” Fei Du commented, not really listening until Luo Shixiong elbowed him lightly in the stomach to get his attention
Ignoring the quip, Luo continued explaining, using his own punch as a reference against Fei Du’s raised hands
“When you punch, turn your hip into it. Tighten your core. Think of it like... throwing your weight into the blow. Don’t flail, don’t reach. Short. Fast. Controlled.”
With obvious skill, Wenzhou landed a light punch against Fei Du’s left glove before the latter even realized he was going to move. It was too soft to hurt, but fast enough to knock some hair off Fei Du’s forehead
Fei Du whistled, amused, while Wenzhou grimaced.
“You really can’t practice with your glasses and hair in your face”
“Shixiong was in such a hurry, he didn’t even give me a chance to get ready”
Again, Wenzhou clicked his tongue as he gathered Fei Du’s hair into a short ponytail and set his glasses aside—all because Fei Du insisted he couldn’t do it himself with the gloves on.
“Enough excuses. Now your turn,” Luo Wenzhou said, standing in front of him. Then, with quiet emphasis, he added, “Wholeheartedly”
Fei Du threw a punch. It was elegant, somehow, but soft—like he was exhaling air, not trying to hit anything.
The older man looked at him with clear dissatisfaction.
“What is this? You haven’t even touched my hands yet. Try again. With all your strength”
“Shixiong, I might hurt you.”
“Nonsense. You can’t hurt me.” physically, yes.
Wenzhou raised both his hands again, one positioned in front of his chest to block, the other at eye level ready to counter
“Pretend it’s someone who just laid a hand on me.”
Fei Du nodded in agreement, pulled his shoulders back as instructed, and this time, delivered his punch with a little more force
It landed with a satisfying thud against Luo Wenzhou’s hands. Still not great, but better.
“Not bad, Young Master Fei. With a few more hours, you might even manage to bruise someone”
“Hours?” Fei Du shook out his arms, smirking “A few more hours and I might actually faint on the spot”
Luo stepped beside him.
“Not a smart decision, really. I’m not carrying you to bed. Because we’re not stopping until you do it right”
True to his word, Captain Luo carried on with the training for hours, until a sickly expression overtook Fei Du's face. Luo Shixiong wasn’t cruel-hearted after all, so he eventually gave him a break to rest. And as if he hadn’t just spent over two hours training, he went to the kitchen, put on an apron, and announced that it was time to make lunch.
Fei Du found this shixiong of his to be a marvelous and fascinating creature. He watched him come and go through the kitchen, working on whatever nice-smelling dishes he had in hand, while he collapsed onto the sofa, ready to give up
The dishes were waiting in the sink for Fei Du to wash them. However, no matter how long they waited, Fei Du didn’t come—he had abandoned that responsibility today. Strangely, the Luo-house-manager said nothing. But that made more sense once the sound of their voices came from the basement. Again.
There was no escape for Fei Du. He had to train until the captain was convinced he could protect himself in his absence
Buffing the thick air away, Fei Du wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead, strands of hair sticking to his face
“Luo Wenzhou,” his voice came out barely above a whisper, “my legs are shaking. Can we call it a day?”
He didn’t offer anything in return—he couldn’t knock Luo Shixiong down once, nor bruise his hand with a punch. This wasn’t a demand.
It was a plea
To be fair, Wenzhou looked tired too, not just from training, but also from preparing breakfast and lunch himself, not to mention the few hours of sleep he’d gotten that morning
The older man approached Fei Du, who looked like a small bean. It was honestly amazing to see some color finally on his perpetually pale cheeks. The sight in front of him made Wenzhou admire both his work and the boy even more
“Well, there's one more task left. You have to master that at least,” Wenzhou sighed with exhaustion, pitying Fei Du as he wiped the sweat from his face and neck with a small towel.
The task Wenzhou referred to was for Fei Du to learn how to knock a weapon out of a criminal's hand and take control of it before they could react It wasn’t easy, as it didn’t rely on sheer strength or the kind of boxing that left Fei Du’s muscles burning
“If you put your hand on my arm from behind…” Luo Wenzhou turned to face the wall, his back to Fei Du, holding his right arm up over his shoulder, “like this, as if you were holding a knife to my neck”
Tired Fei Du nodded with a hum
“I'll be able to grab your hand and twist it right away”
With practiced skill, Luo Wenzhou turned, grabbed Fei Du’s wrist, twisted it lightly without hurting him, and then, with his other arm, pulled him in—Fei Du’s head ending up tucked between his bent elbow, his back pressed against Luo Wenzhou’s chest
The move was so sudden, Fei Du blinked twice before realizing how quickly his position had shifted. Before he could react, he slipped, fell from his grip, and had to repeat the move, this time more slowly.
“You have to make sure your feet are steady. Don’t sway.”
“Yes, sir.”
They repeated the movement again. This time, Fei Du managed to slip out of Wenzhou’s grip at the last moment before he could be pulled back.
“What do you think?”
“Not bad. For the next step, you'll stand in front of me and we’ll repeat the move”
Fei Du’s shoulders slumped in exhaustion, but he didn’t protest for once.
Initially, he thought facing him from behind would be easier, until they practiced face-to-face. Wenzhou easily knocked Fei Du down twice before it was the younger man's turn
Fei Du's technique was evident, both in his actions and his instincts—something Wenzhou had noticed from the beginning. Quick-witted, and while his strength wasn’t enough to overpower an opponent, he approached silently, unpredictably, and struck before the enemy could react, ensuring they couldn't retaliate with brute force
Wenzhou smiled when Fei Du finally managed to bend his arm backward and knock the “weapon”—a pen—out of his hand
“President Fei, I see you're a quick learner”
“May the President retire now, Shixiong? Didn’t you say we shouldn’t stay up late?”
As pitiful as he sounded, he looked even more so. Luo Wenzhou couldn’t hold back a hearty laugh at the young man’s dramatic attempt
“What’s this? Going to bed at 8 now? You Didn't even do that when you were still in school!”
Fei Du responded with an eye roll
“You need to knock me down once, then we can call it a day”
Despite the sharp pain in his neck, Fei Du took a deep breath, squared his shoulders.
“Okay, just this once, Shixiong.”
Wenzhou nodded and stood, ready to defend
Following the same technique Fei Du carried on, but this time he didn’t avert his gaze from Wenzhou’s. The older man didn’t break eye contact either
The same move—despite sweaty hands, Fei Du bent Wenzhou’s hand back and twisted his arm. But then, in a move of his own invention, he quickly extended his free left hand, catching Wenzhou off guard
His hand slid under Luo Wenzhou’s shirt, fingers moving straight to the waistband of his pants. It was as sly as the smirk in his eyes. Luo Wenzhou’s dizzy expression said it all—right before the younger man slipped one leg between his and sent him to the floor with a thud.
“You’re cheating!”
“Really? I wouldn’t know. You haven’t taught me this move yet”
The boy, now sitting in Luo Wenzhou’s lap, looked fake-innocent. His right hand still firmly gripped Wenzhou’s, while the left wandered freely, exploring the warm skin beneath.
Lying helplessly beneath him, Luo Wenzhou let Fei Du’s hungry hands roam “Was this your plan for disarming an attacker? Using… this inappropriate method?” he asked, breath brushing the younger man’s face, inching closer
“Depends on the attacker. And I think this one really likes it”
A mischievous smile crossed Fei Du’s slightly flushed cheeks. Part of him knew Luo Shixiong was surrendering willingly; another part delighted in the idea of a hot, tall man lying helplessly beneath him
However, the dominant part of him was the one feeling Luo’s large hands now running up and down his body, encouraging him to lean in until their lips collided in a slow, burning rhythm.
In the blink of an eye, Fei Du was flipped—skillfully, showily—onto his back. He didn’t have time to gasp before the not-so-gentle attacker pinned him down again with an impatient kiss, full of teeth and tongue. “I like this more” Luo Wenzhou boldly admitted.
Now lying on the floor, Fei Du was too tired to resist. Instead, his long legs wrapped around Luo Wenzhou’s waist as the older man held him tight, tasting as much of him as he could reach.
“Fei Du, hold on tight”
They rose together, Fei Du still in Shixiong’s arms, lips at his neck, tasting his quickening pulse, until he found himself lying on the soft bed once again. “I thought you said you wouldn't carry me to bed,” Fei Du teased, admiringly brushing a thumb over the small bite mark he’d left on Wenzhou’s neck.
“Unless you knocked me out. I know what I said”
“Shixiong is so kind-hearted”
And the so-called kind-hearted man lived up to his title. As their breaths grew ragged, Fei Du eventually half-fell asleep, unable to move a single muscle. Wenzhou carried him to the shower, then tucked him under a fresh quilt before falling asleep himself, wrapped in Fei Du’s thin arms
This time, “bed exercise” was replaced with real exhaustion
-
Early the next morning, the first rays of sunlight streamed through the curtains, waking the young man tangled in the bedding, with two furballs resting on top of him. He blinked awake with a sharp pain in his shoulder and neck—only to find the bed next to him empty again
This time, Luo Wenzhou wasn’t even home.