12

Arthur heard a soft knock on the door. He just came out from the bathroom, taking his time under the showerhead to calm his turbulent emotion.

The cold shower sprinkled down like a drizzle of the rain, soaking his entire being with water. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the peaceful time alone. After spending almost fifteen minutes in there, he came out, felt refreshed and out of fatigue.

Coincidentally, a knock distracted him.

With a towel hanging dangerously low on his hip, showing off the sexy v-line, he went to the door and opened it with a frown.

Xie stood outside, seemed impatient, immediately shoving a file in front of his face. He almost poked him in the eyes.

"Here! Make sure you sign and stamp it. I will collect it tomorrow-" The hallway was beyond quiet, and Xie heard the dripping of water. His ear was unexpectedly very keen on catching even the slightest sound. He lifted his head, and the spectacle made him curse out of shame! Xie suddenly realized that the man was half-naked, showing off his muscular abdominal muscles and water residue still dripping from his wet hair. "Why the fuck you aren't wearing your clothes?!" He immediately covered his face with the fail and pulled his steps backward, distancing himself. To say he was surprised was an understatement! He was very shocked! Damn it! We're both men! How could he have such an impressive body while he seemed to resemble a toothpick from behind? Where's the fairness in that regard?! He also loved to exercise(being chased around by a group of zombies)! Xie gnashed his teeth, and a trace of annoyance flashed inside his envious eyes.

Even in just a glance, he saw how muscular Arthur's physique was, especially the impressive six-pack abdominal muscles which glistened with water.

Too tempting. A feast to the eyes indeed. Xie almost drooled. He would like to touch that piece of skin, cough, only for a research purpose, okay?! Xie never saw with his own eyes that kind of beautiful muscle lines. So he was interested in knowing how to make them.

Only that, and he had no other ulterior motive. He also wanted one, that's all. Don't dub him as a pervert, everyone!

Arthur stared at Xie's blushing face and saw the redness had spread across his entire face, even to the tip of his ears. He seemed flustered, and his eyes were darting everywhere but not on him.

Cute. Arthur mentally said.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Your face is burning. So red." He asked casually, looking composed and calm, but his lips curved slightly, undecided whether to tease Xie or not.

Xie fanned his face with the file in his hand.

"The air-conditioner seemed broken. It was hot, and I felt sweaty."

"Heh~ Really?"

Xie glared at the smirking man but embarrassingly retracted his gaze back. His face burned like a boiled shrimp.

That chest looked very conspicuous under the bright light. No matter how many times he evaded it, some force forcibly pulled his eyes toward the glistening muscles. His hands felt unbearably itchy right now. Before he does something he might regret later, it's better to leave first.

"That...that paper, I will collect it tomorrow morning!" Xie smacked the file on Arthur's chest. He retracted his hand immediately as if afraid that he might accidentally brush the muscular chest underneath the file. "Don't forget!" Xie ran away with smoke trailed behind him. His back was hunched, scared by what he witnessed just now.

Arthur gazed at the retreating back with a complicated feeling. A mixture of amusement and disappointment. His smile diminished and got replaced by an expression of sadness.

He looked down at the file on his hand before letting out a sigh.

---------

Xie plopped on the soft bed and buried his face on the pillow. His face was still burning due to the embarrassment, and the image from before still lingered inside his mind.

His focus trailed on Arthur's impressive muscles down to his thick waist and sturdy calves.

His skin was exceptionally white.

Xie slapped his own face. He hissed, regretted that he foolishly smacked his own face and rubbed his cheeks, trying to soothe out the stinging pain.

Stop thinking about that, damn it! I'm not interested in another man's body! What he had, I also have it!

Xie took out his phone and realized that he had received a new message from an unknown number.

-Good evening, Mr. Xie. I'm Isaac if you are ever wondering who I am. I'm glad to inform you that I have found your dream house.-

Xie perked up. What? So soon?

-Where is it?-

He put the phone in the drawer, not expecting a reply anytime soon. Unexpectedly, Isaac replied to him in a minute.

-Somewhere in the neighboring country, a peaceful town located in the countryside. The owner wanted to sell his shop and immigrated to another place. I befriended his son, and that guy told me about it. Would you like to see the house soon? To check whether it befits your requirement?-

-Really? I'm totally free tomorrow and would love to check the house before purchasing them. By the way, is it far?-

-Literally, it took three days by car. And to enter the country, it required a special pass. It was a military-based country and had a strict procedure to enter and leave. Don't worry. I manage the rest, and you only need to bring your body. I suggested you take a short vacation since it took three days before you could arrive there and another three days to return. But, will it be okay to leave your husband without him knowing where you go? Won't he feel worried?-

Xie rolled his eyes. As if he ever worried about me. He scoffed.

-Don't worry about it. That person might not even realize I disappeared for a week without notice. Then, see you tomorrow, Sir Isaac. I should wait in front of your office, right?-

Isaac took a long time to reply to this message. He's been typing and kept typing until Xie felt fed up about it and carelessly tossed the phone away. Was he writing a poem or what? What takes him too long to answer anyway? Just reply, Yes. That's it. Full stop. What's so hard about it?

He rolled on the bed, warped himself inside the fluffy blanket like a spring roll, and excitedly flapped his legs.

He could finally leave this suffocating place! He hoped that the house would at least meet his minimum requirement so that he could move out as soon as possible.

Ting!

Oh. Finally!

He opened the text message and skimmed over the content. The reply was short, but...

-Yes. I will be waiting for you. (^○^)-

Is this person really Isaac? What's wrong with that cheerful emoji at the end of his sentence?

Xie shuddered.