As soon as he asked the question, he felt his subordinate's body stiffen for a moment. Cheng Anlang's back was pressed tightly against the stone wall, and he mumbled, "Almost done..."
Zhang Mingyu could tell from Cheng Anlang's shifty eyes that he wasn't telling the truth: "Yu Ya has invested in relevant institutions, you can go and take a look when you have time."
Cheng Anlang nodded haphazardly: "Um, um..."
Zhang Mingyu stepped forward, trapping Cheng Anlang in a small corner. He then stroked Cheng Anlang's hair reassuringly and whispered, "Let me take a look first?"
"..." Upon hearing this, Cheng Anlang wished he could be permanently embedded in the stone wall, never to be peeled off. With nowhere to retreat, he stammered, "It's...it's too ugly..."
“It’s okay.” Zhang Mingyu pressed down on his shoulder, his firm hand reaching into his back with an unyielding force. “You can’t keep me from seeing this forever.”
Cheng Anlang was stiff all over, gritting his teeth as Zhang Mingyu turned him over. He lay on the stone wall, feeling Zhang Mingyu's hand touch his wound, and couldn't help but tremble.
"Does it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore, it hasn't hurt for a long time..."
Zhang Mingyu kept rubbing the scar on his back. To be honest, the scar was really unsightly. The rest of Cheng Anlang's back was relatively smooth, but this scar was pitted and uneven, running diagonally across his entire back, ruining the overall aesthetics of his back.
Cheng Anlang felt inexplicably hot from being touched. He shifted uncomfortably, wanting to turn over: "Don't look..."
"It's okay." Zhang Mingyu held him down, preventing him from moving, and gently placed a kiss on his back.
Cheng Anlang's mind went completely blank for a moment.
Chapter 56, Part 56: In-depth
"Splash—"
Cheng Anlang was so startled that he rolled over, splashing water all over his face. He looked at Zhang Mingyu in shock, while Zhang Mingyu acted as if he hadn't done anything and said, "If you mind, this scar can probably be removed. I'll go with you after the competition."
"..." Cheng Anlang blinked, still in shock, and stared blankly at Zhang Mingyu.
Zhang Mingyu smiled and wiped the water droplets from Cheng Anlang's face: "I'll go check if the eggs are cooked."
Cheng Anlang was left standing there in a daze, staring blankly at Zhang Mingyu's back, his hand reaching for the spot on his back where he had been kissed.
Zhang Mingyu swam to where the eggs were and asked Cheng Dahua with a smile, "Are the eggs cooked?"
Cheng Dahua said dejectedly, "Ouch..."
It hasn't changed color yet.
Zhang Mingyu: "It's okay if they're not cooked yet. Xiao Lang and I will eat two first to see when they're cooked. You guys can eat them when they're cooked."
"Ouch."
Zhang Mingyu added, "Xiao Lang and I need to go back to the villa later. You guys stay here for now, and we'll come pick you up for dinner."
"Huh?"
What are you doing back at the villa now?
Zhang Mingyu patted Cheng Dahua's big head: "Keep an eye on the lizard, the duck, and the eggs. There are egg thieves here, so don't run around or come looking for us, understand?"
"Aww!"
Cheng Dahua puffed out her non-existent little chest and said proudly, "No one can steal eggs from me!"
Zhang Mingyu returned and handed Cheng Anlang two eggs: "Try these to replenish your energy."
He's strong and healthy, what energy does he need to replenish? Cheng Anlang took it and looked at it: "Is it cooked yet?"
"It's probably half-cooked, a little runny."
"...Won't water drip out when I peel it open?"
Zhang Mingyu pulled the lizard over, picked up the jade teacup from its back, and handed it to him: "Put it in the teacup."
Cheng Anlang: "..."
Cheng Anlang carefully peeled the egg and put it in the teacup. Zhang Mingyu then took a new teacup, poured water into it, and gave it to Cheng Anlang: "Drink some more water."
"..." Cheng Anlang was forced to eat two eggs and drink several sips of tea in the hot spring.
While he was drinking tea, Zhang Mingyu's hands started wandering again, almost making him choke on his tea. In a panic, he placed the teacup on the lizard's back, but it wasn't placed steadily and sank into the water with a thud. He grabbed Zhang Mingyu's hand and then let go, saying in a flustered voice, "Don't... don't touch it anymore, the teacup... the teacup fell."
"It's alright, just let Yaya fish it out." Zhang Mingyu's hand traced down his collarbone, stopping near a small scar on the left side, and he rubbed it, asking, "What made this cut?"
Cheng Anlang jolted from being touched, his body flushed red from the steam. He leaned back slightly, glancing down at the object: "Maybe... it's a knife, or maybe it's just scrap metal, I can't remember..."
“Hmm…” Zhang Mingyu lowered his eyes, moved forward slightly, and then moved his hand further. “What about this one?”
Perhaps it was the cramped space, or perhaps the water was too hot and the steam too strong, but Cheng Anlang felt inexplicably agitated and had some difficulty breathing. He grabbed Zhang Ming.
Yu's hands were burning hot, and he breathed heavily, "Don't ask... It's been too long, I've forgotten..."
They were only a hand's width apart; any closer and their noses would have touched. Cheng Anlang's calf accidentally bumped into Zhang Mingyu underwater, startling him so much that he quickly stepped back. However, he forgot that the edge of the hot spring was right behind him, and his shoulder bumped against the rock.
"hiss--"
"How could you..."
Zhang Mingyu quickly pulled him over, put his arm around him, and looked at the spot where he had bumped his head: "Why did you suddenly back away so quickly? You got a scrape, does it hurt?"
He thought to himself: I should tell them to replace these stones next time with smoother ones.
Cheng Anlang leaned against Zhang Mingyu's chest, the two pressed very close together. He struggled nervously for a moment, "There's no bleeding, is there? If there is bleeding, we can't continue soaking..."