Chapter Twenty-Nine
Amidst the deafening roar of men, Boss You sent a burly opponent flying off the ring with just a few punches. Down below, Xiao Zhou watched his boss, who stood on the stage radiating a murderous aura, and couldn't help but mutter to himself.
It had been a long time since he’d seen Boss You so violent—like a wild beast out of control.
The fiercer Boss You fought, the louder the cheers from the crowd.
“Next!” Boss You shouted at the spectators, ripping off his face shield with a sudden motion. “Raise the stakes fivefold!”
Lured by the hefty prize, someone else climbed onto the stage, but within ten seconds, Boss You had him flattened and unable to get up. Panting heavily, Boss You continued to rain blows and kicks on the man even as he lay on the ground, until Xiao Zhou and a few others finally rushed up to restrain him.
“Boss, calm down! You’ll kill someone at this rate!” Xiao Zhou clung tightly to Boss You’s waist, shouting, “Boss, what’s gotten into you?”
Once Xiao Zhou had dragged Boss You down from the ring, one of his men handed him a bottle of water and started massaging his shoulder muscles, asking cautiously, “Boss, did something happen?”
Boss You guzzled the whole bottle in one go and threw it to the ground with force.
“Boss,” Xiao Zhou asked quietly, “is this about Brother Xiao?” In Xiao Zhou’s mind, only Yi Xiaoyu could so easily affect his boss’s mood.
Boss You closed his eyes, silent, as if struggling to regain his composure.
Xiao Zhou waved at the others around them. “Ahem, you guys go watch the matches. I need a word with the boss.”
After the group left, Xiao Zhou leaned in with a mysterious air. “Boss, did you have another fight with Brother Xiao?”
Boss You rubbed his head. “Something like that.”
Xiao Zhou half-laughed, half-cried, “So it was just a fight? I thought something serious happened. You were beating people half to death up there—everyone thought you’d had a major blow.”
“It’s different this time.” Boss You pressed his hands to his forehead, and after a long pause, forced out a sentence through gritted teeth. “He wants a divorce.”
That left Xiao Zhou stunned. “What? Di... divorce? How did it come to that? What happened? Brother Xiao might be a bit domineering with you, but anyone can see he truly cares. He said divorce? That can’t be!”
“What do you know! He’s always loved that pretty boy from the start. I was just deluding myself all along. You didn’t see last night... last night...” As Boss You recalled the scene from the previous night, he started to lose control again. “Last night, damn it, he nearly slept with his old flame!”
“Damn! Brother Xiao actually... actually put a green hat on you!”
“You only know how to run your mouth—now he wants to leave me for his old lover!” Boss You roared. “Could you stand for that?”
Xiao Zhou’s mouth twitched but he said nothing.
Boss You looked at Xiao Zhou with a bitter, defeated smile. “I really envy you. Yours does whatever you say.”
“Boss, you mean... you want Brother Xiao to be obedient?”
“Heh, is that easy?” Boss You scoffed. “Xiao Yu isn’t like Xiao You. If you want Xiao Yu to be obedient, you’re dreaming.”
“Boss, you shouldn’t say that. Actually, I have an idea. If you try it, I guarantee you’ll swap places with Brother Xiao at home. Whatever you say, he’ll do. Forget fighting—he wouldn’t even dare to make you mad, let alone run off to find his old flame.”
As he spoke, Xiao Zhou leaned in and whispered his plan in Boss You’s ear.
When he finished, Boss You snapped, “What kind of wicked idea is this?”
“It’s a little underhanded, sure, but it works. Boss, just think: after this, Brother Xiao would listen to you in everything. He’d do whatever you told him, wouldn’t dare argue, and he wouldn’t even dream of seeking his old lover.”
Xiao Zhou’s suggestion struck at Boss You’s deepest desire.
Xiao Yu, obedient?
Xiao Yu, obedient?
What an intoxicating thought—
“It won’t work.” Boss You’s expression was complicated. “It’s too underhanded.”
Xiao Zhou shrugged. “Then there’s nothing to be done. Really, Boss, if you feel trapped being with Brother Xiao, maybe you should take the chance to split. He’s the one who brought it up, so you don’t have to feel guilty.”
“You filthy mouth—can’t you say anything decent?” Boss You jabbed Xiao Zhou’s head hard. “Mention divorce again and I’ll beat you to death!”
Divorcing Yi Xiaoyu—now that was something Boss You would never consider.
That night, Boss You thought Yi Xiaoyu would still be staying at the hotel. Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked in the door, he saw Yi Xiaoyu crouched beside Onion’s bed, pouring kibble into the dog’s bowl, with Tangyuan curled up on his shoulder—a fluffy white ball pressed against Yi Xiaoyu’s neck.
The sight warmed Boss You’s heart.
Yi Xiaoyu didn’t even look up at the sound of the door opening. Once he finished pouring the food, he gently stroked Onion’s head.
Seeing Yi Xiaoyu right after coming home, Boss You was overjoyed, but the memory of the previous night quickly made his face fall. He said nothing, just turned to the bathroom to shower.
When he came out, he found Yi Xiaoyu already in bed, knees drawn up, leaning against the headboard with a laptop, watching a movie. Tangyuan was curled into a ball on Yi Xiaoyu’s stomach, enjoying the occasional gentle stroke.
Boss You looked at Tangyuan, wishing he could turn into a white puff just to compete for affection—being petted by Xiao Yu like that seemed the ultimate pleasure.
He was about to climb into bed when Yi Xiaoyu spoke, eyes still fixed on the screen. “Go sleep on the sofa.”
Boss You gritted his teeth, then mustered his courage to ask, “Why?”
Yi Xiaoyu slowly turned his face toward him. “Because I’m your man.”
Boss You clenched his teeth again, unwilling to lose face. “Can I at least sleep on the floor?”
“If you don’t mind me breaking another rib, suit yourself.”
So Boss You began making up a bed on the floor, cursing inwardly: Just you wait—one day when I get the upper hand, I’ll take you right here on the floor! I’ll make you beg for mercy!
“What are you muttering about?” Yi Xiaoyu threw a pillow at him. “Are you cursing me?”
Boss You pulled the blanket over himself, turning his back. “Wouldn’t dare.”
Yi Xiaoyu chuckled in exasperation. “I know you wouldn’t dare.”