[At Night]
The soft hum of the high-tech medical equipment was the first thing Yu Han registered, a stark contrast to the usual cacophony of the city.
His eyes fluttered open, heavy and slow, as if emerging from a deep, long-forgotten slumber.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, his body didn't ache, his mind didn't race. The high doses of medicine had done their job, gifting him over six blessed hours of sleep. And the bed… oh, the bed. Plush, yielding, an ergonomic marvel.
This exclusive treatment, this private suite in Beijing's biggest hospital, was a first for him. It felt less like a recovery room and more like a five-star hotel.
Night had fallen, casting long, ambiguous shadows across the lavish room.
His gaze automatically drifted to the spacious sofa, which had been Li Hao's perch for most of the day.
It was empty now, a silent testament to its recent occupation. Li Hao's laptop, a stack of documents, and his tablet were still scattered across the cushions and the low coffee table, abandoned mid-task, like artifacts from a sudden, unexplained departure.
"Where is he?" Yu Han wondered, a faint flicker of annoyance mixed with a strange, unfamiliar curiosity.
Just then, a soft click broke the silence, and the door to the en-suite bathroom cracked open. Yu Han's eyes, still heavy-lidded, instinctively darted towards the sound. And then, he froze.
A large figure, silhouetted against the softer light of the bathroom, emerged as if stepping out of a classical painting.
Li Hao. He was shirtless, his broad shoulders and well-defined pectorals catching the dim ambient light, making his muscles ripple and flex with every casual step.
His lower body was covered only by a dark towel, slung low on his hips. Water droplets, glinting like tiny diamonds, still clung to his damp hair, tracing rivulets down his neck, over the sharp planes of his collarbones, his muscled chest, and disappearing into the edge of the towel, tantalizingly close to everything else. These lucky droplets kissed each point to Li Hao's cock.
This glance, this sudden, unexpected vision of raw, unadorned masculinity, hit Yu Han with the force of a physical blow.
He'd seen Yang Zi almost naked countless times in his apartment, had even frequented public bathhouses and seen many men in various states of undress.
But this… this was different. His heart, which had been beating steadily just moments before, now thudded against his ribs, a frantic drum against the silence of the room.
A strange heat bloomed in his chest, then spread, tinged with bewilderment and an illogical surge of embarrassment.
"Why is my heart doing this?" His big eyes, usually so sharp and cynical, were fixed on Li Hao, tracing every curve, every shadow of this living, breathing Greek god. Li Hao's wet hair, slightly disheveled, only added to the rugged appeal.
Struggling to rein in the overwhelming sensations, to push down the flutter that threatened to choke him, Yu Han found his voice, a little rougher than usual.
"Y-Your hair is wet."
Li Hao, his head tilted slightly as he rubbed a hand over his glistening chest, paused.
His gaze, dark and intense even in the dim light, drifted towards the voice, a slow, deliberate movement.
"Huh!?" A smile, slow and knowing, spread across his lips as he registered Yu Han's awake state. "You're awake, Yu Han."
Yu Han cleared his throat, pushing himself slightly higher against the pillows, trying to regain some semblance of composure.
"Hmm, just now." He paused again, then, unable to help himself, repeated,
"You should dry your hair, otherwise you'll catch a cold." The words felt oddly domestic, strangely caring, and he instantly regretted them.
A spark ignited in Li Hao's eyes, a familiar flicker of playful mischief. He didn't respond directly, but instead, with an almost predatory grace, he began to stride towards Yu Han's bed.
The dim light seemed to sculpt his muscular form, enhancing the sharp angles and planes of his face, the powerful definition of his legs. Yu Han's breath hitched. He watched, mesmerized and horrified, as Li Hao closed the distance, his eyes never leaving Yu Han's.
When Li Hao finally stood beside the bed, looming over him, Yu Han was bewildered, a rabbit caught in a predator's gaze.
And then, without a word, with a deliberate, smooth movement that was agonizingly slow, Li Hao reached down, untied the knot of his towel, and let it fall to the floor with a soft thud.
He stood there, completely naked, a magnificent, unapologetic display of masculine power, every inch of his body on full, unhindered view.
Yu Han's eyes widened, his jaw slackening. The suddenness, the audaciousness of it all, sent a shockwave through him.
All the flustered feelings, the strange curiosity, vanished, replaced by pure, unadulterated outrage.
"You fucking bastard! What the hell are you doing?!" he shouted, his voice cracking with a mixture of fury and disbelief.
Li Hao smirked, a devilish glint in his eyes. He leaned down slightly, his voice a low, teasing rumble.
"Didn't you just tell me to dry my hair? I only have this one towel. I'm just following your orders, Yu Han."
Yu Han's face flushed crimson, his eyes blazing with a mixture of rage and mortification.
"Ughhh… just get lost from my sight! You are nothing but a headache!" He wanted to sink into the mattress, to disappear.
Li Hao, enjoying Yu Han's reaction far too much, leaned in even closer, the scent of his freshly showered skin, musky and clean, filling Yu Han's nostrils.
"Didn't you see my cock earlier, Yu Han? You even held it. Why are you being so shy now, huh?"
The proximity, the memory of that humiliating, yet strangely intoxicating incident, sent Yu Han's blood pressure soaring. He felt like he was going to suffocate, his heart hammering so violently it threatened to leap out of his mouth.
With a monumental effort, he wrestled back control. "What the fuck are you talking about, you shameless pervert?!"
He shoved Li Hao with all his might, desperate to create some distance, to reclaim a space where he could breathe.
Li Hao, the picture of unbothered shamelessness, merely swayed back slightly, still standing completely naked.
"What's so weird about seeing each other's cocks? Come on, we're guys! There's nothing shameless between boys."
Yu Han gave Li Hao a death stare, a silent promise of future retribution. Unable to bear the sight, the heat, the overwhelming shame and confusion, he threw his hands over his face, burying his eyes. "Just… put some clothes on, you barbarian!"
Finally, a flicker of something resembling humanity crossed Li Hao's features.
He chuckled, a deep, resonant sound that vibrated through the room. Reaching down, he retrieved his towel and, with a last, lingering glance at Yu Han's covered face, wrapped it casually around his waist, covering himself and his cock.
"Okay, okay, fine. I'm going to wear my clothes. Happy now?"
Yu Han lowered one hand just enough to give Li Hao a withering side-eye, his expression clearly stating that 'happy' was a distant galaxy away. The image, however, was burned into his memory, a vivid, unsettling masterpiece he knew he'd never forget.