A Transaction of Desire

A mature, gentle, alluring, self-aware, secretly flirtatious beauty who loves handsome faces: the bottom

A gorgeous, openly flirtatious top who smiles while stabbing you in the back

In his thirty years of life, Yu Mushen had never heard the term "skin hunger" until his own therapist brought it up.

The doctor said he had a strong craving for physical contact. Yu Mushen wondered if that meant he was supposed to grab some random person and hug them whenever his symptoms flared up.

Sorry, but he couldn't do that.

Feeling miserable, he went out for drinks with a friend. At the bar, he happened to catch sight of a dazzling beauty in a red silk shirt, its collar hanging open.

Yu Mushen: Fine. Maybe I could do that after all.

*

Yu Mushen and Bai Cenxin struck a deal. Every Saturday, Yu Mushen would visit Bai Cenxin's home for physical contact, easing his skin hunger symptoms.

At first, it was just a little hand-holding or a simple hug.

Later, Yu Mushen found himself wanting more than these little gestures. To his surprise, Bai Cenxin readily took off his shirt, revealing an enticing set of abs. "Go ahead. Touch whatever you like."

Yu Mushen: ...

All right, then. He wouldn't hold back.

Later, after Yu Mushen realized he'd fallen for him, he came right out and asked Bai Cenxin to date him. To his surprise, Bai Cenxin rejected him without hesitation. "You said it yourself. This is just a transaction."

Yu Mushen nodded and canceled the deal, leaving the other man stunned.

*

At a banquet, Yu Mushen mingled among the rich and powerful, his every gesture radiating charm.

To see whether he felt anything for other people, he tentatively hugged his male companion. A certain someone, jealous, promptly dragged him away.

Bai Cenxin: "You used me and then tossed me aside? Was I not enough for you?"

Yu Mushen gave him a sidelong glance. "It was just a transaction. Don't take it seriously."

Bai Cenxin pinned him against the wall, the smile vanishing from his face. "Yu Mushen, you've got some nerve. I'll agree to date you, but if you dare look for anyone else, I'll make sure they wish they were dead."

Yu Mushen's lips curled in triumph. "This time, you were the one who asked. Not me."

Bonus scene:

Yu Mushen always thought his beautiful boyfriend was a poor little thing, so he doted on him and protected him in every way.

His young boyfriend was sweet, obedient, sensible, and knew how to act cute. Yu Mushen absolutely adored him.

But he was a little too young, and Yu Mushen couldn't keep up with his stamina. In bed, he was often left questioning his life choices, but he could only spoil him and agree to every request.

One day, Yu Mushen was protecting Bai Cenxin from other people and got pressured into drinking.

As he was getting tipsy, the private room door was kicked open. The air froze. The person who had been forcing him to drink was so shocked their eyes nearly popped out, and they stammered, "President Bai."

They said this man was a moody, unpredictable madman whom nobody dared provoke.

Bai Cenxin pulled the already-drunk Yu Mushen into his arms and smiled at the others. "Drinks are on me tonight. No one is allowed to leave."

"Don't stop until you drink yourselves unconscious."

His smile sent a shiver through everyone, except the person in his arms, who looked up and asked in a daze, "Who's President Bai?"

Bai Cenxin: ...

Only later did Yu Mushen realize the man had been playing the pig to eat the tiger all along. Bai Cenxin even had more than one secret identity.

So much for being sunny, cute, obedient, and sensible. He was clearly a possessive, violent, obsessive madman.

Reading Guide:

1. Both are virgins; 1v1, happy ending, younger top, 12-year age gap.

2. Love at first sight, fairly sweet.

3. All descriptions of medical conditions are fictional and made up for this story (emphasis!!!).

4. This novel's world doesn't reflect reality. Hope everyone enjoys reading!

Check out my next book, My Cat Is the Aloof Master I Loved After I Died:

Xiao Xun was considered a bringer of disaster from childhood. A reckless madman who always took revenge on those who wronged him, he was one day taken in by Fuchen, the head of the most powerful sect in the cultivation world.

His master was extremely strict, and no matter how hard Xiao Xun tried to warm his heart, it remained cold as ice.

As his master's only disciple, Xiao Xun couldn't believe his master felt nothing for him. Then one day, without warning, his master ran a sword through his heart. All his devotion had earned him was a miserable death.

The world celebrated, glad that the bringer of disaster was finally dead and had gotten what he deserved. But they didn't know Xiao Xun hadn't died. He had turned into a tiny, soft, adorable black kitten.

Xiao Xun looked down at his pink paw pads. Meow?!

As it happened, his master found him and took him home again.

Xiao Xun was bent on revenge and wanted to kill his master, but his master seemed to have taken leave of his senses and spoiled him rotten.

Bite him to death? The little black cat bared his fangs and sprang at his master's neck, only to bump his head against the man's chest.

His master stroked his head and gently asked if it hurt.

Poison him? The little black cat's paw slipped while he was stealing poison, knocking over the medicine cabinet and getting caught red-handed.

His master only cared whether he was hurt.

Strangle him? The little black cat accidentally got tangled up in a white silk sash, turning into a little ball of fluff. All he could do was mew softly at his master.

After teasing him, his master carefully freed him and held him in his arms.

Something was very wrong.

But Xiao Xun didn't dwell on it. Once his spiritual power returned and he turned back into a human, he sneaked into his master's room in the middle of the night, gripped his long sword, and stabbed at the bed.

Huh? Where's the blood? Wait... Where is he?!

A chill ran down Xiao Xun's back. He froze. The person who should have been lying in bed was now standing behind him, radiating pressure. A trace of helplessness flickered in his eyes. "You finally decided to turn back into a person?"

Xiao Xun: ???!!!

*

Xiao Xun had always thought Shen Ci was a heartless thing, cold and disgusted by him.

Until the day he accidentally wandered into a hidden chamber. The moment he stepped inside, he froze. The walls were covered in portraits, with the same name written all over them.

His.

The door suddenly shut behind him. His master, who had always loathed him, stood by the entrance. His deep, aloof black eyes now held an unfamiliar, stubborn intensity.

"Had enough?"

As the youngest and most powerful Immortal Venerable in the cultivation world, Shen Ci was fair and dignified, seemingly free of desire and untouched by worldly concerns.

But no one knew that in his heart he had always harbored the most forbidden, darkest feelings for his young disciple.

To suppress those feelings, he could only pretend to be cold and distant, acting as though he wanted nothing to do with anyone. In truth, he had already looked his young disciple up and down from head to toe.

Later, his young disciple died. By the time Shen Ci arrived, only a corpse remained.

Shen Ci knelt at the gates of the underworld for three days and nights, finally managing to bring his young disciple back as a cat.

Having regained what he had lost, Shen Ci regretted how strict and cold he had been. He spoiled and protected his cat, never allowing anyone to bully him.

But the little black cat was disobedient. Even after turning back into a person, he wouldn't behave. He even ran off to a brothel to have fun. In a fit of rage, Shen Ci dragged him back to the hidden chamber and stroked the tail that had appeared from Xiao Xun's overwhelming arousal. His voice was frighteningly low. "Want to try it? Why look for someone else? Let your master help you."

Xiao Xun gripped the crack in the wall with all his strength, his legs trembling and his mind in a daze. When he opened his eyes, he saw his own name and portraits covering every inch of the wall. The sight made his scalp prickle.

This is bad. His aloof master seems to have gone mad!

A bold, devoted, proud, adorable little madman of a disciple: the bottom

A cool, aloof, fair, dignified old pervert of a master: the top

Theme: Love is the best medicine.