What If I Ended Up Marrying My Enemy? - Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Braiding Hair
And so, everyone watched as the usually aloof and stern Yu Zhixue was led out of the conference room just like that.
The group looked at each other in confusion.
What… just happened?!
Yu Wenxuan dragged him out into the hallway but then realized he had no idea where to go. Ji Hua, hiding in a corner, discreetly pointed in the right direction. Yu Wenxuan spotted it from afar and pulled Yu Zhixue into the office.
The door was slammed shut.
Yu Zhixue, pinned against the wall with one of his wrists caught in Yu Wenxuan’s hand, looked genuinely confused.
“Why are you here?”
Yu Wenxuan’s grip tightened at that sincerely puzzled question.
“If I hadn’t come, someone would’ve starved themselves to death.”
The anger brewing inside him made it impossible to maintain his usual gentlemanly facade. Yu Wenxuan lost control and used his other hand to pinch Yu Zhixue’s cheek, forcing him to look up.
“Yu Zhixue, were you just ignoring everything I said?”
“What did I tell you yesterday? If you’re upset, say something. If you want to yell at me, go ahead. But don’t skip your meals.”
Yu Zhixue looked straight into Yu Wenxuan’s eyes and saw the anxiety and worry within. He tilted his head up and placed a kiss on Yu Wenxuan’s palm — a gesture of submission.
Only then did Yu Wenxuan realize how close they were. The damp warmth against his palm snapped him out of it.
He looked into Yu Zhixue’s eyes glistening with moisture, paused, then pulled his hand back.
Yu Zhixue, naturally pale and with delicate skin, now had visible red marks from the earlier pinch. Even the corners of his eyes were tinged pink.
Seeing those marks made Yu Wenxuan sigh internally. Am I regressing?
He’d always prided himself on maintaining composure. But when it came to Yu Zhixue, all his self-control crumbled.
He massaged his forehead and sent a message to Ji Hua, asking him to bring food. Then he sat down on the office’s small couch, glancing at the still-motionless Yu Zhixue.
“What are you standing there for?”
He reached out a hand and gestured, “Come here.”
Yu Zhixue didn’t sit beside him. Instead, he quietly climbed into Yu Wenxuan’s lap, resting his head on his shoulder.
Yu Wenxuan was silent for a moment, then pulled him in closer — even adjusting his position to avoid crushing Yu Zhixue’s hair.
When Ji Hua entered with lunch, he caught sight of his boss being cradled in someone’s arms.
Swallowing a mouthful of dog food, Ji Hua placed the food on the desk and even thoughtfully closed the door behind him.
Yu Wenxuan, shameless as ever, gave the person in his lap a playful squeeze on the nape.
“Get down and eat. Stop acting cute.”
Yu Zhixue didn’t move far, only tugged on Yu Wenxuan’s sleeve.
Yu Wenxuan raised a brow. “What?”
Yu Zhixue simply said, “Let’s eat together.”
Yu Wenxuan wasn’t hungry—he had already eaten. But seeing the way Yu Zhixue clutched his sleeve, he ended up walking over anyway.
One by one, they opened the takeout boxes. There were quite a few dishes, but the portion sizes were small.
“I already ate. You go ahead,” Yu Wenxuan said as he handed over a pair of chopsticks.
Yu Zhixue obediently took them, picked up some food, and began chewing quietly.
Yu Wenxuan propped up his chin and watched him. But soon enough, Yu Zhixue fell back into his old habit—barely eating, just biting his chopsticks without swallowing.
Looking at the barely touched food, Yu Wenxuan clicked his tongue.
How does this look even worse than the meal I cooked the first time we met?
He mentally noted to check on their chef later.
Just as he was thinking about how to get Yu Zhixue to eat more, he looked up and saw Yu Zhixue staring at him.
Then Yu Zhixue lifted his chopsticks and offered him a piece of meat.
Yu Wenxuan hesitated for only half a second before opening his mouth and eating it.
So much for boundaries.
He never would’ve imagined sitting down for a meal with Yu Zhixue like this, let alone being fed by him.
In the end, they finished the meal sharing each bite.
Once the table was cleared, Yu Zhixue asked, “Are you heading back now?”
Yu Wenxuan replied, “Do you want me to stay?”
Yu Zhixue hesitated. “Either is fine.”
Yu Wenxuan didn’t respond right away, only looked down at their hands—now interlocked tightly. If Yu Zhixue hadn’t been holding his hand like that, his words might’ve been more convincing.
His lips said “either is fine,” but his actions screamed please don’t leave me.
Looking into Yu Zhixue’s earnest eyes, any lingering anger in Yu Wenxuan’s heart dissolved.
“I don’t have anything important this afternoon. Why would I leave?”
Yu Zhixue’s eyes curved into a soft smile, but he quickly remembered, “I’ve got something later. Do you… want to wait in the break room?”
Yu Wenxuan didn’t refuse. “Mm. I’ll nap for a bit.”
The rest area here was nearly identical to the one in the Yu Corporation. Yu Wenxuan took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
He left in such a rush earlier, he forgot to take them off.
He grabbed his phone and sent a message to his assistant:
Yu Wenxuan: “Send me the work emails I can handle remotely. Push everything else to tomorrow.”
Liu Assistant: “…You’re not coming back this afternoon?”
Yu Wenxuan: “No. I’m staying with someone.”
After sending the message, Yu Wenxuan turned off his phone and sighed.
God, I’m completely whipped.
He had come to confront Yu Zhixue and leave—but somehow, he stayed. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to scold him properly. The second Yu Zhixue kissed his palm and looked at him, he caved.
Yu Wenxuan hadn’t even been reading for long when he heard voices outside the break room. The door hadn’t been properly shut, and the sound filtered through the gap.
Curiosity is human nature, and Yu Wenxuan was no exception. Not wanting to startle the people outside, he leaned quietly against the doorway to listen.
As he peeked, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over him.
Why does this feel like I’m the kept lover hiding in some golden cage?
He couldn’t hear the conversation clearly from that distance, but just looking at Yu Zhixue’s expression was enough to guess—he was definitely giving someone a dressing down.
This version of Yu Zhixue was a stark contrast to the one tugging on his sleeve earlier. Yu Wenxuan stared for a while, and his heart slowly sank.
Everyone says people change. After five years, it’s only natural for someone’s personality to evolve.
He had assumed that was the case with Yu Zhixue.
But now, seeing how cold and distant he still was toward outsiders—just like in the past—Yu Wenxuan realized:
The only reason Yu Zhixue acts so soft and silly in front of him…
…is because Yu Zhixue truly loves him.
…
After returning home, they went about their usual routine. Yu Wenxuan, worried Yu Zhixue might get hungry later, even made dinner himself.
He stayed up later than usual. By the time he closed his laptop, Yu Zhixue had already fallen asleep. He put the computer aside, turned off the nightlight, and lay beside him.
The next morning, Yu Zhixue stirred and instinctively reached for the other side of the bed—only to find it empty.
Not only was there no one there, the sheets had already gone cold. He knew Yu Wenxuan had lingering aftereffects, so panic immediately set in. Without even putting on shoes, he dashed downstairs.
He searched everywhere before finally spotting Yu Wenxuan in the kitchen, holding his phone while flipping something in a pan.
Yu Wenxuan moved with practiced ease, plating the food before turning—and locking eyes with a very disheveled Yu Zhixue.
Yu Zhixue’s hair was sticking up, his pajama top was unbuttoned at the collar, exposing most of his shoulder.
Yu Wenxuan looked at his bare feet on the carpet and quickly set the food on the table.
“Why’d you run down barefoot?”
He walked over and scooped Yu Zhixue up without hesitation. Yu Zhixue instinctively wrapped his arms around his neck.
“I woke up and didn’t see you.”
Yu Wenxuan carried him to the couch, then got a new pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet and set them down at his feet.
“I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Yu Zhixue slipped on the slippers and nodded. “Mm.”
Yu Wenxuan told him, “Go wash up. Breakfast’s almost ready.”
As Yu Zhixue padded off, Yu Wenxuan sat down at the table and reopened his phone. The video title on-screen was very eye-catching:
“Learn how to braid your partner’s hair in 30 seconds—simple and elegant!”
For the past few days, they’d been eating breakfast at the office. Today, Yu Wenxuan had woken up earlier than usual and decided to cook.
Thinking back to yesterday, he had also spent the morning desperately watching braiding tutorials, eventually finding one that looked simple enough.
He figured that since this body already had muscle memory, it shouldn’t be too hard to learn.
But that “30-second” video took him a full half hour to figure out.
After getting ready, Yu Zhixue came downstairs and sat across from him. They had breakfast together, and once done, Yu Zhixue let his hastily tied hair fall loose, ready to fix it again.
Yu Wenxuan mentally replayed the tutorial and asked, “Want me to help?”
Yu Zhixue: “!”
…
On the couch, Yu Zhixue sat sideways while Yu Wenxuan used a comb he’d just dug out, gently smoothing his long hair.
His muscle memory completely abandoned him at this point. His hands moved clumsily, fingers weaving through the black strands with care.
Eventually, he managed to braid something that… wasn’t terrible.
Yu Wenxuan stared at the result and concluded the success was thanks to the face, not the technique.
But Yu Zhixue didn’t seem to agree. He turned his head and looked into Yu Wenxuan’s eyes.
“Will you braid it for me again tomorrow?”
Yu Wenxuan: “It definitely won’t be like today.”
Yu Zhixue’s eyes dimmed slightly, and he turned away, pretending not to care. If he had a tail, it would’ve drooped at that moment.
Yu Wenxuan leaned in and tucked a loose strand behind his ear with an unusually gentle touch.
He said softly, “Tomorrow, it’ll be even prettier. I promise.”