The huge villa was brightly lit, but when you looked inside, it was completely empty.
By the door, two jackets had been carelessly left by their owners, crumpled together on the floor.
The only sounds came from the bathroom.
The shower broke the comfortably warm water into countless soft, fine streams, trickling down from above. Steam kept rising upward, making the entire space foggy.
It was natural for the atmosphere to become increasingly ambiguous, but this time, there were no more reservations. The predator had received the highest level of consent from the prey and could now do whatever he wanted.
Water cascaded from above, while clothes were scattered messily on the ground. Soaked by the water, they became heavy and soggy.
Yan Chen’s kisses were greedy and burning hot, so hot that Ye Wenyu felt dizzy and muddled.
Every place touched by the kiss felt like oil being poured onto fire, connecting one to another and spreading like a wildfire. The more water was poured on, the fiercer it burned, and it was about to burn him to ashes.
Yan Chen’s strong forearm held the back of Ye Wenyu’s knee. Ye Wenyu gasped and shrunk his shoulders, his hands shifting from clinging to Yan Chen’s shoulders to hooking tightly around his neck.
Yan Chen supported his back, placing light kisses down the rim of his ear, trailing along his earlobe, the side of his neck, and his shoulder. The gentle touch carried a calming strength, slowly easing the tension in Ye Wenyu’s nerves.
He gave himself completely to the person before him, and accepted it all willingly. A muffled moan spilled from his throat as he tilted his face upward, eyes red and hazy with tears, reaching out to seek his lover’s kiss.
The winter night was long, long enough for two people in love to indulge and exhaust themselves completely.
The lights became blurry from the tears overflowing from the eyes, swaying with each tremble to form a brilliant and dazzling scenery.
His feet suddenly left the ground, and the next moment his back sank into the soft bed. Yan Chen lowered himself as he kissed his eyes, and Ye Wenyu arched his back, his heels pressing into Yan Chen’s waist…
—
The curtains were slightly parted, letting in a sliver of bright daylight from outside, cutting the room in half.
The air conditioner was set to the most comfortable temperature. On the cabinet, a humidifier worked silently, letting out wisps of white, moist mist.
On the wide bed, Ye Wenyu slept deeply with his eyes closed, sunk in a nest of softness. The dark sheets made his skin seem even more dazzlingly white. The blanket was pulled up to his shoulders, and the marks along his neck had darkened after fermenting overnight.
Ye Wenyu didn’t wake up until noon.
He was alone in the room. Turning his head to the empty space beside him, he daydreamed for a while, then sat up with support. His whole body felt fresh, and except for one place with a very strong sense of presence, nothing else felt off.
Someone had placed clothes for him by the bed.
Ye Wenyu reached out and took them. It was a clearly oversized black shirt, which hung down to cover his fingertips when he put it on.
He looked around but there were no pants.
Ye Wenyu: “…”
He got out of bed, took a moment to adjust to the surreal feeling of his feet touching the floor, then shuffled out the door to find someone.
At the same time, Yan Chen was sitting on the sofa, seriously setting up two switches. When he heard the sound, he turned around and saw his boyfriend just coming out of the room, walking barefoot on the carpet. His expression looked distant and cold due to his daze from having just woken up, making him look hard to approach.
The oversized shirt hung loosely on him, the sleeves casually rolled up at the elbows, and below the wide shirt hem were two straight, well-shaped legs.
A beauty descending to the mortal world is always pleasing to the eye.
Yan Chen leisurely admired the view for a moment, then calmly began preparing a response when Ye Wenyu questioned why the clothes weren’t properly prepared.
However, Ye Wenyu didn’t ask anything. He just walked over to Yan Chen, sat on his lap without a word, leaned against him, and narrowed his eyes again, clearly intending to doze a bit more like this.
Yan Chen curled his lips and hugged him back. His heart felt like it had been soaked in lemon water all night, and it felt sore and soft.
“Still sleepy?”
Yan Chen gently kneaded the back of his neck. His movements made the collar hang looser, and as his gaze dropped, he noticed the purple marks on the lean shoulders, kisses left like branding, full of possession.
These were all his masterpieces from last night.
Ye Wenyu gave a muffled reply from his throat, half-humming, half-grunting. Even like this, he still looked unbearably cute to Yan Chen.
Yan Chen: “Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere else?”
This time Ye Wenyu didn’t respond. He lay there silently, but the exposed skin visibly flushed a light pink.
Their first time was honestly a bit absurd, the feeling of being completely controlled by raw desire was both irresistible and terrifying.
It turns out that the soul could also be controlled by the body. Once it began, there was no room left for resistance and one could only be dragged along into indulgence and pleasure.
But there was no helping it. To him, Yan Chen was practically a walking trap.
As long as it was Yan Chen, he couldn’t muster even the slightest desire to struggle or escape. Even in the face of the unknown, giving in had become a subconscious reaction. Even the purest kiss carried a force that made him surrender instinctively.
It turned out that, calling him “guaiguai” was already the most restrained thing Yan Chen could do. Every objectively spoken sentence during the heat of passion could make one’s face flush and heart race.
The hands on the wall clock ticked forward bit by bit. The ticking could occasionally be caught, but more often than not, it was drowned out by other sounds.
The night before, he was so tired and sleepy that he couldn’t hold on any longer. In his daze, he couldn’t even form a complete sentence and was only able to use the last bit of his strength to scratch weakly at Yan Chen’s back, trying to express his plea in that way.
Unfortunately, the result seemed to backfire.
Only after being tormented for a while did he suddenly remember that this person had always liked his hands so much he could never get enough of kissing or biting them. If possible, he’d want to glue his hands into his own…
When Yan Chen didn’t get a reply, he tactfully changed the question: “I made some seafood porridge in the kitchen. Do you want to drink a little now?”
Ye Wenyu shook his head. Maybe the drowsiness hadn’t cleared yet, but he didn’t feel hungry at all, only that his whole body was weak.
And empty, so empty that only by having Yan Chen huh and hold him could he feel grounded and safe.
He couldn’t fall asleep anymore, but he was too lazy to move. In the end, he simply stayed like that in Yan Chen’s arms and started learning how to play the game console.
Yan Chen wrapped one arm around his waist and played with him for a while, then asked a very pressing question: “When are you planning to go home?”
Ye Wenyu’s home was in Wucheng, and the distance from Xuancheng was such that even by plane, it took over two hours. Holidays basically meant the start of a long-distance phase.
And he hadn’t gone back during New Year’s either, so he probably had to head back early for the winter break.
Ye Wenyu’s hand paused mid-game.
After a moment, he looked up at Yan Chen and asked in return, “How long are you okay with me being gone?”
Yan Chen: “If I say I can’t accept you going back, would you stay?”
Ye Wenyu: “…”
Yan Chen chuckled, lifted the back of his game console, and said, “I’m joking. No matter when you want to go back, I’m okay with it.”
Ye Wenyu: “What about tomorrow?”
Yan Chen’s smile disappeared immediately.
He set the console down and hugged Ye Wenyu tightly, giving him a strong kiss on the cheek: “Why so soon?”
Ye Wenyu: “…I forgot to tell you yesterday. My dad needs a temporary translator and wants me to head back early. He already bought me a ticket right after I finished my exams.”
Yan Chen didn’t say anything. He just frowned and fell into silent thought.
Ye Wenyu didn’t dare say anything either and quietly waited for him to speak.
But before he got a response, he was suddenly pulled down and pinned onto the sofa.
Yan Chen had one knee on the couch, and Ye Wenyu’s bent knee was pressed against his waist, his eyes wide with confusion as he stared at him.
Yan Chen: “Did you scratch enough last night?”
Ye Wenyu: “What?”
Yan Chen lowered his head and said in a deep voice, “You’re going back tomorrow, so you better get in a few more scratches while you still can.”
Ye Wenyu: “…!”
The two of them fooled around for an entire day. Early the next morning, Yan Chen sent Ye Wenyu to the airport. He held his hand the entire way, and was in a low mood the entire way too.
Ye Wenyu knew he wasn’t in the best mood, so he didn’t say a word the whole time, just followed obediently beside him, letting him fuss over everything.
Right before boarding, he pulled Yan Chen to the side for a hug, then quickly stole a kiss while dodging the passersby, whispering to soothe him: “Don’t be upset.”
Yan Chen chased after him for another kiss, face expressionless: “My wife is leaving. How am I supposed to be happy?”
Ye Wenyu: “…”
Ye Wenyu looked at Yan Chen, then looked at the people lining up to board. Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind: “What if I don’t go for now?” His dad needed help, so he could just send the files online….
“Don’t overthink.”
Yan Chen rubbed his head with a sigh: “I’m just teasing you. I’ll be heading back to the company too, I won’t be able to accompany you every day.”
“Go on, and remember to send me a message when you land.”
When Yang Liang heard that Ye Wenyu had gone home, his first reaction was a bit regretful. They’d only managed to have one meal together this holiday, and they hadn’t even had a chance to hang out before the other party took off.
But then he cheered up again.
Because Dong Xi’s girlfriend had also gone home, and Dong Xi wouldn’t leave for a few more days, meaning both couples had been split up. Now everyone was a “single dog”, so no one could look down on anyone else.
He made plans with Dong Xi to go have grilled fish for lunch, and turned to invite the lone wolf surnamed Yan. But to his surprise, the latter rejected him without hesitation.
Yan Chen: “Not going.”
Yang Liang: “Why not!”
Yan Chen: “No appetite.”
Yang Liang grinned: “Come on, cheer up! Even if you there’s no wife, you still have your brothers!”
Yan Chen: “No wife?”
Yang Liang: “Yeah, didn’t Wenyu go home? Don’t sulk at home by yourself. Come out and have fun.”
Yan Chen: “No.”
Yang Liang: “Why not!”
Yan Chen: “I don’t want to eat with you.”
Yang Liang: “?”
Before noon, Ye Wenyu’s plane landed at Wucheng Airport.
Father Ye was already waiting outside. When Ye Wenyu came out, he helped load his luggage into the trunk.
Father Ye: “Are you hungry? Do you want to go eat first?”
Ye Wenyu: “I’m not hungry. I ate a little on the plane.”
Father Ye: “Alright then, let’s head straight home. Your mother bought a lot of your favorite dishes and will cook them tonight.”
Once in the car, Ye Wenyu took out his phone to send a message to Yan Chen, only to see that half an hour before his landing, Yang Liang had sent him several messages.
Yang Liang: [Wenyu, Wenyu, when are you coming back to school?]
Yang Liang: [I miss you!]
Yang Liang: [And don’t forget to coax Yan-ge properly. You’ve only been gone for an hour, and he’s already lost his appetite and interest in life!]
