The last memory was of the two of them taking another shower together. Afterward, Chi Han curled up by the bed and immediately fell asleep.
Blinding sunlight pierced through the gaps in the curtains, landing on the bed now tangled in chaos.
Chi Han, eyes shut, instinctively burrowed deeper under the covers, only for his cheek to brush against warm skin.
He cracked his eyes open and stared blankly at the fair, solid chest before him, unable to react for a moment.
Wait, why was there a purplish bite mark there?
Chi Han’s mind was blank, his temple thudding a few times.
He shifted slightly and discovered Rong Xu’s forearm draped around his waist, palm loosely resting behind him, rising and falling with every breath.
This all felt so familiar…
For a moment, Chi Han was completely dazed, until all the memories from the night before came rushing back.
Chi Han: “!”
He had actually ended up doing it with Rong Xu last night, drunk and bold enough to go through with it.
In a flash, Chi Han’s ears flushed scarlet down to his neck. He buried his head into Rong Xu’s shoulder.
He’d read plenty online about what to expect. Some said it was pleasurable, others said it was unbearably painful.
The thought that he might even need to see a doctor because of it had once made him feel so humiliated, he’d wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.
The truth was, he’d always been afraid of the pain. That’s why he kept pushing it away.
Chi Han shifted a little, trying to gauge how he felt.
Thankfully, there wasn’t too much discomfort.
But just as he shifted slightly, the fingers resting on his waist suddenly twitched.
Chi Han: “!!!”
“What’s wrong? Does it hurt?” A deep, hoarse voice rumbled above him, thick with satisfaction.
Rong Xu’s hand clasped the back of Chi Han’s neck, pulling him firmly into his shoulder.
A moment later, Rong Xu murmured, “No bleeding.”
Chi Han: “…………”
Clinging tightly to Rong Xu’s shoulder, Chi Han’s face was already burning red.
There was something strange about this feeling now. It was as if the last barrier between them had quietly disappeared.
Taking advantage of his long arms, Rong Xu reached into the drawer for a tube of ointment and tried to lift the covers. But Chi Han clung to him like someone drowning, absolutely refusing to let go.
“Chi Han… baby, be good. Let me apply the ointment first.”
Rong Xu had already carefully checked him over the night before and applied some medicine, worried that Chi Han might feel sore in the morning.
He’d even asked around beforehand. It turns out the ointment works best if applied twice a day, morning and night.
The moment Chi Han heard the word “baby”, he instinctively flinched.
He was on the brink of developing PTSD from it. Last night, Rong Xu had whispered it endlessly in his ear while tormenting him. Now, just hearing the word instantly brought back those overwhelming, maddening sensations.
Rong Xu gently coaxed for quite a while before Chi Han finally let go. He lifted the blanket and carefully applied the medicine, taking the chance to inspect the area inside.
Aside from some swelling, everything else looked fine.
“Want to eat something?”
Rong Xu tidied the blanket, then wrapped both the quilt and the person into his arms. He dotingly sucked on Chi Han’s earlobe, then trailed kisses from his jaw all the way to the corner of his lips, his movements filled with an unstoppable tenderness.
Chi Han had just had medicine applied, and there still seemed to be lingering sensations from earlier.
After last night, the two of them completely belonged to each other. That experience of complete physical and emotional union made Chi Han want to do something—anything—to prolong the feeling.
He tilted his neck back and instinctively responded to Rong Xu. His arms reached out from under the blanket, wrapping around the other’s shoulders. His forearm was marked with a patch of kiss marks, faint red teeth imprints visible among them.
Rong Xu had only intended to stop after a taste, but Chi Han’s response had ignited his fire.
Suddenly, Rong Xu chuckled softly, resting his forehead against Chi Han’s as he looked into those slightly dazed, misty eyes and said in a low voice, “Chi Han, you’re feeling it.”
Chi Han froze for a second, his eyes instantly filled with embarrassment. He only wanted to escape Rong Xu’s hand.
Rong Xu pinned him down in one motion, moved slowly, and laughed indulgently. “What are you afraid of? I like you no matter what you’re like.”
Chi Han bit his lower lip, covering his eyes with the back of his hand, feeling like he was being tortured to the brink of madness.
He gently drew in a breath, his lips and tongue flushed a deep red.
“…You… hurry up already…”
In that instant, Rong Xu’s eyes darkened. He leaned down to kiss him deeply, and with one hand, pulled the blanket up to cover them both.
…
After their latest round of exertion, Chi Han couldn’t even lift a finger. Rong Xu had his assistant bring over some easily digestible porridge.
The soft, sticky rice porridge had been simmered with sweet pumpkin, its warm aroma drifting invitingly through the room.
Rong Xu leaned back against a cushion and gently helped Chi Han sit up.
Chi Han reached for the spoon to feed himself, but Rong Xu shifted it aside, avoiding his hand.
“I’ll do it.”
His eyes and expression were laced with gentleness. He stirred the porridge lightly, scooped up a spoonful, and tested the temperature.
Mm, just right.
Chi Han managed to finish more than half the bowl before dozing off again. Rong Xu tilted his head back and drank the rest in one gulp, then set the dishes aside.
Originally, he’d wanted to cuddle up and nap with him a while longer, but the doctor had just called to schedule a full physical exam.
He drew the curtains tight and told the assistant to have the room cleaned once Chi Han woke up.
In the examination room.
An Asian nurse stood beside the bed, holding a set of electrode patches, softly asking Rong Xu to lift his shirt.
His brows barely furrowed in distaste. He didn’t like anyone touching him, except Chi Han.
After a moment’s pause, he lifted his shirt… and right there, in plain sight, was a purplish bite mark.
Nurse: “…………”
Doctor: “…………”
Only Rong Xu lay there stone-faced, expression completely unchanged.
The nurse, blushing, carefully applied the electrode pads one by one, deliberately avoiding the spot with the bite mark.
The doctor watched from the side with a pained expression, as if witnessing something unbearable.
Weren’t Chinese people supposed to be reserved and subtle? How was this guy so nonchalant about it?
The test results came out quickly: everything was perfectly normal.
The doctor glanced at Rong Xu’s long, straight legs and couldn’t help nodding in approval. To see such recovery truly uplifted them.
But everyone knew this outcome was hard-earned, the result of Rong Xu’s relentless effort.
“Mr. Rong, you’ll be ready for discharge in another day or two,” the doctor extended his hand with a sincere smile. “Congratulations. You’ll be free to run and embrace life again.”
Rong Xu, for once, showed a faint smile. He reached out and shook hands. “Thank you. Your medical skills are outstanding.”
…
Chi Han didn’t wake up until two hours later.
He opened his eyes and slowly pushed himself up in bed. His lower back ached from lying too long.
As he moved, the blanket slid down gently. Chi Han looked down and immediately inhaled sharply.
Wait, what—
Is there any spot on his body that’s still intact?!
“Hisss…”
As soon as Chi Han threw off the blanket, before his toes even touched the floor, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees.
Right onto a crumpled piece of white fabric.
It looked familiar.
He reached out and picked it up, only to realize it was the white dress shirt he had worn last night. The sleeve was torn, and some unidentifiable stain had soaked into it.
The room was deathly quiet; only his own breathing filled the air. He scrunched up the shirt and tossed it into the corner.
Bracing himself on the bed, Chi Han’s face flushed. Whether from shame or frustration, even he couldn’t tell.
His lower abdomen felt painfully bloated. All he wanted now was to get to the bathroom.
The moment Rong Xu opened the door, he saw Chi Han half-sitting on the floor, looking up at him with a pitiful gaze.
Like a small, helpless creature locked in a room, waiting just for him.
Rong Xu’s heart skipped a beat, mostly out of concern.
He quickly stepped forward, scooped Chi Han up, draped a coat over him, and gently massaged his lower back. His voice was warm. “Why are you on the floor? Did you hurt yourself?”
Chi Han was so weak he could barely hold himself up, and his waist ached fiercely. After a moment of hesitation, he finally opened his mouth, voice barely a whisper: “I need the bathroom… I’m gonna explode…”
Rong Xu didn’t waste a second. He carried him straight to the bathroom, keeping a steady hand on his waist the whole way.
He leaned in and kissed Chi Han, steadying him carefully, and gently helped him use the toilet. When they were done, Rong Xu even reached for the tissue himself, utterly attentive.
Afterward, Chi Han sprawled across the bed, face buried deep in the pillow, not moving a single finger.
“The doctor said I can be discharged in two days. Do you want to go have some fun before heading back? There’s still half a month before school starts, right?” Rong Xu didn’t call anyone in to clean, worried that Chi Han might feel embarrassed.
He drew back the curtains, and the dazzling afternoon sunlight spilled into the room, instantly lifting the mood.
Chi Han stretched lazily and lay sprawled on the bed, watching Rong Xu pick up the clothes scattered on the floor one by one. With a contented yawn, he replied, “Sure, I’ll go along with whatever you say.”
