Lu Heng brought Song Xiaozhou back to Jing’an Courtyard. Song Xiaozhou didn’t speak the entire way, remaining quiet and well-behaved, holding Lu Heng’s cold hand and not daring to look at him.
It wasn’t until they were back in the room and Lu Heng let go of his hand and turned away that Song Xiaozhou, as if waking from a dream, quickly grabbed his fingertips.
“Where are you going?” He asked, looking afraid that Lu Heng would disappear again.
Lu Heng chuckled, hooking his palm. “Your clothes are dirty. I’m going to get you some clothes to change into.”
Song Xiaozhou’s face turned red. He let go and sat in a chair, watching Lu Heng’s back with a longing look, like a small dog waiting for its owner.
Song Xiaozhou still felt a sense of unreality. Remembering the kiss, he couldn’t help but lightly touch his own lips. As if caught in mischief, he shot a glance at Lu Heng by the wardrobe before hastily lowering his hand. Lu Heng’s lips had been cool and soft. When they were close, it made Song Xiaozhou want to hold and warm them with his tongue.
Startled by his own thoughts, Song Xiaozhou’s face flushed bright red.
A cool hand touched his cheek. “Why is your face so hot?”
Song Xiaozhou jumped in surprise, letting out a small cry as he scrambled up, accidentally stumbling and falling right into Lu Heng’s arms. Lu Heng instinctively held Song Xiaozhou, smiling faintly. “Xiaozhou, what are you thinking about?”
The upward lilt at the end of his words carried a hint of a casual laugh, as if he had discovered Song Xiaozhou’s secret, unspeakable thoughts. Song Xiaozhou’s heart went numb and trembled. He turned his head and stammered, “N-nothing!”
Lu Heng put one arm around Song Xiaozhou’s waist, tracing the line of the young man’s jaw and neck with his hand, and his voice was low. “You’re lying.”
Song Xiaozhou didn’t dare to move. His fingers were cold, and the young man’s body radiated a vibrant heat, making the contrast between their temperatures even more distinct. He swallowed, his cheeks crimson, his eyes darting around with nowhere to settle. “You… you shouldn’t be so close to me.”
Lu Heng calmly responded, “But you were the one who ran into my arms, Xiaozhou.”
Song Xiaozhou retorted, “Then let go!”
Lu Heng said, “Alright.”
With that, he released his hold. Song Xiaozhou saw how readily he let go and immediately felt a little disappointed, his face drooping. The next moment, however, he let out a gasp of surprise as Lu Heng swept him into a close embrace. Lu Heng’s arms tightened around him, and the only thing Song Xiaozhou could smell was the faint, cool scent on Lu Heng.
Lu Heng thought, This child is so genuine, so naive and simple.
Song Xiaozhou’s mind was blank. A wave of heat rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his palms were sweating. After a moment, he cautiously put his arms around Lu Heng.
He looked up at Lu Heng, his gaze unconsciously lingering on Lu Heng’s lips, wondering how someone could have such beautiful lips.
Thinking this, Song Xiaozhou acted before he could even process what he was doing, reaching out to touch the corner of Lu Heng’s mouth. Lu Heng’s lips were thin and well-defined but not at all aggressive. When he smiled, the corners of his mouth turned up, making them soft and warm.
Song Xiaozhou swallowed and mumbled, “Today… you really kissed me?”
Lu Heng was startled by this bold action, a subtle flutter stirring in his heart. He lowered his eyes, watching Song Xiaozhou without a word.
Dusk was settling, the window was half-open, and the last rays of the setting sun stole into the room. Everything was silent, save for their rapidly beating hearts and uneven breathing.
The first time Song Xiaozhou had seen Lu Heng, he was entranced. This person was truly handsome. Song Xiaozhou now regretted that when his father taught him poetry as a child, his mind was only filled with the chirping of cicadas and birds outside the window. He hadn’t remembered many lines, and all he could think of to describe Lu Heng was “beautiful.”
Song Xiaozhou’s mind became even more wild. Lu Heng was a ghost, and his entire body was cold, giving off an eerie chill up close. But Song Xiaozhou wasn’t afraid. As if possessed by a spirit, he looked up and kissed him again.
Their eyes were open, and they stared at each other, both a little astonished.
In Song Xiaozhou’s heart, a little person was screaming softly. He was kissing Lu Heng, kissing a ghost, in broad daylight. Yet the heart in his chest beat faster and faster, and his face was beet red with embarrassment. As Song Xiaozhou tried to pull away, Lu Heng held the back of his neck, not allowing him to escape. In a suppressed, low, and hoarse whisper, he said, “Open your mouth.”
Song Xiaozhou’s eyelashes trembled, and he obeyed.
Song Xiaozhou had never kissed anyone before. He was clumsy and ignorant while extending his soft, red tongue. Under Lu Heng’s rough and profound kiss, he forgot to breathe, his head tilted back like a docile, obedient little animal giving its all.
When Lu Heng called his name, Song Xiaozhou, who was in a daze, responded with a trembling voice, gripping the shoulders of the malevolent spirit in front of him.
Lu Heng’s lips were cold, and his tongue was also cold, but the kiss was fiery and passionate, as if he wanted to devour Song Xiaozhou whole. Song Xiaozhou was too young to handle it, yet he also couldn’t stand the coldness of Lu Heng’s lips and tongue. He recklessly used his own soft, warm tongue to try and heat Lu Heng up.
The clothes in Lu Heng’s hand fell to the floor, forgotten. After a long, lingering kiss, both of them were breathless and flushed. Song Xiaozhou suddenly took a step back and plopped down onto the chair, a moment of realization hitting him, he had actually kissed Lu Heng first, asking for a kiss. He hurriedly covered his hot lips, tucked his feet in, and began to mumble and talk about anything else to distract from what had just happened.
Lu Heng chuckled softly but then teased him. “So you’re scared now? Weren’t you so brave just a moment ago when you kissed me?”
Song Xiaozhou was overcome with shame. He grabbed a handful of his hair, his face red, and shouted, “Who’s scared! I’m not scared! It was just a kiss! What is there to be scared of!”
Lu Heng was amused by him. He rested a hand on the armrest, leaning in close and looking down at him. “Then how about another one?”
Song Xiaozhou flinched but then glared at Lu Heng with a fierce, stubborn look. With a sudden resolve, he cupped Lu Heng’s face and bit his lips. He bit hard enough that Lu Heng gasped.
“…Ow, that hurts.” Lu Heng feigned pain, rubbing the teeth marks with his hand. “You’re like a little stray puppy.”
Song Xiaozhou felt a little bad. He secretly peeked up, only to catch the look of amusement in Lu Heng’s eyes. He pushed himself up with his hands on the armrests, baring his teeth at Lu Heng with an untamed, childlike spirit. “Woof!”
Lu Heng was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing. “You little rascal…”
He shook his head, looking at Song Xiaozhou. Inexplicably, his heart had become incredibly soft.
