On their first day, they didn’t rush to explore too many places. With plenty of time on their hands, their travel pace was leisurely. Whenever Lu Ze found something interesting, he would stop to take a few pictures. But compared to the scenery, he was clearly more focused on photographing Liang Xiao.
Liang Xiao asked Lu Ze if he was hungry and what he wanted for dinner but got no response.
Looking up, he realized Lu Ze was completely engrossed in taking pictures of him.
With a helpless smile, Liang Xiao walked over and raised his hand to block the camera. “Stop taking pictures, baby. What’s so interesting about me? Are you hungry?”
“A little,” Lu Ze admitted. “But I’ve realized you could totally be a model—you’re so photogenic. Every shot turns out amazing.”
Liang Xiao took the phone from him and handed him the camera instead. “You navigate—I’ll take pictures of you.”
Clicking his tongue, Lu Ze lowered his head to focus on the map and said, “I know I’m handsome, okay?”
Liang Xiao chuckled. Lu Ze had always been confident about his looks—handsome and self-assured—but never arrogant or condescending like some people who let their good looks inflate their egos.
Even if Lu Ze looked down on people with his nose in the air, Liang Xiao thought, he’d still look handsome doing it. Liang Xiao couldn’t resist snapping several pictures of his effortlessly photogenic boyfriend from every angle.
For dinner, they indulged in a barbecue meal that was supposedly so good people left feeling stuffed—and it lived up to its reputation. By the time they were done, Lu Ze was hiccupping and rubbing his stomach. “I’m done for—it’s too much. I can’t eat another bite…”
Liang Xiao took a sip of water and frowned slightly. “Even water feels stuck in my throat.”
Lu Ze laughed for a while before saying, “This meal probably added at least three pounds.”
“Climbing the mountain tomorrow will burn it all off,” Liang Xiao replied.
Lu Ze snapped his fingers. “Good point.”
When they returned to the hotel that evening, both of them reeked of barbecue. Liang Xiao told Lu Ze to shower first, but standing by the bathroom door, Lu Ze suggested, “Why don’t we shower together?”
Then he quickly added, “Just showering—nothing else.”
Liang Xiao stared at him silently for two seconds before Lu Ze cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well… maybe not entirely just showering.”
Through the frosted glass of the bathroom door, two figures could be seen embracing each other. The sound of running water was loud, but faint traces of other noises could be heard amidst it.
The shower lasted quite a while. When they finally stepped out, both wearing only their underwear, they slipped under the covers.
Lu Ze kissed Liang Xiao’s shoulder with fascination and whispered softly, “Xiao-ge… should we do something else?”
Liang Xiao ran his hand along Lu Ze’s back—despite just having showered, his palm still felt burning hot against Lu Ze’s skin. “We’re climbing a mountain tomorrow.”
Lu Ze paused mid-kiss and extended his tongue to lightly trace along Liang Xiao’s collarbone. The sensation sent a shiver through Liang Xiao’s shoulder as he murmured hoarsely, “Baby…”
Lu Ze chuckled softly. “Then tomorrow—how about it? Are you ready?”
Liang Xiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he leaned down to kiss Lu Ze’s earlobe once, then again. His voice was low and heated when he finally replied, “I’ll listen to you.”
The two of them held each other tightly as they waited for the heat coursing through their bodies to subside.
After a long pause, Lu Ze nuzzled Liang Xiao’s face with his nose and said softly, “Xiao-Xiao… why do I like you so much?”
The tone was lazy, yet it overflowed with affection and adoration.
It was truly heart-stirring.
Liang Xiao felt his chest burning with warmth. He pulled Lu Ze closer into his arms and, after a long pause, finally said, “Me too. I like you so much it feels like my heart’s about to jump out.”
Lu Ze placed his hand over Liang Xiao’s chest, feeling the heartbeat beneath his palm.
This is what liking someone feels like.
This is what being in love feels like.
Just looking at Liang Xiao’s face made Lu Ze happy. And when he was happy, he wanted to kiss him. And once he started kissing, he didn’t want to stop—he wanted to do even more.
Tsk, I wonder if Liang Xiao feels the same way, Lu Ze thought.
In the end, they fell asleep holding each other. When the alarm went off the next morning, neither of them wanted to get up—they just snuggled closer, enjoying how comfortable it felt.
Half-asleep, Lu Ze mumbled, “Turn off the alarm…”
Liang Xiao forced himself to open his eyes with sheer willpower. “It’s time to get up.”
Lu Ze tightened his arms around him and whined softly, “How about we just don’t go…”
Liang Xiao loved seeing Lu Ze being lazy in the morning—it was incredibly cute. Indulging him, Liang Xiao rubbed the back of Lu Ze’s neck gently and said, “Alright, we won’t go. You can keep sleeping.”
Hearing that, Lu Ze opened his eyes instead. Meeting Liang Xiao’s gaze, he leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “How can you have no principles?”
Liang Xiao smiled faintly. “My boyfriend is my principle.”
After having a free breakfast at the hotel, they each packed a small backpack and headed out.
“Let’s stop by a convenience store to grab some snacks,” Lu Ze suggested. “Stuff on the mountain is bound to be ridiculously expensive.”
After paying at the convenience store, Liang Xiao packed both bottles of water into his own bag. Watching him, Lu Ze teased, “Are you planning to sell me my own water for ten bucks a bottle once we’re on the mountain?”
Liang Xiao looked at him in shock before bursting into laughter. “…How could I?”
“Then give me mine—I’ll carry it myself,” Lu Ze said.
Clicking his tongue reluctantly, Liang Xiao pulled out one bottle and put it into Lu Ze’s bag. They divided the snacks equally too—one for each of them.
On the subway, Lu Ze suddenly whispered to Liang Xiao, “If you had a girlfriend instead of me, wouldn’t you spoil her so much she wouldn’t even know how to take care of herself?”
“Where would this girlfriend come from?” Liang Xiao asked.
Lu Ze’s tone carried a hint of jealousy as he said, “What if you hadn’t met me? Maybe one day you’d meet some client who’s exactly your type and end up together…”
Liang Xiao interrupted him helplessly. “What are you even talking about? There’s no ‘what if.’ I met you—and I liked you from the very first moment I saw you.”
Lu Ze paused and turned to look at Liang Xiao. After a long moment, he finally said, “When I first saw you, I thought: How can this guy be so cool? So handsome? Even more handsome than me.”
Liang Xiao laughed softly. Lu Ze sighed dramatically and added, “Honestly, Xiao-ge… if I were a girl, you wouldn’t even let me open a bottle cap—you’d probably carry me everywhere.”
The subway arrived at the station, and they needed to transfer here. There was quite a crowd getting off the train. Liang Xiao walked behind Lu Ze, resting a hand on his shoulder. As Lu Ze looked up to check the direction for the transfer, he heard Liang Xiao say, “Baby, even if you’re a guy, I can still make sure you never have to open a bottle cap.”
Lu Ze turned around and glared at him. “Are you messing with me?”
“No,” Liang Xiao replied earnestly. “I really, really like you. That’s why I spoil you and treat you well—it’s instinctive. I don’t even think about it; I just do it.”
Saying something like this in the middle of a bustling subway station felt a bit odd, but Liang Xiao insisted on finishing his thought. “It’s not because I’m used to taking care of people—it’s because liking you makes me want to do these things naturally.”
Lu Ze grabbed Liang Xiao’s hand and pulled him forward. In truth, he had only been worried that Liang Xiao might see this kind of meticulous care as a burden in their relationship—just like how he used to treat his clients, which could be exhausting.
But since Liang Xiao had clarified that it was simply his instinct to care for someone he loved, Lu Ze stopped worrying. After all, it wasn’t like he could ask Liang Xiao to stop liking him.
“I get it,” Lu Ze said as they walked. “But your boyfriend also has an instinct to like you, so maybe you’re the one who won’t need to open bottle caps either.”
Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow and smiled silently, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly. “Alright.”
They are SO sweet 😭😭