Chapter 25: Show Me Next Time

Kissing is a fascinating thing.

Qu Yan realized this profoundly for the first time. Hooking his arms around Yan Zhuo’s neck, he watched Yan Zhuo’s hazy eyes and parted lips, then leaned in to peck them gently once more.

An irrepressible hum escaped Yan Zhuo’s throat. Qu Yan whispered in his ear, "Your lips seem a bit swollen."

As his fingertips brushed over the cupid’s bow of Yan Zhuo’s lips, he asked in a low voice, "Do you like it?"

With his mind on the verge of exploding and his entire body stiff, Yan Zhuo felt as though he were adrift in an endless ocean, his whole being floating uncontrollably. He murmured an honest answer: "I like it..."

"Mm, I know," Qu Yan said, his gaze dropping downward. "It’s too obvious."

It was impossible to ignore even if one wanted to.

Yan Zhuo’s face turned bright red. "I..."

He managed only a single syllable before he was unable to utter another word.

Qu Yan curled his lips, savoring the cute reaction long enough before collapsing into Yan Zhuo’s arms, his tone soft and satiated: "You must hold back, otherwise you’ll be found out."

The little one lay on a soft cushion ahead, waving his short arms in the air. Children always have infinite energy. On the other side of the oil drum, the yellow-haired man leaned against the wall, coughing laboriously from time to time.

Everything was as usual, but it was still too exhilarating; Yan Zhuo’s heart rate had not yet settled down.

Qu Yan closed his eyes in drowsiness, his lashes fluttering with his breathing. Yan Zhuo couldn't help but look at Qu Yan’s equally swollen lips. He froze for a few seconds before forcing himself to look away.

About half an hour later, Song Chengfeng returned with Lin Wu. The tricycle was piled high with goods; because they were difficult to unload, he directed Lin Wu to drive the vehicle directly into the building.

The noise was loud enough to wake Qu Yan, who had just fallen asleep.

Yan Zhuo had been holding Qu Yan the entire time, his posture barely changing. When Qu Yan looked up at him, he said with reddened ears, "My legs seem to be numb."

Qu Yan was in a good mood and found this side of Yan Zhuo quite amusing. He took the opportunity to pinch Yan Zhuo’s earlobe and said nonchalantly, "Have Song Chengfeng bring the wheelchair up in a moment."

Not long after he said this, Song Chengfeng really did bring the wheelchair up. There were several prominent scratches on his cheeks, and his glasses were shattered. Having not noticed it earlier, it looked quite ridiculous now.

Song Chengfeng set down the wheelchair, pulled out the gauze he carried with him, and skillfully wrapped a few turns around his forearm. After finishing, he scoffed at Qu Yan, "If you want to laugh, just laugh. Why are you putting on an act for me?"

Qu Yan sat back in the wheelchair, his tone flat: "Lawyer Song is overthinking."

Song Chengfeng took off his glasses with indifference and rubbed his brow with his fingers. "It doesn't matter either way; it’s more convenient without them."

Qu Yan was a little surprised this time. "Aren't you nearsighted?"

Song Chengfeng blew the dust off the lenses. "People rely on their clothes to make the man; this was suggested by my teacher back in the day."

He fell into memory, his speech slowing down. "He told me back then that with my glasses on, I could still hold my own and barely pass for a refined scoundrel. If I took them off, there would be nothing left but the scoundrel."

Qu Yan was speechless. He truly could not imagine that renowned lawyer, who was so highly respected in the industry, saying such things. It was clear that the student was a reflection of his teacher; Song Chengfeng becoming this way was absolutely at least half his teacher's fault.

While they were talking, Lin Wu, who had finished checking the surroundings for hidden dangers, walked over and asked Qu Yan, "What is this business deal you want to talk about?"

The yellow-haired man, who had been huddled in the corner, also looked up.

Qu Yan didn't rush to answer, turning instead to tell Yan Zhuo, "Bring one-third of the food up."

Yan Zhuo was still caught in the lingering bliss and hadn't fully regained his composure, responding a bit slowly.

Song Chengfeng, who was best at reading people, asked Qu Yan with great interest, "What did you do to him?"

Qu Yan ignored him and said to Lin Wu, who was a few steps away, "It's very simple. I just want to know where your special ability comes from."

The words were spoken to Lin Wu, but Qu Yan’s gaze was fixed on the yellow-haired man in the corner. Lin Wu claimed the yellow-haired man was his younger brother, but anyone could see that the yellow-haired man was the one in charge.

Lin Wu didn't speak, habitually looking toward the yellow-haired man.

Yan Zhuo returned just then, carrying a small bag of rice and other food. The yellow-haired man swept his eyes over them, a flash of satisfaction in his gaze, and said, "We can't explain it clearly ourselves, but before the zombies appeared, there was a fall of black snow. He fell into a deep sleep for two days and two nights during that time, and after he woke up, he could conjure ice spikes."

Black snow, deep sleep... Qu Yan lowered his eyes, betraying no emotion.

Seeing that he didn't speak, the yellow-haired man thought he didn't believe him and added, "Although I am not a good person, as you said, business is about integrity. I definitely haven't lied to you."

Only then did Qu Yan smile and say, "I didn't disbelieve you; I was just thinking that our vehicle is broken, so we might need to stay here for the night."

Lin Wu let out a sigh of relief. "There are a few abandoned vans nearby. If you need them, I can take you to look at them tomorrow, though I can't guarantee they will be in working order."

The yellow-haired man glanced at him without refuting his words.

Qu Yan agreed, not saying anything further.

The second floor was spacious. Lin Wu and the yellow-haired man must have lived here for quite some time, even building a crude bathroom themselves. Qu Yan looked around and had Yan Zhuo push him to an empty room. It had no door and no furnishings—just four empty walls. Qu Yan asked with reasonable satisfaction, "How about we sleep here tonight?"

Just as Yan Zhuo nodded, Song Chengfeng squeezed in from behind him, looking at Qu Yan with suspicion. "You believe his story?"

Qu Yan said indifferently, "What else can I do if I don't believe him?"

Song Chengfeng clicked his tongue. "I remember the black snow, but I definitely didn't fall into a deep sleep. What about you?"

Qu Yan’s expression remained unchanged. "Neither did I."

Song Chengfeng received his answer and didn't doubt him, shifting his gaze to Yan Zhuo.

Yan Zhuo was expressionless. "I forgot."

A curse caught in Song Chengfeng’s throat, but he didn't end up saying it. He actually already had the answer in his heart.

Amidst all this fuss, night fell unknowingly. Lin Wu set up a small pot and cooked a pot of porridge with the rice they had obtained that day. The scent of rice wafted over, and the little one, who had been hungry for a long time, began to cry loudly.

Song Chengfeng went back to coax the child, while Qu Yan and Yan Zhuo made a quick meal of their dinner.

After eating, Yan Zhuo laid a layer of wooden boards on the floor and began to make the bed. His movements were deft; as he bent over, his waist tightened—narrow and powerful, making one want to peek at the scenery beneath the fabric.

Qu Yan watched, quite mesmerized, only withdrawing his gaze as if nothing had happened when Yan Zhuo turned around.

As the night deepened and the surroundings grew quiet, the wooden boards were covered with a few pieces of clothing, though they didn't really serve much purpose. Qu Yan leaned his back against the wall and urged Yan Zhuo to come up quickly.

Having slept together for many days, Yan Zhuo was not as flustered as he had been at the beginning, but his face still turned red in the darkness.

He lay down on the edge with light footsteps, and almost the moment he lay down, Qu Yan leaned over.

The soft breath touched the sensitive skin of his neck, and Yan Zhuo guessed what was coming, remaining completely still.

Qu Yan touched his chin. "Do you want to kiss?"

"Yes," Yan Zhuo said, his voice inexplicably hoarse.

Having received an affirmative answer, Qu Yan did not act immediately, but instead asked, "What did I teach you today? How should you behave?"

His fingers touched the clothes spread on the wooden boards, and Yan Zhuo gripped them tightly, saying impatiently, "I won't move... not even a little..."

Qu Yan chuckled, his lips, which had been rubbing against the Adam's apple, slowly moving upward to entwine with the lips and tongue of the little wolf who had answered correctly.

His kissing technique was becoming increasingly proficient. He had been clever since he was young and had a knack for everything. He used to think nothing of it, but now he felt self-satisfied amidst Yan Zhuo’s deepening gasps.

After a long while, the one-sided assault ceased, and Qu Yan’s bent knee brushed against something clearly bulging.

He asked with feigned curiosity, "Is it too frequent? Can you really hold back?"

Yan Zhuo was still in a daze; being the passive recipient left him far less clear-headed than Qu Yan.

Qu Yan pressed his knee down. "Do it for me next time."

He imagined the scene, feeling quite moved. "Instead of holding things and imagining it, wouldn't it be better to watch me do it?"