Chapter 72

Chapter 72

"072"

Bang, bang, bang!

At the same time, firecrackers and fireworks went off outside the corridor, and a burst of colorful lights instantly illuminated the hallway.

It was New Year's.

Lu Ao's face came into view.

Xiao Lancui saw those dark, deep eyes draw closer, and his hand, which had instinctively moved to resist, fell back as warm softness pressed heavily against his lips.

A broad palm cradled the back of Xiao Lancui's head while his back was pressed against the slightly cold door panel.

Lu Ao kissed him hard.

He had followed Xiao Lancui all the way here, never expecting Xiao Lancui to have come back for him.

Lu Ao couldn't control himself. His fingers, which were supporting Xiao Lancui's head, curled unconsciously, tilting Xiao Lancui's face upward. Xiao Lancui's neck arched beautifully as his tongue was firmly entwined by Lu Ao's, as if being devoured.

The intimate wet sounds were drowned out by the fireworks, and Xiao Lancui's instinctive whimpers were also swallowed up by Lu Ao.

Only a thin strand of saliva escaping from the corner of his mouth betrayed the intensity of this passionate kiss.

Lu Ao had nearly kissed all the breath out of him, and his strength was gone. One hand still held the thermal container, while the other was pressed between him and Lu Ao, tightly gripping Lu Ao's jacket zipper to keep himself from sliding down.

Lu Ao finally let go of his tongue, and Xiao Lancui thought it was over, but instead Lu Ao began sucking on his lips, which had been kissed into a complete mess. His other hand found Xiao Lancui's neck, dry fingertips tracing gently over Xiao Lancui's barely noticeable Adam's apple.

Xiao Lancui's heart skipped a beat, his fingertips tightened, and he yanked down on Lu Ao's jacket zipper. The harsh "zzzip" sound rang in Xiao Lancui's ears, and he suddenly snapped back to his senses, immediately biting down hard on Lu Ao's lower lip.

A faint taste of blood spread between their lips. Lu Ao winced and finally pulled back. The fireworks continued, their flickering lights passing over his lower lip, which had split open about half a centimeter, fresh blood clinging to the wound.

Lu Ao didn't seem to care, only lowering his gaze to look at Xiao Lancui.

The fireworks bathed Xiao Lancui in light. His snow-white skin had been kissed into a distinct flush. His chest heaved violently as he released the zipper he'd been gripping and pressed his hand against his wildly pounding heart, breathing shallowly and urgently.

Suppressed gasps echoed through the corridor. Lu Ao had nearly kissed the breath out of him.

The light in the corridor gradually faded, the commotion outside subsided, and the hallway fell back into darkness and silence.

"Brother."

Lu Ao lowered his head, gently pressing his forehead against Xiao Lancui's, murmuring like a sigh, "I like you so much. What am I supposed to do?"

Xiao Lancui had caught his breath.

They were close, yet he still couldn't make out the young man's face clearly, only able to feel the wetness of Lu Ao's eyelashes.

Lu Ao—

was crying?

Xiao Lancui was momentarily stunned. After a second of hesitation, he spoke, his voice a bit muffled from being kissed so thoroughly, "You like men?"

It was the same question as last time.

And Lu Ao gave the same answer, "I like you, brother."

Lu Ao turned his face away and gently pressed it against Xiao Lancui's left cheek. Moisture slid across their touching skin. "Brother, do you hate it when I kiss you?"

Xiao Lancui fell silent.

He didn't hate it.

If he hated it, Lu Ao would never have had the chance to kiss him.

But what followed was a harder question.

Why didn't he hate it?

Another wave of warmth pressed in through their touching skin, and Lu Ao's voice was already thick with tears. "I'm sorry, brother. Don't be angry, and don't be disgusted by me. I can't help it. I just—I like you so, so much."

Having come back to his senses, Lu Ao was filled with regret and scrambled to make amends.

He shouldn't have lost control. He—

"Mm." Xiao Lancui suddenly said, "Do you still want to kiss?"

The words caught in his throat. Lu Ao stared at the face that remained clear even in the dimness, tears still clinging to his eyelashes.

Xiao Lancui pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped the moisture from Lu Ao's lashes. When it was clean, his eyes curved into a smile. "If you want to kiss, wait a bit. It's time to eat New Year dumplings."

Xiao Lancui placed the handkerchief in Lu Ao's hand, turned around, and went inside, closing the door behind him.

Lu Ao watched his retreating figure, swallowed several times, and followed him in, shutting the door.

In the kitchen, the range hood whirred for a while before falling quiet. Xiao Lancui came out carrying the dumplings.

Two bowls.

One with a single dumpling, one with nineteen.

Lu Ao's gaze followed Xiao Lancui as he moved. When Xiao Lancui sat down at the dining table, Lu Ao also pulled out the chair across from him and sat.

Xiao Lancui straightened the chopsticks and handed them over with a smile. "Happy New Year."

If not for his lips being swollen red from kissing, it would have seemed as though the kiss had never happened.

Lu Ao took the chopsticks and looked at Xiao Lancui. "Happy New Year."

Xiao Lancui nodded, lowered his head, and picked up the single dumpling in his bowl. He had improved a little—the dumpling was cooked decently, no broken skin this time.

He lowered his face and took a small bite. Lu Ao didn't interrupt him, only watching without blinking.

Xiao Lancui swallowed the dumpling, finally set down his chopsticks, raised his eyes, and met Lu Ao's gaze. "I don't hate it."

"Crack!"

The chopsticks in Lu Ao's hand gave a crack—it was unclear if they had broken—as he repeated in a low voice, "You don't hate it..."

Xiao Lancui nodded.

During the time the dumplings were cooking, he had sorted out his thoughts about the sudden kiss.

Lu Ao liked him—not as a younger brother, not as a puppy, but as a man.

And he had kissed him as a man.

But he really didn't hate it.

Xiao Lancui picked up his chopsticks again and said, "If you still want to kiss, let's finish the dumplings first. The first meal of the new year—eating them will bring you good luck all year long."

Lu Ao's dark eyes darkened as he got up and went to the kitchen to replace his chopsticks.

The kitchen was neither too far nor too close from the dining area. Lu Ao tossed the chopsticks, snapped into four pieces, into the trash with a heavy thud.

Lu Ao was glad Xiao Lancui didn't hate his kiss, but then it hit him: what Xiao Lancui didn't hate was this Lu Ao's kiss.

Lu Ao stared at the broken chopsticks in the trash, took a few deep breaths, then grabbed new ones and went back to the dining room.

Lu Ao polished off the nineteen dumplings in no time. He watched Xiao Lancui head back to the master bedroom and heard the faint sound of water.

Xiao Lancui was showering.

Hot water cascaded down from overhead, his long lashes wet and clinging to his skin. His upper lip was swollen, and even under the hot water, it stung faintly.

Xiao Lancui raised a finger and touched his upper lip.

Lu Ao's lips, his breath—hotter than the water.

This time, Xiao Lancui took a little longer in the shower. He turned off the water, his gaze lingering between a bathrobe and loungewear for a moment, then dried off and slipped into the loungewear.

He dried his hair slowly, taking his time until it was fully dry before leaving the bathroom.

The bedroom door was shut, and the house was silent.

Xiao Lancui walked back to the bed first, lay down and tossed and turned for about ten minutes before finally throwing off the covers and getting up.

Only the bedside lamp was on. He walked through the slivers of light to the door and opened it, and the tall figure outside leaned down toward him.

The same shampoo, the same body wash, the same mint toothpaste. This time, Lu Ao kissed very carefully.

But his lips were as scorching as ever, gently capturing Xiao Lancui's in a soft, drizzling kiss.

His equally burning hand now rested on Xiao Lancui's waist. He was twelve centimeters taller than Xiao Lancui, and though he had to bow his head, he still instinctively wrapped his arm around Xiao Lancui's waist, pulling him up against him.

Xiao Lancui rose onto his toes, tilting his face up to keep kissing Lu Ao.

This time, it felt clearer.

He didn't hate it.

Because Lu Ao's love for him was like that of a lover—like that ungrateful wolf who gave up his kingdom for beauty—intense, madly in love with him.

This way, Lu Ao—inside and out, willingly and completely—belonged to him.

He raised his hand and wrapped it around Lu Ao's back.

The tenderness on his lips vanished instantly. Lu Ao pressed fiercely against Xiao Lancui's lips, one arm around his waist, carrying him to the bed in long strides and setting him down.

Lu Ao trailed down from his lips, hot, dense kisses following his jawline and down his neck. His other hand went for the buttoned pajamas, roughly undoing the buttons.

Before he could finish, his hand was caught.

The haze in Xiao Lancui's eyes cleared, and his wet, red lips let out a few words: "That's enough for today."

Lu Ao looked up and planted another hard kiss on the corner of Xiao Lancui's mouth, his voice hoarse. "But bro, you..."

He mouthed the words silently at Xiao Lancui.

"You're getting hard."

Heat rushed to Xiao Lancui's face. He'd noticed his own body too, and his voice was just as rough.

"Hand..."

Dense kisses fell again, Lu Ao pressing relentlessly along the corner of Xiao Lancui's lips, murmuring, "Alright, bro."

The unfamiliar, long-lost feeling washed over him. Xiao Lancui bit his lip, and behind his closed eyes, instead of darkness, there were fragments of images.

The books he'd read in the study as a kid.

A single lotus in a vase.

And that pitch-black cave that night, calling his name again and again—

"Ah Lan."

Two voices overlapped, and Xiao Lancui blacked out for a moment.

In a daze, a tender kiss landed on his forehead. "Goodnight, bro."

Xiao Lancui's eyes fluttered shut.

The sound of trickling water grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared, and he sank into a deep sleep.

*

Xiao Lancui opened his eyes to the smell of food.

His body felt fresh and clean, and he'd slept great for the first time in ages. He threw off the covers and got up. Glancing at the time, his brow furrowed slightly.

One in the afternoon.

He'd slept that long.

He grabbed his phone and saw missed calls from Xie Jingfang and Xiao Mian. He called Xiao Mian back first, asking about last night.

Xiao Mian said, "Xiao Anfeng ran off. Mom locked Xiao Liqin's door and said she'd let him out once he agreed to cut ties with Xiao Anfeng. He was banging on the door all night and just quieted down."

Xiao Mian hesitated but still asked, "That murderer." He meant Xiao Jingli. "Has he reached out to you?"

"No."

"Good!" Xiao Mian gritted his teeth. "If he contacts you, don't even bother. That old bastard is disgusting—don't you dare go soft!"

Xiao Lancui said flatly, "Mhm."

Just as he was about to hang up, Xiao Mian hurriedly called out, "Bro!"

Xiao Lancui paused, waiting for his next words. Xiao Mian stammered for a long time before finally blurting out quickly and quietly, "Come back to Grandma's early tonight for dinner—we all miss you!"

This time, Xiao Mian hung up first.

Xiao Lancui then called Xie Jingfang, exchanged a few words, and logged into WeChat. The private investigator had sent photos at 1 AM.

It showed Xiao Jingli leading Xiao Anfeng into a car.

Xiao Lancui transferred an extra New Year's red envelope to the investigator, who replied instantly, "Thanks, boss! Happy New Year! They've arrived at the villa in the western suburbs. I can't get in for now, but I'll contact you the moment I have news!"

Xiao Lancui put down his phone and headed to the bathroom.

He squeezed toothpaste onto his brush and suddenly looked up at himself in the mirror. Unlike usual, his pale face today had a faint pink flush, and his upper lip was still slightly swollen.

The images from early morning flooded back. Xiao Lancui stuck the electric toothbrush in his mouth, and for a long moment, nothing happened—he'd forgotten to turn it on. The finger that had gripped Lu Ao's hair in the early hours pressed down hard on the switch.