Chapter 40: Let Me Protect You (VIII)

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Chapter 40: Let Me Protect You (VIII)

At Shang Ke’s insistence, the two ultimately continued sleeping in separate rooms. After entering sixth-form college, they moved out of the family home and rented an apartment near their school. Classes, work, exercise, shopping… they were practically inseparable every day. Shang Ke found it rather incredible. To live with someone for ten years and still never get tired of him—this had to be true love!

But true love was one thing. Some boundaries still had to be maintained!

“Keke, my room smells weird,” Feng Juan complained aggrievedly.

Shang Ke turned on the air freshener.

“Keke, my bed is too hard.”

Shang Ke added another layer to his mattress.

“Keke, I can’t sleep without you.”

Shang Ke put a photo of himself beside Feng Juan’s bed.

“Keke, the soundproofing in my room is terrible. What if you hear me taking care of myself?”

Shang Ke handed him a banana.

Feng Juan stared stiffly at the banana in his hand. “…”

“What are you staring at? Eat it.” Shang Ke peeled one for himself as well. “Bananas can soothe internal heat, quench thirst, and help with constipation. Having one occasionally is good for both body and mind.”

The moment Feng Juan saw Shang Ke eating the banana, his imagination immediately wandered somewhere inappropriate, leaving him feeling even more restless. Who said bananas could reduce internal heat?! He felt even hotter now!

While Feng Juan was still wondering how he might pounce on him, Shang Ke had already finished the banana and turned toward his own room.

Feng Juan immediately followed like a scheming wolf with a huge tail swishing suspiciously behind him.

At the doorway, Shang Ke braced one hand against the frame and gave the “wolf” a sidelong look. “Get back to your own room and sleep.”

Feng Juan toyed with the banana in his hand and lingered stubbornly at the doorway.

Such a tall, intimidating guy was actually putting on that pitiful expression. Was he trying to weaponize the contrast and act cute? Hmph. Shang Ke refused to give in. Otherwise, this guy would definitely take a mile after being given an inch.

“Keke, you don’t love me anymore.” Feng Juan looked utterly heartbroken.

“If you keep causing trouble, then all I can say is, ‘I loved you once.’”

Feng Juan felt as though an arrow had pierced straight through his heart. It hurt.

Watching Feng Juan leave dejectedly, Shang Ke inevitably softened a little. But he immediately warned himself that he absolutely could not give in!

The next morning, Shang Ke discovered dark circles beneath Feng Juan’s eyes. He looked positively kidney-deficient… no, haggard. Apparently, he hadn’t slept well.

Shang Ke pretended not to notice and told himself that Feng Juan would get used to it eventually.

Once they finished getting ready, the two headed out together. In front of other people, Feng Juan immediately returned to his usual mature, aloof demeanor. He was decisive and commanding enough to keep a whole group of ordinary teenagers obediently in line—a complete contrast to the spoiled, temperamental way he behaved at home.

Feng Juan loved intense sports, while Shang Ke preferred quieter activities. Feng Juan invited him to every event, and whenever Shang Ke was watching, he performed as though pumped full of adrenaline, drawing screams from countless girls. Yet there was only one person whose attention he actually wanted.

On the basketball court, Feng Juan threw himself completely into the game, sweat flying as powerful muscles flexed with every movement.

Shang Ke had to admit that Feng Juan looked dazzling enough like this to make his heart skip a beat.

When the game ended, Feng Juan returned to Shang Ke’s side. Although his expression remained composed, his eyes shone like two blazing flames.

Shang Ke instinctively avoided his gaze and handed him the towel and water bottle he was holding.

“Let’s head home. There’s a masquerade tonight, and we can’t miss it.” Feng Juan casually wiped away his sweat, slung his bag over one shoulder, and pulled Shang Ke along with him.

“Mm.”

The masquerade was being held by the school to welcome the approaching summer vacation. Each grade had its own theme, and Shang Ke’s year had been assigned black and white, meaning everyone’s outfit could only use those two colors.

Shang Ke and Feng Juan had already chosen their costumes, but apart from knowing each other’s colors, they had kept the designs secret. Their plan was to find one another at the dance.

Shang Ke arrived before Feng Juan. He wore a fitted white suit and a silver mask, while his black hair was concealed beneath a long golden wig. Altogether, he looked like an aristocrat from the Middle Ages.

He leaned against a pillar and slowly searched the ballroom with his eyes. Quite a few people came over to strike up a conversation, but he tactfully turned them all away.

Just then, the lights suddenly dimmed, music thundered through the hall, and excited screams erupted from the crowd.

Shang Ke suddenly felt an arm tighten around his waist and pull him into an embrace. A heated kiss followed immediately.

He instinctively tried to struggle, but the other person had clearly anticipated it and blocked every attempt to break free.

It was Feng Juan! Even in the darkness, Shang Ke recognized him immediately from his familiar presence. This guy didn’t dare openly declare his feelings, so instead he had found another way to secretly cause trouble. No wonder someone who normally disliked parties had been so enthusiastic about attending this one.

The darkness concealed their embarrassment, their hesitation, and the boundaries they normally kept in place.

Their bodies pressed closely together as they became completely absorbed in the kiss amid the surrounding noise, allowing all the emotions they had been holding back to spill free.

Feng Juan’s pent-up feelings were so intense that Shang Ke felt almost overwhelmed by them. He was like a starving beast that had finally tasted something it desperately wanted and had immediately lost all restraint. If they had been somewhere more private, Shang Ke had no doubt things would have gone much further.

After an unknown amount of time, the lights came back on. Shang Ke narrowed his eyes against the sudden brightness, and by the time he opened them again, Feng Juan had disappeared.

The instant the lights returned, Feng Juan released Shang Ke and quickly retreated into a dark corner. He leaned against the wall, breathing heavily as his heart pounded, feeling as though all the tension inside him might burst.

“Keke…” Covering his mouth, Feng Juan whispered his name, feeling as though his self-control was reaching its limit.

Half an hour later, once he had finally calmed himself down, Feng Juan pretended he had only just arrived and “happened” to find Shang Ke. He secretly studied him, but the mask concealed his expression, leaving only the unusually red lips beneath it visible.

Feng Juan’s gaze darkened, and the agitation he had only just managed to suppress flared up again.

After the dance ended, the two returned home in silence, the atmosphere between them tense and stifling.

The moment they entered the room, Shang Ke was pressed hard against the door and immediately swept into another fierce embrace.

Feng Juan kissed him with overwhelming intensity, barely giving him room to breathe.

“You knew it was me, didn’t you?” Feng Juan asked hoarsely against his lips.

Shang Ke breathed softly. After a long silence, he finally gave a quiet, “Mm.”

At the affirmative answer, Feng Juan stopped hesitating. He picked Shang Ke up and tossed him onto the bed.

“Wait…” Shang Ke made one final doomed attempt to preserve what little remained of his dignity.

“I can’t wait anymore.” Perhaps Shang Ke’s feelings had not yet fully crossed the line from family into romance, but the slightest softening on his part was more than Feng Juan could ignore.

Faced with Feng Juan’s relentless advances, Shang Ke eventually stopped resisting and allowed himself to be swept up in the moment with him.

Their discarded clothes ended up scattered across the floor, and neither of them got much sleep that night…

Shang Ke woke groggily and instinctively reached for his phone, only for a large hand to stop him.

When Shang Ke tried to turn over, Feng Juan pulled him close from behind and resumed their intimacy from the night before. Shang Ke was far too exhausted; after a few instinctive protests, he gave up and let him continue.

Having only just crossed that boundary for the first time, Feng Juan seemed to have endless energy and refused to leave Shang Ke alone.

If both of them hadn’t been in excellent physical condition, they probably wouldn’t have been able to get out of bed the next day.

By the time Shang Ke was fully awake, Feng Juan had already left the room.

Looking at the various marks left across his body and remembering how intense the previous night had been, Shang Ke couldn’t help feeling his face heat up.

Shang Ke ruffled his hair and got up to wash, only to realize immediately that he definitely needed a shower.

He cursed under his breath and hurried toward the bathroom on unsteady legs.

By the time Feng Juan returned, Shang Ke had already washed up, changed into fresh house clothes, and was tidying the room.

Feng Juan quietly walked up behind him, wrapped an arm around his waist, and called sweetly, “Keke.”

Shang Ke pushed him away. “Go away. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

“Why?” Feng Juan asked without the slightest self-awareness. “Was I bad last night?”

“And what exactly do you think you did well?”

Feng Juan seriously considered the question before answering, “Endurance. Stamina.”

Shang Ke glared at him, and the unintentional charm in that expression immediately left Feng Juan distracted all over again.

“Keke, I’m going to move all my things out of that room right now.” Feng Juan eagerly started toward the door.

“Wait.” Shang Ke hurriedly stopped him. “Why are you moving them in here?”

“So I can share a room with you,” Feng Juan replied as though it were obvious.

“No.” Shang Ke had no intention of overdoing things. “We’re still sleeping in separate rooms.”

“Why?” Feng Juan had assumed their relationship had already been made clear after the previous night.

“Because I said no.”

Feng Juan fell silent for a moment before asking, “Keke, do you dislike being intimate with me? Or can you just not accept a relationship between two men?”

“That’s not it.” Shang Ke was just about to correct his misunderstanding when his phone suddenly rang.

He answered, exchanged a few words, then hung up. “Juanjuan, something came up. I need to go out for a while.”

“Where?”

“A friend needs my help.” Shang Ke found a set of clothes and hurriedly changed.

“Isn’t your friend my friend too? I’ll go with you.”

“No need.” Shang Ke refused, put on his shoes, said goodbye, and left.

Left alone at home, Feng Juan felt thoroughly miserable. The joy of finally having his feelings reciprocated vanished completely.

Had what happened last night only been another example of Keke habitually indulging him? If so, then Feng Juan would simply have Keke “indulge” him for the rest of their lives!

By the time Shang Ke returned home, it was already late at night.

When he entered his room, he discovered that Feng Juan had actually gone ahead and moved all his belongings in without asking.

“You’re back.” Wearing nothing but a bath towel, Feng Juan casually walked past Shang Ke, lifted the covers, and made himself comfortable in his bed.

Shang Ke’s gaze lingered briefly on Feng Juan’s solid build before he said, “I need to talk to you about something.”

“If this is about separate rooms, forget it.” Feng Juan wore the stubborn expression of someone who had clearly decided he was staying no matter what.

The corner of Shang Ke’s mouth twitched. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. “Juanjuan, have you ever thought about looking for your family?”

Confusion flashed through Feng Juan’s eyes. “Why are you suddenly bringing that up?”

“Because…” Shang Ke’s expression turned serious. “I may have news about your family.”

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