Just past midnight, the small inn was still open for business.
The young woman at the front desk wore a sour expression, idly watching a show on her phone, clearly slacking off. When two young men walked into the lobby, she didn’t even bother to glance up at them.
Di Zhe felt his nerves kick in ahead of time. He quietly encouraged himself in his heart before stepping forward, gently placing a hand on the high counter as he asked, “Hello, miss, are there still rooms available?”
Catching the strong scent of alpha pheromones emanating from Di Zhe, the receptionist shot him a wary look and asked suspiciously, “Are you an adult?”
Di Zhe had already been clutching his ID card tightly in his hand. He was so nervous that his palms were sweating. He hurriedly nodded. “Yes, I’m an adult.”
After checking his ID, the receptionist finally began processing their check-in. “Do you want a double bed room or a twin room?”
A double bed. Di Zhe answered inwardly without hesitation. He swallowed, then carefully glanced at Shen Yandong’s expression before saying aloud, “…a twin room.”
The receptionist then prompted the second guest, “Your ID as well, please. Registration is required for check-in.”
Damn. He hadn’t thought of that.
Di Zhe turned to ask, “Did you bring your ID?”
Shen Yandong paused briefly, then unhurriedly took out a leather wallet from his pocket, opened it, pulled out his ID card, and handed it over.
A rapid clatter of typing followed.
The receptionist returned both IDs along with a room card. “Take the elevator on your left. Sixth floor, room 6017.”
He hadn’t expected things to go this smoothly.
Di Zhe felt dazed, as if his entire soul were wrapped in a sense of unreality. His heart had been pounding wildly since before they even entered the inn, and even now it refused to calm down.
They stepped into the elevator.
Even he himself could smell how strong his own pheromones were.
At this moment, Di Zhe was actually grateful that Shen Yandong was a beta. Otherwise, he would have surely sensed Di Zhe’s restless and surging pheromones long ago and seen through his ulterior motives. There was no way he would have been so easily coaxed into coming to the inn with just a few words.
The first thing to do was take a shower.
Di Zhe’s expensive suit had already been rolled around in dirt and dust.
The bathroom in this small inn was nothing more than a glass-partitioned corner within the room itself. There wasn’t even a curtain for privacy.
Shen Yandong felt a little awkward, but he still said considerately, “It can be a bit dangerous to shower after drinking. If you feel unwell, call me anytime.”
The room was too cramped, so Shen Yandong could only sit on the bed farthest from the bathroom.
He lowered his head, focusing on nothing but his own breathing, pretending not to hear the sound of running water.
Only when the water finally stopped, and he heard Di Zhe getting dressed, did Di Zhe call out to him, “I’m done. Your turn.”
Shen Yandong estimated that he must already be fully dressed before he finally raised his head.
And then, at a glance, he saw Di Zhe’s body reflected in the fake window glass embedded in the wall, the figure faintly visible as he wiped away the water droplets.
Even that blurred reflection alone made Shen Yandong’s shoulders stiffen. At a loss for words, he blurted out, “Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?”
Even though Shen Yandong was still just sitting there, Di Zhe could clearly sense his fluster.
Shen Yandong really was shy.
A satisfied smile curled at the corner of Di Zhe’s lips. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he leisurely wrapped a bath towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom, asking, “Aren’t you going to shower?”
Turn around and look at me.
Di Zhe felt a growing impatience.
But it didn’t matter. If Shen Yandong wouldn’t come over, then he could just go to him instead.
He had just reached Shen Yandong’s side, the mattress about to sink under his weight, when Shen Yandong suddenly stood up. “If you want to sleep on this bed, then you can take it.”
Di Zhe stared in confusion as Shen Yandong dodged him like a game of cat and mouse, getting up and circling far around him to leave.
Just as Shen Yandong was about to step out of his reach, Di Zhe grabbed hold of him. “Are you leaving?”
Shen Yandong turned his head away, his gaze drifting without settling on Di Zhe at all. The tips of his ears were flushed red as he said, “Put your sleepwear on properly. Don’t be so… exposed.”
Such a shy lover, so adorable. Makes me want to tease him.
That was what Di Zhe thought. Not only did he not let go, he even grabbed Shen Yandong’s hand and pressed it against his own chest muscles, speaking flirtatiously, “Yandong, why are you shy? We’re already lovers. I belong to you, don’t I? You can look at my body all you want, touch it all you want.”
Shen Yandong felt his fingers pressing against Di Zhe’s chest, warm, soft, and elastic, the sensation surprisingly pleasant. He was so startled he felt like he might explode on the spot. For a moment, he couldn’t control his strength and abruptly pulled his hand back.
Di Zhe was flung aside, nearly falling to the ground. He looked up in surprise.
Shen Yandong was that strong?
In that instant, Shen Yandong’s presence became unexpectedly frightening, completely different from the gentle and warm impression he usually gave others.
But it lasted only for a fleeting moment.
Shen Yandong apologized to him, “Sorry. Don’t suddenly scare me like that next time.”
It was so brief that it almost felt like nothing more than an illusion.
Shen Yandong stood there in silence, tucked away in the corner of the room. The hallway light was on, but the bedroom remained dark, leaving his elegant features shrouded in shadow. His eyes, which were a bright, glassy light gray during the day, now appeared as deep, fathomless pools of ink.
In that dim light, he looked like a stranger, someone who shared Shen Yandong’s face but possessed an entirely different soul.
For a fleeting second, Di Zhe felt a genuine flash of alarm; he sensed that the person standing before him was on the verge of losing control. It wasn’t a playful sort of madness.
Di Zhe couldn’t quite put his finger on why, but his primal, animalistic instincts, the kind that hadn’t yet been dulled by civilization, were screaming at him to stop pushing his luck.
Di Zhe felt a pang of regret. However, he had harbored feelings for Shen Yandong for two years and had pursued him for just as long. If he had to endure a little more restraint now, so be it.
Softening his tone, Di Zhe offered a sheepish apology. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to tease you a bit.”
Shen Yandong responded with the stiff, formal air of a school dean, his voice devoid of any romantic playfulness. “Don’t play like that again,” he said flatly.
Di Zhe hesitated, but his sense of grievance eventually won out. “But… but people who are dating aren’t usually this well-behaved…”
Shen Yandong’s voice softened slightly. He still refused to step closer, remaining anchored in the shadows, but he spoke with a gentle gravity.
“That will have to wait for the future. Di Zhe, give me some time to prepare myself mentally, alright? I don’t want to hurt you.”
There was something about those words that felt slightly off to Di Zhe. He froze, trying to wrap his head around the phrasing, but before he could find the thread of his thought, Shen Yandong had already stripped off his school uniform jacket. He tossed it toward Di Zhe, the fabric draping over the boy’s bare torso to cover him up.
“Go to sleep,” Shen Yandong said. “I’m going to bed, too.”
Shen Yandong didn’t take a shower; he simply finished a quick, basic wash-up before lying down. To be fair, he hadn’t sweated much that day, but he still felt a lingering sense of physical discomfort.
He was a person with a mild case of germaphobia and would never have been this lax at home. Today was an exception, how could he possibly shower in this bathroom? To him, it felt no different than being an exhibitionist.
The lights went out. The room fell into a heavy silence.
Di Zhe, however, was far from peaceful. He felt incredibly frustrated. It felt as though he were just one tiny step away from what he wanted. The person he loved most, that “swan meat” he had been craving for so long, was lying right next to him. Shen Yandong was right there, smelling wonderful and within arm’s reach, yet Di Zhe couldn’t get a taste.
The more he thought about it, the more his unsatisfied desires flared. The lingering effects of the alcohol hadn’t faded; instead, they seemed to be further clouding his judgment and heightening his senses.
As luck would have it, a series of strange, muffled moans began to drift through the walls from somewhere nearby. It took a few moments for the sounds to register in Di Zhe’s mind, but once they did, he realized exactly what was happening: someone in an adjacent room was in the middle of a heated encounter.
They were loud, and they were definitely “calling the bed.”
Di Zhe felt a wave of intense envy. His frustration peaked. Hearing those sounds made his own body heat up. Beneath the covers, he undid his bath towel and began to let his hands wander, all while whispering Shen Yandong’s name in the dark.
“Yandong? Are you asleep? Can you hear… what’s happening next door?”
He was trying to bait him. He refused to believe that any hot-blooded high school boy could remain indifferent to this. Was Shen Yandong some kind of monk who had achieved enlightenment? How could he have absolutely no reaction to those sounds?
Shen Yandong remained silent, appearing for all the world as if he were fast asleep.
Di Zhe continued to mumble under his breath, his voice persistent and restless. “I know you’re not asleep. Hey… do you know how two guys actually do it? I’m pretty curious. Aren’t you? It felt so good when you touched me earlier… I want you to do it again. Don’t you like it? Or are you just shy? Their voices are making me have a reaction… Yandong, I really want to kiss you again. Can I just have one more kiss? If you don’t say no, then… then I’m coming over. I’ll just give you one secret kiss. Just one.”
As he spoke, Di Zhe actually started to climb out of his bed.
But just as he began to move, there was a sudden shift on Shen Yandong’s bed. As if finally losing his patience, Shen Yandong flipped over and sat up, his voice tight with restrained emotion.
“If it’s just a kiss,” he conceded.
So he really wasn’t asleep! Di Zhe was stunned for a moment, then quickly lay back down. While sticking to him like a piece of gum to get a kiss was fun, it was infinitely more exciting to have Shen Yandong take the initiative and offer the kiss himself.
Shen Yandong stood there in silence, tucked away in the corner of the room. The hallway light was on, but the bedroom remained dark, leaving his elegant features shrouded in shadow. His eyes, which were a bright, glassy light gray during the day, now appeared as deep, fathomless pools of ink.
In that dim light, he looked like a stranger, someone who shared Shen Yandong’s face but possessed an entirely different soul.
For a fleeting second, Di Zhe felt a genuine flash of alarm; he sensed that the person standing before him was on the verge of losing control. It wasn’t a playful sort of madness. Di Zhe couldn’t quite put his finger on why, but his primal, animalistic instincts, the kind that hadn’t yet been dulled by civilization, were screaming at him to stop pushing his luck.
Di Zhe felt a pang of regret. However, he had harbored feelings for Shen Yandong for two years and had pursued him for just as long. If he had to endure a little more restraint now, so be it.
Softening his tone, Di Zhe offered a sheepish apology. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to tease you a bit.”
Shen Yandong responded with the stiff, formal air of a school dean, his voice devoid of any romantic playfulness. “Don’t play like that again,” he said flatly.
Di Zhe hesitated, but his sense of grievance eventually won out. “But… but people who are dating aren’t usually this well-behaved…”
Shen Yandong’s voice softened slightly. He still refused to step closer, remaining anchored in the shadows, but he spoke with a gentle gravity. “That will have to wait for the future. Di Zhe, give me some time to prepare myself mentally, alright? I don’t want to hurt you.”
There was something about those words that felt slightly off to Di Zhe. He froze, trying to wrap his head around the phrasing, but before he could find the thread of his thought, Shen Yandong had already stripped off his school uniform jacket. He tossed it toward Di Zhe, the fabric draping over the boy’s bare torso to cover him up.
“Go to sleep,” Shen Yandong said. “I’m going to bed, too.”
Shen Yandong didn’t take a shower; he simply finished a quick, basic wash-up before lying down. To be fair, he hadn’t sweated much that day, but he still felt a lingering sense of physical discomfort. He was a person with a mild case of germaphobia and would never have been this lax at home. Today was an exception, how could he possibly shower in this bathroom? To him, it felt no different than being an exhibitionist.
The lights went out. The room fell into a heavy silence.
Di Zhe, however, was far from peaceful. He felt incredibly frustrated. It felt as though he were just one tiny step away from what he wanted. The person he loved most, that “swan meat” he had been craving for so long, was lying right next to him. Shen Yandong was right there, smelling wonderful and within arm’s reach, yet Di Zhe couldn’t get a taste.
The more he thought about it, the more his unsatisfied desires flared. The lingering effects of the alcohol hadn’t faded; instead, they seemed to be further clouding his judgment and heightening his senses.
As luck would have it, a series of strange, muffled moans began to drift through the walls from somewhere nearby. It took a few moments for the sounds to register in Di Zhe’s mind, but once they did, he realized exactly what was happening: someone in an adjacent room was in the middle of a heated encounter. They were loud, and they were definitely “calling the bed.”
Di Zhe felt a wave of intense envy. His frustration peaked. Hearing those sounds made his own body heat up. Beneath the covers, he undid his bath towel and began to let his hands wander, all while whispering Shen Yandong’s name in the dark.
“Yandong? Are you asleep? Can you hear… what’s happening next door?”
He was trying to bait him. He refused to believe that any hot-blooded high school boy could remain indifferent to this. Was Shen Yandong some kind of monk who had achieved enlightenment? How could he have absolutely no reaction to those sounds?
Shen Yandong remained silent, appearing for all the world as if he were fast asleep.
Di Zhe continued to mumble under his breath, his voice persistent and restless. “I know you’re not asleep. Hey… do you know how two guys actually do it? I’m pretty curious. Aren’t you? It felt so good when you touched me earlier… I want you to do it again. Don’t you like it? Or are you just shy? Their voices are making me have a reaction… Yandong, I really want to kiss you again. Can I just have one more kiss? If you don’t say no, then… then I’m coming over. I’ll just give you one secret kiss. Just one.”
As he spoke, Di Zhe actually started to climb out of his bed.
But just as he began to move, there was a sudden shift on Shen Yandong’s bed. As if finally losing his patience, Shen Yandong flipped over and sat up, his voice tight with restrained emotion.
“If it’s just a kiss,” he conceded.
So he really wasn’t asleep! Di Zhe was stunned for a moment, then quickly lay back down. While sticking to him like a piece of gum to get a kiss was fun, it was infinitely more exciting to have Shen Yandong take the initiative and offer the kiss himself.
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The Realm accepts offerings. The translator specifically requests coffee.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Love at first sightChapter 2 · Lack of discretionChapter 3 · ShamelessChapter 4 · UnreasonableChapter 5 · PerseveranceChapter 6 · College Entrance Examination EndChapter 7 · Graduation dinnerChapter 8 · Confession nightChapter 9 · Pressing in step by stepChapter 10 · Enough is enoughChapter 11 · A huge blowChapter 12 · University start dateChapter 13 · Roommate meetingChapter 14 · Relentless harassmentChapter 15 · I’ll pick you upChapter 16 · It’s my vulnerable periodChapter 17 · Voluntary datingChapter 18 · Open your heartChapter 19 · Obedient to allChapter 20 · Not a virginChapter 21 · Swear to love meChapter 22 · Youthful DaydreamsChapter 23 · Teenage ThoughtsChapter 24 · EmptyChapter 25 · Extremely anxiousChapter 26 · Too lazy to struggleChapter 27 · From now on