Emerging from his space, Xiao Yan heard the sound of someone knocking on his car window. Peering through the dark glass, Xiao Yan’s face darkened. Standing outside the car was none other than his good sister, Xiao Li. Having gone through the out-of-control episode just moments before, Xiao Yan had already regained his composure. Though he desperately wanted to choke this woman to death with his bare hands, he forced himself to endure it. He wanted to see how this pampered woman would manage to survive in an apocalypse overrun by zombies. Just thinking about it made it sound exceptionally entertaining.
“Brother?” Xiao Li rapped hard against the car window. Strange, this was clearly her brother’s car, so why was there no one inside? She leaned in closer to take a clear look, but the car’s privacy glass was excellent; the dark tint film blocked the interior completely, making it impossible to see anything inside. Fishing her phone out of her bag, Xiao Li made a call, but it just rang continuously without anyone answering. A puzzled look crossed her face, though the other girl accompanying her tugged at her arm. “Let’s go, Xiao Li. Your brother probably parked the car here because he had some business to attend to. Let’s go grab lunch first, and we might run into him when we get back.”
Thinking it over, Xiao Li agreed, so she stopped dwelling on it. Turning around together with the other girl, they hailed a taxi and headed toward the commercial district.
Glancing at his phone, which had been set to silent, Xiao Yan got out of the car with a cold sneer. He would go swap this vehicle for a new one later that afternoon.
With lunchtime in full swing, the university gates were bustling with crowds, mostly students heading out to grab a bite to eat. Xiao Yan dialed Mu Li’s number, his tone instantly shifting to gentleness as a smile bloomed across his face: “Baby, I’m right outside your school gates. Are you done with class?”
On the other end of the line, Mu Li felt his earlobes burning hot, yet he was reluctant to pull the phone away. Fortunately, he hadn’t turned on the speakerphone, or else he would have died of embarrassment. Trying his best to keep his voice steady, he replied, “I’m coming out right now.”
“Okay, take your time and don’t rush. I’ll wait for you.” Xiao Yan’s voice remained tender enough to melt anyone, sounding so pleasant that Mu Li felt his ears were practically pregnant.
After hanging up, Mu Li quickened his pace, smiling secretly at the thought of Xiao Yan. He wondered if this counted as their first date. He definitely needed to eat a lot later, since this man had caused him to zone out several times today, almost getting him called on by the professor.
Xiao Yan hadn’t waited long before he spotted Mu Li jogging out. He hurried forward to meet him and took Mu Li’s hand. “Why did you run over? I’m not in a rush.”
Having jogged all the way over, Mu Li’s breathing was still slightly ragged. Looking up at Xiao Yan, he took a deep breath and said, “I didn’t want to make you wait.”
Xiao Yan’s breath hitched. The gaze Mu Li directed at him seemed to harbor stars within it—focused and earnest, with his entire figure reflected in those eyes. How could he not love such a person? Pulling him along toward the car, Xiao Yan didn’t even wait for Mu Li to speak before pressing down on the back of the young man’s head, tilting his face to seal those lips he had been yearning for.
Breathing intertwined and lips locked, the prolonged kiss felt as though an entire century had passed. This man was single-minded and overbearing, completely cutting off his breath, kissing him until his tongue tingled and his body softened, yet leaving him entirely reluctant to push the man away.
By the time Xiao Yan finally released him, Mu Li’s face was flushed a brilliant red, and he looked up with watery, dazed eyes, clearly thoroughly kissed into a state of confusion. Pinching Mu Li’s chin with a dark, burning gaze, Xiao Yan pressed his lips back onto Mu Li’s for a fleeting moment before resting his forehead against Mu Li’s and murmuring in a low voice: “If you keep looking at me like that, I really won’t be able to hold back.”
“Huh? What…” Mu Li spoke out of reflex, then caught himself and immediately clamped his mouth shut. Using his thumb to stroke Mu Li’s moisture-shimmering lips, Xiao Yan let out a low, husky chuckle: “I won’t be able to hold back… from ravishing you right here in the car.”
Hearing that, Mu Li didn’t dare utter another sound. His face burned as bright as a cooked shrimp, and he wanted nothing more than to shrink his head straight into his clothes, while deep down inside, a little version of himself was screaming at the top of its lungs: Ah, holy crap! What did I just hear?! So thrilling, ah! Xiao Yan is so handsome!
“So, baby, remember that you can’t just look at a man with that kind of gaze all the time.” Xiao Yan chuckled as he watched the little fellow curl himself into a tight ball.
Swallowing hard, Mu Li felt that this man’s voice was unbelievably sexy, carrying a pleasant tingling sensation that made his ears burn with exceptional intensity.
Xiao Yan popped a milk candy into Mu Li’s mouth before starting the engine. For a while, neither of them spoke. Sucking on the candy in his mouth, Mu Li stole occasional glances at Xiao Yan, feeling as though the rich milky fragrance of the sweet completely permeated the interior of the car.
Xiao Yan drove Mu Li to a private-kitchen restaurant he frequented. The establishment was run by a friend of his, ensuring that the ingredients were clean and hygienic, and the dishes were exceptionally delicious. The moment Xiao Yan walked in, a waiter hurried forward to greet him: “Mr. Xiao, you’re here?”
“Where’s your boss?” Xiao Yan walked toward the private dining room he had reserved in advance, holding Mu Li’s hand as the waiter pushed open the door for them.
Pouring glasses of water, the waiter answered, “The boss is in the kitchen. I’ll go let him know you’ve arrived.”
“See what you’d like to eat.” Xiao Yan handed the menu to Mu Li. Taking it, Mu Li flipped through the pages and rattled off his choices: sweet and sour pork ribs, fried fish balls, white-cut chicken, hand-grabbed mutton ribs…
They were entirely meat dishes. Watching him, Xiao Yan made a mental note: he loved meat and didn’t touch a single green leaf. Once Mu Li finished ordering, Xiao Yan added a few more appetizing meat dishes, along with a corn, carrot, and pork rib soup, plus a plate of stir-fried green vegetables.
After noting everything down, the waiter asked, “Mr. Xiao, are there only two of you? Won’t this be a bit too much food?”
“Tell your boss to make smaller portions for each dish.” Xiao Yan knew the two of them couldn’t possibly finish this much food, but wanting his precious treasure to sample a wider variety, he opted for smaller portions across a greater number of dishes.
“Alright, please wait a moment.” The waiter smiled and left, returning shortly afterward with a pot of fruit tea.
It would take a little while for the dishes to be prepared, so Mu Li took a sip of the sweet-and-sour tea and expressed how much he liked it, cradling his cup like a little hamster. Xiao Yan pinched the soft flesh on his cheek—it was plump and squishy, boasting a wonderful tactile feel.
Blinking his eyes, Mu Li stared up at Xiao Yan. He noticed that this man always seemed to love pinching his cheeks. Were they really that fun to pinch? Naturally, whether they were fun to pinch was something only Xiao Yan knew.
After waiting for roughly ten minutes, the dishes were served sequentially. The final rib soup was brought out personally by the boss, who also tossed in a complimentary snack and chatted with Xiao Yan for a couple of minutes before taking his leave.
With all the dishes laid out, Mu Li’s attention was instantly captured by the delicious food on the table. Although the young master had tasted countless delicacies from land and sea, he still couldn’t resist the temptation of good food. Even so, before digging in, he maintained a shred of propriety by using his chopsticks to pick up a rib and place it on his boyfriend’s plate.
Eating it with immense satisfaction, Xiao Yan licked his lips and murmured, “So sweet.”
Mu Li understood his meaning in a second, lowering his head to bite into his own food. This bad guy didn’t even forget to flirt with him while eating.
The young couple ate in an affectionate, clingy manner, taking turns feeding each other bites. The meal ended up stretching leisurely over two hours, and by the time they walked out, all the other customers in the restaurant had already left. Xiao Yan told Mu Li to wait for him a moment, slipped into the back kitchen, and emerged carrying a small box containing the boss’s specially packaged fruit tea bags.
Since Mu Li had requested additional leave, he had most of the afternoon free to accompany Xiao Yan, so the two of them decided to go shopping and properly kick off their first date.