The curtains of the apartment were drawn tightly. Only two thin, colored candles flickered atop a delicately decorated cream cake in the center of the dining table.
“Brother, why are you daydreaming?”
Ying Yulian sat opposite him, his eyes reflecting two dancing flames that shone with startling brightness. He had shed most of his youthful boyishness, and his features increasingly resembled those of his past life. Yet, the absolute dependence and deep-seated affection in his gaze whenever he looked at Lu Min had not changed in the slightest over the years.
“I was just thinking,” Lu Min paused and smiled. “Time really flies.”
It flew so fast that even someone like him, who had lived two lives, frequently felt a sense of trance. In his previous life, he and Ying Yulian were mortal enemies who perished together. In this life, he had watched this person grow from a timid child into the tall, elegant young man standing before him.
“Make a wish,” Lu Min said. His voice was deep and gentle.
Ying Yulian clasped his hands and closed his eyes. His thick eyelashes cast small shadows under the candlelight, and his expression was one of rare piety and earnestness. The fire bathed half of his face in a warm glow, highlighting his straight nose and slightly pursed lips.
Watching Yulian make his wish, Lu Min began to wonder what it might be. Perhaps it was good health, peace, success in his exams, or wealth and prosperity.
A moment later, Ying Yulian opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and leaned forward to blow out all the candles. Instantly, darkness enveloped them. Only the faint glow from the streetlights outside traced the blurred outlines of the furniture and the sound of their breathing in the close proximity.
“What did you wish for?” Lu Min asked curiously as he stood up to turn on the light.
“It is a wish related to you, Brother. I need you to help me fulfill it.”
Lu Min’s steps faltered. He felt a burning warmth press against his back as Ying Yulian wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. He reached up to gently pry Yulian’s hands away, only to find the youth’s grip was exceptionally firm.
“Do not move, Brother.”
The heat of the boy’s breath made Lu Min’s thin clothing feel scorching. Lu Min turned around helplessly and looked down, ruffling Yulian’s soft hair.
“A wish you need me to fulfill? Is this why you said you did not want a birthday present and insisted on waiting until today for me to give you one?” Lu Min chuckled. To him, the birthday wishes of a teenager usually involved expensive items they could not afford themselves. Money was the one thing Lu Min did not lack. Fulfilling Yulian’s wish seemed simple enough.
“It is actually a surprise I prepared for you. I do not know if you will consider it a gift,” Yulian said. He kept his eyes lowered, and a thin layer of sweat formed on the tip of his nose from nervousness. His ears had turned deep red. “Brother, close your eyes.”
“Hmm? You want me to close my eyes?” Lu Min tilted his head with a smile, but he complied and closed them anyway.
After the man closed his eyes, Ying Yulian remained worried that his brother might suddenly peek. He covered Lu Min’s eyes with both hands, and his mind went blank from the heat. The only things he could feel were his own deafening heartbeat and the ticklish sensation of Lu Min’s eyelashes fluttering against his palms.
With his vision gone, Lu Min’s other senses became remarkably sharp. He could smell the sweet, cloying scent of the cream cake and hear Yulian’s hurried breathing. Then, a warm hand damp with a light sweat reached out tentatively to find his.
“Is this also part of fulfilling your birthday wish?” Lu Min asked, frowning. He felt something was wrong and reached up to pull Yulian’s hands away from his eyes.
However, Yulian grabbed his wrist. Knowing that Lu Min had sensed something was amiss, the boy swallowed hard. He tried his best to keep his voice steady. “What are you thinking, Brother? I just want to hold your hand to unwrap the gift.”
Lu Min’s fingers curled slightly before relaxing, and he eventually clasped that soft hand. Ying Yulian led Lu Min’s hand, his fingertips first touching the hem of his own T-shirt, and then guiding Lu Min’s palm slowly upward. The soft fabric was lifted, revealing the youth’s lean waist, which rose and fell slightly with his breath. Lu Min’s palm was forced against that warm skin.
“Is it a hairless cat?” Lu Min guessed. The texture against his palm was too fine and smooth, like skin. He suddenly remembered a time when he and Yulian had passed a cat cafe, and the boy had taken a liking to the hairless cats.
“You guessed wrong, Brother.” Though, in a way, it was not entirely wrong; he had indeed shaved everything clean. “You can choose some things from inside to decorate this gift.”
Blushing, Ying Yulian guided Lu Min’s hand toward the small toys he had purchased. He did not know what his brother liked, so he had bought everything he could find, intending to let Lu Min choose. However, because the shapes of these objects were too scandalous, he only dared to let his brother choose blindly.
“Opening a mystery box?” Lu Min lightly brushed over the items. Every single one felt strange. If it was not a live animal, then it was something like a giant ball-jointed doll. Choosing something like a hair clip would surely be safe. Lu Min fumbled for a moment and found something he was satisfied with.
“Brother, that is meant to be worn here,” Yulian whispered.
“It goes on top?” Lu Min asked curiously. He reached out, desperate to know what the gift actually was.
Yulian hurriedly grabbed his wrist. He could not let his brother touch that spot, or he would surely figure it out. He immediately changed the subject to distract him. “You can also choose another decoration, Brother.”
Since he had chosen a hair clip based on the standard for a doll, he decided to choose something based on the standard for an animal next. Regardless of the animal, they all wore collars, so he would pick a collar. Recalling the texture from earlier, Lu Min thought it must be a fairly large animal, so he should choose a larger collar. His fingertips hooked around a leather collar attached to a long chain.
“This one.”
“Brother, let me help you put it on.”
Seeing Lu Min choose that item, Ying Yulian hesitated. He actually wanted his brother to put it on him, but it was too close to his face; Lu Min would definitely notice. He glanced at Lu Min uncertainly. The reason he covered the man’s eyes while offering his body was that he could not be sure how Lu Min would react to such an act.
What if this has no value to him? What if it is not useful?
His brother was wealthy and powerful, a former rising star in the police force. Many people had likely thrown themselves at him before, trying to use sex to prove they were worth keeping around. Aside from a decent-looking face and body, Yulian felt he had nothing else to offer in return. He felt a surge of inferiority and cowardice. However, a person without value or use would soon be abandoned. To him, being abandoned was far more terrifying than being scolded.
Ying Yulian took a deep breath. He leaned down, exposing the entirety of his nape to Lu Min. He guided the man’s warm, calloused hands to his neck. One of Lu Min’s hands circled the youth while the other fumbled with the clasp of the collar.
Wait, is a giant ball-jointed doll supposed to be this hot? Lu Min remembered that the heater was not on. The texture beneath his hands felt more and more like a person. Specifically, it felt like a person he knew.
“Xiao Lian, let go.”
“Brother, it will be ready in just a second. Just wait a little longer.”
The sudden coldness in Lu Min’s tone made Ying Yulian feel that something was wrong. He immediately stood up, intending to put his clothes and jacket back on. Even then, he did not forget to keep Lu Min’s eyes covered. However, he forgot that the other end of the chain around his neck was in the man’s hand.
Lu Min gave his wrist a slight tug. The chain clinked, and Yulian was pulled so sharply that he nearly lost his footing and fell to the floor. He could already feel the sudden drop in pressure coming from his brother. The man’s broad, tall figure loomed over him with an oppressive weight.
“Ying Yulian, let go of your hands.”
“Brother.”
Yulian wanted to resist a little longer, but the man’s hand had already moved to the lace clips he had chosen, which were now hanging from his chest. With a gentle tug of his fingertips, the two small purple spheres immediately became engorged and hung there piteously. The pain made Yulian’s eyes redden instantly, and he realized Lu Min was serious.
He released his hands from Lu Min’s eyes. Timidity and fear flooded him immediately. Yulian bit his lip and lowered his gaze, not daring to look up at Lu Min, whose aura was exceptionally low. He could only steal a glance at the man through his peripheral vision. Lu Min was leaning back against the sofa, holding the other end of the iron chain in silence.
Ying Yulian wanted to reach out and tug at Lu Min’s sleeve, but he was too afraid because the man was angry. He could only call out timidly.
“Brother.”
“Who told you I would like this kind of thing?” After a moment of silence, Lu Min spoke in a deep voice. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Ying Yulian, who was kneeling on the floor. He lightly tapped the youth’s knee with the tip of his shoe. “Get up and tell me who taught you these things.”