The next morning.
Lu Qi opened his eyes and gazed at the somewhat familiar ceiling. Without even thinking, he knew exactly where he was. He raised a hand to rub his forehead.
He looked down at the head buried in his chest. Fragmented memories from the previous night surfaced in his mind—he hazily remembered Ji Qingyan actually helping him…
At the thought of those images, Lu Qi’s face flushed with embarrassment. He shamefully covered his eyes with his arm.
He only regretted not being fully conscious at the time, carelessly giving away his first time like that. In the end, he even fell asleep right after finishing, not knowing whether Ji Qingyan was angry or not.
Taking advantage of the fact that the person in his arms was still asleep, Lu Qi gently played with his hair, the soft strands winding around his fingertips. The delicate sensation seemed to brush against his heart, sending a brief, tingling shiver through him.
Lu Qi curled his lips into a smile and lowered his head to plant a kiss on his hair.
He thought to himself, It’s over. I’ve fallen for Ji Qingyan. If my family finds out I’m gay, my grandfather will probably kick me out of the house.
Whatever. If they don’t agree, I’ll just run away with Ji Qingyan. I have plenty of private assets anyway—I’d never let him suffer.
Without even knowing whether Ji Qingyan liked him back, Lu Qi was already enthusiastically planning their future.
He absentmindedly poked Ji Qingyan’s cheek with his fingertip until the person in his arms finally stirred awake, unable to bear the disturbance.
Ji Qingyan pushed lightly against Lu Qi’s chest, his voice hoarse from sleep. “What are you doing?”
Lu Qi guiltily lowered his hand and cautiously glanced down at him, whispering, “You’re awake?”
“Mm,” Ji Qingyan responded.
He rested his forehead against Lu Qi’s chest, his arm naturally wrapping around the other’s waist. Lu Qi’s upper body was bare, so Ji Qingyan’s hand made direct contact with the skin of his waist.
“What are you moving for?” Ji Qingyan tightened his grip around Lu Qi’s waist, his tone tinged with displeasure.
Lu Qi steadied his breathing and let Ji Qingyan’s hand remain on his waist, not daring to move again. He didn’t know why he was so afraid of Ji Qingyan, instinctively obeying his words.
The two lay facing each other, with Lu Qi’s arm also wrapped around Ji Qingyan’s waist, as if they were a loving couple.
A sliver of morning sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, becoming the only source of light in the dim room.
Ji Qingyan’s face was close to Lu Qi’s chest. He lifted his eyelids and gazed at the marks on Lu Qi’s chest.
They were traces he had left on him the previous night, like a brand, boldly declaring the presence of another person.
He reached out to touch the marks, but as soon as his fingertips made contact, Lu Qi grabbed his wrist. “Ji Qingyan, don’t provoke me first thing in the morning.”
“Hmm?” Ji Qingyan looked up at him, his long, thick eyelashes distinct and his strikingly beautiful eyes fixed intently on Lu Qi.
Lu Qi turned his face away, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. He couldn’t withstand such a test—what if he lost control and scared him?
“Don’t play innocent.”
Ji Qingyan didn’t respond. Lu Qi followed his gaze down to his own chest. When he realized what he was looking at, he frowned slightly. No wonder his chest had felt sore when he woke up.
Huh?
What exactly had Ji Qingyan done to him while he was drunk last night?
Lu Qi lifted Ji Qingyan’s chin with his index finger, his eyes sweeping over his lips. “Did you do this?”
“Mm, so what?”
Caught red-handed, Ji Qingyan showed no sign of panic, his expression remaining calm and composed. He didn’t know how to explain the impulsive act from last night—it wasn’t as if he could simply say he’d kissed Lu Qi just because he felt like it.
“Hey, you’re the one who did something wrong. How come you’re not the least bit guilty? Your attitude is downright arrogant.”
Ji Qingyan chuckled, then tilted his neck and tapped a finger against it, raising an eyebrow. “Are you saying you’re completely blameless?”
Seeing the shocking hickey on Ji Qingyan’s neck, Lu Qi gasped. Had he really gone that wild while drunk? Ji Qingyan probably thought he was a pervert.
“Did… did I do that?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“Does it hurt? I didn’t realize I bit so hard.” Lu Qi cautiously touched his neck.
“Stop touching it. If there’s a next time, I’ll pull your teeth out.” Ji Qingyan gently brushed his hand away.
Lu Qi had been drowning in guilt, but hearing those words instantly perked him up. “Huh? There’ll be a next time?”
“You’ll let me kiss you again?” Lu Qi’s eyes lit up as he leaned closer.
Realizing he’d spoken his mind, Ji Qingyan’s expression turned slightly awkward. He covered Lu Qi’s face with his palm and pushed him back. “Get lost. There won’t be a next time.”
Lu Qi shamelessly wrapped his arms around Ji Qingyan’s waist, refusing to let go even after being slapped several times. Ji Qingyan’s hands grew tired from hitting him, so he simply gave up.
In the quiet bedroom, Lu Qi’s low voice suddenly broke the silence. “Ji Qingyan, I want to be in a relationship.”
Ji Qingyan’s eyelashes trembled, and his body stiffened. He abruptly pulled away the arms around his waist, threw off the blanket, and sat up on the bed, hands pressed against the sheets.
He looked down at Lu Qi. A sliver of sunlight from the window fell on Lu Qi’s profile, creating a stark contrast between light and shadow—a sense of intense division.
In just a few seconds, the atmosphere between them shifted dramatically. Lu Qi felt as though a boundary had suddenly appeared between them, and Ji Qingyan exuded a sense of detachment he had never seen before.
Ji Qingyan said coldly, “If you want to be in a relationship, go ahead. Why ask me? Do you want me to give you advice?”
Even Lu Qi, dense as he could be, sensed something off in his words.
He lunged at Ji Qingyan, pinning him down and wrapping his arms tightly around his waist. Pretending not to understand, he asked, “Are you upset?”
Ji Qingyan looked so fierce when jealous—but Lu Qi loved it, absolutely adored it.
Expressionless, Ji Qingyan turned his face away and kicked him hard. Lu Qi felt as though his leg might break.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Lu Qi clamped his legs around Ji Qingyan’s to prevent another, harder kick.
“Don’t be mad at me. Let me finish what I have to say.”
“Do you really not know who I like?”
Ji Qingyan turned to look at him and found Lu Qi staring straight at him, his gaze sincere and intense. Suddenly, an obvious answer seemed to appear right before his eyes.
Lu Qi gently brushed aside the hair on Ji Qingyan’s forehead, his eyes soft yet determined, his smile bright and handsome.
“Ji Qingyan, I like you. I like you. I want to be with you. Let’s date.”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course. I never make choices I’ll regret.”
“Ji Qingyan, date me. I’ll treat you well. If you’re willing to marry me, all my money will be yours.”
He nudged the head buried in his chest—who starts a confession like it’s a proposal? “I don’t care about your stinky money.”
Lu Qi grinned cheekily and said, “Then care about me as a person. I’m decent-looking, definitely presentable.”