The moment those words were spoken, Zhan Zhiqing knew the man had been watching him earlier. He felt a wave of shyness, yet he kept his gaze fixed on Ying Yuan. “No, if it is you, there is no need.”
His voice was completely different from his usual self. In the program, he was cold and solitary; now, he was soft and delicate, his rising tone sounding almost like a plea.
Ying Yuan felt his throat tighten. He pulled the boy closer until they were face to face, his eyes full of infatuation. At such close range, he could see the faint peach fuzz on Zhan Zhiqing’s cheek and his curled eyelashes. His mind went blank, and only a shred of lingering logic allowed him to maintain restraint.
“Why? Why say that?” Ying Yuan could no longer help himself. He leaned in as he spoke, his nose brushing against the other’s, only to feel Zhan Zhiqing shudder again.
“I am willing,” Zhan Zhiqing panted, unable to support himself. He could only manage that one sentence—a sentence that seemed to come out of nowhere.
However, Ying Yuan understood instantly. Zhan Zhiqing was responding: he was willing to be his lover.
Ying Yuan’s breathing turned ragged as he pulled the boy directly onto his lap, their breaths entwining as he lowered his head. “Are you sure? I do not allow regrets.”
Zhan Zhiqing was wearing a shirt today. The air conditioning in the private room was set high, making his exposed skin feel cool. He went limp in Ying Yuan’s arms, smiling dreamily. His voice was faint, but Ying Yuan heard it clearly: “I am sure.”
His right hand dropped to catch Ying Yuan’s, his thumb brushing against Ying Yuan’s palm. He seemed a bit embarrassed as he whispered, “Touch me, okay?”
“What?” Ying Yuan asked, not quite hearing clearly—or perhaps hearing but not quite believing it.
Zhan Zhiqing grew even more shy, his flush deepening, yet he stubbornly guided Ying Yuan’s hand toward his body. “I said touch me, Mr. Ying.”
Ying Yuan let out a low laugh, filled with indulgence. He tentatively slid his hand under the fabric. When his palm pressed against the skin of Zhan Zhiqing’s waist without a gap, stroking up and down, he heard Zhan Zhiqing let out a soft moan, followed by rapid, shallow breaths, and then, quiet sobs.
Ying Yuan looked down, feeling shocked but even more delighted. He withdrew his hand and smoothed it over Zhan Zhiqing’s back in a soothing motion. Even though the contact was through a layer of clothing and not as intense as direct skin contact, the warmth of the palm was still enough to make Zhan Zhiqing lose himself.
He was ashamed, anxious, and frustrated. He did not even dare to look up at Ying Yuan, feeling that he had completely lost face. How could a momentary touch turn into this? Even if his heart was wild, behaving like this made him feel exceptionally shameful. Added to the embarrassment of losing his composure in front of Ying Yuan, he began to get angry at himself.
Ying Yuan knew exactly what he was thinking. He brushed his cheek against Zhan Zhiqing’s and comforted him gently. “Do not be afraid. Do not be angry or shy. I will take you home to handle this. I will speak to He Yu about the production team. I will send you back to the villa later, alright?”
Without waiting for a reaction, he picked the boy up and carried him to the parking lot. He placed him in the car and drove to one of his properties in the city center. The question had been a matter of politeness; it did not mean he was actually seeking Zhan Zhiqing’s opinion. He was indeed dominant, but since Zhan Zhiqing had agreed to be his lover, he naturally had to follow his rules.
It was not far and they arrived quickly. It was a small villa, a quiet sanctuary in the middle of the city. It was not as exquisite as Yu Garden, but it boasted a grand and elegant design. Zhan Zhiqing curled up in the car, his head turned away, refusing to look at Ying Yuan.
Ying Yuan parked, walked to the passenger side, and unbuckled the seatbelt. He leaned in and deliberately touched Zhan Zhiqing’s face with his hand, satisfied to see the patch of skin he touched turn even redder. “Shall I carry you up?”
Again, he did not wait for an answer. The way he held Zhan Zhiqing was unusual, like carrying a child; Zhan Zhiqing’s legs were wrapped around his waist, and his head rested on Ying Yuan’s shoulder.
With the skin contact renewed, Zhan Zhiqing went completely limp, powerless to resist. While he despised himself, he was also afraid of getting Ying Yuan’s clothes dirty. He tried to struggle, but Ying Yuan held him closer, stroking him even more boldly.
Once inside, Ying Yuan turned on the lights and held the boy in his arms to check on him. Zhan Zhiqing was flushed pink all over and covered in a fine sweat. His hair clung to his cheeks, and his eyes were filled with an inseparable, lingering tenderness.
Zhan Zhiqing regretted it; he regretted asking Ying Yuan to touch him earlier, which had led to such an embarrassing display. Ying Yuan, however, did not think Zhan Zhiqing had made a fool of himself. On the contrary, seeing Zhan Zhiqing lose his reason and have such a violent physical reaction to his touch gave him a twisted sense of pleasure.
It was a novel experience, and combined with Zhan Zhiqing’s unique physical reaction, he found it endlessly fascinating. Still, he prided himself on being a gentleman, so he asked, “Can I touch your face? And your neck? Can I move anywhere else?”
Zhan Zhiqing wanted to say no, to ask him to stop touching him. But Ying Yuan did not wait for him to speak before his hands moved. His hands were larger than Zhan Zhiqing’s; the boy’s face was small, and Ying Yuan could cover it with one open palm. He simply extended his fingers, tracing his pads across the cheek, eyelids, lips, and Adam’s apple.
Zhan Zhiqing’s voice was constant, his breath hitching. Ying Yuan’s suppressed desire also erupted. When he gripped the back of Zhan Zhiqing’s neck, the boy’s voice was so soulful and lingering that Ying Yuan, like Zhan Zhiqing, reached a state of bliss from that alone.
He finally set his sights on Zhan Zhiqing’s lips and kissed them. “Do not worry. I have also made a fool of myself in front of you,” Ying Yuan laughed deeply, pleasure radiating from his bones.
He drew a bath and took Zhan Zhiqing to the bathroom, having prepared a full set of clothes identical to the ones Zhan Zhiqing was wearing. Seeing the look Zhan Zhiqing shot him, he did not leave; instead, he stepped forward to help Zhan Zhiqing remove all his clothes.
He could not help but pull him into another embrace. “I am sorry, baby. I am a pervert.” Although he admitted his fault, there was not a hint of apology in his voice.
Zhan Zhiqing did not feel afraid. He only replied softly in Ying Yuan’s arms, “It is okay, Mr. Ying.”
“Good boy,” Ying Yuan praised soothingly, carrying the naked body into the bathtub.
After drying him off, blowing his hair, and helping him change, Ying Yuan held him and asked kindly, “Shall I take you back to the villa?”
Zhan Zhiqing had just been in the bathroom; now that his body was clean, his reason had returned. Thinking about what he had done, the expressions he had made, and the sounds he had produced made him feel utterly mortified. He had good feelings for Ying Yuan, but the excessive physical reaction and the shivers he felt for the first time made him unconsciously afraid. When Ying Yuan reached out to pull him, he dodged.
Ying Yuan’s face darkened immediately. Zhan Zhiqing’s rejection made him angry. He was about to grab him and tell him that his orders were not to be defied, that Zhan Zhiqing had to follow his rules.
But in the next moment, Zhan Zhiqing proactively reached out to take his hand. He pursed his lips and said, “It is very late. Let us go, Mr. Ying.”
Ying Yuan remained silent for a moment before squeezing Zhan Zhiqing’s soft palm. “Alright.”
In the garage, Ying Yuan chose a low-profile car. He thoughtfully opened the passenger door and buckled Zhan Zhiqing’s seatbelt before taking the driver’s seat. During a red light, Ying Yuan turned to speak to him.
“Look at me,” Ying Yuan said.
Zhan Zhiqing was obedient, turning his head to look at him. When the light turned green, Ying Yuan did not speak again; he only smiled. Once they arrived, he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned toward Zhan Zhiqing to unbuckle his, brushing the back of his hand against Zhan Zhiqing’s cheek.
A blush immediately appeared on Zhan Zhiqing’s face.
“Does it happen like this when others touch you, too?” Ying Yuan seemed curious, yet his eyes were fixed intently on Zhan Zhiqing.
Zhan Zhiqing turned his head away. It was several seconds before he answered bashfully, “No.”