Ning Wei stifled a yawn and rubbed his bleary eyes, then peered at Yan Yixuan curiously. “Is there a reason you want to sleep on my bed?”

While the general didn’t mind it, and his room and most things in it belonged to Yan Yixuan anyway, he still felt that there was something strange in the young man’s expression today. Was there any particular meaning behind it?

Yan Yixuan looked around his beloved’s room and saw the sword leaning against the head of the bed. Other than that, there wasn’t much of note. Ning Wei hadn’t added much despite having lived here so long. Turning to the general, the young man deliberately lowered his gaze melancholically and answered, “I dreamed about some past events and felt a little lonely. Since Ruan Shu’s and Elder Sister’s rooms are far away, I decided to come to you.” There, that ought to pull on his Ah-Ning’s heartstrings and let him stay, shouldn’t it?

Ning Wei narrowed his eyes. Was it the true reason or was this little imp saying that to carry out another of his unobvious acts of affection?

Yan Yixuan looked up through his lashes and tried to blink at him as sadly and hopefully as possible.

Ning Wei melted without any resistance. “Alright, let’s go sleep then.”

Immediately perking up, Yan Yixuan looked around cheerfully and asked, “Shall I go get myself a quilt too?”

Ning Wei was amused. Seeing the young man recover so soon, he realized that it must’ve been an act again. This sly little fox… His eyes suddenly flashing with playfulness, Ning Wei acted casual as he replied, “There’s no need to get another one. Mine is big enough for us both.”

Hearing that they’d be sharing a quilt, Yan Yixuan’s eyes widened as a suspicious redness claimed his ears. He felt both happy and incredibly self-conscious. What if he couldn’t control himself and did something?

Ning Wei quietly chuckled to himself, pleased at his obvious reaction. Since the young man was trying to steal some closeness with him, Ning Wei had decided to give him more than he had asked for just to see him become both happy and flustered. And considering how he’d just discovered his own affections for the young man, he would be benefitting as well.

Ning Wei smiled in a good mood and spoke, “Enough dilly-dallying. I’m sleepy. Let’s go to bed now, Yan Yixuan.”

Yan Yixuan coughed at that suggestive sentence at the end. Struggling to control his blushing, he tried to nod unconcernedly, “Alright then, let’s sleep.”

The two men thus lay down on Ning Wei’s bed.

Without a word exchanged, they covered themselves with the quilt halfway, making sure to leave it bunched at their hips. This way, they would be able to hide any unexpected physical reaction borne out of sharing a bed with their beloved.

Gradually, the room grew still and increasingly silent. The deep shadows enclosing the room made the space feel secret and intimate. Lying on different halves of the bed, Yan Yixuan and Ning Wei tried to quieten their breaths while listening harder to the other’s. As time passed, the air slowly thickened with some indefinable tension, dissipating whatever drowsiness remained.

The two men wanted to shift or stare at their beloved but didn’t dare to. They wanted to speak but couldn’t bear to break this delicate balance. They closed their eyes and tried to at least pretend to be sleeping so as to not make the other suspicious. But the last image imprinted in their eyes was that of their beloved, so their thoughts naturally drifted in that direction.

Ning Wei thought back to his first meeting with Yan Yixuan before they finalized their pact. He recalled pushing Yan Yixuan down in the carriage and letting his hands wander under the young man’s outer robes, both to search for any hidden dangers and to frighten him. The imprint of that thin and warm body that smelled of herbs seemed to burn in his hands now. Ning Wei clenched his hands to dissipate the sensation.

Thinking of it, Ning Wei clearly recalled that he had felt several thin and hard bumps under Yan Yixuan’s inner clothes back then. After having learned of the young man’s past and how his brother liked tormenting him, Ning Wei wondered now if they were scars of some sort.

As that first meeting continued playing in his mind, Ning Wei recollected how compliant, and even enthusiastic, the young man had been even when he tried to disgust him by saying he wanted his body in return for letting him in his carriage. He remembered Yan Yixuan’s pitiful yet silent tears when he’d gone too far with his words. He had merely been distressed back then at hurting the young man, but it was absolutely heart-wrenching to think of Yan Yixuan crying like that now. How could he let someone who had become so precious to him shed such tears?

The memories went on, and Ning Wei recollected meeting again at the Yan household. Yan Yixuan had stood silhouetted against the window in his study with his back to him, looking confident and self-assured as if the entire world was under his control. After they finished the pact, the measured cadence in Yan Yixuan’s voice was as if he was making a solemn oath, promising to protect his household and share all his debts and enemies.

Soon after, as Yan Yixuan explained the incident that had brought him to Ning Wei’s carriage, Ning Wei had been impressed by the young man’s layers upon layers of scheming. Yan Yixuan was so cunning and brilliant, more dazzling than any gem could be.

When they had stopped at the roadside restaurant a few days later, Ning Wei had been besieged by another plotting young master. Yan Yixuan had not only used that chance to warn away a potential love rival and earn Ning Wei’s gratitude in one go, he even used it as an opportunity to spread word of them being together and even spun it as an advantage to them, saying that it could be used to explain why the young duke was helping the Ning household.

Ning Wei had so easily bought it and had even felt glad that Yan Yixuan was able to use such a situation for his household’s betterment. Thinking back on how easily he had ended up playing in that crafty little fox’s palm, Ning Wei was both impressed and helplessly amused.

In the following days, he saw the gentle and kind Yan Yixuan as he helped his sister’s family and encouraged his niece to learn. He saw the unruffled, ruthless, and strong Yan Yixuan as he dealt easily with the mercenaries sent to assassinate him. Ning Wei would never forget the figure of the young man as he stood straight and poised on that branch, his expression calm enough to be called relaxed, while his hand was speckled with blood after he’d plunged a dagger into one of the mercenaries’ heart.

Ning Wei recalled the feeling of learning a part of Yan Yixuan’s cruel past and being surprised that even someone like the duke who seemed so infallible had once been at someone else’s mercy, powerless to do anything.

Every time he thought of it, it angered him so much that someone could treat this person in such a way. Didn’t they know how interesting, adorable, reliable, charming, clever, and fascinating Yan Yixuan was? Didn’t they know how beautiful he was when he smiled, his eyes sparkling with mirth or gleaming with quiet joy? How could they bear to sadden such a person? His father and brother’s inability to see Yan Yixuan for the treasure he was baffled and infuriated Ning Wei. Blind people like them didn’t deserve to have him in their lives!

At that time, rather than just feeling sympathy and pity at the young man’s ordeal, Ning Wei had felt respect and admiration for the way Yan Yixuan had managed to accomplish all he had and become the person he was now. He was awed and humbled by this young man’s inner strength and the quiet and noble grace with which he navigated life.

When Ning Wei later heard his uncle’s hypothesis that this wonderful young man might actually love him, he had been stunned beyond compare, but also disbelieving. However, he only had to think back to the young man’s strange behavior at certain times before to realize that it actually made sense.

However, though Ning Wei admired Yan Yixuan and cared for him very much, he couldn’t figure out if there was any romantic attraction mixed in on his own part. And so, he’d decided to take his time, loath to change their current status quo for a mere supposition.

In the meantime, he paid more attention to his interactions with the young man and slowly realized just how rewarding it was to be together.

Finding those little ways in which Yan Yixuan showed his affection, witnessing those little caring gestures he did without thinking, seeing those gentle smiles and affectionate gazes that the young man himself didn’t seem to realize he was showing, his merciless and cruel expressions, his composed and indifferent face, those sharp and wicked laughs, that cunning glint in his eyes, those moments of fluster and shyness, that adorable way he peeked at him to gauge his reaction… Each and every one of those things gradually dripped into Ning Wei’s heart like golden drops of warm and sweet honey until his chest felt like it would burst with fullness.

Before Ning Wei knew, his smile when he was with Yan Yixuan brimmed with more and more happiness, his gazes on the young man turned longer and longer, his hands itched more and more frequently to touch him, and his mind grew increasingly filled with thoughts of him. He wanted to spend more time with Yan Yixuan, he wanted to be playful and indulge him as the young man tried to get closer, cluelessly giving Ning Wei the very thing he wanted while thinking that he was the one stealing those short moments of intimacy. Shared smiles and implicit glances eventually turned to wistful longing and excuses to hold hands under a starlit sky.

Without him recognizing it, Ning Wei fell deeply and irrevocably in love.

It was only later, after seeing Yan Yixuan performing that sword dance so enchantingly while his body moved with that tempting lithe elegance, that Ning Wei realized his own affections.

Now, that person he respected, adored, cherished, and loved was lying right beside him on his bed. Ning Wei didn’t know how to deal with it. Though he realized that any advances he made wouldn’t be rejected, he was uncertain if this was the right time or place. He hadn’t even confessed yet. And he hadn’t even found out if Yan Yixuan’s past ordeals would affect his ability to have physical relations with anyone. Lying still on his side of the bed, Ning Wei agonized over just how he should proceed. It seemed that his lack of experience with courtship was coming to bite him back again and again recently.

But the one thing Ning Wei was certain about was that this was bound to be a sleepless night for him.

In the meantime, a similarly sleepless Yan Yixuan was extolling his beloved’s virtues in his mind as well.

When Yan Yixuan thought of Ning Wei, he remembered a person brave and selfless enough to stand up for a stranger without caring about who in that inn full of powerful households he would be offending. After all, Ning Wei was certainly perceptive and intelligent enough to know that Yan Yihong must be a part of an influential family by the way he was dressed, and that similarly, Yan Yixuan was either from a poorer household or a less favored son. Yet he still defended Yan Yixuan and knocked out Yan Yihong without hesitation.

So when he thought of Ning Wei, Yan Yixuan saw someone dependable and kind enough to help him in his time of desperation, terror, and need. He remembered the worry and care in Ning Wei’s eyes as he looked at a shaken Yan Yixuan and asked him if he was alright. He remembered the fierceness that refused to be quelled despite the people of the Yan household and their allies of then looking at Ning Wei with malice. He remembered his kind understanding towards the boy who had betrayed him despite being saved by him. He remembered the stoicism and strength with which Ning Wei faced his undeserved punishment.

And later, as Ning Wei was about to leave with Ning Guang, Yan Yixuan remembered his gentle hand as it ruffled his hair while the young teen reassured him that it was okay, that he didn’t blame him, and that he would make the same choice if given the chance again, even as the wounds on his back were swollen a garish red. He remembered that unbending back as Ning Wei walked away without support, not realizing that his father’s hands hovered behind him as if to catch him if he stumbled.

In all his life, Ning Wei was the only one who ever succeeded in protecting Yan Yixuan. His sister and Ruan Shu had tried very hard as well, but they were never a match for his brother’s or father’s authority. Yan Yixuan didn’t blame them for their powerlessness. But he couldn’t help his overflowing gratitude when Ning Wei managed to save him despite being just as powerless as them all, then willingly facing the consequences without even flinching.

Yan Yixuan worshipped such strength of character. He worshipped this person for making him feel completely safe, even if it was only for a few moments. As long as Ning Wei was nearby, he felt safe, his faith in the general’s character making him believe that Ning Wei would allow no one to unjustly hurt him.

When Yan Yixuan thought of Ning Wei, he remembered a blinding light as warm as the sun backlit with a gentle glow as soothing as the moon. In front of such radiance, Yan Yixuan could only close his eyes and cower. How could someone like him even think of touching that light? How could he even think of obtaining it and tethering it to himself?

And yet, that’s what Yan Yixuan wanted. That’s what he’d been yearning for all these years. He would protect and cherish that brilliant light from afar, never letting it fade away, all the while hoping that one day Ning Wei would look at him and maybe smile again. If the heavens blessed him and his Ah-Ning actually came to like him romantically, Yan Yixuan felt that he would surely die from bliss.

And in that moment, he would be the happiest man in the world.

The curtains over the window quietly fluttered in the wind, making the stream of moonlight falling across the floor waver. But even the night breeze couldn’t cool the gradually shifting atmosphere in the room.

While both Yan Yixuan and Ning Wei closed their eyes pretending to sleep while thinking of the other, the mood in the room turned soft and subtle, tinted with a deep yet gentle yearning. They could hear each other’s measured breaths and feel each other’s warmth at close proximity. Fed with their increasing craving for each other, a languorous heat rose gradually. Unfettered by the constraints of the day, they let their thoughts venture into places that were most suitable to surface under the dark and intimate curtain of night.

Though Ning Wei’s bed was appointed luxuriously, it was still meant for only one. The pair thus had to lay quite close. Yan Yixuan stayed flat on his back, trying not to appear stiff, while Ning Wei was on his side and facing the younger man.

As Ning Wei’s mind was suffused with thoughts of the Yan Yixuan lying right beside him and within reach, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh in longing.

The warm exhalation brushed Yan Yixuan’s cheek, the lingering warmth making his skin tingle pleasantly. Yan Yixuan instinctively tried to touch his cheek to see if it was starting to heat up with a blush, but he misjudged Ning Wei’s closeness and ended up bumping his hand into the other man’s hip instead.

Yan Yixuan froze and snapped his eyes open to look at Ning Wei in alarm.

But Ning Wei continued to pretend to be sleeping, not daring to acknowledge that mistaken touch.

Yan Yixuan hesitated, and the night made him bolder. He shifted his hand that had remained on his beloved’s hip to press on Ning Wei’s stomach instead. The feeling of warm and firm muscle under the thin layer of cloth made Yan Yixuan’s heart jump with excitement.

Unable to bear it, Ning Wei slightly tilted back his body. Being touched now of all times would strain his control too much.

Seeing him move, Yan Yixuan panickily withdrew his hand and hurriedly apologized, “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…” …that you were awake… No, he couldn’t say that! “…that I was touching you. I thought it was the quilt.”

Ning Wei’s skin was stretched too tight, the place where he felt the press of the young man’s hand feeling electric. His voice was deeper than he expected as he replied, “It’s alright. This bed isn’t that big, so it can’t be helped.”

Yan Yixuan felt both guilty at eating Ning Wei’s tofu and gleeful that he got away with it. But still… Resisting temptation when his beloved was lying right by him was proving to be more difficult than he thought. And once he’d already tasted sweetness, he felt reluctant at leaving it at that.

Yan Yixuan curled his disobedient fingers into the bed and asked hesitantly, “I’m sorry, it must feel cramped for you. Do you…want me to leave?”

Ning Wei quickly answered, “No! I mean…since you’re already here, let’s just try to sleep rather than wasting time.”

Yan Yixuan nodded swiftly. “Yes, we should.”

Silence stretched, filled with rising tension that neither of them acknowledged.

The quiet was broken only when Yan Yixuan shifted again, his foot glancing over Ning Wei’s ankle this time.

“Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean to,” Yan Yixuan quickly declared with cheeks flushed in shame and something else. His Ah-Ning’s ankle felt so sturdy and defined that he couldn’t help fantasizing about fondling and licking it… Ahhh, why did he have to be so brazen! But the temptation of touching his beloved had been really too much for him to contain.

Unaware of Yan Yixuan’s thoughts, Ning Wei struggled to suppress his rising desire and replied, “It’s…It’s alright.”

Yan Yixuan came back to himself and sighed quietly in relief. It seemed his Ah-Ning hadn’t noticed anything.

Beside him, Ning Wei gulped and tried to turn away so that he wouldn’t be tempted into doing anything to the unsuspecting young man. But part of the quilt seemed to have gotten folded between them and was caught under Yan Yixuan, restricting his movements. Ning Wei frowned and gave it a tug, hoping to free it.

Feeling the fabric under him being jerked, Yan Yixuan quickly lifted his body upward to let Ning Wei pull it out.

Just then, Ning Wei reached out with a hand, guiltily deciding to use this situation to eat some tofu of his own. Acting clueless, he whispered, “Excuse me, the quilt seems to be caught somewhere around here…” His hand landed on Yan Yixuan’s waist and traveled up and down his side as if searching for something, then slid under him.

Yan Yixuan froze, his eyes wide. Since he had arched his back up from the bed to let Ning Wei pull the quilt out, Ning Wei’s hand was able to directly slip under Yan Yixuan’s body and touch his back. Ning Wei pretended to be searching around for the quilt’s folded part with the intention of pulling it out, while Yan Yixuan felt as if the back of the other man’s hand trailed fire on his back as it kept brushing him lightly. Yan Yixuan bit his lower lip and trembled, both with the strain of holding this position and at the pleasure of feeling his Ah-Ning’s warm knuckles glide up and down his spine.

Unable to remain shameless for long, Ning Wei finally pulled out the quilt and cleared his throat. “I apologize for any discomfort. I’m done now, so you can lie back down.”

Yan Yixuan’s cheeks blazed, but his voice was calm, if a bit husky, as he replied, “I see… That’s good.” What he instead wanted to do was demand that the other man touch him more!

Letting out a hot breath, Yan Yixuan settled into the bed again. The skin on his back still tingled. It was getting even harder for him to control himself. If this went on, he really might just proposition Ning Wei right here! No, he should stop tormenting himself like this. But he didn’t want to give up this opportunity either… Yan Yixuan felt torn.

Heaving out a deep sigh, the young man finally decided that he would touch Ning Wei one last time and be done with this.

And so, Yan Yixuan’s hand tentatively crept out, aiming to touch Ning Wei by ‘accident’ again. To his immense surprise, another hand bumped into his, seeming to be reaching over as well.

Yan Yixuan and Ning Wei snapped their eyes up to look at each other for the first time since they lay down. By the light of the moon filtering into the room and their own keen gazes, they saw the same lust and longing darkening their beloved’s eyes.

Ning Wei’s eyes widened slightly while Yan Yixuan’s heart began racing in his chest.

D-Did this mean…?

In that single shared glance, Ning Wei read heated hunger in the young man’s gaze that didn’t lose in intensity to his own. Since that was the case, he didn’t see the need to hesitate any longer.

Ning Wei moved to swiftly settle over Yan Yixuan, supporting himself over the younger man on his elbows and knees.

Still dazed, Yan Yixuan watched uncomprehendingly as Ning Wei hovered over him, caging his body. His world was suddenly filled with the vision of his Ah-Ning. Yan Yixuan’s heart thudded too loudly in the dim quiet and his breathing quickened. He felt his mouth go dry and licked his lips. Ning Wei’s gaze snapped to it and Yan Yixuan almost stopped breathing. His beloved’s gaze was so…intense and thirsty. W-What was happening?

Ning Wei slowly lowered his head towards him, the heat in his eyes clearly conveying his intentions. Yan Yixuan felt a tremor ripple through him. His Ah-Ning wanted him. As clouded by need as he was, that’s all he could focus on.

Yan Yixuan encircled one of Ning Wei’s wrists with a hand as if to hold his beloved in place and slid the fingers of his other hand into the general’s hair, cupping the back of his head. He wordlessly urged Ning Wei down while he curled a leg around the older man’s waist.

His enthusiasm was as clear as day and all Ning Wei needed before he plunged down.

The sudden feeling of his beloved’s hot breath on his face made a thrill of pleasure run down Yan Yixuan’s back.

They closed their eyes just as their lips touched.

Yan Yixuan took a moment to adjust to the soft and dry warmth pressing against his lips. Then he impatiently let out a tongue to lick and probe at the other’s mouth. Ning Wei parted his lips and wound his tongue around the younger man’s to pull it in. Yan Yixuan eagerly melded his mouth with his Ah-Ning’s and let his tongue wreak havoc in the other’s hot mouth, sliding around and lapping at the moist and slick tissue as if fervently learning its shape and texture. Ning Wei felt a little overwhelmed at the young man’s enthusiasm and could only let his little fox play around with a ragged groan.

After having his fill, Yan Yixuan slowly withdrew his tongue and leaned back into the pillow, panting. Ning Wei looked down at the young man’s flushed face, unfocused eyes, and slickened lips. Feeling hungrier, he bore down and gently pressed their lips together again. Yan Yixuan let out a soft moan, but decided to stay passive this time. He felt a bit insecure and wanted to see if his Ah-Ning would take the initiative and show that he truly did want him in this way.

Even without knowing the young man’s intentions, Ning Wei didn’t disappoint. He sucked the young man’s lips until they turned swollen and hypersensitive, then thrust his way in between them to lay slow and sensual licks along the other’s tongue. He kissed Yan Yixuan deeply and ardently until the young man was gasping and tearing up at being showered with such uninhibited passion, yet Yan Yixuan was unwilling to extricate himself even when his breath ran low.

A few more intense moments later, they parted to gulp down air. Yan Yixuan was dizzy and disoriented from almost suffocating himself and could only lie in place dazedly.

Unsatisfied at the distance between them, Ning Wei deliberately lowered his body to press down. Yan Yixuan groaned deeply at how good the heavy heat covering him felt. Yan Yixuan was forced to lower his leg from where it wound around Ning Wei’s waist and he widened his knees to accommodate the older man above him. The weight of the general’s hard body pressed down on his chest, abdomen, and the inside of his thighs. Ning Wei’s scent filled his nostrils and fed his need. Yan Yixuan breathed harder as he felt his desire awaken.

Unable to bear it, Yan Yixuan let go of Ning Wei’s wrist and reached out to touch his beloved’s firm shoulders and sturdy back, massaging and exploring the taut stretch of muscles through his nightclothes.

Ning Wei felt overwhelmed by the stimulation and pulled away that mischievous hand. Yan Yixuan looked at him with a deep gaze, but didn’t struggle. As Ning Wei held his wrist down, the general couldn’t help but be surprised at how thin it was. Sometimes, this young man’s personality felt so big and strong that he forgot that his body was not so.

Meanwhile, worry began seeping into Yan Yixuan’s mind. Were they going too fast? At this rate, would they do something that would make Ning Wei regret his choices tomorrow morning? He was already trying to let Ning Wei take the lead so that the his beloved wouldn’t feel forced to do anything, but maybe…his Ah-Ning was still only going along with his wishes?

Yan Yixuan hesitated, then opened his mouth. “Ning Wei…” His voice sounded low and husky. Yan Yixuan swallowed with both nervousness and embarrassment.

Ning Wei looked at him curiously. “Hm?”

Yan Yixuan swallowed again, then tentatively asked, “You… Do you really want to do this? Are you…really willing to…?”

Ning Wei raised a brow in surprise. Was the young man feeling insecure?

The general leaned down and breathed out, “Yes, I do. I really, really want to do all sorts of wicked things to your body and let you return the favor.”

Yan Yixuan gulped. “Are you sure…”

Ning Wei didn’t let him finish and directly used an arm to jerk the young man’s hips up, pressing their lower halves together. Yan Yixuan felt a stiff bulge meet his own aroused hardness and his breath hitched, his body arching back.

“Can you feel how much I want this?” Ning Wei asked with a smirk.

His doubts dispelled, Yan Yixuan’s gaze darkened. He licked his lips, then gave his beloved a smirk of his own. He raised a foot and caressed the back of Ning Wei’s thigh while saying, “You say that, but I don’t see you doing anything about it.”

Ning Wei gritted his teeth as the light sensation swept over his thirsting skin through his clothes. This impish little fox! Fine, since he was this eager…

Ning Wei pinned down Yan Yixuan’s wrists with a hand to prevent them from getting mischievous again, then let the fingers of his other hand brush over the young man’s clothed chest. Yan Yixuan let out a deep sound and felt his body instinctively bow up as if offering itself to his beloved. Ning Wei’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction at this sight.

Just then, he found one of Yan Yixuan’s nubs as it perked up due to his caresses. Ning Wei started rubbing at it with a thumb and looked up with interest to see the young man’s reaction.

Feeling the firm and circular strokes through his clothes, Yan Yixuan swallowed a gasp and panted. “Wh-What are you doing?”

Ning Wei smiled and said, “Nothing much…yet.” Then he bent his head to generously wet the cloth over the protruding bud before sucking and nibbling on it.

A flash of heat spread outward from the point, making Yan Yixuan let out an uninhibited moan. He twisted his body as if trying to get away from the sensation.

Ning Wei squeezed and rolled the wet point between his fingers and chided, “Stop moving around and be good.”

Yan Yixuan felt another rush of heat and stilled. His face flushed harder and he turned away, pressing his lips together.

Ning Wei chuckled and started roving his hand over the young man’s chest to find the other little nubbin. Soon enough, it perked up and made itself known, leading Ning Wei to start lavishing his attention on it as well.

The sensation of a wet tongue and warm lips tormenting the little point through the fabric sent another burst of desire through him. Yan Yixuan had a difficult time staying still and silent. His chest heaved harder and harder as sweat beaded his brow. His heels dug into the bed in an attempt to keep his restless legs in place. But unknown to him, his thighs squeezed Ning Wei between them, duly making known his suppressed agitation.

Ning Wei let go of Yan Yixuan’s wrists and got up on his elbows. Licking his lips, he looked at Yan Yixuan's tense expression and stiff body, then shook his head with a helpless smile. “Are you following my words so faithfully?”

Yan Yixuan blinked up at him with confusion. Was he not supposed to?

Ning Wei couldn’t help himself. He dove down to press little kisses to the young man’s lips and cheeks. “Yan Yixuan, I find that I like it when you react.”

Yan Yixuan immediately reached up to pull Ning Wei down for a deeper kiss while saying breathlessly, “You better not regret your words.”

Ning Wei was kissed until he felt dizzy and mad with need. He spread open his fingers and slipped his palms along Yan Yixuan’s side, feeling the prominence of his ribs below his clothes. His hand skimmed downward over the line of the young man’s waist and the curve of his hip. Yan Yixuan gasped into Ning Wei’s mouth.

When Ning Wei’s hand reached down to push up the end of Yan Yixuan’s nightclothes, the young man stiffened at the prospect of showing his scars to his beloved and pulled away from the kiss. But Ning Wei went on to untie his pants instead and drew them down.

Feeling relieved that his scars wouldn’t show, Yan Yixuan relaxed. He’d long expected to go further than mere kissing and felt both bashful and anticipatory. As his pants were pulled down, he felt air brush over his member and turned his face away.

Ning Wei pressed a tender kiss to his cheek and asked, “Is it okay?”

Yan Yixuan snuck a peek at him, then looked away again and nodded.

His smile softening further, Ning Wei nibbled and flicked his tongue over Yan Yixuan’s jaw while his hands cupped his balls and the base of his member to lightly squeeze and massage them.

Taking in a shuddering breath, Yan Yixuan let his eyelids flutter closed. It was his Ah-Ning who was touching him now, so gently and intimately. That was his Ah-Ning’s rough and calloused palm holding him there. Yan Yixuan made a low and helpless sound at the heat those thoughts evoked. His member stiffened further, making Ning Wei curiously wrap his hand around it and consideringly rub its tip with his thumb.

Yan Yixuan shifted and pulled Ning Wei up to bury his face into the crook of his beloved’s neck. He felt Ning Wei’s amused chuckle rumble in his chest and clutched him tighter.

Ning Wei decided to stop teasing the young man and began stroking his shaft in earnest. The movements of his rough palm were measured and maintained a steady pressure. Yan Yixuan held nothing back as he huffed and moaned throatily in reaction. His body arched and twisted, tautened and relaxed as Ning Wei’s warm and broad palm ran up and down, gradually increasing speed.

Yan Yixuan panted quick, short breaths, his voice breaking as he called desperately, “Ah-Ning…Ah-Ning…”

Ning Wei held him close while quickening the pace of his hand. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Yan Yixuan let out a choked gasp and shuddered. Translucent fluid leaked out of the member and dripped down, causing Ning Wei’s ministrations to emit slick sounds. The young man’s muscles drew tighter and tighter until he was almost curled up, his fingers digging into Ning Wei’s shoulders. His jaws clenched as he tried to ride the wave of such exquisite pleasure. A moment later, Yan Yixuan exhaled sharply, “Ah!”

Ning Wei felt a rush of hot liquid erupt out of the shaft in his hand and looked down with fascination. The spurts of white fluid splattered over his hand and the front of both of their clothes, clinging stickily.

When Yan Yixuan was finally spent, his body went lax and powerless. His hold over Ning Wei loosened and he dropped back into bed, panting. A fine sheen of sweat covered his body while his eyes remained half closed.

Ning Wei’s heart was warm and light. He bent down to place a small kiss on the young man’s forehead. Yan Yixuan immediately latched onto him again and pulled him closer before burying his face in his chest. He had dreamed of sharing such closeness with his Ah-Ning so many times, never believing that it would come true. Now that it had, Yan Yixuan intended to take full advantage of it.

With an indulgent smile, Ning Wei lifted up the hand covered in sticky fluid above their heads so that he wouldn’t smear it everywhere, then wrapped the other arm around Yan Yixuan. The young man hummed contentedly, his eyes curving into happy arcs.

Ning Wei felt his mind grow peaceful and calm as he looked at Yan Yixuan. He could keep looking at him like this for an eternity and not feel bored. At this moment, the young man was more beautiful to him than ever before.

Sensing his gaze, Yan Yixuan eased open his eyes and asked with puzzlement, “Ning Wei?”

Ning Wei brushed the hair away from the young man’s face and smiled gently. “Yan Yixuan, I like you. I want to become your lover.”

Yan Yixuan froze and his eyes widened. “Wh-What?!”

Ning Wei couldn’t help feeling wry. Was it really that shocking?

But Yan Yixuan felt his entire world screech to a halt as he struggled to process what he’d just heard. Though what Ning Wei said fulfilled his heart’s deepest desire, Yan Yixuan had trouble believing it. Everything felt so unreal. Was he dreaming? Did he inadvertently eat some strange mushroom and start hallucinating? Was he dead and this was Heaven? Or was Ning Wei the one who had something wrong with his head?

Yan Yixuan shook his head dazedly. “You really…like me?”

Feeling amused, Ning Wei showed him the release still remaining on his hand. “Would my hand look like this if I didn’t? I’m not the type of person who shares someone’s bed with the intention of leaving the next day.”

Yan Yixuan blushed and bowed his head.

In truth, though he realized that Ning Wei started feeling sexually interested in him, the young man had thought they would need to engage in intimacy a few more times before Ning Wei finally came to terms with it, and only then would he be able to carefully broach the subject of a relationship. But Yan Yixuan didn’t expect Ning Wei to be so decisive and…willing. How could his Ah-Ning want him of his own accord?! It was baffling! But since Ning Wei looked like he really meant what he said…

Yan Yixuan slowly looked up to meet Ning Wei’s eyes, openly showing his vulnerability and hope in his face. “Then…I agree. We will become lovers.” Then quickly diving in for a hug, Yan Yixuan promised, “Ning Wei, I’ll take very good care of you. So…you should also take care of me, alright?”

Holding him close, Ning Wei easily agreed, “Yes, of course.”

Ning Wei relaxed with relief. For a moment, he had been sure he’d be rejected. Letting loose a happy laugh, he pulled the young man up. Yan Yixuan opened his mouth to meet his beloved in a kiss, and a few minutes of passion ensued.

Separating when they couldn’t breathe anymore, the couple panted without looking away from each other.

Yan Yixuan’s gaze was deep and hot. “Ning Wei, since we’re lovers, I want to sleep with you.”

Ning Wei startled. “Now?!”

The young man cautiously nodded. “Yes. Do you…not want to?”

Ning Wei immediately shook his head. Unlike Yan Yixuan, his desire hadn’t yet been sated, so he was more than enthusiastic at the proposition. He just hadn’t expected the young man to feel up to it after just having his need fulfilled. It couldn’t be because he hadn’t been satisfactory, could it? The thought made Ning Wei frown. But the memory of how much Yan Yixuan had openly enjoyed it soon dispelled that doubt.

In the end, Ning Wei agreed, “Alright. If you’re up to it, I’d be more than glad to have our first night now.”

Yan Yixuan’s eyes shone happily at the prospect of finally being with his beloved. “Then let’s begin!”