"You're still on probation, don’t get too cocky." Huai Xu lifted his eyelids and turned his head away.
Jing Zhengxuan stood up, his tall frame commanding immediate attention and drawing countless gazes.
Ignoring the surrounding glances, his eyes remained fixed on the person in front of him. He took a step forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Huai Xu, his broad hands cradling the back of Huai Xu’s head, gently stroking the soft, thick strands of hair as if handling a priceless treasure.
He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet peach scent unique to Huai Xu, then sighed. "Two weeks is too long. Can we shorten it?"
Huai Xu’s face flushed crimson—this was a public place!
He pushed against Jing Zhengxuan’s chest, burying his face in the other’s shoulder to avoid the onlookers, his voice a hushed, flustered reprimand. "Let go! Think about where we are!"
Jing Zhengxuan only held him tighter, nuzzling the top of Huai Xu’s head with his chin as he pressed, "Can’t we shorten the probation period?"
Huai Xu’s scalp tingled under the attention, his face burning even hotter. He thumped Jing Zhengxuan’s back in frustration, growling, "If you don’t let go right now, I’ll add two more months to your probation!"
"Fine." Jing Zhengxuan sighed and finally released him, but not before lightly pinching Huai Xu’s nose and teasing, "So stingy."
Winter break arrived quickly, and the two returned home.
Jing Zhengxuan spent nearly every day glued to Huai Xu, as if forgetting that his own house was next door.
The two had always been close since childhood, and their holidays had always been spent like this. Huai Mo saw nothing unusual about it and continued to treat Jing Zhengxuan as usual, providing good food and drinks.
One afternoon, while Huai Mo was at work, Huai Xu and Jing Zhengxuan curled up in the home theater to watch a movie.
Huai Xu had chosen a foreign film called The Cold Scalpel, which, according to the synopsis, was about a surgeon’s story.
They prepared fruits, snacks, and drinks, reclining on the plush, comfortable double massage chair as the movie began.
At first, it was bleak, depicting the surgeon’s struggles at work. Overwhelmed by frustration, he stepped into a bar.
Huai Xu watched intently, barely remembering to eat.
Jing Zhengxuan, however, was distracted. He had no interest in the movie, but he loved the feeling of Huai Xu resting his head on his arm.
Their bodies pressed close, and he could feel Huai Xu’s slightly cool body temperature.
Jing Zhengxuan draped a blanket over Huai Xu, then gently stroked his shoulder with the arm supporting him, nuzzling his soft hair and planting light kisses—sometimes on the top of his head, sometimes on his cheek, sometimes on his ear.
Huai Xu, constantly distracted by the kisses, grumbled and used the probation period as a shield. Jing Zhengxuan finally settled down a little—but only a little.
As the movie progressed, Huai Xu suddenly noticed something odd.
First, the bar was filled only with men. Even if he’d never been to a bar, he knew such places weren’t usually male-only.
This had to be the kind of bar Shu Jinwei had mentioned—a gay bar.
After Huai Xu admitted that romantic films did nothing for him, Shu Jinwei had once suggested taking him to a gay bar. Huai Xu had declined.
Setting aside the shock of Shu Jinwei coming out to him, Huai Xu had been adamant back then that he could never like men.
Now, though…
With Jing Zhengxuan acting like this, it was only a matter of time before he ignited something in Huai Xu.
The body’s reactions were always honest, impossible to hide.
Huai Xu popped a cookie Jing Zhengxuan had baked into his mouth and subtly shifted away.
Jing Zhengxuan immediately followed, sticking to him like glue.
Resigned, Huai Xu focused back on the movie.
The protagonist seemed completely unaware of the environment he’d entered, calmly ordering a drink at the bar. The loud music pulsed, and countless appraising eyes lingered on him, yet he remained oblivious.
Huai Xu expected the next scene to involve the protagonist noticing the hungry stares and fleeing in panic.
But the plot took an entirely unexpected turn. Faced with a crowd of men flirting with him, the protagonist decisively chose the tallest, most handsome young man—who looked like a college student—and left the bar arm in arm with him.
Huai Xu’s eyelids twitched as he chewed the cookie. A sinking feeling told him he’d picked the wrong movie.
Sure enough, the next scene showed the two entering a hotel. The moment the door closed, the taller man pinned the protagonist against it, kissing him fervently. Being a foreign film, the sounds of their kiss were unnervingly clear.
Huai Xu swallowed hard, his heart pounding. He had no idea what to do.
He’d wanted to watch a serious medical drama, not a story about a frustrated, handsome doctor hooking up with a college student in a bar!
His cheeks burned, but thankfully the dim lighting hid his blush.
Still, he was unbearably embarrassed.
If he kept watching, the two actors were already making their way to the bedroom, clothes strewn across the floor.
If he tried to explain to Jing Zhengxuan, he couldn’t even meet his eyes now. He’d been the one to pick the movie—what if Jing Zhengxuan took it as some kind of signal?
The sounds of the actors’ passionate kissing filled the room, tormenting Huai Xu’s ears. Frantically, he groped around for the remote, desperate to turn off the mortifying film.
Suddenly, his wrist was caught. Jing Zhengxuan’s heavy breathing sounded by his ear. "So this is what A’Xu likes to watch."
Huai Xu’s face turned scarlet—redder than the maple leaves of Xiangshan. He stammered, "Wrong movie. Where’s the remote?"
Jing Zhengxuan rolled over, looming above him. In the dim light, everything was blurred, but the fire in his cold amber eyes was unmistakable—sincere, intense, utterly unguarded.
"Don’t do this in broad daylight," Huai Xu muttered, lips pressed tight as he kept searching for the remote.
Jing Zhengxuan nuzzled his nose and murmured, "Don’t change it. I like it."
Huai Xu turned his head, calling his bluff. "Then lie down and watch properly."
"I think it’s better to watch and participate." With that, Jing Zhengxuan took Huai Xu’s earlobe between his lips, his tongue teasing it lightly.
On screen, the two actors were now caressing each other with abandon, their sounds even more indecent than before.
Huai Xu, ears assaulted by the noises and Jing Zhengxuan’s ministrations, shuddered involuntarily. But reason still held sway. He pushed at the other. "Jing Zhengxuan! You—"
Before he could finish, Jing Zhengxuan cupped his jaw and tilted his head up, his tongue slipping inside to explore and taste Huai Xu’s mouth.
Huai Xu could no longer speak, only moan into the kiss as his strength waned. His eyes grew hazy with desire, his lips swollen and tingling from the relentless attention.
Soon, Huai Xu was lost in the kiss, all reason gone.
On screen, the actors were now drenched in sweat, their heavy panting filling the room and further clouding Huai Xu’s mind.
Already dazed by Jing Zhengxuan’s kisses, the sounds pushed him into full-blown arousal.
Jing Zhengxuan continued to devour his mouth, his hands wandering lower…
His large palms radiated heat, and Huai Xu felt a strange mix of pain and pleasure. His hands clutched at Jing Zhengxuan’s back, the firm muscles taut under his fingers.
Jing Zhengxuan alternated between nibbling Huai Xu’s lower lip and trailing kisses down his neck, then further, tugging his collar aside to leave faint red marks on his collarbone.
Huai Xu wrapped his legs around Jing Zhengxuan, completely overcome.
On screen, the two leads had progressed further. In the theater, Jing Zhengxuan undid his belt and reached inside.
The moment his large, scorching hand wrapped around him, Huai Xu snapped back to reality, his voice hoarse. "Not here…"
Jing Zhengxuan was beyond stopping now. Despite Huai Xu’s pushing, dodging, and pounding, he refused to relent.
"A’Xu, let’s do it together, okay?" Jing Zhengxuan breathed into his ear, his voice low and rough, like a suppressed beast.
"Not now…" Huai Xu still resisted.
It was broad daylight. Even if his mom was at work, what if she came back early and caught them like this?
The consequences were unthinkable.
But Jing Zhengxuan wouldn’t give up. "A’Xu, I can’t hold back anymore."
On screen, the two leads had moved on to a new day.
The passionate sounds had stopped, and Huai Xu regained some clarity. He kept resisting, even grabbing Jing Zhengxuan’s wrist. "Stop!"
But his strength was no match. Jing Zhengxuan continued relentlessly, whispering in his ear and lightly biting his collarbone.
"Really… we can’t." Huai Xu’s voice was thick with desire.
The sticky, heated tone only spurred Jing Zhengxuan on, his movements growing more frantic.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, followed by Huai Xu’s mother’s voice: "A’Xu?"
Huai Xu jolted, shoving Jing Zhengxuan away, his eyes full of reproach.
He hastily wiped himself off, buttoned his shirt, and moved to open the door—only for Jing Zhengxuan to stop him.
"What?!" Huai Xu hissed, furious and flustered. The moment he spoke, he clapped a hand over his mouth.
His voice…
If his mom asked, how could he explain?
He suddenly understood why Jing Zhengxuan had stopped him. Maybe it wasn’t just his voice—his face probably wasn’t fit to be seen either.
Huai Xu glared at Jing Zhengxuan, then panicked.
Jing Zhengxuan pushed him back onto the massage chair, draped the blanket over him, and patted him reassuringly.
Though neither spoke, Huai Xu knew Jing Zhengxuan must have a plan, so he let himself be arranged.
Once Huai Xu was settled, Jing Zhengxuan went to the door alone.
As it opened, light spilled in. Huai Xu guiltily turned away, squeezing his eyes shut.
He strained to listen.
"Auntie Mo, A’Xu fell asleep watching the movie."
"Fell asleep? His sleep’s gotten that good? With all this noise?"
Huai Xu: "…"
Where was that remote?!
At the door, Jing Zhengxuan smiled calmly. "Only when I’m with him."
Huai Xu: "-_-"
Since when was he so shameless?
"Are you done with work at the company?"
"Done, so I came back early. Make sure he eats later."
"Of course."
The door closed. The space beside Huai Xu dipped as a large hand turned his head, a nose nuzzling his. "How’s that for skill?"
Huai Xu yanked the blanket off and pushed the other’s face away, looking around. "Where’s the remote?"
Jing Zhengxuan subtly moved it further away, grinning. "I saved you again. Can we shorten the probation now?"
Huai Xu rolled his eyes. "In your dreams! This is all your fault!"
Jing Zhengxuan leaned in, staring intently. "You enjoyed it too."
Huai Xu’s face flushed. "…"
At dinner, Huai Xu and Jing Zhengxuan sat side by side, with Huai Mo across from them.
Huai Mo had long grown accustomed to Jing Zhengxuan’s presence in their home. Since elementary school, he’d insisted on sticking to Huai Xu like glue, especially during holidays. He’d skip visiting his own relatives just to be with Huai Xu.
At first, Jing Zhengxuan had tried to invite Huai Xu to his place, but Huai Xu was too shy to impose. So instead, Jing Zhengxuan became a permanent fixture at the Huai household, to the point where his own parents had to come over if they needed him.
The memories were amusing. As Huai Mo ate, she glanced at the pair and noticed something different about her son.
His skin was still fair, but now it had a healthy glow—radiant, as if full of life.
Huai Mo smiled inwardly.
Did the school clinic’s therapy work that well?
Or was he just too shy to admit he was dating someone?
She observed discreetly until she spotted the anomaly.
Huai Mo smiled gently. "A’Xu, why are your lips swollen?"
Huai Xu choked. Jing Zhengxuan immediately patted his back.
Startled, Huai Mo handed him tissues. "Why the sudden choking? You’ve always eaten carefully."
Chewing slowly and methodically was a habit Huai Xu had cultivated since childhood. It was rare for him to choke.
Tears welled in Huai Xu’s eyes from coughing. He sipped some warm water—not too much, afraid it would dilute his stomach acid and hinder digestion.
Finally, he wiped his teary eyes, his face flushed. Whether from choking or something else was unclear.
In that moment, he shot Jing Zhengxuan a glare.
This was all his fault! Always kissing him out of nowhere, sucking and nibbling until his lips swelled.
But how could he explain that to his mom?
He was a terrible liar.
Jing Zhengxuan, catching the look, grinned and turned to Huai Mo. "Auntie Mo, A’Xu might be a bit inflamed. I’ll help him cool down."
Huai Mo’s gaze drifted to Huai Xu’s neck, where a faint mark caught her attention.
Whether from choking or something else, Huai Xu’s neck and ears were red, making the mark more visible.
Huai Xu nodded, eyes fixed on his plate. "Yeah, don’t worry, Mom."
Huai Mo studied him.
Huai Xu had always been polite, rarely avoiding eye contact unless he was shy or lying. But why would he be shy with her?
So he was lying?
But why?
Huai Xu wasn’t the type to lie.
After a moment, Huai Mo decided to bide her time and investigate quietly.
"Take care of yourself. Many illnesses start with inflammation," she said casually.
Jing Zhengxuan slung an arm over Huai Xu’s chair. "Don’t worry, Auntie Mo. I’ll take good care of him."
"Mm." Huai Mo resumed eating, recalling how Huai Xu had worn a high-necked sweater on New Year’s Day.
Could there be a connection?
Back in the room after dinner, Huai Xu slammed the door and pointed at his lips, glaring. "Jing Zhengxuan! Look what you did!"
Jing Zhengxuan followed his finger, taking in the slightly parted, pink lips, the soft tongue, and the faint glimpse of the inside of his mouth—all visibly swollen.
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his breathing growing heavier.
He took Huai Xu’s hand, stepped forward, and pinned him against the door, tilting his chin up before leaning in for a kiss.
Huai Xu’s eyes widened in shock. He blinked rapidly, then started pushing back.
But trapped between Jing Zhengxuan and the door, he couldn’t muster enough strength—not that it would’ve mattered even if he could.
Jing Zhengxuan’s tongue delved deep, his cool, tea-like scent now laced with something intoxicating, making Huai Xu’s face burn and his chest heave with mingled anger and arousal.
What was Jing Zhengxuan doing?!
He’d been in the middle of scolding him, and now this?!
Weren’t his lips numb from all the kissing?!
Huai Xu oscillated between surrender and fury. If Jing Zhengxuan hadn’t been so relentless, his mom wouldn’t have noticed his swollen lips.
Before he could finish settling the score, his lips were already sore from kissing again. And he couldn’t even push the other away!
Anger surged. Huai Xu’s lashes fluttered before he abruptly bit down on Jing Zhengxuan’s tongue.
The metallic tang of blood filled his mouth. Just as Huai Xu was about to gloat, Jing Zhengxuan hoisted him up by the thighs and carried him to the bed, kissing him fiercely the entire way.
Huai Xu’s heart pounded like thunder. Fear gripped him as he struggled, but Jing Zhengxuan only held him tighter, his voice a rough whisper against Huai Xu’s ear.
"A’Xu, don’t be afraid. I’m just helping you cool down." His ears were red as he smirked.
Huai Xu, flustered, tried to escape, but Jing Zhengxuan flipped them over, pinning him down.
"A’Xu, be good. Once you’ve cooled off, you won’t be mad anymore."
With that, Jing Zhengxuan undid his belt, one hand wrapping around them both as he gazed at Huai Xu with burning intensity before kissing him again.
Huai Xu’s mind went blank, his entire body tingling as if electrified.
His arms wrapped around Jing Zhengxuan’s back, leaving ten fresh red scratches…
Later, Jing Zhengxuan carried Huai Xu to the bathroom.
Huai Xu kept his eyes shut, too embarrassed to look.
The first glance had been shocking enough. Now, seeing the full picture, it was downright awe-inspiring.
Under the warm spray, Jing Zhengxuan couldn’t resist kissing Huai Xu again—though more restrained this time, murmuring apologies between pecks.
"Sorry, A’Xu. But you’re just too cute. I couldn’t help it."
"Then… control… yourself… better," Huai Xu managed between kisses, amazed Jing Zhengxuan could speak so coherently.
Jing Zhengxuan dried him off gently. "I’ll try. From now on."
Huai Xu narrowed his eyes skeptically.
After the bath, Huai Xu couldn’t bring himself to look at the scratches on Jing Zhengxuan’s back, wanting nothing more than to hide under the covers.
Jing Zhengxuan, however, deliberately checked them in the mirror and frowned. "A’Xu, how’d you scratch me up so badly?"
He examined Huai Xu’s nails. "They’re not even long. How?"
Guiltily, Huai Xu pulled his hand back. "S-sorry."
Jing Zhengxuan stepped closer, lifting his chin. "Just an apology?"
Huai Xu’s eyes flickered nervously. "What… do you want?"
Jing Zhengxuan looked down at him, lips quirking. "Can we… shorten the probation?"
Huai Xu: "…"
Was that all he ever thought about?!
He stayed silent, and Jing Zhengxuan pouted. "Do you really not want me to be official?"
Huai Xu hesitated.
The truth was, they were already acting like a couple in every way except name.
But Jing Zhengxuan was too… horny.
If he was this relentless before they were official, who knew what he’d do after?
He needed to temper Jing Zhengxuan’s enthusiasm, teach him to behave.
Clearing his throat, Huai Xu pushed Jing Zhengxuan’s hand away and stepped back, eyes glinting. "I’m not satisfied with your performance during probation. You’re lucky I’m not extending it. If you want it shortened, start by learning to listen."
He glanced guiltily at Jing Zhengxuan before darting out, adding, "I can apply ointment to your back."
Jing Zhengxuan slumped, trailing after him and tugging at his sleeve. "A’Xu, if you want me to listen, you should make me official first."
Huai Xu turned. "?"
Jing Zhengxuan nodded solemnly. "Really. Only boyfriends have to obey each other."
Huai Xu shook him off and climbed into bed. "…Do you think I’m stupid? No more random kisses for the next few days. Start with that."
He turned his back to Jing Zhengxuan.
Jing Zhengxuan, standing by the bed, stared at his silhouette in disbelief.
…So did that mean he could still "cool him down" whenever?
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