When the sparks of love and desire ignite at the same time, the two of them share an almost transcendent understanding.
Li Jichuan suddenly pressed a hand to his forehead. Su Pu rushed to his side, concern written all over his face.
John noticed first, approaching with a sparkler that hadn’t yet burned out. The soft yellow light cast Su Pu’s profile in an almost sacred glow.
Li Jichuan quietly steadied his breath.
“Headache?” John asked.
Li Jichuan nodded. With his other hand, he crossed his abdomen and secretly took hold of Su Pu’s hand, squeezing it lightly.
Su Pu awkwardly patted his short hair, then waved goodbye to John.
Ouyang and Pei Zhicheng gathered around too, smiles fading as they noticed Li Jichuan wasn’t feeling well.
“Is President Li not feeling well?”
“Then… let’s head home.”
The two spoke in low voices.
Su Pu nodded, reading the room, and only then noticed Anderson walking over.
“Not staying a bit longer?” Anderson sounded cheerful. “If you’re uncomfortable, just stay here. No need to drag yourselves around.”
Li Jichuan tilted his head and shot him a sharp look.
Anderson immediately shut up.
Su Pu pushed Li Jichuan off the rooftop. As soon as he opened the door, the indoor heat rushed out and flushed both their faces even redder.
As the door closed, Su Pu still heard John asking Anderson inside.
“Is Lee really not feeling well?”
Anderson laughed. “Heh. Probably.”
…
Li Jichuan didn’t call his usual driver. He summoned a company car on short notice and gave the address of the nearest hotel.
Su Pu sat stiffly in the back seat, his round eyes wide, barely daring to breathe.
Somehow, the way the two of them were right now felt… like sneaking around.
Li Jichuan never took his eyes off him, watching the little mute spiral into his own thoughts, watching his face heat up until it turned bright red. He couldn’t help laughing.
Su Pu knew none of that. Once they got out of the car, he almost forgot how to walk.
His husband, on the other hand, was far calmer—checking in smoothly, then taking him up in the elevator.
A bellhop in a round hat escorted them into the room. The lighting inside was dim and suggestive.
Li Jichuan cleared his throat and asked in a low voice, “Want to shower first?”
Su Pu didn’t answer. He bolted into the bathroom like a rocket.
Warm water poured down. With his eyes closed, Su Pu’s heart was still racing.
Later… they were going to do it, right?
They really should have done this a long time ago.
He knew it well enough—Li Jichuan treasured him, afraid he might hurt, afraid he might feel wronged, so even with this sort of thing, he always respected Su Pu’s wishes.
As for Su Pu… what objections could he have? He was a little impatient too.
But now that the moment had actually arrived, he grew shy again. He lingered, finished washing slowly, then wrapped himself bashfully in a bathrobe and slipped out, trading places with Li Jichuan.
As they passed each other, neither of them dared look the other in the eye.
Li Jichuan felt stirred and amused at himself at the same time. Two men nearly thirty, acting as pure as high schoolers…
Away from home, with the facilities less than ideal, he had to awkwardly manage his own shower.
He had just turned on the spray when the bathroom door slammed open with a bang.
The little mute had come back.
Face set, courage blazing, he marched straight toward him.
“Su—Su Pu…”
Half of Su Pu’s shoulder was quickly soaked by the water. Steam fogged his eyes, but boldly he swung a leg over and straddled Li Jichuan’s thighs.
“Ha—”
Li Jichuan let out a hoarse laugh, tipping his head back as water streamed over his eyelids.
He wiped his face roughly, laughing under his breath, tugged off the bathrobe that had grown heavy with water, and kissed him deeply.
Tonight, Su Pu had the fearless abandon of an honest man throwing everything he had into one gamble. The tongue he usually kept shyly hidden, the hands that normally dared not touch, even the places he’d never dared approach before—all of it turned passionate, impossible to hold back.
As he kissed him, Li Jichuan suddenly thought of a tree in midsummer, thick with leaves.
When the wind blew, the leaves danced joyfully, like thousands of playful eyes, like the soft fur of small animals,
gently scratching at his heart.
Heat rose, the air grew thin, and Su Pu’s strength slowly ebbed.
Both of them were drenched, bodies pressed close, keenly aware of every change in the other.
Li Jichuan brushed all of Su Pu’s hair back to the crown of his head and kissed his smooth forehead.
“Xiao Pu, have you thought it through?”
“Are you afraid?”
Su Pu barely opened his eyes. He reached out and pressed the switch.
The water stopped. The heat began to dissipate. The room fell quiet.
Li Jichuan heard him say, in a breathy but very clear voice, “Mm.”
…
Soft beneath them was the fluffy comforter.
Softer still was his lover’s chest.
Once again, the room carried a faint jasmine scent. Water still dripped from Su Pu’s hair.
Droplets pattered onto Li Jichuan’s skin.
A room full of deep feeling, a sweet dream about to unfold.
Su Pu brushed the water from Li Jichuan’s body with his fingertips, and suddenly felt a slight raised line.
It was a scar.
His nose stung. He jumped off the bed and turned on more lights.
When the room was fully lit, he saw all the scars covering Li Jichuan’s body.
Most were on his legs—but why were there wounds on his arms too, on his abdomen, even across his back?
Forgetting everything else they’d been in the middle of, Su Pu urgently grabbed Li Jichuan’s shoulders, made him sit up, and checked him over again and again.
Li Jichuan smiled indifferently. “It’s not like you haven’t seen them before. Why such a big reaction all of a sudden?”
“Don’t tell me you think they’re scary. Or disgusting.”
Before he finished speaking, Su Pu suddenly sat upright, glaring at him in anger, as if he’d said something unforgivable.
Then the anger in those eyes slowly reddened, tears welling up, the look shifting from hurt to heartbreak.
“Hey, hey. It’s fine. I’m fine.”
Li Jichuan couldn’t stand the sight of him crying. It felt like his heart was being stabbed. He pulled Su Pu into his arms.
“It’s been a long time already. I really don’t hurt anymore. Otherwise, how could I cushion you every night, huh?”
But Su Pu’s tears wouldn’t stop. His shoulders shook as he leaned down to kiss every scar on Li Jichuan’s body.
The more he kissed them, the more his heart ached.
He couldn’t understand why heaven, after already taking away this man’s ability to walk freely, still had to leave so many shocking scars on him.
When Li Jichuan saw these scars himself… did it hurt?
Did he hate his own body?
Thinking that, Su Pu leaned in again, gently touching a pale, faded mark on Li Jichuan’s chest.
He pressed a soft kiss there.
【Heart-heart】
He typed the words and showed them to Li Jichuan.
“Hm?”
Sniffling, still trembling after crying so hard, Su Pu typed again.
【This scar is called ‘heart-heart.’】
The little mute tried his best to smile, then looked toward Li Jichuan’s other scars…
It took Li Jichuan a moment to react. His chest warmed so deeply it almost hurt.
Since he couldn’t make these scars disappear, then he would give them new meaning—turning vicious-looking wounds into something gentle and cute.
Just like their love.
The synonym for love was hope.