Xiao Chiye ran hot by nature, and after riding half the night, he was drenched in sweat. He withdrew his hand and continued removing his armor. Seeing Shen Zechuan push himself up, he said, “Did you eat tonight? I’ll find something to fill my stomach. On the way back I ran into a courier horse delivering letters—I intercepted it. The letter you sent me is on me.”
Shen Zechuan paused mid-motion as he was about to get out of bed. Then he lowered himself again, looking at Xiao Chiye with a faintly seductive gaze, and asked, “Where did you put it?”
Xiao Chiye lifted a finger and tapped his chest.
Shen Zechuan extended his right hand, palm up, in a gesture asking for it.
Xiao Chiye set his armor aside and straightened, bracing his hands on his knees as he looked down at Shen Zechuan. “Want it back? Take it yourself.”
Shen Zechuan felt a tingling numbness under Xiao Chiye’s gaze. His hand moved to Xiao Chiye’s chest, fingertips sliding downward, touching only the sweat-dampened muscles. As if he didn’t understand, he murmured softly, “Give it back.”
His face still carried the dazed look of someone not fully awake, yet his fingers moved with practiced familiarity, teasing and exploring. The faint, deliberate movements made it clear that the daze was only an act.
Xiao Chiye slowed his breathing, afraid he might lose control and devour Shen Zechuan whole in an instant. He seemed unmoved, yet his gaze burned as it followed every motion.
Shen Zechuan explored that solid chest, his movements intertwining with Xiao Chiye’s breathing. One stood, one sat, so close they could feel each other’s breath. Shen Zechuan’s eyes shimmered with emotion, yet he still said, “Ce’an, I didn’t find it.”
Xiao Chiye let him continue. Tilting his head slightly, he caught Shen Zechuan’s scent. Shen Zechuan leaned in, brushing his cheek lightly against him, the satisfaction in the corner of his eyes gripping Xiao Chiye’s heart tight.
Xiao Chiye let out a short, harsh laugh, still sweating. His hand clamped onto Shen Zechuan’s lower back, pulling him flush against his chest. With no distance left between them, they pressed close, necks entwined in a kiss—Shen Zechuan kissed, Xiao Chiye bit.
Shen Zechuan was pressed into the bedding. He quickly lifted his injured left hand, resting it on the back of Xiao Chiye’s neck. The mattress dipped under their weight. Shen Zechuan’s inner robe was disheveled, and as Xiao Chiye knelt over him, the folding fan slipped out.
Shen Zechuan picked it up, and as soon as he held it, the letter fell out as well.
Xiao Chiye reached for it, but Shen Zechuan was quicker. With the fan, he flicked the letter aside, sending it to the edge of the bed. Then he flipped the fan and hooked it under Xiao Chiye’s chin, lifting his face before leaning in to kiss him.
Xiao Chiye seemed not to notice, letting himself be drawn deeper into the kiss, stirred by Shen Zechuan’s teasing. It had been days since they’d last been together, and they had only just reunited. Xiao Chiye followed Shen Zechuan’s lead, leaving him flushed and trembling under waves of rising desire.
Shen Zechuan lowered his eyes, clinging to the last thread of reason—he needed to kick that letter under the bed later… Before he could finish the thought, Xiao Chiye flipped him over.
Gripping Shen Zechuan’s waist, Xiao Chiye admired the elegant curve of his back. The sweat-soaked inner robe clung half-transparent to his skin, revealing yet concealing, like mist veiling something just out of reach.
Shen Zechuan glanced back, lips damp.
Xiao Chiye claimed him completely—this was all his. The heat, the sweat, the breath, the gaze, the trembling, even the scent that rose with every movement—all of it belonged to him, to Xiao Chiye.
The thought alone filled him with fierce excitement. Shen Zechuan understood him too well; every glance struck precisely where it mattered. The more Xiao Chiye cherished him, the harsher his force became.
As if he wanted to crush him apart.
He bit Shen Zechuan’s right ear, catching the jade bead between his teeth.
This position was difficult for Shen Zechuan, deep enough to draw sweat and tears. There was no escape, front or back, as if his waist and ankles were bound in chains. It hurt, and yet the pain melted into a numbing pleasure that erased everything—no nightmares, no past—only Xiao Chiye, Xiao Chiye, Xiao Chiye—
Shen Zechuan trembled, drenched in sweat, murmuring faintly as he neared the edge, “…Ce’an.”
Xiao Chiye wasn’t finished, yet that soft, languid call almost undid him.
Shen Zechuan collapsed forward, face buried in his arms, breathing hard, his body still trembling. The bedding beneath his knees was soaked.
Xiao Chiye leaned over him, pressing his chest against Shen Zechuan’s back. He didn’t withdraw; instead, the pressure only deepened, drawing a muffled sound from Shen Zechuan. Brushing aside the disordered pillows, Xiao Chiye covered him completely and said, “Holding you like this makes it easier to sleep.”
Shen Zechuan’s ear was red from biting; now, with a breath of heat, it tingled and ached. He turned his face slightly, eyes red and damp, silently mouthing: too rough.
Xiao Chiye kissed him again. Shen Zechuan didn’t resist, softly returning the kiss. Their hunger eased, just a little. Held beneath Xiao Chiye’s weight, Shen Zechuan relaxed completely, as if Xiao Chiye’s presence alone made him invincible.
Xiao Chiye ran his hands over him, intimately aware of every change—he could tell just from holding him how much weight he had lost. Brushing aside the hair at Shen Zechuan’s ear with his nose, he murmured, “Was everything smooth in Chazhou? You’ve gotten thinner.”
Shen Zechuan thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“Did Luo Mu give you trouble?” Xiao Chiye asked.
Shen Zechuan pressed his lips together and shook his head again.
Xiao Chiye exhaled warmly, teasing him. “Bandits causing trouble in Chazhou? I’ll send the Imperial Guards down for you.”
Shen Zechuan half-closed his eyes and said, “I missed you.”
Before Xiao Chiye could respond, he added, “The bed’s been empty. It’s cold.”
Xiao Chiye held him from behind, gripping his arms, about to speak—then his gaze caught something white. He pulled out Shen Zechuan’s left hand from under the blanket and turned it over, seeing the bandages wrapped around it. His expression hardened as he looked at Shen Zechuan.
Shen Zechuan avoided his gaze, burying his face into the bedding.
“Shen Lanzhou,” Xiao Chiye said, lifting his chin and enunciating each word, “you really know how to hide things.”