Chapter 172

“Ah…”

Jiang Luo instinctively tilted his head back, lips slightly parted, every fiber of his body and soul overwhelmed with sensation.

It was different from the previous life—before, he had always been the one on top.

Now, being underneath, so deep, it was a completely new experience for him. He felt a strange mixture of discomfort and pleasure, impossible to describe, as if his soul was being tossed up and down, consciousness blurred, his mind flooded with white light.

For the first time, he realized the pleasure of the valley—of intimacy—could feel like this.

To be with someone you liked… it was an entirely different feeling.

His soul seemed to tremble in unison with his body, sensations syncing with every heartbeat.

And finally… they reached the peak together.

Jiang Luo felt exhausted—it had been so long. How could Huo Zongzhuo last that long without wearing himself out?

He collapsed onto the pillow, drowsy, soaked in sweat from head to back as if pulled from water, the lingering flush on his body a testament to their shared pleasure.

Huo Zongzhuo hovered behind him, gently kissing his shoulders and back, slow and tender—the kind of care only he ever showed Jiang Luo.

A muffled sound escaped Jiang Luo’s throat. Huo Zongzhuo leaned closer, kissed behind his ear, and asked softly, “Hungry?”

True to his nature, Jiang Luo couldn’t resist teasing even at a moment like this: “You mean upstairs or downstairs?”

Huo Zongzhuo chuckled, the low, pleasant sound tickling Jiang Luo’s ear.

“So… downstairs’s full?” he asked, following the joke.

“Eh… okay, I guess,” Jiang Luo replied, trying to act nonchalant.

Huo Zongzhuo laughed, voice quivering with amusement: “Only okay?”

Then, teasing, he slowly moved again. Jiang Luo buried his face in the pillow, shoulders arching instinctively, back forming a graceful curve.

When Jiang Luo fully woke, Huo Zongzhuo was holding him, leaning against the headboard, having just hung up the phone.

“Awake?” he asked, pecking Jiang Luo’s temple.

Jiang Luo shifted, sensing something wet, recalling that they hadn’t used anything the last time…

Rubbing his face and stretching, he felt the soreness in his lower back and groin. Opening his eyes, he admitted, “Yeah… hungry.”

“Shall we shower first?” Huo Zongzhuo asked gently. “Can you get up? I can carry you. There’s a bathtub; you can soak while I make a call to have food delivered.”

“Mm,” Jiang Luo replied, too tired to protest. “It all… came out.”

Huo Zongzhuo rose, picking him up with casual boldness: “Wasn’t it to get full?”

“Go to hell,” Jiang Luo murmured, smirking.

In the bathroom, Jiang Luo noticed something odd. “Why are we in a hotel?”

“Didn’t I go home last night? I was drunk,” Huo Zongzhuo replied.

“Mm, you didn’t,” Jiang Luo noted.

Huo Zongzhuo said nothing further, not wanting him to know about Xie Zhizhong’s schemes.

“After we eat, I’ll take you home,” he said.

Jiang Luo sighed, unconcerned: “First time outside the house… I thought we’d be at home.”

Sinking into the bath, Jiang Luo’s curiosity returned. Stretching his arm to hook it around Huo Zongzhuo’s neck, he asked seriously, “Was this your first time? Did you have another family? Another… boy?”

“What do you mean?” Huo Zongzhuo sighed.

“You haven’t told me everything yet,” Jiang Luo pressed, poking his chin.

Now came the key point: “Felt so good, I’d never have guessed it was your first time.

“If you had no experience, I wouldn’t believe it.”

Huo Zongzhuo chuckled, pulling Jiang Luo close, pressing a deep kiss to his lips: “Don’t worry. One home, one son, one boy.

“Not because of experience… just natural talent.”

“Big talker,” Jiang Luo laughed, wrapping his arms around Huo Zongzhuo’s shoulders, kissing him.

“Come in and soak together.”

Jiang Luo leaned against Huo Zongzhuo in the warm bath, every inch of him relaxing, body and soul immersed in comfort. Finally, everything was right—he was with Huo Zongzhuo, and they liked each other.

Nothing in the world felt better.

After a luxurious soak, they ate—Jiang Luo’s favorite dishes—and he felt completely satisfied.

Returning to bed, they cuddled again, and Jiang Luo felt like an emperor, every hair, every toe basking in happiness.

Content, he rested his head on Huo Zongzhuo’s chest, pretending to nap, lazily murmuring, “By the way… why did we just… sleep together yesterday?

“Did I drink too much?”

“I can’t remember. And we were in a hotel, not home.”

“Yes… drank quite a bit,” Huo Zongzhuo replied vaguely, avoiding the topic of Xie Zhizhong.

Jiang Luo didn’t mind. “You hid it for so long.

“I thought, why suddenly give me a factory? Felt off at the time.

“I asked, but you wouldn’t admit it.

“If you had… we’d have been together ages ago.

“All my fault.”

Huo Zongzhuo replied simply, “I’m a coward.”

“You’re not,” Jiang Luo said, looking up, tapping Huo Zongzhuo’s chest with his chin: “Neither of us dared.

“If we said anything… what if we lost the friendship? That’d be worse.”

“I get it,” Jiang Luo continued, resting back. “When did you start liking me?”

“Very early,” Huo Zongzhuo admitted.

“Very early… like when you borrowed money from me at Jing’an for stocks? You already had your eye on me?”

“Even earlier,” Huo Zongzhuo replied gently.

“Ah?” Jiang Luo blinked in surprise.

“You were at a club… I happened to see you that day,” Huo Zongzhuo smiled softly.

Jiang Luo couldn’t help teasing: “That’s really early. Didn’t know my dad was a tiger, stalking prey that early.”

Huo Zongzhuo laughed, and then asked, “What about you? When did you start liking me?”

Jiang Luo thought for a moment: “Not sure. I realized it in Shenzhen, when you delivered me the factory. Before returning to Haicheng, I knew I liked you.”

Huo Zongzhuo stroked his hair: “No wonder you kept asking if I liked men… or you.”

“Mm, yeah.” Jiang Luo admitted openly.

“I stayed with you so long, knew you well… never thought you were different. I assumed you were a normal man. Tried to flirt with you.

“But then you gave me a car, a house in Shenzhen… I felt guilty, so I thought… forget it.”

“Ah, that explains it,” Huo Zongzhuo nodded.

Hence, in Changsha, drunk, holding him tight, telling him to delay marriage, spend two more years together… it all made sense.

Huo Zongzhuo lowered his head, kissing the top of Jiang Luo’s head. “Were you very upset then?”

“Not really. A little, but not much,” Jiang Luo answered honestly.

“You were always single, no women around… I knew you wouldn’t marry easily.

“Thought, as long as you don’t marry, I can stay with you a few more years.

“You felt the same?” Jiang Luo looked up.

Huo Zongzhuo smiled.

“Mm?”

“No… not really,” he admitted.

“I set up the house on Wukang Road, gave you the factory… to show you my goodness.

“I wanted to keep you close.

“Treat you well, so no woman would appeal to you… you wouldn’t leave.”

“Ah?” Jiang Luo laughed. “That was your plan?”

From then on, they finally opened up completely. Jiang Luo leaned up to kiss Huo Zongzhuo’s jaw: “I won’t leave you. Won’t like anyone else.”

“Mm, I know.”

Huo Zongzhuo kissed him back: “And I won’t marry in a few years either.”

They shared a gentle, lingering kiss.