Pei Tingsong particularly enjoyed the process of holding Fang Juexia while cleaning him afterward; bathing him was also a pleasure.
At times like this, Fang Juexia was completely dependent on him.
“My back hurts,” Fang Juexia murmured softly, leaning against the bathtub edge with a lazy tone that made Pei Tingsong feel as if he were being spoiled.
“I was a bit too rough just now.”
“You know that, huh?” Fang Juexia lifted his eyes to meet his, long lashes starkly defined in the bathroom light. He had a face that made one want to break the rules yet protect him at the same time—which was why Pei Tingsong was always conflicted.
“I’m sorry.” Like a large dog seeking forgiveness from its owner after misbehaving, he sat on the edge of the tub and dried his hair.
Fang Juexia grabbed his hand. “I never said I didn’t like it…” His gaze happened to fall on the faint mark at the base of his palm—a trace left from when he’d bitten him earlier. The scab had long since fallen off, but a pale imprint remained. Thinking back to when Pei Tingsong hadn’t liked him yet, when he’d been forced to care for him, he’d been so adorable. He couldn’t resist kissing him.
“Really?” Pei Tingsong’s eyes lit up. “That means you do like me!”
Of course he did. Otherwise, how could he be so completely at his mercy?
Pressed for an answer, Fang Juexia felt a sudden wave of embarrassment wash over him. He changed his tune, saying he didn’t know and forbade further questions. Pei Tingsong knew he was blushing and stopped teasing him. “Want to go soak in the hot springs?” He brushed away the hair clinging to his forehead, kissed his cheek, and only lifted him up once Fang Juexia nodded.
At first, Fang Juexia felt awkward being carried around by Pei Tingsong. The age gap made him cling stubbornly to certain aspects of his elder brother’s dignity. Yet, having grown accustomed to being cared for, he found himself oddly enjoying this sensation.
The hot spring water in the courtyard was milky white, steaming with warm mist. It felt incredibly soothing. As his body sank into it, every muscle relaxed and stretched.
“So relaxing,” Pei Tingsong murmured, leaning back against the stone edge of the pool. “I’m going to build a hot spring at home someday. Once it’s done…”
Fang Juexia couldn’t bear to listen anymore. He covered Pei Tingsong’s mouth with his hand. “Shut up. Do you think you can just build a hot spring whenever you feel like it? It’s not like it’s a fish-killing swimming pool you can whip up anytime.”
Pei Tingsong grinned dumbly with his mouth covered, planting several kisses on Fang Juexia’s soft palm before pulling him into his embrace. They shared a lingering kiss in the water, then stood chest to chest, holding each other face to face. Pei Tingsong’s hands massaged Fang Juexia’s waist beneath the surface.
For some reason, being close to him brought a sense of security. Fang Juexia loved this feeling, so he rested his chin on Pei Tingsong’s shoulder, leaning his whole body against him and closing his eyes.
“Have you lost weight again?” Pei Tingsong’s touch was gentle, his voice even softer. “It’s all from the late nights recently.”
“No,” Fang Juexia tilted his head, his lips brushing against Pei Tingsong’s neck as he spoke, “I’ve always been this way.”
Pei Tingsong countered, “Who says? I can tell just by holding you—you’re much lighter now. It feels like nothing when I pick you up.”
Fang Juexia couldn’t help but chuckle softly, his tone teasing. “Stop bragging…” But before he could finish, he pressed against his sore spot, and his voice cracked, growing soft. “…This spot hurts so much.”
That single word stole Pei Tingsong’s soul. With such beauty in his arms, work became unbearably difficult.
He had to be a ruthless massage tool.
“Does this feel good?” Pei Tingsong asked.
“Mm…” Fang Juexia held him lazily, like a koala soaked in hot springs until its bones went soft. “Did you study this? You’re so professional.”
You bet. Ever since learning Fang Juexia had back issues, he’d scoured massage videos online daily, practicing techniques on pillows countless times until he mastered them—all to ensure Fang’s comfort.
Soaked in the hot spring water, Fang Juexia grew increasingly limp, like a mochi dumpling in red bean soup, lazily floating, his mind drowsy. Hearing Pei Tingsong describe the moment he first saw him, how beautiful he was, like someone stepped out of a painting, Fang Juexia wanted to argue but couldn’t be bothered to speak. He just smiled and listened. Pei Tingsong’s voice was deep and resonant. Pressed against his chest, he could feel the vibrations of each word reverberating through his ribcage.
“I used to love that high-tech minimalist residential style—black, white, gray tones. I believed less was more. But today, seeing you standing at the garden gate, I suddenly realized that’s not good at all.“ Pei Tingsong gently stroked his back. ”Only the most beautiful place is worthy of you. If one day we retire early, I’ll hire the best designer to make our home gorgeous, filled with plants.”
He looked up at the massive ginkgo tree by the hot spring pool. “Ginkgo is beautiful, maple leaves are lovely too, and camellias. Oh yes, and climbing roses covering an entire wall—best if there’s a patch of bellflowers too…”
Fang Juexia chuckled softly, his eyes heavy with sleep.
Want a flower room, silly boy?
“I can already picture you standing amidst the blooms.” Pei Tingsong drifted off in thought, silent for a moment. An autumn breeze stirred, scattering ginkgo leaves—one landing precisely on Fang Juexia’s snow-white shoulder.
Only then did Pei Tingsong snap back to reality. He gently brushed the leaf from his shoulder and gave a self-deprecating chuckle.
“Can you believe it? I used to hate flowers the most.”
Fang Juexia was utterly exhausted and had fallen asleep in his arms. After a long while with no response, Pei Tingsong realized the guy had drifted off.
“He can sleep through anything.”
Worried he might catch a chill, Pei Tingsong gently lifted him out, wrapped him in a bath towel, carried him inside, laid him on the bed, and tucked him under the covers to let him sleep soundly.
A faint, bitter-sweet fragrance wafted from the bedside. Pei Tingsong turned on the light and noticed a unique flower arrangement there—petals a deep crimson verging on ink black. Strangely, one fully bloomed blossom had fallen outside the pot. Pei Tingsong picked it up, twirling the stem between his fingers before taking a sniff.
Finally, he pinned it to Fang Juexia’s temple.
He possessed a serene beauty in sleep, the deep crimson petals softening the birthmark at his temple.
He was so beautiful that Pei Tingsong couldn’t resist secretly snapping a photo.
Though his future plans hadn’t been properly heard by the other, Pei Tingsong still felt deeply satisfied. The word “home” had once held no meaning for him. After his grandfather passed, home became synonymous with a cage.
But now, Pei Tingsong yearned desperately to build a home with the person before him.
He loved him more than he’d ever imagined.
When he finally woke, Fang Juexia discovered he was in bed. The bedside lamp glowed softly, a glass of water sat on the nightstand. This was Pei Tingsong’s habit.
He stretched one hand outside the covers, then lazily pulled it back. Calling out Pei Tingsong’s name, he burrowed deeper under the duvet before suddenly noticing a dark red flower resting beside his pillow.
Soon, the other man appeared, still wearing the black bathrobe he’d had on when he arrived. “Awake?” He reached out and touched Fang Juexia’s warm, sleepy cheek.
“How long have I been asleep?” Fang Juexia squinted like a cat.
“Two hours. It’s eleven now.” Pei Tingsong brought the water from the bedside table and held it to his lips.
Fang Juexia took the cup himself to drink, then showed him the flower he’d found.
“Do you like it?” Pei Tingsong gestured toward the potted plant on the nightstand. “This one… I don’t know what kind of flower it is.”
“Camellia.” Mom used to grow them too. Camellias are easy to recognize, especially this unique color. Fang Juexia handed the cup back. “This variety seems to be…” He suddenly smiled, blurting out, “What a coincidence.”
Pei Tingsong looked puzzled.
“Black Knight.” Fang Juexia tucked the flower into the collar of his yukata, a smile playing on his lips. “A rare variety.”
Black Knight. Pei Tingsong repeated the name silently in his mind several times.
Life was worth cherishing precisely because it held so many beautiful coincidences like this.
“I’ve decided,” he declared childishly, “no matter what else happens, Fang Juexia and Pei Tingsong’s home must have Black Knights and white anemones. Those two are non-negotiable.” He removed the flower, placed it on the table, and ruffled Fang Juexia’s hair. The shift from boy to man always happened in an instant with him. “I just ordered a meal. Get up and eat something.”
Fang Juexia drank some water, rolled the blanket around him, and turned his back. “I want to sleep.”
“Eat first.” Pei Tingsong said before getting up and walking away. Hearing the movement, Fang Juexia turned his head to sneak a peek. It turned out he had fetched a small table and moved it over to the bed.
The dishes were all exquisitely prepared, served in small plates and bowls, at least six or seven of them.
“Eat up.”
Taking the chopsticks he offered, Fang Juexia suddenly noticed a red mark on his hand, as if burned. “What happened here?” He tapped the spot with his chopsticks. “Did you burn yourself? Did you rinse it with cold water?”
“Oh, just now…” Pei Tingsong couldn’t think of an excuse on the spot, so he simply said, “I was actually boiling noodles for you, but the broth splashed me. Anyway, I didn’t think they’d turn out tasty, so I ordered takeout instead. It arrived pretty quickly.”
Staring at the small red patch, Fang Juexia suddenly said, “But I want noodles.”
“Huh?”
Fang Juexia nodded at him. “I really want noodles. Go get them for me.”
“They’re really not good. There are so many better options here.”
“But I want them! Hurry up, hurry up. Don’t burn your hands this time.”
Unable to persuade him otherwise, Pei Tingsong grumbled as he walked over to fetch his failed creation. “Eat less of that, have more vegetables.”
Fang Juexia never had much of an appetite, but the noodles he cooked tasted especially delicious. Pei Tingsong kept piling vegetables into his bowl, urging him to eat.
“Your noodles are really good.” Fang Juexia said earnestly. “It was great on my birthday too. Will you cook for me again?”
Pei Tingsong chuckled.
He really was a good big brother.
While they ate, Fang Juexia’s phone buzzed again. Pei Tingsong glanced at it for him. “Your roommate’s at it again. That guy’s really clingy.”
“Are you jealous of Yi Yi too?” Fang Juexia asked with a smile, confirming the message.
“Who said I’m jealous?” Pei Tingsong denied it flatly. “His jealousy is like apple cider vinegar at best. Not even strong enough to drink as a beverage.”
What a ridiculous analogy. Fang Juexia put down his phone. “He says they’re playing games in Lu Yuan’s room and asked if we want to join.”
Pei Tingsong knew Fang Juexia was tempted to go—he could read his thoughts like an open book now. So he bargained like a parent with a child, “Finish this egg custard, and I’ll go with you.”
The egg custard was finished. The night had grown deeper and the dew heavier. Fortunately, Pei Tingsong’s luggage was packed in Fang Juexia’s suitcase, so they could both change into warmer clothes before heading to Lu Yuan’s place. Their laughter greeted them as soon as they entered the courtyard. Lu Yuan’s room had a Japanese aesthetic. When Fang Juexia opened the door, he almost didn’t recognize Ling Yi—his face was painted like a spotted cat.
“How did you get like this?” Fang Juexia tried rubbing it off a couple times, but it wouldn’t budge and only got on his own hands.
“They bullied me!” Ling Yi lunged straight into Fang Juexia’s arms, only to be yanked away by Pei Tingsong grabbing his collar.
Lu Yuan, sitting cross-legged on the floor, craned his neck and warned, “Watch out, you guys. This guy just had some drinks. He might start kissing people randomly.”
“Did I kiss you?!” Ling Yi protested, his face flushing. “I only had a little bit.”
Lu Yuan snorted. “Like you didn’t kiss enough! Your mouth’s like a suction cup—my neck’s all red from your marks.”
He Ziyan teased mercilessly, “You better watch out. If someone snaps a photo, they’ll say you’re dating.”
“Exactly! I’m totally innocent!”
Fang Juexia instinctively touched his neck, glancing down guiltily to check for any obvious marks.
“Come sit down.” Jiang Miao pulled over two tatami cushions and casually asked, “Finished watching the movie?”
“Huh? Yeah…”
Lu Yuan chimed in, “Ling Yi and I just went to pick you up. We were worried you wouldn’t make it over in the dark. Didn’t expect you’d be at the movies.” But then he suddenly remembered something. “Wait, when we came by around six, your phone was still on your bed. How come when we called you later, you were already in the media room?”
This clumsy lie was exposed right there, and Fang Juexia felt like he wanted to just confess everything.
Just confess.
“Actually…”
“You’re such a dope.” Ling Yi shoved Lu Yuan, sending him crashing into He Ziyan. “Obviously you forgot your phone and went back to get it. How could you go without your phone?”
Pei Tingsong nearly burst out laughing.
What a fucking useless teammate.
He Ziyan secretly tore open a bag of Cheetos Ling Yi had brought. “What movie did you guys go see?”
Fang Juexia froze, his eyes instinctively darting toward Pei Tingsong. Assuming he wouldn’t speak up, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Trashy novels.” / “La La Land.”
They spoke in unison, yet their answers clashed.
He’d blown his cover. Fang Juexia’s smile froze as he met his teammates’ awkward expressions.
What now? How could he explain?
“Ah!” Ling Yi, tipsy, clapped like a seal pup. “So you weren’t watching in the same media room? I thought you were together!”
Pei Tingsong was stunned by Ling Yi’s ability to fill in the blanks.
The others didn’t call her out either. Fang Juexia could only give a dry laugh and shift the topic. “What were you guys playing just now? Was it fun?”
Jiang Miao pushed the deck of cards aside. “They were playing Landlord earlier, but Lingyi kept losing, so he wouldn’t let us play. Just as you guys arrived, we were about to start Truth or Dare.”
He Ziyan stretched lazily. “Yeah, we haven’t played in ages.”
Back when they first debuted, they were barely scraping by with few gigs. Weekends often meant chatting until midnight, playing games until dawn—just like their college dorm days.
“Then let’s spin the bottle. Simple and quick.” Lu Yuan pulled out an empty soda bottle, placed it on the floor, and motioned for everyone to sit around it. “Ready?”
The first spin landed the bottle pointing at He Ziyan. He chose Truth. Lu Yuan handed over two pre-prepared penalty boxes—one for Truth, one for Dare—both filled with slips of paper they’d written. He Ziyan pulled one at random and read aloud, “Your romantic orientation is…”
He didn’t quite catch it at first, thinking it referred to sexual orientation. “Oh, I’m pansexual.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?” The note was written by Lu Yuan. “I meant your romantic preferences—the type of person you’re attracted to.”
“Score.” Pei Tingsong raised an eyebrow. “You just came out about your romantic preferences. You should’ve gone live.”
“Oh, that’s what it meant.” He Ziyan said casually, “Someone who’s good-looking, has long legs, and has an understanding personality.”
“That’s so boring,” Pei Tingsong scoffed. “Someone might think you’re on a talk show.”
“What? You wanna hear about my bedroom preferences?”
Fang Juexia’s ears flushed red.
Pei Tingsong snorted. “Who wants to know your bedroom preferences? Pervert.”
“Not as perverted as you,” He Ziyan shot back.
Fang Juexia cleared his throat uncomfortably. Seeing everyone staring at him, he forced a laugh. “These Cheetos are kinda salty…”
As luck would have it, the bottle’s opening stopped right in front of Fang Juexia during the second round. He hesitated, ready to choose Truth or Dare, but then heard Ling Yi whisper in his ear that Truth or Dare had a lot of perverted questions. So he changed his mind and opted for Truth.
He drew a slip, pulled it out, and his face flushed.
“Let me see what it says?” Jiang Miao snatched the paper from his hand and burst out laughing. “This must be from Zi Yan—‘At what age did you have your first sexual experience?’”
“Oh my,” Lu Yuan immediately joined in the teasing, staring at Fang Juexia’s bright red ears. “Juexia, you haven’t done that thing yet, have you…”
Maybe he should just lie along with it.
“No lying!” Ling Yi pointed at his crotch. “Liars get long noses!”
“Where the hell would your nose grow?” Pei Tingsong swatted his hand away, feeling nervous for Fang Juexia. Still, he was sure Fang Juexia would never admit it—his skin was thinner than a peach’s.
“Um…” Fang Juexia ground out between clenched teeth, “Twenty-two…”
“Holy shit!” Lu Yuan’s jaw dropped. “You… you’re only…?”
Fang Juexia remained silent, his entire body resembling a kettle that had just boiled over.
Ling Yi stumbled backward in shock before scrambling back up. “With who?! Juexia, you! Which girl?!”
“Hey, no follow-up questions.” The wife-protecting maniac Pei Tingsong manually urged Lu Yuan to keep spinning the bottle.
The third spin landed on Lu Yuan. He swiftly chose Truth, only to face the question: “When was your last kiss?”
“Shit.” He tossed the paper aside. “Half an hour ago. Ling Yi kissed me.”
“Hahahahahaha!”
“That’s so sad.”
“Getting kissed by me is such an honor!”
Lu Yuan pushed Ling Yi away and spun the bottle again. His hand slipped, sending the glass spinning wildly for ages. Ling Yi couldn’t help but grumble, “Why are you spinning it so fast? It’s making my eyes hurt.”
Fang Juexia couldn’t help but laugh. Suddenly, Ling Yi reached out and pressed down on the bottle himself, aiming the opening directly at Pei Tingsong.
“Damn it, you did that on purpose!” Pei Tingsong nearly jumped up to punch him. “That doesn’t count!”
Ling Yi wouldn’t let it go. “Why doesn’t it count?!”
“I can’t reason with a drunkard like you.” Pei Tingsong glanced at the others. “This doesn’t count, right?”
“Fine, fine,” Lu Yuan, choosing the lesser of two evils between the group bully and the drunkard, pulled Ling Yi’s hand away. “Little Pei, spin it yourself. I’ll hold his hand for you—that should work.”
Only then did Pei Tingsong look satisfied. He spun the bottle with impressive flair. As it whirled, Ling Yi frantically chanted Pei Tingsong’s name. Whether it was sheer force of will or not, the bottle’s opening swayed… and once again pointed directly at Pei Tingsong.
“This is way too weird!”
Fang Juexia hugged a pillow, laughing so hard his head nearly buried itself in it. He Ziyan, five fingers clutching a corn chip, pointed his “claws” at Pei Tingsong. “Just accept your fate, little brother.”
Jiang Miao offered no support either. “Truth or dare?”
Though Pei Tingsong felt utterly defeated, he reasoned that Truth might be a trap, while Dare probably wouldn’t reveal any secrets. With a look of extreme reluctance, he declared, “Dare.” He then obediently pulled a slip of paper from the box handed over by the team leader and tossed it angrily to He Ziyan beside him.
“Let’s see what our little Pei drew.” He Ziyan narrowed his eyes, looking thoroughly disappointed. “Ugh, this is so lame.” He unfolded the slip and placed it on the ground, reading aloud, “Show everyone the most recent photo on your phone.”
Fuck.
Pei Tingsong knew his luck was bad, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.
Five pairs of eyes stared at him. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Seriously? You’re dragging your feet just to show a photo?” Lu Yuan flicked a small card at him. “Don’t tell me it’s a nude photo of you.”
Ling Yi and He Ziyan joined in the teasing. Fang Juexia, however, sensed something was off and felt uneasy.
Could it be that Pei Tingsong secretly took nude photos of him?
But Ling Yi snatched the phone away. Pei Tingsong scrambled to grab it back, and in the tug-of-war, the phone slipped from his grasp and hit the floor. The last image frozen on the screen was the photo he’d taken just moments ago.
Camellia and Fang Juexia’s sleeping faces.
“……”
An awkward silence fell over the group.
Fang Juexia, possessed by some unknown force, pressed the pillow in his arms down onto the phone. It was like a psychopath in a TV drama, desperately smothering an innocent victim to death with a pillow.
One photo, six boys each harboring their own thoughts, none uttering a word.
Finally, Ling Yi broke the silence. “Hic.” He pointed at the phone beneath the pillow. “Who’s that guy? How… how come he looks so much like Juexia?”
Lu Yuan felt nothing but a throbbing headache. Clutching his temples, he groaned, “Hold on, let me sort this out. My head’s spinning.” He shot a glance at Pei Tingsong. “So the last photo on your phone is of Juexia asleep… Why? Wait, what the hell is going on?! Fuck, this is real! I’m not dreaming?? Someone pinch me!”
This night of contradictions finally wore down Fang Juexia’s last shred of resistance.
“Truth.” He picked up the bottle of soda, the opening pointed at himself, then raised it like a microphone. “You guys…” Fang Juexia swallowed hard. “Don’t be shocked when you hear this. If anyone can’t handle it, just say so.”
Pei Tingsong froze, sensing his wolf teammate was about to self-destruct. He hesitated, “Wait, you…”
“I’m dating Xiao Pei.” Fang Juexia lowered his eyes, finally letting the words he’d bottled up for so long spill out in one breath.
Silence fell over the group once more.
Oh no, they definitely won’t be okay with this. Fang Juexia’s fingers tightened around the glass bottle.
Of course, who could handle this? If your teammates were secretly dating right under your nose, you wouldn’t be okay with it either.
“It’s okay…” Fang Juexia murmured. “We were wrong about this from the start, keeping it hidden…”
“Holy shit! I won!” He Ziyan leapt up, his fingernail-shaped nail art falling off. He excitedly kicked Lu Yuan’s shoulder. “Hurry up, hurry up! A hundred bucks! Hand it over! You lose, you pay!”
His reaction alone had already surprised Fang Juexia, but then Ling Yi burst into tears with a loud “wah,” startling him and Pei Tingsong into a synchronized flinch.
Originally, his reaction alone had been enough to astonish Fang Juexia, but then Ling Yi burst into tears with a loud “wah,” startling him and Pei Tingsong into a synchronized flinch.
His reaction alone had already startled Fang Juexia, but then Ling Yi suddenly burst into tears, startling him and Pei Tingsong into a simultaneous flinch.
“Waaah Juexia! How could you actually fall for him! How could you… hic! Waaahhhhh…”
He Ziyan hurled a pillow at Ling Yi’s head. “You pay up too, now!”
The pillow hit Ling Yi, who instantly forgot about crying. He belched, then fumbled for his phone while sobbing, mimicking an AI voice: “Alipay received, one hundred yuan.”
“Wait, hold up,” this chaotic coming-out scene was nothing like he’d imagined. Pei Tingsong grabbed He Ziyan’s calf. “What the hell are you guys doing?”
“Lately, you two have been glued together. I thought it was just a work CP thing, but then you couldn’t even be apart in private? Going to your apartment together? Something felt off. “ He Ziyan sat down. ”Us guys made a bet. Lu Yuan and Ling Yi said you were just friends, no way it was real. Me and San Shui thought it was possible—maybe not now, but maybe later. So we bet on it.”
After saying that, he snapped off another piece of his “manicure” and sneered, ” Your closet door’s flimsier than my potato chips—it’d shatter at the slightest touch.”
Lu Yuan wiped his eyes with a motherly expression. “Two hundred bucks for the real deal? That money was well spent.”
After hearing the backstory, Pei Tingsong’s first reaction was, “Wait, I’m only worth a hundred bucks?”
“Is that the point…?” Fang Juexia, mustering all his courage, just wanted to log off after witnessing the casino drama.
“Exactly. The point is we won.” Jiang Miao reminded him with a smile. “And mine. Don’t forget to pay up.”
“Miao Ge, how could you lead us into gambling?” Pei Tingsong couldn’t believe his eyes.
Jiang Miao collected the WeChat red envelope with satisfaction. “How can you call it gambling when it’s a sure win?”
“Unbelievable. What kind of group is this?”
The youngest was secretly dating the team’s face behind his four older brothers’ backs, while the other four were secretly betting on whether the business was real or fake behind the two young lovers’ backs.
Ling Yi was still drowning in grief over losing his beautiful roommate, sobbing as he tried to burrow into Fang Juexia’s embrace. Pei Tingsong yanked him away. “I’ve put up with you long enough. Now that you know, you still dare hug him?”
“I’ll hug him anyway! You little beast, you stole my Juexia!”
Fang Juexia awkwardly wiped his tears, but Pei Tingsong snatched the tissue and flung it at Ling Yi’s head. “You’re the bastard.”
Lu Yuan suddenly had a flash of insight, slapping his forehead. “Shit.”
He yanked the desk lamp toward the suspects, Fang Juexia and Pei Tingsong, launching a four-way interrogation.
“So what the hell were you two doing just now?”
Author’s Note: Yuan, listen to Mom. Don’t ask. Mom’s afraid you can’t handle this shock.
