Nie Luo looked at his expression and felt a twinge of grievance.
He stayed silent for two seconds, his feeling of slight hurt barely contained.
“Shouldn’t I have asked you?”
Fan Qing was still recovering from his shock.
Instinctively, he shook his head.
“No, I should have asked you.”
“Mm.”
Nie Luo’s expression brightened noticeably.
Then he asked:
“The clothes… should I have bought them, right?”
His tone carried urgency, and even though Fan Qing was still in shock, he caught on.
His boyfriend seemed… quite eager.
Fan Qing’s pupils returned to normal, but his heart felt strange—was it surprise, or shock?
After a moment’s thought, he realized he couldn’t hide the smile in his chest.
Of course, it was surprise.
His free hand curved to lightly press Nie Luo down, lips impatiently invading this familiar yet forbidden territory.
Nie Luo parted his lips instinctively, accepting him.
Fan Qing didn’t hold back, exploring this territory that belonged to him.
Blood surged through his veins as if boiling, his breath carrying a scorching heat.
Nie Luo’s lips were thin, but the way he breathed became audible after contact, quickening.
Fan Qing couldn’t resist, sliding into that warm, soft mouth—hot, tender, and intoxicating.
Though he already possessed him, intruding into this other male space—Nie Luo’s body—brought a thrilling, almost victorious sensation.
Heartbeats thundered in his ears, blood pumping, drumbeats chaotic, yet Fan Qing absorbed every bit of it.
Passionate, wild.
And mingled with it, a gentleness and tolerance not his own.
His fingers traced down Nie Luo’s back.
Nie Luo tensed for a moment, then let his hands wander along.
Firm muscles, a powerful waistline—Fan Qing didn’t even need to open his eyes to map out every inch of this perfect body.
Bone, muscle, sinew, blood—all crafted flawlessly by the creator.
This man was the creator’s favorite, and Fan Qing wanted him completely.
He lightly bit Nie Luo’s soft tongue, canine teeth brushing just enough to sting pleasantly, not metallic as he’d feared.
Nie Luo’s eyes opened slightly, dark and starry, carrying a hint of ferocity.
“…Stop it, Ah Qing.”
Fan Qing was slightly intoxicated.
His tongue had barely withdrawn when those two simple words bewitched him.
He leaned against Nie Luo’s shoulder, pressing his forehead softly.
So close that Nie Luo must have sensed the change.
He raised watery eyes and bit Nie Luo’s jaw gently, slightly ferocious.
“…I’m going to the bathroom first.”
Otherwise, he feared he would lose control entirely.
A pure, inexperienced boyfriend—he didn’t want to scare him away.
Fan Qing turned too quickly to notice the flicker of surprise in Nie Luo’s eyes.
Water soon ran, and Nie Luo touched his lips, still slightly tender from the kiss, a look of confusion etched in his gaze.
Why… was Ah Qing going to the bathroom?
Instinctively, he lowered his head, more puzzled than ever.
Shouldn’t this… be part of what a boyfriend is for? His right, his privilege?
Fan Qing didn’t spend much time.
He simply recalled Nie Luo’s affectionate nickname, and couldn’t restrain himself.
The water washed away the heat, and he quickly regained composure.
He even washed his hair swiftly—the fragrance lingering was meant for his boyfriend to notice.
He tidied himself up and stepped out of the room. At a glance, Fan Qing saw Nie Luo sitting quietly on the large sofa in the living room, waiting.
Nie Luo had his head tilted slightly to one side. The light fell perfectly from above, casting a small but distinct shadow from his long eyelashes onto his cheek.
He was very still, revealing only a perfectly contoured jawline and a pair of calm, serene eyes.
Fan Qing unconsciously softened his footsteps. He even felt a trace of regret—he had not brought his phone into the bathroom.
This version of Nie Luo really ought to be on his phone’s home screen.
“All done?”
Nie Luo sensed the gaze and turned his head.
In that instant, a faint ripple stirred in his previously tranquil eyes.
It was subtle, but Fan Qing could see the difference.
“All done, ge.”
Feeling light all over, Fan Qing crossed the distance in just a few steps.
His hair, freshly dried, still carried lingering warmth. As he moved, the scent of shampoo blended perfectly with his own natural fragrance, together slipping straight into Nie Luo’s nose.
It smelled really good.
Nie Luo could not help but inhale softly, committing the scent to memory.
He picked up the helmet and put it on Fan Qing.
His fingers brushed Fan Qing’s hair by accident. It was soft—so soft that he could not resist flicking his fingers through it once.
The backs of his fingers were touched by even more strands of hair, a faint tickle spreading from his fingertips straight to his heart.
Nie Luo paused, sighing inwardly.
How was it that every part of Fan Qing seemed to be seducing him?
“Okay.”
He reined in those unspoken thoughts, let his hand drop naturally, and then took Fan Qing’s fingers in his own.
After only a few steps, he lowered his head again for another look.
“What is it, ge?”
Fan Qing had his other hand casually tucked into his pocket. Seeing Nie Luo stop, he was a little puzzled.
“You’ll get cold.”
Nie Luo squeezed his fingers, his tone certain.
After saying it, he looked a bit troubled.
“But I only brought one pair of gloves.”
He might be an actor, a singer—but his fingers were just as valuable.
Valuable enough to be insured.
So he needed gloves too.
Seeing Nie Luo visibly waver, Fan Qing’s mood rose beyond what the word “happy” could even describe.
So in Nie-ge’s heart, were his hands placed on the same level as those fingers worth tens of millions?
The moment that thought clicked into place, Fan Qing could not stop himself from laughing.
He dragged out his soft, slightly nasal tone, gently scratching Nie Luo’s palm with his fingertips.
“It’s okay, ge. I’ll be sitting behind you. My hands won’t get cold.”
Nie Luo looked genuinely startled.
Hm?
Fan Qing was startled too.
What was that reaction? Had he said something wrong?
Fan Qing did not understand.
Why?
Nie Luo looked even more confused.
He was silent for a moment, not without a hint of grievance.
“…You’re not planning to wrap your arms around my waist?”
When he asked, his face was full of confusion and genuine bewilderment.
Wasn’t that how it was supposed to be?
Fan Qing was both surprised and, strangely enough, found it completely reasonable.
Surprised, because he had not expected such a line to come from the pure-hearted Nie Luo.
Reasonable, because this was exactly the sort of thing Nie Luo would say.
It sounded contradictory, but on Nie Luo, it only made Fan Qing’s eyes curve with dazzling laughter.
His fingers slid into Nie Luo’s palm, spreading slightly before interlocking with his fingers.
“Of course I will. I just didn’t think of it—but ge really is more thoughtful.”
“Mhm.”
Nie Luo nodded, tightening his grip on Fan Qing’s hand.
“Then let’s go buy a pair.”
As he spoke, he started to pull Fan Qing along.
Fan Qing quickly tugged him back.
“Ge, it’s really okay if we don’t.”
Nie Luo’s disapproving gaze immediately landed on his face.
He even emphasized it aloud.
“Without gloves, you’ll get cold.”
Every word carried an unquestionable certainty.
Fan Qing leaned into his shoulder, laughing softly, and whispered into his ear.
“It’s fine. I can…”
His other hand slid under the hem of Nie Luo’s jacket, fingers brushing against firm, smooth abdominal muscles.
“I can use ge’s body heat to warm my hands.”
His tone was intimate, almost like some kind of man-eating妖怪.
In that instant, Nie Luo finally realized something.
He could not help but turn his head to look at Fan Qing’s expression.
Hm?
Caught?
Fan Qing made no effort to hide the desire in his eyes—the instinctive hunger of a human being.
What lay even deeper, however, was his possessiveness as a man.
He wanted him. And he wanted to devour him.
To merge him into bone and blood, to make him belong to him alone.
Nie Luo was silent for a moment, then reached out and covered those eyes.
“Once a day is enough for showering.”
Fan Qing: …Huh?
What did once a day have to do with anything?
Nie Luo held his hand and calmly led him out the door.
Inside, he sighed.
He was not even going to let himself fulfill any boyfriend duties or enjoy any boyfriend perks.
If that was the case, why provoke him so relentlessly?
In the end, they did not buy gloves.
Neither of them was the type who could casually appear in crowded places.
Nie Luo eventually chose to warm Fan Qing’s hands under the night sky at the mountain’s peak.
But the night scenery was too beautiful, and the person before him smiled far too sweetly. For the first time, he lowered his head and took the initiative to kiss those thin lips.
They were very soft—he had tasted them before.
But at this moment, they seemed even sweeter.
Early the next morning, Jin Yi arrived under orders, holding a set of keys to give to Fan Qing.
His face was full of speechless disbelief, yet he could not hide his burning curiosity.
“Honestly, since the two of you are already together, why is he still giving you a house?”
Was it that living together directly was a bad idea, or was Nie Luo just showing off like a peacock, flaunting how many properties he had?
But even so, Old Nie should have given him a place a bit closer, right?
This new apartment was indeed near the company, but it wasn’t exactly far from Nie Luo’s other properties either.
Were these two somehow Platonic?
Otherwise, if things got heated and they wanted a quick… encounter, driving over could be inconvenient.
Would it end up being a flop? Or would it be ruined prematurely?
What was the point of all this?
Fan Qing still hadn’t figured it out. Just as the thought crossed his mind, his expression darkened.
Jin Yi, holding the keys, froze mid-motion.
“No way…”
Fan Qing looked at him with a half-smile, half-teasing gaze.
“Second Young Master, seems like you’ve been a little too idle lately?”
…Knock!
Jin Yi’s heart sank.
No way, Old Nie, what are you doing?
Even if Fan Qing was a little… intimidating, having such a “man-eating”妖精 at home should have been heavenly, right?
This kind of treasure, and they were already officially in a romantic relationship. Yet Old Nie chose to keep him outside?
For a moment, Jin Yi didn’t know whether to hate himself for being too perceptive—or hate Nie Luo for being completely oblivious.
After pondering, he was sure this couldn’t be his fault.
But…
Jin Yi forced a sly, flattering smile at Fan Qing.
“Well… now that you’re already together with Old Nie, I guess that makes me his boyfriend…”
He abruptly shut his mouth.
Goodness!
The words “brother-in-law” and “sister-in-law” almost escaped his lips!
Jin Yi suddenly realized he still had some restraint.
Look, he swallowed those careless words back safely.
“What is it?”
Fan Qing’s smile didn’t waver; if anything, it now carried a faintly predatory undertone.
“And I’m also quite curious.”
Curious about what?
A bad feeling crawled slowly up Jin Yi’s spine.
Fan Qing’s gaze landed on the keys, his lips curling higher.
“Why is it that Nie-ge’s keys ended up in your hands, hmm? Second Young Master?”
In an instant, four words flashed through Jin Yi’s mind:
Old Nie is setting me up!