Chapter 44 Part 2

“Can’t see,” Huo Boyan bit his lip, voice low and husky. “Privacy film.”

“But…” Zhu Ran tried to protest, but Huo Boyan flipped him against the car door and started kissing the protruding bone at the back of his neck.

How could Zhu Ran withstand such stimulation? He stammered protests. “Stop, people…”

Huo Boyan lifted his chin and bit his lip. The intimacy mixed with the thrill of being watched made his scalp numb.

“Huo Boyan, no,” Zhu Ran, pushed to the limit, broke free from the hold. His final plea almost carried a sob. “I’m scared…!”

As if paused, Huo Boyan suddenly halted all movement, but he kept the position, his heavy breathing brushing Zhu Ran’s neck, tinting the pale skin with an ambiguous pink.

Huo Boyan took three deep breaths, finally calming down. Then he released Zhu Ran and sat on the other side of the car.

Zhu Ran was still kneeling on the seat. Once released, he quickly sat up straight and awkwardly tugged at his shirt.

It was a high-waisted style that barely covered his waist even normally, but now it was wrinkled and didn’t cover it at all. The vulnerable skin exposed to the AC brought a chilling shiver.

Huo Boyan glanced at Zhu Ran, then removed his jacket. The shirt underneath revealed taut muscles, full of aggressive male hormones.

What was he doing?

Zhu Ran was instantly frightened, shrinking vigilantly into the corner. But Huo Boyan draped the jacket over him and said somewhat annoyed, “Sorry.”

Zhu Ran said nothing, just clutched the suit jacket.

Huo Boyan fell silent too. The narrow car filled with quiet air.

The view outside turned into the familiar Shallow Water Bay Road. Huo Boyan still faced away slightly—an unobvious avoidance.

Zhu Ran huddled in Huo Boyan’s large jacket, feeling inexplicably aggrieved.

He knew he had killed the mood. If he hadn’t refused then, maybe the atmosphere wouldn’t be so awkward…?

And really, wasn’t dating about doing these things? He had needs too, let alone the much older Huo Boyan.

He hadn’t completely disliked it—just wasn’t used to it, so he reflexively refused.

Inappropriately, Zhu Ran thought he really wasn’t suited for dating; he’d just made things stiff right after getting together.

As he pondered, the car stopped at the villa gate.

Huo Boyan put his glasses back on, returning to his gentlemanly Mr. Nice Guy persona. In a courteous tone, he said to Zhu Ran, “Go back and rest well. Good night.”

Zhu Ran stayed quiet, shrinking in the little fortress of the jacket, expression stubborn—like a disobedient rock.

Huo Boyan knew that look well: wronged, overthinking, then deciding to go all out on something irreversible.

Sure enough, the next moment, Zhu Ran looked up. “Actually, I don’t have to go home…”

He couldn’t say anything more explicit; that one sentence had already exhausted all his shame.

Zhu Ran was sure Huo Boyan understood, but his reaction wasn’t as excited as expected. His expression was calm—headache evident on closer look. Like a kindergarten teacher spotting a troublemaking kid, needing to soothe but duty-bound to patiently say, “Didn’t you say you can’t stay out overnight?”

Zhu Ran went quiet for a bit, then changed the subject, eyes downcast as he mumbled, “Mom and Little Aunt are on vacation. They won’t notice if I’m not there.”

“Zhu Ran,” Huo Boyan gazed at him calmly. “But you already promised your mom, didn’t you?”

Zhu Ran froze, realizing Huo Boyan was refusing him.

His first reaction was anger: I’m willing to sleep with you, and you’re nitpicking?

But then, he deflated like a punctured balloon. Anger, joy, tension, thrill—all drained out. He suddenly felt empty, with some sadness he wasn’t ready to admit.

Huo Boyan must be mad, right?

Zhu Ran wasn’t good at coaxing. He was always the one waited on, and few bothered to truly coax him, so he was used to messing up relationships.

He already regretted agreeing to Huo Boyan a bit, thinking if they hadn’t gotten together earlier, he could just leave now.

But they had gotten together, said couple things, done couple things. Zhu Ran truly saw Huo Boyan as his boyfriend now.

He was used to messing up, but this time, he suddenly didn’t want to let it go.

He wanted to coax Huo Boyan more.

Sorting his thoughts, Zhu Ran looked up. “Huo Boyan, I…”

“Zhu Ran, sorry.” Huo Boyan suddenly hugged him—not tightly, but his tone utterly sincere. “I was too impatient earlier. I won’t do anything you don’t like again.”

Zhu Ran blinked in stun, eyes wide, as if he hadn’t processed it.

Huo Boyan apologizing to him? Huo Boyan… coaxing him?

“I didn’t dislike it,” Zhu Ran explained immediately. “I just wasn’t used to it. I’m ready now. I can accept anything…”

“Shh.” Huo Boyan pressed his lips, very serious. “Don’t force yourself. Don’t lie to yourself.”

Zhu Ran fell silent, staring blankly, then said, “What about you? Weren’t you unhappy too, holding back your temper to coax me?”

Huo Boyan looked surprised. “When was I unhappy?”

Zhu Ran couldn’t hold back. “Ever since I refused you, you’ve been facing away, not saying a word.”

Huo Boyan paused, then showed a bemused, almost exasperated expression.

Zhu Ran got angrier. “You’re still laughing!”

“Baby, are you thinking too highly of me?” Huo Boyan laughed, ruffling Zhu Ran’s hair helplessly. “I was hard as a rock then—how could I chat casually? Zhu Ran, I’m not a god. I could only stay quiet, turn away so you wouldn’t see my unsightly state.”

Zhu Ran froze from “hard” onward. By the end, his cheeks exploded red, like a boiling kettle.

“Sorry for giving you that impression, but I’m not that quick to anger.” Huo Boyan looked into Zhu Ran’s eyes, smiling softly. “Boyfriend, trust me a little more, okay?”

Still lagging, shame nearly swallowing him, Zhu Ran could only nod mechanically.

“Moreover, I’m not that impatient either,” Huo Boyan said again. “For the first time, I hope it can be a bit more formal.”

Zhu Ran’s cheeks, which had only just cooled down with great difficulty, flushed red once more. Formal? How could something like this be formal?

“Alright, let’s head back,” Huo Boyan released Zhu Ran. He stopped spouting those bold, wolfish words and instead said some proper, human speech. “Don’t worry Mom. We have plenty of time.”

Zhu Ran’s face burned bright red as he fled in embarrassment. As he passed through the garden, he accidentally brushed against a Phoenix Flower.

Flame-like petals drifted down onto Zhu Ran, like the Materialization of Huo Boyan’s kisses.