Chapter 59 Part 1

Outside the window, fierce winds ravaged the city, with the entire place on high alert.

Inside, the lights were warm and bright. Huo Boyan prepared dinner in the kitchen, the clay pot bubbling with heat, filling the air with a cozy, homey warmth.

Zhu Ran emerged from the shower and stood at the doorway, watching for a good while. Then he ran over barefoot and hugged Huo Boyan’s waist.

His arms tightened, their bodies pressed together without a gap. Zhu Ran loved this full, overflowing feeling, as if Huo Boyan belonged completely to him.

Huo Boyan’s hands were both occupied. He turned back and kissed Zhu Ran’s forehead, his voice gentle. “Go play for a bit first. Dinner will be ready soon.”

Zhu Ran didn’t reply. Instead, he tiptoed up and sealed Huo Boyan’s lips with his own.

Huo Boyan had just coated the beef, his hands still dusted with starch. Caught off guard and pressed against the counter, he didn’t want to dirty Zhu Ran, so he nudged him with his body.

But Zhu Ran misunderstood the gesture. After the kiss, he reached for the buckle on Huo Boyan’s pants.

“Stop messing around,” Huo Boyan said, stepping half a pace aside with restraint. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

Zhu Ran paused. He glanced out the window and said off-topic, “The wind’s so strong. The typhoon’s coming, huh?”

“Expected to make landfall tomorrow,” Huo Boyan replied, thinking Zhu Ran was scared. He soothed him. “Don’t worry. Staying home, nothing will happen.”

Zhu Ran’s eyes lit up. “So you won’t work tomorrow?”

Huo Boyan’s heart melted into a puddle. Realizing he hadn’t spent much time with Zhu Ran lately, he rearranged his schedule on the spot. “No work. I’ll take the next two days off.”

Zhu Ran grinned happily and released his hold on Huo Boyan’s waistband.

Huo Boyan said, “Baby, help me buckle it back up.”

Zhu Ran bolted without looking back.

Huo Boyan lifted a foot to chase him, but his pants immediately slid down.

Huo Boyan: “…”

He glanced at his dirty hands and the pants pooled at his ankles, then gave a cold smile. “Zhu Ran, looks like your ass doesn’t want to survive tonight?”

Zhu Ran wasn’t scared at all. He kept running without turning back. Huo Boyan was all thunder and no lightning anyway—he’d never really do anything.

At dinner, Zhu Ran popped up again as if nothing had happened.

Huo Boyan had changed clothes and eyed him with a half-smile. Zhu Ran pretended not to notice and casually remarked that the turtle soup was so thick it stuck to the roof of the mouth, just like Huo Boyan.

“How do you know?” Huo Boyan glanced at him from behind his glasses, his tone flat. “You’ve never tasted mine.”

Zhu Ran licked his ruby-red lips. “I just know.”

Huo Boyan’s gaze fixed on Zhu Ran’s lips, his eyes slowly narrowing. He said nothing and patiently finished dinner.

Dinner ended earlier than usual. Huo Boyan loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. Not seeing Zhu Ran, he headed to the bathroom himself.

His pants were painfully tight. Huo Boyan took a quick shower, determined to give Zhu Ran a proper reckoning.

He toweled off haphazardly, not even wrapping a towel around his waist, and stepped out ready to pounce. But then he saw Zhu Ran emerge from the walk-in closet in a short skirt, his limbs long and slender, waist slim and taut.

Huo Boyan froze, his gaze locked.

Zhu Ran sauntered casually to the bed and knelt to crawl a couple steps for his phone on the bed.

The skirt flipped up—nothing underneath.

Huo Boyan’s breath hitched. He reached out and smacked Zhu Ran’s ass.

Zhu Ran’s waist went soft, and he collapsed flat. Propping up his upper body, he whipped his head around with a fierce glare. “Huo Boyan, what the hell?”

Huo Boyan said nothing. He grabbed Zhu Ran’s thigh and bit down.

A few minutes later, Huo Boyan lifted his head, nose brushing Zhu Ran’s thigh, Adam’s apple bobbing as he commented impartially, “Yeah, definitely sticks to the roof of the mouth.”

Zhu Ran: “…”

Normally, he’d have kicked him by now, but this time he said nothing. Instead, he reached out with sticky, needy arms for a hug.

Huo Boyan had planned to properly punish Zhu Ran—the minutes with his pants down had been the most embarrassing of his life. But with Zhu Ran’s warm body pressed against him, his resolve melted instantly, all thoughts forgotten.

When Huo Boyan’s parents were alive, they’d kept a cat. It was aloof most days, ignoring people, but if he was gone more than a day, it would burrow into his arms nonstop upon his return, rubbing everywhere, getting his fingers wet with its nose, kneading milk on his clothes.

Zhu Ran felt just like that cat—cool and detached on the surface, acting all tough, but clingy as hell underneath, with sky-high needs.

No one could resist someone so sticky and needy burrowing into their arms. As Huo Boyan kissed Zhu Ran, he murmured softly, “Sorry, I’ve been too busy with work lately. Bear with me a bit longer—it’ll be over after the typhoon.”

The person in his arms suddenly stiffened, then kissed him even harder.

Huo Boyan rarely saw Zhu Ran so proactive. It took every ounce of his self-control not to lose it amid the passion.

The kiss ended, both breathing ragged. Zhu Ran clung to his neck, body trembling restlessly.

Huo Boyan brushed aside Zhu Ran’s sweat-dampened bangs and asked softly, “Baby, what’s wrong?”

Zhu Ran shook his head. After a moment, he said, “Huo Boyan, school’s starting soon.”

Huo Boyan assumed it was about long-distance. He said he’d wrap things up here quickly—at most a month—and shift his work focus to A City.

But Zhu Ran stayed silent, just kissing him again.

Huo Boyan was right. After the typhoon, it would all be over.

Huo Boyan wouldn’t have to force himself anymore, his relationship with Huo Junlin would mend, he’d escape family ostracism, and no more blackmail from Zhu Yanqing.

He wouldn’t have to live in constant guilt, terrified of turning monstrous in love, no longer himself.

Everyone would have a bright future—except they’d no longer love each other.

But… but it was all too soon…

Zhu Ran clung to Huo Boyan, pressing as tight as possible but still feeling it wasn’t enough. He had so many words unsaid, so many things undone. But it was all too late…