……So hot.
It felt just like……flames burning inside his body?
No, more like a narrow, enclosed room filled with scalding hot springs, where all he could see was thick white steam, and after soaking too long, even his thoughts grew muddled and sluggish.
Would waking up make it better?
“Knock knock—”
He vaguely heard someone knocking at his door, calling his name, but Wen Jiang remained sunk in that hazy half-dream, half-awake state of scorching heat.
So hot. He tried rolling over on the bed, curling up, changing positions, but his body still felt heavy, like it was being dragged down by something thick and sticky.
Uncomfortable, yet he couldn’t pinpoint the source—and somehow……familiar.
It feels like I went through this not long ago.
And how did I handle it back then……?
“Click, creak—”
……Someone had come in.
After several unanswered knocks, a gust of wind slipped through the door crack, swirling to twist the handle from inside and swing the door open. The intruder hurried in with anxious footsteps that halted abruptly upon seeing the bed.
But soon, they moved again. The soft mattress dipped under added weight as someone climbed onto the bed.
Burglary? Robbery?
Wen Jiang thought hazily, but the dangerous assumption brought no fear or clarity—he couldn’t even be bothered to twitch a finger. He stayed buried in the cozy blankets, amid that inexplicable, uncomfortable heat.
For some reason, he felt safe here. Someone barging in wasn’t a big deal.
Reality affirmed his baseless trust. The intruder pressed down on top of him but did nothing rough. Instead, they gently touched his cheek, handling him like an priceless, fragile treasure.
That palm was the only source of coolness, like sweet dew brushing across a desert wanderer—but soon, even that hand warmed up. It slid downward, carefully lifting the edge of the blanket.
With such gentle movements, they definitely won’t hurt me—
The hand reached his skin, lingering on his waist and abdomen with a few strokes that brought a faint itch, then continued lower, enveloping.
The vague, elusive discomfort now had a tangible form—and was promptly wrapped up.
—Hm?
Wen Jiang’s eyes snapped open, meeting Xie Qi’s gaze from above.
Wen Jiang: ……
Xie Qi stared back, showing no embarrassment at being caught red-handed. On the contrary, he looked utterly justified, his eyes dark and unwavering, hand unmoving, tone casual: “You’re awake.”
The familiar stifling heat still lingered in his body. Wen Jiang took a few seconds to process: “……The aftereffects kicked in?”
His usually clear, icy voice was now hazy with desire. Xie Qi’s gaze darkened further as his hand moved gently: “Yeah.”
The second wave of heat—Peach Fragrance‘s aftereffect—had come out of nowhere, with no sign last night. But if it had to hit, better now than out there.
If anyone else saw Wen Jiang like this—
The thought flashed, and the air stilled instantly. An invisible pressure laced with violence blanketed the entire building—then vanished just as quickly, a perfect embodiment of his Storm ability’s “moody and unpredictable” nature.
Even with his sluggish thoughts, Wen Jiang noticed, blinking as he mumbled: “You’re still full of energy.”
This early in the morning, and Xie Qi was already itching to kill for no reason—talk about vigor.
Xie Qi frowned, finally showing a hint of awkwardness, muttering awkwardly: “Can’t blame it all on me.”
“Mm.” Supernatural Abilities were unstable, after all. Wen Jiang sympathetically agreed with a lazy hum.
Practice made it smoother—perhaps thanks to their S-Rank Ability User learning curves—and this time, they were far more in sync than before. As Wen Jiang sat up, Xie Qi reached for a pillow nearby and tucked it behind him.
Wen Jiang leaned back comfortably, naturally resting a hand on his abdomen. They’d agreed on “mutual help,” so he figured he just needed to lie there. He let Xie Qi work below—hand for now, mouth later. Wen Jiang glanced once, then idly turned his head to the bedside table.
Fresh from sleep, his sleepshirt’s collar was unbuttoned, revealing more snow-white skin than usual. Tinged pink from the heat wave, it held Xie Qi’s gaze. He delayed lowering his head, staring until something itched in his chest, urging him to mark that pale expanse.
Xie Qi forced his eyes away—only for them to land on Wen Jiang’s lips, reigniting last night’s nagging question.
This is so contradictory. He looks like ripe vermilion fruit ready for picking, petals glistening with morning dew—relaxed, lazy, unguarded. Like……I could do anything right now.
His heated, greedy gaze roamed unabashedly, as if devouring the man before him. Oblivious, Wen Jiang stared at a wall hanging, then parted his lips: “I actually have an idea.”
Xie Qi’s hand paused: “……You wanna play sexually aloof again?”
Ah, seen through. Wen Jiang kept a straight face.
Such a genius idea—doesn’t it deserve another shot? This is the brilliant spark I had in my predicament.
Wen Jiang shot Xie Qi a seeking look, but the other’s mouth was a tight line, eyes mixing annoyance and helplessness—a silent reminder of their agreement. No dice.
Fine……A principled person couldn’t go back on their word. Wen Jiang looked away, abandoning his little scheme: “Okay.”
He blinked, and the next second, his skin flushed deeper, temperature rising slightly. Xie Qi blinked, then chuckled dryly—turns out Wen Jiang had been trying to act like a sexually aloof patient all along.
Actors could fake being fine after injury, but not override their real state. Using their mutually suppressing Supernatural Abilities, though? That could genuinely influence—or correct—his physiology. Pretty clever, Wen Jiang thought sluggishly amid the chaotic desire, glancing at Xie Qi again.
“……” Stared at twice in a row, Xie Qi couldn’t hold back: “Damn impressive.”
Wen Jiang nodded smugly: “I think so too.”
Pleased for a moment, he then noticed the lingering discomfort, puzzled as he glanced down, silently questioning why his insistent helper hadn’t started fixing it.
Xie Qi’s throat bobbed, that tingling itch flaring in his chest again. So damn cute, he thought, wondering at his own restraint.
Why am I holding back like this? To end his pointless fretting, the simplest, crudest way was to seal those lips now, grope freely—no one hated kissing their partner, right? Wen Jiang’s reaction would say it all.
But he couldn’t.
Maybe subconsciously, he feared the wrong outcome and preferred skirting it. Or he craved a proper first-kiss ritual: right time, place, mood. Simplest: he saw no sign Wen Jiang wanted to kiss him.
He could ignore that, lock Wen Jiang in this secret building, cut off all contact with drugs, gear, know-how. But he couldn’t.
Beyond background gaps or Combat System espers’ superior physique over Lifestyle System ones, he had a fatal edge over Wen Tianlu, Lin Xun, and others—Wen Jiang trusted him deep down not to do it, leaving him uniquely undefended. One preemptive strike could end it.
……Sigh, fine. Thinking that kills any urge.
Xie Qi leaned into Wen Jiang’s abdomen, hot breath fanning ambiguously erotic—then muttered out of nowhere: “……Supernatural Abilities are unstable. Hurting people could be random.”
It didn’t bend to his will—like shattered streetlights, sliced pillars, that sudden violence earlier. Moody, unpredictable. No safety guarantees, hence the fear.
“Mm.” Wen Jiang hummed lazily, sensing Xie Qi’s sour mood. He reached down to ruffle his hair—comparing someone to a dog might be rude, but those videos from yesterday did it often—and lately, he really felt like he was raising one.
Does playing the ‘sub’ make you wanna be a dog? Newbie Wen Jiang speculated wildly.
“We’re figuring it out, aren’t we?” he comforted, ever the calm eye of the storm—seeing its fury but never imagining it might turn on him.
Xie Qi fell silent, nuzzling Wen Jiang’s palm before burying his head fully.
***
Some time later, Wen Jiang moved fast, grabbing Xie Qi’s hair and yanking his head up.
Scalp stinging again, Xie Qi’s eyes were dazed yet locked on Wen Jiang’s face. His throat worked twice before he grumbled: “That was just once.”
Smarter now, he added a convincing rationale: “Do it halfway, and it’ll come back worse.”
Incomplete relief was no relief—backed by solid Charm-Type Esper Ability research. Though his expression undermined it, looking anything but rationally derived.
“I know.” No point quibbling now, especially with heat still simmering. Wen Jiang wasn’t stopping him, just asking: “Aren’t you supposed to tie me up next?”
Solving both at once was more efficient—otherwise, when would they finish? Breakfast?
Silence stretched. Xie Qi paused seconds, then silently climbed off, looking away as he straightened his clothes.
“Oh.” His tone was nonchalant, indifferent, effortlessly superior—like true upper-crust nobility.
Wen Jiang adjusted his own clothes and got up, heading to wash. He glanced at Xie Qi’s crotch, leaving flatly: “Hold it in.”
“……Oh,” Xie Qi echoed.
