Chapter 38 Part 2

The mood was shattered. Lu Quan knew he’d have to hold back again. His tongue swept harshly over a sharp canine tooth, the sting snapping him back to reality. His expression turned cold.

The sudden ring had left Liang Zhixia rattled, his legs still weak. His long lashes trembled nonstop, his Adam’s apple shifting as inner turmoil crashed over him.

It was like he’d been possessed moments ago, actually anticipating… something.

Suddenly, a piece of chocolate appeared before him.

He knew those hands intimately—even with his eyes closed, he could recognize them.

Slender, pale fingers contrasted sharply with the black chocolate wrapper. But right now, he was hypersensitive to anything involving Lu Quan. Pursing his lips, he said, “No.”

Lu Quan’s fingers paused, as if surprised by the rejection. He leaned down and murmured, “Then should I just eat it off you?”

Liang Zhixia had no idea what Lu Quan meant by “eat it off,” but it sounded like trouble.

He snatched the chocolate and stuffed it into his pocket, looking as cute and fluffy as a little hamster from the pet shop by the school gates.

He averted his eyes, refusing to look at Lu Quan, and moved to wash some cups. But Lu Quan grabbed his wrist.

The skin on the inside of his wrist felt scalded, heating up on its own.

Liang Zhixia started to struggle, but Lu Quan let go.

He watched as Lu Quan pulled a bottle of yogurt from his coat pocket like magic and pressed it into his hand.

“I don’t want it.”

He tried to hand it back. His mind was a whirlwind right now—he didn’t want to see Lu Quan or anything connected to him.

“I’ve still got work to do. You head back to the dorm first. No need to wait—Li Keke and I will go together later.”

He blurted it all out in one breath, holding it afterward. His meaning was crystal clear; Lu Quan had to get it.

But just as he started to stand, Lu Quan pressed him back down.

Lu Quan shrugged off his designer coat and draped it over a chair. His long fingers leisurely rolled up his sleeves as he bent down and planted a quick kiss on Zhizhi’s cheek. “Take a break. I’ll handle the washing.”

Caught off guard by the kiss, Liang Zhixia’s eyes went wide. The yogurt slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a thud.

The spot on his cheek where he’d been kissed reddened and heated up visibly.

Only then did he react, clapping a hand over his face. A flush crept into the corners of his eyes as heat radiated from his skin.

He really was developing an allergy to Lu Quan.

Lu Quan, bent over the sink, glanced back at the bashful Zhizhi and let out a low chuckle from deep in his throat.

He turned back to the cups, water flowing over the rims and filling them as he washed with a smile tugging at his lips.

The man’s back was broad, his posture straight and commanding. He stood there like a walking mannequin, his proportions model-perfect.

Liang Zhixia stole a glance before looking away. In this situation, he was truly losing his grip.

He mashed at his phone so hard it nearly sparked. He’d never sent a dozen messages in a single minute before.

But Zhuzi, who was always online, seemed to have vanished—no reply.

Lu Quan finished washing the cups quickly, twisting off the faucet. Liang Zhixia looked up warily, his expression distant, fingers clenched tight.

At that moment, Li Keke finished cleaning too. She hustled the tools back to the staff room, shed her uniform, grabbed her phone, and bolted out of the coffee shop without a backward glance.

Liang Zhixia, who had planned to leave with her: “…”

He had just shrugged off his own uniform when he turned and collided straight into Lu Quan’s chest. He even caught a whiff of the man’s faint cologne.

Lu Quan’s voice came from above. “Don’t like this flavor of yogurt?”

Liang Zhixia shook his head. It wasn’t that—he just didn’t want anything from Lu Quan.

The clock on the coffee shop wall read ten-thirty.

Liang Zhixia opened his mouth, but Lu Quan beat him to it. “Let’s head back to the dorm first.”

That “first” sent a wave of alarm through Liang Zhixia. But staying in the coffee shop felt even more dangerous.

In the end, he went back to the dorm with Lu Quan.

The moment they stepped inside, he grabbed some clothes and dashed to the bathroom.

He had no idea how to face Lu Quan anymore.

He was angry, yes—Lu Quan had been lying to him all along.

But what was with that kiss?

He couldn’t possibly actually like him, right?

Someone as utterly ordinary as Liang Zhixia? Lu Quan wouldn’t.

When he emerged from the shower, he spotted an open black suitcase on the floor.

Lu Quan was crouched beside it. Hearing the noise, he hooked a finger around a gift box and stood.

The man crossed the room in two strides, setting the box on Liang Zhixia’s desk. One eyebrow arched. “Open it. See if you like it.”

Liang Zhixia looked puzzled. “What’s this?”

Before he could say more, Lu Quan stepped closer, grabbed a dry towel, and naturally started drying his hair. Liang Zhixia blinked in confusion, trying to snatch it back… but failed.

Grumpily, he said, “I can dry it myself.”

Lu Quan ignored him, focusing on the task. “Zhizhi, check out the gift. Do you like it?”

Liang Zhixia blinked. “What gift?”

“A souvenir from my trip.”

The one from the video call, when Lu Quan said he’d bring something back?

His fingertips curled slightly. Under Lu Quan’s gaze, he opened the box. The contents made his eyes light up.

It was that limited-edition panda doll merchandise set he’d wanted most.

Not only was it out of print, but it cost a fortune.

“This… is for me?”

Lu Quan gently ruffled the young man’s damp hair, leaning down to murmur, “Do you like it?”

Their bodies pressed close, his warm breath ghosting over the pale, slender neck. The elegant earlobe flushed pink instantly—adorably exquisite.

He really wanted to take a bite.

Liang Zhixia felt the breath on his skin and silently tried to pull away, but Lu Quan’s arm had somehow circled his waist.

He loved the panda set, but he couldn’t accept it.

“I don’t want it. Give it to someone else.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt Lu Quan’s breath hitch behind him. Then a gentle voice sounded in his ear.

“So Zhizhi wants me to give the gift I picked out just for you to someone else?”

The tone was soft and mild.

But it made Liang Zhixia’s scalp tingle. He had no comeback.

And he hadn’t realized Lu Quan had chosen it specifically for him.

“…It’s too expensive.”

He couldn’t just accept something this pricey, not even from a roommate.

Lu Quan’s gaze flicked to Zhizhi’s fluttering lashes. “Not expensive. If you like it, it’s worth it.”

He… well, he did like it.

Suddenly, his eyes brightened with an idea. Excitedly, he turned. “Then I’ll pay you for it.”

The move brought them even closer, Lu Quan’s body heat seeping into him. Liang Zhixia realized his blunder too late.

His back pressed against the desk edge. He looked up into Lu Quan’s eyes, where something intense churned in the depths.

His brain screamed danger.

But escape was impossible.

Cool fingers hanging at his side were captured. Lu Quan’s palm was hot, making him jerk back. But those fingers pursued, soft pads kneading his before sliding between them, interlocking tightly.

“I’m going to bed…”

Panic bloomed visibly on Liang Zhixia’s face. But Lu Quan wasn’t letting this chance slip.

If he didn’t kiss Zhizhi soon, he’d go mad.

Just as Liang Zhixia tried to push him away, he froze.

His right cheek was suddenly in someone’s mouth, heat flooding his face. The sucked skin burned.

“Mmph!”

He’d been licked…

Actually licked by Lu Quan this time…

A faint sting prickled his cheek, tingling.

“Lu Quan!” His voice rose, toes curling, cheeks aflame. “You… stop… biting me.”

The words came out fragmented, utterly lacking force.

Thankfully, Lu Quan released him.

The man’s voice was husky, his breath scorching. “Zhizhi, can I kiss you?”

“No!”

He quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, and at the same time, Lu Quan lowered his head.

A scorching kiss landed on the back of his hand, so hot that his fingertips curled slightly and the pads of his fingers flushed pink.

When he looked up, he met Lu Quan’s eyes—pitch-black irises staring at him unblinkingly.

Liang Zhixia felt like he was being eyed by a wild beast.

He kept his hand firmly over his mouth, his voice muffled but resolute. “I’m going to sleep.”

Lu Quan let out a low chuckle, his gaze burning. “Zhizhi, I—”

Before Lu Quan could finish that sentence, Liang Zhixia wrenched his other hand free and clamped it over Lu Quan’s mouth.

His mind was a whirlwind right now. Every one of Lu Quan’s actions had caught him completely off guard.

Things couldn’t get any more chaotic.

Suddenly, a wet, soft sensation brushed his palm. That was… a tongue.

Half of Liang Zhixia’s brain went numb while the other half flashed back to all those explicit comics he’d drawn in the past.

Hand-licking scenes had featured prominently in them.

Hands were one of his kinks, after all—otherwise, he wouldn’t have secretly saved so many screenshots of L’s hands.

His palm burned and tingled from the licking. His fingertips curled together involuntarily. He wanted to pull his hand away, but it was held fast. Lu Quan’s flushed tongue slid over his fingers one by one, leaving the tips slick and glistening with crystalline moisture under the light.

Watching the mist of moisture gather in the boy’s eyes, Lu Quan nearly leaned in for a kiss.

In the quiet dorm room, the only sound was their increasingly ragged breathing. Liang Zhixia sensed the height of danger.

As Lu Quan grew bolder and began licking down toward his wrist without restraint, Liang Zhixia’s fingertips trembled. Unable to stop himself, he swung his hand and delivered a slap.

There was a sharp smack—not very hard, but utterly humiliating.

Guys usually flew into a rage when slapped, just like that Wang Bai back at the coffee shop.

Trembling, Liang Zhixia pulled his hand back. He glanced at the size difference between himself and Lu Quan. He probably couldn’t win a fight, and running was out of the question.

So when Lu Quan raised his hand, he hurriedly covered his own face.

Lu Quan’s amused voice drifted into his ears. “Does Zhizhi think I’m going to hit you?”

Liang Zhixia didn’t dare reply. He didn’t dare lower his hands either, afraid Lu Quan was using a feint to lower his guard.

But then the fingertip that had just slapped him was enveloped in a warm, wet mouth.

Lu Quan chuckled softly. “Does Zhizhi’s hand hurt? Let me lick it better, okay?”

As Liang Zhixia felt the wetness on his fingertip, he remembered Zhuzi’s suggestion: make Lu Quan so obsessed with him he couldn’t help himself.

What a terrible idea.