It was Ning Shuang’s first kiss. He had no idea what he was doing, and Ji Huaizhi didn’t seem any more experienced. Yet Ji Huaizhi kissed him with a frantic urgency, their movements utterly lacking any finesse.
One of them was reserved, the other desperate.
Ning Shuang suspected that what he’d drunk wasn’t juice at all, but last night’s red wine—or maybe it was the lingering droplets of wine on Ji Huaizhi’s lips and tongue that had gotten him drunk.
Otherwise, how else could he explain his brain turning to complete mush?
“Wait… wait!” Ning Shuang shoved away the arms wrapped around his waist and slumped his forehead against the other’s shoulder, gasping for breath.
Ji Huaizhi stayed silent. Once Ning Shuang had caught his breath, he lifted his head to peer at him with concern. “You okay?”
Ji Huaizhi nodded. “Mm.”
Ning Shuang stared at his flushed face, then reached out to brush his cheek. It burned under his fingertips. Ji Huaizhi’s gaze looked a little glazed over too.
Was this… the Love Gu acting up? Ning Shuang wondered in a daze.
Noticing Ning Shuang’s distraction, Ji Huaizhi suddenly seized the hand touching his face. As Ning Shuang froze in surprise, Ji Huaizhi nuzzled his cheek softly against Ning Shuang’s palm, his long hair trailing teasingly through Ning Shuang’s fingers.
Ning Shuang went rigid. Ji Huaizhi tilted his head back to meet his eyes. “Can we keep going?”
Ning Shuang’s throat went dry. In his mind, two little versions of himself popped up on his shoulders. The devilish one whispered in his ear: It’s fine. You like Ji Huaizhi anyway, and he doesn’t exactly seem to dislike you.
The angelic one countered: Don’t you hate gu the most? How can you take advantage of one like this—especially with the guy you’re head over heels for!
The devil shot back: Exactly! Isn’t he the one you fell for at first sight? And it wasn’t like you meant to feed him the wrong gu. It’s already done, so why not roll with it? You won’t lose out. Give it time—who knows? He might actually fall for you once the gu wears off.
The angel started to protest but got its mouth clamped shut and dragged away by the devil before it could get a word out.
In the end, the devilish Little Ning emerged victorious.
Ning Shuang looked up into Ji Huaizhi’s beautiful eyes. His throat bobbed, and he grabbed Ji Huaizhi by the collar, yanking him in for another kiss.
Everything else flew out of his mind.
Eyes squeezed shut, Ning Shuang forced his tongue past Ji Huaizhi’s teeth in a rough, demanding invasion, tangling with his for long minutes.
Somehow, neither of them knew who started it, but they stumbled their way to the bed, lips locked the whole time.
Ning Shuang pinned Ji Huaizhi down and planted a kiss on his ear.
Sometime during the frenzy, Ji Huaizhi’s hair ribbon had come undone, sending his ink-black locks spilling across the sheets like spilled watercolor. Both their lips were kiss-swollen and red. Ning Shuang panted raggedly as he straddled Ji Huaizhi’s waist, looming over him.
“Ning Shuang.” Ji Huaizhi looked up at the man above him and couldn’t resist reaching out toward his face.
Ning Shuang leaned down and claimed his lips again.
The air hung thick with an intimate haze, their breaths mingling completely.
The sounds of their panting grew louder.
Ning Shuang felt like he was drowning and twisted away, burying his face in the crook of Ji Huaizhi’s neck to gulp down air.
Ji Huaizhi’s hands settled on Ning Shuang’s waist. Then he flipped them over, pinning Ning Shuang beneath him.
He cupped Ning Shuang’s face and dove back in for another kiss.
Everything screamed at them to keep going.
In just those few minutes, Ji Huaizhi had clearly picked up the art of kissing. His learning curve had always been steep; he knew exactly how to make Ning Shuang feel good.
Ning Shuang tugged open the other’s shirt, sliding his hand along Ji Huaizhi’s lower back. He paused for a split second—he hadn’t expected someone who looked so refined and delicate to have such a solid build under his clothes.
Again, no one knew who started it, but after a dozen minutes, both of them were half-naked.
A light nip at his chest drew a hiss from Ning Shuang. Ji Huaizhi lifted his head at once, gazing at him in confusion. “Did I hurt you?”
Ning Shuang shook his head and started to roll them over to take control again. His hand on Ji Huaizhi’s waist crept slowly lower.
Ning Shuang’s eyes flew wide. He grabbed Ji Huaizhi’s wrist and rasped, “Hold on—I need to confirm something. Am I… on the bottom?”
Ji Huaizhi ducked his head to kiss him again. Two minutes later, he pulled back and gazed at Ning Shuang with wide, innocent eyes. “Senior… can I?”
Ning Shuang: …
All the close contact had flushed Ji Huaizhi’s usual porcelain skin with pink. His cheeks glowed, his long lashes trembled, and he looked unexpectedly stunning.
There was a tentative lilt to his voice.
“Senior…” As he spoke, Ji Huaizhi trailed kisses from Ning Shuang’s lip corner down to the mole just above his navel.
His long hair cascaded fully over Ning Shuang now, tickling his skin.
Ning Shuang couldn’t stand hearing that title from him. He clapped a hand over Ji Huaizhi’s mouth. “Why are you calling me ‘Senior’ out of nowhere?”
Ji Huaizhi caught his hand and flicked his tongue lightly across the palm. The warm, wet sensation made Ning Shuang’s hand feel like it might melt.
Ji Huaizhi nuzzled it again, his thick lashes brushing the sensitive skin. “Can’t I?”
“You can, you can…” Ning Shuang had lost all his steam after that one “Senior.” Whatever Ji Huaizhi wanted to do, he could do it.
Who could blame him? He was gone for Ji Huaizhi—especially that face.
Ji Huaizhi’s smile deepened. He arched his back to pull Ning Shuang close, burying his face in the crook of Ning Shuang’s neck and rubbing gently. Ning Shuang stroked his head, staring at the ceiling and thinking: Like a puppy.
Moments later, Ji Huaizhi lifted his head. Their eyes met, and they dove back into another kiss.
…
A breeze stirred outside.
A light drizzle began to fall, quickly soaking the flowers in the courtyard beyond the window.
The balcony plants got a good drenching too.
The room wasn’t even air-conditioned, but Ning Shuang still felt sweltering.
Ji Huaizhi murmured in his ear, “Senior… can you teach me? I don’t know how…”
Ning Shuang’s hips bucked up. The words registered a second later, and he shot Ji Huaizhi a bewildered look. “What did you say?”
“Senior…” Ji Huaizhi leaned in close to his ear again, as if apologizing. Ning Shuang melted completely.
He patted Ji Huaizhi’s head and guided his hand downward. “Like this…”
…
The rain picked up.
The potted plants on the balcony swayed wildly in the wind and downpour, tipping this way and that. Some petals wilted under the onslaught.
Amid the roar of thunder and rain came faint sobs and muffled gasps.
The room felt so hot.
Ning Shuang lay limp on the bed, gazing up at Ji Huaizhi, whose eyes burned with desire and whose forehead glistened with sweat. Fighting through the discomfort, Ning Shuang tucked a stray lock of hair behind Ji Huaizhi’s ear and cooed softly, “It’s okay… take it slow…”
Ji Huaizhi scooped up the sweat-slicked body, cradled the back of Ning Shuang’s head, and pressed a kiss to the nape of his neck. The butterfly mark there had deepened to a vivid shade.
By now, Ning Shuang was utterly lost, barely able to tell up from down. He stared hazily at the gorgeous face before him, eyes rolling back as tears mingled with sweat on his cheeks.
It really hurt.
Ji Huaizhi wiped away the tears and paused. “Sorry. Did I hurt you?”
Ning Shuang dragged in a shaky breath and kissed the stud in Ji Huaizhi’s earlobe. “It’s fine… keep going…”
…
Their absurd first time dragged on until the wee hours of the morning.
The final round came when Ji Huaizhi looked down at the man who had passed out beneath him. Unable to resist, he leaned down and nuzzled his face against the flushed skin of Ning Shuang’s neck.
“Ning Shuang.”
“Ning Shuang.”
“Ning Shuang…”
Ning Shuang, who hadn’t been sleeping soundly, patted the head in his arms and mumbled, “Dundun, get off the bed…”
Ji Huaizhi’s brows furrowed. He thrust a little harder in petty revenge.
Satisfied by Ning Shuang’s startled gasp, he finally began to move.
Once it was over, he carried Ning Shuang to the bathroom for a bath.
Then he brought him back to Ning Shuang’s own room—his bed was in no state for sleeping anymore.
After settling Ning Shuang in, Ji Huaizhi returned to clean the room top to bottom.
He tossed the soiled sheets into the washing machine, then headed to Ning Shuang’s room. He slipped under the covers and nestled straight into Ning Shuang’s arms.
Ning Shuang unconsciously hugged him tight, even patting his back. “Go to sleep, Dundun.”
Fine.
Ji Huaizhi decided not to compete with a dog.
He closed his eyes contentedly.
Ning Shuang slept deeply and soundly…
From drifting off until past nine the next morning, he didn’t dream once.
Groggy as he woke, he felt a weight pressing on his chest.
He stared at the ceiling overhead and confirmed he was in his own room.
What Ning Shuang couldn’t quite process, though, was the ache.
His waist and ass hurt like hell.
When he shifted his hand and his fingers brushed a lock of long, silky hair, Ning Shuang went completely still.
Last night’s memories flooded into Ning Shuang’s mind like a gushing spring, pouring in relentlessly.
He lowered his head and immediately met the beautiful eyes of Ji Huaizhi, who was gazing up at him from where he lay sprawled across Ning Shuang’s chest.
Ning Shuang: ?
A few seconds later.
Downstairs, Ning Dundun jolted awake at the sound of a scream like a pig being slaughtered.
It looked vigilantly toward the upstairs room where the noise had originated.
In that upstairs room, Ning Shuang jabbed a finger at Ji Huaizhi. Then he threw back the covers and peered down at the marks on his own legs, confirming beyond doubt that this wasn’t some dream.
Ji Huaizhi sat on the edge of the bed, his hair tousled and his eyes clouded with sleepiness and confusion as he watched Ning Shuang.
“We… I… last night?” Ning Shuang remembered it all now. He felt utterly unforgivable, a grave sinner, completely inexcusable—simply inhuman!
Ji Huaizhi nodded.
“I… you… argh!” Ning Shuang drew up his knees and buried his face in his hands. The motion tugged painfully at his waist, sending him into another bout of grimacing and sharp hisses of pain.
“I’m sorry. I went way too far last night. Are you okay? I’ll get you some medicine.” Ji Huaizhi sprang to his feet. He wore a short-sleeved pajama top, and the exposed skin of his arms and collarbone bore just as many ambiguous marks.
Ning Shuang called out quickly to stop him. “Ji Huaizhi!”
Ji Huaizhi halted in his tracks.
Ning Shuang said, “Let’s talk.”
Ji Huaizhi’s hands clenched subtly at his sides. He obediently sat back down on the bed’s edge and fixed Ning Shuang with a gaze from eyes that were pure and utterly innocent.
Ning Shuang’s guilt only deepened. “So, yeah, it really happened. Our relationship now…”
Before he could finish, Ji Huaizhi cut in firmly. “We’re dating.”
The words hit Ning Shuang like a punch, sending him into a fit of coughing. “Cough cough cough…”
Ji Huaizhi leaned forward in concern. “Ning Shuang, are you okay?!”
Ning Shuang waved him off frantically to show he was fine, then managed to ask, “Is that what you think?”
Ji Huaizhi nodded. “You confessed to me last night. I know I like you too, and we… last night… so doesn’t that mean we’re dating now?”
He lobbed the question right back at Ning Shuang.
