Chapter 50 part 1
Bai He was a little tired. He closed his eyes, the heat in his body slowly dissipating. Before he knew it, he was drifting off to sleep.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed. In a drowsy haze, he heard the bathroom door open. Bai He barely lifted his eyelids, only to feel a poke on his cheek.
“…”
He opened his eyes, his gaze colliding with Qin Yao’s. The alpha was leaning over the side of the bed, the smile on his face completely unrestrained. He was playfully poking Bai He’s cheek, again and again. The touch was light, but it felt dangerously close to flirting.
Bai He didn’t respond, nor did he resist. Before long, Qin Yao grew even more brazen, cupping Bai He’s face with both hands and squishing his cheeks.
Bai He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and swatted away Qin Yao’s misbehaving paws.
The alpha let out a muffled laugh. He stopped bothering Bai He, but he remained leaning on the edge of the bed, not leaving.
In the room, the scents of brandy and catnip mingled. A quiet, comfortable atmosphere enveloped them. The feeling from the mark was incredibly pleasant.
Qin Yao tilted his head, his eyes carefully tracing Bai He’s features. His voice was impossibly gentle. “Little Bai He, you do still like me, don’t you?”
Bai He lifted his eyelids to give Qin Yao a look, the emotion in his eyes clearly saying ‘you’re an idiot.’ Finally, he closed his eyes again and muttered, “No. Did you think I let you bite me for nothing?”
Qin Yao froze, then suddenly realized his question had been stupid. How could someone let him kiss and bite them and not call it ‘like’? He laughed at himself, pushing up slightly to press a kiss to the tip of Bai He’s nose. “I like you too. I like you so damn much.”
Bai He’s eyelids fluttered, and he gave a low “Mm” in response.
His eyes remained closed, looking as if he were about to fall asleep.
Qin Yao continued to pepper Bai He’s face with tireless, light kisses. After a moment, he propped himself up, gazing at Bai He without blinking, and asked softly, “Can I stay?”
Bai He didn’t answer. Qin Yao didn’t give up. He lowered his head, pressing his forehead against Bai He’s, his voice a low coax. “Please, Little Bai He?”
Bai He opened his eyes, remained quiet for two seconds, then rolled over, turning his back to him.
“Suit yourself.”
The words had barely left his mouth before Qin Yao’s arm reached over and flipped him right back. Qin Yao pinned him down with another flurry of kisses. Nearly breathless, Bai He had to pat the alpha’s shoulder just to get a chance to breathe.
Qin Yao started to lift the blanket to slide in with him, but Bai He, still catching his breath, stopped him.
“There are extra blankets in the closet.”
The meaning was obvious: he refused to share a blanket.
Qin Yao happily trotted over, pulled out the bedding, came back to spread it on the bed, and only then climbed back on.
The dorm bed wasn’t huge, but it was big enough for two people. Adding a second set of bedding, however, made it decidedly cramped.
It still wasn’t late, but Bai He had no desire to move during his heat. Especially after being marked, his body was no longer burning up, but he felt even more exhausted.
The lights in the room were off, and the curtains were still drawn. It was daytime outside, so a faint light filtered through, but the room remained dim.
Enveloped in the brandy pheromones, Bai He slept soundly.
He slept straight through to the afternoon. When he opened his eyes, the dim atmosphere gave him that familiar sense of loneliness, like being abandoned by the world—a common feeling when waking up so late in the day.
Bai He stared blankly for a moment, slowly regaining sensation in his sleep-heavy limbs.
Suddenly, he registered a warm touch on his waist and something fluffy coiled around his thigh.
Bai He froze. He twisted his head to look. Qin Yao, who was supposed to be in his own bedding, had somehow migrated into Bai He’s blankets. Worse, he was clinging to him with both arms and legs, refusing to let go.
Bai He’s shirt was hiked up halfway, and Qin Yao’s arm was wrapped right around his lower abdomen, with one of his legs wedged between Bai He’s.
And…
Bai He’s gaze traveled up, spotting Qin Yao’s cat ears. That confirmed it. The fluffy thing coiled around his thigh was, without a doubt, the tail.
“…”
He tried to move, but the arms around him—and the tail on his thigh—only tightened their grip.
He took a deep breath and turned his head to face Qin Yao’s cat ears, which twitched occasionally with the alpha’s breathing. He watched them for a few seconds, then blew a gentle puff of air at one. The cat ear immediately flickered twice.
Bai He’s eyes lit up, as if he’d discovered a new continent. He reached out and touched the tip of the ear with his finger. It was soft. One touch, one twitch.
“…”
The hand on his waist suddenly slid upward, giving his waist a light squeeze. It found a ticklish spot, and Bai He instinctively flinched. “Don’t touch there.”
Qin Yao was indeed awake. He’d probably been awake since Bai He started playing with his ear. He didn’t retract his ears, just buried his head near Bai He’s chin, the soft, pointed ear brushing right against Bai He’s cheek.
“Are my ears fun to play with?” Qin Yao asked, giving the soft flesh of Bai He’s waist another squeeze.
The tickling made Bai He laugh despite himself. He pushed Qin Yao’s hand away, ignoring the question. “Who told you to crawl over here?”
“My side was too cold,” Qin Yao nuzzled against Bai He’s chin. “Baby, I’m cold. Hold me.”
Bai He: “…”
He felt Qin Yao’s restless tail exploring deeper inside his pant leg. He lowered his eyes, his gaze landing on Qin Yao’s face.
“Qin Yao.”
“Hm?”
He sounded entirely too pleased with himself. Bai He reached down and grabbed the tail, tracing it all the way to the base. His fingers sank deep into the soft fur and gave it two punitive squeezes.
Qin Yao hissed in a breath twice, then laughed, throwing his hands up in surrender. The lazy smile on his face looked utterly roguish. “I was wrong, darling.”
The laughter was genuine, carrying the unique rasp of someone who’d just woken up. The sound drew out, pleasant to the ear. Bai He watched Qin Yao laughing, leaning back, and found himself captivated. Unconsciously, he reached out and cupped the alpha’s face, and then, he kissed his chin.
There was no other movement. His lips simply rested lightly on Qin Yao’s chin, as if he were holding something incredibly precious.
Qin Yao’s laughter slowly faded. He pressed his forehead against Bai He’s. They were impossibly close, their breaths tangling, seemingly melting into one.
“Qin Yao, you’re not allowed to lie to me again.”
Bai He spoke every word deliberately, his expression completely serious. “If you lie to me again, I will never, ever forgive you.”
Qin Yao’s heart trembled. He cupped Bai He’s face, his hands sliding down to soothingly stroke the side of his neck. “I promise. I promise I won’t lie to you.”
“Little Bai He, I was wrong before,” Qin Yao said. “That kind of mistake won’t happen again. Trust me.”
Bai He gazed into Qin Yao’s eyes for a long time, seeing the sincerity he needed in that earnest stare. Only then did he slowly close his eyes.
Qin Yao’s heart melted. He began to peck lightly at Bai He’s lips, again and again.
Before they knew it, they were kissing deeply again, things quickly heating up. Qin Yao finally had to pull away from Bai He, whose cheeks were flushed pink, and got up to head to the bathroom once more.
Bai He lay on the bed, catching his breath. He closed his eyes, but his mind couldn’t stop replaying the brief glance he’d gotten earlier. He was still shocked by the… scale of it.
He forced himself not to dwell on it, snuggling into the blankets and listening to the sound of the shower. This time, Bai He didn’t fall back asleep. He watched the time. Qin Yao had been in there for half an hour and still wasn’t out.
That long… really?
Recommended Reads
