Part 2
It was just that the alcohol content was a bit too high. Tang Yue thought it was sweet at first and drank a few mouthfuls, but not long after, the kick hit him.
He couldn’t even walk and was carried away on Jiang Shulu’s back under the teasing gazes of a group of people.
The little alien loved the scent on the Captain. He sniffed and sniffed, his breath spraying on Jiang Shulu’s neck, almost making the young Captain’s mind wander.
This place wasn’t far from their hotel, and since it was late at night, there weren’t many people on the road.
Jiang Shulu simply carried Tang Yue on his back, walking slowly back in the night breeze.
Tang Yue was dizzy from drinking but still remembered Jiang Shulu saying he was angry. He mumbled Jiang Shulu’s name vaguely.
Tang Yue: “Shulu… Ge… does your hand still hurt?”
Jiang Shulu: “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Tang Yue: “Sor… sorry, I was just…”
He paused for a long time, then said sorry again.
Tang Yue’s face was hot, pressed against Jiang Shulu’s neck, almost reigniting the desire Jiang Shulu had suppressed that day.
Tang Yue’s courage wasn’t big, but not small either. Once he opened up about liking someone, it poured out a thousand percent.
Like a volcano that never extinguished, magma rolling, every spark enough to melt Jiang Shulu.
He had never felt so deeply that he was loved, that he was cared for.
In the gentle breeze of this moment, Jiang Shulu said, “It won’t happen next time.”
Tang Yue: “Next time?”
Jiang Shulu didn’t elaborate, just hummed.
Tang Yue: “Will you sleep with me when we get back?”
Jiang Shulu: “That’s not good, is it?”
Tang Yue: “But I haven’t slept with you for several… several nights. Ju… just now San-ge messaged me… saying he’s going clubbing all night.”
Meaning only the two of them were in the suite.
Jiang Shulu: “Okay.”
Tang Yue was satisfied. He shifted his body, hugging Jiang Shulu’s neck tighter, muttering his wish: “If only Ge could… hold me from the front.”
Jiang Shulu: “That’s holding a child.”
Tang Yue: “We will… have children in the future.”
Jiang Shulu thought he wanted to adopt a child and nodded. “Okay.”
Tang Yue: “Can you hold… hold me like that when we get back? I saw… saw online videos where couples hug… hug like that.”
Although they were dating underground, meeting almost every day, their lives were soaked by pervasive work. Tenderness felt stolen.
Tang Yue really, really wanted a true world for two.
Jiang Shulu: “Okay.”
Tang Yue: “Can you touch me more?”
Jiang Shulu: “Okay.”
Tang Yue: “Can… can you use one pillow with me?”
Jiang Shulu laughed. “Okay.”
Tang Yue: “Can you… be with me forever?”
Jiang Shulu: “Okay.”
Tang Yue: “Can…”
Jiang Shulu: “Are you really drunk? You seem to be speaking more and more fluently.”
Tang Yue: “I just wanted to, wanted to try that trick from the internet to get the truth.”
Jiang Shulu carried Tang Yue steadily. Their shadows stretched long on the ground. The bell tower struck the hour deep in the night.
Soon, the first light of dawn would arrive.
But the pigeons in the square had returned to their nests to sleep. Tang Yue, leaning on Jiang Shulu’s back, reeked of alcohol, his breath scorching hot.
Jiang Shulu: “I was trapped by you long ago, so Xiao Yue can ask whatever he wants.”
Tang Yue gave an “Oh.” “How much… does Shulu-ge like me?”
He was already pressed against Jiang Shulu’s neck. When he spoke, his lips opened and closed, almost sticking to the other’s skin.
It seemed every word was a kiss.
Jiang Shulu: “Like you so much I want to kiss you right now.”
Tang Yue: “Then can’t we… kiss now?”
Jiang Shulu: “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”
Tang Yue: “What?”
Jiang Shulu took a deep breath of cold air and hitched Tang Yue up higher. “You’ll know later.”
Tang Yue: “Can I… give a deposit?”
His brain circuits were always unusual. Jiang Shulu froze for two seconds before reacting, saying between laughter and tears, “What counts as a deposit?”
Tang Yue: “Last time I made you… dirty. This time I’ll let you… make me dirty however you want.”
Perhaps he also felt these words were a bit weird; his voice got lower and lower, finally squeezing out: “I can use… other places.”
Jiang Shulu remained silent for a long time. Tang Yue said in annoyance, “Am I too… too un…”
Jiang Shulu interrupted him. “No.”
He asked, “Is it really okay?”
Tang Yue: “Shulu-ge, sometimes you are so hypocritical. Clearly th… that time you… couldn’t hold back either, right?”
Jiang Shulu, accused of being hypocritical, frankly hummed affirmation.
He said, “Then hold on tight.”
Tang Yue: “What?”
Then Jiang Shulu ran with him on his back. The wind messed up their hair; Tang Yue’s drowsiness was almost shaken away, but he was very happy.
Jiang Shulu was usually too restrained. He should run, like the swift wind, making up for the lost spirit of youth.
At 3 AM, Liu Xichao and Yao Lixin were still drinking at the bar.
Yao Lixin had just finished pole dancing and rejected an invitation from a curly-haired twink. He asked Liu Xichao, “Are you going back?”
Liu Xichao: “Back to what? Leave some space for those two.”
Yao Lixin uttered an “Uh.” “Don’t we have a suite? One room per person.”
Liu Xichao: “Don’t you feel the air is bubbling with pink bubbles?”
Yao Lixin: “You’re overthinking it. The Captain wouldn’t be so…”
Liu Xichao: “That’s why I said he’d suffocate to death. I’m not going back today.”
Yao Lixin: “If you don’t go back, do I dare to?”
Liu Xichao showed him a text message on his phone.
A bank transfer of 500,000 came in. It was from Jiang Shulu.
Yao Lixin: “Holy crap, why didn’t I get one?”
Liu Xichao: “You didn’t check your phone.”
Yao Lixin checked. “Why do I still feel weird taking the money?”
Liu Xichao swirled his wine glass, smiling at the bartender, his eyes lingering on the guy’s face. He thought: Even with curly hair, he can’t beat that old man Jiang He.
Really weird, why do I keep thinking of him?
He said, “Is this any different from us creating a group chat behind Xiao Yue’s back?”
Yao Lixin: “That makes sense. I’m so ashamed.”
Yao Lixin: “It’s too unconscionable. I’d better go back.”
Liu Xichao: “Stop pretending. Don’t you know how clingy Xiao Yue is? He’s dying to sleep in the same room as Jiang Shulu.”
He rested his chin on his hand and lamented, “But staying up until dawn… my face will definitely be swollen.”
Yao Lixin: “Shall we switch to another hotel?”
Liu Xichao: “Then the next day’s headline: ‘Away internal discord, members switch rooms overnight.'”
Yao Lixin: …
The hotel building they stayed in was old, with retro elevators. When Jiang Shulu carried Tang Yue upstairs, they bumped into staff members going down. Tang Yue could only obediently pretend to be passed out, afraid the assistant would ask him to get down again.
Only when they returned to the room did Jiang Shulu ask, “Not coming down?”
Tang Yue: “I’m still so dizzy, want to shower.”
Jiang Shulu’s long hair extensions were tied back, loosened quite a bit from running. Tang Yue touched them and asked, “Can I take a bath today?”
Jiang Shulu: “Yes.”
Tang Yue: “I wonder if Second Brother will come back suddenly.”
Jiang Shulu smiled. “He won’t.”
Tang Yue: “Should I ask him? Second Brother often comes back in the middle of the night.”
Jiang Shulu: “Why? Since we aren’t doing anything, why be afraid of them coming back?”
He asked so teasingly that Tang Yue let out an “Ah.” “Was I overthinking?”
The youth’s face was dyed with a thin layer of red. He hummed, “Didn’t you say I could?”
Jiang Shulu was still laughing, laughing so much that Tang Yue suddenly leaned in close, pressing his forehead against the other’s forehead.
They didn’t even turn on the lights when they came back. Outside the window at dawn, it was quiet. Tang Yue looked at the face close at hand and subconsciously held his breath again.
He didn’t know how long they pressed together. In the end, it was unclear who reached out first. Anyway, when Tang Yue came to his senses, he had been kissed breathless and had fallen into the bathtub.
The water temperature was just right. There was only one mirror light in the room. The light was hazy, and his vision of Jiang Shulu was also hazy.
But sight wasn’t important at such times; touch was.
Wet clothes were discarded. Tang Yue felt for the first time what “sweetness, bite by bite” meant.
Because someone really wanted to bathe him.
Kisses fell densely like clockwork, not straying below the neck, yet making his whole body restless. The water felt hotter and hotter, breath seemed to contain flames, igniting a long-lost desire.
It wasn’t until he was fished out to have his hair dried that Tang Yue felt something was wrong.
Tang Yue: “Wasn’t it me… helping you?”
The alcohol he drank wasn’t strong to begin with, at most making his face flush. Now the alcohol fumes had been steamed away by the heat, leaving only the redness of his knuckles. He grabbed Jiang Shulu’s wrist and called out “Ge.”
Jiang Shulu: “Liu Xichao and Yao Lixin will be back tomorrow morning.”
His fingers combed through the youth’s hair, speaking exceptionally gently.
Tang Yue: “So?”
Jiang Shulu: “Counting on you.”
Tang Yue waited a while before saying “Oh.”
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