Part 2
He leaned in slightly toward Mu Qingzhou, observing the other’s face.
Mu Qingzhou’s skin was naturally pale; it was hard to tell from his appearance if he was sick.
However, his pale lipsāalmost the same color as his skināindicated that he was indeed feeling unwell.
“Are you alright? Your lips are very pale.”
Mu Qingzhou’s voice carried a hint of weakness: “I used too much spiritual power; I have a bit of a headache. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine after a sleep.”
Spiritual power overconsumption truly wasn’t a big deal; he just needed a couple of days’ rest.
But thinking about how Mu Qingzhou had practically finished the mission alone while he hadn’t helped at allāand that heād gotten two mutated plant samples for free and even got to play on the iceāZhu Ran felt a bit guilty.
Zhu Ran proactively suggested: “Let’s go to your place first. I’ll give you an aromatherapy session. I was supposed to teach you anyway.”
Mu Qingzhou’s eyes lit up slightly. He nodded: “Okay.”
The corner of his mouth rose slightly.
Having reached an agreement, Zhu Ran sent a message to Z: [Mission is done, went smoothly, not injured.]
Z replied almost instantly: [Are you coming back now? I’ll pre-order dinner for you.]
Zhu Ran: [A bit later. I need to give Mu Qingzhou an aromatherapy session; he’s feeling a bit unwell.]
On the other side of the screen, Z’s face instantly darkened. A wild storm rose in his clean heterochromatic eyes.
Zhu Ran is giving… Mu Qingzhou an aromatherapy session?
Doesn’t that mean Zhu Ran will touch the other’s skin…
Perhaps he will even use those soft hands to move back and forth on the other’s shirtless body… letting the other’s body be completely stained with Zhu Ran’s scent?
Z lost control instantly.
Veins of grey-green popped on his fair skin like tattoos, making his exposed body look ferocious.
Bloodshot lines filled his eyes, making his heterochromatic gaze look disorderly and chaotic.
Anger, unwillingness, and sourness surged up together. Z’s aura became dangerous and full of aggression.
His solidified spiritual power turned into sharp blades. With several “clatter” sounds, the walls were scarred with gashes, all the cups shattered, and the armrest of the sofa he was sitting on was torn apart.
It was a total mess.
Only those two light-green throw pillows, imbued with Zhu Ran’s scent, survived the storm.
With two “sizzle” sounds, the limiter on his neck released bursts of high-voltage current. The pain brought by the current pulled Z back to a sliver of rationality.
Bzzzt. Bzzzt. The current charred the skin of Z’s neck, mixing with blurred flesh and bloodāit was a gruesome sight.
Yet Z didn’t care about the pain. All he could think about right now was Zhu Ran.
Not happy…
Not allowed…
Forbidden…
Negative emotions took the lead. Z felt a sharp pain in his heart.
It wasn’t the kind of physical pain that could be endured; it was a suffocating pain like drowning, a pain so unbearable he could hardly breathe, as if he were suddenly isolated from the entire world.
“Cough, cough…”
Z coughed with difficulty and then gasped for air.
He reached out and grabbed the throw pillow Zhu Ran usually liked to hold, pulling it into his arms. He lowered his head, rubbing his cheek and nose against the velvet surface that still held a lingering fragrance.
The faint scent seemed like a pair of hands gently soothing and touching Z’s grey, chaotic emotions. It was like a warm breeze, a clear spring, re-dyeing the soil that had been charred black by lightning.
It was a streak of greenāthe most beautiful emerald in the world, emanating a lingering fragrance.
“Zhu Ran…”
He whispered the name low, burying his head deep in the pillow and breathing heavily.
After several breaths, the out-of-control Z gradually steadied.
He raised his head from the pillow and rested his chin on the soft cushion, rubbing it twice from time to time, just as Zhu Ran liked to do.
The bulging veins had receded, and the bloodshot lines in his eyes were gone, though the corners of his eyes still showed a trace of light red from the discomfort.
At this moment, apart from his slightly messy hair, rumpled clothes, and the circle of wounds around his neck, Z looked no different from usual.
He slightly narrowed his eyes, and his heterochromatic gaze was draped in the silence and cold ferocity of the night.
“The room is a mess, but… no need to clean up.”
“The wounds on the neckāno need to treat them either.”
Z typed as if nothing were wrong: [Send me a location. I’ll come pick you up later.]
Mu Qingzhou drove Zhu Ran back to the Central Hotel where he was staying.
Mu Qingzhou was staying in a suite on the top floor, decorated in a simple yet grand style.
The three-bedroom-and-a-living-room layout made the space very large, and the floor-to-ceiling glass window across the entire living room made the view very open.
“Sit for a bit while I get the essential oil and towels.”
After pouring a glass of water for Zhu Ran, Mu Qingzhou went into a room to get the items.
Zhu Ran walked to the window to look down.
The entire central city area presented a cold texture of steel and metal. What met the eye was a sea of cold grey, with the occasional hovercar driving by, injecting a sliver of vitality into this indifferent city.
Zhu Ran didn’t particularly like this urban style.
“Watching the scenery?”
Mu Qingzhou came out in a change of clothes.
Although he was still wearing a plain white shirt on top, it had been replaced with a loose, casual style. The buttons at the collar weren’t fastened, revealing a small section of neck skin, giving the usually noble man a touch of lazy nonchalance.
“Yes,” Zhu Ran replied. “It’s my first time seeing this planet from this height; it feels quite novel.”
Mu Qingzhou walked to Zhu Ran’s side: “The urban planning of Planet Aps isn’t great. If you have the chance, you can visit S-rank planets, or you can come to Planet Jialan to find me.”
“Sure,” Zhu Ran agreed.
He thought to himself: Mu Qingzhou looks cold, but he’s actually quite proactive and warm.
Zhu Ran: “Shall I give you the aromatherapy? In the living room, or should we go to a guest room?”
Zhu Ran didn’t include the bedroom as an option.
A private place like a bedroomāZhu Ran felt that given his relationship with Mu Qingzhou, it wasn’t appropriate to enter.
“Let’s just do it in the living room.”
Mu Qingzhou sensed Zhu Ran’s polite distance and went along with him. “The sofa is large; it’s enough.”
The hotel sofa was a soft three-seater. When Mu Qingzhou lay down, he couldn’t straighten his legs.
So, Mu Qingzhou bent his knees.
Zhu Ran asked: “Won’t it be uncomfortable?”
Mu Qingzhou lay there and replied: “No.”
By then, Zhu Ran had moved a chair and sat behind the top of Mu Qingzhou’s head.
From Mu Qingzhou’s angle, he could see Zhu Ran’s small Adam’s apple and the curve of his beautiful jawline.
He could also smell Zhu Ran’s aura.
The curve was very beautiful, and the scent was very special.
He kind of wanted to… reach out and touch it.
Mu Qingzhou’s hand curled. He closed his eyes and stopped looking at Zhu Ran.
Mu Qingzhou was indeed tired from the spiritual power overconsumption, but because he was in the same room as Zhu Ran, his emotions weren’t weary. Instead, they were excited and joyful.
Zhu Ran turned on the aromatherapy machine that had been dripped with oil. Fresh and peaceful lavender fragrance was released from the mist outlet.
“You can use the aromatherapy anytime, but lavender has a sleep-inducing effect. If you have something important the next day, I suggest you set an alarm so you don’t oversleep.”
“Okay.”
“I’m going to start the massage then. Tell me if you feel uncomfortable.”
Warm fingers touched Mu Qingzhou’s temples.
To his low body temperature, it felt like being draped in a light down quilt; warmth gradually spread from his temples.
The gentle lavender fragrance was just right. The soul-soothing and relaxing effect allowed his spiritual seaāwhich was as stiff and cold as a glacierāto gradually relax.
Sunlight fell, the extreme cold air dissipated, and a warm breeze blew by.
It was very warm.
And very intoxicating.
The gentle, soft touch made Mu Qingzhou’s entire body feel somewhat offāas if being brushed by feathers that had been warmed in the sun. It was a bit itchy… but very comfortable, and hard to resist.
Under such a strange sensation, it was difficult for Mu Qingzhou to fully relax.
his back was tense, and his hands couldn’t help but clench into fists.
Sensing that the person under his hands wasn’t quite relaxing, Zhu Ran understood: “After you go back, I suggest having someone close to you give you the massage. You’re a bit too tense; the effect isn’t good.”
Mu Qingzhou didn’t open his mouth, only letting out a soft “Mhm.”
He thought to himself: I don’t have anyone particularly close. Even with his parents, Mu Qingzhou wouldn’t let them touch him.
The only person he was willing to be touched by was Zhu Ran.
“Relax.”
“Is the pressure okay? Need it lighter?”
“Head massages take a bit of force; tell me if it’s uncomfortable.”
…
The aromatherapy session wasn’t long. The temple and crown massage only took about twenty minutes in total.
Zhu Ran found that touching Mu Qingzhou was still different from touching Z.
For example… Z’s hair was fine and soft, with a bit of a “sandy” feel, so it became messy with a casual touch.
But Mu Qingzhou’s hair was very smooth; no matter how it was moved, it quickly returned to its neat state.
Z’s body temperature was high, and his skin was thin; the color would turn pink with a few casual presses, and his body would get hot.
Mu Qingzhou’s body temperature, on the other hand, was low, and marks didn’t easily stay on his cold white skin, though his temperature also rose as the massage progressed.
After finishing the set, Mu Qingzhou seemed to have fallen asleep; his breathing was even and peaceful.
His legs were still propped up and hadn’t been lowered.
Zhu Ran left a note for Mu Qingzhou and then quietly departed.
The sound of the electronic lock engaging rang out, and Mu Qingzhou abruptly opened his eyes. Desires that couldn’t be stopped were swirling in his deep black gaze.
Breathing somewhat heavily, Mu Qingzhou didn’t get up to leave.
He lay on the sofa, covering his eyes with the back of his hand, waiting for the longing rising from his heart to dissipate.
The surroundings of his body were filled with Zhu Ran’s light fragrance, and the residual warmth and touch of Zhu Ran lingered on his skin.
So warm… and so fragrant…
After a moment, he returned to his usual cold detachment, but those black eyes carried a certain look of absolute determination.
He spoke, his voice hoarse: “Zhu Ran.”
Zhu Ran only sent a message to Z after he finished the massage.
He originally wanted to tell Z not to come pick him up; after all, it wasn’t far from his residence, and Zhu Ran could take a hovercar back himself.
However, upon leaving the hotel, Zhu Ran found a familiar, low-profile black-and-gold hovercar parked right at the entrance.
Standing in front of the car was a person with brown hair and blue pupils. His posture was upright, his features exquisite, and he exuded a faint sense of pressure.
He was wearing a black, slim-fit high-neck shirt and black suit pants. The all-black ensemble made him radiate an aura that warned people not to approach.
A pair of deep, temperatureless eyes had originally looked at the world with disdain, as if nothing could enter his sight.
Yet the moment he saw Zhu Ran, his gaze turned bright.
The terrifying pressure also vanished in an instant, leaving only a peace and warmth that seemed capable of making flowers bloom.
The world was brilliant and bright only because of one person.
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