Chapter 56: 056 The Seaside and Fireworks part 1
After dinner, Z took Zhu Ran to the synthetic seaside of Planet Aispu.
This was the first time Zhu Ran realized such a beautiful place existed on this D-grade planet.
The water was crystal clear, the sand was fine and soft, and a slightly salty sea breeze blew, causing the waves to lap against the shore in plumes of pure white foam.
It was leisurely and tranquil.
The temperature in the central city was constant year-round; although it was a few degrees cooler by the sea, it wasn’t enough to feel cold.
Zhu Ran simply took off his shoes, letting his fair, tender feet make direct contact with the sand.
The sand that hadn’t been soaked by the waves felt soft and warm, having absorbed heat from the afternoon sun.
Finding it very comfortable, Zhu Ran began to walk along the shoreline.
Z followed silently behind him. Watching Zhu Ran play with the sand with such a look of delight, his gaze couldn’t help but soften.
Z rarely had the leisure to enjoy the surrounding scenery, nor did he have much time to stop and rest.
The political structure of the galaxy was complex; every planet had its own internal management system, and there were intricate relationships between worlds. A single careless command could trigger a diplomatic crisis.
Furthermore, there were plenty of people around Z eyeing his position, and even those he had trusted for a long time were capable of betrayal.
Z’s nerves were constantly strained, without a moment of relaxation.
The days spent living with Zhu Ran on Planet Aispu had been the most relaxed time of his life.
He enjoyed watching Zhu Ran and loved being by his side. Even if they did nothing at all, Z felt a sense of peace.
Zhu Ran, perhaps having too much fun, lost track of his footing and was tripped up by a small stone.
Z stepped forward quickly, catching Zhu Ran’s arm to help him maintain his balance.
Z: “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, I just tripped.”
Z knelt down and directly clasped Zhu Ran’s ankle, placing the foot onto his own knee.
The sudden loss of support made Zhu Ran’s balance unstable.
He instinctively reached out to brace himself against Z’s back. His captured foot’s toes curled in embarrassment.
“Let go.”
“I need to see if there’s a wound. Don’t move, it’ll only take a second.”
As Z spoke, he meticulously examined Zhu Ran’s foot.
Zhu Ran had small feet, roughly a size 39.5, with neatly trimmed nails.
Because he was self-conscious, his toes were gripping Z’s trousers slightly. Dusted with a bit of pale, fine sand, the foot possessed a kind of disheveled beauty.
Z held the ankle in his palm.
The skin was fair and translucent, soft and fragrant—much like Zhu Ran’s temperament. Z found it hard to let go.
However, there was a red mark on the side of the ankle where a shallow scratch had broken the aesthetic.
Zhu Ran looked down at the kneeling Z, realizing his foot was dirtying the man’s trousers and palm.
Z’s body temperature was always on the high side. Whether through the thin fabric of his dress pants or the direct contact with his palm, Zhu Ran felt a wave of heat.
The warmth traveled up from his ankle until Zhu Ran’s entire body was flushed a pale pink.
He felt slightly warm, slightly tipsy, radiating an intoxicating fragrance.
The sea breeze ruffled the air, kicking up spray and making the faint scent even more potent, causing Z’s gaze to deepen.
Z’s hand holding Zhu Ran’s foot was burning hot, his eyes darkening.
“The skin is broken, but it’s not bleeding.”
“It’s nothing, you can let go now!”
Zhu Ran pushed against Z’s back, but the man didn’t budge an inch.
“Z?”
“Put your shoes on so you don’t get scratched again.”
Z looked up, and the sight of Zhu Ran’s blushing face was reflected in his pupils.
In Z’s eyes, Zhu Ran was usually mild and quiet, rarely showing signs of shyness.
This blushing version of him was, in Z’s opinion, exceptionally beautiful.
Z let out a soft chuckle.
Then, he released his grip on Zhu Ran’s ankle.
Just as Zhu Ran breathed a sigh of relief, Z suddenly caught the wrist Zhu Ran had used to brace himself on his shoulder and gave a sharp pull…
Zhu Ran, who had been standing, was suddenly hoisted onto Z’s back.
The position shifted into Z clasping Zhu Ran’s wrists in front of his chest with one hand, while his other arm supported Zhu Ran’s thighs.
Zhu Ran’s chest was pressed against Z’s broad back, and his face rested in the crook of Z’s neck. His soft cheek accidentally brushed against Z’s ear.
Their skin made intimate contact, sparking an indefinable thrum of excitement.
Zhu Ran struggled slightly, his voice losing its usual calm. “Wait, what are you doing?”
Z seemed to be in a fantastic mood, his tone turning light. “As you can see, I’m carrying you.”
“I don’t need a carry, put me down.”
“If you’d prefer me to hold you in front, that can be arranged too.”
As Z spoke, his grip on Zhu Ran’s wrists tightened, as if he really intended to swing him around into a bridal carry.
“No thanks. Just… keep carrying me.”
Zhu Ran gave up the struggle, resigning himself to leaning against Z’s back.
He couldn’t remember the last time someone had carried him, but being on Z’s back made him feel very secure.
Z’s shoulders and back were very broad. Zhu Ran was someone who had touched that back before, so he knew just how firm and perfect those muscles were.
The scent of Z was a light lavender, distant and peaceful.
This scent didn’t quite match Z’s cold and stoic aura, but at this moment, Zhu Ran felt that Z and lavender suited each other perfectly.
Zhu Ran subconsciously leaned closer to the back of Z’s ear, taking a few extra sniffs.
The proximity of the heat source and the exhaled breath brushed against Z’s neck. It was like a wave of uncontrollable heat hitting him from behind his ear, causing his blood to race.
Z’s muscles suddenly went rigid.
He tilted his head slightly, dodging Zhu Ran’s attempt to smell him.
“Do I smell like something?”
His voice was a few registers deeper than usual, though it was masked by the sound of the waves.
“Yes. You smell like lavender. It’s very faint and quite nice.”
“I use the lavender aromatherapy every night. I feel like I’m being marinated in it.”
Z joked.
Hearing Z say he was being marinated, Zhu Ran chuckled. “Ah… a lavender-scented Z. I’m actually curious to see what you’d be like if you were thoroughly infused with it.”
Right now, the scent on Z was still very light and hard to detect unless one was close.
If he were truly marinated… would Z become a fragrant, warm big cat that had just bathed in lavender oil?
Zhu Ran’s smile widened.
Z: “If you want to find out, I can use it every day. Of course, the process would be much faster if you were willing to give me a body massage every day.”
Zhu Ran understood Z’s meaning instantly. Wouldn’t a body massage require Z to take off his shirt? Given their current relationship, that idea was incredibly ambiguous.
Zhu Ran naturally remembered the last time he’d given Z a massage—how the oil had turned that beautiful back into a honey-gold color. He remembered the feel beneath his hands… how Z’s back muscles had been hard with tension at first before slowly softening.
Zhu Ran responded playfully, “Sure~ I’m free anytime, just let me know when it’s convenient for you.”
However, in a place Z couldn’t see, Zhu Ran flashed a mischievous smile.
Hearing this, Z felt a surge of joy, followed immediately by disappointment.
He likely wouldn’t be free anytime soon.
The fragrant and soft “vanilla sugar” was right before his eyes, even giving him permission to touch, yet he couldn’t seize the opportunity.
Z felt a bit sulky.
Z carried Zhu Ran back along the shoreline, walking slowly and steadily.
They chatted the whole way. Zhu Ran went from being slightly uncomfortable with the carry to getting used to it, and his boldness grew as a result.
He would sometimes pet Z’s hair or stare at the man’s handsome profile, causing Z’s heart to skip a beat several times.
After walking for about twenty minutes, they returned to the spot where Zhu Ran had left his shoes.
Though the skin below Zhu Ran’s ankle wasn’t bleeding, the scratch was a bit red and swollen; wearing shoes would likely cause painful friction.
Just as Zhu Ran was about to step on the heels of his shoes to wear them like slippers, Xiuna suddenly appeared out of nowhere and handed Z a jar of ointment.
The look Xiuna gave Zhu Ran and Z was very… ambiguous, carrying the distinct vibe of ‘I can’t believe you two were doing this behind my back.’
“Ahem.”
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