Chapter 59: 059 The Voice Call
Zhu Ran’s emerald eyes reflected the dim, amber glow of the room. Beneath the heavy, lingering scent of lavender incense, a hazy, dreamlike veil seemed to settle over his gaze.
His eyes flickered slightly, and the fingers clutching his optical computer tightened.
Through the speaker, he heard Z reach out to unbutton his shirt and shed it, followed by the sound of his last T-shirt being pulled off, revealing an upper body lined with powerful muscles.
Then… a sharp click. It was the sound of a belt buckle being released.
A clink followed as the metal belt hit the cool, white porcelain tiles with a crisp ring.
Before the resonance of the metal could fade, the rustle of fabric sliding against skin reached his ears.
Z was currently standing there completely bare, his blue-and-gold eyes reflecting the pure white light of the bathroom, making them look exceptionally clear and bright.
His tone was a bit slower than usual. “Zhu Ran, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Z’s headset picked up sound with incredible clarity; Zhu Ran could hear almost everything happening on the other side.
He could easily imagine how Z had unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his torso, how he had shed his clothes, and how those powerful, scorching hands had moved to his belt, undoing it with a simple, practiced flick.
Zhu Ran pursed his lips, the green in his eyes deepening.
He countered with a question, “Voice chatting even while you’re in the shower? Z, do you have some sort of secret fetish?”
Z let out a soft chuckle. “Not for now, but if you like it, I wouldn’t mind developing one.”
With that, Z turned on the tap. Hot water instantly cascaded from the showerhead, splashing onto the floor in a flurry of tiny droplets.
The spray scattered; some droplets hit the white tiles, while others clung to Z’s ankles and calves, leaving behind trails of clear, translucent moisture.
Steam began to rise, the air thick with water molecules—heavy, humid, and filled with heat.
Listening to the sound of the water, Zhu Ran felt his own body temperature begin to rise involuntarily.
His usually clear voice dropped a register, sounding a bit huskier. “Unfortunately, I don’t have one either.”
“It’s not convenient for me to talk out loud here, so I can only chat with you from the bathroom.”
Amidst the constant rush of water, Z’s voice sounded muffled and wrapped in a damp, hazy quality.
It sounded far more seductive than usual.
Zhu Ran was about to suggest that if it was inconvenient, they should talk another time.
But in the next second, Z’s voice took on a hint of a smile. “That was a lie.”
“I’m tired, and I really wanted to hear your voice.”
“I didn’t want to wait another minute.”
At those words, Zhu Ran’s heart skipped a beat.
Usually, Z used those unfairly beautiful eyes of his to articulate his inner longings and emotions. Z’s gaze was something Zhu Ran could read, something he could drown in, something that… couldn’t help but stir up indefinable feelings within him.
But today, with Z not standing in front of him, using only words to express himself, Zhu Ran found his pulse racing at the man’s bluntness.
Thump-thump, thump-thump. He couldn’t control it at all.
Zhu Ran’s hand instinctively gripped the bedsheet, leaving faint indentations in the neat fabric.
Just as Zhu Ran was trying to steady his emotions, the sound of body wash being squeezed out came through the headset, followed predictably by the sound of skin rubbing against skin, lathering into foam.
The faint, squelching sounds were nearly lost in the roar of the water, yet that subtle ambiguity made them all the more provocative.
Zhu Ran felt a parched dryness in his throat. “If you’re tired, you should rest early instead of doing a voice call with me.”
Z spoke unhurriedly, “You’re the only one who can help me sleep well. That’s why I wanted to talk to you while I was showering—just to hear your voice. That way, as soon as I’m done, I can go straight to sleep.”
The squelching sounds shifted into the friction of hair being scrubbed, the audio quality gaining a certain grainy, rustling texture.
Z was washing his hair now.
Perhaps because the bathroom was filling with more steam, Z’s voice sounded even more muffled. “It’s a pity I can’t help you move tomorrow.”
What Z was actually saying had become secondary; half of Zhu Ran’s attention was hyper-focused on the background noises.
Z’s naturally deep voice, layered over the sound of bubbles, felt even more magnetic and… suggestive.
Zhu Ran’s thoughts were becoming sticky and sluggish, losing their clarity.
It wasn’t until Z’s voice rang out again that Zhu Ran snapped out of the greenhouse-like atmosphere of high humidity and warmth.
A thin layer of sweat had broken out on his brow, and a crimson flush had dyed his cheeks.
His whole body felt feverish.
Z: “Hmm? Why are you so quiet?”
Zhu Ran kicked off his blanket to let the heat dissipate, struggling to pull his thoughts back on track.
“I didn’t realize you were so addicted to being an assistant. You actually want to help me move?”
“I do.” Z had no idea that Zhu Ran was feeling flushed because of the call. He heard the rustling through his headset and assumed the youth was just tossing and turning in bed.
The thought of Zhu Ran currently lying in bed, wearing soft pajamas while talking to him, brought Z an immense sense of satisfaction—and at the same time, a wave of erotic longing that made him ache.
Z stopped scrubbing his hair. His voice was very raspy, and combined with the water, it took on a distinct, carnal edge.
“I wanted to help you set up your home. Having missed it this time, I don’t know when the next chance will be.”
The sound of soft breathing entered Zhu Ran’s ear, giving him the sudden illusion that Z was blowing right against it.
The tips of Zhu Ran’s ears burned. He reached up to touch them, trying to cool them down, only to find his hand was just as hot.
Zhu Ran lowered his hand and focused his mind to reply, “I’ve reserved a room for you. When you come over as a guest, you can decorate it yourself.”
Z tilted his head back with his eyes closed, letting the water stream down his face and over his collarbone.
It was hot and itchy, a bit like… the sensation of Zhu Ran touching him. It stirred his aura into something resembling a garden after a spring rain—chaotic, yet overflowing with the heart-stirring colors of spring.
Perhaps the steam had heightened Z’s emotions, or perhaps the heat had clouded his judgment, for he stopped holding back and spoke plainly, “Thank you for saving a room for me. But… I’d much rather decorate your room. Do I have that honor in the future?”
The bedroom was an incredibly private place. For Z to say he wanted to decorate Zhu Ran’s bedroom was nothing less than a blatant declaration.
And though Z said ‘decorate,’ it wasn’t a misunderstanding to interpret it as the act of changing the sheets after certain activities.
Zhu Ran hadn’t thought much of it when he offered the room, but with Z putting it that way, he understood instantly.
A shimmering light rippled in his emerald eyes, like the sunlight dancing on water.
Zhu Ran: “If you have a legitimate standing, then of course you can.”
The corners of Z’s mouth curved upward, a smile rippling through his voice. “I will continue to work hard for it.”
…
The nighttime routine that usually took Z twenty minutes took twice as long because he was chatting with Zhu Ran.
After finishing his shower, Z lay on the bed wrapped in a loose bathrobe.
He hadn’t put the robe on properly; the belt was tied loosely around his waist, leaving his stunning muscle lines and heat-flushed skin exposed.
He hadn’t dried his hair either, letting droplets of water fall from his golden locks onto his body, leaving his skin damp.
The call hadn’t disconnected; Zhu Ran’s voice continued to accompany him, giving Z the illusion that the youth was right there in the shower with him.
During the call, the veins in Z’s body had bulged several times and his temperature had soared to incredible heights. Yet, determined not to lose his composure in front of Zhu Ran, Z struggled to restrain himself using the background noise of the water.
Zhu Ran: “Are you done?”
“Mm, all finished.”
“I still have documents to handle. At 4:00 AM tomorrow, I have to go to a private planet to intercept someone. I probably won’t be free until the early hours of the next day.”
Z shared his itinerary with perfect naturalness.
Zhu Ran: “Understood. Then… goodnight?”
Z’s voice was somewhat hoarse. “Goodnight, Zhu Ran. Sweet dreams.”
After hanging up, Z closed his eyes and tilted his head back. His damp golden hair clung to his profile as transparent, glistening moisture rolled down his cheek to his jaw, then tumbled over his bobbing Adam’s apple.
His skin, flushed like the sunset, resembled a dyed rose, radiating a tempting pink.
His breathing was heavy, and the veins at his temples were faintly visible.
“Zhu Ran…”
Whispering that name, Z reached his hand down.
A long while later, with the entire room filled with heat, Z went to take another shower.
He pulled out the bedding he had taken from Zhu Ran’s home from his suitcase; it still carried Zhu Ran’s scent.
Z replaced the pillowcases and duvet cover in his room and climbed inside with a look of pure contentment.
The cold room felt as though it were wrapped in a gentle green embrace because of Zhu Ran’s scent, giving Z the feeling that… Zhu Ran was right there with him.
The strange odor that had filled the room earlier had vanished, replaced by a lingering, enchanting fragrance.
The exhaustion and irritability of the entire day faded. Z’s nose was filled with a fragrant, warm aura. It was very peaceful.
Z nuzzled his cheek against the pillowcase and soon drifted off to sleep.
On the other end, Zhu Ran—who had been on the voice call with Z for nearly an hour—found himself unable to sleep after hanging up.
Z’s deep voice, the rushing water, and the overlapping sounds of scrubbing, the friction of clothes, and his breathing… all of it left Zhu Ran feeling an unceasing heat.
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen Z shirtless before, or as if they hadn’t slept in each other’s arms, but… this time, simply hearing Z’s voice was enough to make his emotions flare up.
His heart was beating faster than usual, and his blood was racing.
It took a long time to settle.
Zhu Ran tried to force himself to sleep for a while but failed. Finally, he got up, drank a glass of ice water, and used a bit of lavender essential oil to massage his temples to calm his nerves.
The peaceful fragrance filled the room, and as his consciousness grew hazy, Zhu Ran eventually drifted off in the scent of lavender.
Z also smelled of lavender, which gave Zhu Ran the illusion that Z was right there, sleeping beside him.
In his dreams, Zhu Ran envisioned a shirtless Z, coated in lavender oil, holding him from behind as they slept.
Z was marinated in the scent of lavender, smelling wonderful. His body was warm, like a giant furnace, and he loved nuzzling his cheek against the back of Zhu Ran’s neck. It was itchy.
Zhu Ran wasn’t used to Z being so clingy at first, but after being held like that, he began to drown in Z’s gentle, warm touch, and his body went soft.
His consciousness grew blurred.
In the next moment, Z rolled Zhu Ran over, bracing his hands on either side of the youth’s head.
Zhu Ran was suddenly staring into those blue-and-gold eyes, which were filled with a longing that threatened to devour him—a gaze so deep and blunt it made Zhu Ran’s body shiver.
The lights were dim, and the lavender scent carried a wave of heat that washed over Zhu Ran’s entire being.
Z said, “Zhu Ran, I want to kiss you.”
…
Ring-ring! The alarm on his optical computer went off, jolting Zhu Ran from his dream.
His hands, which had been clutching the blanket in a panic, slowly relaxed as he woke up.
His hand muscles felt slightly sore from the exertion.
His cheeks were flushed, his gaze was unfocused, and a beautiful layer of moisture shimmered in his green eyes.
Compared to his usual look after a good night’s sleep—rosy-cheeked and radiant—Zhu Ran today looked like a camellia in full bloom, even the areas beneath his eyes radiating a vibrant spring aura.
“How could I dream about something like that…”
Zhu Ran’s voice was raspy, and his slightly parted lips exhaled a damp heat.
His body felt weak, yet certain parts of him were very much awake.
He lay in bed for a while before finally getting up, but his thoughts were still stuck on that sentence from his dream: ‘I want to kiss you.’
Spring hues spread as his gaze shifted, the fragrance overflowing. He smelled even sweeter than usual.
Zhu Ran washed his face with cold water. The clear droplets rolled down his cheeks—cool, yet unable to dispel a body temperature that was higher than normal.
He stared at his reflection, at his blushing face.
His lips were very red, as were his cheeks and the corners of his eyes. He looked like a flower in full bloom, a sight that seemed to beg to be plucked.
Zhu Ran quickly looked away.
Even though he had known yesterday that Z was being deliberate by calling him from the shower, Zhu Ran hadn’t expected a single voice call to leave him in this state.
Zhu Ran wiped his face dry and opened the window, letting the slightly warm breeze blow against him.
His gaze fell on the clear sky and the pale gold sunlight in the distance. The blue-and-gold color scheme reminded him of Z’s stunning heterochromatic eyes.
Z’s pupils were a few shades deeper than the sky and sun; they were clear and bright when he was playing nice, but turned a much darker shade when his emotions were intense.
“I’m even associating this with Z…”
Zhu Ran chuckled softly, realizing the truth in his heart.
He realized he was likely falling for Z.
Recommended Reads
