TSMITB Chapter69

The kiss under the noisy night sky was hotter than ever before.

Shen Que almost instinctively used all his strength to cling and delve deeper to confirm that what he was embracing was real, not an illusion dream.

Moisture trickled down his cheeks, and Shen Que tasted the salty trace of it, unable to tell whether the tears were his or Sheng Qixiao’s.

Sheng Qixiao cradled the back of Shen Que’s head in his palm, his fingers gently threading through his soft hair as he responded with utmost solemnity, carrying the preciousness and tenderness of something that had been lost and found again.

When the two finally separated, their breaths were full of hot, sticky dampness.

Shen Que’s forehead rested against Sheng Qixiao’s; the brilliant light of the fireworks passed through his trembling eyelashes, fell into the depths of his eyes, and shone there for a long time.

“Is it real?” His voice was extremely hoarse. He opened his mouth and bit Sheng Qixiao’s cheek, gnawing with a little force, “Does it hurt? I’m not dreaming, am I, Sheng Qixiao?”

Sheng Qixiao did not answer immediately. He raised his hand and wiped away the dampness from the corner of Shen Que’s eye.

“It’s real.” He finally spoke, his voice equally hoarse, allowing Shen Que to bite him, “It doesn’t hurt, and you’re not dreaming.”

He took Shen Que’s hand and pressed it against his chest. Through several layers of clothing, that strong, steady heartbeat, beat after beat, knocked realistically against Shen Que’s palm.

“Can you feel it? My heartbeat.”

“But the Blood Vine…” Shen Que subconsciously clutched the fabric over his chest, “Ke Di said, your bond with it…”

Sheng Qixiao’s eyelashes lowered slightly, concealing a flash of complex emotion in his eyes, “He was not wrong; I cannot completely sever the link with the Blood Vine. It uses my life as its root, and I also rely on it to live.”

Shen Que’s heart sank abruptly; the immense joy that had just arisen was instantly shattered by that sentence.

“But I’ve found a way to minimize its influence on me as much as possible. In the future, I just need to return to the mountain once in a while.”

“How long?” Shen Que stared blankly at him, “How often do you need to go back, and how long do you need to stay each time?”

“It’s uncertain. Maybe a very long time.” Sheng Qixiao gazed at him.

“Alright.” Shen Que said only one word, and clear droplets of water fell from his eyes again.

Sheng Qixiao quickly explained, “I lied. Going back about once a year will be fine, and I won’t have to stay very long.” He cupped Shen Que’s face, looking at the two pools of tears in his eyes, “Don’t cry, Shen Que, why have you become so prone to crying now? Is it because I was gone for too long? In the future, I’ll take you with me when I go back. We won’t be separated anymore, alright? Don’t cry.”

“I went to look for you so many times…”

“I know, I know all of it.” Sheng Qixiao explained seriously, “But back then, I was too dishevelled; I didn’t want you to see me looking so bad.”

As soon as his words fell, Sheng Qixiao’s lips followed the trail of his tears and kissed him again, and the two stumbled toward the bedroom, still tangled in each other’s arms.

Sheng Qixiao expertly turned on the floor lamp Shen Que usually liked best. Its stand was made of intertwined vines, and its butterfly-shaped translucent shade emitted a soft light.

Wet, hot kisses fell delicately and densely on Shen Que’s brow, lightly swept past his nose and cheeks, and finally returned to the lips that were slightly red and swollen from Sheng Qixiao’s sucking.

Their clothes were patiently peeled away, and the warm light outlined the contours of their bodies. Sheng Qixiao’s fingertip seemed to inadvertently brush the soft flesh on Shen Que’s waist, provoking a slight shiver, and his rosy, full lips pressed against Shen Que’s outer ear, “Shen Que, you are mine.”

“Shen Que… look at me.”

Shen Que opened his hazy eyes and saw Sheng Qixiao’s eyes, deepened immensely by lust and desire, holding the familiar, aggressive possessiveness and undisguised love.

Sheng Qixiao kissed him, one hand tightly intertwined with his fingers while the other slid down his spine, gently making the necessary preparations.

——————

The long-wandering giant ship finally sailed into the warm harbor that belonged only to him.

Shen Que gasped, tilting his head back as his long neck stretched into a fragile yet graceful curve, silently surrendering himself completely.

He saw the expression of near-intoxication revealed by Sheng Qixiao because of his acceptance, and at the same time, he saw his own bewildered and indulged appearance reflected in Sheng Qixiao’s eyes.

He rose and fell with his rhythm, like waves chasing the moon.

The stranded fish was tossed to the clouds in desire, and then safely fell back down in the gentle yet forceful control of the fishing net.

“Sheng Qixiao…” He murmured brokenly, the shattered syllables barely pieced together, “…I love you.”

The giant ship’s cruising speed suddenly accelerated; every impact was immensely forceful. The reefs along the shore were splashed by the giant waves, convulsively generating more spray.

Shen Que’s vision was taken over by a flash of white light; his body trembled slightly due to the ultimate pleasure, and his entire self melted into Sheng Qixiao’s scorching embrace.

After everything calmed down, the harbor was still being filled. Sheng Qixiao kissed Shen Que’s moist eyes and swollen lips again and again.

The two woke up in the afternoon on the first day of the New Year.

Shen Que was the first to open his eyes, and the magnified, handsome face of Sheng Qixiao was the first thing he saw.

His body still bore the traces of the previous night, his back aching and his legs weak, yet he felt a solid sense of fullness. He quietly reached out and touched the ring of teeth marks on Sheng Qixiao’s jaw.

Sheng Qixiao opened his eyes just then, caught Shen Que’s hand, brought it to his lips, and pressed a gentle kiss against it, his husky voice filled with a smile. “Morning.”

The two lingered in bed for a long time before Sheng Qixiao finally carried the utterly weak Shen Que into the bathroom. After cleaning him for a long time, he tucked him back into bed and got up himself.

When Shen Que shuffled out of the bedroom in his bathrobe, he saw Sheng Qixiao walking out of the kitchen.

“Weren’t you cooking? Why did you come out? You don’t know how to use the gas stove?” Shen Que lazily flopped onto the sofa while resting his chin on a cushion, his voice still carrying the nasal tone of someone not fully awake. His lips were completely swollen, and there was a cut that had been bitten open sometime earlier.

Sheng Qixiao half-squatted in front of the sofa, his hand instinctively going to Shen Que’s waist to massage it for him. He shook his head, “I learned all that beforehand. But the refrigerator is empty.”

Shen Que then remembered that the auntie who cooked for him had gone back to her hometown over half a month early this year. Before leaving, she had asked if he wanted her to stock up on New Year’s goods, but he refused, and also asked her to empty the refrigerator so he wouldn’t have to clean out spoiled food later.

“Are you hungry?” Shen Que pointed to the other refrigerator, “That one’s full, it’s all drinks. You can snack on those first. I’ll order food now, it’ll be here in half an hour…”

Before he could finish, Sheng Qixiao interrupted him, looking at him seriously with his light-colored eyes, “I wanted to cook the first meal of the New Year for you.”

Shen Que turned his face away and let out a soft hum.

He let Sheng Qixiao carry him back to the room and help him change into clothes for going out.

Only when everything was ready did he notice that Sheng Qixiao was still wearing his bathrobe. Shen Que glanced at him, then took out an outfit from the walk-in closet and tossed it to him.

A dark gray turtleneck sweater paired with wool trousers, topped with a black wool overcoat; all of them were in Sheng Qixiao’s size, kept from the new seasonal items that various brands had sent him.

“Should I wear this just like this?” Sheng Qixiao was hesitant.

“What’s wrong?”

Sheng Qixiao untied the bathrobe’s belt; there was nothing underneath.

Shen Que lightly coughed, his eyes lingering involuntarily on Sheng Qixiao’s waist and abdomen for an extra two seconds before he composed himself and looked away, “How about you wear mine? But…”

Sheng Qixiao didn’t hesitate, bending over to put on the trousers directly. The moment the fabric touched his skin, he slightly furrowed his brow, clearly unaccustomed to it.

“We’ll go out and buy you some later.” Shen Que saw his awkward expression, felt a little schadenfreude, reached out and patted him, and pretended to buckle his belt, “Is it comfortable?”

“Shen Que.” Sheng Qixiao narrowed his eyes, caught his wandering hand, and his tone carried a faint warning. “Are you not hungry yet?”

Shen Que immediately turned and walked away, “I’ll go get your shoes.”

Twenty minutes later, the two arrived at the supermarket.

Shen Que pushed the shopping cart, his mood lighter and happier than ever before. He pulled Sheng Qixiao through various aisles, stuffing anything he saw into the cart.

Sheng Qixiao didn’t say much the entire time, just followed quietly. His gaze remained on Shen Que, watching his vibrant and lively appearance, reaffirming that his initial decision had been correct.

When passing through the fresh food section, the crowd became more dense. Sheng Qixiao naturally took the shopping cart from Shen Que, while his other hand found Shen Que’s hand with ease and held it firmly.

Shen Que turned his head to look, but Sheng Qixiao wasn’t looking at him; he simply stared straight ahead, tightening his grip on Shen Que’s hand once again.

When they returned fully loaded, the sun was still hanging high in the sky.

Shen Que volunteered to wash the vegetables, but failed to hold the fish, splashing water everywhere. So, Sheng Qixiao circled him from behind, holding his hand, and taught him how to stun the fish with a single chop.

Warm breath brushed against his ear, making half of Shen Que’s body go numb; there was no way he could concentrate on the fish. He simply turned around, wrapped his arms around Sheng Qixiao’s waist, and threw in the towel, “I can’t do it, you do it.”

Sheng Qixiao chuckled softly and kissed the top of his head.

A lavish spread of dishes was quickly laid out on the table.

The two sat across from each other, chatting about their lives when they were apart and their trivial yet specific future.

Halfway through the meal, Shen Que’s movements slowed. He watched Sheng Qixiao naturally serve him food, occasionally responding to some of his far-fetched fantasies.

He suddenly thought of the countless times he had eaten alone in the past few months. The empty house, the cold bed, as well as the tasteless food…

Shen Que wrinkled his nose, raised his wine glass, and said word by word, “Welcome home, Sheng Qixiao.”

Sheng Qixiao paused slightly in the act of serving food, slowly blinked, and also raised his glass like Shen Que, clinking it gently with his, producing a crisp sound.

In those eyes that had shown too much deception and exploitation, only endless tenderness and affection remained now.

He gazed at Shen Que, and in an equally solemn tone, he replied, “I am home.”