APR 11

Following the map, Chen Huan led Zhong Su deeper and deeper into the wilderness, twisting and turning until they arrived at a solitary little cottage.

The cottage stood near the sea, its exterior walls weathered and peeling from the sea breeze, revealing the red bricks beneath. It looked quite old, but it came with a small courtyard, barely habitable.

“This place has been empty for over three months,” Chen Huan said, inserting the key. “The utilities work, but it needs a good cleaning.”

The moment the door swung open, a damp, musty odor assaulted their senses. The interior furnishings were simple, almost crude, covered in a thin layer of dust.

Zhong Su went to the kitchen and tried the faucet. The pipes groaned, then spewed out murky, rust-colored water that gradually cleared after running for a while.

Chen Huan checked the bathroom, making clattering noises. He emerged to report, “There’s no showerhead. We’ll have to boil water and use a ladle to wash. Su’er, can you manage on your own, or should I help you?”

The living conditions were far worse than Zhong Su had imagined. His bandaged wound throbbed faintly. He pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed silently, “Two grown men can’t fit in there.”

He didn’t refuse outright, so this answer counted as accepting Chen Huan’s proposal.

Chen Huan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, and said with a grin, “That’s no problem at all. There’s plenty of room to stand. What can you do? There’s nothing here. If you don’t want your wound getting wet, you’ll have to let me help you.”

While Chen Huan went to heat the bathwater, Zhong Su took a quick look around the house.

The place was tiny, consisting of a single room, a living area, and a cramped bathroom and kitchen. Zhong Su pushed open the door to the only bedroom. Inside, there was just a narrow double bed. In the dim light, he could see the worn, faded fabric of the old mattress.

This meant he and Chen Huan would have to squeeze into this bed for the time being.

Reluctant to lie directly on someone else’s bed, Zhong Su opened his suitcase and pulled out a large, clean towel to spread over the old mattress. He planned to sleep on it temporarily tonight and buy new sheets later to replace the worn ones.

Before long, the bathwater was ready. Chen Huan carried the bucket into the bathroom and placed it under the shelf holding the bathing supplies. He glanced over the items to make sure everything was there.

Chen Huan turned and called out, “Su’er, the bathwater’s ready. Come on in.”

Zhong Su replied, “Coming, don’t rush me.” His voice carried a barely perceptible hesitation.

Chen Huan waited a few more minutes before Zhong Su finally walked in, his face still hesitant.

Warm, milky-white steam had already filled the cramped space, enveloping it in a hazy mist. Chen Huan removed his short-sleeved shirt, his sharply defined chest muscles rising and falling slightly with each breath.

He dipped his hand into the full bucket to test the water temperature, creating ripples that spread across the surface. His voice was low and steady as he said, “Come check if the temperature’s right.”

Zhong Su awkwardly averted his gaze, deliberately avoiding looking at Chen Huan’s body. He bent down to test the water temperature, his fingertips lightly touching the surface. The scalding heat quickly transferred to his skin. He forced himself to say, “It’s fine. Just like this. No need to add cold water.”

Chen Huan raised an eyebrow, his tone amused. “Then take off your clothes. What are you waiting for?”

Under Chen Huan’s unabashed gaze, Zhong Su immediately regretted agreeing to bathe together.

Two grown men squeezed into such a cramped space would inevitably brush against each other.

Zhong Su tried to ignore the awkwardness, bracing his elbow against Chen Huan’s chest. Suppressing the urge to leave, he struggled to pull off his sweat-soaked tank top.

Stripping to the waist in their rented room was a common occurrence for them, so removing his shirt in front of Chen Huan carried no psychological burden. His movements were even casual, bordering on familiar.

But when it came to taking off his pants, Zhong Su hesitated.

“I checked the room earlier, there’s only one bed. I laid a towel on it, so you’ll have to make do and sleep with me,” Zhong Su said, his head lowered as he clumsily unbuckled his belt with one hand, the metal buckle clicking softly.

“Tomorrow, let’s find a store to buy a new bedsheet, some food, and a showerhead while we’re at it.”

“Oh, and a bamboo mat too. I’ll make a note of it later so I don’t forget.”

Seeing Zhong Su’s struggle, Chen Huan reached out to help. With a deft flick of his fingers, he quickly unfastened the stuck metal buckle. The belt fell softly to the floor with a quiet thud.

Chen Huan pressed his finger against the red mole on Zhong Su’s wrist, teasingly remarking, “Su’er, did you know you tend to ramble when you’re nervous?”

Zhong Su choked. He’d forgotten that Chen Huan was a man devoid of empathy, someone who would never tactfully pretend not to notice his embarrassment.

Zhong Su rubbed his face, trying to mask his expression. His voice was tight as he said, “Yes, I’m nervous. You knew that, so why did you have to point it out?”

“Because I found it amusing?” Chen Huan tilted his head, completely unbothered.

“…With your twisted personality, you’d better watch out for getting mugged at night,” Zhong Su retorted, hooking his fingers under the waistband of his underwear and pulling it down. He stripped off his last garment, exposing his entire body to Chen Huan’s gaze. His skin was fair and flawless, completely free of tattoos or scars.

Zhong Su turned his back and sat on the small stool. His physique was striking—lean muscles, evenly distributed and sharply defined, lay over a frame neither too thick nor too thin. The nape of his neck arched slightly, and droplets of water traced the curve of his spine as they slid downward.

At first glance, he seemed unremarkable, but beneath the surface, every muscle pulsed with latent power.

Chen Huan lathered soap in his palm and pressed it against Zhong Su’s back, sliding his hand down the spine. The sticky sensation of skin against skin was shockingly vivid.

The splash of water echoed intermittently as warm streams cascaded over the young man’s pale skin.

Zhong Su’s skin stung from the scrubbing, especially when Chen Huan, showing no restraint, vigorously rubbed his lower ribs or pinched his waist. The seemingly casual movements carried an undeniable sense of control.

Zhong Su hissed through his teeth, unable to resist saying, “Hey, just a quick wash is fine. No need to be so thorough.”

A warm touch brushed against his ear, Chen Huan pinched it lightly, kneading it between his fingers.

Zhong Su jolted, as if electrocuted, and swatted the hand away. “What are you doing?”

Chen Huan calmly opened his palm, revealing a withered leaf crumbled to dust. “There was a leaf in your hair.”

He leaned closer, his eyes glinting with amusement. “What, can’t handle a touch? Is your ear your sensitive spot?”

“Stop talking nonsense. It’s not funny at all,” Zhong Su snapped, suddenly feeling as if Chen Huan’s teeth had grazed his ear, leaving a stinging sensation. He shoved him away and said stiffly, “I just want to finish washing and get out of here. It’s too hot in here.”

Seeing Zhong Su on the verge of losing his temper, Chen Huan relented, scooping water to rinse the soap from his body.

Once the soap was gone, Zhong Su grabbed a towel, dried himself off, and stalked out of the bathroom, tossing over his shoulder, “I’m done.”