chapter 86

Chapter 86: Biology Lesson

Shen He was genuinely quite startled.

He clutched the quilt tightly in his arms, as if it were the only piece of clothing a modest woman had to cover her dignity.

If Qi Zhuoyun dared to yank away his quilt, he would die of embarrassment.

Qi Zhuoyun found Shen He's defensive posture utterly amusing.

With ease, he pulled Shen He into his embrace, positioning him to sit on his lap.

The bed curtains swayed. Unlike winter, summer mornings are bright, and the radiant white light penetrated the curtains, illuminating their faces.

Moreover, Shen He had partly lifted the curtain while trying to crawl out earlier, leaving a corner now hanging at the edge of the bed. This allowed beams of light to rush in through the gap.

In this lighting, he clearly saw the boy's blushing earlobes.

His cheeks also held a rosy hue, as pale and inviting as a juicy peach.

He held the young man tightly, allowing Shen He's back to rest against his chest, their chins pressing against each other's shoulders, and their faces side by side.

This pose was intimate, bordering on inappropriate, with a hint of seduction.

Unfortunately, Shen He paid no attention to this; his entire focus was on the quilt in his hands.

Internally, he screamed, startled by his own reaction, but rather than calming down, he felt more alert. It defied logic!

It felt like the end of the world. Shen He felt cornered, trapped between a rock and a hard place.

If he clung to the quilt, he couldn't wrestle free from Qi Zhuoyun's embrace; he'd eventually be exposed.

If he abandoned the quilt and tried to escape, Qi Zhuoyun would notice, and might even pull him back.

Shen He was acutely aware of his own limitations.

Despite having grown taller, he knew he was no match for Qi Zhuoyun.

Every time Qi Zhuoyun grabbed him, it was as effortless as catching a chick.

Shen He never once managed to break free; his only hope was Qi Zhuoyun's mercy.

Doing his best to suppress his shaky voice and leaning forward, Shen He wriggled, trying to edge towards the side of the bed: "Brother! Let go! I really need to go!"

Please, let him hurry to the restroom to relieve himself!

For some reason this time, that excuse won't work.

The young man not only didn't let go, but he tightened his grip and let out a soft chuckle near his ear.

Shen He wasn't sure what that laugh meant. All he knew was that upon hearing it, from the base of his spine to its entire length, he felt an indescribable tingling sensation, as if all the hairs on his back stood on end.

The young man smiled and called him a "little deceiver."

Shen He blushed as the quilt was abruptly yanked away from him.

His wrist landed in Qi Zhuoyun's palm and was held down by his one hand, pinned to one side.

The quilt was slowly pulled away through his fingers.

Shen He: "..."

Shen He: Despair.jpg

Maybe it's better to just get rid of him.

I can't take it anymore, this damned world.

When the quilt was pulled away, Shen He felt a rush of blood to his head. His mind was so foggy that he couldn't fathom what he was thinking or should think, leaving an empty void in his consciousness.

The young man continued to speak, teasingly asking, "Is Hehe going to attend to some urgent matter?"

His tone was very matter-of-fact, holding Shen He's hands from behind and educating him, "Hehe, you've grown up. This is quite normal. Hasn't your elder brother told you before?"

Laughing softly in his voice, he said, "I noticed earlier. Why does Hehe always hold back? One shouldn't indulge excessively, but neither should they suppress too much. Just go with the flow."

With his mind in a daze, Shen He listened to these words. Clearer than these words was the sound of his own heartbeat, "thump, thump, thump," as if it was about to leap out of his throat.

His breathing grew a little rapid. It took a while for his blank mind to react, until he heard the young man's warm and tender voice say reassuringly, "There's no need to be shy in front of me. If you don’t know how, I can teach you. How does that sound?"

Teach him?

How to teach?

In the next moment, Shen He understood the "how."

In the summertime, the fabric of nightgowns is exceptionally sheer.

Once the quilt is yanked away, the contours stand out strikingly.

The light filtering in from the edge of the bed reveals everything in sharp clarity.

Shen He's entire back is pressed against Qi Zhuoyun's chest, enveloped by the warm, masculine scent, tender and searing.

The heat from the young man's palm is even more intense than that of his chest; it's scorching.

The calluses on his palm, when pressed against skin, feel slightly abrasive.

His hand is broad, his entire frame noticeably larger than Shen He's—a difference in their bone structures.

The back of Shen He's hand is covered by Qi Zhuoyun's palm. His entire hand rests within Qi Zhuoyun's grasp, led by him, their fingers entwined.

Instinctively, Shen He resists, wanting to pull his hand away, his eyes widening, "No, no..."

The young man beside him coos in an incredibly gentle tone, comforting, "Don't be afraid. It's entirely normal. Let elder brother teach you. Then, Hehe will understand."

Shen He trembles uncontrollably from head to toe.

Qi Zhuoyun is acutely aware of his subtle quivering.

It takes tremendous willpower for Qi Zhuoyun to resist kissing the nape of the boy's neck and comforting him tenderly at such a moment.

He can't, he dares not. The time isn't right yet.

Being overly eager might scorch the budding feelings, just like a sapling being withered by excessive sunlight.

This sensation is unfamiliar.

Shen He can't even precisely pinpoint what he's feeling.

But his most intense initial reaction is fear.

He wonders if Zhong Hong and the others outside are around.

What if they hear?

Shen He can only bite down on his lip, not daring to let out even the slightest noise.

Seeing Shen He's pale lower lip, Qi Zhuoyun soothingly pinched the soft flesh of his cheek, whispering, "There's no one outside."

Shen He didn't relax at this assurance.

On the contrary, he tilted his head back, his body tensing like a tightly drawn bowstring, his raven-black eyelashes trembling incessantly.

It's less that Qi Zhuoyun was teaching him, and more that he was assisting him.

Until a certain breaking point, the boy, like that taut string, snapped. He melted into relaxation, bonelessly leaning into Qi Zhuoyun's embrace, eyes rimmed red.

His gaze was dazed to an extreme, seemingly still bewildered as he softly called out, "Brother?"

One of Qi Zhuoyun's hands circled his waist, tightening its grip.

The force of his embrace was so strong that Shen He felt a twinge of pain, calling out again, "Brother."

The boy's voice, once clear and lively, now sounded raspy, mixed with a hint of fearful unease.

Qi Zhuoyun should have been pained by this, but currently, other emotions overshadowed his sympathy.

His voice, too, had turned hoarse, even more so than Shen He's, as he murmured into his ear, "Brother's here."

The tips of their fingers felt slightly slick.

Qi Zhuoyun, with his deep-set eyes, had a gaze so intense and predatory that from an angle hidden from the boy, it looked as if he might devour him any second.

Yet, his actions betrayed none of that, remaining tender and meticulous.

He carefully wiped Shen He's hands clean, straightening them out. Lastly, with his clean hand wrapped around the boy's waist, he wiped away the tears that had unknowingly rolled down Shen He's cheeks.

Qi Zhuoyun's throat moved with restrained emotion.

Wiping away the lukewarm tears with the pad of his finger, he struggled to suppress his desires, consoling the distraught boy, "Why are you crying, Hehe? Don't be scared. All men experience this, even your elder brother. Didn't I tell you this before?"

Holding Shen He, Qi Zhuoyun shifted him from a back-hugging position to cradling him sideways on his lap, allowing him to see the boy's face and gaze clearly.

...It also kept certain parts from making contact.

Holding the boy's waist, he softly inquired, "If Hehe feels ashamed, doesn't that mean your brother shares in that shame?"

His words held weight, especially as Shen He could feel the pressure against his thigh.

Shen He silently shook his head, and with that movement, the tears pooled in his eyes spilled over, forming two droplets.

With wet lashes, his eyes appeared heartbreakingly pitiable, as if he'd been gravely wronged.

Shen He didn't want to hear Qi Zhuoyun's attempts to console him.

The more Qi Zhuoyun tried, the more distraught Shen He felt.

Qi Zhuoyun was too kind to him, but what about himself?

He harbored inappropriate feelings.

The day Qi Zhuoyun discovers that he is attracted to men, Shen He feared the elder might deeply regret treating him so tenderly today, educating him as if he were an innocent child.

Grasping his waistband and gritting his teeth, Shen He tried to wriggle out of Qi Zhuoyun's embrace.

After wallowing in his misery for a while, his sorrow turned to petulant anger.

In his heart, while he felt sad, he also cursed, "Damn straight men, no sense of boundaries!"

"All you straight guys have no limits, no shame!"

"Ugh, he's so infuriating!"

The more Shen He thought about it, the sadder and angrier he became.

He made a determined effort to pull away from Qi Zhuoyun, his expression tense and teeth gritted.

Qi Zhuoyun, not wanting to force him, had to release his hold, letting him go.

Though Shen He's clothes were clean, they felt unbearably wrong on him.

Crouching by his luggage, he rummaged for a while, picking out a set of clothes to change into.

With Qi Zhuoyun still present, he felt too awkward to change right there.

After a brief pause on the divan, Qi Zhuoyun nonchalantly rose, donning his own clothes.

His dark eyes lingered on Shen He's form, bent over his luggage, attempting to decipher his emotions from the view of his back.

In the end, he had no choice but to let go, allowing Shen He to have some time to recuperate.

As soon as Qi Zhuoyun left, Shen He immediately shed his clothes and put on clean ones.

He didn't dare to look at the bedding, his face burning with embarrassment. He went to find Zhongyan, asking him to help change the bedding.

He had the urge to throw away the bedding, but discarding it would only draw more attention, reminiscent of the time he hid his pants.

Shen He clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and acted as if nothing had happened, letting Zhongyan take them away.

Anxiety gnawed at Shen He's heart.

He had lost his appetite.

Without a word, he took a horse and bolted out of the palace.

Lianqiao, looking surprised at Shen He's retreating figure, asked Zhongyan, "What's with the young master? Is there an urgent matter outside the palace?"

Before Zhongyan could answer, Zhonghong interjected, "He had a minor disagreement with the prince. It's not a big deal. Just send a few guards to discreetly follow and protect him."

Lianqiao nodded in a daze.

When Qi Zhuoyun heard that Shen He had directly left the palace, his heart skipped a beat.

Suppressing the impulse to follow and forcibly bring him back, he let Zhonghong handle it.

Regret began to fill Qi Zhuoyun.

In just a short moment, his desires faded, leaving only restlessness.

He had been too hasty.

He thought.

Why couldn't he be more patient?

He should have been slower, even slower.

If Hehe didn't want to, then he should just let it be, pretending not to know. Why did he have to cross that line?

He attended the imperial court with a stoic expression. After waiting for a short while in the Golden Luán Hall, he heard the head eunuch announce that His Majesty was not feeling well and today's morning assembly would be canceled.

A group of ministers and royal sons who attended state affairs chanted wishes for the Emperor's good health and long life.

Qi Zhuoyun stood expressionless among them, his eyes dark and brooding. Though his lips repeated the common phrases with the others, it seemed as if, to him, the Emperor was not just ill but had already passed away.