Chapter 60

Chapter 60

The scorching and clumsy kiss quickly left Tian Ruan breathless. His fingers clutched at Yu Jingmo's shoulders, leaving two red marks on the firm muscles of his back.

Yu Jingmo sensed Tian Ruan's fluster and eased his advance. In the tangle of lips and teeth, there was a sudden sharp pain—a trace of blood seeped out.

Their lips parted. A small smear of crimson stained Yu Jingmo's thin lips as he licked the broken skin, his eyes still dark with want.

Tian Ruan was pressed into the sheets, now limp beneath him. His robe was disheveled, a delicate flush spreading from his neck to his cheeks. His eyes, shiny with moisture, stared up at Yu Jingmo in confusion. "...Sorry."

Yu Jingmo chuckled. "Clearly your first kiss."

"Y-you too, right?"

"Never tasted it, but I’ve seen how it’s done."

Tian Ruan wanted to pull his robe together to hide his embarrassment, but his hands were too weak to move. Yu Jingmo pinned him like a weight he couldn’t shift, making him crane his neck. "Move away..."

Yu Jingmo didn’t budge. His gaze dropped—the young man’s lips, already naturally rosy, now looked like ripe strawberries after their friction. "You bit me. What are you going to do about it?"

Tian Ruan’s eyes darted nervously. "I apologized."

"Not enough."

"..."

"Kiss me again." Yu Jingmo’s low murmur was followed by another press of his lips against Tian Ruan’s.

Tian Ruan couldn’t decide whether to kiss back or push away. Their bodies pressed tight, skin against skin, leaving no space between them.

What humiliated him more was that he could feel Yu Jingmo’s occasional nudge of...

And so, the dragon tormented his knight all over again.

If the first kiss had been impulsive, the second was done with clear intent. Tian Ruan half-felt something shatter in his mind—maybe his sense of self, or perhaps the world itself.

Yu Jingmo, who’d always been so controlled, was doing this to him.

...Though he was enjoying it too.

So their ‘helping each other out’ went further, and Tian Ruan and Yu Jingmo became the kind who kissed.

Still dazed, Tian Ruan couldn’t wrap his head around how things had come to this, yet it also felt inevitable—from naturally holding Yu Jingmo’s hand, embracing him, touching him...

From Yu Jingmo naturally taking his hand, pinching his cheeks, initiating contact.

Only kissing could ease the hunger between them.

Perhaps one day, even kissing wouldn’t be enough to quench this growing need.

The iron-sweet tang of blood gradually faded, replaced by honey, candy, and citrus—everything that could bring sweetness.

Yu Jingmo was indeed a natural. Even his first kiss was skillful, knowing just when to push deeper or ease off. Tian Ruan felt like he was floating on clouds, his lips and tongue tingling like he’d bitten into candy.

He was bitten too—lightly, not enough to draw blood, more like a punishment.

Tian Ruan tried biting back but kept missing Yu Jingmo’s tongue, their teeth clicking awkwardly. Yu Jingmo breathed, "Stop moving. Let me."

Tian Ruan froze. His kissing skills were as jumbled as the thoughts in his head.

Yu Jingmo's palm glided over expanses of warm, smooth skin, bringing the young man even greater pleasure.

Tian Ruan's breathing began to sound like drowning, his kittenish whimpers caught in his throat, his brows slightly furrowed, eyes glistening, calling for him desperately in a breathy voice, "Yu Jingmo..."

Yu Jingmo gazed down at his flushed face, more captivating than the sunset, his eyes shimmering like a lake—a treasure heaven had left for him, pleading his name.

"Yu Jingmo..."

"I'm here." Yu Jingmo held him tightly, his lips brushing against his burning ear, murmuring against his soft earlobe, "Good boy, this is your treat."

In all his memory, Tian Ruan had never received such an intense, scorching reward that brought him so much physical and emotional joy.

So much joy it bordered on pain.

And so, he shed tears.

Yu Jingmo kissed them away, whispering soothingly, "Now, you're officially an adult."

Hazy with exhaustion, Tian Ruan drifted off.

Yu Jingmo tidied up briefly, tucked Tian Ruan in tighter, then went to the bathroom to tend to his own needs again. Returning to bed, he adjusted the blankets around Tian Ruan before lying down flat, ready to sleep.

The dim nightlight cast a soft glow. Yu Jingmo closed his eyes, then opened them again, turning to his side and pulling the deeply sleeping young man into his arms.

That night, they slept deeply, without dreams.

The Yu estate awoke to the sound of lawnmowers. Servants bustled around the kitchen prepping breakfast—chopping vegetables, mincing meat, shredding radishes, cabbage, and potatoes, along with lots of small plates like jellyfish and cucumber.

Liu Ma spoke with experience, "Most people don't have much appetite in the morning, so they need congee, steamed buns, and plenty of sides. That’s how you get them to eat."

Another servant laughed, "Thankfully, the master’s not picky. At my last job, even if you made eighteen different dishes for breakfast, they’d still complain."

Liu Ma folded a shengjian bun in three seconds flat, her hands swift and steady. "Exactly. The master and madam aren’t picky, easy to serve. But just because they’re easy doesn’t mean we slack off. Our job is to cook well and keep them well-fed and happy."

"If they really get too round, they’ll have words for us."

Everyone laughed.

The butler passed by the kitchen, glanced in, and, finding everything in order, moved through the dining room to the small parlor, then the grand hall, before ascending the crescent-shaped staircase.

He stopped first at the guest room door and knocked. "Madam, time to wake up. You have school today."

There was no response, but the butler didn’t wait. He moved to the master bedroom and knocked again. "Sir, time to wake up. Work today."

Naturally, there was still no reply—the knocking resonated inside, but no sound from outside could penetrate.

The butler was simply doing his duty. Just as he was about to leave, the door suddenly opened.

The master of the house stood in relaxed loungewear, unsurprised to see the butler. "Tell Liu Ma to prepare a steamed egg custard. My wife wants some."

The butler acknowledged the order, then spotted two piles of clothes heaped on the dressing sofa at the foot of the bed—including a wool vest clearly too small for the master.

Yu Jingmo had already closed the door.

The butler paused, bewildered, then suddenly understood. Turning back to the guest room door, he reached for the handle with a trembling hand—and—just as he’d guessed—found the bed empty.

Oh my god, Mr. Yu and his wife slept together!

A reason for everyone to celebrate!!

Soon, the news reached Liu Ma's ears, spreading like gossip until all the staff in the manor knew about it.

Including Yu Shang.

Yu Shang: "..." He didn’t want to hear this kind of news.

At 6:30 in the morning, even though Tian Ruan’s biological clock had woken him up, he was still completely worn out, like he’d been emptied... So he kept his eyes closed, stubbornly staying in bed.

Yu Jingmo asked him, "What would you like for breakfast?"

For a moment, Tian Ruan couldn’t think of anything else and mumbled vaguely, "Egg custard."

Then came the sound of the door opening and closing. The mattress sank a little under the weight of the other person, and Tian Ruan rolled right into his arms.

"Not going to school? I’ll call you in sick."

"...I’m going!" Tian Ruan shot upright, two cowlicks sticking up like bunny ears.

Yu Jingmo reached out to smooth his hair down. "Then get up."

Tian Ruan stared blearily at Yu Jingmo for a long while before the sight of the other’s bruised lip reminded him of what he’d done the night before—he and Yu Jingmo had been way more intimate than their marriage contract called for.

"..." Tian Ruan blinked his long lashes, too embarrassed to meet Yu Jingmo’s gaze.

But Yu Jingmo had already laid out his school uniform at the foot of the bed. "Get dressed first."

Tian Ruan looked down and realized he was completely naked.

Hugging the blanket would be too obvious, so he tried to act casual, even as his ears turned red, as he reached for his clothes. Underwear first, then long johns, an undershirt, a sweater vest, jacket, trousers, and finally socks.

Yu Jingmo watched the young man in his Deyin School uniform, his gaze deepening, as if reverting to his usual detached self. "Go wash up."

Just as Tian Ruan was about to leave for the guest room, Yu Jingmo said, "I brought your toothbrush here."

"Oh." Tian Ruan headed to the bathroom.

When he finished washing up, he found Yu Jingmo already dressed in the standard CEO look: a luxury watch, suit, and slicked-back hair.

This version of Yu Jingmo seemed a little distant again.

Yet strangely, Tian Ruan didn’t feel the gap.

"Mr. Yu, my clothes..." Tian Ruan made a show of casually grabbing for them.

"The staff will handle it," Yu Jingmo simply said.

No big deal if the master and mistress’s clothes are together, right?

Tian Ruan nodded, then trailed after Yu Jingmo downstairs.

Only to be greeted by the butler, Liu Ma, and the rest of the staff, all beaming and cheering in unison: "To the master and mistress—a lifetime of love and joy!"

Tian Ruan just: "...".

Yu Jingmo remained expressionless. "Is breakfast ready?"

Liu Ma replied cheerfully, "Yes, and there's egg pudding, which Mrs. Yu loves."

Yu Jingmo led Tian Ruan to the dining room, where Yu Shang was already seated, quietly observing Tian Ruan. "Good morning, Dad, Dad," Yu Shang greeted.

Yu Jingmo: "Hn."

Tian Ruan was too flustered to reply, spotting another familiar cushion on his seat. *"..."

The butler, smug but silent, mused, *No way the Mrs. gets mad this time, right?*

To everyone’s shock, the cushion was hurled straight at the butler’s face the next second.

Butler: "Uh… Mrs. Yu, you sure you don’t need it?"

Tian Ruan: "No! I’m perfectly fine!"

"But last night, you and Sir shared a room—"

Say one more word—you’re fired!"

The butler immediately clamped his mouth shut and retreated from the dining room with the cushion.

To prove his point, Tian Ruan slammed down hard. "See? I’m fine. Totally fine."

Yu Jingmo: "Hn."

Yu Shang felt compelled to contribute. "Dad, you’re… built different."

Tian Ruan: "...Screw you."

In short, Tian Ruan endured the entire morning under suffocatingly 'sympathetic' stares. Only when he left for school did he finally find peace.

As usual, he hopped out of the car a short distance from Deyin and walked the rest of the way. Yu Jingmo said, "I’ll pick you up after school."

Tian Ruan waved goodbye, his face pink.

After just a few steps, Lu Qiuyan pulled up on his bike, slowing to a stop beside him.

"Lu Qiuyan!" Tian Ruan greeted happily.

Lu Qiuyan dismounted and walked alongside him, looking torn before finally asking, "Tian Ruan, you..."

"?" Tian Ruan looked at him, puzzled. "What?"

Lu Qiuyan wore a complicated expression before blurting out, "So… your ass doesn’t hurt?"

Tian Ruan was stunned: "??? Why would my ass hurt?"

*Holy shit, how does Lu Qiuyan know? Is there a spy in the Yu household?*

Lu Qiuyan pulled out his phone and showed Tian Ruan his WeChat chat with "The Yu family’s butler, Wang."

Tian Ruan’s stomach dropped—and sure enough:

The Yu family’s butler, Wang: *Mornin’, Lu boy. The autumn light today is gorgeous, matching the brilliance of your name—like autumn fire—bright and bold.*

The Yu family’s butler, Wang: *This fine morn’, there’s a tiny request I’d like to ask of you.*

Lu Qiuyan: Cut the crap.

Butler Wang of the Yu Family: Young Master Lu, you're so straightforward and candid—it’s no wonder the eldest young master fell for you at first sight, hooked by the second, and head over heels by the third.

Lu Qiuyan: Speak normal, or I’m blocking you.

Butler Wang of the Yu Family: Sorry, sorry, my bad. So, last night our madam and the master shared a room, so he's probably sore and worn out today. And yet, he still has to go to school—honestly, it’s tragic.

Butler Wang of the Yu Family: Anyway, I'm asking you, Young Master Lu, go easy on our madam today and skip the spicy food.

Lu Qiuyan: ...Yeah, whatever.

After reading the chat log, Tian Ruan: "............"

This Butler Wang really can’t keep his mouth shut!