Chapter 114

Chapter 114

"Mr. Yu’s… you know… is the biggest." Tian Ruan quickly said, detecting a hint of jealousy in the air.

Yu Jingmo was amused by the young man's bluntness and teased, "How’d you know mine’s the biggest? Have you seen others’?"

Tian Ruan: "I’m a guy—gotta use the school restroom."

Yu Jingmo: "So you’re peeking at guys in the restroom?"

"Not at all! I’m not some creep. I just happened to see Lu Qiuyan and Yu Shang’s before."

Yu Jingmo sat on the edge of the sofa, scratching the young man’s chin like teasing a cat. "Just so long as mine’s your favorite."

"…" Tian Ruan shot him a resentful glare. "Would I even be doing *this* if I didn’t like yours?"

"What kind of *this*?" Yu Jingmo deliberately pressed.

Tian Ruan parted his lips slightly, his lips flushed like a budding rose. "*If you don’t know, forget it.*"

Yu Jingmo brushed his thumb over the young man’s lower lip, kneading it before prying past his teeth. "I know. I like your mouth very much."

As his lips were toyed with, Tian Ruan’s ears burned hotter. His long lashes fluttered down like reeds in water, unsure where to look. "I haven’t rinsed already…"

"You rinsed already."

Yu Jingmo asked, "Is this okay?"

Tian Ruan nodded shyly.

So Yu Jingmo stood up, facing him.

The belt buckle gave a sharp *clink*, dangling at the edge of his neatly tailored trousers, swaying slightly.

He stood tall as a jade mountain—pristine everywhere but *there*.

Yu Jingmo looked down as the young man sat upright on the sofa, clutching a dragon-slaying sword.

Forged for slaying dragons, the weapon was no stranger to his hands, yet still heavy, its steel cold and lifeless—until blood and spirit merged, sparking it to life.

"Get a good grip," Yu Jingmo instructed.

Tian Ruan bowed his head, brushing a kiss against the blade to awaken its spirit.

The dragon sword trembled, ringing out sharply. Its fierce engravings resembled celestial veins, the hilt thick and weighty, born solely for dragon-slaying.

Lost in waking the sword, Tian Ruan swallowed nervously, a bead of sweat trailing down his slender neck.

"Take your time," Yu Jingmo murmured, his broad hand settling over the young man’s soft hair, gently massaging.

Tian Ruan let out a vague hum.

Finally, the dragon sword awoke. Tian Ruan clenched tighter, fearing it’d wrench loose.

Fortunately, he got the hang of it. After the initial tension, he handled the techniques—drawing, lifting, thrusting, twisting—like it was nothing.

Yu Jingmo watched him practice, going from fumbling to fluid.

Yet in the end, the dragon sword suddenly transformed into the dragon itself, catching the youth off guard. It had all been the dragon’s scheme—but too late now. The boy was carried into the dragon’s lair, relieved of every last treasure.

When Tian Ruan woke up again, it was already 2 p.m.

He grabbed his phone and glanced at it, startling himself into sitting upright. "I want to go to the wildlife sanctuary!"

His voice was slightly hoarse, and his throat still ached. He clutched his neck, murmuring, "My throat..."

Yu Jingmo walked in with a glass of warm water and helped him drink. "It’s already dry out, and with the AC on, it's even worse."

Without AC in this weather, you could freeze to death on Changbai Mountain.

But Tian Ruan knew it wasn’t just because of the dryness. He shot a resentful glance at the man doting on him.

Yu Jingmo chuckled softly and kissed his still-damp lips. "Sorry for making you suffer. Next, we’ll go somewhere humid by the sea."

"Mm."

Tian Ruan changed into a light gray long down jacket, deliberately wrapping himself in the red cashmere scarf Yu Jingmo had given him, along with a fluffy hat and gloves that could be hung around his neck. The whole ensemble turned him into a roly-poly snowman.

Meanwhile, Yu Jingmo wore a matching couple’s down jacket that hung as elegantly as a trench coat on him. He had gloves, ear muffs, and a beige scarf.

Even with similar gear, Yu Jingmo looked way more put-together.

"How is this fair?" Tian Ruan grumbled, tilting his head up to glare at the man who stood a head taller.

Yu Jingmo glanced down, his meaning clear without words.

Tian Ruan jumped up and down, bouncing higher than Yu Jingmo. "I’ll definitely grow this tall!"

Yu Jingmo patted down the little rabbit. "Sure, when you’re that tall, your waist and hips will line up perfectly with mine."

Tian Ruan froze for a moment before suddenly understanding, his face flushing red. "Pervert."

Yu Jingmo eyed Tian Ruan’s long legs beneath the oversized down jacket. "This is enough for now. I’ll just hold you a little closer."

Tian Ruan bolted out. If he stayed in the same room with Yu Jingmo any longer, he’d inevitably be tempted into honeymoon shenanigans again. No—the point of traveling was to experience different cultures, not to indulge like this!

Outside the hotel, their concierge had already arranged a car to take them to the wildlife reserve.

It was called a zoo, but there weren’t many animals. Aside from deer roaming freely in the woods, the rest were kept in enclosures.

Tian Ruan had come mainly to see the Siberian tigers—China’s Class-A protected animals and the world’s largest felines. To him, their appeal was a solid 10. But what surprised him was how few visitors there were.

"Most tourists come here for skiing, Tianchi Lake, or frost-covered trees," Yu Jingmo explained, having brought a bag of apples from the hotel. He didn’t eat them himself, instead tossing them one by one to the deer.

The fawns clattered through the snow, nibbling on the fruit.

Finding them adorable, Tian Ruan fed two apples to the deer before moving on to the Siberian tiger.

This tiger had a gentle temperament. Spotting Tian Ruan, it rolled onto its back, revealing the soft black, white, and yellow patterns on its well-fed frame—clearly well cared for.

Such a massive tiger, yet Tian Ruan could only see its goofy charm...

"Where’s the majesty of the king of beasts?" Tian Ruan fed the tiger an apple.

Yu Jingmo said, "It’s just lazy. If it were back in the wild, it’d still rule the forest."

The tiger locked eyes with Yu Jingmo—then let out a low growl, giving him a knowing look before suddenly leaping up with a roar—"RROOAARR!!"

Tian Ruan yelped and staggered back a few paces.

Yu Jingmo stood motionless, his cold gaze fixed on the tiger.

The tiger roared again but, seeing it hadn’t scared Yu Jingmo away, let out a grumbling huff and paced back and forth before lying down again.

A keeper hurried over, scolding the tiger before apologizing to them, "Sorry about that. This tiger’s been spoiled—it likes to scare people but won’t actually bite."

Yu Jingmo: "Hn."

Tian Ruan’s heart raced. Now he understood why there were so few visitors here—they must’ve all been scared off…

"Let’s go." Yu Jingmo took Tian Ruan’s hand as they walked through the woods, the snow crunching underfoot with every step, leaving deep imprints. The sunlight was warm, the breeze soft, and the snow dazzling.

Tian Ruan gradually calmed down, taking a deep breath of the crisp mountain air. "It’s so beautiful."

"Hn."

As far as the eye could see, everything was blanketed in white, with only the stark black-and-white branches standing out. The brisk, clean scent of snow enveloped them, merging them with the boundless winter scenery.

Tian Ruan took out his phone to take some pictures. Even though every shot turned out great, he felt something was missing. So he called out, "Mao Qi!"

Mao Qi popped out of nowhere, brushing snow off himself before approaching.

Tian Ruan handed him the phone. "Take some pictures of me and Mr. Yu."

"Got it." Mao Qi didn’t mention that he’d already been taking photos—Yu Jingmo had instructed him earlier, even preparing three phones and a camera for the task.

With someone now handling the photography, Tian Ruan dragged Yu Jingmo into different poses against the snowy backdrop. He was usually the lively one, hopping around Yu Jingmo or clinging to him, while Yu Jingmo remained unmoving as a statue.

"Mr. Yu, can’t you move a little?" Tian Ruan complained.

Yu Jingmo glanced at him. "Move?"

"Mm."

Yu Jingmo wrapped an arm around him. "Ask nicely, and I’ll move."

Tian Ruan: "..."

Why does it always go there?!

The moment Tian Ruan glared at Yu Jingmo, flustered and irritated, was perfectly captured by the camera.

Later, Tian Ruan joined the other tourists with Yu Jingmo to visit the Tianchi Lake. To his disappointment, the lake was entirely blanketed in ice, its usual stunning views buried under snow and ice.

Yu Jingmo said, "If we came in October, it would’ve been just right."

Tian Ruan: "Next time, then."

Other tourists, too, arrived excitedly only to leave disappointed. You couldn’t have it both ways—October was the most beautiful time for the lake, while now was the best season for skiing.

With five days here, they had plenty of time to enjoy everything.

As night fell, Tian Ruan and Yu Jingmo returned to the hotel, digging into a hearty meal of iron-pot stew and crispy fried pork before heading back to their room, satisfied.

Freshly showered, Tian Ruan got cozy under the covers, scrolling through his WeChat and photos.

Honestly, the sunlight and snow made everything look amazing—even a pile of dirt would look glamorous, let alone people.

Tian Ruan scrolled through the pictures with a grin, sending a few to Lu Qiuyan.

Lu Qiuyan: Can’t you flaunt your relationship with Yu Shang instead? Why rub it in my face?

Tian Ruan: I just thought you’d want to see. If you don’t want to, I won’t send any more.

Then he retracted all the photos.

Lu Qiuyan: …

Lu Qiuyan: Fine, show me. I want to see, alright?

So Tian Ruan happily resent the photos.

Tian Ruan: Let me check out the place first, so you and Yu Shang can come together later.

Lu Qiuyan: Don’t count on it.

Tian Ruan: I mean later. Who knows what’ll happen?

Lu Qiuyan: Hmm.

Tian Ruan: So… is Yu Shang big?

Lu Qiuyan: …Say another word, and I’ll block you.

Tian Ruan: /pleading face

Lu Qiuyan: Save the cute act for your husband. GG, have fun tonight.

Tian Ruan: …

Actually, he’d already gotten lucky tonight.

Surely they wouldn’t go for round two?

Tian Ruan set his phone down and perked up listening for sounds from the bathroom—the water had stopped.

A man emerged wearing only a towel, his upper body bare. His chiseled frame looked like a honed blade, every muscle rippling with raw power. The crisp scent of snow and sandalwood mixed with the clean fragrance of shower gel and a hint of musk, forming an irresistible masculine aura. He strode toward the bed with long, confident steps and gazed down at the young man feigning sleep.

The youth’s porcelain-pale face held a delicate, straight nose and lips pursed like rosebuds. His long lashes fluttered lightly, like butterfly wings.

Yu Jingmo leaned forward, propping himself up on the bed. Damp strands of hair dripped water onto the youth’s face—tiny drops that looked like tears.

Tian Ruan felt a tickle on his skin—not just from the droplets, but also from the warm breath ghosting over him.

Yu Jingmo exhaled steadily against his face, as if figuring out where to start.

Tian Ruan kept his lips tightly shut.

Yu Jingmo lowered himself further, pressing his large hand into the sheets, leaving faint creases. His cool lips brushed against the youth’s soft, warm ones, nibbling playfully.

Tian Ruan still pretended to be asleep.

Yu Jingmo chuckled softly. “If you don’t open your eyes now, don’t regret it later.”

“?”

“I’m only wearing a towel.”

Tian Ruan’s eyes snapped open, instantly drawn to the biceps, pecs, abs, and those perfect V-lines. His eyes lit up like Christmas lights.

…Damn, his husband was hot.