Chapter 168

Chapter 168

Tian Ruan had a slender figure with long limbs, narrow shoulders, and a slim waist. His fair, smooth skin resembled translucent nephrite jade against the gray silk bedding on the two-meter-wide master bed, irresistibly alluring.

Yu Jingmo lowered his Phoenix Eyes, his thick lashes hiding the dark depths of his pupils. The corners of his thin lips were pressed together, concealing his emotions.

Tian Ruan clutched the corner of the lightweight summer quilt, barely covering his privates, his movements awkward yet deliberately seductive. "Mr. Yu, coming?"

Drops of water slid from Yu Jingmo’s dark hair, landing on his sharply defined cheeks before trailing down his angular jawline to the prominent hollow of his collarbone—a single glistening drop.

Tian Ruan stared unblinkingly.

A faint heat stirred in Yu Jingmo’s abdomen, his control slipping under that stare. "Get out," he said coldly.

Unfazed, Tian Ruan rested his cheek against the soft pillow, one hand draped over his slender waist as he tugged at the quilt. "No. I like you, Mr. Yu. I want to sleep with you."

"..."

"We’re legally married. Sleeping together is only natural."

Yu Jingmo remained impassive. "Ours is merely a contractual marriage."

"Say that when you’re not hard for me," Tian Ruan teased, his eyes flickering toward the evidence of his desire.

"..."

A certain writer once said there were three things in this world that couldn’t be hidden: sneezes, poverty, and love.

To that, the current Yu Jingmo could add a fourth—his instinctive response to the young man before him. Like spring bamboo shoots bursting forth during the rainy season, it was unstoppable.

Fighting the heat pooling in his gut, Yu Jingmo steeled himself to resist the temptation. "I don’t know how we interacted these past nine months, but this isn’t how a spouse should act."

Tian Ruan didn’t move. "Then how *should* your spouse act?"

"At the very least, not showing off like this."

"Showing off?" Tian Ruan glanced down at his bare body in amusement. "I don’t even have clothes on. How is this showing off?"

Yu Jingmo didn’t answer. To him, every movement the young man made was provocative—especially those limbs like polished jade, soft as peach petals, with shadows hinting at untold allure.

"Out," Yu Jingmo repeated, unyielding.

Instead of being intimidated, Tian Ruan found Yu Jingmo’s icy demeanor strangely divine, like an untouchable god—while he himself was the mischievous sprite corrupting that purity.

The thought made Tian Ruan smirk. "Not leaving."

That dazzling smile almost broke Yu Jingmo’s restraint. "I’ll count to three—three, two, one."

The young man simply gazed at him, still smiling.

After a tense silence, Yu Jingmo reached out, gripping Tian Ruan’s slender arm, and yanked him up abruptly.

Losing his balance, Tian Ruan collapsed naked against Yu Jingmo’s broad, warm embrace—skin to skin, pressed flush, his slender frame molded against Yu Jingmo’s hard chest.

Taking advantage, Tian Ruan rested his chin on Yu Jingmo’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around him and hooking one leg over his waist, clinging like a limpet.

Yu Jingmo fell silent.

Yu Jingmo's stance was steady, but his voice wavered, "Get off."

Tian Ruan whined, "Won’t. I like you, Mr. Yu—I want to cling to you."

"..."

"You like me too, Mr. Yu." Tian Ruan pressed suggestively against the towel.

Yu Jingmo went rigid instantly, his tone dropping lower, "Get off."

"Nooo~"

Yu Jingmo wanted to pull the young man off but found no safe place to grip—every inch of the youth's body was warm as jade, pale as snow, each spot forbidden territory not to be touched lightly.

After much restraint, Yu Jingmo seized Tian Ruan's knee and forced it down.

But as soon as he did, Tian Ruan clambered back onto him, transforming from a sloth into a serpent, clumsily seducing the snow-capped deity. The towel slipped off in the process.

Turns out, even deities aren't entirely pure—at least beneath his snow-white mask lay a fierce hunger.

Amidst the tangle, Tian Ruan fell back onto the bed, arms looped around Yu Jingmo's neck, eyes wet and shining. "Mr. Yu, you hurt me."

Yu Jingmo paused, glancing down to see faint red marks left by his grip on the youth's skin, like peach petals smeared across his body.

"...Sorry." Yu Jingmo nearly held his breath—the scent radiating from the youth was overwhelmingly sweet.

Their eyes met, and Tian Ruan leaned closer.

Breaths mingled, lips a breath apart.

Yu Jingmo jerked back slightly, but Tian Ruan chased after him, lips brushing against something soft.

With no escape, Yu Jingmo caught those lips and sank back down, like koi twining in water, rising and falling in each other's embrace.

Tian Ruan, overwhelmed by the long-awaited kiss, nipped wildly in excitement.

Suddenly, Yu Jingmo inhaled sharply—the iron tang of blood spread between them.

Tian Ruan released him and saw drops of blood blooming on Yu Jingmo's lower lip, the skin broken. "...Sorry."

Yu Jingmo's expression remained unchanged as he licked away the blood, his tone indifferent, "You claimed we’d done it all. Yet you can’t even kiss properly?"

Tian Ruan flushed. "I’m not very good at it... You were always the one leading."

Blame Yu Jingmo for learning everything too quickly—even after thousands of kisses, Tian Ruan still hadn’t mastered the technique. He’d once wondered if his tongue was too short.

Yu Jingmo arched a brow. "Is that so?"

Tian Ruan nodded earnestly.

Yu Jingmo reached out, his thumb brushing the softness of Tian Ruan’s lips before grazing teeth white as shells. "Open."

Tian Ruan obediently parted his lips slightly, letting Yu Jingmo inspect.

Some people were born with naturally straight, white teeth—never even suffering from cavities. Tian Ruan was one of them, never had a cavity or complained of toothaches.

"You lack wisdom teeth," Yu Jingmo remarked.

Tian Ruan nodded proudly, "Yes, my teeth are just fine."

"No wonder you're so clueless."

"..."

Having brushed his teeth, the faint taste of lemon and mint from the toothpaste still lingered in Tian Ruan's mouth. His face, moisturized with toner, smelled sweet, not to mention the fragrance of osmanthus body wash on his skin.

His glare had zero intimidation—if anything, it looked like a sulky pout.

Yu Jingmo couldn’t help leaning closer, hands wandering as he muttered, "Then leave it to me."

Tian Ruan’s eyes lit up. "Okay."

Yu Jingmo kissed him effortlessly, slow and deliberate, as if he had done it a thousand times before—his body already well-practiced.

Their ragged breaths slowly fell into sync, then dissolved back into chaos, from which raw energy and hunger emerged.

Yu Jingmo took him apart, piece by piece.

Tian Ruan crumbled, step by step.

Same as always, Yu Jingmo advanced while Tian Ruan pretended to resist—only to quickly melt into surrender.

Tipping his head back, pale throat exposed, Tian Ruan—despite being utterly unskilled in this—still tried to instruct Yu Jingmo: "Slower... then faster... then slower again..."

"Stop talking," Yu Jingmo growled, hands tightening on his knees. "I know what to do."

Tian Ruan let him, cheeks flushed. "How do you know? Did you remember something?"

Yu Jingmo looked down at him. "Sweetheart, it’s barely a year of memories, not my entire life."

"...So, before me, you had these kinds of memories too?"

"Never eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs run."

Tian Ruan couldn’t imagine Yu Jingmo watching such things. "How did you see pigs run?"

Yu Jingmo thought for a moment. "Heard stories."

Tian Ruan paused, then laughed. "So you still haven’t seen pigs run."

Yu Jingmo maneuvered him into an easy, dancerly sprawl. "Now I am seeing."

Tian Ruan dug his short nails into Yu Jingmo’s back, leaving faint trails. "I’m... *definitely* not a pig."

"Then what are you?"

"What do you think?"

"Cat, rabbit, deer, squirrel." Yu Jingmo took him apart slowly. "You scratch like a cat, bite like a rabbit, leap like a deer, climb like a squirrel."

Tian Ruan gazed up at him, eyes bright with mischief. "Then *Mr. Yu* is the big bad wolf."

"Hm?"

"Sneaky bastard."

Yu Jingmo’s throat worked, sweat glistening on his skin with each movement. "Oh yeah?"

Here’s the refined translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

Tian Ruan let out a soft gasp, then a hum, but couldn’t form a proper response at the moment.

...

A spring night is worth a thousand gold—Tian Ruan lavished far more than that this evening.

Just as extravagant, Yu Jingmo took the young man to wash up before finally closing his eyes, holding him.

Though the last to sleep, he was the first to wake. Looking at the peacefully sleeping young man beside him, Yu Jingmo still found it unbelievable.

He had allowed another person to share his master bedroom, giving them nearly equal access in his private domain—he had checked the wardrobe and found half of it filled with Tian Ruan’s clothes.

Not even the decor in the master bedroom matched Yu Jingmo’s taste, including the capybara stuffed animal that had been tossed from the bed to the floor.

The level of this intrusion made it clear just how warmly this master bedroom had welcomed the other master of the house.

Yu Jingmo’s fingers traced Tian Ruan’s cheek, the tip of his nose, his earlobe, and collarbone.

Like finding plum blossoms in snow, those two marks were vivid—a result of meticulous care.

Yu Jingmo’s lips curved. He loved these marks...

Outside the window, sparrows chattered noisily under the bright sun. The thick curtains let in slivers of light, disturbing the sleeping youth, who slowly opened his eyes to see his beloved first thing in the morning.

And so the day was full of promise.

"Morning," Yu Jingmo said.

"Good morning, Mr. Yu," Tian Ruan replied shyly, ducking under the covers and tugging a corner over himself.

The action amused Yu Jingmo: "So brave last night, but shy today?"

"...Cold," Tian Ruan admitted honestly.

Yu Jingmo paused, then chuckled. "Then you should fix that habit of kicking off the blankets."

Tian Ruan argued righteously, "You’re the one who spoiled me. As long as you’re here, you always tuck me back in."

"Should I stop, then?"

"No. I don’t kick them off when I sleep alone—it must be your body heat roasting me. So it’s your responsibility to cover me up."

Yu Jingmo laughed at his funny logic. "So it’s my fault after all."

"Exactly." Tian Ruan grinned, his dimples like sweet wine pits, sticky and delightful.

Yu Jingmo suddenly went still, a scene identical to this flashing through his mind—another lazy morning, the young man refusing to get up, pulling him into playful arguments.

"...Mr. Yu? Mr. Yu?" Tian Ruan called several times. "Did you remember something?"

Yu Jingmo came back to himself. "No."

"Oh." Tian Ruan couldn’t conceal his disappointment.

Yu Jingmo mused, "Maybe if we do it a few more times, it’ll jog my memory." Tian Ruan blinked. "?"