Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Wen Cishu didn’t last until Bo Tingyuan returned to the room and had already dozed off.

Early the next morning, he half-heard a very soft conversation.

"...Daddy, aren’t we going to wake up Little Daddy to watch the sunrise with us? Won’t he be sad if he finds out later?"

"No. Let Little Daddy sleep a little longer."

With a short, adorable "Oh," Wen Cishu felt a small face press against his cheek.

—It was his little boy kissing him.

Wen Cishu opened his bleary eyes and mumbled sleepily, "Baby? I’m awake too. Don’t leave me behind."

"Wow!" Bo Yiming nuzzled against his little daddy’s soft cheek. "We’d never leave you! Let’s wait here together for the sunrise."

When they checked in, they had specifically chosen an oceanview sunrise suite to fulfill Bo Yiming’s wish to watch the sunrise.

All three bedrooms allowed them to enjoy the stunning view of the sunrise over the sea right from their beds.

Wen Cishu wasn’t fully awake yet, still a bit dazed, but when he saw Bo Tingyuan lean down, his mind was suddenly hit like a ton of bricks—snapping him awake. He blinked.

Bo Tingyuan ran fingers through his hair. "You can sleep a little more after we watch the sunrise."

His tone was unchanged—warm and attentive.

Wen Cishu looked up at him and gave a slight nod.

He felt as though he was getting to know the man before him all over again.

Or rather, edging a little closer to the real Bo Tingyuan.

Meanwhile, Bo Yiming quickly climbed onto the bed and burrowed into his little daddy’s arms.

Wen Cishu caught Bo Tingyuan’s sleeve and scooted over slightly to make room beside him. "Come lie down too."

"Mm." Bo Tingyuan picked up the remote control from the nightstand and handed it to his son before lying down and drawing Wen Cishu close.

As Bo Yiming pressed the switch,

the curtains of the panoramic wall of windows slowly parted from the center, like stage curtains rising before a spectacular performance.

The view where sea met sky gradually came into view.

The orange-pink sky and morning clouds were already unbelievably gorgeous.

"Wow." No sooner had he settled, Bo Yiming couldn’t stay still. "I’m going to take pictures!"

He jumped off the bed and ran to the window.

Leaning against Bo Tingyuan’s chest, Wen Cishu watched the wispy clouds and wondered:

If his guess was right, what should he do?

Bo Tingyuan glanced at his youngest son, who was now pressed against the glass like a sticker, and warned, "Yi Ming, the window’s dangerous. Don’t stand so close."

"Okay!" Bo Yiming took a step back and dropped into the armchair facing the ocean, aiming his smartwatch at the view outside. "I’m going to get the perfect shot of the sunrise!"

Wen Cishu had just settled in, wanting to enjoy the sunrise with his son, when the arm around his waist suddenly tightened. Bao Tingyuan pulled him closer, and as he leaned his head back, he saw Bao Tingyuan's profile.

Bao Tingyuan gazed down at him.

"Have you been too tired these past two days? You went to bed really early last night."

His voice was unusually low, audible only to Wen Cishu.

"Mmm." Wen Cishu's dark eyes shifted slightly.

The soft dawn light streamed in through the window, lighting up his fair skin.

At this moment, his eyes gleamed, full of unspoken words.

Bao Tingyuan's deep green eyes quickly glanced at the little one by the window.

Wen Cishu immediately realized what he intended to do, but before he could react, Bao Tingyuan brushed a kiss to the corner of his lips.

He hurriedly pushed at his arm, worried their kid might see something.

Fortunately, Bao Tingyuan just gave a light peck.

"Wow, the sun's out! The sun!"

From the window came the cheerful yelling of their little one. "It’s so round and red—no wonder people say the sun is like a salted egg yolk!"

The adorable, childlike remark made Wen Cishu let out a soft laugh.

As the full sun rose over the sea, its golden light flooded in, gradually brightening the room.

Taking the chance before their son turned around, Wen Cishu lowered his head and bit Bao Tingyuan’s shoulder lightly.

—A little payback for keeping secrets from him.

Bao Tingyuan frowned. "Hmm?"

Wen Cishu dug deeper under the covers, turning his gaze to the window as if indifferent to his reaction.

Once the sunrise was over, Bao Yiming ran back to the bedside, eager to show his little father the video he had captured.

Though he had already seen the real thing, Wen Cishu humored him, watching it again with gentle patience.

Just as Bao Yiming was about to play it for the third time, Bao Tingyuan mussed his hair. "Yi Ming, let your little father sleep a bit longer."

"Oh!" Bao Yiming suddenly remembered—it was still very early, way earlier than usual.

He blinked. "But, big dad, I don’t think I can fall back asleep."

Bao Tingyuan gestured toward the door. "Go play in your own room."

"Okay~"

Completely oblivious to the fact that his big dad was subtly "ushering him out," Bao Yiming happily agreed.

Wen Cishu quietly thought it over in silence.

Once the little monkey had bounced out of the room, Wen Cishu pulled the blanket higher—only for Bao Tingyuan to grasp his wrist.

He blinked. "Didn’t you tell me to go back to sleep?"

"Mmm." Bo Tingyuan lowered his head, placing a gentle kiss on the back of his hand before tucking it under the covers and tucking him in.

Wen Cishu: "..."

Suddenly, he felt a wave of quiet anger at himself.

He closed his eyes, sensing Bo Tingyuan about to get out of bed, and mumbled sleepily.

"I can't sleep alone. Otherwise, why don't you let Yiming come over?"

The man beside him froze.

Wen Cishu noticed his gaze seemingly fixed intently on him and caught his breath slightly, feeling slightly tense.

Then, he felt Bo Tingyuan lean in closer, his cheek pressing nearer, his nose brushing against his temple, jaw, earlobe, and the side of his neck.

Wen Cishu arched his neck helplessly, a soft, wanting sigh escaping his lips.

"We're not going out today."

Bo Tingyuan's lips lingered against his neck, his nose nibbling lightly at his earlobe.

Wen Cishu's fingers dug into the blanket before quickly loosening again.

He was beginning to resent himself for how easily Bo Tingyuan could ignite his desire.

—If this continued, he might need medication to suppress it too.

*Knock knock—*

Two soft taps at the door startled the couple in bed back to awareness.

"Papa? Can I come in?"

Startled, Wen Cishu immediately noticed Bo Tingyuan's brows furrowing slightly, as if disturbed by an intense, restless irritation.

Yet, it was quickly replaced by cool composure.

As Bo Tingyuan leaned back, his expression smoothed over, and he said in a deep voice, "Come in."

The door opened.

Bo Yiming bounced back in and climbed onto the bed. "Daddy, I changed my mind and came back to sleep with you. It's still dark out."

Wen Cishu rubbed the child's soft cheek. "Okay."

Bo Tingyuan threw back the covers and got out of bed. "Then you two sleep. I'll go grab breakfast—I have a meeting this morning."

"Alright." Wen Cishu watched him walk past the foot of the bed and leave, his heart conflicted.

—Should he try to have another heart-to-heart talk with him?

"Yiming, how about we go home early?"

Bo Yiming looked up. "Little Daddy, are you homesick?"

"Mm-hmm."

Wen Cishu replied hesitantly.

He thought that although Bo Tingyuan could arrange his work, the company was large-scale, and he still had to handle many things remotely—he shouldn't push himself too hard.

He tapped the little one's nose. "Don't you miss your little potato?"

"Mmm... okay!"

Bo Yiming had already had plenty of fun these past two days and didn’t seem to have anything else he wanted to do. "Then we'll come back in winter, okay?"

Wen Cishu kissed his forehead. "Okay."

He had gone to bed early the night before and didn’t need to catch up on sleep, so while the little monkey was sound asleep, he texted Bo Tingyuan that he wanted to return home early.

Bo Tingyuan didn’t ask for a reason, only saying he’d take care of it.

After putting down his phone, Wen Cishu’s eyes wandered absently toward the luggage rack.

Though the living area blocked his view, he still stared in that direction, quiet for a long time.

In the end, Wen Cishu slipped out of bed and walked to the suitcase, opening it again.

The position of the medicine bottle in the side pocket had changed.

It wasn’t pressed beneath the spine of a book but placed in the far corner beside it.

Wen Cishu immediately retrieved it.

The night before, he had noticed there weren’t many pills left inside. Now, giving it a shake in his hand, it felt even lighter—like it was practically empty.

It was clear Bo Tingyuan had taken the medicine last night.

-

In the afternoon.

The family flew separately back to Rongcheng.

During the journey, Wen Cishu was lost in thought, pondering how to bring it up.

He had reason to believe that if Bo Tingyuan didn’t want to tell him, he’d never get a straight answer.

Perhaps it was the travel fatigue, or perhaps his mind was too burdened, but shortly after takeoff, he began getting dizzy.

Bo Tingyuan noticed immediately, swept him up and carried him to the small bedroom at the back, calling for their doctor.

After an examination, the doctor confirmed it wasn’t a heart issue but rather mild airsickness, promptly preparing medication and warm water.

Bo Tingyuan asked the doctor again before finally easing up a little.

In the plane’s small bedroom, Wen Cishu leaned against the bed, his dark hair disheveled, making his pale face look ghostly.

Once the doctor left, he wanted to reassure Bo Tingyuan, but the moment he opened his mouth, all that came out was a weak groan.

Bo Tingyuan held him tightly. "Don’t speak."

Though Wen Cishu had taken the medicine, his chest still felt constricted, and he breathed shallowly against Bo Tingyuan’s shoulder.

His long black hair, draped over Bo Tingyuan’s arm, shivered slightly with each labored breath.

From the moment Wen Cishu first said he felt unwell, Bo Tingyuan’s frown never left his face, and deep within his green eyes lurked profound guilt.

Even Wen Cishu could sense the tense, worried vibe he was giving off.

He didn’t want him to worry too much, so he bit down hard on his lower lip, suppressing pained whimpers.

Bao Tingyuan’s fingers pressed against his pale lips. "Don’t bite."

Wen Cishu pressed his cheek against Bao's chest but still kept his lips tightly sealed.

With no other option, Bao Tingyuan used his thumb to part his lips with slight force, prying them open until the teeth parted.

"Ah…"

Wen Cishu clamped down on his finger, releasing a shuddering breath, as if finally able to release the suppressed pain.

Bao Tingyuan kissed his temple and murmured, "If it hurts, bite my hand."

The medicine hadn’t taken effect yet. Wen Cishu’s head throbbed fiercely, his squinted eyes glistening with tears as his soft, pallid face pressed fitfully against Bao Tingyuan’s chest.

When the pain crested, he couldn’t help but bite down on Bao Tingyuan’s finger, then quickly released it. "Don't…"

As he spoke, his soft, damp tongue dragged wetly across Bao's finger.

Bao Tingyuan clenched his jaw, withdrew his finger, and tightened his grip around Wen Cishu’s squirming waist, murmuring soothingly, "Don’t be afraid. Once the plane lands, we’ll go to the hospital."

Wen Cishu had always hated hospitals.

Even as a child, he had been obedient, rarely defying his parents’ instructions. His greatest fear was that his own disobedience might trigger an episode and send him to surgery.

Fighting through the dizziness, he forced out between whimpers a thought he seldom voiced: "No… I don’t want to go…"

His voice was laced with a raw, trembling sob.

Bao Tingyuan planted kiss after desperate kiss to his temple, murmuring softly, "Alright, we won’t go. I’ll have the doctor wait at home."

Wen Cishu opened his damp lashes, locking eyes with the man hovering above him. Between labored, uneven breaths, he begged in a broken whisper, "Bao Tingyuan… kiss me, please? If you kiss me, it won’t hurt as much."

Bao Tingyuan’s gaze swept over those tender, pitiful dark eyes, masking the turmoil beneath.

After a brief hesitation, he tossed aside his wire-frames.

Cupping the back of Wen Cishu’s head with one hand, he leaned in as Wen Cishu pursed his lips upward, arms tightening around his neck.

They kissed deeply.

Bao Tingyuan’s tongue tasted the medicinal tang.

In the entanglement of their lips and tongues, Wen Cishu seemed to transfer the agony of his motion sickness to Bao Tingyuan.

Yet in Bao Tingyuan, that pain took on a different form—spreading, consuming.

Until, at last, it consumed him like kindling.