Chapter 115

Chapter 115

Under Harvey's intense gaze, Pa Bo's face flushed instantly. "Y-you... why are you suddenly saying this?!"

Pa Bo had been so preoccupied with work and Harvey that his mind was a jumbled mess. He couldn’t even remember if there were any pretty girls around him, let alone think about dating or marriage.

"I like you. You’re really special." Harvey felt he had truly become a little wicked. Pa Bo was the first ray of light in his life, the one who pulled him out of that ignorant world—a genuinely good person. He wanted to keep that warmth by his side forever.

Pa Bo’s hand, pressed against his chest, paused. The color in his face slowly drained, replaced by a pallor. Though he had never been in love before, he'd heard his workmates talk about the people they liked. "Have you ever thought... that your feelings might not be romantic? We’re both boys. Sure, in the past, many people bullied you, and few believed in you, but things are different now."

He wasn’t just speaking to Harvey but also to himself. Maybe before long, Harvey would become famous, surrounded by admirers, with countless people wanting to be good to him. And he—Pa Bo—would just be one of them. If they stopped seeing each other, Harvey would forget him soon enough.

Harvey watched Pa Bo closely, afraid he’d see disgust on his face. But there was none. He drew a shaky breath, steeling himself. "What does it matter that we’re both boys? His Holiness has said that as long as two people truly love each other, appearances, gender, or social status don’t matter. What’s important is whether their hearts connect."

Pa Bo saw that Harvey hadn’t addressed his real concern, and the bitterness in his heart grew heavier. He lowered his head slowly and managed a noncommittal "Hmm."

Seeing Pa Bo like this, Harvey panicked. Was he disgusted? "Don’t hate me. Just think I’ve lost my mind. However exhausted I am from training, the moment I close my eyes, I see your face. I want to see you—so badly it drives me crazy. When I finally do, I couldn’t hold back. If you don’t like it, I’ll never bring it up again. Can we still be friends?"

Harvey didn’t even know what he was saying anymore, just blurting out his thoughts before staring nervously at Pa Bo, afraid he’d be kicked out right then.

When Pa Bo heard Harvey take back his words, he was equal parts annoyed and flustered, his heart swelling even as he trembled. But as Harvey laid bare his feelings, Pa Bo’s lashes fluttered, and his emotions slowly steadied. "You... really think about me often?"

Hearing Pa Bo ask such an ordinary question, as if he didn’t hate him, Harvey swallowed hard and nodded emphatically. Then he realized Pa Bo hadn’t even looked up—he wouldn’t see the nod. Hesitating, he began to explain, "Yes. If I’m not completely exhausted, I think about you until I can’t sleep."

Faced with Harvey’s bluntness, the color returned to Pa Bo’s face. He licked his dry lips and raised his head, meeting Harvey’s gaze with equal intensity. "What... do you think about me doing?"

Pa Bo’s fair cheeks bloomed with two patches of red, his shining eyes making Harvey’s own gaze grow dazed. This time, it was Harvey who lowered his head, not daring to look too long. His foot tapped nervously against the ground—thankfully, the floor was concrete, or his nervous kicking might have dug a hole in dirt. "N-nothing much. Just... random thoughts."

One look at Harvey’s reaction, and Pa Bo knew he was hiding something. He narrowed his eyes at those reddened ears. "Then... have you dreamed about me?"

Harvey jolted as if struck in a vital spot, his ears burning crimson. "Y-yes... I have."

Pa Bo recalled the crude jokes his coworkers shared and took in Harvey’s current state. He understood now. Embarrassed and irritated, he glared at the top of Harvey’s head before suppressing the heat in his cheeks to continue his interrogation. "What was I doing in your dream? Were you there too? And what were *you* doing?"

Harvey, who wished he could bury his head in his chest, had the tendons in his neck standing out from tension. "N-nothing much! Just... like when we meet normally. At most, we held hands. W-we didn’t kiss."

By the last sentence, Harvey seemed to have bitten his tongue. His guilt was written all over his face.

Pa Bo imagined the scene. He pressed a hand against Harvey’s forehead, forcing his head up—just how bold had this guy gotten? H-how could he dream of such things? And... since when? "Do you often dream about kissing me? When was the first time?"

Harvey didn’t dare resist Pa Bo’s force, letting his head be tilted up. But before he could meet Pa Bo’s eyes, the question nearly made him shrink back again. "I-I don’t... just occasionally. Once a month—okay, fine, a few times a week. It started... after we saw those two wolves that day."

At Harvey’s words, Pa Bo’s hand still on Harvey, jerked back as if scalded. That... was two years ago.

Now that Harvey had laid it out so plainly, Pa Bo could no longer dismiss his feelings as mere friendship. No one thought of friends *that* way—this had crossed a line.

Yet, it was precisely Harvey’s somewhat offensive confession that made Pa Bo realize... he didn’t feel much resistance to the idea. But did not hating it mean he liked it? Or... should he reject Harvey?

Pa Bo studied Harvey carefully, his gaze drifting from those sincere, puppy-like eyes down to his lips. Harvey’s lips were fuller and darker than his own, but they suited his strong-jawed face well. Curious, he reached out and tapped them—softer than he’d imagined.

The moment that cool fingertip touched him, Harvey’s mind blanked. A wave of heat rushed through him. What did Pa Bo mean by this?

Harvey didn’t dare move, rooted to the spot as Pa Bo explored.

Pa Bo recalled the way others described kissing, and the impulse in his heart grew stronger. Harvey’s current compliance only emboldened him further.

He... kind of wanted to try it. To see if kissing was really as wonderful as people claimed. And besides—why should Harvey get to take liberties with him in dreams while he couldn’t retaliate in reality?

Pa Bo’s eyebrow arched. His finger, resting on Harvey’s lips, slid downward. When it brushed against the fish-like bob of Harvey’s Adam’s apple, he yanked his hand back—only to press it against that broad chest and shove Harvey backward forcefully.

Harvey had no defenses against Pa Bo to begin with, and with that push, he took a step back with the force, his foot hitting the sofa and losing his balance, falling backward onto the single-seater couch, staring dumbfounded at Pa Bo.

What’s wrong? Did Pa Bo get angry and want to hit him—Harvey’s troubled thoughts were cut off by the warmth pressing against his lips.

Pa Bo threw himself onto Harvey, leaned in for a kiss, then pulled back with a frown. Though his heart was racing, it wasn’t as overwhelming as people described—like his soul was about to fly away.

"Is that all? Doesn’t feel like much," Pa Bo murmured, feeling somewhat disappointed.

Harvey was completely overwhelmed by Pa Bo’s actions. When kissed, his mind went completely blank, only snapping back to reality when he heard Pa Bo’s muttering.

He kissed me. Pa Bo kissed me...

This phrase kept repeating in Harvey’s mind, and the hand that had naturally rested on Pa Bo’s waist pulled him closer.

"Can... can I try again?"

Pressed against Harvey’s chest, Pa Bo listened to the rapid heartbeat and tilted his head in thought. Though he didn’t think another try would feel any different, since he’d taken the initiative last time, he’d let Harvey have his turn this time.

The moment Pa Bo nodded, a strong force lifted him slightly, and the half-formed "okay" in his mouth was swallowed by warm lips. Then, he felt a bite—not too painful, but enough to make him instinctively part his lips.

Something wet, soft, and completely new invaded his world, followed by a complex taste spreading in his mouth—sweet, then sour, and finally a sharp, almost spicy sting at the root of his tongue.

By the time Harvey released him, Pa Bo was limp, lips slightly parted and numb, forgetting to close them, a trace of wetness at the corner. His eyes were hazy, glistening with tears, lashes dotted with tears threatening to fall.

"You—how could you do that?!" Pa Bo blinked, it took him a while to regain his senses. Tears welled in his eyes, trembling on his lashes before streaming down.

Seeing Pa Bo like this, Harvey panicked, hurriedly using his rough hands to wipe away the tears. "I—I’m sorry, I thought I was dreaming. I got carried away."

"You even did this to me in your dreams?!" Pa Bo cried harder, though he couldn’t explain why. It was as if facing Harvey’s indulgence made him unable to control his emotions.

Later, Ning Chan, who knew the young couple, would later explain this change—something along the lines of "those who are spoiled act without fear," unable to resist being even more reckless.

"I... I couldn’t help it," Harvey said, growing more frantic, feeling like he was holding a delicate piece of cake, terrified it might melt.

Still reeling from the intensity of the kiss, Pa Bo watched as sweat beaded on Harvey’s forehead, his rationality slowly returning. He pushed Harvey’s hand away and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his own tears—the guy’s hands were too rough, scraping his face. "Next time, be gentler. I felt like you were trying to swallow my tongue."

Hearing there’d be a next time, Harvey’s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. "Mhm, I’ll be careful. So... can we try again? I’ll pay attention this time."

Pa Bo paused mid-wipe, his face burning as he recalled everything that had just happened. He moved his sore tongue and glanced at Harvey’s lips—Harvey had been bitten until they bled. Didn’t it hurt?

"Then... go easier on me this time."