Chapter 85: Gratification - "Lou Si, close the skylight. Or I'll kill you."

He Guan felt himself sinking into the couch, the back of his head pressed against Lou Dongcang's hand, as he was kissed fervently and intensely.

"Wait...wait..."

Lou Dongcang didn't wait, only calling out his name, emphasizing each syllable.

He Guan felt as if he was holding a molten lava in his mouth, and the lava was trying to pour down his throat, not sparing any part of his oral cavity, stealing away his breath.

His cheeks heated rapidly, and his brain seemed to shut down amidst the wet, fervent presses of their lips. He felt a desperate need to pull away.

He had little experience accommodating another person's tongue and always had to recall how. This momentary lapse allowed his tongue tip to be bitten lightly and led into a deep kiss.

All the while, the back of his head was cradled by the other's hand.

The hand wasn't forceful, merely acting as a barrier, leaving him no escape.

The encounter evolved into a battle for breath.

When He Guan managed to sneak in a breath, he constantly braced for Lou Dongcang's next approach.

Often caught off guard by a gentle lick, he realized at some point his soft T-shirt had been stripped away, their fingers intertwined, one arm pinned, the other resting on his chest.

"Enough... I said it's enough!" In a sudden move, He Guan flipped their positions, pinning the other underneath him, warning, "Stop—halt!"

"Why?" Lou Dongcang, now lying on the couch, looked up at him, eyes twinkling with mischief. He pointed to his own lips, "Don't you enjoy it?"

Seeing no further aggressive intentions from him, He Guan withdrew, using the back of his hand to wipe away the moisture at the corner of his lips.

Lifting his eyes to meet Lou Dongcang's, he caught the sight of him extending his tongue, licking away the lingering wetness.

He Guan couldn't bear to look any longer.

After a moment, as his breathing settled, He Guan pressed his lips and commented, "They're swollen."

"I have to meet people tomorrow; explaining this would be too troublesome." He added, answering Lou Dongcang's earlier question, leaving no detail out, as if Lou Dongcang couldn't see.

"I'll meet them with you. I'll explain."

He Guan squinted, smiling with determination, "Still, that won't do."

With a sense of regret, Lou Dongcang propped himself up with his elbows.

As he moved, He Guan found himself seated on his lap, held at the waist by Lou Dongcang, and looking down at him from a slightly elevated position.

From this angle, He Guan's attentive dark eyes seemed passionate and tender, his face still flushed from the recent intimacy, and his lips slightly upturned.

He appeared deeply in love with him.

And indeed, he was.

"Fetch my shirt," He Guan instructed, his fingers playing with the soft strands of Lou Dongcang's hair as he looked into his eyes, "Can we hug later?"

"No," Lou Dongcang tightened his embrace, wishing they could remain inseparable, even melded together.

He Guan's gaze darted around, searching for his T-shirt. He spotted it draped on the edge of a round coffee table, perilously close to slipping to the floor.

Trying to recall how the shirt ended up there, his bewildered expression amusing the man before him.

"Still laughing," He Guan pinched his cheek and hummed, "Let go so I can get my shirt. Stop messing around."

The room was cozy in winter and pleasantly cool during summer nights. It was genuinely a bit chilly.

Only then did Lou Dongcang release him, cheekily brushing his face against He Guan's fingers.

As He Guan stood up, Lou Dongcang mirrored each step.

As He Guan dressed, Lou Dongcang even kindly adjusted the shirt hem for him.

Turning to face him, He Guan asked with amusement, "What are you..."

"Just following you," Lou Dongcang replied, stepping closer and embracing He Guan from behind.

Following wasn't quite the right term; it was more like sticking close.

"Lou Dongcang, tell me," He Guan said seriously, looking down at the hands wrapped around his waist, "Can I use the bathroom alone today?"

Lou Dongcang, still holding him, proposed, "What if you don't close the door?"

"Do you hear yourself?" He Guan responded.

Lou Dongcang chuckled, embracing him.

He Guan, placing his hand on Lou Dongcang's wrist without a hint of annoyance, asked, "Where am I sleeping tonight?"

"Do you prefer upstairs or downstairs?"

"Where are you sleeping?" He Guan inquired.

Lou Dongcang, toes touching He Guan's heels and chin resting on his shoulder, simply said, "Let's go."

"Alright."

Since they entered the house, the two hadn't parted. Their synchronicity was unparalleled, and He Guan quickly grew accustomed to this closeness.

Before their arrival, they were clearly still in the adjustment phase.

Now looking back, He Guan realizes that this adjustment period wasn't for both of them but was exclusively for himself.

He was the only one who needed to adapt to the sudden closeness.

For Lou Dongcang, it was more of a "fulfillment"; adjusting seemed more like a limitation to him.

He Guan ascends the staircase, finding the whole upper level devoid of any walls except for the load-bearing ones, providing an expansive view, with just a single room at the end.

"The room has a bed that's one and a half meters wide. It's cramped for two people," Lou Dongcang inquired, as if seeking confirmation, "Do you really want to sleep with me?"

"Or should I take back what I just said?" He Guan turned his head to glance at him, raising an eyebrow, "It's rare for me to take the initiative."

Lou Dongcang embraced him tightly, pressing his lips to He Guan's cheek, "Mm, I don't want you to feel squeezed, to be uncomfortable."

To He Guan, such a gesture no longer counted as a kiss. It was merely a brief affectionate press of the lips against the cheek, quickly withdrawing.

Anyone who's experienced such an overpowering kiss would raise their standards.

"It's not like we're enduring some hardship. Is it really that cramped to sleep cuddled up?" He Guan nudged him with his foot, "Take me there quickly."

Lou Dongcang, holding him, walked to the room at the end and opened the door.

The room had half its space dedicated to a slanted skylight. After placing a bed and a table, the space left for two people wasn't much, but it was adequate.

He Guan sat down on the carpet beside the bed.

Lou Dongcang also sat next to him, his leg touching He Guan's.

He Guan naturally tilted his head, leaning against Lou Dongcang's shoulder.

"I thought you'd ask me..." After a few minutes of silence, Lou Dongcang spoke first.

As he spoke, He Guan's head rested sideways against his face, feeling the slight movement of his jaw.

"I intended to ask," He Guan slipped his hand into Lou Dongcang's, caressing the spaces between his fingers, "But I feel dad has a lot he wants to tell me. Will he explain?"

"Yes," Lou Dongcang replied, "If you want to know, I can explain ahead of time."

He Guan shook his head.

Because of his leaning position, his head swiveled half-circle on Lou Dongcang's shoulder before righting itself.

"Why do you keep staring at me? It feels like the back of my head is burning," He Guan asked, always sensitive to someone's gaze.

"Making up for all the times I couldn't see you before," Lou Dongcang, without leaning into him, turned slightly and gently massaged He Guan's scalp with his fingertips.

"It still feels unreal to me, like I'm dreaming," He Guan murmured with eyes half-closed, feeling Lou Dongcang's massage, caressing the joint where his fingers met the back of the hand, "Oh, there's one question I'm curious about. Can you answer?"

"What's there to hide? Ask however you wish."

He Guan lifted his head, "Before you couldn't see... what did you witness?"

Lou Dongcang's silence lasted for an extended period this time.

His voice, unusually raspy, betrayed a swallow or two before plunging back into silence.

"This matter and what my father wants to discuss with you... they're related. Could you hear him out first? If you don't understand or after hearing his side, you still want my version, I'll explain. Is that okay?"

He Guan looked at him this time, but Lou Dongcang's eyes remained inscrutable.

From the moment he entered, Lou Dongcang's gaze had been steadfastly fixed on He Guan.

After a moment's thought, He Guan reached out, covering Lou Dongcang's eyes.

The familiar darkness seemed to calm Lou Dongcang down, his fingers brushing against the inner wrist of He Guan, his voice a bit hoarse, "He Guan..."

"Don't overthink it," He Guan's voice came from very close, "I'm right here."

Lou Dongcang appeared slightly better, but his demeanor wasn't as lively as before; he seemed wilted.

Pondering for a moment, He Guan ultimately didn't remove his hand from Lou Dongcang's eyes.

He leaned down to kiss him.

His lips were warmly inviting, slightly swollen from their earlier kiss, resembling the lustrous skin of a ripe fruit. It tempted one to take a bite, as if savoring a genuine fruit, aiming to draw out its juicy essence.

A kiss involves two; with the other's response, its trajectory becomes unpredictable.

Even though He Guan tried to infuse comfort into the kiss, Lou Dongcang's reactions made it intense and uncontrollable. Releasing Lou Dongcang's hand revealed the playful blue eyes underneath.

He Guan hesitated.

Clearly, there was nothing wrong now. Lou Dongcang was tricking him!

In a punitive mood, He Guan bit him lightly, hoping to push Lou Dongcang away.

But instead of retreating, Lou Dongcang advanced, ensuring He Guan couldn't escape.

The space was cramped, making a fall risky. As He Guan's movements were limited, Lou Dongcang seized the opportunity to grip him tightly, relying on him for balance.

Of course, He Guan understood Lou Dongcang's intentions. Knowing was one thing; how to handle it was another matter.

In such an apparent trap, He Guan felt himself drawn in without resistance.

Only when his hand instinctively moved downward did he sharply recoil, as if triggering something in the man beneath. Suddenly, he was hoisted and thrown onto the bed!

The bed, with its soft covers and mattress, had excellent elasticity.

So good that He Guan felt no pain. After a couple of bounces and a slip on the plush blanket, before he could even sit upright, he was already pinned down.

"You..." He Guan exclaimed in surprise.

Lou Dongcang gently kissed the tip of his fingers, asking unabashedly, "GuanGuan, isn't it too late to ask now? Is it okay?"

He Guan pointed at himself in disbelief, stuttering, "I am... how... what are you...?"

Words failed him, so overwhelmed that he couldn't form a complete sentence, unable to fathom why it was him in this situation.

What happened to the wife? How did he end up being the wife?

This was deceitful!

"Or would you like to?" Lou Dongcang suggested, reaching into the bedside table for something. Leaning over, he whispered seductively into He Guan's ear, "Have you learned how? GuanGuan?"

How on earth did they fit a bedside table in such a cramped space?

He Guan found himself pinned down by Lou Dongcang, his head dizzy from the intimate caress and the deep voice, feeling both suffocated and flustered.

He should have realized earlier; it wasn't Lou Dongcang who had poor eyesight, but himself, He Guan!

So frustrating! They underestimate straight men, huh?

Yet he still responded, albeit begrudgingly.

"Lou Si, close the skylight, or I'll kill you."