Chapter 50
Behind them, a fountain shot columns of water upward. In front of the mesh-like curtain of water, two exceptionally handsome young men stood facing each other.
The weather was beautiful today. Although the temperature was still a bit low, Xie Ning felt terribly hot. It was a heat radiating from the inside out, painting his face and the tips of his ears with a layer of rosy red that was completely impossible to hide under the glaring sunlight.
Pei Zhi reached out, his knuckles gently brushing against the tip of Xie Ning’s chin. “Your face is so red.”
Xie Ning’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. “I’m wearing a bit too many layers today,” he said.
“Is it really just because of the layers?” Pei Zhi’s fingers brushed against the outer corner of Xie Ning’s eye as he murmured, “Baby.”
The tips of his ears continued to burn. These intimate little gestures and pet names always carried a unique weight during this specific phase. Back when he and Pei Zhi were just friends, he wouldn’t have had such strange reactions to Pei Zhi calling him that or making these small moves; it would have even felt completely natural.
Xie Ning slowly lifted his eyelashes and said, “It’s also because of you.”
Now it was Pei Zhi’s turn to be stunned.
Having bought the tickets, Qi Ran saw the two of them standing very close together, muttering about something unknown. He shattered the tranquil atmosphere: “Why did you guys suddenly run inside? It was kinda creepy. Here, your tickets.”
He innocently assumed the two of them were just chasing the thrill of sneaking in without tickets. But thrills aside, tickets still had to be bought, otherwise it’d be hard to explain if the staff asked later. Besides, you couldn’t get on a lot of the rides without a ticket anyway.
Just as Xie Ning was about to reach out, Pei Zhi had already taken them for him, naturally slipping both of their tickets into his own pocket.
Pei Zhi asked, “What do you want to go on?”
Asking him? Xie Ning looked back at him. “What do you want to go on?”
Xie Ning wasn’t particularly interested in amusement parks. They had only come because Pei Zhi said he wanted to.
Dissatisfied at being ignored, Qi Ran loudly interjected, “Bro, are you not allowed on super thrilling rides? Drop towers and stuff are definitely a no-go for you. How about the carousel? That’s safe.”
Xie Ning: “…I’m not that fragile.”
Though truth be told, Xie Ning wasn’t entirely sure if he could handle things like the drop tower either. He had never been on them before. His parents, afraid his body wouldn’t be able to handle it, had never taken him on these riskier rides.
“Let’s just wander around first and see what looks good,” Pei Zhi said. “It’s no fun just standing here.”
“That works,” Xie Ning agreed.
“Huh? You’re just gonna walk around?” Qi Ran asked. “Are we really not doing the carousel? I kind of wanted to go on it.”
“You can go if you want to,” Xie Ning said.
“It’s too embarrassing to go by myself,” Qi Ran muttered. “People who come to amusement parks are either parents with kids or couples. It’s just the three of us single dogs here—wait, you are single, right?” He looked uncertainly at Pei Zhi.
Pei Zhi glanced at Xie Ning. “Currently, yes.”
“Currently?” Qi Ran repeated. “So you won’t be for much longer?”
Pei Zhi replied, “I can’t say whether it’ll be soon or not. That’s not up to me to decide.”
Surprised, Qi Ran asked, “You’re chasing someone?”
With Pei Zhi’s looks and financial status, he actually had to actively pursue someone? He was burning with curiosity. “Who is she? Is she drop-dead gorgeous like a fairy? Bro, have you seen her? You guys are roommates, so you definitely know what she looks like.”
A faint smile seemed to linger in Pei Zhi’s eyes. He subtly brushed against Xie Ning’s fingertips and echoed the question, “Yeah, your brother knows. Very beautiful, just like a fairy.”
Stared at by the both of them, Xie Ning was speechless. “…”
Human nature is inherently gossipy, and someone with a playful personality like Qi Ran loved a good rumor even more. Under their combined gaze, Xie Ning’s face grew a little hot. He calmly averted his eyes. “Let’s not discuss this, okay? The person in question probably wouldn’t like being talked about.”
“But she’s not even here,” Qi Ran said. “If neither of us says anything, how would she know?”
Pei Zhi, however, cut the topic short. “You make a good point. Let’s not talk about it anymore.”
Where Qi Ran couldn’t see, he discreetly squeezed Xie Ning’s fingertips. Under Xie Ning’s mildly warning gaze, he slowly sidled closer, narrowing the gap between them. Lowering his head slightly, he said in an almost indulgent tone, “I’ll listen to you.”
Qi Ran was completely baffled. It wasn’t like they were discussing anything out of line, right? He was just curious about how the pursuit was going and what the girl was like.
But just because Xie Ning mentioned the person in question might not like being talked about, Pei Zhi actually dropped it entirely?
“Tsk.” Qi Ran’s expression was complicated. “Who would’ve thought? You’re actually completely whipped. I figured you were the super macho type, but turns out you’re just a wife-fearing simp. And she’s not even your wife yet… Alright, alright, bro, I’m done talking! Don’t look at me like that, I’ll shut up!”
Xie Ning changed the subject. “Didn’t you want to ride the carousel? Go ahead. There aren’t many people right now, so it’s the perfect time.”
“Bro, are you kicking me out?” Qi Ran asked.
“Is it that obvious?” Xie Ning replied flatly.
“Very,” Qi Ran said. “Fine, fine, you guys walk around. I’ll go ride the carousel all by my lonesome. Oh, by the way, bro, if you run into any trouble, just text me. I’ll be there in a flash.”
He took another glance at the tall, imposing man with a cold aura standing next to Xie Ning. Then again, he thought to himself, even if they really did run into trouble, I probably wouldn’t be the one needing to fix it anyway.
The very same Pei Zhi who had just been sneaking discreet touches and brushing against Xie Ning’s fingers immediately clung to him the moment Qi Ran left. Wrapping his arms around Xie Ning’s waist from behind, Pei Zhi buried his face in the crook of Xie Ning’s neck, gently nuzzling against him like a clingy, oversized dog.
“Baby, you smell so good,” Pei Zhi murmured, sounding utterly intoxicated.
Pei Zhi’s hair was coarse and stiff, tickling Xie Ning slightly. He tilted his head to dodge, but that only gave Pei Zhi better access to nuzzle him. Helpless, he said, “Didn’t we say we were going to walk around first? How are we supposed to do that with you hugging me like this?”
Cheerful music played in the background, and colorful windmills spun in the breeze not too far away, emitting crisp, rattling sounds. Holding the soft Xie Ning in his arms and breathing in his faint, natural fragrance, a sense of deep satisfaction swelled in Pei Zhi’s chest, practically overflowing.
“Is the rest of the time our date?” Pei Zhi asked.
His voice was soaked in unmistakable contentment.
“It can be,” Xie Ning said. “But you have to let go of me first.”
Pei Zhi released him immediately. He reached out to hold Xie Ning’s hand, but then pulled it back, feigning modesty as he asked, “Can we hold hands?”
Xie Ning shot him a mild, sidelong glance. “Hold it.”
Well-defined fingers slipped one by one between Xie Ning’s soft ones. The second their fingers intertwined, Pei Zhi’s expression was colored with evident bliss.
This was their first time holding hands in public.
In the past, they had only ever held hands when they were completely alone. Whenever there were people around, they had maintained an unspoken agreement to keep an appropriate distance.
But now, Xie Ning was willing to hold his hand and go on a date with him in broad daylight. Didn’t this mean their relationship had taken another step forward?
The deeper they ventured into the crowds, the more nervous Pei Zhi became. He was terrified that Xie Ning might shake off his hand because of all the people. Yet, Xie Ning simply kept walking forward, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Beneath the sunlight, his striking features appeared cool and indifferent, devoid of any particular emotion, but he allowed his hand to remain firmly held the entire time.
The size difference between him and Pei Zhi gave Xie Ning an inexplicable air of docility.
There wasn’t much that caught his eye as they walked. In Xie Ning’s childhood memories, many of these amusement rides were veiled in a dreamy, fairytale-like color. But he was grown now, and seeing these dazzling attractions again failed to spark any real curiosity or longing within him.
However… he knit his brows slightly.
Was Pei Zhi hot?
Xie Ning’s body temperature was just right, neither too cold nor too hot. Yet Pei Zhi’s palm was burning, so hot that a sticky layer of warm sweat had seeped into the palms pressed together between them.
“Baby.”
Pei Zhi suddenly called out to him like that. When Xie Ning raised his head, his eyes met Pei Zhi’s. “Should I go buy that?”
Xie Ning followed the direction of Pei Zhi’s gaze. Not far away, a stall surrounded by a crowd of customers was selling headbands. He asked, “Do you want to wear one?”
“I do,” Pei Zhi said. “It looks so cute.”
He was talking about the headbands, but his eyes were fixed tightly on Xie Ning’s face.
Xie Ning said, “Then let’s go buy one.”
While waiting in line, many people turned back to look at them, their faces filled with awe. Some even glanced around, wondering if a variety show or a drama was filming nearby, as the looks of the two before them were simply too striking.
Someone pulled out a phone to secretly take a photo, only to be met with a sharp, icy glare of warning. At the same time, Pei Zhi reached out and draped an arm over Xie Ning’s shoulders. Standing extraordinarily tall, his position perfectly shielded Xie Ning’s face. His dark-skinned, large palm covered the porcelain-white side of Xie Ning’s face, creating a stark contrast in skin tone and an even more pronounced difference in size.
He looked intensely domineering and intensely possessive.
Shielded by Pei Zhi like this, the passersby truly couldn’t catch a glimpse of Xie Ning’s face, able to see at most the subtle tip of his petite chin.
When Xie Ning suddenly lifted his head, Pei Zhi instantly stowed away his fierce glare. His gaze softened, and as if fearing Xie Ning would strain his neck looking up, he lowered his head and bent his waist.
“What’s wrong? Are you cold?” Pei Zhi touched Xie Ning’s face.
“No, I’m not cold,” Xie Ning said. “I wanted to ask you, which one do you want to get?”
There were many types of headbands—bear ears, rabbit ears, cat ears… made of plastic or plush textures in all sorts of styles. Xie Ning’s decision paralysis kicked in, leaving him unsure of which one to choose.
They were almost at the front of the line, though, and hesitating when their turn came would waste a lot of time.
The customer ahead of them was a bit tall, so Xie Ning stood slightly on tiptoe to see the designs. Dropping his heels back down, he turned around and tilted his delicate, snow-white face up, saying very seriously, “They’re all so cute.”
Xie Ning spoke in a very earnest tone. That earnestness, paired with his cool and distant expression, made Pei Zhi’s heart flutter violently.
“Baby,” Pei Zhi murmured.
The music nearby was a bit loud, drowning out Pei Zhi’s voice, so Xie Ning didn’t hear him clearly.
Xie Ning stood on tiptoe once more and tilted his head up. His butterfly-wing black eyelashes fluttered slightly, and his voice carried a faint hint of nasal softness: “Hmm?”
Pei Zhi said, “You’re so cute.”
Xie Ning’s brows knit slightly. “But I didn’t do anything.”
Pei Zhi curled his fingers, brushing his knuckles against the tip of Xie Ning’s chin. “You’re cute even when you do nothing.”
Xie Ning looked at Pei Zhi with a bewildered expression—he didn’t understand it, but he respected it. He asked, “It’s almost our turn. Let’s pick beforehand.”
Pei Zhi suggested, “How about you choose for me, and I’ll choose for you?”
Xie Ning said, “That works.”
Xie Ning picked out a pair of big, gray dog ears for Pei Zhi. Because of their large size, they looked less like dog ears and more like wolf ears.
Pei Zhi chose a pair of fluffy cat ears for Xie Ning. They felt wonderfully soft to the touch, and the size was just right. Worn on his head, they looked extraordinarily delicate. The outer rim was a soft, fluffy fur, while the inside of the ears was a faint shade of pink, matching the pink on the tip of Xie Ning’s nose from the cold.
“Does it hurt?” Pei Zhi asked. “Did it catch any of your hair?”
Xie Ning replied, “No.”
He reached up to touch the cat ears on his head, only for Pei Zhi to seize the opportunity to take his hand. His hand was held by Pei Zhi, and together they touched the cat ears on Xie Ning’s head.
His palm was enveloped by a scalding, large hand, and the cat ear beneath his fingers felt soft. It was a very novel sensation…
A gust of wind blew past, messing up Xie Ning’s hair slightly. He unconsciously shook his head, causing the cat ears atop his head to sway subtly as well.
Suddenly, a wave of heat pressed against his cheek—Pei Zhi had leaned in for a kiss, giving his cheek a swift little peck. Afterward, under Xie Ning’s slightly astonished gaze, Pei Zhi feigned nonchalance and said, “Sorry, you were too cute. I couldn’t help myself.”
Xie Ning: “…”
He didn’t believe a word of it. Pei Zhi clearly had no intention of holding back at all.
After paying the bill, Xie Ning subconsciously pulled out his phone to split the cost, when a little child suddenly ran over. Standing in front of Xie Ning, he stared up at him for a long time with eyes as dark as black grapes.
Was he separated from his parents?
Just as Xie Ning was thinking this, the little child suddenly stepped forward, looking like he wanted to grab Xie Ning’s hand. Pei Zhi swiftly shielded Xie Ning behind him, glaring down at the child with an intensely menacing look.
The child instantly burst into tears, hiccuping as he sobbed, “I—I just wanted to give the big brother some candy… I…”
The child’s parents rushed over to comfort him, apologizing profusely, “We’re so sorry! He was watching you from the side for a long time just now and said he really liked this big brother, so he wanted to give him his favorite flavor of candy. We encouraged him to come over—did he scare you? We’re so sorry… Hurry and apologize to the big brother.”
This originally wasn’t a big deal, but Xie Ning suffered from skin hunger as well as mysophobia, and he didn’t like being touched by strangers. That was why Pei Zhi had reacted so strongly.
Pei Zhi was afraid Xie Ning would feel uncomfortable. Earlier while waiting in line, he had also done his best to shield Xie Ning from being bumped into by others. Dominant possessiveness was one thing, but Xie Ning’s condition was another.
Xie Ning said, “It’s fine, we weren’t scared.”
The little child was still very polite, crying as he squeaked out, “I’m sorry, Big Brother… I—I should have said hello first.”
“It’s alright,” Xie Ning said. “You wanted to give me candy?”
“Mhm! It’s my favorite grape flavor.” Seeing Xie Ning looking at him, the child didn’t even dare to blink, widening his eyes as far as they could go. “Big Brother, do you wanna eat it?”
Xie Ning said, “You’re giving it to me? Thank you.”
The little child reached out a chubby, fleshy hand and handed over a piece of candy that had been warmed up in his grip. This was the very last one he had left from the trip; he liked saving the tastiest piece for last.
He was so glad he hadn’t eaten it earlier, because he had met a big brother he liked so much.
The little child was very polite. After giving Xie Ning the candy, he grew a little shy and hid behind his mother, poking out only half his head to say in a milky voice, “Big Brother, remember to eat it, okay?”
He then looked at the other big brother with a troubled expression. “But… but there are two big brothers, and I only have one candy… Then—then you guys can eat it together!”
The innocent and whimsical words made the adults unable to hold back a chuckle.
It was a hard candy—how were two people supposed to share it? Take turns licking it? If someone didn’t have mysophobia and it was a lollipop, maybe they could do that, but this candy was tiny, barely the size of a fingernail. That method clearly wouldn’t work.
The little child waved goodbye to them. Xie Ning suddenly realized that Pei Zhi had been observing his reaction the entire time, his brows tightly knit and his muscles slightly tense, as if afraid something untoward might happen to him.
Xie Ning said, “I’m fine.”
Pei Zhi looked at Xie Ning’s fingertips. “He touched you just now.”
When the child handed over the candy, his fingers had brushed against Xie Ning.
Xie Ning was stunned for a moment before saying, “Really? I don’t think I noticed.”
“He touched you.” Pei Zhi tugged at Xie Ning’s collar and led him by the hand to a sheltered spot that was much warmer. He asked, “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
The consequence of coexisting severe psychological mysophobia and skin hunger was that while Xie Ning craved physical contact with others, he felt an intense psychological aversion and disgust toward the act itself.
Pei Zhi had researched a great deal of relevant material during this period, but cases like Xie Ning’s were exceedingly rare. He could only deduce Xie Ning’s current state based on a handful of documented records.
If Pei Zhi hadn’t brought it up, Xie Ning wouldn’t have even noticed the child touching him. He shook his head. “No… and I don’t seem to have felt a particularly strong urge to resist? Is it because he’s just a child?”
It was natural for little kids to make people lower their guard, which made sense, but… it wasn’t as if there were no other children in Xie Ning’s family. In the past, he hadn’t liked intimate contact with kids either, except for those he was extremely familiar with.
No matter how Xie Ning tried to rationalize it, the fact that he hadn’t felt aversion or disgust just now was an indisputable reality. He tilted his head up to look at Pei Zhi and curled his lips into a subtle smile. “Pei Zhi, it seems my condition isn’t as severe anymore.”
At the very least, he wouldn’t be constantly monitoring social distances every second of the day, worrying about physical contact with others. It was as if every single nerve used to have a signal light attached to it, sounding alarm bells through his entire body at the slightest hint of physical contact.
Shi Qingyu’s treatment plan was working.
By steadily increasing physical contact with Pei Zhi, he was becoming accustomed to and enjoying the positive feedback brought by social physical contact. While it was still a bit difficult for Xie Ning to intentionally initiate physical touch with others right now, it was undeniably showing results. Step by step, he was learning to accept it.
Pei Zhi should have been happy that Xie Ning’s condition was improving, but for some reason, a dark, sinister thought suddenly surged within him.
Right now, Xie Ning merely didn’t mind touching a child. What if next he could accept physical contact within normal social boundaries? What if someone held Xie Ning’s hand or draped an arm over his shoulder? Currently, Xie Ning only didn’t mind touch from him, which was why he could use him to satisfy his skin hunger.
If Xie Ning could accept others moving forward, would he lose his value to Xie Ning?
Would Xie Ning… have someone else?
Pei Zhi’s fingers slowly curled into fists, his knuckles straining tightly. He knew it was wrong to think like this, but he simply couldn’t control his thoughts.
It was truly bizarre. Clearly, the one suffering from skin hunger was Xie Ning, yet in so many daily details, the one who was more clingy and unable to part from the other was actually Pei Zhi.
Aside from the times when Pei Zhi took the initiative to embrace and kiss Xie Ning, or engage in intimate acts that left Xie Ning with a dazed and unfocused expression, during most other moments, Xie Ning remained calm and composed.
The one who seemed to suffer from skin hunger and feared the other leaving was actually Pei Zhi.
“That’s a good thing.” Pei Zhi reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair away from Xie Ning’s temple. Forcibly suppressing those improper thoughts, he asked softly, “When is your follow-up appointment? I’ll go with you.”
Xie Ning said, “Let’s hold off for a while… Wait, the haunted house is nearby. Are we going?”
Xie Ning remembered that Pei Zhi had wanted to visit the haunted house at this amusement park.
Pei Zhi stared at Xie Ning. Finally, as if he could no longer restrain himself, he pulled Xie Ning straight into his arms. His arms wrapped tightly around Xie Ning’s waist with immense force.
Where Xie Ning couldn’t see, Pei Zhi’s expression was fierce and dark, like a vicious guard dog terrified of having its treasure stolen, baring sharp, menacing fangs indiscriminately at everyone.
“Let me hold you,” Pei Zhi said raspy voice. “Let me hold you for a bit before we go.”
Xie Ning found it a bit amusing. “We haven’t even gone in yet, and you’re already scared?”
“Mhm.” Pei Zhi nuzzled the ends of Xie Ning’s hair and said, “I’m scared.”
Xie Ning extended his arms, returning the hug and gently patting Pei Zhi’s back. “Would holding hands help a bit?”
“Yes.” Pei Zhi thought for a moment, then added, “If I get really scared in there, can I kiss you?”
Pei Zhi explained, “I’m not trying to take advantage of you. It’s just that if we kiss, I won’t have the mental capacity to think about anything else. My head will be full of you, so I won’t be frightened by the stuff inside the haunted house.”
This explanation was thoroughly unconvincing. Xie Ning said softly, “No, you can’t.”
The haunted house only allowed about eight people in at a time. The three groups ahead of them were all couples, already trembling at the entrance as they waited in line.
In contrast, Xie Ning and Pei Zhi looked completely calm. Listening to the eerie, grim sound effects drifting out from the haunted house, their expressions didn’t even shift.
“Bro, how about you two lead the way at the front?” a young man asked timidly. “I’m really kind of scared and don’t dare open the path. You two look like you’ve got serious guts, especially this bro—he looks like this.” He gave Pei Zhi a thumbs-up.
However, “this bro” was incredibly cold and aloof, not even sparing him a glance.
The young man was growing frantic. He had brought his girlfriend to the haunted house to bond, but his actual courage just wasn’t cutting it. So he pleaded pitifully with the other bro: “Bro, is it really a no-go? I’m afraid I’ll scream my head off later. My girlfriend’s right here, and I want to save a little face…”
Xie Ning didn’t mind being first or second; it was all pretty much the same. He asked Pei Zhi, “Should we walk in the front row, then?”
Pei Zhi lowered his head and said, “Whatever you say.”
“Awesome! Thanks, bro, you’re so nice!” Overjoyed, the young man immediately pressed his palms together and bowed to Xie Ning, having clearly picked up on who made the decisions between the two.
Many people disliked walking in the front row simply because they feared the unknown. If someone walked ahead of them, those in the back could at least prepare themselves mentally. But every choice had its trade-offs; while the front row ran a higher risk of jumpscares, it also offered the best view and the most immersive experience.
Walking in the lead row, Xie Ning suddenly wondered: was Pei Zhi actually afraid of ghosts? Was his earlier fear just an act, or…
His hand was suddenly held in a tight grip. Pei Zhi leaned in close, and as the spine-chilling sound effects echoed around them, his slightly aggrieved voice drifted down: “It’s so scary. Is a nasty ghost going to jump out up ahead?”
Under the eerie, dim lighting, Pei Zhi’s approach cast a dark shadow over him. His somewhat deep, fierce features were currently overlaid with a cold, pale light.
Xie Ning remained silent for a moment, ultimately refraining from pointing out that the current Pei Zhi looked scarier than any ghost.
The actor NPCs would jump out out of nowhere every now and then. Xie Ning was startled once or twice, but overall he was fine; knowing it was all fake kept him from feeling overly afraid.
The haunted house was exceptionally well constructed and had a great aesthetic feel. Looking at it purely from an appreciative perspective, Xie Ning found it even less terrifying… when suddenly, his waist was wrapped up as Pei Zhi embraced him from behind.
Pei Zhi nuzzled into the crook of his neck, every exhaled puff of warm air spilling across the delicate skin. He seemed to be shivering. “Baby, it’s so scary… Is that a corpse?”
Xie Ning glanced over. It was a corpse, but it was just a prop.
Yet the person holding him was trembling constantly, his voice sounding pitiful to the extreme. He began to wonder: if this was an act, Pei Zhi’s acting skills were almost too realistic… until a wet sensation brushed against his Adam’s apple—a subtle lick. Alright, Xie Ning was certain now.
Pei Zhi was acting again.
Xie Ning lowered his eyelashes. “Are you really that scared?”
“Mhm, so scared.” Taking advantage of the nuzzling, Pei Zhi secretly kissed Xie Ning’s neck, pretending as if nothing had happened. He murmured, “Thank goodness you’re here, baby.”
“You smell so good, baby…”
“Pei Zhi.”
Xie Ning called out his name helplessly, only for his Adam’s apple to be deliberately taken into Pei Zhi’s mouth for a light suck. He let out a sudden gasp. “Stop rubbing around, and stop licking… Haa… What are you, a puppy?”
Pei Zhi was extraordinarily clingy—Xie Ning had realized this long ago. He suspected that if he could shrink, Pei Zhi would keep him tucked in his pocket twenty-four hours a day, hands shoved in as well, constantly touching him to ensure they maintained physical contact.
Holding Xie Ning, Pei Zhi adjusted his breathing. A moment later, he buried his face back into the crook of Xie Ning’s neck, though this time he didn’t rub around recklessly, saying in a muffled voice, “Let me hold you a bit longer.”
“We won’t be able to hug like this once we step outside.”
They were currently tucked away in a quiet corner where no one could see them embracing. Outside, everything had already descended into absolute chaos.
“Holy shit, aaah, stay away from me!!!”
“I’m begging you, don’t scare me… Wait, no, don’t scare my girlfriend either! Come at me instead!”
“…”
Xie Ning stroked Pei Zhi’s face. “If we don’t head out soon, we won’t be able to keep up with the group.”
“Then we won’t keep up. I hate them.” Pei Zhi lowered his eyelids, concealing the churning dark depths that overflowed with intense possessiveness. He said in a childish tone, “If only we were the only two people left in the world.”
Xie Ning asked, “Just the two of us?”
“Just the two of us,” Pei Zhi said.
Xie Ning let out an amused smile, but Pei Zhi couldn’t see it clearly. Nuzzling his face against Xie Ning’s hand, he said, “Touch me some more.”
Xie Ning stroked Pei Zhi’s face. “Like this?”
Pei Zhi’s features smoothed out, and he gave a low hum of agreement before adding, “It feels like you’re petting a puppy.”
Xie Ning didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Who calls themselves a puppy? Besides, you’re not small. Even if you were a dog, you’d be a big one, not a puppy.”
Still, this way of stroking him really did resemble petting a cat or a dog. But he couldn’t be blamed for that; the act of stroking didn’t leave much room for new variations anyway.
“Alright, let’s head out and at least finish walking through the haunted house,” Xie Ning said. “Be good.”
Pei Zhi fell silent for a moment, taking a deep breath against the crook of Xie Ning’s neck before lifting his head. When he did, his expression had reverted to its cold, aloof demeanor.
“I’ll be good, baby.” However, Pei Zhi bent down slightly again. “Let’s go look at the Ferris wheel later, okay?”
The Ferris wheel? Did Pei Zhi like those things? Xie Ning gave a small nod and said, “Once we get out of the haunted house, we’ll head over to the Ferris wheel.”
“Then…” Pei Zhi leaned down a bit further. “Can we kiss?”
“Kissing on the Ferris wheel brings a blessing. It means the couple will stay together for a long, long time and never part. I read it online; I know it’s not worth believing, and it has no basis in fact.” Pei Zhi looked deeply into Xie Ning’s eyes. “But I took it to heart.”
Xie Ning met Pei Zhi’s gaze. The eerie sound effects subsided at that moment, rendering the atmosphere far less chilling. Under the dim lighting, it took on an almost ambiguous, sultry hue instead.
“Pei Zhi.” The hand stroking Pei Zhi’s face suddenly slid downward, landing right on his Adam’s apple. Xie Ning’s fingertips gently brushed against it. Sensing the roll of Pei Zhi’s Adam’s apple and the tightening of his muscles, he asked softly, “Do you really like me that much?”
“I like you so, so much.” Without a second of hesitation, after answering Xie Ning’s question, Pei Zhi felt it wasn’t enough and added as if to emphasize, “Besides you, I won’t ever fall for anyone else.”
After Xie Ning and Pei Zhi left the haunted house, Pei Zhi went to buy Xie Ning a warm drink and picked up some filling food along the way.
A single loop on the Ferris wheel took half an hour. Fearing that Xie Ning might freeze or go hungry, Pei Zhi even specifically bought a thermos.
Xie Ning sat waiting in a small pavilion. The adjacent seats were completely packed. Midway through, someone approached to strike up a conversation with him, but he rejected them with an icy face. When the person refused to give up and tried to block his path, he shot them a freezing glare, causing them to immediately know better and back off.
That familiar sense of aversion surged up once again.
Just thinking about how that person had almost touched him a moment ago made it impossible to avoid generating negative emotions of disgust. He had originally thought he was already capable of accepting some degree of physical touch, yet the moment someone stepped even slightly into his personal space, resistant thoughts would instantly flare up.
It seemed his condition hadn’t improved that much after all.
Or perhaps acting like this was completely normal for him. He only enjoyed the proximity of people he felt fond of and didn’t mind, while detesting those who were strangers and repulsed him.
Xie Ning went to the convenience store to look for Pei Zhi, but failed to find him. The moment he stepped out of the shop, people were coming and going before his eyes, a bustling crowd where countless unfamiliar faces shifted continuously around him.
A sudden wave of tension washed over him.
In the past, Xie Ning rarely frequented crowded places.
He didn’t want his skin hunger and mysophobia to cause trouble for others.
Xie Ning sent Pei Zhi a message and turned on real-time location sharing. Finding a relatively quiet corner, he quietly waited for Pei Zhi to arrive.
In the meantime, he didn’t check his phone. Keeping his hands tucked inside his trench coat pockets for warmth, he gazed at the Ferris wheel not far away.
The purple and pink Ferris wheel moved slowly in midair, ultimately pausing at its highest peak. Beneath the blue sky and white clouds, as if capable of reaching the heavens themselves, the Ferris wheel seemed overlaid with a layer of dreamy hues, looking incomparably wonderful.
If you kiss at the highest point of the Ferris wheel, will you really stay together for a long, long time?
Xie Ning’s mind went blank as the gentle breeze stirred the ends of his hair, blurring the scenery before his eyes.
Suddenly, a force hit him from behind as someone wrapped their arms around him from the rear. His brows knit tightly as he subconsciously tried to break free, but a familiar, dominant scent flooded his senses. The moment he confirmed it was Pei Zhi, Xie Ning instantly abandoned his struggle.
Before Xie Ning could speak, Pei Zhi cupped his face. “I finally found you. I’ve been looking for you for so long.”
“I thought I lost you.”
He wasn’t a little kid, how could he get lost… Xie Ning: “Mmh…”
The seam of his lips was pushed open by a hot tongue, and his tender, red, soft tongue was lured out of his mouth, taken into the tall man’s mouth to be sucked and devoured. Xie Ning’s face was held high, locks of hair slipping through the gaps between fingers. His cheeks, which had been turned slightly pink by the cold, instantly flushed a exaggerated, vivid red. The depths of his eyes glistened with tears, and a trace of helplessness even lingered between his brows.
The sensation of kissing in an almost public area filled Xie Ning with shame and discomfort.
Just as he turned his head a fraction of an inch away, it was forcefully pried straight again. The lingering, wet kiss made his entire body burn. Pei Zhi stimulated his mouth as if he had gone mad, the delicate, soft inner walls of his oral cavity repeatedly licked and devoured, secreting a great deal of saliva that Pei Zhi swallowed down like a prized treasure, making loud, slurping sounds.
His already small mouth was meticulously and densely cared for and kissed, licked through and through from inside out. As their wet lips rubbed against each other, hot, humid white mist scattered from the gap between their lips. Xie Ning’s eyes narrowed slightly from the intensity of the kiss. His fingers pulled at Pei Zhi’s hair in agonizing restraint; the moment his mouth closed even a fraction, it was forcefully pried open again as a thick, rough tongue rolled around and devoured the sensitive root of his tongue, deliberately grinding against the moist tip of his tongue with the sharp edges of his teeth.
“Mmh, hah…” Xie Ning couldn’t help letting out a gasp-like whine. Realizing things were heading in a wrong direction, he hurriedly tried to stop him. “Nngh… aren’t we… riding the Ferris wheel… Hah… Pei Zhi!”
As they kissed, glistening, clear liquid spilled from the corners of their lips, reflecting a transparent, tantalizing sheen under the sunlight. The fair, flawless area around his lips was rubbed into a mottled, pink flush, similarly overlaid with an ambiguous layer of glistening moisture.
Xie Ning didn’t want to make a sound, yet he couldn’t control the sweet, agonizing whimper that escaped him.
He knew there was no one else around, but he still felt immense shame, so he kept his mouth tightly closed—which served as a whole different kind of stimulation for Pei Zhi.
Xie Ning’s mouth was tiny and soft. Whenever Pei Zhi’s tongue forced its way in, hot, sweet fluid would burst from inside. Kissing Xie Ning sent a tingling numbness down his entire spine; his whole being felt as though it were about to melt right inside Xie Ning’s mouth.
When he finally released Xie Ning, Xie Ning felt so blissfully overwhelmed that his whole body felt light and floating. He opened his eyes in a daze, his gaze unfocused and unable to center. His mouth remained wide open as if unable to close, with wet saliva dripping down from the corner.
A section of his wet, red, dripping tongue trembled in midair, exuding a hot, soft white mist, looking as though it could be taken back into a mouth at any moment to be licked, eaten, and toyed with at will.
Well-defined fingers pressed against the side of his lips. Xie Ning stared blankly at Pei Zhi as Pei Zhi reached out to wipe the glistening moisture from the corner of his lips bit by bit.
Just as Pei Zhi felt it was about enough, the look in Xie Ning’s eyes was simply too innocent and pure. Unable to control himself, Pei Zhi reached out, hooked his hand around Xie Ning’s waist, and lifted him upward. Forced onto his tiptoes, a rough, wild tongue forcefully squeezed into Xie Ning’s unclosed mouth once more.
“Wnnngh…” Xie Ning whimpered. Pei Zhi’s tongue squeezed between the seams of his lips again, capturing his small tongue to suck and toy with it.
Two slippery, soft tongues entangled intimately, generating sticky, wet kissing sounds as their lips and tongues churned together.
Xie Ning’s fingers dug into Pei Zhi’s shoulders, his breathing growing ragged. “Don’t… nngh… don’t be like this…”
Pei Zhi couldn’t take in a single word. Like a ravenous beast wildly plundering territory, he couldn’t wait to devour Xie Ning’s lips. Xie Ning’s mouth was incredibly soft and tender, his tongue feeling just like fresh, hot tofu—tasting so soft it seemed ready to melt, while constantly secreting sweet, delicious fluid.
Pei Zhi’s Adam’s apple rolled continuously as he swallowed the saliva belonging to Xie Ning as if he had gone mad. A faint electrical current surged to the top of his head, threatening to ignite his entire being, making him itch to push his tongue even deeper into Xie Ning’s mouth.
He kissed so deeply he almost licked all the way to the back of Xie Ning’s throat. Several times, Xie Ning was forced to make gagging sounds, his tear ducts involuntarily secreting tears.
Xie Ning was a little afraid of such deep kisses. The moment he retracted his tongue even a tiny bit, it was forcefully captured again, sucked and pulled back and forth. Their tongues entangled, churning his already moist mouth into a muddy, ripe mess—one didn’t even need to lean close to smell a sweet, soft, intoxicating fragrance.
Xie Ning was kissed until his head spun into complete daze. Even at a time like this, he still realized with hindsight: Thank goodness… thank goodness the place I found was so secluded that no one comes by. Otherwise… it would definitely be seen…
His brain was already an absolute mess, and tears flowed randomly across his face. Pitiful as he already was, his chin was actually held firm, forcing him to swallow Pei Zhi’s saliva before new saliva was sucked out, only to be completely devoured by Pei Zhi like a famished wolf, generating sticky, entwined squelching sounds of tongues wrapped together.
His mouth was eaten until it was red and swollen, his oral cavity left aching and sore from the thrashing tongue, and his head felt dazed, leaving behind only a scalp-numbing electrical current. Xie Ning oscillated between oxygen deprivation and intense pleasure, letting out a couple of whimpering gasps from time to time. As his mind fell into chaos, his physical strength drained away with it, leaving his whole body feeling as though it had been completely broken.
Xie Ning could only be forced to keep his mouth open, allowing Pei Zhi to fiercely plunder his lips. His overly narrow mouth simply couldn’t hold so much saliva, and excess fluid spilled over from the corners of his lips, soaking the collars of both their outfits.
“There’s so much water, baby…” Pei Zhi was practically driven insane. As if he had never been fed full in his life, he sucked the saliva inside Xie Ning’s mouth like crazy. “So sweet, so soft, so hot…”
Pei Zhi lured out the tip of Xie Ning’s tongue. The tongue, eaten until it was wet, red, and swollen, dripped moisture in midair, its bright red surface coated in a layer of seductive, glistening wetness. Immediately after, it was swiftly swallowed back into Pei Zhi’s mouth, sucked until the flesh of the tongue deformed.
It was an utterly lewd way of kissing.
Xie Ning was completely lightheaded, able to emit only broken syllables. Yet to Pei Zhi’s ears, those sounds acted like the ultimate aphrodisiac.
By the time he was finally released, he looked completely dazed from the kissing, leaning blankly in Pei Zhi’s embrace. His gaze was unfocused and lost, his wet eyelashes sticking together every which way, and his entire face was practically soaked—making it impossible to tell where saliva ended and tears began.
The two parted with ragged breaths. The look in Pei Zhi’s eyes was glaringly off, hovering at an extremely dangerous breaking point.
As for Xie Ning, he couldn’t even stand steady, his shoulders and legs trembling faintly. After having been so excessively kissed, it was as if he had genuinely been broken. His delicate brows were knit slightly, his usually cold face flushed a vibrant crimson, exuding a pure, almost oblivious innocence.
Even with such a ruined, mess of a face, he still looked as though he hadn’t quite grasped what had just happened.
So pitiable, and so impossibly cute…
“I’m sorry, baby, for turning you into such a mess.” Though he was also breathtakingly beautiful like this. Pei Zhi apologized sincerely, attempting to remedy things by wiping away the saliva on Xie Ning’s face—albeit by licking it. As he licked Xie Ning’s face, he panted, “The second you were out of my sight, I panicked so badly.”
The way Pei Zhi licked and kissed him was forceful and domineering, brimming with an intense, suffocating possessiveness.
Xie Ning gasped for air in small, shallow breaths, a sweet, warm, moist fragrance continuously spilling from his lips. Through his hazy vision, he saw Pei Zhi licking his face, cleaning up his tears—even though this method only served to leave his face wetter than before.
Yet he lacked even the strength to lift a finger, let alone push Pei Zhi away. He could only allow Pei Zhi to obsessively lick his face while he slowly gathered his scattered thoughts.
The licking made Xie Ning’s skin itch slightly, and Pei Zhi’s hoarse, low voice drifted into his ears once again: “Baby…”
“I feel like I’m becoming more and more unable to live without you.”
