Chapter 56
Actually, it basically meant that since doing anything was fine, then it also meant anything could be done.
Jiang Qingyu: …Then I want to become the king of the world.
Just kidding.
His values and the education he’d received over the past twenty-some years wouldn’t let him turn into some cold-blooded person in such a short time.
He wouldn’t use this chance to do evil, nor would he exploit others.
But he also wasn’t impulsive enough to get carried away by hot-blooded enthusiasm and overestimate himself.
He would only do what was within his capabilities. That was all.
The chatting session ended. Still unsatisfied, Jiang Qingyu wandered out of the bedroom and immediately ran into Fu Jingqiu, who had just finished working out. The corners of his hair, neck, and chest were damp, honey-colored skin coated with a bright sheen. His sweat-soaked clothes clung to his chest, outlining the full contours beneath.
Jiang Qingyu’s gaze drifted uncontrollably for a second.
Fu Jingqiu nodded at him. “I’m going to shower first.”
Go ahead, go ahead.
Jiang Qingyu waved casually and pretended to look straight ahead as he entered the living area. Sure enough, Fu Jingqiu had already cleaned everything up. In just this short amount of time, the place had returned to perfect order.
Now that the living room space had expanded, there was a proper booth seating area, plus an extra sofa that could be pulled out into a sofa bed. On top of it were two neatly folded thick cashmere blankets and several perfectly arranged cushions.
There was a small side table nearby, a rolling snack cart, and even a foldable computer desk that could stretch over the sofa.
Jiang Qingyu wasn’t exaggerating when he said he could rot on that sofa bed for an entire day.
Sometimes Meimei would come sleep with him, with Tangyuan on the other side. One at the head of the bed, one at the foot—everyone finding their own spot and curling into fluffy little balls.
There was still a large empty area in the middle, usually reserved for Fu Jingqiu’s workouts and training Tangyuan.
That’s right. After mastering basic commands like sit, lie down, stay, and so on, Fu Jingqiu had actually started making obstacle equipment and training props for Tangyuan by hand.
Terrifying.
Tangyuan was a sheepdog, not a military dog, okay?!
But Tangyuan seemed to love it. When Fu Jingqiu was searching for materials earlier, Tangyuan had already gotten excited, wagging his tail nonstop around him as if he already knew the finished products would become his toys.
Thanks to Jiang Qingyu’s one-click storage space ability, all the equipment could simply be tossed into storage after use, then taken out again whenever Fu Jingqiu had time to continue tinkering. Their teamwork was surprisingly smooth.
Besides that, the storage cabinets, electronic devices, decorations—everything had been placed exactly where it belonged. The whole living room felt incredibly cozy.
After all, it was the place they spent most of their time. It had to be arranged nicely to feel comfortable living in.
As Jiang Qingyu toured the place, he unconsciously drifted back onto the sofa bed. His legs hung over the armrest while his head dangled upside down, a cushion beneath him as he held up his phone to play games.
After a few minutes, his arms got tired, so he flopped onto his side instead. His soft hair spread across the sofa blanket, pale face illuminated by the cold glow of the screen.
At night he was always this energetic. Other than sleeping, everything seemed fun to him. Earlier he’d even told Fu Jingqiu that his storage space still held all sorts of expensive LEGO sets he’d splurged on before. Just assembling them would take quite a while.
In the afternoons, though, he’d have no energy at all. Wrapped in a small blanket, he could nap for hours. He could even fall asleep reading. But at night, he’d become so spirited it felt like he could save the world.
When Fu Jingqiu came out, Jiang Qingyu was clutching his phone and giggling. Meimei looked up at him too, her tail swishing twice over Jiang Qingyu’s head before her dad reached over and caught it.
“…” Fu Jingqiu called out, “Jiang Qingyu, what time is it?”
Jiang Qingyu answered irrelevantly, “My phone still has fifty percent battery.”
Fu Jingqiu: “So how long are you planning to play before showering and going to bed?”
Jiang Qingyu tested the waters. “Twenty percent?”
That would conservatively mean another half hour.
Fu Jingqiu walked over and mercilessly confiscated his phone. Sliding an arm under Jiang Qingyu’s waist, he effortlessly hoisted him up one-handed. “It’s almost midnight. Planning to stay up late again?”
In barely one or two seconds, Jiang Qingyu’s feet had already left the ground. Like a dumbbell, he was carried into the bedroom and plopped onto the bed.
Fu Jingqiu fetched his towel and pajamas, coaxing Jiang Qingyu into the bathroom like a child. Then he made the bed, turned on the electric blanket, and arranged everything properly.
Clearly, he was already extremely familiar with this entire process. At this moment, everything was ready—except for one freshly showered, warm, sweet-smelling fish who would roll around on the bed like sushi.
The room was wonderfully warm. Even wearing thin pajamas after leaving the bathroom didn’t feel cold. Steam had flushed Jiang Qingyu’s skin bright red. By the time he returned, his cheeks were rosy, and the mental energy that’d wanted to stay up all night had been completely washed away by the hot water. Climbing onto the bed, he lazily yawned.
Fu Jingqiu tucked him under the blankets. Jiang Qingyu didn’t move at all, letting himself be fussed over. One leg shamelessly draped over Fu Jingqiu’s body. Fu Jingqiu glanced down at it, said nothing, and tucked in the blanket on the inner side before asking in a half-joking tone, “Still have the energy to play on your phone?”
Using one arm as a pillow, Jiang Qingyu closed his eyes like some carefree lord. “A little sleepy, but if you handed me my phone, I could still play.”
Fu Jingqiu replied, “I’m not handing it back.”
Jiang Qingyu: “You tempted me.”
Fu Jingqiu seemed to think of something and let out a quiet laugh.
That instantly put Jiang Qingyu on alert. His eyes widened roundly. “What?”
Following the bend of Jiang Qingyu’s raised leg, Fu Jingqiu grabbed his ankle. Jiang Qingyu glanced downward. Fu Jingqiu’s wrist bone was actually thicker than his ankle.
The contrast was shockingly intense.
Jiang Qingyu squirmed, only for Fu Jingqiu to tighten his grip instead. Sitting beside him, he asked calmly, “Why are you hiding?”
Jiang Qingyu twisted around wildly like a flopping fish whose tail had been caught, unable to escape no matter what. Defeated, he collapsed back into the pillow and lightly kicked Fu Jingqiu’s thigh. “What were you laughing at just now? And why won’t you say?”
Fu Jingqiu answered casually, “Forgot.”
“Liar.”
Fu Jingqiu lowered his gaze to him. “I’m not lying.”
The hand holding his ankle slid slightly upward. “Want a kiss?” After a pause, he added, “A goodnight kiss.”
It wasn’t strange for him to have such thoughts. Right now, Jiang Qingyu looked completely defenseless, allowing himself to be kneaded and played with however Fu Jingqiu wanted. Even when he got mad, it was this soft, harmless kind of “tiny temper tantrum” that only made people want to tease him more.
Jiang Qingyu raised a brow at him.
Fu Jingqiu was watching him against the light, the edges of his hair softly gilded gold by the lamp. Especially in this atmosphere, it made Jiang Qingyu’s heart soften. He reached out his arms toward him.
“Come here.”
It was just a goodnight kiss! What was wrong with kissing your boyfriend?
Sure enough, Fu Jingqiu leaned down. With Jiang Qingyu’s arm wrapped around his shoulder, he lowered his head and brushed his lips against Jiang Qingyu’s.
A very light kiss, like a dragonfly skimming water. Pretty innocent.
After he pulled back, Jiang Qingyu couldn’t help lifting his eyes to meet his gaze. He asked sincerely, “That’s it?”
The moment the words fell, Fu Jingqiu kissed him again.
Their lips pressed together firmly, damp softness grinding repeatedly against the peak of his lips. Last night they’d spent so long innocently kissing with only their lips touching, never even thinking of taking things further. But now, as if instinctively enlightened, Fu Jingqiu parted his lips and slipped inside.
Jiang Qingyu tasted refreshing mint and lemon. Clumsy and inexperienced, Fu Jingqiu pressed close to him. His movements weren’t large, just exploratory kisses, sucking gently at his lower lip in lingering affection. The instant his tongue was licked, electricity shot from his tailbone straight to the top of his head. His muscles went weak, leaving him unable to summon even the slightest resistance.
If his fingers hadn’t still been hooked behind Fu Jingqiu’s head, his arms probably would’ve slid off his shoulders already.
He knew it. He just knew it!
How could Fu Jingqiu possibly give such a plain kiss for real?!
The movements weren’t rough, just slightly more aggressive than last night. Jiang Qingyu’s whole body heated up from being kissed. His lips were constantly being sucked and rubbed, and yet he still had enough mental capacity left to think:
I’m definitely going to end up with swollen lips again.
Fu Jingqiu’s fingers slid into his hair, cradling the back of his head and tilting it upward slightly, as if helping him better receive the kiss. Amid the quiet wet sounds of their mouths tangling together, he wrapped one arm around Jiang Qingyu’s shoulder and held him tightly.
Objectively speaking, Jiang Qingyu wasn’t the type who’d be blown away by a gust of wind. His recent living conditions had improved, so naturally he looked healthier. Even in heavy clothing he appeared neat and fresh. Long legs, slim waist, shoulders neither too broad nor too narrow—perfect proportions. When properly dressed up, he absolutely looked like a model.
But now, in Fu Jingqiu’s arms, it felt as though a single arm was enough to completely envelop him. Effortless.
The bulging muscle lines of those strong arms made him look incredibly slender. That one hand alone seemed capable of supporting his entire back.
There was nowhere to hide.
Like the way he carried a kitten, Jiang Qingyu was completely trapped in Fu Jingqiu’s embrace.
Good lord, why was Fu Jingqiu the only one improving?!
Compared to him, Jiang Qingyu’s kissing skills were practically nonexistent. He felt like all he could do was foolishly accommodate whenever Fu Jingqiu took the lead. Other than that, he couldn’t even properly cooperate most of the time.
The kiss stretched on endlessly.
At one point, Jiang Qingyu heard his own ragged breathing and the unconscious muffled sounds escaping him. The wet noises were embarrassingly obscene, yet Fu Jingqiu remained completely shameless, almost seeming eager to push even deeper until Jiang Qingyu couldn’t breathe at all.
How was this a goodnight kiss?!
At this rate he wouldn’t be able to sleep at all!
And the deadly thing was—if someone still didn’t react after being kissed like this, then either they were a steel-hearted straight man or physically incapable.
Jiang Qingyu was obviously normal.
Last night he’d still managed to restrain himself a little. Tonight, though, it was genuinely difficult.
And he could feel Fu Jingqiu’s reaction too.
A very exaggerated reaction.
Burning hot, pressing tightly against his leg because of their current position, heavy and impossible to ignore.
At this point, did that mean tonight…?
Just as his thoughts started spiraling, Fu Jingqiu finally ended the kiss on his own initiative. His thumb rubbed hard against Jiang Qingyu’s swollen lips while his dark eyes fixed tightly on him.
Voice hoarse, he said, “I’m going to the bathroom for a bit.”
“Huh?” Jiang Qingyu stared blankly as Fu Jingqiu rose. It seemed like the back of his hand lightly brushed Jiang Qingyu’s cheek before quickly pulling away.
Watching Fu Jingqiu leave, Jiang Qingyu’s hair was a complete mess. His eyes were flushed red with lingering desire, his lips swollen from being sucked on. The pale pink color had deepened, making him look even more bright-lipped and fair-toothed. His entire face burned hot, instinctively wanting to press something cold against himself to cool down.
Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Fu Jingqiu’s voice mixed faintly with it, impossible to hear clearly, but even an idiot would know what he was doing in there.
Jiang Qingyu blankly rubbed his face several times, thinking: What exactly is going on here?
Even if Fu Jingqiu thought they currently… ahem… lacked the proper “tools,” he could’ve at least used his hand to help him out.
What was the point of going to deal with it himself?
Jiang Qingyu lay back under the blankets. The scent of Fu Jingqiu lingered everywhere around him—light and subtle. If you actively tried to smell it, it almost vanished, yet once relaxed, it became overwhelmingly obvious.
It felt a little like being quietly held by him on a winter night. Soft skin, perfectly warm embrace.
Thinking about what Fu Jingqiu was doing in the bathroom, Jiang Qingyu himself couldn’t stay calm either. He’d already reacted, but doing that kind of thing on the bed they were about to sleep in felt embarrassing. Pressing his legs together, he rubbed them a few times, forcefully stopping his imagination from running wild. He took deep breaths over and over, trying to calm himself down.
And just then, Fu Jingqiu came back.
Jiang Qingyu had his back to him, face buried in the blankets. Fu Jingqiu’s scent became clearer again. He knew he shouldn’t think about it, but his brain refused to cooperate, insistently replaying little details he’d never paid much attention to before.
Fu Jingqiu’s fingers. His palms. The shape of his waist when shirtless. His broad, solid shoulders. And the way his Adam’s apple moved when he looked at him calmly.
His fingers and wrists had thick joints. Even his Adam’s apple was bigger than Jiang Qingyu’s, the movement when he swallowed incredibly obvious.
Tonight had suddenly skipped straight from a PG-rated channel to an adult one. Jiang Qingyu still hadn’t fully processed it.
His mouth felt dry. His thoughts were in chaos. Yet he stubbornly refused to touch himself, forcing himself to endure and wait for the reaction to subside.
But the more he endured, the more his imagination spiraled.
Jiang Qingyu angrily kicked at the blankets a few times.
The next second, Fu Jingqiu wrapped his arms around him from behind again, pulling Jiang Qingyu tightly back into his embrace.
Then his hand slid downward.
Jiang Qingyu jolted violently, nearly crying out.
Fu Jingqiu clearly hadn’t taken a cold shower like Jiang Qingyu had imagined. Not only was his embrace scorching hot, even the heat of his palms was unbearable. Jiang Qingyu let out a muffled sound and tried pushing him away.
Fu Jingqiu’s breath brushed against the back of his neck and ear, still carrying the dampness of the bathroom.
“Is it too rough?”
Jiang Qingyu gasped, “No, don’t—”
But Fu Jingqiu had already gentled his movements, slowly soothing him with careful patience.
Yet Jiang Qingyu only found it more unbearable. His hips twisted restlessly against him, and after only a couple movements, the reaction behind him returned immediately.
Jiang Qingyu froze stiff.
Fu Jingqiu’s voice dropped low, as though afraid someone might hear them, yet he still had the composure to coax him softly.
“I’ve never done this for anyone before. If it feels uncomfortable, tell me right away.”
Like he’d ever been treated like this before either!
Jiang Qingyu grabbed Fu Jingqiu’s hand, panting. “Wait a second, I don’t need… just wait for me to calm down. It’ll pass soon.”
Fu Jingqiu comforted him gently. “It’s okay.”
Of course it’s okay for you—your hand’s not the one being held hostage!
Caught in Fu Jingqiu’s grip, Jiang Qingyu didn’t know whether to resist or surrender. He stammered helplessly for ages, but there was still absolutely no sign of calming down. Even more embarrassed, he futilely tried scooting away in the opposite direction, only for Fu Jingqiu to pull him right back while softly coaxing:
“Be good.”
Restrained, threatened from behind, stuck helplessly in the middle with nowhere to escape.
At first, there were still two layers of fabric between them.
But soon, nimble fingers slipped inside. The rough calluses rubbed against his soft skin, bringing a tingling, numbing sting.
As the movements continued, Jiang Qingyu suddenly felt a damp warmth beneath his earlobe. Fu Jingqiu, unable to restrain himself, had started kissing the skin near his ear—awkward and inexperienced, yet unable to stop—while his wrist continued moving.
Jiang Qingyu tried hiding deeper into the bed, but Fu Jingqiu followed close behind, leaving him nowhere left to retreat. Pressed against the inner side of the mattress, curled up tightly, muffled sounds spilled from his throat as he helplessly endured Fu Jingqiu’s tenderness.
The deadliest part was that while they were doing all this, the overhead lights were still on.
Even though Jiang Qingyu buried his face in the blankets like an ostrich trying to deceive itself, the occasional light leaking in still reminded him:
Fu Jingqiu could clearly see every single expression and reaction right now.
His loose, comfortable pajamas had shifted around from all the struggling, exposing part of his waist—a narrow stretch of pale skin. His abdomen was drawn tight enough for the faint muscle lines beneath the skin to show. Near his right hip sat a tiny red mole, small yet conspicuously eye-catching.
Jiang Qingyu couldn’t hold out for long.
It was too humiliating.
He had never experienced anything like this before.
In the haze of overwhelming sensation, Fu Jingqiu seemed to rub against him a few times. The movements weren’t subtle at all. Their hips pressed tightly together from behind, forcing Jiang Qingyu’s legs apart.
During those few thoughtless minutes, Fu Jingqiu had already wrapped an arm around his waist and peeled him out from under the blankets. Considerately, he asked:
“Want to take a shower?”
Jiang Qingyu’s whole body burned hot. He couldn’t speak.
Fu Jingqiu was still pressing against him.
“You…” Jiang Qingyu glared angrily. “You went to the bathroom yourself, but still insisted on helping me!”
Not fair!
Fu Jingqiu hugged him close. “I don’t want you helping me. It’d take too long. Your wrist would definitely hurt tomorrow.”
Holy shit, was that really something to brag about?!
Jiang Qingyu genuinely had no idea how to respond anymore.
When it came to actual experience, he was hopelessly inexperienced. Most of the things he’d seen online weren’t even his type. He’d always been picky, and very little ever caught his interest.
Even when handling things himself, he wasn’t especially dedicated. Sometimes he was too lazy and simply ignored it altogether, figuring it would calm down eventually anyway.
His roommates used to watch all kinds of stuff, but he never joined them. Let alone being held and helped by someone like this.
It was embarrassing.
The restlessness in his body still hadn’t fully faded, and at the same time he felt like something had fundamentally changed. The boundaries of intimacy were always broken little by little, and at their current level, this could really only count as an appetizer.
After symbolically struggling for a few more minutes, Jiang Qingyu finally screamed “whatever!” internally, closed his eyes, turned around, and hugged Fu Jingqiu. His dependence was obvious.
“I want to go to the bathroom.”
Fu Jingqiu understood the hidden meaning instantly. Tilting his head, he kissed Jiang Qingyu lightly at the corner of his forehead before effortlessly lifting him up one-handed.
Inside the still-steamy bathroom, there lingered faint traces of scent. Jiang Qingyu’s ears turned so red they looked ready to drip blood. He ordered Fu Jingqiu to fetch clean pajamas and underwear before hurriedly retreating into the shower again to clean himself up.
His legs still felt damp and cool, impossible to ignore.
Jiang Qingyu forced himself not to think too much and quickly finished cleaning up. He didn’t even know when Fu Jingqiu had entered. The bathroom had separate wet and dry sections. By the time Jiang Qingyu stepped out of the shower area, the clean pajamas had already been folded neatly on the rack.
Amid the swirling white steam, a blurry figure stood near the doorway, seemingly waiting for him.
Jiang Qingyu dried himself off and changed into the clean pajamas.
When he came out, he didn’t quite dare look at Fu Jingqiu. Having just done something so intimate together made things awkward. Keeping his head lowered, he muttered:
“You should… go take care of yourself too.”
Then he hurried back to the bedroom.
Back in the room, perhaps because they really had dirtied the bed—or maybe because he worried Jiang Qingyu would feel embarrassed—Fu Jingqiu had already changed the sheets and duvet covers entirely while Jiang Qingyu was showering.
Very considerate.
But Fu Jingqiu didn’t actually do anything in the bathroom afterward. Instead, he followed Jiang Qingyu back into the bedroom, his tone calm.
“Go to sleep.”
“Oh…” Jiang Qingyu didn’t dare ask why he hadn’t gone to “take care of it,” afraid Fu Jingqiu would once again honestly explain exactly how he felt. Then he still wouldn’t do anything about it, leaving them both stuck awkwardly here.
Surely he wasn’t hinting for Jiang Qingyu to help?
I mean… if he just asked directly, Jiang Qingyu wouldn’t refuse…
Filled with suspicion, Jiang Qingyu climbed into bed and instinctively burrowed toward the inner side while clutching the blanket. But Fu Jingqiu followed right after him, smoothly pulling him back into his arms beneath the covers, chest pressed against chest.
Jiang Qingyu closed his eyes. “You really…”
Fu Jingqiu lowered his head and kissed his hair. “It’s okay. It’ll calm down after a while.”
Like hell I believe that!
This man was seriously contradictory. When kissing him, he acted completely unrestrained, but now he was suddenly holding himself back again.
Jiang Qingyu’s breath brushed against the skin beneath Fu Jingqiu’s neck, dry and soft.
He’d barely spaced out for half a minute before Fu Jingqiu’s voice came from above him.
“Did you buy condoms?”
Holy shit. Holy shit!!
Jiang Qingyu’s entire body stiffened. He didn’t know whether to play dumb or confess honestly. He’d only told Fu Jingqiu he’d stocked up on supplies, but never specifically listed what kinds.
When he didn’t answer, Fu Jingqiu continued:
“If not, I’ll go out and buy some tomorrow.”
Silence. More silence.
Fu Jingqiu always spoke too directly. It sounded like casual conversation, but in reality he was calmly informing Jiang Qingyu:
Once they had everything prepared, certain things could happen.
Fu Jingqiu naturally knew he’d been somewhat impulsive tonight.
People had desires. That was normal.
He didn’t understand complicated distinctions like affection, straight versus gay, physical impulses versus lustful obsession. Anyway, he wanted to stay by Jiang Qingyu’s side. And since Jiang Qingyu liked him, that was even better.
They called it “trying things out,” but in reality they had already confirmed the relationship.
They could hug, kiss, touch.
Naturally, they could do other things too.
Once that realization formed in his mind, certain feelings became impossible to suppress.
This morning, Jiang Qingyu had rejected his kiss. Outwardly Fu Jingqiu hadn’t seemed affected, but every time he spoke to Jiang Qingyu afterward, he couldn’t help staring at his lips.
He wasn’t disgusted by anything happening between them.
In fact, he liked it very much.
Liked it enough to do all sorts of not-so-gentlemanly things in the quiet middle of the night.
Jiang Qingyu had been right about one thing:
Nighttime made people impulsive. Irrational.
But even so, Jiang Qingyu still hadn’t pushed him away.
Such a good kid.
Exactly the kind of young person Fu Jingqiu would’ve liked even in the past. Someone who looked all fierce and prickly on the outside, yet was actually soft-hearted and obedient. Always talking about rebelling, but whenever Fu Jingqiu seriously instructed him about something, he’d always listen in the end.
Held tightly in Fu Jingqiu’s embrace, even his legs were entangled together with the other man’s. The vibrations from Fu Jingqiu’s chest as he spoke made Jiang Qingyu’s own heart tremble too.
His voice came out very softly, almost inaudible.
“I… bought some.”
Ahhhhhhhhhhh!
Why did they have to discuss this so seriously?!
Enduring his embarrassment, Jiang Qingyu still said:
“We should… take it slow.”
Forgive him. Virgins were just like this. No matter how bold he sounded verbally, once it came to actually doing it, of course he’d be scared.
Besides, Fu Jingqiu wasn’t exactly some harmless little thing! Back at the hot spring hotel, Jiang Qingyu had indirectly “inspected the goods” already. It had been ridiculous, okay?!
He didn’t know what he was doing, and he was scared of pain, so naturally he hesitated.
And besides, Fu Jingqiu didn’t know what he was doing either. Two clueless rookies getting together—just imagining it sounded like it’d take a lot of effort.
But there were only the two of them in the RV. Once the soundproofing was turned on and the privacy curtains drawn, nobody would know what they were doing.
With weather this cold keeping them indoors, wouldn’t they have plenty of time to experiment… Wait, why was he starting to think about it too?!
Right as his thoughts wandered, his head was suddenly rubbed gently. Fu Jingqiu’s low chuckle sounded beside his ear.
Slow and unhurried, he reassured him:
“I’m not that impatient.”
It was simply a matter of time.
Nothing more than preparing in advance.
