No Ghosting Allowed

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Pei You quickly understood the implicit meaning in Zhou Qingbo’s words.

After all, he might be slow, but he wasn’t completely clueless. He naturally felt Zhou Qingbo’s bulge.

His gaze subconsciously flickered downward, but before he could fully understand the situation, Zhou Qingbo had already clung to him, sticky and adhesive.

“What do you say?” Zhou Qingbo’s voice softened as he negotiated.

Through the thin bathrobe, Pei You could clearly feel Zhou Qingbo’s heat. The skin, steamed by the water vapor, emitted a hint of moist heat, causing even the bathrobe to become warm.

The sudden warmth made Pei You shudder slightly. Subconsciously, he raised his hand and gripped Zhou Qingbo’s wrist, a conflict of emotions surging within him.

Pei You was introverted and traditional by nature. Although he didn’t reject further intimacy with his loved one, he had high standards for the timing. He felt that it should be the perfect moment, followed naturally and smoothly when the time was right.

But now… at this moment—

Pei You’s thoughts stalled for a moment. Suddenly, he realized that the present moment seemed to be sufficiently “natural and smooth.”

To be honest, the “rule” he had set during their blind date was partly due to his introverted nature. Even if he had feelings, it was difficult to put such a significant level of trust in a stranger in a short period. The other part was indeed because he and Zhou Qingbo were not familiar at that time. He had just casually mentioned a “reasonable” no go zone rule without overthinking.

However, now they were communicating their feelings openly, at a time when they were overflowing with tenderness and affection for each other. Sticking to unnecessary rules, not to mention Zhou Qingbo, even Pei You himself found it torturous and hard to do.

He, too, was a young adult with raging hormones. When he didn’t want to, it was fine, but now with Zhou Qingbo so close, so insistently snuggling against him, it was hard for Pei You not to have certain explicit thoughts.

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His Adam’s apple rolled, and he suddenly felt that the scent of Zhou Qingbo’s body wash had become particularly enticing.

“Pei You?” Zhou Qingbo whispered softly, “i need your answer—”

Seeing that Pei You didn’t respond, Zhou Qingbo became more assertive, leaning in closer, pressing gently against Pei You’s shoulder, and softly calling his name.

Zhou Qingbo was skilled at being playful and flirtatious, especially using this technique against Pei You. Pei You’s thoughts flickered for a moment, and his initial boundary began to falter.

“I…”

Pei You’s gaze darkened slightly. Unable to resist, he reached out and held Zhou Qingbo’s waist, pulling him into his embrace.

Sensing a slight hint of approval in this action, Zhou Qingbo’s eyes brightened, and he couldn’t help but tilt his head and kiss Pei You.

The strong scent of the shower gel in the bathroom hadn’t completely dissipated. Amidst the damp steam-filled room, Pei You engaged in a long kiss with Zhou Qingbo until they became dizzy, and then he subconsciously held onto Zhou Qingbo’s waist, turning him around to rest against the sink.

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“It’s okay, don’t worry,” Pei You nervously licked his lips, whispering, “I’ll be very careful.”

Zhou Qingbo: “…”

Zhou Qingbo had been content with Pei You’s cooperation until this moment, when he finally realized that something was off.

Pei You had one arm around his waist and the other hand gripping his wrist. Uncharacteristically, he seemed to have lost some control, as his grip was strong, leaving a slight sensation of pain on Zhou Qingbo’s skin.

“You…” Zhou Qingbo squinted his eyes slightly and whispered, “want to be on top?”

Pei You blinked, looked at him with confusion, and asked, “Do you want to?”

Zhou Qingbo: “…”

Oh no, Zhou Qingbo thought. He and Pei You were two inexperienced lovers who had never been in a relationship before. Naturally, they had forgotten to discuss whether they would both be active, and now they realized it was a problem only when they were already in the situation.

Miscalculated, Zhou Qingbo thought.

After a couple of seconds, Pei You also sensed something from this tense situation. He blinked, then looked at Zhou Qingbo again.

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“You…” He had intended to ask Zhou Qingbo about his preferences, but before he could finish his sentence, he saw Zhou Qingbo’s appearance through the misty mirror on the water’s surface.

Zhou Qingbo’s bathrobe had slipped off slightly during their kissing earlier. The collar had slid off his shoulder, revealing his back. The bruises on his back from the beating were mostly healed, but faint blue marks were still visible, crisscrossing his skin and looking particularly fierce.

Pei You was momentarily surprised, and his words took a different turn.

“You said you were just slapped a few times?” Pei You asked.

Zhou Qingbo also paused upon hearing this. He instinctively turned to look at the mirror and realized he had exposed his back. He then slightly turned his body to block Pei You’s view and leaned in to kiss him in a vague attempt to divert his attention.

“It’s not serious, it doesn’t hurt anymore,” Zhou Qingbo said casually. “I’m fine.”

He said it lightly, but Pei You couldn’t treat it as if everything was fine. His gaze couldn’t help but drift toward the mirror, and he felt a sour and uneasy feeling.

Zhou Qingbo was quite delicate and sensitive, and he was averse to pain. When he was hospitalized in Chongqing, he would hiss and hold Pei You’s hand every time his wounds were being cleaned. Once the bandages were changed, he would be drenched in sweat.

But this time, despite taking a beating, he hadn’t softened and hadn’t even come to Pei You to seek some comfort or ask for a few sweet words.

Pei You suddenly felt his heart softening uncontrollably. The already precarious balance in his heart quickly tipped in Zhou Qingbo’s favor, and he couldn’t retrieve it.

Finally, he looked at the misty mirror one last time. He felt his heart pounding, a deafening rhythm that seemed as if it would break free from the constraints of his ribs and burst out of his chest.

His heart raced, his limbs turned cold, and he nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Slowly, hesitatingly, he released the grip on Zhou Qingbo’s hand.

Suddenly, someone pulled the shower curtain closed again, and warm water poured down, quickly filling the bathroom with a thick layer of steam.

The wet shower curtain hung heavily outside the bathtub, swaying slightly as the water flowed, and occasional muffled, suppressed moans came from behind the curtain. However, these sounds were soon drowned out by the rushing water.

After an uncertain amount of time, a hand abruptly extended from the side of the curtain, grabbing onto the nearby sink. The hand was exceptionally attractive, long and fair, with distinct joints. The fingers initially relaxed against the stainless steel frame for a moment before suddenly exerting force and gripping the sink. The veins on the back of the hand stood out clearly.

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Then, the curtain trembled slightly, and another hand emerged from within, reaching out to hold onto the back of the first hand. Finger by finger, the two hands intertwined.

“You’re gripping it so tightly,” Zhou Qingbo quickly noticed Pei You’s actions and teased, “Won’t you break the sink..”

The bathroom was filled with steam, and the hot air was suffocating. Pei You took a labored breath and said, “N-no, I won’t—”

 Zhou Qingbo leaned against Pei You’s shoulder constantly thrusting hard behind him and playfully called out to him in a relaxed tone, repeating his name several times in an affectionate tone: “Pei, Pei You, You You…”

Being called in this manner made Pei You’s scalp tingle, but he managed to respond to each endearing iteration with difficulty amidst soft moans.

“I really like you,” Zhou Qingbo said softly.

“I like you too.” Pei You turned his head to look at Zhou Qingbo, who was leaning against his shoulder. He leaned in to press a kiss on Zhou Qingbo’s damp temple and whispered, “A lot.”

Zhou Qingbo felt that Pei You had a certain magic about him—although he wasn’t romantic and didn’t know sweet words, even his expressions of affection seemed to be straightforward and earnest. Hearing the most ordinary words coming from Pei You’s mouth felt sincere and had the power to melt his heart.

Unable to resist, Zhou Qingbo placed a kiss on the wet nape of Pei You’s neck and then hugged his shoulders, leaning in to kiss him.

The minty scent was strong and refreshing, so intense that it made them light-headed. The emerald jade pendant on Zhou Qingbo’s neck was free from its constraints, swaying lightly as if it were a hook, teasing and provoking Pei You intermittently.

The cool jade touched their skin, leaving a sticky sensation as it slid over. Zhou Qingbo slightly bent down, causing the green jade pendant to fall to Pei You’s back. It moved lightly, stirring up a delicate and distinct tickling sensation.

Pei You was teased multiple times by it, his back becoming numb. After a moment of enduring it, he couldn’t take it anymore. He reached out and grabbed the pendant.

“Do you like it?” Zhou Qingbo quickly noticed his action and said with a smile, “How about I give it to you?”

Pei You felt like he was being submerged in the increasingly thick mist, rendering him speechless. He nodded his head slightly, struggling to place the pendant against his lips for a kiss before holding it in his palm.

The hot water heater in the new apartment was installed during the renovation years ago and had become somewhat unresponsive with time. After prolonged use, the sound of the water became unpredictable, sometimes louder, sometimes quieter.

The bathroom was now even more filled with steam, and in the midst of their pleasurable gasps and moans, someone accidentally bumped into the sink. A bottle of new shower gel fell from the countertop, and its cap shattered on the hard tile floor, releasing the fragrance of lilacs that quickly permeated the room. The liquid flowed slowly from the bottle’s opening, sticky and heavy.

“It’s a pity,” Zhou Qingbo managed to spare a glance at the floor amidst the thrusting, embracing Pei You’s waist and softly saying, “We’ll need to buy a new bottle of shower gel tomorrow.”