Huo Ren seemed to be floating when he walked back. He didn’t know that he had already been kissed, and he was still thinking about that first kiss from a few minutes ago. It was gentle and lingering, and even the slightest breath felt like feathers tickling his heart.
He had finally experienced his first kiss. I finally… had my first kiss.
Huo Ren caught a glimpse of his own reflection on the glass wall, a smile on his face, and a hint of blush on his cheeks. He tried to push these emotions down, but he couldn’t help feeling guilty when he greeted someone.
When he found his way back to the field, everyone was playing horse riding in the open space. Chi Ji was feeding the horses with a bundle of lettuce leaves while chatting with Xie Lianyun. Mei Shengyao was video chatting with Mei Heng, who had just landed.
Long Jia gently helped Bo Jue onto a horse and asked, “Shall I ride with you?”
Bo Jue didn’t have good balance, and he struggled a bit when playing field hockey and performing in formal dance steps. He had always been carried on horseback in the estate.
“Is Ren Ren back?” Xie Lianyun asked halfway through his conversation when he noticed the captain’s unusual expression. “Where did you go? Are you okay?”
Huo Ren’s mind was still filled with their recent intimate moments, making him feel dizzy, but he maintained a calm facade. “I went out to take a phone call.”
Xie Lianyun raised an eyebrow, sensing that something was different about him compared to before.
On the other side, Long Jia mounted the horse with Bo Jue in his arms, circling the field slowly, being a gentleman in a gentle and steady manner.
“Hold the reins firmly,” he whispered softly by Bo Jue’s neck. “When you control it, keep your back straight and your center of gravity here…”
As his deep, velvety voice sounded, a warm breath brushed past Bo Jue’s ear, making him lose his composure. He was about to say something when suddenly, a flash of camera lights came from a distance.
“Can you believe it? There are reporters sneaking in for a scoop!” Other people were startled, but the reporter quickly glanced at them and ran for their life with their camera.
Several assistants were about to chase after the reporter, but Huo Ren stopped them. “No need to chase.”
“What? But…”
“It’s okay; it’s even better this way,” Huo Ren reclined in his chair, covered with a small blanket, his voice lazy. “The next episode of ‘Crown Prosecutor’ airs the day after tomorrow. This way, we save money on advertising.”
The lone reporter who had taken the risk to capture such a sensational story couldn’t believe his luck. He hurriedly reported the news to his boss, trembling with excitement. “Boss, look at this! They were riding a horse together and whispering secrets. They were about to kiss; this is definitely…”
The boss of the news agency remembered the pressure from Director Bai and decided not to offend anyone lightly. So, he offered a 20% discount on the market price for the scoop and decided to test the waters with Uncle Jiang.
The 20% discount for the hush money was just a test, and if the situation didn’t feel right, they could always destroy the information for free, earning some goodwill in the process.
Uncle Jiang received the call while still enjoying hotpot with the six of them.
“Well, just go ahead and publish it, it doesn’t matter,” he casually responded.
“What?!” The newspaper boss suddenly began to doubt his judgment. “So, should we publish it then?”
“Thanks,” Uncle Jiang said as he continued to dip slices of beef into the hotpot. “It’s no big deal.”
The newspaper boss was left puzzled.
The next morning, the headline “#LongJiaBoJueSuspectedRomanceExposed#” made it to the news headlines.
The newspaper boss was a straight shooter, and the reporter’s perspective was pure gossip. It mentioned moments like holding hands and kissing the back of the hand during a concert, as well as riding horses together. The article insinuated, “Are they a gay couple??”
Fans of Long Jia and Bo Jue went wild, immediately flooding the comment sections to support their idols.
@YoungMasterDragonFang: Don’t take away my Dragon Brother without an appointment [smile]. Are these CP shippers still trying to make money off our fandom? Isn’t it enough to ship two members within the group?
@RadiantLight: Please support my brother’s work [flowers][flowers]. Why are some fans leaving hateful comments?
For dedicated fans, this kind of speculation was almost an insult to their idols and themselves. They cared more about how many resources their beloved idol would receive this year, whether they would be treated well during on-screen performances, and if they would be exploited by other agencies for publicity.
In the face of their interests, they didn’t believe in romance at all.
To dedicated fans, any rumored romantic partner for their idol was like a wicked stepmother taking over. It was nearly impossible for them to genuinely wish happiness for anyone involved.
The Long family disliked Bo Jue for switching from being a pianist to a dancer, as if he were just a talentless freeloader in the Crown group. Meanwhile, the Bo family couldn’t stand Long Jia for being overly marketed, as if he lacked the ethereal qualities of their own brother and didn’t understand classical music.
A high-definition GIF of them riding together on a horse was quickly shared all over social media, driving both Long and Bo’s fans and even casual observers to scream in excitement. The fans of both sides had already started quarreling behind the scenes. But no matter what, they all agreed that the marketing team had to pay for this mess!
Following this, “Crown Prosecutor” returned to the airwaves, and the top rumor on the charts was the news of their romance.
When Bo Jue saw the bold red headline, his pupils slightly contracted. Long Jia sat beside him, smiling as he spoke up on his behalf.
“It’s love,” Long Jia said.
Bo Jue paused for a moment and then followed the script they had prepared last year, clearing all suspicions.
“Yes,” he said with a faint smile. “It’s love.”
The timing of this playful exchange was just perfect.
When fans saw the statement, they paradoxically breathed a sigh of relief, while shippers felt bewildered and even angry.
The line between truth and falsehood was blurred.
Shippers were all about denying the obvious, and the more they tried to cover up, the more real it seemed. Their straightforward acknowledgment of their love now made it seem like their previous hand-holding and horseback riding were all forcefully presented acts of sweetness, instantly losing their charm and feeling rather nauseating.
“Ugh! I’m done shipping this! You two shouldn’t be promoting BL!!”
“Clearly, Dragon Bro is a straight guy… Are those who ship this couple idiots?”
“…This kind of joke is so cheesy, and now you’re talking about love? Can’t believe you guys.”
Huo Ren felt a sense of relief in his heart, as if he had finally seen his two brothers reach a safe zone as he watched the live chat.
After the broadcast ended, the six of them returned to the seventeenth floor, and Chi Ji had some hidden worries.
“All those comments were pretty harsh; are you guys okay…”
Long Jia softly said, “We should have done this earlier. It can help Little Bo relax a bit.”
He was trying to provide his lover with a sense of security, even if it came at the cost of ridicule and denial from the outside world, it didn’t matter.
Bo Jue was scrolling through the topic feed and remained silent for a moment.
He did feel oddly relieved at this inopportune moment.
As shipper fans lamented together and media outlets tried to find the next big story, a few diehard fans were still arguing with rival fandoms, debating who was sucking whose blood.
“Tomorrow is Chinese Valentine’s Day,” he said slowly. “Jia Jia, can you come see me at 8 o’clock in the evening? I have a gift I want to give you.”
Long Jia, who had been feeling upset and uncomfortable, suddenly forgot about all the chaos.
“A gift?!” He sat up abruptly and then regretfully made a sound of frustration. “I got so busy with training that I forgot to buy you one!”
“It’s okay,” Bo Jue whispered. “Tomorrow is Chinese Valentine’s Day, and we’ll have time to exchange gifts then.”
Huo Ren, who had been checking his phone for updates, choked on his drink upon hearing this.
“I… I forgot too.”
“Oh—” Mei Shengyao reached out from behind and rubbed his brother’s face. “You were with Boss Pei yesterday—”
Huo Ren’s memory instantly flashed back, and he felt like his head was about to explode.
“I… I kissed him.”
All members were in shock for a few seconds and then nearly flipped over the seventeenth-floor ceiling.
“Ren!! Ren!! You actually!!!”
“Damn it! Boss Pei, you’re unbelievable!!!”
“How did it happen? Where did it happen? Tell me, tell me, ahhhhh!!!”
“It happened in a corner, it was really dark, and there was no one around.”
Everyone leaned in eagerly, “Ohhh…”
Chi Ji raised his hand and asked, “French kiss or a wet kiss?”
Huo Ren tried to control his breathing, “French kiss… it lasted for about five minutes, and when we were leaving, we kissed again.”
“Wow!!!”
“Whew… Ren Ren…”
“Boss Pei is really skilled, huh?”
Huo Ren nodded slightly, “He’s really good.”
“My silly little brother…” Xie Lianyun sighed, “You’re going to be devoured sooner or later.”
Bo Jue finally smiled when he heard this, and his tense shoulders relaxed a bit.
“As long as you’re happy.”
“I told him that this was just a one-time thing,” Huo Ren, fearing he might appear neglectful, said earnestly, “We won’t do it again in the future. We’ll focus on work and talk about our relationship later.”
Everyone teased and playfully rubbed his face and hair.
“Kiss! How many times do you want to kiss!”
At 8 o’clock in the evening, Long Jia stopped working on his song, straightened his tie, and knocked on the door across from him.
When he had said those words to the camera earlier today, he had been feeling conflicted and unsure, but now, none of that mattered.
As he waited for the door to open, humming a song with his hands in his pockets, he couldn’t help but wonder, What gift will Little Bo Teacher give me?
For his birthday, it had been a music box, which was now sitting on his bedside table. There was also a teddy bear plush and a silk tie… Little Bo Teacher always had excellent taste, and he loved everything he received.
Finally, the sound of footsteps approached the door, and the voice on the other side sounded a bit unsteady.
“Long Jia… is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me,” Long Jia said, smiling broadly. “Happy Chinese Valentine’s Day.”
The room door cracked open just a bit, and Bo Jue was hiding behind it, his voice barely audible, “Come in.”
“Huh?”
Long Jia entered the room, closed the door behind him, and then saw Bo Jue wearing a golden robe.
The beautiful man had just taken a bath, and there was a faint scent of evening fragrance all around him. He had long hair that cascaded down his shoulders, and his body’s contours were perfectly outlined.
Yesterday, he had danced alone in this robe, wielding a folding fan, and his ink-black hair floated in the mist while his clothes swayed gracefully. His long eyelashes resembled raven feathers.
Long Jia had stored plenty of photos and videos from that performance, and now he felt like he was about to burst, hiding his phone under the covers.
“Uh…,” Bo Jue lowered his head and couldn’t look at him, whispering softly, “Do you want to unwrap your gift?”
His disheveled hair hung over his shoulder, and every curve of his shoulder blades and waist was clearly visible. Because he wasn’t wearing anything underneath the robe, only this garment covered him.
Long Jia was stunned for a few seconds, quickly removed his tie, and turned the doorknob to lock it from the outside.
Then, somewhat flustered, he embraced Bo Jue and gave him a kiss.
“Xiao Jue,” he called in a hoarse voice, “Xiao Jue, I didn’t expect…”
They had tried this last November during their vacation, and it hadn’t gone quite smoothly. Bo Jue had ended up in pain with a pale face.
Later, with busy work schedules and one thing after another, they had put this matter aside to avoid causing each other more trouble.
“Last time, it was because it wasn’t dilated enough,” Bo Jue blushed deeply, biting his lip as he handed the slender ribbon around his waist to Long Jia, “This time… just be gentle.”
Long Jia took a deep breath as he held Bo Jue in his arms, and before untying the ribbon, he gently nibbled the soft skin of Bo Jue’s neck.
“I’m not going back to my room tonight.”
“Uh… yeah,” Bo Jue buried his face in his chest, speaking with a low, husky voice, “Whatever you want to do.”
Huo Ren went to the sixteenth floor with a peculiar mix of emotions.
Even though they had kissed, he still felt like seeing him again required some acting skills to maintain the teacher-student disguise. But he just wanted to sneak a peek.
However, there was only security personnel on the sixteenth floor.
“Looking for Boss Pei?” The security guard, munching on a snack, was playing games. “Boss Pei is leaving on a flight tomorrow. He’s still in a meeting right now.”
Huo Ren had been thinking about what to give on Chinese Valentine’s Day, and now, finding out that Boss Pei would be leaving again left him feeling a bit frustrated.
Why does he have to leave again?
He responded with a muted acknowledgment and had no motivation to practice his dance any longer, so he headed back to his room to sleep.
“Hey, by the way, when you guys go to Hongzhou tomorrow, it’s Terminal 3 at the airport,” Wei Jie casually mentioned, “Uncle Jiang said he might give you a lift on the way.”
“Got it.”
When he returned to the seventeenth floor, Xie Lianyun was engrossed in playing games on his phone with Chi Ji.
Huo Ren didn’t play games and quietly sat beside them, peeling and slicing an apple and an orange. Suddenly, he realized that two people were missing from the dormitory.
“Where’s Jue-ge?” he asked.
Xie Lianyun made a meaningful “hush” sound.
Huo Ren didn’t understand, so he turned his head to look in the direction of the bedroom. There, he saw a deep blue tie hanging on the door handle.
“Yun-ge, who left the tie there?”
Mei Shengyao chuckled.
Xie Lianyun attempted to change the topic and used a voice changer to speak in a girly voice while scolding, “You jungler, do you even know how to play? You’re so terrible!!”
Huo Ren realized that this was an innuendo and said in a lowered voice, “Yun-ge?”
“Ren Ren, you’re already an adult,” Xie Lianyun said with a deadpan expression as he glanced at him. “There are some things you can search for on Baidu.”
Chi Ji nodded with a mischievous smile, “Indeed.”
Why do they all know more than I do…
A certain genius and top student pulled out his phone and did a quick search. When he confirmed his suspicions, he let out a sigh of relief.
They’re all adults, and doing something enjoyable is perfectly normal. Mei Shengyao waved his hand, “Relax, the soundproofing in this room is really good, Ren-ge, want to have an orange?”
Huo Ren’s ears were bright red.
Damn it, I won’t be able to catch up with my progress again.
How can I possibly catch up with something like this?!
-2-
Before going to bed, Huo Ren lay awake, lost in thought for a long time.
He had dreamed many times before, but they were all vague imaginings, not vivid experiences.
Out of a sense of righteousness, he never secretly listened to his brothers’ activities on the other side of the room. However, before falling asleep, he tossed and turned for a while, and suddenly began to wonder how wonderful it would be if the tie hanging outside the door belonged to him.
If his teacher were hiding in his room, and they kissed, embraced, and did that thing with hushed voices…
The little wolf cub was tormented and frustrated, wrapping himself tightly before forcing himself to sleep.
Damn it, I shouldn’t have fallen for him.
The next day, when they got on the car again, Bo Jue was snuggled up in his boyfriend’s arms in the backseat, and Xie Lianyun and Long Jia were grinning as they exchanged knowing looks. Huo Ren chose to sit in a different spot, avoiding getting close to Boss Pei.
“Come back here!” Uncle Jiang scoffed. “You’re tall, don’t you always sit next to Boss Pei? Why are you changing seats now?”
Boss Pei also gave him a casual glance.
“Boss Pei will be going abroad for several months again, and we just happen to be passing by the airport,” Uncle Jiang, sitting in the front passenger seat, stared at the group of young rascals. “You’ve been bothering him a lot for the past three months, where are your manners?”
“Th-thank you, Boss Pei!”
Huo Ren was forced to sit beside the man, trying to squeeze closer to the window and avoiding sitting next to him.
They had agreed that after the kiss, they shouldn’t get too close. Right now, they had a purely teacher-student relationship, and there was no romance involved.
As the chauffeur-driven car sped up, several of them observed in secret, the couple in the middle remained strangely silent, and only Uncle Jiang was crooning along to the latest popular folk EDM song, “Drunk Baby.”
Huo Ren suddenly felt like the class monitor caught dating under the eyes of the headteacher, and he had just kissed the elite lecturer and director.
Listening to the wind outside, he both hoped to interact more with Boss Pei and instinctively wanted to stay away.
—Even if nothing was happening right now.
After sitting for more than ten minutes, he didn’t even touch his phone, just sat beside the man in a daze, unconsciously replaying the memory of that deep kiss in his mind.
His fingers suddenly touched a small box.
Huo Ren snapped out of his reverie, turned his head to look at him, and reached out to take the small box.
The man mouthed “Happy Qixi” and his eyes were filled with a gentle smile.
I actually have a gift too!
Huo Ren quickly sat up straight and looked at the box he received. It was a bottle of Armani Ocean Di Gio, the same fragrance that Boss Pei often used.
He almost thought the man had made a mistake.
Why would you give me your scent… Wait a minute?
Huo Ren held the box tightly and first glanced at Uncle Jiang, who was still singing and playing with his phone, then at Boss Pei, and they communicated through lip-reading.
“I forgot to bring it for you,” Huo Ren said silently.
Boss Pei was in the process of opening a folder, his fingers brushing across the data sheets, long and slender.
“It’s okay, you can make up for it,” he replied silently.
Huo Ren realized that this man was blurring his boundaries to the point where he could hardly see them anymore, and yet, his heart was leaning toward him uncontrollably.
“What do you want then?” Huo Ren whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
Boss Pei pondered for a few seconds, then spoke aloud, “You see, there are a few issues with these data.”
“Data?”
“Yes, look at this line graph. I think it needs further analysis…”
The man raised an A3 folder completely open, acting as a barrier to block the front row’s view, and angled his body to avoid the curious glances from the backseat.
With a smiling gaze and silent lip movements, he conveyed his message.
“Kiss me.”
Huo Ren never expected that he would dare to flirt with him in front of their manager. His brain went blank for half a second.
“Ren Ren,” the man said slowly, using lip movements, “I only want this.”
Huo Ren held his breath, leaned in quickly, and kissed him gently, trying not to make any suggestive sounds.
His lips were warm, soft, and addictive.
“Good boy,” Boss Pei said, licking his lips in front of him, then turned his head to continue studying the chart data. “What do you think?”
“It’s a function error,” Huo Ren said, not even looking at the chart, still lost in thought while watching him. His voice was slightly hoarse. “The third term is missing the power of descent.”
He used to see Boss Pei as a mentor, keeping a respectful distance in his heart. The admiration had kept him at arm’s length.
But now that their hearts were connecting, many of the old appearances were silently breaking down.
Boss Pei had always presented himself as a mature and responsible figurehead in front of others. He made decisions, controlled the situation, and guided the smooth operation of several companies.
But he could also be sweet, affectionate, a sexy man, and a dangerous lover.
Huo Ren had cautiously admired him for a long time in the past, but now that he was getting closer, he was quietly analyzing and learning more.
His intuition in his mind declared that the other person was also secretly infatuated with him.
This idea was bold and somewhat self-centered, but he didn’t back down.
There were still forty minutes left before they reached the airport expressway.
Huo Ren got up, took a soft blanket, and spread it out to cover himself and the man beside him.
“I’m going to take a nap.”
Boss Pei had been silently observing every move of Huo Ren. When they leaned against each other, his neck turned slightly red. Then, under the blanket, he felt the slightly cool back of a slender hand resting on his thigh, as if by accident.
He quickly glanced at Huo Ren, pretending to be asleep, and held his breath.
Then, he cautiously moved his left hand closer, feeling awkward, as if it were a couple’s first attempt to hold hands in a movie theater.
“Xiao Pei, what’s the deal with that new company of yours?” Uncle Jiang asked, tilting his head and glancing at him before turning to look at Huo Ren, who was sound asleep beside him. “He really falls asleep wherever he goes.”
“It’s a short-video platform,” Pei Ruye replied.
As he spoke, their handbacks brushed against each other, and simultaneously, they intertwined their fingers. Both palms were warm.
“A short-video platform?” Uncle Jiang wondered. “With Nightfire Live being so successful right now, why would you want to start a short-video platform? Is it more profitable?”
Pei Ruye focused on sliding his fingertip lightly over the back of Huo Ren’s hand, answering calmly, “It’s a different field, with a different nature.”
Huo Ren lay still, pretending to be asleep, while all his senses involuntarily concentrated on their fingertips.
He had been practicing the guitar for a long time, and his fingertips had developed calluses, making them rougher compared to the man’s smoother fingertips. Nevertheless, hands were the most sensitive part of the body, and even a gentle touch felt like an electric current coursing from his fingertips to his entire body.
As they chatted with his manager, Pei Ruye continued to explore the lines of his palm with his fingertips, gradually moving deeper.
His touch was patient and meticulous, a mix of affectionate caresses and desire.
Huo Ren had to control his breathing to prevent any unusual sounds from escaping.
He was grateful that the blanket was fluffy and large enough to conceal any anomalies.
The chauffeur drove the car smoothly along the highway, and their teammates in the back seat slept soundly.
Meanwhile, he was holding hands with his lover, and their fingers entwined, fingers and knuckles intertwined.
The forty minutes passed by quickly.
After they arrived, Uncle Jiang led them to the VIP lounge to have coffee and discuss the arrangements for the Qixi Festival event with the brand.
Xie Lianyun and Mei Shengyao leaned in closer to Huo Ren to gossip quietly.
“You guys didn’t talk much during the trip.”
“Boss Pei will be away for several months this time. Are you sure you want to be so distant from him?”
Huo Ren stirred his coffee with one hand and replied nonchalantly, “We’re quite restrained.”
They never got carried away. They were always very restrained.
The author has something to say:
Will you get tired of the sweetness that continues for several chapters? Well, anyway, Old Pei is going on a business trip, so we’ll have to set the stage for several chapters, hmm√
This man may look like a proper gentleman, but he’s actually quite sly. Fortunately, our Huo Huo, can tease him back√
Too bad versatile couples are just a myth, Huoren will be eaten to the bones 😫