CH 32

Perhaps it was because of the unfamiliar thoughts conveyed to him by Tang Xu’s few words that Tang Cuo had been truly enjoying himself without any inhibitions these past few days. Despite the freezing weather, they had expressed a desire to eat popsicles from Mader’s, so the two of them put on gloves, pulled down their masks, and walked while each holding a popsicle and taking bites. They walked along Central Street to the end, passing by the Anti-Flood Memorial Monument, until they reached the bank of the Songhua River, where Tang Cuo was pleasantly surprised to find that the frozen surface of the Songhua River had turned into a huge playground. Tang Cuo tried out all sorts of entertainment facilities, including ice slides, sleds, and motorbikes with air cushions.

It was only on the third evening after they arrived in Harbin that they finally went to the Ice and Snow World because Tang Cuo said that the most exciting part should be saved for later. There were many people at the entrance of the Ice and Snow World, and Tang Cuo stretched his neck to look at the ticket purchasing rules displayed at the window. After reading them one by one, he took out something from his backpack and handed it to Tang Xu.

Tang Xu lowered his gaze, and his expression became somewhat difficult to describe. “What?”

“It’s a student ID for a discount,”

“…” Tang Xu reached out and pushed it back to him. “No need.”

Tang Cuo didn’t quite understand and asked curiously, “Why not?” He looked at the sign again to confirm, “It does offer a discount.”

There were two tourists trying to squeeze past Tang Cuo from behind, and Tang Xu noticed and used his arm to shield him, preventing him from being jostled by the crowd. Seeing that Tang Cuo was still stubbornly considering buying a ticket, Tang Xu directly took his student ID and stuffed it into his backpack.

“Hey…” 

Tang Xu leaned against his shoulder, preventing him from moving, and then lowered his body, whispering in his ear, “Let’s come and play; you buy a student ticket, and I buy an adult ticket. Don’t you think it’s a bit strange?”

Tang Cuo furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. “What’s so strange about it?”

“I’m here with my boyfriend, but if you buy a student ticket, I feel like I’m kidnapping a student for a trip,” Tang Xu said with a hint of humour.

Capturing the word “boyfriend,” Tang Cuo’s gaze froze for two seconds. He turned his head away embarrassedly, pretending to feel around the people in front of him in the queue. “Then let’s buy adult tickets…”

In fact, there weren’t many things to do in Harbin. They had already explored everything in the four days they had spent there. Standing in the bathroom, Tang Cuo realized after taking off his clothes that this was their last night. Tomorrow, they will be heading back to Beijing.

The water from the faucet trickled down with low pressure, forming a string of droplets that fell onto the ground and shattered into countless individual drops again. Tang Cuo stared at the ripples spreading on the ground, lost in thought as he finally grasped the meaning of parting, just like the first time he experienced it during his previous travels.

Adding the word “last” as a prefix to any noun would inevitably bring a sense of loss and sadness—the last movie, the last embrace, the last feast, the last night. Tang Cuo was reluctant to leave this place. These days, he had been living in such comfort and leisure that he unintentionally let go of many burdens that had weighed on his heart for too long. This feeling of lightness was something he had been missing for a long time, so he was unwilling to let it slip away from his grasp.

After feeling a bit down, Tang Cuo finished his shower only to awkwardly realize that he had forgotten to bring his underwear. He stared at his boxers for a long moment, hesitating, before finally slumping his shoulders and reluctantly picking them up. He had planned to go commando for now and secretly put on his underwear when Tang Xu was taking a shower later.

But just as he was about to get dressed, the bathroom door was pushed open, and Tang Xu stood at the doorway, holding a pair of underwear in his hand.

“I was looking for my clothes and noticed that you seem to have forgotten your underwear,” Tang Xu said casually.

Tang Cuo was completely naked, and he was naturally alarmed by Tang Xu’s sudden intrusion. On the other hand, Tang Xu seemed surprisingly calm as he walked in slowly, placing the underwear on the vanity, and then closing the door.

He closed the door?

Tang Cuo stood there, looking at him in bewilderment. Shouldn’t he have left?

The bathroom was still filled with mist from the hot shower, clinging to the soft yellow light and creating a hazy and ambiguous atmosphere.

Tang Cuo twisted his body, trying to avoid Tang Xu’s gaze, but being completely naked, no matter how he twisted, he could only change the angle to showcase his naked body. He felt extremely embarrassed, holding his sleepwear to cover himself as much as possible, and hesitantly asked the person in front of him, “Aren’t you going out…?”

Tang Xu smiled and approached him.

“Have you been having fun these days?”

This question was clearly untimely in the current situation, and all untimely questions usually have two sources: either it’s because it’s been bottled up for a long time and has to be asked, or it’s impromptu and has a hidden agenda.

Tang Xu was clearly the latter.

Tang Cuo had just hastily responded with a sentence and was fumbling to put on his clothes when a hand suddenly pulled the clothes from his hand. Immediately after, Tang Xu came up from behind and wrapped his arms around him with fluid motions. His lips pressed against Tang Cuo’s shoulder. The thin petals of their lips pressed against the delicate flower of his skin, causing Tang Cuo to shudder.

Tang Xu kissed his unique tattoos with rising and falling motions until Tang Cuo’s heart was in complete chaos. Finally, trembling, Tang Cuo murmured, “Tang Xu…”

He could feel something hard pressing against his back, even through the layers of fabric, and the scorching heat of it made him restless. What made him feel even more embarrassed was that, despite feeling ashamed, he still craved it. He dared not affirm what he desired, because in his eyes, such a desire would be blasphemy against Tang Xu, as if he were imposing his own unworthiness on Tang Xu.

Tang Xu reached out and touched the thing that had just trembled and risen in front of Tang Cuo. As soon as he made contact, Tang Cuo seemed to be triggered like a switch, and his rationality overcame the restless desire. He sobbed and tried to break free from Tang Xu’s embrace.

“Sihang,” Tang Xu tightened his arm around him and pecked his face while soothing him softly, “Let’s give it a try; I’ll help you; it will feel good.”

With his eyes closed, Tang Cuo avoided looking at his own reflection in the mirror. The increasing pressure from Tang Xu behind him became more and more distinct, making every inch of his skin burn intensely. Seeing his flustered state, Tang Xu raised one hand to cover his eyes while his other hand’s movements did not stop.

“We won’t look then; just feel it properly,” Tang Xu said softly.

Tang Cuo let out two faint hums from his throat, still suppressing his desires but with a hint of affection in his demeanour.

As the stimulation from below grew more intense, Tang Cuo’s body gradually softened, and he leaned against Tang Xu, tilting his head back to rest on Tang Xu’s shoulder. His neck formed a resilient arc, and though his eyes were tightly closed, it seemed as if he could see the myriad colors of the world. He had never tried any form of release other than masturbation, and being held by Tang Xu at this moment felt like falling into a sea of desires, floating and sinking, completely unaware of his surroundings. As he approached the climax, Tang Cuo became even more helpless. He reached out and grabbed Tang Xu’s arm, gripping it tightly as if holding on to a life-saving log. His voice, trembling with emotion and filled with grievances, called out, “Tang Xu…”

His voice quivered, tinged with tears. Many times, it seemed like these were the only two words he could utter.

Tang Xu couldn’t resist kissing Tang Cuo’s ear, which caused Tang Cuo to tremble even more uncontrollably. Tang Xu released the hand that was covering Tang Cuo’s eyes and wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling his tense body even closer. “I’m here.”

As the release finally came, Tang Cuo felt all the strength leave his body. His legs went weak, and his mind went blank as he leaned against Tang Xu. When he opened his eyes, everything was still blurry. Before he could fully regain his senses, Tang Xu turned him around and kissed him again.

“Mmm…”

Tang Xu’s kiss was different from usual, filled with impatient desire.

“Feels good?” he asked between breaths. Tang Cuo looked at the face in front of him, still dazed, and nodded.

The bright light illuminated Tang Cuo’s lips, making them glisten.

Tang Xu’s heart raced as he bit down again, kneading Tang Cuo’s waist with his hand, leaving Tang Cuo weak and unable to recover from the aftermath of the climax for a long time.

Listening to the sound of water running in the bathroom, Tang Cuo stared at the ceiling with annoyance.

Tang Xu walked over in his sleepwear, lifting the blanket and bringing in a cool breeze. Tang Cuo watched him silently as he turned off the lights. Before Tang Xu could reach out to embrace him, Tang Cuo leaned in on his own.

“Why… are you taking a cold shower?” Tang Cuo asked in a low voice.

Tang Xu paused, then chuckled softly, “Of course, to cool down.”

“No…” Tang Cuo’s tone was somewhat urgent: “I mean… don’t you have me…?”

Towards the end of his sentence, Tang Cuo’s voice almost turned into a soft whimper. The sounds of the night seemed to be amplified several times, and Tang Cuo could even hear the faint creaking of the mattress due to deformation.

Tang Xu lifted the hem of his sleepwear, and his hand touched Tang Cuo’s waist. The words he spoke sounded deliberately provocative, as if he already knew the answer: “What do you mean?”

“I can help you… with my hand,” Tang Cuo hesitated for a moment, then stammered, “or I can do… if you want…”

Tang Cuo’s face turned bright red in the darkness, and although Tang Xu couldn’t see it clearly, he could still sense it.

Before Tang Xu could speak, he felt something soft press against his lips, accompanied by a slight trembling that Tang Cuo was trying to suppress. It was the first time Tang Cuo had taken the initiative to kiss him. Tang Xu held onto Tang Cuo’s waist and buttocks, lifting him up slightly so that he wouldn’t strain himself too much.

Tang Xu’s response was different from his impatience in the bathroom earlier. It was gentle, slow, and lingering. Even so, this kiss still completely disrupted Tang Cuo’s breathing. After they separated, Tang Cuo rubbed against Tang Xu’s shoulder and remained silent. Every time they had any intimate contact, he couldn’t control his desire. In such a short time, he was already feeling aroused.

“What’s wrong?” Tang Xu raised his hand and scratched his chin, teasing him like a little puppy.

Tang Cuo rubbed against him a few more times, then after a while, he muttered, “You don’t have to do anything…

Tang Xu chuckled softly, kissed Tang Cuo’s forehead, and hugged him, saying, “Not now.”

“Why not?” Tang Cuo asked.

Tang Xu found a comfortable position, played with a strand of Tang Cuo’s hair, and said, “Maybe when you stop buying student tickets, I won’t have reservations about our teacher-student relationship.”

When it came to issues related to Tang Xu, Tang Cuo had his own way of thinking. He was used to putting himself in the “wrong” position, blaming himself for mistakes, and being paranoid and unreasonable. So after a moment of silence, he asked in a somewhat subdued tone, “Are you finding me too young?”

Tang Xu couldn’t help but laugh and cry as he held the other’s face and made him look at himself. “I despise myself for being too old, and my heart is filled with a sense of guilt for feeling tempted by a young boy. And moreover… if it’s you helping me, it won’t be so simple to just end it. So, I want to wait until you’re fully prepared.”

The husky voice sounded even more sensual in the adornment of the night. Desire is the most honest emotion.