At half-past two in the afternoon, the property manager who was conducting a census of short term residents concluded their registration work in Unit 6-3 of Building A and once again rode the elevator up to the sixteenth floor. They knocked on the door of unit 1607.
According to the records provided by the property, unit 1607 had been successfully rented out a week ago. The new tenant had paid the rent deposit and moved in officially a few days ago.
Being a weekend, there should have been someone at home. However, when the property manager visited at noon, the door of 1607 was tightly shut. They had stood at the door, knocking for a good ten minutes, yet received no response.
Moreover, the phone number left by the new tenant was unreachable as well. The property staff attempted to contact them again, but unfortunately, the outcome remained the same. In the end, they regretfully crossed out 1607 in their records, added “unknown” in the notes column, closed the folder, and headed back to the lobby.
Meanwhile, just one door away from the corridor, unit 1607 was in a state of chaos, as if it had been ransacked.
The shattered shower gel bottle still lay in the bathroom, the liquid having spilled onto the tiles, sticking slightly to the gaps between them.
Watermarks remained on the tiles, while the steam on the mirror had dried. However, a corner of the mirror was smudged, leaving an inconspicuous handprint.
In the adjacent bedroom, the door was wide open. Several pieces of clothing were scattered messily on the wooden floor, and a pair of slippers were strewn about. They were buried beneath a crumpled bathrobe.
The window was partially open, and the cool autumn breeze filtered in through the gap, causing the curtains by the window to sway gently.
The bedroom was quiet, with only a faint, rhythmic sound of breathing audible. A thick autumn duvet covered the large bed, concealing everything beneath it.
After an unknown amount of time, the duvet shifted slightly, and a hand emerged from within.
Pei You felt like he had just emerged from a chaotic dream.
He couldn’t quite recall what had happened in the dream. All he vaguely remembered was that he had been tied and thrown into a lake, and the rising water continuously engulfed him. His chest felt tight, his vision darkened, and he struggled to breathe. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t escape as his hands were bound, and the more he struggled, the tighter the ropes became.
His limbs felt heavy, and even moving his fingers was difficult. After struggling in this chaotic and disordered dream for a while, he finally sensed a bright and dazzling light.
The warmth of the afternoon was causing the air to steam as it absorbed moisture. Sunlight filtered through his thin eyelids, leaving a faint pink halo. The lingering and intense scent of lilies hadn’t completely vanished from the air. It permeated the entire room, seeping in everywhere.
Pei You gradually regained his conciousness, and the memories from the previous night came flooding back. He looked around, his hand blocking the sunlight streaming in from the window. His eyes scanned the room, and he finally spotted the “culprit” behind his strange dream.
Beside him, Zhou Qingbo was nestled in the duvet, sound asleep. His brows were relaxed, and his body lay sprawled over Pei You’s, his arm encircling Pei You’s chest. His head rested on Pei You’s shoulder, contently, resembling a black dragon that clung tightly to its treasure.
Pei You: “…”
No wonder I had that dream, Pei You thought. He really held onto me too tightly.
Whether it was a lack of security or excessive possessiveness, Zhou Qingbo’s embrace had been remarkably strong and tight since he first initiated intimacy. Pei You felt slightly uncomfortable under the pressure, and he couldn’t help but shift slightly, attempting to ease Zhou Qingbo’s grip.
However, he had barely adjusted his position, and before he could even exert any force, he couldn’t help but let out a soft hiss and low groan. He felt his muscles all over his body stiff and numb, from his waist to his legs, a tingling sensation that was more intense than the soreness of hiking thirty thousand steps.
Pei You: “…”
Last night, he should have called it quits in time, Pei You thought.
During his college days, Pei You had heard his roommate make suggestive remarks, saying that one of the most unfortunate people in the world was a virgin who had remained so for many years. He hadn’t really taken it seriously until last night when he suddenly realized the depth of that statement.
As soon as Zhou Qingbo let loose, he became voracious, with very little self-control. Unfortunately, Pei You was also weak-willed, and despite wanting to stop several times, he was constantly persuaded and coaxed by Zhou Qingbo each time. He could only let him do as he pleased, satisfying his appetite.
Even until now, Pei You still felt a sensation as if he was being touched by that emerald bamboo pendant, a feeling of tingling that was both real and imagined. It made his back go numb and his muscles tense.
Pei You: “…”
Next time, he couldn’t let things go like this again, Pei You couldn’t help but think. It was just too… too much.
But intimate actions indeed caused relationships to advance rapidly. After a night had passed, Pei You suddenly realized that the last bit of distance between him and Zhou Qingbo had vanished completely. He looked at Zhou Qingbo, who was resting on him, and felt like he had sunk into a pool of pure and transparent honey. A sense of relaxing surged from the bottom of his heart.
It was as if he didn’t need to think about anything or worry about anything. He felt like his heart would explode from all the love he had for Qingbo.
This unfounded trust and adoration made Pei You’s heart exceptionally soft. He blinked his eyes and looked at the sleeping Zhou Qingbo. Unable to resist, he reached out and gently brushed aside the strands of hair hanging on his forehead.
“…Hmm?”
With that touch, Zhou Qingbo let out a muffled response in his sleep. He subconsciously turned his head slightly and lightly nuzzled against Pei You’s neck. He mumbled in a vague tone, “Why are you awake so early?”
Zhou Qingbo was still not fully awake, his voice carrying a heavy tone of drowsiness. He subconsciously tightened his arms, holding Pei You even closer in his embrace. His voice sounded hoarse as he asked, “Why don’t you sleep a little longer?”
Pei You had a very regular routine and this was the first time he had slept until afternoon. He glanced at the bedside clock and thought to himself that it was fortunate it was a weekend; otherwise, his workplace would probably have reported him missing by now.
“It’s almost three in the afternoon,” Pei You said. “Did I wake you up?”
Nodding his head, Zhou Qingbo, still with his eyes closed, nuzzled upwards and kissed Pei You’s neck and earlobe. Then he leaned back onto Pei You’s shoulder, lazily letting out a yawn.
“Pei You, Youu…”
As Zhou Qingbo affectionately called him, he sneakily ran his hands over him, massaging Pei You’s sore waist.
“Are you sore?” Zhou Qingbo asked.
One virgin was a tragedy, but when two came together, it was a disaster. Unfortunately, neither Zhou Qingbo nor Pei You had much experience in sexual relationships. The previous night’s actions had been quite challenging, and it took quite an effort to finally find their way.
Although Zhou Qingbo had been careful last night, he still worried about whether he had hurt Pei You.
Pei You, on the other hand, felt relatively fine except for the general soreness in his muscles. However, being called so intimately repeatedly by Zhou Qingbo made his back tingle, so he couldn’t help but cover Zhou Qingbo’s mouth with his hand.
“Don’t say my name like that,” Pei You’s ears turned red as he whispered, “I’m not that much sore.”
Zhou Qingbo was clingy and loved to act cute. When he was happy, he talked a lot, and last night he had called Pei You’s name repeatedly in his ear, making Pei You feel like running away every time he heard his name.
“Why?” Zhou Qingbo blinked and, maintaining his position without struggling, bent his eyes in a smile. He playfully licked Pei You’s palm and continued, “I like saying it like that…”
Pei You’s hand tingled from his actions, and his entire forearm tensed subconsciously. He instinctively tried to retract his hand, but Zhou Qingbo was quick and caught his hand.
“No escaping.” Zhou Qingbo held his wrist, skillfully interlacing their fingers and bringing them to his lips for a kiss. He looked at Pei You with a mischievous smile and said, teasingly “If you want to take it back, what will you exchange it for?”
