Chapter 14: The Kiss

When Luo Wen laid Lu Mingzhou down on the bed, the clock by the bedside had already crept past one in the morning. He walked toward the washroom, grabbed a towel, dampened it, and prepared to wipe Lu Mingzhou’s face and body.

The system, which had remained silent until then, crept up beside Lu Mingzhou as Luo Wen entered the washroom. It reached out with two glowing little hands and lightly pinched his cheek, eager to share the latest update on their mission.

“Host, the hatred value just dropped by several dozen points. I think our future looks promising.”

To Lu Mingzhou’s ears, muddled and fuzzy from his daze, the system’s voice buzzed like a mosquito. Frowning, he grabbed the system and shoved it beneath his pillow, mumbling, “Stop making noise, I want to sleep.”

The system nearly suffocated, struggling to escape from under the pillow. Furious, it flailed its tiny hands and dealt Lu Mingzhou several sharp slaps, leaving faint red marks on his handsome face.

Lu Mingzhou’s frown deepened, and his previously heavy, intoxicated eyes slowly opened.

“Who—” he murmured, clutching his cheek, a hiss of pain escaping his lips.

Feeling guilty, the system quickly hid behind the door just as Luo Wen stepped out of the washroom. Lu Mingzhou looked around the empty room with a dazed and confused gaze for a long while before his eyes settled on the elegant figure approaching him. He blinked slightly.

“...Luo Wen.” Though still slightly drunk, this was far better than the unconscious state he had been in the bar earlier. Surveying his surroundings, he was at least aware that he had returned home, though his intoxicated mind could not recall how he had gotten there.

Luo Wen responded with a soft hum and lifted the damp towel to wipe the redness on Lu Mingzhou’s face. Noticing the red marks, his brow furrowed, and a strange expression flickered through his eyes. “Where did these come from?”

The system shrank back, feeling uneasy.

Luo Wen, troubled, reached out to touch the marks gently. After some thought, he realized there was no one else in the room. His brow relaxed a little as he carefully wiped Lu Mingzhou’s face, avoiding the red marks.

Lu Mingzhou stared blankly at him, seemingly returned in body but not yet in spirit.

His eardrums still buzzed, and bizarrely, the image of the cat-eared dancer from the bar flashed across his eyes—only now the face was Luo Wen’s, making his heart flutter all the more.

He grasped Luo Wen’s hand, which was wiping his face, his peach blossom-shaped eyes brimming with unspoken emotions—tenderness and depth beyond words.

He stared intently at the man before him, then suddenly murmured, “You’re a hundred times more handsome than them...”

The emotion in those eyes was intoxicating as wine. Luo Wen’s hand stiffened under his grip, and then his whole body seemed to freeze.

Though a drunk’s strength was limited, Luo Wen was gently pushed back onto the bed.

The towel slipped to the floor with a soft thud but did nothing to dispel the warm, charged atmosphere in the room.

Lu Mingzhou placed both hands on either side of Luo Wen’s head, lowering his own so their noses touched. The warm breath laced with the scent of alcohol brushed Luo Wen’s face, almost causing him to instinctively clutch the other’s shirt in surprise.

That pale, exquisite face slowly flushed with the glow of intoxication, blooming a vivid red, the beauty mark beneath his eye seeming to deepen in allure.

Luo Wen tried to resist but was held fast within Lu Mingzhou’s arms, nowhere to run. His ears burned crimson as he avoided the overly intense gaze, tilting his head, unsure of what to do.

A heated, slightly drunken kiss gently landed on Luo Wen’s lips, deepening into a passionate embrace.

It was a dizzying, overwhelming sensation unlike anything Luo Wen had ever experienced—like treading on soft, tender clouds.

His fingers pressing against Lu Mingzhou’s chest gradually unfurled, and he didn’t even realize when he had wrapped his arms around the other’s neck. Their slender bodies pressed close, skin against bare skin.

His mind seemed starved of oxygen. Lost in the kiss, Luo Wen suddenly wanted to ask the man beneath him: Am I merely a plaything bound by mutual agreement, summoned and dismissed at will? Or something more—a lover with genuine feelings?

What exactly was their relationship?

They clung to each other like desperate lovers, but apart from a formal contract, there seemed to be nothing else.

Yet he was still timid. Lowering his gaze, he held Lu Mingzhou’s neck tightly, pouring all his strength into reciprocating, and let his thoughts drift away.

***

The system watched the entwined pair on the bed with puzzlement, then glanced at the fluctuating values with equal confusion.

Attributing it to human complexity—villains being the most complicated kind—it gave up trying to understand. After all, with the host around, there was nothing to worry about.

Lu Mingzhou gradually sobered amid the lingering kiss, looking at Luo Wen in his arms, breath uneven, lips red and moist, black eyes glistening with tears.

He fell silent.

Drinking had caused all this trouble! Drinking was to blame!

He held Luo Wen tight, eyes scanning the room for the hiding system until he spotted it in a corner.

“System, why didn’t you warn me?” he demanded with righteous indignation.

The system replied with grievance and exasperation, “What could I do? I slapped your face several times, but you wouldn’t wake up. You were utterly infatuated.”

Lu Mingzhou finally understood the source of the stinging on his cheek. After a long silence, he whispered hoarsely, “I won’t drink again.”

The system nodded, still wary, “Yeah, drinking causes trouble.”

Facing Luo Wen now, Lu Mingzhou felt awkward—after all, he had taken advantage of the other. Sigh... beautiful people were so tempting!

He laid Luo Wen back on the bed, covered him with the blanket, and softly said, “You should sleep first.”

Luo Wen snapped out of his daze and instinctively tried to get up. “Today’s your birthday,” he muttered.

Then he suddenly repeated, “Today’s your birthday.”

Realizing the significance of the day for Lu Mingzhou, his face momentarily froze, the flush fading from his cheeks.

“...Huh?” Lu Mingzhou was sober but slow-witted, turning over the words in his mind: “Birthday.”

In another world, Lu Mingzhou had long since come to terms with this day. Though he never celebrated it deliberately, he no longer avoided it.

He gazed at Luo Wen’s slightly flustered expression and smiled softly, “Birthday... birthday…”

Seeing that Lu Mingzhou didn’t seem to mind much, Luo Wen hesitated briefly before turning his head away, a hint of embarrassment in his eyes. “I’ll go make you a bowl of longevity noodles.”

There might be no birthday cake, but according to Lin City’s customs, there should at least be longevity noodles.

Hearing this, a complex emotion surfaced in Lu Mingzhou’s heart—partly touched, partly tender pity. He wrapped his arms around Luo Wen’s waist as he rose, glanced at the clock on the wall, and a fleeting warmth crossed his face.

“No need to go to so much trouble.” He pointed to his own lips, raising his sharp brows. “No birthday cake? A beautiful kiss will do.”

Luo Wen didn’t move. His dark eyes deepened, clouded with an obscure light.

Lu Mingzhou meant it as a joke and feared making him uncomfortable, ready to brush it off teasingly.

But then, a kiss as light and pure as a snowflake gently landed at the corner of his mouth.

Unlike the passionate kiss before, this one carried no hint of desire. It was like the innocence of a first love in youth—pure and sweet.

Luo Wen tilted his head to look at him, boldly pressing his cheek against Lu Mingzhou’s palm. His smooth, tender skin brushed lightly against the other’s hand. His obedient expression was like that of a tamed cat, quietly concealing all his sharp edges.

Softly, he asked, “Is this okay?”

Lu Mingzhou inhaled sharply—where had he learned this? He was doomed.

He wanted to resist but knew clearly the other was no ordinary housecat to be toyed with.

***

The system kept whispering reminders in Lu Mingzhou’s ear. He inhaled quietly but remained calm on the surface, stroking Luo Wen’s cheek before pulling away.

“I’ll give you a raise,” he said with feigned nonchalance yet earnestness. Then he flopped onto the bed, pulling Luo Wen down with him.

The soft blanket settled over them, and he heard Luo Wen’s mock stern voice: “Go to sleep, or you won’t wake up for class tomorrow.”

Luo Wen: “...”

After a few breaths, Lu Mingzhou heard his steady breathing, likely already asleep.

Luo Wen turned to the side, silver moonlight filtering through the curtains and casting a few lingering rays.

Some of the light fell on the sleeping man’s cheek, accentuating his refined features and striking appearance.

They say a woman’s heart is hard to read; to Luo Wen, Lu Mingzhou’s thoughts were equally unpredictable.

He exhaled softly, gazing at the man’s face for a long moment with dark, quiet eyes.

Just as he was about to close them, a pair of hands stirred him like a puppet in his arms. The other’s hands clutched his waist tightly, burying his nose in Luo Wen’s neck—possessive and irresistible.

Luo Wen’s tangled thoughts were completely disrupted by the gesture. He stared into the darkness of the room and sighed softly, utterly helpless.

What else could he do? In any case, this was far better than he had expected.

***

The violent storm of the previous night arrived abruptly and left just as quickly. By dawn, the only evidence was scattered broken branches and leaves under a blazing sun.

When Lu Mingzhou got up, he was still groggy. Indeed, Tong Hao had poured a great deal of alcohol down his throat last night. He had felt dizzy then, but today, his head throbbed sharply.

From the kitchen came wafts of fragrant cooking. Lu Mingzhou dressed and was surprised to find Luo Wen still there.

“There are no classes for the first two periods today,” Luo Wen calmly explained, wielding a spatula.

Seeing Lu Mingzhou clutch his temple, his face twisted in pain, Luo Wen poured a glass of water and handed it over.

So considerate—Lu Mingzhou felt the water’s warmth soothe him, sparking a faint happiness.

He was about to speak when a sharp knock sounded at the door.

“I’ll get it.” Lu Mingzhou raised an eyebrow; who could be calling so early? Seeing Luo Wen remove his apron to answer, he beat him to the door.

Upon opening it, a face he had seen only last night came into view, startling him.

It was Shao Ziyang, dressed plainly, followed by a plainclothes police officer.

“Come in,” Lu Mingzhou said, noting the officer’s stern demeanor and the law enforcement recorder on his chest. He sensed the situation was serious.

Shao Ziyang didn’t rush inside. A sudden scent drifted from within. He raised his brows and asked, “Is someone home?”

Before Lu Mingzhou could answer, Shao Ziyang’s voice turned grave: “Is his name Luo Wen?”