When Jiang Shao was little, he lived with his parents in a cramped, shabby rental apartment. Their life was poor, and back then he greatly envied the other children.
They had snacks and toys their parents bought for them.
But Jiang Shao’s parents rarely bought such things. His father was proud and unwilling to bow his head, and for a long period had no income at all. His mother worked hard for a meager salary. Life was extremely difficult for them, and even everyday necessities had to be carefully budgeted, much less toys and snacks.
Back then, Jiang Shao did not understand any of that.
Whenever he saw another child with something he did not have, he would cry and throw a tantrum endlessly.
It often gave his parents headaches.
One day, a neighbor’s child was eating a lollipop and deliberately showing it off in front of him. Jiang Shao rushed over, beat the child up, and stole his lollipop.
He was like a tiny evil dragon that had seized a treasure.
Clutching the lollipop, he ran quite a distance in one breath and did not dare take it out until he had hidden somewhere with no one around.
The plastic wrapper was striped red and green.
It looked like a beautiful little glow stick.
Jiang Shao clutched the lollipop tightly, both nervous and excited. He had coveted it for a very, very long time, but his parents refused to buy him one.
They said eating candy was bad for him.
He did not understand what was good or bad. He simply wanted it.
He carefully peeled away the wrapper, held his breath, and lightly licked it.
Strawberry milk flavor.
To him, it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.
Sweet all the way into his heart.
He kept swallowing.
But the lollipop was so small. If he ate it too quickly, it would disappear in no time…
He could not bear to finish it too fast.
So he desperately restrained his craving, carefully licking it once, then pressing his lips together and swallowing repeatedly. Only after every trace of sweetness had faded from his mouth would he give it another tiny lick…
One taste after another.
Dusk fell.
Eventually, the lollipop was still finished.
Only the bare stick remained.
His parents finally found him, grabbed him by the ear, and took him to apologize to the neighbor.
He apologized carelessly without the slightest remorse, thinking only one thing: I’ll steal another one next time.
＊
Jiang Shao had not thought about those memories in a very long time…
Not because they were not worth remembering.
Twenty years had passed.
He had never experienced that feeling again.
He had more money than he could ever spend, mansions, luxury cars, expensive watches. He lived amid extravagance and indulgence and had even allowed himself to become addicted to danger. Like a true spoiled young master, he raced cars, drank himself drunk, tested his limits, and chased anything that could send adrenaline surging through his veins…
He tried countless things.
Yet he could never recover the simple happiness that one little lollipop had once given him.
Day after day, only an empty wasteland remained inside him, filled with disgust toward a hypocritical world and a twisted violence he had nowhere to release.
He had once believed he had lost the ability to feel happiness.
Until this very moment.
Once again, he had reclaimed the treasure that belonged to him.
And tasted the sweetest flavor.
But this time was different…
He was no longer the child he had once been.
He had seized his treasure.
He would hold it tightly in his palm and never surrender it to anyone.
＊
Qi Mu’s back was pressed against the wall, both hands gripping it tightly, knuckles turning faintly white.
Only occasionally did a very soft, low pant escape him.
His legs had gone soft; he could barely stand. In the end, it was only Jiang Shao’s hand supporting his waist that kept him from sliding down.
Qi Mu’s eyes were veiled in a thin mist.
He kept his head slightly lowered.
Below him, Jiang Shao finally raised his head. His cold, stern face remained calm, black eyes deep as the night. His Adam’s apple bobbed once as he seemed to swallow something down…
Then, as if still unsatisfied, he flicked out the tip of his tongue and licked across his lips, drawing every last trace clinging to the corner of his mouth inside, as though he couldn’t bear to waste even a single drop.
Qi Mu watched the entire scene.
His face suddenly burned as if set on fire. His mind felt ready to explode.
Isn’t that gross? Don’t kiss me again today!
Jiang Shao saw Qi Mu’s shy, flustered expression and knew exactly what he was disgusted by. The corner of his mouth curved up slightly. Normally he would have teased him, but today he magnanimously let it go.
Without another word, Jiang Shao simply lifted Qi Mu into his arms and carried him into the bathroom.
Qi Mu protested, turning his face away. “I can manage on my own…”
Jiang Shao’s voice was low and hoarse as he answered slowly, “But I want to help you.”
Qi Mu: “…”
He really wanted to struggle and resist a little more, yet he suddenly went still because he felt the change in Jiang Shao. And every tiny movement he made only made Jiang Shao even more… “excited.”
Jiang Shao truly wanted to continue, but he could not bring himself to. He could tell that Qi Mu was resisting and had not yet prepared himself.
He held Qi Mu while cleaning him up, changed him into a bathrobe, and only then placed him on the large bed.
This time, they were not in a standard twin room, but an executive suite.
The bed was two meters wide.
There was more than enough space for two people with plenty left over.
Yet Jiang Shao still held Qi Mu tightly, leaving almost no space between them.
Being with this person was different.
He seemed to hate himself a little less.
＊
Morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains and spilled across the thick carpet and the bed.
A beam of light woke Qi Mu.
He opened his eyes blearily and discovered that he was still in Jiang Shao’s arms. Jiang Shao’s eyes were closed, both arms wrapped tightly around him as though he had not changed position all night.
When Qi Mu raised his head, the tip of his nose brushed Jiang Shao’s chest.
Qi Mu’s face flushed faintly.
Only after a while did he slowly try to move…
But the moment he shifted, Jiang Shao opened his eyes.
Jiang Shao’s black hair was messy across his forehead, softening the sharp lines of his face. Morning sunlight fell across him, and a lazy smile lingered in his dark eyes. His voice was low and husky. “Awake?”
Qi Mu’s ears heated. He did not dare look for long and nodded. “It’s time to get up…”
Jiang Shao readily released his arms.
The hand that had been weighing across Qi Mu’s waist moved away, and Qi Mu sighed in relief. He had nearly been crushed. How had he managed to sleep with something that heavy on him all night?
Qi Mu wanted to hide his discomfort.
So Qi Mu hurriedly got up to wash.
After washing his face, Qi Mu became much more awake.
He began thinking over everything that had happened yesterday.
First, Fang Ming Qian.
Although he truly did not want anyone knowing about his relationship with Jiang Shao, now that Fang Ming Qian had already figured it out, it was not really a major problem. Yesterday he had only panicked because the truth was suddenly exposed. Today, he had already calmed down.
He had not known Fang Ming Qian for very long, and Fang Ming Qian lived far away in A City, so the two of them rarely crossed paths to begin with. Given Fang Ming Qian’s status and character, he probably would not spread gossip about them. Doing so would not benefit him either.
Once Jiang Shao left in the future, Qi Mu could simply say they had broken up and easily brush the matter aside.
All in all, the problem was not serious.
As for his cooperation with Fang Ming Qian, losing it would be somewhat unfortunate, but Qi Mu did not regret his choice. He wanted to cooperate openly and properly. If Fang Ming Qian’s willingness to work with him had been based on those kinds of feelings, then abandoning the deal did not matter.
Fang Ming Qian was easy enough to deal with.
Jiang Shao was the more troublesome problem…
Remembering Jiang Shao’s behavior the night before made Qi Mu’s face heat again. He never could have imagined Jiang Shao would do something like that, and after helping him, that had simply been the end of it; Jiang Shao had not done anything else to him…
That doesn’t really look like punishment, does it?
Could Jiang Shao actually not be angry?
Qi Mu was confused.
A Long Aotian’s thoughts really are impossible to understand…
Forget it. As long as this menace isn’t causing trouble, that’s a good thing.
Since there was no longer any need to continue discussing business, Qi Mu planned to leave and go home.
His original flight was in the afternoon.
It was already past ten in the morning. After lunch, it would more or less be time to head to the airport.
Qi Mu turned around and began packing his things.
But Jiang Shao stopped him and raised a brow with a faint smile. “No rush. I changed your ticket to an evening flight.”
Qi Mu: ?
Why did you randomly change my itinerary?
Jiang Shao ran his tongue over his teeth. He simply could not bear to go back so soon.
He had realized that here, Qi Mu did not carry so many worries and burdens and did not resist public contact with him as strongly, because no one here knew either of them.
Since Qi Mu had even admitted their relationship to Fang Ming Qian, then surely it was perfectly normal for them to do things couples did.
Jiang Shao gave a low laugh. “As each other’s boyfriends, we haven’t actually been on a date yet, have we?”
Qi Mu looked bewildered.
Does our relationship require dates too?
You never said this was part of it before.
I thought we were only in a physical relationship…
Jiang Shao glanced at him and gave him no chance to object. “No one here knows you anyway. What are you afraid of? I’ve already arranged today’s itinerary.”
As he spoke, Jiang Shao gave him no room to object.
He grabbed Qi Mu’s hand and pulled him toward the door.
And just like that, Qi Mu was dragged outside.
Jiang Shao took him to the most upscale shopping mall in A City.
He had done his homework beforehand. Ordinary dates supposedly involved shopping, watching movies, and eating together.
None of those things sounded particularly creative, but Jiang Shao had never tried any of them. To him, every one was novel, and he wanted to try every single one with Qi Mu.
They had not eaten breakfast, so they headed straight into the mall to find somewhere to eat, combining breakfast and lunch.
Jiang Shao did not care about reviews or ratings when choosing restaurants. He simply walked around the mall until he found the place with the most romantic-looking decor, one that seemed particularly suitable for couples.
Strictly speaking, this was only the second time Qi Mu and Jiang Shao had gone out to eat alone together. Lately, though, Jiang Shao had been constantly making his presence felt beside him.
Qi Mu somehow already felt accustomed to it.
Maybe… Jiang Shao bringing me boxed lunches and eating with me in the office at noon counts as eating together too?
Qi Mu could not help laughing at the thought.
He lowered his head to look over the menu, casually chose two items, and left the rest to Jiang Shao.
Before long, appetizers, main dishes, soup, and dessert filled the table.
Qi Mu had herb-roasted pigeon breast with foie gras mousse in front of him. It tasted quite good. The white asparagus soup was rich, while the ice cream sprinkled with black truffle chocolate was sweet and refreshing without being cloying.
Jiang Shao’s attention was not on the food at all. Watching Qi Mu eat reminded him of the time he had fed Qi Mu congee, and an itch stirred inside him.
His gaze swept across the table. He speared a piece of charcoal-grilled wagyu beef and held it to Qi Mu’s mouth. “Ah…”
Qi Mu: “…”
Jiang Shao was at least somewhat restrained in public and did not push it directly against his lips.
Qi Mu did not particularly want the bite, but under Jiang Shao’s stubborn, expectant gaze, he eventually compromised. His face flushed as he opened his mouth and quickly bit the beef from the fork.
Qi Mu’s white teeth bit into the fragrant grilled meat before he drew it into his mouth. His pale pink lips quickly closed. Although his movements were refined and elegant, Jiang Shao watched his cheeks puff slightly as he chewed and suddenly felt hungry, except what he wanted to taste was not anything on the table, but what was in the mouth of the person in front of him…
With a sharp jab, Jiang Shao speared another piece of beef, shoved it into his own mouth, and chewed forcefully without looking at Qi Mu again.
He was afraid that if he kept watching, he would lose control of himself.
Qi Mu: ?
I thought Jiang Shao wouldn’t let this go, but he fed me one bite and that was it? Why is Long Aotian becoming harder and harder to understand?
Still, without Jiang Shao bothering him, eating went much faster.
After lunch, Qi Mu very consciously called the server over and prepared to pay.
But Jiang Shao abruptly stood up. “I’ll pay.”
Qi Mu looked at him in confusion, but ultimately said nothing. At worst, he could reimburse Jiang Shao once they returned. If he wanted to pay, let him.
After settling the bill, Jiang Shao returned, took Qi Mu’s hand, and pulled him outside while saying very seriously, “We’re going shopping.”
His expression was solemn enough to suggest he was undertaking some major project.
Qi Mu did not shop very often, but he was not particularly opposed to it either. The one thing making him embarrassed was: why did Jiang Shao have to hold his hand?!
In broad daylight, under the clear blue sky, do two grown men really have to hold hands while shopping?
Even students madly in love aren’t necessarily this clingy, are they?
Qi Mu tried to secretly pull his hand free.
But Jiang Shao noticed immediately and tightened his grip. He even slipped his fingers between Qi Mu’s and interlocked them.
Qi Mu: “…”
Even though no one here knew him, this was still tremendously embarrassing. He kept feeling as though people might be watching.
Qi Mu was pulled along in a daze.
He could not help wondering what on earth he was doing. How old was he already? Why was he going on such a childish date?
Jiang Shao tightly held Qi Mu’s hand.
What he was thinking, however, was how Qi Mu had held hands with Xu Wei Ran when they dated. Still, no matter how they had done it, from now on, Jiang Shao would be the only one allowed to hold Qi Mu’s hand.
The mall’s first floor was packed with luxury brands, along with watch and jewelry boutiques.
Jiang Shao led Qi Mu into a watch boutique. Only a few customers were inside. He casually swept his gaze over the watches in the display cases, which ranged from tens of thousands to several million.
Jiang Shao did not care about the prices at all. He casually pointed to several models and asked the sales associate to bring them out for Qi Mu to try.
Qi Mu was already wearing a watch, a Vacheron Constantin worth several hundred thousand. The sales associate had a sharp eye. These two gay men were obviously wealthy, so she enthusiastically brought out several classic, expensive models and prepared to help Qi Mu try them on.
Jiang Shao reached out and stopped her, lifting his gaze calmly. “I’ll do it.”
The sales associate smiled and handed the watch to him, thinking, These two gay men are disgustingly lovey-dovey.
Jiang Shao cupped Qi Mu’s hand between both of his. It was a very beautiful hand, with long, elegant fingers that looked suited to playing the piano. His skin was so pale it was almost translucent, faint blue veins visible across the back of his hand, while his smooth, rounded nails were pale pink like mother-of-pearl gleaming softly in the light.
Jiang Shao stroked Qi Mu’s fingers, slowly removed his original watch, and fastened another one around his wrist.
Qi Mu’s slender wrist was perfectly proportioned, and every watch looked good on him. Jiang Shao tried several one after another and found it difficult to choose. As he lightly stroked Qi Mu’s wrist, he suddenly remembered that Qi Mu’s ankles were slender too…
The skin there was even paler and more delicate than his hands.
A beautiful watch around that slender ankle, cradled in his palm. If he held Qi Mu by the ankle, raised his legs, and spread them apart, it would probably look very good…
Jiang Shao’s mouth went dry.
At first, Qi Mu obediently let Jiang Shao try the watches on him, but Jiang Shao kept going endlessly. Worse, his fingers kept stroking him as he changed watches, while his gaze had grown heavy and intense, giving Qi Mu the unsettling feeling of being watched by a beast…
Besides, Qi Mu already owned plenty of watches and truly did not need more. After trying so many, he decided he might as well buy two and leave.
Qi Mu pulled his hand back uncomfortably. “All right. These two…”
Jiang Shao suddenly lifted his eyes and interrupted him. “We’re not buying them.”
The sales associate, who had thought she was about to make a massive sale: ?
Jiang Shao pulled Qi Mu out with a cold expression.
Because just as he was about to buy them, he realized his true identity still hadn’t been exposed!
He certainly could not make Qi Mu pay for them himself.
Absolutely not!
Jiang Shao secretly memorized the models and decided he would buy them later. No, these alone were nowhere near enough. Anyone could buy these watches off the shelf. He wanted to commission the most expensive custom watch possible for Qi Mu and personally put it on him.
During the day, Qi Mu could wear it on his wrist. At night, on his ankle.
At the thought, heat flared low in Jiang Shao’s abdomen all over again.