Chapter 50

Ye Chen halted in his tracks.

“Can I have a goodnight kiss?” Shen Mofeng’s gaze flicked over Ye Chen’s lips, with a hint of casual indifference, as if it was just a casual question.

“Still not able to,” Ye Chen lowered his eyes.

Shen Mofeng delicately withdrew his toe half a centimeter from Ye Chen’s bottom line. “Would you also be repelled if I kissed your forehead?”

Ye Chen hurriedly defended himself, “It’s not that I’m repelled by you, it’s…”

“Embarrassed?” Shen Mofeng interjected.

“Mmh,” Ye Chen nodded.

Shen Mofeng sighed, “You promised yesterday, but less than 24 hours later, you’re going back on your word… naughty boy.”

Ye Chen choked up.

He had indeed promised Shen Mofeng last night— Ye Chen could reject any request Shen Mofeng made, but only if it was due to discomfort or repulsion, not just because of embarrassment.

“Um…” Ye Chen suddenly felt like he had fallen into a trap.

He had admitted that kissing was somewhat comfortable, so naturally he couldn’t insist on feeling repelled. Moreover, he had promised not to lie. According to this logic, as long as he didn’t feel repelled or disgusted, even if he felt embarrassed, he had to agree to Shen Mofeng’s request… Ye Chen found himself honestly trapped in the rule system Shen Mofeng had set up.

If it were someone else, Ye Chen probably would have given up and left by now. No matter how guilty he felt, he wouldn’t endure to this extent. Who was this person to treat him like a child?

But unfortunately, it was Shen Mofeng. He couldn’t change that.

Since Shen Mofeng approached him in the middle of the snowy night yesterday, some aspects of Ye Chen had undergone a qualitative change… let’s just say, he had become more enlightened.

But he wasn’t fully enlightened yet.

Ye Chen felt as if he were under a spell, blushing and trying to find a way out in the maze Shen Mofeng had constructed, but he never intended to break through the walls directly.

“I keep my promises, so… come here,” Ye Chen said in one breath, feeling like he was about to explode.

He tightly closed his eyes, sitting upright on the sofa, fists clenched, knuckles slightly protruding, with sharp lines reminiscent of the slender bamboo ribs under an old-style umbrella.

Without looking at his hands, no one would guess that these were hands used daily for farm work.

Whether it was because Ye Chen was naturally so appealing, or because Shen Mofeng, having been celibate for years, couldn’t control his newly awakened desires, he found himself unable to look away from even the smallest of Ye Chen’s actions, like clenching his fist.

Shen Mofeng withdrew his gaze from Ye Chen’s hands, feeling slightly ridiculous, but still moved closer, bending down to lightly kiss Ye Chen’s forehead, and said, “Good night.”

“Good night,” Ye Chen mumbled, about to get up and leave when Shen Mofeng, on a sudden impulse, lifted his chin and planted a second kiss on his flushed cheek, repeating, “Good night.”

Ye Chen’s face grew even hotter. “Are you done?”

“Not yet.” Shen Mofeng chuckled, throwing all caution to the wind.

Ye Chen’s heart raced to the point of dizziness, caught between tears and laughter. “Do you have such a complicated goodnight kiss routine?”

“Yes, I’m very particular. I have to say good night three times,” Shen Mofeng said, maintaining his meticulous persona. He tilted his head and shamelessly pressed his lips against Ye Chen’s, covering Ye Chen’s hand with his own, playing with it as if it were porcelain. After a moment of indulgence, he conscientiously returned to the permitted goodnight kiss.

Even when acting like a rogue, Big Young Master Shen wanted to do it with style. Since he only asked for a goodnight kiss, he limited himself to just holding Ye Chen’s hand.

Shen Mofeng’s aura was intensely dominating, and Ye Chen felt thoroughly overwhelmed. He slid down the sofa, gradually finding himself partially pinned down.

“Lips,” Shen Mofeng straightened up, lazily teasing his ‘prey’ like a big cat. Using the pad of his thumb, he rubbed Ye Chen’s moistened lips, and in a seemingly gentlemanly manner, softly asked, “Can you open them?”

Though his words were anything but proper, his restrained and respectful demeanor made it hard to refuse. Ye Chen, overwhelmed, barely got out a “Yes” before his lips, tricked open by the old rogue, were firmly sealed.

Finding Ye Chen’s dutiful yet embarrassed responses amusing, Shen Mofeng kissed him for a while, then, struck by another idea, mischievously asked, “Can you stick your tongue out?”

“Don’t…” Ye Chen tightly closed his eyes, his breath chaotic as if he had just come off a treadmill.

“Does this level of intimacy make you uncomfortable?” Shen Mofeng asked, feigning propriety.

Ye Chen’s shame was so intense that even his collarbones turned red. “Not really, it’s okay.”

“Then?” Shen Mofeng tilted his head slightly.

“I can… I can stick it out,” Ye Chen, almost overwhelmed by the teasing, felt his heart racing so fast that his body felt like it was floating.

Shen Mofeng lowered his head again and captured another deep kiss.

A minute later…

Having taken full advantage of his little friend, Shen Mofeng’s eyes and brows were filled with satisfaction.

He released Ye Chen, who was as red as a cooked shrimp, and after a moment’s thought, his handsome face showed a hint of unease. It seemed he finally remembered what it meant to be human, and with an embarrassed smile, he said, “Sorry, Chen Cheng, we’re not even together yet, and I’ve kissed you so many times already…”

Ye Chen wiped his mouth, staring at him in a daze.

Shen Mofeng said painfully, “Am I being too much?”

Without much thought, Ye Chen suddenly felt bold and sat up, daringly saying, “As long as you know…”

Unexpectedly, Shen Mofeng bit a cigarette, chuckling with the cigarette between his teeth, “But I can actually be even worse.”

Ye Chen’s temples throbbed: “…”

Damn it, I let my guard down!

Shen Mofeng was in high spirits, his acting full of flaws, but Ye Chen, still dizzy from the kisses, didn’t notice.

“I’m going to the yard to smoke a cigarette.” Shen Mofeng took out a flat metal candy box from his pants pocket, shook it twice, and hearing no sound, tossed it into the trash can, smiling, “I’m afraid you’ll be bothered by the smoke smell in my mouth. I go through a box a day, more than twenty pieces, it’s overwhelming…”

Ye Chen, worried that eating too much candy would be bad for Shen Mofeng, hurriedly said, “Even if you have a smoke smell, I won’t notice it while talking.”

“It’s not that,” Shen Mofeng said wistfully, “I thought I might have a chance to steal a kiss from you during the day, but you always dive into the crowd…”

Ye Chen choked: “…”

Wasn’t that just to avoid you?!

…

The next day.

The number of tourists visiting the seaside town in winter is less than one tenth of that in summer. The sea is like a melting sapphire, lazily supporting several fishing boats. The exterior walls of fishermen’s cabins built along the coastline are colorful and almost childish, with dazzling geometric blocks scattered in the blue sea and sky, giving people the illusion of being in a fairy tale world.

In the off-season, there aren’t many tourists to spoil the view. The Mediterranean climate in winter is not harsh, and aside from not being able to swim, everything else is quite enjoyable. Ye Chen, dressed in new clothes provided by the brand, didn’t wear sunglasses or a mask, just piled his scarf higher. He followed Shen Mofeng at a distance of half a meter, listening to him explain the local customs.

Hundun Cub, pressed into service, sat on Ye Chen’s shoulder without making a sound.

“By the way, Shen Ge,” seeing that Shen Mofeng had nothing more to say, Ye Chen took the initiative to ask, “I have a question for you.”

Shen Mofeng: “What is it?”

Ye Chen, like a little prince, elegantly raised his head and looked out at the sea, his inner thoughts like a fly rubbing its hands together: “In the nearby coastal area of this sea, what kinds of seafood are generally produced?”

Shen Mofeng, who had been continuously talking about the local history, culture, and geography since entering the town, suddenly fell silent.

“In this nearby coastal area, there are various fish and crabs. Specifically…” Shen Mofeng couldn’t answer, and with a smile, he said, “I’ll ask the locals at the restaurant later. Usually, people don’t ask like that.”

Tourists interested in food usually ask what’s good to eat locally. It’s rare for someone to ask specifically what kinds of seafood are produced in a particular sea area and emphasize the nearshore as if planning to go down and catch some.

“Just curious.” Ye Chen, who indeed planned to catch some, said calmly.

After speaking, he gently prodded Hundun Cub. Chaos received the command and flew silently towards the sea, opening a Chaos Mark on the surface.

The placement of the Chaos Mark didn’t need to be overly precise. Opening one roughly near the shore was enough; if there was a need to change locations, Hundun Cub could be summoned to adjust it.

“Do you see that little house with the yellow roof over there?” Shen Mofeng raised his hand and pointed to the distance.

Ye Chen: “I see it.”

“It’s a small restaurant…” Shen Mofeng started to say, then suddenly paused and turned to confirm, “Did you just say something?”

Ye Chen was taken aback: “I said ‘I see it.’ Why?”

“Nothing,” Shen Mofeng looked around, but there were only the two of them nearby, “Maybe I misheard.”

Just as he was about to introduce that small restaurant to Ye Chen, Shen Mofeng had vaguely heard two short, indistinct syllables. The source was unknown, but it was very close, and the syllables sounded like “lingzhi(灵芝)” or “lingzhi(灵智),” with an inexplicably impatient tone.

Shen Mofeng perked up his ears to listen for a while, but the strange sound didn’t occur again, so he put it out of his mind and continued the interrupted routine.

“…I’ve been to that restaurant twice. I’ll treat you later.” Shen Mofeng knew Ye Chen loved seafood, so he intentionally described the food in a vivid and tempting way, using hand gestures, “A crab pasta dish comes with a crab almost as big as the plate, and the appetizer is a salad made with more than ten types of seafood. The swordfish and lobster are also excellent.”

“Thank you, sorry for the expense,” Ye Chen tried to maintain his composure, but his eyes still slowly brightened.

“You’re welcome. It’ll take about fifteen minutes to walk from here…” Shen Mofeng laid the groundwork, then stopped and looked at Ye Chen slyly, “How should we walk?”

Predicting he was up to something, Ye Chen sincerely suggested, “I recommend walking on with your feet, dear.”

Shen Mofeng mimicked Ye Chen’s customer service tone, teasingly saying, “I recommend holding hands to avoid getting lost, dear.”

With that, he took off his gloves and put them in his pocket, then extended a hand to Ye Chen, putting away his playful expression and gently asking, “Can we hold hands, Chen Chen?”

Following the rules, if he didn’t dislike it, he had to agree. So, Ye Chen didn’t say a word and just took his hand out of his coat pocket with lowered eyes.

“How do you prefer to hold hands?” Shen Mofeng, gentlemanly to the point of being annoying, asked seriously, “Casual holding or fingers interlocked?”

“What…Whatever” Ye Chen turned his head, trying hard to focus on the upcoming Italian seafood feast.

So, they walked hand in hand, fingers interlocked, side by side along the sparsely populated coastal boardwalk.

Ye Chen was so nervous that he almost moved awkwardly, while Shen Mofeng kept turning his head to look at the sea, his demeanor seemingly calm, though he couldn’t hide the smile tugging at his lips.

Because he was smiling in a way that wasn’t very composed, like a young man experiencing his first crush, he didn’t want the young man to see it.

After a while, Shen Mofeng controlled his emotions, gently squeezing the calluses in Ye Chen’s palm, and asked, “Do you often work out with equipment?”

“Yes,” Ye Chen nodded, “I do a lot.”

The specific equipment included hoes, shovels, and spades… Agricultural tools are also equipment, so it wasn’t a lie!

Shen Mofeng affectionately glanced over Ye Chen’s small frame and smiled, “It’s good to work out more.”

A bit of muscle looks better on a guy.

…Maybe I should pay more attention to my appearance. These past few months have been too rough. If it weren’t for my good base, I’d probably look terrible now… The farm boy thought, feeling a bit troubled.

They chatted casually, walking hand in hand toward the restaurant with the little yellow roof. The sea shimmered like broken gold, and the chilly sea breeze brushed over the boardwalk, filling the air with the scent of romance.

Shen Ge and I really have… a special kind of familial joy! Ye Chen thought, blushing, slandering others in self-deception.

A small weed swaying uncertainly on the boundary line of sexual orientation was being blown flat by the strong wind, with most of its body already across the line, while its roots clung desperately to a bit of heterosexual ground, unwilling to easily concede.

The author has something to say:

Ye Qiongqiong: I recommend walking with your legs, sir.

Shen Mofeng: I recommend holding hands to avoid getting lost, sir.

Old Mothers: I recommend taking it to the next level, sir.

A certain divine beast borrowing Shen Mofeng’s body to sleep: Spiritual plants! Need spiritual plants! Laozi woke up because of the spiritual plants! 🙂

Another chapter spent talking about love… (lights cigarette)

Next chapter, we’re heading back home! Farming, making money, and starring in a rural reality show! Woohoo, Chen Chen is going to rise! ㄟ(≧◇≦)ㄏ