An Xun wanted to temporarily step away from the marriage and have a belated romantic relationship with him. Since Bo Xiangzhou had agreed, he could only compromise. Otherwise, if he went back on his word, the man would get angry again.

Whenever he spoke, his words were impossible to counter. If he really got mad, no amount of sweet talk for three days and nights would help.

Bo Xiangzhou asked, “So our progress is this slow?”

“It’s fast enough,” An Xun reassured him. “Any faster and it wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Even though An Xun had already decided on the position for their first time.

Bo Xiangzhou played along, “Fine, I won’t touch your earlobe, but can I at least kiss you a few more times?”

An Xun leaned his face over, his expression proud and a little tsundere, as if offering a reward to an alpha.

Bo Xiangzhou couldn’t get enough of that attitude, kissing him endlessly.

Since he couldn’t count on Tao Nian, An Xun figured he’d have to find the right moment to come clean himself. There was no way he could hide this forever, and even if he tried, keeping up the act would be exhausting. No swearing, no drinking, and even his voice had to stay delicate. It had practically become a conditioned reflex for him—every time he saw Bo Xiangzhou or the people in his social circle, his voice unconsciously changed.

Not being able to speak freely was driving him insane.

As the kissing continued, An Xun’s expression grew serious.

Bo Xiangzhou raised his eyebrow. “Baby, thinking about national affairs?”

“Huh?” Someone like him didn’t deserve to be thinking about national affairs.

After a few seconds, An Xun realized that Bo Xiangzhou was teasing him. “I’m not going to the beach with you tomorrow. You can go watch the sunrise and the sea by yourself.”

He wanted to flip him off, but his persona wouldn’t allow it. Any more unusual behavior, and his disguise would be completely blown.

Even though Bo Xiangzhou knew he was just pretending to be angry, he still patiently coaxed him. He understood that if he didn’t smooth things over now, fake anger would turn into real anger in half an hour.

Bo Xiangzhou’s voice was so pleasant, especially when he called him “baby.” His deep, magnetic voice was laced with affection. With just a few intimate “babies,” An Xun completely surrendered.

“Alright, stop calling me that. I’ll go…”

He hurried away in embarrassment after saying that.

His earlobe was too sensitive, and he could still feel the touch from a few moments ago. Tao Nian knew that his earlobe was a forbidden zone, not to be touched. But before Bo Xiangzhou, they would often mess around. When Tao Nian couldn’t win in an argument, he’d pinch An Xun’s earlobe, which would instantly make his face turn red. Back then, his reactions weren’t as intense as they were now.

Maybe it was because the other person was an alpha, and also his husband. His mind might have been open, but his body wasn’t quite as cooperative. Or maybe it was the pheromones messing with him.

They say that when an AO’s compatibility is high, their bodies become more in sync. It couldn’t just be about that one aspect, right?

Blushing, An Xun stole a glance at him. When Bo Xiangzhou’s eyes met his, he immediately looked away, feeling like a guilty thief.

The longevity of the Bo family’s business had a lot to do with the lessons passed down to each generation of heirs. From the day they could remember, they were taught all kinds of social etiquette, trained in communication, and instructed on how to navigate interpersonal relationships.

The most important rule was to speak and act with caution.

An Xun didn’t blush often, but when he did, it was usually when they were deep in the heat of the moment. His cheeks would only turn slightly red, and he’d pant lightly, eyes filled with unshed tears, completely lost in the experience. Occasionally, if his hand strayed to a place it shouldn’t, his face would flush a deeper red.

Recalling the sounds from earlier in the room, Bo Xiangzhou was beginning to piece things together.

It was just normal behavior, nothing to be concerned about.

He chose not to mention it. If he did, An Xun would get upset and unleash a tirade. If he didn’t mention it, they could both continue to enjoy the peace. He might even get a goodnight kiss later if he was lucky.

An Xun had been troubled for days about coming clean. The longer he delayed, the more anxious he became.

Their relationship wasn’t entirely stable. Bo Xiangzhou had only started taking action because An Xun seemed so well-behaved. If it had been someone who didn’t meet his criteria, he probably wouldn’t have bothered. Being in a sexless marriage for three years might have seemed normal to him. Some of his recent actions had been a bit out of character, but still within a controllable range. He could always explain them away—like his curiosity about the taste of alcohol since he had never drunk before, or labeling a colleague as annoying because that coworker really was a pain. He needed to find ways to relieve the stress from work.

Afterward, Bo Xiangzhou hadn’t said much, so they just let it slide.

The sea was calm, with a gentle breeze stirring small ripples that spread out in circles. An Xun picked up a colorful little stone and skillfully tossed it into the center of a ripple, disrupting its original pattern.

The sky was gradually brightening, and the outline of the sun was starting to appear in the distance. An Xun reached down and tested the temperature of the seawater. It was a bit chilly, but still quite comfortable.

Bo Xiangzhou, naturally, wouldn’t go into the water to play. That would ruin his aloof image. Instead, he dipped his hands in the seawater and walked over to stand behind An Xun, his hands clasped behind his back.

Not far from the shore, there were two lounge chairs. Bo Xiangzhou lay on one of them, occasionally glancing at An Xun, allowing himself to relax while still keeping an eye on him.

The estate was too small for An Xun to stay cooped up inside forever. He needed to get out, see things he hadn’t seen before.

An Xun bent over and was about to ask Bo Xiangzhou a question when the latter smirked mischievously, suddenly flinging a handful of salty seawater right at his face.

Bo Xiangzhou immediately grabbed the retreating An Xun, yanking him back and pulling him down into his arms.

“I was wrong! There won’t be a next time!” An Xun sat up, rubbing his head against Bo Xiangzhou’s neck, his hair brushing against his Adam’s apple.

Bo Xiangzhou’s throat tightened as he pressed down on An Xun’s head. “Baby, if you keep misbehaving, I’ll tie your hands up.”

It was a simple enough statement, but to An Xun, who had been learning new things, it sounded different. His brain, filled with thoughts, conjured up vivid images that accompanied Bo Xiangzhou’s words.

For a moment, An Xun couldn’t tell if Bo Xiangzhou was talking like an adult or saying something only a three-year-old kid would understand.

He chose not to respond. The former would expose his thoughts, while the latter would be too embarrassing.

He wasn’t a three-year-old kid, after all.

Just then, Bo Xiangzhou’s secretary called. An Xun said, “President Bo, you’ve got so much work, I won’t bother you.”

It was only after marrying Bo Xiangzhou that An Xun realized how much work came with a high position. Taking time off to travel meant leaving a pile of tasks behind.

He was like a high-level corporate worker, even worse off than An Xun. An Xun had less money but more freedom, unlike Bo Xiangzhou, who had to attend social engagements, with a schedule tighter than a celebrity’s, even having to learn to manage his expressions like one.

An Xun didn’t go far. After a few steps, he returned, leaning in to listen to Bo Xiangzhou’s conversation with his secretary.

The secretary was an alpha. An Xun had met him before. He was quite handsome, and An Xun had even considered introducing him to Tao Nian. But on second thought, the secretary was probably even busier than Bo Xiangzhou. There’d be no point in trying to set them up, given his workload.

Just imagine: halfway through kissing, the phone rings. He’d have to apologize with a smile, ditch his partner, and pull out a notebook to get back to work.

…He couldn’t handle that.

The secretary reported, “President Bo, at 10:20 AM China time yesterday, which would be around 5 AM where you are, Mr. Wang from Zhenyi Group sent you an urgent email. Please prioritize reviewing it.”

Bo Xiangzhou gave a quiet “Mm.” An Xun felt like that response carried a lot of meaning—not too cold or distant, but also filled with the helplessness of not having control over his time.

The secretary continued, “Additionally, Mr. Cheng has invited you to his engagement party on the 29th of this month. If you agree, I’ll adjust your schedule accordingly.”

An Xun took a sharp breath. So busy.

As the secretary gave his report, Bo Xiangzhou played with An Xun’s hand. An Xun, grinning mischievously, bit his lip before darting off, slipping off his shoes and socks, and running into the sea.

The sun was slowly rising, casting a silver shimmer over the water. In the distance, the sky and sea seemed to merge into one, the boundary between them indiscernible. A little while later, golden rays pierced through the thick clouds, coloring half the sky.

This magnificent scene left An Xun awestruck.

In his heart, [Nian Nian] always came first.

As the sun fully emerged, An Xun’s first thought was to video call Tao Nian and share the moment with him. Climbing onto a higher rock, he spent half a minute adjusting his stance, using all his skill to shoot a 20-second video, trying his best to capture the beauty he was witnessing.

[No Calling Me Baby]: Nian Nian, look, it’s the sunrise!

An Xun’s nickname always changed with Bo Xiangzhou’s mood. To keep track of their relationship’s progress, Tao Nian had removed the nickname label on An Xun’s contact and checked it every day for any changes.

Though the video couldn’t quite convey the full majesty of the scene, Tao Nian, sitting at his desk freezing in an air-conditioned office, still felt a pang of envy, almost to the point of tears.

[Nian Nian]: Next time you go on a trip, take my soul with you. Even if my body can’t be there, at least my soul can feel it.

[No Calling Me Baby]: How would I take it? Possession?

[No Calling Me Baby]: That’d be way too creepy.

[Nian Nian]: [Dog head] We’ve been friends for so long. What’s a little possession between us?

The rocks were slippery, and just as An Xun was about to adjust his stance, he slipped. The rock wasn’t too high, but he scraped his back on the side, his elbow got a bit of a scratch and started bleeding, and his butt landed on several smaller rocks—

Ouch! His butt!

A man’s butt was like his second face, what if it got ruined?

On the other side, Bo Xiangzhou nearly had a heart attack. He quickly fished An Xun out of the water, grabbed his shoes, and carried him back to the villa in his arms.

There was a doctor at the villa. After a careful examination, the doctor left behind a tube of ointment and then departed.

While Bo Xiangzhou was carrying him, An Xun couldn’t help but squirm. He wanted to touch his own butt; he figured the injury wasn’t light. Bo Xiangzhou placed a pillow under him so he could sit at the edge of the bed.

He used a warm towel to clean the wounds and applied iodine with a cotton swab to disinfect the scrapes. The bruises got a layer of ointment, which was pale yellow and felt cool, like the temperature of the sea.

Just thinking about the sea made him mad. He never wanted to go near the beach again.

“Baby, take off your clothes and lie down,” Bo Xiangzhou suddenly commanded.

An Xun’s mind went straight to the gutter. “That’s not appropriate, is it?”

“Can you do it yourself then?” Bo Xiangzhou offered, about to hand him the ointment for the bruises.

Realization hit An Xun, and he obediently pulled up his shirt and lay down. “You’d better do it. I don’t think I’ll take my clothes off, though.”

His back was smooth, with little patches of bruises on his pale, jade-like skin, which looked a bit frightening. As Bo Xiangzhou’s cool fingers touched him, An Xun shuddered, his body instinctively curling up to protect itself.

He grabbed Bo Xiangzhou’s jacket, feeling a bit embarrassed, avoiding eye contact the moment their gazes met.

Bo Xiangzhou’s fingers were slick with the soon-to-melt ointment, and it slid down his fingers.

The atmosphere grew stranger, as if they weren’t just applying medicine but engaging in some sort of forced roleplay.

An Xun bit his lip, hesitating for a moment before pushing aside his improper thoughts. He turned his back to Bo Xiangzhou, tossing away the jacket and lying down again. But just before Bo Xiangzhou’s hand touched him, his body bounced away in a reflex.

A rather impure-thinking Bo Xiangzhou said, “…Baby?”

“I’m not lying down anymore. Just apply it like this,” An Xun said, sitting up despite the pain in his second “face,” hugging his knees. “And don’t go touching places you shouldn’t.”

Bo Xiangzhou knew that using his hand would help rub out the bruises and promote better absorption of the ointment. But given An Xun’s sensitivity, he didn’t dare touch him directly, opting instead for a cotton swab.

After Bo Xiangzhou finished washing his hands, An Xun awkwardly lay back down to let the ointment dry on his back.

Those five minutes felt torturous.

An Xun groaned inwardly. How could he even think of doing anything? He was already stressed out halfway through just from the tension.

“Can you handle the rest on your own?”

“Huh? What else is there to do?” An Xun was slow to catch on. Oh right, his butt. Then he added, “Yeah, I can handle it. How did you guess?”

“You think you’re being subtle?” Bo Xiangzhou handed him a tissue with some random printed pattern on it, wiping his hands before unfolding it and glancing at it. “Baby, you didn’t learn those lines just to fool me, did you?”

“No way. You’re special, so I have special ways of dealing with you. When I fool you, it’s different from how I fool others. I’d tweak the lines a bit.” An Xun quickly put on his pajamas and darted into the bathroom to avoid further questioning.

There wasn’t a full-length mirror in the villa, just a half-body one hanging over the sink.

An Xun could only see his back, not his lower half. And there wasn’t anything in the bathroom to stand on. Since the villa wasn’t their home, it wasn’t fully equipped with everything. He couldn’t exactly go downstairs to grab a dining chair.

Climbing up and down three floors twice would be exhausting.

“Hubby,” An Xun poked his head out of the door.

Whenever he had something urgent to ask, he’d call him hubby. If it wasn’t important, he’d use whatever term he felt like.

Bo Xiangzhou responded, already guessing what it was about.

Just as expected, An Xun, with a face flushed bright red, buried himself in a pile of blankets, the meaning clear.

Bo Xiangzhou decided not to tease him or push him for a reaction. He gently tugged down his waistband. It was very white, very soft, and looked incredibly smooth. There was a bruise near the most rounded part of his behind.

“Surprisingly firm.” It looked painful, though the mark wasn’t too deep. It was hard to tell how much it hurt.

An Xun felt mortified. “I beg you, please shut up!”

Firm, my foot! Firm your ass!

With a bit more pressure, Bo Xiangzhou quickly applied the ointment and pulled up his pants.

With his lover so close, it was hard not to lose control. An Xun used the blanket to cover himself. He had originally wanted to come up with an excuse to get Bo Xiangzhou to leave so he could deal with things himself. But his gaze unconsciously wandered to Bo Xiangzhou.

He wanted to see how he would react.

Hmm, quite a strong reaction.

Yet his expression remained as calm as ever. An Xun really wanted to learn from him how to manage his expressions. With that skill, maybe he wouldn’t hate going to work so much.

When people wanted to play things pure with him, he easily got embarrassed. If they were the same as him, he would gladly engage in friendly interaction.

An Xun extended a paw. “Need some help?”