The sky hadn’t fully darkened yet, and Zhao Ziqiang was lazily gazing out the window, lost in thought. The atmosphere made him feel like those few months of hardship had never happened.

Qian Wang couldn’t quite explain what he was thinking at the time. With his heart pounding louder and louder, he cautiously leaned in and kissed Zhao Ziqiang on the lips.

It wasn’t until he felt the slightly dry and soft piece that Qian Wang’s mind became clear. His nervous excitement had been overwhelming, and he even began to regret breaking the balance of the moment when the atmosphere was so perfect.

To his surprise, Zhao Ziqiang didn’t push him away, nor did he sneer with anger or coldness in his eyes. Instead, he slightly parted his lips, welcoming the bold advance of Qian Wang’s already assertive tongue.

Then there was the natural and familiar intertwining of lips and teeth, and the long-lost excitement.

The seats were put down. Even though the space was too small, the two people hugging each other and kissing deeply in the car didn’t seem to notice it. Qian Wang gasped and took some distance from Zhao Ziqiang. A man in his thirties, who one wouldn’t expect to show vulnerability, had a flicker of it in his eyes, revealing a quiet grievance he struggled to hide.

Zhao Ziqiang wanted to laugh, but the kiss tasted so good that he couldn’t bear to let it go right away.

So he continued to pull down the man’s head without making a sound, and gently licked the man’s lips.

Zhao Ziqiang felt a deep sense of confusion, unsure if he had truly forgiven this person or if the pain and self-sacrifice had really been let go. He didn’t know… Perhaps, in this moment, he simply didn’t want to betray such a beautiful scene. Or maybe it was just a man’s instinct—when he desired something, he acted on it. Who would want their right hand to accompany them for a lifetime?

With summer approaching, people wore fewer clothes, and now it was even easier to strip them away, making it feel almost as if they weren’t there.

Qian Wang was like a young boy who had never tasted fine food, about to experience deliciousness for the first time. His movements and breathing were so intense and chaotic that Zhao Ziqiang’s eyes were almost entranced, as if they were about to lose focus.

The silence of the desert made it feel as though they were in a different world, where nothing mattered. So, tender yet wild, they intertwined and tumbled, their heavy breaths matching like primal beasts.

However, when Wang Qian’s hand reached behind Zhao Ziqiang to expand, Zhao Ziqiang hesitated for a moment. After all, some rationality still remained. He reached into his backpack, and it seemed there was “that” inside.

Seeing this, Qian Wang almost bit his tongue in frustration. In moments like these, recalling unpleasant memories was inevitable and irritating, but bringing them up only made things worse. So, he could only bury his head into the man’s shoulder, whispering in a tone of repentance, repeatedly:

“Only you…”

Zhao Ziqiang understood the meaning of those words. After hesitating for a few seconds, he sighed and withdrew his hand.

Qian Wang, however, became cautious again, like a chastised puppy, too afraid to make a move. Instead, he gently grazed Zhao Ziqiang’s neck, his touch light and hesitant.

Zhao Ziqiang’s face turned slightly red, but inside, he suddenly felt at ease. At times like this, for a grown man with physical needs, after so many years of “honest encounters,” there was no point in being coy.

He simply lowered his hand to find the long and thick member of the man who was still lying down, and slowly inserted it into his body. His eyes shifted back to Qian Wang’s face, and he exhaled deeply, his gaze narrowing slightly.

Zhao Ziqiang’s earlier actions had been a mix of intentional and unintentional provocation. Seeing Qian Wang come to his senses, he relaxed and waited for the man to take the next step.

Qian Wang looked at the man before him, whose eyes were closed and lips slightly parted. A surge of conflicting emotions—both sorrow and joy—flooded his heart, along with an overwhelming impulse that couldn’t be stopped. He straightened up, held the man’s thigh and started to move.

Zhao Ziqiang’s body sway back and forth, he couldn’t think of anything but the pleasure of the moment, moving in sync with the rhythm of the movement behind.

Time passed slowly, the sun outside the car was completely set. The temperature dropped sharply, but the warmth inside the car remained unchanged, so much so that a faint layer of mist could be seen on the windows.

…

Afterward, both of them were completely exhausted. Zhao Ziqiang casually grabbed his shirt and wrapped it around himself before drifting off into a drowsy state.

Qian Wang, however, remained lost in thought, staring blankly at Zhao Ziqiang’s sleeping face. The dim light in the car only served to highlight the deep contours of the man’s face as he slept.

He got up, put on his pants, and carefully draped a pile of clothes over Zhao Ziqiang, layer by layer. Zhao Ziqiang mumbled softly twice and curled up even more comfortably, drifting back into sleep.

The man originally thought about turning off the car lights but paused, wondering if anyone might pass by in the desert during the night. So, he decided to leave the lights on.

As it turned out, keeping the “just in case” was the right decision. Around eleven o’clock, Qian Wang, still half-asleep, heard a few distant dog barks. Zhao Ziqiang woke up even faster. After confirming it wasn’t just a hallucination or a wolf’s howl, he quickly threw on his clothes in a hasty manner. Under Qian Wang’s groggy gaze, he opened the car door and jumped out.

Sure enough, there were lights in the distance, and a woman’s loud voice shouted:

“Hey~is anyone there?”

Hearing the voice, Qian Wang woke up fully and followed Zhao Ziqiang out of the car. He pulled out his phone, using the flashlight and waving it. The distant beams of light quickly moved closer, and within a few minutes, a “large” group appeared.

It turned out to be two camels, a dog, and a couple.

When Zhao Ziqiang saw the newcomers clearly, he realized that the woman was indeed the same one who had guided them earlier in the day.

Before he could say anything, the woman began to apologize, clearly embarrassed, and kept blaming herself.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, feeling terribly embarrassed. “I showed you the wrong way, I… I just…”

Zhao Ziqiang interrupted her, offering a few comforting words and expressing his gratitude. In moments like this, there was truly nothing but feelings of appreciation and thankfulness. Even Qian Wang, usually reserved, put on an unusually pleasant expression.

It was already nighttime, and the cold in the vast desert was eerie and chilling. Although the woman was curious about how the two had met, she didn’t ask any more questions.

The group didn’t say much more. Zhao Ziqiang and Qian Wang returned to the car, while the woman and the man continued to ride their camels, leading them back along the same path.

It turned out that the woman had only recently thought about earning some money by offering directions. Her family had lived in this area for over a decade and was familiar with the desert and its surroundings for dozens of miles. In recent years, as tourism in the area had been growing, she suddenly realized that she could try to make a little profit by offering such a service. Zhao Ziqiang and Qian Wang had undoubtedly become the first and second test customers of this new venture.

After the mother and son guided the two men earlier in the day, they took turns waiting by the shop. However, as the night wore on and they still hadn’t seen the car that had gone in earlier, they started to panic. Being simple and kind-hearted people, they were genuinely worried that something might have happened, and it made it difficult for them to stay calm.

When they told the head of the family, he borrowed a local’s camel and came looking for them.

For Zhao Ziqiang and Qian Wang, this path might have been incredibly confusing, but for this family, who had lived here their whole lives, finding the lost two was a simple task.

Once they reached the main road, the woman still seemed a bit embarrassed, keeping her head down. The man, however, was straightforward and offered to return the money to them. Of course, the two men declined, and after some polite refusals, they drove away.

“That was really more thrilling than dangerous!”

On the road, Zhao Ziqiang’s tone was quite excited. The adrenaline of being lost made him feel like he had returned to his youth, to the time when he was full of passion for adventure and exploration.

Qian Wang also responded with a hint of agreement, but then he stopped looking at the person beside him, focusing entirely on driving with a great mood.

Neither of them mentioned the emotional whirlwind of the past few hours again.