Jing Tian was not entirely sober at this moment, his thoughts were confused and lacking in logic, but he could still understand the underlying meaning of Zheng Xunqian’s words.

Asking like this implied that they had been here together before.

Less than a five-minute drive away was the school, yet they had come to a hotel together. What else could be the reason?

Jing Tian stumbled out of the car, standing at the entrance of the hotel. A gust of cold wind blew, making him shiver involuntarily.

“Do you have your ID?” Zheng Xunqian asked.

He did.

The bar they went to today was very strict; minors were not allowed inside, so Yang Yue specifically reminded him to carry his ID.

With his delicate features and youthful appearance, he was likely to be randomly checked.

“…I didn’t bring it,” Jing Tian said.

“Impossible,” Zheng Xunqian reached out his hand, “Give me your ID.”

“We can’t go back now, it’s definitely past curfew,” Zheng Xunqian said, “You have nowhere else to stay, give me your ID.”

“It’s all because of you!” Jing Tian exclaimed.

“Yes,” Zheng Xunqian said, “It’s my fault, so I’ll take care of it.”

Indeed, there was nowhere else to go.

Jing Tian frowned and took out his ID, handing it over to Zheng Xunqian.

After receiving it, Zheng Xunqian didn’t withdraw his hand. Instead, he took a half step closer, supporting Jing Tian’s shoulder. “Can you walk on your own?”

Jing Tian was still dizzy, his steps unsteady, swaying as he got out of the car, clearly intoxicated.

“I don’t need your help,” he weakly pushed Zheng Xunqian away, “I can manage on my own.”

The action seemed flirtatious but had no effect.

“I think you have ill intentions,” Jing Tian grumbled.

Without stepping back or offering any explanation, Zheng Xunqian escorted him up the steps and into the hotel.

After registering with their IDs, a standard room was quickly arranged.

“You left your ID here last time,” Zheng Xunqian said after they entered the room.

Looking at the two single beds in the room, Jing Tian asked, “Was it also this kind of room last time?”

“No,” Zheng Xunqian said, “It was a double bed last time.”

“Do you want to change?” Zheng Xunqian asked.

“No way!” Jing Tian shouted.

After shouting, he staggered to the edge of the bed, then collapsed onto it, rubbing his face against the sheets a few times.

These types of small hotels near the school were relatively affordable, with ordinary appearances and simple room furnishings.

The standard room looked unremarkable, but the bed was very soft. When lying on it, one sank slightly, making it quite comfortable.

With his eyes closed, Jing Tian merged with the mattress, becoming increasingly unclear in his mind. Yet, his mouth couldn’t stop talking: “You’re really messed up, completely inexplicable. I just can’t stand you.”

He muttered on, but Zheng Xunqian remained silent.

After a while, Jing Tian felt a gentle vibration under him.

Someone sat down beside him.

“I really hate you,” Jing Tian said.

“False,” Zheng Xunqian said, “You actually like me a lot.”

As he spoke, he reached out and touched the fine strands of hair at the nape of Jing Tian’s neck.

Jing Tian involuntarily shrunk his neck.

“That’s not true, don’t flatter yourself,” he said, “Even if I did before, I don’t remember now. Forgetting means I don’t like you anymore.”

“Try to remember,” Zheng Xunqian suggested.

His hand moved slightly forward, fingertips gathering a small cluster of Jing Tian’s hair, twirling it around before letting go.

Then, he covered Jing Tian’s whole head with his palm, gently and slowly stroking.

The sensation was very comfortable, making him enjoy it. Consequently, his tone, which should have been firm, became excessively soft, lacking any forcefulness, as if he were acting spoiled.

“I don’t remember,” Jing Tian said, “I’ve completely forgotten. I don’t want to remember either.”

“Well… you can also start liking me again,” Zheng Xunqian proposed.

Jing Tian didn’t reply.

“Is it possible?” Zheng Xunqian asked.

Jing Tian turned his head slightly, opening his eyes.

Zheng Xunqian was sitting right beside him, looking down at him.

The warm yellow light in the room made it difficult to see clearly, and Zheng Xunqian was backlit, so Jing Tian couldn’t make out his expression, but he was pretty sure they were making eye contact.

Zheng Xunqian used his fingers to brush aside the bangs on his forehead, then slowly traced down his cheek with his fingertips, stopping at the corner of his lips.

Jing Tian subconsciously bit his lip and said, “But you have to answer my question first.”

Zheng Xunqian withdrew his hand, still looking at him, and nodded. “Ask.”

“Why did we come here before?” Jing Tian asked.

Zheng Xunqian looked away, lowered his head, and fell silent for a few seconds before replying, “Similar to today.”

“You kidnapped me?”

Zheng Xunqian protested by lightly flicking his forehead with his hand and then said, “That day, you drank too much, went crazy, called me, cried and caused a scene on the street, insisting that I come out to meet you.”

“After we met, you aggressively demanded my ID,” Zheng Xunqian said, “Claiming that you needed a quiet place to talk.”

“The room last time was booked by you,” Zheng Xunqian said, “You specifically emphasized to the front desk that you wanted a double bed, embarrassing us in front of everyone.”

Zheng Xunqian played with his hair again. “Is there anything else you want to ask?”

“Why did you follow me?” Jing Tian said, “You could have just ignored me.”

“That day, I kept asking myself the same question.”

Zheng Xunqian said.

Jing Tian buried his head back into the blanket, closed his eyes, and said, “Did I cry that day?”

“Yeah,” Zheng Xunqian recalled, “You kept sniffling on the phone, crying so pitifully. Maybe I couldn’t bear it for a moment, so I agreed.”

“No,” Jing Tian said, “It was after we entered this room.”

“Oh wait, it wasn’t this room that day,” Jing Tian said, “Anyway… I cried again later, right?”

“Remembered?”

“…No,” Jing Tian shook his head slightly, “I can’t remember.”

Some extremely vague and fleeting fragments appeared in his mind, disjointed and chaotic, impossible to properly piece together, unable to see the whole picture.

Memory not only includes images and sounds but also emotions, feelings, and various ambiguous things.

He felt that he did cry that day, cried so miserably, as if the sky had collapsed.

He didn’t remember the reason, but the clear and intense sadness at that moment was still overflowing from his chest.

Jing Tian lifted his arm and wiped his face against his sleeve.

When he spoke again, his voice had a noticeable nasal tone. “It’s definitely all because of you!”

“Jing Tian,” Zheng Xunqian’s voice came closer, “What’s wrong?”

Jing Tian refused to lift his head and asked again, “Why did I cry that day?”

“I don’t know.”

Zheng Xunqian said.

“How could you not know!” Jing Tian sat up, wiped his face vigorously, “It must be because of you!”

Zheng Xunqian looked at his damp face and asked, “Is it still because of me now?”

Jing Tian couldn’t answer.

He thought he must still be very drunk to be so emotionally unstable.

Zheng Xunqian gently brushed his soft cheek with his thumb and said, “I’m sorry.”

After saying that, he leaned in slowly, getting closer to Jing Tian.

Jing Tian instinctively leaned back.

Seeing this, Zheng Xunqian stopped, and he stopped too.

They were very close, so close that it became a bit difficult to maintain eye contact. They could feel each other’s warmth through the air.

At such a close distance, Zheng Xunqian gazed at him and whispered, “Don’t evade.”

Jing Tian blinked.

Then, warm and soft lips covered his.

Zheng Xunqian kissed him, then quickly retreated to the previous distance, seeing Jing Tian still in a daze, he kissed him again for the second time.

Jing Tian sat there foolishly, being kissed many times before he realized he should speak.

He wanted to ask, “What are you doing?” Unfortunately, before he could finish the first syllable, he was interrupted.

Opening his mouth during a kiss seemed too much like an invitation.

Jing Tian quickly lost the desire to ask questions.

Since entering this room, his brain had been fuzzy.

Being drunk felt like being in a dream, where consciousness was heightened yet perception of the world dulled, lacking in reality.

His instinct told him that what he was doing now made him feel comfortable.

It was soft, warm, and wet, making him want to immerse himself in it.

He tentatively lifted his head, trying to respond cautiously.

Both his mind and body lacked experience in this, so he seemed awkward.

Fortunately, the person kissing him didn’t mind.

Their tongues touched, their lips touched.

Jing Tian didn’t close his eyes, just squinted, his gaze unfocused. The whole world became blurry in the warm yellow light, only the sound of breathing and the subtle sound of lips and tongues intertwining were clear in his ears.

Zheng Xunqian pressed his lips closely to his, softly and earnestly pleading with him, “Can you like me again?”

His tone took on a completely different quality in the humid air, causing a tingling sensation in people’s hearts.

“Can you?” he asked again.

Jing Tian, in a daze, due to his brain functioning too slowly, hesitated to respond.

Zheng Xunqian kissed him again, and instinctively, he opened his mouth.

Zheng Xunqian persisted with his question for the third time.

“Is it okay?”

Jing Tian finally closed his eyes and replied, “…Let’s try.”

The bathroom in this hotel was somewhat rudimentary, with only a shower.

Jing Tian could barely stand, and he was practically carried in by Zheng Xunqian.

After the prolonged excitement brought on by alcohol, strong drowsiness set in.

He was very tired and could barely keep his eyes open.

Despite closing his eyes, he continued to complain incessantly about not having taken a shower yet while lying on the bed.

When Zheng Xunqian finally brought him to the bathroom, he finally complied.

As Zheng Xunqian took off his shirt, he obediently raised his arms.

As his pants were removed, he lifted his feet to help.

When he was completely naked, he reached out his arms, wanting to embrace Zheng Xunqian.

He needed something to support his body; he didn’t want to exert any effort.

“I can’t wash you like this.”

Zheng Xunqian’s hand rested on the shower switch, saying helplessly.

Jing Tian shook his head, thinking, then forget it, I won’t wash.

Perhaps because they were already here, Zheng Xunqian had a different opinion from him.

“After you wash, we’ll sleep.”

Jing Tian lightly hummed with his nose, as a protest.

“It’ll be quick.”

Zheng Xunqian said.

Jing Tian murmured with closed eyes, “let’s wash like this then.”

“That’ll wet my clothes.”

“Then take them off.”

Zheng Xunqian didn’t speak, nor did he move.

“Your heart is beating so fast.”

Jing Tian hugged his neck, murmuring softly.

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Zheng Xunqian didn’t answer.

Jing Tian, who had been drowsy, became a bit more alert and pressed, “Why? Why? Why?”

The response to him was the warm flow of the shower.

The large swathes of hot water wet his naked back, overflowed along his skin, and cascaded down.

“…Your clothes are wet!” Jing Tian opened his eyes.

He tilted his head back, staring directly into Zheng Xunqian’s eyes.

Seeing Zheng Xunqian’s face approaching his, he quickly closed his eyes again.

He hadn’t fully learned yet, but he had already begun to enjoy the feeling of kissing, knowing that at this moment, he should close his eyes.