Jing Tian lifted his head and looked at Zheng Xunqian, then they locked eyes under a warm yellow light.

They quietly gazed at each other for a while, and then Jing Tian couldn’t help but smile. Almost simultaneously, Zheng Xunqian also slightly raised the corners of his lips.

Jing Tian closed his eyes, tilted his face up, and naturally captured Zheng Xunqian’s lips.

He had made some progress recently, learning to adjust the angle slightly while kissing to avoid their noses bumping together.

It was a long, intermittent, warm, and moist kiss.

Jing Tian felt increasingly sleepy due to the comfort but couldn’t bear to stop. He wanted to melt away and blend with Zheng Xunqian.

Last time, they seemed to have fallen asleep while hugging but without such lingering kisses.

This was important. Amidst his blurry consciousness, Jing Tian thought this might be more important than everything that had just happened.

Zheng Xunqian’s hand groped under the blanket, encircling his waist, and his fingers gently traced over Jing Tian’s lower back, softly and rhythmically.

Pressing his lips against him, Jing Tian asked softly, “Do you like this tattoo?”

Zheng Xunqian softly replied, “Mm.”

Jing Tian asked again, “What did you feel the first time you saw it?”

He was referring, of course, to Zheng Xunqian’s first reaction when he saw this tattoo on his skin.

Zheng Xunqian remained quiet for a while before answering, “I…was startled.”

Jing Tian chuckled softly.

“I was surprised that someone liked me so much,” Zheng Xunqian said, “I was caught off guard for a moment.”

Jing Tian buried his face in the crook of his neck, hiding the slight embarrassment in his heart.

The past him had been bewitched by this strange man, like a crazy devotee, doing many unreasonable and self-satisfying things in secret. Jing Tian felt embarrassed, but he didn’t feel regret or self-blame.

He didn’t regret imprinting indelible ink on his skin or feel anything but contentment for what he had now.

Zheng Xunqian continued, “I asked you if I could take a picture the first time.”

Jing Tian blinked, then looked up at him again.

“…You told me to drop dead,” Zheng Xunqian said.

“…”

“You cried when I touched you, you cried when I stopped, you babbled,” Zheng Xunqian’s fingers still roamed over that patch of skin, “I was at a loss.”

“I… I don’t remember…” Jing Tian said, blushing.

“Mm,” Zheng Xunqian said, “No need to remember.”

Jing Tian closed his eyes, adjusted his position slightly, then realized something wasn’t quite right. “Why?”

Zheng Xunqian said, “It’s fine now. Forgetting some unimportant things isn’t a pity.”

“But you wanted me to remember something before,” Jing Tian said.

“Did I?” Zheng Xunqian fell silent for a moment, “Maybe because you forgot the most important thing.”

“What thing?”

“That you like me,” Zheng Xunqian said.

“…”

Jing Tian thought to himself that now, he might not even need to remember. The past emotions were still veiled in his heart, felt as if they were his own.

Now, this equally intense emotion sprang from a different source but flowed into the same sea.

On that night in the inn, under the influence of alcohol, he had promised Zheng Xunqian something, and he had ultimately fulfilled it.

Turning his head, he kissed Zheng Xunqian’s shoulder skin and whispered softly, “Goodnight.”

Fatigue, comfort, and satisfaction all brought drowsiness.

Jing Tian’s consciousness quickly blurred. He and Zheng Xunqian were very close, and the air entering his nostrils carried Zheng Xunqian’s warmth.

Zheng Xunqian turned off the light, and with the blackout curtains blocking out the city lights, they were completely isolated from the outside world in their little universe.

At the moment before he completely fell into dreams, Jing Tian suddenly opened his eyes.

A strange emotion surged unexpectedly in his heart, making him feel anxious and uneasy.

His brain still didn’t function well, muddled.

After blinking quietly in the darkness for a while, he tried to make a sound, “Zheng Xunqian? Are you still awake?”

After a few seconds, Zheng Xunqian responded slowly, his voice hoarse and filled with heavy weariness, “Hmm?”

“Did something unhappy happen to us that day?” Jing Tian asked.

Zheng Xunqian moved slightly, still not fully awake, “Huh?”

“That night, the one we were just talking about,” Jing Tian looked at his face earnestly in the darkness, “Did something happen?”

Zheng Xunqian rolled over, released his arm from around Jing Tian, and lay on his back, perhaps slipping into memories. After a long while, he answered, “I don’t think so.”

“Really?”

“Can we talk about it tomorrow?” Zheng Xunqian asked.

It was already the middle of the night, and disturbing someone’s sleep was not fair.

Jing Tian nodded, “Okay.”

After he finished speaking, he lay flat and closed his eyes.

After a while, the breathing beside him became even and deep, but he still couldn’t fall asleep again.

He was still very tired, his brain was muddled, but he wasn’t sleepy anymore.

Because he couldn’t understand his current unease, he became even more uneasy.

After silently recalling all the clear clues in his mind, he felt that he might have found the answer. Then, he abruptly turned over and reached out to push Zheng Xunqian, who was already asleep.

After a while, Zheng Xunqian made a sound of discomfort.

“What’s wrong?” he said in a groggy voice.

Jing Tian suddenly realized that his actions were inappropriate and somewhat excessive. He had been confused and impulsive just now, and he hadn’t thought it through.

But since he had already woken Zheng Xunqian up, he gathered the courage to speak out what was on his mind.

“Zheng Xunqian,” he whispered, “Do you like me?”

He already had the answer in his heart, repeatedly confirmed during their time together, and he shouldn’t be tangled up about it anymore.

But at this moment, for some reason, he really wanted to hear Zheng Xunqian say it clearly.

“Huh?” Zheng Xunqian rubbed his face with his hand as if he hadn’t heard clearly, “What?”

As he spoke, he turned his head slowly.

Jing Tian had already adapted to the dim light and could vaguely see Zheng Xunqian’s expression at the moment.

His face was all wrinkled, looking completely exhausted, his eyes squinted, and his forehead furrowed. Being repeatedly awakened, he must be feeling very uncomfortable.

“Are you sleep talking?” Zheng Xunqian asked.

Jing Tian quickly shook his head, “I’m sorry.”

After saying that, he lay back down, closed his eyes, and whispered, “Goodnight! Go to sleep soon!”

Zheng Xunqian didn’t respond immediately. He seemed to be completely puzzled, stared blankly for a while, then slowly leaned closer to Jing Tian and lightly touched his cheek with his lips.

“Goodnight,” Zheng Xunqian said, “Let’s talk about it tomorrow if there’s something.”

His lips were soft, leaving a warm mark on Jing Tian’s skin, possessing a soothing magic.

Jing Tian repeated the words he had just said, “Goodnight.”

After that, it was quiet for a long time. Various fragmented and inexplicable thoughts flew around in his mind, but they never formed a complete shape. As the feeling of fatigue accumulated, he finally fell into a deep sleep.

But he couldn’t sleep well; his dreams were chaotic.

He was walking on campus, seemingly holding hands with someone. When he turned around, he saw Zheng Xunqian’s face. Their hands were still held together, but Zheng Xunqian completely ignored him.

Jing Tian tried to speak, but his words were overwhelmed by a sudden loud noise.

In front of him, there appeared a towering dark blue aquarium, countless bubbles gurgled up from the bottom, emitting a dull sound. Several dolphins were swimming inside, and as Jing Tian watched, he remembered something Zheng Xunqian had said.

They’re not happy.

He turned his head again, but Zheng Xunqian was gone.

He looked down at his empty hands, holding a mobile phone instead of the shell bracelet. The phone vibrated lightly as he glanced at the screen.

Jing Tian opened the message as he continued to walk.

A dialogue box appeared on the screen, with his own message at the top.

• Then we don’t need to meet again.

The person’s profile picture and name on the left were blurry, and only the message he sent was visible.

• Up to you.

Who was this?

Jing Tian tried to make out the three blurry words at the top of the screen, slowing his steps. He arrived at the stairs, pausing for a few seconds with each step down.

Under his earnest gaze, the words gradually became clearer. The first two blurry words that entered his sight were strange: trash.

Jing Tian frowned, and he felt like he was falling.

In a moment of weightlessness, he opened his eyes in panic.

In front of him was an unfamiliar ceiling.

With rapid breathing, Jing Tian remained confused for a while before finally coming to his senses. He turned his head and found no one beside him.

The other half of the bed was only covered with messy sheets, and the bed felt chilly to the touch.

Jing Tian hastily sat up and realized he had a splitting headache.

Pressing his forehead for a moment, he heard the sound of rushing water not far away. He raised his head towards the direction of the sound, and behind the frosted glass in front, he saw a blurry figure.

“Zheng Xunqian?” he called out.

The person reached out their hand and lightly tapped on the glass. It was undoubtedly a signal, indicating to Jing Tian that they had heard him.

Jing Tian inexplicably felt relieved.

The discomfort from the chaotic dreams still lingered, and he wanted to quickly wash his face to fully wake up and shake off the inexplicable anxiety.

Zheng Xunqian probably wouldn’t mind briefly sharing the bathroom.

Jing Tian rubbed his face and tried to get out of bed. As his feet touched the ground, he tried to straighten up, but suddenly felt weak between his waist and legs.

They had been overly indulgent last night, caught up in emotions without realizing, and now his body was paying the price.

Jing Tian couldn’t muster any strength, lost his balance, stumbled a few steps, and finally bumped into the frosted glass of the bathroom with a thud.

A vibration spread through the frosted glass with a “thud” sound.

“What’s wrong?” came Zheng Xunqian’s concerned voice from the other side of the glass.

Jing Tian squatted on the ground, holding his head, unable to utter a word.