When Song Yi woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. Squinting, he felt the warm sunlight streaming through the window, falling on his bare arms. The warmth was comforting but the brightness was a bit harsh. Instinctively, he tried to turn over, only for a sharp sting in a certain area stopping his movements.

“Hiss…”

Rubbing his eyes, Song Yi stared up at the vibrant canopy overhead. It took him a moment to realize—this wasn’t his home.

He and Gu Xingchuan had slept together again.

The first two times had been during special circumstances. Although he’d been somewhat aware of what was happening, his memories were hazy at best and he only had a vague recollection of the events.

This time, however, his mind was crystal clear. He remembered everything in vivid detail, that bastard Gu Xingchuan, sweet-talking like he cared but had not shown tenderness at all. He was utterly relentless—like a beast. Seriously, was this man even human or some kind of workhorse?

Song Yi turned his head and, overwhelmed with shame, buried his face in the pillow. The images flooded back unbidden making his face flush and his heart race. The two of them had been completely unrestrained, leaving traces of their madness in every corner of the room.

By the end of it, Gu Xingchuan had cradled him like a child and carried him into the bathtub. Dazed, Song Yi had stared at the dazzling Los Angeles night sky overhead while Gu Xingchuan whispered in his ear, counting stars and… doing things no normal person would even consider.

Was this something a human could even do?

At that moment, an arm wrapped around his waist from behind. Gu Xingchuan propped himself up slightly, leaning over to look at him. His posture was relaxed as he greeted in a low voice. “Baby, good morning.”

Song Yi let out a half-hearted “Mm” through his nose. What was done was done—regretting it now was like closing the stable door after the horse had bolted. It was pointless, serving only to make him more annoyed.

Gu Xingchuan reached out and gently rubbed his soft earlobe. “Are you hungry? What do you feel like eating?”

“Whatever…” Song Yi muttered. He didn’t dare look at him right now as some shred of shame still lingered.

Gu Xingchuan leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll go grab breakfast. You rest a bit longer.”

With that, he hopped out of bed walking boldly across the room without a stitch on. He stopped in front of the wardrobe, pulling out a pair of dark sports shorts. As he bent down to slide them up his strong, straight legs, the taut lines from his calves to his thighs flexed with each movement, a strikingly attractive sight. And then, right in front of Song Yi’s eyes, the culprit behind his sore back and aching waist made an unceremonious appearance. Embarrassed, Song Yi quickly turned his head away, pretending not to see a thing.

When the door shut with a resounding thud, Song Yi rolled over onto his stomach, burying his forehead into the pillow in frustration. He rubbed his head against it a few times, mumbling some calming mantra under his breath.

Well, this inappropriate relationship was officially a done deal now.

He couldn’t think of any good way to justify it. The first time? He could call it a misunderstanding. The second time? Circumstances forced his hand—he had no choice. But now, if he tried to come up with some high-sounding excuse, it’d just be downright hypocritical.

The truth was simple: he hadn’t been able to resist Gu Xingchuan’s temptation. Honestly, in that situation, how many people could? At that moment, his mind had been consumed by the most primal human instincts, everything else falling to the wayside.

Song Yi let out a deep sigh, bracing his arms against the bed as he struggled to sit up. Since he had no idea how to deal with this, he figured he might as well stop overthinking it.

It’s better to keep an open mind in life. Whatever comes, deal with it as it happens—soldiers to block invaders, earth to hold back water. When the boat reaches the bridge, it’ll straighten itself out.

When Song Yi came out of the shower, Gu Xingchuan had already returned with breakfast—steaming hot soy milk and crispy fried dough sticks from a nearby Chinese restaurant, accompanied by a few chilled side dishes.

“Try these. The fried dough sticks here are pretty famous.” Gu Xingchuan said casually, placing the food onto plates and bowls.

Song Yi was indeed hungry. Love-making was a physically exhausting activity. His long lashes lowered slightly as he began eating in small bites, chewing slowly and methodically as if savoring some royal delicacy.

Gu Xingchuan took a sip of the black coffee he’d brought back, propped his chin up with one hand, and stared at Song Yi intently. His tone was expectant, as if awaiting praise. “Did I satisfy you last night?”

Song Yi froze mid-bite but quickly pretended nothing had happened. Keeping his tone light, he replied. “It was okay.”

“What does ‘okay’ mean?” Gu Xingchuan narrowed his eyes, his gaze tracing over Song Yi’s refined and elegant features. Pressing him further, he asked. “Good or not good?”

Song Yi, of course, hadn’t been with any other alphas before, so he had no basis for comparison. But if he were to compare Gu Xingchuan to himself as an alpha, there was no contest—he couldn’t imagine going for hours on end and still being full of energy the next day.

In short, Gu Xingchuan wasn’t human.

But Song Yi wasn’t about to admit defeat. Taking a sip of his soy milk, he curved his lips into a faint smile and said lightly. “Not bad, but still a bit worse than me.”

“Bragging,” Gu Xingchuan scoffed, raising an eyebrow and curling his lips in disbelief.

Song Yi remained perfectly composed. After all, no one could debunk this particular lie—it was impossible to verify, so he could say whatever he wanted. “You think it’s bragging just because you haven’t seen it. That just means your experience is limited.”

Gu Xingchuan was about to retort when Song Yi suddenly hunched over, his shoulders jerking violently. Startled, Gu Xingchuan rushed forward and caught him as his body seemed to sag. “What’s wrong?”

“Leg cramp…” Song Yi’s face was drained of all color.

Gu Xingchuan helped him back onto the chair and crouched down, lifting Song Yi’s ankle onto his own thigh. With practiced ease, he began to knead the muscles in Song Yi’s calf, his expression tinged with amusement. “In this condition, you think you’re better than me?”

The warmth of Gu Xingchuan’s hands gradually eased the tight, spasming muscles. It felt surprisingly good. Leaning back against the chair, Song Yi looked down at him, annoyed. This bastard, it’s his fault I’m cramping in the first place. If not for the pregnancy, his normally excellent physique wouldn’t be calcium-deficient, let alone cramping like this.

Irritated by the thought, Song Yi let out a small huff and sneered. “Not bad. If you ever lose your job, you might still manage to earn a living.”

Gu Xingchuan looked up at him, a wicked glint in his narrowed eyes. “If I ever lose my job, I’ll just stay at your place as your personal housekeeper—make sure you’re well-fed every day.”

Song Yi chuckled lightly, his gaze sharp. “No thanks. My place is too small to accommodate a god like you.”

Gu Xingchuan shot him a glance, his tone slightly displeased. “We’re heading to Palm Springs today. There’s rock climbing and hiking. With how frail you are, just stick to soaking in the hot springs like a good boy.”

As he spoke, Gu Xingchuan pinched his thigh through his sweatpants, making his dissatisfaction abundantly clear.

Song Yi’s leg no longer hurt, but his mood had soured. He wanted to go rock climbing and hiking too– this was all Gu Xingchuan’s fault. In a flash of irritation, he raised his leg and kicked Gu Xingchuan squarely in his broad shoulder.

Caught off guard, Gu Xingchuan stumbled backward slightly before regaining his balance. His wolf-like gaze locked onto Song Yi for a second before he sprang up, grabbed Song Yi’s slender ankle, and pushed it upward, pinning his knee to his chest. “Hmm? Your leg doesn’t hurt anymore?”

The position was entirely too suggestive making Song Yi uneasy. He shot Gu Xingchuan a glare and said firmly. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Gu Xingchuan leaned down quickly, planting a kiss on the corner of his lips. In a low voice, he murmured. “I must not have worked hard enough if you still have the energy to kick me.”

Song Yi glanced at him, then calmly turned his face away. “Hurry up and call the car.”

“Sure.” But not before Gu Xingchuan grabbed his jaw and stole another firm kiss, finally letting him go.

The drive from Los Angeles to Palm Springs was short, just two hours. When they arrived, Song Yi stepped out of the car and took in the vibrant desert city. The sky was a dazzling blue, and palm trees swayed gracefully along both sides of the road. A Cupid fountain in the square diligently spouted water, adding a touch of charm.

^_^