Si Xuanyang was a decisive person. Once he made up his mind to take Yu Sen to the hospital for a full check-up, he was determined to drag him there, no matter how much Yu Sen resisted.

Yu Sen had experienced Si Xuanyang’s stubbornness firsthand. Even though he felt perfectly fine and believed the clock had granted him a “health package” after tormenting him across multiple worlds, his resistance was futile. Si Xuanyang still managed to get him into the car, half dragging, half carrying him.

Yu Sen thought that, now that his sickness was cured, he would be strong enough to overpower Si Xuanyang, or at least be evenly matched. But after being bedridden and neglecting his physical fitness, the outcome was clear—Second Young Master Si could still handle him with ease.

The villa’s large iron gates grew more distant behind them.

Sitting weakly in the passenger seat, Yu Sen sighed, “This won’t work, you’re too overbearing, kid. You’re always pushing me. Do you know what love between two people needs? Space! Breathing room! The freedom to choose! You’re so arrogant and dictatorial, aren’t you afraid I might cheat on you…”

The man in black, wearing a suit and sunglasses, smirked and snorted coldly. “Daydreaming again? Did you forget what I said back when we were in the hospital?”

“…What? That if my thoughts stray, you’ll be more ruthless than Lance?” Yu Sen recalled and then rolled his eyes. “This is the modern world, okay! How could you be more ruthless than him? Bite me to death!?”

At a red light, Si Xuanyang turned his head, sunglasses covering most of his face, making him look extremely cold and unfeeling. He grinned at Yu Sen. “Baby, you don’t want to know.”

“…”

Yu Sen felt a shiver down his spine. For some reason, that smile had an ominous, lawless vibe, and he suddenly felt immense pressure.

Damn it! Broad daylight, and he’s making things so creepy! Is the demon still possessing him or what?

…

At the hospital, they went through the entire pre-arranged series of tests. Yu Sen, stripped down and examined from head to toe, was pale-faced by the end and couldn’t even speak properly. He threw countless glares at Si Xuanyang.

The test results came out the same day. All of Yu Sen’s internal organs had mostly healed and recovered. However, he had lost a lot of weight, his energy levels were low, and he had mild hypoglycemia, which would need careful management and supplementation.

Overall, the major issues that had tormented him had miraculously disappeared like a game of Candy Crush.

Once they happily returned home, Yu Sen called Madam Shu Yuqing to subtly inquire about the timing for their hot spring trip.

He felt like a bird that had been caged for half a year and needed to get out into nature and spread his wings.

Concerned for his health, Shu Yuqing suggested that since it was already winter, though it was the perfect time for hot springs, it might not be ideal for his current condition. She proposed waiting until spring instead.

In other words— “Just stay at home and rest, kid!”

Yu Sen deflated instantly.

Si Xuanyang was leaning against the headboard, reading a financial analysis report. When Yu Sen suddenly fell silent, he glanced over at him, saw his dejected face, and took the phone from his hand, putting it to his ear.

“The scenery in spring is great too…”

“Mom?”

“Huh? Xuanyang? It was Yu Sen just now. Why did you snatch his phone?”

“With his strength, do I need to snatch it?”

Watching Yu Sen bare his teeth in frustration, Si Xuanyang smiled widely, switched the phone to his other hand, and pressed Yu Sen down with his right hand, using enough force that his muscles tensed. He wasn’t letting him move.

“…Are you a child? Let me go!” Yu Sen struggled, pinned under Si Xuanyang’s hand, scratching a white mark on his arm in his frustration. “Immature!”

“What’s going on over there? Why so much noise?” Shu Yuqing asked.

“Nothing. Yu Sen’s just watching TikTok. Two kids were fighting, and he loves watching that kind of stuff.” Si Xuanyang raised his eyebrows at Yu Sen, silently mouthing words and grinning provocatively.

So childish!

“Oh, I see… He should watch less TikTok, you know. It’s easy to get addicted to that stuff, and it’ll affect your relationship if he’s on his phone all day.” Shu Yuqing said, her tone sincere.

“I know, I set up his phone to automatically lock.”

Yu Sen’s eyes widened as he lunged forward—screw your TikTok! Screw your two kids fighting! Screw your auto-lock!

“Auntie! Auntie Shu! Si Xuanyang is bullying me! He he he he he… he’s messing with me!”

After shouting into the air twice, Yu Sen stared in horror as Si Xuanyang raised the phone, moved the iPad aside, and rolled over, pressing down on him.

Their whole bodies were pressed together, legs straddling on either side of his abdomen, chests touching, noses almost brushing, breaths intertwined, eyes locked.

Every inch of Yu Sen’s consciousness was filled with Si Xuanyang’s presence, his entire body encased in the other’s aura.

A tingling sensation spread across his scalp, and his entire body grew warm.

Yu Sen bit his lower lip hard, stopping himself from making any sound during the phone call, his fingers digging into Si Xuanyang’s waist.

“Uh—!” The sound escaped from Si Xuanyang’s mouth naturally.

Yu Sen’s eyes widened further, looking between Si Xuanyang’s face and the phone near his ear.

I didn’t make a sound! Why did you!?

Si Xuanyang chuckled lightly.

Yu Sen muttered under his breath, “What’s so funny?!”

“I told you I don’t have good self-control in front of you. Feel free to test it if you don’t believe me,” Si Xuanyang replied.

“Oh my, what are you two doing? Don’t think I can’t tell,” Shu Yuqing’s voice came through the phone, laced with amusement. “Go ahead, you youngsters are always fooling around, right? That’s the best way to honor your youth, isn’t it, Xiao Yu?”

After a pause, she added, “But Xuanyang, you should be careful with Xiao Yu’s body, don’t overdo it, got it?”

A rush of heat surged through Yu Sen’s mind. He took a deep breath and turned his head away.

Damn it!

Si Xuanyang gazed down at him, gently kissing the corner of his eye. Then, addressing the phone, he said, “Got it, Mom. About the hot spring resort you mentioned last time, can we book it now?”

“Huh? Of course, we can book it, my friend is an investor there. Xiao Yu just asked about it,” Shu Yuqing paused in surprise. “But do you plan to go in the next few days? Isn’t Xiao Yu still recovering? What if he gets sick again from the wind?”

“A short trip will be fine, as long as the schedule isn’t too tiring. He’s been cooped up inside for too long and wants to get some fresh air.”

Promising!

Yu Sen’s eyes lit up, and he turned back, grinning at Si Xuanyang. Surrounded by the other’s warmth, his lips were drawn into Si Xuanyang’s mouth, where he was slowly and quietly kissed. The tenderness made Yu Sen’s breath soften involuntarily.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment…

Unaware of what was happening, Shu Yuqing continued talking on the phone, “Alright then, I’ll make the call later and let you know once everything’s arranged. By the way, does Yu Sen’s food still need to be prepared by a nutritionist? I could have them come along, and Dr. Su could join too in case anything happens. I’m just worried he won’t be able to eat the food there. It’s a shame if he misses out on their kaiseki meals. Also…”

“Mom,” Si Xuanyang reluctantly pulled away from Yu Sen’s lips, his eyes still fixed on Yu Sen’s flushed face, gently rubbing the corner of his reddened eyes. With a soft heart, he reached for the phone to end the call.

“Please just go ahead and arrange it. I just got a new financial report, there are some numbers I need to review, so I’ll let you go for now.”

“…Since when is reviewing reports so urgent? Alright, you two get busy, I’ll hang up.”

The phone screen went black. Yu Sen pressed lightly against Si Xuanyang’s chest, catching his breath before breaking into a smile. “Aren’t you supposed to be reviewing a report? Hurry up and go.”

“Yes, I need to review something. But not a report. The doctor’s checkup wasn’t enough for me. Now, let’s go through the process thoroughly from start to finish, one more time.”

Si Xuanyang smiled as he sealed Yu Sen’s lips with his own, reaching out to turn off the light.

“The night is long, Mr. Yu. Are you ready? Project number one starts now…”

Moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a soft glow on the two entwined bodies amidst the messy bedding. The sounds of muffled moans and gasping breaths lingered for a long time.

---

Madam Shu Yuqing and Si Xuanyang lived up to their reputation—quick and efficient. By the next day, everything had been arranged, and she called to let them know they could leave whenever they were ready.

At that moment, Yu Sen had already skipped breakfast and was in bed, trying to skip lunch as well.

Although his body had recovered, he was no match for Si Xuanyang in terms of stamina. After last night, he felt completely drained when he was carried to the bathtub for a wash. Without support, he would have immediately sunk into the water.

Now, seeing his fully dressed, radiant boyfriend who had just finished a phone call, Yu Sen felt a wave of unfairness.

“Why is it that even though I’m the top, my waist is still so sore…”

Si Xuanyang looked at him, amused. “Who told you being a top means you don’t get tired or have a sore waist? It mainly depends on the frequency and your usual stamina and exercise level, not much else.”

“Nonsense… It’s because your hand was pressing down on me last night, that’s why I’m sore!” Yu Sen pouted and rubbed his abdomen, complaining with frustration. “You even pinched me several times and bit me! The marks are still there!”

Si Xuanyang coughed lightly, trying to hide his smile. “Well, the feeling was just too good, I couldn’t control myself. I’ll be more careful next time.”

“There’s no next time…” Yu Sen’s eyes were dim.

“That’s impossible. Cough… no, enough. Hurry up and get up for lunch. This afternoon we’re heading to Mount Ling to soak in the hot springs you’ve been thinking about,” Si Xuanyang shot back. “You have to eat; the doctor said your stomach is quite delicate and needs to be well taken care of to avoid getting sick. It’s already a mercy you skipped breakfast because you couldn’t get up. Now you have no excuses.”

“…Damn it, you dictatorial demon!”

After dragging his body covered in red marks to wash up and taking the nourishing medicine, Si Nan and Shu Yuqing arrived.

Originally, they could have set out separately, but Shu Yuqing suggested it would be more fun to travel together in an RV, so she and Si Nan came to their place.

“Where’s Luo Yu? Isn’t he coming?” Yu Sen looked around but didn’t see Luo Yu’s figure.

“He’s busy with end-of-term exams and has a lot of work left at school. He wouldn’t be at ease playing around, so I sent him back to school first,” Si Nan said.

“Okay, then. Just take some photos for him later.”

After quickly packing their things, the group set off for the Mountain Ling hot spring hotel.

…

The RV was spacious, and with the driver at the wheel, the four of them were not cramped at all. But the mountain roads were bumpy, and Yu Sen felt a bit carsick. After a long night of battling, he was now drowsy, and with the warmth inside the car, his eyelids felt heavy and he struggled to keep them open.

“Want to take a nap?” Si Xuanyang gently rubbed the back of his neck, feeling some regret for having kept him up so long the night before.

“No, the driver said we’re about to enter a snowy area. I want to see the snow,” Yu Sen mumbled with his eyes half-closed.

“Why are you so obsessed with snow?” Si Xuanyang frowned unhappily, though he knew it was silly to be jealous of snow. His tone was stiff. “Just sleep! When you wake up, we’ll be right in the middle of a snowy mountain, which will be more impactful.”

“Yeah, Xiao Yu, you don’t look too well. Close your eyes and rest for a bit,” Shu Yuqing added.

Only Si Nan looked at the kiss marks peeking from Yu Sen’s collar and said slyly, “Tired from too much exercise last night? Don’t glare at me, don’t glare at me. If you’re mad, take it out on my brother…”

Shu Yuqing stared for a moment, then realized and shot Si Xuanyang a reproachful glance, mumbling, “Did you inspect the report all the way to the bed? You really are something.”

Yu Sen: “…I’m going to sleep! Bye-bye, auntie!”

“Alright, go ahead,” Shu Yuqing waved at him.

The RV bed was just big enough for two people, but the air inside was a bit stuffy. Si Xuanyang didn’t want to crowd him and make it hard for him to breathe, so he just sat on the edge of the bed.

“Sleep, I’ll keep watch.”

“Hm? Is it going to be one of those where I open my eyes and see you right there?” Yu Sen laughed. “It seems like ever since I got injured, every time I open my eyes, you’re right there.”

“Of course, I’m afraid you’ll get silly and only fall for the first person you see after waking up, so I don’t dare to leave your side,” Si Xuanyang smiled too.

“Pfft…” Yu Sen reached out from under the covers, signaling him to lean down. Si Xuanyang complied, and Yu Sen kissed the corner of his mouth, grinning slyly. “Well, you succeeded. Congratulations, Mr. Si.”

Then he tightly closed his eyes.

Si Xuanyang touched his own mouth and looked helplessly at the person who only wanted to flirt and then go to sleep, feeling his heart filled with honey.

“Yeah, congratulations to me.”

…

The Si family’s hillside villa was already in the suburbs. It didn’t take long to reach Mount Ling area by car.

This season was a peak tourist time for this route, but the developers followed a ‘small but refined’ strategy. The hotel, named ‘Mystic Realm Seek,’ was built deep in the mountains with only five Japanese-style cottages. Each cottage had its own natural hot spring pool, ensuring privacy and tranquility, allowing guests to relax in the hot springs and enjoy the snow.

The food was also meticulously prepared. Even though the mountain roads were winding, fresh ingredients were delivered on schedule every day. In the summer, the mountain stream even had shrimp and fish, with excellent ecological protection.

Shu Yuqing’s card-playing friend invested here. When she heard they were coming, she immediately arranged for three rooms to be available so they could enjoy their stay.

After an hour, the car stopped, and Yu Sen was awakened by Si Xuanyang. Drowsily wrapping himself in his coat, he stepped out of the car and was immediately awestruck by the magnificent snow scenery.

He hadn’t expected such a large flat snowfield halfway up the mountain. The snow was soft and fluffy underfoot, and thousands of fragrant cypress trees were covered in clean white snow. The snow wasn’t frozen yet; large snowflakes occasionally fell, and snowflakes fluttered in the air.

But the area was well-planned, with no stuffy feeling. The sparse winter sunlight shone down, and even without warmth, the glow of the light made people feel warm inside.

The car stopped in front of a wooden house, similar to a hotel lobby. Although they didn’t need to go through the check-in process, they still had to pass through this wooden house to enter the hotel.

Initially, Yu Sen thought the conditions on the mountain might be lacking, but behind the wooden house was a well-equipped shop selling a variety of goods.

The hotel had both hot springs and a swimming pool. For the convenience of guests, the shop naturally sold swimwear and other clothing, as well as uniforms for photo opportunities.

Yu Sen glanced inside and had some familiar thoughts.

Leaving the wooden house, they walked a few minutes through the snow until they reached their lodgings.

The houses were spaced out with a large distance between them, each surrounded by bamboo fences.

The wooden houses had a bit of Japanese style but were not entirely traditional. Considering that many guests couldn’t tolerate tatami mats and floor beds, the interior was fitted with large wooden beds, and a fireplace burned logs. In the backyard, there was a hot spring pool bubbling with steam, next to a snow-covered cedar tree. The snowflakes fell gently, and when they touched the steam, they instantly turned into vapor without a sound.

Yu Sen took a deep breath of the fresh air, feeling his restless heart calm down at that moment.