The Tao family’s ancestral home had a dedicated home theater, with top-tier screens and sound systems. For Tao Fengche, going out to watch a movie was actually quite a rare thing.

If he remembered correctly, the last time was when Wang Yuan invited him to a cinema to watch a highly acclaimed blockbuster among classmates, starring Xie Yushu.

After leaving the cinema and seeing the rave reviews from the audience around him, Tao Fengche began to question whether his taste was out of sync with the public, and he even developed a subtle psychological shadow towards cinemas.

So, tonight, the two of them naturally chose to stay home.

The Tao family’s home theater had a dedicated partnership with a film distribution company that regularly delivered movies, often even earlier than their theatrical release, so there was no need to worry about the timeliness of the films.

With the summer season here, several blockbuster films with over a hundred million investments had been showing in cinemas. The ratings on major websites were high. Usually, Tao Fengche might search online for reviews and pick one, but that day was different.

The significance of “watching a movie with Sui Yuesheng” far outweighed the movie itself. Tao Fengche had completely given up on having any demands regarding the film’s content. Even if it was a children’s educational film starring a pink pig that looked like a hairdryer, as long as Sui Yuesheng had no objections, he would happily watch it.

Sui Yuesheng selected several films in a row, and Tao Fengche agreed to all of them. He didn’t bother asking anymore and simply picked a well-rated sci-fi movie, settling down on the sofa with Tao Fengche.

They sat very close, their shoulders lightly touching. In the thin summer clothes, Tao Fengche could even feel Sui Yuesheng’s thin shoulder blades.

…How did he get so thin?

Tao Fengche murmured to himself. The distance was so close that his heart almost skipped a beat. The next second, it began to beat even more rapidly, as if it were about to leap out of his throat. Tao Fengche took a while to steady his breathing.

The home theater was the only place in the Tao residence not decorated in traditional Chinese classical style. The sofa was from a top international luxury brand and was very soft. After a while, Sui Yuesheng relaxed completely, like a sheathed sword, lazy and unassuming after losing its edge.

Although Sui Yuesheng had been talking tough on the phone with Jing Ning a few days ago, saying, “I’m very reassured with bodyguards at home,” he was actually very worried. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have compressed his rest time, cramming a week’s worth of work into four days and rushing back to Jingpu.

The room was at a comfortable temperature, the sofa was soft, and the adolescent alpha he was concerned about hadn’t caused any trouble. Now, Sui Yuesheng was sitting beside him, breathing evenly, which made him feel very reassured.

Even with the immersive sound of gunfire and explosions filling the room, Sui Yuesheng still let out a soft yawn.

Then, his eyes began to uncontrollably squint, and soon they were glued together as if coated with strong glue. Eventually, he was overwhelmed by sleepiness, his head nodding off due to inertia.

Just as he was about to fall, Tao Fengche quickly reached out to support him.

Since the moment Sui Yuesheng yawned, Tao Fengche’s full attention had been on him, carefully watching his every move with peripheral vision.

After the “hero saves the beauty” moment, he turned his head to examine Sui Yuesheng closely. Confirming that Sui Yuesheng was asleep, he tried to move his head onto his shoulder.

…This is better than having his head hanging in the air. Otherwise, his neck would hurt.

Tao Fengche gave himself a perfect excuse for his actions, once again ignoring the option of “waking up Sui Yuesheng.”

To ensure the best viewing experience, the room lights had all been turned off, relying solely on the illumination from the screen. Sui Yuesheng was sitting on Tao Fengche’s right side, and he had just used his left hand to support him.

In the dim light, Tao Fengche carefully extended his right hand, trying to gently guide Sui Yuesheng’s head towards his shoulder. However, he misjudged the landing point and accidentally brushed his thumb against Sui Yuesheng’s lips.

It wasn’t intentional, and it wasn’t a big deal—he could just pull back. But Tao Fengche was frozen in place, and the next moment, he inexplicably pressed his thumb down.

The sensation was soft, like fine jelly or a whirlpool in the sea, or a swamp in the woods. Just that brief touch made Tao Fengche feel as if he was sinking into it.

Rationality told him that he should quickly withdraw and pretend nothing had happened. He was almost about to do so, but his usually proud self-control suddenly deserted him. It was as if he was bewitched, his thumb stuck to Sui Yuesheng’s lower lip, and he even gently caressed it, treating it like a priceless treasure..

…So soft, it must be perfect for kissing, right?

Tao Fengche stared at Sui Yuesheng’s slightly parted lips, and suddenly this thought popped into his mind.

The next second, he was consumed by inner demons.

After ten years, since seeing Sui Yuesheng at Tao Zhixing’s funeral, Sui Yuesheng’s attitude had always been somewhat distant, like the moon in the mirror, the flowers in the water—something unattainable and ethereal.

True to his name, he had become an unattainable moon.

But now he was asleep, deeply and soundly, completely unaware of everything that had just happened.

This opportunity was incredibly rare. As long as Tao Fengche leaned in, he could kiss the person he had been thinking about day and night, and Sui Yuesheng would never know.

Thinking this, Tao Fengche did exactly that. His eyes were filled with desire and obsession, almost igniting him. Holding his breath, he leaned in, and in an instant, their distance was extremely close. Sui Yuesheng’s calm breath brushed against his face, stirring the fine hairs on his skin, and Tao Fengche felt a profound, tingling sensation all over, even his fingers trembling slightly.

He was almost about to kiss him when suddenly, it felt like he was in an ice cellar, a cold sensation sweeping through his entire body.

If he did this, what would make him different from those who had hurt Sui Yuesheng before?

Those alpha who had been dealt with severely had at least not taken action, while he, as Sui Yuesheng’s brother, treated as family, had already put it into practice.

What would Sui Yuesheng think if he found out?

…How heartbroken would he be?

Tao Fengche’s heart ached, and the inner demons roared through, only to be forcefully suppressed.

When the body is extremely cold, it generates a warm illusion, and Tao Fengche felt his whole body starting to heat up, as if skewered and roasted over a fire. He sat frozen, his face flushed with embarrassment and anger—annoyed at his recent thoughts and relieved that he hadn’t yet acted on them. Meanwhile, he felt a vague resentment towards Sui Yuesheng.

—Why are you so defenseless?!

Without even the slightest hint of vigilance, it’s as if you’re disrespecting the ring on your finger, or as if you’ve decided that I won’t do anything to you.

Is it because you’re so confident in front of your younger brother?

But I don’t want to be your younger brother at all.

Tao Fengche bit his lip tightly.

His eyes, slightly drooping at the corners, were swollen with brutality, as if brewing a storm. But Sui Yuesheng was at the eye of the storm, the calmest place amid the chaos; even with sand and stones flying around, it remained perfectly calm here.

Tao Fengche stared at him for a long time, but in the end, he dejectedly stepped back. He placed Sui Yuesheng on the sofa, found a pillow for him to use as a headrest, and covered him with a blanket. After doing all this, he quickly stood up, no longer caring about the movie, and turned to leave in a hurried manner.

He desperately needed a cold shower to clear his head. If he stayed here any longer, he didn’t know what he might do or if he could still control himself.

“Click.”

The door was carefully closed, making a barely audible sound. The next moment, Sui Yuesheng opened his eyes.

His eyes still showed signs of drowsiness, and his face remained expressionless, but his ears were red as if they might bleed, so hot that he almost shivered. Fortunately, it was in the dimly lit cinema; otherwise, Tao Fengche would have definitely noticed his alertness.

Sui Yuesheng awkwardly cleared his throat, blinked, touched his almost burning ears, then touched the tip of his nose, and finally his lips, lingering where Tao Fengche had just touched.

He finally spoke, letting out a barely audible murmur.

“Little rascal…”