The room was lit, but not very bright. The housemaid must have been here, as there were still dishes covered on the table. Zhou Jun walked while undressing, casually changing into a robe as if no one else was around. He invited the person to sit on the sofa while he put the dishes into the fridge. After thinking for a moment, he asked loudly, “Do you want ice cream?”

Yong Jin said no, so he just took out a bowl of ice cream from the fridge. The glass bowl was filled with round, colorful scoops of ice cream, ready to eat with a silver spoon.

Holding a beautiful glass bowl, Zhou Jun settled into another spot on the sofa. Seeing him so relaxed, Yong Jin couldn’t help but laugh, “Is this Mr. Zhou’s way of hosting guests?” Zhou Jun propped up his legs and brought the ice cream from the spoon to his mouth, innocently saying, “Didn’t I ask you if you wanted some?” Yong Jin looked at the teapot on the coffee table and asked, “What about the tea?”

Zhou Jun slowly ate his ice cream, saying, “I don’t know where the tea leaves are.” He was so straightforward that it left Yong Jin speechless. Zhou Jun quickly finished the ice cream, licking the spoon and mumbling, “If you insisted on coming in to sit, you must have a reason, right?”

At that moment, Yong Jin was standing in front of the phonograph in the room, taking out a vinyl record and placing it on the turntable. As the needle spun, a deep, sultry female voice flowed from the golden horn. The music moved through the air, gradually filling the entire room.

Zhou Jun heard him say, “I didn’t take you home today.” Yong Jin returned to the sofa, meeting Zhou Jun’s gaze as he continued, “That was quite rude of me to end the date very abrupty.

Zhou Jun was about to say he didn’t mind when Yong Jin added, “As an apology, I had Chen Jian give you the movie tickets. Did you receive them?” Thinking about the tickets that should have been returned, Zhou Jun put down the ice cream cup and naturally deflected, “I had to see the dentist that day, so I couldn’t go.”

Yong Jin responded with a drawn-out, “Oh.” He shifted closer, moving in front of Zhou Jun. His gaze moved between Zhou Jun’s face and the ice cream cup. His eyes were gentle, and the curve of his mouth didn’t change as he said, “Mr. Zhou might not know, but I really don’t like being lied to.”

Zhou Jun then made a move, leaning in closer to Yong Jin until their faces were nearly touching. The distance between them was so close that his nose was almost brushing against Yong Jin’s. He lowered his gaze to Yong Jin’s lips, laughing softly as his body trembled slightly, “Do you think I’m lying to you? Then come check.”

His lips hadn’t opened, and the coldness of the ice cream lingered between them, brushing against Yong Jin’s mouth. At that moment, seeming a bit uncomfortable with the closeness, Yong Jin pressed his finger against Zhou Jun’s lips, gently pushing him back a little. Zhou Jun complied, leaning back against the sofa and glancing at the clock. “It’s getting late; you should head back, Major.”

Unexpectedly, Yong Jin didn’t leave; instead, he stood in front of Zhou Jun, leaning forward and resting his hands on the back of the sofa. Yong Jin blocked most of the light, casting a dark shadow over his body that It felt as if he was embracing him. His cool fingertips resting on Zhou Jun’s lips as he said in a low voice, “Let me see.”

Yong Jin’s fingers were long, and his index finger had a silver ring set with a deep red gemstone. The gem was hard and cold, while his fingers were soft and warm. He forced Zhou Jun to open his mouth, exploring his teeth slowly, one by one. Zhou Jun couldn’t close his mouth, saliva dripping from the corner of his lips. It was incredibly awkward; he wanted to shut his mouth but instead felt like he was sucking on the finger in a way that seemed almost submissive.

Zhou Jun started to feel uncomfortable, his brows knitting together. He looked slightly angry and embarrassed, as if he were being bullied. Yong Jin’s smile grew wider, becoming more daring. He didn’t just explore Zhou Jun’s teeth; he playfully pressed against the soft, wet tongue beneath his finger, even sliding his middle finger inside.

Zhou Jun’s jaw wrapped around Yong Jin’s finger, caught between biting and enduring. The roof of his mouth felt itchy from the pressure, and the gemstone on the ring scratched against his mucous membranes, causing some pain. Forced to make a sound, he looked up at Yong Jin, seeking mercy and mumbling an apology. Yong Jin sighed and withdrew his fingers from Zhou Jun’s mouth, his wet fingers brushing against his chin as he softly said, “Very nice.”

Yong Jin’s annoying teasing and his superior attitude made Zhou Jun keep telling himself to be patient and polite. He watched Yong Jin take a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping his hands as he said, “Your teeth look good; you don’t need to see a dentist. The date is still on.”

Zhou Jun forced a smile and said, “Oh really? I should thank you for your thorough check-up.” Yong Jin nodded and surprisingly accepted his thanks. Just as he was about to leave, he seemed to remember something important and said, “By the way, please send my regards to your brother. I truly appreciate all his help regarding the dock incident last time.”

Yong Jin’s tone was formal, and Zhou Jun couldn’t figure out the underlying meaning, so he hesitantly nodded and asked, “Do you know my brother well?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Jun noticed Yong Jin looked a bit surprised, but it was only for a moment. The next second, Yong Jin said with a half-smile, “Maybe next time we can go out for a meal together.”

Zhou Jun looked at Yong Jin with some doubt, but Yong Jin didn’t elaborate, only saying, “It’s getting late.” He walked Zhou Jun to the door, and leaned in to give him a cheek kiss. His lips were dry, brushing against Zhou Jun’s cheek, leaving a distinct sensation. Just before the door closed, Yong Jin whispered, “Good night,” in his ear.

After the door closed, Zhou Jun stood there for a while, lost in thought. He considered his brother’s attitude and Yong Jin’s attitude, sensing that something was happening that everyone else knew about, but he did not.

The kiss had felt like a gentle, tickling touch, like a cat’s tongue brushing against him—smooth, not rough at all. Why did Yong Jin want to get close to him? If it was really about Shirley Chen, then it shouldn’t involve this kind of ambiguous behavior. It shouldn’t include dates, meetings, or kisses.

Zhou Jun snapped back to reality and noticed Yong Jin’s coat hanging on the nearby floor rack. It was a long, deep blue coat. He took it down and opened the door.

The hallway was empty, illuminated by moonlight, with no one around. He closed the door and sat on the sofa, holding the coat as he looked it over. He checked the pockets and found them empty, except for a petal from a pear blossom that had somehow fallen inside. As he turned the coat over, he not only failed to find any clues but also caught a faint scent of Yong Jin lingering on the fabric.

The faint, cool scent mixed with the smell of cigars made Zhou Jun realize what he was doing. He quickly pushed the coat away from his nose. Not daring to throw it away, he simply hung it back on the rack and avoided looking at it again.

He hurried into the bathroom to wash up. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he glanced at himself in the mirror, secretly relieved that he didn’t look flushed.

At that moment, Zhou Jun recalled the earlier scene of having his mouth played with, and his cheeks betrayed him, gradually turning red. He wiped his face dry and returned to the living room. The record player was still playing, filling the space with music. One song faded out, and the third and fourth tracks began.

The sound shifted from female vocals to male, transitioning from deep tones to passionate crescendos. By the record player, he spotted the rejected movie ticket and suddenly realized that Yong Jin had known about his refusal. It dawned on him that when he had taken the elevator upstairs, Yong Jin had chased after him from the staircase, holding the movie ticket.

Zhou Jun found himself lost in thought, imagining Yong Jin climbing the stairs and couldn’t help but smile. He considered that perhaps things weren’t as he had initially believed; Yong Jin must have had another purpose for his visit. But no matter how much he tried to calm himself down, he couldn’t stop feeling amused. His feelings rose up like a vine in the sun, growing and spreading all around.