As their lips met, a slightly dry sensation lingered. Ning Zhiyuan remained still, not immediately pulling away. His eyes were open, looking calmly at Cen Zhisen, and their gazes intertwined at close range.

Cen Zhisen’s black pupils reflected Ning Zhiyuan’s face, overly composed, almost like a different kind of provocation.

Using a kiss to provoke him.

This thought crossed Cen Zhisen’s mind, and his gaze deepened, lifting his hand to touch Ning Zhiyuan’s back.

Ning Zhiyuan remained unmoved, his eyelashes drooping slightly, lips rubbing against Cen Zhisen’s slowly, as if immersed in the moment.

Cen Zhisen’s gaze wandered between Ning Zhiyuan’s eyebrows and eyes. The warm and ambiguous streetlight cast a soft glow on Ning Zhiyuan’s brow, and the corners of his eyes slightly lifted, like hooks, tantalizing and irresistible.

Not enough.

Cen Zhisen opened his lips, capturing the tip of Ning Zhiyuan’s lip and gently sucking.

Ning Zhiyuan remained composed, maintaining a leisurely posture with one hand in his pocket. In that moment, it seemed like he glanced at Cen Zhisen, and there was a certain emotion accumulating in his eyes—seemingly calm, yet with hidden waves.

The pressure from Cen Zhisen’s hand increased, and through the layers of fabric, Ning Zhiyuan could feel the strength and warmth when his broad palm pressed against him. Cen Zhisen firmly squeezed his waist, forcefully pressing him until their bodies were close.

Before Ning Zhiyuan could react, Cen Zhisen’s hand swiftly moved upward, gripping his neck, making him tilt his head back, then biting his lower lip and thrusting his tongue inside.

Ning Zhiyuan cooperated, opening his mouth to let Cen Zhisen’s tongue in. The tongue swept through his mouth, from the sensitive palate to the soft flesh beneath the tongue, engaging in a passionate dance of lips and tongues.

The wet, sticky sound of water, the collision of lips and teeth, and the gradually accelerating breaths intertwined but lacked lingering sweetness.

The eye contact resembled a contest, one with impure intentions and the other with premeditation.

What seemed like a prolonged kiss actually lasted just over half a minute. Ning Zhiyuan withdrew first, letting their tongues separate. In that final moment, it seemed like he winked at Cen Zhisen, and in his eyes, the smile carried a hint of mockery.

Turning around calmly, he faced the man who was still in a daze. “See that?”

The young man blushed and, subconsciously, looked at Cen Zhisen. However, Cen Zhisen’s eyes were fixed on Ning Zhiyuan, and he looked at the man with a smile, as if savoring the kiss they just shared.

“You…” The young man hesitated and couldn’t continue, leaving with a mumbled apology.

With the man gone, Ning Zhiyuan turned around and, with a hint of a smile, gestured to Cen Zhisen. “Looks like Cen you had a mishap this time.”

“I’ll reflect on it,” Cen Zhisen’s gaze lingered on Ning Zhiyuan’s moist lips, “and I won’t touch those messy people in the future.”

Ning Zhiyuan chuckled.

Cen Zhisen asked him, “Are we still going up?”

Ning Zhiyuan turned first, walking back to the car. “Get in.”

In the elevator, Ning Zhiyuan seemed a bit tired. Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes, looking particularly relaxed, and didn’t say a word.

Cen Zhisen watched his silhouette reflected in the metal doors, absentmindedly contemplating Ning Zhiyuan’s appearance. It didn’t seem like they were going upstairs for a casual drink; instead, it felt like they were heading to a passionate rendezvous.

After a kiss, going to bed might be the most normal step—only if the people here weren’t him and Ning Zhiyuan, and if it wasn’t just a few months ago that they were still nominally brothers.

Cen Zhisen felt a bit regretful.

Suddenly, Ning Zhiyuan opened his eyes. Behind him, leaning on the back wall, he lazily spoke, “What are you looking at?”

Cen Zhisen didn’t turn around, lowering his eyes and smiling. “How did you know I was looking at you?”

Ning Zhiyuan replied, “Oh, looking at me.”

Cen Zhisen found it even more amusing. He was usually in control, confident in any situation and with anyone, except with Ning Zhiyuan. His troublesome ‘younger brother’ always found a way to keep him from gaining the upper hand completely.

The elevator stopped on the top floor, and the metal doors had already opened. Ning Zhiyuan stood up straight, walked forward, and, as he passed by, raised his hand to pat Cen Zhisen’s shoulder, saying, “Let’s go in.”

Taking the lead.

Inside, they took off their outer clothes and changed shoes.

The sensor light at the entrance flickered on and off. Ning Zhiyuan’s steps halted, and the person behind him approached. He leaned against the wall, turning his head slightly.

A few inches away, Cen Zhisen stared into his eyes. The neon lights from outside the living room’s glass wall briefly illuminated Cen Zhisen’s face, revealing an undisguised desire in his eyes.

It was a desire, directed at him.

Having been his brother for twenty-seven years, he developed an undesired desire for him.

Ning Zhiyuan remained calm. When their breaths intertwined, he calmly asked, “Not turning on the lights?”

Cen Zhisen assessed him. Ning Zhiyuan was too composed, as if this scene had been rehearsed countless times in his mind. At this moment, Cen Zhisen suddenly realized that his crude thoughts might not be well-hidden in Ning Zhiyuan’s eyes.

But it didn’t matter; he hadn’t planned on hiding forever.

Gazing from Ning Zhiyuan’s eyes to his lips, Cen Zhisen spoke slowly, “Later, okay?”

Ning Zhiyuan let it go. When he tried to stand up straight, Cen Zhisen pressed him back, getting closer. “Did you smoke in the car just now? Your mouth smells like cigarettes.”

Ning Zhiyuan, lazy to move, nonchalantly responded, “Couldn’t wait.”

“Did I make you impatient?” Cen Zhisen’s voice was low and magnetic, with a hint of a smile.

Ning Zhiyuan stared directly into his eyes. “You did.”

“Fine, my mistake,” Cen Zhisen admitted readily. “It won’t happen next time.”

Ning Zhiyuan smirked. “By the way, I recalled what kind of character you used to be. Isn’t it the same with every ex-lover? When interested, you treat them like a treasure, but once the interest fades, you turn heartless.”

He spoke teasingly, slowly, and with a tone that was somewhat intriguing.

“Do you know what I used to be like?” Cen Zhisen asked.

“You can find out if you want to.” Ning Zhiyuan replied with a hint of pride.

However, those glimpses from the shadows weren’t fully satisfying, and now he had the chance to truly see this person’s true nature.

—These were things he didn’t really want to talk about.

Cen Zhisen squinted at him, but Ning Zhiyuan’s face remained unreadable.

“Not a treasure,” Cen Zhisen corrected, “It was all just a matter of financial transactions.”

Ning Zhiyuan casually nodded, but it was unclear if he believed it or not.

“Also, thanks for what happened just now,” Cen Zhisen said.

“No problem. Your little lover was too annoying.” Ning Zhiyuan closed his eyes, chuckled lightly, tilted his head slightly, and whispered near Cen Zhisen’s ear, “It was my first time kissing a man by the way.”

His voice was light, more like an airy sound from his throat, sticky and viscous, teasing in nature.

Cen Zhisen felt an itching sensation on his eardrums, a sensation that reached the depths of his heart.

“Really?” He unconsciously slowed down his breathing. “How did it feel?”

Ning Zhiyuan seemed to ponder for a moment before saying, “You’re pretty skilled.”

Their eyes met again, and Cen Zhisen saw the smile in Ning Zhiyuan’s eyes. “Skilled?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Ning Zhiyuan praised without reservation. “Very skilled. For my first time kissing a guy, I didn’t even have to take the initiative. And, moreover—”

“Moreover what?” Cen Zhisen asked.

Moreover, the sensation of lips and tongues with a man was completely different from the softness of a woman’s. Cen Zhisen’s breath and taste were extremely domineering, forcefully enveloping him, leaving no room for refusal.

Ning Zhiyuan didn’t mind. If his background hadn’t been exposed, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to try such a stimulating experience.

This experience was brought to him by Cen Zhisen.

“Moreover, I’m always eager to learn and happy to learn from others,” Ning Zhiyuan said.

Cen Zhisen’s expression paused. He didn’t believe that Ning Zhiyuan, who was used to charming women, could lose to him in kissing. In that brief half-minute, Ning Zhiyuan was the only one who could keep up with his rhythm and breathing frequency.

In fact, Cen Zhisen might not have as much experience in this regard as Ning Zhiyuan, perhaps due to his cleanliness and lack of enthusiasm for kissing.

When he asked this question, his hand stopped at Ning Zhiyuan’s waist.

Ning Zhiyuan had taken off his coat and suit jacket when he entered, revealing a light gray wool vest. It softly brushed against Cen Zhisen’s palm. Cen Zhisen could almost feel the resilience of the waist hidden beneath the fabric as he caressed it repeatedly, unable to resist.

The waist seemed to be a sensitive area for Ning Zhiyuan. After a few strokes, his breath slightly intensified, and he grabbed Cen Zhisen’s hand, pressing it against his waist. His fingers lightly tapped on the back of Cen Zhisen’s hand, and his voice became a bit hoarse, “Stop touching.”

Cen Zhisen commented, “You’re quite sensitive. Haven’t any of your previous partners touched you here?”

Ning Zhiyuan glanced at him and said, “I prefer getting straight to the point.”

“Hmm,” Cen Zhisen’s hand stopped, but he didn’t withdraw it. Instead, he moved it up to the collarbone area, lightly pressing down. “What about here? The mark from last time, who left it?”

Ning Zhiyuan asked, “Last time?”

Ning Zhiyuan had long forgotten, but Cen Zhisen still had a vivid memory. At that time, in his office, they were at odds with each other. Ning Zhiyuan had done something on his own initiative, and Cen Zhisen had initially wanted to ask more questions. However, when he casually saw the mark on his body, he suddenly lost the desire to speak.

“Forget it if you don’t remember,” Cen Zhisen casually asked, not really caring about these details. His hand continued to roam upward, tracing along the beautiful and slender neck of Ning Zhiyuan, from the front to the back.

This was something he had wanted to do for a long time—to touch this person seriously. The tactile sensation of their skin being close was even better than he had imagined.

Finally, his palm rested on the tips of Ning Zhiyuan’s hair at the back of his neck. His fingertips pressed on the red mole on the side of his neck, massaging it gently, akin to a caress.

“You haven’t said who you want to use the acquired skills on,” Cen Zhisen reminded him.

Ning Zhiyuan looked at him without answering. The alternating light of the night slid over their eyes, the ambiguous colors swirling between brightness and darkness.

In the undulating breaths, the sound of heartbeats mixed in. No one spoke until the warmth in their chests gradually became scorching.

Suddenly, Ning Zhiyuan tilted his head and laughed softly.

He said, “Ge, I’m straight.”