Driving out of the house was around nine in the evening, New Year’s Eve. Ning Zhiyuan suggested going somewhere for a drink to celebrate.

Outside the car window was a bustling city at night, even livelier than usual. Cen Zhisen slowed down the car and asked the person next to him, “Where do you want to go?”

“Turn left up ahead,” Ning Zhiyuan pointed the way.

The car headed towards the downtown area. Ning Zhiyuan said, “A friend invited me to go out tonight.”

Cen Zhisen asked, “why didn’t you?”

“I don’t want to go,” Ning Zhiyuan leaned back in his seat, turning his head to look at Cen Zhisen, “I want to be with you.”

Cen Zhisen nodded, “Considerate of you.”

Ning Zhiyuan smiled, and his gaze returned to the outside of the car.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the place, a bar Ning Zhiyuan used to frequent. However, the last time he was here was more than a year ago.

They found a seat at the bar, and Ning Zhiyuan ordered drinks. He casually mentioned, “remember that one time I saw you here, and we left together.”

Cen Zhisen, of course, remembered. The last time he brought friends here to relax, he unexpectedly encountered Ning Zhiyuan. The rascal was dancing with a girl on the dance floor, looking carefree and unrestrained. Sitting here, he suddenly had different subtle thoughts, realizing that they were no longer biological brothers, and there was nothing wrong with it.

A strange experience indeed.

Cen Zhisen swirled the drink in his hand and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

When Ning Zhiyuan saw his expression, he asked, “What’s so funny?”

Cen Zhisen put down his glass, asked for a non-alcoholic drink, and said, “Nothing, just thinking about something interesting.”

Ning Zhiyuan inquired, “Like what?”

“Like the time I saw you dancing with Tang Shiqi here,” Cen Zhisen’s gaze lingered on his face, “Suddenly I thought, instead of letting others take advantage of the well-cultivated cabbage, why not dig it myself.”

Ning Zhiyuan lightly scoffed, “Cen Zhisen, do people know how perverted you are?”

Cen Zhisen laughed, “Well, now they do.”

In the end, his whimsical thoughts at the time had become a reality. Even the most perverted things had turned into something serious.

Ning Zhiyuan also recalled that night. They silently confronted each other across the ambiguous lights and half of the dance floor. His caution and scrutiny, which had initially existed, were beginning to change in Cen Zhisen’s eyes.

Perhaps all the signs had already sprouted long before he realized it.

“Cen Zhisen.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Ning Zhiyuan suppressed the inexplicable agitation in his heart, changing the topic, “Aren’t you drinking?”

“Not anymore. You drink; later, I’ll drive, and we can go somewhere else,” Cen Zhisen said.

“Whatever you want.” Ning Zhiyuan was not disappointed. He was here on a whim, inviting Cen Zhisen to experience the atmosphere of New Year’s Eve. Drinking or not was secondary; he could drink alone.

Looking around, the bar was lively. There was a special New Year’s Eve event tonight, with a well-known band performing. The atmosphere was enthusiastic, and there were many people dancing.

After having a glass of whiskey, feeling relaxed due to the good mood, and a bit restless, Ning Zhiyuan leaned towards Cen Zhisen and asked in a low voice, “Want to dance?”

“Do you want to?” Cen Zhisen turned to see his slightly intoxicated face and lightly tapped his lips.

Ning Zhiyuan licked his lips, smiling softly, “I want to.”

“Then let’s go.” Cen Zhisen agreed.

Dancing, in their case, was more like holding each other. In a corner of the dance floor, bathed in dim lights, they swayed slowly.

Ning Zhiyuan’s hands roamed from Cen Zhisen’s lower back, moving upward, finally embracing his shoulders. He whispered near his ear, “Ge.”

“Hmm?” Cen Zhisen responded somewhat absentmindedly.

“Have you never danced with anyone else?” Ning Zhiyuan asked.

“You could tell?” 

Ning Zhiyuan touched his well-defined back muscles and said to him, “mmmh. You just stepped on me twice.”

Cen Zhisen was not embarrassed, “you’re right.”

It was indeed his first time dancing, but he was always composed and unruffled, learning quickly. In just a few moves, he caught up with Ning Zhiyuan’s pace. Anyone else would not be able to tell he was a novice.

“Your hands are all over the place,” Ning Zhiyuan commented.

“Whatever,” Cen Zhisen didn’t care much. Perhaps intentionally, his hands slid from Ning Zhiyuan’s waist to his ass, gently kneading and pulling him closer.

Ning Zhiyuan’s voice brushed past Cen Zhisen’s ear, with a noticeable smile, “Ge, this is a formal place. Be a bit more reserved.”

Cen Zhisen said, “I know.”

If it weren’t for being in a formal place, he would have done more.

Of course, Ning Zhiyuan didn’t mind.

Their bodies pressed against each other, breaths entangled, and they were cheek to cheek.

People around them changed wave after wave, lights swirling between their glances, and the songs, either passionate or tender, continued to echo in their ears.

Until the countdown to the New Year erupted.

Others around them began to kiss, and in the darkest corner, they shamelessly engaged in a passionate kiss.

Perhaps they had wanted to do this a long time ago.

The intentional probing and closeness on the same night last year had turned into the intimacy they now shared.

“Ge, Happy New Year.”

As lips and tongues intertwined, Ning Zhiyuan murmured softly.

“You too,” Cen Zhisen responded, hoarsely saying, “Baby, Happy New Year, Happy Birthday.”

Every year on this day, he would repeat these two blessings to Ning Zhiyuan.

After midnight, the city streets were still brightly lit. They drove towards the outskirts of the city, and the song playing in the speakers was the same as the one played on this day last year.

Ning Zhiyuan hummed along, chuckling softly.

“Cen Zhisen, when you asked me to come out, what were you thinking?”

Cen Zhisen turned to look at him, meeting his smiling eyes. “I wanted to spend New Year’s with you. I wondered if there would be another chance like this.”

“Ge,” Ning Zhiyuan said earnestly, “I’m happy to welcome the New Year with you, now and in the future.”

Cen Zhisen also smiled and reminded him, “Look outside the car.”

Ning Zhiyuan’s gaze shifted, and the intertwined lights along the way extended forward. On this cold night, they illuminated the eyes of everyone they passed, making Ning Zhiyuan’s eyes shine even brighter.

Cen Zhisen tilted his head, capturing this scene in his eyes and heart.

They still parked by the side of the wild lake. When their eyes met, there was no need for explicit communication; they already understood each other’s intentions.

Cen Zhisen adjusted the seat, reaching out to support the person sitting across from him. His hand slipped under the sweater, gently caressing the tattoo on the side of his waist.

Ning Zhiyuan, seated on his lap, cupped his face and initiated a passionate kiss.

As lips and tongues intertwined, the warmth rose along with desire, but the intoxicating thing was not just these physical sensations.

“Ge, ge—” Ning Zhiyuan called out to Cen Zhisen, willingly sacrificing everything.

Cen Zhisen held him in his arms, hands clasped tightly, silently confessing with fervent love.

“So hot…”

Feeling the heat between their entangled breaths, Ning Zhiyuan was particularly impatient. Seated on Cen Zhisen, their bodies pressed against each other, his voice became hoarse, “How much longer? Hurry…”

However, Cen Zhisen seemed intentionally restrained today, being gentle and teasing. Ning Zhiyuan felt uncomfortable, and the sweat on his cheek was slowly licked away by Cen Zhisen, who leaned in.

Cen Zhisen, unmoving, kissed him cautiously, exceptionally devoted. Ning Zhiyuan couldn’t help but urge again, “Don’t stop.”

“Zhiyuan,” Cen Zhisen called his name, “Do you want me?”

“I want you. I want you,” Ning Zhiyuan answered without hesitation, “Cen Zhisen—”

The following words became fragmented and out of tune, and Cen Zhisen finally found the familiar chaotic rhythm.

For the second time, they moved to the back seat.

Cen Zhisen knelt between Ning Zhiyuan’s legs, bending down to depict his body with explicit glances.

Even after so long, this body still held an irresistible allure for Cen Zhisen, making him savor it, becoming addicted.

Ning Zhiyuan lay almost naked, covered in a thin layer of sweat. The sweat enveloped every smooth and elastic muscle.

The tattoo around his waist was damp with sweat, the patterns more vivid. Cen Zhisen couldn’t help but caress it, hands moving down, rubbing over the hollow below his hip bone, gliding over the firm muscles on the inner thighs, continuing to explore downwards, squeezing his calf until the ankle, lifting one leg onto his shoulder.

An embarrassingly shameless position—

When Cen Zhisen extremely provocatively sucked on his toes, Ning Zhiyuan let out a muffled groan, unable to suppress his moans.

However, Cen Zhisen did not let him off. Following the places he had touched, he kissed up, licking his body bit by bit. All those varied and lewd teasing methods were applied to him.

Waves of heat swept over his body, and Ning Zhiyuan was completely soaked by this kind of tide, inside and out, all was water.

Their coats were also stained, and after it all, Ning Zhiyuan simply took Cen Zhisen’s and covered himself with it. Sitting up, he turned his head and exchanged another hot kiss with Cen Zhisen.

The narrow space inside the car was filled with these excessively licentious scents. After the kiss, Ning Zhiyuan couldn’t help but laugh, leaning to Cen Zhisen’s ear and saying, “Ge, do you remember what I told you here last year? We are now truly improper brothers who have been in bed together.”

Cen Zhisen lazily leaned against the seat, one hand reaching around his waist, gently rubbing for a moment. “Did you tell me that on purpose back then?”

Ning Zhiyuan said, “Not entirely.”

Not entirely, meaning there was a deliberate element. Both of them laughed again.

Ning Zhiyuan was clever; he had already realized Cen Zhisen’s crooked thoughts at that time. He intentionally tempted and tested, and who was the hunter and who was the prey between them was indeed hard to say.

Cen Zhisen doubted, “Did someone really say that before, or did you make it up?”

“It’s true,” Ning Zhiyuan lifted his finger to the side of his neck, scratching the place where he had bitten him, “Why would I make this up? Besides, I should thank those people.”

Cen Zhisen asked, “Thank them for what?”

Ning Zhiyuan smiled without saying more.

To gain the upper hand in the struggle with Cen Zhisen was never an easy task. Thanks to the absurd things those people said back then, he became aware of this possibility, enabling him to promptly perceive Cen Zhisen’s inappropriate thoughts and not be too passive or at a loss.

Cen Zhisen probably guessed but was too lazy to ask. He got out of the car, opened the trunk, and brought out a cake and the gift he prepared.

“Here, for you. See if you like it.”

Ning Zhiyuan ate the cake and looked through the things Cen Zhisen handed him – a photo album containing pictures they took together over the past year.

There were photos of Cen Zhisen taking him, pictures he took of Cen Zhisen, photos of them together, and snapshots of various moments and sceneries.

Those private photos they didn’t plan to show others were also included.

Ning Zhiyuan flipped through them one by one, asking, “You printed these photos, won’t others see them too?”

“No,” Cen Zhisen said, “They haven’t been touched by anyone else.”

Ning Zhiyuan chuckled, and his gaze lingered on the picture taken in Prague where they embraced each other naked. “I like this one the most.”

“It’s pretty good,” Cen Zhisen agreed. “Do you want to take another one?”

Ning Zhiyuan only now noticed that Cen Zhisen had brought a camera. He didn’t care and said, “Sure.”

After placing the cake on the front seat armrest, Cen Zhisen reached over and pulled Ning Zhiyuan back onto his lap, their chests pressed against each other, bodies closely connected.

With the car’s heating on full, both of them were sweating. Cen Zhisen took off the shirt he had just put on, revealing his naked upper body. Ning Zhiyuan, still wearing Cen Zhisen’s coat, sat with his legs intertwined around Cen Zhisen’s waist. The tattoo around his waist was partly covered, partly exposed, pressed against Cen Zhisen’s hips.

The shutter sound of the camera rang out, capturing the intertwined pose of their bodies.

Cen Zhisen took the camera and looked at the photos, quite satisfied. Ning Zhiyuan, however, said, “Next time, include our faces.”

Cen Zhisen raised his head. There was only a dim reading light on in the car. Ning Zhiyuan sat on him, absentmindedly stroking the stubble on his chin, and the words he had just said seemed like he had misheard, but it was indeed Ning Zhiyuan’s voice.

“Do you really want to show your face?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Ning Zhiyuan was willing, so Cen Zhisen didn’t mind, saying, “Well, we’ll do that next time.”

“Ge,” Ning Zhiyuan stopped his hand movements and looked up at him. “I really like the gift.”

“Let’s make one every year from now on,” Cen Zhisen suggested.

Ning Zhiyuan kissed his chin. “Okay.”

Cen Zhisen immediately lowered his head, captured Ning Zhiyuan’s lips, and once again embraced him in a passionate kiss. Between the push and pull of lips and tongues, there was a hint of the fresh sweetness from the cake.

The coat on Ning Zhiyuan’s shoulder slipped off, and his sweaty back stuck to Cen Zhisen’s palm.

The sensation of their skins tightly pressed against each other was especially vivid. A series of ambiguous sounds continued to escape from his throat, all of which were swallowed down by Cen Zhisen.

Outside the window, snow began to fall, silently covering the excess heat in the car.

A short burst of laughter overflowed from the closely pressed lips, indistinguishable whose it was. Then, as if sighing, Ning Zhiyuan’s voice came out, “Cen Zhisen, I love you.”

Cen Zhisen responded more fervently, and love bubbled up between them.