Chapter 16: Do you see the tattoo clearly?

Su Lixu didn’t expect this guy’s massage to be so comfortable. His frequently strained waist felt much better after being rubbed by the warm palms. As the massage continued, his consciousness gradually blurred, and he lost track of when he fell asleep.

“Brother, you have a dimple on your lower back.”

Fu Xingran lowered his gaze, looking at the dimple under the palm as if it could bite onto his fingers. His throat tightened, feeling unexpectedly sensual. It turns out that beneath the white coat was such a figure, and inspiration surged in his mind.

Fingertips were teased into numbness.

When no response was heard, he lowered his head and found Su Lixu sleeping in the crook of his arm.

The cheek on the arm’s curve slightly bulged, with exquisite lips slightly parted, breathing slowly, yet it seemed to be teasing heartstrings.

Uncontrollably getting closer.

Just when there was only a finger’s distance between their lips, he abruptly stopped, gazing at the sleeping face so close by. His eyes lingered on the long eyelashes, and the affection in his eyes was no longer concealed.

Not knowing how long he had been watching, he finally leaned close to Su Lixu’s lips.

The breath was shallow, soft, and comforting, yet it filled his heart.

“I can’t wait any longer.”

It must be faster.

In the deep night, the man, deeply asleep, appeared uncomfortable, burying his face in the bedding, breathing somewhat rapidly, emitting a faint groan.

The door was pushed open from outside, and a tall figure was cast onto the floor, approaching the bedside.

“Brother?”

The bed edge sank under the weight of the seated young man. The low, inquiring voice echoed in the ears, only to receive a muffled response from Su Lixu, who was not quite comfortable in his sleep.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

The bedside lamp was turned on, casting a dim light, and Su Lixu’s reddened face came into view.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, as if in great discomfort. His eyelashes trembled lightly, and tears hung at the corners of his eyes. The man, usually seen as gentle as jade, exposed a rarely seen vulnerability, like a ripe peach emitting an intriguing fragrance.

Although this was not the time for idle thoughts.

Fu Xingran’s back of the hand touched Su Lixu’s flushed cheek, and as he felt the warmth of the man, his brows couldn’t help but furrow.

A bit too hot.

Thinking about Su Lixu, who had fallen in the bathroom two hours ago without changing into dry clothes, and then letting him give a massage, it was indeed easy to catch a cold, especially now that the weather had cooled down.

Perhaps the coolness of the back of his hand made Su Lixu, who was burning up, feel comfortable. Subconsciously, he rubbed his cheek against the back of the hand and nestled against it.

Another ordinary sight that couldn’t be usually seen, and also a sight that Fu Xingran had never witnessed.Under the dim yellow bedside lamp, Fu Xingran’s gaze outlined the man he dearly admired and was infatuated with. With flushed cheeks and lips turning even redder, the hot breath falling on the back of his hand, each breath causing his heart to tremble.

Aware that Su Lixu was still running a fever, but seeing him now rubbing his hand against the back of his, mix with the familiar demeanor from before, added a layer of uncertainty to his already teetering emotions.

His Dr. Su was always in a white coat, full of gentle warmth and smiles. Little did he know that Su Lixu could be so charming when being a bit…

Alluring.

The other side hidden beneath the white coat indeed held something Fu Xingran wanted to explore madly.

Fu Xingran subtly moved his hand and noticed Su Lixu was holding on a bit tightly. He chuckled, then placed his hand back in Su Lixu’s embrace, saying, “You were the one holding onto me and not letting go, not the other way around.”

Sitting by the bedside, staring at Su Lixu for a few minutes, he finally regained his composure. He still needed to check Su Lixu’s temperature; if it was too high, he had to figure out a way to bring it down.

Reluctantly pulling his hand away from Su Lixu’s embrace, he went to grab the thermometer to measure Su Lixu’s temperature. It turned out to be a mild fever of 38 degrees. He then searched the medicine box for fever reducers, waking up the half-asleep Su Lixu, coaxing him to take the medicine.

Seemingly uncomfortable, Su Lixu opened his eyes, took the medicine, and soon drifted back into a deep sleep.

The cup was gently placed on the bedside table.

The bedside lamp dimmed shortly after.

The warm body naturally sought out the cool object, finally willingly snuggling into Fu Xingran’s embrace.

Fu Xingran offered no resistance, embracing Su Lixu willingly.

It was something he longed for.

“Brother, make sure to dream of me.”

A laughter-laden phrase whispered by his ear, eventually drowned in the late night along with the anticipated dreams, merging into it.

In the morning, gentle light poured into the room from outside, and the alarm clock rang right on time.

Su Lixu’s biological clock caused him to open his eyes simultaneously with the ringing alarm. In that instant, a well-defined, highly hormonal chest came into view, and he raised his gaze to find a young and handsome sleeping face – Fu Xingran.

There was a momentary blank in his mind.

How did he wake up in Fu Xingran’s embrace?

He could even feel Fu Xingran’s shallow breath brushing past his face as he slept.

Fu Xingran was still asleep, and his facial expression while sleeping wasn’t as gentle as when he was being playful. It carried a hint of sternness.

Because the handsome face was too close, he leaned back slightly. Why was this guy in his bed early in the morning, and why were they holding each other so tightly?

How did he sleep last night?

It seemed like he fell asleep while getting a massage.

Suddenly, he felt something touching him.

His gaze followed their intimate posture downward. Even with the cover of the blanket, he could sense an indescribable intimacy at this moment, not just being held but something more.

His knee was caught.

As he contemplated how to pull his trapped leg out, the hand on his waist suddenly tightened. Subconsciously lifting his eyes, he met Fu Xingran’s sleepy yet smiling eyes.

Oddly, he felt that the smile in Fu Xingran’s eyes was triumphantly deliberate.

“Brother, good morning.”

The warm breath brushing past his ear carried the deep, just-awakened voice, acting like a catalyst that, early in the morning, left a heavy impact on his heart with a resounding “thud.”

“…You…we…why are we sleeping together again?” Su Lixu awkwardly averted his gaze; the proximity was just too uncomfortable. “Did you sleepwalk again?”

It was the same last time, and he ended up being bitten all night.

Attempting to get up, he was pulled back by a strong arm.

His chest pressed against Fu Xingran again, and he raised his eyes in astonishment.

“Sleepwalk? When would I sleepwalk? Last night, it was you clinging to me, insisting that I accompany you. I only stayed with you because you wanted me to.” Fu Xingran lowered his gaze, looking at the man in his arms with reddened ears, pretending to be innocent. “You suddenly had a fever last night, and I stayed with you all night, comforting you and coaxing you to take medicine. How can you accuse me of sleepwalking, Brother?”

“Fever?”

“Yes, in the middle of the night, I heard you making uncomfortable sounds, so I came in to check on you and found out you had a fever, 38 degrees, a mild one. I spent quite a while coaxing you to take the medicine.” Fu Xingran seemed somewhat aggrieved. “Brother, why are you harder to coax than me? I don’t resist like you when taking medicine.”

Su Lixu: “…Impossible. How could he be like that?” He looked at Fu Xingran in disbelief. “Is it true?”

Fu Xingran put on a wounded look. “Brother, it hurts my feelings. I tirelessly took care of you last night, blow-drying your hair, giving you a massage. I barely slept for two hours because of your fever, staying with you until six in the morning. Now, I’ve only had about an hour of sleep. Are you still doubting me?”

Perhaps Fu Xingran’s tone was too plaintive; Su Lixu thought he might be overthinking, so he apologized, saying, “I didn’t mean it that way.”

His peripheral vision caught sight of a water glass and fever-reducing medicine on the bedside table.

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his field of view instantly narrow, and Fu Xingran’s face appeared in front of him. His pupils contracted, and his heart skipped a beat.

He felt Fu Xingran’s slightly cool forehead against his own.

“Yes, the fever has gone down.”

Fu Xingran’s lips brushed ever so slightly against his, seemingly unintentional yet carrying a hint of intention when speaking. The contact of foreheads was slightly cool, but the breath was warm, traversing the lips and leaving a tingling sensation.

After speaking, Fu Xingran released him and sat up.

Su Lixu watched as Fu Xingran lifted the blanket, swung his legs off the bed—revealing a youthful and vibrant physique.

Fair skin, well-proportioned and robust, exuding a strong hormonal aura without any concealment, except for the faint scars that left traces. Ironically, these marks, on muscles filled with strength, gave the body an indescribable fierceness.

Yet, it added a touch of innocence due to its fair complexion.

Now, Su Lixu could see the marks on Fu Xingran’s chest.

He had caught a glimpse before, thinking they were scars from harming himself. However, upon closer inspection, it was a tattoo.

【SLX】

Inked right over the left side of his heart.

“In a while, I’ll take you to the hospital to check your foot and waist.” Fu Xingran picked up the T-shirt discarded on the nearby sofa, raised his arm to put it on, coincidentally meeting Su Lixu’s gaze scrutinizing his chest. A playful glint appeared in Fu Xingran’s eyes. “Did you see my tattoo?”

He even turned sideways, openly letting Su Lixu see.

Su Lixu averted his gaze, feeling a bit awkward for staring. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to look.”

“It’s fine, seeing it doesn’t matter. My tattoo is meant to be seen by him.” Fu Xingran casually mentioned, “This tattoo is the name of the person I love, and I’ve had it for a long time.”

Su Lixu thought this guy seemed to have a surprisingly profound understanding of emotions. At least, in his eyes, even though he was older than Fu Xingran, it seemed like Fu Xingran had a better grasp of what love really meant.

Being liked by someone with a borderline personality disorder, if both sides find emotional balance and stability, is about to usher in an endless and romantic love. Moreover, in his view, Fu Xingran, despite being a younger brother in age, is meticulous and considerate, with no major issues apart from being fond of being spoiled. A guy of this type should be quite popular, right?

“Did you get a good look at that tattoo?” Fu Xingran walked up to Su Lixu after dressing.

Su Lixu looked up at him, suddenly unsure of what he meant by asking if he saw it clearly. “I saw it clearly.””Really saw it clearly?” Fu Xingran asked with a smile.Su Lixu nodded.

Fu Xingran’s lips curved into a deep smile at his confirmation.

This already handsome face, when adorned with such a smile, coupled with the sunlight streaming into the room, made it impossible to look away.

“That’s good.”

Su Lixu: “?” Before he could understand what was good, Fu Xingran suddenly lifted him off the bed. Reflexively holding onto his neck, Su Lixu looked at him in surprise. “What are you doing?”

Fu Xingran smiled and said, “Carrying you to freshen up.”

“I’m not disabled, no need for that.”

“I think it has to be this way. Otherwise, my heart won’t be at ease. If I’m uneasy, I’ll want to keep an eye on you. Do you want me to keep staring at you all the time, Brother?”

Imagining a whole day being watched by Fu Xingran, Su Lixu immediately compromised, “Fine, carry me. My foot does feel a bit unsteady.”

He didn’t want to be stared at by Fu Xingran.So, under Fu Xingran’s watchful eyes, he completed his morning routine and, unexpectedly, even had Fu Xingran help him get dressed.

“Brother, let me help you get dressed.”

“My hands are fine.”

“Just let me help you, or else I’ll keep holding you all day.” Fu Xingran’s gaze was sincere as he smiled.

Su Lixu: “…Fine, go ahead.”

He didn’t want to be held all day; that would be too creepy.