Chapter 28: Brother, this is seduction

Su Lixu watched as Fu Xingran took a black backpack from the front trunk, momentarily puzzled. “Did you bring clothes?”

Fu Xingran slung the backpack across his shoulder, watching as the car hood slowly closed. When Su Lixu asked, he smiled, “Bring clothes for what? What do you think we’re going to do that requires a change of clothes?”

Su Lixu stared at him for two seconds, then turned expressionless and walked away, conceding to Fu Xingran. At thirty years old, he found himself unable to outwit a twenty-year-old. Memories of negotiating and chatting with patients in the mental hospital, especially with Fu Xingran, flashed through his mind. Perhaps in some aspects, he truly couldn’t outwit Fu Xingran.

Fu Xingran walked a couple of steps faster, grabbing Su Lixu’s hand. “I have an art book inside.”

Su Lixu glanced at him. “So, you invited me to a hotel to draw?”

“I want to draw you.”

Su Lixu’s expression changed at his words, suddenly remembering yesterday when Fu Xingran mentioned painting his figure. Seeing the cautious look in Su Lixu’s eyes, Fu Xingran chuckled. Afraid of making him angry, he pressed down the corner of his lips and coughed, “I didn’t say a figure drawing, just a regular portrait.”

After a simple dinner, the two lay on the outdoor recliners, sipping tea leisurely.”

I think the food here isn’t that good, but the view is decent.”

After dinner, Su Lixu lay on the balcony recliner with a blanket over his legs, holding a tea cup, leisurely sipping tea.

Listening to the sound of waves not far away and the swishing of brushes nearby, he felt a retirement-like tranquility.

This felt different from the feeling of being with a good friend.

He then glanced at the young man who was busy painting.

Above was a glass skylight with all the lights on, casting a refracted glow onto the large balcony, providing ample lighting for Fu Xingran and giving him an air of serenity, just like the misty and deep night.

From his sideways view, part of Fu Xingran’s profile was obscured by shadows, but it couldn’t hide his handsome facial features. The gentle light fell on his straight nose and slightly pursed thin lips, giving a different feeling from usual when he lowered his gaze.

His focused and quiet manner, full of artistic romance, created an image of a dedicated artist.

“Then I’ll find a Michelin chef to learn cooking and make it for you.” Fu Xingran sat cross-legged on the nearby chair, holding a pen and sketching something on an A3-sized sketchbook, occasionally glancing at Su Lixu.

“You want to learn cooking?” Su Lixu withdrew his gaze, chuckled, and exhaled warmth as he did, misting his face. “I’m afraid you’ll end up blowing up the kitchen.”

Fu Xingran looked up calmly, “Brother, you used to praise me, never criticizing me. Since I said I wanted to pursue you, you’ve become so fierce. I’m seriously considering learning to cook, and you say I’ll blow up the kitchen.”

Su Lixu sipped his tea, and the warm liquid flowed into his stomach, making him sigh contentedly. “If you’re pursuing me, can things still be the same as before?”

From a doctor-patient relationship to the current ambiguous one, could things stay the same?

The balcony lights were gentle, casting a glow on the man lying on the recliner, wearing a white sweater, holding a teacup. The light outlined his beautiful side profile, making even the halo appear soft.

The rising steam from the tea cup blurred on his cheeks, leaving a blush.It seemed that sitting next to Su Lixu could make one feel the tranquility and comfort he exuded.

The Su Lixu in Fu Xingran’s sketchbook was no exception, incredibly beautiful. Fu Xingran used his fingertips to touch Su Lixu’s cheek on the paper, his gaze affectionate. “Indeed, you’ve changed, become more fierce.”

But also more vivid.

The gentle light fell on Fu Xingran’s side face, his high nose and slightly pursed lips. His focused and quiet manner, full of artistic romance, created an image of a dedicated artist.

“I can’t let you catch me.” Su Lixu glanced at him, speaking nonchalantly.

“That won’t do; I must catch you.” Fu Xingran turned the drawn portrait toward Su Lixu. “Take a look.”

As the sketchbook turned, Su Lixu’s eyes shifted, momentarily stunned.

On the sketchbook, he was holding a teacup, mirroring his own actions. Facing the vivid, lifelike eyes in the drawing, Su Lixu had a strange illusion, as if looking in a mirror.

“It’s really well done.” He sighed unintentionally, thinking back to when he took over Fu Xingran’s work, knowing he had been drawing for a while. “Are you planning to pursue art as a career? Any plans?”

Fu Xingran took back the sketchbook, pondered how to tell Su Lixu about his achievements, and then smiled even more deeply. “Next time, let’s have a date at a bookstore, and I’ll tell you what I’ve been up to.”

“You flatter me.” Su Lixu heard Fu Xingran casually suggesting the next date. “Am I that easy to invite?”

Fu Xingran dismissed it with a smile, “I’m planning to open an art exhibition next year.”

Surprised, Su Lixu asked, “Planning to open an art exhibition?”

Fu Xingran thought Su Lixu really didn’t know much about him, and decided he needed to chat more with him about his achievements. Otherwise, Su Lixu might think he was just a playboy driving sports cars all day.

“Yeah, the Art Association approached me about it last year, but I lacked inspiration at the time, and my collection of paintings was limited. This year, I have a more abundant collection, and it should continue to grow. So, I agreed to their proposal, planning to open my solo art exhibition on December 13th next year.” Fu Xingran picked up a pen, finishing the details of the lips, and relaxed his grip on the pen. “Do you want to know the theme of the exhibition?”

“What’s the theme?” Su Lixu asked naturally.

“Romantic Refutation.”

“Romantic Refutation? What does that mean?” Su Lixu heard this term for the first time. How could romance be a subject of dispute?

Fu Xingran looked up from his sketch, “The inherent romance in this world is not romantic to me. I want to challenge that, because I believe my romance is keeping you privately.”

Su Lixu was stunned.

This guy…

“So, the theme is about you. Next time, I’ll take you to see my studio; there’s more of you in there.”

Hearing that Fu Xingran spontaneously set up another date, Su Lixu felt he couldn’t keep up with Fu Xingran’s train of thought. “How do you always catch me off guard?”

Romantic Refutation…

Those two words left him pondering.

Fu Xingran chuckled, “Of course, it’s to catch you unprepared.” He closed the sketchbook, stowed it back into his bag, and then pulled out a black box, handing it to Su Lixu.

“For you.”

“What’s this again?” Su Lixu looked at the familiar box. “Another perfume?”

It was a simple yet stylish black satin box with a prominent 2 entwined with rose flowers in the middle, which made a deep impression on him, as he had received a similar one labeled 1 before.

“Open it and see.” Fu Xingran gestured to open the box.

Su Lixu opened the box, revealing the comfortable matte feel of the bottle design. The inscription 115 made him pause. “Is it 115 again?” He looked at Fu Xingran with confusion.

“Look at the bottom of the bottle.”

Listening to Fu Xingran, Su Lixu flipped the bottle and found a small inscription on the bottom. The letters were meticulously designed, protruding to the touch compared to the weight of the bottle. However, the text touched him even more.

【Happy 2nd Birthday SLX】

“So, the number 2 on the box…” Fu Xingran lay back, hands behind his head, looking up at the sky. His crossed legs gave him a relaxed posture. “Yeah, it represents your second birthday. Last time, you turned one, and there’s more to come.”

His tone carried a hint of triumph, as if revealing a surprise that not only delighted the recipient but pleased the giver even more.

Su Lixu turned his head to look at the comfortably laid-back Fu Xingran on the recliner. Despite his pretending nonchalance, he exuded an eager “please praise me” expectation all over his body.

He was thinking that this guy’s body indeed harbored a kind of romance he couldn’t anticipate, wondering if this counted as the romance of an artist. At least, in his view, this gift surpassed his expectations. It wasn’t merely a bottle of perfume; it wasn’t just a commemorative gift.

It carried a deeper meaning that touched him somewhat.

With a one-year-old gift and now a two-year-old one, did that mean there would be three, four, or even thirty-year-old gifts? Was this Fu Xingran’s way of expressing his thoughts about him? Did he want to re-engage in his life through this manner, as he hadn’t been involved before?

An inexplicable sense of anticipation lingered in his heart, and he chose not to continue questioning.

Without speaking further, he lay on the recliner, raised the perfume bottle high above his head, and carefully scrutinized the bottle. In the light, the frosted glass body and the light-yellow perfume refracted different colors, like beautiful amber glass, with a slightly cool yet incredibly gentle touch.

Opening the cap, he lightly sprayed his wrist and then brought it to his nose for a sniff.

It had the exact same scent as the previous bottle, 1号115, but different from the osmanthus fragrance of August Night. This osmanthus fragrance had a tangy citrus scent, creating a strangely wonderful collision. Especially on this seaside night, with the salty sea breeze and the fresh scent of citrus and osmanthus, it had an indescribable lazy and playful feeling.

If the scent of August Night osmanthus could make him calm and tranquil, then 115 was pleasurable to both body and mind.

This was why he liked perfumes, especially scents he liked. He was willing to smell them over and over again.

“Does it smell good?”

Fu Xingran’s inquiry came from beside him. He turned his head slightly, “Yeah, it smells good.”

“Give it to me.” Fu Xingran reached out to him.

Su Lixu thought he wanted to take the perfume, but unexpectedly, when Fu Xingran reached out to take the perfume, he sat up. Leaning forward, he grabbed the hand holding the perfume, took it down, and lowered his head to smell his wrist.

When Fu Xingran’s slightly cool nose touched his wrist, his sensitive nerves trembled for a moment.

It felt like touching a nerve that shouldn’t be touched. Whether it was due to sensitivity or the discomfort caused by Fu Xingran’s action, he wanted to pull his hand back.It was this move again.

“Smells so good.” As Fu Xingran’s gaze lifted from his arm to his face, he said, “Especially on you.”

The faint sea breeze and the young man’s dim yet gentle and sexy voice blended together, blowing past his ears. He didn’t know if it messed up his hair or stirred something else, but combined with the intentional or unintentional teasing of smelling the perfume on his wrist, Su Lixu thought it had only been a few days; it shouldn’t be like this.

He took a deep breath, “Fu Xingran, are you trying to seduce me?”

Fu Xingran released his hand, looking at him, he said, “It’s not the wind moving, nor the flags.”

—It’s your heart that’s moving.

As Su Lixu realized what was happening, he found himself turned halfway around, sitting squarely in Fu Xingran’s lap, his waist encircled by a strong arm.

“Brother, this is what seduction looks like.”

Fu Xingran’s low, husky voice sounded by his ear, and his ear was brushed by his lips. The dangerous undertone made Su Lixu dare not move. Being a man, he naturally understood what was happening, but it also made Su Lixu feel almost unable to resist.

“Fu Xingran, you…”

Just as he was about to struggle, his waist was tightened by Fu Xingran’s arm, and he heard Fu Xingran’s voice by his ear, low and husky:

“Don’t move. You know, I want to do something to you.”

— I want to make love to you.

So the atmosphere lingered in the ambiguity and heat, creating an embarrassing situation.

Fu Xingran, realizing his own intense reaction, immediately furrowed his brows. If he had known it would be like this, he wouldn’t have embraced him. He underestimated Su Lixu’s allure to him.

Knowing it shouldn’t be like this, but he couldn’t control his feelings. Because of his affection, every part of Su Lixu triggered strong emotional fluctuations in him, especially in such intimate proximity.

Feeling Su Lixu’s waist in his arms, it was indeed slender with a well-rounded hip. His gaze fell on the blushing earlobe of Su Lixu, and he uncomfortably moved his gaze away.

He couldn’t bear to look.

It was overwhelming for him.

Su Lixu dared not move, understanding that Fu Xingran was also restraining himself. He realized it was an uncontrollable physiological response. Yet, as he heard Fu Xingran’s slightly deep breath and the pounding heartbeat against his back, he was momentarily stunned.

The breath was scorching but also gently restrained, brushing against his neck like feathers delicately caressing. The powerful heartbeat thumped against his back, conveying intense emotions.

The combination of breath and heartbeat painted a vivid picture in his mind: the young man behind him, holding him tightly, his forehead and nose slightly sweaty, his eyes undoubtedly fixed on him. It was an expression of begging him not to move, restrained but pleading…

Exceptionally sexy.

Suddenly, a phrase came to his mind:

—The sexiest moment for a person is the nearly crazy patience toward intimacy.

But in the next instant, he snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes showing incredulous surprise. Was he actually imagining Fu Xingran’s current appearance? He must be going mad.

“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore.”

Just as he was conflicted with himself, Fu Xingran’s low voice sounded from behind.

Seeing Su Lixu’s increasingly red ears, he smiled and released his waist.

Su Lixu immediately stood up; he felt his heartbeat accelerating. He needed to calm down.

Unaware that his movements, in Fu Xingran’s eyes, seemed to be slowed down, the curves from his waist to buttocks, even if hidden by the coat, were completely irresistible, and his Adam’s apple rolled due to thirst.

… Just managed to calm down.

Damn.

Su Lixu quickly walked into the house. Previously, he hadn’t thought much about what two men could do when staying in the same room, but now he had witnessed it.

No, he didn’t want to witness it.

Fu Xingran’s blind box was too much—either surprises or shocks.

These emotions oscillating between surprise and shock were truly tormenting.

Damn.

“Bro, tomorrow is Sunday. Shall we watch the sunrise together?” Fu Xingran, inspired by his wish list, called out to Su Lixu.

Su Lixu, hearing Fu Xingran initiating another date, walked into the room without turning his head: “Am I that easy to invite?”

“Anyway, we’re already out, the room is open. It’s a waste to leave now. Worst case scenario, you sleep in the bed, and I’ll take the floor.”

“Worst case?” Su Lixu’s tone rose at the end.

Fu Xingran immediately sensed an opportunity. He quickly caught up, jogging to Su Lixu’s side, and looked at him with a bright smile: “I’m extremely willing.”