Kiss
The leading figure, Zhu Yin, showed no sign of backing down. He rose to his feet and fixed his gaze on He Zhouyan, carrying an air of judgment.
It was his first time seeing an ancient divine beast—and he was thoroughly unimpressed.
He Zhouyan stood alone under the scrutiny of these ancient demons and spirits. His eyes remained fierce, and the sharp cut of his black suit accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist.
The atmosphere grew tense and overbearing, like a lit fuse silently smoldering with the scent of gunpowder in the air.
Lu Congxing let out a small cheer and ran up to the man. “Are you done talking?”
When he looked at He Zhouyan, his eyes were full of dependence, with something more than just admiration.
That sudden change softened the tension in the room. The once-hostile gazes from the demons eased.
Xing Tian spoke in a gentler tone. “Bai Ze, are you here today to take care of matters regarding the cub?”
He Zhouyan reached out and pulled the cub into his arms. The possessive gesture made more than a few of the onlookers burn with envy. But he acted as if he didn’t notice, simply nodding. “Yes.”
He didn’t offer a single word more.
He had come today to address the cub’s origins—an S-class classified matter in the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. So he wasn’t the least bit worried about any of these beings pressuring the Director for answers.
After showing off the cub, He Zhouyan endured everyone’s jealous stares as he took Lu Congxing by the hand and led him out.
Just as they were about to step out the door, a cold voice echoed from behind.
“Protect him.”
Zhu Yin had most of his face hidden beneath a black hood, making his expression unreadable.
He Zhouyan gave a slight nod without even turning back, then walked out of the Bureau for good.
Although Lu Congxing was quite tempted to ride on Bai Ze and fly through the skies again, he was always a rule-abiding, dutiful little demon. So with quiet restraint, he climbed obediently into the car.
He turned to look at the man gripping the steering wheel. “Are you taking me to find my father?”
He Zhouyan had found a lead that day, but the situation in the realm had delayed them until now.
Most of his memories had already faded, but at the mention of his father, Lu Congxing couldn’t help but smile softly. The remaining fragments of memory—like candies he’d been saving, their colorful wrappers slightly melted at the edges—were still carefully tucked away in the treasure box of his mind.
He thought to himself, “At the very least, his father truly did love him.”
So there had to be a reason for his disappearance. Once he found him, there were so many questions he wanted to ask.
He Zhouyan curled his lips into a faint smile as well. “Yeah, I found one of your father’s old friends.”
“Who?” Lu Congxing’s eyes lit up like an eager child waiting for a promised toy.
He could barely remember what his father even looked like, let alone recall anyone who had been close to him.
This clue was far more valuable than he had expected.
In his memories, his father always seemed to be alone. There weren’t any close friends around. Even the kind neighbors from his childhood—who had always treated him warmly—seemed unsure whether there really was a single father living quietly in their community.
His father would go to work during the day, come home in the evening, and spend weekends either staying home with him or taking him out to play.
He seemed no different from an ordinary working dad.
But aside from that, all the details of their time together had faded away.
He Zhouyan had the strong urge to reach over and ruffle the cub’s hair affectionately, but he was still driving, so he forced himself to stay serious and replied, “It’s Danghu1.”
“Danghu?” Lu Congxing blinked, momentarily stunned.
The name wasn’t unfamiliar.
In the Classic of Mountains and Seas, it was recorded that this bird used its long beard to fly.
Lu Congxing had always been curious about things like that—strange, fantastical creatures fascinated him. Their agency even had all sorts of odd little trinkets gifted by demons.
But Danghu wasn’t exactly well-known. Even among demons, most hadn’t heard of it. It was the kind of low-profile demon that almost no one remembered. So how did his father end up knowing one?
He wasn’t even sure if his father was human or demon. Ever since he was a kid, he’d been haunted by all kinds of ghosts, narrowly escaping death more than once. But his father always acted like he couldn’t see the supernatural. He vaguely remembered a time when his father took him to a haunted house and he was nearly strangled by a real ghost pretending to be an NPC—yet his father, standing right beside him, remained completely unaware.
And yet, if his father was human, that didn’t quite fit either.
Sometimes, his father would do things no normal human could, just to make him laugh.
Although, as he got older, those kinds of playful antics became fewer and farther between.
Looking at the cub in the passenger seat, nose scrunched up in confusion, He Zhouyan let out a soft laugh. “Why not just wait and ask him when we meet?”
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
They followed the GPS to a villa, only to be told that the owner had moved away long ago.
It had been difficult enough for He Zhouyan and the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs to track down this one lead to his father. Giving up now would mean the trail went cold completely.
Lu Congxing refused to give in. “Do you know his current address?”
From where the cub couldn’t see, He Zhouyan subtly slipped a few red banknotes to the gatekeeper.
The man, who had clearly planned to stay tight-lipped, hesitated the moment he saw the money. He quickly pocketed the bills, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and lowered his voice. “You just came at the wrong time. The gentleman actually left just half a month ago. No one knows where he suddenly went… but I heard—”
He leaned in and whispered the last few words, “—that he was kidnapped.”
He spoke those three words so softly, it was like he feared someone might overhear.
Lu Congxing lowered his voice to match. “If he’s really gone, then why are you still here watching the place?”
The villa still looked well-maintained—not at all like it had been abandoned.
The gatekeeper rubbed his nose. “Someone’s still paying me to work here. I don’t just guard the gate—I take care of the garden and run little errands too. Keeping everything in order like this isn’t easy, you know.”
“Who?” Lu Congxing cut him off mid-ramble.
The gatekeeper shook his head. “I can’t just give out my employer’s info like that.”
He Zhouyan’s actions were a bit more conspicuous this time—he suddenly pulled out over a dozen red banknotes.
The gatekeeper’s eyes went wide with surprise. While secretly wondering why anyone would still carry around so much cash, he put on a righteous expression as he accepted the money.
He cleared his throat. “Actually, it was the gentleman’s boyfriend who hired me. That guy—he’s a real weirdo.”
As he said the last part, the chatty gatekeeper’s face lit up with a gossipy glint.
He usually worked alone, so he’d been holding back a lot of words. His face practically shouted: Come on, ask me more!
A blank look slowly spread across Lu Congxing’s face. “Gentleman? Boyfriend?”
The shock he felt was plain to see—it was like the thought had never even occurred to him before.
He even glanced dazedly up at He Zhouyan, his confused little expression amusing the man.
He Zhouyan smiled, his eyes sparkling. “What’s wrong? Didn’t know two men can fall in love?”
Looking into those captivating eyes, Lu Congxing blushed for no reason. He stammered, “I do now.”
He didn’t look the least bit uncomfortable. In fact, there was a hint of curiosity.
That’s what pure-hearted kids are like—open and accepting of everything the world has to offer.
A quiet joy bloomed in He Zhouyan’s heart. He carefully suppressed the storm of desire in his eyes and, like a wise older figure explaining the truths of life to the cub, he spoke gently and earnestly.
He told him that yes, two men can fall in love.
The gatekeeper scratched his head apologetically. “Sorry, I just assumed you two were a couple.”
Which was why he’d spoken so bluntly.
The comment startled Lu Congxing so much he waved his hands frantically. “No, he—he’s my brother.”
The words guardian demon were right on the tip of his tongue, but he changed it last second.
He wasn’t sure why the gatekeeper would get that impression. Was it because he and the guardian demon looked too close?
Lu Congxing nervously pinched his fingertips.
He Zhouyan’s eyes darkened slightly. Without a word, he stepped forward and gently took the cub’s hand. “Yes, I’m his brother.”
For the first time, the hand being held felt so hot. Lu Congxing tried to pull it back, but when the grip only tightened, he gave up and let himself be led along like a little salted fish.
They’d claimed to be brothers before too, but this time, for some reason, Lu Congxing felt strangely guilty. He stole a glance at the man beside him, catching only the sharp lines of his profile.
The gatekeeper suddenly understood. “Ah, you two brothers must be really close.”
He Zhouyan nodded solemnly. “We are very close.”
Lu Congxing quickly changed the subject. “So… this boyfriend of his, do you know where he is now?”
The gatekeeper shook his head. “How would a working stiff like me know that? He doesn’t stay here all the time. But he is a somewhat famous painter. I know he’s got an exhibition opening tomorrow. He’ll definitely be there.”
“But this late at night, tickets might be hard to get.”
“No problem,” He Zhouyan replied casually, then led the boy away by the hand.
“I booked a restaurant. Let’s eat first, then we’ll head home.” His voice was gentle but firm, with an undeniable authority. He even reached over to buckle the seatbelt for the boy.
As he leaned in, Lu Congxing caught a light, clean scent on him. The action of buckling the belt felt oddly like a hug, and Lu Congxing froze up, too shy to move.
It wasn’t until they arrived at the restaurant that Lu Congxing realized it was members-only. Without a membership or an invitation, there was no way to get in.
Yet the head waiter only took one look at He Zhouyan and immediately welcomed them with enthusiasm.
Is this what ‘face recognition’ is?
Lu Congxing looked around curiously, all previous thoughts already tossed to the back of his mind.
This place didn’t feel like a restaurant—it felt like a tiny, hidden paradise.
There were fake mountains and flowing water, arranged with artistic grace. Even along the path, there were songbirds in cages, singing melodiously as people passed.
The private room was styled in elegant chinese decor. The screen divider depicted a phoenix surrounded by a hundred birds, and sliding it aside revealed a beautiful garden view.
He Zhouyan tapped the table lightly with two fingers. “This place is owned by Luanniao. They only serve three groups a day. Most of the ingredients here can’t be found anywhere else.”
Once the door to the private room closed, it was just the two of them. Lu Congxing suddenly felt a little dazed, and when he responded, it was only with a soft “Mm.”
He was still thinking about how two men could fall in love.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him.
Lu Congxing looked up and met a pair of pale icy-blue eyes, filled with things too complex to name. They reminded him of untouched snow atop a distant mountain, quietly burying all dark desires beneath.
He Zhouyan gently touched the corner of the boy’s eye, his voice low and husky. “Curious?”
Lu Congxing nervously licked his lips, and saw the man’s gaze grow even deeper.
He blinked, a little lost. “Curious about what?”
His eyes shimmered, his nose a little red, curling up obediently in the chair. Even when his eye was touched, he didn’t flinch—just sat there like he was easy to tease.
He Zhouyan’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He leaned in close and whispered at his ear, “Curious about how two men fall in love.”
The last word disappeared right as their lips met.
Author’s note:
He’s doing it! HE’S REALLY DOING IT!!
- 当扈 (dāng hù) is a mythical creature from Chinese mythology and legend. According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, it is described as: Its appearance is like that of a pheasant. It flies using its beard, and eating it can cure all eye diseases.
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