Dating
The boy’s lips parted in shock, and in that instant, he was conquered.
The man had originally intended to restrain himself, to be gentle for the sake of the young cub, but the moment he truly entered, all reason vanished, leaving only the instinct to advance.
He invaded with a domineering hunger, sucking on the bewildered little tongue inside as if he wanted to devour it whole.
His vertical pupils locked onto the panicked prey before him.
Only when the cub began to tremble and whimper softly, long lashes quivering with nervousness, did he finally pull away. He gently kissed the corner of the boy’s lips in a soothing gesture before sitting up.
But even then, he remained half-curled around the boy, exuding a strong sense of pressure, his pale icy-blue eyes narrowing in satisfaction.
“Do you hate this?”
The man was like a high-ranking predator showing his chaotic and dangerous side to a prey caught in his net—but he still carried a hint of cautious tenderness.
Lu Congxing blinked in confusion. After a moment of hesitation, he replied, a bit lost, “I… don’t know.”
That answer seemed to please the man greatly. He stroked the boy’s cheek lightly with a calloused hand.
It was already flushed bright red, along with the cute little earlobes.
Meeting those dewy, innocent eyes, he sighed softly and asked, “Then… do you know what we were just doing?”
Lu Congxing, though a little dazed, quickly sensed the danger. He widened his eyes like a startled hamster and said, “You… you kissed me.”
He curled his pale fingertips nervously.
He Zhouyan chuckled with a hint of amusement. He always appeared mature and reliable in front of the cub, which made him seem effortlessly composed now.
But in reality, his heart was racing like never before.
Like a dream, as if floating on clouds.
He was now certain the cub had feelings for him.
He Zhouyan knew well how to use his strengths to his advantage. He released all his pheromones, letting the deep voice and the power beneath his suit speak for him—showing the cub the charm of a mature man.
The eighteen-year-old cub was no match for him, stepping unknowingly into the carefully crafted candy house.
He Zhouyan coaxed gently in the softest tone, “This is something only people in a romantic relationship would do. Since you don’t hate me treating you like this, maybe our relationship should change—become something more intimate.”
The last part of his sentence seemed to carry a hidden hook, laced subtly with affection.
The bond of being a guardian no longer satisfied him. A clever hunter always knows to press the advantage.
Lu Congxing felt like his head was so hot it was hard to speak. All he could do was dazedly nod under the man’s deep gaze.
An uncontrollable joy surged in He Zhouyan’s chest. Gone was his composed exterior—he now looked more like an excited, inexperienced boy who had just received a response from his first love, his grip tightening just a bit more.
Kisses landed one after another on Lu Congxing’s eyes and mouth like little pecks from a bird.
By the time the dazed cub finally came back to his senses, it was already too late to protest. All he could do was helplessly endure being chased around and kissed again and again.
His mind was spinning, and he hazily thought—maybe he didn’t dislike it. In fact… he might even like it a little.
In the end, it was Lu Congxing who pushed the man away, because he suddenly felt something pressing against him—something clearly out of control.
He wasn’t a clueless child anymore, and the realization made his whole body go tense, like a butterfly ready to break free of a net at any moment.
He Zhouyan gracefully returned to his seat, acting as if nothing had happened at all.
Aside from the slight darkening in his eyes, no one could tell he was holding something back with great effort. A vein even popped up on his neck from the strain.
Even so, he remembered not to let the cub go hungry. He raised his hand and rang the bell.
Barely two minutes later, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
His voice was calm and detached, giving no hint that he’d just been pinning someone down for a kiss moments ago.
A group of elegant women in vintage qipao filed in, carrying exquisite dishes. Each plate was visually stunning, with ingredients you couldn’t identify, yet the aromas and presentation were flawless.
Lu Congxing was still a bit shy at first, but as soon as he tasted the first bite, he temporarily forgot all about the kisses and the sudden shift in their relationship.
His eyes lit up as he turned to He Zhouyan and raised a piece of meat with his chopsticks. “This is so good!”
Not only was it delicious—it even seemed to soothe his body. His tongue, which had felt hot and tingly from the earlier kisses, no longer hurt.
He Zhouyan took the opportunity to place a piece of green vegetable in his bowl and explained, “That’s Logan meat. Paired with this Jiejie Immortal Herb, it creates a completely different flavor.”
That’s how cubs are—full of curiosity and easily distracted. Everything in the outside world feels new to them, which is exactly why they need someone to watch over them carefully.
Just the thought of someone else possibly luring away such a well-behaved cub made He Zhouyan’s heart darken with possessiveness.
But thankfully, the cub was his now. No one could take him away.
Suppressing his darker urges, He Zhouyan leaned into his role as a refined, knowledgeable gentleman. He enthusiastically introduced each spiritual dish on the table, even elaborating on the origins and effects of the ingredients like a scholar.
The invisible distance between them grew shorter with every word.
Patiently, the man coaxed the cub into letting down his guard. By the end of the meal, Lu Congxing had completely forgotten his earlier resistance and obediently let himself be led home hand in hand.
Back home, while Lu Congxing was distracted, He Zhouyan moved the cub’s pillow and some of his personal clothing into his own room—the master bedroom.
When Lu Congxing noticed something was off, he looked up, wide-eyed, silently asking why.
He Zhouyan offered some smooth-talking explanation that sounded like a player’s sweet nothings, but his eyes were deadly serious.
He promised he wouldn’t cross the line—he just wanted their relationship to progress a little more.
He lowered himself like a big dog begging for affection, eyes drooping in pitiful innocence. Yet occasionally, a flash of greed flickered through that gaze.
They’d already kissed—something so bold—so just sleeping in the same room couldn’t be that big of a deal… right?
Lu Congxing looked at him like that, and his heart softened. He agreed.
Then, he watched with his own eyes as the man immediately took it way too far, moving almost everything from his room into the master bedroom.
It looked like he was one step away from sealing off the guest room altogether.
Night soon fell, and when it was time for bed, Lu Congxing felt like he was back in that old rental apartment. That first night, there hadn’t been a bed in the second bedroom. He couldn’t bear to let his guardian demon sleep on the couch, so they ended up sharing a bed.
But this time was different—there was no pillow between them. His skin was pressed directly against the man’s warm, heated body.
Although Lu Congxing worked out too, his arms still felt a bit soft to the touch, nothing like He Zhouyan’s, which were solid and firm.
Well, everything except his mouth seemed firm.
Lu Congxing’s face flushed red, and like a little ostrich, he buried himself under the covers.
But the man didn’t let him off so easily. He Zhouyan gently lifted his chin and said, “My dear, did you forget something?”
“Forget… what?” Lu Congxing asked, his lips parting dumbly, the tip of his tongue barely peeking out.
He Zhouyan’s eyes darkened, and he leaned in to kiss him.
He didn’t let go until the boy was almost out of breath. Then, with a hint of amusement in his pale icy-blue eyes, he murmured, “You forgot your goodnight kiss.”
He planted another soft kiss at the corner of the boy’s eye—this time, without a trace of desire, just affection and tenderness.
“Goodnight.”
. . . . .
Although tickets for the art exhibit had already sold out, He Zhouyan still managed to get his hands on two passes for the afternoon showing.
They went in through the VIP entrance—no lines, no waiting, and they even got a few little souvenirs from the exhibit.
Of course, they weren’t there for the freebies. The real perk of the VIP pass was the chance to meet the artist in person.
Very few art shows offered something like this. But the young, eccentric, and notoriously moody artist did things entirely on his own terms. He might show up to his own exhibit—or not. That’s why the guard at the entrance had said he was hard to find.
Unlike those who’d staked out the venue early in the morning, He Zhouyan wasn’t in a rush at all. In fact, he still had time to take his newly-official boyfriend out for an afternoon tea to make up for something.
His boyfriend had been upset that morning—because He Zhouyan had sneakily left marks on him during the night.
So today, he had no choice but to wear a turtleneck.
If Lu Congxing had the same mind-reading ability as Bai Ze, he probably would’ve jumped up and given He Zhouyan a good beating.
“A little?” he’d said? That was not “a little”—that was a lot!
The trail of passionate purple hickeys ran from his neck all the way down to the base of his spine. And with his fair skin, they were absolutely glaring.
Even the panda alarm clock thought he was sick and started stomping around, trying to bring him some ointment.
Looking into those innocent beady eyes, Lu Congxing got so mad he bit He Zhouyan hard.
He Zhouyan let him bite, even worried that it might hurt him, all the while calmly ordering afternoon tea and coaxing him to go easy.
Faced with the table full of delicate little desserts, Lu Congxing reluctantly forgave him, sitting down with a pouty little hum.
He had even set aside a few cranberry-flavored mini cakes—Di Jiang’s favorite—to save for him.
Qu Xiu somehow followed the scent and showed up, clicking his tongue in amazement as he looked them over, his eyes practically bursting with gossip.
But the moment He Zhouyan gave him a cold glance, he instantly wiped that mischievous look off his face and put on a serious expression.
Qu Xiu muttered, “Wow… I didn’t expect you to move this fast.”
He figured he’d better retreat to the mountains for a bit and lay low, just in case the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and Bai Ze ended up in a fight and he got caught in the crossfire.
To be fair, when he saw the cub just now, he was genuinely stunned. The aura of Bai Ze was practically radiating off him—it was so intense that it wrapped around the boy completely, even sealing away all that pure spiritual energy so not a trace could leak out.
Part of him was shocked… and part of him really wanted to call the cops.
Hello? Police uncle? There’s an old man here trying to trick a child.
Luckily, after weighing the difference in strength between the two, he decided to drop that idea.
Meanwhile, He Zhouyan was gently reminding the boy, “Drink some milk tea. Don’t choke.”
But when he turned to his friend, his expression instantly went cold. “What do you want?”
Qu Xiu shrugged helplessly. “You’re such a double standard… Anyway, I came to give you a heads-up. That artist you were looking for? He just showed up. If you head to the exhibit now, you can still catch him.”
He’d also noticed the shift happening in the Southern Abyss. Even though his friend hadn’t said anything, Qu Xiu had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
Most likely, it had something to do with the cub.
He quietly set the car keys down, didn’t say another word, and left.
Author’s note:
Oops! Our little Xing Cub has officially been snatched up by the old man~ 😏
