That night, the two of them returned to the beachside vacation villa. Song Jianchu came out after taking a shower and found the room to be very quiet.
He dried his hair and looked around, seeing Mu Ye sitting on the balcony in a bathrobe, casually facing the night sea that was rising with the tide. Mu Ye was using a music composition app on his phone to record inspiration, and the warm light illuminated his handsome and focused profile.
Without disturbing Mu Ye, Song Jianchu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window and watched from a distance for about half a minute. Then he picked up the phone by the bed and called room service.
Ten minutes later, Song Jianchu quietly opened the door to the balcony and placed a glass of lightly colored red wine on the table.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, the belt of his bathrobe was lightly tugged, loosening the knot around his waist.
A warm and deep voice sounded from behind him, “Stay with me for a while?”
This was the first time Mu Ye had expressed his own needs since they signed the agreement.
Song Jianchu hesitated for a few seconds, then sat on the chair next to Mu Ye.
Mu Ye put down his phone and picked up the red wine on the table. He closed his eyes and sniffed the aroma of the wine, took a sip, and said with a teasing smile, “It’s delicious. It has a taste of cherries.”
Song Jianchu replied, “It’s cherry wine.”
The lip balm he had given him before was also cherry-flavored, so Song Jianchu thought Mu Ye would like this.
Mu Ye held the wine glass and let go with his other hand, resting it on the armrest of the chair. The silver bracelet on his wrist shimmered with delicate light.
Song Jianchu’s gaze fell on the bracelet that had become a symbol of Mu Ye’s identity, and he felt a little curious in his heart.
Does it have any special meaning?
Mu Ye lazily smiled and said, “Come here.”
Song Jianchu’s gaze became confused and he hesitated, “Huh?”
Hadn’t he already come over?
The collar of Mu Ye’s bathrobe was loose, revealing a fair and muscular chest.
The sea breeze gently lifted the strands of hair that partially obscured the man’s eyes, making his gray eyes appear hazy like a thin mist. Even a casual glance seemed seductive.
His lips, tinged with a rosy hue from the wine, seemed tempting to kiss, with a slight arc that was ambiguous and enchanting.
Mu Ye smiled and shifted his gaze.
Song Jianchu followed his lead and looked at the thighs that were concealed beneath the bathrobe.
“…”
He once again clearly interpreted the signal sent by his lover.
Was his lover saying, “Sit on my lap and hug me?”
Song Jianchu’s gaze froze on the legs covered by the bathrobe. His mind became momentarily chaotic, and he had some strange thoughts flickering through his head.
Aren’t other people’s lovers the ones who sit on the sponsor’s lap? Why was it the other way around for him?
He wasn’t a little girl, after all. Sitting on someone’s lap and all that…
Song Jianchu’s expression remained calm as he stood up, saying, “I’m going to sleep.”
Mu Ye’s gaze leisurely followed the calm figure retreating back to the room, while the thin glass cup touched his lips.
Smelling the aroma of cherries, Mu Ye narrowed his eyes slightly and let out a soft laugh.
This kind of cute and innocent taste was indeed a bit addictive.
The essence of a vacation was to relax. After completing an item on their wish list, there was no need for Song Jianchu to schedule too many activities for the next few days.
Instead of busily running around, it was the meaning of a vacation to enjoy the passage of time in a comfortable environment, allowing their long-stretched spirits to relax.
The two of them idled away in the villa for a few days, doing nothing in particular.
After waking up in the morning, Mu Ye went to the gym for a run, while Song Jianchu lay by the poolside on a lounge chair, wearing a sun hat and sunglasses, basking in the sun.
The temperature difference on the island was quite large, and the sunny days were very warm.
Song Jianchu, dressed in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, rested his arm on the lounge chair and propped up one leg, leisurely browsing his phone.
At some point, Mu Ye’s cat sneaked out and jumped onto his belly, curling up its paws and sunbathing with him.
Song Jianchu’s body stiffened for a moment, holding his breath and tensing his abdominal muscles until he was sure the little monster on his belly wasn’t aggressive. Only then did he slowly relax his tightened muscles.
Staring at the white cat on his stomach from behind his sunglasses, Song Jianchu focused on it for a few seconds. He then tried to gently stroke the little creature’s head with the smooth corner of his phone case. The cat’s beautiful heterochromatic eyes narrowed into slits as it purred contentedly.
Amused, Song Jianchu ordered tens of thousands of cans of cat food and cat snacks using his phone and had them shipped to his home in China.
Yin Chi sent him a message.
[Yin Chi: Brother , I’m busy with work, so I’m heading back. Have fun with Mu Teacher.]
[Song Jianchu: Alright.]
Song Jianchu took a picture of the cat and sent it to Yin Chi.
Yin Chi happened to be bored on the plane.
[Yin Chi: Haha, the little thing is so cute. Seems like Teacher Mu’s cat is quite fond of you. Where have you guys been these past few days?]
[Song Jianchu: The Volcanic National Park.]
[Yin Chi: That place is nice. I went there yesterday too. Where else did you go?]
[Song Jianchu: Nowhere else.]
[Yin Chi: …]
[Yin Chi: So, you’ve just been lazing around all these days??]
[Song Jianchu: It’s not like we joined a tour group. Why do we have to go everywhere when we’re here to rest?]
Yin Chi was speechless for a while.
[Yin Chi: Brother, have you ever seen a sponsor like you? You brought someone out to play, couldn’t you at least take Teacher Mu out for a proper date…]
Song Jianchu was stunned for a moment.
[Song Jianchu: Isn’t this a date?]
[Yin Chi: sweats]
[Yin Chi: What kind of date is this! Did you have a romantic candlelit dinner with Teacher Mu? Or at least give him a pitiful rose? At the very least, you should have taken him to a mall and splurged with your credit card??]
[Song Jianchu: …Can you be any more cliché?]
[Yin Chi: If you have the guts to despise cheesy romance, then why don’t you do something more sophisticated!]
[Yin Chi: Teacher Mu also has it tough, dragging his whole family along with you, and not even once having a decent date…]
[Song Jianchu: .]
[Song Jianchu: Do you think Teacher Mu would like this kind of date??]
[Yin Chi: It’s better than just hanging around with you while you’re on vacation!]
Song Jianchu looked at the cat that had already fallen asleep on his belly and fell into deep thought.
Mu Ye finished showering and was about to take a nap with his sponsor when he saw the young man already dressed in outdoor clothes, standing at the door with car keys in hand.
“Going out?” Mu Ye asked.
“Yeah.” Song Jianchu twirled the car keys in his hand and calmly said, “Let’s go out for a stroll. Want to come along?”
Mu Ye quickly replied, “Wait for me to change clothes.”
Seeing the joyful smile on Mu Ye’s face, Song Jianchu reflected on himself for a moment. He seemed to be an inadequate sponsor.
Although Song Jianchu did find the dating ideas provided by Yin Chi a bit distasteful, as Yin Chi said, Mu Ye might not dislike them.
Five minutes later, the two of them left the house. Today, Song Jianchu was driving.
As a world-famous tourist destination, the island was also renowned as a shopping paradise. The largest and most luxurious duty-free stores of global luxury brands were all located on this island, and many girls who came here for shopping would max out their credit cards.
The car was parked in the parking lot of the island’s largest shopping center, and Mu Ye asked, “Are we going shopping?”
Song Jianchu unbuckled his seatbelt and responded with a simple “Mm.”
Although Song Jianchu had given Mu Ye a black card before, the spending records showed that Mu Ye hardly ever used it.
Song Jianchu rarely went shopping, unless it was for some major purchases. He preferred online shopping.
There were many Chinese people here, and both of them concealed their faces quite well. However, they still attracted some attention.
Mu Ye helped super internet celebrities by lowering his hat, trying to cover his hair color, and asked, “What do you want to buy? I’ll accompany you.”
Song Jianchu asked in return, “Do you want to buy anything?”
Mu Ye instantly understood.
The sponsor had brought him out to spend money.
Feeling suddenly like a kept person, Mu Ye raised an eyebrow and became interested. After thinking seriously for a moment, he said, “I heard there’s a famous classical guitar store here. I want to go and take a look.”
Song Jianchu remembered Mu Ye’s habit. Mu Ye’s fans knew about his love for collecting guitars, especially when he traveled. Mu Ye would visit local guitar stores and choose a guitar as a souvenir to take home.
Song Jianchu immediately took out his phone… “Okay, let me search for the location.”
Following the navigation, they quickly found the guitar store located on the top floor of the shopping center. The store was large, and unlike the luxury stores where other tourists gathered, there weren’t many customers inside. The entire store was filled with various classical guitars, and an Asian-looking man with a beard was sitting behind the counter, tuning a guitar.
Song Jianchu had also learned to play the guitar for a while and could tell that the guitars in the store were all high-quality. Although the prices weren’t cheap, they were reasonable considering the quality.
Mu Ye walked around the store and found one he liked. The shopkeeper helped him take it down for a trial.
Mu Ye sat down on a wooden stool, propped up his legs, and skillfully adjusted the guitar strings to correct the pitch. His fingertips smoothly plucked the strings, and the melodious and beautiful guitar melody filled the store.
The tourists passing by outside the store stopped in their tracks to look inside.
This wasn’t the melody of a song Mu Ye had written before, and Song Jianchu hadn’t heard it before.
After playing a section, Mu Ye stood up and said to the shopkeeper, “I’ll take this one.”
The shopkeeper took the guitar and put it in a case, smiling and saying, “Sir, you have excellent taste. This is my prized possession.”
Song Jianchu took out a card to pay, and Mu Ye didn’t refuse. Carrying the guitar case, Mu Ye looked at Song Jianchu with a teasing gaze and said, “Thank you, sponsor.”
The feeling of spending money on a lover unexpectedly felt somewhat comfortable.
Song Jianchu’s mood also brightened, and he asked without changing his expression, “Is there anything else you want to buy?”
Mu Ye looked towards a nearby ice cream shop where couples were lining up and said, “I want to have some ice cream.”
This ice cream shop was famous online for its rolled ice cream. They freshly made it using an ice pan, and the ingredients were all fresh fruits. They offered various fruit flavors to choose from.
Song Jianchu took Mu Ye to join the queue, and the couples in front and behind them curiously glanced at them.
A few Chinese couples whispered to each other, their gazes suspicious yet uncertain.
“Why do I feel like that younger guy looks a bit like Song Jianchu?”
“The other one looks like Mu Ye.”
“Oh my god, could they be traveling together? Are they already at the stage where they can travel together?”
“Don’t say that, it’s getting too relatable. Don’t make me too happy, or I’ll be sad if it’s not true.”
“Hahaha, there’s no way it’s that coincidental.”
Song Jianchu listened expressionlessly. He no longer cared about this kind of gossip.
Anyway, no one would believe it.
While waiting in line, Mu Ye hadn’t felt this happy in many years. He couldn’t wait to share his joy with someone, so he lowered his head and sent a photo of the ice cream shop to Pei Shinian.
[Pei Shinian: Brother, are you on a date with your sister-in-law? Is this overseas? Are you traveling together?]
[MY: Do you want any gifts? I’ll bring something back for you.]
Pei Shinian was thrilled to see his brother’s love life progressing so smoothly, even happier than his own love life. He didn’t mince words with his brother.
[Pei Shinian: The new limited edition sneakers from brand A’s collaboration with an anime, they’re not available in China anymore. Can you bring a pair back for me?]
[MY: No problem. Anything else you want?]
Pei Shinian was deeply moved. His brother was busy with his love life but still remembered his little brother. This was an extraordinary brotherly bond.
[Pei Shinian: No need, I only want those shoes. I was planning to ask my friend abroad to help me buy them. Thanks, brother! You’re spending money for me!]
[MY: It’s okay, your sister-in-law has money. He just bought me a guitar. Now he’s taking me to eat ice cream.]
Pei Shinian: ?
Pei Shinian pondered this sentence for a while and felt something was off. Wait a minute, did his brother find a wealthy woman? Why does his tone sound like that of a kept man??
But his brother himself was already one of the wealthiest in the entertainment industry. Did he really need to rely on a wealthy woman?
Pei Shinian’s expression gradually became strange, and he became increasingly curious about this mysterious sister-in-law.
[Pei Shinian: …Oh, then thank your wife for me.]
[MY: He only buys things for me. I’ll buy your gift. [smile]]
Pei Shinian looked puzzled.
Then why are you telling me this? Just to show off that your wife has money to buy you things?
His brother’s behavior today was really out of character, and Pei Shinian suddenly felt a little worried. He didn’t even notice the “mistake” in the pronoun’s gender.
[Pei Shinian: …Oh, thanks, brother.]
After sharing their happiness with someone, it was their turn in line. Mu Ye asked the shop attendant, “Do you have cherry-flavored ice cream?”
Song Jianchu confirmed in his mind that Mu Ye indeed liked cherry-flavored things.
The attendant replied that they didn’t have cherry flavor, so Mu Ye reluctantly chose watermelon-flavored rolled ice cream.
Song Jianchu ordered white peach flavor.
The two sat side by side in a secluded corner of the seating area outside the shop. This spot was well-hidden, next to a decorative tree that blocked the view of passersby.
Song Jianchu lowered his mask to eat the ice cream.
After a few minutes, Mu Ye looked at him and said, “Can I have a taste of yours? Let’s exchange.”
“Sure.”
The ice cream from this place was indeed delicious. Song Jianchu also wanted to taste the watermelon flavor, so he handed over his ice cream container.
In the next second, everything went dark, and Mu Ye leaned over with his guitar case, tilting his head to kiss him.
Caught off guard, Song Jianchu’s mouth was invaded by a cool and moist tongue, swirling around his mouth with the sweet taste of watermelon.
Song Jianchu was momentarily stunned, instinctively trying to retreat, but Mu Ye held the back of his head, soothingly running his fingers through his hair, and continued to carefully savor the taste of their exchanged ice creams with his tongue.
The flavors of watermelon and white peach intimately fused together, and the cool lips and tongues became fervent in their entanglement.
Unaware of how many seconds had passed, Song Jianchu felt like his tongue was about to melt from being licked for so long, and Mu Ye finally withdrew slowly.
Song Jianchu had his mouth slightly agape, staring in astonishment at the composed person in front of him.
As an 18-year-old boy who had hardly read any romance novels or watched romantic TV dramas, he was shocked and unable to recover for a while, his expression still somewhat dazed.
Mu Ye wiped the corner of his mouth as if they had just casually exchanged their ice creams, and evaluated earnestly, “Yours tastes better.”
In the following day, Song Jianchu truly experienced the joy of being a sponsor. He indulged Mu Ye, treating him to afternoon tea and having dinner at a selected restaurant.
Although they skipped the flower-giving part out of embarrassment, Song Jianchu could feel Mu Ye’s mood getting better and better. They kissed frequently throughout the day, with Mu Ye taking the initiative to kiss him seven times in just one afternoon, displaying extraordinary enthusiasm.
Song Jianchu was overwhelmed by the kisses, feeling his face filled with a fragrant aroma, and he even started feeling a bit dizzy. He thought to himself that lovers in this world were all the same; even the king of the music industry enjoyed these types of dates.
When they returned to the villa in the evening, just as Song Jianchu had finished putting away the shopping bags in his hands, Mu Ye hugged him from behind.
Mu Ye, like an excited large dog being well-played with by its owner, kept kissing his face and nuzzling his forehead against his shoulder. “Thank you, my generous sponsor. I had so much fun today.”
Song Jianchu couldn’t handle it and found an excuse to escape from this overly excited canine. “I’m glad you had fun. I’m going to take a shower.”
Mu Ye kissed his ear and his lips brushed against his earlobe, tempting him with a low voice, “Together?”
The man’s fragrance seemed even more intoxicating, swirling around him in a seductive manner. Song Jianchu’s heart raced, and he closed his eyes, feeling a bit lightheaded.
He didn’t know how they ended up in the bathroom.
It was only when the water started pouring over his head that Song Jianchu reluctantly regained some awareness, and then he realized that he and Mu Ye were kissing again, not knowing how many times it had been today.
But this kiss was completely different.
Mu Ye’s lips and tongue were hotter than the water pouring over his face.
Cupping his face, he kissed him with a dominant yet gentle fervor, occasionally giving him a chance to catch his breath. Their lips and faces intertwined passionately, and the man’s lips seemed to have the same effect as alcohol.
Song Jianchu was kissed to the point of feeling drunk, and he could hardly keep up with his consciousness.
His hands subconsciously rested on Mu Ye’s shoulders, his vision blurred by the water, and he could only vaguely see the man’s drenched black hair, water-droplets on his eyelashes, his straight nose, and his delicate, pale skin.
Occasionally, when their gazes met with those captivating and beautiful eyes, Song Jianchu felt like he had entered a dream, as if the real world had disappeared into the gradually thickening white mist around the man.
Lost in an addictive and thrilling game, Mu Ye hadn’t called his name all day.
Song Jianchu felt that Mu Ye had suddenly changed. Behind his seemingly gentle expression and gaze, there was something dangerously suppressed.
“My generous sponsor,” Mu Ye exhaled hot breath near his ear, his lips pressed against his earlobe. “How can I repay your kindness?”
“Do you want to try something else?”
Song Jianchu leaned against the tiled wall of the bathroom, raising one hand to shield his eyes with the back of his hand. He had to tilt his head back and support his body to prevent himself from sliding down. His heart was racing uncontrollably.
He tightened his grip on the soft strands of hair in his hand.
This is too crazy, Song Jianchu thought.
He suddenly realized that he had indeed done something incredibly crazy.
The person he had been observing from afar every day, that existence shielded behind thick filters in another world, was now right in front of him, so intimately close.
Turning off the water flow with his back, Song Jianchu weakly sat down on the water-soaked floor, curling one leg up and resting his elbow on his knee, closing his eyes to catch his breath.
After calming down for a while, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at the person in front of him.
The man’s lips were completely flushed, exuding a seductive smile that had transformed into a different kind of temptation. “Are you still satisfied, my generous sponsor?”
Song Jianchu reached out and grabbed the man’s wet white shirt, pulling him closer.
Their noses bumped, and their lips collided forcefully, with their teeth cutting into their lips, leaving a slightly bloody taste.
It wasn’t a deep kiss, just a forceful pressing for a few seconds.
Song Jianchu pushed the man away, adopting a distant expression that prohibited closeness.
It was as if he had suddenly matured. The boy’s hair was disheveled, his wet face appeared lazy and exhausted. He touched the face of a well-performing lover, saying, “Good boy.”