Unlike the last time when he recklessly captured the corner of his mouth, this was a real kiss.
Their burning lips rubbed and ground together, and even their breathing seemed to melt like butter. It merged into a single mass, and the heat gathered in their heads.
Xin Hexue’s eyelashes trembled uncontrollably, and in his nervousness, he simply squeezed them shut, as if closing his eyes would make the current scene disappear.
His reaction, however, made Lu Yang misinterpret it as silent consent.
Feeling a surge of joy in his heart, Lu Yang deepened the kiss.
They were hidden in the alley between two buildings, where the light was dim, the streetlights outside couldn’t reach, and there were no pedestrians to disturb them.
It was a secluded place.
But still, they were outside. Thinking of this, Xin Hexue inevitably felt his heart tighten with tension, and his senses became even more sensitive as a result.
He could feel Lu Yang’s wet kiss, the hand pressed against the back of his head not allowing him to evade, and the lips and tongue tentatively trying to pry past his teeth.
His whole body was enveloped in a world of cotton, and his ears felt as if they were covered by a thick membrane, blocking out the outside world. His thoughts became sluggish, and he relaxed his jaw in a daze.
His mouth was finally breached.
The moment their tongues met, Xin Hexue let out a sound, “Mmm…”
Lu Yang’s kissing couldn’t be called skilled. He was just beginning to understand these things, still at the age where if he dreamed of his beloved’s waist dimples at night, his little brother would be spirited all night. Of course, he had no technique, relying only on a chest full of surging, overwhelming love to charge ahead recklessly.
Under such a torrential onslaught, Xin Hexue became like a cat drenched by heavy rain.
Lu Yang didn’t seem to be kissing him, but more like loving him fiercely.
With an instinct that seemed desperate to tear Xin Hexue apart, devour him, and swallow him whole.
His right hand, which originally didn’t know where to go, gradually moved to stroke Xin Hexue’s back, pressing with a squeezing force, his palm sinking into the flesh, rubbing over the spine, as if he wanted to explore every inch of Xin Hexue’s body hidden beneath the thin clothing.
This thought made Xin Hexue curl his toes slightly, so hard that his calves nearly cramped.
“Hot…”
He said he was hot, but his sensitive body was shivering and trembling, making it hard to tell if it was from heat or cold.
Only his sweat-dampened bangs that were sticking against his forehead revealed the season’s temperature.
Lu Yang was the same as him, even more so, the back of his T-shirt was already soaked with sweat.
He even pressed his forehead against Xin Hexue’s, rubbing affectionately.
“I really like you…”
“I like you…”
“I like you so much…”
Lu Yang’s sweet talk was as straightforward and unadorned as his desire, yet it seemed inexhaustible, gushing out incessantly.
“I know.”
Xin Hexue’s tone seemed calm, but his breathing was disordered. He still couldn’t catch his breath.
In the dim light, he looked like a jasmine flower drenched on a rainy night, small, white, and dripping wet.
The corners of his eyes and his cheeks were flushed with a layer of passionate pink, which was breathtakingly beautiful.
He had Lu Yang completely captivated.
He couldn’t get enough. If only he could eat Xin Hexue, so they could stay together forever.
Lu Yang thought to himself.
He clung to Xin Hexue, “I want to kiss more.”
But Xin Hexue ruthlessly pushed his face away, “Then just keep thinking about it, go dream about it.”
The two walked out from the shadows.
Raindrops that had hung on the tree branches in the evening were still dripping.
Xin Hexue touched his lips; they seemed to be burning, but the skin wasn’t broken. Maybe it was psychological, just like how his brain still felt as if the surrounding air had been drained, making it hard to breathe.
He was a little worried that marks might be discovered, so he simply channeled all his unease into anger directed at Lu Yang, “Are you a dog?”
When kissing him, he was just like a dog licking people, making him seem like some kind of meat bone.
Xin Hexue glared at Lu Yang, the fluctuation of emotions making his eyes even more vivid and sparkling.
Lu Yang’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he reacted.
This wasn’t his intention, he simply couldn’t control it; even when holding Xin Hexue’s hand, his mind couldn’t help but wander.
Let alone just now…
They had kissed.
“Woof woof woof, sorry, master.” Lu Yang felt no shame in being a dog; he had always taken pride in it since childhood. He looked at Xin Hexue’s lips with heartache, “Is my kissing technique really that bad?”
“It’s absolutely terrible.” Xin Hexue said.
In his anger just now, he had forgotten that Lu Yang was his dog.
So that scolding remark had no offensive power at all, instead it only made Lu Yang feel good.
The adults and children in the compound of the tube apartment building had no nightlife; at this hour, they were all at home watching TV and eating dinner. There were almost no other people on the way to the convenience store.
The figures in the puddles by the roadside appeared again, sometimes close, sometimes distant, but this time it was different. Lu Yang carefully approached until their shoulders and arms touched.
It started with his pinky finger, hooking slightly, and finally, seeing Xin Hexue didn’t resist, he grew bold and directly held Xin Hexue’s hand.
[200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312200209121312]
Suddenly, Xin Hexue was forced to hear a series of mysterious numbers, like a storm sweeping through and brainwashing him.
What is this?
He caught the repeated numbers…200209121312?
Xin Hexue lowered his eyes and thought for a while. He repeated the string of numbers in his mind twice.
It seemed like… a date?
September 12, 2002, 13:12?
To verify this guess, he recalled this date, “What were you doing on September 12th?”
“I was kissing Xin Hexue.” Lu Yang replied subconsciously.
Then he almost got his foot stomped on by Xin Hexue. Fortunately, he dodged quickly and begged, “These are the new shoes you gave me! If you want to step on me, wait until I take off my shoes, then you can step on me, okay?”
Even if he dared to take off his shoes on the street, Xin Hexue wouldn’t dare to look.
Seeing that Xin Hexue wasn’t going to step on him, Lu Yang comforted his shoes.
‘… Neuropathy.’
No wonder he couldn’t memorize classical Chinese texts; his brain was too busy remembering these things.
Xin Hexue saw Lu Yang lifting his hand to look at his watch again, as if intending to note the time, and pulled at him, “You’re not allowed to think about anything in your head. Empty it immediately.”
Although Lu Yang didn’t understand, he still complied, while voicing his confusion: “But I can’t help thinking about this and that, my brain doesn’t obey, what should I do?”
He was born with ADHD.
Xin Hexue said, “Then think about me.”
Lu Yang’s mind was already full of him, and he couldn’t help asking, “Xin Hexue, are we considered to be dating now?”
Xin Hexue answered without hesitation, “No.”
Lu Yang was unwilling to accept it: “Then what is our relationship?”
Xin Hexue said, “Brothers.”
Lu Yang reacted as if facing a great enemy, “But I just kissed you! And you didn’t object.”
“Then consider us blood brothers.”
Xin Hexue distinguished matters clearly, keeping things separate.
Lu Yang exclaimed, “Anyway, Zhang Fei and Li Kui wouldn’t kiss.”
…………
Xin Hexue didn’t acknowledge it, and Lu Yang couldn’t do anything about it, but he was a complete optimist. Since they had already kissed, it meant their relationship had taken a big step forward.
Lu Yang thought, maybe heaven really favored him?
The convenience store was located at the entrance of the residential compound. It had been there since Lu Yang first came to kindergarten. It was an old establishment. The owner knew all the neighbors around and had watched these kids, who used to be sent to buy soy sauce, grow up.
So, before they even reached the door of the convenience store, the two let go of each other’s hands, feeling guilty as if they had done something bad.
The owner of the convenience store was surnamed Zhang, and they all called him Uncle Zhang.
As soon as Uncle Zhang saw them coming, he put down his chopsticks…he was eating with his family at the table in the back room. “Hexue, Lu Yang, have you eaten yet?”
“If you haven’t eaten, Uncle Zhang will set two more place settings, stay and eat with us.”
After happily exchanging a few words of small talk, Xin Hexue had also finished selecting the alcohol and drinks.
He got beer for the adults to drink, and coconut milk for the few teenagers among them. Xin Hexue specifically picked a bottle of coconut milk with pulp.
Nothing else was needed. Uncle Zhang calculated the bill and even rounded down the change. Hearing it was Lu Yang’s birthday, he gave him a handful of candies and wanted to go into the back to pack a chicken leg for him, but Lu Yang and Xin Hexue had already fled in embarrassment.
Lu Yang peeled a lemon candy for Xin Hexue and ate an identical one himself.
“Is it very obvious?”
Xin Hexue was still worried, afraid that there might be marks from the kiss earlier. Taking advantage of the light under the streetlamp to see clearly, he tried to confirm with Lu Yang.
Lu Yang checked carefully, “No, there isn’t.”
It was just that his lips were slightly fuller than before, and the color was a bit more rosy, looking very kissable.
But it wasn’t noticeable. Unless someone kept staring at Xin Hexue’s mouth, they wouldn’t see the difference.
The stone in Xin Hexue’s heart quietly settled. But when he looked ahead, he saw a tall, familiar figure appear at the corner of the street and immediately shook off Lu Yang’s hand.
He warned Lu Yang in a low voice, “My brother.”
They walked towards each other, getting closer and closer.
Xin Hexue’s face showed no abnormality, and he greeted naturally, “Big Brother, why did you come down?”
Zhuang Tongguang acted as if he hadn’t seen them holding hands earlier and explained, “Uncle Lu asked me to buy cigarettes.”
Xin Hexue nodded, indicating he understood, “Uncle Zhang at the convenience store just mentioned you, asking if you came back for the National Day holiday during university. I told him you were back.”
After exchanging a few more words, just as they were about to head back, Zhuang Tongguang turned to Lu Yang, “I forgot to ask Uncle Lu what brand of cigarettes to buy. Lu Yang, come with me to get them.”
“Oh, okay.”
Lu Yang originally wanted to just tell him, but was afraid Zhuang Tongguang wouldn’t recognize the packaging, so he agreed.
He briefly said goodbye to Xin Hexue, “Then you go back first. I’ll go buy the cigarettes with Brother Tongguang and come back immediately after.”
…
………
Lu Yang walked and said, “This Old Lu is really something. Every year he says he wants to quit smoking, but he fails before long.”
Lu Guoxing had quit smoking after marrying Zhu Cuifeng, but it wasn’t until Lu Yang’s third year of junior high when he lost his job that he lost control and picked up the habit again. Now, he no longer had the willpower he had in his youth to quit, and every now and then he would squat on the balcony for a smoke.
Zhuang Tongguang, however, didn’t respond, staring at the puddles ahead as if lost in thought.
They hadn’t gone far when Xin Hexue’s figure disappeared around the corner, and the conflict suddenly erupted. Their steps faltered, forcefully shattering the puddles.
With great force, Zhuang Tongguang twisted Lu Yang into the dark alley. Lu Yang was caught off guard and didn’t react in time. “Brother Tongguang, you…”
A punch came straight at him, landing heavily on the area below his ribs!
Lu Yang clutched his abdomen and immediately bent over in pain, a heavy, pained groan escaping from his throat.
“I am not your brother.”
Zhuang Tongguang stood with his back to the light source, shadows obscuring his face, making his expression unclear.
“No matter the reason, stop pestering my brother.”
Since they were young, Zhuang Tongguang had always had the image of a steady and reliable older brother in the eyes of the three of them, and they had never heard such a stern tone from him, with barely suppressed anger.
Lu Yang suspected he had seen him holding hands with Xin Hexue, or worse…
Zhuang Tongguang might have followed them downstairs and had seen him and Xin Hexue secretly kissing in the alley.
“Xin Hexue and I like each other…” he explained hurriedly.
Before he could finish his rebuttal, a sharp gust of wind swept over, and Zhuang Tongguang grabbed him by the collar, his eyes filled with malice. “Don’t you understand? I said no matter the reason, stay away from him.”
Lu Yang was stunned, as if he completely didn’t understand Zhuang Tongguang’s words. “Why?”
Zhuang Tongguang’s eyes had the bloodshot traces of insufficient sleep from the previous night, making him look even gloomier.
“Lu Yang, I’m older than all of you, and I’ve watched you grow up. You’re not a person with bad intentions.”
“But you can’t be so selfish.”
Lu Yang’s voice was dry: “What do you mean.”
“Xin Hexue is not like you.” Zhuang Tongguang said. “He has been smart and good-looking since he was a child, and everyone around him praises him as a good kid. He is meant to have a complete, fulfilling, and brilliant life.”
“He will find a good job, marry a girl he likes, and have a healthy child. Even if not immensely wealthy, he will be happy enough.”
Lu Yang had never considered this, and was rendered speechless.
Zhuang Tongguang questioned, “Have you thought about how others will see him if you are together? What will the relatives and teachers around say? What about classmates? Will they accept having a homosexual friend?”
Why should the person he raised, the person he protected with all his might, the person he tried to keep from stepping into the mud, be dragged by Lu Yang into the sinless abyss devoid of sunlight?
Zhuang Tongguang clenched his fist, his shoulders and back tense, nailing Lu Yang to the stake with a resolute tone. “You don’t like him at all. You are destroying him.”
…………
Clearly, helping to buy cigarettes was just an excuse.
Zhuang Tongguang’s figure disappeared first beyond the alley entrance.
The silvery streetlights shone equally on everyone.
…You don’t like him at all. You are destroying him.
The words were deafening.
Lu Yang leaned against the wall and gradually slid down to the ground.
His tongue curled around the candy piece. What Uncle Zhang gave was just common little candy, and the production process was not very refined. The candy had tiny nicks, and when his tongue brushed over the jagged cracks, it scraped against them and hurt a little, with faint traces of blood spreading.
His heart felt as if ants were gnawing at it, and there was a dull pain.
Did he do something wrong? What should he do?
