A subtle happiness

Just as the film reached its climax, Chu Sinian felt a slight burn on his earlobe and didn't hear the faint voice floating in the air, "What did you say?"

Chen Chi restrained himself and kissed the side of his cheek, chuckling softly, "It's nothing."

Chu Sinian found it strange and turned to look at him. He saw that Chu Sinian's cold face appeared even more silent in the dim light. "Why are you staring at me? Don't you like this movie?"

"No." Chen Chi pinched his chin to make him look at the TV, and looked over himself. "Keep watching, it'll be over soon."

The movie ends with a happy family reunion, but for some reason, Chu Sinian always felt a faint, lingering sadness. Perhaps the core of comedy is tragedy.

Chu Sinian sat up straight and looked up at Chen Chi, "We're going to buy New Year's goods tomorrow."

Chen Chi agreed, "What do you want to buy?"

Chu Sinian said, "In the past, I would either spend the New Year at Ning Zicheng's house or go to Yu Shi's house for a free meal. I really don't know what to buy."

The bodyguard was right; the New Year's goods were for entertaining guests, but where would they get any guests?

Chen Chi rested his chin on the top of his head and said, "Spring Festival couplets, dried fruit, fresh fruit, and some drinks are also good options."

Upon hearing about drinks, Chu Sinian's ears twitched, and his eyes flickered as he looked at Chen Chi. "It's almost Chinese New Year, so let's buy some wine too."

Chen Chi smiled slightly, a hint of amusement in his deep eyes. "Okay, but don't drink too much."

Chu Sinian raised an eyebrow and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Here's a kiss for you."

Chen Chi looked down at him and whispered, "Just a kiss?"

Chu Sinian kissed him again, "How about the other two?"

Chen Chi chuckled and turned his head to kiss him. Chu Sinian's originally closed lips unconsciously opened slightly, allowing Chen Chi's tongue to explore.

The quiet, dimly lit living room was filled with an intimate and ambiguous atmosphere, and the slurping sound of water was unusually noticeable.

Chu Sinian was always the one who was dizzy from the kisses. He silently felt the warm breath on his face and felt a little breathless.

Chen Chi then cupped the back of his neck and pecked at him from the corner of his lips all the way to his earlobe, leaving delicate wetness. His voice was deep and resonant: "You can't breathe after two days without a kiss."

Chu Sinian tried to back away but couldn't escape. His voice trembled as he said, "I've told you so many times, don't kiss my ear."

The next second, something wet and soft pressed against his earlobe. Chu Sinian's eyes widened as he heard Chen Chi laugh and say, "Can I lick it?"

nonsense.

Chu Sinian snapped out of his daze and forcefully pushed him away. Chen Chi, afraid of angering him, retreated in response to the force.

The two snuggled together on the sofa, Chen Chi with one arm around Chu Sinian's waist and the other hand massaging the back of Chu Sinian's hand. "Are you angry?"

Chu Sinian glanced at him. "Do you think I'm that easily angered?"

Chen Chi lowered his eyes and leaned closer to him, "No, you're easy to mess with."

"Is that a compliment?" Chu Sinian laughed. "Does he have no emotional intelligence?"

Chen Chi also smiled and said, "You have a beautiful smile."

The curtains in the living room were drawn tightly. Chu Sinian squinted, noticing that Chen Chi's temper had improved considerably. He used to rarely smile, and even after they got together, there seemed to be a subtle distance between them, but now it had almost completely disappeared.

He sensed that Chen Chi was gradually releasing the cage of confinement, opening the closed safety gate, and allowing those close to him to breathe freely.

Chu Sinian reached out and wrapped his arms around Chen Chi's neck, a delicate fragrance wafting towards Chen Chi's face. Chu Sinian gazed at him with his eyes shimmering with spring water and asked, "Shall we do it?"

Chen Chi froze instantly. A few seconds later, his body became visibly hot, and every cell in his body was violently agitated.

Surprisingly, he held back, his cold eyes asking seriously, "Seriously?"

Chu Sinian reached under his clothes and asked, "What do you think?"

The position suddenly changed dramatically, and Chu Sinian was thrown onto the sofa, lying on his back facing the ceiling.

Before he could react, a pair of burning hot hands reached in, and soft, slightly dry lips pressed against Chu Sinian's earlobe, licking and kissing it in a tingling way, making Chu Sinian tremble uncontrollably.

Chu Sinian pushed him away slightly, his eyes misting over, "This, this won't do."

Chen Chi looked up and licked it into his mouth, while his right hand rubbed down from his waist.

Soon, their clothes were piled up under the sofa, in a chaotic mess.

Chu Sinian's hands drooped down onto the sofa, his upper body slumped against it. Chen Chi casually grabbed a clean piece of clothing and placed it in front of his face. "It's dirty, bury it here."

Before Chu Sinian could react, Chen Chi reached out and scooped his upper body up, placing it inside his clothes. He then soothingly massaged the back of Chu's neck, saying, "If you can't take it, just say so."

Chu Sinian's body was flushed red, which, when concealed by the dim light, revealed a touch of tenderness and allure. It wasn't until the belt hit the ground and his back touched something incredibly hot that he suddenly tilted his head back and crawled forward, "Wait...wait a minute."

Chu Sinian was pulled back by a single arm, this time the hand gripped his waist and shoulders, immobilizing him completely.

Chen Chi leaned down and pressed his body against the back of Chu Sinian's neck, completely enveloping him. His strong, muscular waist swayed gently. "If it hurts, just say so, and I'll stop."

The promise to stop was made at the beginning, but half an hour later it flew to the highest heavens.

Tears streamed down Chu Sinian's face as he cursed, "Didn't you say... you'd never let me cry again? You're simply... a beast."

Chen Chi was subjected to the scathing rebuke, his hot breath burning against his spine. "I'm a beast, except for this matter."

He held Chu Sinian's chin with one hand, making him raise his head slightly, and kissed the side of his neck. "Baby, crying at this time is like giving me an aphrodisiac."

...

The bedroom lights were off, and the bed was a mess. In his breakdown, Chu Sinian didn't forget to slap Chen Chi a few times.

He truly experienced what it felt like to be held and carried, not only in his arms but also all the way to the bedroom.

Chu Sinian recalled the terrifying strength of that arm and felt horrified. Lying on his side on the bed, he had no strength at all.

Chen Chi was used to being slapped, so he calmly wiped the stuff off his leg, hugged him, and said softly, "I'll take you to take a bath."

"No, I'm so tired." Chu Sinian's voice still carried the aftermath of his breakdown.

Chen Chi skillfully comforted him in his arms, "Be good, you need to clean yourself up, or you'll get sick."

Chu Sinian sneered, "What are you pretending to be a good guy for? Who told you to put it inside?"

Chen Chi narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone revealing a hint of danger, "Don't provoke me, Nian Nian."

After he finished speaking, he carried Chu Sinian into the bathroom to take a shower. The sudden bright light made Chu Sinian instinctively snuggle into Chen Chi's arms.

The bathtub was filled with hot water beforehand. Chen Chi gently placed him in and carefully wiped his body with shower gel. "Does it hurt?"

Chu Sinian lay listlessly by the bathtub, a soft cushion behind his head. "A little bit."

Chen Chi said in a low voice, "I'm sorry."

Chu Sinian laughed instead, his voice tinged with weariness: "If you can really hold back and not move, you're not a man. What are you apologizing for? I'm about to die of pleasure."

Chen Chi suddenly stopped what he was doing, lifted his eyelids and looked intently at Chu Sinian: "What did you say?"

Chu Sinian realized something was wrong, slowly sat up, and the red marks on his exposed skin were obvious. "I...I was just talking nonsense."

Chen Chi gave a soft "hmm," and asked, "So you're not feeling well?"

Chu Sinian chuckled twice: "You know perfectly well why I'm asking."

Chen Chi let out a few low, hoarse laughs. "Seeing you crying so hard, I thought you weren't feeling well."

He stepped into the bathtub and sat down, his bulging chest pressed against Chu Sinian's back, his hands restlessly kneading it. "Be good, I'll let you enjoy it a few more times."

—

Sunlight pierced through the clouds and floated on the edge of the curtain behind the glass window, its subtle shimmer leaping onto the floor inside.

The light fell on the wrist by the bedside, and the hand twitched slightly before being suddenly pulled in the opposite direction.

Chu Sinian moved his shoulders, and the strong arms around his waist tightened their grip. He slowly opened his eyes and murmured, "Chen Chi, you're holding me too tightly."

Chen Chi leaned over his shoulder, his warm breath tickling him, his voice hoarse: "Hmm, are you hungry?"

Chu Sinian turned around to face him and nestled against his chest: "I'm hungry."

While rubbing his lower back, Chen Chi said, "I'll go cook."

He got up, tucked Chu Sinian in, and then slipped on his slippers and went to the kitchen.

He made breakfast a little simple, worried that Chu Sinian's back might be uncomfortable. He finished quickly, put it on the table, and heated a cup of milk before heading to the bedroom.

Chu Sinian lay face down on the bed, his brows slightly furrowed.

Chen Chi lifted the covers and lay down beside him, gently massaging his lower back with warm hands. "Where does it hurt?"

Chu Sinian turned around and hugged him, saying, "My legs hurt and my back hurts."

Chen Chi kneaded the milk patiently for a while, then handed it to him, saying, "Drink this and get up to eat. I'll knead your milk again after you finish eating."

Chu Sinian sat up, took a sip of milk before even opening his eyes, and handed it to him as he got out of bed to wash up: "I still have to write a report today."

Chen Chi finished his remaining milk and went to the living room. "How long will it take to write?"

"About two hours, write a little bit and don't rush to hand it in."

After the two finished breakfast, Chen Chi was still massaging Chu Sinian's back. After tidying up the guest room and living room, they dressed neatly and went out.

Dong'an's tourism industry is on the verge of its peak, with crowds of people, looking somewhat cumbersome in the winter, surging between the high-rise buildings and the roads.

Chen Chi took Chu Sinian's hand, cupped it in his palm, and rubbed it gently. "Are you cold?"

Chu Sinian wasn't wearing a scarf, and a small section of his neck was faintly red. "It's not cold, the weather is quite nice today."

He looked up at the sky, where a faint halo of light spread across the canvas of white clouds. Who would have thought that about a hundred kilometers away lay the pitch-black and mysterious universe?

Chu Sinian shook his head and chuckled, "I need to buy two more bottles of wine."

He thought for a moment, then turned to Chen Chi and said, "No, we should just drink what we have at home."

Not wanting to spoil his fun, Chen Chi surprisingly agreed: "You can only have two drinks."

"Understood, butler."

The two drove to the mall, where there were fewer people than on the street. The mixed perfume scents from various stores were overwhelming, as if each store was trying to outdo the other in being the strongest and most fragrant, much to the dismay of Chu Sinian, who was sensitive to smells.

Chu Sinian pulled Chen Chi away from the fighting area and headed straight for the supermarket on the basement floor.

Chen Chi was in no better shape, his brows furrowed deeply.

He pulled out a cart and followed behind Chu Sinian: "If you want to leave, I'll have someone bring your things over."

Chu Sinian glanced at him with a smile: "It's most comfortable to shop for these things yourself."

Chen Chi nodded in agreement. He had wanted to go grocery shopping with Chu Sinian for a long time. They would blend into the crowd and be just one of millions of couples.

Living an ordinary life, embracing a simple happiness.