Let's just leave Chapter 37 as it is; I'm afraid if I write too much, I won't be able to post it.

The first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the gaps in the curtains, casting long, thin streaks of light on the apartment floor and falling on the edges of the disheveled sheets. Hei Xiazi woke up early, not because of the light, but because the breath of the person beside him was too hot—Zhang Qiling was lying beside him, turned to face him. The small distance between them made even the air feel sticky. He could clearly smell the pine scent mixed in with the other's hair, the soap Zhang Qiling usually used, light yet alluring.

He didn't dare move, so he turned to the side and stared at Zhang Qiling's sleeping face. Even in his sleep, the man wasn't completely relaxed; his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he were pondering something even in his dreams. His long eyelashes drooped, casting faint shadows beneath his eyes. His usually icy features were softened by the morning light, even his tightly pursed lips had relaxed slightly, revealing a rare softness. Hei Xiazi's gaze slid down to the man's legs, which were covered by pajama bottoms—Zhang Qiling's legs were beautifully shaped, with firm muscles, the result of years of training. Now, with the blanket slipped down to his waist, the exposed lines of his abdomen were even more striking.

Hei Xiazi couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips, and deliberately moved over there, his knee "accidentally" brushing against Zhang Qiling's thigh.

Almost instantly, Zhang Qiling woke up. Before his eyes were fully open, his eyelashes fluttered, and his body tensed up, his thigh muscles noticeably stiff. Hei Xiazi could feel that stiffness, which made him even more itchy. He deliberately rubbed his elbow against Zhang Qiling's side again: "Good morning, mute." His voice was hoarse from just waking up, and the last syllable was drawn out, as if he were teasing him.

Zhang Qiling didn't speak, but turned his head to look at him, his ears still flushed—last night, while sleeping with Hei Xiazi in his arms, he hadn't really slept much, afraid that he might roll over and crush the other's injured leg, yet unable to resist wanting to get closer, he only managed to doze off for a while in the latter half of the night. Now, with Hei Xiazi rubbing against him like this, that lingering drowsiness instantly vanished, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was low and hoarse: "Move aside."

Not only did Hei Xiazi not give way, but he went even further, placing his hand on Zhang Qiling's waist. Through the thin cotton pajamas, his fingertips could feel the firm muscles beneath, and he could even feel the slight trembling of the other's body. "Why are you running?" He moved closer, his warm breath brushing against Zhang Qiling's sensitive earlobe. "It's not like we haven't slept together before. Last time we were sheltering from the rain in the dugout, we squeezed into a crevice in the rocks, much closer than this."

Zhang Qiling's ears instantly turned even redder, a faint blush spreading across his neck. He reached out and grabbed Hei Xiazi's wrist, initially squeezing too hard, causing Hei Xiazi to hiss. Realizing he'd used too much force, he immediately loosened his grip, creating a slightly ambiguous pincer movement. His fingertips unconsciously brushed against the old scar on Hei Xiazi's wrist—a mark left from when he shielded him from a snake bite years ago, a scar he could never resist touching. "Stop fooling around." His voice was deeper than usual, carrying a hint of warning, but lacking much intimidation.

"What if I insist on making a scene?" Hei Xiazi laughed, deliberately snuggling closer to Zhang Qiling, his nose almost touching Zhang Qiling's cheek, their breaths mingling, and he could smell the faint mint scent on the other's body.

The two remained frozen in the morning light, the tension in the air growing ever stronger. Hei Xiazi could feel Zhang Qiling's breathing become heavier, and the palm gripping his wrist was burning hot; he knew this man was about to break down. Sure enough, the next second, Zhang Qiling suddenly rolled over, bracing himself against Hei Xiazi's side, trapping him beneath him. The movement was so fast it was like disassembling a dumpling's joints in a bucket; Hei Xiazi didn't even have time to react, only feeling dizzy as his back sank into the soft mattress.

"Hey—" Just as Hei Xiazi was about to make a joke, his lips were covered by a kiss.

It wasn't a hand, it was Zhang Qiling's lips.

The kiss came suddenly and fiercely, with a hint of recklessness, yet it didn't forget to avoid Hei Xiazi's legs. His arms, braced on the mattress, were taut, not pressing down on him at all. Hei Xiazi paused for a second, then reacted, reaching out to hold Zhang Qiling's nape, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. As their lips intertwined, the minty scent mingled with the faint tobacco aroma emanating from Hei Xiazi, becoming incredibly alluring. Zhang Qiling was initially a little awkward, but later relaxed, his tongue lightly brushing against Hei Xiazi's lower lip, causing Hei Xiazi to let out a soft groan.

When the kiss ended, both were panting heavily. Zhang Qiling was still leaning over Hei Xiazi, stray hairs falling from his temples and brushing against Hei Xiazi's forehead. His eyes were so deep they seemed to hold an ocean, capable of drawing you in. "Satisfied now?" His voice was so low it was almost inaudible, his fingertips still gently stroking the back of Hei Xiazi's neck.

Black Bear licked his lips, grinning like a cat that had just stolen some fish: "It's alright, but your technique is a bit raw. You need to practice more."

Zhang Qiling's eyes darkened. He didn't speak, but lowered his head and kissed him again. This time it was much slower than before, with a delicate probing. His lips lightly brushed against Hei Xiazi's lips, then slowly deepened, his tongue carefully tracing the other's, as if savoring a delicacy. Hei Xiazi obediently tilted his head back, his hands sliding down Zhang Qiling's back, his fingertips brushing against the soft flesh of his waist, causing Zhang Qiling's body to tremble. He kissed him even more forcefully.

The morning light grew brighter, filtering through the gaps in the curtains and falling on their intertwined bodies, casting long shadows that swayed against the wall. The air was filled with the sounds of breathing and the subtle, intimate murmur of water. Black Bear's hand slowly moved upwards, unbuttoning two buttons of Zhang Qiling's pajamas, revealing her collarbone. His fingertips gently brushed against her skin, feeling its heat.

Zhang Qiling paused, not stopping, but becoming more careful. He slowly propped himself up a little, his gaze falling on Hei Xiazi's leg—the wound treated yesterday was still wrapped in gauze, and he was afraid of tearing it if he moved too much, so he reached out and gently pulled down Hei Xiazi's pajama bottoms a little, avoiding the wound, and lightly rubbed his inner thigh with his fingertips, causing Hei Xiazi to groan again.

“Zhang the mute, you…” Hei Xiazi’s voice softened, and he gripped Zhang Qiling’s hand even tighter.

Zhang Qiling didn't speak, but lowered his head and kissed his collarbone, the movement as light as a feather, yet carrying enough warmth. He knew that Hei Xiazi's leg hadn't healed yet, so he didn't dare to be too presumptuous. Every movement was cautious, as if he were handling some fragile treasure—in his past life, he didn't have the chance to get this close, and in this life, he only wanted to give all his tenderness to the person in front of him.

Hei Xiazi could sense the caution in Zhang Qiling's eyes, and his heart melted. He leaned closer and kissed Zhang Qiling's earlobe, saying, "It's okay, just be gentle."

Zhang Qiling's body stiffened for a moment, then relaxed further. He slowly moved down, kissing Hei Xiazi's chest, his fingertips avoiding the wound, gently entwining the other's hand, their fingers intertwined. In the morning light, their breathing grew heavier, their intertwined figures shifting on the sheets, the blanket kicked aside, revealing skin flushed with a faint red. Every touch was cherished, as if confirming each other's existence, or as if making up for lost time.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Qiling slowly sat up, pulled the blanket up to Hei Xiazi's waist, and carefully checked the gauze on his leg—it wasn't loose, and there was no bleeding—before he breathed a sigh of relief. His own pajamas were still open, and there were still red marks on his collarbone from Hei Xiazi's bite. His ears were still bright red, but he didn't avoid Hei Xiazi's gaze. Instead, he reached out and gently touched his cheek: "Does it hurt?"

Hei Xiazi shook his head with a smile, reached out and pulled him down, letting him lean against his chest, his chin resting on the top of his head: "It doesn't hurt, it's much less painful than when you had your wound stitched up last time."

Zhang Qiling's body stiffened for a moment, then he chuckled softly—it was the first time Hei Xiazi had heard him laugh like that, not the usual barely perceptible laugh, but a genuinely warm laugh, like melting ice. "I won't use so much force next time," he said, gently entwining his hand around Hei Xiazi's fingers, their fingers intertwined.

The two lay there embracing for a while until the morning light made the room brighter, then Zhang Qiling slowly got up: "It's time to get up, we need to go to the Crescent Hotel to investigate."

Black Bear was still lazing in bed when he reached out and grabbed his wrist: "What's the rush? Isn't the auction the day after tomorrow?"

“Jude Kao’s people may have already made arrangements over there.” Zhang Qiling looked down at him, her eyes becoming more serious. “In my past life…” She stopped halfway through her sentence—she couldn’t reveal the matter of being reborn, so she changed her words, “I heard that he has a lot of informants at the Crescent Hotel, so I have to go and check it out beforehand.”

Black Bear didn't think much of it, assuming he was just preparing in advance. So he slowly sat up, deliberately pulling his pajamas down a bit to reveal the red marks on his collarbone: "Okay, but I'll have to catch my breath for a bit—who was in such a hurry just now?"

Zhang Qiling's ears turned red again. She didn't argue, but simply handed him a clean shirt: "Put this on quickly, I'll go make breakfast."

Hei Xiazi took the shirt and watched Zhang Qiling turn and walk into the kitchen—his pajamas weren't buttoned up yet, revealing his waistline. He couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Dumb Zhang, you haven't buttoned up your shirt yet!"

Zhang Qiling paused, then quickly reached up to button his shirt, his hands trembling slightly, which made Hei Xiazi laugh even harder.

Sounds soon came from the kitchen: the sound of water boiling and eggs being cracked into a bowl. Black Bear slowly dressed and walked to the kitchen doorway, leaning against the doorframe to look out—Zhang Qiling was standing in front of the stove, wearing his apron, awkwardly frying eggs. Sunlight fell on him, gilding him with a golden edge, making him look exceptionally gentle, completely different from the cold-faced "Mute Zhang" he usually was.

"I didn't expect you could cook." Hei Xiazi smiled and walked over, hugging him from behind and resting his chin on his shoulder.

Zhang Qiling's body stiffened for a moment, then relaxed, his shovel still in his hand: "I learned it." In his previous life, he saw Hei Xiazi always eating instant noodles, so he secretly learned a bit. In this life, he finally had the chance to cook it for him.

Hei Xiazi didn't press the matter, but just hugged him and laughed, "Then I'll have to eat more and try Zhang the Dumb's cooking."

Morning light streamed through the kitchen window, falling on their clasped hands. The eggs sizzled in the pan, and a faint aroma filled the air. A new day had begun. The dangers of the Crescent Hotel still awaited them, but at this moment, in this small apartment, there was only their warmth and their undisguised love.