Chapter 15 - One Spring Night*

He Bing wasn't sleeping deeply to begin with. When he sensed someone kissing him and caught what seemed to be Liao Yucheng's scent, in his haze he mixed reality with dreams and unconsciously kissed back.

Feeling He Bing's unthinking enthusiasm, Liao Yucheng couldn't resist deepening the kiss. He Bing's breath was thick with alcohol, making Liao Yucheng feel drunk too. One hand cupped He Bing's face while the other slipped under his shirt, roaming over bare skin. He Bing's flushed cheeks burned hot. Suddenly his arms tightened around Liao Yucheng, and with a twist he pinned him underneath.

He Bing still wasn't fully conscious, just acting on instinct as he kissed and touched Liao Yucheng. He fumbled clumsily with Liao Yucheng's clothes but couldn't find real release. Liao Yucheng felt He Bing's hard length pressing against him, poking blindly between his legs. This was the intimate contact he'd fantasized about countless times, but taking advantage of He Bing while drunk was merely a joking thought. He didn't want their first time to happen like this.

Liao Yucheng undid both their pants and wrapped his hand around their members together, stroking. He heard He Bing's satisfied pants, felt those arms holding him tight. Liao Yucheng bit down hard on He Bing's lips and quickened his pace. Pleasure built layer by layer until they both came.

After climaxing, He Bing went still, collapsed on top of Liao Yucheng without moving, falling back asleep contentedly. His expression was peaceful, lips slightly upturned like he was having a pleasant dream. His arms still held Liao Yucheng tight without letting go. Liao Yucheng hugged him back, never before feeling such solid reassurance of having him completely to himself.

Thinking of how He Bing had been moping around lately, Liao Yucheng quietly chuckled, then laughed—his laughter growing until their pressed-together chests shook with it, his eyes grew wet, and tears nearly fell. He shifted He Bing off himself and laid on his side in his arms. He pressed one finger against He Bing's chest like a dagger aimed at his heart, wishing he could plunge it in, dig out that heart, then hide it away so it would belong to him forever.

He called softly, "He Bing."

Of course there was no response. 

He pressed closer and whispered. "I love you."

Liao Yucheng's scheming ran deep. Last night he'd deliberately only cleaned himself up, leaving He Bing's zipper and button undone, his pants still marked with dried cum—some of it even left by Liao Yucheng. He had a feeling that He Bing's feelings couldn't be bottled up much longer. But since He Bing kept refusing to confess, Liao Yucheng would have to give him that final push.

The next day He Bing woke with a pounding hangover headache. Thankfully it was his day off, so he could sleep in without worry until nearly noon. Still feeling rough, too lazy to get up, he rolled toward where Liao Yucheng slept and touched the wrinkled sheets, suddenly feeling empty inside.

That emptiness stemmed from the amazing dream he'd had last night—he dreamed of pinning Liao Yucheng down and having his way with him. Not only hadn't Liao Yucheng resisted, he'd eagerly responded, and the two of them tangled together passionately. The dream had felt incredibly real, and thinking about it now still took He Bing's breath away.

But having that kind of dream just made waking up feel even more hollow. He Bing sighed and got up to get out of bed. The moment his feet touched the floor, he noticed something wrong. His fly and button were undone, his underwear pulled down—barely covering his pubic hair, nearly exposing everything. His pants had suspicious stains that looked like cum residue. 

He Bing's heart jumped. Had last night not been just a dream? Had he jerked off while having a wet dream? What else might he have done? Had Liao Yucheng noticed?

His legs nearly gave out getting out of bed. He went to the living room and saw breakfast Liao Yucheng had bought on the table. Liao Yucheng sat on the couch messing with his phone. When he heard He Bing's footsteps, he looked up, but the second their eyes met, he immediately looked away. "You're up. I got soy milk and buns, but they're probably cold by now. I'll heat them for you."

"Oh." He Bing felt Liao Yucheng was acting weird today. With guilt weighing on him, he worried that his actions had been discovered, making him increasingly anxious.

After washing up, he sat at the table. Liao Yucheng brought over the reheated food. As Liao Yucheng pulled his hand back, he rested it on his neck like he was scratching an itch—or hiding something. He Bing took a sip of soy milk and snuck a glance over. That glance nearly made him fall off his chair—were those scattered red marks on Liao Yucheng's neck hickeys?!

He Bing couldn't even hold his bun anymore, voice shaking. "Yucheng, last night..."

Liao Yucheng's hand froze. He immediately cut him off. "Nothing happened last night! Nothing at all..." 

His eyes darted away, expression stiff, his whole body radiating the panic of someone trying to cover something up. It clearly looked like something had happened! He Bing's heart felt as if something heavy had crashed into it, crushing his organs. His vision went black, he could barely breathe. Trembling, he asked, "Yucheng, did I... did I do something to you last night?"

Seeing the direct question, Liao Yucheng stopped hiding it. He lowered his head. "I know you drank too much last night. It's really nothing. You probably mistook me for someone else."

"I..." He Bing wanted to say I didn't. I dreamed of you. I wanted you. There's only you in my heart. But he didn't know how to respond. If he denied it, wouldn't that expose his feelings? But if he admitted it, he couldn't say something so contrary to his heart. Finally he could only fumble through an explanation. "I had this dream last night, and it felt so realistic. You were sleeping next to me, so I just... I just..."

Liao Yucheng still kept his head down, saying quietly, "He Bing, maybe you just haven't gotten off in too long. Or maybe you should go meet more girls. Being around me all the time. I... you know my situation. Last night makes things awkward for both of us."

Hearing this, He Bing impulsively burst out, "I don't want to meet any girls! Actually... actually I..." He deflated halfway through.

For fuck's sake, SAY IT! Liao Yucheng was screaming internally, mentally pummelling He Bing for being such a coward. His face remained calm as he asked, "What?"

"Nothing. I'm really sorry about last night." He Bing grabbed Liao Yucheng's hand. "Why don't you hit me? Seriously, hit me as many times as you need to feel better. I won't fight back."

How could Liao Yucheng bear to hit him? He just lightly tapped on He Bing's face, like a weak slap. "I'm not angry with you, He Bing. I won't be mad at you."

He Bing froze, looking up to meet his eyes—seeing unfathomable tenderness there.