Gu Zhuoyan stared at the box of Okamoto, feeling like he was hallucinating.

He quickly stuffed it into his pocket, went into the bathroom, locked the door, and leaned against the sink to message Lu Wen: "Are you insane? What's the deal with stuffing a box of condoms in my bag?!"

Lu Wen replied: "Aren't you two sharing a room tonight? Better to be safe than sorry!"

Gu Zhuoyan took a deep breath: "Aren't you being a little too concerned?"

"I saw you guys kissing in public, so I figured you were probably close to doing 'it'." Lu Wen said, "Bro, you can do it. If it really doesn't work out, you can just use them later."

Gu Zhuoyan held the box of 0.01s in one hand, his brow furrowed. He stared at it for a moment before stuffing it back into his pants pocket. Heaven be his witness, he truly didn't have such thoughts before. In his heart, Zhuang Fanxin was like a piece of scratch paper, so pure that he was afraid to even hold it for fear of creasing it.

But that bastard Lu Wen had to go and stir things up, lighting a spark. The island, the room filled with the sea breeze, the ultra-thin 0.01s placed right before his eyes—this little spark began to burn brightly.

Zhuang Fanxin knocked on the door: "You've been in there for a long time, what are you doing?"

Gu Zhuoyan snapped back to his senses. Feeling extremely guilty, he quickly turned on the switch above the bathtub: "I'm running a bath." The sound of water filled the room. On the sink was a vase of white roses, blooming so elegantly, completely oblivious to Gu Zhuoyan's current state of mind.

He plucked off a petal. 'Do it?'

He plucked a second one. 'Don't do it?'

Gu Zhuoyan couldn't stop. Petal by petal, he plucked the few roses until only the thin stems remained. The knocking sounded again, and Zhuang Fanxin asked shyly, "Have you started bathing? Can I come in to pee?"

Gu Zhuoyan opened the door, his lowered hand secretly covering his pants pocket, terrified that the other would notice the square outline. But Zhuang Fanxin's attention was caught by the overflowing bathtub. As he turned it off, he commented on the waste of water, then turned and saw the pile of petals on the counter. "Why did you pull all the petals off the flowers?" he asked, surprised.

"I..." Gu Zhuoyan blurted out, "I wanted to take a flower petal bath."

Zhuang Fanxin was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself that rich people really lived exquisitely. It made him too embarrassed to relieve himself in front of Gu Zhuoyan. Unbuttoning his jeans, he quickly peed and got out, even secretly grabbing a small handful of petals. "I'll try it later too."

Gu Zhuoyan soaked in the hot water, holding his phone and searching for all sorts of things: first time, guy on guy, will it hurt. He dallied until his phone ran out of battery and shut down automatically, only then realizing the hot water had long since turned cold.

He came out of the bathroom with a towel on his head. His pajama pants had no pockets, so the box of Okamoto was clutched in his hand, squashed out of shape. Zhuang Fanxin was bent over the small table doing homework. Without looking up, he said, "You take such long showers. I did your English homework for you."

"...Thanks." Gu Zhuoyan was awkward. "I'll do your math. You go take a shower."

Zhuang Fanxin went into the bathroom with his clothes. Gu Zhuoyan stuffed the hot potato under his pillow. His competition-level brain seemed to have rusted and malfunctioned; he opened the paper and couldn't even understand the exponential functions.

After blindly guessing a few multiple-choice questions, the sound of water from the bathroom stopped. Gu Zhuoyan felt like he had fifteen rabbits in his arms, his heart thumping wildly. It was as if he wasn't the one harboring ill intentions, but that the other person was about to commit a crime against him.

Zhuang Fanxin came out: "I'm not very good at using this water heater, it's so hot."

Gu Zhuoyan feigned calmness with an "en," but lost his composure the moment he looked up. Zhuang Fanxin was standing by the bed, wrapped in a dark blue Japanese-style yukata. The sash at his waist was deep red, embroidered with a cluster of small morning glories. The lapels were crossed, revealing a section of his collarbone and a small patch of his chest. Steam was still rising from him. His ankles, neck, and even the tip of his nose and the corners of his eyes—all his exposed porcelain-white skin was flushed red from the hot water.

He glanced at the paper: "Are you done?"

How could Gu Zhuoyan still be in the mood for that? "I don't want to do it anymore."

Zhuang Fanxin said: "Then don't."

Gu Zhuoyan's words had a hidden meaning: "...I want to do it."

"Then you do it." Zhuang Fanxin touched his sash, turned, and started to walk away. "This yukata was a gift from Pei Zhi. I'm going to let him have a look!"

The person was gone. Gu Zhuoyan sat on the sofa, the plastic barrel of the pen in his hand had been snapped at some point. He was a little unhappy. Why was he running around dressed like that? He hadn't had his fill of looking yet.

His charging phone pinged with a message from Lu Wen: "Fuck, why is the little neighbor dressed like that?"

Gu Zhuoyan replied: "I also received a huge shock."

Lu Wen: "Hurry up and take him back to consummate the marriage! He's over here eating pineapple cakes!"

Gu Zhuoyan was at his wit's end. He had bought five boxes of pineapple cakes and piled them on the table, yet Zhuang Fanxin had run off to someone else's room to eat. Separated by just one wall, he longed for Zhuang Fanxin, hated that Zhuang Fanxin was so dense, resented that Zhuang Fanxin was so foolish, and blamed Zhuang Fanxin for making him so flustered.

Feeling so stifled his lungs were about to clog, Gu Zhuoyan got up and went next door. He knocked on the door, holding the math paper and making up a completely ridiculous excuse: "There's a big problem I can't solve, come back and explain it to me."

Zhuang Fanxin returned to the room with half a pineapple cake. As soon as the door closed, Gu Zhuoyan pinned him against it and kissed him so forcefully that a red mark was left on his cheek.

With only the two bedside lamps on, Zhuang Fanxin got into bed and dove under the covers. He lay on his stomach on the pillow, solving the math problem while mumbling, "It's the same logic as example five in the book, how could you not know how to do it?"

Gu Zhuoyan lay on the other bed, on his side, his right hand stealthily reaching under the pillow. When Zhuang Fanxin turned his head to look, he quickly yanked his hand back and hid it under the blanket. Zhuang Fanxin gave a sly smile: "Take it out."

His heart leaped into his throat. Gu Zhuoyan played dumb: "Take what out?"

"The thing hidden under your pillow," Zhuang Fanxin said. "Did you think I didn't know?"

Gu Zhuoyan's lips tightened. 'Was I exposed?' Just as he was frozen and unresponsive, Zhuang Fanxin said: "During the first-year spring outing, Qi Nan and I shared a room, and he would stuff his dirty socks under the pillow."

Suddenly letting out a breath of relief, Gu Zhuoyan felt like he'd almost had a brain hemorrhage. "How can I be the same as him? Aren't you afraid of the smell?"

Zhuang Fanxin giggled. "He thought it stank too, so we ended up squeezing into one bed to sleep." After saying that, he remembered that his ducking under clothes in the rain was a mortal sin, so he immediately promised, "I won't do it again..."

But Gu Zhuoyan didn't get angry. As if he had found his excuse, he crossed over to Zhuang Fanxin's bed in a second. The mattress dipped slightly. He lifted a corner of the blanket to get a clear look at Zhuang Fanxin's prone body. So thin, with a shallow curve rising and falling between his waist and hips. He shifted inward inch by inch, slid under the covers next to him, and said, "I'll squeeze into one bed with you too."

That gaze was too deep, like the distant sea. Zhuang Fanxin sensed the meaning behind it and lost his composure, skipping two steps on the paper to write down the answer directly. Gu Zhuoyan pulled the paper away, tossed it on the carpet, turned off the light, and gathered Zhuang Fanxin into his arms the instant it went dark.

He lowered his head and kissed his fluffy bangs, his mouth nuzzling its way down. Gu Zhuoyan captured Zhuang Fanxin's lips and tongue, then his chin, his bobbing Adam's apple... He pushed aside the lapels of the yukata and asked, "Where's your tattoo?"

Zhuang Fanxin was already dazed, but he obediently raised his left shoulder. A weight pressed down, damp and scorching. Gu Zhuoyan sucked his small heart tattoo until it turned red.

There was a rustle under the covers, and Gu Zhuoyan took off his shirt and tossed it out. Zhuang Fanxin touched smooth, firm muscles, his mouth so tense his words slurred: "Aren't you cold..."

Gu Zhuoyan's words also came out slurred: "I'm a little hot." Being shirtless felt like he had thrown all caution to the wind. He held Zhuang Fanxin's waist, fumbling a few times to try and untie the sash. He had never done this kind of thing before and was afraid that using brute force would scare Zhuang Fanxin.

He couldn't untie it. He gave a helpless laugh in the darkness, then found another way, lifting the hem. He touched Zhuang Fanxin's leg, squeezing it. It was warm and slender, and so tender it felt like water could be wrung from it.

Zhuang Fanxin's legs were trembling: "I heard it hurts a lot."

The internet said so too. Gu Zhuoyan couldn't deny it: "Yes, especially the first time."

Zhuang Fanxin said in a small voice: "I've never been afraid of pain, ever since I was a child."

Gu Zhuoyan's eyes inexplicably grew hot. He wasn't about to cry, but he couldn't describe the feeling. His hand moved up, cupping Zhuang Fanxin's butt like a cushion.

It was too quiet; even soft gasps couldn't be heard. Gu Zhuoyan suspiciously turned on the light, only to see Zhuang Fanxin limp on the pillow. Afraid that crying out in pain would ruin the mood, he was actually biting down on the shirt Gu Zhuoyan had taken off.

"You fucking..." Gu Zhuoyan pulled the shirt out, then gathered the boy into his arms. No matter how strong his desire, it couldn't overcome the tenderness he felt at this moment. He gently stroked the other's back. "We won't do it, we won't do it."

Zhuang Fanxin said in a panic: "Did I mess it up?"

Gu Zhuoyan's heart at that moment was made of clay and molded from wax, gradually melting into a puddle of scalding water. He held Zhuang Fanxin and said, "It's impossible for me to be platonic with you, but it shouldn't be this rushed. Also, you're very precious to me. If you get hurt, I couldn't bear it."

He turned off the light and they lay down properly. Although they had called a ceasefire, they were, after all, young men full of vigor. The two of them took care of things with their hands, which was fine too!

The light was still on next door. The thought of his childhood best friend consummating his marriage made Lu Wen too excited to sleep. He sat on the edge of Pei Zhi's bed and asked, "Are you and the little neighbor classmates?"

Pei Zhi was reading a book: "No, I'm in my third year of high school."

Lu Wen said in surprise, "My birthday is late in the year, so does that mean you're almost two years older than me?" As the first step in becoming more familiar, he used a more intimate address, "Brother Xiao Pei?"

Pei Zhi smiled and acknowledged him, closing his book. He noticed Lu Wen's gaze was somewhat probing, and next thing he knew, he was being asked to confirm if he was also gay. He nodded and said jokingly, "We all are. Does that make you uncomfortable?"

"What's there for me to be uncomfortable about?" Lu Wen sniffled. "My band abandoned me, and my dad beat me up and hasn't contacted me since. If I'm uncomfortable about anything, it's that."

Pei Zhi had heard Zhuang Fanxin talk about it on the phone the other day. He asked, "What about your mom?"

Lu Wen paused for a few seconds. "Died in childbirth." Usually, people who asked this would apologize to him, and he was already prepared to say "it's okay." However, Pei Zhi also paused for a few seconds, then said softly, "What a coincidence. Me too."

Their gazes became similar—self-pitying, putting on a brave face, and weighed down by a sense of regret. Lu Wen went back to his own bed, his excitement completely gone. The moment his head hit the pillow, he felt an intense fatigue. Pei Zhi turned off the light and also lay down. He hadn't decided whether to say "good night," when the line "fellow sufferers at the ends of the earth" came to mind.

"Do you have a partner?" Lu Wen suddenly asked.

"No." Pei Zhi tightened his blanket.

"The little neighbor belongs to my bro, so don't you get any ideas."

Pei Zhi couldn't hold back: "...Idiot."

That feeling of shared misery lasted only ten seconds. A dead silence fell. Just when they both thought the other had fallen asleep, the book by the pillow fell to the floor, startling a low cry from both of them.

"You're so good-looking... why don't you have a partner?" Lu Wen suddenly asked again.

"You're pretty handsome too, why don't you have a girlfriend?" Pei Zhi cleverly dodged.

"I don't belong to any woman. I belong only to music."

Pei Zhi almost cursed "Idiot" again. For Zhuang Fanxin and Gu Zhuoyan's sake, and also for the "Brother Xiao Pei," he advised, "You love music, you can apply to a music conservatory in the future. So right now, you should be studying hard. Skipping class for half a month at a time—do you think you can make good music like that?"

Lu Wen started whining: "But I don't like studying, I just want to do music."

Pei Zhi said: "So you mess around and around, your band betrays you, your dad beats you violently—do you think that's cool?"

"I..." Lu Wen was stubborn. "That bunch of bastards, why blame me for anything!"

"I'm not blaming you, but you should realize that just throwing money around won't keep a band, nor will it convince your dad, and it certainly won't produce any good music." Pei Zhi said patiently, "In any case, you're only seventeen. You should be in school, and you should be taking supplementary classes. Otherwise, you'll be like an illiterate in the future. Are you planning to make it in the entertainment industry?"

Lu Wen slapped the bed: "Fuck, your words have woken me from a dream!"

Pei Zhi turned over in anger, "...Idiot!"

Before the sky brightened, the sound of footsteps echoed chaotically in the hallway as many tourists headed to the beach to watch the sunrise. They also woke up one after another, went downstairs for breakfast, and discussed the day's itinerary.

Lu Wen sat across from Gu Zhuoyan, raising his eyebrows.

Gu Zhuoyan choked on his congee. The box of Okamoto was completely intact, but in the other's eyes, his innocence was already gone. Zhuang Fanxin was nibbling on a croissant. Sensing Lu Wen looking at him, he took the initiative to ask, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Especially well!" Lu Wen was eagerly waiting. "Did you two sleep well last night?"

Zhuang Fanxin's face reddened. He and Gu Zhuoyan had slept in the same bed and had been intimate, and the other person knew they were dating. He nodded shyly: "Pretty good."

Gu Zhuoyan glanced at Zhuang Fanxin's expression. 'Come on, nothing even happened, what are you getting shy about?' He then looked at Lu Wen across the table, and afraid that guy would get the wrong idea, he kicked him under the table.

Lu Wen cried out in pain: "What was that for? How could you repay kindness with ingratitude? Last night I gave you—"

He slammed on the brakes, forcing himself to swallow the sensitive word.

Zhuang Fanxin asked curiously, "What did you give him? Why a gift?"

"N-nothing." Lu Wen improvised. "Since we're on this trip, I gave him his birthday present."

Zhuang Fanxin never missed even a friend's birthday, let alone his first love's. He immediately asked Gu Zhuoyan, "You had a birthday? When?"

Gu Zhuoyan was speechless: "Next March."

Zhuang Fanxin breathed a sigh of relief; it was good he hadn't missed it. Pei Zhi, who hadn't spoken all this time, looked at Lu Wen: "What birthday present did you give him? Did you buy it on the island?"

Lu Wen stammered, "Uh, it's, like, rubber... made in Japan." He raised his hand to gesture. "This, about this big? It comes in different models, you can buy whichever kind you like..."

Gu Zhuoyan almost fainted at the table.

Unexpectedly, Zhuang Fanxin had a sudden realization: "Oh, a figurine!"