Light streamed through the carved crevices of the door, illuminating Ding Hanbai's smile and making him look all the more confident. He pressed down on Ji Shenyu through a bundle of quilt, refusing to leave if he didn't agree, dead set on getting a sweet reward.

Ji Shenyu was still holding a bag of snacks, so he didn't even have the courage to be flustered and angry. "Stop teasing me." He could only say this, but it was as if he hadn't said anything at all. "I'll water the flowers for you, wash your clothes, I'll do any chore, just spare me."

Before Ding Hanbai could respond, the sound of high heels approached from outside—it was Jiang Caiwei, coming to call them for dinner. He felt Ji Shenyu's body tense up and pressed him, "You won't agree? Then I'll call Little Aunt over. I'm not afraid of anyone finding out."

Ji Shenyu shook his head in a panic, raising a hand to cover Ding Hanbai's mouth. When his palm was gently brushed by Ding Hanbai's thin lips, he was once again caught in a dilemma. Jiang Caiwei called out, puzzled, "Are you guys in there?"

Ji Shenyu braced himself, "Little Aunt, I'll be there right after I finish packing my schoolbag."

Jiang Caiwei asked again, "What about Hanbai? My brother-in-law said he left the shop this morning."

His mouth now free, Ding Hanbai replied, "I'm helping him pack up, we'll go over together." Looking down again, he saw Ji Shenyu's hands hanging limp, the quilt slowly sliding down. He scooped it up, threw it over both of them, and said, "I waited at the entrance of No. 6 High School all day."

He was an expert at getting to people. He added, "I was afraid that if there was an earthquake, you wouldn't be able to get out."

Ji Shenyu's heart tightened. Was he moved? Naturally. Was he happy? He even wanted to hug Ding Hanbai under the pitch-dark quilt. But he couldn't respond. Once that layer of affection was pierced, he had no other choice but to avoid it.

Ding Hanbai moved closer, pressing against him. "Are you trying to torture me to death? All day long, all you know is how to put up a desperate fight. Can't you just obediently give in for once?" He touched Ji Shenyu's hand, took the bag from him, and pulled his hand to his own cheek. "Kiss me once. Let's say I forced you, that it doesn't mean you like me. Is that still not okay?"

Ji Shenyu felt so suffocated he could hardly breathe, his heart fluttering nonstop.

Should he really kiss Ding Hanbai? Could he?

And what would this kiss mean?

As if possessed, he tilted his head up and moved closer, cupped Ding Hanbai's cheeks, and gave him a quick, light kiss, like a chick pecking at rice. Snacks scattered all over the floor—milk candies, chocolates, shredded radish... He was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace, and his lips, which hadn't had time to pull away, were captured. Ding Hanbai devoured him like a tempestuous storm.

He had been coaxed into a trap, as foolish as a rabbit running into a tree. But the rabbit's collision would be painful, while the embrace he received was so warm.

Behaving like a profligate, Ding Hanbai held Ji Shenyu and took from him crudely. He had touched those soft lips long ago, and his fingertips had gone numb then; now, his heart and mind were so excited they felt paralyzed. The Maltesers were sweet, and Ji Shenyu's lips were sweet too. Licking his way in, he pried open the white teeth and violated the tongue within. His large hand pressed against the back of Ji Shenyu's head, and he kissed him until the world went dark.

...Only after a long while did he realize that Ji Shenyu wasn't struggling or resisting.

"Zhenzhu..." Ding Hanbai panted heavily. "Why didn't you push me away?"

A dozen emotions, a hundred forms of helplessness. Ji Shenyu actually burrowed against his neck, pounding his shoulder with all his might. Don't let him ask. In this moment, let it be tacitly understood. In this dilemma, steal an inch of relief. Don't ask anything.

Having pushed him this far and acted like a hooligan, he held the other boy tightly and coaxed him softly. The quilt finally slipped off, and a cold wind slipped through a corner of the broken door, but he was as hot as searing iron, not cooled in the slightest by the other's pained expression.

Ding Hanbai picked up a chocolate, peeled off the gold foil, and pressed it against Ji Shenyu's lips, feeding it to him. When kissing him, he was boundlessly forceful, but now, feeding him a treat, he was exceedingly careful. He said, "I don't care if it's candy or chocolate that tastes good, from now on, only eat what I give you. I'll make sure you're full."

Ji Shenyu went to the Front Courtyard for dinner with the chocolate ball in his mouth, his lips swollen and his eyes dazed, while under the table, that bastard hooked his ankle.

That evening, while watching TV, they were cracking walnuts. Ding Hanbai found it too slow, so he grabbed a handful and crushed them one by one with his hand. In their line of work, the strength of their hands was not to be underestimated. Their calloused fingertips felt no pain pulling at the hard shells, and a dish was soon shelled.

Ding Yanshou asked, "Where's Shenyu? Studying is so tiring, tell him to come eat some walnuts to nourish his brain."

How could Ji Shenyu dare to stay? Facing his master and Madam would be the death of him; he had slipped away without a trace long ago. Ding Hanbai said, "The final exams were moved up, he's busy reviewing." Dish after dish, he saved up a lot for the other boy.

When the weekend arrived, Jiang Ting'en, who had also finished his exams and was on break, came over to play. The five martial brothers gathered in the machine room. Stones were laid out on the workbench; aside from Ding Hanbai, everyone else had one piece. They were to have a meeting to discuss how and what to carve.

Jiang Ting'en said in a low voice, "I did pretty well on my exams this time. My dad rewarded me with some spending money."

Ji Shenyu shared his joy, "I got first place again. Master was also very happy."

Jiang Ting'en's happiness was instantly halved. Comparisons are odious. The thought that Ji Shenyu didn't have as much spending money restored his balance. "How about you come over to my house to read some other day?" His voice was as low as a secret agent's rendezvous. "I borrowed it after treating a classmate to a meal. We can read it together."

Ji Shenyu was immediately interested at the mention of a book. "Can't you bring it here? Isn't it rude for me to just show up at your house?"

Just then, Ding Keyu sidled up from the side and exposed him, "Silly junior brother, do you think he's going to show you the Revolutionary Poetry Collection? Those are colored magazines he doesn't dare bring out."

They were chatting animatedly, with Ji Shenyu caught in the middle listening to the two argue. Their voices grew louder, and a frown and a glare from Ding Hanbai scared them into sitting up straight immediately. "So much nonsense, but not a peep about business." Ding Hanbai said, "Third Brother, what are you carving?"

He didn't act like a senior brother at all; he was practically channeling their master. He went down the line asking each one, nitpicking and making sarcastic remarks. When it was the youngest, fifth junior brother's turn, his tone suddenly became gentle. "Shenyu, what about you?"

Ji Shenyu replied, "Anything is fine with me. You decide for me." He was thinking about the aging job for Ding Hanbai, so he simply added his own piece into the mix and let the other decide. But the words took on a different flavor in Ding Hanbai's ears. He managed to read into them three parts reliance and four parts trust, fantasizing about a sky full of flying petals.

After the discussion, the meeting adjourned. The five of them took their materials to the three Jade Pavilion shops to get to work. Ji Shenyu stuck to Jiang Ting'en the whole way, as if he'd found a reason to avoid Ding Hanbai. Meanwhile, Jiang Ting'en only felt that his eldest brother's expression was terrifying, unaware that he himself had become a living target.

Ding Hanbai presided over the front hall. His two pieces were long since finished, the new calluses on his fingertips being the record of his work.

Ji Shenyu and Jiang Ting'en were hard at work in the machine room, drawing the designs and roughing out the shapes. Since Ji Shenyu was close to him, he generously taught him the "Ji-style Ultimate Technique." Unfortunately, Jiang Ting'en was slow to understand and instead blamed him for being a bad teacher.

Ji Shenyu blurted out, "If it were Senior Brother, he would've understood long ago. You're just slow."

Jiang Ting'en held his breath. "...Obviously. If I were as skilled as Senior Brother, my dad wouldn't just be giving me spending money; he'd transfer the house to my name." After saying this, he hit the other's sore spot. "You didn't get any family property in Yangzhou, did you? When the family assets are divided in the future, you'll have to buy your own house. I suggest you marry into a family."

Ji Shenyu said deliberately, "How about I marry into your Jiang family?"

Jiang Ting'en was an only child. Thinking it over, the only other person was Jiang Caiwei, but she was an elder. This guy couldn't possibly become his little uncle-in-law, could he?! After eliminating her, the only single person left was himself. Thinking further, Ji Shenyu was distant with Second and Third Brother, and only close to him...

Ding Hanbai was attending to a customer when he saw Jiang Ting'en rush out shouting. He shot him a cold, warning glare. After the customer left, Jiang Ting'en threw himself at him in an embrace, which disgusted him greatly.

"Eldest Brother! Ji Zhenzhu is no good!" Jiang Ting'en shuddered, goosebumps rising on his skin. "He... he actually likes men."

His voice was too low, and Ding Hanbai thought he'd misheard. He quickly confirmed, "He told you that? What else did he say?" Unexpectedly, Jiang Ting'en had a miserable look on his face. He leaned in close to his ear, on the verge of tears but unable to cry. "He- he's interested in me. He even wants to marry me."

Ding Hanbai threw him off with one arm. "Bullshit!"

Ding Hanbai stared so hard at the back room it was as if a ghost might appear. If it were a joke, Ji Shenyu should have run out to explain long ago. But it was completely quiet. That Little Southern Barbarian was probably secretly laughing his head off! He was furious. What was the use of coaxing him when he would just turn around and flirt with an idiot!

Ji Shenyu was truly wronged. He had been about to come out and explain, but when Jiang Ting'en ran out, he had nearly knocked over a soft box. Taking a curious look, he saw it was a seal carved by Ding Hanbai. An Azure Dragon Teaching its Son above a sea of floating clouds. It was palm-sized yet incorporated three carving techniques, the knife-work exceptionally precise, exhibiting his usual masterful ease.

He held it and admired it, forgetting everything else, completely unaware that Ding Hanbai was fuming.

When it got dark and the shop closed, Ding Hanbai tormented Jiang Ting'en to his heart's content before letting him go, then went to the machine room to catch the other one. The opening and closing of the door made Ji Shenyu look up at him. He was actually smiling. How dare he smile?!

Ji Shenyu finished his work and picked up the box. "I'll do it for you tonight."

Ding Hanbai looked down his nose at him. "Who said you could touch it?"

Ji Shenyu said, "I saw it by accident. It's beautiful." He packed it up as if cradling a treasure, cleaned the workbench, and walked over to him. "Why didn't you let me watch while you were carving it? Were you afraid I'd steal your techniques?"

Ding Hanbai thought, 'Right now I'm afraid you'll steal a man!'

That night, Ji Shenyu laid out his tools to start working, while Ding Hanbai, still fuming, rolled up his sleeves to repair the broken door. Just using his hands wasn't enough; he had to use his mouth too. He said, "What's the point of patching it? This hole should be left here to remind you that when disaster strikes, even a husband and wife will flee separately. Who was it that risked his life to save you?"

Getting no response, Ding Hanbai turned to glare at him, only to see Ji Shenyu with his head down, carefully mixing a chemical solution. He continued with his repairs, holding a few long nails in his mouth, and nailed a wooden board over the hole. Temporarily blocking the wind would have to do.

Repaired, closed, locked—the actions were completed in one smooth motion.

Ding Hanbai strolled over to the table and sat down next to him. He sniffed at the various bottles and jars, the smell making him cover his nose and mouth. "You idiot, why aren't you wearing a mask?" his voice was muffled. "What'll happen if you keep breathing this into your lungs?"

Ji Shenyu seized the opportunity to say, "Master Liang got lung cancer."

Hearing this, Ding Hanbai reacted like an old lady obsessed with health, wanting to put his hands on his hips and issue a stern warning. He went back to his room and rummaged through his cabinets. He couldn't find a mask, but he did pull out a cashmere scarf. He returned and wrapped it around Ji Shenyu's face, covering it. With his white teeth hidden, his eyes seemed even brighter.

Ji Shenyu's voice was also muffled. "Go away. Don't watch me."

Being obedient wasn't in Ding Hanbai's nature. Far from leaving, he pulled his stool even closer. "I have to see how you do it," he said, his gaze on the tabletop suggesting he wasn't lying. "This is extra work you're doing. I'll reward you with spending money. The amount will depend on how much effort you put in."

Ji Shenyu said, "Jiang Ting'en will be resentful again if he finds out."

Why bring up that idiot for no reason? Ding Hanbai recalled the absurd events of the day and began to sulk again silently. Ji Shenyu was focused on his work and didn't notice a thing until he was finished. "It needs to air-dry. There are four more steps after this." He turned his head and met Ding Hanbai's displeased expression. "What's wrong? Are you not satisfied with the result?"

Ding Hanbai swallowed the anger in his chest. "I'm satisfied. So satisfied I don't even know how to praise you."

Ji Shenyu couldn't tell if he was being sincere or not. He stood up to put his things away, clearly showing him the door. Ding Hanbai, of course, understood. He also got up and left, only to return a moment later holding a basin of steaming water, a towel draped over his forearm.

Still gathered around the table, Ding Hanbai submerged Ji Shenyu's hands in the water. He took a small bottle of essential oil from his left pocket and added a drop. After he was done, they looked at each other without a word. Only when the water had cooled was the soak finished. He dried Ji Shenyu's hands and said, "I ran all over the department stores in the city. Only one had this kind of velour towel. Use this from now on."

After drying them, he took a box of vanishing cream from his right pocket and applied it for Ji Shenyu. Ding Hanbai gazed at their intertwined hands, teasing the other's fingers, stroking them from the base to the tip. "Soak them like this every day, and you won't get calluses. So stop sanding down your fingertips."

Ji Shenyu was stunned. The meticulous thoughtfulness left him speechless. His hand was suddenly grasped and hidden within Ding Hanbai's palm. "Zhenzhu, you like playing with Fourth Brother?" Ding Hanbai finally couldn't hold it in any longer. He had to sound a warning bell while the mood was ripe.

"It's not that kind of like," Ji Shenyu said.

Ding Hanbai's spirits lifted. "Then what kind of like do you have for me?"

Ji Shenyu didn't fall for the trick. "I don't really like you."

Ding Hanbai lowered his eyes to stare at the person before him, telling himself that murder and rape were both crimes, and everything could be discussed calmly. So, he asked pleasantly, "I heard everything, you know. Jiang Ting'en invited you to read a book?"

Ji Shenyu was embarrassed. "I didn't agree, and I don't really want to read it."

Ding Hanbai said, "Why go to all that trouble? You think I don't have that kind of book?" As Ji Shenyu looked up, he released his hands. "You're tired today. Go to sleep. I'll bring it for you to see tomorrow morning. It's much more exciting than his."

He strode off, nearly humming a tune of "Eighteen Touches."

The three-courtyard residence was pitch-black, save for a single bean of light in the small courtyard's study. Ding Hanbai, covered with a quilt, leaned against the bay window. On the windowsill sat ink and strong tea, and in his hand, he held a pen. He shook out a stack of white paper and stayed up all night drawing. The pictures were too indecent to look at, utterly depraved.

In ancient times, scholars held books and gazed at the moon; today, there was Ding Hanbai, trimming his lamp to dabble in pornography.

At the crack of dawn, Ji Shenyu vaguely heard the door to his room open and close, someone entering and leaving. He paid it no mind. Only when the sky was fully bright did he slowly open his eyes. He sat up to pull on a sweater and caught sight of a hardcover book on the table...

Could it be from Ding Hanbai? A dirty book?!

The sweater was only halfway over his slender neck, bunched up on his shoulders. He ran to grab the book and bring it back to his quilt. Lying on his stomach, he shielded it from the light and gently opened it. On the title page were written the words "Secret Games of Spring Passion." The powerful calligraphy looked somewhat familiar.

Ji Shenyu turned the page and was instantly stunned inside his quilt. On the paper were two bodies, fully clothed. The taller one was embracing the shorter one from behind, their faces close, whispering intimately. He couldn't wait to see more. It was still the same two people, their faces gradually pressing together, buttons being undone, a hand reaching inside... until they were facing each other naked, falling onto the mattress together.

"Ah!" he let out a low cry. Both figures had short hair. The one being held had a flat chest, which he'd assumed was just due to underdevelopment, but when what was between their legs was revealed, it turned out to be a man!

Ji Shenyu vaguely felt something was wrong, but his hand kept turning the pages uncontrollably, one after another. His face was burning, and his neck, still stuck in the sweater, also turned red. Men and men could also... and in this position, and that position!

His entire perception was overturned. He was so ashamed he felt like he might get a nosebleed. As he neared the end, the little figure on the paper had its eyes closed and was biting its lip, as if encountering the greatest pleasure imaginable. It was over. He had finished it. He squeezed his legs together and collapsed limply onto the bed. The last page was blank, save for a conspicuous, square, vermilion seal—Ding Hanbai's seal!

Ji Shenyu was overwhelmed with shame and indignation, wanting to pound the bed and curse. But the moment he moved, he realized his body had been aroused.

After a long period of torment, he melted into a puddle of sweat. Yet the image of the person in his mind grew ever clearer... Ding Hanbai. It was Ding Hanbai. He, this thing that put on airs on the surface but was so base underneath, had thought of Ding Hanbai's face and thrown down his helmet, shed his armor. He was so mortified, so sinful... yet it was also a truly overwhelming, unspeakable bliss.

Ji Shenyu covered his face, but he knew clearly.

That fervent yet suppressed affection could no longer be hidden.