Are They Together or Not?

Are they together or not?

When Yuan Anqing was suffering from his severe psychic hangover and stomach pains, Zhuo hadn’t pondered the nature of their relationship. But after Yuan Anqing fully recovered and returned to his usual, deadpan self, Zhuo couldn’t help but agonize over it.

After all, his own emotional state had been wildly unstable at the time, and Yuan Anqing might have simply used an “I like you” to coax him into calming down. After Zhuo was safely soothed, had Yuan Anqing simply decided to act like nothing happened?!

Yuan Anqing was actually pondering the exact same question. He was waiting for Zhuo to invite him to do something intimate together, just like before when Zhuo had boldly asked for his ‘help’ in the bathroom. But Zhuo hadn’t brought up the topic again, only occasionally looking at him with a hesitant, pitiful expression.

Yuan Anqing theorized that Zhuo probably wanted to develop their relationship slowly, like normal humans. With occasional hand-holding, movie-watching, and a bit of traditional romance. Yuan Anqing decided to respect Zhuo’s wishes and give him space.

Thus, they both waited for the other to initiate, and absolutely nothing happened.

Zhuo was deeply distressed that he had even lost the “helping hand” privilege recently. Yuan Anqing would talk to him gently, care for his physical health, and sleep in the same bed with him, even patting his back while he slept. Knowing that Zhuo had suffered a long period of insomnia before losing control, Yuan Anqing would always patiently wait for Zhuo to fall asleep before going to bed himself.

This gentleness and care weren’t because Zhuo possessed immense, terrifying power, but because Yuan Anqing genuinely worried about him. Zhuo enjoyed this care, finding it a novel, addictive experience. Yuan Anqing would even warm a cup of milk for him before bed, despite it having zero biological calming effect on a chimera. But Zhuo felt the milk provided immense psychological comfort, alleviating his desperate desire to rush through the entire romantic process. He felt content lying in the arms of such gentleness, assuming that if Yuan Anqing didn’t actually want him, he wouldn’t need to force the issue.

However, this comforting thought only lasted for a single night. The next day, they were back to staring at each other in stifling silence.

They had been locked in this stalemate for over a month, and the weather had begun to cool as autumn approached. Zhuo was no longer satisfied by the warm milk before bed. He felt he needed to find a solution; Yuan Anqing shouldn’t be allowed to deprive him of his happiness any longer!

So that night, Zhuo pretended to be asleep, waiting for Yuan Anqing to fall into a deep, REM slumber before making his move.

He first used the tip of his scaled tail to gently prod Yuan Anqing beneath the covers, then carefully reached his hand out, intending to imitate the “help” Yuan Anqing had provided him in the bathroom.

Yuan Anqing woke up to a strange, metallic noise, reaching out beside him and not finding Zhuo in the bed. Frowning in the dark, he called Zhuo’s name and eventually found the monster hiding in the bathroom. The noise had been the sound of Zhuo’s tail scales rubbing together anxiously.

“What’s wrong? Another nightmare?” Yuan Anqing asked, crouching beside him.

“I wasn’t afraid. I was just trying to sneak up on you,” Zhuo admitted miserably, hugging his thick tail. “But you were perfectly still, and so was your… you were sleeping completely soundly!” Zhuo had assumed he was touching a corpse; it had been a massive blow to his predatory ego.

Yuan Anqing looked at the area Zhuo was pointing to, then remained silent for a long moment.

“If I am not mentally willing, then no matter how much physical stimulation you apply, it is useless,” Yuan Anqing explained clinically. “I’m sure there is nothing biologically wrong with me, especially since my psychic abilities awakened. I am perfectly healthy. It’s just that my reactions are entirely manual, or rather, completely controlled by intention. As long as I don’t have the conscious intention to respond, my body will remain still.”

“You… you’re not willing?” Zhuo’s red eyes widened in horror.

“I am quite willing.”

Zhuo’s tears, which had been about to fall, were instantly halted by Yuan Anqing’s deadpan admission.

“Huh?” Zhuo was confused, realizing he apparently didn’t need to take the slow, emotional path after all. “So, you…?”

“You were not feeling well before, so I was waiting for you to bring it up when you were ready. When you didn’t, I thought you were unwilling to proceed, but it seems it was just a mutual misunderstanding,” Yuan Anqing said reasonably.

Zhuo thought for a moment, then his skin flushed a deep, embarrassed red. “Is it because you were considering my feelings?” He felt incredibly happy again.

“Yes,” Yuan Anqing replied. He reached out, placing his hand firmly on Zhuo’s muscular thigh. Yuan Anqing objectively enjoyed Zhuo’s body, especially the relaxed, powerful muscles currently in front of him. He pressed his fingers down slightly, causing the flesh to dent.

“You… you’re going to help me again?” Zhuo asked hesitantly.

“You know this won’t be just ‘helping’,” Yuan Anqing sighed. “I want to fully confirm our relationship.”

Zhuo gasped, instantly covering his own chest with both massive hands. His eyes widened further, and then he slowly, deliberately lay down flat on the bathroom tiles.

He lay down so smoothly and eagerly that Yuan Anqing didn’t even notice the transition. When Zhuo obligingly tried to lift one of his legs to grant access, Yuan Anqing finally paused. “Zhuo, why did you lie down?”

They hadn’t discussed positions yet, and Zhuo had assumed the submissive role far faster than Yuan Anqing had anticipated.

“I… I’m not lying down, I’m… wait. Are you going to be on top?” Zhuo misunderstood Yuan Anqing’s hesitation. “That… that’s quite new. But I won’t be able to see your face,” he protested, desperately hoping to see Yuan Anqing’s expressions during the act.

“No, I wanted to know why you immediately assumed the bottom,” Yuan Anqing asked again, genuinely curious.

Zhuo thought for a moment. “I always felt that if you were on the bottom, it would be terrifying for me.”

Although Yuan Anqing was very beautiful, Zhuo knew his own terrifying nature. Yuan Anqing didn’t show his dominance overtly—he wasn’t aggressive like a fighting rooster—but his sheer presence made Zhuo feel that Yuan Anqing simply couldn’t be submissive. Moreover, Yuan Anqing was usually expressionless, and suppressing his emotions only made him more tense. He always seemed to be above it all, and that cold expression gave him a strong sense of absolute control, which Zhuo deeply liked.

Yuan Anqing’s cold, detached look paired with his gentle, meticulous actions created a strong contrast, always making Zhuo feel as though he were the one being manipulated. But if Yuan Anqing were on the bottom, Zhuo wouldn’t know how to handle it. It would feel like Yuan Anqing was teaching him how to operate a complex machine at the company, then simply letting him try it alone. Zhuo would feel anxious, terrified of making a mistake. He knew Yuan Anqing wouldn’t guide him verbally, only letting out a light, disappointed sigh when there was a problem, which would make Zhuo’s heart race with panic. There would be no romantic feeling for the monster—only performance anxiety and fear of a bad performance review.

“Do you want to lie down?” Zhuo asked softly. If Yuan Anqing really wanted to, he wouldn’t mind giving up his preferred position.

“No,” Yuan Anqing said, adjusting his glasses. “You lie down. I’ll explore a bit. I’m not interested in being on the bottom; I even prepared a speech to persuade you, but that seems unnecessary now.”

“Explore what?” Zhuo watched as Yuan Anqing’s supposedly ‘unchanging’ area actually changed. He felt Yuan Anqing was even more amazing now, knowing the man could completely control the birth of his own physical desire through sheer willpower.

“I have no practical experience, but I’ve recently studied the theory and made extensive notes,” Yuan Anqing said, his eyes beginning to swirl with a molten golden light.

Zhuo could finally confirm that Yuan Anqing was genuinely moved. In the future, they could be like an ordinary couple, doing “exercises” before bed and hugging each other to sleep!

“Tomorrow is Saturday. No need to go to work,” Yuan Anqing said smoothly, his long fingers tracing down Zhuo’s abdominal muscles to the inguinal ligament. “We don’t need to leave the apartment tomorrow either.”

“Why suddenly talk about our schedule?” Zhuo felt the area Yuan Anqing touched tingle, goosebumps rising across his scales.

“I want to study more thoroughly. There’s too much information online; I need to test what’s practically useful and what’s not,” Yuan Anqing said, gently patting Zhuo’s head like a good boy. “You’ll help me with my research, right?”

Zhuo nodded eagerly.

Yuan Anqing’s lips curled up in a rare, genuine smile. Then, Zhuo was once again pulled entirely into Yuan Anqing’s golden spiritual world.

Yuan Anqing’s psychic domain was truly like a gentle, inescapable trap. Zhuo felt his entire being soothed. Spiritual power was the scariest weapon in existence; Zhuo felt he was about to forget who he even was. A blazing, tingling sensation spread from his tailbone to his entire body. Extreme pleasure exploded in his mind, and Zhuo felt his consciousness becoming hazy and pliable.

He could only think simple, primal thoughts—like lifting his tail when Yuan Anqing asked—but he couldn’t think deeper. He could only blindly follow orders, knowing that after completing them, he would be rewarded with even more happiness.

“I like you,” Yuan Anqing’s voice echoed from everywhere at once.

Zhuo felt it perfectly; he was fully immersed in Yuan Anqing’s mind. This time, he finally glimpsed one of the Savior’s true, unshielded desires—a pure, possessive love that almost completely filled Zhuo’s brain. Zhuo felt incredibly full, almost to the point of bursting from the sheer volume of emotion. But Yuan Anqing still relentlessly fed him more emotions, occupying every inch of Zhuo’s thinking space until there was nothing left but golden light.

Two hours later, Yuan Anqing sat on the edge of the bed in the real world, adding a neat checkmark behind a line of text in his notebook. This newly completed project was ranked #26 on his list.

“Zhuo, do you like this one?” Yuan Anqing asked the monster beside him.

But Zhuo didn’t respond. His thick tail was trembling violently, the scales rubbing together without stopping.

“Zhuo?” Yuan Anqing leaned down, noticing Zhuo’s completely unfocused, glazed eyes. “Still not back to normal?” He gently stroked Zhuo’s crystalline horn, his voice becoming softer. “Want to rest and sleep?”

Zhuo still couldn’t speak, and Yuan Anqing didn’t mind, patiently waiting for the monster’s overloaded brain to reboot.

After about ten seconds, Zhuo’s massive hand slowly moved to grasp the hem of Yuan Anqing’s shirt. Yuan Anqing was still neatly dressed, at least on top.

Zhuo weakly pulled at Yuan Anqing’s hem. “Yuan… Anqing.”

“Hmm?”

“Yuan Anqing.” Zhuo still hadn’t fully recovered, only then realizing Yuan Anqing’s face was right above his. The two broken syllables carried a heavy hint of coquetry. He looked at Yuan Anqing’s handsome face, his muddled brain unable to process anything complex, so he instinctively blurted out what he most wanted to say: “I like you. Very much. I want to get closer.”

When Yuan Anqing leaned down closer, Zhuo was incredibly happy.

The next words Zhuo didn’t need to say. And he couldn’t, because Yuan Anqing’s kiss firmly sealed his lips, taking the lead once again.