Skin-to-Skin and Heartbeats

The surroundings fell silent in an instant, leaving only the heavy pounding of Chu Ci’s heart.

Thump, thump, thump.

The youth before him had a cold face, damp black hair clinging to his cheeks, and lean muscles faintly visible beneath a loose bathrobe. That pleasant scent on his body drifted directly into Chu Ci’s nostrils.

Ji Yanli pursed his lips and stared at Chu Ci in silence. He didn’t say a word, yet he exuded an indescribable deterrent force, making the sound of water droplets falling from the tips of his hair exceptionally clear.

Chu Ci’s hand twitched, and the clothes gripped in his palm tumbled to the floor, landing in a wrinkled heap.

He instinctively swallowed and raised his head to meet Ji Yanli’s gaze. In those dark pupils, his own somewhat panicked figure was clearly reflected.

The atmosphere grew increasingly awkward. Chu Ci had no idea how to describe the current situation; he had been caught red-handed in a perverted act by the victim himself. It felt like pouring a bottle of cola over his own head in public. He couldn’t even imagine what he looked like in Ji Yanli’s eyes right now.

Chu Ci swallowed again and closed his eyes in despair.

‘Ahhhh, of all the times you could have come out, why did it have to be now!’

‘Just kill me! I don’t want to live anymore!!’

‘How am I supposed to explain this? How will Ji Yanli ever believe I don’t actually have indecent designs on his clothes!’

‘Maybe… I should just knock him out and trick him into thinking he’s dreaming.’

As the last thought faded, the youth before him seemed to reach a firm resolution. Ji Yanli watched as Chu Ci suddenly snapped his eyes open, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His gaze toward Ji Yanli was deep, and though his face was still pale from the fever, it couldn’t hide the ill intent in his eyes.

Ji Yanli frowned. Before Chu Ci could stand up and take action, Ji Yanli reached out and gripped the other’s thin shoulders, pressing the restless Chu Ci back down.

Chu Ci: “?”

“Wait.” Ji Yanli felt his pulse throb at his temple. His fair fingertips pinched the fabric of the shirt on Chu Ci’s shoulder, rubbing it twice. “You sweated a lot while you had the fever. These clothes are already damp.”

Then, he bent down and picked up the clothes from the floor, stuffing them into Chu Ci’s hands: “Change into these for now.”

The moment he finished speaking, Ji Yanli gave Chu Ci no chance to react. He straightened up, walked a few paces to the nearby wardrobe, and pulled out a brand-new shirt.

Chu Ci blinked blankly. He looked down at the clothes in his hands, then turned his head just as Ji Yanli was untying his bathrobe. The sight of the other’s exposed back was so bright it nearly blinded him. Chu Ci’s head heated up, and he hurriedly looked away, his hands unconsciously stroking the fabric of the clothes he was wearing.

There was only a thin layer of dampness; it wasn’t like he couldn’t keep wearing them. So, did Ji Yanli do this because…

He was giving Chu Ci a way out?

Realizing this, Chu Ci couldn’t help but look back again. This time, Ji Yanli, who had quickly changed into his clothes, turned around. He stood there with his arms crossed, tilting his head with a half-smile: “What’s wrong?”

His voice was as gentle as ever, his flat tone devoid of any other emotion.

Chu Ci shook his head unnaturally, fearing the other would see through him: “Nothing.”

‘This guy… seems to be pretty decent.’

He muttered to himself internally, scrambling awkwardly off the floor while walking toward Ji Yanli.

In the next second, Ji Yanli suddenly leaned in close to Chu Ci’s ear. His burning body heat unceremoniously enveloped Chu Ci completely.

As if his personal space had been invaded, Chu Ci’s feet froze in place.

Then, he heard Ji Yanli’s voice drop a few octaves, carrying a teasing tone. His thick eyelashes lowered, veiling his beautiful eyes.

“Can you smell it? What does it smell like on my clothes?”

The short sentence struck Chu Ci’s eardrums heavily, intentionally lingering in his mind and stimulating his heart.

“Wha—”

When Chu Ci regained his senses, his eyes widened. He glared at Ji Yanli with constricted pupils, covering the ear that had been tainted by Ji Yanli’s breath as he jumped away. The heat on his cheeks continued to rise.

Chu Ci kept rubbing his earlobe, unable to recover from Ji Yanli’s words for a long time.

Ji Yanli, on the other hand, watched the exasperated Chu Ci with great interest, the sound of the other’s agitated voice filling his ears.

‘Decent my a**! I knew this guy wasn’t that kind. Original owner, you can keep your rose-tinted filters to yourself!’

‘Bro, stop disgusting me. Who cares what your clothes smell like! I’m a straight man!’

‘God d*mn it, I need to wash my ears!’

Ji Yanli narrowed his eyes, catching a glimpse of the red at the corners of Chu Ci’s eyes.

…He looked like he was about to shatter.

Ji Yanli uncrossed his arms and silently approached Chu Ci.

Chu Ci, who was obsessed with rubbing his ear, didn’t notice Ji Yanli until his wrist was gently caught. A cool temperature covered his burning earlobe. Chu Ci froze, then lifted his eyes to look at the slender youth standing before him.

“Stop rubbing.” Ji Yanli looked down, staring expressionlessly at Chu Ci’s flushed earlobe. The tiny bit of soft flesh lay obediently against his fingertip. He looked away and spoke flatly, “It was just a joke. Why such a big reaction?”

The gaze of the person before him was completely calm, as if he were throwing all the blame back onto Chu Ci’s head.

Chu Ci was so angry he could hardly breathe. He pointed at himself in disbelief: “Me…? Me…?”

“Anyway, you still haven’t told me your name,” Ji Yanli suddenly changed the subject.

Chu Ci rolled his eyes internally. Ignoring Ji Yanli, he turned his back and began to change his clothes as if no one else were there.

Ji Yanli stopped talking, his peripheral vision drifting toward the youth’s thin back.

The other was indeed as thin as he imagined. The bones protruding under the pale skin felt like they would snap with just a little force.

His skin was very fair. Near his hip bone on his lower back, there was a small black mark. Ji Yanli silently leaned closer and realized it was a tattoo.

It looked like it had been there for a long time; the pattern was no longer clear. However, Ji Yanli could still make out a coiled black snake with what looked like an apple in the center.

No one would have guessed that this usually silent youth had such a wild design tattooed on his back.

He instinctively reached out his hand, wanting to touch it.

Just as his fingertips were about to brush against the cool skin, the youth’s inner voice rang out in Ji Yanli’s ear again.

‘What’s the point of knowing a name? The protagonist is the protagonist, and the NPC is the NPC. If you have no presence, you’ll just be forgotten as soon as you turn around.’

‘Maybe he won’t even remember what happened today when he wakes up tomorrow morning.’

The high-quality fabric fell into place, covering Chu Ci’s back and the tattoo on his lower hip.

Chu Ci turned around, catching Ji Yanli staring at him in silence. The expression on his face was extremely intriguing, like a hunter who had found an interesting prey, making Chu Ci feel uneasy.

“Wh… what is it,” Chu Ci asked uncomfortably.

Then, the look in Ji Yanli’s eyes shifted, and that inexplicable emotion from a moment ago vanished.

“Tell me,” he said softly, his gaze refocusing on Chu Ci’s face. His pale pink lips moved slightly. “Your name.”

Then, thinking of something, he continued.

“I will remember it well. I won’t forget.”

He didn’t know if it was the original owner’s instinct again, but Chu Ci’s head went “buzz.” A bolt of electricity shot from his feet to the top of his head, making his spine go numb.

The other’s voice seemed to have the power to bewitch. Chu Ci swallowed and murmured two words as if possessed: “—Chu Ci.”

“Chu Ci?” Ji Yanli repeated in a low voice. In the next second, his eyes curved into a smile, and the gloom that had gathered between his brows disappeared without a trace.

“I’ve remembered it.”

As Ji Yanli’s voice landed in his ear, Chu Ci finally snapped out of his trance. Realizing what he had done, he moved his lips to speak, but seeing Ji Yanli’s overly harmless smile, he hesitated for a few seconds. Finally, he pursed his lips and swallowed his words.

Forget it, so what if he knows? It’s not like I’ll lose a limb over it.

Chu Ci thought.

Perhaps because his illness hadn’t fully cured, the exhaustion of the day made Chu Ci’s head start to feel groggy again. He walked back to the bed somewhat gloomily, just pulling back the covers to climb in. Then, Ji Yanli, for some unknown reason, slipped into the spot right next to him like a fish.

Chu Ci froze. Looking at the head popping out from under the covers, his temple twitched: “You’re sleeping here?”

Ji Yanli’s eyes were round, the black and white clear: “Yes.”

Chu Ci took a breath: “Then I’ll go sleep outside.”

Hearing this, Ji Yanli shifted: “But didn’t we just sleep together earlier?”

Chu Ci’s footsteps halted.

He didn’t seem to be wrong.

If Chu Ci resisted further, it would make him look too strange.

Chu Ci thought for a long time, then took a deep breath. With stiff limbs, he turned around, pulled back the quilt, and lay down beside Ji Yanli.

With a “click,” the surroundings fell into darkness. Chu Ci and Ji Yanli tacitly remained silent; only the sound of their breathing filled the air.

The presence of the person beside him was too strong. Even a slight movement allowed him to feel Ji Yanli’s body heat. Chu Ci was now wide awake, lying straight as a board on the bed, his hands pressed tightly against the seams of his pants.

He stared wide-eyed at the pitch-black ceiling. After an unknown amount of time, Chu Ci felt a fluffy sensation on his cheek. He instinctively swiped his hand, batting away Xiao Ba who was clinging to his face.

The silence of the room was shattered by Xiao Ba’s wail.

“Ow—Host!” The coal-black Xiao Ba blended perfectly with the night. It rushed toward Chu Ci tearfully. “You’re so cold to Xiao Ba—”

“If you do that again, I’ll throw you out the window.”

Chu Ci interrupted Xiao Ba without mercy.

The little system became obedient instantly. It perched on Chu Ci’s chest and whispered: [Congratulations to the host for completing the second mission: Secretly keep an item of clothing belonging to the protagonist bottom!]

Chu Ci felt a bit strange: “How is it completed already?”

“Xiao Ba isn’t quite sure either.” The system hopped on Chu Ci’s chest. “But I did receive the instruction that the mission is complete.”

Xiao Ba blinked its small white eyes: [Is it because the host is wearing the protagonist bottom’s clothes? You just need to take them back and keep them privately!]

Chu Ci said nothing.

Keeping someone else’s clothes… was quite lacking in manners.

Then he reconsidered.

He wasn’t exactly a well-mannered person anyway.

So Chu Ci felt strangely at ease: “Then what’s the next mission?”

Hearing him ask, Xiao Ba flew into the air, looking down at Chu Ci from above.

Its round eyes narrowed into two slanted lines, and its cheerful mechanical voice circled above Chu Ci’s head.

[The next mission is—]

It paused for a few seconds, acting all mysterious.

Chu Ci stared straight at it.

[—Touch any part of the protagonist bottom’s body for three minutes!]