After leaving the mall, Jing Li and Gu Tingshen drove straight home.
After a day of dating, the atmosphere between the two had clearly become much more intimate.
All the way home, the smiles on their faces rarely faded. Even without saying a word, the car was filled with a sweet, lingering fragrance.
To the point that the nearly two-hour drive seemed to pass in the blink of an eye for Jing Li, and before he knew it, they had already arrived at the house.
“We’re here.” Jing Li glanced out the window at the familiar gate, his tone tinged with disappointment or something else.
Jing Li pursed his lips, feeling like the drive hadn’t taken long at all. How had they arrived home so quickly?
Gazing at the night sky that had already turned pitch-black outside, Jing Li knew the journey wasn’t short. In fact, to spend more time together, Gu Tingshen had driven at the minimum speed limit, taking half an hour longer than usual.
Even so, Jing Li still felt their time together was too short.
Especially since he only had a two-day break this time, and when he returned to the crew, he didn’t know when they’d meet again.
The more he thought about it, the more reluctant he felt to part. For a moment, Jing Li remained seated.
Gu Tingshen didn’t rush him. Clearly, Jing Li was not the only one feeling reluctant.
A quiet moment settled in the air.
But they couldn’t sit there forever.
“Do you want to come in and sit for a while?” Jing Li finally turned back to Gu Tingshen beside him, casually extending an invitation.
Gu Tingshen was indeed tempted, but tonight was clearly not a good time.
“Let’s save it for another time.” Gu Tingshen smiled back at him, his eyes also filled with reluctance, but he restrained himself and joked, “It’s been a while since you returned, and if I monopolize even the little time you have with your brother, he will definitely beat me up.”
“Look at you, so timid,” Jing Li couldn’t help but laugh at his words, but he didn’t insist further. He simply said, “Then remember to come over early tomorrow.”
When he spoke to his brother on the phone in the morning, he heard his brother mention that it had been a long time since they had a home-cooked meal together. So, Jing Li casually mentioned that he would cook lunch tomorrow, and they could have a proper family gathering. His brother was naturally delighted and suggested inviting Gu Tingshen as well.
Naturally, Jing Li had no objection, so the plan was made.
But now that he thought about it, Jing Li found it quite amusing. He glanced at Gu Tingshen and said with a smile, “I wonder how my brother will feel when he realizes he invited you to our home himself.”
Gu Tingshen imagined the scene and instantly raised his eyebrows. At most, his friend would just give him a more severe beating. What else could he feel?
However, he didn’t say anything further. Admittedly, he had wronged his friend in this matter, but who could predict the matters of the heart?
With this thought, Gu Tingshen couldn’t help but gaze at the person before him, feeling that no matter how he looked at him, he was endearing. Not to mention being together in this lifetime, even if he had to chase after this person’s footsteps throughout lifetimes, he would gladly do so.
Jing Li looked back at him, his heart’s tremors and affection no less than Gu Tingshen’s.
After gazing at each other silently for a moment, Jing Li feared that if he lingered any longer, it would become even harder to leave. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to disengage from his emotions.
“I’m going now,” he said as he unfastened his seatbelt and opened the car door to exit.
“Xiao Jing.”
Suddenly, Gu Tingshen called out to him again. Jing Li instinctively responded with a “Hmm?” and turned his head back. Before he could get a clear look, Gu Tingshen leaned over from his seat, pulled Jing Li back, and their lips met in a familiar warmth.
At the moment Jing Li opened the door to leave, Gu Tingshen felt as if something had tugged at his heart, instantly breaking through the dam of his suppressed reluctance.
He instinctively called out Jing Li’s name. When the other turned back, he could no longer hold himself back. He tightly grasped Jing Li’s hand, forcefully pulling him into his embrace, while his other hand cupped the back of Jing Li’s head as he leaned down to kiss him directly.
Jing Li was momentarily stunned by the kiss but soon reacted, obediently wrapping his arms around Gu Tingshen and actively tilting his head to reciprocate the kiss.
Sensing Jing Li’s enthusiastic response, Gu Tingshen’s breathing grew heavier as he deepened the kiss further.
The air inside the car gradually heated up, and even the cool breeze from the open car door couldn’t lower the temperature.
After an unknown amount of time, they finally parted, breathless, their eyes reflecting suppressed desire towards each other.
Gu Tingshen struggled to steady his breathing, brushing his fingers over Jing Li’s slightly moist eyes before gently nudging his nose. His voice was hoarse as he said, “Go inside. I’ll leave as soon as you enter the house.”
Jing Li gave a low hum in response, his voice soft and delicate from the recent kiss, making it hard for Gu Tingshen to suppress the wild urge surging within him.
He closed his eyes, ultimately restraining himself and releasing Jing Li. He watched as Jing Li exited the car, glancing back every few steps until he entered the villa, before driving away himself.
On the way, reminiscing about the day’s intimate moments with Jing Li, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled upwards, a smile that remained even after he arrived home.
*
Jing Li returned to the villa, his emotions gradually settling. After inquiring and learning that his brother hadn’t returned yet, he decided to head straight to his room. After freshening up, he took the heart-shaped shell from the bookshelf and began engraving his name on it.
He originally planned to carve his full name, but upon reflection, he found it somewhat inappropriate. Especially considering that, in reality, he wasn’t truly Jing Li. After some thought, he only engraved the initials ‘J.L.’
Come to think of it, these initials were quite befitting of his name.
Back in the Spiritual Realm, when he was still a fish, people in the sect only called him ‘Jinli1Koi‘ and didn’t give him a proper name. It wasn’t until after he took human form and became his master’s disciple that he was given the name ‘Jing Li,’ a homophone of ‘Jinli.’
Only his eldest martial brother felt the name lacked uniqueness and familiarity, so he gave Jing Li the nickname ‘Xiao Jin’, carrying the meaning of youthful elegance. The other martial brothers and sisters, hearing him call Jing Li ‘Xiao Jin,’ found it endearing and followed suit. However, most mistook it for the first character and called him ‘Xiao Jing’ instead.
At first, Jing Li corrected them a few times, but as more people addressed him that way and he couldn’t always be around them, he eventually gave up.
Looking at it this way, he felt an even stronger connection to this physical body.
Even his brother calling him Xiao Jing felt like a natural transition to his old nickname.
Jing Li smiled as he reminisced, concentrating his spiritual energy and engraving his initials at the bottom of the shell. With each stroke, he silently wished for his relationship with Gu Tingshen to last forever.
The sincerity of his blessing not only carried the power to make dreams come true but also imbued the engraved markings with a kaleidoscope of colors. The letters Jing Li engraved seemed to have a special effect, shimmering brilliantly under the light.
Finally, the engraving was complete.
Jing Li examined it carefully, satisfied that no changes were needed. He placed the shell back in its box and, after a thought, took out his phone to snap a photo and sent it to Gu Tingshen.
However, before the other could reply, Jing Li heard the sound of a car engine from downstairs, indicating his brother had returned. After tidying up, he went downstairs.
The brothers hadn’t seen each other in a long time. Upon seeing the familiar figure walk in from the entrance, Jing Li smiled and called out, “Ge, you’re back.”
Jing Yu looked up at the sound, his expression softening into a warm smile at the sight of his beloved younger brother. “Yeah. Were you about to sleep?”
“No, I was waiting for you.” Jing Li walked down the stairs, greeting him with a warm embrace.
“Did you drink, Ge?” Jing Li caught a whiff of the scent on his clothes and leaned in to sniff them.
“Yeah, there was a business dinner tonight, but I didn’t drink much,” Jing Yu replied with a smile. Suddenly, a fleeting image of the person he saw at the mall entrance flashed in his mind, but before he could dwell on it further, his gaze fell on his brother’s slightly swollen lips. He froze. “What happened to your mouth?!”
“…Ah, it might be due to the dry weather on set and lack of sleep, so it got a bit chapped and swollen.” Jing Li stiffened momentarily but soon regained his composure, offering an excuse before swiftly changing the subject. “Are you tired, Ge? Do you want to rest or sit for a bit? It’s been so long since I’ve been home. Have you not been resting properly again?”
As intended, Jing Yu was sidetracked, hastily denying Jing Li’s claim with a smile. He then put an arm around Jing Li, and they went to the living room to chat. The matter of Jing Li’s swollen lips was forgotten, though Jing Yu did remind him to take care of his health while filming.
As the brothers chatted, the topic drifted, but the atmosphere in the house regained its familiar warmth.
They didn’t talk for long, as Jing Yu, likely still affected by the alcohol, grew drowsy. Jing Li escorted him to his bedroom to rest before returning to his own room.
As soon as he lay down, he remembered the message he had sent to Gu Tingshen and quickly checked, finding that Gu Tingshen had replied shortly after receiving it.
[Gu Tingshen: Looks amazing.]
[Gu Tingshen: Baby, if others saw your handiwork, they’d be jealous to death.]
[Gu Tingshen: Sadly, I’m the only one with this privilege!]
Seeing his messages, Jing Li couldn’t help but smile, a sweet feeling blooming in his heart. However, his reply maintained a casual tone. [Stop boasting.]
Gu Tingshen responded quickly, as if he had been waiting.
After some more flirtatious banter, Jing Li recalled his brother mentioning his swollen lips and couldn’t help but inform Gu Tingshen, warning him, [Be careful next time, or my brother might exile you if he finds out.]
Gu Tingshen sent a pitiful, cute emoji but still took the matter to heart.
He didn’t want to be labeled a scoundrel before getting his friend’s approval, a mere beating wouldn’t be enough to resolve that.
People in love never seem to run out of things to say. Even mundane conversations bring smiles to their faces. However, they didn’t stay up too late, as Gu Tingshen didn’t want to sleep in and lose time together the next day. So, they soon wished each other good night and went to bed.
The following morning, Jing Li woke up early, had a light breakfast, and then headed to the kitchen to prepare for lunch.
Although it had been a while since he last cooked, his culinary skills remained intact. Jing Li was a bit rusty at first but soon regained his rhythm.
Jing Yu must have drunk too much the previous night as he was still sleeping in late that morning. Gu Tingshen, on the other hand, arrived exceptionally early. Just as Jing Li started simmering the chicken soup, he heard Gu Tingshen’s voice outside chatting with the butler.
A moment later, Gu Tingshen arrived at the kitchen door.
“Why are you here so early?” Jing Li glanced at him with a smile.
“I missed you,” Gu Tingshen replied, his gaze intense and full of affection.
Jing Li’s heart fluttered under his ardent look. Glancing outside to ensure no one was around, he took a few steps forward and quickly pecked Gu Tingshen on the lips.
What he intended as a brief kiss to ease their longing only stirred the hornet’s nest.
Gu Tingshen’s eyes darkened as Jing Li kissed him, his previous restraint and rationality instantly vanishing. He pulled Jing Li into an embrace, turning him around and pinning him against the kitchen wall before passionately kissing him again.
Despite being apart for only one night, they kissed as if they hadn’t seen each other in years, losing themselves in the exquisite warmth of their joined lips.
It wasn’t until they heard footsteps approaching from outside that they managed to suppress their longing and ardor, parting breathlessly.
“Xiao Jing? Are you in the kitchen?” Jing Yu’s slightly deepened voice suddenly sounded from outside, accompanied by the sound of his approaching steps.
The two in the kitchen immediately snapped back to reality, hastily wiping their mouths to eliminate any intimate traces. One headed to the counter to continue prepping ingredients, while the other composed himself and was about to exit the kitchen.
However, before Gu Tingshen could take a step, Jing Yu had already reached the kitchen entrance, making direct eye contact with him.
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