MVCFO CH21

Lin Xiangqi sometimes felt conflicted.

The clearer he was about what he wanted, the more he seemed to do the opposite.

This had almost become his way of protecting himself.

Like, if he couldn’t do something perfectly, he would just not try too hard. That way, even if he didn’t do his best, he still had reasons to comfort himself. Having an escape route everywhere made him feel safe.

Or, for example… because he was afraid of losing, he would pre-assume that he didn’t really own anything.

So even if in the end he had nothing at all, he felt he could accept it. Because he was never greedy.

This was probably closely related to the fact that he lost both parents when he was young.

To Lin Xiangqi, depending entirely on someone was very dangerous. Because as soon as that person left someday, his own thoughts and emotions, which clung to that person, would collapse along with them.

He had that feeling with Lu Cong.

Lu Cong was gentle and reliable, accompanying him day after day. But Lin Xiangqi constantly reminded himself that this person would eventually leave.

Only by engraving the worst possible outcome in his heart first could he face it when it happened.

Lin Xiangqi could no longer bear losing another important person. So he wanted to push them away before they left.

But this person was Lu Cong.

The one who always understood the words he left unsaid, who saw through his feelings he never showed.

“Rehearsal for the sports meet entrance is coming up.” Lu Cong twisted open a bottle of coconut milk and handed it to Lin Xiangqi’s lips. “Afterwards, let’s go for a walk.”

Lin Xiangqi put down his pen and sipped the coconut milk in small mouthfuls, seemingly looking to the side but actually sneaking a glance at Lu Cong out of the corner of his eye, and said, “Talk at school?”

Even he didn’t realize how unconsciously coquettish and lazy his voice sounded when he said this.

“Where do you want to go?” Lu Cong touched his hair.

Lin Xiangqi said, “Home.”

Home always gave him the feeling of a safe place to hide when there was nowhere else to go.

Lu Cong agreed, “Okay.”

And just like that, the application for guaranteed admission was temporarily set aside.

Lin Xiangqi quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

He actually hadn’t figured things out yet.

During the rehearsal for the sports meet entrance, Lin Xiangqi locked eyes with the homeroom teacher, afraid Qin Xiao would ask how he was thinking about the guaranteed admission application. His eyes darted left and right, looking around nervously.

Fortunately, Qin Xiao didn’t ask too much. All his attention was focused on whether the formations were messy.

“Lin Xiangqi, show some spirit! Besides the placard holders, you’re the most eye-catching. If you mess up, the people on the stage will see it clearly!”

Lin Xiangqi immediately straightened up, puffed out his chest, and put on a cooperative appearance. But as soon as the teacher looked away, he relaxed again.

After rehearsing the entrance for over an hour, everyone was exhausted by the end.

Qin Xiao gave an impassioned impromptu speech, basically saying that for next week’s sports meet, he hoped everyone would show their best spirit since this would be the last big event in their high school life.

Lin Xiangqi yawned right in front of him.

Qin Xiao: “?”

One yawn spread to two, and soon more than half of the team was yawning.

Qin Xiao, who was just getting emotionally carried away, was suddenly thrown off by Lin Xiangqi breaking the atmosphere. He couldn’t help but laugh and shake his hand, “Forget it, forget it. Saying all this nonsense won’t help. After graduation, you’ll be nostalgic for it. Go home quickly, dismissed!”

“Long live homeroom teacher!”

“Going home!”

Before everyone dispersed, Qin Xiao called out to Lu Cong in the last row, “Come here, class monitor, I want to tell you something.”

Lin Xiangqi saw this and guessed something quietly, so he followed the crowd as they dispersed without approaching Lu Cong.

…

Outside the school, crowds surged.

As night fell, students in uniforms flooded out, impossible to tell who was who.

Lin Xiangqi stood by the streetlamp among the crowd, waiting for Lu Cong.

The homeroom teacher hadn’t kept Lu Cong for long, just a few minutes, when he saw Lu Cong’s figure appear outside the school gate.

Lin Xiangqi got a mischievous idea and deliberately didn’t call out to Lu Cong, wanting to see how he would react if he couldn’t find him.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work.

Lu Cong didn’t even need to look around to search. From the moment he stepped out of the school gate, he headed straight for Lin Xiangqi.

Lin Xiangqi was stunned watching Lu Cong approach him, not even reacting when Lu Cong took his backpack from him and held it in his hand.

Lu Cong said, “Let’s go.”

Lin Xiangqi finally came back to his senses and blurted out, “How did you see me?”

There were at least dozens of other students wearing the same uniform passing by between them. Around them, there were many parked cars and street vendors blocking sight lines.

Had Lu Cong put a tracker on him? He found him so precisely.

“What?” Lu Cong seemed not to understand his question.

Lin Xiangqi said again, “How did you spot me standing here right away? There are so many people around and you didn’t mistake me for someone else. Do you have some secret trick to find people?”

Lu Cong’s expression was calm: “I don’t know. I only see you.”

Lin Xiangqi opened his mouth but said nothing for a while, then said, “Oh, really.”

They walked the route home together countless times.

Taking two bus stops, then walking about ten minutes, they could reach the old neighborhood where they had lived for over ten years. The stationery store, fruit stalls, milk tea shops, and the thirty-six street trees were all places Lin Xiangqi knew intimately.

These unchanging scenes over the years, still exactly as in his memories, made him feel safe.

Lu Cong by his side was the same.

“We won’t cook tonight.” Nearing home, Lu Cong suddenly said, “Can we order takeout?”

“Of course, better never cook again. You have homework every day, plus cleaning the house, running around, no time to cook.” Lin Xiangqi took the chance to suggest something else but kept a little selfish wish, “But you still have to make breakfast.”

He didn’t want Lu Cong to be so tired, but Lu Cong’s cooking was delicious. If he couldn’t bring lunch to school, he’d have to eat at the cafeteria… just thinking about that life was discouraging.

“Okay.” Lu Cong always acquiesced to Lin Xiangqi’s suggestions.

And recently, he really had little time to cook at night.

Opening Lu Cong’s courtyard gate, Lin Xiangqi glanced at the tree next to it; the leaves had all fallen, leaving only bare branches.

He said, “Another year passed.”

Lu Cong didn’t look at the tree but fixed his gaze on Lin Xiangqi: “Yeah, another year.”

After putting the guaranteed admission application form on the table, Lin Xiangqi didn’t speak first.

He waited for Lu Cong to talk.

He knew the homeroom teacher had probably told Lu Cong about this today.

Strangely, the teachers seemed to treat Lu Cong like his half-guardian. Anything related to Lin Xiangqi, they would tell Lu Cong. Yet they were the same age.

“Do you know this school well?” Lu Cong spoke.

The question was unexpected by Lin Xiangqi.

He paused and answered honestly, “Not really, before today.”

After receiving the form, Lin Xiangqi had briefly looked it over but hadn’t examined it carefully.

The general info said the school was top among art schools, producing many celebrities and stars. But specific school data was limited, instead listing graduates who had become movie stars one by one.

Lu Cong asked, “Do you want to be an actor, or a star?”

Lin Xiangqi had thought about this seriously, so he shook his head decisively, “Neither.”

Lin Xiangqi was indeed talented in many areas, but what he loved was just the act of “playing.”

Learning all those instruments, joining singing contests—it was all because he was curious and wanted to have fun. Only when he turned hobbies into tasks, or even final goals, did he immediately lose interest and become resistant.

Besides, Lin Xiangqi only appeared outgoing and lively on the outside. Inside, he had clearly defined territory and boundaries. He wouldn’t casually show himself, much less expose everything about himself to others.

So being a star, becoming a public figure, was a path he never considered before.

But Lin Xiangqi didn’t say this out loud. Instead, he acted indifferent and told Lu Cong, “But even if I don’t want to be an actor, it doesn’t affect guaranteed admission. The homeroom teacher said this school has other majors too. Like directing, cinematography, many options to choose from. I can decide later.”

Lu Cong looked at him: “Decide now.”

“Why?” Lin Xiangqi pouted, “It’s still early, and they might not even accept me. I can choose after it’s confirmed.”

“If you haven’t figured it out, don’t do it.” Lu Cong’s expression turned seriously for once. “This is your life, not a game. If you pick the wrong role now, you won’t get to restart next time. Any decision you make now will affect your life for years, maybe your whole life.”

Lin Xiangqi reluctantly sat up straight, feeling a bit guilty. “Anyway… I don’t really have many plans for the future. As long as I eat well and live well, I guess it doesn’t matter which university I go to.”

“How about Capital University?” Lu Cong asked. “Why did you suddenly decide not to go?”

Lin Xiangqi said, “I’m afraid I won’t get in.”

Lu Cong: “Have you tried?”

Lin Xiangqi laughed bitterly, “What do you mean ‘tried’? How could I try? It’d be too late to wait for the college entrance exam results.”

But Lu Cong didn’t laugh. He spoke seriously, “I mean, have you ever tried your best to study?”

“I…” Lin Xiangqi paused.

Lu Cong: “You haven’t.”

Lin Xiangqi bit his lip and said, “Even if I try my best, I might still not get good results.”

Lu Cong: “But if you give up without trying, maybe you’ll miss out on what you truly want.”

“How do you know Capital University is really what I want?”

Lin Xiangqi suddenly raised his voice, looking at Lu Cong. “Like you, you don’t even know why you want to go to Capital University, right? Just because I said I wanted to go there, you set that as your goal too. Are you doing it to accompany me, or just to satisfy me? You obviously have more and better choices. Why don’t you pick those? What do you really want?”

He asked a string of questions, leaving Lu Cong silent.

Just then, the doorbell rang—delivery had arrived. Lu Cong got up to open the door.

Taking advantage of his back being turned, Lin Xiangqi hurriedly stood up and ran to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face.

What was he doing? Weren’t they supposed to be talking about the recommendation? Yet he had questioned Lu Cong so aggressively, as if they were about to fight.

When Lu Cong came back with the delivery, Lin Xiangqi had already calmed down and put on a smiling face, trying to smooth things over.

“Let’s eat first. Let me see what you ordered,” Lin Xiangqi said in his usual way to settle the matter.

But Lu Cong put the food boxes on the table and pressed down on them.

Lin Xiangqi looked confused.

Lu Cong looked at him with a calm face: “Continue what you were saying.”

“…The food will get cold, and I’m hungry,” Lin Xiangqi said, feeling like a cat caught by the scruff of its neck. He wanted to struggle, but he had no strength left.

“Hold on,” Lu Cong said in the gentlest tone but with unmistakable firmness. “Solve the problem first, then eat.”

Lin Xiangqi was shocked and thought, Damn, he even made calm Lu Cong angry.

Lu Cong had never forced him so strongly before.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Xiangqi gave up and said, “Alright. I used to want to go to Capital University because it’s my parents’ alma mater. When I was little, they often talked about Capital University, so I developed high hopes and a yearning for it. But maybe I’m just not suited for there. Maybe what I really want is just…”

Just the happy memories filled in my mind—the smiling, blissful faces of my parents whenever Capital University was mentioned, and the time I shared my dream with Lu Cong and he said, ‘I’ll take the exam for Capital University with you.’

These things were wrapped up under the label of ‘Capital University.’ That’s what I really want.

But I also know I probably can’t have those things. So my self-protection kicked in.

I want to give up before failing.

“I know why the homeroom teacher kept you after class today. Probably to ask how I’ve been lately, how my mood is, and to tell you to take care of me more, right?”

Lin Xiangqi avoided Lu Cong’s eyes, fearing he wouldn’t be able to finish if he looked at him. “I know the homeroom supports my application for recommendation because they pity me — my parents died, I’m alone, and they worry about my pressure and poor mood this senior year. If I get recommended, at least I won’t have a heavy study burden.”

“Actually, I’m fine. I think it’s good. The homeroom means well, and with my current grades, this school really is the best choice. You say I’ll miss out on what I want, but Lu Cong, what I want is long gone.”

Lin Xiangqi twisted the corner of his mouth and forced a dry smile, “Now I just pick whatever benefits me the most. Being greedy will bring retribution.”

After finishing, he got no response from Lu Cong and thought he must be speechless. So awkwardly, he carefully sneaked to open the food—quietly stealing the boxes away from Lu Cong’s hand and opening them one by one.

Lu Cong didn’t stop him.

Lin Xiangqi arranged the food as if nothing happened and invited Lu Cong: “Alright, problem solved, right? Let’s eat!”

Just as he picked up his chopsticks, Lu Cong suddenly turned and walked away.

Lin Xiangqi was startled; his heart tightened painfully, his hands shook so much he dropped the chopsticks. His eyes anxiously followed: “Where are you going?”

Luckily, Lu Cong didn’t go far. He just went to the fridge and handed him a bottle of coconut milk.

“Drink this.” Lu Cong sat down but didn’t start eating, only watching him.

Lin Xiangqi couldn’t eat anymore.

He would rather have Lu Cong scold him for being useless than have him be completely silent—it made his mind race.

“You should eat some too,” Lin Xiangqi coaxed, offering his own bowl.

Lu Cong smiled at him: “I’m not hungry.”

Lin Xiangqi frowned: “Are you full from being mad at me?”

“Don’t overthink,” Lu Cong said, picking up some vegetables with chopsticks and pushing the bowl toward Lin Xiangqi. “I’m not angry, just don’t know what to say right now.”

He really had speechless Lu Cong!

Lin Xiangqi was full of regret. If only he had kept playing dumb and smiling to get through it, why did he have to ruin things by talking so seriously? Now even the usually reasonable Lu Cong wouldn’t talk to him.

Lin Xiangqi couldn’t eat, randomly picked at his food, and got up holding his backpack. “Maybe I’ll just go home and do my homework.”

Better than staying here making things awkward.

“Yanyan,” Lu Cong called after him but hesitated to continue.

Lin Xiangqi stood there unsure, staring at him: “Want to say something?”

Say I’m too cowardly, say I have no ambition, anything. Lin Xiangqi would accept any criticism because he looked down on himself too.

Lu Cong frowned slightly, then after a moment, instead of criticizing Lin Xiangqi or continuing about the recommendation, he asked: “In your opinion, what is beneficial to you?”

Lin Xiangqi was stunned, thought about it, and said, “Things that are easy to get, or things I’m sure won’t be taken away later, and things that let me live more comfortably right now… all that counts.”

He was talking about the recommendation.

But Lu Cong seemed to hear something else. After a few seconds of silence, he said to Lin Xiangqi, “Then I think, what’s most beneficial to you is me.”

“…Huh?” Lin Xiangqi’s brain felt like a snapped string. He couldn’t keep up.

“If school isn’t your ultimate goal, just a means to a need, then you really don’t have to struggle over it.”

Lu Cong seemed to convince himself of something. His expression softened compared to a few minutes ago, the frown between his brows gone. “You can apply for recommendation, or keep pushing for the exam, whatever you decide, I support you.”

Lin Xiangqi blinked, confused.

Then Lu Cong added: “If your recommendation gets approved, I’ll apply to Capital Film Academy after the college entrance exam. That way, nothing will change.”

Crash.

Lin Xiangqi’s backpack fell to the ground, spilling his stationery and books everywhere.

What the hell?

He had thought Lu Cong would keep encouraging him to aim for Capital University, or just give up talking and leave him to his own devices.

But never expected that between reasoning and emotion, Lu Cong would choose to say something crazy.

Lin Xiangqi had hoped this guy would be a general one day, but turns out he was just going to film school?

“No way…” Lin Xiangqi was dumbfounded. “How can you apply to film school? That’s ridiculous.”

Lu Cong looked puzzled: “You can go, why can’t I?”

Lin Xiangqi: “I don’t have choices, that’s why I go!”

Lu Cong: “Me too.”

“Cut it out!” Lin Xiangqi grabbed Lu Cong’s collar and shook him. “You were born to be a top dog, your genes decide you’re at the top of the food chain. Why would you bother being a small fry? You should go to military academy, become a general, maybe in a few hundred years they’ll teach about you in history books as a revered figure!”

“Do I have to?” Lu Cong asked.

“Of course!”

“Is that what you want me to do, or what you think I should do?”

“No difference.”

“There is. Your opinion is the only reference for my decision.”

Lin Xiangqi was exasperated: “But we’re only responsible for our own lives, Lu Cong. Ask yourself: do you want to apply to film school? Can you act or direct? I’m not forcing you, but you can’t just decide such an important thing on my word, can you?”

They started talking about Lin Xiangqi’s recommendation, but ended up discussing Lu Cong’s future plans.

But Lin Xiangqi couldn’t accept that Lu Cong would change his life just because of him.

“It’s not that important,” Lu Cong said expressionlessly. “Whether a great person or a small fry, even if I go to military academy and become a general, I’m just one among tens of thousands in the whole alliance. Who I am, what I decide, isn’t as important as you think. Even if I suddenly die now, history goes on, planets keep revolving, the sun still rises.”

Lin Xiangqi was confused: “…What do you mean?”

“This world doesn’t need me, no one’s indispensable. But you’re different.”

Lu Cong slowly blinked, and softly said, “You said before, without me, you can’t live.”

…

……

…

“I really miss Mom and Dad, Lu Cong. I want to go with them.”

“Go where?”

“Haha, are you an idiot?”

“Where do you want to go?”

“Oh, aren’t you supposed to be smart? How can you not understand that?”

“I don’t get it, explain it to me.”

“I just want to die.”

“Die?”

“Yes, commit suicide. Quietly.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t live alone. The house is too big, it’s very quiet every day. At night, when the wind blows, I don’t know from which direction the banging sounds will come. It’s so scary. And the high school entrance exam is coming soon, but I don’t even know which high school I’ll go to. It feels like there are so many things waiting for me to do, but I don’t want to do them, and I don’t know how to. I can’t make sense of anything. I just can’t live alone.”

“I’ll stay with you.”

“You have your own parents. One day you’ll move away.”

“No, I’ll stay here.”

“Ha ha.”

“Lin Xiangqi, I will stay here. I’ll live with you. Got it?”

“…Will you really?”

“Yes.”

“You won’t leave?”

“No.”

“What if you do?”

“Only if I die. Or…”

“Or what?”

“Or you no longer need me.”

…

…

In the huge house, only the shallow and deep breathing of the two remained.

Lin Xiangqi’s awakened memories suddenly occupied his consciousness at this moment. He didn’t know what to say and could only stare blankly at Lu Cong.

Yes, he had said those words.

After his parents passed away, Lin Xiangqi took less than a month to adjust and continued going to school.

Many people praised him for being strong, saying he would become someone great in the future.

But Lin Xiangqi never admitted it. He hadn’t really gotten over it. He was just too tired of crying, so he chose to live numb.

In the winter of his fifteenth year, the first snowy night came early. Extreme weather made people feel depressed too.

During that time, Lin Xiangqi thought many times about ending his life.

It wasn’t that he lacked the courage to commit suicide, but Lu Cong was always by his side, preventing his plans.

Whenever he felt extremely lonely, he would lean against the windowsill and look at Lu Cong’s window in the neighboring house not far away.

He would make a ridiculous bet in his heart: if Lu Cong’s bedroom light went off before he fell asleep, he would quietly leave.

But never once did Lu Cong fall asleep before him.

At the latest, Lin Xiangqi would stare at the ceiling at 5 a.m., and the opposite window was still brightly lit through the night.

Lu Cong was the last important person in his life, even the only reason for him to keep living.

But Lin Xiangqi knew too well the pain of losing the ones he loved.

He couldn’t bear to go through that again.

So he couldn’t let Lu Cong be his only reason to live.

The silence between them made every sound in the room amplify many times.

Lin Xiangqi stiffly took two steps back, even forgetting to pick up his book, and forced himself to say, “Let’s not talk about this now.”

But he couldn’t leave.

Lu Cong gently wrapped his arms around Lin Xiangqi from behind. “Planning to hide yourself again?”

Lin Xiangqi pressed his lips together and tried to act calm, “What? I just want to go home and take a shower.”

He was always like this—timid, weak—but unwilling to show it.

Lu Cong had always treated fragile Lin Xiangqi carefully, afraid that he would retreat into his shell and it would be hard to pull him out again.

But this unconditional obedience and accommodation did not make Lin Xiangqi let his guard down. Instead, over the years, Lin Xiangqi grew more and more used to hiding whenever trouble came.

“Yanyan, I want to hear your true feelings.” Lu Cong forcibly turned him around to face him. “Is it really true that you want to go to the film academy? Is it really true that you want me to go to the military academy? Is it really true… that you no longer need me?”

“I…” Lin Xiangqi opened his mouth but couldn’t get the words out, so he lowered his head and hid like a shy turtle.

He especially hated this version of himself.

He hated that unnecessary memories influenced him, making him afraid of things that hadn’t happened. He hated that he didn’t dare speak his true feelings and acted like a clumsy, awkward fool.

“Alright, I understand.” Lu Cong said.

At that moment, Lin Xiangqi’s heart suddenly tightened, a premonition of losing something overwhelming him.

He hurriedly looked up at Lu Cong, wanting to figure out what Lu Cong meant by those words.

But he couldn’t see Lu Cong’s face clearly.

Because Lu Cong was too close, and getting even closer…

Suddenly, their lips met. Lin Xiangqi was kissed.

Lin Xiangqi: “?”

Wait, why kiss him now?

Weren’t they about to argue?

Ah?!

“Pheromones reveal a person’s emotions and thoughts.” Lu Cong held his face, gently nibbling his lips, “From now on, the words you don’t want to say out loud, I’ll find a way to understand them myself.”

Lin Xiangqi: “N-no… uh?!”

The kiss was like a violent storm, instantly drenching Lin Xiangqi. He no longer had the mood to struggle; all his focus was on resisting Lu Cong’s lips, teeth, and rough tongue.

God… so scary.

Lu Cong kissed so fiercely, as if trying to suck away his soul!

No one knew how long it lasted before the kiss finally slowed down, but they still didn’t part, lingering and entwined, moist and warm fluids mixed with both their pheromones swirling between lips and teeth.

Lin Xiangqi wasn’t yet able to actively release pheromones, but with gland development and multiple markings from Lu Cong, his glands had become very familiar and dependent on Lu Cong. So if the kiss was deep and long enough, Lu Cong could indeed taste some sweetness.

As for whether pheromones could reveal one’s thoughts, Lin Xiangqi didn’t know if it was true.

But after kissing him, Lu Cong said, “Yanyan, you still want me, right?”

Yes.

Of course he wanted Lu Cong.

He just wanted Lu Cong to stay so badly, depended on him so much, that he was scared.

“Still won’t say it?” Lu Cong wiped a drop of clear liquid from Lin Xiangqi’s lip and chuckled softly, his tone gentle but certain. “Then I’ll just have to keep going.”

“…Sorry.” Lin Xiangqi closed his eyes tightly and blurted out, “I lied to you!”

Finally, he spoke. Though Lu Cong still wanted to continue the kiss, he patiently stopped and listened.

“I don’t want to go to the film academy, and I don’t want you to leave. Though I really want you to be a general… but I’m shortsighted, only seeing things on the surface. I want you to shine brightly and be admired, but I’m afraid of the dangers on the battlefield, afraid you’ll get hurt or even die.”

Lin Xiangqi spoke quickly, breathless, and couldn’t help but raise his arms to wrap around Lu Cong’s neck, rubbing his face on Lu Cong’s shoulder.

“But Lu Cong, the outside world is big and vast. My world is small, I can see to the end with one glance. I think you should go out, but inside I’m afraid you will. I really can’t think of a perfect solution, so I forced myself to make a reckless decision.”

“Don’t be angry, and don’t blame me, okay? I know I’m twisted. I’m just scared… we’re going to be separated someday. If I rely on you too much, if we do everything together, when you leave, I definitely won’t be able to bear it… Lu Cong, I really can’t live alone…”

Lu Cong gently stroked his back, feeling the warm wetness on his neck, knowing Lin Xiangqi was crying silently, not wanting him to see. So Lu Cong didn’t pressure him.

They embraced quietly, without any erotic or ambiguous feelings. At this moment, or maybe at some moment in the past, they had already become each other’s only support.

When Lin Xiangqi cried until exhausted, his legs too weak to stand, Lu Cong gently picked him up and walked to the bathroom. He placed the red-eyed Lin Xiangqi on the sink, took a washcloth, gently wiped away the tears, then bent down and kissed him again.

“Yanyan, you’re so good. This time you didn’t lie to me.” Lu Cong gently stroked his cheek and said, “But you still said one wrong thing.”

“What?” Lin Xiangqi blinked blankly, a tear hanging on his eyelashes, which Lu Cong kissed away.

“How vast the outside world is, I don’t know, and I don’t care.” Lu Cong smiled lightly, his tone gentle but firm, “Because your world is already everything to me. I’m afraid I’ll never be able to leave it.”

Thump.

Thump thump.

Lin Xiangqi couldn’t tell whether it was his or Lu Cong’s heart beating so loudly.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

When Lu Cong kissed him again, Lin Xiangqi opened his mouth willingly, leaning in, his tongue clumsily and shyly licking Lu Cong’s lips. He wanted to learn from Lu Cong, to tell from pheromones if Lu Cong was lying.

But he didn’t taste any pheromones.