Hiking

Duan Xu's eyes widened in shock. He froze as if someone had hit pause, his mind still blank when Shen Yanlang suddenly let go of him, threw back the covers, and rushed into the bathroom in a few quick strides.

No! I can barely hold it in!

Duan Xu shot upright, glaring at the tightly shut bathroom door. Thinking of what had just happened, he finally exploded. "Shen Yanlang, you shameless pervert!"

Shen Yanlang heard him from inside the bathroom. He did not answer aloud, but he answered in his heart.

I am a pervert, but whenever I see it, I can't help wanting to...

Duan Xu: "..."

He touched his burning ears. The lingering warmth on his gland, that itchy, heated sensation, made him replay it over and over in his mind.

A moment later, he screamed internally: Ah! What am I thinking about?! Stop thinking!

He hurriedly found the air conditioner remote on the bedside table and turned it off, then fanned himself a few times with his hand before the heat in his body eased slightly.

Several minutes passed, and Shen Yanlang was still in the bathroom. Then the sound of running water began, the sound of a shower.

Duan Xu got dressed and stood beside the bed, glancing toward the bathroom. Then he realized what that meant, and his face turned red again.

To distract himself, he took out his phone and opened the eight-person group chat they had created yesterday.

Xue Jingshu: [Is everyone up? If not, call out.]

Du Shen: [Up, up!]

Zhou Zhou: [We're up too.]

Xue Jingshu: [Little Yan, are you two up?]

No one replied for several minutes after that, followed by a whole string of messages.

Xue Jingshu: [Shen Yanlang, if you're not up, I'm coming to your door to wake you.]

Du Shen: [Oh? Can't get up, huh? /side-eye]

Ye Xinyu: [I'm sleepy too, but I'm already up. Why isn't my cousin up yet?]

Du Shen: [Xiaoyu, it's probably your cousin's first time getting lost in a tender paradise. It's understandable if he can't get up.]

Ye Xinyu: [Got it.]

Zhou Zhou: [Xuxu, are you up?]

Zhou Zhou: [If Yan-ge has you pinned to the bed, just yell. We'll come save you right away!]

Du Shen: [Hahaha...]

Ye Xinyu: [Hahaha...]

Xue Jingshu: [adjusting glasses.jpg]

Duan Xu felt both embarrassed and speechless when he saw those messages. In the end, he replied.

Duan Xu: [I'm up. Washing up now.]

Du Shen: [Huh? You actually got up?]

Xue Jingshu: [Little Yan really can't do it.]

Zhou Zhou: [Pfft...]

Seeing the words "can't do it," Duan Xu remembered what had happened just now, and his ears heated up again. He hurriedly shook his head. He really could not keep thinking about it!!!

More than ten minutes later, Shen Yanlang came out covered in damp vapor.

Duan Xu turned around in surprise, his eyes clearly saying: That fast?!

Shen Yanlang understood the look in his eyes at once. His gaze darkened, and his tone turned dangerous. "Want to try?"

Duan Xu shuddered and shook his head vigorously. "No, I don't!"

So embarrassing! Shen Yanlang actually saw through what I was thinking!

Shen Yanlang gave an unreadable chuckle and said nothing. At least, not aloud.

You'll want to someday.

Xuxu's heat after he finishes presenting will be more intense than an ordinary omega's. We have to make our relationship official before then!

At the mention of heat, Duan Xu was so embarrassed his toes curled. Then he hurried into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Duan Xu patted his face. Though it was embarrassing, Shen Yanlang was right. They really did need to make their relationship official before his heat.

It was just that... Shen Yanlang acted like such a pervert in his head whenever he faced him. Duan Xu could not handle it!

While washing up, a word suddenly came to him: reserved on the outside, wild on the inside.

It suited Shen Yanlang perfectly!

After washing up, they dressed neatly and each changed into their thickest down jackets. It was much colder on the mountain than at the foot of it, with a temperature difference of at least ten degrees. And since it was winter, it would only be colder.

Duan Xu wore a short white down jacket that made him look especially young. Shen Yanlang wore a short black one, which he had specifically bought after seeing which jacket Duan Xu planned to bring, all so they could wear matching outfits.

Just as they finished getting ready, there came a knock at the door and Du Shen's voice. "Open up, open up! Room inspection!"

That really startled Duan Xu, but he quickly realized what was going on and could not help laughing.

Shen Yanlang was straightforward. He walked over, opened the door, and immediately punched Du Shen, who stood outside. "Keep it down!"

"Ah! That hurts!" Du Shen pretended Shen Yanlang had hit him hard, clutching his shoulder as he staggered back two steps.

Ye Xinyu laughed and stepped forward, playing along with him. "Cousin, how could you hit someone? Look what you did to my boyfriend!"

Shen Yanlang: "..."

Duan Xu walked over as well. Watching them joke around, the smile on his lips never faded.

Zhou Zhou and the others came out as well, all with their backpacks ready. Xue Jingshu said directly, "Let's go eat breakfast."

Shen Yanlang and Duan Xu went back to put on their backpacks, took their room cards, and rode the elevator downstairs with the others to eat.

They had booked the hotel for three days. Although they would be camping on the mountain tonight, they planned to come back to the hotel to catch up on sleep after watching the sunrise and coming down tomorrow. Otherwise, driving straight home would be dangerous.

After breakfast, they drove directly to the scenic area's parking lot, bought tickets, and entered the mountain.

Azure Cauldron Mountain stood more than three thousand meters above sea level. The higher they climbed, the harder the path became. To reach the camping area at the very top, they would need to take a cable car.

Quite a lot of people had come to visit during the holiday. The entire way was crowded with people of all ages, men and women alike.

After entering, the path began as broad, gentle stone steps. Only after they had climbed for around half an hour did the mountain trail gradually become narrower and steeper.

The higher they went, the fewer people there were. Unlike at the bottom, where the entire path had been packed, there were now at least not too many people around.

They reached a small rest pavilion, and Ye Xinyu said she wanted to take a break, so everyone found a place to sit.

"I have to say, the scenery here is pretty nice." Du Shen was not tired at all. He stood in the pavilion and looked down the mountain.

The pavilion stood beside a steep slope. There were no trees below, only rocks and wild grass. Looking into the distance, they could see mountain after mountain stretching endlessly ahead.

Duan Xu's cheeks had turned rosy and pale from the climb, and he was breathing softly as he took out his phone to photograph the scenery.

As he took the picture, Shen Yanlang also raised his phone and snapped a side-profile photo of Duan Xu. Then he lowered his head to look at the person on his screen, the corner of his lips lifting.

He looks good. I want to kiss him.

Duan Xu: "..."

Zhou Zhou opened his backpack. "Do you guys want snacks?"

"Yes!" Ye Xinyu said, smacking Du Shen once. "I want chips."

"Right away." Du Shen opened his backpack and took out a bag of chips for Ye Xinyu.

Over here, Zhou Zhou and Xiao Xu also took out snacks and shared some with everyone.

Han Xi sat in the pavilion, his gaze fixed on the scenery outside. Xue Jingshu handed him a packet of biscuits. "Want some?"

"Mm." Han Xi reached out to take them and ate in small bites.

Shen Yanlang could not help looking at Duan Xu's mouth as he ate for a few extra moments, and he could not help thinking.

I should've kissed him this morning.