Hiking

Duan Xu's eyes widened in shock. He froze as if someone had hit pause, his mind still unable to make sense of it 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't hold it in anymore!

Duan Xu abruptly sat up, staring at the tightly shut bathroom door. Thinking of what had just happened, he could not help bursting out, "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, along with that itchy, hot sensation, made him replay it over and over in his mind.

A moment later, he could not help screaming inwardly: Ah! What am I even 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 a little.

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

Duan Xu got dressed and stood beside the bed, glancing toward the bathroom. Then he suddenly realized something, and his face flushed 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, shout.]

Du Shen: [Up, up!]

Zhou Zhou: [We're up too.]

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

No one replied for several minutes after that, then a flood of messages came in.

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

Du Shen: [Oh? Looks like someone can't get up, huh? /side-eye]

Ye Xinyu: [I'm really sleepy, but even I'm up. Why isn't Cousin up yet?]

Du Shen: [Xiaoyu, it's probably your cousin's first time drowning in tenderness. It's understandable that he can't get up.]

Ye Xinyu: [Got it.]

Zhou Zhou: [Xuxu, are you up?]

Zhou Zhou: [If Brother Yan has you pinned to the bed, just shout. We'll come rescue you right away!]

Du Shen: [Hahaha...]

Ye Xinyu: [Hahaha...]

Xue Jingshu: [Pushing glasses.jpg]

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

Duan Xu: [Up. Getting washed.]

Du Shen: [Huh? You're actually up?]

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

Zhou Zhou: [Pfft...]

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

More than ten minutes later, Shen Yanlang came out, still surrounded by damp steam.

Duan Xu turned around in surprise, his eyes plainly asking: 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 jolted and shook his head fiercely. "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 later.

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

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

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

It was just... whenever Shen Yanlang faced him, his mind was full of shameless thoughts. Duan Xu could not handle it!

As he washed up, a word suddenly came to mind: restrained on the outside, passionate on the inside.

It suited Shen Yanlang perfectly!

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

Duan Xu wore a short white down jacket, making him look especially young. Shen Yanlang wore a short black one, which he had specifically bought after seeing which coat Duan Xu planned to bring, all so they could match as a couple.

Just as they finished packing, someone knocked on the door, accompanied by Du Shen's voice. "Open up, open up! Room inspection!"

The shout really startled Duan Xu, but he quickly came to his senses and could not help laughing.

Shen Yanlang went straight over and opened the door. Without another word, he punched Du Shen, who was standing outside. "Keep it down!"

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

Ye Xinyu smiled and stepped forward, playing along. "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 too, 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 and grab their room key cards, then took the elevator down with the others to eat.

They had booked the hotel for three days. Although they would be camping on the mountain tonight, they wanted 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 too 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 campsite at the very top, they would need to take a cable car.

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

At first, the mountain path consisted of wide, gentle stone steps. Only after they had climbed for around half an hour did the path gradually become narrower and steeper.

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

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

"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 had been built beside a steep slope. There were no trees below, only rocks and wild grass. Looking out, they could see layer upon layer of mountains in the distance.

Duan Xu's cheeks had turned rosy-white from the climb, and he was breathing softly as he took out his phone to snap a landscape photo.

While he was taking pictures, Shen Yanlang also raised his phone and took a side-profile photo of Duan Xu. Then he looked down at the person on his screen, a smile tugging at his lips.

Pretty. I want to kiss him.

Duan Xu: "..."

Zhou Zhou opened his backpack. "Want some snacks?"

"Yes!" Ye Xinyu said as she smacked Du Shen. "I want chips."

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

On this side, 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 it and ate in small bites.

Shen Yanlang could not help looking twice at Duan Xu's mouth as he ate, and a thought surfaced in his mind.

I should have kissed him this morning.