Let me borrow them, just for a moment

Shui Feiyan's life went on as usual.

Seeing that the little beauty never replied to him, Li Yang decided to change his strategy. Every day, he went from the School of Biology to the School of Literature and specifically sought out Shui Feiyan to serve his meals. After a while, they became familiar strangers.

Whenever Shui Feiyan served him food, he would unconsciously give Li Yang a little extra. Dazzled by this special treatment, Li Yang came by even more often.

Later, Shui Feiyan sprained his ankle in the kitchen, and Li Yang covered his shifts for a few days. Gradually, the two naturally got together.

That was also how he met Lin Fengmian, and through Lin Fengmian, Xia Qinghe.

The two shameless men were birds of a feather and often argued endlessly over something trivial. Li Yang knew perfectly well that Xia Qinghe would cook noodles for him, but he simply enjoyed bickering with him.

Xia Qinghe scooped out Lin Fengmian's portion first, arranged it neatly, and brought it to him.

As for Li Yang's portion, he could scoop it out himself.

Li Yang did not mind. After so many years of friendship, he knew exactly what Xia Qinghe was like. Rather than argue with him, he might as well hurry up and get his noodles before they clumped together.

When Li Yang started eating, he could not help remarking, "The same seasonings, the same dried noodles-how come they taste so good when you make them?"

Unlike his own cooking, which tasted like shit.

Li Yang scooped up a huge mouthful and stuffed it into his mouth. It had been so long since he last had this that he was dying for it.

He ate the noodles in clear broth like a reincarnated starving ghost.

Lin Fengmian ate with the same fervor. Rubbing his soothed stomach, he felt utterly satisfied.

Coming straight here after finishing filming had been worth it.

After finishing his noodles, Lin Fengmian rinsed his mouth again and lay down, falling asleep almost instantly.

Xia Qinghe's scent on the sheets had already grown very faint, so faint it was barely detectable, but Lin Fengmian still felt very safe. It was much better than the hotel the production crew used.

If he had not worked himself to the bone every day until he was utterly exhausted, Lin Fengmian really would not have been able to sleep.

The next time he left his own nest, he would have to get a few pieces of clothing from Xia Qinghe to line his nest with.

Xia Qinghe put the dishes and utensils in the dishwasher. When he returned, he found Lin Fengmian asleep, hugging the pajamas he had draped over a chair.

He walked over. Lin Fengmian's eyes were closed in the dim light, his long lashes slightly lowered and his fair face peaceful. The bedside lamp cast a warm, dusky yellow glow over his face.

Xia Qinghe pulled the covers up a little. He did not take his pajamas away, letting Lin Fengmian keep holding them.

He turned to wash up too. When he returned, he was wearing nothing, and flames flickered in his eyes, refusing to die out.

He stood in the shadows and watched Lin Fengmian for a long time before walking over and pulling his hands out from under the covers. "Let me borrow them, just for a moment."

Lin Fengmian had a dream. He dreamed he was rolling out dough, rolling and rolling and rolling. Even when he could no longer lift either hand, he kept rolling, like a robot that could not stop.

His arms were practically being rubbed thin.

After a long time, the rolling finally stopped, only for him to dream that he was running nonstop. Both his legs were rubbed raw, but he kept running forward.

He ran until he was nearly out of breath, then abruptly opened his eyes. Looking at the light coming through the curtains, Lin Fengmian raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, only to discover that his hands were as weak and sore as overcooked noodles.

He clenched a hand hard. The web between his thumb and forefinger felt tight. On closer inspection, it was swollen.

Both hands were.

He remembered the filthy things a certain someone had said before.

What was there left not to understand?

"Xia. Qing. He."

Hearing the roar from outside the room, Xia Qinghe set the last dish on the table, yanked off his apron, grabbed the tie beside him, and bolted.

He left behind a completely bewildered Li Yang. When Lin Fengmian rushed out, Li Yang was the only one he saw.

"Brother Li, where's Xia Qinghe?"

Li Yang pointed at the door. "You scared him off."

Lin Fengmian was furious. That shameless bastard. Just you wait until I get my hands on you.

No wonder he had dreamed all night. After a whole night's sleep, he felt as though he had not slept at all. He was exhausted.

"What did he do?" Li Yang looked puzzled.

Lin Fengmian could hardly tell Li Yang that the bastard had borrowed his hands while he was asleep.

And his legs.

He had his pride. He could not say it.

Lin Fengmian sat down angrily, sucking in a sharp breath when he touched the raw skin on his thighs. Even the way he lowered himself into the seat became slow and careful.

As soon as he settled into his seat, he looked up and met Li Yang's thoughtful gaze. "...It's not what you think."

"What do I think?"

Lin Fengmian gave up on explaining. There was no explaining this clearly anyway. Resigned, he prepared to dig into his food, only to discover that Xia Qinghe had thoughtfully replaced his chopsticks with a spoon.

A beautiful spoon polished enough to reflect his face.

What a good buddy. So very considerate.

Lin Fengmian ate the meal through gritted teeth, treating the spoon like a certain someone's thing and biting it with an audible clack.

The sound made Li Yang tremble with apprehension. As the more experienced one, he felt obliged to offer some proper guidance to this couple who had only just begun their married life.

"Actually, it only hurts a little the first time."

Lin Fengmian shot him a look. What, once I get calluses, it won't hurt anymore? And they'll add friction and make it feel even more intense, is that it?

That icy look from Lin Fengmian stopped Li Yang's guidance in its tracks.

Honestly, Lin Fengmian's presence was no less imposing than Xia Qinghe's. It was just that he was usually so listless and lacking in energy that people always noticed Xia Qinghe first.

"Eat. Have some more." Li Yang moved the soft, tender tofu in front of Lin Fengmian.

Lin Fengmian stared at the glaring plate of tofu. "..." Let the misunderstanding get even worse, then.

Once he woke up, he was absolutely going to lop off Xia Qinghe's damned head.

Lin Fengmian finished eating quickly and shuffled toward the bedroom like a turtle. After all that shuffling, he had only reached the Noble Consort Couch, so he gave up. Screw the bedroom. It smells like Xia Qinghe in there, and that smell just makes me angry.

He simply lay down on the Noble Consort Couch, pulled down the little blanket draped over its back, and fell asleep instantly.

Li Yang watched with aching sympathy. Xia Qinghe had gone too far. Even if he had gotten a little excited his first time, surely he did not have to wear him out like this. He had completely forgotten what he himself had been like back then.

After eating, he put the dishes and utensils into the dishwasher, then returned to his room and called Xia Qinghe. As the more experienced one, he felt it necessary to give this fellow with no self-restraint a proper scolding.

"You can't treat him like this."

Knowing he was in the wrong as he was scolded, Xia Qinghe hid in the hotel restaurant, cutting his steak. "I couldn't control myself."

He really had not expected it to be so stimulating.

It had clearly never been like this before.

Before, he could be hard as steel without so much as a change in expression.

But he had never expected that once he started, there would be no turning back. He could not stop at all, staying excited until daybreak before finally managing to settle down.

"You'll hurt him like this." Li Yang's voice was stern. "You'd better take him to the hospital for a checkup and make sure there's nothing wrong. This sort of thing can be minor or serious. Don't avoid getting medical help just because you're embarrassed to talk about it, understand? Get back here."

Having been through it himself, Li Yang understood Xia Qinghe, but he could not just abandon Lin Fengmian after overworking him like that. It was far too irresponsible and unmanly.

Remembering the raw skin on Lin Fengmian's thighs last night, Xia Qinghe was flooded with guilt and self-reproach. "Okay. I'll be right back."

Xia Qinghe wiped his mouth with a napkin, abandoned his unfinished steak, and rushed back to the top floor.

The look of someone bravely marching to his death left Li Yang both annoyed and amused. "Is that really necessary?"

"If Mianmian tries to kill me in a minute, remember to hold him back. I haven't lived long enough yet." Following the scent, Xia Qinghe pinpointed Lin Fengmian on the Noble Consort Couch in the living room.