Shen Wangjing pulled him out of the covers, locked him in his arms, and kissed him fiercely.
As though he wanted to crush every moment of their days apart into that kiss.
Outside the window, dawn had yet to fully break. The old residence's courtyard was silent, the cardboard boxes from last night's fireworks still piled in the snow, rustling softly in the wind.
Shen Wangjing finally released him. Their foreheads rested together, their noses brushing.
Jiang Xun was breathing hard, the corners of his eyes damp and red, yet he still tipped up his chin to threaten him. "If you ever fly back overnight without telling me beforehand again, I'll lock you out."
"All right." Shen Wangjing chuckled, the vibration in his chest passing through their closely pressed bodies. "I'll tell you beforehand next time."
"That's more like it." Jiang Xun buried his face in the crook of his shoulder, his fingers clutching the fabric at the back of his neck, his voice gradually softening. "...Shen Wangjing."
"Hmm?"
"What about the Li family? Would your grandfather let you leave?"
"It's all taken care of," Shen Wangjing said. "Yu Xing and Li Jingyao stayed there. I came back to spend the New Year with you."
They cuddled a while longer before Jiang Xun finally dragged himself out of Shen Wangjing's arms, pulled on the sweatshirt Shen Wangjing had dug out of the wardrobe, and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face.
The person in the mirror had flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips. After all that fuss, his hair stuck up in every direction. He splashed water on it a couple of times, barely managing to flatten a few of the most unruly strands.
By the time he dawdled downstairs, two people were already