Xie Ji covered his nose, his voice muffled. "Because it's too hot."
Lu Xunji raised an eyebrow at him, a teasing smile in his eyes.
Embarrassed by his smile, Xie Ji snapped, "What? You're the one who stripped down like that. I didn't tell you to! Besides, all I did was take a look. So stingy. You've already grown it all-what's wrong with looking a couple of times?"
Lu Xunji stepped past him, went inside, and came back with a damp towel. Holding his head still, he said, "Looks like you really do need a big bowl of spicy duck blood stew."
Xie Ji went still. "You remember?"
Lu Xunji bent down and carefully wiped away the blood beneath his nose. He showed little reaction to the question, asking calmly, "Remember what?"
Xie Ji pressed his lips together. He had mentioned wanting spicy duck blood stew in the dream. If Lu Xunji didn't remember that dream, why would he say he "really did need a big bowl of spicy duck blood stew"?
But if he remembered, wasn't this reaction a little too convincing? Could there be an Oscar winner right beside me?
Xie Ji gave Lu Xunji a couple of searching looks before saying, "Nothing."
Lu Xunji seemed to be in a good mood. Even his hands moved much more gently, the cool, damp towel lightly wiping across the tip of Xie Ji's nose and taking away that sticky warmth.
Lu Xunji was so close that Xie Ji could practically feel his breath against his face. Those deep purple eyes were filled with gentle light... like a pool of spring water paved with deep purple gems, beautiful and bewitching.
Xie Ji felt a tickle and tilted his head back, trying to put a little distance between them.
"Don't move." The next moment, Lu Xunji's hand took complete control of his neck, cradling the back of his head and imperiously refusing to let him retreat another inch. "I haven't finished cleaning it off. Why are you dodging?"
"It tickles," Xie Ji admitted quietly.
Lu Xunji gave him a meaningful look. "Where?"
Xie Ji raised a hand and pointed at his eyes. "Your breath is hitting my eyelashes. My eyes tickle."
Lu Xunji leaned a little closer and rubbed the corner of his eye with a fingertip.
His mist-blue eyes were covered, and a lovely streak of red spread across the spot that had been rubbed, making him look rather pitiful.
Lu Xunji's gaze darkened a little. "How about now?"
Xie Ji said, "Better. Doesn't tickle anymore."
Lu Xunji lowered his head and continued wiping away his nosebleed.
[Our real and fake young masters are such loving brothers... wait, no.]
[Whoa, am I allowed to watch this? Hang on, wasn't I watching a countryside variety show? Why does this feel like a dating show?]
[I don't know about anyone else, but Xie Ji is straight as an arrow. Everything about him gives off the vibe of a utility pole by the curb.]
[Xie Ji: Sorry, forgot to take my herbal medicine today.]
[But I have to say, when he's with Lu Xunji, their chemistry is off the charts! Their gazes practically seem to be pulling threads between them. Sure enough, Xie Ji slays women hardest when he's slaying men.]
[A straight guy sells a little gay bait, and I'm left suffering for the rest of my life.]
[I'm shipping these incest brothers too.]
[What incest brothers? They're not related by blood, are they? Besides, they're not even on the same household register. I heard Lu Xunji never transferred his registration to the Xie Household. He probably still has unresolved issues with the Xie parents.]
[I would too, okay? Someone stole eighteen years of his wealthy life. He finally returned to his family, only for the guy who'd taken his place to face no consequences and keep enjoying the treatment of the Xie Household's young master. Anyone would think those parents were playing favorites.]
[I actually think Xie Ji is really easy to get along with. From these past few days of livestreams, he's got a pretty likable personality too. He's always been considerate of Lu Xunji and has never even thought of hurting anyone!]
[Wait, am I the only one noticing that everyone else is working while Xie Ji is doing absolutely nothing here? If he doesn't want to work, then don't come on this variety show, okay? The real young master is working, and only this fake young master is slacking off!]
[No way, no way. Don't tell me people are still trying to sell a slacker persona in this day and age? When he has no points, won't even eating and sleeping become a problem?]
[So he's sucking up to Lu Xunji now because he wants to slack off. That way, even without any points, he won't starve as long as he tags along with Lu Xunji. What a scheming straight guy!]
[Was anyone hanging out in Xie Ji's livestream yesterday? Can you tell us what he did?]
[Me, me, me! I went to look out of curiosity yesterday. He was milking cows, so I got a little bored and left.]
[How many points can milking cows get you? This damn straight guy really is after Lu Xunji's points!]
It took five minutes to wipe away one nosebleed. Lu Xunji's hand hooked beneath Xie Ji's chin, his slightly rough fingertips lightly brushing that delicate, smooth skin.
So pampered.
Lu Xunji narrowed his eyes. The young master probably hadn't done much heavy work in his eighteen years. His skin was soft and tender everywhere, feeling like a fluffy wad of cotton in his palm.
"Are you done yet?" Xie Ji didn't dare move either and asked quietly, "My neck's so sore."
Lu Xunji rubbed Xie Ji's chin, then reluctantly drew his hand away with a huff. "You little brat. Why are you acting so spoiled?"
So damn delicate.
Xie Ji didn't argue. He merely lowered his head and touched the tip of his nose. Only after making sure the bleeding had stopped did he stretch and get up, intending to go to the courtyard gate to see whether that blue-headscarf person had arrived.
Standing behind him, Lu Xunji suddenly asked, "What do you mean by ordinary friends and family?"
Xie Ji paused. "Why were you eavesdropping?"
"I have good hearing," Lu Xunji replied casually, then took another step toward Xie Ji, radiating pressure. "So, what do you mean by ordinary friends and family?"
Xie Ji looked at him, still wanting to test whether Lu Xunji remembered what had happened in the dream, so he said, "Friends and family means... good friends who occasionally kiss."
To his surprise, this time Lu Xunji froze.
Two seconds later, Xie Ji saw that Lu Xunji seemed to be turning red, the flush spreading from the tips of his ears all the way down his neck.
Such an innocent reaction?
Is this really the same horny snake I saw in my dream?
In a rare moment, Lu Xunji dropped his forceful manner. His lips parted, and he asked quietly, "You found out?"
Xie Ji: "?"
Huh?
Found out what?
...Wait, no.
Xie Ji's brain briefly short-circuited. His eyes flew wide, and he quickly stepped closer to Lu Xunji, lowering his voice. "You secretly kissed me while I was asleep last night, didn't you?"
Lu Xunji coughed. "No. I brushed against you by accident."
"Oh." Xie Ji let out a breath of relief. "That's good, then."
Lu Xunji: "?"
Wait, what's good about that?
"Then," Lu Xunji seemed a little nervous. His eyes fixed on Xie Ji's face, his voice dropping into a slight rasp. "What are we now?"
Xie Ji put on a stern face and said in the same low voice that only the two of them could hear, "Secret kiss relations."
Lu Xunji's lips curved, but before the smile could reach his eyes, he heard Xie Ji's next words.
"The kiss is a secret, so there's no relationship."