The system notifications ringing frantically in his head finally stopped.
The affection score settled at -327.
He had been happily playing games in Ji Shi's room when the system notifications suddenly blared, and the affection score had started plummeting by as much as ten points per second.
Only then had Xie Ji hurriedly abandoned his beloved game and rushed out.
Sure enough, he spotted Lu Xunji. He had been truly frantic just then. According to the system, if the affection score dropped to -400, his little life would be in danger.
In his panic, he had no other ideas. Perhaps influenced by that dream, he had acted on a crazy impulse and kissed him.
After all, in the dream, Lu Xunji had quite enjoyed kissing him.
This should make him happy, right?
Xie Ji did not really know how to kiss. In the dream, he had also been the one forced to take it. Now that he had pressed his mouth against the other man's, all he could do was stare blankly with his eyes open.
After his initial astonishment, Lu Xunji gradually furrowed his handsome brows.
Xie Ji had no technique and could only rub clumsily against his lips with all his might. Lu Xunji raised a hand, cupped the back of Xie Ji's neck, and deepened this inexplicable kiss.
Lu Xunji was too tall. Xie Ji tilted his head back, his legs growing sore and weak from standing, and slid down despite himself.
"Mmph." Lu Xunji wrapped an arm around his waist and lifted him, easily hoisting him up with one hand.
"Hold on tight." Lu Xunji's voice was a little hoarse.
Xie Ji buried his face in his neck and could not see his expression. He could only hastily tighten his hands on Lu Xunji's shoulders and nod quickly to please him.
"Got it..."
Their bodies pressed close. Through the thin pajamas, Lu Xunji distinctly felt Xie Ji's warm, soft skin against him.
The anxiety in his heart seemed to have been smoothed away by an invisible pair of hands. Lu Xunji tightened his arm further and carried Xie Ji all the way home from the doorway of Ji Shi's room.
"Lu Xunji." Xie Ji cautiously lifted his head from his shoulder. Whether from anxiety or embarrassment, the rims of his eyes were a little red, as was the tip of his nose, and an unconscious clinginess colored his voice. "You're holding me too tight. I can't breathe."
Lu Xunji tossed him onto the two-meter-wide Simmons bed and, without a word, lowered his head to kiss him.
His large frame almost completely covered Xie Ji. Even as he kissed him, he remembered to seize both of Xie Ji's wrists and pin them tightly, looking as though he feared he would run away.
The kiss was long and passionate.
If the affection score had not been gradually rising during the kiss, he would already have kicked Lu Xunji away.
Lu Xunji's body temperature was usually very low, but for some reason, he was frighteningly hot now. His lightly callused palm pressed against Xie Ji's waist.
So slender.
As though one hand could encircle it.
This greatly satisfied Lu Xunji's almost perverse desire for control. All his reason was gone now, leaving only a burning urgency in his eyes, like a thick fog that enveloped Xie Ji completely.
Xie Ji was having trouble breathing. He turned his head slightly to evade the kiss, but whenever he made any move to escape or retreat, the hand on his waist tightened a little more.
He no longer dared to dodge.
Xie Ji was a little dazed. Moisture clouded his mist-blue eyes, leaving him looking lost and bewildered, his mind a jumble of wild, wandering thoughts.
He's squeezing so hard it hurts.
Xie Ji mumbled, "It hurts, Lu Xunji."
Lu Xunji had almost stripped Xie Ji bare by then, but instantly stopped when he heard that "brother."
Finally able to catch his breath, Xie Ji hurriedly gulped in fresh air, looking through misty eyes at Lu Xunji above him.
Lu Xunji withdrew his hand and brushed his knuckles over Xie Ji's flushed lips. "Why didn't you push me away?"
"Huh?" Xie Ji paused.
Lu Xunji: "..."
He took a deep breath and finally managed to calm himself. His low, hoarse voice held a hint of gritted teeth. "Why didn't you resist, Xie Ji?"
Xie Ji blinked and grumbled softly, "...Isn't this what you like? Or do you prefer me to struggle a little?"
Instead, his question left Lu Xunji momentarily speechless. Only after a long while did he ask somewhat awkwardly, "Does Ji Shi kiss you like this too? Do you 'serve' him like this too?"
"There's no point asking that." Xie Ji puffed out his cheeks. "Ji Shi wouldn't do this."
Lu Xunji looked at him in silence, gave a cold snort, brushed his waistline, and got up off him before turning to enter the bathroom.
Before long, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.
The water was loud; the cold tap had clearly been turned on all the way. Apart from the rushing water, Xie Ji could hear nothing.
Xie Ji pressed the back of his hand against his lips. They felt swollen and hurt terribly.
He got up and took an ice cube from the refrigerator, holding it in his mouth as a cold compress. Only with some difficulty did he ease the burning pain a little.
After that conversation, the system had notified him that the affection score had shot up another huge stretch, reaching -201.
Although he probably still could not escape the so-called "dream empathy" punishment mechanism tonight.
At least his little life was safe.
How strange.
Xie Ji sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, rolling the ice cube from his left cheek to his right.
Why did Lu Xunji's affection score rise whenever Ji Shi came up?
Was it because he really hated Ji Shi?
Thinking of Ji Shi, Xie Ji took a moment to check his affection score too. Perhaps because he really was so terrible at gaming, Ji Shi's affection for him had actually dropped by two points and was now only ninety-eight percent.
The system notified him that he had earned twenty points and could head to the lottery system to draw items from the points shop at ten points per draw.
If he was lucky, he might obtain some rare items.
Before Xie Ji could celebrate, he saw the affection bar creeping upward at an extremely slow pace. An hour later, the affection bar went from ninety-eight to ninety-nine...
Xie Ji: "..."
I told you, love-brained people shouldn't just come out and wreak havoc on others!
Then Xie Ji discovered to his delight that although the affection score had risen, the points earned from lowering it had not been taken back.
Xie Ji's eyes lit up.
If that was the case...
He took out his phone and sent Ji Shi a message.
"Unbearably lonely late at night. Reply 1 for a close-up of my chest."