Sugar and Kisses

Lu Yan led Aemeath up the cement steps to the bedroom on the second floor.

His house wasn't very soundproof; he could faintly hear his uncle and grandfather chatting and laughing downstairs, as well as the crisp sound of porcelain clinking as his aunt washed dishes at the sink.

The moment the door closed, Aemeath could no longer hold back. She turned around abruptly and threw herself into Lu Yan's arms, hugging him tightly and burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"A-Yan ~ you big idiot." Aemeath's muffled voice came from beside his ear.

Lu Yan smiled and hugged Aemeath back, inhaling the fragrance of her hair, and said in a soft and gentle voice, "What's wrong? Weren't you pretty cool just now? Why are you suddenly so clingy?"

Aemeath still didn't look up; instead, she buried her face even deeper, as if she were doing some kind of mental preparation.

After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice filled with undisguised heartache. "You clearly don't eat fish... How did you manage to eat that awful fish soup back then?"

That bowl of murky fish soup resurfaced clearly in Aemeath's mind.

She was full of confidence and wanted to show off her skills in the kitchen, but instead she made a complete disaster.

But in the end, he still forced himself to finish the bowl of fish soup, and calmly said, "I'm done eating."

Only today, at that noisy dining table, and through her aunt's unintentional explanation, did she finally understand just how much love was hidden in that bowl of fish soup he drank.

As Lu Yan listened to her question, the smile in his eyes deepened.

He held Aemeath's shoulders, gently pulled her a little from his embrace, and forced her to look up at him.

Sure enough, those eyes, which were usually so bright and sparkling, were now brimming with tears, and the corners of them were tinged with a pitiful red, like a little pink kitten that had been wronged.

Seeing Aemeath's tearful eyes, Lu Yan felt as if his heart had been ripped out.

He immediately stopped smiling, raised his hand, and gently wiped away the tears that were about to fall from the corner of her eye.

"You big idiot?" Lu Yan raised an eyebrow, deliberately speaking in a lighthearted, teasing tone, "Isn't your focus a little off-track?"

Aemeath sniffed, staring at him with a blank look in her eyes.

Looking at her adorable, bewildered expression, Lu Yan finally couldn't help but chuckle and gently flicked her nose.

He deliberately brought up her past embarrassment. "Shouldn't you focus on just how bad that murky fish soup and the plate of ribs next to it tasted?"

"You...!" Aemeath's initial feelings of gratitude and heartache were instantly shattered by his merciless dredging up of the past.

Her eyes widened, her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and anger, and even her ears turned bright red.

Aemeath raised her little fist and lightly punched Lu Yan's chest a few times, saying coquettishly, "Why are you like this! Wasn't that my first time cooking?"

"Besides, the braised fish and ribs I made downstairs were absolutely delicious. My aunt and grandfather both praised me, and you're still bringing up old grievances and criticizing me!"

Seeing her regain her vitality, Lu Yan finally felt relieved.

He was most afraid of seeing Aemeath cry, whether it was tears of grievance or tears of emotion. As long as there were tears in those beautiful golden eyes, he would feel very sad.

"I don't mind, how could I mind?" Lu Yan took her small hand that was pounding on his chest and pulled her closer again with a little force.

The distance between them instantly closed to the point where they could hear each other's breaths. Lu Yan lowered his head slightly, his deep black eyes fixed on hers, his teasing tone gone, replaced by utmost seriousness.

"Listen carefully. Whether it's that bowl of barely edible blackfish soup from before, or this delicious and beautifully presented lunch today, I'll eat anything you make for me."

I don't eat fish simply because I hate the taste.

I eat the fish you cook because you made it yourself.

Lu Yan's voice wasn't loud, but every word he uttered struck Aemeath's heart like a heavy hammer.

The lingering embarrassment in the air evaporated without a trace, replaced by a sweetness that was almost overwhelming.

Aemeath stared blankly at Lu Yan before her, and at the emotions surging in his eyes that were only for her.

Her lips moved slightly, but no sound came out. She simply watched as his handsome face gradually magnified in her vision.

Just as Aemeath was about to close her eyes and let him kiss her, Lu Yan suddenly stopped just millimeters away from her lips.

His warm breath brushed against her lips, carrying the faint scent of tea she had drunk at lunch.

His gaze slowly moved down from her moist eyes, finally settling on her pink lips, which were slightly pursed due to nervousness.

"Since you feel that I suffered a tremendous injustice just to eat fish, and you really feel bad about it..."

A wicked smile crept across Lu Yan's lips. His voice was low and irresistibly seductive. "Then how about giving me some real compensation?"

Aemeath felt slightly dizzy from his aggressive aura and asked, following his words, "What... what compensation?"

"Our one-minute kiss today," Lu Yan's Adam's apple bobbed, "Seems like it hasn't been settled yet."

The moment the words left his mouth, before Aemeath could react, Lu Yan lowered his head and precisely captured her sweet, soft lips.

"Mmm..." Aemeath let out a short moan, which was then completely swallowed up by him.

This kiss was different from the possessive, stormy one from last night; it started off gentle and patient.

Lu Yan's lips lingered on hers, tentatively exploring and gently sucking, as if he were savoring a piece of top-quality strawberry jelly.

His hands caressed her soft waist, pressing her tightly against him through the thin fabric of her clothes.

Aemeath felt all her strength being drained away by this gentle onslaught.

She gripped Lu Yan's shirt collar tightly and obediently opened her mouth slightly.

Lu Yan sensed her movement, and his breathing became heavier.

His tongue plunged deep inside, gently yet domineeringly sweeping across her teeth, enticing her tongue to dance with his.

Outside the window, the afternoon sun filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the concrete ground.

Occasionally, a gentle breeze would blow by, causing the purple curtains by the window to flutter.

In this room filled with memories of Lu Yan's childhood, the air was now filled with the soft sounds of water and the mingling of breaths that would make anyone blush.

The scents emanating from the two mingled together; Lu Yan's clean and crisp fragrance blended perfectly with the sweet fruity aroma in Aemeath's hair.

They kissed for an unknown amount of time, until they felt like they were being squeezed dry, before finally reluctantly letting go.

Lu Yan was breathing heavily, his forehead pressed against hers. Looking at the girl's eyes, which were glistening from the kiss, her alluring pink lips, and her cheeks, which looked as if they had been smeared with rouge, a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.

But he quickly restrained himself and only lightly pecked the corner of her lips again.

"Hoo~ You, are you a hooligan...?" Aemeath leaned against him, panting heavily, her voice softening as she accused him without any threat.

"So this counts as being a hooligan?" Lu Yan chuckled softly. "If I'm a hooligan, then you are..."

These words, carrying a clear implication, instantly reminded Aemeath of what she had done the night before, and her fair face flushed crimson to the roots of her neck.

Aemeath glared at him fiercely, shoved him away, turned around and pretended to look at the scenery outside the window, no longer wanting to engage in this dangerous conversation.

Lu Yan stopped teasing her and calmed the agitation within him.

He turned around and began to carefully examine the bedroom he hadn't seen in a long time.

The room was small, with a single wooden bed by the window and an old solid wood desk next to it.

However, because she hadn't been back for a long time, the room had been used as a storage room and by her younger sister as a place to put things.

At this moment, several comic books were scattered messily on the desk, and although there were clean sheets on the bed, there were several secondhand plush toys piled up on it, as well as an open bag of potato chips.

In the corner stood a conspicuous, half-person-high anime-style standee.

Looking at the room like this, Lu Yan rubbed his temples in exasperation.

"Okay, stop fooling around."

Lu Yan walked behind Aemeath, gently put his arm around her shoulder from behind, and pointed to the slightly messy room in front of him:

"Looks like my sister uses this place quite a bit. It's still early, let's tidy up this room first."

Aemeath peeked out, looked at the life-sized standee, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay." She turned her head, exuding a virtuous and capable air. "A-Yan, open the suitcase, let's change into the sheets we brought ourselves."

"For the next few days, this will be our secret base."

Hearing her say "it's so natural" and "we," Lu Yan smiled gently.