Ye Ran sat on the grass, his muddled mind clearing a little.
He breathed lightly, and by the dim light, looked at the person before him.
The familiar contours of his face, the hard, undulating lines of muscle, the veins at his neck suppressed yet bulging, and those black, heavy eyes, deep as an endless night.
The trench coat had been lifted.
A scorching, searingly hot large hand slipped inside.
Damp with sweat, it pressed against his waist and abdomen.
Ye Ran had been well cared for, his body supple, bones and flesh evenly proportioned; the pale, smooth skin at his waist was warm and soft. With a single grasp, soft, slick flesh would spill through the fingers, like melted flowing water, impossible to hold, impossible to keep.
Perfect for wrapping an arm around his waist, pulling him into one’s arms to toy with.
The sensation in the palm grew ever more enticing. Shen Shi bent down, like a powerful beast lying in wait, his nose brushing close, sniffing the fragrance, nudging aside Ye Ran’s school uniform at the abdomen. Just before his damp, hot breath touched that patch of skin, Ye Ran seemed to suddenly come back to his senses, his voice trembling slightly as he pushed at Shen Shi’s shoulder.
“…No!”
Shen Shi paused, clicking his tongue with a “tch.”
He slowly straightened up, looking down at Ye Ran from above. Those cold-blooded, animal-like pupils were still dark and chill, sharply constricted to a point as they observed the prey’s every move.
Ye Ran hurriedly adjusted his clothes. His lower abdomen was exposed to the air, slick with sweat and a little cold. He grabbed Shen Shi’s hand, still resting at his waist, and pushed, he couldn’t move it. The boy, in a particularly foul mood, pressed his lips into a thin line. The large hand grabbed again, more flesh spilling between his fingers, making Ye Ran suck in a breath.
Once an opportunity was missed, there was no chance to start over.
Ye Ran was already clear-headed; the possibility of making him obediently sit in his arms to be kissed had become vanishingly small. Shen Shi felt a ball of fire burning in his chest, restless and agitated. The last shred of reason was like reins, yanking him back, telling him not to go too far.
The sounds of the crowd from the small plaza drifted over.
The first two rounds of fireworks had finished; only the last round remained.
The students were all gathered around, heads tilted up expectantly, wanting to see the sky dyed once more in brilliant colors, blooming like a seven-colored tapestry.
Shen Shi looked at Ye Ran.
Ye Ran was patting dirt off his mask, lashes lowered, his emotions hard to read. That strange, subtle atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of a phone.
The ringtone came from Shen Shi’s pants pocket. Ye Ran lifted his head and watched as Shen Shi, face cold, took out his phone and answered.
“Shen Shi!!! You little b*stard, did you go buy a bottle of water and end up on Mars? Get your *ss back here to train right now! You don’t want to win the North American pro tournament in May anymore? Don’t think you can get cocky just because your world ranking went up, you’re still a long way from first—du-du—”
The call was ruthlessly cut off.
Coach Zhang’s terrifying roar left Ye Ran seeing stars. His ears buzzed as he subconsciously looked up at Shen Shi. “…You still have training?”
“Mm,” Shen Shi’s voice was low, a little hoarse, sounding more like a ferocious beast in hunting mode. “Is that all you wanted to ask?”
He stared at Ye Ran, his tone unreadable.
Ye Ran paused, then, half a beat slow, answered with a “Mm.”
After replying, his mind was still in chaos. He mechanically patted the dirt on his mask. The mask had long since been cleaned off, but in his current state, he didn’t want to ask anything, didn’t dare ask anything, only wanted Shen Shi to hurry back to training and leave him alone to slowly sort out his thoughts.
Shen Shi gave a soft scoff. The hand cupping Ye Ran’s flesh tightened more and more, the calloused pads of his fingers kneading absentmindedly as he lowered his gaze, carefully observing Ye Ran’s reaction.
After a brief panic, Ye Ran began to tremble again. His damp lips parted as he panted, grabbing Shen Shi’s hand to stop it from moving.
Shen Shi went along with it and stopped, asking, “What do you want to ask me?”
This time, Ye Ran clearly understood his meaning from his body language. He took a deep breath and obediently asked, “Why did you kiss me?”
The question was obviously very much to Shen Shi’s liking.
Shen Shi relaxed the strength in his palm slightly and said, “I like you. I want to date you.”
Ye Ran’s lashes trembled; he fell silent.
Shen Shi asked him, “Date or not?”
Ye Ran still didn’t speak.
Like encountering a difficult problem, his first reaction wasn’t to face it, but to avoid it.
The wind stirred through the woods, shadows of trees swaying.
After a long time without hearing Shen Shi’s voice, Ye Ran gradually felt uneasy. He swallowed, quietly lifting his eyelids—
“Whoosh—!”
Above the sky, bursts of firelight suddenly exploded.
The tranquil black night was once again painted with brightness by the fireworks. Streaks of silver light illuminated the world; sparks on the dark night curtain resembled glowing umbrellas, petals raining down in profusion, brilliant and varied.
The crowd instantly grew restless, shouts and laughter rising nonstop.
Bright light pierced through the dense canopy of branches, outlining Shen Shi’s angular, lean shoulders and back.
Shen Shi’s expression was blank, his movements rough. He casually pulled off his hat and mask and tossed them aside.
A gust of wind blew past. Ye Ran stared blankly, lifting his head, and saw Shen Shi’s features. His pupils trembled as if burned, then slowly moved upward, what came into view this time was Shen Shi’s free-spirited, unruly silver hair.
Silver hair flying, an extremely pale color, casually falling across Shen Shi’s brow bones.
Shen Shi’s features were deep and three-dimensional, his brows and eyes black as ink. His looks leaned toward a sharp, heroic handsomeness; that head of messy silver hair only accentuated his pale complexion, making the chill ferocity and defiance between his brows all the more striking.
Like an untamed beast, roaming freely beneath moonlight and across open fields, powerful and beautiful.
“…Ranran,” the exceptionally handsome boy looked down at him from above, tugged at the corner of his lips, dark shadows hidden deep in his black eyes, and said, “Give me a straight answer, date or not?”
Ye Ran didn’t move, as if frozen.
Silence itself meant resistance.
The darkness in Shen Shi’s eyes fully settled. His tall, solid body pressed downward with an oppressive intent, inching closer to Ye Ran.
In the dim, indistinct light, he couldn’t see Ye Ran’s face. His expression was tightly restrained, like a beast about to begin a hunt, coaxing gently in a warm, soft voice: “Ranran, I won’t force you. I’ll give you time to think it over, okay?”
The wind blew, lifting Ye Ran’s hair.
Ye Ran still didn’t speak.
Unlike before, when his silence held conflict and confusion, this time Ye Ran seemed simply stunned.
Shen Shi keenly sensed something was wrong. His brows furrowed at once as he quickly lifted Ye Ran’s chin, his voice turning heavy. “Ranran?”
“Ranran? What’s wrong?”
He leaned in closer, and finally, in the fleeting fireworks at the horizon, saw Ye Ran’s face clearly.
Ye Ran’s eyes were very bright, as if soaked in clear spring water, shimmering and flowing, blinking lightly. An unusual flush rose on his cheeks; even his breathing was softened and faint, his gaze fixed intently on Shen Shi.
Shen Shi: “?”
Shen Shi vaguely felt something was off. After confirming Ye Ran was fine, he let out a breath, his hand gently stroking Ye Ran’s face, calling him back to himself. “What are you thinking about?”
Ye Ran blinked, then rubbed his cheek against Shen Shi’s palm.
Like a kitten, gentle and obedient.
Shen Shi: “?”
His breath hitched. As if sensing something, he looked into Ye Ran’s eyes and saw himself reflected in Ye Ran’s clear pupils: silver hair, black eyes, unruly and handsome.
Shen Shi slowly narrowed his eyes. The hand stroking Ye Ran’s cheek slid down naturally, pinching his chin as he drew close at an unhurried pace, their breaths intertwining.
Ye Ran obediently opened his mouth, docile as if bewitched, even his little tongue obediently sticking out, letting him suck and taste it, and very proactively wrapped his arms around Shen Shi’s neck, his sweat-damp cheek pressing against him.
Sticky, wet sounds lingered and entwined.
Shen Shi picked him up, letting kitten-like Ye Ran curl up in his arms instead. Ye Ran’s cheeks were flushed pink, the corners of his eyes faintly rimmed with moisture. He clutched the collar at Shen Shi’s chest, mouth open, trying his hardest to adapt to his invasion and abandon.
Clear droplets of moisture slid down from his chin.
Ye Ran’s eyes were moist and foggy. He felt as though he were being eaten until he was numb and itchy, yet he was extremely well-behaved. While Shen Shi was immersed in kissing him, his large hand locking at Ye Ran’s waist and caressing him tenderly again and again, Ye Ran quietly lifted a hand, wanting to touch Shen Shi’s silver hair.
The instant his fingertips brushed it, a low chuckle sounded between their intertwined lips and teeth.
“Don’t touch.”
Ye Ran’s eyes flickered guiltily. He became even more earnest and obedient, his mouth going numb.
Shen Shi remained unmoved, unhurriedly stroking his back. He pressed his forehead to Ye Ran’s and looked into his watery eyes, laughing softly as he said, “Only boyfriends can touch.”
“Are you dating me or not, Ranran?”
……
In the end, Shen Shi was still called away by Professor Zhang’s life-threatening barrage of calls.
Because Professor Zhang had already made it to the small plaza, if Shen Shi didn’t leave with him, Professor Zhang would probably start using a loudspeaker to look for him.
Shen Shi clicked his tongue impatiently, hugged Ye Ran, coaxed him a couple of times, but Ye Ran had firm boundaries: he’d allow kisses, allow hugs, but wouldn’t give a promise.
Shen Shi was so exasperated he laughed. He didn’t even take off the silver wig, kept it on as he left, earning Ye Ran’s lingering, reluctant gaze.
After he left, Ye Ran sat alone beneath the tree, wrapped in the coat Shen Shi had draped over him. He didn’t move at all. His long lashes were dense like crow feathers, his lips red and glossy, coated with a full sheen of moisture.
An Yu searched for him for a long time. When he found him, he even thought he had a fever. He took his hand and led him away. By the time they reached a well-lit area, Ye Ran had already returned to normal, aside from lips that were still very red and very swollen, there was nothing unusual.
The two of them went together to the drama club to return the clothes, then each went home.
That night after getting home, Ye Ran lay on his bed, unable to fall asleep.
His hands itched; he wanted to draw.
Unable to resist any longer, he got out of bed and rummaged out a small treasure box from under the bed. The box had two layers. The lower layer held baby bottles, pacifiers, Ultraman cards, and the like, things he’d collected as a child. There was even Shen Shi’s pacifier; little Shen Shi had been domineering and insisted it be kept together with his younger brother’s.
The upper layer held small items he’d collected over the years, gifts from Chen Wan, and gifts from Shen Shi. When the lid was opened, it glittered brilliantly, dazzling to the eye.
Rubies, sapphires, diamonds, little sparkles; very cute little peaches, little strawberries, little grapes from Taobao; natural salt-source agates, and so on, priced variously, the expensive ones starting at five figures, the cheap ones only a dozen yuan.
Regardless of price, they were all piled together. Ye Ran cupped his cheeks and stared with starry eyes for a long time. Thinking of Shen Shi’s equally blingbling silver hair, he took a deep breath, his heart still itching.
For a collector, nothing is more important than blingbling.
Spoiled by several adults over the years, whatever shiny thing he wanted would be bought and given to him. Shen Shi also liked to use his prize money to buy him gemstones to play with. Growing up immersed in sparkles, Ye Ran found it harder and harder to part with them, and more and more intoxicated by them.
Now he had discovered something even more captivating than all the sparkles combined, silver-haired Shen Shi, so bewitching it threw him into utter confusion, the feelings he’d forced down in his heart seeming to trickle out through this opening.
No, that won’t do.
Ye Ran shook his head, trying to calm himself down.
Shen Shi is Shen Shi. Gems are gems.
The two cannot be mixed together.
His head was a mess. With a sense of regret, he fell asleep and even had a dream.
The dream was bizarre and fantastical. He seemed to be walking on a single-log bridge over surging waters. The little treasure box in his hands fell in. Before he could panic, an old grandpa appeared in the river.
The old grandpa kindly asked him, “Did you drop this black-haired Shen Shi, this blond-haired Shen Shi, or this silver-haired Shen Shi?”
Three Shen Shis with black hair, blond hair, and silver hair floated in the air, handsome as deities, looking down at him.
Being stared at like that made Ye Ran blush and his heart race. Suppressing his guilt, he obediently said, “I dropped all of them.”
All three Shen Shis let out cold laughs at the same time. The scene shifted, and he found himself trapped in a pitch-dark, profound cave, like a gemstone hidden away by an evil dragon, bare and unclothed, only draped in cicada-wing-thin golden gauze.
The three Shen Shis pressed over him, playing with him, each one asking which Shen Shi he liked, viciously forcing him to give an answer.
Ye Ran: “……”
Too hard!!!
He jolted awake. Ye Ran was drenched in sweat, breathing rapidly as he looked around. Dawn was just breaking at the horizon. Thin mist shrouded the world. In the bedroom, the curtains were lifted by the morning breeze; the air-conditioner’s fan blades swung, emitting a soft hum. Everything felt quiet and warm.
Only Ye Ran clutched his chest, his earlobes so red they seemed ready to drip blood.
…What kind of dream was that.
So annoying.
Today was Friday, the last day of the week.
It was still club day, no classes.
Ye Ran didn’t go to his club in the morning. Sleepy, he collapsed in the art studio to catch up on sleep, dozing heavily, and even got teased a couple of times by An Yu.
When he woke again, it was already past ten.
His throat was uncomfortably dry. Groggily, he climbed off the sofa, twisted open a bottle of mineral water, and took a sip.
At ten-thirty, everyone had to go together to the third-floor classroom to hand in their paintings.
The teacher had specifically @-mentioned every student in the group, including Ye Ran, about twenty people in total.
It was already 10:19. Ye Ran slowly got up, put on his shoes, and took his painting downstairs. By the time he reached the classroom, most people were already there. The teacher was on the platform checking them one by one. The class was silent as cicadas in winter, everyone on edge. An Yu twisted her face in agony and waved at Ye Ran.
Ye Ran handed in his painting and sat down beside An Yu.
Their seats were by the window along the corridor side, giving a clear view of the hallway imprinted with tree shadows. The sunlight on the third floor was just right, a gentle breeze blowing, utterly quiet.
The teacher finished reviewing the twenty paintings quickly, swept an expressionless gaze around the class, called out a few names, and told them to redo their work and hand it in Monday afternoon.
The students whose names were called turned ashen. Ye Ran was also uneasy. After waiting a while longer and confirming the teacher wasn’t calling any more names, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Before that breath could fully leave him, the class suddenly erupted into chaos.
An Yu hissed, abruptly yanking at Ye Ran’s sleeve, so startled he couldn’t even get his words out properly. “I—I’ll be d*mned? Is that Shen Shi?”
The nerves seemed to be gently plucked.
Ye Ran’s eyelid twitched. He lifted his head and, through the glass window, saw the figure walking unhurriedly from the end of the corridor.
The midday sunlight was at its most scorching, dappled as it spilled across one side of the hallway.
Shen Shi wore a tall, fitted training outfit, walking out from the scattered points of light. The pitch-black fabric at his shoulders was illuminated with flowing golden sheen. One hand was tucked into his pocket, and at his wrist he still wore a pure white wristband.
The sultry wind brushed past his cheek. His expression was, as always, cold and distant, black eyes like ink, hair like silver snow, a tall and superior nose bridge. Beneath the silver-gray bangs, a black headband was tied.
Those lightly drooping eyelids with deep creases lifted slightly, catching Ye Ran’s shocked gaze head-on. Gone was yesterday’s irritability and impatience; Shen Shi, returned to normal, was even more unfathomable, harder to deal with.
The teacher announced dismissal.
Ye Ran drifted out of the classroom like a wandering soul. Shen Shi leaned against the wall, lowered his head, and said to him, “Go eat in the art studio.”
Ye Ran raised no objections and followed him step by step up to the fifth floor.
The food had already been placed inside the art studio.
After entering, Shen Shi was about to speak when Ye Ran grabbed his hand first. Shen Shi froze, caught off guard as he met Ye Ran’s clear, calm gaze. “Big Brother, can you dye your hair?”
Ye Ran’s heart was beating fast, his brow tightly furrowed. He looked at the silver hair with distress, without a trace of fascination. “Are athletes allowed to dye their hair?”
Shen Shi paused. After a long while, he gave a slightly weary “Mm.”
Last night, in order to dye his hair, he had found a twenty-four-hour salon. The process took a long time, from ten thirty until the early morning. Only then did he finally finish dyeing it and go home to rest briefly.
Ye Ran was searching for relevant information on his phone. Shen Shi was somewhat helpless; with a casual hook of his arm, he pulled him into his embrace. His breathing was warm and low, gently nuzzling the side of Ye Ran’s neck, like a big cat lost in catnip, languid and tired.
“It’s fine, athletes dyeing their hair is normal,” he said.
Internationally, many well-known athletes behaved unrestrainedly: makeup, dyed hair, manicures, and so on. Aside from sports that had explicit written rules forbidding such behavior during competitions, the rest were not prohibited.
Competitions judged skill, not hair color.
Ye Ran also found the answer. After confirming it wouldn’t have any impact, he finally relaxed. His subtly tense body melted away, Shen Shi’s arm locked around his waist pressing him closer into his embrace. His gaze went blank for quite a while.
When he came back to himself, Shen Shi’s swaying bangs appeared in his sight.
Silver-colored, blingbling.
Without adrenaline stimulation, Shen Shi’s rationality took the upper hand, lazy, casual, composed. Seeing Ye Ran like it, he reached out sneakily, withdrew his hand, reached out again, withdrew it again. He chuckled softly, indulgently lowering his head to let Ye Ran touch.
Ye Ran was so excited his breathing nearly stopped. His eyes shone brightly as both hands went up.
The hair was smooth, silver-gray toned, not that bright, leaning dark. Yet for some reason, it struck straight at Ye Ran’s heart, leaving it tingling and itchy. He couldn’t help but wrap his arms around Shen Shi’s neck and press close to him.
The soft flesh of his cheek was kissed. Shen Shi lowered his head slightly and carefully kissed his earlobe and neck again.
Ye Ran shrank his neck, wanting to dodge.
Being intimate with Shen Shi seemed like an innate skill he was born with.
Whether being held by Shen Shi like a teddy bear, or being kissed on the cheek, the brow, or anywhere at all.
Their souls seemed naturally compatible.
Such over-the-line, ambiguous actions had, over every tiny moment of these years, silently degenerated. So he only dodged once; after confirming that Shen Shi truly wanted to kiss him, Ye Ran hesitated for a few seconds, then still opened his mouth.
Soft laughter sounded between entwined lips and teeth.
Shen Shi stroked his back again and again, helping him catch his breath, feeding him air. Ye Ran’s hand was still threaded through his hair, curiously and unabashedly touching it again and again.
Gradually, Shen Shi bent down, kissing him more deeply. Ye Ran no longer had a chance to breathe. His pupils scattered and unfocused, his fingertips trembling lightly as he grabbed Shen Shi’s hair in a messy tug, finally letting out a choked sob.
“…Do we date or not?”
Tears were brushed away by light kisses. Shen Shi lowered his eyes, looking at him heavily, and said in a low, slow voice, “If we date, then in the future I’ll dye my hair gold, blue, every color for you to see.”
Using hair dye to coax a wife could be said to be forging a unique path.
Ye Ran felt a shameful flutter of temptation.
“…Even green?” he asked tentatively.
Shen Shi lifted his eyelids and gently kneaded the soft cartilage at the back of his neck. “All up to you.”
Ye Ran drew in a breath.
His eyes were rippling, clear and moist, like a lake shimmering with spring light, reflecting Shen Shi’s handsome, youthful brows and eyes.
He felt he shouldn’t be coaxed away by promises like dyed hair.
But Shen Shi was looking at him so earnestly.
He thought about why he hadn’t agreed last night, wanting to use last night’s considerations to get through it.
But the reason he had been silent and cautious last night was because he knew that Shen Shi after exercise was impulsive and unruly, uncontrollable, speaking and acting entirely on momentary likes and dislikes.
It wasn’t that he had rejected Shen Shi; it was that fear had arisen in his heart, fear that the feelings he hid deep inside would be discovered.
But the Shen Shi now was clear-headed.
Clear-headedly saying he wanted to date him.
Ye Ran was momentarily at a loss. “Big Brother, do you like me?”
Shen Shi smiled slightly and said very softly, “I like you.”
“I’ve liked you for many years.”
From the first stirrings of love until now, he had stubbornly forced his way into Ye Ran’s life, like a giant dragon guarding its precious treasure. He wanted to live inseparably with Ye Ran, wanted to do all the intimate things time allowed with Ye Ran.
They had grown up together since childhood; it was only right that they grow old together.
As lovers, as legal partners.
He wanted Ye Ran’s past, present, and future.
Even if this would be a tug-of-war, he still wanted Ye Ran to clearly know that he loved him.
Feelings should not be forced.
But he insisted on forcing them.
He had no way to proceed step by step, and no way to gently boil a frog.
These years of patient, suppressed waiting were already enough.
He had to… had to have Ye Ran.
His gaze darkened. If Ye Ran looked up now, he would probably be surprised to find that the current Shen Shi was no different from last night at all, the same cold, sharp pupils, constricting like pinholes, harboring deep, gloomy delusions. From beginning to end, such a gaze lingered only on Ye Ran alone.
And was only discovered, worried over, and soothed by him alone.
He was wrapped by Shen Shi in candy-like lies, passively steering Shen Shi’s emotional rises and falls, feeding a tiger with his own body, naive and muddled, full of attachment.
The air grew quiet.
Shen Shi’s deep-black gaze fixed on a point in the void. A familiar scent suddenly drew near. His neck was encircled by long, soft arms. The youth gently rubbed against his cheek, pursing soft, moist lips, eyes warm and gentle, murmuring by his ear, “…Actually, I’ve liked you for a long time too.”
Shen Shi’s expression froze; his breathing suddenly grew rapid and disordered.
His strong arms tightened instinctively. Ye Ran behaved very well and didn’t cry out in pain, instead carrying a little secret joy at his crush coming true. Nestled in his embrace, he tilted his head up obediently to look at him, touching his silver hair.
“This counts as mutual secret love, right?”
A low, hoarse laugh spilled from Shen Shi’s throat. Holding him, he nodded.
Ye Ran blinked. “Then when will you dye your hair gold for me to see?”
Shen Shi froze.
Ye Ran was brimming with anticipation. He wriggled his waist in Shen Shi’s arms, wanting to climb up and play with his hair. “Or I’ll buy you wigs to wear? One of every color.”
Shen Shi: “……”
Shen Shi quietly looked at him, lowered his head, and kissed him.
Ye Ran made two muffled sounds and was soon pressed into the sinking beanbag sofa, kissed until he was utterly disoriented, only able to shed tears.
From three years old to seventeen, Shen Shi had already fused into Ye Ran’s bones and blood.
If he truly had to love someone for the rest of his life.
He hoped it would be Shen Shi, who had accompanied him from innocence to youth.
Just as Shen Shi hoped it would be him.
They had always been each other’s only choice.
