Gu Yuanbai came out of the shower, and Xue Yuan went in.
He closed the curtains, turned off the main lights, and turned on the bedside lamp, adjusting the air conditioning to a cooler temperature. Sitting at the foot of the bed, Gu Yuanbai dried his hair.
After a few minutes, the bathroom door opened. Xue Yuan stepped out, steam following him into the cool room.
Peeking from between his hair and towel, Gu Yuanbai couldn’t help but admire Xue Yuan’s figure. Whether in his past life or this one, Xue Yuan always had the physique Gu Yuanbai favored.
“Nice body,” he remarked appreciatively. “Come here.”
It had been a long time since he’d been intimate with anyone, especially in an equal relationship like this. For Gu Yuanbai’s body, it was a first. While his soul was experienced, his body was still new to it.
Xue Yuan wanted to act mature and considerate, to show some restraint as a grown man before his still-studying partner. But as soon as he saw Gu Yuanbai casually sitting on the bed, decades of experience evaporated. He only wanted to be a beast, to press his healthy, young partner beneath him. The youthful impulse drove his steps faster, abandoning all pretenses of maturity, leaving only a heart pounding with sincere passion.
Gu Yuanbai observed him, silently comparing Xue Yuan to his past self. They were equally matched, neither better nor worse.
At the foot of the bed was a bag of something wrapped in a black plastic bag. Xue Yuan went to retrieve it. Gu Yuanbai, curious, leaned over to take a look, feeling dazzled.
“….You spent all your money on these kinds of things?” Gu Yuanbai said, both amused and exasperated, as he pinched a small pink object from the bag. “What is this?”
Xue Yuan was a bit enthusiastic. “It’s a gift for you.”
“For me?” Gu Yuanbai asked, bewildered.
He tossed the item aside and opened another box. “You eat instant noodles every day, but you buy all these branded items, and they’re even fruit-flavored.”
He brought it to his nose for a sniff and then pulled Xue Yuan over to try it himself.
As Xue Yuan moved closer, thoughts of his boyfriend suddenly came to mind, and he paused, feeling a mix of emotions. “Has he done this with you?”
There was a strong tinge of jealousy.
“This is the first time,” Gu Yuanbai said impatiently. “After this, you’ll be my boyfriend.”
Xue Yuan’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Hurry up,” Gu Yuanbai urged.
Young bodies are like kindling, and although Gu Yuanbai originally thought it would be difficult, his body was strong and resilient. After the initial awkwardness, it became a much more enjoyable experience than he remembered.
They moved around the room, Xue Yuan carrying Gu Yuanbai, leaving marks on his shoulders and back. Xue Yuan never knew it could feel this good once his partner was healthy. Eventually, he lost control and gave in completely.
In the past, Gu Yuanbai used to scold him for being too slow and torturous, but now he wished they could go back to the old pace.
With his back arched and his muscular arms straining, Gu Yuanbai murmured, “Jiuyou—”
Xue Yuan was completely immersed, his heart filled with sweetness. “Yuanbai.”
They had originally booked the room for four hours but extended it until the next day. As the night deepened, they finally calmed down. Xue Yuan got out of bed to clean up.
“One, two, three…” Xue Yuan counted, then lifted Gu Yuanbai off the bed and found two more items on it. “Babe, sit on the sofa for a bit while I change the sheets.”
He diligently laid a mattress on the sofa before letting Gu Yuanbai sit down, then scurried off to tidy the bed. Gu Yuanbai watched him run around, too satisfied to speak.
With the return of physical strength, the pleasure also increased significantly. Everything was perfectly in sync; this kind of joy was something that could be enjoyed from time to time, even though it was a bit wasteful of the condoms.
Xue Yuan energetically changed the sheets and duvet. Gu Yuanbai, lying lazily on the sofa, asked, “How many did you use?”
“Five,” Xue Yuan replied, already pondering how to earn money quickly. “One box lasts for two rounds.”
In this lawful society, making money had to be legal.
Gu Yuanbai’s stomach growled. “I’m a bit hungry. Are you hungry?”
Xue Yuan ran over, lifted him back to the clean bed, and asked, “What do you want to eat? I’ll go buy it.”
In this moment of excitement, Xue Yuan wanted to prove himself. Gu Yuanbai didn’t want to dampen his enthusiasm and suggested some affordable food nearby. Xue Yuan, dressing quickly while memorizing the list, gave Gu Yuanbai a deep kiss before he left. “Wait for me, wife. I’ll be right back.”
The door opened and closed. Gu Yuanbai laid there for a long time before struggling to reach his phone by the bed. “What’s with calling me ‘wife’?”
Xue Yuan replied, “Behave, I’m going down the stairs. Wait for me, wife.”
Gu Yuanbai rolled his eyes and turned off his phone.
After a while, Xue Yuan suddenly called, “Yuanbai!”
“Did you just call me Jiuyou?!”
Gu Yuanbai chuckled silently and hung up again, feeling petty.
Half an hour later, Xue Yuan returned, drenched in sweat, with a table full of food. He threw himself onto the bed and hugged Gu Yuanbai tightly.
“Get up,” Gu Yuanbai pinched his ear. “You’re heavy.”
Xue Yuan, however, held him tightly, his shoulders trembling. “Yuanbai, Yuanbai…”
Gu Yuanbai’s expression softened as he patted his man’s sweat-scented hair. “Mm.”
In this strange world, with no family and unable to find his lover, poverty wasn’t the real hardship; the true suffering was the loneliness and isolation. Xue Yuan’s forced composure shattered repeatedly in front of Gu Yuanbai. He finally hugged him tightly again and carried him to the dining table.
In both his past and present lives, his wife was always the same person. He didn’t reincarnate, nor did he forget him; it was always just him.
Xue Yuan watched Gu Yuanbai eat, constantly adding food to his plate. Every bite Gu Yuanbai took filled him with satisfaction; even if he didn’t eat, he felt full.
Gu Yuanbai couldn’t help but lean over, kiss Xue Yuan’s lips, and lick them. “Eat properly.”
“Okay,” Xue Yuan said, unable to stop smiling, then suddenly turned serious. “What’s the deal with your ex-boyfriend?”
Well, after being intimate, he had adapted to the boyfriend role quite well.
Gu Yuanbai calmly ate, “Isn’t it all you?”
Xue Yuan couldn’t help but laugh again.
After dinner, a roommate called Gu Yuanbai, asking when he would return. Gu Yuanbai glanced at Xue Yuan and replied, “I’m not coming back tonight.”
Xue Yuan’s ears perked up. After Gu Yuanbai hung up, he casually remarked, “You seem to have a good relationship with your roommates.”
“Sharing a dorm, living together every day, of course, we’re close,” Gu Yuanbai said, resting his face on his hand. “Are you still attending school?”
Xue Yuan straightened his back. “I’m also a student at A University.”
Gu Yuanbai looked at him in surprise.
Xue Yuan regretted his decision to take a break from school once again and began considering the possibility of returning to classes.
His wife was right here. What was buried in the tomb was just a handful of yellow earth. Xue Yuan could avoid digging up the tomb, but he wanted to save money.
When he went out to buy food, he remembered the jade ring he gave Gu Yuanbai in his past life. His heart skipped a beat. After going through his memories of this world, he felt even more moved.
Giving a ring symbolized a proposal and signified their relationship. In his past life, not being able to openly stand with the emperor was a regret that Xue Yuan never forgot, even until his death. Now that he had the chance, Xue Yuan wanted to give him a ring as soon as possible and place it on Gu Yuanbai’s finger.
That night, when the two slept together again, they couldn’t control themselves and had another round. Looking at the box, Xue Yuan put aside his thoughts of buying a ring and realized that his priority should be saving money for condoms.
The next day, after dropping Gu Yuanbai off at the dormitory, Xue Yuan went to find his advisor.
Gu Yuanbai climbed the stairs slowly. After yesterday’s antics, his whole body was sore, and he relied on his good physique to take each step. When he returned to the dormitory, no one was there, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he climbed into bed.
Just as he laid down, Old Zhu and the third roommate returned, arms around each other, giving him knowing looks. “Brother Bai, how was last night?”
Gu Yuanbai showed a reminiscing expression. “Not bad.”
Xue Yuan was relentless once he let loose, and it felt great.
The dorm room filled with laughter. Gu Yuanbai coughed twice. “Alright, I’ll treat you all to a meal in a few days to celebrate being in a relationship.”
“Okay,” his roommates let him off the hook, “we’ll choose where to eat.”
Just as Gu Yuanbai was about to sleep, he remembered something and texted Xue Yuan, “Did you go back?”
Xue Yuan wanted to surprise him, so he didn’t mention his plans to return to school. “I went back. Rest well, babe. I’ll come to see you when you have no classes.”
Gu Yuanbai frowned in annoyance and subtly reminded him, “My classes are scattered throughout the week, and there aren’t many days when I’m completely free.”
“Okay,” Xue Yuan replied sweetly, “It’s fine, we can meet on the weekends.”
D*mn it.
Gu Yuanbai: “I’m going to sleep.”
Xue Yuan sent a kissing emoji, followed by a “sleep well” sticker.
Gu Yuanbai stared at the sticker for a long time before realizing that Xue Yuan didn’t want his financial support.
Yesterday, Gu Yuanbai had offered to help Xue Yuan focus on his studies. Xue Yuan, with his old-fashioned mindset, had difficulty accepting modern knowledge. University could greatly help him adapt to contemporary society. Moreover, A University was a top-tier school, and having a degree made things easier. Gu Yuanbai wanted Xue Yuan to focus on his studies without worrying about money, as he could support his man.
But Xue Yuan avoided discussing it, clearly not interested.
Gu Yuanbai felt a bit frustrated. However, in an egalitarian society, even in a relationship, one partner shouldn’t dictate what the other should do or the path they should take. He respected Xue Yuan and his choices.
Gu Yuanbai thought a lot but eventually fell asleep due to exhaustion.
When he woke up, it was already dusk. The fourth roommate had returned, and the four of them got ready to go out for dinner. “Brother Bai, do you know that guy from before?” The fourth roommate still remembered the guy from the bar. “You never mentioned him before, and you didn’t seem familiar at the bar.”
Gu Yuanbai recalled Xue Yuan’s unhappy expression when he mentioned having a boyfriend and couldn’t help but laugh. “We’ll get to know each other better over time.”
At night, lying in bed, Gu Yuanbai was wary of his roommates teasing him, so although he was on a voice call with Xue Yuan, he typed his messages.
Xue Yuan, on the other end, suddenly spoke softly, “Yuanbai, I want to hear your voice.”
Gu Yuanbai cleared his throat, but before he could speak, Xue Yuan requested, “I want to hear you moan.”
“…” Gu Yuanbai typed slowly, “I’m in the dorm.”
Xue Yuan, in a critical moment, pleaded several times, “Just once, that’s all I need.”
Gu Yuanbai had no choice. He rubbed his face, got out of bed, and headed for the door. A roommate asked, “Where are you going, Brother Bai?”
“The bathroom.” He was already on his way out.
Gu Yuanbai wandered around the bathroom. The smell alone was unbearable, and he couldn’t make any intimate sounds there. He had no choice but to climb to the sixth floor and find a secluded spot on the rooftop. Climbing up and down was exhausting. “Xue Yuan, you’re so annoying.”
Xue Yuan coaxed and pleaded, “Yuanbai, babe, please, I really want to hear you.”
Gu Yuanbai rubbed his hair, ensuring no one was around, then covered his mouth and gave an emotionless, “Ah.”
Xue Yuan almost lost his mood, “Forget it, I won’t force you.”
Gu Yuanbai pressed his lips together, feeling uncomfortable. He thought about their intense night and the lingering physical memory. Naturally, a soft moan escaped his lips.
Xue Yuan felt a shiver down his spine, “Just like that, babe.”
Gu Yuanbai had barely moaned twice before he heard Xue Yuan’s muffled groan through the headset. He realized what Xue Yuan was doing and rolled his eyes, “Aren’t you worried about kidney deficiency?”
Xue Yuan was silent for a moment, “You can try to find my weak spot.” He then sounded a bit aggrieved, “Yuanbai, I was never satisfied in my past life.”
In his past life, the young emperor was too weak, and one or two times were his limit. Xue Yuan, concerned about his health, tasted true freedom for the first time yesterday.
It was wonderful, truly wonderful. At that moment, Xue Yuan’s mind was blank, filled with stars.
Gu Yuanbai, hands in his pockets, sighed, “Alright, alright.”
He casually made a promise, “Don’t feel bad. I’ll satisfy you in the future.”
Xue Yuan couldn’t stop smiling, then suddenly asked, “Yuanbai, did you use the thing I gave you?”
Gu Yuanbai was confused, “What thing?”
Xue Yuan coughed awkwardly and mumbled, “Don’t overdo it. I’m enough for you, but if you play, call me… I want to see…”
“What are you talking about?” Gu Yuanbai was baffled, “Xue Yuan, I don’t understand you.”
Xue Yuan thought his wife was pretending, so he considerately changed the topic.
Gu Yuanbai spent three hours on the rooftop, getting bitten by mosquitoes and ending up with several bumps. Finally, before lights out, he hung up the call and sneaked back into the dormitory.
The days without seeing each other were filled with longer and longer phone calls, which was a significant improvement over ancient times. Two days passed by leisurely this way.
On Wednesday afternoon, there was a PE class combined with the neighboring department at a sports field. Gu Yuanbai had slept little the previous night, looking a bit lazy and fatigued. The boys in his class dragged him over to play basketball, but the court was occupied except for two hoops in the neighboring department’s area. The leader of their group went to negotiate and came back with a sour face. “The neighboring department has a team of sports students playing basketball, and they’ve taken the court. They said we could play with them, but how can we compete with sports students?”
The team looked around and finally focused on Gu Yuanbai.
Gu Yuanbai, always the team’s small forward and their main scorer, remained lazily indifferent. “Play, of course. They’ve invited us, so how can we refuse?”
He glanced at the other team and paused when he saw Xue Yuan standing at the front, staring intently at their side.
Narrowing his eyes, Gu Yuanbai smiled faintly. “We’re definitely winning this game.”
So this was the surprise Xue Yuan had been too busy to reveal.
With Xue Yuan on the opposing team, there was no way they could lose, right?
First, they would rely on skill. If that didn’t work, Gu Yuanbai would simply smile at him. How could they lose?
