The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 62

They had kissed before, but it was almost always initiated—or even forced—by Cen Xiao. Li Rong rarely cooperated.

A kiss was more than the mere meeting of lips. Without atmosphere and emotion, no matter how passionate it appeared, it was little more than an empty pretense.

Li Rong wasn’t devoid of desire; he had simply built a fortress around himself, blocking out anything that could bring him joy.

This was the first time he initiated a kiss with Cen Xiao, the first time he controlled its rhythm. A subtle sense of dominance began to rise within him, and a flicker of excitement quickly grew, consuming his rationale.

For the first time, he could understand the thrill Cen Xiao must have felt in the past—pressing him down and taking what he wanted.

People are like that—when they like someone, they want to possess them.

Cen Xiao froze for a few seconds. Hearing Li Rong’s unsteady breathing and firm demand brought him back to his senses. He gripped Li Rong’s slender back tightly and kissed him back with force. Their warm breaths intertwined slowly, before growing heated and aggressive.

The swinging chair was far from an ideal place for intimacy, especially for Li Rong.

Kneeling with one knee on the swing, all his balance rested on Cen Xiao’s shoulders. Such an unstable position left him vulnerable to Cen Xiao taking control.

Li Rong opened his eyes slightly, strands of sweat-dampened hair brushing against his temples. He tugged at Cen Xiao’s collar, pulling back just a bit. A faint blush spread across his neck, glistening with the sheen of sweat, and a single bead trailed down his skin before disappearing into his T-shirt.

He murmured stubbornly, “I told you to respond… not to take the lead!”

He had a feeling that if he didn’t assert control soon, Cen Xiao would easily pin him down on the swing.

Though his physical strength had mostly recovered, he still couldn’t match Cen Xiao. If he couldn’t win in action, he’d fight with words.

He knew Cen Xiao was still caught between surprise and hesitation. Now was the best time to coax him—Cen Xiao would instinctively go along with anything he said.

Especially since Cen Xiao seemed to be playing along, even dressing in a coat that resembled a lab coat—something he had always secretly adored seeing Li Rong wear.

Cen Xiao’s breathing was heavy, his gaze fixed on Li Rong’s glistening lips.

When Li Rong panted lightly, his mouth would part slightly, revealing his neat, white teeth.

In moments of heightened emotion, Li Rong would unconsciously flick his tongue against his teeth.

Cen Xiao steadied his thoughts. The confusion in his eyes cleared, and he gently ran his fingers through Li Rong’s soft sideburns, asking quietly, “Why…”

Why would he initiate a kiss on this particular day?

Fragments of memories flashed through Cen Xiao’s mind—scuffed wooden floors with pale yellow streaks, shattered ceramic jars, the harsh sound of a bookshelf being dragged, slamming doors, the wild tangle of Xiao Muran’s unkempt hair, and the faint crow’s feet at the corners of Cen Qing’s eyes. All those pieces seemed to collapse into dust, leaving only the vivid warmth of Li Rong’s touch and fervor.

Desire and longing were impossible to hide. Finally, Cen Xiao saw in Li Rong’s eyes a passionate, urgent need to embrace him.

Li Rong used the moment to adjust his position, ensuring he wouldn’t lose balance and forfeit the upper hand.

Misinterpreting the earlier question, he smirked mischievously and let his hand trail down to lightly graze Cen Xiao’s earlobe. His almond-shaped eyes lifted as he declared with unapologetic confidence, “Because I’m the one taking the lead.”

Li Rong had meant to exude pride and dominance, but the watery shimmer in his eyes betrayed a softer allure, making his tone sound almost coquettish.

Cen Xiao knew Li Rong had misunderstood, but he didn’t bother to explain.

Lowering his gaze, Cen Xiao let a slight smile curl his lips.

“That won’t do.”

With those words, he took advantage of Li Rong’s momentary distraction and pulled him down, causing Li Rong to tumble onto him. Without giving him a chance to steady his breath, Cen Xiao seized the moment and bit his lower lip.

A faint sting spread across Li Rong’s lip, mingling with the creaking of the swing and the fluttering curtains. The atmosphere in the dimly lit room became increasingly heated.

Li Rong faintly heard the clinking of glasses from the adjacent room, as well as the occasional tapping of a small beetle against the dim yellow lamp above them.

Narrowing his eyes, Li Rong tensed his lips and bit back, harder this time. Cen Xiao winced slightly at the sharp pain.

Li Rong refused to be at a disadvantage again. Last time, he had been at Cen Xiao’s mercy; this time, their dynamic had to change completely.

“No? Then no more kissing.”

Feigning annoyance, Li Rong got up, stepping over Cen Xiao’s knees as though to leave.

The hem of his long coat brushed against Cen Xiao’s hand as he moved, the metal zipper jingling slightly.

The coat was a hindrance, dragging open behind him like a white tail.

Cen Xiao reached out and grabbed the corner of the coat, pulling Li Rong back.

“You think you get to decide?”

Without a hint of repentance, Cen Xiao pinned Li Rong back onto the swing and tauntingly added, “Too bad, I don’t listen that well.”

Li Rong tilted his head slightly, bearing some of Cen Xiao’s weight. For now, there was no escape.

Cen Xiao braced a hand against the back of Li Rong’s neck, shielding him from the hard chair frame. Li Rong’s soft, damp hair fell through his fingers, curling slightly at the ends.

Li Rong’s slender, pale fingers gripped the edge of the swing, pressing so tightly his knuckles turned white, sweat slicking his palms.

His ring finger futilely scraped against the polished wooden surface, unable to find any grip, leaving only the soft sound of nails brushing against the waxed wood.

The veins on the back of his hand, a delicate shade of blue-green, lightly pressed against his pale skin, carrying a surging signal straight through his bloodstream to his heart.

After several minutes of struggle, Li Rong finally gave up, letting his strength dissipate.

His fingernails, which had turned blood-red from the pressure, regained their normal hue as he slackened his grip, and his soft fingertips rested lazily. He began to surrender to Cen Xiao’s lead in the kiss, like a languid and contented cat, simply waiting to receive affection.

Nearby, a lone spring roll remained untouched on the plate, exuding a faint aroma.

Its edges, having lost their moisture, curled slowly inward, resembling shy and demure petals retreating from the warm glow of the lamp above.

Li Rong couldn’t recall how long they had indulged in their wanton kiss until the sound of the private room’s door latch turning interrupted them. The waiter, obliviously pushing the door open, announced loudly, “Here to refill your lemon water!”

Li Rong felt as though he’d been dropped into a boiling pot, springing out of Cen Xiao’s embrace in an instant. His knee accidentally knocked against the swing seat, and the pain forced him to clench his teeth and shut his eyes tightly.

“Hiss…”

The waiter glanced at the barely touched spring roll and then at the brimming pitcher of cucumber lemon water. In a quiet voice, he asked, “…Would you still like a refill?”

Li Rong let out a shaky breath and waved his hand. “No, bring me a bowl of pho with train-head broth and a plate of shrimp stir-fried with fish sauce.”

The spring roll clearly wasn’t enough, though he hadn’t planned to order so soon.

The waiter, looking as though he was walking on hot coals, hastily left after taking Li Rong’s order.

Once the door closed, Li Rong clutched his knee, bending over in visible agony.

Cen Xiao cleared his throat lightly, pulled Li Rong’s leg over, and rolled up the loose pant leg. “Let me take a look.”

Li Rong’s fragile capillaries often left his body bruised and battered from the slightest impact. Sure enough, the pain he felt now guaranteed an ugly bruise was forming.

Glancing at the injury, Li Rong estimated it would take over a week for the mark to fade completely.

Cen Xiao placed his palm over the bruise, gently kneading the area. “Why the rush?”

Li Rong, sweating from the pain, muttered, “For dignity’s sake.”

After a moment of soothing pressure, Li Rong began to adapt to the dull ache.

He exhaled, licked his parched lips, leaned against the swing’s backrest, and mischievously wiggled his ankle on Cen Xiao’s knee. Raising an eyebrow, he teased, “Hey, happy birthday?”

Li Rong’s skin, untouched by sunlight for months, was pale and smooth. Even his ankle, with its rounded bone and taut, graceful muscle, seemed delicate.

Cen Xiao’s hand paused as his gaze fell to Li Rong’s subtly moving ankle. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he responded in a low voice, “Happy birthday.”

From now on, every year on this day, this scene would be etched into his memory.