Su Tangâs sleep was unruly, and he tended to be inclined to roll about atop the blanket. Sometimes heâd wake up from the cold to find the room a mess, with his blanket strewn messily across the floor. Apparently, heâd have kicked it away in the middle of the night because he never slept well.
No matter where he slept, he couldnât get rid of this bad habit.
Today was no different. Su Tang shifted twice in Qian Zhuâs arms before suddenly kicking his little leg around and sending the blanket to his feet. Only then did Su Tang manage to continue sleeping comfortably. Under the impression that heâd gotten too warm, Qian Zhu refrained from laying the blanket back on Su Tang.
It wasnât long before the cold crept in again, and Su Tang, still in a daze, had no idea where his blanket had disappeared toâonly that there was a warm presence beside him. He snuggled deeper into Qian Zhuâs arms until he found the cosiest position, and then he stuck his leg between Qian Zhuâs. His mouth was open and his eyebrows were furrowed. He looked like a little chick that had almost frozen to death.Â
Then Qian Zhu finally reacted. He reached out to rub Su Tangâs little foot, which was ice-cold. It appeared he was freezing. He covered Su Tang with the blanket before pulling that leg out from between his.
Still, Su Tang refused to comply. Even though Qian Zhu helped him adjust his posture, he immediately reverted to his original one and was even more defiant this time. He hooked his leg tightly around Qian Zhuâs waist, causing Qian Zhuâs breathing to quicken.
Young people were like that; outwardly, they were innocent and in love, but inwardly, they were completely different. When two young people shared a bed, they were bound to get excited unconsciously, especially when the other was being particularly provocative. It was hard to control.
Though Qian Zhu took in a sharp breath, his heart continued to race. It was late at night, and the room was so silent he could hear the rhythm of his own hurried heartbeat. Su Tang persisted with rubbing against Qian Zhu, the experience both sweet and torturous .Â
Qian Zhu reached out to caress Su Tangâs foot. The skin was smooth and a little cold, rather like a piece of jade. He was reluctant to let go.\n
He inched his fingers ever so gently along that body, the delicate skin under his touch sending shivers of excitement down his spine. He nervously lowered his eyes and found Su Tang unfazed by his touch. In fact, he was so comfortable that his mouth was wide open; Su Tangâs carefree demeanor tugged at Qian Zhuâs heartstrings.
Qian Zhu drew closer and closer, to the point where he could feel Su Tangâs soft breathing and see his rosy lips. It seemed that if he moved even slightly, he could taste the sweetness.
However, he stopped in his tracks. The guilt from his impure thoughts was immobilising. When excitement collided with guilt, it would bring a lot of unspeakable feelings. Qian Zhu knew that he should withdraw, but he let temptation get the better of him and just quietly laid there, enjoying those magical feelings.
On a quiet, cold night, two people shared a bedâone slept soundly while the other couldnât sleep at all.
As the sun rose, Qian Zhu grew drowsier, and he eventually closed his eyes and followed Su Tang into dreamland.
Then, he had a marvellous dream.
He dreamt that he was in a peach forest, surrounded by falling petals. A subtle fragrance wafted through the air as he sauntered through that forest. There was a sense of familiarity to his surroundings; he recalled it looked a lot like the peach forest where heâd met Su Tang.
But Su Tang was nowhere to be found. He looked around, extremely anxious.
Where was his little peach? Did he lose the little peach?
Qian Zhu yelled out for Su Tang, panic gnawing at his heart. He yelled and searched for a long time before he finally heard soft sobs coming from behind a tall peach tree.\nSu Tang hugged his knees to his chest as he sat behind the tree, his eyes full of tears. With his entire body trembling, he looked especially fragile. Su Tang couldnât help but bawl upon seeing Qian Zhu, his former quiet cries quickly turning into violent sobbing. He rushed into Qian Zhuâs arms, inconsolable.Â
He cried for a long time and could barely catch his breath to tell Qian Zhu that heâd been wronged. It was as if Su Tang was blaming Qian Zhu for losing him in the forest and making him cry so embarrassingly. He cried until he was breathless, and it was hard to look at.Â
Qian Zhu apologised profusely but Su Tang kept on crying. His mind raced to find a way to console Su Tang until, in the end, he lowered his head and pressed his lips against Su Tangâs, breathing oxygen into his mouth.
Su Tang didnât reject him, his eyes wide open in shock. He looked like an innocent little deer caught in the headlights; Qian Zhu couldnât help but feel himself growing hot. Slowly, the exchange of air turned into a deep kiss. Their tongues grazed against each other and the sweetness drove Qian Zhu mad.Â
When Qian Zhu pulled away, Su Tangâs face glowed as red as a ripe peach. It was especially eye-catching. While he had stopped crying, his eyebrows were still furrowed. Qian Zhu asked him what was wrong, which prompted Su Tangâs cheeks to blush an even brighter shade of red.
When Qian Zhu was confused and suddenly lowered his head, Su Tang tried to hide himself, making him chuckle.
Qian Zhu took Su Tang into his embrace. He kissed his hair, then his eyes, and finally his neck.
Their clothes were peeled off and left scattered all over the floor, but no one went to pick them up. Soon came the sounds of low whispers and soft gasps.
After he woke up, Qian Zhuâs mind was still cloudy. It was his first spring dream1, and it caused his thoughts to be all over the place as well as giving him a great sense of shame. Qian Zhu adjusted his breathing and looked down to see Su Tangâs knee pressing against that area between his legs. He drew in a deep breath, well aware that it was moments away from standing up.
He hurriedly shut his eyes. A few moments passed before he decided to take a peek; all he did was see Su Tangâs sleeping face and he couldnât help but recount that charming dream heâd just had.
\nThe day before Qian Zhu left, heâd gone out for a while, leaving Su Tang laying in the bed with the blanket wrapped around himself. He slept for a long time, and when he woke up, it was already evening. He looked around the empty room and he couldnât help but cry.
He wept himself tired and wiped his face twice, then he closed his eyes and emptied his mind. Not long after, he heard familiar footsteps coming from outside the room.
âBaby slept so well.â Qian Zhu mumbled to himself as he leant down and quietly watched Su Tang sleep.Â
Qian Zhuâs long and watchful stare was palpable, his gaze almost enveloping Su Tang. Before Su Tang could end his sleeping charade, Qian Zhu sighed and raised a hand.
Su Tangâs heart rate increased. He was a little nervous and felt something on his own wrist. It should be a silk thread, but the feeling was a little different. Qian Zhu was fixated on tying the thread, and he adjusted it before placing Su Tangâs wrist down.
Su Tangâs heart inexplicably continued to thump inside his chest. Just as he thought Qian Zhu was done, he felt a softness brush against his face.
A hot breath caressed Su Tangâs face too quickly for him to decipher the sensation. He could barely react before Qian Zhu kissed his lips.
Su Tangâs heart skipped a beat. Unknowingly, he opened his eyes.
âYou⌠You kissed me?â He stammered, baffled.
Qian Zhu was shocked and he quickly got up. He saw Su Tangâs eyes fill with disbelief as they stared at him. Too alarmed to think, he said, âY â YesâŚâ