This place is very willful, capricious, and self-contradictory, trying by every means to get your attention.
Those eyes, hidden in the darkness, quietly widened.
Was it surprise? Ji Xun promptly captured this scene in his eyes. He stared intently at Huo Ranyin, wanting to discern more than just surprise on his face, but the darkness was like a layer of tailor-made light gauze, fitting perfectly over Huo Ranyin’s face, preventing him from seeing what he wanted to see on that blurry countenance.
For example… Huo Ranyin’s shy expression.
“You’re full of sweet talk today,” Huo Ranyin said. He noticed his voice was a bit dry and tried to swallow to moisten his throat. “Are you planning to stop being a mystery novelist and switch to writing romance novels?”
“Maybe,” Ji Xun pretended to think about it. “If I wrote a romance novel, would you read it?”
“Depends on if you write it well,” Huo Ranyin said picky.
“Like what I said just now,” Ji Xun asked with a smile, “do you like it?”
Huo Ranyin suddenly fell silent.
Ji Xun took the opportunity to free a hand, insert the room card into the slot to power the room, and banish the darkness.
The light flashed on. Warm yellow light, accompanied by the “whoosh—” of the air conditioner, poured down like water. The sudden change from dark to light made Ji Xun feel a moment of discomfort, and he squinted his eyes slightly.
It was in that instant.
Huo Ranyin, who had been standing straight, suddenly softened, burying his face in Ji Xun’s shoulder. With his face completely buried, Ji Xun could, of course, no longer observe whether Huo Ranyin’s cool, serene face was as serene as usual.
But the man had thrown himself into his arms…
Ji Xun raised his hand, wanting to embrace Huo Ranyin.
It was a very simple action, and not the first time he had done it, but his raised hand hesitated, unable to come down.
Was it because…
A little bit…
Ji Xun’s hand hovered in the air for a moment, then nonchalantly changed direction. Instead of wrapping around Huo Ranyin’s rarely softened waist and back, it went to Huo Ranyin’s ear.
He lifted Huo Ranyin’s hair, tucking it away to reveal a bright red ear.
The red ear twitched.
“Your ear is red,” Ji Xun cleared his throat and said.
“…It’s cold,” Huo Ranyin answered with a muffled voice.
“Mm, the entryway is indeed a bit cold,” Ji Xun said understandingly. “Then let’s go sit on the sofa and enjoy the breeze from the air conditioner.”
He had already properly withdrawn his hand.
Other than touching Huo Ranyin’s hair, this hand hadn’t touched any other part of Huo Ranyin’s body.
Huo Ranyin unconsciously bit his lip.
He didn’t feel cold. Qin City was his hometown, after all. The chill that might be unbearable for outsiders was, for him, just right and familiar.
Moreover, any amount of coldness would quietly change with one’s will upon seeing the person they wanted to see, turning into heat that coursed through the body with the blood.
Heat and restlessness.
Rather than his ear being red from the cold, it was red from the heat.
He was a little unsure how to vent his current feelings… he could only listen to Ji Xun’s voice ringing in his ear, listen to each and every word Ji Xun spoke.
These words were like round, lustrous pearls. When spoken, they first fell into a honey pot, getting coated in a layer of sweetness; then they rolled into a pool of colored sprinkles, picking up a circle of beauty.
The ear was like a tongue that had tasted something delicious, filled with immense satisfaction.
Huo Ranyin didn’t answer Ji Xun for a long time.
He didn’t know how to answer to appear normal.
In the end, he said nothing.
He secretly snuggled up to Ji Xun.
Cheek lightly touched cheek. The heat was like an electric shock, numbing on contact.
Immediately, Huo Ranyin quickly let go of Ji Xun, walked over to the sofa, and sat down.
Ji Xun was a beat slower. He first raised his hand, touching the lingering softness on his cheek, then saw Huo Ranyin’s fleeting red lips, as gorgeous as rose petals.
After a few breaths, a slightly calmer Ji Xun walked from the entryway into the room and came to the mini-bar.
There were various drinks here.
He first boiled a kettle of water, and as if making small talk, or perhaps genuinely curious, he said:
“Why did you come at this time? The Lantern Festival holiday isn’t here yet, is it?”
Indeed, it wasn’t. Today was only the 13th of the lunar month, still two days until the Lantern Festival.
“You’ve lost track of the days, haven’t you?” Huo Ranyin said. “When you used to work, did you get a holiday for the Lantern Festival?”
“That’s true…”
The mineral water in the kettle heated up, and small bubbles began to form.
“Then that makes even less sense. How did you have time to come over?” said Ji Xun.
“You were kidnapped before, and someone escaped in that case. Chief Zhou was concerned about you, worried you might be in danger, so he sent me to check on you,” Huo Ranyin said lightly.
The small bubbles turned into fish-eye bubbles and began to make gurgling, urging sounds.
Ji Xun turned off the kettle. As he poured the water, he looked back at Huo Ranyin and saw his fair, clean face.
He really lies without blushing, he mused. What kind of important person was he to warrant Chief Zhou’s concern? It must have been Huo Ranyin who was concerned about him, submitted an application, and Chief Zhou approved it…
He brought the steaming water to Huo Ranyin.
“Here, warm up. Be careful, it’s hot.”
Huo Ranyin glanced at the cup but didn’t reach for it. He was already hot enough; he didn’t need any external force to add more heat. But even without external forces…
He first looked at Ji Xun sitting opposite him, then at the bed behind Ji Xun.
A large bed with a high mattress.
On the white sheets lay a gold-fringed sash, embroidered with Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
The pillows were also high, high and soft, four of them, enough even if two people were to share…
Huo Ranyin blinked with difficulty.
The bed behind Ji Xun seemed to have a dazzling light, or perhaps a hidden magnet, firmly attracting his gaze.
That heat, like being soaked in a hot spring, a buoyancy that almost made him float, was about to fill his body.
Doing it is fine, no problem at all.
Huo Ranyin thought.
It’s just an advanced stage of comfort for both of them, a respite that allows him to temporarily relax from his stimulating and busy work, a sweet fruit that he can savor and enjoy alone… something he calmly, dominantly participates in.
Not today.
Today—it was too hot.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“What temperature did you set it to?” Huo Ranyin asked abruptly.
“Huh?” Ji Xun was taken aback. “The air conditioner? It’s set by the hotel, 28°C. What’s wrong?”
Nothing was wrong.
It was just hot enough to melt his senses.
“Have you eaten tonight?” Huo Ranyin changed the subject stiffly.
“Um…” Ji Xun said, “Not yet.”
“Good, I haven’t eaten either. Let’s go out.” He stood up, not giving Ji Xun a chance to refuse, buttoned up his coat, and walked out the door.
Ji Xun could only follow.
Although both of them had left the hotel room, their real purpose wasn’t to eat. So they had a simple meal at the hotel restaurant, after which Huo Ranyin again suggested going for a walk.
A walk was fine.
Ji Xun didn’t object. It was only when they left the hotel and passed by a department store that he went in and bought two earmuffs, one Mickey Mouse and one Donald Duck.
Ji Xun wore the Mickey Mouse one himself and handed the Donald Duck one to Huo Ranyin.
“Weren’t your ears cold in the hotel just now? Wear this.”
Huo Ranyin held the Donald Duck earmuff and looked at it for a long time: “What are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything,” Ji Xun said leisurely, putting on his earmuffs and sticking his hands in his pockets. “Do I look like the kind of person who would buy you a duck to imply you’re ‘stubborn as a dead duck’?”
“…”
“Definitely not,” Ji Xun said. “Let’s go, let’s go for a stroll.”
Leaving the department store, they walked along the road. Qin City in February was still cold. Being near the sea, the biting cold was mixed with the dampness of the water.
Ji Xun breathed out a puff of white air. On the dark, misty road ahead, there were many lights: streetlights, Lantern Festival lanterns, and the light from the lighthouse on the beach.
They followed these lights, walking straight ahead. As they walked, the rustling sound of the sea waves became more and more distinct. By the time they realized it, the salty, cold sea breeze was already hitting their faces. The ground was stones and sand, ahead were the waves, and beside them stood a tall, white lighthouse, still striking in the dark night.
There had been hardly anyone on their walk, but here, they saw people.
They were couples in twos and threes. There weren’t many people, and gathered under the lighthouse, they made it seem even taller.
“Lover’s Lighthouse,” Huo Ranyin suddenly said. “How did we end up here?”
“It’s bright here,” Ji Xun looked around. “Humans have phototaxis. As you walk, you naturally end up here. Why are they all taking pictures?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of sea wind howled past. Amidst the suddenly louder sound of the waves, the startled cries of pairs of men and women rang out. Then, those men and women instantly huddled together, the men holding the women’s hands, shielding them.
“…Because there’s a story here,” Huo Ranyin said. He turned his head, his gaze falling to Ji Xun’s hand.
Was Ji Xun’s hand cold?
If he suddenly reached out and held it now… would it seem very strange?
He secretly considered it.
“Legend has it that if you take a picture here, you’ll be blessed by the Lover’s Lighthouse. Your lover’s love for you will forever be like the lighthouse, eternally bright in the darkness.”
“Good slogan,” Ji Xun commented.
He thought for a moment, then suddenly looked at Huo Ranyin.
Huo Ranyin, who had been looking at Ji Xun, immediately averted his gaze, pretending to be calm to explain away his words that sounded like an implication: “It’s the tourism bureau’s work, just to generate revenue. Nothing credible about it.”
His attempt to change the subject didn’t seem to work. The other person only asked him: “Are you cold?”
Huo Ranyin’s heart skipped a beat. He instantly realized how he should answer.
“I’m… not cold.”
But his mouth still spoke the truth. He quietly clenched his fist.
Ji Xun said matter-of-factly, “I’m cold.”
He stretched out his arms and hugged Huo Ranyin, pulling him into his embrace. Huo Ranyin was slightly shorter than him, so when he hugged him, the earmuffs were right next to his lips.
One ear was a duck’s head, the other a duck’s butt. The duck’s bill was flat, the duck’s tail fluffy. The fluffy fur trembled in the cold wind, adding a touch of cuteness to Huo Ranyin’s frosty face.
At this moment, he suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
He watched for a long time, so long that he let out a soft laugh, then raised his hand to rub the fluffy tail:
“I didn’t buy the wrong one. This really suits you.”
He leaned in close to Huo Ranyin’s fluffy ear and asked in a whisper, “Compared to the slogan, the sea breeze is more like a matchmaker. That’s why all these couples come one after another, don’t you think?”
“…”
A wave of heat shot up from his ear. The earmuffs were excessively warm. He wanted to feel some cold wind, but not a single wisp could get in. It only played like a mischievous child in his hair, repeatedly curling and uncurling it… and repeatedly sending Ji Xun’s scent to his nose.
He wanted to say no, but his tongue still didn’t follow his will, honestly mumbling, “Probably.”
He wanted to bite his tongue.
Fortunately, Ji Xun didn’t press further. The other person just said: “The scenery here is indeed nice. Since everyone is taking pictures, why don’t we do the same?”
Huo Ranyin felt a temporary reprieve. He quietly let out a sigh of relief, then came to his senses and quickly tried to stop him:
“Wait, Ji Xun…”
But it was too late. Ji Xun had already gone ahead, handing his phone to a young girl passing by, asking her to help take a picture of him and Huo Ranyin.
Then Ji Xun returned to Huo Ranyin’s side, took off both his and Huo Ranyin’s earmuffs, and stood with him in front of the camera.
“You dare to hand out your phone now?” What’s done was done, so Huo Ranyin didn’t seriously refuse, but his words were pointed and sarcastic.
“What’s there to be afraid of? Even if I hand out my phone a hundred more times,” Ji Xun said, “won’t I still have you by my side?”
Huo Ranyin froze. The next second, his palm grew warm. Ji Xun intertwined their fingers, then raised their joined hands to his lips and gently kissed them.
“Click!”
The flash lit up in an instant. The sparkling light created a halo, star-like specks, and the shimmering autumn waves in a lover’s charming eyes.
Not only was Huo Ranyin stunned by Ji Xun’s action, but even the young girl taking the picture was flustered by the scene, her face blushing in the cold wind.
Ji Xun smiled at her, raised a finger to his lips, and made a “shh” sound: “It’s a secret, okay?”
“Mhm, mhm, don’t worry, I don’t know you, and I won’t tell…” The girl blushed, nodded quickly, and returned the phone to Ji Xun.
Only then did Ji Xun return to Huo Ranyin’s side.
Huo Ranyin was still in the same spot, but he had turned slightly, his body hidden in the shadows.
He asked Ji Xun, “Before, you wouldn’t even let the phone listen in, and now you can be so public?”
“I don’t want to be like this either,” Ji Xun sighed, took Huo Ranyin’s hand, and pressed it against his own chest, over his chaotic heartbeat. “But this place is very willful, capricious, and self-contradictory, trying by every means to get your attention. What do you think I should do?”
“…”
Thump-thump-thump.
Thump-thump-thump.
Huo Ranyin felt Ji Xun’s heartbeat, and he also felt his own. His arm was like a magpie bridge, carrying messages, connecting two frantically beating hearts.
Liar.
He suddenly became annoyed.
They had clearly left the hotel… but it hadn’t gotten any colder at all!
