In the early morning, the room quieted down. The little lamb was covered in the man’s bite marks from head to toe—on his chest, his buttocks, his inner thighs… 

Seth was like a carnivore that had never tasted meat, desperate to bite every inch of Fang Chen. By the end, Fang Chen had nearly passed out asleep, with only the base of his thighs still twitching and trembling uncontrollably.

The man picked him up, lowered his head, and kissed the corners of the little lamb’s tear-reddened eyes. The stimulation had been too much; even as he drew near, Fang Chen would whimper and try to hide. Even in his sleep, his eyelashes trembled wildly.

Seth whispered, “Let’s see if you’ll behave from now on.”

He carried Fang Chen to take a bath. The young man only seemed obedient when he was asleep, nestled in his arms, soft and pliant. The man looked down at him, feeling that no amount of love was ever enough. Of course, when he was being infuriating, he was truly infuriating.

After washing him clean, he tucked the little lamb into the bed. Whenever Fang Chen slept, he was like a sticky rice cake, clinging tightly to his side. The slightest movement from Seth would make the young man hold on even tighter. Seth knew this was because his little lamb lacked a sense of security. In truth, how could he have any security either? Sometimes he truly wished he could chew the little lamb up and swallow him into his belly, to meld him into his blood and bones, to fill his heart.

After a full night’s sleep, when Fang Chen woke up the next day, he almost thought he was turning into a zombie. Otherwise, why would his whole body ache as if it were about to fall apart?

The space next to him was already empty. Fang Chen pouted, a little unhappy. After tormenting him all night, Seth had the nerve to pull up his pants and run off. That was too much.

The little lamb lay on the bed, muttering curses, “Piece of shit, bastard, scumbag…”

The next second, the bedroom door opened. The little lamb clamped his mouth shut in an instant, his eyes wide as he stared at the doorway. The man walked over carrying a tray. On it was a bowl of steaming hot congee, cooked until it was soft and mushy. He saw Fang Chen looking at him and couldn’t help but smile. “Baby, you’re awake?”

Fang Chen blinked, turned his head away, and pulled the blanket up over his head.

Seth put the tray down and sat on the edge of the bed, patting the little lamb through the blanket. “Good boy, I’ll carry you to wash up, and then we’ll eat something, okay?”

Clutching the blanket tightly, Fang Chen’s voice came out muffled, “Just leave me alone. You might as well just beat me to death. You’re abusing me.”

Seth suppressed a laugh. “Is that so? Am I that bad?” His hand slid under the blanket, hooking the waistband of the little lamb’s pajama pants to pull him over. “Let me see, how bad did I beat you.”

Fang Chen struggled but couldn’t overpower him. In the end, the blanket was thrown off and his pants were pulled down for inspection. It was too humiliating. The little lamb, with tears in his eyes, clutched the sheets beneath him.

There was a cool sensation on his rear as the man’s large hand caressed it. The faint calluses on his fingertips felt a bit rough, creating a slight itch. Fang Chen couldn’t help but move, but the next second, he suddenly felt a warm, wet sensation from behind, accompanied by a brief, slight sting.

Realizing what Seth was doing, Fang Chen’s eyes went wide. “You…”

He actually! Bit his butt!!

Seth released him and looked at the tooth marks he’d left, nodding in satisfaction. “Don’t worry, baby. Your butt is fair and tender, nothing’s wrong with it.” How could he ever really hit Fang Chen? He hadn’t even used one-tenth of his strength. He was just trying to embarrass him.

The moment Seth let go, Fang Chen scrambled forward on his hands and knees. He was thin, but Seth had managed to fatten him up a little recently, and the new weight had all gone to his butt—two soft mounds that jiggled with the little lamb’s movements, now imprinted with a set of teeth marks. Seth’s teeth marks. This was his little lamb.

The sight was so blatant that Seth’s breathing grew heavier, his eyes darkening. Fang Chen fumbled to pull up his pants, turned around, and glared at Seth, cursing, “Pervert!”

The man just smiled, reached out, and pulled him into his arms. Fang Chen struggled a couple of times, but he was too weak. In the end, he could only lie limply as the man carried him to wash up.

After they were done, Seth held him and fed him the congee spoonful by spoonful. Fang Chen used the man as his backrest, lazily nestled in his embrace. He had been pounded too hard yesterday and his stomach still felt bloated. After a few bites, Fang Chen didn’t want to eat anymore.

Seth coaxed him, “Good boy, just a little more.”

Fang Chen turned his face away. “No, take it away, take it away.”

The man tried to coax him a few more times, but seeing that he really wouldn’t eat, he gave up. He lowered his head and kissed his cheek. “Do you want to sleep more?”

Fang Chen yawned. “No, I have class this afternoon.”

“Alright. Then lie on your stomach, and I’ll rub your back.”

Fang Chen quite liked it when the man massaged him. Seth’s hands were large, and his pressure was just right. Every time he pressed down, Fang Chen felt a pleasant tingle through his bones.

Overnight, the little kitten had turned back into a tiger, lying lazily on the bed while the man sat beside him giving him a massage. He propped his chin on a pillow and chatted with Jamin on his phone.

Jamin sent him a link for tickets, saying a band was having a campus concert at WK that day and asked if he wanted to join in the fun. Fang Chen loved a lively scene and immediately replied, “Yes, yes.” Then he turned to Seth and said, “I’m not having dinner with you tonight. I’m going to a concert with Jamin.”

The man’s eyes narrowed in displeasure. He was so well-behaved at the manor, clinging to him every day, but once he was let out for school, he started running all over the place again. But he didn’t say anything, just gave a faint “Mm,” and added, “Don’t be too late. I’ll come pick you up.”

At that, Fang Chen turned his head back and mumbled, “When did I agree to come back and live with you?”

Seth raised an eyebrow and gave Fang Chen’s butt a threatening pat.

The little lamb quickly said, “I’ll live here, I’ll live here!”

The corner of the man’s lip curled up. After the stick, he quickly offered a carrot. “Good. If you live here, I’ll make you whatever you want to eat. You won’t have to do laundry or any housework. You can just wait for me to serve you.”

The little lamb thought about it seriously and found himself genuinely tempted. He buried his face in the pillow, his voice muffled. “But my things are still in the dorm.”

“I’ll go get them for you.” Seth leaned down, close to his ear. “And bring my shirt back.”

“…”

After class in the afternoon, Fang Chen went to find Jamin. The moment Jamin saw him, he declared, “Seth’s back?”

Fang Chen was shocked. “How did you know?!”

Jamin shrugged. “It’s written all over your face.”

Fang Chen touched his face. “What does it say? ‘Seth’s back’? No way…” Was he that obvious?

Jamin pointed at his face. “It says, ‘well-loved by a man, and it feels great.'”

Fang Chen replied, “…” Communicating with foreigners is such a hassle. They’re too direct. He couldn’t quite handle it.

Jamin clicked his tongue twice. “This is love. Rushing back to find you right after his competition, a sweet date, and then bang, bang, bang…”

Fang Chen’s mouth twitched. He didn’t have the heart to say that Seth didn’t rush back to find him, he rushed back to do him. There was no sweet date. It was straight to the bang, bang, bang. He’d practically been banged to death.

Fang Chen’s face grew hot. He grabbed Jamin and pulled him forward. “Alright, stop talking. Didn’t you say it would be crowded tonight? Let’s go, let’s go, hurry up, or we won’t get a spot in the front.”

The band wasn’t very famous, but since it was on campus and free, the place was packed. Fang Chen was getting squeezed so hard he could barely breathe. When he finally managed to push his way out of the crowd, his hair was a mess, looking like a thunder god. He took a difficult breath of relief, pulled out his phone, and took a picture of the sea of people to show Seth. When he turned his head, Jamin was already deep in conversation with a handsome guy. Fang Chen sighed. He knew it.

Sure enough, a little while later, Jamin asked Fang Chen what he wanted to drink, saying he and the handsome guy were going to buy water. Fang Chen waved his hand. “No thanks.” If his prediction was correct, Jamin would disappear for the rest of the night. Jamin gave him an apologetic smile, winked, and quickly left with the handsome guy.

Fang Chen watched by himself for a while, then remembered the message he’d sent Seth. He took out his phone to check and saw Seth’s reply.

[Where are you?]

The little lamb was stunned. What did that mean? Was he here too? He turned his head and looked around before calling Seth on video. Sure enough, the background behind Seth was also full of people; he was probably in the square too.

The little lamb’s eyes curved into crescents as he turned the phone to show him. “I’m over here! Are you coming to find me?”

Seth grunted in affirmation. “Stay where you are and wait for me.”

Since Jamin was gone and it was no fun being alone, Fang Chen nodded and obediently said, “Okay, I’ll wait for you to find me.”

Seth found him quickly. The front row was the most crowded area. The man was tall and imposing; standing there, he wrapped an arm around Fang Chen’s waist, protecting him in front so no one could bump into him.

Fang Chen looked up at him. “Why did you come?” Seth wasn’t the type to enjoy crowded places.

The man looked down. “What do you think?” He reached out and touched Fang Chen’s face. “I missed you.”

They had only been apart for a few hours.

Fang Chen huffed. “Well, since Jamin left, I’ll reluctantly give you a chance to accompany me.”

Seth smiled. “Thank you, classmate.”

The performance on stage reached its climax, the drum beats throbbing. Many people in the front row were swaying and dancing to the music. The little lamb copied them, dancing along for a bit. But when he turned his head, he saw Seth filming him with his phone.

His eyes widened. “What are you recording!”

“You. You’re cute,” Seth coaxed him. “Dance a little more, baby. It’s so cute.”

Everyone else was recording the stage, but Seth had his phone pointed at him, filming away. If you opened the man’s phone gallery now, it was a neat collection of the little lamb’s growth diary. The photos had several categories: Baby sleeping, baby eating, baby’s daily life… You’d think he was a new father. Doubt the doting dad, understand the doting dad, become the doting dad.

Fang Chen secretly ground his teeth. Sooner or later, he would steal Seth’s phone and delete all that stuff!

Fang Chen turned his head away and ignored him, taking out his own phone to record a video of the stage. He stretched his arm up high, holding the phone up, but the next second, the man behind him took the phone and helped him record.

He whispered, “Shorty.”

The little lamb’s fur bristled. “Who are you calling shorty?”

It was much easier for the man to record the video. After he was done, he handed the phone back to Fang Chen. “You need to drink more milk to grow taller. Stop being a picky eater.”

The little lamb, whose mind had recently been irrigated with dirty thoughts: Milk? Which milk?

Seth knew what he was thinking just by looking at him and said, amused, “Don’t let your mind wander. I’m being serious.”

“You’d better not be serious,” the little lamb said earnestly. “That’s not your character setting. You’re just very lewd and violent.”

The man pinched the little lamb’s ear. “Fine, tonight I’ll show you what violent is.”

Are you going to pound the lamb meatballs again? Nooo!

It was already quite late when the concert ended. Fang Chen was afraid his roommate was already asleep, so he didn’t go back to the dorm to disturb him. Getting his luggage wasn’t urgent anyway, so he went straight back to the apartment with Seth.

Afraid the man would do something again, Fang Chen dove into bed as soon as he finished his shower. By the time the man came out of the bathroom, he had his eyes squeezed shut.

Seth stood by the bed, looking down at him. “Baby, are you asleep?”

Fang Chen tried his best to feign sleep.

Staring at the boy’s furiously trembling eyelashes, Seth’s lips curled into a smirk as he spoke slowly, “If you’re asleep, does that mean I can do whatever I want?”

The hand hidden under the blanket tightened. Fang Chen’s heart leaped into his throat. Do what? Don’t do anything reckless!!

“Let me think.” The man bent down slightly, close to the little lamb’s ear, and whispered, “How about using your feet? Baby’s feet are so fair and soft. I could just rub the soles. They might get red and swollen, but it’s okay. Baby’s asleep anyway, so he won’t know it was me.”

Fang Chen finally couldn’t take it anymore. He snapped his eyes open. “Don’t you go too far—mmph.”

The man immediately lowered his head and kissed him. The new toothpaste was citrus-flavored, like an orange bursting open in summer. This orange was plump and juicy, ready to spurt juice with the slightest squeeze. Their lips molded together, their tongues battling. At first, Fang Chen tried to dodge, but he was soon kissed until his whole body went limp, his head tilted back as he could only accept it obediently.

Seth kissed him gently and soon let him go.

“Aren’t you silly,” he whispered. “If I trick you a hundred times, you’ll fall for it ninety-nine times.”

The corners of Fang Chen’s eyes were red from the kiss, his eyes veiled with a layer of moisture. The sight of him like this made Seth’s heart itch. If he were to probe a finger back there right now, it would surely be met with warm, wet softness. But he had already gone too far yesterday and didn’t plan on bullying him again today. He leaned down and kissed Fang Chen’s forehead again. “Close your eyes and sleep. If you keep looking at me like that, I won’t be able to hold back.”

Fang Chen quickly squeezed his eyes shut.

Seth chuckled softly, then lay down beside him, pulling him tightly into his arms.

---

The next morning, Fang Chen was woken up by his own phone. He hadn’t set an alarm, but he usually didn’t silence his phone, and it was rare for anyone to have something urgent to call him about. He was so sleepy he could barely open his eyes. He reached around, fumbling for his phone, but instead, his hand landed on the man’s face. Seth took the opportunity to nip his finger.

Fang Chen whimpered, his words slurring with sleepiness. “Phone…”

The man got his phone for him, swiped to answer the call, and held it to his ear.

On the other end, Jamin’s voice was about to explode. “Chen! Did you see the forum? You’re famous!! You and Seth were photographed.”

Fang Chen, with his eyes still closed, mumbled, “Okay, I’m famous, I know… What?!”

His sluggish consciousness finally caught up. He shot up in bed, his eyes wide. “What did you say?”

“At the band performance yesterday, wasn’t Seth there? Someone took pictures of you guys!”

Fang Chen didn’t have time to say more. He hung up quickly, logged into the school’s forum, and saw the top posts, all marked in red, were filled with Seth’s name.

[Seth’s new boyfriend???]
[Are they on a date? So sweet.]
[Is no one paying attention? This boy is so cute.]

Fang Chen’s vision went black.

Beside him, Seth acted as if nothing was wrong. He even poured a glass of warm water and brought it to Fang Chen’s lips, coaxing him, “Baby, drink some water first thing in the morning.”

Fang Chen shoved the phone in his face. “Seth! We were photographed!”

The man glanced at it, hummed in acknowledgment, and asked again, “I didn’t add honey, is that okay?”

“What time is it to be talking about honey!!” Fang Chen waved the phone in front of his face. “Look at this!”

“So what if we were photographed?” Seth asked very seriously. “Baby, what are you really worried about?”

Fang Chen froze, his lips moving. “I’m afraid… a lot of people will pay attention to me because of you.” He was used to being a nobody and wasn’t accustomed to being in the spotlight.

Seth leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Don’t mind what other people think. Baby, you just need to look at me. Those insignificant people are nothing in your life.”

Fang Chen bit his lip.

Seth took his phone, set it aside, and handed him the glass of water again. “Drink some water, then go wash up. I’ll make you breakfast, and then we’ll go to class together.”

The little lamb blinked and nodded.

After Fang Chen obediently drank the water and went to wash up, the man picked up his phone and looked at it. He clicked on a few posts and saw many people posting photos of Fang Chen, with all sorts of nicknames underneath—sweetheart, cutie, little darling. Someone even tried to ask for his contact information amidst the chaos. The man’s face darkened. He took pictures of these posts and then stepped out to make a call.

Photographing him was fine. Photographing Fang Chen was not.

After breakfast, Fang Chen’s mindset had returned to normal. Since the secret was out, he couldn’t hide with Seth forever anyway. Let nature take its course!

While the little lamb was eating, Seth had already packed his school bag, putting in some juice and snacks. When Fang Chen finished eating, he casually picked up the bag. “Let’s go.”

Fang Chen looked at him. “Are you really going to class with me? Don’t you have training? You don’t have to accompany me, I’ll be fine on my own.”

Seth reached out and ruffled his hair. “Isn’t it normal for a boyfriend to go to class with his partner?”

Fang Chen let out a small “Oh,” and pushed his hand away. “Don’t mess up my hair.” The vain little lamb.

The news that Seth had a boyfriend had already spread throughout the campus. What surprised everyone even more was that his partner was an Eastern boy. Fang Chen’s photos had been circulating wildly on the forum all morning, but soon, all those posts were deleted.

As they walked into the lecture hall, all eyes turned to them in unison. Fang Chen’s body stiffened for a moment, but Seth quickly took his hand and led him inside. There were many empty seats. Seth chose a spot slightly towards the back and sat down with Fang Chen.

Unused to so many eyes on him, Fang Chen was a little embarrassed. He lowered his head and took out his book, only to have a bag of gummy candies placed in his hand.

“I just bought these randomly. See if you like the flavor.”

Fang Chen looked up at Seth, tore open the package, and popped one into his mouth. It was strawberry-flavored.

Soon, the professor walked in, and everyone turned their attention back to the lecture. Seth squeezed his hand, gently kneading his palm. “See, not that many people are paying attention.”

Fang Chen, with the candy in his mouth, nodded.

Listening to a foreign language was different from his native tongue. Fang Chen soon grew drowsy, his head bobbing until it finally dropped onto the desk. Normally, he would have ended up with a red mark, but with Seth sitting next to him, a hand shot out quickly to cushion his head. He gently supported the little lamb’s chin, letting him rest on his shoulder, then took the tablet and book from his desk and took notes for him.

The carefree little lamb slept through the entire class. He was woken up by the noise at the end of the lesson. When he opened his eyes, he was still a bit dazed, taking a few seconds to realize he was at school. He shot up straight and turned his head. Seth was looking at him with a half-smile. “Slept well?” He reached out and pinched the little lamb’s cheek. “You even got sleep marks.”

Fang Chen looked around. Most of the students in the classroom were gone, and no one was looking their way. Relieved, he leaned against Seth again, thinking it was actually great to bring his man to class—a reliable pillow and a fully automatic note-taking machine.

He didn’t have another class, so he wasn’t in a hurry to leave. He opened his phone and slowly replied to messages. The most explosive one was from his roommate, who had sent a string of exclamation marks. The most crucial message was: [So it turns out Seth is the one who can’t perform?]

Fang Chen quickly addressed this absurd topic. [No, he’s very capable.]

The little lamb thought for a moment and typed a bunch of “good”s.

Seth was right next to him and easily glimpsed the chat history, letting out a soft laugh. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Fang Chen quickly put his phone face down and glared at him. “Why are you looking at my chats?”

Seth raised his hand, habitually going to pinch his ear, and then said, “By the way, baby, there’s something I want to tell you. My parents have just finished a leg of their travels and are planning to come back and stay for a month. They want to meet you. Is that okay?”

Fang Chen was startled by this news. “Meet me? They know about me?”

Seth frowned at the question. “Of course. Although my parents don’t get too involved in my life, I’m going to marry you. Of course, I would introduce you to them.”

Fang Chen was even more stunned. “Marry?”

Seth moved closer. Mindful of the little lamb’s thin skin, he didn’t kiss him in the classroom, but his lips were almost touching his as he whispered, “In the spring, we’ll have a wedding. We can go anywhere you want—a lawn, the seaside, a cliff, a snowy mountain, anywhere is fine. I will declare my love for you in any of those places.”

Smack. The little lamb slapped a hand over the man’s mouth. “Can you not say sweet nothings in the classroom?!” Fang Chen’s face was a little red. Fortunately, they were the only two left in the classroom.

Seth kissed his fingers. “Okay, we’ll talk at home.”

Fang Chen’s face scrunched up. “Do we really have to meet them? I’m a little nervous.” He didn’t have parents of his own, let alone experience meeting someone else’s.

Seth comforted him, “It’s okay. If you don’t want to meet them, we won’t. I’m just asking for your opinion.” He wouldn’t force Fang Chen to do anything.

Fang Chen said, troubled, “But that would be too rude. It’s okay, it’s just a meal. I should be better with you there.”

The two walked out of the classroom. Seth carried Fang Chen’s bag and took out the juice he had packed for him to drink. “Really, don’t be nervous, baby. They won’t be staying at the manor either. And like I said, no one could dislike you.”

Fang Chen let out a breath. “Alright.” He clenched his fist. He was the bravest little lamb.

Having made up his mind, he looked up and asked Seth, “When will we meet them?”

“This weekend. I’ll arrange it.” Seth squeezed his hand. “You still haven’t answered me. Where do you want to have the wedding?”

The little lamb’s vision went dark. “Are you serious? Isn’t this a little too fast?!”

The man’s eyes darkened for a moment, his voice lowering. “Is it fast? Baby, you know I’m a bit older than you. I’m always insecure. I’m afraid you’ll get tired of me.”

Fang Chen paused, then held up the cup in his hand. “What’s this?”

“Orange juice. What’s wrong?”

“Is it? Why does it taste like green tea to me?”