The nearly eighteen-year-old’s body was a furnace, his calloused fingertips a rough, maddening friction against the sensitive skin of Jiang Shi’s waist.

Jiang Shi was beginning to regret letting Cheng Ye apply the ointment for him.

He buried his face in his pillow, a fine sheen of sweat breaking out across his skin—whether from the heat or something else, he didn’t know.

“Are you done yet?” he couldn’t help but ask.

There was no answer.

The rustle and chatter of his roommates heading to the washroom with their basins faded into the distance, leaving only the sound of the breathing behind him, suddenly sharp and clear.

As those coarse fingers traced a line across his back, dipping into the hollow of his waist, a shiver shot through Jiang Shi. He flipped over and sat up abruptly.

A smudge of white ointment now stained his shirt. The corners of his eyes were flushed red as he tugged the hem of his shirt down. “That’s enough.”

Cheng Ye remained unnervingly silent.

In the dim light, his face was swallowed by the shadows. He was hunched over slightly, his entire body drawn taut.

He watched as that strip of pale skin was once again covered by cloth, as the boy slipped from his grasp like a fish. Just as Jiang Shi swung his legs over the side of the bed, Cheng Ye’s hand shot out, clamping down on his shoulder. His voice was raw. “Where are you going?”

The heat of his palm burned through the thin fabric. The skin of Jiang Shi’s waist, still hidden beneath the shirt, trembled. “W-where I go is none of your business,” Jiang Shi stammered. “Just… just get off my bed now that you’re done…”

He tried to push the quilt aside to get down, but the moment his hand moved, a grip on the back of his neck yanked him back.

A large hand enveloped his nape with overwhelming strength, leaving Jiang Shi with no room to resist as he was dragged back onto the bed.

Darkness fell over them again as they crowded into the narrow space, chest pressed against back, their breaths mingling in the close air.

Jiang Shi’s eyes were wide as he tried to look behind him. He couldn’t make out Cheng Ye’s expression. “Cheng Ye?” he called out his name.

Suddenly, a hand covered his face.

Cheng Ye shifted back a little. A few seconds passed before he spoke, his voice tight. “You got ointment on your shirt.”

Jiang Shi’s face was small enough to be almost completely obscured by Cheng Ye’s large hand. His breath warmed the other’s palm. “Wha… what?”

Cheng Ye released him and swung his legs off the bed. The moment he stood, he stripped off his school jacket and tied it around his waist before yanking the quilt away.

Jiang Shi squinted against the sudden light, and a moment later, a shadow fell over him.

Cheng Ye stood before him, bent over, and lifted the back of his shirt to show him the white smudge of ointment. He took a tissue and wiped it away, still holding a corner of the fabric. “It’s dirty. Take it off, I’ll wash it for you.”

Now, any proximity to Cheng Ye made Jiang Shi’s skin crawl with discomfort. “No need,” he refused instinctively. “Wiping it is fine.”

Cheng Ye didn’t let go. The corner of the black T-shirt was still lifted, revealing a sliver of pale skin.

The memory of that touch was still branded onto his fingertips. The rough fabric of his own school trousers was stretched uncomfortably tight against him.

He released the shirt and took a step back, giving the boy a safer distance. The veins on the back of his hand throbbed, a testament to his strained self-control.

Cheng Ye hid his hands under the jacket tied at his waist, concealing the tremor of arousal along with them. The beast retracted its slavering fangs; the surging tide receded into calm.

His tense shoulders slowly relaxed, though his voice remained hoarse. “I got it on you by accident. I was going to do laundry anyway, so just give it to me.”

Jiang Shi eyed him with suspicion.

Cheng Ye stood there silently, looking big and a little dumb, as if everything that had just happened under the cover of the quilt had been a figment of Jiang Shi’s imagination.

When he didn’t respond, Cheng Ye turned and pulled a couple of his own dirty clothes from his locker. “If you don’t want it washed, I’m leaving. The doctor said the ointment melts with body heat. If you roll around in bed with it, you’ll get it everywhere.”

Jiang Shi still said nothing.

Cheng Ye picked up his basin and started for the door, pausing at the threshold. At the same time, Jiang Shi’s voice rang out.

“Hey!”

…

This was the peak hour for evening washing. Compared to the bustling main washroom, the toilets at the other end of the hall were silent.

A faucet near the entrance was broken, leaking with a steady drip… drip… drip. Cheng Ye tilted his head back, the dim light reflecting in his eyes.

The school jacket he’d worn tied around his waist was now hanging on the door of a toilet stall. In his hands, he held a black T-shirt that wasn’t his.

The fabric was saturated with another person’s body heat, mingling with a faint, warm scent that, in this confined space, was driving him to distraction.

Cheng Ye’s fingers kneaded the collar of the shirt as he tilted his head back and panted, his breaths mixing with the dripping water, melting into the vast darkness of the night.

But as time stretched on, simply touching the fabric was no longer enough.

Cheng Ye lowered his head.

His throat worked, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Sweat dripped from his temples, soaking into his own shirt as a different fluid seeped out elsewhere.

The T-shirt was crumpled in his grip. The memory of that waist, of how it trembled with the slightest pressure, was still vivid in his hand.

It was a waist made to be held down, to have the pants stripped off, to be patted and kneaded, to be licked and bitten and coaxed into being swallowed.

Too big. The delicate young master would never be able to take it all.

At the thought, Cheng Ye closed his eyes.

He worked the shirt in his hands.

He wanted to rub it somewhere other than his hands. To cover himself with the cloth that smelled of the boy, to let their scents merge, to press the part stained with white ointment against himself.

And then, this shirt would be returned to its owner. It would wrap around that slender, pliant body, once again soaking up his softest warmth and his scent.

But even so, Cheng Ye couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Jiang Shi was so clean. He didn’t want him to unknowingly bear the weight of another’s filthy desires.

Bang. The door swung open and a few boys walked in.

The door of the stall next to him was flung open, and the sound of their chatter drowned out the dripping water and labored breaths that had filled the night.

In the farthest corner, Cheng Ye pressed the T-shirt to his face, his nose pushing the black fabric into a sharp peak.

His mouth was open, taking the fabric of the collar between his teeth, darkening the black to a deeper shade.

Sticky, damp…

The air grew thick, each breath heavier than the last.

He closed his eyes, his nose twitching like a dog’s as he inhaled the lingering scent. With his mouth muffled by the cloth, he could only scream the name in his heart, over and over.

Jiang Shi…

---

A shiver ran down Jiang Shi’s spine.

His roommate shut the window, rubbing his cold arms. “Damn! The wind’s picking up. Looks like it’s going to rain tonight.”

Not long after he spoke, the sound of splattering raindrops began.

Jiang Shi had eaten about half of the dinner Cheng Ye had brought back for him. He glanced towards the dorm room door.

Just doing laundry… what was taking so long? Why wasn’t Cheng Ye back yet?

After finishing his meal, he grabbed his jacket, put it on, and headed to the washroom with his own basin.

The washroom was nearly empty now. Rain drifted in from the open corridor, and a few boys shouted “Fuck!” as they darted past Jiang Shi.

Two boys were washing up inside, and another was doing laundry, but none of them were Cheng Ye.

Jiang Shi looked around, a strange feeling in his gut. Just as he turned, Cheng Ye walked in from outside, basin in hand.

His hair was half-damp, his face beaded with water. His eyes were dark, and his expression held a trace of sated satisfaction. He seemed to freeze for a second when he saw Jiang Shi.

“What are you doing here?”

The way he said it…

Jiang Shi held his basin. “Do you own this place? Only you’re allowed in? No one else can brush their teeth or wash their face?”

Cheng Ye filtered out the useless information. “Your fever hasn’t completely broken yet. Why are you running around in the rain? If you need to wash up, I can bring water back to the dorm for you.”

There was still half a thermos of hot water that Cheng Ye had fetched earlier. Jiang Shi had no intention of admitting he’d come for another reason. He put on a stern face and walked to a corner with his basin. “Mind your own business.”

Seeing that he was properly wearing his jacket, Cheng Ye didn’t press him to go back. He walked over, closed the nearby window, and started washing his clothes next to Jiang Shi.

Jiang Shi squeezed toothpaste onto his brush, glancing over. He thought his T-shirt in Cheng Ye’s basin looked awfully wrinkled, but before he could get a closer look, water was poured over it.

The boy scrubbed his T-shirt several times, but gave his own clothes a cursory two rubs before declaring them done.

Jiang Shi took his time washing up, his eyes constantly darting towards Cheng Ye. He finished just as Cheng Ye was done with the laundry.

The other three boys had already left, leaving only the two of them in the washroom.

Cheng Ye looked at him.

At that moment, Jiang Shi remembered he was supposed to be angry. He bumped Cheng Ye’s shoulder with his basin, his face sullen. “Excuse me.”

It felt less like he’d pushed past and more like Cheng Ye had willingly stepped aside. He watched Jiang Shi walk to the door, then gathered his own clean clothes into his basin and called out to him.

“Jiang Shi.” His deep voice, mixed with the sound of the rain, held a thread of indefinable sexiness. “Do me a favor.”

…

The rain poured down. Jiang Shi stood at the entrance to the washroom, the main door closed behind him. The corridor was empty.

He lowered his head and kicked the wall.

Who was the young master and who was the bodyguard here? Always asking for favors. Did he look that easy to order around?

The sound of rain outside was matched by the sound of running water inside.

They had come too late; there was no more hot water.

Jiang Shi kicked the wall again.

Cheng Ye really was crazy. A cold, rainy day like this, and he insisted on taking a shower.

“Hey!” he shouted at the door. “Are you done yet? It’s freezing out here.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the washroom door slid open. Cheng Ye emerged, wearing the same T-shirt from before, wrapped in a cloud of icy water vapor. The chill that hit Jiang Shi was colder than the rain itself.

He looked down, his hair still dripping. He sounded almost helpless. “You can’t even wait five minutes?”

“It’s not like I wanted to…” Jiang Shi muttered.

Holding his basin, the restless energy that had been coursing through Cheng Ye’s body had been washed clean by the cold water. His fangs were retracted, and he once again looked harmless.

“My fault. I wouldn’t have bothered you if there was anyone else to ask.”

Jiang Shi was a classic case of someone who responded to softness, not force. Hearing Cheng Ye say that, he felt a pang of guilt.

The guy had washed his clothes for him, and he couldn’t even be bothered to stand guard for a few minutes.

But admitting fault was out of the question. Jiang Shi held his small basin and gave Cheng Ye a light push, his face stern. “Stay away from me. You’re freezing.”

Cheng Ye obediently moved away.

Rain drifted in from the corridor, landing on his shoulder.

Jiang Shi: “…”

“Are you an idiot, Cheng Ye? Can’t you see you’re getting wet? Move further in.”

Cheng Ye shifted inward again.

Jiang Shi thought he was hopelessly dense.

…

A rainstorm after the Qingming Festival worsened Jiang Shi’s already fever-weakened body.

He woke up the next day with a miserable cold. A pack of tissues sat on his desk, and he sniffled every few minutes.

The medicine from the school clinic was useless. After a full day, his symptoms hadn’t improved at all. After evening self-study, Cheng Ye climbed over the wall to buy him medicine.

Although the school forbade boarders from leaving on weekdays, the rules weren’t strictly enforced. The back wall was practically worn down from students climbing it, and no one seemed to care.

Cheng Ye vaulted over the low wall.

He first went to a clinic outside and bought cold medicine. With the bag in hand, he didn’t rush back, but followed the streetlights deeper into the neighborhood.

The road grew narrower until the streetlights disappeared entirely.

Cheng Ye slipped into a pitch-black alley.

The ground was uneven, the air thick with the stench of garbage and urine. An occasional stray cat would dart past his feet.

He stopped in front of a dilapidated residential building, went up to the second floor, and approached the last door on the left.

Light leaked from under the door, and the sound of thunderous snoring came from within.

He knocked.

No response.

Cheng Ye knocked again, more patiently. The snoring stopped. “Who is it? Waking your dad up in the middle of the night.”

“Me.”

There was a moment of silence, then a muffled, “Shit!” followed by rustling sounds. The door opened.

A young man with bleached-yellow hair stood in the doorway, looking to be only eighteen or nineteen. He wore a tank top and baggy shorts.

Liu Man rubbed his eyes and forced a smile at Cheng Ye. “Brother Cheng, you’re fast. I just got off the train not long ago.”

Cheng Ye entered the room, closing and locking the door behind him. “How did it go?” he asked.

Liu Man had fallen asleep the moment he arrived and was now feeling thirsty and hungry after being woken. He downed three glasses of water before he felt human again. “Of course it went well. When have I ever let you down?”

Putting down the glass, Liu Man got on his knees on the bed, lifted the sheet, and pulled out two large nylon sacks.

He patted them. “Bought everything according to your instructions.”

Cheng Ye stuffed the medicine into his pocket, crouched down, and unzipped one of the sacks, revealing an assortment of small trinkets.

Liu Man lit a cigarette beside him. “I’m telling you, this stuff is colorful, looks pretty and delicate. The girls are gonna love it. The best part is, the prices from over there are dirt cheap.”

“You’re a genius. How’d you come up with such a great way to make money?”

Cheng Ye ignored him, rummaging through the items. Thankfully, Liu Man’s taste was decent; the things he’d bought would appeal to the girls of their time.

As he sifted through the items, his gaze sharpened. He hooked a thin red string with his finger.

It was an anklet, a simple design. Two small beads were strung on the red cord, with a half-bloomed magnolia blossom dangling in the center.

Cheng Ye held it up to the light. The magnolia was carved from jade, its color warm and lustrous. The petals were half-open, shyly revealing a tiny bell tucked within.

He shook it. The magnolia trembled, and the bell chimed faintly.

Ting-ling—

Liu Man glanced over. “That one’s the most expensive. The cost price alone was several hundred. I was planning to use it as our signature piece.”

Cheng Ye closed his hand around the anklet and slipped it into his pocket. “I’m taking it.”

Liu Man: “??”

“Bro, where are you taking our signature piece?”

“It’s a gift,” Cheng Ye said.

Liu Man took a drag from his cigarette. “I get it. A big client, right? Our future patron?”

“No.” Cheng Ye finished his inspection, zipped up the sack, and pushed it back under the bed. “Contact Xiao Liu tomorrow. We’ll stick to the plan. You guys sell the stuff, I’ll provide the capital, and we’ll split the profits.”

Liu Man and his friends were originally street punks, not cut out for school or skilled at making money. When Cheng Ye first started high school, his personality got him into trouble with some classmates who called a gang of thugs to beat him up. Liu Man and Xiao Liu saw it happen and joined the fray.

The three unlikely allies had become fast friends.

Cheng Ye seemed far more capable than them, and they were willing to listen to him. Liu Man was overjoyed that Cheng Ye was including them in this money-making venture.

He was both afraid of messing things up and excited about the future. “If it weren’t for you, I’d never have known you could get this stuff so cheap from other places. You think we can get rich selling these little things?”

“We won’t,” Cheng Ye said. “This is just a temporary measure.”

These small goods were already popular in other cities. Lin City was too backward, lagging far behind economically, and its trends were similarly delayed, which was how Cheng Ye had found this loophole.

But even in a place like Lin City, small boutiques were beginning to pop up. The novelty of these items wouldn’t last long.

Cheng Ye wanted to make big money, but what he lacked most was the initial investment.

Liu Man didn’t understand, but he held one firm belief: following Cheng Ye was always the right move.

“It’s fine, bro. I’ll do whatever you say. I’m with you.” Then he cursed, “What’s Xiao Liu doing? I told him to come find me at nine. It’s almost eleven, where is he?”

As if on cue, a loud banging rattled the door. “Brother Man, open up!”

Liu Man shuffled over in his slippers and opened the door. “So reckless. What’s with all the shouting?”

Xiao Liu squeezed in anxiously. “Fuck, fuck, fuck! Something happened. You know what I just heard…”

Then he saw Cheng Ye standing inside and his eyes went wide. “Brother Cheng, what are you doing here?!”

Liu Man smacked him on the head. “Why can’t Brother Cheng be here?”

“No…” Xiao Liu clutched his head. “There’s trouble!”