Vase cannon fodder is pampered by the group again

Chapter 62.2

Editor: Jodi

Tonight’s line practice went smoothly, so Shen Ci finished early and headed home. He fell asleep even earlier than usual, snoring away in bed by ten o’clock.

Lu Xiao came back from his shower, lowered his head, and pecked at Shen Ci’s lips for a long time. Then he couldn’t help but trail kisses downward, pressing them against his fair neck, delicate collarbones, and soft pink buds…

Shen Ci let out a sleepy hum, frowning slightly. Just as he was about to wake up, Lu Xiao snapped back to his senses and barely managed to stop himself.

He looked down, let out a resigned sigh, took off his bathrobe, and went back to the bathroom for another cold shower.

When he came back, he didn’t dare get close to Shen Ci again. Instead, he went straight to the living room, turned on the TV, and watched the variety show airing tonight.

It was already past midnight, just in time for the rerun.

He had specifically told the production team not to cut a single word of what he said. And sure enough, the final result was exactly what he wanted.

“But we’re not dating yet—I’m the one chasing him.”

As soon as the Lu Xiao on-screen said those words, Shen Ci’s face froze. He looked like a startled little bunny, completely at a loss.

Lu Xiao couldn’t help but chuckle. He turned off the TV, plunging the room into darkness.

The buzz online… it should have started by now, right?

He lit a cigarette, slid open the balcony window, and walked out barefoot, leaning against the railing.

The cigarette ember flickered in the dark. His slightly damp hair ruffled in the cool night breeze, and the light smoke curled around him, giving him a lazy, effortless allure.

When Shen Ci walked out in his slippers to look for him, this scene was the first thing he saw.

Lu Xiao’s slightly bent figure was framed against the countless glowing lights of the city in the distance. It was so stunning that Shen Ci couldn’t help but hold his breath.

He walked a little closer and asked softly, “Little Uncle, why aren’t you sleeping?”

Lu Xiao immediately put out his cigarette and turned around in slight surprise. “Did I wake you?”

Shen Ci shook his head. “There’s no one next to me, so I felt cold.”

Lu Xiao paused, then smiled gently. “Sorry, Baby. Come on, let’s go back to bed.”

“Wait.” Shen Ci stopped him and glanced at the cigarette in his hand. “Little Uncle, is something bothering you? Why are you smoking in the middle of the night?”

Lu Xiao lowered his head, placed a soft kiss on the crown of Shen Ci’s head, then said casually, “I’m just wondering when you’ll finally agree to be with me.”

Shen Ci looked troubled. “Ah… this is really bothering you that much? Then I’ll just agree now.”

Lu Xiao froze. “Hm?”

Shen Ci tilted his head up and looked him straight in the eye. “I said, I’ll agree to be with you right now. I like you too, Little Uncle.”

The night breeze was silent, and the moonlight poured in gently. Lu Xiao stood there, completely stunned, for a full thirty seconds.

The response came so suddenly that Lu Xiao forgot to feel happy or touched. His heart just felt… soft and full.

After a while, he let out a helpless laugh and ruffled Shen Ci’s soft hair. “This… doesn’t have any sense of ceremony at all?”

“Sense of ceremony…” Shen Ci scratched his head, then suddenly, his eyes lit up. He dashed off to the spare bedroom storage, rummaged around for a while, and finally came back holding a small glass jar.

“This was a gift from a fan. I really liked it, but now I’m giving it to you.”

He flashed Lu Xiao a bright smile, then flipped the little switch. The glass jar instantly lit up.

Inside, a delicate rose bloomed right in the center, surrounded by tiny fairy lights casting a soft, warm glow.

Shen Ci’s eyes curved into crescent moons, reflecting a pool of starlight. He was even more dazzling than the tiny lights wrapped around the rose.

“Mr. Lu, would you like to be the rose for Little Prince Shen?”

Lu Xiao’s pupils trembled almost imperceptibly. Staying silent, he reached out to touch the clear glass cover.

His fingertips were cold, but deep inside, a wildfire ignited, burning so fiercely it ached.

The Little Prince and his Rose.

Because the one he loved was him, that was why, out of five thousand equally beautiful roses, this one was the only one that mattered.

Shen Ci stirred up every ounce of emotion in him with such ease. Lu Xiao’s throat tightened, and in his deep, dark eyes, a faint shimmer of moisture appeared.

It wasn’t that he had captured Shen Ci—it was Shen Ci who had tamed him.

And from beginning to end, he was willing.

Lu Xiao lifted his beloved’s hand and placed a reverent kiss on the back of it. “More than willing.”

No one knew who pushed aside the glass jar first, or who leaned in first for the kiss, but there was the bitter taste of tobacco mixed with the light sweetness of Shen Ci’s scent. Spicy, intoxicating, pulling apart the sweetness with reckless abandon, desperate to take more.

“Mm…” Shen Ci was kissed so breathless that his head spun. He instinctively reached out, trying to pinch Lu Xiao’s ear to push him away, but instead, his hand landed on something cool and damp. Stunned, he looked up.

“Little Uncle, you—”

“Baby.” Lu Xiao’s voice was hoarse, choked with emotion. He lowered his head and hugged Shen Ci tightly, burying himself in the crook of his shoulder.

He kept calling him “Baby” over and over again, his arms tightening around Shen Ci’s slender frame, as if afraid he would take back his words and slip away.

Feeling a faint dampness on his shoulder, Shen Ci froze. After a long pause, he hesitantly reached out and stroked Lu Xiao’s hair.

His little uncle… looked so sad.

The short, rough stubble near his neck was a little prickly, so Shen Ci’s soft hand moved back and forth, patiently soothing him.

It turns out Lu Xiao… had moments like this too.

Something pricked at Shen Ci’s heart, making it ache in a soft, unbearable way.