What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Chapter 49

Chapter 49 – Kiss

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If Sheng Yunze were to rank the four or five things he regretted most in his otherwise smooth life, the first would undoubtedly be listening to his wife’s nonsense and going to see Avengers: Endgame on their first date.

He had naively thought they could kiss in the theater.

He should have been grateful his wife didn’t stage a live-action version of Wing Chun Ip Man 3 right there. Otherwise, their kiss might have turned into a call to 911.

Sheng Yunze watched Duan Yi, who was furious enough to shake the heavens, with a complicated expression. He had to keep an eye on Duan Yi to make sure he didn’t rush to the screen and punch it.

Sheng Yunze suspected Duan Yi was capable of such a thing—after all, he could afford to pay for it, and this chain cinema was a subsidiary of their family’s media and entertainment company.

Why hadn’t they watched an art film instead?

Sheng Yunze fell into thought.

Even falling asleep would have been better than this.

Then, halfway through the movie, Duan Yi’s anger gradually subsided. Clutching his popcorn bucket, he gritted his teeth and watched to see how much worse the film could get.

After two hours of mental exhaustion, Sheng Yunze finally saw an opportunity to make a move.

First, he quietly dimmed his phone screen. Then, he reviewed his homework from the night before and gave himself a few mental pep talks.

He took a deep breath and pretended to rest his hand on the chair behind Duan Yi, planning to casually move it to Duan Yi’s shoulder later.

Sheng Yunze carefully raised his arm halfway when Duan Yi suddenly turned around without warning. Sheng Yunze’s face changed, his heart leaped, and he forced his arm to bend sharply, shoving his hand into his pocket.

It took less than 0.001 seconds.

He calmly stared ahead, pretending to be completely focused on the movie, creating the illusion that nothing had happened.

“I’m telling you, don’t get me wrong, the Marvel movies before Avengers were actually really good—why are you putting your hand in your pocket in the theater?” Duan Yi was talking when he suddenly noticed.

In the dark, Sheng Yunze’s eyelid twitched. Whose fault is that?

But he calmly replied, “My hand’s cold. Is that a problem?”

The theater was well-heated, so it wasn’t likely his hand was cold.

Duan Yi let out a small “Huh?” Then Sheng Yunze heard rustling sounds from his side, like he was putting something away.

The next moment, Duan Yi’s slightly damp hand pulled Sheng Yunze’s hand out of his pocket.

Sheng Yunze smelled the distinctive lavender scent of wet wipes. Duan Yi then covered his right hand with both of his own.

“Are you still cold?” Duan Yi asked softly.

Sheng Yunze didn’t feel cold at all. He felt very hot.

Especially his face. His face felt very hot.

“Mmm…”

“Is your other hand cold?” Duan Yi asked.

Sheng Yunze hesitated before pulling his other hand out of his pocket.

Duan Yi placed both of Sheng Yunze’s hands together and dutifully warmed them.

After doing all this, Duan Yi’s gaze returned to the big screen.

Sheng Yunze temporarily set aside his secret thoughts and began to study Duan Yi’s hands.

They were very white, very slender, and not large.

His knuckles were clearly defined, his hands were warm, and the flesh of his palms felt soft when squeezed.

He scratched Duan Yi’s palm.

Duan Yi turned his head slightly, but his eyes remained fixed on the screen, as if to say, “What is it?”

Sheng Yunze didn’t say anything. Instead, he took the lead, grasped Duan Yi’s hand, spread his fingers, and pressed his palm.

Duan Yi mumbled, “What are you doing?”

Sheng Yunze replied, “Nothing.”

He slowly closed his hand, interlacing his fingers with Duan Yi’s.

Then he released Duan Yi’s hand, gently rubbing it for a moment, as if he had discovered something fascinating. He fiddled with it for a while.

Duan Yi blushed slightly, still staring at the movie screen, but his mind had wandered.

Finally, the movie reached its climax. Duan Yi’s favorite hero sacrificed himself to save the world.

The righteous anger that had filled the theater vanished instantly. Soon, sobs began to ripple through the audience, and people pulled out tissues to wipe their faces.

Sensing the tender, emotional atmosphere, Sheng Yunze subtly moved his fingers, thinking this was the perfect moment.

It was much better than Duan Yi’s earlier “Huashan Sword Tournament” mood.

He must be overwhelmed with emotion, Sheng Yunze thought. He even cries during Small Times. He must be heartbroken right now.

It’s okay. Boyfriend hugs are free.

His boyfriend’s “comfort kiss” was also free—a buy-one-get-two deal with no returns or exchanges.

Sheng Yunze cleared his throat, pulled his hand away, and prepared to turn Duan Yi around by the shoulders.

But when he did, Sheng Yunze’s teenage fantasies vanished.

Duan Yi was indeed crying from emotion, but not in the beautiful way he’d imagined.

It was as if the sky had fallen, the sun and moon had lost their light. Long ago, Meng Jiangnu wept for the Great Wall; now, Duan Yi was crying for Iron Man!

With snot and tears streaming down his face, how could he possibly kiss him?

Damn it!

There wasn’t even a clean spot to aim for.

Sheng Yunze’s face darkened.

Duan Yi’s eyes were red-rimmed, his nose scrunched up, and he looked at Sheng Yunze with heartbreaking misery, as if he’d suffered some terrible injustice.

Sheng Yunze shoved a handful of tissues into his face, laughing in exasperation. “Are you serious? It’s just a movie!”

Duan Yi nearly burst into sobs in the theater, clutching his beloved popcorn bucket and whimpering, “Waaah… waaah… waaah… waaah… waaah… waaah…”

Outside the theater, Duan Yi still hadn’t recovered. “But why did he have to die?”

Sheng Yunze: “Because the actor’s contract expired.”

Duan Yi gazed at him with a wounded expression. “You’re so cold! Don’t you feel even a little moved? He saved the world! He sacrificed himself for everyone!”

Sheng Yunze thought bitterly, Yeah, and my kissing plan went down with him.

After the movie, Duan Yi remained dazed for at least half an hour.

At lunch, he choked up while staring at his tomato and egg stir-fry. When the hairdresser tried to upsell him, he insisted on getting a haircut that looked exactly the same as before. As he left, he solemnly bid farewell to the hairdresser with an awestruck expression.

Sheng Yunze felt that if this continued, he’d develop Iron Man PTSD.

Fortunately, an hour later, Duan Yi snapped back to his usual energetic self.

Though Duan Yi claimed they were going to the library to study, he immediately started acting silly as soon as he slung his backpack over his shoulder.

They spent the morning at the movies, lunch at noon, and the afternoon playing claw machines, never once mentioning the word “homework.”

The underground plaza at in77 was lined with arcade games: claw machines, VR experiences, basketball hoops, racing games, and electric motorcycles.

The hot air from the air conditioning hit Duan Yi’s face as he entered the bustling underground arcade. He hissed, feeling his frozen limbs gradually warm up.

He turned to Sheng Yunze and asked, “Have you been here before?”

“No.”

Duan Yi’s mood instantly brightened, as if he’d discovered a new continent. “Then I’ll show you around! In middle school, Jiang Wangshu and I used to come here every day to play the claw machines. I’m the legendary claw machine killer! Every time I left with a pile of plushies, I looked like a merchant buying wholesale at the Yiwu Small Commodities Market.”

Sheng Yunze raised an eyebrow skeptically, clearly unconvinced.

Duan Yi puffed out his chest confidently. “I’ll win you the biggest one!”

Sheng Yunze: “Oh.”

Half an hour later…

“Still going to win me a bigger one?” Sheng Yunze asked, arms crossed as he leaned against the claw machine.

The arcade was a riot of colors and neon lights, but Duan Yi’s hands were empty, and his expression was indescribable.

“A fluke! It’s just a fluke today!” Duan Yi insisted.

“You’ve had twenty-one flukes today,” Sheng Yunze retorted bluntly. “If failure is the mother of success, your son would already be at Harvard.”

Duan Yi: =口=!

He instinctively retorted, “My son is your son too! Who talks about their own son like that?”

Then…

He realized they were both only seventeen.

This topic was a little too much, ambiguous, new, and made the boys’ hearts race with wild thoughts.

Sheng Yunze: ……

Duan Yi: ……

Sheng Yunze: “Oh.”

He turned away, his throat bobbing, and stared fixedly at another claw machine, as if trying to figure out how it was made in the factory and what parts it had.

Duan Yi gripped the joystick, inwardly screaming, Damn it! Think before you speak!

Their silent embarrassment was broken by a girl’s voice.

“Hello, are you two a couple?”

The girl in a uniform said warmly, “We work at the Star Museum next door. We’ve seen you playing here for a while and wanted to ask.”

Duan Yi went “Huh?” Sheng Yunze answered for him, “Yes.”

The staff member smiled and said, “Our Star Museum just opened, and we’d love to invite you both to experience it. Don’t worry, it’s free!”

She explained, “All we need is a photo from each of you.”

The Star Museum was right next door—a popular spot for social media posts. Tickets cost fifty yuan each, but the staff member said they wouldn’t charge them. Duan Yi figured it was because they were good-looking and the museum wanted to use their photos for publicity.

Sheng Yunze glanced at Duan Yi. “Want to go?”

Duan Yi wasn’t interested, but he knew Sheng Yunze liked space. “Sure, it’s free. Let’s take a look!”

It lived up to its reputation as a social media hotspot. The immersive experience was amazing—the entire Milky Way seemed to unfold before them. Ethereal cosmic echoes filled their ears as they gazed at brilliant, lonely constellations.

Duan Yi gasped, “Wow!” He reached out to touch a planet, then realized it was just a projection. “Cool.”

Sheng Yunze stared at the ceiling, where countless planets hung against a vast, projected universe. Duan Yi got excited, pointing out planets he recognized and showing off to Sheng Yunze.

At first, Sheng Yunze just listened. But as Duan Yi kept talking, Sheng Yunze began to feel something was off. Duan Yi knew way too much.

It wasn’t strange that he could point out Saturn, Mars, or the Moon.

But it was weird that he knew Rigel, UY Scuti, Arcturus, blue supergiants, and Pollux.

Most people who aren’t into astronomy wouldn’t know these things.

Especially when Duan Yi started talking about the Laniakea Supercluster, who discovered it, and exactly when and where it was found.

This was just too strange!

Duan Yi knew Sheng Yunze loved astronomy. Since it was their date, he wanted to impress his boyfriend and show he wasn’t just a pretty face. So he tried to show off all the astronomy knowledge he had.

They had been married for over ten years. Even if Duan Yi hadn’t studied astronomy, he had heard enough about it to know a few things.

He even knew about secret national astronomy research that hadn’t been made public yet.

Duan Yi had a bad memory. The more he talked, the more questions Sheng Yunze had. But Duan Yi didn’t notice.

Sheng Yunze knew everything about astronomy—at least, everything that was known at this time.

Duan Yi was saying things that didn’t belong to this time, or even this year. He spoke with such confidence that Sheng Yunze listened quietly, without showing any reaction.

Duan Yi mentioned stars that had only been discovered this year, and patterns that could be proven true. But these theories hadn’t been fully confirmed yet. Duan Yi sounded like he had already finished the research.

“What do you think?” Duan Yi asked, after talking for a while and not getting an answer.

Sheng Yunze was hidden in the dark, half in light and half in shadow. The seventeen-year-old boy suddenly seemed to become the Professor Sheng that Duan Yi knew so well.

Duan Yi froze. “Sheng Yunze?”

He didn’t know why he felt so scared, especially when Sheng Yunze didn’t answer. Duan Yi’s worry grew stronger.

He took two steps forward and stood next to Sheng Yunze. He only felt relieved when he grabbed Sheng Yunze’s arm.

He’s like Schrödinger’s cat, Duan Yi thought suddenly.

Even in parallel worlds, Sheng Yunze would always be mysterious, cold, and hard to reach.

Just like when you gaze at the night sky, a nameless loneliness and insignificance creeps into your heart—a fear of the unknown.

Sometimes, Duan Yi felt this unease when he looked at Sheng Yunze.

He wasn’t afraid of Sheng Yunze himself, but rather felt that Sheng Yunze was like Schrödinger’s cat—both there and not there, both real and just a figment of his imagination.

He couldn’t grasp him, and that’s why he felt so deeply insecure, even terrified.

Sheng Yunze noticed Duan Yi trembling. “What’s wrong?”

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Duan Yi asked.

“I was thinking,” Sheng Yunze replied. He paused, then took Duan Yi’s hand and added, “Are you trembling?”

“I don’t feel comfortable here,” Duan Yi said. “I want to leave.”

Anything related to the universe, the unknown, or mystery always reminded Duan Yi of Sheng Yunze.

Even though Sheng Yunze was right beside him, even though Duan Yi had already claimed him, he still feared Sheng Yunze would vanish without a trace.

Duan Yi was gloomy, a heavy weight pressing on his heart.

What’s wrong with me? he wondered.

A staff member took their photo, keeping one copy and giving the other to them.

Duan Yi slipped it into his backpack. The clamor of the crowd and the noise of the city flooded back into his ears, making him feel like he had returned to the real world…

“This is too real! Damn it!” Duan Yi exclaimed, halfway up Wuyun Mountain on the Yunqi Bamboo Trail.

An hour earlier, Duan Yi, seeking to clear his head, had suggested climbing the mountain to enjoy the view from the summit.

Who goes on a date to climb a mountain? Sheng Yunze thought. The second biggest regret of my perfect life is this: not only did I listen to my wife’s nonsense and watch Avengers: Endgame on our first date, but I fell for her lies again and agreed to this hike!

Isn’t climbing my wife’s bed more fun than this?

Why did we have to climb this mountain?!

Forty minutes ago, hikers descending the trail had told them they were halfway up and would reach the summit soon.

Twenty minutes later, another group of hikers said the same thing.

“Are you kidding me?! Why does life have to be this real?!” Duan Yi cried, tears streaming down his face. “This isn’t the kind of ‘real’ I wanted! This is way too down-to-earth!”

Sheng Yunze coldly asked, “Who suggested this hike?”

Duan Yi fell silent.

Sheng Yunze’s voice turned even colder. “And who said there was water on the mountain, so we didn’t need to bring any?”

Duan Yi, his mouth dry and tongue parched, fell silent.

“Brother…” Duan Yi immediately knelt down. “I didn’t realize this mountain was so high!”

They were in an awkward spot. They had climbed halfway up, but still had half the climb remaining.

Duan Yi couldn’t go any further. He wasn’t exactly weak, but the steps on Wuyun Mountain were brutal. Even professional climbers might struggle!

This was when having a boyfriend came in handy.

Duan Yi sat down on the steps and started acting helpless.

He had insisted on climbing the mountain, and he had refused to buy water. But now that he couldn’t move, it was his boyfriend’s problem.

“I’m not going any further,” Duan Yi declared.

Sheng Yunze: …

Duan Yi looked up. “You need to figure something out.”

Sheng Yunze replied, “Didn’t you already have a plan?”

Duan Yi grinned, reaching out to grab Sheng Yunze’s arm. “Gege, can you carry me? My feet hurt too much to walk.”

He bargained, “Just to that pavilion up there.”

Then, clasping his hands together, he bowed deeply with exaggerated sincerity, shamelessly flattering, “Gege, you’re so handsome, so kind, so caring, so helpful…”

Sheng Yunze was annoyed to death by Duan Yi, both irritated and amused. He shifted his backpack to the front and squatted down. “Just to the pavilion halfway up the mountain.”

Duan Yi’s eyes lit up, and he leaped onto Sheng Yunze’s back.

Sheng Yunze swore under his breath, “Fuck.”

Duan Yi didn’t budge.

Sheng Yunze jostled him a bit, then casually pinched the plumpest part of Duan Yi’s thigh. Duan Yi yelped in pain. Sheng Yunze said coldly, “You better jump harder. If I fall from here, you’ll be a widower.”

Without hesitation, Duan Yi blurted out, “Then I’ll fall too. At worst, we’ll just be lovers who died together.”

The stone steps of Wuyun Mountain were narrow, and tourists were coming and going. Duan Yi, a perfectly healthy teenager with no broken bones, shamelessly clinging to another teenager’s back, drew curious glances.

Sheng Yunze said sarcastically, “Proud of yourself?”

Duan Yi replied, “I have a boyfriend carrying me. They don’t. Those are envious looks.”

Sheng Yunze warned, “Stop swinging your legs.”

No longer having to walk, Duan Yi suddenly found the mountain scenery beautiful.

As he admired the view, he said, “I suddenly feel like writing a poem.”

It had to be said, Alphas had incredible stamina, especially Sheng Yunze.

Most people would be panting like dogs after just forty minutes of hiking uphill—just look at Duan Yi.

Sheng Yunze, however, wasn’t even breathing hard. He carried Duan Yi effortlessly, climbing over four hundred stone steps without stopping.

Duan Yi spotted a small white flower by the side of the path and suddenly felt poetic. He began reciting a poem, “Little white flower…”

Sheng Yunze turned his head to listen.

Duan Yi was clearly making it up on the spot, stumbling over the words, “Little flower so white, four petals open wide.”

Then his eyes lit up. “Hey! I rhymed!”

Sheng Yunze nearly choked with laughter. Duan Yi, annoyed, tightened his grip around Sheng Yunze’s neck. “What are you laughing at? That’s how modern poetry works!”

“If you don’t like it, try a classical poem.”

Duan Yi nodded sagely and uttered a profound line: “Raise your head to gaze at the bright moon…”

Then he lowered his head. “…Lower your head to gaze at the school beauty!”

He even worked Sheng Yunze’s pheromones into the poem, “Though it’s not snow, only a faint fragrance remains! How’s that? Pretty good, right?”

Sheng Yunze remarked, “Is your ancient poem a hodgepodge?”

Duan Yi: =口=!

“What’s wrong with a hodgepodge poem? I call it drawing on the strengths of a hundred masters…”

By the time Duan Yi had cobbled together his twenty-fourth hodgepodge poem, they had finally reached the mountaintop temple.

At the end of the stone steps stood a massive ginkgo tree, estimated to require four adult men to encircle its trunk. Over three thousand years old, it had long since died, leaving only a five-meter-tall stump and wildly overgrown branches.

An empty mountain echoes with solitary cries, as silent snow falls.

A fence surrounded the tree, densely covered with red strings of fate, each two inches wide and adorned with golden characters. As the wind blew, the ribbons danced like flames.

Duan Yi hopped off Sheng Yunze’s back, a little embarrassed. “Are you tired?”

“Hmph,” Sheng Yunze replied with biting sarcasm. “Carrying over a hundred pounds of meat? What do you think?”

Duan Yi: =口=!

“What do you mean ‘meat’?” Duan Yi protested earnestly. “You should say, ‘How could I be tired when I’m carrying my whole world on my back?'”

Sheng Yunze snorted. “If my whole world were a pig, I’d go reincarnate right now.”

Duan Yi was so flustered his head felt like it was about to explode. He bickered with Sheng Yunze while trying to physically force him to comply, but Sheng Yunze easily restrained him with one hand.

After buying water, Duan Yi finally revealed his true purpose. He grabbed a red string of fate and solemnly wrote his and Sheng Yunze’s names on it.

The handwriting was crooked and messy, like a child’s.

Yet Duan Yi seemed surprisingly familiar with the process, knowing exactly where to write the names and which characters to use, without needing guidance from the young monk.

Sheng Yunze watched with a sour expression. “You’re so practiced at this. Have you done this with someone before?”

Someone = Nan Yi.

Duan Yi shook his head. “No.”

He had come here with Sheng Yunze—in a parallel world.

But back then, it wasn’t him who wrote the names. Sheng Yunze himself had written them and tied the string to a ginkgo tree outside.

Now, Duan Yi wanted to recreate that moment in the real world.

The trees were densely covered with red strings of fate. Relying on his memory, Duan Yi found the exact spot where Sheng Yunze had tied their string in the parallel world.

After struggling with the knot for ages, Sheng Yunze finally lost patience and helped Duan Yi tie it properly.

Although Sheng Yunze wasn’t interested in such formalities, Duan Yi liked it, so he went along.

After tying the red string of fate, Sheng Yunze subconsciously straightened it. This movement accidentally flipped the tag inside, revealing the character “段” (Duan).

He was particularly sensitive to Duan Yi’s name, mainly because the handwriting of this “Duan” character closely resembled his own. Without hesitation, Sheng Yunze pulled out the hidden tag.

Duan Yi, Sheng Yunze.

The same two names were written on it.

The handwriting was his.

Sheng Yunze stood frozen, as if struck by lightning.

“Are you done yet?” Duan Yi asked from behind, taking a sip of water. “What are you looking at?”

Sheng Yunze lowered his head and quickly tore off the tag, stuffing it into his pocket. “Nothing.”

Duan Yi didn’t press further. “Great! Now all that’s left is the most important thing for today!”

Sheng Yunze stared at him, his heart still pounding. Duan Yi smiled. “Dinner!”

“Okay.”

His own voice sounded distant, as if coming from far away.

During dinner, Duan Yi noticed Sheng Yunze seemed distracted.

He naturally assumed Sheng Yunze was tired from playing too much—though he’d never admit it was his own fault for making Sheng Yunze carry him around.

After the meal, Duan Yi told the driver not to come. Then, right in front of Sheng Yunze, he told an obvious lie, “Oh no, it’s dark and I don’t have a car. I guess I’ll have to take the subway.”

He was hinting that Sheng Yunze should drive him home.

Sheng Yunze teased, “You don’t have to be so obvious. It’s normal to drive my girlfriend home.”

Duan Yi protested, “Why am I always the girlfriend? Can’t I be the boyfriend?”

Sheng Yunze replied, “Fine, then walk home yourself.”

Duan Yi quickly gave in, “I’m the girlfriend! I’m the girlfriend!”

Sheng Yunze looked pleased. “Say it clearly.”

Duan Yi thought: What a pervert!

Then, with a sincere look and a sickeningly sweet voice, he said, “I’m Yunze-gege’s girlfriend. Can my dear gege please take this weak little boy home now?”

Sheng Yunze choked a little. He actually liked it.

On the way home, it started snowing again.

Dropping Duan Yi off at the entrance of his apartment complex wasn’t enough; he insisted Sheng Yunze take him all the way to his building.

“Aren’t you worried your dad will see us?” Sheng Yunze asked.

“If he does, I’ll just say you’re a classmate. He won’t suspect anything,” Duan Yi replied.

“You’re pretty smooth with this,” Sheng Yunze remarked.

“A real man never brings up the past,” Duan Yi declared solemnly.

Despite their words about leaving, neither of them moved, as if waiting for something unspoken.

They stood on a quiet side path, lit only by a single streetlamp. Snowflakes danced in the dim light.

Duan Yi shivered. To distract himself from the cold, he decided to start a conversation that would get his heart racing and warm him up. “Actually, I kind of wanted to kiss you on the way here.”

Sheng Yunze’s heart skipped a beat.

Afraid he’d been too direct, Duan Yi quickly added, “Do you still mean what you said at the movie theater?”

He even sounded a little hurt. “You didn’t keep your promise either. You didn’t kiss me.”

Sheng Yunze: …

His feelings were complicated!

Duan Yi rubbed his nose, revealing a small mole on the tip that seemed soft in the streetlamp’s dim glow.

Am I being too forward?

Duan Yi quickly said, “Forget it, forget it. It’s too close to my house. My dad’s study window is right there. If he suddenly looks down and sees me with you, he’ll break my legs first, then yours.”

As he spoke, he carefully watched Sheng Yunze.

Sheng Yunze suddenly silently unzipped his jacket.

Whoosh!

The jacket flew through the air in a sharp, clean arc.

The next moment, it landed over Duan Yi’s head, carrying a warm breeze of lavender—the scent of Sheng Yunze’s usual laundry detergent.

Duan Yi’s head was covered by the jacket, leaving only his face visible as he stared blankly at Sheng Yunze.

Sheng Yunze calmly said, “Didn’t the country teach you to face difficulties head-on and find ways to overcome them?”

Then he lowered his head and kissed Duan Yi’s lips.

Instantly, Duan Yi reflexively gripped Sheng Yunze’s arm.

Sheng Yunze’s hand on Duan Yi’s waist tightened gradually. His right hand pressed against the back of Duan Yi’s neck, using a little force to push through the jacket and find the Omega’s gland.

At first, it was just a simple lip press, each tentatively exploring the other.

Sheng Yunze pinched Duan Yi’s chin. “Open your mouth.”

Duan Yi’s ears turned red as he obediently opened his mouth. The kiss became more intense. Duan Yi’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he seemed to swallow a lot of what Sheng Yunze was giving him.

Their long breaths broke into short gasps, Duan Yi almost fighting for air. He paused several times, feeling a little out of breath, before Sheng Yunze finally slowed down.

He ended by gently pecking at Duan Yi’s lips, or holding them in a kiss, not wanting to stop.

If anyone had seen them, they would have only seen a tall, handsome young man bending slightly to kiss his lover.

His lover was completely covered by a coat. In the heavy snow, only his slightly raised chin was visible, with its smooth jawline leading to his long neck, which disappeared into his tightly buttoned collar.

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Author’s Note:

The country didn’t teach you about early romance! Pushes up glasses

Kissing at the front door—how exciting!