Chapter 51: Autumn Night
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Contemporary male college students were really hard to send off with just a stress ball. Lin Su thought maybe it was best to send Shi Wenze back to Fengxiang Street instead—no more lingering for meals or overnight stays. Love could start out purely platonic, at least until his dragon horns had fully hardened, then they could move on to the next phase. With that decision made, he turned to Shi Wenze and said, “Tomorrow—”
His words caught in his throat because the college boy was leaning against the headboard, absentmindedly squeezing the stress ball. His pajama buttons were undone, showing off chest muscles with a hint of abs, the loose sleep pants hanging low on his hips. It looked like the opening scene of a midnight show, but his expression was pure and even carried a hint of innocent youth.
“…” A master. This was a master.
Seeing Lin Su staring, Shi Wenze asked, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Lin Su thought, You put on such an alluring look in the middle of the night and then ask why I’m not asleep? That’s just outrageous. Platonic could wait until tomorrow, but the abs could be touched right now.
Shi Wenze smiled and watched Lin Su toss aside the pillow barrier. He reached out and pulled him firmly into his arms. “This time, you made the first move.”
Lin Su pushed back. “I didn’t. Either put me back or—”
“Nope.” Shi Wenze flipped over to pin him down, planted a kiss on the crooked sleeping cap, then kissed the slightly cool lips. He took Lin Su’s hand and pressed it firmly against his own chest, providing top-notch service. Lin Su sank into the soft, fluffy silk comforter. His hand slid from Shi Wenze’s chest muscles down to his waist.
With his boyfriend half-exposed and looking like that, it seemed impossible for nothing to happen. Shi Wenze’s hand stayed on Lin Su’s tailbone, tickling him just a little.
Back when Dr. Kang had made a special note on his physical exam card about this slightly slow-developing white dragon’s unstable condition, advising plenty of rest and close family supervision to avoid mishaps in daily life, Lin Su hadn’t taken it seriously. He believed he could control his monster form. But now, with Shi Wenze gently holding his thin dragon tail, Lin Su stiffened completely. “Let go!” he hissed.
Shi Wenze whispered in his ear, “Show me your dragon form.”
Lin Su flat-out refused, but his bloodline was acting up. The skin around his horns began to burn. Shi Wenze was a little cruel at times like this. Though he still wore the innocent look of a college boy, his hands were anything but pure. The qilin didn’t naturally suppress the white dragon, but the hunter chasing an artist? That was a different story. Love wasn’t equal in this regard. Lin Su soon gave up resisting. With a near-breakdown sob, he forced out, “Use protection.”
“Okay.”
They were adults about these things, each prepared. The bedside table held everything needed. While Shi Wenze was busy opening the packaging, Lin Su turned his head, searching for his sleeping cap.
Shi Wenze caught sight of it and leaned in, making things worse by sucking on Lin Su’s forehead. The silver dragon horns flushed bright red. Lin Su tried to pull away but was caught by the wrist and easily drawn back. Next door was his sister’s room. Lin Su buried his face deep in his pillow.
The air grew thick with moisture. Shi Wenze felt his partner’s damp skin beneath his kisses and thought he was kissing a flower bud soaked in dew—cold, fragile. The night was soaked through with passion, every handful squeezing out a trickle of dripping water. At two a.m., Shi Wenze bit the soft tip of that tail again. Lin Su weakly kicked him. “Enough already.”
Shi Wenze grinned and pressed his forehead to Lin Su’s chest. “Just a quick hug, then I’ll take you to shower.”
Lin Su’s fingers tangled in Shi Wenze’s sweat-damp hair. It felt like holding a blazing furnace, but he didn’t want to push him away. Nothing compared to a young college boy—wild yet tender. That was a five-star experience. Shi Wenze rubbed his chin against Lin Su. “What are you smiling at?”
Lin Su thought maybe he shouldn’t be smiling, maybe he should look more fragile and pale to fit the role. But lovers having fun? It was hard to feel emo. Honestly, at this moment, smiling was already holding back. He could even blast “Good Days” on the Monster Committee’s phone speakers and toss candy from the bottom floor to the top.
Shi Wenze hugged him tighter. “You’re such a dork.”
Lin Su let himself be carried away by love, said nothing, and embraced the silliness. They cuddled and talked for a while before heading to the bathroom for a shower. Through the window, the light in the next room—the sister’s room—still glowed dimly.
Lin Lu has been busy with work lately. Lin Su carefully shut the bathroom window and said to Shi Wenze, “Turn down the water and don’t turn on the lights. We’ll dry our hair in the bedroom later.”
Shi Wenze thought it was an adorable secret rendezvous but also realized they needed to speed up the home renovation. Although the tattoo parlor and Qinghu Garden were great, having a small home just for the two of them would let them fully let loose and relax.
About that house: a while ago, after learning about the boss of the chicken feet joint requesting a suspicious discount, Zhou Yuansong had already told Shi Wenze to return the questionable amount based on market price and helped him apply for an additional bonus. With the rewards from the Qiongcheng Demon Committee, it was just enough to close the deal smoothly.
As for how to renovate it, Shi Wenze gave Lin Su unconditional freedom. “Just make sure there’s a bed for me. Everything else is fine.”
Lin Su asked, “Including painting all the walls the same color as the gallery’s second-floor staircase?”
Shi Wenze thought to himself, The staircase on the gallery’s second floor—that’s duck-egg green, right? Coming home every day to a duck-egg green house might be a bit stressful, but it was okay. As long as his wife liked it, he could handle it.
Lin Su then added he wanted a crane painted on the TV wall, a fireplace in the bedroom—one of those realistic two-meter-long models that actually smokes—and a two-meter-tall Ultraman statue right in the middle of the terrace. Shi Wenze accepted everything without hesitation, simultaneously heart-attacked and blissful.
Lin Su was puzzled by how easily his college boyfriend could be convinced of anything. He worried that when this guy got older, he might be fooled into buying health supplements. How was he even okay with the combination of Ultraman and cranes? But then he thought, With the Demon Committee’s salary, let him buy whatever he wants—won’t affect the household finances anyway.
Shi Wenze, still unaware that his salary was already being deeply disdained, continued to help rinse off the foam on his body. The body wash smelled faintly of unripe peach and apricot, a sweet fragrance oddly fitting for the night.
Lin Su yawned, reaching out for Shi Wenze to dry him off. He felt like he was losing control over his monster form again but didn’t bother. Curling up under the covers, he wrapped his tail inside as well and soon fell into a comfortable sleep.
Near dawn, Shi Wenze watched the little white dragon beside him suddenly transform. He touched the soft scales with his fingertip. Each time he touched, Lin Su curled up smaller and smaller—first pulling in his horns, then his belly—until he resembled a giant bubblegum swirl. Shi Wenze was genuinely smitten by the cuteness.
The next day was the weekend. Though Lin Lu had worked late, her 9-to-9 biological clock still woke her up on time. Groggy, she headed downstairs looking for a snack but rounded the corner to find her mother holding up her phone, trying to sneak a photo. Wearing fuzzy loungewear, she looked like a bear sneaking off to steal corn in a maize field. The scene was hard to describe with words.
“Shh!” Seeing her daughter, Si Longqiu quickly signaled her to be quiet. Lin Lu just blinked. Si Longqiu continued sneaking photos of her sleeping son. What else could be worth sending to her husband than a blurry little white dragon curled around the stairpost?
Lin Su’s grandmother, an elderly white dragon, got the same photo and immediately began planning to sew a cover for the post—to keep her grandson’s belly warm during winter.
Lin Lu texted in their group chat, “No need, Grandma, the cover you made for me is still here, washed and ready for brother to use again. Besides, isn’t that kind of thing only for dragons under ten years old?”
Grandma replied with a voice message: “No way, no way. Yours was pink, brother needs blue.”
Lin Lu: “Oh.”
Si Longqiu didn’t disturb the sleeping boy and headed downstairs to cook breakfast. The coffee machine hummed and filled the air upstairs with a rich aroma.
Shi Wenze wiped his face with a towel, went outside just in time to see the little white dragon sliding down the post. He reached out to catch him.
“Why are you sleeping here? I thought you were up.”
The little white dragon rested his head on Shi Wenze’s shoulder. “Sleeping here’s comfy.”
It was a dragon’s instinct. Shi Wenze had no choice but to negotiate. Maybe we need a post in the bedroom too, or you could practice perching on me.
The little white dragon curled his tail around Shi Wenze’s leg. “Okay, I’ll tell the designer.”
Shi Wenze led him to the bathroom and tested the waters. “You really don’t want me involved in the renovation?”
“Nope.” The little dragon slipped from his arms, shifting back to human form. His pajamas were soft and rumpled, and kiss marks from last night still lingered on his skin. Thankfully, it was fall, so he could wear more clothes and avoid being noticed by family.
Shi Wenze hugged him from behind, recalling those thrills and shivers, his heart itching as he kissed him again and again, even tugging on his tail. Lin Su thought, College boys are really annoying. He sent him downstairs to help with breakfast.
“Brother.” Lin Lu was frothing milk, having mostly dropped the “Shi Ge” nickname—only using it when her dear biological brother was around for clarity. “Morning.”
“Morning.” Shi Wenze took the frying pan from Si Longqiu. “Auntie, go rest, I got this.”
“Why was Xiao Su sleeping on the post this morning?” Si Longqiu asked. “He looks tired—still working late on that stolen art case last night?”
Shi Wenze kept a straight face. “Mm, he just got up.”
“Work at the Demon Committee is tough, you need to rest more.” Si Longqiu chatted as she set a stack of plates on the table. Lin Lu brewed coffee and made a warm cinnamon apple drink just for her brother. Everyone at home was carefully looking after the newly awakened little dragon. Especially Grandma, who not only sewed the blue post cover but also stuffed it with soft cotton, adding four small slots for claws.
When Qing Ji’s delivery arrived, his tricycle was nearly buried under a mountain of boxes. The yellow-clad little monster was sweating profusely. “Please… huff… check the quantity, then… huff… sign here. So many.” There were a dozen cartons in total: besides the post covers, a lot of local specialty products.
Xu You was the direct beneficiary of these goodies. Eating crispy walnut cookies, he gave Shi Wenze a thumbs-up. “You can go back now. Next time bring some snacks again.”
“After eating, change clothes. Director Zhou called us to work overtime.” Shi Wenze tossed him a bottle of water. “New leads on the Cang Daming gallery theft.”
“Now?” Xu You wiped his hands. “I thought they found nothing new at Xishan?”
“Colleagues from other departments at Xishan are still investigating—no new leads yet.”
“Then where’s the new lead from?”
“Lin Su found it.”
Xu You gave a thumbs-up. “Nice.”
Shi Wenze accepted the praise coolly. “Flattering.”
Family—just that confident.
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