In the past, Tang Xu never thought he would be so impatient.

Tang Cuo opened the car door and got in. Because of the enclosed space, he could hear the sound of his heartbeat more clearly. He didn’t pay much attention when he got into the car earlier, but now that he was sitting down, he felt like he was sitting on something. He looked down and found a small supermarket bag behind his waist. He glanced inside and saw a small bottle and a small box.

Feeling embarrassed, he needed a topic that could change the subject.

“What is this…”

Muttering a few words, Tang Cuo suddenly stopped, as if a fire had suddenly burned in his head, and he let go in a daze.

Tang Xu couldn’t help but laugh, holding the steering wheel.

“When I came, I bought it…”

Tang Cuo didn’t speak, leaned back on the seat, turned his head to the window, and lowered the window to let the wind blow. After a while, he made a light sound, and then he glanced at the person next to him with the corner of his eye. When he was sure that he was driving seriously, he bent down and stretched out his arm to pick up the thing that had fallen to the ground.

Listening to the rustling sound of the plastic bag, Tang Xu tried hard not to laugh again. But although they could have gone straight, Tang Xu chose the road to the right. Using the opportunity of looking in the mirror, he caught sight of Tang Cuo’s blinking eyes and reddening ears.

Just as he had imagined and even more charming than he had imagined, like the orange soda with bubbles he used to have during his school days.

When the car finally stopped in front of the building, Tang Xu’s voice had already become husky with a low tone as he said, “Let’s get off.”

With hesitant steps, Tang Cuo stumbled out of the passenger seat and hesitated for a moment before lowering his head and reaching out to grab the small bag on the seat. His fingers were so hurried and uncoordinated that his middle finger was pressed against his ring finger, a shy and persistent posture.

When the two met at the front of the car and saw him looking embarrassed but tightly gripping the bag while avoiding eye contact, Tang Xu knew he couldn’t wait any longer.

He took Tang Cuo’s hand and ran towards the entrance of the building.

The old residential building without an elevator should be thanked, as all of Tang Xu’s enthusiasm could continue to rise while running. He had lived for thirty years, and this was the first time he had burned with such intensity.

When he opened the door, Tang Xu’s hand trembled, and he struggled with the key in the lock for a long time without success. Finally, as if it had grown impatient, the key clattered to the ground, and the sound activated the hallway light.

Tang Cuo was startled and instinctively bent down to help pick up the key, but before he could move, Tang Xu pressed his shoulders against the door with both hands.

His back hurt a little…

“Don’t open it yet.”

Tang Xu’s kiss came down in this brightly lit hallway.

Although shy, Tang Cuo felt nervous and excited. He couldn’t help but reach out and hold Tang Xu’s waist, responding to his kiss, and the bag joined in with a constant rustling sound. He didn’t know what kind of stimulation Tang Xu had received tonight, but when he truly felt Tang Xu’s sincere desire, he knew that he had been looking forward to this for a long time.

He wanted to fully possess and belong to Tang Xu. This was not something that could be decided by a single encounter, but Tang Cuo was willing to see this initial encounter as a ceremony, and he wanted to attend it with honesty and sincerity, hand in hand with Tang Xu.

The two were like dry firewood, igniting each other in the hallway. But just as their hands reached each other’s waists, Tang Xu used his remaining rationality to force himself to stop.

The hallway lights had already turned off, and the sounds of their heavy breathing and entanglement echoed back and forth, causing Tang Cuo’s ears to redden and his heart to race.

Tang Xu tightened his chin and took Tang Cuo’s hand, giving it a light squeeze before bending down to pick up the keys. As soon as the door opened, Tang Cuo was pushed inside by Tang Xu.

The shopping bag was taken away, and Tang Xu embraced him from behind and asked, “Do you want to shower first, shower together, or not shower at all?”

Tang Cuo lowered his head, “I…I’ll go first.”

Hearing this answer, Tang Xu let out a muffled laugh, then buried his face in Tang Cuo’s neck and took a deep breath.

“Go ahead, but wash quickly.”

Without even turning around, Tang Cuo rushed into the bathroom without taking a new pair of underwear. Watching the door “bang” shut, Tang Xu could only take a deep breath and find himself a glass of cold water to drink.

But before he could take a step, the bathroom door opened again.

“Or…we can wash together.”

Tang Cuo was almost blocked by Tang Xu in the bathroom. Before he could recover, he was kissed until he lost his strength. He didn’t know when his clothes were taken off. When he regained consciousness and wanted to kiss Tang Xu well, he found himself standing naked under the tap, with Tang Xu also naked.

The water poured down from top to bottom. Tang Xu held his face and wiped the water flowing on his face like a child’s face. Tang Cuo didn’t know which point of this action touched him. Suddenly, he took a step forward, hugged Tang Xu, tilted his head, and kissed his lips without any order.

After he was done kissing, Tang Xu held onto Tang Cuo and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Tang Cuo shook his head, his chest rising and falling.

“Tang Xu, let’s… let’s start now.”

The final shower was hurriedly taken, and Tang Xu wrapped Tang Cuo in a towel and carried him to the bed.

“I was going to wait until you graduated, but I guess I overestimated myself.” Tang Xu opened his bathrobe, and his hand followed the protruding bones along Tang Cuo’s waist, causing a wildfire to ignite wherever he touched.

“I regret so much that I missed the seven years of your life. I had hoped to make up for it with all the days of my remaining life, but only today did I realise that those seven years cannot be made up for even if I spent my entire life. So I want to make up for the time we have as soon as possible. Even if it violates professional ethics, I will accept it.”

As Tang Xu said these words while pressing on him, Tang Cuo felt an unusual hunger instead of nervousness or fear.

There were small, dense kisses falling on his neck, making him itch and feel hot. He stared at the ceiling with wide eyes, clearly seeing desire for what it was—Tang Xu’s voice, Tang Xu’s body, and the hunger raging inside him. He had experienced desire before, but never this strong, to the point where he wanted to immediately open up his body and let Tang Xu penetrate him deeply, giving him an indescribable pleasure.

It may sound promiscuous, but it is his most genuine and only thought at the moment.

For so many years, he kept telling himself that he didn’t want to have him or possess him; he just wanted to stay close to him. He also begged Wenying to guide him in this seemingly “normal” direction. This was his warning and also his loyalty to himself. But now he realizes that all these years, his resistance to his innermost thoughts was just self-deception and meaningless. He has always longed for Tang Xu, both spiritually and physically. He wants to like him and also wants to be liked by him. He wants to give him all the beautiful feelings he has guarded so hard, and he also longs for even a small response from him. He wants to embrace him, kiss him, and call his name as he pleases. He even wants to make love with him, feel every inch of his skin, and lose himself in him.

He didn’t want to give him to anyone else.

Tang Xu’s kisses had reached his lower abdomen, and he couldn’t help but tremble and moan. He heard Tang Xu say “good boy,” and then his desire below was enveloped in warmth.

Tang Cuo had never felt anything like this before. Just thinking about the current scene made him want to explode with emotion. He bent his arm and tightly gripped the pillow, his waist arching into a seductive curve.

“Tang Xu… don’t do this…”

Hearing his tearful plea, Tang Xu stopped and returned to his body. He kissed the corner of Tang Cuo’s eyes with more force than usual.

“Why are you crying before we even started?”

With him kissing him, Tang Cuo closed his eyes.

The breath of his lover brushed his eyebrows; there was nothing more romantic than this.

He reached out and hugged Tang Xu tightly, opening his eyes in the darkness to search for his brightness, and sniffed before saying, “Start quickly…”

Tang Xu laughed and lowered his head to kiss between his eyebrows. “It’s your first time, and I don’t have this kind of experience either; don’t be anxious.”

He was afraid that Tang Cuo would feel pain, so he put in a lot of effort into foreplay. But Tang Cuo was getting more and more impatient, calling out Tang Xu’s name and urging him to hurry up when he was trying to relax him. Tang Xu couldn’t hold him back.

Tang Cuo felt like he had been spoiled. He was the one who kept shouting for Tang Xu to start, but when Tang Xu finally entered him, he was trembling so much that Tang Xu didn’t know whether to move in or out.

They really had no experience, and Tang Cuo was even more inexperienced. No matter how Tang Xu coaxed him to relax, there was no effect. Tang Xu had been enduring the pain for a long time, but seeing Tang Cuo’s lips bitten with deep marks from the pain, his heartache was greater than his desire to indulge.

He kissed Tang Cuo’s lips and said, “Be good; let’s not do it today.”

Tang Cuo felt him wanting to withdraw from his body and suddenly began to cry, “No, don’t go out; we have to do it today; you just come in.”

Tang Cuo’s reaction was too intense; Tang Xu dared not move and said in a suppressed voice, “No, you will get hurt like this.”

“No, it won’t hurt later. Come in…”

Even though he had endured so much pain just now without crying, Tang Cuo started crying again.

Tang Xu couldn’t force himself to act when faced with Tang Cuo like this, no matter what he had in mind. He left Tang Cuo’s body and supported himself to kiss the person below him.

“I suddenly thought of a way to help you relax.” Tang Xu hugged him and placed his hand on his slightly trembling back, stroking it gently like petting a frightened cat. “In 2007, I accompanied Shi Xi to receive treatment. Apart from Shi Xi’s unstable emotions at the beginning, the treatment went smoothly. I spent the Spring Festival in the US that year. We had our New Year’s Eve dinner at the hospital, and Shi Xi said she wanted to see fireworks. I bought her the handheld ones that you like, but I felt the ones I bought back then were not as nice as the ones I bought for you. When I lit the fireworks, I thought to myself, would anyone buy fireworks for that little child this year? Would he be too scared to ask his parents for fireworks in their new home?”

“In 2008, Shi Xi was still undergoing treatment, and I was still overseas. However, my graduate advisor in China recommended that I participate in a project in a US laboratory, which was very successful, and I got the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. degree there. I was very busy and tired during that period, but I still made sure to read the news every day. Many things happened in China in 2008, such as the Wenchuan earthquake and the Olympics. During the Wenchuan earthquake, I wanted to go back to China, but I couldn’t free myself up, so I could only donate money. Now, looking back, I regret it because my brother went to Sichuan and participated in the rescue efforts. During the Olympics, my grandfather and others went to see the opening ceremony, but I still couldn’t go back to China. At that time, I remembered the things I told you about the Olympics, saying that I would take you to see the opening ceremony and watch the games live. That was the first time I realized that I might have broken many of my promises to you. In 2009…”

Tang Xu’s hands moved up and down, touching every inch of his burning skin. And the story Tang Xu told also slowly passed seven years.

“In the summer of 2014, after returning to China from my exchange programme, I met you in my first class.”

Tang Xu’s hands had already begun to open up that soft spot again, entangling Tang Cuo’s tongue. Both of their heads made small movements, occasionally touching their noses. The warm air they exhaled couldn’t escape the narrow gap between them and spread into the gentle air. It added more charm when the two faces were gently separated.

“Later on, I liked you, fell in love with you, and wanted to spend my life with you.”

Tang Cuo didn’t know if there was anyone else like Tang Xu who could say so much in bed, but he only knew that he was willing to listen to every word he said, especially the last sentence.

“You…say it again.”

“The last sentence?…I love you; let’s spend our lives together.”

Tang Cuo felt a warm sensation rising up from his chest, rushing to his throat, unable to come out or swallow down.

Finally, they were completely intertwined with each other. When Tang Xu was thrusting vigorously, Tang Cuo was gasping and crying, “Tang Xu, call me, call me…”

Tang Xu said, “Sihang, be a good boy.”

But Tang Cuo shook his head and whispered, “It’s not that, it’s not that…”

Tang Xu stopped his movements and kissed his collarbone.

“Tang Sihang.”

He was really slow to catch on, until now. When Tang Xu mentioned spending a lifetime together, Tang Cuo finally understood what had been tormenting him for seven years. It was the feeling of waiting. It was like there was no end in sight and no time limit that held any hope.

But even so, he was willing to wait, as long as the person beyond millions of light years away was Tang Xu.

But one day, he thought the hopeless waiting suddenly bore fruit, with sweet juice and a fragrant aroma, making him feel that even the toughest seven years were worth it, and the despair that seemed endless was not worth mentioning.

The fruit was not special; even the most humble and ordinary person could have it, and its name was not special either; those two words had been written into songs and poems by countless people. But it was also special because, for most people, it was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. At least it was for Tang Cuo and Tang Xu.

Rue : we’ve reached 40th chapter!!! Yay! enjoy reading!