Chapter 244: I SUDDENLY FEEL ENERGETIC

A quiet sound escaped Guiying despite himself, some of the ache in his calves finally easing under the pressure. "That actually helps a lot."

"Good." Liuxian worked his way up toward his calf next, kneading gently at the muscle there. "Tell me if anything hurts more than the rest."

"Here." Guiying pointed toward a spot just below his knee. "Lan Qiuyue had me holding a turn pose for what felt like an hour."

Liuxian focused there, pressing firm circles until Guiying’s shoulders dropped, tension bleeding out of him with every pass.

Watching him work through his own hands, something soft settled over Liuxian’s expression, the kind of affection he rarely lets show so plainly. Without warning, he lifted Guiying’s foot and pressed a kiss to the top of it.

"Don’t kiss my feet." Guiying pulled back slightly, cheeks warming. "They’re dirty."

"Don’t ever say that." Liuxian held his foot firmly, refusing to let it go. "There’s nothing dirty about you, my darling. You’re perfect. Your cute, dainty feet, I could kiss them all day. They smell of bath soap. I like it."

-_-

Too stunned to reply, Guiying simply stared at him, cheeks fully flushed now, the memory of the very first time Liuxian had done this rising unbidden, back when he’d been too shocked to do anything but freeze entirely.

He wasn’t frozen this time. He was only speechless, which felt like its own kind of progress.

Rising from the bed, Liuxian stretched briefly before heading toward the door. "I should shower before dinner."

Footsteps followed him down the hallway, light and quick.

Turning, Liuxian found Guiying trailing a few steps behind him, arms crossed loosely, an innocent expression settled over his face.

"Why are you following me?" Liuxian raised a brow, amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Missing me already?"

"Yes." Guiying didn’t hesitate. "I want to sleep together tonight."

Liuxian stopped walking and turned fully, placing his palm against Guiying’s forehead.

"You don’t have a fever, and your pheromones have gone back to normal." He studied Guiying’s face carefully. "Do your joints still ache? Does anything feel off?"

Guiying shook his head, only now realizing his heat cycle had already ended. He hadn’t even noticed the shift.

A laugh escaped him before he could stop it, which only irked Liuxian further.

"Brother Yanchen eagerly warned us to use protection." Guiying pressed a hand to his mouth, still laughing. "But I completely forgot I was in heat. It came on as abruptly as it left."

-_-

"What’s there to laugh about?" Liuxian’s brow furrowed. "I was worried, but you seem fine. It barely lasted a day. For a dominant omega, aren’t your cycles a little too short?"

Guiying could only shrug. They had always been that way, as far back as he could remember. He couldn’t recall a single heat lasting more than a day or two.

"My body is a little different, that’s all."

Liuxian nodded slowly. He couldn’t argue with that, not when Guiying’s entire existence had already proven itself to be full of exceptions.

They stepped into the bedroom together, and Liuxian began unbuttoning his shirt, exhaustion settling heavier into his shoulders now that the day had finally slowed down. He wanted nothing more than a shower and a few quiet hours to de-stress.

Deep in thought, he barely registered the sound of footsteps crossing the room behind him.

Then arms wrapped around him from behind, Guiying’s chest pressing warmly against his back, his hands roaming slowly over Liuxian’s exposed torso.

"Liuxian." Guiying’s voice came low near his ear. "Let’s have sex."

-_-

Turning in his arms, Liuxian smiled and caught Guiying’s hand, lifting it to press a brief kiss against his knuckles.

"I could never turn down a request from you." His tone stayed warm, teasing. "I don’t mind having cake any time of the day. But I’ll have to decline today. We’re both tired, and things have been hectic. I just want to snuggle and sleep together tonight."

Surprise flickered across Guiying’s face at the refusal. Usually Liuxian jumped at the mere mention of the word, never one to turn down an offer like that so easily. Exhaustion must have run deeper than he’d let on tonight.

"Okay." Guiying squeezed his hand once before letting go. "We have plenty more time to do that. Head in and take a shower, I’ll be right here."

Nodding, Liuxian disappeared into the bathroom, the sound of the shower starting up moments later.

Left alone in the bedroom, Guiying decided he could make himself useful in smaller ways instead.

From the closet, he pulled out a soft gray shirt and a pair of plaid pajama trousers, matching in style to the set he already wore himself, along with a clean set of underwear folded neatly on top. He laid them out across the foot of the bed, smoothing the fabric flat.

Next, he picked up his phone and called down to the kitchen.

"Uncle Li." Warmth colored his voice the moment the call connected. "Could you send up something light for Liuxian? Soup, and maybe a bit of rice, maybe some water too."

Old Li’s voice came through cheerful and quick, already promising it would be ready within the hour.

Setting the phone down, Guiying moved to the vanity next, plugging in the hairdryer and testing the heat setting against his own palm until it felt right. He set it aside within easy reach, ready for when Liuxian stepped out.

The bathroom door opened several minutes later, steam curling out ahead of him, a towel slung low around his waist.

Liuxian paused in the doorway, glancing at the clothes laid out on the bed, then at Guiying standing near the vanity.

"You didn’t have to do all this."

"I wanted to." Guiying gestured toward the outfit. "Now hurry up and get dressed. Dinner’s on its way, and I already tested the hairdryer for you."

Liuxian smiled and walked to the bed. Leaning over Guiying.

"You know, now that I’ve taken a shower. I suddenly feel energetic.."