Don’t Ignite It chapter 19

Lighter

Lu Zhao brought Xia Yu back to his own home.

His residence in Chuan City had remained the same, but he had rarely come back in recent years. 

Though Lu Zhao had been living here for a while now after he came back to the country, the villa still lacked warmth. The only sign of occupancy was a book on the sofa that had been partially read, indicating the presence of an owner.

As soon as Lu Zhao and Xia Yu entered, they pressed against the door and started kissing. The light in the hallway was warm and gentle, casting Xia Yu in a soft glow. His fair skin glistened with a thin layer of sweat, resembling honey.

Buttons on shirts had fallen to the floor, and belts were undone.

Xia Yu murmured, “I can’t wait.”

Lu Zhao felt the same way too so he kissed Xia Yu passionately, his voice muffled, “Then let’s not go upstairs.”

He lifted Xia Yu and placed him on the sofa, their shadows entwining and dancing on the wall.

Xia Yu, half-dazed, said, “No protection?”

“I don’t have any,” Lu Zhao replied.

Xia Yu bit Lu Zhao in dissatisfaction.

But his body yielded to Lu Zhao’s touch, cheeks flushed, lips moist, and his face unconsciously nuzzled against Lu Zhao’s shoulder.

“I’ll take care of you,” Lu Zhao whispered reassuringly. “Relax, I won’t hurt you.”

Xia Yu didn’t fully believe Lu Zhao’s words, but he was already in the mood. He reluctantly nodded.

The moment he agreed, Lu Zhao unleashed his passion like a wild animal unchained.

Xia Yu leaned back against the sofa, feeling his back reddening from the intensity. Surprisingly, the pain only added to the pleasure.

He felt like Lu Zhao might ruin him, but he couldn’t deny that he was thoroughly enjoying it. He clung to Lu Zhao’s neck, softly cursing, “Lu Zhao you bastard…”

Lu Zhao made no excuses and continued to kiss him.

…

Xia Yu’s slender neck was stretched back, resembling a dying swan. Amidst the haze, he heard Lu Zhao kissing his earlobe and nibbling it while murmuring, “I love you.”

Xia Yu’s body tensed.

Especially when Lu Zhao looked at him so seriously.

Those gray-blue eyes were like gemstones Xia Yu had seen in his mother’s jewelry box when he was a child. They shimmered with warmth, but when touched, they were cold. Even in the sunlight, they didn’t seem gentle, only regal and unattainable.

Lu Zhao had always been like a precious sapphire, captivating everyone’s attention but kept behind glass, hidden from everyone’s grasp.

But now, the person he had once been infatuated with was saying “I love you” in the heat of the moment.

It sounded unreal.

“I love you,” Lu Zhao repeated, seemingly aware of Xia Yu’s doubt. His gem-like eyes contained a subtle pain.

Xia Yu felt his heart ache a little at this unexpected confession. However, instead of responding, he sealed Lu Zhao’s lips with his own.

Afterward, Xia Yu couldn’t move.

They had engaged in an intense passionate encounter downstairs, and now, Lu Zhao was holding him as they returned to the bedroom upstairs. The two of them were like tireless beasts.

After not seeing each other for more than half a month, once they reunited, it was as if dry wood had been ignited by sparks, instantly becoming a raging fire.

Xia Yu pressed his waist in discomfort.

They had been too passionate, and he doubted if he could even get up tomorrow. He had so many marks on his body; he would have to wear a high-collared shirt to avoid attracting attention.

Thinking about it, he glanced at Lu Zhao, wondering if he should embarrass him too and give him a few more marks to hide as well.

But on second thought, Lu Zhao was shameless enough that he probably didn’t care. Xia Yu gave up the idea.

Lu Zhao draped a robe over himself, pushed the bedroom window open slightly, and discovered that it was raining outside. The air was damp and fresh, and as soon as he opened the window, it rushed in. However, the bedroom remained warm and cozy.

After taking taking a shower, he returned to bed with Xia Yu in his arms.

Xia Yu lay still, finding Lu Zhao annoying. However, he had been pleasured so intensely by Lu Zhao earlier that he was in a good mood. He felt soft all over and didn’t even have the energy to push Lu Zhao away.

He lay in Lu Zhao’s arms for a while, listening to the gentle rain outside. The night was peaceful, and he could almost visualize the raindrops falling from the red maple trees and into the pond. Snuggled up with Lu Zhao like this, he surprisingly felt a sense of contentment, as if time had healed their wounds.

He chuckled and playfully ran his fingers over Lu Zhao’s chest, then his hand dipped into Lu Zhao’s pocket and found a small square object: the lighter Lu Zhao had used to light his cigarette earlier.

Although the lighter was exquisite and beautiful, it appeared quite old. It had probably been through some rough handling, as there were several scratches on the copper surface. However, the leather case around it was well-preserved, emitting a subtle and understated shine.

Xia Yu recognized this lighter from before but wasn’t entirely sure.

Now, holding it in his hand and flipping it over, he noticed a small inscription at the bottom – “Yu.”

It was the one he had custom-made and given to Lu Zhao, engraved with his own name after waiting for a month.

“You still have this?” Xia Yu smiled faintly. “I thought you had thrown it away.”

After all, he hadn’t seen Lu Zhao use it much when they were together.

“I’ve been using it all along,” Lu Zhao said as he wrapped his hand around Xia Yu’s, palm against palm. “I thought I had lost it once, and I even canceled a flight to find it. Fortunately, I eventually found it.”

However, when he had found it, there were already some scratches on the lighter. He had held it in his hand for a long time, feeling a sense of loss, as if a connection between him and Xia Yu had been severed once again.

Yet here was Xia Yu, lying in his arms, and he didn’t feel that they were apart.

Xia Yu’s fingers traced the patterns on the lighter.

“Do you really like it that much?” he asked softly.

Lu Zhao embraced him. “I really do.”

They seemed to be talking about the lighter, but also about something else.

Lu Zhao thought that anything related to Xia Yu, he would never let go.

Xia Yu fell silent.

In fact, he could have mocked Lu Zhao, reminding him that he hadn’t cherished the lighter when it was given to him. But in the end, he didn’t say anything.

The lighter was cold to the touch, but holding it in his hand, it seemed scorching hot, as if it might blister his palm.

He nestled closer to Lu Zhao, and after a while, he suddenly asked, “In these years, have you ever thought about finding someone else?”

Their separation had begun when Lu Zhao entered the family business and prepared to marry according to his parents’ wishes. But the list of potential brides prepared by Lu Zhao didn’t include Xia Yu; instead, he met other prospective partners.

Now, several years had passed, and Lu Zhao was still single.

He had a ring on his index finger that he hadn’t removed, but his ring finger was otherwise empty.

Xia Yu smiled and asked, “What about those blind date partners? None of them worked out?”

He was genuinely curious.

Even he had considered finding someone else in these past few years, but it didn’t work out.

With Lu Zhao’s qualities, many people were willing to pursue him. He couldn’t really be preserving his chastity for real, could he?

Thinking about this, Xia Yu couldn’t help but almost burst into laughter.

Lu Zhao’s gaze fell on Xia Yu’s ring finger.

That ring felt like a thorn in his heart, constantly reminding him that, legally, Xia Yu belonged to someone else.

Lu Zhao said, “Before you married Xu Zhan, I turned down matchmaking meetings. At first, I thought I would eventually forget you. Once I forget you, I would choose to start over.”

He might not be a good person, but he didn’t want to hastily enter a marriage without properly dealing with his previous relationship. It wouldn’t benefit anyone.

However, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t imagine marrying anyone else.

He had lost the template of a partner he had once envisioned, and in its place was the image of Xia Yu.

Lu Zhao continued, “In the first year, I thought it was because the time was too short. Every time I closed my eyes, it was you. Sometimes, I dreamt of you, lying in my arms, wanting to kiss me. But when I woke up, you were gone. Over time, my sleep became poor, but I still wanted to fall asleep so I could see you in my dreams.”

“The second year, my situation didn’t improve at all. When I saw things you liked, I wanted to buy them for you. Even when I went on a business trip to Paris, I thought about the time we strolled through the Tuileries Garden together. On your birthday, I called you, but you didn’t answer.”

“The third year…” Lu Zhao paused here and took a moment before continuing, “It’s still the same, no improvement.”