Don’t Ignite It chapter 73
Difficult to Escape Blame – Xu Zhan x Ruan Sen (Part 2)
Xu Zhan lay on the pillow, his eyelids heavy with exhaustion. He appeared almost on the brink of sleep, but his mind remained clear. The coastal sunlight lingered, and there was still a faint glimmer of the last rays of the sun. The golden hues filtered through the transparent glass windows, casting a glow on Xu Zhan’s smooth, snow-white back. A deep blue silk blanket draped just around his waist, adorned with scattered marks and imprints from kisses.
Ruan Sen held an unlit cigarette between his teeth, his fingers tracing Xu Zhan’s waist lightly. Xu Zhan, half in a daze, lifted his head to look at him. His face had a thin layer of sweat, and his eyelashes were moistened into clumps, whether from weariness or perhaps the tears shed earlier, he couldn’t tell. His normally refined and gentle appearance, occasionally wearing glasses, was characterized by innate elegance and a pair of hands that seemed untouched by the world’s hardships.
But now, as he tilted his head back, there was an inexplicable sensuality about him.
Ruan Sen’s gaze darkened involuntarily. He discarded the unlit cigarette; Xu Zhan didn’t like the smell of smoke, so he rarely smoked. He then lay down, his hand resting on Xu Zhan’s body.
“Are you tired?” he asked.
Xu Zhan, feeling a bit sluggish, nodded and shook his head in turn.
Ruan Sen chuckled, “So, are you tired or not?”
Xu Zhan, exhausted, turned over, casting a somewhat hesitant glance at Ruan Sen. Each time he saw Ruan Sen, he couldn’t escape being entangled. Honestly, he was even a little afraid. The feeling of being on the brink of losing control, completely at the mercy of another person, was something he had never experienced before.
Yet, he found it difficult to articulate, and secretly, he liked it.
With these thoughts, Xu Zhan buried his face slightly in the sheets.
Ruan Sen laughed again when he saw that, and he lay next to Xu Zhan for a while. Then, he got up casually, put on a robe, and dialed room service to order dinner, knowing Xu Zhan’s preference for light dishes.
Xu Zhan watched him while clutching a pillow.
Undoubtedly, Ruan Sen was handsome, even in this lazy posture, leaning against the cabinet with messy hair. His sharp features, pale face, and finely sculpted facial features caught Xu Zhan’s attention. Ruan Sen noticed Xu Zhan’s gaze, turned to look at him, and his expression resembled a sated wild beast eyeing its prey.
Unconsciously, Xu Zhan’s fingers traced a circle on the bed sheet.
His ring finger had a faint indentation, a trace left behind by wearing a ring, but it was barely noticeable because of his naturally fair complexion. However, he knew it was there.
He recalled the first time he met Ruan Sen. It was in a bar when he was feeling down and decided to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
Like every clichéd comedy, he was harassed, and that’s when Ruan Sen stepped in to help him. Even now, he remembered it vividly. Ruan Sen had driven away the harasser, nonchalantly leaned against the bar counter, wearing a simple black T-shirt, with slightly messy black hair and a pale face. His fingers were beautiful, holding a cigarette as he asked, “Want one?”
He had never smoked before, but on that day, he inexplicably accepted it.
And half an hour later, he and Ruan Sen checked into a room.
It was Ruan Sen who had initiated it.
But it was also him who had indulged it.
Lying on the soft and spacious bed in the upstairs suite, alcohol coursing through his limbs and evaporating his rationality, he remembered the reason he had turned to alcohol in the first place—his first love had returned.
He recalled his embarrassing and hopeless three-year-long unrequited love. He remembered the scornful look in that person’s eyes, erasing any remnants of their past friendship.
He then remembered Xia Yu, lounging on the couch, advising him to occasionally let go of his composure. He told him that not all love stories were perfect, but if he met someone he liked, it was worth giving it a try.
“Such a pity, Xu Zhan,” Xia Yu’s face, youthful and radiant under the lights, resembled flawless jade as he slyly looked at him. “Have you never truly been kissed before?”
As he thought this, Ruan Sen leaned in for a kiss.
It’s not that he had never kissed anyone before. Before marrying Xia Yu, he had gone on a blind date with someone who was also well-mannered and had politely kissed him during their date. However, that kiss was nothing like Ruan Sen’s assertive and passionate kiss.
He didn’t even know this young man’s name or identity; he rashly engaged in the kiss. But it left him breathless, with almost no capacity for rational thought. Ruan Sen’s lips were hot and soft, and he was an excellent kisser.
However, just as they were about to go all the way, Ruan Sen’s hand on his shoulder had suddenly stopped. Xu Zhan raised his head in confusion.
Ruan Sen looked down at him, his eyes cold and aggressively penetrating. “By the way, you should be single, right?” Ruan Sen smiled, but his gaze remained calm. “I don’t particularly enjoy getting involved in other people’s relationships.”
Xu Zhan’s fingers twitched. But what did his marriage with Xia Yu count as, truthfully, If Xia Yu found out, he might even applaud. Moreover, this was just an occasional indulgence, and the next day was his birthday. A little recklessness should be forgivable.
So he replied, “No one will come bothering you.”
His response pleased the person on top of him.
Ruan Sen lowered his head and kissed him again, saying, “Such a good boy.”