Chapter 75

Most of the time, it felt like Li Sipei didn’t have much to do. But the moment they planned a trip, big and small matters piled up all at once.

After taking a shower, Mi Zhao lay in bed, drowsy and on the verge of sleep. Suddenly, the mattress dipped slightly beside him, and a warm body pressed against him.

Li Sipei had just finished his shower, his body radiating heat. When his chest pressed against Mi Zhao’s back, it was like being hugged by a living heater.

Mi Zhao turned around in his arms and clung to him like an octopus, wrapping his limbs around him.

“I was thinking about something.” Mi Zhao reached out and poked Li Sipei’s chin with his finger. His face had sharp, defined angles with almost no fat—poking it didn’t feel like anything at all.

Li Sipei’s head tilted back slightly from the poking. He grabbed the mischievous hand, hesitated for a moment, then couldn’t resist lowering his head and giving the finger a bite.

Mi Zhao hissed, his brows knitting together. “You’re such a dog.”

Li Sipei wiped the lingering moisture from his hand with his thumb and asked, “What were you thinking about?”

“Your mom.” Mi Zhao rested his chin against Li Sipei’s chest, lifting his gaze to meet his. “That night when we left, she kept staring at us. I thought she’d come find me soon.”

But she never did.

Mi Zhao couldn’t figure out what the old madam was thinking. He didn’t know if she was simply being patient or if she genuinely didn’t care about the two of them.

If it was the latter, it’d be easier to deal with. But if it was the former… his mind couldn’t help but wander.

If TV dramas were to be believed, the longer the old madam waited, the bigger the move she was planning.

Li Sipei chuckled. “You want to see her?”

“Huh?” Mi Zhao looked stunned, then immediately shook his head like crazy. “I’m not that much of a masochist.”

Li Sipei watched him.

Mi Zhao sighed dramatically as he kept shaking his head. “I’m just a little scared.”

Li Sipei pulled him into his embrace, absentmindedly stroking his back. “Scared of what?”

“What else? I’m scared she won’t accept me. You’re her only son—she might still be counting on you to carry on the family line. If you’re with me, that means no biological grandchildren for her.” Mi Zhao trailed off mid-sentence as a thought struck him. His expression immediately turned serious. “I’m telling you now—I’m not having kids with some other woman. And you better not go pulling any shady tricks behind my back just for a child.”

Li Sipei looked at the fuming person in his arms, his lips curling into a smile. Like an agitated cat, Mi Zhao was deliberately baring his claws but wouldn’t actually scratch him.

It made Li Sipei feel itchy inside—like a cat had scratched his heart instead.

“Come home with me for the New Year.”

The sudden statement made Mi Zhao freeze mid-rant. He stared at Li Sipei blankly for a moment, then reached up to dig at his ear. “Are you serious?”

“When have I ever joked with you?”

“You mean… go back to see your mom?”

“Mm.”

“What if she pulls you aside and secretly offers me a few million to leave you?” Mi Zhao clutched at the front of Li Sipei’s shirt, looking genuinely worried. “That’s how it always plays out in TV dramas.”

Li Sipei let out a laugh. “She won’t.”

“You’re sure she won’t?”

“That, I can’t say for certain.” Li Sipei’s tone was calm. “But I do know she wouldn’t offer you millions. Based on her personality, she’d more likely pressure you into leaving without taking a single cent.”

“…”

“My mom is a businesswoman. She values profit. Giving out money for nothing isn’t her style.”

“Can you not talk?!” Mi Zhao was so angry his face turned blue. He was fuming. Without thinking, he reached up and pinched Li Sipei’s mouth shut.

With his lips squished, Li Sipei looked slightly ridiculous, but his eyes were full of amusement as he gazed at Mi Zhao. He only moved closer when Mi Zhao finally let go, pressing his lips near Mi Zhao’s ear.

“My mom is my mom. I am me. She can’t control my life.”

His breath brushed against Mi Zhao’s ear, making him shrink his neck from the ticklish sensation.

“So if she really does pull a move straight out of a TV drama, you can just reject her. We’re not characters in a show—our relationship doesn’t need to go through all that drama.”

Most of Mi Zhao’s anger dissipated in an instant. He wrapped his arms around Li Sipei’s neck and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “You said it, not me.”

On the first day of the New Year’s holiday, Mi Zhao still got up early. After he and Li Sipei cooked and ate two bowls of noodles together, they started checking their luggage.

Even though it was just a three-day trip, there was still quite a bit to bring.

At exactly 9 a.m., Ruan Xin knocked on the door, ready to drive them to the airport.

The six-hour flight left Mi Zhao sore all over. The moment he stepped off the plane, a wave of humid heat rushed over him. Luckily, he and Li Sipei had anticipated the temperature change and changed into lighter clothes before landing.

The airport was located in the city, while their hotel was by the seaside, with over half an hour’s drive in between. The route was winding, but eventually, the hotel’s car pulled up beside a massive fountain at the entrance.

The hotel staff quickly brought over a luggage cart to assist them.

With his hands free, Mi Zhao finally had time to take out his phone and send messages to He Linfang and Yan Qinting to let them know he had arrived safely. Just as he was about to exit WeChat, he caught sight of a friend request.

Since they were still waiting for the front desk to process their check-in, he opened the request out of curiosity.

The ID was “Yu?”

The profile picture was of a long-haired Shetland Sheepdog holding a green fluff ball in its mouth. The background featured a green meadow with the corner of an ancient castle faintly visible. The entire image was so high-quality that it looked like something taken straight from the internet.

Mi Zhao frowned.

Who was this?

Just from the profile picture and ID, it looked suspiciously like one of those online scam accounts he had come across before.

But strangely enough, the note attached to the request was his name.

Mi Zhao hesitated for a moment before accepting the request and sending a question mark in response.

—

The room had been booked by Mi Zhao. It was a suite with a bedroom, a living room, and a bathroom. The living room featured a massive floor-to-ceiling window, its curtains drawn open, allowing the golden sunlight to pour in and illuminate the entire space.

A hotel staff member pushed their suitcases inside, gave a few instructions, and then left.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Mi Zhao made a beeline for the large bed in the bedroom, plopping down heavily onto it. The mattress was so soft that he sank right in. He patted the empty space beside him and called out to Li Sipei, who was still in the living room, “Come rest for a bit?”

Li Sipei had just placed a suitcase flat on the ground, intending to unpack their clothes and hang them up. But upon hearing Mi Zhao’s invitation, he still got up and walked over.

Mi Zhao spread his arms around Li Sipei’s waist and pulled him onto the bed. Then, he reached down and touched his leg. “Does it hurt?”

Li Sipei said, “It’s fine.”

Which meant it wasn’t that fine—after all, they had been traveling for hours.

“I’ll massage it for you.” Mi Zhao lifted one of Li Sipei’s legs onto his lap and started kneading it with practiced hands. As he worked, he suggested, “Let’s not go too far today. After dinner, we can just walk around the area.”

Li Sipei hummed in agreement, his eyes quietly lowered, watching those slender, elegant fingers skillfully press and knead his calf.

Mi Zhao’s hands were as beautiful as those of a painter or a pianist. His nails were neatly trimmed, like little crescent moons.

After observing for a while, Li Sipei finally asked, “Where do you want to go?”

“I remember this hotel has a private beach. How about we check it out later?” Mi Zhao was still focused on his massage, completely unaware that Li Sipei’s gaze seemed to be glued to him. “If you don’t feel like walking, we can just find a place to sit. I brought my drawing tools—how about you watch me draw?”

He looked up and smiled at Li Sipei.

The corners of Li Sipei’s lips lifted slightly, and an unintentional warmth filled his gaze. For once, he took the initiative, leaning in to place a kiss on Mi Zhao’s lips. “Alright.”

Mi Zhao blinked in surprise, then stuck out his tongue to lick his lips. “That was so… tame.”

Li Sipei raised a brow, as if he didn’t understand. “Hm?”

Too lazy to explain, Mi Zhao simply reached up, grabbed the back of Li Sipei’s head, and pulled him in for a kiss. Before the other could react, his agile tongue had already pried open his lips.

Although briefly startled, Li Sipei quickly adapted, parting his lips in cooperation.

The room was spacious and quiet. The air conditioner hummed softly, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the intermittent sounds of lips and tongues entwining.

Mi Zhao had always thought those sounds were embarrassingly intimate. Even after sharing countless kisses with Li Sipei, he still instinctively closed his eyes in moments like these.

He didn’t know how long they kissed, but by the time his face and ears were burning, he finally pulled back.

Opening his eyes, he found that Li Sipei was also looking at him—his gaze steady and unwavering.

Unable to resist, Mi Zhao pinched his nose. The bridge was high and firm, not particularly satisfying to squeeze, but knowing that he was the only one who could do this filled him with a strange sense of satisfaction.

“Had enough of staring?”

Li Sipei caught his mischievous hand—not to push it away, but to bring it to his lips, where he gently grazed his teeth over it. He seemed like he wanted to bite but ultimately held himself back. “It’s time for dinner.”

At some point, the sky outside had turned red. The evening light streamed through the living room window, casting their intertwined shadows into the corners of the bedroom.

It was already dusk.

There was a two-hour time difference between here and A City. It was only four or five in the afternoon back home, but here, it was already six or seven—dinnertime.

The in-flight meal hadn’t been great. Even though Mi Zhao wasn’t a picky eater, he hadn’t eaten much, and now he was actually feeling hungry.

So the two of them changed quickly and headed downstairs to the restaurant.

By the time they finished eating, the sky had deepened from sunset hues to dark blue. Just thirty meters outside the restaurant was the hotel’s private beach, now illuminated by rows of pathway lights. A few scattered visitors were strolling along the shore, laughing and chatting.

The daytime air had been thick with humid warmth, but by nightfall, a refreshing coolness had settled in. Even in short sleeves and shorts, they didn’t feel cold.

Mi Zhao took Li Sipei’s hand and glanced up at the sky. “It’s already so late—we won’t be able to draw.”

Besides, he hadn’t brought his art supplies. If they went back to the room to grab them, by the time they returned, the sky would be completely dark.

Drawing in poor lighting would strain his eyes.

And Mi Zhao valued his eyesight.

Li Sipei habitually gave his hand a light squeeze. “Want to take a walk on the beach?”

“Sure!” Mi Zhao agreed readily. But halfway through their walk, he spotted a family of three in swimsuits heading toward the hotel’s garden. On a whim, he decided he wanted to go swimming instead.

In the end, the two of them returned to their room first.