ALCSRB Chapter 70

The hot spring resort was located on the southern outskirts of the city — it would take nearly two hours to drive there.

Shen Xingyan was at the wheel, occasionally glancing at the boy in the passenger seat, who was completely absorbed in messaging on his phone.

Jiang Mingyi had created a small group chat, introducing An Shi and Pei Shiqing to each other.

The three of them were chatting away in the group, all fired up.

【Jiang Mingyi】: We’ve already set off — what about you guys?

A few seconds later:

【An Shi】: We’re out the door too.

【Pei Shiqing】: We’re on our way too, but we’re a bit farther, so we might get there a little late.

【Jiang Mingyi】: No worries. We’re all about the same distance anyway. Once we’re there, we can grab lunch first.

【An Shi】: I checked — that place has some pretty famous local eats.

An Shi immediately dropped a whole travel guide for the hot spring resort in the group chat.

Jiang Mingyi clicked it open and browsed carefully. Besides its well-known hot springs, the resort had a lot of unique scenic spots — and quite a few special local delicacies too.

【Jiang Mingyi】: Let’s make a reservation ahead of time so we can start eating as soon as we get there.

Looking at all those mouthwatering food pics, Jiang Mingyi was practically drooling.

【Pei Shiqing】: Can I order first?

One food photo after another was shared in the chat. Even the normally calm An Shi couldn’t help but chime in.

【An Shi】: Leave it to me. I’ll make sure we get the hottest, freshest food when we arrive.

Amid all the lively chatter, the car sped down the road. By the time they reached the destination, it was almost noon.

The hot spring resort was nestled among mountains and rivers, with a massive area and a traditional Chinese architectural style — elegant, serene, and slightly otherworldly.

Everyone met up in the grand lobby of the resort. Jiang Mingyi tugged Pei Shiqing over to look at the ornamental rock garden and the little waterfall at the entrance.

Inside, a big golden koi caught both of their eyes and made them squeal in surprise.

“Look at that fish! It’s so fat!”

“Wonder if it tastes good?”

“All you ever think about is food.”

“Well, you’re the one who said it’s fat — and when you see a fat fish, of course you think about eating it.”

In the lobby, a man who looked like a manager overheard their conversation and couldn’t help the twitch in the corner of his eye.

At that moment, An Shi came over holding three room key cards. The black-and-gold key cards were wedged between his fingers as he held them out to the two pairs of brothers in front of him. “Come on, let’s split up the rooms.”

It was a rare trip; obviously, they wouldn’t head back the same day — they’d stay at least one night.

“What’s the difference?” Jiang Mingyi asked, glancing at the identical-looking cards.

“No difference. They’re all twin rooms,” An Shi replied. “Two are next to each other, and one’s across the hall.”

Pei Shiqing craned his neck to peek, then turned to silently ask Pei Mingyue for his opinion with a look.

Pei Mingyue just said, “Pick whichever you want.”

As expected, his brother was being perfunctory again. Pei Shiqing pouted a little.

Jiang Mingyi didn’t hold back — he picked one of the adjacent rooms and handed the other key card to Pei Shiqing. “We’re good bros, so of course we gotta stay closer together.”

An Shi narrowed his eyes, not getting it. “Why? Does that mean we’re not?”

Jiang Mingyi shook his head, explaining with playful mischief, “There’s a generation gap between us — we’re a few years apart — so we need the hallway to bridge it.”

He even tugged Pei Shiqing a bit further away from An Shi, who could only roll his eyes to the ceiling, speechless.

Inside the hot spring resort, the interior had a charming, old-fashioned style. Each room was wooden, and the long corridor was decorated with all sorts of wooden lanterns, a faint scent of wood drifting through the air.

“Ge, this place really is pretty nice. That path we just walked on was paved with smooth cobblestones, and the courtyard’s full of beautiful flowers and trees. The whole vibe is so relaxing.”

Jiang Mingyi walked at Shen Xingyan’s side, glancing around while he marveled.

He’d looked up the place beforehand, but nothing compared to actually being there.

Shen Xingyan’s refined, striking profile was outlined perfectly by the light. When Jiang Mingyi turned his head slightly to look at him, he was momentarily dazzled.

His hand, hanging at his side, shifted just a bit — his pinky finger silently reached for the man’s.

Sensing his hand being hooked, Shen Xingyan lowered his eyes and looked over, meeting Jiang Mingyi’s bright smile.

In response to what Jiang Mingyi had just said, he said softly, “If you like it, we can stay longer.”

“Two days is enough. If we stay too long, I’m afraid it’ll lose its novelty,” Jiang Mingyi refused, their clasped hands radiating warmth back and forth. “We can come back every now and then — that way it stays fresh.”

Hearing this little ‘philosophy’, Shen Xingyan nodded gently. “We’ll do as you say.”

Walking behind them, Pei Shiqing couldn’t help but notice how close they were, his face showing a hint of envy.

He stole a glance at Pei Mingyue — only to see him frowning, his eyes seemingly locked on Jiang Mingyi and Shen Xingyan’s intertwined hands.

Seeing Pei Mingyue’s expression turn a bit cold, Pei Shiqing felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest.

Up ahead, An Shi pulled An Jiancheng along and opened the door to their room first. “Rest for a bit. Later, we’ll have lunch and then hit the hot springs.”

With that, the two of them went inside.

Jiang Mingyi and Shen Xingyan also entered their own room.

Inside, there were two large beds, one on each side. The whole decor had a warm, cozy style.

Jiang Mingyi found a hot spring tub in the room’s private backyard, steam curling up lazily from its surface.

He let out a surprised yelp, which caught Shen Xingyan’s attention.

“What’s wrong?”

Shen Xingyan walked over and saw the hot spring tub too, but he wasn’t surprised. “An Shi booked us the couple’s suite.”

Jiang Mingyi blinked. “Couple’s suite?”

“But… there are two beds?”

A couple sleeping in separate beds? That felt awfully distant.

Seeing his confusion, Shen Xingyan just smiled faintly. “Don’t you notice anything different about the beds?”

Jiang Mingyi finally looked more closely. A few seconds later, he gasped again. “Wait — do these beds actually combine?”

Shen Xingyan didn’t answer, only smiled, and walked over to press a button near the headboard. Sure enough, the two separate beds slowly slid together into one.

Jiang Mingyi’s mouth fell open so wide you could probably fit an egg in there.

“Damn! The owner’s really got a brain on him.”

The beds were big to begin with — now combined, they formed an enormous, plush expanse that Jiang Mingyi immediately rolled across like an excited kid.

After a few rolls, he patted the mattress and praised it, “This bed’s actually super comfy.”

Shen Xingyan strolled over unhurriedly, leaning down. His tall, elegant figure cast a shadow over the boy lying there so comfortably with his eyes half-closed.

His dark eyes dropped to the pair of long legs slightly curled up, the toes poking past the edge of the bed and wiggling a little. A soft, silent laugh slipped out.

His tie felt a bit tight around his chest, so he tugged it loose and tossed it onto a nearby chair.

His nimble fingers undid the top two buttons of his shirt, exposing his sensual, prominent Adam’s apple just as Jiang Mingyi opened his eyes.

“….”

Jiang Mingyi only realized the bed dipped under the added weight when he opened his eyes — only to find that handsome face so close, it felt like they were about to kiss.

He held his breath for a split second.

Shen Xingyan’s breath tickled the side of his neck, sending a shiver through him.

Jiang Mingyi shrank back a little.

“Lying here comfortably, huh?”

Shen Xingyan’s voice was low and husky, dripping with sensuality. His head dipped closer, lips brushing against the boy’s soft, enticing mouth — and then he kissed him.

He’d been kissed plenty in the last couple days — so when Shen Xingyan’s lips caught his, Jiang Mingyi’s hands instinctively wrapped around his neck.

Clearly satisfied with that eager response, Shen Xingyan kissed him with a mix of gentleness and undeniable dominance — a kiss full of intimate heat, dragging the innocent boy deeper into a whirlpool of desire he couldn’t escape.

—

Next door.

Pei Shiqing followed behind Pei Mingyue into their room, and the first thing he noticed were the two big beds.

Ah… sure enough, two beds.

He pressed down the faint disappointment in his chest and walked in slowly.

“Give me your stuff — I’ll unpack it,” Pei Mingyue turned around and reached out to take the backpack from his hands.

Inside Pei Shiqing’s backpack was just a change of clothes and a few basic toiletries — nothing heavy.

But when Pei Mingyue took it from him, he still felt a bit embarrassed.

“Ge, I can unpack it myself,” Pei Shiqing mumbled.

After a second’s thought, he took it back, pulled out a set of clothes, and hung them neatly in the wardrobe.

Pei Mingyue stood behind him, that handsome face unreadable, his dark eyes quietly fixed on the boy’s back.

The youth’s slender figure was wrapped in an oversized T-shirt, while a pair of deep blue skinny jeans hugged his long, straight legs.

When he raised his arms to hang the clothes, a small strip of fair skin peeked out at his waist — almost dazzling.

Pei Mingyue’s gaze darkened just a fraction, but by the time Pei Shiqing turned around, he’d already looked away.

“Want to look around a bit?” Pei Mingyue asked offhandedly.

“Sure!” Pei Shiqing nodded. “This room seems to have a backyard. I read in the guide that some of the backyards have hot spring tubs.”

As he spoke, he walked toward the back, and before long he found a steaming hot spring pool outside.

“Ge! Come see — there really is one!”

He called out excitedly, voice crisp and clear, carrying straight to Pei Mingyue’s ears.

Pei Mingyue set down what he was holding and stepped over.

The boy’s delicate features were glowing with happiness — when he saw Pei Mingyue, his smile grew even brighter and more transparent.

Pei Mingyue paused for a moment, then asked, “Do you like soaking in hot springs?”

“Mm-hm.” Pei Shiqing nodded eagerly, eyes fixed on the wispy rising steam. His tone softened as he said, “Hot spring water is rich in minerals — it helps boost blood circulation, promotes metabolism, and relaxes tense muscles to ease fatigue.”

“Ge, you work so hard every day — soaking in the hot spring is perfect for you. It’ll help wash away all that tiredness and soreness in your body.”

He walked back from the backyard and stood in front of Pei Mingyue, tilting his head slightly. His clear eyes reflected Pei Mingyue’s cool, handsome face.

Pei Mingyue hadn’t expected him to say that — his expression froze for a moment, then he asked suddenly, “And what if I hadn’t come today?”

“Huh?” Pei Shiqing blanked out for a second. “But… you did come.”

He looked at Pei Mingyue, puzzled, only to see him frown a little, his expression turning even more distant and cold.

His brother was great at everything — except he showed so little emotion that Pei Shiqing could never guess what he was really thinking.

Pei Mingyue lowered his eyes to look at him, his deep gaze concealing emotions impossible to read.

After a moment of silence, he looked away. “Get some rest.”

“Oh, okay.”

Pei Shiqing followed him back into the room. “Ge, there are two beds. Which one do you want?”

The two beds looked pretty much the same, but he asked anyway.

Pei Mingyue casually pointed at the bed on the left. “This one.”

“Then I’ll take the one on the right.”

The two brothers politely claimed their beds and each rested for a while.

His phone chimed with a soft ding.

Pei Shiqing pulled it out to check, and his eyes widened instantly.

Pei Mingyue noticed his odd reaction and looked up. “What is it?”

Pei Shiqing hurriedly locked his screen, flustered. “N-nothing.”

It turned out Jiang Mingyi had just texted him about the couple’s suite and the beds that could merge — but when Pei Shiqing didn’t respond for ages, he sent another message:

[You could totally use this chance to share a bed with your brother!]