ALCSRB Chapter 73

After soaking in the hot spring for a while, a server came in carrying a wooden tray.

On the tray were drinks, snacks, and some fruit, all gently floating over with the flow of the water until they reached them.

An Shi stopped mid-sentence, and even Jiang Mingyi and Pei Shiqing, who had been whispering to each other, came closer.

It was obvious that all three were particularly interested in the food.

“This fruit platter’s pretty creative.”

Though it was just some common fruits, the way they were meticulously carved and arranged made them look especially tempting.

Jiang Mingyi grabbed a cherry and popped it into his mouth. “So sweet~”

Juice dribbled down the corner of his lips, which his nimble tongue swiftly licked away.

Shen Xingyan, who had been chatting with Pei Mingyue, paused for a moment — then a splash of water sounded as his tall, lean figure moved straight toward them.

His voice came out low as he asked, “What are you eating?”

His black eyes were fixed intently on Jiang Mingyi’s lips, which looked even more red and luscious now, stained with the cherry juice.

His fingertips rubbed together, as if he could feel the softness of that tempting mouth.

“Ge, these fruits are so sweet. You should try some too.”

The drinks and fruits had been chilled beforehand, icy cold and refreshing. Jiang Mingyi found them especially delicious, and his delicate brows and eyes were filled with a blissful, satisfied smile.

“Sure.”

Shen Xingyan replied casually, but instead of taking one from the tray, he reached straight for the cherry Jiang Mingyi had just picked up again.

He popped it into his mouth, biting down gently — but his gaze never left the boy’s slightly startled face.

“It really is sweet.”

Jiang Mingyi froze for a moment at his action. He had just been about to say, “Why did you steal mine?” but when he heard him say it was sweet, he immediately let it go.

“Right?” He smiled, then called out to the others to come and eat, too.

Pei Shiqing picked out two nectarines — their rosy skin tinged with pink — from the wooden tray, and stuffed one into Pei Mingyue’s hand as he leaned closer, smiling brightly up at him. “Ge, it’s the nectarine you like.”

The warmth of the hot spring enveloped him, but in his palm, the fruit felt cold to the touch.

Pei Mingyue lowered his eyes to glance at the nectarine in his hand, gave it a gentle squeeze, then put it back.

“You have it. I’ll just have some wine.”

With that, he picked up a bottle of plum wine. The faint aroma of the alcohol seemed to wash away the restless heat that had flared in his chest.

Pei Shiqing stood there, a bit crestfallen, holding the two nectarines in his hands. Around him, the others were chatting and laughing, but he just stared blankly at Pei Mingyue drinking alone.

After a moment, he put down the nectarines and instead picked up another bottle of plum wine. He waded through the hot spring water, stepping over to Pei Mingyue’s side.

“Ge, why do you look so unhappy?”

Ripples spread out from Pei Shiqing, merging into the water around Pei Mingyue, quickly linking the two of them together.

Pei Mingyue’s eyes were calm and cool. He didn’t answer the question; instead, he said, “You can’t handle alcohol well. Don’t drink too much.”

Pei Shiqing pursed his lips. “It’s just plum wine — it won’t make me drunk.”

As he spoke, he poured himself a glass and took a light sip. “It’s sweet and nice.”

Pei Mingyue watched him hold the glass delicately, his dark eyes seeming even clearer and more luminous from the steam rising all around them. That trace of closeness and dependence in his gaze made Pei Mingyue’s heart give a small tremor.

He lowered his eyes, hiding the depths of emotion behind them, and said lightly, “It’s still alcohol. Drink too much and you’ll get drunk.”

“Then I’ll drink less, okay?” Pei Shiqing leaned against the stone wall, looking completely relaxed, then added with a soft smile, “Besides, with you here, I’m not afraid even if I do get drunk.”

An Shi took a sip and frowned a little. “This plum wine is too weak, no taste at all. I’ll have them bring some stronger liquor.”

Jiang Mingyi hadn’t touched any alcohol yet, but hearing him say it was mild made him want to try it too.

He glanced at Shen Xingyan beside him, who nodded slightly. “Just one glass.”

It wasn’t much, but better than none.

Jiang Mingyi, delighted, poured himself a glass of the plum wine, cupped the glass in both hands, and took a small sip. His eyes lit up in surprise. “It’s delicious.”

“Even this weak wine is only something you’d like, little brother,” An Shi quipped when he came back from giving instructions to the server, just in time to catch that comment.

“Don’t act like you’ve got such a great tolerance,” Jiang Mingyi shot back immediately. “Why don’t you compete with my ge instead?”

An Shi snorted. “So you’re calling in reinforcements? If we’re going to compete, let’s keep it between the two of us.”

“I’m not competing with you. You’re older than me — bullying me doesn’t prove anything.” Jiang Mingyi stuck out his tongue at him and hooked one arm around Shen Xingyan’s. “If you really want to compare, it should be people the same age.”

By “people the same age,” he obviously meant anyone in their group except for him and Pei Shiqing.

The server soon brought over the new alcohol, along with a deck of playing cards as requested.

It didn’t take long before the cards landed in An Shi’s hands. He pointed at the drinks on the wooden tray. “Well, since we’re all sitting around anyway, let’s play a game.”

Jiang Mingyi jumped in first. “Your card skills are terrible — no way I’m playing poker with you. Let’s keep it simple — play ‘Ten and a Half’. We’ll be the judges, whoever loses drinks.”

“Fine by me.” An Shi agreed cheerfully. “Since you two are the judges, then you two can deal.”

He handed the deck over, lounging around without a care as he waited for the game to start.

“I’ll deal.” Jiang Mingyi took the cards and began shuffling — a little clumsily, but it worked.

‘Ten and a Half’ was a simple card game — you needed a bit of luck and a bit of quick math.

Jiang Mingyi shot Shen Xingyan a sly look: Ge, I’m counting on you to completely crush An Shi.

Shen Xingyan gave a small, silent laugh. “Just drinking is boring. Let’s add some stakes — the winner can ask the loser a question, and the loser has to answer truthfully.”

As soon as he said that, Jiang Mingyi dropped the cards altogether, giving him a secret thumbs-up.

“Now that’s what I call a real game.” Jiang Mingyi immediately declared.

“Look at you two, setting all the rules — do we even get a say?” An Shi said, exasperated. He glanced at the two Pei brothers who looked totally indifferent. “Anyway, who knows who’ll win or lose. Maybe in the end, your ge will be the one to lose it all.”

“The one losing everything is definitely you!” Jiang Mingyi snapped back, refusing to show weakness.

Their petty bickering was quickly cut off when An Jiancheng dragged the ever-childish An Shi back in line. “Enough, let’s get started.”

An Shi had no choice but to stop.

Pei Shiqing sat quietly by Pei Mingyue’s side. Seeing his brother’s calm face as he joined in the game, a faint glimmer of curiosity flickered in his eyes.

He seemed to recall, back when he was little, seeing his brother play poker with others — but it had been ages since he’d seen him do this.

Now, he craned his neck to peek at every card his brother drew, his mood rising and falling with every number as if he were the one playing, not Pei Mingyue.

When Jiang Mingyi finished dealing, he scooted over to Shen Xingyan’s side. Seeing that he’d drawn just two cards and already hit Ten and a Half, he looked ridiculously pleased with himself.

An Shi noticed that smug expression immediately and frowned.

Then it was An Jiancheng’s turn to draw his cards — and after that, it was An Shi’s.

He drew one, glanced at it — a nine. That number was… well, pretty tricky.

“What’s wrong, giving up already?” Jiang Mingyi suddenly piped up.

“Give up? Of course not.”

An Shi shot back, drawing another card. There was no way his luck was that bad — surely he wouldn’t bust on the first round.

He flipped it over… and his lips twitched awkwardly.

A nine and a six. Busted.

When they compared cards, Jiang Mingyi laughed the loudest. “Absolutely epic fail.”

An Shi threw down his cards, grabbed the bottle nearby, poured himself a glass, and downed it in one gulp. “It’s just one round — what’s there to gloat about?”

Jiang Mingyi wiggled his fingers smugly. “Can’t help it, my ge got ten and a half — he’s the winner.”

Then he turned his head. “Ge, ask him the toughest question you can think of — destroy him.”

Shen Xingyan ruffled the head leaning against his chest, his smile warm as he said to Jiang Mingyi, “You ask him.”

“Hey, you two are too much!” An Shi protested, exasperated. “That’s not how the rules work!”

Jiang Mingyi just grinned even more smugly. “Sure it is — nobody said you can’t transfer the right to ask.”

His eyes slid over to An Jiancheng — and he suddenly thought of the perfect bombshell.

He asked, brimming with mischief, “That day at the billiards hall — you grabbed that guy’s ass, didn’t you?”

The moment those words left his mouth, An Jiancheng’s usually mild expression darkened instantly.

An Shi felt his scalp tingle as he faced An Jiancheng’s deep, unreadable stare. He stammered, “I told you it was an accident — do you believe me?”

An Jiancheng’s handsome face looked thunderous, and his voice practically squeezed through his clenched teeth. “Do you think I believe you?”

With that one savage question, Jiang Mingyi effectively destroyed An Shi — game over.

An Shi was promptly hoisted out of the hot spring by An Jiancheng. Before their two silhouettes disappeared, everyone could still hear An Shi pleading and trying to appease him.

Jiang Mingyi collapsed into Shen Xingyan’s arms, laughing uncontrollably.

Shen Xingyan, worried he might topple right into the water, wrapped his arms around him protectively. “That question of yours was too evil.”

Jiang Mingyi snickered, “Serves him right — he made me play cards with him all afternoon yesterday, cheating at every chance. My little ambush — how was it?”

“Don’t you mean you kicked him while he was down?” Shen Xingyan corrected him.

Jiang Mingyi tossed his head. “Same thing, who cares.”

Right then, Pei Mingyue spoke up. “We’re heading back too.”

He stepped past the two of them, climbed out of the pool, and droplets of water clung to his calves, trailing down to the floor.

He glanced back at Pei Shiqing, who was still soaking in the pool.

Pei Shiqing was a beat slow to react, but under Pei Mingyue’s silent, insistent gaze, he climbed out as well.

He waved to Jiang Mingyi. “We’ll head back first — you two can soak a bit longer.”

With that, he followed after Pei Mingyue.

Jiang Mingyi called after them twice, but the spacious private hot spring was soon just the two of them again.

“Why’d everyone leave so soon…”

Before he could finish the thought, a warm embrace wrapped around him from behind. “Isn’t it better with just us left?”

Jiang Mingyi was about to protest when a pair of warm lips pressed to the side of his neck, planting soft kisses along his skin.

At first, there was a slight itch, and Jiang Mingyi instinctively pulled back his neck.
The next second, his body was pressed against the stone wall.

Jiang Mingyi was stunned for a moment, then felt something strange at his neck. The cartoon band-aid that had been stuck there was now casually tossed aside on the shore.

“……”

The dark kiss mark was being sucked on again, the color deepening.

Suddenly Jiang Mingyi realized he had made a bad move — he had let An Shi slip away, and now it was Shen Xingyan who was benefiting.

The hot spring water reflected their intimate, entwined figures, the rippling waves blurring their reflections.

Jiang Mingyi was kissed breathless, his eyelashes dampened by the steam, giving him a pitifully delicate look. Both hands clung to Shen Xingyan’s shoulders, his body unable to fully support itself.

Two hands slid down and lifted his helpless legs.

“Want to play a game?”

A low, sexy voice whispered in Jiang Mingyi’s ear. He didn’t notice the subtle change in Shen Xingyan’s eyes and blankly asked, “What game?”

A soft laugh followed, then Shen Xingyan said, “I draw, you guess.”

“I use my lips to draw, you guess. Guess right, and there’s a prize.”

A delicate sensation pressed against his chest.

Jiang Mingyi: “……”

Can I not play?