CH 82

it took a while before a hand fumbled and accidentally touched the wall switch.

due to the retro style of decoration, most of the lights in the inn were designed to resemble antique candlelight. the dim yellow light seeped through the cracks in the walls, outlining vague silhouettes of people.

ji yao took a slight step back, creating a bit of distance between him and jiang heng, and a transparent thread hung between their lips.

he licked the corner of his lips, locking eyes with jiang heng, and they both smiled simultaneously.

“are you hungry?” jiang heng reached out and brushed ji yao’s sweaty forehead, asking in a low voice, “would you like something to eat?”

after the recent kiss, his voice was slightly hoarse, with a low tone and a hint of lingering ambiguity, sounding relaxed and intimate.

ji yao’s skin prickled at his touch, and he instinctively grabbed jiang heng’s wrist.

“i’m perfectly fine,” ji yao hinted, “full of energy, and my health bar is full.”

ji yao released jiang heng’s hand, then naturally slipped his own hand inside jiang heng’s coat, feeling around near his waist, and said in a hushed tone, “it’s you who hid something. where did you put it?”

on their way to sapporo, ji yao had secretly searched their luggage while jiang heng was in the restroom. however, what puzzled him was that the acrylic box containing the coin had mysteriously disappeared from the suitcase. ji yao had searched for a long time but couldn’t find it, only to come across a box of condoms in the same location where the small box had been.

this “mystery” had been nagging at ji yao throughout their journey, and now he couldn’t help but voice his confusion.

“when did you take it out?” ji yao’s voice carried a hint of amusement but also a subtle frustration, as if he was perplexed by his own inability to figure it out. “why didn’t i notice it?”

jiang heng just smiled without saying a word, allowing ji yao to pull down his coat zipper. ji yao’s hand naturally slipped inside, searching his body.

“do you want to know where i hid it?” jiang heng said with a smile. “then you’ll have to show some sincerity.”

ji yao raised an eyebrow at his words, seemingly not entirely convinced. without saying anything more, he continued his search.

unfortunately, he thoroughly checked jiang heng from top to bottom, but the small coin never appeared. seeing this, jiang heng couldn’t help but chuckle. he grabbed ji yao’s arm and pulled him up, leaning in for a kiss.

“it’s right here,” jiang heng said, reaching into his coat and fumbling for a hidden inner pocket. he retrieved the small coin, which glittered like a rainbow under the lamplight.

ji yao instinctively reached out to take it, but jiang heng’s fingers spun the coin on his knuckles and finally held it in his palm.

“a yao,” jiang heng said with a teasing smile, “why are you looking for it? were you planning to cheat?”

ji yao hesitated for a moment, and his gaze flickered subconsciously. he cleared his throat with a hint of guilt.

“why would i do that?” he said.

ji yao wasn’t skilled at lying in front of jiang heng, and jiang heng noticed his reaction. however, he didn’t press the issue. he hung his own coat by the door and then affectionately wrapped his arm around ji yao’s shoulder, leading him into the room. jiang heng lowered his head slightly, leaned in close to ji yao’s ear, and whispered softly.

“a yao,” jiang heng said, “i’ve prepared a surprise for you.”

“what is it?” ji yao asked.

jiang heng pursed his lips and smiled, leading ji yao to the balcony where the living room met the courtyard. he then bent down slightly, opened a small cabinet about a meter high next to them, and pulled out a one-square-meter tray. ji yao’s eyes glanced over and noticed a beautiful kimono placed on the tray.

ji yao:…

ji yao’s ears instantly turned hot, and he hadn’t forgotten how he had been forced to wear that kimono six years ago after losing a bet, only to be played with by jiang heng all night long. he gritted his teeth in embarrassment and playfully nudged jiang heng with his elbow.

“you kept this?” ji yao asked through gritted teeth. “are you a closeted pervert?”

jiang heng had known ji yao would react this way. he smiled in amusement for a moment, then reached out to turn ji yao’s chin, tilting his face toward him.

“a yao, take a closer look,” jiang heng said. “it’s not the same one.”

hearing his words, ji yao finally focused his attention on the tray. the kimono was exquisite and vibrant, with a bright red base adorned with patterns of irises. at first glance, it appeared identical to the one from six years ago, but upon closer inspection, ji yao noticed that this one was even more finely crafted, with golden thread embroidery on the cuffs.

“what do you mean?” ji yao asked cautiously. “you’re not going to say that i have to wear this outfit if i lose again, are you?”

“of course not, what kind of surprise would that be?” jiang heng smiled and said, “i wanted to say that whether you win or lose today, i’ll wear this outfit for you. how about that?”

of course, ji yao thought. men are visual creatures, and ji yao was no exception. when he had previously lost a bet and was forced to wear the outfit while jiang heng devoured him six years ago, he had often wondered what this outfit would look like on jiang heng.

the soft fabric would cling to jiang heng’s body, and the slightly open neckline would be loosely cinched with a belt. moreover, the deep red fabric would darken when wet, turning into a gorgeous texture.

with a flicker of desire, ji yao was almost immediately captivated by this idea.

“alright,” ji yao said.

jiang heng seemed confident that he would agree, so he smiled, bent down, picked up the tray with one hand, and then leaned against ji yao’s shoulder, pushing him toward the shower room next door.

“let’s make it quick,” jiang heng whispered in his ear. “your yukata is already inside.”

this inn specialized in private hot springs, and each courtyard had two to three shower rooms. ji yao was itching with anticipation as he rushed to take a shower before changing into the yukata.

because jiang heng needed more time to prepare his outfit, he came out about ten minutes later. when he emerged, ji yao was already sitting by the hot spring, dipping his feet in the water and staring at his phone screen.

he looked focused, with a hint of a strange smile on his face, and he didn’t even notice jiang heng approaching. jiang heng frowned and tapped his fingers in front of ji yao.

“what are you looking at?” jiang heng asked.

it was just a casual question from jiang heng, but ji yao seemed startled. he quickly locked his phone screen, almost dropping it into the hot spring.

“hmm?” jiang heng squinted slightly and asked, “a yao, what mischief are you up to behind my back?”

“nothing,” ji yao tried to deflect, pushing his phone away, and explained, “i would never do anything behind your back, you know that.”

but ji yao’s words were abruptly cut off before he could finish them.

the scene in front of him was almost exactly as ji yao had imagined it. jiang heng was wearing a bright red kimono, made of exceptionally smooth fabric that draped perfectly on him. it revealed a small expanse of his chest, making him look even paler and more exquisite than usual.

perhaps it was the dim lighting, or perhaps his eyesight was just not that good, so jiang heng was wearing a rare pair of glasses. a delicate gold chain hung down from his frame, brushing over his collarbone and lying gently on the red fabric.

his wristwatch had been removed, replaced by the extremely fine gold thread at the cuff of the kimono. under the soft glow of the lanterns in the corridor, the gold thread shimmered with delicate light, giving it a warm and precious look.

ji yao had once admired the beauty of geishas in kimonos, but now he suddenly felt that jiang heng was much more attractive than those women covered in white powder.

so he maintained this posture, gazing up at jiang heng, and his mind went blank for a moment, forgetting everything he had wanted to say.

jiang heng raised an eyebrow, bent down, and lightly hooked his chin with a fingertip.

jiang heng teased, “are you stunned?”

ji yao snapped back to reality, grabbing jiang heng’s wrist and pulling him into the hot spring pool. jiang heng chuckled softly and followed him without resistance.

they were both wearing nothing but their kimonos, and ji yao couldn’t help but run his hand over jiang heng’s thigh, pinning him against the pool wall.

“do you still want to flip the coin?” ji yao’s chest heaved for a moment, his gaze fixed on jiang heng, as if he wished he could stare a hole through him.

“i for one don’t think it’s necessary,” ji yao said. “shouldn’t you satisfy my specific requests this time?”

“we still have to flip the coin to make it fair,” jiang heng said, lips pursed, and his glasses slid down his nose slightly and ji yao leaned in, using his nose to push them back up.

they were very close, their hot breaths mingling. jiang heng reached out and hugged ji yao’s waist, pulling him closer along the water’s flow.

then, he placed a coin that had been heated by their body temperature into ji yao’s hand.

“come on,” jiang heng seductively whispered in his ear. “the fate of the gods is in your hands.”

to demonstrate fairness, jiang heng was surprisingly gentlemanly. his hands only gently touched ji yao’s body, not taking advantage of the situation.

ji yao’s gaze remained fixed on jiang heng, and he involuntarily swallowed hard, tossing the coin into the air.

the shiny metal spun rapidly in the air for a few moments before landing on the green stone by the pool’s edge, spinning endlessly.

jiang heng tilted his head, propping it up with his hand, and asked with a smile, “shield or portrait?”

the last time ji yao chose shield, he lost his initiative for three years in one go. however, he was not one to give up easily. he squinted at jiang heng and stubbornly insisted, “shield.”

jiang heng softly chuckled.

he didn’t seem worried about losing at all, while ji yao was much more nervous. holding his breath, he watched as the coin slowed down and finally landed on the green stone, revealing the image of queen elizabeth on its surface.(portrait)

ji yao: “…”

“impossible!” ji yao exclaimed as if struck by lightning, “did you cheat?”

ji yao reached out to grab the coin to see for himself, but before his fingertips could touch the cold metal, jiang heng approached from behind and grabbed his hand.

in the next moment, ji yao felt his bathrobe’s belt loosen, and the wet fabric was lifted out of the water by jiang heng, wrapping around his wrist.

“a yao,” jiang heng affectionately whispered in his ear, gently biting his earlobe and saying softly, “don’t be a sore looser, let’s accept the consequences of our bet.“