Little Pink Starfish

The flickering firelight cast a glow on Qiguan Rui’s gentle profile, making his features appear smooth as jade, almost inviting one to reach out and…

Gu Bai extended a hand, expressionless, and… poked his face.

Qiguan Rui was slightly surprised. “Gege?”

Gu Bai took a bite of the roasted meat without answering, making sure not to get his hands dirty, nor leaving a single trace at the corner of his lips. His actions were flawless, elegant.

But inside, he was restless.

He had almost touched him just now—what the hell?! If he hadn’t reacted in time and changed it to a poke, Xiaoshan would’ve definitely thought he was messing around with him!

Gu Bai wept internally.

This must be because the night was too beautiful. It absolutely wasn’t because he wanted to take advantage of him!

After that, even the roasted meat didn’t taste as good anymore…

Qiguan Rui, seeing no response, simply smiled. “Gege is thinking about when we were kids again?”

He hadn’t forgotten—back then, Ziche Shubai wasn’t like this. He used to smile warmly and talk a lot.

That sense of being carefully cherished had probably been buried deep in his memory after he was recognized by his noble family. But when he fell from grace again, it had all become painfully clear once more.

Perhaps… he would never forget it now.

In these eighteen years of his life, Ziche Shubai had been the only one whose attitude toward him never changed.

…No, maybe now, he treated him even better than before.

And because of that, it made him feel like staying by Ziche Shubai’s side wasn’t bad at all.

It wouldn’t be as dull as before.

Gu Bai, reminded by his words, really did recall their childhood.

Before they were separated as kids, he loved pinching Xiaoshan’s arms and cheeks. He had even seen Gu Xiaoshan naked multiple times—so hadn’t he already taken all the advantage he could back then?

Now, suddenly feeling shy about it was completely unnecessary.

It was only natural to admire how handsome the kid he raised had become. He must have just been momentarily dazzled.

If he looked at himself in the mirror a few times tomorrow and blinded himself with his own beauty, he’d definitely snap out of it.

Thinking this, Gu Bai calmly continued eating. “Xiaoshan, keep an eye on our surroundings. Let me know if anyone approaches.”

There was no need to maintain appearances when they were alone. That moment earlier was just a reflex. Now, he could completely relax!

Before long, he was eating with oil dripping down his chin.

Qiguan Rui chuckled. “Alright.”

At this moment, he watched that utterly unrefined eating style, his gaze deep.

He knew Ziche Shubai only behaved this way in front of him—undoubtedly, he was the person Ziche Shubai trusted the most. He should feel satisfied with that.

But now, he realized he was becoming more and more dissatisfied.

Qiguan Rui had always known he was greedy, but what exactly did he want from Ziche Shubai?

Just trust? That wasn’t enough.

Did he need to completely control Ziche Shubai to feel satisfied?

No, he didn’t want to use the snake parasite on him.

Qiguan Rui was now a high-level wu jun, and through his devouring abilities, his strength had caught up to Ziche Shubai’s.

But the snake parasite had its limitations. In theory, he could control anyone at his level or below, but with Ziche Shubai, he wasn’t entirely confident.

If it were anyone else, a failed attempt wouldn’t matter. But he knew Ziche Shubai’s capabilities.

If he noticed even the slightest clue, all the trust between them would be shattered.

By then, could he bear Ziche Shubai’s disgust toward him?

…No.

Nor could he bear the thought of Ziche Shubai withdrawing all the trust, care, and affection he had given him.

He understood that no matter how soft-hearted Ziche Shubai was toward him, he would never tolerate someone trying to manipulate his entire life and soul.

And more than that, the snake parasite was corrosive.

Even if Qiguan Rui consciously controlled its effects, in the end, the person under its control would still become nothing more than a mindless puppet.

And if Ziche Shubai turned into a puppet, he would no longer be the person Qiguan Rui wanted.

So he had to figure out what was happening inside himself.

And he had to suppress the growing restlessness within him before it erupted into something irreversible.

Thinking this, Qiguan Rui never took his eyes off Ziche Shubai.

Gu Bai quickly finished eating, his hands covered in grease… and now he was stuck.

The next moment, a soft cloth appeared in front of him, wiping his mouth clean.

Gu Bai looked up to see Qiguan Rui’s gentle gaze.

For a moment, he realized that ever since having Gu Xiaoshan around, he seemed to be getting lazier and lazier.

…Was he going to become completely useless at this rate?

If he kept this up, would he turn into some crippled noble who couldn’t even take care of himself?!

Gu Bai immediately reacted, took the cloth, and wiped his own mouth.

Qiguan Rui’s expression darkened slightly at being rejected, but Gu Bai, focused on wiping his face, didn’t notice.

Once he finished, Gu Bai was about to toss the cloth aside when Qiguan Rui suddenly reached out and brushed his thumb across Gu Bai’s lower lip.

“Gege, there’s still some left.”

Gu Bai stiffened. “…I’m going inside for a moment.”

This time, he had to check himself in the mirror and make sure he looked presentable! This was way too embarrassing!

Xiaoshan, you brat, why are you playing at being so intimate?! Your brother is very troubled! Are you really trying to make people think you’re… never mind, just act serious for once!

Qiguan Rui watched Gu Bai retreat into the tent before slowly raising his hand.

He stared at his fingertip for a moment, then suddenly placed it in his mouth and licked it.

Soft… and it still carried Ziche Shubai’s scent.

His gaze darkened.

Since they had just arrived in the mountains and weren’t sure of their surroundings, they couldn’t bathe tonight.

Gu Bai resigned himself to the discomfort. As a man, sometimes he had to endure such hardships. When safety was a concern, survival took priority over comfort.

Qiguan Rui extinguished the fire, buried the remains of their meal, and then followed Gu Bai into the tent.

Inside, soft animal pelts had been neatly spread across the ground, with smooth silk blankets folded at the side.

It resembled a simple but comfortable bed.

Though there was no light, Gu Bai could still see everything inside the tent clearly.

Satisfied, he removed his outer robe and coat, leaving only his inner garments, and lay down.

Qiguan Rui sat beside him, gently turning Gu Bai’s head to rest on his lap. “I’ll keep watch. Gege, sleep.”

Gu Bai settled into a comfortable position without protest. “I’ll take the second half of the night.”

Qiguan Rui smiled warmly. “Alright, I’ll do as gege says.”

…That voice is way too much, kid!

Gu Bai’s face heated up slightly. He mumbled an acknowledgment before quickly falling asleep.

He knew that with Gu Xiaoshan watching over him, he could rest peacefully.

As the night deepened, Gu Bai remained fast asleep.

Qiguan Rui could always tell whether he was truly asleep or just resting his eyes.

Ziche Shubai’s sleeping face was serene, almost unnaturally flawless.

It wasn’t the first time he had felt this way, but tonight… something about it seemed different.

Qiguan Rui lifted a hand and, without hesitation, touched Gu Bai’s lips.

Soft.

Soft enough to make his heart itch, as if something inside him was beginning to unravel.

At that moment, Qiguan Rui seemed to realize something. He let out a silent chuckle and then lowered his head.

A thin wisp of black mist slipped from his lips, snaking its way into Ziche Shubai’s nostrils and ears, pulling his consciousness into an even deeper slumber.

Back in Tiandu City, whenever Qiguan Rui went out to hunt for nourishment, he would often do the same. But once he had absorbed most of the nearby powerful martial artists, he stopped using this method, which was one reason his strength had stagnated for a while.

But now, he simply wanted to make sure Ziche Shubai slept even more soundly.

Gu Bai’s head shifted slightly as his sleep deepened.

Qiguan Rui’s fingers, however, did not move away. Instead, he slowly began pressing against Gu Bai’s lips… but soon, mere pressing was no longer enough.

His fingers started to knead and rub against them.

Suddenly, his movements grew bolder, and his fingertips slipped between Gu Bai’s lips.

Even though his jaw was still shut, that faint warmth and moisture made Qiguan Rui’s heart skip a beat.

A strange heat spread through his body.

He wasn’t sure what this feeling was, but he followed his instincts, gently prying open Gu Bai’s lips and slipping two fingers inside.

The warm, slick sensation traveled from his fingertips straight to his chest, making his restlessness intensify.

He wanted…

He wanted…

His fingers withdrew, and instead, he lowered his head.

The next moment, their lips touched.

Then, Qiguan Rui suddenly sucked on Gu Bai’s lips, licking and nibbling at them.

His fingers trailed down from Gu Bai’s face, slowly gliding over his neck, his shoulder, and finally to his collarbone…

He wanted to keep going, but just as his fingers reached the fabric of Gu Bai’s inner robe, his rationality forced him to stop.

He couldn’t remove it.

Ziche Shubai was too perceptive. If his clothes were disturbed even slightly, he would definitely notice something wrong.

He couldn’t let him find out.

Instead, Qiguan Rui’s tongue traced along Gu Bai’s lips, trying to slip inside, while his hands moved around the barrier of his clothing, resting at his waist and caressing it gently.

He kneaded and stroked, feeling the warmth beneath the fabric.

He almost wanted to rip off that bothersome layer and touch the skin beneath it directly.

But reason told him he couldn’t.

Not yet.

Qiguan Rui lingered over Gu Bai’s lips for a long time, licking and sucking, but he never truly deepened the kiss.

He couldn’t risk it.

It was only then that he suddenly realized—his lower body had already hardened unbearably.

Qiguan Rui wasn’t ignorant about such things.

Back in Qingyang Town, he had witnessed plenty of scandals among noble families. He understood well enough what happened between men and women.

But because he had been too focused on his martial training, he had never engaged in such things himself.

Originally, after becoming a wu jun, he had planned to enjoy himself a little.

But then, too many unexpected events had occurred, and his interest had faded.

Later, when he followed Ziche Shubai to Tiandu City, all his time and energy had been devoted to him, and he never even thought about indulging in such desires.

But now, no matter how inexperienced he was, he understood what was happening.

He was aroused by Ziche Shubai.

Even now, after forcing himself to calm down, his strongest urge was still to tear apart this bothersome clothing, pin Ziche Shubai down on the bed…

And utterly ruin him.