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They lose themselves once more in an intimate kiss. The shower still runs, with droplets of water wetting their hair and backs, trickling down the slight curve of their spines. Qi Bai Cha tilts his head back; his half-closed eyes misting over, moved by the kiss.
He blushes deeply, and it's not just from the heat in the room. He knows Fu Ming Ye is experiencing the same feelings; their breaths matching, significantly faster than normal.
A clear handprint appears on the fogged-up shower glass. Qi Bai Cha leans against it, hears the sound of the shower being turned off from behind, lowers his eyes slightly, and readies himself to be claimed by Fu Ming Ye.
...Then, he feels the coarse texture of a towel on his back.
Fu Ming Ye is wiping his back.
Wiping his back?!
Qi Bai Cha opens his eyes, turns around, and in a tone tinged with bewilderment asks, "You..."
"You'll catch a cold if you don't dry off. Aren't you cold?" Fu Ming Ye meticulously dries every water droplet from his body. "If you catch a cold, you're the one who will suffer."
Mortals are frail; he needs to take excellent care of Qi Bai Cha.
Qi Bai Cha thinks to himself, "I'm a Snow God, why would I be afraid of the cold?" Unwilling to let go, he ventures, "Don't you want to...?" Don't you want to explore some new territory with me?
"Lift your arm a bit," Fu Mingye said, his expression unchanging. "I can't reach there otherwise."
Qi Baicha lifted his arm, his expression tinged with disbelief. "You really have no thoughts about this?"
Fu Mingye switched to a new towel. "Lower your head. I need to dry your hair as well."
Qi Baicha bowed his head and caught a surreptitious glance at Fu Mingye below him.
Absolutely no reaction at all.
Qi Baicha: "..."
Exasperating, to say the least.
Qi Baicha was meticulously washed clean by Fu Mingye, his hair dried, wrapped in a bath towel, and ushered out of the bathroom in one piece. Fu Mingye then closed the door to clean himself.
The sound of cascading water resumed within the bathroom.
Qi Baicha, left outside the door: "..."
Normally as aloof as a winter god, when touched by mortal emotions, his icy detachment melted into the tenderness of spring water. Accustomed to Fu Mingye's affections, being tantalized only to be left hanging was far from pleasant.
He picked up the mirror from the bedside table and looked at himself. Fresh from the bath, his youthful skin was flawless; his complexion flushed and radiant. From head to toe, he radiated an irresistible allure.
Even at this point, still no reaction.
Qi Baicha put down the mirror and pondered.
What's gotten into Mr. Fu today?
Inside the bathroom, Fu Mingye, who had until now managed to feign indifference, quickly turned the water to its coldest setting. A chilly deluge over his head finally calmed his body, which he had been suppressing through sheer willpower.
How could he not be moved by Qi Baicha?
Seeing the normally icy and elegant young man lower his posture in silent invitation, his shocked and hurt expression when refused, and his petulant demeanor while getting his hair dried, Fu Mingye could barely restrain himself from pinning him to the wall and making him cry out.
But he must hold back.
Mortals are emotionally fragile. With such a significant event occurring today, Qi Baicha must be terrified and in need of rest; he couldn't further stress him.
Mortal bodies are even more fragile. He couldn't mess around in the bathroom, risking Qi Baicha getting sick or catching a cold.
Fu Mingye prided himself on his understanding. He'd rather restrain himself for the sake of Qi Baicha.
He quickly cleaned himself up, wrapped a towel around himself, and stepped out.
Gods are untainted and have no need for food or hygiene. But being with Qi Baicha had made him more and more human-like.
As Fu Mingye stepped out of the bathroom, Qi Baicha, who was on the bed, heard him, rolled over to face away, and pulled up the quilt.
As if he hadn't seen him at all.
Fu Mingye thought Qi Baicha must also be tired, so he chose not to disturb him. Quietly changing into his pajamas, he silently slid into the bed, planning to go straight to sleep.
Qi Baicha felt that Mr. Fu should come and comfort him.
He must come and comfort him.
No matter how mature and emotionally reserved he was, when he was beside the one he loved, he was still a vulnerable "snow baby," intolerant of even the slightest injustice.
But after waiting for what felt like an eternity without hearing any movement from behind him, Qi Baicha turned around to see Fu Mingye sleeping peacefully, eyes closed.
"..."
The death glare.
Qi Baicha calmly said, "Mr. Fu."
Fu Mingye immediately opened his eyes. "What is it?"
Qi Baicha looked at him suspiciously.
Fu Mingye felt a slight unease.
He had a secret he was keeping from Qi Baicha, and under such scrutinizing gaze, he couldn't keep calm.
Fu Mingye had been honest about everything else with Qi Baicha—except for one thing: he was a god.
A malevolent god at that.
While "malevolent" might just signify an ordinary divine rank, the term itself carries a weight. Humans, abundant in wicked thoughts, ironically care so much about the dichotomy of good and evil, turning "evil" into a derogatory term and uttering phrases like "evil can never triumph over good."
Qi Baicha is an individual of genuine goodness and righteousness. Fu Mingye feared that this fact would become a wedge between them.
Despite being the most potent god of wishes, he harbored a hidden insecurity before the one he loved. Fu Mingye despised malevolence, detested the horrifying nature of all beings' hearts, and the impurity of souls. Yet, his very essence was darker and more chaotic than any malevolence in the world.
Prior to meeting Qi Baicha, he hadn't thought much of this. But after meeting him, it became a significant issue.
At the inception of the cosmos, pure energy transformed into rivers, mountains, flora, fauna, and celestial bodies; nurturing all natural entities. Malevolent energy hid deep within the earth, thriving in darkness, crystallizing from malicious thoughts, and staying forever hidden from the light.
The malevolent god despised the world but loathed himself most.
He felt that he, whose very touch would soil the crystal purity and noble soul of Qi Baicha, was unworthy of him.
In modern parlance, he thought: "Ah, I am so tainted, and he is so pure, noble, and genuine. I don't deserve him, woe is me."
Besides, even if one disregards the title of "malevolent god," there remains an eternal gap between gods and humans. Gods are often held in such high esteem that Fu Mingye didn't want Qi Baicha to feel inferior in their relationship. He only wanted to live an ordinary life with him.
These were all Fu Mingye's concerns.
Could Qi Baicha have... discovered it?
"It shouldn't be," Fu Mingye thought. "I haven't given away any hints; no normal person would suspect their loved one of being a god, would they?"
Just as Fu Mingye's thoughts were beginning to drift off into the distance, Qi Baicha's next words yanked him back to reality.
"You can't possibly be..." Qi Baicha leaned against his chest, a flash of cold sharpness crossing his eyes.
Fu Mingye held his breath.
"You don't have to hide it from me," Qi Baicha sighed softly, looking down. "I love you, no matter what you become. Why keep secrets that are difficult to express?"
So, Qi Baicha had found out!
Fu Mingye felt his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
Could it have been that Qi Baicha saw him eliminate the predator and hungry ghost in the warehouse earlier that afternoon?
Did Qi Baicha know he wasn't an ordinary human?
Did Qi Baicha not mind that he wasn't mortal?
His heart soaring, his hands trembling, he yearned to embrace the young man in his arms for eternity.
Qi Baicha said gently, "Even if you're not normal, I won't divorce you over it. I'll stay by your side."
Fu Mingye was deeply touched.
His heart started to whirl and dance.
Qi Baicha paused, his voice even softer: "Mr. Fu, tell me honestly, have you been suffering from erectile dysfunction again?"
"..."
The whirling heart suddenly lost its axis, and then plummeted off a cliff.
Fu Mingye paused before saying, "My love, why would you think that?"
Qi Baicha looked at him with an expression that said, "You don't have to pretend; I understand. It's something a man can't easily admit."
Fu Mingye insisted, "I am not impotent."
"But when we were dating, you openly admitted you had that issue. I didn't break up with you; I married you and waited for you to get better. What are you worrying about now?" Qi Baicha asked, puzzled.
Fu Mingye reiterated, "I am not impotent."
Qi Baicha responded, "I'll get you in touch with the best doctors—"
"I am not impotent!" Fu Mingye raised his voice, trying to reclaim some dignity.
Qi Baicha stared at him unblinkingly.
Finally, he said, "You're yelling at me."
"Snow Baby" was upset.
Fu Mingye felt his vigor drain away in an instant. He softened his tone, "Weren't you frightened by the kidnapper today?"
Qi Baicha pondered for a moment, "Yes, I was terrified."
"Thankfully, you came," he said, breaking into a light smile.
Fu Mingye gently tousled his hair, "I couldn't bear to see you distressed. Rest well tonight; don't exhaust yourself anymore."
"Alright," Qi Baicha agreed.
That night, they slept in each other's arms.
Qi Baicha quickly drifted off to sleep in Fu Mingye's embrace. Gently sweeping the stray strands of hair from the young man's forehead, Fu Mingye also closed his eyes.
Perhaps it was due to the worries of the night, but Fu Mingye had a nightmare.
He dreamt of the transient nature of human life, fast-forwarding a hundred years.
He and Qi Baicha lived a lifetime in that dream, culminating in an elderly Qi Baicha dying in his arms.
The moment his beloved ceased to breathe, the malevolent god shed his human guise, reverting to his once-vibrant and handsome self.
Holding Qi Baicha silently, as he did every morning, he planted a kiss on the forehead of the man—no, the elder.
Afterward, he couldn't bring himself to bury Qi Baicha and continued to live as they always had.
Every morning, he would greet Qi Baicha with a kiss, feed him during meals, bathe him, and hold him as they slept.
Eventually, he found himself kissing a skeleton, spoon-feeding an empty skull, meticulously cleaning its bones, and cuddling the skeletal frame as they slept.
All this while waiting for Qi Baicha's soul to reincarnate.
As a malevolent god, he could only hear mankind's malicious thoughts to locate someone. Qi Baicha, being a pure and benevolent soul, lacked any such thoughts, making it difficult for him to find Qi Baicha's reincarnation. When he finally found him, he was a moment too late; he saw Qi Baicha's wedding with another woman.
"Qi Baicha!"
Fu Mingye woke up at this point in his dream.
Outside, daylight had already broken. A beam of sunlight streamed through the window, warming the room.
The young man lay beside him, his profile tender and refined in the morning light.
Hearing Fu Mingye's exclamation, Qi Baicha also stirred, sitting up with sleepy eyes, "What happened?"
Before he could finish speaking, he was tightly embraced by Fu Mingye once again.
As clingy as ever, every single day.
Qi Bai Cha lightly patted his back with a look of resignation: "Had a nightmare?"
Fu Ming Ye nodded, silently holding onto him.
"Dreamt of being chased by a ghost?" Qi Bai Cha inquired.
Fu Ming Ye hesitated for a moment, then nodded again.
"You're too old to be afraid of ghosts. Get up," Qi Bai Cha chuckled. "I'll go make breakfast. You head to work, and I need to get to class."
Reluctantly letting go, Fu Ming Ye said, "Let me help."
"Stay out of the kitchen," Qi Bai Cha shot him a glance. "I'm well aware of your culinary skills."
Fu Ming Ye had to admit, his cooking was nowhere near as delicious as Qi Bai Cha's.
But in his dream, after Qi Bai Cha had passed away, he had learned to cook delicious meals. Every seasoning was added according to Qi Bai Cha's preferences, just to recreate that familiar taste.
The thought of that dream cast a shadow over Fu Ming Ye's heart once more.
Watching Qi Bai Cha bustling about in the kitchen, he silently resolved.
No more sitting idly; he must find a way to grant Qi Bai Cha eternal youth.
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