When he came back to his senses, he was barely aware of what he was doing. He vaguely felt that they had somehow made it out of the bustling crowd and into the nearest forest they could find.

     They were kissing fiercely, their breaths hot and rapid.

     They had both yearned for each other for a long time. The kiss was aggressive and impatient, even a little crazed. Their lips and teeth knocked against each other so fiercely that they even bled a little, but neither of them noticed. Neither of them could stop.

     Mo Ran pressed him against a tree, the rough wood digging into his trembling back. There seemed to be the sound of strings playing in the distance, but that wasn’t important. All the sounds, regardless of distance or strength, were broken and fragmented. The only sound that was complete was each other’s breathing.

     Their lips and tongues were moist and rough as they rolled and intertwined without any shame.

     Shameless…

     Chu Wanning didn’t want to admit defeat, but he had always been a person of abstinence, and the other’s desire was so fresh and terrifying. It was almost like a viscous beast that wanted to tear his throat and eat his flesh.

     He didn’t know how he had come to this point. He didn’t know whether he was right or wrong, or what he should do next. It was as if this man who had always been courteous, restrained, abstinent, and lonely, who would plan the next hundred steps with every action, had been torn apart and destroyed at this moment.

     Only his stubbornness was left.

     Even though his back was already numb and he seemed to run out of energy, he refused to show weakness; he was still willing to take the initiative. He didn’t want to be a soft and fragile object that could be destroyed in the palm of his hand.

     Unfortunately, for all his ambition, his skills were extremely poor. So poor that Mo Ran was knocked by his lips and teeth more than once; he accidentally bit the tip of Mo Ran’s tongue so hard that it was bleeding. So poor that his breathing became rapid and his face turned red as he struggled to catch his breath.

     In the end, Mo Ran even started laughing. He only felt that Chu Wanning, who worked so hard, but had no standards to speak of, was really very endearing. That once-cold and hard heart of his had melted away into crystalline spring water, a lake of ten thousand miles rippling with golden waves as they twirled softly around his fingers.

     When they parted, their lips were wet and red, their eyes filled with tenderness and desire. Mo Ran’s voice was hoarse as he laughed. He lowered his head and looked into Chu Wanning’s eyes, his rough fingers brushing against his cheeks.

     Chu Wanning also knew he was abysmally bad, but he was unwilling to admit it. He narrowed his eyes and asked in a threatening tone, “What are you laughing at?”

     Seeing that Mo Ran didn’t answer, but the smile deepened in his eyes, Chu Wanning was even more annoyed.

     “Am I… doing it wrong?”

     Mo Ran’s smile finally appeared on his lips, and he hugged him again, this time face to face.

     “How can you be wrong? You’re absolutely right.” Mo Ran ruffled his hair affectionately, then caressed his ears and temples, “Shizun is the best…”

     “Then why are you laughing?!”

     Mo Ran laughed deeply again. His chest was hot and hard, but his heart was growing softer and softer.

     “My reaction wasn’t just to laugh.”

     Chu Wanning had not yet understood the deeper meaning behind his words. As Mo Ran hugged him tighter and tighter, he suddenly felt Mo Ran’s fierce and vigorous passion pressing against him. Along with his deep breathing, the feeling was so stimulating, so intense, so vivid, that it made his body numb. His heart started beating faster and he shuddered. Even though he was cold, his throat was tight and dry.

     This made Chu Wanning suddenly realize how aggressive, ferocious, and violent this seemingly gentle and tender man was. He was so strong that even a drop of his blood could take a person’s life and tear apart their internal organs.

     His hair stood on end and he immediately wanted to push him away, but before he could raise his hand, Mo Ran’s full and astonishingly hot lips kissed him again. The man was breathing heavily as his fierce body continued to press closely against Chu Wanning through the material of his clothes.

     Chu Wanning was dazed by this terrifying passion. Mo Ran’s rough and hot tongue had already invaded his mouth, greedily kissing and rubbing against him. In the end, Chu Wanning’s mind was blank, and his legs were soft and numb.

     He trembled slightly from the stimulation, from the unfamiliar feeling of powerlessness, from the hard heat, from the burning passion.

     That day, Chu Wanning didn’t know how he returned to Sisheng Peak. He seemed to do everything through a haze, numb and without conscious thought.

     The only thing he could remember was when they parted in front of the Red Lotus Pavilion. They hugged each other in the dark night and kissed hungrily for a long time, gasping in each other’s embrace. He had hated that he couldn’t swallow the desire and passion in his belly. No matter what, it wasn’t enough… not enough…

     Vaguely, he remembered Mo Ran whispering to him in a low voice, asking for his permission to sleep in the Red Lotus Pavilion tonight. Chu Wanning probably used his last bit of clarity to gasp for air and barely regain some of his rationality, not agreeing.

     He didn’t know why he didn’t agree. Maybe it was because of his inexplicable self-esteem, or because he had been alone for so long that he couldn’t get used to it, or because he found it all absurd and unbelievable, and although it was infinitely tempting, it happened too quickly and he was caught off guard.

     After struggling to break free from Mo Ran and his own shameless desire, Chu Wanning pushed open the door and entered the Red Lotus Pavilion. For the first time in his life, he understood what it meant to “not even dare to turn his head.”

     He knew that his string was stretched to the limit. If he turned back now, he would lose his internal struggle and give in to desire. He would no longer be able to push the man in front of him away. They would be burned to ashes, not even leaving cinders behind.

     When he went to bathe and change his clothes, Chu Wanning found that his trousers were wet, and the sweet smell made his face and ears flush red. Even the corners of his eyes were red, tinged with the color of haitangs. He was at a loss for what to do.

     He stayed where he was for a long time, and couldn’t help but wonder, How could this happen? How have things come to this?

     In all his life, he had never lost his composure like this. He had never been this passive, ever.

     Damn it, what was he going to do?

     In the past, whenever Chu Wanning encountered a problem that was difficult to solve, his subconscious reaction was to search for a solution in books. As a result, he had read a lot of books ever since he was young.

     This was the first time books couldn't give him an answer.

     So, he was at a loss. He didn’t know what to do.

     Fortunately, Mo Ran seemed to understand him very well. After being rejected once, he understood the confusion and anxiety in Chu Wanning’s heart, and didn’t continue to act rashly.

     But the intimacy between them no longer stopped at holding hands. They would kiss fiercely in the alley behind Mengpo Hall, and after night fell, they had secret meetings in a deserted forest.

     Mo Ran didn’t talk much during their meetings, and sometimes, he would only speak when Chu Wanning asked him a question. However, his eyes could speak for him, always filled with sweet feelings and tenderness. It was just that he was very stupid, and didn’t know how to express himself well. Many times, Mo Ran was more willing to do things directly than talk about it.

     And strangely, Chu Wanning felt that Mo Ran could always sense what he wanted. They had only just gotten together, but occasionally, Chu Wanning felt that Mo Ran seemed to be used to this, as if he’d been by his side for many years already.

     As the days passed, they spent more and more time together, kissing and embracing, but the flames of desire only grew. Almost every time they parted, they continued to cling to each other, anxious and full of desire.

     Chu Wanning could endure like this. After all, he had been cultivating for many years, and his willpower was extraordinary.

     But Mo Ran was different. He and Chu Wanning practiced different cultivation methods, not to mention that his body was young and full of vigor. He really couldn’t just get up and go back immediately after their meetings.

     His desire was so obvious that his clothes couldn’t cover it. And if clothes couldn't cover it, people would notice something off.

     It was really too painful for him to endure.

     Today, after dinner, they kissed and embraced in a remote area near the back of the mountain for about half an hour. However, there was still an elder’s assembly in the evening, so after assessing the time, Chu Wanning told Mo Ran that he had to go.

     Unexpectedly, Mo Ran felt that they still had a little time, and didn’t want to let him go. His refusal was rather crude; he didn’t say it out loud, but only directly kissed him again.

     Mo Ran sat on one of the abandoned rocks in the forest, holding Chu Wanning so that he was facing towards him on his lap. Normally, the person sitting on the bottom would be slightly shorter than the person sitting on their lap, but Mo Ran was already so tall, so in this position, he was the same height as Chu Wanning.

     He kissed Chu Wanning for a long time, moving from his lips to his neck, and even lightly nipped the jut of his throat. Mo Ran’s heart was on fire as he heard Chu Wanning’s low, suppressed gasps.

     Chu Wanning couldn’t take it anymore. He wanted to escape, wanted to leave, but his waist was too soft and his legs were too weak to obey his commands.

     Recently, Mo Ran had been quite fond of this position, and being able to hold him so intimately made Chu Wanning’s whole body tingle. He could even imagine what it would be like if they didn’t have clothes as a screen.

     Perhaps he was truly too close to his limit. Even the most intense kisses couldn’t relieve the desire, but rather added fuel to the flames and made it hotter and hotter.

     When Mo Ran finally released Chu Wanning’s wet red lips, his eyes were moist. He breathed heavily, his adam’s apple bobbing seductively as he gazed intently at Chu Wanning. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just fiercely bit down on Chu Wanning.

     Chu Wanning felt pain, but it was also exhilarating, as if needles were pricking his acupuncture points, and he trembled.

     Mo Ran whimpered slightly as he embraced the person in his arms and caressed his pitch-black hair. He felt that his Shizun was so good that it made people want to love him wholeheartedly, but also so enticing that it made people want to bully him ruthlessly…

     In the quiet air, the atmosphere was becoming thicker and thicker. Chu Wanning raised his head and closed his trembling eyes. Such an atmosphere was very stimulating, like scratching an itch he couldn’t possibly reach, and it only made him feel more and more uncomfortable, let alone the young man who was hugging him.

     The corners of Mo Ran’s eyes were burning red and slightly moist. He opened his mouth and spoke in a hoarse voice, somewhat aggrieved, “Shizun…”

     “...”

     “Please, I can’t take it anymore…”

     What did he want to do if he couldn’t take it anymore?

     Chu Wanning thought of those fragmented, blurry dreams, and a shiver ran down his spine. He didn’t make a sound, and his ears were flushed bright red. If he couldn’t take it anymore... what did he want to do?

     Before Mo Ran could capture his red lips in another kiss, Chu Wanning whispered, almost inaudibly, “Then… not here.”

     Mo Ran looked up abruptly. Not here meant there could be more, somewhere else. He kissed Chu Wanning relentlessly and moved to stand up, holding him just like that.

     Chu Wanning immediately felt shame, and shouted in rage, “Put me down!”

     Mo Ran put him down, but didn’t forget to kiss him, “Where does Shizun want to go?”

     Before Chu Wanning could say anything, he heard rustling coming from the nearby trees. He was suddenly startled, his mind becoming clear, and he immediately pushed Mo Ran away.

     The two of them had just parted when they saw someone walk out of the dark bamboo forest. In his hand, he carried a faintly swaying lantern, the hem of his robes fluttering in the wind.

     That person was silent for a long time. Then, his voice rang out. Even though it was repressed, his voice was still full of confusion and bewilderment.

     “You… why are you here?”