I Can Still Salvage It

Pei Zhiyi took a long time in the shower, and the sound of water inside was rushing. The heat on Shen Mian’s face didn’t cool down.

When Pei Zhiyi came out, he lifted Shen Mian and cleaned him. He carefully wiped the thighs that had just been dirtied and the red marks on the waist and wrists with a clean, warm towel.

Shen Mian’s face was practically steaming, and a weak voice escaped from his throat: “Brother, I can do it myself…”

But when Pei Zhiyi glanced at him, he fell silent again.

Pei Zhiyi felt cold, probably due to the cold shower, but the fire in his eyes hadn’t diminished.

In the end, they slept in Shen Mian’s bed.

Pei Zhiyi’s bed sheets were already dirty, and it was too late to throw them in the washing machine. They could only be torn off and thrown aside.

Shen Mian curled up in Pei Zhiyi’s embrace, his heart pounding. Just looking at Pei Zhiyi’s straight nose bridge, thick lashes, and the lips that had just kissed him passionately, made his chest burn.

He didn’t know if Pei Zhiyi was asleep or not, so after much consideration, he whispered, “Brother, I’ll take a leave of absence tomorrow, if that’s okay.”

Pei Zhiyi opened his eyes and stared directly at him.

Instinctively, Shen Mian wanted to hide under the covers, but he forcefully stopped himself.

His eyes were moist, and he didn’t even realize how adorable and shy he looked. He stuttered as he said to Pei Zhiyi.

“Brother, you can do whatever you want to me,” his voice seemed to be squeezed out of his throat, filled with a sense of surrender, “I’m ready.”

Pei Zhiyi felt like he had taken a pointless shower.

Shen Mian seemed to have a natural ability to influence him. From kindergarten until now, Shen Mian had firmly grasped the soft spot in his heart, always having control over him, leaving him helpless and unable to resist, only able to surrender.

He used his index finger to press against Shen Mian’s lips, preventing him from saying anything that would shake his resolve. But the softness of those lips was too tempting, and he couldn’t help but caress them again.

He gazed at Shen Mian, his voice gentle, “For now, I’m not touching you because I’m the one not prepared for it.”

His finger slid into the seam of Shen Mian’s lips, slowly opening his teeth, moving in and out between his lips.

Shen Mian had no strength to resist and could only suck onto his finger, his eyes moistly fixed on Pei Zhiyi.

Pei Zhiyi calmed his mind for a moment and added the second half of his statement, “But the day will come when you can’t escape.”

………

Shen Mian performed terribly on the English test the next day.

But as he looked at the red crosses on the exam paper, he thought to himself that he couldn’t blame anyone but himself.

Out of the thirty vocabulary words from yesterday, he only remembered one, “obsessed,” and couldn’t recall any others. Whenever he closed his eyes, he would see Pei Zhiyi’s face, filled with lust and looking at him with deep, meaningful eyes.

He had no mental capacity to study the last two passages, as his mind was filled with erotic thoughts as he blushed.

Meanwhile, Pei Zhiyi maintained his status as the top student, and the English teacher was so proud of him.

Shen Mian felt resentful and secretly pinched Pei Zhiyi under the table, whispering, “It’s all your fault.”

What he blamed Pei Zhiyi for, both of them understood very well.

Pei Zhiyi didn’t deny it and calmly accepted the blame, saying, “Hmm, it’s all my fault I’m sorry”

Shen Mian punched the cotton on the desk, feeling that it was pointless. He earnestly began paying attention to the class.

And as the class was about to end, the long silent 007 suddenly emerged.

“Congratulations to both hosts for completing the second hidden mission. You will be rewarded with fifty points. Please check your score.”

At first, Shen Mian didn’t understand. “What hidden mission?”

007 remained silent for a while, probably sensing the shamelessness of humans. Reluctantly, it reminded him, “The mission took place between 11:30 PM and 12:30 AM last night.”

Shen Mian understood. Even though he hadn’t drunk any water, he nearly choked on his own saliva.

That time coincided with when he and Pei Zhiyi were… “being intimate.”

He immediately dared not ask further, pretending that he wasn’t the one who spoke and lowered his head to take notes. However, the words he wrote were a mess, completely unreadable.

Fortunately, 007 didn’t want to be bothered with the two of them any longer and proceeded with the mission in an organized manner.

“Due to unavoidable matters at headquarters, I will be absent for the next month. Therefore, I will reveal two special missions at once. Mission one: Please have host Shen Mian and host Pei Zhiyi get matching couple tattoos, worth 50 points. Mission two: Please have host Shen Mian publicly confess his feelings to host Pei Zhiyi, worth 50 points. The basic missions for this month will be scored automatically, so hosts don’t have to worry. Please choose whether to accept the missions.”

Shen Mian was shocked.

Getting a tattoo was one thing, but making a public confession? How could he pull that off?

He asked 007 in a restrained voice, “Are you trying to out me publicly? Forget about my parents, even teacher Ding could beat me to death If I end up being caught with Pei Zhiyi.”

007 remained composed, not a hair out of place. “The confession doesn’t have to be specific, as long as host Pei Zhiyi can understand.”

Having delivered that hint, it couldn’t be bothered to say anything further and went offline, ignoring Shen Mian’s desperate pleas.

Shen Mian had no choice but to keep quiet in his solitude. However, he vaguely grasped the meaning behind 007’s words.

He said to Pei Zhiyi, “Actually, 007 is quite good. Lately, it has been very generous with giving points.”

At that rate of point accumulation, he would soon gather all the points he needed within the remaining three months.

Pei Zhiyi remained noncommittal.

His main concern was the couple tattoo mission. Shen Mian had always been afraid of pain since childhood, and while the mission sounded simple, it would undoubtedly involve some physical discomfort.

Shen Mian, on the other hand, didn’t mind. “A real man can handle a little pain.”

However, reality proved that Shen Mian had overestimated himself.

Pei Zhiyi had made a reservation at a private club known for its excellent service and confidentiality. They only accepted one appointment per time slot. The tattoo artists were two gentle and refined sisters, and their pleasant smiles put Shen Mian at ease. Seeing two boys coming in together to get matching couple tattoos didn’t seem to surprise them. They earnestly discussed the design with Shen Mian.

Shen Mian felt a sense of relief. Initially, he had been attracted to large and flashy tattoos, but Pei Zhiyi had stopped him before he could put that idea into practice.

Pei Zhiyi, in a rare display of authoritarianism, said, “Choose something simple and small.”

Shen Mian’s gaze lingered on a complex design that could fill his entire chest, not wanting to let go of it.

He attempted to protest to Pei Zhiyi.

However, Pei Zhiyi shook his head. “No, large tattoos are not easy to conceal, and they’re also more painful. You would cry.”

Shen Mian felt that Pei Zhiyi was looking down on him and pouted, “You’re the one who would cry.”

In the end, he listened to Pei Zhiyi and chose the simplest and clearest design.

Shen Mian selfishly didn’t tell Pei Zhiyi about the design he had chosen.

007’s missions didn’t have strict guidelines. Although it was a couple tattoo, they didn’t have to be identical. As long as it was related to the other person, it was acceptable.

“This way, there will be surprises,” Shen Mian said, lifting his chin proudly.

Pei Zhiyi didn’t mind.

Because the tattoo was small in size, it was finished in just over half an hour.

A layer of protective film was applied to the surface, and it couldn’t get wet for the time being.

The tattoo artist gave a bunch of instructions, saying that it would take about a week to heal, and during that time, one had to endure.

Shen Mian had winced during the tattooing process, but now he obediently nodded, appearing particularly well-behaved and adorable, causing the tattoo artist to give him some snacks cause she found him adorable.

Since Pei Zhiyi’s tattoo was not yet done, she chatted with Shen Mian. She asked, “Why did you two decide to get tattoos? To celebrate something?”

Shen Mian certainly couldn’t say it was because of a mission.

But he thought about the design he had tattooed near his crotch area and wondered if he would have done it willingly if it wasn’t for the mission.

Most likely, he would have.

Actually, getting a tattoo was a bit painful, but when he was getting it, he didn’t think about the pain. Instead, he felt happy because it was a design related to Pei Zhiyi.

He held a piece of candy, revealing a smiling expression with curved brows and eyes and since that sister didn’t know them, he openly admitted, “Because I like him.”

He liked him so much that he wanted everything related to Pei Zhiyi to stay in his heart and on his body.

While they were talking, Pei Zhiyi also finished getting the tattoo.

Shen Mian still hid his tattoo, not letting Pei Zhiyi see what he had tattooed. He also didn’t go to see Pei Zhiyi’s tattoo.

A  week later, the skin of both of them had fully recovered from the tattoo, and they could finally show each other.

Shen Mian went to see Pei Zhiyi first.

Pei Zhiyi’s tattoo was on his chest, right above his heart.

His tattoo wasn’t particularly unique, just a horizontal rose with its roots extending out, as if growing from his heart.

And below the rose, in simple black script, was written: 11.14

That was Shen Mian’s birthday.

On November 14th, Shen Mian came into this world and firmly rooted himself in Pei Zhiyi’s heart.

Shen Mian touched the small rose and asked Pei Zhiyi, “Am I a rose in your heart?”

Pei Zhiyi nodded, “Yes, you are the rose that grows in my heart.”

He didn’t often speak sweet words, but when he did, they had a tremendous effect on Shen Mian.

Shen Mian instantly felt embarrassed yet happy, and he smiled foolishly.

he revealed a smile with a playful tone as if a child showing off his candy. He naively tempted Pei Zhiyi, saying, “Look, you’re inside my body.”

“You’re inside my body.”

He didn’t realize he had said something strange, and he eagerly looked at Pei Zhiyi, waiting for his praise.

And Pei Zhiyi was indeed moved by his words and what he saw.

His fingers gently touched the newly healed tattoo, and he could faintly feel the shape of the letters.

His name was engraved on Shen Mian’s body.

Like an unspoken promise.

Then he lowered his head and kissed that delicate part.

His lips pressed against the hip bone, and his eyelashes lightly brushed against the skin.

As if a devoted believer kissing his deity.

“I’m happy,” he softly said to Shen Mian.

The little rose that he cherished had finally blossomed.

So beautiful.

So gentle.