Zhou Chaosheng’s gaze lowered slightly. He watched as Jiang Yuanye’s eyelashes trembled while closing his eyes, yet he still didn’t kiss him as Jiang Yuanye had hoped.
Instead, he embraced him, one arm wrapping around his waist, leaning in close to his ear, and whispering softly:
“Depends on your performance.”
"..."
Zhou Chaosheng let go, then lightly clinked his wine glass against Jiang Yuanye’s.
"Cheers."
Jiang Yuanye: "..."
That’s just playing dirty.
After finishing their drinks, they went to experience the seven-step spa ritual.
The first step was the cold water pool, with a temperature as cold as a refrigerator. The two of them lasted less than three seconds before rushing out.
The second step was the sauna. Zhou Chaosheng didn’t like stuffy air, so he chose the stone-walled sauna room.
Both sauna rooms had ocean views, so it wasn’t too boring. They chatted about business gossip while steaming—mostly Jiang Yuanye talking and Zhou Chaosheng listening.
The third step was the cold mist shower, with a temperature of -5°C. They couldn’t stand it for long before each taking a small bowl of exfoliating scrub and sitting down to apply it to each other.
Maybe because they had been intimate not long ago, Zhou Chaosheng who usually hated being touched didn’t resist Jiang Yuanye’s hands moving over him.
After scrubbing, they moved on to the steam room.
It was only half as hot as the sauna but was even more unbearable due to the humidity. Zhou Chaosheng barely lasted before wanting to leave, but Jiang Yuanye suddenly grabbed his wrist.
Through the misty air, he quickly kissed Zhou Chaosheng—just a fleeting touch before pulling away.
Zhou Chaosheng glanced around. The steam reduced visibility so much that they could barely see each other’s faces. That brief kiss must have been calculated by Jiang Yuanye.
After leaving the steam room, they walked toward a stone-built table with a circular tray holding ten small glasses. The staff introduced it as Icelandic cranberry juice, made from berries grown in volcanic soil and enjoyed for centuries.
“Pretty good.” Jiang Yuanye said.
Zhou Chaosheng nodded.
The final step was the shower.
Just as Jiang Yuanye was about to step into Zhou Chaosheng’s shower stall, he was coldly blocked at the door.
Jiang Yuanye laughed, "Why won’t you let me in?"
Zhou Chaosheng replied indifferently, "I already gave you a chance earlier. You didn’t take it."
Jiang Yuanye: "..."
So petty!
Frustrated, Jiang Yuanye glared at him. But since Zhou Chaosheng didn’t budge, he could only reluctantly go to another shower stall.
Zhou Chaosheng watched his retreating back, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
Ten minutes later, both of them came out, their skin smooth and freshly exfoliated.
Just as Jiang Yuanye was about to reach out again, Zhou Chaosheng casually shifted away, avoiding his touch.
Jiang Yuanye: "...?"
Zhou Chaosheng: "What?"
Jiang Yuanye, feeling wronged, muttered, "We just showered, why won’t you let me touch you?"
Zhou Chaosheng raised an eyebrow, "Didn’t I let you touch me when we were scrubbing each other earlier?"
Jiang Yuanye froze. He had no comeback for that.
After about eight seconds of silence, just as he was about to speak, Zhou Chaosheng suddenly raised his hand and casually greeted Jiang Yunzhi and Jiang Man, who were nearby.
"..."
Jiang Yuanye belatedly realized—Zhou Chaosheng had been watching and dodging his every move on purpose.
Jiang Yunzhi and Jiang Man seemed surprised that Zhou Chaosheng was the one to greet them first, but they soon walked over.
" President Zhou, are you coming with us to karaoke later?" Jiang Man asked.
Zhou Chaosheng hadn’t planned to go, but before he could answer, Jiang Yuanye grabbed his wrist.
The next second, Jiang Yuanye turned to the two ladies and awkwardly smiled as he said, "We won’t be going tonight. We have something to take care of at the hotel. If you see Lucas later, let him know for us. Thanks!"
Jiang Yunzhi smiled knowingly, then looked at Zhou Chaosheng with a meaningful smirk.
"Got it. You two take care on the way back."
Zhou Chaosheng: "..."
On the way back to the hotel, Jiang Yuanye didn’t say a word.
Naturally, Zhou Chaosheng didn’t either. The two walked in silence all the way back.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the hotel.
Just as Zhou Chaosheng swiped his card to enter the room, Jiang Yuanye suddenly grabbed his wrist, pinning him against the door.
At the same time, he kicked the door shut with a loud ‘click.’
Zhou Chaosheng looked up, only to see Jiang Yuanye’s face closing in.
Jiang Yuanye’s teeth lightly bit Zhou Chaosheng’s lower lip, rubbing against it. His scorching breath followed as his soft tongue slipped inside.
“…Chaosheng.”
“I know I was wrong.”
Zhou Chaosheng’s wrists were pinned on either side of his head. He didn’t struggle—just looked at the other man. In Jiang Yuanye’s deep, restrained gaze, there was a mix of desire for him.
It was deep, full, but still not enough.
What he needed…
Was more than this.
Zhou Chaosheng lazily lowered his eyelids. “What exactly was your mistake?”
Jiang Yuanye paused.
Not because of the question—but because of Zhou Chaosheng at this moment.
The cold white light cast over his indifferent face, yet his narrow, full eyelids curved just right. If one didn’t look carefully, they wouldn’t notice the tiny black mole at the end of his eye. But when his eyes lifted slightly, he looked like a fox spirit, unknowingly exuding his own allure.
Jiang Yuanye couldn’t help but stare at him for a long moment.
“Hmm?”
Zhou Chaosheng’s light tone pulled him back from his thoughts.
Jiang Yuanye returned to his senses, glancing at Zhou Chaosheng’s unchanged expression.
Surprisingly… he wasn’t angry?
“Was my mistake always pushing you away?”
Hearing this, Zhou Chaosheng finally let a trace of emotion show in his eyes. “And besides that?”
Jiang Yuanye looked conflicted, as if he didn’t realize where else he had gone wrong.
“…Uh, talking to Jiang Man and Jiang Yunzhi?”
Zhou Chaosheng: “…”
“Let go.”
Jiang Yuanye shook his head. “I won’t. Not until you tell me why you’re mad.”
Zhou Chaosheng stared at him for a few seconds, his voice calm.
“Did you actually listen to what I said tonight?”
Jiang Yuanye tightened his grip on Zhou Chaosheng’s wrists, preventing him from breaking free. After thinking for eight seconds, he asked in return:
“You want to go public?”
“Not public.” Zhou Chaosheng replied. “I respect your decision. This relationship won’t be made public, and for now, I won’t tell my parents either.”
Jiang Yuanye’s shoulders subtly relaxed.
This tiny reaction did not escape Zhou Chaosheng’s eyes.
“Then what is it?” Jiang Yuanye asked bluntly.
Zhou Chaosheng had no patience for playing guessing games. What frustrated him was how Jiang Yuanye still hadn’t figured it out.
“It’s your attitude.”
His gaze lowered slightly as he spoke softly. “Jiang Yuanye, me respecting your decision doesn’t mean I also want this. Those are two different things. And the reason I’m upset is because, in your heart, compared to my feelings, you care more about yourself.”
Jiang Yuanye’s body suddenly stiffened.
“…I…”
Being called out like this felt like being stripped bare and left standing on the street, exposed under the sharp stares of countless people—humiliation and shame drowning him completely.
He had been too cautious, so much so that his feelings for Zhou Chaosheng had never gone beyond just ‘liking’—making it seem as though, compared to how Zhou Chaosheng felt, he only cared about his own emotions.
At the core of it, he had been selfish.
Selfish in forcing his own thoughts onto Zhou Chaosheng.
Selfish in believing he had considered everything for Zhou Chaosheng.
Selfish in ignoring the emotions Zhou Chaosheng had been holding back.
All the things he thought he was doing for Zhou Chaosheng—he had never actually asked if Zhou Chaosheng wanted them.
---
Zhou Chaosheng knew that the other man liked him.
He knew that the other man was considering his feelings.
Yet, all he could feel from Jiang Yuanye was just a tiny bit of that ‘liking.’
He could understand why Jiang Yuanye didn’t want their relationship to be widely known.
But what he couldn’t understand was why, even in this remote place, an Iceland where barely anyone knew them. Jiang Yuanye was still being so secretive.
Was he someone who needed to be hidden away?
Originally, Zhou Chaosheng hadn’t wanted to bring this up.
But the frustration had been building inside him.
Yet, now that he had said it out loud. Seeing the pitiful expression on Jiang Yuanye’s face, he suddenly felt soft-hearted again.
So he swallowed back the sharp words that almost slipped from his lips and fell silent.
For Zhou Chaosheng, the only way to stop himself from venting his emotions was silence.
He would always count to ten in his mind, forcing himself to calm down, keeping himself from saying anything that might hurt the other person.
But his silence in Jiang Yuanye’s eyes felt like disappointment.
Felt like he didn’t even want to speak anymore.
For a moment, Jiang Yuanye panicked.
His eyes filled with helplessness and fear like a pond of still water suddenly thrown into chaos.
“Chao… Chaosheng… it’s not like that, I just”
Zhou Chaosheng lowered his gaze, looking at the man who was struggling to explain himself.
He didn’t know what to say.
“It’s late. Wash up and go to bed.”
“I don’t want to.”
Jiang Yuanye let go of his hand but suddenly, he threw both arms around Zhou Chaosheng’s neck, pulling them close.
Pressing himself against him.
“Don’t… don’t leave me.”
Zhou Chaosheng’s eyes lowered, sweeping over Jiang Yuanye’s tense face.
“I’m not leaving you.”
“Then… will you stop liking me because of this?”
Jiang Yuanye looked up at him.
Zhou Chaosheng was about to say no.
But as he watched the way Jiang Yuanye’s eyelashes trembled, the words changed before they even left his lips.
“Maybe.”
Jiang Yuanye’s pupils shrank violently.
He was scared.
His lips parted, his throat felt like it was caught on a fishbone.
For a long time, he couldn’t squeeze out a single word.
He just stood there, staring at Zhou Chaosheng in a daze, his mind going completely blank.
“…No… you can’t."
"You can’t do this…”
Jiang Yuanye’s voice trembled.
Zhou Chaosheng’s voice was soft as he asked in return:
“Why can’t I?”
Jiang Yuanye’s fingers tightened around the back of his neck.
Zhou Chaosheng raised a hand and brushed against Jiang Yuanye’s fingers.
“Not so tight. You’re hurting me.”
Jiang Yuanye flinched like he had been startled immediately loosening his grip.
Then, in a small voice, he said:
“…Sorry…”
Zhou Chaosheng didn’t say anything.
“Chaosheng…”
Jiang Yuanye was overwhelmed with unease.
Just the thought that, someday, Zhou Chaosheng might really stop liking him was enough to make him restless and anxious.
He leaned forward, lips hovering close to Zhou Chaosheng’s like he was offering himself up.
Gently. Carefully.
As if, through this kiss, he could beg for mercy.
But just as his tongue was about to slip inside, Zhou Chaosheng suddenly turned his head away.
Dodging the kiss.
In that second, Jiang Yuanye’s heart plummeted.
“…Why?”
Zhou Chaosheng lifted a hand, his fingertip brushing lightly over the corner of Jiang Yuanye’s eye.
He sighed.
“You don’t even like me that much.”
“So how can you expect me to keep liking you forever Xiao Ye?”
Jiang Yuanye froze.
For the first time, Zhou Chaosheng called his name so intimately.
But the words that followed were brutal, stripping away every layer of pretense.
He spoke softly:
“People shouldn’t be too greedy Xiao Ye.”