Zhang Weiran took him in his arms and pulled him onto the bed again—at the top of the bed this time, stretched out like they were sleeping, their heads resting on the pillows.

“What exactly are you doing?”

“Cuddling you. Spooning you.” Weiran nuzzled his nose into the back of Xiaokai’s neck.

“What part of ‘Xingyu will be here in twenty-five minutes’ did you not understand?”

“I set a timer. Just let me hold you for a bit.”

“Can I say no?”

“Do you want to?”

Xiaokai considered it. “If Xingyu comes in and sees us like this, it’s your job to come up with a reasonable explanation. If somehow he doesn’t see us like this, it’s still your job to explain why I’m here in the first place.”

“Mn.” Weiran’s voice rumbled through Xiaokai’s back. He was just a little taller than Xiaokai and so warm. “How about…you came to help me pack?”

“And we just fell into bed together?”

“At least we wouldn’t be having sex.”

“He’ll have to find out sometime.”

“I’d rather he didn’t find out about it while I was inside of you.”

“You don’t know. Maybe you’ll be the one receiving.”

Now the rumble of a laugh. Weiran’s arms curled tighter around Xiaokai. “I don’t think that makes it better. Let’s just agree that we’ll tell him when we’re both fully dressed?”

“What’s with the ‘we’? You’re in this all on your own. I’m saving the surprising-Xingyu thing for when he finds out I’ve been fucking all his new business partners.”

“When…are you planning on doing that?”

“I’m not sure. I figured Liu Baiyan would be telling him in due time, but Xingyu, you know, killed him. So now I have to figure out how to do it myself.”

“Do you want help?”

“No. It should be my responsibility to tell him.” He sighed. “Or maybe I’ll be lucky enough that Sun Yue will do it for me? What are the chances, do you think?”

“Probably low.”

“You don’t even know Sun Yue.”

“Am I wrong?”

“Not exactly.”

They both fell silent for a long moment. Weiran pressed a kiss to the back of Xiaokai’s neck.

“I think I could probably stay like this forever.”

“Don’t you think that would get uncomfortable?”

“I’d be fine with that.”

“You’d be fine with pissing yourself?”

“I thought you said you’ve already been pissed on.”

Xiaokai started laughing.

“More seriously, please don’t tell me you were into it. I get pee shy.”

“No, not particularly into it. Though if you ever get over that, let me know. I’m willing to try it out again.”

“Hard pass.”

“How hard?”

“Just sit still and stop grabbing at me.”

“How much time do we have left? Enough for a quicky?”