TRM Extra 1

In the heart of spring, the Immortal Garden was awash with blooming flowers, layer upon layer, spilling from the sides of the gravel path into its depths.

Qiao Guanxing was brushed by the flower branches several times, the tickling sensation making him lean closer to the Crown Prince beside him.

Through their thin spring robes, their shoulders and arms touched, transmitting a gentle warmth. Both unconsciously slowed their pace, turning the short flower-lined path into one that seemed endless.

Zhou Jingyuan Jingyuan appeared to be looking straight ahead, but his peripheral vision was entirely focused on Qiao Guanxing. His hand, hanging at his side, hesitated, extending and retracting nervously, his palm damp with sweat.

Though they had held hands before, this was different now. Their hearts were aligned, and they were each other’s beloved. Such intimacy naturally stirred emotions and fantasies beyond their control.

Even if it was just holding hands.

Zhou Jingyuan exhaled softly, stopping to glance at Qiao Guanxing, his ears slightly red. He extended his slender, well-defined hand. “There’s no one around now. Do you want to…”

…Do you want to hold my hand?

Before he could finish, Qiao Guanxing’s hand landed in his palm with a soft “pat.” His little liar’s round eyes sparkled with sunlight, deep dimples appearing as he answered decisively, “Yes!”

As his crisp answer fell, Zhou Jingyuan’s lips curved slightly. But before he could clasp the hand in his palm, Qiao Guanxing’s other hand rested on his shoulder. Standing on tiptoe, Qiao Guanxing planted a loud kiss on Zhou Jingyuan’s left cheek.

Not satisfied, Qiao Guanxing nuzzled Zhou Jingyuan’s cheek, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Years of being a diligent worker had honed his ability to read people. He had understood Zhou Jingyuan’s unspoken request immediately.

After all, kissing is essential in love!

The once tranquil path seemed to come alive with the sound of the kiss, even the petals curled shyly under the sunlight.

The Crown Prince, for once, looked utterly stunned, his cheeks flushing rapidly. After a long moment, he slowly raised his hand to touch the spot where Qiao Guanxing had kissed him.

“You…”

Zhou Jingyuan’s voice was hoarse, but after stammering out a single word, he couldn’t continue. Instead, he took Qiao Guanxing’s hand, interlacing their fingers with care, and continued walking down the path, brushing aside the flower branches.

Zhou Jingyuan kept his eyes forward, his expression almost unchanged except for the blush on his cheeks. This left Qiao Guanxing, who had just initiated the kiss, feeling a bit frustrated.

If only he had looked up, he would have seen the undisguised joy in Zhou Jingyuan’s eyes.

Once the first kiss happened, a thousand more were sure to follow.

Qiao Guanxing developed a keen interest in this new activity. Whenever they were alone, a single glance from Zhou Jingyuan was enough for him to loop his arms around Zhou Jingyuan’s neck, lean in with a smile, and plant a kiss on Zhou Jingyuan’s cheek.

Pulling back slightly, his eyes meeting Zhou Jingyuan’s downward gaze, Qiao Guanxing would inevitably lean in again, this time to kiss Zhou Jingyuan’s lips.

Both were novices in this, but Qiao Guanxing at least had some theoretical knowledge. Back when he worked at a bookstore, he had idly flipped through old romance novels, where half the pages were filled with steamy scenes.

In the haze of their kiss, Qiao Guanxing tried to recall those descriptions, tentatively licking Zhou Jingyuan’s lips. The next moment, he felt Zhou Jingyuan’s grip on his waist tighten sharply, almost painfully.

Zhou Jingyuan frowned slightly, as if struggling to endure.

“Your Highness…”

Qiao Guanxing opened his eyes to see Zhou Jingyuan’s expression and, after a moment of confusion, nodded in understanding. He leaned back slightly.

He thought, Zhou Jingyuan was, after all, a man of ancient times. For them, such intimacy before marriage must be improper, a breach of etiquette.

The Crown Prince, raised on poetry and rituals, molded into a gentleman, must find this unacceptable.

Feeling a pang of disappointment, Qiao Guanxing decided to respect Zhou Jingyuan’s boundaries. He gently removed Zhou Jingyuan’s hand from his waist and patted it reassuringly. “Alright, no more kissing.”

Zhou Jingyuan raised an eyebrow, unconsciously licking his still-glistening lips. His gaze lingered on Qiao Guanxing’s face, a hint of dissatisfaction barely concealed.

…That’s it?

Zhou Jingyuan had assumed Qiao Guanxing simply didn’t feel like kissing that day. But to his surprise, for quite some time afterward, Qiao Guanxing didn’t kiss him like that again!

Even the usual pecks on his cheek, which used to come with just a glance, had vanished.

Zhou Jingyuan didn’t voice his concerns, but inwardly, he was deeply troubled. After repeatedly assuring himself he hadn’t done anything wrong, he began to panic.

During their daily interactions, he subtly hinted that Qiao Guanxing might have forgotten something, but Qiao Guanxing remained oblivious.

One evening, a light rain fell, and the wind was chilly. As they returned to the Eastern Palace under a shared umbrella, their shoulders pressed close.

Zhou Jingyuan glanced down at the top of Qiao Guanxing’s head, his heart stirring. He opened his cloak and wrapped it around Qiao Guanxing.

He could smell the familiar, faint fragrance on Qiao Guanxing. At this distance, he calculated, a slight tilt of his head would bring their lips together.

His heartbeat quickened, the cold wind doing nothing to cool the heat in his ears. He leaned down, just a little more…

Just as his lips were about to touch Qiao Guanxing’s forehead, Qiao Guanxing slipped out of his embrace.

Completely unaware of what he had missed, Qiao Guanxing adjusted the umbrella and said thoughtfully, “Your Highness, I’m not cold. Holding me like this slows us down. It’s so chilly tonight, we should hurry back before we catch a cold.”

“…”

Zhou Jingyuan’s grip on the umbrella handle tightened, his knuckles whitening. He looked at Qiao Guanxing’s bright eyes and remained silent.

Back at the Eastern Palace, the servants had prepared a warming herbal tea, its steam rising invitingly. Though it was effective, the tea was bitterly strong.

Zhou Jingyuan, seemingly out of nowhere, popped a candied fruit into his mouth and casually asked, “Is it too bitter?”

Qiao Guanxing’s face scrunched up as he nodded vigorously. It was unbearably bitter!

“But I’ve already eaten the last candied fruit. If it’s too bitter for you, you can…”

Zhou Jingyuan’s carefully prepared words were cut off as Qiao Guanxing dashed into the inner chamber, returning with a small box filled to the brim with glistening, sweet preserves.

Zhou Jingyuan nearly crushed the cup in his hand. Thinking Zhou Jingyuan was suffering from the tea’s bitterness, Qiao Guanxing quickly offered the box.

“It’s alright, Mianmian. I have plenty.”

He popped one into his mouth and generously shared the rest with Zhou Jingyuan.

Watching Qiao Guanxing present the box of preserves with a proud smile, Zhou Jingyuan could only sigh in defeat and take one for himself.

It tasted even more bitter than before.

After several days of rain, the skies finally cleared. A few palace attendants took the three-year-old Zhou Jinghuan for a stroll in the palace. The young prince, excited to see Lord Ning, chased the cat into the Immortal Garden.

The stone path was slippery with moss, and the little prince took a tumble, landing in the mud just as Zhou Jingyuan and Qiao Guanxing happened to pass by.

The attendants knelt in apology, but Qiao Guanxing gestured for them to rise. He bent down to pick up the little prince, wiping the mud from his face.

Having spent time in an orphanage, Qiao Guanxing was skilled at comforting children. He patted the young prince’s head and soothed, “Don’t cry, little prince. Would you like to pet Lord Ning?”

The teary-eyed prince nodded, his soft, chubby face scrunched up in a pout, utterly endearing.

Qiao Guanxing’s heart melted, and he couldn’t resist kissing the little prince’s cheek before setting him down to play with the cat.

Watching the pair frolic, Qiao Guanxing sighed in relief and turned to Zhou Jingyuan with a smile. “He’s so adorable, isn’t he?”

The Crown Prince’s smile was faint. “Yes.”

So why was it that the kisses he longed for were so easily given to others?

Even if it was just his three-year-old brother, Zhou Jingyuan couldn’t help feeling a pang of jealousy.

Along with the confusion and concealed anxiety of the past days, the usually composed Crown Prince acted on a rare impulse. He grabbed Qiao Guanxing’s wrist and pulled him back to the Astrology Tower.

He couldn’t wait any longer.

“…What’s wrong? Your Highness? Mianmian? Zhou Jingyuan?”

Qiao Guanxing was baffled, but before he could ask more, the door of the Astrology Tower slammed shut behind them.

Pinned against the door, Qiao Guanxing was met with a searing kiss.

The urgency of the kiss, the way it devoured and savored, was like a starving man finally tasting a long-awaited delicacy.

Though clumsy and inexperienced, both were equally lost in the moment.

“Z-Zhou Jingyuan…”

Qiao Guanxing’s eyes grew misty, his mind blank. He unconsciously murmured Zhou Jingyuan’s name, only to have his cheeks gently pinched. Zhou Jingyuan’s low voice, warm and close, whispered, “Open your mouth.”

Outside the window, a gentle breeze stirred, the clouds intertwining and merging, repeatedly brushing and moistening each other, preparing for the next spring rain.

The fragrant smoke from the incense burner faded from thick to faint before the sticky sounds in the room finally ceased.

Qiao Guanxing’s lips were slightly swollen, glistening and red.

The blush on Zhou Jingyuan’s face hadn’t faded, but he was in high spirits. He leaned down to gently blow on Qiao Guanxing’s lips.

“You…”

Qiao Guanxing hesitated.

While he was happy to kiss, he couldn’t help but wonder. After some thought, he finally asked,

“Didn’t you dislike it when I kissed you?”

Where was his reserved, etiquette-bound Mianmian?

“…Dislike?”

Zhou Jingyuan repeated the word slowly, frowning with a serious expression. “Don’t wrong me.”

He lowered his gaze, tenderly kissing Qiao Guanxing’s cheek and the corner of his lips. “I never did.”

“I… I really like it.”

So much that every day, rain or shine, I want to kiss you.