Chapter 3175: Plum Tree Lane, Bitter Summer 17

Jin Chen had the idea of wanting to pierce his lip, and it might not be recent; it's just that Chenshu only recently discovered it.

Jin Chen is basically not afraid of pain; otherwise how would he have used an embroidery needle to poke those holes in his own ear? When Chenshu found out, recalling it made him feel startled—just a needle stabbing into flesh like that, as if it weren't his own body.

Looking good is a given. Chenshu always loves to dress him up, changing this and that, as if Jin Chen's ears were his canvas; he likes to see the pretty adornments sway lightly with Jin Chen's movements, likes to touch them with his fingertips when kissing—cool and hard, set into Jin Chen's warm flesh.

If there were a lip piercing, a small delicate bead hanging between the lips would certainly look extremely good; Jin Chen's lips are naturally nice and thin, and if a bead were added there, kissing would be even more delightful—the tongue tip would first touch that icy cool spot, then meet Jin Chen's warm lips.

But Chenshu thought about it carefully—how could this be okay? He couldn't bear it.

He couldn't bear Jin Chen using another needle to pierce his own mouth—having his ears pierced already hurt him enough; just imagining the needle piercing skin and flesh made Chenshu feel his own lips ache, and he couldn't bear to let him suffer pain, even though Jin Chen seemed indifferent to pain.

Then, after one kiss, Chenshu bit Jin Chen's lower lip hard; it wasn't light, Jin Chen felt pain, slightly furrowed his brows, looked at him dazedly, and said, "It's numb."

Chenshu embraced him, rubbing that lip flesh, and said, "Better not—when we kiss, it'll grind against the teeth."

Jin Chen realized what he meant, licked the bitten spot, and said, "Mm, no more."

Brother won't allow it, so I won't do it.

Jin Chen set the matter aside; previously, when his thoughts became foggy and chaotic, he would use a moment of pain as pleasure—the instant the needle pierced his ear cartilage, a numb, warm sensation, his ears seeming to throb, a heavy sense of relief rising, the pain letting him break free from his muddled thoughts and gain a brief clarity.

But the pleasure of kissing, embracing, or even just holding hands with Chenshu far surpassed those, a warm, moist, lingering feeling that soaked his dry soul.

Thus Jin Chen was obedient and no longer fiddled with that needle. He put the needle deep in the drawer, together with the ugly bear whose ear was covered in needle holes.

——

Half a month passed, and on the clay stand occupying one-third of the Living Room, the sculpture was finally finished.

Chenshu's way of making it had no regularity; it depended entirely on a moment's inspiration.

Sometimes he would pull Jin Chen out for a walk, come back with lips red from kissing, not eating, and devote himself wholeheartedly to it for over half an hour.

Sometimes he would wake from sleep to drink water, pass by the sculpture covered in plastic cloth, couldn't help but put down his cup, lift a corner, tweak a couple of details, then go back to sleep feeling satisfied.

Sometimes he wouldn't touch it for several days straight, only focusing on his daytime sketches, and at night going with Jin Chen to the riverbank to watch the sunset.

That day, Jin Chen finished replying to a netizen's message, received another transfer, carefully checked his current balance, and after solemnly pondering for ten minutes, he exited the page and shut down the computer.

The heat was lingering, summer's tail still refusing to leave, and Jin Chen, unable to bear it, went to take a shower, came out wiping his dripping hair, and rarely received a message from Chenshu in the morning.

A short voice clip of just a few seconds. He opened it, held it to his ear, and heard Chenshu's voice coming from the speaker: "Xiao Chen, come to my place."

Jin Chen put down the towel; in front of his brother, he didn't need to hide those arm scars that didn't look like a normal person's, so he just wore a sleeveless undershirt and a pair of long pants and went over, his hair still dripping, soaking the collar of the undershirt.

He went up to the third floor, stood in front of Chenshu's door, and with such tacit understanding, before he could knock, the door opened.

Chenshu stood inside the door, smiling warmly, his eyes curved, and he pointed a finger at his own lips.

"Give me a kiss, and I'll give you a surprise."

For Jin Chen, it was too good a deal; he stepped forward, walked inside, and casually pulled the door shut.

His hair was half-dried, the slightly long tips brushing against Chenshu's neck; he lowered his head to kiss, appearing obedient, deep in the entwined suck. They stepped back, retreating to the edge of the Sofa, until Chenshu's back knee touched the Sofa's armrest and they stopped.

Jin Chen's hand braced against the Sofa's backrest beside him, enclosing him in a narrow space with no intention to stop. After Chenshu had been kissed by him for a while, he raised a hand to brush over his eye corner, tilted his head, smiling, and said, "All right, all right."

"What surprise?" Jin Chen asked, looking somewhat expectant, then lowered his head to rub Chenshu's cheek, his lips brushing the corner of his mouth, very tender.

"Here." Chenshu slipped out from under his arm and walked toward the area of the Living Room corner partitioned by a curtain.

That curtain was hung up together by Chenshu and Jin Chen, using fine iron wire threaded through and attached to the diagonally opposite walls, separating the clay stand and the Living Room into two worlds; he lifted the curtain and slipped in, Jin Chen following behind, and upon entering, he saw the sculpture covered with a white plastic film, and immediately understood what the surprise was.

The plastic film resembled a holy veil, also like a wedding dress, enveloping the statue in a hazy, sacred atmosphere.

Chenshu stood before the sculpture, facing Jin Chen, and somewhat reverently lifted that layer of plastic film.

The sculpture was fully revealed, a half-length figure resembling Jin Chen but not very lifelike. It resembled a holy statue untouched by desire, unstained by worldly turbidity; it was purer and lighter than Jin Chen, like the more pristine soul Chenshu had imagined when he first saw Jin Chen.

Jin Chen even had the illusion that he himself had been sculpted, as if he weren't born and raised by his deceased parents in this world, but had been brought forth from Chenshu's hands.

This thought made him feel absurd, yet also reassured.

Jin Chen stared, momentarily lost in thought.

Chenshu turned his head to look at Jin Chen; beneath his thick, long lashes were dark, deep pupils, and even with a cold expression he was handsome and beautiful, forming a wonderful contrast with the sculpture.

"Xiao Chen, do I look good?"

Jin Chen seemed not to have heard; as if his soul had left his body, his gaze drifted from the sculpture to Chenshu, looking at his lightly opening and closing moist lips, at the tiny mole on his nose tip.

Seeing Jin Chen's expression, Chenshu's eyes curved as he reached out and poked his face, saying, "How silly you are, so foolish."

Jin Chen Silence looked at him, extending his left hand. Chenshu laughed as he took his hand, palms meeting, fingers interlaced.

"Brother, do you like me like this?" Jin Chen asked.

Chenshu's fingers flexed a few times, pressing tighter against Jin Chen's fingertips, he lifted his head to look into Jin Chen's eyes and said, "This is how I imagined you when I first saw you but didn't yet know you—it's the muse I pictured."

"But what about you?" Chenshu rubbed Jin Chen's face, his fingers pinching his cheek flesh, "You are real, my dear Xiao Chen."

Jin Chen tilted his head to look at him, his dark eyes seeming to hold spring water, rippling, and somewhat rashly he covered Chenshu's lips.