Hot flashes

Xiao Jue did not appear in the carriage, but ordered the commander of his personal guards to go and appease the people. The convoy drove straight into the Zhenbei Marquis's residence, which was located in the north of the city and built against the mountain.

The Marquis's residence has a grand and solemn layout. It lacks the exquisite beauty of gardens in the south, but is full of the weight and majesty of the north.

The high walls built of black stone and the palaces with flying eaves and brackets exude the simplicity and power unique to military mansions.

The servants and guards were all well-trained, and when they saw Xiao Jue return, they bowed silently.

Xiao Jue did not stop along the way, and led Zhou Heng directly through the halls and courtyards to the main courtyard "Dingbei Residence" deep in the Marquis's mansion.

This is where he lived and handled confidential matters. It was heavily guarded and the environment was relatively quiet.

"You'll be living here from now on," Xiao Jue said to Zhou Heng as he pushed open the door to the main house.

The room was spacious, but the furnishings were not luxurious, focusing on practicality and comfort, reflecting Xiao Jue's consistent style. The inner room was the bedroom, and the outer room served as a study and small meeting room.

Looking at the room, which clearly contained only a large daybed and a chair and lamp that were specially added next to the desk, similar in style to the ones he was used to, Zhou Heng felt a mix of emotions welling up inside him.

"I need to deal with the backlog of documents. Familiarize yourself with them first," Xiao Jue said, walking behind his desk and sitting down. He began to peruse the mountain of files and quickly got into work mode.

Zhou Heng walked around the house, opened the window, and could see a patch of lush pine and cypress trees in the backyard and the faint shadows of mountains in the distance.

The air was crisp and cool, but it was much more peaceful than the military camp. He walked to the desk, looked at the piles of documents, and began to help categorize them, sorting out the less urgent ones first.

Xiao Jue glanced at him, said nothing, and simply pushed a document that needed to be copied in front of him.

The two then went about their business in silence until dusk, when their guards brought them dinner.

After dinner, Xiao Jue went to the council hall in the front courtyard and summoned his trusted generals and staff who had stayed behind to hear various reports from the past few days. He did not return to Dingbei Residence until late at night.

Zhou Heng had finished washing up and was leaning against the couch, reading a book of miscellaneous local chronicles from the Northern Territory that he had found on Xiao Jue's bookshelf by lamplight. Hearing the door open, he looked up.

Xiao Jue looked tired. He waved away the guards who wanted to come in to serve him, took off his outer robe, walked to the bedside, and naturally leaned down to kiss Zhou Heng on the forehead.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, his gaze falling on the book in Zhou Heng's hand.

"Just browsing." Zhou Heng's ears burned from his sudden intimacy, and he subconsciously shrank back.

Xiao Jue, however, seemed oblivious to his subtle resistance. He sat down beside him, put his arm around his waist, pulled him closer, and then leaned in to look at the book. "The Gazetteer of the Northern Frontier? That might be worth a look."

He held Zhou Heng in his arms, his chin resting on the top of his head, and the two read a few pages of a book together.

Their posture was intimate, and their warm body heat was transmitted through the thin nightgown, carrying a reassuring aura.

Zhou Heng was initially a little stiff, but gradually, he relaxed under Xiao Jue's steady heartbeat and regular breathing, and even felt a unique tranquility while leaning against the book.

Until he let out a small yawn.

"Tired?" Xiao Jue's deep voice came from above.

"A little." Zhou Heng rubbed his eyes.

Xiao Jue then closed the book and put it aside.

He still didn't let go of Zhou Heng. Instead, he tightened his arms, holding him even more tightly. He raised his other hand and stroked Zhou Heng's cheek, his thumb gently caressing the faint weariness under his eyes.

"You've been following me around these past few days, you must be tired." Xiao Jue looked at him, his eyes appearing particularly deep under the lamplight.

Zhou Heng shook his head: "It's alright."

Xiao Jue didn't speak again, but just looked at him intently, as if trying to etch every inch of his features into his heart. The heat in his eyes made Zhou Heng's heart start beating erratically again.

Then, Xiao Jue slowly lowered his head and kissed his lips.

This kiss wasn't as forceful as usual, but rather carried a slow, deliberate, and savoring quality, gently tracing the shape of his lips, tenderly prying open his teeth, and inviting him to dance.

Zhou Heng closed his eyes, responding awkwardly yet obediently. As their breaths mingled, the temperature in the room seemed to rise quietly.

Before they knew it, the two of them had fallen onto the soft couch.

Clothes disheveled, breathing heavier. Xiao Jue straddled Zhou Heng, his deep eyes churning with undisguised desire, yet still holding the man beneath him with scrutinizing focus.

He lowered his head and kissed Zhou Heng again, his hand slipping beneath her pajamas, stroking her supple waistline, causing a shiver to run through the man beneath him. As their lips and tongues intertwined, their clothes were stripped away and scattered on the floor.

Xiao Jue's actions were initially restrained, but he later completely lost his rationality.

It was as if he wanted to devour the person beneath him and completely integrate them into his own bones and blood.

Sweat dripped from Xiao Jue's taut jawline, landing on Zhou Heng's chest. He looked down at the two of them...

His gaze was deep and unfathomable, as if drawn by a magnet, unblinking for a moment.

The gaze was so intense and focused, it seemed to carry a tangible heat, burning Zhou Heng until he felt utterly ashamed and overwhelmed with shame.

He whimpered and reached out to block the gaze that made him blush.

Xiao Jue was one step ahead of him, grabbing both of his wrists and easily pressing them onto his head.

His movements froze for a moment, but his gaze remained fixed on that spot. His Adam's apple bobbed violently, and a terrifying crimson light quickly spread across his eyes.

"Don't look..." Zhou Heng pleaded tearfully, twisting his body in an attempt to escape the almost tangible gaze.

Xiao Jue ignored him, instead leaning down closer, breathing heavily on that spot, his eyes almost greedy.

He stared at him for a long time, so long that Zhou Heng was almost on the verge of collapse, before reluctantly and very slowly shifting his gaze to meet his misty, shameful eyes once more.

Xiao Jue leaned down, his burning lips pressed against Zhou Heng's earlobe, his voice hoarse and strained, thick with desire and a hint of satisfied sigh, each word deliberate, his breath hot as it penetrated Zhou Heng's ear:

"real……"

Zhou Heng's mind went blank for a moment, overwhelmed with shame and indignation. He blurted out in a tearful voice, "You're so slutty! You're so slutty! You're the sluttest!"

The utterly ineffective insults only pleased the person on top of him. Xiao Jue chuckled softly, his chest heaving with a burning heat.

He started again... as if he wanted to take back the desires he had just suppressed.

The night was deep, and the commotion in the master bedroom of Dingbei Residence finally subsided after a long time. In the end, everything returned to calm, leaving only the overlapping, gradually calming breaths of the two people.

Xiao Jue washed Zhou Heng, who had slumped like a puddle of spring water, cleaned him up, carried him back to the bed, and held him in his arms. Zhou Heng was so tired that he couldn't even lift a finger and was drowsy.

Xiao Jue's fingers gently combed through his sweaty forehead, his gaze falling on his peaceful sleeping face, the hard features appearing unusually soft in the dim light.

"Sleep now," he whispered, placing a very light kiss on Zhou Heng's brow.