Wheat Seedlings - Chapter 29

Mai Miao Parallel Side Story (10)

Mai Miao finished washing up and got dressed. When he stepped out, the room had already transformed.

Chen Li had pushed the two single beds together and covered them with a newly bought bedsheet—a bright red one embroidered with a large peony, vibrant and festive.

The table was piled with the things they had just bought, most of them daily necessities, all in matching pairs, symbolizing the beginning of a different kind of life together.

Behind him, the bathroom door clicked shut, followed by the sound of running water.

Mai Miao swept his gaze over the freshly arranged room and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. He picked up the ceramic cup on the nightstand, its surface printed with a bold red "double happiness" character.

He hadn't even noticed... When had the man taken this cup?

The young man set the cup down as if it had burned his fingers.

Soldiers were used to quick showers, so it wasn't long before Chen Li emerged from the bathroom.

He was bare-chested, wearing only an old pair of cotton sleep pants on his lower half. The water hadn't been fully dried from his skin, soaking the fabric and making it cling tightly to his body, faintly outlining the shape of his manhood—already prominent even before arousal, impossible to hide.

As he toweled his hair, he glanced back almost unconsciously.

By the bed, a fair-skinned young man sat obediently. He wore only a sleeveless undershirt, his legs beneath the athletic shorts straight and slender, delicate enough to snap with a single twist.

Chen Li had brought back a large net bag of fresh fruit. He picked out a peach, scrubbed it clean, and carried it over to the bed.

Mai Miao felt the mattress dip beside him but didn't lift his head. Then, a broad hand appeared in his line of sight, holding out a ripe peach. "Eat the peach," came the deep voice from above him. "It's sweet."

Mai Miao took it and bit into it. The plump flesh was bursting with sweet juice—he had never tasted a peach so fresh and delicious before.

Always considerate, the moment he tasted something good, he immediately thought of the person beside him.

Seeing him stop eating, Chen Li asked, "Not sweet?"

Mai Miao shook his head and handed the peach back, pressing it toward Chen Li's mouth. "You have some too."

Chen Li looked at him, then leaned in and took a big bite from the peach in Mai Miao's hand.

Juice trickled from the fruit down to Mai Miao's wrist. He quickly pulled his hand back, lowering his head to lick the juice away, even sticking out his tongue to catch the drips.

Chen Li averted his gaze. He was a man in his thirties, not some inexperienced kid. His restless eyes wandered—now to the ceiling, now to the space in front of him.

The electric fan hummed softly as it turned, the red pillowcases embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks.

Like a bride stepping into the bridal sedan for the first time, this was Chen Li's first night with his "wife," and he was just as nervous.

Though the peach was sweet, it was small and gone in just a few bites. Just as Mai Miao was about to stand up, Chen Li said, "Let me throw it away."

Chen Li tossed the pit aside. A soft click followed—he had locked the door while he was at it. Then he sat back down, grabbed the damp towel from around his neck, and wiped Mai Miao's hands clean.

One hand dark, the other fair; one large, the other small—the contrast between them was oddly charming.

Mai Miao quietly lifted his gaze and suddenly met the man's eyes. Instinctively, he wanted to retreat, but Chen Li, after all, was an old hand at this game. This time, he successfully caught hold of his hand.

The two engaged in a silent tug-of-war, and in the end, it was Mai Miao who gave up his feeble resistance first, allowing those strong hands to warmly envelop him.

"They... others, they all casually call me Brother Chen," Chen Li began. "You can call me whatever you like."

It had been a whole day since he brought him home, and only now, at this critical moment, did he think to share his background with his partner.

Mai Miao hadn't actively called out to anyone all day. It wasn't that he refused to, but Chen Li was too attentive to his little companion. Often, before Mai Miao could even open his mouth to ask for something, Chen Li had already brought it to him.

Mai Miao's palms tightened slightly, his cheeks as warm as his hands. His lips parted hesitantly, and under the man's expectant gaze, he called out softly, "Gege."

There were no strict rules between spouses about what to call each other—whether by name or "Old Chen," it was all fine.

Yet, this gentle call sounded different in Chen Li's ears, as if it had bestowed upon him an important responsibility. It even evoked a strange feeling in him—

If Mai Miao was willing to call him "brother," he would gladly give him his very life.

At that moment, Chen Li's mind buzzed, and the words spilled out impulsively: "Comrade Miao Miao, can I kiss you?"

Men, after all, were all talk.

Before anyone could even answer whether it was allowed or not, a dark shadow loomed over him.

Then, the young man felt something soft press against his lips.

Mai Miao was nearly twenty years old. In the countryside, whether male or female, that was already considered adulthood. If luck was on his side, he might even have a child or two by now.

His hometown was a wheat-growing village with a factory, where several families shared a single courtyard.

It wasn't just accidental encounters outside—even within the same courtyard, he had often seen men pinning women against the door and kissing them.

Aunt Liu had said that only married couples could do such things; otherwise, it was considered indecent.

Mai Miao's shoulders hunched slightly, but then he remembered—he and the man had already registered their marriage that morning.

So it shouldn't count as indecent, right? They... wouldn't be arrested by the police, would they?

This moment of relaxation gave Chen Li an opening.

An arm silently wrapped around his slender waist, pulling him forcefully into an embrace.

Mai Miao let out a muffled "mmph" as he was enveloped in the scent of firecrackers. His lips remained sealed, and in the brief moments they parted, he faintly glimpsed the man's tongue slipping in.

Ever since his illness, Mai Miao hadn't been able to stand being close to any man.

Especially after moving to the city, he constantly caught the scent of other males—some so pungent they frightened him at first whiff. Chen Li's body odor was also strong. He had detected it from afar.

But his scent was more overpowering than anyone else's, drowning out all other miscellaneous smells. He looked like an honest man, yet his scent was unexpectedly domineering.

This suggested that, deep down, Chen Li was a man who was both overbearing and unyielding.

"Mmm..."

Mai Miao had thought it would just be a simple touch of lips. Who knew there were so many intricacies to it?

He was forced to meet Chen Li's tongue, tasting the lingering smoke on him, the sweetness of saliva, and the minty freshness of toothpaste.

With great effort, he managed a few swallows, nearly out of breath, before Chen Li finally released him.

Before he knew it, they were both pressed onto the bed.

Beneath Chen Li, the young man panted heavily, his cheeks flushed, lips slightly swollen—just a few kisses had already left them tender, even more delicate than a freshly ripened peach.

Chen Li's gaze darkened as he stared down at the man beneath him, his rough palm resting on the flat chest.

When the undershirt was silently pushed up, Mai Miao stiffened, both of them holding their breaths as they locked eyes in silence. Chen Li called out softly, "Miao Miao..."

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, his movements froze, and he stopped.

In the scorching tension, his hoarse voice rang out, "Do you know... how to be husband and wife?"

Listen to that question...

Mai Miao didn't even blink, his face filled with the bashfulness of first-time intimacy and the confusion of the unknown.

After a brief silence, rustling sounds followed. Chen Li had already sat up.

He was still looking at Mai Miao—the young man lay amidst the deep red, surrounded by vibrant peonies, his fair, delicate form like a flower spirit. A few more glances, and he could steal his soul away.

What was Chen Li thinking?

He wasn't some chaste saint. He was a healthy, strong man, an Alpha with fierce desires. His mate lay right there on the bed, exuding a rich, intoxicating scent.

Yet, the innocence in Mai Miao's eyes made him hesitate in that moment.

Chen Li wasn't usually one to hold back—those who had blood on their hands had tougher methods and colder hearts than most.

But the thought that this was Miao Miao, the mate he had searched half his life for, made his innate destructive urges buckle under conscience and reason.

Chen Li got up from the bed and turned off the light.

Mai Miao blinked, and darkness enveloped his vision. Soon after, he felt Chen Li climb back onto the bed.

Understanding, the young man scooted inward, making space as Chen Li lay down beside him.

The room was filled only with the whirring of the electric fan.

But barely a few minutes passed before Mai Miao felt a wave of heat press close. He cautiously turned his head, only to be pulled into Chen Li's embrace, his nose once again surrounded by that smoky scent.

Chen Li inhaled deeply, savoring his mate's fragrance. When he lowered his head, he met the gaze within his arms.

Mai Miao looked up, his face illuminated by the dim night light, quietly studying the handsome, resolute features above him—so obedient it made one's heart itch.

Amidst their scorching breaths, their lips met again.

This time, Mai Miao responded with clumsy eagerness, his small tongue venturing into the man's mouth like a timid yet playful little mouse teasing a great tiger before quickly retreating.

The unintentionally seductive act made Chen Li deepen the kiss, their lips and tongues entwining as their bodies drew together like magnets. His burning hand slipped beneath the young man's undershirt, caressing his back.

After exchanging several deep, wet kisses, the man suddenly shifted his weight, causing the two beds beneath them to creak in protest. Chen Li pinned the other beneath his arm, his muscular chest rising and falling rapidly.

In the darkness, Mai Miao's eyes widened.

The scent emanating from his body had subtly changed—that cloyingly sweet fragrance wafting from his neck was the distinctive aroma only a mature partner could produce.

This fragrance served as a silent signal between them, an unspoken invitation meant only for the alpha's senses.

Chen Li pressed his lips together, his forehead glistening with sweat.

Just that morning, he'd sworn an oath not to force himself on Miaomiao. As his husband, it was his responsibility to patiently guide him through whatever he didn't understand.

With sudden resolve, Chen Li reached to tug at Mai Miao's clothes.

Perhaps it was the overwhelming masculine pheromones lowering his partner's defenses, or perhaps Mai Miao wasn't entirely ignorant after all. Aside from the natural resistance born of shyness, the young man offered no real objection.

No sooner had the white undershirt been tossed to the floor than the man's hands began exploring.

Rough fingertips scraped against delicate skin, kneading the flat planes of his chest like dough.

"Mmm..." Mai Miao had never been handled this way before. Chen Li's hands were not only coarse but strong, leaving faint marks on that pale skin with just the first touch.

Chen Li leaned in to peck at Mai Miao's lips, trailing downward until he reached the fragrant curve of his neck, alternating between nibbling and sucking. The attention left Mai Miao flushed and embarrassed, his eyes growing moist as soft whimpers escaped his lips.

Though experienced in such matters, facing this untouched body made Chen Li acutely aware of the primal hunger roaring through him—a savage desire even he found unfamiliar.

Yet he refused to surrender completely to instinct.

Propping himself up, Chen Li captured Mai Miao's hands where they lay helplessly at his sides and, ignoring the faint resistance, guided them to his own body.

"Miaomiao," the man breathed against his face, "touch me too."

Mai Miao blinked open his eyes, barely making out the contours of the man's powerful physique in the darkness.

His palms slowly made contact, tracing the solid chest, the knife-sharp lines of muscle, the rapid, powerful heartbeat beneath.

Guided by Chen Li's hands, his touch traveled downward over rigid abs until reaching the triangular region below.

Even through fabric, Mai Miao could feel the unnatural heat radiating from that area.

Swallowing hard in the dark, he found his hands moving of their own accord, drawn like magnets to the hardened length straining against cloth.

The Bureau did provide hygiene classes for omegas of mating age. It was through these lessons that Mai Miao truly understood how he differed from ordinary people—why he experienced "illnesses."

More than that, he'd learned his condition could only be treated by becoming the partner of a certain type of alpha man.

As for the specifics of marital relations and treatment methods, the instructor had explained—though not in exhaustive detail. At the very least, Mai Miao hadn't known it involved kissing... or touching with hands...

There was a bulge beneath Chen Li's crotch, pressing against the fabric, feeling like a hard, fleshy mallet. He hadn't touched it more than a few times before the rod—alive—grew thicker and longer in his grasp.

Mai Miao quickly withdrew his hand, his moist gaze flickering up at the man with what seemed like a trace of pity. In a small voice, he asked, "You... you're also... sick?"

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