Chapter 104 Looks Like You’re Still Not Tired Enough

Lu Er instinctively turned his head to avoid the morning kiss, his cheeks faintly flushed.

His voice was still hoarse from sleep, tinged with a bit of shyness: “Don’t… I haven’t brushed my teeth yet…”

Song Jingmo looked at him, seeing this shy expression, and let out a low chuckle.

Instead of pulling back, he leaned even closer, his nose almost brushing Lu Er’s ear.

Warm breath brushed against him: “I don’t mind.”

Then, he reached out, placing the warm, dry palm of his hand gently on Lu Er’s forehead, lingering for a moment.

“Mm, no fever.”

Song Jingmo’s voice was low, carrying a subtle undercurrent of concern. “Any… discomfort anywhere?”

Lu Er felt a soft warmth in his chest from this careful concern. A slight, familiar soreness from a sensitive spot made his ears turn even redder.

His voice was barely a whisper, like a mosquito buzzing: “It’s… just that my butt hurts a little… but it’s much better than six years ago…”

Mentioning six years ago, Song Jingmo’s gaze softened instantly, filled with concern and guilt.

He tightened his arms, pulling Lu Er into his embrace, resting his chin on the soft top of Lu Er’s head, his voice tinged with regret.

“That time was too rushed, no preparation at all. You were… in a hurry back then, and I was inexperienced too.”

That chaotic graduation night, intoxicated and overwhelmed with years of suppressed emotions, his actions were naturally clumsy and unrefined.

And Lu Er, inexperienced and naive, only knew to passively endure. Thinking of this, Song Jingmo’s heart clenched painfully.

“I’m sorry for making you suffer.”

He kissed Lu Er’s hair and solemnly promised, “It won’t happen again. I promise. Don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid,” Lu Er suddenly seized on the key words, lifting his head sharply, his beautiful peach blossom eyes glinting with scrutiny and jealousy.

“Wait, you just said you were inexperienced six years ago?”

Tilting his head, Lu Er asked, “Then why aren’t you inexperienced now? Doctor Song, did you date anyone during those six years abroad?”

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, and a pang of jealousy rose uncontrollably in his chest.

He began counting on his fingers, interrogating: “How many times? What kind of people? Was Liao Xubai among them?”

Thinking of Liao Xubai’s face and how he had defended Song Jingmo before, Lu Er felt even worse inside.

He tried to sound magnanimous, whispering to himself for reassurance: “He’s so excellent, surely many people liked him. Six years is a long time; it’s normal for him to have dated…”

But despite his words, his eyes reddened slightly, and his voice trembled. That mix of sadness and forced maturity broke Song Jingmo’s heart.

“No.”

Song Jingmo cut off Lu Er’s wild thoughts decisively, cupping his face in his hands, his gaze honest and focused. “Not even once.”

“Liao Xubai is just a friend, nothing more.”

“As for the emergency contact, that was set up after your food allergy shock incident, on the doctor’s advice, just in case.”

“After returning to the country, I was busy and forgot about it. But after you were upset last time, I immediately changed it.”

Song Jingmo took out his phone, opened the emergency contact settings, and held it up for Lu Er. “See? Now it’s you. Only you.”

Lu Er looked at his name and number on the screen. All the jealousy and grievance vanished instantly, and his heart felt filled with honey.

He huffed in a tsundere way, but the corner of his mouth couldn’t help but lift. He picked up the phone to check again, satisfied, then handed it back to Song Jingmo.

Song Jingmo held him closely, speaking earnestly: “Lu Er, if anything ever upsets you, no matter how small, tell me. I’ll fix it.”

Lu Er lay quietly for a moment, then asked softly, “When rumors about me and Ye Qingge spread, did you ever doubt me?”

Song Jingmo paused briefly, not avoiding the question, admitting candidly: “I was afraid.”

“Ye Qingge is beautiful, and you were around her all the time while I wasn’t there. Plus, during that month, we were in less contact. I couldn’t help but have some doubts.”

He even admitted his darkest thoughts: “I’d think, you’re young people. In that environment, it wouldn’t be unusual for something to happen.”

Then his voice grew low but firm: “But I choose to trust you. And I tell myself, even if something did…

As long as you’re still willing to come back to me, I can forgive anything, act like nothing happened.”

This almost humble honesty made Lu Er’s heart ache with emotion.

He hadn’t expected someone as proud as Song Jingmo to show such uncertainty, even compromise, for him.

Lu Er hurried to explain: “During that month in Congo, conditions were terrible. The place we stayed didn’t even have a proper bed, just a mat on the floor.”

“I couldn’t adapt to the local climate, was sick for almost a week, vomiting and diarrhea, miserable beyond words.”

The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he felt. “Filming there was intense, every day had all kinds of troubles. Signal was terrible, and the production team strictly controlled everything.”

“It’s not that I didn’t want to contact you, it’s just that I wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want you to worry, so I didn’t go into details.”

Listening to him speak with a choked voice, imagining him suffering abroad, Song Jingmo’s heart ached unbearably.

He reached out and gently pinched the side of Lu Er’s waist. No wonder he seemed much slimmer than before, feeling more delicate.

“No wonder you lost so much weight…”

Song Jingmo’s voice was full of concern. He leaned down and pressed his lips to Lu Er’s forehead. “Does anything hurt now? Want to eat something first?”

Lu Er’s stomach growled in perfect timing. Embarrassed, he buried his face in the pillow and mumbled, “I’m hungry, but… I haven’t washed up yet…”

Song Jingmo looked at him, seeing the tips of his ears flushed pink, and chuckled softly.

His tone was indulgent and doting: “It’s fine. Eat first, then wash up. After last night’s exertion, you need to regain your strength before you can even wash properly.”

Saying that, he got out of bed. His silk robe loosely tied, revealing graceful collarbones and fair chest.

However, the fair chest and neck were covered with prominent red scratch marks.

Some even ran from the neck down to the waist, especially visible in the bright sunlight.

Lu Er’s fingertips traced the marks, his face flushed: “Does it hurt?”

Memories from last night surged like a tide.

Lu Er liked to unconsciously scratch his chest and back during moments of passion, and he enjoyed seeing his lover lose control.

Song Jingmo lifted Lu Er with the blanket wrapped around him and headed to the dining room. “Still asking if I’m in pain… Looks like you’re still not tired enough.”