Chapter 3 : If You Dare to Flirt, Don''t Chicken Out

"You like me, don''t you?" Brandon deliberately leaned close to Christian''s ear, whispering in a voice that seemed to have hooks, making his ears itch.

Christian''s ears instantly turned red, looking at Brandon in disbelief: "You..."

"The swimming pool incident was an accident, but this time it''s real." Brandon lifted his head and kissed the corner of Christian''s mouth, his eyes sparkling with a smile: "Christian, I''m seducing you."

It was Brandon''s first time doing something like this, acting all flirty, but his face was as red as a chili pepper, and he was incredibly nervous inside.

After waiting for a long time without any reaction from Christian, Brandon chickened out, retracting his hand from Christian''s neck and slowly hiding under the blanket.

Christian finally snapped out of it, pulling Brandon out from under the blanket. Their eyes met, and Christian''s gaze was so deep it was almost overwhelming.

Brandon chickened out again, but this time Christian didn''t give him a chance to escape, grabbing his chin to stop him from turning away.

"Are you serious, not just acting on impulse?" Christian looked straight into Brandon''s eyes: "Brandon, I''m not as noble as you think. This is your last chance to decide. Once you do, there''s no turning back."

Brandon took a deep breath. "I''m serious, Christian. Will you marry me? Of course, given your unique profession, we can keep it private. Just get the certificate, a secret marriage will do."

Christian raised an eyebrow, but this time, without hesitation, he smiled slightly and agreed. "Okay."

"Why wait? Let''s do it today!" Brandon''s words were surprising, and he was ready to act immediately. "I''ll call someone to bring the household registration book right now..."

As Brandon reached for his phone, Christian dodged it.

"It''s already past five. By the time we get to the Civil Affairs Bureau, they''ll be closed." Christian patted Brandon''s head. "Besides, marriage is a big deal. We shouldn''t rush it."

If circumstances allowed, Christian would have taken Brandon to the Civil Affairs Bureau right then and there. Although he didn''t understand why Brandon had suddenly changed his mind, it didn''t matter. Call it taking advantage of the situation or being shameless, the little guy had come to him, and that meant he was his.

Christian''s reminder made Brandon realize he was being too impulsive. For a moment, he felt guilty towards Christian and couldn''t help but wonder if he was dragging him into something he shouldn''t.

Seeing the change in Brandon, Christian''s eyes flickered, and he helped him lie down. It seemed like nothing, but there was a subtle silence between them.

After a while, it was Brandon who broke the silence.

"It does seem too hasty." Brandon looked up at Christian. "Marriage is a big deal. We shouldn''t decide so immaturely like this..."

Brandon wanted to say that it was unfair to Christian, that he shouldn''t take advantage of his feelings to change his fate.

His feelings for Christian were more about the shock of learning about his feelings before he died, guilt, and self-blame. It was a complex feeling, but it lacked love. Although feelings could be cultivated, Christian wasn''t obligated to wait for him.

"Are you regretting it?" Christian interrupted before Brandon could finish, his smile gone, looking quite intimidating.

"No." Brandon''s eyes dimmed. He was hesitating whether what he was doing was right. "I mean, we can date first, and if it works out, then..."

"We''re a good match." Christian interrupted Brandon again. "I just gave you a chance, Brandon."

Brandon''s heart tightened. "I..."

Christian suddenly leaned in, pinching Brandon''s delicate chin with a playful smile. "It''s too late to back out now."

Brandon: "..."

Christian''s dark eyes were now shining, and he pinched Brandon''s smooth cheek. "If you have the guts to flirt, don''t chicken out."

Brandon: "..."

Since Christian didn''t mind, there was no point in Brandon overthinking it.

Thinking this, he couldn''t help but steal a glance at Christian, only to find Christian propping his head up with one hand, his face getting closer. Their breaths mingled, and before anything happened, Brandon''s face turned red. He stared at Christian''s handsome face, not daring to move.

"Why are you so close to me?" Brandon blurted out, feeling like he was inviting a kiss, and quickly shut his mouth.

Christian chuckled softly and gave Brandon a quick peck on the corner of his lips. "Getting familiar with the post-marriage routine."

Brandon: "???"

"The more comprehensive stuff..." Christian leaned in close to Brandon''s ear. "We''ll explore it together after we''re married."

Brandon: "!!!"

More comprehensive...

Brandon blinked nervously, his face turning bright red. His mind went to inappropriate places, and he couldn''t help but feel that Christian''s light words painted a vivid picture.

His attempts at seduction were nothing compared to Christian''s. It was like comparing a naive little bunny to a cunning wolf—pathetic!

"What are you two doing?"

The sudden voice shattered the awkward, sticky tension in the room. Both turned to see Adrian standing at the door, his face cold and stern, his eyes fixed on Brandon. For a moment, his expression overlapped with the crazed, ruthless face from that rainy night in the cemetery, sending a chill down Brandon''s spine.

Contrary to the chill, a burning hatred filled Brandon''s chest. He squinted his eyes, clenching his fists tightly to suppress his trembling.

Sensing Christian about to get up, Brandon instinctively wrapped his arms around his neck, stopping him. Their already close proximity became even more intimate, and Christian, caught off guard, ended up pressed against Brandon.

"Did I crush you?" Christian paused before propping himself up, and seeing Brandon shake his head, he helped him sit up.

The two of them acted as if Adrian wasn''t even there, their silent communication only fueling Adrian''s anger.

"Brandon!" Adrian was furious, slamming the door shut and striding over to the bed. He looked down at Brandon, his eyes burning with a sharp, intimidating fire.

Brandon tilted his head, ignoring the question. "What are you doing here?"

"I asked what you two were doing just now?" Adrian''s gaze swept over Christian, his words dripping with venom.

"You saw the trending topic and came to catch us in the act, didn''t you?" Brandon''s innocent smile was fixed on Adrian. "As you can see."

"What did you say?" Adrian couldn''t believe his ears.

Brandon''s lips barely moved. "Adrian, let''s break up."

Adrian didn''t say anything, just stared at Brandon without blinking. Just this afternoon, Brandon had brought him a sweet treat to his office, full of love, and now, not even half a day later, he wanted to break up...

The strong sense of incongruity made Adrian frown. He instinctively reached out to grab Brandon, but Christian quickly restrained his wrist.