“What decision? Are you renouncing your ways and turning over a new
leaf?” Tang Feng didn’t bother calling Charles out for his blatant groping.
A crafty light flashed across Charles’ eyes, but instead of explaining
further, he kept up the mystery and yawned. “You’ll know soon enough.”
Charles’ vague answer was a bit alarming. Tang Feng narrowed his eyes
and glanced at the lazy lump beside him. “That doesn’t sound like
anything good.”
“Hahaha. Darling, believe in me. I won’t hurt you. Everything I do is
for your sake! Well, are you moved?”
“It sounds very scary,” Tang Feng replied honestly. He furrowed his
brows. “Exactly what are you planning?”
“I’m joking with you. I’m just shifting the focus of my work a bit.”
Charles sat straight up on the couch, his arm still around Tang Feng.
“Why don’t you go shower? I’ll give you a massage afterwards.”
“What?” Were his ears working? Did Charles just offer to give him a massage?
“Come on, go. You know I feel a bit guilty about the whole kidnapping.
It’s my insignificant compensation toward you.” Charles pulled Tang Feng
up from the couch and pushed him toward the bathroom.
“Wait, you don’t need to do this. I’m all right. Really.” Tang Feng
turned around just before he stepped through the bathroom door.
Smiling, Charles took Tang Feng’s half-finished glass of champagne. “You
can shower on your own, or I can come in there with you. I rather miss
our movie marathons in the bathtub.” Charles waggled his eyebrows
suggestively at the actor.
♦
Half an hour later, Tang Feng walked out of the bathroom wearing his
pajamas. He paused in surprise when he noticed the state of his room and
immediately started laughing. “What did you do?”
The lights inside the room were all turned off. To the left and right of
the bed were two glass tanks filled with water. Warm yellow candles
floated inside the tanks and sent out heady scents that filled the room.
The hazy light and the fragrance the candles emitted suddenly turned the
small apartment romantic. A warm, satisfying, and thoroughly lazy kind
of romantic.
“Either I don’t do it, or I pull out all the stops. How about it? Are
you satisfied with how I’ve transformed the room?” Charles had taken off
his jacket and his sleeves had been rolled up to his elbow. He appeared
both capable and lively.
Satisfied, of course he was satisfied. Tang Feng was especially filled
with satisfaction when he lay across the bed and Charles’ hands moved to
massage his head, shoulders, and waist. Charles coated his hands with
rose oil and warmed it up between his palms before rubbing it across
Tang Feng’s neck and shoulders. His strong hands massaged the actor’s
muscles with the right amount of force, loosening the tension and
leaving a warmth behind.
With his whole body completely relaxed, Tang Feng was so comfortable
that he wanted to call out in pleasure.
He suddenly recalled a report a journalist had written about him in the
past. There was a paragraph that resonated with him:
/“Fiennes always appears happy to the eyes, but he has experienced much
greater pain than the average person would during their entire life.
Perhaps we should be happy that he had grown up in a loveless and
uncaring orphanage. As he never had to compare himself to a normal child
who grew up in a blessed family, the extent of his loss and pain is
lessened. If we look at it that way, it becomes acceptable.”/
Correct, if there was no comparison to be made, then anything could
become acceptable.
For example, right now, Tang Feng could sleep just as contently if he
were spending the night alone. However, if someone were to give him a
caring call, if someone were to give him a romantic massage, of course
that would present as the better choice to most people.
He disliked making comparisons; it only became too easy to indulge
afterwards.
He didn’t want to admit that he was alone most of the time. Although he
didn’t see anything wrong with being alone, too many people worried over
whether he was unhappy or uncomfortable. It was as if they expected he
should feel unhappy and uncomfortable with them.
To make another example, whenever a child falls down while playing, most
of the time, he would learn to stand up by himself and continue playing
with the other kids if the adults around him didn’t shout and make a
scene. However, if every adult around ran up to him and indulged him
with concern, he would most certainly start crying.
“Charles.” While the man’s hands were gently massaging his neck, Tang
Feng reached around and grabbed his hand.
“Don’t call me like that. I’ve already promised you that I won’t try
anything today. Are you trying to make me run out onto the streets like
a madman during the middle of the night? I’ll definitely become
tomorrow’s headline.” Despite giving out excuses, Charles bent down and
lightly kissed the back of Tang Feng’s neck.