The soft rays of morning sun peeked through the half-open balcony curtains, casting golden lines across the room.
Lu Sheng stirred first, blinking against the light. His body ached in that pleasant, satisfying way—like a secret only the sheets and the sea breeze were allowed to know. He stretched lazily, arms brushing warm skin beside him.
Chen.
Still asleep, one arm tucked under the pillow, the other resting on Lu Sheng's waist as if claiming him even in dreams.
Lu Sheng stared at him for a moment—at the soft lines of his face, the way his lashes fanned against his cheeks, the subtle curve of his lips.
He looked peaceful.
And stupidly attractive.
Lu Sheng smirked and leaned closer, whispering near his ear, "Hey… sugar daddy."
Chen groaned and rolled onto his back, arm flopping across his face. "Mmm, five more minutes…"
Lu Sheng poked his bare chest. "I want coffee. And a kiss."
Chen cracked open one eye. "High maintenance already?"
"I'm your spoiled investment, remember?" Lu Sheng replied with a grin, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. "It's day four of our contract—you should be used to it by now."
Chen finally sat up, rubbing his face and yawning. "You're unbelievable."
"And yet, you're still in my bed," Lu Sheng teased, propping himself up on his elbow. "Or should I say your bed now?"
Chen chuckled and leaned over to kiss him—slow and soft, tasting of sleep and warmth.
Lu Sheng blinked, surprised by the gentleness. "That's… new."
"What is?"
"You. Being all romantic and not just horny."
Chen raised an eyebrow. "Who says I'm not both?"
Lu Sheng threw a pillow at him with a laugh. "Go make my coffee, flirt."
---
Later at Breakfast
They sat on the hotel balcony, fresh coffee and croissants between them. Seagulls called in the distance, and the sea shimmered under the morning sun.
"Why are you staring?" Lu Sheng asked, sipping his coffee.
Chen didn't answer right away. He just kept looking—like he was trying to memorize every detail of this moment.
"You've changed," he said finally.
Lu Sheng tilted his head. "How so?"
"You're still sharp-tongued, but… you smile more now. You're softer."
Lu Sheng went quiet for a second before muttering, "You just haven't seen this side before."
Chen leaned in, brushing his knuckles against Lu Sheng's hand. "I want to. All of it."
Lu Sheng looked away quickly, cheeks slightly pink. "You're so annoying when you get sincere."
"And you're cute when you pretend not to care."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, just watching the waves. For once, there was no pain or guilt hanging between them—just the steady rhythm of trust rebuilding itself, one heartbeat at a time.