Passion Raga Novel - Chapter 86

After that was a period so busy that they barely had time to breathe. Ling Xinlu’s work grew steadily, and his daily schedule was packed. Moreover, Ling Huolong’s eightieth birthday celebration was approaching with an incredibly large number of guests. Every day, from waking up to going to bed, they hardly had a second to rest.

And so, after the grand birthday party was over and all the guests had been entertained, they finally had a little free time.

“You’re not bothered, and there’s nothing to be sad about, right?”

Ling Xinlu whispered softly, then placed a kiss on Yuri’s lips, who was looking up at the night moon. As if, if Yuri said yes, he would immediately swallow that emotion without leaving a trace. Ling Xinlu’s lips sought Yuri’s, slowly brushing against them.

“In this world, I fear nothing but one thing: that I will hurt Gable.”

Yuri quietly felt his breath on his lips, then gently replied:

“I have never been sad because of you, not even once.”

He leaned back, pulling away slightly so he could clearly see Ling Xinlu’s face, mused for a moment, then continued:

“But when I see you sad because of me, my heart feels heavy.”

Ling Xinlu parted his lips as if to say something, but in the end, no words came out. He pressed his lips tightly, his face looking aggrieved like a child. Yuri gently stroked his cheek and smiled softly:

“See? You’re the one who understands me best in the world. You know every tiny detail about me, you know where I was born, how I grew up, who I met, what I did, you know who I once loved, and you know clearly who I love now.”

Yuri looked directly at Ling Xinlu. He remained silent, but his eyes never left Yuri’s, only nodding slightly.

“So, even knowing who you are currently with, just because you happened to meet someone you knew before, I should feel bothered and uneasy like that?”

“Yes.”

“….”

Oh. That’s not right.

Stunned by the blunt answer, Yuri paused, momentarily speechless. He intended to continue but stammered:

“But… from the beginning, you and Jeong Taeui weren’t really dating. Should I be bothered by people you weren’t even truly with?”

“How can you not be bothered?”

Ling Xinlu, as if he found Yuri to be the strange one, frowned and asked back, clearly showing his resentment. Yuri unconsciously rubbed his forehead and sighed.

“The first time I met you—not counting when you fell into the sea as a child—do you remember?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Xinlu froze.

“At that time, you were completely engrossed in Taei, to the point where your attitude towards me wasn’t good at all…”

Before Yuri could finish his sentence, Ling Xinlu grabbed his arm tightly. His face showed a rare look of panic, his lips moving as if he didn’t know what to say.

Actually, saying “attitude wasn’t good” was an understatement. He had hit him, kicked him, made his head bleed, even pointed a gun at him (though it was just a paintball gun).

“At that time… at that time I still didn’t know that we would end up like this. I had no idea—”

“I know. At that time, your mind was completely focused on someone else, so there was no room to share with me.”

“No! At that time, I was angry because of Rick, that bastard! Yuri, I’ve never been crazy about anyone like I’m crazy about you. I swear. That’s in the past, why bother?! It’s not like that now. Absolutely not now.”

Yuri just quietly watched Ling Xinlu frantically explain.

Facing his gaze, Ling Xinlu suddenly fell silent as if realizing he had inadvertently revealed something, he lowered his head, cursed softly, and ruffled his hair in frustration.

“Actually, I just don’t want Gable to overthink and feel sad. But…”

“…..”

“…..”

He slumped his shoulders, groaning softly. After a moment of silence, a gloomy voice spoke as if it had fallen to the darkest depths.

“I know. I also know I’m acting like a crazy person, and I hate that you have to worry about trivial things. But if you don’t worry, I feel let down. I want you to pay more attention to me, I want you to be more obsessed and concerned about me. But I don’t want you to be hurt because of it.”

“…….Ling.”

“I know this is unreasonable. This is my problem, it actually has nothing to do with Taei-hyung or anyone else. I just…”

Ling Xinlu’s words suddenly stopped mid-sentence. He stared at Yuri with an earnest look, then slowly closed his mouth and lowered his head. A soft, helpless remark like a child who doesn’t know what to do.

“It’s so annoying…”

“Did I not make you trust me enough?”

Before Yuri’s calm question, Ling Xinlu immediately shook his head.

“Hyung, I know you’re mine, I’ve never doubted that. But it’s just… it’s just…”

Ling Xinlu’s hesitant voice gradually faded.

“It’s just… I like you too much. How can I like you this much…? More and more. To the point where…”

Ling Xinlu bit his lip tightly. His dark eyes seemed to ripple. He suddenly sprang up and plunged straight into the swimming pool.

The water exploded, foam splashing everywhere. The moon’s reflection on the surface of the lake shattered into thousands of sparkling pieces. Amidst the shimmering bubbles, Ling Xinlu’s figure receded.

Yuri, drenched and left alone behind, could only stare blankly as that slender figure gradually disappeared into the dark water in the distance.

“How can I like you this much?”

That soft, trembling sentence seemed to still echo in his ears. It seeped deep into him, wrapped around Yuri, and gradually sank to the bottom of his heart.

—How can I like you this much?

Yuri clenched his hands, trying to stop them from trembling. He also pressed his lips tightly to keep from shaking, but his heart couldn’t be held tight; it just trembled uncontrollably.

How could he like him this much?

He and Yuri were too different.

From head to toe, from appearance, personality, preferences, to the way they loved, expressed, and longed for affection, nothing was alike.

Even though Yuri had tried to express himself, perhaps he still couldn’t do what that person desired. Perhaps never in this lifetime. Yuri was not like Ling Xinlu; he couldn’t express his feelings like him.

But even if he couldn’t express it, he could still love so deeply.

Ling Xinlu, who had just plunged into the water like a wild beast, now slowed down. He silently glided for another lap, then swam back towards Yuri.

Ling Xinlu remained submerged, only resting his hands on the edge of the pool, propping his chin on them, and gazing intently at Yuri. Yuri stood up, approached him, and sat down in front of him. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind: this beautiful man emerging from the water was like a mermaid.

“Do you want me to be even greedier for you?”

That voice rose like a spell. In the silent night, with only the bright moonlight in the dark sky, the other person was like a mermaid rising from the night lake, captivating Yuri.

Yuri gazed at him for a long time, then spoke:

“I care.”

“……”

“I care who you’re with, what you do, who you’ve given your affection to. I’m jealous. Sometimes I get so jealous I want you to only look at me, only talk to me. But because you’ll always be by my side, I’ll learn to be generous.”

Ling Xinlu blinked. His already wide eyes widened even further as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Those eyes were pitch black, shining brightly, deeply imprinted in Yuri’s vision.

Now, even without an alarm, he thought of that person. He wanted to text even when there was nothing to say, and longed for messages even when nothing was happening. But more than messages, he just wanted to be with that person.

His love was originally something as bland as water, a simple and peaceful love, but over time it had gradually changed, becoming similar to the other person’s love.

“No one in this world can love you as much as I do.”

“…..”

Ling Xinlu’s expression subtly shifted. Perhaps due to the water droplets running down his face, Yuri felt as if he was about to cry. That face was too beautiful, so beautiful that Yuri couldn’t help but kneel down, bow his head, and place a kiss on those lips.

He gently touched and then pulled away. His dark eyes trembled slightly. Yuri touched his lips again and again.

Ling Xinlu, who had been silently staring at Yuri, suddenly murmured softly.

“Are you teasing me?”

He whispered in a hoarse, restrained voice, then unexpectedly reached out and pulled Yuri into his embrace as if a beast hidden in the water had suddenly pounced on its prey. Before Yuri could react, he was forcefully pulled into the water.

The quiet space was torn apart by the crashing water. Foam splashed high into the sky. A few struggles echoed, but soon after, the place fell silent again.

Underwater, where there should have been no sound, Ling Xinlu’s passionate kiss was so loud it drowned out everything.

The water was clearly cold, yet it felt like sinking into a scorching hot pool. The heat wrapped around his skin, almost suffocating him.

Yuri gently returned the other’s tight embrace, greedily enjoying those hot lips. The fabric wrapped around their skin in the surging water, little by little, was swept away into the distance.

Their lips never left each other. Aside from fleeting moments brushing against his cheek, gently biting his earlobe, licking his eyelids, the beast in the water only bit tightly onto Yuri’s lips and swallowed him whole. The hands tightly embracing Yuri continuously left marks on his skin.

Only when Yuri was completely unburdened, when he had exhaled his last drops of air, did Ling Xinlu finally release him, pulling him to the surface. But just as he managed to gasp for a breath, Ling Xinlu couldn’t help but pull him back towards himself.

Although they were out of the water, Ling Xinlu’s kiss was still so persistent that it made breathing difficult. At the same time, under the water, he hastily stripped off his own clothes, then tightened his grip around Yuri’s waist, pulling him even closer.

“Sorry… Sorry… Just once… just once first…” Ling Xinlu whispered impatiently, his voice urgent as if he couldn’t bear it any longer. He unhesitatingly thrust his hips under Yuri’s body like a seasoned player.

“Uh…—”

Without warning, what had been hard for a while now plunged straight inside. The merciless thrust penetrated deep to the very end, making Yuri let out a choked cry. But even that sound was immediately swallowed as Ling Xinlu covered his lips with his own, then continued with powerful, unhesitating hip thrusts.

Yuri had no room, held so tightly he couldn’t move, only able to cling to this wild beast as he was shaken by the unhesitating, rapid movements, like pounding a ball.

“Like… Like it so much. Really like it. How, how can I like it this much…!”

Low growls, mixed with curses and moans, tore at Yuri’s ears. His breathing became ragged. The gaps between the short moans narrowed further.

Yuri twisted his waist with each of his movements, unable to distinguish whether the rough act was pain or pleasure. The hot body he held tightly seemed to be stiffening. All movements suddenly slowed for a moment, then a surge of heat erupted, tearing through him.

“…!…!”

Ling Xinlu groaned intensely. Yuri’s body, clinging to him, convulsed, trembling in spasms.