Every tile and brick, every building they passed, and all the sounds around here.

Only then did he realize where Ethan Young's contradictory yet captivating qualities came from—using a hard shell to block out all the malice in the world, like that irritable, keep-your-distance attitude toward strangers.

But the soft spot in his heart remained spotless.

Henry Howard felt like he had so much to say, but in the end, holding the kid's hand, it all turned into one sentence: "I think I'm hopeless."

Ethan Young listened to the sound of the plastic bag rustling as they walked, thought of walnuts, and secretly mused: I think I'm hopeless too.

With this brain, eating walnuts probably won't help.

The two of them waited a while longer. Half an hour passed, and the bus still hadn't come.

Ethan Young wanted to check the time, only to realize he forgot to charge his phone last night. The battery couldn't hold out; as soon as he turned on the screen, it dimmed again before it even lit up. He nudged Henry Howard with his elbow: "Where's your phone?"

Henry Howard said, "In my pants pocket, left side."

Ethan Young's fingers just touched the edge of Henry Howard's jeans pocket—the denim was a bit stiff. Before he could reach in, Henry Howard reminded him, "Behave, don't grope around."

Ethan Young's fingers paused. "You wish."

19:21.

Not too early, not too late, but they still had over an hour's ride ahead.

Ethan Young thought for a moment and decided to call Ms. Miller to let her know.

Henry Howard's phone interface was very simple, not many apps, but the games folder was packed tight. At a glance, there were a few pink icons, and in the corner, a familiar patch of green.

Ethan Young didn't look closely. He meant to tap the dial icon in the lower right, but accidentally hit the browser next to it.

After all, it's private. Ethan Young had no intention of snooping through his partner's phone. His hand reacted faster than his brain, instinctively hitting back to return to the main screen.

But he was sure he saw something odd flash by on the browser page.

Ethan Young hesitated for two seconds, then tapped back in.

Baidu Knows: Ten Kissing Techniques You Must Learn.

""

Ethan Young glanced up at Henry Howard, who was already playing with a stray cat poking half its body out of the bushes. The boy squatted by the street, one hand holding the plastic bag, the other reaching out, whistling for ages, but the cat just stared at him warily.

In the end, Henry Howard had no choice but to snap his fingers while squatting. He looked pretty cool, but the cat was startled, let out a low growl, turned around, and disappeared deeper into the bushes.

"Why run? I'm not going to eat you."

Henry Howard was about to stand up when he noticed the kid had squatted down next to him, so he turned his head and asked, "Did you finish your call?"

Ethan Young handed the phone back: "I called, no one answered."

Ms. Miller probably went out and left her phone at home again. He didn't like calling the Cooper Manor landline; it was always the housekeeper who answered, and every time it was just a "Second Young Master."

Young master, my ass.

Henry Howard still didn't know his secret Baidu search for kissing tips had been exposed. He took the phone, stuffed it back in his pocket, and as he stood up, he heard Ethan Young call him: "Henry Howard."

Henry Howard stopped and looked over. "Hm?"

Ethan Young was still squatting, but imitated the way he had just beckoned the cat, curling his finger at him.

Henry Howard put one hand in his pocket, bent down, and stopped a short distance away, about to say, "What are you doing, kid?" when Ethan Young suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him down.

Ethan Young's fingers tightened abruptly, his knuckles turning faintly white from the force. Henry Howard was bent over, a little unsteady. Although Ethan Young was squatting, he used the grip on the collar for leverage, lifting himself up a bit. Just like that, simple and rough, catching him off guard, he closed the distance.

The next second—

Ethan Young's lips pressed against his.

Henry Howard was completely stunned.

And then, his heart started pounding wildly.

He had studied all those kissing techniques so many times, but when it actually happened, he even forgot to close his eyes.

So he saw Ethan Young's upturned face, his neck stretched into a beautiful line. Maybe because he was nervous, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly—a tiny, unremarkable movement, but completely at odds with the strong front he usually put on.

Ethan Young stayed close for a while, then slowly opened his eyes.

Henry Howard crashed right into Ethan Young's gaze.

The streetlights behind them were on, shining on the muddy ground, cutting through the night and casting a beautiful halo.

Ethan Young recalled what he'd just seen on Henry Howard's phone, so he tentatively stuck out the tip of his tongue, wet and soft, and touched Henry Howard's tightly closed lips.

Then Ethan Young completely forgot whatever those kissing techniques said—he just remembered the other person's lips were so soft, one touch and his whole body felt hot.

Before Ethan Young let go, Henry Howard heard him say, "Don't come to me, go to Baidu. Bro Henry, you really love to study, huh."

Just then, the bus turned the corner, the 21 route number glowing red on the front. The long bus rounded the bend, bumping over the uneven, potholed road.

Both of them were heading back to A City, with a transfer in between. They'd ride the same bus, but after the 21 route, they'd switch to different ones.

Afraid of a repeat of last time when Henry Howard couldn't even figure out thirty yuan, Ethan Young just paid both fares together, then dragged the handsome guy to the back row.

At night, there weren't many people on the bus—just two or three sitting up front. The lighting inside wasn't great, especially with so few people; the lights in the bus were barely on, so from outside it looked pitch black.

Especially in the back corner, once you sat down, you were basically invisible.

Henry Howard didn't say a word for ages. Ethan Young was thinking, this guy sure is taking a long time to get over his shyness this time, when he heard Henry Howard whisper in his ear, "Shit, I'm hard."

""

"When you licked just now."

Ethan Young had been pretty calm earlier, but for some reason, when Henry Howard said "licked," all the details of their kiss came flooding back. After a while, he said, "Why don't you Baidu it?"

Henry Howard: ""

Ethan Young: "What to do if you get an erection on the bus?"

Turns out, there really isn't anything you can do. Either way, you can't sit next to the kid. Henry Howard hunched over and moved up a seat, planning to cool off by himself.

The two of them sat one in front of the other.

The bus bumped along the whole way.

When Henry Howard had finally calmed down, he cleared his throat and asked, "About that Baidu thing..."

"I saw it by accident," Ethan Young slouched in the back row, a bit dizzy from the ride. "What do you think about all day?"

Ever since that time in the equipment room after PE, Henry Howard hadn't brought up kissing again. He'd suddenly become all pure and abstinent, which Ethan Young found odd. Turns out, the guy was planning to practice his kissing skills before coming back for him.

Henry Howard didn't say anything. He fiddled with his phone for a while, then handed it to Ethan Young.

Ethan Young took it. On the screen was an article forwarded by Sean Parker in Penguin Space, with an embarrassingly titled "A Must-Read for Boys' First Kiss." When forwarding, he even tagged his buddy Henry Howard: Bro Henry! Look! Good stuff!

First, some first-kiss killers—after kissing them once, you never want a second time.

If you don't want to be that kind of "killer," you have to master the following techniques.

Ethan Young was at a loss for words. "Why did Sean Parker forward this? Isn't he single?"

Henry Howard: "He said he's preparing for the future."

------------

59. Chapter Fifty-Nine

After that, both of them were silent for a long time.

Thinking back now, Henry Howard was shocked by his own thought process, and couldn't believe he actually bought into Sean Parker's nonsense—never mind anything else, just now, being yanked by the collar and kissed by the kid like that, he'd do it a hundred more times if he could!

After a while, Henry Howard finally cleared his throat and said, "So, um, let's just let this go, okay?"

Ethan Young leaned back, neon lights from outside shining on his face, then couldn't help but smile: "No way."

""

"It was way too dumb, I'll never forget it. Bro Henry."

Henry Howard had just opened the window to cool off, and a few strands of hair on his forehead were blown straight up.

This guy was always a bit vain—he could break his head, but never mess up his hairstyle.

Ethan Young watched as Henry Howard turned on the front camera to check his hair. Because of the lighting, it was hard to see clearly in the camera, so he just reached up and ruffled it a few times, trying to flatten it down.