Since the baby’s arrival, caring for him had left no time for intimacy. Raising a child wasn’t easy, even with family helping, Shen Xuanqing wasn’t the type to shirk his duties as a father, so exhaustion was common. Besides, with a nursing baby nearby, neither had much energy for intimacy. Lu Gu was the same.
Unexpectedly, this kiss revealed something amiss, why did his cheek sting slightly after the contact?
Lu Gu looked up at Shen Xuanqing, noticing the stubble on his face. At some point this year, stubble had begun to shadow his once-smooth face. He shaved it with his short knife when it grew out - a common occurrence for men in their teens, so neither had paid it much mind. He had shaved just two days ago, but the stubble was already regrowing.
Now, not only did the stubble prick uncomfortably, but Lu Gu suddenly sensed something different about him.
Years of physical labor under the sun had deeply tanned Shen Xuanqing's skin and built his tall, sturdy frame. In his younger years, he still had a hint of softness, but by the time he turned twenty, his body had matured significantly, unlike many other young men who still had a leaner, less rugged build. Hunting and farming had toughened him up, and the stubble along his jaw and cheeks gave him a more rugged air. Two years of good food had filled him out, keeping hunger at bay, and leaving him robust - though he still lacked the seasoned gravity that came with age.
Lu Gu struggled to put his finger on it, finally blurting out, "Have you grown taller?"
Shen Xuanqing, bent over the bed playing with Lingjun, was caught off guard by the question. He laughed. "Have I? I didn’t notice."
Lu Gu, lacking eloquence, couldn’t quite describe the change he sensed. He simply said, "Stand straight."
Then he raised a hand to measure against his own head, which only reached Shen Xuanqing’s chest.
Shen Xuanqing raised an eyebrow, he really might have grown a little. But his pants hadn’t gotten shorter, so it couldn’t be a drastic increase.
A slight height difference wasn't that notable. After measuring, Lu Gu hesitated, then discreetly used both hands to gauge Shen Xuanqing's waist. Had he broadened a bit? Shen Xuanqing's body was all lean muscle - even without intimate nights, Lu Gu was familiar enough with his physique to know it wasn't fat.
Shen Xuanqing's physique was trim and powerful, his waist narrow yet strong, with an agility that his clothes often concealed. These subtle changes usually went unnoticed, but today they were hard to miss.
Wanting to spend more time with his little shuang'er before leaving, Shen Xuanqing was surprised to see Lu Gu’s stealthy appraisal. His star-bright eyes immediately crinkled with amusement.
Lu Gu was suddenly pulled into a firm embrace. Before he could resist, Shen Xuanqing dipped his head and kissed him.
With little Lingjun so young and the weather cold, the room’s door and windows were usually shut tight, no one would see. So Lu Gu wasn’t as flustered as he might have been. But when Shen Xuanqing nuzzled his cheek as usual, the stubble scraped uncomfortably, making him lean back to escape.
"It’s too prickly," he complained, frowning.
Shen Xuanqing touched his own stubble, feeling it was indeed a bit rough. But instead of letting go of Lu Gu, he rubbed against him a few more times. He'd been a rambunctious wild child since boyhood, far removed from the refined gentlemen, and teasing came naturally to him.
Lu Gu squirmed between ticklishness and discomfort but couldn’t help laughing. Only after struggling was he let go.
On the bed, little Lingjun, ignored for too long, let out a few babbling sounds. Seeing he wasn’t crying, Shen Xuanqing picked him up to play.
Rubbing his cheek, Lu Gu said, "You should shave tomorrow. It’s fine for me, but if it hurts Lingjun, it won’t do."
Shen Xuanqing, about to kiss the baby, paused. He suddenly remembered the day he had been alone with the child and somehow made him cry, unable to soothe him for the longest time. Lu Gu, reading his expression, also recalled Lingjun’s scrunched face earlier when Shen Xuanqing kissed him.
Their eyes met, understanding dawned instantly.
Shen Xuanqing gave an awkward chuckle. He wasn’t quite yet used to shaving. Last time, the short knife had nicked his cheeks, leaving two small cuts. He had slacked off the past two days, though the wounds were minor, barely bleeding after washing. Who would’ve thought this was the reason?
"So that’s why our little one wouldn’t let his dad kiss him, it was the prickles," he said cheerfully, adding, "I’ll shave first thing tomorrow."
Lu Gu’s eyes curved into crescents, his smile faint but bright.
The next morning, once the sun was high, Shen Xuanqing solemnly set up a bronze mirror in the yard to shave after finishing his chores with the livestocks.
Though the saying went that one’s body, hair, and skin were gifts from parents and shouldn’t be altered, their village customs differed slightly. While hair was left untouched, most young men shaved their beards to showcase youth and vigor. The more clean-shaven young men walking the streets, the more prosperous the village or county appeared.
Previously, Shen Xuanqing had shaved haphazardly. But today, he wielded the short knife with care. Skilled with blades from hunting, his movements were precise. He even followed advice he’d once heard, using wild soapberries to create lather, the foam made shaving smoother.
Finished, his cheeks and jaw were smooth. He rubbed them, satisfied that he wouldn’t scratch the baby anymore, then put away the knife and eagerly carried the mirror back inside.
Lu Gu was feeding Lingjun a milk fruit when he entered. Seeing his freshly shaven face, Lu Gu smiled and said, "You can hold him after he’s done eating."
Shen Xuanqing set the mirror down and sat by the bed. With no outsiders around, he leaned in to nuzzle Lu Gu’s cheek, his starry eyes smug. "Well?"
"Much better now." As Lu Gu spoke, he accidentally turned his head and brushed a kiss against Shen Xuanqing’s cheek.
Shen Xuanqing, emboldened, stole two more kisses—though "stole" wasn’t quite right, as he made no attempt to hide them. His laughter sparkled in his eyes, utterly unrepentant.
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