Jing He looked at his husband with starry eyes but felt that his words were lacking. Just echoing Qiu Ling’s words … how could that truly express the love he felt for this man? “I …” His hand stopped moving and finally lowered, tracing the hem of his lapel.

He didn’t know how to say what he felt deep inside. Such love words didn’t come easily to him and he hadn’t had as much practice uttering them as Qiu Ling had. Looking at his husband, he felt somewhat anxious.

Qiu Ling watched his expression and rubbed his cheek again, smiling gently. “Take your time, my love.” Even though he wanted to go further, he would never rush Jing He, and right now, his beloved looked as if he had something important to say. Naturally, he would wait.

Jing He lightly exhaled, some of his anxiety evaporating under his husband’s reassurance. Unfortunately, he was no closer to finding the right words to make his feelings known than he had been before. He gazed into those dark eyes, his lips pursing slightly. “I love you.” He said the words with more emphasis this time as if that could make up for the expression he couldn’t find.

Qiu Ling nodded slowly. “Me too.” He didn’t move though, feeling that Jing He hadn’t finished what he wanted to say yet. At the very least, he still seemed somewhat hesitant.

Jing He hummed and his fingers curled around his husband’s lapel. In the end, he could only shake his head. “I love you so much but I don’t have the words to express it.”

Qiu Ling’s lips curled and he hummed deeply, leaning in and kissing the corner of Jing He’s mouth. “I know, my love.” Even if he didn’t say anything, he was certain of it. Maybe this was conceited but … he felt that he could sense it.

Thinking for a moment, Qiu Ling pulled back and reached up, stroking the delicate skin beneath his lover’s eyes. “Even if you don’t say it, I can see it.” Jing He had seemed torn just now, anxious about lacking a way to say what he felt.

It was … heart-wrenching to see because he knew where it came from: Jing He had never had enough people around to truly learn how to express himself. He knew all the words and he could certainly compose the most beautiful poetry if you asked him to but he had little concept of his own emotions because he had always suppressed them and even if he was clear on them, he had nobody to share them with because he thought himself a burden.

But this was over now. From now on, he wouldn’t let Jing He press down his feelings for the sake of anyone else and certainly not because of him. He would give him the time to find his way of making his deepest thoughts and desires known and if Jing He told him that he didn’t know how, then he would try to help him. Just like now.

He looked into his eyes with a smile, brushing the corner of his eyes. “I see the way you look at me and it tells me how much you love me. I don’t know if it is the exact same as my gaze when I see you but I sense a deep love and a lot of admiration from it as if you think I am the best person in the world and you’d be happy just looking at me for a lifetime.” He could indeed see much of this in Jing He’s gaze and he also knew that his own gaze shouldn’t differ much from it. In fact, his eyes were likely more explicit, openly showing his desire to be with the person in his heart while Jing He tended to hide his wants and would only let him get a glimpse at his wishes every now and then.

Jing He nodded, relieved that his inability to find and say the right words seemed to not have taken the opportunity from Qiu Ling to feel his love.

Qiu Ling lowered his head and raised one hand to take one of Jing He’s hands which were still stroking the corner of his lapel. “I also feel it from the way you touch me. It is gentle, hesitant not because you are afraid but due to shyness, warm as if it could transport the warm love from your heart directly to me.” He raised his eyes, knowing that his own hand wouldn’t feel any different to Jing He.

Indeed, his lover looked at his hand, thinking to himself that if all of this was the truth, then his love could not measure up to Qiu Ling’s. He had little strength so every touch should be soft, unlike Qiu Ling who seemed to consciously hold back so as not to hurt him. As for their warmth … Qiu Ling’s body had always radiated a blazing heat that could burn him if he wasn’t careful. Such passionate love, it should have been difficult to bear but he only sank deeper whenever he felt it.

Qiu Ling leaned closer again until only a finger’s width separated them. “I also see it in the way you accept me and open yourself to me. Such as when I hold you and you seem to melt into my arms.” As if to prove his words, the hand that had still been cupping his lover’s cheek moved down, snaking around his waist and pulling him closer.

Jing He indeed softened his body in his husband’s arms, not even thinking about it but simply acting on the instinct he had cultivated over the years.

Qiu Ling tilted his head, his warm breath spraying on Jing He’s face. “It is also in the way you react when I kiss you as if you are ready to give yourself to me.”

Their lips touched once again but this time, Qiu Ling didn’t pull back for a long time and the hands that had been carefully holding his lover started to move and explore.