Chapter Text
Luo Binghe entered the ceremonial chamber cautiously, like someone expecting a fight.
The ambient light was dim, with only a few candles to guide his way. There was a figure sitting on the bed, a dark shadow behind the gauzy red curtain. His head turned when he heard the sound of Luo Binghe’s feet on the wood floor. He didn’t call out or say anything, but Luo Binghe could feel the weight of his gaze.
Slowly, he approached the bed. All that he knew about the prostitute was that he was a man. It had been the only request he made for the ceremony — not based on personal preference, but out of the cold practicality that no matter what he did, a man couldn’t ‘accidentally’ become pregnant.
“Are you sure you don’t want to note any other requests, your highness?” The head eunuch asked. “There is quite a variety to choose from, many qualified candidates—”
“I don’t care.” Luo Binghe cut him off. If it had truly been up to him, this crass tradition wouldn’t be happening at all.
When he made it to the edge of the red curtain, he stopped. The prostitute was just on the other side.
“What is your name?” He asked. The words came out harsher than he’d intended.
“Shen Qingqiu.” The prostitute's voice, by contrast, was as light and clear as a bell.
Luo Binghe had never spoken to a prostitute before. He hardly knew anything about the culture and hierarchy of brothels, but he could tell at once that this man must be very senior and… highly sought after. Nobody who sounded like that could be anything less.
In a swift motion, ignoring the roiling of his stomach, he swept aside the curtain. They locked eyes.
They’ve sent me a hulijing, was his first thought. The man sitting on the bed was the most beautiful person he’d seen in his entire life.
That was no small feat. As the crown prince, people had been parading beauties in front of him for as long as he could remember. He forced his mouth shut with an audible click.
The prostitute — Shen Qingqiu — seemed to be just as taken aback. He was looking up at him with wide doe eyes, full lips parted on an inhaled breath.
He was fully dressed (a small relief), made up like one of the imperial concubines in layer after layer of ornate brocade, carefully folded and bunched to flatter the figure. Luo Binghe suspected he didn’t actually need any help in that regard. Every part of him that was exposed was flawless. He was a beauty without peer.
“My name is Luo Binghe.”
“This one knows.”
“You are the one who's supposed to….”
“Yes.” Shen Qingqiu agreed.
Luo Binghe’s coming of age had passed the night before. Now, according to tradition, in preparation for his future role as husband to the imperial harem, he was to receive a marital education.
He tilted his head to the side, projecting a bored sort of confidence. Unpleasant as it was, this ceremony was just another challenge on the long road towards the dragon throne. It was far from the worst thing he’d been forced to do. He would overcome it in the same way he’d overcome every other obstacle.
“Alright then. Teach me.”
Shen Qingqiu’s mouth twitched, something that might have been a smile if he hadn’t hidden it away so fast. “Perhaps you might like to sit down first.”
He patted a spot on the mattress next to him, and Luo Binghe sat. He turned his head to look at him. Shen Qingqiu was looking back. For a long moment, neither of them said anything.
Then, in a soft voice, “Have you ever had sex, your highness?”
“No.”
“So this will be your first time. We will take things slowly.”
“No need. I am prepared.”
“Prepared?” He asked, tilting his head. He had a very guarded, carefully pleasant expression on his face. “How so?”
In someone else’s mouth, those words might have sounded condescending, but Shen Qingqiu’s voice rang with genuine curiosity. Still, Luo Binghe’s jaw clenched.
“I’ve studied the mechanics of the act. I know more or less how it should go, there’s no need to coddle me.”
“You’ve… studied.” Shen Qingqiu repeated, sounding at a loss.
Luo Binghe didn’t get what was so hard to understand. This man might be a beauty great enough to rival Diaochan, but he didn’t seem very quick on the uptake.
“I’ve read books.”
At this, Shen Qingqiu’s expression smoothed out. He nodded knowledgeably, “Ah, of course, spring books.”
Luo Binghe scowled. “No. Medical texts.”
Shen Qingqiu blinked. One of his eyes twitched. With some effort, he managed to maintain his affable expression.
“Begging that his highness doesn’t take offense, but could this lowly servant ask what, exactly, he is expecting from this interaction?”
Luo Binghe’s mouth thinned. “You and I will both take off our clothing. You will prepare yourself for penetration. I will put it in, climax, and then take it out. We will put our clothes back on. You will then be shown to a guest room where you can wash, before being escorted back to your residence and paid for your trouble.”
A flash of humor crossed Shen Qingqiu’s face. “Ah, I see.” The corner of his mouth curled into a smile. “How… straightforward.”
Even as he was being laughed at, Luo Binghe couldn’t help but marvel at how astonishingly beautiful this man was when wearing a smile. Shen Qingqiu was like something out of a poem. He had never encountered gracefulness like this in his life. Where on earth had they found him?
All the same, he did not particularly enjoy being the butt of the joke. “It is straightforward. Why do you take that tone? Do you find what I said objectionable?”
“This servant wouldn’t dare.” Shen Qingqiu replied mildly, still smiling. “Of course, your highness’ first night can go however you want it to. What you have just described, however, doesn’t sound very much like an education.”
“Why not? All the ceremony requires is that I gain the experience of having sex. We will have sex, and then I will have experienced it. What more education could possibly be needed?”
Shen Qingqiu pressed his lips together for a moment, looking him over consideringly. After a while, he sighed. “Well, that your highness had to ask exemplifies the gap in knowledge. There is… somewhat more to sex than just the physical component.”
Luo Binghe clucked his tongue, unimpressed. “You’re talking about love?”
Shen Qingqiu shook his head. “Not at all. Although being in love can add new dimension and meaning to the experience, I’m told.”
“You’re told?”
“Well, I have never been in love before, so I wouldn’t know. I was referring to the mental components of sex — the cultivation of desire, learning to read and understand your partner, exploring new concepts and practices safely. There are many complexities that are easier to handle if discussed ahead of time rather than muddling through them in the moment.”
“That sounds needlessly complicated.”
Shen Qingqiu threw his head back and laughed. The noise resonated through Luo Binghe’s body like he was a plucked qin string. He wondered if he was going insane.
“Sex is complicated, your highness.” Shen Qingqiu smiled. Then he reached over and placed his hand on Luo Binghe’s thigh.
The abrupt contact startled him, and it was only thanks to strict physical discipline developed over years of training that he didn’t flinch.
Luo Binghe swallowed hard. For all that he was… skeptical of what Shen Qingqiu was saying, the weight of his hand resting on his leg with intent was already much more than he’d expected. Then again, maybe it was only natural that he would feel tense under the touch of a stranger. His body was alert, the skin under his hand extra sensitive so he would be ready to respond to any sudden movement.
When he looked up and met Shen Qingqiu’s eye, the man was watching him with a knowing smile, as though he knew exactly what Luo Binghe was thinking. Maybe he did. He hadn’t ruled out the hulijing theory just yet.
Luo Binghe studied his face. On the surface, his expression was perfectly deferent, but his eyes were… challenging. It made something at the base of his spine prickle. He had always had a hard time turning down a challenge.
“What are you expecting from this interaction, then?” He asked Shen Qingqiu with a raised eyebrow.
The prostitute’s smile turned distinctly pleased. An unexpected jolt of satisfaction shot through Luo Binghe’s gut.
“If your highness were to listen to my suggestion, then we would start with kissing. I would show you how to settle a partner’s nerves and make them comfortable with simple touches. From there, we could remove our clothes and explore more intimate kinds of touching, or we could keep them on. Depending on your highness’ comfort and interest, I could pleasure you with my hands or with my mouth. I would do both, if you wish it. If you truly want to have penetrative sex, if it’s your desire and not just what you think you have to do, then I would teach you how to do that as well.”
As Shen Qingqiu spoke, a heat started to build deep within Luo Binghe’s body. Hearing those words come out of the mouth of such a lovely creature was more affecting than he had expected it to be. What Shen Qingqiu was describing was simultaneously much less and much more than what he’d imagined.
“Alternatively, if none of that sounds appealing to your highness, then I will remove my hand and provide a purely theoretical explanation of those topics.”
Luo Binghe’s eyebrows flew up. “The emperor and royal court are all expecting us to have sex. The ceremony won’t be considered complete without intercourse.”
Shen Qingqiu raised an eyebrow back. “Considering that the emperor and royal court are not currently in the room, if you and I both leave here agreeing that the ceremony was completed, I don’t see how they could contradict us.”
This casual assessment left Luo Binghe absolutely floored. Had Shen Qingqiu seriously just proposed lying to the emperor? Even saying that was enough to get him beheaded! And all of this to what? To ensure that Luo Binghe was comfortable?
He was suddenly grateful that he had instructed his people to monitor the perimeter of the room and remove any eavesdroppers. He’d known him for less than five minutes, but already he found that he did not want to see this man dead.
After gaping for a moment, he managed to choke out, “You are… not what I expected.”
“You mean to say the medical texts did not provide a thorough enough preparation?”
Luo Binghe barked out a startled laugh. “You’re even bold enough to talk back to the crown prince!”
Shen Qingqiu looked at him from under his lashes in a gesture that would have seemed contrite, if not for the smug pout of his lips. “Does your highness not like it? If you would prefer a more obedient partner, this one will endeavor to comply.”
“I do like it.” Luo Binghe assured him, blinking back a wave of desire as his brain conjured up images of exactly what his obedience might entail.
Shen Qingqiu’s hand slid a little higher up his thigh.
Certain parts of Luo Binghe’s anatomy were starting to feel distinctly warm. He took a careful, measured breath in. He would have shifted his weight if he could have done it without Shen Qingqiu noticing. Even knowing what they were about to do, knowing that this reaction was only natural, he still felt uncomfortably exposed. It was unsettling to feel someone else pull these reactions from his body so easily.
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes were half-lidded now. He stared up at Luo Binghe with his unearthly beauty and with his devastating voice said, “Perhaps your highness would like to kiss me now?”
Luo Binghe was only a man. He was— this was only what he was supposed to do. What the ceremony required. Swallowing once more, he leaned towards Shen Qingqiu, even as Shen Qingqiu was leaning towards him. They met in the middle, and Shen Qingqiu’s soft, agreeable mouth covered his own.
At once, Luo Binghe realized he had made a mistake.
The palace eunuchs had asked him for additional instructions. He had been given a chance to exert some control over the situation. Like a fool, he’d squandered that chance.
He’d been certain that he was immune to this kind of desire. He has been sure that no matter who was chosen for this night, no matter how beautiful or charming, he would remain unmoved. He had expected his general distaste for the ceremony would cloud over any situationally-induced lust he might feel in the moment. Never, not in ten thousand years, had he expected to be given someone like Shen Qingqiu as a teacher.
To be completely honest, up until now, he never could have imagined that someone like Shen Qingqiu even existed in the first place.
With a single press of their lips, Luo Binghe felt his meticulously constructed self control start to erode like a pillar of sand on a beach. He blinked, utterly stunned.
Then Shen Qingqiu tilted his head a little, pressing forward with a delicate pressure. Their lips slotted together and, without conscious thought, Luo Binghe’s eyes fluttered shut. Slowly, Shen Qingqiu began his practical demonstration.
Luo Binghe had never kissed anyone before. It wasn’t for lack of opportunity — in fact, the opposite: he’d gone out of his way to avoid such opportunities on several occasions. Still, in the time leading up to now, he had made assumptions about what it would feel like.
In some ways, his imagination hadn’t been far off. Shen Qingqiu’s lips were supple. The way they pressed and slid against his, the soft wetness of it was about what he had anticipated. At the same time, the feeling of the kiss was so much more than he’d guessed.
There was something like fire passing between their lips. An elemental feeling, tingly and rare, it reminded him of being in the wilderness, of riding his horse outside the palace, far away from the heavy, prying gaze of court. There was an emotion that rose up in his chest sometimes, usually when the wind was in his hair or when he was gazing up at the stars. It was the feeling of being alive, of being rooted in his body, bearing witness to the world. He felt it now as Shen Qingqiu’s fingers dug into the meat of his thigh, as his other hand came up to curl tightly around his bicep.
Luo Binghe tried to learn from the kiss, beating back his shock, pushing through the loud white noise in his ears, doing his best to pay attention to what Shen Qingqiu was showing him. It helped that there was a lot of repetition in the small movements. After a while, he tried to copy what he felt, a test almost, kissing back to see if he’d gotten it right.
The first time he rolled Shen Qingqiu’s lower lip between his, the man let out a quiet little moan of approval. Satisfaction swept through Luo Binghe again, hot in his blood. From there, he moved on to progressively more sophisticated motions.
In what felt like an eternity and also like no time at all, Luo Binghe found himself with his tongue in Shen Qingqiu’s mouth, licking into him like he was going to die if they didn’t find some way to get closer.
“Good.” Shen Qingqiu panted, lips moving wetly against his. “You’re a fast learner.”
“What’s next?” Luo Binghe asked, equally breathless.
As they’d been kissing, the hand on his thigh had moved, traveling across his body, up over his stomach to his chest, down his arm and then back up. It was now resting over his heart. Shen Qingqiu’s long, elegant fingers were clenched in the fabric of his outer robe.
Shen Qingqiu pulled back slightly. “Would your highness like to remove a few layers?”
He nodded eagerly and Shen Qingqiu’s hands were promptly at the belt holding his outer robe closed. With deft movements, he made fast work of it. Before Luo Binghe knew it, he was down three layers, with just two more to go.
“Why don’t you help me?” Shen Qingqiu prompted, patient as a school teacher, while he worked at another one of the ties on Luo Binghe’s ensemble.
At once, he felt like an idiot. Blinking the fog out of his eyes, he immediately set upon the task of disrobing Shen Qingqiu. The intricate green brocade outer layer was pushed down his shoulders moments later.
Although his outer robe was reminiscent of what the imperial concubines wore, Shen Qingqiu was wearing fewer robes underneath it than the brides of the inner palace would. It made sense, given his profession, Luo Binghe supposed. The second robe was white, made out of a thick and high quality silk. It felt like water in his hands as he fumbled through the ties. He sucked a sharp breath in between his teeth when it fell away, pooling around his waist.
The final robe, his innermost robe, was made of some sort of sheer green gauze. Through the fabric he could see the dusky color of Shen Qingqiu’s nipples.
It was an obvious choice in retrospect: seductive, tantalizingly revealing, but leaving just enough to the imagination. It was the kind of garment made for fantasizing about — of course this is what a courtesan would wear. It caught Luo Binghe off guard all the same.
From the corner of his eye he saw Shen Qingqiu shooting him a gentle, encouraging smile, but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from his chest.
“Here.” Shen Qingqiu said softly. He took one of Luo Binghe’s hands in his and slowly brought it towards himself. He placed it right at the border of the translucent robe, along one side of the ‘v’ that crossed over his sternum. Half of Luo Binghe’s hand was pressed flat against the thin fabric, the other half covered bare skin. “You can touch me, if you want.”
Luo Binghe wanted.
He slipped his hand under the border of the robe and slowly felt along his flat, smooth chest. Shen Qingqiu’s skin was warm. He had a lithe build, but when Luo Binghe pressed down, he could feel firm muscle. His hand came to settle over his left pectoral. With a little concentration he could feel the steady pulse of his heartbeat. His breath hitched.
“Are you nervous?” Shen Qingqiu asked. His voice was so soft it was almost a whisper. The sound made Luo Binghe ache.
“No.” He replied, equally quiet. He was lying.
He slipped his hand under the edge of the fabric, and ran it across his chest, up to the curve of his delicate shoulder blade. He looked back and caught Shen Qingqiu’s eye. With a deliberate flick of his wrist, the thin robe slipped off Shen Qingqiu’s shoulder.
Shen Qingqiu’s expression remained even throughout, but when the robe slipped off, Luo Binghe thought he saw his eyes tremble. There was a certain heat in his gaze, a depth of emotion that he didn’t quite know how to read. On the surface, he seemed cool, almost aloof, but Luo Binghe thought he could see a carefully concealed tension in him. The air between them was heavy, like the atmosphere before a thunderstorm.
Then, the string of Luo Binghe’s self control snapped.
He ripped the rest of the garment off Shen Qingqiu in a blind rush and set his mouth to him. He started high with his jawline, biting kisses along it, from the corner of his mouth to under his ear.
He moved down, leaving wet, lingering kisses along the arc of his long neck. Shen Qingqiu seemed to be extra sensitive there. He kept sucking in quiet little breaths and making these sweet subvocal moans. It was tremendously endearing. Even through the cloudy haze of his lust, it made Luo Binghe want to coo over him, to cradle his jaw and keep kissing him there, over and over, until he fell to pieces.
There was a growing urgency to his actions. He had never felt a need like this before, but now desire had become a powerful driving force. He continued down, pulling apart the clutch of now-loosely tied robes at Shen Qingqiu’s waist to reveal him entirely. Luo Binghe took a moment to admire what he found.
Shen Qingqiu was lovely. His cock was fully hard and straining against his stomach. Soft, dark hair, neatly groomed, curled around the base. He made a pretty picture. Luo Binghe hadn’t thought much of men before — or women, for that matter. Seeing Shen Qingqiu now, he couldn’t help but think that he looked just right, that his cock was perfect, that he was as beautiful as anyone could hope to be.
At this point, Shen Qingqiu sat up straighter and took back some control of the situation. “Let’s get you out of these.” He said lightly, unfolding Luo Binghe’s remaining two layers with gentle hands. Mouth dry, Luo Binghe sat there quietly and let him do it. The hungry anticipation that had been building in his core had settled for a moment. He let himself be taken care of.
When Shen Qingqiu laid eyes on his cock, however, his eyebrows flew up with an immediate shock he couldn’t hide. His lips parted as he stared down at it, seemingly taken aback.
Luo Binghe was startled by a jolt of self-consciousness. He knew he was large, but he’d been led to believe that it was a good thing. Could it be bad?
“Is… is it okay?”
Shen Qingqiu twitched and glanced up, meeting Luo Binghe’s gaze with wide eyes, as if he’d forgotten where he was. His lips were still parted, and Luo Binghe watched as his tongue darted out, wetting the bottom one.
In the next second, his expression smoothed out once more. His voice was nothing but reassuring when he said, “It’s okay. Forgive me, I was surprised, but it's— very okay.” At the pause, he reached out and carefully wrapped his long fingers around the base of Luo Binghe’s cock. “Is this okay?”
A little overwhelmed, choking on air, he hurriedly nodded. It earned him a coy smile.
“The next part of our lesson, then.” Shen Qingqiu announced, sliding his hand up in one long stroke. Luo Binghe’s eyes nearly rolled back in his head.
Keeping his hand on his cock, Shen Qingqiu shifted so he was kneeling on the bed, leaning towards him. With a hand on Luo Binghe’s hip, he maneuvered him so that they could get closer. Luo Binghe spread his legs and Shen Qingqiu slotted one knee between them. With this leverage, he leaned forward a little and lined up their hips.
Supporting his weight with one hand against the surface of the bed, he took his cock with his free hand and then brought it so it was pressed up against the length of Luo Binghe’s. They both gasped at the sensation.
Then, devastatingly, Shen Qingqiu began to move.
“Here, this is,” He took an unsteady breath, “This act is only done between two men, but something similar can be done with a woman. If you— if you rub yourself against her flesh, especially the— especially the apex of her thighs, it can bring just as much pleasure.”
“I see,” Luo Binghe breathed. The feeling of their cocks sliding together was overwhelming — the pressure, the wetness, the softness of Shen Qingqiu’s skin. He was transfixed by the way it looked, by how much larger his cock was. Shen Qingqiu was struggling to hold them together even with two hands.
Maybe the headiest part was how affected he looked. Not his face — Shen Qingqiu’s face was so tranquil, almost statuesque, that even in the middle of this act, the only change was a slight blush across his cheeks and a small wrinkle at his brow. His cock, on the other hand, wept profusely. The head had grown dark, almost the same color as his nipples, and the shaft twitched periodically, as though the pleasure could be kept off his face, but couldn’t be bottled away here.
After watching him for a few strokes, Luo Binghe decided it was his turn. Shifting his weight so that he was supported on just one elbow, he wrapped his free hand around the base.
“O-oh,” Shen Qingqiu stuttered. He slid his hands up a little, giving him space to work.
Luo Binghe shifted his hips a little, lining them up even better, and then started to slide his hand up. His fingers were wrapped halfway around Shen Qingqiu’s cock, his thumb hooked around himself. As he moved his hand in a slow, testing motion, he could feel the tautness of his skin, the unbelievable firmness of the flesh underneath. That Shen Qingqiu was already so hard served as a sign that he liked it, that he wasn’t just going through the motions of his job, but genuinely taking pleasure from it. It meant that Luo Binghe was pleasuring him with what they were doing.
Up until this moment, he had never realized how good it could feel to make someone else feel good. How— how necessary it could be. He was completely absorbed by Shen Qingqiu, he was ready to do anything for him, be anything for him, so long as it kept him looking like that.
He slid his hand up, replacing Shen Qingqiu’s hand in the process, until he was just under the head of his cock, about two thirds the way up his own shaft. Shen Qingqiu let out a small, almost inaudible whimper.
Then, to his great surprise, without any warning, Luo Binghe came so intensely that his vision whited out.
It felt like his soul was being pulled out of his body. He had orgasmed before, but only from his own hand. He had never realized it could be felt this strongly.
“... Your highness? Are you okay?” Shen Qingqiu asked hesitantly after a moment. Luo Binghe could only imagine what he looked like right now.
“Mmm,” he replied, too dazed to form words. He glanced over at Shen Qingqiu’s face and watched as mild concern morphed into a smug sort of satisfaction.
His hand had fallen away at the height of his pleasure, and Shen Qingqiu had taken the opportunity to sit back slightly. With the way Luo Binghe was laying, most of his ejaculate had landed on his own chest — some of it, quite far up his chest — leaving Shen Qingqiu mostly clean. His cock was still slick with their combined precum, however, and still fiercely hard.
He hadn’t finished yet, Luo Binghe realized, shaking himself out of his stupor and sitting up.
“What are you—” Shen Qingqiu started when he reached towards him with intent. Then, “Your highness, there’s no need.”
Luo Binghe wouldn’t take no for an answer. This man had only just taught him the heady feeling of pleasuring another, he could hardly deny him this. Still, instead of grasping for his intended target, he stopped short, setting his hand down on Shen Qingqiu’s upper thigh in exactly the same place that he had been touched earlier.
“If you truly don’t want me to, then say so, but if you’re just being polite… then this lowly student would remind you that he has a lot to learn.” He sat up and leaned in towards Shen Qingqiu, bringing their faces close together. “This one humbly requests guidance.”
For several blinks, Shen Qingqiu’s face was slack with surprise. Then Luo Binghe’s intention seemed to register with him because he startled, glancing down at the hand on his thigh, before looking back up to the serious slant of Luo Binghe’s mouth. Seemingly unconsciously, his tongue flicked out to wet his bottom lip again.
“If your highness is sure….” He looked at him skeptically. Luo Binghe firmly nodded that he was. “Okay. You can, ah, touch me then. Gently, at first. Gently!”
The moment he’d been given permission, Luo Binghe had wrapped his hand around the base of Shen Qingqiu’s cock. He had an idea of what to do next, of course, but he stopped before going any further. Hearing Shen Qingqiu’s initial instruction had given him an idea, and he wanted to see where it led.
“Mmm, okay. Now, you can slide your hand up. Keep the pressure, but not too tight. Yes, it’s… mmm, good, go back down now. That’s very good. You’re a— you’re a natural at this, your highness.”
To listen to Shen Qingqiu’s voice, he could have been teaching anything. In a soft, patient tone, he guilelessly instructed Luo Binghe on how to give him a handjob. It almost sounded innocent, except for how it was the most lewd thing Luo Binghe had heard in his entire life.
Glancing up at Shen Qingqiu’s flawless face, his expression remained smooth. His eyes, however, were fixed so steadily on Luo Binghe’s hand that he didn’t even realize he was being observed. Luo Binghe stared at him raptly.
“You like it then? I’m doing well?” His eyes tracked the bob of Shen Qingqiu’s throat around a swallow.
He didn’t know what had gotten into him. He had never been the kind of person to beg for praise. He didn’t even need it. He could tell that he was doing well — Shen Qingqiu had already told him he was doing well. By now, his cock was weeping steadily, jerking in his hand with every stroke.
Apparently Luo Binghe did need to beg for praise, though, because seeing the proof of his pleasure just wasn’t enough. Something deep inside of him needed to hear Shen Qingqiu say it again and again and again.
“Y-es, yes, so well.” Shen Qingqiu reassured, his voice halfway to a moan. “Your highness is stroking me so well, it feels wonderful. If you keep this up, I’m going to come.”
It was less than five minutes since Luo Binghe had come, and he was already hard again. His stomach muscles clenched as Shen Qingqiu let out a low moan. He swallowed hard, hand pausing for a moment mid-stroke to prevent himself from squeezing.
Luo Binghe had never been so turned on in his life. Who would have guessed that this is what would do it for him? As it turned out, the ceremony really was educational — he’d only known Shen Qingqiu for about ten minutes, and already he’d learned so much.
He started moving his hand faster, adjusting his grip to be a little firmer. Shen Qingqiu had started to make these little noises in time with each stroke. His eyes were getting glassier, and his breath kept stuttering. He really did look like he was about to come.
With a jolt of inspiration, on the next upstroke, Luo Binghe tried twisting his hand in a finishing move he often used on himself when masturbating. It proved highly effective. Shen Qingqiu let out a stuttering gasp, and then he was jerking hard and coming all over Luo Binghe’s hand.
Holding someone else’s cock as they came was another new experience.
Luo Binghe felt like his chest was being torn open. His blood felt like white-hot iron. He wanted to gather this perfect man up and pull him inside himself. He wanted to clutch at him and never let go. He didn’t know what he wanted. He had obviously lost his mind.
Slowly, they came apart. Both of them were breathing hard, sweat glistening on their bare skin, cum sticky on their hands and stomachs.
Luo Binghe shifted his weight, leaning back a little on his crumpled robes. When his eyes slowly came back into focus, he found himself staring up at the ceiling, at the point where the gauzy red canopy surrounding the bed had been hooked.
He felt tender and delicate. New somehow. They hadn’t even completed the ceremony, but it was as though the world around him had been reformed.
The Luo Binghe from before had thought he’d known what pleasure was. In fact, he’d been wholly ignorant. He wanted to shake his head and laugh.
The ebb and flow of the world, the strange and mysterious course it took suddenly seemed so much less foreign to him. The undignified squabbling of men chasing after beauties, the lords and lordlings whittling away their time and fortunes in brothels — it all made a grotesque sort of sense now. It was such an ugly thing, Luo Binghe had always detested these sorts of people, but if this was the feeling they were chasing, he finally understood why so many let themselves be destroyed in the pursuit of it.
He glanced over at Shen Qingqiu. His teacher looked somewhat tousled now. A slight flush had come over his cheeks. He seemed less dazed than Luo Binghe was, however, and sensing eyes on him, he turned to meet his gaze. His dark eyes were breathtaking.
For a long moment neither of them said anything. Heat started to stir again in Luo Binghe’s gut. He wanted to come again.
“My prince,” Shen Qingqiu said quietly. “Should we finish the lesson?”
Luo Binghe swallowed hard. He nodded.
Shen Qingqiu laid back on the bed, scooched upwards so that he was more fully on the mattress, and brought his knees up so that his feet were planted flat.
“Come here,” he gestured with one hand.
Luo Binghe sat up and moved between his open thighs. He drew a wondering hand up Shen Qingqiu’s shin, then over his knee and onto his thigh. His skin was impossibly soft.
He crawled over him, until their faces were aligned. He braced himself against the bed with a hand. Between their bodies, his hard cock grazed Shen Qingqiu’s stomach. It sent a shivery pleasure running down his spine.
“I’ve prepared myself.” Shen Qingqiu told him.
Luo Binghe’s mouth went dry. Carefully, he leaned back, resting his weight on his heels. He reached down between their bodies and laid two tentative fingers against his hole. It was wet with some kind of oil. Shen Qingqiu hissed.
“A-ah, careful now. That’s a bit sudden. It’s sensitive.”
“Sorry,” Luo Binghe flushed, snatching his hand back.
Shen Qingqiu reached out, captured his hand, and then guided it over to his hip, pressing his palm firmly down on the warm skin. “Maybe you could start here.”
Luo Binghe nodded. He rubbed his thumb over the jut of Shen Qingqiu’s pelvic bone. Glancing up at his face, he received a sharp nod. He continued stroking at the skin there, gradually progressing to larger pets and caresses.
“Mmmm,” Shen Qingqiu sighed. His eyes closed for a moment in obvious pleasure. When they opened again, they were half-lidded. He turned his heavy gaze towards Luo Binghe.
“Draw your hand down now, over my skin.”
Luo Binghe did as he said, tracing over the curve of his hip, down to his inner thigh, and then back to the swell of his ass. He avoided touching his cock, which was starting to fill out again. Keeping a steady pressure, he drew two fingers along the plush curve of his body, back to his hole.
“Good.” Shen Qingqui breathed, a little shaky. “You can—”
He was cut off when Luo Binghe began stroking the soft skin of his hot, puckered entrance. Luo Binghe knew he should focus on his teacher’s next set of instructions, but he couldn’t help it. He was transfixed. Testingly, he laid one finger against the opening and pressed inside. Shen Qingqiu gasped, his pupils instantly darkening. For the first time, he looked out of control.
Luo Binghe sunk his index finger in to the first knuckle. When it slid in easily, without any resistance, he pulled it out and repeated the motion with two fingers. This made Shen Qingqiu moan.
“The medical texts suggested that there is a place inside that brings great pleasure. Will you help me find it?” He asked in a low voice.
Shen Qingqiu swallowed and nodded.
He matched Luo Binghe’s gaze as the prince thoroughly fingered him, systematically mapping out the space inside of him. When he did land upon that place, Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened and he let out a breathy, “There!”
With a nod, Luo Binghe focused his attention on that spot, rubbing at it over and over again, sliding a third finger in as Shen Qingqiu began to squirm with pleasure, and then a fourth.
“Y-your highness!” He gasped. And then, when Luo Binghe refused to relent, “More!”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to instruct me.” Luo Binghe insisted, already reaching for the jar of oil the eunuchs had provided, preparing to slick up his cock. “This one doesn’t know what to do.”
Biting his lip, Shen Qingqiu did so. “Pour the oil into your hand and stroke yourself. Yes, exactly like that. Use more.” Only when Luo Binghe’s length was dripping did he command, “Now line yourself up with me. Set the head against my entrance.” He hissed when the tip of Luo Binghe’s thick cock grazed his puffy hole. Breathlessly, “Now press in. It may be tight.”
It was tight. Luo Binghe almost choked when he felt the firm resistance. He pushed through it until Shen Qingqiu’s body gave and suddenly the head of his cock was sucked into his tight, hot clutch.
He exhaled through his teeth. The pleasure was dizzying. His entire body felt alight with it. Mindlessly, he thrust forward, pushing another inch in. Beneath him, Shen Qingqiu wheezed.
“Are you okay?” He asked, a jolt of anxiety hitting him like cold water.
“I’m okay.” Shen Qingqiu reassured, panting. “Keep going.”
With great care, he continued to push his hips forward in a slow and steady thrust.
The feeling was… so strange. The inside of Shen Qingqiu’s body was hot. He squeezed around him from all sides, a vise-like pressure that was so good he could hardly stand it.
Beneath him, Shen Qingqiu’s cheeks had flushed and wisps of hair escaped from his elegant ponytail. He panted through slightly parted lips, and his eyes became unfocused, taking on a dazed sheen. He no longer looked so much like an untouchable statue. Seeing that sent a deep thrum of satisfaction through Luo Binghe.
When he finally bottomed out, they both gasped. Shen Qingqiu looked gorgeous spread out beneath him. His balls were flush with his ass, every inch of him had been stuffed inside his tight heat. As if bewitched, Luo Binghe reached forward and cupped his cheek. Blinking several times, Shen Qingqiu looked back up at him and broke out into a warm smile.
The sight of it left him stunned.
Luo Binghe felt something in his chest crack. The pieces of his heart began to rearrange themselves; the emotions inside of him began to feel too big to be contained. For a wild moment, he feared he was about to start crying.
“Move.” Shen Qingqiu gasped then. Helpless but to obey, Luo Binghe moved.
His first thrust uncaged some sort of animal within him, because from then on, he was incapable of doing anything but rut wildly. His hands naturally made their way to the curve of Shen Qingqiu’s hips, which he used as leverage to pull him down onto his cock over and over and over again.
He was distantly aware that he was making some sort of subvocal grunting noise with each thrust, but that hardly seemed to matter, especially not when Shen Qingqiu was practically screaming his pleasure.
Whether the ceremony had been properly completed was surely beyond question now, Luo Binghe thought with the last remaining lucid part of his brain. Even if his people had successfully cleared out anyone spying at the windows, their coupling could probably be heard as far as the gates of his manor. It was even possible that the people in the neighboring residences would be able to hear their unrestrained moans. Somewhat to his surprise, he had lost the ability to care.
“My prince, my prince, my prince—” Shen Qingqiu was repeating, delirious with pleasure. Luo Binghe wouldn’t have guessed he was a loud lover, but he wasn’t disappointed by the discovery in the slightest.
Even having just come minutes ago, he could feel himself racing towards his finish, drawn inexorably towards what was promising to be an overwhelming release.
“ —Binghe!” Shen Qingqiu cried out, and that was what pulled him over the edge.
Shen Qingqiu was close as well, because as soon as Luo Binghe shoved himself deep inside and began coming in thick spurts, Shen Qingqiu shrieked. A moment later, his cock jerked, cumming all over his chest and stomach. It all happened so fast; Luo Binghe hadn’t even gotten a chance to touch him.
When he was done, Luo Binghe half-collapsed forward, catching his weight on his forearms, barely avoiding crushing Shen Qingqiu below. The way they were aligned, it brought him eye level with Shen Qingqiu’s delicate collar bones. Their chests were both heaving as they caught their breath. It took a long moment for Luo Binghe’s head to clear.
After a while, when his cock was already well on its way to softness and Shen Qingqiu’s blissed-out look was starting to get clouded with sticky discomfort, he pulled out. They both hissed at the sensation.
Luo Binghe flopped back on the mattress next to Shen Qingqiu and closed his eyes. He felt like a wet rag that had been wrung-out, in the best possible way.
“You did very well.” Shen Qingqiu praised.
Luo Binghe couldn’t help his wide smile. He glanced over at his teacher.
Shen Qingqiu looked wrung-out too. His eyes were closed, and a small smile was fixed on his face. Seeing it there made Luo Binghe want to crow with victory.
They lay there for a while longer, relaxed and content, but eventually Shen Qingqiu got up. Luo Binghe rolled onto his side and propped his head up with a hand, watching him as he padded over to a basin of water that had been placed on one of the counters. By its side was a clean cotton rag — Shen Qingqiu used it to wipe away the worst of the stickiness.
He was going to leave now, Luo Binghe realized with sudden dismay. He was going to leave and Luo Binghe was never going to see him again. That— he swallowed hard. He hadn’t even known him for the span of a full hour. This was ridiculous, the sudden and overwhelming dread in his chest. It was most likely just an after effect of the intense experience they’d shared.
Only… only he really didn’t want to never see him again.
This man had just changed his life. Everything was different now; Luo Binghe was different now. He couldn’t let him simply walk away. At the very least he had to ask—
“Can I see you again?” Luo Binghe asked shyly.
Shen Qingqiu was taken aback. His hands paused where they were rinsing out the washcloth in the bronze water basin.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. By tradition, the ceremony was supposed to be a one-night affair.
“If you like,” he agreed, after a moment.
Faced with the weight of Luo Binghe’s wide-eyed, sincere gaze, he found that he really couldn’t say no to him. He just looked so… so hopeful. How could Shen Qingqiu possibly deny him something when he looked like that?
And really, it wasn’t like there was any harm in it. It might not be how this sort of thing usually went, but it wasn’t uncommon for members of the royal family to pay for a prostitute’s services. Binghe was still a bit young to take a wife or concubine, after all. It was only natural that, newly introduced to sex, he’d want to continue having it.
“I would like.” Luo Binghe agreed firmly, and that was that.