Huo Youqing’s thoughts were interrupted by a cup of water handed to him. Only then did he realize his phone had received over a dozen messages, all from Gong Lang.
The continuous notifications popped up on the screen, and not only could Huo Youqing see them, but so could the tall young man standing beside him.
As Huo Youqing blocked Gong Lang’s new number, he took the cup. “Thanks. Why did it take you so long?”
Someone sat down beside him. Dai Yixin never used cologne, and even the laundry detergent he used was fragrance-free. There was almost no artificial scent on him. In private, he didn’t smoke or drink, and during the time they lived together, Huo Youqing had never seen him touch a cigarette or alcohol.
“I ran into Dai Yuan in the kitchen.” Dai Yixin always called his younger brother by name. “He told me you’ve been lying to me.”
As he said this, he stared at Huo Youqing without blinking, watching as the other held the cup with his delicate, clean hands, tilting it back slightly to drink, his Adam’s apple bobbing with each swallow.
Halfway through, Huo Youqing’s movements slowed slightly.
But in the next moment, he turned his head, his voice calm and gentle, his gaze not cold at all. “What have I lied to you about? Haven’t you been doing everything willingly?”
He said it without hesitation.
Most people would be angry hearing such a response, but Dai Yixin merely gave a shy smile. In the current situation, that smile seemed unsettling.
Even Huo Youqing paused for a moment.
Dai Yixin acted like his reaction wasn’t unusual at all. After smiling, his eyes landed on Huo Youqing’s phone, casting a deep glance. “Youyou, when are you going to return to the country?”
“In the next few days,” Huo Youqing said.
Dai Yixin seemed to realize that Huo Youqing wouldn’t change his mind, so he remained silent. His amber eyes lowered, and his long lashes concealed most of his beautiful eyes. Occasionally, his gaze flickered towards Huo Youqing’s phone.
A few days later, Huo Youqing boarded a flight back to his home country. On the day of the flight, Dai Yixin showed up at his door early in the morning and rang the bell. After being pulled inside, he seemed to have forgotten the rules Huo Youqing had set, ignoring everything and pinning him against the door in a tight embrace.
The hug was so tight that Huo Youqing felt as if he couldn’t breathe, his chest and throat feeling stifled. Though there was only a two-year age gap between them, their body types were quite different. He still couldn’t understand how Dai Yixin’s face and body were so mismatched.
“Dai Yixin!” he growled in a low voice to warn him.
Instead of letting go, Dai Yixin only clung tighter, like a large dog that knows its owner is about to leave. His pitiful eyes pleaded with Huo Youqing, refusing to let go.
But Huo Youqing had always been cold-hearted when it came to Dai Yixin. He growled his name again in warning, and this time, he slapped his face.
It wasn’t a hard slap, because Dai Yixin would soon have to meet his uncle and aunt downstairs. If there were visible marks, they might suspect something.
Even after being slapped, Dai Yixin showed no intention of loosening his grip. Instead, his face turned even paler, and he looked more despondent.
Hot breaths fell on Huo Youqing’s cheeks, lips, and neck. He could tell that Dai Yixin wanted to kiss him but dared not cross the line. Even in his emotional state, Dai Yixin knew what boundaries not to cross.
Shouting wouldn’t work, hitting wouldn’t work, and making too much noise might alert his uncle and aunt.
Suppressing his frown, Huo Youqing gently touched Dai Yixin’s lips with his long fingers. It seemed Dai Yixin hadn’t slept well the night before, his eyes bloodshot, and his lips were drier than usual.
As his fingertips brushed lightly against the lips, he said, “Open your mouth.”
It was just a small indulgence, one he didn’t mind giving. After all, they had shared far more intimate moments countless times before.
Dai Yixin obediently parted his lips, and when the fingers slid in, his light-colored eyes visibly trembled. He could smell the faint scent on Huo Youqing’s fingers. Though he didn’t like perfumes, he loved the scent on Huo Youqing.
Now, he was swallowing that scent.
At this moment, Huo Youqing played the role of a dentist, though his attitude was far more casual than any real doctor’s. “I know you don’t want me to leave, but I have to go back to continue my studies. I might come visit during the winter break—”
He slowly pulled his fingers out, brushing them lightly against Dai Yixin’s pale but handsome face. “If you really miss me, you can come see me. But listen carefully—you have to let me know before you come, don’t just show up unannounced, or I’ll be angry.”
Dai Yixin licked his lips and murmured something unintelligible before burying his face in Huo Youqing’s neck.
Huo Youqing had no patience to try to understand. He grabbed Dai Yixin’s hair with some force and pulled him away. “Alright, it’s getting late. I’ll be heading to the airport after breakfast. If you let go now, you can join me for breakfast. If not, go home.”
His uncle and aunt had met Dai Yixin before, but they were always puzzled by Huo Youqing’s close relationship with him. To them, Dai Yixin’s younger brother, Dai Yuan, seemed a much better match for Huo Youqing’s personality.
It wasn’t that Dai Yixin was bad, but there was something odd about him. He was reserved and often silent. If Huo Youqing wasn’t around, he would sit alone on the couch without uttering a word.
When asked a question, he would mostly respond with a nod or a shake of the head.
Just then, the doorbell rang again.
This time, it was Dai Yuan.
He walked in with a smile and gifts in hand. After being invited to sit, he complained a little, “Brother, didn’t we agree to come send Youyou off together? Why didn’t you wake me up this morning?”
Since Huo Youqing had told him not to call him ‘older brother’ anymore, Dai Yuan had started calling him ‘Youyou.’
Dai Yixin glanced at Huo Youqing, then at his brother. “I forgot.”
Dai Yuan wrinkled his nose, as if he wanted to be angry, but since it was his older brother, he had to let it go with a smile. Shortly after sitting at the dining table, he began praising the breakfast.
His praise was so sincere that Huo Youqing, who was drinking milk, paused and said, “If it’s so good, you can finish it all.”
Since Huo Youqing was leaving today, his uncle had personally cooked breakfast. Unfortunately, his uncle’s cooking skills were mediocre at best, and he had made way too much food this time.
Having once traveled with Dai Yuan on a cruise, Huo Youqing knew how picky he was with food.
The moment he spoke, the entire table fell silent. His uncle and aunt knew their nephew well enough to recognize that he was intentionally picking on Dai Yuan, but since Dai Yuan was a guest, they could only laugh and try to smooth things over.
One said, “It’s not that great. I just made something simple.”
The other said, “Oh, your uncle made so much today. If you ate it all, your stomach would burst. Just eat what you like. You can come back anytime if you like it.”
Dai Yuan’s smile faltered for a moment, but before he could respond, he saw Huo Youqing turn to Dai Yixin.
“Do you think my uncle’s breakfast is good?”
Dai Yixin hesitated and nodded.
Seeing this, Huo Youqing unceremoniously placed the fried egg he didn’t want onto Dai Yixin’s plate. “Then you can help me finish it.”
He acted as if he didn’t care whether Dai Yuan ate it or how he would respond.
—
Back home.
Before Huo Youqing even stepped out of the airport, he spotted Gong Lang.
