Shoutout to Kari for the commission!
Under the dim ambient lights, Le Cheng’s eyelashes trembled, his wet, reddened lips soft and glistening. Zhou Shirui seemed to have been struck by something, tightly holding Le Cheng’s wrist without moving.
Le Cheng’s heart began pounding like a drum, his palms sweating from nervousness. Seeing that Zhou Shirui only lowered his eyes and stared at him darkly, he steeled himself, closed his eyes, and gently leaned forward.
Their lips touched.
The sounds around them receded like a tide. It became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. There was a “buzz” in Zhou Shirui’s head, and in the next instant, it was as though all the blood in his body surged upward, leaving him able to feel only the soft sensation on his lips.
Very soft, very smooth, like two pieces of jelly. Le Cheng had drunk orange juice earlier, and there was also the sweet freshness of juice between his lips and teeth, seeping through the gap between their touching lips, little by little.
Zhou Shirui’s mind experienced a rare blankness.
He lowered his eyes to look at Le Cheng’s tightly closed eyes. His thick eyelashes trembled lightly, like a butterfly flapping its wings, enticing people to keep falling.
He felt dizzy.
Le Cheng’s heart pounded like a drum. After pressing against him, he didn’t dare move at all, silently counting down the seconds in his heart.
The leg beneath his butt was really uncomfortable, and Le Cheng couldn’t help shifting slightly. A low, restrained gasp suddenly sounded beside his ear.
He froze completely, his entire face turning red with embarrassment.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
“Time’s up!” Xu Yuan announced loudly. “Okay, hurry and separate. F*ck, who picked this one? I’m stuffed from all this PDA!”
Only then did Le Cheng suddenly spring away as though electrocuted.
His legs were a little weak. In his panic, he braced one hand against Zhou Shirui’s chest, trying to stand up. Zhou Shirui let out a somewhat restrained muffled groan that sounded beside Le Cheng’s ear like a burst of noisy drumming, nearly burning him up. In a fluster, he jumped down.
After returning to his own seat, Le Cheng finally began feeling grateful for the dim surroundings here.
He could feel that his face and ears were now hot enough to fry an egg.
Because they had merely pressed their lips together very innocently, everyone had gotten their entertainment and didn’t pay much attention, continuing noisily into the next round.
Le Cheng didn’t even dare look at Zhou Shirui’s expression. His mind was a tangled mess. He lowered his head like a little rabbit with its ears tucked back, taking sip after sip of his juice.
“Okay, okay, next round. Who’s the king this round?”
The game began again.
The others drew the king several more times one after another, but Le Cheng never drew it again. Tan Xiaobai and Xu Yuan were mainly trying to bring Chu Yue and the person he liked together, so each time they picked some relatively flirtatious activities for Chu Yue’s group.
After Chu Yue’s group completed the punishment of drinking from each other’s crossed cups, everyone started protesting.
“F*ck, you two are really something.”
“Something’s not right, something’s definitely not right!”
“You two are definitely up to something. I’m seriously full from all this PDA!”
“Don’t start dating right in front of me.”
“Today I’m kicking over this bowl of dog food!”
“Is having one real couple not enough? Are you trying to make another pair too?”
Everyone was making a noisy fuss, but they were all joking and egging them on. Le Cheng obediently shrank into his spot, not daring to say a word, and he didn’t dare join in the teasing anymore.
“Aiya.” Xu Yuan drew the king again. “Okay, okay, then I’ll pick another pair… Group Nine. Since you’ve all had enough dog food, I’ll change the punishment. How about… three drinks as punishment? Either of you can drink them.”
It was a very simple task. They were drinking low-alcohol draft beer. Tan Xiaobai opened a new bottle and handed it over. Le Cheng finished his juice in one gulp and poured himself a drink first.
He glanced at Zhou Shirui. When the other person didn’t say anything, he took another cup and poured one for Zhou Shirui.
Le Cheng coughed lightly. He picked up the glass and was just about to take a sip when Zhou Shirui suddenly raised his hand and, through the fabric of his clothes, grasped his arm.
“Don’t drink.” Zhou Shirui’s voice was slightly hoarse, unusually low. “I’ll drink.”
Le Cheng stared blankly, lowering his eyes somewhat unnaturally. Because of the sudden physical contact, his mind involuntarily replayed the intimate scene from earlier.
The very soft breathing, also somewhat hoarse, somewhat low.
Le Cheng’s face grew even redder, like a tomato. He was dizzy and muddled, his head feeling as though it had been stuffed with cotton. He managed to calmly let out an “Mm.”
Zhou Shirui picked up the glass and tipped his head back, downing it in one go. The long lines of his neck were exposed before Le Cheng’s eyes, his prominent Adam’s apple moving up and down.
Le Cheng watched him decisively finish all three glasses. “Clack” the glass was set down. Zhou Shirui lowered his head, as though he were somewhat hot, and casually undid two buttons with his slender fingers.
Le Cheng had no idea how the rest of the game passed.
His attention had already wandered far away. The impact of how the game had unfolded was simply too great for him. By the time everyone dispersed, Xu Yuan was organizing everyone: “Chu Yue isn’t drunk, right? I called you a separate car. Xiaobai, help Ziqing a little. Everyone who isn’t drunk, call out your number. Don’t pretend you can drink. Now everyone count one, two, three…”
The sober ones were to take the drunk ones back. After a round of assigning everyone, as expected, Le Cheng ended up going back together with Zhou Shirui.
“You two are a real couple, so go back together. Just right…” Tan Xiaobai winked at Le Cheng with an extremely mischievous look and asked, “Should I leave the door open for you tonight?”
The heat that had finally subsided a little suddenly shot back up onto Le Cheng’s cheeks with a “whoosh,” as if they were about to catch fire. He instinctively glanced at Zhou Shirui, his face unbearably red, and hurriedly said, “Xiaobai! Of course I’m going back!”
“Hahaha.” Tan Xiaobai nodded. “Okay, okay, I’ll leave it open for you. I’ll go first, then. You two take your time.”
Le Cheng hurriedly explained, “Xiaobai, that’s not what he meant…”
Zhou Shirui: “It’s fine.”
Those words rather gave off the feeling of protesting too much. Le Cheng shut up, his face scrunching up, afraid that the more he said, the more embarrassing it would become.
There was one last car. Le Cheng opened the back door, while Zhou Shirui opened the passenger door. They were silent the entire way.
The driver was also a rare social-phobic person, making the inside of the car incredibly quiet.
Le Cheng was so embarrassed that he kept picking at his fingers. While distracted, he also began frantically replaying what had just happened.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Shirui’s lips were very soft, with a slightly cool minty taste.
Le Cheng couldn’t help thinking that someone who looked so hard could have such soft lips…
?
He immediately realized what he was thinking.
Stop! Stop!! Stop it!!
Don’t think about it anymore, ahhhhh!!
Is this something you should be thinking about!
Le Cheng rubbed his cheeks somewhat shamefully.
“Bang bang—” Le Cheng looked up and saw Zhou Shirui bending down and standing outside the car window, his expression somewhat blank.
“Not getting out?” Zhou Shirui had little expression on his face.
“Huh? Oh, oh.” Le Cheng came back to his senses as if waking from a dream. With an incredibly slow reaction, he pushed open the door, only then realizing that the driver had already stopped the car.
So embarrassed he could die, had kissing someone made his brain disappear too? Sob sob sob.
The little person in Le Cheng’s heart pounded the ground and cried bitterly, but on the surface he looked fairly calm. He thought that as a clingy, spoiled little drama queen and a master of romance, he should act calm, calm.
He had to show an attitude that said, what kind of lips hadn’t he kissed before!
The two walked silently into the campus.
It wasn’t too late, and there were still pedestrians along the road. Le Cheng walked with his head lowered when Zhou Shirui suddenly spoke. “Wait.”
Le Cheng: “Mm?”
Zhou Shirui stopped at an automatic beverage vending machine and asked him, “What do you want to drink?”
Le Cheng didn’t understand why, but still said, “Juice… Orange juice is fine.”
Zhou Shirui’s fingers curled slightly. His mind involuntarily sketched out the sensations associated with orange juice.
He felt even more restless.
Le Cheng took the orange juice, opened the lid, and took a sip. From the corner of his eye, he saw Zhou Shirui buy a bottle of ice water from the vending machine.
It was December. In the north. Outside. Ice water.
“?” Le Cheng was silent for a long time, but still couldn’t help asking, “Are you hot?”
Zhou Shirui answered briefly, “Mm.”
Le Cheng looked at his clothes and felt that they weren’t even that thick.
Was he really that hot?
Le Cheng thought somewhat nonsensically, looks like Zhou Shirui naturally runs hot. His kidneys must be healthy.
Le Cheng didn’t say anything more. The two wandered over to the dormitory entrance, and only then did Le Cheng stop and look at Zhou Shirui.
Zhou Shirui also lowered his head to look at him.
The streetlamp’s light was very gentle, falling in mottled patches across Zhou Shirui’s profile, making it impossible for Le Cheng to see his expression clearly.
…There wouldn’t be a scene like this again in the future.
Le Cheng was a somewhat sentimental person. Perhaps people who did art tended to be a little sentimental. Thinking that they would never have anything to do with each other again, he felt a faint sadness. He thought Zhou Shirui was a pretty good person, but after they broke up, even if they had no feelings for each other, they probably wouldn’t be able to become friends either.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Zhou Shirui said, “I’m leaving.”
Le Cheng: “Wait.”
Zhou Shirui looked at Le Cheng, unconsciously tightening his fingers. His dark eyes were deep and bright.
“Good night.” Le Cheng stood one step higher than him, speaking softly. “Zhou Shirui.”
“…Mm.” Zhou Shirui closed his eyes. “Good night.”
***
After returning to the dormitory, Le Cheng tidied himself up and lay down on the bed.
Zhou Shirui’s attitude today had been very obvious.
A kiss that didn’t really count as a kiss should have been quite shocking to a homoph*bic straight man.
Le Cheng’s feelings were very conflicted. He was both happy and unhappy.
He was happy because he was about to get rid of his debt. He knew that with Zhou Shirui’s personality, he would definitely compensate him.
But what made him unhappy was… he was really going to lose his exclusive male model!!
His, exclusive, male model!
Le Cheng’s feelings were complicated. He tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep, so he simply climbed down and started drawing.
With incredibly high efficiency, he directly worked ahead and finished half of the draft that wasn’t due until the day after tomorrow. He drew until four in the morning, then climbed onto his bed dizzy and confused and went to sleep.
The next morning, Le Cheng didn’t wake up until almost twelve.
He lazily got out of bed. Tan Xiaobai had gone out, leaving only He Ziqing in the dormitory.
Seeing that he was awake, He Ziqing poured him a cup of warm water. “Le Cheng, you went to sleep really late last night.”
Le Cheng took the water. “Thanks, Ziqing… I was drawing yesterday, and I got really absorbed in it.”
He Ziqing didn’t know much about him, so he said, “Yesterday I went to the bathroom and saw there was still light behind your bed curtain. You really work hard.”
Le Cheng smiled but didn’t answer.
After washing up, he glanced at his phone.
Aside from some meaningless club messages, no one had sent him anything. Le Cheng hesitated for a moment before opening his chat with Zhou Shirui.
[Orange: Want to go out for lunch together today?]
After waiting for a while, Zhou Shirui didn’t reply.
It wasn’t unexpected, so Le Cheng made himself a packet of instant noodles and ate it while scrolling through Douyin.
Yesterday, he had not only worked on his draft, but had also enthusiastically slacked off and drawn a sketch.
It was the scene where Zhou Shirui had shielded him from drinking.
Because of his excessively nocturnal schedule, he was collectively caught by his late-night followers in the comments.
[Money Comes: Caught you, Artist! This drawing has such a great feeling. Even though there’s no face, I still recognized him. This is your exclusive male model, right!!]
[I Love Eating Square Cakes: Boss, I nearly passed out when I saw the upload time. Do us artists really not sleep?]
[Potato Called Russet: Three in the morning! I knew it!! Kids who stay up late get fed!!]
[The Sea Breeze Is Hot: Sob sob sob, Boss, can you not break up and just keep drawing? This has such a great feeling. I really love Boss and the male model!]
[Daily Life of a Screaming Chicken: F*ck, even though everyone in the comments is crying, I’m shipping it. This picture, Boss, did you go out to play with the male model! Did you two drink together!!!]
Le Cheng slowly scrolled through the comments, unable to stop himself from laughing.
Every time he saw everyone praising him, he felt very happy.
He refreshed the page, and a new comment popped up.
[Invincible Fierce Big Daddy: Orange Boss, tell me loudly, do you still like your exclusive male model!]
Le Cheng paused slightly before enthusiastically replying—
[Stealing Hearts, Runaway Guoli Orange: Sob sob, yes!! Sobbing my eyes out.jpg]
He was still in love with Zhou Shirui’s body, yes, that was right, he still loved it!
He had thought that replying to a new comment wouldn’t push it to the top, but netizens kept liking it one after another until it made it to the front page.
After finishing his noodles, Le Cheng logged out of Douyin feeling refreshed. His phone pinged, Zhou Shirui had replied.
[Big Brother: Still busy.]
Le Cheng blinked.
That was basically a polite rejection. Fine, then, his attitude was exactly as he’d expected.
He’d already completely adjusted his mindset. Breaking up with Zhou Shirui didn’t actually mean he’d lose anything.
It didn’t mean he wouldn’t see Zhou Shirui either. He could still find time to watch Zhou Shirui play basketball, or bump into him on the way back to the dorm, or at the cafeteria, it just wouldn’t be as frequent or convenient as it was now, but he’d still see him from time to time.
Plus, he’d receive a settlement that would clear his debt. He wouldn’t have to act like a drama queen anymore and could be himself however he pleased. When he thought it through, he hadn’t lost anything, he’d actually gained money!
In short… it was a total win!
Who would’ve thought such a good thing existed in the world?
Le Cheng adjusted his mindset, bagged up the trash, and took it downstairs to throw it away, typing as he climbed the stairs.
[Orange: Okay, what about tomorrow? Will you have lunch with me tomorrow?]
“Ding-dong—”
[Big Brother: We’ll see.]
Pfft.
“We’ll see.”
Le Cheng pursed his lips, that was basically a polite rejection.
He’d sent those messages mainly to test Zhou Shirui’s attitude, and sure enough, he seemed eager to break up.
Le Cheng didn’t dwell on it; he went back to sketching for a while, when suddenly a “ding” sounded.
Le Cheng looked down at his phone.
[Mom: Chengcheng, are you busy?]
Le Cheng put down what he was doing and replied.
[Orange: What’s up?]
[Mom: Chengcheng, I checked the calendar, your school’s break is coming up. Are you going to book a ticket to come back this time, or should I have your dad drive out to pick you up?]
Le Cheng switched to the background and glanced at his calendar.
There was still about a month left until the break.
The “Le Cheng” family lived in the city next to C University, not too far, but not too close either. He could take the high-speed rail or drive back.
Driving would take a long time, and since his father’s health wasn’t great, the round trip would be quite tiring for him.
[Orange: I’ll take the high-speed rail back, Mom. Don’t have Dad come all the way.]
[Mom: Okay, but you need to book your ticket early. Don’t let it happen like last time when you couldn’t get one.]
[Orange: Okay, Mom]
[Orange: Puppy Nodding.jpg]
Le Cheng put down his phone and went out to get a glass of water.
When he came back, a message was floating at the top of his chat list.
He glanced down.
[Mom: Chengcheng, when you come home this time, do you want to bring your boyfriend along?]
Huh???
Le Cheng almost spit out a mouthful of water.
His mom actually knew he had a boyfriend??
How the h*ll did she find out? I never mentioned it in our chat logs.
[Mom: Chengcheng, don’t be mad at Mom. I saw your Moments and noticed you’d publicly announced you’re dating a guy.]
Le Cheng: ?
Did the original host actually forget to block his mom when he made the announcement?
Although this world is open-minded about sexual orientation, Le Cheng hadn’t expected that the original host had already come out publicly.
His toes curled slightly.
Le Cheng politely declined.
[Orange: Mom, I’d rather not.]
He’s about to break up with him, how could he possibly bring him home now?
[Mom: If you don’t want to bring him home, then don’t. But Mom hopes you’ll be with someone who has good character and sound values, preferably someone who can take care of you. Don’t just go by looks. Being good-looking doesn’t really mean much once you’re married.]
Le Cheng felt like laughing. How should he respond? Should he thank Mom for complimenting his good judgment? And besides, marriage was out of the question!
[Orange: Mom, I get it. I’ll see how things go. I’m busy right now, so I’ll have to go.]
[Mom: Okay, okay, go ahead and get back to work.]
Le Cheng closed the screen, exited the chat window, and looked at the pinned message labeled “Big Brother.” After a moment’s hesitation, he tapped on it.
Since they were breaking up anyway, it didn’t matter whether Zhou Shirui saw this nickname or not, so he simply changed it back to his real name.
[Zhou Shirui]
…Actually, for a split second, he considered changing it to [188, 8-pack abs, Aquarius].
But that nickname was way too provocative, so Le Cheng thought better of it.
For two days in a row, Le Cheng didn’t see Zhou Shirui.
Actually, back in the day, if he hadn’t gone out of his way to find him, he and Zhou Shirui would’ve barely crossed paths.
Different majors, different floors, they weren’t even in the same grade.
Le Cheng was actually getting a little anxious.
—Why hasn’t Zhou Shirui broken up with him yet?
It’s been two days!! Two whole days!! Hasn’t he made up his mind yet?!
But Le Cheng wasn’t just going to sit around and wait for the worst to happen.
He used the free time over those two days to finish knitting the rest of the scarf, and with Tan Xiaobai’s guidance, it actually turned out pretty well.
When Zhou Shirui came to break up with him, he’d give it to Zhou Shirui.
***
After class, Le Cheng, clutching a stack of books, went to grab a bite to eat with Tan Xiaobai.
Tan Xiaobai looked at him with concern: “Le Cheng, why have you been eating with me these past two days?”
Le Cheng joked, “What’s wrong? Are you tired of me?”
“Hey, hey, don’t change the subject,” Tan Xiaobai said earnestly. “Tell me, did you have a fight with Zhou Shirui?”
“No way. ” Le Cheng replied casually, “We’d never fight.”
“Then why haven’t I seen Zhou Shirui these past couple of days?”
Le Cheng brushed it off: “I just wanted to eat with you.”
After dinner, Le Cheng strolled back toward his dorm. Before he even entered, his phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.
Le Cheng absentmindedly pulled it out, thinking it was just another group message.
[Lin He: Le Cheng, are you there?]
Le Cheng thought for a moment. Oh, Lin He! The kind-hearted person who’d tried to give him an umbrella last time.
[Lin He: What’s up? Is something wrong?]
[Orange: What’s up? Is something wrong?]
[Lin He: Are you free to hang out anytime soon?]
A small question mark popped into Le Cheng’s mind.
He and Lin He weren’t that close, were they?
[Lin He: Sorry, this might be a bit sudden, but I know your club president, Xu Yuan. We’re planning to go out and have some fun. I couldn’t find anyone else, so I thought I’d ask you.]
So he knows Xu Yuan, huh.
With that connection, Le Cheng suddenly felt a lot more familiar with him.
[Orange: How many people in total? Where are you going?]
[Lin He: Just four or five people, most of whom you know. We haven’t decided yet, but we’re thinking of going to a hot spring.]
Hot springs, huh.
Le Cheng started to get interested. Since he’d probably break up by then anyway, going out to have some fun sounded like a great idea.
[Orange: Sure, when?]
[Lin He: You’re in? Great! How about next Saturday?]
Le Cheng thought Lin He seemed pretty polite, so he typed “Sure” and sent it, deeply realizing the importance of having a social butterfly as a friend.
Without Xu Yuan around, who else would be willing to hang out with him?
Le Cheng happily closed the chat window when the top of the screen suddenly flickered.
“Ding-dong—”
[Zhou Shirui: What are you doing?]
Just four simple words.
Le Cheng froze for a moment; it had been so long since he’d seen this chat window that he didn’t react right away.
Zhou Shirui sent him a message?
!!!
Le Cheng hurried back to his dorm, took a deep breath, and told himself to stay calm, stay calm.
[Orange: I’m in the dorm. What’s up?]
[Zhou Shirui: Want to go out tonight?]
Le Cheng’s fingertips paused.
[Orange: Sure, what time?]
[Zhou Shirui: Seven o’clock. I’ll wait for you downstairs.]
[Orange: Okay]
Ohhhhhhhhh—
Zhou Shirui! Zhou Shirui had finally come to break up with him!!
That had to be it!!
Le Cheng’s eyes crinkled with joy, looking every bit the lovesick teenager.
Tan Xiaobai, watching from the side, raised an eyebrow: “What’s up? Something good happen? Did you and Zhou Shirui get back together?”
“Hehe,” Le Cheng chuckled, “Sort of, but not really.”
Tan Xiaobai: “You’re such a riddle-master, Ziqing! Quick, drag this riddle-master out of here!”
Le Cheng’s playful streak kicked in: “No, no—”
After a bit of roughhousing, Le Cheng pulled an outfit out of the closet.
Since he was meeting him for dinner, he might as well dress nicely and look presentable.
It would be a fitting way to bring this relationship to a perfect close.
Le Cheng tried on outfit after outfit but couldn’t find anything that looked good, so he just gave up, grabbed a random jacket, slung his little crossbody bag over his shoulder, stuffed his scarf inside, and clattered downstairs.
Zhou Shirui stood under a streetlight; the light stretched his shadow long. He held his phone, swiping through it casually, his long eyelashes drooping, his expression blank.
He was an extremely rational person who rarely showed his emotions, a trait instilled by his parents’ high expectations. Yet despite this, over the past two days, Zhou Shirui’s thoughts had been in disarray.
Everything Le Cheng had done had taken him by surprise; he struck him as adorable, well-behaved, and captivating.
Although he could be a bit spoiled at times and prone to throwing little tantrums, most of the time, being with Le Cheng made him feel at ease and happy.
Of course, this was perfectly normal. Zhou Shirui believed it had nothing to do with sexual orientation; Le Cheng’s looks and personality were enough to make anyone feel a pure fondness for him.
When Zhou Shirui first agreed to this relationship, the boundary he set was clear: don’t take it seriously, and don’t fall for him.
A relationship where everyone understood the unspoken rules was easy to start and just as easy to end.
But Le Cheng’s feelings for him came too suddenly, shattering all his plans and expectations.
Zhou Shirui furrowed his brow, his dark eyes fixed on the screen. Le Cheng’s nickname was an [orange] emoji just like Le Cheng himself: vibrant, bright, and captivating.
An orange, orange juice.
Zhou Shirui pressed his lips together, closed his eyes, and tried to dispel the vivid sensation brought on by the visions in his mind.
The relationship was heading in an unpredictable direction; he should be the one to put an end to it all.
That would be best for both of them.
“Zhou Shirui.”
A clear, all-too-familiar voice pulled Zhou Shirui back to reality. He looked up to see Le Cheng staring at him.
The turmeric-colored coat made him look incredibly vibrant, as if it had torn through the gloom of winter, releasing a whiff of fresh orange scent. His large eyes sparkled as he took a few steps toward Zhou Shirui, tilted his head slightly, and asked softly, “Have you been waiting long?”
Le Cheng’s eyes crinkled with a smile: “I haven’t seen you in so many days, I’ve missed you.”
Zhou Shirui paused slightly, curling his fingers.
He lowered his gaze to Le Cheng’s fair cheeks. After a few seconds, he said softly, “Not long. Let’s go.”
“Mm-hmm.” Le Cheng nodded.
Once they were in the taxi, Le Cheng stole a glance at Zhou Shirui.
…It’s so quiet, he isn’t even talking to me anymore.
It’s a little awkward… but since we’re breaking up anyway, this is only natural.
The car pulled up in front of a restaurant Le Cheng had never seen before.
The decor looked beautiful. Le Cheng got out of the car and followed Zhou Shirui into a quiet, elegant private room.
Le Cheng’s gut told him this was a breakup dinner.
Zhou Shirui handed him the menu. Le Cheng glanced at the prices, they were so expensive. He picked out a few dishes, and Zhou Shirui took the menu, adding a few more items to the order. Le Cheng listened quietly and realized they were all dishes he liked.
The waiter smiled and said, “Sure,” then turned and walked out.
The room instantly fell silent.
Le Cheng felt a bit restless. As if to ease the awkwardness, he lowered his head and took a sip of tea, only to flinch instantly at the heat.
“Ugh…” His eyes instantly reddened.
“Spit it out.” Zhou Shirui reacted quickly, furrowing his brow as he grabbed an empty cup and gently pressed it against Le Cheng’s chin.
Le Cheng struggled for a second before spitting into the empty cup. Zhou Shirui picked up a cup filled with cool water and said succinctly, “Hold it in your mouth.”
Le Cheng did as he was told, took a sip, and held it in his mouth, thinking with a wry sense of humor that at least now he wouldn’t have to speak anymore.
Zhou Shirui pulled out a tissue and gently pressed it against Le Cheng’s chin.
The warmth from his fingertips seeped through the tissue, making Le Cheng’s face flush, not from shyness, but from a sense of shame.
After all this commotion, Le Cheng felt like giving up entirely. He swallowed the cool water in his mouth and decided to maintain his image for a little while longer.
“That was so hot, it really hurt my tongue,” Le Cheng said, sounding indignant even though he had no real grounds for it. “You, why didn’t you warn me there was hot tea in the cup?”
“My fault,” Zhou Shirui admitted in a conciliatory tone. After a brief pause, he still couldn’t help but worry. “Open your mouth so I can take a look.”
“Huh?” Le Cheng blinked a few times and quickly shook his head. “No, no, there’s nothing to see there…”
Zhou Shirui furrowed his brow, thinking she was throwing a tantrum, and his tone grew even deeper: “Let me take a look.”
Zhou Shirui leaned in, his long fingers digging into Le Cheng’s cheek, the flesh puffing out slightly as he applied a rare firmness, pinching his jaw to make him open his mouth a little, revealing the tip of his pale red tongue.
The pressure on his face suddenly intensified.
“Mmm…” Le Cheng mumbled softly, “It hurts…”
“Sorry.” Zhou Shirui lowered his eyes, somewhat dazed, his chest rising and falling. He withdrew his hand and whispered, “It’s okay. Have some more cold water.”
Le Cheng nodded, cupped the cup, and sipped it little by little.
The dishes were served quickly, exquisitely presented and with an enticing glow. Seeing the delicious food, he couldn’t spare a thought for anything else and picked up his chopsticks, eating with great relish.
The room was very quiet. Le Cheng thought to himself how wonderful it was to have a day where he could just eat without having to talk. Zhou Shirui was truly a gentleman, treating him to such a splendid final meal.
Zhou Shirui kept a watchful eye on him, wondering if Le Cheng’s silence today meant he was unhappy.
The meal went smoothly. As Le Cheng chewed on a fish ball, his phone, sitting on the table, suddenly buzzed with a new message.
He glanced at it casually and saw it was from Lin He. Thinking it would be rude to reply right now, he swiped the screen to turn it off.
Zhou Shirui took note of his reaction, set down his chopsticks, and furrowed his brow slightly.
What kind of message?
Why was he avoiding replying in front of him?
Le Cheng finished eating quickly, wiped his mouth, took a sip of tea, and then looked longingly at Zhou Shirui.
Let’s run through the lines.
I can’t wait!
Once we’re done with the lines, I can clock out!
But Zhou Shirui avoided his gaze and stood up: “ “I’m stepping out for a bit.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.” Le Cheng nodded, thinking to himself, “I guess we’ll go over the lines when he gets back, right?”
The door closed softly. Le Cheng pulled out his phone and saw the message Lin He had just sent.
[Lin He: I’ve picked out a few places. Which one do you like best?]
[Lin He: Hot Spring Pictures.jpg]
[Lin He: Package Options.jpg]
Le Cheng tapped to enlarge the images and studied them carefully.
The places Lin He had picked all looked great, they perfectly matched the hot spring experience he’d imagined. There were different package options, different pools, and different services; it was clear he’d put a lot of thought into it.
Le Cheng carefully considered his options and sent a message to Lin He.
[Orange: I think both the single and double pools are fine. Have you asked Xu Yuan and the others yet?]
Lin He replied quickly.
[Lin He: Not yet. Okay, we’ll check it out when the time comes.]
Le Cheng sent an emoji, then tapped on the hot spring image again.
Hmm… You can even eat snacks while soaking in the hot spring…
It looks really great!
“Click.”
A faint sound suddenly reached his ears.
Le Cheng turned his head and noticed that Zhou Shirui had returned without his noticing.
“You’re back,” Le Cheng said, casually closing his phone. “It was so quiet, I didn’t even notice you were here.”
“Mm-hmm,” Zhou Shirui replied, sitting down. After a brief pause, he took a sip of tea and asked, as if in passing, “What are you doing?”
“Oh… replying to a message,” Le Cheng said obediently.
Zhou Shirui asked, “What kind of message?”
Le Cheng answered honestly, “I’m planning a trip. Since it’s winter now, I’m going to soak in a hot spring.”
“Go to a hot spring?” Zhou Shirui enunciated each word clearly, his voice rising slightly. “
…Who are you going with?”
Le Cheng thought he was afraid she’d pester him, so she hurried to explain, “Just… with some friends.”
Friends.
What kind of friends?
Zhou Shirui’s chest rose and fell twice as he couldn’t help but think: Le Cheng had no intention of inviting him.
Had he figured something out, or was it something else?
Or maybe he just didn’t want to go with him.
Zhou Shirui’s thoughts were in disarray. He stood up, having even forgotten why he’d come here today.
Le Cheng stood up with him, walked over to his side, and asked, “Are we leaving?”
“Mm.” Zhou Shirui’s tone was cold.
Le Cheng glanced at his watch. It wasn’t late, but it wasn’t early either. He obediently followed behind Zhou Shirui, then suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, “Wait a minute.”
He had a premonition that Zhou Shirui was about to tell him it was time to part ways.
Zhou Shirui turned his head. “What is it?”
Le Cheng didn’t say anything. Instead, he reached into his small backpack and, with some effort, pulled out a dark, shapeless object.
Zhou Shirui was slightly taken aback, then saw Le Cheng mutter under his breath, “Found it! ” Then he lifted his face, his eyes sparkling, as if presenting a treasure, and held the object out to him.
“It’s for you,” Le Cheng hesitated for a moment. “Um, a winter gift!”
Zhou Shirui’s gaze drifted down from Le Cheng’s face to the scarf.
“For me?” A vague, indescribable feeling welled up inside him.
“Yeah.” Le Cheng smiled a little sheepishly. “It doesn’t look that great… but I’m not very skilled, so this is the best I could do. Remember when you asked me the other day who I was giving it to? I didn’t tell you because…”
Le Cheng paused and blinked gently: “I wanted to surprise you.”
Zhou Shirui’s throat felt unusually dry as he reached out to take the soft fabric.
Le Cheng had a sudden idea: “It’s pretty cold out here. Let me put it on you right now!”
Zhou Shirui nodded gently: “Okay.”
Le Cheng wasted no time. He took the scarf and mentally visualized several ways he often drew people wearing scarves in his sketches.
Hmm… wrap it around here once, let it hang down there, leave a little bit here…
After finishing his mental rehearsal, Le Cheng set to work.
Zhou Shirui watched him quietly. Le Cheng lowered his eyelashes, pursed his lips slightly, and looked very serious; his rosy lips had turned slightly pale where he pressed them together, as if revealing a hint of the inner pink. Unsatisfied with how it looked, his delicate brows furrowed as he gestured in frustration, his little expressions incredibly vivid.
His slender fingers brushed lightly against his skin as he fiddled with it, creating a vivid sensation. Zhou Shirui didn’t move; Le Cheng adjusted it slightly, then patted it contentedly: “There, that looks good!”
Zhou Shirui’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he gave a soft “Mm.”
“Let’s go,” Le Cheng said. “This way, I won’t be cold anymore.”
Zhou Shirui nodded. Le Cheng followed behind him as they went downstairs. He watched as Zhou Shirui paid the bill and walked out.
The restaurant was located in the busiest part of downtown, and the streets outside were brightly lit. Le Cheng glanced around; Zhou Shirui hadn’t mentioned calling a cab, so he didn’t say anything either.
After walking for a while, the crowd gradually thinned out. Le Cheng turned his head and stole a glance at Zhou Shirui.
Hmm… why hasn’t he said his line yet?
Will I even get off this shift today?
Le Cheng felt a little anxious.
After they’d strolled for a while longer, Zhou Shirui finally stopped.
Le Cheng stopped too. After a moment’s hesitation, he blinked and asked, “Are we going back?”
“Mm.” Zhou Shirui lowered his gaze.
Le Cheng realized it was about to happen.
He took a long, deep look at Zhou Shirui, silently bidding farewell in his heart to his pecs, abs, and biceps…
Goodbye!
Summoning his courage, Le Cheng spoke, feeling both anxious and hopeful: “So… tomorrow, will we… will we still have lunch together?”
Hurry up and answer loudly that we won’t!
His question was quite veiled, but someone as sharp as Zhou Shirui would surely pick up on the underlying meaning.
A cold winter breeze blew by, bringing a hint of chill.
Zhou Shirui looked at Le Cheng, at his rosy lips, his fair cheeks, and the delicate, slightly upturned tip of his nose, making him look like a fluffy, harmless little animal. The corners of his eyes were red, as if he were deeply saddened.
Zhou Shirui suddenly changed his mind: “…I will.”
He thought to himself: Le Cheng was so well-behaved and adorable, yet he didn’t know how to stand up for himself when bullied. If they broke up, he would surely be heartbroken, go astray, and be deceived by a bad man. Zhou Shirui couldn’t stand by and watch that happen to Le Cheng.
“Of course I will.” Zhou Shirui suddenly felt at ease; he even curved his lips into a slight smile as he helped Le Cheng adjust his clothes, his tone calm and soothing. “What else do you want to do? …Would you like an orange-flavored cupcake?”
![The Obsessive Shou Moves On [Rebirth]](https://i1.wp.com/lazygirltranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/download-1.jpeg?resize=151,215 "The Obsessive Shou Moves On [Rebirth]")
