Shoutout to Kari for the commission!
Zhou Shirui’s voice had always tended to be low.
Perhaps because the lighting was too dark, Le Cheng felt that the sound brushed against his ears, making them a little itchy.
He looked at the screen and quietly said, “I miss you too.”
But Zhou Shirui suddenly turned off the lamp beside the screen, making Le Cheng pause slightly before immediately protesting, “I can’t see anything.”
“Go take a shower.” Zhou Shirui spoke very calmly, without letting anything show in his voice. “Wait for me.”
“Then why did you turn off the light?” Le Cheng asked in confusion.
“Click.” The light was turned back on, but the phone screen was already facing the ceiling. Zhou Shirui asked him, “Can you see now?”
“I can see.” Le Cheng looked at the completely unfamiliar ceiling. “Then you go take a shower first…”
“Chengcheng?”
A woman’s voice suddenly fell into his ears. Le Cheng reflexively swung his hand behind his back and hid his phone with a “whoosh,” then shot upright. “Huh? Mom? I’m here, I’m here! What is it?”
Only then did Cao Fanqin push the door open, carrying a plate of fruit. “What else could it be? I’m telling you to eat some fruit.”
It felt like this was a regular part of every visit home. Le Cheng hurriedly took it and picked up a small cherry tomato, putting it into his mouth. For some reason, he felt a little guilty.
Cao Fanqin looked up and glanced at his flushed cheeks. “What are you doing? Why is your face so red?”
“Nothing.” Le Cheng very calmly sat up from the bed, not forgetting to kick his phone farther under the blanket. “I’m playing on my phone.”
He wasn’t wearing earphones while talking on the phone and was terrified that Zhou Shirui’s voice would leak out from the other end.
Although Cao Fanqin and Le Shuhai were both understanding, supported him, and even knew that he was dating a boyfriend, after the last experience of dying from embarrassment on the spot, Le Cheng wasn’t afraid of being discovered talking to his boyfriend on the phone. He was afraid that Cao Fanqin would say something shocking again.
Then he really would want to burrow into the floor at lightning speed and escape the planet.
“What are you doing, being so afraid of Mom finding out?” Cao Fanqin said with a smile. “Are you talking to Little Zhou?”
The more he feared something, the more it came true. Le Cheng felt like a cat that had been grabbed by the scruff of the neck, powerless to resist. Without even thinking, he immediately denied it. “No!”
He gave his mother a meaningful look. “Definitely not!”
“I’m just looking at my phone.”
Cao Fanqin looked at his eyelids blinking so rapidly they were practically twitching and finally understood. “Alright, alright, looking at your phone, looking at your phone.”
“Mom’s leaving now. Remember to eat your fruit.” Cao Fanqin didn’t understand young people’s strange interests, and continued to remind him, “Don’t stay up playing too late. It’s not like you can’t talk during the day. Go to sleep early, understand?”
“Mom, how old am I already?” Le Cheng placed both hands on Cao Fanqin’s shoulders, massaging them while gently pushing her toward the door. “I’ll definitely go to bed early. Don’t worry, don’t worry.”
Cao Fanqin said, “Alright, you’re grown up. I can’t control so much anymore…”
Finally seeing Cao Fanqin off, Le Cheng leaned his back against the door as it shut with a “bang” and took a deep breath.
Very good!
He had made it through smoothly!
After taking two seconds to recover, he ran to the bed and dug out his phone.
There was nothing on the video. It was still showing a ceiling. Zhou Shirui had probably gone to take a shower as soon as he heard his mother arrive.
Le Cheng switched the call to a small window and leisurely ate some fruit while holding the fruit plate.
Zhou Shirui had always showered quite quickly, and this time was the same. Le Cheng had eaten half the fruit when he heard movement from the screen.
He had already connected his Bluetooth earphones, so he turned his head and saw Zhou Shirui drying his hair, wearing a shirt.
“My mom came in just now.” Le Cheng casually chatted with him. “Did you hear her?”
“I heard.”
Zhou Shirui had no expression.
Le Cheng wasn’t looking at the screen. Since he could hear his voice anyway, he focused intently on eating. “Is it cold over there?”
“No.”
“The candied cherry tomatoes my mom made are so delicious.”
“Mm.”
“What temperature is your air conditioner set to?”
“Twenty-six.”
Only after Le Cheng stuffed the last piece of pineapple into his mouth did he feel that something was a little off.
He picked up his phone and pointed it at himself. “Are you busy?”
Zhou Shirui had already showered, but through the screen, there wasn’t a trace of moisture on his body. His hair hadn’t been dried yet and was damply pushed back, making it seem as though he had taken a cold shower.
Zhou Shirui: “No.”
Then why were his answers so brief? Le Cheng blinked. “My mom asked me just now if I was calling you. I didn’t dare tell her.”
Only then did Zhou Shirui raise his eyes and ask without much emotion, “Why didn’t you tell her?”
“Well…” Le Cheng actually didn’t really want to tell the truth, but after thinking for a moment, he still answered honestly, “I was afraid she’d say something else, and I would… feel embarrassed…”
The last few words were very soft. The more Le Cheng spoke, the quieter he became.
Zhou Shirui’s expression relaxed slightly. “That’s the reason?”
“Mm.” Le Cheng nodded, his eyelashes fluttering lightly. “Last time when we were on the phone, she made me feel so embarrassed.”
Zhou Shirui’s expression began to relax, and he asked in return, “You get embarrassed that easily?”
“No way.” Le Cheng refused to admit it. “Specific situations require specific analysis.”
Zhou Shirui lowered his eyelashes slightly and asked in a somewhat serious tone, “Then when will Chengcheng stop being embarrassed?”
It had a double meaning.
But Le Cheng was focused on eating and didn’t understand the implication. “I’ll probably need to prepare myself mentally a little more.”
Zhou Shirui didn’t speak. After a while, he finally said, “Alright.”
***
Early the next morning, as soon as Le Cheng woke up, he was dragged into the living room.
Still half-asleep, Le Cheng sat there with somewhat messy hair, staring wide-eyed at Le Shuhai and Cao Fanqin, who were sitting across from him.
For a moment, no one spoke.
“Dad.” Le Cheng couldn’t help but quietly call out, “Mom.”
“What is it?” Although he hadn’t done anything bad, meeting his parents’ gazes still made Le Cheng feel guilty. His eyelashes fluttered wildly as he tried to change the subject. “What are we having for breakfast this morning?”
“Soup dumplings,” Le Shuhai said. “But we’ll eat them in a little while.”
“Oh…” Le Cheng silently picked at his pants. “Then what exactly…”
“Bring Little Zhou home,” Cao Fanqin suddenly said.
“Huh?” Le Cheng froze for a moment.
“Your dad and I thought about it yesterday.” Cao Fanqin had a kind expression on her face. “Although it isn’t easy for two boys to be together nowadays, look, you’ve been together for so long, and Mom can tell that you really like him. So why not take this opportunity to bring Little Zhou home for us to meet? It can be considered making things official.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Le Shuhai agreed. “That’s what your mom and I mean. It would also be a good opportunity to see what the other person’s parents are like. Everyone can sit down and have a chat. It would also count as giving both sides an explanation.”
After the two of them finished speaking, Le Cheng slowly frowned. “But…”
“What is it?” Cao Fanqin glanced at his expression. “You don’t want to bring Little Zhou here? Chengcheng, although Mom has never interfered with you, you’re still so young. Don’t go around being a scumbag!”
“No, no.” Le Cheng hurriedly waved his hands. He was very conflicted. He wanted to tell the truth, but he was also afraid of accidentally leaving his parents with a bad impression of Zhou Shirui. “It’s just… maybe, maybe you won’t be able to meet Zhou Shirui’s parents.”
Le Shuhai’s eyes slowly widened, and he exchanged a glance with Cao Fanqin.
“Oh, what a poor child!” Le Shuhai instantly began wailing. “Chengcheng, why didn’t you tell us earlier? It’s okay, we wouldn’t mind that at all. If that’s the case, then you should bring Little Zhou home even more! Let him experience the warmth of a family! You child, why are you still hesitating!”
Le Cheng: “…”
Why did it feel like the misunderstanding had gotten even bigger?
“His parents are perfectly healthy!” Le Cheng hurriedly explained. “It’s just, it’s just that their relationship isn’t very good. They divorced a long time ago, so…”
Le Cheng raised his head and glanced at them. “Maybe they don’t really care about his affairs.”
Le Shuhai’s voice paused. “Oh, oh… I see.”
With an awkward smile, Le Shuhai said, “Then that’s fine, but it really is a little difficult to handle.”
Le Cheng added, “Don’t worry. I’ll discuss it with Zhou Shirui later, because I have to ask whether he’s willing.”
Cao Fanqin nodded. “Mm, alright. It’s good enough that you have the intention. Your dad and I aren’t in any particular hurry.”
Le Shuhai, who was not in any particular hurry, nodded. “Of course.”
The matter was left at that. Le Cheng wasn’t merely brushing his parents off; he really did consider it.
He trusted Zhou Shirui, but his parents’ attitude was indeed somewhat difficult to deal with. Bringing it up so rashly felt like it would be hard to handle. Le Cheng planned to discuss it with Zhou Shirui after he returned from abroad.
Although he was at home, for several days in a row, Le Cheng was even more tired than when he was at school.
He didn’t have classes, but he had work.
With the latest update to the game, its popularity had risen significantly. This also caused Le Cheng, whose name was displayed on the homepage of the official blog, to become increasingly well-known. Other game companies had already approached him to commission artwork.
Le Cheng readily accepted the commissions and worked himself to the bone for an entire week, turning down the amusement park day trip his cousins had invited him to.
“Hiss…” Le Cheng rubbed his neck and suddenly put down the pen in his hand.
“Did you get a cramp?” A calm voice came from the other end of his earphones.
“I think a little.” Le Cheng hurriedly stood up. Zhou Shirui directed him from the other end of the call, “Stop drawing. Rest for a while first. Go lie on the bed and massage it.”
“Okay.” Le Cheng rubbed and rotated his neck while pulling out a massage pillow. Zhou Shirui had bought it for him last week, and it had only arrived a couple of days ago. “I’m going to lie down first.”
Listening to the rapid clacking of the keyboard in his earphones, Le Cheng was massaged until he hummed and whined softly.
“Zhou Shirui, don’t you want to take a break too?” Le Cheng shook his head. “I feel like you’ve also been sitting in front of the computer for a long time.”
“No need,” Zhou Shirui said. “I’ll go to the gym in a while.”
Little Cheng, who didn’t work out, silently shut his mouth. People really did have very different levels of energy.
After drawing in front of the computer for five or six hours straight, when he stood up, he had absolutely no energy left. He didn’t even want to move the tips of his fingers and only wanted to lie face-down on the bed. Yet Zhou Shirui could still, without fail, go to the gym to work out.
Sure enough, no pain, no gain when it came to getting a good body.
“Oh, right.” Le Cheng turned over. “When are you coming back?”
Nearly two weeks of the holiday had already passed. Le Cheng had never brought up the topic. If Zhou Shirui didn’t say anything, he usually wouldn’t ask.
But now, he felt like he should be coming back soon.
Zhou Shirui paused. “There are still some things I haven’t taken care of.”
“Alright…” Le Cheng felt a little disappointed, but quickly pulled himself together. “I still haven’t played your new update. Do you have any exclusive strategies you can share with me?”
“Strategies?” Zhou Shirui’s hands paused over the keyboard. “I do.”
“Then hurry up and teach me how to beat the new boss.”
But Zhou Shirui asked instead, “Have you gotten to the Easter egg yet?”
“An Easter egg…” Le Cheng only played whenever he had spare bits of time, and he only glanced at guides when he could. Easter eggs were essentially hidden side quests in the game, with particular and tricky requirements to unlock them. Le Cheng had been too lazy to specifically look up the requirements. He still hadn’t managed to achieve the requirement to unlock the Easter egg.
“Not yet.” Le Cheng suddenly remembered. “Is there something in the Easter egg?”
But Zhou Shirui didn’t reveal everything. “You’ll only know if you play it yourself.”
“You’re being cryptic.” Le Cheng was dissatisfied. “Can’t you just tell me directly?”
“No.” Zhou Shirui refused very ruthlessly.
Le Cheng grumbled a couple of times and said, “Alright, alright. Then I’m hanging up now.”
“Le Cheng.” At times like this, Zhou Shirui would call his name, neither too heavily nor too lightly.
For some reason, Zhou Shirui had recently become increasingly fond of being “clingy” with him. Sometimes neither of them would say anything, and they would each be doing other things, but whenever Le Cheng wanted to hang up, Zhou Shirui would stop him.
In just a little over ten days, Zhou Shirui seemed to have become more and more clingy.
Le Cheng hadn’t really intended to hang up either. “Alright, I know. I’ll look at the guide first.”
Only then did Zhou Shirui stop saying anything.
After looking at the guide for a while, Le Cheng’s phone rang twice. He lowered his head and saw that Tan Xiaobai was messaging him.
[Little White Rabbit, White and White: Calling Little Cheng!! Calling Little Cheng!]
Le Cheng tapped the screen and replied.
[Orange: Little Cheng received! What’s wrong?]
[Little White Rabbit, White and White: Want to come out and hang out? Ziqing and I are both here.]
Le Cheng was full of question marks.
[Orange: You and Ziqing? Where are you two?]
[Little White Rabbit, White and White: We came to hang out near your house. Didn’t expect that, did you?]
[Little White Rabbit, White and White: Hurry up, are you coming out or not? If you’re not coming, we’re leaving.]
Le Cheng quickly typed.
[Orange: I’m coming, I’m coming.]
But he hesitated a little.
[Orange: Where are we going?]
[Little White Rabbit, White and White: Just going out for a meal together. There are a few other people with us. Do you mind?]
[Orange: I don’t mind. Wait for me!]
After replying to the messages, Le Cheng hurriedly coughed twice. “Zhou Shirui.”
“What?”
“I have to hang up. Xiaobai came to hang out with me.”
Zhou Shirui paused slightly. “Where are you going?”
“Just going out for a meal.” Le Cheng said happily. “I haven’t gone out to eat in so long.”
“Mm.” Zhou Shirui reminded him, “Don’t drink alcohol.”
Le Cheng immediately agreed. “I definitely won’t drink!”
After hanging up, Le Cheng climbed out of bed and changed into a different set of clothes. There was no one at home, so he wrote a note on a sticky note and put it on the table before excitedly heading out.
Tan Xiaobai was at a museum not far from his house. Le Cheng had gone there with Cao Fanqin before. He had found it rather boring after seeing it once, but it was quite a popular tourist attraction.
It was a scorching hot day, but the museum had central air conditioning. Le Cheng got out of the taxi, sweating all over his head from the heat, and hurried into the museum.
From a distance, he saw five or six people. A few of them were unfamiliar faces, but when they saw him, their eyes immediately lit up, and they greeted him very warmly.
Le Cheng nodded at them as well.
Someone said in surprise, “Your friend is this handsome?”
“Yeah, such a high-quality handsome guy, and you didn’t introduce him to us? That’s too unfair.”
“Is it that I didn’t introduce him?” Tan Xiaobai waved his hand. “It’s that he’s already taken.”
The others all exclaimed that it was such a pity.
Tan Xiaobai bumped his shoulder against Le Cheng’s. “Besides, his boyfriend keeps such a close eye on him. Even if a mosquito flies by, he has to check whether it’s flirting with Le Cheng.”
Le Cheng: “…………”
“It’s not that exaggerated,” Le Cheng disagreed.
“Alright, alright, not exaggerated.” Tan Xiaobai put an arm around his neck. “Then did you report this to Zhou Shirui this time?”
Le Cheng nodded. “I did.”
Tan Xiaobai couldn’t be bothered to comment on him. “Come on, let’s eat.”
The group of them headed out in a grand procession. It was too hot for hot pot, so they went for Japanese food instead. Afterward, everyone suggested going to a lounge bar to hang out.
Tan Xiaobai turned to Le Cheng. “You’re already out, so come hang out with us too.”
A lounge bar? Le Cheng had never been to one, but judging by the name, it should be much better than a regular bar, so he nodded. “Okay, but I’m not drinking alcohol.”
“You’re going to a lounge bar and not drinking?” Tan Xiaobai asked. “Fine, fine. Don’t drink, then.”
They took a taxi to their destination. Le Cheng poked his head inside and discovered that the atmosphere in the lounge bar was much quieter than a regular bar. Perhaps because it was a weekday, there weren’t many people inside, nor did it have the kind of wildly energetic atmosphere of a bar that made even someone as outgoing as Le Cheng feel intimidated.
The others ordered alcohol and brought it to the table. Le Cheng ordered juice and slowly drank it while sitting beside them.
Everyone gathered together and chatted. Le Cheng had just taken out his phone to look at it when Tan Xiaobai, with his sharp eyes, noticed him. “What are you doing?”
Le Cheng said matter-of-factly, “I’m telling Zhou Shirui that I’m at a lounge bar.”
“Wait, you have to report even this?” Tan Xiaobai was utterly amazed. As a 24-karat pure single man, he deeply disapproved of Zhou Shirui’s behavior. Reporting everything like this, wasn’t that being a control freak?
“Let me ask you, Little Cheng.” Tan Xiaobai took his phone away. “Have you ever thought that this kind of behavior is actually not normal?”
Le Cheng had already sent the message and asked him, “What kind?”
“Reporting your whereabouts and checking in with each other all the time,” Tan Xiaobai said patiently, trying to guide him. “Does Zhou Shirui also report everything to you like this?”
Le Cheng nodded without the slightest hesitation.
“…………” He had been careless. Turns out it was a mutual condition. Tan Xiaobai cleared his throat and continued, “Well… well, that’s different. Do you check up on him as often as he checks up on you?”
Le Cheng thought about it for a moment and shook his head. “Probably not.”
He wasn’t the kind of person who liked to constantly check up on someone or have the other person report every little detail to him.
Pretending was just pretending before. Now that he no longer had to maintain the fake persona, he naturally stopped doing it.
“Exactly!” Tan Xiaobai seized the opportunity. “So this really isn’t very normal. Zhou Shirui’s desire for control and possessiveness are a little too strong.”
Le Cheng nodded in agreement. He felt that Zhou Shirui had indeed become even worse recently. “A little!”
Tan Xiaobai thought he had finally gotten through to him. “Exactly! That’s what I mean. This kind of relationship is….”
“But it should be fine, right?” Le Cheng said.
Tan Xiaobai: “…………”
Okay. Tan Xiaobai decided that tonight, he would apply to have lovesickness added to the list of mental illnesses.
Tan Xiaobai silently took a sip of his alcohol, then handed Le Cheng a bottle of soft drink. “You’re only worthy of drinking this now.”
Le Cheng accepted it without any shame. “I love drinking this.”
The music from the speakers was a little loud. Le Cheng took a sip and, for some reason, felt a little dizzy.
***
By the time Zhou Shirui saw the message, two hours had already passed.
Hot sweat dripped from his temples and flowed down along his brow bone. He lowered his eyes and picked up his phone, frowning slightly.
[Zhou Shirui: Are you still at the lounge bar?]
[Zhou Shirui: Don’t get drunk.]
Le Cheng didn’t reply for half an hour, so Zhou Shirui called him.
The first call went unanswered.
The second one also went unanswered.
Expressionless, he began dialing the third.
***
Le Cheng was lying face-down on the table, feeling as though the world was spinning.
He clearly hadn’t drunk any alcohol. Everything he had drunk was juice or soft drinks, but why was his head so dizzy? It felt as though he were stepping on cotton, light and floaty.
Then, he heard people whispering.
It seemed to be Tan Xiaobai’s voice.
“Which one of you ordered Strong Zero?”
“Not me…”
“I don’t know…”
“F*ck, don’t tell me Le Little Cheng drank it?”
“F*ck, I was the one who handed it to him!”
Le Cheng only found them noisy. He curled up where he was, drawing in both his legs and arms, but soon, someone started pulling at him. Le Cheng kept his eyes closed and pushed them away in dissatisfaction.
His face was so hot. His neck, his mouth, everything was hot. Le Cheng felt as though a high-temperature container had been stuffed inside his body, scorching his heart and lungs.
Tan Xiaobai directly half-carried him into a taxi.
Half an hour later, they arrived at his door. Le Cheng was limp like a jellyfish. If no one held him up, he would slide right down the doorframe on his own.
Tan Xiaobai desperately held onto him. Luckily, Le Cheng was thin. He fished the key out of his pocket and finally helped him into the house, laying him on the bed. Although he was drunk out of his mind, he surprisingly didn’t throw up. Tan Xiaobai waited until Le Shuhai came home before finally leaving with peace of mind.
Le Cheng had absolutely no consciousness. He lay flat on the bed, and only in his half-dreaming, half-awake state did he hear a phone ringing.
It had been ringing for who knew how long before he finally heard it.
Dazedly picking it up, Le Cheng asked in a soft voice, “Hello?”
“Le Cheng.” The voice on the other end was very cold. “Why did you only answer now?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Le Cheng lowered his head and barely managed to make out who it was from the doubled image on his phone screen.
“Oh… Zhou Shirui.” Le Cheng giggled foolishly. “Why are you calling me?”
His tone rose at the end, and he even sounded rather happy.
Zhou Shirui paused, almost immediately getting to the point. “Did you drink?”
“Who drank?!” Even in his drunken state, Le Cheng still retained the subconscious awareness that he would be finished if he admitted it. “I didn’t drink!”
In reality, his tongue was already thick, and even his tone was about to start slurring.
Zhou Shirui said, “How much did you drink?”
“I already said I didn’t drink.” Le Cheng closed his eyes and frowned, sounding rather impatient. “You’re so annoying.”
Even through the phone, Zhou Shirui’s breath could be heard catching. In a strangely low tone, he said, “I’m annoying. What did you promise me?”
Le Cheng completely ignored his question. Tugging at his clothes, he groaned uncomfortably. “Hot… Zhou Shirui, I’m so hot…”
Hearing what sounded like buttons being pulled open, Zhou Shirui’s brow twitched, and his tone became heavier. “Where are you?”
“I’m…” That question made Le Cheng briefly afraid for a second, but only for a second. Then he loudly said, “I’m not telling you where I am.”
His brain had become a straight line, operating in the simplest way possible. Even though he could no longer remember who Zhou Shirui was, for some reason, he wanted this person named Zhou Shirui to come back.
“Where outside are you?” Not hearing a satisfactory answer, Zhou Shirui’s voice unconsciously rose as he coldly ordered, “Le Cheng, speak.”
“You want to know?” Le Cheng couldn’t sense the threat at all. He first asked softly, dragging out his words, but less than two seconds later, he said in an extremely arrogant and smug tone, “You want to know… then come find me!”
“…” Without a word, Zhou Shirui quickly took out his backup phone and called Tan Xiaobai.
Le Cheng couldn’t hear what was being said over there, but he could sense that when Zhou Shirui returned, his mood seemed even worse.
“You’re at home,” Zhou Shirui calmly added. “And you’re in your own room.”
“Mm…” Le Cheng instinctively sensed danger and immediately chickened out a little. “What is it…”
“Nothing.” Although Zhou Shirui felt as though his heart and lungs were burning, he wasn’t going to argue with a drunkard. He tried his best to say calmly, “Go to sleep properly. I’m hanging up.”
“Hey! Don’t!” Le Cheng shouted to stop him. It was probably the fastest his reaction time had been in nearly an hour. Frowning, he said, “Don’t hang up.”
“Don’t hang up…” Le Cheng repeated clingily. “Don’t hang up…”
Zhou Shirui didn’t move. Then, he heard the sound of Le Cheng tugging at his clothes again and asked, “What are you doing now?”
Le Cheng slowly said, “Taking off my pants…”
Zhou Shirui closed his eyes. “Go ahead. I’m hanging up.”
“What are you doing!” Le Cheng asked, then suddenly lowered his voice and foolishly giggled. “Do you want to see? I’ll show you…”
Immediately afterward came the sound of him fiddling with his phone, as though he really was about to switch to a video call.
Zhou Shirui’s pupils slightly contracted. His jaw tightened as he called out, “Le Cheng.”
His tone was icy. “I don’t want to see.”
“If you don’t want to see, then forget it…” Le Cheng blankly paused for two seconds, then became a little aggrieved, pouting. “Why are you being so fierce…”
He muttered, “Even if you wanted to see, I wouldn’t let you…”
“I won’t let you see… I won’t let you see…” Le Cheng rambled incoherently. “I’ll piss you off…”
There was no response at all from the other end of the phone. Only then did Le Cheng stop and start asking again, “When are you coming back…”
“Why aren’t you coming back…”
“Zhou Shirui, you’re so possessive!”
“You’re so controlling too!”
“Luckily your face is good-looking… and your body is good too… do you know this is called judging by looks!”
“Zhou Shirui… are you incapable…”
It was as though Le Cheng had reached an exciting point. He angrily punched the bed, making a loud “bang.”
“You’re incapable!”
He kept rambling on and on, saying bad things about him. It was practically liquid courage for a coward. Zhou Shirui listened the entire time, and only when he heard that last sentence did he finally react. “Incapable of what?”
“Incapable!” Hearing a response, Le Cheng instantly became energized. He slurred, “You’re incapable, so you’re incapable!”
“It’s been so long, how come you… how come you still haven’t, um… done that with me…” Le Cheng couldn’t think of what it was called for a moment. He whined for a while before slowly spitting out, “…poke my… butt.”
Zhou Shirui paused. “What?”
“Poke me…” Le Cheng finally found the key point. “If you won’t poke me, does that mean you can’t!”
His voice was so loud. Luckily, the door was closed and the soundproofing was good.
But Zhou Shirui heard every single word loud and clear.
“Le Cheng.” He lowered his voice, speaking very calmly and enunciating each word, “Don’t force me to come and get you.”
Le Cheng had no concept of that, but he was still clever enough to catch the word “come.” He instantly perked up and slurred, “Then come… come!”
“If you don’t come, does that mean you don’t dare?” Completely unaware, Le Cheng kept adding fuel to the fire. “I knew it… hic… you can’t…”
“From now on, I’ll call you… Brother Can’t…”
“Zhou Can’t.”
Zhou Shirui, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly let out a short laugh at that moment. Le Cheng instinctively paused.
Then, he heard Zhou Shirui say in an almost eerily calm tone, “Alright.”
“I’m coming to get you.”
