Shoutout to Kari for the commission!
Le Cheng had never been this drunk before.
His alcohol tolerance had always been decent, around average, and he behaved well when drunk too. He was relatively quiet and didn’t like talking much.
But this time was an exception.
The call hadn’t ended. He rambled on about something else, hearing rustling sounds from the other end. As the alcohol took effect, after overstimulating his nerves, it made his reactions sluggish. His eyelids began fighting to stay open, and before long, he hugged the blanket and curled up, his cheek resting against its edge as his breathing gradually evened out.
When he woke up again, it was already two thirty in the morning.
Cold.
Uncomfortable. His head throbbed, and there was the disorientation that came after getting drunk. It felt especially empty, as though all his memories had been sucked away.
And in fact, he really had blacked out. He sat on the bed in a daze for quite a while before coming back to his senses. Getting out of bed in the darkness, his fingers accidentally touched something hard. He raised it in front of his eyes to take a look. It was his phone.
He tapped it twice, but there was no response. It had long since run out of battery and automatically shut off.
Le Cheng got out of bed to charge it. Relying on muscle memory, he painstakingly plugged in the charger, then held his head and rested for a while before finally standing up.
Dizzy.
He clearly remembered not drinking alcohol, but judging from his current condition, not only had he drunk, he had drunk quite a lot.
Unable to figure out what had happened, some words suddenly popped into Le Cheng’s mind: “Strong Zero,” “Who ordered it,” “Give me a hand,” accompanied by Tan Xiaobai’s voice. He couldn’t have mistaken Strong Zero for a soft drink and drunk it, could he?
Le Cheng had no memory whatsoever of what he had drunk, what he had done while drunk, or how he had gotten home.
His entire body was weak, his limbs as soft as noodles. The alcohol still hadn’t completely worn off. Dazed, Le Cheng stumbled outside, bumping into the wardrobe along the way. He stopped to rub himself before opening the door.
Forcing himself to summon a bit of willpower, he roughly washed up. Even with cold water splashed on his face, he didn’t become much more awake. The feeling was strange. His consciousness was already half-awake, but his body was soft and heavy, and even his brain’s reaction speed had drastically slowed.
Although it was difficult to control himself, Le Cheng still retained a bit of clarity, he couldn’t wake his parents. He quietly and slowly swayed back to his bedroom, barely changed into another set of clothes without even checking whether they were the right way around, then lay down on the bed. Feeling cold, he glanced at the air conditioner and discovered that, at some point, he had actually set it to eighteen degrees.
No wonder he was so cold.
He found the remote that had fallen by his feet and adjusted it to twenty-six. He could no longer hold on. His face wriggled around until he found the pillow, rubbing against it twice. With a peaceful expression, he fell asleep again.
Le Cheng had a dream.
In the dream, it seemed like someone was chasing him, while he was a big fluffy rabbit with a round tail and black eyes. His four legs were short but strong, and he ran very fast, but he was exhausted and couldn’t stop because the Thunder God in the sky was chasing him.
And the reason he was being chased was because he had failed to keep his promise.
“A rabbit who doesn’t keep his promises will be caught and turned into spicy rabbit head!”
“I will punish you on behalf of the Heavenly Court!”
A distant voice came through, yet it was deafening. Le Cheng desperately moved his four little short legs, but the sound of thunder drew closer and closer, louder and louder, more and more urgent,
“Bang!”
Le Cheng abruptly opened his eyes.
“Bzzzzz—”
“Bzzzzz—”
His breathing was rapid, his chest rising and falling abnormally. He stared blankly for more than ten seconds before his thoughts gradually returned. Le Cheng turned his head somewhat stupidly. It was the phone on the bedside table vibrating incessantly, nearly about to jump off the edge.
Le Cheng instinctively picked it up. He was a little more awake than the last time he had woken up. At least his limbs were no longer as weak, though his reactions were still sluggish. He lowered his head and first looked at the time.
4:02.
Then he looked at the contact name.
[^0^]
Le Cheng blinked.
Zhou Shirui.
Calling in the middle of the night wasn’t Zhou Shirui’s style. Thinking something might have happened, Le Cheng picked up the glass of water beside him and took several large gulps. His heart slightly racing, he answered the call. “Hello?”
“Why are you calling me?” Le Cheng asked.
“Le Cheng.” Zhou Shirui’s voice came from the other end of the phone.
“Mm.” Le Cheng nodded. “I heard you.”
“Come downstairs,” Zhou Shirui said.
Two very simple, yet completely out-of-the-blue words.
“…What?” Le Cheng froze.
Zhou Shirui repeated without any emotion, “Come downstairs.”
“I… I’m going downstairs?” Le Cheng’s brain, already stacked with countless debuffs, completely crashed at that moment. A bold guess suddenly surged into his mind, forcing him to quickly stand up. His palms began to sweat, and his heart started pounding, shaking his chest. He hurried to the window, pulled open the curtains, and looked down,
At the same time.
The tall man beneath the streetlight also looked up at that moment. Expressionless, he revealed sharp brows and eyes, a high nose bridge, and lips pressed into a straight line. His pitch-black eyes seemed to blend into the night.
Their eyes met.
Le Cheng’s eyes widened slightly, his expression going blank for more than ten seconds. Under the streetlight, Zhou Shirui’s lips moved.
And from the phone came the low voice of a man. “Le Cheng.”
He was calling his name.
“Come downstairs.” His tone was completely flat.
Le Cheng had already completely stopped reacting, his eyes unmoving as he stared at Zhou Shirui from afar. Why had Zhou Shirui, who had still been on the other side of the ocean during the day, suddenly appeared downstairs from his home? And there was something in his voice, a restrained desire that made Le Cheng’s heart race and sent a chill through his entire body.
Yet joy still quickly washed over his mind.
“I…” Le Cheng heard himself say, “Wait for me, I’ll be right down!”
It had been a long time since he had seen Zhou Shirui. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t happy. He opened his bedroom door, quietly grabbed his keys, then opened the door and hurried downstairs.
It was too sudden.
Zhou Shirui had appeared before him as if by magic.
And at this hour, too.
While Le Cheng was confused, he also felt happy.
In the short few minutes it took him to go downstairs, Le Cheng eagerly rushed out of the building. The moment he saw Zhou Shirui, something flashed through his mind like an electric current, piercing straight through his brain.
“Zhou Shirui, you’re so possessive!”
“Zhou Shirui, luckily you’re good-looking.”
“Zhou Shirui, are you incapable?”
“Zhou Shirui, from now on I’ll call you Brother Can’t.”
“Zhou Can’t, how about that?”
His own voice returned to his mind several hours later, carrying the fresh stimulation of those memories and pinning Le Cheng directly in place.
Something suddenly exploded in his mind.
At that instant, all the blood in his body rushed to his head. The sultry air made him feel as though he were caught between ice and fire. Le Cheng stiffly watched as Zhou Shirui walked toward him.
Closer.
Very close.
Until he stood right in front of him.
Long fingers, cool to the touch, rested against the side of his neck. Zhou Shirui lowered his gaze and, unexpectedly calm, asked, “What?”
Zhou Shirui looked at him expressionlessly. “You’re not happy to see me?”
The fingers resting against his neck slowly slid down to the back of it, gradually tightening and half-forcibly pulling Le Cheng closer. Zhou Shirui lowered his head slightly, his cool breath falling against Le Cheng’s earlobe.
“I came to get you.” His deep, cold tone slid along the curve of his ear, slowly creeping downward like a venomous snake. “Not happy?”
Le Cheng answered almost instinctively, “Happy. Happy.”
A distinct thumb pressed against his chin, forcing him to raise his face. Zhou Shirui’s expression was faint. “If you’re happy, why aren’t you kissing me?”
It was a very calm statement.
But Le Cheng felt as though his heart had been tightly gripped, pounding wildly without end.
A dangerous, aggressive aura silently surrounded him. The memories, carrying sparks and lightning, fiercely burned away his reason. He barely had time to think before hurriedly tilting his head up and pressing his lips against Zhou Shirui’s in a completely yielding gesture.
The moment their lips touched, the five fingers at the back of his neck suddenly tightened.
Zhou Shirui still carried the coolness of a long journey, creating an extreme contrast against the sweltering summer heat. In just a second after their lips met, before Le Cheng had time to prepare himself, his lips and tongue were directly pried open, and Zhou Shirui invaded without restraint.
His tongue seemed as though it were about to melt. His lips were bitten until they went numb and hurt. The cool, clean scent of soap instantly filled his nose. Physiological tears immediately welled up in Le Cheng’s eyes. His already weak legs trembled, and he nearly slid down, but Zhou Shirui supported his entire back and pressed him into his arms, using so much force it felt as though he were about to crush him.
It was too much.
In the chaos, Le Cheng felt Zhou Shirui pull away slightly. Then something cool was placed into his palm, and he heard a muffled voice say, “Hold onto it.”
Then he moved close again, invading him forcefully once more without any barrier.
When he was finally released, Le Cheng felt like a kite with its strings cut, trembling all over. It was his first time experiencing such a kiss, without any guidance, not gentle in the slightest, and excessive. Tears hung at the reddened corners of his eyes. His body, already weak from the alcohol, lagged a beat behind as he gasped heavily. One hand tightly gripped Zhou Shirui’s broad shoulders while his chest rose and fell violently.
Meanwhile, the fingers hanging at his side were slowly pried apart by a large hand. Zhou Shirui lowered his lashes and silently, calmly told him not to hold on so tightly.
“It’s going to break.”
“…What?” Le Cheng sniffed.
“Glasses,” Zhou Shirui said.
Only then did Le Cheng lower his head and belatedly realize that what Zhou Shirui had handed him earlier was his glasses.
Feeling extremely uneasy, Le Cheng’s eyelashes fluttered wildly. He gave a light cough, only to discover that his voice had gone hoarse when he spoke. “You… um, why did you…”
“You remember now?” Zhou Shirui looked at him with unusual calmness.
Le Cheng’s pupils suddenly contracted, and he instinctively tried to avoid the subject. “What? No…”
“No?”
There was little fluctuation in his tone, yet Le Cheng’s heart violently skipped, almost as a conditioned reflex.
He felt terribly guilty, scared, hot, and cold all at once. He could remember every single thing he had said. Every sentence had been like stepping on the edge of a blade, hitting directly at the muzzle of a gun. The fact that he had provoked Zhou Shirui enough to make him fly over overnight had practically confirmed that he had truly angered him.
The hand at the back of his neck tightened again. Zhou Shirui stared at him, his thin lips parting as he said, “Speak.”
“I…” Le Cheng’s palms were sweating from nervousness. “I remember now.”
He had done nothing more than thoroughly insult the man, failed to keep his promise, and then provoked him exceptionally fiercely. Although Le Cheng believed that he could accept Zhou Shirui’s possessiveness and everything he did, and tolerated it quite well, when he got drunk, his mouth became uncontrollable, and he had exaggeratedly said everything out loud.
“I was completely out of it from drinking.” Le Cheng nervously explained. “Really, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Didn’t mean what like that?”
“Just… like that.” Le Cheng raised his eyes and looked at Zhou Shirui pitifully. “My head still hurts right now…”
As if shamelessly trying to get away with it, he rested his head on Zhou Shirui’s shoulder and rubbed against it, as though it were true.
Zhou Shirui didn’t move. He merely lowered his lashes without saying a word, his pupils dark and quiet. He caught Le Cheng’s hand and put it into his own pocket. “Take it out.”
Le Cheng blankly followed his movement and felt something rectangular, flat, and small.
What?
Suddenly, something exploded in his mind. Le Cheng’s face instantly turned red as he remembered their conversation while he was drunk. He wanted to pull his hand back, but his wrist was firmly held, and he couldn’t pull free. Flustered, he anxiously said in a quiet, urgent voice, “Zhou Shirui… I don’t… my parents are still sleeping…”
Zhou Shirui guided his hand and took the box out. He held it between two fingers and lifted it in front of him.
Le Cheng’s gaze was uncontrollably drawn to it.
It was a small yellow box, flat and opaque, with an… OTC label in the upper left corner.
“Hangover medicine.” Zhou Shirui stared at him. Two seconds later, he actually seemed to smile. “What did you think it was?”
Le Cheng blinked blankly.
So bad. He did it on purpose.
Le Cheng immediately reacted. “I didn’t think it was anything…!”
“Is that so?” Zhou Shirui spoke expressionlessly, his voice calm as though they were discussing something serious. “I thought Chengcheng would think it was a cond*m.”
He enunciated every word clearly, his expression completely indifferent.
Without the barrier of his lenses, Zhou Shirui’s features appeared even more defined and distinct. He already had an exceptionally sharp, ascetic appearance, with thin, pale lips, and every button of his shirt was fastened all the way to the top, rigid and neat. At that moment, this contradictory contrast reached its peak.
Le Cheng choked into silence for a moment. His face was so hot. The latter half of the night was supposed to be the coolest, yet he felt as though he were about to melt.
“Take it.” Zhou Shirui didn’t say anything more. Having rushed over from afar, the several hours on the plane had left him tired. He had no intention of actually doing anything. Lowering his head, he helped Le Cheng straighten his hair and softened his voice. “Go upstairs and dissolve it in water and drink some.”
Le Cheng was still immersed in the enormous shock from earlier. Hearing this, he almost instinctively blurted out, “You’re not coming up?”
“If I come up,” Zhou Shirui gazed at him, “aren’t you afraid of Uncle and Auntie anymore?”
“…That’s not what I meant!” Le Cheng’s face was red, but he still tugged at the hem of Zhou Shirui’s clothes and asked negotiably, “You came all this way, and my room has the air conditioning on. It’s nice and cool. Where are you going to stay at this hour?”
“A hotel.”
“Why go to a hotel?” Le Cheng unconsciously tempted him. “It’ll take forever to drive out from here again. Come upstairs. We’ll sneak around.”
Le Cheng didn’t want him to leave so quickly. He also keenly sensed that Zhou Shirui had already been placated. No longer afraid, all that remained was happiness. He couldn’t help urging, “Hurry, hurry. My mom might wake up soon!”
Zhou Shirui frowned. “If Auntie…”
“There’s no ‘if’!” Le Cheng guaranteed him. “Why are you suddenly being so hesitant? Are you incapable or something?”
Zhou Shirui suddenly fell silent. His dark eyes looked at him, a dangerous expression brewing within them.
Le Cheng was startled by that look for a second and became a little timid. He immediately turned his head away. “I… I was talking nonsense. Come on, hurry up.”
Zhou Shirui was half-pulled upstairs by him.
They quietly entered the house and made their way to the bedroom. Only when he heard the soft “click” of the door closing did Zhou Shirui belatedly realize how absurd this was.
He had actually followed him upstairs.
He saw Le Cheng sticking his butt out, his upper body pressed against the door, with his ear against it as he carefully listened for movement outside. After half a minute, he finally relaxed and smugly lifted his chin at Zhou Shirui. “I told you it was fine.”
He looked so pleased with himself, like he had his tail sticking up.
Seeing him like this, Zhou Shirui felt both helpless and keenly aware that he had never had much of a bottom line when it came to Le Cheng.
Even with such an almost crazy thing, he still found it difficult to resist Le Cheng’s temptation and had done as he said.
“You’re not allowed to sit on my bed with your pants on.” Le Cheng quietly instructed him. “Take off your pants and shirt. I’ll find you some shorts to wear.”
Le Cheng rummaged through the wardrobe and quickly found a pair of shorts. They were a little short, but he tossed them to Zhou Shirui. Then he found a long T-shirt. It was very large on him, so it should fit Zhou Shirui just right.
Le Cheng went out, dissolved the hangover medicine in hot water, and drank it all. Then the two lay down. Feeling somewhat tired, Le Cheng curled up in Zhou Shirui’s arms, sensing the tense lines of his muscles.
Le Cheng felt like laughing. He squeezed his muscles and looked up at him. “You’re that nervous?”
Zhou Shirui’s tone was somewhat helpless. “…This isn’t right.”
“It’s not right but you still did it.” Le Cheng raised his brows. Being on his own territory seemed to make him feel more relaxed.
“Mm.” Zhou Shirui’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “It’s my fault.”
Le Cheng asked, “What fault?”
“Not being able to refuse you.” Zhou Shirui closed his eyes. “Too greedy. I wanted too much to hold you.”
His frank words struck Le Cheng, and he immediately became righteous again. “Don’t worry. Once they leave the house, I’ll let you out! I guarantee you won’t be exposed.”
Le Cheng also knew what Zhou Shirui was worried about. Suddenly appearing at his “mother-in-law’s” house, if he were discovered, his “reputation” would be completely ruined.
At that moment, Le Cheng also felt a little conflicted and guilty. “What should we do? I feel like I shouldn’t have dragged you upstairs. But I missed you so much.”
Lying on a bed filled with Le Cheng’s scent and holding him in his arms, Zhou Shirui felt a strange sense of fullness slowly fill his heart upon hearing those words. The feeling of being completely enveloped, dangerous yet intensely dependent, continuously stimulated his nerves.
He lowered his head and kissed the corner of Le Cheng’s lips. Slowly prying open his teeth, he took the tip of his tongue into his mouth. His fingers slipped between Le Cheng’s, gradually intertwining with them as they shared a gentle, deep kiss.
When they parted, a misty layer of moisture covered Le Cheng’s eyes, and his chest rose and fell slightly.
“Don’t worry.” Zhou Shirui pecked his lips. “This was my choice.”
He would not say that the sense of urgency of sharing the risk together and being so tightly bound made his blood unconsciously begin to boil.
“Okay.” Le Cheng nodded firmly. “I’ll do my best to protect you.”
Zhou Shirui was amused by him. “Mm.”
Le Cheng hadn’t slept well because of the alcohol, and now that he was curled up in Zhou Shirui’s arms, he was truly sleepy. His eyelids stuck together, and he quickly fell asleep.
Le Cheng was awakened by a knock on the door.
“Chengcheng, the sun’s shining on your butt. Get up and eat.” Le Shuhai called to him from outside the door.
Le Cheng jolted awake. He moved so abruptly that he nearly fell out of bed. Zhou Shirui caught him around the waist and soothingly patted his back, signaling for him to answer.
“Oh, oh!” Le Cheng said. “Okay, I’ll get up right away.”
Le Cheng hurriedly put on his slippers. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zhou Shirui changing his clothes.
“Did you book a hotel?” Le Cheng quietly asked.
“Mm.” Zhou Shirui nodded.
“Okay. Once they go to work, I’ll send you off.”
He went outside and quietly closed the door, rubbing his eyes and pretending to be sleepy.
“Dad…” His acting was excellent as he yawned. “What are we having today?”
“Soy milk and fried dough sticks.” Le Shuhai urged him, “Go wash up.”
“Okay.” Le Cheng squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush, then suddenly asked through a mouthful of foam, “Dad, do we still have any disposable toothbrushes at home?”
“I think so.” Le Shuhai turned his head and called toward the kitchen, “Little Qin, where are the disposable toothbrushes?”
“Aren’t they under the TV cabinet?” Cao Fanqin asked. “What do you need those for?”
“Chengcheng wants one.” Le Shuhai took a bite of his fried dough stick. “By the way, why do you need a disposable toothbrush?”
“I didn’t ask for one.” Le Cheng played dumb. “I was just asking.”
“Oh… Your mom is going out to visit your Third Aunt later. Do you want to go with her?”
“Don’t want to.” Le Cheng shook his head. “I still haven’t finished my drawing.”
“Alright.” Le Shuhai said, “Hurry up and brush your teeth. The soy milk will get cold soon.”
“I know, I know.” Le Cheng hurriedly rinsed his mouth.
As he ate his fried dough stick, Le Cheng eagerly waited for them to leave.
Le Shuhai was about to go to work, and Le Cheng very attentively handed him his bag.
Then, Cao Fanqin finished drawing her eyebrows and was about to head out in a rush as well.
Everything was going incredibly smoothly.
“Ah, I almost forgot!” Cao Fanqin slapped her thigh. “I still need to bring a case of milk.”
Le Cheng froze, only to see Cao Fanqin quickly walk over, passing through the living room. Her destination was clearly his room.
Because of their family tradition, the milk and snacks at home were basically all piled in Le Cheng’s room, under the pretense that they were for the “child.”
His heart suddenly skipped twice. In his panic, Le Cheng shouted, “Don’t—”
Cao Fanqin was startled by him and turned around. “What’s wrong, Chengcheng?”
“Don’t… don’t move.” Le Cheng swallowed hard, his mind racing. “What are you going into my room for?”
“There’s a case of walnut milk. I’m taking it to your Third Aunt.” Cao Fanqin said, “What’s with you, child? Why are you making such a fuss so early in the morning?”
“Mom, you haven’t changed your shoes yet.” Le Cheng quickly put down his bowl. “Go change your shoes first. I’ll get it for you.”
Le Cheng walked up to Cao Fanqin and gently held her shoulders, pushing her back. “My room is really messy from just waking up. I’ll get it for you.”
“Why are you suddenly embarrassed?” Cao Fanqin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Why weren’t you embarrassed before?”
“Ah, I’ve grown up.” Le Cheng felt incredibly guilty. “So I’ll get it for you!”
“Alright, alright.” Cao Fanqin began changing her shoes. “Look at you, caring so much about saving face. You scared your mother. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were hiding something in your room.”
Le Cheng: “…”
Silence.
Le Little Cheng, who really was hiding something, fell silent for a few seconds before giving a dry laugh. “Hahaha, Mom, you’re so funny. How could I possibly be hiding anything? Hahaha.”
The truth was, when people felt awkward, they really did laugh.
Like a rabbit, he “whooshed” the door open and slipped inside. Without having time to look at anything, he grabbed the milk, then shut the door with a “bang.” He jogged back to Cao Fanqin and handed it to her. “Here!”
“Mm, then your dad and I are leaving.” Cao Fanqin said. “Remember to turn off the gas and unplug everything before you go out.”
“I know.” Le Cheng felt a little embarrassed. “I know.”
Normally, there was no one around, but Zhou Shirui was in the house now. Le Cheng didn’t want him to know that he was still treated like a child.
It was too embarrassing.
“And also,” Cao Fanqin continued, “remember what I told you before. When are you going to bring Little Zhou over to visit?”
Le Cheng paused and guiltily picked at his fingers.
Little Zhou… Little Zhou had done much more than just come over for a visit. He was currently lying in his bed.
“I remember.” Le Cheng said. “Soon. Mom, don’t worry.”
“Mm, as long as you take it seriously.” Cao Fanqin said. “At such a young age, you have to learn to be responsible…”
“Mom!” Le Cheng’s face turned red. “Don’t talk nonsense. I really like him!”
“Alright, alright.” Cao Fanqin finally smiled. “You really like him. We’re leaving.”
Le Cheng nodded vigorously.
“Bang—”
The door closed from the outside. Le Cheng hurriedly turned around and opened his bedroom door. Before he could say anything, an arm suddenly wrapped around his waist. The world spun before his eyes as Zhou Shirui held him and pulled him closer.
“Huh?” Le Cheng was a little confused, but he still reached out and touched the other person’s back. “You’re all ready?”
“Mm,” Zhou Shirui said.
“Then go wash up first. Wait ten minutes, and once they’ve left the complex…”
“What you just said.” Zhou Shirui suddenly spoke. “Say it again.”
Le Cheng blinked. “Which sentence?”
“The last one.”
“Oh…” Le Cheng belatedly scratched his cheek. “You heard that?”
“Mm.” Zhou Shirui stared at his face. “Say it again.”
“I really like you.” Le Cheng broke into a smile. “Was it this one?”
His bright eyes curved, his raven-like eyelashes lifting slightly. His expression was immensely infectious, as though it were slowly warming Zhou Shirui’s heart. Zhou Shirui gently nodded. “That one.”
“So…” Zhou Shirui looked at him and asked again, “When are you going to introduce me to your parents?”
“You heard everything, didn’t you?” Le Cheng was a little embarrassed. “I haven’t even gotten around to asking you yet.”
“What should we do?” Zhou Shirui lowered his voice. “I already want it.”
“What?” Le Cheng couldn’t help making a joke. “You’re blocking me at my house to demand a title, aren’t you?”
Zhou Shirui stared at him for a long while before suddenly saying, “Yes.”
“Hm?”
Le Cheng felt him lower his head and kiss his cheek. His voice was very soft and low. “Yes. I came to ask you for a title. I want it so badly I’m going crazy.”
