The sky was not yet fully bright, and the streets were sparsely populated.
Meng Jin sat in the back seat of the car with his eyes closed, resting his mind. During a red light, he casually glanced up and noticed the only shop with its lights on along the roadside a flower shop.
Under the dim morning sky, the warm yellow light cast a gentle glow on the bouquets displayed outside.
Meng Jin’s fingers curled unconsciously. He suddenly remembered that the first bouquet he ever received in his life was from Chen Jiaojiao when he was ten years old.
It was also a cool morning like this. The little child, still small, had chased after him as he was about to leave, panting and holding a bouquet of pink tulips dotted with dew.
“Brother, are you going to a competition?” The child’s eyes sparkled as she lifted the bouquet over her head. “Brother is sure to win!”
Back then, Meng Jin had simply nodded faintly and casually placed the flowers in the entryway.
It wasn’t until he returned home after the competition that he noticed his mother had placed the bouquet in a vase, where it bloomed beautifully.
Later, he learned that Chen Jiaojiao had woken up early that day, still half-asleep but determined to pick flowers as a gift for her brother’s competition.
“Sir,” the driver’s voice interrupted his reverie, “would you like to buy flowers?”
Meng Jin gazed out the window at the warm halo of light and replied softly, “Yes, I’ll go pick some.”
At some point, perhaps many years ago, he had also begun to care about the meanings behind numbers like 521, 1314… These once seemingly tacky numbers now made him pause and choose without thinking.
Today, he selected nine tulips. Without any elaborate packaging, he simply held them in his arms, much like how someone, many years ago on a morning just like this, had barged into his life with a bouquet reckless yet sincere.
Meng Jin never expected to run into the very person he had been thinking about on his way back.
Chen Jiaojiao was equally surprised to encounter Meng Jin here. Due to fragmented memories flashing back during the flight, he hadn’t slept well these past few days. As soon as dawn broke, he took Nian Gao out for a walk.
The morning streets were still quiet. He let go of the leash, allowing Nian Gao to trot ahead while he followed leisurely behind. A cool breeze gently dispersed the gloom that had been weighing on his heart.
“Beep, beep ”
A car horn sounded from behind. Chen Jiaojiao called Nian Gao back and moved closer to the roadside, but the honking continued.
Frowning in annoyance, he turned around, only to freeze when he recognized the person in the car.
Meng Jin rolled down the window, holding a bouquet of dewy tulips, and smiled at him.
Seeing Chen Jiaojiao standing there motionless, Meng Jin raised an eyebrow, pushed the door open, and stepped out. His deep voice carried a hint of laughter. “What’s wrong? Has it only been a few days, and you don’t recognize me anymore?”
He walked step by step toward Chen Jiaojiao, the tulips in his arms swaying gently in the breeze.
Chen Jiaojiao caught the scent of the flowers.
The driver left first, and the three of them their little family strolled back together.
Chen Jiaojiao held the bouquet in his arms, lowered his head to take a sniff, and smiled at the pleasant fragrance. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back earlier?”
He had thought Meng Jin was going to break his promise this time! After all, school started tomorrow.
“If I’d told you, it wouldn’t have been a surprise,” Meng Jin said, walking on the outer side and slowing his pace. His tone was laced with amusement, but then it softened with concern. “Haven’t you been resting well these past few days? You have dark circles under your eyes.”
Chen Jiaojiao touched his own eyes, hesitating to speak. He tugged at Meng Jin’s sleeve, stopping in his tracks to look directly at him. “Meng Jin, do I really have no family left?”
Meng Jin’s eyes darkened, but his expression remained unchanged as he shook his head. “No, did you have another nightmare?”
“I dreamed that I might have an older brother,” Chen Jiaojiao said, frowning as he recalled the scene from the dream. “It felt too real to be fake.”
Meng Jin pressed his lips together tightly, then suddenly raised his hand and swore to the sky, his voice cool and steady. “I swear, everything I, Meng Jin, have said is true. Otherwise, may the heavens ”
Before he could finish, Chen Jiaojiao covered his mouth and made several spitting sounds, sounding anxious. “What nonsense are you saying!”
“Jiaojiao doesn’t believe me,” Meng Jin said, the corners of his mouth twitching as he lowered his gaze, looking as if he had been deeply wronged. He added self-mockingly, “Jiaojiao, is this how you see me in your heart?”
“If you don’t believe me, I can swear a solemn oath.”
Chen Jiaojiao explained, “It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just that the dream felt too real.”
“Then you still don’t believe me,” Meng Jin said, the smile vanishing from his face. His tone turned stiff, the first time he had ever spoken to Chen Jiaojiao in such a manner. “Jiaojiao, why would you think that way?”
Chen Jiaojiao felt somewhat helpless, lowering his head in silence. He couldn’t explain it either, unsure why he felt that way.
After a long pause, Meng Jin wrapped his arms around Chen Jiaojiao, flowers and all. In a place where Chen Jiaojiao couldn’t see, his eyes turned icy and unfathomable, yet his tone remained as gentle as ever. “When we have a break, I’ll take you back to your hometown to see, okay?”
Going back might be good. Once he sees it, he’ll give up.
Unable to see Meng Jin’s expression, Chen Jiaojiao immediately lifted his head. Though his heart was filled with excitement, his face only showed a bit more joy than usual. “Really?”
Meng Jin chuckled softly, pinching his cheek. “When have I ever broken a promise?”
Under the dual influence of Meng Jin’s “solemn oath” and the promise of a trip home during the break, most of Chen Jiaojiao’s doubts and unease dissipated.
However, the scenes from the dream left a lasting impression on Chen Jiaojiao’s mind, lingering like seeds buried deep underground, waiting for the right moment to sprout.
After school started, Chen Jiaojiao became busy, with no extra time to dwell on other matters. He threw himself wholeheartedly into his studies.
The school curriculum wasn’t overly demanding, but due to language barriers, he still struggled a bit. He had to put in extra effort outside of class to study language courses and participated in many extracurricular activities to interact with others.
Chen Jiaojiao specifically asked Meng Jin to buy him an MP3 player, loaded with music and audiobooks. He carried it with him everywhere, even listening to songs while walking his dog, Nian Gao.
An additional desk was placed in the bedroom, facing the windowsill for his convenience.
One day, as usual, he sat there studying, fully immersed and focused, so much so that he didn’t even notice when Meng Jin entered the room.
Lately, not only was he busy, but Meng Jin had also become busier. The most obvious sign was that Meng Jin sometimes didn’t come home for meals and often carried the scent of alcohol.
Chen Jiaojiao was wearing headphones, murmuring to himself, when he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder, followed by the smell of alcohol. He set down his pen and pushed Meng Jin’s forehead away with his index finger. “You smell awful. Go take a shower.”
Meng Jin nuzzled against Chen Jiaojiao’s neck. He had an unavoidable social engagement today, but the people at the table didn’t drink much, and he only had two small glasses himself far from being drunk. He pointed at the textbook on the table. “This is wrong.”
Chen Jiaojiao checked the answer key and realized it was indeed incorrect. He pestered Meng Jin to explain it to him. Meng Jin had a knack for breaking down complex concepts in simple terms, and Chen Jiaojiao quickly grasped it.
As Meng Jin’s deep voice filled the room, perhaps due to the slight intoxication, his tone carried a husky, sensual quality that made Chen Jiaojiao’s mind wander.
“Got it?”
Chen Jiaojiao snapped back to attention and nodded repeatedly. “Got it.”
“Then explain it back to me.” Meng Jin’s amused voice sounded again.
Chen Jiaojiao flushed red but couldn’t manage to say a word. In the end, Meng Jin lightly flicked his forehead and explained it once more.
After finishing, Meng Jin didn’t linger. Instead, he headed straight for the bathroom. Once he left, Chen Jiaojiao lost his focus on studying and went downstairs to personally brew a hangover soup.
When he returned with the soup, the bathroom door was still tightly shut, leaving the room feeling unusually empty. He turned on the projector and casually selected a movie to serve as background noise.
Click!
Just as the movie’s opening credits began, Meng Jin emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe. He leaned lazily against the doorframe, the robe’s belt tied loosely, revealing a glimpse of his firm chest.
His hair was still damp, half-dried from a casual towel rub. Droplets of water slid down his neck and disappeared into the loose collar of his robe.
Chen Jiaojiao picked up the warm hangover soup from the table and handed it over, his brow slightly furrowed. “Don’t drink so much next time.”
Meng Jin took the bowl, tilted his head back, and drained it in one go. He glanced meaningfully at the projector, his Adam’s apple bobbing. As he set the bowl down, he suddenly took a step forward, his warm hand firmly encircling Chen Jiaojiao’s waist and pulling him into an embrace.
“Managing me?” His low voice carried an unfinished smile, mingling with the fresh scent of his post-shower dampness. He seemed to enjoy being looked after by Chen Jiaojiao.
Trapped in his arms, Chen Jiaojiao still held the slightly damp towel. He tried to push away, but when his palm pressed against Meng Jin’s chest, the warmth beneath the fabric made his fingertips tremble, causing him to miss the perfect moment.
“I’m just looking out for you.” Before he could finish, Meng Jin leaned in, their noses almost touching.
“Then look out for me a little more.” His breath brushed against Chen Jiaojiao’s lips, his eyes deep like the sea, enveloping the person before him. “I don’t mind.”
Chen Jiaojiao turned his face away, but the tips of his ears flushed red. Meng Jin, relentless and seizing the advantage, pressed on. His fingers traced Chen Jiaojiao’s burning earlobe, his voice laced with temptation. “Baby, what are you hiding from? What you should do now is close your eyes.”
The air seemed to simmer with heat in every inch of the room. In the midst of the silence, a wet, lingering sound abruptly broke through.
Chen Jiaojiao instinctively looked up and saw that on the screen, the male and female leads were now tightly embraced, their lips locked, as if things were heading in an uncontrollable direction.
“Wait!”
He frantically reached for the remote, but Meng Jin caught his wrist. In a dizzying whirl, Chen Jiaojiao was pressed into the soft bed, his legs forced apart, his shirt pushed up to his chest, revealing a strip of pale, taut waistline.
Their skin pressed together, the scorching heat of their bodies transmitting through the fabric, their heartbeats syncing in rhythm.
As warm breath drew near, he instinctively closed his eyes.
The next second, scorching kisses fell like a sudden downpour. Meng Jin’s kiss carried an undeniable force, meticulously invading his lips.
The base of his tongue was sucked numb. Instinctively, he tried to push back with the tip of his tongue, but unexpectedly, a low groan escaped Meng Jin’s throat. Meng Jin gripped the back of his neck and deepened the kiss, as if wanting to devour him whole.
He gradually relaxed and began to savor the pleasure it brought, until Meng Jin’s calloused fingers slipped beneath his waistband and gave a forceful tug, jolting him back to reality.
Chen Jiaojiao grabbed Meng Jin’s hand, stopping him from moving further, and stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.
Yet Meng Jin only responded with a playful peck, whispering in his ear, “Baby, let me take care of you.”
Then, in a haze of consciousness, he watched as Meng Jin lowered his head, and a shivering wave of ecstasy swept through his entire body.