After letting out that whistle, Zhou Fan stood his ground with a smile while waiting for the boy to show a look of pleasant surprise. To his surprise, Chi Hanqing seemed dazed and stood still while staring straight at him as if he had lost his wits. Feeling a bit helpless, Zhou Fan stepped forward and hooked an arm around the shoulder of Chi Hanqing to pull him into his embrace.
Zhou Fan asked if the boy was stunned and flicked his finger lightly against the cheek of Chi Hanqing. Chi Hanqing reached up and grabbed the hand of Zhou Fan while asking why he was there. Zhou Fan laughed and asked if the boy had not mentioned he had a violin lesson. He noted there was only one residential complex in the area, so it was quite easy to find.
Chi Hanqing shook his head and tightened his grip on the fingers of Zhou Fan. He whispered that he had no way to go on a date. Zhou Fan heard the panic in his voice and found it somewhat amusing. He patted him and noted it was fine because he just wanted to see him for a moment. He asked if the other boy did not want to see him.
A sudden surge of bitterness rushed to the nose and eyes of Chi Hanqing. He closed his eyes and confirmed that he did. Zhou Fan said he did not come for nothing and offered to walk him to the home of his teacher.
The walk to the teacher’s home was very short. Chi Hanqing did not even have time to gather his thoughts before they arrived. He gripped the hand of Zhou Fan tightly because he was unwilling to ring the doorbell. Zhou Fan seemed to read his mind. He smiled and glanced around to make sure no one was watching then leaned down and kissed his lips. He teased the teeth apart as the sweet and sour taste of orange candy spread between them.
Chi Hanqing instinctively grabbed the hem of the tracksuit of Zhou Fan while he felt something being pushed into his mouth by the tongue of the other man. He opened his mouth and found an orange candy that was half-melted from being held in the mouth of Zhou Fan. A few minutes later, Chi Hanqing rang the doorbell just as he was about to be late. The violin teacher opened the door with a smile and asked why he was a bit late today. The face of Chi Hanqing carried an unnatural flush, and his lips were swollen from the kiss. Afraid of being found out, he kept his head down and noted he had sat outside for a while. The teacher understood the situation at the Chi home and did not press further.
Zhou Fan walked back down the stairs while licking his lips. The sweet taste of the young master mixed with the orange candy seemed to linger on his tongue. He had not expected to be this impulsive. However, the disappointment Chi Hanqing had shown in his texts yesterday had driven him to wait there just for a brief meeting and a kiss. It felt like a shared emotion where if the other boy was down, he felt down as well.
His phone rang, and he saw it was a call from Dai Lin. Zhou Fan answered, and Dai Lin spoke urgently as soon as the call connected. He noted he had asked his father about the family of Chi Hanqing. Zhou Fan asked if he had found anything.
Dai Lin confirmed that the father was the director of Chihui Group and the mother was a major shareholder of the Jiang Group. He mentioned Chi Hanqing was an only child. Dai Lin took a breath and told Zhou Fan that this person was truly someone he could not touch. He noted the parents were not to be trifled with and that their control over him was almost pathological. He warned that if the relationship were discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable. He urged Zhou Fan to break it off while he still could.
As an outsider, Dai Lin saw that the attitude of Zhou Fan toward Chi Hanqing was different from his past flings, which was why he offered the warning. Zhou Fan thought back to how Chi Hanqing had looked when entering the complex. He had seemed hurried and fearful as if escaping a pursuer. Zhou Fan wondered if he was hiding from his parents and realized that life as a wealthy young master was not that easy.
Dai Lin called out when he received no reply. Zhou Fan said slowly that since the parents were so strict, he wondered why they would let him transfer to their school and class in his senior year. Dai Lin fell silent because he was unable to provide a logical answer. Zhou Fan requested that he dig around a bit more. Dai Lin agreed but reiterated that Zhou Fan should break up while it was still possible.
Zhou Fan laughed and asked if he sounded like someone ready to swear eternal love. He noted he knew what he was doing and asked if the other man really thought he was the type for long-term commitment. Dai Lin sighed because he felt that if Zhou Fan really felt the same way about Chi Hanqing as his previous boyfriends, he would not have said so much.
After hanging up, Zhou Fan walked past the wire fence of the basketball court. He arched an eyebrow and looked inside. This was where Chi Hanqing had stood while watching him from the outside. He wondered what the boy had been thinking at that time. Remembering how the young master had fallen for him made him smile as the words from the love letter surfaced in his mind.
He could not have understood why Chi Hanqing called himself a soul-less shell before. However, knowing about his parents now, he began to understand. Having grown up in a happy and open home, Zhou Fan could not imagine what life was like in such a household. He let out a soft sigh.
The three-hour violin lesson ended quickly. As Chi Hanqing packed his things, the teacher asked if his parents would attend his performance next week. He paused and noted they would not. The teacher was a concertmaster for a well-known orchestra who had taken him on as a student partly for his talent and partly due to his parents’ influence. Whenever there was a performance opportunity, the teacher let him play. Even his parents did not block such things although they were usually too busy to attend. His driver would only wait outside.
Chi Hanqing realized he could meet Zhou Fan that day. He turned around and asked the teacher for a ticket for a friend who wanted to see the performance. The teacher smiled and noted this was the first time he had asked for a ticket. He asked if the boy had made a new friend, and Chi Hanqing gave a muffled confirmation. After leaving the house with the ticket, Chi Hanqing realized he had prepared everything without even asking if Zhou Fan was willing to come. He decided to ask him that night.
Zhou Fan was leaning against the entrance of the building with a cup of milk tea. He looked like he had been waiting for a while. Chi Hanqing asked breathlessly why he was still there. Zhou Fan stepped forward and held the milk tea to the lips of the boy. He asked if the boy wanted a taste.
Chi Hanqing took a sip of the sweet chocolate flavor. His mind was in a whirl as he wondered if Zhou Fan had been waiting for him the entire time. Zhou Fan was about to ask about his family, but the young master suddenly lowered his head and wiped his eyes after the sip of tea. Zhou Fan was shocked and wondered if the boy was crying because of the tea. He hurriedly pulled a tissue from his pocket and handed it over.
Chi Hanqing wiped his eyes and handed the ticket to Zhou Fan. He mentioned he had a violin performance next week. He added that his parents would not be there and that his part was short. He noted that after it ended, he would have a little time for a date. Zhou Fan took the ticket. Chi Hanqing asked softly if he would come.
Zhou Fan pinched the cheek of the boy with a laugh and confirmed he would go since it was his boyfriend’s performance. Seeing the red eyes of Chi Hanqing, he stepped closer and kissed his eyelid. He noted the boy looked cold but was actually a little crybaby. Chi Hanqing closed his eyes and let Zhou Fan kiss his tear-stained lashes. He thought to himself that he was only like this in front of Zhou Fan.
When Zhou Fan returned home, his father was busy in the kitchen while his mother played with blocks with Miaomiao. Miaomiao saw him and reached out for a hug. Zhou Fan picked her up and spun her around while asking if she missed him. She hugged his neck and noted that he smelled good. He asked if he really did, and she noted it smelled nice and different from how he used to smell.
Zhou Fan figured it must be the scent from Chi Hanqing. He could not name the fragrance but found it comfortable. He teased Miaomiao about her puppy nose and put her back down before sitting on the sofa. He sent a text to Chi Hanqing to ask if he was home. Chi Hanqing did not reply immediately, but Zhou Fan was not in a hurry since he knew the boy was slow to text back.
His mother asked suddenly while helping Miaomiao build a castle if he was in a relationship. Zhou Fan nearly choked on his own saliva. He asked why she said that. She smiled and noted it was too obvious. She asked if this new boyfriend was very handsome since she had never seen him this invested before. Zhou Fan gave a muffled response and gave up on the act. He decided to give her a heads-up and noted the family was very strict and the parents were not to be trifled with.
His mother noted she understood and would be mentally prepared for when Teacher Jiang called her to the school. Zhou Fan laughed. He pulled out the ticket Chi Hanqing had given him and looked at the time and location. He knew the young master would look beautiful while playing the violin.