Just past seven in the morning, the doorbell rang.
With a look of exhaustion on his face, Xu Yizhu dragged his weary body up from bed and sluggishly opened the door. He saw Ji Xie dressed up like a peacock trying to court a mate, standing at the doorway and greeting him with a smile.
“Good morning, Teacher Xu.”
Along with a stolen morning kiss.
Lifting his gaze, Xu Yizhu noticed dark circles under his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was heavy with unawakened sleepiness and annoyance. “Do you want to check what time it is?”
Xu Yizhu had spent the previous night coding past three in the morning, and by the time he finally collapsed into bed, it was already past four.
Having been rudely awakened after sleeping for a mere three hours, he felt like committing murder at that exact moment.
Pushing him forward, Ji Xie ushered him inside and closed the door behind them.
Xu Yizhu was nudged all the way back to his bedroom. Supporting him as he sat on the edge of the bed, Ji Xie coaxed ingratiatingly, “Then you sleep a bit more, I’ll go make breakfast for you.”
Being a light sleeper, Xu Yizhu would wake up instantly at the slightest noise. If Ji Xie cooked breakfast, there was bound to be sound.
Pondering for a moment, he replied dejectedly, “I won’t sleep anymore.”
Noticing his gloomy expression, Ji Xie sat down beside him and asked softly, “Did I wake you?”
Shaking his head, Xu Yizhu didn’t want Ji Xie to misunderstand, so he explained, “I’m a light sleeper. Once I wake up, I can’t fall back asleep.”
“Does this happen often? Or has it always been like this?”
Frowning, Ji Xie wore a deep expression.
He knew Xu Yizhu stayed up late, assuming it was simply because inspiration struck more easily in the dead of night.
During the previous two times, Xu Yizhu had slept relatively soundly by his side, which was why he hadn’t noticed anything amiss.
With an air of indifference, Xu Yizhu said, “Just a minor flaw, I’m used to it.”
Still looking grave, Ji Xie said seriously, “You slept pretty soundly the last two times.”
Looking bewildered, Xu Yizhu replied, “Huh?”
“Why don’t you move in and sleep with me?” Ji Xie suggested. “If you can’t sleep, we can do-”
Realizing what he was about to say next was utterly unprintable, Xu Yizhu quickly shot out a hand to clamp over Ji Xie’s mouth, warning him, “Stop! That part needs to be censored!”
Ji Xie blinked a pair of innocent, questioning eyes at him.
Releasing his hand with an awkward expression, Xu Yizhu stated, “I am not moving in, and you are not allowed to bring it up again.”
Seeing right through him without calling him out, Ji Xie deliberately teased, “Are you trying to ban me from talking about love?”
Massaging his temples in speechlessness, Xu Yizhu forced a stiff smile. “Do you have zero attachment to remaining among the living?”
Raising an eyebrow, Ji Xie’s suave persona remained as steady as a mountain.
After being bantered and teased by Ji Xie early in the morning for a good while, Xu Yizhu’s lingering irritation from sleep deprivation finally dissipated.
After breakfast, under the pretext of demanding payment for the meal, Ji Xie lingered and cuddled affectionately with Xu Yizhu for a long time. It was not until nine o’clock that he watched Xu Yizhu change his clothes so they could head out together to drop Ji Xie’s parents off at the airport.
On the way to the airport, noticing that Xu Yizhu was wearing a face mask, Ji Xie’s mother asked with concern, “Xiaoxu, what’s wrong? Why are you wearing a mask?”
The tips of Xu Yizhu’s ears turned slightly red as he answered unnaturally, “I caught a bit of a cold from the chilly weather yesterday.”
Hearing him spin such a solemn, straight-faced lie, Ji Xie bit his lip to suppress a smile.
Taking it at face value, Ji Xie’s mother repeatedly exhorted him, “I told you yesterday to make sure to keep warm. You young people never cherish your own bodies, and you’ll suffer all the more when you’re older.”
Unbothered by her fussing, Ji Xie’s father chimed in to refute her, “Boys aren’t that fragile. You’re just borrowing trouble and worrying over nothing.”
Growing displeased, Ji Xie’s mother started bickering with him nonstop. “Does this old man feel miserable if he doesn’t argue with me for a single day?”
Humping softly, she turned to Xu Yizhu and said, “Xiaozhu, I don’t want this old man anymore. I’ll sell him to you for five yuan.”
Ji Xie’s father: “…”
Listening to the two of them bicker, the smile at the corners of Xu Yizhu’s lips deepened. The entire atmosphere around him seemed bathed in a layer of warm sunlight.
The airport was a churning river of arrivals and departures. This was the place where genuine human emotions flowed most freely.
There was the joy of long-awaited reunions, the regret of parting ways, and the current reluctance of lingering farewells.
“Son, since we won’t be by your side, make sure you take good care of yourself, you hear?” Ji Xie’s mother glanced back at Xu Yizhu. “And take good care of Xiaozhu too, understand?”
Pulling her affectionately into a side hug, Ji Xie spoke in a gentle tone, “Don’t worry Mom, we’ll take care of ourselves, and you and Dad should watch your health too. When the New Year comes around, Yizhu and I will come visit you.”
“Really?” Ji Xie’s mother asked. “You’ll bring Xiaozhu with you?”
Hurt by her differential treatment, Ji Xie deliberately teased, “Nope, fake news, I’m coming alone.”
“Oh, well then you might as well just stay here, plane tickets are so expensive.” Hearing that he wouldn’t bring Xu Yizhu, her attitude instantly grew much colder.
Unable whether to laugh or cry, Ji Xie realized he had no way of dealing with her.
Xu Yizhu chimed in, “Auntie, I’ll go visit you and Uncle whenever I have the chance, so you don’t need to worry about us.”
“Good, good, good!” Patting his hand with a gratified expression, Ji Xie’s mother beamed.
Pushing their luggage all the way to the security checkpoint, Ji Xie gave his mother another parting hug.
“I’ll come back to see you and Dad whenever I have time, don’t worry about me.”
Smiling, Ji Xie’s mother nodded, trying hard to blink back her tears. Consoling her, Ji Xie’s father said, “Alright now, stop upsetting yourself. Didn’t the boy promise to come back for the New Year?”
Still feeling sad, Ji Xie’s mother took it out on him. “You old fogey, you don’t care about our son at all.”
Humoring her, Ji Xie’s father coaxed, “He’s a grown man, he can take care of himself. Besides, you still have Xiaozhu here keeping an eye on him for you.”
Checking his watch, Ji Xie’s father reminded her, “If we don’t go now, we won’t get to see Dumpling tomorrow morning.”
Dumpling was the herding dog Ji Xie’s mother kept at home.
Ji Xie’s mother exclaimed, “Oh right, then let’s go.”
Ji Xie: “…”
Maternal love existed, but only in modest quantities.
Pacified and cheered up by Ji Xie’s father, she waved goodbye to them. “Goodbye Xiaoxu! Goodbye son!”
And with that, the couple dragged their luggage away briskly without ever looking back.
Watching Ji Xie standing all alone at the security checkpoint like a pitiful, abandoned puppy discarded ruthlessly by his parents with no home to return to,
Xu Yizhu stepped forward, took his hand, and smiled softly. “Let’s go, Boss Ji, I’m taking you home.”
Xu Yizhu’s fingers threaded through the gaps in his, locking their fingers tightly together.
Lowering his gaze, Ji Xie stared at their intertwined hands, the dark clouds in his heart instantly scattering to reveal warm, pleasant sunshine.
“How could I forget that I have a boyfriend I worked so hard to chase after?” His gaze was as gentle as a feather brushing against the heartstrings, light and tickling, laced with a hint of small triumph.
“Let’s go, your boyfriend is taking you on a date!”
Xu Yizhu agreed, “Alright.”
Thinking it was just a passing remark said on a whim, Xu Yizhu never expected that Ji Xie would actually take him out on a date.
Only…
Why on earth did a date involve visiting a flower and bird market?
Standing before a pair of peach-faced lovebirds while Ji Xie haggled with the vendor, Xu Yizhu felt profoundly shell-shocked.
Giving Ji Xie’s sleeve a light tug, he asked, “Care to explain, Boss Ji?”
Noticing his sleeve being pulled, Ji Xie stopped and turned back to look at him. “What’s wrong? You don’t like them?”
Xu Yizhu offered a dry chuckle. “What do you think?”
Ji Xie explained, “Since you refuse to move in with me, I figured I’d buy a couple of little birds to keep you company.”
His tone was brimming with absolute righteousness, matter-of-factness, and a pitiful wronged air.
“I don’t like them,” Xu Yizhu said. “I like peace and quiet, these are way too noisy.”
Reflecting on it for a moment, Ji Xie realized he had a point. Xu Yizhu was a light sleeper, and if these two clueless birds started squawking in the middle of the night… At that thought, Ji Xie instantly vetoed his previous idea.
“Boss, forget the parrots. Do you have any pretty little fish? Give me a couple of those.”
The vendor had grown hoarse arguing prices with him, but upon hearing him change his mind yet again, he let out a resigned sigh. “Next time, make sure you actually want to buy before we negotiate prices!”
Looking slightly embarrassed, Ji Xie agreed readily, “Deal!”
Guiding the two of them deeper into the shop, the vendor revealed rows upon rows of aquariums of various sizes.
Housing over a hundred species of fish, the dazzling array left them spoiled for choice. Eventually, they selected a pair of Mandarinfish fighting fish with gorgeous tails that were relatively easy to keep.
Noticing that Xu Yizhu liked them, Ji Xie paid promptly without hesitation, and even bought a compact aquarium along with some fish food, arranging for the vendor to have everything delivered to their home.
With the fish purchased, the two of them wandered around casually for a bit.
Holding his hand, Ji Xie strolled leisurely through the bustling streets, tilting his head closer as he laid out the itinerary for the day.
“Later on we’ll go have lunch first. I also bought two theater tickets, we can go catch a show. Then tonight I’ll take you to the bar for a light drink, how does that sound?”
Having no idea what daily life between a couple typically looked like and unable to offer any constructive ideas, Xu Yizhu simply went along with whatever he planned.
“I’m fine with whatever you say, I’m easy.”
Such a simple sentence deeply pleased Ji Xie. Unable to resist, he dropped a quick kiss on Xu Yizhu’s cheek and praised, “Teacher Xu is truly wonderful, you really did take to heart what I said yesterday.”
Xu Yizhu remained silent.
As lanterns began to glow and night started to descend,
Ji Xie brought Xu Yizhu to Scarlet, instructing the bartender to mix a low-proof cocktail for him.
“Do you want to hang out by yourself for a bit, or come around with me?” Ji Xie asked him.
Sitting at the bar counter, Xu Yizhu took a small sip of his drink and replied, “I’ll wait for you.”
Smiling, Ji Xie leaned in to kiss his alcohol-stained lips, savoring the taste before remarking, “Not bad.”
Blushing with embarrassment, Xu Yizhu shooed him away. “Go on, don’t stand here being an eyesore.”
It didn’t take long before Ji Xie finished exchanging pleasantries with a few familiar regular patrons and returned.
Xu Yizhu asked, “Back already?”
Seating himself beside him, Ji Xie casually picked up a glass of whiskey. “I was afraid you’d be bored, plus there wasn’t much going on anyway.”
His fingers were slender and his knuckles distinct. Holding the glass made the crystal cup look like a mere accessory to his hands.
Xu Yizhu found himself mesmerized, snapping out of it only when the crystal glass in Ji Xie’s hand clicked crisply against his own.
Feigning ignorance, Ji Xie asked, “What is Teacher Xu looking at?”
“Your hands.”
“Anything wrong with them?”
“They look nice.”
With a pleasant haze clouding his brain, whether from the alcohol or something else entirely, Xu Yizhu found that Ji Xie possessed a different kind of captivating allure at this very moment.
Jet-black buzz cut, sharp facial features, deep eyes like stars, slightly parting thin lips, and a scent that was clean and crisp.
Every single detail set Xu Yizhu’s heart fluttering wildly.
Seeming quite pleased by his straightforward praise, Ji Xie raised his glass high and announced to the room, “Everyone, the boss is officially single no longer, half off for everyone tonight!”
Hearing Ji Xie’s announcement, the patrons in the bar erupted into cheers. Some whistled in congratulations, while others clapped and cheered.
“Woohoo”
“Congratulations, Boss Ji!”
“Aren’t the boss going to kiss!”
Stirring up trouble for the thrill of it, the onlookers started egging them on.
Overwhelmed with shyness, Xu Yizhu tried to make a run for it, but Ji Xie pulled him firmly into his arms and planted a kiss right on his lips.
While the surrounding commotion lingered on, Xu Yizhu felt his mind spin into a daze from the kiss.
Once it finally ended, he buried his face straight into Ji Xie’s chest, too mortified to face anyone.
A muffled voice drifted out from against his chest. “Don’t ever do that again next time, I’m mad.”
Hearing this, Ji Xie laughed out loud. “I was just too happy, what’s wrong with showing a little affection?”
Xu Yizhu: “…”
Obviously, it was because he was too embarrassed to show his face in public!