Entering Mu Nian’s home for the second time, Bai Shijin was clearly much less reserved than the first time around, almost as if he were walking through his own house.
He pulled out the guest slippers he had worn last time from the shoe cabinet, moving as fluently as though he lived there.
Mu Nian went to his room to fetch a towel and a bathrobe, handing them to his visitor as he said, “They are both brand new. You have been out in the cold wind for so long, so take a hot shower and get a good night’s sleep.”
Even though Bai Shijin treated the place like his own home, he still politely thanked Mu Nian, took the items, and headed toward the bathroom.
Mu Nian had already drawn most of the design draft for the second version of the clothes. He took out his iPad wanting to make a few minor tweaks, but the sound of rushing water echoed from the bathroom.
Perhaps because the environment was too noisy, Mu Nian stared at the screen for a long time without managing to fix anything. Knowing he could not settle his mind, he simply tossed the iPad aside.
Whenever his mind was in turmoil, Mu Nian usually went to chat with Not A Valley. Although Not A Valley spoke very little, every single reply was surprisingly healing, able to calm his restless and chaotic heart.
Although sometimes Not A Valley could also be quite baffling, like asking if he had a lighter or photoshopping a green hat onto a puppy’s head.
Wait, a lighter?
Mu Nian furrowed his brows. Earlier, Bai Shijin seemed to have mentioned something about a lighter as well.
Could it be that Not A Valley really wasn’t very old? He should be around the same age as Bai Shijin, right?
Thinking of this, Mu Nian took out his phone and sent a message to Not A Valley.
[Are you asleep?]
As soon as it sent, the phone on the desk gave a ding.
[?]
Oh, that was Bai Shijin’s phone.
Mu Nian didn’t think much of it, waiting on the chat interface for a response. Ten minutes passed, and Not A Valley didn’t reply.
Usually, he replied in seconds.
Mu Nian blinked, wondering if his opening line had been too perfunctory, so he sent another message: [Let me ask you something.]
Bai Shijin’s phone chimed.
[How old are you?]
Bai Shijin’s phone chimed.
Hmm? Was it a coincidence? Why did Bai Shijin’s phone chime every single time he sent a message?
Fearing there might be an important notification, Mu Nian was just about to reach over and take a look when Bai Shijin walked out of the bathroom.
He was wearing the white bathrobe Mu Nian had given him, the belt at his waist tied loosely, leaving a large expanse of cold, pale chest exposed to the air. Unwiped droplets of water slid down his neck, falling into the hidden folds below.
Mu Nian swallowed hard and instantly averted his gaze. “Your phone keeps ringing. You should check if there are any important messages.”
Drying his hair, Bai Shijin walked closer to the sofa, his chest brushing against Mu Nian’s back as he picked up the phone.
As their presence drew close, Mu Nian caught that unique, fresh scent belonging to Bai Shijin once again. A touch of dampness brushed against his back before they parted.
Mu Nian felt his face growing warm.
Unlocking his phone and seeing the messages sent by Mu Nian, Bai Shijin’s heart tightened.
He couldn’t have figured it out, could he?
If Mu Nian found out he was Not A Valley, wouldn’t that expose the dirty, hidden little feelings he had harbored for so long?
Casually, Bai Shijin typed back [20], and Mu Nian’s phone chimed.
Mu Nian always felt something was a bit off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.
Withdrawing his phone, Bai Shijin asked quite naturally, “Brother Mu, I don’t have class tomorrow morning. Can I go to the company with you? Since you’re heading to work in the morning, can you give me a ride?”
“Are you stating the obvious? We are heading the same way, how could I not give you a ride?”
Bai Shijin bit his lip and smiled. “Then, goodnight?”
“Alright, go get some sleep early.”
When Bai Shijin went into the guest bedroom, Mu Nian took out his phone to reply: [You’re so young. Are you still in college?]
Not A Valley: [Mm.]
That meant he was the same age as Bai Shijin and Qin Fan.
At first, Mu Nian had assumed he was a client or a potential client, but if he was only twenty years old, surely he couldn’t have a client that young, let alone a college student.
Besides, all their usual chats had nothing to do with work.
Where on earth did this Not A Valley pop up from, and what was his motive for constantly caring about him?
Filled with curiosity, Mu Nian edited a message: [I feel we hit it off, and I’ve never asked who you are. How did you add me on WeChat? Do we know each other in real life?]
The other party was typing. For a long time, Mu Nian received no new reply.
Sighing, he placed his phone on the desk and prepared to fetch some water to take his medicine.
The water dispenser was right by the doorway of the guest room, and Mu Nian could faintly hear the patter of Bai Shijin typing away.
Who on earth was he messaging so late at night?
A girlfriend?
Bai Shijin was so good-looking and always ranked first; many people must like him.
Yet he didn’t seem to recall Bai Shijin ever mentioning a girlfriend.
With his cup filled to the brim and his mind completely occupied by thoughts of Bai Shijin, Mu Nian wasn’t paying attention when the scalding hot water burned his palm. He let out a gasp, dropping the cup into a shattered mess as boiling water splashed all over him.
Hearing the commotion, Bai Shijin rushed out of the room barefooted. Seeing Mu Nian’s burned, reddened fingers, his eyelashes fluttered. Without a second thought, he pulled Mu Nian’s hand straight over and took the fingers into his mouth.
A cool sensation washed over his fingers, causing Mu Nian to involuntarily shudder as his fingertips accidentally brushed against Bai Shijin’s soft, smooth tongue.
A jolt ran through Mu Nian. Heat rushed up from his chest, and he quickly pulled his fingers away.
“I’m sorry.”
As if waking from a dream, Bai Shijin finally realized how overly intimate his action had been. “When I was little, whenever I got burned, my mom would let me put it in my mouth, and it would feel better.”
Mu Nian was at a loss for words, his water-soaked fingertips red and swollen as they hung stiffly in the air.
Pulling him along, Bai Shijin led him to the kitchen and soaked his hand in cold water for a while.
“Does it still hurt?”
Mu Nian always felt the atmosphere was strange. He shook his head. “I’m already this old. What is there to be afraid of?”
Bai Shijin replied, “No matter how old you are, being afraid of pain isn’t embarrassing. Is there any ointment at home?”
“There is a small medical kit underneath the TV cabinet. Go look for it.”
Turning around immediately, Bai Shijin searched through it for a long time until he felt a tube of burn ointment at the bottom of the box. Checking the expiration date to confirm it wasn’t expired, he applied it to Mu Nian’s hand.
As Bai Shijin concentrated on applying medicine to his hand right in front of him, Mu Nian felt an itch in his heart and inexplicably asked, “Shijin, are you straight?”
Bai Shijin’s hand paused. “Why did you suddenly ask that?”
“Don’t overthink it, I’m just curious. Given your great conditions, I’ve never really heard you mention girls.”
“No.”
“What?”
Raising his gaze, Bai Shijin answered, “I’m not straight.”
Mu Nian’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he pulled his finger away from Bai Shijin’s grasp. “You like guys?”
“Mm.”
Silently for a moment, Mu Nian said, “You’re still so young. How do you know you like guys? What if you just haven’t met a girl who makes your heart flutter yet?”
“Probably because,” Bai Shijin’s heart fluttered with trepidation as he stared intently at Mu Nian, “because before I ever met a girl who made my heart flutter, I met a boy who did.”