Jiang Zao saw Bai Yunfan off at the front of the building.
Today had been a pretty great day for Jaing Zao, he’d gone home with a pile of new comics and even thought up an outfit design that fit perfectly with their campus-themed collection.
He was already planning to bring it up at the Monday meeting.
“Well, Zao, I’ll head back first.”
Bai Yunfan waved cheerfully, clutching his R19 comic like a treasure, and walked away humming.
“Bye-bye,” Jiang Zao called, watching him get into his car and drive off. He glanced down at his phone.
He’d originally planned to tell Yunfan about their next meet up three hours ago, but somehow they’d gotten too absorbed in reading. Before he knew it, the sky had gone dark.
What a pain.
Jiang Zao opened his chat with Zhou Yuchi.
【ZaoZaoSleep: [CatPeeking.JPG]】
【ZaoZaoSleep: Where are you?】
Thankfully, the other side responded quickly.
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): Not dead.】
【ZaoZaoSleep: Can you come back now?】
【ZaoZaoSleep: My friend just left.】
Standing by the roadside outside his apartment complex, Jiang Zao took a deep breath of the fresh night air. He’d been holed up inside all day and figured he might as well let his brain air out for a bit.
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): Not convenient.】
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): Pay your debt first.】
Jiang Zao stared at those four cold words, fingers tapping nervously.
【ZaoZaoSleep: I will, of course I will!】
【ZaoZaoSleep: But we agreed! you can’t hit me, and you can’t make me do anything too extreme!】
【ZaoZaoSleep: I have dignity too, you know! You can’t trample on it!】
He sent several messages in a row, but there was no reply. The silence made him uneasy.
After all, he’d seen Zhou Yuchi back in high school, one guy against six, and not holding back at all. A true legend among delinquents.
Jiang Zao rubbed his palms together. The wind was getting colder, and with it, his nerves sharper.
Maybe he should just give Zhou Yuchi the apartment for tonight, he thought. Better to stay alive first and argue later.
His phone buzzed twice.
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): Stop talking nonsense.】
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): Turn around.】
Turn around?
Jiang Zao blinked at the message, then slowly twisted his neck.
A black Maybach was parked just behind him, idling quietly by the curb.
The streetlights were dim, stretching shadows across the asphalt. The man inside was leaning against the car door, window rolled down.
Zhou Yuchi’s eyes lifted toward him, dark, deep, and faintly luminous. One arm rested lazily against the open window.
When their gazes met, Zhou Yuchi crooked a finger at him.
Jiang Zao swallowed hard.
Oh no… was this it? Was he about to be sold off somewhere?
He shuffled toward the car. He’d meant to get in the backseat, but under Zhou Yuchi’s quiet stare, his hand hesitated halfway. After a moment of internal struggle, he obediently opened the front passenger door and sat down.
The man’s expression was unreadable. Sitting next to him, Jiang Zao sneaked glances every few seconds, trying to gauge his mood.
“Seatbelt,” Zhou Yuchi reminded him.
“Oh, right.” Jiang Zao fumbled with the buckle and clicked it in.
Zhou Yuchi pressed the accelerator. The car slid smoothly into the night.
Jiang Zao’s thoughts churned. He still had no idea what this man was up to. At this hour, where could they possibly be going?
The glow of streetlights flickered across Zhou Yuchi’s sharp features, alternating bands of gold and gray gliding over his face, turning him into something distant and untouchable.
His profile looked carved, like porcelain with a glaze that caught the light and vanished again. Jiang Zao wanted to ask where they were going, but before he could open his mouth, a faint smell caught his attention, something familiar, yet different.
It wasn’t the usual blend of cedar and oud that Zhou Yuchi wore, nor that crisp, clean scent like morning dew on cypress leaves.
It was tobacco.
A faint trace, softened by the night air, mixed with moisture and wind until it settled faintly around him, almost gentle.
“You’ve been smoking,” Jiang Zao said suddenly.
Zhou Yuchi didn’t reply, just gave him a sidelong glance.
“I’ve got a good nose,” Jiang Zao continued. “But you didn’t smoke much, did you?”
Hands still steady on the steering wheel, Zhou Yuchi said after a pause, “Got kicked out. Didn’t bring anything to cover the smell.”
Jiang Zao frowned. “Hey, I didn’t kick you out. I said we’d talk about it.”
“Talk,” Zhou Yuchi repeated, his tone dry. He turned his head slightly, eyes unreadable, “That was you talking. I never agreed. You can pay it back slowly.”
Jiang Zao pursed his lips. His patience was saintly, he decided. What other person would let someone like Zhou Yuchi crash at their place so easily?
He huffed and went quiet.
Neither of them spoke for a while. The car rolled on, and ten minutes later, Jiang Zao finally couldn’t stand it anymore, “Where are you taking me?” he asked.
Zhou Yuchi’s answer was calm, “You really want to know?”
“Of course I do! It’s the middle of the night, no moon, no people, you drag me out here saying you’re collecting debts, and I can’t even know where we’re going?”
Zhou Yuchi gave a low hum, “Fair point.”
He turned into a side street, parked, and unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Get out,” he said.
Jiang Zao looked up at the glowing sign outside the window. A movie theater.
Zhou Yuchi wanted to… watch a movie?
His mind instantly jumped to the new horror release. His whole body stiffened, “Oh, no way. You have got to be kidding me! You’re not planning to scare me, are you? You know I can’t stand ghosts! I’m not going in!”
He clutched his seatbelt for dear life, refusing to budge.
The car fell silent.
When Zhou Yuchi didn’t respond, Jiang Zao turned his head and nearly jumped out of his skin.
A shadow loomed over him. The faint brush of fabric whispered near his ear. The overhead light fractured into shards above them.
Zhou Yuchi’s arm slipped around his waist, steady and solid. His shoulder brushed Jiang Zao’s, close enough that Jiang Zao could feel the heat through his clothes. The man’s hand pressed against the seat beside him, sharp bones outlined under smooth skin.
Jiang Zao froze, breath catching.
Zhou Yuchi’s eyes were dark, almost molten in the dim light, gaze fixed straight on him.
The air between them tightened. Jiang Zao’s heartbeat stuttered. He shrank back instinctively, brain gone blank..
Then, *Click*
“What are you thinking?” Zhou Yuchi murmured, his voice low and lazy as he pressed the seatbelt release, “When did I ever say I was going to scare you?”
Jiang Zao stared, speechless.
Too late…. he was already scared.
And embarrassed. He’d read so many novels, and yet he still hadn’t seen through the cliché “lean in just to unbuckle the seatbelt” move.
He glared at Zhou Yuchi, his ears burning red.
Soft and pouty, his expression had no real bite, but it made his annoyance obvious. He looked equal parts shy, irritated, and flustered, all tangled together in a way that somehow made it worse.
Turning away, Jiang Zao opened the door and got out.
Zhou Yuchi followed, and the two of them entered the theater.
It was a private boutique cinema, the kind that catered to the city’s rich young crowd, secluded, quiet, and overpriced.
“I knew it. You’re out to get me,” Jiang Zao sighed at the ridiculous ticket prices, “Fine, fine. Which one do you want to watch?”
“I already bought it,” Zhou Yuchi said, handing him a ticket.
“‘Qi Wang’?” Jiang Zao blinked, surprised. “You bought this one?”
It was the romance film he’d been dying to see for weeks. He’d even posted about it online, gushing over the male lead, tall, sharp-featured, the very picture of charm.
Zhou Yuchi looked at him, eyes pausing briefly on his suddenly bright expression. Then he said, evenly, “Someone wanted to watch it.”
“Huh?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, his voice turned lightly teasing, “Or was it actually ‘The Village Ghost and the Cursed Baby’ you wanted to see?”
“Shut up,” Jiang Zao muttered, smacking his arm. The hit was so soft it barely counted.
Zhou Yuchi laughed under his breath and went to buy snacks, “Coke?”
“Ice cold,” Jiang Zao replied promptly.
When Zhou Yuchi came back with popcorn and drinks, Jiang Zao glanced from the tickets to the single large popcorn bucket in his hands.
Two people. One bucket. One dark theater. A romance film. It was… way too suggestive.
Then again, he reminded himself, straight guys didn’t overthink things like that. It was normal. Totally normal.
They entered the theater. Only one couple was seated a few rows ahead of them.
The lights dimmed. The screen came alive. Jiang Zao couldn’t help glancing at the couple leaning close together. Something about it made the air feel… strange
.
Maybe it was because he’d read that movie-theater manga earlier today, his mind was going places it really shouldn’t.
The movie itself was simple, a good-girl student and a rebellious boy who grew from friends into lovers, saving and softening each other until they finally married.
The male lead was exactly Jiang Zao’s type, clean-cut, confident, a little roguish.
He sipped his Coke and watched.
Now that he thought about it… the guy actually looked a little like Zhou Yuchi. Popular with girls, effortlessly cool, always surrounded by admirers.
Jiang Zao’s mood soured. He stole a few sidelong glances at the real thing sitting beside him.
Zhou Yuchi lounged back in his seat, expression calm, eyes focused on the screen.
He didn’t look particularly entertained, but he was watching quietly. His arm rested against the armrest, fingers loose around the popcorn bucket.
Jiang Zao leaned over, snagging a piece. Sweet caramel. His favorite.
The film was calm, almost sleepy. No twists, no big moments, other than the lead’s face.
Jiang Zao started to drift, slumping lower in his seat. Too lazy to hold the bucket himself, he simply reached over from time to time, fishing out a handful of popcorn.
Zhou Yuchi was really quiet and didn’t come to cause trouble. Jiang Zao was originally worried that this guy was up to some evil intentions to retaliate against him but it seemed that he wasn’t doing that at the moment, so Jiang Zao let down his guard
He kept eating. The popcorn dwindled fast.
Jiang Zao didn’t take his eyes off the big screen. He put his hand into the bucket and tried to scoop out a big handful to eat.
But after touching it for a while, he felt something wrong. It was like he touched a long, warm piece with a bony texture.
The temperature from his fingertips burned Jiang Zao for a moment.
He abruptly pulled his hand back.
Jiang Zao looked up and found that Zhou Yuchi had turned around and was looking at him with a warm gaze.
The dim light in the theater blurred the strong brow bones. The man leaned forward and looked down along the half-closed eyes.
His expression did not change and his tone was the same as usual, but he lowered his voice to match the atmosphere of the theater and curled the corners of his mouth, sounding quite teasing.
“Zao Zao,” he murmured, tone smooth as velvet, “were you planning to eat my hand too?”
Jiang Zao: “……………………………?”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Emergency! Someone feed the translator. 🚨☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · The BossChapter 2 · Childhood FriendChapter 3 · Settlement of AccountChapter 4 · Button UnderwearChapter 5 · Open The DoorChapter 6 · (O△O)!Chapter 7 · Woe to himChapter 8 · Break The JarChapter 9 · Keep your promiseChapter 10 · MovieChapter 11 · Try on clothesChapter 12 · Hide! Hide! HIDE!Chapter 13 · ShameChapter 14 · ProtocolChapter 15 · TraceChapter 16 · What are you nervous about?Chapter 17 · Physical TestChapter 18 · Protect One’s OwnChapter 19 · MassageChapter 20 · BiteChapter 21 · Bring him homeChapter 22 · True LoveChapter 23 · After drinkingChapter 24 · MarketChapter 25 · Temporary TattooChapter 26 · Shooting GameChapter 27 · Escape GameChapter 28 · Terrifying dreamChapter 29 · ExhibitionChapter 30 · Pocky GameChapter 31 · TeasingChapter 32 · Pure scoundrelChapter 33 · Straight menChapter 34 · Gay BarChapter 35 · Lip lickingChapter 36 · Doesn’t seem like a good personChapter 37 · AddictionChapter 38 · Reporting videoChapter 39 · Rough LanguageChapter 40 · Wow!Chapter 41 · Hot spring resort～～Chapter 42 · It looks good!Chapter 43 · Hot SpringChapter 44 · HonestyChapter 45 · VinegarChapter 46 · I’ll keep you companyChapter 47 · Rocking ChairChapter 48 · VileChapter 49 · Losing ComposureChapter 50 · A Guide to Identifying Gay MenChapter 51 · Going HomeChapter 52 · KissChapter 53 · PeckChapter 54 · Pearl Wedding AttireChapter 55 · For No ReasonChapter 56 · Stop CalculatingChapter 57 · HandcuffsChapter 58 · Too FarChapter 59 · The MuzzleChapter 60 · Taking It FurtherChapter 61 · Does kissing feel good?Chapter 62 · HmmChapter 63 · GuidanceChapter 64 · VideoChapter 65 · No ProblemChapter 66 · Come DownChapter 67 · Is That All?Chapter 68 · HmphChapter 69 · Applying MedicineChapter 70 · ToysChapter 71 · BathroomChapter 72 · PlacementChapter 73 · WaitingChapter 74 · LoveChapter 75 · StarsChapter 76 · RoommateChapter 77 · BoyfriendChapter 78 · MouthChapter 79 · MidsummerChapter 80 · Aeroplane ChessChapter 81 · Ice CubesChapter 82 · All Night LongChapter 83 · SleepChapter 84 · The Alt AccountChapter 85 · End of the Main StoryChapter 86 · Extra 1Chapter 87 · Extra 2Chapter 88 · Extra 3Chapter 89 · Extra 4Chapter 90 · Extra 5Chapter 91 · Extra 6Chapter 92 · Extra 7Chapter 93 · Extra 8Chapter 94 · Extra 9Chapter 95 · Extra 10Chapter 96 · Extra 11