Chapter 27
“Wait a minute,” Jiang Zhong said with some interest, “Can I ask which college you’re from?”
“Design and Art,” Peng Siyuan replied.
“Oh,” Jiang Zhong nodded, understanding why now.
“However,” Peng Siyuan continued, “I’m quite surprised that Brother Qin is in a relationship with his roommate.”
“Why?” Jiang Zhong asked.
“Because I always thought his relationship with you guys was not good,” Peng Siyuan remarked with some emotion, “During freshman year, he never mentioned his roommates. When we first met, I thought he called me to take him to the campus hospital because he was injured and had no one to care for him. I didn’t realize he was worried about you.”
Jiang Zhong glanced at Xi Qin, moved by hearing from a third person how Xi Qin cared for him, which was different from his own feelings but still profoundly touching.
He felt a bit happy and a bit of indescribable heartache.
“We don’t have a bad relationship,” Jiang Zhong explained, “It’s just that Xi Qin didn’t interact much with us during freshman year. I thought he didn’t like communal living at school, but later I realized he was just afraid of disturbing us during his livestreams.”
“No, no, no,” Peng Siyuan shook his head in a pretentious manner, seizing the opportunity to settle a personal score with Xi Qin, “Not wanting to disturb you is one thing, but he’s also truly unsuited for communal living. Someone as reclusive, indifferent, emotionally inept, and socially awkward as him…”
Jiang Zhong and Xi Qin exchanged a silent glance, both expressing a “What is this person talking about?” look.
Peng Siyuan: “…”
“Forget it, pretend I didn’t say anything,” Peng Siyuan said self-deprecatingly, “I’m just here for some self-torture.”
After dinner, Xi Qin, without complaint, took on the task of washing the dishes.
Jiang Zhong felt a bit guilty and strongly insisted on doing the washing himself, but Xi Qin managed to coax him out of the kitchen, sitting back at the dining table to chat with Peng Siyuan, who seemed oblivious and deaf to the discussion.
Don’t ask why they chatted at the dining table, it’s because Xi Qin’s place rarely had guests, and there was no sofa.
The only other place to sit and chat, aside from the dining table, was the moderately-sized bay window outside the living room.
Squeezing onto the bay window with a guy he had only seen twice, who was also his boyfriend’s friend… Jiang Zhong couldn’t imagine that scene.
It seemed Peng Siyuan wouldn’t want to go there either.
Peng Siyuan, having benefited from Jiang Zhong’s hospitality, enjoyed a good meal and then watched as Jiang Zhong and Xi Qin competed to wash the dishes, while he remained motionless.
He wasn’t entirely comfortable with it, though.
But he knew that if he said, “Let me wash the dishes,” Xi Qin would definitely say, “Sure, you do it,” without any hesitation.
Jiang Zhong’s treatment was something he would never experience with Xi Qin in his lifetime.
Ironically, the household chore he hated most in life was washing dishes!
When Xi Qin used to visit his home, Peng Siyuan’s mother was often “tricked” by Xi Qin into making Peng Siyuan wash the dishes, and he had no reason to resist.
So, Peng Siyuan, who had long been “harboring resentment,” could only force himself to play dumb and avoid mentioning the words “let me wash” while facing Jiang Zhong’s resentful gaze.
After a long silence, Peng Siyuan couldn’t stand Jiang Zhong’s unspoken “how could you be so shameless” look any longer.
So Peng Siyuan racked his brain to come up with something to shift Jiang Zhong’s attention: “How long have you and Brother Qin been together?”
“…A little over half a month,” Jiang Zhong indeed looked away from his subtle glances and turned to watch Xi Qin, who was washing the dishes in an apron.
“That’s pretty short,” Peng Siyuan was a bit surprised, “I thought you two had been together for at least two months.”
“Why?”
“It just seems like you look at each other with…” Peng Siyuan thought for a moment, “How should I put it? You seem very in sync, not like a couple that just started dating.”
“Is that so?”
Jiang Zhong didn’t feel that way at all, he often felt fluttery and nervous because of Xi Qin’s words and actions. Isn’t this exactly because they haven’t been together for long?
“So what are couples who have just started dating like?” Jiang Zhong asked out of curiosity.
This was Peng Siyuan’s area of expertise, and he explained with ease: “Couples who have just started dating tend to shy away and feel embarrassed when they make eye contact, they get nervous and blush during physical contact, they sneak glances at each other when others are around, and their tone of voice is a bit more polite. They only show their most comfortable selves once they get more familiar…”
Jiang Zhong: “…”
So this person is actually a relationship expert.
Peng Siyuan rambled on and on, then downed half a glass of water, finally summarizing: “I think you and Brother Qin are in a stage beyond the initial phase of dating and have moved into a more familiar stage.”
“Maybe it’s because we’ve been roommates,” Jiang Zhong said, “So we’ve known each other for a longer time.”
“No,” Peng Siyuan, the so-called ‘relationship master,’ firmly denied, “It’s not so easy for friends to become lovers. In that case, the two people might continue their previous interaction patterns. Generally speaking, you wouldn’t see the intense affection you two have, unless…”
“Unless what?” Jiang Zhong asked cooperatively.
Peng Siyuan took another gulp of the remaining half-glass of water and said mysteriously: “Unless, the two people were never just friends. One or both of them had been interested in the other for a long time, and their earlier interactions were just a pretense of friendship to get closer.”
Jiang Zhong gave Peng Siyuan a thumbs-up in admiration.
Maybe it was because he had preconceived notions, but Peng Siyuan’s theories on the “early stages of dating” and “pretending to be friends” felt quite fitting for his situation.
He had indeed been secretly interested in Xi Qin for quite some time, and before he knew Xi Qin liked men too, he had been getting closer to Xi Qin under the pretense of being roommates.
And wasn’t Xi Qin the same?
Jiang Zhong remembered that Xi Qin had said he had been interested in him for a long time, with a comment that it was “longer than you think.”
So, how much longer than he thought?
“How long have you known Xi Qin?” Jiang Zhong asked.
“That’s quite a long time,” Peng Siyuan reminisced, “So long that we knew each other even when we were in our mothers’ wombs.”
Jiang Zhong: “…You have an impressive memory.”
He remembers things from before he was even born.
“Ha ha, actually, I exaggerated a bit,” Peng Siyuan said. “What I mean is that we’ve known each other since I can remember. My mom and his mom used to be colleagues and good friends, and they had their kids around the same time, so we might have seen each other through the womb.”
Jiang Zhong: “…”
At this point, Peng Siyuan suddenly leaned closer to Jiang Zhong and lowered his voice: “Don’t be fooled by how well-off Brother Qin seems now. He’s actually had a tough time over the years, so in the future…”
“Peng Siyuan, what bad things are you whispering about me to Jiang Zhong?” Xi Qin’s voice suddenly interrupted.
Both Jiang Zhong and Peng Siyuan were startled, and Peng Siyuan’s unfinished sentence was cut off.
“I didn’t,” Peng Siyuan quickly defended himself, “Would I be the kind of person who talks bad about my brother behind his back to his wife?”
“You would,” Xi Qin turned around to look at both of them. “If you weren’t talking bad about him, why did you suddenly lower your voice?”
Xi Qin had been able to hear the conversation between Jiang Zhong and Peng Siyuan at the table, but he couldn’t catch what Peng Siyuan had just said in a lowered voice.
“I really didn’t say anything bad about you,” Peng Siyuan said with genuine innocence. “You can ask Jiang Zhong.”
When Xi Qin looked at Jiang Zhong, Jiang Zhong nodded vigorously, but what he was thinking about was Peng Siyuan’s last comment.
It was true that Xi Qin had had a tough time over the years, but what kind of difficulties had he faced?
“Alright,” Xi Qin, reassured by Jiang Zhong’s confirmation, said, “I’ll let you off this time.”
“Look at you, look at you,” Peng Siyuan said with exaggerated emotion, “Truly, once you have a significant other, you forget about your friends… oh no, I mean, once you have a partner, you don’t need your friends anymore.”
Xi Qin couldn’t be bothered with him and turned back to continue washing the dishes.
Peng Siyuan took the opportunity to give Jiang Zhong a meaningful look.
Jiang Zhong was somewhat distracted, wanting to continue asking Peng Siyuan but not wanting Xi Qin to overhear.
Moreover, those were Xi Qin’s private matters, and Xi Qin had never shown any “difficulties” in front of him…
Oh, except for that bit about the “younger brother” Xi Qin had mentioned before, the younger brother who always made Xi Qin so angry that he felt like hitting him every time he went home.
Xi Qin didn’t seem like someone who couldn’t control his temper, why did he get so angry every time?
Forget it, Jiang Zhong shook his head, trying to rid himself of the increasingly troubling thoughts.
Since Xi Qin hadn’t shared it with him, it meant that Xi Qin either didn’t want him to know or wasn’t ready to share it yet.
Digging up such matters from other people’s mouths would only make him feel heartbroken and would not benefit Xi Qin, merely reopening old wounds.
The most important thing in a relationship is to make the other person better and happier because of you, not to add to their pain.
Jiang Zhong didn’t mind sharing the unpleasant things with Xi Qin, but it had to be Xi Qin himself who told him.
For now, what he could do was to ensure that Xi Qin didn’t get troubled by other people or things while they were together and to enjoy the moment to the fullest.
In the afternoon, Xi Qin held Jiang Zhong close, and they snuggled together on the window seat.
Peng Siyuan, who had been an unwelcome third wheel for a long time, finally left after finishing the snacks Xi Qin had bought that morning, patting his hands.
“He’s so annoying,” Xi Qin kept rubbing his chin on Jiang Zhong’s head. “Doesn’t he know he’s disturbing us? I couldn’t hug you or kiss you properly.”
Jiang Zhong thought Xi Qin was getting increasingly clingy and smiled, “You’re going to rub all my hair off.”
“No, I’m not,” Xi Qin switched to rubbing his face instead. “You have so much hair, and it’s so fragrant and soft.”
Jiang Zhong let him continue: “So, what did Peng Siyuan come to see you for?”
Xi Qin: “…I don’t know.”
Jiang Zhong: “…”
Could it be just to have a meal? But Peng Siyuan clearly didn’t know Xi Qin was cooking today.
“He barely said a word to me,” Xi Qin grumbled. “He just kept talking to you, it was so annoying.”
“That’s because every time he talks to you, you just snap at him,” Jiang Zhong said with a smile.
“I don’t care,” Xi Qin’s face slowly moved from Jiang Zhong’s hair to his neck. “Next time, don’t talk so much to him, keep your distance. He’s a fickle person, don’t let him spoil you.”
Jiang Zhong laughed, but before he could respond, Xi Qin complained again, “You’re already a little scumbag. What if you become worse?”
“Go away,” Jiang Zhong pushed Xi Qin’s head away from where it was increasingly rubbing down. “If you keep calling me a scumbag, I’ll…”
“What will you do?”
Jiang Zhong threatened sternly, “I’ll really be a scumbag to you.”
“Are you sure?” Xi Qin lowered his voice, “Baby, don’t forget what I said before.”
Jiang Zhong’s morale dropped instantly. “…What did you say?”
“Think for yourself,” Xi Qin tightened his hold on Jiang Zhong’s waist, pulling him closer. “Let me give you a hint. It’s about whether you’d want to change boyfriends in your lifetime.”
Xi Qin’s hint was on point, and Jiang Zhong quickly remembered the most shameless words Xi Qin had said in the gentlest tone.
Jiang Zhong shivered for no reason.
“Are you cold?” Xi Qin immediately asked. “I’ll go get a blanket.”
“Okay.” Jiang Zhong straightened up to let Xi Qin go.
As soon as Xi Qin’s figure disappeared at the top of the stairs, Jiang Zhong’s phone, which he had left on the window seat, rang.
“Peng Siyuan?” Jiang Zhong glanced at the caller ID and muttered, “Has he finally remembered to tell Xi Qin something?”
Jiang Zhong picked up the phone, preparing to go upstairs to give it to Xi Qin, but accidentally hit the answer button while turning to put on his slippers.
“Hello, Brother Qin,” Peng Siyuan’s voice came through the receiver.
“It’s me, Jiang Zhong,” Jiang Zhong replied after hearing the voice and put the phone to his ear. “Xi Qin is upstairs. Please hold on, and I’ll take this up to him.”
“It’s okay, you can just tell him,” Peng Siyuan seemed impatient and told Jiang Zhong. “I just remembered I forgot to mention something when I was in the room. Just tell him that my mom asked me to let him know that if he doesn’t want to go home during the holidays, he’s welcome to come over and hang out at our place whenever he has time.”
Jiang Zhong almost couldn’t understand Peng Siyuan’s message through the cluttered “he, she, and I” phrases.
“But I think now that you and he are together,” Peng Siyuan continued, “He probably doesn’t need to come over to pass the time.”
“Uh,” Jiang Zhong didn’t know how to respond for a moment, “Alright, I’ll tell him.”
“Okay, that’s it then,” Peng Siyuan thought for a moment and added before hanging up, “If you don’t have anything else to do during the holidays, spend more time with him. He’s always alone during the holidays, and it’s quite… well, you know.”
“Alright.” Jiang Zhong felt a bit teary.
“Goodbye then.”
“Bye.”
Jiang Zhong held the phone and sniffled slightly.
Once his emotions had settled, Jiang Zhong put on his shoes and headed upstairs.
Halfway up the stairs, he ran into Xi Qin coming down with a blanket in one arm.
Jiang Zhong stared at Xi Qin for a while, then, amid Xi Qin’s puzzled look, rushed forward and tightly hugged his waist.
Xi Qin almost ended up sitting down on the step behind him from the force of Jiang Zhong’s embrace. He steadied himself and wrapped his free arm around Jiang Zhong’s shoulders.
“What’s wrong?” Xi Qin asked with concern in his voice.
“It’s nothing,” Jiang Zhong’s voice was muffled, “I just missed you a bit.”
“You’re so clingy,” Xi Qin chuckled with amusement, “Just a few minutes apart and you’re already missing me?”
“Yes, yes,” Jiang Zhong admitted without a hint of embarrassment, “I’m just a clingy person. What? Are you getting impatient?”
“Of course not.” Xi Qin assured him.
He actually wished Jiang Zhong would cling to him even more, ideally staying attached to him all the time.
“Good to know you understand.” Jiang Zhong snorted.
“Baby,” Xi Qin patted Jiang Zhong’s back, “Can we hug after you get down? This position might not be very comfortable for you.”
Xi Qin was already a few centimeters taller than Jiang Zhong, and the step he was standing on was higher than the one Jiang Zhong was on, so Jiang Zhong had to stand on tiptoe to hug him.
“Watch your words,” Jiang Zhong reluctantly let go of Xi Qin and turned to go downstairs. “All this talk about comfort and positions sounds easily misunderstood.”
“Tsk,” Xi Qin chuckled, “You always call me a rogue, but your level of thinking is not much different from mine, little rogue.”
“And you always call me a little scumbag,” Jiang Zhong retorted, “So, are you a big scumbag?”
“Of course not.”
Xi Qin spread out the blanket and half-lay back on the window seat, opening his arms to Jiang Zhong.
Jiang Zhong climbed up and nestled into Xi Qin’s embrace, letting him cover his body completely with the blanket.
“Peng Siyuan called you just now, I answered,” Jiang Zhong said.
“Hmm,” Xi Qin responded, “What did he say?”
“He said his mom asked him to let you know that if you have time, you should visit their place,” Jiang Zhong omitted Peng Siyuan’s additional remarks.
“Just as I guessed,” Xi Qin wasn’t surprised at all, “He always says that every holiday.”
Jiang Zhong was silent for a while before asking, “Don’t you go home during the holidays?”
“Rarely,” Xi Qin said softly, “I’ll go back during the New Year.”
“That works out perfectly,” Jiang Zhong came up with a perfect plan, “At the beginning and end of each year, my parents get busier, so let’s travel together. How about it?”
“Great,” Xi Qin’s eyes lit up, “Where do you want to go?”
Jiang Zhong thought for a moment, “I want to either see ice sculptures in the north or go somewhere warm in the south.”
“Alright,” Xi Qin nodded without hesitation, “Hand me my phone, I’ll book the tickets now.”
“Wait,” Jiang Zhong asked with a tilted head, “So, are we going to the north or the south?”
“Both,” Xi Qin said matter-of-factly.
“……” Jiang Zhong was speechless for a while, “It’ll be tiring to go to both places, especially in winter. The clothes will be heavy and bulky. Let’s just go to one place.”
“Then let’s go south,” Xi Qin suggested, “It’s warmer, so we can pack less.”
“But I’ve always wanted to see authentic ice sculptures,” Jiang Zhong hesitated. “Although it snows a lot here sometimes, it’s still not quite the same.”
“Then let’s go north,” Xi Qin suggested again, “Just wear warm clothes there, and buy thicker ones when you get there. We can mail things back when we return, so we won’t need to carry much.”
“But I’m afraid of the cold,” Jiang Zhong hesitated again, “I’ve heard some southern cities have spring-like weather all year round. I’d like to experience that.”
“Then let’s go south…” Xi Qin said.
“Ice sculptures…” Jiang Zhong was reluctant.
“Let’s go to both!” Xi Qin insisted.
“No,” Jiang Zhong refused, “It will be too tiring. I just want to go to one place and enjoy it slowly, savoring the scenery and the food.”
Xi Qin: “…”
What’s it like to have a boyfriend with difficulty making choices?
Xi Qin’s answer: It feels like having a boyfriend with difficulty making choices is incredibly cute, so cute that I want to tease him.
“Give me the phone,” Xi Qin said with resignation, ruffling Jiang Zhong’s hair. “I’ll check out the suitable cities for both places, and I’ll book the tickets once you decide where you want to go.”
Jiang Zhong pondered for a long time and still hadn’t decided where to go by the time it got dark.
“Forget it, you decide,” after dinner, Jiang Zhong handed the decision to Xi Qin, “You choose where we go.”
When Xi Qin heard this, he calmly opened a note on his phone for Jiang Zhong to see. The title was “Warm Spring or Icy Wonderland,” and it contained a detailed comparison of the pros and cons of winter travel in the southern and northern regions, which Xi Qin had spent half an hour researching and recording.
“Damn,” Jiang Zhong could tell at a glance how thoroughly Xi Qin had documented things, “You guessed I wouldn’t be able to decide, didn’t you?”
“Better to be prepared,” Xi Qin said.
Jiang Zhong carefully read through the entire note and thought that if he couldn’t decide now, it would be a disservice to Xi Qin’s effort: “I’ve decided, let’s go to the south.”
Xi Qin nodded with satisfaction.
“Which city should we go to?” Jiang Zhong asked.
Xi Qin calmly opened another note, titled “Must-Visit Destinations for Couples.” It contained travel tips for several southern cities that Xi Qin had spent nearly an hour researching and filtering.
Jiang Zhong: “……You’re so well-prepared.”
“Not bad,” Xi Qin modestly said.
Jiang Zhong carefully read through the “Must-Visit Destinations for Couples” guide.
“What should we do?” Jiang Zhong said with a troubled expression, “I’m getting conflicted between these two cities again.”
Xi Qin glanced at the city names Jiang Zhong pointed out: “It’s alright, they’re in neighboring provinces, so we can visit both.”
Jiang Zhong looked at Xi Qin with admiration and said, “Having a boyfriend is really great.”
“Yes,” Xi Qin nodded, “Having a boyfriend is really great.”
“I want to see what else you’ve noted,” Jiang Zhong switched back to the note list on his phone.
Aside from the two notes mentioned, Xi Qin had three more notes for today, titled “Preparation and Arrangement,” “Don’t Forget to Bring,” and “Preventing Accidents and Backup Plans.”
Jiang Zhong opened each one to check for any special details and then continued to browse through Xi Qin’s previous notes.
Xi Qin seemed to really like using notes to keep track of things, there were dozens of titles accumulated over time.
Aside from some titles that were self-explanatory, Jiang Zhong didn’t open the others, fearing he might accidentally see something private.
Two notes caught Jiang Zhong’s eye, titled “What He Likes” and “What He Dislikes.”
Feeling curious, Jiang Zhong looked up at Xi Qin: “What’s this…”
Xi Qin, who had been watching Jiang Zhong’s actions, also saw those glaring titles and awkwardly explained, “It’s nothing, don’t look at it.”
“Whose notes are these?” Jiang Zhong asked with a smirk, “Why don’t you want me to see them?”
As he spoke, he lightly tapped the title with his thumb.
【Please enter privacy password】
Jiang Zhong: “……”
Damn, it’s locked.
“Pfft,” Xi Qin couldn’t help but laugh, “I told you not to look.”
“Are you mocking me?”
Jiang Zhong put down the phone, turned his head angrily, and quickly and forcefully kissed Xi Qin on the lips.
Xi Qin was stunned for two seconds before reacting and then immediately turned the situation around, taking the initiative.
The next afternoon, Jiang Zhong and Xi Qin emerged from Gate 7 at G City Airport, walking side by side.
“It’s really not cold at all,” Jiang Zhong said, wearing only a thin fleece sweatshirt, while he carried his down jacket from H City in one arm.
“It’s about 10 degrees,” Xi Qin replied, “About the same temperature as autumn back home.”
“It’s so pleasant here, you don’t need to wear a winter coat all year round,” Jiang Zhong said enviously. “I feel like I’m dressed like a bear in winter—both ugly and cumbersome.”
“Please, don’t insult bears,” Xi Qin laughed. “Bears are quite cute. Where’s the ugliness?”
Jiang Zhong gave him a sidelong glance.
“You’re cute too, and handsome, definitely not ugly,” Xi Qin added, then continued, “As for being clumsy, that’s another story. And as for being heavy…”
Xi Qin lowered his voice: “I’ll have to wait until you’re riding on top of me to find out.”
“Shut up,” Jiang Zhong said, glancing around warily. “Have some dignity, will you?”
Xi Qin laughed for a while before saying, “Let’s head to the hotel and get some rest.”
Jiang Zhong was excited and chatted with the cab driver, who spoke Mandarin mixed with dialect, all the way from the car to the hotel entrance. After getting out, he continued to watch the taxi until it was out of sight.
“I’ve noticed something,” Jiang Zhong said, stroking his chin.
Xi Qin, who hadn’t had a chance to speak throughout the ride, asked, “What did you notice?”
“Every taxi driver in every place can work part-time as a tour guide,” Jiang Zhong said.
Xi Qin: “…That makes sense.”
After booking the flight last night, Xi Qin also reserved a hotel room. Now, all they needed was to show their ID cards to get the room key.
After Jiang Zhong swiped the card and entered the room, he discovered that Xi Qin had booked a room with a king-sized bed, which was actually expected.
“I wonder if the front desk staff will misunderstand,” Jiang Zhong said with a smile.
“It’s not a misunderstanding if something false is mistaken for something true,” Xi Qin understood Jiang Zhong’s point immediately. “What’s there to misunderstand between us? We slept in the same bed last night, after all.”
“Can you please be clear with your words?” Jiang Zhong tossed his coat onto the bed. “We just slept in the same bed last night. That doesn’t mean we did anything.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with that. It’s basically the same thing.”
“Fine,” Jiang Zhong said, tired of the argument. “As long as you’re happy. Hand me your plane ticket.”
Xi Qin: “For what?”
“I want to take a picture and post it on social media!” Jiang Zhong said excitedly.
Jiang Zhong took several photos of the two plane tickets from different angles, selected the one he liked best, covered their names, and combined it with other photos taken on the way. He posted a grid of nine images on his social media, without any text, just a small emoji of two people holding hands.
Xi Qin watched Jiang Zhong’s activity, and within 10 seconds of posting, he received a little heart emoji like from Xi Qin.
It wasn’t long before several people liked and commented on the post. Everyone guessed that Jiang Zhong’s companion was his partner and offered their blessings and envy.
Jiang Zhong happily replied to each comment.
“I want to post too,” Xi Qin said, looking at Jiang Zhong eagerly.
“Huh?” Jiang Zhong still had a smile on his face. “Now? Won’t it be too obvious if we’re both in the picture?”
Xi Qin stared at him silently.
Jiang Zhong felt that if he didn’t say something Xi Qin wanted to hear, Xi Qin would probably call him a “bad guy” again.
“Uh,” Jiang Zhong suggested, “How about you post it a few days later when we go to J City?”
“I want to post it today,” Xi Qin said. Since he couldn’t directly tell others about his relationship with Jiang Zhong, he figured he could at least give some hints.
“But I don’t have other photos,” Jiang Zhong said. “It seems like you didn’t take any either. Should we go out tonight and take some?”
Jiang Zhong’s offhand comment gave Xi Qin some amusement.
That evening, as the two went out to find something to eat, Xi Qin spent the entire time either taking photos or preparing to take photos.
At first, he took pictures of buildings, decorations, and food. Later, it turned into taking pictures of Jiang Zhong, Jiang Zhong, and more Jiang Zhong…
Posed shots, candid shots, and sneaky shots… all kinds of pictures.
Jiang Zhong eating, Jiang Zhong drinking water, Jiang Zhong walking, Jiang Zhong falling…
Yes, Jiang Zhong fell down, and it was in a busy food street.
It was all Xi Qin’s fault!
“Alright, alright, don’t be mad,” Xi Qin coaxed.
Jiang Zhong huffed, “If I hadn’t looked back at you, I wouldn’t have fallen.”
“Should I fall down too to balance things out for you?”
“What good would that do?” Jiang Zhong said. “I’ve lost all my face already, I’ve embarrassed myself to the point of losing face in another province.”
“Pfft.” Xi Qin couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re still laughing!” Jiang Zhong slapped Xi Qin’s back.
“Okay, okay, I won’t laugh,” Xi Qin promised. “Next time I’ll make sure to spot all obstacles within fifty meters.”
“There won’t be a next time,” Jiang Zhong said, frustrated. “I’m going to stop looking at your camera and only watch where I’m stepping.”
Actually, it wasn’t Xi Qin’s fault, and Jiang Zhong wasn’t really angry—he just felt embarrassed.
At the time, Xi Qin was secretly taking pictures of Jiang Zhong walking from behind. When Jiang Zhong noticed Xi Qin lagging behind and turned to look, he saw Xi Qin holding up the camera. While walking backward, Jiang Zhong struck a stylish pose. As a result, he stepped on a small stone, lost his balance, and fell on his backside in the crowd.
He even startled a nearby girl.
The photo in Xi Qin’s phone captured Jiang Zhong’s backside just touching the ground, with an expression of pain and bewilderment.
“Is your butt still hurting?”
“…A little,” Jiang Zhong said awkwardly.
“Let’s go back to the hotel,” Xi Qin said. “You should rest.”
Jiang Zhong kicked off his slippers and flopped onto the bed, lying on his stomach and letting out a comfortable sigh. “Ah, lying on the bed is still the best.”
Xi Qin hesitated at the edge of the bed, his eyes focused on Jiang Zhong’s… backside.
After a moment, Xi Qin slowly extended a hand.
“What are you doing?” Jiang Zhong, noticing Xi Qin’s movement out of the corner of his eye, quickly turned around and covered his backside with one hand.
Xi Qin: “…I want to check how serious it is.”
“It’s not serious,” Jiang Zhong’s face reddened a bit, “I barely feel anything anymore.”
“Really?” Xi Qin was doubtful.
Jiang Zhong nodded vigorously.
They exchanged glances for a while, and Jiang Zhong gestured to the empty side of the bed, saying to Xi Qin, “Come up here. Let’s lie together.”
“Why?” Xi Qin asked, puzzled, “I don’t like lying on my stomach.”
“…I don’t feel comfortable with you standing behind me,” Jiang Zhong said.
Two minutes later, Jiang Zhong and Xi Qin lay side by side on the big hotel bed.
“This one looks awful, delete it quickly,” Jiang Zhong said, looking at himself in the photo with a face full of distaste.
“I think it looks good. I’m not deleting it,” Xi Qin said, his eyes full of affection.
“This one’s not bad. Send it to me, and I’ll use it as my profile picture,” Jiang Zhong picked up his phone.
“I also want to use your photo as my profile picture…”
“Why don’t you just post a status saying I’m your boyfriend?” Jiang Zhong interrupted.
Xi Qin looked at Jiang Zhong with surprise, “Can I really post that? Is it okay?”
Jiang Zhong: “…”
“I’m just kidding,” Xi Qin sighed, “If the little scumbag doesn’t want to give me a label now, I guess I’ll just have to wait a little longer.”
“Shut up,” Jiang Zhong leaned in and kissed Xi Qin on the lips. “Don’t try to provoke me. I’m already immune to the ‘scumbag’ label.”
Xi Qin, pleased by the kiss, responded with joy in his voice, “That’s a pity then.”
Actually, Jiang Zhong wasn’t completely immune. Otherwise, why would he use a kiss to silence him?
After selecting a good photo, Xi Qin posted a status with a nine-grid photo set, just like Jiang Zhong.
He added a small emoji of two little figures kissing.
Jiang Zhong liked it immediately, thinking that Xi Qin finally posted a picture-filled status.
“Baby, are you taking a shower?” After posting, Xi Qin tossed his phone aside. “Is your butt really okay? Do you need me to help you?”
Jiang Zhong briefly answered his repeated questions, “It’s really fine. No need for help. You go ahead and shower first.”
“Are you sure you don’t need my help?” Xi Qin coaxed, “The hotel bathroom looks pretty spacious.”
“It’s really not necessary,” Jiang Zhong pushed him away. “Go on.”
Xi Qin grabbed the hand Jiang Zhong used to push him and gave him a deep kiss on the lips before reluctantly heading to the shower.
“Hmph, pervert,” Jiang Zhong muttered.
He turned away from the bathroom, trying to ignore the faint sound of running water.
A new notification appeared on his friend circle. Jiang Zhong checked it and found it was a comment from Peng Siyuan.
【Peng Siyuan: Tsk, I just saw Xi Qin’s post and then yours. You two are being so obvious, aren’t you?】
Jiang Zhong smiled. That’s because you know the situation and can guess right away.
【Jiang Zhong: Where’s the obviousness? Xi Qin’s still complaining that I haven’t given him a label.】
After all, the only mutual friend he and Peng Siyuan have right now is Xi Qin, so there’s no need to be discreet.
Peng Siyuan must have quite a few mutual friends with Xi Qin. What did Peng Siyuan comment on Xi Qin’s post?
Jiang Zhong clicked into Xi Qin’s friend circle and saw the most recent comment from Peng Siyuan.
【Peng Siyuan: As expected of Xi Qin, the first post is about announcing the relationship/thumbs up】
Sure enough, Peng Siyuan’s comment under Xi Qin’s post was quite normal…
Wait, the first post?
Jiang Zhong read Peng Siyuan’s comment again.
Is this Xi Qin’s first post?
He had clearly seen many posts.
Jiang Zhong slammed his phone onto the bed and turned to stare at Xi Qin’s phone, which had been carelessly tossed aside.
The answer was becoming clear, and Jiang Zhong’s heart started beating faster.
Jiang Zhong lightly knocked on the bathroom door. “Xi Qin?”
The sound of running water stopped quickly.
“The door’s unlocked,” Xi Qin’s voice came through the door, slightly muffled, “Come in.”
Jiang Zhong: “…”
What’s he supposed to do in there?
“No,” Jiang Zhong said, “I’m not coming in. I just wanted to ask if I could use your phone.”
“I thought you finally realized you wanted me to help you shower,” Xi Qin said regretfully. “You can use it. The password is your birthday. Feel free to use it anytime you want, just don’t ask me.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Zhong returned to the bed, unlocked Xi Qin’s phone, and went straight to the WeChat app.
The first thing he saw was Xi Qin’s pinned chat.
The profile picture was a new photo that Xi Qin had just changed less than an hour ago, and the remark was “Little Scumbag.”
Jiang Zhong: “…”
This is ridiculous. How obsessed is this person?
After venting, Jiang Zhong used Xi Qin’s account to check Xi Qin’s friend circle, and the content was the same as what Jiang Zhong had seen using his own WeChat.
Jiang Zhong’s hands were a bit shaky as he clicked on one of Xi Qin’s previous posts, and sure enough, the timestamp showed the groups.
There was only one person in the group.
Jiang Zhong switched to another post, only one person.
Switched again, still only one person.
Jiang Zhong stubbornly went through all of Xi Qin’s previous posts.
All of them had only him as the viewer.
Jiang Zhong’s chest heaved. Xi Qin hadn’t blocked Peng Siyuan, he had only allowed Jiang Zhong to see them from the start.
So, Jiang Zhong was the only one who liked them. He had previously thought that others found Xi Qin’s posts uninteresting, just like he did.
He…
Jiang Zhong’s vision became a bit blurry.
“Baby,” Xi Qin’s concerned voice came from above, “What’s wrong?”