Chapter 44
Jiang Zhong turned his head to look at Xi Qin, feeling a sharp pain in his heart.
“Hmm?” Xi Qin asked, confused. “What’s wrong?”
“Xi Qin,” Jiang Zhong mumbled, “you…”
“Xi Qin,” a soft female voice called out, “You’re here.”
Jiang Zhong followed the sound of the voice and saw a graceful woman walking toward them. She had a pleasant smile on her face, and her shoulders and neck were held high and graceful, like a swan. Her figure was elegant, and her steps light and airy.
So this is Peng Siyuan’s mother? Jiang Zhong thought. She looks so young.
“Aunt Shen,” Xi Qin smiled and said, “Long time no see.”
“Hello, Aunt Shen,” Jiang Zhong greeted as well.
“Hello,” Aunt Shen nodded, her smile warm and kind, full of the affection of an elder. “You must be Jiang Zhong, Xi Qin’s little boyfriend.”
“Ah,” Little boyfriend? What does that even mean? Jiang Zhong laughed and nodded. “Yes.”
As Aunt Shen came closer, Jiang Zhong noticed the fine lines around her eyes that matched her age.
He quietly glanced at Aunt Shen a few more times and, through her, imagined what Xi Qin’s mother might have looked like—probably just as graceful and elegant as her.
Soon, Jiang Zhong shifted his gaze, worried that continuing to look would be impolite.
Aunt Shen also didn’t scrutinize him too much, guiding him and Xi Qin to the sofa to sit and relax.
“Don’t be so formal,” Aunt Shen’s voice was soothing, making it easy to relax. “Just think of this place as Xi Qin’s home.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Zhong could tell that Xi Qin felt very at home in Peng Siyuan’s house. Aunt Shen treated him very well, and their way of interacting was clearly familiar and made both of them feel at ease.
During their conversation, Jiang Zhong learned that Aunt Shen had performances during the Spring Festival and had just returned home the night before. She was eager to have Xi Qin over for dinner today.
Every few minutes, Xi Qin would glance at Jiang Zhong, occasionally sneaking a hand to squeeze Jiang Zhong’s fingers, or casually brushing his knee against Jiang Zhong’s leg.
Later, Xi Qin took out a gift he had prepared for Aunt Shen. While Aunt Shen was putting the gift away, Xi Qin subtly held Jiang Zhong’s hand, facing him sideways.
“What’s wrong?” Xi Qin asked thoughtfully. “You’ve been absent-minded.”
“I’m fine,” Jiang Zhong smiled.
“Then why do you keep staring at me?” Xi Qin didn’t believe it. “Have I been neglecting you?”
“No,” Jiang Zhong curled his fingers and lightly scratched Xi Qin’s palm. “I used to like watching you too.”
“Tsk,” Peng Siyuan, who was sitting nearby playing a mobile game, sighed deeply. “Tsk tsk tsk.”
“Okay,” Xi Qin ignored Peng Siyuan’s constant clicking of his tongue and continued talking to Jiang Zhong, “If you ever want to do something or feel shy about anything, just tell me.”
“Okay,” Jiang Zhong smiled and nodded.
He actually didn’t feel particularly embarrassed, but whenever he watched Xi Qin talking to Aunt Shen, he couldn’t help but think of Xi Qin’s mother.
If that accident hadn’t happened, maybe the person Xi Qin would have brought him to meet today would have been his mother, and Xi Qin’s personality might have been completely different from what it is now.
The Xi Qin in front of him was the true Xi Qin. Others might think Xi Qin was aloof, distant, and hard to approach, but who knew how thoughtful, gentle, and caring he was in private?
The last time Xi Qin mentioned his late mother, he only gave a brief description, but afterward, he was sad for quite a while.
Now that he thought about it, Xi Qin’s mother couldn’t bear the shock of losing her legs and chose to end her life. Xi Qin must have felt extremely helpless watching his mother suffer and being unable to do anything about it. That must have been painful for him too.
Sigh.
“What’s wrong with you?” Xi Qin stopped walking and grabbed Jiang Zhong’s wrist.
“Hmm?” Jiang Zhong turned around. “I’m really fine.”
“Obviously, you’re not,” Xi Qin frowned slightly. “Why are you sighing?”
He sighed out loud? Jiang Zhong had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn’t even realized.
He and Xi Qin had just left Peng Siyuan’s house and were walking aimlessly along the street.
“You’ve been troubled since we were at Peng Siyuan’s,” Xi Qin tightened his grip on Jiang Zhong’s hand. “Are you upset?”
“No…” Jiang Zhong wasn’t sure how to explain his feelings to Xi Qin. He didn’t pity Xi Qin, but it felt like something was stuck in his chest, making him uncomfortable. He didn’t know how to express it.
Xi Qin stared into his eyes for a long time before releasing his hand. “Forget it. If you don’t want to tell me…”
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you,” Jiang Zhong hurriedly grabbed Xi Qin’s hand that had let go of him, pausing for a moment. “Let’s go home. I want to be alone with you.”
Xi Qin was silent for a while. “I’ll take you somewhere else.”
Xi Qin took Jiang Zhong to a small community that wasn’t particularly new or old, not far from Peng Siyuan’s house.
“Where is this?” Jiang Zhong vaguely guessed.
“My place. I used to live here when I was in high school,” Xi Qin said.
It really was.
Xi Qin took out the key he always carried with him to unlock the door. It was a suite, and it looked quite spacious.
The sky outside had gotten darker, and the light inside the apartment was dim.
“Good thing there’s still electricity,” Xi Qin turned on the main switch. “Feel free to look around.”
Since Xi Qin hadn’t stayed here in a while, there was a light layer of dust on everything.
Jiang Zhong saw a photo frame on a shelf next to the liquor cabinet. Inside was a picture of a woman and a young boy, the boy’s appearance resembling the woman’s to some extent.
“Is this you and your mom?” Jiang Zhong picked up the photo frame and asked with a smile.
“Yeah,” Xi Qin stood beside Jiang Zhong, looking at the photo with him. “This was probably taken when I graduated from elementary school.”
“You were so cute when you were little,” Jiang Zhong glanced at the photo, then at Xi Qin’s face. “Much cuter than you are now.”
“I remember you said…” Xi Qin hugged Jiang Zhong’s waist from behind. “You like cute boys?”
“Did I say that?” Jiang Zhong widened his eyes and turned back to ask. “I don’t remember.”
He often speaks without thinking, and many times he forgets what he said after finishing.
“You did,” Xi Qin nodded affirmatively. “So, am I not cute now…”
“I like you too,” Jiang Zhong interrupted before Xi Qin could finish. “I like you no matter what you’re like.”
Xi Qin chuckled silently for a while. “Player’s lines.”
“Go away,” Jiang Zhong twisted his body and bumped his shoulder into Xi Qin’s chest. “You’re such a drama queen.”
“I am,” Xi Qin smiled and said softly.
“What?”
Xi Qin kissed the tip of Jiang Zhong’s ear. “I like you no matter what you’re like.”
Jiang Zhong curved his lips into a smile. “I want to see your room.”
Xi Qin’s room was quite spacious, with a bed, a large wardrobe, a bookshelf, and a computer desk.
The desk wasn’t as neat as Jiang Zhong had imagined. Probably because Xi Qin had lived there alone for a while, he didn’t have to worry about others seeing his privacy, so a lot of things were carelessly placed on the desk.
Jiang Zhong pulled out a classic book from the bookshelf and exclaimed in surprise, “I read this book when I was in high school too.”
“Mm,” Xi Qin smiled vaguely. “I know.”
Jiang Zhong might not remember, but back in high school, not only did he read this book, but he also shared the insights he gained from it during a speech competition. He seriously recommended it to his classmates in the audience.
Xi Qin happened to remember the book’s title, and one time when he went to the bookstore to buy some reference books, he saw it on a shelf next to the cashier and casually picked it up.
“I didn’t expect our tastes to be so similar,” Jiang Zhong flipped through the book.
Xi Qin shook his head helplessly, clearly having no memory of it.
“Huh?” A piece of paper that had been tucked inside the book fell to the ground as Jiang Zhong flipped through it. “What’s this?”
Jiang Zhong bent down to pick it up and froze for a moment when he saw the content.
When Xi Qin saw Jiang Zhong flip the “piece of paper” over, he immediately realized what it was.
“What’s this?” Jiang Zhong squatted down, raised his head to look at Xi Qin. “Is it me?”
Xi Qin opened his mouth. Well, his memory didn’t seem to be much better. When had he slipped Jiang Zhong’s photo into this book?
The photo showed Jiang Zhong in sportswear, slightly turned to the side. It was probably a candid shot taken during gym class, not by Xi Qin, and he had forgotten where he had saved it.
“Mm,” Xi Qin reached out and pulled Jiang Zhong up. “It’s you.”
Jiang Zhong held the photo with two fingers and teasingly glanced at Xi Qin several times.
Previously, Peng Siyuan had told him that he had seen his photo on Xi Qin’s phone. He didn’t expect to find it himself now, and it was even developed.
“If you want to laugh, just laugh,” Xi Qin said helplessly. “Don’t hold it in.”
“Pfft hahahaha…” Jiang Zhong immediately burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Xi Qin: “…”
Did it really need to be that exaggerated?
“Oh my god,” Jiang Zhong leaned against Xi Qin, “I’m laughing so hard my stomach hurts.”
“Are you done laughing?” Xi Qin asked with a straight face.
“Mm,” Jiang Zhong pinched his sore facial muscles. “Done laughing.”
Xi Qin pried Jiang Zhong’s hand away and pinched both of his cheeks with his thumb and index finger, twisting them a few times before applying a little force.
Jiang Zhong’s lips were slightly puckered from the pressure. “What are you… mmm…”
Jiang Zhong quickly found himself lost in the sensation brought on by Xi Qin’s lips and tongue, his breath hitching uncontrollably as he exhaled in frustration.
Xi Qin placed one hand on Jiang Zhong’s neck, releasing the grip on his face, and slowly moved it downward, slipping his hand inside from beneath Jiang Zhong’s shirt hem.
“Hiss,” Jiang Zhong shuddered from the sensation, his lips parting as he softly said, “…It’s so cold.”
“Mm.” Xi Qin replied in a hoarse voice, continuously planting kisses on Jiang Zhong’s lips and cheek. His hand, which had just slipped in, pulled back again.
“Are we staying here tonight?” Jiang Zhong asked softly.
“No,” Xi Qin tightened his embrace around Jiang Zhong. “I forgot to pay the heating bill, and there’s no food.”
“Then let’s go home,” Jiang Zhong thought, they could continue once they got back.
“Wait,” Xi Qin held him tighter. “…We haven’t finished yet.”
Jiang Zhong: “…”
After Jiang Zhong and Xi Qin left the neighborhood, they hailed a taxi, and Jiang Zhong directly gave the address of the apartment complex.
“Aren’t you going home?” Xi Qin asked softly.
“Yeah,” Jiang Zhong said without hesitation, “Let’s go home together.”
How else would they continue if they didn’t go back together?
Jiang Zhong was a little excited. Actually, he and Xi Qin had only tried once on Xi Qin’s birthday night—no, it was a few times. After that, during the Spring Festival, they were both busy with their own things, so there was no time or opportunity.
He still… thought about it quite a bit.
Seeing how much effort Xi Qin put in to make himself go down, Jiang Zhong figured he probably wanted it too.
So, after entering the door, Jiang Zhong directly pushed Xi Qin against the wall, leaned in, and gently bit his chin.
“Boyfriend,” Jiang Zhong said in a soft voice, “Can I borrow your abs to warm my hands?”
Xi Qin didn’t say a word and lifted the hem of his shirt, wrapping both of Jiang Zhong’s hands inside.
“You’re so nice,” Jiang Zhong leaned his whole body against Xi Qin.
“You’re also great,” Xi Qin hugged Jiang Zhong’s waist, “better than anyone.”
Jiang Zhong gritted his teeth, “I have something I want to say to you.”
“Mm,” Xi Qin looked at him seriously, “What is it? Say it.”
Before Jiang Zhong could speak, his face flushed red, avoiding Xi Qin’s gaze. He buried his face into Xi Qin’s shoulder and mumbled, “I love you too.”
The muffled sound reached Xi Qin’s ears, and he paused in surprise, “What did you say?”
“I’ll stay with you forever,” Jiang Zhong kept his face buried, “You won’t be alone anymore.”
After a long moment, Xi Qin raised his hand to grip Jiang Zhong’s shoulder and gently pushed him away to get a better look at his face, “You…”
After Jiang Zhong said it, he realized that it wasn’t actually that hard to say. It was just that his face and ears were a little hot, and he felt too embarrassed to make eye contact with Xi Qin right away.
Xi Qin was amused by his awkward appearance.
“Let’s find a warmer place for you to warm your hands.” Xi Qin swiftly pulled open his pants, then shoved Jiang Zhong’s hand inside, saying, “It’s warmer here.”