Chapter 11: A Hair-Raising Conjecture
How exactly did this misunderstanding arise? Why would Xiahou Qian come up with such a hair-raising conjecture?
“No, I have no interest in Lu Ke. The one Iâm interested in is you!” Chi Shaochenâs words were unexpectedly blunt and direct. This time, the one shocked was Xiahou Qian. He snapped his head up to meet Chi Shaochenâs gaze, trying to find any trace of a joke in those eyes. When he realized the man was entirely serious, he felt bewildered, but he couldnât suppress a surge of joy.
Xiahou Qianâs heart was racing. Fortunately, he was someone who had experienced great ups and downs; he didn’t let his emotions show on the surface. Even if his obsession with Chi Shaochen bordered on demonic, he couldn’t bring himself to do something as shameless as throwing himself at the man. The perfectly measured look of surprise and teasing on his face now ensured that no one would suspect the truthâthat he deeply loved Chi Shaochen.
Yes, he deeply loved him. He had loved Chi Shaochen since his previous life, for no reason and without cause.
Although Xiahou Qian felt that using the word “love” to describe his feelings might not be entirely accurate, there was no better word for it.
He needed Chi Shaochen. He needed to be by his side, and he needed this man’s affection. He knew clearly that whenever he faced Chi Shaochen, his rationality simply retreated in defeat.
Now that Chi Shaochen had explicitly stated he was interested in him, was he happy? Naturally. Even though last night he had thought Chi Shaochen was with Lu Ke and that he should just watch from afar like in his past life, his emotions strongly rebelled. Wasn’t the pain of his previous life enough? Now that he had the chance, why not try?
“Interested in me?” Xiahou Qian arched an eyebrow slightly and flashed a smile at Chi Shaochen.
“Yes.” Chi Shaochen looked at Xiahou Qian, momentarily dazed. This was the first time he had seen Xiahou Qian smile.
Xiahou Qianâs smile was unexpectedly vivid. He leaned forward, looping his arms around Chi Shaochenâs neck. Seeing that Chi Shaochen was surprised but didn’t pull away, he slowly drew closer until his soft lips pressed against Chi Shaochenâs.
Xiahou Qianâs move caught the unprepared Chi Shaochen off guard. Because the surprise was so great, Xiahou Qian initially held all the initiative. However, once he regained his senses, Chi Shaochenâs domineering nature took over. One hand supported the back of Xiahou Qianâs head while the other pulled him in by the waist. His tongue breached Xiahou Qianâs mouth directly.
Xiahou Qian felt a strange sensation. As the kiss deepened, his body began to feel weak, leaving him with no choice but to cling tightly to the man’s arms.
Chi Shaochen felt that Xiahou Qian tasted too good. If it weren’t for the setting being wrong, he really wanted to take things much further; a mere kiss could hardly satisfy him. If the previous time had been a blur where sensations were magnified by drugs, he was now perfectly sober and could feel the intense magnetic pull Xiahou Qian had on him. His so-called “chronic mysophobia” crumbled instantly before Xiahou Qian without a fight.
When the kiss finally ended, Chi Shaochen kept his face buried in the crook of Xiahou Qianâs neck. He realized that the Xiahou Qian in this moment was a completely different person from before.
“Your scent is so captivating.” A raspy, low voice drifted into Xiahou Qianâs ear. When Chi Shaochen kissed his neck, he almost couldn’t stop a light moan from escaping, but fortunately, his reason allowed him to hold it back.
A man who was both handsome and possessed such an aura could even act like a rogue and still look incredibly cool; he was the furthest thing from “lewd.”
Although there were few people in the bar at this time, the crowd during Xiahou Qian’s shift had grown significantly over the past few days. While they didn’t know Chi Shaochenâs identity, many recognized Xiahou Qian, even if they only knew him as the resident singer at Night Color.
Aside from the patrons, Wang Shaoyou behind the bar was already stunned. However, he deserved praise; even in such a shocked state, he kept his mouth shut and his eyes wide, making sure not to shout and disturb the two.
Xiahou Qian was facing the bar and had kept his eyes closed during the kiss, so he didn’t realize that most of the patrons’ gazes were fixed on him and Chi Shaochen. Chi Shaochen, on the other hand, felt and saw them, but he simply swept a cold, icy glare over the crowd.
The patrons collectively shut their mouths and even lightened their breathing, thinking: Big Boss, we definitely won’t disturb you and the Male God’s intimacy, please be at ease.
There were also many girls and submissive “shou” boys who were interested in Xiahou Qian whose hearts were weeping. How could their Male God already be taken?!
Once he calmed down, Xiahou Qian felt a bit of a mental breakdown. How could he have done something so bold? He almost wanted to cover his face. However, he really couldn’t bring himself to do something so embarrassing in front of so many people. Instead, he smiled and pushed Chi Shaochen away, wearing an expression that said “your kissing skills are okay,” which left Chi Shaochen both amused and itching with frustration.
Clearly, it was Xiahou Qian who had taken the initiative at first, yet it turned out like this. In any case, after this encounter, Xiahou Qian realized he was absolutely no match for Chi Shaochen.
Last time, Chi Shaochen had shown some “rogue” tendencies, but Xiahou Qian had assumed it was the drugs. Today, he realized that wasn’t the case; Chi Shaochen had the same “flaw” all men had in his bones, and perhaps to an even greater degree.
Xiahou Qian looked up at Chi Shaochen and seemed to see a burning affection in his eyes. Beyond his joy, he was a bit uncertain if it was an illusion. Although he had always dreamed of it, he never thought there would come a day when he would actually be treated as someone special by this man.
“You like me?” Xiahou Qian looked at Chi Shaochen, the smile at the corner of his mouth tinged with a hint of seductive charm.
“Yes.” Chi Shaochen nodded. Although this affection had come abruptly and quickly, he wasn’t the type of person to run away from his feelings.
“How much do you like me?” Xiahou Qian asked again.
“I will like you more and more,” Chi Shaochen said while looking at him.
Xiahou Qian watched him, marveling that Chi Shaochenâs emotional intelligence was actually quite high. Just look at those words!
“Do you want to be my boyfriend? Or a lover?” Since he had already secured the “advantageous” position, Xiahou Qian would naturally seize the opportunity to fight for more. He had no intention of laying himself completely bare before this manâat least not yet. The disparity in their family backgrounds and status was huge; to avoid a tragic ending in the future, he had to consider his own interests.
Since he couldn’t refuse this man, he had to secure more initiative within the relationship.
“A boyfriend. With marriage as the premise,” Chi Shaochen replied without even needing to think.
“My requirements for a boyfriend are very high. There can’t be any betrayal, whether in feelings or body. Otherwise, once I find out…” Xiahou Qian replaced his unfinished words with a light chuckle. If that day ever came, this man shouldn’t think of casting him aside and walking awayâafter all, he was the one who had taken the initiative to provoke him this time.
“Alright. But the same goes for you,” Chi Shaochen said. Even if Xiahou Qian hadn’t mentioned it, he would have. In fact, he was probably more worried about betrayal than Xiahou Qian. After all, he couldn’t even bring himself to touch anyone else. He didn’t think he could easily find a second person whose presence he didn’t mentally reject.
His psychiatrist had said long ago that Chi Shaochenâs mysophobia had nothing to do with physiology; it was purely a psychological inability to accept someone. In other words, the reason he couldn’t tolerate others’ proximity was entirely because he couldn’t mentally accept the other person.
“One more thing. I love singing, and I want to achieve success in this field. Barring any accidents, this will be my future career. So, even if I’m with you, we might not go public with our relationship for a long time. Can you accept that?” Xiahou Qian didn’t actually care much about public opinion or gossip. He was simply making things difficult for Chi Shaochen on purpose to add a bit of a hurdle to the relationship. People don’t know how to cherish things that are gained too easily; Xiahou Qian firmly believed in this.
Of course, saying he didn’t care about public opinion didn’t mean he could be completely indifferent if he were blacklisted by the entire internet. He just understood and trusted Chi Shaochenâs capabilities. He believed that if they were truly together, he wouldn’t even have to say anythingâthe other man would resolve those issues for him.
In the span of a few sentences, Xiahou Qian had thought of all this, even though things still felt a bit surreal.
Chi Shaochen frowned and thought for a moment before speaking on this issue.
“I can. Additionally, I intend to transfer the entertainment company to your name. All the funding will still be invested by me. If you don’t want to manage it yourself, I can find someone to help you. This… doesn’t mean anything else; I just simply want you to have a basic guarantee. After we marry, I will share all my personal assets with you.” Chi Shaochen spoke with a solemnity and seriousness that felt like he was reciting wedding vows, which made Xiahou Qian feel a bit self-conscious.
Same-sex marriage laws had only been passed for about a dozen years. Even though same-sex marriage was possible now, it didn’t mean that homosexuality wouldn’t still draw strange looks. One could only say that as time passed, the elderly were more open-mindedâafter all, many of them were already accepting of such things when they were young.
Chi Shaochen looked at Xiahou Qian, wanting to know if he was satisfied with the answer. Seeing Xiahou Qian remain silent, he continued: “As for our relationship, you don’t need to worry. Whether we keep it secret or go public is up to you. If it’s accidentally exposed while kept secret, I will handle it.”
Chi Shaochen had considered everything seriously before saying this. He believed that as long as they were together, they would surely get married in the future.
“Why do you have your eye on me?” The surprise had come so suddenly that Xiahou Qian was dazed. He didn’t know how Chi Shaochen had suddenly become interested in him, to the point of even considering marriage. Whether it was those words or Chi Shaochen himself, Xiahou Qian believed he was serious. But their only real interaction had been that one night.
“Attraction. You attract me very much. I like being with you. Actually, Iâm someone who hates contact with others, but I desperately want to be close to you. I like your personality, your looks, and the songs you sing. I believe that as we get to know each other slowly, I will like you even more.” Chi Shaochen held back a little as he said this. In truth, he felt that he and Xiahou Qian were a pair destined by fate; meeting him felt like finding the missing half of himself. It had nothing to do with the length of time theyâd known each other, but that explanation was too poetic, too profoundâand too cheesy.
Chi Shaochenâs sweet-talk skill was definitely maxed out. Before this, even Chi Shaochen himself didn’t know his emotional intelligence was so extraordinary.
As the target of this sweet-talk, Xiahou Qian felt his ears turning red for no reason. Today’s Chi Shaochen felt very unfamiliar, but also more real and even more enticing to sink into. Those burning eyes full of love made Xiahou Qian begin to wonder: Could the scandal photos I saw before I died really have just been rumors?
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