Chapter 162: Stealing Fragrance (17)
Xiao Ji had a habit of saying unpleasant things; it wasn’t a new development.
However, most of the time, this sharpness was directed at insignificant people. He would usually try his best not to speak rudely to his partner. But Pei Yinnian bringing up marriage and children was clearly asking for a lesson.
Pei Yinnian was also stunned by Xiao Ji’s words. He couldn’t believe such vulgar language had come from the mouth of a scholar like Xiao Ji.
He grabbed Xiao Ji’s face and questioned him, “Did you feed all the words of the sages to the dogs? Where did you learn such bast*rdly talk?”
Xiao Ji was very close to Pei Yinnian—close enough to clearly perceive the changes in the man’s body.
With a cold face, he asked, “Bast*rdly talk? You seem to like it quite a bit, Young Master Pei.”
Pei Yinnian couldn’t refute him. Xiao Ji’s sudden, intense contrast did indeed give him a strange and hard-to-admit sense of excitement.
An alley was no place to conduct business. After just a few words, Pei Yinnian pushed Xiao Ji away and began walking ahead on his own. After a few steps, noticing Xiao Ji remained standing in place, he turned back, grabbed Xiao Ji by the collar, and hauled him out of the alley.
On the way back to the Pei Residence, neither of them spoke a word.
Lin Shu, who was driving, was terrified. He assumed Pei Yinnian had heard something he shouldn’t have at the school gate. He thought to himself: I told him not to go, but he insisted. Some things are better left unknown, but his curiosity is just too much, only seeking out trouble for himself.
But Lin Shu didn’t dare ask; he could only keep it bottled up.
Once they arrived at the Pei Residence, Pei Yinnian and Xiao Ji went upstairs one after the other. As soon as they entered the room, Pei Yinnian slammed the door shut and pinned Xiao Ji against the wall.
The fire that had been temporarily quelled in the alley was instantly reignited.
Pei Yinnian was dissatisfied with Xiao Ji’s words, but more importantly, Xiao Ji’s words had hit the mark—in bed, he was indeed far too passionate. He wanted to discipline Xiao Ji; he wanted to see Xiao Ji lose himself, see him cry, and even hear him beg for mercy.
But in reality, his plan was destined to only be half-successful.
Soft, ambiguous music played quietly from the gramophone, and the faint woody scent of incense drifted through the room.
Xiao Ji was indeed lost in the moment. However, the one who couldn’t stop the physiological tears—the one who ended up begging for mercy—was Pei Yinnian.
“I’ll f*ck you…”
Before he could finish his plea, Xiao Ji blocked his mouth.
After the storm finally subsided, Xiao Ji personally refilled the enamel bathtub with hot water and carried Pei Yinnian into it to soak together.
Pei Yinnian was someone who knew how to enjoy himself. After experiencing the pleasure twice in a row, he suddenly found himself content to simply lie back and relax. He allowed Xiao Ji to busy himself with serving him inside and out, deciding that this mode of interaction was actually quite nice.
Early the next morning, when Xiao Ji woke up, Pei Yinnian opened his eyes as well and said tiredly:
“On the left side of the wardrobe, there are clothes for you.”
Xiao Ji opened the left door of Pei Yinnian’s wardrobe and saw a row of long gowns and robes hanging there. They were in Xiao Ji’s usual style—mostly plain colors, made of high-quality fabrics, predominantly silk.
He didn’t offer any polite pleasantries. He simply picked a set of robes, fastened the frog buttons, walked to the bedside, and leaned down to kiss Pei Yinnian’s forehead.
“Thoughtful of you.”
His movements and expression were so natural that for a moment, Pei Yinnian felt as though they had been together for a very long time.
He raised a hand to cover his eyes and said to Xiao Ji:
“Go on. I’ll pick you up later.”
From that day forward, Pei Yinnian followed Lin Shu’s suggestion and began to increase his efforts to test Xiao Ji. Not only did he wait for Xiao Ji outside the National First High School every evening, but a few days later, he even cleared his schedule to make a special trip to the school in the afternoon.
Wearing his military uniform and carrying fruit and pastries, Pei Yinnian knocked on the door of Xiao Ji’s office.
At that moment, Xiao Ji was staring out the window, lost in thought. There were five or six other teachers in the office. Usually, in such situations, Xiao Ji wouldn’t even notice a knock, as almost no one bothered him when he didn’t have a class except for students calling out “Reporting!”
If he didn’t respond, someone else naturally would. Another teacher in the office called out, “Come in.”
Pei Yinnian pushed the door open and stood at the entrance. “I’m looking for Mr. Xiao.”
The people in the office weren’t too surprised to see someone in a military uniform. This was the National First High School, and many students had such backgrounds. However, what was surprising was Pei Yinnian’s exceptional looks and bearing.
Hearing his name, Xiao Ji withdrew his thoughts and looked at Pei Yinnian with some surprise. “Why are you here at this time?”
Pei Yinnian replied, “I wasn’t busy, so I came to see you.”
With so many people in the office, it wasn’t convenient to talk. Xiao Ji stood up and walked out. Seeing the items Pei Yinnian was carrying, he didn’t show any unusual reaction. He simply glanced at the watch Pei Yinnian had given him.
“I have a class in half an hour. I can’t stay with you for long.”
Pei Yinnian looked at him, testing him. “No need. I just came to bring you some food. Go on with your work; I’ll wait for you outside in a bit.”
After saying this, he also checked his watch. “Let’s chat for ten minutes.”
He wanted to see if Xiao Ji would refuse, or if he would show any unnatural awkwardness or try to keep his distance to draw a clear line between them.
But Xiao Ji did not. He was very composed and even reached out to straighten Pei Yinnian’s collar.
“Twenty-five minutes is fine too. Just give me five minutes to get to the classroom; it wouldn’t be good to be late.”
Pei Yinnian was doing this on purpose, and Xiao Ji didn’t hide it either, standing right there in the hallway outside the office talking to him. Occasionally, teachers and students passing by would cast curious glances at the two, but Xiao Ji showed no signs of abnormality.
Only when Pei Yinnian instinctively took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth did Xiao Ji reach out and take it away.
“This is a school, Young Master Pei.”
This actually made Pei Yinnian a bit embarrassed. He rubbed his nose and said, “Sorry, I forgot.”
He took the cigarette back from Xiao Ji and put it into the case. “Don’t you feel uncomfortable talking to me here?”
Xiao Ji said indifferently, “I don’t. You, on the other hand, seem more uncomfortable.”
Pei Yinnian gave a “tsk” and found an excuse for his probing. “I don’t know why, but I was supposed to go home first. I passed the pastry shop and thought of bringing some over for you.”
Xiao Ji probably guessed what he was thinking but didn’t expose him, only saying, “Thank you for keeping me in mind.”
The two chatted for a while. Once the ten minutes were up, Pei Yinnian took the initiative to say goodbye.
“Alright, I won’t disturb your work. I’ll wait for you at the gate. Come out early after class.”
Xiao Ji took the pastries from him. “Do you want to come and listen to my lecture?”
Pei Yinnian hadn’t expected Xiao Ji to extend such an invitation. He was a little tempted, but after thinking it over, he refused.
“No. I get sleepy as soon as I listen to a lecture. I wouldn’t be much help.”
Translator’s Note:
- “Did you feed the words of sages to the dogs?” is a way of saying someone has no shame or has forgotten their education.
- “Frog buttons” (盘扣): The traditional knotted buttons used on Chinese garments like the qipao or changshan.
- “Reporting!” (报告): In Chinese schools, students must shout this before entering a teacher’s office or classroom.
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