Chapter 14: Deplorable — Baby Takes the Initiative to Ask for Bedtime Company
“What took you so long?”
The door had barely opened a crack when Jiang Yunian slipped in nimbly like a kitten. Clinging to Jiang Yan’s arm, he peered around the room, particularly eyeing the windowsill with neurotic suspicion, asking Jiang Yan if he had heard any strange noises.
“Yes.”
Jiang Yunian looked up. “You heard it too?”
“There’s a small wild cat,” Jiang Yan said calmly. “Loves to meow at night.”
“…Not that.”
It seems Jiang Yan didn’t notice anything wrong, otherwise, given how afraid of ghosts he is, he would have panicked long ago.
Jiang Yan’s voice carried a lazy indifference. “You came over so late just to ask this?”
Jiang Yunian stammered, not knowing how to explain that he might have seen a ghost.
Jiang Yan quietly appreciated his hesitant little expression, then looked at his one bare foot, and suddenly smiled knowingly. “Ge, you weren’t actually scared by the movie, were you?”
“N-no, I wasn’t!” Jiang Yunian’s face burned, and he ducked his head. “I just wanted to ask you… if you heard any strange noises outside the window.”
“Oh?” Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow, his tone relaxed. “I’ll go check.”
He extracted his arm from someone’s tight grip and turned to walk inside. Jiang Yunian followed hesitantly.
Jiang Yan stood by the window, reaching out to touch the glass. Outside was calm and tranquil, not even a cat’s shadow to be seen. Jiang Yan turned sideways and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Strange, the wind was really strong just now.” Jiang Yunian poked his head out to look, puzzled.
Closing the window, Jiang Yan seemed not to see the pillow in his hand and comforted him, “It’s fine now, Ge. Go back to sleep.”
Jiang Yunian looked at him, then at the calmness outside the window. The fear felt like he was scaring himself. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak but stopping, finally squeezing out a sentence: “Remember to close the window.”
Jiang Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the pillow in his arms and his bare foot, the corner of his mouth curving slightly. “En, remembered.”
Jiang Yunian looked down at his pillow, his feet rooted to the spot, unable to move.
Since I’m already here…
“How about… I sleep with you tonight?” Jiang Yan smiled faintly. Jiang Yunian immediately looked away, trying to cover it up, “Didn’t you say you were scared?”
“Is that so.” Jiang Yan nodded, openly revealing his naked upper body. “But I’ve already stripped.”
Jiang Yunian’s gaze slid over that patch of firm skin, whispering, “…We’re both guys, what’s there to be afraid of.”
Jiang Yan couldn’t help but humor him. “Alright then.”
Jiang Yunian checked the window first, confirming the latch was secure, before wrapping himself in the quilt and occupying a small half of the bed. Jiang Yan deliberately asked him why he closed the window; without ventilation, it would be stuffy at night.
Saying this, he made to open the window, but was hooked by a small hand darting out from Jiang Yunian. “Don’t open it!”
Jiang Yan: “?”
“It’s a bit cold today,” Jiang Yunian’s eyes darted away. “It’s fine not to open it.”
Jiang Yan secretly hooked his lips and didn’t insist.
In the night, the two shared the same quilt, the subtle sound of fabric friction exceptionally clear.
“Why is your back to me?” Jiang Yan’s hand rested on his shoulder, squeezing it.
“…”
Isn’t it because I’m afraid of your sleepwalking and biting people in the middle of the night?
Jiang Yunian muttered inwardly, regretting choosing this side a little. This position faced the window directly; the curtains were motionless, like the calm before the storm.
If it opened inexplicably again, his little heart couldn’t take the torment.
“Ge.” Jiang Yan called him lowly, the hand holding his shoulder exerting gentle force. Jiang Yunian was turned over without much resistance, almost pasting into Jiang Yan’s embrace, pulled closer by the arm around him, back pressing tighter.
“Too close…” Jiang Yunian protested in a whisper.
In the narrow gap, his face rubbed against the other’s shoulder socket, hands clenched into small fists squeezed in the middle with nowhere to place. Having someone beside him gave a sense of security, just that it was too close, making breathing a bit difficult. He couldn’t help pushing a little, his palm pressing against a firm spot, scratching unconsciously. Almost simultaneously, a muffled groan spilled from Jiang Yan’s throat.
Jiang Yunian suddenly dared not move, thinking he touched a scar, his voice a bit nervous. “Did I scratch and hurt you?”
Jiang Yan lowered his eyes, holding the hand placed on his chest, his voice low and sticky. “Seems Ge really likes this place.”
Hm?
The touch under Jiang Yunian’s palm was hard and hot. He realized what it was belatedly. He shrank his hand, wanting to pull back, but was gripped tighter by Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan held his hand, pressing it close to his heart through the clothes, his breath brushing Jiang Yunian’s cheek: “What I said last time, remember?”
Jiang Yunian’s mind went blank for a moment. That time in the bathroom, Jiang Yan said massage could…
A faint pink spread over Jiang Yunian’s ears, his eyes wide and round, speechless.
His Ge was introverted; he wouldn’t even dare look twice when passing a foot massage parlor usually. Asking him to speak up was really difficult for an honest man. Jiang Yan simply changed his phrasing, freeing a hand, fingertips lightly tapping his flat chest, voice deep: “With the window closed, isn’t it stuffy here?”
In the dark, he couldn’t see Jiang Yan’s eyes clearly. The place tapped by his fingertips felt tingly and numb, and his heart warmed up along with it.
“Mn…” Jiang Yunian’s voice was soft as cotton, his hand resting helplessly on the back of Jiang Yan’s hand, unsure whether to push away or what. A long, long time later, a mosquito-like hum came, “…A little bit.”
“Then let me help Ge…” Jiang Yan pressed there neither lightly nor heavily, “Breath a little.”
The person in his arms hummed shortly like a tickled kitten. He immediately covered his mouth, unable to believe that sound came from himself.
This loosening of his hand gave Jiang Yan an opportunity. The large palm covered it entirely, wrapping around that slight rise, pressing on the soft skin surface. “The book says pressing can promote blood circulation.”
His mouth spoke solemnly, but his mind was active. The field beneath wasn’t as lacking in nutrients as he imagined; even barren soil could emit a faint fragrance.
Slender fingers turned into a wooden plow, cultivating diligently with measured rhythm.
Jiang Yan’s voice was low and bewitching. “Can you feel it?”
Jiang Yunian tilted his head back against the bedboard, pajama collar askew, revealing beautiful collarbones. He bit his lower lip, unable to describe the feeling. “So strange…”
“That means it’s not enough.” Jiang Yan increased his strength slightly, guiding patiently. “It’ll be fine once it’s rubbed out.”
Jiang Yunian pressed his hand weakly, having no strength.
He wanted to say no need; he wasn’t that obsessed with pecs. But his body seemed fixed, drowning in the strangeness, floating.
He thought dazedly, Did Jiang Yan work in a massage parlor before losing his memory?
Otherwise, why would I… want to stop, yet not want to stop.
Suddenly, the little bean in the middle was inadvertently attended to. Jiang Yunian arched uncontrollably, lips slightly parted.
How could this be?
He had never thought this useless place for men could bring such shock, wonderful yet shameful.
After cultivating for a while, the cultivator seemed to lose patience. Through the rough fabric, it was really unsatisfying. He lowered his eyelashes, the color in his eyes deepening in the darkness, quietly sliding toward Jiang Yunian’s hem.
A strange touch came from the waist, with a tendency to climb up. Jiang Yunian jolted, suddenly sobering up.
“Don’t…” He held down the hand causing trouble.
Jiang Yan’s movement paused, his hand dragged out, tone serious and innocent: “Ge, the effect is better this way.”
Jiang Yunian shook his head, breathing a bit chaotic. One hand placed in front of him, touching the place that hurt a little, smoothing the wrinkles on his pajamas, suddenly feeling this scene was utterly absurd, looking just like a lab rat on an experiment table.
He dodged back, staying away from the hand trying to use him for experiments, mumbling: “Where did you learn all this?”
“Taught in books. Just wanted to let Ge relax first. Once the meridians are cleared, combined with professional movement training.” Jiang Yan looked serious, tone very sincere: “Same logic as warming up before exercise.”
“Ge didn’t feel it?”
He spoke too seriously. Jiang Yunian was half-skeptical, worried he read some improper books and used him for practice.
Jiang Yunian recalled that weird touch and suddenly felt being flat was quite good too.
“Mn, not that stuffy anymore,” he silently protected his chest with his hand, voice muffled. “I feel it doesn’t suit me very well, let’s forget it… it’s fine like this now.”
This means it wasn’t comfortable?
Jiang Yan wanted to strive for it again, but Jiang Yunian simply patted his mouth, looking sleepy. “A bit sleepy, sleeping first.”
“…”
Through the weak light, Jiang Yan stared at that face close at hand, unwillingly rubbing against it with the tip of his nose, then sighed. There’s plenty of time.
A dreamless night.
Last night, someone didn’t sleepwalk and slept very obediently, but Jiang Yunian still couldn’t escape being messed with. Waking up, the originally flat pajamas on his chest bulged a small lump, very abrupt.
How to go out like this?
Jiang Yunian rubbed his forehead, picking the loosest sweatshirt to put on. The friction of the fabric brought a subtle pain; it would only get worse if rubbed for long.
He sighed, pulling open the drawer of the bedside table. There were still some breast patches Hao Meng shoved to him last week. The transparent packaging paper was crumpled. He pinched that thin silicone patch and stuck it on carefully.
Pulling his clothes in front of the mirror, the sweatshirt was loose and provided good cover.
He dawdled washing the changed pajamas, looked up at the clock, and saw only twenty minutes left, feeling anxious. The professor for this class was famously strict; if late, today’s participation points would be gone.
Jiang Yunian grabbed his schoolbag and rushed out. It took ten minutes to ride a shared bike to the school gate, leaving only the last five minutes when entering the school.
He involuntarily sped up, taking a shortcut through the alley behind the Arts and Science Experimental Building; just one more turn and he’d be there.
The time calculated in his heart was just right, but plans couldn’t keep up with changes. The old locust tree at the corner had dense foliage and dim light. He didn’t notice someone in the blind spot, his shoulder crashing solidly into a patch of softness.
“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t see anyone here.”
Jiang Yunian stumbled half a step, rubbing his aching arm, looking up to see a girl in a pale green dress, voice somewhat familiar. “It’s okay, I didn’t pay attention either.”
“Good that you’re okay. Eh, you dropped something…” The girl smiled apologetically, glancing at the thing on the ground, bending over to pick it up.
Jiang Yunian followed her gaze, seeing that smear of flesh-colored silicone patch, a wave of shame suddenly surging in his heart.
No wonder the left chest felt empty…
“This is yours, right…” The moment the girl’s fingertips touched and pinched it up, the air stopped. A blush instantly rushed up her ears.
The cicada chirping in the alley suddenly became clear; Jiang Yunian could even hear his own drumming heartbeat.
“No… not…” Jiang Yunian’s throat tightened, lacking confidence. His face flushed red; an honest man couldn’t hide a lie at all, anyone with eyes could see the guilt.
The girl’s gaze landed on his uneven chest. Not obvious, but as a girl, it was hard not to notice the abnormality.
“It’s your girlfriend’s, right?” The corner of her mouth twitched, smiling very forcedly, handing over the breast patch pinched in her fingertips, eyes deliberately avoiding. “Then you tuck it well for her, uh no, put it away well… don’t drop it again.”
“Th-thank you.”
Jiang Yunian awkwardly took the out. Accepting the thing, he stared at the tree shadow on the ground, equally daring not to look at the other’s eyes.
The girl coughed lightly: “Then, I’m leaving first?”
“Okay.” Jiang Yunian put his hand behind his back, turning sideways to make way. She went around his shoulder, the dress hem lifted by the wind.
Walking a few steps away, she suddenly turned back, voice very soft, drifting into Jiang Yunian’s ears:
“By the way, next time, XX brand has better adhesion.”
Jiang Yunian petrified on the spot, face instantly red through.
“Okay…”
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