Chapter 32: Stolen Kiss â Jiang Yan is kissing him
“Heh, isn’t this that little paparazzo?”
Zhou Shu sauntered over, a mocking smile hanging on his lips. His gaze swept over Jiang Yunian explicitly. Behind him, Jiang Yan frowned and calmly took a half-step forward.
Jiang Yunian blocked the path in front of the two almost subconsciously, moving so fast he didn’t even realize it himself. Zhou Shu spotted the opening at a glance. “What are you blocking?”
He casually pushed aside that slight frame, catching a glimpse of the figure about to disappear not far away. The relaxed look on his face vanished instantly, and he immediately chased after it.
“Wait…” Jiang Yunian reached out to stop him but was flung back a few steps. He almost fell but was caught by the person behind him, who steadied him by the waist.
“Why is he like that?” Jiang Yunian was anxious. “He Qing doesn’t want to see him at all.”
His gaze remained fixed on someone else. Jiang Yan was displeased; instead of letting go, his arm tightened slightly around his waist. “Does Ge care so much about other people’s business?”
“But he…”
“No buts.”
“His affairs aren’t for Ge to manage,” Jiang Yan turned his chin, forcing him to look at himself. “Don’t ask, and don’t investigate.”
Jiang Yunianâs reason returned, and his heaving chest gradually calmed. He was right; if he offended Zhou Shu, his peaceful days would be over. He just felt it wasn’t worth it for He Qing.
A person like Zhou Shu who toyed with feelings didn’t deserve him.
He nodded, then remembered something and asked in confusion, “Why did you come down with him?”
“Same class.” Jiang Yan let go and said indifferently, “Desk mate.”
“He’s that annoying desk mate you mentioned?” Jiang Yunian looked like he had just woken from a dream.
Annoying indeed.
For the first time, he disliked someone so much that he spilled everything about seeing Zhou Shu shopping with another woman last night like pouring beans.
Finally, he warned solemnly, “Stay away from him, don’t get led astray.”
Hearing “led astray,” Jiang Yanâs lips hooked up ever so slightly, with a tone of coaxing, “Don’t worry, I’m just playing pretend with him. I’m only real with Ge.”
“That’s good then.”
Jiang Yan suddenly moved closer, looking at Jiang Yunian with a calm gaze. “If one day Ge thinks I’m not good, will you stay far away from me too?”
“What’s wrong with you?” Jiang Yunian sensed something was off. He grabbed his arm and said seriously, “Of course not. You are my brother; I won’t despise you no matter what.”
Jiang Yan lowered his eyelashes, emotions flickering in his eyes. “Just because I’m your brother?”
Jiang Yunian looked into his eyes, remembering that thought-provoking comment online, and his expression froze for a second. “Yeah…”
“What if I wasn’t?”
Wasn’t…
Jiang Yunian’s heart suddenly sped up. His eyes darted around, evading slightly. “Even if you weren’t, I’d still treat you as a brother.”
Jiang Yan fell silent for two seconds, then said, “But I don’t want to…”
The bell for the end of class rang abruptly, disrupting both of their heartbeats. The crowd surged out, and Jiang Yunianâs thin body was jostled by the throng. “Class is over, let’s go.”
Behind him, Jiang Yanâs knuckles pressed into his palm, the pale veins on his wrist straining as he slowly kneaded them into this silent exertion of force.
He Qing walked fast, clearly not wanting to be entangled with a certain someone, but Zhou Shu caught up in a few strides. Disregarding his struggles, he forcibly pulled him into the shade of a tree. He unbuttoned his trench coat and wrapped He Qing entirely in his arms.
“Don’t move.” Zhou Shu pinched the tip of his ear, which was red from the cold wind. “The wind is strong, stay here for a bit.”
Zhou Shu was more than half a head taller than him, strong and fit. Wrapped in the large trench coat, the person in his arms looked even thinner.
He Qing pressed stubbornly against him, trying to create a distance that didn’t exist. “You’re getting engaged soon, please have some self-respect.”
Zhou Shu was still playing with his ear, which turned even redder than the wind had made it. “Did the guy named Jiang tell you?”
That casual tone stabbed He Qing in the heart without warning. If he lost his composure over this little thing, he would despise himself for the lapse; it was too degrading.
Wasn’t this a result he had known for a long time?
“Jealous?” Zhou Shu held him tighter, feeling his body temperature through the fabric. Seeing his forbearing face actually gave him a sense of pleasure. “Do you regret breaking off the engagement with me?”
“Could you be any more childish?” He Qing suppressed his emotions, speaking word by word. “The childhood betrothal was just a joke by the elders. You took it seriously?”
Besides, they were both men.
They say the closer the person, the deeper the knife cuts. Zhou Shu thoroughly understood that now.
From the time he could remember, he had set his sights on this aloof and proud man before him. His open intentions were seen by their fathers. Because the two families were old friends with too many intertwined interests, the elders could only pretend to be deaf and dumb even if they disapproved. Who could have thought the He family would suddenly collapse, the sky changing overnight?
Even if it was a joke, was he, Zhou Shu, the only one who took it seriously?
If that were true, then what was the tacit approval of everyone over the past decade?
Zhou Shu let go of him, losing some of his spirit. “Saying that is too hurtful.”
Pedestrians walked past on the tree-lined path, occasionally casting strange glances their way. He Qing kept his head down. The trench coat on him was big and long, wrapping him up tightly so one couldn’t tell if he was male or female. It looked like a young couple having a spat.
“Even if I didn’t say it, you recognize reality, don’t you?” He Qing took a deep breath. His heart ached incessantly, but he tried his best to remain calm.
He knew Zhou Shu had always been clear-headed, knowing how to choose to maximize benefits.
That was why he would entangle himself with him while choosing a more suitable marriage partner.
Weighing the pros and consâthere was nothing wrong with that.
His back hurt from being squeezed, but He Qing was numb to it, not even feeling his sinking heartbeat. “There are too many people. Let go.”
This time Zhou Shu didn’t insist. He pulled the person out of his arms and stared straight at He Qing for a long time in the aloof cold wind. Whether he was too angry to speak or simply speechless, he just stared.
He Qing knew he still had things to say. He didn’t rush to leave but put his hands in his pockets and turned his face away.
Like a final farewell.
After a long silence, he heard Zhou Shu curse in a low voice, then grab his shoulder.
“Nothing is set in stone yet, can’t you have a little faith in your hubby?”
Seeing more and more people gathering, it really wasn’t the time to talk about this. Zhou Shu paused and said, “How about I come find you tonight? I haven’t held you in days, I miss you to death…”
He thought he might say something emotional; turns out it was for this.
A dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory.
“Can you have some shame?”
He Qing couldn’t bear it anymore and stomped on his foot, walking away without looking back.
Zhou Shu jumped in pain, shouting in exasperation, “Didn’t you say there were too many people? That’s why I wanted to find a time to talk properly! What were you thinking? Did you have to stomp so hard? Hiss…”
If he had known, he would have pinned him against the tree and forced a kiss first, kissing him soft before carrying him back to the hotel. Once in bed, he wouldn’t have the energy to fuss.
A passerby was startled by the commotion and almost tripped over a manhole cover.
“Dressed like a human but acts like a dog. Must be an idiot.”
“Who the hell are you calling an idiot?” Zhou Shu pointed aggressively.
The companion quickly dragged the person away. “Go, go, he’s a ‘super male’ (XYY syndrome/aggressive type).”
Zhou Shu: “…”
Fuck!
That night, Jiang Yunian had insomnia again. As soon as he closed his eyes, he saw Jiang Yan’s approaching face and heard that unfinished sentence. He tossed and turned in bed, his heart a mess, utterly disturbed.
He lay on his back and started counting sheep, trying to relax.
“One sheep, two sheep, three sheep…”
Suddenly, a slight noise came from outside the window, followed by a gentle knock on the bedroom door. Jiang Yan’s voice came through the door panel, low and gentle, “Ge, asleep?”
Jiang Yunian kept his eyes tightly shut and didn’t make a sound, but his heartbeat involuntarily sped up.
The next moment, the door was actually pushed open from the outside.
???
Jiang Yunian suddenly regretted not locking the door.
“Ge.” Jiang Yan didn’t turn on the light. He held a cup of honey water, his steps very light.
“…”
He placed the cup on the bedside table but didn’t leave immediately.
There was no movement around him. Jiang Yunian’s tightly closed eyes moved secretly. Did he leave?
Immediately after, one side of the mattress suddenly sank, startling his body into instant tension.
He is…
Jiang Yan leaned down, approaching inch by inch, his eagle-like eyes full of possessiveness.
Jiang Yunian felt a dark shadow cast over his head, completely enveloping him. He gripped the sheets helplessly, not knowing what he was going to do. It wasn’t until warm breath sprayed onto his face that he realized how close they were.
He pursed his lips, unable to bear such close scrutiny. Just as he was about to open his eyes, his lips were suddenly touched by something.
Jiang Yunian’s eyelashes trembled, and he was stunned.
Ah Yan, he… he is… Mmph!
The second touch came deeper and more intense. Something soft crushed over his lips again and again, with probing gentlenessâsucking, licking, biting…
Jiang Yunian finally realized: Jiang Yan was kissing him!
The person on top of him was extremely bold at this moment, seemingly unconcerned about being discovered, simply kissing him intently. Falling strands of hair swept across his eyelids, tickling him. Jiang Yunian held his breath, his mind blank, only feeling the numbness on his lips, his consciousness stolen away along with his breath.
Fortunately, Jiang Yan stopped after a taste and didn’t intend to suffocate him. He looked up slightly, licked the moisture off his lips, then stood up as if nothing had happened, left the room quietly, and even kindly closed the door.
As soon as he left, Jiang Yunian gasped for air like a drowning man saved.
He sat up, clutching his heaving chest, his eyes wide and round. His fingertips gently touched his still-tingling lips, then pulled away as if burned.
He had almost been kissed into fainting; this couldn’t be sleepwalking, could it?
Jiang Yunian couldn’t find an excuse for Jiang Yan’s outrageous behavior just now. He buried his face in the quilt. Palpitations, panic, and unease intertwined, becoming hard to accept.
The thing he feared most had happened: Jiang Yan really liked him.
He spent the whole night unable to digest this fact. The next day, he went to class with dark circles under his eyes, looking listless, his brain a chaotic mess. He didn’t know how to reply to the messages Jiang Yan sent during the day, staring blankly at the phone screen, eventually ignoring them altogether.
This couldn’t go on. He asked Hao Meng to go to the library, trying to distract himself. Unexpectedly, Hao Meng lay on the table with a bitter face, weak and feeble. “Library again? Didn’t we just finish the certification exam? Let me rest.”
Jiang Yunian thought for a moment. “Isn’t there still the CET-6?”
“Just brush up on questions a week before the exam.” Seeing his equally exhausted face, she assumed he was worn down by studying. “Look at you, you’ve studied yourself into a panda.”
Jiang Yunian rubbed his eyelids. “Just didn’t sleep well.”
“Do you have any pursuits in life other than studying?” Hao Meng said, hating iron for not becoming steel.
Pursuits?
He was used to running around for his studies and livelihood, often ignoring his own feelings, but it wasn’t like there were no happy moments.
For example, curling up on the sofa to watch a movie with Jiang Yan, or being dragged out of his room by Jiang Yan to read while resting on his lap, or occasionally the pleasure released when pulled to help solve needs…
Wait, why was he thinking of him again?
Jiang Yunian bit his lip, a trace of confusion in his voice. “Then what else can I do?”
“Shopping, movies, feeling the sea breezeâaren’t all of these more interesting than studying?”
But for him, these things were only interesting with a companion. Jiang Yunian didn’t have many friends and wasn’t good at socializing. Even at class gatherings, he would just sit quietly aside while classmates joked around, unable to say much.
“What’s the big deal? If you move around more, won’t you make more friends? Besides, with a face like yours, are you afraid no one wants to go out with you?” Thinking of this, Hao Meng suddenly got excited and pulled out her phone. “Remember that junior I mentioned last time?”
He had a vague impression. Hao Meng had said she wanted to introduce a girlfriend to him before.
“The little girl is so gentle and has wanted to meet you for a while.” She tapped open a WeChat contact card with a cartoon kitten avatar and blinked at him. “How about it? Give it a chance.”
Jiang Yunian looked at the cute avatar, feeling an inexplicable resistance in his heart, though he couldn’t say why. Perhaps Hao Meng was right; his life was too dull. He couldn’t always revolve around one man.
That was unhealthy.
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