Chapter 37 part 1
Even the off-camera director was surprised by how unfiltered these guys were.
This show was completely different from your typical variety program; there was no script, no assigned personas.
Rumor had it that the investors had arranged everything, but the verbal ad sponsorships weren’t exactly big money, and there hadn’t been a single commercial break yet.
Plus, with a live broadcast, there wasn’t much to rehearse. It was a slow-life show, so they didn’t even need to hire a writer.
It was a tough question to answer. The real-time comments were just a blur of emotional exclamations.
Just when Liu Xichao thought Jiang Shulu wouldn’t answer, Jiang Shulu shot back, “Why is marriage out of the question?”
Liu Xichao raised an eyebrow. “Thinking about getting married?”
What, what? Does he mean what I think he means?
Don’t tell me Jiang Shulu wants to marry Tang Yue? Is this a story of getting back together or a mutual secret crush?
But before Jiang Shulu could answer, there was a sudden thud, followed by Tang Yue letting out a small “ah.”
He quickly turned and headed for the bathroom.
Liu Xichao was almost knocked over by him.
He shrugged, picked up the plates, and went downstairs to wash them. On his way, he said to Yao Lixin, who had opened the door to see what was going on, “Since you’ve got nothing better to do, why don’t you plan tomorrow’s breakfast menu.”
Yao Lixin protested, “Why is it automatically my job to cook!”
“Then you can get up at five and walk the dog,” Liu Xichao said.
“What dog?”
Liu Xichao shrugged and jutted his chin out. Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and an old man came back with a dog.
It was a black Labrador; if it weren’t for the light, you could barely see it.
“The landlord’s dog,” Liu Xichao said. “This dog even goes out to sea with him. Anyway, it needs to be walked.”
“Isn’t that a bit too early?” Yao Lixin asked.
“Well…”
“Fine, let’s do that then,” Yao Lixin conceded.
You’re causing trouble again!
These two are surprisingly in sync.
The other two had no idea what had just been arranged for them. Jiang Shulu walked to the bathroom at the end of the hall and found Tang Yue washing his face again.
He was startled when Jiang Shulu pushed the door open, jerking his head up from the water, not forgetting to turn off the faucet.
His beautiful face was dotted with water, his eyes hazy as he looked over. Jiang Shulu instinctively closed the door.
Tang Yue had spent several minutes trying to cool down, but he still couldn’t get rid of the burning in his ears, his racing heart, and a very unfamiliar desire.
Isn’t this a bit much?
It wasn’t like he hadn’t found ways to relieve himself over the years. Some days were spent in quiet abstinence, others were spent thinking of Jiang Shulu to get through it.
But he had never felt anything this intense. It burned so much that the corners of Tang Yue’s eyes turned red, and even the cold water couldn’t cool his flushed face.
“I heard a noise just now,” Jiang Shulu said.
Tang Yue let out an “oh.” “I accidentally hit my head on the wall. This sink is too low.”
The bathroom wasn’t separated into wet and dry areas; there was just a simple shower curtain in the middle. It was clear the production team had made some modifications, and the toiletries were all from sponsors.
It didn’t look dirty.
Even though there was a citrus air freshener, Tang Yue could clearly smell Jiang Shulu’s scent.
He glanced at Jiang Shulu again.
Tang Yue’s wet bangs hung obediently on his forehead.
But the water droplets rolled down his hair, falling when he blinked, like tears. It easily brought back memories Jiang Shulu had thought were just a dream. Tang Yue had been just like this.
Crying, biting, yet holding on so tightly, impossible to let go.
As if Jiang Shulu was the only piece of driftwood Tang Yue could cling to in a sea of suffering.
Now, it was hard to tell who made the first move. By the time Tang Yue came to his senses, his lips were already on Jiang Shulu’s.
He held onto Jiang Shulu’s neck tightly, and Jiang Shulu’s arms were around his waist. A glance, a kiss.
Tang Yue had already turned off the water in the sink, but the faucet on the floor seemed to be leaking. The landlord had placed a small basin there.
Drip, drip, drip. Whose breath was mingling with whose?
The wind outside was strong, making the blinds rattle. The shower curtain was swept up, and the embracing figures seemed to merge completely.
Breaths were swallowed, filled with a longing that had been thought of day and night.
“I… I can’t… breathe,” Tang Yue managed.
He licked his lips, glanced at Jiang Shulu, and couldn’t help but reach out to touch his face.
Jiang Shulu closed his eyes as Tang Yue’s hand rested on his cheek, which made Tang Yue lean in for another kiss.
“You like kissing that much?” Jiang Shulu asked.
Tang Yue hummed in agreement.
Jiang Shulu hadn’t expected Tang Yue to be so enthusiastic after they had talked things out. He was like a completely different person.
But he didn’t let him kiss him again. He pinched Tang Yue’s lips, making a duck face.
“Did you… think about it before?” Jiang Shulu asked.
Tang Yue pushed his hand away. “Not telling you.”
He said it defiantly, but he was still in Jiang Shulu’s arms. His words were tough, but his lips were soft.
Another kiss landed on the corner of his mouth. Tang Yue was about to meet it, but Jiang Shulu pulled away.
“Did you?”
“I did, I did, happy now?”
His voice was incredibly pleasant. Pleasant when he was angry, pleasant when he was being coy, and pleasant now with a hint of傲嬌 (àojiāo – feigned arrogance).
So pleasant that Jiang Shulu’s heart softened, and he couldn’t help but hold him tighter. “Then why didn’t you kiss me before?”
“I’ve told you so many times.”
He lowered his eyes. “I didn’t think you’d like me. I just thought about it.”
Jiang Shulu had always been curious about why Tang Yue was so certain, even more certain than Jiang Shulu himself that he wouldn’t be loved.
As if Tang Yue knew something that Jiang Shulu would never know in this lifetime.
It was just like his occasional dazed detachment, like a limited-edition gift from another world that would disappear without a trace once the countdown ended.
Perhaps because of the five-year buffer, Jiang Shulu wasn’t in a hurry to know now.
He also desperately needed an intimate relationship.
To support his already crumbling heart. No one knew that if it had been any later, Jiang Shulu might not have been able to hold on.
Perhaps because Jiang Shulu hadn’t spoken for a long time, Tang Yue thought he was unhappy again that he always thought he and Liu Xichao were a couple. He peeked out from Jiang Shulu’s embrace, about to speak, when he heard Jiang Shulu call his name.
“Hm?”
“I forgot to turn off my mic.”
Tang Yue froze, looking like he was about to faint. His hand trembled as he reached for the microphone on Jiang Shulu’s collar.
But it was off.
The man smiled brightly. “Just kidding.”
Tang Yue’s emotions had been on a rollercoaster. He was so angry he was about to punch Jiang Shulu, but he was pulled into an embrace again.
“Who told you to be so sure that Liu Xichao and I are a couple? I was so wronged.”
The Jiang Shulu of the Jiang family could never say such things. He had to conform to the strict family rules. Even after he successfully debuted, he still had to accept the Jiang family’s demands.
He still had to be a perfect person.
Debuting in a boy band had already damaged the Jiang family’s reputation, but if he was going to do it, he had to be the leader, and he had to be the best.
He was a perfectionist through and through, which was why many fans liked Jiang Shulu, but some also said he was too much like a fake person.
This Jiang Shulu was particularly fresh to Tang Yue, different from the lonely figure who smoked silently in the dead of night, making Tang Yue curious.
Curious if the Captain had any other faces.
But what Jiang Shulu said was the truth. Tang Yue couldn’t refute it and could only hum in agreement.
He reached out and stroked Jiang Shulu’s hair. “I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”
“But don’t worry, I’ll hide it well, so Xiao Yue can rest assured.”
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