On Qingming Festival day, Bo Xinghang decided to get his ear pierced.
He had been planning it for a long time, but the temperatures had been too low, and he couldn’t find the right opportunity. Now that the temperature was beginning to warm up, the weather was perfect.
In the morning, sunlight lazily spilled over the carpet, bringing the gentle warmth of spring.
Doctor Ji had drunk a lot of alcohol the day before, but he still got up earlier than Bo Xinghang.
When Bo Xinghang finished washing up, he saw Doctor Ji sitting silently on the sofa, his expression heavy.
Bo Xinghang felt a sudden wave of nervousness, his breath catching in his throat. He dared not breathe too loudly as he tentatively asked, “Doctor Ji, what’s up?”
“I…” Ji Wenzhen’s expression looked hesitant, as if he wanted to speak but was holding back. His long, pale fingers tapped slowly on the table. “Did I say or do something wrong last night?”
As expected. He blacked out just like he said he would.
Bo Xinghang felt a sudden sense of relief that Doctor Ji had forgotten his impulsive question.
“No, no, everything was normal.” He gave Doctor Ji a reassuring look and handed him a cup of hot water.
Doctor Ji politely accepted it with both hands, but his brow was still furrowed as he drank, like a gentlemanly nobleman worried that alcohol might lead to a loss of composure.
Bo Xinghang sighed.
Of course, everything was normal. Very, very normal.
Last night, as Doctor Ji seriously pondered the question “Do you like me?”, their hailed ride happened to pull up to the curb.
The driver asked, “Are you the passenger with the last number 9697?”
Bo Xinghang’s expression instantly looked like he had eaten something unpleasant. Seeing that Doctor Ji was still deep in thought, he had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Don’t ask. Just assume I’m still thinking.
“Doctor Ji, come with me to get an ear piercing.” Bo Xinghang watched Doctor Ji finish his water. He sat down beside him and pointed to the tip of his ear. “I want to get it here.”
The cartilage area.
As expected, Ji Wenzhen said, “Can you not get one?”
Bo Xinghang was cheeky. With his innocent eyes, he gazed at Doctor Ji and deliberately said, “Only pain can make me wake up.”
“……”
“Wake up?” Doctor Ji was amused. He placed the water cup on the table and nodded. “Fine, I hope it makes you wake up.”
Awake enough to realize that the words of a drunk can’t be trusted. Like this talk of “blacking out.”
Bo Xinghang didn’t understand, but he was delighted to see Doctor Ji nod. He quickly took out his phone. “Alright! I’ll send a WeChat message to the barber.”
Doctor Ji glanced at him expressionlessly, then lowered his gaze, pressing his lips together as he murmured, “Mm.”
Bo Xinghang had a pair of earrings on his earlobes, which he got right after graduating from middle school.
Back then, he was like a little menace, looking grim wherever he went. He passed by a remote barbershop. The barber, who was squatting at the door and smoking, looked up and was struck by Bo Xinghang’s presence. Impressed by his distinctive build, he insisted on pulling him inside.
The barbershop had poor business, so they also did ear piercing and beauty treatments.
At that time, Bo Xinghang was holding back his frustration and found a little bit of pain relieving. “Sure, go ahead.”
The barber was friendly and worked quickly. Afterward, he tried to sell more services. “I think you look quite handsome, but your hair is too long and unmanaged. How about a haircut?”
A haircut?
That wouldn’t hurt.
He shook his head to refuse at that time but agreed to add the barber on WeChat.
He never deleted the contact and kept it until now.
Three years had passed, and Bo Xinghang wasn’t sure if that barbershop had gone out of business. Before heading over, he sent the barber a message.
Luckily, the barber hadn’t changed his number and replied quickly.
The barber seemed to have a strong impression of this gloomy yet handsome young man and still remembered him three years later. He quickly sent over the location, and Doctor Ji, acting as the driver, took him to the barbershop.
The barbershop had completely transformed.
It had moved from that dark and hidden corner to a bustling commercial street. The storefront was beautifully decorated, with a wooden sign artistically displaying “Open for Business.”
Bo Xinghang was startled as he stood at the entrance, turning to look at Doctor Ji, thinking he might have brought him to the wrong place.
The barber saw Bo Xinghang through the glass door and immediately came over to invite him in.
Three years later, the barber still had the same energy and enthusiasm.
“Oh wow—you’ve really changed, handsome guy. If you hadn’t messaged me beforehand, I wouldn’t have recognized this sunny, handsome young man as you!” The barber was thrilled to see an old friend.
Bo Xinghang glanced at the barbershop and then looked the barber up and down, jokingly saying, “You’ve changed a lot too.”
“Hahaha, it’s a long story! You and the handsome guy beside you come in. I can’t wait!”
“…Can’t wait?” Ji Wenzhen asked, puzzled.
Something about that sounded odd. Bo Xinghang shook his head. “I don’t know, maybe he missed me after not seeing me for so long?”
“…”
Once they went inside, he understood what the barber meant.
Since it was the Qingming Festival, the shop wasn’t busy, and there were many empty seats. The barber walked straight ahead and led him to the back, whispering mysteriously, “I found you a beauty.”
Bo Xinghang: “?”
The so-called beauty was the barber’s daughter. The barber was over fifty, and his youngest daughter, Xiao Nuo, was twenty, around Bo Xinghang’s age.
When she came over, Bo Xinghang finally understood. He was speechless and instinctively glanced at Ji Wenzhen.
As expected, Doctor Ji’s face darkened slightly.
For some reason, Bo Xinghang felt guilty, though he found it odd because he had nothing to be guilty about.
He looked at Xiao Nuo with a smile. “Jiejie, are you going to pierce my ears?”
It was clear that Xiao Nuo was reluctantly dragged out. She had no interest in the young man and shot an exasperated glance at the barber before turning back to Bo Xinghang with a cheerful, teasing smile. “Yeah. Pretty boy, are you afraid of the pain?”
Bo Xinghang sat in the chair, looking at Doctor Ji in the mirror, and casually replied, “What if I am afraid?”
“Oh, that’s easy.” Xiao Nuo grabbed the piercing tools and, while opening them, nodded toward Doctor Ji. “If you’re scared, let that handsome guy do it.”
Clearly, she preferred the manly charm of Doctor Ji over the young boy.
Ji Wenzhen, who was mentioned, was taken aback and looked at Bo Xinghang. Even though Xiao Nuo had pointed at him, his gaze stayed on Bo Xinghang the entire time, his eyebrows showing concern. “Are you afraid of pain?”
“….”
What kind of dirty talk was this?
Bo Xinghang’s Adam’s apple bobbed, suddenly at a loss for words.
Talking about it with Xiao Nuo felt perfectly innocent, but when Doctor Ji mentioned it, it felt like it turned into something pornographic.
Bo Xinghang was about to go crazy, but he forced himself to answer, “I’m not afraid.”
I’m not afraid of pain, so you can do whatever you want.
Bo Xinghang really wanted to say this, but he was afraid that his flirtation would end up spraining his back. So he only dared to think it to himself and didn’t have the courage to say it out loud.
Hang-ge chickened out.
Xiao Nuo skillfully pierced his ear. Once it was done, his long, messy hair covered it again.
Xiao Nuo asked him, “Do you want a haircut while you’re at it?”
Last time he had refused, but this time he nodded.
First, his hair had indeed grown quite long. Second, he had a selfish motive: he wanted to create a new image in front of Doctor Ji to add a bit of freshness.
Doctor Ji looked at his phone with his eyes lowered, while Bo Xinghang’s amber eyes brightened. He leaned closer to Xiao Nuo and whispered, “Give me a buzz cut.”
“…A b-buzz cut?”
Xiao Nuo hoped she had heard wrong. No good-looking guy would ruin himself like this these days!
But Bo Xinghang’s nod was firm. “Yeah, a buzz cut.”
Xiao Nuo hesitated. “Why don’t you take a moment to assess your looks first?”
Little brother, even though you’re not my type, don’t waste your looks like that! There will be girls crying for you!
“My looks?” Bo Xinghang had a clear self-awareness. “I’m handsome and cool. I know.”
Xiao Nuo: “…”
Fine.
Xiao Nuo was provoked by his words and gritted her teeth.
Just cut it.
Whoever looks ugly afterward will be the embarrassed one.
Finally, after finishing the last snip, Xiao Nuo put away the clippers.
“Oh my God!!”
The barber turned around from the door, so shocked by his hairstyle that he shouted.
His voice was so loud that the other customers turned their gaze to the young man sitting in the back.
Everyone was stunned.
Not because it was ugly, but because it was handsome.
Even Xiao Nuo, who had cut his hair, was shocked, not to mention the others.
In the mirror, the boy’s ear stud on the cartilage was exceptionally striking, shimmering with a delicate glow under the lamp. His neat buzz cut emphasized his features, accentuating every angle and making him even more captivating.
It was a champagne-like intoxication of infatuation.
When Doctor Ji looked up, this was exactly how it felt.
So handsome, incredibly handsome, in a very “Hang-ge” way.
The kind of handsomeness that made him want to disregard everything, walk over to the boy, bend down, and kiss him passionately, using actions to express his love freely.
But instead, he could only sit on the sofa, his black eyes fixed on the boy, trying hard to hide his emotions and struggling to keep the intense desire in every breath to himself.
Now was not the right time.
Ji Wenzhen lowered his gaze, repeating a mantra in his mind.
The boy turned to him, blissfully unaware, and asked, “Doctor Ji! Look at me. Do I look handsome?”
Ji Wenzhen lifted his head. His indifferent, monolid eyes seemed to offer only a fleeting glance before he casually replied, “Mm.”
This reaction was as cold as could be.
Bo Xinghang’s excitement faded immediately, and his face fell, disappointed by the lack of appreciation.
Even Xiao Nuo couldn’t take it. She looked at Doctor Ji as if he were an alien. “Handsome guy, do you see yourself too often and become immune to it? How can you just say ‘Mm’ when he looks this good?!”
Upon hearing this, Ji Wenzhen noticed the boy’s expression and suddenly regretted his response. He carefully chose his words and added, “You look handsome.”
Bo Xinghang raised his head, and his face lit up again.
Their eyes met in the air, creating a strangely subtle atmosphere. They held each other’s gaze for a second before hastily looking away.
Ji Wenzhen turned his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling irritation build up.
Forget it. Just hold on a little longer.
The kid was still young, not even eighteen yet. As a 26-year-old adult, he couldn’t stoop so low as to act inappropriately toward a minor.
He pressed his fingers against his temple with a bit of force, and the veins stood out against his cool white skin.
Doctor Ji exhaled, trying to calm down.
The road ahead was long.
