SLWP Chapter 11

Ji Chunxiao hesitated for a moment before briefly recounting the story of his coming out, glossing over it in just a few sentences. However, Chen Xu could guess that the four or five years of hardship Ji Chunxiao mentioned were not as trivial as he made them sound.

After finishing his story, Ji Chunxiao lowered his gaze to look at Chen Xu, adding with an air of nonchalance, “It’s nothing much.”

It wasn’t really nothing; it’s just that Ji Chunxiao was used to being adored and accommodated by others, so he rarely expressed his feelings openly. Often, his affection might be at two hundred percent internally, but verbally he would express only about fifty percent.

He would study a major he didn’t like just to be with Chen Xu, choose chefs who weren’t to his taste but skilled in making sweet and sour dishes, and even get jealous and stay up all night making unsuccessful batches of mung bean pastries when Chen Xu complimented Song Ming…

Ji Chunxiao was like a stubborn and proud child, unwilling to boast or seek rewards, only secretly showing his affection for Chen Xu in his own ways.

He had done many things for Chen Xu, none of which Chen Xu knew about.

It was only today that the tip of the iceberg beneath the sea surface was slightly revealed.

Chen Xu was somewhat stunned after listening, sitting beside Ji Chunxiao on a bench next to the flower beds. Behind them, the midsummer sunlight illuminated the soft, vibrant petals, layers of deep and light reds blossoming profusely.

Chen Xu suddenly realized that during those years when he wholeheartedly loved Ji Chunxiao, it wasn’t just a one-sided effort.

Ji Chunxiao had also done many things for him, spending a lot of time and thought.

Chen Xu was also the rose in Ji Chunxiao’s heart, worth five thousand other flowers.

In this life and the last combined, this was the first time Ji Chunxiao openly admitted to his wife the things he had done.

Previously treated like a princess cherished in the palm of his wife’s hand, he had always behaved like a “big young master condescending to like you a bit.” But in reality, inside he was wagging his tail wildly, “I really like my wife, I really love Chen Xu!”

If these things had come to light in his previous life, he might have been too embarrassed and acted petulantly.

But in this life, Ji Chunxiao had long persuaded himself to be willingly whipped by his wife, and now he found it okay, only feeling a bit shy when talking about it. He was even concerned whether Chen Xu was feeling hot or getting sunburned.

Although it was only eight or nine in the morning, the summer sun was still formidable. Sitting on the bench for a short while was enough to make their skin turn red.

Ji Chunxiao cherished this time alone with his wife and didn’t mention going back to class. Instead, he took off his school jacket and draped it over their heads.

The bright view suddenly darkened, and Chen Xu, turning his face towards Ji Chunxiao, saw his black eyes misting over.

Ji Chunxiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he asked softly, “Xiao Chen Xu, why are you crying? If you want to know about these things, I’ll tell you everything.”

“But these are all things I did in the past. I don’t know if they can still earn me some extra points in your heart?”

More than just a few extra points, Chen Xu’s heart nearly melted right then, ready to reconcile, but a sliver of rationality held him back.

Chen Xu knew that their decision to part ways wasn’t solely Ji Chunxiao’s fault; he had issues too.

He was always used to looking up and pleasing others, placing them on unequal scales—how high Ji Chunxiao stood, that’s how low he placed himself.

He knew this was wrong. Every time he gave in to Ji Chunxiao, he felt wronged, but Chen Xu was afraid to change.

Growing up dependent on others, the overly well-behaved part of his personality was deeply ingrained, not easily uprooted.

He wanted to change, but he also feared that if he stopped pleasing Ji Chunxiao, he might lose his love.

Previously, Ji Chunxiao was the least likely to seek praise or flattery, but now, he seemed quite adept at it, cautiously moving closer to Chen Xu under the school jacket, their cheeks gently touching.

Chen Xu hadn’t spoken yet when Ji Chunxiao continued to nuzzle against his face and asked, “Chen Xu, can’t I earn more points?”

Chen Xu helplessly replied, “…Yes, you can.”

They were too close, their hearts racing, and Chen Xu, blushing, tried to move back, but Ji Chunxiao’s arm, propped by the school jacket, just happened to encircle his shoulders.

No retreat was possible.

Their heartbeats merged into one. Although they had been together for five years, at this moment, they still blushed from making eye contact.

This was the embrace that Ji Chunxiao had longed for, barely qualifying as one.

Like being bewitched, he looked down at Chen Xu and then moved closer, their breaths mingling.

“Xiao Chen Xu, if I can earn more points, can I also have a kiss?”

Chen Xu’s eyelashes fluttered, and before he could speak, Ji Chunxiao answered for him.

“Yes.”

The next second, a gentle, cautious kiss was laid upon him.

Under the increasingly bright sunlight, the vibrant green leaves and radiant flowers seemed like a vivid oil painting, gently swaying in the breeze.

And the two of them, half-enshrouded by the school jacket in the dim, cramped space, exchanged a kiss that transcended life and death, and time and space.

The kiss was brief, like a dragonfly skimming water, fearing discovery. Chen Xu quickly pushed Ji Chunxiao away.

But Ji Chunxiao was still very happy, reminiscing about the moment all the way back to class.

The classroom was cool with air conditioning, but the flush on Chen Xu’s face took a long time to fade. Ji Chunxiao, propping his arm on the table, leaned his chin on his hand and enjoyed watching his wife’s flushed face.

After the parent-teacher meeting, the teacher stood up on the podium to start a class meeting, briefly mentioning a trip.

Usually, when students reached their senior year, the school would arrange one last outing. Calling it a spring outing was a bit of a stretch at this time, but nobody minded since they were happy to go out and have fun.

Until class ended and everyone returned to the dormitory, they were all chattering about what to bring and what kind of photos to take on that day…

Ji Chunxiao was no exception; he accompanied Chen Xu back to the dormitory, then made a quick trip home.

The new pastry chef taught him hands-on, using up all the patience he had in this lifetime. The naturally ungifted young master finally managed to produce a tray of mung bean pastries that looked decent.

After admiring them for a moment, Ji Chunxiao carefully packed the pastries into a lunchbox.

In this life, he would never let his wife eat anything made by that guy Song Ming again.

The next day, when they set off, the school bus was already waiting early at the entrance. It was so early that many students hadn’t had breakfast yet, and they bought bread and milk to fill their stomachs.

As the bus left the school and began to move smoothly, there was a flurry of rustling as many started tearing open packaging.

Chen Xu was also hungry, and he pulled out two biscuit bars from his bag, handing one half to Ji Chunxiao.

“I don’t want this one.”

Chen Xu: …?

He was familiar with this situation; usually, it was because the distinguished Young Master Ji looked down on these ordinary little biscuits.

Chen Xu was adept at coaxing Ji Chunxiao, almost about to habitually start persuading him, but the next moment he was interrupted.

Ji Chunxiao opened the lunchbox, smiling at him, “I brought you some mung bean pastries.”

With the milky fragrance wafting out, Chen Xu blinked in surprise as Ji Chunxiao fed him a bite.

Ji Chunxiao didn’t eat any himself, focusing on feeding his wife, and even offered extra services like wiping his mouth and pouring water.

These were things he hadn’t done before, but now doing them felt natural, and he found a sweet satisfaction in taking care of Chen Xu.

He really wanted to kiss Chen Xu right then.

Like a rose he had personally tended.