Lin Fengqi had been hit on the head by the showerhead. The showerhead fell and struck him right on the head.
Wen Xia stared at his pitiful expression, with red-rimmed eyes, for a good while before taking a deep breath and picking up the showerhead. The water was cold, and when he checked, the switch was turned to the cold side.
“…”
So, this drunkard got hit by the showerhead after knocking it loose while under cold water?
Wen Xia turned off the shower, hung the showerhead back up, and looked at Lin Fengqi, who was still crouched on the floor. “Get up.”
“It hurts,” Lin Fengqi replied.
Wen Xia closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing his frustration. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
Wen Xia sighed, silently chanting “stay calm and composed” a few times before squatting down. “Move your hand, let me see.”
The blow from the showerhead hadn’t sobered Lin Fengqi up at all, which meant he must have drunk a lot—he was really drunk.
He removed his hand from his forehead, and Wen Xia pushed his bangs aside, revealing a red mark on his temple. When Wen Xia touched it, Lin Fengqi winced but didn’t make a sound.
Probably because it was Wen Xia touching him, so he wouldn’t complain about the pain.
“At least the skin isn’t broken, so it’s not too bad,” Wen Xia said as he stood up. “Finish your shower, and I’ll get some ointment for you afterward.”
Lin Fengqi made a muffled sound of agreement and stood up, swaying slightly. Wen Xia quickly reached out to steady him.
The man wasn’t wearing a shirt, and Wen Xia’s hand pressed directly against his skin. His body was still wet from the shower, with cold droplets sliding down his back and seeping into Wen Xia’s fingers. Some droplets trickled down his hair, slipping down his face and over his neck, eventually making their way to his chest and abdomen.
Finally, they disappeared into the waistband of his loose pants, forming a darkened, wet ring around the edge.
The belt buckle was undone, hanging loosely from his pants.
Wen Xia swallowed hard, feeling the heat he’d managed to suppress begin to rise again.
He quickly pulled his hand back and hesitated for a moment before asking, “Are you planning to shower like this?”
Lin Fengqi, his eyes still hazy with confusion, tilted his head as if he didn’t understand the question.
“…Are you going to shower with your pants on?” Wen Xia asked, exasperated.
Lin Fengqi glanced down at himself and softly said, “Ah,” belatedly realizing he needed to take off his pants.
“Wait,” Wen Xia stopped him with a hand. “I’ll leave first; then you can take them off.”
After giving Lin Fengqi a quick nod, Wen Xia turned the shower switch to the hot water side and left the bathroom in a hurry.
If he didn’t leave now, he might not be able to resist the urge to take advantage of Lin Fengqi.
Especially when he looked so… vulnerable.
Wen Xia took a moment outside to calm down, resolving a minor scuffle between the cat and dog while he was at it. There were no further unusual sounds from the bathroom, and before long, Lin Fengqi emerged, wrapped in steam.
He had changed into clean loungewear, his face still flushed from the heat and alcohol. His eyes were misty as he called out, “Wen Xia.”
“I’m in the living room. Come over here,” Wen Xia responded.
Lin Fengqi slowly made his way over and sat down next to Wen Xia. Although the alcohol had mostly worn off, the lingering scent of it mingled with the fragrance of his body wash, wafting over in waves of warmth.
He obediently lifted his bangs, revealing the spot on his temple that had turned even redder.
“It hurts,” he said.
Wen Xia replied, “Hand.”
Lin Fengqi extended his hand.
Wen Xia pressed an ice pack into his hand. “Use this.”
The ice pack was wrapped in a small towel, but it was still cold enough to send a shiver down Lin Fengqi’s spine. He hesitated for a moment, seemingly a bit more clear-headed from the shock.
Wen Xia motioned toward Lin Fengqi’s forehead with a tilt of his chin. “Hold it there.”
Lin Fengqi soon slipped back into a daze, muttering an “Mm” as he placed the towel-wrapped ice pack on his forehead.
“Keep it there for half an hour,” Wen Xia instructed.
Lin Fengqi followed his instructions dutifully. By the time Wen Xia finished his own shower, he found Lin Fengqi in the same position, only having switched hands.
Wen Da Ge had curled up on his lap, half-asleep, while Lin Fengqi gently petted its soft fur with one hand, his eyes filled with a quiet adoration. Meanwhile, A’Mou had sprawled out beside him, fast asleep.
Wen Xia dried his hair and walked over. “Looks like Wen Da Ge really likes you.”
Hearing his voice, Lin Fengqi seemed startled, quickly withdrawing his hand like a child caught doing something wrong.
Wen Xia was puzzled. “What are you so nervous about?”
Lin Fengqi stammered, “I… I petted your cat without asking…”
Wen Xia was baffled. “It’s not like it’s the first time.”
Ever since Wen Da Ge and A’Mou had started getting along, Lin Fengqi would often pet Wen Da Ge. Whenever that happened, A’Mou would get jealous and rush over to nudge Wen Da Ge away, leading to a scuffle.
Besides, Wen Xia often held A’Mou and ruffled its fur as well, so why would permission be needed for that?
Lin Fengqi blinked in surprise at his words, glancing at Wen Xia and then at the cat purring on his lap. Embarrassed, he admitted, “I’ve petted it in secret before…”
Wen Xia raised an eyebrow. “When?”
“Back then…” Lin Fengqi struggled to recall. “In your room.”
Wen Xia thought about it for a moment. Lin Fengqi had rarely entered his room. In fact, it had only happened twice. Once was the day Lin Fengqi moved in, when he helped assemble Wen Xia’s computer desk. The other time was when the water heater in his room’s bathroom broke, and Lin Fengqi came to fix it.
It had to be the second time.
Wen Xia remembered that during the water heater repair, Lin Fengqi had seemed a bit off, even holding the screwdriver the wrong way. At the time, Wen Da Ge had been playing near the toolbox, and Lin Fengqi had sternly told him to take the cat away.
Given Lin Fengqi’s undisguised fondness for cats, as noted in his journal, Wen Xia was now certain that he had secretly been petting Wen Da Ge behind his back.
So this guy becomes this honest when he’s drunk, huh? Spilling everything.
Wen Xia was intrigued. He casually wiped his hair a couple of times and sat down next to Lin Fengqi. “Alright, let me ask you this: if you had to choose between the cat and the dog, which one would you pick?”
As soon as Wen Xia sat down, Wen Da Ge immediately defected and jumped onto his lap, purring and kneading with even more contentment than before. Wen Xia was quite pleased with his pet’s behavior and cuddled it closer.
Then he heard Lin Fengqi, serious as ever, answer, “You.”
…Damn, that was heart-pounding.
Wen Xia cleared his throat. “There’s no third option.”
Lin Fengqi: “You.”
Wen Xia: “I’m asking you to choose between the cat and the dog.”
Lin Fengqi: “You.”
Wen Xia: “…”
And Lin Fengqi was staring at him with such intensity, as if he were proposing. Although, they’d already done that—and Lin Fengqi hadn’t even been this serious during the actual proposal.
Wen Xia’s face flushed with heat.
Alcohol was amazing.
But it was also really something else.
Lin Fengqi, who had been so cold and distant for so long, had completely transformed into a sweet-talking charmer after getting drunk. Wen Xia had never expected such a drastic shift.
He was actually worried that Lin Fengqi might use up all his sweet words in one night. What if he didn’t have anything nice left to say in the future?
“You… you need to stop looking at me like that,” Wen Xia stammered.
“Why?”
The roles were reversed, with Lin Fengqi now asking the questions.
Wen Xia replied, “It could lead to trouble.”
Lin Fengqi didn’t understand.
Wen Xia reached out, changing the subject. “Okay, that’s enough. Give me the ice pack.”
The ice pack had been on for about half an hour. The redness was still there, but the swelling had gone down a bit. Wen Xia retrieved some ointment from the first-aid kit and asked, “Do you want me to apply it, or can you do it yourself?”
Lin Fengqi had already extended his hand but hesitated at Wen Xia’s question, pulling it back and saying, “You do it.”
Smart or dumb?
Wen Xia teased, “I can give you a mirror, and you can do it yourself.”
Lin Fengqi’s face fell, and he mumbled, “No.”
“Why not?”
Lin Fengqi answered, “It doesn’t hurt as much this way.”
Wen Xia reached out and touched his temple.
Lin Fengqi’s long eyelashes fluttered as he tried not to flinch.
“Doesn’t hurt?” Wen Xia asked.
“…No, it doesn’t,” Lin Fengqi replied.
Wen Xia stared at him for a moment before applying a bit of pressure with his finger.
Lin Fengqi winced, finally giving in and recoiling.
Wen Xia’s fingers followed. “I thought you said it didn’t hurt.”
Lin Fengqi’s expression was full of grievance. He pressed his lips together, saying nothing, but he continued to pull away, silently expressing his reluctance.
Seeing him like this made Wen Xia want to bully him more. His mischievous streak flared, and he moved closer.
Lin Fengqi retreated further—
A’Mou, who had been dozing on the other side of the couch, was jolted awake by the shrinking space. It got up, but before it could reach the edge of the couch, its owner lost his balance and toppled backward, startling the dog into jumping off the couch.
Wen Xia, caught off guard, lost his grip and fell on top of Lin Fengqi. Wen Da Ge, who had been perched on his lap, was unceremoniously tossed to the floor, meowing in displeasure.
The world suddenly went quiet.
This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Last time, they’d ended up in a similar position, only it had been on the floor instead of the couch.
Wen Xia’s hands were braced on either side of Lin Fengqi, casting a shadow over him.
His hair wasn’t fully dry yet, and as it hung down, a droplet of water fell onto Lin Fengqi’s face and slowly rolled down.
Wen Xia watched that little droplet slide down, and the images from the bathroom earlier flashed in his mind.
Lin Fengqi stared back at him, wide-eyed.
After a few seconds, Lin Fengqi slowly raised his hand, his fingers gently sliding into Wen Xia’s damp hair. The cool moisture clung to his hand, soaking it.
“It’s wet,” he remarked.
They were just two ordinary words, but Wen Xia suddenly felt a tightness in his lower abdomen. An itch began to rise in his throat, and he couldn’t help but swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing noticeably.
“No kidding,” he replied, his voice slightly hoarse. “I just washed it, of course it’s wet.”
Lin Fengqi pulled his hand back, softly murmuring an “Oh,” as if he were being obedient.
He stared at the water on his palm for a moment, then leaned in to sniff his fingertips. “It smells good.”
Wen Xia’s throat tightened again. “…Whose shampoo doesn’t smell good?”
But Lin Fengqi seemed to really like the scent. He reached out to touch Wen Xia’s hair again, as if it were a newfound toy, twisting the damp strands between his fingers, squeezing out the water clinging to the strands.
Soon, his fingertips were glistening with droplets.
“Stop messing around.” Wen Xia spoke softly, yet somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to move away.
When Lin Fengqi drank, he really did listen to Wen Xia. He stopped playing with Wen Xia’s hair the moment he was told.
But a flicker of disappointment passed across his face.
Wen Xia asked, “What’s so fun about hair, anyway?”
Lin Fengqi shook his head. “It’s your hair.”
“…”
Wen Xia stared at him for a long moment before asking, “Do you really like me that much?”
The man beneath him didn’t hesitate to nod.
Wen Xia pressed his lips together and asked the question that had always been on his mind. “Then why, back then, when I was chasing after you so obviously, didn’t you respond?”
Wen Xia had read Lin Fengqi’s journal and knew that Lin Fengqi had liked him back then too, so why hadn’t he reacted?
Lin Fengqi looked up at him blankly, as if trying to process his words. Slowly, his expression became more and more bewildered.
It was as if he were in a dream. “You… chased me?”
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