ASPWWD Chapter 66

Wen Xia casually dropped the word “boyfriend” like it was no big deal, then continued playing his game, leaving his viewers in a state of shock and confusion. It wasn’t until Lin Fengqi finished his shower that Wen Xia nonchalantly ended the stream with a quick “We’ll stop here for today.” After he left, the chat was flooded with question marks.

Since there weren’t any high-rated movies in theaters, they decided to stay in and watch something at home. They lowered the projection screen in the living room, drew the curtains, and it felt like a private cinema. A cat and a dog were by their side, completing the cozy setting.

The only downside was that they had run out of snacks, and hadn’t had time to restock. Lin Fengqi went to cut up some fruit, saying it was healthier anyway.

As they sat on the couch, Wen Xia, legs crossed, fiddled with the remote. “What should we watch? Do you have anything in mind?” he asked.

“Anything’s fine,” Lin Fengqi replied, offering Wen Xia a piece of apple.

Wen Xia hesitated for a moment. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had fed him like this, making him feel like a child. His face warmed as he opened his mouth to accept the apple, the sweet and sour juice filling his mouth. He chewed and asked, “Do you watch movies often?”

“I’ve only started watching more in the last couple of years,” Lin Fengqi admitted. “Before that, I didn’t have much time.”

In high school and college, Lin Fengqi was always busy. After graduating, he was occupied with starting his own business, leaving little time for himself. Any spare time he had was spent quietly reading or thinking about Wen Xia. Watching a movie, which takes over an hour, seemed like too much of a luxury.

It was only in the past two years, as his company stabilized, that he had more free time to indulge in movies, exercise, and other activities he never had the chance to do before.

Lin Fengqi didn’t elaborate, but just from his brief explanation, Wen Xia could tell why he hadn’t had time for movies. Wen Xia couldn’t stand when Lin Fengqi downplayed his past struggles. He knew that Lin Fengqi wasn’t trying to elicit sympathy, but it made Wen Xia feel even more tender towards him.

Just thinking about it made Wen Xia wish Lin Fengqi could invent a time machine so he could go back and be with him during those dark days.

The more Wen Xia thought about it, the more his heart ached. So, he picked up a piece of orange and held it to Lin Fengqi’s mouth.

Lin Fengqi was slightly startled, his face slowly turning red. “You don’t have to…”

“Are you going to eat it or not?” Wen Xia pretended to scold.

“…” Lin Fengqi opened his mouth and took the orange slice.

Watching him eat so obediently, Wen Xia couldn’t help but ruffle his hair. “Good boy.”

Lin Fengqi chewed on the orange, then leaned in to hug Wen Xia, nuzzling against him. He didn’t say anything, but his happiness was evident in every action.

If he had a tail, it would probably be wagging like a helicopter rotor by now.

Feeling a bit flustered from all the affection, Wen Xia quickly steered the conversation back to the movie. “So, what kind of movies do you usually watch? Or, what genres do you like?”

“I’m not picky,” Lin Fengqi replied. “As long as it’s good.”

Wen Xia thought for a moment, then searched for a movie. “How about this one? Zhou Boyan recommended it to me, but I haven’t had a chance to watch it.”

Zhou Boyan had recommended an old, somewhat obscure film. It was a love story, but it also touched on themes of friendship and family. About a third of the way through, the main character’s father passed away. Wen Xia couldn’t help but turn to Lin Fengqi and suggest, “Should we skip this part?”

Lin Fengqi had been holding Wen Xia since the movie started and hadn’t let go. His deep voice came close to Wen Xia’s ear, questioning, “Hmm?”

“It’s too sad,” Wen Xia said.

Lin Fengqi’s father had died from overwork, and Wen Xia was worried that this scene might bring back painful memories. He picked up the remote, intending to fast-forward.

But Lin Fengqi stopped him.

“It’s okay,” Lin Fengqi said softly, his voice gentle. “I’m not that fragile.”

“…I heard from Senior Brother Zhou that it was a really tough time for you back then.”

Lin Fengqi’s expression wavered as if he were recalling something distant. Then he said, “Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“When you’re going through it, it feels tough,” Lin Fengqi rested his chin on Wen Xia’s shoulder, “but looking back now, it all feels so far away.”

He lowered his gaze, his eyes settling on Wen Xia’s collarbone, feeling a sudden itch in his throat.

Wen Xia didn’t know Lin Fengqi’s father as well as he knew Ye Shixue, but he remembered him. Lin Fengqi’s father was the one who usually came to school for parent-teacher conferences. Lin Fengqi’s eyes resembled his mother’s, but his overall features were more like his father’s—sharp, aloof, and not particularly approachable.

But in reality, Lin’s father was a gentle man. He would take advantage of the moments when Lin Fengqi was called away by the teacher to quietly ask Wen Xia, who was Lin Fengqi’s deskmate, about how his son was doing in school. After receiving reassuring answers from Wen Xia, he would smile and say thank you. The weight of life’s burdens would show in the deep lines around his eyes, lines that didn’t match his age.

Wen Xia learned about Lin Fengqi’s father’s death from the class monitor later on. Lin Fengqi never told anyone, and the class monitor only found out by accident.

To them, it was just another heavy piece of old classmate gossip. But when Wen Xia heard about it, he couldn’t stop thinking about reaching out to Lin Fengqi, to say something comforting or encouraging.

Yet, every time he clicked on Lin Fengqi’s profile picture, he would back out again, never sending that simple message: “How have you been?”

As the movie moved past that sorrowful scene, the interaction between the male and female leads increased. About halfway through, they unexpectedly kissed.

The old film’s sepia tones gave the kiss a unique charm, with the characters on screen embracing and kissing passionately, lost in the moment. Meanwhile, the silence between Wen Xia and Lin Fengqi grew more awkward.

Wen Xia wasn’t really paying attention to the movie anymore. He shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling a nip on his neck.

He jerked in surprise and turned his head. “…Why did you bite me?”

Lin Fengqi’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked at Wen Xia without saying a word.

The sound of soft, intimate kisses echoed from the movie, filling the living room. With the curtains drawn and only the movie’s flickering light illuminating their faces, their expressions were sometimes obscured by shadows.

When the characters in the movie tumbled into each other’s arms, Wen Xia and Lin Fengqi’s lips met.

Wen Xia was pushed down onto the sofa, and this kiss was bolder than the last. Lin Fengqi lingered on his lips for a moment before gently biting Wen Xia’s lower lip, his voice husky as he asked, “Can I… go deeper?”

Wen Xia’s face turned scarlet as he gave a soft “Mm.”

Lin Fengqi’s tongue carefully traced the seam of Wen Xia’s lips. Wen Xia closed his eyes and opened his mouth, allowing Lin Fengqi to invade his territory. The movie playing in the background became irrelevant to them. The lingering sweetness of the fruit on their tongues melded together, even sweeter than when they had eaten it.

The kiss ended abruptly when a gunshot rang out in the movie.

They pulled apart, both looking a bit disheveled. Wen Xia’s throat bobbed, and his eyes were misty. His lips were swollen and red from the kiss, and his collarbone bore a faint bite mark. His shirt had ridden up, revealing a sliver of his pale waist, the taut muscle disappearing into his waistband.

Lin Fengqi hovered over him, his breath unsteady, his gaze dark with barely restrained desire.

Some things, once interrupted, are hard to pick up again.

They took a while to compose themselves, having missed who knew how much of the movie’s plot. They decided to just pause it and not continue. Besides, it was about time for dinner anyway, and nothing was more important than eating.

Lin Fengqi went to cook, but not before they each took a cold shower—something that seemed redundant but necessary after what had just happened.

The house was warm, so the cold shower wasn’t too uncomfortable, but the rapid change in temperature could easily lead to a cold. Wen Xia sneezed and quickly layered up.

His phone had been buzzing for a while. When he finally checked it, he saw it was a call from his landlord.

“Xiao Wen, are you home?” the landlord asked. “Didn’t you say you wanted to terminate the lease? Our contract is about to expire, and I’m back in the country for some business. I remembered this, so I thought I’d see if it’s convenient for you for me to check the condition of the apartment.”

Wen Xia had rented the place fully furnished, with everything he needed already in place. Now that he was moving out, the landlord naturally wanted to inspect the condition of the property to see if anything needed repairs.

The landlord was rarely in the country, so this was a unique opportunity. Originally, they had discussed doing a video call inspection, but since the landlord was back, Wen Xia figured they might as well handle it in person.

Lin Fengqi hadn’t heard anything about Wen Xia terminating the lease before. When Wen Xia mentioned it over dinner, Lin Fengqi’s hands trembled slightly as he held his bowl. “You’re moving out of that apartment?”

“Yeah.”

Lin Fengqi was thrilled. He was so happy because this meant Wen Xia was planning to stay with him long-term, and their cohabitation would no longer have any uncertainties.

“I’ll come with you,” he volunteered to be the driver.

Since it would save him the hassle, Wen Xia readily agreed. “Sure, I still have some things I need to pick up. You can help me carry them.”

“Okay.”

After setting up a time with the landlord, they headed out after dinner.

Wen Xia had taken good care of the apartment, knowing it wasn’t his property. The landlord inspected it and expressed satisfaction, noting how clean and tidy everything was, even down to the new sofa that matched the decor perfectly. He seemed reluctant to let Wen Xia go, saying he’d likely never find another tenant as considerate. If possible, he would have liked Wen Xia to stay longer.

Wen Xia chuckled. “I’d like to as well. Your apartment is really comfortable.”

The landlord sighed with regret and asked, “So where are you staying now? I heard from the neighbors that you haven’t been home in a while.”

“I’m staying with my boyfriend now,” Wen Xia said, nodding towards Lin Fengqi, who was helping pack up his things. He smiled, making no effort to hide the relationship.

The landlord looked surprised, glancing at Lin Fengqi. He had initially assumed they were just friends, but it made sense. After all, their dynamic seemed too intimate to be just friends.

Having lived abroad, the landlord didn’t think much of it and chuckled. “You two make a great couple.”

Lin Fengqi, carrying a box, passed by and nodded seriously. “Thank you.”

Wen Xia couldn’t help but smile.

“So, are you two renting a place together?” the landlord asked, now just chatting idly. “Or are you planning to buy a new home for the wedding?”

“It’s his place,” Wen Xia said. “But it’s probably just temporary. I plan to start looking for a place to buy myself soon.”

“Clatter.”

Something dropped to the floor.

Wen Xia turned at the sound. “What happened?”

Lin Fengqi stood frozen for a couple of seconds before bending down to pick up the book he had dropped. “…Nothing, just slipped.”

His heart had also just taken a massive slide.

Temporary… Looking for a place to buy himself…

Did that mean Wen Xia was planning to move out?!

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