“Rong ge…”
Rong Jin almost had a heart attack when Chi Feiran suddenly spoke. He stiffened, not daring to move, his voice shaky, “Wh-what is it?”
Chi Feiran swallowed, his eyes locked on Rong Jin, and asked in a very small voice, “Can I… can I kiss you?”
After he asked, his whole face turned crimson. He felt that his request was really too much. Asking so directly—what if he scared Rong ge?
But he had already asked, and the atmosphere was just so perfect. He really, really wanted to… just a kiss…
For a moment, Rong Jin’s mind was filled with celebratory scenes, like banners waving and drums beating. Could such a wonderful thing really happen?
Rong Jin heard his voice stutter, but he couldn’t control it, “Kiss… where do you want to kiss?”
Did he really get to choose?
Chi Feiran’s eyes naturally fell on Rong Jin’s lips. He stared at them for a long while before saying, not quite matching his true intent, “Your face…”
There weren’t many options to choose from. A kiss on the forehead seemed too much like what an elder would do. A kiss on the nose didn’t seem right either. Lips… he really wanted to…
After much consideration, the face seemed the safest choice.
Hearing this, Rong Jin felt a bit disappointed. It was like winning the lottery, expecting five million but only getting fifty thousand after taxes.
But any kiss was still good!
He swallowed hard. Winning the lottery was still an exciting event, and he was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He took a deep breath to steady his emotions, though his voice was still dry, “Go ahead and kiss…”
Chi Feiran took a moment to prepare, taking so long that Rong Jin started to feel a bit anxious. Then Chi Feiran slowly leaned in.
They were already quite close, so Chi Feiran just had to move a little for his lips to touch Rong Jin’s cheek.
But that small distance felt like an eternity to Rong Jin, as if time itself had stretched, replaying the universe’s creation in his mind.
Then, he felt it. Warm and soft lips, gently trembling against his cheek.
Rong Jin had tried to keep his mind blank, but as soon as Chi Feiran made contact, all his attention focused on him.
At this close distance, he could see the fine, baby-like hair on Chi Feiran’s fair skin, a sign of youth.
Chi Feiran had his eyes closed, his face blushing, and his long eyelashes trembling, his expression one of pure reverence.
Rong Jin stared at him unblinkingly, wanting to etch this moment deeply into his memory.
Chi Feiran suddenly opened his eyes, and their gazes met. For a moment, both had the same thought.
Could it be that he also… even just a little bit… likes me?
Rong Jin was afraid to think further. He feared it was all just his wishful thinking. He had finally found his place; if he hoped for too much, would there be any chance to return to where they were?
Almost instinctively, he kept finding excuses for this not-quite-a-kiss.
The kid grew up abroad; a kiss wasn’t a big deal. He had asked so directly—it couldn’t be what someone with ulterior motives like him would understand it to mean.
He was still young, and Rong Jin was his idol. Wanting to be close was normal…
While his mind spun with explanations, another thought kept surfacing.
Could it be… just a bit… that he likes me too?
Rong Jin saw Chi Feiran’s lips move as if he was about to speak.
But Chi Feiran suddenly pulled back so quickly that Rong Jin almost thought he had already asked the question.
Chi Feiran closed his eyes in frustration. He didn’t want to pull back, but he had been holding his breath from nervousness and couldn’t keep it in anymore. He didn’t want to exhale in Rong Jin’s face, so he had to pull away.
Cursing himself inwardly for being so useless, he wished he could redo the moment. He could hold his breath just fine when swimming underwater!
When he reopened his eyes, meeting Rong Jin’s seemingly shocked gaze, Chi Feiran hurried to explain, “I ran out of breath!”
Rong Jin listened to his explanation, finally understanding that Chi Feiran had been too scared to breathe…
Rong Jin’s thoughts wandered again. So, his face turned red from holding his breath?
Chi Feiran felt utterly embarrassed, wishing he could be reborn and try again.
Taking a deep breath, he called out to Rong Jin, “Rong ge, I…”
Rong Jin interrupted him, “Let’s stop here for now.”
Chi Feiran’s words were cut off, and it was hard to continue after being interrupted. Besides, Rong Jin had already stood up, and the atmosphere seemed to dissipate.
Rong Jin extended his hand to him, “Let’s go eat.”
Chi Feiran placed his hand in Rong Jin’s, using it to stand up. He thought Rong Jin would let go once he was up, but he didn’t.
They walked hand in hand towards the kitchen, slowly making their way.
Chi Feiran couldn’t help but hold Rong Jin’s hand tighter, wishing this path were an endless maze so they would never have to let go and could walk like this forever.
Rong Jin had his own fantasies but was also torn inside. He felt like a beast. The kid idolized him, saw him as a friend, even introduced him to his family, yet he was wavering, wanting to turn him into something more personal.
Rong Jin questioned himself, “I’m already an adult, so am I really deceiving a teenager?” He convinced himself it didn’t count anymore. Nine years apart wasn’t that big of a deal, right?
Both lost in their thoughts, they walked extremely slowly, stretching a short walk into what felt like eternity.
But the path wasn’t truly endless. Eventually, they reached their destination.
They reluctantly let go of each other’s hands. Chi Feiran almost wanted to suggest skipping dinner, claiming he wasn’t very hungry.
Rong Jin also considered skipping the meal, but the kid was still growing, and skipping meals wasn’t an option.
With this in mind, he felt even more like a beast.
Rong Jin, on the verge of becoming a beast, reprimanded himself while putting on an apron to prepare a meal for the growing boy he cared so much about.
Chi Feiran stood by, ready to help whenever Rong Jin instructed. This time they worked even better together, showing more chemistry than before, making Chi Feiran feel a little proud.
While washing vegetables, Chi Feiran couldn’t resist sneaking glances at Rong Jin, thinking how even chopping vegetables, he looked incredibly handsome. He wanted to write a song just for this scene.
Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly felt something furry rubbing against his leg.
Oreo, their cat, sniffed Chi Feiran’s leg, then rubbed against it more, as if the scent wasn’t enough.
With the colder weather, Oreo’s fur had grown thicker and fluffier. Even though the house had heating, Oreo had become quite round and soft.
Chi Feiran thought about how Rong Jin treated Oreo like a son, then glanced at Rong Jin and back at himself…
He pressed his lips together, trying to suppress a smile, but couldn’t completely hide his amusement.
Rong Jin noticed Oreo rubbing against their legs and paused his chopping. He picked up a small piece of vegetable stalk and tossed it.
Chi Feiran watched as Oreo chased after the stalk like a puppy and brought it back, clutching it in his mouth.
Rong Jin took the opportunity to wash his hands, then dried them. He pulled out a small bag of cat treats from his pocket and fed Oreo a piece.
After feeding Oreo, Rong Jin looked up at Chi Feiran, who wore a proud expression on his handsome face.
Chi Feiran lifted his chin slightly, looking quite pleased with himself, “My Caesar does that too. He even brings his toys to me!”
Rong Jin couldn’t help but laugh, and seeing him laugh, Chi Feiran worried that his words might have sounded childish.
But then he heard Rong Jin say, “Our sons are both very talented.”
Chi Feiran looked into Rong Jin’s smiling eyes and suddenly recalled something Rong Jin had said during their lesson earlier.
“A person’s speech rhythm and tone reveal a lot of information. The tone and emotion are easy to understand, but the rhythm, the way you break up sentences, is very important.”
Chi Feiran thought back to the phrase “our sons” and carefully reconsidered how Rong Jin had punctuated the sentence.
Rong Jin didn’t play with Oreo for too long; after all, the kid was waiting for him to cook. Handing his “son” over to his crush, he said, “Play with him for a bit. I’ll be done soon.”
Chi Feiran held his crush’s “son” and went off to a corner, meticulously replaying their earlier conversation in his mind. He regretted not being in a practice room where he could replay the scene endlessly to analyze it.
True to his word, Rong Jin finished cooking quickly. Firstly, the dishes weren’t complicated, and secondly, his crush was waiting to be fed, so he couldn’t delay.
They ate and played with the cat, and time flew by.
Before parting ways, they had already arranged their next meeting.
Standing at the door, neither wanted to be the first to say goodbye. If it weren’t for the biting cold wind outside, Rong Jin feared Chi Feiran might catch a cold, and they would have likely stood there staring at each other for much longer.
Though they eventually parted, one taking a car home and the other watching from the doorway, they both sensed that something had changed.
This change was most apparent to Chang Haoqing, who had just returned from the neighboring villa.
Rong Jin said, “Calculate how much I need to pay you from now until your retirement, accounting for inflation and such.”
Chang Haoqing, feeling refreshed after a day of rest, was confused by Rong Jin’s words.
Chang Haoqing asked, “What? Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?”
Rong Jin looked at him, “I’m planning to fire you.”
Chang Haoqing was stunned and thought he might still be hungover, feeling a bit dazed.
Chang Haoqing burst out, “What the hell! What did I ever do to you to deserve this? Rong Jin, let me tell you, you can forget about it!”
Seeing Chang Haoqing’s immediate outburst gave Rong Jin a headache. He signaled for him to calm down and listen.
Chang Haoqing, about to launch into a tirade about his dedication over the years and the hardships he endured, was cut off by Rong Jin’s gesture and nearly choked on his words.
Chang Haoqing fumed, “Okay, then say it!”
Rong Jin said, “I plan on not being a decent person anymore. Firing you first ensures your safety.”
Chang Haoqing processed this, realizing that Rong Jin had just spent an entire day with the young prince. He started to tremble.
Chang Haoqing’s voice shook, “You… you… you!”
Rong Jin leaned back on the sofa, holding his furry son, feeling as if it still retained some warmth from his crush.
He said, “I like him. I still want to be with him.”
Rong Jin’s eyes gleamed as he looked at Chang Haoqing, “I’ve thought it through. First, I fire you. Then I cut ties with my friends—there aren’t many anyway. As for my family, they’re practically ready to disown me publicly. This way, there shouldn’t be any complications…”
Though Rong Jin spoke methodically, Chang Haoqing felt like he was going mad.
Author’s Note:
Chang Haoqing: Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that his first step in getting into a relationship would be to fire me…
