Chi Yu’s damp black hair brushed against Fu Zhi’an’s neck, sending a shiver down his spine from the cool, wet touch. Fu Zhi’an gently patted Chi Yu’s back, his gaze resting on Chi Yu’s shoulders. The black and white school uniform jacket was already soaked through, and raindrops trickling down from the umbrella’s edge were about to land on him.
Instinctively, Fu Zhi’an tilted the umbrella, deflecting the droplets to the side. The movement was a bit too sudden, causing Chi Yu to stiffen momentarily. Then, in a somewhat awkward manner, he pulled away, keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact. He stepped back and hurriedly walked ahead.
Fu Zhi’an hadn’t fully processed what had just happened before Chi Yu had already walked quite a distance away. Not wanting to overthink it, he quickly picked up his pace to catch up. But the faster he walked, the faster Chi Yu moved. Whenever Fu Zhi’an took one step forward, Chi Yu seemed to take three. Sighing in exasperation, Fu Zhi’an ignored the splashing mud on his pants, took a few quick strides, and caught up, casually slinging an arm over Chi Yu’s shoulders.
“It’s a bit late to be getting shy now, isn’t it?” Fu Zhi’an teased, leaning in with a soft chuckle when he noticed Chi Yu’s tightly pressed lips. “You were hugging pretty tightly just now.”
“Shut up, you bastard,” Chi Yu shot back, raising his head abruptly, his dark eyes locking with Fu Zhi’an’s before quickly darting away. His brows knitted together as he muttered under his breath, “Wasn’t even that tight… You’re talking nonsense.”
The rain continued to pour down, shattering the overlapping reflections of the two on the wet asphalt. Chi Yu sniffled, fumbling with his phone in an attempt to call a cab. However, just as he was about to dial, Fu Zhi’an waved his hand, signaling to a black sedan that quickly pulled up in front of them, headlights flashing.
Chi Yu stared blankly at the car for a moment before Fu Zhi’an opened the door for him with a grin.
As soon as Chi Yu sat down, the driver began grumbling, “You’re soaking wet. My seats are genuine leather, you know. Who’s gonna pay for the damage if you ruin them?”
Fu Zhi’an, closing the umbrella and sliding into the seat beside Chi Yu, playfully jabbed at his shoulder. “He’ll pay. He’s a rich kid.”
The driver blinked in surprise, stealing a glance at Chi Yu’s less-than-friendly expression. With that scowl and those piercing eyes, Chi Yu looked more like a loan shark than a rich kid.
Turning back to face the road, the driver muttered under his breath as he started the car, “Where to?”
“Yuyuan,” Chi Yu replied curtly. Through the rearview mirror, the driver caught sight of his sharp gaze and quickly decided against further small talk.
The sound of raindrops pelting the windows filled the car. Fu Zhi’an glanced over at Chi Yu, who was leaning back with his eyes closed, his brows furrowed as if deep in thought. His pale chin was tucked into the collar of his soaked school uniform, the wet fabric rubbing against his fair skin, leaving a faint red mark. Fu Zhi’an shifted slightly, reaching out to pull down the zipper of Chi Yu’s jacket. Just as his fingers grasped the zipper, Chi Yu’s hand shot out, grabbing his wrist. Half-opening his eyes, Chi Yu stared at him for a long moment before finally releasing his grip.
“Why did you zip it up so high?”
“… Weren’t you the one who zipped it up?” Chi Yu mumbled, his voice barely audible. Fu Zhi’an raised an eyebrow, prompting him to repeat himself. Chi Yu clicked his tongue in annoyance, then rolled over, turning his back on him.
When they reached Chi Yu’s place, he fumbled with the keypad for a while, clearly flustered, before turning around, snapping, “Can you stop staring at me while I enter the code? Ever heard of security?”
Chi Yu’s frustration grew as Fu Zhi’an just stood there, unmoving. Finally, he gave up and punched in the code without hiding it anymore.
1224—his birthday.
A wave of anxiety surged through Fu Zhi’an as he stood outside Chi Yu’s door, suddenly unsure of what to do. It wasn’t until Chi Yu emerged from his room in a clean T-shirt that he noticed Fu Zhi’an still standing there, lost in thought.
“What are you doing standing there in the middle of the night?” Chi Yu’s tone was sharp, like he was scolding him. When Fu Zhi’an didn’t respond and continued to stare, Chi Yu cleared his throat, raising his voice. “If you’re not coming in, I’m closing the door. It’s freezing out here.”
Fu Zhi’an caught the T-shirt and sweatpants that Chi Yu tossed at him, hearing his hoarse voice mixed with the sound of running water from the bathroom. “There’s a shower in there. Clean up before you wear my clothes, got it?”
The sound of running water started in the adjacent bathroom as well. Chi Yu sighed in relief, worried that his voice might give away his nervousness, so he quickly turned on the shower to mask it. Fortunately, Fu Zhi’an didn’t seem to notice. Chi Yu stripped off his wet clothes and stepped into the shower, the warm water cascading down his body.
Chi Yu showered quickly. As he stood in front of the mirror, towel wrapped around his waist, drying his hair, the sound of water in the other bathroom ceased as well.
He just wanted to dry his hair as fast as possible. With his eyes closed, he set the hairdryer to its highest setting and began furiously rubbing his head. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Fu Zhi’an standing silently in the doorway, watching him.
Instinctively, Chi Yu tightened his grip on the towel around his waist. The hairdryer slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor. Fu Zhi’an bent down to pick it up, then walked over to him, step by step.
Amused by Chi Yu’s flustered reaction, Fu Zhi’an smirked silently as he casually stood next to him, blowing his own hair dry. “No hairdryer in the other bathroom.”
“We’re both guys. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about being shirtless!” Chi Yu mentally steeled himself, deciding it was no big deal. He nonchalantly moved his arm away, revealing his lean upper body, with droplets of water still clinging to his smooth, pale skin. The water slowly trickled down, eventually disappearing into the towel wrapped around his waist.
Throughout it all, Fu Zhi’an remained focused on drying his hair, not sparing Chi Yu a single glance. Still feeling a bit awkward, Chi Yu quickly slipped on his slippers and left the room. Once he was gone, Fu Zhi’an finally exhaled, pressing his fingers to his forehead as he tried to calm down.
When Fu Zhi’an finally emerged from the bathroom, he found Chi Yu standing on the balcony, staring intently at the bed sheets and covers hanging overhead. Chi Yu sensed Fu Zhi’an’s gaze and slowly turned around, awkwardly explaining, “Our housekeeper is very diligent.”
“So diligent that she washed the bedding even on a rainy day.”
Chi Yu’s home was a two-story duplex, with plenty of empty rooms. But the only two rooms with beds had their bedding hung out to dry, dripping water steadily onto the floor. Fu Zhi’an walked over to the sofa, pressing down on it a few times before casually suggesting, “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“Suit yourself,” Chi Yu responded, turning away and disappearing into one of the bedrooms.
Fu Zhi’an grabbed a towel and turned off the living room lights. As soon as he lay down, he heard the sound of a door creaking open. The room was too dark to see anything, but he could tell someone was standing in the doorway, their voice low and muffled like the damp air of the rainy season.
“Do you… want to sleep in here?”
Chi Yu’s bed was much larger than Fu Zhi’an’s, spacious enough for rolling around. Even so, the two boys stubbornly positioned themselves at the edges of the bed. The down comforter was spread wide, and since they both clung to their respective corners, cold drafts kept sneaking in between them. Fu Zhi’an decided to ignore it and shut his eyes, trying to force himself to sleep. But for some reason, his hearing suddenly became unusually sharp, picking up every breath and heartbeat from the person beside him.
Time passed, and when Chi Yu’s breathing finally evened out, signaling that he had fallen asleep, Fu Zhi’an opened his eyes and quietly turned his head.
Chi Yu wasn’t asleep. His hands were folded behind his head, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the ceiling.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Fu Zhi’an turned onto his side, positioning himself so he could see Chi Yu’s handsome profile.
“I’m regretting it,” Chi Yu said after a moment, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “I should have told Wen Hua today. I should have held your hand and told her that you’re the one I like.”
Chi Yu’s voice was tinged with a nasally quality, his eyelashes fluttering slightly as he spoke with utmost sincerity.
“Next time, then,” Fu Zhi’an replied, catching the faint scent of laundry detergent from the T-shirt he was wearing—Chi Yu’s scent. “I’ll dress up nicely next time to meet the parents.” Chi Yu’s lips curved into a smile, and he closed his eyes.
But Fu Zhi’an couldn’t sleep. He was almost obsessively memorizing Chi Yu’s profile, tracing his eyes from his forehead to his brow bone, from his eye sockets to the tip of his nose, and finally resting on his rosy lips. If he moved just a little, his leg would brush against the curve of Chi Yu’s waist. If he stretched out his hand, he could clasp Chi Yu’s slender arm.
Even as Chi Yu drifted into slumber, Fu Zhi’an remained wide awake.
He carefully slipped out of bed and padded barefoot to the living room. Earlier, he had noticed a pack of cigarettes left by the entrance, likely by Chi Yu’s father, Chi Yue Di. Fu Zhi’an opened the pack, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it as he stepped out onto the balcony. The night air, freshly washed by the rain, carried the scent of damp earth. The cigarette burned slowly between his fingers as he took a long drag, hoping it would help clear his mind.
“What the hell are you doing, smoking in the middle of the night?” The sudden voice startled Fu Zhi’an, causing him to jerk, and a long trail of ash fell from the cigarette.
Chi Yu, half-asleep, had been awakened by the faint sounds. Light sleeper that he was, even the slightest noise could rouse him. Expecting to find an intruder, he was instead greeted by the sight of Fu Zhi’an sneaking out for a smoke in the dead of night. He hadn’t realized Fu Zhi’an’s addiction was this bad.
The thought irritated Chi Yu for no good reason. Yet, despite his shouting, Fu Zhi’an remained facing away from him, making no move to extinguish the cigarette.
“Turn around!” Chi Yu barked when Fu Zhi’an didn’t respond, tossing his slipper at him in frustration.
Fu Zhi’an, hunching his back, sighed, bent down to pick up the slipper, and slowly turned around.
In the silver glow of the moonlight, Chi Yu’s gaze landed on Fu Zhi’an’s shadowed expression—and the unmistakable bulge in his shorts.
It was the purest expression of a teenage boy’s affection, raw and undeniable, yet also the most hidden and unspoken of desires.
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