When they arrived at Tan Qi’s house, Mother Tan insisted on keeping Qin Cheng for dinner. Qin Cheng was not able to get away with it. He ate a plate of fruit before coming out, and by the time he got home, it was almost ten o’clock.
Fortunately, all the live broadcast tasks have been completed during the day, otherwise, he would have to stay up until midnight.
Qin Cheng didn’t open the door when he arrived home. He took out his cell phone and called Jian Heng. “I’m back, are you coming out?”
After a while, the door of 302 clicked, and Jian Heng came out in pajamas, holding a bag in his hand, and handed it to him: “Watermelon, go back and cut it.”
Qin Cheng took it and opened the door while tilting his head to ask: “Why have you changed your clothes?”
“Cheng Bin threw up,” Jian Heng frowned slightly, “I just took a shower.”
“Your hair dries too fast.” Thinking about Jian Heng’s crazy mysophobia, Qin Cheng couldn’t help but feel happy, “I didn’t notice it at all. Why don’t we let Cheng Bin throw up again? You go take a shower, and I’ll comfort you when you come out.”
Jian Heng pushed his shoulder from behind: “Go in.”
Qin Cheng pushed the door while enjoying himself.
It’s neither too early nor too late. The two of them turned off the lights and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling with their eyes open. Neither of them was sleepy.
Qin Cheng’s eyes got tired from staring. He blinked twice and couldn’t help turning over to face Jian Heng.
The moon was very bright tonight, illuminating Jian Heng’s face clearly.
Qin Cheng’s bed was smaller than his, and the two of them were closer to each other.
Qin Cheng could even count his eyelashes, one by one, long but not curled, covering the eyes when he looked at people with coldness and little hint of emotion. The look that makes Tan Qi scared, ‘As if he would pull out a knife in the next second‘.
Who says monolid eyes are not attractive? Jian Heng’s long and narrow eyes were perfect for monolids, if it was not monolids, they wouldn’t look good.
“Hey.” Qin Cheng couldn’t help but call out.
“Um?” Jian Heng tilted his head to look at him. Under the moonlight, his features were coated with a light-colored glow, reflecting a blurry shadow in his eyes——it should be Qin Cheng.
“I noticed,” Qin Cheng paused, then reached out and patted his shoulder, “Turn around.”
He was lying on his side, talking to himself.
Jian Heng turned around as he was told, facing him, and asked: “What is it?”
Qin Cheng looked at him for a while, sighed, and said: “I lost my train of thought.”
The corner of Jian Heng’s mouth curled up slightly. There was not much expression on his face, but the emotion in the bottom of his eyes was very gentle: “Then go to sleep.”
Qin Cheng didn’t speak or close his eyes to ‘go to sleep’.
In fact, what he wanted to say just now was ‘I found that I have a tendency to become a face dog recently. The more I look at you, the better you look. It seems I can’t get enough of seeing you’…
This sentence went through his head at least three times. Reason stopped Qin Cheng from opening his mouth.
What kind of Alpha says that to another Alpha in such a warm and beautiful atmosphere?
People who didn’t know any better would think that it was a marriage proposal.
…..
Qin Cheng jolted. Tan Qi’s words suddenly rushed into his mind and looped endlessly——’People who didn’t know any better might think you’ve fallen in love with him‘, ‘People who didn’t know any better might think you’ve fallen in love with him‘, ‘People who didn’t know any better might think you’ve fallen in love with him‘…
Qin Cheng froze completely, both physically and mentally. He cautiously glanced at Jian Heng, and a question mark floated in front of his eyes.
Has he fallen in love with Jian Heng? Could he have fallen in love with Jian Heng?? Could he fall in love with Jian Heng, who was also an Alpha like him???
Impossible! What the hell kind of nonsense was this! How could a straightforward and upright Alpha like him fall for another Alpha who seemed even more rigid and inflexible than himself at first glance?
Fuck! What a joke!
Qin Cheng was so shocked by his own thoughts that he broke into a cold sweat. He swallowed and turned over to look at the ceiling. He stared at it for two seconds and then forced himself to close his eyes.
Qin Cheng’s breathing was heavy, trying hard not to be too obvious in the quiet air. He remained stiff for a while before managing to relax a bit. He opened his mouth and his throat was horribly dry: “That, go to sleep. I’m sleepy…”
“Um,” Jian Heng responded. Hearing the voice, he didn’t turn away like him, and his eyes fell on him intensely, almost tangibly. His deep voice echoed in his ears, tinged with a bit of alcohol, intoxicating Qin Cheng: “Good night.”
The tips of Qin Cheng’s ears trembled uncontrollably.
What did his singing matter? Jian Heng’s voice was the one that could make people pregnant just by listening to it; those two words made half of his body go numb…
Closing his eyes is also only deceiving himself alongside others. Doctor Jian’s quick sleep aid doesn’t work either. Qin Cheng’s mind is now filled with ‘Like’, ‘Dislike’, and ‘Can’t possibly like’; you just finish singing and I will appear on stage.
What flustered Qin Cheng the most was that ‘Can’t possibly like’ actually did not gain the upper hand for a while.
It’s terrible. Baby Qin was even more frightened and couldn’t sleep.
Generally, when he feels so uncomfortable that he can’t help but feel like he wants to hit the wall if something is not resolved, Qin Cheng would choose to face difficulties head-on, solve them neatly, and then have a good sleep.
Now is no exception.
Qin Cheng opened his eyes, took a deep breath, turned over, and was about to open his mouth when the scene in front of him made him pause——Jian Heng was looking at him with his eyes open under the moonlight, his gaze focused, his eyes serious. Qin Cheng didn’t know how long he had been looking at him.
Qin Cheng’s sentence, ‘You’re straight, right?’ was strangled in his throat before it could even be uttered.
“That…” Qin Cheng swallowed, wanting to ask ‘What are you looking at?’ just as confidently as when they first met, but he just couldn’t open his mouth.
Qin Cheng didn’t say anything for a long time. Jian Heng stretched out his hand and gently pushed his bangs, revealing his smooth forehead. The pad of his thumb brushed against the deep eyebrows. The force was not heavy but it felt like it was brushing against Qin Cheng’s heart. “Can’t sleep?”
Qin Cheng, who didn’t know how to move from the moment Jian Heng put his hand on his forehead: “…”
Fucking! Hell! Student Jian Heng, what are you doing??? Just flirt, but won’t marry——damn it, that’s not the sentence!!! What were you touching me for? Why are you touching me? You’re still looking at me! You’re still looking at me with that kind of deep gaze! Is it appropriate for someone as straight as you to do this? Holy shit, are you really straight???
“Um?” Jian Heng retracted his hand naturally and asked him as if he had done nothing, “What’s wrong?”
What’s wrong? What what’s wrong? You still asking me what’s wrong!
“No…” Why are you touching me?
“That, it’s…” What are you looking at me for!
“You… why didn’t you let Cheng Bin talk during the meal?” Are you straight or not!
Qin Cheng didn’t expect that one day a certain thorn in his heart would become his shield, and the effect was actually quite good. At least, Jian Heng no longer looked at him with that kind of gaze that crushes him to death, his eyelids drooped as if he was thinking.
Yes, think about it. Let him go. Qin Cheng wiped his face. Although all of this was just a wild guess on his part, he still felt like he had narrowly escaped death.
Jian Heng was silent for a long time. So long that if it wasn’t for the fact that his eyes were still open, Qin Cheng would have thought that he had fallen asleep.
It must be inconvenient to say. Jian Heng’s childhood was not as carefree his. His behavior of asking random questions like this is no less than exposing people’s scars.
So stupid.
Qin Cheng regretted it in hindsight.
This is just great. As soon as Jian Heng fell silent, the feeling of guilt, panic, and resistance in Qin Cheng’s heart… were all gone, leaving him at a loss, staring at him with his eyes open, not knowing how to coax him. Feeling helpless like a fool.
“Jian Heng,” Qin Cheng gritted his teeth and grabbed his hand, squeezing it in his palm, “If you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to say it. Both of us, brothers, don’t need to be completely open about everything. It’s not like we’re in a competition.”
In order to overcome the random thoughts in his heart, Qin Cheng deliberately used the term ‘brothers’.
Jian Heng glanced at the hand being held, his fingertips slightly moving as he swept over Qin Cheng’s palm, his eyes indifferent. “Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“…Ah,” Qin Cheng dared not look into his eyes, his gaze wandering aimlessly for a moment. This was the first time he felt so timid, “It’s not like that, I really want to…”
Jian Heng looked at him for a while, then suddenly chuckled, holding his hand back and lightly brushing his fingertips on the back of his hand. The faint touch spread all the way to the depths of his heart, blooming into a flower that cannot be ignored. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Qin Cheng responded with a complicated mood.
***
When Qin Cheng woke up in the morning, he had two heavy dark circles under his eyes. It was even more severe than when he was live streaming until three o’clock in the morning.
There was also a small bump on the back of his neck, feeling sharp, and it hurt when touched, causing him to furrow his brow.
While brushing his teeth, Qin Cheng sighed as he touched the back of his neck.
He was getting a sore throat1上火 (shàng huǒ): (traditional Chinese medicine) to suffer from excessive internal heat; to become inflamed; to have inflammation; (literary or Southern Min, dialectal Wu) to light (a fire); to ignite; to light up; (dialectal Mandarin) to get angry. Shanghuo, also known as Reqi [热气 (rè qì), lit. hot air] or Heatiness is a concept related to Traditional Chinese Medicine that involves an imbalance in internal energy that causes negative health effects on the body. It is a widely held belief among Chinese people, although it is not widely accepted by modern science. According to the theory of TCM, “上火(shànghuǒ)” is a symptom related to internal heat. TCM believes that the imbalance of yin and yang, and vigorous heat inside one’s body would lead to “上火 (shànghuǒ).” Here, the “火 (huǒ) internal heat” refers to some fever-like symptoms including red and swollen eyes, sore mouth and tongue, toothache, sore throat, etc..
Yesterday, he had spent the whole night thinking but still couldn’t figure out whether Jian Heng was straight or not. Qin Cheng was sure that he himself wasn’t. After all, how could a big A, who has been straight for eighteen years, become bent just like that?
Yes, how is that possible?
Qin Cheng is a little worried about Jian Heng’s attributes now…
Thinking of this, Qin Cheng wanted to sigh again. He had never asked Jian Heng before whether he had an Omega or Beta partner before. Asking now, it’s not that obvious…right?
Fuck, when did Qin-ge get to the point where he needs to worry about whether his brother is straight or bent?
It’s just bent, so what does it have to do with him? Can Jian Heng still like him? How could he deny Jian Heng as a brother because of his sexual orientation?
It must not be possible!
Qin Cheng looked at the two dark circles under his eyes in the mirror, and suddenly there was a feeling of dispelling the clouds and seeing the sun.
Since he is straight, he doesn’t mind whether Jian Heng is straight or not. So what the hell is he still confused about!
He hadn’t slept all night, what a waste of time.
With the problem resolved, Qin Cheng felt relieved and hummed a tune all the way to school while sitting in the back seat.
As they neared the destination, Jian Heng asked him: “What song is that?”
Qin Cheng didn’t mention the song title, instead, he sang the lyrics: “Who calls me so softly~ Awakens the fire of love in my heart~ So lucky and happy because I have you~ No more wandering and wasting time~”
After singing, Qin Cheng felt comfortable and bumped his back with the tip of his nose: “How is it? Are you pregnant?”
Jian Heng laughed and cooperated: “It’s going to be born soon.”
Because they had to prepare for the sports meeting, the two of them could skip morning study and go directly to the gymnasium to train.
As soon as they entered the gym, they heard Tan Qi shouting in a loud voice: “Pass the ball, you idiot! Damn, I’m right next to you. Are you two galaxies away? It’s so hard!”
Last night, the five of them drank quite a bit, but Qin Cheng, Jian Heng, and Shao Ze were all true drinkers who belonged to the type that drank without eating food. They have a good capacity for alcohol.
The other two, Cheng Bin and Tan Qi are one cup down and couldn’t get up this morning. Shao Ze was taking care of him. Tan Qi got drunk quickly but also woke up quickly. He was lively the next day, not delaying anything.
“Even with average skills, there’s always a lot of trash talk.” Qin Cheng jokingly scolded.
Tan Qi saw the two of them from a distance, raised his hand, and sent a ball flying towards him.
Qin Cheng was about to raise his hand to block it, but Jian Heng effortlessly intercepted it with his arm. He smoothly raised his arm and threw the ball in from halfway across the court.
Immediately, there was a chorus of whistles and cheers around them.
Jian Heng is the kind of person who catches you off guard and makes you kneel in submission when he’s showing off, and then immediately turns around and leaves with a cold face after he’s done showing off, without taking a single piece of cloud with him2不帶走一片雲彩的類型 (bù dài zǒu yī piàn yún cai de lèi xíng): Excerpt from a poem by Xu Zhimo, 再别康橋 (zài bié kāng qiáo), Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again. Last part of the poem; 悄悄的我走了，正如我悄悄的來；我揮一揮衣袖，不帶走一片雲彩。, Quietly I leave, as quietly I came; I cast my sleeves a little, not taking even a strand of cloud away. Xu Zhimo, one of China’s foremost poets of the twentieth century, is widely known for his poem 再别康橋 lit. again [or “once more”] leave Cambridge, variously translated into English as “On Leaving Cambridge”, “Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again”, “Goodbye Again, Cambridge”, “Leaving the Revisited Cambridge” etc.; composed in 1928 when he was studying in Cambridge as a visiting scholar. His poem was so influential amongst Chinese people that many tourists now visit Cambridge, not just for the prestige and beauty of Cambridge University but also to see the stone on which the poem can be found along the bank of the River Cam behind King’s College where Xu Zhi Mo studied. More information: Link. T/N: According to the netizens, this phrase could be understood as; when you want to leave (waving your sleeves), you don’t even take away something as light as a cloud, which describes a relaxed and unrestrained leaving. 
.
He hooks you in, and just as you’re about to cover your mouth and say, ‘Handsome Brother, I can’, the person disappears. The words he used wrongly last night could be used accurately here——just flirt, but won’t marry.
Qin Cheng followed him to the corner to wait for the physical education teacher. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zhao Hai and several of his younger brothers walking out of the equipment room next to him.
This fucker comes from a wealthy family. Last time, he was supposed to be expelled, but the punishment was changed to a major demerit, allowing him to stay in school as before and continue to provoke cats and dogs.
But he has never bothered Qin Cheng again.
When he passed by, Qin Cheng met his eyes. A few seconds later, Zhao Hai took the initiative to look away and left without saying a word.
Qin Cheng frowned. If Zhao Hai makes a few provocations, he won’t feel anything at all. But now his low-key behavior made him have to be on guard.
Qin Cheng turned around and touched Jian Heng, his eyes still locked on Zhao Hai and the others: “This grandson may want to cause trouble.”
“Really?” Jian Heng also looked over, “Seeking death?”
The author has something to say:
The author sat cross-legged at the edge of the kang, holding a big teapot that you poured vinegar into and sprinkled fried rice on. He took a spoonful, put it in his mouth, and said with a smack: Please give the straight guy a bit more time~ Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or nourished me with nutrient solution during the period from 2020-04-26 23:46:36~2020-04-28 17:22:55~
Thank you very much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
QC’s internal monologue is just so damn amusing. 🤣🤣
The song that QC sang is another Cantonese song; 愛的呼喚 (ài de hū huàn), Love is Calling Me by Aaron Kwok. Here’s the video link. For some reason, QC really like the oldies…
I will not translate the author’s shout out of gratitude.
List of Idiom in Chapter 26
自欺欺人 (zì qī qī rén): to deceive oneself as well as others; to fool oneself alongside others; to deceive others and to deceive oneself; to believe one’s own lies; self-deception; it is often used to refuse to face the facts.死裏逃生 (sǐ lǐ táo shēng): escape with bare life; barely escape one’s life; have a narrow escape; narrowly/barely escape with one’s death; escape by the skin of one’s teeth; have a narrow escape; to escape from an extremely dangerous situation and survive death.
沒心沒肺 (méi xīn méi fèi): lit. no heart, no lung; (colloquial) inattentive; scatter-brained; simple-minded; thoughtless; (slang) heartless (usually jokingly between friends); heartless; nitwitted; to be careless and without scheming. It also refers to someone who is cold, cruel, cruel, and even treats relatives and friends extremely viciously and lacks emotion.
不知所措 (bù zhī suǒ cuò): not knowing what to do (idiom); at one’s wits’ end; embarrassed and at a complete loss; to be at a loss for what to do; to lose one’s bearings; be in a state of confusion.
手足無措 (shǒu zú wú cuò): lit. to have no way to move the hands or feet; at a loss to know what to do (idiom); not know where to put one’s hands and feet—be all in a fluster; bewildered; From the Analects, Book 13 (《論語·子路》): 名不正，則言不順；言不順，則事不成；事不成，則禮樂不興；禮樂不興，則刑罰不中；刑罰不中，則民無所措手足。, If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success. When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties and music will not flourish. When proprieties and music do not flourish, punishments will not be properly awarded. When punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know how to move hand or foot.
撥雲見日 (bō yún jiàn rì): lit. to dispel the clouds and see the sun (idiom); fig. to restore justice; everything is getting back on track; get inspired and become suddenly enlightened; things are finally back to normal after a period of hardship; after much hardship, one is able to see the light at the end of the tunnel; be enlightened by sb’s teaching; have one’s misconceptions cleared up; breaking through the darkness and seeing the light. It can also be used as a metaphor for the elimination of doubts and sudden understanding.
猝不及防 (cù bù jí fáng): to be caught off guard; without warning; to be taken by surprise; be caught unawares; be caught on the hop; be caught off balance.
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