After coming out of the cat café, the two returned home, and only then did Qin Cheng realize he had come out to shoot a vlog.
Having had a great time, and with no vlog footage, he simply arranged with Jian Heng for next time: “The material this time is insufficient, so I won’t post it. I’ll take you out to shoot some more later and post it together.”
On Sunday morning, Qin Cheng was so excited that he couldn’t sleep for half the night and called Tan Qi at 5:30 AM: “Are you awake?”
“…Holy shit,” Tan Qi’s voice was thick with sleep, “Big brother, look at the time before you ask me that.”
Qin Cheng glanced at the clock: “5:32, are you awake?”
“Fuck…” Tan Qi rubbed his messy hair and sat up from the blanket, “I’m awake. Do you have any orders?”
“Yes,” Qin Cheng sat up, getting dressed as he spoke, “Come with me to the flower shop to order flowers.”
“Ah?” Tan Qi yawned halfway through, his jaw almost dropping, “Order what?”
“Flowers,” Qin Cheng hesitated for a second between a black down jacket and a dark blue one, then chose the black one, “Your Ge is going to propose during Xiaoxue. We talked about it yesterday. Did you forget?”
“Holy shit,”Tan Qi instantly woke up, “I remember now!”
***
The flower shop was near the school, adding a touch of class to the road of puppy love for the chuuni1中二 (zhōng èr): lit. Second-year. T/N: Short for 中二期 (zhōng èr qí), an adopted word from Japan, 中二病 (Chūnibyō), a Japanese colloquial term typically used to describe early teens who have grandiose delusions, who desperately want to stand out, and who have convinced themselves that they have hidden knowledge or secret powers. It translates to ‘second-year syndrome’. teenagers in the Fifth High School.
At six in the morning, only the breakfast shop was somewhat lively. Qin Cheng and Tan Qi braved the old northern wind at minus three or four degrees and squatted at the flower shop’s entrance.
“Ge, I think we came too early,” Tan Qi adjusted his sleeves, squatting against the wall like an old man guarding a gate.
“I think so too,” Qin Cheng glanced at the locked door, sniffed, and felt like he might catch a cold any second, “Why are these shops not in a hurry to make money nowadays, tsk.”
“Who comes to buy flowers at six in the morning?” Tan Qi muttered quietly, “Jian Heng is right there, he won’t run away. What’s the use of being in such a hurry like your ass is on fire?”
“Shut up,” Qin Cheng glared at him, “This is called getting mentally prepared. You, a single dog, wouldn’t understand.”
“Fuck.” Tan Qi shut up.
When the shop owner came over, she was shocked to see the two of them, completely not expecting young people nowadays to be up so early on a weekend morning, braving the cold wind, instead of sleeping in.
“Hurry up and come in, you’ll freeze to death,” the shop owner, a DaMa, was very enthusiastic.
Qin Cheng sniffed, was about to speak when Tan Qi, like a gust of wind, squeezed past him into the shop.
“I’m freezing to death!” Tan Qi shouted.
“What kind of flowers do you want to buy?” The shop owner poured a cup of hot water for each of them. “Is it for confessing love? Red roses, then. Everyone buys those, they’re passionate and beautiful.”
“No,” as soon as Qin Cheng saw the roses, he thought of Su Danqiu and felt nauseated from the bottom of his heart. He held the hot water and wandered around the flower shop, looking at the flowers. A red, fluffy flower in the corner stood out beautifully, immediately catching his eye. “What’s this called?”
“Cockscomb2雞冠花 (jī guān huā): Celosia argentea var. cristata (formerly Celosia cristata), known as cockscomb, is the cristate or crested variety of the species Celosia argentea. The name cockscomb is used because the flower looks like the head on a rooster (cock). In the Victorian language of flowers, celosias signified humor, warmth, and silliness. More information: Link. 
,” the shopkeeper glanced and then looked away, “It’s mostly bought by adults, students don’t usually buy this.”
“Oh,” Qin Cheng took out his phone and took a picture. Baidu immediately displayed detailed information. “The flower language is eternal true love, everlasting life, very cool.”
Tan Qi also leaned over: “It is pretty cool, but it’s not easy to wrap up.”
Qin Cheng examined it carefully; it was indeed hard to match. After hesitating for two seconds, he said, “Help me wrap it up, including the pot.”
“Are you serious?” Tan Qi was shocked and asked him quietly, “You want to give it with the pot? Do people propose with a flower pot these days?”
“What are you thinking?” Qin Cheng turned around, “I bought a pot to put on the windowsill. Of course, I need to buy something else for the proposal.”
Qin Cheng’s aesthetic sense is on a different level from most people. Unlike those who prefer flashy and colorful flowers, he likes simpler ones, such as daisies3小雛菊 (xiǎo chú jú): Bellis perennis, the daisy, is a European species of the family Asteraceae, often considered the archetypal species of the name daisy. 
, cockscombs, and baby’s breath4滿天星 (mǎn tiān xīng): Gypsophila is a genus of flowering plants in the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae. They are native to Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. The genus name is from the Greek gypsos (“gypsum”) and philios (“loving”), a reference to the gypsum-rich substrates on which some species grow. Plants of the genus are known commonly as baby’s-breath, or bebe’s breath, a name which also refers specifically to the well known ornamental species Gypsophila paniculata. 
…
Qin Cheng chose these few, and the shopkeeper casually grabbed a few small ones to show him a rough arrangement: “Don’t you want something more eye-catching? This seems a bit too plain.”
Qin Cheng stroked his chin, turned around, and saw a few small sunflowers5小向日葵 (xiǎo xiàng rì kuí): Helianthus debilis is a species of sunflower known by the common names cucumberleaf sunflower, beach sunflower, weak sunflower, and East Coast dune sunflower. This plant is used as a garden flower. It is also good for landscaping, especially in poor, dry soils. 
. He pointed at them: “These, bright and cheerful, I like them.”
Tan Qi couldn’t bear to look: “Your aesthetic… only Jian Heng can tolerate it.”
After setting the date and paying the deposit, Qin Cheng came out holding a tightly wrapped pot of cockscombs.
Tan Qi looked at him: “Carrying this back is too obvious, isn’t it?”
“Mm,” Qin Cheng shook it, it was quite heavy, “You take it back first, keep it at your place.”
“Holy shit,” Tan Qi took the flowers, “I knew it.”
♪♫ Ride on my beloved little scooter~~~♪♫
“Hello? Ah, Qi’er asked me to buy something, I’ll be back soon. What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it together.”
“Okay, no sugar.”
After hanging up the phone, Qin Cheng let out a long breath, turned to look at Tan Qi: “Alright, I’ll handle the rest myself, you can go.”
“What?” Tan Qi, holding the flowers, looked a bit dazed.
“Hurry back home,” Qin Cheng said, “If the flowers freeze to death, I’ll have to buy them again.”
Qin Cheng turned around and took a taxi straight to the breakfast shop.
“Two steamer baskets of beef buns6牛肉包子 (niú ròu bāo zi): Beef bun. 
, two cups of soy milk, one with sugar and one without, a plate of crystal shrimp dumplings7蝦餃 (xiā jiǎo): har gow (traditional Cantonese shrimp dumpling). 
, to go.”
By the time he got home with the food, Jian Heng had already finished washing up and was sitting at his desk in the bedroom. Qin Cheng glanced at him, stepped out to put the food on the table in the living room, and quietly returned to stand behind him, watching him do his homework.
The school tyrant was really impressive, able to sit down and focus on homework early in the morning. Unlike them, the school slag, who would wake up and take half an hour to fully wake up, then lie in bed for three hours, and by the time they got up, it was just in time for lunch.
Qin Cheng didn’t say anything. When Jian Heng looked up at him, he waved his hand, indicating he would eat first. Jian Heng nodded and started writing again the next second.
A serious man is the most handsome.
Qin Cheng leaned against the headboard and opened the food delivery app.
Confessing with flowers is too plain; at least we should cut a cake or something and light some candles to set the mood.
He found a cake shop he had eaten at before that had good taste. Qin Cheng sent over the design requirements, paid the deposit, and by the time it was almost ready, Jian Heng had also finished his homework.
They had both slacked off all day yesterday and hadn’t touched their homework. Jian Heng would probably spend the whole day sitting at his desk and have a date with the test papers today, so Qin Cheng cherished the breakfast time immensely.
“Do you have any plans the day after tomorrow?” Qin Cheng casually asked halfway through his meal.
“The day after tomorrow?” Jian Heng thought for a moment, “Tuesday, I have classes but nothing else. Why?”
“Your Auntie Song bought an oven online and said she wanted to cook something for us. It’s too heavy to deliver,” Qin Cheng said without changing his expression, “I have a live-streaming task on Tuesday. Can you pick it up for me? Just take a taxi.”
“Mm, the one at the northern courier point?” Jian Heng didn’t pay much attention.
“Yes.” Qin Cheng gave a mental yay.
***
This Tuesday was just like countless other Tuesdays, filled with the adjustment to Monday and the resentment towards the four days of classes left. The classroom was filled with drowsy students.
While trying hard to pretend to be drowsy, Qin Cheng observed Jian Heng.
Very good. So far, he hadn’t noticed his little plan and was still listening to the class handsomely.
The phone screen lit up, WeChat.
Tan Qi’er: Up to something?
Qin Cheng couldn’t help but smile; his silly son still knew the secret code.
Earning money to support the family: Yes.
Tan Qi’er: Providing you with mental support.
***
After school, Jian Heng went to pick up the express delivery without any suspicion, while Qin Cheng stood at the door like a wife seeing her husband off on a long trip, watching until he was completely out of sight before hurriedly turning around and cycling home as if he were chased by a wolf.
He first pushed the door open and said to Song Yingmei: “Mom, I’m not coming back tonight. There’s an online tutoring exam at school.”
Song Yingmei replied: “Do well on the exam, don’t be nervous.”
“Not nervous, not nervous.” Qin Cheng said as he closed the door, took out the spare key Jian Heng had given him, and opened the door to enter the opposite side.
“Hello? Cake shop? You’re downstairs? Yes, on the third floor, don’t ring the doorbell.”
He didn’t buy a particularly large cake; first, the two of them wouldn’t be able to finish it, and it would be a waste. Second, Jian Heng didn’t like sweets and didn’t like him eating them either.
Just as he set the cake down, his phone rang again. Qin Cheng was both nervous and excited, his hands trembling as he took out his phone.
“Hello? Delivering flowers? Coming out right away.”
Small white daisies and baby’s breath surrounded two small sunflowers. The shopkeeper also added two kinds of pink flowers that Qin Cheng didn’t recognize. It looked lively and cheerful, hitting his aesthetic.
The flowers were carefully placed on the table. Qin Cheng opened the cake and hesitated when inserting the candles. He might as well wait for Jian Heng to come and set it up together.
Everything was ready except for Jian Heng8萬事俱備只差簡恒 (wàn shì jù bèi zhǐ chà jiǎn héng): T/N: a play of the idiom 萬事俱備，只欠東風 (wàn shì jù bèi , zhǐ qiàn dōng fēng), lit. All things are ready except for the easternly wind; Everything is ready except for one last crucial item; everything is ready, all we need is an east wind (idiom); lacking only one tiny crucial item.. Qin Cheng stood by the door holding the flowers, his palms sweating from nervousness.
What should he say later?
He had memorized lines all night, like cramming for finals, but now that it was time to use them, he couldn’t remember anything.
Forget it, whatever happens, happens. He would just say whatever came to mind; it would be heartfelt.
The sound of footsteps came from outside the door, and Qin Cheng took a deep breath.
The waiting time felt exceptionally long. Qin Cheng could almost hear his own heartbeat——thump, thump, thump…
The door ‘clicked’ open.
At this moment, Qin Cheng’s senses felt like they were magnified by some kind of magic. First his fingers, then his wrist, his legs, and finally, he walked in completely.
Without thinking, Qin Cheng directly knelt on one knee. In his line of sight, Jian Heng was momentarily stunned by his posture, seemingly not knowing how to react. After two seconds, the corner of his lips curled up into a smile: “What are you doing?”
“Proposing,” Qin Cheng said excitedly as he knelt down. At this moment, this son didn’t care about the formality anymore. His hands seemed to tremble slightly, but his voice was incredibly steady as he solemnly held up the flowers, “Jian Heng, I like you. I know you like me too, but I just want to take the initiative to pursue you. I think you’re amazing, and we match so well together. Let’s be together!”
By the end, both of them couldn’t help but laugh.
“Don’t laugh,” Qin Cheng’s ears felt a bit hot, a mix of shyness and excitement, “Really, I like you a lot. I know you can see that, but I still have to say it. I want to go to college with you, get married with you, face difficulties together, and grow old together.”
“Okay?”
In the next second, Jian Heng took the flower from his hand, grabbed his hand, and pulled him up, hugging him tightly.
“Okay.”
Jian Heng’s voice was hoarse and a bit shaky. Qin Cheng felt his eyes heat up. He hugged Jian Heng back, resting his chin on his shoulder, repeating over and over: “I like you, Jian Heng, I like you. You like me too, I like you…”
“Mm,” Jian Heng stroked his back, “I like you too.”
When they finally separated, neither of them moved. After a while, Qin Cheng couldn’t help but say: “In this situation, shouldn’t we… kiss?”
When Jian Heng leaned in, Qin Cheng thought about why he wasn’t the one taking the initiative. When Jian Heng kissed him, Qin Cheng thought, this person is my boyfriend now. When Jian Heng bit him, Qin Cheng didn’t have time to think anymore. He counterattacked, and the two of them kissed like they were fighting, stumbling and falling onto the sofa.
Qin Cheng was dazed from the kiss, and in a daze, he found himself pinned down again. But Qin-ge didn’t lose in position or action; his hand naturally slipped inside Jian Heng’s clothes and touched him. When Jian Heng’s back muscles tensed up, the contours became exceptionally pronounced, making one want to touch them even more.
Jian Heng grabbed his clothes and yanked them up forcefully. Qin Cheng only felt a chill on his body and before he could react, his shirt was gone.
With his lips still on the spot where the shirt had been, Qin Cheng was momentarily stunned, but he didn’t hesitate to start lifting Jian Heng’s clothes as well. However, his technique was lacking, and after struggling for a long time, he still couldn’t get it off.
Jian Heng simply straightened up, grabbed the hem of his sweater, and took it off directly.
A beautiful set of muscles suddenly entered his line of sight. Qin-ge and Xiao Qin Qin both froze at the same time. Then, the former continued to freeze, while the latter began to get excited.
“We…” Qin Cheng swallowed hard, unable to take his eyes off him. “If you keep this up, I might not be able to control myself.”
Jian Heng looked down at him. Qin Cheng was lying on the sofa, bare-chested, his eyes filled with raw desire. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his hands, still lingering, roamed over Jian Heng’s legs.
“Then don’t control yourself.” With that, Jian Heng leaned in for another kiss.
In an instant, Qin Cheng abandoned all thoughts, and his mind was left with just these words——let’s do it.
The room was filled with passion.
…..
Qin Cheng was squeezed into the sofa, sticking to the backrest like a sticker, while Jian Heng lay on the outside, also sticking to him.
“Actually,” Qin Cheng’s hand was still on Jian Heng, unable to resist giving it a squeeze, “I also bought a cake.”
Jian Heng glanced at him, their eyes meeting, and after a moment, they both laughed.
“Hey,” Qin Cheng couldn’t smile enough and rubbed his head against Jian Heng’s arm, “Good thing it was a cake; if it were anything else, it would have gone cold.”
Jian Heng sat up, wrapped his arm around Qin Cheng’s shoulder, letting his head rest on his lap. He casually picked up a cigarette, took a light puff, and the smile in his eyes was somewhat obscured by the smoke. His fingers brushed over Qin Cheng’s brow bone: “What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you.”
“What do you want to make?” Qin Cheng held his hand, giving it a squeeze, “Hey, my boyfriend is really virtuous.”
Being in love, having a boyfriend, it felt so good.
Qin Cheng couldn’t quite describe how he felt right now; it was as if he was completely transparent, like someone who had walked through the freezing cold for a day and night, only to be pulled into a warm room the moment the sun came out, where someone inside hugged him tightly.
In an instant, his heart melted.
Although he usually snuggled next to Jian Heng, it was different now.
Before, it was a secret closeness, sneaky and stealthy; now, it was an open closeness, proud and justified.
Look, this handsome guy is my boyfriend. If I want a kiss, I get a kiss. If I want a hug, I get a hug. If I’m hungry, I just say so, and he makes me food. If I’m sleepy, I just gesture, and he comes over to sleep with me.
My boyfriend’s cooking is so damn delicious; you guys have never tasted it. Sleeping while being hugged by my boyfriend is so damn comfortable; you can’t even imagine it.
“Do you want to repay me?” Jian Heng leaned on the sofa, interrupting his bragging.
Considering that the two of them had just engaged in a hands-on activity that required a mosaic, and the intensity of the battle made Qin Cheng blush and his heart race just thinking about it, he almost instantly understood what Jian Heng meant by ‘reward’.
This was stimulating; Qin-ge was still a pure-hearted young man.
“Sure,” Qin Cheng heard his pure-hearted self say, “Gege is super awesome, don’t cry when the time comes.”
“Hmm?” Jian Heng looked at him, suddenly smiling, the curve of his lips intriguing, “Qin Cheng, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about yourself?”
The author has something to say:
Because someone wanted to see it, the author of the tea jar took a sip of water and said: Thank you, everyone!
【Together! Draw the first 9 comments and send out red envelopes, wish you 999祝99 (zhù 99): The homonym of 99 (jiǔ jiǔ) is 久久 (jiǔ jiǔ), for a very long time. People usually like to send the number 99 to express a blessing, which is often a blessing for couples to be together forever and happily. To simply express it with homophones, 99 means long-lasting and inseparable.】.
List of Idiom in Chapter 52
花紅柳綠 (huā hóng liǔ lǜ): bright red blossoms and green willows―profusion of garden flowers; red flowers and green willow; all the colors of spring; describe the bright spring scene. It also means the colors are bright and varied.昏昏欲睡 (hūn hūn yù shuì): sleepy; drowsy; lethargic; dozy; groggy; nodding off; halfasleep; heavyeyed; to feel drowsy, listless, and sleepy. It is used to describe the state of being extremely tired and listless.
意猶未盡 (yì yóu wèi jìn): to wish to continue sth; to have not fully expressed oneself; to be left wanting more; to yearn for more; unsatisfied pleasure; have not given full expression to one’s views; describes that the activity makes people feel good, but they are not fully satisfied after it is over.
耐人尋味 (nài rén xún wèi): to be thought-provoking; to provide food for thought; worth thinking over; be worth pondering over; stand careful reading/pondering over.
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