QTEBS Chapter 17

Zong Yuan walked over, feeling conflicted under Fu Xin’s expectant gaze. “Why are you here?”

His tone wasn’t welcoming at all and he even looked down on Fu Xin.

Zong Yuan’s father stood up, ready to scold him. “Fu Xin is my invited guest. How could you speak to him like that?”

Fu Xin looked at Zong Yuan with a hint of grievance. “You don’t want to see me?”

He sighed softly, “Zong Yuan, I’ve missed you so much.”

Zong Yuan instinctively glanced at his father. The words didn’t sound quite right, yet Zong Yuan’s father remained calm as if he hadn’t noticed anything. Seeing Zong Yuan looking at him, his father widened his eyes. “Take Xiao Xin upstairs to hang out. Oh, and Xiao Xin, leave your sketchbook with me for now.”

Fu Xin nodded and followed Zong Yuan upstairs. As they walked, fragments of their conversation could still be heard. “Why didn’t you reply to my letter?” Fu Xin asked. “Too lazy,” Zong Yuan replied.

Meanwhile, Zong Yuan’s father sighed and called his wife. “Come home early for dinner tonight. We have a guest.”

Zong Yuan’s room was simple and tidy. He closed the door behind them. “Sit wherever you like.”

There were plenty of places to sit, but Fu Xin wasn’t shy. He squeezed in right next to Zong Yuan, his gaze slowly tracing Zong Yuan’s features as if savoring them. Zong Yuan remained calm, ignoring the intensity of Fu Xin’s stare. “How did you get here?”

“Uncle Zong heard I missed you, so he brought me here,” Fu Xin replied.

Zong Yuan let out a half-smile. “Nice smooth talk.”

“It’s not just talk,” Fu Xin countered seriously, his fingers itching to move closer to Zong Yuan. “I’m pursuing you.”

Zong Yuan turned his head to look him up and down. “Too naive, kid. Do you think you can win me over with just a few words?”

Fu Xin suddenly became bashful, squirming as he covered his collar. His fair neck turned slightly red. “There are other ways too…”

Zong Yuan was at a loss for words. This guy is too much to handle.

He pulled out the letters Fu Xin had sent him and asked knowingly, “What are you trying to say?”

Fu Xin’s tender gaze shifted from the letters to Zong Yuan’s face. “You know what.”

“No, I don’t,” Zong Yuan teased, feigning confusion. “Your love letters lack any personality. I don’t even know how to reply.”

Fu Xin’s long lashes trembled. “Are you forcing me to say it again?”

Zong Yuan’s temple throbbed. “No.”

“I want to be in a relationship with you,” Fu Xin said, summoning all his courage. His body tensed with nerves as he stared at Zong Yuan, offering him a condition. “Give me a straight answer.”

Zong Yuan chuckled. “Why don’t you just ask me to ‘take you head-on’ while you’re at it?”

Fu Xin blushed deeply, repeating himself. “Please, give me a direct answer.”

Zong Yuan shrugged, “I’ll think about it.”

Fu Xin paused. Even those few seconds of waiting felt torturous to him. His brows furrowed. “You’re not allowed to think about it.”

He pressed further, “Since you’ve been home, have you thought about me?”

Zong Yuan nodded.

Fu Xin visibly relaxed. “If I kiss you, would you hate it?”

Zong Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Talk is cheap. Why don’t you kiss me and find out?”

Fu Xin froze, his limbs stiff. He stared at Zong Yuan. Under Zong Yuan’s amused gaze, his face gradually flushed crimson. Shyly, with the tenderness of a budding flower, Fu Xin tilted his head and reverently touched Zong Yuan’s high-bridged nose with a soft kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water. He barely had time to savor Zong Yuan’s intoxicating scent before he nervously pulled away.

Without a trace of ambiguity, Fu Xin waited like a believer yearning for redemption.

Zong Yuan observed his expression and felt a stir in his heart. He honestly replied, “Not bad.”

Fu Xin’s heart began to race.

Zong Yuan looked a bit troubled. He reached out to trace Fu Xin’s soft lips, which felt slightly dry and tense. On impulse, Zong Yuan leaned in closer, causing Fu Xin’s eyes to widen.

Their noses touched, breaths mingling together.

The air seemed to ignite, and both of their hearts felt restless and uncomfortable.

Zong Yuan chuckled softly, his voice low and teasing, reminiscent of a suggestive late-night radio host. Fu Xin’s ears twitched as he heard him say, “Did you think I was going to kiss you?”

The air thickened with their heated breaths, the moist warmth lingering on Fu Xin’s face. His mind blanked; he could only stare at Zong Yuan and foolishly nod.

Zong Yuan laughed again, lifting Fu Xin’s face in both hands and pinching his cheeks as if to entice him. “How about this, let me fulfill your wish, okay?”

His lips had an exquisite curve, like a piece of art crafted with utmost care. Just looking at them was enticing. Zong Yuan brushed against Fu Xin’s lips, sending a slight tingling sensation coursing through him.

It felt like a kitten was scratching inside Fu Xin’s heart. He wanted to lean in, wanting to crush the heart that was about to leap out of his chest. Zong Yuan saw through his thoughts and pressed harder, teasingly asking, “Don’t you want to kiss me?”

He wanted to, desperately.

Fu Xin closed his eyes, dazed by the moment, and gently leaned in.

Zong Yuan smirked, a smile dancing on his lips.

“Zong Yuan, get down here! Where’s my cigarette?”

Zong Yuan’s father shouted angrily from downstairs, “You little rascal, is it you who took them?”

The intimate atmosphere was ruthlessly shattered. Fu Xin stumbled back, exchanging bewildered glances with Zong Yuan, both feeling a mix of laughter and frustration.

Regret and sweetness intertwined in their hearts; it was so close, yet just out of reach.

As Fu Xin thought this, he saw Zong Yuan step closer, gradually bending down.

With a firm grip, Zong Yuan held Fu Xin’s head in place. Zong Yuan kissed Fu Xin fiercely while the latter was stunned, making it impossible for Fu Xin to refuse.

The air was filled with the scent of smoke and mint, distinctly Zong Yuan’s fragrance.

Some things require a dominant party to take the lead.

When your brother wants to kiss you, all you have to do is obediently wait for it.

Zong Yuan’s father, having waited for a response that never came, stormed upstairs, his frustration palpable. He pushed the half-open door to Zong Yuan’s room and exclaimed, “Do you want a beating or something?”

He pushed open the door, only to see Fu Xin blushing and rushing into the bathroom.

Zong Yuan stood in the room leisurely, a look of impatience on his face. “Old man, why didn’t you knock?”

Zong Yuan’s father, momentarily thrown off by Zong Yuan’s demeanor, asked, “You little rascal, did you steal my cigarettes?”

Zong Yuan lit a cigarette. “No.”

You’re smoking my cigarettes and you still deny it?

Fu Xin hid in the bathroom, listening to the commotion outside.

In reality, his mind was hazy and he couldn’t grasp the true meaning behind any of the words he heard. He looked into the mirror, where his reflection showed flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, a look of budding affection.

Mother Zong was supposed to say goodbye to her friends later that evening, but after a phone call from Father Zong, she hurried home before six. In the living room, she saw a little boy she didn’t recognize, who must be the guest mentioned over the phone. Before she could greet him, she sensed something was off; Zong Yuan and Father Zong were sitting far apart. Father Zong appeared quite upset.

Mother Zong, skilled at reading the atmosphere, asked, “Whose fault was it this time?”

She didn’t forget to greet Fu Xin. Upon seeing him for the first time, she took an immediate liking to him. “Where did this little cutie come from? What’s your name?”

Fu Xin, feeling shy, opened his mouth to speak, but Zong Yuan lazily interjected, “My wife, your future daughter-in-law.”

Fu Xin felt like he had been struck by a bomb, at a loss for words and yet filled with happiness.

Mother Zong widened her eyes in surprise, “A girl?”

Fu Xin: “…”

---