Cheng Yue remained sullen after learning he had to copy the math workbook ten times, biting into his cake with extra force.
It wasn’t until dinner that he cheered up again, because Ji Xu had prepared a lot of dishes.
Cheng Yue sat at the table, eyeing the bowl of soup Ji Xu brought over, the aroma making him swallow.
Ji Xu rarely cooked, usually taking Cheng Yue out to eat. Due to Ji Xu’s busy schedule, he often didn’t come home for dinner, and Cheng Yue wouldn’t cook, limiting himself to instant noodles.
But Cheng Yue hated instant noodles intensely, so he either ate out or ordered takeout.
In the time Cheng Yue had been at Ji Xu’s place, Ji Xu had cooked fewer than ten times, but each time was a delightful surprise because Ji Xu’s cooking was truly delicious.
After finishing dinner, Cheng Yue had just taken a sip of water when Ji Xu came out of the study, glanced at the untidy dining table, and grabbed him by the nape, ordering him to wash the dishes.
Cheng Yue placed the cup he was holding into Ji Xu’s hand, hummed a tune, and went to clear the table. In a good mood after a satisfying meal, he carefully arranged the dishes in the dishwasher by size, feeling a peculiar sense of pride when he pressed the start button.
After washing his hands, Cheng Yue checked the time in the living room and prepared to grab his backpack for evening study.
However, when he reached the door, he found his backpack, which had been on the entryway table, was missing.
“Ji Xu!” Cheng Yue called out.
“Come here.” Ji Xu appeared at the study door and looked at him.
“Huh?” Cheng Yue walked over.
“Teacher Chen called me just now. He said you don’t need to attend evening study today. Instead, you need to finish the papers given out today and review the materials for tomorrow’s unreliable lawyer lecture.” Ji Xu said.
“Oh.” Cheng Yue blinked, trying to cover up, “There was only an English test today.”
“Two English tests, one math test, one Chinese test, and one physics test.” Ji Xu’s face showed a hint of a smile.
“I told you before not to lie.”
Cheng Yue: “……”
“I’m sorry.” Cheng Yue admitted his mistake readily.
“Come in.” Ji Xu turned and went back into the study.
Feeling embarrassed, Cheng Yue followed him inside.
Ji Xu’s study was large, even bigger than his bedroom. The desk in the middle was also big, and although it was cluttered, everything was neatly organized.
Ji Xu added a stool next to his own chair for Cheng Yue, then took out all the papers from Cheng Yue’s bag and spread them on the desk. “Thirty minutes for each paper. Leave any you don’t understand blank.”
Cheng Yue nodded vigorously, picked up a pen, and started working, determined to do his best.
Five minutes later…
While Ji Xu was out getting a glass of water, he came back to find Cheng Yue asleep at the desk, leaning against it.
Ji Xu felt a bit helpless. Cheng Yue’s poor grades and lack of motivation in studying worried him about his college entrance exams.
Ji Xu furrowed his brows, unsure how to make Cheng Yue love studying. He had never worried about his own academic performance growing up, so he didn’t know how to inspire Cheng Yue. After much thought, he felt that sometimes tough love was the way to go.
As Cheng Yue slept, he suddenly found it hard to breathe and opened his eyes to see Ji Xu pinching his nose.
“Mmm…” Cheng Yue felt uncomfortable and, groggy from sleep, bit Ji Xu’s finger.
Seeing Cheng Yue’s mouth around his finger and the wetness on it, Ji Xu’s frown deepened. He pushed his finger further into Cheng Yue’s mouth, pressing it against his tongue.
Cheng Yue struggled to push the finger out with his tongue and mumbled, “Get… out…”
Seeing Cheng Yue’s flushed face, Ji Xu slowly withdrew his finger, not expecting that it would come out with a strand of transparent saliva.
Ji Xu raised an eyebrow and remained silent, holding his finger still.
Cheng Yue, mortified by the saliva, wanted to bury his face in shame. For some inexplicable reason, he then opened his mouth and licked the saliva off Ji Xu’s finger.
Cheng Yue: “……”
Ji Xu’s expression immediately turned restrained, his eyes darkening for a brief moment.
“Why did you fall asleep?” Ji Xu squinted, pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his wet finger, and neatly folded the handkerchief before putting it back.
“I don’t know how to do it.” Cheng Yue’s voice was very soft.
“Where don’t you understand?”
Ji Xu leaned in closely, examining the papers with several questions already completed. He pointed to a set of questions that had already been solved and frowned, saying, “I remember discussing this with you last time. Why did you get it wrong again?”
“Huh?” Cheng Yue, still feeling a bit dazed, had completely forgotten about the time he had licked Ji Xu’s finger. He glanced at the question in surprise, exclaiming, “Did you go over it?”
Ji Xu’s expression darkened. He knew Cheng Yue’s grades were poor, but he didn’t realize Cheng Yue could be so inattentive. Ji Xu remembered he had explained this question to Cheng Yue at least five times, yet Cheng Yue still couldn’t solve it.
Ji Xu, feeling a bit frustrated, looked at Cheng Yue and said coldly, “Stand up.”
“Huh?” Cheng Yue, still absorbed in thinking about the question, immediately stood up when Ji Xu called him.
“Lie down on the desk.” Ji Xu picked up a book from the table, rolled it up, and held it in his hand.
Cheng Yue watched Ji Xu’s expression, his breathing immediately becoming heavier. He didn’t know what Ji Xu was going to do, but his tense nerves made him shiver all over.
Unable to distinguish between excitement and fear, Cheng Yue couldn’t help but let out a soft moan when the book landed heavily on his backside.
Ji Xu frowned, observing Cheng Yue’s tightly shut eyes and uncontrollable shivering. He glanced at the book in his hand and began to wonder if he had struck too hard.
Reluctantly, Ji Xu put the book down and decided to use his hand instead. After a single slap, he placed the test paper in front of Cheng Yue and started explaining the question carefully.
After finishing one question, Ji Xu found the effect quite significant; at least Cheng Yue wasn’t falling asleep, though sweat was pouring down his forehead.
Seeing the sweat on Cheng Yue’s forehead, Ji Xu reached out and wiped it for him, saying, “I’m not trying to hit you.”
“Mm.” Cheng Yue looked at him, his eyes unusually bright.
“Study hard. The college entrance exam is coming up soon. I hope you can put in the effort,” Ji Xu said. He couldn’t find the right words, but he genuinely wanted Cheng Yue to grow up well.
To grow up a bit faster.
“I’m thirsty,” Cheng Yue said, lying on the desk without moving. His voice was a bit hoarse.
Ji Xu went out to get him some water.
After Ji Xu’s figure disappeared through the door, Cheng Yue slowly pushed himself up from the desk, sat in the chair, and stared with a grim expression at his own erection, which he didn’t know when had appeared.
Cheng Yue felt abnormal.
He thought he was a pervert. Just thinking about how he used to call Ji Xu a pervert made his cheeks flush. But the subsequent emotions were unease and self-doubt.
He was afraid Ji Xu would discover his ‘abnormality.’
It was even more abnormal than liking boys.
Cheng Yue, distressed, hugged his own head.
He remembered his mother saying he had no interest in such things since he was young.
While others brought girls home to play in elementary school, he was busy with his racing models.
In middle school, while others were dealing with crushes, he played with his racing models.
In high school, while others were dating, he started touching his real car.
He only realized he liked boys a month ago. Before that day, he didn’t care about the concept of homosexuality.
But that night, when his friend dragged him to watch content mistakenly broadcast due to an error, he found himself more interested in gay content than heterosexual content.
Afterwards, he thought, “Oh no, I’m done for.”
Now, Cheng Yue looked at the erection in his pants with a distressed face, thinking, “I’m really done for.”
