After My Childhood Friend Misunderstood That I Had a Boyfriend - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Let’s start dating

The man’s scorching breath brushed against Chu Xi’s ear, his hot respiration sweeping over the auricle. Chu Xi felt a numb, itchy shudder ripple down his spine, a blush spreading from the base of his ears down to his neck.

In the distance, someone shouted, “Time for cake!” All the laughter and clamor were partitioned off by the archway. On the other side of the arch was a silence that could only accommodate the sound of two rapid, powerful heartbeats.

Thump after thump, his heart beat heavily against his ribs. Chu Xi completely lost track of the noise behind him; all that remained in his world was the whisper Zhou Jinyan breathed into his ear as he drew close.

“I’m sorry.” Zhou Jinyan’s lips almost touched his earlobe, his voice pressed extremely low. “It was my fault for making you sad that night, and for taking a whole week to respond.”

He paused, his breath growing deeper: “Baby, can you forgive me?”

Chu Xi instinctively looked up. The extreme proximity caused the tips of their hair to entangle.

The red confetti that had landed on the crown of his head slid down slightly with his movement, resembling the natural ripples of a falling bridal veil.

Zhou Jinyan’s gaze locked onto him, leaving no room for evasion: “The rain was very heavy that day. These past few days, I’ve thought about it over and over—if I had seen the message then, I would have rushed to your side immediately.”

“Baby, I want to shield you from the wind and rain.”

If this were a scene in a TV drama, Chu Xi would surely have complained about the screenwriter for writing such cheesy lines. But coming from Zhou Jinyan’s mouth, he felt an inexplicable surge of heartbeat.

His heart was racing so fast now.

It turned out that even the most clichéd sweet nothings, when spoken by the person you like, could truly make your heart flutter.

Chu Xi’s stalled brain finally regained its senses. He leaned against the archway, adorned and surrounded by beautiful pink roses. Zhou Jinyan’s gaze subconsciously fell on his lips—they were slightly moist, their color as beautiful as the flowers surrounding him.

A moment later, under that intense gaze, those closed lips parted slightly. Zhou Jinyan could even see the tip of a crimson tongue. With their hair hooked together and their breaths intertwining, it felt like a silent invitation.

Chu Xi tried to reclaim control, looking up with an air of bravado: “Fine! I’ll let that answer pass.”

Chu Xi raised his hand, his fingertip poking Zhou Jinyan’s chest: “What reward do you want?”

Zhou Jinyan felt the spot where Chu Xi poked as if it had been struck by a tiny mallet—it didn’t hurt, but it was powerful. He looked into Chu Xi’s eyes, emphasizing every word: “Chu Xi, I don’t want you to hate me.”

That was the first time in Zhou Jinyan’s life he had felt panic and helplessness. When the word “hate” came from the mouth of the person he loved, even the most indestructible armor would be cracked by the blow.

Huh?

That’s it?

Chu Xi blinked. After saying all that, he only wanted Chu Xi not to hate him? He thought the reward Zhou Jinyan wanted was for them to be together!

Why hasn’t he confessed to me yet!!

“Fine, I don’t hate you anymore,” Chu Xi replied reservedly, though his heart was thumping wildly. He couldn’t help but ask, “I never hated you anyway. Besides that, what other reward do you want?”

Zhou Jinyan looked deep into his eyes: “Baby, I don’t want you to hate me.”

“I want you to—” Zhou Jinyan paused, then slowly whispered, “—let me love you.”

The night breeze was slightly cool, making the roses sway gently in the air. Zhou Jinyan almost completely enveloped Chu Xi in his arms. The breeze passing through the gap between them was heated by the dry, restless atmosphere.

Hidden outside the archway, a sudden commotion erupted behind them. Then, the roar of a drone swarm suddenly filled the sky. Simultaneously, Chu Xi spoke: “Fine, then starting from now.

The drone formation formed a bouquet in the sky. Chu Xi’s eyes curved into crescents, his clear, youthful voice turning soft and sweet.

“Let’s start dating!”

Zhou Jinyan’s heart beat faster at this moment than ever before. His blood turned scalding hot. A voice deep inside him screamed wildly to melt the person before him into his own flesh and blood, to mark him everywhere as his own.

Zhou Jinyan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He wanted to do something he had wanted to do for a very long time.

Before doing so, he asked politely: “Baby, can I kiss you?”

Chu Xi didn’t process it immediately: “Huh?”

Once he did, his first thought was: Kissing right after the confession, isn’t that too fast?

Shouldn’t we start with holding hands, lingering gazes, or a kiss on the cheek first?

Seeing his hesitation, the man looked crestfallen, his tone laced with disappointment and sadness: “Is it not allowed?”

Zhou Jinyan looked like a dejected puppy who couldn’t get his treat. Chu Xi felt his heart soften. It’s just a kiss! A quick touch of the lips, what’s the big deal!

Chu Xi proactively reached up and looped his arms around Zhou Jinyan’s neck: “Of course you can!”

Chu Xi closed his eyes. The next moment, a powerful and irresistible aura swept over him. Zhou Jinyan’s temperature was a bit cool; Chu Xi couldn’t quite handle it and tried to shrink back.

A second later, the back of his neck was gripped firmly. A rough palm rubbed against his nape, sending a numb, itchy shudder through his spine. Chu Xi’s legs suddenly felt weak.

He felt a bit scared: “Wait…”

As soon as he opened his mouth, his oral cavity was invaded by a soft object, pulling him down into the clouds.

The air was thick with intoxicating hormones, which cast a haze over Zhou Jinyan’s usually clear mind. He kissed without restraint, easily prying open Chu Xi’s teeth to hook that soft, slippery thing and suck on it fiercely.

Chu Xi couldn’t help but curl his fingertips, his breathing deepening as if in a mix of pain and pleasure. With his eyes closed, his hearing became more acute. In the narrow space, the man’s heavy breathing fell on his ears like a drumbeat.

Plundered of his breath, Chu Xi could only let out intermittent whimpers. His chest heaved with rapid breaths, and his heart beneath beat even faster. He seemed to hear a low buzzing in his ears due to the rapid blood flow.

His eyelashes trembled a few times, and a soft hum escaped his nose.

“So silly,” he heard the man say. “You don’t even know how to breathe.”

The kiss lasted an unexpectedly long time. It was Chu Xi’s first kiss; when they finally parted, he was panting for air, completely unaware of the silver thread of saliva stretching between them, catching the light conspicuously.

Chu Xi was dazed and a bit sluggish as he defended himself: “I’m not silly…”

Perhaps because they were too close and the air had become thin, Chu Xi instinctively stepped back. He stumbled after hitting the archway, his soft hair brushing against Zhou Jinyan’s cheek before he fell squarely into his arms.

Chu Xi continued his defense aggrievedly: “It’s my first time kissing… how was I supposed to know I had to breathe?”

Zhou Jinyan held him by the waist, his free hand wiping the silver thread from the corner of Chu Xi’s mouth. The glistening lips were an immense temptation. Zhou Jinyan’s eyes darkened.

“Do you know how to breathe now?”

Chu Xi looked up at him in confusion: “Hmm?”

Having only kissed for a short while, Zhou Jinyan realized what it meant to have an insatiable desire. He lowered his head, his tone coaxing: “Baby, one more kiss. Just one more, okay?”

Chu Xi couldn’t bear to see Zhou Jinyan look disappointed, so he nodded absentmindedly: “Okay.”

“Just the last one, okay.”

Suddenly, a ticklish sensation like an electric current surged through his body. Zhou Jinyan squeezed the soft flesh at his waist more forcefully. Chu Xi shuddered and went completely limp in Zhou Jinyan’s arms.

For a moment, the only sound in this space was the faint, wet noise of the kiss.

The cake had been sliced according to the number of guests. Zhou Siyuan looked at the two remaining pieces, wondering where Zhou Jinyan and Chu Xi had disappeared to. Could it be that Zhou Jinyan had actually gone to seek Chu Xi’s forgiveness after her reminder?

Whatever. It was her birthday party; they could do as they pleased.

Zhou Siyuan picked up her skirt, intending to take a group photo with her friends by the archway, when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Under the lights at the archway, two silhouettes swayed alongside the shadows of the roses. If one listened closely, one could hear ambiguous wet noises and the constant sound of lips and tongues entwining, accompanied by heavy breathing and whimpering. it was enough to make one’s face flush.

Before Zhou Siyuan could wonder who would dare to have a secret rendezvous at her birthday party, she heard a steady male voice from that direction, speaking with a flirting tone: “So silly.”

“You don’t even know how to breathe.”

A moment later, a voice that sounded like it was acting spoiled responded: “I’m not silly…”

Zhou Siyuan: “…”

She hesitated to speak.

It felt like she had accidentally walked into the master bedroom of her brother and sister-in-law.

Once she recognized the owners of the two voices, she quickly grabbed her cumbersome skirt and persuaded her friends who were about to head that way to go elsewhere.

Zhou Siyuan: “Let’s watch the performance first. It won’t be too late to take photos after the show.”

“Sure.”

“Whatever the birthday girl says.”

The birthday party included a drone show and a fireworks display. Under Zhou Siyuan’s arrangement, everyone gathered elsewhere to watch.

She couldn’t let anyone disturb her brother and sister-in-law’s intimacy!

She was the Security Guard of Love!

Chu Xi really hadn’t expected kissing to be like this!

His legs were still weak, and every muscle from his toes to the top of his head was trembling from the kiss. He leaned powerlessly in Zhou Jinyan’s arms.

The drone performance was still ongoing. Chu Xi poked Zhou Jinyan’s arm: “Let’s go watch the show too!”

Zhou Jinyan held him, resting his chin slightly on top of Chu Xi’s head: “Okay.”

The two didn’t join the crowd. They sat in the spot where Chu Xi had sat at the beginning. Chu Xi took small bites of cake. Just as the drone show ended, beautiful fireworks began to burst in the night sky.

Moved by the scene, Chu Xi couldn’t help but think of the fireworks he had watched with Zhou Jinyan last time: “So beautiful!”

Chu Xi turned his head to look at Zhou Jinyan and asked with a smile: “Doesn’t this look like the scene where we finally reach a Happy Ending?”

A golden firework happened to burst in the night sky at that moment. As Zhou Jinyan looked into his eyes, the firework showered down, turning into a sky full of sparks in the depths of Chu Xi’s pupils.

His answer was the same as that day: “It does.”

Except this time, Zhou Jinyan followed up with the words Chu Xi had said back then: “We will definitely be very happy.”