After My Childhood Friend Misunderstood That I Had a Boyfriend - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: So Chu Xi isn’t wearing anything underneath

Chu Xi pulled the little bear into his arms. The fabric and stuffing of the plushie had that specific texture unique to that era. The owner must have cherished this bear very much, as there weren’t many signs of it being handled roughly.

Chu Xi pinched the bear’s cheeks, turning its honest smile into a little “bitter melon” face. He thought for a moment; this bear was missing its counterpart to make a complete pair.

It was the exact same model as the one Grandma Lu had given him.

However, Chu Xi didn’t overthink it. These bears seemed to be the flagship product of that brand back then. Perhaps Zhou Jinyan had liked the brand when he was little, which was why he had one too.

Though the coincidence was a bit strange, sleepiness hit him. Chu Xi decided to stop thinking about it for now and ask Zhou Jinyan about the bear’s origins later.

He propped the bear up next to his pillow, got out of bed, put on his slippers, and prepared to go to the study next door to find Zhou Jinyan.

In just a few hours, Chu Xi had become quite familiar with Zhou Jinyan’s bedroom. He poked his head through the study door: “I’m done washing up. You should go take a shower too.”

Zhou Jinyan was wearing Bluetooth headphones, the blue light from the screen faintly illuminating his face. Hearing the movement, he didn’t look away from the screen immediately. After a moment, he replied in a flat tone: “Alright.”

Zhou Jinyan is working. Realizing this, Chu Xi’s movements became lighter. He prepared to pull the door shut to let Zhou Jinyan work in peace.

Just as he moved, he felt a gaze land on him. The next second, the man called out to him, his flat tone laced with a hint of tenderness: “Bao Bao.”

Chu Xi’s footsteps paused. Before he could decide what to say, he heard Zhou Jinyan continue: “Come here.”

The ajar door was pushed open again. Chu Xi walked behind Zhou Jinyan’s chair, leaning down to drape both arms over his chest from behind.

Chu Xi was actually quite tired. His voice was sticky and sweet, sounding like he was acting spoiled: “What’s wrong?”

Chu Xi glanced at the computer screen. It was an internal QA system. After one look, he lost interest and felt even sleepier, resting his gaze on Zhou Jinyan’s profile.

Chu Xi noticed that Zhou Jinyan’s eyelashes were actually quite long. Under the faint glow of the screen, they cast a shallow grey shadow.

Looking at them, Chu Xi felt a sudden impulse. He wanted to reach out and slowly brush his fingertips against those lashes.

Zhou Jinyan caught his hand and gave it a squeeze, then held it up to his lips and lightly kissed the back of Chu Xi’s hand. “I want a hug.”

He took off the glasses perched on the bridge of his nose and set them aside. His usually clear dark eyes were now clouded with a somewhat moist mist.

They were heavy with an unreadable meaning, but in Chu Xi’s eyes, he only saw the fatigue of his lover after work. His heart instantly softened into shifting sand.

Chu Xi tilted his head and kissed Zhou Jinyan’s cheek: “Hug away, hug away.”

The warmth hit the crook of his neck again. The hot air exhaled from the man’s nose made Chu Xi feel a bit flustered. As the hand around his waist tightened, the place being touched felt as if an electric current were passing through, sparking a faint numbness. Chu Xi’s fingertips curled. A moment later, he was pulled onto Zhou Jinyan’s lap.

The temperature was scorching.

Nn! Chu Xi’s heart trembled.

His breathing became a bit erratic. Who hugs like this!

The shirt was pushed up several layers by the controlling movements. The exposed fair skin trembled under the touch of the hotter body temperature. Seeing this posture, Chu Xi thought while holding him: We’re going to kiss again in a moment.

His soft flesh touched the slightly firm, hard muscles for the first time. Chu Xi gave a soft hum, feeling a bit unaccustomed. The man’s soft hair rubbed against his cheek—it was a bit itchy. Chu Xi couldn’t help but fiddle with the stray strands, asking softly: “Are you tired?”

Zhou Jinyan’s voice was muffled and carried a hint of a complaining tone: “Mm. So tired.”

The heating was on in the room, the warm air baking them both. Zhou Jinyan’s usual cold and stern exterior melted under the warmth, revealing his most relaxed and defenseless side.

Zhou Jinyan exhaled slowly: “I don’t want to work anymore.”

“Then don’t work.” Chu Xi thought about it and made a particularly “dutiful son” statement: “Let’s just live off our parents! I’ll use my parents’ money to support you.”

Zhou Jinyan laughed, finally willing to lift his head from the crook of Chu Xi’s neck. His deep eyes locked onto Chu Xi’s figure: “That won’t do.”

Chu Xi was stunned.

He looked at Zhou Jinyan. Perhaps because he had been staring at the screen through glasses for too long, his eyes were sore and tired, but this state washed away much of his usual cold and detached aura. Right now, he was as gentle as a pool of spring water.

Zhou Jinyan pinched the soft flesh at Chu Xi’s waist, making him shiver. Just as he regained his senses, he heard the man say: “No parents would feel at ease handing over their treasure to a man like that.”

Thump.

At that moment, Chu Xi’s heart was struck.

Why does Zhou Jinyan say these heart-fluttering things all day long! Did he enroll in some advanced sweet-talk class?

Full of honeyed words!

“Then… then hug a bit more to ‘recharge’!” Chu Xi lowered his head bashfully, not knowing how to react to being called a “treasure.” “Then hurry up and shower so we can sleep. You need to stay energized to work hard.”

Zhou Jinyan laughed helplessly at Chu Xi’s reaction and held him a while longer: “Okay.”

The study lights were turned off, and the two walked out one after the other. Chu Xi returned to the master bedroom. The little bear standing by the head of the bed watched him quietly as if welcoming him back.

Chu Xi flopped onto the bed. The force of his fall knocked the standing bear over. He swung his legs outside the bed, and with a “clack,” the slippers that had just been on his feet fell messily to the floor.

Chu Xi rolled over and pulled the fallen bear into his arms. Just as he raised his hand to meet the bear’s eyes, a sudden crack of thunder sounded outside.

He sat up and pulled back the curtains. He realized the moon had been covered by heavy, dark clouds at some point. The sky was frighteningly dark, brewing a storm in the silence.

It was about to rain.

“Why did you open the window?” Zhou Jinyan entered the master bedroom to see Chu Xi standing by the window looking out. Zhou Jinyan’s gaze didn’t linger on the scenery for a single second; it was suddenly stolen by the pair of white, straight legs beneath the black shirt.

When did Chu Xi take off his pants?

Was it intentional?

The buttons on the shirt were done up properly, though the top one had been rubbed loose when he was burying his face in Chu Xi’s neck. The “spring scenery” leaked out everywhere; his exquisite collarbones were framed by the shirt, looking blindingly white, like a pile of snow nestled there.

The pants below were gone. Actually, not wearing them wasn’t impossible—their size difference was obvious. When Chu Xi wore Zhou Jinyan’s shirt, the hem covered to just below the base of his thighs. But compared to the formal shirt, it gave off a vibe that was both innocent and erotic.

Zhou Jinyan took a deep breath. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his breathing grew heavy. His blood began to boil due to his racing heart.

Even though his actions always carried a sense of both purity and sensuality, Chu Xi himself didn’t have that intention at all.

Hearing Zhou Jinyan’s voice, Chu Xi turned back and pointed out the window: “It’s about to rain.”

“Mm. The forecast said there would be heavy rain tonight,” Zhou Jinyan replied in a low voice. He was lying—he hadn’t checked the forecast at all, though he did know it was good weather when he and Chu Xi met.

He strode over to Chu Xi’s side. The damp, rain-scented wind from the storm entered through the gap in the window. He lowered his eyes slightly. His height advantage made it easy to see the scenery beneath the button he had rubbed open.

The night breeze was slightly cool, but it only bred a dry heat in Zhou Jinyan. His gaze landed on Chu Xi as if it were physical, his voice noticeably hoarse: “Why aren’t you wearing pants?”

Chu Xi’s eyes widened with annoyance at the mention of this. His pretty brows furrowed as he acted spoiled and complained: “Your clothes don’t fit me at all! If I don’t wear a belt, the pants fall down after a few steps. I have to stop every two steps to pull them up.”

And even if he held them up, the pant legs were too long and dragged on the ground. It was a hassle. Chu Xi only wore that kind of outfit when going out; at home, he preferred being comfortable.

“It wasn’t comfortable at all, so I’m not wearing them,” Chu Xi said, then dropped a bombshell: “And your disposable underwear too—the size is completely wrong.”

The underwear size is wrong too?

The man’s gaze unconsciously followed the complaint to the base of the thighs not quite covered by the shirt. The shadow of the hem fell on the inner thigh like a mysterious veil, tempting one to lift it and see the scenery behind it.

If the size was wrong, if he were wearing them now, would they slide down just like the pants?

So.

The man’s predatory gaze fixed on the fair, slightly rosy inner thighs.

So, Chu Xi isn’t wearing anything underneath right now?

Realizing this, Zhou Jinyan’s breath hitched instantly.

He raised an eyebrow, forcing himself not to have a reaction. They had just gotten together; moving too fast would easily scare his shy lover. He endured until the veins on his temples were nearly popping. His voice was now even huskier: “You’re… naked right now?”

Chu Xi didn’t understand what he meant: “What?”

Zhou Jinyan raised his hand and lightly brushed the back of it against the side of Chu Xi’s thigh. The hint was unmistakable.

Chu Xi instantly understood what Zhou Jinyan meant. His brain suddenly went vroom, and he snapped in embarrassment: “What are you thinking!”

How could he be naked under there!

Chu Xi really hadn’t expected that Zhou Jinyan, who looked so abstinent, would have a head full of “yellow” (NSFW) thoughts.

Chu Xi glared at him: “How could I be naked! I used the buttons to pin the extra fabric back.”

The top Chu Xi was wearing today just happened to need buttons for its design. Faced with this situation, he had simply recycled them. He wasn’t stupid! Why would he stay naked when there was a solution!

And if he were naked, wouldn’t walking feel weird!

The atmosphere frozen for a moment.

A few seconds after the vibe became delicate, the clouds hanging in the sky finally birthed the sudden heavy rain. Before the two could react, raindrops the size of soybeans pitter-pattered down.

Some raindrops drifted inside through the gap in the window, a dampness landing on Chu Xi’s arm and slowly spreading.

Chu Xi spoke up at the right time, directing Zhou Jinyan, who was closest to the window: “Close the window, close the window.”

The window was shut tight. The cool breeze was completely cut off, and the temperature in the room grew warm again. However, the lingering romantic atmosphere had mostly dissipated. At that moment, the alarm Chu Xi had set happened to go off.

Chu Xi poked Zhou Jinyan’s arm: “It’s eleven o’clock.”

This was the 11:00 PM alarm he set every day to remind himself to sleep early.

“Mm,” Zhou Jinyan whispered. After the noise, only the silence of the night remained. He found that time spent with Chu Xi always passed exceptionally fast.

Looking out the window from the angle of his room, one could see the lights still on in the garden, blurred by the rain into hazy spots of light. The sound of rain hitting the ground, combined with the scene, gave off a somewhat lonely feeling.

But in Zhou Jinyan’s eyes, he saw Chu Xi’s reflection. From this angle, he could see Chu Xi’s profile—looking either annoyed or happy because of him.

On a rainy night, with the person he loved by his side, the spots of light felt like candles flickering in the storm, dispelling the lonely chill.

Chu Xi saw Zhou Jinyan’s still-wet hair: “Let me blow-dry your hair. After that, we should go to bed early.”

Zhou Jinyan’s stern features were softened by the lamplight. His heart felt a warmth and fullness it had never known before: “Okay.”

Chu Xi looked up and asked: “Where’s the hairdryer?”

Zhou Jinyan pointed to a spot: “Right here.”

Chu Xi really liked this feeling of slowly getting to know Zhou Jinyan’s home, like a treasure hunt. He felt like a cat arriving at a new house, patrolling and familiarizing itself with its future territory.

“Come here, come here.” Chu Xi plugged in the hairdryer. Zhou Jinyan cooperatively sat in the spot Chu Xi designated. The hum of the dryer added a sense of liveliness to the momentarily quiet space.

“It’s dry now.” Chu Xi put the hairdryer back and sat on the bed. “Let’s go to sleep.”

Zhou Jinyan stood up and kissed Chu Xi’s cheek: “I’ll go turn off the lights.”

Chu Xi blinked at the kiss: “Okay.”

To be honest, Chu Xi was nervous. This was the first time in twenty years he had shared a room with a male other than his father, and this “first time” was quite extreme—sleeping in the same bed as the person he liked.

They were sleeping in the same bed!!

Chu Xi’s fingertips fiddled with the hem of the shirt. Feeling a bit lost, he began to wonder what posture he should use to lie down and sleep.

The room was swallowed by darkness.

Chu Xi was already lying down. He was still very nervous. Although he knew it was unlikely anything that kind of thing would happen tonight, his heart throbbed heavily when he felt the other side of the bed sink under the weight of another person. He clutched the little bear in his arms, feeling a bit helpless.

Another body temperature suddenly entered the quilt.

It was Zhou Jinyan’s.

The man’s lingering voice whispered in his ear: “Goodnight, Bao Bao. Sleep early.”

Chu Xi’s long lashes trembled slightly: “Mm.”

It’s fine, it’s fine! Don’t be nervous! There will be plenty of chances to sleep together like this in the future!

Ten minutes later, the small nightstand lamp was clicked on. Chu Xi, who had been pretending to sleep, opened his eyes. He heard Zhou Jinyan’s somewhat helpless and compromising voice: “Bao Bao, if you aren’t used to it, you should sleep alone tonight.”

Huh? Chu Xi reflexively asked: “Then where will you sleep?”

Zhou Jinyan patiently tucked the lifted quilt around Chu Xi so he wouldn’t catch a cold: “The guest bedroom.”

!!! How could that be okay!

“No, no.” Chu Xi shook his head. Indeed, a confession was only the first step in a relationship; being lovers meant constant adjustment.

Chu Xi spoke his thoughts frankly: “I’m just a little nervous.”

Chu Xi lifted the quilt and patted the spot where Zhou Jinyan had just been lying. The latter sat on the edge of the bed with a bit of helplessness at his persistence: “You really are…”

Chu Xi tilted his head: “Hmm? What?”

Zhou Jinyan leaned close to Chu Xi, unable to control himself, but in the end, he only kissed the soft tips of his hair: “Nothing.”

Chu Xi was always like this, making him feel an involuntary softness and obsession.

The two huddled back into the same quilt. Chu Xi rolled over to face Zhou Jinyan: “Let’s talk.”

Chu Xi had a new idea: “Maybe if we keep talking, we’ll get tired and fall fast asleep. What do you think?”

Zhou Jinyan thought: What is he babbling about? I want to kiss him.

Chu Xi took his silence as agreement. He thought for a moment, unconsciously hugging the bear plushie tighter. Ah, he remembered.

He still had to ask Zhou Jinyan about the bear’s origin.

“Gége,” Chu Xi said softly, placing the bear between them. “How did this little bear end up at your house?”