After My Childhood Friend Misunderstood That I Had a Boyfriend - Chapter 30

Chapter 30:  Straddling his lap

Chu Xi especially loved listening to bedtime stories. When he was a child, he would often fall asleep listening to Ms. Meng tell stories about the movies she acted in.

Outside, the rain continued to fall. The pitter-patter against the windowpane felt rhythmic, like a drumbeat in a piece of music. In such a silent night, it served as a lullaby guiding one into dreamland.

Inside the room, the warm orange nightlight illuminated a small patch of space. Neither of them felt the slightest bit sleepy under the atmosphere of the rain—especially Chu Xi, whose excitement was quite obvious.

“How did this little bear come to your house?” Chu Xi grabbed the bear’s arm and waved it at Zhou Jinyan as if saying hello. “I have a bear exactly like this one.”

Zhou Jinyan rolled over to face Chu Xi: “Exactly like it?”

He opened his eyes to see the teddy bear he had unearthed and placed by the bedside smiling foolishly at him. He shifted his gaze, landing it on Chu Xi’s face.

Chu Xi: “Yeah!”

Hearing Chu Xi’s follow-up, Zhou Jinyan’s gaze moved from Chu Xi’s increasingly excited face back to the bear in his hand. His eyes grew deeper under the soft glow of the light.

The fabric of toys from over a decade ago was relatively coarse. After being eroded by so much time, Chu Xi squeezed it for a moment, and the smiling bear turned into a “bitter melon” bear—much like the shift in Zhou Jinyan’s mood at this moment.

He stared for a long while. Looking at Chu Xi’s face, which wore every thought and emotion out in the open, he realized the boy was truly just curious rather than testing him. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had thought Chu Xi had finally recognized him and remembered that they used to know each other.

Why is there an identical bear? Because this bear was originally yours.

But Zhou Jinyan didn’t intend to clarify things just yet.

He had only just secured his official “title.” His seat as the “third party” wasn’t even warm yet, and he hadn’t completely replaced Chu Xi’s “official boyfriend.” The plan to take over was still in progress.

He couldn’t let old stories from the past affect their current relationship.

Zhou Jinyan looked at Chu Xi with amusement. That said, he was quite curious about when Chu Xi would eventually remember, and he really wanted to know Chu Xi’s reaction when he realized that he was that “bossy older brother” from his childhood whom he didn’t particularly like.

Would he hate him? Break up with him? Regret that he had seduced such an annoying person this time?

Just don’t forget me again.

The feeling of being hated by the person you love is hard, but being forgotten is far worse. It takes ten years for memories to blur, but the moment of realization feels like half of one’s heart has been scooped out, leaving a hole where the wind whistles through, sending a chill from the heart throughout the entire body.

Looking into Chu Xi’s eyes, which looked like colored glaze under the light, Zhou Jinyan suddenly realized that perhaps he had liked Chu Xi much longer than he had imagined.

So much so that even after a ten-year void, he recognized him at first sight and fell in love with him instantly.

Seeing that Zhou Jinyan wasn’t responding, Chu Xi let go of the bear, propped himself up with his arms, and leaned closer. Their two warm bodies suddenly merged into one giant heat source.

Chu Xi whispered in a breathy voice: “Are you going to sleep?”

Chu Xi’s previous nervousness had long been tossed to the back of his mind. He felt a very strange sensation right now—an illusion that he was having a late-night chat with a childhood friend, sharing secrets.

And from this angle, he actually felt like reaching out and brushing his fingertips against Zhou Jinyan’s eyelashes.

Chu Xi wasn’t sleepy at all; he was full of energy. He lay on his stomach, propped up his upper body, rested his face in his hands, and looked at Zhou Jinyan with sparkling eyes.

The orange light reflected in his pupils, making them look misty, as if an entire galaxy had fallen into his eyes. His blinking was so cute it was almost dizzying.

“No.” Being stared at like this, how could Zhou Jinyan feel sleepy? He thought for a moment and carefully explained the bear’s origin: “This was a birthday gift someone gave me when I was little.”

Huh? Zhou Jinyan’s childhood?

Chu Xi’s curiosity was piqued. He immediately became interested and pestered Zhou Jinyan to tell him more: “Was it a friend? You really cherish this bear; was he a very good friend of yours?”

Zhou Jinyan let out a helpless laugh. Chu Xi tilted his head in confusion; he hadn’t said anything funny: “What are you laughing at?”

“Baby.” Zhou Jinyan raised his hand to pull the blanket up. The covers that had slipped to Chu Xi’s waist were pulled back up to cover his shoulders. “The way you’re asking makes it sound like you’re jealous.”

Huh? Chu Xi’s elegant brows furrowed.

“Jealous?” Chu Xi froze for a second. Thinking back, okay, those words did have a bit of that flavor. He shook his head: “I’m not jealous. I just want to know about your childhood.”

Zhou Jinyan knew perfectly well that Chu Xi didn’t mean it that way—he was just purely curious. But hearing Chu Xi’s “interrogation,” he actually wished Chu Xi was jealous.

If only Chu Xi’s possessiveness toward him was as heavy as his own toward Chu Xi.

Zhou Jinyan paused for a beat. Suddenly, he really wanted to kiss him right then and there.

Zhou Jinyan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His deep voice carried a trace of indiscernible pleading: “Baby.”

Chu Xi: “Hmm? What’s wrong?”

A familiar touch grazed the back of his neck. Chu Xi leaned down slightly and instinctively closed his eyes. A familiar clear yet scalding breath, carrying a fierce intent of aggression, occupied his senses. Chu Xi’s long lashes trembled under the kiss.

While kissing, Zhou Jinyan murmured a vague answer against his lips: “I know.”

He would rather Chu Xi truly be jealous.

Chu Xi let out a soft hum: “Mm.”

He opened his eyes; he felt like Zhou Jinyan was hiding something he hadn’t finished saying.

But the man kissed him again, swallowing all the words Chu Xi wanted to say back into his mouth.

This kiss was different from the previous two. The earlier ones carried a sense of restrained urgency; this one was incredibly gentle. It was like the light touch of a dragonfly on watera pure contact between two people, their breaths intertwining closely. Paradoxically, this made it even harder to resist.

Every time they kissed, Chu Xi’s mind went blank. At some point, Zhou Jinyan had sat up. The hand at the back of his neck had moved to his waist. In the brief gap when they pulled apart, Chu Xi was lightheaded. He slowly opened his eyes, dazed and sluggish. While he was still gasping for air, a sudden force lifted him up.

The feeling of being suspended in mid-air made Chu Xi let out a cry of surprise. By the time he realized what was happening, he was already straddling Zhou Jinyan’s lap.

Chu Xi’s heart thundered: “You.

If this continued, it felt like they wouldn’t be sleeping at all tonight!

We can’t keep going. Chu Xi wanted to say this, but when he met Zhou Jinyan’s gaze, instead of the heavy lust he expected, he was scorched by a profound sense of devotion and an indescribable cherishing in his eyes.

Chu Xi’s harsh words instantly died in his throat: “What are you doing? Why the sudden kiss?”

Zhou Jinyan let out a low chuckle: “Tasting to see if Baby is really jealous.”

Zhou Jinyan released his grip on Chu Xi’s waist and smiled: “It seems I did taste a bit of vinegar.”

So he’s still insisting I was jealous? Just as Chu Xi was about to argue, he heard the man say in a flirting tone: “But it’s not sour. It’s sweet.”

In reality, Zhou Jinyan was just looking for an excuse to kiss him.

Honestly, Chu Xi felt a bit frustrated. Why did he play with him like this every time? It was too much.

Chu Xi was genuinely getting annoyed.

He let out a huff, silently climbed off the man, and lay down facing away from Zhou Jinyan in a huff.

He even held me… and then put me in such an outrageous position! Take note, take note of it all!

He decided that from this moment on, he would ignore Zhou Jinyan for the rest of the night.

As for the teddy bear that had started the conversation, it was tossed carelessly between them. The little “bitter melon” bear seemed to realize it was being used as a boundary line after a quarrel.

Realizing he had teased him too much, Zhou Jinyan moved, crossing over the bitter melon bear to press against Chu Xi’s back, whispering to coax him: “Is Baby still angry?”

Chu Xi’s voice was muffled, sounding quite cross: “Yes.”

As soon as he said it, he pursed his lips and began to regret it. Didn’t I agree to ignore him? Why did I answer the moment he asked?

It made his anger look like a mere tantrum.

The bedside lamp was still on, casting light on Chu Xi’s profile. Seeing his trembling eyelashes, Zhou Jinyan said patiently: “Then what does Baby need to stop being angry?”

Chu Xi thought about it. To be fair, he wasn’t truly furious. Although the feeling of being coaxed after a tantrum was nice, doing this every time wasn’t good for a relationship.

He couldn’t only care about his own feelings. Chu Xi stopped pretending to be asleep and rolled over to face Zhou Jinyan.

Chu Xi proactively built a bridge for Zhou Jinyan to cross: “In the future, you can’t just kiss me whenever you want. You have to get my permission.”

Every time they kissed, he was led by the nose; it must be because he wasn’t prepared.

Zhou Jinyan agreed: “Okay.”

Chu Xi was satisfied: “I’m not angry anymore. By the way, you still haven’t told me.”

Chu Xi picked up the bitter melon bear that served as the boundary again, casually pinching its cheeks. He hadn’t forgotten the previous topic.

However, since Zhou Jinyan didn’t seem to intend to speak, Chu Xi didn’t force it. Feeling a bit of fatigue, he let out a yawn and said groggily: “But it’s very late. Tell me some other time.”

Seeing him so soft and cuddly, Zhou Jinyan’s heart stirred involuntarily. His heart itched, and a sudden dryness rose in his throat. In the end, he just pursed his lips and let out a soft sound: “Mm.”

He got up to turn off the bedside lamp, and the room fell into complete darkness. Everything went silent. The sound of the falling rain was clearly audible, pitter-pattering as it coaxed one into sleep.

Just as Chu Xi closed his eyes and sleepiness surged back, he heard Zhou Jinyan whisper: “Goodnight, Baby.”

Using his last shred of consciousness, Chu Xi replied clingily: “Goodnight, Brother.”

The next morning, the rain had stopped. The post-rain sun shone on the ground, drying the dampness from the night before. The air was filled with that unique post-rain scent.

Chu Xi woke up quite early. Upon waking, he discovered he was being held firmly in Zhou Jinyan’s arms. Behind him was the man’s scalding body temperature—warm and comfortable. The feeling made Chu Xi want to snuggle closer.

Chu Xi once saw a movie where the ending showed the protagonists waking up on a normal morning after sleeping in each other’s arms. Seeing the first ray of sunlight through the window, they felt truly happy.

At that time, Chu Xi didn’t understand why such a normal day was the essence of happiness. But now, waking up in Zhou Jinyan’s arms…

He also felt incredibly happy.

But why wasn’t Zhou Jinyan awake yet? He hadn’t forgotten that Zhou Jinyan was the type of person who woke up at six for a morning run.

And the arm around his waist was holding him so tightly. Chu Xi struggled to turn over to face Zhou Jinyan. They were so close they were practically pressed together—close enough for Chu Xi to see every detail on Zhou Jinyan’s face.

So Zhou Jinyan’s eyelashes are actually quite long.

Like small fans. Since Zhou Jinyan was still asleep, Chu Xi slowly raised his hand and finally did what he had wanted to do since last night.

He reached out and gently brushed his fingertip against Zhou Jinyan’s eyelashes. The man seemed to be in a deep sleep; his breathing didn’t falter even under the provocation, remaining steady and rhythmic. Chu Xi’s arm was pressed against his chest, and he could feel the rise and fall of his breathing.

Chu Xi dazed for a moment, then focused on Zhou Jinyan’s tightly pursed lips.

The finger that had been teasing the eyelashes tentatively tapped Zhou Jinyan’s warm lips. Observing that Zhou Jinyan truly had no reaction and wasn’t faking sleep, he boldly pressed down hard with his fingertip.

Hmph! Serves you right for kissing me every day.

And calling him stupid, saying he didn’t know how to breathe, and even using the jealousy excuse to play with him.

He would seal Zhou Jinyan’s lips; from now on, no kissing without permission!

While Zhou Jinyan wasn’t awake, Chu Xi used his face to vent his grievances. He had originally intended to pinch the man’s cheek, but facing such a handsome face, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He decided to continue messing with Zhou Jinyan’s eyelashes and lips.

While Chu Xi was still plotting his next move, a sudden, numb itch surged through his waist and flashed through his whole body. Then, as a neural reflex, his entire body shuddered.

Chu Xi let out a cry of shock. The hand that had been resting on his waist had suddenly squeezed his soft flesh hard. Then, a voice—somewhat weary yet clear—sounded in his ear: “What are you doing?”

Zhou Jinyan raised an eyebrow, his playful gaze landing on Chu Xi. The sensation of his lips being pressed by Chu Xi’s finger still lingered: “Want a kiss?”

Why else would you be pressing on my lips so much first thing in the morning?

Chu Xi was being held very tightly. Zhou Jinyan’s chin rested lightly on his head, forcing him to bury his face in the man’s chest.

Hearing this, Chu Xi definitely didn’t want to kiss before brushing his teeth: “I have no such thought!”

“Then why were you touching my lips the whole time?” You just want to kiss, don’t you? Zhou Jinyan casually rubbed the soft flesh at Chu Xi’s waist, only stopping when the other let out an uncontrollable whimper. “When did Baby wake up?”

The itchy sensation still lingered. Chu Xi didn’t want to answer properly: “I don’t know, but earlier than you.”

Chu Xi scolded him and took the opportunity to praise himself: “Sleeping like a pig. Can’t you wake up early like me?”

Calling me a pig? Zhou Jinyan was amused and annoyed. Just as he was about to say something, a ringtone sounded.

Zhou Jinyan remembered the 11 o’clock alarm Chu Xi set last night: “Your wake-up alarm?”

Chu Xi only set alarms if he had things to do in the morning: “No, someone must be looking for me.”

He sat up and grabbed his phone from the bedside charger. When he saw the caller ID was “Brother,” Zhou Jinyan’s lazy gaze instantly became alert and dark.

The contact name was “Brother”?

Chu Xi didn’t notice Zhou Jinyan’s gaze suddenly darkening. He was about to answer Fu Zhaosheng’s call when the other side hung up.

The ringing stopped, and the room returned to silence.

Zhou Jinyan, however, was far from silent. He gritted his teeth, unable to stop himself from asking a question a “third party” shouldn’t ask: “Who is he?”

A WeChat message arrived. Chu Xi clicked in, distracted as he replied: “It’s the brother I grew up with.”

Very well then.

So Chu Xi and his “official boyfriend” really are childhood sweethearts.