After My Childhood Friend Misunderstood That I Had a Boyfriend - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Even the strands of their hair were tightly tangled together

Previously, Zhou Jinyan had comforted himself with the thought that a “unexpected newcomer” could never beat a “childhood sweetheart.” Looking at it now—damn it, it turned out he was the newcomer.

But then again, since Chu Xi was already dating him, it just proved that the other guy couldn’t hold onto Chu Xi’s heart.

It seemed childhood sweethearts weren’t all that special.

Perhaps spending every day together had made Chu Xi bored, leading him to hook up with Jinyan for some excitement. As for whether Chu Xi would get bored of him—

Jinyan’s gaze darkened with unreadable emotions. He would never let there be a day where Chu Xi grew tired of him.

Besides, he was now both the “newcomer” and the “childhood sweetheart” in one body. No matter how he looked at it, his chances of winning were higher.

More importantly, Chu Xi’s heart was with him now.

Calling Chu Xi so early in the morning? That guy was probably worried after being given the cold shoulder these past few days, only now realizing he needed to “check in” on Chu Xi.

Meanwhile, Chu Xi had been lost in passion with him these last few days. At this thought, Zhou Jinyan felt an instant surge of satisfaction.

Chu Xi’s first kiss belonged to him. That other guy hadn’t even touched Chu Xi’s lips; how could he possibly compete?

As Jinyan indulged in this secret triumph, a wave of restless heat suddenly surged in his calm heart. The friction of anxiety ignited a fire in his soul.

He couldn’t stop himself from becoming paranoid. What if it wasn’t like that? What if Chu Xi had been in constant contact with that man and he just happened to find out this morning by chance?

I really shouldn’t have gone on that business trip. A thick sense of regret spread through his heart.

Even a “side piece” should have the right to know the “main partner’s” movements! Otherwise, how could he help Chu Xi cover his tracks?

Jinyan’s eyes grew darker. His bangs fell slightly over his brow, and a hint of ruthlessness entered his gaze. He began to plot maliciously on how to destroy the relationship between Chu Xi and his “boyfriend” so he could successfully rise from the “side piece” to the official position.

Chu Xi, can you stop liking that man?

Loving me alone is enough.

Although he knew that as the “other man,” he had no right to demand this, jealousy poured out of him like a torrential rain that wouldn’t stop.

I want to hold him. A voice screamed inside him, desperate to embed Chu Xi into his arms to fill the void of his frantic, insecure heart.

Feeling the weight and heat on his shoulder again, Chu Xi was forced to look away from his phone. He turned his head to focus entirely on Zhou Jinyan’s profile as the man rested his chin on his shoulder.

Chu Xi turned off the screen, set the phone aside, and tilted his body slightly. He cupped Jinyan’s cheek with his palm, coaxing him: “What’s wrong?”

Jinyan buried himself back into the familiar crook of Chu Xi’s neck. The faint scent calmed his frantic nerves. “Just let me hold you for a bit.”

Chu Xi felt itchy from the man’s hair. He had grown used to the powerful arms tightly circling his waist—even the way Jinyan tried to pull his entire being into his embrace felt normal now.

It felt as though they were meant to be stuck together like this forever.

Chu Xi leaned his upper body back a bit and lifted Jinyan’s head from his neck. Cradling the man’s face in his palms, he leaned in before Jinyan could react and rubbed his cheek against the other’s.

A kitten taking the initiative to nuzzle.

Chu Xi didn’t know why he did it, but he was a man of action; if he thought of it, he did it. Perhaps this was just the “honeymoon phase”—clinging to a lover and doing things that would seem incomprehensible to outsiders.

With their cheeks pressed together, even their hair seemed tangled. After a while, Chu Xi moved his hands from Jinyan’s face to his shoulders, naturally hooking them around his neck.

The two warm bodies pressed together for a moment before Chu Xi pulled back slightly to brush away a few stray hairs from Jinyan’s eyes. “Haven’t we already been hugging all night?”

Jinyan stared into his eyes, silent for a long time.

About ten seconds passed before he snapped out of the daze caused by the cheek-nuzzle. Jinyan lowered his eyes, feeling his heart leap uncontrollably. The more feverish he felt inside, the calmer his voice became: “It’s not enough.”

He could feel the long-suppressed desire expanding and growing. He spoke greedily: “Hugging for just one night is far from enough.”

He stared intently at Chu Xi’s face, capturing every emotion and every micro-expression, with no intention of looking away.

“Baby, let me cling to you a bit more,” Jinyan heard himself say selfishly. “And please, love me a little more, okay?”

He spoke each word deliberately, putting extra weight on the word “love.” The final “okay?” carried a heavy tone of pleading. His voice was so light that Chu Xi felt he would have missed it if he had been distracted for even a second.

What is wrong with him? Being stared at by Jinyan in such an insecure state made Chu Xi’s heart pound. He didn’t find it inappropriate; instead, a strange sense of being “needed” welled up in him.

Jinyan really made him feel like he couldn’t live without him—like a stray puppy who, even when by its master’s side, was still haunted by the fear of being abandoned.

Strangely, he didn’t want to see Jinyan wear that expression because of him.

Chu Xi nodded to reassure him, thinking to himself: It turns out Zhou Jinyan is even more insecure than I am. “Okay, I’ll love you a little more every day.”

A stray puppy still worries even after repeated reassurances. Chu Xi thought about it and said sincerely, “Then, you have to love me a little more every day too.”

Chu Xi leaned forward slowly and pressed his lips against the corner of Jinyan’s mouth—a light, fleeting touch that left a lingering sensation. “Okay?”

Love is mutual; it’s a two-way street. Loving each other more every day and giving each other enough security is the only way a relationship lasts.

This was a line from a movie his father had filmed, starring Ms. Meng. Chu Xi remembered it was on a rainy night during his childhood that Ms. Meng told him this as a bedtime story. It had left a deep impression on him.

It was a wonderful yet strange feeling. Chu Xi’s attitude made Jinyan want to hold onto him even tighter just as he wanted to crush Chu Xi into his very being.

“Okay,” Jinyan’s voice was dry as he completely enveloped the youth in his arms. He reached up to stroke the back of Chu Xi’s neck, his heart overflowing with a mix of passion and jealousy. “Baby, thank you for loving me.”

Jinyan didn’t dare imagine if Chu Xi hadn’t come to deliver that file that day, if he hadn’t agreed to walk him back to the dorm, if on some random day he had just returned to find a new roommate.

If it were Chu Xi, Jinyan would have fallen in love at first sight.

But if his heart had been moved, and then he heard from Xu Suizhao that Chu Xi already had a boyfriend… he would have certainly become like a “gloomy ghost,” silently watching Chu Xi and his boyfriend, harboring vile thoughts of destroying their relationship to take the man for himself.

But things were different now.

Chu Xi loved him.

He didn’t need to think about how to destroy a relationship; he only needed to make Chu Xi love him.

Love me more. Don’t share that love with anyone else. It would be best if all your romantic love was reserved for me. You only need to love me.

Jinyan’s heart was in turmoil, like a boat tossing on a stormy sea. Overwhelmed by emotion, he lowered his head, his hand firmly controlling the back of Chu Xi’s neck, preparing to kiss his lips.

The moment his neck was gripped, Chu Xi instinctively closed his eyes, but then he suddenly remembered—wait, they hadn’t brushed their teeth yet! He didn’t want to kiss under these circumstances!

Chu Xi tried to stop him: “Wait.

The warm temperature was already pressed against him.

Chu Xi gave up, intending to let it be a quick kiss and then pull away, but he felt the moist warmth tracing his lips. He struggled again: “No—”

Chu Xi tried his best: “Don’t… don’t use your tongue…”

“I won’t go in,” Jinyan gave his lips a little muah. “Just a stamp.”

Who ‘stamps’ like that?!

“Go away, go away.” Chu Xi felt his lips going numb from the kissing. He no longer believed any of the “sweet talk” a man says in bed. He quickly pushed him away. “Get up and brush your teeth.”

With that, Chu Xi couldn’t wait to kick off the blankets, slip on his slippers, and rush out of the master bedroom toward the bathroom.

The sudden loss of body heat made Jinyan’s heart feel empty for a moment. After a while, he stared at the indentation Chu Xi had left in the bed and let out a helpless laugh—mostly at himself, but also because he was still craving Chu Xi’s warmth.

Stop spoiling him, okay?

Jinyan felt the growing greed in the depths of his heart. He reached out and bunched up the blanket Chu Xi had used, which still held his warmth. The warm fabric carried a scent like coconut cake—it smelled wonderful.

He picked up the blanket and, a moment later, buried his face deep into it.

Stop spoiling yourself.

I really won’t be able to control myself from wanting more.

Chu Xi felt something strange with his lower half halfway out the door. Realizing what it was, his face flushed red. He stopped and hiked up the underwear that was about to fall off.

God! Buddha!

This is terrible!!!

Where was his button?! The button that was supposed to keep him from making a fool of himself? Where did it go?!

Holding up the oversized underwear that threatened to slip with every step, Chu Xi began to wonder what went wrong.

They had been kissing and moving all over the bed—straddling, being pulled into arms… it was too chaotic. He had no idea when it had been rubbed off!

Did it fall during the kissing? Or while he was straddling? Or when Jinyan’s hand had reached inside?

It didn’t matter which! It was gone!

Chu Xi awkwardly shuffled to the laundry room with his legs pressed together. The underwear he had hung up wasn’t dry because of yesterday’s rain. As he took it down, his awkward posture made him lose balance, and he stumbled back into a machine.

“Ow.”

Chu Xi frowned, hissing in pain. He turned around to see what had “attacked” him, and then he fell silent.

It was the dryer.

.Am I blind?! Why didn’t I see this last night? If I had seen it, I wouldn’t have to suffer like this!

Chu Xi was amused by his own stupidity. Huffing, he opened the dryer door, put his clothes and underwear in separate laundry bags, and set the timer for thirty minutes.

As for now…

Forget it, I’ll go back and put on pants. And look for that button.

Back in the master bedroom, Zhou Jinyan was still in bed, lazily hugging the blanket. Chu Xi shuffled in awkwardly with his legs clamped and called out the man’s full name with great annoyance.

Chu Xi stood with his hands on his hips: “Quick, look for it! See where my button went—the butterfly-shaped one.”

Hearing this, Jinyan lifted the blanket: “What’s wrong, baby?”

He noticed Chu Xi’s awkward posture and instantly realized what happened. He couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, making Chu Xi’s ears turn red with shame.

Chu Xi knew exactly what he was thinking. Gosh, how can a man who looks so cold and elegant have a mind so full of “yellow” (dirty) thoughts!

Embarrassed and angry, Chu Xi snapped: “What are you laughing at! Just look for it!”

“Okay, okay.” Jinyan didn’t dare slack off and began searching carefully. “I’m looking.”

After feeling around the bed, his hand hit a hard object. He fished it out—it was indeed Chu Xi’s butterfly button. He looked up at Chu Xi, whose shirt was loose and messy from just waking up. Jinyan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Baby, let me pin it back on for you.”

Chu Xi couldn’t believe his ears: “What did you say?”

Jinyan got out of bed slowly and walked toward Chu Xi. “Let me help you, okay?”

Chu Xi actually wanted to say “no.”

Who knew how “useless” he would become if he let Jinyan help!

But seeing the eager look on Jinyan’s face, he swallowed his words and agreed as if possessed: “Fine.”

Calloused fingertips lifted the hem of his shirt, then firmly squeezed the soft flesh of his waist. Suddenly touched by another scalding body temperature, Chu Xi’s whole body shuddered. The numbing itch made him tremble slightly. Before he could shake much, the man’s cool, calm voice commanded: “Don’t move.”

Chu Xi stiffened. He felt the rough fingertips rubbing back and forth against his waist. He wanted to shiver but forced himself to endure it because of Jinyan’s words. Only his trembling breaths betrayed his feelings: “Mm.”

The man praised him: “Good baby.”

Wu! Chu Xi’s eyes widened.

He shuddered violently at the name. Because of that sudden movement, the butterfly button didn’t fasten. The man used his palm to hold Chu Xi’s body steady; the strength was so great that Chu Xi couldn’t move.

Once Chu Xi was still, the task became easier. Jinyan pinched the excess fabric together and pinned it. It wasn’t particularly aesthetic, but it was practical.

Jinyan let go: “There.”

There my foot!!!

Chu Xi’s legs were actually a bit weak. He was filled with regret he should never have let Jinyan help!!

He was so mad at himself for being soft-hearted toward Jinyan every time!

In the end, it was his own “uselessness.” Chu Xi began to sulk at himself: “I’m really going to brush my teeth this time.”

Jinyan helped him tidy the hem of his shirt. “Go ahead. We’ll go down for breakfast after. Is there anything you want to eat? I’ll have the auntie (housekeeper) make it.”

Chu Xi thought about it; he didn’t have any specific cravings. He decided to leave it as a surprise: “Anything is fine.”

Chu Xi found a disposable toothbrush set in the guest room. After brushing his teeth and putting on a pair of Jinyan’s pants with a belt, he went downstairs to find Jinyan already waiting at the dining table.

Looking at the “ugly” heart-shaped rice ball in his bowl, Chu Xi knew without asking that Jinyan had made it. If the housekeeper’s skills were at this level, she would have been fired long ago unless she had raised him from birth like a second mother.

Chu Xi took his seat, hesitated, and then praised against his conscience: “Is this your art? It’s quite nice.”

Jinyan knew it wasn’t pretty, but he was delighted by the compliment. He began to serve Chu Xi eagerly: “Baby, eat this.”

He moved his ugly rice ball aside and placed a small, cute cat-shaped rice ball made by the housekeeper in front of Chu Xi.

Chu Xi took a small bite. The filling was octopus, egg yolk, and meat floss, with seaweed sprinkles on the outside. It was very appetizing.

He ate six in one go, not saying a word to Jinyan, focusing entirely on the food.

Delicious, delicious.

When he was mostly full, he moved Jinyan’s ugly rice ball back and began eating it in small bites.

Jinyan was surprised; he hadn’t intended for Chu Xi to eat it if he didn’t want to. “Baby?”

Jinyan looked at his stomach. “Aren’t you full?”

“Not yet, I saved a little room.” Chu Xi made an “OK” sign. “I can’t let your efforts go to waste. I saved it for last.”

At those words, Jinyan’s heart skipped a heavy beat.

Chu Xi was always like this. Perhaps he didn’t even know it, but his casual words always made people soften and fall for him instantly.

After breakfast, Chu Xi originally wanted to go home. But the moment he thought about stepping out, the heavy rain that had just paused suddenly poured down again—even harder than last night. The dense rain formed a mist in the air, blurring the scenery.

The weather had turned cold. Leaving the heated house, Chu Xi felt the chilly wind at the door. For the first time, he felt that windbreakers were useless for anything other than looking good. He really wanted to dress himself like a Michelin tire.

He told Jinyan this idea. Jinyan imagined the scene and was instantly charmed by his own imagination. Wiping the raindrops off Chu Xi’s cheek, he said seriously: “Not a tire. You’d be a clumsy penguin.”

Puffy in a down jacket, walking through the freezing rain clumsy and awkward like a newborn penguin. Very cute.

But Chu Xi only cared about one word: “You do think I’m clumsy!”

Fine, fine. Looking at the worsening rain, Chu Xi didn’t want to travel in such weather at all. It was unsafe and everything would be soaking wet.

Receiving Chu Xi’s suggestive glances, Jinyan took the initiative: “Baby, can you stay one more night?”

Chu Xi feigned hesitation, his tone sounding very “reluctant”: “Fine.”

Just as they were heading back in, Chu Xi remembered something and turned to ask: “Don’t you have to work today?”

If Jinyan had to work, he would rather go home. Staying here without Jinyan would be meaningless.

Jinyan struggled for a split second before saying decisively: “I’m not going.”

His older brother could handle it. The company wouldn’t collapse whether he went or not.

So, the two of them returned to the bedroom intimately.

Chu Xi had seen a projector in the study last night and suggested they watch a movie.

Jinyan was happy as long as he was with Chu Xi, so he didn’t mind what they watched. “Okay.”

Chu Xi found an animated movie Inside Out 2. The images were projected onto the wall. Jinyan brought over a beanbag chair from somewhere. With the curtains drawn, the room became dark. As the movie started, Chu Xi snuggled into Jinyan’s arms happily.

The movie was mainly about reconciling with anxiety. Compared to Jinyan’s boredom, Chu Xi watched with great interest, not even reacting when Jinyan buried his face in his neck.

It wasn’t until Jinyan, dissatisfied with Chu Xi’s focus on the screen, gave his shoulder a little bite that Chu Xi finally looked away. “What’s wrong?”

Why is he biting people all of a sudden?

It didn’t really hurt; it was just an itchy sensation.

Jinyan felt incredibly slighted. Why were those chattering little characters on the screen more interesting than him? He said gloomily, “You’re ignoring me.”

“I am, I am,” Chu Xi said distractedly, very perfunctorily. “Alright, let’s keep watching the movie.”

Obviously, this half-hearted attention didn’t satisfy Jinyan. He grabbed Chu Xi’s buttocks and lifted him into the air. Amidst Chu Xi’s startled cry, he sat the youth firmly on his lap.

Jinyan bounced him slightly. “So perfunctory. Baby, don’t ignore me.”

Chu Xi couldn’t take the bouncing; he could no longer focus on the movie. All his attention was now back on Zhou Jinyan.

The sensation was strange and very easy to trigger a reaction. Chu Xi’s face flushed red. “Stop, stop, stop! Don’t do that.”

He hadn’t expected that even when they were stuck together, he would still have to coax Jinyan. Well, since it was both of their first times in a relationship, he’d just spoil him a bit more.

The chattering characters on the screen could no longer draw a single bit of his attention. Chu Xi focused entirely on his insecure boyfriend and leaned in to kiss his lips.

Chu Xi comforted him: “Alright, don’t be mad. After the movie, how about we play a game? Or—you could play the piano for me. I want to hear that.”

Chu Xi named a piece—the one Jinyan had played on the public piano that day. Looking at Jinyan’s expression, he deduced the man probably just saw it as a normal day and didn’t remember a thing.

Jinyan was pacified by the kiss. “Okay, let’s keep watching the movie, baby.”

Chu Xi nuzzled his cheek. “Mm-hmm.”

Once they both put their minds back on the movie, Chu Xi watched the plot seriously, while the man holding him was bored out of his mind, only wanting to know when the movie would end.

But before the movie ended, a familiar ringtone came first.

It was very familiar he had heard it just this morning. Jinyan gritted his teeth and gave Chu Xi another squeeze. “I’ll get it.”

He picked up Chu Xi’s phone. The caller ID clearly displayed: “Brother.”

Jinyan let out a cold laugh. How persistent. He truly wished he could hang up on Chu Xi’s “boyfriend” right this second.