After My Childhood Friend Misunderstood That I Had a Boyfriend - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: I really want to grab his waist and kiss him

Fu Zhaosheng parked the car and was about to get out to pick up Chu Xi. His hand had just touched the seatbelt buckle when he turned his head and saw Chu Xi through the one-way tinted window, pulling and tugging with a man on the side of the road.

Fu Zhaosheng chuckled. The way Chu Xi looked at the man was as if his gaze were spinning silk; even after being away for just a moment, he was sticking to him again as if suffering from separation anxiety.

He withdrew his gaze and turned off the engine. So, this man is Chu Xi’s secret crush?

Fu Zhaosheng reined in his smile. Thinking of the well-matched pair, he narrowed his eyes. His thumb carelessly pressed the buckle button; with a “click,” the seatbelt “shooed” back, and he opened the door to step out.

Just as he closed the driver’s side door, before Fu Zhaosheng could even turn around to face Chu Xi and his boyfriend, he keenly sensed a gaze filled with intense hostility landing on him.

It was a tangible stare, like a predator scrutinizing a rival. Before even seeing the man clearly, Fu Zhaosheng felt a heavy sense of pressure.

So, I’m being viewed as an enemy? Fu Zhaosheng touched the watch on his wrist. Upon realizing this, he suddenly felt that coming to pick up Chu Xi had become quite interesting.

Their encounter last time had been too brief for Fu Zhaosheng to get a good look at Chu Xi’s crush.

Fu Zhaosheng turned around. The two who had been holding hands just a moment ago were now closer; Chu Xi was firmly tucked into Zhou Jinyan’s embrace. The man’s arm was wrapped around Chu Xi’s shoulder with palpable possessiveness, a silent and intimate declaration of sovereignty.

Fu Zhaosheng could practically read the message Zhou Jinyan was broadcasting:

He is mine.

Chu Xi seemed completely oblivious to this one-sided silent battle, failing to notice the sparks flying around him. He was currently preoccupied with the thought of making sure Fu Zhaosheng didn’t “tattle” to Ms. Meng; telling his parents about his dating partner should, in the normal course of things, be done by himself.

The two had walked up to Fu Zhaosheng, their peculiar positions forming a stable triangle.

Fu Zhaosheng calmly moved to open the passenger door: “Xiao Xi.”

Before he could reach it, Zhou Jinyan took the lead and pulled open the back door. Only after putting Chu Xi’s bag inside did he reluctantly let go: “Baby, let me know when you arrive.”

After all, they were in public; he couldn’t be as uninhibited as he was at home. Zhou Jinyan suppressed the urge to kiss the top of Chu Xi’s head, settling for tucking a stray hair—ruffled by the wind—behind his ear, revealing a soft, rounded earlobe.

Chu Xi clearly didn’t think there was anything wrong with Zhou Jinyan’s actions. At the moment of separation during the honeymoon phase, he was more clingy than ever.

Before getting in, he hooked his thumb with Zhou Jinyan’s to show his reluctance, then slid into the back seat: “Okay.”

Chu Xi thought for a moment. He had asked Fu Zhaosheng to drop him off, but there was no need for a ride back; it wasn’t like he was going home to stay with his parents anyway.

The “Goddess” (his mom) wasn’t home, so staying in an empty house by himself wasn’t nearly as good as going back with Zhou Jinyan.

Chu Xi curled his fingertips and tugged at Zhou Jinyan’s sleeve through the gap in the car door. Zhou Jinyan looked down, about to ask what was wrong, when Chu Xi whispered an address to him.

Hearing the address, Zhou Jinyan’s heart tightened. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. A second later, he suddenly remembered—wasn’t this the address Chu Xi had used a month ago when he invited him to the film festival?

Chu Xi had invited him then, but at the time, he was still playing it cool, clinging to their “pure” childhood friendship and delaying his response.

Thus, his past indecisiveness had dug a massive hole for him now.

Zhou Jinyan glanced at Fu Zhaosheng, who had missed the chance to open the door for Chu Xi. Could it be that my hesitation back then gave this guy the opportunity to use this event as a pretext to repair his relationship with Chu Xi?

Violent and restless emotions brewed in the depths of Zhou Jinyan’s heart. A mix of regret and irritation occupied his mind.

What on earth was I being so “noble” about back then?

I really can’t even play the “third party” role right.

The feeling of personally handing his lover over to someone else made a surge of heat rise in his chest. He wished he could travel back in time and firmly tell Chu Xi that he was willing to go.

Regret nearly swallowed him whole, but Chu Xi’s next words acted like a spring breeze, smoothing over the jagged thoughts in his heart.

Chu Xi gave his sleeve a little tug: “It should end around 10:00 PM. Brother, come pick me up then, okay?”

The uneasy thoughts seemed to be shaken away by this gesture. Zhou Jinyan’s turbulent heart gradually steadied: “Mm.”

He squeezed Chu Xi’s hand, his voice soft and tender: “Then Baby, I’ll see you tonight.”

Zhou Jinyan helped close the car door. Fu Zhaosheng watched the display of undying affection with great interest, suddenly feeling it was a pity Chu Xi hadn’t followed in Ms. Meng’s footsteps.

With that face, that body, and those eyes, he was perfect for idol dramas. However, his co-star would have to be this boyfriend of his; otherwise, with Chu Xi’s “staring” style of acting, he’d never be able to pull off this kind of vibe.

Fu Zhaosheng raised an eyebrow: “Done talking?”

Zhou Jinyan nodded slightly, his voice cold: “Sorry for the trouble.”

Just stick to being a driver. Given the current leaning of Chu Xi’s heart, a driver was all he could be.

Fu Zhaosheng found it hilarious. He knew he was being mistaken for a love rival by the man in front of him.

But so what? A tiny, airy chuckle escaped Fu Zhaosheng’s lips. He had no intention of clarifying; why spoil the fun when there was a show to watch?

He didn’t even mind adding a bit of fuel to the fire: “Don’t worry.”

Fu Zhaosheng deliberately chose words Zhou Jinyan wouldn’t want to hear: “I’ll take good care of Xiao Xi.”

He even placed special emphasis on the name “Xiao Xi,” making it clear it was intentional.

Zhou Jinyan’s face turned completely icy.

Without waiting for a reply, Fu Zhaosheng opened the door, got in, buckled up, and started the engine in one smooth motion, leaving Zhou Jinyan in a cloud of exhaust.

After driving for a distance, Fu Zhaosheng saw through the rearview mirror that Zhou Jinyan was still standing there, watching them leave with a gaze that was visibly cold.

Fu Zhaosheng turned on the car radio. The upbeat tune reflected his good mood. He looked at Chu Xi in the back seat through the mirror and asked tentatively: “You and your boyfriend have a good relationship?”

“Why are you asking that?” Hearing this, Chu Xi shifted his gaze to Fu Zhaosheng. Remembering his brother’s personality, his voice became cold and grumpy again: “Don’t you dare tattle to my mom. I’ll tell her myself.”

Otherwise, there’d be no surprise. He planned to use this topic as an opportunity to bring Zhou Jinyan to meet his parents!

Fu Zhaosheng felt helpless. He had no intention of tattling, but since Chu Xi was so defensive, he instantly lost the urge to tell him, Your boyfriend seems to think I’m a rival.

As the saying goes: meddling too much in other people’s relationships leads to no good end.

So, he’d just let the couple be.

“Why would I?” Fu Zhaosheng stepped on the brake for a red light. “Can’t I show some concern for your love life?”

“No!” Chu Xi snapped. Who would want the brother they grew up with to “care” about their relationship history—especially since the person he brought home was definitely not a “bad boy.”

Fu Zhaosheng humored him: “Alright, alright, alright.”

The two fell silent. The light turned green, and Fu Zhaosheng dropped Chu Xi off at Ms. Meng’s studio. As soon as they arrived, he was whisked away by the makeup and hair stylists for a whole morning of prep.

The tailored suit nipped in at the waist, highlighting Chu Xi’s incredibly slim silhouette. Chu Xi took a few photos in the mirror and sent them all to Zhou Jinyan.

Baby: Does it look good? Does it look good? Mirror selfie

Baby: Expectant

The phone vibrated several times in a row. Zhou Jinyan rubbed his tired brow and took off the glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

Unlocking the phone and seeing the messages from Chu Xi, the tension in Zhou Jinyan’s brow relaxed. He clicked on the photo. The young man in the picture had curving eyes, and the lighting cast a soft glow on his cheeks, making him look like a little prince surrounded by stars. His jet-black hair was soft, and his fair skin was touched with a slight flush.

The well cut fabric perfectly outlined his waist and long legs, making the youth in the photo look slender, elegant, and breathtakingly exquisite.

Zhou Jinyan’s gaze fell heavily on the screen, his eyes so deep their emotion was unreadable. The custom suit fit Chu Xi’s figure perfectly, tracing a distinct waistline. Zhou Jinyan’s eyes flickered.

At this moment, only one crystal-clear thought remained in his mind:

I really want to grab his waist and kiss him.

But night had not yet fallen.

Zhou Jinyan saved the photo and silently set it as his phone wallpaper.

After completing this series of actions, he returned to the WeChat chat with Chu Xi and replied: “Beautiful.”

Chu Xi was instantly happy when he saw the reply. He was looking through Ms. Meng’s jewelry box and picked up a Cupid’s Arrow earring to play with.

Chu Xi asked on purpose: “How beautiful?”

Chu Xi acted spoiled and sent Zhou Jinyan a “trick” question: “Brother, do you think I look better normally, or like this?”

Typing was too much trouble, so Chu Xi made a voice call. Once Zhou Jinyan answered, he wheedled: “Tell me~”

Zhou Jinyan was naturally adept at these kinds of tricky questions: “As long as it’s Baby, it’s beautiful.”

Zhou Jinyan found that Chu Xi really loved hearing sweet nothings. He said with a hint of amusement: “No matter what Baby looks like, I like it.”

Chu Xi: !!!

Chu Xi’s earlobes turned red. He was truly coaxed into a good mood by Zhou Jinyan: “Fine, I’ll count that as a pass.”

“I really want it to be night soon.” Chu Xi was afraid of messing up his hair and styling, so even though he wanted to lie down, he didn’t dare. He could only sit up perfectly straight. Furthermore, this look really emphasized his waist, so he didn’t dare eat anything for fear of looking bad on camera.

He was Ms. Meng’s son, after all! A “second-generation star”! He would be photographed by unscrupulous media, and if he didn’t look good, it would be his mother’s reputation on the line.

So, Chu Xi decided he would eat after the film festival banquet. He rattled off a list of dishes and told Zhou Jinyan to remember to buy them.

Chu Xi said clingily: “Thank you, Brother.”

Zhou Jinyan’s eyes shifted: “Okay.”

“Zhou Jinyan,” Chu Xi leaned his chin on the table, his long lashes casting a faint shadow under his eyes. “I really want night to come immediately.”

That way, I can see you sooner.