After Transmigrating into an ABO World with My Rival - Chapter 35.2

Chen Yanzhi stared for a moment, wanting to tell him, but then he felt that Fu Tingyue looked very cute like this, completely opposite of his usual serious self.

Chen Yanzhi glanced at the cake in front of him, scooped up a dollop of cream with his finger, turned, and smeared it onto Fu Tingyue’s handsome face.

Fu Tingyue froze visibly. Once he realized what had happened, he called out with a face full of helplessness, “Chen Yanzhi.”

 

Looking at Fu Tingyue’s cream-smeared face, a strange sensation suddenly sprouted in Chen Yanzhi’s heart.

 

Damn it, why do I think Fu Tingyue looks so erotic like this?

 

He turned away, feigning composure, and grabbed a tissue to wipe his hand. His voice carried a slight tremor: “You’re supposed to be smeared on your birthday. I got smeared last time, too.”

 

Why is my heart racing so fast? It’s not like we haven’t done this before.

 

Chen Yanzhi gripped the edge of the table so hard his fingertips turned white, yet his breathing only grew more rapid.

 

Because his thoughts were in such disarray, he didn’t notice Fu Tingyue approaching from behind. Fu Tingyue scooped up a handful of cream and smeared it all over Chen Yanzhi’s face.

 

Chen Yanzhi was stunned for a moment by the cold sensation. He turned his wide, dazed eyes toward Fu Tingyue. “What are you doing?”

 

Fu Tingyue looked down at him and threw his own words back with a smile: “You’re supposed to be smeared on your birthday.”

 

Chen Yanzhi’s heart was still pounding. He didn’t dare look at Fu Tingyue and pulled out a tissue to haphazardly wipe his face. “It’s your birthday. Why smear me?”

 

Fu Tingyue let out an ambiguous chuckle, leaving Chen Yanzhi feeling unsure of himself as he obediently helped wipe the man’s face clean.

 

“Go ahead and open the gifts. I’m going to the restroom.”

 

He turned and pushed Fu Tingyue toward the table, so nervous he almost bit his tongue.

 

Fu Tingyue followed him for a couple of steps, feeling uneasy. “Why are you so nervous?”

 

“Urgent business! Don’t worry about me, just open the gifts.”

 

Chen Yanzhi practically ran away, hiding in the bathroom and leaning against the door with his hand over his heart, staring blankly.

 

Why is my heart beating so fast? Could the cake be toxic because it sat out too long?

 

Chen Yanzhi thought delusional thoughts, only calming down slightly after splashing his face with cold water.

 

He looked at himself in the mirror, took a deep breath, and whispered to himself: “Chen Yanzhi, you can’t be a coward. You promised to give him an answer today.”

 

However, he still couldn’t help being nervous. It took a long time of adjusting himself in the bathroom before he finally stepped out.

 

Fu Tingyue hadn’t opened the gifts; everything was neatly arranged exactly as it had been.

 

Chen Yanzhi asked in confusion, “Why didn’t you open them?”

 

Fu Tingyue said, “I wanted to wait for you.”

 

Chen Yanzhi wanted to finish opening them quickly so he could have a few drinks for “liquid courage,” so he didn’t hesitate. He quickly helped Fu Tingyue open all the presents. Fu Tingyue said he loved them all, and Chen Yanzhi said proudly, “How could you not like something I bought?”

 

Fu Tingyue didn’t deny it. It was true; as long as Chen Yanzhi bought it, he loved it regardless of what it was.

 

“Now that the gifts are open, let’s have a drink.” Chen Yanzhi turned to Fu Tingyue. “I haven’t had a drink in a long time; I really want one.”

 

Fu Tingyue nodded with a smile. “I’ll go to the cellar to get some wine. You should shower first so you’re not too tired to wash up if you get drunk.”

 

Though he usually didn’t let Chen Yanzhi drink, Chen Yanzhi was happy today, and Fu Tingyue didn’t want to upset him.

 

Furthermore, he felt like Chen Yanzhi had something to say. If he didn’t drink a little, he probably wouldn’t be able to find the courage to speak—or perhaps he wouldn’t have the heart to say it.

 

Fu Tingyue had already prepared for the worst. He went to the cellar and chose two bottles of the oldest red wine. One bottle happened to have a scent very similar to his pheromones; Chen Yanzhi would likely enjoy it.

 

After Fu Tingyue left, Chen Yanzhi tidied up the room, but the decorations remained, giving the place a vibe like a wedding night’s bridal chamber.

 

After showering, Chen Yanzhi paced around the room in his bathrobe, trying to calm his over-excited brain.

 

Fu Tingyue returned quickly. He first poured the wine into a decanter to let it breathe, then helped blow-dry Chen Yanzhi’s hair before going to shower himself.

 

Chen Yanzhi sat alone by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the night view of the manor. The scenery was beautiful, and as he gazed out, his nervousness gradually faded, replaced by a sense of calm.

 

When one is frantic, their thoughts are messy. He hadn’t been able to figure out if he truly liked Fu Tingyue; before, it had been blurry, like looking through frosted glass. He could never touch the reality of it. He felt like he should like him, but it always felt somewhat surreal.

 

This led to him being unsure if it was true love, a lack of heart to see Fu Tingyue sad, or a fear of being separated that led him to create a self-suggested illusion.

 

Now that he had calmed down, he thought back to this past month—preparing the surprise for Fu Tingyue, learning to bake a cake and accidentally getting burned, and hiding it all so Fu Tingyue wouldn’t worry.

 

Seeing Fu Tingyue cry made him want to cry too. Chen Yanzhi suddenly understood: he did like Fu Tingyue.

 

If he didn’t like him, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.

 

He had been lazy and casual his whole life; if he could spend money to solve something, he would never spend time on it.

 

Fu Tingyue was indeed his best friend, but in the past, his feelings were only slightly more special than for others like buying him one extra birthday gift, or getting angry if someone spoke ill of him. But he would never have felt sad just because he saw Fu Tingyue cry.

 

Chen Yanzhi rested his chin in his hand, watching the falling snow outside, quietly feeling his heart accelerate because of Fu Tingyue.

 

So, this is what love feels like.

 

It was exciting and a bit nerve-wracking; he felt like he had so many things he wanted to tell the other person, to convey all his feelings.

 

Chen Yanzhi couldn’t help but think about how difficult it must have been for Fu Tingyue, secretly loving him for so long, spending every day together while forced to hide his true thoughts.

 

Chen Yanzhi sighed. Perhaps because his heat was approaching, he couldn’t stop overthinking and feeling a bit melancholy.

 

Fortunately, Fu Tingyue returned after his shower. Chen Yanzhi’s nervousness flared up again, and all his sadness vanished.

 

Fu Tingyue poured a glass of wine and placed it before Chen Yanzhi. “Zhizhi, you can drink now.”

 

Chen Yanzhi kept his eyes down, not looking at Fu Tingyue. His slender fingers held the glass, his wrist gently swirling it. He proactively clinked his glass against Fu Tingyue’s. “Happy Birthday.”

 

Fu Tingyue’s tone was tender: “Thank you.”

 

Neither spoke as they quietly drank and enjoyed the night view. It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and people were setting off fireworks in the city. Though it was too far to hear the sound, the visuals were beautiful.

 

Chen Yanzhi’s alcohol tolerance was as poor as ever. Two glasses of wine were enough to make his head spin. The night view outside seemed to be covered by a thin veil, making it indistinct.

 

When the first bottle was finished, Fu Tingyue poured Chen Yanzhi a glass from the other bottle. He lifted it to his nose, sniffed it, and looked at Fu Tingyue with delight. “This wine smells just like your pheromones.”

 

Fu Tingyue saw the flush creeping onto Chen Yanzhi’s cheeks and knew he was starting to get drunk, but he still encouraged him: “Mm, it’s quite similar. Taste it and see if you like it.”

 

Chen Yanzhi sniffed it and took a small sip. The intense flavor of rose and grape exploded in his mouth. He couldn’t resist taking another sip.

 

He set the glass down and said jokingly, “It’s a bit strange. It feels like I’m drinking your pheromones.”

 

The statement was far too ambiguous; he had technically “drunk” Fu Tingyue’s pheromones before—while kissing.

 

An awkward yet slightly erotic atmosphere filled the air. Chen Yanzhi silently finished the wine in his glass. Fu Tingyue refilled it, and both remained silent.

 

Fu Tingyue was waiting for Chen Yanzhi to speak, while Chen Yanzhi felt he wasn’t drunk enough to speak yet.

 

Thus, they finished the other bottle of wine as well. Chen Yanzhi drank most of it himself. He was completely wasted now, leaning back against the armchair with his gaze fixed vacantly on the blurry lights above. His bathrobe was slightly open due to his posture, revealing his pale legs and collarbone.

 

Fu Tingyue rested his chin on his hand and admired the view for a while. Seeing that Chen Yanzhi hadn’t noticed, he spoke up: “Drunk?”

 

Chen Yanzhi reached out into the air twice, his voice thick and slurred, “Don’t know. Dizzy.”

 

“You can say it now.” As Fu Tingyue spoke, the hand resting on his knee clenched into a tight fist, yet his tone remained gentle. “You can say anything. I won’t get angry, and I won’t leave you. If you want, we can be best friends for the rest of our lives.”

 

Even though he was trying his best to appear calm, if one listened closely, the nervousness was still detectable.

 

Unfortunately, the drunk Chen Yanzhi couldn’t notice such details. His mind was filled with Fu Tingyue’s phrase “be best friends for the rest of our lives.”

 

He struggled to sit up from the sofa and waved Fu Tingyue over with a wobbly hand.

 

With a doting look, Fu Tingyue stood up and walked to his side.

 

Chen Yanzhi shifted his bottom to the side, patting the empty space beside him to signal him to sit.

 

After Fu Tingyue sat down, Chen Yanzhi didn’t speak; he just looked at him with a silly grin.

 

Fu Tingyue watched him tenderly. “Go ahead.”

 

Chen Yanzhi waved him over again: “A little closer.”

 

Fu Tingyue leaned in, his head slightly lowered.

 

Chen Yanzhi leaned into Fu Tingyue’s ear and whispered, “Do you like me?”

 

“I do.” Fu Tingyue didn’t hesitate for a second.

 

Chen Yanzhi asked again, “Will you like someone else in the future?”

 

Though he didn’t know why Chen Yanzhi was asking this, Fu Tingyue still answered bluntly: “No. I will only ever like you.”

 

Chen Yanzhi’s next question followed no logic: “Then… then who are you going to marry in the future?”

 

Fu Tingyue said, “I’m not getting married.”

 

Chen Yanzhi frowned and hooked his arms around Fu Tingyue’s neck. “Is it not even okay to marry me?”

 

Fu Tingyue’s fingers suddenly tightened as he restrained himself. “You’re drunk.”

 

“I got drunk on purpose!” Chen Yanzhi cupped Fu Tingyue’s face to force him to look at him, emphasizing drunkenly, “I got drunk on purpose, otherwise I couldn’t say it.”

 

Fu Tingyue cupped Chen Yanzhi’s face to prevent him from falling over, his gaze tender. “Alright. Tell me now, I’m listening.”

 

Chen Yanzhi took a few deep breaths, his watery eyes fixed on Fu Tingyue. His moist, full lips parted and closed: “I like you, you know.”

 

Fu Tingyue’s breath hitched. For a moment, he thought he had drunk too much and was hallucinating, but he had clearly only had two glasses.

 

Chen Yanzhi let out a couple of silly laughs, tilted his head, and kissed the corner of Fu Tingyue’s mouth with a drunken expression. “I like you, Fu Tingyue.”

 

Fu Tingyue stared at him blankly, unable to believe his ears.

 

As if feeling the fire wasn’t bright enough, Chen Yanzhi whispered against Fu Tingyue’s lips to himself, “The cream smeared on your face looks so erotic, I even got turned on.”

 

The moment the words left his mouth, Fu Tingyue’s bracelet began flashing a red light. A massive amount of pheromones spilled out uncontrollably, surging toward Chen Yanzhi.

 

Chen Yanzhi frowned uncomfortably. “Mmh… what’s wrong?”

 

Fu Tingyue shivered as he dialed his bracelet to the highest setting, but the pheromones remained intense. He let Chen Yanzhi lean back against the sofa, stood up, and staggered back a step, his voice thick with heavy restraint: “My rut, it came early.”