Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: “Let Me Rub It for You.”

Chen Kongqing’s punch landed squarely on Xu Jingmo’s chest.

He hadn’t actually used much force. But it was a good thing he hadn’t… because the man was incredibly solid. He felt like a sheet of iron; just hitting him made Chen Kongqing’s own fist ache.

He instinctively withdrew his hand and gave it a little shake. He kept the movement small, hoping it wouldn’t be noticed. After all, he was the one who initiated the “attack”; if the other guy didn’t feel a thing while he was the one grimacing and shaking his fist, it would be quite embarrassing.

“Does it hurt?”

Unfortunately, no matter how small the movement, it was clearly visible to Xu Jingmo. One of his hands was still supporting the rabbit’s waist, while the other reached out to catch that fist.

It was only now that Chen Kongqing realized with surprise that Xu Jingmo’s palm was large enough to almost entirely envelop his fist. Xu Jingmo gently rubbed the back of his hand, specifically over the protruding knuckles.

“Next time you want to hit me, you can just tell me. I’ll do it myself so you don’t hurt yourself.”

“…” Chen Kongqing had no words for that.

The fist was held firmly in the warm, large palm, as if the warmth were melting his hand into a pool of soft spring water. The angry rabbit found his fire completely extinguished by this move. His earlobes steamed: “L-let go.”

“I’ll rub it for you.” The man used his thumb to gently massage the joints.

Chen Kongqing’s skin was thin everywhere, including his hands. Even his knuckles were a natural pale pink, which turned a deep crimson under the friction of the massage. Chen Kongqing felt a hot, itchy sensation on his hand, which quickly spread to his face and neck.

“Meow!” Black Cat Sheriff, who had been curled up by the bed, suddenly woke up. He jumped down and charged toward them, letting out a sharp cry at Xu Jingmo.

It was short and piercing, like a feline warning: Human, unhand my rabbit!

The one who was startled wasn’t the human, but the rabbit. Chen Kongqing snatched his hand back instantly, feeling like a middle schooler caught dating by his parents. He wasn’t a middle schooler, and the cat wasn’t human, but the feeling was undeniable.

“You should go. I’m going to sleep.” Chen Kongqing crouched down to scoop up the huffy kitten, soothingly rubbing its round head.

The kitten wasn’t appeased at all, continuing to glare at Xu Jingmo. “Meow!”

“Alright.” To Chen Kongqing’s surprise, Xu Jingmo agreed quite obediently.

…

Chen Kongqing, holding the cat, prepared to see Xu Jingmo out. Man, rabbit, and cat walked to the door. Xu Jingmo bent down to change his shoes.

“Message me when you get home,” Chen Kongqing said, his eyes darting around. He didn’t dare meet Xu Jingmo’s gaze.

But he couldn’t avoid it. As soon as the man finished with his shoes, he leaned in. In his line of sight, the rabbit’s face was dusted with pink, while the black cat in his arms was staring him down with round, fierce eyes.

Xu Jingmo smirked. Instead of turning to open the door, he took a step forward. Chen Kongqing’s heart skipped; based on previous experience, he could guess what was coming.

“Can’t I have a kiss before I go?” Xu Jingmo whispered, putting on that cautious, “vulnerable” look again. “Aren’t we… considered to be dating now?”

“…” Chen Kongqing bit his lip, his ears burning. “Who says you have to kiss before leaving just because you’re dating… besides…”

Xu Jingmo: “Besides what?”

“Besides, we’ve already kissed a lot…” Chen Kongqing mumbled. They had just gotten together, and they had already shared multiple deep kisses. That was lightning speed.

“But what if I feel like it’s never enough?” Xu Jingmo laughed, the curve of his lips reaching high.

“There’s nothing to be done then. You’ve reached your quota for today.” Chen Kongqing still refused to look at him, fearing that one glance into those phoenix eyes would lead him right by the nose.

Xu Jingmo accepted this “pitifully” and stepped back to the door, reaching behind him to open the old security gate.

Click.

Chen Kongqing, holding the uncharacteristically quiet cat, followed him out. “Be careful on the road.”

Xu Jingmo didn’t turn to leave. Instead, he leaned forward again—but only to rub the black cat’s head. The cat shook its head away in annoyance. “Meow meow meow!”

“I really envy him,” Xu Jingmo said, his hand chasing after the black head.

Chen Kongqing: “Envy him?”

He always felt like he owed the cat. The cat had to live in this small space with him; he was always busy with school and labs, and he hadn’t bought new toys in ages. Sometimes on weekends when he overslept, the cat even went hungry with him.

“He gets to sleep with you. Of course he’s worth envying,” Xu Jingmo said, giving the cat’s head a final pat.

Chen Kongqing’s face grew even hotter. He really shouldn’t take Xu Jingmo’s words so literally. In those few seconds where he relaxed his guard, the hand on the cat’s head suddenly dropped to wrap naturally around his slender waist.

Those lips pressed against his again. Perhaps out of a sudden surge of conscience, the kiss was very light—just a brief, tender press against his lips. There was no lust, just a sweet, intimate contact.

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds at most.

But those three seconds were enough to make the world turn upside down. Xu Jingmo broke the kiss, his palm lingering on the rabbit’s lower back for a few more rubs before reluctantly withdrawing.

“I’m going now, Liebling.”

The rabbit was left in a daze. It wasn’t until Xu Jingmo had ducked out through the security door that he snapped back to reality. Xu Jingmo had kissed him again! He let him get away with it!

The black cat flicked its tail as if shaking its head in disappointment for him. And… what did that German word mean? It sounded like German.

…

After “releasing” the cat, Chen Kongqing stood before the large bathroom mirror. Cold water splashed into the sink, but he was staring at his reflection. His lips were so red, and a bit swollen. He carefully touched them with a damp hand. He couldn’t describe the feeling—a bit numb, a bit surreal.

Is this what kissing feels like? Is this what dating feels like?

It was completely different from his previous relationship. He felt like he was in a pink ocean, about to be submerged by rising pink bubbles. He took a quick shower to try and cool down, but when he came out and saw the messages, he realized the shower had been in vain.

Lnk: 【I’m home.】 Lnk: 【Baby.】

What? Why “baby” already?

Chen Kongqing stared at the screen. He buried his head in his duvet, took several deep breaths, and then looked back at the phone as it vibrated again.

Lnk: 【Asleep?】

He tried to stay calm and typed: 【No.】 Lnk: 【I miss you.】

Wow, Xu Jingmo is really good at this. Chen Kongqing rested his chin on his forearm. He actually wanted to say something back, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He typed out a line and deleted it, several times over.

Finally, he just sent: 【Okay.】

Okay what? Even he thought it was weird. So he added: 【I have an early class tomorrow, I’m going to sleep now.】 He wanted to ask about the German word, but he couldn’t find the courage.

Lnk: 【Go to sleep then.】 Lnk: 【Goodnight, baby.】

That “baby” was too much. Every time he saw those characters, his heart felt numb.

Azurite: 【Can you not call me baby?】 Lnk: 【What should I call you then?】 Lnk: 【Qingqing?】

Xu Jingmo held his phone, his smile widening. Actually, he really wanted to call him Xiaoman. But Xiaoman didn’t remember him. He didn’t know if Xiaoman even wanted to remember. Would he hate him for leaving back then? More importantly, he knew the rabbit had amnesia; a sudden shock could worsen his condition.

A new message popped up. Xiaoman [Carrot emoji]: 【That’s weird, it sounds like a little green snake (Qing She).】 Xiaoman [Carrot emoji]: 【I’ll think about it.】 Xiaoman [Carrot emoji]: 【I’m really going to sleep now, goodnight.】

Xu Jingmo looked at the message and whispered, “Goodnight, Xiaoman.”

…

The next morning, Chen Kongqing headed to school early. His schedule was packed, and he needed to catch up on lab work. Suddenly, he was notified of a last-minute club meeting at noon. By the time he was done, he only had time for a quick snack for lunch.

Xu Jingmo had messaged him, but the man was also busy, so their replies were out of sync. By the time his last class ended, Chen Kongqing felt drained. Walking out of the building felt like seeing the sun for the first time in ages.

Right at the exit, he ran into Zhang Cheng: “Kongqing.”

“Captain Zhang, what are you doing here?” Chen Kongqing adjusted his backpack, looking surprised.

“I have a class in the South Building too. What a coincidence. Want to grab dinner? A new Suzhou-style noodle place opened in Cafeteria No. 1.” Zhang Cheng naturally fell into step with him.

“Okay. I’ll grab a bite before heading to the lab.” Chen Kongqing’s stomach was hurting slightly—probably because it had been empty for too long—so he accepted.

Zhang Cheng laughed. “Great!”

As they walked down the stone steps, Chen Kongqing reached for his phone. Why hadn’t Xu Jingmo sent any new messages?

Seeing him juggling his phone, a water bottle, and a backpack, Zhang Cheng offered, “Let me carry your bag for you.”

They were almost at the bottom of the steps. Chen Kongqing was staring at his phone, distracted, until he felt a tug on his backpack strap. He was about to refuse when a familiar voice drifted over from nowhere.

The voice was low, carrying a hint of “dampness” (melancholy/jealousy): “Let me do it.”