The Husband From the Original Pairing is Now Divorced - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Promised — We’re Together

“Don’t cry. I didn’t say all that just to make you shed tears.”

Zhou Zifei sighed softly, drawing Sheng Jia into his arms while bowing his head to wipe away the tears.

As soon as the corners of his eyes were brushed by those warm, dry fingers, more tears welled up. Held between Zhou Zifei’s chest and arms, Sheng Jia became like a lake in the rainy season; all his overflowing sorrow was caught by the solid earth.

“Then… then why did you have to say all those things?”

Sheng Jia buried his head in Zhou Zifei’s chest, refusing to let him wipe any more tears. He asked the question in a muffled, shaky voice, his tone trembling and pitifully endearing.

Zhou Zifei rested his chin on the soft crown of Sheng Jia’s head. His palm slid from Sheng Jia’s shoulder to his back, patting him gently, rhythmically, as if soothing a small child.

“I don’t want you to be sad. I want you to know that you are wonderful and that you deserve the best life possible.”

Hearing this, Sheng Jia looked up. His eyes were misty with tears, like bright black jewels, and his wet lashes were clumped together.

Being watched with such complex emotion by a pair of eyes like those, Zhou Zifei instinctively held his breath. His hand stopped patting Sheng Jia’s back.

The person before him was wearing his sweater, draped in his coat, with hair scattered loosely over his shoulders—carrying his scent everywhere.

As they embraced, Zhou Zifei could feel Sheng Jia’s chest rising and falling with his breath, and that faint heartbeat pressed close against his own chest.

At this moment, Sheng Jia was tilting his head back, watching him quietly. From this downward angle, those red lips were slightly parted.

Zhou Zifei suspected he was hallucinating; otherwise, how could he smell such a rich, sweet fragrance drifting from between Sheng Jia’s lips?

After an unknown amount of time, Sheng Jia suddenly leaned forward. He gripped Zhou Zifei’s collar and lifted his upper body closer.

“Zifei, thank you.”

Sheng Jia had said “thank you” countless times before, but this time, the gentle tone was extraordinarily unusual.

A puff of warm breath grazed Zhou Zifei’s ear, and then Sheng Jia released his collar.

Sheng Jia sat up straight, a faint smile on his tear-stained face as he looked at Zhou Zifei, his hands still resting on the other man’s shoulders.

If “telepathy” truly existed in this world—

Zhou Zifei believed that in those few seconds of eye contact following that sentence, Sheng Jia was definitely waiting for his kiss.

Thus, Zhou Zifei wrapped his arm around Sheng Jia’s lower back and slowly leaned down.

The kiss this morning had been half-coaxing and half-pleading. This kiss, however, was born of uncontrollable passion—or rather… mutual love.

This realization made Zhou Zifei’s brow twitch. His movement toward the kiss froze mid-air as he stared at Sheng Jia in disbelief.

His brain was stunned by this sudden joy. The breath he exhaled onto Sheng Jia’s face was scorching, and the palm supporting the back of Sheng Jia’s neck was trembling.

Sheng Jia had already closed his eyes, his face flushed as he peeked out the tip of his tongue, waiting to be taken.

When several seconds passed without a follow-up, he opened his eyes in a mix of shame and confusion.

However, as soon as his gaze met Zhou Zifei’s face, he found the man staring at him blankly, looking uncharacteristically dazed.

“W-What’s wrong?”

Sheng Jia bit his lip uneasily, his gaze drifting elsewhere. For a moment, he felt embarrassed by his own impatient desire to be kissed.

“You… Teacher Sheng, are you…”

Zhou Zifei’s voice was raspy. His hand on Sheng Jia’s waist tightened, desperately anticipating the answer, trying to grasp at a possible hope.

“Am I what?”

Sheng Jia frowned at Zhou Zifei’s strange behavior. He forced down the restlessness in his body and pressed for the rest of the sentence.

Zhou Zifei swallowed hard, his nerves on edge. He moved his hand to the back of Sheng Jia’s neck, his thumb and forefinger staying behind the ears to prevent the person in his arms from turning away from his gaze.

“Sheng Jia, do you like me a little bit now?”

“Are you… willing to accept me? Willing to try being together?”

Zhou Zifei managed to restrain himself during the first sentence, but his tone became visibly earnest and anxious during the second.

Sheng Jia blinked. As expected, he tried to turn his head to hide, but he was immediately caught by the scruff of his neck—like a kitten—by Zhou Zifei.

When that dry, scorching palm squeezed the soft skin, half of Sheng Jia’s body went numb, and his attempt to avoid him weakened.

“Mm…”

Sheng Jia lowered his head, instinctively shrinking his neck, and gave a muffled, non-committal answer.

Zhou Zifei’s chest heaved violently. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out. He partially closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened them again, his eyes were filled with restrained tenderness.

“It’s okay. If you don’t want to say it, don’t. I’ll be just like before…”

“I can wait. I’ll wait until you are willing to open your heart to me. We have plenty of time to get to know each other slowly.”

A treasure like Sheng Jia required more patience and care—to be cherished and coaxed.

Zhou Zifei pulled him back into his embrace, his deep voice whispering “no rush,” both to comfort Sheng Jia and to warn himself.

He was completely oblivious to the way Sheng Jia was secretly tilting his face up in his arms—

Sheng Jia’s lips were curled upward, and his eyes were curved into crescents, as if he were hiding some mischievous thought.

“Are you sure you aren’t in a rush?”

Sheng Jia’s tone was light and playful. He looked up to ask Zhou Zifei, the sunlight dancing in his eyes, making them look exceptionally lively.

Zhou Zifei paused at the question and slowly looked at Sheng Jia.

The small dimple on Sheng Jia’s right cheek was swaying with a sweet smile. In this moment of emotional turmoil, Zhou Zifei failed to catch the subtext.

“I…”

He murmured, his newly calmed heart beginning to accelerate again for no apparent reason.

“I promise you.”

In the end, it was Sheng Jia who couldn’t hold the words back. He propped his hands against Zhou Zifei’s chest and looked up.

First came a faint, fragrant breath, followed by a warm softness pressed against Zhou Zifei’s chin.

“Promise me…?”

Zhou Zifei instinctively repeated Sheng Jia’s words.

Promise what?

He looked down at Sheng Jia.

The person in his arms was smiling brightly with curved eyes. His pale cheeks were tinged with a soft pink, making him look even more delicate.

On Sheng Jia’s face was a pure, shy smile.

The realization finally dawned on Zhou Zifei, and he processed the meaning behind those words.

His skin instantly broke out in tiny goosebumps, and a rush of heat spread from his chin to his entire face.

This was a sensation even more heart-racing than a kiss.

Sheng Jia had kissed him voluntarily.

He had been kissed by Sheng Jia.

Sheng Jia had promised to be with him.

He was going to be with Sheng Jia.

These thoughts tumbled over and over in his mind, making his vision blur. Overwhelmed by a massive wave of emotion, he immediately cupped the face that was trying to retreat.

Because of his hurried movement, the bridge of Zhou Zifei’s nose brushed against Sheng Jia’s cheek, leaving behind a moist, hot breath.

Immediately after, he refused to let go, pulling the person into a tight, crushing embrace and burying his face in the hollow of Sheng Jia’s shoulder.

Sheng Jia also raised his hands to encircle Zhou Zifei’s lean waist. He allowed the man to nuzzle into his neck, his expression turning into one of indulgent tenderness.

After a short while, Sheng Jia heard Zhou Zifei’s muffled voice by his ear.

“Really?”

Sheng Jia’s fingers stroked Zhou Zifei’s hair. It was a bit prickly but felt fuzzy to the touch.

“Really.”

Zhou Zifei tightened his arms as if trying to fold Sheng Jia into his own body, then asked:

“You promised… to be… with me?”

Sheng Jia nodded first, then realizing Zhou Zifei couldn’t see, he quickly let out a definitive “Mm.”

The world was covered in sudden confetti; the sounds of cannons and fireworks seemed to echo from the sky. Zhou Zifei felt like he was about to turn into a balloon and float away.

The room fell into silence.

Just as Sheng Jia was about to say something, he suddenly felt a chill on the side of his neck. A cold, moist liquid flowed downward, rolling deep into his collar.

“Zi… Zifei, what’s wrong?”

Startled, Sheng Jia tried to lift the man’s face to check on him, but Zhou Zifei refused to look up, burying his head even deeper into Sheng Jia’s chest.

This movement nearly knocked Sheng Jia off balance. With an “Ouch,” his body tipped backward unexpectedly. Fortunately, Zhou Zifei’s arm was behind his waist and pulled him back.

“What is this? I promised you, aren’t you happy?”

Sheng Jia leaned against the sofa armrest. He asked gently again, his arms draped over Zhou Zifei’s shoulders. The hot muscles beneath the pajama fabric tensed up instantly under Sheng Jia’s palms.

“How could I not be!”

“I’m happy. I’m incredibly happy—”

Zhou Zifei finally lifted his head. His eyes were red, and tear tracks were visible on his face.

“Then why is this happening?”

Sheng Jia’s fingertips brushed against the corner of Zhou Zifei’s eye. His tone was light and filled with concern.

A lock of hair slipped from behind his ear to his cheek. With his dark hair, snow-white skin, and serene expression, he looked more than ever like a beauty from a traditional ink painting.

The scene was exquisitely beautiful, making Zhou Zifei’s eyes ache again.

“Teacher Sheng, you shouldn’t have promised me so soon.”

“I… I haven’t done enough yet. I’m not good enough.”

Zhou Zifei always felt he owed Sheng Jia too much.

Every time he thought of the pale, cold Sheng Jia in the bathtub that day, his heart would constrict in a terrifying palpitation. He hated himself for not appearing by Sheng Jia’s side sooner and more forcefully.

Even if Sheng Jia had been married to someone else, he should have intervened and taken him away from Yu Xianghang, rather than choosing to be an indecisive bystander.

Before Sheng Jia, he would always feel a sense of guilt.

“How can you think like that?”

Sheng Jia laughed helplessly. His gaze landed on Zhou Zifei’s messy hair, and he naturally reached up to tidy it.

“Didn’t you say you would leave the decision to me? Whether it’s enough or good enough—as long as I give a positive answer, isn’t that all that matters?”

His voice instinctively turned sweet, as if he were talking to a child in his kindergarten, his eyes curving slightly.

“But…”

Zhou Zifei wanted to say more, but Sheng Jia interrupted him.

He extended a finger and poked Zhou Zifei’s forehead, pretending to be angry. “We agreed you would listen to me. Now, I want to be with you. Are you really going to make excuses and reject me?”

Sheng Jia had never spoken such coquettish words to anyone before. As soon as they left his mouth, a blush crawled up his cheeks, and his eyes began to dart away.

“If… if you don’t want to, then I’m leaving. Don’t hold me either…”

Sheng Jia made a move to get up and leave, completely forgetting that this was his own home. Instead, he threw a “leaving” tantrum at Zhou Zifei, the intruder.

“No!”

Zhou Zifei immediately yanked him back into his arms, not daring to indulge in his minor emotions any longer.

He pinned the man down on the sofa, occupying every angle from which Sheng Jia could leave, before speaking hurriedly.

“Don’t go. I want this. I want to be with you. I want to be with you forever.”

“Teacher Sheng, the fact that you promised me… I’m really happy. I’m so happy.”

“I’ll listen to you. I’ll listen to everything. Really. I definitely will. Don’t go—”

Zhou Zifei became incoherent, repeating over and over that he wasn’t unwilling and that he desperately wanted to be with Sheng Jia.

Faced with such a passionate expression of joy at being together, Sheng Jia simply lay beneath Zhou Zifei with a red face, obediently not struggling.

“So now…”

Zhou Zifei’s voice trailed off. He looked at Sheng Jia lying back on the sofa and couldn’t make a sound.

Sheng Jia was gripping the clothes at Zhou Zifei’s waist with both hands. His face was deeply flushed, and his gaze peeked out shyly from beneath his long, half-lowered lashes. His white teeth were faintly visible between his lips.

Like a flower bud about to bloom, he was shyly revealing the moving colors of spring to the one who had stopped to look.

“Now…?”

Sheng Jia asked in a whisper. His tongue and teeth flashed briefly before Zhou Zifei’s eyes.

Gulp.

The sound of swallowing was exceptionally loud in the quiet room. Sheng Jia’s face grew even hotter; he seemed to hear Zhou Zifei’s longing in that tiny sound.

“Now… can your boyfriend continue the action from earlier?”

Zhou Zifei asked in a low, husky voice. His strong arm reached over Sheng Jia’s head as his palm tightened around Sheng Jia’s wrist.

“The one from earlier—Mmh…”

Sheng Jia’s lips were blocked.

Zhou Zifei’s coat slid off Sheng Jia’s body and fell to the floor. The sweater was also pushed aside by its owner due to the rising temperature in the air.

Feeling a palmful of soft, delicate skin, Zhou Zifei’s breathing tightened. True to his word, he continued the “action,” using both his fingers to grasp and his fingertips to knead.

As Sheng Jia’s new boyfriend, Zhou Zifei had only just started his “job” and was already bullying the man thoroughly.

…

Sheng Jia gripped the sofa cushion with one hand, his nails nearly tearing the velvet covering. His other hand grabbed Zhou Zifei’s shoulder, his fingertips sinking into the skin and pinching the muscle there.

“Baby, stop pinching. If you keep doing that, I won’t be able to stop myself from… you.”

Zhou Zifei finally spoke up to try and stop Sheng Jia’s movements, though a certain crude verb was mumbled through his gritted teeth.

The sounds in his ear—half-sobbing, half-moaning—and the hand pinching his shoulder made Zhou Zifei’s thoughts slide uncontrollably toward a certain intimate, “inharmonious” exercise. His already small pajama pants were tightening, making him even more uncomfortable.

Sheng Jia didn’t know what was happening to him. The word Zhou Zifei breathed out with hot air made him both panicked and afraid, yet he couldn’t stop the tingling sensation at the base of his spine that made his whole body shudder.

The reaction of the person in his arms made Zhou Zifei instantly feel regretful.

He thought his words and reaction had triggered some bad memories for Sheng Jia. He quickly supported Sheng Jia’s softening waist with his palm and guided him toward the armrest, creating space between their pressed legs.

“I’m sorry, Baby…”

“Don’t be afraid. I was just talking nonsense. I won’t do that…”

“You are the most precious princess. I won’t hurt you…”

Zhou Zifei’s comforting kisses fell one after another on Sheng Jia’s cheek. His gentle, magnetic voice made Sheng Jia dazed again. Thinking the man wanted to coax him into a kiss like before, he voluntarily opened his mouth.

“You can… you can kiss me…”

The warm, moist sensation on his face paused—

The next second, Sheng Jia was fiercely robbed of all breath and sound.

Outside, the sun rose higher and higher. Sunlight poured through the window into the living room, illuminating half of the sofa.

Sheng Jia’s flushed face was exposed in the bright light. His head was pillowed on the sofa armrest, and patches of light danced brilliantly across his clean, white forehead.

His eyes were tightly shut. Beneath the thin eyelids, his eyeballs twitched from time to time.

If one only looked at the upper half of his face, Sheng Jia looked as if he were having an unsettled nap because the light was too bright.

But if the gaze traveled to the lower half, one would find that Sheng Jia’s cheeks were slightly puffed out, his mouth filled by the kiss. He was leaving his mouth open, allowing the invasion.

They didn’t know how long they kissed. By now, Sheng Jia’s jaw felt sore from being stretched. The hair by his ears was wet—perhaps from tears drawn out by the kiss, perhaps from something overflowing that he couldn’t swallow in time.

“Hah…”

Taking advantage of a gap to breathe, Sheng Jia turned his head and weakly pushed Zhou Zifei’s shoulder with his palm.

“Can’t… can’t kiss anymore.”

With a shaky breath, Sheng Jia wiped his swollen lips with the back of his hand, leaving a glistening trace on his porcelain skin—Zhou Zifei’s mark on his lips.

Zhou Zifei also lifted his thumb to wipe away the moisture at the corner of Sheng Jia’s mouth. He leaned down and kissed Sheng Jia’s forehead, which felt warm from the sun.

“Okay. No more kissing.”

His voice was still husky and deep, sounding as if he hadn’t had enough but was forcing himself to suppress it.

They sat there for a while, holding each other and restraining their breathing until the surging waves finally settled. Only then did they sit up on the sofa.

“What… what should we do now?”

As he drifted off to sleep in Zhou Zifei’s arms, Sheng Jia managed to ask one last question.

“What does Baby want to do now?”

The word “Baby” rolled off Zhou Zifei’s tongue very smoothly now. He lightly kneaded Sheng Jia’s reddened earlobe with his fingers, receiving a weak glare from Sheng Jia’s watery eyes before pulling his hand away non-chalantly.

“I—”

Before Sheng Jia could finish, Zhou Zifei’s phone rang abruptly.

Zhou Zifei only took one look at the screen before frowning.

“You should take the call. I’ll go to the bedroom.”

“No need. It’s not a call you can’t hear.”

Pulling back the person who was about to leave his embrace, Zhou Zifei held Sheng Jia while answering the phone.

“You didn’t come home all night. Your nephew is crying and saying you went to see Teacher Sheng to speak ill of him. Now he refuses to eat breakfast. Tell me, how should we handle this?”

Sheng Jia could vaguely hear a woman’s voice on the other end.

“Wait a moment.”

Zhou Zifei calmly told the other person to wait, then turned to look at Sheng Jia.

“Could I ask Teacher Sheng for a favor? Come home with me and help me coax Zhou Jiayi?”

The man’s expression held obvious love and adoration, but there was a hidden nervousness in his eyes.

Will you come home with me so I can formally introduce you to my family?

Sheng Jia felt as if he could read those words in Zhou Zifei’s earnest gaze.