Why Does First Love Feel This Sweet? - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Sheng Yi spent a night that felt like a fragmented dream.

The next morning, when he regained consciousness in the large hotel bed, his arm instinctively reached out to the side, only to be met with an empty, cold space. The movement caused a sharp, cutting pain to flare from his lower back through his body.

Rong Yu was nowhere to be seen.

“Rong Yu?” Sheng Yi grunted, enduring the ache as he searched the suite. Finding no one, he called Rong Yu, but the call was immediately hung up.

He just leaves after doing it? Sheng Yi thought, half-angry and half-amused.

Just as he was about to call again, the door beeped open. Rong Yu entered, still in yesterday’s clothes, carrying a shopping bag. Seeing Sheng Yi standing bare-legged in a bathrobe, Rong Yu frowned. “Put some clothes on. It’s cold.”

“Where did you go?” Sheng Yi asked, his voice rasping and hoarse.

Rong Yu didn’t answer directly. He rolled up his sleeves and gestured toward the sofa. “Lie down.”

Sheng Yi’s face flushed as he remembered the “lessons” from Teacher Xiao Yu the night before. “Maybe next time… let me recover first.”

“What are you thinking?” Rong Yu pulled out a tube of anti-inflammatory ointment. “Come here. I’m applying medicine.”

Sheng Yi’s blush deepened. He lay down, and Rong Yu applied the cream with a gentleness that stood in stark contrast to his intensity the night before. Despite the stinging pain, Sheng Yi felt a wave of warmth. Looking at Rong Yu’s focused expression, he felt that if it was for Rong Yu, the pain was worth it. He reached out and hugged Rong Yu as he helped him dress. “Xiao Yu, are you happy?”

Rong Yu went still. After a long silence, he returned the hug tightly. “Mm.”

…

The Missing Card

After Christmas, the countdown to the B-University entrance exams began. Rong Yu became increasingly busy, often returning home after midnight. Since that night, Sheng Yi found he couldn’t sleep without Rong Yu’s presence. He would wait up with Ares the puppy, counting the minutes.

But something was wrong. Rong Yu hadn’t touched him since that night. He acted as if it were an alcohol-fueled accident, gently pushing Sheng Yi’s hands away when he tried to be affectionate in bed.

On New Year’s Eve, Sheng Yi waited all day. When Rong Yu finally walked through the door, Sheng Yi pounced on him, checking his pockets for a card. Finding them empty, his smile faded.

“Don’t tell me you forgot,” Sheng Yi muttered. “Forgot what?” Rong Yu asked.

Fuming, Sheng Yi retreated to the study with Ares and slammed the door. Since they were kids, they had a tradition: every New Year, they wrote cards to each other—a summary of everything they wanted to say that year. Sheng Yi, despite his memory loss, remembered. How could Rong Yu forget after just three years apart?

In a fit of pique, he left the house, telling Rong Yu he was meeting Cheng Wenge. Rong Yu didn’t stop him, only saying, “Don’t drink. I’ll pick you up when you’re done.”

…

The Bet

At a quiet bar, Cheng Wenge watched Sheng Yi sip tomato juice. “Did you fight with Rong Yu?”

“No. You ever seen him fight with anyone?” Sheng Yi grumbled. Dealing with someone so perpetually calm was infuriating.

Cheng Wenge smirked. “So, when are you going to eat that tube of toothpaste? I’m waiting to record it.” (Referring to their previous bet that if Rong Yu liked Sheng Yi, Sheng Yi would eat toothpaste).

Sheng Yi sighed. “I’m a man of my word.”

“Forget the toothpaste for now,” Cheng Wenge said, leaning in. “Let’s bet again. Do you love Rong Yu yet?”

“I… I’m a straight guy,” Sheng Yi stammered. He looked at a girl with long legs passing by. “See? I think she’s pretty.” “Do you want to sleep with her?” Cheng Wenge asked. “No.”

“What if Rong Yu walked past you shirtless?” Sheng Yi felt a sudden rush of heat to his head. He knew he’d be instantly attracted.

“I want to love him,” Sheng Yi admitted. “I want to respond to his feelings. But right now, it’s just comfort and familiarity.”

“I bet you’ll realize you’re in love within two months,” Cheng Wenge predicted. “If I’m wrong, I’ll buy you a Lamborghini.”

…

The 15th Year

Sheng Yi couldn’t bear to let Rong Yu spend New Year’s alone. He rushed home at 11:50 PM. The house was dark, but he saw a figure sitting on the sofa in the moonlight. Rong Yu was holding a white card.

“Why are you sitting here?” Sheng Yi asked, breathless. “Waiting for you,” Rong Yu said softly. He had been waiting for four hours.

Sheng Yi felt a pang of guilt. He ran to the study, fished his own card out of the sofa cushions where he’d hidden it in anger, and ran back.

As the clock struck midnight, he handed it to Rong Yu. “Happy New Year. Our 15th year together. Please look after me, classmate Rong Yu.”

Rong Yu pulled him down for a pure, gentle kiss. “Happy New Year, classmate Sheng Yi.”

Sitting together in the silvery moonlight, they opened their cards. This year, the messages were the shortest in fifteen years.

On Sheng Yi’s card to Rong Yu: Thank you On Rong Yu’s card to Sheng Yi: I’m sorry

…

The weight of those six words hangs heavy in the air. Would you like to explore why Rong Yu feels the need to apologize for their fifteen years together, or move forward to the stress of the upcoming university exams?