Chapter 115

Chapter 115

When Jing Xi got home, it wasn’t even nine o'clock yet. He thought the Grand Master would have already returned, but when he opened the door, no one was there. Without a second thought, he sent a message: [Haven’t you come back yet? Want me to pick you up?]

Just as Jing Xi sent his message, Xie Qingfeng had just gotten a cake. He could have taken a ready-made one, but when the staff asked if he wanted to buy one or make it himself, Xie Qingfeng unhesitatingly chose the latter.

The store had just launched a cake-making service, with the head chef assisting and directing on the side. The main appeal was the sense of participation.

Fortunately, Xie Qingfeng was a quick learner. With his recently improved cultivation skills, he found these delicate tasks easy. The final cake turned out quite professional-looking.

However, this meant he was going home later than planned.

Carrying the cake, Xie Qingfeng thought for a moment and replied: [I'm eating out, will be home later.]

Jing Xi sent back a wilted emoji, clutching his heart and kneeling, looking heartbroken. He hadn’t even eaten yet.

But since Xie Qingfeng said so, Jing Xi had no choice but to make do with something quick to eat.

When Xie Qingfeng arrived at the bottom of the apartment building with the cake and gifts, he sent a message to Jing Xi: [I’ll be home in ten minutes.]

Jing Xi quickly replied: [Okay.]

As soon as Xie Qingfeng saw the response, he hid in the nearby staircase and masked his presence. Sure enough, within three minutes, Jing Xi emerged from the elevator and headed outside, obviously planning to meet him.

Xie Qingfeng meticulously counted his steps as he waited for him to leave the building before taking the elevator home. He didn't bother to take off his coat, placing the cake in the fridge and the gift in his room's cabinet, each separately shielded to prevent Jing Xi from detecting the scent of the cake.

After all this, he finally removed his coat and went to the kitchen for a glass of water. Once he finished drinking, he leisurely messaged Jing Xi: [I'm home. Why aren't you here?]

Sure enough, when Jing Xi hurried back and saw him, he looked him up and down: "I went to pick you up. Why didn't I see you?"

Xie Qingfeng replied, "Really? I took a car directly to the parking lot and used the elevator to come up. Why didn't you tell me?"

Jing Xi gazed at him with a mournful look: "Wasn't it supposed to be a surprise?" He then leaned in, sniffing, "What did you eat tonight? You smell nice."

Xie Qingfeng pushed his face away: "I didn't notice any smell. I had a buffet with Liu Wenzheng and others. There were lots of items, including fruit and dessert cakes. Quite delicious. I'll take you there next time."

Jing Xi didn't think much of it, assuming the sweet scent was indeed from the cakes, and nodded without hesitation: "Okay."

Xie Qingfeng yawned, "I'm going to freshen up. I have classes tomorrow. Aren't you getting up early for the office?" Although the school was close to home, whenever he had an early class, Jing Xi insisted on leaving together, dropping him at school before heading to the office, claiming it was too busy since the company was just getting on track, and as the boss, he needed to set an example by arriving early.

Xie Qingfeng understood but didn't point it out, especially since Jing Xi never mentioned going early when he didn't have an early class.

By the time Xie Qingfeng finished freshening up and lay in bed, it was almost eleven. He took out a book and read under the bedside lamp, not feeling much when preparing the gift or baking the cake, but as the final hour approached, he felt oddly nervous.

This emotion was unfamiliar yet not unwelcome to him. Despite staring at the opened book for a long time, he couldn't focus on a single word and decided to let his mind wander, quietly gazing ahead.

A subtle sound caught his ear, which he chose to ignore. Soon after, there was a knock on his room door followed by Jing Xi's voice: "Room service is available. Press '1' for basic service, '2' for more."

A smile crept into Xie Qingfeng's eyes, but his voice remained steady: "3."

Jing Xi peeked in, "Sir, there's no option '3'."

Xie Qingfeng looked up at him: "So, is this service even legal? Or is it just high-pressure sales?"

Jing Xi, dressed casually, leaned against the doorframe striking a pose: "Just tell me, is it a good deal or not?"

With that expression on his face, how could it not be a good deal?

Xie Qingfeng: "Whether it's a good deal or not isn't for you to decide, but for me to determine."

Jing Xi: "So, this client of mine, I want you to take a little disadvantage. Are you willing?"

Xie Qingfeng: "No need for that, but I could use a study companion. Can you do that?"

Jing Xi, thinking quickly to seize the opportunity, replied: "Sure, I'm quite good at reading."

Xie Qingfeng watched the person who swiftly slid under the covers and lay down, hugging his waist in one fluid motion, getting increasingly adept at making moves. He handed over his textbook: "Read then."

Jing Xi, looking at the various technical terms inside, knew he'd stumble over them and ruin his image, so he simply tossed the book accurately onto the table, looked up at Xie Qingfeng, and said: "With such a beautiful night, don't you think it's more fitting to do something else?"

Xie Qingfeng, fully aware of his intentions, asked: "Oh? Like what?"

Jing Xi slowly moved forward, his chin resting on Xie Qingfeng's shoulder, his eyes filled with the latter's reflection, boldly leaning in for a deep kiss on his lips.

Xie Qingfeng: "There's progress. This time you didn't hurt yourself."

Jing Xi's face heated up, but he pretended not to hear and remained composed. He might have been inexperienced before, but now he had learned well and wouldn't make the same mistake.

Seeing Xie Qingfeng's nonresistance, Jing Xi pounced like a hungry wolf, expecting a kick from the other, but surprisingly, there was no resistance – an opportunity not to be missed.

Xie Qingfeng, acknowledging that it was Jing Xi's birthday after midnight, indulged him a bit. But Jing Xi, not satisfied with just a kiss, persisted for almost half an hour until Xie Qingfeng, red-faced, pushed him away.

Unperturbed, Jing Xi climbed back, observing Xie Qingfeng's swollen lips, which lent a rare, attractive flush to his usually cold demeanor, clearly yearning for more.

Sensing trouble, Xie Qingfeng glanced at the time with only five minutes remaining: "It's getting late. Shouldn't you be heading back to sleep?"

Jing Xi feigned sleep, closing his eyes: "I'm already asleep."

Xie Qingfeng: "Ever seen someone who can talk in their sleep?"

Jing Xi: "...Sleeping is sleeping, talking is talking."

Xie Qingfeng, disregarding him: "Alright then, sleep well. I'm off to the bathroom."

Jing Xi, relieved not to be sent away, continued to feign sleep with his eyes closed, but Xie Qingfeng, who said he was going to the restroom, opened the wardrobe instead. Jing Xi dared not open his eyes, fearing being caught and sent back to his room.

Waiting left and right, Xie Qingfeng didn't return. Not only that, but suddenly it went dark. Jing Xi, startled, opened his eyes to find the room's lights off, and peering through the door gap, saw darkness outside as well.

Jing Xi called out, but receiving no response, he quickly got up and walked towards the door, opening it without hesitation. As the room's door opened, a corner of the previously pitch-dark living room suddenly lit up.

The candlelight dimly yet clearly illuminated the space, allowing him to clearly see the person facing him, quietly watching him. As if a clock's hand was gently sweeping by his ear, Xie Qingfeng's voice came through: "Happy birthday."

Jing Xi stood frozen, unable to utter a word for a long time, slowly making his way towards him in a daze.

When he was in the cold palace, naturally no one remembered his birthday. Later, even though he was decreed by the emperor, the old emperor, preoccupied with the favored concubine's affairs, didn't care about his so-called birthday.

After the old emperor passed away and he became the emperor, he was already accustomed to it and had no intention of celebrating this day.

He thought the New Year's money he received last time was the best gift he ever got, not realizing the National Teacher's promise to compensate him would actually come true.

Jing Xi walked forward until he stood in front of Xie Qingfeng, looking at the cake and then at the person close to him. He couldn't help but lower his head, embracing Xie Qingfeng's neck for a kiss.

Unlike his previous impulsiveness, after the initial urgency, there was more tenderness, as if the person in front of him was more fragile than glass, making him extremely careful, fearing that too much strength might shatter everything in front of him, as if it were an illusion.

Xie Qingfeng sat there, looking up, and after a long while gently pinched his neck: "First blow out the candles, make a wish, and then eat the cake."

Jing Xi hummed in agreement, kissed him deeply once more before letting go, and sat opposite him. Looking at the burning candles, he began to make a wish, about to speak out loud, but Xie Qingfeng stopped him: "If you say it out loud, it won't come true."

Jing Xi immediately closed his mouth, silently making his wish in his heart, thinking it's better to believe in its possibility.

After blowing out the candles, knowing that Xie Qingfeng had made the cake himself, Jing Xi ate every bite, unstoppable even by Xie Qingfeng's attempts to do so.

Xie Qingfeng finally holding his forehead said: "You didn't have to eat it all in one go. Since I made it, you could have savored it over two or three times, experiencing my sentiment once or twice more, right?"

Jing Xi, having just contentedly finished the last bite, heard these words and was puzzled.

He looked down at his empty plate, then at Xie Qingfeng, feeling as if somehow he had been shortchanged.

Xie Qingfeng, watching his reaction, chuckled and presented a prepared gift in front of Jing Xi's almost wilting expression: "A birthday present."

Jing Xi's eyes lit up at the sight of the gift. He had already been pleasantly surprised by the cake Xie Qingfeng personally made, and now his joy was doubled.

He carefully took the gift, and after a moment, looked up with a gleam in his eyes: "May I open it?"

Xie Qingfeng nodded: "It's yours, so you decide when to open it." Despite saying this, he looked subtly anxious, his ears reddening slightly, betraying his worry that Jing Xi might not like this formally given birthday present.

But how could Jing Xi not like it? Even if it were just a box of air, he could still find a way to praise it extravagantly.

Jing Xi carefully unwrapped the outer layer to find three small boxes inside, arranged side by side, forming a rectangle when put together.

This oddly reminded him of the bag of gifts he had once given to Xie Qingfeng.

He opened the first box to find a tie. Eagerly, he took it out to put it on himself. He was about to tie it when he saw Xie Qingfeng watching him. Before he could ask, Xie Qingfeng raised his hand: "Don't even think about asking me to tie it for you this late at night."