Chapter 120 Holding Back

Chapter 120: Bearing With Difficulty

Inspecting fabrics, relaxing fabric, cutting, sending to the sewing workshop...

The Shengfei Factory in Shenzhen was up and running with impressive efficiency.

Jiang Luo was busy with all sorts of tasks and also had to travel to Guangzhou to discuss their Shenzhen collaboration with the textile factory they had long-term collaboration with.

Before noon, Jiang Luo was still in Guangzhou; by supper time, he was already back in Shenzhen.

Returning to the factory, Jiang Luo received calls from Haicheng and Haimen in addition to matters in Shenzhen—there were piles of work.

He was so busy that he found the sling on his arm troublesome, Jiang Luo simply went to a hospital near the industrial park to have his bandages and cast removed.

With the cast off, his left arm was completely free, and Jiang Luo felt much more comfortable.

"Let's go."

Jiang Luo said to Lao Si, who had accompanied him to the hospital.

Lao Si followed him: "Jiang, I have to call Huo Zongzhuo and let him know."

"Don’t hold it against me for telling on you."

Jiang Luo didn’t mind: "Sure, go ahead. Even if you don’t tell him now, he’ll find out when I call him tonight."

To his surprise, at ten o’clock that night, while Jiang Luo was in the factory office going over the fabric list sent from Guangzhou, there were two knocks on the door. The door opened, and Huo Zongzhuo walked in.

Jiang Luo thought it was Wang Chuang. Sitting behind the desk, he kept his head down as he looked at the list in his hand: "Tell the newly hired accountant to—"

He looked up and saw Huo Zongzhuo, surprised: "What brings you here?"

Huo Zongzhuo closed the door and glanced at Jiang Luo’s left arm: "I ought to be asking you why you removed the cast early."

"I’m fine now."

Jiang Luo raised his left arm, "See? Good as new."

He stood up, walked around the desk, and as soon as he got close, he jumped into Huo Zongzhuo's arms like a rabbit. "What are you doing here? I thought you were really busy."

Huo Zongzhuo caught him in a front hug, holding him by the legs as he looked at Jiang Luo: "Are you really acting like a little puppy or kitten?"

Jiang Luo insisted on being held and glared at him: "You used to say I was your own son. What’s wrong with your own son hugging you?"

Wang Chuang chanced to open the door at that moment. He took one look, immediately lowered his head, and backed out, closing the door behind him.

Both Jiang Luo and Huo Zongzhuo saw him.

Huo Zongzhuo kept a straight face, and Jiang Luo pretended not to notice.

Jiang Luo, still in Huo Zongzhuo’s arms with his legs wrapped around Huo Zongzhuo's waist, immediately threw his arms around him: "Dad, I missed you so much."

Huo Zongzhuo chuckled and reminded Jiang Luo: "We’ve only been apart for a few days."

Jiang Luo didn’t care and continued playing cute: "Didn’t you miss me?"

He then patted the man’s back, putting on a tough act: "Say you missed me!"

Huo Zongzhuo laughed: "Alright, I missed you."

He patted Jiang Luo’s back: "Come on down now. It’s not good if someone sees."

Jiang Luo got down, and Huo Zongzhuo asked him: "Working this late? What are you looking at?"

Jiang Luo turned around, walked back to the desk, picked up a few lists, and waved them, showing Huo Zongzhuo: "The fabric list and prices from the textile factory in Guangzhou we’ve been collaborating with. I’m checking them."

...

Huo Zongzhuo stayed with Jiang Luo until past eleven before the two turned off the lights and left the office.

"Let’s take a walk."

Jiang Luo suggested: "I just had dinner at ten. Let’s take a walk to help our food digest."

Two cars left the factory first, followed by Jiang Luo and Huo Zongzhuo, strolling leisurely along the road.

Under the glow of streetlights, Jiang Luo said to Huo Zongzhuo: "Shenzhen's really something else."

"The roads here in the industrial park are incredibly wide, and there are streetlights everywhere."

"There are more streetlights here than in downtown Haicheng, and they’re brighter."

Huo Zongzhuo walked slowly too and asked Jiang Luo: "How are things at the factory?"

The two made small talk as they walked, relaxed.

Jiang Luo really felt that this was really nice.

After a busy, fulfilling day, Huo Zongzhuo had even shown up in the evening. They left the factory together and went for a walk together.

Jiang Luo felt that the night sky above the industrial park looked different from usual, and even the air smelled different.

He was really growing fond of Shenzhen and the industrial park.

Shenzhen was a new starting point for his career.

It was also here that he discovered his feelings for Huo Zongzhuo.

As they walked and talked, Jiang Luo got a sudden impulse and leaped onto Huo Zongzhuo’s back again, asking him to carry him: "Giddy up."

Huo Zongzhuo actually thought it was inappropriate to do this outside—at home was fine. But since Jiang Luo wanted to, and it was late with no one around, he indulged him.

He carried Jiang Luo on his back, their shadows blending together as they walked.

Jiang Luo laughed and chatted on his back, even singing. Huo Zongzhuo carried him as if he were a mischievous kid, or as if he were carrying all the happiness in the world.

Back at the hotel, Huo Zongzhuo of course ended up in Jiang Luo's room.

Jiang Luo, true to form, didn’t wear pajamas and slipped naked under the covers to hold him.

Faced with such intimate gestures, Huo Zongzhuo had no doubts. All along, he had tacitly allowed Jiang Luo’s closeness and dependence.

He thought Jiang Luo’s behavior was the result of his own guidance and indulgence.

He held Jiang Luo too, turned off the light, and said: "Sleep."

Jiang Luo draped his legs over Huo Zongzhuo’s, along with his arm, and mumbled sleepily: "Recite a poem for me, then I’ll sleep."

Huo Zongzhuo thought for a moment: "When will the moon be clear and bright? With wine cup in hand, I ask of the blue sky..."

He'd only gotten to "But why must we part with the full moon and fair skies?" when Jiang Luo's breathing deepened, and he fell asleep.

Huo Zongzhuo lowered his head, gently pressed his lips to Jiang Luo's hair, and whispered softly, "May we live long, and share the moon's beauty though far apart."

The next day, while Huo Zongzhuo was temporarily away, Wang Chuang went into the factory director's office and leaned across the desk, leaning in close with Jiang Luo.

Wang Chuang: "Have you two already reached the stage of hugging each other?"

He had nearly been scared to death when he opened the door and saw it yesterday.

Jiang Luo wore an expression that said, "Don't be so dramatic," and said, "We even sleep hugging each other at night."

Wang Chuang: "..."

Wang Chuang rubbed his face with his hand, unable to bear the sight, and sighed, "Damn, gay guys are really different."

"But..."

Thinking of something, Wang Chuang asked quietly, puzzled, "You like him, you hug him—I get that."

"But why does he let you hug him too?"

Jiang Luo explained: "He sees me as a child, like cuddling a pet. Sometimes I call him 'Dad' in private."

"..."

Wang Chuang rubbed his face again: "Your relationship is pretty complicated."

"Let me figure this out."

Wang Chuang thought for a moment: "You've already reached the point of hugging while talking and sleeping..."

Wang Chuang couldn't understand: "Is Huo Zongzhuo American? Is he really that open?"

"If you tried to sleep with me and hug me, I'd feel weird."

Jiang Luo pondered, stroking his chin: "Right? Under normal circumstances, guys don't usually sleep while hugging, right?"

Jiang Luo’s next sentence nearly made Wang Chuang choke on his breakfast.

Jiang Luo said: "When I hug him, I’m down to my underwear. He’s okay with sleeping like that, but he doesn’t get hard."

"..."

Wang Chuang truly couldn’t look directly, silently covering his eyes with his hand.

Jiang Luo grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand down: "I’m a bit confused too."

"If you say he’s normal, he still lets me hug him while sleeping."

"If you say he’s gay, he doesn’t have any physical reaction to me."

Wang Chuang pushed Jiang Luo’s hand away and wiped his own sweat silently.

As a virgin, he was stuck here discussing all sorts of nonsense.

Wang Chuang suddenly thought of something, blinked, looked at Jiang Luo, and whispered: "Why do you care if he’s hard or not? Did you get hard?"

Jiang Luo: "I held back."

Wang Chuang: "You could hold back? You were already hugging him directly."

Jiang Luo: "Just barely."

He paused, exasperated, and explained: "Dude! Being gay is just an orientation, not being a pervert."

"You think I’d get hard just from a hug?"

"What do you take me for?"

Wang Chuang: "You were sleeping while hugging each other, okay?"

"If you made me hug a girl and sleep with her in my arms..."

The door opened. Jiang Luo immediately sat back, composing his expression into seriousness. Wang Chuang also straightened up instantly, put on a neutral face, and said in a pretending to be casual tone, "Alright then, I’ll get back to work." Turning around and seeing Huo Zongzhuo, he greeted him, "You two talk," and walked out, mentally sweating bullets for himself and Jiang Luo.

After Wang Chuang left and the door closed, Jiang Luo leaned back in his chair behind the desk, looking at Huo Zongzhuo with a normal expression: "I want some tea brewed by you."

This office had also been planned and furnished by Huo Zongzhuo originally, complete with a tea station.

Huo Zongzhuo sat by the tea station, preparing to brew tea for Jiang Luo.

Jiang Luo immediately got up, walked out from behind the desk, went over, plopped down, leaned against Huo Zongzhuo, and continued looking at what he was holding—he didn’t care; he’d stick close whenever he could. Like boiling a frog—that's the way to do it.

Huo Zongzhuo glanced beside him but let Jiang Luo have his way.

That evening, when Jiang Luo lay in Huo Zongzhuo’s arms like a kitten, either unconsciously or playfully, his hand resting on the man’s chest moved occasionally.

Jiang Luo really wasn’t doing it on purpose; while hugging, his hand was idle, moving unconsciously.

Unexpectedly, Huo Zongzhuo grabbed his hand and said calmly, "I don't mind you sleeping close to me, but keep your hands to yourself."

"Huh?"

Jiang Luo looked innocent.

"Oh."

His voice was equally innocent.

Huo Zongzhuo naturally didn’t think Jiang Luo was deliberately teasing him.

Huo Zongzhuo just felt that tonight would be tough.

Not only because Jiang Luo was hugging him again without wearing pajamas, but also because the guy had just showered, carrying a clean scent of soap and water.

Without even lowering his head, the clean fragrance and unique scent of Jiang Luo filled his nostrils, stimulating his senses and nerves.

Under his palm, the exposed skin he touched felt unusually soft and smooth.

Not to mention the other points of physical contact.

Huo Zongzhuo swallowed hard several times, his Adam’s apple bobbing, fighting his instincts.

He did manage to hold back, not letting Jiang Luo notice anything wrong.

Which made Jiang Luo, with his head resting on Huo Zongzhuo’s chest, think to himself: Is boiling the frog not working at all? Is it completely useless? Would he only react if it were a woman in his arms right now?

Okay.

Jiang Luo felt a bit dejected.

Feeling dejected, and wanting to make up for it, he held on even tighter.

As he tightened his embrace, Huo Zongzhuo silently took a deep breath, fighting his instincts harder. Fortunately, no matter how closely Jiang Luo clung to him, he didn’t brush against anything he shouldn’t have.

Later, after listening to a couple of lines of poetry, Jiang Luo quickly fell asleep, and only then did Huo Zongzhuo finally relax.

He waited for Jiang Luo to turn over, adjust his position, and lie on his side. Then, embracing him from behind, Huo Zongzhuo shifted his lower body away.

Huo Zongzhuo sighed again, feeling a little helpless. He didn’t know whether such indulgence and acquiescence were good or bad—he was afraid his instincts might take over and be noticed by Jiang Luo.

Today, he had also been stirred up. He leaned in and kissed Jiang Luo behind the ear.

After the kiss, Huo Zongzhuo thought: Step by step, just like this. No matter what, he would find a way to keep Jiang Luo by his side permanently.