Chapter 41

Chapter 41

The man had stayed, but how they were supposed to get along became a major problem.

Ji Liao still wasn't used to his new role.

Still a little dazed from Wen Qiu's kiss, he muttered, "I'm going to shower," and hurried into the bathroom.

He'd left school in the afternoon, dealt with the property management stuff, and the whole afternoon had slipped by—now it was evening.

Ji Liao finally relaxed, and his stomach growled.

But he still had no idea how to face Wen Qiu.

How did people even date?

He'd never done it before!

After dragging his feet for ages, when he came out of the bathroom, the smell of food hit him.

"Mr. Wen, you made dinner?" He ran to the kitchen, curious.

Wen Qiu, who was setting out chopsticks, glanced at Ji Liao.

He didn't answer. Instead, he said, "Let's start with what you call me."

Ji Liao: "What?"

Wen Qiu walked over, took Ji Liao's hand, led him to the table, and sat down.

"Since we're officially dating now, you shouldn't call me 'Mr.' anymore. It's too formal, and I don't like it." Wen Qiu poured Ji Liao a glass of water, saying exactly what he felt.

That day, the word "like" came up a lot.

Whether Wen Qiu said "like" or "don't like," Ji Liao loved hearing it.

"I understand." Ji Liao couldn't hold back a smile. "Then what should I call you? Qiu-ge?"

Wen Qiu seemed to catch the teasing in Ji Liao's voice, laughed despite himself, and shook his head. "That doesn't sound right."

"Then just Wen Qiu." Ji Liao grew bolder. "I'll call you by your full name."

Wen Qiu's smile widened. "Alright, Ji Liao."

The two settled on what to call each other like a couple of grade-schoolers, then started eating.

Wen Qiu obviously hadn't cooked. He'd had food delivered.

After that little chat, Ji Liao's nerves settled, and he dug in happily.

When he was done, he happily washed the dishes.

Wen Qiu had nothing to do, so he leaned against the counter and watched Ji Liao bustle around.

"I'm not going anywhere tonight," he suddenly said.

"..."

Ji Liao had his back to Wen Qiu, and his ears turned red despite himself.

Nights were always full of temptation.

Since they'd confessed their feelings, what came next was only natural.

And it wasn't like they hadn't done it before.

But damn, he was nervous!

"Fine, don't leave then. Your pajamas are still in the room."

Ji Liao played it cool, but he was practically steaming.

Too embarrassed to turn around, he heard Wen Qiu say, "Going to shower," then footsteps fading, and finally the bathroom door clicked shut.

He quickly washed and dried his hands, then headed back to the bedroom.

Last time hadn't been pleasant.

Wen Qiu had been out of it, and Ji Liao had no idea what he was doing. He'd even ended up with a fever—there was nothing romantic about it.

This time they were both fully conscious, so he had to make up for it.

Ji Liao was usually all about his studies and had zero preparation in that department. He dug through everything but found nothing, so he just ordered some on his phone.

Before the delivery showed up, Wen Qiu came out of the shower.

"Let me blow-dry your hair!" Ji Liao jumped up from the bed.

Wen Qiu was tall, so with him standing, Ji Liao couldn't reach.

So Ji Liao pushed Wen Qiu down onto the sofa and stretched the cord to reach him with the hairdryer.

Wen Qiu's hair was somewhere between soft and coarse—black, shiny, and thick. Ji Liao loved it the second he touched it.

Besides, a person's head was such an intimate spot. Who got to touch it besides a barber?

It was a sign of intimacy too.

The more he thought about it, the happier he got.

Before he knew it, the hair was dry, but he couldn't bring himself to turn off the dryer.

Until Wen Qiu grabbed his hand.

"Any more and I'll be well done," Wen Qiu said.

"Sorry!" Ji Liao shut it off fast.

But as he set the dryer down with his left hand, Wen Qiu was still holding his right.

"Thank you." Wen Qiu said, bringing the back of Ji Liao's hand to his lips and kissing it.

Ji Liao's heart raced, warmth and electricity surging through his body simultaneously.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Ji Liao immediately remembered what he'd ordered.

Wen Qiu let go of his hand, stood up, and made as if to go answer the door.

"I'll get it!" Ji Liao didn't want Wen Qiu to see him, so he rushed to the door.

The delivery guy was in a rush; as soon as Ji Liao opened the door, the courier shoved the bag at Ji Liao, saying, "Hey, your food's here."

Ji Liao caught it on reflex.

The delivery guy immediately let go, turned around, and ran off.

Before Ji Liao could figure out where to hide it, the second he closed the door, his hands were empty.

"Didn't like dinner? Ordering a midnight snack this early?" Wen Qiu said, looking at the bag in his own hands.

He opened it.

The silence was deafening.

Pulling it out of the bag, Wen Qiu raised an eyebrow: "That eager, huh?"

Ji Liao: "..."

Ahhh, I'm dying!

Snatching the bag and the box, Ji Liao bolted into the bedroom.

Slamming the door shut.

Wen Qiu was also new to serious relationships, so he didn't get why Ji Liao was so flustered.

When Ji Liao didn't come out, he went over and knocked.

"Ji Liao," Wen Qiu said.

Ji Liao was still mortified. He heard Wen Qiu call his name and wanted to answer, but he was too embarrassed.

Wen Qiu knocked again. "Ji Liao."

Ji Liao took a deep breath, forcing himself to chill out.

I mean, it wasn't like it was anything to be ashamed of.

Hadn't they done everything they should and shouldn't have?

He yanked the door open. "Don't you dare laugh at me!"

Wen Qiu, who was usually so cold, said softly, "Okay, I won't laugh."

Ji Liao looked up to meet Wen Qiu's eyes.

Wen Qiu said he wouldn't laugh, but his eyes and brows were full of mirth, especially his eyes—behind his glasses, Ji Liao could see his own reflection in those bright, sparkling eyes.

So Ji Liao smiled too.

He really, really liked Wen Qiu.

"Want to pick a movie to watch?" Wen Qiu asked.

"Sure," Ji Liao said. "Something scary."

*

Ji Liao chose a horror movie.

As if to prove something, he watched the whole trilogy in one sitting.

The whole time, he behaved himself, keeping a polite distance from Wen Qiu.

By the time it was over, it was late, and Ji Liao stretched with a big yawn.

"Had enough?" Wen Qiu asked.

"Yeah, time for bed!" Ji Liao said confidently. "Just like before—you get the bed, I'll take the couch. Go on!"

Wen Qiu: "..."

"Go, go!" Ji Liao declared with a self-righteous air, then moved to lie down.

Wen Qiu grabbed him.

"Don't be silly," Wen Qiu said, half amused, half exasperated, pulling Ji Liao up. "Let's just sleep together."

"No," Ji Liao said, suddenly defiant. "I'm not going."

"Heh," Wen Qiu laughed.

"Fine," Wen Qiu said. "Then we'll both sleep on the couch."

A two-seater couch was fine for one person, but definitely a tight squeeze for two.

Especially since Wen Qiu was tall with long legs.

Seeing Wen Qiu was really going to lie down, Ji Liao finally gave in: "Fine, fine, we'll sleep on the bed. It's not like we haven't shared one before."

His voice got quieter, sounding both guilty and shy.

Wen Qiu didn't say anything, just ruffled Ji Liao's hair.

Then the two of them headed back to the bedroom.

Ji Liao kept a regular schedule and never stayed up late. By his internal clock, he should have been sleepy by now.

But with Wen Qiu next to him, his drowsiness disappeared.

Lying in bed, he even felt a little excited.

Ji Liao thought, I'm definitely not going to make the first move.

He curled up under the covers, waiting for Wen Qiu to get in bed and turn off the light.

Then Wen Qiu rolled over and wrapped his arms around him.

"Goodnight," Wen Qiu said, kissing his forehead, then letting go.

Let go...

The bed shifted as Wen Qiu got under his own covers.

Ji Liao: ?

That's it?

Just like that?

*

Really gone.

Ji Liao listened to Wen Qiu's movements and drifted off to sleep before he knew it.

When he opened his eyes again, it was the bell for morning class.

Ji Liao bolted upright.

Wen Qiu had already washed up and was fully dressed.

"Wen Qiu." Ji Liao blinked, slowly regaining his senses.

He and Wen Qiu were a couple now!

They'd shared a bed all night, and nothing had happened!

"Morning." Wen Qiu had already laid out Ji Liao's clothes and urged him in a familiar tone: "Get up, don't you have an early class? You're going to be late."

"...Oh." Having completely not expected this kind of start to a relationship, Ji Liao felt a bit disappointed, but he got up anyway.

There was no time for breakfast. Ji Liao washed up, changed, and the two of them headed out.

Yesterday had been sudden—Wen Qiu's driver had brought him, so he hadn't brought his own car.

So this time, Ji Liao needed to drive Wen Qiu to the office first, then head back to school for class.

Without hesitation, Ji Liao headed to the driver's seat.

Just as he opened the door, Wen Qiu said, "I'll drive."

"What's the worry? It's not like I'm going to crash into him." Ji Liao glanced at the parking space next to them.

That used to be his spot, but now someone else's car was parked there.

Wen Qiu just smiled and said nothing.

Ji Liao didn't argue with Wen Qiu either—if Wen Qiu wanted to drive, fine.

So Wen Qiu drove him to the school first.

"I don't want to go to class."

In the morning, the area around the school was packed with people and cars. Wen Qiu finally found a parking spot, but Ji Liao didn't want to get out of the car.

He was about to be apart from Wen Qiu so soon.

It felt like something was left unfinished, leaving his heart feeling empty.

"You should go to class."

Wen Qiu was especially gentle: "I'll pick you up this afternoon."

"Really?!" Ji Liao perked up immediately.

Wen Qiu couldn't help but smile: "If nothing comes up, I'll pick you up every day, okay?"

"Great, great, that's perfect!"

Ji Liao beamed like spring sunshine, and the empty feeling vanished.

But he still didn't get out of the car. Instead, he squirmed around in his seat.

Wen Qiu actually laughed this time: "What are you doing? You're seriously going to be late."

"If only I were an Omega,"

Ji Liao said shyly, "I'd release my pheromones for you right now."

Wen Qiu understood instantly and immediately cupped the back of Ji Liao's head, kissing him.

Ji Liao started feeling dizzy again.

Only after kissing him senseless did Wen Qiu pull back.

"Don't worry." Wen Qiu gently wiped the corner of Ji Liao's mouth and said, "You're the pheromone."

Ji Liao's face turned bright red.

*

Wen Qiu had been staying at Ji Liao's place for several days straight.

At first, Ji Liao was excited, happy every day just from seeing Wen Qiu.

But after a few days, he noticed something was wrong.

Wen Qiu was too polite with him.

So polite that he often felt like they weren't even in a relationship.

Apart from the occasional kiss, Wen Qiu barely touched him.

What was going on!

Ji Liao couldn't talk to anyone about it, so he could only secretly mull it over. The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

Was Wen Qiu's confession fake?

Did he not like me?

Ji Liao ruled that out right away.

Wen Qiu's personality wouldn't lead him to confess for no reason.

Could he be having regrets?

Ji Liao didn't think that was it either.

He wasn't hard to deal with—if Wen Qiu regretted it, he would just say so.

Then why?

Ji Liao thought hard and suspected it was because on the first night, he had deliberately watched a horror movie to stall for time, and Wen Qiu had gotten the wrong idea.

Damn, how was he supposed to explain this?!

*

While he was tangled up in thought, the weekend arrived.

This would also be their first weekend together as boyfriends.

Before Wen Qiu could make any plans, Ji Liao took the initiative and suggested going boating.

Wen Qiu agreed right away.

But Wen Qiu insisted on picking the spot.

Ji Liao didn't have much choice but to go along.

So early Saturday morning, Ji Liao was in the passenger seat as he and Wen Qiu hit the road.

Two hours later, they pulled up to an estate tucked away in the woods.

The gate automatically scanned their plates, and after another half hour of driving, they reached a lake.

The water glittered in the sunlight, and a warm breeze rolled in.

The smell of barbecue smoke hung in the air.

"Mr. Lou and Mr. Meng?" Ji Liao got out of the car and was surprised to see them.

"Why all the formality?" Lou Yue said with a smile. "With how close you and Qiu are, just call us by our first names!"

As he said this, Lou Yue gave Wen Qiu a teasing look.

Ji Liao also turned to look at Wen Qiu.

Wen Qiu explained to Ji Liao, "I don't have many friends I'd share good news with."

Basically, telling Lou Yue about him and Ji Liao was as good as going public.

Of course, once Lou Yue knew, Meng Shuyi found out too.

Before Ji Liao could say anything, Lou Yue went on, "Ji Liao, don't mind me! I insisted on coming. I know Qiu booked this place first, but I rarely get time off, and it's hard for me to go anywhere crowded. Plus, I really wanted to see the lake, so I dragged Meng Shuyi here."

While he was talking, Meng Shuyi set a few skewers of grilled meat on a tray.

Lou Yue brought it over to them. "We've got lunch covered—consider it our apology!"

The meat smelled amazing, glistening and looking totally tempting.

Ji Liao smiled. "Don't say that! The more, the merrier. Just the two of us would be kind of lonely."

Strangely, even though he knew Wen Qiu used to like Lou Yue, he didn't feel jealous or resentful at all.

Probably because that superstar vibe was just too strong!

Ji Liao happily dug into the BBQ.

*

While eating, Ji Liao found out where they were.

This place wasn't so much booked by Wen Qiu as it was just Wen family property.

It usually hosted members only and wasn't open to the public.

When the Wen family needed it, even members got turned away.

Now that Wen Lanjun was semi-retired, Wen Qiu was the only one left running things.

So of course, he could use it however he wanted.

Once they were stuffed, staff came to clear the table, and others brought a little boat to the shore for them.

"Isn't this a little too extra?" Ji Liao whispered to Wen Qiu.

But he asked the wrong guy.

Wen Qiu pinched the back of his neck and said, like it was obvious, "You're the other owner. It's only right."

Owner.

Ji Liao felt shy just hearing that.

The ancients used to sail on lakes—Ji Liao didn't have a boat, but the vibe was pretty much the same.

Lou Yue and Meng Shuyi's boat headed off in a different direction, like they were purposely giving them space.

Pretty soon, they couldn't see or hear each other anymore.

Out on the wide lake, it felt like only Ji Liao and Wen Qiu were there.

Ji Liao spoke up first, "Wen Qiu, you asked Lou Yue and Meng Shuyi to come, didn't you?"

Wen Qiu smiled, not surprised. "You caught me."

Even though Lou Yue said they insisted on coming, Ji Liao knew from the original story that Lou Yue wouldn't do something like that.

And Meng Shuyi definitely wouldn't.

So that meant it was Wen Qiu.

Wen Qiu went on, "You mad?"

"Why would I be mad about that?" Ji Liao said. "I was just wondering if you're tired of me and don't want to be alone with me anymore."

Instead of overthinking it, he figured it was better to just say it—after all, they'd only "confessed" recently.

It wasn't too late.

Wen Qiu denied it right away. "Of course not."

With that, he pulled Ji Liao into his arms and let out a sigh. "Actually, I've been feeling a little unsettled."

"Huh?" Ji Liao perked up immediately. "Unsettled? Why?"

Wen Qiu ran his fingers through Ji Liao's hair and said slowly, "I feel like you're stiff, like you're not letting go."

Ji Liao denied it just as fast. "I'm not."

Wen Qiu: "No? Then why'd you watch three horror movies back to back?"

Ji Liao: "..."

He had no comeback for that.

A smile tugged at the corner of Wen Qiu's mouth. "I invited Lou Yue and the others hoping you'd loosen up a bit."

With that, he took Ji Liao's hand, lacing their fingers together, before adding, "We're really together now. You can do whatever you want."

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump.

Ji Liao's heart was pounding like crazy.

Anything... is allowed?

But... but...

"You don't have to be the one to take the initiative." Ji Liao muttered softly, his voice fading out at the end, too shy to speak up.

But Wen Qiu heard it anyway.

Wen Qiu let go of Ji Liao and steered the boat.

Making a wide arc, they began heading back.

"Are we going back this early?" Ji Liao was still enjoying the peaceful time alone together, and the unexpected turn back made him forget his earlier embarrassment.

But Wen Qiu's words snapped him back to the moment.

Because Wen Qiu said, "I'm heading back now—to take the initiative."

*

The mountain resort hotel sat nestled between hills and water, with few rooms, each one extremely private.

The staff had already brought their luggage up to the room, and Ji Liao hardly saw a soul on the way.

Once the door closed, it became a world of their own.

"This time, you need to be gentler." Ji Liao said at last.

And his answer was a warm, lingering kiss.