ABOES 72: Your Kissing Skills Aren’t Bad

Chi Yunxing froze for a second, but quickly snapped out of it.

This wasn’t a dream. It was the moment he had waited for, longed for.

Yet even when it finally arrived, it still felt unreal.

The fireworks faded. The cramped gondola of the Ferris wheel dimmed again, leaving only Duan Zhiyan’s eyes glittering brightly in the dark.

He watched Chi Yunxing quietly, patiently waiting for his answer.

Chi Yunxing felt something swell in his chest, it was warm and a little sweet.

There was no way he could refuse and no way he would want to.

“Okay.”

The instant he gave his answer, another brilliant firework burst open in the sky, casting radiant sparks across both their smiling faces. In that moment, it felt like falling in love.

Even with the noise outside, Duan Zhiyan clearly heard his answer.

The smile in his eyes deepened, and the trace of nervousness that had lingered vanished completely.

“Give me your hand,” he said, unable to hide his delight.

Chi Yunxing carefully offered it to him. Duan Zhiyan picked up the silver ring and was about to slip it on when Chi Yunxing suddenly said, “This… kind of feels like a proposal.”

Duan Zhiyan paused, chuckled softly, and looked up at him. “So are you trying to hint at something, Yunxing?”

Chi Yunxing’s face turned red, and he made a move to pull his hand back. “No!”

Duan Zhiyan held on tightly and wouldn’t let him. Instead, he leaned down and kissed the tip of Chi Yunxing’s finger. “They’re couple rings. I didn’t want to shortchange you with wedding rings.”

Then he gently slid the silver ring onto Chi Yunxing’s middle finger, adding with a smile, “But if you want wedding rings, you’ll have to wait a little longer.”

His fingers were burning where they’d been kissed, and Chi Yunxing’s whole face flushed along with them. He mumbled, “I don’t want wedding rings. I was just…”

But halfway through, the words caught in his throat. He clamped his mouth shut.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want them, it was just…

He bit his lower lip and glared at Duan Zhiyan, equally shy and annoyed.

How had he never noticed how shameless this man was before?!

Duan Zhiyan clearly found it amusing. Knowing he had teased him enough, he handed the other ring over. “Will you help me put mine on?”

Chi Yunxing’s cheeks were still pink, but he didn’t refuse. He took the ring and carefully slid it onto Duan Zhiyan’s middle finger.

Once it was done, he quickly pulled his hand back and turned to face the fireworks again, pretending to be calm.

Duan Zhiyan didn’t tease him any further. He simply handed over the bouquet of flowers and moved to the other side of the gondola.

Chi Yunxing took the bouquet, glanced at it briefly, then quickly looked away.

How could he possibly focus on roses and fireworks right now, when all he could think about was the ring on his finger?

His fingertips still tingled. When Duan Zhiyan wasn’t looking, he lowered his head and used the glow of the fireworks to sneak a peek at the silver ring.

As another firework lit up the sky, he caught sight of the ring’s tiny diamond. It was simple but striking.

Duan Zhiyan saw the whole thing through the corner of his eye, but chose not to say anything. His smile only deepened.

When the Ferris wheel returned to ground level and the fireworks came to an end, Duan Zhiyan took back the roses and led Chi Yunxing off the ride.

Now that they were outside, it was much brighter, and Chi Yunxing finally got a clear look at the silver ring on his hand.

It was exquisitely crafted. A small diamond gleamed at its center, and delicate engravings of clouds and stars circled the ring—representing “Yunxing.”

His heart gave a little flutter.

He couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Duan Zhiyan’s ring… only to realize that, from this angle, he couldn’t see anything. Duan Zhiyan was standing slightly to the side, blocking his view.

A small wave of regret washed over him. He should’ve looked more closely before putting the ring on him.

It really was a beautiful ring.

Chi Yunxing stopped walking and held out his hand to admire it.

Duan Zhiyan didn’t rush him. He stood there with a soft smile, simply watching.

When Chi Yunxing noticed him staring, his ears turned red. He quickly lowered his hand and said with forced calm, “L-let’s go home.”

Duan Zhiyan had to hold back a laugh. “We’re leaving already? Don’t want to play a bit more?”

Chi Yunxing’s eyes lit up. “Can we?”

“Of course.” Duan Zhiyan held out his hand.

Chi Yunxing instinctively gave him his, and Duan Zhiyan’s warm palm closed around it at once.

“No one else will be coming here tonight. We have the whole park to ourselves,” he said.

Chi Yunxing looked pleasantly surprised. “I’ve actually never been to an amusement park before!”

Duan Zhiyan’s eyes darkened slightly. “This is your first time?”

Chi Yunxing smiled and nodded. Then he shook his head. “Not exactly. I’ve been here before, but just for part-time work.”

A trace of pain flickered through Duan Zhiyan’s eyes. He tightened his grip slightly but didn’t dwell on it. “Then how about I take you often from now on?”

Chi Yunxing chuckled. “We can’t come too often. People might recognize us…”

“We’ll book it out,” Duan Zhiyan replied.

Chi Yunxing blinked, then laughed. “Okay.”

Duan Zhiyan’s smile grew. “So, what should we try first?”

Chi Yunxing thought for a second, then pointed to the nearby roller coaster. “I’ve seen people say this one’s really intense. Let’s start with that?”

Duan Zhiyan nodded and led him over.

They rode the roller coaster, then the pirate ship, the moon boat… By the end, Chi Yunxing even wanted to try the drop tower.

But since the drop tower was more dangerous and it was already dark, the staff gently explained that it would be better to wait until daytime for safety reasons.

Chi Yunxing was a little disappointed but didn’t insist.

“We’ll come back during the day next time,” Duan Zhiyan promised.

Chi Yunxing grinned. “Okay!”

Their last ride was the carousel.

As music filled the air and the carousel began to spin, they sat close, one in front of the other.

Duan Zhiyan suddenly reached out his hand. Chi Yunxing blinked, then reached back toward him.

Despite sitting on adjacent horses, there was still some distance between them.

At first, Chi Yunxing couldn’t reach. He leaned forward a bit.

Seeing this, Duan Zhiyan shifted back slightly too.

Finally, their hands met in the air and clasped together.

Chi Yunxing beamed.

Duan Zhiyan turned to look at him with eyes full of quiet affection.

Even if they’d once stood far apart, as long as they kept reaching out to each other, they would always meet in the middle.

…

After one round, Chi Yunxing still wasn’t satisfied.

“Want to go again?” Duan Zhiyan offered.

Chi Yunxing shook his head with a laugh. “No, I want to save it for next time, when we come back together again!”

Duan Zhiyan felt something flutter in his chest. He smiled. “Okay.”

By the time they left the park, it was already 2 a.m.

Once in the car, sleepiness hit Chi Yunxing hard.

The temperature had dropped. It wasn’t stuffy in the car and if anything, it was a little cold.

Duan Zhiyan took out a small blanket and handed it to him. Chi Yunxing was still holding the bouquet of roses and couldn’t bear to put it down, so he wrapped himself up together with the roses.

Duan Zhiyan laughed. “Why don’t you sleep for a bit? I’ll wake you when we get there.”

Chi Yunxing yawned and nodded. He adjusted the seat and quickly drifted off.

He didn’t know how long he slept. In the haze between sleep and wakefulness, he vaguely heard someone calling his name.

Too tired to open his eyes, he mumbled something in reply.

The man chuckled softly. “So… you’re not going home tonight?”

Chi Yunxing, half-asleep, grunted again.

“How about you stay at my place?”

“Mm.”

The man laughed again, a little helplessly.

“Should I carry you up, or will you walk?”

Chi Yunxing didn’t respond.

After a moment, the man murmured, “Alright, I’ll carry you then.”

Chi Yunxing vaguely heard the car door shut and frowned, muttering under his breath, “Why didn’t you take me with you…”

The voice was too soft for Duan Zhiyan to hear. As he opened the car door again, he asked, “What was that?”

Chi Yunxing felt the warmth of someone approaching—the familiar scent he recognized—and instinctively leaned in, looking faintly aggrieved.

Duan Zhiyan gazed down at him with eyes full of tenderness.

He tried to take the bouquet from Chi Yunxing’s arms, but the latter was clutching it tightly. He gave up.

He unbuckled the seatbelt and carefully scooped Chi Yunxing into his arms, blanket and bouquet included.

The night wind was chilly, so he tucked Chi Yunxing’s face against his chest, shielding him from the cold.

Chi Yunxing nestled into that familiar warmth and fell into a deeper sleep.

When they got upstairs, Duan Zhiyan hesitated between the guest room and the master bedroom… then headed into the master.

Once Chi Yunxing was lying down, he relaxed and finally let go of the bouquet. Duan Zhiyan gently took it, placed it in a vase, and arranged the flowers.

When he returned, Chi Yunxing had curled into a more comfortable position, nearly burying his entire face in the pillow.

Duan Zhiyan tucked him in, then went to take a shower.

By the time he came back, Chi Yunxing was sound asleep.

Looks like there’s no waking him now.

Duan Zhiyan couldn’t help but smile.

It didn’t matter if he didn’t wash up for one night but Chi Yunxing had been playing all evening.

After a moment’s thought, Duan Zhiyan went to get a basin of warm water and a towel.

He sat beside the bed, carefully pulled Chi Yunxing’s face out from the pillow, and gently wiped it clean.

Chi Yunxing frowned in his sleep, clearly annoyed by the disruption. He tried to turn away, dodging the hand.

Duan Zhiyan chuckled softly and held his head still with one hand, continuing with the other.

Chi Yunxing couldn’t move anymore, and now he just looked even more wronged.

He just wanted to sleep—why was someone bothering him?

His brows furrowed, his rosy lips pouted a little.

Duan Zhiyan found it all incredibly endearing. “What? I’m annoying you now?”

Chi Yunxing gave a small grunt, like saying “yeah, a bit.”

Duan Zhiyan laughed, rinsed the towel, and took Chi Yunxing’s hand to wipe his fingers clean.

When he reached the left hand, he paused.

Chi Yunxing’s skin was pale, fingers long and slender. The silver ring on his middle finger made them look even more elegant.

Unable to resist, Duan Zhiyan gently touched the ring.

Chi Yunxing’s finger twitched.

Duan Zhiyan smiled faintly and lowered his head to kiss the tip of his finger.

This time, Chi Yunxing pulled his hand back with more force.

“No kisses allowed?” Duan Zhiyan asked hoarsely.

Chi Yunxing didn’t answer, he just tried harder to pull his hand away.

Duan Zhiyan wouldn’t let him. He caught his whole hand and interlocked their fingers tightly.

“No way. You’ve accepted the ring, that makes you mine, little Yunxing.”

Finally, he let the feelings he’d kept hidden pour out without restraint.

Chi Yunxing must’ve been tired from all the fussing. He stopped struggling and turned his face away.

Duan Zhiyan happened to catch a glimpse of his ear, red enough to drip blood, and couldn’t resist reaching out to gently touch it.

Chi Yunxing flinched again.

Duan Zhiyan’s heart melted. He bent down and kissed his forehead.

Chi Yunxing didn’t move.

Smiling, Duan Zhiyan leaned down again and kissed his eyelid.

His lashes fluttered… but he stayed asleep.

Finally, Duan Zhiyan’s eyes fell to his slightly parted lips. After a moment of thought, he gently brushed a thumb across them.

“You owe me a kiss. I’ll collect it tomorrow,” he whispered.

He stayed there a long while, watching Chi Yunxing’s steady breathing.

At last, he spoke again.

“You can’t leave us anymore. I’ll take care of you from now on.”

Time ticked by. The night deepened.

A faint red rimmed Duan Zhiyan’s eyes. He lowered his head again and pressed a reverent kiss to Chi Yunxing’s fingertips.

“You didn’t ask, but I want to tell you anyway… Yunxing, I was originally planning to propose tonight.”

“But maybe that would’ve been too sudden. I didn’t want to scare you, so I went with couple rings instead—to keep you by my side.”

“I like you, Yunxing. I really, really like you.”

The next morning, when Chi Yunxing woke up and saw the unfamiliar bedroom, his mind went blank for a moment.

Where… was he?

All he remembered was falling asleep in the car last night after being exhausted from playing. Everything after that was a blur.

Once that thought passed, Chi Yunxing relaxed again.

Since he was with Duan Zhiyan, there was nothing to worry about.

With that in mind, drowsiness crept back in, and he was just about to close his eyes again when the soft sound of running water caught his ear.

Chi Yunxing opened his eyes confusedly, and the next second, Duan Zhiyan walked out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel.

Their eyes met in midair.

Chi Yunxing froze. Then his face flushed bright red and he quickly looked away.

Duan Zhiyan smiled faintly and walked toward him. “You’re awake?”

Chi Yunxing nodded, still avoiding his gaze. “Mm.”

“Still sleepy?”

“I’m good,” he replied quickly. He’s very much awake now.

“Then go shower first.” Duan Zhiyan went into the walk-in closet, grabbed a set of clean clothes, and handed them to him. “The towels in the bathroom are all new, you can use them.”

Chi Yunxing didn’t dare laze around anymore. He took the clothes, scrambled out of bed, and dashed into the bathroom like he was running for his life.

Duan Zhiyan chuckled. Knowing he was feeling shy, he didn’t linger and instead went downstairs to change.

They had gone to bed so late that Duan Zhiyan had only woken up about half an hour earlier. It was already two in the afternoon.

As soon as he’d gotten up, he had called the housekeeper over to prepare food. Now, the kitchen was already filled with the faint aroma of homecooked dishes.

While waiting, Duan Zhiyan returned a call to He You and replied to a few directors’ messages.

He had just put down his phone when he heard footsteps on the stairs. Chi Yunxing came down.

Looking up, Duan Zhiyan’s eyes curved in a smile as he walked over. “Hungry?”

Chi Yunxing had mostly pieced things together while he was showering. He must’ve slept too deeply last night, and instead of waking him, Duan Zhiyan had simply brought him home.

That wasn’t a big deal.

What was bothering him was that, just now when he got out of the shower, he noticed the pillow on the other side of the bed had a dent—clearly not untouched.

Which meant… they’d slept in the same bed?

…Well, that wasn’t really a problem either.

They’re together now.

Holding hands, kissing, and even… that, were all perfectly normal!

Chi Yunxing tried desperately to convince himself, but it didn’t really help much.

Now, just looking at Duan Zhiyan made his gaze waver.

“I—I’m okay,” he said softly.

Duan Zhiyan assumed he was still flustered about earlier and didn’t push. He just held out a hand. “Let’s eat first. I’ll take you home after.”

The housekeeper left once the meal was ready, so the huge villa was quiet. It’s just the two of them.

After sitting down, Chi Yunxing asked, “Do you have filming today?”

Duan Zhiyan nodded. “Mm. A quick shoot,” He paused, then added, “It won’t take long. Want to come with me?”

Chi Yunxing didn’t even think before shaking his head.

No way!

Every time he thought about last night, his heart started racing all over again.

Duan Zhiyan laughed softly. “Then how about dinner tonight?”

This time, Chi Yunxing didn’t refuse. “Okay.”

Duan Zhiyan knew when to stop and didn’t press further.

After lunch, he drove Chi Yunxing home.

Just as Chi Yunxing was about to get out of the car, Duan Zhiyan suddenly grabbed his hand.

Chi Yunxing flinched, heart immediately thudding again. “W-what is it? Zhiyan Ge?”

The next second, Duan Zhiyan leaned in.

One hand gently tilted up Chi Yunxing’s chin, the other resting at the back of his neck.

The space between them vanished in an instant. Chi Yunxing’s heart nearly burst out of his chest.

Realizing what was about to happen, he hurriedly shut his eyes.

That familiar scent filled his lungs. A moment later, something warm and soft brushed over his lips.

Then he heard Duan Zhiyan’s low and hoarse voice, “Open your mouth.”

This was their first kiss outside of filming.

Chi Yunxing instinctively parted his lips and let Duan Zhiyan in, their kiss growing deeper and more intense.

It was bold and dominant.

Chi Yunxing’s compliance only fueled Duan Zhiyan’s passion, and he couldn’t help wanting more.

There was a moment where Chi Yunxing almost forgot how to breathe.

Duan Zhiyan’s kissing technique was far better than he had imagined. Chi Yunxing had started off trying to respond, but by the end, he was completely overwhelmed.

Tingling sensations rushed to his brain. When they finally broke apart, Chi Yunxing was panting lightly, struggling to catch his breath.

Duan Zhiyan kissed his reddened, moist lips once more. This time, it was light and tender.

“Feeling better now?” Duan Zhiyan asked, his voice low and husky, laced with a trace of amusement.

Chi Yunxing’s ears burned. He nodded quickly, mumbling, “Mm.”

“How was it?” Duan Zhiyan asked again.

Chi Yunxing glared at him in embarrassment and said nothing.

“I thought you did pretty well during our scenes,” Duan Zhiyan teased. “But now I think our Yunxing still needs more practice.”

Chi Yunxing’s face went up in flames.

He shoved Duan Zhiyan away and fumbled for the car door.

Behind him, Duan Zhiyan’s laughter rumbled low and amused.

In his fluster, Chi Yunxing forgot to undo his seatbelt and had to scramble back to unbuckle it, then slammed the door and ran straight to the villa.

It sounded like Duan Zhiyan got out of the car too because his laughter was even louder now.

Chi Yunxing ignored him, dashed to the front door, and yanked it open.

But what he saw made him freeze.

“Ge? What are you doing here?”

Chi Xiwen turned around. The moment he saw Chi Yunxing, he let out a breath of relief. “Yunxing, where did you go? I called you at noon and your phone was off. I came here to find you, but you weren’t even home—”

Then he saw Duan Zhiyan behind him. His expression darkened. “You two came back together?”

Chi Yunxing’s heart gave a jolt. He hadn’t even figured out how to respond when he heard Duan Zhiyan speak up, “It was really late last night so Yunxing stayed over at my place. I just brought him back.”

Chi Xiwen was preoccupied and, for once, didn’t press for details. He even forgot to question why Chi Yunxing’s face was so red. He simply said, “I see. Then Yunxing, do you have anything on right now? If not, come home with me. Something happened with Mom and Dad.”

Chi Yunxing’s expression changed instantly. “What happened to them? Weren’t they fine just yesterday?”