SG 37

He opened the door and went inside, and Chu Baiyan first went to the bathroom to wash the grease left on his hands from eating barbecue. Then he took a spare key from the drawer of the desk and handed it to Lu Ran.

“Keep the key. Don’t rush about finding a job. Look around first. I’ll get another access card from the property office tomorrow morning, and I’ll message you so you can go there to pick it up.”

Lu Ran took the key and placed it casually on the desk beside him, and his peripheral vision caught the plate sitting there.

“This plate looks nice.” He picked it up and examined it carefully, and he didn’t expect Chu Baiyan to have that kind of taste.

“Don’t drop it.” When Chu Baiyan saw him holding the “Merman” plate with one hand, he hurried to take it back, and he also put the “No Berry Troubles” cup from the desk into the drawer of the wardrobe for safekeeping.

“You treasure it that much?” If he hadn’t known that Chu Baiyan was single now, Lu Ran would have thought it was a gift from someone he liked.

“Yan Anqing gave it to me. He spent several days on it and worked really hard to finish it.” Chu Baiyan lifted his suitcase and started packing his clothes.

“I cleared out half the closet. You can hang your clothes there. There’s water in the fridge. If you want some, just grab it. The area outside, where we had barbecue today, is full of small restaurants that serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you cook, remember to clean up afterward.”

After he gave instructions, he finished packing what he needed. “I’ll go now. You’ve been sitting on the bus all afternoon, so take a shower and rest early.”

When Chu Baiyan wheeled his suitcase out of the residential complex, it was already close to ten o’clock, and he unconsciously quickened his pace, trying to reach the store before Yan Anqing closed. The suitcase wheels followed his steps and made a steady sound as they rolled over the pavement tiles.

“Want to see you, only want to see you, past or future, I only want to see you, across thousands and tens of thousands of timelines, depending on each other in the sea of people…”

His phone rang in his pocket, and without looking, Chu Baiyan already knew it was Yan Anqing. That song was the ringtone he had set specifically for him.

“Did you finish eating?” Yan Anqing asked on the other end.

“Are you about to close? I just left the complex gate. I’ll be there in two minutes.”

Sure enough, not long after Yan Anqing hung up, the glass door of the pottery shop was pushed open, and Chu Baiyan came in with his suitcase.

The main lights and the air conditioner were already off, and only the light in the workroom was still on.

“Go upstairs.” Chu Baiyan had walked fast and was slightly sweating. He turned and locked the door from inside, then carried the suitcase toward the stairs.

Yan Anqing followed behind and muttered softly, “Dinner took three hours and forty-two minutes.”

Chu Baiyan froze for a second, then turned his head and smiled. “It’s because we haven’t seen each other for a long time, so we talked more. Lu Ran said next time he’ll invite you too.”

“I’m not going.” Yan Anqing refused without hesitation.

When the room door opened, Yan Anqing went in and changed into slippers, then took out the pair Chu Baiyan had worn last time from the shoe cabinet.

“You drank? You smell like smoke.” Yan Anqing’s brows almost met.

“Lu Ran was drinking, and I just drank a little with him.” Chu Baiyan lifted his shirt and sniffed it. It really didn’t smell great. “The smoke smell probably came from him when he was smoking. I’ll shower first.”

This time it felt completely different from the last stay. Chu Baiyan moved smoothly as he took out his change of clothes and closed the bathroom door.

Everything he had left before was still where it had been. There wasn’t a trace of dust in the toothbrush cup, which showed that someone cleaned every day. He threw his dirty clothes into the basin, turned on the shower, and the white thick foam washed away all kinds of smells from his body, leaving behind the familiar scent of bergamot.

When the bathroom door opened, Yan Anqing leaned close to his neck and took a sniff. Only when he confirmed there was no other scent did he let him pass.

There was an extra towel on the rack, and the two toothbrushes could be placed side by side again. Even though Yan Anqing didn’t like that Chu Baiyan had stayed out so long eating, he was still happy that he was staying here.

When he came out after the shower, the living room lights had been replaced by the floor lamp. Yan Anqing was lying on the bed watching SpongeBob SquarePants, and when Chu Baiyan went to hang his clothes, he said, “Don’t sleep on the couch. Sleep on the bed. Lu Ran said you used to share a bed with him.”

“He said it was a single bed,” Yan Anqing repeated.

“That was when we were kids, and the dorm flooded at night. It was an emergency.” Chu Baiyan didn’t expect Yan Anqing to remember what Lu Ran had said that clearly.

“Why could you share a bed with him?” Yan Anqing didn’t accept that explanation. He couldn’t accept that Chu Baiyan was closer to someone else.

“I didn’t with him either. He said to share a bed today, and I refused, didn’t I?”

“Then share the bed with me.” Yan Anqing insisted.

“The couch is fine.” Chu Baiyan didn’t know how to argue. He refused Lu Ran to avoid suspicion. He refused Yan Anqing because he couldn’t promise that nothing would happen if they slept together.

“You like him more.” Yan Anqing’s thoughts went into a dead loop. No matter how Chu Baiyan explained, he only understood that Chu Baiyan once shared a bed with Lu Ran but refused to share one with him.

Chu Baiyan sat down beside the bed. When Yan Anqing was angry, his eyelashes would flutter slightly, his rosy lips would press together, and his breath would become moist.

His Adam’s apple moved, and he spoke, unsure how much Yan Anqing could understand. “Lu Ran and I grew up together, but that relationship can’t be described with the word ‘like’. I don’t like him. I didn’t before, I don’t now, and I never will.”

“Liking tofu pudding and liking starfish aren’t the same as liking someone. I can’t share a bed with you because I like you. I’d end up wanting to do something more intimate, and that’s why I can’t.”

Yan Anqing only caught one part of what Chu Baiyan said, which was that he didn’t like Lu Ran, and he liked him.

“I like you too. I like you the most.” He leaned closer and grabbed Chu Baiyan’s hand, afraid that he wouldn’t believe it, then kissed his face. The room was so quiet that the sound of the kiss, a soft “pop,” could be heard clearly.

It was hotter and clearer than the one in the cinema. All of Chu Baiyan’s reason and restraint vanished in an instant. He held Yan Anqing’s hand tightly and spoke in a low voice. “Can I kiss you?”

Yan Anqing nodded and hummed once. If you like someone, of course you can kiss.

Chu Baiyan lowered his head and kissed him. The lips that had been pressed together were now between his own. It was a clumsy and awkward kiss, without any rhythm. Other than sucking on the soft lips, Chu Baiyan didn’t even know what to do next.

Yan Anqing was a little surprised by the kiss that fell on his lips. Chu Baiyan’s lips and tongue were warm as he bit his lip and traced the shape with his tongue. Curious, Yan Anqing stuck out his tongue and licked Chu Baiyan’s lips, and his tongue was immediately caught.

It was a feeling he had never experienced before, and he quickly started to like it. Their tongues chased each other, and their lips turned numb from the sucking.