EIP 10

The room was dimly lit. The housemaid must have come earlier, since there were still covered dishes on the table. Zhou Jun walked inside while undressing, casually changing into a robe as if no one else were present. He gestured for the other man to take a seat on the sofa while he put the dishes away in the fridge. After a moment’s thought, he called out, “Do you want ice cream?”

Yong Jin declined, so Zhou Jun took out a bowl of ice cream for himself. The glass dish was filled with colorful scoops, smooth and round, and a silver spoon rested neatly beside them.

Holding the bowl, Zhou Jun settled into another spot on the sofa. Seeing him so relaxed, Yong Jin gave a soft laugh. “Is this how Mr. Zhou hosts his guests?”

Zhou Jun propped up one leg and brought a spoonful of ice cream to his mouth. “Didn’t I ask if you wanted any?”

Yong Jin glanced at the teapot on the coffee table. “What about tea?”

Still slowly eating his ice cream, Zhou Jun replied, “I don’t know where the tea leaves are.” His answer was so blunt that Yong Jin had nothing to say.

Zhou Jun finished the ice cream quickly. He licked the spoon once, then murmured, “If you insisted on coming in to sit, you must have a reason, right?”

At that moment, Yong Jin was standing in front of the phonograph. He removed a record from its sleeve and placed it on the turntable. As the needle dropped, a sultry female voice flowed from the golden horn, low and smoky, curling through the air and filling the room.

Zhou Jun heard him say, “I didn’t take you home today.” Yong Jin returned to the sofa and met Zhou Jun’s gaze. “That was quite rude of me, ending the date so abruptly.”

Zhou Jun was about to respond that it didn’t matter, but Yong Jin continued, “As an apology, I had Chen give you the movie tickets. Did you receive them?”

Thinking of the ticket that had been returned, Zhou Jun set down the glass bowl and said naturally, “I had to see the dentist that day. I couldn’t go.”

Yong Jin made a sound, a long, quiet “Oh.” He shifted forward, coming to stand in front of Zhou Jun. His gaze moved slowly between Zhou Jun’s face and the ice cream bowl on the table. His eyes were gentle, and the curve of his mouth did not change. “Mr. Zhou might not know this, but I really don’t like being lied to.”

Zhou Jun leaned in until their faces were nearly touching. Their noses almost brushed, and his eyes lowered to Yong Jin’s lips. A soft laugh escaped him, his shoulders trembling slightly. “You think I’m lying? Then come check.”

His lips were not yet fully parted, but the coldness of the ice cream still clung to them. That chill brushed lightly against Yong Jin’s mouth. Seeming slightly uncomfortable with the closeness, Yong Jin raised a finger to Zhou Jun’s lips and gently pushed him back.

Zhou Jun glanced at the clock. “It’s getting late. You should head back, Major.”

But Yong Jin did not leave. Instead, he stood over him, leaning forward with his hands on the back of the sofa. Most of the light was blocked by his body, casting a deep shadow over Zhou Jun. It felt as if he were being surrounded. Yong Jin’s cool fingers rested against his lips.

“Let me see,” he said.

Yong Jin’s fingers were long, and on his index finger he wore a silver ring set with a deep red gemstone. The gem was cold and hard, while his fingers were soft and warm. He coaxed Zhou Jun’s mouth open and began inspecting his teeth, moving slowly from one to the next. Zhou Jun could not close his mouth, and a string of saliva slipped from the corner of his lips. It felt humiliating. He wanted to shut his mouth, but all he could do was sit there, jaw open, his lips wrapped around the invading fingers.

His brows drew together in discomfort. His expression grew uneasy, caught between embarrassment and irritation. Yong Jin’s smile widened. His fingers moved from Zhou Jun’s teeth to his tongue, pressing lightly against the soft, wet surface.

Zhou Jun’s jaw clenched around the intrusion. He could neither bite down nor pull away. The roof of his mouth itched. The gemstone on the ring scraped against his inner cheek, sending a flash of pain through him. His eyes watered slightly as he looked up at Yong Jin. Unable to bear it, he mumbled an apology.

Yong Jin sighed softly and pulled his fingers out. As he withdrew, the wet fingertips brushed against Zhou Jun’s chin.“Very nice.”

Zhou Jun sat motionless. Yong Jin’s teasing, combined with his detached superiority, made Zhou Jun want to grit his teeth. But he reminded himself to stay calm and polite.

He watched as Yong Jin pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his hands. “Your teeth look fine. You don’t need a dentist. The date is still on.”

Zhou Jun forced a smile. “Oh really? Then I suppose I should thank you for your thorough check-up.”

Yong Jin gave a small nod, as if accepting the thanks without irony. Just as he was about to leave, he paused as if remembering something. “By the way, please send my regards to your brother. I truly appreciate all his help with the dock incident.”

His tone had shifted. It was formal now, distant. Zhou Jun could not read it. He hesitated, then asked, “Do you know my brother well?”

Yong Jin looked slightly surprised, but only for a moment. Then he smiled, not fully, and said, “Maybe next time we can all have a meal together.”

Zhou Jun narrowed his eyes slightly, watching him, but Yong Jin offered no further explanation. Instead, he said, “It’s getting late.”

Zhou Jun walked him to the door, and Yong Jin leaned in for a cheek kiss. His lips were dry, brushing softly against Zhou Jun’s skin and leaving the faintest trace of warmth. Just before the door closed, he whispered, “Good night.”

Zhou Jun stood there in silence for a while. He thought about his brother’s attitude. He thought about Yong Jin’s attitude. There was something going on that everyone else seemed to know, but he did not.

The kiss had felt strange. Gentle and cool, like a cat’s tongue brushing against his cheek. Smooth. Not rough at all.

Why did Yong Jin want to get close to him? If it was really because of Shirley Chen, then this should not be happening. There should not be dates or meetings or kisses.

He turned to leave, but his gaze landed on something hanging by the door. It was a coat. A long, dark blue one. Yong Jin’s.

He walked over, took it down from the hook, and opened the door.

The hallway was empty. It was lit only by the moonlight. No one was there.

He closed the door and returned to the sofa, holding the coat in his arms. He checked the pockets, but they were empty. The only thing he found was a single petal from a pear blossom.

There was a faint scent clinging to the fabric. A cool, lingering trace of smoke and cologne. Something sharp beneath it, like the residue of a cigar.

Zhou Jun realized what he was doing and quickly moved the coat away from his face. He could not bring himself to throw it out, so he hung it back up and avoided looking at it again.

He went into the bathroom to wash up. After brushing his teeth and rinsing his face, he stood in front of the mirror, relieved that his reflection did not look flushed.

Then he recalled what had happened earlier. His mouth had been played with so casually that, the moment the memory surfaced, heat rushed to his cheeks.

He wiped his face and stepped back into the living room. The record was still spinning, music playing faintly. One song faded into the next.

The singer changed from female to male. The melody shifted from slow, deep tones to rising, passionate crescendos.

Near the record player, he spotted the movie ticket that had been returned. He realized now that when he had taken the elevator upstairs, Yong Jin must have been following behind, taking the stairs, holding that ticket in his hand.

Zhou Jun smiled to himself as he imagined the scene. Perhaps he had misunderstood a few things. Perhaps Yong Jin had come tonight for a different reason entirely.

Even as he tried to steady himself, the feeling inside him kept growing. It curled through his chest like a vine, soaking up warmth and light as it spread.