TVDC 69: Who Do I Like?

“He Zhiyuan, is that you?” the male voice said.

Qiu Xuning reached out and tugged at He Zhiyuan’s sleeve. “‘Who is it?'” He mouthed the words without making much sound.

He Zhiyuan didn’t answer. He directly exited the game then turned his face to look at Qiu Xuning. He reached out and took his hand, controlling the mouse to also exit the game.

“Who is it?” Qiu Xuning asked.

He Zhiyuan thought for a moment and said, “An… old classmate.”

Qiu Xuning almost had a premonition in his heart. He pressed his lips together and softly asked, “What’s his name?”

He Zhiyuan didn’t speak. Qiu Xuning reached out and grabbed He Zhiyuan’s arm, saying, “Don’t stay silent. What’s his name?”

He Zhiyuan lowered his eyes to look at him and said, “His name is Yi Yang.”

Qiu Xuning’s breath caught, and his heart slowly sank.

He Zhiyuan noticed his expression was off. A trace of doubt crossed his eyes as he said in a low voice, “He’s my middle school classmate. I haven’t seen him in many years.”

Qiu Xuning opened his mouth to speak, but in the end, no words came out.

He Zhiyuan saw him like this and reached out to pat his head, but unexpectedly, Qiu Xuning slapped his hand away with a “smack.”

“I–I’m going home,” Qiu Xuning said as stood up and spoke to him.

His mood was off, and He Zhiyuan could tell immediately. He knew it was because of Yi Yang that Qiu Xuning had changed his expression. He stood up and said, “Alright, let’s go home.”

The two of them walked out of the internet café one after the other. On the way home by scooter, Qiu Xuning didn’t speak.

This situation was actually quite unusual. He Zhiyuan turned his head slightly, only able to see Qiu Xuning’s smooth black hair.

When they got home, Qiu Xuning didn’t say anything. He sat on the sofa while petting the cat. He Zhiyuan went to the bathroom to wash his face, then walked over to him and softly asked, “What’s with the mood?”

Qiu Xuning stopped petting the cat and looked up at He Zhiyuan. His usually clear and bright beautiful eyes now held a hint of mist, and the skin around his eyes also had a faint red hue.

He Zhiyuan hadn’t seen this kind of scene for a while. He raised his brow slightly, clearly surprised. Before he could speak, Qiu Xuning let the cat go, pressed his palm on the soft sofa, and leaned toward He Zhiyuan.

He Zhiyuan’s eyelids fluttered slightly, but his gaze on Qiu Xuning remained focused, carrying a hint of depth.

Qiu Xuning pressed his lips together tightly. His round and soft cheeks puffed up filled with a trace of annoyance. When his face was only inches away from He Zhiyuan, his red and soft lips parted like a flower blooming. He actually wanted to kiss He Zhiyuan’s lips.

He Zhiyuan looked at him and gently extended his hand to block the lips coming towards him.

Qiu Xuning blinked his eyes, and the skin around them reddened a little more. Large tears fell with his blinking motion.

His way of crying was always turbulent. The tears were large, as if they carried all his boundless grievances, but he didn’t cry out loud—he just silently shed tears. His frail shoulders trembled as he slumped back into the sofa.

“Why are you crying?” He Zhiyuan’s voice became hoarse. He pulled out a few tissues, leaned closer to Qiu Xuning, and wiped away his tears.

Qiu Xuning’s voice was thick with sobs. “Do you… do you not like me?”

He Zhiyuan slightly furrowed his brows and said in a hoarse voice, “What are you thinking again?”

Qiu Xuning said through his sobs, “You don’t like me. If you liked me, you wouldn’t reject me.”

He said this, truly heartbroken. The tears grew larger, nearly soaking his entire small face.

He Zhiyuan cupped Qiu Xuning’s face, forcing him to look at him. He said in a low voice, “Why don’t you understand?”

Qiu Xuning’s eyes were blurry with tears. Through the thick mist of tears, he couldn’t see He Zhiyuan’s face clearly, but even though he couldn’t see clearly, his sense of touch became unusually sensitive. He could feel the soft touch on his lips—light and soft like a feather, carrying a warm breath. Then, this light softness landed on the tip of his nose, his cheek, and even his eyelid.

He Zhiyuan gently touched his face. Qiu Xuning blinked his eyes. The tears slid down his cheek and were quickly absorbed by that soft touch.

Qiu Xuning’s heart was beating wildly. In his ears was He Zhiyuan’s hoarse voice, “Are you still being stubborn?”

“You, then I… why do you reject me?” Qiu Xuning said, still feeling very wronged.

He Zhiyuan didn’t speak. Qiu Xuning’s nose tingled and tears welled up again.

He Zhiyuan looked at his tearful red eyes. His Adam’s apple moved a few times, then he said, “Because, I can’t help myself.”

Qiu Xuning listened but was still a bit confused. His lips hadn’t moved yet when He Zhiyuan grabbed his hand.

Qiu Xuning stiffened, his face instantly turning red, like a monkey’s backside. “You! You, you, you!”

His voice still had a heavy nasal tone, and he stuttered, full of panic and confusion.

He Zhiyuan released his hand and said, “Do you understand now?”

Qiu Xuning held the hand that had been grabbed by He Zhiyuan. It felt like a roaring sound filled his ears and he could barely hear what He Zhiyuan was saying.

He Zhiyuan saw that he had finally stopped crying, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly. He said in a low voice, “If you understand, then stop teasing me.”

Qiu Xuning’s breath became heated. He looked at He Zhiyuan again, his eyes shimmering with tears. But after just one glance at He Zhiyuan, he shyly turned his head away. His mind felt like it had short-circuited and he didn’t know what to say.

He Zhiyuan’s fingers ran through his smooth black hair, and he said with a hint of reassurance, “Go wash your face, and we’ll eat soon.”

Qiu Xuning didn’t move. He took a deep breath of the somewhat cool air and then said, “Do… do you like that Yi Yang?”

He Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at Qiu Xuning deeply. He asked in a low voice, “Why would I like him?”

Qiu Xuning thought to himself, because you liked him before. You were even the villain who ruined his happiness. You even caused a breakup for Yi Yang in the end. He thought of many things in his heart, pressed his lips together, and didn’t say anything.

He Zhiyuan knew he was being stubborn. He slightly leaned forward and asked, “You don’t know who I like?”

This sentence seemed to linger on his tongue for a moment, carrying a touch of tenderness and allure, filled with sensual charm.

He seemed to know how to stir Qiu Xuning’s emotions. After he said these words, Qiu Xuning’s eyelashes, damp and sticking together from crying, trembled slightly, and the emotions in his heart instantly spilled out. “I don’t know,” Qiu Xuning sniffed, looked at He Zhiyuan for a moment, and said.

He Zhiyuan leaned in and gently kissed his cheek. He asked with a hoarse voice, “Who do I like?”

Qiu Xuning shyly shrugged his shoulders and said softly, “It tickles.”

His voice still had a heavy nasal tone, and each word carried a soft, lingering sound.

He Zhiyuan gently kissed him again and asked, “You tell me, who do I like?”

Qiu Xuning’s tears finally stopped flowing, and a small smile appeared on his face. “I don’t know. If you don’t say, how would I know?”

He Zhiyuan lowered his eyes and looked at his delicate and beautiful little face, then gently kissed his forehead and whispered, “I like you.”

“Qiu Xuning, I like you.”

…

He Zhiyuan finally went to the bathroom and stayed there for a while. Qiu Xuning was comforted and felt happier. He sat on the sofa while looking at his phone, counting the time. His face still flushed deeply—his skin was so fair that any redness stood out, and not to mention his whole face was red now, even his neck and the tips of his ears were completely flushed.

He secretly looked at the bathroom door, feeling a little guilty. He then thought to himself that he doesn’t even feel anything, so why did He Zhiyuan suddenly…?

Qiu Xuning didn’t really understand much about this. He had grown to seventeen without even daring to touch—he was timid, let alone anything else.

In the morning, he would also have changes, but after lying down for a few minutes upon waking, it would disappear on its own. There was really no significant change.

Would He Zhiyuan get up too? He hadn’t seen it before, but now he had.

Qiu Xuning coughed a few times, pushing all the random thoughts out of his mind.

After He Zhiyuan came out of the bathroom, Qiu Xuning glanced at the time and saw that nearly an hour had passed.

“How are you?” Qiu Xuning’s blush hadn’t faded yet, his eyes flickering. He glanced at He Zhiyuan for a moment, then quickly averted his gaze.

He felt a bit hot and couldn’t help but pull at the collar of his thin sweater. He also needed to take a shower. After crying earlier, sweat had started to form on his back.

He Zhiyuan was still covered in steam. His hair was completely wet, covered by a towel. His expression was hard to make out. “I’ll go make dinner.”

Qiu Xuning blankly responded with an “Mm,” took a deep breath, wiped the fine sweat beading on the tip of his nose, and quietly said, “I’ll go take a shower too.”

He went back to the bedroom to get some clothes then turned and entered the bathroom. As soon as he entered, Qiu Xuning smelled a scent. He hesitated for a moment, swallowed, and glanced down at the laundry basket—his face immediately turned red.

He quickly finished his shower, then washed both of their clothes together, hanging them out on the balcony. Only then did the pounding of his heart slowly begin to calm down.