TVDC 73: Ulterior Motives

Facing Qiu Xuning’s doubt, He Zhiyuan took a moment before saying, “Hmm, yes, it was on purpose.”

Qiu Xuning: “…”

He was thin-skinned—hearing He Zhiyuan admit it made him blush instead. “Y–you’re not even embarrassed.”

He Zhiyuan’s lips curled slightly, revealing a faint smile. He whispered, “What do I have to be embarrassed about? Haven’t you done it before?”

Qiu Xuning fell silent. He Zhiyuan’s smile deepened as if he had figured something out and his voice became slightly hoarse. “You’ve really never done it?”

Qiu Xuning coughed softly a few times, trying to act calm as he said, “You need to leave. I’m not even wearing pants.”

As he said this, he reached behind and tugged at his sweater hem, making sure he didn’t expose anything.

He Zhiyuan not only didn’t leave, but he moved a little closer. One of his hands circled around Qiu Xuning, leaning against the wash basin. His chin brushed lightly against Qiu Xuning’s cool scalp. “You still haven’t answered me.”

Qiu Xuning felt He Zhiyuan’s body temperature. The motion of scrubbing the pants stopped. He swallowed and said quietly, “What’s there to talk about?”

He Zhiyuan chuckled softly. “There’s nothing to talk about, but I want to know.”

Qiu Xuning took a deep breath and felt the temperature in the bathroom rise significantly. “…Move back a little, I’m so hot.”

He Zhiyuan said, “You answer me first.”

His hand slowly wrapped around Qiu Xuning’s shoulder, pulling him into his embrace.

Qiu Xuning’s face turned red, and his voice became much quieter. “I–I’ve never done it. They say it’s addictive, and it’s bad for your health—it can stunt your growth.”

He Zhiyuan smiled. His laugh was slightly hoarse. “Anything in excess is bad for your health.”

Qiu Xuning exhaled and squirmed a little in his embrace. He whispered, “You won’t kiss me, but you still want to do this.”

“…” He Zhiyuan said, “Stop moving too much.”

Qiu Xuning froze, a moment of confusion crossing his face. Soon, he realized, and his heart began to race. He stammered as he said, “Weren’t you… didn’t you already…?”

He Zhiyuan released the hand that had been holding Qiu Xuning. He glanced down at the top of his head and said, “Stop washing the pants, go back to bed and rest.”

His tone carried a strong sense of dismissal.

Qiu Xuning turned around, glanced downward at He Zhiyuan, his face turning so red it seemed like it could catch fire. “…Oh.”

He moved around He Zhiyuan to leave. When he reached the door, he couldn’t help but turn back. His tone carried a hint of smugness. “Doing this, are you asking for trouble?”

A vein on He Zhiyuan’s forehead twitched. He said, “Go out.”

Qiu Xuning closed the door. He coughed lightly outside and said, “You need to exercise restraint, too much will hurt your body.”

He Zhiyuan didn’t say anything inside.

Qiu Xuning didn’t eavesdrop this time. He tiptoed back to the bedroom, lifted the blanket, and saw the little cat already lying in the bed. He smiled and then lay down on the bed.

The soundproofing in the bathroom was much better. In the bedroom, Qiu Xuning couldn’t hear He Zhiyuan’s voice anymore, but it didn’t stop him from closing his eyes and thinking.

Just now, He Zhiyuan’s voice was playing over and over in his mind. Qiu Xuning felt his body heat up. He couldn’t help but reach down. After just a few casual touches, there was already a change.

His mind was a blur. When he regained clarity, his delicate face turned red again. He reached for a few tissues from the bedside and hurriedly wiped his hands.

He tossed the wadded tissues into the trash can and buried his face in the soft pillow. His sense of shame nearly drowned him.

He really did such a thing, but… it felt really good.

Speaking of which, what does He Zhiyuan look like there? He’s never seen it.

Qiu Xuning realized what he was thinking, and his face grew even warmer. Is that really all that’s on his mind now?

The more he thought about it, the hotter his face became. His heart was also racing. Afterward, the fatigue in his body became much heavier. In a tangled mess of chaotic thoughts, he wearily closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

He slept straight through until evening before waking up. The bedroom was pitch black, and the cat was scratching the door, meowing loudly. When the cat noticed Qiu Xuning had woken up, it quickly ran to the bed, meowing, as it licked the corner of his mouth.

Qiu Xuning was a little sensitive about this. He reached out and blocked the cat’s mouth, mumbling, “You little pervy cat, so you lick everyone’s mouth.”

He wiped the spot the cat had licked and slowly propped himself up, supporting his waist. His tailbone was injured, and any slight movement caused pain. He had to find the right position to sit. He could only sleep on his stomach, and his sleep wasn’t very restful. He had some chaotic dreams, making him feel exhausted when he woke up.

Qiu Xuning took out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and opened the bedroom door. The cat dashed out like an arrow. Qiu Xuning was amused by its funny running posture. While laughing, he remembered the cat had licked his mouth. He quickly covered his mouth and went to the bathroom to wash it.

The pants in the wash basin were already gone and the sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen. Qiu Xuning took small steps toward the kitchen door, and sure enough, he saw He Zhiyuan cooking.

He wore a gray-black apron on his upper body. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, revealing his muscular arms.

Qiu Xuning always felt there was something inexplicably off about the sight of He Zhiyuan cooking… Every time he saw it, he couldn’t help but feel amused from the bottom of his heart. It showed on his face as he slowly began to smile.

He Zhiyuan noticed his arrival, turned his head, and glanced at him. He said, “Go feed the dog when you’re awake.”

Qiu Xuning just replied with a small “Hmm,” and He Zhiyuan then said, “Never mind, I’ll feed it.”

Qiu Xuning blinked. He hadn’t spoken yet, but He Zhiyuan then added some water to the pot and turned around to walk out.

Qiu Xuning followed behind him and quietly asked, “What’s for dinner tonight?”

He Zhiyuan answered, “Anything.”

As he spoke, he poured dog food and water for the golden retriever. He also filled a bowl of cat food for the cat.

Perhaps because both pets were growing, not only did they exercise a lot, but they also had big appetites. They had to eat a lot of cat food and dog food every day, and only someone like He Zhiyuan could afford to take care of them now.

Qiu Xuning’s tailbone still hurts—it hurt even when he stood. The only position that felt better was lying down, so he lay down on the sofa again.

He took out his phone and checked. Qin Shouze and Yang Siyue had both sent him messages asking how he was. It wouldn’t be right not to reply at this time, so Qiu Xuning replied to each of them.

It seemed like Qin Shouze was waiting in front of his phone. As soon as Qiu Xuning replied, Qin Shouze immediately sent a new message. “Do you want to take a leave tomorrow?”

Qiu Xuning thought for a moment and replied, “I’m not taking a leave.”

Qin Shouze said, “It’s better to take a leave, right? The tailbone is quite an important area. I even heard of someone who fell on it and ended up paralyzed from the waist down.”

“…” Qiu Xuning said, “The doctor said it’s fine, I just need to rest.”

Qin Shouze scratched his face on the other side, at a loss for words again. He stared at the chat box, lost in thought.

Qiu Xuning saw that the message was stuck on “The other party is typing…” and didn’t want to wait anymore. He returned to the home screen, opened the music app, played a piano piece, and closed his eyes to listen.

Qin Shouze thought long and hard, finally typing a few words. “I’m thinking of coming to see you, is that okay?”

After sending the message, he held his breath, waiting for Qiu Xuning’s reply. He had a feeling that Qiu Xuning would probably still reject him.

However, Qiu Xuning still hadn’t replied. Qin Shouze’s mood sank. His cousin, who was visiting, cheerfully leaned over. He glanced at the chat box and asked, “Who are you chatting with?”

Qin Shouze answered distractedly, “A classmate.”

His cousin glanced at the time and said, “It’s been so long—they haven’t replied and you’re still staring at the screen… So, is it a male or female classmate?”

Qin Shouze hadn’t spoken yet, but his cousin then loudly shouted, “Aunt! Qin Shouze is in a relationship! He’s dating!”

Qin Shouze panicked and quickly grabbed his cousin’s hand. “What are you shouting for?!”

His cousin smiled and leaned in. “So, is it a guy or a girl?”

“A guy!” Qin Shouze said.

“What’s the point of chatting if it’s a guy?” His cousin heard this and looked at him with suspicion, eyeing him up and down. “Are you lying? If it’s a guy, why are you eagerly waiting for his reply?”

Qin Shouze said, “What do you know?”

His cousin replied, “I know more than you think. You’re clearly a young boy with a crush. Little brat, who are you trying to fool?”

Qin Shouze became angry. “Stop talking nonsense.”

His cousin shrugged and said, “Alright, I’ll shut up, but I’ll remind you—don’t start dating early, or if you don’t get into university, your mom might skin you alive.”

Qiu Xuning took a deep breath, not bothering to argue with him. He shut the door and went into his own bedroom.

…

Qiu Xuning almost fell asleep again while listening to the music.

He Zhiyuan woke him up, looking down at him from above. “So sleepy?”

Qiu Xuning rubbed his eyes and subconsciously tried to sit up, but he forgot he was still injured. He hit his tailbone hard, causing him to yelp “ow” in pain. He fell back onto the sofa, curling up into a ball.

He Zhiyuan looked at him and smiled.

Qiu Xuning’s eyes became misty with pain, but he also caught a fleeting glimpse of He Zhiyuan’s dimples.

It really was strange. He Zhiyuan didn’t like to smile, yet he had a pair of dimples on his face. He usually kept them hidden with no opportunity for them to show.

“You’re still laughing!” Qiu Xuning picked up a cushion and tried to hit He Zhiyuan.

He Zhiyuan bent down, picked up the phone he had left on the sofa and turned off the music. He said, “Get up and eat.”

Qiu Xuning put down the cushion and slowly got up, being very careful not to hurt his tailbone.

He Zhiyuan was still holding his phone, not putting it down. Qiu Xuning looked up at him and felt that He Zhiyuan’s expression seemed to have darkened slightly.

He slightly stood on tiptoe and saw He Zhiyuan open the chat page between him and Qin Shouze.

Qiu Xuning’s heart skipped a beat. He explained, “Qin Shouze—do you remember him? He was the one who skated with us this morning, my classmate from middle school.”

He Zhiyuan glanced at him and said in a low voice, “My memory is good. It was him at the swimming pool last summer, he won’t just go away.”

Qiu Xuning mumbled, “It’s not that exaggerated, right?”

He Zhiyuan handed him his phone and said, “Don’t get too close to him.”

Qiu Xuning remembered he had said this before. He obediently nodded and said, “You’ve seen my chat history, you know I haven’t really talked to him much.”

He Zhiyuan’s expression relaxed slightly. He said in a low voice, “I won’t stop you from making friends, but don’t make friends with those who have ulterior motives.”

Qiu Xuning figured out what he meant. “Are you saying that Qin Shouze has ulterior motives?”

He Zhiyuan lowered his eyes, gazing at his delicate and beautiful face. “Do you really not understand, or are you pretending not to?”

Qiu Xuning’s eyes were still clear, but they also carried a hint of confusion, clearly telling He Zhiyuan the answer—he really didn’t understand.

He Zhiyuan stared into Qiu Xuning’s eyes. His voice became much heavier. “Can’t you tell that he’s interested in you?”

Qiu Xuning froze for a moment, then his eyes widened, instinctively denying it. “Impossible!”