After finishing the two most recent exams, Chi Han took a bath and lit incense. With a solemn expression, he sat down in front of his drawing board, even more serious and nervous than he had been during the exams.
Rong Xu sat beside him, occasionally offering a few pointers.
An hour later, Rong Xu’s expression gradually became calm. His eyes were serene and still, as silent as a sculpture.
“Why does it always end up looking a little strange? This eye… What do you think, Rong Xu?” Chi Han tilted his head in thought. When he received no response for a long time, he nudged the person beside him with his elbow and spoke, puzzled, “Rong Xu?”
Rong Xu looked at the sketch on the paper—a mass that vaguely resembled a human being—and was speechless for a while. After thinking it over for some time, he hesitantly said, “Well… the eye spacing is a bit wide, but the artistic mood is very good.”
Chi Han: “……”
Chi Han tossed his pencil aside, discouraged. “Forget it, forget it. Looks like I’m really not cut out for portrait drawing. I’ll just say I didn’t have time because I was reviewing for exams. Otherwise, if this drawing gets displayed, you and I will both go down in history—infamously!”
Rong Xu tugged the corners of his lips, his eyes curving slightly.
“You’re even laughing!” Chi Han was steeped in the gloom of failure and feeling frustrated. He half-knelt on the bed, straightened up, and reached out to tickle Rong Xu’s side, grumbling in defiance, “Let’s see you laugh now! Laugh again!”
Rong Xu’s waist was a bit sensitive, and he instinctively grabbed Chi Han’s hand. Chi Han hooked a leg around him and sent his other hand to join the chaos. Eventually, the two of them became entangled and fell onto the bed.
Rong Xu’s face turned slightly red, a fine sheen of sweat forming on his forehead. His jet-black eyes were like obsidian washed clean with water, reflecting bits of scattered light.
His palms gripped both of Chi Han’s wrists and pinned them above his head. His long legs firmly trapped Chi Han beneath him.
After dodging for so long because of the tickling, Rong Xu’s chest was slightly heaving now. The parts of their bodies that touched were burning hot.
Chi Han’s smile faded slightly. He shifted a little and said in a low voice, “I’m done messing around. Let go. I want to get up.”
Rong Xu knew he was playing with fire right now, but he just couldn’t help wanting to be close to Chi Han.
The more he liked him, the more he wanted to get nearer.
When Chi Han moved his leg, he accidentally brushed against Rong Xu. In an instant, Rong Xu’s gaze darkened. His breathing grew a bit uneven, and he rested his head in the crook of Chi Han’s neck.
“Chi Han… I’m uncomfortable.”
At first, Chi Han thought Rong Xu’s old leg condition was acting up again. Alarmed, he immediately tried to sit up, but the moment he moved, he felt a searing heat against his thigh.
Chi Han: “…………”
He froze in place, unable to move or stay still.
“Um, you… that…”
Chi Han stammered out a few words. Somehow, his face started burning, too.
In both his past life and this one, dear god, this was his first time encountering something like this!
The little love rookie’s brain turned into a complete mess.
W-what should he do?
Was he supposed to help Rong Xu out?
The very thought made Chi Han’s hands hover awkwardly in midair, not knowing where to go.
With one hand braced against the bed and the other arm around Rong Xu’s shoulder, Chi Han felt like his entire existence had gone haywire.
Rong Xu could feel Chi Han’s shyness and embarrassment. They had only just gotten together. He wasn’t in a rush to have Chi Han do something like that for him now.
He restrained himself and placed a light kiss on Chi Han’s neck. After a moment, he let go, got off the bed, and walked toward the bathroom.
“You sleep first, I’m going to take a shower.”
Chi Han looked at Rong Xu’s back, bit his lower lip, and in a sudden rush of heat to his head, called out, “How about I help you!”
Rong Xu’s steps halted, and a vein visibly tightened on his arm.
That one sentence nearly shattered the self-control and willpower Rong Xu had been struggling to hold onto. He took a deep breath and forced himself to go into the bathroom.
Chi Han clearly wasn’t ready for that kind of thing yet. He had to take things one step at a time. He couldn’t risk losing even a sliver of Chi Han’s affection.
“It’s okay. Next time.”
The sound of running water soon came from the bathroom. Chi Han lay on his back in bed, pulled over Rong Xu’s dress shirt, and buried his face in it.
The tip of his nose was filled with that person’s unique scent—cool, like rain and pine.
Chi Han couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile, rolling once across the bed.
What was he supposed to do? Rong Xu had him completely enchanted, every single day.
How could Rong Xu… be this good?!
Chi Han giggled to himself for a long while, his heart full to bursting.
In the end, Chi Han didn’t participate in the art festival after all. The girl in charge of collecting submissions was the same one who had helped promote it before. When she heard the news, she couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed, but she still expressed her understanding.
After all, no matter what, schoolwork couldn’t be delayed!
But what she didn’t know was that the painting she had been looking forward to had long since been privately treasured away by a certain someone with the last name Rong.
……
Time flew by, and soon the final exams were all over. Everyone packed up their things and began heading home.
Yin Hao had taken his girlfriend on a trip, and the other two had also booked their tickets home early.
Chi Han locked the dorm door, went downstairs, and immediately saw Rong Xu waiting for him at the entrance.
This year, they were going home to spend the New Year together.
It was also the New Year that Chi Han had most looked forward to since arriving in this world.
He had called the butler in advance, asking him to tidy up the villa they had stayed in before. Once the New Year’s supplies were purchased, the butler could take a holiday, too.
The butler was overjoyed to hear that Rong Xu was coming back. He immediately led the staff to thoroughly clean the villa, which hadn’t been lived in for a year, restocked all the daily necessities, and even packed the refrigerator completely full.
Afraid the two might not be good at cooking, he also prepared plenty of frozen and ready-to-eat meals.
Because clinical exams were numerous, their break started late. Plus, Rong Xu had to handle a few unexpected work matters. By the time they were truly ready to head home, it was already New Year’s Eve.
When they arrived, the moment Chi Han stepped out of the car, he saw a black blur charging toward him. He instinctively caught it, stumbling back two steps:
“Duo Fu! How did you get so fat?!”
Rong Xu wrapped one arm around Chi Han’s lower back, then reached out and grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck, tossing it down.
Duo Fu’s tail had been wagging so fast it looked like it might take off, but the moment it saw Rong Xu, it froze in place. Then it tucked its tail, lowered its head, and let out a low, miserable “wooo…”
Rong Xu found it rather amusing. After just one year, that silly, timid pup actually dared bare its teeth at him.
He lowered his gaze and took a step forward. Duo Fu, with its tail between its legs, fiercely retreated a step.
Rong Xu curled his lip. “…Tch.”
Chi Han shook his head helplessly. Those two—man and dog—had never gotten along.
He stepped forward, squatted down, and gave the dog’s head a firm rub, scolding in a low voice, “What are you growling for? Put those teeth away! Don’t recognize him anymore? Heartless thing.”
Duo Fu’s tail gave a tentative little wag. It leaned forward and sniffed carefully. A few seconds later, its eyes suddenly lit up.
Rong Xu lifted his eyelids and, without hesitation, raised a foot. “Scram.”
Duo Fu: “……”
……
Chi Han glanced at the dazed and dejected Duo Fu sitting just outside the kitchen and smiled as he shook his head. He said to Rong Xu, “It just missed you too much. When it was little, it loved playing with you.”
Rong Xu washed his hands, mixed the cooked meat the butler had prepared with some dog food, and gave a light “Mm” in response.
He opened the door, set down Duo Fu’s bowl, and pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands.
Duo Fu immediately stood up, eyes locked tightly on Rong Xu, longing practically spilling out of them.
Rong Xu gave a slight lift of his chin, his expression as cold as ever. “Eat.”
Duo Fu instantly transformed into a little excavator, gobbling it down with eager grunts and snuffles.
Chi Han happened to catch the fleeting trace of a smile at the corner of Rong Xu’s lips. It was gone in a flash, but he couldn’t help stifling a laugh.
Clearly, he cared a lot. But on the surface, he kept up that serious, proper act.
When Rong Xu saw Chi Han coming out, his face returned to its usual indifference. He pulled Chi Han along all the way to his room on the second floor, then turned around and pinned him against the door.
Chi Han: “???”
What kind of scene was this now?
At that moment, there was something seemingly suppressed in Rong Xu’s eyes—a faint shadow of gloom.
He leaned close, his thumb lightly pressing against the Adam’s apple on Chi Han’s slender neck. His voice was as gentle as ever, but it still made Chi Han’s scalp tingle.
“Why did you move out?”
Rong Xu tilted his head and kissed Chi Han’s earlobe, letting out a low chuckle. “Chi Han, do you want to leave this place?”
In an instant, goosebumps shot up all over Chi Han’s body. For the first time, he caught a glimpse of the sinister villain from the original book in Rong Xu’s expression.
But!
Why on earth were his legs suddenly going weak and his face flushing red?!!
Ah, there must be something seriously wrong with him!
“Jokes on you, I’m into this shit.”
real XD