These past few days, both of them had been worn down by the bitter kuding tea to the point of losing their tempers. During the day they trained, and at night they would lean against each other to watch movies or read books—an unexpected kind of enjoyment.
At the beginning, Rong Xu would unconsciously snuggle up to him while hugging him, but Chi Han would immediately shove the Totoro plush into his arms.
After all, Rong Xu liked that plush, too. Now that he had something to hold, things wouldn’t develop in a dangerous direction. A perfect solution.
Rong Xu stared expressionlessly into Totoro’s big eyes, then silently got up to drink a cup of kuding tea.
Chi Han laughed gloatingly beside him.
This tea was so bitter that it made your scalp go numb.
Every time he drank it, he couldn’t control his facial expressions. Even though Rong Xu looked calm on the surface, anyone could feel that silent loathing radiating from him.
Still, drinking tea had its benefits. At the very least, neither of them had ever gotten heat-related ailments.
Once, a doctor from the training room had curiously stared at the kuding tea in Chi Han’s mug. He had seen the two of them drink it often and thought it must be some new health regimen favored by rich people.
Chi Han barely held back his laughter as he gifted the doctor two packets, saying it worked even better if taken once in the morning and once in the evening.
The doctor accepted them with endless gratitude, carefully tucking them into his pocket, already planning to keep one for himself and give the other to his girlfriend.
Rong Xu wiped his sweat on the side, one brow arching as a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Little devil.
Chi Han chuckled twice, then restrained his glee and solemnly began promoting the benefits of drinking tea.
The next day, the doctor looked green the whole day, and even spoke to his girlfriend on the phone with much more seriousness than usual.
Chi Han calmly took a sip of tea, stroked an imaginary beard, and smiled.
Young people still lacked training.
Look at him now, he could drink it without even changing his expression.
…
The afternoon training quickly drew to a close. Today was the last session.
It wasn’t even five o’clock when Rong Xu got off the machine.
“Do you want to go out for a bit later?” Rong Xu tilted his head back and drank a few mouthfuls of water. The sweat at his temples trickled down his hairline and slid along his slender neck, shifting with the motion of his Adam’s apple.
Chi Han reached out to help him wipe it off and replied casually, “Where would we be going?”
Ever since they arrived here, he had spent every day accompanying Rong Xu in training. They had basically never gone out.
But he had never felt bored. On the contrary, he felt time passed incredibly fast.
It wasn’t until Rong Xu brought it up now that he suddenly realized that it had been a long time since he last stepped outside.
“Today is their country’s annual Wine Valentine’s Day. Supposedly, there’ll be fireworks, too.” Rong Xu pulled out his phone and asked his assistant to bring the car around, then gently asked for Chi Han’s opinion. “In about an hour, it’ll be the most lively. Want to go check it out?”
Chi Han was a bit tempted as soon as he heard it. Since they had nothing else to do anyway, he nodded, his tone a little excited: “I do, I do! Are we going now?”
Rong Xu smiled and took him back to shower and change clothes.
In the lobby on the first floor, the flowers on the reception desk had all been swapped out for blazing red roses. Even the glass had tiny hearts stuck on it. The air was filled with the scent of love.
As Chi Han walked down the stairs, he was too busy admiring the roses and accidentally missed a step, stumbling forward.
Rong Xu reached out to catch him by the waist, his strong forearm firmly locking him into his embrace.
“Be careful. Why are you acting like a little kid?”
The tone, like scolding a child, made Chi Han’s face flush red. He immediately snorted in defiance.
If you really want to talk about who’s the child here, you’re the one who actually counts as one!
After steadying him, Rong Xu didn’t withdraw his hand. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Chi Han’s waist and led him outside, a pampering smile on his lips. “What, not happy about that? Baby?”
Chi Han’s ears tingled, and he swatted Rong Xu with embarrassment. His light brown eyes were filled with shame and indignation.
Ever since that day, this guy has kept teasing him with that nickname.
And at some point, Rong Xu had developed the habit of showering at night without bringing clothes in. He’d always call out at the end, “Baby, bring me some clothes.”
Then, the moment Chi Han passed him the clothes, Rong Xu would yank him inside and half-force him to shower together.
The result? After every shower, the two of them would down two big cups of bitter kuding tea.
Chi Han: “……”
After deep reflection on his regrets, he decided to stand firm no matter how much Rong Xu threatened or sweet-talked him. He would never bring clothes again, and only then did Rong Xu finally ease up a little.
Seeing that Chi Han had gone quiet from being teased, Rong Xu tilted his head to glance at him and chuckled softly, “What, not talking anymore? Are you mad?”
He held out his hand to him with a gentle smile. “Want this to vent your anger?”
Chi Han grabbed it in one swift motion, stuffed it into his pocket, and gave it a good rub.
Hmph, like he’d ever be willing to give that up!
Seeing this, Rong Xu couldn’t help but press him against the car door and lean in to kiss him. With his eyes half-lowered, he lingered for a long while before finally letting go.
By the time they separated, Chi Han’s lips had already turned a deep, rosy red.
As the car door opened, a large bouquet of vibrant, dewy French roses sat on the front passenger seat, blooming with fiery brilliance.
Chi Han had still been angrily wiping the corner of his lips, but was instantly struck speechless by the burst of red.
“You…”
This clearly wasn’t something done on a whim. No matter how capable the assistant was, there was no way they could’ve bought such a large bouquet of roses in just a few minutes, let alone all the beautifully wrapped gift boxes arranged in the back seat.
“Do you like it?”
Rong Xu reached out, picked up the French roses, and placed them into Chi Han’s arms.
The freely blooming roses carried a rich, intoxicating fragrance. Chi Han couldn’t help lowering his head to take a sniff. That snowy pale skin of his looked all the more enticing under the flush of crimson.
Rong Xu’s fingers twitched slightly, his throat bobbing.
Nothing could compare to Chi Han’s smile.
Holding the roses, Chi Han glanced back at the carefully prepared gifts inside the car, and at the clean, cozy plush seat cushions. He couldn’t help sniffing, his voice growing husky:
“If I’d said I didn’t want to go tonight… wouldn’t all this have been for nothing?”
Rong Xu reached out and pinched his earlobe, his fingertip brushing across the lips still reddened from the kiss. He laughed softly and said, “It’s fine, as long as you’re happy.”
“Chi Han, when it comes to you, nothing has ever been on a whim.”
Chi Han buried his face deep into the bouquet of roses. His eyes stung with emotion, but his heart felt like it was soaked in honey, so sweet that the corners of his lips couldn’t help curling upward.
…
Soon, the two of them arrived at the busiest main street in the city center. Just as Rong Xu had said, the moment they looked around, they were met with a sea of people and a vibrant, bustling scene.
After parking in the underground lot, Chi Han hugged the roses as he and Rong Xu took the elevator up.
Rong Xu had originally suggested leaving the flowers in the car, but Chi Han clung to them stubbornly, completely unwilling to let go, clearly determined to hold them all night.
Rong Xu could only shake his head with a helpless smile. Once the elevator doors opened, he took the flowers from him.
The bouquet was so large that it easily blocked the view while walking, especially since Chi Han had a habit of constantly turning his head to look around.
“Wow, there really is wine everywhere!” Chi Han exclaimed in awe as he looked around.
On the main street, every few meters, there was a large wooden barrel placed on a table, surrounded by many disposable little cups. Plenty of couples were grabbing a small glass of wine to drink together.
“Rong Xu, let’s go try some too! It probably isn’t that strong!”
Rong Xu felt a headache coming on. When it came to Chi Han’s alcohol tolerance, he truly had no words. But since they rarely got to go out like this, he didn’t want to dampen Chi Han’s excitement.
Since drinking meant they couldn’t drive, Rong Xu had already asked his assistant to prepare hangover remedies and arranged for him to return in two hours to bring the car and drive them home.
While Rong Xu was lowering his head to send a message, Chi Han had already dashed off to one of the wine barrels to grab a cup, only to get hit on by a tall foreign man.
Looking at the brown-haired, high-bridged-nose man holding up a glass as if to clink with his, Chi Han felt a bit confused.
But maybe this was just how people here showed friendliness and hospitality.
Chi Han didn’t overthink it. He raised his cup, ready to clink glasses.
A flicker of something unusual passed through the man’s deep-set eyes. He had spotted this exquisitely handsome young man in the crowd at a glance and had felt a jolt of excitement in his heart.
He hadn’t expected the boy to respond to him so positively!
Just as the man was about to say something, his hand holding the wine glass was suddenly knocked aside, spilling half the wine out.
Man: “?”
He looked over in anger, only to see an even more strikingly beautiful man standing beside the boy.
So flawless, it was almost bewitching.
The man’s eyes carried a piercing sharpness, and his brows were frosted with icy chill.
Rong Xu firmly grasped Chi Han’s wrist—the one holding the wine—and brought it to his lips, slowly drinking the pale red liquid. Every movement radiated dominance and possession, leaving no doubt about the nature of their relationship.
Upon seeing this, disappointment instantly washed over the other man’s face. So… the boy was already taken.
“Well then, since you already have a boyfriend, I won’t intrude,” the man said with gentlemanly grace. He took out a postcard from his wallet and handed it to Chi Han. “But if the two of you ever break up, give me a call. I’ll come find you.”
The cup in Rong Xu’s hand let out a crack, as if he’d just crushed someone’s bones.
His lips curled coldly, voice laced with frost: “Say another word, and I swear no one will ever find you again.”
“Get lost!”
The man, driven by a strong will to survive, quickly scrambled away.
Chi Han was completely dumbfounded. He had no idea how simply having a drink ended up with talk about dating.
He looked speechlessly at Rong Xu and said, “Does that guy have some kind of illness? Who said anything about dating him!”
Upon hearing that, a trace of crimson surfaced in Rong Xu’s eyes. He grabbed Chi Han’s chin and lowered his head to kiss him. The motion was aggressive; their teeth clashed, and it wasn’t clear whose blood was tasted in the mix.
People passing by whistled, and some girls blushed.
Moments later, the two of them separated, Chi Han’s eyes misted with tears.
He had absolutely no idea why Rong Xu suddenly got angry, or why he was being so fierce all of a sudden.
Rong Xu’s fingers gently brushed over Chi Han’s slightly swollen lips, his dark eyes swirling with unreadable emotions.
He leaned close to Chi Han, lightly licking the corner of his mouth. His eyes half-narrowed, and he looked like a dangerously feral beast.
“You’re not allowed to say you’re dating him.”
“Not even joking about it.”
Chi Han swallowed nervously, his palms slightly damp with sweat.
What now?
Was it still in time to try and smooth things over???
