ITC Chapter 46

The puppy ring—Bai Xizhou found a box for it and quietly placed it inside the display cabinet, right next to the one-legged tin soldier and the ballerina puppet. Wen Ruqing didn’t know any of this, and Bai Xizhou had no intention of telling him.

The Buddhist scriptures Wen Ruqing brought back from the temple had caused major trouble for the department due to the dampness.

The stuck-together pages could easily tear with a wrong move, the mold smeared the hands at the lightest touch, and the smell… was honestly hard to describe. This time, Wen Ruqing and Chen Qi had been assigned to damage assessment and form-filling. After seeing how some scriptures were practically rotted from soaking, both of them lost their appetites for days.

When they finally finished the work and completed the last section of the forms, Chen Qi stretched, patted Wen Ruqing on the shoulder, and asked if he was free after work.

“For what?” Wen Ruqing didn’t really have other plans—normally, he’d go home with Bai Xizhou.

His thoughts drifted far off. Without realizing it, he touched his lips—they were still a bit swollen, though not too obvious. Chen Qi didn’t seem to notice.

But he really couldn’t keep indulging Bai Xizhou like this. Sure, kissing him felt nice… but that didn’t mean they had to do it every day.

“I’m planning to propose soon, and I want to pick out a ring. I don’t fully trust my taste, so I want your opinion.” Chen Qi scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

“Alright, I don’t have anything else going on anyway.” Wen Ruqing took out his phone and messaged Bai Xizhou, telling him not to come pick him up. Bai Xizhou replied with a sulky sticker.

The store wasn’t a specialty diamond ring shop, but it was a reputable brand—rumor had it that even celebrities shopped there. Once inside, Chen Qi looked around and picked out a few options. The store clerk asked for his partner’s ring size, and Chen Qi answered without hesitation.

“I measured it secretly while he was asleep.” As the clerk went to fetch the rings, Chen Qi whispered to Wen Ruqing, face glowing with happiness. “Which one do you think looks best?”

“I think this one’s nice.” Wen Ruqing pointed at one of them.

He was only giving suggestions—after sharing his thoughts, he left Chen Qi to browse while he wandered around the shop. At the very back, he noticed a display case that looked different from the others. Inside were jade rings—no man-made patterns, just clean, simple bands showcasing the natural texture of the jade.

“These are our newest arrivals. If you like one, feel free to try it on,” the shop assistant eagerly introduced.

“I don’t know the size,” Wen Ruqing replied helplessly.

Still, he really wanted to buy one. A few days ago, he’d promised Bai Xizhou that he’d get him something better. Bai Xizhou had beautiful hands—slender and well-defined. A jade ring would look perfect on him. The problem was, he’d never had the chance to measure Bai Xizhou’s finger.

“That’s alright—we have professional tools for measuring,” the assistant offered enthusiastically, thinking the ring was for Wen Ruqing himself.

“No, it’s for someone else.” Wen Ruqing stepped back and waved his hand, explaining, “But I don’t know his size.”

“Huh? For who?” Chen Qi had suddenly appeared behind him. “You planning to propose too?”

“It’s just a gift.” He was nowhere near the marriage stage yet.

“You could measure it secretly, like I did.”

Wen Ruqing glanced at Chen Qi. That… actually wasn’t a bad idea. The jade rings were beautiful and understated, and not too expensive either.

It would make a good return gift.

After dinner, Bai Xizhou went to the study to finish some unfinished work, and Wen Ruqing went to take a bath.

As he glanced around the bathroom, he saw the pair of toothbrush cups by the mirror—one blue, one pink, a couple’s set that Bai Xizhou had personally picked out. The pink one was Bai Xizhou’s, simply because Wen Ruqing didn’t like pink.

His slippers were still by the door—brown plush ones that looked like the fur of a certain bear. Another thing Bai Xizhou had picked out.

Bai Xizhou really liked choosing his clothes and daily essentials. Wen Ruqing wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t dislike it—in fact, he quite enjoyed it.

He leaned against the edge of the bathtub, hot water soaking his whole body, slowly easing the tension from his muscles. The steam carried away the day’s exhaustion.

The more Bai Xizhou did things like this, the more Wen Ruqing wanted to do something for him in return.

He sighed. How could he measure Bai Xizhou’s finger size without him noticing? He fell into thought.

He must’ve soaked for too long. Bai Xizhou had finished his work, but Wen Ruqing still hadn’t come out. He knocked on the door—no response. He called out again—still silence. Frowning, Bai Xizhou pushed the door open.

What he saw was Wen Ruqing slumped over the edge of the tub, eyes closed, as if lost in a sweet dream. There was even a faint smile on his lips. The bathwater had long since gone cold.

Bai Xizhou grabbed a towel, wrapped it around him, and carried him to the bed. The familiar scent of pine wood slowly brought Wen Ruqing back to consciousness.

“Did I fall asleep?” Wen Ruqing blinked groggily, pulling the towel tighter to cover his bare body.

“You fell asleep in the bath. The water’s gone cold. Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?” Bai Xizhou scolded while pulling a T-shirt from the closet. “Here. Put this on.”

Wen Ruqing took the shirt but didn’t move right away. He looked at Bai Xizhou with a complicated expression.

“I have pajamas… and I’m pretty sure this is your shirt.” Wen Ruqing lifted his leg and aimed a light kick at Bai Xizhou’s thigh. It almost hit somewhere dangerous, but before he could retract, Bai Xizhou grabbed his ankle.

“Bai Xizhou, do you have some kind of weird kink? Like a boyfriend-shirt fetish or something?”

“I do have a little kink,” Bai Xizhou said with a smile, running his hand up Wen Ruqing’s leg, stopping at his inner thigh. “I like seeing you in my clothes, like having your scent mixed with mine. Is that so wrong?”

His hand was warm against Wen Ruqing’s skin. Though he wasn’t moving, Wen Ruqing couldn’t help feeling a little nervous—he knew exactly what this meant.

“If something gets broken, I’ll take responsibility,” Wen Ruqing said, still talking back but quietly shifting away. “I think you should give it a try. I’ve got decent technique.”

Neither of them was trying to play innocent. They were both young and full of desire—this was normal.

“Qingqing,” Bai Xizhou called him. “Look at me.”

Wen Ruqing lifted his head—and crashed straight into Bai Xizhou’s gaze. Behind the love in those eyes, there was a surging, barely restrained hunger. Bai Xizhou’s hand kept moving upward, and Wen Ruqing’s breath hitched.

“If you wanted it, why didn’t you buy it when we passed by the supermarket last time?” Wen Ruqing asked, confused.

“I wanted to take it slow,” Bai Xizhou admitted, a bit regretful. “But I underestimated my self-control. Looks like we’ll have to make do with hands tonight.”

…

“Qingqing, make a sound—don’t hold it in.”

…

Bai Xizhou kissed the hollow of Wen Ruqing’s throat, savoring the slightest changes in his body.

…

“Bai Xizhou, you pervert!”

…

Wen Ruqing, who had just come out of the bath, was dragged back in again—thanks to Bai Xizhou.

He was already exhausted, and now, after all that, he could barely keep his eyes open. He forced himself to help Bai Xizhou put on clothes before collapsing into bed and wrapping himself tightly in the blanket.

Bai Xizhou also took a quick shower. During it, he got a phone call. By the time he came out, Wen Ruqing was already half-asleep.

“I need to head out for a bit. Sleep tight.” He knelt by the bed and kissed Wen Ruqing on the forehead.

“Where are you going?” Wen Ruqing asked, eyes half-open.

“Qu Qingchen got taken in—I’m going to bail him out. You just sleep, don’t worry about me.” Bai Xizhou stuffed the little bear into Wen Ruqing’s arms, as if coaxing a child.

Wen Ruqing was so drowsy, he probably didn’t even hear what was said.

Once Bai Xizhou confirmed that Wen Ruqing had fallen into a peaceful sleep, he finally left.

By the time Bai Xizhou arrived at the police station, Qu Qingchen had just finished his statement and was sitting in the waiting area. Bai Xizhou walked over and saw the bandage on his right hand.

“Got into a fight? Or did someone hit you?” Bai Xizhou asked. “Wait—no, you’re usually the one doing the hitting.”

“I didn’t hit anyone. He attacked a nurse from our department—I stepped in to block it, and my hand happened to land on a pair of scissors.” Qu Qingchen looked up with a forced smile. “Hey, can I crash at your place for a bit?”

Qu Qingchen rarely called him “ge”. He usually saved that for Teng Yuan. Though both Bai Xizhou and Teng Yuan were older, Qu Qingchen typically just used their names.

This didn’t feel simple. Bai Xizhou had a gut feeling that Qu Qingchen was hiding something. If it was really just a minor injury, why didn’t he contact Teng Yuan?

“No. I have someone at home,” Bai Xizhou refused flatly.

“Then what about Ruqing’s old apartment? No one’s living there anymore. I’ll just stay a few days, until I’m better.”

No need to guess who that “someone at home” was.

“Qu Qingchen, if you’re not honest with me, I’m not helping you.”

“I’ve been suspended—because of the fight. I just don’t want him to worry. His family was finally starting to soften up, and I’m scared this incident will ruin everything again.” Qu Qingchen looked at him with helpless eyes. “You know how it is—his parents don’t approve of us. He’s always wanted them to witness our happiness, which is why we’ve delayed the wedding. I don’t want his dream to fall apart.”

“Qu Qingchen!” A loud voice interrupted him mid-sentence—Teng Yuan’s voice, coming from the entrance. Everyone looked over.

He walked straight up to Qu Qingchen, face full of anger. “Something this serious—and you planned to keep it from me?”

Qu Qingchen looked at Bai Xizhou, who silently shook his head, saying it wasn’t him.

“Don’t give each other that look—it was my dad who told me,” Teng Yuan said as he sat beside him and gently lifted Qu Qingchen’s hand. “He asked me to check—will your hand be okay? Can you still hold a scalpel?”

Seeing Teng Yuan arrive, Bai Xizhou wisely took his leave. It wasn’t his place to get involved.

By the time he got home, it was almost midnight. A soft light glowed in the living room. Bai Xizhou walked over and found Wen Ruqing asleep on the sofa, a tablet playing some unknown cartoon beside him.

Maybe it was the sound of the door that woke him. Wen Ruqing rubbed his eyes and sat up.

“You’re back,” he mumbled. “Did everything go okay?”

Instead of answering, Bai Xizhou scooped him up by the butt, catching him off guard. Wen Ruqing instinctively clung to him with both arms and legs.

“You’re so annoying. Can’t you warn someone before picking them up?” Wen Ruqing buried his face in Bai Xizhou’s neck, muttering, “Give me some mental prep next time.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to wait up? You should’ve just gone to bed.” Bai Xizhou avoided the question as he carried him to the bedroom.

“I thought… if you came back and saw someone waiting for you, you’d be happy. Also…” Wen Ruqing paused, then hugged him tighter. His exposed ears slowly turned red. “The bear isn’t as comfy as you.”

“Idiot.”

Bai Xizhou chuckled softly. Though the words sounded like scolding, his heart was melting.

For countless nights, he had wished for a light left on just for him And now That wish had finally come true.