DCISBS chapter 38

The next morning, Xie Quan woke up wrapped in a cozy warmth, so comfortable that sleepiness still clung to him, making him reluctant to open his eyes.

It had been years since he last felt this lazy urge to stay in bed. He simply let himself drift deeper into sleep, until his hand unconsciously touched something warm—and he instantly woke up.

Opening his eyes, he found that the “something” was Lu Nanyang’s arm. Lu Nanyang was hugging him from behind, one arm draped over his waist, sleeping soundly.

Xie Quan moved Lu Nanyang’s arm away and turned over, yet even then, Lu Nanyang didn’t wake up.

Xie Quan squinted at him, his gaze settling on his face. Lu Nanyang’s sleeping posture was kind of silly—his mouth slightly open, hair messy from the pillow, and his limbs sprawled everywhere without any sense of order. Even with such an ugly sleeping posture, his sharp features were still undeniable.

His nose was tall, his lips full, which made his eye sockets appear deeper than most. Coupled with his large, bright eyes, it often made Xie Quan feel strangely guilty whenever they locked eyes.

But now that Lu Nanyang was asleep, Xie Quan could stare at him as much as he wanted without any guilt.

He stretched out his hand, and the pad of his index finger gently traced over Lu Nanyang’s lips, outlining the shape of his lower lip. There was a split at the lower part of the lip—left from the bite he had given him the night before. It wasn’t bleeding anymore, but when his finger brushed over it, Lu Nanyang frowned slightly.

Kissing Lu Nanyang felt very different.

Maybe it was because of his full lips. Maybe it was because only he would actively respond, even counterattack, during a kiss. Just touching his lips made Xie Quan recall last night’s kiss: wet, hot, thick with sensation—it wasn’t just a kiss; it was practically making love with their mouths.

Xie Quan lightly pinched the split lip with his nail, and a small bead of blood seeped out. Lu Nanyang impatiently swatted his hand away, tilted his head to the side, and actually fell asleep again.

…Was he a pig?

Xie Quan propped himself up and looked down at Lu Nanyang, his gaze eventually falling below his waist. Then, he gave him a hard kick.

The entire apartment soon echoed with Lu Nanyang’s mournful scream loud enough to disturb the neighbors.

……

The rain had stopped. The early morning sky was as clear as glass, with a few drops of water clinging to the windowsill, wetting the feathers of a passing sparrow.

Lu Nanyang wiped the water droplets from his face with a towel, walked to the window, and opened it. The startled sparrow flapped its wings and disappeared beyond the wall.

“The bougainvillea died pretty tragically,” Lu Nanyang said. “It’s all over the ground.”

Xie Quan glanced outside. The ground near the greenery was covered with bougainvillea petals, like a pink-and-white carpet that swayed with the breeze. Some petals had already turned into mush, and soon they would sink into the soil.

“It’s just the season,” Xie Quan said. “Even without the rain, they would’ve withered soon.”

“It’s still different,” Lu Nanyang said. “Withering slowly and being knocked down all at once by a rainstorm—they feel completely different.”

“Are you Lin Daiyu or something? So sentimental about the seasons,” Xie Quan said speechlessly. 

“Underestimating me, huh? Back in high school, I even won first prize in a school-wide essay competition,” Lu Nanyang said as he closed the window. “The temperature’s dropped a lot today. Wear more clothes.”

“I’m not that fragile.” Xie Quan frowned.

“The doctor said that when reducing medication, the body can react worse than before, with more physical side effects. You should still take better care of yourself. Maybe take some more Vitamin B and C to help your strength.”

As he spoke, Lu Nanyang walked over and reached out to feel Xie Quan’s forehead.

Xie Quan reflexively dodged back a little, but Lu Nanyang insisted, pressing his palm to Xie Quan’s forehead for a moment before letting go. “Mm, good, no fever anymore.”

“You’re the sick one,” Xie Quan muttered under his breath. “I’m a doctor myself.”

…..

That morning’s breakfast was cooked personally by Lu Nanyang, who said something about not letting a patient overexert himself. In the end, he served up two plates of burnt dough lumps.

“…What is this?” Xie Quan asked.

“It once was, originally was supposed to be, a pancake,” Lu Nanyang insisted. “There was just a little accident. But you can still imagine it as a pancake.”

Xie Quan sighed, poked around with his chopsticks a couple of times, then picked up a piece and put it into his mouth.

Whatever, it didn’t matter. For him, food just needed to fill his stomach.

Lu Nanyang watched his every move intently, staring as he swallowed it down. “How does it taste?”

Faced with those puppy-dog eyes, Xie Quan really couldn’t bring himself to say anything mean. “It’s alright.”

“Really?” Lu Nanyang pressed, “I might’ve added too much salt. Is it too salty?”

“A little, but still within the acceptable range,” Xie Quan said.

Only then did Lu Nanyang breathe a sigh of relief and smile. “Good.

He also picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth. Instantly, a sour taste filled his mouth. He swallowed the vinegar-soaked dough without changing his expression, while watching Xie Quan calmly eat another piece as if nothing was wrong.

Some things, if they happen once, might be coincidence — but a second time, it becomes a certainty.

Xie Quan couldn’t tell the difference between sweet, salty, and sour.

It was very likely… he couldn’t taste food at all.

At that moment, Lu Nanyang didn’t know what he was feeling. A mix of emotions flooded him, and a lot of details he had overlooked before came rushing back.

Xie Quan’s love for spicy food, his indifference when choosing meals, and that night his apartment caught fire — when Lu Nanyang brought expensive little cakes, Xie Quan had commented that they “had no taste.”

That night at the barbecue, Xie Quan had said that spiciness was a kind of pain.

In other words, among all flavors, only the pain of spiciness could barely register for him.

Lu Nanyang suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe properly.

What was life like without taste? Unable to sense sweet, sour, bitter, or savory flavors, missing the aroma of food — just imagining it was unbearable.

Was he born this way, or did it develop later? And how long had it been going on?

The closer he got to Xie Quan, the more he felt he was like a bottomless black hole. The scars that showed were already shocking, and who knew what else was hidden underneath.

Was he really planning to keep enduring all this alone, telling no one?

Lu Nanyang lowered his gaze, and under the table, his hand broke a splinter off the chair with a sharp “snap.”

“Your phone’s ringing,” Xie Quan said suddenly.

Lu Nanyang snapped back to reality and picked up his phone. It was a WeChat message.

Wen Fei: Lu-ge! Want to go for some skewers tonight? A new skewer shop opened behind the back gate — they’re offering free drinks during the soft opening!

Lu Nanyang put down his chopsticks and replied:

Xiang Nanyang: Didn’t you say you were rushing home to embrace your little skirts the moment break started? Why are you still around?

Wen Fei: The ticket-booking app messed up! Anyway, that’s not important. You coming or not? I’m leaving tomorrow.

Lu Nanyang looked up at Xie Quan, hesitating.

Although Xie Quan seemed fine now, honestly, the way he was last night had scared him a little.

He really didn’t want to leave Xie Quan alone in the apartment.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Quan noticed his gaze and lifted his head.

“Haven’t you been staying indoors for too long lately?” Lu Nanyang put down his phone and studied him. “I think your complexion’s gotten lighter.”

“What, you trying to sell me some tanning products?” Xie Quan smirked.

“…” Lu Nanyang was speechless. “I’m saying — how about we go out for dinner tonight? Get some fresh air. Wen Fei’s treating.”

He decided that on Wen Fei’s behalf without asking.

Xie Quan squinted, showing that familiar sly look Lu Nanyang knew too well. “I remember someone once pinned me down and strictly forbade me from having any contact with his little roommate?”

Lu Nanyang looked reluctant. “He changes his taste every other day. Now he’s eyeing some new handsome guy.”

After a pause, Lu Nanyang warned, “But you still can’t add him on WeChat, can’t sit next to him, and you can’t add any of my other friends on WeChat either.”

Xie Quan stroked his chin dramatically. “Oh, really? Then let me think about it…”

Tch.

Was it physically painful for this guy to go five minutes without being a little shit?

Lu Nanyang was about to lose it when Xie Quan propped his chin up, smiling with those charming, mischievous peach blossom eyes. “Okay, I’ll go.”

 

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Author’s note:

Xie Quan: I just love that look you get when you’re mad but can’t hit me.

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