ITC Chapter 49

 

The rain started suddenly at night and didn’t look like it would stop by morning. Raindrops beat against the window, leaving streaks on the glass. The curtains hadn’t been closed the night before, but thankfully the light on a rainy day wasn’t too harsh.

Wen Ruqing turned over in bed, his shoulder exposed to the air, dotted with red marks. Eyes shut, he wrinkled his nose as if uncomfortable—then sneezed.

After sneezing, he clearly felt better. Still keeping his eyes closed, he continued to sleep. A hand reached from behind and pulled the blanket over him, wrapping the exposed shoulder back into warmth. There was a faint bruise at the base of that hand’s thumb—shaped like teeth marks.

It was the weekend. Neither of them had work. They’d gone at it too late last night, and Wen Ruqing showed no sign of waking up yet. Even he rarely sleeps like this.

Cuddled under the blanket, Bai Xizhou listened to the sound of rain outside. The window was fogged, everything beyond unclear.

By the time Wen Ruqing woke up, it was already noon. His eyes were a bit red from crying last night. He felt dazed—the weather outside made it hard to tell the time.

He reached for his phone, and the motion tugged at a soreness. His expression twisted. Even though he remembered being carefully cleaned up afterward, his lower body still didn’t feel great.

His waist ached, his knees too. The inner thighs probably had skin rubbed raw. Wen Ruqing sighed, forcing himself to sit up. He rarely woke this late. His body clock was usually precise. And though sleep had improved slightly with medication, he still woke up easily at night.

But last night… he’d slept surprisingly well. Likely from the physical exhaustion.

He touched his abdomen—flat as always. And then, recalling certain other things, his ears abruptly turned red.

Bai Xizhou wasn’t in the room, but the spot where he’d slept was still warm—he must’ve just gotten up. Wen Ruqing grabbed a shirt from the closet, pulled it on, and went to wash up.

The person in the mirror had slightly swollen eyes, red-veined. But his complexion looked much better—rested, even rosy. Wen Ruqing touched his cheeks and felt like he’d put on weight—and all of it went to his face.

After washing up, Wen Ruqing stepped out of the bedroom. A fluffy bundle of fur suddenly nuzzled his feet. He crouched to scoop up two little rabbits. They’d been cared for by someone else recently and had clearly gained weight—heavy in his arms.

Bai Xizhou was nowhere in the living room or kitchen. Wen Ruqing frowned and sat on the sofa—then immediately sprang up, remembering what happened on it last night.

The torn spot on the sofa backrest was impossible to ignore, even if he tried to act like he didn’t see it.

The sound of the door opening came. Wen Ruqing turned and saw Bai Xizhou’s back—he was changing shoes. His blue coat was dotted with raindrops. The umbrella still dripped on the floor.

Bai Xizhou tossed the umbrella into the basket by the door, then turned around—startled to find Wen Ruqing standing in the living room. Wen Ruqing hugged the rabbits, but his eyes fell on the bouquet in Bai Xizhou’s arms.

“Where did you go?” Wen Ruqing’s voice was still hoarse. “It’s still raining outside.”

“Went to buy you flowers.” Bai Xizhou said as he held them out.

White buttercups and champagne roses, dotted with soft yellow ruffled blooms. But in between the petals, Wen Ruqing spotted something else. He pulled out the small box hidden under the buttercups. Looking up, he saw that Bai Xizhou was clearly signaling for him to open it.

A small square box—Wen Ruqing had a pretty good guess. He was a little nervous, even his hands trembled slightly. He opened the box. As expected: on the black velvet lay two rings.

“When did you…” Wen Ruqing’s eyes suddenly felt damp. He sniffled, holding back the tears.

Ever since being with Bai Xizhou, he’d become more sentimental.

“I told you—this time, it’s my turn.” Bai Xizhou took the ring box from him, and pulled out a ring.

His hand was a bit cold, but Wen Ruqing’s was warm. The ring slid onto his finger—the fit was perfect. A simple band on Wen Ruqing’s finger looked beautiful.

“I… I’ll put yours on too…” Wen Ruqing fumbled for the second ring, but Bai Xizhou didn’t raise his hand. Wen Ruqing looked up, confused, mist in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s my ring size?” Bai Xizhou suddenly asked. “I told you last night.”

Last night…

Wen Ruqing had to recall what happened, digging through memory for that detail.

“58.”

Thankfully, he remembered.

Bai Xizhou smiled, satisfied, and offered his hand. Wen Ruqing slid the ring on with trembling fingers, but didn’t let go.

There was a bandage on Bai Xizhou’s hand, but the bruise under it was faintly visible.

“You bit me. Don’t recognize your own work?” Bai Xizhou teased, a hint of grievance in his voice.

“Not my fault,” Wen Ruqing bristled. He pulled his collar aside to reveal a bite mark on his collarbone. “You bit me too. We’re even.”

“Sorry,” Bai Xizhou said, helping him fix his collar—with zero remorse. “So, can I bite again next time?”

Such a rascal.

Wen Ruqing fumed inside—but looking at the ring on his hand and the flowers in his arms, his anger melted.

“No biting so hard next time—it really hurts.” He’d cried from the pain yesterday.

“Okay. I’ll go easy next time.”

---

The rain stopped in the afternoon, but the sun didn’t come out. After lunch, they took a nap together. By the time they woke again, the sky outside had turned orange-red with the setting sun.

“Qingqing, let’s go on a date,” Bai Xizhou suddenly said, holding him close. “I want to take you to a movie.”

Come to think of it, they’d never actually gone on a proper date. Bai Xizhou, staring at the fiery clouds, had a spontaneous urge to take Wen Ruqing out.

Wen Ruqing didn’t refuse. After nearly a full day’s rest, the discomfort had mostly faded. Since Bai Xizhou wanted to go out, he was happy to come along.

They had dinner outside first, then Bai Xizhou drove them to a movie. As the streets narrowed, the car stopped at the entrance of a small alley. He asked Wen Ruqing to get out and walk with him—too narrow for the car.

Wen Ruqing hadn’t been here before and looked around curiously. The old apartment buildings didn’t look like they housed a theater. But Bai Xizhou walked with confidence, clearly familiar. Wen Ruqing followed along.

He wasn’t about to sell him off, after all.

They twisted through alley after alley before Bai Xizhou finally stopped. Wen Ruqing followed his gaze—there was an old, rusting sign out front. The metal frame was nearly falling apart.

“This is a private theater I came to back in university,” Bai Xizhou explained, leading Wen Ruqing in.

Inside was a row of DVDs—rare these days. An old man sat behind the counter, saying nothing. Bai Xizhou picked a disc, handed it over, and received a key in return.

Wen Ruqing silently watched. He wasn’t used to this type of place—and couldn’t imagine how a place like this could show movies.

With the key in hand, Bai Xizhou took Wen Ruqing upstairs. The staircase walls were covered in old movie posters, faded and yellowing.

They turned left on the second floor. Bai Xizhou unlocked a door. Inside was a small private room—a big couch, a blanket, snacks and bottled water on the table. An entire wall was taken up by the screen.

“Wouldn’t a place like this get raided?” Wen Ruqing asked suddenly, brain short-circuiting. “No—I didn’t mean it like that…”

“It won’t. Don’t worry, it’s legal.” Bai Xizhou laughed, pulling him onto the couch and into his arms. “Besides, we’re a proper couple—even if it was raided, we’ve got nothing to hide.”

Wen Ruqing realized his question was ridiculous and decided to shut up. He quietly leaned on Bai Xizhou. The movie started to play.

Bai Xizhou had seen this film many times, but for Wen Ruqing, it was a first. The movie was old—the whole screen tinted with the aesthetic of another era. Wen Ruqing stayed curled in Bai Xizhou’s arms, watching intently.

“Focus on the movie. Stop staring at me.” Wen Ruqing couldn’t help but scold him.

In such a small enclosed space, desire could easily spark. But Wen Ruqing’s mind was clear. Held like this, warm and safe, surrounded by Bai Xizhou’s pine-scented cologne—he was at peace.

Bai Xizhou, meanwhile, kept gazing at his side profile, dazed.

Movie dialogue drifted past Bai Xizhou’s ears. Characters went from passionate to quiet. He didn’t notice a thing. The film was long. The credits finally rolled, and only then did Wen Ruqing start to move.

“Was it boring?” Bai Xizhou turned on the light—Wen Ruqing’s face gradually became visible.

He wanted his opinion. He hoped for something.

“Not boring. I liked it,” Wen Ruqing answered.

“This movie means a lot to me.” Bai Xizhou rested his chin on Wen Ruqing’s shoulder, whispering in his ear. “Back in college, I felt lost. I couldn’t see a future for myself. I studied all kinds of things, searching for purpose and value. I failed, again and again. But this movie… gave me direction. It helped me commit to this path. I brought you here not to ask anything, just to show you a fuller version of me.”

The full Bai Xizhou—not just a loveless childhood, a chaotic family, and a rising career. But also the lost, struggling youth and every choice made along the way. All of this made him who he was—complete.

“I get it now. Next time just say so. No need to disguise it as a date,” Wen Ruqing teased, squeezing his hand and brushing his ring. “You don’t have to worry about me saying no. I never had hobbies. So now, whatever you want to do—I’ll go with you. Being with you is my hobby.”

Bai Xizhou smiled helplessly. He felt like Wen Ruqing spoiled him too much. Whatever request he made—after some thought—Ruqing would always agree.

He was getting greedy.