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Chapter 54 – Coaxing and Coddling
Amidst the chorus of teasing, Jiang Liusui felt it was enough and tried to withdraw his hand—but He Yujing turned it around and held him tighter.
Many noticed this small gesture, and the atmosphere grew even more lively. Zheng You, watching the scene unfold, raised his glass with a laugh. “Come on, everyone! Let’s toast to A’Jing’s first relationship—”
Glasses were lifted all around. Jiang Liusui’s attention was caught by Zheng You’s words, but before he could ask for details, someone chimed in during the toast, “First relationship, huh? I thought you were joking all this time.”
“Hahahaha! No offense, but Yu-ge looks like he’s dated a hundred people, but the reality couldn’t be more different from his playboy image.”
“Quiet, everyone! Let me speak up for our young master.” Yan Sheng paused deliberately as all eyes turned to him, then grinned mischievously. “Yeah… it really is a first love.”
The room erupted in laughter. He Yujing took the teasing in stride, letting them have their fun. Jiang Liusui laughed along but couldn’t help stealing a glance at the man beside him.
He never expected He Yujing to have never dated before.
After all, everyone knew He Yujing loved to have fun, carried himself with undeniable charm, and had an unpredictable personality. Jiang Liusui had even wondered if He Yujing had ever kept someone as a lover…
“What’s so funny?” He Yujing’s voice cut through his thoughts.
Jiang Liusui only then realized he had been smiling. He felt a little embarrassed by his own wandering thoughts, but curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn’t help asking, “You’ve really never been in a relationship? It doesn’t seem like it at all.”
He Yujing reached out, hooking an arm around Jiang Liusui’s neck to pull him closer.
The gesture looked affectionate but carried a hint of interrogation as he lowered his voice. “What about you? Have you?”
Jiang Liusui clasped He Yujing’s forearm, pretending to push him away. When he didn’t answer immediately, He Yujing tightened his grip slightly. “Speak.”
“No, never!”
In the past, he never imagined himself forming such intimate bonds with anyone, but now…
Zheng You saw the two of them playfully teasing each other and recalled how He Yujing had specifically brought juice for Jiang Liusui earlier—likely because Jiang Liusui didn’t drink alcohol.
Having known He Yujing for years, Zheng You was well aware of his friend’s self-centered nature. If anyone had called this childhood friend considerate before, he would’ve laughed in their face.
Suppressing his amusement, Zheng You asked Jiang Liusui with a smile, “We’re probably all older than you—mind if we call you Xiao Jiang?”
He Yujing released him just then, and Jiang Liusui nodded in agreement. Yan Sheng interjected from the side, “How do you even know how old he is?”
Zheng You replied, “Chi Lianxi mentioned it in his Moments—he’s our junior. Catch up on your social media updates.”
They kept bringing up Moments—had he missed something?
Jiang Liusui checked his phone, but He Yujing’s Moments were set to “visible for three days,” and he couldn’t see a thing. Besides, he’d never seen He Yujing post anything before. Had he blocked him?
Burning with curiosity, Jiang Liusui wanted to ask directly but wasn’t sure if it was appropriate. Meanwhile, their friends were urging He Yujing to drink. Zheng You declared enthusiastically, “We finally got you out tonight! No going home until we’re properly drunk!”
“What’s going on with you, A’Jing? Do we have to convince you to drink now? We get it—you’ve settled down and don’t go out much anymore, but have you forgotten how to hold your liquor too?”
He Yujing turned his head and asked, “I’m drinking?”
Jiang Liusui nodded.
Since he was going to drink, maybe he should wait until it was over before asking?
Zheng You said in surprise, “What, you need to apply for permission to drink now?”
He Yujing poured himself a drink and lifted his chin at Zheng You. “Why are you single right now? Ever thought about your own reasons?”
Zheng You: “……”
Seeing Yan Sheng about to speak up for him, He Yujing cut in first: “You get dumped every day, you’re not much better.”
Yan Sheng cursed with a laugh: “I can’t take this anymore! Whose family works in media? Let’s expose him later!”
“Don’t! Exposing it would be exactly what he wants! Can’t you see Yu-ge isn’t worried at all?”
“Showing off in his Moments isn’t enough for him anymore. Leaking it would give him a bigger stage,” someone said cheekily. “That would be more fitting for our superstar.”
“Go ahead and expose it.” He Yujing proactively clinked glasses with them, looking completely unbothered. “I’ll thank you in advance.”
Everyone was teasing him, and Jiang Liusui couldn’t help but laugh along. After laughing, he felt a bit troubled.
He Yujing seemed to be in such high spirits—what if he got drunk later? Tonight would have been a good opportunity to casually ask about the Moments posts. If he brought it up later, it would feel somewhat awkward.
After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Liusui mustered his courage and poked him: “I want to look at your phone. Those Moments posts they mentioned—”
Before Jiang Liusui could finish, He Yujing directly unlocked his phone and handed it to him.
Jiang Liusui hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward, not even asking what he wanted to do. Staring at He Yujing’s WeChat interface, Jiang Liusui was momentarily dazed. Coming back to his senses, he was about to tap on Moments when he suddenly noticed the pinned chat.
It was an account Jiang Liusui was quite familiar with.
The note said: Suisui.
Jiang Liusui unconsciously tightened his grip on the phone and glanced at the person beside him. He opened Moments—the latest post was a photo of a rainbow over a lake. Jiang Liusui immediately recognized it as the scene after the rain stopped on the day they went boating.
He Yujing’s photo was beautifully taken, seemingly color-adjusted, making the scene brighter than it actually was.
『E: The chocolate was pretty sweet.』
Most of the comments were from names Jiang Liusui didn’t recognize, although from their tone, they were obviously He Yujing’s friends.
【I stared at this photo for a full minute. Where’s the chocolate?】
【In the young master’s heart.】
Jiang Liusui spotted Chi Lianxi among the crowd: 【Got it. After this variety show airs, I’ll see you and your little brother eating chocolate together.】
There were also those who hadn’t caught on: 【Since when does he have a little brother? And he shares snacks with him? Is he really that friendly??】
Jiang Liusui scrolled further back and discovered He Yujing had posted more than once. Although none of the photos showed full faces, he could instantly recall the scenes at that time—including how He Yujing had looked at him and the tone of his voice when speaking.
With each post he saw, his heartbeat grew heavier, eventually drowning out the laughter and noise around him.
Had He Yujing been acting like he had a romantic partner in front of his friends and family since that long ago?
So when he called him his boyfriend, it wasn’t just to save face in front of outsiders, but…
Jiang Liusui’s scrolling finger paused unconsciously.
The earliest Moments post was taken at home—it was a shadow reflected on the wall. Jiang Liusui specifically checked the date and found it was the day after they attended the charity gala.
There were many comments below, all asking He Yujing whether he was really in a relationship and when he would show his partner’s face.
He should have figured it out long ago.
In the past, he hadn’t thought much about He Yujing’s feelings and had simply regarded their relationship as a transaction. This was partly to avoid making assumptions about the other and partly because he had rejected He Yujing once again at that time. Until Xie Chen’s scheme, the two of them hadn’t contacted each other even once.
Besides, when it came to matters of the heart, he was truly a complete coward.
If not for the influence of his family… even if he hadn’t felt the same burning intensity as He Yujing back then, at the very least, he wouldn’t have rejected him so harshly, so hurtfully.
“Enjoying what you’re reading?”
Jiang Liusui’s train of thought was interrupted, and he replied without thinking, “Yes.”
Only after speaking did he realize something was off and abruptly turned to look at the person beside him.
He Yujing didn’t show any signs of drunkenness on his face—whether he was drunk or not, it was hard to tell. His eyes held a glimmer of laughter as he looked over.
For a moment, Jiang Liusui found himself captivated by the sight. At that moment, He Yujing reached out and ruffled his hair.
As the night wore on, several people at the gathering had passed out. Perhaps because they saw the young master finally in a relationship, everyone took turns pressing drinks into He Yujing’s hand. Jiang Liusui listened as they shared many stories about He Yujing. He usually didn’t enjoy drinking parties or gatherings, but tonight, time seemed to fly by, and he even felt a bit reluctant when it ended.
“What’s the matter, A’Jing? Not drinking anymore?” Zheng You, already half-conscious himself, was still shouting, “Come on! You can handle more than this.”
“Stop.” He Yujing put out his cigarette. “I can barely stand straight anymore.”
Jiang Liusui, seated beside him, noticed him setting down his glass. “You’re not talking anymore?”
Hearing the hint of regret in Jiang Liusui’s tone, He Yujing couldn’t help but chuckle as he slowly stood up. “Let’s head back.”
He Yujing stumbled slightly as he rose, and Jiang Liusui quickly moved to support him. Yan Sheng, the most sober among the drinkers, leaned back in his chair and said, “Xiao Jiang, he can walk on his own. Don’t worry about him.”
He Yujing glanced back at his friend, then wrapped an arm around Jiang Liusui, leaning against him as if he had no bones. Although he didn’t say a word, his actions made it clear to Yan Sheng: Mind your own business.
“Unbelievable.” Yan Sheng nudged Zheng You, who was propping himself up against the table. “Look at how clingy he’s being.”
“Xiao Jiang, if he starts acting up from the alcohol, just dump him somewhere,” Zheng You said, lifting his head to look at them and struggling to recall. “Last time A’Jing got drunk…”
“He insisted on drinking everyone under the table. If anyone was still standing, he’d challenge them. The intensity was terrifying,” Yan Sheng explained to Jiang Liusui. “He’s got a terrible temper when he’s drunk. Just dump him on the couch when you get back. No need for hangover medicine—he’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
Jiang Liusui smiled and bid them farewell, while He Yujing raised a hand in a casual goodbye.
The driver was already waiting in the villa’s courtyard. Jiang Liusui helped He Yujing into the car, and they drove through the night toward the city center.
Even when they reached the underground parking garage, He Yujing seemed relatively normal, although he was unsteady on his feet. Jiang Liusui didn’t ask the driver for help and took him upstairs by himself. In the elevator, Jiang Liusui kept a hand on him, worried he might bump into something. Even with only half of He Yujing’s weight leaning on him, his shoulder was already going numb.
Fortunately, He Yujing could still walk on his own, otherwise, Jiang Liusui wouldn’t have been able to manage him.
After finally waiting for the elevator doors to open, the two entered the apartment one after the other. No sooner had Jiang Liusui changed his shoes than someone embraced him from behind.
He Yujing pulled him into his arms, not doing anything else but holding him tightly without letting go. Jiang Liusui couldn’t move at all, and the fine strands of hair brushing against his neck made him itch slightly. Turning his head, he asked, “What are you doing? I can’t walk.”
He Yujing didn’t say a word. Jiang Liusui patted his arm, intending to make him let go, but He Yujing only held him even tighter.
Jiang Liusui tentatively asked, “Are you really drunk?”
The man behind him let out a vague, soft hum from his throat. The body pressed tightly against his back radiated scorching heat. Feeling He Yujing’s breath against his ear, Jiang Liusui suddenly recalled Yan Sheng and the others saying that He Yujing had a bad temper when drunk.
He did seem a bit different from usual.
But he can’t be said to have a bad temper, right? Being clingy is true, though.
Standing by the door wasn’t going to solve anything. Jiang Liusui suggested, “Why don’t you take off your shoes, and we go in first?”
He added, “You can keep holding me if you want.”
He Yujing paused for a moment, then stepped on the back of his other foot, roughly kicking off his shoes. Jiang Liusui let him hang onto him like an oversized accessory, stumbling unsteadily toward the master bedroom.
Even though both of them struggled to walk, He Yujing refused to let go no matter what. After staggering their way to the bathroom, Jiang Liusui had initially intended to help him bathe, but He Yujing kept fidgeting, leaning in from time to time to kiss him. Biting his lips was one thing, but he even tried to bite his neck. Jiang Liusui had to put in considerable effort just to get him to brush his teeth and wash his face properly.
By the time both of them had finished their simple activity, Jiang Liusui’s waist had been groped several times. It was nearly four in the morning, and he thought he would wait until He Yujing woke up tomorrow to take his own shower…
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than He Yujing leaned in again, his warm breath falling beside Jiang Liusui’s ear. “Jiang Liusui.”
“What?” Jiang Liusui responded casually.
He Yujing stared at him without speaking. Jiang Liusui met his gaze.
Their faces were very close when He Yujing suddenly lowered his head, burying his face in Jiang Liusui’s neck.
Before Jiang Liusui could fully process it, he heard a soft voice beside his ear. He Yujing called his name again, but this time, it was his nickname.
Jiang Liusui froze.
Whether intentional or not, ever since he had rejected the confession, He Yujing had either called him by his full name or jokingly referred to him as “Teacher Jiang.” It had been a long time since he had called him by his nickname in person.
Although he had heard He Yujing call him that before, his feelings back then were entirely different from now.
In the first few months after they met, they actually didn’t spend much time together privately, but living together day and night gave him a chance to understand He Yujing.
It was as if a safe zone, exclusive to him, had been established, allowing Jiang Liusui to gradually let down his guard and regain the courage to express love. Unconsciously, He Yujing had already occupied an important place in his heart, becoming the person he cherished the most.
Slowly, Jiang Liusui reached out and, following his heart, returned the embrace.
Just like many nights before, He Yujing’s embrace was so warm it was irresistible.
Noticing the sparkling gleam at his ear, Jiang Liusui whispered, “Don’t move, I’ll take off your earrings.”
“……” He Yujing remained nestled against his neck. He truly wasn’t as restless as before, allowing Jiang Liusui to touch him freely.
Jiang Liusui’s movements were gentle. His cold fingers occasionally brushed over He Yujing’s ear. Sensing He Yujing shifting uncomfortably before settling back against his shoulder, Jiang Liusui’s lips curved slightly at the corners, thinking to himself: Quite obedient.
When he finally removed He Yujing’s intricate earrings and replaced them with the simple silver hoops the latter usually wore to sleep, He Yujing hadn’t moved at all.
Jiang Liusui seemed to understand how to handle him now. He proactively took his hand and whispered by his ear, “Let’s go to sleep.”
Hand in hand, they made their way to the bed. When Jiang Liusui turned off the light, he casually withdrew his hand, failing to notice the subtle dimming in his companion’s gaze.
The moment the lights went out, the previously well-behaved man pressed down on him, trailing scorching kisses from his lips to his chin, radiating intense possessiveness. When a touch brushed his waist during their intimacy, Jiang Liusui laughed and twisted away. “That tickles!”
“Don’t move.”
As he spoke, He Yujing gave him a light slap on the rear. Although not hard, it made Jiang Liusui’s face flush immediately.
He Yujing had actually spanked him.
Yet even this didn’t anger him—it only left him somewhat embarrassed. To prevent He Yujing from escalating further, Jiang Liusui wrapped his arms around him: “Time to sleep!”
“……”
Jiang Liusui kissed him once, in a way that was both coaxing and coddling, and murmured teasingly: “Hold me while we sleep, He Yujing.”
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