TBS Chapter 7

To be honest, when Xu Miao realized he might have been deceived, there wasn’t much of a ripple in his heart. He just let out a sigh, as if it had been expected: he had lied to so many people himself, so being lied to felt almost like what he deserved. Cause and effect, karma coming full circle.

They say the stomach is an emotional organ. Xu Miao really couldn’t eat anything now, and the good mood he’d been in was almost completely worn away.

Seeking the truth didn’t mean much to him—after all, their beginning had been fake. Even if all his efforts afterward were sincere, so what?

Xu Miao thought he could brush it off. But when he left, he still couldn’t help glancing seriously at Xie Ge a few extra times.

Xie Ge was just as cute and pretty as he had imagined. Even if he wasn’t cute or pretty, that would’ve been fine too.

The apartment building was close to Gangji. Xu Miao was about to head back and rest, but his phone had been pinging non-stop since he left the shop—messages from Xie Ge.

[ATM]: You’re ignoring me.
[ATM]: You’ve changed.
[ATM]: You don’t feel sorry for me anymore.
[ATM]: Feel sorry for me, okay?
[ATM]: I’m a baby who needs comfort.
[ATM]: longing longing longing

Always pretending to be pitiful, Xu Miao thought.

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Miao still replied.

[XM]: Does it hurt a lot?
[ATM]: Of course. I’m about to cry.
[ATM]: If you don’t comfort me soon, my tears are gonna drip onto the floor.

Xu Miao let out a low laugh and transferred him some money.

[XM]: Buy some muscle tape and wrap it. Don’t cry.
[XM]: Wipe your tears.

Xie Ge accepted the transfer and replied with a sticker of a little dog wiping its own tears.

[ATM]: Where do they sell muscle tape for 520? That’s daylight robbery.

Sending special-number transfers to Xie Ge had been Xu Miao’s habit for a long time. He’d done it without thinking today too, and replied:

[XM]: The rest is a reward for being brave.

Xie Ge, having gotten a benefit, still wanted to act spoiled. Even after being coaxed, he pretended it wasn’t enough and put on another little show.

[ATM]: Ugh, now I’m gonna cry again. It’s all your fault.
[XM]: Alright, my fault.

There was a pharmacy near Gangji. Xu Miao walked slowly because he was replying to messages, and when he passed by the pharmacy, he hesitated, then went in. He took a picture of a box of muscle tape and sent it to Xie Ge.

[XM]: Buy something like this.
[ATM]: I’m already on my way to the pharmacy!
[ATM]: Right now!

Even though he knew Xie Ge was lying, Xu Miao still took his words seriously. He told him what to buy and only felt at ease after that. He hadn’t even put the muscle tape box down yet when a voice spoke up beside him.

“Hi, could I have that box?”

“There are oth—” Xu Miao turned his head, saw who it was, and went silent. It took him a long moment to continue, “There are other ones. They work the same.”

“But that one you’re holding is the only box of this kind left. I can pay extra if you let me have it.”

“…Why?”

Xie Ge rubbed his nose awkwardly, turned his face slightly, and his ears were obviously red. “My girlfriend… my girlfriend asked me to buy muscle tape. She sent me a photo of this exact one, so I… I…”

Xu Miao’s fingertips felt like they were burning. He hurriedly shoved the muscle tape into Xie Ge’s arms, accidentally catching sight of the messy little dog he had sewn on Xie Ge’s chest.

Xu Miao said, a bit flustered, “You take it.”

He turned to leave, but Xie Ge grabbed his arm. “Open your payment code. I’ll transfer you the money.”

The touch sent a jolt through him, and Xu Miao reacted sharply, immediately shaking off Xie Ge’s hand. “No need. I was just looking at it. I didn’t plan to buy it. I’m not giving it up to you—I never owned it in the first place. You don’t need to pay me.”

“Then thank you.”

With the deal done, Xie Ge didn’t say another word.

Xu Miao walked out first and waited somewhere inconspicuous, watching as Xie Ge finished paying, tore open the packaging, and clumsily wrapped the muscle tape around his wrist. Then he took out his phone, aimed the camera at his hand holding the box, wrist now taped up.

Ding—

[ATM]: [picture]

[ATM]: Super effective. No pain as soon as I put it on!

[ATM]: But wow, that was close. This was the last box. I only got it by asking someone for it.

[ATM]: Wifey told me which kind to buy, so I bought exactly that. Aren’t I super obedient?

[ATM]: I think I deserve a compliment.

Xu Miao didn’t even realize he was smiling, and naturally coaxed him.

[XM]: Yes, good boy.

[ATM]: And what else? [longing]

And also, I already know you’re lying to me, Xu Miao thought.

Xie Ge was the type who was very good at acting spoiled. When he saw that Xu Miao didn’t reply, his messages came one after another.

[ATM]: Ignoring me again.

[ATM]: How could you be like this, seriously.

[ATM]: I just want to hear you say you miss me, why is that so hard.

[ATM]: It’s okay, I won’t hold it against you.

[ATM]: [voice message]

Xu Miao tapped the voice message, and Xie Ge’s sticky, soft voice came through his earphones:

“I miss you. Can we talk on the phone tonight? I feel like… we can call for a bit.”

Over the years, Xu Miao had actually talked with Xie Ge on the phone many times. No matter how busy he was, as long as Xie Ge wanted to, he almost never refused. But after what happened today, his heart was a swirl of complicated feelings.

[XM]: Work is really busy today. I might not have time.

Xie Ge always replied fast. The moment Xu Miao’s message was sent, a new one popped up.

[ATM]: Just like before is fine. You don’t even have to talk. You can do your work. I just… want to keep you company.

[ATM]: Promise me, okay? [longing]

[ATM]: You said I was good—then I’ll be very good.

Xu Miao couldn’t bring himself to say no, so he could only reply with a simple okay.

After returning to the apartment, Xu Miao slept for a while. By the time he woke, the sky was completely dark.

He raised an arm to cover his eyes and stayed like that until the ringtone of his phone slowly pulled him up.

The ringtone rang and stopped several times before he finally answered. As soon as he pressed the phone to his ear, Xie Ge’s pitiful voice complained:

“If you don’t pick up, I’ll keep calling. You can’t just break a promise we made like that.”

“Are you working? Did you have dinner? I saw the weather forecast—says it’s gonna rain tomorrow. Remember to bring an umbrella.”

“If only we lived together… then you wouldn’t need to bring one. I’d come pick you up after work every day, and then we could go home together.”

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This wasn’t the first time Xie Ge had described things like this to Xu Miao, but it was the first time that, after listening to all of Xie Ge’s rambling from start to finish, Xu Miao didn’t say a single word.

The atmosphere gradually grew heavy. Xie Ge seemed to sense something and stopped talking too. Both of them fell into silence, like they were locked in a quiet standoff.

But in the end, this smokeless battle ended with Xie Ge’s defeat. He was the first to speak, his voice small:

“Are you unhappy today? I was too clingy, wasn’t I? I know you’re busy, and I still kept bothering you.”

“No,” Xu Miao heard himself say. “I don’t think you were clingy.”

He still couldn’t bear to see Xie Ge sad, so he found an excuse:

“Seeing your hand injured… it made me feel bad.”

Maybe it was guilt, but Xie Ge’s voice grew even smaller.

“But it really doesn’t hurt at all. After I put on the muscle tape, it was totally fine.”

“Really? But this afternoon, you told me it hurt so much you were about to cry,” Xu Miao replied. “So that was a lie? Is it because I’m easy to fool?”

Just a few simple words, and Xie Ge was completely disarmed. He hurried to explain:

“I didn’t lie on purpose. I just wanted you to comfort me. I really was fine. Don’t worry. And this is my first time lying… and you caught me right away. I feel so embarrassed.”

Xu Miao pressed his lips together, trying to hold it in, but he still said it:

“Oh, that was your first lie? I thought you’d been lying to me all along.”

“How could I!” Xie Ge’s voice puffed up with indignation. “You can’t just deny my whole self because of one mistake. That’s way too rash!”

Some things had to be resolved. Since Xie Ge said that, Xu Miao decided to do something that wasn’t rash.

Xu Miao changed the subject:

“Didn’t you say it would be nice if we lived together?”

“Let’s meet.”

“I want to see you.”