Intimacy

"He really came right up to the tent? That's going too far. Looks like Ah Xing will have to stay with me all the time from now on."

"Mm-hmm, I noticed he doesn't harass me whenever I'm with you, either... I wanted to take a shower, but I was too scared just now..."

Song Nianxing tilted his head up slightly to look at Shen Siyi. His eyes still held traces of tears, damp and red, looking utterly pitiful.

Shen Siyi smiled and raised a hand to ruffle his hair. "Go now. I'll come with you?"

Song Nianxing paused.

Shen Siyi... counted as his boyfriend now, right?

It should be normal to have his boyfriend accompany him. Besides, he had just had a spat with Shen Siyi, so he ought to be a little more affectionate to make up for it.

With that thought, Song Nianxing nodded solemnly.

The shower facility the production team had set up was a converted shipping container, and it wasn't very spacious.

Song Nianxing went in first. He glanced at Shen Siyi, who had stopped walking, and tilted his head in confusion. "You're... you're not coming in with me?"

Shen Siyi raised his eyebrows in mild surprise, then smiled. "Did you take what I just said about coming with you to mean we'd shower together? Or are you inviting me?"

A faint flush immediately crept up Song Nianxing's ears. He lowered his eyes and bit his lip. "I'm fine either way... either way."

At that answer, Shen Siyi narrowed his eyes slightly, then gently pinched his cheek again. "All right, let's leave it for now. We'll take things slowly. There's no rush. We have plenty of time ahead."

Song Nianxing looked up again to study his expression. Seeing how gentle and restrained he looked softened his heart, but also left him uncertain.

He was very afraid that Shen Siyi was acting this way because he was still upset. What if Shen Siyi later realized he really wasn't that great and didn't want him anymore? What could he use to make Shen Siyi stay then?

With those thoughts running through his head, Song Nianxing remained uneasy even after he finished showering and came out.

He listened to the sound of running water inside. It went on for a very, very long time.

Shen Siyi seemed to take a long time every time he showered. Apparently, he really liked being clean.

Mm, then I should show that I like being clean, too! Maybe Shen Siyi will like me a little more that way!

So as soon as Shen Siyi came out, Song Nianxing suggested going to wash their clothes.

Though puzzled, Shen Siyi went to the laundry room with him.

"Give me the clothes. Could you go get the laundry detergent?"

Song Nianxing hurriedly said "Okay" several times, then turned and jogged toward the tent.

He had been so focused on presenting himself as someone who liked being clean that he had forgotten the steps involved in doing laundry. Hopefully, Shen Siyi hadn't noticed his little scheme.

But after only a few steps, he remembered that he hadn't brought any laundry detergent at all, and could only turn back in frustration to tell Shen Siyi honestly.

Yet as soon as he reached the laundry room door, before he could speak, the sight in front of him stunned him.

Shen Siyi seemed to be... sniffing his clothes!

His eyes were slightly lowered, his thick, long lashes concealing the emotions in them, and even his breathing was very light.

He didn't look as though he was smelling clothes, but rather a treasure he had secretly kept for a long time. The corners of his lips curved almost imperceptibly, his smile satisfied, with a hint of obsession.

For some reason, the sight suddenly reminded Song Nianxing of the message that pervert had once sent, saying he smelled wonderful and that he really wanted to sniff him.

Fear immediately rose in his heart. He took a step back and leaned against the doorway, hoping to feel safe by not leaving his back exposed. "Shen..."

He hesitated, only managing with difficulty to squeeze a single syllable from his throat.

The instant Shen Siyi heard his voice, his eyes snapped up. He quickly suppressed the emotions in them, turned back, and smiled at Song Nianxing. "Hmm? Didn't Ah Xing go to get the laundry detergent? Back so soon?"

Song Nianxing swallowed. Looking at Shen Siyi's usual smile, he couldn't help wondering dazedly whether he had seen wrong just now. "Were you just..."

"Oh, I was just about to ask what laundry detergent you use. It smells lovely, and the scent seems to last really well. Did you bring any?"

Shen Siyi's eyes curved slightly, his voice indescribably gentle and calm.

Song Nianxing's heartbeat slowed a little.

"So you were just curious about the laundry detergent..."

"Hmm? What are you saying, Ah Xing? I don't quite understand."

Meeting Shen Siyi's somewhat innocent, bewildered black eyes, Song Nianxing hastily shook his head. "Nothing. I mean, I didn't bring that detergent. I even forgot to bring any other detergent. Remember how something came up last time, when I was going to go back and pack?"

"Oh, that's a shame. Bring some for me to try next time. The ones I buy never keep their scent. Want to smell them? Compare the two." As Shen Siyi spoke, he held both garments out in front of Song Nianxing without any hesitation.

Song Nianxing sniffed them. His clothes did smell nicer, and seeing how open Shen Siyi was being, the lingering tension in his heart instantly vanished.

It seemed that pervert really had rattled him too badly today.

He had even started distrusting Shen Siyi.

Shen Siyi was simply curious about his laundry detergent, yet he had actually associated him with that pervert.

Shen Siyi is your boyfriend now!

Song Nianxing, you've really gone too far!

He silently berated himself, then felt even more guilty.

Just then, Shen Siyi seemed to suddenly understand what he had meant earlier. He looked at him with a hurt expression and said, "Wait, I just remembered the look on Ah Xing's face. You seemed so afraid of me. Did Ah Xing misunderstand something about me just now? Looks like Ah Xing... still finds it hard to trust me."

As he spoke, he drew back the clothes in his hands, his lashes trembling without pause.

Song Nianxing had seen that look before! It had appeared after he rejected Shen Siyi.

Remembering what had happened afterward, Song Nianxing's heart immediately tightened. He hurried closer to Shen Siyi. "I'm sorry... I... maybe I was just too scared today, and that's why I reacted that way. I'm really sorry."

Shen Siyi sighed. "Forget it. I understand. I don't want to hear you say you're sorry, either. I just hope Ah Xing can trust me a little more. Can you?"

He said to forget it, but Song Nianxing could still see the disappointment in his eyes, impossible to conceal.

But Shen Siyi had also said he didn't want to hear him say sorry anymore, so apologizing wouldn't do much good.

If an apology was no use, what should he do?

Song Nianxing's gaze slowly settled on Shen Siyi's rosy lips.

The next second, he mustered his courage and rose slightly onto his toes, then tilted his head up and gave Shen Siyi's lips a gentle, fleeting peck.

"Then... is it okay to apologize like this?"