Chapter 48

But it just felt so strange.

An hour later, Fu Cheng was completely absorbed in studying at his desk. Shen Yi's phone had run out of battery, and he wanted to borrow a charger from him. Seeing how absorbed Fu Cheng was, he said nothing and slipped quietly out of the room.

He leaned against the wall outside the door and sent a message.

[Shen Yi: Ge, where are you?]

[Fu Yuhe: Bedroom.]

Less than a minute later, Shen Yi was outside Fu Yuhe's bedroom. He had barely knocked once when the unlocked door opened a crack, and he pushed it open and went in.

Fu Yuhe sat on the sofa with his legs apart and his body leaning forward. A laptop sat on the coffee table, and he was discussing work details with someone over video. As soon as Shen Yi entered, he heard the person on the other end reporting on work.

Hearing him come in, Fu Yuhe took a moment to glance at him. Shen Yi walked around the laptop's camera to the other side of the coffee table, pulled out a cushion and sat down. He cupped his face in both hands and watched Fu Yuhe, the corners of his lips curving upward.

Fu Yuhe: "..."

He kept his eyes on the video on the laptop, but the person watching him constantly from the corner of his eye distracted him.

He divided his attention between the two, responding occasionally, and ended the video call after a dozen or so minutes.

"What is it?" he asked.

Shen Yi raised his phone and waved it. "Ge, do you have a charger? My phone's out of battery."

"In the drawer. Get it yourself." Fu Yuhe lifted his chin toward the desk.

Shen Yi found the charger and plugged in his phone, then turned back to ask Fu Yuhe, "Can I borrow your computer?"

"What for?" Fu Yuhe asked.

Shen Yi: "Studying."

Fu Yuhe deliberately said, "The password's my birthday."

"Oh." Shen Yi didn't ask when his birthday was. He remembered that perfectly well.

That made Fu Yuhe feel much better.

When Shen Yi reached Fu Yuhe's side, he suddenly bent down and sniffed near his lips. "Ge, you've been smoking again."

A soft breath brushed Fu Yuhe's face. He didn't pull away, but chuckled and said, "You've got a dog's nose."

There was no smell of smoke in the room; Fu Yuhe had smoked on the balcony.

The next second, Shen Yi's lips, already so close, pressed against his. His mouth tasted sweet and fresh as he pried Fu Yuhe's teeth apart and teased the moist, soft tip of his tongue.

Unlike the fleeting kiss in the entryway earlier, this was a wet, deep kiss. Fu Yuhe welcomed it, and it grew more and more intense. When Shen Yi pulled back, Fu Yuhe pressed a hand against the back of his neck, prolonging the kiss.

Shen Yi was no longer as rash and inexperienced as he had been during his first kiss, when all he could do was follow his instincts. Now he knew very well how to make them both feel good. He had learned through experience and exploration, time and again, and the teacher who had given him that experience was the person who had once said he was a terrible kisser.

Their breaths burned, their heartbeats fell out of rhythm, and the air itself seemed to be stripped away bit by bit. Fu Yuhe's eyelids drooped, his lashes trembling faintly as the feeling of losing control spread through him. He let himself be overtaken by it, making no attempt to stop it.

Soft gasps echoed through the room, finally subsiding after a long while.

Fu Yuhe lay on the sofa and raised an arm over his eyes. His rosy lips were slightly parted, and his face and earlobes were tinged with red. He looked as though he had been bullied too much, a little disheveled.

Sitting beside the sofa, Shen Yi balled up a tissue and tossed it into the trash can, hitting his target perfectly.

Fu Yuhe moved his arm aside a little, his voice languid. "I'm going on a business trip in a couple of days."

"For how long?" Shen Yi turned his head.

Fu Yuhe: "About half a month."

Shen Yi: "Oh, I see."

Fu Yuhe hadn't forgotten how Shen Yi had changed after he returned from his last business trip. When he brought it up, Shen Yi thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Because you cared so little about me. You left without even mentioning it to me, and I was really frustrated."

The young man's emotions seemed to pass as quickly as they came. There was no trace of resentment on his face as he spoke of it again, nor could Fu Yuhe tell whether he was disappointed or angry.

So he gave up pursuing me because he was frustrated? He really has no patience.

The impatient Shen Yi went to the bathroom to wash his hands, then came back and sat in front of the sofa to open the computer. Fu Yuhe sat there for a while before getting up and going to the bathroom as well.

When he came out again, he heard some sounds that weren't quite right: suggestive gasps mingled with moans. He paused in the doorway, nearly thinking Shen Yi had made a recording just now. He walked up behind Shen Yi and saw what was on the computer screen. His expression changed several times.

"Did you borrow my computer just to watch this stuff?" he asked, his tone hard to read.

Shen Yi turned his head slightly and explained, "My phone ran out of battery."

Fu Yuhe was focused on what he was watching, while Shen Yi was focused on what he was using to watch it. The two of them were talking about completely different things.

"Want to watch together?" Shen Yi invited him.

With a soft click, the sounds in the room disappeared. Fu Yuhe had closed the computer in front of Shen Yi. Shen Yi looked up and met Fu Yuhe's deep gaze.

"Did you do it on purpose?"

Shen Yi: "Do what on purpose?"

Fu Yuhe: "Still pretending."

He had been dropping hints nonstop since he came through the front door.

Shen Yi's eyes were clear. "Pretending what?"

"What do you think?"

"Ge, don't speak in riddles. I don't understand."

"Heh."

"Ge-"

Fu Yuhe sat down unhurriedly. "If you're not pretending, then tell me. Why are you watching this stuff?"

"To study," Shen Yi said matter-of-factly.

Fu Yuhe instantly recalled Shen Yi saying he wanted to "study" when he asked to borrow the computer. His movements paused, and he gave a derisive laugh. He really was studying.

"You love studying that much?" he said. "Then study hard. When you're done, tell me everything you learned."