AAUMOBIP C36

Chapter 36

Jiang Yi, who had gotten drunk, was soon picked up by Xu Yi who came rushing over.

Xu Yi gave Liu He a quick greeting, then helped the drunken Jiang Yi out of apartment 1801. He didn’t forget to close the door on his way out.

After drinking, Liu He kept shouting at Yun Jingqiu on the other side about how “his skills were trash”【1】.

Yun Jingqiu sat staring at his plate of diet food, losing all appetite.

Picking up his phone, he stood and returned to his room. He sent Song Zhiyuan a message:

【Yun Jingqiu: Clean up】

【Song Zhiyuan: OK】

【Song Zhiyuan: Yun-ge, don’t worry, just go. Leave the kitchen to me】

Switching the voice call to video chat, Yun Jingqiu waited, and before long Liu He answered.

The young man, drunk, had flushed cheeks, almond-shaped eyes misty, lips redder than usual, gaze unfocused.

Yun Jingqiu gave a breathy laugh: “Do you know who I am?”

Liu He thought about it, then grinned: “Yun-ge.”

On video, he looked perfectly obedient.

“Go to your room. Draw the curtains.”

Liu He muttered, “Whyyy,” but still returned to his room and drew them shut.

On the bed lay fresh sheets with a plain gray set.

“Open your wardrobe. Take down the top storage box.”

Liu He grumbled aloud: “What for.”

But he pulled down the box anyway, staring at it dazedly. For a fleeting moment, he regained some clarity, vaguely remembering—there shouldn’t be such a thing in his room.

“Open it.”

He did. Inside sat those familiar clothes.

The cat outfit was gone. Only the rabbit one remained.

“Take off your clothes.”

Liu He clutched the phone, expression conflicted, not wanting to move.

“You dared talk about me like that. So clearly you’re prepared to accept punishment.” Yun Jingqiu’s fingers tapped the table lightly over the call, a faintly threatening sound echoing.

Punishment? Absolutely not.

Liu He blinked himself into sharper focus, loosened his grip, and the contents of the box spilled onto the bed.

“No.” He mumbled.

Yun Jingqiu softened instantly, changing tact: “Be good, let me see.”

“Beg me.” The drunken Liu He was surprisingly audacious.

“I’m begging, Xiao He. Wear it. And eat the carrot while you do… okay?”

Carrot? Liu He picked it up, frowning in confusion.

Yun Jingqiu gave a low chuckle.

That voice set his ears burning.

At long last he changed into the outfit. After finishing the carrot, Liu He felt strangely odd.

Before he could dwell on it, Yun added, disrupting his thoughts: “I want to play a game with you.”

“…Why would we play a game right now?” Liu He asked in disbelief. “I don’t want to. I want to sleep.”

“Later. Sleep later.”

He went to the gaming desk, booting up the computer, and sat stiffly in his chair. His voice went strange: “What is this—?”

Amused, Yun Jingqiu chuckled.

Instinctively, Liu He set up his phone in a stand so Yun could see while they played.

But… the chair felt so uncomfortable.

He frowned deeply.

Still, Yun wanted to play. After the match, maybe he could rest.

Logging in, he accepted Yun’s team invite.

A new match began.

The whole game felt off. He couldn’t focus, constantly uncomfortable in his chair.

Something was wrong with his body. What was happening? Was he sick?

Oh—right—too much wine.

Groggy, Liu He finished the match. Then flatly refused another.

At that, Yun checked the time and opened another app, turning the frequency to maximum.

In an instant, on the gaming chair, Liu He bent over involuntarily.

The next morning, Liu He sobered.

His tolerance was terrible, but he remembered everything he had done while drunk.

Including the phone call to Yun-ge, accusing his “skills in bed were trash.” Including Yun’s “punishment.” Including being ordered into the bathroom… to take the carrot out himself.

Groaning, Liu He buried his face. Please let it all have been a dream.

Then came Yun’s texts—

【Husband: I’m so jealous】

【Husband: So envious】

【Husband: I want to be the carrot】

…

At once, Liu He knew last night hadn’t been a dream. It had really happened.

How was he supposed to face him now?

And wait—when he was ranting about Yun Jingqiu being bad in bed, wasn’t Jiang Yi also calling Xu Yi? Did they… hear?

Slumping in despair, too hungry to stay down but unwilling to rise, he thought bitterly of undoing time entirely—to before that drinking session.

Drink leads to disaster. Liu He thought grimly.

He lay there for a long time. Eventually accepting running away solved nothing, he picked up his phone and typed: 【Sorry, I drank too much last night】

【Husband: So?】

【Husband: What’s the difference?】

Maybe he could pretend amnesia. Lots of people drank and forgot.

【Husband: We didn’t do much. Just ate a carrot】

【Husband: Oh, besides you calling me during dinner to declare my skills trash. Oh, and you said you liked it rougher, complained I was too slow】

【Husband: Sorry for not noticing your preference sooner. If Xiao He says it, I’ll definitely improve】

【Husband: Am I really that bad?】

Don’t change. Slow is fine.

Not like faster Yun was survivable either.

【fon: Just drunk talk. Don’t take it seriously】

【fon: You’re not bad. You’re fine】

【Husband: I asked Wang-ge for a few days off】

【fon: Why?】

【Husband: Last night you called asking me for sex. So of course I’ll fulfill my beloved’s needs】

…I never said that!!

Liu He nearly pounded a response into his phone: 【I never said that】. Then realized—

This was Yun testing him. If he denied it, Yun would know he remembered everything.

So dangerous. No wonder he survived the entertainment industry. Cunning to the bone.

【fon: It’s rare you get rest. You should really stay put. Don’t bother coming all the way here】

【fon: I start work again tomorrow anyway, might not have time】

A tactful refusal.

【Husband: Pity】

【Husband: Then I’ll just come take care of you】

He wasn’t getting out of this one.

Liu He knew he had no confidence to lie to Yun face to face. On video, he had time to weave words. In person, Yun would catch him instantly. The actor was the real professional.

So the next day after lab, when he came home and found Yun waiting, he wasn’t surprised.

Dragging his feet, he lingered forever at the entryway, changing shoes and refusing to meet Yun’s eyes.

Something normally done in a minute took him several.

“Not even greeting me? Are you unhappy I’m here?” Yun leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching him.

Liu He finally looked up at him, then dropped his gaze at once, whispering: “Yun-ge…”

“Not glad to see me?”

Head bowed, Liu He forced the word: “Glad.”

Though truthfully only if this wasn’t about last night’s drunken antics.

Yun smiled, grabbed his wrist, hauling him inside and shutting the door.

“Guilty?”

Desperately, Liu He shook his head. “No. I’ve nothing to be guilty about.”

“You said it yourself.” Yun arched a brow. “You’re a liar.”

Silence. Of course Yun could see through him. His acting was simply too poor.

“I don’t want to do it,” Liu He admitted outright.

Yun didn’t push further. Instead, he embraced him gently, murmuring by his ear: “Then we won’t. I came because I wanted to see you. Did you really think I was angry?”

Relieved, Liu He leaned into him. Truly, he had believed Yun would be mad.

What man, after being called bad in bed by his lover, wouldn’t be?

But Yun—Yun was the best man in the world.

“I am angry, though.” Yun’s tone flipped. “Angry that you ate the carrot. I’m jealous of it.”

“Did you eat yet?” he asked.

Liu He shook his head. Escaping from Yun’s arms, he said, “No. I knew you’d come today, so I waited. I wanted to eat with you.”

“Then we’ll eat together.”

Dinner had been ordered, freshly arrived. Yun laid out the takeout neatly, rice freshly cooked himself.

He ladled out a bowl for Liu He, then opened the cupboard for wine. He hesitated, then put it back. Tomorrow Liu He had no rest day, so alcohol was out.

Drunk Xiao He was certainly interesting. He only wished he didn’t babble truths.

Smiling bitterly at his own thoughts, Yun sat with him.

It was a simple, light meal. Little oil, mild flavors.

After a few bites, Liu He asked: “Dieting again?”

Actors often had to control their figures for roles. For his last role, no slimming was needed, so Yun had eaten well, even gained a few pounds under grueling filming.

Now going light again… clearly meant he had to slim down this time.

“Mm.” Yun nodded. “Pity there’s no one sneaking me food this time.”

“I’ll come visit in City A when I can… but maybe not often.” Since school had started again, the workload felt heavier than even his internship.

“Then I’ll come to you.”

Liu He’s lips curved despite himself. He ducked and took another bite to mask the smile.

After dinner, Yun cleared the table. That night, they slept in the master bedroom together.

Though not so long had passed, being back in Yun’s arms made Liu He realize he’d already missed it.

Cuddled tightly, he drifted off.

The night passed without event. Two young men, blissfully asleep side by side.

The next morning, Liu He rose early for the lab. Yun left City C that same afternoon, without even a goodbye.

He had carved out a precious gap from work to come solely for this—just to see Liu He’s face.

And who knew when they would meet again. Already the next project loomed ahead, and soon there would be no time at all.

Liu He knew. And though he’d received Yun’s leaving message, when he returned home his first instinct was still to search… hoping for a trace of Yun left behind.

Footnote:

 

1. Dog food (狗粮) from earlier = slang meaning PDA between lovers.