Chapter 60
The phone screen had gotten into quite a mess. Although modern phone waterproofing was very reliable, Pei Zhi was still afraid he might ruin the device.
He pulled out some tissues and wiped the screen clean bit by bit, until Xie Ning gradually became clearer on the video call. It felt almost as if he were meticulously tidying Xie Ning up.
There was still no sound coming from Xie Ning’s end, save for his faint, shallow breaths. His hand was still resting in the distance; the fair skin of his fingertips set off his flushed skin, making that rosy hue look all the more tempting and mouthwatering by comparison.
Afraid of startling Xie Ning, Pei Zhi kept his tone somewhat gentle: “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Xie Ning remained in a daze. When Pei Zhi suddenly spoke, he seemed startled, looking toward the camera as if waking from a dream. Then, his lips trembled slightly: “I don’t feel like talking.”
Pei Zhi let out a low chuckle: “Why don’t you feel like talking again, baby?”
Pei Zhi guessed that Xie Ning hadn’t fully cleared his head yet. Xie Ning was at his cutest at moments like this. If he were by Xie Ning’s side right now, he would be holding him in his arms, and Xie Ning would be nestled obediently against his chest, completely at his mercy.
Yet Xie Ning’s brain was also somewhat conscious. So whenever he pushed things too far or said something that crossed the line, Xie Ning would wear an astonished expression and reply with utter seriousness.
Too cute.
The more Pei Zhi thought about it, the more he missed Xie Ning. They hadn’t been apart for very long, yet he desperately longed to see him.
This yearning was like a seed taking firm root in his heart, clutching at his chest; every single beat of his heart, every single breath he took, was spent missing Xie Ning.
Carrying a hint of nasal softness in his voice, Xie Ning retracted his hand: “I just don’t feel like talking, okay?”
Pei Zhi: “Acting spoiled again.”
His tone carried no hint of blame, but rather a touch of indulgence.
Xie Ning: “…”
Everything he did was acting spoiled in Pei Zhi’s eyes.
Xie Ning had just adjusted his sitting posture when Pei Zhi spoke up: “Baby, do you have tissues?”
Xie Ning: “Tissues?”
“Mhm, wipe yourself,” Pei Zhi said. “It’s everywhere.”
Only then did Xie Ning notice the issue Pei Zhi was referring to.
His delicate brows knit slightly. He cared deeply about personal hygiene, yet right now he was sitting on the leather seat in a state like this. Realizing it after the fact made him feel uncomfortable; because of all the sweat, his skin also felt somewhat sticky.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Xie Ning’s awareness gradually returned.
Just as he was about to stand up, Pei Zhi said, “Don’t.”
“Wipe yourself down first, baby. Clean up before you go shower, and you’ll feel much better,” Pei Zhi coaxed. “Look, the chair hasn’t even been wiped yet. By the time you finish showering, the mess on the chair might be dried up by the air conditioner.”
Xie Ning thought sluggishly that there seemed to be some truth to that.
He pulled out a tissue from the side, slowly folding it into a long, thin triangle shape, and pressed it against his skin. A small section of the tissue was instantly soaked through, spreading out into a faint circle of light gray.
Looking at this made Pei Zhi feel inexplicably thirsty.
He simply watched as Xie Ning unhurriedly pulled out tissues—those long, slender fingers, those pink fingertips—becoming almost spellbound as he stared.
The room was completely quiet when suddenly, a knock on the door rang out. On the video call, Xie Ning looked startled, swiftly raising his arm to hang up the call.
His heart beat wildly without stopping, and Xie Ning broke into a cold sweat, feeling as if he had just woken from a nightmare.
He had actually video called with Pei Zhi… It was utterly absurd. His fingers slowly clenched into fists. Once his senses fully returned, his sense of shame surged exponentially. If Pei Zhi had been by his side, it would be one thing for them to act like this, but right now, they were merely on a video call.
How could he have actually agreed to it?
Xie Ning quickly found a coat to throw on, stepping in front of the bathroom mirror to check his appearance.
His cheeks were flushed a deep crimson, looking quite ruined, and his face was burning hot.
It felt like things had gone a bit too far…
Xie Ning splashed cold water on his face, waiting until he had calmed down a bit before going to open the door. But there was no one in the hallway, and the hall lights were dark.
Had no one knocked just now?
That made sense. He and his parents had been out walking all day today, and everyone was utterly exhausted. If it weren’t for his jet lag, he would be asleep by now as well.
So, the knocking sound earlier had come from Pei Zhi’s side.
Xie Ning’s abrupt hanging up of the video call left Pei Zhi feeling completely unresolved.
Xie Ning had just been wiping the crucial spot, and he hadn’t even finished watching… Utterly restless, he replied with a few messages to Xie Ning, grabbed his phone, and walked over to his door without opening it.
“Who is it?”
Gu Nian’s voice came from outside: “It’s me, it’s me! The conference exchange is tonight, and I heard the tea refreshments are delicious, hehehe. I’m feeling a bit nervous and excited. I checked on a few others and they’re all taking afternoon naps… Want to go stroll around nearby to relax our mood?”
Pei Zhi fell silent for a moment before speaking: “Is there a slight possibility that I’m taking an afternoon nap as well?”
Gu Nian froze: “But you don’t have the habit of taking afternoon naps…”
Otherwise, Gu Nian wouldn’t have thought of Pei Zhi first. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Brother Pei, you’re not actually sleeping, are you? Sorry for bothering you! Did I wake you up? I’ll leave right now, go back to sleep.”
“Mhm,” Pei Zhi added, “Don’t knock out of nowhere in the future. Send a message first if you’re going to knock.”
Pei Zhi looked down at his phone. Xie Ning had only replied with a string of “…”, likely still feeling too embarrassed.
When it came to the big things, Xie Ning was exceptionally direct, sometimes even taking the initiative to tease him with words while wearing an innocent face as if he understood nothing. Yet when it came to minor details, Xie Ning possessed exceedingly thin skin.
Truly adorable, Pei Zhi thought.
Pei Zhi tried calling Xie Ning several times on video, but was turned down every time. He sent messages to Xie Ning, but Xie Ning replied with very few words, seemingly really not wanting to bother with him.
After coaxing him for a long time, Xie Ning finally typed out a few more words. However, this time, no matter what, Xie Ning refused to continue video calling with him, agreeing at most to a voice call.
Voice call it is, then. The moment the call connected, Pei Zhi coaxed, “Baby, let me take a look at you. I promise this time it’ll strictly be a simple look.”
Xie Ning: “No.”
“Baby…” Pei Zhi called out.
“Either this, or I hang up,” Xie Ning said. “Pick one.”
Pei Zhi: “Then let’s keep it like this. Just being able to hear your voice is fine too.”
Rustling sounds came through the call, seemingly Xie Ning tidying up his bedding. Pei Zhi asked, “Are you going to sleep?”
“Mhm,” Xie Ning’s voice carried a hint of nasal softness as he buried his face into the covers. “I’m feeling a bit sleepy.”
Sure enough, indulgence was the best sleep aid.
He hadn’t been sleepy earlier, but now he suddenly felt a weakness in his limbs and his mind felt hazy, as if he were intoxicated. His eyelids felt heavy, wanting nothing more than to lie down and sleep.
Fearing he might dispel Xie Ning’s sleepiness, Pei Zhi kept his voice very soft as he said, “Then shall we keep the call connected? I’ll listen to you sleep.”
Xie Ning lay on the bed for a while, plugged in his phone’s charging cable, placed it beside his ear, turned on the speakerphone, and adjusted the volume. He asked, “Don’t you have to go out later?”
“I do, but there’s still some time,” Pei Zhi said. “Even if I go out, it’s not a big deal. I’ll just bring earphones and a power bank, then mute my side.”
“I won’t disturb our baby’s sleep.”
Again with this tone, like coaxing a little child.
Xie Ning said, “I’m not your baby.”
“If you’re not, then who is?” Pei Zhi continued, “Alright, alright, you’re not my baby—you’re my wife.”
Xie Ning: “Can’t be bothered with you.”
“Pay some attention to me, wife,” Pei Zhi let out a low chuckle, repeatedly calling out, “Wife, wife.”
Xie Ning: “I’m going to sleep.”
Pei Zhi: “Goodnight, wife.”
“Mhm,” Xie Ning thought for a moment; it should be mid-afternoon on Pei Zhi’s side. He said, “Good afternoon.”
Pei Zhi: “I won’t speak anymore. Baby, don’t speak either, go to sleep early.”
Xie Ning stopped talking as well.
It grew very quiet by his ear, leaving only the sound of their respective heartbeats. Xie Ning turned over slightly and saw his phone screen light up.
It was a message from Pei Zhi.
?Missing You: Be a good baby, Ningning. Missing you so much today as well. ^v^?
Over the next two days, Xie Ning toured around with his family.
They went to the Getty Center together to look out over the Los Angeles scenery. Although Los Angeles had a Mediterranean climate with warm winters and hot summers, it had recently been affected by a cold front—especially the northern region, which had heavy snow every day.
Thus, when Xie Yan brought up going to Santa Monica Beach, Xie Ning’s initial reaction was resistance.
Going to the beach in weather like this was far too cold.
In the end, however, they still went. Xie Ning only stayed outside on the beach for a short while, spending most of the time inside a restaurant, admiring the sunset over the sea.
Xie Ning also snapped a few photos and casually sent them to Pei Zhi. Qi Ran, standing beside him, asked curiously, “Bro, you take photos too?”
Xie Ning shot him a strange glance: “Is me taking photos a rare occurrence?”
“Yeah,” Qi Ran said. “I’ve never seen you record anything with photos. Most of the time, it seems like… you just watch with your eyes?”
When Xie Ning used to admire beautiful scenery, he wouldn’t get distracted. In the eyes of others, it was an entirely immersive performance.
The surroundings were bustling with noise as people pulled out their phones to record the wonderful view, but Xie Ning didn’t. Because in his eyes, scenery was merely scenery.
All along, he had never possessed a particular favorite—he couldn’t name a favorite movie or a favorite song. He had no reason to record his life or the sights before him.
Now, it seemed he had one.
Which was to share his life.
Xie Ning hadn’t been like this before, but Pei Zhi was. Pei Zhi would take photos for him no matter what he did: going out, eating, getting in the car, taking a shower… Sometimes he would even make a point of mentioning it when he went to the restroom, acting just like a subordinate regularly reporting work progress to a superior.
He was a person accustomed to reciprocating gestures. If Pei Zhi treated him this way, shouldn’t he also send Pei Zhi some messages? Thus, he tried sharing his life with Pei Zhi as well.
?Missing You: Looks so cold. Are you bundled up properly??
?Ning: Yes.?
?Missing You: Let me see.?
Xie Ning: “…”
Why did he need to see this as well?
Xie Ning didn’t quite understand, but he still took a photo on the spot for Pei Zhi.
In the photo, he only revealed the tip of his chin. The simple almond-colored wool base shirt softened his cold demeanor, setting him off as quiet and gentle instead.
?Missing You: So good, knowing to take off your scarf when taking a picture.?
?Missing You: Lick wife’s chin.?
That was because it was warm inside the restaurant, and when eating, coats and scarves had to be taken off and placed to the side. Xie Ning naturally wouldn’t put his scarf and coat back on just to take a photo.
Having it phrased like this by Pei Zhi made it seem as though he had deliberately removed his coat and scarf just to take a picture for Pei Zhi to see. He felt somewhat speechless, but didn’t say anything, silently dimming his phone’s brightness instead.
?Ning: My parents are right beside me. Don’t talk nonsense.?
?Missing You: Just one last line, let me say one last line of nonsense.?
?Ning: ??
?Missing You: Do you miss me??
?Ning: …?
?Missing You: Do you, do you? Baby, I miss you so much. What about you? Do you miss me even a little bit? [Lifting Ning-bao up to kiss .jpg]?
?Ning: Yes, yes, yes.?
Pei Zhi was finally satisfied.
His subsequent messages turned normal as well.
?Missing You: I booked the earliest flight, but I might not make it on Christmas Day itself.?
?Ning: It’s fine. Focus on your matters over there first.?
If Xie Ning remembered correctly, Pei Zhi’s event concluded on the evening of Christmas Day. Heading to the airport and factoring in direct flight time, the earliest he could reach Los Angeles would be the morning of the next day.
There was also a single possibility that would allow Pei Zhi to arrive in Los Angeles on Christmas Day: if he actually sprouted a pair of wings.
Xie Ning found this notion a bit amusing.
How could that be possible? Real life didn’t have superpowers, though… his mind-reading ability had also descended out of nowhere.
Xie Yan asked, “Why do you keep staring at your phone?”
Xie Ning put his phone down. “Nothing, just replying to a friend’s message.”
“Oh,” Xie Yan said. “Your roommate, Pei Zhi?”
Xie Ning: “Yes.”
Father Xie hesitated to speak, wanting to ask but feeling it improper. In the end, he could only lower his head and take a sip of fruit juice to suppress his restless curiosity.
He had made a pact with his wife not to overly interfere with their child’s choices, so he ought to keep his promise.
Qi Ran wore a look of vigilance. How did Xie Yan even know about Pei Zhi? He asked, “You guys know him too?”
Xie Yan said, “Xiao Ran knows Pei Zhi as well? Earlier when we called your brother, his roommate Pei Zhi was beside him, so we exchanged a few words. We’ve never seen your brother introduce any friends before—this is a first—so we were wondering if we should invite him to celebrate Christmas with us.”
Qi Ran knit his brows: “Celebrate Christmas together? Where is he, then?”
“Something suddenly came up at his university, so he had to go handle an exchange project. This just goes to show how outstanding the young man is. You should learn from him too—don’t go out fooling around every day,” Xie Yan said. “Having fun is fine, but make sure to focus on improving yourself. Don’t let leisure sap your ambition.”
Qi Ran lowered his head, playing dead: “Got it.”
Xie Yan looked at Xie Ning: “Is Xiao Pei arriving tomorrow?”
“Should be.” Xie Ning wasn’t entirely sure either because Pei Zhi hadn’t sent him his flight details. He said, “I’ll ask him in a bit.”
Xie Yan said, “It doesn’t matter when he comes anyway; the guest room is already prepared, right near your room. If he’s not used to staying there, he can go to your room to chat with you.”
Qi Ran: “What about me, what about me?”
Xie Yan: “You go home to stay.”
Qi Ran: “But I also want to go to my brother’s room and chat with him.”
Xie Ning: “It’s the same talking now.”
Laughter and cheer filled the dining table. Xie Yan was well accustomed to this scene; ever since Qi Ran was little, he loved running after Xie Ning. Back then, Qi Ran was boisterous and always covered himself in dust.
Xie Ning had loved cleanliness since he was small, so he didn’t like associating with Qi Ran much back then, but Qi Ran was extraordinarily clingy toward him. Later, upon learning that little Xie Ning found him dirty, Qi Ran stopped running around wildly, focusing instead on following behind as his little sidekick.
The adults all laughed, seeing that Qi Ran truly listened only to his brother.
“It’s not the same, of course it’s not the same,” Qi Ran said, aggrieved. “You’re definitely going to be closer to someone else.”
Xie Ning: “Eat your food.”
“I’m just saying,” Qi Ran said indignantly. “Back when we were still in elementary school, back in our hometown, we used to walk home together every day after class. Then one day out of nowhere, a little boy joined us. He was really bad—every time, he’d find ways to squeeze between us to separate the two of us.”
Xie Ning: “Didn’t you stop walking with us after that?”
“Who could stand him squeezing in every time? Plus, he was really calculating—I still remember it now,” Qi Ran said. “The second I talked to you, he’d pull out a handkerchief to wipe your sweat. Just as you were about to talk to me, he’d shove candy into your hands. He blatantly didn’t want us talking! Every time he brought snacks, he’d share a little with me, but most of it went to you… Back then, seeing that he was pretty nice to you and brought you food every day, I thought, forget it, let you two walk home together.”
“Without me around, maybe you could eat even more snacks.”
Little Qi Ran and little Xie Ning were both young back then. Children at that age loved snacks, but their family’s conditions were average, so they couldn’t buy treats often. To little Qi Ran, that boy’s snack offerings were insanely tempting.
Yet he would also think that these snacks originally belonged to little Xie Ning; if he wasn’t there, all those snacks could go to his brother.
Xie Yan said, “I remember Ning-bao mentioned this little boy. He even taught you basketball, right?”
Xie Ning said awkwardly, “I never learned it.”
Not only did he fail to learn it, but he also always got himself filthy, making it hard for the adults not to notice.
At first, the adults thought he was being bullied and were going to confront the bad kid, until he flushed red and explained he wasn’t being bullied—he had just been scraped by the basketball. Only then did they realize it was a misunderstanding.
Xie Yan said, “It doesn’t matter if you didn’t learn it. What matters is having a memory like that. Who knows how he’s doing now? Our move back then was so sudden that you didn’t even get to say goodbye to him.”
Father Xie said, “Not a big problem. Ning-bao spoke to the homeroom teacher next door at the time, asking him to pass along a message. Ning-bao even wrote a note with our phone number on it. If that little boy wanted to contact Ning-bao, he could just call us.”
However, that phone call had never rung.
Little Xie Ning back then would ask his mom and dad every day if there was a call. Fearing he would be sad, they lied and said there was. But little Xie Ning was very smart, and later confirmed that the other party had never called.
He felt it was quite normal too. Two people at different schools would naturally drift apart, and losing touch was only expected. Still, in that moment right before falling asleep at night, he would still feel a tiny bit aggrieved.
They had clearly promised to be best friends for a lifetime.
Recalling his past self now, Xie Ning found it quite interesting and a bit amusing. What weight could a child’s words hold? It was merely a fleeting moment of childhood innocence, not something to be taken seriously.
Yet, to his little self back then, it truly had been a monumental deal.
Having it brought up by Xie Yan like this, Xie Ning suddenly recalled that childhood memory.
He wasn’t good at sports, so he always rested to the side during PE class. One day, however, as they passed the sports field, a little boy younger than him volunteered to teach him basketball.
The little boy had merely spoken on a whim, wanting to swap places to play with little Xie Ning. But he had overestimated little Xie Ning’s athletic ability; no matter how little Xie Ning shot, he couldn’t hit the basket, which instead ignited a certain competitive drive. He was stubborn and insisted on making a shot.
Fearing he would tire himself out, the little boy wanted to lift him up. But both of them were tiny—what good was lifting him up? He still couldn’t reach that height.
“Xie Ning,” the little boy suddenly looked at little Xie Ning very seriously. “When I grow up, I’ll lift you up.”
“That way, you won’t need to try so hard to make the shot.”
Little Xie Ning had asked in confusion, “But when I grow up, I’ll be very tall, and by then, I’ll have already learned.”
Little Xie Ning naively believed that many things would be fine once he grew up. Any hardship encountered in childhood could be resolved by the word “growing up”—including the basketball hoop that seemed so high to him at the time.
“That doesn’t matter,” the little boy said. “Even if you can do it yourself, I can still help you.”
Regrettably, the current Xie Ning still hadn’t managed to learn basketball.
He had barely even touched a ball.
After taking a shower, Xie Ning saw that Pei Zhi had sent him numerous messages.
He actually really wanted to quote and reply to them one by one, but most of Pei Zhi’s messages contained zero substance, repeating much of the same meaning, along with photos constantly reporting his location.
Xie Ning roughly summarized the 99+ messages from Pei Zhi; the core content was basically reporting his itinerary + expressing how much he missed him + spouting dirty talk.
?Ning: I’m done showering.?
A voice call popped up.
Xie Ning felt a bit puzzled. Pei Zhi hadn’t initiated a video call directly, but just a voice call instead?
“Can you hear me?” Pei Zhi seemed to still be outdoors, the wind sounding quite strong. He adjusted his earphones, and fearing Xie Ning wouldn’t hear clearly, he bit down on the earphone cord as he said, “Baby.”
Xie Ning: “I can. Have you not returned to the hotel yet?”
“Mhm, still outside,” Pei Zhi said. “Is it snowing over where you are?”
Xie Ning: “Probably? It seemed to snow a little during the day; I don’t know about tonight.”
Xie Ning hadn’t paid close attention.
Pei Zhi suddenly called out: “Xie Ning.”
Whenever Pei Zhi called Xie Ning by his full name, his articulation was exceptionally clear, carrying an intensely serious quality. Xie Ning froze for a moment: “What is it?”
“It’s snowing on my side,” Pei Zhi said. “Go look outside your window too, see if it’s snowing.”
Xie Ning walked toward the balcony: “Are you trying to watch the snow with me at the same time?”
Pei Zhi: “Yes.”
The balcony door was pushed open a crack, cold wind rushing inside. Hearing the howling wind, Pei Zhi said, “Just look from inside your room. You just showered, don’t freeze.”
Xie Ning closed the glass door again.
His family’s home was a delicate little townhouse with a small garden. Beyond the layer of glass doors, icy white snow filled the sky, falling even heavier than the snow he had seen back in his home country.
A thick blanket of snow coated the ground. The endless flurry of snow blurred the view before his eyes.
Pei Zhi called out in his ear: “Baby, is it snowing?”
Xie Ning: “Yes, and it’s falling really hard…”
He suddenly froze.
Through the raging wind and snow, Xie Ning seemed to catch sight of a tall figure.
The heavier the wind and snow blew, the clearer the scene and figure before him became.
Amidst the swirling snow beside a white-dusted tree, Pei Zhi’s dark hair flew wildly in the cold wind. Wears a black coat, his dark form amidst the snow-draped world brought a heavy, vivid stroke of color.
Pei Zhi drew closer in Xie Ning’s direction. The wind was so fierce that he felt a bit cold, so he switched hands to hold his phone.
“Why did you stop talking?” Pei Zhi’s voice was low and raspy. “Did you miss me?”
As Pei Zhi spoke, his footsteps never paused, his gaze piercing through the vast white snow to land straight upon Xie Ning’s face.
Between his fingers, which were flushed red from the cold, a faint glint flickered intermittently in the dark night.
It was the ring.
Xie Ning looked down at his own fingertips; he was also wearing his ring, the matching one.
Outside, the wind and snow howled, yet failed to drown out the deafening thud of his heartbeat. Xie Ning’s head buzzed into a complete blank, and he asked in utter bewilderment, “You… why are you here? Doesn’t your itinerary finish tomorrow?”
Even if he booked the earliest flight, Pei Zhi couldn’t possibly arrive in Los Angeles on Christmas Day. He had even teased in his heart earlier that it would only be possible if Pei Zhi possessed superpowers.
Xie Ning glanced at the time—there were less than ten minutes left before midnight, before Christmas Day itself.
“How are you still the same as before? You believe whatever I say,” Pei Zhi seemed to chuckle. “Silly.”
“Wait for me a moment, baby, then open the balcony window.”
What?
Before Xie Ning could snap back to reality, it was already too late to question further.
Pei Zhi threw out only that single sentence, leaving the call active as he slipped the phone into his coat pocket.
Flipping over the wall into the townhouse grounds was far too easy. Pei Zhi scaled it with absolute ease, then arrived beside the large tree outside Xie Ning’s room, tilting his head up to glance at Xie Ning.
The height was manageable.
Pei Zhi took off his coat and began climbing the tree with great agility.
Xie Ning went back to his room to grab a heavy coat and a scarf, hurriedly opening the balcony door.
Pei Zhi moved with swift dexterity, and fortunately Xie Ning lived on the second floor, so Pei Zhi quickly pulled himself onto the balcony. A large hand rested on the balcony railing, his skin already turned slightly pale from the cold.
Pei Zhi’s hand was freezing; the moment Xie Ning touched it, he felt a daunting wave of chill. He had already climbed over the balcony, and the instant his feet touched the floor, Xie Ning wrapped the coat and scarf tightly around his body.
Xie Ning: “I could have opened the door for you! Why did you have to climb in… That was far too dangerous!”
His tone carried a rare trace of panic.
Although it was only the second floor, with such heavy snow, climbing a tree could easily lead to an accident. Pei Zhi’s action just now was far too dangerous and far too rash.
Pei Zhi allowed Xie Ning to pull him along as they stepped from the balcony into the room. Xie Ning closed the balcony door securely, then raised the air conditioning temperature and brightness.
His hands were lifted by Xie Ning and inspected over and over again. Though his hands had lost all sensation from the cold, a satisfied smile hung on his face—he looked a bit foolish, as if completely immune to the pain.
“I forgot.” At the time, Pei Zhi had genuinely forgotten that Xie Ning could open the door for him. He said, “All I could think about was seeing you as quickly as possible.”
That was why he had done such a stupid thing. Snapping back to his senses now, he also felt he had been quite ridiculous just then—how on earth had climbing a tree even crossed his mind? He murmured softly, “Why is it that every time I see you, I become so stupid?”
Xie Ning held Pei Zhi’s hand, lifting his eyelashes to cast him a mild, harmless glare. “Because you are a fool.”
“This fool missed you so much.” Pei Zhi stepped forward and wrapped Xie Ning in an embrace.
Pei Zhi brought a layer of chill with him, yet his body temperature burned hot. He tilted his head, the bridge of his tall nose pressing gently against the soft flesh of Xie Ning’s neck as he inhaled intoxicatingly and nuzzled around. “What should I do, baby… You just took a shower, and now I’ve gotten you dirty.”
It had only been a few days since Xie Ning and Pei Zhi last saw each other, yet he hadn’t expected that this sudden physical touch would send a tingling electrical current surging straight down his spine.
He seemed to have… become even more sensitive than before.
Xie Ning turned his head slightly, saying with little concern, “It’ll be fine once I shower again. Do you still have feeling in your hands?”
Pei Zhi: “Shall we shower together?”
Xie Ning shot Pei Zhi a glance. “Answer me.”
Pei Zhi: “I have feeling. Baby, you don’t need to worry so much. Back when I was training, I endured far harsher conditions than this. When I was a kid, I trained in the snow with a group of people… Back then, I really couldn’t stand it, so cold I lost all feeling, but you get used to it after a while.”
Pei Zhi took Xie Ning’s hand, but fearing his cold hand would chill Xie Ning, he switched to wrapping his arms around Xie Ning’s waist instead. He buried his face in the crook of Xie Ning’s neck. “Just a hug will do.”
Pei Zhi had been dreaming of Xie Ning every single night.
Had Xie Ning been eating well and staying warm? Where else had he gone with his family? Was he in Xie Ning’s dreams too? Did Xie Ning miss him?
He wanted to lock Xie Ning away.
He wanted Xie Ning to have no one else beside him but himself.
Pei Zhi had pondered for a long time—when they finally met, he would definitely do a lot of excessive things to make up for these past few days.
Yet after actually seeing Xie Ning, he changed his mind.
All those burning, dark, thick thoughts suddenly became exceptionally simple the moment he set eyes on Xie Ning.
A single hug was enough.
Just one embrace, as long as Xie Ning was by his side, was enough to leave him feeling immensely satisfied.
“I really… missed you so, so, so much.”
Pei Zhi held him very tightly. His scorching body temperature and tight embrace enveloped Xie Ning like a massive net.
Scorching breaths fell beside his ear, and Pei Zhi’s heart beat at a rapid pace, miraculously synchronizing with the frequency of Xie Ning’s own heartbeat.
“If I hadn’t seen you soon, I really would have gone insane.”
