ASSHKHME Chapter 18

Chapter 18 Hedgehog

Chen Zhuo’s face was pale and a little unnatural. He subtly used force with his hand, stating with reason and evidence, “Don’t open the window, the rain will be blown in by the wind, it’s very cold.”

Xie Yu’s action was just a test, and now he could basically confirm that Chen Zhuo was indeed afraid of thunder.

Xie Yu guessed it stemmed from childhood trauma.

Chen Zhuo withdrew his hand under Xie Yu’s direct gaze, a little nervous.

He was afraid that Xie Yu would laugh at his cowardice after discovering the truth, and also afraid that Xie Yu would leave directly.

In this situation, having a living, warm person by his side could greatly alleviate his anxiety and fear.

Unexpectedly, Xie Yu actually nodded: “Okay, I’m hungry. Have you had dinner? I’ll have room service send some food over?”

Chen Zhuo no longer had the usual sharpness that made him bristle like a hedgehog. Under his slightly curled bangs, his eyes were dark and bright as he looked at Xie Yu: “Not yet, okay.”

This appearance reminded Xie Yu of when he was a child, finding a small hedgehog curled into a ball in the yard after it rained.

Its surface was full of prickly spines, looking quite scary.

After smelling the aroma of food, it would wriggle and extend its small paws, stealthily poking out its adorable head, just like Chen Zhuo was now.

Xie Yu raised his hand and pressed Chen Zhuo’s head. His hair was softer than he imagined.

Chen Zhuo was stunned for a moment, and looked at Xie Yu with a surprised expression. Xie Yu had already picked up the phone receiver and dialed the number as if nothing had happened.

“Hello, room 3027, I’d like to order some food. Fresh ginseng stewed old pigeon soup, steamed perch, seasonal vegetables in broth, and two of your specialties.” Xie Yu covered the receiver and turned his head to ask, “Chen Zhuo’er, do you want dessert?”

Chen Zhuo walked over wrapped in a blanket, leaning close to Xie Yu’s side: “What kind of desserts do you have?”

Two adult men being so close always felt a little strange.

Xie Yu’s chin was brushed by the ends of Chen Zhuo’s hair. He took two steps back and stuffed the receiver into his hand, answering somewhat stiffly, “Ask yourself.”

Chen Zhuo noticed Xie Yu’s resistance and didn’t speak, taking the receiver: “What desserts do you have? Yes, I’ll have a serving of fermented rice dumplings, okay, yes, 3027.”

Chen Zhuo was about to put down the receiver when Xie Yu suddenly took it, their hands briefly touching. Xie Yu said into the receiver, “Don’t put any scallions or cilantro in any of the dishes.”

Chen Zhuo took a step forward, approaching Xie Yu, lazily looking at him and softly saying, “Xie Yu, you’re really strange.”

Xie Yu lowered his eyes to meet his gaze, unexpectedly touching the back of Chen Zhuo’s hand, scoffing, “You should worry about yourself. Your hands are so cold, how weak must your kidneys be.”

“Heh, my kidneys are very good.”

Chen Zhuo felt that teasing him was boring, turned around and walked away to continue watching his movie.

Xie Yu pulled open the curtains, only to see the world submerged in an endless rain. The warm yellow streetlights flickered with starlight-like light, the stone slabs were washed bright and clean, and the wind and rain swept over the grass, creating a rich green.

The night suddenly brightened, lightning tearing through the black sky like a silver snake.

Xie Yu subconsciously looked at Chen Zhuo, who was curled up listlessly on the sofa. A thunderclap roared, and the glass window shook along with it.

Chen Zhuo shivered and covered his head with the blanket, shrinking into an even smaller ball. After a long while, he carefully stretched out his body.

Chen Zhuo pinched his palm, stealthily poking his head out to check Xie Yu’s position, fearing that he would seize his weak spot.

He unexpectedly met Xie Yu’s gaze, realizing that this guy had been observing his reaction all along. He pursed his lips, and a faint blush appeared on his pale face.

What was it like to have your embarrassing appearance seen by your mortal enemy?

He wanted to die!

Shame, annoyance, and other emotions intertwined.

Chen Zhuo became enraged by the rolling thunder and Xie Yu’s silence: “What are you looking at?!”

Xie Yu raised an eyebrow, straddling the sofa back with his long legs and sitting next to Chen Zhuo, arrogantly saying, “What’s wrong with looking at you? I haven’t even beaten you for burning a hole in my pants.”

Chen Zhuo’s gaze shifted downwards. Xie Yu’s pants were thin, and the hole burned by the cigarette butt was quite obvious.

Chen Zhuo raised his eyebrows slightly: “Gray.”

Xie Yu tugged at his shirt to cover it, squinting at him vigilantly, “You pervert.”

Chen Zhuo chuckled softly, his tense nerves relaxing a lot.

Xie Yu moved to the side, and Chen Zhuo followed him, insisting on sticking close to him.

Xie Yu was squeezed to the very edge, and finally couldn’t bear it any longer: “What do you want now?”

Chen Zhuo blinked innocently: “What did I do?”

Xie Yu said defensively, “Look how you’re squeezing me. Don’t get so close to me, I’m not gay.”

“But you’re very warm, I want to lean on you.” Chen Zhuo suddenly lowered his head and sniffed his clothes, “Did you drink?”

Xie Yu raised his hand and pushed Chen Zhuo’s forehead with his palm, smiling, “Are you a puppy or something, sniffing?”

It was rare for the two of them to have such a harmonious atmosphere. After realizing it, they both felt a little uncomfortable.

The doorbell rang again. Xie Yu got up to open the door, and Chen Zhuo followed closely behind him, like a little tail.

Their dinner was ready.

The staff wheeled the food cart into the room, placing the plates on the dining table one by one, removing the warming covers, and smiling: “Young Master Xie, your dinner is all here. If you need anything, please feel free to ask.”

Xie Yu nodded: “Okay, thanks for your hard work.”

The door “clicked” shut, leaving only the two of them in the room again.

Xie Yu pulled out a dining chair, “Finally, we can eat. It looks pretty good, I wonder if it tastes good.”

Chen Zhuo reminded him, “You haven’t washed your hands yet.”

Xie Yu didn’t care: “My hands haven’t touched anything, they’re not dirty. Besides, I’m eating with chopsticks, not grabbing with my hands.”

Chen Zhuo immediately stared at him with a very disgusted expression.

“…”

Xie Yu put down his chopsticks and walked towards the bathroom, complaining, “Why are there so many things! You’re so fussy.”

Amidst the “whooshing” sound of water, Xie Yu raised his head.

He met Chen Zhuo’s gaze in the bathroom mirror, teasingly asking, “What are you following me for? Are you afraid of being alone?”

Chen Zhuo changed his expression and squeezed Xie Yu to the side: “Who’s afraid? I need to wash my hands too. I’ll leave as soon as I’m done, don’t take up space.”

The bathroom was small, and it seemed even narrower after accommodating two men over 1.8 meters tall.

Xie Yu paused in his action of pulling a paper towel to wipe his hands, mischievously flicking the water droplets on his hands onto Chen Zhuo’s face.

Chen Zhuo turned his face away, the veins on his forehead throbbing, “Xie Yu, stop playing around!”

In the room covered with white ceramic tiles, the fluorescent light was particularly bright, enough for Xie Yu to clearly see the trajectory of the crystal clear water droplets hanging on Chen Zhuo’s eyelashes.

Probably because he was angered by Xie Yu, Chen Zhuo’s face was no longer pale, and his lips had regained their color.

The water droplet slid slowly down Chen Zhuo’s cheek, across the corner of his lips.

Like a light and lingering kiss, it finally gathered at his chin and dripped down, as if unable to bear its weight.

The little bit of water that stained the corner of his lips was pursed into his mouth as Chen Zhuo spoke.

It was so seductive.

Xie Yu subtly shifted his gaze, stiffly leaving the narrow space that was becoming increasingly sparse, “Let’s eat quickly, it’s going to get cold.”

Chen Zhuo wiped his face, complaining, “Are you an elementary school student? So childish.”