DP Chapter 31
by VolareRelying on the alcohol, Xu Chuo clung to him like he had no bones.
Xiang Yiye keenly smelled the scent of strangers on Xu Chuo besides the wine and cigars. As soon as he entered the door, he stripped off Xu Chuo’s coat, not caring about clothing maintenance or anything, just wanting to throw it into the washing machine and spin it seven, eight, or ten times.
Xu Chuo obviously misunderstood, and rushed over to kiss him, returning the favor by taking off Xiang Yiye’s clothes.
Xiang Yiye was entangled, and anger and desire flared up at the same time. A mischievous idea popped into his head. He knew that Xu Chuo had always been a top, not for any particular reason, just out of habit.
In their previous life, that night at the bar, Xu Chuo looked at Xiang Yiye, who was distraught, and he was really to his taste. He thought, might as well switch it up, anyway, his pain tolerance was higher than average. Afterwards, the experience was enhanced, opening the door to a new world, and he never left.
They were both the same. Xu Chuo had such a rich emotional experience, he should be able to tell at this point. Besides, there was no reason to switch tonight. He wondered how Xu Chuo would react.
Xiang Yiye waited for Xu Chuo to suddenly freeze, or blurt out something like, “Forget it,” or “We might not be meant to be,” but unexpectedly, Xu Chuo didn’t stop and didn’t show any resistance.
Was he too drunk, so his ability to distinguish decreased? Xiang Yiye thought. In every way, Xu Chuo’s behavior tonight was too strange.
The bedroom was dark. Xu Chuo reached out and touched Xiang Yiye’s cheek, a little uneasy. “Can you say something? Xiang Yiye, I don’t know who I’m facing like this.”
Xiang Yiye didn’t speak. He didn’t plan to talk nicely. Talking was useless to Xu Chuo, better to use actions.
As a decent person who wouldn’t let the topic drop, Xu Chuo chose to warm things up himself, giving guidance from time to time, should be like this, should be like that, occasionally exclaiming, “I now believe you’ve never been in a relationship.”
The implication was that he was inexperienced. Xiang Yiye couldn’t help but ask, “Then why are you shaking?”
Xu Chuo finally heard his voice, his tone revealing a hint of lightness. “Psychological affection is amplified physiologically, it’s a somatization.”
Somatization is generally related to depression, anxiety, and the like, probably meaning that negative emotions can affect the body. For example, someone under high pressure might feel tightness in the chest, but Xu Chuo used this concept to develop heresy.
Xiang Yiye didn’t speak again. After a long while, still feeling uncertain, he suppressed it and asked, “Are you sober?”
Xu Chuo seemed to know what he wanted to confirm. Before he could continue, he said quickly, “I’m okay with it, I don’t mind.”
Xiang Yiye: “…” Was he in such a hurry?
“Because it’s you, I choose people,” Xu Chuo added.
The night was too dark, like a desolate wilderness, allowing people to lose their way in the dimness.
Xu Chuo stretched out his arm and turned on the bedside lamp.
The lamp emitted a faint light, casting the silhouettes of each other into view, like a ray of light breaking through the dark clouds. Between the wilderness cliffs, two camellias nestled against each other, finally no longer alone.
In the early hours of the morning, Xiang Yiye got up and got out of bed. Xu Chuo sat up and grabbed him. “Are you leaving?”
“Going to the bathroom to run water,” Xiang Yiye said, “I’ll call you when I’m done.”
After washing up, Xiang Yiye picked up the clothes scattered on the floor one by one, neatly placing them on the bench at the end of the bed.
Seeing this, Xu Chuo thought he was being a neat freak and laughed, “Don’t bother cleaning up, we’ll do it tomorrow.”
“Isn’t there a blanket?” Xiang Yiye looked around, not seeing anything that could be called a blanket. “Don’t you usually rest in the bedroom?”
Xu Chuo said, “There’s a blanket, it should be in the living room.” He yawned after saying that. The steam in the bathroom had made the alcohol hit him harder, and he was very sleepy.
Seeing that he was so sleepy he couldn’t even open his eyes, Xiang Yiye pressed him back down and said, “I’ll get it.”
He went straight past the living room to find it in another room. He knew Xu Chuo’s habits of putting things away. If he said it was in the living room, it definitely wasn’t.
Arriving at the study, Xiang Yiye turned on the light, picked up the diamond-patterned blanket on the back of the chair, and glanced at the open document on the table, stopping in his tracks.
It was a paper application form, with Xu Chuo’s name signed at the bottom. The text was brief and clear, with one sentence particularly striking: The applicant voluntarily gives up the first place in the S City Art Competition Youth Group and bears all consequences.
Xiang Yiye read it over and over, confirming that the handwriting was Xu Chuo’s own. Suddenly, he felt like something that had happened in his previous life was happening again.
Xu Chuo’s ranking in that competition, was it originally his own decision to give it up? Shouldn’t Xie Lei be in rehab? Did he still submit that letter of denunciation? Was Xu Chuo’s strangeness tonight related to this application form?
Xiang Yiye remained calm, took the blanket back to the bedroom, and as soon as he lay back down, Xu Chuo wrapped himself around him.
The blanket felt soft, melting into his body temperature. Xu Chuo thought to himself how gentle he was, and fell asleep. In his sleep, he heard Xiang Yiye suddenly ask something in his ear.
Xu Chuo rubbed the back of his head with his eyes closed and said, “It’s my boyfriend, go to sleep.”
Xiang Yiye: “…” Although he was also concerned about this, what he just asked about was that application form!
Moreover, shouldn’t this kind of confession-like moment take place in a warm and ritualistic setting? But the moment of clarity hadn’t even passed, and he made such a hasty decision. Who agreed to this?
But he had to admit, Xiang Yiye was still very happy, like ripples spreading layer by layer on the water, with a hint of hesitation in the middle.
Xu Chuo was asleep, so he couldn’t wake him up to ask again. Xiang Yiye’s self-protection mechanism kicked in, telling himself not to have too high expectations. Maybe tomorrow Xu Chuo would put on his pants and deny everything.
The next morning at eight o’clock, Xiang Yiye finished washing up and heard voices and laughter coming from the bedroom.
He was surprised that Xu Chuo woke up so early. He walked back to the bedroom and found Xu Chuo leaning against the headboard, talking on the phone, and the phone to his ear was… his.
Lin Xiao took advantage of the fact that she didn’t have a scene in the morning and called Xiang Yiye from the hotel. Hearing that the voice on the other end was wrong, she was shocked: “Wait, are you… Xu Chuo? How is it you… I didn’t dial the wrong number, isn’t this Xiang Yiye’s phone?”
Xu Chuo rubbed his head, which was a little dizzy after a night of drinking. “You’re up so early…”
“Where’s Xiang Yiye?”
“Probably in the bathroom.”
“He’s at your house? What did you do to him!? Don’t tell me you were together all night…”
Xu Chuo smiled. “Yes, and very close.”
Lin Xiao was momentarily speechless. “You, you beast, you…”
“How am I a beast?” Xu Chuo looked at Xiang Yiye who was walking over, a smile spreading across his face. “As a boyfriend, isn’t it normal to have a sleepover?”
Xiang Yiye froze in place. He had prepared himself for a disappointment, but Xu Chuo seemed to be serious.
Lin Xiao: “When did you become his boyfriend…”
Xu Chuo: “Last night.”
Lin Xiao: “Isn’t that even more beastly? I don’t believe what you’re saying, give the phone to Xiang Yiye!”
Xiang Yiye took the phone, mechanically replying “Mm,” “Okay,” and “It’s okay” throughout, just looking at Xu Chuo smiling at him from across the room.
Lin Xiao originally wanted to tell him about the role, so he could rest assured, but with Xu Chuo butting in, she became worried about Xiang Yiye. “Are you really not being forced? Didn’t get drugged?”
“No,” Xiang Yiye stopped Xu Chuo’s hand to prevent his abs from being harmed. “…I didn’t drink.”
Lin Xiao found it hard to accept and said angrily, “When I finish filming, I’ll take you out to dinner, but it’s settled, only you, not the beast!”
After Xu Chuo washed up, he saw Xiang Yiye busy in the kitchen, walked over and hugged him from behind. “You got up so early just to make breakfast?”
“I have class at ten,” Xiang Yiye said.
“You can cook? What are you making that’s so delicious?” Xu Chuo glanced at the small pot in front of him.
“Boiled eggs…” Xiang Yiye was unusually honest. “I can only boil water, this is the fastest.”
It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried to develop his cooking skills, but unfortunately, his talent was negative. To prevent the kitchen from being blown up, he didn’t step foot in this place unless necessary.
Xu Chuo was pretty good with his hands, but he was lazy, his cooking skills were about the same as Xiang Yiye’s. He was very supportive and optimistic: “That’s great. I can only cook instant noodles. In the future, you’ll be responsible for boiling water, and I’ll be responsible for cooking the noodles. If we’re together, we’ll never starve to death.”
After a hasty breakfast, Xu Chuo drove Xiang Yiye to D University. Time was indeed a bit tight, and Xu Chuo sped up a bit on the road, not even bothering to talk much.
Xiang Yiye glanced at the file bag in the car, hesitating. He remembered that before leaving, Xu Chuo went to the study. The application form to withdraw from the competition was probably in the file bag now, and might be submitted today.
“What’s in here?” Xiang Yiye asked.
“Love letters left by an ex, I’m taking them to be destroyed, because I have to be responsible to my current boyfriend,” Xu Chuo said.
Xiang Yiye: “…” Not a word of truth in his mouth.
He decided to stop beating around the bush. “Brother Chuo, I want to apologize to you. When I went to the study to get the blanket yesterday, I saw a document on your desk.”
Xu Chuo said, “Is it that application form?”
“Yes, I know you won the gold award last month,” Xiang Yiye said. “Such a great honor, why give it up?”
Xu Chuo paused and said, “Would you be unhappy if I didn’t say?”
Xiang Yiye said, “No, I’m asking this because I’m worried that you’ve experienced something you couldn’t help. It’s okay if you don’t want to say.”
Xu Chuo remembered that he had said before that he wanted to understand everything about the other person, and asked, “Would you be happy if I told you?”
Xiang Yiye said, “Yes. It might sound a bit like emotional blackmail, but I would be very happy if I could understand you a little more.”
Xu Chuo was silent for a moment, and said, “Got it, I’ll tell you later.”
Xiang Yiye’s heart skipped a beat. He could finally feel that Xu Chuo was getting closer to him, not just in physical distance.
D University didn’t allow outside vehicles to enter the school, so Xu Chuo’s car could only go to the school gate.
“Go on, I’ll pick you up for dinner tonight.” Xu Chuo pinched the back of his neck, his eyes fixed on him.
Xiang Yiye looked around, rose slightly, lifted the side of his jacket to block the view, and left a hurried kiss on Xu Chuo’s lips.