ASSHKHME Chapter 117

Chapter 117: Surprise

Since landing in New York, Chen Zhuo had been like a fully wound clockwork toy. Except for the few days spent adjusting to the time difference, he hadn’t slept in late once.

Xie Yu probably couldn’t imagine that the former professional sleeper-in who couldn’t be roused even by six alarm clocks could now get out of bed to wash up within ten seconds of the first alarm, all while reviewing the knowledge points from the previous day.

Because he felt unwell after drinking last night, and had experienced emotional fluctuations from arguing to making up to crying about missing him, Chen Zhuo slept with his head covered until one o’clock in the afternoon before groggily waking up.

Yesterday, he and Xie Yu had cried together over video call, and his eyelids were a little swollen today.

He was alone in the dorm; Yang Fan had gone to the library.

Chen Zhuo rubbed his eyes, reached for his phone on the pillow, yawned, and sent a message to Xie Yu: [Just woke up. My Chinese stomach can’t take it anymore. I’m planning to spend a fortune to feast at a Chinese restaurant.]

It was early morning in Jiangbei, so Xie Yu was probably still sleeping. Chen Zhuo put down his phone and went to wash up.

After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he randomly picked a baseball cap to cover his messy, small curly hair, grabbed his phone, and headed out.

The weather was nice today, the sunlight a bit dazzling.

Chen Zhuo walked listlessly along the path. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he casually picked it up to look. It was a reply from Xie Yu.

Spoiled Little Treasure: [Sure, I heard Qizi say there’s a really good Sichuan restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. The owner is a genuine Sichuanese. Let me take you to try it.]

In the breeze, dappled sunlight flickered around Chen Zhuo.

The corners of his eyes curved up. Thinking Xie Yu was joking with him, he replied: [Okay, let’s go eat together then. And in the evening, we can go to the observation deck of the Empire State Building to see the sunset?]

“Okay, whatever you want.”

The familiar voice rang out behind him, and Chen Zhuo’s mind went blank for a moment.

Before he could even turn around, someone hooked their arm around his neck. Warm, dry hands turned his face, and a kiss landed on the corner of his lips.

The surprise hit him belatedly, and a brilliant firework exploded in his mind, spreading rapidly along every nerve.

Chen Zhuo froze on the spot, his entire being overwhelmed by the immense joy. He opened his eyes wide, his breath almost stopping, his eyes brimming with smiles as he stared foolishly at Xie Yu. “Xie Yu, you…”

Xie Yu didn’t give him a chance to finish his sentence. Outside the student apartment building, in front of everyone, he held the back of Chen Zhuo’s head and kissed him.

The poor baseball cap fell to the ground and rolled around during their passionate kiss, covered in dust.

The longing that had accumulated for two and a half months was released at this moment.

Xie Yu hugged Chen Zhuo tightly, greedily inhaling the long-awaited citrus scent.

The kiss was deep, their lips trembling.

“Baby, I missed you so much, missed you to death, baby…”

Two handsome Chinese guys kissing in public still attracted a lot of attention, but most of the looks were curious and gossipy.

Perhaps because they were in a foreign country and could be uninhibited, or perhaps because the mad longing needed to be released, Chen Zhuo hooked his arms around Xie Yu’s neck and pressed back in for another kiss when he tried to pull away.

The overflowing love had nowhere to go but to be held firmly in Xie Yu’s embrace.

Xie Yu was stimulated by Chen Zhuo’s initiative and immediately gave an even more ardent response.

Yang Fan and another friend who was studying abroad came back from the library, chatting happily. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse and his eyeballs almost popped out.

He rubbed his eyes and rubbed them again, confirming that the people embracing and kissing were Chen Zhuo and Xie Yu, and he couldn’t hide his shock.

God and Jesus! Wasn’t Xie Yu still on the other side of the Pacific yesterday??

Holy moly! Is gay love this awesome? They have an argument and then fly for fourteen hours to come and make up??

“What’s with that expression? You seen a ghost in broad daylight?” The friend took a few steps and, noticing that Yang Fan wasn’t following, turned around, about to look in the direction of his gaze, when Yang Fan rushed up and blocked him with his tall body. “Hey, why are you blocking me? Let me see!”

Yang Fan held his head with both hands, pushing him towards the apartment building. “Nothing, nothing. Two gay guys are kissing. Let’s go, let’s go.”

The friend immediately frowned, his face full of disgust. “Gays? Ugh! Disgusting. Kissing in the street, do they have any public morals? Good thing our country doesn’t support it, an eyesore!”

Yang Fan clicked his tongue and mercilessly mocked him. “You’re already in college, you’re already studying abroad, how come your brain is as feudal as an old lady’s foot bindings! You’re sick!”

The friend, baffled by his sudden anger, sized him up. “You’re not gay, why are you getting so angry? Tch, I’m telling you, these gays just haven’t tasted the goodness of the opposite sex, that’s why they…”

“Shut up!”

Yang Fan himself was indifferent to homosexuality, but he considered Chen Zhuo a good brother and instantly stood on Chen Zhuo’s side. “You’re the only one with a mouth yapping all day! Think you’re so great? Looking like a three-legged donkey, who they like is none of your business! You asking for a beating!”

The friend was speechless, choked by his outburst. “Yang Fan, you, you! No, I didn’t say anything about you, why are you yelling at me?”

Yang Fan spat at him. “Tch! Don’t ask me to go to the library with you again. What kind of person are you? Get lost.”

After saying that, he went straight back to his own dorm, slamming the door shut.

The friend walked away, bewildered, muttering, “What’s with him! Psycho! Like I even want to go with you.”

Chen Zhuo and Xie Yu had no idea about their good buddy’s heroic defense of them; they were still immersed in sweetness.

Their lips were almost swollen from kissing before they reluctantly broke apart.

Chen Zhuo was lost in the intense surprise, his heart pounding in his chest.

He deeply traced the face of his lover with his eyes, panting with a smile. “You’re really something! How did you suddenly come over? You didn’t even tell me. When did you arrive?”

Xie Yu hugged the person he had been thinking about day and night, resting his forehead against his, grinning foolishly. “How could I not tell you? When you blacklisted me on WeChat and wouldn’t answer my calls, didn’t I send you a message on Alipay saying I was flying over so you could beat me up?”

He rubbed the tip of his nose against Chen Zhuo’s, acting cute. “So, I did something wrong. How does my wife plan to punish me? Slap me in the face? Or whip me with a belt? I promise I won’t fight back.”

Chen Zhuo glared at him playfully, whispering, “Slapping and whipping are both *pa pa pa*, right? So let’s just *pa pa pa* then.”

Xie Yu loved hearing him say such explicit things, and a wicked grin spread across his lips. “You said it, the weekend’s tomorrow, don’t even think about getting out of bed!”

Chen Zhuo’s eyes sparkled. “Think I’m afraid of you? Whoever begs for mercy is a little dog!”

Xie Yu knew him best and chuckled. “Don’t go around barking like a dog later.”

Chen Zhuo tugged at the corner of his shirt. “Barking like a dog? How does a dog bark?”

Xie Yu indulgently gave in to his request. “Woof woof woof.”

Chen Zhuo patted his head with a smile. “Good boy, good boy.”

“You just like bullying me.”

Xie Yu picked up Chen Zhuo’s hat, dusted it off, put it back on Chen Zhuo’s head, and took his hand, interlacing their fingers. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to eat first.”

Chen Zhuo didn’t resist, said “Mm,” and squeezed Xie Yu’s hand, walking side by side with him.

This was probably the best thing about being abroad: they could kiss and hug without restraint, and no one would see them as freaks.