Unmatched Chapter 29
byChapter 29 “Gege”
“Giving you a chance”—how could someone be so arrogant even when confessing?
Zhao Shuyi had no doubt that if Xie Qi had been born into an ordinary family, without the backing of an illustrious background, he would never find a partner in his life.
“Hurry up and tell me, do you want to or not?” Xie Qi urged. “If we start over, you don’t have to do much, just be like before.”
“Let me think about it.”
“Think about what? Didn’t you say you were willing to like me? Just that you hadn’t fallen for me yet and needed time… Now I’m giving you time. Let’s cultivate this properly.”
“…”
The doorway was not suitable for conversation. Zhao Shuyi wanted to go inside, but Xie Qi interpreted all his non-direct responses as evasion. He stretched an arm across Zhao Shuyi’s waist, blocking him.
Zhao Shuyi bumped into Xie Qi’s embrace. Xie Qi unceremoniously wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close, then turned and pressed him against the doorframe.
Warm breath brushed against his neck, causing a tickle. Xie Qi wanted to kiss him.
It was strange—kissing felt different from sleeping together. Although the latter was more intimate, sometimes the contact of lips and skin was more ambiguous, making him feel completely uneasy.
Zhao Shuyi instinctively wanted to dodge, but why should he dodge?
He thought he had no reason to refuse, whether it was to better maintain the marriage, or to end the cold war quickly and make things easier for himself.
But the situation was different now.
He had said he was willing to like Xie Qi before because Xie Qi had been good to him.
Now? What was good about Xie Qi?
“I don’t want to date my creditor,” Zhao Shuyi said bluntly. “Until I pay off your debt, I won’t feel comfortable.”
Xie Qi was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, “You don’t need to pay it back. I don’t care.”
Zhao Shuyi smiled. “Right. And then, one day when we argue, you’ll get angry and flip out again: Zhao Shuyi, I regret it.”
Xie Qi’s pupils contracted. “I didn’t mean that that day!”
“…”
“When I said I regretted it, I didn’t want the money. Your attitude toward me was strange that day. Because I helped you, your mind was only focused on money, money, money, and you were speaking subserviently to me because of the money…”
It was rare for Xie Qi to explain himself this much; he was reaching his limit.
He secretly glanced at Zhao Shuyi’s expression, but Zhao Shuyi had no expression at all. His face was so calm it was as if he hadn’t heard a single word, offering no reaction.
Xie Qi grew agitated. “I didn’t want you to care so much about that, and I certainly didn’t want false affection bought with money, which is why I said I regretted it in a fit of pique… But you immediately gave me an IOU. Zhao Shuyi, you are heartless.”
Xie Qi became angrier the more he spoke. “You just have to infuriate me! I simply can’t understand why I’m seeking suffering by liking you!”
“Oh, then I suggest you stop liking me,” Zhao Shuyi pushed him away and walked into the room. “Since you only like me ‘a little,’ cut your losses now.”
Zhao Shuyi didn’t turn on the light, took off his bathrobe, and got straight into bed.
Xie Qi followed closely. “No, I won’t. I’ll like you if I want to, and dislike you if I don’t want to. Do I need your permission?”
Zhao Shuyi: “…”
He’s crazy.
Zhao Shuyi was tired and wanted to sleep. Xie Qi lay down beside him without permission, forcefully pulled him into his arms, and asked again, “Are you going to date me or not?”
Zhao Shuyi was silent for a moment, then suddenly became curious. “Xie Qi, what do you like about me?”
Xie Qi paused.
Zhao Shuyi continued, “My looks? Our compatibility in bed? It can’t be my personality, right?” He didn’t think his personality was good. “Or do you like how enthusiastic I was toward you before?”
“…”
There was silence behind him for some reason. Zhao Shuyi looked back. Xie Qi avoided his gaze. “Who knows? It’s not like I like you that much anyway. The reason doesn’t matter.”
“True.”
Zhao Shuyi was convinced. After thinking for a moment, he replied, “We can date, but business is business. I will still find a way to pay you back.”
Xie Qi was speechless. “Fine, fine, you’re so annoying!”
Regardless, they had made up again.
Xie Qi might have said he was annoyed, but his body was honest. He pressed against Zhao Shuyi’s back for a long time, clearly getting ideas. Just as Zhao Shuyi was drifting off to sleep, Xie Qi flipped him over, and a burning kiss landed on his neck.
“I just showered, no sex,” Zhao Shuyi was warm and cozy, perfect for sleeping.
He spoke with his eyes closed, a puff of warm air escaping his lips, almost tangible. Xie Qi kissed it away, holding his lips as he said, “You sleep. I’ll take care of myself.”
“…”
He really did take care of himself. Xie Qi didn’t need a response from him, leaning over him and busying himself.
Zhao Shuyi wondered if he was too sleepy, as his consciousness became hazy. Xie Qi’s movements seemed to be in slow motion. His forehead alone was kissed for dozens of seconds.
That patch of skin was nothing special, not worth repeated kisses. But Xie Qi was exceptionally clingy tonight, wanting to leave a mark on every inch of his body, as if every spot was special and needed to be thoroughly kissed to be satisfied.
After kissing, he started sniffing.
Zhao Shuyi was forced to tilt his chin up. Xie Qi’s straight nose brushed against his neck, causing a shiver. A strong tingling sensation mixed with intense drowsiness washed over him. Zhao Shuyi felt anesthetized, unable to muster any energy.
His shoulders were sniffed, then his waist, his back… Zhao Shuyi didn’t know what special fetish Xie Qi had, but he was tormented from head to toe.
In a state between sleep and wakefulness, Zhao Shuyi realized the main event was beginning.
Unlike the ferocity in the next room earlier, Xie Qi’s movements were slow and gentle, almost like a lullaby. Zhao Shuyi gradually got used to the rhythm, and his consciousness sank into darkness. He actually fell asleep.
He didn’t know when it ended. When he opened his eyes again, the sky was already bright.
November in Fengjing City was an awkward season, neither fully autumn nor winter. The rain the previous evening had been brief, and after a strong wind, the sky had cleared again.
But even clear skies weren’t as blue as in summer. The gray-blue tone was hazy, as if the sun had lost its fire, cold, indifferent, and half-dead.
The curtains were half-open, and Zhao Shuyi stared blankly at the sky.
He had just woken up and was zoning out for a moment when a hand suddenly covered his forehead. Xie Qi covered his eyes and snorted coldly. “What’s so good about the outside? You should look at me more.”
“…”
Zhao Shuyi was speechless and slapped away the annoying hand. Xie Qi, however, pressed close and gave him a morning kiss.
—Their relationship hadn’t fully recovered, but that clingy streak had reignited.
Xie Qi asked him, “Are you going to the company today?”
“Do you need something?”
“Yes, it’s Saturday today. I want to go on a date with you.” Xie Qi was in high spirits, giving him a look. “What’s with that expression? Isn’t it normal for couples to go on dates?”
“It’s normal,” Zhao Shuyi said. “I’m just marveling at how quickly you change your mood.”
Xie Qi scoffed. “You’re talking about yourself, aren’t you? Before, you used to actively kiss me all the time. Now, being kissed by me seems like a life-or-death ordeal. I think you’re the one who’s forgotten who I am.”
Zhao Shuyi couldn’t be bothered to argue and got up to get dressed.
There were only pajamas in the bedroom, but even in the most ordinary pajamas, he looked good. His every movement exuded composure, and even the act of buttoning his shirt was pleasing to the eye.
Xie Qi stared intently at his fingers, his gaze moving up inch by inch with the fastened buttons. After a long while, he said gloomily, “Zhao Shuyi, why are you acting so aloof? Plenty of people want to date me. Only you are so ungrateful.”
“Coincidentally,” Zhao Shuyi said, “I have quite a few people who want to date me too.”
Xie Qi sneered. “They can’t compare to me.”
“You are truly confident.”
“Just stating facts.”
Xie Qi was like a male peacock vying for a mate, spreading his feathers wide. “I’m 187 cm, 19 cm, graduated from a prestigious university, and speak four languages—”
“Stop,” Zhao Shuyi interrupted. “I know your resume. You don’t need to list it.”
Xie Qi looked triumphant. “So, which of your admirers is better than me? Name one so I can hear it.”
“…”
Zhao Shuyi finished buttoning the last button and couldn’t help but smile.
He didn’t want to smile, as it risked breaking his cool facade, but Xie Qi was genuinely too amusing. He played along with Xie Qi. “Fine, no one is better than you.”
“Then you should surrender and be with me properly,” Xie Qi tried to brainwash him. “We’ll go on a date today and cultivate our feelings. Dating is not a game, Zhao Shuyi. It is your mandatory duty to fall for me quickly.”
Zhao Shuyi: “…”
He didn’t know if it was a duty, but it was true that once he agreed, there was no turning back.
Xie Qi was sincere about dating. While they ate breakfast, Zhao Shuyi was busy talking business with Ye Zhao on the phone. Xie Qi sat quietly opposite him, looking seriously at his phone screen—booking movie tickets.
Xie Qi’s understanding of “dating” was superficial. Besides eating and watching a movie, he didn’t know what else to do. But he wasn’t embarrassed, because Zhao Shuyi didn’t know either.
They bought tickets for an 11 a.m. showing of a romantic youth film. Xie Qi said sarcastically, “Helping a certain Zhao with a bad memory reminisce about our youth.”
“A certain Zhao” had changed into his going-out clothes. His phone call hadn’t ended yet. Hearing this, he glanced at Xie Qi, sounding a little perfunctory, perhaps not having fully heard him.
Xie Qi was unhappy. “It’s the weekend today. Can’t you take a few minutes off?”
“Almost done,” Zhao Shuyi cooperated, telling Ye Zhao he would reply later, and hung up.
Xie Qi was still dissatisfied. “You’re so cold. Are you still holding a grudge? I already explained that what I said that day was out of anger. I don’t regret helping you. Can’t you stop being so petty?”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“You are petty,” Xie Qi saw through him. “You’re dwelling on it, holding a grudge in your heart, and you’re unwilling to be proactive with me anymore—”
Before he could finish, Zhao Shuyi pressed his shoulder with a cold face, pushing him against the wardrobe.
An extremely proactive kiss descended. Xie Qi’s lip was bitten, and his neck was gripped. Zhao Shuyi kissed deeper and deeper, his fingers tightening, as if warning him to stop talking nonsense, or he would twist his neck off.
“…”
Xie Qi finally quieted down, both intimidated and satisfied. Afterward, until they walked into the cinema, he didn’t pick another fight.
Whether Zhao Shuyi was a qualified boyfriend depended on his mood.
Today wasn’t bad. Although he wasn’t very interested in the date, he had been extremely exhausted recently, and a little relaxation was good.
They could have watched a movie in their private theater at home, but Xie Qi felt that a real date needed a public atmosphere, just like ordinary couples: going to a public cinema to watch a popular bad movie.
It really was a bad movie. The moment the male lead appeared, his first line of dialogue was excruciatingly awkward. Zhao Shuyi had to adjust his mindset and treat the film as a comedy.
The morning showing wasn’t a popular time slot, and the movie itself had poor reviews and low buzz. There were only four people in the theater. The other two were also a couple, a man and a woman, both young, sitting two rows away from them.
Youth films are limited by their genre, making it hard to find novelty. Zhao Shuyi’s mind wandered after watching for a while. The couple in front wasn’t paying much attention either, eating a large bucket of popcorn and occasionally complaining about the poor acting of the leads.
Xie Qi leaned closer and suddenly said, “The lead actor is my friend. I invested in this movie.”
“…” Zhao Shuyi sympathized. “Did you lose money?”
“It’s alright, not much,” Xie Qi didn’t seem to care. “Did you notice that this part of the plot looks familiar?”
Zhao Shuyi perked up and watched the plot seriously. The screen showed the school sports day, where the two protagonists signed up for the mixed relay race. To achieve good results, they practiced running together every day.
They were dating under the guise of practice, with many ambiguous shots. The young man and woman developed feelings through repeated intimate contact.
Zhao Shuyi thought for a moment. “Familiar? Are you referring to how we also ran a relay race before?”
“Yes,” Xie Qi said. “We won first place back then.”
“…”
That was too long ago, dating back to junior high.
Zhao Shuyi only remembered it because the timing was delicate.
That year, in the ninth grade, Xie Yuran suddenly went crazy and betrayed the sibling alliance of “firmly resisting Zhao Shuyi” by confessing to him.
Xie Qi was furious when he found out and dragged his sister home for a lecture. For a long time afterward, the Xie siblings didn’t speak a word to Zhao Shuyi.
Until the school held the sports day.
Zhao Shuyi was the class monitor and led by example, signing up for several events, including the relay race.
Xie Qi signed up too.
But unlike the movie, they didn’t practice hard every day to achieve good results; they only practiced a few times occasionally.
Although the number of times was few, being forced to be teammates eased the tension in their relationship somewhat.
In truth, the state of their relationship mostly depended on whether Xie Qi was “acting up.” Zhao Shuyi didn’t like to actively antagonize people.
But getting Xie Qi not to act up was harder than the sun rising in the west.
After the sports day that day, Xie Qi held two bottles of iced soda and approached Zhao Shuyi.
He held his chin high, and the first thing he said was annoying. “Zhao Shuyi, you wouldn’t have won today without me.”
Zhao Shuyi wanted to roll his eyes.
But Zhao Shuyi was cool during his school days. Undignified expressions would not appear on the face of this cool guy. He only silently sighed internally, looking at Xie Qi indifferently.
Xie Qi shamelessly sought credit. “You should thank me, you know? Treat me to a meal.”
Zhao Shuyi said, “I’m treating the whole class. Just make sure you show up.”
Xie Qi choked for a moment, then quickly said, “I won’t eat with them. You treat me separately.”
“Why?”
“Because I contributed the most.”
“…”
“I don’t care. You have to treat me.”
“Crazy.”
Zhao Shuyi didn’t indulge him and turned to leave.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xie Qi suddenly raise the soda bottle. For a split second, it looked like he wanted to use the bottle as a weapon to smash his head, but he reluctantly pulled his hand back.
Later, when Zhao Shuyi passed by while busy, he saw Xie Qi still holding the two bottles of soda. He drank one and then drank the other one too.
Recalling this, the memory suddenly became clear.
The buried past was like a light extinguished in time, suddenly powered on, illuminating a whole string of events.
It was two bottles of soda—
Years later, Zhao Shuyi realized belatedly: was Xie Qi coming to him to give him the drinks?
The memory automatically adjusted its perspective, zooming in on the iced soda.
Xie Qi’s stiff fingers gripped the bottle, the force so strong it felt like he could shatter the glass.
But Zhao Shuyi had ignored it at the time because Xie Qi hadn’t made any move to hand it over when facing him, even hiding it behind his back, as if the cheap soda was precious and he was afraid Zhao Shuyi would snatch it.
“…” Zhao Shuyi snapped out of his memory. The movie was already in the second half.
Xie Qi beside him occasionally looked at the screen and occasionally glanced at his expression, asking, “What did you remember?”
“You haven’t changed at all,” Zhao Shuyi said. “If your personality were a little gentler, we would have been friends in school.”
Xie Qi scoffed. “Who cares about being friends with you? Boring.”
Talking in the cinema was impolite, but there were only four people in the entire hall, and the couple in front was also talking, barely stopping the whole time.
Zhao Shuyi and Xie Qi had no intention of eavesdropping on strangers, but as the plot became more tedious, they became more unrestrained in their conversation.
The boy yawned, and the girl asked what they should eat after the movie. The two commented on the must-eat restaurants in various districts of Fengjing and planned to visit an amusement park in the afternoon.
The girl was happy. “I want that doll I couldn’t buy last time!”
The boy said, “We’d have to queue again. No buying.”
The girl whined. “No, I want it. Will you queue for me?”
The boy didn’t speak.
The girl intensified her pleading. “Go on, please. I really want it. Gege, good gege, I’ll kiss you.”
The boy offered his face. “Kiss me twice.”
Xie Qi: “…”
Zhao Shuyi: “…”
So this was what couple dating was like.
After the movie ended, the couple walked away happily, hand in hand.
In contrast, the romantic atmosphere between Xie Qi and Zhao Shuyi was severely lacking. They were silent for a long time before Xie Qi took Zhao Shuyi’s hand and left the cinema.
He searched on his phone. “Which amusement park? What doll? I want one too.”
Zhao Shuyi: “…”
They were half-baked lovers who didn’t even know how to date.
They found a highly-rated restaurant nearby and had a casual lunch.
Xie Qi didn’t stop searching for amusement park guides while eating. He genuinely wanted to go, as if only then would the date be complete and they would be a real couple.
Zhao Shuyi thought, why is he so childish? Going to an amusement park would be more reasonable if they were ten years younger.
But Xie Qi didn’t think so at all. He had already found out what the popular doll was and insisted on dragging Zhao Shuyi along to queue for it.
It was an official amusement park animal plushie, a series of eight: fox, rabbit, bird, panda… all designed to be very cute.
—The cuter they were, the longer the queue outside the store was.
They queued for three hours. Zhao Shuyi’s patience ran out repeatedly. Xie Qi told him to sit in the car and that he would queue alone.
Zhao Shuyi felt like leaving after hearing that, but Xie Qi was only being polite. His unhappy eyes were fixed on Zhao Shuyi, clearly meaning the opposite and hoping he would stay.
Zhao Shuyi had no choice but to remain.
By the time they finally bought the dolls, it was already dark. They hadn’t experienced any rides at the amusement park, but Xie Qi was quite happy, holding a pile of plushies back to the car.
Xie Qi put the dolls in the back seat, closed the door, and sat down in the front. He turned to Zhao Shuyi and said, “Gege, these are all for you.”
Zhao Shuyi was drinking mineral water in the passenger seat. He choked on a mouthful and coughed violently. “Don’t call me that.”
“Don’t you like it?” Xie Qi didn’t learn proper things, but he picked up bad habits quickly. “Gege, good gege.”
Zhao Shuyi: “…”
He couldn’t describe the feeling; it was a little strange. Zhao Shuyi hadn’t expected to react so strongly to the address. He screwed the cap back on the water bottle and said seriously, “I’m not your brother. Don’t call me that again.”
How could Xie Qi listen? The more he was forbidden, the more excited he became.
Taking advantage of the darkness, he leaned over the passenger seat, wrapping his arms around Zhao Shuyi’s waist in a move of throwing himself into his arms, and bit Zhao Shuyi’s ear hard. “Gege…”
His voice was muffled, not enough, so he called again. “Gege, gege… You like hearing it.”
Zhao Shuyi’s heart skipped a beat. The ear that was bitten was numb.
His breathing was tight. Xie Qi’s fingers slid down his throat, pulling down his collar, and he kissed him inside his trench coat.
Zhao Shuyi sensitively tensed his shoulders. The other party’s ambiguous voice came from his chest and into his ear, sounding very smug. “Gege is reacting.”
“…”
He kept calling, endlessly. Zhao Shuyi endured it for a moment, wanting to shut him up. But the emotion surging in his heart wasn’t just annoyance; there was also a hidden excitement.
He found a solution that satisfied both parties—he unbuckled his belt and lowered Xie Qi’s head without allowing refusal.
Outside the car window, the cold wind was rising, and the temperature had dropped to zero.
The car heater wasn’t on, but Zhao Shuyi was sweating profusely from the heat. He pressed down on the back of Xie Qi’s head, his shoulders trembling slightly.
It should have been difficult to make normal sounds at a time like this, but Xie Qi insisted on calling him “Gege” indistinctly. The muffled tone made his blood heat up and his body tremble. His hand pressed harder and harder, unconsciously gripping Xie Qi’s hair.
Someone walked past the parking lot. Footsteps approached, seemingly a family who had just left the amusement park, accompanied by the cheerful laughter of children. They soon walked away again.
Zhao Shuyi’s nerves were alternately taut and relaxed. When it was finally over, his trench coat was wrinkled from being clutched.
It was truly undignified.
Zhao Shuyi rolled down the window, letting the cold wind blow in to dispel the lingering awkwardness in the confined space.
Xie Qi didn’t feel awkward at all. He felt he had found Zhao Shuyi’s weakness. He wiped his lips slightly, leaned against his neck, and called him twice more, accompanied by a low laugh.
—Zhao Shuyi actually had a day when he was mocked by him.
“Go home,” Zhao Shuyi said, feigning calmness. “I’m exhausted.”
Xie Qi was still laughing, utterly smug, and skilled in the art of taking an inch and demanding a mile. He actually said, “Next time, I won’t offer free service. You have to call me ‘Husband’ to exchange for it.”
Zhao Shuyi kicked him. “Shut up and drive.”
Xie Qi turned on the navigation. “Okay, Gege.”
Zhao Shuyi: “…”