Ti Xiao stormed home in frustration.
Thankfully, he had a spare key hidden under the doormat, so even though that scheming Xiao Yao had locked his door, he could still get inside.
Leaning against the back of his own door, Ti Xiao’s face was burning red. That last sentence from Xiao Yao felt like a public execution—one clean cut straight to the bone. If the conversation had continued, he might’ve been left completely exposed.
So, without even sparing Xiao Yao a glance, he ran home.
Sure, he was angry, but he was also kind of terrified.
After all, he had been secretly fantasizing about this man for so long—and now, he knew.
How humiliating was that?
And they were about to kiss too…
Ti Xiao covered his face. Never again! Never kissing him! Not even if someone paid me!
But how did Xiao Yao even find out that he drew comics? Just confiscating Ti Nan Yi’s Little Wolfdog shouldn’t have been enough. Then he thought about his own very unfiltered, very unhinged Weibo posts and live streams, where he had been letting loose with all sorts of… content.
Oh my god. Oh my god. I can’t show my face anymore. I need to move away.
Then, a sudden realization hit him—his livestream was still on!
He bolted to his room, threw on his headset, and hurriedly apologized, “Sorry, sorry! I’m back late. Where were we?”
[Ahhh, finally! I’ve been waiting so long I practically withered away! QAQ]
[Bro, I almost posted an 818 thread about that streamer who ran away mid-joke.]
[So what did the pangolin say?]
Thankfully, most of his audience hadn’t left. His fans were all loyal, true ride-or-die types. Relieved, Ti Xiao picked up where he left off and continued his joke.
Glancing at the time on his screen, he realized only an hour had passed—but it felt like a whole century.
Ordinary people would probably be overjoyed after receiving a confession from their crush.
Why am I like this?
Xiao Yao, do you even have a heart?
Ti Xiao felt so overwhelmed he could barely keep his shape—he wanted to cry, but instead, he had to force a smile and keep telling jokes.
After his set, he got roped into promising to drive a few rounds of certain types of content before finally logging off. But even then, as he reached up to touch the little tuft of hair tied up on his head, his heart was still racing.
Suddenly, he regretted running out of Xiao Yao’s house so quickly.
After all, if they were going to be together, he’d have to come clean eventually. And Xiao Yao—he already knew that Ti Xiao was a shameless, smooth-talking veteran driver. Not only did he not mind, but he even wanted to date him.
And yet, Ti Xiao couldn’t get past the embarrassment in his own heart. He was making himself miserable for no reason.
His phone was right next to him, still completely silent. No new messages.
Ti Xiao absentmindedly tapped at the screen, but his thoughts were all tied to the person next door.
Does this mean we’re together now?
I mean, the words had been said, so technically… technically, that made Xiao Yao his… his boyfriend, right?
Ti Xiao toyed with the tuft of hair on his head, his mind filled with soft, pink bubbles.
Maybe I should take the initiative and call him?
After hesitating for a while, he finally worked up the courage to dial Xiao Yao’s number. His palm was sweaty, making it almost hard to hold onto his phone.
The moment the call connected, he held his breath.
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”
Ti Xiao threw his phone onto the bed in frustration.
XIAO YAO, DO YOU EVEN HAVE A HEART?!
Still fuming, he went to wash his face. The little tuft of hair on his head swayed as he moved, and Ti Xiao found himself touching it again, even flicking it a couple of times. In the end, he didn’t untie it. He kept Xiao Yao’s handiwork intact.
Before going to bed, Ti Xiao forcibly dug his sleeping cat, Xiao Hulu, out from under the blankets and hugged it. He glanced out the window at the falling snow, and for a moment, it felt like he could smell it.
Xiao Hulu dozed off again, purring softly. Ti Xiao buried his face in its warm fur and mumbled—
“I really like him…”
—
By the time he woke up the next morning, the snow had stopped. The world outside was covered in a blanket of white. Xiao Hulu sat on the windowsill, paws pressed against the glass, meowing curiously.
Still half-asleep, Ti Xiao grabbed the cat and rubbed its fur. He stayed dazed for a moment—until all the memories from last night hit him at once.
He shot up in bed, the little tuft of hair still tied up, bouncing with his movements.
Grabbing his phone, he wanted to see if Xiao Yao had remembered anything from last night.
The screen stayed pitch black.
No matter how many times he pressed the power button, it wouldn’t turn on.
Great. The battery was dead.
Ti Xiao plugged in his phone with a huff and went to freshen up.
The moment his phone had enough charge to turn on, dozens of missed calls and unread messages flooded the screen like a blizzard.
Looks like Xiao Yao remembers what happened last night.
Ti Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. Nervously, he tapped on a voice message.
“I like you, Ti Xiao. I really like you. I really, really like you. I want to be with you. I want to marry you.”
Damn, coming in this strong right off the bat?!
His phone nearly slipped into the sink.
One by one, he played through Xiao Yao’s messages. The more he read, the warmer his face got, his heart pounding faster and faster.
“If you’re awake, can you give me a call?”
That was the last message, filled with sincerity.
Ti Xiao rubbed his face. Fine, fine. You sound so earnest—I’ll call you.
The phone barely rang once before the call connected. Xiao Yao’s eager voice came through immediately, smooth and deep enough to make Ti Xiao’s knees weak.
“You’re awake?”
Ti Xiao didn’t answer. Instead, he muttered to himself, No shit. How else would I be calling you if I were still asleep?
Silence settled on the other end. Just when Ti Xiao was about to break it, the doorbell rang.
“Ti Xiao, open the door.”
Nope. Not happening. Not opening it.
Ti Xiao grumbled under his breath—but still rushed to wash his face, brush his teeth, undo the little tuft of hair, and fix himself up in front of the mirror. Only when he felt presentable did he finally head for the door.
But, honestly, his heart had already flown out of his chest.
Outside, Xiao Yao stood in casual home clothes and slippers, his hair still damp from a shower. Droplets of water clung to the tips, rolling down one by one.
The moment he saw Ti Xiao, he spread his arms.
“Come here.”
Ti Xiao stayed put. Oh no, not this again. I haven’t forgiven you yet.
“You’re not going to hug me?” Xiao Yao asked.
Before Ti Xiao could respond, he added, “Then I’ll hug you instead.”
He stepped forward and gently pulled Ti Xiao into his arms.
Pressed against Xiao Yao’s chest, Ti Xiao could hear his heartbeat—steady, strong, comforting. Slowly, he gave in, lifting his arms to wrap around him in return.
“Does this mean you’ve agreed to be with me?” Xiao Yao’s body tensed for a moment before relaxing, a quiet smile in his voice.
“No,” Ti Xiao huffed. “You didn’t say it to my face. The WeChat messages don’t count. I refuse to acknowledge them.”
“What did you say?” Xiao Yao asked, tilting his head. Whether he truly hadn’t heard or was just playing dumb, Ti Xiao couldn’t tell.
“I said—” Ti Xiao lifted his head, cheeks slightly flushed, and met Xiao Yao’s gaze. He hesitated but repeated himself, “I need to hear it from you. In person.”
“Alright.” Xiao Yao smiled.
Then, he leaned down, tilting his head just slightly—
And kissed him.
Soft. Sweet. Exactly like in his dreams.
A rush of emotions crashed over Ti Xiao. His limbs felt weak, his senses overwhelmed, but he still greedily inhaled, tasting the lingering scent of snow on Xiao Yao’s lips.
The kiss didn’t last long—only three or four seconds. But to Ti Xiao, it felt like an eternity.
When Xiao Yao pulled away, he immediately leaned back in to steal another quick peck, unable to resist. The tips of his ears turned a little red as he murmured, “You’re too soft. I was afraid I’d kiss you until you melted.”
Ti Xiao blinked, dazed, before the heat spread from his neck to his ears, as if he’d been dunked into a pool of fire-lit clouds.
“W-What the hell are you doing…?”
“You said you wanted to hear it from me,” Xiao Yao replied, completely innocent.
“I said say it out loud!” Ti Xiao covered his face, not daring to look at Xiao Yao—because every time he did, he felt something.
“Ah, I must have misunderstood,” Xiao Yao, the cunning fox, flicked his imaginary tail and caught Ti Xiao’s wrist, trying to pry his hands away. “I thought you meant ‘kiss first, then talk.’”
“You definitely did that on purpose.” Ti Xiao struggled, but his strength was no match for Xiao Yao’s. His hands were firmly captured, held tight, warmth radiating from their touch.
“Yep,” Xiao Yao admitted with a grin.
“…” Ti Xiao yanked his hands back and covered his face again.
“Why do you keep covering your face?” Xiao Yao asked.
Peeking through his fingers, Ti Xiao met Xiao Yao’s gaze—one filled with warmth and affection, paired with a smile as bright as a spring breeze. He stammered, “Because when you smile, I blush.”
“So… just don’t smile at me. Even though it looks really good…” Ti Xiao trailed off, swallowing the last part—because I really can’t handle it…
Xiao Yao paused, then pulled him into his arms. “Alright, alright. I won’t smile anymore. Just take your hands down, okay?”
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t suppress his grin.
“You’re still smiling!”
Xiao Yao gently took Ti Xiao’s hand, pressed a soft kiss to it, and murmured, “Now that I’ve kissed you, can you finally listen to what I have to say?”
“Ti Xiao, I really like you. Be with me.”
It wasn’t a question. It was a statement—firm, confident, as if he was leaving no room for rejection.
The only space he left was in the slight lilt of his voice at the end—a space reserved for Ti Xiao’s answer.
“Okay?” Xiao Yao asked softly, a rare hint of nervousness in his tone.
Ti Xiao hung his head and suddenly rammed into Xiao Yao’s chest—intentionally using a little force. He only felt satisfied when he heard Xiao Yao let out a muffled grunt. Then, he buried himself completely in Xiao Yao’s embrace.
After a long moment, he finally whispered, “Okay.”
Xiao Yao tightened his hold, deepening the hug. “Then… can I kiss you again?”
Don’t push your luck! Ti Xiao thought but still muttered, “…Yeah.”
Because, truthfully, he also wanted another kiss.
The vows he made last night were now slapping him left and right.
The second the words left his mouth, Xiao Yao cupped his face and leaned in.
This kiss was different—slow, lingering, and slightly hesitant, as if testing the waters. But the hesitation never went beyond their lips. There was no practiced technique, no experience—just pure, untainted affection.
“You taste so sweet,” Xiao Yao murmured against his skin after pulling away. He took a deep inhale next to Ti Xiao’s cheek before pressing another kiss there, gently nibbling on the soft flesh.
“That’s just the toothpaste…” Ti Xiao mumbled.
“No, it’s you.”
“…”
There’s just no way to hold a normal conversation with this guy.
They stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, in the cold and drafty hallway. But with their hearts pressed together, they felt no chill—until Xiao Yao suddenly sneezed.
He quickly repositioned himself, turning his back to the stairwell to shield Ti Xiao from the wind. His clothes were thin, his voice slightly muffled as he said, “I need to tell you something.”
“What?” Ti Xiao was still dazed from the kiss.
“I… forgot to bring my keys.”
“…”
Usually, he was meticulous, never making mistakes. But when it came to Ti Xiao, he turned into a mess—forgetting everything, losing all sense of direction, his whole heart completely tangled up in him.
“Let’s go inside first,” Ti Xiao sighed, stepping aside to make way. “We need to properly talk.”
Properly talk… about my manga.
