Ti Xiao had originally planned to interrogate Xiao Yao with an iron fist, following the strict principle of “Confess, and you’ll suffer less. Resist, and you’ll be beaten senseless.” He had even prepared a whole speech to pressure a confession out of him.
But before he could even get a word out, the moment the door shut behind them, he was pinned against it and kissed—thoroughly.
Because of their height difference, Xiao Yao had him firmly trapped between himself and the door, one hand locking him in place, the other cradling the back of his head, leaving him no room to escape. Forced to tilt his head up, he had no choice but to accept the kiss.
It was fiery, intense—driven by an instinctive hunger. They shifted angles, searching for the most perfect fit, moving from soft and lingering to a more demanding, possessive kind of kiss.
Lips pressed tightly together, Xiao Yao teasingly flicked the tip of his tongue against Ti Xiao’s, expecting resistance. But to his surprise, Ti Xiao’s lips had already parted, welcoming him in. Xiao Yao immediately took full advantage, entwining their tongues together to savor the sweetness.
A shiver ran through Ti Xiao’s entire body, making his knees weak. Instinctively, his hands clung to Xiao Yao’s firm waist. Through the haze of his daze, one thought surfaced—This man always acts so refined, so polite… how did he suddenly turn into this?!
Ha! So he’s been pretending all along.
When they finally separated, the only sounds in the air were their ragged breaths and the lingering noise of stolen kisses.
“I really, really like you,” Xiao Yao murmured, holding him close, pressing more kisses along his forehead, his cheeks, and down his neck.
“I-I haven’t forgiven you for sneaking a peek at my manga,” Ti Xiao panted, his entire weight resting against Xiao Yao. “I’ll deal with you later.”
“Then I’d better take advantage of the moment before you do.” Xiao Yao grinned, brushing his fingertips over Ti Xiao’s flushed lips before swooping in for another kiss.
Not too far away, a little furball named Xiao Hulu, who had come out in search of food, was now witnessing this act of public affection.
Its eyes widened in shock.
“Meow meow meow???!!!”
After finally being kissed enough, Ti Xiao switched gears to settling accounts.
But the problem was—though he was the one who was supposed to be interrogating, his face was burning so much it felt like he had just exposed his own secrets to the sun. Even though the truth had already been laid bare, the embarrassment was impossible to shake off.
It was all Xiao Yao’s fault—he just wouldn’t stop smiling at him. And every time he smiled, Ti Xiao’s brain short-circuited, his face turned red, and all the sharp words he had prepared vanished into thin air.
Most couples in the early stages of dating were sweet and affectionate. But these two? It felt like they were constantly on the verge of bickering—well, Ti Xiao was constantly picking fights with Xiao Yao.
“Stop smiling!” Ti Xiao growled.
“Then give me another kiss.” Xiao Yao shamelessly bargained.
He was lying on Ti Xiao’s carpet, propping himself up on one elbow, hand resting against his cheek, long legs stretched out lazily. His gaze remained locked onto Ti Xiao, his smile never fading.
No matter how much he looked, it never felt like enough.
Honestly, he just wanted to take Ti Xiao home and kiss him properly.
Ti Xiao sat cross-legged on the carpet. At Xiao Yao’s words, he promptly kicked him. “How did you even find out… that I draw manga?”
“Long story.” Xiao Yao yawned.
“Then make it short.” Ti Xiao kicked him a few more times for good measure.
Surrendering, Xiao Yao started explaining—from the moment he confiscated Ti Nan Yi’s copy of Little Wolf Pup, to the Weibo post featuring a familiar silhouette and a certain book, all the way to the final piece of evidence: a family photo in a WeChat Moments post that completely exposed him.
To avoid being kicked again, he left out some of the more embarrassing details—like Ti Xiao’s collection of “high-speed train” scenes or his reference book of 100 Positions for Artistic Inspiration.
But the more Ti Xiao listened, the more he spiraled into despair.
So I was completely exposed from the start???
Especially when Xiao Yao casually mentioned “the book”—Ti Xiao’s heart clenched.
Thank god I never posted that secret Xiao Yao x Ti Xiao fanart I secretly drew…
Xiao Yao observed his expression carefully, and after some hesitation, he finally dropped the final bombshell.
“I also know about your livestream. The one with the pork rib soup. By the way, your pot is still at my place.”
Ti Xiao’s heart skipped a beat.
That night… during the stream… didn’t I say that I liked guys who make soup…?
His face burned.
“You mean… you knew, from the very beginning, that I…” Ti Xiao covered his face, his voice barely above a whisper. “…liked you?”
“Yep.” Xiao Yao smiled.
And then he said something that made Ti Xiao forget all about covering his face.
—
“But I liked you even before I knew about all that.”
Ti Xiao huffed. *Yeah, well, no way you liked me earlier than I liked you.*
“But,” Xiao Yao’s tone shifted, “I gotta say, I really didn’t expect your drawings to be so—”
He cut himself off. If he finished that sentence, he’d definitely get hit.
But whether he said it or not, he was getting hit anyway—because Ti Xiao had already grabbed his collar, his face completely red. “Enough! Shut up already!”
Sure enough, he had triggered Ti Xiao’s temper. Xiao Yao yawned, his eyes slightly misty as he looked at Ti Xiao’s flushed face, feeling the irresistible urge to tease him.
“Long-legged Cookie?”
His face turned even redder.
“Buying oranges?”
A kick to the leg.
“Permanent meal ticket?”
His cheek was pinched.
“Xiao Yao!” Ti Xiao finally snapped and pounced, raining down little fists on him.
Forty bucks per small punch, eighty per big one—not that Ti Xiao made a single cent before Xiao Yao smoothly pulled him into his arms instead.
Warmth radiated from Xiao Yao’s chest, and with his cheek pressed against it, Ti Xiao could feel the steady thumping of his heartbeat.
“What are you doing?” His little outburst instantly disappeared.
“I’m so tired,” Xiao Yao murmured, shifting to hold him closer. “I stayed up really late last night. Let me hug my boyfriend for a bit.”
Those last three words set Ti Xiao’s face ablaze all over again. They were officially a couple now—he had a boyfriend. That thought alone softened his heart. “What were you doing up so late?”
“Thinking about you.” Xiao Yao’s voice was already drowsy. “Until 1:30 AM.”
“1:30 isn’t even late.” Ti Xiao scoffed. He himself often stayed up till three or four in the morning—or pulled all-nighters entirely.
“But thinking about you for just *one* hour isn’t enough…” Xiao Yao’s voice trailed off, on the verge of sleep.
At first, Ti Xiao didn’t catch the meaning behind those words. He just thought, *Yeah, 1:30 isn’t late at all.*
It took him a long moment to finally process what Xiao Yao was actually saying.
*Damn it, why are you even an English teacher? You should’ve been a Chinese literature professor instead!*
Xiao Yao’s warmth surrounded him, and the heat from the floor seeped through the plush carpet beneath them. The rug had just been washed a few days ago, still fluffy and soft. Sleepiness crept up on Ti Xiao again, and he carefully shifted into a more comfortable position in Xiao Yao’s arms, letting himself drift off as well.
—
When Ti Xiao woke up, his head felt heavy. Everything was dark, and something tickled his face.
*Is it nighttime already?*
Groggily, he struggled to lift his head from whatever was weighing it down—only to discover that the culprit was Xiao Hulu.
The little cat had been sleeping directly on his head.
Not only that, but both of her tiny paws were wrapped snugly around his boyfriend’s neck.
Ti Xiao immediately recalled the first time Xiao Hulu had met Xiao Yao—how she had meowed so sweetly at him. *So you had your eyes on him all along, huh?*
*Give it up. You’ve already been spayed.*
Careful not to wake Xiao Yao, Ti Xiao picked Xiao Hulu up and set her aside. Then he simply lay there, watching his boyfriend.
Despite usually being someone with a stable and disciplined routine, Xiao Yao had repeatedly stayed up late because of him. He’d even lost sleep the entire night before confessing.
It was such a small thing, really—but it warmed Ti Xiao’s heart.
With each steady breath, Xiao Yao’s chest rose and fell. His hair, now dry, had returned to its usual soft fluffiness. His long, thick eyelashes cast delicate shadows on his cheeks, his nose perfectly straight, and his lips slightly curved with the remnants of a smile.
*Damn, my boyfriend is really good-looking.*
Ti Xiao chuckled silently to himself.
The person he had fallen for at first sight—was now lying beside him, holding his hand tightly, their fingers interlocked as if they would never let go.
As he was stealing glances at him, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Xiao Yao stirred slightly, his grip on Ti Xiao’s hand tightening.
Panicking, Ti Xiao quickly flopped back down and pretended to be asleep.
It was the property management dropping off the keys. Xiao Yao must’ve told them over the phone to leave them at the neighbor’s.
The rustling of fabric.
Xiao Yao’s groggy voice, soft as if afraid of waking Ti Xiao.
Then—Ti Xiao felt something lightly brush against his lips.
He actually stole a kiss from me?!
Despite silently complaining, his face betrayed him—cheeks flushing a deep red.
The door closed, and Xiao Yao, now with the keys, climbed back into bed and wrapped his arms around Ti Xiao again.
Still pretending to sleep, Ti Xiao suddenly felt a burning gaze scanning over his face, studying him from top to bottom.
Xiao Yao chuckled. “Stop pretending. Your eyelashes are shaking.”
Whenever Ti Xiao pretended to sleep—or was on the verge of waking up—his eyelashes would always flutter.
This guy… He used to be so polite and considerate. But ever since we started dating, he’s got no shame at all!
“If you don’t wake up, I’m going to kiss you,” Xiao Yao warned.
Then go ahead. Like I’d say no.
Darkness fell over him, a shadow looming closer. Ti Xiao tensed, keeping up his act—but after waiting for a long moment, the kiss never came.
Unable to resist, he peeked through a tiny slit in his eyes—only to find Xiao Yao smirking down at him.
“You’re blushing this much, and you’re still pretending?” Xiao Yao teased, playfully flicking his nose.
“Get off!” Ti Xiao swatted his hand away and sat up, trying to salvage his dignity. “Go back to your own place.”
“Nope.” Xiao Yao shook his head. “I want to stay here with you. Or you can come to my place instead.”
After just half a day together, Ti Xiao realized Xiao Yao had completely changed. The refined, well-mannered gentleman he knew had turned into someone who constantly looked for excuses to cling to him—asking if he could pinch his cheek, hold him, kiss him. And when Ti Xiao didn’t answer, he just went for it anyway.
A little less serious, a little more playful.
His ‘cold and aloof heartthrob’ persona? Completely shattered.
Even while cooking, Xiao Yao insisted on keeping Ti Xiao by his side. When Ti Xiao tried to slip away to the living room, Xiao Yao would pull him right back—stealing little kisses as he cooked, leaving Ti Xiao glaring at him while wiping his mouth.
“You eat this.” Xiao Yao placed food into his bowl. “I remember seeing you mention on Weibo that you liked it, so I learned how to make it.”
He barely ate any himself, too busy watching Ti Xiao eat—soaking in the moment like it was the best meal in the world.
If there’s a phrase for this, it’d be ‘feasting with the eyes.’
“Speaking of which…” Ti Xiao narrowed his eyes. “Are you still hiding something?”
Xiao Yao looked confused. “Hiding what?”
“Your alt account.”
This was something Ti Xiao had explained to Xiao Yao before. At first, Xiao Yao had been completely clueless—so clueless that he had once gone to his closet, pulled out an actual vest, and held it up like this was what Ti Xiao was asking about.
Xiao Yao frowned slightly, trying to think. “I told you everything already. There’s nothing else.”
Ti Xiao tapped his fingers against the table. “Your Weibo alt. What’s the username?”
Without a word, Xiao Yao tapped a few times on his phone.
Ding!
Ti Xiao’s phone vibrated with a notification.
pass by: It’s this one. 💋
It was the account that had caught his attention before—the one he had even followed back.
“This… This is you?”
Ti Xiao was stunned.
Pass by had followed him a long time ago—back when Xiao Yao had just moved in.
A wave of embarrassment crashed over him, and he quickly replied with an angry emoji.
pass by: Come here, let me give you a kiss. Don’t be mad.
The two of them were literally sitting across from each other, barely half a meter apart—yet they were texting back and forth on Weibo DMs like complete idiots.
Smart and Brave Lord Atchoo: Not talking to you anymore.
pass by: Hug?
As Xiao Yao sent the message, his gaze landed on something sticking out from under Ti Xiao’s table. Curious, he reached down and pulled it out.
“Xiao Yao, put that down! You can’t look at it!”
Ti Xiao realized what it was and lunged to snatch it back.
But it was already too late.
The image on the page—
Two men tangled together in an intimate embrace, bare skin exposed in a heated moment of passion.
And their faces…
Looked very, very familiar.
