Li Yi stared at Xiao Yao’s screen with his seductive tilde (~) in his WeChat name, then glanced at his avatar and username.
He deeply felt that his buddy had definitely fallen for that low-key, unassuming little guy—it was like he’d practically grown into him.
The whole vibe seemed totally out of character, like the style didn’t match at all.
Li Yi: Xiao Yao, your vibe’s all wrong. Did your little guy mess with your meds or something???
Xiao Yao: Say “little guy” one more time and I’ll drive over tomorrow and beat you up.
Li Yi went silent. Xiao Yao turned off his phone screen, then knocked on the door calling out for his Little Tug.
Meanwhile, Ti Xiao was still chatting with the ladies in the author group.
When authors gather, it’s mostly about discussing their works and showing off skills. Since they’re all under the same editor, there’s plenty to talk about. Some even took advantage of Guapi being offline to show off their art skills, making even Ti Xiao feel a bit humbled.
Though the June author signing event was still two months away, the ladies’ enthusiasm and the way they spammed the chat made it feel like the event was happening tomorrow.
Ti Xiao was editing his manuscript while watching the messages scroll by.
Lady 1: Is Achoo the only male author in our group?
Lady 2: I think so.
Lady 3: @Smart and Brave Big Achoo, summon the only male author in the group!
Lady 4: Achoo has a boyfriend, right? His voice on livestream is so good.
Lady 5: And his back shot on Weibo too! Long-legged Xiao Bing, when’s the next update? Hurry up, hurry up!
They had been focusing on art skills, but suddenly started talking about Ti Xiao.
Ti Xiao looked at Duck Neck’s still-lit girly avatar and scrolled up to see his pink-hued messages. He smirked, already imagining the shock on the ladies’ faces when they find out Duck Neck’s real gender.
Smart and Brave Big Achoo: Ball ball, ladies, stop teasing me already.
After sending that message, Ti Xiao heard a knock at the door along with Xiao Yao’s voice calling, “Xiao Xiao, open up.”
Every time he heard Xiao Yao’s voice, Ti Xiao felt a faint ache in his backside.
But luckily tomorrow was Monday, and Xiao Yao had to get up early for flag-raising, work, and morning study, so he probably wouldn’t have the energy for any late-night fun, Ti Xiao thought while editing.
But no matter how much he planned for the perfect timing and conditions, he never counted on himself getting drawn in by that irresistible male charm—getting coaxed into calling Xiao Yao “brother,” “husband,” and all kinds of embarrassing nicknames.
What annoyed him most was that he actually enjoyed it.
Everyone knows the saying “once you’ve tasted the marrow, you can’t forget the flavor”—they’re all adults here, so they understand.
Ti Xiao held his sore waist under the covers, scolding himself for being weak and lacking willpower.
But when Xiao Yao chuckled softly in bed at night, Ti Xiao felt himself completely falling in—totally defenseless—and would dive into the sheets to lose himself in bliss.
This had been going on for five consecutive nights, every night well into the late hours. Xiao Yao wasn’t affected at all—he still looked radiant and seemed years younger when he went to work. Ti Xiao felt like he was the one being drained dry by this little imp.
Although Ti Xiao slept in till the sun was shining on his backside, he couldn’t help but feel like “from now on, the king won’t attend morning court.”
This wouldn’t do. Ti Xiao gritted his teeth.
“We need to set some rules,” he said firmly, slamming his bowl down on the glass coffee table during dinner.
“What’s up?” Xiao Yao gave Ti Xiao some meat from his bowl. “You still need to eat more veggies.”
“I’m serious. We can’t keep doing this every day. You’re driving me crazy—my waist’s about to break…” The last part he muttered softly.
Xiao Yao looked a little innocent and looked up. “It’s clearly you…”
Everyone knew who was clinging onto whose waist, relentlessly begging for “more.”
Ti Xiao glared at Xiao Yao, his eyes wide and cheeks puffed out, looking pretty comical.
“Alright, whatever you say,” Xiao Yao smiled, poking his puffed cheek.
Again, that smile…
Ti Xiao was helpless.
Though they agreed on a “three times a week” rule, that night they broke it, the party lasting till past midnight.
The next morning, Ti Xiao was still whining under the covers about being weak, when he got a message from his mom.
Mom: Count how many days it’s been since you came home. Got a boyfriend and forgot your own mother? How did I raise a son like you?
Dad: I agree.
The parents’ barrage left the just-woken Ti Xiao a bit dazed.
He counted on his fingers—about a month, but when he’d been rushing manuscripts before, not going home for two or three months was normal.
Big Brother: Mom means you should bring your other brother home to visit.
Since when did his mom talk so indirectly?
Your precious Nan Nan: ??? You want me to bring my English teacher home? Have you thought about my feelings? I refuse! Uncle, don’t come back!
Sister-in-law: What kind of talk is that?
Your precious Nan Nan: Uncle, I really miss you… bring her along when you come back, okay?
Smart and Brave Ti Xiao: …
Ti Xiao scratched his belly. After hearing Ti Nanyi’s words, he knew he had to bring Xiao Yao home to visit this time.
That evening, when Ti Xiao mentioned it to Xiao Yao, they had just finished their “battle” and Xiao Yao was cleaning up the battlefield.
“Phew… Tomorrow’s Saturday. Come with me to my place and stay the night,” Ti Xiao hooked his foot around Xiao Yao’s. “Besides my sister-in-law, you’ve probably met everyone else.”
He’d seen his parents when picking them up from the airport, and met Ti Zhe when picking up Xiao Yao from work.
“Okay.” Xiao Yao caught that mischievous foot and gently tickled the sole.
“It’s ticklish, stop!” Ti Xiao pulled his foot back.
His voice still carried the sweet, lazy afterglow—like a feather brushing softly, teasing Xiao Yao’s heart with a hint of playful resistance and desire.
Following his gaze, Xiao Yao saw Ti Xiao lying on his side on the bed, fiddling with something. One leg hung off the edge, swinging gently with the movement of the bedsheet.
His whole body was covered with scattered kiss marks, some from a few days ago, some fresh, impossible to disappear anytime soon.
With the visit to the parents tomorrow, they really couldn’t keep this up.
Xiao Yao smiled and finally decided to let Ti Xiao off the hook, picking him up and carrying him to the bathroom for a clean-up.
“What kind of things do your family like?” Xiao Yao tested the water temperature, then stepped into the tub, making the water splash over the edge.
The warm, misty steam enveloped them, making Ti Xiao feel drowsy. He didn’t catch much of what Xiao Yao said, answering in a confused, off-topic way, “Don’t worry, my sister-in-law is usually strict but not scary at all.”
Back when Ti Zhe and Ren Yue first started dating, Ti Xiao had been so intimidated by Ren Yue’s sharp gaze that he didn’t dare cause any trouble—a situation you can still see reflected in Ti Nanyi today.
When they got downstairs at Ti Xiao’s parents’ place, Ti Xiao couldn’t help but nag a little more and gave some last-minute reminders.
After all, Xiao Yao was coming to his home, so Ti Xiao was the host and Xiao Yao was the guest. He didn’t want Xiao Yao to feel uncomfortable. He leaned over and kissed him gently. “Just treat it like your own home.”
Right after the kiss, as Ti Xiao was about to pull away, he suddenly felt the back of his head grabbed, and the kiss deepened.
“Let me kiss you one more time. Once we go inside, we probably won’t be able to touch anymore,” Xiao Yao said, reclining the front passenger seat fully back, then gave him a solid kiss. Only when the little snores came from the backseat—Ti Xiao’s little brother—did he finally let go.
Especially since they were staying overnight, they really couldn’t be doing much.
That said, when it came to actual actions, they still found plenty of loopholes.
When Ti Xiao’s mom ordered him to wash some fruit, Xiao Yao tagged along to the kitchen, sneaking another quick bite behind the kitchen door, making an apple roll to the floor.
“You damn…” Ti Xiao bit him back, “You’re seriously needy, huh?”
“Isn’t this what you call a ‘little wolf dog’?” Xiao Yao chuckled lowly, nibbling him lightly again. “Besides, I’m two months younger than you.”
“Cut it out.” Ti Xiao picked up the apple. “You’re the type who sneaks peeks at my comics—old dog, for short.”
Xiao Yao carried the fruit out, and Ti Xiao kept washing the apples.
Only two months apart, huh? Xiao Yao’s birthday was coming soon. Time to start thinking about a gift.
Thinking about that made Ti Xiao a little ashamed—he didn’t even remember exactly what day in August Xiao Yao’s birthday was. He’d heard it once but never stuck it in his mind.
After dinner, Ti Nanyi’s family left, and since there was only one empty room, the two of them had to squeeze into one.
“My wife said to clean out the other room for Xiao Yao since he’s tall, so you two could have your own rooms,” Ti Xiao’s dad said—rarely talking this much.
He scanned his son’s neck, then stopped, “But I figured, whatever.”
“Young folks have a lot of energy,” Ti Xiao’s dad cleared his throat. “But don’t get too obsessed with that stuff. Go to bed early, get up early.”
Ti Xiao touched his neck with a slap—his face immediately flushed red.
To cover the hickeys, he wore a turtleneck sweater, but his sharp-eyed dad called him out right away.
Annoyed, Ti Xiao bit the culprit again.
Xiao Yao was completely innocent.
The bed was really small—it was the same one Ti Xiao had used back in school. At 6’2”, Xiao Yao’s feet dangled off the edge, so he had to curl up, and still didn’t sleep comfortably.
Before bed, Ti Xiao wasn’t quiet either—he kept moving around, making the bed creak and squeak. The old house didn’t have good soundproofing, and Ti Xiao’s parents slept right next door, so the sounds could easily carry.
“Stop moving.” Xiao Yao grabbed him tight. “If you keep squirming, you’re gonna fall off.”
“What’s your birthday? What do you want for a gift?” Ti Xiao ignored him, still twisting around like a little spinning top trying to find a comfortable position.
Xiao Yao’s breath tickled his skin. He got distracted, but Ti Xiao was still fidgeting.
“August 14th,” Xiao Yao said quietly. “Keep moving, and I’ll just give you your birthday present right now, believe it or not.”
He said that and threw a leg over Ti Xiao, hugging him like a pillow, pulling him closer. His hard thigh pressed against Ti Xiao’s. “Stop moving, go to sleep.”
Ti Xiao took a while to realize what Xiao Yao meant by “birthday present,” and his face instantly flushed, feeling his backside burn with heat.
Ugh, such a fake-prude old dog.
