Maybe because they’d slept well last night—no tossing and turning—Ti Xiao surprisingly woke up early at dawn.
The two of them were still in the same positions as before they fell asleep. Xiao Yao held Ti Xiao like a pillow in his arms, one leg draped over him, wrapped in a deep embrace.
Young guys were full of energy even first thing in the morning. Even in his sleep, the “flag-raising spot” was still pressed between Ti Xiao’s legs—pretty much the same as before bed.
Ti Xiao even thought, damn, Xiao Yao must have been hard all night.
The only difference was that their faces were separated by the little purring creature.
Sound asleep, it had its face turned toward Xiao Yao, paws resting on Xiao Yao’s face and neck, its rear end pressed against Ti Xiao, and its tail flicking against Ti Xiao’s nose, making him want to sneeze.
The favoritism was obvious.
Ti Xiao grabbed the loose skin on the back of the little purring creature’s neck and lifted it, placing it gently on the other side of the pillow.
He shifted and reclaimed Xiao Yao’s breath.
Last night, Ti Xiao—the somewhat unreliable boyfriend—finally remembered Xiao Yao’s birthday. Although it was still four months away, this was his first and last boyfriend’s birthday ever, so he had to prepare something nice.
Besides, he was two months older than Xiao Yao. Breathing sixty more days of air than him made Ti Xiao feel a bit like an elder with a responsibility.
He selectively forgot who usually took care of whom.
“August 14th, huh,” Ti Xiao murmured to himself, squinting at Xiao Yao’s sleeping face.
Who knew what he’d eaten growing up—those eyelashes were so long. The more he looked, the more he wanted to plant a kiss.
Thinking that, Ti Xiao leaned in. Before he could kiss, Xiao Yao opened his eyes and gave him a firm good-morning kiss.
“You’re faking sleep,” Ti Xiao whispered, nibbling Xiao Yao’s lower lip.
“No,” Xiao Yao flipped over to pin him down, pressing against him. His breathing grew slightly heavier. “I just woke up.”
The old bed creaked and groaned with the movement.
Ti Xiao responded softly, humming, wrapping his arms around Xiao Yao’s neck. Just as they kissed back, a knock on the door interrupted them, nearly scaring Ti Xiao stiff.
He pushed Xiao Yao away instantly.
It was his dad’s voice: “Ahem, if you’re awake, get up now.”
Ti Xiao remembered that his dad had always gotten up early since he was a kid—very different from his mom.
As a child, every morning he and Ti Zhe were called up early by their dad, yawning through breakfast, while their mom slept in until whenever she wanted.
Favoritism, for sure.
That was why after graduating, even though his parents lived in the same city, Ti Xiao rented his own place.
Ti Xiao was nearly scared stiff. Xiao Yao wasn’t any better—he’d been holding it in so long his eyes were almost red, looking a bit resentful.
“Be good,” Ti Xiao coaxed like a kid, patting his head. “Get up, or my dad will knock again.”
No sooner had he spoken than another knock came: “Young folks, don’t have too much energy so early.”
There was no breakfast at home. Ti Xiao’s dad sat in the living room, legs crossed, a cup of hot tea nearby. He waved his newspaper, giving Ti Xiao a look that said if he wanted breakfast, he’d have to go buy it himself.
When the two of them went to get breakfast, they swung by the fruit stand too.
Though Xiao Yao had brought plenty yesterday, it still wasn’t enough. Now he bought a bunch of expensive out-of-season fruit, carrying it back along with breakfast.
“Why don’t you usually buy these?” Ti Xiao asked casually, seeing Xiao Yao juggling so many things, and helped carry some.
“I buy the usual stuff at home. It’s mostly what you like,” Xiao Yao said, holding Ti Xiao’s hand with his now-free hand. Thinking Ti Xiao was scolding him for not buying things, he soothed him warmly, “If you want something, I’ll buy it for you when we get back this afternoon.”
“Then buy snacks,” Ti Xiao saw a chance to get something for free.
Before he finished, Xiao Yao said, “But snacks should still be eaten sparingly.”
On their way back, Ti Nanyi arrived. When he saw Xiao Yao, he hurried inside like he’d seen some terrifying creature.
The courage to silence the teacher seemed to have completely vanished.
The little purring creature ran out from the house to greet Xiao Yao, its tail swishing and smacking against Ti Xiao’s pant leg.
Ti Xiao’s mom woke up around the same time. Ti Xiao probably inherited his habit of sleeping in late from her.
“Last night while I was trying to sleep, I kept hearing creaking noises next door. Did you hear that, kid’s dad?” Ti Xiao’s mom said over breakfast, her eyes flicking between Ti Xiao and Xiao Yao with a very clear implication.
“Ahem.” Ti Xiao’s dad cleared his throat lightly, as if to say, there was no noise, so stop talking.
Ti Nanyi lowered his head, and Ti Xiao shot Xiao Yao a look.
He himself had slept soundly all night—once he was out, he was like a little pig; not even thunder could wake him. If there was noise, it had to be Xiao Yao making it. Who knew what little things he might have been doing to Ti Xiao while he was asleep?
Xiao Yao glanced at Ti Xiao, then back at Ti Xiao, looking entirely innocent.
He really hadn’t done anything.
By the time Ti Xiao’s mom realized this, the words couldn’t be taken back. So she just launched into a health lecture of her own accord: “Maybe I misheard, but no matter how energetic you young folks are, you still have to know your limits. Don’t overdo it and hurt yourselves.”
Ti Xiao stayed silent, but Xiao Yao nodded and gave a small “mm-hmm,” which made Ti Xiao kick him under the table in frustration.
You’re the only one who knows!
After the meal, Ti Xiao was ordered to wash the dishes. Xiao Yao followed him into the kitchen.
Just as it looked like the whole “washing apples” routine from yesterday was about to repeat, Ti Xiao grabbed a just-washed plate and held it between them, huffing, “Did you forget what Mom just said? Aren’t you good at nodding and agreeing?”
Water droplets still clung to the plate and kept dripping down, soaking Ti Xiao’s sleeve. The shiny beads slid down his palm and wrist to his forearm.
Xiao Yao took the plate and set it on the marble countertop with a faint, crisp clink.
“Don’t remember,” Xiao Yao said with a mischievous glint, grabbing Ti Xiao’s wrist and bringing it to his mouth, kissing off the water droplets one by one.
The wet, soft sensation on his wrist carried a hint of heat.
Slowly, Xiao Yao bit Ti Xiao’s slender finger, rubbing his teeth against the plump fingertip, then curling his tongue to lick it into his mouth.
His body mischievously pushed forward twice.
“Whew…” Ti Xiao sucked in a breath. “Xiao Yao, why don’t you go get a perm—something like a teddy bear hairstyle?”
“Why?” Xiao Yao had let go of Ti Xiao’s finger and was rinsing his hand under running water.
“You’re probably a teddy bear spirit,” Ti Xiao said, eyeing the little tent forming under Xiao Yao’s clothes. “Coming on like that with no regard for the situation.”
All that cold, aloof, abstinent English teacher act? Total fake, all a lie!
All that “little wolf dog” stuff? They’re just old dogs!
Soon after, Ti Zhe and Ren Yue arrived. Xiao Yao was pulled away by Ti Zhe to discuss some economics and current affairs topics Ti Xiao didn’t understand.
Ti Xiao went back to his room to dig through the sketchbooks and charcoal sticks he’d saved from high school. Entering, he startled Ti Nanyi, who was quietly sneaking around playing a video game. Ti Nanyi jumped and accidentally triggered an attack, wiping his whole team.
The little purring creature lying on the bed was startled into a small jump as well.
“Tsk tsk,” Ti Xiao shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Look at you—don’t even dare go out to the living room anymore.”
“Obviously,” Ti Nanyi said, looking at his crystal’s health bar rapidly dropping, wanting to cry but having no tears left. “If your teacher is in the living room, would you dare go out?”
Especially with those recent tutoring test papers he failed.
“Of course I would,” Ti Xiao said, crouching down to rummage through a cabinet full of his old high school sketches and studies.
Not only would he dare—he even dared to eat with his teacher, and even dared to kidnap his teacher’s grandson.
After finding what he wanted, Ti Xiao happily went back to the living room and lay on the couch, watching Xiao Yao chat with his brother.
He casually gestured with his fingers in the air, then started drawing while sucking on a box of Wangzai milk.
He sketched quickly and was great at capturing dynamic poses and expressions—especially faces and emotions.
In April, Xuan City hadn’t warmed up much yet. Xiao Yao wore a medium-thickness smoky blue sweater with a white shirt underneath. The collar button was undone, and from Ti Xiao’s angle, he could just see a bit of Xiao Yao’s exposed collarbone.
Looking closer, you could see a nearly faded hickey—Ti Xiao’s handiwork.
Xiao Yao was bent over, adjusting details on his shirt. When Ti Xiao looked up again, Xiao Yao was gone. Only his brother remained, eating an apple.
“What’re you drawing?” Xiao Yao’s voice came from above.
“I’m not drawing anything,” Ti Xiao quickly closed his sketchbook to hide his drawing, then wiped a few smudges of charcoal off his fingers on Xiao Yao’s face. “You’ve got dirt all over your face. Go wash up…”
Before he finished, Xiao Yao grabbed both his hands, took the charcoal-covered ones, and rubbed them all over his own face too.
“You’re dirty too,” Xiao Yao said with a low chuckle. “Let’s go wash up together?”
Xiao Yao only had a few streaks on his face, like little cat whiskers, but Ti Xiao’s face was a messy black smudge—charcoal stains that didn’t come off easily. No matter how much he scrubbed with soap, it wouldn’t wash clean.
By the time afternoon came and they were about to leave, neither of them had managed to clean their faces properly. They looked like they’d just dug up ten tons of coal.
“It’s all your fault,” Ti Xiao said, holding a mirror in the car, turning his head left and right. “You’re sleeping in the study tonight.”
“Do you even care?” Xiao Yao twisted the car keys in his hand, confident as ever.
Ti Xiao of course… didn’t want to. So he reached out and lightly punched him. “You talk too much, keep babbling.”
“I’m not babbling, I want to kiss you.” Just as the car started moving, Xiao Yao suddenly yanked the keys out of the ignition and pinned Ti Xiao in the passenger seat, kissing him.
Skipping the slow buildup, they dove right into a deep kiss—Xiao Yao was definitely starved for affection after last night.
Ti Xiao found it hard to breathe, making muffled sounds.
The temperature in the car instantly rose. While they were passionately kissing, the car window vibrated twice, followed by a “knock knock” sound.
Xiao Yao didn’t care and kept kissing with abandon. Ti Xiao opened his eyes and glanced to the side.
He saw his dad standing outside the window, knocking with one hand and holding their abandoned little purring creature that had been crying loudly in the other.
Though the car window was tinted so you couldn’t see inside from outside, if you were close enough, you could still make out what was happening inside.
When his son finally gave him an eye contact, Ti Xiao’s dad said, “You forgot your cat.”
Ti Xiao’s pupils contracted, and he suddenly shoved Xiao Yao away.
That was the second time today he almost got scared stiff.
