“Wait, no.”
Ti Nanyi suddenly changed the subject, giving Ti Xiao a bit of hope. “So did he actually have a make-up class or not?”
“Yes, he did.” Ti Nanyi handed the plastic bag over to Ti Xiao. “But only seniors have make-up classes, since they’re preparing for college entrance exams. The class starts at around 4 PM, which is different from when we freshmen and sophomores have ours.”
That little bit of trust Ti Xiao had just started to build in Xiao Yao was shattered. Xiao Yao had left the house at around 2 PM.
“Is my aunt… Teacher Xiao at home?” Ti Nanyi leaned in to peek inside.
“Went out.” Ti Xiao felt the bag in his hand weigh like a thousand pounds and slowly shifted it aside. “Come inside? Xiao Hulu just showered the day before yesterday. If you want to pet him, come on in—if not, then scram.”
“No thanks.” Ti Nanyi said as she headed downstairs. “I’m meeting my classmates to hang out. Bye, Uncle! Don’t forget to try the local goodies!”
After Ti Xiao closed the door, he tried hard to calm himself, but his imagination—already maxed out—filled his head with countless stories of bad guys and tragic victims drawn by the girls in the group chat.
Without realizing it, he was casting himself and Xiao Yao into those stories.
He felt like a poor little cabbage in a vegetable patch on a snowy day.
He pulled out his phone, wanting to call Xiao Yao to question him but ended up holding his poor Xiao Hulu hamster and petting him so hard the fur went bald.
The notebook he had been writing and drawing in earlier lay open on the desk. On the page was a milk-tea-colored hamster holding a sunflower seed and munching on it, while a Siamese cat gently rested a paw on the hamster’s small head. A little speech bubble nearby read: “Eat fewer snacks.”
The next page also told the story of the hamster and the Siamese cat.
A breeze blew through the window, rustling the pages with a fresh scent, and the tree shadows dappled the desktop.
Ti Xiao thought for a moment, then decided to call Xiao Yao to find out what the long-legged cat was really up to.
The call connected quickly. It was quiet on the other end.
“Are you at your make-up class? I’ll pick you up after work,” Ti Xiao said. “You drive, okay? I want to go out for a bit.”
Without hesitation, Xiao Yao replied, “Sure. Don’t you want me to pick you up at home?”
“No need. I’ll wait for you by your school gate. Still five o’clock?” Ti Xiao kept his cool and continued to fish for information.
Xiao Yao was silent for a moment, then said, “Eight.”
Ti Xiao clicked his tongue. What exactly was he doing that it went so late? Probably some late-night rendezvous with a little fairy.
“Alright, eight it is.” Ti Xiao hung up quickly, leaving Xiao Yao with the busy signal.
Xiao Yao looked at the “call ended” on the screen and smiled slowly.
It was still early for eight o’clock, so Ti Xiao went back to his desk and resumed drawing. Only after finishing a full page did he get up.
On the open page, the hamster was kicking with one paw, sending the long-legged Siamese cat flying into the air. The speech bubble read: “Even hamster balls will hit when they’re angry!”
Ti Xiao tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Xiao Yao’s lie felt like a fishbone stuck in his throat, irritating and impossible to swallow.
Lately, the girls in the group chat loved drawing stories about bad guys, and Ti Xiao felt like he might soon star in one himself.
Ugh, so annoying! The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. There was no make-up class, yet he was pretending. Ti Xiao grabbed Xiao Hulu, whispered close to his ear, “When he gets back tonight, scratch him, got it? Otherwise, no canned food for him.”
Xiao Hulu meowed once—whether he understood or not was anyone’s guess.
Despite all the wild thoughts, Ti Xiao still trusted Xiao Yao and was just waiting to hear his explanation that evening.
He slept until almost seven, then hurried to get ready, planning to see which little fairy—or rather, which hamster ball—had seduced his cat.
The sky at eight still held traces of fading twilight as Ti Xiao stood under the streetlamp by the school gate, waiting for Xiao Yao.
Soon, the school gates opened and students in uniform streamed out, chatting in small groups. After most had left and only a few stragglers remained, Xiao Yao drove out in his car.
Ti Xiao smirked. This whole act was pretty elaborate—he even drove back to the school.
Muttering in his mind, Ti Xiao moved to a spot convenient for Xiao Yao to park, opened the door, and slid inside.
Once inside, the hamster’s nose twitched.
Good—no other hamster smells detected.
“Why the sudden urge to go out for a drive?” Xiao Yao asked, buckling Ti Xiao’s seatbelt with a teasing smile. “I bought yogurt and some other snacks, they’re in the back seat.”
Xiao Yao was sitting close, speaking clearly, with soft strands of hair brushing Ti Xiao’s cheek and neck.
Ti Xiao glanced toward the back seat and saw a pile of snacks, but what caught his attention was a pink paper bag.
It screamed girly vibes, pink bubbles practically floating out.
Please don’t tell me it’s from some other female hamster.
The hamster perked up at the alert.
“What’s in that pink bag?” Ti Xiao asked, pouting a little.
Xiao Yao followed his gaze and smiled when his eyes landed on the bag. “Food. Chocolate.”
“Oh.” No sooner had Ti Xiao turned his head back than he was kissed lightly on the lips.
Suddenly, Ti Xiao felt the same flutter he’d felt during his first kiss with Xiao Yao—a brief, soft kiss that made his heart skip a beat.
“You’re kind of cute today,” Xiao Yao whispered with a low chuckle.
Their little hamster really was too adorable.
“Cut the crap.” Ti Xiao turned off the car light, hiding his flushed face from Xiao Yao. “Drive.”
“Where to?” Xiao Yao refocused.
Ti Xiao named a park quite far from home, planning to interrogate him along the way.
The car started, diving into the bustling, colorful city lights.
Neither spoke much on the drive. Xiao Yao concentrated on driving, while Ti Xiao’s mind spun stories, sneaking glances at him from time to time.
Half of his profile was bathed in light, the other half in shadow—most noticeable was the smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Looks like he had quite a pleasant afternoon. So happy, he was just missing a full-blown grin like a blooming flower.
They hit a traffic jam driving into the city. For a Saturday night, there were still plenty of people out, and the honking horns sounded like complaints and wails. Ti Xiao felt himself getting a bit irritated, tapping his fingers against the car window every now and then.
After nearly fifteen minutes, the car inched forward a little.
Ti Xiao thought to himself that at this pace, they’d get to the park around midnight. Truthfully, he wasn’t really interested in the park—it was just an excuse. He just wanted some time on the road to figure out how to grill Xiao Yao.
He couldn’t hold back any longer. The hamster squeezed its tiny paws together and decided to squeak a few times.
“What did you do this afternoon?” Ti Xiao suddenly asked.
“Tutoring.” Xiao Yao turned to look at him.
Still pretending with me at this point? Ti Xiao stared him down. “Ti Nanyi told me there were no make-up classes for you guys this afternoon. Only seniors have extra classes.”
Xiao Yao looked a bit innocent and patiently explained, “I was tutoring the seniors. They’re about to take their college entrance exams, so the school assigned all available teachers to help them prep and get good scores.”
Ti Xiao was stunned. So it really was tutoring. All the excuses he’d prepared suddenly got stuck in his throat.
But then, what about the fact that Xiao Yao left the house so early? How to explain that?
“The senior classes start tutoring at four in the afternoon,” Ti Xiao tried to keep a nonchalant tone.
“You left at two. What were you doing going out so early?”
“The school’s so close to home, why did you drive?”
“What exactly did you do?”
Throwing a series of questions at Xiao Yao, Ti Xiao noticed the slight frown that crept onto his face.
Ti Xiao bit his lip. Seeing him frown under the streetlights made him want to jump over and bite him.
Frowning because I’m bothering you, huh?
Xiao Yao took a deep breath, twisted the car key, and steered the car out of the long queue of traffic. He pulled over to a parking spot by the sidewalk, stopped, and turned off the engine.
He flicked on the interior light.
Only then did Ti Xiao get a clear look at his little hamster—puffed cheeks and clearly annoyed. If he had little tufts of hair, they’d probably be standing on end from the anger.
“Why don’t you explain?” Ti Xiao asked.
Xiao Yao smiled and poked his chubby cheek, “I’ll explain. I promise I will.”
Then he turned, grabbed the pink, girly paper bag from the pile of snacks in the back seat. Holding the bag in one hand, he took Ti Xiao’s little paw with the other.
“Honestly, I wanted to wait until your birthday to surprise you,” Xiao Yao smiled softly. “But looks like I can’t wait anymore.”
Inside the bag was a velvet box, along with three fresh, deep-red roses, vibrant and dripping with color.
Ti Xiao suddenly felt a premonition about what was coming next.
“I left early to get this,” Xiao Yao said, pulling out the box with a hint of excitement in his voice. “It was a bit far. Since it’s a valuable item, the shop doesn’t offer local delivery, so I had to pick it up myself.”
Inside the box lay two rings, quietly glowing with a silvery light.
Ti Xiao was stunned, his tongue pressing against the inside of his teeth, words caught in his throat. Xiao Yao stayed silent as well.
The moment was just right.
Ti Xiao’s eyes sparkled brightly.
Xiao Yao held the box up in front of him. Just as Ti Xiao reached out to touch the rings, Xiao Yao snapped the box shut with lightning speed and stuffed it back into the bag.
Ti Xiao’s hand grasped at empty air—he didn’t even get to feel the edge of a ring. He suddenly felt a little annoyed.
“Wait until your birthday,” Xiao Yao said slyly, grinning like a kid. “This is a birthday gift. Even though you found out the surprise early, you still have to wait until your birthday to get it.”
Ti Xiao’s birthday was less than a month away.
Ti Xiao had never clearly told Xiao Yao his birthday. Well, there was one vague hint, but he probably didn’t even remember it himself.
It was when Xiao Yao first moved in and came to borrow the Wi-Fi.
He typed in the wrong password on his first try: “19930604Xiao.”
That’s when Xiao Yao memorized his birthday and kept it firmly in his heart.
If he weren’t worried about ruining the mood—or getting called out—Xiao Yao really wanted to ask, “Surprised? Unexpected? Happy?”
At times like this, Ti Xiao was especially good at playing goldfish or ostrich—keeping quiet to hide his awkwardness and feelings.
“Not planning to say anything to me?” Xiao Yao turned off the car light, then slid his hand from Ti Xiao’s cheek down to his lips, gently tracing with a finger.
Ti Xiao took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Xiao Yao’s fingertip felt the warmth of a sudden wetness.
“Are you thinking…” Ti Xiao started, but the hamster swallowed the rest of the sentence.
“Thinking what? Tell me.” Xiao Yao coaxed him, guiding him to say the next two words.
Xiao Yao put the paper bag back on the rear seat, waiting for Ti Xiao’s response—but all he got was, “Go home.”
“…”
“What are you staring at? You want to go home, right?”
Xiao Yao knew his little hamster was shy and was pretending not to understand. He figured he’d wait until Ti Xiao’s birthday to let things happen naturally.
“Okay, let’s go home first. You haven’t eaten yet, right? Want to eat at home or out?” Xiao Yao held the wheel, ready to turn the car around when Ti Xiao grabbed his wrist.
“Not going home yet.” Ti Xiao’s hand gripped Xiao Yao’s wrist, his head lowered so his expression was hidden.
“Not going?” Xiao Yao looked confused. “Then you want to go to the park?”
“Like hell!” Ti Xiao wanted to smack Xiao Yao’s head—what he was about to say would drain all his face for life.
“…Drive me out to the edge of the city.”
Xiao Yao paused, then turned his head to plant a hard kiss on Ti Xiao’s cheek, even nibbling him.
The car merged back into the flowing traffic, heading toward the city outskirts.
…
Meanwhile, back at home, little Xiao Hulu sat alone.
Meow meow? Wasn’t I supposed to get scratches when you got back? Why is everyone gone?
Leave a Reply