The cute guy muttered curses and quit the voice chat.
Damn it—today really wasn’t the day to rank up!
What kind of teammates were these?!
Ridiculous!
Frozen in shock, Zong Cheng couldn’t stop thinking about that “wall kiss” comment.
Why did everyone like kissing against a wall so much?
Was it… somehow better than on a bed?
But the bed—wasn’t it more comfortable?
And yet he still thought about a bed-kiss?
Hearing Zong Cheng mutter these words absentmindedly, Yin Chen slowly typed a question mark in his mind.
Zong Cheng—did he have absolutely no self-awareness?
Someone who didn’t even dare to confess…
And he’s still thinking about wall-kisses?
Yin Chen struggled to control his lips, deciding not to let Zong Cheng hear the thoughts running through his head.
Otherwise…
Zong Cheng would probably log off immediately in embarrassment.
For the next hour, they played together as a cold wave swept across the city.
The meteorological bureau issued an emergency cold-front warning: in just a few hours, the temperature had dropped a full twelve degrees!
While playing, Zong Cheng suddenly felt something was off.
He hissed, his fingers stiff.
The heating?
Why wasn’t it working?
“What’s wrong?”
Hearing Zong Cheng, Yin Chen asked with concern.
Did he hear a hiss just now? What was going on?
Zong Cheng stood up, realizing his feet were numb from the cold.
He moved around, then noticed—he’d been sitting at his desk in the study playing games under a desk lamp, and the power had apparently gone out long ago.
Opening the study door, the living room wasn’t the usual cozy warmth. Instead, a chilling draft shot up from the floor the moment he stepped on it.
What is this?
Power outage?
Zong Cheng couldn’t believe it. He looked out the window.
Down in the complex, lights flickered. People were walking around and talking, unlike usual when barely a soul could be seen.
“Looks like our area has a power problem.”
He closed the window. In just ten seconds, the cold wind blew so hard his nose nearly froze off.
“Power problem?”
Yin Chen froze.
He glanced at the display screen—outside temperature was hovering around zero.
Zong Cheng could freeze to death!
Instinctively, Yin Chen said,
“Drive over to my place for the night. The temperature’s dropping fast—don’t freeze.”
Zong Cheng, just about to pack some clothes and head to a hotel, froze.
To… Yin Chen’s place?
He choked for a second. Aunt Tang’s voice looped in his mind like a loudspeaker:
“Don’t go home for New Year. Chase him to his place! Chase him to his place! Chase him to his place!”
Taking a deep breath, Zong Cheng clenched his fists and mustered courage.
“Okay, I’ll drive over now.”
Yin Chen, realizing what he’d just agreed to, raised an eyebrow.
Huh? Zong Cheng actually agreed?
He thought Zong Cheng would remain timid forever.
Packing quickly, Zong Cheng picked up a bag to leave, when Aunt Tang called.
He paused, but answered.
“Aunt Tang, what’s up?”
She started scolding immediately.
“Why don’t you just buy a ticket home? I just saw your neighborhood chat—some loser couldn’t chase his girlfriend, so he burned the circuit to make people go outside. Disgusting! And now, with the sudden cold, the power’s out. If you get cold, just go home!”
She was truly enlightened.
Burning the circuit—what kind of stunt is that?
Serves him right for getting dumped!
“No, I’m not going home.”
Zong Cheng instinctively refused.
Aunt Tang pressed further.
“Then where will you sleep? Hotel? The electricians are all gone for New Year—fastest repair is tomorrow. If you stay freezing there, you might catch a cold!”
Before she finished, she asked sharply,
“What were you planning to do before I called? Found a place yet?”
Zong Cheng: “…”
Zong Cheng: “Yeah, I’m about to head out.”
Of course!
Aunt Tang pressed, “Going to him? Does he know the power’s out?”
Zong Cheng nodded again.
Good progress!
Aunt Tang almost cried with joy.
Then she immediately remembered something and hurriedly instructed:
“So you’re going to see him now?”
Zong Cheng nodded, and a small sense of pride bloomed from her tone.
“Yeah, I just packed and am about to leave…”
Before he finished, Aunt Tang interrupted, shocked.
“What? You packed clothes too?”
Ah, really?
Zong Cheng asked humbly,
“Without clothes, would I just wear what I’m wearing now tomorrow?”
Frustrated face.jpg
Aunt Tang glanced at her son, who was still gaming nearby, shaking her head.
Don’t learn this from his brother! Otherwise, she’d have to wait forever to meet his partner.
“What clothes did you bring?” she scolded.
“You bring clothes, what excuse to wear his? Ever think about that?”
Such a silly kid—perfect excuse ready-made!
“Ah?”
Zong Cheng slowly exhaled a question mark.
Really… like this?
Aunt Tang sighed.
“Remember what I told you—today is perfect timing. Bring nothing but yourself. Don’t dress too thickly, undo at least three buttons on your pajamas, show up under his nose.”
She paused, emphasizing:
“Most importantly! Confess now! If it doesn’t work once, try a few more times! Tonight you might end up holding your partner to sleep! Isn’t that perfect?”
I don’t think so.
No.
I even think, ma’am, you’re out of your mind.
Zong Cheng was silent.
What a rapid-fire progress bar. Too hard.
Seeing his silence, Aunt Tang urged again:
“Say something! Hear me? Learned it yet? Success depends on this!”
Zong Cheng hesitated a few seconds, muttered some sounds, and hung up.
Expressionless, standing there, he wrestled with himself.
Half a minute later, he slowly released the bag with clothes.
This was his last bit of courage.
Where is he?
Yin Chen had logged off and even taken a hot shower.
He dried his hair, then went to the balcony and peered outside.
The wind howled, carrying a strange, whistling sound from somewhere.
Yin Chen looked at the sky.
If the temperature drops any further, will it snow this year?
He thought seriously for a few seconds. His last memory of snow… at least ten years ago.
A distant headlight flashed. Yin Chen snapped back.
If that wasn’t Zong Cheng’s car coming, then who?
Not bad.
Finally, the big goof had some courage.
Yin Chen went downstairs to pour a cup of hot cocoa. Zong Cheng entered, shivering from the cold.
“Drink this, it’s cold outside, right?”
Yin Chen handed him the cup.
Goodness.
Just a light touch of their hands, and Zong Cheng’s fingers were like ice sticks.
Zong Cheng nodded.
“Yeah, a bit cold.”
He extended his other hand: “Here, for you.”
“What?”
Yin Chen took it instinctively. Opening it, he found a steaming box of stinky tofu.
He blinked.
This was from near Zong Cheng’s place—the aroma authentic.
After a sip of hot cocoa, the chill left most of his body.
Zong Cheng pinched his slightly reddened nose.
“I happened to pass by and bought it for you. You said you wanted some while gaming, right?”
Yin Chen froze.
He was holding the bag, watching Zong Cheng drink his cocoa, steam rising from his mouth.
After about a minute, he finally smiled.
This idiot really is…
He exhaled slowly. The temperature drop felt less like twelve degrees outside, more like a twelve-degree warmth rising in his chest.
Cozy. The air felt hot, the warmth burning from his heart to his limbs, his skin scalded with heat.
“Why is your face so red?”
Zong Cheng took off his jacket, noticing Yin Chen seemed off.
He froze, instinctively reached out, then pulled back.
His hand was cold.
Too cold to touch.
Yin Chen chuckled quietly, scratching his hair.
“I just took a hot shower while waiting for you. You’ll feel fine soon.”
No wonder.
Zong Cheng nodded.
He sipped cocoa again, eyes softening.
He realized Yin Chen’s scent was especially strong this time—just finished a shower.
“How about you take a hot shower first? It’s early. Then we can continue gaming. You don’t have work tomorrow anyway.”
Yin Chen, after finishing his cocoa, grabbed the cup and asked.
Of course!
Zong Cheng was about to answer, then realized:
No!
He hadn’t finished his daily update today!
And he had promised on his leave form to post a daily update—if he didn’t, Yin Chen would be disappointed.
Zong Cheng was silent, regretting it.
If he’d known he could stay at Yin Chen’s tonight, he wouldn’t have agreed to cry back to work for a daily post!
“Achoo!”
The editor, shopping online for New Year goods, sneezed massively, waving skyward as usual.
“Stop scolding, stop scolding! I can only beg for your daily post on your behalf.”
After thinking it over, Zong Cheng sighed.
“I… still have some work left. I can play a few rounds, then I need to finish it.”
“Huh? You have work?”
Yin Chen was surprised.
“Then why didn’t you bring your computer?”
?
Zong Cheng was dumbstruck.
Ah, right!
His outline was still on the computer!
Yin Chen propped his chin, then asked,
“And you came empty-handed? No clothes?”
Zong Cheng froze, stiff all over.
He didn’t dare answer.
How could he explain?
Admit he purposely brought no clothes to wear Yin Chen’s?
Better just die on the spot!