Chapter 43: You’re not resisting this?

The warm breath fell, and the hollow shoulder instantly felt hot.

Jian Mingzhou’s lower back pressed against the countertop, one hand gripping the edge, and his mind went blank; only the words he heard during the day echoed.

“When you find the other person cute, you’ve already fallen.”

His face turned red instantly.

What is this?

In the silent air, no one spoke.

Only the pounding heartbeat echoed in the ears, and the air was filled with the sweet and sour scent of lemons.

He moved his lower back against the countertop.

Suddenly, a hand pressed against his waist, gently pushing him into an embrace. The head buried in his shoulder rubbed against him and then rested on his shoulder.

Xie Jing, like a large dog, encircled him in his arms.

“You haven’t answered me yet, uncle.”

Jian Mingzhou was lifted slightly, his hand grabbing the other’s arm. In the hazy halo of tilted light, his heartbeat and breath were chaotic.

“What?”

“I don’t have a partner. Is it okay for me to do this?”

The hand behind his waist tightened.

Through the thin, soft T-shirt, a tingling warmth spread.

Jian Mingzhou opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a word.

How did he say those words just now? as if he had really accepted that Xie Jing could do this.

I could hug him or touch him.

And say ambiguous and teasing words to him.

Moreover, Xie Jing said he was cute.

Jian Mingzhou’s heart was burning, and he even wanted to bury his head in front of Xie Jing like an ostrich. His fingertips tightened, and he resisted the heat as he spoke.

“No, not that.”

Xie Jing rubbed against him and mumbled, “Why not?”

Jian Mingzhou hesitated for two seconds but couldn’t say he couldn’t. In the midst of his chaotic thoughts, he tried to focus and change the subject, “What do you mean by not having a partner?”

The person buried in his shoulder raised his head.

After a moment of eye contact, Xie Jing, with one hand still pressed behind his waist, finally spoke.

“It’s about the banquet at home last time. They were planning to introduce me to someone for an arranged date…”

Jian Mingzhou’s eyelashes moved lightly.

Xie Jing continued, “I made up an excuse and turned it down.”

“Oh.”

Jian Mingzhou pursed his lips, unsure if it was out of confusion or confirmation in the haze. He asked, “So, when you bring someone back next time, where do you plan to find them?”

Xie Jing suddenly laughed and looked at him without saying a word.

Just the fingertips at his waist hinted at something suggestive. It was so ambiguous.

Then he withdrew his hand and said, “Stop being so cute, uncle.”

“…”

–

After Xie Jing finished speaking, he went to prepare dinner.

Jian Mingzhou’s temporarily malfunctioning brain slowly resumed operation.

At this moment, returning to his room seemed like he was deliberately avoiding something, and staying in the living room made him feel feverish all over.

After some thought, he simply sat on the lazy sofa on the balcony.

The sofa faced the direction of the countertop.

With some distance, he could see Xie Jing skillfully preparing dinner. His outstanding appearance, coupled with an age-defying maturity, seemed particularly enticing.

The place where the fingertip pressed against his lower back seemed to heat up again.

Jian Mingzhou swallowed and thought:

What exactly is Xie Jing like?

An answer was on the tip of his tongue. But when it came to his mouth, he couldn’t be sure.

Could Xie Jing be interested in him…?

After all, having stayed at the Huanjiao Mental Hospital for a long time, coupled with his corrupted perspective, he couldn’t distinguish between reality and illusion.

His thoughts were chaotic. Jian Mingzhou simply picked up a manga from the side, trying to distract himself and organize his thoughts.

In situations like theirs right now, what would happen in a manga?

[Thump. He pressed the person against the table and kissed them passionately.]

He flipped the page.

[Pressed against a tree, he kissed them passionately.]

[Tied up hands, he kissed them passionately.]

[Kissing. Kissing. Tumbling!]

Jian Mingzhou’s fingertips trembled. Whose creation was this?

Snap! The cover closed: Xiao Ling.

“…”

He took a deep breath, threw the manga aside, and covered his face with his hands.

Manga was unreliable. He could only ask the people around him: Xia Ye, not good… Besides the weird laughter, he gained nothing. Xie Chi, it seemed even worse. How could he approach the subject?

Did he have to ask: Your nephew hugged me and said I’m cute; what do you think that means?

After thinking about it, Jian Mingzhou finally opened Xue Ying’s chat box.

[Mingzhou]: Teacher Xueying, when one party says the other is cute, besides the pure love situation you mentioned today, are there any other situations? ^▽^

The response came quickly.

[Xueying]: If it’s not pure love, then it’s 18+^u^? When the top is fiercely loving the bottom…

The phone screen was extinguished with a press!

Jian Mingzhou’s eyes were quiet. Are there any normal people around him?

…

Perhaps he was overthinking.

Jian Mingzhou nestled on the lazy sofa, closed his eyes, and meditated. Unconsciously, he dozed off.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw that the sky behind him had darkened.

A yellow floor lamp illuminated the balcony.

He leaned on the lazy sofa, and at some point, Xie Jing had sat on the adjacent sofa, holding a manga in one hand and resting the other on the sofa’s arm.

And he was resting against Xie Jing’s elbow.

Jian Mingzhou’s heart skipped a beat! He abruptly sat up.

…Xie Jing didn’t call him again.

“Awake?” Xie Jing put down the manga and turned to look at him. “Sleeping like this, does your neck hurt?”

Jian Mingzhou pinched his neck. “It’s okay.”

After looking at him for two seconds, Xie Jing suddenly smiled and said, “Uncle, you can sleep here next time.”

He was leaning there, broad-shouldered and broad-chested.

For a moment, Jian Mingzhou thought he meant in his arms, and his heartbeat skipped a half beat! Just as he was about to speak, he saw Xie Jing patting the sofa underneath him and saying,

“This sofa is bigger; you can sleep like this.”

Xie Jing took the manga in his hand and pointed to the editor’s note with a comfortable expression: “omz.”

Jian Mingzhou said, “…”

He steadied himself and said, “You’re quite thoughtful, Xiaojing.”

Seeing Xie Jing’s nonchalant demeanor, Jian Mingzhou felt a bit relieved. By now, dinner was already on the table, so he stood up and called Xie Jing, “Let’s eat.”

Xie Jing made a sound and stood up.

Jian Mingzhou turned around, took a couple of steps, and then heard a compliant voice say, “Or you can sleep leaning on me.”

His steps abruptly stopped!

Xie Jing followed behind him, almost colliding.

As he came to a halt, his shoulder pressed against Xie Jing’s chest, and Jian Mingzhou raised his head abruptly.

…Xie Jing was talking as if nothing happened!

After staring for two seconds, soft laughter fell nearby.

Xie Jing looked at him and said softly, “It’s not like I haven’t hugged you before.”

Jian Mingzhou felt his ears heat up from what Xie Jing said but maintained his composure, recalling Xie Jing’s words from yesterday, “You said you wouldn’t say offensive things.”

“Does this count as offensive?”

Suddenly, a hand reached out, unbuttoning the messy collar. Fingertips grazed his collarbone, and Xie Jing lowered his eyes. “Then, in the afternoon, why didn’t you push me away?”

Jian Mingzhou’s eyes widened slightly.

Xie Jing smiled again, withdrew his hand, and said, “If you find it offensive, next time, just push me away.”

He walked towards the dining table.

Jian Mingzhou was momentarily stunned.

What kind of feeling is this?

He snapped back, blushing, and walked over to pull out the chair.

tingling sensation in his chest.

–

Another sleepless night.

The next day, Jian Mingzhou went to work at the company.

During this time, things got busier again.

Apart from negotiations with Mr. Xiaolu for an animation, there was a new serialization from Mr. Xue Ying, and there were a few new authors to mentor.

Busy throughout the morning, he went to the cafeteria for lunch and couldn’t help but yawn again after sitting down.

And here comes the teasing from Xia Ye about his sleepiness:

“Why are you tired again? Did his parents visit again?”

“…”

Xia Ye and his mouth…!

Jian Mingzhou replied with a tone of overdue punishment, then glanced at the three chicken cutlets on Xia Ye’s plate. His heart moved, and with a sleepy appearance, he tilted his arm.

The chopsticks accidentally ended up on Xia Ye’s plate, lifting a piece of chicken cutlet.

Jian Mingzhou slowly woke up. “Ah, how did I fall asleep again?”

Xia Ye said, “…”

Snap! He swiftly snatched the chopsticks back from midair to his own chicken cutlet, sneering,

“The routines are getting fancier.”

Jian Mingzhou was about to faint again and retorted, “I thought when you said ‘with a family’ you were talking about yourself.”

“Hehe.”

“Hehehe.”

…

The routine meeting concluded.

Xia Ye then spoke seriously, “Mr. Xiaolu’s business negotiation is progressing towards a contract, with no major issues.”

“That’s good,” Jian Mingzhou said.

After a pause, Xia Ye continued, “Actually, Mr. Xue Ying is quite powerful too, but her artwork has a very strong personal style, not quite in line with the mainstream. Otherwise, there might be a chance to negotiate for an animation.”

Authors receive royalties for animated adaptations, and editors get a share too.

Jian Mingzhou stirred the hot soup absentmindedly and said warmly:

“It’s good this way.”

“After all, it’s the world created by Mr. Xue Ying, and she can maintain her own style.”

Xia Ye fell silent for a few seconds, then adjusted his glasses. “Sometimes, I feel like you really are like the male protagonists in manga.”

Jian Mingzhou, pleasantly surprised, said, “Chasing Dreams Young Man manga?”

Xia Ye chuckled, “Chasing Dreams BL manga.”

“…” He knew it couldn’t be that simple.

…

After a day of work, he finished at 5:30 p.m.

The day was filled with various tasks, leaving him no time to dwell on the events of the previous night. Standing at the door of his home now, Jian Mingzhou’s mind once again conjured up the image of Xie Jing.

As the key turned in the lock with a “clatter,” his heart tightened a bit.

A strange feeling—a desire to run but also an eagerness to see him quickly.

With these thoughts flying around, the door had already swung open.

Jian Mingzhou collected himself, pushed the door, and walked in. Trying to sound as natural as possible, he called out, “I’m back, Xiaojing.”

A voice came from the other side: “Welcome back, uncle.”

Jian Mingzhou’s heartbeat quickened a bit.

After a pause of two seconds, he realized, “Are you in the study?”

“Yeah, I’m looking for a manga.”

Jian Mingzhou acknowledged and walked into the dining room.

The dining room was diagonally across from the study door. As soon as he put down his backpack, he heard some movement inside, followed by Xie Jing’s voice.

“Uncle, I faxed something over to your machine.”

In these days, the authors were rushing to submit new manuscripts.

The faxes usually contained character designs and storyboards—nothing too sensitive.

Jian Mingzhou replied, “Manuscripts? Just bring them out for me.”

“It seems there’s only one.”

Only one?

Before Jian Mingzhou could react, his phone vibrated. Opening it, he saw a message from Xiaolu:

【cc Xiaolu】: Editor~ I finished the doodle from last time and faxed it to you! [Smart Bird]

The conversation box still displayed the previous draft:

In the midst of a school of sparkling fish, Xie Jing had his arm around his waist.

Jian Mingzhou froze for a moment.

That was in the study…

A warning bell rang in his mind! He turned and rushed into the study, where Xie Jing was already holding a sheet of paper.

Without waiting for him to speak, Xie Jing began commenting on his own:

“So cute, but the size difference…”

“…”