Chapter 102

From the foyer to the bathroom, clothes were strewn all over the floor.

Inside the bathroom, steam filled the air as the shower spray fell on their bodies, splashing onto the floor. Amidst the sound of water, there were also intermittent whispers, such as “Hold me tight” and “Make some noise.”

Actually, Qin Qingzhuo didn’t particularly like making noise at times like this. He couldn’t quite explain why, but he was accustomed to swallowing all sounds he made.

Initially, when Jiang Ji noticed this habit, he would deliberately coax Qin Qingzhuo to make noise multiple times during their encounters. Later, Jiang Ji discovered that Qin Qingzhuo would involuntarily make sounds when he was in extreme ecstasy. So he began to find ways to make Qin Qingzhuo lose control.

When Qin Qingzhuo lost control, his voice would carry a sob from his throat, with a hint of hoarseness in the trailing tone, which sounded very pleasant.

Afterward, Jiang Ji helped Qin Qingzhuo clean up his body and then carried him to the bedroom upstairs.

Placing Qin Qingzhuo on the bed, Jiang Ji leaned over him and kissed his Adam’s apple. “You sounded particularly lovely today.”

“What are you talking about…” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled, the huskiness still lingering in his voice. “Don’t talk nonsense, I didn’t make any noise.”

“Yes you did,” Jiang Ji insisted on his behalf. “Crying and moaning at the same time.”

Qin Qingzhuo chuckled a few times, running his fingers through Jiang Ji’s hair. “Do you want to have some wine?”

“To celebrate Shi Yao being taken down?” Jiang Ji asked.

“Yes,” Qin Qingzhuo nodded. “Consider it as a toast to success.”

“Then I’ll go get it,” Jiang Ji rolled off the bed. “What kind of wine do you want?”

“There’s a bottle of plum wine on the wine cabinet, with the Su San logo on it,” Qin Qingzhuo propped himself up on the bed. “It’s brewed by the boss lady of Su San herself. I want that one.”

“Got it,” Jiang Ji replied and went downstairs to fetch the wine.

He picked up the bottle of translucent orange-colored plum wine from the wine cabinet and found two glass wine glasses from the cupboard, then carried them upstairs.

When he returned to the bedroom, Qin Qingzhuo was no longer lying on the bed but was instead draped in a robe, squatting at the balcony table, striking a match.

Hearing footsteps approaching, he looked up at Jiang Ji. “Turn off the lights.”

Jiang Ji raised his arm and used the back of his hand to switch off the ceiling light. “Do you want some candles?”

“Mmh,” Qin Qingzhuo held the lit match close to the candle wick. “Let’s create some ambiance.”

Jiang Ji walked to the balcony and placed the wine on the table. “Do you want some music?”

“There are records in the bedside drawer,” Qin Qingzhuo blew out the match in his hand. “You can pick one you like.”

Jiang Ji browsed through the records in the drawer, while Qin Qingzhuo opened the cap of the plum wine, pouring it into two glasses. He then picked up one of the glasses and lounged on the plush, swaying armchair beside.

A slow cello composition emanated from the record player. Jiang Ji walked over, holding the other glass of wine.

“Why did you choose this album?” Qin Qingzhuo half-lying on the chair looked at him.

“I saw your name written on it,” Jiang Ji walked to the window seat, “Are these all cello compositions played by you?”

“Yeah,” Qin Qingzhuo smiled, “Recorded during my college days.”

The plum wine exuded a sweet and tangy fruity aroma, rich and mild in flavor. The two sat in silence for a while, sipping the wine. Qin Qingzhuo sat up slightly. “Wanna chat for a bit?”

“Sure,” Jiang Ji swallowed a sip of wine, his Adam’s apple rolling, “What do you want to talk about?”

“Let’s talk about your past,” Qin Qingzhuo said, perhaps spurred by the video they watched earlier in the day. He suddenly became curious about Jiang Ji’s past. “When did you realize you liked the same sex? High school?”

“Not that early,” Jiang Ji said, “Just a few months ago.”

“A few months ago?” Qin Qingzhuo was somewhat surprised. “Wouldn’t that be after you met me? Which time?”

“It was the night you slept next to me.”

“The night I slept next to you,” Qin Qingzhuo paused for a moment, “That night…”

“Yeah, the night you found out about Ji Chi’s affair and got drunk at the bar.”

This answer completely exceeded Qin Qingzhuo’s expectations. Initially, he thought Jiang Ji knew about his orientation and then fell for him. He was somewhat astonished. “But I remember that night you slept on the sofa, right?”

When he woke up that morning and saw Jiang Ji sleeping on that uncomfortable sofa, he thought Jiang Ji was not accustomed to sharing a bed with others. Now, hearing Jiang Ji say this, he belatedly realized, “So, sleeping on the sofa was because…”

“Because I had a reaction to you,” Jiang Ji said candidly.

“No way,” Qin Qingzhuo laughed incredulously, “Having a reaction to a drunken sot like me, you’re really…” He chuckled for a while before continuing, “You quite disliked me at that time, weren’t you?”

“I wouldn’t say dislike,” Jiang Ji said, “But I was indeed quite frustrated at that time.”

“Why would you, in your depressed state, have a reaction to someone you didn’t particularly like?” Qin Qingzhuo laughed even harder, “You’re so cute… So, before that, you never realized you liked the same sex?”

“Mmh, I never really thought about it before,” Jiang Ji replied.

“But don’t you have times when you need to deal with it yourself? Don’t you watch something to cheer yourself up, or have a fantasy object or something…”

“I used to just watch some random movies, but after that time,” Jiang Ji glanced at him, “I listen to your songs to cope.”

“What…” Qin Qingzhuo was drinking wine, but choked when he heard this, coughing a few times with a clenched fist before putting down the glass and asking, “Which one?”

“‘Fall Into My Dream’,” Jiang Ji looked at him, one arm resting on his bent knee, “There’s a live version that’s very fitting. The CD version is also good, but it lacks something.”

“You’re quite discerning,” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled. He hadn’t thought that his songs could have this kind of uplifting effect. Images related to this unconsciously flashed in his mind, making him feel a bit flushed. Unable to contain his curiosity, he continued, “Besides this one, are there any others?”

“Actually, all the songs from your concert were quite suitable,” Jiang Ji thought for a moment and said, “The one in Hong Kong at the Hung Hom Stadium in ’17.”

“Oh, was it the one when I had a cold?” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled, “Was it because the breathing was more obvious?”

“And also the state you were in that night…” Jiang Ji took a sip of wine and said, “It created a certain atmosphere.”

During that concert, Qin Qingzhuo was physically weak due to his cold. Halfway through, his forehead was soaked with sweat, and his face was somewhat pale. Moreover, his voice was a bit hoarse, and his breathing was more pronounced than usual, creating a subtle yet profound feeling.

Despite his poor physical condition, Qin Qingzhuo performed exceptionally well that night. Many songs had a different flavor from previous versions. So, that concert was one of the most special ones in Qin Qingzhuo’s singing career.

Qin Qingzhuo held the wine glass to his lips but didn’t drink for a while, just kept smiling softly. “To be honest, that’s my favorite live performance, but now that you mention it, it does seem quite suitable.”

Jiang Ji also chuckled. “Right?”

After a while, Qin Qingzhuo stopped laughing and took a few sips of wine. “So, holding a concert is quite an interesting thing because you never know how you’ll perform live. Sometimes, you even surprise yourself a lot. Like the Hung Hom Stadium one, before going on stage, I was worried that I might mess up, but unexpectedly, the state was pretty good…”

Actually, in the past few years of staying behind the scenes, Qin Qingzhuo had never talked to anyone about concerts. Whenever someone mentioned it, he would change the topic. But now, he talked about it naturally, even surprising himself.

“Besides that one performance,” Jiang Ji looked at him and asked, “do you have any other favorites?”

“There are others…” Qin Qingzhuo pondered for a few seconds. “Actually, I quite liked the one in Wukesong Stadium in ’16. Although it didn’t have the pleasant surprise like Hung Hom, it was very stable, and I sang with great enthusiasm.”

“I’ve listened to that one too,” Jiang Ji said as he held the wine glass. “My favorite version of ‘Whispers’.”

“You’ve used that song to cope too,” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled again, “Why are you like this… But my favorite is also that version of ‘Whispers.’ Have you listened to anything else?”

“I’ve listened to quite a few,” Jiang Ji thought for a moment. “The gothic-themed one in Tianjin in ’15 was also good, sang steadily, and the styling was nice.”

“Yes, the stage and styling of that concert were both designed by me. It was the most expensive one among all my concerts. Initially, Huanyang wanted to reject that proposal, but I refused to back down, and they couldn’t do anything about it…”

Qin Qingzhuo lay back in the rocking chair, watching the flickering candlelight on the ceiling, drinking wine sip by sip. As he chatted with Jiang Ji, memories of the concerts he had organized over the years flashed through his mind, like a fleeting panorama.

He felt comfortable and relaxed, discussing the concerts he was satisfied with over the years, listening to the boy he liked speak candidly about his desires and infatuations. The rocking chair beneath him swayed gently. In his slightly tipsy state, he felt light and happy.

Unaware, his robe had fallen open under his movements, leaving his body bare, exposing the kisses scattered across it.

Jiang Ji saw the flickering candlelight casting on Qin Qingzhuo’s body, revealing a delicate and flexible texture of his skin.

“Actually, I quite liked some of the cover songs you posted online a few years ago,” Jiang Ji spoke again, “Like that one, ‘Burning’.”

“‘Burning,’ huh,” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled and said it was “quite fitting.” “How did it go…”

Jiang Ji sang softly, “When the night falls, and you’re all alone, in your deepest sleep, what are you dreaming of…”

His voice was deep, conveying a different feeling from the original female voice.

Perhaps because the atmosphere was so good, or perhaps because the lyrics of the song were too fitting, when Jiang Ji’s voice fell silent, Qin Qingzhuo closed his eyes and softly hummed the next few lines, “My skin’s still burning from your touch, I just can’t get enough…”

Halfway through the song, he noticed Jiang Ji getting closer. He opened his eyes and met Jiang Ji’s gaze. In his slightly intoxicated state, he looked at the beautiful eyes and features that intoxicated him. He thought that at this moment, his eyes must also be filled with infatuation. Then, he continued singing softly, “I said I wouldn’t ask for much, but your eyes are dangerous…”

Jiang Ji bent down, with one leg bent between his knees, the recliner swaying gently beneath them. Qin Qingzhuo’s desires were also swaying with his body. He placed the empty glass on the floor, lifted his arm to hook around Jiang Ji’s neck, and engaged in a long, lingering kiss, tainted with the taste of plum wine.

When sober, Jiang Ji would consciously restrain his desires. But tonight, after drinking, just like their first night together, he felt somewhat insatiable towards Qin Qingzhuo.

He found Qin Qingzhuo’s body tonight to be soft and warm, with a sense of lightness and happiness unlike any other time. However, he couldn’t quite pinpoint what was different.

Before falling asleep, the two continued kissing. Qin Qingzhuo stroked Jiang Ji’s hair and said, “We have rehearsals tomorrow. Let’s sleep.”

Jiang Ji murmured in agreement and kissed him one last time.

Exhausted, Qin Qingzhuo was on the verge of sleep. The drowsiness enveloped him from all sides. He heard Jiang Ji call his name softly in his ear.

Half-asleep, he responded, “Hmm?”

“I’ll write songs for you,” Jiang Ji whispered.

“Sure,” Qin Qingzhuo’s voice was muddled with drowsiness, not quite aware of what he was saying. “You write, I’ll sing.”

With that, he drifted completely into slumber, unable to hear anything else Jiang Ji said.

So much so that when Jiang Ji asked, “Would you be willing to sing with us in the finals?” he waited for a while but didn’t hear Qin Qingzhuo’s response.

The sound of Qin Qingzhuo’s gradually deepening breaths filled his ears. Jiang Ji wrapped his arms around him, closed his eyes, and drifted into a deep sleep as well.

TN:

Song Burning

Artist: Maria Arredondo

Apparently the song is quite popular in China. Here’s the LINK