Gu Wenxi didn’t say “I love you,” but rather “Be with me.” Love was too light a word to represent real commitment. Only “be with me” signified that he was prepared and wanted to convey this to the other person.

Du Yunyan didn’t refuse; they understood each other without needing to say much.

The two employees were still at the guesthouse, and they didn’t stay out for long, heading back down the small hill.

There weren’t many people on the way back. Du Yunyan asked him, “Do you want to hold hands?”

Gu Wenxi, still immersed in the atmosphere of just having fallen in love, was momentarily dazed before smiling again, “Of course.”

After the fireworks ended, it was even darker, making it hard to see the expressions on their faces, but the hand he was holding was slightly sweaty.

“Be careful,” Du Yunyan reminded him to watch his step.

“I know.”

Gu Wenxi’s mood fluctuated between excitement and unusual calm as they held hands all the way back to the inn. Before going inside, Du Yunyan gently said goodnight and told him to rest early.

However, once he finished his shower and got into bed, Gu Wenxi suddenly realized something was wrong: weren’t they together now? They had even held hands. Why should they sleep in separate rooms? He almost let himself be fooled.

He had never reached the cohabitation stage with a girl. Although he didn’t know much about how same-sex couples behaved, there shouldn’t be too many concerns. Besides, they were staying in the same house, so sharing a room seemed only logical.

Once he had the idea, Gu Wenxi wouldn’t hesitate. To avoid being too abrupt and startling Du Yunyan, he first sent him a WeChat message.

[Have you gone to sleep?]

Du Yunyan replied quickly this time: [Not yet]

[Can I come over?] Afraid of being refused, Gu Wenxi quickly added, [We’re boyfriends now, we should sleep together!] with a cartoon character emoji with heart eyes at the end.

Du Yunyan only replied with a word: [Okay].

Gu Wenxi happily grabbed his pillow and headed over. Their rooms were diagonally across from each other, just a few steps away. The door was open, with some light spilling out. He gently pushed the door open.

Du Yunyan, also freshly showered and in his pajamas, had only a small lamp on, clearly getting ready for bed. Living alone for years, his bedroom had just one pillow and one quilt.

“Come in.”

Gu Wenxi carried his pillow but forgot his quilt. Whether intentional or not, he didn’t plan to go back for it and instead said, “I’ll just use your quilt.” The quilt was large, suitable for spring and autumn, and big enough for two.

“Okay,” Du Yunyan’s face flushed before returning to normal, and he got into bed with Gu Wenxi. “How do you sleep? Don’t hog my quilt.”

“Uh… how would I know how I sleep,” Gu Wenxi laughed, “I’ve never slept with anyone before.” He took the inner side, close to the window and the pale blue wall.

Du Yunyan didn’t immediately turn off the light. He lay down beside him, looking somewhat reserved.

Gu Wenxi didn’t want to fall asleep so quickly. It seemed a waste to just sleep on their first night of dating, so he started a conversation: “Does having a boyfriend feel strange?”

“Maybe,” Du Yunyan tried to relax and leaned on the bed, looking at him for a while before laughing softly, remembering something amusing.

“What is it?”

“I remember when you couldn’t even lift a basket of pomegranates. How did you manage to lift me earlier?”

Gu Wenxi wanted to roll his eyes. How did this person remember all his embarrassing moments so clearly?

Earlier, he had just wanted to show off, using all his strength to lift him and spin halfway around. If he had put him down a second later, they might have rolled down the hill together.

He wasn’t going to admit this complicated thought process. Instead, he said, “It was the power of love!”

Du Yunyan wrinkled his nose in disdain, obviously not buying it, but then said seriously, “Wenxi, I’m really happy right now.” The reason was self-evident.

Gu Wenxi glanced at him, feeling happy inside but retorting, “You were trying to convince me to go to another world before.”

“I just didn’t want you to regret it. This choice might not be fair to you.”

“Choices, choices, you always leave the choice to others,” Gu Wenxi joked, “Are you a Buddha or something?”

Du Yunyan propped himself up on his elbow and said, “That time during New Year’s Eve, I didn’t expect you to come back. I thought you might forget about this place in a few days.”

Gu Wenxi put away his playful demeanor and rested his head on his arm, listening attentively.

“But later, when you came looking for me again, I thought that if you truly came back and said what you hadn’t before, no matter what you said, I would agree.”

“So you had it all planned out from the start?” Gu Wenxi tapped his forehead. “Who knew you had such a scheming side?”

“If you’re willing to stay by my side, you’ll be the most important family I have in the future.” Du Yunyan’s eyes were clear, and as he spoke the last few words, his gaze never wavered from Gu Wenxi’s.

Du Yunyan wasn’t skilled in sweet talk. The words he spoke tonight were his most sincere confessions.

“Yunyan,” Gu Wenxi said, “don’t think that I’ve made any sacrifices. I’m not someone who contemplates deep issues or calculates gains and losses. If I want a certain kind of life, I live it. If I want to be with someone, I go find them. It’s that simple. I wouldn’t do anything that I find burdensome.”

For some, love means self-sacrifice, but not for Gu Wenxi. He never believed he truly owned anything. In the vast world, he saw himself as a passerby, indifferent to loss and sacrifice, and without a true place to call home.

Du Yunyan was different. He was like a sanctuary, with deep-rooted foundations like a tree. Now, he was sharing that solid, life-affirming connection with Gu Wenxi, who in turn felt more complete.

“We are different, and that’s exactly why we can be together,” Gu Wenxi added.

Du Yunyan focused, speechless for a moment, his face flushing again.

Gu Wenxi recalled how cold Du Yunyan seemed when they first met, never imagining he’d one day be flustered by his words.

“So, have you gotten used to having a boyfriend?” Gu Wenxi asked.

“Not really,” Du Yunyan laughed and then lay down. “I’ve never been in a relationship. It feels a bit strange.” He had once mistaken his care and concern for another boy as love, but it went unreciprocated, so he buried those feelings. The affection he developed for Gu Wenxi brought him a completely new experience.

Gu Wenxi reached out his left hand and touched Du Yunyan’s cheek, the lamp casting a shadow of his hand: “Let me help you get used to it.” He lifted his head slightly, leaning in to kiss him, his lips meeting Du Yunyan’s with precision. Before Du Yunyan could react, his tongue had already slipped past the barrier, intertwining with the other in a lingering dance.

This impulsive kiss didn’t stir any intense emotions but left them both unable to sleep for the first half of the night. Du Yunyan, who had no prior romantic experience, was understandably affected, and even Gu Wenxi felt like he was kissing someone for the first time, his breath erratic and uncoordinated.

…………..

Du Yunyan’s biological clock was very regular, so he still woke up early the next day. When Gu Wenxi awoke, the bed beside him was empty, the lingering warmth a reminder that someone had been there during the night.

He didn’t try to go back to sleep. Once up, he took in the whole room with wide eyes. He hadn’t had a chance to thoroughly examine it, either on the day Du Yunyan was drunk or the night before.

Standing by the bookshelf for a while, Gu Wenxi noticed that Du Yunyan’s collection was indeed vast, primarily focused on literature and history. The bottom shelf, however, held no books but rather some brushes, rice paper, ink, and other painting supplies. Remembering the uniquely styled menu at the guesthouse, he realized that Du Yunyan probably enjoyed writing and drawing, likely as a self-taught hobby.

His gaze shifted to the lower corner of the bookshelf, where he spotted a colorful clay figurine, placed in an inconspicuous spot. The workmanship was rather rough, barely managing to be amusingly cute, but not at all aesthetically pleasing.

Remembering how Du Yunyan had mentioned making dough figurines the previous night, Gu Wenxi wondered if this was what he meant.

Gu Wenxi fetched the clay figurine he had bought last night from his previous room and placed it next to the doll, then headed downstairs to the dining room, still chuckling at the crude doll.

“What’s up?” Du Yunyan, making soy milk, noticed him entering the kitchen with a strange expression.

He didn’t hide it either. “Did you make that doll under the bookshelf?”

Du Yunyan thought for a moment, confirming which one he meant. “Yeah, just left it there.”

“So, this is what you meant by making clay figurines?”

Du Yunyan finally caught the sarcastic undertone. “That’s not a clay figurine; it’s just made from leftover clay. Yan Yan and Xinyu made it when they came over to play. There wasn’t much clay left, so making something resembling a person was already quite good.”

“You’re something else.” Gu Wenxi joked, glossing over the potential awkwardness of the change in their relationship. He asked casually, “What should we eat? Need any help?”

“I’ve already eaten,” Du Yunyan gestured outside, “You can go sit at the table by the door.”

“Why didn’t you wait for me?” They used to eat together every day; why was it different now that they were officially together?

“I finished eating while I was working in the kitchen,” Du Yunyan guessed his thoughts, “It’s not as leisurely as before.”

Gu Wenxi stretched lazily. “I’ll join you in a bit then.”

He loved having bread for breakfast. The bread at the guesthouse was mostly homemade, either made with a bread machine or baked in the oven. The jam on the table was probably made by Du Yunyan a few days ago, as he mentioned on WeChat. Smearing the jam between two slices of bread made for a satisfyingly sweet breakfast.

After breakfast, he took his plate and the utensils left by guests to the kitchen. The kitchen had recently been equipped with a dishwasher and dryer, making cleaning much easier.

Du Yunyan had already squeezed the soy milk and served it for breakfast, and now he was tinkering with a long box he had just taken out of the freezer.

“What are you making?”

“Strawberry ice pops.”

Gu Wenxi realized it was a homemade ice pop mold, although it seemed a bit early in the season to be making them. “Why are you making ice pops now?”

“The strawberries are fresh right now,” Du Yunyan said, “And it’s not that cold anyway. Do you want to try one?”

He had a point; the weather wasn’t hot or cold, and Gu Wenxi even ate ice cream in winter. Without much fuss, he just said, “Sure.”

The mold, just taken out of the freezer, was tightly frozen and needed some time to separate. Du Yunyan occasionally shook it to loosen the handle on top.

He had forgotten all about his shy reactions from the previous night; this morning, he seemed calm and collected, going about his tasks as usual. Did he even remember the kiss from last night?

Gu Wenxi began to drift off in thought, his mind wandering.

“Okay,” Du Yunyan pulled out a deep red ice pop from the mold and handed it to him, “Open up.”

Still lost in thought, Gu Wenxi obediently opened his mouth. Du Yunyan quickly shoved the ice pop into his mouth.

“Mmm—”

The cold rushed in, hitting his throat abruptly. Gu Wenxi shivered at the sudden sensation.

Du Yunyan took the ice pop back. “How is it?”

“What are you doing?” Gu Wenxi’s tongue felt numb from the cold. “You didn’t even warn me!”

“I did,” Du Yunyan innocently replied, “It’s your fault for not paying attention.”

Du Yunyan handed him the ice pop, letting him eat it on his own, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, clearly intentional.

“Hey,” Gu Wenxi didn’t want to be teased for nothing and deliberately wanted to embarrass him a bit, “I was thinking, yesterday was your first kiss, wasn’t it?”

“What about it?” Du Yunyan’s face turned slightly red, “Are you experienced?”

Gu Wenxi hesitated; his experience was indeed a bit richer than Du Yunyan’s. He didn’t know if the other would mind such questions. Trying to be pleasing, he said, “Well… I’ve been in relationships before, but it only went as far as kissing.”

Du Yunyan turned around, laughing at his nervous demeanor. “There’s nothing to explain. Even if I cared, can your first kiss come back?”

“…No, it can’t,” Gu Wenxi licked his hand holding the ice pop, then had a second thought.

Emotions swelled in him, “It’s okay, kissing more in the future is like making up for it.”

Du Yunyan didn’t respond further, but his expression darkened a bit more.

^[1]Author’s Note:

Let them have a few days of innocent love first, let them prepare ↖(^ω^)↗