Chapter 31

Zhu Shizhou’s house had three bedrooms. He brought Bai Zining to his own room. After changing the bedding, he found a set of his own pajamas for him.

“Try this on; it shouldn’t be too big. I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight. The door is open, so call me if you need anything. Do you want to take a shower?”

Bai Zining shook his head. After playing all day and being startled in the middle of the night, he now felt completely drained.

“Do you have anything you want to say to me? Or any questions?” Zhu Shizhou asked.

He shook his head again. His mind was already a complete mess, and his language abilities had regressed to the point where he could only communicate through hand gestures.

“Alright, it’s already very late. Get some sleep; we can talk tomorrow.” Before turning off the lights, Zhu Shizhou said softly, “Goodnight, baby.”

If it weren’t for those words, Bai Zining might have quickly fallen asleep. But hearing such a sentence in real life, he reflexively grabbed the corner of Zhu Shizhou’s shirt, inexplicably not wanting him to leave.

“What’s wrong?” Zhu Shizhou chuckled, turning around to hold his hand. “Can’t sleep?”

Seeing Bai Zining stay silent, he asked again, “Do you want to hear a lullaby?” Without waiting for an answer, he started singing 《Baby》, a song Bai Zining had once sung to him.

Zhu Shizhou held Bai Zining’s hand with one hand and gently patted him through the blanket with the other. Soon, sleepiness took over, and Bai Zining fell asleep listening to the song.

Despite being physically exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed the previous day, Bai Zining still woke up at nine in the morning. It took him a while to process the events that had unfolded in the short span of ten hours.

Last night, whether it was due to sheer exhaustion or the release of long-held burdens, he had a dreamless sleep, leaving him feeling unusually clear-headed now.

Did Zhu Shizhou say yesterday that he liked him? And even kissed him? And said he had liked him for a long time?

As he carefully recalled their interactions over the past few months, he realized that, aside from his own obliviousness at the time, everything about it looked like they were dating!

Moreover, he didn’t even entertain the thought that this might be Zhu Shizhou’s new way of getting back at him or playing pranks. That idea flashed through his mind for just a second before being dismissed. Zhu Shizhou’s kindness, his genuine care, and the way he looked after him couldn’t possibly be fake. Those little details were impossible to fake.

If he thought of Zhu Shizhou that way, it would be far too ungrateful of him.

And as for himself… it seemed like, perhaps, he really did like Zhu Shizhou too. There was no particular reason, liking was simply liking. Straightforward, open, and honest.

Regarding this new identity, Bai Zining glanced at the ring on his middle finger and felt quite happy. It felt as though things had always been meant to be this way, even from a long time ago.

He lingered in bed for a while, having figured out something significant, and couldn’t wait to find Zhu Shizhou. When he opened the door, he discovered that Zhu Shizhou was already up and in the kitchen cooking.

“You’re awake.” Zhu Shizhou noticed him and gave a bright smile. “Go freshen up first. I’ve set everything up in the bathroom. I bought breakfast, it’s still warm.”

Bai Zining was completely struck by that smile. Moving awkwardly, he shuffled to the bathroom to wash up and then shuffled back just as awkwardly to the kitchen, standing by Zhu Shizhou’s side.

“What are you making?” he asked, speaking his first words since getting up.

“Soup,” Zhu Shizhou replied. “Didn’t you say you wanted to try my cooking? Breakfast is on the table; go eat first.” He turned and kissed Bai Zining on the cheek. “Alright, just wait a bit. The soup will be ready soon.”

He was kissed again.

With this realization in mind, Bai Zining sat down at the dining table, quietly staring at Zhu Shizhou’s back without saying a word.

When Zhu Shizhou turned around, this was the scene that greeted him.

He put down the ladle, walked over to the dining room, and pinched Bai Zining’s cheek. “You’re so well-behaved.”

Bai Zining was still immersed in the thought that he seemed to have completely lost the initiative. He felt like he had been bewitched by Zhu Shizhou, or perhaps drugged. Otherwise, how could a single kiss or one of Zhu Shizhou’s smiles render him so utterly abnormal?

This couldn’t go on. How could he maintain any semblance of equality in their relationship like this? Wouldn’t he end up running to Zhu Shizhou at every beck and call?

Before figuring out a countermeasure, he decided to avoid looking at Zhu Shizhou’s face for now.

So he turned his face away. “What? I’m just too lazy to bother with you.”

“Then bother with me, look at me, kiss me.” The soft tone was completely unlike anything one would expect to come out of Zhu Shizhou’s mouth. If someone recorded this version of Zhu Shizhou and sent it out, people might think he’d been possessed.

Bai Zining ignored him, so Zhu Shizhou shook his hand.

“You… you stop acting cute.” Bai Zining, unable to withstand the shaking, turned his head to meet Zhu Shizhou’s gaze. “Fine, I’ll bother with you and look at you. Happy now?”

Zhu Shizhou’s eyes were deep and bright, reflecting only his silhouette.

“Not enough,” Zhu Shizhou said, still not letting go of his hand.

“What’s not enough?”

Fine. Bai Zining leaned in close to Zhu Shizhou’s cheek and gave him a loud kiss.

The feeling of taking the initiative to kiss someone wasn’t bad, especially since Zhu Shizhou’s cheek was soft and warm. But he still felt the need to defend himself. “This is what you wanted. I’m just indulging you. Honestly, I don’t know what to do with you.”

“Yes, Ningning meimei is so kind.”

“Don’t call me ‘meimei’!” Bai Zining was a little annoyed, feeling that Zhu Shizhou’s tone carried a hint of mockery.

“But you are younger than me.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m a girl.”

“Alright.” Zhu Shizhou stepped back a little, looking helpless. “If you don’t want to be called ‘meimei,’ that’s fine. Then how about you call me gege?”

“Keep dreaming!”

“If you don’t want to, that’s okay,” Zhu Shizhou said with a low voice, sounding innocent yet filled with a deep sense of disappointment. “It’s my own foolish wishful thinking. I should’ve known that the Ningning online and the one in real life are not the same person. There’s no such thing as Ningning meimei, no one who truly cares about me or likes me. It’s my fault for believing it. I’m just too naive.” His tone was so dejected that Bai Zining couldn’t help but want to comfort him.

“Actually, that’s not true. You’re not stupid at all. In fact, you’re very smart. And there are people who like you.”

“Who?”

Bai Zining didn’t answer. Zhu Shizhou immediately repeated, “Who?”

Bai Zining couldn’t bring himself to say it directly but still wanted to make Zhu Shizhou happy. After thinking for a moment, he leaned close to Zhu Shizhou’s ear and softly said, “Shizhou gege.”