Chapter 28: Qi Mu: "Is there something on my lips?"

Staring unabashedly at Qi Mu’s lips, Qi Mu himself didn’t misinterpret it, and his response was as solid as reinforced concrete: “Is there something on my lips?”

Yin Xiuzhu stiffly diverted his gaze and spoke instinctively, “…Chocolate.”

“Huh?” Qi Mu wiped his lips and said apologetically, “I usually don’t eat anything after brushing my teeth, but tonight… I just can’t sleep.” Caught sneaking food, he looked embarrassed.

Yin Xiuzhu’s throat felt dry and sore; now that Qi Mu had chocolate on him, it was a sweet, almost bitter taste.

“Then I’ll go rinse my mouth.” Qi Mu thought Yin Xiuzhu was rejecting him because he was dirty and didn’t want him to climb into bed.

Yin Xiuzhu was lost in thought. “Mm.”

Qi Mu moved his wrist. “How can I go to the bathroom if you’re holding me?”

Yin Xiuzhu immediately let go, and Qi Mu moved freely. He glanced at the bathroom and hesitated. “Together?”

Yin Xiuzhu: “…”

Qi Mu forcefully made an excuse. “You might be scared staying here alone, so why not come with me to the bathroom?”

Such a sweet, sticky request made Yin Xiuzhu feel like he was melting into a puddle of syrup.

“Let’s go.” Qi Mu reached to hold his hand, and Yin Xiuzhu countered by grasping it, whispering, “Let’s go to your room.”

Qi Mu was taken aback.

Yin Xiuzhu explained, also speaking to himself to calm down: “I just took a shower, and the bathroom is wet. You might slip.”

“It’s fine,” Qi Mu, fearing he’d be sent back to his room and miss the chance to stay in bed, said, “I’ll wear slippers, it’s no big deal.”

Yin Xiuzhu, knowing full well that Qi Mu’s words had no other meaning, still felt a shiver run through him. He said, “I’ll go with you.” The sentence was forcibly split into two: “Go to your room and sleep.”

Qi Mu was pleasantly surprised: “Are we going to sleep in the guest room together?”

Yin Xiuzhu nodded seriously: “Yes.”

“That’s fine,” Qi Mu said, as long as they were sleeping together, it was acceptable. “Let’s go, time for bed!” It was already two or three in the morning; if it weren’t for his fear of ghosts, Qi Mu would have been asleep hours ago.

As soon as Yin Xiuzhu released his hand, Qi Mu took hold of it again, pressing close to him like a little koala, almost wanting to cling to him.

Yin Xiuzhu bit his tongue, forcing himself to suppress the surge of emotions.

They went to the guest room together. Qi Mu went to wash up first. After he was done, he asked Yin Xiuzhu, who was standing by the door, “How’s it? All clean now?” He flashed a bright smile that was even brighter than the bathroom light, showing off his cute little tiger teeth.

Realizing what he was thinking, Yin Xiuzhu lowered his gaze and looked away. “Mm.”

Qi Mu scrutinized him. “You seem a bit odd.”

Yin Xiuzhu’s heart skipped a beat, and he tightened his grip. “Is that so?”

Qi Mu patted his shoulder and said with understanding, “It’s normal to feel that way after watching that kind of movie. I get it.”
Yin Xiuzhu: “…”

Qi Mu pushed him onto the bed. “Actually, it’s quite interesting. I enjoy watching it, but watching it makes it hard to sleep alone at night.”

Even though he was talking about horror movies, it strangely matched the mood of some unspeakable romance films.

Yin Xiuzhu couldn’t say a word, afraid that speaking might scare Qi Mu away.

Qi Mu finally settled Yin Xiuzhu on the bed and kindly said, “Are you tired? You can use my pillow for now. I’ll go find another one in the closet.” He handed over his own pillow and noticed that Yin Xiuzhu was only wearing a thin shirt. He covered him with the blanket he had wrapped himself in earlier. “The blanket’s yours too!”

Lying on the pillow that Qi Mu had used and covered with the blanket Qi Mu had used, Yin Xiuzhu lay flat on the bed. His mind was in a whirl, and his blood surged through his body like electric currents, collectively heading to a certain place.

Qi Mu’s pajamas were short-sleeved and short-legged, exposing his arms and legs. That’s why he had wrapped himself in the blanket earlier while walking around. The room wasn’t cold, so this outfit was just right for sleeping, but the visual impact was too strong. Yin Xiuzhu bit his tongue, tasting the blood to calm the waves of intense emotions surging through him.

The guest room was equipped with a walk-in closet. It didn’t have clothes but did contain spare bedding for convenience when guests visited. The bedding was regularly aired out, so it could be used directly.

At this moment, Yin Xiuzhu remembered that he was the host, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave the warm bed, let alone search for more bedding.

Qi Mu rummaged around with his butt in the air and finally found it. “The pillow in your house is placed too low!”

He balanced the pillow on his head and held the blanket in his arms, wobbling over like a circus performer.

“See how great I am?” he said proudly. “Good balance, right?” The pillow didn’t fall off. Qi Mu was truly impressive!

However, his collar slipped down, revealing a small patch of his shoulder.
Yin Xiuzhu shrank deeper into the blanket. “Just go to sleep.”

Qi Mu, not receiving the praise he expected, was displeased. “It’s really hard. You should try it. This kind of pillow is flat and big; you need a bit of skill to balance it while walking.”

Under normal circumstances, Yin Xiuzhu could analyze with calculations how a person who is 1.7 meters tall and weighs 55 kilograms could hold a pillow that is 60 centimeters long, 30 centimeters wide, and 10 centimeters high for a longer time…

But right now, his mind was filled with dream-like images, his thoughts occupied by Qi Mu’s smooth back and beautiful waistline.

Qi Mu placed the pillow next to him and lay down, saying, “Next time, let’s invite Xu Xiaoming and Fang Junqi. The four of us can compete, and I’ll definitely come first.”

He was close to him, and his voice seemed to slide directly into Yin Xiuzhu’s ear, carrying the air with it into his respiratory tract.

“Mm.” Yin Xiuzhu responded softly.

Qi Mu turned to his side, tilting his head to look at him. “Are you tired?”

Yin Xiuzhu had no intention of sleeping. “A little.”

“Go to sleep,” Qi Mu said with a smiling, crescent-eyed grin. “With me here, you don’t have to be afraid of anything.”

Yin Xiuzhu gripped the blanket tightly, his voice betraying his emotions: “Qi Mu?”

With someone in his bed, Qi Mu felt a significant sense of relief. “What?”
Yin Xiuzhu looked at him, staring directly into his clear, unclouded eyes.

He had a pair of very beautiful eyes, slightly delicate in shape, like an apricot, but with an upward tilt at the corners that gave him a heroic air. He was always energetic, always looking at him with eyes as clean as could be, as if he, too, lived in the sunlight.

But…

Yin Xiuzhu looked away. The heat in his chest surged up to his throat, making him anxious and flustered. He wanted to speak, to express the longing in his heart, to let him know that he was different, that his heart was filled with things unfit to be seen.

“Qi Mu, I…” Yin Xiuzhu felt that what he was about to say was not just words, but his heart, bleeding and raw.

“I like you.”

Humble, fearful, with the courage of someone burning their bridges.

“Hmm…” Qi Mu flung an arm around him and wrapped a leg over him, clinging to him like an octopus.

Yin Xiuzhu: “…”

Qi Mu had fallen asleep. It was already past his usual bedtime of three-thirty in the morning. Previously, he had been anxious and unable to sleep, but now, with Yin Xiuzhu beside him, his heart settled and was quickly carried away by the Sandman.

Yin Xiuzhu turned his head and saw the sleeping face of his beloved so close.

So beautiful it seemed like a painting that shouldn’t exist in this world, with every lash as lovely as the gentlest angel’s wing, soothing his soul.

Yin Xiuzhu smiled indulgently and looked at him unabashedly.