Chapter 40: Can we sleep together tonight?

Even though he had practiced many times in secret, he was still too shy, so Qi Mu’s voice was very soft and trembling.

The more he was like this, the more the already enticing word became tempting.

Yin Xiuzhu felt like he was tempting fate. He looked at Qi Mu and said, “I didn’t hear.”

Qi Mu suddenly widened his eyes, his face turning a little red, “Huh?”

Yin Xiuzhu said firmly, “What did you just call me? I didn’t catch it.”

He actually didn’t catch it! Qi Mu had mustered up a mountain of courage to say that. If he said it again, wouldn’t it…

Yin Xiuzhu made a move to leave, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go make dinner.”

“Don’t… don’t,” Qi Mu, who still wanted to eat chocolate cake, hesitated for half a second before raising his voice, “Brother!” [1]The “brother Qin Mu was trying to say here means “elder brother”.

Yin Xiuzhu’s mouth curved into a smile, and his gaze toward Qi Mu was probably sweeter and hotter than melted chocolate syrup, “Hmm?”

Qi Mu didn’t know why, but even though he felt incredibly awkward and had thought he would never call anyone “brother” in his life, he had let go of that hesitation. He even thought that this term wasn’t a big deal—Xu Xiaoming also called him “Brother Mu” all the time, so it was the same!

He didn’t use “Brother Zhu” because the pun wasn’t good; his little bamboo was too smart to be compared to a pig! [2] Both “Bamboo” and “Pig” are pronounced with “Zhu” in Chinese

Qi Mu increasingly felt that there was no need to be overly concerned about his image in front of Yin Xiuzhu. They were already so familiar with each other—what was the point of fussing over a term of address?

Yin Xiuzhu had always been cautious and reserved, and now that he was making such a request, it was a huge improvement. The more Qi Mu thought about it, the more he felt this should be encouraged, so he let go completely!

“Give me another piece, please,” Qi Mu looked at him eagerly, even daring to add, “Please, Brother Yin.”

Yin Xiuzhu: “!”

Welcome to the live version of shooting oneself in the foot!

Qi Mu got more spirited and continued, “Is it okay, brother?”

Yin Xiuzhu: “……”

“Hey…” Qi Mu got anxious, “What’s wrong with you?”

Sorry, young and vigorous President Yin was so flustered by his beloved that he had a nosebleed!

Yin Xiuzhu put down the cake and calmly said, “It’s getting dry, I’ll go turn on the humidifier.” With that, he fled in a panic.

Qi Mu was quite worried, “Do you need to go to the hospital to get it checked?”

Future President Yin stumbled and left in a rather dejected state.

What was he supposed to check? Whether he was so flushed from just a few words that he felt like exploding on the spot?

Qi Mu, with his totally clueless and thick-skinned nature, had no other thoughts. His eyes flicked around, and he went to enjoy the chocolate cake like a little greedy cat.

Forget it, eat first and deal with it later. He would finish the cake before Yin Xiuzhu came back!

Yin Xiuzhu returned after a while, and by then, Qi Mu was comfortably cuddled up with Gui Gui, watching TV.

“Are you alright?”

Yin Xiuzhu’s voice was a bit hoarse, “I’m fine.”

“You took another shower?” Qi Mu teased him, “Your obsession with cleanliness is a bit severe. It’s just a nosebleed. Was it necessary to take another shower?”

Yin Xiuzhu was too weak to explain and changed the subject, “I’m going to cook.”

Qi Mu chuckled, “You cook for yourself. I’m full already.”

Yin Xiuzhu: “……” The cake was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it. It was his own fault for being so pathetic.

When Qi Mu didn’t want to eat, Yin Xiuzhu didn’t go to the kitchen. Qi Mu asked, “Aren’t you hungry?”

Yin Xiuzhu replied, “Not really. I’ll eat later. Qi Mu will probably be hungry again later, so I’ll cook then.”

Qi Mu wanted to continue watching TV, but considering he was staying here under the pretense of studying, he knew he should be studying. Otherwise, if Qiao found out he wasn’t studying, she’d definitely come to drag him back.

So, Qi Mu took the initiative, “Shall we study?”

Yin Xiuzhu, who also needed some quiet time, agreed, “Alright.”

Unfortunately, Qi Mu was so adorable and clueless about the questions that Yin Xiuzhu’s heart couldn’t calm down. It was pounding all night long. Luckily, the term “heart beating like a drum” was just a metaphor; otherwise, Qi Mu would have been deafened by his heartbeat!

After studying, Qi Mu sighed deeply, “I really don’t have a talent for studying… It feels like these questions and I am just not meant to be. They make me want to sleep.”

Yin Xiuzhu said, “You don’t have to force yourself.”

Qi Mu said forlornly, “As a student if I can’t do well in studies, what’s the future?”

Yin Xiuzhu reassured him, “You’re more excellent than anyone.”

“That’s just you,” Qi Mu pouted, “You think everything I do is great.”

Yin Xiuzhu’s heart skipped a beat, “You really are great.”

Qi Mu smiled, “Of course! If I weren’t, would you have taken me in as a little brother?”

Yin Xiuzhu was taken aback.

Qi Mu tilted his head and put on a fake, admiring expression, “Isn’t that right, brother?”

Yin Xiuzhu: “……” At this moment, not kissing him despite the situation showed that Yin Xiuzhu had the patience of a future great person. If he couldn’t handle this, how could he claim to achieve anything significant?

Qi Mu enjoyed seeing him stunned and happily stood up, tidying up his textbooks as he said, “Aren’t you going to eat? What time is it?”

Yin Xiuzhu snapped back to reality, “Are you hungry?”

Qi Mu rubbed his flat stomach and said, “I guess I am a bit hungry.”

Yin Xiuzhu immediately offered, “I’ll go make dinner.”

It was already past nine, so it was more like a late-night snack. Qi Mu ate while sending a video to Qiao Jin.

“Mom, look! This is what Yin Xiuzhu made!”

Qiao Jin replied, “How dare you show this to me? If you’re so impressed, come back and make me a meal.”

Qi Mu rubbed his nose and said, “I don’t know how.”

Qiao Jin retorted, “So you have the nerve to complain about me?”

Qi Mu replied, “I wasn’t complaining, just showing off a little.”

Qi Dashan’s voice came through even though he wasn’t on the screen, “Show off my foot! If you’re so impressive, go marry a wife who can cook and then show off!”

Qi Mu grumbled, “You’re just talking because you’re not the one doing it.”

Qi Dashan moved closer and smugly said, “Exactly, I’m saying because I do have a wife who cooks so well!”

Qiao Jin scolded him, “Go away!”

Qi Dashan told his wife, “I’m teaching him.”

Qiao Jin asked, “Teaching him what?”

Qi Dashan proudly declared, “Teaching him what real showing off is!”
Qi Mu: “……………………”

Goodbye! Tyrant Qi hung up the phone in a huff.

Yin Xiuzhu, smiling widely, said, “Uncle Qi is really funny.”

Qi Mu said, “What’s there to show off? Da Qiao is his wife, and she’s still my mom!”

Yin Xiuzhu nodded with a smile, “Mm-hmm.”

Qi Mu’s eyes flickered as he thought of something, and he called Qi Dashan again, “Comrade Dashan, you can’t compare to me. You only have Da Qiao, but I’ll have both Da Qiao and a wife in the future!”

Qi Mu felt a sense of satisfaction for having gotten one over on his father.

But then Qi Dashan replied, “Keep dreaming! Your future wife probably doesn’t even know where the kitchen door is.”

Qi Mu: “……” Ahhh, so frustrating!

Qi Dashan, always with his high standards of fatherhood, added, “I’m going to cuddle with my wife now. You, as a single guy who only mooches off his friends, should hurry up and wash up and sleep.”

Qi Mu felt like exploding and wanted to go home and practice boxing with his dad!

Yin Xiuzhu, amused by the father-son banter, felt much better and said, “No wonder Aunt Qiao looks younger and younger.”

Qi Mu asked, “Hmm?”

Yin Xiuzhu smiled, “Seeing you two, she must be very happy every day.”

Qi Mu grumbled, “Qi Dashan is such a henpecked husband, always using me, his own son, to please Da Qiao.”

Yin Xiuzhu didn’t quite understand, “Henpecked?”

Qi Mu, who knows many Sichuan and Chongqing expressions from his mom, explained, “It means a husband who’s controlled by his wife.”

Yin Xiuzhu laughed, “You mean someone who loves his wife.”

Qi Mu said, “Anyway, in my dad’s eyes, it’s only my mom that matters! As his own son, I’m just a little crumb that fell on the ground! You don’t know how miserable I am at home. There’s a song that goes like this — yes, that line: ‘Clearly a movie for three, yet I can never have a name!’”

Yin Xiuzhu laughed so hard he had to put down his chopsticks: Qi Mu was just too adorable. It was clear that only such a family could raise someone as lovable as Qi Mu.

Their lives seemed to have different colors altogether.

After they finished eating, Qi Mu followed Yin Xiuzhu to help with the dishes. He just took the plates and bowls to the kitchen; he didn’t know how to do much else.

Fortunately, Yin Xiuzhu didn’t have to do much either. He put everything in the dishwasher and wiped the table.

In a home for just the two of them, household chores were minimal, and they easily managed them together.

Qi Mu kept lingering at the kitchen door, and Yin Xiuzhu asked, “Is something the matter?”

Qi Mu hesitated for a moment and said, “Your graduation grades are really impressive.”

Yin Xiuzhu replied, “It’s nothing.” To him, things that could be calculated were never a big deal.

Qi Mu subtly added, “Aren’t we supposed to…”

Yin Xiuzhu didn’t quite catch that, “What?”

Qi Mu said, “You’ve achieved the score I gave you, so you should fulfill one of your wishes.”

Yin Xiuzhu was stunned… wasn’t that already fulfilled? He called him ‘brother.’ Thinking of this, Yin Xiuzhu felt his blood start to boil again.

Qi Mu continued, “It’s been so long, and you still haven’t said what your wish is.”

Yin Xiuzhu’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, “You’ve already called me ‘brother.’”

Qi Mu was surprised, “Is that really a wish?”

Yin Xiuzhu: “…”

Qi Mu said, “Isn’t that just a bonus, like a side effect or something?”

No, to Yin Xiuzhu, that was as valuable as a huge wager capable of buying mountains of gold and silver.

Qi Mu persisted, “Come on, tell me your wish. I’ll definitely fulfill it!” He had been curious for a long time. Although they had known each other for so long, Yin Xiuzhu seemed to have everything and lived a relaxed life with no desires. Qi Mu always wracked his brain to find the right gift, but it never seemed to hit the mark.

So, when he suddenly heard that Yin Xiuzhu had a wish, he was very eager to know.

Yin Xiuzhu’s throat felt dry. He was feeling a bit greedy; once someone gets a little, they start wanting more.

His wish was so simple. From the moment they first met in childhood, and from his very first birthday, every year his wish was always the same— to be with Qi Mu. He only wanted to be with Qi Mu.

Such a single wish, only Qi Mu could fulfill his wish.

But he couldn’t say it. He couldn’t scare his “wish fairy.”

Yin Xiuzhu said, “Actually, it’s nothing. I just mentioned it casually back then.”

Qi Mu looked disappointed, “You really don’t have any special wish you want to come true?”

Yes, it’s you.

Yin Xiuzhu smiled and said, “How about… we sleep together tonight?”

Qi Mu was stunned, “Huh?”

Yin Xiuzhu knew it was a deep pit, a pit that could bury him, yet he still leaped in without hesitation, “Let’s sleep at my place tonight. What do you think?”

“Sure,” Qi Mu said, focusing on, “Is this your wish?”

Yin Xiuzhu nodded, “Mm.”

Qi Mu was speechless, “You really underestimate the meaning of the word ‘wish’!”

Yin Xiuzhu asked him, “So, do you have any wishes?”

Qi Mu was taken aback by the question but quickly replied, “Build a castle made of chocolate, with even the moat flowing with chocolate syrup!”

Yin Xiuzhu laughed, “I think what you really need is a set of teeth that never decay, no matter how much you eat.”

Qi Mu shot him a glare, “Why bring up something like that?”

“Alright,” Yin Xiuzhu said, “Go rinse your mouth. It’s time for bed.”

Qi Mu followed behind him and asked, “Do you really want me to sleep in your room?”

Yin Xiuzhu didn’t look back but answered, “Mm.”

Qi Mu scratched his head and said, “I have a terrible sleeping posture.”

Yin Xiuzhu said, “It’s fine. Don’t force yourself. I just mentioned the wish casually; you don’t have to take it seriously.”

Qi Mu, who is the epitome of responding better to softness than hardness, immediately said, “How can that be? If it’s said, it should be done!”

So, he first went to the guest room, grabbed his own blanket and pillow, and went to Yin Xiuzhu’s room. Gui Gui thought it was time for bed and made a perfect leap onto the bed, only to find: Huh? Where’s the two-legged beast? Not going to coax this cat to sleep?

Qi Mu took a shower, changed into his clothes, and climbed into bed, then asked Yin Xiuzhu, “Why did you suddenly want to sleep with me?”

Not suddenly, it’s something I’ve always wanted.

Yin Xiuzhu, with a calm demeanor, said, “I read a horror novel during the day.”

Qi Mu’s eyes widened, “Oh, is that so?”

Yin Xiuzhu continued, “I didn’t think much of it at first, but as it got closer to bedtime, I started to find it a bit scary.”

Qi Mu empathized, “That’s right… It’s fine during the day, but things are different in the dead of night!”

Yin Xiuzhu added, “But with you here, I should be able to get a good night’s sleep.” His level of making excuses was top-notch; if he could actually fall asleep, that would be something!

Qi Mu reassured him, “I’m here, don’t be afraid!” Though he himself was starting to feel a bit scared.

Yin Xiuzhu nodded, “Mm, I feel much better now.”

Qi Mu, feeling a bit uneasy and worried about revealing his own fear, said, “Let’s go to sleep.”

Yin Xiuzhu got up and turned off the lights. Once the room was dark, he clearly saw Qi Mu huddle a bit.

Yin Xiuzhu really wanted to hold him close. But… don’t think too much, just being able to stay like this for the night is already very sweet.

To his surprise, Qi Mu proactively made things clear, selling himself out completely: “Yin Xiuzhu, are you asleep yet?”

Yin Xiuzhu was about to speak, but when Qi Mu remembered his incorrect address and corrected, “Brother, are you asleep?”

Yin Xiuzhu: “!”

“No,” Yin Xiuzhu tried hard to control his voice, “I’m not asleep.”

His stammering made Qi Mu think he was scared. Feeling a bit hesitant himself, he clutched the blanket and asked softly, “What horror novel did you read?”

Yin Xiuzhu hadn’t actually read one, but from tonight onward, he might need to catch up on some.

“Do you want to hear about it?” Yin Xiuzhu asked.

Qi Mu was trembling with fear but was intensely curious, “Tell me about it. Maybe saying it out loud will make it less scary.”

Yin Xiuzhu reminded him, “But won’t you be scared?”

Even if you don’t say it, I’m scared. Not only scared but also dying of curiosity!

Qi Mu was the type who, like Xu Xiaoming, was a fan of horror stories. He watched them and was terrified but couldn’t help but be curious. He was a classic case of someone who enjoyed the thrill of being scared.

Yin Xiuzhu began to spin a tale.

Qi Mu joked that Xu Xiaoming could become a novelist in the future, and if Yin Xiuzhu’s company went bankrupt, storytelling could still be a way to make a living!

Fifteen minutes later, Qi Mu had gone from being assertive to anxious: “Wha—what happened next? Was there really a ghost between them?”

Yin Xiuzhu said, “Actually… the girl in the white dress…”

Before he could finish, Qi Mu had already dove into his bed: “Oh my god, that’s so scary! How did you manage to finish it?”

Yin Xiuzhu had no choice but to discreetly curl up a bit to cover himself.

Qi Mu clung tightly to his arm, “Continue.”

Yin Xiuzhu’s mind went blank, and he couldn’t continue.

Seeing Yin Xiuzhu silent, Qi Mu asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yin Xiuzhu forced himself to stay calm and slowly made up a completely fictional horror story.

After finishing, Qi Mu was very satisfied and praised him, “You’re amazing, remembering all that so clearly.”

How could he not remember? The original author is being tightly hugged by you right now.

Qi Mu then asked, “Who’s the author? The story was quite good.”

Yin Xiuzhu asked him, “Do you want to read it?” He dared to ask because he already knew the answer.

As expected, Qi Mu shook his head and said, “No, no, no, I don’t like reading books!” Watching a ghost story is already enough to scare me; reading it alone would be terrifying!

Yin Xiuzhu said, “Talking about it really makes me feel a lot better; I’m not as scared anymore.”

But Qi Mu was terrified, his eyes wide as he looked at him, “You’re not going to make me go back to sleep alone, are you?”

Fortunately, the lights were off; otherwise, Yin Xiuzhu would have been tempted to kiss those wet, grape-like eyes of Qi Mu.

“Don’t,” Yin Xiuzhu said, “If you leave, I might end up scared again.”
Qi Mu sighed with relief, urging him, “Let’s go to sleep. It’s getting late!”

Yin Xiuzhu agreed, “Okay.”

Qi Mu stubbornly refused to let go of his arm, and after falling asleep, he clung to Yin Xiuzhu like an octopus.

Yin Xiuzhu felt both sweet and tormented. He went to the bathroom midway, thinking about Qi Mu, and trying to calm himself down.

When he returned, he relaxed a bit and carefully held Qi Mu in his arms. Qi Mu was sleeping soundly, completely unaware, as obedient as a golden little angel.

Yin Xiuzhu’s heart softened like clouds in the sky, only wanting to hold him and protect him, forever and always.

“Sweet dreams,” he whispered as he gently kissed Qi Mu’s forehead.
Precious, restrained, and sincere.

During the summer vacation, Qi Mu didn’t go anywhere, just running between the Qi and Yin families.

When he returned home, Qiao Jin tested him. Qi Mu answered well, which reassured Qiao Jin, and he allowed him to continue tutoring with Yin Xiuzhu.

The vacation passed in the blink of an eye, and the start of the new school year was approaching.

Neither Xu Xiaoming nor Qi Mu scored high enough to meet the cutoff for the top high schools. However, these prestigious schools had special admission programs, and their “special talent” was being wealthy, which met the criteria.

In fact, everyone was quite open-minded about this. Without the sponsorship from these “special students”, how could the school afford a new dining hall or build new dormitories? Ultimately, it benefited the current students!

This year’s students were impressive. One of the new students had a grandfather who was a general, showcasing the advantages of military lineage.

That meant… this year’s freshmen were fortunate enough to undergo military training in a real military camp!

Hearing this dreadful news, Xu Xiaoming went ballistic: “Who is it? Which new student is causing this mess?”

Military training is already tough enough, and now they have to go to a military camp?

If he had known, he would have gone abroad!