The car slowly entered the underground parking lot.
The scent of gardenias permeated the entire car, and Xie Yang felt enveloped in Qi Xu's perfume, mixed with a hint of his own scent.
It smelled fresh and pleasant.
Ding ling—
Qi Xu's phone rang.
Qi Xu glanced at the caller ID and suddenly smiled, "Baby, please answer this for me."
Xie Yang still wasn't used to Qi Xu, who usually had a stern face, calling him "baby" so gently.
It made him feel a bit awkward.
Xie Yang answered the call and put it on speaker.
Sheng Fei: "OldQi, we're fifth in line for Four-Star One, we just need you."
Qi Xu: "I'm busy, hang up."
Xie Yang glanced at Qi Xu in surprise. This was the Qi Xu he knew, not the one who had been kissing and hugging him just now.
He felt like the image of Qi Xu in his mind was crumbling.
The usually aloof person was unexpectedly being so clingy after starting a relationship.
Sheng Fei quickly exclaimed, "Are you with your sweet little assistant again?"
Xie Yang looked at Qi Xu, somewhat bewildered.
So his friends knew about him?
Qi Xu turned his head and smirked at him, then spoke very indifferently, "You knew that already, why ask?"
Sheng Fei: "Do you guys stick together 24/7 now that you're dating? Is there no privacy?"
Qi Xu: "Instead of playing games, isn't it better for me to accompany my wife?"
Sheng Fei: "Can't you inform your wife beforehand? Like last time, or bring her along."
Qi Xu: "I'm driving, why would I play Four-Star One?"
Sheng Fei: "Hey, you're driving? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Qi Xu: "Baby, hang up for me."
Sheng Fei: "Who are you talking to? Baby? What? Did you really start dating? Met your online lover in person? D*mn?"
Xie Yang hadn't expected Qi Xu to expose their relationship like this. Hearing Sheng Fei still talking, he looked at Qi Xu with embarrassment.
How could he hang up now?
Qi Xu simply picked up the phone and said, "Be sensible, don't disturb me on my date."
After finishing the call, he hung up directly.
Xie Yang swallowed nervously and asked him softly, "Didn't we agree not to tell anyone and keep our relationship secret?"
Qi Xu replied, "Sheng Fei doesn't count, and besides, he knew a long time ago."
This statement left Xie Yang confused.
To avoid any misunderstanding, Qi Xu explained early on, "He was the one who added you as a friend initially, not me."
Xie Yang paused, absorbing this information.
Qi Xu continued, "In the first game, it was me and you playing together. When the teacher needed me during the final team fight, I had Sheng Fei take over. That's when he added you, played the second game with you, and the third game we played together again."
Xie Yang nodded faintly.
So, the beginning of their story also had its surprises.
Qi Xu glanced at his expression and asked, "Are you upset?"
Xie Yang replied, "No."
He couldn't quite articulate his feelings—was it disappointment? Perhaps a hint of it.
Choosing a dimly lit corner, Qi Xu casually tossed the flowers Xie Yang held onto the back seat, then unfastened their seatbelts.
Xie Yang asked nervously, "W-what's going on?"
Qi Xu reached over, pulling Xie Yang towards him by the shoulders and gently cupping the back of his neck with his other hand, then leaned in to kiss him.
Xie Yang complied obediently, allowing Qi Xu to easily part his lips and softly kiss him.
After the kiss, Qi Xu wiped the moisture from Xie Yang's lips with his fingertip and whispered softly, "Don't be unhappy. Look at it from another perspective. Isn't he our matchmaker? Without him, I might have missed you for a long, long time."
Xie Yang twisted his clothes in his hands, feeling his heart race and a tingling sensation spread through his limbs.
He was comforted.
As Qi Xu said, looking at it differently, without Sheng Fei, they wouldn't have this beautiful outcome now.
It could be said that the beginning of their story was a beautiful misunderstanding.
After getting out of the car, Qi Xu held Xie Yang's hand and led him to a restaurant.
The interior was luxurious, with magnificent crystal chandeliers emitting a soft glow.
He felt out of place here, carefully following Qi Xu's footsteps as they arrived at a private dining room.
Qi Xu sensed his unease, holding his hand and playing with it for a moment, he asked, "Why are you so nervous?"
Xie Yang pursed his lips slightly, suppressing his anxious emotions.
In his heart, Qi Xu had always been like an unattainable moon.
After secretly admiring him for two and a half years, suddenly being in a relationship with him turned his former crush into his boyfriend. He still couldn't adapt.
Facing Qi Xu always made him nervous, and being in unfamiliar surroundings heightened his anxiety.
Everything here exuded a sense of wealth; even the beautifully set tableware looked expensive.
The vast class difference was once again laid out before him.
If it weren't for Qi Xu, he might never have set foot in a place like this.
Now, he worried whether he would appear too rustic.
Qi Xu casually ordered a few light dishes since Xie Yang hadn't fully recovered from his illness and they were here for that reason.
"Is there anything else you'd like to eat?"
Xie Yang shook his head gently, glancing at the expensive menu and recalling his bank balance, feeling a bit disheartened.
They say love costs money, and he was dating someone from a wealthy family. Would his savings be enough to treat Qi Xu to a meal?
Should he look for another part-time job?
Qi Xu looked at his tightly drawn face and teased, "Baby, are you afraid I'll leave you here to wash dishes after dinner?"
Xie Yang stammered, "N-no."
There was a sense of shame from having his thoughts exposed.
Qi Xu: "Is it because I'm here that you're so nervous?"
Xie Yang frantically shook his head.
Qi Xu understood. Xie Yang was very thin-skinned; even holding his hand would make him blush.
"We've kissed so many times, yet you're still so shy. Clearly, we haven't kissed enough."
Qi Xu leaned in, pinching his face as if he was about to kiss him.
Xie Yang backed away, putting some distance between them. "Someone might come in."
Qi Xu could only regretfully hug his waist, pulling him into his arms. If he couldn't kiss him, then at least he could hold him, right?
"Have you been eating well? Why are you so thin?"
Xie Yang nodded. "I even send you pictures every day."
During their online relationship, Qi Xu would ask him every day what he had eaten and would ask for photos.
Qi Xu remembered the times when a piece of bread was his dinner and a single sweet potato was a meal. He clicked his tongue. "Then you haven't been eating properly."
Xie Yang quietly retorted, "I was sick and didn't have an appetite."
Qi Xu looked at him, quietly arguing, and gave a light hum. "Then you need to make up for it. From now on, let's go out to eat together every day."
Xie Yang precisely caught the key words: "Every day?"
Did that mean they would see each other every day?
Qi Xu: "Of course, we'll see each other every day. Even on days we can't meet, we'll have a video call."
At this, Qi Xu quietly looked at him, his voice gentle yet carrying a hint of threat: "Doesn't baby want to see me every day?"
Qi Xu's hand meaningfully squeezed the back of his neck as his face inched closer. Xie Yang's face suddenly turned red: "I do."
He always felt that if he gave Qi Xu an answer he didn't want to hear, Qi Xu would have his ways to make him comply.
It was too unfair.
But what Qi Xu didn't know was that he didn't need to do this. Xie Yang actually wanted to see Qi Xu every day.
To be with him every day, even if they did nothing, even if he still hadn't fully adapted to this relationship, he just wanted to be by his side.
The dishes were soon served. Qi Xu ordered him a bowl of porridge. Xie Yang stirred it with a spoon, not finding any ginger strips he had planned to pick out.
Qi Xu: "I remember you don't like the taste of ginger."
Xie Yang was curious how he knew that since he hadn't mentioned it before.
Qi Xu smiled. "In the photos you sent me, I saw that you had picked out all the ginger strips."
Xie Yang hadn't expected Qi Xu to notice such details. Immediately, alarms went off in his mind. Hopefully, he hadn't sent any weird photos by accident.
Qi Xu didn't eat much. He rested his wrist against his cheek, his gaze fixed on Xie Yang.
Xie Yang ate very obediently and quietly, and his manner of eating was particularly pleasant to watch.
Everything about Xie Yang seemed to fit perfectly with Qi Xu's aesthetic.
Qi Xu's presence was overwhelming, and his gaze made Xie Yang a bit uneasy. He was always worried about embarrassing himself in front of Qi Xu, so he ate at half his usual speed.
Qi Xu gave him a bowl full of vegetables and said, "Don't just drink porridge, eat more vegetables."
Xie Yang frowned slightly; he actually had a small appetite.
When he was hungry in the past, he would just grab a piece of bread or eat some instant noodles. Because his meal times were irregular and he often went hungry, he got used to it and his appetite became small.
Qi Xu: "If you can't eat more, then have another bowl of soup."
He finally understood why Xie Yang always said he didn't eat much.
Xie Yang obediently finished the soup in front of him and looked at Qi Xu with a somewhat pitiful expression: "I'm full."
Qi Xu: "Alright, do you have anything to do this afternoon?"
Xie Yang shook his head: "No."
He didn't have classes in the afternoon, so he usually just stayed in his dormitory.
He would read a book or take a nap, then eat something simple later, and wait for Qi Xu to come online so they could play games together.
His life was very dull and uninteresting.
He looked at Qi Xu expectantly. If Qi Xu wanted to spend time with him, he would definitely be willing.
But what he didn't expect was that Qi Xu would take him to an apartment near the school.
Xie Yang hesitated about whether to get out of the car, worried about running into Qi Xu's family.
Qi Xu: "I live alone. My parents' house is not around here, so there's no one else at home. You can relax."
Hearing this, Xie Yang felt a bit more at ease, but he still had another concern.
Although they had been in an online relationship for over two months, today felt like the first official day of their relationship. Wasn't it too soon to go to his boyfriend's house?
Wouldn't it make him seem frivolous and lacking in restraint?
Qi Xu noticed the faint blush on his face and, after a brief pause, said with a half-smile, "I didn't prepare much at home, but you reminded me of something."
Xie Yang understood what Qi Xu meant.
Xie Yang bit his lip and looked at him, the blush spreading to his ears. He said softly, "That's not what I meant."
Holding a bouquet of red roses, Xie Yang followed Qi Xu to his house. As soon as he stepped inside and was about to close the door, Qi Xu picked him up and placed him on the shoe cabinet in the entryway.
With a loud "bang," the door closed, and Xie Yang finally realized what was happening.
Qi Xu placed the flowers aside and stood between Xie Yang's legs.
Xie Yang looked at Qi Xu nervously and swallowed.
He felt like he had accidentally walked into a wolf's den.
Qi Xu held the back of Xie Yang's neck, making him look up, and smiled softly: "You obediently came home with me just like that? Aren't you afraid I might…"
He gently stroked Xie Yang's cheek and lowered his head to kiss his lips.
Qi Xu had never felt such a strong desire for anyone. During the few hours they had spent together, he had countless urges to kiss Xie Yang.
He wanted to bite his soft lips, leave his mark in every corner of his mouth, and cover his fair skin with ambiguous marks.
And perhaps, even more.
Xie Yang was so obedient. It seemed that no matter what Qi Xu did, Xie Yang would definitely cooperate.
But Qi Xu wasn't willing to bully him like that.
Qi Xu helped him take off his shoes, startling Xie Yang.
Xie Yang: "Dirty…"
He tried to pull his foot back, but Qi Xu firmly held his ankle.
"What's wrong with helping your boyfriend take off his shoes?"
At that moment, Xie Yang didn't know whether to be grateful that he had just cleaned his shoes last week. They were still very clean, and he didn't have any foot odor.
Qi Xu: "The house has heating. You don't need to wear so many clothes."
Xie Yang froze for a moment.
Qi Xu raised an eyebrow: "Do you want me to help you take them off?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out to Xie Yang.
Xie Yang quickly shook his head and took off his scarf and coat, hanging them on the small wardrobe in the entryway.
Although Qi Xu said he could explore freely, Xie Yang just obediently sat in the living room. He didn't dare to move around or touch anything.
The spacious living room had a thick carpet and plenty of heating. Wearing just a sweater, he felt perfectly comfortable.
Qi Xu poured him a cup of hot water and placed it in his hands, "Warm your hands."
Xie Yang: "Thanks…"
Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly remembered that Qi Xu had told him not to always be apologizing or thanking, so he shut his mouth.
Qi Xu lazily sat next to him. After Xie Yang put down the cup, Qi Xu took his hand.
He loved every opportunity to have physical contact with Xie Yang. No matter the time, he always wanted to hold Xie Yang's hand.
Xie Yang's hand was a whole size smaller than his, with slender fingers and very fair skin. Even his fingertips were a rounded pink, very beautiful.
Qi Xu felt a pang of sadness as he touched the thin layer of calluses on his palm.
His dear one seemed to have gone through a lot of hardship.
He was very frugal with his food, clothing, and other needs and often had to work part-time jobs.
Qi Xu: "Do you still need to take any medication?"
Xie Yang: "No, the doctor's prescribed medicine is already finished."
Qi Xu: "It's still early. Do you want to take a nap?"
Xie Yang immediately shook his head.
Qi Xu smiled, reached out, and pulled him onto his lap.
Xie Yang gasped in surprise as Qi Xu hugged him tightly, his arms around his waist tightening. Xie Yang didn't dare move, nervously holding his breath.
Qi Xu nuzzled his nose against Xie Yang's neck, taking a deep breath of the sweet scent of his body wash.
"Let me hold you."
Xie Yang could feel the heat from Qi Xu's body, and the hormones emanating from him made Xie Yang feel overwhelmed.
His heart was pounding non-stop.
Qi Xu gently nibbled on his neck, then paused, his hot kisses wandering to Xie Yang's ear. He lightly bit his earlobe, his warm breath against Xie Yang's neck. His lazy yet seductive voice whispered in his ear.
"Baby, your heart is beating so fast."