Chapter 19#
Tan Xiao went to bed early, so he woke up very early the next morning. He tossed and turned on the large bed in the guest room, then rolled over, covering his face with the quilt and letting out a muffled laugh.
This was truly like a dream. He never thought he would actually fall in love in this lifetime, and with a boyfriend, no less.
He already liked Zhang Xingchuan a lot when they were friends. Now that their relationship had changed, he naturally liked him even more. Before, he only thought Zhang Xingchuan had a fun personality and they got along well. Now, he felt that if anyone said there were no perfect people in the world, he would push Zhang Xingchuan out and say, “Why not? Here’s one! Look, everyone, look at my boyfriend.”
Hearing movement outside, it must have been the aunt preparing breakfast. He immediately got out of bed, quickly washed up, and opened the door. Zhang Xingchuan happened to be coming downstairs, adjusting his shirt cuffs as he descended the steps.
Tan Xiao stood at the bottom of the stairs and said with a smile, “Morning, CEO.”
Zhang Xingchuan also smiled and said, “Morning, little one.”
He walked down the last few steps and stood face to face with Tan Xiao at the stairwell. As their eyes met, pink bubbles seemed to emerge from all directions.
The kitchen was a bit far from here, so the aroma of food could waft over, but their voices wouldn’t carry.
“Did you sleep well?” Zhang Xingchuan asked. The tenderness and sweetness in his heart were now surging like rivers and seas, wishing he could pour it all onto Tan Xiao.
“Very well.” Tan Xiao said with a righteous expression, “Your bed and pillows are very comfortable.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “Then come sleep here more often in the future.”
Tan Xiao said, “How could I be so rude? That would be too much trouble.”
Zhang Xingchuan: “…”
Tan Xiao, upon seeing him, was already automatically replaying that wonderful first kiss from yesterday. Hearing that sentence, he couldn’t immediately grasp its deeper meaning and purely reflexively spoke politely.
“No,” Tan Xiao said, “I’m sorry, I zoned out for a moment.”
Zhang Xingchuan asked, “Where did you go?”
He was asking knowingly. In that minute, Tan Xiao had pursed his lips at least eighteen times. Where else could his mind have gone?
Tan Xiao took half a step towards him and hugged him with both hands. Zhang Xingchuan didn’t move, watching what Tan Xiao would do.
Tan Xiao traced his features with his gaze, finally kissing him on the lips and then rubbing his nose against Zhang Xingchuan’s.
Tan Xiao said, “I went right here. Brother, is there some kind of aphrodisiac in your house’s air? Why is my heart full of you?”
Just as Zhang Xingchuan was about to speak, Tan Xiao kissed him again.
When kissing, he tried hard to imitate Zhang Xingchuan. However Zhang Xingchuan kissed him yesterday, that’s how he would kiss Zhang Xingchuan.
Since he opened his eyes this morning, he had been recalling yesterday’s details. After reviewing, he felt the biggest regret was that he hadn’t actively experienced it.
Zhang Xingchuan sensed his intention and cooperatively let himself be pushed back, his back against the wall next to the stairs. However Tan Xiao wanted to kiss him, he cooperated.
Tan Xiao was really excited at first. After kissing for less than half a minute, he pulled back in confusion, staring closely at Zhang Xingchuan’s lips.
Zhang Xingchuan resisted the urge to push back and asked with a smile, “What’s wrong?”
Tan Xiao said, “Why doesn’t it feel like yesterday?”
Zhang Xingchuan asked, “What did it feel like yesterday?”
Tan Xiao thought for a moment and described, “It was very happy, my soul felt like it was floating. Is that only how a first kiss feels?”
Wouldn’t that mean that wonderful feeling only happened yesterday? He wished he had kissed longer yesterday. He just needed a little oxygen in between to continue.
Actually, he imitated and learned very well; Zhang Xingchuan couldn’t find any technical problems.
But Zhang Xingchuan vaguely guessed something and said, “I don’t know, I’ve only kissed these two times too. Today doesn’t seem as good as yesterday.”
When controlling variables, Tan Xiao was very academic and said, “Then kiss me again.”
That’s right, Zhang Xingchuan had wanted to do that for a long time.
This was indeed right. Tan Xiao was kissed back for only a few seconds, and his face turned red again, his legs weak, the familiar and happy feeling from yesterday returning.
It really wasn’t a matter of whether it was a first kiss or not. But he had just done the same thing, so what was the problem?
Although they were at home, Zhang Xingchuan wasn’t thick-skinned enough to wait for the aunt to watch. Halfway through the kiss, he half-hugged and half-pushed Tan Xiao back into the guest room.
Closing the door, Zhang Xingchuan kissed him more unrestrainedly, pushing Tan Xiao to the edge of the bed while kissing him, and then pressing down without a word.
Tan Xiao had slept here last night and had already tidied up, so the bedding was neat and not messy. But Zhang Xingchuan psychologically felt that the room was filled with Tan Xiao’s scent, that it was Tan Xiao’s bed. When kissing Tan Xiao, he couldn’t help but imagine him lying there asleep, defenseless.
Tan Xiao had no idea where Zhang Xingchuan was moving him to, only focusing on the kiss. His sensations were still only on his lips, just like last night. He felt light-headed from the kisses, with many fragmented thoughts surging like waves in his heart, hoping Zhang Xingchuan could keep kissing him like this, just kissing for the rest of his life and doing nothing else.
Suddenly, he felt another part of him being touched. He briefly panicked, instinctively wanting to stop, but then immediately felt that since they were already dating, this was a natural thing. So he no longer resisted, and even responded with his lips and tongue, like an encouragement.
Zhang Xingchuan had only been testing the waters, but finding that Tan Xiao didn’t object and seemed to enjoy being treated this way, he was overjoyed and became more unrestrained.
The result was that Tan Xiao changed his pants early in the morning.
Zhang Xingchuan went upstairs to get a pair of his own sweatpants for him to change into.
He had already finished washing and was waiting in the room. Zhang Xingchuan knocked and entered, seeing two beautiful long legs dangling there.
He was truly fair-skinned, dazzlingly so.
Zhang Xingchuan was a little embarrassed, not knowing where to look for a moment. He wanted to look, but felt it was too lustful.
Tan Xiao’s face was also a little red, due to what had just happened. But showing his legs in front of Zhang Xingchuan didn’t bother him. What was wrong with guys looking at each other’s legs? Hadn’t they been to public swimming pools?
Moreover, after what had just happened, he felt even closer to Zhang Xingchuan now; he could show him anywhere.
“Don’t you need to?” Tan Xiao asked, wearing the sweatpants but looking at a certain spot, “Are you already fine?”
Zhang Xingchuan was greatly embarrassed and said, “Quickly look away, if you keep looking, it’ll never get better.”
Tan Xiao burst out laughing.
He still had one question he couldn’t figure out.
He asked Zhang Xingchuan, “Why don’t I feel as good when I kiss you?”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “Maybe it’s because you’re the ‘receiver’.”
He said it decisively, though he wasn’t 100% sure in his heart. It was also possible that Tan Xiao just preferred to be the passive one when it came to kissing, and other things might be different.
“I knew it,” Tan Xiao said, suddenly enlightened. This was very reasonable. He happily accepted this setting and even asked, “Then are you the ‘giver’?”
Zhang Xingchuan almost laughed out loud and said, “To match you, I can only be the ‘giver’.”
Tan Xiao also found it amusing and said, “Don’t say it as if you’ve suffered some grievance.”
Zhang Xingchuan wasn’t “fine” yet, how could he be fine so quickly? He was indeed feeling a bit wronged and said, “How about you take another look?”
Tan Xiao immediately turned his head away and said, “I’m not looking. If you never get better, what will I do if you blame me?”
Zhang Xingchuan went over and hugged and kissed him. He still had a faint expectation in his heart, but Zhang Xingchuan didn’t do anything more.
After breakfast, Zhang Xingchuan had to go to work. Of course, he wanted to send Tan Xiao back to school first, but Tan Xiao felt it was unnecessary and said, “It’s not on the way, and I can get there quickly by subway.”
Zhang Xingchuan also had things to do at the company. Being a little late was fine, but if he got stuck in traffic and was delayed too long, it wouldn’t be good.
He had the driver take Tan Xiao to the subway station first.
“I should have driven myself,” Zhang Xingchuan thought as he watched Tan Xiao get out of the car. If the driver hadn’t been there, he could have invited Tan Xiao to kiss in the car.
Over the next week, the two met for dinner once, and Tan Xiao spent the night at Zhang Xingchuan’s house again, still sleeping in the guest room, only playing with Zhang Xingchuan before bed.
This time, the kind Tan Xiao helped Zhang Xingchuan, saving the CEO from always being “not fine” and then blaming him again.
“Quick, say thank you,” Tan Xiao said.
“Thank you,” Zhang Xingchuan said, “Can you please stop pinching me?”
Tan Xiao had coveted his chest muscles for a long time, and now that he finally had the chance, he certainly wouldn’t let it go.
Tan Xiao said, “Brother, can I bury my face?”
Zhang Xingchuan generously said, “Please.”
Tan Xiao cheered and buried his face, expressing his ineffable happiness.
“I like you so much,” Tan Xiao said happily, burying his face in Zhang Xingchuan’s chest. Feeling joyful, he activated his sweet-talk skill and said, “Brother, I like you the most.”
Zhang Xingchuan thought, “Don’t say it, if you say it again, I’ll have to thank you again.”
He was a very methodical person, fond of planning and executing plans. While not so rigid as to collapse if a plan went awry, successfully executing every major event according to plan filled him with a sense of order and satisfaction.
The first kiss had already deviated from his original plan. The next step was even more important, and it should proceed as planned, to create a beautiful, unforgettable memory for Tan Xiao and himself.
“Your thesis blind review results aren’t due until early next month, right?” Zhang Xingchuan supported Tan Xiao with one hand, letting him lie entirely on him, and asked, “Shall I take you out next week?”
“It might be earlier,” Tan Xiao said. “Where are we going? Aren’t you busy? Do you have time to go out with me?”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “Company team-building, we’re going to Shangri-La.”
Tan Xiao thought it was the famous hotel chain and said, “Did they open a new flagship store somewhere? I’m not interested in hotel vacations, and I don’t want to get involved in your team-building, so I won’t go.”
The middle and senior management team-building event would last five days. The CEO didn’t plan to participate for the entire duration, leaving at least three days for Tan Xiao.
Zhang Xingchuan said, “On your dorm bookshelf, I saw a copy of ‘Lost Horizon’.”
Tan Xiao looked up, their eyes met, and Zhang Xingchuan smiled and nodded. It was the one he was thinking of.
Tan Xiao said, “Then I want to go.”
A week later, Yunnan, China, a paradise on earth, the sun and moon in one’s heart: Shangri-La.