He told Fu Si Heng: “No, Brother Rong Huai is really nice. He’ll schedule it around times when I don’t have classes.”
“Alright, stop talking.” As they spoke, the flight attendant passed by.
The moment Tao Zhi saw her, he recalled the awkward scene from last time.
He had no intention of discussing female clothing topics with Fu Si Heng anymore.
Tao Zhi let go of the cup, put on his eye mask, and prepared to sleep through it.
Fu Si Heng: “…”
Fine, he’d talk about it later.
Fu Si Heng didn’t stop him; he just kept staring at his slightly pink earlobes and began pondering alone how to make Tao Zhi wear them only for him.
–
It was a bit late when they returned to S City, so Tao Zhi decided not to go back to school for now.
He would stay over at Fu Si Heng’s place tonight and head back in the morning.
Tao Zhi came to Fu Si Heng’s home frequently.
Because his tutoring and dog-walking part-time jobs were in Fu Si Heng’s neighborhood, even during the time they had broken up, Tao Zhi still came over for lunch at noon.
It was quite embarrassing to admit.
But that was how it had been.
As a result, Tao Zhi was very familiar with Fu Si Heng’s home.
Standing at the entrance, he bent down to get his slippers and suddenly remembered something important: “You went to find me— what about the dogs? Did someone walk them and feed them?”
Tao Zhi currently had two dogs under his care. Normally, their owners walked them, but on Saturdays, the owners wanted to rest and hired someone specifically to take the two dogs out to play and burn off energy. They were a Husky and a Golden Retriever.
Tao Zhi’s May Day trip had been decided suddenly, so he had temporarily handed the dogs over to Fu Si Heng.
Had Fu Si Heng arranged for someone to take care of them with his sudden decision to go find him?
Tao Zhi turned to look at him.
“I had the assistant walk them.” Fu Si Heng closed the door as he spoke and casually tossed his phone to Tao Zhi: “There are photos.”
Tao Zhi caught it.
He knew the password; Fu Si Heng had told him long ago.
Tao Zhi unlocked it and found Assistant Ji’s WeChat.
There were daily photos of the walks, including feeding details and how much they ate—very detailed records.
The latest message was sent at six in the evening, right when they were on the plane. Assistant Ji had sent a photo of returning the dogs.
On the screen, the Husky was sticking out its tongue in a very silly grin.
The Golden Retriever was lying on the ground resting.
Tao Zhi saw it and asked Fu Si Heng: “Can I add Assistant Ji on WeChat? When the dog-walking pay comes in, I’ll transfer it to him.”
“No need.” Fu Si Heng said: “I’ve already given him the money.”
“Oh.” Tao Zhi immediately followed up: “Then I’ll transfer it to you later.”
Fu Si Heng refused, but Tao Zhi made a mental note of it.
The two had eaten dinner on the way back. Tao Zhi returned to the guest room he stayed in, backpack and all, called home, then took some clean clothes downstairs.
After his shower, as he left the bathroom, Tao Zhi wore a bathrobe he had taken from the closet. His exposed white neck was flushed pink from the steam.
It was a moist pink flush, with steam not yet fully dissipated. Water droplets from his hair tips dripped onto his skin.
That was the sight that greeted Fu Si Heng when he came downstairs: his cute little boyfriend wearing the bathrobe he had bought, using the shampoo and body wash he had carefully selected, standing in the laundry room and bending over to take clothes out of the dryer.
Fu Si Heng walked toward him. The scent on Tao Zhi lifted his mood, and as he got closer, the warm body and bathrobe made him involuntarily recall the one time he had tasted him.
That time on the sofa.
To avoid exposure, he had proactively offered his thighs.
During this period, although Tao Zhi had come over quite a few times, he never stayed overnight. After walking the dogs, he always went back to school with his backpack, so Fu Si Heng hadn’t seen him like this for about two months.
This sudden appearance hit him out of nowhere. To say no strange thoughts crossed his mind would be too hypocritical.
Especially with Tao Zhi looking so serious and domestic.
Eyes lowered, he meticulously smoothed out the clothes, his fingers carrying the faint scent of laundry detergent.
The light above the laundry room was warm yellow, shining on Tao Zhi’s head and creating a warm, quiet atmosphere.
How could someone be so innocently pure yet exude a wife-like vibe at the same time?
He was so young; the term “wife” shouldn’t even be remotely related.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Tao Zhi turned his head in confusion.
“Nothing.” Of course, he wouldn’t tell Tao Zhi such things.
He took the clothes from Tao Zhi’s hands—his own shirts: “No need for you to do it.”
Tao Zhi: “It’s fine, just convenient.”
Tao Zhi had come to do laundry and found Fu Si Heng’s dried shirts still in the dryer.
He had originally planned to fold them for him, but Fu Si Heng wouldn’t let him. Tao Zhi released his hold and instead put his changed clothes into the washer-dryer combo.
After finishing, Tao Zhi turned around.
A hand with distinct knuckles suddenly brushed aside the soft black hair on his forehead and pressed against it, palm to skin.
Tao Zhi had no idea what Fu Si Heng wanted to do and looked at him in confusion.
“Little wife.” He said it anyway.
As he spoke, his gaze shifted downward from Tao Zhi’s lightly flushed cheeks to his collarbone.
Some people, nearing thirty, should logically be mature, steady, unshakable—at least not swayed by nonexistent seduction tactics.
But Fu Si Heng’s triggers were shockingly low.
Just seeing his boyfriend fresh out of the shower, standing in front of the washing machine, filled his mind with all sorts of scenarios.
He wanted to try every one.
And conveniently, he now had a legitimate status.
Even more legitimate than before.
Without warning, Fu Si Heng scooped Tao Zhi up.
Amid Tao Zhi’s startled yelp, he placed him on the vanity counter.
