Jing Li kicked off his shoes and crawled onto the bed, lying down next to Ji Yunzhang and curling into his embrace.
The weather was already sweltering, but the air conditioning in the room was set low, making it wonderfully comfortable to cuddle under the covers. The luggage and shopping bags downstairs were completely forgotten as Jing Li burrowed even deeper into Ji Yunzhang’s arms.
In the darkness, Ji Yunzhang kissed his cheek and the corner of his lips. “Tired?”
“Not too bad.” He tilted his face up and planted a kiss on Ji Yunzhang’s chin. “What about you? Did I wake you?”
“No problem.”
With those words, Ji Yunzhang’s breath drew close again.
His lips were captured, and Jing Li parted them instinctively, as if in invitation. His mouth and tongue were thoroughly savored until he was on the verge of losing control, at which point he was finally released.
Through the thin fabric of his sleepshirt, Ji Yunzhang stroked the small of Jing Li’s back, patiently waiting for his breathing to steady.
Jing Li’s waist was terribly sensitive; the touches, light as fingers on piano keys, tickled him so much he couldn’t help but squirm and want to laugh beneath the covers.
“I’m ticklish,” he pleaded softly.
Ji Yunzhang chuckled, his fingers sliding away from his waist to trace up his spine instead.
Leaning against him, Jing Li found the caresses soothing and pleasant.
It was strange—he hadn’t felt sleepy at all, but wrapped in Ji Yunzhang’s warmth and scent, touched by his fingers, drowsiness suddenly washed over him.
Ji Yunzhang’s embrace was so warm and secure that his body and mind fully relaxed, like a vessel adrift at sea finally docking in harbor after a long voyage.
Closing his eyes, Jing Li’s voice carried a smile. “Teacher Ji, you must have some kind of hypnotic power.”
Ji Yunzhang sounded puzzled. “Hm?”
“I wasn’t tired in the slightest, but now I’m so sleepy.” His voice trailed off in a coquettish whine.
“Then go to sleep.” Ji Yunzhang pressed a kiss to his forehead, his tone growing even gentler in the quiet night.
Jing Li nuzzled into his neck. “Good night.”
“Good night, baby.”
Jing Li snuggled deeper into his arms, his expression serene, the corners of his mouth curved upward.
They both slept deeply and sweetly that night. When they woke the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky.
Still groggy, Jing Li shared a good-morning kiss with Ji Yunzhang, giggling a little at the new stubble scratching his chin. He blinked his eyes open. “Teacher Ji, good morning.”
Ji Yunzhang’s gaze softened. “Good morning.”
Jing Li clutched the blanket, reluctant to get up. Ji Yunzhang smiled, caressing his cheek as he proposed, “Want to come with me somewhere?”
Jing Li rolled right into his arms. “Where to?”
“Today is Yu Bohai’s maternal grandmother’s birthday. She’s an old friend of my grandparents.” Ji Yunzhang slid out of bed and tugged Jing Li up with him. “I’m the only one around with free time, so they asked me to drop off a gift for them.”
Jing Li hesitated. “Is it okay if I tag along?”
Only Yu Bohai and Xu He from the Yu Family knew him—wouldn’t it be odd?
“What’s not okay about it?” Ji Yunzhang cupped his face and kissed him. “You’re my partner. We’re a package deal. We should show up together anyway.”
Jing Li broke into a grin. Right! He’d been overthinking it.
After getting up and freshening up, Jing Li struggled to pick an outfit. He turned to Ji Yunzhang. “Teacher Ji, is it a formal banquet?”
“No, we’re skipping the Banquet.”
“Then is this okay?” He selected a casual beige shirt and paired it with black trousers, holding them up to himself.
“Perfect.” Ji Yunzhang smiled. “Don’t stress—it’s not that fancy. A T-shirt would work fine.”
“That wouldn’t do for a first meeting. First impressions count.” Jing Li clutched the clothes. “Besides, you’re dressed so sharply.”
Ji Yunzhang was suited up, his cufflinks fastened neatly, his posture impeccably straight. Any trace of last night’s fatigue had vanished, leaving him elegant and strikingly handsome once more.
“I’m just in the habit. You don’t have to match me.”
“But a T-shirt next to you? The age gap would scream.” Jing Li tilted his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “It’d be way too obvious.”
At a loss for words, Ji Yunzhang pinched his ear fondly. “Behave.” He gave him a gentle shove. “Go change.”
When Jing Li emerged, he’d tucked in the shirt hem and rolled up the sleeves to reveal his pale wrists. Ji Yunzhang selected a watch for him and fastened it on personally.
Something occurred to Jing Li, and he smiled.
“What’s so funny?” Ji Yunzhang asked once the watch was secure.
Jing Li looped his arms around his waist and tipped his head up. “Does this mean we share a wardrobe now?”
Ji Yunzhang’s lips quirked. “My clothes wouldn’t fit you properly. You’d look like…” He paused, leaning in close to Jing Li’s ear, his voice low and teasingly tender, “you’re trying to seduce me.”
That husky timbre hooked right into him, sending a shiver through Jing Li’s heart and heat to his ears. He shot him a sidelong glance. “Teacher Ji, you’re being improper.”
Ji Yunzhang kissed his ear and let out a soft chuckle before finally answering in earnest. “Of course it counts.”
He released Jing Li and took his hand instead. “Let’s head downstairs. We’ll grab some breakfast before we head out.”
They were due for lunch, and it was already late, so they shouldn’t eat too much. They simply toasted a few slices of whole wheat bread. Jing Li loved good food; this bland stuff was pure agony for him.
He munched on it with a scrunched-up face and grumbled, “I hate the crust.”
Indulgently, he tore off the crust but refused to throw it away. Instead, he tried to feed it to Ji Yunzhang. Ji Yunzhang, who could never resist him, didn’t want to eat it but caved at the words “You can’t waste food.”
Of course, Jing Li didn’t get away scot-free. Afterward, he was kissed until his hands and feet went limp, his face and lips flushed the same deep red. He needed half a moment’s rest to recover.
Ji Yunzhang led him to the entryway by the hand. Jing Li spotted the suitcase and suddenly remembered he hadn’t packed. The things he’d bought last night were still sitting out unpacked. Ji Yunzhang handed him his shoes and caught his gaze. In a gentle voice, he said, “We’ll pack when we get back.”
“Isn’t Uncle Wang coming today?” It was Tuesday. Every Tuesday, the housekeeper brought the staff for a thorough cleaning.
“He is. He should be here any minute.”
If they saw those things, he’d have to shell out a billion for a rocket and blast straight into orbit.
Jing Li’s ears burned. He snatched up the suitcase and the black bag beside it. “I’ll take these up to the second floor. Wait for me.” With that, he bolted without a backward glance.
Ji Yunzhang had only noticed the suitcase before. Now he saw the black bag. When Jing Li returned, he asked, “What’s in the bag?”
Jing Li didn’t answer. He coughed awkwardly, then slipped on his shoes in a flash and tugged him toward the door. “It’s almost eleven. We need to hurry.”
Ji Yunzhang watched Jing Li’s evasive eyes and bashful expression with a thoughtful look. A moment later, he probably guessed what it was and curved his lips in silent amusement.
~~~
The Porsche pulled out of the neighborhood and merged onto the elevated highway. Jing Li sat in the passenger seat, watching the fourth episode of Romantic Journey on his tablet while chatting with Ji Yunzhang.
“…So Lang Yan and Yu Miyue got into it that day. No wonder they both came back in low spirits.”
That was from their shoot in Y Province—the only time they’d stayed overnight at a farmhouse, pitching in with farm chores to cover lodging. Chen Xiaohan and Shen Ru had picked tea; Yu Jiayuan and Zhou Shi gathered loquats; Lang Yan and Yu Miyue sold mushrooms at the market; he, Ji Yunzhang, Yang Yi, and Zhou Yan had cooked slop and fed the pigs, then mucked out the sty.
It was his first brush with pigs—not a fond memory, especially the sty cleaning.
The recollection was seared into his mind.
The footage cut to their group. Seeing how Ji Yunzhang’s gaze followed him relentlessly on camera, Jing Li said brightly, “Teacher Ji, you’re staring at me again.”
Ji Yunzhang’s lips hooked up. “Because I like you.”
Jing Li pressed his lips together to stifle a smile, but his eyes had already crinkled with delight.
He accidentally opened the comments, and the screen flooded with “hahahahaha.” Clearly, their pigsty fiasco was pure entertainment gold for the viewers. The fans felt the same.
Jing Li: “…”
He quickly closed the comments and kept watching.
After roughly an hour on the road, they arrived. Once the car was parked, Jing Li shut off the tablet and got out with Ji Yunzhang.
Yu Bohai and Xu He approached. Xu He greeted Ji Yunzhang first, then turned to Jing Li. “Movie wrapped?”
“Yesterday.”
“Taking a break next? Sticking around A City?”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Mind doing me a solid?”
Jing Li knew him well enough and arched a brow. “That the real ask, huh.”
A touch puzzled, he added, “What for?”
“Teach me guqin.”
Xu He explained, “Next drama, I’m playing a musician. I know zilch about guqin. Director wants me to play a bit myself, even with a hand double.”
Piece of cake—he was a pro. Jing Li nodded. “Sure.”
Just then, Yu Bohai’s mother, Tang Min, stepped out and cut in. “Why are you all loitering outside?”
Her gaze landed on Jing Li. Ji Yunzhang noticed and took Jing Li’s hand, making introductions. “Aunt Tang, this is my love, Jing Li.”
“I know.” Tang Min straightened her light pink shawl with a smile. “I watch your variety show. You two are sickeningly sweet in it.”
She offered her hand to Jing Li. “Call me Aunt, just like Yunzhang.”
Jing Li shook it and said, “Aunt Tang.”
Tang Min beamed and waved them in. “Come on, all of you. Don’t stand out here—the sun’s brutal.”
The villa had central air conditioning set to a perfect temperature. In the living room, everyone gathered around the old lady, chatting with her animatedly in a lively atmosphere.
Ji Yunzhang led Jing Li over and handed the old lady the gift that Su Manzhi had prepared.
The old lady was nearly ninety but still full of vigor.
After accepting the gift, she asked about Grandpa Ji. “How is his health?”
“He’s a bit forgetful these days, but otherwise everything’s fine,” Ji Yunzhang replied.
The old lady patted the back of his hand. “As long as he’s well, that’s all that matters.”
As they spoke, someone else arrived. High heels clicked against the tiled floor, followed by a woman’s voice. “Grandma, I’m sorry I’m late.”
Jing Li turned at the sound and saw a strikingly beautiful young woman. Her gaze lingered for a split second when it landed on Ji Yunzhang, but she quickly composed herself and walked over to the old lady.
She bent down to hug her grandmother, then planted a kiss on her cheek. “Happy birthday. Wishing you health and happiness every year.”
Straightening up, she gave Ji Yunzhang a slight nod. “It’s been a while.”
Then she turned to Jing Li with a bright smile. “Hello, Jing Li. I’m Tang Wenshu, Ji Yunzhang’s college classmate. I’m currently the editor-in-chief of T Magazine.”
The name sounded familiar. Jing Li returned the smile. “Hello.”
Her red lips curved playfully as she winked at him. “Our magazine invited you to shoot the cover. Hope you’ll get back to us soon.”
Jing Li suddenly remembered. No wonder it rang a bell—Le Xiaoxiao had mentioned the T Magazine cover invitation.
“Sure,” he said.
With everyone gathered, Yu Bohai’s parents helped the old lady to the table, and the others took their seats.
There were no outsiders, so the meal was relaxed and full of cheerful banter, without any stiff formalities.
After lunch, Xu He asked Jing Li how to choose a guqin.
The living room was too noisy, so they stepped out to the garden. Jing Li explained carefully, but he felt theory alone might not be enough, so he recommended a shop. “It’s run by my senior sister, right here in A City. I’ll send you her business card. You can contact her and try out some instruments at her store first.”
He added, “You don’t have to buy from her. She has better connections than I do and can get high-quality guqins at good prices. She could introduce you to some experts too.”
“Sounds good.” Xu He opened the contact and sent a friend request.
Once it was sent, he asked Jing Li about scheduling guqin lessons. “How about starting this Friday?”
“How about July?” Jing Li touched his ear, a sweet smile tugging at his lips. “Teacher Ji and I haven’t seen each other in ages, and he’s about to start filming soon. I want to make the most of our time together.”
Xu He smacked his forehead with a laugh. “Right, sorry—I forgot.”
He waved his phone. “Just let me know when you’re free.”
They finished talking and headed back to the living room—the outdoors was just too hot. After a few steps, they overheard Tang Wenshu chatting with a girl who was also Yu Bohai’s cousin, named Tang Yi.
They were talking about him and Ji Yunzhang. Jing Li hadn’t meant to eavesdrop and started to walk away, but then he heard Tang Yi ask, “Sis, did you forget about Big Brother Ji?”
He paused.
Tang Wenshu answered promptly. “I forgot about him ages ago.”
“Then why were you so awkward when you saw him?”
“Because it was mortifying—getting rejected by him and then being seen crying like that.”
Jing Li didn’t listen any further and quickened his pace until the voices faded.
Xu He caught up and said casually, “Yunzhang’s always been popular, but before he met you, I’d never seen him so patient and gentle with anyone. You’re the one and only, truly special.”
Jing Li appreciated the sentiment. He didn’t mind that Tang Wenshu had once had feelings for Ji Yunzhang—someone as outstanding as him was bound to attract admirers.
“I know,” he said with a smile.
~~~
They left the Yu Family a little after three.
It was still early, so Ji Yunzhang asked, “Anywhere you want to go? Or head home?”
“Home.” Jing Li’s cheeks flushed as he turned his face toward the window. He brought it up himself. “Teacher Ji, I bought some things last night.”
Ji Yunzhang had a pretty good guess but played innocent. “What did you buy?”
Jing Li’s heart raced, and shyness burned through him. But he wanted Ji Yunzhang so badly—body and soul entwined as one. He swallowed hard and said it.
“Birth control supplies.”
The Porsche pulled over abruptly to the side of the road. Ji Yunzhang’s hand reached out, firmly turning Jing Li’s face toward him.
Jing Li met his darkened, intense gaze.
Ji Yunzhang’s thumb traced his jaw and neck with deliberate slowness, his voice low and husky. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
Jing Li held his gaze for a long moment, then broke into a beaming smile. He unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over, and pressed a kiss to Ji Yunzhang’s lips. “I’ve been ready for a while.”
Though shy, he stared boldly into Ji Yunzhang’s eyes. “I want you, Teacher Ji.”
