I’ve Never Had a Husband Since I Was Young 37

Chapter 37

Why can’t you call me ‘baby’?

Jiang Chaochao didn’t think much of it when he asked. It was Xiang Ye’s lack of immediate response, and even his chuckle, that made Jiang Chaochao realize something wasn’t right.

It made him seem like he had been thinking about this all along.

“I was just, curious,” Jiang Chaochao started explaining. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Xiang Ye was still smiling: “Mean what?”

“Just curious if you didn’t like being called ‘baby,’ or,” he racked his brains, “Or if the word ‘baby’ offended you.”

He didn’t know if the word “baby” offended Xiang Ye, but it was offending Jiang Chaochao now.

Not to mention Xiang Ye’s ambiguous “Ah~”

Jiang Chaochao gritted his teeth: “Ah your ass.”

Xiang Ye chuckled: “Then I won’t ‘ah.’”

Jiang Chaochao: “Whatever.”

Xiang Ye chuckled: “You’re so cute when you’re angry.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Who’s angry? Who?”

Xiang Ye: “I don’t know.”

Since he said that, Jiang Chaochao let out a loud “heh.”

Xiang Ye: “I don’t dislike being called ‘baby,’” he started explaining, “I just think, the timing wasn’t right,” he then asked, “Right, Jiang…”

His form of address abruptly stopped here, then his voice softened, “Jiang what?”

Soft and tender, his usual coquettish tactic. Jiang Chaochao’s ears tingled, and he even felt like the sentence needed a “baby” at the end to be perfect.

Jiang what, baby?

Jiang Chaochao felt like he was completely bewitched.

“Think about it yourself,” but his tone was still defiant, super defiant. “Think of something within a day,” he glanced at the time, “It’s currently 11:46 PM Beijing time. I want to hear your answer before 11:46 PM tomorrow.”

Xiang Ye protested, “Ah~ Didi is so fierce.”

Jiang Chaochao suppressed a smile, “So what?”

Xiang Ye: “As you wish.”

Jiang Chaochao hummed.

Xiang Ye: “What if I can’t do it?”

This time, Jiang Chaochao couldn’t help but laugh, “Why do you sound like you’re looking forward to something?”

Xiang Ye: “Damn, you caught me.”

Jiang Chaochao suddenly remembered a certain someone from a certain night and asked tentatively, “Do you like being punished?”

Xiang Ye laughed: “Why does that sound so wrong?” He thought for a moment, then said, “I just want to know what you’ll do to me if you’re really angry.”

Since he asked, Jiang Chaochao thought seriously, “I don’t think I would do anything.”

Xiang Ye: “Jiang Chaochao, you’re too kind.”

Jiang Chaochao paused, this person called him by his full name and praised him.

“Not really,” Jiang Chaochao briefly analyzed himself, “I probably just think it’s not a big deal, no need to make a fuss.”

Xiang Ye called his full name again, “Jiang Chaochao.”

Jiang Chaochao laughed for no reason: “What?”

Xiang Ye: “You’re so charming.”

Jiang Chaochao gave an “ah,” then, “You!”

Xiang Ye chuckled, “What’s wrong with me?”

Jiang Chaochao: “You’re too straightforward, why are you suddenly like this?”

Xiang Ye seemed to want to say something, but Jiang Chaochao immediately interrupted him, “Okay, okay, okay, I understand. Shhh, don’t talk for now.”

Jiang Chaochao’s laughter grew louder.

So hot, so hot.

The weather didn’t require air conditioning anymore, but Jiang Chaochao still turned on the fan because of Xiang Ye’s words.

Cool down, cool down.

“Let’s talk about,” Jiang Chaochao forcefully changed the subject, “What we’re eating tomorrow night.”

Xiang Ye asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Jiang Chaochao: “I want Korean barbecue.”

Xiang Ye: “Okay, Korean barbecue it is.”

Jiang Chaochao: “You find a place, or me?”

Xiang Ye: “I’ll find one.”

Although he was teasing Jiang Chaochao just a minute ago, Jiang Chaochao could clearly hear that Xiang Ye’s energy wasn’t very good now.

“Sleepy?” Jiang Chaochao asked.

Xiang Ye’s voice became even lower, “A little.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Very tired today?”

Xiang Ye: “Woke up early to finish my work before coming to C City.”

Jiang Chaochao muttered, “Who told you to come?”

Xiang Ye: “I insisted on coming.”

Jiang Chaochao’s lips curved into a smile, but he still asked knowingly, “Why did you insist on coming?”

Xiang Ye said: “You tell me, Jiang Chaochao.”

He called him by his full name again. Jiang Chaochao smiled, feeling satisfied.

“Okay~ okay, go to sleep,” Jiang Chaochao said softly.

Xiang Ye: “Mm-hmm.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Then I’m hanging up.”

Xiang Ye: “No.”

Jiang Chaochao: “What’s wrong?”

Xiang Ye: “Listen to your pleasant voice, it helps me sleep.”

Jiang Chaochao thought for a moment: “Good night, gege.”

The sleepiness in Xiang Ye’s tone lifted slightly, “Good night, didi.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Hanging up now.”

Xiang Ye: “Mm-hmm.”

With a beep, Jiang Chaochao hung up the phone.

He took a deep breath.

Then slowly exhaled.

It felt like there was a rope tied to him, every word Xiang Ye said pulling him closer.

A little tug with each sentence, pulling him closer and closer.

In another app, Shici’s reply had also arrived.

She said: “Really? Teacher Bianbian, you’re actually from A City? I’m from A City too!”

Jiang Chaochao thought for a moment and replied: “Really? What a coincidence.”

Shici replied quickly, “Hee hee, it’s very late already, sorry to disturb you, laoshi. I love your drawings so much. Sleep early, laoshi, good night.”

Bianbian: “Good night.”

For a moment, Jiang Chaochao thought his cover was blown.

But it wasn’t impossible.

If she really guessed…

Jiang Chaochao thought of his bold declaration of love at first sight for Xiang Ye in the group chat, and the question he stubbornly asked just an hour ago.

Jiang Chaochao’s scalp went numb.

He’d better stop thinking about it. He had something to distract him at the moment. Even though it was already late at night, Jiang Chaochao decided to continue drawing.

There was a new update on his WeChat Moments, a small red dot under Xiang Ye’s profile picture.

Jiang Chaochao clicked on it and saw that Xiang Ye had shared a song.

Baby.

The corners of Jiang Chaochao’s lips curled upwards again.

He’d listen to it then.

The phrase head over heels was really apt, it perfectly described Jiang Chaochao at this moment.

He was drawing Xiang Ye, after all.

Then he’d put it on repeat.

“My baby, baby, give you a little sweetness…”

Just the first line, and the corners of Jiang Chaochao’s lips curled up even more.

And the next line…

“So you can sleep well tonight.”

“My little ghost, little ghost…”

…

At 1 AM, Jiang Chaochao yawned, he seemed a bit sleepy.

But since he was almost done with this stage, he fought off the sleepiness and finished it.

Unexpectedly, as he drew, he became more alert, so he created a new layer.

The previous layer only had Xiang Ye, the Xiang Ye he first saw. And in this new layer, he would add himself.

Jiang Chaochao, standing at the doorway, watching Xiang Ye talk on the phone.

After countless yawns, on this physically exhausted but mentally energetic night, Jiang Chaochao finished the drawing he wanted.

Two drawings in total, Xiang Ye alone, and the two of them after making eye contact.

Jiang Chaochao had once received a special kind of merchandise, a drawing that looked one way from the left and another way from the right.

At the time, Jiang Chaochao drew a muscular man, one version with clothes, one version without. Xiuxiu made it into a lenticular card, with a flipping effect, watching the man’s clothes disappear and reappear.

So Jiang Chaochao, still energetic, searched for the picture of the delivery slip he sent to Xiuxiu when he received the package, then found the store on the slip.

It wasn’t easy. At 5:30 AM, Jiang Chaochao opened the store’s chat window.

Only a customer service bot was available at this hour. Jiang Chaochao couldn’t wait, he sent his request, then washed his face and went to bed.

He fell asleep almost instantly.

And started dreaming almost instantly.

He dreamt that Xiang Ye was a muscular man.

Not a cartoon face, not a cartoon character, but a real, live-action Xiang Ye, wearing a suit and white shirt. From the left, it was the proper Xiang Ye, from the right, his clothes were gone, revealing eight-pack abs.

He even spoke, “Baby, do you like this?”

He even touched him, grabbing Jiang Chaochao’s hand and placing it on his chest.

The sensation of flesh in the dream was very real, making Jiang Chaochao cry out.

But he didn’t push him away, nor did he wake up. He just entered the next dream.

He couldn’t quite remember what happened after that, only feeling a sense of emptiness after a hazy dream.

When he woke up, it was already noon. The sun was warm, the temperature just right, Jiang Chaochao’s blanket only half covering him, his legs spread out.

And the first thing he thought of was, would Xiang Ye think he was a messy sleeper?

After waking up fully, he mocked himself.

What was he even thinking?

There were many messages on his phone. Jiang Chaochao, as usual, clicked on Xiang Ye’s first.

This gentleman had also woken up early, sending a “Good morning” emoji at 7:30 AM.

Then at 9 AM, Xiang Ye said:

“Jiang xiaogui (little ghost), still sleeping?”

After listening to “My little ghost, little ghost” all night, seeing Xiang Ye address him like this…

Jiang Chaochao’s eyes were still blurry, but his lips were already smiling.

Then at 10 AM…

XY: “Still sleeping?”

Then at 10:30 AM, no more text messages, just a [Poke] emoji.

Another one at 11 AM.

Another one at 11:30 AM.

Another one at 12 PM.

It was now 12:13 PM. Jiang Chaochao poked back.

Jiang Chaochao: [Poke]

After poking, Jiang Chaochao exited and replied to other messages.

While he was brushing his teeth, Xiang Ye’s reply also arrived. Jiang Chaochao noticed it was exactly 12:30 PM.

XY: [Piggy has woken up]

Being able to search for emojis on WeChat made many things very convenient, but it also made a certain someone annoying.

Jiang Chaochao: “You’re the piggy.”

He was doing important things last night!

Jiang Chaochao: “Did you set a timer for half an hour?”

XY: “No, I just suddenly became sensitive to numbers.”

XY: “Busy with baby.”

Jiang Chaochao took a light breath.

Xiang Ye seemed to have suddenly stuffed a handful of soft, pink cotton candy into his still-sleepy mind.

At this moment, Jiang Chaochao’s mind short-circuited again. He could only reply, following social conventions, “Okay, you’re busy.”

It had been a long time since Jiang Chaochao pulled an all-nighter. The last time was for a school event, he had worked all night because he didn’t have enough time.

Zhang Xinping was also there that night. It was also that night that Jiang Chaochao discovered Zhang Xinping’s sexual orientation.

All-nighters were really not good. Even though he seemed to have slept enough, he still felt sluggish the whole afternoon.

The only thing to look forward to was that Xiang Ye said he would pick him up at seven.

However, Jiang Chaochao had to leave Xiang Ye after dinner tonight. He had a lesson scheduled with a student. A long-overdue lesson, either he wasn’t free, or the student wasn’t free. He’d finish it quickly and be done with it.

“Scheduled for 8:30,” Jiang Chaochao said on the phone.

Xiang Ye: “We’ll have time, I’ll take you there after dinner.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Okay.”

Xiang Ye then asked: “What time will it end?”

Jiang Chaochao: “9:30, a one-hour lesson.”

Xiang Ye: “I’ll pick you up.”

Jiang Chaochao seemed to want to say something, but Xiang Ye interrupted him: “That’s settled.”

Jiang Chaochao chuckled, “Thanks.”

Xiang Ye: “I’m home.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Okay.”

Xiang Ye had told him in the afternoon that he would go home and take a shower after work, it wouldn’t take long.

Jiang Chaochao said he had baggage.

But after meeting and getting into the car, Jiang Chaochao immediately denied his earlier self.

Gege smells so good~

Hee hee, hee hee.

Moreover, Jiang Chaochao also discovered that Xiang Ye was wearing the brooch he gave him.

“Good evening,” Jiang Chaochao fastened his seatbelt, “We meet again.”

Xiang Ye glanced at Jiang Chaochao, “You seem to be in a good mood.”

Jiang Chaochao nodded, “Why not?”

Xiang Ye asked again, “Happy to see me?”

It wasn’t Are you happy to see me?, nor You’re happy to see me, right?, it was a declarative sentence.

Jiang Chaochao didn’t answer, he turned his head and stared at Xiang Ye.

Xiang Ye was looking ahead for the first three seconds, but at the fourth, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Jiang Chaochao: “You, now…”

Xiang Ye: “Hmm?”

Jiang Chaochao: “Good that you know.”

Xiang Ye chuckled: “Okay.”

The Korean barbecue restaurant was in a busy area, and there was a long line outside when they arrived.

Fortunately, thoughtful Xiao Xiang had made a reservation, so they smoothly entered the restaurant, smoothly started grilling meat, and finished eating within the planned time.

The classroom where Jiang Chaochao was teaching wasn’t far away. An hour passed quickly, and after finishing the lesson and waiting for the parent to pick up the child, he also left.

Coming out of the building, he saw Xiang Ye’s car still parked in the same spot.

Jiang Chaochao opened the passenger door, got in, and said, “Someone didn’t leave, did they?”

Xiang Ye started the car, “Delivered a document, picked up a bottle of alcohol,” he said, picking up a bag from the middle compartment, “Double-skin milk.”

Jiang Chaochao said “ah”: “Quite busy.”

Indeed, otherwise it would be too silly to just wait here.

“What alcohol?” Jiang Chaochao asked curiously after they were on the road.

“An uncle gave it to my dad,” Xiang Ye said, then added, “It was for Shici, I went to his house to pick her up.”

Jiang Chaochao said “oh.”

Next, Xiang Ye said, “Shici just asked the last question.”

Jiang Chaochao stopped eating his double-skin milk.

“What,” Jiang Chaochao asked knowingly, “Question?”

Xiang Ye smiled, but didn’t say what the question was, instead asking, “Is that what you want to know?”

Jiang Chaochao froze: “I…”

Not giving Jiang Chaochao any chance, Xiang Ye said again, “Shici said it was Teacher Bianbian who asked, personally.”

He blushed furiously.

His heart started racing, a wave of heat rushing to his head.

Unexpectedly, Xiang Ye continued, “Someone,” he smiled openly, “Seems indifferent to me on the surface, but secretly asks such blush-inducing questions behind my back.”

Jiang Chaochao muttered softly, “You’re the one who should be blushing.”

“It’s just that this question stumped me a bit,” Xiang Ye said.

Jiang Chaochao’s grip tightened around the spoon, “Why?”

“Last June, at the provincial competition,” Xiang Ye said, “I saw you.”