Ning Shuang tilted his head and said to Ji Huaizhi in a tone laced with implication, “It’s just a feeling I have. If we were a couple watching it together, there wouldn’t be any problem.”
Ji Huaizhi clearly didn’t catch the underlying meaning in Ning Shuang’s words and pressed on. “Isn’t it fine for friends to watch together?”
Ning Shuang let out a sigh…
“It’s great. Let’s keep watching.”
As the movie came to an end, Ning Shuang’s eyelashes were still damp with unshed tears when they exited the theater. Ji Huaizhi, on the other hand, seemed utterly unaffected. Ning Shuang glanced at him, wondering how someone could watch such a touching film without any emotional response. Did he hold no hopes or dreams about love?
Lost in thought, Ning Shuang habitually chewed on the straw of his fruit tea, then used his tongue to push it back into shape.
Just as Ji Huaizhi turned his head to ask where they should grab dinner, he caught sight of the scene. He averted his gaze without a word, falling silent.
“Ji Huaizhi, how about barbecue for dinner?” Ning Shuang tossed the empty fruit tea cup and tugged at Ji Huaizhi’s sleeve.
“Sure,” Ji Huaizhi replied.
“?” Ning Shuang tilted his head again, sensing something off about Ji Huaizhi. Concerned, he asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Your ears are a bit red. Is it the earring… allergy…?”
At that moment, Ning Shuang paused. Earrings? He’d been mulling over birthday gift ideas for Ji Huaizhi before the movie. This seemed perfect—earrings would suit him so well.
“I’m fine,” Ji Huaizhi said, stopping in his tracks. “Let’s go eat dinner.”
“Alright!” Ning Shuang pulled out his phone and booked a table for two.
After dinner, they stopped by a bakery to pick up ingredients for making a cake.
Once home, they took Ning Dundun for a walk together.
After returning, they each showered separately, then lay in bed chatting until they drifted off to sleep.
The whole routine gave Ning Shuang a strange, incredibly familiar sense of déjà vu.
At two in the morning, Ning Shuang’s eyes suddenly snapped open.
Wasn’t this exactly the vibe of a couple in the honeymoon phase of their relationship?!!
Ji Huaizhi’s steady breathing filled his ears, and the scent that surrounded him was entirely Ji Huaizhi’s fragrance.
He and Ji Huaizhi… were they flirting?
Ji Huaizhi had never turned down any of his invitations. He always accommodated him, whether it was cooking together, cleaning the house, or walking the dog…
Could friends really do all that?
The more Ning Shuang thought about it, the faster his heart pounded. The thumping was so loud that he couldn’t fall asleep at all.
Was his heartbeat too noisy? Would it wake Ji Huaizhi?
Ning Shuang carefully rolled over to look at Ji Huaizhi beside him.
Worried that Ji Huaizhi might need to get up in the night to use the bathroom, Ning Shuang had plugged in a small mosquito-repelling nightlight by the bed.
Its glow was limited but just enough to illuminate the bed. Even in the dead of night, Ning Shuang could clearly see Ji Huaizhi’s sleeping face.
It was stunningly handsome… and surprisingly gentle.
Thinking it over carefully…
When Ji Huaizhi interacted with others, his face was always cold. Forget friendly expressions—he barely spoke at all.
But he smiled at Ning Shuang and showed him gentle concern.
So, were they flirting?
Once the realization hit, Ning Shuang was wide awake.
His breath hitched, his heartbeat thundering louder than drums. Ning Shuang quickly shrank back, quietly lifted the blanket, slipped out of bed, put on his slippers, and left the room.
With a soft click of the door closing, the person who had been sound asleep on the bed suddenly opened his eyes. He glanced at the bedside table—Ning Shuang’s phone was gone too.
Not heading to the bathroom, then.
Sneaking out without telling him again? Ji Huaizhi sat up against the headboard, gazing resentfully at the closed door.
Fortunately, he only heard the sound of Ning Shuang going downstairs—no door opening to leave the house.
So what was Ning Shuang doing up at just past two? Did he feel uncomfortable sharing the bed?
~~~
Ning Shuang crept downstairs wrapped in a blanket and settled into a comfortable spot on the sofa. Ning Dundun, roused from sleep, lifted its head in confusion and looked toward the sofa. Ning Shuang beckoned to it. “Come here, Dundun.”
Ning Dundun bounded over to the sofa’s edge, tongue lolling and a goofy grin on its face.
“Ning Dundun, I meant to ask you yesterday—was it you who deliberately splashed water in Ji Huaizhi’s room?” Ning Shuang pinched its cheeks, looking every bit the stern father figure.
Ning Dundun wriggled free from his grasp and let out a muffled “Woof! Woof!”
It knew better than to bark loudly and risk a noise complaint.
“I asked you to come up with a plan, but that was way over the top. Where did you even learn that from?”
“Woof?” Ning Dundun tilted its head, then dashed back to its bed and returned with a white feather clutched in its mouth, offering it to Ning Shuang.
Ning Shuang took the feather. It gleamed beautifully under the light, shimmering with an iridescent white hue. “Why are you giving me a bird feather?”
Perplexed, Ning Shuang handed it back. “Put it away.”
Of course—who was he kidding, chatting with a dog? If Ning Dundun could speak human words, that would be terrifying.
“I’m going to sleep. Come sleep here with me.” Ning Shuang patted the empty spot above his head, inviting Ning Dundun up.
Sure enough, Ning Dundun obediently hopped onto the sofa and curled up beside Ning Shuang’s head, closing its eyes.
This ambiguous situation couldn’t drag on… Ning Shuang wouldn’t be able to sleep otherwise.
Did that mean sneaking downstairs to the sofa every night?
It wasn’t so bad sleeping here.
Or maybe… ask him outright tomorrow?
Tomorrow was Ji Huaizhi’s birthday. He could use that as an excuse to have a little alcohol, muster the courage to ask, and if the answer wasn’t what he wanted, just play dumb the next day.
Not a bad plan.
Ning Shuang buried his face in Ning Dundun’s belly, pulled the blanket over, and fell asleep.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Ning Shuang was woken by the sound of the bedroom door opening. He bolted upright, ruffled his hair, scooped Ning Dundun into his arms, and started petting it.
By the time Ji Huaizhi reached the stair landing, Ning Shuang feigned just noticing him and called out cheerfully, “Morning, Ji Huaizhi!”
Ji Huaizhi looked at him, walked over to the sofa, and sat down. “Did you sleep on the sofa last night?”
Worried Ji Huaizhi might overthink it, Ning Shuang quickly made an excuse. “Ahem, no! I got up early today. See? I’m playing with Ning Dundun right now. Isn’t that right, Ning Dundun?”
Ning Dundun, forcibly woken and put to work: -_-~~~
Ji Huaizhi’s gaze deepened as he stared into Ning Shuang’s eyes for a moment.
Ning Shuang, lying again.
“Um!” Ning Shuang fidgeted under the intense stare and jumped up with a new topic. “It’s rare for me to be up this early. How about I make breakfast?!”
Without waiting for Ji Huaizhi’s agreement, he skirted around the coffee table and hurried to the kitchen from the other side of the sofa.
Ji Huaizhi watched his retreating back for a while.
Finally, he lowered his head and stroked Ning Dundun’s head.
Whatever. Why does he only lie to me? Right, Ning Dundun?
After breakfast, Ning Shuang said he had to head to school to help his teacher with some matters and probably wouldn’t be back until the afternoon. He’d make Ji Huaizhi’s birthday cake when he returned.
“Alright, I’ll wait for you at home,” Ji Huaizhi said softly.
Ning Shuang shrugged on his coat, paused at the courtyard gate to wave back at Ji Huaizhi, who stood there holding the dog leash with Ning Dundun, seeing him off.
Once Ning Shuang left the house, his steps quickened until he reached the bus stop, where he finally exhaled in relief. He cupped his face and squatted down, his mind overheating. This… this déjà vu was way too much like dating!
After calming himself, Ning Shuang didn’t board the bus to school. Instead, he took one heading to the city center.
Going to school was just an excuse.
He wanted to buy Ji Huaizhi a birthday gift at the shopping mall there.
Picking out a pair of earrings didn’t take long, so he was back home swiftly.
Just in time for lunch.
In the afternoon, Ning Shuang and Ji Huaizhi gave the house a festive touch.
Midway through, Ning Shuang got a video call from home. He glanced at Ji Huaizhi, who was whipping cream in the kitchen, then stepped out to the sofa to answer.
“Mom,” he said warmly.
The man whipping cream in the kitchen paused for a split second, then slowed his motions, listening quietly to the sounds from outside.
“Little Shuang, what are you up to?” Ning’s mother asked, unable to hide her concern since it had taken him so long to pick up.
Ning Shuang panned the camera around the living room before flipping it back to his face. “My roommate’s birthday is today, so we’re celebrating at home! We’re getting everything set up!”
As he spoke, thunder rumbled outside, followed by heavy raindrops pounding down relentlessly.
“How’s your roommate?” Ning’s mother pressed.
Ning Shuang replied, “He’s great. We get along really well!”
“That’ll do…” On the other end of the phone, Ning’s mother and father both heaved a sigh of relief. The fact that they could chat so easily with their son suggested his personality was probably much the same. It was a good thing the two young men had gone back to their hometown.
After a few more casual exchanges, Ning Shuang suddenly said, “Mom, do you want to say hi to my roommate? He’s a really great guy!”
With that, he headed toward the kitchen. Ji Huaizhi, hearing his voice, immediately went on high alert. He kept his head bowed low, clearly not wanting to enter Ning Shuang’s camera view.
Fortunately, Ning’s father and mother were also the sort who disliked greeting strangers. They both rushed to turn down Ning Shuang’s suggestion. Seeing him draw closer to the kitchen, they simply hung up.
Ning Shuang: ?
Sure enough.
So what would happen if he brought a partner home someday? Would they refuse to even meet his significant other?
Social anxiety was a sickness—it needed treatment. That was Ning Shuang’s private assessment.
He returned to Ji Huaizhi’s side and realized his face looked even paler than usual, a thin sheen of sweat glistening at his temples.
“Huh? Ji Huaizhi, are you hot or something?” Ning Shuang hurriedly reached out to feel his hand. It was still as icy as ever.
“No,” Ji Huaizhi replied, exhaling in relief. “I thought you were going to make me say hello to your parents.”
“Of course not! They’re super socially anxious. I knew they wouldn’t want to greet you. Don’t worry—even if they did want to meet you, I’d check with you first!” Ning Shuang assumed Ji Huaizhi was just like his parents, not fond of interacting with strangers.
“Mm…” Ji Huaizhi murmured softly, then asked, “Will your parents come back to this house?”
“I’m not sure, maybe…” Ning Shuang truly had no idea. They’d only returned to their hometown because Ji Huaizhi was coming to stay. If they wanted to visit him, they’d probably wait until Ji Huaizhi wasn’t around.
“If they plan to come, please let me know ahead of time,” Ji Huaizhi said. “I’ll make space for you and your family.”
Ning Shuang: “…Ah, okay!”
He really was like his family—averse to too much contact with strangers.
But they couldn’t go on like that forever, could they?
Half-joking, Ning Shuang asked, “Ji Huaizhi, just hypothetically—if the two of us got together, you wouldn’t meet the parents?”
