Meet the parents?
Ji Huaizhi frowned slightly as he pondered it.
They had already met each other’s parents long ago.
As for now, they didn’t really need to meet again—after all, their families might not even want to see him.
Still, he needed to give Ning Shuang a proper answer. With a nod, he said, “We should meet.”
Ning Shuang broke into a grin, clearly delighted by Ji Huaizhi’s response.
He kept kneading the dough with enthusiastic shakes of his head.
In the end, they baked a four-inch mini cake—just the right size for two people. Ning Shuang even showed off his skills by whipping up several side dishes.
At the dining table, Ning Shuang flicked off the wall switch, and the overhead light above the table went dark.
Only the few candles on the cake provided illumination now. A stray breeze slipped in from somewhere in the house, making the tiny flames flicker wildly.
The dim, yellowish glow played across their faces, casting a uniquely warm—and rather intimate—ambiance.
Ning Shuang cupped his hands protectively around the cake’s sides and said cautiously to Ji Huaizhi, “Make a wish quick, then blow out the candles.”
But Ji Huaizhi simply gazed at his face and murmured, “Ning Shuang, you seem to be glowing.”
The orange candlelight reflected in Ning Shuang’s eyes, bright sparks that seemed to gild him with a layer of warm, almost divine radiance.
Ning Shuang touched his face, not reading any flirtation into the words. With a cheeky grin at Ji Huaizhi, he said, “It’s the candlelight! If that’s the case, then you’re glowing too.”
He assumed Ji Huaizhi just meant the fire was lighting him up.
The corner of Ji Huaizhi’s mouth curved up slowly.
“Come on, come on,” Ning Shuang urged. “Close your eyes and make your wish.”
Ji Huaizhi obediently shut his eyes. Ning Shuang then instructed him to clasp his hands with fingers interlocked for sincerity—it would make the wish more likely to come true. Meanwhile, Ning Shuang sang “Happy Birthday” from the sidelines to set the mood.
The living room AC was on, keeping out the chilly outdoor wind and trapping the indoor warmth.
Once the wish was made, Ji Huaizhi blew out the candles, plunging their view into instant darkness.
Ning Shuang fumbled for the wall switch and flipped on the overhead light. The sudden brightness made Ji Huaizhi squint uncomfortably.
“Next up, cake time!” Ning Shuang handed him the little plastic knife again.
Ji Huaizhi cut a generous slice for Ning Shuang but only a tiny one for himself. Ning Shuang immediately protested, “Cut yourself more—you’re the birthday boy! How can you eat so little?!”
Ji Huaizhi explained, “I want you to have more.”
Ning Shuang let out an “Aiya!” and snatched the plastic knife from Ji Huaizhi’s hand. He sliced another big piece onto Ji Huaizhi’s plate. “I’m not some starving ghost—what do I need so much for?! Besides, look at all these dishes!”
“I’ve been slacking on workouts lately—you didn’t know? I’ve gained a full six pounds!” Ning Shuang held up six fingers with exaggerated flair.
Ji Huaizhi thought back to that accidental glimpse of Ning Shuang’s bare upper body—his back bones had protruded so starkly, skinny as a rail. Why claim he was fat?
Ji Huaizhi licked a bit of frosting but responded to Ning Shuang like this: “You’re not fat. Your build is great—strong, too. No need to worry about it.”
Being earnestly complimented by someone he liked—even the oblivious Ning Shuang felt his face heat up and his heart race. He laughed it off awkwardly and changed the subject. “Right, right! Birthday present!”
He reached into his pocket, rummaged around, and pulled out a small black velvet gift box—like a ring box.
“Here!” Ning Shuang offered it over. “Happy birthday!”
Ji Huaizhi was clearly surprised by the sudden gift. “When did you buy this?”
“This morning.” Ning Shuang scratched his head, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
During that trip to the city center?
Xuan Que hadn’t followed Ning Shuang inside, so he’d assumed Ning Shuang was meeting someone… or doing something else.
So he’d gone shopping for this then?
Ji Huaizhi’s eyes shone a little brighter than usual. He reached out, took the gift from Ning Shuang, and opened the box to reveal a pair of beautiful stud earrings.
“What do you think?”
Ji Huaizhi nodded. “They look great.”
Grinning, Ning Shuang said, “Yeah, I thought they were perfect for you—that’s why I got them.”
“Thank you, Ning Shuang,” Ji Huaizhi said earnestly, looking right at him.
Ning Shuang waved it off. “No need to thank me. Since it’s your birthday, how about a little drink?”
“I don’t drink much.” Wondering why Ning Shuang had suddenly brought up alcohol, Ji Huaizhi explained anyway.
Ning Shuang got up, grabbed a bottle of red wine from the top of the shelf, and returned to the table. “Just a tiny bit! I’ll have a tiny bit too!”
He needed the booze for courage—a sip shouldn’t hurt.
Today, no matter what, he had to confess his feelings!
Ji Huaizhi didn’t refuse again.
Ning Shuang fetched two glasses.
Knowing full well what a mess he became when drunk, Ning Shuang didn’t pour much wine into his own glass. He even mixed in a ton of Sprite.
Ji Huaizhi accepted the half-glass of wine Ning Shuang poured for him. His tolerance was decent—way better than Ning Shuang’s, at least.
“Either way, happy birthday,” Ning Shuang said, raising his glass.
Ji Huaizhi clinked glasses with him obligingly.
Ning Shuang took just a tiny sip. The Sprite had completely overpowered the alcohol flavor. He breathed a sigh of relief—surely he wouldn’t get wasted from this.
“Let’s eat,” Ning Shuang said.
“Okay.” Ji Huaizhi eyed the tips of Ning Shuang’s ears, flushed pink against his reddening cheeks. “You alright?”
“I’m good! This much won’t get me drunk.” Ning Shuang flashed an OK sign.
Ji Huaizhi seemed to see right through the intent hidden in Ning Shuang’s eyes. “You look like you have something to say.”
Ning Shuang went on high alert. “That obvious, huh?”
Ji Huaizhi inclined his head. “Go ahead.”
Ning Shuang opened his mouth, but the words stuck in his throat. No, no—the booze hadn’t kicked in yet; he couldn’t spit it out. He patted his cheeks.
Then he grabbed his glass and downed the rest of the wine in one go.
“Screw it, food first.” Ning Shuang suspected he’d bought fake wine—or mixed in too much Sprite. He was still completely sober, so he poured himself another half-glass and tossed it back with a tilt of his head.
Ji Huaizhi frowned and snatched the glass from his hand. “No more.”
He knew Ning Shuang’s tolerance was poor, and wine had a nasty afterkick. No buzz now didn’t mean it wouldn’t hit later.
Staring at Ji Huaizhi, Ning Shuang said deadpan, “I think my family got fake booze.”
“…” Ji Huaizhi eyed Ning Shuang’s blood-red face and ears, instantly doubting his claim.
Sure enough, seconds later—
Thud! Ning Shuang’s head dropped, and he face-planted onto the table.
Ji Huaizhi: …He knew it.
“Ning Shuang?” he called.
The figure sprawled on the table mumbled muffledly, “Mm?”
Ji Huaizhi gently touched Ning Shuang’s hand with concern. “You okay?”
Ning Shuang lifted his head. “Never better! I’ve never felt this alive!”
His head spun a bit, his tongue felt thick, and the last shreds of sobriety in his mind were about to be devoured.
“I told you not to drink—you haven’t even eaten,” Ji Huaizhi said, his tone laced with helplessness.
Ning Shuang spread his hands. “I’m not drunk. Just a little buzzed. Let’s eat.”
He picked up his chopsticks and calmly clamped a veggie—but if he hadn’t been piling cake into his mouth nonstop, Ji Huaizhi might’ve actually believed him.
Why drink if he couldn’t handle it?
With a sigh, Ji Huaizhi set down his chopsticks, rose, and went to Ning Shuang’s side. He took away the long chopsticks, grabbed a napkin, pinched Ning Shuang’s chin gently, and wiped the frosting from the corner of his mouth.
Ning Shuang wasn’t blackout drunk—at least, he could still think straight. As the saying goes, a little liquor turns a man into an actor, hamming it up till the tears flow. Seizing the moment, Ning Shuang tilted his head back and gazed up at Ji Huaizhi with puppy-dog eyes.
“Ji Huaizhi…” he called softly.
Ji Huaizhi: “Mm?”
Mustering his courage, Ning Shuang asked, “Do you like anyone?”
Ji Huaizhi: “Yes.”
“Who?” His tone came out rushed.
…Ji Huaizhi didn’t reply.
With the alcohol surging, Ning Shuang’s brain ground to a halt. His eyes rimmed red as he whined pitifully, “How come you already like someone?”
“Can’t you try liking me?” A clear teardrop slid from the corner of Ning Shuang’s eye.
Wasn’t his own affection obvious enough? Ji Huaizhi wondered, watching Ning Shuang in confusion.
Gently, he helped Ning Shuang to his feet and guided him upstairs. “You’re drunk.”
“Maybe,” Ning Shuang said, unsure if he really was.
Back in the room, Ji Huaizhi eased him onto the bed. Ning Shuang instinctively hooked an arm around his neck. Caught off guard, Ji Huaizhi shot out his hands to brace himself on either side of Ning Shuang’s body, avoiding collapsing on top of him.
His long hair slid down completely, falling beside Ning Shuang as a rich fragrance wafted over. Ning Shuang, who hadn’t been all that drunk before, now felt even more dazed.
He tilted his head slightly, and the long hair brushed across his lips.
Ning Shuang froze for a moment, then extended his tongue to catch a strand of Ji Huaizhi’s falling hair between his lips.
It had no taste, but it smelled divine.
This unconscious gesture made Ji Huaizhi’s pupils tremble. His heart even skipped a beat.
“Ning Shuang… are you still sober?” Ji Huaizhi noticed that every word coming from his mouth was trembling.
Ning Shuang stared at him in a daze and murmured, “Like…”
With that, he wrapped his arms around Ji Huaizhi’s neck, still holding that strand of hair in his mouth, and arched his waist up to kiss the man before him.
Ji Huaizhi turned his head to dodge. His lips grazed Ning Shuang’s ear, and with a sidelong glance, he spotted the mark on the back of Ning Shuang’s neck. Its color had deepened considerably.
Ji Huaizhi could tell that Ning Shuang was truly drunk.
He gently removed the arm from around his neck, then squatted down to take off Ning Shuang’s shoes before tucking him snugly under the covers.
Finally, he switched off the room’s light and left.
Back downstairs, he silently cleared the mess from the table on his own, then gave the entire living room a thorough cleaning.
Outside, a heavy rain was pouring down.
Ji Huaizhi stood by the window, gazing out. In the reflection on the glass, he saw his own cold face staring back.
Then he lowered his head and rolled up his sleeve a little. He removed his watch, revealing an identical mark beneath the strap—the same one on the back of Ning Shuang’s neck. Its color had also deepened quite a bit. He knew he was despicable. Everything he had to offer was despicable. What Ning Shuang liked was merely the version of himself that he wanted Ning Shuang to see.
In truth, he was nowhere near as good as the man Ning Shuang perceived.
Even Ning Shuang’s affection for him was something he’d schemed and fought to obtain. It felt so ephemeral, so insubstantial—impossible to truly grasp or hold tight.
But Ning Shuang would never know. And Ji Huaizhi would never let him find out.
