Chapter 56
Jiang Chaochao, after just one glance, placed his phone face down on the table.
Then looked at Xiang Ye.
Xiang Ye maintained the same posture as when they were playing Gomoku, unhurried, unperturbed, and even picked up his glass of wine.
So Jiang Chaochao clinked glasses with him first.
“When did you think of this?” Jiang Chaochao asked Xiang Ye.
Xiang Ye: “When I got the alcohol.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Very interesting?”
Xiang Ye smiled: “Very.”
Jiang Chaochao glanced at the phone on the table.
The drawing he chose this time was one of Jiang Chaochao’s earlier works.
His drawings now were more restrained, many suitable for public viewing, but his earlier works, partly due to youthful exuberance, partly due to being new to this, were much more unrestrained.
The bottom in the drawing was kneeling with his feet turned inwards, sitting on the bed, head tilted back, wearing a blindfold, hands tied behind his back, a black ribbon loosely around his neck, tied into a large bow with wide wings at his chest.
And the top in the drawing was only shown from behind, his upper body bare, wearing dress pants, also kneeling on the bed, leaning against a pillow and kissing the blindfolded man.
Jiang Chaochao could already picture it, already imagining himself in the scene.
He nudged the phone towards Xiang Ye with his index finger, twice, then twice again, “Look for yourself.”
Xiang Ye knew Jiang Chaochao’s phone password. After picking up the phone from the table, Jiang Chaochao turned his head away.
But in the next second: “Face ID required.”
Jiang Chaochao: “…”
How could he forget that the hidden album required Face ID every time it was opened?
So, Jiang Chaochao smoothly unlocked his phone, smoothly facing the drawing again.
Jiang Chaochao: “…”
Xiang Ye said: “Third time seeing your drawings.”
Jiang Chaochao said, forcing himself, “Well-drawn, right?”
Xiang Ye: “Very… well-drawn.”
The pause in Xiang Ye’s words was very noticeable, making Jiang Chaochao feel like he wasn’t just praising the drawing itself.
“A blindfold,” Xiang Ye stared at the drawing without a hint of embarrassment, “We can buy one.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Now?”
Xiang Ye took out his phone as he spoke, “Now.”
The highly efficient Xiang Ye naturally wouldn’t just give up because he didn’t have one at home. Not only did he find a blindfold, he even found a black ribbon.
“The delivery will arrive in thirty minutes,” Xiang Ye said, raising an eyebrow at Jiang Chaochao.
Jiang Chaochao smiled faintly: “What?”
Xiang Ye: “You shower first, or me?”
Jiang Chaochao’s scalp tingled.
But…
Jiang Chaochao glanced at Xiang Ye’s phone: “That person, his hands are tied as well.”
Xiang Ye immediately understood what Jiang Chaochao was talking about: “I’ll use my tie.”
Jiang Chaochao inwardly exclaimed, Holy shit, so hot.
Because the bottom’s hands were tied behind his back, they weren’t shown in Jiang Chaochao’s drawing.
But now there was a supplementary image.
In the end, Jiang Chaochao decided to let Xiang Ye shower first.
Firstly, so he could stall for time, secondly, he didn’t want to receive the package. Although those two items seemed innocent enough, he still felt awkward.
He truly hadn’t imagined, when he was drawing, that this drawing would eventually fall on his own head.
By the time Jiang Chaochao finished showering, it was already well past the legendary thirty minutes.
Jiang Chaochao thought Xiang Ye was ready, so after leaving the bathroom, he quickly ran to the door and turned off the lights.
Everything that followed happened in the dim light.
It unfolded as Jiang Chaochao had imagined, but with a slight change. The change was that Xiang Ye didn’t use his tie, but instead, in front of Jiang Chaochao, unbuckled his belt, looked at Jiang Chaochao, and tied his hands.
The visual and tactile stimulation made Jiang Chaochao dizzy. His mind was still reeling when his eyes were blindfolded.
It was Jiang Chaochao’s first time being blindfolded, and it felt very different.
Xiang Ye also teased him relentlessly. Because he couldn’t see, Jiang Chaochao didn’t know where Xiang Ye would kiss him next, so every touch was a surprise.
This night, orchestrated by Xiang Ye, was incredibly intense, leaving Jiang Chaochao completely exhausted, eventually carried to the bathroom.
Mm-hmm.
…
A few days later, Jiang Chaochao suddenly learned from Xiang Ye’s friend that Xiang Ye had been very good at chess since he was young, winning awards in Gomoku, Go, and Chinese chess.
Jiang Chaochao’s mind went blank. He finally understood where Xiang Ye’s calmness that night came from.
He had been so confident, how could he have thought they were just casually playing Gomoku?
“If I had known you were so good at Gomoku, I wouldn’t have played with you,”
In the afternoon office, Jiang Chaochao crossed his arms and tilted his head, looking at the person in front of the computer.
Xiang Ye: “If you didn’t play Gomoku with me, how would I have won three rounds in a row?”
Jiang Chaochao exclaimed loudly, “Admit that you cheated!”
Xiang Ye: “I won’t.”
Jiang Chaochao was momentarily speechless, Fine, if you won’t admit it, I will, “I’m going home to sleep tonight.”
Xiang Ye: “I admit it.”
Jiang Chaochao couldn’t help but laugh, “Do you even have any principles?”
Xiang Ye: “No.”
Jiang Chaochao came over after finishing his afternoon lessons. He actually had work to do too, but no one was at the studio at the moment, so he figured, working on his laptop here was the same as working anywhere else.
So he occupied Xiang Ye’s desk.
Jiang Chaochao had a large-scale performance in a few days and was currently discussing the details with his assistant.
Shici would also be participating in this competition, as part of a team. And the niece, knowing that her uncle would be accompanying xuechang to the competition, naturally became sarcastic.
“Yo, Uncle, only seeing you now that xuechang has a competition.”
Just as Jiang Chaochao finished filling out the form his assistant gave him, a knock came on Xiang Ye’s office door.
Jiang Chaochao instinctively stood up, but Xiang Ye waved him back down.
It was someone Jiang Chaochao didn’t know, but they seemed to have seen him before. After entering and making eye contact, they smiled and nodded at Jiang Chaochao.
Jiang Chaochao often came to Xiang Ye’s company, he wasn’t familiar with the staff, but on the contrary, the staff were very familiar with him.
He had also frequently appeared in gossip groups recently, discussing topics such as “Is this really Mr. Xiang’s boyfriend?”, “Is Mr. Xiang really gay?”, “If they’re not boyfriends, they’re too intimate,” “I bet two bags of latiao (spicy snack) that they’re boyfriends,” “I don’t know why, but if Mr. Xiang is gay, I suddenly find him even more attractive,” and “If they’re not boyfriends, Mr. Xiang’s Weibo is a bit too lovey-dovey, I don’t believe it.”
Xiang Ye never cared about these discussions, and if Xiang Ye didn’t care, Jiang Chaochao didn’t care either.
After Jiang Chaochao finished his work, Xiang Ye was alone in the office again.
“Jiang zong (boss/president),” Xiang Ye walked towards the desk and asked, “Off work?”
Jiang Chaochao closed his laptop, “Off work!”
Xiang Ye: “I still have two more hours.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Poor Xiao Ye.”
Poor Xiao Ye also opened his laptop, pulled a chair over, and sat next to Jiang Chaochao.
“By the way,” Jiang Chaochao said to Xiang Ye, “I got you the tickets for the performance. You and Xu Hengzhi are sitting together, is that okay?”
Xiang Ye: “Okay.”
At the same time, Jiang Chaochao also told Xu Hengzhi about the tickets.
Xu Hengzhi: “I’ll definitely be there!”
Jiang Chaochao: “You and Xiang Ye are sitting together.”
Xu Hengzhi: “No problem.”
Xu Hengzhi: “Oh, about Xiang Ye…”
Jiang Chaochao: “What’s wrong?”
Xu Hengzhi: “My female colleagues have been asking about your relationship recently.”
Jiang Chaochao: “They know me too?”
Xu Hengzhi: “I took you to that party a long time ago, you’re so handsome, they definitely remember you.”
Xu Hengzhi: “And Xiang Ye’s recent Weibo posts are all about you.”
Xu Hengzhi: “I can’t stand it, his style has completely changed, he’s become hopelessly romantic!”
Jiang Chaochao: “Right? I think so too.”
Xu Hengzhi: “Don’t even start, you’re the same.”
Xu Hengzhi: “You’re both hopelessly romantic.”
Xu Hengzhi: “Damn it, just as I said that, my colleague came to ask me again.”
Xu Hengzhi: “Xiang Ye posted on Weibo again!”
Jiang Chaochao immediately went to Weibo and asked: “You posted on Weibo?”
Xiang Ye: “Just a casual shot.”
He clicked on it. The caption was “Someone usurping my place.”
The picture showed Jiang Chaochao sitting alone at the computer, typing.
Someone’s “casual shot” was quite good. As Xu Hengzhi said, Xiang Ye’s lens had emotion.
Jiang Chaochao sometimes felt that Xiang Ye made him look much more handsome.
Turning around, Jiang Chaochao replied to Xu Hengzhi, “You tell me.”
Xu Hengzhi: “Interpret the picture? Such a test?”
Xu Hengzhi: “Forget it, I’ll just make something up, I don’t want to cause trouble for you two.”
Jiang Chaochao: “You’re such a good person. I’ll treat you to supper after the performance.”
Xu Hengzhi: “You’re a good person too, I want seafood.”
Because of the upcoming performance, Jiang Chaochao had been practicing at Xiang Ye’s place every night recently.
Tonight was no exception, but it was also special, because his assistant had sent over his performance attire, so he tried it on.
So this was the scene Xiang Ye saw after he finished showering.
Jiang Chaochao, in a black suit, white shirt, and red bow tie, swaying slightly under the warm yellow light on the balcony, playing the violin.
It felt like time had rewound, a long time ago, Xiang Ye had also watched him like this.
Back then, he stood on a stage meant for one person, a single spotlight on him, while Xiang Ye was among the crowd, just one of the many admiring him, cheering for him.
Now Jiang Chaochao was within reach, it seemed like something had changed, and yet nothing had changed.
In Xiang Ye’s eyes, Jiang Chaochao was always shining.
However long Jiang Chaochao played, Xiang Ye stood in the living room with an empty glass in hand.
He stood there until Jiang Chaochao vaguely felt something was amiss and turned around, noticing a figure in the dimly lit living room.
“Hmm?” Jiang Chaochao asked in surprise, “You’re done?”
Only then did Xiang Ye walk over, “Very beautiful.”
Jiang Chaochao chuckled, “I play every night.”
Xiang Ye ignored this and said, “Very handsome.”
Jiang Chaochao looked down at his clothes, “I think so too.”
Xiang Ye patted Jiang Chaochao’s hair.
Not enough, he also pinched Jiang Chaochao’s cheek.
Xiang Ye: “I love you.”
Jiang Chaochao smiled, “That’s very sudden.”
But Jiang Chaochao was already used to Xiang Ye’s suddenness.
Xiang Ye then said, “I want to hear that piece.”
Jiang Chaochao logically shouldn’t understand what he meant, but somehow, his mind was suddenly on the same wavelength as Xiang Ye, “The one you heard the first time you saw me?”
Xiang Ye smiled because Jiang Chaochao understood, “Mm-hmm.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Okay!”
The moon quietly rose, casting its light on Jiang Chaochao’s shoulder.
It was also at this moment that Jiang Chaochao turned his head, and the two exchanged a smile.
Just like many times before, their eyes only saw each other.
(End of Main Story)
