Chapter 9

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After learning that Xu Chi's confession had been successful, Yu Yang finished the handover work and returned to school to teach physical education.

Seeing Yan Shu on the playground during class, Yu Yang smiled and greeted him, "Teacher Yan."

Not seeing the person he wanted to see, Yan Shu was a bit surprised, "Did Xu Chi take a leave of absence?"

Yu Yang was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, "Has Xu Chi not told you yet?"

Yan Shu asked, "What is it?"

"He's not a teacher at our school. At the beginning of the semester, I hurt my leg playing basketball, so I asked him to substitute for me for a while."

Yu Yang thought for a moment and explained, "He's a friend of mine. One day he told me he's liked you for a long time, and knowing that we were colleagues, he asked me to help. I thought it was an opportunity."

"So that's how it is. It's okay, I'll go first."

"Alright."

After hearing that Xu Chi wasn't a teacher at the school, Yan Shu felt relieved. After all, dating and being gay at the same school wouldn't have a good influence.

He had been considering changing schools for work these past few days.

Returning home, he saw a sticky note on the door.

"I have something to do today and will be back later. Come to my place. There's some food I made in the fridge. Remember to heat it up."

They had previously given each other their keys.

Xu Chi didn't keep Yan Shu waiting long. Yan Shu had finished eating by the time he returned.

The room was lit up, and Yan Shu was sitting on the couch playing with his phone. Everything was so peaceful and beautiful.

Xu Chi's eyes curved into a smile. "I'm back. Have you eaten?"

Yan Shu looked up at him. "I've finished."

"That's good," Xu Chi walked into the kitchen, seeing that the dishes had already been washed. He said with a hint of regret, "I forgot to write and tell you not to wash the dishes."

Yan Shu found this a bit amusing and his gaze swept over the sticky note on the coffee table. Curious, he asked, "Why do you like using sticky notes so much?"

Xu Chi hesitated for a moment, looking at Yan Shu expectantly. He whispered, "Because I used to write to you like this in college. Do you remember?"

Yan Shu thought carefully and recalled similar sticky notes from his college days. Surprised, he asked, "Are you the underclassman who helped me finish the campus run?"

Xu Chi was overjoyed that he remembered and nodded vigorously, "Yeah."

"Then why didn't you come and get to know me back then?"

"That's just how it is with a crush. I didn't have the courage."

Yan Shu started to feel a little heartache. He had been secretly liking him for so many years.

But if Xu Chi had confessed to Yan Shu in college, Yan Shu probably wouldn't have agreed. Because he wouldn't have been interested in a younger student. He had a stereotype that college students, especially underclassmen, were naive.

Yan Shu took a deep breath and smiled at Xu Chi, "Well, that's all in the past. It's not too late now."

"Yeah."

"By the way, Yu Yang said you weren't a teacher at our school, so what's your real job?"

"Gym owner."

"The newly opened one near our school?"

"Yes."

Thinking back on all the coincidences, Yan Shu couldn't help but laugh, "You really planned this all along."

Xu Chi admitted with a smile, "Yes."

Half a month after Yan Shu and Xu Chi got together, Song Yu found out.

It wasn't that Yan Shu was intentionally hiding it from him. He just had a feeling, for some reason, that Song Yu… knew.

How did Song Yu find out? Well, Yan Shu had been going to the gym, and quite frequently at that. That was odd, very odd.

After asking around, he found out that the gym owner was Xu Chi. Then, one time he went over to Yan Shu's place and saw a pair of couple's slippers and a pair of couple's mugs. That's when he was certain Yan Shu was in a relationship. And when he asked, Yan Shu said it was with Xu Chi.

That day, Xu Chi invited him over for a home-cooked meal.

Song Yu said, "Well done, you didn't even tell me?"

Yan Shu awkwardly explained, "I forgot. I always thought you knew."

Having seen the scene he wanted to see play out, Song Yu was in a good mood and didn't mind. "Alright, alright. Actually, you two are pretty good together. You should have him help you exercise, go for a run every day or something."

Yan Shu laughed, "That's impossible."

Xu Chi interjected, "It's okay, I'll take good care of Yan Shu. And I've been studying health and wellness."

Song Yu glanced at Yan Shu, "Look at Xu Chi, then look at you."

Yan Shu didn't feel anything was wrong at all, and confidently replied, "Look if you want, he's my partner."

"Fine, so what if you have a boyfriend? I'll leave, I won't disturb you anymore."

After Song Yu left, Xu Chi looked at Yan Shu with a complex expression.

Yan Shu turned to look at him, "What's wrong?"

Xu Chi pursed his lips and said shyly, "Can you stay tonight?"

Yan Shu looked at him with a slightly evasive gaze and said, "Are you thinking..."

Xu Chi's eyes darted around, his face flushed, and his voice was low and unclear, "If you don't want to, it's fine."

Unexpectedly, Yan Shu smiled, "Are you ready?"

"I'm ready," Xu Chi nodded and then took a folder from the bedroom and handed it to Yan Shu.

Yan Shu took it and opened it. Inside were a bank card, a property certificate, and even a medical examination report.

"You've had this idea for a long time?"

Xu Chi buried his head, nervously asking, "So... stay?"

"Okay."

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Chapter 8

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After being with Xu Chi, Yan Shu always felt he would become lazier because Xu Chi didn't let him do this or that.

"I'll become useless like this."

"No, I can only help you with small things. You're very capable, and you'll always shine brightly."

Having the identity of a boyfriend, Xu Chi no longer needed to be as cautious as before.

Whenever he had time, he would wait for Yan Shu to finish work. Today, Yan Shu said he would finish work very late, so Xu Chi waited at the school gate on time. As soon as he saw Yan Shu come out, his eyes lit up like the stars above. Then he waved excitedly.

Yan Shu turned to look, a faint smile on his lips, and all the fatigue in his body disappeared. He walked over and said to him, "You don't actually need to pick me up."

He wanted to say, I already understand your feelings.

Xu Chi shook his head and said seriously, "No, that's not okay. I was like this before we were together, and I won't change after we're together. I want you to never regret being with me."

Yan Shu smiled. He thought being with Xu Chi was probably the thing he regretted the least.

Under the streetlamp, their shadows stretched long, and the summer night breeze gently blew on two burning hearts.

Xu Chi said, "The moonlight is so beautiful tonight. Let's take a walk before we go home."

"Okay."

As they walked, Yan Shu suddenly asked Xu Chi a question, "Have you ever been in love before?"

Xu Chi answered without hesitation, "No, you're the first."

Yan Shu tilted his head, looking at Xu Chi, "You give me the feeling that you're very experienced in love."

Xu Chi scratched his head, unsure if this was a compliment. He said honestly, "I just want to be good to you."

"Then why do you like me?"

Xu Chi looked at Yan Shu, his eyes filled with smiles. "If I told you I've liked you since college, wouldn't it be so sudden?"

"College?" Yan Shu thought carefully. There was no trace of Xu Chi in his memory, or maybe there was, but he hadn't noticed.

Yan Shu felt his heart skip a beat. He stopped and looked at him blankly, "You... when did you know me?"

Xu Chi looked up at the sky, lost in thought. "During the first student council meeting of our freshman year, that was when your image was deeply imprinted in my heart. But for the entire four years of university, I never had the courage to confess to you, or even the courage to let you know me."

Is this what they call unrequited love?

Thinking of the bitterness and helplessness of unrequited love, Yan Shu felt a little sad. His eyes gradually turned red, and finally he smiled bitterly, "Aren't you silly?"

"Not at all," Xu Chi raised his chin and smiled happily. "You are the moon in the sky, surrounded by countless stars. I would be satisfied just being one of them."

Xu Chi paused, turned to look at Yan Shu, his eyes as bright as a galaxy. "And now I have my moonlight. I'm very happy."

Yan Shu blinked, lowered his head, and said softly, "But what if you find out that I'm not that good? You seem to have a filter on me. Maybe in the eyes of others, you could be their moon too." [T/N: yeah, but, the Moon just has Earth in his eyes. He doesn’t care how many other planets there are]

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. I can only be yours. Don't feel any pressure. I like you, I like everything about you."  

After saying that, Xu Chi raised an eyebrow, "Wait for me a second."

Yan Shu watched him doubtfully as he blended into the night. His figure disappeared for a moment, then reappeared in Yan Shu's sight.

Xu Chi walked towards Yan Shu step by step with his hands behind his back.

He stopped a metre away and took out a bunch of red roses from behind his back.

Yan Shu heard him say, "They say a formal relationship should start with a bouquet of flowers and a confession. So, Yan Shu, I like you. Will you be my boyfriend?"

His voice was soft but exceptionally clear, falling on Yan Shu's heart with a tingling sensation.

His heartbeat had already answered for him.

"Okay."

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Chapter 7

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Yan Shu thought a lot along the way. The feeling of being troubled by emotions wasn't pleasant. He didn't like this feeling. From a young age, many people had confessed to him, and many had persisted even after being rejected, but he had always been able to handle it. This time was no different.

Since he already had feelings for Xu Chi, he might as well make his feelings clear.

"We're home," Xu Chi said.

Yan Shu came back to his senses and subconsciously replied, "Mm."

He gripped the doorknob, hesitated for a moment, then turned to Xu Chi and said, "Are you free to come over and cook at my place again tonight?"

Xu Chi was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "Okay, I can. I'll clean up and be right over."

Yan Shu nodded and turned to go inside, leaving the door open.

He went into the kitchen, served the rice first, then took the ingredients out of the refrigerator and placed them neatly on the countertop. After washing what needed to be washed, all he had to do was sit on the sofa and wait for the food to be ready.

Yan Shu was quite proficient in these tasks. He had even considered chopping the vegetables ahead of time, but Xu Chi wouldn't let him. He said he had specific requirements for how the vegetables were cut.

Yan Shu didn't understand, but he respected Xu Chi's preference.

Soon, Xu Chi knocked on the door and entered, carrying a plate of fresh fruit.

He changed his shoes at the entrance, walked over to the coffee table, and placed the fruit in front of Yan Shu. His voice was soft and gentle as he said, "Have some fruit to tide you over."

Yan Shu watched his back as he walked into the kitchen, and a jumble of thoughts flooded his mind again.

He and Xu Chi were neighbours first, then coworkers.

Initially, he was simply drawn to Xu Chi's cooking skills. So, he asked him to cook for him, and to his surprise, Xu Chi was more than happy to. It was as if something in his own home was attracting him.

"Once there was one time, then there was a second, a third..."

Yan Shu finally realised today that this kind of relationship was truly abnormal. Xu Chi's movements after entering the room were so practiced, it was as if he was seeing a scene from their cohabitation.

So, this was what it was like to be truly smitten with someone.

Yan Shu pulled his gaze back to his phone and waited quietly.

Xu Chi was busy in the kitchen, not giving it much thought.

The clock ticked on slowly, second by second, until it was six-thirty in the evening, and hot food was already on the table.

Xu Chi set down the bowls and chopsticks, then walked out of the kitchen for the last time. He called out softly towards the sofa.

"Dinner's ready."

"Coming," Yan Shu replied, putting down his phone and standing up to go to the kitchen. He called out, "What do you want to drink? Milk, juice, or alcohol?"

"Just juice is fine."

"Okay."

Yan Shu casually took out two bottles of juice, then closed the refrigerator door. He walked out and handed one to Xu Chi, sitting down opposite him.

Xu Chi took it and thanked him.

Xu Chi's cooking was very much to Yan Shu's taste. He also paid a lot of attention to nutritional balance. No matter what ingredients he was given, he could cook up a nutritious meal of three dishes and one soup.

He wondered who would end up with such a good cook.

Thinking about this, Yan Shu felt a pang of heartache. He lowered his eyes and unconsciously tightened his grip on his chopsticks.

No, he couldn't let himself get carried away by his emotions. He needed to act quickly, before he got in too deep.

Yan Shu pursed his lips and finally spoke, “Actually, there's something I need to tell you.”

Xu Chi's eyelids twitched. He looked up and said in confusion, "What is it?"

"I like men."

Yan Shu's expression was very calm. In fact, he felt that any sexual orientation was normal, as long as he liked it, there was nothing to be ashamed of.

Xu Chi's movements stopped abruptly. He was a little surprised by Yan Shu's directness. Beyond surprise, he nodded, "Yeah, me too."

These simple words left Yan Shu at a loss for words. His mind raced. So, he does too? Does he feel the same way about me? Let's just ask.

Yan Shu didn't want questions, he wanted answers. 

"So, do you like me?" Yan Shu put down his chopsticks, raised his head, and stared intently at the person across from him.

The moment their eyes met, Xu Chi's ears turned red, quickly spreading to his entire face. A wave of heat swept through his body, and he quickly averted his gaze.

Hearing Yan Shu's question, Xu Chi's mind short-circuited for a moment.

So, he had finally been found out. Xu Chi felt both uneasy and relieved.

It seemed that his prepared confession would no longer be needed.

He calmed his racing heart, took a deep breath, and suddenly looked into Yan Shu's eyes and replied seriously, "I like you."

Bang…!

A string in Yan Shu's heart snapped. He laughed, "What a coincidence, I like you too."

A clap of thunder echoed outside the window, and a flash of lightning lit up the room before plunging it into darkness.

Xu Chi hadn't recovered yet, his ears still ringing with Yan Shu's words.

It took him a long time to realise that his one-sided love had finally borne fruit.

Yan Shu wasn't much calmer than Xu Chi. The darkness came at just the right time, hiding the blush that was quickly spreading across his face.

After a while, Yan Shu changed the subject and said in the darkness, "The power's out."

Xu Chi was a beat behind. "Yeah."

Then he stood up. "It must be a tripped circuit breaker. I'll go check."

"Wait a moment, I'll get my phone to light the way for you."

Yan Shu felt his way towards the sofa in the dark. Perhaps a little too confident in himself, he walked too fast and unexpectedly bumped his knee into the coffee table leg.

His leg ached, and he almost fell to his knees.

With his eyes unable to see anything, his ears became more sensitive. Hearing the noise, Xu Chi asked anxiously, "What happened? Where did you hit yourself?"

Yan Shu found his phone and, while Xu Chi was unlocking it, used the faint light from the phone's screen to guide Xu Chi to his side.

He helped Yan Shu sit on the sofa and knelt down to examine his injury.

Yan Shu turned on the phone's flashlight and handed it to Xu Chi, "I'm fine, you go check the circuit breaker first."

"Okay," Xu Chi took the phone reluctantly, "You sit still and don't move."

"Mm."

Soon, the room lit up. Yan Shu closed his eyes uncomfortably to adjust.

Xu Chi came in from outside. He closed the door and casually picked up the medicine cabinet from the shoe rack and walked towards Yan Shu.

He knelt in front of Yan Shu and said softly, "Let me see where you got hurt."

Yan Shu rolled up his pant leg, revealing a large bruise on his right knee. His naturally fair skin provided a stark contrast, making it look even more prominent.

Xu Chi frowned and took out a bottle of red flower oil, gently applying it to the bruise and massaging it in.

Yan Shu looked down at his serious expression and realised that his knee didn't hurt anymore. "Actually, it'll heal on its own in a few days."

"This will help it heal faster," Xu Chi said after treating the injury. "Be more careful in the future. You need to apply medicine properly whenever you get hurt."

Yan Shu smiled casually, "Isn't that what you're here for?"

Xu Chi was stunned for a moment, then realised what Yan Shu meant. He blushed and nodded, "Yeah, I'll take good care of you."

"Then I'll trouble you, boyfriend."

"No trouble at all, it's my pleasure."

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Chapter 6

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Xu Chi had Yan Shu's contact information, but he still preferred to write sticky notes by hand.

Every time Yan Shu went out or came home, he would see a note stuck on the door.

At first, it was just some reminders like dressing warmly in cold weather or bringing an umbrella when going out. Later, he gradually wrote about everything.

"I have a gathering today, so I might be back late. Do you want any late-night sacks?"

When Yan Shu saw this sentence, a smile crept onto his lips without him realising it. He took out his phone, clicked on the WeChat chat interface with Xu Chi, and typed a reply. "No need, be careful on your way back."

Yan Shu tore off the sticky note and had just walked in when his phone vibrated.

"Got it, um... I haven't been drinking, you should get some rest early, good night."

"Good night."

After a while, another goodnight emoji came through.

Yan Shu didn't reply. He knew that if he did, the other person would send another message, and they would go back and forth forever.

He didn't know where this habit of always having to have the last word came from.

Leaning against the door, Yan Shu scrolled through their chat history. He and Xu Chi had only known each other for a little over a month, yet they had more messages than he did with coworkers he'd known for about a year.

He wasn't someone who would actively start conversations, and unless necessary, he would remain silent if he felt uncomfortable during a chat.

Yan Shu always followed Xu Chi's lead in their conversations. As they spent more time together, he found Xu Chi to be very considerate and gentle.

The next day, when Yan Shu was about to leave for work, Xu Chi was already waiting for him at the door with breakfast.

Yan Shu seemed accustomed to this and wasn't surprised, "So early?"

"Just finished my morning run."

Yan Shu looked up at Xu Chi. He was wearing a clean white hoodie, his hair still damp from the shower and hanging over his forehead. If you got close enough, you could smell the faint scent of shower gel.

Knowing that Xu Chi went for a run every day, Yan Shu was genuinely impressed. He knew he could never do it himself. What was the point of running when you could be cozy in bed?

Yan Shu took the breakfast as usual, "Thanks, I'm off to work."

"Okay."

Xu Chi nodded and watched him enter the elevator before turning back into the house.

His phone on the table buzzed.

He unlocked his phone, scrolled to the message box, and returned a call.

Yu Yang stretched his legs, then sat on the edge of the hospital bed, looking out at the traffic outside the window. He asked, "Bro, how's your progress? I'm about to be discharged."

Xu Chi thought for a moment and answered honestly, "It's just like that."

"Like what?" Yu Yang paused, looking a bit exasperated. "You're not still not talking to him like you did in college, are you?"

"How could that be? I've already added his contact information, and we get along really well."

"So when are you going to confess your feelings?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Come on, man, can you do it? I say you confess tomorrow."

Tomorrow was too soon for Xu Chi. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "I know what I'm doing. Why don't you stay in the hospital a little longer? I'll pay the bill."

"Is it a matter of hospital fees? This is a major event in your life. I'm telling you, you have to hurry up, or someone else will snatch him away, and you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

Yu Yang continued to talk for a long time, and every time he paused, Xu Chi would perfunctorily agree, telling him he was listening.

After all, Yu Yang was just trying to help him.

Finally, when Yu Yang had finished speaking, Xu Chi replied and hung up the phone, "I'll keep trying, okay, bye, let's chat again another day."

He sat on the sofa, closed his eyes, and his gaze suddenly fell on the corn on the table. Hesitating for a moment, he leaned over and picked it up, patiently and carefully peeling off the corn kernels and placing them in a bowl beside him, repeating a few words over and over in his mouth.

"Confess."

"Don't confess."

...

"Confess."

The last kernel of corn plopped into the bowl. Xu Chi stared at the bare corncob in front of him, finally made up his mind, and excitedly repeated, "Confess."

Okay, so I'll confess.

But I need to wait a bit. I need to prepare properly.

Xu Chi waited until the middle of the semester.

After the last exam of the morning, Yan Shu went to the cafeteria for lunch when Song Yu suddenly appeared and sat down next to him.

"Why haven't I seen Xu Chi today?"

"He has something to do."

Song Yu smiled, "Tsk tsk tsk, look at you, lost in thought. You're not used to him not being around, are you? You like him so much."

Hearing the second half of Song Yu's sentence, Yan Shu furrowed his brow and looked up at him, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you think Xu Chi treats you differently?"

"What's different? He's just my neighbour, and we have a neighbourly relationship."

"Oh." Song Yu changed the subject, "So, do you think you feel a little differently about him?"

Yan Shu replied without hesitation, "No, I don't."

"Look at your attitude towards him, and then look at your attitude towards me," Song Yu felt he needed to point this out. "Aren't you the one who's best at keeping men at a distance? But your attitude towards Xu Chi seems a bit indulgent."

Yan Shu retorted, "Where do you see me being indulgent towards him?"

"It's obvious from the way you accept his kindness. Even I, as an outsider, can see that he treats you differently. He cooks for you, picks you up from work, you can't not notice that, right?"

Yan Shu paused for a moment and said nonchalantly, "That's just how he is. We're neighbours, we help each other out."

Ignoring his words, Song Yu continued, "Honestly, I think Xu Chi is a pretty good guy. He's handsome, gentle, and dedicated. You're not getting any younger, maybe you could give him a try."

"You don't even have a partner yourself, why are you so worried about this?"

"Isn't love all about seizing opportunities? Here's your chance."

Yan Shu thought about it. That made sense, but did he like him?

"I have my own ideas, don't worry about it."

Song Yu shrugged, "Alright, alright, let's eat."

Song Yu's words really affected Yan Shu. During his nap, he had a dream. In the dream, he confessed to Xu Chi, but he couldn't remember if the confession was successful.

Yan Shu woke up and opened his eyes, muttering a few words about Song Yu. If it weren't for what he said, he wouldn't have had that strange dream.

But one thing was certain, he felt differently about Xu Chi.

In the afternoon, a heavy rain started to fall. The sky was covered with dark clouds, and the weather was gloomy.

When the last exam ended, the previously quiet school suddenly became noisy.

Yan Shu finished his work and waited for Song Yu in the office. Having forgotten his umbrella, he could only hitch a ride with Song Yu.

As he walked to the school gate, Yan Shu saw a familiar figure walking towards him.

Xu Chi, upon seeing him, quickened his pace and walked up to Yan Shu.

It was quite common for Xu Chi to pick up Yan Shu, as he always claimed to have worked out nearby and was simply on his way home.

Before Yan Shu could say anything, Song Yu pushed him towards Xu Chi, smiling and saying, "You're here to pick him up again? Then please send him back."

With that, he turned around and walked away without looking back, umbrella in hand.

No one knew how much force Song Yu had used, but Yan Shu lost his balance and fell into Xu Chi's arms. Xu Chi quickly reached out to steady him, and Yan Shu collided directly with his chest. His body stiffened suddenly, and his heart raced.

With his chest pressed against Xu Chi's, Yan Shu seemed to hear something. Startled, he quickly stood up and distanced himself from Xu Chi.

Xu Chi suppressed the heat in his heart, pursed his lips repeatedly, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Yan Shu feigned calmness, shifting his gaze forward and shaking his head. "I'm fine, let's go."

"Mm."

The two walked side by side in the rain, the umbrella tilting involuntarily.

Neither of them spoke along the way. Yan Shu looked down, secretly glancing sideways several times.

Whose heartbeat was that he had just heard?

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