Despite his shyness and embarrassment, Tong Qiu eventually fell asleep in Huo Zhixing’s arms. Tong Qiu hadn’t shared a bed with another person since he had moved out of this apartment post-divorce. Over the past few months, the only exception had been the night before Huo Jiao’s wedding. However, he had held back that entire night and the experience could only be described as ‘unsatisfying’.
This time was different. He felt extremely satisfied and the sensation was beyond this world.
His body felt settled and his heart felt settled too. All the ‘little worries’ that he had amassed were finally set free.
Huo Zhixing set two alarm clocks before going to sleep. The two of them hadn’t paused to rest the whole night, having been too absorbed with their ‘exam’. However, there was no way around the fact that they still had to wake up and go to work the next morning.
A teacher couldn’t just spend the night proctoring an exam only to be absent for their lesson the next day.
It was early morning when they fell asleep and at 7 o’clock, Tong Qiu was woken by the alarm.
He wrapped the blankets around himself and mumbled for a bit, then rolled over. However, his ass hurt so much that he was instantly alert.
He hadn’t done it in months but this time, he had felt more carefree and uninhibited than all the other times combined. It was just like Gai Zhong Gai, one single tablet was as effective as five regular tablets.
However, the consequence of his inhibition was that the next morning, he could only lie there with his legs spread apart because it hurt too much to move.
It wasn’t just his butt that hurt, his brain hurt too. After all, he had drank ‘tainted’ booze the whole night.
He lifted his hand and patted his forehead. It felt a bit feverish.
While Tong Qiu was still bundled in the bed covers, mumbling to himself about all his aches and pains, Huo Zhixing had already finished making breakfast.
Huo Zhixing pushed open the bedroom door. “How do you feel?”
He was even wearing an apron and looked like the epitome of a handsome and considerate househusband. He walked over to the bed and bent over to press their foreheads together. Tong Qiu couldn’t help but hold his breath.
“Seems a little hot,” Huo Zhixing said, then stood in one smooth motion. Using his hand, he rubbed Tong Qiu’s forehead a little. “Do you have class today? If you can’t handle it then ask for the day off.”
“I can’t, I have to go.” Tong Qiu gripped the bedsheets and tried to push himself up, but Huo Zhixing was quick as lighting and placed his hands under Tong Qiu’s armpits to fish him up.
Tong Qiu lazily draped himself over Huo Zhixing’s body and grinned, “I’m basically useless, aren’t I?”
Huo Zhixing laughed. “Do you want me to get a wheelchair from next door and wheel you to class?”
“Don’t bother.” Tong Qiu began looking all around the room for his clothes. “Feng Kaiwen’s imagination will definitely run wild and he’ll think you’ve beat me so much I’ve become an invalid. I’m telling you, my student is absolutely devoted to his teacher and he’ll fight you with all he’s got.”
“Ah…” Tong Qiu had been searching for his clothes for a while and finally noticed a particular item that was lying next to the laundry basket. It was his…thongs.
“Hm? What’s up?” Huo Zhixing turned his head and followed Tong Qiu’s line of sight. He smiled again, “I didn’t get a chance to tell you last night. Having the proctor wear thongs to the exam room must mean he was scheming something.”
Tong Qiu buried his face in the crook of Huo Zhixing’s neck, too overwhelmed by embarrassment to respond.
“I don’t think you’ll make it in time for the morning self-study session. If I remember correctly, you have a lesson this afternoon so there’s no rush to get to school.” Huo Zhixing lifted Tong Qiu in his arms in one go and continued, “Go take a shower. Your…your friend’s thongs got dirty last night so don’t wear it. There’s new underwear at home; I’ll go find you a pair.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Leb Itlzlcu mjgglfv Kbcu Hle ab atf rtbkfg. “Ycmf sbe’gf vbcf fjalcu, ajxf rbwf wfvlmlcf. P wluta tjnf ab ifjnf olgra, yea atf xfsr jgf ralii lc atf vgjkfg bo atf rtbf mjylcfa rb gfwfwyfg ab ajxf la ktfc sbe tfjv bea jcv ibmx atf vbbg obg wf.”
Kbcu Hle rabbv ecvfg atf rtbkfg tfjv jcv ujhfv ja tlw. “Tbe tjnf ab ub?”
Huo Zhixing stepped forward and gave Tong Qiu’s waist a pinch. “You don’t want me to leave?”
“…It’s fine. It’s better if you leave.”
Huo Zhixing laughed and pulled the door closed as he left to search for some clothes.
By the time Tong Qiu was finished showering, Huo Zhixing had already changed and was about to head out. “Eat some food first. I put the medicine on the coffee table. When you go to work today, don’t bother wearing your clothes from last night – your students might not be able to take it. I grabbed a set of my clothes for you and they might be a bit big but you’ll have to make do for now.”
Tong Qiu stared back at him dazedly as he wiped at his wet hair.
“I’m heading off first, then. If anything comes up, feel free to give me a call.” Huo Zhixing pulled open the drawer and set the key on top of the shoe cabinet. “Remember to take the keys when you go.”
The set of keys were the same ones that Tong Qiu had placed inside the drawer when he had moved out. It even had the same keychain from back when they were married – a grey, squishy pig that he had bought when they had passed by a street stall.
Huo Zhixing waved a hand, beckoning Tong Qiu to come over.
Still wrapped in a bath towel, Tong Qiu padded forward towards the front door. Before he could figure out what was happening, Huo Zhixing had already stolen a kiss.
“Alright, I have the energy to go to work now.” Huo Zhixing gave Tong Qiu’s damp hair a good ruffle and said, “I’m off. I’ll see you tonight.”
Huo Zhixing finally left and Tong Qiu stood alone at the door. It took him a few moments for him to react and he blushed, then rolled his eyes as he muttered to himself, “Who wants to see you tonight!”
—
Although his butt was still in pain, Tong Qiu gritted his teeth and sat down to eat. While he ate, he thought back to what had happened the night before and he couldn’t help but feel that something was off.
He wouldn’t go as far as to say that his alcohol tolerance was limitless, but he wasn’t the type to topple over after a few cups. Moreover, he hadn’t been in a usual drunken state – his hands and feet had felt numb, and his whole body had felt weak despite the fact that he had remained conscious.
Tong Qiu took a bite of his eggs – it was his favourite, poached with a runny yolk. As he continued to ponder, he couldn’t help but mentally praise Huo Zhixing’s cooking skills.
He thought about what had happened at the bar. While Huo Zhixing was in the bathroom, the bartender had brought over a glass and had said it was a new drink for customers to sample. Tong Qiu finally understood – there was definitely something wrong with the drink. That bartender was more likely than not to be in cahoots with the stranger that had later come to chat him up.
He mulled it over and decided that he really shouldn’t go out drinking by himself again. Even a thirty-something year old man like him could still catch someone’s eye.
He was rather pleased at the thought. It must mean that his charisma hadn’t gone completely downhill!
Once he had eaten and drunk his fill, Tong Qiu went to change into his clothes. As he gazed into the mirror, he felt almost blissful. He didn’t know if it was because his ‘thirst’ had finally been quenched or if it was because he was wearing his ex-husband’s clothes. Either way, he was in such an excellent mood that he felt as if he could see the sun despite the overcast skies.
Before leaving, Tong Qiu ate some medicine, then picked up the set of keys that were rightfully his, and set off for work.
Meanwhile, Huo Zhixing had just walked into Sanhu Police Station. He raised his hand and knocked on his disciple Zhao Heyu’s desk. Zhao Heyu was munching on his baozi and was so startled that he nearly choked to death.
“What’s up, shifu?” Zhao Heyu looked up at him.
“Tonight, we’re going to go inspect a bar. Someone’s managed to drag your shimu into their little schemes.”
—
Tong Qiu normally arrived at school early in the morning and had never been absent for the morning self-study session. Today, however, he got there after the study session had already ended. The bell just so happened to ring the moment he walked through the front doors. He headed directly to the classroom to check up on the brats that were always making him worry.
The old grandpa standing guard smiled and waved when he saw Tong Qiu. “Tong-laoshi, you look different today.”
Tong Qiu grinned. “I look handsome, right?”
The grandpa nodded his head, then gave him a handful of candy. “My granddaughter just got married so here’s a little something to celebrate.”
Tong Qiu thanked him and put the candy in his pocket. He continued down the hallway towards the classroom.
Huo Zhixing was taller than him and had more muscle, so his clothes were a size larger than what Tong Qiu normally wore. His fashion style was a little different too.
Generally speaking, Tong Qiu tended to wear darker shirts to work in an attempt to make himself appear more mature and dependable. However, when Huo Zhixing wasn’t in uniform, he normally wore casual clothes like t-shirts and such.
As a result, when Tong Qiu walked into the classroom in a t-shirt and jacket, Feng Kaiwen – who had just come back from the bathroom – grinned as he gave him a onceover and said, “Tong-ge, you look real different today!”
Both the eighteen-year-old youngster and the sixty-something year old guard had sharp eyes and Tong Qiu was pleased by their compliments.
Tong Qiu cast him a glance, then waved a hand to motion for him to hurry back.
Feng Kaiwen was extremely obedient and didn’t stick around. However, before he ran off, he still managed to drop a bomb. “It looks like ex-shimu’s style!”
Before Tong Qiu could click his tongue, Feng Kaiwen had already slid into his seat.
Tong Qiu wasn’t sure if he should be glad or annoyed to have such a clever little fox as a student.
He stood at the door until class started and it was only when the English teacher arrived that he strolled leisurely back to his office.
Ever since the school entered the hundred-day countdown to the entrance exams, the overall mood of the third years had dampened. It wasn’t just the students – the teachers were affected too.
In the office, the teachers were arguing almost every day about whose class was more important. Each subject had its ranking and his literature class was the subject that all the other subjects trampled over – it was at the very bottom of the food chain.
That afternoon, Tong Qiu was mumbling to himself about how a few students had decent grades for their science courses but couldn’t manage to pull their literature marks past 100 points, no matter how they tried. The teacher that was nearing retirement was also in the office and spoke up again, “Tong-laoshi, it’s impossible to improve grades for literature class.”
Tong Qiu wished he could open his drawer and pull out his earplugs.
The office was a large, shared space. Last year, due to a whole mess of reasons, the school had decided to move the languages department into the same office as the math department. The languages teachers had been unhappy ever since.
“After all, these are sciences students,” that teacher said. “I know you language teachers don’t like hearing it, but language teachers should just stick to teaching liberal arts students. Your way of thinking is different than ours.”
Tong Qiu faked a laugh, then gathered the test papers he needed for his next class and left.
“Still not happy, huh?” The teacher watched Tong Qiu’s back and felt extremely wronged. “Was there something wrong with what I said? Our way of thinking just isn’t the same!”
Tong Qiu rolled his eyes and walked quickly towards his classroom. There were still two minutes before class was supposed to start but this class of third-years was as silent as the grave.
The students who once enjoyed making a ruckus were either discussing questions in low voices or taking the opportunity to review their study material. It truly was unprecedented.
Tong Qiu stood outside the door and observed them for a while, stepping inside only when the bell rang.
Because he had pushed himself past his limits last night, Tong Qiu was still in pain. However, even if he was sore all over, he still had to do his best while teaching.
In order to lessen the burden, Tong Qiu stood in one spot during the lesson and didn’t walk around. He planned on heading home as soon as class ended and made a mental note to stop by the pharmacy to buy an ointment.
“Tong-ge!”
Tong Qiu had his books in his arms and was walking towards his office. He hadn’t gotten very far before he was stopped by Feng Kaiwen’s voice.
“Speak.”
Feng Kaiwen pulled out two wrinkled movie tickets from the pocket of his uniform. “First of all, this isn’t bribery. These tickets are for tomorrow and my mom gave them to me a week ago. I can’t go anymore but you and shimu can.”
Tong Qiu clicked his tongue. “If you can’t go then give them back to your mom.”
“She went to my grandma’s place with my dad. If no one goes it’d be a waste. Please take it, alright? Just treat it as me laying down bricks for the Road of Love between you and shimu!”
Feng Kaiwen pressed the two tickets into Tong Qiu’s hands, then spun around and ran off.
Tong Qiu looked down at the tickets.
Madness of the Tomb, VIP showing, couple’s seat.
He could tell from one glance that the movie would be a flop.
However, Tong Qiu’s eyes were drawn to the words ‘couple’s seat’. In his thirty-odd years of existence, he’s never sat in a couple’s seat before.
It was a bit of a shame, if he thought about it.
But if he were to invite his ex-husband to sit in a couple’s seat with him, would Huo Zhixing overthink things?
—
The author has something to say:
Huo Zhixing: He would.
—
Translator’s Note
Once again, I just want to stress that the police officers depicted in this novel are very idealized and do not reflect for IRL police officers and the atrocities they have committed. I understand that novels act an escape for many people (myself included), but if you do find the time I encourage you to learn about BLM and the racism/police brutality faced by black and POC communities.
Thanks for reading!
“Your- your friend’s thongs” 😂😂
Hmph, that other teacher is annoying!! Science students should still learn literature, as it teaches analysis skills along with reading and comprehension, which are essential for any field!
Also, that “see you tonight” is so sexy!! Kyaa~~!!! They really don’t act like ex-husbands, you can’t deny it anymore!!
Thank you for the update!
I really love this novel 🤣🤣🤣
I kept thinking that maybe the guy he refused last time was the one who wants to drug him.
They’re ready to start flirting and dating like any other couple! So good!
Thanks for the chapter!
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But if he were to invite his ex-husband to sit in a couple’s seat with him, would Huo Zhixing overthink things?
Tong-laoshi you’ve already done the deed with him what else is there to overthink
Marriage
Thanks for the chapter! I really love reading this and always look forward to my notifications for new chapter 😍.
You’ve done the deed. What won’t he not think about it?? Lmfao, the charm of a sex satiated adult.
Thank you for the chapter!!
Thank you for the chapter ❤❤
Why could I clearly imagine that they’ll be naughty in their couple seat? ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄
I’m who a bit good at foreign language and own language and literature, but perfectly worst at science… damn it.
Feng Kaiwen just like plot promoter, good student. I’m waiting for fun.
Thank you so much for the chapter!(๑´>᎑<)~❤
☆:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:☆
I absolutely agree, I feel that the note at the end of each chapter is totally out of place and not needed. It actually makes me really uncomfortable.
Actually, I really appreciate the note that the translator left and I want to comment on Bananana’s post. The definition of a generalization is: “a general statement or concept obtained by inference from specific cases”. There are clear examples and statistics of police brutality. This isn’t to say that every single police officer is a bad person. It’s like when someone says “White people have white privilege”. There will be White people who deny that and say “I’m poor, what white privilege?” But that doesn’t erase the fact that overall, White people do benefit from the color of their skin.
Feng Kaiwen is the mvp of this novel
Tn, I’m a bit disappointed you focused on police brutality in the US and ignored that China is a major player in the game. I think it’s more appropriate considering this book is Chinese
Sill calling him ex-husband??? At this point, it’s like you guys never got a divorce in the first place.
Feng Kaiwen my son! Albyuuuuuu😚
Thank You for the chapter ♡(ӦｖӦ｡)