Tong Qiu felt a little baffled when Huo Zhixing held his hand, but he chalked it up to a sudden burst of flirtatiousness and obediently allowed his hand to be held.
However, He Hongtao’s message made Huo Zhixing completely lose his focus on the movie. The words ‘Zhou Kai’ weren’t supposed to have appeared at this time.
His thoughts began wandering but Tong Qiu didn’t notice.
When the movie reached the half-way point, Tong Qiu couldn’t take it anymore and fell asleep. With a movie like this, anyone who was able to watch until the end without getting sleepy was a true warrior.
Tong Qiu, however, was no such warrior and even though his ex-husband was next to him, the movie was as sleep-inducing as ever.
At the beginning, Tong Qiu was leaning against the partition on the other side but as he slept, he kept sliding down. In the end, Huo Zhixing carefully pulled him over to his side. Still muddled with sleep, Tong Qiu was so comfortable in his new position that he snuggled closer in Huo Zhixing’s arms.
Huo Zhixing really liked looking at Tong Qiu’s sleeping face. Tong Qiu was a solid sleeper and didn’t snore or grind his teeth. After sharing a bed for a year, he’s never heard Tong Qiu talk in his sleep. Tong Qiu always slept quietly and peacefully and in Huo Zhixing’s eyes, his sleeping form was almost like a life-sized doll.
At the moment, this warm, life-sized doll was sleeping blissfully against him. Perhaps it was because he was uncomfortable in a sitting position, but every once in a while, he would rub against Huo Zhixing.
A little rubbing wasn’t a big deal but they were in a movie theatre and the more Tong Qiu rubbed against him, the more Huo Zhixing felt as if he would catch fire.
It wasn’t the kind of fire that should be allowed to run wild.
Huo Zhixing helplessly rubbed at the space between his eyes. With some effort, he managed to quash the flames.
With Tong Qiu leaning steadily against him, his thoughts returned to the Zhou Kai matter and he barely took in the rest of the movie.
When the movie was near its end, the main actress let out a sudden, sharp cry and woke up the sleeping Tong Qiu. Tong Qiu startled in Huo Zhixing’s arms and blinked open his drowsy eyes.
“God……” Tong Qiu sat up and rubbed a bit at his sore neck. “I actually fell asleep.”
Huo Zhixing smiled at him and asked, “Did you sleep well?”
Tong Qiu laughed, “It was passable.”
He suddenly thought of something and asked Huo Zhixing, “Tong-laoshi didn’t properly comfort you, were you scared?”
Huo Zhixing mentally thought ‘this movie was basically a comedy, who would actually get scared’ but he didn’t forget his part. Feigning grievance, he replied, “A little.”
Huo Zhixing thought that his words would convince Tong Qiu to give him a hug but in the end, Tong-laoshi merely patted him and said, “No worries, courage is basically a skill so if you hone it, you’ll be fine.”
Huo Zhixing raised a brow and asked, “What skill?”
Tong Qiu suddenly realized his slip of the tongue. He closed his mouth and pretended nothing had happened.
The two-hour long movie that could bore one to death was finally over.
There were only five people in the entire auditorium and the other three all looked as if they, too, had just woken up.
Even Tong Qiu let out a sigh of relief when he eventually left the theatre with Huo Zhixing. He thought mentally, ‘if it weren’t for a certain someone, who the hell would come watch this kind of movie!’
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.
It was already ten o’clock and the two were about to leave. Tong Qiu wondered if Huo Zhixing had any of those kinds of thoughts about him tonight. However, before he could work out how to ask, his phone let out a ring.
“Pa’r ws wbw.”
Kbcu Hle’r wbatfg gjgfis mjiifv tlw atlr ijaf ja cluta jcv tf mbeivc’a tfiq yea kbggs ktfc atf mjii mjwf atgbeut.
Lf gfjilhfv atja, bcmf sbe gfjmt j mfgajlc juf, la kjr fjrs ab kbggs bnfg atf ilaaifra atlcur jcv lo atfgf kjr rbwfatlcu atja kjr j yla vloofgfca ogbw atf ereji, sbe kbeiv rajga offilcu jczlber jcv kbcvfg lo rbwfatlcu tjv tjqqfcfv.
“Mom, why are you calling me so late?”
“What were you doing just now?” Tong Qiu’s mother complained. “I called a few times already but couldn’t get through.”
“I was watching a movie so there was no signal!”
“With who?” Tong Qiu’s mother was as fond of gossip as any middle-aged lady, “Xiao-Huo?”
Tong Qiu glanced over at Huo Zhixing, who was standing next to him, and thought to himself, ‘huh, she’s actually right’.
His mother still didn’t know they were already divorced and it was good timing that she called today while they could still continue their ‘loving couple’ act.
“Of course,” Tong Qiu said. “You want to talk to him?”
“No, no, I’m getting ready for bed,” Tong Qiu’s mother replied. “I just wanted to remind you two that you’re supposed to visit your grandfather during the May 1st holiday. Buy your tickets ahead of time so that you won’t run into trouble buying them later.”
If she hadn’t mentioned it, Tong Qiu really would have forgotten about it.
“Ah, I got it,” Tong Qiu said. “We’ll have to see what our work schedules are like that weekend.”
“See what? You didn’t go last year and this year, it’s your grandfather’s eightieth birthday. If you two don’t show up again, the old man’s going to blow the roof down!”
Tong Qiu let out a helpless laugh and said, “Alright, alright, I understand. You should go get some rest.”
“Don’t forget, buy your tickets early!”
“Roger that!”
Tong Qiu hung up the call and let out a long sigh.
“What’s wrong?” Huo Zhixing had an overall sense of the conversation and guessed that Tong Qiu’s mother had made some sort of arrangement for the holiday.
“It’s almost May 1st and it’s also my grandpa’s eightieth birthday. She was just nagging me to buy tickets.”
His words jogged Huo Zhixing’s memory.
The two of them had married at the end of January last year. Tong Qiu’s grandfather was particularly interested in his grandson-in-law and ever since Tong Qiu had mentioned Huo Zhixing, he had wanted to meet the man himself. However, the chance never came and when they had married, there hadn’t been a ceremony. At the time, Tong Qiu’s grandfather had been visiting his daughter abroad and there was no need to make a special trip back. As a result, Huo Zhixng had yet to meet Tong Qiu’s grandfather.
The old man’s birthday was May 2nd and Huo Zhixing had planned on accompanying Tong Qiu to pay him a visit. In the end, Tong Qiu had twisted an ankle the day before they were supposed to go and it had swollen to the size of a steamed bun so they hadn’t ended up going.
“I almost forgot,” Huo Zhixing said. “You really should look into getting tickets. A lot of people travel on May 1st so tickets are going to be hard to buy.”
They chatted all the way to the side of the road so when a taxi came, Tong Qiu climbed in first and Huo Zhixing naturally climbed in after him.
Huo Zhixing gave Tong Qiu’s address to the driver without a second thought and it was only then that Tong Qiu realized what was happening.
“You don’t need to see me home, I’ll be fine going back on my own.”
“You might have been fine before,” Huo Zhixing said, “but what if Fang Baicheng comes back to bother you? I can’t rest easy.”
Tong Qiu wasn’t a delicate flower or anything – he was a grown man and it was fine going home alone at ten o’clock in the evening. However, if the person sending him home was Huo Zhixing, it was a different story.
“Let me see…” Huo Zhixing fished out his phone and opened the ticket app. He asked, “What day are you off?”
“Everyone’s off on the first, right?”
Huo Zhixing nodded, “Alright, there’s still tickets left for the first. I’ll check the shift schedule tomorrow and ask them to clear the first for me.”
“Huh?” Tong Qiu said in surprise. “You’re coming with me?”
Huo Zhixing looked at him as if he were an idiot and smiled, “Why wouldn’t I be coming? I already promised your grandpa that I’d definitely go this year.”
Initially, Tong Qiu was too embarrassed to ask Huo Zhixing to come with him. Although their families weren’t in the loop, the two of them really did get a divorce certificate. A little bit of flirting here and there wasn’t a big deal, and although Tong Qiu knew that they both had positive feelings about each other, he also knew that Huo Zhixing was extremely busy and didn’t have the heart to ask Huo Zhixing to come along.
Who would have thought Officer Huo would be the one to bring it up?
“Let’s buy the tickets tomorrow once I’ve confirmed,” Huo Zhixing said. “If I don’t show up, your grandpa might start wondering if you had faked a marriage.”
Although Tong Qiu’s lips didn’t express his gratitude in words, his eyes crinkled in a smile. The reality was, the little deer stirring restlessly inside his heart had already bowed a hundred times to Officer Huo and was saying bashfully, ‘Officer Huo, you really are wonderful!’
“But we really are divorced,” Tong Qiu said, purposely quibbling. “If we go together, then it really is a fake marriage.”
Huo Zhixing put his phone away and whether or not it was intentional, his fingers twisted his wedding ring. He said with a smile, “Then I’ll play along with you. Tong-laoshi, shouldn’t you be paying an appearance fee?”
“Name your price, Officer Huo,” Tong Qiu said. “If it’s too expensive, though, I’m afraid I can’t afford it.”
“You’re done for, then. I’m worth quite a lot, you know.” Huo Zhixing leaned over and spoke against Tong Qiu’s ear. “I reckon you can’t afford it. What should we do?”
As he spoke, his warm breath brushed against Tong Qiu’s ear. It was Tong Qiu’s most sensitive spot and it was enough to give him goosebumps. Meanwhile, the little deer in his heart once again fell to the ground and couldn’t get back up again.
However, Tong-laoshi was still a teacher and even if Officer Huo was a tease, he could play pretend just as well. The little deer had collapsed in a drunken heap but Tong-laoshi maintained a ‘today is just another day’ expression. Let’s see who can be the bigger tease.
He grabbed hold of Huo Zhixing’s wrist and pressed close, his mouth curving as he spoke against Huo Zhixing’s ear, “I’m sorry, Officer Huo, but I’m just a poor teacher and I just don’t have the money. Why don’t I use my friend’s dozen or so thongs to repay you?”
What the heck did that have to do with the thongs!
That was its owner’s problem!
Their gazes met and they both understood what Tong Qiu’s words were hinting at.
Huo Zhixing let out a light cough. He smiled a little but didn’t speak. However, when the cab arrived at the front of Tong Qiu’s neighbourhood, he shoved some bills at the driver and didn’t even ask for change before dragging Tong Qiu home.
The apartment was pitch black. They had their arms around each other as they came inside and didn’t even bother turning on the light.
Before, Tong Qiu had always spurned Huo Zhixing for being dull – not only was he boring in his day-to-day life, but even kissing was boring. It was a slow, drawn-out affair that was bland and flavourless, and he always dragged his feet about it. It was enough to make one fall asleep.
However, things were very different now. The current Officer Huo had cast off his slacker’s disguise and had calmly assumed the role of a top student.
“What are you wearing?” Huo Zhixing asked mischievously, “How come you’re not wearing your friend’s?”
Tong Qiu’s face coloured and his heartbeat quickened. Ears burning just as fiercely, he purposely blathered, “It’s my friend’s so how can I wear it every day?”
Huo Zhixing let out a low laugh against his ear and in the darkness, his laugh seemed all the more attractive.
Tong Qiu gazed at the man in front of him and felt that Officer Huo really was like the storied ‘walking, talking pheromones’. Just looking at his abs was enough to make Tong Qiu’s heart skip a beat.
“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” Huo Zhixing suddenly lifted him up and said, “Hang on tight, don’t fall.”
Tong Qiu was afraid of falling.
The day before yesterday, his ass had just ‘flowered’ and just yesterday, he had taken a fall. If he were to fall again today, he was pretty sure his butt would break and scatter like flower petals.
On the way to the bedroom, Tong Qiu wrapped his arms tightly around Huo Zhixing and he nervously clung onto him. Because he was so afraid of falling, his hand accidentally touched one of Huo Zhixing’s scars and he subconsciously pressed at it.
“Does it hurt?” Tong Qiu asked.
“It’s been a few years since I was injured so it doesn’t hurt,” Huo Zhixing responded lightly.
“You really were injured a lot in the past.” Tong Qiu lay there and carefully scrutinized the scars on Huo Zhixing’s body. “If someone didn’t know better, they’d think you were a gang leader.”
Huo Zhixing stood next to the bed and smiled down at him as he unbuckled his belt. “Do they make you uncomfortable?”
Tong Qiu’s smile held a trace of shyness as he gazed back at Huo Zhixing. He counted the scars on Huo Zhixing’s body and said, heart twinging with both regret and pride, “Why would it make me uncomfortable? Did you know, Officer Huo, the way you look is actually incredibly sexy?”
After speaking, Tong Qiu seemed worried that Huo Zhixing might not believe him, so he added, “I like it.”
Translator’s note
Thanks so much for reading and apologies for the delay. Once again, I just want to stress that the police officers depicted in this novel are very idealized and shouldn’t be confused with the atrocities that IRL police officers have committed. I understand that novels are an escape for many people (myself included), but if you do find the time I encourage you to learn about BLM and racism/police brutality faced by black and POC communities.
Ohh! An update at last!! Thank you for the chapter 😘😘.
Ah thanks for reading and for being patient with me 🙂
Eighteenth birthday?? Shouldn’t it be eightieth birthday? Anyway, I love Tong-laoshi and Officer Huo’s brand of flirting. It never fails to make me laugh xD
Thanks for the chapter! 🙂
ahaha yes someone else pointed out the typo too and it’s fixed! So no, Grandpa Tong isn’t turning 18 😅😅 aw I’m glad you enjoy their flirting and it’s definitely fun for me to translate too! Thanks so much for reading :))
Let the old man live his dream!! Only he needs to know how long he’s been 18! Youth never dies! 😂😂
hmm what does tong laosi know about officer huo’s work experiences/scars? If this zhou kai guy is going to be a threat i hope he warns him to be aware instead of just escorting him home with excuses.
Ahh have faith in Officer Huo! Thanks so much for reading 😀
🙈🙈
Thank you for the update ❤
Thank you so much for the chapter!(๑´>᎑<)~❤
Whoa whoa! No preliminaries… they go directly to the bed. They’re so hungry for each other, huh?
It’s so nice Huo Zhixing wants to go with Tong Qiu to his grandpa’s birthday.
Thanks for the chapter!
Thank you for the update. Waiting for it is definitely worth it. I love their characters and the way this is heading.
I just thought, how can a policeman be afraid horror movie.
ahhhhh thanks so much for the chapter! Of course tong tong can only wear his friend’s thongs on very special occasions! 😏😏😏
I really appreciate your translators note! Police in fiction is definitely different than irl police, but I guess it isn’t too harmful to indulge in an idealized world. Thank you so much for your translations!
Hohoho, love these two….😍
Thank You for the chapter ♡(ŐωŐ人)