Zhai Yao felt certain that Shen Heng must have done it on purpose.
At first, his leg was just a bit sore.
Now, it was hella sore!
While pushing his bicycle, Zhai Yao cast a cold glance at Shen Heng. “Tell me, you haven’t secretly gone undercover for 2nd High School, betraying us, have you?”
Upon hearing that, Shen Heng also turned to face him, his voice steady as he said, “If that were true, you’d be limping by now.”
Zhai Yao scoffed. Still putting on airs like always.
At the current juncture, as the day waned, the last rays of the sun filled the alley, elongating the shadows of them and the bicycle significantly.
Zhai Yao had traversed this alley where the Flying Dragon Skating Rink was located countless times since childhood, and it was only today that he realized, for the first time, just how beautiful the alley could actually be at dusk.
Single-story houses were strewn at random on either side of the alley. Despite the peeling and mottled paint on the low walls, the vines of white-edge morning glory and bean pods twisted upon them were thriving with a vibrant vitality.
At the doorways of some households, clotheslines were strung up, bearing freshly washed laundry that, when caressed by the breeze, emitted a blend of laundry detergent and sunlight fragrances.
As dinner time approached, the simmering sounds of cooking emerged from each home, alongside sounds from televisions airing different channels, all blending together into a single program called “The Life's Simple Pleasures.”
Everything was very much like Zhai Yao’s concept of “home.”
Alas, he had a place to call home, yet he could not return.
…
“Brown sugar or white sugar?”
Shen Heng’s voice pulled Zhai Yao back from his train of thought.
“What about ‘brown sugar and white sugar’?”
Shen Heng cast a glance at a nearby steamed bun stall, whose bamboo basket was brimming with steaming white buns and triangular-shaped sugar buns.
“Sugar buns, do you prefer them with brown or white sugar?”
Zhai Yao pursed his lips. “Either is fine, whichever Grandpa likes.”
Shen Heng scanned the payment QR code, buying three of each variety, brown and white sugar alike.
He then passed a brown sugar flavoured one to Zhai Yao.
The sugar bun was generously filled. The moment Zhai Yao bit into it, brown sugar oozed out, prompting him to quickly catch the spill with his mouth, which ended up burning his tongue numb.
Noticing Shen Heng’s gaze on him and that the other party still wasn’t eating, Zhai Yao asked with a frown, “Aren’t you having one?”
“I haven’t washed my hands.”
“.” So fastidious.
Shen Heng helped Zhai Yao to push his bicycle, while the latter walked alongside, enjoying the sugar bun bite by bite.
Suddenly, Shen Heng shared in a soft voice, “My mom used to love making these too. Shen Ziyao was quite fond of them.”
“I thought a musical artist’s hands were solely reserved for playing the piano.”
Shen Heng’s lips quivered, as if almost imperceptibly turning upwards.
Zhai Yao swallowed the last bite of the sugar bun, subconsciously licking off the syrup that was on his fingers.
“Your mom is Shen Ziyao’s daughter, so, technically speaking, Shen Ziyao should be your maternal grandpa, right?”
When Zhai Yao voiced out that question, he actually didn’t really expect Shen Heng to respond.
After all, the topic of family was something they both typically shied away from revealing too much to others.
Predictably, Shen Heng remained silent for a long while, eventually offering a soft “Mm” as an acknowledgment.
Just as Zhai Yao decided not to probe further into the conversation, Shen Heng surprisingly revealed in a casual tone, “I was raised by my mom and Shen Ziyao, taking the surname ‘Shen,’ which is why I’ve always referred to Shen Ziyao as ‘Grandpa’.”
“Oh.”
Zhai Yao was uncertain whether to continue asking questions.
But, his intuition told him not to.
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.
Continuing their walk for a little more, Zhai Yao felt his hand was still quite sticky.
He spread his palm open and noticed there still remained a tiny chunk of undissolved brown sugar granule.
Zhai Yao then sneaked a glance at Shen Heng.
The other party’s gaze remained steadfast ahead, his dark-coloured eyes ensnared by the crimson embrace of the setting sun, veiling his thoughts in secrecy.
Nice, Shen Heng’s attention wasn’t on him.
Zhai Yao quietly brought his hand to his mouth, flicking his tongue out swiftly to lick his palm, sweeping the sugar granule into his mouth.
Sweet.
Yet, little did he expect that Shen Heng’s gaze would suddenly shift over, freezing Zhai Yao in the act of covert snacking, his heart stopping in an instant.
Crap, how embarrassing!
Shen Heng lingered his gaze on him for a moment before looking away, continuing forward as if nothing had happened.
Zhai Yao saw the other showed no reaction, and only then did he breathe a bit easier.
Luckily, it was dark; he didn’t notice.
“Zhai Yao,” Shen Heng called out softly. “You’re going to get worms in your tummy if you keep licking on your hand.”
“……”
Who’s always licking on their hand!
I only did it once!
And even got caught for it!
Zhai Yao shut his eyes, wishing he could find a brick to knock Shen Heng out for good.
Or to knock himself out instead.
Shen Heng no longer responded as he tightened his grip on the bicycle’s handlebars, turning his head away.
With a stoic face, Zhai Yao: “You might as well just laugh it out.”
Shen Heng uttered a soft “Mm,” his lips twitching as they gradually curved upwards.
…
*
Despite Zhai Yao’s self-proclaimed poor living habits and a supposed lack of basic empathy, upon officially moving into Shen Heng’s home, he would still help wash dishes after meals and even set aside time specifically to chat with Shen Ziyao.
During those moments, Shen Heng would also be present, quietly seated to the side. Sometimes he’d be reading a book, other times watching television, but never had he intruded on the conversations between Shen Ziyao and Zhai Yao.
It was only when it was nearing Shen Ziyao’s bedtime that Shen Heng would speak up and remind him.
After ensuring Shen Ziyao had taken his medication and gone to bed, Zhai Yao showered and retreated to his room to game with Xie Ziming, joining him on voice chat.
Not bothering to blow-dry his freshly washed hair, he simply lay on his bed and rested his head against his crocheted puppy.
Just as they were launching the final team fight and about to push the turret, a knock echoed at the door.
Zhai Yao, too busy to free his hands, kept his eyes fixed on the screen and said, “It’s unlocked.”
Shen Heng pushed the door open and entered, then closed it behind him with the back of his hand.
Zhai Yao dove into the turret, directly crossing it and eliminating the enemy’s damage dealer, and seized the opportunity to push towards the enemy’s final turret.
Meanwhile, Xie Ziming led their teammates and stormed into the enemy’s base, destroying the enemy’s core before the opponent team could respawn.
After the round concluded, Zhai Yao put down his phone and stretched his fingers, declining Xie Ziming’s invitation for another match.
Lifting his gaze, he saw Shen Heng was still standing there.
“What’s up?”
“I brought red flower oil,” Shen Heng said, rolling up his sleeves. “Pull up your pant leg and lie down on your stomach; I’ll help you massage a bit.”
Zhai Yao disliked the smell of red flower oil, finding it too overwhelming for his nostrils. His legs instinctively recoiled as he frowned. “No need, it’ll be fine after some sleep.”
“The pain will only worsen if you don’t rub it out before you sleep.” Shen Heng unscrewed the cap of the red flower oil, looking at Zhai Yao with a downward gaze. “Hurry.”
That single word of urging was somewhat imbued with a commanding intonation.
Born with a rebellious streak, Zhai Yao naturally resisted cooperation, choosing to instead try to make an escape by rolling to the other side of the bed.
However, Shen Heng saw through his scheme. Right at the instant Zhai Yao turned over, Shen Heng caught his ankle and pulled him closer to himself.
Zhai Yao lifted his leg to deliver a kick, but an abrupt pull in the tendon of his calf muscle sparked immediate soreness, made even more intense with Shen Heng’s hand accurately pressed on that cursed acupressure point.
“Don’t squeeze!” Zhai Yao hastily called to stop.
He was all too familiar with the arching yet pleasant sensation that exact acupressure point could elicit.
Shen Heng maintained the posture. With his index and middle fingers clamped together, he lightly pressed them onto Zhai Yao’s leg, all while regarding him with a calm and silent gaze.
Being held by his Achilles’ heel, Zhai Yao turned away as he muttered under his breath, “I got it, let go.”
Shen Heng curled his fingers and retracted his hand.
Zhai Yao lay back down on the bed, with his back turned to Shen Heng.
Shen Heng poured some red flower oil into one palm and rubbed his hands together to warm it, before sitting sideways at the bed’s edge. He then started to massage Zhai Yao’s calf, kneading his muscles upward.
His technique was remarkably professional, with pressure that was spot on—akin to the type who could open a massage parlour on the ground floor just by putting on sunglasses.
Zhai Yao initially felt a twinge of pain and, being unaccustomed to such close contact, his entire body was tensed up.
Shen Heng applied more red flower oil, rubbing it in before giving a slap on Zhai Yao’s calf. “You're too tight, relax.”
“Why don’t you fricking try it out yourself and see if you can relax, huh?” With half of his face buried in the pillow, Zhai Yao’s voice came out to be somewhat muffled.
Zhai Yao tilted his head and glanced at Shen Heng, who had his indifferent eyes wholly focused on his calf.
Due to the need to exert physical strength, Shen Heng’s lips were tightly pursed. Faint indentations marking the sides of his nose were also visible, possibly because he had only recently taken off his glasses.
“What’s the degree of your myopia?” Zhai Yao asked, attempting to distract himself from the occasional soreness in his leg.
Shen Heng didn’t stop his movements, replying, “200 in both eyes.”
“And how extreme is 200?” Zhai Yao, blessed with 1.5 vision, had no concept of short-sightedness.
With a brief glance towards him, Shen Heng replied, “Enough to not hinder finding your acupressure points.”
As Shen Heng said that, he applied more pressure with his hand, causing Zhai Yao to let out a hiss.Zhai Yao reached out to grab the crocheted puppy beside him to throw at Shen Heng, but instead found a hemp rope first.
…A hemp rope?!
When did a hemp rope appear on his bed?!
Zhai Yao was astonished, his damned toes even stiffening up in response. His gaze towards Shen Heng was laden with vigilance.
This person couldn’t have been plotting all along to restrain him if he refused to cooperate, could he?
“I’ve been searching for this particular rope for some time.” Shen Heng also noticed Zhai Yao had caught on the hemp rope, coupled with the fishy look the latter had in his eyes towards him. His lips moved slightly as he continued serenely in an unhurried manner, “It’s exceptionally sturdy; a well-tied knot won’t easily come undone.”
Zhai Yao instinctively tried to retract his leg once more, but was held down by Shen Heng.
With a calm look that wandered from Zhai Yao’s ankle to his wrist, and finally settled on his face, Shen Heng asked, “Do you like it?”
“?”
Like… Like hell I do!
So Shen Heng actually has this kind of fetish?!
But I don’t!
No, tomorrow. I’m moving out tomorrow, for sure!
Taking a deep breath, Zhai Yao responded in a cold tone, “It’s just a massage, isn’t this taking things a bit too far?”
Shen Heng lowered his gaze and tugged at his lower lip. “These are two separate matters.”
What two fricking separate matters!
With his teeth clenched, Zhai Yao threatened, “If you really dare to fricking try it, I swear, Laozi will actually kill you.”
“I dare to try, what?”
“If you dare to… to… fricking… do that what to me…”
Zhai Yao couldn’t get the words out, his ears turning beet red.
Shen Heng’s gaze lingered on Zhai Yao’s ears for a few seconds before he looked away and screwed the cap back on the bottle of red flower oil.
“Come on, get up.” After speaking, he got up from the bed and leaned over to grab the hemp rope.
Zhai Yao scooted to the bed’s edge, readying himself for a life-or-death confrontation with Shen Heng.
With the hemp rope in hand, Shen Heng circled the bed, walking towards Zhai Yao with deliberate steps.
Zhai Yao frowned. “Don’t you dare.”
Shen Heng gave him a quick sideways glance before making his way straight to the window.
There, he fastened the hemp rope’s ends to either side of the balcony, tying a tight knot and giving it a firm pull for good measure.
He then exited the room, only to return moments later with a basin of freshly laundered clothes—Zhai Yao’s clothes—which he proceeded to hang on the makeshift line, one by one.
“It looks like it’s going to rain outside, so I set up a line to hang the clothes indoors.”
Zhai Yao: “……?”
Zhai Yao’s gaze shifted from the hemp rope to Shen Heng, who was busy hanging clothes. A heat surged to his reddened ears, almost as if they were a whistling kettle.
This had to be intentional; this cunning dog was definitely toying with him!
Zhai Yao’s gaze scoured the room for a weapon, intent on killing Shen Heng right here, right now, dismembering him, and stuffing all of his body parts under the bed.
Yet, as Zhai Yao harboured such thoughts, he was completely unaware that Shen Heng, with his back turned, had slightly lifted the corners of his mouth.
Shen Heng’s usually cold and indifferent expression displayed a rare moment of liveliness.
He chuckled softly.
The laugh was fleeting and soft, much like an illusion.
But Zhai Yao still heard it.
Despite the rage simmering within him and his urge of beating someone to a pulp, he couldn’t help but admit—
This was the first time he had heard Shen Heng’s laughter.
At an age when they should be laughing freely, they were both, perhaps, too stingy with themselves.
…
The author has something to say:
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From Yunz:
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Kinda NSFW
Commenter: Suddenly feel that bondage play is kinda exciting (thinking)
Ceatbg: Cybea atja, Vtfc Lfcu jirb offir atf rjwf, tjtjtjtj!
Haha, I guess that’s a hint towards some future activities 🤣🤣 I totally get why Shen Heng can’t resist teasing… Yaoyao makes it too easy
Every chapter’s a perfect balance of humor and melancholy W(
0)WOne or both of them are going to eat their words in the future I’m sure 😉
Aahhh the last part 😭😭 they are really just 17-18 years old ah.. it is really easy to forget that. Life is really not easy for both of them 🤧