Chapter 21
HUO SICHEN: Missed me?
I guess so, Zhang Yuwen typed. He was a straightforward person, but for some reason, now that he’d entered the dating stage of his relationship with Huo Sichen, he couldn’t help acting aloof. What was wrong with him? He retracted his I guess so and replaced it with Missed you.
Huo Sichen: How did you miss me? Describe it in detail.
Sitting at the dining table, Zhang Yuwen laughed. He had indeed been thinking of Huo Sichen over the past few days. He didn’t know if this meant he liked him, but every time he ate a meal, he imagined Huo Sichen sitting across from him, talking to him about something interesting, or just about his day at work. When he was lying in bed playing games, he imagined Huo Sichen teaming up with him to help him beat the level. When he watched a movie at home, he even imagined the two of them watching it together and chatting about the plot.
There was one thing he still couldn’t do yet, however, and it was the reason Zhang Yuwen couldn’t be sure if he really liked Huo Sichen. He still hadn’t fantasized about Huo Sichen in bed. To someone with a vivid imagination like Zhang Yuwen, liking someone meant fantasizing about them sexually—imagining making love to them while he got himself off. In the past, that was how he’d determined his feelings for other people, but he was still a little unfamiliar with Huo Sichen. He couldn’t quite grasp Huo Sichen’s role and position, or even imagine their interactions during sex.
Picture himself as a bottom? He had never tried it before, so it was hard to imagine being topped by Huo Sichen. Picture himself as the top? He’d never bedded this type of guy before, so he couldn’t visualize Huo Sichen moaning and pleading for mercy beneath him. In fact, it felt kind of awkward to try.
Zhang Yuwen was so distracted that his trash-producing pace slowed down significantly. It was the end of the year, though, and the whole world was on vacation, so he was happy to give himself a break too. Huo Sichen would be back the next day…
He’d been away for a week, and given the time zone difference between North America and Asia, they hadn’t been able to talk much. Zhang Yuwen wondered if things would be weird between them when they met again.
Seeing that his attempt at flirtation was going nowhere, Huo Sichen sent another message. I dreamed of you last night.
Oh? wat was I doing in ur dream? At the sight of the “Typing…” indicator, Zhang Yuwen realized too late: There was no way it was a decent dream. He spammed Huo Sichen with a bunch of emojis.
Seeing that his meaning had finally dawned on Zhang Yuwen, Huo Sichen replied simply: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Then he added, So did u dream about me?
Not yet, Zhang Yuwen replied. Trying harder.
OK, said Huo Sichen.
Zhang Yuwen didn’t understand what he meant and texted back a question mark. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and he went to answer it. To his surprise, it was Huo Sichen!
“I thought you were coming back tomorrow morning!” Zhang Yuwen exclaimed.
“The meeting was moved up a day, so here I am.”
Zhang Yuwen opened the gates and was amused to see Huo Sichen holding a bouquet of flowers. He accepted them.
“Wanna grab a meal?” Huo Sichen asked. “My car is parked outside. Where are your roommates?”
“Come in. Weize is the only one home today—Yan Jun took Xiao-Qi to get her shots.”
This was the first time Huo Sichen had been invited into No. 7 Riverbay Road. “Let me see what a house worth hundreds of millions looks like,” he quipped. Zhang Yuwen let him in and took a quick glance around, but Huo Sichen waved him off. “You probably don’t have slippers in my size. Don’t bother looking.”
“Let me check this pair… What are you, size 10?”
“Yeah. It’s fine, there’s underfloor heating.”
“I’ll go change clothes, then. Make yourself at home.” Zhang Yuwen put the flowers on the dining table. Hearing the noise, Zheng Weize opened his door a crack and peeked out. “The house is a little messy at the moment, since the housekeepers are on vacation until after the new year.”
Huo Sichen nodded. Aware that the other rooms belonged to the roommates, he didn’t investigate the place too thoroughly, he merely took a look around the living room, dining room, and backyard. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuwen went upstairs to get changed.
“Such pretty flowers!” Zheng Weize exclaimed, emerging from his room. “Can I take a picture?”
“Of course,” Huo Sichen said, his mind very obviously elsewhere. All his attention was on the second floor as he waited for Zhang Yuwen to come down.
Zhang Yuwen’s voice drifted out from his room. “Want to see the second floor?”
Huo Sichen walked up the stairs. “Can I come in?”
“Of course,” Zhang Yuwen said, bewildered. He opened the door, and Huo Sichen stepped inside.
The bed was a little messy, left unmade after Zhang Yuwen’s afternoon nap. A faint, masculine smell hung in the air. Zhang Yuwen opened the floor-to-ceiling window on the balcony to let in some fresh air. Huo Sichen saw the game controller Zhang Yuwen had tossed to the side and picked it up.
“That’s very comfortable to use,” Zhang Yuwen said, next to him. “It’s custom-made.” He paused for a moment. “Your hands are bigger than mine. That’s an advantage if you play the piano.”
Huo Sichen’s hands were bigger than Zhang Yuwen’s, and his fingers were longer too. They moved nimbly over the handles, rapidly tapping the buttons.
“The grip is too hard,” Huo Sichen said. “I prefer something with a softer texture. It’d be more comfortable with a silicone case.”
“I prefer it harder… Okay, let’s not talk about this.”
Huo Sichen laughed. Zhang Yuwen sometimes found Huo Sichen very prim and proper, almost too polite, but other times he seemed to speak in innuendos. It was easy for a guy to get the wrong idea.
Zhang Yuwen finished changing his clothes. “I’m ready.”
“You wear glasses?” Huo Sichen asked, spotting a pair of black-rimmed glasses in the corner.
“Uh… I’m slightly nearsighted. Doesn’t affect me much, but I wear them sometimes. Why?”
Huo Sichen looked at Zhang Yuwen. Zhang Yuwen had been about to ask, Do you prefer guys with glasses or without? but Huo Sichen’s expression made the answer clear, so Zhang Yuwen took the black-rimmed glasses Huo Sichen passed him and put them on.