Huo Sichen whistled at him, a smile in his eyes. Zhang Yuwen took them off and set them aside, then went downstairs with him, wearing a small belt bag and carrying a paper bag of clothing. Huo Sichen took the bag from him.
“I bought you some shirts and pants,” Zhang Yuwen said. “You can open them when you get back home.”
Huo Sichen’s car was parked just outside Zhang Yuwen’s house. He put the items in the trunk, unable to refrain from peeking at Zhang Yuwen’s gifts. Zhang Yuwen saw another paper bag in the back seat and guessed it was for him, but Huo Sichen said nothing about it.
“How did you know my size?” Huo Sichen asked.
“Yeah, how did I know your ‘size’?” Zhang Yuwen parroted.
Huo Sichen laughed. “You know how big I am?”
“No idea.”
“Then I invite you to measure me yourself when you have the time.”
“I’ve already done a visual estimation. Enough talk, what are we having?”
Huo Sichen got into the driver’s seat but didn’t start the car. Instead, he said, “I’m fine with anything. What kind of hungry are you? Describe it.”
Innuendo everywhere. “The normal kind.”
“I can feel that,” Huo Sichen said sincerely.
Zhang Yuwen aimed a playful smack at the back of Huo Sichen’s head. Huo Sichen dodged him with a laugh, then fastened his seat belt and drove away.
His return today was unexpected, so they didn’t have a restaurant booking. Instead they went to the mall to look for somewhere to eat—which proved to be a dilemma, since restaurants with great food had long queues, and those without queues were mostly not as good. Zhang Yuwen had to settle for a meal of roast duck.
“What are we doing tomorrow?” Huo Sichen thought for a moment. “I remember…”
“Yeah, I remember too. I’ve booked a hot spring resort.”
Huo Sichen was surprised. “I’d love that. It’s been a long time since I last went to a hot spring.”
“But we’re going with my roommates. You okay with that?”
“Of course. Are we splitting the cost? I’d like to pay for your share too.”
“I have vouchers. They were year-end gifts from the publishing house.”
“Looks like your publishing house made a lot of money this year,” Huo Sichen remarked. “You must get a really substantial year-end bonus.”
Zhang Yuwen downplayed it a little. “Nah, it’s just because most of my colleagues are returning to their hometowns for the holidays, so they aren’t using them. The vouchers have an expiration date, so some of my colleagues were selling theirs at a discount.”
Zhang Yuwen always felt relaxed around Huo Sichen, even more than he did with his roommates. He could eat his meal and mess around on his phone at the same time, and he’d get a response to any topic he brought up. For some reason, though, Huo Sichen seemed a little preoccupied today.
Catching a fleeting moment in which Huo Sichen’s brow furrowed slightly, Zhang Yuwen asked, “Something bothering you?”
Huo Sichen’s mind had only wandered for a second, but he got caught. “No,” he said hurriedly. “It’s just the jet lag.”
“Oh?” He must have gotten off the plane, gone to his meeting, and then headed straight to see Zhang Yuwen without going home first. “You’ll be fine after some sleep.”
Huo Sichen yawned obligingly. “Is there anything you want?” he asked after hustling through his meal. “I’ll buy it for you.”
“No thanks. There’s nothing, really. Honest.”
Zhang Yuwen knew the pain of shopping well, and he wasn’t all that attached to material possessions. It was the same for Huo Sichen; he wouldn’t even go to a store to browse around unless it was absolutely necessary.
Zhang Yuwen took the initiative to settle the bill. “Let’s go home and get some sleep. We’ll hang out again tomorrow.” Huo Sichen perked up, nodded, and drove Zhang Yuwen home.
The streets were decked out in lights for Christmas and New Year’s, like stars that had fallen to earth during the winter night. Huo Sichen was quiet on the way home, giving Zhang Yuwen an occasional glance.
“You can tell me if something’s bothering you,” Zhang Yuwen said. “I might not have a solution to offer, but I’m more than happy to listen.”
Huo Sichen chuckled. “I will, but I’m fine right now. Nothing’s troubling me.”
The car stopped at No. 7 Riverbay Road. Night had fallen, and the colorful lights in the garden had already come on. They both fell momentarily silent.
Then Huo Sichen remembered something. “Oh, right. I got you a Christmas gift.” He turned back to get the paper bag and handed it to Zhang Yuwen.
“Yeah, I got a gift for you too.” Zhang Yuwen opened his bag and took out a small, wrapped box. Huo Sichen looked at him, surprised. “Well, then…”
Zhang Yuwen was about to say good night when Huo Sichen leaned in. Zhang Yuwen’s heart started pounding. He didn’t move; he knew what Huo Sichen meant to do.
Huo Sichen moved in and kissed him gently on the lips.
It was Zhang Yuwen’s first kiss in nearly two years. He had almost forgotten how it felt. Even though Huo Sichen’s looks were very masculine, his lips were soft and warm.
Huo Sichen tried to hold his aggressiveness back and keep the kiss gentle and patient. Zhang Yuwen closed his eyes, absorbing the feeling of Huo Sichen’s warmth and the softness of the kiss. No matter how he defined his feelings for Huo Sichen, this kiss was romantic, and he couldn’t bring himself to pull away.
Feeling like he needed to respond, Zhang Yuwen put his left hand on Huo Sichen’s neck. It was an instant boost to Huo Sichen’s confidence; emboldened, he unbuckled his seat belt with one hand while he wrapped the other around Zhang Yuwen, still kissing him.
Zhang Yuwen was already hard, and his rationality was taking leave of him. It was overwhelming, to be kissed so deeply and passionately by a top when that was usually his move… Just as Huo Sichen was deepening the kiss, his hand starting to wander, Zhang Yuwen called for a pause. He nudged the side of Huo Sichen’s face with two fingers, and Huo Sichen let go.
They both breathed raggedly as they sat back in their seats.
“Sorry,” Huo Sichen said.
“I’m too nervous,” Zhang Yuwen said as he adjusted his pants. “It’s been a while since I… You know. So it’s easy to lose control.”
Huo Sichen laughed, and Zhang Yuwen licked his lips, savoring the taste. Huo Sichen leaned in again, but this time, he just gave Zhang Yuwen a peck on the lips.
“Good night,” said Zhang Yuwen. “See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.” Huo Sichen watched Zhang Yuwen go back into the house before he drove away.