Zhang Yuwen countered with a question of his own. “If I insisted on being the top, and otherwise, no deal, would you accept it? Or…take a step back and go back to being friends?”
“No, Yuwen,” Huo Sichen said immediately. “I really do love you…” Belatedly, it occurred to him that a hot spring pool wasn’t the most solemn place to profess his love. His face turned even redder as he tripped over his words, trying to explain. “I think…all of these things can be overcome. If you really can’t agree to it, and it has to be me who…um… I’ll be willing to give it a try, but…”
Zhang Yuwen watched Huo Sichen silently, feeling moved. It was clear from Huo Sichen’s reaction that he had never done it with a man, and he was nervous and clumsy when it came to gay sex. It was also clear that Huo Sichen really liked him.
“It’s just,” Huo Sichen continued apprehensively, “I might not meet your expectations. I mean, it might not be totally harmonious…”
Zhang Yuwen gestured for him to stop talking. Generously, he said, “Okay, sure. It’s just a position. No big deal. I want to experience bottoming too.”
Huo Sichen’s breath caught. His body reacted to those words, and Zhang Yuwen, seeing it, burst into laughter and splashed him with water. Huo Sichen blushed.
“Even if it feels uncomfortable,” Zhang Yuwen rationalized, “there are still plenty of other ways to do it.”
“Then that’s decided!”
“Yeah, but I have a request.” Zhang Yuwen looked Huo Sichen’s naked body up and down. With his physique paired with that handsome, serious face of his, he really was gorgeous. “You have to let me top you once in a while. Can you agree to that?”
Zhang Yuwen had to have a taste of that glorious, fair, elite body.
“Sure,” Huo Sichen said without so much as a second thought.
What a bizarre conversation. Who had serious discussions about sexual roles in a hot spring pool? But this was an issue two men who wanted to be together had to resolve. Zhang Yuwen wondered if two bottoms who fell in love would also bargain with each other like this.
When Zhang Yuwen decided to date Huo Sichen, his intent was to pursue a wholly new kind of same-sex relationship—one that was equal and mutual. There would be no big, strong top who had to care for and dote on the bottom, and no bottom relying on his top. But Huo Sichen was so inexperienced with this budding romance that he handled many of the details as if it were a heterosexual relationship. Sometimes he treated Zhang Yuwen as a girl.
But that didn’t matter. People could change.
During dinner, the mood was much livelier than the previous night. Yan Jun and Huo Sichen didn’t drink, and Zheng Weize and Chang Jinxing sat together again. Zhang Yuwen wanted to brag about Xiao-Qi calling his name, but she was engrossed in a cartoon on Yan Jun’s phone.
“We haven’t toasted yet!” Chen Hong said.
“Oh, yeah!” Chang Jinxing put down his phone and picked up his cup.
The moment the toast was suggested, Zhang Yuwen’s social anxiety reared its ugly head. And sure enough, Chen Hong said, “Thanks to Yuwen for bringing us together.”
“Yeah!” Zheng Weize chimed in. “Thank you, Yuwen, for taking us out to have a good time.”
“It’s the work of fate, I guess,” said Zhang Yuwen, blushing.
“Thank you, Yuwen.” Yan Jun raised his cup with a smile. “You know what I want to say.”
“Thanks,” said Chang Jinxing. “You’ve changed me a lot.”
Zhang Yuwen dreaded situations like this more than anything, especially when people made genuine expressions of emotion. Every time it happened, he wanted to hide under the table.
“Yuwen is a wonderful person,” added Huo Sichen. “It’s truly a blessing to know you.”
“Stop it, guys,” Zhang Yuwen pleaded. “This is mortifying.”
“Really,” Zheng Weize continued, “my life has changed completely. I’m so much happier than I used to be.”
Then I guess I won’t be chasing you guys for rent, Zhang Yuwen thought. “Okay, enough. Let’s toast,” he said. “Let’s all keep working hard in the coming year.”
They clinked cups, and Zhang Yuwen felt a little ashamed. After all, his motive for bringing them all together at Riverbay Road was far from pure. If anything, he was the one who’d learned from his warm, kindhearted roommates. He used to think he could live perfectly happily as a recluse, but their presence made his life so much more vibrant.
He had nothing to give to them. All he had was a bit of money. Surrounded by his friends, for the first time in his life, Zhang Yuwen felt just how inadequate his soul was.
Thankfully, the adulation of the sub-landlord ended before long. They were having beef hot pot, and as soon as it was served, everyone exclaimed in delight and whipped out their phones to take photos. Chang Jinxing even used his camera.
“Man, I wish I could stay here forever!” said Zheng Weize.
“I’ll bring you here again next time,” Zhang Yuwen told him.
“Isn’t home good, though?” Chang Jinxing laughed. “It doesn’t have a hot spring, but home is also very comfortable.” Thinking it over, Zheng Weize had to agree.
Hearing them speak about “home” made Huo Sichen look at Zhang Yuwen. Zhang Yuwen knew that he was thinking about how they would see each other in the future, whether they would live together, where they should spend the night, and so on. Those thoughts were a little premature. Yes, their relationship was progressing at lightning speed, but Zhang Yuwen still had no plans to discuss cohabitation just yet. Having sex while they were dating was one thing, but cohabitation meant sharing a life… But that didn’t mean that Zhang Yuwen wouldn’t tease him about it, seeing Huo Sichen lost in thought.
Huo Sichen sat across from him in the dining room laid with tatami mats. He was shoulder to shoulder with Yan Jun, who was chatting with Chang Jinxing. Listening to them joke around, Zhang Yuwen extended his foot, clad in a white athletic sock, found Huo Sichen’s foot under the table, and stroked it.