Gu Fei practically flew to the market on his bike, bought the dumplings, and zipped right back to his store. Even though Jiang Cheng didn’t insist on having fennel dumplings, Gu Fei still wanted to make the trip.
After Gu Fei refused to take part in the concert, Jiang Cheng hadn’t said another word about it. He hadn’t brought it up in his presence a single time in the days since. And while Gu Fei couldn’t quite guess what Jiang Cheng was thinking, he knew that his decision had upset him.
He didn’t know how to explain himself, so all he could do was try his best to smooth out Jiang Cheng’s ruffled feathers. If Jiang Cheng had said he was craving grilled meat from the barbecue restaurant downtown right now, he’d have flown there to buy it without a second of hesitation—some fennel dumplings were nothing.
He could guess why Jiang Cheng wanted him to join in the performance. Jiang Cheng wasn’t someone who liked to show off in this particular area. He was only eager because it would be the two of them together, and because…
“You’re clearly so exceptional.”
Jiang Cheng had told him this before.
You’re clearly so exceptional.
Just as he felt proud of Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng was proud of him, too. But the more he felt Jiang Cheng’s pride, the more Gu Fei wanted to run away.
Some resolutions could not stand the test of hope. Even the faintest glimmer of light would plunge him into agony.
✦ ✦ ✦
When he returned to the store, Jiang Cheng was sitting with his legs propped up on the counter as he scribbled something into a notebook, so engrossed that he didn’t even notice Gu Fei come in.
As Gu Fei drew closer, Jiang Cheng raised his head sharply and shut the notebook. “Damnit, how come you didn’t even make a sound?”
“How loud do I have to be to count as making a sound?” Gu Fei asked. He’d seen that Jiang Cheng was writing down music, and he couldn’t help but marvel at it. This overachiever could even make sheet music look ugly. “Does somebody coming in and hauling away all the merchandise count as making a sound?”
“Go ahead and try. See if I can hear it,” Jiang Cheng said with a laugh. He seemed to be in a pretty good mood. Gu Fei reached out and stroked Jiang Cheng’s face, then walked to the kitchen in the back to cook the dumplings.
“What’s Gu Miao going to eat?” Jiang Cheng asked, following him.
“She’ll make her way here later when she gets hungry. I’ll just save some for her,” Gu Fei said.
“Oh.” Jiang Cheng turned back into the store with a spring in his step.
Gu Fei was suddenly a little curious. He wondered what kind of music Jiang Cheng was writing that put him in such a good mood… Or was it Wang Xu who’d put him in such a good mood?
…Unlikely.
If that was really the case, he’d have to seek Wang Xu out for a little chat.
After the dumplings, Jiang Cheng gathered his stuff and got ready to head back to his apartment. “Are you coming over tonight?”
“Yep.” Gu Fei nodded. “I’ll come after Er-Miao’s asleep.”
“Seriously?” Jiang Cheng lowered his voice. “The way you keep sneaking out every night, are you sure she hasn’t noticed?”
“She hasn’t,” Gu Fei assured him. “And it’s not every night… I kind of wish it was.”
Laughing, Jiang Cheng leaned over and nuzzled his nose gently against Gu Fei’s cheek, then went to pick up his backpack. “Bring me something to eat when you come over tonight.”
“Okay.” Gu Fei grabbed his arm and pulled him in. “Give me a kiss before you leave.”
“Hey, hey, hey.” Jiang Cheng glanced out the door nervously. “Remember where you are.”
Gu Fei turned back to look outside. He didn’t see anyone there, so he leaned in and bit down on Jiang Cheng’s neck.
“Day after day like this…” Jiang Cheng touched his neck. “A bite here and a nibble there—maybe next time you can put some sauce on it for flavor.”
“Good idea.” Gu Fei squinted slightly and looked him up and down, his gaze stopping just below his belly. “Chocolate sauce, then. Or peanut butter. Or mayonnaise…”
“Fuck off!” Realizing what he meant, Jiang Cheng pointed a finger at him and chided, “And you call me shameless!”
“I’m not all talk—I follow my words with action.” Gu Fei pulled out a cigarette and put it between his lips. “No fucking time like the present. Let’s do it tonight.”