DLWAV CH24

Ao Ruize’s birthday arrived.

This was his first birthday since getting together with Zhong Chi, so logically, it should have been spent with Zhong Chi celebrating it for him.

However, unable to resist the plans made a year ago, Gao Xiong and the others had already booked him. They insisted on gathering a group of friends he hadn’t seen in a long time for a proper get-together at Huangming Club.

At 5:00 PM sharp, the two arrived at Huangming.

Gao Xiong and the others were already waiting for them at the shooting range.

Watching them walk in hand-in-hand, the jeering from Gao Xiong and the group erupted instantly. “Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

“We agreed to be single dogs together, yet you secretly held a man’s hand.”

“You animal!”

…

Zhong Chi couldn’t help but tighten his grip on Ao Ruize’s hand.

But in reality, he was happy.

After all, this meant that Ao Ruize’s circle of friends had accepted him.

“Shoo, shoo.”

Ao Ruize kicked them away playfully and shielded Zhong Chi as they sat down. He also asked for an apron for Zhong Chi, since they were having an open-air hotpot and barbecue today, and Zhong Chi was wearing a white shirt.

When had Gao Xiong and the others ever seen Ao Ruize taking care of someone like this?

Most importantly, they finally understood what it felt like for a dog walking happily down the street to suddenly get kicked for no reason.

Gao Xiong and the others’ eyes turned red with envy.

They immediately rolled up their sleeves and raised their wine glasses. “Come, let’s toast the birthday boy first.”

If they didn’t drink this dog of a man under the table today, they wouldn’t change their surnames to ‘Playboy’.

Ao Ruize couldn’t help but laugh, raising his glass as well. “Cheers.”

However, since they were out to have fun, they couldn’t just drink dryly.

Gao Xiong immediately proposed, “Come on, set up the trap machine. Ten clay pigeons at a time. Whoever loses drinks.”

The others immediately agreed, “You’re on.”

A waiter promptly brought over the shotguns and the trap machine.

Ao Ruize turned to look at Zhong Chi beside him. “Do you want to play?”

Zhong Chi: “No, my aim isn’t good.”

If he played, it would surely lower the fun for Ao Ruize and the others.

After saying that, he paused, lowered his voice, his eyes filled only with Ao Ruize, and said, “Most importantly, I want to see you show off your skills. That scene must be very handsome—”

Who in love could withstand such praise from their partner?

Ao Ruize couldn’t help but laugh.

Zhong Chi really was flirting with him at every moment.

But Ao Ruize had to admit, he was enjoying it.

“Alright, I definitely won’t let you down.”

And so, in the subsequent shooting competition, accompanied by the muffled sounds of gunshots, Ao Ruize hit at least nine out of ten discs every single round.

Gao Xiong and the others’ faces were turning green.

“F*ck, Young Master Hai, did you take stimulants today?”

“Again! I don’t believe so many of us can’t beat you alone.”

Ao Ruize ignored them. While reloading, he simply glanced back at Zhong Chi, as if to say: “Am I cool?”

Cool? He was stunning!

Who could refuse the charm of marksmanship, especially when Ao Ruize was shattering every flying disc, never missing a shot?

Moreover, when shooting, the recoil of the stock usually hammers the user’s shoulder heavily. Others had to rub their wrists and shoulders after a few rounds, but Ao Ruize’s powerful, capable body only swayed slightly from start to finish. There was no need for any shoulder massage…

Zhong Chi couldn’t help but curl the fingers hanging by his side.

After all, those fingers had personally experienced just how strong that body was.

But just then, he noticed that a circle of people had gathered around them without him realizing it.

Among them were many young men and women.

“Why didn’t I notice before that Xiao Ruize is actually quite amazing?”

“He surfs well, rides horses, flies helicopters… I heard he was the main player on the university basketball team, and now he’s even this good with guns.”

…

“Most importantly, he’s so good-looking.”

“I guarantee that the vast majority of wealthy young masters in Shallow City don’t have a body as good as his.”

“When my grandmother wanted to introduce me to him, why did I listen to those rumors and believe he was truly a good-for-nothing dandy, and refuse her?”

“Me too…”

“What a pity.”

“…You never know, what if Xiao Ruize is a cheater…”

Hearing this, Zhong Chi’s breath hitched.

He finally realized just how charismatic the current Ao Ruize was.

Even though he had buttoned up those two top buttons on Ao Ruize’s shirt, it couldn’t stop others from coveting him.

I really want to hide him away.

Zhong Chi pursed his lips slightly.

But it was just a thought.

After all, how could he not love seeing Ao Ruize looking so high-spirited and confident?

“I quit, I quit!”

Seeing that they had lost seven or eight rounds in a row, Gao Xiong and the others tossed their guns to the waiters and collapsed into their chairs.

They had originally intended to get Ao Ruize drunk, but in the end, they were the ones pouring glass after glass down their own throats.

“Young Master Hai, can’t you be human for once?”

Of course, they were just mouthing off; they didn’t actually intend to get Ao Ruize dead drunk.

Since Ao Ruize and Zhong Chi were giving them face by showing up, they couldn’t ruin the couple’s fun.

Gao Xiong immediately said, “Forget it, forget it. Let’s eat hotpot.”

“Come try the Mediterranean red shrimp my mom sent me specially from abroad. I even hired a French chef to make red shrimp pasta for us later.”

Smiling, Ao Ruize put down his gun.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down, a plate of freshly peeled red shrimp appeared in front of him.

Ao Ruize turned to Zhong Chi. “Is this my reward?”

Zhong Chi glanced out of the corner of his eye at the men and women nearby who hadn’t left yet, and hummed lightly, “Mm.”

Although he couldn’t hide Ao Ruize away, he could show off their affection. At the very least, he had to make those people coveting his boyfriend realize the difficulty and back off.

However…

Gao Xiong and the others, who were innocently lying there getting stuffed with dog food (PDA): “…”

Numb. We are truly numb.

So, as soon as they finished eating, Gao Xiong and the group shoved the gifts they had prepared into Ao Ruize’s arms. “Get lost, get lost! You are no longer fit to associate with us single dogs.”

What could Ao Ruize do?

Ao Ruize could only take Zhong Chi and head back first.

Unexpectedly, halfway there, the car suddenly stalled.

Ao Ruize and Zhong Chi got out and opened the hood, preparing to see what was wrong, when the heavens suddenly opened up and poured rain.

Both of them were instantly soaked like drowned rats.

Ao Ruize looked helpless. “Logically speaking, shouldn’t today be a lucky day?”

After all, it was his birthday.

Fortunately, a taxi happened to pass by, allowing them to go back to wash up and change clothes first.

There was just one issue: Zhong Chi’s house didn’t have any of Ao Ruize’s clothes.

Zhong Chi lowered his eyes slightly, then took out a bathrobe. “I haven’t really worn this bathrobe.”

Because the fabric was particularly slippery, the belt would always come undone with a light tug, and it would slide down easily.

“You can wear this for now.”

“Sure.”

Ao Ruize didn’t think much of it.

But there was one thing: Zhong Chi’s frame was much smaller than Ao Ruize’s.

One could imagine what this bathrobe looked like on Ao Ruize.

Seeing Ao Ruize, who had finished showering first and was sitting on the sofa, with his muscles barely concealed by the robe, a picture instantly flashed through Zhong Chi’s mind: what if there were a few scratch marks added to that skin…

Thinking of this, Zhong Chi felt his breathing becoming hard to control.

He could only struggle to look away to avoid losing his composure on the spot.

Then, he saw Ao Ruize unwrapping the gifts Gao Xiong and the others had given him.

Zhong Chi sat over, trying to distract himself.

But unexpectedly, the next second, he watched Ao Ruize pull out a pile of “protection” (condoms) from the box.

(Note: The text euphemistically calls them ‘plastic wrap/cling film’ [保鮮膜], but the context of size and prank gifts implies condoms.)

Ao Ruize: “…”

Zhong Chi: “…”

What could Ao Ruize do? Ao Ruize could only pretend not to care. “That guy Gao Xiong, he’s always this unreliable.”

Then he decisively closed that box and picked up another gift box nearby to open.

Unexpectedly, upon opening it… another box of “protection”.

Zhong Chi: “…”

Ao Ruize: “…”

“Ahem.”

Ao Ruize could only say, “Another one led astray by Gao Xiong.”

He opened a third box. Still “protection”.

…

Consequently, after opening all the gift boxes, he had acquired a mountain of “protection”.

Ao Ruize: “…”

He really had a group of terrible friends!

Ao Ruize rubbed his nose. “Um, I’ll send all these back to them later.”

Hearing this, Zhong Chi’s hand, hanging by his side, instantly froze. His lips slowly pressed into a tight line.

Send them back?

Why send them back?

Is Ao Ruize unwilling to…

Ao Ruize keenly noticed the change in Zhong Chi’s expression.

Without thinking too much, he instinctively explained, “Because the size of these is too small.”

T-Too small?

Zhong Chi’s hand froze completely.

He subconsciously glanced at the pile of “protection” on the coffee table. Among them, quite a few had the word ‘Large’ written on them. His breathing instantly quickened by seventy percent.

T-There’s such a good thing?

Only then did Ao Ruize notice that Zhong Chi’s neck had turned red again, and that flush quickly spread to the tips of his ears, causing the surrounding atmosphere to turn ambiguous.

—How could Ao Ruize not want to take things further with Zhong Chi?

After all, they had been together for almost three months. Using the Milk Dumpling’s calculation method, rounding up, that was… three years.

The main reason was that for the past half-month, Zhong Chi had never suggested celebrating his birthday alone with him.

Of course, this might be because Zhong Chi heard that Gao Xiong and the others were planning a party and didn’t want to make him break his appointment.

But Ao Ruize felt it was more likely that Zhong Chi wasn’t ready to go further with him yet…

After all, while Zhong Chi sometimes acted boldly, Ao Ruize could still taste the shyness hidden beneath his words.

Because these days, wasn’t it popular to package oneself as a birthday gift for one’s partner?

But early this morning, Zhong Chi had already given him the gift he had prepared—a piece of red jade he had treasured for many years.

However, the current scene made Ao Ruize suspect he might have guessed wrong.

But soon, he knew the answer.

Because the next second, he heard Zhong Chi whisper, “How small is ‘too small’?”

Ao Ruize: “…”

Meeting the reddish corners of Zhong Chi’s eyes—

He really had been too conservative.

It seemed he still had a lot to learn.

But none of that mattered anymore.

Before he could make a move, the next second, he was suddenly pushed onto the sofa by Zhong Chi.

The flush on Zhong Chi’s neck was even more intense than that day at the Ruifeng Hotel.

The breath he exhaled was hotter than the noon sun in August. He asked, “Did you like the gift I gave you this morning?”

Ao Ruize felt his throat go completely dry. “I liked it.”

Zhong Chi placed his hand on the belt he had been thinking about for days, and continued to ask, “Then… can I open my return gift now?”

Ao Ruize: “…”

Does it work that way?

No wonder Zhong Chi didn’t care about celebrating his birthday alone.

But none of that mattered now.

“But—”

Ao Ruize’s gaze fell on the “protection” on the side.

Zhong Chi’s lips pressed even tighter, trying hard not to look away. “It’s fine… I have some here…”

He rejoiced internally. Since he didn’t know Ao Ruize’s size, he had simply bought one of every size available.

Which meant, he had made up his mind long ago: He was going to eat Ao Ruize today!!!

Ao Ruize: “…”

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