AD Chapter 39

Shen Du felt like there was something wrong with his ears.

“What are you thinking?”

Afraid that Qin Yi would ask again, this time he simply and succinctly said two words: “Bed, sleep.”

“I…” Somehow, Shen Du didn’t want to be looked down upon. He puffed out his chest and said, “I don’t want to sleep with you.”

Qin Yi: “…”

Probably shocked by this response, Qin Yi took a moment to reflect on what had gone wrong, wondering where he had given Shen Du such an impression.

He put the box back, lowered his eyes, and stayed silent for a while.

But to Shen Du, it looked like he was upset.

Qin Yi was hurt because Shen Du had rejected him.

“Well…” Shen Du coughed, “I didn’t mean that, just… you know?”

He was speaking in a way that was becoming harder to understand, and Qin Yi raised an eyebrow. “Which one?”

“Just… that!” Shen Du said awkwardly, embarrassed to admit that he didn’t actually know how, trying to cover it up.

He hadn’t even done his homework yet.

What was supposed to happen between men…?

Some people just can’t hide their thoughts, and everything they’re thinking is written all over their face. Qin Yi leaned casually against the desk, one hand in his pocket, quietly watching Shen Du’s performance.

Shen Du’s mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts, but the problem was, his knowledge was too shallow. After thinking it over, it all came down to the same things, and it was all stuff he had heard from Xu Qingluo.

Damn, he should’ve just let him keep talking back then.

Qin Yi watched him, expressionless.

With that interruption, all the romantic thoughts had vanished.

He lost interest and pulled his hand away, closing the wooden box and placing it back in the cabinet.

Shen Du snapped out of his own world and saw Qin Yi’s expression tense, thinking he was angry.

“Don’t be like this.”

Shen Du walked over and pulled him. “Tonight really isn’t the right time.”

Qin Yi lowered his eyelids and didn’t speak, just staring at their hands intertwined.

He didn’t look comforted at all.

So, Shen Du hooked his shoulder and gave it a little shake, trying to coax him like a child. “Next time, I’ll make sure you’re satisfied, okay?”

Qin Yi raised his eyes, the corners of his eyes narrow, his voice lazy and sticking together. “Really? You’ll satisfy me?”

Shen Du thought, finally, a response. He wasn’t someone who could take compliments easily, but with Qin Yi looking at him like that, he didn’t know where the confidence came from. He slapped his chest proudly. “Of course!”

When it came to this kind of thing, the goal was always to satisfy the other person.

In the end, they didn’t do anything.

After tidying up for the cat and himself, Shen Du lay in bed, starting to think about what had happened today.

He had never imagined that one day he would be in a relationship with a man, or even do those things with one. But on second thought, if that person was Qin Yi, it wasn’t so impossible.

Just thinking about that scene made Shen Du’s mind explode with heat.

He lay on his bed, took out his phone, and decided to study hard, doing his homework.

He was going to give Qin Yi a perfect first time.

…

Three hours after Shen Du fell asleep, the alarm clock rang.

This time, Shen Du was unusually awake. Almost as soon as the frisbee flew out, he bounced out of bed with full energy.

He felt great!

He had never felt so refreshed at this moment!

In a good mood, he held the toothbrush and the cat, knocking on the door of the room next door.

“Good morning, Boss Qin.”

Qin Yi, holding a spatula, glanced at him. He couldn’t quite figure out why Shen Du was so happy so early in the morning. He stepped aside to let him in. “…Good morning.”

Da Mao was curled up in its bed, sleeping. Hearing the noise, it lifted its head, meowed, and then Er Mao stretched its head out from Shen Du’s arms, sniffed the air, meowed too, and reached its paw toward Shen Du’s arm, trying to get down.

The cat bed was large, and it wasn’t a problem for two cats to lie there. Shen Du walked over, put the cat back in the bed, and finished brushing his teeth.

“Boss Qin, can I borrow your mouthwash cup?”

While Qin Yi was cooking in the kitchen, he came out with the soup just as the sound of the toilet flushing reached his ears. Two seconds later, Shen Du appeared at the door, leaning against it and looking at him with an indescribable expression.

“Come eat.”

Qin Yi, still wearing the apron around his waist, had on a black V-neck T-shirt today. The shirt was tucked into his pants, making his legs look particularly long and straight.

Remembering the “materials” he had looked at last night, Shen Du walked over and slapped him on the butt, laughing, “Pretty firm.”

The “materials” said this was flirting. Doing this occasionally could help the relationship develop.

From Qin Yi’s expression, it seemed like he was stunned by the slap.

It worked!

“…”

Qin Yi felt like he wasn’t fully awake yet. He was speechless for a moment, then said, “What are you doing?”

Yesterday, Shen Du had been kissed senseless, and today he was acting like a little rogue. Qin Yi really wanted to know what had happened to Shen Du after he got home last night.

Shen Du grinned and hooked his shoulder. “I’m complimenting you, Boss Qin. You’ve got good assets.”

Qin Yi put down what he was holding and was about to speak when Shen Du suddenly leaned in to kiss him.

Qin Yi was forced into a chaotic and confusing kiss, with Shen Du’s hand pressing on his neck, his tongue swirling inside his mouth, the actions rough and without rhythm.

Qin Yi was forced to accept the kiss.

He felt something was off.

Shen Du’s strange behavior continued until the store’s anniversary celebration.

Even Niao Niao noticed it.

This year, after celebrating the anniversary at the store, they planned to go camping by the river. Xiang Nan was carrying the barbecue rack over. “Where should I put this?”

“Wait a minute.” Niao Niao was clearing space in the car’s trunk. “Put it here.”

Xiang Nan nodded and put the things down. Just as he was about to leave, Niao Niao grabbed his arm. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t go yet.”

Xiang Nan: “What’s up?”

“Have you noticed that Shen Du has been acting a little strange lately?”

Xiang Nan had been busy running around recently, and other than eating, he hadn’t left the studio. He hadn’t even played games at noon. “What do you mean?”

Niao Niao: “He seems to be sticking to Boss Qin a lot. I used to think their relationship was just okay.”

It seemed that since last week, Shen Du had been visiting Qin Yi’s studio often. She had seen Shen Du get into Qin Yi’s car several times after work.

The energy between them was definitely different from before, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint what exactly had changed.

“You’re familiar with both of them. Can you analyze it for me?”

Xiang Nan leaned against the car door, his expression unreadable. He wasn’t sure if he knew or not. “It’s probably just your illusion. I didn’t notice anything.”

Just as he finished speaking, Shen Du walked over with a cardboard box. “I’ve put this here. What were you two talking about?”

Instead of guessing here, it was better to ask the person involved directly. Niao Niao stared at Shen Du’s face, silently organizing her words in her mind, about to speak when Shen Du suddenly waved. “Hey, Qin Yi!”

Qin Yi was on the phone with Zheng Qing, with one earbud in. When he heard Shen Du call him, he looked up and glanced in the direction of the voice.

“Hey, I’ve got something to do. I’ll talk to you later.” Shen Du put down the box and walked away.

Niao Niao nudged Xiang Nan’s arm. “What did I tell you?”

Xiang Nan: “…”

“What are you doing here?”

Qin Yi, with the earbud still in, waited a few seconds before replying, “Shen Du, Zheng Qing and Lu Ning say hello to you.”

Shen Du froze. “You’re on the phone?”

He then added, “Well, tell them I said hello too.”

Qin Yi smiled and said, “They heard you.”

“Don’t just say that. Tell them something else!” In the phone, Lu Ning quickly added, “Tell him to come visit when he has time. Don’t hoard him at home like a treasure. Lao Qin, you shouldn’t be doing this. We’ve slept in the same bed before, and now he’s slept in your bed too. We—”

“…”

Qin Yi took off his earbud and hung up the phone.

When the sun set, many people had gathered by the river for camping, and the evening breeze was incredibly comfortable.

Niao Niao set up the camera and called everyone over to take pictures.

“Seven years, everyone! Hope you’re all happy every day and make a fortune!” Niao Niao pulled out a stack of red envelopes from her bag. “These are the red envelopes Boss Qin prepared for everyone. There are also gifts in the trunk. When we leave later, remember to come get them.”

“Thank you, Boss! You’ve spent so much again.”

Qin Yi waved his hand, signaling for them not to say such formal things.

Suddenly, his shirt hem was tugged. Qin Yi didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. He slightly tilted his head back and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Boss Qin, it’s August, and you still haven’t paid my salary.”

Qin Yi replied, “Didn’t you say you’d use your salary to pay for tea sets and meals?”

Calculating it, he was lucky if he didn’t end up owing anything.

“Then you’re really not giving me a single penny?” After all, it was his first paycheck.

Qin Yi seemed to think for two seconds and said, “How much do you want?”

Shen Du seriously replied, “I don’t want anything, I just want you.”

Qin Yi: “…”

So cheesy, so sudden.

Seeing his expression as if he had eaten spoiled food, Shen Du clapped his hands and laughed. He found teasing Qin Yi quite fun. He knew that Qin Yi only appeared reserved and calm on the surface, but deep down, he was a bit naughty.

But it was this fake seriousness that was the most attractive, as if it had a magical power, constantly drawing him to test it, to see just how far this person could be pushed.

Usually, it was him who was irritated by Qin Yi, but now the roles were reversed. The feeling was indescribable.

Shen Du kept applauding, and before Qin Yi could react, he ran off.

After eating and drinking, dusk fell, and everyone lit up the camping lights.

Master Cao leisurely leaned back in his chair, chewing on a toothpick. “It’s still early, kind of boring. How about we play something?”

“Getting old, nothing fun anymore,” Master Xia called Shen Du. “You young folks have ideas; think of something.”

Shen Du was secretly watching Qin Yi handle business. Zheng Qing had just sent an email that needed immediate attention.

Under the hazy moonlight, Qin Yi had his laptop on his lap, his long, slender fingers tapping on the keyboard, just like tapping on Shen Du’s heart.

Without thinking, he pushed the topic out, “I can’t think of anything, I’m not young anymore, let Xiang Nan think of something.”

Xiang Nan immediately said, “I can’t think of anything either.”

Afraid of an awkward silence, Niao Niao suggested, “I brought dice, how about we play this? Whoever has the lowest number loses, and the loser either drinks a glass of wine or tells a secret. We’ll ask questions. What do you think?”

The suggestion left the whole group silent.

Mostly because they were shocked by the idea.

Master Cao, Master Xia, and the others were from a different age group, so playing a game like this… would it even be fun?

Perhaps Niao Niao also realized her suggestion was a bit funny, so she chuckled awkwardly. “Never mind, forget I said anything.”

“Don’t, don’t forget it, let’s play this,” Master Liu said. “Don’t judge us by our age, we still have some stories to tell.”

The old guys exchanged glances.

Fine, if you say so.

So, the game was set.

Shen Du had bad luck, and kept losing. After Master Liu asked, “How many times have you been in a relationship?” and “When was your last kiss?” The next question was, “When was your first time?”

They were all old perverts, and the questions were the usual ones. No one was going to spill anything.

At the table, everyone was an adult, except for Niao Niao, who was the only woman. It wasn’t too surprising that they asked these kinds of questions.

Niao Niao was even more excited than the men. “When? Hurry up and tell us!”

“…”

Shen Du instinctively glanced at the person next to him, his ears turning red.

After a long silence, he said, under the regretful gazes of the others, “I choose to drink.”

His bold drinking posture made the others hesitate to ask any more questions.

Later, he lost a few more rounds, and to avoid them asking even more embarrassing questions, Shen Du just chose to drink.

After a few glasses, he was slightly tipsy, his consciousness drifting.

They say luck follows the law of conservation.

After the fifth glass, Shen Du didn’t drink anymore. Instead, it was Master Liu, who had been asking sharp questions, who lost terribly. Shen Du had been wanting to turn the tables, so he directly asked, “Can you even drink?”

Everyone was stunned, then burst out laughing. “This kid’s drunk.”

Shen Du frowned. “I’m not drunk.”

Master Cao held up three fingers. “How many is this?”

He was a bit far from Shen Du, the lighting wasn’t great, and Shen Du’s mind wasn’t quite keeping up. After a long time, he still couldn’t give the correct answer.

“See? He’s drunk.”

Niao Niao laughed. “You guys shouldn’t have made him drink so much.”

“Who made him drink? He wanted to drink. Just answer the question honestly, no one forced him,” Master Liu chuckled and waved him off. “Shen Du, are you coming again?”

Just as Shen Du was about to speak, someone grabbed his wrist.

It was Qin Yi pulling him back to his seat.

“I’ll drink for him.”

After watching the show all night, someone finally took action.

Master Cao said, “I thought you were going to stay by the computer all night.”

Qin Yi didn’t answer, rolling up his sleeves to his elbows. “Who made him drink? Picking on a kid isn’t impressive. Come on, let’s play.”

Everyone had been drinking a little; their brains were buzzing, and for a moment, no one realized what was wrong.

Master Xia stood up with a bottle of wine. “Come on, who’s afraid? If you’re drinking for him, you have to drink double. How about it?”

Qin Yi lazily nodded. “Sure.”

The game that started out fun turned into a drinking contest, and by the end, everyone had forgotten that they could still answer questions without drinking.

They partied until 11 PM.

Except for Niao Niao and Qin Yi, who were still somewhat sober, the others seemed a bit tipsy, but thankfully still conscious enough to get home on their own.

After sending the last person off in a taxi, Qin Yi put his arm around Shen Du and said to Niao Niao, “Please have someone take the stuff back, thanks for your help.”

Niao Niao shook her head. “It’s fine, Brother Qin. You and Shen Du go ahead.”

The drunk person wasn’t being still, leaning against him and bumping here and there. Qin Yi’s shirt was getting wrinkled, but he didn’t mind, only grabbing his hand when it almost reached a dangerous spot, tightening his expression and guiding it to his waist.

He half-hugged Shen Du into the car.

“Where to, sir?” It was the designated driver he had called.

Qin Yi gave the address.

It was quite close to his other house, and since he was worried Shen Du might feel uncomfortable from sitting too long, he decided to take him there.

About ten minutes later, the car stopped at a high-end residential complex. Qin Yi tossed the keys to the security guard, asking him to park the car, then stopped by a convenience store and helped the drunk person stand steady. “Wait here for me, I’ll go buy something.”

“What are you buying?”

“Honey.”

“Cond-oms?”

The two spoke almost simultaneously.

“…”

It was hard to tell who was more silent.

Shen Du had actually woken up a little after taking a nap in the car, but his head and mouth were still disconnected. His mind was still fuzzy, and as his lips moved, the words just slipped out.

After saying it, it took him quite a while to realize.

Shen Du: “…”

But strangely, he didn’t feel particularly embarrassed.

It was different from the last time when Qin Yi had brought it up.

He even thought tonight was a great opportunity: a dark and windy night, tomorrow was a holiday, and most importantly, he had been cramming a lot of knowledge in the past few days.

Enough to make Qin Yi have a great night.

As for Qin Yi?

Shen Du squinted his eyes and looked over. In the dim light of the convenience store, he saw Qin Yi standing in front of him, his clothes wrinkled, two buttons on his collar undone, revealing a small patch of his muscular chest and half of a flamingo tattoo.

He said, “Huh?” in disbelief, “You really have a tattoo here?”

Qin Yi didn’t have time to think about how Shen Du knew. His mind was still stuck on the previous question: “What did you just say you were buying?”

Both of them smelled of alcohol.

Shen Du swayed as he stood, looking like he was about to fall at any moment. Qin Yi reached out and grabbed his shoulder. Shen Du looked up, and under the dim light, he thought Qin Yi looked incredibly handsome. The usually reserved person was now in this state, almost as if he had been bullied.

Shen Du knew it was his chance to turn the tables, and he laughed happily.

“You know,” Shen Du said, his finger tapping on the tattooed area on Qin Yi’s chest, his gaze briefly clearing, “In my dream, this is how you ruined and wrinkled my clothes.”

“If it weren’t for you tying me up, I definitely…”

Qin Yi’s reflection appeared in his eyes. “Definitely what?”

Shen Du licked his lips. “Definitely would’ve fu-cked you to death.”