Meng Kewen was pulled up from the grass by Wu Fengyi, while the others stared intently at Xi Shui and Zhou Zeqi.
"Is this a confession?"
"Xi Shui likes Zhou? That can't be right, they didn't even know each other before."
"Weren't they already a couple on the forum?"
"Come on, the forum also had stories about them being the sky and clouds in their past lives. You can't take that seriously."
"Look at Zhou's nonchalant expression. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was the one confessing to Xi Shui."
Wu Fengyi nodded in agreement, "Indeed, he looks quite unbothered."
Zhou Zeqi gazed at Xi Shui without blinking, causing Xi Shui's face to burn hot with embarrassment. His voice trembled as he asked, "So, what do you think?"
"It's only been a minute, Xi Shui. Do you usually only give people a minute to consider things?"
"Isn't a minute enough for you to think it over?"
"......"
Zhou Zeqi's lips twitched in amusement. If anyone else had said that, he would have questioned their sanity.
But this was Xi Shui.
Xi Shui's expression was serious, his gaze determined. He genuinely believed a minute was enough for Zhou Zeqi to consider.
Alright then.
It was enough.
A simple "okay" circled in Zhou Zeqi's mouth before he finally said it. Before speaking, he wanted to ask why Xi Shui wanted to date him, but he swallowed the question. He feared that if he asked, Xi Shui might run away.
Because right now, Xi Shui looked nervous and scared, as if he might bolt at any moment.
Whatever the case, better to keep him close for now.
No rush.
"Okay."
As the word fell, Xi Shui seemed dazed and surprised. "You agreed just like that?"
Zhou Zeqi smiled, "You only gave me a minute to think about it."
"Well, alright then." Xi Shui felt uneasy. He gazed at Zhou Zeqi's eyes, nose, and his attractive lips, imagining what it would be like to kiss him. The thought wasn't unpleasant or repulsive at all. He wanted to kiss Zhou Zeqi.
However, burning calories still had to come first.
If Zhou Zeqi needed his help with anything, he would be eager to assist.
The air was sultry, and the crowded leaves of the shrubs curled at the edges from the heat. In such an environment, going without water for long would quickly lead to a parched throat.
Xi Shui had forgotten to bring his large water bottle.
Seeing him uncomfortably licking his lips, Zhou Zeqi picked up his own half-drunk bottle of mineral water from the ground. He unscrewed the cap and offered it to Xi Shui, "It's all I have. Do you want some?"
Xi Shui stared at the bottle's mouth, hesitating to take it.
He had never drunk from someone else's water or cup before. At home, everyone had their own cup, and if they had identical cups, they would label them to avoid confusion.
Xi Shui reached out his hand, then pulled it back halfway, tucking his delicate fingers into his sleeve. His eyes, however, darted to Zhou Zeqi's face.
Zhou Zeqi pushed the bottle a bit closer to him.
"Xi Shui, you were the one who liked me first. Are you disgusted by me now?" His tone was teasing, but not overtly so, carrying a hint of playful mockery as if he had Xi Shui all figured out.
Xi Shui hurriedly denied it.
He was going to kiss Zhou Zeqi, how could he be disgusted by him?
Xi Shui took the water from Zhou Zeqi's hand, tilted his head back, and poured the water into his mouth, keeping the bottle a few centimeters away from his lips.
"......"
"Here." Xi Shui handed the water back to Zhou Zeqi.
Zhou Zeqi's gaze deepened, but he said nothing.
Wu Fengyi watched from afar, his arm around Meng Kewen's shoulders. "Look at how nonchalant he is."
Meng Kewen agreed: "Totally unbothered."
Having quenched his thirst, Xi Shui felt much better. He glanced towards the lawn where Wu Fengyi and the others were, then looked back at Zhou Zeqi nervously. "So, what do we do now?"
Zhou Zeqi leaned back, "What do you want to do?"
Xi Shui was stumped.
He hadn't thought that far.
All he could think about was kissing Zhou Zeqi. If he wasn't going to kiss Zhou Zeqi, why did he want to date him in the first place?
But besides kissing, what else did dating involve?
Xi Shui tried hard to recall what his brothers and sisters and classmates did in their daily dating lives.
Most of the time, they were arguing.
"You don't love me anymore."
"Who was that person?"
"You haven't talked to me for two hours."
Occasionally, they would go for walks, but usually at night, not in the middle of the day. When they walked, they would hold hands and move very slowly.
On weekends, they would go shopping, but Xi Shui wasn't sure what they did while shopping, as he had never gone with them. He only knew about the walks because he often went running on the track at night and had seen it with his own eyes.
Under what circumstances could he and Zhou Zeqi kiss?
Xi Shui looked at Wu Fengyi and the others, then at the glaring sky. Even without any dating experience, he knew this wasn't the right time for a kiss.
"I should go back then," Xi Shui said to Zhou Zeqi.
Zhou Zeqi thought he had misheard, "What?"
Xi Shui closed his mouth, clearly aware that he had said something wrong. Even if it wasn't wrong, Zhou Zeqi certainly wouldn't like hearing it.
Zhou Zeqi was a bit confused by Xi Shui now. He reached out and grabbed Xi Shui's wrist, nearly pulling him into his arms. Xi Shui barely managed to keep his balance, his knees touching the bench, as close to Zhou Zeqi as he could be.
"You confess, I accept, and then you say you want to leave?" Zhou Zeqi pointed out the absurdity of Xi Shui's behavior. "Xi Shui... do you even know what you're doing?"
Xi Shui felt how hot Zhou Zeqi's palm was.
He struggled a bit.
Seeing Xi Shui's frown and fearing he might have hurt him, Zhou Zeqi loosened his grip.
Xi Shui didn't run away. He stood there, covering his right wrist with his left hand, and said weakly, "Your hand is so hot, it almost burned me."
Zhou Zeqi's irritation dissipated again.
"Come on, I'll walk you back," Zhou Zeqi stood up. Xi Shui was startled by Zhou Zeqi's sudden movement and stumbled back two steps, then nodded.
Meanwhile, Wu Fengyi and Meng Kewen, still leaning on each other, said in unison: "Look at how nonchalant Zhou is!"
-
Xi Shui and Zhou Zeqi walking together was a sight to behold at CUSC.
But it was also quite unexpected for everyone.
Xi Shui and Zhou Zeqi were incredibly popular on the school forum, so much so that even some teachers knew about it. Everyone also knew that those pictures were photoshopped, those stories were made up, those people were crazy, but the couple was sweet. In real life, they had no interaction.
It was rare to see them in the same frame even once a year.
Walking together, they were a feast for the eyes. Xi Shui was always good-looking, with the impeccable posture of a ballet student, and blessed with an exceptionally handsome face.
Xi Shui was half a head shorter than Zhou Zeqi, and his build was a size smaller.
This couldn't be helped. Although they were both men, their bone structures differed in size. Xi Shui had a slender, elongated frame, while Zhou Zeqi was an athlete. The sports academy often produced burly men, and they still remembered Zhou Zeqi's glorious feat of punching a basketball out of the field, never to be found again.
Xi Shui's appearance in the gym last week was already quite rare. Despite his face suggesting he might enjoy eating, drinking, and having fun, everyone knew that Xi Shui was actually a good boy. Usually, apart from attending classes and practicing dance, he had no other recreational activities.
Compared to CUSC's "King of Hell" Zhou Zeqi, Xi Shui was like a blank sheet of paper.
But what they didn't know was that this blank sheet had its own little schemes.
He was coloring himself in.
Walking down CUSC's most famous Locust Shadow Avenue, the entire path was filled with the fragrance of locust flowers. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a dappled pattern of light and shadow.
Xi Shui lowered his head to look at his and Zhou Zeqi's flickering shadows. The distance between them was... just out of reach of his hand, not far, but not close either. Zhou Zeqi was carrying his unfinished bottle of mineral water, his pace casual.
Xi Shui's steps faltered slightly as he moved a bit closer to Zhou Zeqi.
Let's start with holding hands.
The next step would be kissing.
He wanted to kiss Zhou Zeqi senseless.
Xi Shui tentatively reached out his fingers, but before he could make contact, Zhou Zeqi preemptively caught his hand. Xi Shui was flustered and cried out, "What are you doing?"
Zhou Zeqi looked down at him, "What are you doing?"
"Holding hands."
"So am I."
"I was first!" Xi Shui was indeed startled by Zhou Zeqi. He had been fully concentrated, all his thoughts focused on secretly trying to hold Zhou Zeqi's hand, but then the other suddenly grabbed him instead. In that instant, his heart leapt into his throat.
Seeing Xi Shui's very serious expression, Zhou Zeqi slowly released his hand.
"Please," Zhou Zeqi said.
Xi Shui reached out and grasped Zhou Zeqi's hand, seemingly satisfied.
His fingers were already long and beautiful, with slender joints, but compared to Zhou Zeqi's, they were still a bit smaller. Zhou Zeqi took charge, interlacing his fingers with Xi Shui's. Seeing no reaction from Xi Shui, he finally looked away.
The walk back took over ten minutes, and it was so hot that Xi Shui's palms were completely sweaty.
It didn't feel as hot once they entered the apartment building.
Xi Shui pressed the elevator button and looked up at Zhou Zeqi. "We don't need to hold hands anymore."
"We're home now."
Zhou Zeqi let go of him.
The elevator slowly ascended, the familiar surroundings changing. Xi Shui stared at the numbers, seeing they were almost there. He asked Zhou Zeqi, "Are you going back to school?"
"No, I'll take a nap and then study."
Xi Shui glanced at the time on his phone; it was almost 3 PM.
"Are you alone at home?" Zhou Zeqi's gaze fixed unwaveringly on Xi Shui's fair neck.
"Not alone," Xi Shui shook his head. "Lin Xiaojin and the others are there too. We had barbecue today."
This was the heartbreaking part for Xi Shui.
Barbecue and soda were the source of happiness, but also the root of pain.
If only he could kiss Zhou Zeqi right now.
He wished he hadn't prepared anything.
Xi Shui felt a bit troubled and anxious.
"When are they leaving?" Zhou Zeqi asked.
Xi Shui replied, "Probably in the evening. They're still sleeping and won't wake up until dark."
"Ding~"
They reached the 6th floor.
Xi Shui walked out first, with Zhou Zeqi following behind. Their apartment doors were right next to each other.
As Xi Shui fumbled for his keys, he mused aloud, "So if I say goodbye to you now, when will we see each other next? Tomorrow?"
Zhou Zeqi stood beside him, listening to his musings with lowered eyes.
His expression unchanged.
Zhou Zeqi opened his own door, pushing it gently. The spacious living room came into full view, empty and quiet, missing only a little swan.
Before Xi Shui could open his door, his wrist was suddenly gripped by Zhou Zeqi, who dragged him into the neighboring apartment. The door slammed shut behind them.
The little swan had been lured into the wolf dog's den.
*
Little Stream: Awoo~
-First 30, kisses to everyone!