Xi Shui was startled. Zhou Zeqi's strength was immense, lifting him up effortlessly.
"I want to go back," Xi Shui said softly, clutching his keys.
Zhou Zeqi grunted in acknowledgment but remained blocking Xi Shui's path. With his back against the door, Xi Shui's sweat from the sun had already dried, replaced now by a cold sweat. Zhou Zeqi was truly intimidating.
Xi Shui secretly glanced up, taking in Zhou Zeqi's apartment.
It was twice the size of his own, with an especially spacious living room. Deep gray sofas, deep gray curtains, and a large balcony outside the living room. His own home was right next door.
"What are you going back for?" Zhou Zeqi asked, his eyelids drooping and his voice somewhat lazy. "You said you wanted to date me. Don't you want to spend more time with me?"
Xi Shui didn't know!
He didn't know how to date.
So whatever Zhou Zeqi said must be right.
"Yes, I do," Xi Shui nodded.
"Then why do you still want to go back?"
"To take an afternoon nap."
"Your place only has one bedroom. Do you sleep together with all of them?"
"What else can I do?"
Zhou Zeqi took a step back, creating some distance between them. "My bed is quite large."
"How large?"
"Very large."
Before moving in, Zhou Zeqi had replaced all the junk Zhou Zezhi had left behind. The current bed was custom-made, over two meters wide and nearly three meters long. The bed wasn't high, and the floor was carpeted. Even if one rolled directly from the bed onto the floor, it wouldn't hurt.
Xi Shui was slow to catch on, but when he finally processed their conversation, he realized it seemed a bit off. He pressed himself closer to the door, "I won't sleep with you, you know."
"......"
Zhou Zeqi, indeed, hadn't thought that far ahead yet.
He was more eager to caress the little swan's feathers, to see him shining brilliantly in the center of the stage. Even now, he still felt they should take things slowly with Xi Shui, who seemed to know nothing about these matters.
But Xi Shui had just delivered a direct hit.
When feelings run deep, things progress naturally. Whether they slept together or not wouldn't be up to Xi Shui to decide.
"So, I want you to stay here and keep me company. Is that not okay?"
Of course, it was okay.
Xi Shui also wanted to—wanted to steal a kiss from him.
Zhou Zeqi brought out a new pair of slippers from the bedroom and crouched in front of Xi Shui. "What's your shoe size?"
Xi Shui, still dazed from Zhou Zeqi's earlier action, hadn't quite recovered. He lowered his head, "42."
"These are 46. Make do with them for now. If you mind, you can bring your own to wear next time." Zhou Zeqi placed the slippers at his feet. As he stood up, he blocked the light from the floor-to-ceiling windows that had been shining on Xi Shui's eyes.
Xi Shui untied his canvas shoes. He loved cleanliness; the shoe uppers and laces were spotless. He wore light-colored socks. He slipped his feet into the slippers and stepped around. "Oh my, they're too big."
Zhou Zeqi chuckled.
"Do you want something to drink? I have all kinds of beverages and sodas at home."
Xi Shui followed Zhou Zeqi into the kitchen, wearing slippers several sizes too big.
He did like cold sodas, especially when he was in a bad mood. Not only did he like cold sodas, but he also wanted to eat cake and fried chicken. But now he was in a good mood, so...
"I want coffee, no sugar!" Xi Shui said without hesitation.
Zhou Zeqi didn't comment on his demanding nature. He opened the refrigerator, scanned its contents, and pulled out two cold brew coffees. "It will be very bitter."
"I like bitter things."
Zhou Zeqi took a new cup from the counter and was about to pour the coffee when a fair hand pressed on his. Xi Shui said softly, "No need for a new cup. Where's yours? I don't mind using yours."
Earlier at the CUSC field, Xi Shui thought Zhou Zeqi was disgusted by him. Now he wanted to correct Zhou Zeqi's perception.
The bright kitchen light fell into Xi Shui's eyes, making them appear even more clear and sparkling.
Zhou Zeqi averted his gaze and continued pouring coffee into the cup. "But I need to drink water too. From now on, this cup is yours."
"Ice?"
"Yes."
The ice maker was constantly working. Zhou Zeqi pushed the coffee towards Xi Shui, who stood beside him, cupped the mug, and took a big gulp. It felt great.
Seeing him happy, a faint smile appeared in Zhou Zeqi's eyes.
Zhou Zeqi's nickname was Lord Yama Zhou, largely because his emotions were not easily visible. His smile was indistinguishable from his non-smile, so it was impossible to guess the meaning behind his words.
Moreover, he was wild and self-centered. In Wu Fengyi and others' words, he was free-spirited and unrestrained.
He changed majors on a whim, disregarding his 700-point college entrance exam score. Ignoring the dean's pleas to stay, he transferred to the sports institute. Finding their courses boring, he completed two years' worth of credits in one year, then used the remaining time to pursue another major. During this time, he was also caught by the school's swimming coach and went on to win first place in the National College Student Swimming Competition.
Zhou Zeqi either didn't do something at all, or he did it to perfection. In some ways, he was similar to Xi Shui, except Xi Shui only focused on ballet.
Xi Shui finished his coffee and noticed Zhou Zeqi still staring at him. That gaze was somewhat frightening.
Xi Shui thought Zhou Zeqi might be annoyed that he hadn't finished every drop, wasting it.
He held the cup up, tilted his head back, and tried hard to pour the last drops into his mouth.
It really was empty.
A hand reached out and took the cup from Xi Shui. "What are you still drinking if it's finished? Want more?"
"No, thanks," Xi Shui shook his head.
Zhou Zeqi naturally took Xi Shui's hand and walked out. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll turn on the TV for you. Watch whatever you like. If you want to sleep, you can use the bedroom or the sofa."
Xi Shui felt that Zhou Zeqi's hand was still very warm.
"Do all athletes have such high body temperatures?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhou Zeqi turned back with a half-smile, half-frown. "All?"
Xi Shui could see it.
Zhou Zeqi was jealous.
But before he could correct himself, Zhou Zeqi pulled him by the hand and scooped him into his arms. He pressed Xi Shui's face against his neck.
"Xi Shui, you shouldn't say such things to others. It can easily cause misunderstandings." Zhou Zeqi had finally embraced Xi Shui, noting how thin he felt.
Xi Shui caught the faint scent of sweat on the other's body, along with the grapefruit fragrance he had liked before.
And something else.
It must be pheromones.
Xi Shui's heart raced, his mouth going dry. He clenched his fists and said softly, "I'm thirsty again."
Zhou Zeqi slowly released Xi Shui. "If you want something to drink, help yourself from the fridge."
He went to take a shower.
-
Being able to drink whatever he wanted made Xi Shui ecstatic.
He ran to the refrigerator like an excited fawn. There were so many drinks and sodas, but no food. He hesitated between Sprite and soda water, finally choosing soda water as he had already had Sprite earlier that day.
The movie screen was large, and Xi Shui randomly selected a film.
He took out his phone and typed into Baidu: What should you do when dating?
The internet was fast, and answers popped up quickly. There were too many, and Xi Shui felt overwhelmed.
Make the other person happy, prepare surprises, be understanding and tolerant of each other, like only that one person... Xi Shui frowned. He just wanted a kiss; he didn't realize there was so much involved.
Xi Shui continued scrolling, hoping to find a simplified version of dating.
"Couples should have regular doi, which can promote feelings."
Doi?
What's doi?
Xi Shui copied and searched.
!
This is not allowed!
This is something only people who mutually like each other should do. Did Zhou Zeqi like him? He didn't like Zhou Zeqi either. He just wanted to kiss Zhou Zeqi, that's all.
Xi Shui quietly exited the search engine and put his phone aside. He watched the movie. The afternoon weather was extremely dry and hot, but the air conditioning was on in the room. Xi Shui felt drowsy, hugged a cushion, and fell asleep on the sofa.
He couldn't go without an afternoon nap.
He would have no energy otherwise.
But even with a nap, he still lacked energy.
The sound of water in the bathroom stopped, and Zhou Zeqi walked out. The volume of the movie in the living room had been turned down, the curtains draped to the floor, and the room was empty. He didn't see Xi Shui.
Did he leave?
Zhou Zeqi walked to the sofa and finally saw Xi Shui curled up, sleeping soundly.
When sleeping, Xi Shui looked even more like a cat, completely devoid of any aggression. His mouth was slightly open, thick eyelashes resting on his cheeks, fingers tightly gripping the cushion in his arms.
Zhou Zeqi turned off the movie and went to the bedroom to fetch a thin blanket, gently draping it over Xi Shui.
At that moment, Zhou Zeqi's phone rang shrilly at the entrance, instantly waking Xi Shui. Not fully awake, he looked up at Zhou Zeqi above him and said in a hoarse voice, "You... be quiet."
He mumbled, turning over to face the back of the sofa, burying his face deeply into it.
Zhou Zeqi went to answer the phone, walking to the bedroom.
"Old Zhou, hurry up, hurry up, we're dying of curiosity. What did Xi Shui want from you? Why did he even send you flowers? You even match with gardenias? I think foxtail grass suits you better."
"Don't tell me he confessed to you? Oh my, oh my, did you accept?"
"I've known for a long time that you had your eye on someone. Quick, share your experience with us. How did you get the person you've been thinking about to come to you voluntarily? This doesn't make sense!"
Zhou Zeqi rubbed his thumb against the phone, "About that, I'm not sure."
Xi Shui's motives were impure, it couldn't be more obvious. Because Xi Shui wasn't the type to easily fall in love or act recklessly. But pure or not, their relationship was now established, and he was waiting for Xi Shui to change his mind.
Moreover, the fact that Xi Shui sought him out at a time like this meant that he still saw some value in him that he approved of. That was pretty good.
At least better than finding someone else.
"No way, no way, folks, my dear folks, did you hear that," Wu Fengyi held up his phone, "Old Zhou knows the guy might be playing him, but he's still rushing to offer warmth. Old Zhou really doesn't value himself, huh."
Zhou Zeqi hung up the phone with a "bang."
He knew that Wu Wings and the others were just jealous.
-
Xi Shui slept until it was dark. When he woke up, everything around him was silent, and the feeling of loneliness of being alone immediately came over him again.
"Awake?" A deep male voice appeared in the darkness.
Xi Shui gradually began to see his surroundings clearly. He remembered that he was now at Zhou Zeqi's place, his current boyfriend's home.
Zhou Zeqi was sitting at the end of the sofa where he was lying, looking down at his phone. The cold light from the phone outlined his sharp facial features, revealing a fierce and menacing air.
Xi Shui thought, if Zhou Zeqi knew he had ulterior motives, would he kill him?
So, it might be better to act quickly.
"Since you're awake, I'll turn on the lights. Do you want to eat something? I'll make it for you."
Zhou Zeqi was about to stand up, but before he could, Xi Shui, who had been lying down, suddenly pounced into his arms. Xi Shui's voice trembled, "Don't turn on the lights."
Zhou Zeqi put down his phone and slowly placed his left hand on Xi Shui's waist, afraid he might fall to the ground.
"Why can't I turn on the lights?"
Xi Shui moved closer to Zhou Zeqi, his gaze searching for Zhou Zeqi's lips. He said in a low voice: "If you turn on the lights, I won't dare to kiss you." His tone at the end was very low, sounding a bit aggrieved.
Zhou Zeqi's hand on Xi Shui's waist suddenly tightened.
*
Little Stream's hidden identities: Capital City University Direct Ball Team Captain, Capital University Fool Team Captain
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