Ch4 - Hello, Boyfriend

Editor: MinMin

Proofreader: DarkSapphire 

Bai Xi ended up staying in his room for the rest of the day after telling his sister that he needed rest because he had not slept well yesterday. He even asked the family’s caretaker to bring lunch to him.

He didn’t really want to think about Qi Xun. Too many things had happened between the short time that overloaded his brain.

However, even sitting on the carpet watching TV, it does not do much.

There was an idol series—nothing to write home about—playing on TV about young and beautiful leads who met in college and fought over the biggest dog-blood question, ‘do you love me?’. 

Bai Xi looked at the camphor tree outside the French window.

This camphor tree was replanted by him in high school. The tree was already tall six years ago, and as time passed, it continued to stand straight and full, covered in lush green all year round.

He remembered the question Qi Xun asked him before he got out of the car this morning, the question of how he started liking the man.

As Qi Xun said, there was hardly any interaction between them during high school. When he was in second year of high school, Qi Xun was already a college freshman. It seemed they were light-years away.

But young love often birthed from inexplicable logic. Sometimes it was from a glance, from holding hands, or a light laugh.

He didn’t answer that time, not because he felt ashamed to share it. He just thought that Qi Xun had forgotten about it and there was no need to bring it up.

While sitting cross-legged on the carpet, he studied the high school graduation photo displayed on the shelf in front of him as the memory poured in. 

When he fell in love with Qi Xun, that was during his third year. In winter vacation, about seven or eight days away from the Spring Festival. 

.

At that time, he was undergoing the rebellious phase. He fought with his parents about what major to apply in college. That day, when the argument escalated, he got so angry that he ran outside after slamming the door. 

He walked along the street for a long time, choking in rage and feeling suffocated. When he stopped, he found that he had long wandered off the grid and arrived at a park far from his home.

It was late, with hardly any soul in sight. His only companions were the glowing street lights. 

He sat on the bench for a while. It was cold. He was only wearing a sweater, so it wasn’t long before he felt his hands and feet had turned numb. He got up and went to the vending machine next to him to buy a cup of hot coffee, but he went wide-eyed when he reached for his trouser pocket.

He forgot to bring both his phone and wallet. He only found his keys and a piece of chocolate. 

He stared at the vending machine at loss. At this hour, there was no one around that he could ask for help. He did not have the ability to make his phone appear out of thin air, so he could only stamp his feet in place to drive out the cold. 

He was debating whether to go seek sheather at Xiao Liang Song’s house or not, when a slender white hand stretched out next to him, holding a phone. The vending machine beeps as it scans the QR code for payment. 

He turned his head and saw a well-defined face. Young and handsome, carrying a distant aura in those eyes that gazed down at him. 

It was Qi Xun.

At that time, he knew him but they were not close. He saw him on New Year’s day when his parents attended a party held by the Qi Family.

Qi Xun took out two cans of hot cocoa from the vending machine’s compartment and stuffed one into his hand. 

He accepted the drink and looked at Qi Xun in a daze. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react. After a while, he awkwardly opened the can and took a sip.

“Thank you.” He murmured to Qi Xun.

Qi Xun held the hot cocoa and drank neither fast nor slow. He studied the man next to him and asked, “You are the Bai Family’s kid right? Why are you here all alone?”

Bai Xi was startled for a moment. Of course, he wouldn’t admit he ran out of the house in a rage after a fight with his parents. It was embarrassing just to think about it. 

Unfortunately, he is bad at lying. He faltered, “Just out for a walk and decided to sit here for a bit.”

It was obviously a lie when heard, especially when he mumbled it with his head low. Fortunately, Qi Xun didn’t pursue the answer, but it was hard to tell if the older man believed him or not.

He asked back, “Why are you here?”

“I came from my friend’s house just earlier. He lives near here.” 

Qi Xun finished his can of hot cocoa in a few sips and tossed it into the dustbin. He sat back down next to him and asked, “Do you mind if I sit here for a while?”

Bai Xi shook his head. 

This square wasn’t owned by his family, so anyone could sit here.

The two men sat quietly at both ends of the bench without disturbing each other. Qi Xun didn’t engage in a conversation with him, just lowered his head and scrolled through his phone. 

His profile was very attractive, and it made his long eyelashes noticeable. He is comparable to a priceless landscape painting when he sat there without talking.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

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Although Qi Xun appeared thin, he knew that this man was proficient in sports and fighting, which gave him a sense of security. 

He drank his hot cocoa, stared at the ground, and thought about his own situation. He contemplated a lot of things, the major he wanted to apply for, his last practice examination results, and what his parents have said regarding how they would take him and his sister out travelling once they are free.  

His relationship with his parents isn’t bad, and they were normally not unreasonable. 

The longer he thought about this, the more he cooled down, and he began to regret running out like that.

While he was struggling with whether to go back or not, he heard Qi Xun ask him, “Have you calmed down a bit now? Do you want me to send you home?”

Bai Xi was at a loss. His face was slightly hot. He knew that his clumsy lie had long been seen through.  

Qi Xun could tell he was at odds with his family with just one glance. 

He felt embarrassed and wanted to turn down the idea when suddenly, there was an extra layer of cloth on top of his shoulders. 

Qi Xun took off his coat and placed it on him. 

“Wear it. Your hands are turning red from the cold, and the temperature is going to continue to drop the longer we stay here.” Qi Xun said softly.  

This immediately interrupted what Bai Xi was about to say. He stood up and turned to look at this man in a silly but cute way.

Qi Xun has a tall figure. Under the streetlamp, perhaps from both the light illuminated by moonlight and the lamp, the older man appeared more gentle, especially those eyes that were looking at him. 

“Go home. It’s very late. You’re not safe outside alone. Let me take you home.” Qi Xun insisted.

With Qi Xun’s coat wrapping around him, Bai Xi could smell faint traces of the lemon Buddha’s hand scent. 

He stared at Qi Xun for a few seconds and finally stood up obediently.

He later learned that Qi Xun remembered his age wrong because of his short stature, mistaking him as fifteen to sixteen years old. That was why he dutifully looked after him. 

But he didn’t know at that time.

He got home in a taxi called by Qi Xun. They said nothing throughout the ride. When the taxi arrived outside of his house, Qi Xun stood outside the garden to bid him goodbye.  

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Bai Xi wanted to say something but didn’t know how to express it. He just handed the coat back to the owner. 

He earnestly said, “Thank you for bringing me back home.”

Qi Xun carried the coat in his arms, looking like he didn’t expect this lad to thank him. He smiled slightly, making him appear more affectionate. 

Qi Xun gave the younger man a head pat and a slight playfulness appeared in his eyes. “Not at all. When you decide to run away from home again, at least remember to bring your phone.” 

The twenty years old Qi Xun was more reckless than his serious, restrained older self. He was very handsome when smiling. 

Bai Xi’s emotion fluctuates by the fleeting smile.

Even after Qi Xun had left, he still stared at where Qi Xun used to stand, dazed.

It was at that moment that he fell in love with Qi Xun. 

For a small reason, with no sign. 

Later, he dragged his childhood friend to Qi Xun’s university and sneaked among a group of college students to spectate Qi Xun in a debate tournament. He was stupefied seeing the older man in a suit. At the same time, inside his heart, he was determined to attend the same university as Qi Xun, so he could pursue him openly.

Later, he did get his wish and became Qi Xun’s junior, but he experienced both immense joy and sorrow on his first day of class. 

The good news: Qi Xun likes men. 

The bad news: Qi Xun already had a boyfriend.

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Bai Xi’s memory stopped there. He didn’t really want to recollect the time Qi Xun had his first love. 

In the beginning, Bai Xi’s great ambition to pursue Qi Xun had failed before he had the chance to try because that man was already in a relationship.  

Even though he finally got to know Qi Xun, he had lost the courage to confess when Qi Xun broke up with his first love in his last year of college.

Ever since Qi Xun broke up with his former boyfriend, he had become more difficult to approach. Originally, it should be a good thing when the male god was restored to his single statue. However, the older man seemed to have completely lost his will to love as he devoted himself to his career as if he had made a lifelong appointment with his work privately. 

Over the years, many were brave enough to confess to Qi Xun. There were both men and women, of different figures and stature and even ones worthy to be outstanding love rivals in Bai Xi’s eyes. But shockingly, no one had succeeded.

Bai Xi had asked Qi Xun why to which the answer he received was a simple two-word reply, ‘Not interested’. 

Those two words extinguished Bai Xi’s courage to confess.

He admitted that he was timid and would rather keep being a friend than take a step beyond the boundary. 

With so many people failing, how could he have a chance?

Six years have passed since he developed feelings towards Qi Xun, and the opportunity to date him was suddenly presented in front of him.  

The idol drama playing on TV had ended as the ending song began to play. The sky already began to turn dark, making the room pitch black, for the light wasn’t turned on. The faint light coming from the garden invades through the French window to his room.

Bai Xi sat motionless on the carpet.

He caressed the watch on his wrist. It was a customized birthday gift given to him by Qi Xun last year. He was thrilled when he received it.

He recalled how Qi Xun had said, ‘It would be hard for us to be friends after today, we might as well give us a try’. 

The older man was right as he thought about it. They couldn’t return to what they had before, so why not take this chance? Heaven must have been tired of watching his struggle and decided to give him a push. 

He picked up his phone. The light coming from his phone lit the expression on his face, which was equivalent to welcoming death. 

He sent a message to Qi Xun and asked to meet up tomorrow. 

Ten minutes later, he received a single word reply: [Okay.] 

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Because of his appointment with Qi Xun, Bai Xi was absent-minded at work that day. He was the deputy editor-in-chief of the fashion edition in MUSE magazine. He had a good relationship with many young ladies in his office and never forgot his share in their snacks. 

He was waiting for work to end while eating chocolate. He was pretty free at work, but the editor-in-chief was still sitting in the office, so it wasn’t appropriate for him to leave early. 

Finally, when work was finally over, he declined the dinner invite from his colleagues, then hightailed it out with his bag.  

The girls weren’t as rushed as they slowly packed their things and watched his figure disappear from the office. After making sure he was gone, they began to gossip. 

“Is Mr. Bai out on a date? I’ve seen him dashed out of work several times now.”

“That’s impossible. He should be single if I recall.”

“Being single before doesn’t mean single now. Handsome men are always in demand.” 

…

Bai Xi came out of his office building. As soon as he walked down the steps, he saw Qi Xun’s car parked not far away, and the man was standing next to the car, waiting for him. He was wearing a grey windbreaker. With his tall and imposing frame, passersby couldn’t resist the urge to glance at him. 

Seeing that he was arriving, Qi Xun opened the passenger door for him. They didn’t talk much on the ride. Only Claude Debussy’s composition filled the car.

They ate dinner at the private restaurant they often go to. Bai Xi was a little nervous about what to say next as his mind wandered every now and then.  

Qi Xun was calm and relaxed on the other side of the table. Inside his grey windbreaker was a black sweater, which suited his low-key and elegant character. Even while peeling shrimp, he is doing it gracefully. 

Bai Xi nimbled on his chopsticks while looking at the person in front of him. Suddenly, he asked, “Qi Xun, is what you said two days ago still hold true?”

Qi Xun didn’t raise his head. “Are you asking about us being in a relationship? Then yes, nothing has changed.”

While talking, Qi Xun pushed the white porcelain plate towards Bai Xi. Several peeled shrimps were neatly arranged, there was even a sauce prepared on the side. 

He raised his head to meet Bai Xi’s eyes and motioned for him to continue.

The private room was set to a moderate temperature. Even after the start of winter, the room was very warm. But it felt too warm for Bai Xi’s face and drank his cold lemonade to cool down his emotional state. 

“I-I want to give dating a try.” It was much more difficult to say this than he thought. Bai Xi almost bit his tongue, but once the words came out of his mouth, his heart became more at ease. He kept their eye contact as his cheeks began to blush with embarrassment. “I don’t want to force you. If you regret and don’t want to continue to be with me, we can break up any time. You don’t have to feel sorry for me when that happens.”

Bai Xi stared earnestly at Qi Xun. It was obvious that things between them had not started, yet he already laid the future road for Qi Xun clearly.  

In this world, many loving couples flip the switch when they break up, resulting in disgraceful fights. He didn’t want him and Qi Xun to end up like that. 

Qi Xun appeared surprised. 

In fact, Bai Xi was different from his social circle. Many of his friends were similar to him, with clear goals in mind and acting decisively. However, this lad was completely opposite. He had a beautiful face that clearly should be crowded around like a flower attracting bees. Also, He has a prominent family background yet he maintains a good temper, someone who does not strive or fight over things, comforting anyone he meets. 

He didn’t object to Bai Xi’s words.  

A straw lamp hung over the younger man’s head. The warm yellow light shrouded Bai Xi, which could be described as a feast for the eyes. 

“Then that’s settled,” He smiled at Bai Xi, as if it contained the power to melt ice and snow. He raised the corners of his eyes and eyebrows lazily, and greeted, “Hello, boyfriend.”

He tapped the glass in his hand against Bai Xi’s glass, and the ice made a crisp clunk noise.

That one simple word fired off fireworks in Bai Xi’s head. He never knew that this title could be so destructive.  

He could barely keep the glass in his hand from dropping. 

Three days ago, he never thought he would really be together with Qi Xun.

He bit his lips and smiled at Qin Xun with rosy cheeks.

“Hello, boyfriend.” 

He repeated Qi Xun’s words, but he spoke in a small voice, like a secret he was afraid of being discovered. 

.

Until he left the private restaurant, Bai Xi felt like he was stepping on clouds as each of his steps were light as the wind. 

After paying the bill, Qi Xun naturally came forward to hold his hand. The two of them interlocked their fingers like any normal couple.  

Qi Xun appeared unmoved, as if this action was not enough to be mentioned. While Bai Xi, on the other hand, felt that he might need to dial 120, sending help on not being able to intake enough oxygen.

Of course, he knew that holding hands was nothing big between lovers. He and Qi Xun already had sex after their drunken state that night, making holding hand nothing to write home about, but he was still very inexperience and almost made awkward movements. 

He murmured, “I still feel slightly out of it…”

Hearing this, Qi Xun lowered his head and asked, “Why is that?” 

“Everything just felt so surreal,” Bai Xi replied honestly. “I didn’t expect to be with you all of a sudden. It felt like I’m dreaming.”

Feeling the small embarrassment crawling over his face, he kept eye contact and said frankly, “I like you so much that…I don’t know what to do.”

He already made a fool of himself in front of Qi Xun, so he wasn’t afraid to confess his love towards Qi Xun now. 

He gazed at Qi Xun with bright eyes. His innocent drooping eyes were clear and soft. He was clearly in his twenties, but perhaps because he was well protected, he still looked naive and limpid.  

Qi Xun felt like something suddenly scratched his heart, not too hard and not too soft. 

He actually decided to enter a relationship with Bai Xi because, as he had said, it was suitable. Because he felt comfortable with Bai Xi, but it was far from love. 

He was not a person who placed great importance on love. 

The moonlight was very good today, illuminating the eyes that were looking at him, so bright that he felt he made a good decision.  

He caressed Bai Xi’s soft hair and lowered his voice. “You don’t have to be so nervous. You can do whatever you want. Don’t think too much about it.”

Bai Xi looked up at him. For a moment, he felt that he was back to the winter night six years ago. At the gate of his garden, where plum blossoms bloomed and the subtle fragrance escaped from the flower bud, drifting in the air. The twenty year old Qi Xun looked and smiled at him like this. 

He was dazzled for a moment as he blurted out, “Then I want to kiss you.”

As soon as he said that, he became immediately clear-headed and wished he could bite off his tongue. 

He easily becomes abnormal from being secretly in love for so long. He was blushing like a maiden over their hand holding just earlier, but how did it turn into saying bluntly his desires coming from the bottom of his heart?

That was his greedy self talking, not fully satisfied from his small gain.

He frantically found a way to make amends, “Ah, I misspoke. Just pretend I didn’t say that. I just thought…”

But before he finished, Qi Xun already lowered his head.  

Capturing him into a kiss.

Today was October 23rd, Frost Descends, around the time when the weather began to turn cold.

Qi Xun’s lips were warm and soft.

Bai Xi’s eyes were wide open, even his breathing was stagnant. 

He was so close to Qi Xun’s long and thick eyelashes as the entire world seemed to turn quiet.

The moon was beautiful tonight. Qi Xun was gentle and charming just to the right degree.

In his sixth year of loving Qi Xun secretly, he finally welcomed his first love.