Translator: dounai
Editor: mantou
11
In regards to snow.
Ji Xiaobei used to hate snowy days. He could hear the sounds of rain but when it’s snowing, it’s awfully quiet. When it rained, the sound of raindrops echoing in his ears told him if it was a heavy or light rain, or if the rain had started or stopped.
When snow silently fell, he couldn’t hear it at all. He feared the unknown, as if being excluded from the world.
But this year was different; he had Chen Zhuo.
The weather forecast said that it would snow over the weekend, and every half an hour Ji Xiaobei would never fail to ask, “Has it snowed?” and Chen Zhuo would always say, “Not yet.”
The questions continued from eight in the morning till eight at night, and Ji Xiaobei got annoyed, “How could the weather forecast lie!” 😞
It was night time when they were kissing, and the wind was howling outside the window. With a face full of anticipation, Ji Xiaobei turned towards the window, “Is it going to snow soon?”
“We are getting down to business, and you’re getting distracted?” Chen Zhuo was infuriated.
Ji Xiaobei leaned in and gave him a loud kiss, “Go and take a look, see if it’s snowing.”
Chen Zhuo was still snuggled up in his embrace. With one hand on Ji Xiaobei’s waist, Chen Zhuo lifted him into the air.
Startled, Ji Xiaobei anxiously hugged Chen Zhuo’s neck, “What are you doing?”
Chen Zhuo carried Ji Xiaobei with one hand easily. He got off the bed and headed towards the window, pulling open the curtains and placing Ji Xiaobei on the windowsill. “Checking if it’s snowing. It seems to be snowing slightly.”
With his waist against the icy cold window, a shiver ran up Ji Xiaobei’s spine, and he huddled closer into Chen Zhuo’s arms. “Then let’s go build a snowman tomorrow!”
Chen Zhuo grinned. He propped up one of Ji Xiaobei’s legs and in this position, he thrusted deeply. Caught off guard, Ji Xiaobei shrieked in fear with his back plastered against the frozen window.
This unfamiliar posture left him with no sense of security. His fair and slender legs that were dangling in mid air helplessly wrapped around Chen Zhuo’s waist. Ji Xiaobei tried to climb onto him out of fright, leaving red scratch marks all over his back.
🚄 (At this point, a high-speed rail¹ which can’t be seen with the naked eye slowly passes by.)
Nestling into Chen Zhuo’s neck, a languid Ji Xiaobei did not have the strength to blink. Chen Zhuo planted a kiss on his forehead, “It’s snowing heavily, baobei.”
The next day, Ji Xiaobei slept through the morning, and did not wake until afternoon. “Didn’t you want to build a snowman? If you don’t wake up soon the snow is going to melt,” Chen Zhuo shook him awake.
Ji Xiaobei was still in a slumber when he gave Chen Zhuo a kick. “Go away, I’m not going to build a snowman with you.”
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12
Mother Chen kept her promise – by the next week, she had arrived in a haste. She informed her son about her arrival time to have him pick her up, and specially informed him to go alone, and not torment Xiao Bei.
For sure, Ji Xiaobei did not agree. It was his first formal meeting with Chen Zhuo’s family, and he could not be sloppy about it. So he intentionally put on his warm yellow down jacket, thinking that the elder would prefer someone with more vitality.
Chen Zhuo was moved to tears and he had the urge to tightly squeeze him in his arms. Ji Xiaobei had not worn that down-jacket ever since he knew it was not black. Chen Zhuo’s mum had such honour to see an “out-of-print” Ji Xiaobei that he had not seen for a long time…
At eight in the evening, they were waiting at the exit. Chen Zhuo encouraged Ji Xiaobei to send Mother Chen a voice message, telling her that they had arrived, and that he was in a yellow down-jacket.
Everyone wore dark jackets in winter and in a sea of dullness, Ji Xiaobei stood out with his bright one. In a glance, Mother Chen spotted him.
Chen Zhuo waved while holding Ji Xiaobei’s hand, “My mum is walking over.”
“Tell me when she’s in front of us,” Ji Xiaobei was a little nervous.
After a few seconds passed, Chen Zhuo softly squeezed Ji Xiaobei’s hand. Afraid that calling her “mum” would be too abrupt, Ji Xiaobei abandoned the idea and was tongue-tied for a moment. Butterflies filled his stomach as he greeted her, “Hello aunty.”
Ji Xiaobei earnestly lifted his head towards where he thought Mother Chen would be, but he was a little off target. Mother Chen shuffled to position herself right in front of him, “Why are you calling me aunty again?” Flustered, Ji Xiaobei lowered his head and pursed his lips, “… Mum?”
Along the way, Mother Chen endlessly criticized Chen Zhuo for dragging Ji Xiaobei around.
“Sigh Mum, stop worrying over nothing. I have always been carefully holding onto him, I won’t lose him,” Chen Zhuo told her.
Ji Xiaobei nodded in a hurry, “I was the one who insisted on coming! And I’m really smart, I can even go out on my own!”
Since Mother Chen resided in the master bedroom, there were changes in their living arrangements. On one hand, due to the existence of a parent, it was awkward for them to sleep together and on the other hand, the bed in the guestroom was too small. Hence, it was decided that Ji Xiaobei would sleep in the guestroom, while Chen Zhuo slept on the sofa.
It has been a long time since they last slept on separate beds and Ji Xiaobei started counting sheep, not accustomed to the unfamiliar arrangement. When 1001 sheeps passed him, the door was suddenly flung open. Alarmed, he softly spoke towards the entrance, “Chen Zhuo?”
There was no response. The next second, the mattress sunk in and he was engulfed into a warm embrace. Today, Ji Xiaobei wore a white turtleneck sweater to match his yellow down jacket. Maybe it’s because he has not worn a turtleneck in ages, the area around his neck was sensitive and reddened due to friction. A circular pinkish mark formed around his pale neck.
Chen Zhuo could not resist the temptation and lowered to kiss his neck. Ji Xiaobei felt ticklish but afraid of being exposed to Mother Chen, he did not dare to make a sound, and could only tremble from head to toe in his arms, softly gasping for air.
Ji Xiaobei, “What… what are you doing!”
Chen Zhuo, “Sleeping with you.”
Ji Xiaobei, “Mum will find out if you sleep here!”
Chen Zhuo, “The alarm has been set. I’ll head back to the living room before she wakes up.”
Ji Xiaobei, “Okay then…”
“Oh no!” Ji Xiaobei continued.
Chen Zhuo, “What happened?”
Ji Xiaobei, “It’s all your fault! I’ve lost count of the number of sleep! Now I’ve got to count them again! Ahhhh! All your fault!”
Chen Zhuo, “… You’re still counting sheeps even when I’m here? Very soon you’ll fall asleep anyway.”
Hence, two people fell asleep squeezing on a small bed in the guestroom. Perhaps Ji Xiaobei was too soft and cuddly, Chen Zhuo slept till the sun rose, and did not hear any alarm at all…
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13
Recently, Ji Xiaobei has been learning how to cook, beginning with porridge, and every daybreak, he would start fumbling in the kitchen.
The kitchen was full of hazards; pots and pans, cleaver, fruit knife, knives of all sorts, natural gases, stove, and this has definitely made Chen Zhuo feel ill at ease.
He accompanied Ji Xiaobei at first, but the latter refused and ruthlessly chased him away, “I can handle this alone. Just sleep an extra thirty minutes and you’ll get to have breakfast when you wake up!”
From blatantly accompanying him, Chen Zhuo hence had to secretly watch him from the side. Ji Xiaobei had a keen sense of hearing and he could detect the slightest sound of movement.
One morning when Ji Xiaobei was in the kitchen cooking porridge, Chen Zhuo rushed in to help when he thought Ji Xiaobei was going to burn himself while holding the pot.
Ji Xiaobei snorted, “Why don’t you listen! Didn’t I ask you to sleep for thirty minutes more!”
“The porridge smelled so amazing that I was woken up from my dream,” Chen Zhuo tried to pacify him.
Ji Xiaobei felt a little pleased with himself, “Put the shrimps and dried scallops down!”
“How much for a bowl of shrimp and dried scallop porridge?” Chen Zhuo jokingly asked.
After giving it some thought, Ji Xiaobei held up four fingers, “Four kisses for a bowl!”
“That’s too expensive!”
“How is that expensive? Dried scallops are not cheap anyway and furthermore, I woke up so early for this. Is it not worth four kisses?”
Clasping Ji Xiaobei’s head between his hands, Chen Zhuo gave him ten loud smooches. “Boss, I’ll have two bowls, keep the change!”
“No way, we must uphold integrity in this business, and have to do things prim and proper,” Ji Xiaobei said in a deadpan.
He stood on tiptoes and gave Chen Zhuo a few kisses after saying so.
Chen Zhuo melted from his cuteness, and he could not simply let him go. He gently placed one hand on Ji Xiaobei’s waist, enclosed the boy between himself and the cupboard, deeply kissing Ji Xiaobei.
Amidst their passionate exchange, they forgot about me², until a burning stench emerged…
Ji Xiaobei, “Ahhh compensate for my shrimp and dried scallop porridge!”
Chen Zhuo, “How many bowls is this pot worth?”
Ji Xiaobei, “Maybe five?”
When Chen Zhuo was ready to plant twenty kisses on him, Ji Xiaobei heartlessly refused, “I don’t need any more compensation, my lips are going to swell if you keep kissing!”
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14
Chen Zhuo was acting strange on this day; his kisses were perfunctory and he did not let Ji Xiaobei hug him. A similar situation happened when Chen Zhuo caught a cold, so Ji Xiaobei was worried.
Regardless of weight or physique, Ji Xiaobei could never win against him. He had to wait for a golden opportunity, like sneaking into the bathroom while Chen Zhuo was showering.
“What are you doing? Acting indecently?” Chen Zhuo had just drenched himself.
“Just let me touch you!” Ji Xiaobei demanded magnanimously.
Like this, Chen Zhuo was trapped in the bathtub and touched all over by Ji Xiaobei.
In the end, Ji Xiaobei cried out in surprise, “Chen Zhuo, why are you bald!”
Before Chen Zhuo could respond, he continued in seriousness, “Did you remove your wig?”
“… I’ll give you ten seconds to change what you just said,” Chen Zhuo’s anger almost rose to a pout.
Ji Xiaobei, “It was said that programmers are usually bald.”
Chen Zhuo, “… Those are ordinary programmers, you husband is not just an average person.”
Ji Xiaobei, “Then what happened to your hair?”
Chen Zhuo, “When I went to the barber in the afternoon, a beginner hair stylist ruined it, so I could only get a crew cut.”
Ji Xiaobei continuously caressed his head, it was a little spiky. “Your head is really cold.”
Chen Zhuo, “How could it not be cold, the vegetation has been destroyed and the desertification is severe.”
Ji Xiaobei pressed a big kiss on his forehead. “I’ll cover it for you, I won’t dislike you.”
Ji Xiaobei leaned against the edge of the bathtub, his butt sticking out and the top half of his body hovering above the water. Rationally, Chen Zhuo was afraid that he would fall into the water but emotionally, he hoped Ji Xiaobei would quickly fall inside and join him.
He then decided to strike a balance. Clearing his throat, he spoke, “Ji Xiaobei, let me remind you that the posture you are in now is very dangerous, and it’ll easily attract bad people. Do you know what it means to be a lamb in a lion’s den3?”
Ji Xiaobei bared his teeth and took a fierce stance, “You’re wrong, I’m the lion!”
Before he could finish, Chen Zhuo grabbed his waist and carried him into the bathtub with him…
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15
At night, they decided to eat out at a restaurant, to have Ji Xiaobei’s favourite Jiangnan dishes. Chen Zhuo got off work late that night, and it was a friday, so no matter where they went, a long queue had already formed.
While they were sitting at the entrance to wait for a seat, a pleasant female voice called Chen Zhuo by his name. As Ji Xiaobei heard Chen Zhuo stand up to greet the other, he felt uneasy and followed suit. Chen Zhuo naturally held his hand.
Sensing his peculiarity, the girl carefully asked, “This is?”
Chen Zhuo squeezed Ji Xiaobei’s soft palms as he spoke, “Let me introduce, this is my…”
“Younger brother,” Ji Xiaobei interrupted.
Chen Zhuo was stunned for a second, but he decided to skip this topic. “Xiao Bei, this my university class president.”
They made small talk for a while. Since the girl and her friend were two people, and the wait for a small table would take a long time, she suggested that seating together could get them a table faster.
At the dining table, she dug up many memories of their times in university to keep the conversation going. Ji Xiaobei was unable to get a word in edgewise, he felt awkward as he listened on.
He did not let Chen Zhuo fill his cup, did not let Chen Zhuo remove cilantros for him, did not let Chen Zhuo peel shrimps for him, and did not let Chen Zhuo pick food for him. Even along the way home, he did not let Chen Zhuo walk with him, as he probed his white cane and walked ahead.
When they arrived home, as soon as Ji Xiaobei locked the door, he was picked up by the waist and carried into the house.
Chen Zhuo sat him down on the sofa and crouched in front of him. “Are you unhappy? You didn’t even eat the rice wine soup with glutinous rice balls4 that you have been craving for for half a month.”
“She liked you,” Ji Xiaobei said, downcast.
It was not a question, but a declaration.
“… Baobao5, it all happened in university, and it has been years since I graduated.”
Ji Xiaobei seethed with anger, “Hmph, I know. The moment she spoke, I knew she liked you!”
Chen Zhuo was tickled, “Hmm then tell me, how does someone who likes me sound like?”
Ji Xiaobei thought he did not believe him, “I won’t tell you, you won’t understand! I could just tell!” He was fuming.
Gently holding his face, Chen Zhuo gave him a peck on the forehead. “Who says I don’t, no one would understand better and I do. I have been listening to it everyday, and that person is even talking to me now, can you hear it?”
Just then, Ji Xiaobei realised that he had fallen into his trap. “… No, you heard it wrong.”
1High-speed rail: 车 (chē), car, is related to having sex is Chinese, thus a high-speed rail in this context implies a… intense sexual activity.
2Me: Text was written in the POV of the porridge.
3A lamb in a lion’s den: A lit. translation of 羊入虎口 (yáng rù hŭ kŏu), which means to tread on dangerous grounds.
4Rice wine soup with glutinous rice balls: A type of dessert made with fermented sweet rice as it’s soup base, added with glutinous rice balls. Picture.
5Baobao: Derived from Baobei.
icedlattenoice 
Aiyaaaa.. Chen Zuo is such a playa…
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