Chapter 52

When Ji Su opened his eyes again, he was alone in the bed.

The blackout curtains had been drawn, the room dim, and for a moment he could not tell whether it was day or night.

Ji Su lay face-down on the bed, feeling clean and refreshed all over, but every little movement brought soreness and ache — especially in the places that had been used so thoroughly…

After a moment's recovery, he reached up for the phone on the bedside table.

The screen lit up: half past two in the afternoon.

With his now-sluggish brain, Ji Su did the math — from yesterday evening to now, nearly a full day and night had passed.

A soft creak — the bedroom door was pushed open.

Light from the living room spilled into the bedroom as Gu Zhao walked in, his long legs carrying him straight to the bedside.

Ji Su shivered involuntarily, bore through the discomfort, and rolled himself a little toward the center of the bed, pulling the thin coverlet with him.

Gu Zhao stood at the bed's edge and reached for his ankle.

Ji Su immediately tucked his feet under the covers and pulled the blanket up to his chin, leaving only two dewy eyes exposed — like a wary little cat.

'What are you hiding from?' Gu Zhao laughed, his voice carrying the sated contentment of a beast that had eaten its fill.

'I—' Ji Su started, only to discover his voice had gone hoarse.

Gu Zhao withdrew his hand. 'Dinner's ready. Want to come eat?'

Ji Su nodded. 'Yes.'

His last meal had been last night; later, in a half-dreaming state, he vaguely recalled being given water a few times.

After all that sweat and tears, his body needed replenishing.

Ji Su pushed himself up to a half-sitting position; the collar of his black shirt slipped off one shoulder, revealing marks green and purple.

Gu Zhao dropped to one knee on the bed, bent down, and gathered him up.

Ji Su lifted his arms to loop around his neck and reminded him softly: 'I need to brush my teeth first.'

After a quick wash in the bathroom, Ji Su was carried to the living room.

The dishes on the table were mostly light in flavor, but Gu Zhao's cooking was good enough that they still tasted wonderful.

Ji Su was genuinely hungry — he ate a bowl and a half of rice before setting down his chopsticks, leaning back against the chair, and contentedly patting his slightly rounded little belly.

Gu Zhao asked: 'Are you full?'

Ji Su looked at him warily: 'I have things to do later.'

'I was only asking if you want more to eat.' Gu Zhao smiled, half amused. 'What were you thinking?'

Ji Su: '…'

How could this man, after doing so many excessive things to him, still manage to look so innocent?

After the meal, at Ji Su's emphatic request, Gu Zhao carried him back to the Secondary Bedroom.

Ji Su reclined against the headboard and opened his laptop, drawing with some difficulty.

Gu Zhao sat beside him, kneading his waist in slow, intermittent strokes.

Little by little, the fingers wandered to places they shouldn't have.

'I'm fine now, you don't need to keep rubbing.' Ji Su twisted his waist away and asked tactfully: 'Don't you have things you need to do?'

Gu Zhao's tone was matter-of-fact: 'No.'

Ji Su blinked his lashes: 'But I do.'

Gu Zhao was silent for a few seconds, then tilted his face toward him as a hint.

Ji Su understood, and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

But at the same moment, Gu Zhao turned his face back — mouth to mouth — and planted a solid kiss.

Ji Su's ear-tips flushed faintly: 'Is that enough?'

Even though the two of them had already done the most intimate things in the world once, twice, many times over, he still could not help his shyness.

Gu Zhao answered, somewhat reluctantly: 'Mm.'

Once the man left the room, Ji Su began to focus on his drawing.

When night fell, he had finally finished; he closed the laptop, and the soreness came flooding back.

After resting a while, Ji Su reached for his phone, opened WeChat, and checked his messages.

Qiao Jin: [Susu, I'm heading to Zhou Yang's hometown tomorrow for fun!]

Ji Su: [That's great, have fun.]

Ji Su: [Contact me anytime if you need anything.]

Qiao Jin: [I messaged you last night and you're only replying tonight!]

Ji Su: [Sorry, Xiao Qiao, I had things going on last night…]

Qiao Jin: [What things? It wouldn't happen to be with Gu the campus heartthrob…?]

Ji Su stared at the words in the chat window, and the absurd, chaotic day and night rose unbidden in his mind…

Qiao Jin: [Holy shit? Did I actually guess right?]

Ji Su: [Yeah…]

Qiao Jin: [Holy shit holy shit holy shit!]

Qiao Jin: [Susu baby, are you… I mean, is your butt okay right now?]

Ji Su: [Not really.]

Qiao Jin: [Are you hurt?]

Qiao Jin: [That donkey Gu Zhao! Did he go too rough?]

Ji Su: [Not exactly, it's just… sigh, hard to explain in a few words.]

Actually, aside from the difficult beginning, the pleasure later was genuinely pleasure — only it went past pleasure and turned into another kind of pain…

Qiao Jin: [I get it, I get it — after all, the hardware's right there.]

Qiao Jin: [How many times?]

Ji Su: [I'm not really sure either, I passed out later…]

Qiao Jin: [Holy shit holy shit holy shit!]

Qiao Jin: [Susu baby, I honestly don't know whether to feel sorry for you or envy you…]

Ji Su: [I think you'd better feel sorry for me.]

Qiao Jin: [You'll get used to it, hehe…]

Qiao Jin: [Any other details you'd like to share?]

Just as Ji Su was about to reply, a knock came at the door.

He quickly turned off his phone screen, inexplicably feeling a little guilty.

Gu Zhao pushed open the door: 'Are you done?'

Ji Su replied: 'Done.'

Gu Zhao walked in: 'Dinner's ready.'

Ji Su rose from the bed with his laptop clutched to his chest, moving so slowly he looked like a critical patient in rehabilitation.

Gu Zhao tried to pick him up again, but was firmly refused.

The two of them made their way to the living room. Ji Su sat down at the dining table, deliberated for a moment, then opened his mouth: 'Gu Zhao, I think we still need an agreement between us.'

Gu Zhao's hand paused mid-motion: 'What kind of agreement?'

Ji Su replied: 'A couple's agreement.'

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow slightly: 'For example?'

'For example—' Ji Su's gaze drifted away, 'for example, the question of frequency.'

'Oh?' Gu Zhao pursued with great interest. 'Then what frequency do you think is appropriate?'

'Once a week…' Under his gaze, Ji Su revised: 'Twice a week?'

Gu Zhao laughed: 'When you say twice, do you mean yours or mine?'

Ji Su's face slowly reddened: 'How can you be like this?'

'So as I said, it's open to discussion.' Gu Zhao said in a flat tone. 'Let's eat first.'

*

After dinner, Ji Su took advantage of Gu Zhao's inattention and slipped back to the Secondary Bedroom, swiftly locking the door behind him.

Not long after, Gu Zhao's voice sounded from outside the door: 'I'm coming in.'

Ji Su didn't answer, pretending he was asleep.

Receiving no response, Gu Zhao tried the door handle—but it wouldn't turn.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, then turned and walked away from the doorway.

Hearing the footsteps recede, Ji Su let out a long breath of relief and turned over to lie face-down on the bed.

The phone on the bedside table buzzed; he stretched out his arm to reach it, and found that Ji Chen had messaged him again.

Ji Chen: [Ge, it's been ages since summer break started—when are you coming back?]

Ji Su: [I have some things going on at School, I can't come back for now.]

Ji Chen: [Then can I come find you to hang out again?]

Ji Chen: [I promise I absolutely won't cause you any trouble!]

Ji Su hesitated for a moment, then decided to refuse.

Ji Su: [I've been really busy lately, it's not very convenient.]

Ji Chen: [Okay…]

Ji Chen: [Then when you're done being busy, let me know, okay!]

Ji Su: [Okay.]

Ji Su: [Get some rest early.]

After ending the chat, Ji Su closed his eyes as drowsiness crept in.

He didn't know how long had passed; in that half-dreaming state he turned over, and groggily felt something wet on his leg, as though a puppy were licking him with its tongue.

Until his body reflexively shuddered, Ji Su's eyes flew open.

It was no puppy at all—it was plainly Gu Zhao kissing him…

'Locking the door?' Gu Zhao laughed softly, unhurried. 'Guard against the day, guard against the night—hard to guard against the thief inside your own home.'

Ji Su certainly couldn't admit it, and defended himself without conviction: 'I wasn't guarding against you, I just did it on reflex…'

Gu Zhao looked at him: 'Is that so?'

Ji Su was a little puzzled: 'But I locked the door—how did you still get in?'

Gu Zhao fished a set of keys from his trouser pocket and dangled them before his eyes.

Ji Su: '…'

'If you hadn't woken up…' Gu Zhao leaned in close and whispered at his ear, 'I could have…'

Ji Su's ear-root went numb; he raised a hand to cover his thin lips: 'Don't say any more.'

Gu Zhao took the opportunity to kiss his tender palm: 'Not only will I say it, I'll put it into practice.'

Ji Su snatched his hand back as if he'd been electrocuted, both embarrassed and annoyed: 'How can you be like this…'

Gu Zhao, feeling no shame but rather pride: 'I'm exactly like this.'

Ji Su couldn't out-talk him, nor was he as strong, so he simply turned his back and ignored him.

Gu Zhao lay down beside him, reached out, and pulled him into his arms: 'Really angry?'

Ji Su's back pressed against the scorching chest, and he said huffily: 'I'm angry.'

'Twenty-some years saved up, hard to keep in check all at once.' Gu Zhao lowered his head to press a kiss to the tender back of his neck. 'Baby, please understand.'

Now even Ji Su's neck had reddened; he pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Gu Zhao kissed him once more: 'Alright, sleep.'

Ji Su confirmed: 'Really just sleeping?'

'Mm.' Gu Zhao lowered his eyes. 'Or are you expecting something?'

'No!' Ji Su denied without hesitation. 'Let's just sleep together.'

After saying it he realized the ambiguity, and added: 'Just purely sleeping.'

Gu Zhao laughed in a muffled, deep way, his chest vibrating faintly with it.

Ji Su was nettled by his laughter; he turned around in his arms and butted him with his forehead—only to end up hurting himself against Gu Zhao's solid pectoral.

Gu Zhao tightened both arms, his tone turning dangerous: 'Don't want to sleep anymore?'

Ji Su hurriedly buried his face in the crook of his neck, performing a one-second fall asleep.

But in the middle of the night, Ji Su was still woken up by the heat.

The air conditioning in the room was at a comfortable temperature, but the body holding him ran too hot, like a little furnace scorching him.

Ji Su didn't want to wake Gu Zhao, so he carefully scooted backward, little by little.

Gu Zhao, without even opening his eyes, casually fished him back.

'So hot…' Ji Su mumbled softly. 'I think I sweated all over.'

'Mm?' Gu Zhao lifted his eyelids; his large hand settled on the sweaty back of Ji Su's neck, and indeed came away coated in warm sweat.

Ji Su struggled a little in his arms: 'Gu Zhao, I want to go take a shower.'

A normal person woken in the middle of the night would be a little irritable, but Gu Zhao wasn't angry at all—he let go, rose, and lifted Ji Su up in a waist-hold.

Walking into the Main Bedroom's bathroom, he set Ji Su down.

Ji Su's toes touched the floor; blushing, he pushed him away: 'I can wash myself.'

If he showered with Gu Zhao, it would probably end up like before again…

Gu Zhao reached out to turn on the shower, then pressed him back against the vanity counter with his other hand, his voice slightly hoarse: 'I'll help you.'

Ji Su was forced to arch at the waist, facing the mirror as he lay against the cool marble counter—and the height was, somehow, just right…