ATULGW chapter 1

At 7 o’clock in the evening, Baixi, wearing a newly bought black coat and holding a hot cocoa, sat on a bench in the square, watching a music performance.

He was good-looking, and his innocent-looking eyes made him appear gentle and approachable. Within just ten minutes of sitting down, someone eagerly tried to strike up a conversation with him.

“Hello, are you a student at M University?”

Baixi raised his head to find a fairly young guy, quite tall, blushing slightly, and looking at him nervously, with clear ulterior motives.

“I am a student at M University nearby, and you look somewhat familiar,” the guy stammered, saying something he himself didn’t believe, “Can I add you on WeChat?”

Baixi was somewhat puzzled. Did he inadvertently wear his sexual orientation on his sleeve? He politely smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, I can’t. I’m not a student here, just waiting for someone.”

The guy was persistent, trying to keep the conversation going, “Who are you waiting for, a friend?”

Baixi furrowed his brow, about to send the guy away. However, when he raised his head, he saw the person he was waiting for approaching from ten meters away.

Ten meters away, Qi Xun, dressed in all black, slim-waisted with long legs, walked on the square as if it were a runway. He had peach blossom eyes, a high nose, and thin lips—a face that should have attracted attention everywhere. But due to his extremely cold demeanor, he seemed unapproachable.

As soon as Baixi saw Qi Xun, he instinctively smiled and forgot all the words he had in mind.

Without looking at the guy who tried to talk to him again, Baixi casually threw the empty hot cocoa cup into the trash bin, then quickly headed towards Qi Xun.

The guy couldn’t stop him, helplessly touching his nose, knowing that he had no chance. He just walked away.

When Baixi approached, Qi Xun didn’t move but waited for him. They had planned to have dinner together that day, but Qi Xun still had some work left to do, so Baixi waited in the square next to his office for a while.

When Baixi reached him, Qi Xun gently supported Baixi’s arm and asked, “Have you been waiting long?”

“No, I just got here ten minutes ago.” Baixi smiled at him, half of his face covered by a scarf, leaving only his eyes visible.

The two of them walked out of the square together.

Qi Xun’s car was parked in the underground parking lot of his office building, so they used Baixi’s car to go to the restaurant. In the car, Qi Xun still had his earphones on, talking to his assistant about work matters.

Baixi appeared focused on driving, but his eyes kept unintentionally glancing at Qi Xun.

He hadn’t seen Qi Xun in a month since their last meeting. Qi Xun had been very busy with work lately, so Baixi had refrained from bothering him. Only when Qi Xun had some free time did Baixi hesitantly propose a dinner.

When he couldn’t see Qi Xun, his life was calm and peaceful, just like usual. But when he finally met him again, Baixi realized that he still had strong feelings for Qi Xun.

Even while waiting at a traffic light, he would pretend to casually glance over.

Qi Xun’s appearance was naturally cold and distant, especially dealing with work. He seemed less approachable than usual, but his sharp profile, lowered eyelashes, and perfectly shaped lips were all incredibly attractive to Baixi. He had to restrain himself to appear serious.

Baixi couldn’t help but scold himself for being so weak.

 He had known Qi Xun for over ten years, had been secretly in love with him for six years, and yet, he had always restrained himself, never daring to cross the line of friendship. He had believed that as time passed, his feelings for Qi Xun would gradually fade away. However, he now realized that he hadn’t become desensitized to Qi Xun’s face even after all these years..

When the traffic light turned green, Baixi drove through the intersection, reflecting on the six years of his secret crush on Qi Xun.

His relationship with Qi Xun was quite simple. Their parents were friends in the business world, so they had known each other for a long time. However, Qi Xun had always been the golden boy, exceptionally intelligent and talented. Baixi, two years younger and lacking ambition, led a laid-back life, which naturally kept them at a distance.

It was only when he was eighteen, at an age when one first experiences romantic feelings, that he had fallen for Qi Xun, and it had become uncontrollable.

This belated infatuation had grown secretly like wild roses in summer, creeping relentlessly and impossible to restrain.

Baixi had even taken the initiative to attend the same university as Qi Xun. It had taken him two years to move from being “barely acquainted” with Qi Xun to becoming a friend who could invite him to dinner and movies occasionally, and even visit his house or exchange birthday gifts. However, that was the extent of their relationship. Baixi had never dared to confess his feelings to Qi Xun, let alone let him know about his affection. He had maintained this secret, sincere, yet timid love.

Baixi sighed internally. He did admit to being cowardly, but it wasn’t solely because Qi Xun was too hard to pursue. Over the years, numerous people had confessed to Qi Xun, and almost all of them had been rejected.

Baixi didn’t believe he had any better chance.

He had worked hard to carve out a place for himself in Qi Xun’s life, and he couldn’t dare to jeopardize their friendship.

As he parked the car and looked for a parking spot, Baixi couldn’t help but wonder if he should visit a temple, make an offering, and pray for good fortune in love. According to the office gossip, it was quite effective, and maybe the gods would take pity on him and grant his wish with just one act of weakness.

Baixi chuckled at his own thoughts, even though it was an impractical idea. Still, it was fun to fantasize about it, and daydreaming wasn’t a crime.

However, what he didn’t expect was that, although he hadn’t made a sincere offering, perhaps his unrequited love had been too bitter, and the gods had actually granted his wish.

Only five hours later, his wish came true.

After having dinner with Qi Xun, they went to Qi Xun’s home to watch a game together. The outcome of the game didn’t matter; what mattered was that, under the influence of alcohol, Baixi had finally spent the night with the person he had been longing for secretly for six years.

When Baixi woke up, he still felt a bit dazed. The room was dimly lit, making his brain feel sluggish. He opened his eyes and saw the gray wall in front of him, a dark wooden wardrobe with a few glass lampshades on top, and a blue glass ornament.

Baixi blinked. His head was still a bit sore, but it didn’t stop him from recognizing the glass ornament on the wardrobe as one he had given to Qi Xun.

This was Qi Xun’s bedroom.

As soon as he realized this, he was immediately jolted awake.

He scrambled to sit up from the bed, then let out a hiss, feeling weak in the waist, and experiencing aches in certain unspeakable places, including near his thighs…

His face turned pale as he looked around the room. There was only him left in the bed; Qi Xun was not in the bedroom.

He frantically tried to recall what had happened yesterday but could only vaguely remember having dinner with Qi Xun and watching a game together. They had both been drinking during the game. It started with just a few light drinks, but somehow they had ended up discussing their college years, and they had continued drinking…

After that, it seemed like he had embraced Qi Xun under the influence of alcohol…

His memories stopped at this point.

Baixi couldn’t remember anything that had happened afterward. He had blacked out, completely forgetting the most crucial part.

But whether he remembered or not was no longer important. He glanced at himself under the covers, and based on the bite marks on his collarbone and the scratches on his wrist, any adult could guess what had happened yesterday.

He had slept with Qi Xun, both of them under the influence of alcohol.

He didn’t know what he had done yesterday, but based on what he knew about Qi Xun, a person as disciplined as him wouldn’t have initiated anything. It was more likely that he had acted recklessly under the influence of alcohol, pushing Qi Xun, who was probably also quite drunk, to this point.

Baixi sat dumbfounded on the bed, his hair messy, his mind blank. After a few seconds, he let out a scream and buried his face in his hands.

What on earth had happened…?

He seriously considered whether he should continue to pretend to be asleep or take advantage of Qi Xun’s absence to escape. However, before he could come to a decision, the bathroom door in the bedroom opened, and Qi Xun walked out, towel-drying his hair. Their eyes met.

Qi Xun wasn’t wearing a shirt, only a pair of black boxers. His strong and muscular upper body was exposed, with distinct abdominal muscles. There were clearly visible scratch marks on his skin and a prominent bite mark on his collarbone.

Baixi’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt like digging a hole to bury himself in. Even with just a bit of thought, he could tell that the person responsible for leaving so many marks on Qi Xun could only be him.

He hadn’t expected Qi Xun to stay at home; he had only been in the bathroom. Now, acting like he was asleep or trying to escape was impossible.

Baixi could only stare blankly as Qi Xun approached and sat down next to him.

Once Qi Xun was seated, Baixi finally noticed that Qi Xun’s lips were also bruised, obviously bitten.

Baixi was rendered speechless, and he awkwardly pulled the blanket tighter around himself. He didn’t know what to say to break this awkward and silent morning.

But before he could think of anything to say, Qi Xun spoke first. “You’re awake. Are you feeling uncomfortable?”

He looked Baixi up and down, then added, “I’m sorry, things happened suddenly last night, and I didn’t take any safety precautions. Can you get up now? Do you want me to carry you to the bathroom?”

Baixi was taken aback by this inquiry and almost choked. He looked at Qi Xun in horror, wondering how he could talk so calmly about not taking safety precautions.

Qi Xun, however, calmly met Baixi’s gaze, seeming somewhat puzzled. Nevertheless, he withdrew his hand and sat back properly. The atmosphere became even more ambiguous.

After a few seconds, Qi Xun said, “Okay then, you can take a shower by yourself. There’s a bathrobe in the wardrobe. I’ll go prepare breakfast. If you need anything, just call me.”

With that, Qi Xun got up and left the room, leaving Baixi alone in the bedroom.

Baixi sat on the bed for a while, still unable to understand the current situation. In his imagination, Qi Xun should be furious, or at the very least, keeping his distance. Qi Xun was somewhat obsessive about cleanliness and didn’t like people touching him. He even used wet wipes if someone touched his hand.

Now, after what had happened while they were both drunk, Qi Xun was surprisingly composed. He even calmly asked if Baixi was uncomfortable and suggested carrying him to the bathroom.

Baixi couldn’t figure out whether he or Qi Xun was the one acting strangely.

He sat on the bed for a while longer, then carefully moved his aching waist, stood up with support, and slowly made his way into the bathroom.

He immersed himself in the bathtub, feeling the warm water cover his shoulders and skin. Baixi closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and thought with a bitter smile that he should be grateful for the solid friendship he had built with Qi Xun over the years. Even after this unexpected incident, Qi Xun hadn’t reacted with anger. Perhaps Baixi was just glad he hadn’t ruined their relationship.

But if time could be turned back one day, he swore he wouldn’t have touched that bottle of alcohol.