Baixi bit his tongue, and the pain brought some clarity to his senses.
He couldn’t understand what Qi Xun was thinking. He believed he had nearly perfected his understanding of Qi Xun and could almost predict his every move. Still, he couldn’t keep up with Qi Xun’s thought process
He looked at Qi Xun, utterly perplexed, his eyes round like a startled cat.
Qi Xun found it somewhat amusing, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Baixi had stopped coughing by now, and his fingers were nervously scratching the edge of the table. He knew the chances were slim, but he cautiously asked Qi Xun with a glimmer of hope, “Why did you say you want to date me… are you pitying me, or do you perhaps have some feelings for me?”
The last words were asked lightly, like the steam rising from a coffee cup, dissipating into the winter air.
He knew deep down that the possibility was extremely low, but the moment those words left his lips, his heart leaped with anticipation. What if…
People always had some unrealistic fantasies.
But Qi Xun remained as honest as ever.
He said, “It’s not pity, but I can’t say it’s love either, Baixi. I don’t want to deceive you.”
The rosy bubbles in Baixi’s mind burst.
He dryly responded with an “Oh” and looked at Qi Xun uneasily, “Then why? You don’t want to lose me as a friend?”
If that were the case, he could at least take some pride in it. It meant he held some significance in Qi Xun’s heart.
Qi Xun replied, “I think we can give dating a try. After today, it will be challenging for us to remain just friends. Why not consider a different kind of relationship? You like me, and I know you well. Compared to getting to know a stranger, being together would be much easier for us. Over these years, my parents have been arranging blind dates for me non-stop. I’ve never met any of them because I hate wasting time.”
“But if it’s you, I think I can accept it.”
Baixi’s heart raced at the last sentence.
He had been friends with Qi Xun for so many years, and he knew that Qi Xun had come out during college. Although same-sex marriage was legal now, it wasn’t the societal norm. Qi Xun had shocked many people when he came out, and it took a while for his family to accept it.
After Qi Xun’s parents came to terms with his sexuality, they immediately started pushing him towards arranged marriages, just like most parents. However, Qi Xun had hardly agreed to any of them.
Baixi easily understood what Qi Xun meant.
They were a match in terms of background, appearance, and personality. They knew each other well. Perhaps Qi Xun had also grown tired of his parents’ nagging and, by a stroke of fate, had discovered that his close friend harbored feelings for him. So, he thought of giving it a try.
After all, a date was a date, whether it was with a stranger or a friend. What difference did it make?
Qi Xun looked at Baixi frankly. “If you’re willing, we can start dating. If things go smoothly, we can even consider marriage.”
Although Baixi was prepared for what Qi Xun might say, he still felt a bit dizzy and sweaty palms.
He was here debating if Qi Xun would develop any feelings for him, and Qi Xun was already considering marriage?
If someone else had made this proposal, he would have thought they were out of their minds. Was dating such a casual thing, just requiring one-sided affection? What if they regretted it after two days?
But the person proposing this was Qi Xun.
The Qi Xun he had secretly admired for so long.
Baixi nervously swallowed and, like a rabbit tempted by a carrot, hesitated whether to take a bite or not.
Upon careful consideration, if he truly dated Qi Xun, the one at a disadvantage would actually be Qi Xun. After all, he was the one with a long-standing secret admiration. If they managed to make it work, it would be a miracle, a match made in heaven, and his past painful secret admiration would be erased.
Even if it didn’t work out, he would simply revert to his original state, accepting the inevitable outcome.
Baixi pursed his lips, gazing at Qi Xun’s deeply contoured face in the morning light. He felt enchanted and confused, like someone was dangling an enticing, sugary treat before him, leaving him unsure whether to indulge or resist.
Before he could speak up, Qi Xun added, “You don’t have to give me an answer right away. Take a couple of days to think about it.”
This sentence could easily give the impression that Baixi was the one with the upper hand.
But he knew it was Qi Xun’s way of being considerate. He nodded in agreement.
“Alright, I’ll… I’ll think about it.”
He thought it was fair to give each other some time to consider. Maybe after Qi Xun sobered up, he would regret it and change his mind, not wanting to give it a try with him.
Baixi didn’t stay at Qi Xun’s house for long.
The experience of this morning had been surreal for him. Although Qi Xun appeared normal in every way, Baixi felt like a criminal who needed to flee the scene.
There were no clothes in Qi Xun’s house that could fit him, but fortunately, there was a shopping district nearby. Qi Xun had his secretary buy clothes for him and had them delivered. Baixi was eager to take his leave.
Qi Xun didn’t insist on keeping him and understood that he needed time to think.
When they returned home yesterday, it was Baixi who had driven. However, Baixi’s current physical condition wasn’t suitable for driving himself home.
Qi Xun picked another SUV from the garage and said to Baixi, “I’ll drive you back first, then have my assistant take your car to your place later.”
Baixi didn’t know how Qi Xun could act so naturally, but he wasn’t as skilled in handling these situations.
As soon as he got into the car, he pretended to fall asleep.
After more than half an hour, Baixi felt Qi Xun touch his hand. “Wake up, we’re here.”
He opened his eyes, still a bit groggy, and followed Qi Xun out of the car, only to realize they were at a hospital, not his home.
He looked at Qi Xun in confusion.
Qi Xun locked the car and pulled him forward. “We didn’t take any safety measures last night, and you might be injured. I’ve arranged for a doctor to examine you.”
Baixi blushed from his face to the roots of his ears and nearly exploded on the spot.
The shocks he had endured that morning were already more than enough.
He tried to pull away from Qi Xun, not cooperating much. “I’m fine, no need to be so concerned. I don’t need an examination…”
However, Qi Xun turned to look at him, his gaze serious and authoritative, without a hint of anger. “You have to. Do you want to end up being brought here later with a fever?”
Baixi wilted under his gaze and stopped resisting, obediently following him.
The examination process went smoother than Baixi had expected. It was a private hospital, and the hospital director knew Qi Xun personally. The doctor, an elderly and kind-hearted man, didn’t bat an eye at these young people’s affairs.
Qi Xun stayed with Baixi throughout the examination, almost answering all the questions on his behalf.
The doctor’s gaze swept between the two of them a few times, probably mistaking them for a young couple, and even teased Baixi with a smile, “Young man, don’t be shy. Your boyfriend seems to care about you a lot.”
Baixi forced a smile but couldn’t put his feelings into words.
Qi Xun was a contradiction in many ways. Despite his cold and distant demeanor, he was unexpectedly caring, patient, and responsible. He didn’t shy away from taking responsibility for anything, like now when he felt responsible for everything that had happened between them.
Just a moment ago, Qi Xun had proposed to him.
But if Baixi mustered up the courage to directly ask Qi Xun to marry him, Qi Xun might surprisingly agree.
He glanced at Qi Xun’s profile and felt both fondness and a sense of frustration.
It was this contrasting tenderness that had enchanted him for the past six years.
The doctor concluded that there was no major issue, prescribed some ointments, and instructed Baixi to apply them.
After leaving the hospital, Qi Xun drove Baixi back home.
However, the address he dropped Baixi off at was not his own apartment, where he lived alone, but his parents’ villa, not far from Qi Xun’s parents’ house.
Baixi didn’t object.
After graduating, he had bought a high-rise apartment for himself, but he still occasionally returned home. He split his time between the two places.
Upon arriving at the front door, he could already see the hibiscus flowers in his family’s yard, hanging brightly on the branches.
Qi Xun didn’t go inside but stopped the car a short distance from the gate. Baixi’s hand rested on the car door, and he turned to look at Qi Xun.
Qi Xun also looked at him.
The car was small, and Qi Xun’s eyes were very dark and bright, like a deep spring reflecting Baixi’s silhouette.
The atmosphere suddenly became ambiguous.
Baixi lowered his head, and his palm rubbed awkwardly against his pants. Although he couldn’t remember last night’s events, fragments of it seemed to linger in his mind, vague memories of Qi Xun’s kiss on his lips and how Qi Xun had pinned him down on the bed, not allowing him to escape.
He cleared his throat, feeling his face burn. He was about to make a hasty escape, but just as he opened the car door, he heard Qi Xun ask, “Can I ask you a question?”
He stopped in his tracks, turned to look at Qi Xun, and replied, “What question?”
Qi Xun slightly tilted his head and said, “You mentioned that you had a crush on me since high school, but I’ve been thinking, we didn’t interact much in high school. How did you end up liking me?”
Qi Xun was genuinely asking this question.
He wasn’t a very curious person, and he had many admirers, but their reasons were usually the same, so he had never felt the need to inquire further.
However, Baixi seemed different.
There was a two-year age gap between them, and they attended different high schools, so Qi Xun had no recollection of his role in Baixi’s high school life.
But the tears that Baixi had shed on his neck last night were scorching hot, leaving a lasting impression on him even after he sobered up from the hangover.
He was quite certain that Baixi genuinely liked him.
Baixi didn’t expect this question and stood there for a while without saying anything.
Why had he initially started liking Qi Xun?
In the six years that had passed, that question had become less important.
But he could still vividly recall how it all began, it was on a winter night six years ago when Qi Xun had looked at him under a streetlight.
He didn’t really want to answer this question.
Perhaps because he remained silent for too long, Qi Xun didn’t press for an answer.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. Just remember to rest when you get home,” Qi Xun said.
Baixi took the cue and said, “Well, then, I’ll be going.”
He waved his hand hastily to Qi Xun and then slipped away.
Inside his home, a gardener was tending to the lush greenery in the yard. His parents were at work, and only his younger sister sat in the living room, engrossed in her iPad, oblivious to the world.
His younger sister was named Bai Ruo, and she was his twin sister. Aside from their resemblance in age, they had almost nothing in common. Like Qi Xun, they had excelled in everything since childhood, and they both had strong personalities.
Although their personalities were different, the siblings had always been close since childhood.
Bai Ruo was quite pleased to see him return, but after exchanging a few words with him, she asked in a puzzled tone, “Why do you look a bit pale today? Did you stay up working late last night?”
Of course, Baixi couldn’t tell the truth, so he casually replied before quickly heading upstairs.
