SIIL Chapter 56

Chi Yu watched as Fu Zhi’an walked toward him, casually bending down to pick up the baseball cap he had thrown to the ground. The sun was merciless, with sweat dripping down from Chi Yu’s brow. He wiped it away carelessly, staring intently at Fu Zhi’an, who now stood before him.

Fu Zhi’an was right—he had indeed grown taller. Chi Yu remembered that before he left the country, they were still eye-to-eye. But now, the boy standing in front of him seemed different from the one in the videos.

His jawline was sharper, his brows deeper set, making him look less like the soft-skinned, easy-to-bully Fu Zhi’an of the past.

“Been waiting long?” Chi Yu asked, his gaze dropping to the hand holding out his cap, now slightly dusty from the ground.

Standing face to face, Chi Yu noticed that they were now at eye level. Just as he was about to respond, he caught sight of the girl standing quietly behind Fu Zhi’an. She showed no expression, simply standing there as if ready to leave with him at any moment.

“Who said I was waiting for you?” Chi Yu snapped, snatching the cap from Fu Zhi’an’s hand. Reluctantly, he looked up to meet Fu Zhi’an’s amused gaze and, with a huff, threw the cap back onto the ground.

“I was just passing by,” Chi Yu muttered through gritted teeth.

Fu Zhi’an bent down again, picking up the cap. As he dusted it off, he chuckled softly. “What a coincidence, then.”

Two striking figures standing at the school gate naturally drew attention. The longer they stood there, the more onlookers they attracted, including two girls who were whispering to each other while stealing glances their way. Breaking the tension, Fu Zhi’an reached for Chi Yu’s suitcase.

The metal handle was scorching hot from the sun. Fu Zhi’an pulled the suitcase closer to him, then turned to the girl behind him and said softly, “We’ll be going now.” The girl seemed like she wanted to say something, but Fu Zhi’an was quick to turn around and start walking. She reached out as if to grab his sleeve, but when her eyes met Chi Yu’s cold, expressionless gaze, she hesitated and let her hand fall back to her side.

The exam had just ended, and the streets were much busier than when Chi Yu first arrived. He looked at Fu Zhi’an walking ahead of him, suitcase in hand. Whether it was because of the hat-throwing incident or something else, Fu Zhi’an kept walking ahead without looking back, from the school gate all the way across the street.

A plastic bag was caught in the suitcase’s wheels, peeking out in small white patches. Chi Yu thought Fu Zhi’an was walking too fast and wanted to tell him to slow down.

His mind, foggy from jet lag and the heat, only snapped back to attention when cold fingers suddenly grasped his wrist, pulling him into a narrow alley. The white suitcase was left abandoned outside the alley, but before Chi Yu could say anything, his attention was diverted. Fu Zhi’an’s thumb and forefinger grabbed his chin, forcing him to focus.

They were standing close—too close. Chi Yu could feel the rising heat around them and smell the faint scent of smoke clinging to Fu Zhi’an’s collar.

“What’s this?” Fu Zhi’an asked, nodding toward the bag Chi Yu was holding. Chi Yu held it up earnestly, replying in a soft voice, “These are some tableware for Auntie…”

Fu Zhi’an chuckled, a low sound, before murmuring, “How thoughtful.”

For a moment, Chi Yu wasn’t sure if that was a compliment. But before he could react, Fu Zhi’an leaned in, wrapping his arms around Chi Yu’s waist and pressing closer. The hot breath against his neck reminded Chi Yu that he hadn’t freshened up after the long flight, and he instinctively tilted his head back, bumping into the rough, hard wall behind him.

There was barely any space between the two walls, leaving Chi Yu with nowhere to escape, so he let Fu Zhi’an’s chin nuzzle against his collarbone.

But Fu Zhi’an’s grip was too tight, nearly suffocating him. Realizing this, Fu Zhi’an loosened his hold slightly, straightening up, though his arms remained firmly around Chi Yu’s waist.

“I missed you so much.”

Chi Yu believed him, but two hours later, something felt off.

“You said your dad was working the night shift,” Chi Yu said, standing by the coffee table, staring down at Fu Zhi’an, who was sprawled out on the beanbag chair. Fu Zhi’an met his gaze and nodded seriously.

“And your mom is visiting relatives, so she won’t be back tonight.”

“And you didn’t bring your house keys.”

Fu Zhi’an nodded again, smiling as he stretched out his arm to hook his fingers around Chi Yu’s. Chi Yu allowed himself to be pulled closer, standing between Fu Zhi’an’s knees with a smirk.

Chi Yu plopped down on Fu Zhi’an’s lap, looking down at him from above. With one hand pressing down on Fu Zhi’an’s left shoulder, he leaned in closer.

The air conditioner hadn’t been used in a while, and the noise from the unit outside was loud. Fu Zhi’an watched as Chi Yu’s face came closer and closer until all he had to do was tilt his head to kiss Chi Yu’s cool lips.

“So, what’s this?” Chi Yu asked, his hand reaching behind Fu Zhi’an to pull out a cold keychain. The black metal was chipped, revealing patches of silver underneath. It was a prize Chi Yu had won a long time ago from a bag of chips, which he had gifted to Fu Zhi’an as a makeshift birthday present the following year.

The two silver keys dangled in the air, and Chi Yu’s expression darkened. “You think I’m an idiot?”

Fu Zhi’an chuckled, snatching the keys from Chi Yu’s hand and tossing them into the gap between the couch cushions.

“My bad for not hiding them better.”

Chi Yu was about to retort, but then he noticed the odd bulge in Fu Zhi’an’s pants. His eyes quickly darted away, pretending not to notice, though his ears burned red.

The arm around his waist pulled him closer, and Chi Yu found himself looking down at Fu Zhi’an, who was smiling as he rested his head against Chi Yu’s chest. Fu Zhi’an’s fingers brushed lightly against his waist.

“That’s my fault too,” Fu Zhi’an said, his voice raspy, making Chi Yu’s heart skip a beat. He heard Fu Zhi’an murmur, “You caught me again.”

But there was no shame in Fu Zhi’an’s tone, and Chi Yu thought that Fu Zhi’an was getting bolder, even shameless. Especially when Fu Zhi’an lifted his head, one hand cupping the back of Chi Yu’s neck, clearly aiming for a kiss.

Not that Chi Yu was any better, he thought to himself.

Fu Zhi’an was being so bold, yet Chi Yu still closed his eyes, leaning in to meet his cool lips, and found himself craving more.

Be my Patron ~ Buy me Ko-Fi
────୨ৎ────
✨Be a part of the story – support my translations✨
✨Buy me some | to support my effort✨
✨✨Advance chapter at ✨✨