The sudden and jarring sound ripped Yang Zi from his sleep. The horror movie still playing in the TV. His eyes snapped open, a cold sweat plastering his hair to his forehead.
Disoriented, he realized he was resting on Shi Wang's lap. Shi Wang himself had dozed off, his head lolling against the sofa, yet tiny tear tracks still glistened on his cheeks.
"When did I even fall asleep on his lap?" Yang Zi mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
He carefully pushed himself up, trying not to disturb Shi Wang. His gaze fixed on Shi Wang's face, the sight of the slow-moving tears felt like an anomaly, as bizarre as snowfall in a desert.
This vulnerable expression was so contrary to Shi Wang's usual powerful demeanor. Instinctively, Yang Zi reached out, his fingers gently wiping away the tears.
A soft touch, and Shi Wang's eyes flew open. He abruptly gripped Yang Zi's wrist, his reaction startling Yang Zi, making his body tremble.
"What are you doing, Shi Wang? Let go of my hand!" Yang Zi exclaimed.
Shi Wang immediately loosened his hold. "I'm so sorry, Yang Zi… I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep here. And I was just startled feeling someone's hand on my face," he explained quickly, his voice a little hoarse.
Yang Zi reached for the remote and, with a click, silenced the television.
He glanced at the clock. Four o'clock. He turned back to Shi Wang. "I think you should go home. Don't you have other things to do?"
"Uh, actually, I finished my work this morning," Shi Wang replied.
"Then go home. How long are you planning to stay here, huh?" Yang Zi scoffed.
Shi Wang's eyes brightened unexpectedly. "Yang Zi, would you like to go to dinner with me?"
The sheer directness of the invitation stunned Yang Zi into silence. "Dinner?" he repeated. "Why would I go to dinner with you?"
"We're friends, right? That's why."
Yang Zi's brow furrowed. "When did I ever say we were friends?"
"Oh, come on… isn't it obvious? I helped you clean, and in return, I'm just asking you to accompany me for dinner. It's a small thing."
Yang Zi stood up from the sofa. "Take your other friends with you. Don't you have a girlfriend? There are plenty of people who'd love to go out with you. Just take one of them."
Shi Wang slowly pushed himself up to face Yang Zi. He reached out, gently gripping Yang Zi's hand. In an extremely low voice, he said,
"They aren't you, Yang Zi."
Goosebumps prickled Yang Zi's skin. He met Shi Wang's gaze, his eyes shining like stars. Yang Zi froze, momentarily admitting the truth of the situation. Then, he snatched his hand away.
"Okay."
He simply agreed. Yang Zi turned and practically sprinted towards his bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind him.
"What the fuck, what's wrong with me… How could I just agree to him?"
He had no idea what had gotten into him, but the birds already eaten the crops. He was going to dinner with Shi Wang.
"Fuck! This is all because of that bastard Yu Han. If he hadn't run away, I would have already kicked Shi Wang out. You just wait, Yu Han, I'll kick your ass!" he seethed, fuming with rage.
______________
*Hiccups*
"What's wrong, Yu Han?" Li Hao asked, concern lacing his voice.
"I don't know." Yu Han replied, trying to control his hiccups.
"I think someone is talking about me." He took a sip of water.
Yu Han and Li Hao were sitting in a movie theater, hands clasped, engrossed in the film.
The hall was almost empty, thanks to Li Hao, who had booked all the seats to ensure an interruption-free experience.
The movie was a typical action flick, filled with the sounds of gunfire and fisticuffs. But Li Hao's attention was solely on Yu Han.
Yu Han, on the other hand, was fully immersed in the movie, slowly munching on popcorn, his gaze fixed on the screen, occasionally dropping a kernel or two.
Li Hao chuckled at the serious expression on Yu Han's face. He noticed a piece of popcorn fall between Yu Han's legs. Without hesitation, he stretched out his hand, slowly moving it towards Yu Han's inner thighs.
Yu Han's body tensed, popcorn still in his hand. He slowly turned his head towards Li Hao, who was looking directly into his eyes with a mischievous grin, his hand still resting on Yu Han's thigh.
With effortless grace, Li Hao picked up the fallen popcorn and popped it into his own mouth.
Seeing this, Yu Han immediately yanked Li Hao's hand away. "What's wrong with you?" he hissed.
Li Hao chuckled. "What did you expect?"
"Shut up."
"Hahaha, I already told you, just tell me what you want, and I'll give you everything, Yu Han. If you want a kiss… there's no need to be shy, just tell me."
Yu Han shot him a death glare. "I'm watching the movie. Don't disturb me. Keep your hands to yourself."
But Li Hao had already made up his mind: he was going to kiss Yu Han.
He leaned forward, firmly cupped Yu Han's chin, and turned his face towards his. He leaned in, closing the distance. Yu Han, anticipating the kiss, closed his eyes.
Li Hao smirked. He gazed at Yu Han's face, then at his lips, and without a second thought, brushed his lips against Yu Han's.
It started as a gentle caress, but within seconds, Li Hao lost control, wanting to delve deeper into the ocean of Yu Han.
He deepened the kiss, his eyes open, savoring Yu Han's reaction. As Li Hao's kiss grew more intense, Yu Han struggled for breath, but Li Hao seemed oblivious. Yu Han punched Li Hao's chest, but Li Hao caught his hands.
Yu Han parted his lips, gasping for air. It was then that Li Hao seized the opportunity, his tongue darting into Yu Han's mouth. He explored, licked, and sucked, their tongues intertwining and dancing. Yu Han's eyes shot open, meeting Li Hao's gaze. Their chests rose and fell in unison.
The fervent kiss, which lasted for over ten minutes, finally came to a halt. Both were panting heavily, gasping for air. After a few moments, their breathing steadied.
"You're a monster," Yu Han complained.
Li Hao chuckled, a shameless grin plastered on his face. "Didn't you enjoy the kiss?" he asked. "We can do more if you didn't like the first one," he winked.
"Shut the fuck up," Yu Han growled.
He pulled out a handkerchief and began to wipe his lips, still slick with Li Hao's saliva. Li Hao immediately snatched the handkerchief and started wiping his own lips.
Yu Han shot him a death stare. "Don't you have your own handkerchief?"
While wiping his lips, Li Hao said, "I do, but it doesn't have your scent." He said it innocently.
Yu Han gritted his teeth and lightly punched Li Hao's thigh.
"You are so full of yourself."
____________
The Beijing night was a canvas of scattered starlight, unable to compete with the city's own effervescent glow.
A crisp breeze swept through the streets, a gentle reminder of the approaching chill, yet Yu Han and Li Hao remained oblivious, lost in the warmth of each other's intertwined hands.
They ambled along, their first love a vibrant melody, punctuated by the sweet, sticky delight of tanghulus. Every shared glance, every whispered story, dissolved the world around them, leaving only the intoxicating haze of shared affection.
It was a cruel twist of fate, a cosmic jest that had brought these two together. Just yesterday, their interactions were laced with venom, a bitter rivalry that seemed destined to fester.
Now, their hands were clasped, their hearts beat in sync, their lips curved in smiles as they spoke of dreams and futures.
Destiny, it seemed, had a penchant for dramatic irony. They were walking a straight path, hand in hand, towards a future they had long ago sketched in their minds, a future so impossibly bright it seemed to banish all shadows.
"It's time for dinner," Li Hao announced, his gaze momentarily drawn to the glowing screen of his phone.
Yu Han, his mouth still tingling with the sweetness of the candied fruit, looked up. "Where are we going?"
"What do you want to eat?" Li Hao countered.
Yu Han tossed the empty skewer into a nearby bin,"Ugh, I don't know. Anything sounds good. What are you craving?"
"Then let's just pick a place when we see one," Li Hao suggested.
Yu Han nodded. They found their way to Li Hao's car.
Meanwhile, a different kind of journey was unfolding within the confines of another car.
Shi Wang's hands, usually so steady on the steering wheel, he abrupt asked, "What do you want to eat, Yang Zi?"
Yang Zi, his profile etched against the window, offered a languid reply,
"I don't know. You invited me, so you decide. I'm just here to accompany you." His voice was a monotone, devoid of the spark that had once ignited their interactions.
A sharp pang echoed in Shi Wang's chest, a familiar ache that had become his constant companion.
He stole a glance at Yang Zi, his gaze lingering on the distant expression in his eyes.
"When will you ever let me in, Yang Zi? Can't you see the pain I carry? At least accept me as a friend."
The words remained trapped in the cavern of his throat, choked by the fear of rejection, the dread of shattering the fragile pretense that held them together.
He drove on, the silence in the car amplifying his unspoken despair.
"Why do I always fall into your traps, Shi Wang? Why do you insist on showcasing such a pathetic facade? This is all because of my parents. Why did they make me like themselves? Empathetic individual. I really hate this."
Yang Zi's thoughts were a tangled web of resentment and reluctant pity.
He stole a furtive glance at Shi Wang, his sharp eyes catching the hunched shoulders, the palpable loneliness radiating from the man.
"You look so utterly alone, Shi Wang." The thought, unbidden, offered a sliver of something akin to compassion.
He finally broke the suffocating silence. "Shi Wang," he began, his voice softer now, "why don't you get a girlfriend? Don't you want to get married?"
Shi Wang's head snapped towards him, his eyes, usually brimming with a hidden longing, now sharp with a question. "Why do you want me to get married?"
"You… you just seem so lonely," Yang Zi stammered, the words feeling foreign on his tongue. "If you found someone, if you got married, you'd definitely feel better. You'd be happy."
He genuinely believed he was offering a solution, a way to alleviate the burden he perceived Shi Wang carrying.
The air in the car thickened, the unspoken truth hanging heavy between them. Shi Wang's grip tightened on the steering wheel.
"Happy? If only you knew how much my happiness is tied to you."
He swallowed the lump in his throat, the confession too monumental, too dangerous.
How could he explain that his loneliness was a direct consequence of Yang Zi's very presence, or his absence? He drove on, the silence stretching, a chasm widening with every passing second.
"What's wrong with him?" Yang Zi muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes in exasperation.
He retreated back to the window, seeking solace in the mesmerizing panorama of Beijing's nocturnal splendor. The city lights, like scattered jewels, blurred past, the cool breeze a welcome caress against his skin.
The car inched forward, caught in the inevitable embrace of the city's notorious traffic.
Then, with a jolt, Yang Zi's gaze, idly sweeping across the opposite side of the street, which made him froze. His eyes, sharp and disbelieving, locked onto a familiar figure. Yu Han.
He was stepping out of a black car.
"Stop! Stop the car, Shi Wang!" Yang Zi suddenly commanded , his voice laced with an urgency that startled Shi Wang.
The car screeched to a halt, its tires protesting the abrupt stop. Shi Wang, bewildered, pulled over to the side of the road.
"What's wrong, Yang Zi? Are you okay?" he asked, his concern etched on his face.
"I saw Yu Han. I have to go," Yang Zi declared.
Shi Wang's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Where did you see her?"
But Yang Zi was already unbuckling his seatbelt, his body a coiled spring of anger. He pushed the car door open, his legs finding the pavement.
"On the other side of the road."
Shi Wang,immediately followed him.
Meanwhile, the two 'love birds,' Yu Han and Li Hao, had already disappeared into the warm glow of a quaint, unpretentious restaurant.
The ambiance was intimate, the tables sparsely occupied. They had settled into a cozy nook by the window, anticipating a quiet and romantic dinner.
But their serenity was about to be shattered.
Yang Zi, his face a mask of fury, strode across the street, his eyes burning with a possessive rage.
He saw Yu Han first. Then, his gaze shifted, landing on Li Hao, the man he detested with every fiber of his being.
His vision darkened, blurring the edges of the world. A primal roar erupted from his chest.
"Yu Han, you bastard!" he bellowed, his voice pierced through the silence of the restaurant.