Chapter 96: Chicken Soup for the Soul (2)
Di Qiuhe turned back. Watching He Bai’s maturing face, he couldn’t resist the impulse to kiss him. He put down the beverage can, got up and walked to He Bai. Puzzled, He Bai looked up at him, only to find that Di Qiuhe reached out to hold his shoulder and slowly bent down.
Never had Di Qiuhe seen so nice a person like He Bai, so he decided to bare his heart now and endeavor to win He Bai’s heart down until he fell in love with him. He would, if possible, even dote upon the man to extremes and spend the whole lifetime together.
He Bai’s eyes grew wide in astonishment. Looking at Di Qiuhe who rose all of a sudden and put one hand on his shoulder, he was scared stiff, slightly moving backwards, and said, “Qiuhe, I know it’s quite annoying to inculcate chicken soup of the soul in you, but… but you don’t need to give me a thrashing …”
“Little Puppy,” Di Qiuhe tightened up his hand expressionlessly and bent towards He Bai with a seemingly predatory gaze, “Since you care about me so much, how about we…?”
Jingle-jingle.
The doorbell rang, and Wang Boyi’s voice came from outside, “Master Di, Mr. He, dinner is here.”
He Bai’s eyes lit up. He responded instantly, carefully pulled Di Qiuhe’s hand away and said while running to the door, “Sit down, Qiuhe. I go to get dinner, and you… you drink something first.”
Stuck on the affirmation, Di Qiuhe took a deep breath, slowly tightened his fists and looked at Wang Boyi, his teeth clenched, “Assistance W-A-N-G, you’re really quick!” If only he’d come back five minutes later!
Wang Boyi was modest about his praise, “Thanks, it’s my duty.”
Shit!
Di Qiuhe was choking with rage.
How come his father selected such a stupid person who always missed his cue as his assistant! He wanted to give him a salary cut!
After sending Assistant Wang away, He Bai found Di Qiuhe was more listless and almost stuffed the food into his nostrils.
“Are you tired?” He Bai handed Di Qiuhe a tissue and patted him on the shoulder, coaxing, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have remarked on your way of life. I’m leaving tomorrow. Could you forgive me?”
Di Qiuhe lifted his eyelids to look at him, took the tissue and covered his face with it, “No, I thought you saw me as a burden and wished me on to others, which hurt me badly.”
“…” The tone of voice sounded as if he’d been abandoned. Di Qiuhe was really good at getting sympathy from him.
“My stepmother is right. People like me deserve neither a happy life nor good friends.” Di Qiuhe removed the tissue, gave He Bai a quick glance and added, “as well as a steady partner and a loving family.”
“…” He Bai put down his chopsticks, feeling him full up.
Di Qiuhe also laid down his and looked out of the window with a sad face, “I ought to lead a rather solitary existence like a ghost until the end of my life… Oh!”
He Bai stuffed a whole piece of shrimp meat into his mouth and compromised, “Tell me what you want!”
Di Qiuhe licked He Bai’s fingers in a seemingly casual way when chewing on the shrimp meat, pointed to the bed and answered vaguely.
He Bai clapped the table, “Speak clearly!”
Di Qiuhe swallowed the shrimp, and sadness on his face sunk without a trace. He said in a shy and well-behaved way, “I want you to… to sleep beside me tonight.”
“…” He Bai began to consider the possibility of booking a flight and returning back now.
“Are you thinking about going back now? Do you want to abandon me after wishing me on? Little Puppy, how could you treat me like this?” Di Qiuhe sat bolt upright, his eyebrows furrowed and his voice getting higher and higher. He pointed to the soup on the table, “You want to go, don’t you? Ok! Drink this, and I’ll let you go!”
He Bai bowed his head and looked at the chicken soup when a feeling of regret crossed his mind.
He shouldn’t have shared chicken soup for the soul with the childish guy the night before he left! What he needed was not chicken soup but poisonous mushroom soup!
“Are you swearing at me secretly?” Di Qiuhe narrowed his eyes, and a variety of expressions crossed his face, including sneer, self-depreciation, sadness and feigned calmness. Then he tilted his head and said, “Little Puppy, I know that I’ve pestered you so that we’re on familiar terms now, but you actually look down upon me.”
“Shut up!” He Bai couldn’t bear him and interrupted his words. Then he gave Di Qiuhe a pat on his head, pushed him towards the bathroom and said ferociously, “Go brush your teeth and lie on your bed!”
Di Qiuhe held on to the bathroom door, turned his head and stared at him with burning eyes.
He Bai clenched his teeth, “I’ll cuddle you to sleep!”
Di Qiuhe loosened his grip and ran happily to the washing-stand to get his toothbrush.
He Bai took a deep breath, banging the door behind him.
Well, it’s not strange for Di Qiuhe, one who hadn’t received much maternal love since childhood, to make such a request! He Bai had no choice but to act like a mother and coax him to fall asleep. He Bai swore to eat shit on live streaming if he came to see Di Qiuhe again!
A click.
The last bedside lamp went out, leaving them in darkness.
He Bai stretched his arm, pulled Di Qiuhe into his arms, patted him on the head and back, and said fiercely, “Go to sleep. If you kick up a fuss, I’ll give you a punch!”
Joyfully, Di Qiuhe also held He Bai in his arms, wrapping his limbs around him. Much taller as he was, Di Qiuhe nestled by He Bai’s side and desperately pressed his head close to He Bai’s neck, complaining, “Little Puppy, you are too bony to cuddle.” However, his body moved a little closer despite the grumble.
Di Qiuhe clung to He Bai, and his hair tickled He Bai’s neck. Taking a deep breath, He Bai overcame his impulse to suffocate Di Qiuhe under a pillow, grabbed his ear and pulled it, his teeth gritted, “Then loosen your hold on me, or I can’t sleep well!”
“I won’t! I’m punishing you for making me sad.” Di Qiuhe rubbed his chin against He Bai’s shoulder, beaming with pleasure, “Anyway, you can’t doze off until I fall asleep.”
He Bai tried his best to calm down. It’s him who made the bed, so he must lie on it. He closed his eyes and decided to stop talking. In this way, Di Qiuhe might shut up too, he guessed.
No doubt that He Bai underestimated the power of Di Qiuhe.
“Little Puppy, I want to hear a bedtime story.”
“…” “Little Puppy, can you sing lullaby?”
“…”
“Little Puppy, I’m not sleepy at all.”
“…”
“Little Puppy, why don’t you talk?”
“…”
“Little Puppy, my back is itching. Could you please give me a scratching?”
“…”
“Little Puppy, I want to sleep naked.” Di Qiuhe withdrew his hands and started to take his pajamas off.
He Bai couldn’t bear him. He opened his eyes and pressed Di Qiuhe’s arms, his teeth clenched, “Don’t you dare sleep naked! I’ll cut your penis if you do so!”
Di Qiuhe paused and gave a meaningful smile, “You must be jealous of me, Little Puppy.”
“…”
“You’re jealous of my penis, which is bigger than yours.”
He Bai got up and intended to borrow a cook chopper from the hotel kitchen.
With surprising agility, Di Qiuhe dragged him back and pulled his pants like crazy, “Little Puppy, you’ve seen my penis. For the sake of fairness, I want to see yours.”
“D-I-Q-I-U-H-E!” He Bai burst into roar, pounced on him, stared coldly at his eyes and ground his teeth, sneering, “Your adolescence is quite late, isn’t it? I swear to strip you and shut you out naked! Sleep, now!