Finally back at the apartment, Han Yang bent down in the entryway to remove his shoes. A click from the now closed door sounded behind him, but before he was able to properly remove a single shoe, he was suddenly scooped into HeLian Qing's embrace from behind.
"Ah!" The sudden loss of balance made him cry out, his hands immediately grasping beside him, grabbing that thing — that is, the clothes covering HeLian Qing's abdomen — for support.
"What are you doing?" Han Yang asked as he looked at the man in astonishment, "Put me down."
"Didn't you say we'd do it once more when we returned?" HeLian Qing stated before justly declaring, "I only want to satisfy you."
Han Yang, a bit taken aback, hurried to explain what he had meant, "I said it offhandedly, you shouldn't take it seriously, so just hurry up and put me down!" Wriggling as he spoke in an attempt to get out of the other man's arms since being in a princess hold as a man himself was simply too embarrassing.
"Well that's a pity, because I took it quite seriously." HeLian Qing, not one bit dissuaded, kept on embracing the smaller man as he walked, "And satisfying their wife, is a husband's duty."
"What!" Han Yang's face burst into a blush at those words, "Stop messing around and just put me down first —"
Instead, HeLian Qing had chosen the same action as he had earlier, lowering his head, then using his lips to smother the lad's. With this kiss, Han Yang again froze in the man's arms, his flabbergasted state allowing the man to carry his now unmoving form.
Just this and you're so much more obedient. Since you talk so much nonsense I might as well use this method. HeLian Qing thought to himself.
Placing Han Yang on the living room sofa, HeLian Qing took advantage of the chance before him. Resting a hand on the boy's cheek whilst the other cupped the opposite side of the his face before trailing downwards, little by little, fingers skimming over his skin.
With his back tightly pressed against the couch, Han Yang felt a lingering electrical tingle in the places where HeLian Qing's fingers slid, the sensation causing the fine hairs lining his skin to stand on end.
He could even hear his own heart pounding away like a drum.
"He... HeLian Qing......" His mouth unsealed to speak, his voice filled with shock.
"Mn?" HeLian Qing's hand stopped on his clavicle, encircling his thumb over that graceful curve, caressing it.
"We're... this is too fast......" Han Yang said bluntly.
"Too fast? Did you forget what kind of relationship we have?" HeLian Qing lowered his head, gradually drawing closer to the boy, burying his face beside the his ear. Then, using his lips, he softly caressed the boy's auricle before parting them to capture it, sweeping his tongue across its outline, making it moist.
This singular action, made Han Yang suck in a cold gulp of air, then fiercely shut his eyes as he felt his ear go numb, no, it was actually his entire body that went numb.
Han Yang was someone who had never been in love, as a matter of fact, he had never even liked anyone. So presently, such intimate touches between him and another person, was something he had never before experienced. They made him to feel nervous and embarrassed beyond belief, but apart from those, his innermost being was somewhat curious of those things that had never been touched.
Those two contradicting thoughts entwined with one another, leaving him at a loss at which was right. Thus all he could do was to remain pasted against the sofa, rigidly bracing himself as his arms, resting at his sides, unconsciously tightened themselves into a fist.
Sensing his anxiety, HeLian Qing released the reddened lobe being drawn between his lips, his voice hushed as he coaxed, "Relax a bit."
With that, his hand resting on Han Yang's cheek, gently turned the lad's face, as he moved closer to capture the other's lips with a kiss.
This time, this kiss, compared to their first as well as the one not too long ago, was even more gentle.
Using his tongue, HeLian Qing pried open Han Yang's jaw, then felt his way forward until he hooked the boy's tongue with his own, entangling them.
His movements were very tender. The kind of tenderness that gave a person a cherished feeling, the kind that made Han Yang's head go blank, as he could only passively follow after the man in their dance.
"Do you want to suffocate? Breathe." Nibbling on Han Yang's lower lip, HeLian Qing reminded him to take a breath.
Being so nervous, Han Yang, from the get go, had forgotten to breathe and so his reaction was to now inhale a huge gulp of air.
Snorting out a laugh, HeLian Qing used the hand he had placed at the boy's nape to caress the skin there, while the other made its way to the hem of the younger man's shirt before slipping inside.
When his hand made contact with Han Yang's waist, the boy jumped, but did not push him away.
Actually, from the start, Han Yang had mentally prepared himself for this. Just as HeLian Qing had said, they were now in a lawful relationship and whatever they did, it was all completely normal.
In addition to that, some things were inevitable no matter what. The only difference was when, and nothing more.
However, he absolutely never imagined, HeLian Qing would stop.
Leaning back on the sofa, Han Yang's eyes still had in them a bit of vacancy, his lips and neck marked with traces of red that gave him a tingling sensation, all of it proof of what HeLian Qing had just done. He then turned to see HeLian Qing sitting beside him, undoing his own cuffs, "You......"
HeLian Qing in turn looked at him, "Mn?"
......You're not going to continue? Is what Han Yang really wanted to ask, but he could not bring himself to say the words out loud, though his expression already said it all.
HeLian Qing's hand came to a sudden halt, with him pulling out a HeLian style taunt, as only he can, "I'm not so hungry that I go for a piece of dried salted fish[1] experiencing his heat."
Han Yang, "......" Who's a salted fish, huh!!!
Rising to feet, HeLian Qing pulled up his sleeves, tossed out the sentence "Going for a shower, then to bed" before leaving for his bedroom.
"......You're the salted fish." Han Yang muttered after he left, unable to stop him himself from smiling afterwards.
From the beginning, he really did not expect HeLian Qing to stop, but when he thought about it for a bit, it did not seem that unexpected.
For although HeLian Qing's speech was quite harsh, from the start he was given time to adjust. In fact, from day one, HeLian Qing had indulged him. This includes the situation just a moment ago where he did not force him.
"How long are you going to keep sitting there?" HeLian Qing's voice sounded behind him.
Turning his head around, Han Yang saw HeLian Qing had already finished his bath and was now leant against the doorframe of the bedroom, looking at him. Getting up at once, Han Yang intended to find some clothes for after his bath. Passing by HeLian Qing to do so, he was suddenly pulled to a stop.
"What is it?" Han Yang asked.
"Help me blow-dry my hair first." HeLian Qing lead him inside. He then sat him down on a chair beside a table where a blow-dryer laid on top.
Plugging in the dryer, then running his fingers through HeLian Qing's hair, Han Yang soon felt the warm air blowing on his hands release a burst of warmth. He also noticed that although HeLian Qing's hair was a bit stiff, touching it felt quite comfortable.
Since HeLian Qing's hair was not that long, it had dried rather quickly. So when he had to turn off the dryer, Han Yang was a bit reluctant to part with it. This was, after all, his first time helping someone else blow-dry their hair. The feeling it gave him was kind of phenomenal, especially when the follicles slid over his palm, the sensation similar to a feather tickling inside his chest.
Also, HeLian Qing normally wore his hair combed back, giving him a cold, hardened look, and made his entire being come off as a person very hard to approach. But after his hair was blown dry, every one of his strands obediently hung down, softening his look, making him appear a lot more gentle, and even seem a few years younger.
But regardless of how he normally appears, at his current appearance, Han Yang could not help but admit that HeLian Qing was an incredibly attractive man.
If he had originally gotten to know HeLian Qing for another reason than the debt, he might of found him attractive then too.
Thinking such thoughts, he could not help but look forward to the many years they had ahead.
When he felt the blow-dryer in his hand being taken away, Han Yang looked up to see HeLian Qing had already stood up and was now putting the dryer aside, then said, "Go take your bath."
"Oh, okay." Han Yang went for his clothes then headed for his bath.
After he was done bathing, Han Yang returned to find HeLian Qing leaning back on the chair, reading a magazine. Upon noticing his return, that man put the magazine aside before beckoning him with a wave, "Come here."
Han Yang made his way to the other man, who pulled him to sit on his lap. Stirring for a bit, HeLian Qing snaked his hand around the wriggling man's waist, warning, "Don't move, or do you want to stoke the fire[2]"
By pressing someone down to sit on your thighs, the one stoking those flames is obviously you.
Han Yang lamented in his heart, yet still compliantly sat, no longer moving about.
HeLian Qing fiddled a few strands of Han Yang's hair with his fingers, then picked up the blow-dryer beside him, turned it on, and began helping the lad dry his hair.
Apart from getting his hair cut, this was Han Yang's first time having someone else assist him in blowing his hair dry, since he usually ran a towel through to dry it.
Han Yang lowered his head slightly at the feeling of HeLian Qing's fingers moving through his hair. The man's movements were not very skilled, but they were surprisingly gentle.
Perhaps that, seemingly hard to get along with, man's heart was actually really gentle, yeah?
Han Yang confessed in his heart.
After drying the boy's hair, HeLian Qing patted him to let him know he could stand up, so he himself could as well, in order to go put the dryer away.
Staring on at the man's back, Han Yang called out, "HeLian Qing."
HeLian Qing looked back at him, "?"
"Let's......" Han Yang sucked in a breath, tossed all caution to the wind and said, "Let's try it."
HeLian Qing was stunned, gazing at Han Yang without uttering a sound.
With that first sentence said, Han Yang found the rest was a lot easier to say, so he continued, "When I was in the shower just now, I thought about our situation for a while. I... I've never been in love, so I don't really know how to do it, but I'm willing to give it a try. If you're willing to give it try too... then we can both get along nicely, yeah?"
As he said those words, Han Yang looked directly at HeLian Qing, however his ears were already flushed red from root to tip.
During his bath, he thought about a lot. His interactions with that man during those past few days, all played back in his mind, ultimately ending on the static scene of that man watching over him from his bedside while he was ill and still in the hospital.
He even discovered that man's appearance made him hard to resist.
Han Yang was not an indecisive person. For some matters, he would avoid pointlessly dwelling on them and move on. But with others, he would choose to face them head on, and in such situations, he would also take the initiative to make the first step.
Thus, he chose to say those things to HeLian Qing, and now that they were declared, he noticed that it had not been so difficult after all.
"Did you hear what I said?" Han Yang saw the man just staring at him fixedly, not even answering his question.
The shocked man had definitely heard Han Yang's words, it was just, he had never fathomed that boy would suddenly say such things.
From the instant he chose to employ such a compulsive method to bind Han Yang, he had prepared himself to fight in a prolonged war. He had no idea that on this very day, Han Yang would utter the phrase "Let's try it" to him.
Even just a while ago, the younger man was still being difficult and now him all of a sudden becoming so agreeable, it abruptly put him at a loss.
It was all simply just......
HeLian Qing, "You want to be friends?"
[T/n: The phrase for "friends" he used here literally means: looking for companionship/friendship like a "friend request" but it's also slang for asking someone out. So Han Yang heard "...wanna be friends?" While HLQ meant " ...wanna be my boyfriend/date?":)]
Han Yang, "......"
At that, Han Yang wanted to go back in time and take his step forward back, with this person who is incapable of getting along with properly.
"......You're acting as if I hadn't said what I said correctly." Rolling his eyes internally, Han Yang decided to broach the topic again later.
"Do you know what they say about spilt milk [3]?" HeLian Qing approached him, stood before him, both of their eyes now locking with one another's.
There was more than five inches of height between them, so when HeLian Qing lowered his head, he saw the whirl at the top of Han Yang's. His hand then lifted to stroke the shorter man's hair, the tresses were so soft it made him not want to let them go, just like Han Yang's heart.
He finally said it. HeLian Qing thought to himself.
"Han Yang." His tone was soft, the lightness of his voice was enough to allow a person's heart to become filled with tenderness.
Han Yang lifted his head to look at the man just as he continued, "If you want to, then how about we start with love first, okay?"
Having already prepared himself for HeLian Qing to use his cutting manner of speaking, he had never expected the sentence that awaited him to be one like that, such gentleness was inconceivable.
His head rose to look at HeLian Qing, whose hand rested on his shoulder, and whose head was lowered.
With no intense demand, neither any form of compulsion, exuded from him, as the man simply brushed his lips against his own. The touch once again creating that irresistible temperature, it's chasteness again warming his heart.
That organ "pitter-pattered" as it skipped, causing a strange, yet happy, thumping that was intense, yet filled with nervousness. It was the sort of feeling where his heart could be likened to a blossoming little flower, and HeLian Qing was the rays of sunshine that entered to shine over it.
Han Yang then, of his own accord, reached his arms to wrap them around HeLian Qing's back, burying his face in the crux of the taller man's neck.
This is really nice. He thought.
When they went to bed, Han Yang called softly, "HeLian Qing."
HeLian Qing, "Mn?"
Han Yang again, did not utter a sound, so HeLian Qing asked, "What's the matter now?"
Rolling himself over, and under the cover of darkness, Han Yang kissed HeLian Qing's chin before quickly turning his back towards the man again, then muttered, "Goodnight."
HeLian Qing, "......"
That very night, as Han Yang slept, HeLian Qing on the other hand, suffered from insomnia.
Staring at the main culprit of his plight sleeping sweetly, he rolled his eyes, then cursed, "Little brat."
。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
Notes:
[1]咸鱼干: xián yú gān: lit. Dried salted fish. Meaning: 1. Someone uninterested/unmotivated/idle/goalless/lazy/likes to procrastinate; 2. A dead person/body; 3. Part of an idiom that refers to someone who made a comeback/had a change of fortune; AND 4. A homonym/homophone for a term that also means: freelancer.
闲鱼: xián yú: lit. Free fish (xián also means idle) Meanings: 1. Freelancer: 2. Idle person; (PS 干-gān also means do/work as well as dry)
When HLQ called him "dried salted fish" I believe he meant "freelancer" however Han Yang thought he meant "do-nothing or its variants" hence his offence. Maybe... HLQ meant dead body too, for our very often absentminded one who BSOD after a kiss 🙃
Anyway, the author nicknamed Han Yang, Little Saltfish (小咸鱼干) she left the "干" which I didn't see used with the slang "咸鱼", but I noticed it with "闲鱼" so I'm assuming it's to imply the freelancer double meaning. Han Yang is a freelancer after all~
[2] 撩火吗: liáo huǒ: lit. Stir/provoke a fire/heat. Aka, arouse his desires 😏
[3] 泼出去的水: pō chū qù de shuǐ: lit. spilt water. Meaning: something that can't be gotten back. Translated as "spilt milk". HY's maidenhood (つω⊂* ) 😀
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Continuing from [1], the author refers to HeLian Qing as, Qing Gege(Princess Qing) like Qing'er from "My fair Princess". This is also a homophone as, Qing Gege (格格-princess) sounds like Qing Gege (哥哥-big brother) {note: big brother here is closer to Oppa, in Korean than brother in English}
So our dear author likes wordplay, it seems. If anyone knows more about "咸鱼干／闲鱼干" tell me 🙂
PS: This chapter was too much for my poor pooped-out little heart. ♡(˃͈ દ ˂͈ ༶ )
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