Chapter 23
By the time Luo Qingjia arrived at the entrance of Time Cafe, Yuan Ye hadn't shown up yet.
He glanced at his watch; it was only 9:40 AM, not yet the agreed time. Wen Qingheng had scheduled their meeting for 10:00 AM.
Because of what happened the day before yesterday, he didn't really want to see Wen Qingheng. The closer he got to the time and place of the meeting, the stronger his resistance became. He developed a mindset of dragging it out as long as possible, determined to arrive right on the dot and absolutely not a minute early.
He wondered if Wen Qingheng had arrived yet. Was he also of the same mind, wanting to arrive right on time? Hopefully.
If it was like usual, Wen Qingheng would have probably arrived long ago.
In the past, whenever they met, Wen Qingheng would arrive at least half an hour early. It always made him feel embarrassed, so he started arriving half an hour early too. He couldn't manage anything earlier than that; half an hour was his limit.
But for him, that already showed an immense amount of sincerity. After all, he was the king of arriving right on the dot. Whether it was for class or meeting friends, he always timed his arrival down to the second, and miraculously, he was never late.
So in everyone's eyes, if he arrived early, it definitely wasn't out of fear of being late, but rather an urgent desire to see the other person.
Wen Chen definitely thought the same way, which was why every time he met up with Wen Qingheng, that man would get so displeased. He had even done some childish things because of it.
The story had to start from Christmas last year.
On Christmas Day, he dressed up in a revealing, provocative Christmas outfit, packaging himself like a Christmas present, and lay on Wen Chen's bed.
Wen Chen pushed the door open and froze in place, staring at him unblinkingly.
Thinking the man was stunned by his beauty, he hurriedly posed in an even more alluring way. He slowly brushed his fingers over the few bows on his body, then extended his other hand, curling his finger to beckon Wen Chen over to unwrap his present.
Wen Chen remained frozen, not coming over.
Whether it was because the heating was on too high or because he was genuinely turned on, the man tugged at his tie, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead with the movement.
Luo Qingjia thought his tactic was working. He figured if he was a little bolder, the man might just lose control and pounce on him.
If they actually did the deed, Wen Chen wouldn't be able to say he was treating him like a child anymore, right?
With this thought, he lifted one leg and wiggled the red ribbon bow on his ankle at Wen Chen, making the bells on the ends of the ribbon jingle. "Do you want to go in order and untie the bow on my ankle first?
"Or do you like looking at the bells on me, and that's why you won't come over to open your present?
"When I cosplayed before and wore a little cat bell on my neck, I caught you peeking at it all the time. This time, I'll let you look your fill! I have bells on my ankle, thigh, waist, and neck. Isn't my gift super sincere?"
Saying this, Luo Qingjia stood up and spun around joyfully on the bed, the bells on his body jingling merrily.
Perhaps the sound of the bells was too loud, jolting Wen Chen awake. He looked away, his face stiff, and squeezed out two words in a hoarse voice: "Nonsense!"
Luo Qingjia knew that when Wen Chen said these two words, the moment when his willpower was weakest had passed. His reason would gradually return. If he didn't take decisive action quickly, this "do the deed" plan would definitely end in failure again.
"Wen Chen, what do you mean? I prepared this gift for you so meticulously, and you call it nonsense? Humph! I refuse to accept this!"
As the last syllable fell, Luo Qingjia stomped his foot heavily, then cried out "Ouch!" and fell heavily onto the bed, starting to cry with a lot of noise but no real tears.
"Wuwuwu, you stinky man, you bad man! It's all your fault for not helping me untie the bow on my ankle, making me trip on the ribbon and fall so embarrassingly!"
His crying was a bit fake, but Wen Chen didn't seem to notice. He rushed over anxiously, grabbing his ankle to check for injuries.
However, he didn't appreciate the gesture. He picked up a bell he had kicked aside and threw it angrily at Wen Chen. Coincidentally, the red ribbon on the bell got tangled around his finger, so the bell bounced back when he threw it. Impatient, he didn't bother untying it. He just kept throwing it, and it kept bouncing back...
After this happened a few times, a pleasant, muffled laugh came from the man above him.
He looked up and met the man's gaze, seeing indulgence in those usually emotionless phoenix eyes.
—The kind of indulgence reserved for a child. That look was clearly saying he was just watching a kid throw a tantrum.
So annoying!
"Humph! Don't laugh at me!" This time, Luo Qingjia was truly angry. Humiliated and furious, he balled his fists and pounded lightly on the man's broad chest.
The man didn't get angry either. He gently rubbed his ankle and responded softly, "Okay, Uncle shouldn't have laughed. Uncle was wrong. Don't be mad, Jiajia, alright?"
That tone was clearly coaxing a child. The word "Uncle" was even more of a reminder, completely shattering the ambiguous atmosphere from moments ago.
Alarm bells rang in Luo Qingjia's head. He quickly put away his little tantrum and continued to execute his seduction plan.
He suddenly yanked his foot forcefully out of Wen Chen's grasp, turned his back to him, and knelt on the bed. Twisting his waist provocatively, he said haughtily, "Humph, unless you untie these bows, I'm going to be mad. I'll be so mad I could die."
Luo Qingjia's clothes and accessories were all festive Christmas red, which contrasted perfectly with his snow-white skin.
Tight, cheek-baring shorts and a halter top that showed off his midriff and back perfectly outlined his sexy figure.
The thin red ribbon bow on his waist and the thin red ribbon choker on his neck both had bells attached, so they jingled whenever he twisted his waist. He figured it had to look pretty sexy, enough to grab Wen Chen's attention.
The bunny ear headband on his head was a matching red. He had looked in the mirror earlier; the innocence represented by the bunny ears combined perfectly with the sexiness of the red. Worn on his head, it accentuated his pure yet seductive vibe even more.
He felt this pose was perfect, fully displaying all his best features. He could also feel the warm atmosphere turning incredibly suggestive again.
But the man behind him still didn't make a move. He didn't know if he wasn't sexy enough, or if this older man was just clueless about romance.
He had no choice but to resort to his foolproof trick: acting pitiful and acting spoiled.
"Hurry up, Wen Chen. Help me untie this bow on my thigh first. I have more meat here, and the bow is tied kind of tight. It's digging in and hurting me."
As soon as he mentioned pain, the man behind him—who had been silent, thinking who knows what—immediately took action, reaching out to pull one of the bells.
But he pulled the wrong side. Instead of untying it, the bow tightened.
Luo Qingjia thought to himself that from the man's angle, the soft, white flesh of his thigh must have been squeezed, leaving suggestive red marks. He played along with a soft moan, "Ah~ lighter~"
The air temperature predictably rose, and the man's breathing grew heavier. When he went to pull the other bell, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the man's fingertips brushed lightly against his skin.
The slight calluses on his fingertips sparked a tingling itch, and he moaned again. This time, it wasn't fake.
"Ding-a-ling." Two bells fell onto the bedsheets, colliding and producing a crisp, clear sound.
This sound seemed to jolt the man awake again. He said in a hoarse voice, "It's untied. Jiajia—"
Luo Qingjia knew that whenever things got suggestive and Wen Chen called him "Jiajia," it was never a good sign. What followed would definitely not be what he wanted to hear.
He hurriedly interrupted Wen Chen, "The red string on my waist is hurting me too. Quick, help me untie it!"
"Okay," Wen Chen replied helplessly. Unfortunately, his increasingly hoarse voice betrayed him.
Luo Qingjia: "The one on my neck needs to be untied too."
Wen Chen: "Okay."
Luo Qingjia suddenly changed his mind, "Ah, no, let's keep the one on my neck. Firstly, you like seeing me wear it, and secondly... later, when you thrust into me... the sound of the bells can be the accompaniment..."
"Jiajia!" Wen Chen interrupted Luo Qingjia in a panic. "Enough, stop messing around."
Luo Qingjia said, aggrieved, "How am I messing around? I'm giving you a gift, wrapped nicely in ribbon bows. Was I wrong to do that?"
At this point, he suddenly flipped over, propping himself up on the bed with his arms behind him, sitting in a languid posture.
Those liquid, affectionate eyes stared directly at the man in front of him. At the same time, he lifted a long leg and planted his foot on the man's chest, his toes slowly tracing upward until they rested right over his violently beating heart. His voice was sultry:
"Wen Chen, you've already untied the ribbons and opened the present. Doesn't that mean you're going to enjoy it now?"
"Or were the clothes just the outer packaging? Wen Chen, you want to take my clothes off, don't you?"
As Luo Qingjia spoke, his toes slid downward, stopping at the edge of danger, his words laden with meaning:
"Come on, darling. I'm ready. Please, unwrap your present and enjoy it to your heart's content!"
"Enough!" Wen Chen's face darkened, his voice terrifyingly cold. "You are not an object. Don't degrade yourself like this."
"I'm going to sleep in the study. You need to calm down."
Wen Chen dropped those words and strode out, ignoring his crying and fussing without looking back.
Although Luo Qingjia realized not long after that when Wen Chen told him not to degrade himself, he didn't mean he was acting cheap, but rather telling him not to objectify himself.
On the contrary, it was a display of cherishing and respecting him.
But he didn't understand it at the time, and he gave Wen Chen the silent treatment for several days. Wen Chen didn't take the initiative to coax him either; he just silently cooked for him, served him food, drew his bathwater, and snuck into his room while he was "asleep" to tuck him in...
Several times, he wanted to forgive Wen Chen, but he remembered Wen Qingheng's advice:
"Jiajia, you absolutely cannot forgive him this time. You offered yourself to him, and not only was he not moved, he even thought you were cheap. That kind of man doesn't deserve your forgiveness."
"Fine, even if you are going to forgive him, you can't let him off so easily. Otherwise, he'll increasingly take you for granted and think you're worthless. I happen to have some time off recently. I can fly back to the country and take you out to relax, and we can give him the cold shoulder while we're at it."
He thought Wen Qingheng's words made sense at the time. Furthermore, he was touched that Wen Qingheng would fly all the way from abroad just to comfort him. So, for the first few days after Wen Qingheng returned, he deliberately gave Wen Chen the cold shoulder and met with Wen Qingheng every day.
When they discussed the time and place to meet, he even purposely let Wen Chen overhear.
For the first two days, Wen Chen only frowned when he saw him leaving half an hour early, reminding him that if the food outside didn't suit his taste, he should come home early to eat, as they would leave food for him.
For the next two days, Wen Chen still didn't tell him not to go out so early, but he warned him with a stern face:
"Since you're leaving so early, come home early and eat at home. Eating out every day isn't good for your health... Nothing is more important than your health." His tone was inexplicably a little sour.
Luo Qingjia ignored him and continued eating out with Wen Qingheng. But the food outside was indeed terrible, especially when compared to Wen Chen's cooking.
Seeing his determination to eat out, that guy Wen Chen uncharacteristically didn't lecture him. He just went out of his way to make delicious, fragrant meals and timed it perfectly to have an assistant deliver them to the restaurant where he was eating.
He knew Wen Chen would be secretly watching, so to force this man to compromise, he resisted swallowing his drool and refused to eat the food Wen Chen cooked.
On the fifth day, Wen Chen finally compromised. He apologized, admitting that his poor choice of words might have caused a misunderstanding, and patiently explained the true meaning of "don't degrade yourself."
Then, quite pathetically, he made up with Wen Chen. It was almost an instant forgiveness.
Five days of the cold treatment was his limit. If Wen Chen hadn't coaxed him then, he would have had to coax himself, and then go coax Wen Chen.
Then he discovered a childish side of Wen Chen: he had turned every clock and watch in the house, as well as the time on his phone, back by half an hour.
Luo Qingjia always found it amusing whenever he thought about this incident.
"Jiajia, what are you so happy about? Your smile is reaching your ears."
Luo Qingjia felt a tap on his shoulder, and almost simultaneously, a gentle male voice sounded from the other side.
He subconsciously took a half step back, the smile freezing on his face. "Brother Qingheng, did you just arrive too?"
"No, I saw you spacing out at the entrance, so I came out to call you." Wen Qingheng still smiled gently, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
Adding his name after "Brother"—was he treating him like an outsider now?
Fine. They wouldn't be brothers anymore, then.
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