Chapter 48

Snowlight filtered through the bedroom window, so it was not pitch black. Lu Wen held Qu Yanting with one hand on his waist and the other under his knees. Qu Yanting's head was nestled against his neck, his fluffy hair tickling Lu Wen's Adam's apple.

Kneeling on one knee by the edge of the bed, Lu Wen leaned over and put Qu Yanting down. The man was awake, hazy and struggling, writhing in the soft bedding, occasionally tugging at his loose collar.

Lu Wen pushed those hands away and unbuttoned Qu Yanting's shirt. He peeled it off, and the pure cotton white T-shirt underneath rolled up a bit, revealing a flat, toned abdomen.

Qu Yanting's eyes were narrowed into slits, holding a sliver of light. In the dimness, he looked up at the shadow by the bed. Lu Wen smoothed down his cotton T-shirt, his hand not leaving, resting lightly on his belt buckle.

Qu Yanting cooperatively lifted his hips. Once the belt was pulled off, his whole body relaxed and fell back, as if his bones had been softened by alcohol.

Lu Wen remained in the same position, recalling how Sister Lingling used to take care of him, and asked, "Do you have any lemons? I'll make you some lemon water."

Qu Yanting shook his head, it was unclear if he didn't have any or didn't want any. He turned onto his side and lay face down on the bed. Just as his stomach was covered, his lower back was exposed again. Lu Wen pulled the blanket up to cover him tightly, and through the layer of cotton, raised his hand and gave him a swat.

Qu Yanting furrowed his brows. "You dare hit me..."

Lu Wen didn't argue with a drunkard. He turned around and was startled by Commander Huang crouching at the foot of the bed. He headed into the bathroom, and Commander Huang followed him silently, treating him like a burglar.

The shadow by the bed disappeared. Qu Yanting sluggishly sat up, turned on the light, and looked around blankly. Soon, Lu Wen returned with a towel wrung out in hot water.

Qu Yanting lifted his chin. His intoxicated face was wiped with the slightly hot towel. It was now damp, flushed, and a bit dizzy. Unable to support himself, he fell back onto the pillow.

A hand reached out from under the covers, fumbling towards the edge of the bed.

Lu Wen asked, "What do you want?"

Qu Yanting mumbled, "You."

Lu Wen's Adam's apple felt itchy again.

Qu Yanting gasped, "Are you leaving?"

Lu Wen nearly coughed up blood from anger. It was one thing for this person to bully him when sober, but he could still toy with him when drunk. Forcing himself to endure it, he tucked Qu Yanting in tightly and grunted, "Mhm."

He glanced at the window. The rustling snowfall hadn't stopped, and he didn't know how long it would last.

It was supposed to be a good day to celebrate wrapping up filming, but as the main character, he had been working like a horse. He had been eagerly anticipating and waiting all day, thinking a surprise was in store, but in reality, he just ended up waiting on a master.

He had watched as Qu Yanting chugged bottles and drank heavily with everyone at the table. When he drank too much, Lu Wen took him home, undressed him, wiped his face, and tucked him in. He even carried him the last few steps. After all the trouble and effort late into the night, now that the drunkard was cleaned up and lying flat, he was kicking him out before he could even speak clearly.

Where was the energy he had when poking his chest?

Why wasn't he calling him heartless anymore?

Wasn't he worried Lu Wen might sprain an ankle in this icy, snowy weather?

When had Lu Wen ever been treated so unfairly? Utterly unwilling and resentful, just as he was about to toss out a stiff "goodbye," Qu Yanting's hand finally found his sleeve and gave it a tug.

"What?"

"Why don't you... stay the night."

Lu Wen froze, afraid of misunderstanding, afraid of getting his hopes up. He stared at that half-dreaming, half-drunk face for a long while before tentatively probing, "I'm definitely not sleeping on the floor."

Qu Yanting said, "Okay."

Lu Wen added, "And I'll never sleep on a sofa in my life."

As soon as he said it, the hand on his sleeve let go and retreated back under the covers. Lu Wen realized he had pushed his luck and overplayed his hand. But before he could take it back, Qu Yanting silently rolled toward the middle of the bed, making space beside him.

Half of the space under the covers was now empty, and Lu Wen's mind went just as blank. "Teacher Qu?"

He took off his watch and jacket, deliberately slowing his movements to give Qu Yanting a chance to change his mind. But even after he was down to his shirt and trousers, Qu Yanting remained silent under the covers, not making a single sound.

Lu Wen lifted a corner of the blanket and lay down primly. The mattress was indeed on the soft side, and the moment it rebounded made his heart tremble. He lay on his side, his back to Qu Yanting as they shared the bed.

Before long, the breathing behind him evened out. Qu Yanting was asleep.

Lu Wen felt no sleepiness at all. He carefully turned over, and it just so happened that Qu Yanting was also facing him. He inched closer, trying to make out the other's peacefully sleeping silhouette.

Qu Yanting wasn't sleeping soundly. He occasionally talked in his sleep. Whoever he dreamed of, he would murmur their name unconsciously. His alcohol-rasped voice became as soft and light as a cat's meow or a bird's chirp.

"Xiao Tang..."

It took Lu Wen two seconds to react. Qu Yanting was calling Ruan Feng's real name. Was he dreaming of their childhood? Playing along and inserting himself into the scene, he responded, "Yes, Brother."

Following the voice, Qu Yanting's hand reached out and touched Lu Wen, stroking one of his shoulders. "So big..."

Lu Wen, inviting his own embarrassment, said, "Brother, I've grown up."

Qu Yanting's hand moved unconsciously, winding its way down to Lu Wen's ribs. He used to touch Ruan Feng like this all those years ago; the child was too thin, and he would check if he had gained any weight.

Lu Wen gritted his teeth, enduring the ticklish sensation. When Qu Yanting's hand finally stilled, he took it and placed it between them.

Just then, Qu Yanting said something else, his words muffled and unclear.

Lu Wen scooted closer on the pillow, their forelocks nearly tangling. He asked in a low voice, "What?"

Qu Yanting's lips moved, and he called out, "Daddy."

It was the way a child would call out. Lu Wen didn't dare think too deeply about it, nor did he have the courage to empathize. When Qu Yanting curled up and called out a second time, he extended his arms and pulled the man into his embrace.

Qu Yanting leaned into the crook of Lu Wen's shoulder with deep affection, clearly mistaking him for the father in his dream.

Lu Wen felt conflicted, experiencing what felt like karmic retribution. You once compared him to a dad, and sooner or later, he'll end up treating you like a dad.

The snow finally stopped before dawn.

Qu Yanting had a rare, sound sleep, waking up past noon. The room was bright with the light of a clear sky after the snow. He squinted his eyes open, his memory a bit patchy from the hangover.

It was surprisingly warm under the covers, even hot. He lifted a corner of the blanket and discovered two strong arms wrapped around his waist.

His memory returned, and the events of last night surfaced. His senses came back as well. Qu Yanting realized he was being held captive from behind by Lu Wen, who was using him like a body pillow.

The moment he moved, a grumpy, deep voice boomed from behind his head, "Don't fucking move."

Qu Yanting was stunned, unable to believe this Idiot would dare to swear at him. He looked down and tried to pry the hands off his waist, commanding hoarsely, "...Let me go."

Lu Wen's eyes were still closed, but his brow furrowed. "So noisy..."

Qu Yanting struggled. "Let go."

Lu Wen wasn't fully awake, but that didn't stop his morning grumpiness. "Can't you just stay still!"

Qu Yanting was held even tighter. It was hard to exert force while lying down, and he couldn't break free no matter how much he struggled. He got angry and, mustering all his strength, tried to roll backward.

Their bodies pressed together, back to chest, flesh against flesh. Their just-awakened bodies jolted from the contact. Lu Wen yelled, "Where are you rubbing against!"

Qu Yanting struggled to turn over. "Get off..."

Suddenly, as if in defense and also offense, Lu Wen hugged Qu Yanting and rolled halfway, pinning him down firmly. "You're fucking rubbing me hard!"

The coarse, vulgar roar echoed in the room. It was Lu Wen's instinctual reaction as a man. The person in his arms indeed stopped moving, and he had also managed to yell himself fully awake.

Lu Wen slowly opened his eyes. Qu Yanting was lying beneath him, his head turned to the side, not looking at him. His temples were beaded with sweat from the struggle, and his ears and neck were even redder than they had been from the alcohol last night.

A cold sweat instantly broke out on his back. Lu Wen was caught in a dilemma. "Qu..."

Qu Yanting: "Get off."

Lu Wen didn't quite dare to move, because he really... He pushed his upper body up a little, shifting slightly. With a 'shua', Qu Yanting turned his head, shame and anger converging in his gaze, and shoved him away, unable to bear it any longer.

Lu Wen rolled over once, tangled in the blanket, his back arched like a big cat.

Qu Yanting got out of bed, his steps unsteady as he rushed to the closet. While grabbing clean clothes, he kept an eye on the bed. It was quiet. He couldn't help but pick a fight, "You're still lazing around in bed?"

'How am I supposed to get up,' Lu Wen thought. "I... I'm not that fast."

Qu Yanting clutched a bundle of clothes and warned, "...Don't you dare jerk off in my bed."

Lu Wen felt he was being wrongly accused with no way to clear his name. "Of course I wouldn't—"

"It's best you don't." Qu Yanting slammed the closet door shut. "Otherwise, I'll have you blacklisted."

Lu Wen wished the ground would swallow him whole. Damn it, he was so embarrassed his head was practically steaming. Lu Zhanqing had told him not to act like a wimp outside, but if he knew he was acting up like this, he'd probably kick him right out of the Lu Family's household register.

Qu Yanting went into the bathroom to shower. Lu Wen lay flat on his back, spread-eagled, and took a few deep breaths while staring at the ceiling. It didn't work very well. He got up and walked to the balcony to admire the flowers and distract himself.

Commander Huang was lying on the flower rack by the wall and immediately straightened its neck.

Lu Wen was a little scared. He tried to butter up the formidable beast: "This is what they call 'in me the tiger sniffs the rose'."

Getting closer, he petted Commander Huang's head and asked curiously, "Are you male or female? You've been neutered, right? Then you wouldn't understand how I feel. Fuck, can't talk about it, talking about it is giving me feelings again."

Lu Wen walked from the balcony into the living room. In last night's rush, Qu Yanting's bag had been tossed on the floor. He picked it up, and a few pages of a contract slid out from a stack of documents.

It was the agreement and notes for that title-sponsored drama. Qu Yanting had already signed it. Lu Wen skimmed through it and realized all the clauses were about the content of the adaptation, but not a single one mentioned remuneration.

The bathroom door opened. Lu Wen gathered the contract pages, put them down, and pretended to be well-behaved.

Qu Yanting, having washed away the smell of alcohol and sweat, poked his refreshed head out. Seeing Lu Wen sitting on the sofa, he asked with sharp intuition, "All better?"

Lu Wen nodded shyly.

"Come wash up."

Lu Wen followed the instruction and entered the bathroom. There was a new toothbrush in its box on the marble counter. He unwrapped it on the left while Qu Yanting dried his hair on the right, the warm air blowing over and heating the base of his ears.

With the toothbrush in his mouth, Lu Wen looked up at the mirror and caught Qu Yanting glancing at his lower body. He immediately said, "What are you looking at?!"

Qu Yanting turned off the hair dryer and started applying lotion, ignoring him.

Lu Wen felt wronged. It wasn't entirely his fault that this situation had happened. He said, "You were the one who asked me to stay the night, and you let me sleep in the bed."

Qu Yanting said, "I didn't ask you to sleep like that."

Lu Wen argued, "A thousand people have a thousand ways of sleeping... Maybe Hamlet sleeps like this."

It was a normal thing for men sometimes. Qu Yanting didn't plan on making a big deal out of it, but Lu Wen was being difficult again. With his eyelids lowered, he said, "You were hugging and holding me, and you got a reaction. I don't know if you're Hamlet, but I suspect you're gay."

Lu Wen was dumbfounded. He swallowed a mouthful of toothpaste foam. "That was because I wasn't fully awake!"

"So?" Qu Yanting asked. "You mistook me for a girl?"

In order not to offend him completely, Lu Wen forced himself to answer, "Of course not. I mistook myself for a girl."

Qu Yanting laughed. "Oh, so what kind of guys do you like?"

Lu Wen froze. "How did that make me someone who likes guys!"

Qu Yanting said, "Then it's a girl who likes girls. You really are gay."

Lu Wen was trapped in the verbal pitfall. Biting his toothbrush, his mouth full of the sharp taste of mint, he couldn't sort out the logic. He fumbled to turn on the faucet, rinsed his mouth, washed his face, and with water dripping from his chin, he gave up entirely. "I'm not talking to you anymore!"

Lu Wen ran out of the bathroom, grabbed his jacket and phone, and hastily put on his shoes to leave.

Qu Yanting slowly followed him to the door. Lu Wen's mind was a mess, but before stepping out, he couldn't resist being a pain. "Actually, you should just bring people home to spend the night less often."

Bang, the door closed.

Lu Wen paused on the doormat for a moment, then turned and left. He took the elevator downstairs. Outside the building entrance, everything was covered in a vast expanse of white snow.

Lu Wen walked out, treading on the snow, and took out his phone to call a car. Before he could dial, it rang. It was Sun Xiaojian. He answered, kicking at the fluffy snow. "Hello?"

"It's me!" Sun Xiaojian's voice was excited. "Come to the company this afternoon!"

Lu Wen hadn't showered or changed. He was physically uncomfortable and psychologically traumatized. He didn't want to go anywhere today. He asked irritably, "What for?"

Sun Xiaojian said, "The company wants to arrange for you to be on a reality show!"

Lu Wen stopped. "What reality show?"

"We'll talk when you get here," Sun Xiaojian said, unable to resist revealing a little more. "It's a rare opportunity. Do you know who the other guests are?"

Lu Wen asked, "Who?"

Sun Xiaojian replied, "The king of traffic himself, Jin Yanyu!"

By the balcony window on the ninth floor, Qu Yanting was watering a Pufeng plant. Down below, a certain someone surnamed Lu was standing in the vast expanse of white, talking on the phone. He saw him and, speechless, leaned against the window and smiled.

"Idiot," he said to himself. "When it comes to bringing someone home for the night, I've only ever brought you."