"Qin Zigui, come out with me for a moment."
When the gifts weren't enough, Sheng Yan made up for it with his imposing manner. He put down his beer glass, wiped his mouth, and spoke with great arrogance.
Qin Zigui, who had just expressed his gratitude to everyone, turned around and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Sheng Yan stood up on his own, feigning indifference, and said, "Anyway, you came out with me, I have a gift for you."
Zhu Peng, completely oblivious to the situation, peeked out from behind the cake and asked, "Brother Yan, what's the gift? Why are you giving it to us behind our backs? Why are you being so mysterious?"
Sheng Yan turned around and glared at him: "What's it to you?"
His tone was particularly fierce.
Zhu Peng shrank back, looking aggrieved: "Fine, I won't say it then, why are you being so fierce?"
Qin Zigui had no idea what gift Sheng Yan was planning to give him that required such secrecy, but he did whatever Sheng Yan said and followed him slowly out of the private room.
As soon as he stepped out the door, Sheng Yan dragged him to a secluded corner, pinned him against the wall, and ripped open his shirt collar.
Qin Zigui, who was suddenly treated roughly, was speechless.
What is Sheng Yan trying to do?
When he was slightly taken aback, and then realized what gift Sheng Yan was planning to give him, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly when he looked at Sheng Yan, who was looking conflicted.
Surely this silly boy couldn't have taken what he said to tease him that day seriously, could he?
But even if it were true, that person certainly wouldn't have the guts.
Sure enough, before the little fool could do anything, his ears turned red after he pushed Qin Zigui into the corner. But to show his manly demeanor, he still raised his chin and said coolly, "No one else can give me this gift."
Qin Zigui leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, watching him leisurely: "Hmm, indeed, no one else can give this, so if you really give it to me, it will definitely be the best gift I've received this year."
That has to be the best.
However, Sheng Yan pinned Qin Zigui against the wall for a long time, even tearing open her collar, and kept turning his head back and forth in front of Qin Zigui, but he just couldn't bring himself to kiss her.
Seeing the smile in Qin Zigui's eyes deepen and Sheng Yan's ears turn redder, he finally couldn't hold back any longer and could only push Qin Zigui back, pretending to be magnanimous and saying, "Forget it, one shouldn't be too competitive."
Qin Zigui suppressed a laugh and deliberately said slowly, "Then aren't you afraid I'll like gifts from other people?"
"If you like someone, you like them. We're all single, so what?" Sheng Yan tried to appear reasonable, then turned and pushed open the door to the private room.
Inside the private room, everyone was gathered around Yu Chen's cross-stitch piece, commenting on it with admiration.
Gou You rested her chin on her hand and nodded approvingly: "Not bad, Sister Yu, I didn't know you had this skill."
Chen Yubai also sat on a high stool, his long legs casually propped up on the ground: "Such a big painting must have taken a lot of effort."
Zhu Peng was moved to tears by the unrequited love story he had imagined. He stroked the cross-stitch while wiping away his tears, saying, "It took me a whole month to embroider this. Sister Yu, you really love him so much. I'm so touched."
"Go away, go away." Yu Chen kicked Zhu Peng in disgust.
Then Lin Qian pulled her aside, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "You really have a crush on Qin Zigui?"
"No," Yu Chen whispered back, "I'm just attracted to his looks and admire academic geniuses. You can think of it as a different kind of idol worship."
Lin Qian thought her sister was quite talented: "Then why did you spend a month embroidering this thing? Aren't you tired?"
"What's the big deal? It's not like it was freshly embroidered." Yu Chen said with a nonchalant expression. "You know I've been in our school's handicraft club for a long time. I have a lot of things like this at home. I just picked one that's appropriate for the occasion. If you like it, I'll give you the 'Whatever you eat comes true' piece for your next birthday?"
Lin Qian: "..."
So that's how I embroidered it by hand for a month.
But Sheng Yan, who was standing at the door holding the doorknob, was unaware that he suddenly realized at that moment that he was still somewhat competitive.
He didn't think Yu Chen or Qin Zigui had done anything wrong; it was just a simple feeling of unhappiness. It might be jealousy, but not entirely. In short, he hadn't figured out the root of his unhappiness yet.
Chen Yubai, who was inside the door, also spotted him and Qin Zigui at the doorway and asked slowly, "Have you finished delivering the gifts?"
"No, I forgot to bring it. We'll talk about it next time." Sheng Yan always had a bad temper in front of Qin Zigui, but when he had many friends, he didn't want to spoil the atmosphere, so he reverted to his usual carefree and easygoing demeanor and sat back down on the sofa.
Qin Zigui followed behind him without refuting.
Chen Yubai didn't think much of it. After switching the background music to the original vocals of a few slow songs, he took out a large box from his bag and put it on the table: "Okay, now that we've finished the previous procedures, let's start the main course."
"A proper meal?" As soon as these words were spoken, the other heads crowded around.
As Chen Yubai took out the props, he explained, "These are new props I just bought from Taobao. Here, this is a spinning wheel. Whoever gets the spin draws a slip of paper from this little box next to you. The slip of paper has a question written on it, and then they ask everyone else in the room. Everyone else either tells the truth or drinks a glass of wine. If everyone chooses to tell the truth, then the person who drew the question drinks a glass of wine."
Lin Qian said disdainfully, "Then you don't even have this much skill involved."
Chen Yubai smiled mischievously; "No skill required, just a thrilling game between acquaintances. What, dare to try?"
"What's there to be afraid of?" Zhu Peng was a man with no secrets. He felt confident of winning this game. After replying, he turned to look at Sheng Yan, who was sitting in the corner of the sofa playing on his phone, and Qin Zigui, who was peeling an orange for him. "Brother Yan, Qin Zigui, are you two coming?"
“They have to come; this is their home turf.” Before the two could answer, Chen Yubai smiled at Qin Zigui, “Right, Boss Qin?”
These two sit behind him and bully him every day. Today, he must find a way to ask them some tricky questions and get revenge.
Qin Zigui didn't answer him, but turned his head to look at Sheng Yan: "Brother Yan, do you dare to come?"
If he asked Sheng Yan if he was coming, the answer would definitely be no. But if he asked Sheng Yan if he dared to come, Sheng Yan could only give one answer: "It's just a game, what's there to be afraid of?"
Qin Zigui smiled without any surprise, then nodded slightly to Chen Yubai; "Alright, whatever you say."
"Alright, come on, sit down in a row." Chen Yubai distributed the props.
Yu Chen asked Lin Qian with some curiosity, "Does Qin Zigui usually smile this much?"
Lin Qian sighed like someone who had been through it all: "You're overthinking it. This is just a passive ability that can be triggered by a specific person. You'll understand once you stay a while longer."
A passive ability that is specifically triggered by a certain person?
Before Yu Chen could recall all the scenes where Qin Zigui would laugh, Chen Yubai had already placed the number standees in front of her: "Ladies first, Lin Qian 1, Yu Chen 2, Qin Zigui 3, Sheng Yan 4, me 5, Zhu Peng and Gou You 6 and 7, the game officially begins!"
After saying that, he spun the turntable on the table. The pointer spun around a few times and then stopped at number 2. Yu Chen drew a lot.
Yu Chen didn't take it seriously, reached into the gashapon box, casually pulled it out, and asked, "Are you single?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yubai laughed and said, "What kind of luck do you have to draw such a question? Everyone here is single, so let's drink."
As he spoke, he pushed the cup towards Yu Chen.
Yu Chen also felt embarrassed and was about to pick up his glass when a slender, fair hand picked up the glass first and drank it all in one gulp.
Amidst the stunned gazes of the crowd, Qin Zigui calmly put down his wine glass: "I cannot answer."
Because he doesn't consider himself single, but his future boyfriend doesn't seem to think so yet, he can't answer this question for the time being.
Chen Yubai was shocked to hear this: "Wait, Lao Qin, when did you get a girlfriend? How come I didn't know?"
Qin Zigui lifted his eyelids and glanced at him indifferently: "When did I say I had a girlfriend?"
Chen Yubai was speechless: "If you don't have a girlfriend, why don't you just say you're single?"
"My not answering doesn't mean I'm not single; I just don't want to answer," Qin Zigui replied casually yet confidently.
Chen Yubai felt he was being unreasonable: "You should think about whether your behavior is reasonable or not. You're not deliberately preventing Yu Chen from drinking just to protect her, are you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Chen and Sheng Yan, who were holding wine glasses, looked up at the same time.
Yu Chen: "?"
She has such an honor?
Sheng Yan: "??"
Qin Zigui, that scoundrel, is flirting with girls?
In front of so many people, Qin Zigui couldn't explain, so he could only watch as Sheng Yan, who had already picked up his wine glass, slammed it down and uttered six words in an annoyed tone: "I'm single! Next round."
Qin Zigui, who had originally intended to subtly suggest that Sheng Yan should grant her a formal title sooner, was speechless.
Chen Yubai's mouth should never have been born.
Before he could figure out how to properly appease Sheng Yan, the wheel had already spun again, this time pointing right at him.
Under everyone's gaze, Qin Zigui could only reach into the gashapon box, pull out the slip of paper, glance at it, and read it softly: "Please say the name of the person you like. If there is no one, answer no. (The word 'like' in romantic love is 'like'.)"
After reading it, he looked up at Sheng Yan.
Upon hearing the question, Sheng Yan, frozen in place and afraid to move, remained silent: "..."
What kind of ridiculous questions are these?!
Fine, I'll drink then. A real man isn't afraid of drinking.
Sheng Yan had hardly ever drunk alcohol before, and after this glass, his throat felt a bit sore.
Fortunately, because of this issue, the three most troublesome people present—Chen Yu, Bai Linqian, and Gou You—drank alcohol, so Sheng Yan, being caught in the middle, didn't seem out of place and avoided unnecessary embarrassment.
But in a place where no one else could hear, Sheng Yan heard Qin Zigui chuckle softly: "Little coward."
Then, gritting his teeth, his ears turned red.
Qin Zigui actually dared to call him a coward?!
He wanted to show Qin Zigui what it meant to be fearless!
Then, Zhu Peng asked the next question: "Have you recently encountered anyone or anything that has made your heart flutter?"
Sheng Yan: "..."
Okay, he's a coward.
After downing another beer, Sheng Yan decided he wouldn't back down from the next question.
However, several of the questions he drew afterward were related to relationships, and Sheng Yan repeated this process of being embarrassed, his ears getting redder and redder, and he becoming more and more timid.
Qin Zigui had a high alcohol tolerance, so he smiled and drank with him.
After the wheel spun several times, it landed on Qin Zigui again, and he drew the question: Please state three or more reasons why you like me.
Chen Yubai had also had several drinks and was a little tipsy. When he heard the question, he said directly, "This question is simple. I'll go first. Boss Qin is handsome, thoughtful, makes people feel very safe, and is also very patient."
Zhu Peng and Gou You lay on the table, expressing their heartfelt gratitude: "President Qin is really great. He only deducts points as a token gesture when he checks attendance. He never confiscates our phones, never tattles on us, and sometimes he even speaks up for us in front of the teachers. Moreover, his grades are excellent, and he's incredibly smart. He can answer any question. Standing next to him in the summer can automatically cool you down and save electricity."
Lin Qian also commented objectively: "She is beautiful, intelligent, gentle, virtuous, and hardworking in managing the household."
Finally, it was Yu Chen's turn, and it was practically her show. Before launching into her praise, she even took a big gulp of ice-cold beer to moisten her throat: "First, my idol is handsome. I estimate he's 187.8 cm tall, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs—his proportions are amazing. He also has a very rare, aloof aura that's incredibly charming. Second, he's smart, intelligent inside and out. You can tell he's destined to make a lot of money. The charm of a brainy man is irresistible. Third, he's beautiful inside and out. I still remember when I was in my first year of high school, I did poorly on the first exam and was crying my eyes out in the pouring rain on the playground. My idol, wearing a white shirt, appeared out of nowhere and gave me an umbrella. He comforted me, telling me that studying is simple and not to give up. That's how I achieved my current top score in Class 6. So, my idol is likable in every way."
So that's how it happened.
No wonder Yu Chen inexplicably idolizes Qin Zigui.
Sheng Yan was certain he wasn't jealous, because if he were in Yu Chen's shoes, he would have given her the umbrella and comforted her. But for some reason, as he listened to these words, Sheng Yan felt a strange, indescribable emotion—suffocation, depression, and irritability—and he felt he shouldn't have these feelings.
After downing several bottles of beer, his head was starting to feel sluggish and not quite functioning properly, so he simply downed another large glass of beer.
Chen Yubai, who had drunk just as much as him, also slumped opposite him, dizzy, and said, "Seriously, Sheng Yan, do you really hate Qin Zigui that much that you'd rather drink than praise him?"
"Who said I hate Qin Zigui?" Sheng Yan lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Okay, you don't dislike him, but it's true that you're always getting angry at him, right? Sometimes I feel like you're always taking your anger out on Qin Zigui. If I were Qin Zigui, I wouldn't even talk to you." Chen Yubai was also a big drinker, and after a few bottles of wine, he dared to say anything.
As the alcohol took effect, Sheng Yan's mind started to wander, and his childish side kicked in: "But Qin Zigui just pays attention to me, not only to me, but especially to me, while ignoring you, just to annoy you."
"Why should I be angry to death? I don't care about him. It's the girls who are chasing him who are probably going to be driven crazy by him. They line up every day to buy him milk tea, but he won't accept a single cup. Instead, he lines up to buy you milk tea and asks me to find a way to send it to you anonymously, but you still don't want it. Do you think those girls will be angry when they find out... ugh ugh ugh."
Chen Yubai was speaking when Lin Qian covered his mouth.
Sheng Yan turned his head to look at Qin Zigui and said fiercely, "Why have you never told me that many girls are chasing after you?"
Qin Zigui: "..."
He couldn't very well tell Sheng Yan about this.
Sheng Yan instantly imagined a whole bunch of girls who were nice to Qin Zigui when he wasn't around during the year he and Qin Zigui were having a cold war, showing him care and tenderness every day.
Forget it, no need to overthink it. There's another one here. She treats Qin Zigui like a god, sending him milk tea, giving him genuine compliments, and preparing such exquisite and thoughtful gifts. Compared to her, she's really mean to Qin Zigui and has to be taken care of by him. She can't do anything.
Qin Zigui is so good, it can't be hidden anymore, others know about it now, and Qin Zigui is still not his.
As Sheng Yan was thinking, he suddenly stood up and said, "I want to go home."
"?" The others in the room were watching with great interest as these two childish, straight men argued over another man, when Sheng Yan suddenly blurted out this question, and couldn't help but ask, "Why are you going home so soon?"
They thought Sheng Yan was just slightly drunk, but Qin Zigui, who had witnessed the whole process of Sheng Yan getting drunk, keenly realized that this was Sheng Yan's last bit of rationality before he began to transform.
He glanced at the time and said casually, "We've been staying at Grandma Sheng Yan's house recently, and it's almost curfew time, so we have to go back first."
She stood up, told Gou You a few things about asking the KTV to send the gifts directly to her home, then naturally took Sheng Yan's hand, said goodbye, and left.
Once outside and off the elevator, Sheng Yan stood on the steps, shoved his head against Qin Zigui's shoulder, and said like a child throwing a tantrum, "My head is spinning, I don't want to walk, I can't walk anymore."
Sure enough, he started to get drunk.
Qin Zigui helped him up: "Shall we take a taxi back?"
"No, I get carsick too."
Sheng Yan suffered from severe motion sickness as a child, so he has never liked riding in cars.
Qin Zigui then asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Sheng Yan muttered, "I want you to carry me."
Upon hearing this request, Qin Zigui paused briefly before lowering his head and smiling, "Okay, Zigui will carry you back. Stand still like a good boy."
After Qin Zigui finished speaking, he went down two steps and made sure Sheng Yan was standing firmly before turning around.
Sheng Yan leaned forward and climbed onto his back, wrapping his arms around his neck.
Qin Zigui then carried him on his back and slowly walked home along the quiet alley at night.
Just like when Sheng Yan was a child, he would play outside until he was tired, unable to walk anymore, and fell asleep.
In fact, Ming Shengyan was only one year younger than him, but because he was taller than his peers since childhood, and Shengyan was thinner and smaller than his peers when he was young, it seemed as if he was always much older than Shengyan.
It was as if no matter how much Sheng Yan caused trouble, he could always indulge him.
Sheng Yan lay on Qin Zigui's back, his head spinning, so he buried his face in Qin Zigui's neck, smelling the familiar scent on Qin Zigui's body, and hugged his neck tightly, as if searching for some sense of security.
Qin Zigui had actually noticed that his mood was off earlier, so she asked in a low voice, "Ayan, can you tell me why you're unhappy today?"
Sheng Yan tightened his grip on his neck a little more, without saying a word.
Qin Zigui asked again, "Are you jealous?"
Sheng Yan hugged his neck even tighter, but still didn't say anything.
Since he didn't say anything, Qin Zigui stopped asking.
Sheng Yan, who was lying on his back, became restless and suddenly bit Qin Zigui on the back of the neck like a puppy.
Qin Zigui thought he was just throwing a tantrum, so he didn't say anything.
Sheng Yan took another bite.
Qin Zigui still didn't say anything.
Sheng Yan took another bite.
Qin Zigui finally couldn't stand the tickling anymore and couldn't help but ask, "Are you a puppy?"
Sheng Xiaogou lay on his back and said in a muffled voice, "Once you bite my neck, you're mine, and no one else can touch you."
Qin Zigui paused slightly, recalling that this was indeed how it was written in the novel that Lin Qian had been confiscated, and couldn't help but smile slightly: "Hmm, then bite it more."
Sheng Yan took another bite, then slumped his head in frustration: "But I don't have any pheromones."
I don't study hard usually, but I can memorize all sorts of random things very quickly.
Qin Zigui coaxed softly with a chuckle, "Even without pheromones, I'm still yours."
"It's not mine."
"If you promise to be my wife, I'm yours."
Sheng Yan then buried his face in Qin Zigui's neck again and remained silent.
Qin Zigui didn't ask any more questions.
He could sense that Sheng Yan truly liked him, and he could also sense that Sheng Yan still had some lingering emotions, so he was willing to wait for Sheng Yan. However, he didn't know what Sheng Yan cared about most.
When they got home, Qin Zigui put Sheng Yan on the bed and was about to change him into his pajamas when Sheng Yan said in a huff, "But you've been my wife for a long time, and you still accepted someone else's gift."
Qin Zigui paused slightly as she helped him unbutton his shirt, then asked gently, "When did I become your wife?"
Sheng Yan answered without hesitation: "Four years old."
Qin Zigui: "..."
An unexpected answer.
Seeing Qin Zigui's brief pause, Sheng Yan thought he was trying to renege on his debt, so he stood up and walked towards his grandparents' room.
The two elderly people were still watching a movie outside. Sheng Yan opened the safe without any hindrance, took out the treasure box, and then returned to the room. He took out a small red card and handed it to them: "Look! The marriage certificate is still there!"
It is indeed a marriage certificate. There are two stick figures drawn on it, and the words "Yanyan and Zigui" and the pinyin for "marriage certificate" are written on it.
Abstract creative school, it's not hard to tell whose masterpiece it is.
Qin Zigui then remembered that when they were little, they often played house in kindergarten. The girls liked Sheng Yan and insisted on having him play the father, while he insisted on having her play the mother. They even made a lot of things back then, and they never expected that there would be a marriage certificate.
Therefore, these are the things that Sheng Xiaoyan cherishes and doesn't let himself see.
I wonder if he'll regret it when he sobers up.
Qin Zigui gently stroked the marriage certificate with his fingertips, feeling the marks left by time on it. He suddenly realized that after all these years, he and Sheng Yan were still the two children who cared about each other, needed each other, and held hands tightly. They had never changed.
He sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at Sheng Yan: "Then why don't you want me to be your wife now?"
Sheng Yan felt a little dizzy. He lay on the bed and, with his last bit of consciousness, struggled to answer, "Because things are different now than when I was a child."
"How come it's different?"
“You were so pitiful when you were little. Only I needed you, only I clung to you, only I liked you, that’s why you liked me. But things are different now. Now many people like you, many people are good to you. I’m afraid that after you meet more people, you’ll find that I’m not the best for you, nor do I need you the most. I also have a really bad temper, so you might not like me anymore.” Sheng Yan mumbled into his pillow, like a wronged child.
Qin Zigui never imagined that Sheng Yan would have such concerns.
He patted Sheng Yan on the back of the head: "Ayan, do you still remember the story of the Little Prince and the Fox that I told you when you were little?"
Sheng Yan's head was a little dizzy, but he still remembered.
Qin Zigui's voice was gentle yet firm: "There will be many princes and many foxes in this world, but when they tame each other, they become unique princes and foxes in this world. We began to tame each other when we were very young, even before we understood this world. Some of our personalities exist because of each other, and no one can replace that."
"So, Ayan, even if you don't like me, I can't possibly like anyone else. Because I already have a unique little prince in my heart. He's beautiful, kind, and innocent. He has all the world's expectations for beauty, and he's tamed me. So even though he's a bit fierce, stubborn, and a little silly, I'll only ever like him. That will never change, understand?"
"have no idea."
Sheng Yan was drunk, his head was spinning, he didn't want to think, and he started to act like a brat.
Qin Zigui nodded: "Okay, if you don't know, then I'll go find another little prince."
"You dare!" Upon hearing this, Sheng Yan instinctively got up, pushed Qin Zigui down onto the bed, straddled him, and said fiercely, "No!"
Qin Zigui found that Sheng Yan was really handsome when he was drunk. His skin was fair, and the corners of his eyes and neck were tinged with a light pink. Two buttons of his shirt were undone, and when he looked down at Qin Zigui with a slightly fierce and anxious expression, he was really someone who could be bullied.
Thinking that this fool had spent the whole night being jealous of something unrelated, I couldn't help but tease him: "Then why don't you allow it?"
"I don't care... I just say it's not allowed."
Whether Sheng Yan is drunk or not, he is equally unreasonable.
They've spoiled themselves.
But being unreasonable is quite endearing.
So Qin Zigui pretended to be serious and said calmly, "But you won't agree to be with me, and you don't want me to go find other little princes. Isn't that a bit too domineering?"
"I'm domineering because I'm good to you." Sheng Yan, taking advantage of his superior position, started to act spoiled.
Qin Zigui, however, wouldn't let him renege, and said slowly, "But everyone prepared gifts for my birthday, and there was even a huge cross-stitch... ouch—"
Before Qin Zigui could finish speaking, Sheng Yan, who was riding on top of him, was really driven to desperation. He ripped open Qin Zigui's collar and bit down on his neck.
And perhaps because he was drunk, his body's instincts far outweighed his will. The moment Sheng Yan's lips and tongue touched his skin, a desire to be intimate with the person he liked made him unconsciously nibble and suck on the prominent Adam's apple that always attracted him.
A warm touch, a slight sting, and a reckless teasing.
Qin Zigui instinctively bent one leg, letting out a very low groan, and his fingers unconsciously dug into Sheng Yan's hair.
The rain started to fall again outside the window, covering the clumsy, immature sounds inside the room.
Much later, Sheng Yan leaned close to Qin Zigui's neck and said in a hoarse voice with some annoyance, "I seem to have forgotten what to do after you wanted that gift."
A very low chuckle came from inside the room: "It's alright, I remember."
After saying that, Qin Zigui turned over, shielding Sheng Yan beneath him, and then leaned down to bite him again.
The rain outside the window intensified, pattering down in a near-hysterical outburst. The roses that had been teetering on the brink of collapse in the yard finally fell from their branches.
The room smelled like the blooming of photinia flowers in June.
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