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Qi Xing woke up after sleeping for more than two hours. It was still dark, and they were still on the highway. Apart from the occasional large vehicles roaring past, it was just the two of them.
He sat up straight and rubbed his sore neck from sleeping. Ye Xingzhou, who was looking ahead, reminded him, "It's still early, go back to sleep."
"Let's switch. Otherwise, you'll have to stay up all night again."
Ye Xingzhou glanced over and, seeing Qi Xing's determined expression, didn't say more. He pulled over to the emergency lane.
Five minutes later, Qi Xing checked the car's navigation, restarted the car, and reminded Ye Xingzhou, "We still have over three hours to go. You sleep and I'll wake you when we arrive."
Ye Xingzhou leaned back in his seat and simply said, "Drive slowly."
As they drove on, Qi Xing glanced back several times at the man beside him. Ye Xingzhou slept lightly, almost silently.
"Stop staring at me and focus on the road."
Ye Xingzhou's hoarse reminder came with his eyes closed.
Qi Xing's gaze returned to the road ahead, but his mind wandered.
He suddenly realized that after all this time together, Ye Xingzhou always seemed to sleep later and wake earlier than him. He had never seen Ye Xingzhou truly asleep, at most, he would rest with his eyes closed beside him.
This man was always alert and composed, but Qi Xing had overlooked the fact that Ye Xingzhou was human, not a machine or a god. He must get tired too.
Their destination was a county-level city in a neighboring province. By the time they arrived, it was already bright and past eight in the morning.
Ye Xingzhou didn't need Qi Xing to wake him. As soon as they exited the highway, he opened his eyes at the slight noise outside the window. Qi Xing looked back at him, suspecting this bastard hadn't slept a wink.
"Let's switch back, you don't know the way." Ye Xingzhou took a sip of water and gestured to him.
"Ye Xingzhou..."
"Hmm?"
Their eyes met, and Qi Xing hesitated for a moment before deciding against speaking. After switching back to the passenger seat, he reminded Ye Xingzhou, "Let's find a place to have breakfast first, I'm hungry."
This kid was always honest when hungry because food was his top priority. Ye Xingzhou seemed to smile faintly as he drove on.
He took Qi Xing to a roadside breakfast spot that had been around for years and was always bustling. When they parked and got out, many people eating there glanced at them. Ye Xingzhou was calm while leading Qi Xing to an empty table and casually ordering from the server.
Qi Xing looked around curiously, "Daddy, you actually come to places like this to eat?"
"I lived nearby when I was a kid. Every morning after buying groceries with my mom, we'd come here for breakfast." Ye Xingzhou said casually while helping him break apart a pair of disposable chopsticks.
Qi Xing was stunned, "Then why did you move to Huaicheng later?"
"When I was six or seven, my mom took me to Huaicheng for better education." Ye Xingzhou replied.
Less than two years later, he became an orphan and ended up in a local orphanage. If given the choice, he might have preferred to stay here. But if he hadn't gone to Huaicheng, he wouldn't have met Qi Xing.
Their breakfast arrived, and Ye Xingzhou ate in silence.
Qi Xing, however, found the food tasteless, "...Does your mom's family have any other relatives?"
"After Ye Chonglin left, my grandfather went to Huaicheng to confront him. On his way back, he died in a car accident. My grandmother passed away from illness not long after and my mom was their only child. The other relatives are distant and we hardly keep in touch."
Ye Xingzhou's tone was flat.
Qi Xing couldn't gauge how much pain these past events had left in his heart. He wanted to comfort him but felt that after so many years, his words might not make much difference.
"Ye Xingzhou, are you telling me this to make me feel sorry for you?"
Ye Xingzhou looked up. Qi Xing watched him cautiously.
His eyes were reminiscent of a kitten Ye Xingzhou had once raised —innocent, questioning and completely transparent.
"Yes." Ye Xingzhou didn't deny it.
Qi Ronghua's "It's either me or him" ultimatum meant that if it came down to it, Ye Xingzhou had no chance against him.
His only leverage was Qi Xing's reluctance to let him go —whether it was love, pity, or sympathy.
Of course, there were other ways. He could get what or who he wanted through more extreme measures, but he didn't want to use those on Qi Xing again.
Qi Xing licked the grease off his lips, "Alright, you win."
Ye Xingzhou raised an eyebrow. Qi Xing's hand patted his shoulder, "Daddy, be more confident. Your Brother Qi said he won't abandon you, and he means it."
Though carefree, Qi Xing wasn't actually stupid. He was starting to understand Ye Xingzhou's thoughts better. A little reflection made him realize the purpose behind Ye Xingzhou bringing him here and saying all this.
Ye Xingzhou brushed off his hand, "You've got grease on you."
Qi Xing: "..."
This show-off....his tenderness never lasts more than three seconds.
Qi Xing forced a laugh and changed the subject, "You lived nearby when you were a kid? Where exactly? Can you take me to see?"
"Nothing much to see there and it's been demolished. There's a shopping mall there now."
"What about kindergarten? You went to kindergarten here, right? Any naked baby photos I can see?"
"No." Ye Xingzhou refused without hesitation.
Qi Xing scoffed and lowered his head to eat heartily. He shouldn't feel sorry for this bastard, not even a little bit!
After breakfast, they headed straight to the cemetery outside the city. Before getting in the car, Qi Xing spotted a flower shop across the street and suggested, "We can't go empty-handed. I need to buy some flowers for my mother-in-law."
The shop assistant, hearing they were going to pay respects, helped them pick a bouquet of white chrysanthemums. While paying, Qi Xing casually asked, "If I wanted to buy flowers for my wife, what would be best?"
The young shop assistant smiled, "Roses, of course. The champagne roses at the entrance just arrived this morning, so they're fresh and blooming beautifully."
Hearing "champagne roses," Qi Xing suddenly felt guilty and instinctively glanced at Ye Xingzhou. Ye Xingzhou glanced at the flowers with disdain, said "I'll get the car and hurry up." and left first.
Qi Xing quickly paid. The assistant asked if he still wanted the champagne roses. Qi Xing lost interest, "No, my wife's gone, so just this bouquet of white chrysanthemums."
Getting in the car, he preempted, "Ye Xingzhou, are you jealous? When I gave those flowers to Teacher Lin, you threw them away. You couldn't have had your eye on me back then, could you?"
Ye Xingzhou didn't respond and just tapped the steering wheel as he drove while pondering the question himself.
Claiming Lin Zhinian was allergic to flowers was just a convenient excuse. Back then, he probably was a bit irritated after realizing his feelings for Qi Xing.
"Hmm." He nodded casually.
Qi Xing, already playing with his phone, was surprised, "Really?"
Ye Xingzhou glanced at him, "Your face is decent."
Oh, so he was attracted to his looks.
"Don't mention that Teacher Lin in front of me again and keep your distance." Ye Xingzhou reminded him.
Qi Xing: "So jealous."
Since returning from America, his relationship with Lin Zhinian had indeed improved slightly.
They occasionally liked each other's social media posts, but that was it. What did he mean by "that Teacher Lin"? How could Ye Xingzhou say such things?
Well, it seemed the tables had turned.
"Ye Xingzhou, do you want me to give you flowers?"
"Tacky."
"...You heartless bastard."
……….
Half an hour later, they arrived.
Cemeteries in small cities aren't large. Ye Xingzhou's mother and grandparents were buried here. The graves Ye Xingzhou had built for them weren't extravagant, but the location was good, in a quiet spot on the mountain.
Qi Xing placed the flowers and looked at the woman in the photo on the tombstone. She was young and beautiful. Ye Xingzhou resembled his mother, which explained why he was much better-looking than the Ye brothers.
Ye Xingzhou said nothing and just squatted directly to pull weeds around the tombstone.
Qi Xing stepped forward. He clasped his hands and bowed three times, "Auntie, my name is Qi Xing. Seven years younger than Ye Xingzhou. Even though I'm a guy, I hope you won't object to our relationship because I really like him. Besides you, probably no one in this world likes him as much as I do. So please, reluctantly, give him to me. I promised him no one would bully him again, and now I promise you too. As long as I, Qi Xing, am around, if the sky falls, I'll jump up to hold it up for Ye Xingzhou and never let him suffer or be wronged again."
Ye Xingzhou looked back at him. Qi Xing said all this with a smile, but his eyes were unusually sincere. He was seriously making a promise to his mother.
Ye Xingzhou never believed in promises made to others. Ye Chonglin had made sweet promises to his mother but none of which came true. So on their wedding day, when Qi Xing asked if he could say something else, he only said "I love you." He only said what he was sure he could deliver in the present.
But today, as Qi Xing stood before his mother's tombstone and spoke these words in a joking tone, he believed it.
Because it was Qi Xing saying it, so he believed it.
On their way down the mountain, Qi Xing sighed, "My mother-in-law is so gentle and beautiful. She definitely wouldn't object to us because after I finished speaking, a petal floated into my hand, she must have agreed."
Ye Xingzhou: "Mother-in-law? Wasn't it my mother-in-law earlier?"
Qi Xing: "Shh, mother-in-law can hear here. I'm giving you face."
They reached the car. Ye Xingzhou suddenly stopped, then turned, and looked at him.
The blazing sunlight fell into Qi Xing's smiling eyes, casting an unusual hue on his irises.
Ye Xingzhou stared into those eyes then pulled him close to kiss him.
This time, Ye Xingzhou's kiss was unusually slow and gentle, lacking his usual aggressiveness. His tongue carefully explored every corner of Qi Xing's mouth, even tender and lingering.
Qi Xing stared at him as their breaths mingled. Ye Xingzhou's expression was filled with devotion and focus.
'This guy really knew how to make his heart race.' Qi Xing thought. Suddenly, his lower lip was bitten but not too hard, by Ye Xingzhou.
"Focus."
Ye Xingzhou reminded him.
Qi Xing: "Who wants to kiss like this."
Mumbling against his lips, he opened the car door and pushed Ye Xingzhou into the back seat before climbing in himself. He straddled Ye Xingzhou and grabbed his collar then kissed him fiercely.
Their tongues pushed, tangled, and danced together.
This was more their style of kissing.
Ye Xingzhou raised a hand and while pressing firmly on the back of Qi Xing's head, he pulled him closer.
Ever since the breakfast shop, when Qi Xing asked if he wanted him to feel sorry for him, Ye Xingzhou had wanted to kiss him.
But this wasn't enough.
The intense love surging in his heart was overwhelming his entire being. For the first time, Ye Xingzhou realized his heart could beat so vividly.
By the end, both were breathless.
Qi Xing held Ye Xingzhou's head and planted kisses on him then smacked his lips, "Too bad it's daytime, and people could come anytime, otherwise we could've had a little outdoor fun."
Ye Xingzhou closed his eyes with a voice tired, "Let's go and check out other places."
Qi Xing stared into his eyes.
Ye Xingzhou usually didn't wear glasses in front of him, so Qi Xing could clearly see the fatigue in his eyes.
In the past, he might have hidden it, but now Ye Xingzhou could show some real emotions in front of him. Right now, Ye Xingzhou's eyes were dark, with red veins at the corners. He must be really tired.
But Qi Xing still sat on him and was not moving at all, "Ye Xingzhou, on the road earlier, you didn't sleep at all, did you?"
Ye Xingzhou's expression was casual as he nodded slightly.
Qi Xing: "You can't sleep? I've never asked you, but do you have insomnia?"
Ye Xingzhou: "It's fine."
"I don't believe you." Qi Xing pinched his face, "Tell me the truth."
Ye Xingzhou grabbed his mischievous hand, "Sometimes but it's because I'm a light sleeper."
"Lack of deep sleep ages you. You can't keep this up, or I might get tired of you." Qi Xing said then get off him and sit to the side. He patted his lap to signal Ye Xingzhou to lie down, "We're not in a rush, so sleep for a bit and come here."
Ye Xingzhou frowned but Qi Xing urged, "Hurry up."
Under his smiling gaze, Ye Xingzhou finally lay down and rested his head on Qi Xing's lap.
He seemed uncomfortable in this position as his body was stiff.
Qi Xing looked down at him, still smiling, "Feel the warmth of Brother Qi's love, huh?"
Ye Xingzhou's face was expressionless, but his brows gradually relaxed and his tone resigned, "Shut up."
Qi Xing refused, "Cigarettes and coffee can't sustain you. Though it's bad to curse you, I've said it before, if you die young, I won't be your widow."
Ye Xingzhou still said, "Shut up."
After laughing, Qi Xing turned serious, "My dad says I can't live without you. I don't think that's the case, but life without you would be pretty dull. Living recklessly like before was actually quite boring. At least with you, I can do something meaningful. So Ye Xingzhou, you better take care of yourself."
Ye Xingzhou gave a soft "Hmm," with his arm covering his eyes and hiding his emotions from Qi Xing.
Qi Xing patted his shoulder, "Sleep."
He took out his phone to set it to silent, and quietly played a game.
After a while, he looked down again.
Ye Xingzhou's breathing had steadied; he was truly asleep this time.
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