It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 51

 

ITOTIABSAM | Landlord Tenant | 51

The sofa felt a bit small.

Gu Cong had felt this way more than once.

But he liked this smallness, which allowed him and Xie Ye to be close together.

With no experience in kissing, he could only earnestly follow the young man's previous request, pressing his lips against Xie Ye's and passing the sweet drink between them.

Cats are very clean creatures, picky. They usually dislike getting their fur dirty, but when it came to Gu Cong, Xie Ye always showed exceptional patience.

Tilting his head slightly upwards, the light brown liquid spilled uncontrollably, then disappeared between their intimately intertwined lips and teeth. Dogs always learned quickly in this regard; the gentle touches and rubs soon turned into more intense and unbearable torrents.

"Umph."

Subconsciously, his fingertips grabbed onto the hem of the T-shirt, still warm from the other's body heat, and forcefully wrinkled it. It had been a while since he found the opportunity to catch his breath. Separated by a thin blanket, Xie Ye bent his knees and pushed the other away forcefully. "Gu Cong."

The guy, called by name, finally stopped.

In the shadows cast by the floor lamp, Gu Cong's eyes sparkled, but there was something more profound than in daylight, something that easily evoked thoughts of a wild beast. 

With his left hand supporting beside the young man's ear, the curve of his forearm displaying beautifully toned muscles, he stared at Xie Ye's lips, which appeared even redder and fuller than usual. He lightly touched them, then planted another kiss.

"So sweet."

Although the words were so improper, they sounded exceptionally sincere when spoken by him. 

His ears felt even hotter than when they were kissing. Unconsciously pursing his lips, Xie Ye pushed Gu Cong away and tried to get up, but was gently pressed back onto the bunny plush by the other.

"I haven't had a chance to ask yet, Mr. Xie, is this how you drink?"

"Did I do it right?"

"Did I perform well?"

A series of inquiries sounded innocent and pitiful, yet they held the upper hand. Just as the black-haired youth's phoenix eyes were about to widen in irritation, Gu Cong quickly stopped and smiled, holding Xie Ye close.

"I'll do better."

Xie Ye was thin and hadn't fully reclined, so when Gu Cong lifted him slightly, he ended up sitting up against him. In that moment, he felt like the oversized doll, leaning forward with the momentum until his chin rested on Gu Cong's shoulder.

Gu Cong clearly enjoyed this intimate physical contact, and their body temperatures complemented each other, so even if they stuck together, it wouldn't feel too warm. With his arm around the young man's waist, he couldn't resist pulling him closer into his embrace.

"So, are we considered together now?" he asked.

Xie Ye paused before replying, "Hmm."

He realized that Gu Cong was someone who valued formalities, just like in the previous world. 

Despite having done everything that should and shouldn't be done, Gu Cong still insisted on having a boyfriend's status.

"Really?" Gu Cong's tone was filled with joy, almost overflowing. He leaned closer to Xie Ye's ear eagerly. "Xie Ye? Did you agree? But I haven't even properly courted you yet."

How to court?

He had courted once in the past life, and now, in this life, whose patience could possibly be longer than his?

Such sentimental thoughts couldn't be voiced aloud. Xie Ye squirmed a bit and said grumpily, "Keep talking, and I'll leave."

"Oh." Gu Cong's dog-like behavior was indeed obedient.

But soon after, he nudged Xie Ye's ear. "But I'm still so happy, Xie Ye. I'll treat you even better. Thank you for agreeing to be with me."

Xie Ye replied, "It's not an agreement."

Gu Cong looked puzzled. "?"

"It's liking," Xie Ye clarified, speaking the last two words softly.

Although he said the last two words quietly, Gu Cong heard them clearly. His mouth couldn't stop smiling. "Okay, thank you, Mr. Xie, for being willing to like me."

"I also like Mr. Xie very much."

"Very much, very much."

Xie Ye pushed away Gu Cong's head. "Don't call me that." It was a term of address used between strangers, but Gu Cong used it in such a sentimental way.

"What should I call you then? Xie Ye? Brother Xie? Darling?" Each term was more cheesy than the last, but Gu Cong persisted, leaning in again. "Besides, the first time I saw you, I called you Mr. Xie."

"You don't know, the feeling I had when I first saw you... It was like, 'Wow, the person I've been chatting with online suddenly feels real.' It was both the same and different, like meeting you for the first time."

"And at that time, you were injured and wearing bunny slippers. Pitiful yet adorable. Of course, it was not pity, but affection." Gu Cong quickly added a patch.

A proud and resilient cat like him probably never needed anyone's pity.

Including his own.

...Adorable? Isn't he scary?

Thinking back to how Gu Cong looked when they first met in this world, wrapped in bandages and as thin as a rail, and comparing it to the excited and honest Gu Cong in front of him now, Xie Ye fell into silence, a rare occurrence for him.

1101 sighed softly, "Perhaps this is what love does to the eyes."

No matter how long a program runs, there comes a time when it ends. As the TV returned to standby mode, and the clock in the living room struck half past twelve, Gu Cong reluctantly let go of the young man in his arms. 

He watched as Xie Ye got up, straightened his wrinkled home clothes, and walked away in his fluffy slippers, bidding him goodnight.

It was a bit hard to part ways.

But Xie Ye must be tired. He didn't have a good constitution, sleeping early and waking up late. 

If Gu Cong were to wake him up before nine in the morning for breakfast, he would be met with an angry, fluffy cat, just like with the custard buns incident.

Luckily, Xie Ye discovered his cat-like disposition that time.

It's okay, Gu Cong tried to convince himself silently. It's just over eight hours, four hundred and eighty minutes, twenty-eight thousand eight hundred seconds...

It's a long time.

Too long.

Before this, Gu Cong had never felt like he needed companionship, or even imagined what he would be like after falling in love. But now, he felt like an abandoned dog, following the footsteps of the young man, staring hopefully at Xie Ye's back, wishing he would stay with him a little longer.

Xie Ye, feeling like he was about to be stared into a hole, sighed softly.

Thud.

The door to the master bedroom closed, and Gu Cong reluctantly averted his gaze, picking up the untouched can of cola and drinking it in one gulp.

The can was exposed to the air for too long, it had lost its essence as a carbonated beverage, becoming a cloyingly sweet caramel water. But Gu Cong drank it happily, not leaving a drop behind, and then cleaned up the coffee table to go wash the cup.

It's great.

He was now Xie Ye's boyfriend.

And Xie Ye had said he liked him.

Humming a cheerful tune with indistinct lyrics, Gu Cong turned on the tap and adjusted it to the lowest setting, considerately. 

Luckily, he had been writing small programs to earn extra money since his third year of college. 

Even though he was preparing for postgraduate entrance exams and would spend another three years studying, he wouldn't be too tight on money. At least he should be able to afford to raise his cat.

And there's also the matter of meeting the parents...

Realizing that his thoughts had already wandered to meeting the parents, Gu Cong paused for a moment, then felt that there was nothing wrong with it.

Because he couldn't imagine anyone other than Xie Ye when it came to that.

Finishing washing the glass quickly, Gu Cong began to fold up the small blanket on the living room sofa and secretly planned to take it back with him to sleep. However, just as he was about to do so, the bedroom door suddenly opened.

"The water spilled."

Holding the doorknob with his right hand, the black-haired youth remained composed. "Do you have any spare blankets in your room?"

"Water? Hot or cold? Did you get scalded?" Subconsciously hiding the small blanket behind him and placing it back on the sofa, Gu Cong hurried forward and took a look at Xie Ye's left hand, which had dropped down. Seeing no obvious signs of injury, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Ye, who was asked, replied, "It was cold water. I didn't hold it properly when I wanted to drink."

Perhaps it was because he had brushed his teeth before bed, as there was a faint hint of mint in his breath. Bathed in the light of the bedside lamp, Gu Cong indeed saw that Xie's blanket was wet in a large area, darker in color than the surrounding fabric. Next to the lamp stood an empty glass.

1101, sensing what Xie Ye was thinking: Yep, definitely wet.

The host himself poured the water into the glass.

The evidence of forgery was quite perfect.

The delicate little cat must not want to endure the night with half of the blanket damp. The blanket was quite thick, and it would take who knows how long to dry with a hairdryer. 

Just as he was about to suggest they switch rooms so Xie Ye could rest on the side where the bed was dry, when the words were about to leave his mouth, Gu Cong's words took an unexpected turn: "It's very late."

"How about going to my room?"

"Tomorrow morning, after we wake up, I'll do a thorough cleaning. I'll wash and dry the sheets, blankets, and curtains."

Silence.

Despite only a few seconds of silence, it felt like an eternity to Gu Cong. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, beating so fast it felt like it might burst out. His throat tightened nervously, and he quietly took a breath, afraid that the sound might be heard by Xie Ye.

Fortunately, Xie Ye just raised an eyebrow. "Hmm."

"I want to sleep inside, and the curtains to be closed."

Sure, of course.

He could even nail the curtains shut if needed.

Inside, he was as excited as a big dog wagging its tail frantically, but Gu Cong kept a calm demeanor. "Alright, you rest first. I'll go take a shower."

The dark-haired youth nodded again.

1101, who had been observing the whole time: Acting, still acting.

Being boyfriends and still acting towards each other, humans are indeed strange creatures.

But there's something strangely satisfying about it.

In the shared bathroom, Gu Cong took the most serious shower of his twenty-one years of life. 

He meticulously washed his hair, ensuring it felt just right to the touch. He changed into a new set of pajamas, leaving out the step of spraying some cologne on himself.

Leaving the door to the bedroom slightly ajar, Gu Cong, now clean and refreshed, tiptoed inside. 

He peeked in and confirmed that Xie Ye was already asleep, lying on his pillow with his blanket covering him, curled up into a small ball with his back towards the door.

Although the curtains were drawn, there was a lamp left on at the bedside just for him.

Gu Cong's heart instantly calmed down.

Outside the door, he quietly slipped off his slippers to avoid waking the other person. Gu Cong stealthily climbed into bed, reached up to switch off the lamp, and carefully lifted a corner of the blanket before slowly, inch by inch, sliding underneath.

Darkness enveloped them, but it carried a comforting sense. Drawing closer to the peacefully breathing figure beside him, Gu Cong, relying on his excellent vision, gently kissed the slightly raised ends of the other's hair.

"Good night."

The scent of lemon shower gel lingered in the air, refreshing yet subtle. The curled lashes fluttered slightly, and the dark-haired youth opened his eyes, silently moving his lips:

"Good night."

Perhaps this was the most peaceful night since he had crossed into this little world.

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