Chapter 34

”How isit?” After being groped, Tong Yan sought Zhuo Xiang Ming’s appraisal.

Zhuo Xiang Ming gotup and pulled his hand out from Tong Yan’s hand. He already couldn’t remember theobjective of Lin Yue Hua sending him upstairs. Tong Yan persistently askedagain: “Hello? How is it?”

Zhuo Xiang Ming:“There’s meat.”

Tong Yan also feltembarrassed, hearing this, he whispered: “See, I told you so…”

Zhuo Xiang Ming:“Let’s go down and eat.”

Tong Yan was uneasy:“But what about what Auntie asked me to do?”

He looked at Zhuo XiangMing hopefully, Zhuo Xiang Ming said: “I’ll say you’ve already added moreclothes.”

The temperature inthe house was high enough, and everyone changed clothes after entering thehouse. It was indeed okay not to wear thicker clothes now. Plus, Zhuo XiangMing’s heartbeat was abnormal, the task of educating youngsters was temporarilyshelved, intending to discuss it again after they got home.

But as soon as theyopened the door, they ran into Zhuo Jia Shuo, who had his hand raised to knockon the door. Tong Yan was startled: “Why are you here!”

Zhuo Jia Shuo:“That was rude.”

Tong Yan modifiedhis question: “Why are you at our bedroom door?”

”…”Zhuo Jia Shuo handed him the clothes he was carrying, “She said to go upand add clothes, but does my brother even have anything you can wear?”

Tong Yan rejected: “Thanks,but no thanks.”

He stealthily tuggedZhuo Xiang Ming’s hand, and Zhuo Xiang Ming said: “Yeah, no thanks.”

Zhuo Jia Shuolooked at him suspiciously: “You can wear my brother’s clothes?”

Tong Yan: “Whynot? I just have a slight build, that’s all.”

He tugged Zhuo XiangMing again, and Zhuo Xiang Ming said: “Yeah, very slight.”

Tong Yan felt alittle guilty. He walked ahead, and Zhuo Xiang Ming followed him, leaving Zhuo JiaShuo standing at the door for a moment or two.

Before dinner was severed,he went to Tong Yan’s side: “Haven’t you obviously not added any clothes?Can’t Zhuo Xiang Ming’s cover up be more clever? Do you guys think I’mstupid?”

Tong Yan quicklychanged the channel to find a horror movie, saying: “Oh my, I never meantto imply that.”

His “Oh my”received an eye roll from Zhuo Jia Shuo: “I noticed how good and honest you pretendto be in front of my brother.”

”When?” TongYan said, “I also point out brother’s mistakes when appropriate.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming hadgone to the kitchen to help Lin Yue Hua. The two were bored waiting, so theybantered a little. Zhuo Jia Shuo bowed his head and continuously sent texts tosomeone. Tong Yan didn’t find a horror movie, nor an ethical drama, so hereluctantly chatted with Zhuo Jia Shuo: “Who are you texting?”

At first, Zhuo JiaShuo didn’t say who, but a moment later he said: “Tong Yang.”

”Why don’t youguys go on a date instead of texting?” Tong Yan couldn’t understand,“Is a date no good? We spend every day together, but we still think that itisn’t enough.”

Zhuo Jia Shuoblocked his show: “We broke up.”

Tong Yan wassurprised: “Eh?”

Tong Yan asked:“You still text that much after breaking up?”

Zhuo Jia Shuo wasindignant: “Hey, shouldn’t you ask why we broke up?”

Tong Yan: “Whydid you break up?”

Zhuo Jia Shuo said:“I don’t know either!”

”Okay.” Usually,he was cheeky with Zhuo Jia Shuo, but now, after digging up a big lump ofmaterial, Tong Yan didn’t know what to say for some time, he comforted,“Don’t be too sad ah.”

Zhuo Jia Shuo:“Don’t tell your brother that I told you about him.”

Tong Yan sincerelysaid: “Don’t worry, I haven’t seen my brother this week either. He hasn’treplied to any of my texts.”

”Is he very busy?”Zhuo Jia Shuo asked stiffly.

Tong Yan thoughtabout it, then said, “He should be, dad said that he was doing… what wasit, don’t remember, but he should be very busy.”

Tong Yan was still thinkingabout calling Tong Yang later, but while he was saying these words, Zhuo Jia Shuo’sphone beeped several times. He opened it, looked, looked, snorted out a laugh, thenturned his face blank again.

Tong Yan asked him:“What are you laughing at?”

Zhuo Jia Shuo ignoredhim, and Tong Yan demanded: “Show me.”

Zhuo Jia Shuo threwthe phone to him, and Tong Yan discovered that it wasn’t a joke, but the text exchangethat he and Tong Yang started ten minutes ago.

Tong Yang: What areyou up to?

Zhuo Jia Shuo: Buzz off

Tong Yang: Are you home?Can we meet tonight?

Zhuo Jia Shuo: I’m blockingyou

Tong Yang: Speakproperly, did no one teach you?

Zhuo Jia Shuo: Buzzoff Buzz off Buzz off

Tong Yang: Are you aprimary school student?

Zhuo Jia Shuo: You’rethe primary school student

Tong Yang: No you

Zhuo Jia Shuo: No you

Tong Yang: No you

This “No you, noyou, no you” exchange repeated n times. A moment ago, when Zhuo Jia Shuo was talkingto Tong Yan, Tong Yang fired off two screens of “Zhuo Jia Shuo is a primaryschool student”.

Tong Yan understood,they were not breaking up, they were probably flirting.

Thinking about itthis way, Zhuo Jia Shuo had love experience, Tong Yan suddenly thought aboutthe matter that he’d been hesitating on for a few days, maybe he could ask him.

”I want to askyou something.” Tong Yan said, “But you have to keep it asecret.”

Zhuo Jia Shuo:“I won’t tell a soul!”

Looking at hisgossipy expression, Tong Yan wasn’t very convinced. Zhuo Jia Shuo said hurriedly:“Come on, who hangs someone’s appetite like that? I said I’ll keep it asecret, so it’ll definitely be kept secret!”

”Your brother,Zhuo Xiang Ming, do you know about his celibacy?” Tong Yan asked.

Zhuo Jia Shuonodded: “I know.”

Tong Yan slowly asked:“Then … do you know why he’s celibate?”

Zhuo Jia Shuo staredblankly and said: “I don’t know … celibacy, that’s what he told you? I justknow that he told my parents that he wouldn’t look for a mate, and he wouldn’tget married.”

After he said “wouldn’t get married”,he saw Tong Yan’s complexion change, and hurriedly said: “Aren’t you guys datingnow? That’s right, you guys are together, why on earth did he tell you aboutthis?”

”He told me beforewe got together.” Tong Yan pursed his lips, “I don’t understand, maybehe’s still celibate? After all, I pursued him first, I don’t know what hethinks about it.”

Tong Yan lookedvery distressed, but Zhuo Jia Shuo didn’t even understand his own thoughts, howcould he solve love troubles for other people? It’d be a blessing if he didn’t screwit up.

Moreover, his time spentwith Zhuo Xiang Ming was severely lacking. He didn’t grow up together with him,and he could only remember their hurricane like fights during childhood. Theysaw each other more frequently as adults, especially recently, but the onlythings he knew was that his older brother shouldn’t be messed with, hispheromones were hard, and his fist was also hard. He didn’t understand why ZhuoXiang Ming was so good to Tong Yan, and everything else was even more confusing.

Zhuo Jia Shuo probed:“If you don’t know what he’s thinking … then why don’t you ask him?Aren’t you two very lovey-dovey? You’re how old? He stares at you when you usethe stairs, like he’s afraid you’ll trip and fall.”

Tong Yanimmediately said: “We’re very lovey-dovey!”

”…”Zhuo Jia Shuo said, “Can you not stick the knife in, brother?”

Tong Yan: “Thenone more question, do you think Zhuo Xiang Ming’s the type of person to changehis mind easily?”

”No.”Zhuo Jia Shuo said in a “Isn’t that obvious?” tone, “It’s not that hedoesn’t easily change his mind, he won’t change his mind. Do you know what a pivotis? My brother’s more inflexible than a pivot.”

Tong Yan noddedsilently, saying a moment later: “I know.”

After dinner, TongYan and Zhuo Xiang Ming didn’t stay overnight, returning home instead.

It gradually startedsnowing, and the snow from yesterday on the sidewalks and the mountains in thedistance had not melted away, appearing lustrously white under the illuminationof the street lights.

The cold air couldbe felt through the car window. During dinner, Tong Yan thought about manythings, so he didn’t pay much attention to eating. Probably because he suckedin cold air when he stepped out, on the way home, his belly started hurting.

Zhuo Xiang Ming sawhim leaning listlessly and not talking, even repeatedly groaning, so he askeduneasily: “Tong Tong?”

Tong Yan hummed, andZhuo Xiang Ming asked: “What’s wrong?”

Tong Yan shook hishead: “My stomach hurts a little, maybe I ate too much.”

Zhuo Xiang Mingmoved closer, holding the hand he’d rested on top of his stomach: “Whichside hurts?”

”It’s allright.” Tong Yan shook his head, Zhuo Xiang Ming turned on the overheadlight, revealing Tong Yan’s slightly pale face.

Seeing this, Zhuo XiangMing no longer listened to Tong Yan’s “all right”, immediately orderingthe driver to head to the hospital.

But after thedoctor’s inspection, there really was nothing wrong. He prescribed two kinds ofdigestion easing medicines to make him not feel like he was full to bursting afterdrinking a little water. It also might be appropriate to go for a walk beforegoing to bed.

Tong Yan suddenly realized,this was already the second time he and Zhuo Xiang Ming ran to the hospital forsomething minor. Last time, because of the estrus scare, his name was in the headlinesfor two or three days.

Thinking about itthat way, he laughed, and Zhuo Xiang Ming asked: “Are you in a goodmood?”

At dinner, Tong Yanseemed somewhat absent-minded. Zhuo Xiang Ming looked at him several times buthe didn’t react. After leaving the Zhuo family home, the two of them sat in theback seat, not talking even more.

Tong Yan hugged thedigestive medicine he’d just taken: “I’m not in a bad mood ah.”

Zhuo Xiang Minglooked at him: “Really?”

Silent for a while,Tong Yan said: “I’m thinking about something.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming:“Can you tell me?”

Tong Yan alsolooked at him, but he didn’t explain, spreading his arms to him first:“Hug.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming promptlyleaned forward to draw him in, hugging him tightly. Tong Yan put his chin onZhuo Xiang Ming’s shoulder, after a while, he asked: “Can you also hug mewhen we get back?”

Maybe because hisstomach was still uncomfortable, Tong Yan spoke listlessly, but this spoiled behaviormade people’s heart soften even more. Zhuo Xiang Ming caressed his back: “Ican, I’ll carry you to your room.”

”I still needto take a bath,” Tong Yan said, rubbing against his shoulder, “I haven’ttaken a bath.”

The two chatted idly,but in the end, Tong Yan didn’t say what he was thinking. After arriving home,Zhuo Xiang Ming really did carry him into the house and upstairs. Tong Yan huggedZhuo Xiang Ming’s neck, saying: “Your family driver saw us.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming:“Doesn’t matter.”

”What if he tellsyour mother?”

Tong Yan hadalready prepared this question, working very hard to ask it naturally. Itseemed that he’d really succeeded, because Zhuo Xiang Ming nonchalantly said,“What’s wrong? Are you shy?”

”If he tellsyour mother that we’re dating, is it all right?” Tong Yan asked.

Zhuo Xiang Mingseemed to somewhat understand what Tong Yan was hesitant about tonight. Hefirst carried Tong Yan to his bedroom, then put him down on the bed. He crouchedbetween Tong Yan’s legs and looked up: “Tong Tong, what do you want to say?”

Tong Yan looked at hisgentle expression, the courage that he could not find in front of Zhuo Jia Shuocoming a bit: “Can we tell our families? Tell my dad, brother, and yourparents about us dating.”

Zhuo Xiang Mingsmiled: “Of course, do you want to say it?”

”I want to.”Tong Yan nodded, saying in a quiet voice, “I’m going back home this week,my dad asked me to bring you over. I want to tell him.”

”Then whydidn’t you tell me?” Zhuo Xiang Ming didn’t mention the fact that hisfamily already knew. He just rested his hands on Tong Yan’s waist and shifted closer,Tong Yan putting his hands on his shoulders.

Their stance wasvery intimate. Tong Yan looked at Zhuo Xiang Ming’s encouraging expression andsaid, “Because, because I didn’t know if you’d want to. You told, you toldme you were celibate before … you like being alone, I thought, I shouldn’t …”

Tong Yan’s confusedand uneasy expression made Zhuo Xiang Ming feel deeply guilty.

He didn’t know TongYan was so anxious, he should’ve recognized and eliminated those anxieties along time ago. Just like how Tong Yan loved him frankly and unquestionably, heshould also let him know how much he loved him.

Hidden love wasn’t admirable,because love was sublime, it couldn’t be concealed and it was extraordinarily intense.The same was true for missed love, if it doesn’t come at the right time, its usefulness,in Zhuo Xiang Ming’s opinion, was equivalent to zero.

Zhuo Xiang Mingthought that he understood these things, but he’d made the same mistake.

”I’m sorry.”Zhuo Xiang Ming said, “I should’ve made it clear earlier, I made youuncomfortable.”

Tong Yanimmediately said: “I’m not uncomfortable, I just, I just thought that I didn’twant to make you uncomfortable. I want to make you happy. I love you, are youhappy?”

He felt shy again, aftersaying I love you, because of his discomfort, his somewhat pale face turned redat a speed visible to the naked eye.

Zhuo Xiang Ming washit by these three words, feeling dazzled, he laughed happily: “Happy? Ofcourse I’m happy. I’m very happy.”

Tong Yan alsolaughed. He was quite easy to coax, or more precisely, he could be easilycoaxed by Zhuo Xiang Ming.

Tong Yan’s eyes curvedwhen he smiled, he lowered his head, bumping Zhuo Xiang Ming’s forehead, deliberatelyasking: “Then, do you still like being alone?”

Zhuo Xiang Ming cuppedhis face: “I like being with you.”

”A world oftwo.” Tong Yan dubbed, then said again, “Zhuo Xiang Ming, I really,really love you.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming waswrapped in Tong Yan’s sweet words and pheromones, his patience finally stretchedto the limit, he stood up and kissed him.

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T/N:

after digging up a big lump ofmaterial- lit. translation, not sure what it meanstho. Guess he’s calling it baggage

Can you not stick the knife in,brother- Think this is a reference to something, butI couldn’t get concrete proof. It works when literally translated, so that’sgood

Pivot- 軸, Zhou, axle, axletree, Pivot, axis. I guess he’s saying the worldmoves around him, but ZXM stays in the same spot

A world of two- TongTong made a pun. Celibacy is lit. One-body ideology, so he made upTwo-person ideology

I sometimes forget this is omegaverse,then I see the word pheromone lol