Xu Zhuo 's head buzzes for a moment . He blinks slowly , stutters , `` When did we ... ''
He suddenly shuts his mouth because the person in his arms frowns at him, slowly lets go of his hand, and straightens his body, speaking harshly, "What do you mean by that?"
"I..." Xu Zhuo stands up, opens his mouth a few times. He instinctively knows that what he's about to say will hurt the other person, but not saying it would be no different from manipulating someone's feelings. "I haven't thought about being in a relationship with you!" He blurts out.
Du Ziyu clearly misunderstands his words, slightly quirking his mouth and avoiding eye contact, saying somewhat embarrassedly, "You could have considered it."
Xu Zhuo is stunned. What on earth did he do to make the other person misunderstand this much?
He racks his brains.
Their first meeting shouldn't have meant much, the second time in the elevator was just a coincidence, where they went through hardship together. He comforted him, and then inexplicably got glared at at the end.
The third time at the Light Food Pavilion was indeed a lifesaving favor, but it is a common human nature to help when one sees injustice, so it really shouldn't be misunderstood as an action.
So, was it because he defended his image in front of everyone? Or was it because he wiped away his tears?
Xu Zhuo's forehead was sweating profusely.
No way. He desperately tried to justify himself. He had always had a sense of chivalry since he was young, protecting the weak had become instinctive. How could he have thought that these actions would cause misunderstandings?
However, the more he thought about it, the weaker his arguments became.
A demon-like voice scorned in Xu Zhuo's mind, "Would you wipe away the tears of everyone who cries in front of you? Carefully bandage wounds and even evade police inquiries?"
"I can't bear to see others cry," Xu Zhuo argued, "I also can't bear to see others get hurt. Is it wrong to want to do good things?"
The demon's voice continued, "He is your boss, and he has a naturally aloof personality. I believe he had no ill intentions! Even singing a sweet love song together?"
"That, that was just to defuse the situation!"
"Even giving chocolates?"
"I give them to others too, it's not really a gift!"
"Accompanying him to sweep the tombs, and ending up embracing each other in the end?"
"That was an accident! An accident!"
"Going on a dinner date and thoughtfully packing green bean cakes?"
"I, I see him as a younger brother, taking care of him!"
"Not even disgusted when a man forced a kiss on you?"
"T-that was because it was too shocking—"
"A slight touch and you had a reaction?"
"I-I'm a fully functioning young male—"
"Thinking the other person was doing something in the bathroom?"
"I-I just—"
"And then ending up embracing each other on the bed, stunned by each other's faces?"
"I, I—"
The demon's final blow: "Hearing that you have become lovers, only shocked but not repulsed?"
"Enough!" Xu Zhuo raised his hands in surrender in his mind, "You're right! It's all my fault, I have hidden evil intentions! I've caused misunderstandings! I deserve a thousand cuts and a miserable death!"
He took a few breaths, then suddenly looked at the person on the bed.
Du Ziyou had no idea that he was struggling with himself. He only saw him standing there dumbfounded, with an expression that alternated between puzzled and irritated.
Seeing him suddenly look over, he hesitantly asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Xu Zhuo immediately crouched at the edge of the bed, solemnly locking eyes with him and said, "General Du, no, Du Ziyou."
Du Ziyou blushed, lowering his head and muttered, "Um."
Xu Zhuo said, "I want to be honest with you."
Du Ziyou blinked, honest?
Xu Zhuo looked sorrowful, "Before, when I helped you, I absolutely didn't have any ulterior motives!"
Du Ziyou realized something was wrong.
Xu Zhuo continued, "I didn't help just to gain something from it."
Du Ziyou slightly furrowed his eyebrows.
Xu Zhuo continued, "So you don't have to feel gratitude, that's, that's..."
Du Ziyou's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"
Xu Zhuo gritted his teeth, "If both sides aren't acting out of pure love, then it's best not to become lovers!"
Du Ziyou flipped him over, the crouching Xu Zhuo nearly fell to the ground.
The person on the bed was furious, his voice stern, "Are you messing with me!?"
Xu Zhuo blocked the attack, feeling panicked at the sight of the angry expression. He hastily stepped forward, "No, listen to me—"
He suddenly stopped, Du Ziyou tightly bit his lip, his eyes staring at him, filled with despair and resentment.
Xu Zhuo was shocked, and in a fraction of a second, a thought flashed through his mind: the weight he carried in Du Ziyou's heart far exceeded his expectations.
As tears welled up in the other's eyes and trickled down his cheeks, he was jolted awake by a pang in his heart and rushed to embrace him, "I'm sorry, I spoke clumsily—"
"Let go!" Du Ziyu struggled with both hands, twisting his body, and with a teary voice reprimanded, "Let go of me!"
After all, Du Ziyu was an adult man, and his strength was not small. But at this moment, Xu Zhuo was a young man whose head was dizzy with overwhelming affection, completely disregarding gentlemanly behavior and hierarchical notions.
His muscles burst with infinite strength, and his arms, like iron bars, restrained the struggling person in his embrace, stammering, "Listen to me, I like you, truly - I didn't mean what I just did, please listen to me first - be good, listen to me, I like you! Very much!"
Du Ziyu's strength gradually diminished, with his two swollen eyes glaring at Xu Zhuo, tears still streaming, unable to stop sobbing.
Xu Zhuo felt both sour and bitter in his heart, holding him tighter, and said, "It's my fault. I thought... Now I understand. You can scold me, hit me when you're angry, but please don't cry, okay?"
Du Ziyu turned his head away, not looking at him.
Xu Zhuo tenderly stroked his face with one hand, saying, "It's all my fault. Don't cry and spoil your eyes. If they swell from crying, it won't look good."
Hearing this, Du Ziyu looked back angrily, and Xu Zhuo mentally scolded himself, "You talk too much!"
He quickly rectified, "You are the most beautiful, no matter what!"
Saying this, he leaned forward, gently kissing away the tears on his face, wet and slightly salty.
Pecking him lightly, he murmured, "If you ruin your eyes from crying, I will feel the most distressed. It would be better if you just hit me directly."
At first, Du Ziyu continued to avoid him by turning his head, but as he listened, he quieted down, obediently tilting his face up for the kiss. His tears also gradually stopped, only occasionally choking up a little.
Xu Zhuo half-closed his eyes and, seeing that he had closed his eyes, his thick and long eyelashes trembled, casting small shadows on his fair face.
This obedient appearance was simply too likable, making Xu Zhuo's heart melt. With a serious and meticulous attitude as if completing a difficult task, he meticulously kissed away every tear stain on his cheek, and finally sincerely pressed a kiss onto the graceful arc of his lips before meeting his gaze.
Perhaps his gaze was too intense, as Du Ziyu's ears turned red, and he shyly shifted his line of sight, as if the dark embroidery on the bed sheet suddenly became appealing.
Xu Zhuo's mouth unconsciously curved up; he remembered that kiss in the garden. Even though Du Ziyu had forcefully kissed him, his actions were awkward, rough, and he even bit his lip, clearly inexperienced, doing that kind of thing for the first time.
He thought this way, and his gaze inadvertently shifted, from the slender neck in his embrace to the bathrobe that had loosened due to the struggle, revealing delicate collarbones, then further down, faintly---
*Cough cough.* Xu Zhuo struggled to pull his gaze back, he had to stay focused!
First things first.
"Du...Ziyu." He was somewhat nervous too.
The person who didn't look at him, softly "mm"ed, the soft nasal sound lingering. His fingers on the bed made intermittent strokes.
The bedroom's temperature was automatically regulated, and it should have been quite comfortable, but for the two on the bed, the air seemed thick and suffocating, making them feel hot and breathless.
Xu Zhuo took a deep breath, his cheeks flushed, and said seriously, "I officially request, please go out with me!"