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The moment he saw Ning Junyan, Chen Yuncheng was a little nervous. He stood up from the floor and said, “I gotta answer this call.”
Ning Junyan stood at the door, blocking his way out, “Why you hit the wall?”
Chen Yuncheng touched his head subconsciously, and could only respond thougtlessly, “Just randomly hitting..”
Ning Junyan stretched out a hand towards him, “Come here.”
Chen Yuncheng walked up to him.
Ning Junyan raised his hands to cup his face, kissed the place where he bumped just now, and said, “Don’t bump my things casually.”
Chen Yuncheng blushed, “Is everything yours?”
“Well,” Ning Junyan didn’t let go the hand holding Chen Yuncheng’s face, slightly lifted Chen Yuncheng’s head to meet his own, “I’m warning you, don’t make little moves behind my back.”
Chen Yuncheng felt that his tone was a bit cold, so he raised his head and looked straight into his eyes. With Ning Junyan’s back to the light, and his entire face was hidden in the darkness, so he couldn’t see clearly, but his hands holding Chen Yuncheng’s face were strong enough that Chen Yuncheng couldn’t break free easily, so he could only say, “What little move? “
“Anything I don’t agree with,” Ning Junyan replied, “For example, hitting your head.” After he said that, he pressed Chen Yuncheng’s head and blew lightly on top of his head, “What if you hit your head silly?”
Chen Yuncheng couldn’t help but slapped his hands away, “Knock it off.”
Ning Junyan finally let him go.
Chen Yuncheng sidled past him, “I’m going to take a shower first.”
The warm water jets rushed down from the top of his head. Chen Yuncheng stood in the bathtub and closed his eyes. He held his breath and let the hot water wash over his face. After a while, he turned his head away and wiped off the water on his face with his hands. He then took a few breaths.
He had been putting it off until now, and he had decided to move out. But he was a little afraid to talk to Ning Junyan, he knew that Ning Junyan would not agree, and he was afraid that Ning Junyan would object too strongly. He and Ning Junyan had argued over this matter several times, and every time he conceded the defeat and his heart softened. Every time he got tough, he was no match for Ning Junyan, so he began to consider a different way of communicating with Ning Junyan.
Chen Yuncheng was lying on the bed when he heard the sound of water in the bathroom stop. After a while, Ning Junyan lifted the quilt and lay down on the bed with cool and refreshing steam still on his body.
The lamp in the room went out and it was plunged into darkness.
Chen Yuncheng cheered himself up silently, rolled over and sat on Ning Junyan’s lap, groped for his face in the darkness and bent down to kiss him on the lips.
Ning Junyan stretched his hand to hold Chen Yuncheng’s waist, and hooked his fingers through the hem of his pyjama top, gently tickling him against his skin.
After a while, when Chen Yuncheng raised his head, and Ning Junyan asked him, “Do you want it?”
Chen Yuncheng didn’t know how to answer, he kind of wanted to tell Ning Junyan to shut up and stop talking, then he bent down on Ning Junyan and said, “You are the most important person in my life.”
Ning Junyan raised his hand to stroke his hair.
Chen Yuncheng said, “Whether we live together or not will not change our relationship.”
Ning Junyan’s fingers slipped onto his ears, and his fingertips gently rubbing the soft contours of his ear, “So?”
“So,” even though he knew that Ning Junyan couldn’t see it, Chen Yuncheng’s eyes became warmer, “You don’t have to be so eager to live together and get married in a hurry, we can take our time.”
Ning Junyan asked him in a calm tone, “Then can I put it in?”
Chen Yuncheng paused and said, “I’m just a little scared.”
Ning Junyan said, “Don’t be afraid, just open the drawer and take a look.”
Chen Yuncheng felt strange. He fumbled with his hands in the darkness to find the first drawer of the bedside table and opened it, but nothing could be seen. He reached over and turned on the light, squinting the moment the light came through, then saw the drawer of lubricant and condoms.
Ning Junyan said, “Although it is very big, it won’t hurt you.”
Chen Yuncheng closed the drawer hard, not wanting to look at Ning Junyan’s face, and reached out to turn off the light. He sat on Ning Junyan’s waist and sighed, “I didn’t mean this.”
He always had some qualms in his heart, as if once he fully opened his body, there was no way for him to turn back. Just as he was unwilling to accept Ning Junyan’s marriage proposal, Chen Yuncheng suddenly thought sadly that he was still not 100% committed to this relationship, and was always giving himself a way out.
He felt that he was sorry for Ning Junyan.
Driven by his sad emotions, Chen Yuncheng bent down and hugged Ning Junyan’s neck, kissed his cheek and lips, and called him affectionately, “Yanyan.”
Ning Junyan hugged his waist and rolled over, pressing him underneath him and kissing him on the lips.
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Chen Yuncheng slept deeply on Ning Junyan’s bed and did not wake up until it was completely bright outside.
The moment he woke up, he was a little dazed, because Ning Junyan didn’t hug him as tightly as before. He turned around and looked to the side in a trance, and saw that Ning Junyan was actually still on the bed, but he had sat up and was looking up at the ceiling.
“What are you looking at?” Chen Yuncheng felt strange, following his gaze, and saw that there was nothing on the ceiling.
Ning Junyan didn’t answer, but his gaze dropped on Chen Yuncheng’s face for a moment before turning away again and looking in the direction of the bed.
Chen Yuncheng sat up and propped his hands on the bed, “Junyan?”
Ning Junyan let out an “En”, but didn’t look at him, and reached out to press the wall at the head of the bed.
Chen Yuncheng was baffled, he got up and went to the bathroom by himself. When he came out, Ning Junyan was no longer in the room.
Instead of going out to buy breakfast, Chen Yuncheng went to the kitchen to cook two bowls of fried egg noodles. Before he entered the kitchen, he saw that Ning Junyan had his computer on in his study, but when he finished cooking the noodles and went out, the study was already empty.
When Chen Yuncheng returned to Ning Junyan’s room, he heard a movement coming from the bathroom. He walked over and saw a tape measure stretched out on the floor, stretching from the bed to the bathroom.
And Ning Junyan was in the bathroom, pulling the tape measure to record the length.
“What are you doing?” Chen Yuncheng looked at him blankly.
Ning Junyan stood up, put back the tape measure, and said calmly, “I’m measuring the length.”
“Why do you need to measure the length?” Chen Yuncheng found it difficult to understand.
Ning Junyan said to him, “I want to redecorate.”
Chen Yuncheng asked him, “Why do you want to decorate?”
Ning Junyan said, “For convenience.”
After breakfast, Ning Junyan went back to the study and stared at the computer, without Chen Yuncheng knew what he was doing. Chen Yuncheng stood at the door of the study anxiously and looked at him for a while.
Ning Junyan didn’t ignore him, looked up at him, and asked, “Do you want me to come over and hold you?”
Chen Yuncheng said, “No need.” He withdrew, went to the balcony and called Sun Shiliang.
The New Year was not over yet, and the renovation workers had not returned, so the new shop renovation at the trade market was still on hold for the time being.
Sun Shiliang said that the shop renovation would be quick and that it would be ready in a few days after the New Year. He asked Chen Yuncheng to look at the container furniture then, and he can order it directly after choosing it.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Sun Shiliang asked him.
Chen Yuncheng said, “Nothing, I just want to find something to do.”
“Don’t worry, just rest for a few days.” From his side, Sun Shiliang could be heard starting mahjong game early in the morning, with a relaxed tone, “If you really don’t have any money to use, this brother will lend you some first.”
Chen Yuncheng smiled, “I still have money, Sun ge, don’t worry about it.”
Sun Shiliang said, “Then have fun, don’t worry about work when it’s Chinese New Year.”
After hanging up the phone, Chen Yuncheng decided, after careful consideration, to pack up his things on the day when Ning Junyan was on duty on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, so that he could officially move out on the seventh day when Ning Junyan returned from his night shift. When the time came, he could find a short term room to live in, and when Guan Anlin returned, he could consider finding a monthly room or staying at the tobacco shop in the trade market. Until then, he would not tell Ning Junyan of his plans.
On the fourth and fifth days of the new year, Chen Yuncheng did not go out except for a trip to the supermarket with Ning Junyan. They went to the supermarket on the fifth day of the new year, and Ning Junyan bought a lot of food.
Chen Yuncheng asked him, “Why did you buy so many things? The New Year is almost over.”
Ning Junyan said, “I’ll save it for later.”
On the morning of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Ning Junyan got up and went to the hospital for his shift.
Chen Yuncheng woke up after a lazy night’s sleep and began to pack his things slowly. He had hardly acquired anything during the time he had lived here. Before, he could pack only two suitcases, and now it was still the case, except for the set of clothes that Ning Junyan had bought for him, which he didn’t know what to do with.
The clothes were all bought according to his size, and he couldn’t wear it without taking it away from Ning Junyan. He stood by the bed and folded the clothes, and found that the down jacket had to be pressed hard to fit inside the suitcase.
Chen Yuncheng was a little bit reluctant.
After hesitating for a long time, he hung the down jacket back up in the wardrobe, not knowing if he would return one day, or if he would have to return this once-worn garment to Ning Junyan.
The sheets and quilt covers on his bed were all removed, washed and dried, and all were put into the cabinet. The rest were some small daily necessities, which could be temporarily put in the pockets when he left.
At night, Chen Yuncheng was lying on Ning Junyan’s bed alone, using his mobile phone to do video call with Ning Junyan.
Ning Junyan was sitting in his office, still wearing a white coat.
“Aren’t you busy with work?” Chen Yuncheng asked him.
Ning Junyan said, “I’ve already do the rounds, I’m not busy.”
Chen Yuncheng leaned against the bed, looking at Ning Junyan on the phone screen in a daze.
Ning Junyan asked him, “You didn’t go out all day?”
Chen Yuncheng said, “Well, I didn’t go out because I had nothing to do.”
Ning Junyan nodded, and asked him again, “Miss me?”
When Chen Yuncheng heard him ask these words in a serious manner, he couldn’t help laughing, and said, “Quite a lot.” He didn’t lie, when he was packing his things today, all he could think about was Ning Junyan.
Ning Junyan said, “Then take off your clothes and touch yourself for me to see.”
Chen Yuncheng lowered his head and said helplessly, “Don’t even think about it.”
Ning Junyan said with some regret, “Alright then.”
The two of them didn’t speak for a while.
Chen Yuncheng looked at Ning Junyan, and asked him after a while, “Ning Junyan, why do you like me so much?”
Ning Junyan said, “Because you are very kind.”
Chen Yuncheng couldn’t figure it out, “I’m too ordinary, and I’m not capable of anything.”
Ning Junyan said gently and slowly, “Not for me. You are the most special to me.”
Chen Yuncheng looked at him and smiled.
Ning Junyan said softly, “Go to sleep, be good and wait for me at home.”
Chen Yuncheng nodded, “No more talking then. You should also go to bed earlier.”
Ning Junyan said, “Okay.”
After they ended the video call, Ning Junyan put the phone on the desk and leaned his head back against the back of the office chair, with his usual indifference. Even if Chen Yuncheng didn’t say anything, he still knew that Chen Yuncheng didn’t go out all day, because he locked the door when he went out in the morning, and it couldn’t be opened from the inside. Chen Yuncheng could only leave his home when he came back from get off work tomorrow morning.
Of course he wasn’t going to let Chen Yuncheng leave at that time either.
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Ning Junyan: “Then take off your clothes and touch yourself for me to see.”
Chen Yuncheng: “…I often suspect that the two of us are not in the same novel.”