Hearing You Say Love chapter 14

Affair

Su Ming seemed to be in a deep sleep, not waking from being moved earlier, but the jacket covering him had fallen off. Zou Beiyuan quietly helped him put it back on, then turned to look at Su Ming’s sleeping face.

With the waterproof layer zipped up, much of the light was blocked, leaving the inside dim, barely illuminating Su Ming’s gentle facial features. His chest rose and fell softly with each breath, and if Zou Beiyuan leaned closer, he could faintly smell a citrus scent mixed with cigarette smoke.

Zou Beiyuan suddenly recalled the cave scene from the comic, turned over to lie on his back, and dared not look anymore.

At that moment, Su Ming stirred, turning to face Zou Beiyuan and unintentionally resting his forehead on Zou Beiyuan’s shoulder. His warm breath, filtering through the thin fabric, brushed against Zou Beiyuan’s arm. Zou Beiyuan slowly leaned down, resting his face on top of Su Ming’s head, and once again adjusted the jacket that had slipped off.

….

Around dawn, Chen Muchao’s fishing alarm went off. He quickly turned it off, sat up, and found that Zou Beiyuan had taken his place next to Su Ming. Observing the two for a while, Chen Muchao quietly unzipped the tent and went outside.

Su Ming, still groggy from sleep, was disturbed by the sound of the tent zipper. When he opened his eyes, he found Zou Beiyuan’s face right in front of him.

Zou Beiyuan’s facial features were sharp and defined, his brows and eyes striking, and his relaxed lips had a childlike curve. His chin was slightly stubbled, and Su Ming reached out, tracing the air around Zou Beiyuan’s chin, imagining the roughness he’d feel if he touched it.

Zou Beiyuan unexpectedly opened his eyes, catching Su Ming’s fingers hovering near his face. Likely still half-asleep, he showed no expression, simply grabbing Su Ming’s hand and placing it on his chest.

The tent, which could accommodate three people, felt cramped because of Zou Beiyuan’s size. Su Ming, now fully aware of the physical closeness, felt the warmth of Zou Beiyuan’s body and his grip on his hand. Not daring to move further, he obediently lay on his side, his eyes landing on Zou Beiyuan’s prominent nose.

After a few seconds, Zou Beiyuan seemed to fully wake up. He lowered Su Ming’s hand to his side, slowly letting go. “I’ll go check the river,” he said.

Su Ming turned over to lie on his back, handing Zou Beiyuan his jacket.

“No need,” Zou Beiyuan replied, sitting up. “You keep it. I’m not cold.”

Chen Muchao had exited from the tent’s left side, but Zou Beiyuan’s shoes were on the right, so he had to leave through the side near Su Ming.

Su Ming looked at him, showing no intention of letting him go.

Zou Beiyuan leaned down, one hand resting by Su Ming’s neck, almost pinning Su Ming beneath him. Su Ming, however, remained calm, meeting his gaze with shallow breaths.

They stared at each other like this before Zou Beiyuan rolled over and got up from Su Ming and got out of the tent.

….

On the way back, it was Zou Beiyuan driving. He saw that Su Ming was exhausted and told him to move to the back seat to rest. 

Su Ming secretly glanced at him through the rearview mirror. Zou Beiyuan was too tall, and from this angle, Su Ming could only see his stubbled chin. Adjusting his view, Su Ming saw his lips. Then, his phone rang. It was a message from Chen Muchao.

Su Ming glanced at the front passenger seat in confusion. Chen Muchao also turned his head to look at him, nodding slightly toward the phone, signaling him to check it.

Su Ming lowered his head and saw the message from Chen Muchao: [What did you two do behind my back last night?]

Su Ming couldn’t help but laugh: [Do we look like we did something?]

Chen Muchao’s phone was on silent, and Su Ming also turned off his ringer. Soon, he received a reply from Chen Muchao: [You do.]

Su Ming: [What do we look like we did?]

At that moment, Zou Beiyuan asked them, “It’s still early. Are you hungry? Should we get breakfast?”

“You two go ahead. I’m not going. I need to buy breakfast for my girlfriend,” Chen Muchao said.

“You are a good boyfriend,” Zou Beiyuan praised. “Then Su Ming and I will take ours to-go too.”

He glanced at Su Ming through the rearview mirror, realizing he couldn’t see Su Ming’s eyes. Adjusting the mirror’s angle, he asked, “Is that okay?”

Su Ming met his gaze for a second and nodded in agreement. Another message came in.

Chen Muchao: [Affair]

On Sunday morning, the road was unusually smooth. Zou Beiyuan noticed Su Ming smiling beautifully at his phone, then lowered his eyes to the front, suppressing his smile and stopping the conversation.

After entering the city, they bought breakfast and dropped Chen Muchao off at home. It was just 9:30 when Su Ming and Zou Beiyuan arrived back at Tianhe Mansion.

Exiting the elevator, Su Ming took off the coat and returned it to Zou Beiyuan, signaling his thanks. As Su Ming opened his door, Zou Beiyuan called out, “Hey, Ge.”

Su Ming stopped and turned to look at him. Zou Beiyuan said, “Today, I’ll help you apply the medicine.” Then he added, “I promised last night, but I didn’t help.”

Su Ming looked at him, nodded, and went inside.

The medicated oil prescribed by the doctor was for a week’s supply, but it ran out quickly, and Su Ming’s shoulder hadn’t fully healed yet.

On the following Friday night, Su Ming met with some friends at Box Wave. They were holding an informal four-round match that night, and he heard one of the fighters was Yu Dian, who had just won an intercontinental boxing championship, while the other was Japanese boxing star Inoue Junya.

Su Ming didn’t understand boxing; Zou Beiyuan had given him a few tickets, so he was there just to watch the excitement.

Box Wave was packed, and many boxing fans had flown in from out of town for the match.

Their seats were close to the ring, and from the booth, they could see everything clearly. After they arrived, Zou Beiyuan and Xu Jiadi came down from upstairs to join them.

That night, Su Ming was wearing the same white shirt he had worn to the bar before, with two decorative rings on his right hand instead of a necklace. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing his collarbone and a small patch of skin on his chest.

When Zou Beiyuan sat down next to him, he stared at him for a while. Su Ming was drinking with friends and didn’t notice the gaze. After he put down his glass, Zou Beiyuan grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, seriously saying, “The air conditioning is too cold today. Button up your shirt so you don’t catch a cold.”

Sweating slightly, Su Ming was puzzled: ?

Then, under Su Ming’s gaze, Zou Beiyuan buttoned two more buttons on his shirt.