Hearing You Say Love chapter 24
 Did You Sleep Well?
Because Su Ming kept snuggling into Zou Beiyuan’s arms all night, Zou Beiyuan thought he was cold and turned off the air conditioning in the middle of the night.
In early September, the temperature in Rong City wasn’t low, so Zou Beiyuan was hot and slept shirtless. As a result, Su Ming woke up in the morning with his face resting on Zou Beiyuan’s slightly sweaty chest.
The feel of his chest muscles was so good—soft, warm. Su Ming rubbed his face against it, more comfortable than a pillow.
Even though he was half-awake and sensed something wasn’t quite right, Su Ming couldn’t resist the comfort and stayed there, rubbing for a while before fully waking up.
Then, he lifted his head and locked eyes with Zou Beiyuan.
Su Ming: …
Zou Beiyuan: …
Feeling a bit flustered, Su Ming propped himself up from Zou Beiyuan’s chest. Zou Beiyuan quickly got out of bed and calmly said, “I’ll go wash up first.”
After a while, Su Ming heard the sound of running water from the shower.
The blackout curtains in the room weren’t fully closed, and a bright beam of sunlight shot in, illuminating the floating dust in the air.
Su Ming opened his palm, letting the light fall onto it.
How long had Zou Beiyuan been awake? Had he just watched him lie on his chest the whole time?
Though it was a bit embarrassing, the feel of those chest muscles… was really amazing!
No matter how much he had drawn before, it couldn’t compare to touching the real thing. Su Ming now had a good idea of how to make the chest muscles in his drawings feel more lifelike.
When Zou Beiyuan finished his shower and came out, Su Ming had already changed clothes and entered the bathroom to wash up.
The condoms and lube were still where they’d been left yesterday. Su Ming glanced at them, then silently pushed the unused items aside.
While brushing his teeth and washing his face, Zou Beiyuan came back in, shaving with an electric razor in front of the mirror.
Su Ming bent down to splash water on his face. When he lifted his head, his fair face reflected in the mirror, water droplets sliding down his cheeks. His hair and eyelashes were damp, and his bright eyes met Zou Beiyuan’s gaze in the mirror.
For some reason, Zou Beiyuan suddenly felt embarrassed. After a few seconds of eye contact, he quickly looked away, his ears turning red.
Seriously, man, we didn’t even do anything last night, why are you feeling embarrassed?!
Su Ming expressionlessly turned off the water and grabbed two soft tissues to dry his face.
In the small space, the only sound left was the buzzing of the razor.
Zou Beiyuan was feeling a bit guilty. He had stolen a kiss on Su Ming’s forehead last night. Hopefully, Su Ming didn’t notice.
He hadn’t slept well all night, not only because it was hot, but because Su Ming had kept snuggling into his arms.
Su Ming probably lacked a sense of security. Even in his sleep, he would hug the blanket, and if the blanket slipped off, he would scoot closer to Zou Beiyuan, like a clingy little koala.
Understanding Su Ming’s upbringing, it made sense. He couldn’t hear anything during the first sixteen years of his life, and he lacked security from a young age. His parents didn’t care about him; all their love went to his younger brother.
Born with a defect, he was an innocent victim, yet he was made to bear the responsibility for that defect.
Zou Beiyuan thought, considering all this, it was a miracle Su Ming hadn’t developed an antisocial personality. Instead, he had such a pure and angelic nature.
Su Ming trusted him, was willing to stay with him, and slept beside him without any defense. And yet, Zou Beiyuan still had impure thoughts about him.
He felt deeply ashamed.
Around eight o’clock, the two of them had breakfast together in the buffet downstairs. Zou Beiyuan called the property management again, and they confirmed the water supply had been restored.
After hanging up, Zou Beiyuan asked, “Are you going straight home later?”
Su Ming nodded.
He had to update the 19th episode of The Rabbit Conspiracy, Wolf Trail the day after tomorrow, and with the trips to Yishi City and the hotel stay, he still hadn’t finished the line art. Looks like he’d need to ask Chen Muchao for help with coloring tomorrow.
Even though time was running out, there was still something else he wanted to do.
After checking out of the hotel, Zou Beiyuan dropped Su Ming off at home before heading to the boxing gym. Su Ming spent the morning drawing alone and then met up with Chen Muchao at two in the afternoon to shop for art supplies.
He was preparing a birthday gift for Zou Beiyuan.
The art store they frequented was downtown, so they took the subway. On the way, Chen Muchao asked, “Your little wolf’s birthday is coming up?”
Su Ming signed: In half a month.
Chen Muchao: “He told you?”
Su Ming shook his head: I saw it on his Baidu page.
Chen Muchao: “So, you want to surprise him on his birthday?”
Su Ming: Not really, I promised him long ago that I’d draw him a picture.
It was rare to see people using sign language on the subway, especially someone as good-looking as Su Ming, signing quickly and fluidly.
Realizing people were watching, Su Ming held onto the handrail, adjusted his mask, and stopped signing.
When they got off the subway, Su Ming resumed telling Chen Muchao about his experience last night.
“Not bad,” Chen Muchao laughed. “Did you sleep well?”
Su Ming angrily signed: We just slept! And we didn’t even share the same blanket!
“Oh, I see. No matter how much theoretical knowledge you have, without real experience, it’s still hard to deal with things when they happen,” Chen Muchao said, pretending to be serious. “Su, you’ve got to keep working at it.”
Su Ming, even angrier: Do you think he’s just not into me?
Chen Muchao clicked his tongue, “I told you he’s straight, but you didn’t believe me. If he were even a little bit gay, you practically fell into his arms, how come he still didn’t do anything?”
Su Ming: Damn it!
“If he is gay but didn’t make a move after a whole night together, there are two possibilities,” Chen Muchao held up two fingers, “One, he doesn’t know you’re into him, so he didn’t want to make a move. Two, and this one’s a bit harsh—he’s just not into you.”
Su Ming felt as if an arrow had pierced his heart and raised his hand to deliver a knife-hand strike to Chen Muchao’s neck.
Chen Muchao quickly dodged and turned to say, “From my perspective as an observer, he really likes you, but I’m not sure it’s the kind of liking you want. You could drop a hint that you’re into guys and see how he reacts.”
Su Ming thought for a moment and signed: How do I hint?
Chen Muchao replied, “For example, show him your comics.”
Su Ming: Isn’t that a bit too stimulating?
Chen Muchao: “Fortune favors the bold.”
Su Ming: … I’m scared.
He had become greedy, hesitant, and afraid to try easily.
Su Ming thought, I might really like Zou Beiyuan.
It’s the kind of liking where I want more than just one night together.