Hearing You Say Love chapter 30

Favorite Position

The light turned green, and Zou Beiyuan didn’t reply, tossing his phone aside and stepping on the gas, rushing back to Tianhe Mansion as fast as he could.

Even while riding the elevator, he was still fuming: Su Ming, how could he say that anything was fine to draw for someone else!

Could it be that when others make unreasonable requests, asking him to draw his favorite position, he would comply?

And what if they went even further, asking him to draw himself in front of a mirror?!

As an artist, how could he possibly have no boundaries!

Then, Zou Beiyuan thought of the unfinished oil painting at Su Ming’s apartment.

Su Ming had previously mentioned that this was the first time he was painting an oil painting for someone else.

So, if his top sponsor asked him to paint an oil painting as a gift, would Su Ming agree?

Had Su Ming ever done something like this before?

And what about that Shu Jun Yi Mo? Did Su Ming ever draw something for him?

Besides drawing, does Su Ming do anything else for his top sponsor?

Zou Beiyuan, his mind swirling with such thoughts, arrived at Su Ming’s door, ready with more than twenty excuses to scold him.

But Su Ming opened the door, wearing a green apron, and the fragrance of fish soup filled the apartment.

Su Ming smiled beautifully, writing on a piece of paper: I’ve been simmering soup for you since 4 PM.

Zou Beiyuan looked at Su Ming’s face, his heart filled with thoughts like, He’s so good-looking, so pure, and he’s so good at cooking.

All the words of reprimand vanished from his mind.

During dinner, Su Ming told him: You’ve been managing your diet lately, so I used very little oil in the dishes, though the fat content in the fish soup is still a bit high, so don’t drink too much.

Su Ming’s writing had become quick and sloppy, but Zou Beiyuan had become familiar with it.

“No worries,” Zou Beiyuan said, taking a sip of soup. “My diet is not that strict.”

Su Ming put down his pen and also took a small sip of the soup.

The milky white broth left a moist trace on his lips, and he naturally extended his tongue to lick it off.

Zou Beiyuan’s gaze followed the tip of his pink tongue as it brushed across his lips, then slowly moved away, landing on the bowl and dishes in front of him.

Su Ming ate quietly, and Zou Beiyuan found it hard to associate the Su Ming before him with the artist of those explicit comics, Shu Yu Ming Jin.

By now, Zou Beiyuan had calmed down and was thinking of something else.

That day, Su Ming had said that deceit “might be due to some difficulty,” or that someone “might lie to a friend because of hardships in life or out of fear of causing worry.”

Zou Jingnan had also mentioned that drawing such comics made more money than regular ones.

Zou Beiyuan wanted to know if Su Ming was drawing that kind of thing because of some hardship.

Was it for this reason that Su Ming was willing to draw “anything” for his top sponsor?

But Zou Beiyuan couldn’t bring himself to ask. Su Ming didn’t seem like the type of person who would compromise himself for money.

The living room and dining room were connected, and Zou Beiyuan noticed that the easel by the floor-to-ceiling window had been moved, so he asked, “Is the oil painting finished?”

Su Ming blinked, put down his soup bowl, and wrote: I finished it this morning. Once the paint dries, I’ll give it to you. Do you want to see it now?

“No,” Zou Beiyuan replied, “I’m not in a hurry. I’ll wait until you give it to me.”

After a brief silence, Zou Beiyuan asked again, “Have you really never painted an oil painting for anyone else before?”

Su Ming shook his head, a puzzled look in his eyes, as if wondering why he was being asked this.

“What if someone paid you to do it?”

Su Ming wrote: I’m not good at oil painting. If it’s something I don’t like, I probably wouldn’t be able to paint it.

Zou Beiyuan’s heart trembled slightly. Did that mean I’m something he likes?

But Su Ming’s expression remained serious, as if he hadn’t realized how easily his words could be misunderstood.

After dinner, the two cleaned up the table together, standing side by side at the kitchen sink washing dishes.

Su Ming washed the dishes with soapy water and handed them to Zou Beiyuan, who rinsed them off.

As they passed the dishes between them, their hands inevitably touched, but because they had been soaked in cold water for so long, neither could feel the warmth of the other’s fingers.

But their bodies were warm.

Zou Beiyuan quietly moved his feet, standing closer to Su Ming.

Standing too close, their elbows bumped frequently. Su Ming glanced at Zou Beiyuan but didn’t step away.

He looked at people with a cold expression, but his gaze towards Zou Beiyuan was clear, and the white ceiling light reflected in his eyes like a rare and precious gem.

It felt as if a little cat was scratching at Zou Beiyuan’s heart—he wanted to get even closer, to touch him more.

But Su Ming quickly finished washing all the dishes, rinsed his hands, and turned to grab a dry towel from the wall.

A little water had spilled on the floor, and Su Ming slipped in his slippers, letting out a startled cry as he lost his balance and almost fell to the side.

Before Zou Beiyuan’s eyes could even register the scene, his body reacted instinctively—one arm wrapped around Su Ming’s waist, pulling him firmly into his side, catching him with ease.

Zou Beiyuan’s arms were strong, and even though Su Ming had already tilted at a forty-five-degree angle, he was still effortlessly caught and lifted upright.

One of Su Ming’s slippers had fallen off, and his bare foot pressed against the floor as he leaned against Zou Beiyuan’s chest, still shaken.

“The tiles are too slippery,” Zou Beiyuan said above him, “I’ll buy you a non-slip mat tomorrow.”

His chest vibrated as he spoke, and the sensation passed to Su Ming, making his heart race.

After holding each other for a while, they both stepped back at the same time, realizing it might seem suspicious if they stayed like that any longer.

Su Ming held onto the counter, retrieved his slipper, and carefully stepped out of the kitchen, grabbing a dry mop to clean up the water on the floor. Meanwhile, Zou Beiyuan finished cleaning the remaining dishes, neatly placing them on the drying rack.

The way they interacted felt like they had already been living together for a long time, a subtle intimacy quietly blossoming between them.

Standing at the doorway, one inside and one outside, their eyes met briefly before turning away, as if they had both noticed the closeness and felt a bit awkward about it.

After tidying up, Su Ming said he needed to get back to his work. Only then did Zou Beiyuan remember the other side of Su Ming’s life—his identity as the famous adult comic artist Shu Yu Ming Jin.

In the past, every time Su Ming worked, he would ask Zou Beiyuan to leave. Zou Beiyuan always thought it was because he would disturb Su Ming. Now, it seems Su Ming just didn’t want him to see what he was drawing.

Su Ming hid those drawings from him so tightly, but for the top sponsor, he could draw anything, right?

Zou Beiyuan said, “Okay, I’ll head back now.”

That night, Su Ming received a private message from his top sponsor: [Can we meet in person?]

Su Ming: …

Su Ming sent a screenshot to Chen Muchao: [As expected, this guy’s a pervert. He actually wants to meet me in person!]

Chen Muchao: [Haha, are you going to meet him?]

Su Ming: [Of course not! He’s crazy.]

Su Ming replied to his top sponsor in Jam Comics: [Sorry, I can’t meet in person. If that’s what you’re looking for, I can refund your money.]

Zou Beiyuan was satisfied, a slight smile appearing on his lips: [It’s fine if we can’t meet. I’ll still support you.]

Shu Yu Ming Jin: [Feel free to let me know any requests you have regarding the comics.]

7115646: [Okay.]

Su Ming sent another screenshot to Chen Muchao: [He’s a really easygoing sponsor.]

Chen Muchao: [Wow, he’s really your fan. Rich people’s world is hard to understand.]

Su Ming didn’t want to talk about the sponsor; he had something more important to share with Chen Muchao: [I feel like Little Wolf was sticking close to me on purpose today. Embarrassed.jpg]

Chen Muchao: [Then why don’t you go for it?]

Su Ming: [After we came back from hiking, his attitude toward me has been weird. Sometimes he’s really close, and sometimes he’s distant. I don’t know what he’s thinking.]

Chen Muchao: [Playing hard to get? Trying to keep you hooked? Dude, are you dealing with a pro here?]

Su Ming: [Do you think he’s that smart?]

Chen Muchao: […Doesn’t really seem like it.]

Su Ming: [And he’s been super busy lately. I haven’t been able to see him for so long, and my inspiration is running dry. T^T]

Chen Muchao: [I heard from Xu Jiadi that he’s been training every day lately and rarely even goes to the bar.]

Su Ming: [Yeah, his coach came from the U.S.]

Chen Muchao: [Is he preparing for a competition?]

Su Ming: [I don’t know. Do you think he’s leaving soon? T^T]

Chen Muchao: [Want me to find out for you?]

Su Ming: [Nah, I’ll ask him when I get a chance.]

Su Ming switched to his chat with Zou Beiyuan. The conversation was still stuck at yesterday when Su Ming said he was making fish soup and asked if Zou Beiyuan wanted to join.

Zou Beiyuan once said he loved his fish soup. Whenever Su Ming made it and invited him, he would never say no.

Since they came back from the mountain, this was the first time they had a meal together.

Things were going so well before. Where did it all go wrong?

Was it just because he’s been too busy?

Su Ming sighed and closed the chat app. They weren’t even chatting every day like they used to.

So annoying, straight guys are so hard to reel in…

Opening Jam Comics, another message from the top sponsor popped up.

7115646: [What’s Shu Yu Ming Jin’s favorite position?]

7115646: [I mean, what’s your favorite position to draw?]

It seemed like the person was talking about the comic, but maybe not. Su Ming replied professionally: [I like drawing whatever appears frequently in the comic.]

7115646: [In The Rabbit Conspiracy, Wolf Trail, the most frequent one is the rear-entry position.]

The term “rear-entry” was something Zou Beiyuan had come across in the comments section.

Shu Yu Ming Jin: [Maybe it’s because of the size difference between the wolf and the rabbit. I think it looks the most aesthetic that way.]

Zou Beiyuan got distracted, thinking that there was quite a size difference between him and Su Ming too. Would that position be the most aesthetic for them as well?

He let his imagination run wild for a second before stopping himself. That’s too inappropriate.

He had just eaten Su Ming’s cooking. How could he already be imagining something so inappropriate?

7115646: [My favorite scene is when the rabbit is sitting on the wolf.]

Shu Yu Ming Jin: [Hmm, I’ll consider drawing more riding scenes. Anything else you want?]

“Riding” — what does that mean?

Zou Beiyuan made a mental note to look it up later.

7115646: [Also, make sure to go to bed early. Don’t stay up late all the time.]

Su Ming was stunned. How did he know I stay up late?

He glanced at the time—it was already close to 12:30. Understanding, Su Ming replied: [Okay, you should sleep early too. Good night.]

7115646: [Good night.]