Hearing You Say Love chapter 51
Smoky Kiss
For some reason, the summer felt especially long. By the end of September, Chengdu was still hot.
Su Ming sat in the air-conditioned living room, yet the heat outside the floor-to-ceiling windows still felt stifling.
Since the day he comforted Zou Beiyuan with a lollipop and they shared a candy-flavored kiss, they hadn’t properly kissed in days.
Every night, by the time Zou Beiyuan came back from training, Su Ming was already asleep. And when Zou Beiyuan got up early to switch shifts with his aunt at the hospital, Su Ming was still asleep.
They shared a bed, but aside from a few hazy kisses and cuddles, nothing more had happened.
They hadn’t even used their hands again after that one time.
Teacher Song needed constant care, and lunch was brought by Su Mo, so he and Zou Beiyuan didn’t see each other.
When Su Ming visited the hospital in the evening, Zou Beiyuan’s aunt and the others were there, so he and Zou Beiyuan could only sneak the occasional kiss in the washroom.
Lately, his comics hardly included any mature scenes.
His foot was almost fully healed, so he showered by himself that night, then updated chapter 22 before going to bed.
Before sleeping, he messaged Zou Beiyuan saying his foot was fine and that he didn’t need to use the bathtub anymore.
He added another line after: “[If you want to come sleep over, you know the password.]”
In the middle of the night, he felt someone pull him into an embrace. Su Ming, eyes still closed, snuggled closer, catching the familiar scent of shower gel, and contentedly rested his face on that person’s soft chest.
When Su Ming woke up in the morning, Zou Beiyuan was gone again.
It was just another uneventful night.
…What’s up with this wolf spirit? Afraid of leaking energy and affecting his training?
Su Ming spent a lifeless morning at home drawing, feeling that if this continued, he might as well start drawing children’s comics.
After lunch, he sat on the sofa to rest and remembered he hadn’t checked the feedback on last night’s update, so he picked up his phone and opened the Jam Comics app.
The first thing that popped up were two big reward notifications.
“Shu Jun Yi Mo donated 5 fruit baskets for Rabbit Conspiracy, Wolf Trail,”
“User 7115646 donated 100 fruit baskets for “Rabbit Conspiracy, Wolf Trail,”
Su Ming: …
He used to think Shu Jun Yi Mo was strange, but now this 7115646 seemed even stranger.
What’s going on in the head of someone who throws away ten thousand bucks every time they read a comic?
Moreover, the readers of his comics were mostly young; Su Ming thought if he were that person’s partner, he would be furious.
Fortunately, Shu Jun Yi Mo didn’t compete with that person for the rankings. After they each rewarded their shares, they quietly went about their business without causing a stir on trending topics again.
When the flashy golden effects on the screen faded away, he saw a private message from his top sponsor.
It was sent last night in the early morning.
7115646: [Teacher Shu, I’ve recently started learning to draw comics and would like to ask you, do you usually find prototypes in real life when you create?]
So, after all that, he just wanted to be mentored???
Su Ming blinked; if he wanted to ask questions, he didn’t need to spend so much money. He would respond well if he asked on Weibo.
After thinking for a while, Su Ming replied earnestly: [I once read a classic textbook on playwriting. On the back cover of that book was a quote: “Story is a metaphor for life.” Creators should certainly draw inspiration from life, gathering material to transform and develop it until they can express what they want to convey.]
After saying that, he felt it was a bit abstract and added an example: [In Lu Xun’s “A Madman’s Diary,” the prototype of the madman is Lu Xun’s cousin. In “Home Town,” the prototype of Run Tu is Zhang Yunshui, a villager from northeast Shaoxing. The prototype of Anna Karenina in Tolstoy’s work is Pushkin’s daughter.]
[However, you don’t necessarily have to create according to the prototype; it might just be a singularity that ignites your creative desire.]Within two minutes, 7115646 replied.
7115646: [Singularity?]
Shu Yu Ming Jin: [It’s the starting point of your creation, your source of inspiration.]
7115646: [Does the character Wolf Jue have a source of inspiration?]
Su Ming paused for a moment and answered honestly: [Yes.]
7115646: [So, after this comic ends, will you look for a new source of inspiration for your next one?]
Su Ming didn’t expect him to ask that.
He hadn’t even thought about it himself. What did he want to draw next…
Leaning back against the sofa while gripping his phone, he stared at the ceiling for a while. Gradually, many images began to emerge in his mind: Zou Beiyuan, shining in the boxing ring; Zou Beiyuan, angry and wanting to be coaxed; Zou Beiyuan, always responsible in caring for his family; Zou Beiyuan, fierce yet gentle while kissing; Zou Beiyuan, forever warm and safe in his embrace…
Su Ming felt a bit misty-eyed: [I probably won’t.]
Shu Yu Ming Jin: [I think I’ve already found my muse.]
Shu Yu Ming Jin: [Perhaps I’ll only draw him for the rest of my life.]
As soon as he sent those two messages, Su Ming regretted it.
Why did he share such deep thoughts with a stranger…?
As expected, the other person didn’t reply anymore.
Whatever, Su Ming stood up, tossed his phone onto the workbench, lit a cigarette, and continued sketching.
About half an hour later, he heard the electronic lock on the door suddenly make the sound of being unlocked. In a startled reaction, he quickly reached to turn off his computer screen. Before he could even turn around, someone rushed in from behind and hugged him tightly.
Su Ming: ???
Zou Beiyuan picked him up from the chair and threw him onto the sofa, his urgency making it seem a bit rough.
Su Ming looked dazed as he watched Zou Beiyuan lean over him, worried that the ash from his cigarette would burn Zou Beiyuan, so he hurriedly pulled his hand away.
Zou Beiyuan, like a large canine animal, was panting heavily, his body drenched in sweat, staring directly at him with slightly reddened eyes.
What was going on?
Su Ming thought Zou Beiyuan must have had a rough day, so he reached out to ruffle his short hair.
A drop of sweat trickled down Zou Beiyuan’s sleek and handsome jawline, landing on the corner of Su Ming’s lips. Su Ming instinctively reached out his tongue to taste it, and just as he caught a hint of saltiness, he was kissed fiercely by Zou Beiyuan.
Having drawn for so long that day, Su Ming was enveloped in the smell of cigarette smoke. He tilted his head to escape, but Zou Beiyuan held his chin and turned him back, making his lips and tongue feel numb from the kiss.
Su Ming felt like he was about to suffocate from the kiss. He pushed Zou Beiyuan’s shoulder with all his might until Zou Beiyuan finally let him go slowly.
“Su Ming,” Zou Beiyuan was still panting heavily and had the audacity to ask: “How come after so many kisses, you still can’t breathe?”
Su Ming gasped urgently for a moment, nearly driven mad by this virgin; how could he adjust his breathing when he was being held firmly in place by the head?
After taking a few deep breaths, Su Ming gradually calmed down. He wanted to ask Zou Beiyuan what had happened using sign language but then remembered he still had a cigarette in hand, so he kept the cigarette in his mouth and reached for the ashtray under the coffee table.
Su Ming’s lips were relatively small but beautifully shaped. Normally, they were a lighter color, but after being kissed, they appeared a vivid blood-red.
The cigarette rested loosely between his blood-red lips, with the tip gently pressed against his tongue, not inhaled yet, with wisps of white smoke wafting out.
Zou Beiyuan, without thinking, took the cigarette from his mouth, imitating Su Ming’s earlier pose by pinching it between his index and middle fingers, and leaned in to take a puff.
Zou Beiyuan had never smoked before in his life; he took the first puff without letting it into his lungs and coughed as it choked him.
Su Ming finally grabbed the ashtray, turned back to look at him: ?
“I don’t know how,” Zou Beiyuan said, looking a bit aggrieved, “Teach me.”
Su Ming took the cigarette from his hand, glanced at him, and waved his finger in the air.
Zou Beiyuan leaned over, wanting to kiss him again. “Then give me some secondhand smoke.”
Su Ming sat up, looking at the person lying on him, and suddenly chuckled softly.
He looked into Zou Beiyuan’s eyes, turned his head slightly, took a drag from the cigarette, and slowly pressed the rest into the ashtray. His slender eyes formed a seductive curve with the deliberate slowness of his movements.
A few wisps of dense white smoke floated from his slightly parted lips, and with the smoke still in his mouth, he hooked his arm around Zou Beiyuan’s neck and kissed him.
Smoke entered Zou Beiyuan’s mouth; this time he was smarter, holding his breath and only using his tongue to intertwine with Su Ming’s, gently licking and nibbling as they exchanged breaths in the hazy smoke.
Once the smoke dissipated, Zou Beiyuan grew intense again, kissing even harder than before.
Su Ming was gradually pressed deeper into the sofa by his force, his hair and clothes becoming disheveled. He had looked like an experienced person just moments ago, but soon he revealed his true self, trembling and soft, being kissed like a fish out of water.
They kissed for a long time, with the wet kissing sounds heating their ears, and soon both of them felt the other’s reaction.
Zou Beiyuan paused, holding Su Ming close while panting. He stretched his arm to check his phone on the coffee table and muttered, “Damn, no time left.”
Su Ming, feeling dazed, wasn’t sure what he meant by “no time,” and watched as Zou Beiyuan dropped his phone on the table with a soft thud, saying, “Forget it, doesn’t matter.”
He resumed kissing.
This time, the kiss was gentle, licking Su Ming’s lips, nibbling his tongue, then pressing against his palate.
Su Ming panted harder than before, making a helpless sound in his throat.
Zou Beiyuan’s big hand slipped into his waistband.
Su Ming instinctively turned to look at the floor-to-ceiling window that hadn’t been drawn shut.
Outside, sunlight streamed in brightly, casting a golden glow on the wooden floor by the window.
The commercial building outside was probably less than two hundred meters away, and if someone were watching with binoculars, they could clearly see inside.
Su Ming wanted to remind Zou Beiyuan to close the curtains, but Zou Beiyuan gripped his chin to turn him back and continued kissing him.
He could clearly feel that hot, pressing thing against him, making his breath quicken and his heart race. He thought, whatever, I don’t care anymore.
He also reached down.
Somehow, Zou Beiyuan seemed to have picked up some new mischief; he wouldn’t cum himself or let Su Ming, repeatedly asking Su Ming if he wanted it, as if forcing him to say it.
Su Ming was fed up with this, biting his lip and refusing to speak. When Zou Beiyuan kissed him again, he bit down.
Zou Beiyuan winced in pain, and Su Ming realized he had bitten too hard and caused him to bleed. Feeling guilty, he leaned in to lick the spot gently.
They continued entangled like this for a long time, until Su Ming felt himself reaching his limit, his forehead pressed against Zou Beiyuan’s shoulder, brows furrowing tightly.
Suddenly, Zou Beiyuan’s phone rang, and Su Ming’s mind went blank. His toes curled, and his legs tensed, trembling slightly in Zou Beiyuan’s embrace.
The ringing stopped but then started up again a few seconds later.
Neither of them paid it any mind.
Zou Beiyuan held Su Ming’s hand, quickening the pace. Su Ming could feel Zou Beiyuan’s pounding heartbeat, his rapid breathing, as though his whole body was on fire.
He leaned over and sucked hard on Zou Beiyuan’s neck, feeling warmth spread instantly through his hand.
Zou Beiyuan held him tightly, panting.
The phone automatically stopped ringing again but started once more.
Finally, Zou Beiyuan answered with his clean hand, putting it on speaker, and Zou Jingnan’s voice came through: “Ge, where did you go? I’m going to be late for class! Hurry up and get back here!”
“Alright…” Zou Beiyuan still hadn’t caught his breath. “I’ll be there soon…”
There was a pause on the other end. “What are you doing?”
“I’m running,” Zou Beiyuan was still breathing heavily.
“Didn’t you say you went to find Su Ming? Why are you running?”
Zou Beiyuan, dripping with sweat, replied, “I ran here to find him.”
Zou Jingnan, in a tone that suggested she thought her brother was an idiot, said, “Huh?”
“Twenty minutes,” Zou Beiyuan hung up the phone.
Su Ming: …
Zou Beiyuan gave him a forceful kiss on the cheek. “I have to go.”
Su Ming watched him stand up and head to the bathroom, pulling off his shirt as he went, revealing his toned back. He suddenly remembered that they never seemed to fully undress.
He made a mental note to remember next time.
Zou Beiyuan quickly showered and emerged from the bathroom, where Su Ming had already placed clean clothes for him on the rack.
Living nearby has its perks.
Su Ming stood at the bathroom door, his dark T-shirt hem stained with ambiguous milky white.
“I’m going,” Zou Beiyuan, carrying Su Ming’s citrus scent, kissed him on the lips, “See you later.”
Su Ming nodded and, standing on his tiptoes, kissed him back.
As he watched Zou Beiyuan leave, looking refreshed, Su Ming slowly realized—did Zou Beiyuan run all the way back just for this?
Author’s Note:
The line, “In Lu Xun’s “A Madman’s Diary,” the prototype of the madman is Lu Xun’s cousin. In “Home Town,” the prototype of Run Tu is Zhang Yunshui, a villager from northeast Shaoxing. The prototype of Anna Karenina in Tolstoy’s work is Pushkin’s daughter,” is from *Literary Theory*, author: Wang Zhenglong, Nanjing University Press, August 2019.