Hearing You Say Love chapter 6

Come to My Place

Su Ming had stayed up late the previous night finishing the line art. Now, it was time to color it.

His art style was delicate and refined, so each coloring session required a significant amount of work.

Thanks to a strong market presence, the comic had already been published in a standalone volume.

This chapter’s plot revolved around the wolf Jue being framed and imprisoned by the king, only for the third prince, Rabbit Zhen, to rescue him, and the two escape the palace together.

The rain poured over the mountains, the forest shrouded in darkness. Jue and Zhen took shelter in a small cave.

Afraid of being spotted by the pursuers, Jue didn’t dare light a fire. Only when lightning flashed across the sky could he catch glimpses of Zhen’s snow-white body nestled in his arms.

Zhen, feeling cold, clung tightly to him, his chest rising and falling gently with his breath as he slept deeply.

They were only about 800 miles from the border. If Jue ran at full speed, he could return to his tribe by dawn.

But Jue hadn’t eaten in three days, and he had no strength left.

He looked down at the white rabbit in his arms—this was the foolish third prince of the Rabbit Kingdom, scorned by all in the palace. If Jue ate him, he could immediately regain his strength, return to the royal court, expose the Rabbit Kingdom’s conspiracy to his father, and protect the wolf tribe.

Rabbit Zhen’s body was warm, unconscious as he leaned against Jue’s chest. The artery in his neck pulsed faintly, but each beat seemed to pound on Jue’s heart like bells.

“Eat him! Eat him! Eat him!”

Jue’s blood boiled, his instincts screamed, and his hunting nature pulled at him, nearly driving him mad.

Another flash of lightning lit up the cave. Jue opened his mouth, his sharp teeth closing around the rabbit’s neck. He trembled slightly, as if he could already taste the metallic taste of blood.

If he bit down just a little harder, the rabbit would fill his belly.

The hunger was unbearable, and with that thought, Jue prepared to snap the rabbit’s neck.

Just then, Rabbit Zhen in his arms stirred, slowly opening his eyes.

Jue’s sharp teeth never pierced Rabbit Zhen’s fur because, suddenly, Rabbit Zhen reached out and hugged his neck.

There was no fear in Rabbit Zhen’s eyes—only gentleness, trust, and even… sweetness.

Something deep inside Jue softened inexplicably, and he stopped, releasing Rabbit Zhen’s neck.

The rabbit wiped the spot where he had been bitten, now damp with Jue’s saliva. He snuggled closer in his arms, resting his head on Jue’s shoulder, and said coyly, “You’re so annoying! Your saliva made my fur wet.”

Jue let out a small grunt and said, “I’m sorry.”

Rabbit Zhen tilted his head closer, then suddenly kissed the corner of Jue’s mouth.

Seeing Jue stunned, Rabbit Zhen stuck out his pink tongue and licked him, whispering, “Were you trying to do this earlier?”

“D-Do what?” Wolf Jue stammered, heart racing, avoiding eye contact.

“Licking fur,” Rabbit Zhen said innocently, “We rabbits always lick each other’s fur. I often help my siblings with it.”

Jue turned his head away and stiffly replied, “I don’t want to lick you.”

“I’ll lick you!” Rabbit Zhen said happily. “I can lick you clean.”

Jue loosened his grip on Rabbit Zhen and placed him on the ground. “I don’t want you licking me either. If you’re not cold anymore, keep your distance.”

Rabbit Zhen frowned in disgust, “You ran all day, got soaked in the rain, and you’re not even going to bathe? Gross.” He leaned closer and sniffed him, pulling back with an even more disgusted expression. “And you stink! Still don’t want to lick your fur?”

Jue, wet from the rain, indeed felt uncomfortable with his fur matted together, but he stubbornly replied, “I don’t stink.”

Rabbit Zhen pounced and hugged him, kissing and licking all over. “You’re stinky everywhere! So stinky!”

The cave soon fell quiet, the sound of dripping water and the rain outside blending together. Jue felt dazed, unsure if he was dreaming.

The fur-licking bath soon became something else, as Rabbit Zhen, whether out of innocence or on purpose, very slowly licked places he shouldn’t have…

Chen Muchao, while coloring this frame, finally couldn’t take it anymore. He tossed his pen aside. “Damn it, Su! Even when drawing a wolf and a rabbit, you manage to make it so steamy! I’m seriously impressed.”

Su Ming lifted his head from the screen, hearing his neck crack as he put his pen down and cast a disdainful glance at Chen Muchao. His fingers moved quickly: This is an adult comic! Are you even a man? Can’t handle this? If not, go back to drawing your children’s books!

Artists can’t stand being taunted, so Chen Muchao grabbed his pencil and said, “I’ll show you the real talent of the top art student!”

From that point to the end, there were over a dozen frames of the rabbit finishing things for the wolf. Su Ming’s acclaimed talent for scene composition was on full display in these panels, more blush-inducing than any animation.

Chen Muchao finished coloring two panels before putting his pen down again and grabbing a cigarette. “I need a smoke to calm down.”

Su Ming watched him collapse into his chair like a defeated man and burst out laughing.

He rarely laughed out loud and never made any noise in front of others. Only around friends like Chen Muchao, who made him feel safe, did he let his guard down completely.

His laugh was pleasant, perfectly normal.

Seeing him laugh, Chen Muchao couldn’t help but laugh too. He kicked the leg of Su Ming’s chair, “Get up and have a smoke with me, loosen up your neck before it breaks.”

Su Ming obliged, stood up, and leaned against the table to light a cigarette.

The ashtray on the table was almost full. Su Ming took it to the kitchen to empty it into the trash, then refilled it with fresh sand to stub out the cigarettes.

Chen Muchao looked over and said, “Once you finish this update, let’s go fishing.”

Su Ming, with a cigarette between his lips, signed back: I need to prepare the next chapter.

“Don’t you usually take a break after finishing an update to find inspiration?”

Su Ming lazily signed: No need. I’m full of inspiration lately. I can draw more.

Chen Muchao immediately understood and twirled a pencil in his hand, asking, “Does that little wolf next door know what you’re drawing?”

Su Ming signed back with a question: Do straight guys even read BL comics on Jam?

Jam Comics was the platform where Su Ming’s series was published, the biggest boys’ love (BL) comic site in the country.

“I’m a straight guy, and I help you with the coloring,” Chen Muchao argued.

Su Ming thought about it for a moment and slowly signed: If he found out… he’d probably end our friendship.

“He’s actually a decent guy,” Chen Muchao said, smoking. “That day after you went upstairs, we checked out the situation. The guy you beat up seemed pretty hurt. He was making a fuss about calling the police, but your neighbor helped smooth things over.”

Su Ming was surprised: Pretty hurt? I didn’t even use much force.

“Dude, that’s the most sensitive spot on a guy. No one can handle a kick like that.”

Su Ming genuinely believed he hadn’t used much strength. He knew hurting people was illegal, and although he was angry at the time, he had only wanted to get away, not to injure anyone.

He quickly signed: So how did he handle it?

“When I got there, the guy was yelling about calling the cops. Your neighbor was talking him down, then they took him to a private room,” Chen Muchao recalled. “Not sure what happened next, but I saw the guy leave on his own.”

Su Ming was angry, and he signed forcefully: Why didn’t you say it earlier? It’s been three days, and if you don’t repay the favor in time, it turns into a debt. Do you understand?

“It’s not a big deal,” Chen Muchao said slowly, exhaling smoke. “Bringing the police into it wouldn’t be good for the bar. He’s the owner, after all. He definitely doesn’t want things to get too big, and it’s not all just for you.”

Wait? He’s the owner? Su Ming was taken aback.

Chen Muchao laughed, “You didn’t know?”

Su Ming shook his head; he hadn’t asked that day.

“What’s wrong with you?” Chen Muchao teased him, “You’ve already ‘privately mediated’ and you don’t even know the other person’s identity. Are you okay, Su?”

Su Ming thought for a while, bit the cigarette between his teeth, and messaged Zou Beiyuan: [That day when I hit someone, was it you who helped me handle it? How did you handle it? Did you spend any money?]

After a few minutes, Zou Beiyuan sent a long voice message. Su Ming opened it:

“No. He insisted that he was seriously injured and was asking for a lot of money for a private settlement. I asked him to show me; not even a patch of skin was scraped off. I told him that I could take him to the hospital for an assessment, and whatever compensation was decided, our bar would pay him double, but he refused.”

Zou Beiyuan’s voice was still that lazy, deep tone, tinged with laughter, “Then I said we could record a little video and publicly apologize to him on the bar’s Douyin account. In the end, he just left.”

Su Ming had his speaker on, so Chen Muchao heard it too and laughed heartily, “Damn, I didn’t expect you to be so ruthless, little wolf.”

The Douyin account had hundreds of thousands of followers and regularly posted many boxing and fighting-related videos.

The girl managing the account was savvy, posting videos of men who were not only handsome and fit but also had a particularly alluring vibe. It was normal for a single video to get millions of views.

Once that video was posted, everyone would know he sexually harassed someone of the same sex and was hit in the crotch area. He could forget about getting by in the future.

Su Ming didn’t have Douyin on his phone, but he understood Chen Muchao’s explanation.

He was a bit surprised by Zou Beiyuan’s way of handling things because Zou Beiyuan looked too young. He thought he would be more reckless or impulsive. He didn’t expect him to resolve the situation so elegantly in just twenty minutes.

“See?,” Chen Muchao was already defending Zou Beiyuan. “I told you he’s pretty decent.”

Indeed, it was Su Ming who hit someone, and it was his responsibility to compensate. Although the bar didn’t want the situation to escalate, if it did, it wouldn’t really impact the bar.

The one affected would still be Su Ming.

Su Ming pursed his lips and typed to Zou Beiyuan: [Thank you, let me treat you to dinner.]

Zou Beiyuan quickly replied with a voice message: “You’re cutting in line; I haven’t treated you yet.”

Su Ming smiled slightly: [I must cut in, let’s do it tonight. Are you free?]

Zou Beiyuan: “Didn’t you say you were busy?”

Su Ming: [Just say whether you’re free or not.]

Zou Beiyuan lazily said, “Of course I’m free. What are we eating?”

Su Ming thought about the ingredients in the fridge and listed them: [Tomato beef brisket, shrimp and asparagus, mushroom soup, lemon pan-seared salmon. Do you have any food restrictions?]

Zou Beiyuan: [Have you already planned out the dishes?]

Su Ming: [Are these dishes okay?]

Zou Beiyuan: [Sure. Where are we eating?]

Su Ming: [Come to my place.]