Hearing You Say Love chapter 78
Su and Little Wolf’s Boxing Match
Su Ming had Zou Beiyuan help him take all the signed copies of the comic hidden at the bottom of the bookshelf and place them back neatly on the shelf, filling three rows.
Zou Beiyuan picked a few to take with him and asked Su Ming to write cheeky messages like “I super love Zou Beiyuan,” “Zou Beiyuan is my husband,” “I’ll always love Zou Beiyuan,” and “Zou Beiyuan is the coolest” on each one.
Su Ming obliged.
That evening, Zou Beiyuan followed the instructions in the comic and toy packaging to try out the little toy on Su Ming.
Su Ming leaned against the headboard, biting his lip and frowning with the toy in him. Zou Beiyuan couldn’t tear his eyes away from that part of his body, unable to focus on Su Ming’s face.
Less than three minutes later, he couldn’t help but remove the toy and replaced it with his own member.
Afterward, he asked Su Ming how it was. Su Ming, eyes red, signed, Nothing compares to you.
It wasn’t just the toy—it was that after Zou Beiyuan left, everything seemed less perfect.
On the last night before Zou Beiyuan left, his friends held a small party at the club to send him off, and Zou Beiyuan brought Su Ming along.
During this time, Zou Beiyuan had mentioned Su Ming countless times in front of his friends. Xu Jiadie and the others had gradually accepted the fact that their bro had turned gay. Wearing their rose-tinted glasses, they thought that whatever Zou Beiyuan did was right, and even dating a guy was something of a badge of honor.
They no longer looked at Su Ming with suspicion, but instead thought, “Su Ming is freaking gorgeous. My bro has great taste. Even dating a guy, he’s dating the best-looking one.”
Everyone politely called Su Ming “In-law.”
Su Ming blushed when they called him that, and drank obediently whenever someone offered him a drink.
By midnight, he was feeling tipsy and leaning on Zou Beiyuan’s shoulder.
There was no boxing match that night at the club, and the lights in the bar were dim. From a distance, no one could make out who was who.
Su Ming wasn’t usually the type to show affection in front of others, but after drinking, he became clingy. In front of all their friends, Zou Beiyuan kissed him on the lips, and Su Ming didn’t pull away.
Someone must have started it because everyone suddenly cheered for Zou Beiyuan and Su Ming to drink a toast, and some eager folks even pulled out their phones to film. Xu Jiadie even requested the DJ to play Confession Balloon.
Zou Beiyuan asked Su Ming if it was okay, and Su Ming, half-drunk, blinked and didn’t object.
“Thanks everyone for coming to send me off,” Zou Beiyuan said, raising his glass. “This first toast is for all my friends. After I leave, I’ll leave Su Ming in your hands.”
Xu Jiadie and Jiang Zufan, who had once beaten someone up for Su Ming, immediately replied, “Don’t worry, Beiyuan. If anyone dares to harass our in-law, we’ll make sure they won’t even recognize their own mother!”
Zou Beiyuan smiled and downed the glass of undiluted strong liquor in one gulp.
For the second drink, he pulled Su Ming up, and amidst everyone’s cheers, they shared an intimate cross-cup toast.
Xu Jiadi and Yu Dian were the first to scream in excitement, shipping their own friend’s couple dynamic with enthusiasm.
Their ruckus was so lively that even people at the neighboring table were drawn to the commotion, assuming it was a bachelor party for a groom-to-be. But when they saw it was two handsome men coming out publicly in such a bold way, the atmosphere hit an exhilarating peak.
While Zou Beiyuan, the newly “bent straight man,” looked completely at ease, Su Ming, on the other hand, felt embarrassed and pretended to sleep through the latter half of the party.
Amidst the rowdy chaos, Su Ming leaned against Zou Beiyuan and felt a profound sense of tranquility, as though the noise of the world faded away.
Zou Beiyuan stretched his arm around Su Ming, holding him close while using the other hand to drink with the others. The subtle vibrations of his body as he chatted with friends sent Su Ming’s heart racing.
When Su Ming woke up, the bar was empty, cleaned up, and quiet—clearly closed for the night.
The surroundings were darker now, with only a small spotlight illuminating the boxing ring, while their intertwined shadows faded into the unlit corners.
Su Ming opened his eyes and saw Zou Beiyuan leaning back on the sofa. He wasn’t sure if he had fallen asleep too.
When Su Ming shifted, Zou Beiyuan immediately woke up, his voice hoarse from drinking too much. He asked if Su Ming was thirsty or needed water.
Su Ming shook his head and signed: Where did everyone go?
“They’ve all left,” Zou Beiyuan replied in a low, husky voice. “I didn’t want to wake you since you were sleeping soundly.”
Su Ming nodded and tried to sit up.
“Do you want to head home?”
Su Ming signed: I need to use the restroom first.
They both stood and walked toward the bathroom, their footsteps echoing in the empty space.
Su Ming, still a bit tipsy, accidentally bumped into a poorly placed chair and nearly fell. Zou Beiyuan scooped him up in a princess carry.
Instinctively, Su Ming struggled slightly, feeling self-conscious about being in a public place and worried someone might see them.
“It’s okay,” Zou Beiyuan reassured him, kissing his forehead. “There’s no one here anymore.” Then, lowering his voice, he added, “I also made sure they turned off the surveillance cameras.”
Hearing this, Su Ming wrapped his arms around Zou Beiyuan’s neck, allowing himself to be carried into the restroom.
The place hadn’t changed since they first met there. Back then, Su Ming had been harassed, and Zou Beiyuan had stepped in, bringing him upstairs and teaching him how to defend himself in a fight.
At the time, Su Ming never would’ve imagined being carried into the same restroom by Zou Beiyuan one day.
After washing his face, Su Ming’s shirt collar and hair were dampened by the water, just like that first encounter.
Droplets slid down his cheeks, and strands of black hair clung to his forehead.
Zou Beiyuan gently brushed the wet strands away, cupped Su Ming’s chin, and kissed him.
Su Ming had his lower back pressed against the hard edge of the sink, causing some discomfort.
Zou Beiyuan bit his lip gently and asked, “Do you want to go home?”
Su Ming gripped Zou Beiyuan’s firm arm, panting as he half-opened his eyes and nodded.
So, hand in hand, Zou Beiyuan led him out.
As they passed the boxing ring, Su Ming hesitated, his gaze fixed on the square platform.
He recalled watching Zou Beiyuan’s fight there for the first time, how the young “wolf” had seemed like a war god, igniting a fire in Su Ming’s chest.
Suddenly, he felt the urge to step onto the ring himself and experience being Zou Beiyuan’s opponent.
Noticing his pause, Zou Beiyuan followed his line of sight and asked, “Do you want to spar?”
Su Ming nodded.
Even though it was already past 2 a.m., and the last bartender had long left, they weren’t ready to let the night end.
Zou Beiyuan helped wrap Su Ming’s hands in bandages, put on boxing gloves for him, and taught him how to throw an effective punch.
A basic straight punch—he started with the simplest move.
Su Ming’s punch missed the mark, and Zou Beiyuan leaned in to let his face take the hit.
There wasn’t much force behind it, and Su Ming even pulled back at the last moment, barely brushing Zou Beiyuan’s face with the glove.
“How are you going to fight like that?” Zou Beiyuan teased with a laugh. “Your opponent won’t hold back out of affection.”
Unable to use sign language with gloves on, Su Ming lightly tapped Zou Beiyuan’s chest and gestured for him to attack instead.
Zou Beiyuan tilted his head with a smile and, without gloves, suddenly threw a sharp lead hook!
The punch whistled through the air, stopping just millimeters from Su Ming’s nose. The sheer force and precision froze Su Ming in place, his spine tingling with a mix of fear and awe.
He had no doubt that Zou Beiyuan’s punch could’ve easily knocked him out—or worse.
But Zou Beiyuan’s fist opened into a palm, gently caressing his face. His thumb traced a line from Su Ming’s brow to his nose as he said with a smile, “Why didn’t you dodge? You’re braver than I thought.”
It wasn’t bravery, though. Su Ming’s heart raced as he blinked rapidly, thinking, It wasn’t that I didn’t dodge out of bravery—I was just too scared to move.
His gaze toward Zou Beiyuan still held a trace of lingering fear, like a startled rabbit. Zou Beiyuan stroked his face and said, “If we were to meet in the ring, I’d surrender immediately.”
“I couldn’t bear to hurt you.”
Su Ming nuzzled his face into Zou Beiyuan’s palm, raising both hands to signal for him to remove the gloves for him.
Zou Beiyuan bent down to help, his expression serious as his alcohol-tinged breath brushed against Su Ming’s skin.
That single punch left Su Ming feeling as if he’d had a near-death experience. Though he knew Zou Beiyuan would never actually harm him, the sensation left his throat dry and his heart suspended in midair.
unable to calm down.
He stood on tiptoe to kiss Zou Beiyuan, who was unwrapping the bandages for him while returning the kiss. Su Ming was eager to calm his racing heart, his kiss full of urgency, wanting Zou Beiyuan to embrace him quickly.
But Zou Beiyuan misunderstood Su Ming’s intent, thinking he wanted to take things further right there. He paused for a couple of seconds, then decided to fulfill his desire.
The bandages were quietly discarded onto the ring, followed by Su Ming’s shirt and pants.
Zou Beiyuan slipped his hands under Su Ming’s knees and lifted him entirely off the ground, pressing him against the ropes.
Su Ming’s white boxer briefs barely clung to his ankles, as if refusing to let go completely. He subconsciously hooked his foot, reluctant to let even this last layer fall away, while Zou Beiyuan had only unzipped his own pants. This imbalance left Su Ming feeling somewhat aggrieved.
Before long, however, Su Ming’s feet arched tightly, his fingers digging into Zou Beiyuan’s arms, leaving marks.
The sound of their lower bodies colliding, and gasps—along with the uncontainable sounds escaping Su Ming’s throat—echoed through the empty bar.
The bright spotlight above the boxing ring shone on their figures, casting overlapping shadows across the stage.
That night, the “match” lasted unusually long.
Author’s Note:
It’s not that I don’t want to write more detailed scenes, dear readers, but the regulations are too strict these days. Even a small slip-up gets flagged immediately, and I’ve already tried my best.