KMYB | Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Zhou Zeqi had thought Xi Shui would be the kind of person who kept everything inside, someone not very good at expressing himself.

In reality, it was the complete opposite. Xi Shui was the most direct and straightforward person Zhou Zeqi had ever met, bar none.

And more than anything, Xi Shui was really enthusiastic about kissing.

After Xi Shui finished brushing his teeth, he wiped the water droplets from his hands and stood in front of Zhou Zeqi, looking down at him. "I'm done."

Zhou Zeqi laughed. "And then?"

"You can kiss me now," Xi Shui said.

Zhou Zeqi tugged him a little closer. "Five minutes ago, you said you were going to kiss me. Forgot already?"

"I didn't forget, but I don't know how." Xi Shui knew exactly what he was capable of. He thought kissing Zhou Zeqi was fun, and that was enough. Zhou Zeqi could do the rest.

"How about this," Xi Shui said, frowning slightly. "After we're done kissing, I'll dance for you. I'll do The Nutcracker."

"Okay."

Zhou Zeqi pulled him onto his lap.

Xi Shui was startled and immediately tried to struggle free and run, but Zhou Zeqi pinned him down. Xi Shui was so shocked that his expression management went straight to hell. He looked at Zhou Zeqi in panic. "Do you have to do this?"

"…"

Not all dancers were thin and frail. Ballet in particular demanded extremely strict body proportions. Xi Shui was already very slim, his waist was so narrow in Zhou Zeqi's hands it seemed like it could barely be circled with one grip, but it was firm, and the muscle lines along his waist were clearly defined beneath Zhou Zeqi's fingers.

"What are you touching?" Xi Shui felt that Zhou Zeqi's body temperature was higher than his own, and somehow, it seemed to be getting hotter and hotter.

Zhou Zeqi leaned close to Xi Shui's ear, lowered his lashes, and from the side Xi Shui's two collarbones looked like two little rising hills. He said something.

Xi Shui jerked his head around. His eyes were full of smugness. "Of course! My figure is great, obviously."

Only after he said that did he notice Zhou Zeqi staring at him without a word.

Their breathing somehow began to heat up more and more at that moment.

Xi Shui took the initiative to lean in and lightly lick Zhou Zeqi's lips.

Zhou Zeqi let out a laugh and bit Xi Shui's lip corner, forcing him to open his mouth.

From his tongue to the surface of his teeth, under his tongue, even the entrance to his throat, everything was swept through one by one by Zhou Zeqi. Xi Shui was starting to have trouble breathing, and the little bit of air left in him was being used up fast. He punched Zhou Zeqi's shoulder a few times.

Zhou Zeqi slowly pulled back, creating distance, resting his forehead against Xi Shui's. The boy's eyes were dark, fixed on Xi Shui without blinking.

Xi Shui raised a hand to cover his chest. "I need to rest for a bit."

He had his mouth slightly open, breathing in small gulps. He really was resting.

"I'm rested. Continue," Xi Shui said, his voice a little hoarse.

By the time they were done kissing, two buttons on Xi Shui's shirt had come undone. He grabbed the collar of his shirt and stood up from Zhou Zeqi's lap onto the floor. "A-alright, that's enough for today." Xi Shui roughly calculated in his head that this time had probably been about ten minutes, 50 calories, total profit, starving and still losing weight!

"I'm going to change, then dance for you," Xi Shui said, not daring to look into Zhou Zeqi's eyes. He felt like Zhou Zeqi's gaze could eat people.

–

Xi Shui dug through his closet and pulled out the Platter Tutu his mother had had custom-made for him through someone when he competed in high school. The skirt flared outward from the waist, the waist itself was cinched tight, the back fastened with pearl buttons, and a large clump of white feathers sat over the left chest. The body of the skirt, between layers of gauze and fabric, had a hoop inserted to hold the shape flat. It was broad and flat, like a white disc.

It was a female dancer's skirt.

Xi Shui could wear it too. He had danced in cross-dressed roles before.

And since his frame wasn't especially broad and his features were delicate, with just a little adornment he didn't look out of place at all in a role costume from a ballet.

Zhou Zeqi stood silently at the bedroom door.

Xi Shui was bending over on tiptoe, putting on his pointe shoes. Noticing Zhou Zeqi had arrived, he looked up and gave him a shy smile. "I can dance anything."

The practice room wasn't very big, and they didn't have much time.

Xi Shui found the music, then pushed Zhou Zeqi down onto a chair. "Watch, and don't make any noise."

"You don't have to clap either."

The Nutcracker was a full-length ballet. Xi Shui chose a segment from one of its most classic scenes, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Even if people hadn't seen it, most were familiar with the rhythm of the piece. It was played on a celesta, sounding almost like a music box.

As he listened to the introduction, Xi Shui stood beside Zhou Zeqi. His white skirt spread out, and every so often it brushed against Zhou Zeqi's shoulder. Just as Zhou Zeqi was about to look up at him, Xi Shui sprang away.

He stood facing Zhou Zeqi. Zhou Zeqi was his only audience, so he first gave his audience an elegant, lively bow.

Xi Shui's gaze moved away from Zhou Zeqi's face, and he stepped into the role.

He lifted both hands, softened his wrists, and let his fingertips rise toward the air. His eyes were bright, his expression lively and adorable.

Xi Shui had long arms and straight legs. When he opened up, he was extremely beautiful to look at. Even though he didn't often wear pointe shoes, his center was frighteningly steady, and his footwork was clean and crisp. Every step landed right on the beat of the music, playful yet elegant.

Zhou Zeqi didn't understand dance.

But he could feel Xi Shui's expression through his movements.

He also knew that Xi Shui liked dancing, liked ballet.

The whole piece was less than four minutes long, but Zhou Zeqi felt time fly by.

Xi Shui reminded him, "I'm taking my bow now."

He raised a hand, drew his left leg back, bent his knee slightly behind his right leg, and performed a beautiful curtain call.

"How was it?" Xi Shui ran up to Zhou Zeqi and asked eagerly.

He really did take every dance seriously. Sweat covered his forehead and temples, and the animated look on his face made him seem like he was about to take off and fly.

"Very beautiful," Zhou Zeqi said, his voice a little hoarse.

Xi Shui became even happier and promised, "If you like watching, I can dance for you often in the future."

"Sure," Zhou Zeqi said with a slight curl of his lips. "You said it yourself, remember it yourself."

Xi Shui agreed at once. "Sure, I said it myself. I'll remember it myself."

"Then pinky swear with me." Xi Shui held out his little finger.

Zhou Zeqi looked at Xi Shui's hand, his expression complicated. So childish.

"Okay." Zhou Zeqi hooked his little finger with Xi Shui's.

"I said, I'll often dance for Zhou Zeqi to watch."

"Pinky swear, seal it, for a hundred years." Xi Shui pressed his thumb against Zhou Zeqi's thumb.

"Mm. From now on, every time you dance, I'll be down below the stage," Zhou Zeqi said, making promises to others very rarely. Then he held Xi Shui's hand instead. "If I can't do it, I'll hang myself."

–

Thursday.

Xi Shui recorded yesterday's achievement in his memo.

– 5/25, kissed for ten minutes, burned 50 calories.

Super achievement!!!

When Xi Shui left home that morning, he stepped on the scale. 58.5 kg.

Now he didn't need to kiss Zhou Zeqi every day anymore, and he didn't need to kiss him hard either. He only needed to kiss Zhou Zeqi when he ate too much, or on days when he wanted ice cream and fried chicken, he could just kiss Zhou Zeqi.

Xi Shui ran into Lin Xiaojin at the entrance of Building J. Their eyes met, and Lin Xiaojin ran over all the way. "You're okay now?"

"You're okay too?"

Lin Xiaojin clutched his stomach. "No, I'm still having the runs. What about you?"

"I'm not having the runs."

Lin Xiaojin looked miserable. "I couldn't hold back last night and ate an ice cream. In the middle of the night it started up, and now I really regret it. Why are you so damn energetic?"

"Zhou Zeqi came back yesterday and made me dinner. I didn't eat any snacks," Xi Shui replied.

Lin Xiaojin felt that Xi Shui really did seem to like Zhou Zeqi. Whenever he mentioned Zhou Zeqi, his eyes, holy shit, were bright, and he looked so fucking happy.

"Let me tell you something," Lin Xiaojin said, pulling Xi Shui toward the classroom. "The night Zhou Zeqi took you to the hospital, he left the team without permission. He's going to be disciplined. I heard it's a warning, and they'll post a notice on the bulletin board at the entrance of their college, deduct ten credits, and revoke his eligibility for scholarships."

Xi Shui froze when he heard Zhou Zeqi was going to be punished. "I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't know. There's no way he'd tell you. I only found out from Meng Kewen." Lin Xiaojin pulled two huge peaches out of his backpack, one for him and one for Xi Shui. "They're washed."

Xi Shui bit into one. It still had fuzz on it.

"Don't overthink it. This punishment will be gone next semester. Their relationship with the coach is just like our relationship. This time it mainly happened because a few leaders from the neighboring school saw it. Otherwise their coach would've definitely just turned a blind eye."

"If you really can't get past it, then do something to make it up to him."

Xi Shui thought this suggestion was feasible. Moved, he looked at Lin Xiaojin. "Everything you say today is so useful."

Xi Shui's fighting spirit lasted less than ten seconds. "But I don't know how to make it up to him. Should I make it up to him with my scholarship?"

Lin Xiaojin bit into his peach. "Maybe he won't even get a scholarship. What's there to be afraid of?"

"…"

The air fell into awkward silence.

Xi Shui looked at Lin Xiaojin, looked away, then looked back again, still unable to hold it in. "Your grades aren't even as good as his."

"…"

Lin Xiaojin also couldn't hold it in and threw his head back laughing like a chicken, cack-cack-cack. He leaned over the stair railing. "Xiaoxi, are you protecting your own man here?"

Xi Shui blushed. Lin Xiaojin was so annoying.

Even though his friend had laughed at him, Xi Shui still seriously considered Lin Xiaojin's suggestion.

That was true, Zhou Zeqi treated him well, so he should treat Zhou Zeqi well too.

During his after-class break, Xi Shui went online and asked how to choose a gift for his boyfriend.

[Just give him whatever he usually likes.]

[A guy is always into the same old stuff, razor, belt, shoes. If that doesn't work, just buy him a pack of cigarettes, get him a pack of Huazi.]

What was Huazi? No one in Xi Shui's family smoked, and Zhou Zeqi didn't seem to smoke either. His mouth was always sweet, with no smell of tobacco.

[The ones who come up here to ask are all cheap. They're pretending not to know. If they were going to buy, they'd have already bought it.]

[OP, give us a budget.]

Xi Shui thought about it.

"Twenty thousand."

[Whoa, no need to give him anything. Transfer twenty thousand directly, that's even more straightforward.]

[With twenty thousand you can buy anything.]

[Are you sure you're not bragging?]

Xi Shui replied very seriously, "No, that's my entire month's living expenses and pocket money."

The topic gradually veered off course, and people on the internet started asking Xi Shui whether he still lacked a boyfriend.

"I don't."

So they asked again whether he minded having a few more boyfriends.

Xi Shui replied: I mind. My boyfriend minds too.

The discussion drifted farther and farther off. Xi Shui knew he wasn't going to get an answer, so he backed out and directly asked Zhou Zeqi what he liked.

Zhou Zeqi was probably still asleep at that time, since he'd just finished a match.

Xi Shui only got Zhou Zeqi's reply in the afternoon.

"I need a few pairs of underwear."

Xi Shui happened to be using his phone. Curious, he asked, "How can you be short on underwear?"

"Torn."

"Too small."

"Don't like them anymore."

Xi Shui only replied to "too small." Then he sent a voice message, slow and drawn out, his tone a little surprised and a little puzzled. "You, um, are you actually still growing?"

——————–

Author's note:

Xiaoxi: Wow!