Although time was tight, Nie Shiyun managed to make it to the morning meeting just in time. When the meeting ended and he returned to his desk, he let out a long sigh of relief. He felt that even though he hadn't done much yesterday, he had been busy non-stop since the moment he woke up today, leaving him mentally exhausted.
A close colleague at the next desk leaned over. "Why do you look so tired? You must have overexerted yourself last night, eh?"
Nie Shiyun shot him a sidelong glance.
"Hey, just kidding. Isn't it just that us bachelors are daily envious of you, being able to live so harmoniously with your partner... Besides, your boyfriend is way too handsome. Do you remember last time he came to the office to pick you up? So many of the young girls were staring with their eyes wide."
Nie Shiyun’s hands stopped typing. He couldn't quite remember when he had publicly come out at the company.
However, everyone was very gentle about it. Not a single person pointed fingers or judged him for being gay; in fact, they were envious and offered their blessings. Nie Shiyun felt very fortunate.
"It’s not as exaggerated as you make it sound," Nie Shiyun said, amused.
"It really is. Where did you find a guy like that? A film academy?"
"How could that be? We just met by chance," Nie Shiyun replied without thinking.
"Eh?" The colleague’s face was full of disbelief, clearly thinking he was hiding some romantic secret.
In Nie Shiyun’s memory, that was simply how it was. He believed it himself without a shadow of a doubt. Seeing his colleague’s "you’re really no fun" teasing expression, he couldn't explain further. He helplessly chatted a few more words with his neighbor before hastily refocusing on his work as the sound of his supervisor’s footsteps approached.
During the lunch break, Nie Shiyun had just finished eating and was about to head back to work when he was called into the supervisor’s office. He originally thought it was because he had nearly been late this morning or because his idle chatter with his colleague after the meeting had been noticed, and he felt a bit apprehensive. However, once he entered and stood ready for a lecture, he was told that his recent performance was excellent. There would be personnel changes soon, and the higher-ups were considering him for a promotion.
Who wouldn't like an unexpected promotion and a raise? Nie Shiyun’s mood instantly brightened. Even the subtle sense of unease he had felt upon waking up was tossed to the back of his mind. He immediately sent a text to Zhai Bairong to share the news.
"Congratulations!" Zhai Bairong happened to be on his lunch break as well and replied quickly. "I wish I could head back early today, but unfortunately, a business dinner suddenly came up. I’ll celebrate properly with you when I get back later."
Learning that the other man couldn't come home for dinner tonight, Nie Shiyun felt a slight pang of regret. But then he thought that since nothing was set in stone yet, it wouldn't be too late to wait until it was officially finalized.
Regardless, they had plenty of time ahead of them.
Since Zhai Bairong wasn't coming back, Nie Shiyun didn't feel like cooking for himself. After finishing work in the evening, he called up a few close friends and went to a restaurant. They chatted about everything under the sun and enjoyed themselves for a long time before he finally headed home. Before entering, he saw a package on the ground. Seeing it was addressed to Zhai Bairong, he picked it up and brought it inside.
"Hmm... sent from home?" Nie Shiyun looked at the address and guessed, placing it by the entryway for Zhai Bairong.
After taking a hot bath and changing into loungewear, Nie Shiyun sprawled out casually on the sofa. He let out a long breath and turned on the TV, aimlessly flipping through channels to watch some mindless programs. He let his body sink relaxingly into the sofa, feeling that life couldn't be more peaceful.
"..."
Zhai Bairong arrived home around ten o'clock in the evening. Seeing the living room TV on, he knew Nie Shiyun was home and said with a smile, "I'm back."
However, when he didn't receive a response after a moment, he felt a bit puzzled. He took off his shoes and went inside to check, only to see his lover’s sleeping face on the sofa. The remote control in Nie Shiyun's hand was just a hair's breadth away from sliding onto the floor.
Before he could even get close or look for long, Nie Shiyun seemed to sense someone approaching and slowly opened his eyes.
"...What time is it?"
"Ten-fifteen. If you're tired, just go to sleep? Uh, wait... ah!"
Zhai Bairong, who had leaned over to speak to him, was about to stand up when Nie Shiyun reached out with both hands, hooked them around his neck, and pulled him down. Caught off balance, Zhai Bairong fell clumsily. The sofa was a bit narrow for two grown men, so Zhai Bairong ended up pinned directly on top of Nie Shiyun. Subconsciously worried that his weight would crush the other man, he didn't know where to put his strength.
"Mmph..."
Nie Shiyun leaned in for a kiss. Zhai Bairong instinctively parted his lips to respond, but then he suddenly remembered something and pulled back. "I drank tonight, I might smell like alcohol..."
"It's fine," Nie Shiyun said briefly, tilting his head up from below to kiss him again.
Since Nie Shiyun didn't mind and was being so fervent, Zhai Bairong naturally stopped resisting. Their breath became hot with the influence of the alcohol. They clearly slept and woke together every day, yet at this moment, a strange feeling of reunion after a long separation simultaneously welled up in both of them.
"Shiyun..." Zhai Bairong touched Nie Shiyun's face, looking down into his eyes. Just gazing at him like this brought a profound sense of peace.
The TV beside them was still emitting intermittent background noise. Nie Shiyun quickly pressed the power button on the remote. The room instantly became much dimmer, lit only by the faint, warm glow of the overhead light at the distant entryway.
In a few swift motions, Nie Shiyun tossed his belt onto the living room floor. The sound of the metal buckle hitting the leather seemed to strike a spark in the air.
"...Strange, why am I so impatient today?" Nie Shiyun laughed at himself.
To his surprise, Zhai Bairong also took the initiative to grab his wrist, his voice low and pressed. "Me too. I feel... like I haven't seen you in a long time. Even though we're together every day."
Hearing that Nie Shiyun felt the same way, his heart lightened considerably. "Does that mean you missed me like crazy after just a day or two apart?"
He turned the tables, pulling Zhai Bairong’s hand onto himself.
Zhai Bairong feigned composure and urged him, "Do you have to talk about all this random nonsense right now?"
Hearing him deliberately deflect, Nie Shiyun smiled and stopped talking, lowering his body.
In the dim night, on the soft sofa, as Zhai Bairong kissed Nie Shiyun, he actually felt a tiny hint of unfamiliarity.
It should have always been like this.
Zhai Bairong thought for a moment; perhaps it was because they didn't usually do this on the sofa, or perhaps he was just a bit muddled from the alcohol today.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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操劳过度 | Overexerted oneself | Often used as a double entendre for sexual exhaustion.
八字还没一撇 | Nothing is set in stone yet | Idiom meaning things are in the very early stages.
有的没的 | Random nonsense | Colloquial expression for trivial or irrelevant talk.
久别重逢 | Reunion after a long separation | A common idiom for meeting again after a long time.
