The sticky sensation following their intimacy in bed, along with the exhaustion of a long workday, was thoroughly washed away under the spray of hot water.
As Zhai Bairong tilted his head back to rinse the lather from his hair, he habitually closed his eyes. Nie Shiyun, who had finished washing a bit earlier, did not step out from behind the shower curtain. Instead, he took advantage of Zhai Bairong’s closed eyes to steal a kiss.
A fleeting softness touched his lips. The blinded Zhai Bairong was startled for a moment, and before he could react, Nie Shiyun had already pulled back.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing."
Zhai Bairong thought he was just being playful, but Nie Shiyun returned a moment later to stir up more trouble, stretching the two-minute task of rinsing hair into an eternity. Though Zhai Bairong chided him for being childish, his heart was filled with sweetness.
The shower became a drawn-out, mushy affair due to this pointless flirting. By the time they finished fooling around, it was already midnight, and they had accomplished nothing else before it was time for bed.
As they lay together, Zhai Bairong suddenly remembered something. "I forgot to tell you—about the promotion..."
Nie Shiyun interrupted, "Don't congratulate me too early. What if it isn't me in the end? Let's wait until it's set in stone before we go out to celebrate."
"You’re always so cautious. It’s practically a done deal; otherwise, why would your boss go out of his way to give you a heads-up?" Zhai Bairong smiled, though he deferred to Nie Shiyun’s wishes. They embraced face-to-face. Since the next day was Friday, they spent a while discussing their plans for the weekend. Nothing particularly novel came to mind, and they eventually settled on just going shopping and catching a movie.
As they drew closer, the tips of Zhai Bairong’s hair poked Nie Shiyun’s cheek. Nie Shiyun couldn't help but tilt his head to the side.
Noticing his slight reaction, Zhai Bairong mentioned that he hadn't had a haircut in a while. Nie Shiyun ran his fingers through the other man’s strands. By now, the ends of Zhai Bairong’s hair completely covered the back of his neck—a bit long for a man working at a large corporation. However, Nie Shiyun found it very pleasing to the eye; he felt that even if it grew longer, it would still look quite fitting.
"Do you think I’d suit long hair?"
Nie Shiyun, having let his thoughts slip out loud, nodded. "Yes. Don't you think so?"
"Setting aside whether it suits me or not, how would you expect me to go to work like that?"
"Just a thought," Nie Shiyun chuckled.
The bedside lamp was switched off. Moonlight, along with the soft glow from the windows of the apartment building opposite theirs, filtered through the gaps in the curtains.
Sharing the same body wash and shampoo, the two of them exuded the same scent.
"This is so peaceful," Nie Shiyun murmured, his hand resting on Zhai Bairong’s arm.
"Yeah... every day is so..." Zhai Bairong replied vaguely, his voice thick with drowsiness.
As they spoke, their voices eventually trailed off into silence, and they drifted into sleep together in a hazy daze.
The next morning, Nie Shiyun wasn't as groggy as he had been the day before. When his alarm went off, he opened his eyes and woke up instantly.
Zhai Bairong’s company was further away, and since they both drove to work separately, he was usually the one to get ready and leave first. Seeing that Nie Shiyun had also been roused by the alarm, Zhai Bairong told him to sleep a bit longer. However, Nie Shiyun had slept soundly the night before and felt full of energy, unable to fall back into slumber.
"I'll go make breakfast."
"Alright then."
Zhai Bairong didn't decline. Although he usually woke up earlier and would often whip up something simple for the both of them, he had to admit—in most cases, Nie Shiyun’s cooking was far superior to his own.
On weekends or long holidays, Nie Shiyun would even spend his free time making malt candy or preserved plum drops. Zhai Bairong had been quite shocked when he first found out, feeling that such a hobby didn't match the man’s image at all.
After finishing his morning routine in the bathroom, Zhai Bairong walked toward the dining table. Nie Shiyun had been busy in the kitchen for a while, and the stove was already lit. Hearing Zhai Bairong’s footsteps, he called out without turning around, "Oh, by the way, that package by the door is for you."
"Mine?"
Nie Shiyun tossed the frying pan with one hand, effortlessly flipping the fried eggs. "Yeah, looks like it was sent from your parents' address. I didn't open it."
"Thanks. Actually, you can just open them directly next time," Zhai Bairong said with a smile, going over to unpack the box.
"What is it?" Nie Shiyun asked, poking his head out as he saw Zhai Bairong bringing several items into the kitchen.
"Food. My parents are always sending these random bits and pieces. I've told them we don't lack for anything here," Zhai Bairong sighed helplessly, though there was no real complaint in his tone.
Watching his back as he methodically placed the local specialties and dried goods into the storage cabinet, Nie Shiyun couldn't help but say, "Well, you are their only son, and they’ve always doted on you. Sigh, it’s only natural for them to worry after their only son was spirited away to another city by me."
Zhai Bairong laughed. "Who was 'spirited away' by you? That was a job transfer."
"But speaking of which, I didn't expect them to be so easy on me, considering how much they treasure you. You probably don't know how much psychological pressure I felt the first time I visited your house..."
"Really?" Zhai Bairong was somewhat surprised. "Didn't I tell you long ago? They respect all my decisions... they..."
Zhai Bairong’s voice trailed off, sounding hesitant.
Because of Nie Shiyun’s words, he thought of his parents back in his hometown. Just as Nie Shiyun said, he was their only child and had never left their side since he was small. When he suddenly announced he was moving out to live with his boyfriend, his parents, though shocked, had given him their blessings...
That was how it happened, right?
"What's wrong?" Nie Shiyun had just plated two perfect sunny-side-up eggs. Turning around, he saw Zhai Bairong staring blankly into space.
"Ah... it's nothing." Realizing he had dazed off, Zhai Bairong hurriedly placed the sealed bags into the cupboard and shut the door.
"I was the one sleep-deprived yesterday; is it your turn this morning?" Nie Shiyun teased as he watched Zhai Bairong sit down across from him with a slightly bewildered expression.
Zhai Bairong gave a forced smile and explained, "It’s just that for a moment just now, I suddenly couldn't quite remember my parents' faces... I’m really failing as a son."
Nie Shiyun frowned, unsure of what had come over him. Seeing his look of guilt, he immediately offered comfort. "You’ve probably just been overwhelmed by work lately. Come to think of it, we haven't been back in a long time. Isn't there a holiday next month? Let’s go visit them together."
Zhai Bairong nodded. "Yeah, good idea. Then... I’ll give them a call when I have a moment to let them know."
Although they had woken up quite early, time would become tight if they continued chatting so leisurely. After exchanging their usual parting kiss, Zhai Bairong left the house, deciding he would make that call during his lunch break or after returning home in the evening.
At the thought of calling home, he actually felt a flicker of nervousness. It was strange, considering the people on the other end of the line should be his most familiar kin.
For the first half of the day, Zhai Bairong was somewhat distracted. He was usually meticulous and cautious at work, yet he made several small mistakes in a row. When his subordinates discovered them after the documents were sent out, they were quite surprised. Thinking he might be unwell, they asked indirectly if he needed to take a longer break at noon.
Knowing he couldn't settle his mind, Zhai Bairong accepted his subordinates' kindness. He walked out of the office and sat down in the lounge area. He opened his phone to scroll through old photos; they were filled with the bits and pieces of his daily life with Nie Shiyun. He had to scroll all the way to the top before he found an old family portrait from years ago. He stared at the faces in the photo for a long time. In his heart, he knew these were indeed his parents, yet he felt a faint sensation as if they were from a lifetime ago.
Remembering he had said he would call them this morning, Zhai Bairong decided it was better to just do it now.
"..."
After dialing the number, the phone only rang a few times before it was picked up. Zhai Bairong’s heart instantly tightened.
"Hello? Why are you calling at this hour? Aren't you at work?"
"Ah... no, I’m just on my lunch break."
Was this his mother’s voice? As Zhai Bairong listened to the slightly aged but very gentle female voice on the other end, her tone joyful as she told him about recent happenings and asked if his work and relationship were going smoothly, a natural warmth rose in his heart, masking his previous nervousness.
"Everything is fine. I received the food you sent over." After listening for a long while, Zhai Bairong finally spoke up to respond, forced to interrupt his mother’s endless nagging.
"Is Xiao Yun treating you well? You aren't being mistreated, are you?"
Zhai Bairong felt amused. "Of course. Listen to you—it’s not like a grown man like me could be bullied by him."
"As parents, no matter how old you grow, we’ll always worry about you..."
"I’m doing very well here." Zhai Bairong’s tone lightened considerably. As the conversation went on, his initial nervousness gradually dissipated. He thought to himself that he must have just been oversensitive this morning because it had been too long since he last contacted home.
After chatting about domestic trivialities for a while, Zhai Bairong didn't forget the original purpose of his call. He informed her that he and Nie Shiyun planned to come back for a visit. As expected, Zhai Bairong’s mother was delighted, saying she had to hurry and tell his father to start preparing things. Zhai Bairong insisted it was too early, but he didn't know if the person on the other end was actually listening.
When he returned to the office in the afternoon, his subordinates and colleagues noticed that Zhai Bairong’s complexion looked much better. He even seemed more energetic than usual, which finally put their minds at ease.
***
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 75 | Echoes of Another Life | Novela.app | Novela.app
