Want to Have a Relationship with You | Chapter 31 | A Heartbeat in the Snow | Novela.app

Chapter 33 - A Heartbeat in the Snow Su Jingming practically flew out the door. Behind him, Su Qicheng watched with a look of utter bewilderment as the heavy security door remained wide open, the sounds of the Spring Festival Gala’s finale blaring from the television. Su Jingming sprinted down the stairs, his footsteps echoing through the stairwell. The lights in the residential building had been dim for years, casting flickering shadows against the walls. From behind every closed door came the muffled sounds of laughter and the clinking of glasses—the joyous cacophony of families celebrating the New Year together. For the first time in a long time, Su Jingming found these sounds pleasant, even beautiful. Outside, Wen Yan stood waiting. Hearing the frantic, rhythmic thud of someone rushing down the stairs, he turned his gaze toward the entrance. A youth clad in a black overcoat soon burst into view, and the tenderness in Wen Yan’s eyes deepened instantly. "Slow down," Wen Yan said softly. Su Jingming’s footsteps faltered. His body reacted faster than his brain, slowing his pace until he came to a steady halt directly in front of Wen Yan. A wave of heat surged from his chest, blooming across the tips of his ears. "...You, why are you here?" Su Jingming blurted out the question that had been burning in his mind, nearly tripping over his own tongue in the process. Wen Yan, who stood a head taller, looked down at him with a gentle gaze. "I was thinking... shouldn't a New Year's blessing be delivered in person to show the most sincerity?" Su Jingming froze for a moment. Wen Yan smiled, his expression softening further. "Happy New Year, my Little Hero." The tips of Su Jingming’s fingers, hanging at his sides, began to tingle. The biting winter wind howled past his ears, yet it failed to blow away the resonance of Wen Yan’s words. Su Jingming felt a sudden rush of heat to his head; he didn't dare meet Wen Yan’s eyes. "You too. Happy New Year." Wen Yan let out a low chuckle and checked the time. "Want to take a walk?" Su Jingming nodded without a second thought. By the time he realized how quickly he had agreed, he couldn't help but feel that his body was being far too honest with his heart. The two walked side by side under the glow of the streetlamps, traversing the long, quiet street. Before them, the lights of ten thousand homes flickered like stars scattered across the night sky. Su Jingming kept his hands buried deep in his pockets. From the corner of his eye, Wen Yan noticed that the boy’s ears were still a faint, stubborn red. A light dusting of snow had fallen during the day, and it remained unmelted in the shadows of the night. Behind them, two sets of footprints stretched from one end of the darkness to the other, appearing strangely intimate under the amber streetlights. Su Jingming had never imagined he would spend New Year’s Eve "pressing the pavement" with Wen Yan. After a long silence, Su Jingming finally spoke. "I don't like her." Wen Yan offered a soft "Mm" of acknowledgment. "You mean Zhang Jia?" "Yes. I don't like her." Su Jingming wrinkled his nose, instinctively reaching up to adjust the glasses on the bridge of his nose, only to realize he had been in such a rush that he’d forgotten to wear them. He couldn't quite explain why he felt so guilty, why he had been avoiding Wen Yan. Every night, he found himself scrolling through their chat history—messages that seemed ordinary on the surface but were laced with an underlying, unspoken tension. "Then what about me?" Wen Yan turned to face him, his steps coming to a halt. "Why have you been avoiding me?" His eyes were deep, as if he wanted to pull Su Jingming into his own private world and hide him there. Su Jingming swallowed hard under that intense gaze, his Adam's apple bobbing. Wen Yan’s eyes darkened even further at the sight. Why was he avoiding Wen Yan? Because he felt guilty. But why did he feel guilty? After a long pause, Su Jingming muttered, "...I don't know." The streetlamp cast an aged, yellow glow over Su Jingming’s face. Wen Yan stepped closer, his tall frame casting a large shadow that enveloped the younger boy. *I never thought you would affect every single one of my nerves like this.* *You have no idea how I’ve spent every minute and every second in a world without you.* "Have you been drinking?" Su Jingming caught the faint scent of alcohol lingering on Wen Yan. Even that slight whiff made him feel as though he were becoming intoxicated himself. "Mm, I had a little," Wen Yan replied, his voice low and raspy. "I suddenly wanted to see you, so I came." His honesty was always so blatant, so devoid of any attempt at concealment. Su Jingming’s eyes widened slightly, but before he could formulate a response, Wen Yan reached out and pulled him into a firm embrace. The scent of alcohol was stronger now. Despite the thick layers of their winter coats, Su Jingming could clearly feel the warmth radiating from Wen Yan’s body. It was a cozy, searing heat that made his heart feel numb. Wen Yan buried his face in the crook of Su Jingming’s neck, his hot breath ghosting over the smooth skin there. "Little Hero, don't hide from me anymore." Tiny snowflakes began to drift down from the sky, landing on the tip of Su Jingming’s nose and making him shiver. Their embrace was brief, resembling a supportive lean between friends, yet it felt like so much more. Wen Yan chuckled and ruffled Su Jingming’s hair. Su Jingming’s eyes were bright, and his entire demeanor seemed to have softened. They stood silently in the wind and snow, the howling gusts fading into the distance, yet Wen Yan’s words remained etched in the air. The redness from Su Jingming’s ears spread to his cheeks. He looked up and gave a serious, quiet reply: "Okay. I won't." *** With Wen Yan in a better mood, Wen Miao’s life became significantly easier, though Song Yifei remained utterly confused by the shift. On New Year’s Day, Wen Yan actually reduced the number of practice papers Wen Miao had to complete. He looked almost saintly as he said, "Just do this much today. Mom and Dad invited Su Jingming over for dinner tonight." Wen Miao’s hand froze mid-stroke. Why did her brother’s voice sound so much gentler than usual? She swallowed hard and looked at him with disbelief. "Brother, what’s wrong with you?" Wen Yan frowned, clearly dissatisfied with her reaction. "I treat you a little better, and this is the attitude I get?" "No, no, no! It’s just... last night, you and Jingming-ge..." Wen Yan had returned very late the previous night, long after Wen Miao had fallen asleep. She had intended to stay up to grill him for details, but she’d failed. Now that she had the chance, her gossiping heart couldn't be contained. Wen Yan looked down at his phone, suddenly remembering something. "Wen Miao, did you tell Su Jingming that I’m in a 'puppy love' relationship?" "Ah..." Wen Miao stammered. "Well, didn't I see you walking home with that tall, thin girl the other day? You were even smiling at her." "Who don't I smile at?" Wen Yan countered. "You clearly know what your brother is thinking, yet you go around spreading rumors to Su Jingming?" "I was spreading rumors?" Wen Miao’s eyes widened. *I was practically fanning the flames for you two! You should be thanking me!* "...What I said... it was... it was basically the truth," she finished, her voice trailing off into a whisper. Wen Yan sighed. "That was a senior from the twelfth grade. Don't talk nonsense in front of Su Jingming again." "I just wanted to help Jingming-ge catch a clue..." Wen Miao grumbled under her breath. Wen Yan didn't catch her muttering. He was busy messaging Su Jingming about the dinner invitation. When Su Jingming first heard about it, he was shocked. **Salted Egg:** Is your family always this polite? **Wen Yan:** My parents insisted. I had to obey. **Salted Egg:** Since when are you so obedient? **Wen Yan:** ... **Salted Egg:** Dinner really isn't necessary. No need to be so formal. Seeing this reply, Wen Yan recalled how resistant Su Jingming had been when they first met. He licked his lips; if there was one thing he was confident in, it was his patience. **Wen Yan:** Just come. I already promised my parents. **Salted Egg:** !! How can you promise on my behalf! **Salted Egg:** [Ultraman_No.jpg] **Wen Yan:** Little Hero, are you shy? As soon as he sent that, Wen Yan felt a pang of regret. He worried he was pushing too hard, causing Su Jingming to act like a turtle—constantly retracting and poking his head out of his shell. Wen Yan clicked his tongue, exited the chat, and opened his browser. Under Wen Miao’s suspicious gaze, he expressionlessly typed into the search bar: *What to do if a seventeen-year-old boy is always shy?* Wen Miao swore she didn't have a habit of peeking, but she couldn't help it if her eyesight was just that good! Wen Yan clicked on a random thread and began to study it seriously. *1L: What to do if a boy is always shy? Waiting online, it’s urgent.* *2L: Shy in what way?* *3L: Poster above is definitely driving a car (NSFW). This thread is suspicious!!* *...* *50L: Shy? Do boys even get shy nowadays? Unbelievable.* *55L: Simple. Just make him shy a few more times. Once his skin gets thick enough, he’ll be fine.* *60L: Then the question is, how do you make him shy more often?* *61L: Hehe, I know the answer. Do you guys get it?* *...* *100L: We get it!* Wen Yan frowned as he finished the thread. It felt incredibly strange. Just as he was about to exit, he noticed the forum’s header: it was Liangcheng’s most famous gay forum. "..." Suddenly, he felt as though he were being watched. He looked up to find Wen Miao staring at him, her face flushed. "What are you looking at? Is the answer written on my face?" Wen Miao said cautiously, "Brother... your face is red." Wen Miao hadn't seen the actual content of the thread—her brother scrolled too fast for her eyes to keep up—but the visible blush on his face was undeniable. What on earth had he been looking at?! Wen Yan cursed inwardly, closed the browser, and returned to WeChat. Su Jingming had sent a barrage of emojis—all of them Ultraman Tiga. He suddenly let out a light laugh, startling Wen Miao so much she jumped. She quietly pulled out her phone and messaged Song Yifei. **It’s Miao Miao:** My brother has gone crazy. **S:** Wasn't that inevitable? Seeing Song Yifei’s reply, Wen Miao felt it made perfect sense. As long as Su Jingming remained oblivious, Wen Yan was only going to get closer to the edge of insanity. Wen Miao swallowed the questions she wanted to ask and focused on finishing the homework Wen Yan had assigned. By three in the afternoon, Wen Miao finished her work. Wen Yan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and vanished into his room. When he emerged again, he looked impeccably groomed as he headed toward the kitchen. "Mom, do you need help?" Mother Wen turned around, not noticing anything unusual about her son. She held a spatula in one hand. "No, no. When is your friend arriving?" "We agreed on five o'clock," Wen Yan said, his eyes crinkling into a smile. Father Wen happened to walk out of his room at that moment, clutching a bottle of liquor. "Wen Yan, does your friend drink?" Before Wen Yan could speak, Wen Miao chimed in from the side, "Dad, Jingming-ge is a one-bottle wonder!" Father Wen seemed intrigued. A young man who couldn't drink? Wen Yan raised an eyebrow. "He really is a one-bottle wonder." "Then you mustn't let him drink. We don't want his parents blaming us," Mother Wen said, wiping her hands as she walked over to Father Wen. "And you, drink less. Look at that stomach of yours. What will you look like if you keep this up?" Father Wen grumbled, "I just thought, since his friend is a good kid..." "I think you’re just looking for an excuse to drink!" Mother Wen glared at him before urging Wen Miao to change. "Miao Miao, go put on something decent. It’s impolite to wear pajamas when a guest is coming." Wen Miao’s eyes widened, her hand pausing as she reached for a sunflower seed. *Why do I feel like a sister-in-law is coming for an official visit...*