Chapter 31: Happy New Year
As dusk fell, snowflakes silently drifted down.
This was the last snowfall of the year.
The winter streets were always filled with the sweet scent of roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes.
Click—
The car door opened, and Qi Xu returned, placing a wax paper package on Xie Yang’s lap.
“Have you been waiting long?”
Xie Yang shook his head and brushed the snow off Qi Xu’s shoulders.
He had just glanced at the roasted sweet potatoes, and Qi Xu went to buy them for him.
Xie Yang peeled off the sweet potato’s skin, and the sweet aroma instantly filled the car. He held it to Qi Xu’s lips, letting him take the first bite.
Qi Xu: “It’s very sweet.”
Xie Yang didn’t particularly like sweet potatoes, but they always reminded him of the past.
In his distant memories, the winters were very cold, and his only companions were his grandmother and an endless supply of roasted sweet potatoes.
Xie Yang: “Where are we going?”
He noticed that Qi Xu wasn’t taking the road back to the apartment near the school.
Qi Xu: “Taking you out for a stroll. It’s New Year’s Eve, so it should be quite lively.”
Xie Yang’s eyes lit up slightly, feeling a bit excited.
Even with the light snowfall, it didn’t dampen the citizens’ enthusiasm for celebrating the New Year.
The city center’s buildings, plazas, and shopping streets were packed with people.
Xie Yang clung to Qi Xu’s arm as they walked down the street, feeling a bit intimidated by the crowd.
Qi Xu: “Do you want to go inside and have a look?”
Xie Yang shook his head: “I don’t want to squeeze through the crowd.”
There were too many people, and he didn’t like it. He was also afraid of getting separated from Qi Xu.
Qi Xu remembered the messages in his WeChat group chat and suggested, “How about we go somewhere else?”
Xie Yang nodded: “Okay.”
Anywhere was fine, as long as he was with Qi Xu.
As night deepened, Xie Yang followed Qi Xu into a high-end club.
He had never been to such a place before.
The grand hall was resplendent, with neon lights casting brilliant colors, and the air seemed to carry a faint, intoxicating scent.
Qi Xu handed a membership card to the waiter, and they followed the waiter to a VIP room.
As the door opened, the deafening music stopped abruptly, and everyone in the VIP room turned to look at the entrance.
“Didn’t they say Old Qi wasn’t coming?”
“Tsk, why did he bring someone?”
“What’s going on, Old Qi? You brought a guy?”
“Xie Yang?!”
Xie Yang had been hiding obediently behind Qi Xu, but upon hearing someone call his name, he instinctively looked up.
It was Xi Rui, his roommate.
At that moment, Xi Rui was staring wide-eyed at their intertwined hands.
Xie Yang felt a bit flustered, unsure whether to let go.
He struggled slightly, but Qi Xu held his hand even tighter.
Xi Rui looked as if he had seen a ghost, stammering in shock.
“You two?”
“You and Old Qi?”
“You two are dating?”
“Xie Yang, you and Qi Xu, you’re together?!”
Xie Yang nodded bashfully. He hadn’t expected to run into Xi Rui and Song Xingyu here.
Nor had he expected to reveal his relationship with Qi Xu to them so soon.
He had been worried they might find it unacceptable.
Song Xingyu looked at Sheng Fei in shock and said, “So, what you said about Old Qi’s dating online is true?”
Sheng Fei replied helplessly, “Of course it’s true. When have I ever lied to you? Wait, you guys know each other?”
Seeing Xi Rui and Song Xingyu’s dumbfounded expressions, Sheng Fei realized they must know Old Qi’s partner.
If they knew each other, how did they not realize that Old Qi and his partner were dating right under their noses?!
Xi Rui: “Xiao Xie is our roommate, Old Song and mine.”
Sheng Fei couldn’t help but roll his eyes at them: “You two are ridiculous. Old Qi has been dating your roommate for a while now, and you didn’t even notice?”
Watching Qi Xu and Xie Yang sit on the sofa, with Qi Xu doting on Xie Yang, Song Xingyu looked like he had seen a ghost: “We didn’t notice at all…”
When did they start dating?
He only found out last night that Xie Yang was in a relationship.
If Xi Rui hadn’t seen Xie Yang on a video call, they wouldn’t have even realized Xie Yang was dating someone.
Xi Rui remembered introducing Xie Yang to Qi Xu, only for Qi Xu to ruthlessly reject the idea and even berate him.
And now, Qi Xu was actually dating Xie Yang. This twist was unbelievable.
So, the person Xi Rui saw on Xie Yang’s video call last night was Qi Xu?
No wonder he had thought the person looked so familiar.
Watching Qi Xu ask the waiter for a cup of hot milk while coaxing Xie Yang, Xi Rui couldn’t help but comment, “Old Qi, do you remember three months ago when I told you I wanted to introduce someone to you? I said that person had a gentle personality and was definitely your type. Do you remember that?”
Qi Xu: “…”
What an awkward topic to bring up now.
Xie Yang also looked at Qi Xu.
He had overheard Qi Xu say he wasn’t interested, didn’t like him, and didn’t like men.
Feeling Xie Yang’s gaze, Qi Xu’s urge to throttle Xi Rui grew.
If looks could kill, Xi Rui would have been sliced to pieces by Qi Xu’s glare.
Xi Rui, enduring Qi Xu’s cold stare, continued, “What did you say back then?”
Qi Xu cut him off, “You can sh*t up now.”
Xi Rui quickly moved to sit far away from Qi Xu, teasing, “You said you weren’t interested, didn’t know him, didn’t like him, and told me not to introduce him.”
Qi Xu: “…”
“Ah, I remember asking you, ‘Old Qi, do you want a partner or not? If you do, I’ll introduce someone.’ If you had said yes, I would have introduced Xie Yang to you. It’s a shame. If you hadn’t refused back then, maybe you two would have hit it off sooner.”
Qi Xu: “…”
Xie Yang burst out laughing.
Qi Xu: “Baby, I didn’t say that.”
Xie Yang’s smile didn’t falter as he whispered, “Actually, I heard it. I was in the dorm room at the time. Xi Rui didn’t notice I was eavesdropping.”
Back then, Qi Xu didn’t know him, so it was natural for him to say such things. Xie Yang found it understandable.
Although he had felt sad, it wasn’t Qi Xu’s fault.
Those old wounds had long been healed by the countless kisses they had shared.
Qi Xu squeezed Xie Yang’s hand slightly, and after a few seconds of silence, he spoke in a hoarse voice, “So, when you rejected my confession, saying I didn’t like you, it was because of what I said back then?”
Xie Yang was stunned.
His smile faded a bit, and he said softly, “It’s okay. I didn’t take those words to heart.”
Qi Xu’s eyes reddened, his face tense.
It was the first time Xie Yang had seen him so distressed.
Qi Xu looked at him, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and said in a low voice, “Back then, you liked me, didn’t you?”
Xie Yang covered Qi Xu’s hand with his cold one, gently patting it, his eyes filled with a comforting smile, “I still like you very much now, even more than back then.”
Qi Xu held Xie Yang’s hand and kissed his wrist.
Once again, Xie Yang had managed to soothe him.
It should have been Qi Xu who comforted Xie Yang.
Just a moment ago, Qi Xu’s demeanor had been off, and Xi Rui, unsure if there were misunderstandings he was unaware of, regretted bringing up past events to tease them. Seeing that their emotions had settled, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Sheng Fei came over with a bottle of wine, poured each of them a glass, and said, “Here’s to Old Qi and Xie Yang, wishing you a long and loving relationship.”
Xi Rui quickly raised his glass to toast Qi Xu and Xie Yang: “Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together.”
Song Xingyu: “I’m not good with words, so just congratulations.”
The remaining friends also offered their congratulations, making Xie Yang blush.
This felt almost like a…
Qi Xu: “Thanks, but I have to drive, so I won’t drink.”
Xie Yang looked at their wine glasses, then at the milk in his hand, and gave Qi Xu a longing look.
He tugged on Qi Xu’s sleeve and whispered, “I want to drink too.”
Qi Xu poured a small amount of wine for him: “You can only have this much.”
Xie Yang sniffed it. The smell was harsh and unappealing to him, but he took a small sip.
The strong, spicy taste exploded in his mouth, and his expression changed instantly.
It tasted awful.
Seeing his reaction, Qi Xu couldn’t help but laugh. He quickly handed the glass of milk back to Xie Yang: “Drink some milk to soothe the taste of the alcohol.”
Xie Yang gulped down several mouthfuls of milk, finally washing away the strange taste.
Sheng Fei glanced at the couple sitting in the corner and could hardly stand to watch.
Song Xingyu and Xi Rui: “…”
Xie Yang didn’t seem like the Xie Yang they knew, and Qi Xu didn’t seem like the Qi Xu they knew either.
Sheng Fei, meanwhile, was off-key and howling into the mic, singing sad love songs while the others played cards.
After hearing Sheng Fei sing, Xie Yang lost any desire to sing himself; he didn’t want to embarrass himself.
He sat obediently beside Qi Xu, watching him play cards, though he couldn’t quite understand the game. Eventually, he just held Qi Xu’s arm and played on his phone.
Xie Yang’s biological clock was precise, and as evening came, he started to feel sleepy. He yawned.
Qi Xu: “Feeling tired?”
Xie Yang, trying to stay awake, shook his head: “Not tired.”
Qi Xu put his cards back on the table and said, “That’s it for tonight. We’re leaving.”
Song Xingyu: “Alright, you guys go ahead. We’re planning to stay up all night.”
Qi Xu picked Xie Yang up, causing him to startle and cling to Qi Xu’s neck.
Even with his eyes closed, Xie Yang could feel the teasing gazes from all around.
Xie Yang sat in the passenger seat and had just fallen asleep when a “bang” woke him up—the sound of fireworks exploding in the sky.
Qi Xu looked at his sleepy face and softly said, “Happy New Year, baby.”
Xie Yang suddenly remembered that it was New Year’s Eve.
He turned to Qi Xu and smiled sweetly: “Happy New Year, brother.”
Fireworks lit up the sky all the way home, and Xie Yang watched through the window.
A new year had begun.
They would have a beautiful future together.
Qi Xu: “Still sleepy?”
Xie Yang watched the numbers rise in the elevator and shook his head: “Not sleepy anymore.”
With the lively atmosphere outside, he was now wide awake after being disturbed.
Qi Xu: “That’s good.”
Xie Yang: “What?”
Qi Xu picked him up again and, with a few strides, they were back home.
Xie Yang lay on the bed, still processing what had happened.
It wasn’t until Qi Xu took a small square item from the drawer and held it in his mouth that it clicked.