Re-engraving the Spring - Chapter 18

On the way back, Chi Qiu’s eyelids were fighting. In a short time, he fell asleep with his head tilted against the back seat.

Probably because he had only eaten one bite of cake all night, Chi Qiu’s stomach began to protest. He couldn’t avoid making a ‘gurgling’ sound even in his sleep.

In a daze, Chi Qiu raised his eyebrows in distress. He was impatient with hunger and said in a dream: “Noodle soup…”

Lu Ming thought Chi Qiu had woken up so he turned his head to ask: “Do you want to eat noodle soup?”

Chi Qiu did not answer, breathing steadily, sleeping looking extremely sweet.

Lu Ming: “…”

The scene was awkward for a while.

Xiao Yan was not serious enough, and almost laughed out loud. Fortunately, he glanced at the rearview mirror cleverly, and was frightened by Lu Ming’s serious expression in time. In front of the unsmiling boss, Xiao Yan really hoped that his laughing acupoint would be completely dysfunctional.

“Mr. Lu, I’m sorry.” Xiao Yan sweated on his forehead and concentrated on driving.

Lu Ming took out his phone in a serious manner and looked at the time before he called Aunt Zhang: “We will arrive home in about 30 minutes, prepare two bowls of noodles with pickle vegetable and beef soup.” The call did not last more than half a minute before hanging up.

Chi Qiu, with his eyes closed, was really hungry. He faintly heard the words noodle soup and involuntarily let out a deep breath, bumping his head against the glass. The pain made him sober for a moment, tearfully opening his eyes.

In the car in the middle of the night, Chi Qiu was given endless darkness, loneliness and familiarity.

Every time this happened, he would be the first to make a sound: “It hurts…”

The short syllable that pulled Chi Qiu back from the silent space to a world full of warmth.

He and Lu Ming were wearing seat belts and keeping a certain distance.

For this reason, Lu Ming leaned forward a little: “Lean closer and face me.” It was late at night, and Lu Ming’s voice was slightly hoarse.

Chi Qiu nodded and did as he was told. He tilted his head, and the painful place was immediately covered gently by Lu Ming’s palm. The faint pain did not diminish a bit, but he did not feel much pain in his heart.

There was not much space in the car; Chi Qiu could smell the faint fragrance of men’s perfume on Lu Ming’s wrist. He thought it smelled good and secretly sniffed a few more times. Chi Qiu liked this smell, and prefered it to appear on Lu Ming.

Because this was the perfume Chi Qiu gave to Lu Ming.

Every time Lu Ming attended some activities and meetings that required formal dress, he would symbolically spray some.

Chi Qiu was happy in his heart, and subconsciously rubbed Liu Ming’s hand. The smile around his mouth almost slipped.

Lu Ming saw it, “What are you smiling at?”

“You used the perfume I picked.” Chi Qiu didn’t want to hide his happiness.

Lu Ming didn’t understand what to be happy about this, so he said as a matter of fact: “You gave it, I will definitely use it.”

Most of Chi Qiu’s sleepiness flew away. He held Lu Ming’s hand with one of his hands, and let Lu Ming’s palm rest on his face: “Lu Ming, your hands are so big.” He muttered, “Was your hand this big ten years ago? It’s been too long, I don’t seem to remember much.”

Speaking of what happened ten years ago, Chi Qiu was full of nostalgia. It was a very fond memory of him. He would never forget the first encounter with Lu Ming.

Unfortunately, Lu Ming did not answer his words, and never took the initiative to mention the time they were together ten years ago with him.

Lu Ming answered the question: “Does it still hurt?”

“Hurt.”

Perhaps it was because of just waking up, but Chi Qiu’s tone sounded a little bit coquettish.

Lu Ming reminded him, “Xiao Yan is still there.”

Chi Qiu was stunned, awake in a moment of warmth, his head heating up rapidly. He let go of his hand and sat upright with a red face.

However, Xiao Yan in the driver’s seat had a bitter look on his face. He couldn’t wait for himself to disappear into thin air.

The thirty-minute journey was not too far, and Chi Qiu was really tired today. He sat upright with a red face. Within ten minutes, he dozed off with his head tilted and yawned again and again. Lu Ming noticed it and could not help but stretch out his hand and straightened Chi Qiu’s head, letting him lean against the seat: “Sleep if you want, don’t stay up. I asked Aunt Zhang to prepare noodle soup, I’ll call you when we get home.”

“En, but I don’t seem to be too hungry now…” Chi Qiu was probably too sleepy.1 He closed his eyes and felt sleepy. He fell asleep for the second time in a minute.

He leaned on his side, and his phone slipped out of his suit pocket. Lu Ming took his phone, pressed the mute button, and held it in his hand. When the screen touched the temperature of the finger, it automatically lit up, and a message prompt appeared on it at the right time. The sender was Ji Feining.

Lu Ming knew that Chi Qiu and Ji Yanchen had always had a close relationship, growing up together since childhood, but he never knew that Chi Qiu and Ji Feining, the brother who was ten years older than Ji Yanchen, also had private contacts.

But Lu Ming had no intention of interfering with Chi Qiu’s friendships, nor would he check his phone behind Chi Qiu’s back. Since Ji Feining chose to send a message instead of calling, it shouldn’t be anything urgent.

He locked the phone intending to let Chi Qiu check the message and reply when he got home.

Around nine o’clock, the car slowly drove into the front yard of the villa.

Chi Qiu slept deeply. His shoulders moving slightly with his breathing, without the slightest appearance of waking up.

“Chi Qiu.” Lu Ming tried to wake him up.

Chi Qiu nudged his mouth, like a response, but also seemed to be ignoring Lu Ming.

“Chi Qiu, we’re home.” Lu Ming called for the second time, Chi Qiu still did not wake up.

So Lu Ming didn’t plan to wake Chi Qiu again. He got out of the car, walked to Chi Qiu’s side and opened the door. He lightly bent over to unfastened Chi Qiu’s seat belt, and directly hugged Chi Qiu out.

Xiao Yan wanted to go forward to help, but was refused by Lu Ming: “You’ve worked hard today, go back and rest.”

“Yes, Mr. Lu.” Xiao Yan got back in the car and drove away from the villa. This car was considered a necessary tool for him to go to work, and was specially purchased by Lu Ming when he was first hired. On normal days, Lu Ming also allowed Xiao Yan to use it reasonably outside working hours, which could be considered as a generous boss.

……

Aunt Zhang, who was waiting in the living room, heard the sound and opened the door of the villa.

She greeted her and saw the sleeping Chi Qiu, so she lowered her voice and asked, “Mr. Lu, the soup noodles are ready, don’t you want to wake up Mr. Chi now?”

“Let him sleep for a while first.”

“Oh, good, but if you don’t eat the noodles, it will be lumpy after a while. Why don’t I make a new one when Mr. Chi wakes up later?

“It’s late, you go and rest.” Lu Ming said, “When he wakes up, I’ll just cook something for him to eat.” Lu Ming effortlessly carried Chi Qiu into the bedroom.

As a 25-year-old adult, Chi Qiu was lighter and thinner than the average male.

Lu Ming had heard from Chi Qiu before that it was not easy for him to gain weight even if he ate a lot. It seemed like he ate a lot, but Lu Ming knew that Chi Qiu seldom went out. He almost listened to books and studied at home or spent time in a daze. Chi Qiu had less exercise and naturally had a small appetite.

So for Lu Ming, Chi Qiu was really light, and he wouldn’t feel tired after holding it all the time.

Thinking about it, he unconsciously hugged Chi Qiu in his arms a little tighter.

Lu Ming held the person in his hand, and he closed the bedroom door with his feet.

He was just about to put Chi Qiu on the bed, but he didn’t expect the sleepy Chi Qiu to suddenly hug him with open arms with his cheek buried in his chest, like a koala, refusing to let go.

“Chi Qiu, go to bed.” He rustily coaxed him.

Chi Qiu stubbornly shook his head, not knowing what he was dreaming about, wrinkling his brow and hugging Lu Ming even tighter.

Lu Ming had no choice but to put his arms around him and expressionlessly help him take off his shoes and socks.

Chi Qiu murmured in a dream but Lu Ming didn’t hear it clearly. He only knew that Chi Qiu regarded him as a human pillow and was very satisfied with it.

Out of helplessness, Lu Ming hugged Chi Qiu and lay down on the bed together. He turned on his side, following Chi Qiu’s movements, changed to a comfortable position, so that Chi Qiu nestled into his arms, sleeping close to him.

A series of movements were done unskillfully, but without bumps.

The hair in front of Chi Qiu’s forehead was rubbed in a mess, and the nose exhaled a slightly hot breath hitting Lu Ming’s shirt, like a well-behaved and clingy cat.

In March, the temperature was low at night, and they only took off their suits at most.

Lu Ming was also tired. Lying on the soft quilt and rubbing his temples with one hand, his thoughts began to empty. Maybe Chi Qiu’s temperature was very warm, Lu Ming soon fell asleep.

A few minutes after he fell asleep, the sleeping Chi Qiu opened his eyes.

He raised his head lightly, and a pair of beautiful eyes ‘stared’ at Lu Ming’s face in a daze.Then, he carefully leaned over, without waking up Lu Ming——it could even be said that he kissed Lu Ming’s soft lips accurately.

“Good night,” he said softly.