CH 66

The fireworks dissipated, but the stars remained.

Bo Yueming looked at the person in front of him in disbelief, feeling that this person was more dazzling than everything he had seen just now.

He had imagined that Pei Yi would accept this relationship little by little under his warm water offensive, and at the same time, planned for the worst in case Pei Yi chose to leave.

But Bo Yueming didn’t expect—

Pei Yi had secretly prepared everything for him on his birthday, and then rushed to confess his affection before he could speak.

— Bo Yueming, I like you.

— Do you want to be my boyfriend?

Those warm, sincere words without a single trace of impurity pressed heavily on Bo Yueming’s heart.

For the first time, he understood that the two words “Happy Birthday” were not superficial in meaning, but one of the most indescribably wonderful existences in this world.

Pei Yi saw that Bo Yueming hadn’t answered for a long time, and the courage he had gathered receded a bit. “Er-ge?”

Because of the injuries and blows he had experienced since he was a child, no matter how successful Pei Yi was in his career, he was a blank sheet of paper emotionally.

Ever since he became clear about his feelings for Bo Yueming, Pei Yi thought that he must pierce that impenetrable window paper, and his birthday was the best option.

It was the first time Pei Yi had confessed to someone, and he had no experience at all. He took the other’s acceptance for granted, but why wasn’t Bo Yueming responding at all?

The knot of Pei Yi’s throat rolled a bit with uncertain tension. “Bo Yueming, don’t you want to?”

“I want to!”

Bo Yueming took a quick breath and repeated, “No matter whether it is boyfriend or lover, in the future, I’m willing to be called anything.”

It was rare for Pei Yi to hear such a sincere, urgent answer from the person in front of him. The tension retreated, and his smile persisted. “Er-ge, then this birthday gift will be regarded as your signature of acceptance? Are you satisfied?”

“I’m satisfied.”

Bo Yueming kissed him lightly on the forehead. “I’ll sign for receipt. Thank you, kitten.”

Although it wasn’t the first time he had heard this address from the other party’s mouth, Pei Yi’s heart still trembled and his whole body bubbled. Taking advantage of this uncontrollable happiness—

From careful exploration to bold advancement.

Pei Yi raised his head and kissed Bo Yueming’s thin lips gently, and murmured with red ears, “This is the only way to sign for receipt.”

“…….”

Bo Yueming’s breath fluttered for a moment, as if he had broken through some kind of imprisonment. “This is going to kill me.”

“Huh?”

Pei Yi heard this mumbled whisper through gritted teeth, but before he could understand, there was nothing under his feet—

Bo Yueming picked him up and walked quickly toward the “temporary parking lot” outside the woods.

“Wait, wait a minute!”

Pei Yi subconsciously tightened his arms around Bo Yueming, leaning on him like a koala as he moved. “Er-ge, are we not looking at the stars anymore?”

Bo Yueming replied, “It’s too late and too cold. We can still see them in the vehicle by opening the skylight.”

Within a minute, the two returned to the off-road vehicle.

Bo Yueming carried Pei Yi and walked straight to the rear door. He was unable to move his hands, so he said, “Open the door.”

There was a bit of urgency in his tone.

Pei Yi didn’t sense this for the moment, and complied obediently.

The door opened.

Bo Yueming didn’t know where such cunning tricks came from, but he sat in the back row properly, and then turned sideways flexibly to steadily bring Pei Yi into his arms.

Both of his knees touched the seat, and Pei Yi realized that he was straddling Bo Yueming’s lap.

This “excessive” posture had him at a loss for a moment, and he struggled to move to the side.

—Slam!

Bo Yueming had freed his hand to close the door abruptly, and then touched the neck of the man in his arms. “Don’t move around.”

Pei Yi stopped struggling, and shrank his neck sensitively. “Why do you always like to touch the back of my necK? It tickles.”

Bo Yueming answered honestly, “Because there’s a small mole.”

It was very cute and likable.

This was the first time Pei Yi had found out about such a thing, and he didn’t want to be outdone. “Then I also want to touch you.”

The topic was very standard, but there was a hint of ambiguous sentiment.

Bo Yueming indulged his curiosity. “Oh? Where?”

Pei Yi glanced down, and his fingers landed on that attractive Adam’s apple. He made circles, as if performing some experiment. “One second, two seconds, three seconds…..”

“Er-ge.”

Pei Yi gave the verdict with a chuckle, “In just three seconds, your Adam’s apple became very red. Is it ticklish?”

“…….”

Bo Yueming held together those mischievous fingers, and his back stiffened as he said breathlessly, “Pei Yi.”

This was not the first time. From the accidental touch when adjusting his suit and tie at the beginning, to being curious and playful when he was “asleep” — every time those fingertips brushed his Adam’s apple, his self-control would loosen and collapse. 

“What’s wrong?”

Pei Yi asked this casually, then raised his eyes to meet the other’s dark gaze and came to a realization. “I…..”

“The signature of acceptance just now doesn’t count.”

Bo Yueming interrupted him, rubbing the back of his neck with a little force. “I’m the star of my birthday tonight, so I must accept it personally.”

A kiss fell once again.

Dominating his breath, attacking the lips and teeth directly, stirring up feelings that were about to overflow from the heart. 

From Pei Yi’s initial shock and astonishment, to accepting and responding, to sobbing and begging for mercy, the entire back seat was occupied by the passion of their kisses.

After a long time, the windows on both sides were opened a small slit, and the surging air carried a slight chill that dissipated the unbridled heat in the car.

Although they were atop a mountain on a late winter night, both of them felt unbearably hot both physically and mentally.

Pei Yi removed the scarf from around his neck with Bo Yueming’s help, but no matter how hard he gasped, he still felt dizzy. “Er-ge.”

Bo Yueming’s breathing was still uneven. “En?”

Under the dim dome lights, Pei Yi’s skin was unbelievably fair, stained with redness as if brushed by the red pistil of a flower. A little pinch, rub, and touch, would coat it with a heart-warming sweetness.

Bo Yueming couldn’t hold back, and kissed the red tip of his nose again. “What is it?”

Pei Yi’s mind was a mess, and he muttered incoherently, “I, I don’t have altitude sickness, do I?”

“…….”

Bo Yueming was startled, then laughed silently and fell on his kitten’s shoulder.

Pei Yi felt the shaking of his laughter, and slowly realized that he was talking nonsense.

With the height of Yanshan Mountain, how could he have altitude sickness?

He was not proficient in breathing while kissing, and was dizzy due to lack of oxygen.

“Don’t laugh at me.” Pei Yi’s face was still burning, but he didn’t feel embarrassed.

“I only kissed that deeply for the second time tonight, so it’s normal that I don’t have any experience. I’ll get better with more practice in the future.”

Kissing was like practicing your gaming skills, you’d get it after trying more.

Bo Yueming grasped the key words. “Second time?”

“En.”

Pei Yi nodded and told him, “The time you ‘pretended to be drugged’ counts as the first time, and the time I kissed you just now doesn’t count, so wouldn’t this be the second time?”

Listening to Pei Yi’s calculations, Bo Yueming rubbed his lover’s soft lips with his fingertips, feeling an indescribable sense of joy—

The wet, crimson luster of those lips was his masterpiece.

“Kitten, it’s not the second time,” Bo Yueming corrected, recalling something. “It’s the third.”

Pei Yi was puzzled. “What?”

Bo Yueming coughed, confessing to the man in his arms, “I also kissed you the night you were drunk in Wencheng.”

“…….”

Pei Yi blinked in bewilderment, realizing belatedly, “So it wasn’t a dream?”

Bo Yueming asked, “You remember?”

Pei Yi nodded, then shook his head. “I didn’t remember at first, but when I went to sleep later, there were vague images. I couldn’t recall it clearly, and thought it was a dream.”

He briefly explained before returning to the topic, “Tsk tsk, ah, you pretend to be so decent, but you actually kissed me secretly?”

For a moment, Bo Yueming felt he was in the wrong, but then he remembered the status of their relationship and teased him instead, “Who told you to drink behind my back? Besides…..”

Pei Yi took the bait. “Besides what?”

Bo Yueming said precisely and accurately, “Once in the villa in Wencheng, and once on the rooftop last week. You also wanted to kiss me secretly many times.”

Pei Yi raised his hand to cover his mouth. “Okay, okay, let’s leave it here.”

Let’s not mention the past where he wanted to steal a kiss but failed. It was too embarrassing.

Bo Yueming held his cool palms again. “Why are they so chilly? Are you cold?”

Pei Yi shook his head, but said, “Help me warm up.”

“Okay.”

It was still a little difficult for the two of them to embrace each other face to face in the car. Pei Yi moved away from Bo Yueming’s body to sit side by side with him.

The curtain of the overhead window was opened, and the twinkling stars in the sky could be seen through the glass.

Pei Yi tilted his head to lay it on Bo Yueming’s shoulder. “Er-ge, to be in love, you have to be honest with each other, right?”

Bo Yueming held his hands tightly, and understood but didn’t press him. “Don’t worry, just wait until you want to say it.”

Pei Yi tilted his head to meet the other’s gaze, organizing his words. “I have a secret, but I haven’t figured out how to say it yet.”

Everything he had been through was so complicated.

Whether it was the matter of transmigrating, or his own past, it could not be explained clearly in a few words.

Besides, Bo Yueming had lived in this world for twenty-six or seven years, so how could he use “fictional character” to summarize it in a way the other party could understand and accept?

Bo Yueming asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Pei Yi shook his head, but added earnestly, “Bo Yueming, give me a little more time. Sooner or later, I’ll tell you everything.”

Bo Yueming answered with great gentleness and patience, “All right, I’ll wait for you.”

Although there was no way to reveal everything, Pei Yi still took the initiative to reveal some of his inner thoughts. “Er-ge, didn’t you wonder why I had that attitude toward relationships before?”

He sighed, and answered his own question, “It’s because I witness the process of a pair of lovers who had been together for many years separating painfully, and since then I’ve felt—”

“No matter how beautiful it may be in the beginning, and how long two people are together, they can’t escape the word ‘change’ in the end.”

If his relationship was destined to end bleakly, then it was better not to start.

Bo Yueming had guessed Pei Yi’s view on feelings, and asked, “Then why did you change now?”

Pei Yi took out the hand that was being warmed by Bo Yueming and interlocked their fingers. “Because the person is you.”

“Last time, Sister Yang told me that if I don’t choose to start, there will never be an end.”

Pei Yi recalled the discussion with Lou Yang that day about feelings, and roughly expressed it to Bo Yueming.

“To be honest, even now, I’m not sure how long we can stay together, but what I’m sure of is—”

“I want to be with you, and I want to try to walk hand in hand.”

Bo Yueming’s emotions were overwhelmed by this truthful statement.

He straightened up and looked at Pei Yi, not knowing which of his thousands of words to start with.

“Er-ge?”

“Pei Yi, I know it sounds empty and unrealistic to promise that we’ll be together ‘forever.’”

Bo Yueming leaned over and rubbed the tip of his nose affectionately. “Then let’s live it day by day, month by month, and year by year, shall we?”

Only by grasping every day of being in love could they truly look forward to the rest of their lives.

Pei Yi smiled softly. “Okay.”

He didn’t know when it started, but every word of Bo Yueming’s gave him a strong sense of security, the thing he needed the most.

The two exchanged another gentle kiss.

Bo Yueming asked, “Are you tired? This seat can be turned backwards and put together to make a temporary bed. We should be able to sleep if we squeeze together.”

Rather than going back to a public place like the campsite, it was better to have the privacy of their vehicle.

Pei Yi didn’t nitpick “En.”

It was so late now, and it wasn’t safe for Bo Yueming to drive down the mountain.

Bo Yueming spoke again, “Then I’ll get the laundry in the trunk? Let’s tidy up briefly.”

Pei Yi nodded, then suddenly remembered an important matter and grabbed his wrist. “There’s one more thing you have to remember for me. Don’t forget.”

“Before we drive down the mountain tomorrow morning, I have to go and take the used firework tubes.” Pei Yi said solemnly, “It’s everyone’s responsibility to protect the environment.”

Bo Yueming’s usually indifferent expression was completely taken over by a smile.

His hand that had been resting on the car door withdrew, and he kissed those sweet lips again.

Pei Yi’s reasoning was defeated again, and he was lying on the car seat in a daze when he received a serious reply.

“Okay, I’ll remember for you. It’s cold outside, don’t come out yet.”

The door opened and closed.

The cold wind that came in brought Pei Yi some clarity, and he subconsciously pursed his lips. The residual heat and numbness from the intense kiss was still there, and there was also a bit of melancholy—

If this was both their first times dating, then why were Bo Yueming’s kissing skills so good? Sure enough, in order to be an excellent protagonist, even if you were a ‘villain,’ didn’t you have to fill up all skill points?

The trunk door opened.

Pei Yi turned around and looked at Bo Yueming, who was searching for supplies in an orderly manner. The sensation of the kiss surged up again, and he was even a little dissatisfied.

If only they could kiss again.

“…….”

Pei Yi realized what he was thinking and was so embarrassed that he pressed his head against the back of the chair—

God.

It turned out that kissing was addictive, more addictive than drinking!

. . . . . . .

The two left a gap for ventilation, and turned on the heat in the vehicle. Although they were on top of a mountain in the cold winter, they slept all night without feeling cold.

Through the drowsiness and haze, Pei Yi heard the sound of someone turning over at his side.

He raised his eyelids with difficulty. “Er-ge?”

Bo Yueming met his sleepy gaze and said guiltily, “Did I wake you up?”

“No.”

It was difficult for Pei Yi to fall asleep in a strange place. No matter how comfortable the interior of the vehicle was, it was still different from the bed he usually slept in.

Thanks to Bo Yueming being by his side last night, he managed to sleep peacefully for a while.

The light in the car was faint.

Pei Yi looked outside, where it was still pitch black, and asked in a daze, “What time is it?”

Bo Yueming only replied, “It will be sunrise soon.”

Pei Yi regained his spirits. “Sunrise?”

Bo Yueming saw the gleam in his eyes, and asked, “Do you want to see it?”

“Yes.”

Pei Yi’s voice was nasally and soft, but he responded clearly.

Ever since he started in the game architect industry, it was normal to stay up late writing manuscripts. Coupled with the fact that he loved to stay in bed, over the 365 days in a year, it may not be possible for him to get up one day to watch the sunrise.

It was rare to encounter this opportunity, and the person beside him was Bo Yueming, so it couldn’t be wasted.

. . . . . .

When the cold wind blew, the last of Pei Yi’s drowsiness was blown away.

The two washed and tidied up casually.

Bo Yueming the thermos and scarf from the vehicle. He unscrewed the lid of the thermos and handed it to Pei Yi. “Drink some warm water to warm your stomach. Don’t catch a cold from the wind.”

Having said this, he didn’t forget to wrap Pei Yi in the scarf.

Pei Yi particularly enjoyed the special care of his lover, and took two sips of warm water. He looked at the sky that was just brightening, and couldn’t wait.

“Okay, okay, let’s go.”

“There’s still time.”

Holding his hand firmly, Bo Yueming still quickened his pace in cooperation with his family’s kitten.

The two returned to the viewing platform, and were pleasantly surprised to find that there were large clouds and mist in the distance. Although it wasn’t a spectacular sea of clouds, compared to the previous night’s far-off star light, it had a different artistic conception.

“Er-ge, let ‘s go over there to watch.”

Pei Yi pulled Bo Yueming up to the rock pile.

The two of them found a relatively safe spot, and quietly waited for the sunrise to come—

The sun rose at last on the distant horizon. Golden light pierced through all obstacles and evenly scattered over the vast clouds and mist.

Not long after, the mist dissipated, and the human world beyond returned to their field of vision.

“So beautiful.”

Pei Yi gave a heartfelt exclamation. “This is my first time watching a sunrise on a mountain.”

Bo Yueming responded, “Me too.”

Pei Yi looked over, his heart filled with a sense of happiness that he had never felt before. “It seems we’ve unlocked another thing we have in common?”

Bo Yueming didn’t let go of his hand. “We’ll unlock more in the future.”

Together, they would forget all the unpleasantness of the past, heal each other, and create new memories.

When the sun completely passed through the clouds, banishing the cold air from their bodies, Bo Yueming mentioned the time. “It’s pretty much over. Do you want to go down the mountain?”

“En.”

Bo Yueming pulled him up, and remembered what he had been instructed to do last night. “Wait a minute, I’ll grab the fireworks.”

Pei Yi had almost forgotten. He chuckled. “Okay.”

Bo Yueming picked up the firework tubes. He could obviously wait for Pei Yi to go back, but he still chose to detour back to his family’s kitten.

Pei Yi watched Bo Yueming’s figure as he got closer and closer, and in a daze, recalled the hoarse and heart-wrenching confession of Father Rong.

Only this time, he didn’t have the confusion, anxiety, and fear of the past—

Perhaps one day in the future, he would lose everything in love.

But so what?

At least at this moment, he had won Bo Yueming.

Pei Yi’s heart moved, and he took the initiative to meet Bo Yueming and interlace their fingers. “Er-ge.”

“En?”

“Being with you,” Pei Yi approached and raised his head, kissing his Adam’s apple, “makes me very happy.”

The numbness transmitted from his Adam’s apple to his heart, completely capturing it.

Once again, Bo Yueming was caught off guard by his lover’s sudden straight ball. He smiled and kissed his hair, giving the same response, “I’m also very happy to be with you.”

“Let’s go down the mountain for breakfast, I’m really hungry.”

“All right.”

Fortunately, it was still Sunday, and the two of them didn’t have to rush back to work. After a leisurely breakfast, they played around in the charming town at the foot of the mountain.

Pei Yi took a fancy to several handmade straw-woven animals, and insisted on buying them as gifts for Inspector.

After lunch, Bo Yueming started the vehicle and drove toward the Imperial Capital.

He saw Pei Yi playing with the little straw butterfly he had bought, and noticed some clues. “Inspector won’t like these, you might as well prepare some more snacks for it.”

“Isn’t this cute? It’s the same as a cat teaser.”

Pei Yi couldn’t put it down. He continued to play with it, using his pet as an excuse. “You don’t understand, Inspector will definitely like it. Kittens love to play with these.”

Bo Yueming’s laughter overflowed. “Yes, ah, kittens love to play with these things.”

“…….”

Pei Yi could hear the teasing under his smile, and used someone else as an excuse, “Qiao Dong told me back in Wencheng that he used to play with these things when he was a child. They were all made for him by his older brother, who could make anything.”

Hearing this back then, Pei Yi was very envious, but what he didn’t say was—

When he was a child in the orphanage, he didn’t like to play with the other children. Instead, he liked to remain by the side gate in a daze.

One day, Pei Yi saw a craftsman passing by the courtyard fence, peddling his wares. The other party looked at him helplessly, and gave him a poorly-woven straw grasshopper.

It was Pei Yi’s first toy as a child. He never showed it off, but cherished it very much, fearing that someone else would snatch it. However, he was still unable to hide it—

Later, an older fat kid wanted to “borrow” it to play, but he knew that “borrow” was just a high-sounding excuse. 

Pei Yi stubbornly refused to hand it over, but the fat kid used his height and physical strength to snatch his straw grasshopper and trample it to pieces. 

It was because of this that Pei Yi got in a fight for the first time in his life.

Afterwards, both he and the fat boy were bruised and swollen, and were also scolded by the dean. In the end, he could only hold the crushed straw grasshopper and cry secretly under the covers.

“Pei Yi?”

“Ah?”

Bo Yueming sensed the absentmindedness of the person beside him. “Are you feeling motion sick?”

“No.”

Pei Yi stuck the straw butterfly on the side of the car stereo and watched its wings shake.

Bo Yueming continued the topic from just now, “Qiao Dong had an older brother to make those for him, so can’t you ask Mr. Qin to do this for you when you get back?”

Pei Yi imagined Qin Yishun’s solemn appearance as he held long grass leaves to weave, and burst out laughing. “My brother used to hold knives, guns, and bombs in his hands, so he probably didn’t learn how to do this.”

Bo Yueming answered logically, “Then I’ll learn how to do it for you.”

Pei Yi only took it as a joke. “Okay, ah.”

But having said that, Pei Yi really did have one thing to worry about. 

“Er-ge, New Year’s Day and the Spring Festival aren’t far away. If you’re free, accompany me to have a meal with my family, okay?”

Apart from wanting to officially introduce Bo Yueming to his close relatives as a “lover,” Pei Yi also wanted to find a suitable reason to explain his situation—

There was no way to be completely honest about his transmigration and the original owner, but he could at least let them know that “Pei Yi” was fine now, and there was no need to worry about him being bullied or hurt.

Bo Yueming was perceptive. “Okay, I’ll make time to accompany you.”

“En.”

“It will take two hours to get home. When we get off the expressway later, I’ll hand it over to Lao Fu and the others. Do you want to sleep for a while?”

Pei Yi was really sleepy, and gave a nasal hum.

The two-hour drive ended.

As soon as they returned to the villa, Uncle Kai greeted them with a smile. “Second Young Master, Little Sir, you’re back? How was your trip yesterday?”

Bo Yueming met Uncle Kai’s concerned gaze. “Very good.”

Never in his life had he had a happier birthday than yesterday, and it was all brought to him by Pei Yi.

“Ah~”

Pei Yi yawned, still unable to shake off his drowsiness. “Uncle Kai, let’s eat later tonight. I’m going upstairs to catch up on my sleep.”

He went to bed late the night before, woke up early, and slept in the car. As soon as his excitement passed, the exhaustion wouldn’t stop surging up.

Pei Yi ran upstairs, feeling top-heavy, and was dumbfounded when he opened the door and saw his small room—

All the bedding was gone, and it was converted instead to a small study that was more convenient for coding and writing.

“…….”

Pei Yi blinked, almost thinking that he was too sleepy and having hallucinations.

Bo Yueming followed. “Pei Yi.”

Pei Yi turned around. “Er-ge, why has my room changed?”

Leading him back to the master bedroom, Bo Yueming said, “From today on, you and I will sleep together.”

“Meow-wu~”

Inspector leaped off the cat climbing frame. Even its litter box and climbing frame had been moved to the corner of the master bedroom, apparently the first step in resettlement.

Pei Yi nodded, then shook his head uncertainly. “We……is this cohabitation?”

Bo Yueming asked rhetorically, “Haven’t we already been cohabitating? It’s just that now that our relationship has been confirmed, we can be more intimate.”

No more sleeping in separate beds or making excuses to sleep together.

Although the progress of this “cohabitation” would be a bit fast for an ordinary couple, they had already been together for over half a year, and some tacit understandings and habits had been formed invisibly.

For example, Pei Yi loved to wrap his hands and feet around him while sleeping.

“…….”

When Pei Yi heard such words as cohabitation and intimacy, he first looked at Bo Yueming’s face, then swept his gaze down the other’s body and stopped at a certain place.

Still sleepy, Pei Yi’s thoughts accidentally veered in the wrong direction.

“Ah?”

A single syllable, not only a little flustered and shy, but also a little imaginative—

Did sleeping together as a couple mean they could do that kind of thing? But he hadn’t researched information on that aspect yet, so what if he didn’t succeed, ah?