《Singlehood Syndrome》


 CH 1

    When Xiang Mo returned to his bedroom after taking a shower, the person lying on the bed hadn¡¯t left yet.


    He removed the towel around his waist and put on his underwear, revealing the alluring curve of his round buttocks as he bent down. It was a sight that was hard to look away from.


    Tan Song pulled back the covers and got out of bed, wrapping his arms around Xiang Mo from behind and burying his face in his neck. He asked softly, ¡°Can I come again tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± Xiang Mo answered without hesitation and with a matter-of-fact tone.


    Tan Song, as if used to Xiang Mo¡¯s indifference, smiled nonchalantly. ¡°You really are cold-hearted.¡±


    Xiang Mo never thought that he and Tan Song needed any emotional connection. They were just fulfilling each other¡¯s physical needs, and maintaining boundaries was the best way to get along.


    ¡°Recently, a new colleague joined the company,¡± Tan Song voluntarily took a step back, ¡°He looks good and has a good personality. Should I pursue him?¡±


    Although it sounded like a new topic, Xiang Mo could feel that Tan Song was still testing his reaction. It was as if he was not satisfied with the rejection earlier and wanted to get a somewhat unusual response from him.


    At the beginning of their acquaintance, Tan Song wouldn¡¯t act like this, but lately, he had been increasingly crossing boundaries.


    ¡°Like him? Then go pursue him,¡± Xiang Mo said, his expression calm and unchanged.


    Tan Song sized up Xiang Mo for a moment before giving up with a sigh, half-jokingly, half-seriously saying, ¡°Never mind, I can¡¯t bear to lose you.¡±


    Their relationship was solely about physical intimacy and not about love. It was the understanding between Xiang Mo and Tan Song.


    Both of them emphasized physical and mental well-being and never indulged in casual encounters. After becoming regular bed partners, they had only been with each other.


    This seemingly intimate and stable relationship was, in reality, quite fragile.


    Xiang Mo knew only that Tan Song worked in a 4S car dealership, and Tan Song knew only that Xiang Mo managed an art studio. Besides this, they understood each other no more than their individual friends.


    If Tan Song decided to pursue his colleague, their bed partners¡¯ relationship would naturally come to an end.


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t care; for him, sex was a recreational activity, not a necessity. Physical needs did not require immediate resolution.


    However, his indifferent attitude seemed to be not what Tan Song wanted as a response.


    After dressing up, grabbing his phone, and preparing to leave, Tan Song was met with a sudden ¡°creak, creak¡± sound in the quiet bedroom.


    The noise came from upstairs and sounded quite rhythmic. If Xiang Mo didn¡¯t guess wrong, it was the sound of a metal bed frame moving.


    Tan Song couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue a few times, teasingly saying, ¡°The guy upstairs is quite energetic.¡±


    A similar thought flashed through Xiang Mo¡¯s mind.


    Before Tan Song¡¯s arrival, the upstairs had already begun ¡°exercising,¡± and after a brief break, it now started the second round.


    However, unlike Tan Song¡¯s playful thoughts, Xiang Mo slightly frowned, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.


    ¡ªHe really hated noise.


    The place Xiang Mo rented was an old three-story Western-style house.


    At the entrance of the elegant courtyard hung a sign that read ¡°Ink and Brush Art Studio.¡± Entering through the door, one would find the small studio hidden in the bustling city.


    Inside the studio, there were long tables, easels, and various art tools. The walls were decorated with many works by Xiang Mo and his students.


    Ascending the wooden staircase in the middle of the studio, the room on the left side of the hallway, which was always closed, was Xiang Mo¡¯s private bedroom. On the right side, the open space was the shared kitchen and bathroom.


    Xiang Mo had rented the first and second floors, leaving the bedroom and balcony on the third floor unoccupied.


    Since the rent for the old Western-style house was high, the price of a single room was not cheap. As a result, no one had lived on the third floor since Xiang Mo moved in.


    A few hundred meters away was the most bustling area of the city. Renting a small apartment there was even cheaper than renting the upstairs of Xiang Mo¡¯s place.


    If it weren¡¯t for experiencing the leisure and tranquility of an old Western-style house or feeling the historical charm of this neighborhood, no one would spend thousands of dollars to rent such a small room.


    Except for Du Chi, Xiang Mo¡¯s new neighbor.


    Not knowing if it was the influence of the noise from upstairs, Tan Song, who had already walked to the door, suddenly turned around and embraced Xiang Mo¡¯s waist from behind.


    Looking at the approaching lips, Xiang Mo instinctively turned his face away and frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Tan Song.¡±


    Kissing was not something that bed partners should engage in. Xiang Mo could ignore Tan Song¡¯s verbal tests, but if he kept crossing boundaries repeatedly, he would end this relationship without hesitation.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you considering taking it to the next level?¡± Tan Song stepped back, his expression somewhat helpless. ¡°I thought we were a good match.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just what you think.¡± Xiang Mo didn¡¯t want to complicate their relationship and chose to straightforwardly reject him. ¡°If you still want to come over, stop mentioning this.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Tan Song wasn¡¯t someone who couldn¡¯t take a hint. Seeing that Xiang Mo had made his stance clear, he stopped making meaningless attempts.


    He walked to the door and turned back to Xiang Mo. ¡°See you next week.¡±


    Whether they would see each other again remained to be seen, Xiang Mo thought.


    He didn¡¯t want to ponder whether Tan Song¡¯s ¡°can¡¯t bear to lose you¡± was sincere or not because he wasn¡¯t interested in investing emotions in such matters.


    Many people believed that marriage was the grave of love, but to Xiang Mo, love itself was a grave.


    If anyone wanted to drag him into their grave, he would draw clear boundaries without hesitation.


    The next day was a workday, and the art studio only opened in the afternoon.


    Xiang Mo was awakened by the sound of footsteps in his sleep, and as he gradually regained consciousness, he realized it was the ¡°good neighbor¡± upstairs again.


    The old Western-style house was quite old, and soundproofing was poor. Du Chi also needed to use the kitchen and bathroom on the second floor, making it challenging for Xiang Mo not to be disturbed.


    Looking at the time, it was just past six.


    Du Chi had the habit of jogging every morning and would always take his Golden Retriever out at seven.


    He had only moved in three days ago, and Xiang Mo had already been awakened three times by him.


    Especially last night, he was disturbed by the annoying ¡°creaking¡± sound until midnight before falling asleep. He thought Du Chi wouldn¡¯t go jogging this morning, but this person still went out as scheduled.


    Endure for a while, and the storm will calm. Retreat, and the sea will be wide and sky vast.


    Xiang Mo repeated this phrase in his mind and gradually fell back asleep.


    Adults often have frustrating times, and rational people tend to choose to compromise. The anger caused by being awakened gradually dissipated with drowsiness. However, after an unknown period, Xiang Mo was once again awakened by the sound of ¡°ping, ping, pang, pang.¡±


    He got up in annoyance, pulled back the curtains to find the source of the noise, and saw Du Chi squatting in the yard, using a wrench to tinker with his heavy motorcycle.


    Sure enough, in the corner of Xiang Mo¡¯s favorite courtyard, there appeared a black motorcycle that was completely out of line with the artistic atmosphere of the art studio.


    Xiang Mo suddenly regretted; he should have rented the entire old Western-style house. His income from selling paintings and running the art studio was considerable enough to afford the high rent.


    If he had known he would encounter such a neighbor, he would have gladly spent more money for tranquility.


    After freshening up in the bathroom, mechanically brushing his teeth, Xiang Mo¡¯s annoyance gradually subsided.


    ¡ªAt least Du Chi was a clean person.


    His toiletries were neatly arranged in the bathroom cabinet, distinctly separated from Xiang Mo¡¯s. He also cleaned the kitchen after use and didn¡¯t leave behind dirty stains.


    Meeting a roommate who valued cleanliness was rare. However, Xiang Mo still couldn¡¯t tolerate the noise.


    From the second floor to the first floor, Sanmei, the third cat, was already waiting by her food bowl, meowing. Sanmei had always been aloof, but she was different. Raised in the art studio, she would rub against people¡¯s legs and was famously friendly.


    After putting cat food in Sanmei¡¯s bowl, Xiang Mo brewed himself a cup of refreshing coffee and came to the yard with the cup in his hand.


    ¡°Morning, Mr. Du Chi,¡± Xiang Mo greeted.


    The mid-April weather was pleasant, and the sunlight on the skin had the perfect temperature. If it weren¡¯t for the smell of motor oil throughout the courtyard, Xiang Mo would have greatly enjoyed this serene morning.


    ¡°Good morning, Teacher Xiang.¡±


    Du Chi had just finished his work, closed the toolbox beside his feet, and stood up from behind the motorcycle.


    He was wearing a light gray short-sleeved shirt, with a slight mist on the back of his neck, indicating he had recently showered.


    When Xiang Mo was washing up in the bathroom earlier, he caught a whiff of a pleasant shower gel scent. He believed that if he got close enough to Du Chi right now, he would smell the same fragrance.


    ¡°Are you busy?¡± Xiang Mo asked.


    A question without much substance, just a polite greeting.


    ¡°I¡¯m done with work. I was doing maintenance just now,¡± Du Chi said, lowering his gaze, preparing to take off his canvas gloves.


    Xiang Mo stood on the first step, just at eye level with Du Chi. In professional terms, Du Chi¡¯s eyes were on Xiang Mo¡¯s eye level. When Du Chi lowered his head, Xiang Mo could clearly see the height of his nose.


    Xiang Mo had painted many portraits, with some having plaster models and others from real people. Proportions of three heads and five eyes were common in facial features. However, someone like Du Chi, with such well-proportioned and three-dimensional facial features, was a rarity even for Xiang Mo.


    Putting aside his thoughts, Xiang Mo got to the point, ¡°That¡¯s good. I wanted to discuss something with you.¡±


    Du Chi¡¯s movements faltered as he took off his gloves. He looked up at Xiang Mo, asking, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The soundproofing of this old Western-style house is not good. When you walk upstairs, could you be a little lighter?¡± Xiang Mo asked.


    Compared to his irritation in the morning, Xiang Mo was being very polite. After all, they were neighbors, and there was no need to be rude.


    However, Xiang Mo didn¡¯t want to waste his effort either.


    Du Chi seemed like a laid-back person, and he didn¡¯t seem to consider others much. Afraid that Du Chi might not take his words seriously, Xiang Mo added with a hint of meaning, ¡°It seems like the quality of your bed isn¡¯t very good either. It made noise all night yesterday.¡±


    After saying this, Xiang Mo picked up his coffee cup and took a sip, lowering his gaze.


    The ¡°all night¡± was a bit exaggerated; it actually stopped around 1 AM.


    Xiang Mo deliberately used an exaggerated expression to let Du Chi know that, although he was polite on the surface, he was actually very displeased.


    Du Chi seemed to understand Xiang Mo¡¯s reminder and chuckled lightly. He continued to take off his gloves, ¡°Alright, Teacher Xiang, I will be more careful in the future.¡±


    Xiang Mo was surprised at how easily the matter was resolved. He politely said, ¡°Thank you,¡± and turned to walk back.


    Behind him, he heard the sound of gloves patting the motorcycle seat, accompanied by Du Chi¡¯s lazy voice, ¡°Teacher Xiang.¡±


    Xiang Mo stopped and turned to look at Du Chi.


    ¡°The soundproofing of the old house is indeed bad.¡±


    Du Chi paused in his actions of patting the gloves, and his gaze met Xiang Mo¡¯s.


    In his sincere gaze, there was an inexplicable trace of teasing. A bad premonition arose in Xiang Mo¡¯s heart.


    He subconsciously thought Du Chi would say something like, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± or ¡°Let¡¯s understand each other.¡± However, Du Chi¡¯s lips curved into a smile, and he kindly reminded, ¡°You make quite a bit of noise in bed.¡±

 CH 2

    If everyone could self-reflect, most of the conflicts in the world would not exist.


    Once, Xiang Mo went to the cinema alone, and there was a woman in her fifties sitting beside him.


    Near the end of the movie, the woman took out her phone and started making a call. The call went unanswered, and she dialed several times. The light from her phone screen was quite glaring, and Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. He gently patted her and softly reminded her, ¡°The light from your phone is quite dazzling.¡±


    Normally, when someone is reminded of something, they would feel apologetic. But as soon as Xiang Mo spoke, the movie suddenly reached its ending without any warning, and the lights in the theater turned on.


    As if suddenly gaining confidence, the woman looked at Xiang Mo askew, sarcastically asking, ¡°Can¡¯t you endure for even a second?¡±


    Her implication was that since the movie was about to end within a second, what was the harm in her making a call?


    Hearing such a response, Xiang Mo didn¡¯t feel angry. He replied without changing a word, ¡°Can¡¯t you endure for even a second?¡±


    Since there was still one second left before the movie ended, why didn¡¯t she wait until it finished before making the call?


    The knife thrown out returned to stab herself. The woman felt embarrassed and her face turned unpleasant.


    Xiang Mo, on the other hand, felt quite pleased. After all, dealing with someone who ¡°only blames others and never reflects on themselves¡± gave him more satisfaction than watching an exciting movie.


    However, he never thought that one day, he would become such a person himself.


    The poor soundproofing in the old house made Xiang Mo only consider the upstairs affecting the downstairs. He didn¡¯t consider that the impact was mutual.


    This was the consequence of not being able to self-reflect.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The coffee cup in his hand shook slightly, and Xiang Mo struggled to maintain his composure, casually saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll pay attention in the future.¡±


    It was a dignified way to leave, the only way for the defeated to maintain their dignity. Xiang Mo turned his head to go back inside, but at this moment, he heard Du Chi¡¯s nonchalant voice from behind, ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    To complete the sentence, Du Chi probably meant, ¡°I don¡¯t mind you disturbing me,¡± or perhaps, ¡°I don¡¯t mind you making noise.¡±


    The coffee in the cup almost spilled. Pretending not to hear, Xiang Mo went straight back to the second floor.


    Recalling last night¡¯s events, Xiang Mo swore that he only moaned a few times when he climaxed.


    When Du Chi said, ¡°You make quite a bit of noise,¡± it was probably just an exaggerated statement, much like his ¡°making noise all night.¡±


    What differed was that Xiang Mo¡¯s exaggeration was to express his displeasure, while Du Chi¡¯s intentions were clearly different.


    His motives were more malicious, as if he was deliberately teasing Xiang Mo.


    To tease so openly and boldly, perhaps Xiang Mo should thank Du Chi. At least Du Chi didn¡¯t exaggerate and say that his moans could lift the roof.


    Standing by the kitchen window, looking outside, the French plane trees on both sides of the street had sprouted tender green leaves. Unidentified birds were hopping between the branches, emitting pleasant and crisp chirps.


    Usually, when he was in a good mood, Xiang Mo would sit in the courtyard, holding a cup of coffee, and enjoy the unique atmosphere of this neighborhood.


    But today, he couldn¡¯t muster the enthusiasm. He poured the coffee down the kitchen sink and felt increasingly annoyed.


    In fact, when Du Chi first moved in, the atmosphere between them was quite friendly.


    A small truck for moving was parked at the entrance of the Pen Ink Studio, and Xiang Mo took the initiative to receive Du Chi in the courtyard, even though there was a large dog he didn¡¯t particularly like squatting beside him.


    ¡°This is Sanmao, and he doesn¡¯t bite,¡± Du Chi bent down slightly, patting the Golden Retriever¡¯s head while looking at Xiang Mo.


    Due to the nature of his work, Xiang Mo encountered many strangers, some came to learn painting, and others came to buy paintings. It was because of his profession that he would unconsciously observe the facial features of strangers.


    Du Chi had beautiful eyes, deep and expressive, with no evasion. When he looked at you directly, you could feel his openness and sincerity.


    Of course, that was just a first impression.


    ¡°Sanmao?¡± Xiang Mo¡¯s gaze shifted from Du Chi¡¯s eyes to the Golden Retriever¡¯s eyes. He inexplicably felt that Sanmao and Du Chi were somewhat alike¡ªboth had a lively and sincere appearance. They were friendly and wagged their tails happily. When they heard someone call their names, their drooping ears would move slightly.


    Yes, these are my works,¡± Xiang Mo replied.


    The incident with his art exhibition led him to leave his previous job as a teacher and pursue a full-time career as an artist. He opened his own art studio, ¡°Bimo Studio,¡± and has been content with the peaceful and relaxed life it offers. His students are all adults, so he no longer has to worry about dealing with mischievous children.


    ¡°This is your art, huh?¡± remarked Du Chi with a hint of curiosity, as if he had stumbled upon an unexpected connection.


    Xiang Mo nodded, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit uneasy about Du Chi¡¯s reaction. As an artist, he valued recognition and appreciation of his work, but he couldn¡¯t tell if Du Chi¡¯s comments were sincere or merely polite.


    However, before Xiang Mo could delve further into his thoughts, Du Chi changed the subject, ¡°I must admit, I didn¡¯t expect to meet a familiar artist in this place.¡±


    Xiang Mo raised an eyebrow, curious about what Du Chi meant by ¡°familiar artist.¡± Nevertheless, he casually replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been active in the art community for a while, but I didn¡¯t expect you to know about me.¡±


    Du Chi chuckled lightly, ¡°Oh, I must clarify. I didn¡¯t recognize you from your work; it¡¯s just that when I first came here, I thought this was an exhibition of photographs, and I found it interesting. Only later did I realize it was an art exhibition.¡±


    Hearing this, Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s a compliment in a way. My style can be quite realistic, so I understand the confusion.¡±


    As they chatted about Xiang Mo¡¯s art and the misconceptions people sometimes had, the awkwardness between them seemed to dissipate. The two artists found common ground in their passion for creativity and expression.


    As the conversation flowed, Xiang Mo began to see another side of Du Chi. He was witty, observant, and genuinely interested in art, which sparked a sense of connection between them. Perhaps Du Chi wasn¡¯t just another nosy neighbor; he might become a friend who shared similar interests.


    The day went on, and the two artists spent the afternoon discussing their artistic journeys, exchanging ideas, and sharing stories of their successes and struggles. Surprisingly, the initial anxiety and tension between them had turned into a genuine bond that could potentially grow stronger over time.


    As the sun set, they decided to take a break and enjoy the tranquil evening in the courtyard. Sanmao and Sanmei had their amusing interactions as usual, but this time, Xiang Mo found himself laughing along with Du Chi at their playful antics.


    The transition from awkward neighbors to newfound friends had been unexpected, but Xiang Mo was grateful for this chance encounter. Perhaps, in this quaint neighborhood with its mishmash of characters and stories, he had found someone who truly understood the language of art.


    And so, the two artists continued their journey together, navigating the complexities of life, love, and creativity, with the support and camaraderie they had both been missing in their lives.


    Behind him, Du Chi didn¡¯t follow Xiang Mo upstairs but stayed in a corner of the studio, holding Sanmao. The only human figure sketch in the studio hung in that corner, depicting the back of a person, a much smaller and less explicit piece compared to Xiang Mo¡¯s previous exhibition works.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xiang Mo replied with a somewhat aloof tone. He wasn¡¯t sure if Du Chi understood much about art, so he simply stated, ¡°I specialize in sketching.¡±


    ¡°I found out that I¡¯ve seen your art exhibition,¡± Du Chi said, bringing up an unexpected topic. Although Xiang Mo had some fame in the art community, he was surprised that Du Chi recognized him.


    Curious about why Du Chi went to his exhibition, Xiang Mo was about to ask when Du Chi continued, ¡°At first, I thought it was a photography exhibition, but to my surprise, it turned out to be an art exhibition.¡±


    Xiang Mo immediately understood that Du Chi had stumbled upon his exhibition accidentally and had no knowledge of the content.


    Unfazed by the praise of a layperson, Xiang Mo casually responded, ¡°My art style is like that.¡±


    ¡°How coincidental to meet a familiar artist here,¡± Du Chi said with a tone of novelty, as if he had stumbled upon a serendipitous connection.


    However, this sense of curiosity quickly dissipated, perhaps due to a superficial impression of Xiang Mo and the present reality blending together. Du Chi once again looked at Xiang Mo with an examining gaze.


    Being scrutinized inevitably led to overthinking.


    Xiang Mo believed that his appearance suited that of an artist ¨C casual, yet carefully coordinated in color schemes, with neatly trimmed nails that matched his refined artistic style.


    He wasn¡¯t sure why he allowed Du Chi to scrutinize him, maybe his artistic vanity yearned for a compliment like ¡°a reflection of the artwork.¡±


    However, Du Chi remained silent, leaving Xiang Mo wondering about his intentions. Then, with a teasing tone, Du Chi remarked, ¡°So, you are the ¡®erotic artist.''¡±


    The mention of those words caused Xiang Mo¡¯s expression to stiffen momentarily. Although he maintained a friendly demeanor, his face showed a slight darkening.


    It seemed that Xiang Mo¡¯s instinct about his feelings toward large dogs was correct; he couldn¡¯t quite warm up to them.


    Despite the somewhat awkward moment, the interaction between the two continued, and they spent more time together, discussing art and sharing their experiences. Though their encounter began with uncertainties, it opened up possibilities for a unique friendship between two artists, each with their own stories and creative endeavors.

 CH 3

    Perhaps noticing Xiang Mo¡¯s displeasure, Du Chi quickly explained that he didn¡¯t mean any offense. He argued that when sensuality intertwines with art, it no longer carries a vulgar connotation but becomes a refined taste.


    ¡°Art requires this kind of taste,¡± Du Chi earnestly asserted.


    Though it might be a bit far-fetched, Xiang Mo found solace in such an unconventional interpretation. As an artist, he possessed a certain pride, and hearing an outsider use the term ¡°refined¡± to describe his work brought him even greater joy than expert recognition, even if the compliment may have been somewhat exaggerated.


    Despite not changing his opinion about disliking the neighbor, Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t find it in himself to despise the person who praised him.


    On the afternoon that Du Chi was reminded to keep his volume down, a logistics company delivered a carpet to the art studio.


    The carpet was extremely heavy, and two deliverymen carried it up the wooden stairs, producing worrisome creaking sounds. The old wooden staircase seemed to bear a weight it was not meant to carry, protesting loudly, diverting the attention of most students in the studio.


    One student asked Xiang Mo, ¡°Teacher, did someone move in with you?¡±


    Since the appearance of the heavy-duty motorcycle in the courtyard, students have asked similar questions every day.


    The flashy motorcycle seemed incongruent with Xiang Mo¡¯s demeanor, prompting some students who were close to him to privately ask if he had a new boyfriend.


    Xiang Mo had never explicitly come out to his students, so he was unsure how they could have guessed his sexual orientation. He forgot to deny their inquiries and curiously asked why they thought he might have a boyfriend.


    The student sent a cute emoji and replied, ¡°A beautiful teacher like you deserves to be loved.¡±


    Then, realizing what was said, they immediately retracted the message.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time Xiang Mo had been called ¡°beautiful¡± by his students. Once, when he was idly scrolling through social media, he stumbled upon a full-face portrait drawn by a student. The person in the drawing had slightly long, tousled hair, a perfectly proportioned face, and dense lower eyelashes, creating a languid and alluring gaze. A pair of cat-like lips, painted with layered colors, rendered them irresistible.


    The caption read: ¡°The beautiful teacher in the art studio has a captivating face.¡±


    Xiang Mo wanted to compliment the student¡¯s art, but he felt awkward doing so.


    ¡°Upstairs has been rented out,¡± Xiang Mo casually replied, trying to keep the student¡¯s focus on their artwork.


    However, when the two deliverymen came down from upstairs, Xiang Mo¡¯s mind wandered.


    This logistics company was not an ordinary courier; they specialized in delivering goods for businesses. Normally, when Xiang Mo purchased something like a carpet online, it would take at least one or two days for the regular courier to deliver it. However, Du Chi seemed to have found a local physical store, chosen a large carpet that could cover the entire room, and had it delivered right away.


    Recalling it now, ever since he reminded Du Chi in the morning, his presence seemed to have diminished significantly.


    There were no more loud slamming noises from the fridge in the kitchen, nor did footsteps above show any disregard for the noise.


    Although Du Chi maintained an appearance of indifference and continued teasing Xiang Mo with a loud voice, he had actually taken heed of Xiang Mo¡¯s reminder.


    The morning¡¯s annoyance seemed to have dissipated suddenly, and Xiang Mo felt considerably more at ease.


    Perhaps this is how neighbors interact ¨C they don¡¯t intentionally cause annoyance; they just lack awareness. With a little reminder, both sides can coexist peacefully.


    It was another pleasant and sunny Monday morning, as Xiang Mo carried a laundry basket and arrived on the third-floor balcony. He happened to find Du Chi there, leisurely sunbathing something on the casual table.


    Recently, whenever Xiang Mo came to the third floor to do laundry, he felt like he had come to the wrong place.


    The once dilapidated balcony was now adorned with flowers and plants, with a cozy table and chairs. Amidst the chaotic mix of clutter and hanging laundry on the other balconies, Xiang Mo¡¯s balcony looked like a small garden, devoid of any signs of mundane life.


    ¡°Morning, Teacher Xiang,¡± Du Chi fiddled with the item in his hand and greeted Xiang Mo, ¡°Coming up to do laundry?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Xiang Mo replied.


    Neighborhood greetings were often empty talk. Holding a basket of dirty laundry, it was obvious he was coming up to do laundry.


    ¡ªOr is it to wash clothes? Could it be that you¡¯re here to admire Du Chi¡¯s figure?


    His gaze unavoidably fell on Du Chi¡¯s upper body. Xiang Mo forced himself not to look and stuffed the dirty clothes into the washer-dryer.


    He knew that Du Chi had a habit of taking a shower after morning jogging. However, he didn¡¯t expect that Du Chi would be shirtless afterward.


    Perhaps because it was his territory, he was more casual. Du Chi wore only a loose cotton trousers with a half-damp, half-dry towel draped around his neck.


    Although Xiang Mo didn¡¯t want to admit it, Du Chi¡¯s well-built physique exposed under the clear blue sky was indeed pleasing to the eye, like a painting.


    Sanmao curiously approached Xiang Mo and watched him set the washing and drying program.


    Once the washer-dryer started working, Xiang Mo planned to return downstairs and do his own thing. But Sanmao squatted beside him, blocking his direct path to the hallway. He had to take a slight detour and ended up closer to the table where Du Chi was sunbathing something.


    On the table were a few ancient books, accidentally dampened and wrinkled, looking a bit pitiful.


    Du Chi¡¯s casual voice came from across the table, ¡°Your Sanmei did something naughty.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xiang Mo paused at the unexpected remark and looked at Du Chi with surprise.


    With no stepping stone to stand on, Xiang Mo¡¯s head was only at Du Chi¡¯s nose. He had to tilt his chin slightly to meet the somewhat dazzling sunlight.


    The leisure table was about a meter wide, with both of them standing on either side, just at a comfortable social distance.


    But when one person wasn¡¯t wearing clothes, the situation was a bit different.


    Xiang Mo stole a glance at Du Chi and felt uncomfortable, so he averted his gaze.


    Du Chi looked down at himself and explained, ¡°I just came up, and Sanmao knocked over my cup. I didn¡¯t have time to put on clothes.¡±


    Xiang Mo thought to himself that Sanmei had been getting more and more mischievous lately and seemed to have developed a new map of the third floor. He looked at Du Chi and said, ¡°I apologize,¡± then lowered his head to the ancient books on the table and asked, ¡°What are these¡­¡±


    ¡°An annotated copy of the Diamond Sutra from the Jiajing era,¡± Du Chi said.


    Xiang Mo understood each word Du Chi said, but when combined, they left him a bit puzzled.


    Just like the motorcycle that didn¡¯t fit Xiang Mo¡¯s temperament, the Diamond Sutra didn¡¯t seem to match Du Chi either.


    His eyes betrayed his confusion, and Du Chi took the initiative to explain, ¡°It¡¯s related to my job.¡±


    ¡°Job?¡± Xiang Mo raised an eyebrow.


    To be honest, Xiang Mo had noticed that Du Chi wasn¡¯t an ordinary office worker. He was always idle at home, like an unemployed wanderer. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t care about Du Chi¡¯s private matters, but looking at the ancient books, he couldn¡¯t help but feel curious.


    Du Chi opened up one of the books, and Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t decipher the text. Just like Du Chi himself, this person remained inscrutable.


    ¡°I¡¯m a font designer,¡± Du Chi explained.


    Perhaps due to the sun¡¯s heat on the back of his neck, Du Chi took off the towel around his neck and wiped his still-damp hair. He continued, ¡°Sometimes, I need to refer to the fonts in ancient books.¡±


    Xiang Mo had never heard of this profession, so he made an intuitive guess, ¡°Do you design artistic fonts?¡±


    ¡°No, I design entire typefaces.¡±


    In response to Du Chi¡¯s inquiry about whether Xiang Mo also ran an art studio as a part-time gig, Xiang Mo was too lazy to say much and just replied with a simple ¡°No.¡±


    Now, the situation was the same. The font library was clearly something new and exciting, but Du Chi didn¡¯t take the initiative to explain, which indicated that he was also not interested in telling Xiang Mo more.


    That was fine with Xiang Mo, he thought. He and Du Chi didn¡¯t need to be very close, to begin with.


    ¡°However, if you need artistic fonts, I can help you design them,¡± Du Chi added, unlike Xiang Mo¡¯s indifference.


    ¡°Thank you, but no need,¡± Xiang Mo politely declined, ¡°I also know a bit about design.¡±


    If he truly needed artistic fonts, he could easily handle it himself.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Du Chi seemed to recall something suddenly, and a smile appeared at the corner of his eyes, ¡°You are an artist.¡±


    Once again, the word ¡°artist¡± resurfaced.


    Fortunately, this time Du Chi didn¡¯t add the term ¡°erotic,¡± but Xiang Mo still sensed the teasing undertone.


    Although he wasn¡¯t angry, he decided to pretend not to hear that remark and naturally changed the topic, asking, ¡°Are you studying design?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Du Chi replied, ¡°I also studied fine arts in high school, but my skills are far below yours.¡±


    Xiang Mo started learning to draw when he was seven years old. With talent and hard work, many teachers with more qualifications than him didn¡¯t necessarily reach his level.


    However, now he realized that Du Chi wasn¡¯t a complete outsider.


    ¡°By the way, how did you end up going to my art exhibition?¡± Xiang Mo curiously asked.


    ¡°Oh, I treated it as a porn show,¡± Du Chi joked.


    Xiang Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    In Xiang Mo¡¯s understanding, porn usually involved interactions between two or more people. He took a deep breath and patiently explained, ¡°I only draw male figures. How could it be porn?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Du Chi wiped the back of his head with the towel, ¡°I like men.¡±


    Xiang Mo was momentarily stunned, thinking, ¡°Why do you have to come out to your neighbor so suddenly?¡±


    Who would come out of the closet without any warning like this?


    Before, when Du Chi was ¡°exercising¡± upstairs, Xiang Mo didn¡¯t pay attention to the gender of his visitors. Combined with his lack of interest in other people¡¯s private lives, he never considered the possibility that Du Chi might be like him.


    Now the atmosphere turned awkward.


    Xiang Mo had already adapted to Du Chi flaunting his abs, but now he felt inexplicably uncomfortable.


    Du Chi, on the other hand, seemed calm and composed, casually draping the towel over his shoulder and saying, ¡°You¡¯re the same, right, Teacher Xiang?¡±


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t know how to respond, but just as he was about to find a way, Du Chi¡¯s phone, which was in his pocket, suddenly rang. It gave Xiang Mo a chance to catch a break.


    After a short while, Du Chi hung up the phone and said to Xiang Mo, ¡°Luo Yang invited us to try his dishes.¡±


    ¡°Luo Yang?¡± Xiang Mo was puzzled for a moment but immediately realized that Du Chi was referring to the owner of the restaurant across the street, Luo Yang.


    Luo Yang had opened the restaurant opposite Xiang Mo¡¯s place before he moved in. They had known each other for three years, and Xiang Mo always politely addressed him as ¡°Boss Luo.¡±


    Boss Luo often invited neighbors to try his dishes. In normal circumstances, he should have directly called Xiang Mo. However, this time, he informed Du Chi first and asked him to bring along Xiang Mo.


    When did these two become so familiar with each other?


    Xiang Mo stood inexplicably outside Du Chi¡¯s room, waiting for him to change his clothes, and thought that his new neighbor seemed to be a social butterfly.

 CH 4

    The old western-style house had a unique appearance, carrying more urban warmth than the cold high-rise buildings. However, it lacked parking spaces and modern facilities, making it less convenient for daily life compared to modern residential buildings. Its value as a residence was far less than its historical value.


    Most of the previous owners had moved to other places, and the old western-style houses were rented out. Due to its central location and historical charm, many people rented these places for their businesses. For instance, Xiang Mo opened an art studio, and Luo Yang, the owner of the restaurant across the street, opened ¡°Eight Jin¡± restaurant.


    Luo Yang¡¯s restaurant had recently undergone renovation. The elegant courtyard was now adorned with green plants and soft lighting, giving it a sense of tranquility and Zen.


    Walking on the small cobblestone path, Xiang Mo and Du Chi entered the restaurant. Several employees were preparing for the opening, and when Luo Yang saw them from behind the counter, he waved and called out, ¡°Du Ge, Teacher Xiang, come over here!¡±


    Xiang Mo¡¯s footsteps involuntarily paused, and he looked at Du Chi beside him, asking, ¡°Do you know each other?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Du Chi continued walking ahead without stopping.


    Many chefs began their culinary journey at a young age, just like Luo Yang, who started helping in a restaurant kitchen at the age of fourteen and had now been a chef for twelve years.


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t sense any social formalities or tactfulness in Du Chi, and he had assumed that Du Chi was in his early twenties. However, he never expected that twenty-six-year-old Luo Yang would call Du Chi ¡°Du Ge¡± (older brother).


    Luo Yang offered them a new dish, ¡°Honey Mustard Prawn Balls.¡± He handed them two forks and said, ¡°Give it a try.¡±


    The prawns on the white plate were about the size of table tennis balls, with a pale pink color and a lemon-yellow sauce. The side dish was simple shredded cabbage.


    When the fork pierced the prawn meat, there was a clear bounce, and when Xiang Mo took a bite, the freshness and tenderness sent a signal of satisfaction to his brain, triggering the release of dopamine.


    Putting down the fork, Xiang Mo wanted to compliment the dish, but suddenly, the pungent taste of mustard rushed up his nose, and he instinctively closed his eyes to relieve the stinging sensation.


    ¡°Is it very spicy?¡± Seeing Xiang Mo¡¯s expression, Luo Yang quickly poured him a glass of water.


    ¡°A bit.¡± The spiciness of mustard came quickly and left just as fast. Xiang Mo took a sip of water to dilute the lingering taste in his mouth.


    ¡°Here,¡± Du Chi grabbed a tissue from the side and handed it to Xiang Mo, noticing him trying to suppress the tears in his eyes caused by the spicy sensation.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Xiang Mo finally recovered, wiped his mouth with the tissue, and honestly evaluated, ¡°The initial taste is good, with a nice balance of sweet and spicy, but it¡¯s a bit overwhelming in the end.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Du Chi nonchalantly glanced at Xiang Mo¡¯s reddened lips before picking up a prawn ball with his fork and putting it in his mouth. ¡°A lighter taste of mustard might be better.¡±


    ¡°But then the honey flavor would dominate,¡± Luo Yang pushed his round glasses up his nose and pondered, ¡°I¡¯ll try substituting mustard with ginger.¡±


    Indeed, Luo Yang, an experienced chef, quickly thought of a substitute for the spiciness.


    Xiang Mo understood why ¡°Eight Jin¡± restaurant always had a long queue every day. It was because the owner and chef, Luo Yang, was really good at what he did.


    Du Chi put down his fork and casually leaned his elbow on the counter, asking Luo Yang, ¡°Has the Michelin judge come yet?¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Luo Yang sighed with frustration, ¡°The restaurant¡¯s signboard hasn¡¯t even been put up yet.¡±


    Xiang Mo knew that Michelin judges would come to the restaurant disguised as regular customers for inspection. However, that wasn¡¯t the focus of their conversation. He took another sip of water and naturally joined the conversation, ¡°Are you planning to participate in the Michelin selection?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Luo Yang changed his expression from frustrated to determined. ¡°This year, I¡¯m determined to earn a Michelin recommendation.¡±


    Xiang Mo had always thought that ¡°Eight Jin¡± restaurant was already successful as a bustling business. However, he never expected that Luo Yang had even grander ambitions.


    He had known Luo Yang for three years, and they had never discussed topics like ¡°goals¡± before, as those kinds of conversations were usually more private and unnecessary in their ordinary neighborly relationship.


    But Du Chi was different. He had just moved in a week ago and was already on such familiar terms with Luo Yang.


    As they left ¡°Eight Jin¡± restaurant, people were rushing in as if they were afraid of missing out on a seat. Xiang Mo and Du Chi were pushed to the edge of the cobblestone path, which was difficult to walk on. Inadvertently, Xiang Mo stepped into the gap between the stones, and his body swayed uncontrollably.


    His back was immediately supported by someone, and he turned to look at Du Chi, saying, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Perhaps because he was annoyed at Xiang Mo¡¯s slow pace, Du Chi sidestepped and walked ahead, blocking the people coming toward them and making the path easier to walk on.


    Xiang Mo suddenly realized that Du Chi had moved ahead not because he found him slow, but to clear the way for him.


    Finally, they walked out of the courtyard, and the spring breeze dispersed the discomfort caused by the crowd. The two of them walked side by side towards their own small courtyard. At that moment, Xiang Mo¡¯s phone rang.


    Seeing the caller ID showing ¡°Tan Song,¡± he instinctively slowed his pace, and Du Chi casually glanced at him before walking into the courtyard.


    ¡°Mo Mo, I have a gathering tonight, so I can¡¯t come,¡± Tan Song¡¯s voice came through the phone.


    Hearing that name, Xiang Mo furrowed his eyebrows slightly. He had asked Tan Song countless times not to call him that, but Tan Song always did as he pleased.


    He replied with a flat ¡°okay¡± and was about to end the call.


    ¡°Can I come tomorrow?¡± Tan Song asked.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡±


    Monday nights at nine o¡¯clock were the designated time for Xiang Mo and Tan Song to meet. If either of them had something unexpected, the plan was automatically canceled.


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t like others disrupting his plans; he wanted to control his own time. When he decided to do something at a certain time, it was because he wanted to, not to accommodate others.


    The greatest benefit of living single was having complete control over one¡¯s time. Many people didn¡¯t realize how precious that was.


    With his evening unexpectedly free, Xiang Mo decided to tidy up his bedroom. The forty-square-meter room was relatively spacious, but it still felt a bit cramped with Xiang Mo¡¯s artwork piled against the walls and a large easel in the middle.


    After spending a couple of hours, he filled two garbage bags with things he didn¡¯t need. The room suddenly became clean and tidy, and Xiang Mo felt much better.


    Carrying the garbage bags, he walked out wearing flip-flops, intending to go to the corner to dispose of the trash.


    The inconvenience of living in an old western-style house was that it didn¡¯t have the convenience of trash bins scattered around like residential complexes.


    Xiang Mo treated this as a stroll, enjoying the cool breeze of the night. The faint moonlight filtered through the leaves of the phoenix trees, casting a serene ambiance on the empty path.


    The trash bin was just a few meters away around the corner. As Xiang Mo turned, he heard a voice questioning, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reply to my message?¡±


    Another lazy voice followed, ¡°Didn¡¯t see it.¡±


    Without much thought, Xiang Mo assumed that it was a couple having an argument¡ªuntil he saw Du Chi¡¯s face.


    His footsteps abruptly halted, and the two men who were talking also turned their heads to look at Xiang Mo, forming a peculiar equilateral triangle.


    Of the three, the expression on the face of the man Xiang Mo didn¡¯t recognize was the most baffling.


    The man had delicate features, his eyebrows well-groomed, and his lips reflecting a faint glimmer under the streetlight, likely due to subtle makeup.


    Regardless of this man¡¯s relationship with Du Chi, if Xiang Mo¡¯s guess was correct, he was probably Du Chi¡¯s ¡°exercise¡± partner.


    How awkward.


    With a trash bag in hand and the trash bin just ahead, Xiang Mo was blatantly showing his intention to avoid them by changing his direction.


    The problem was, he had no reason to avoid them at all.


    He was just a passerby. Who put them in the middle of the path?


    Resuming his steps, Xiang Mo walked behind Du Chi and headed toward the trash bin. As he dropped the trash bag into the bin, he heard the unfamiliar man¡¯s voice from behind, ¡°Do you know each other?¡±


    It was clear that the question was directed at Du Chi. Xiang Mo turned around, indifferent, and prepared to go back the way he came.


    However, Du Chi had no intention of answering the man. His gaze swept over Xiang Mo¡¯s flip-flops, and he asked with a familiar tone, ¡°Why are you out so late to throw away trash?¡±


    It¡¯s not that late, Xiang Mo thought. It¡¯s just a little past ten o¡¯clock.


    He didn¡¯t want to engage in this strange situation, but not responding would be impolite. So, he spoke up, ¡°I just finished tidying up my room.¡±


    After saying that, Xiang Mo continued walking forward, but the unfamiliar man, not getting a response from Du Chi, looked at Xiang Mo with an unfriendly expression and asked Du Chi, ¡°Who is he?¡±


    A passerby. Xiang Mo silently replied.


    He wasn¡¯t a nosy person, and he didn¡¯t have any thoughts about the situation at hand. If it wasn¡¯t for Du Chi suddenly striking up a conversation, he could have left like any other passerby, completely unnoticed.


    Du Chi still didn¡¯t answer the man¡¯s question. He raised an eyebrow, glanced at Xiang Mo, who was about to leave, and asked with a slightly displeased tone, ¡°You¡¯re just going to watch?¡±


    Watch what?


    Xiang Mo was slightly taken aback, only then realizing that Du Chi was accusing him: Are you going to leave me here?


    With a perplexed look, he gazed at Du Chi, silently asking: What else should I do?


    The silent exchange seemed to aggravate the unfamiliar man¡¯s discontent. He furrowed his brows and asked a third question, ¡°What¡¯s your relationship?¡±


    Neighbors.


    This time, Xiang Mo intended to answer, but before he could speak, an arm suddenly reached out, and before he knew it, he found himself crashing into Du Chi¡¯s arms.


    Perhaps a bit untimely, but a thought flashed through Xiang Mo¡¯s mind¡ªDu Chi¡¯s chest is indeed quite sturdy.


    ¡°We are already together,¡± Du Chi¡¯s voice sounded above him.


    Having been single for three years and intending to continue that way, Xiang Mo displayed an even more bewildered expression.


    He was just here to throw away some trash.

 CH 5

    The more obvious nonsense, the less Xiang Mo believed that anyone would take it seriously.


    In fact, the man in front of him indeed showed an incredulous expression, but his anger seemed to surpass everything else.


    Xiang Mo followed his gaze to his waist, where he noticed Du Chi¡¯s hand casually resting there. It wasn¡¯t just a suggestive touch; it was actually firmly pressed against him through the fabric, fitting the curves of his waist.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± The man took a deep breath, his eyes filled with a sense of grievance as he glared at Du Chi. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t date anyone!¡±


    Being inexplicably turned into a tool, Xiang Mo found himself in Du Chi¡¯s embrace. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know whether to move or not.


    Thinking about dealing with the person upstairs later, Xiang Mo hesitated for a moment before relaxing and allowing Du Chi to hold him.


    Still, he maintained an indifferent expression as if he were just a bystander, idly watching a ping-pong ball bounce back and forth between the two young people.


    ¡°How could you know?¡± Du Chi retorted, his tone tinged with impatience. ¡°Then what¡¯s the meaning of you wanting to be with me?¡±


    He is just a passerby, after all. Xiang Mo¡¯s mind wandered idly.


    ¡°Why him?¡± The man¡¯s gaze shifted to Xiang Mo, his tone resentful. ¡°What¡¯s so good about him?¡±


    It seems that he believed Du Chi¡¯s nonsense.


    What¡¯s so good about this old man? He must be a good Samaritan. Xiang Mo thought lazily.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s an artist,¡± Du Chi said nonchalantly, glancing at the quiet Xiang Mo in his arms. ¡°I just like artists.¡±


    Xiang Mo noticed that whenever Du Chi used a casual ¡°Oh¡± in his statements, he was probably just making things up. Even though ¡°artist¡± is a term of praise, it somehow felt like Du Chi was teasing him when it came from his mouth.


    Perhaps it¡¯s a lingering effect of the erotic artist incident.


    ¡°What kind of artist? I could be an artist too¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough, Ye Xing.¡± Du Chi cut off the man¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s getting late; go back and rest.¡±


    In general, Xiang Mo felt that Du Chi was more considerate than himself. If someone like Tan Song pestered him, he would just send a ¡°block and delete¡± combo without patience.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xiang Mo¡¯s wrist was suddenly grabbed, and he heard Du Chi¡¯s casual voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go and see the room you tidied up.¡±


    As if he really intended to show him.


    Playing the full act, Xiang Mo let Du Chi lead him forward. After turning the corner, the world suddenly seemed quiet again. Without waiting for Xiang Mo to remind him, Du Chi let go of him.


    It was only then that Xiang Mo realized that Du Chi was wearing flip-flops too. The two of them walked side by side, the sound of ¡°pata pata¡± accompanying their footsteps, like a harmonious nocturne.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± After a while, Du Chi explained the situation that just happened. ¡°Today is his birthday, and he insisted I give myself to him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so cruel on his birthday,¡± Xiang Mo replied nonchalantly.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t care much about the situation. Since they were still a distance away from his home, and Du Chi brought it up himself, he didn¡¯t mind chatting with him.


    ¡°I gave him a birthday present,¡± Du Chi shrugged listlessly. ¡°He wasn¡¯t satisfied.¡±


    Xiang Mo guessed that the two of them were probably very familiar with each other. After all, he didn¡¯t even know Tan Song¡¯s birth month.


    He didn¡¯t respond immediately. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to overthink it, but Du Chi looked at him with a faint glance and added, ¡°I¡¯m not a scumbag.¡±


    It¡¯s hard to say. Xiang Mo casually asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep with him before?¡±


    If not, then it meant that Du Chi was entangled with at least two people.


    If yes, then it meant that their emotional entanglement was unresolved, and Du Chi had slept with someone else.


    Neither of them was a good option.


    ¡°It was only him.¡± Du Chi said, ¡°We agreed not to talk about feelings, but who knew he took it seriously.¡±


    Okay, Xiang Mo retracted his previous thoughts. It seemed that the emotional entanglement was an unexpected situation for Du Chi.


    Perhaps many people couldn¡¯t accept a relationship that was purely physical without feelings, but Xiang Mo was okay with it.


    Before he and Tan Song became regular bedmates, they both went to the hospital for health checks, unlike some casual encounters who were reckless.


    He took it seriously, and that¡¯s why he felt annoyed when Tan Song crossed the boundaries.


    After all, a physically and mentally healthy, decent bed partner was hard to come by.


    Since Du Chi¡¯s situation was similar to his own, Xiang Mo naturally had no grounds to criticize others.


    But then again, he never intended to seriously discuss this matter with Du Chi.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He imitated Du Chi¡¯s casual tone, finally finding an opportunity for retaliation. ¡°Scumbag.¡±


    Du Chi stopped in his tracks, looking at Xiang Mo with a smile. ¡°Are you imitating me?¡±


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t respond further, as the two of them had already reached the doorstep.


    Dim yellow streetlights shone into the courtyard, creating a different scene compared to the daytime elegance. They entered the house, not being very close to each other, so there was no need to continue the conversation.


    The sound of footsteps echoed with the creaking of the wooden staircase, waking up San Mei who was already asleep. She looked at the two of them, lazily yawning, then closed her eyes again.


    In the dim light, Xiang Mo carefully stepped up the stairs while keeping an eye on the floor. It was then that he suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Du Chi behind him. ¡°By the way.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Du Chi seemed a bit distracted. If Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t mistaken, Du Chi¡¯s eyes were lingering on his waist during that brief moment he turned around.


    The narrow and steep wooden staircase of the old house was challenging to climb. Xiang Mo was in front, and Du Chi was behind, only two or three steps apart. As long as Du Chi slightly lowered his gaze, he could see Xiang Mo¡¯s waist and hips.


    ¡°Can the students draw your motorcycle in the advanced sketching class this weekend?¡± Xiang Mo said, not paying too much attention to it. After all, the staircase¡¯s structure made it unavoidable for Du Chi to see.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Du Chi replied generously. ¡°They can draw it however they like.¡±


    The size of the Ink and Brush Studio was small, only accommodating five students during weekdays. If some of Xiang Mo¡¯s former students returned for the weekend classes, the studio could accommodate a few more.


    On Saturday afternoon, Mr. Li arrived at the studio as usual.


    Although Xiang Mo arranged for him to sit next to the motorcycle, which was a change from the usual background, some familiar students still complained, ¡°Why are we drawing Mr. Li again?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with drawing me?¡± Mr. Li sat upright on the stool, adjusting his tie. ¡°Back in the day, when I was doing commercials, it was a sensation throughout the country.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s famous all over the country,¡± the students interrupted in unison.


    ¡°Ha, you know it.¡±


    Although he was almost seventy years old, Mr. Li still had an upright posture and an air of a gentleman. Just sitting there, he fit perfectly with the atmosphere of the old house.


    However, the students¡¯ complaints were not entirely unjustified. He had indeed been a model for Xiang Mo for a long time, and not only were the students tired of drawing him, but Xiang Mo also noticed that Mr. Li had a few sets of clothes that he had already memorized.


    ¡°Teacher Xiang, how about letting us draw you next time?¡± After the class ended, Meng Yun tidied up her art supplies while chatting with Xiang Mo.


    She was once Xiang Mo¡¯s student and was now a freelance illustrator. During weekends when the studio was busy, she occasionally came to help with the classes.


    The person who posted the portrait of Xiang Mo¡¯s face in her friend circle was her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be a model; then how can I teach the class?¡± Xiang Mo arranged the chairs in a mess, and on a whim, he looked at Meng Yun and said, ¡°Or maybe you can sacrifice yourself?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sit for three hours.¡± Meng Yun quickly declined. ¡°But we should consider changing the model. When I was a student, it was always Mr. Li. I could draw him without looking; you could just ask me to draw him from memory.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because of your skill.¡± Although he said this, Xiang Mo also realized that as a business, it was essential to consider the students¡¯ feelings. After all, painting was already a boring task, and maintaining interest was crucial.


    After closing the studio, Xiang Mo returned to his room and turned on the computer.


    He hadn¡¯t written anything for a long time, and he stared at the flashing cursor for a long while before finally pressing the keyboard slowly.


    Model Recruitment:


    Requirements: Any gender, 18 years or older, with distinctive features, able to sit steadily for more than three hours.


    Salary: 100 yuan per hour


    Wait a minute.


    Xiang Mo suddenly felt that something was wrong. Models were people, how could he use the term ¡°salary¡±? It made it sound like some improper transaction.


    He deleted the word ¡°salary¡± and changed it to ¡°payment,¡± which sounded simpler. Then he added a line: Special individuals can negotiate payment.


    Thinking about it, the word ¡°special¡± should be ¡°outstanding.¡±

 CH 6

    Just after posting the recruitment notice, Mr. Li came to the studio. He was carrying fresh scallions, probably just back from the market. Despite the short trip, he was wearing shiny leather shoes, exuding an air of refinement and elegance.


    ¡°Teacher Xiang, if you plan to replace me, you should at least tell me,¡± Mr. Li stood at the entrance of the small courtyard, expressing a hint of complaint in his tone. He seemed to be scolding Xiang Mo for being immature and making decisions without discussing them with him. However, he still maintained a polite attitude, considering that they were both respectable individuals.


    ¡°I never intended to replace you,¡± Xiang Mo explained, ¡°I just wanted to find someone else and have them alternate with you.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a lie. Most of the people who had time to be art models were idle individuals. If the applicants were all retirees like Mr. Li, Xiang Mo might not find new models. After all, whether it was Mr. Li or someone else, Xiang Mo would still be drawing an elderly person, so it didn¡¯t make much difference if he changed models.


    Thus, if he couldn¡¯t find anyone suitable, Xiang Mo would continue with Mr. Li. That was why he didn¡¯t discuss it with him in advance.


    ¡°What kind of person are you going to find?¡± Mr. Li, seemingly convinced by Xiang Mo¡¯s explanation, dropped the topic of finding new models and offered his opinion instead. ¡°You must be careful when choosing. You can¡¯t just pick anyone; it might lower the quality of the models in the studio.¡±


    Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. He knew that Mr. Li had always considered himself handsome and naturally didn¡¯t want to be categorized as an ordinary person. But in fact, no one required art models to be strikingly good-looking. Although he wrote ¡°outstanding¡± in the recruitment notice, it would be ideal but not mandatory.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll choose carefully,¡± Xiang Mo said.


    ¡°Also, you can¡¯t choose Lao Zhang,¡± Mr. Li continued, ¡°That fake foreigner, always speaking second-rate English, thinking that everyone would fall for it? Everyone talks behind his back.¡±


    Lao Zhang, as mentioned by Mr. Li, was an English teacher in his younger days. Xiang Mo knew a bit about him. These two had been at odds for a long time, competing to be the district model for the Old Western House area.


    Sometimes, the elderly could be even more childish than children. Xiang Mo felt helpless, but he smiled and said, ¡°Lao Zhang didn¡¯t come to apply.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, he¡¯s got some self-awareness,¡± Mr. Li said, showing a satisfied expression. Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something and added, ¡°By the way, Aunt Wang on the neighboring street is good; maybe I can¡­¡±


    Before Mr. Li could finish his sentence, Du Chi walked over, leading Sanmao with him.


    Du Chi wore a sleeveless sports top, showing the contours of his arms. He wore tight-fitting sports pants and a loose sports shorts over them. His leg muscles tightened around his knees, looking like they were about to burst with power.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Du Chi greeted the two of them proactively, his gaze naturally falling on the recruitment notice posted next to the studio¡¯s sign, ¡°Are you hiring models, Teacher Xiang?¡±


    ¡°We can talk about hiring models another day,¡± Xiang Mo finally seized the opportunity and pretended that he had something to discuss with Du Chi. He pulled Du Chi¡¯s wrist and walked into the courtyard without further ado. ¡°Mr. Du, your bed is still squeaking; you might want to¡­¡±


    It seemed that he had successfully escaped from Mr. Li¡¯s nagging.


    Relieved, Xiang Mo let go of Du Chi¡¯s wrist and explained, ¡°Mr. Li wants to recommend a friend.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a lie. Most of the people who had time to be art models were idle individuals. If the applicants were all retirees like Mr. Li, Xiang Mo might not find new models. After all, whether it was Mr. Li or someone else, Xiang Mo would still be drawing an elderly person, so it didn¡¯t make much difference if he changed models.


    Thus, if he couldn¡¯t find anyone suitable, Xiang Mo would continue with Mr. Li. That was why he didn¡¯t discuss it with him in advance.


    Du Chi, who was walking behind, looked at the recruitment notice and raised his eyebrows, seemingly suggesting something, ¡°Can I apply?¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Xiang Mo was taken aback, realizing that Du Chi was actually applying.


    Indeed, as long as the person is young, Xiang Mo welcomes them as a model, especially considering that Du Chi has excellent facial features and body proportions, making him perfect for teaching.


    However, there¡¯s a problem¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a job?¡± Xiang Mo asked.


    ¡°Right,¡± Du Chi seemed to have just remembered that he wasn¡¯t an idle person, ¡°I don¡¯t have the time.¡±


    The topic was dropped, and the two of them began to clean up the studio, which had been disturbed by their two pets.


    The studio, filled with tables and chairs, had very few aisles. As they occasionally brushed past each other, Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but catch a whiff of Du Chi¡¯s sweat.


    Everyone sweats after exercise, and that wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    But, for some reason, Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t stop his mind from wandering after hearing Du Chi say, ¡°I like exercising.¡±


    ¡°Let me clean up,¡± Xiang Mo said, snatching the chair from Du Chi¡¯s hand. He avoided Du Chi¡¯s gaze and continued, ¡°You don¡¯t know how things are arranged here.¡±


    Du Chi didn¡¯t bother with politeness and went upstairs to take a shower.


    After about ten minutes, the doorbell rang outside the courtyard. Xiang Mo came out of the studio and saw a middle-aged gentleman in a three-piece suit standing outside. It was ¡°Lao Zhang¡± mentioned by Mr. Li.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Mr. Zhang took off his jazz hat and greeted Xiang Mo.


    Suddenly, Xiang Mo had a bad feeling. He smiled politely, ¡°Good morning, Teacher Xiang. I heard that you are looking for art models here?¡±


    Mr. Zhang confidently glanced at the recruitment notice on the wall, and straightforwardly stated his purpose, ¡°What do you think of me, Teacher Xiang?¡±


    Mr. Zhang and Mr. Li were both classic gentlemen, and Xiang Mo could almost predict that if he had both of them take turns as models, the students would only say he¡¯s changing the soup but not the medicine.


    ¡°You are quite good,¡± Xiang Mo began to figure out how to politely decline, ¡°It¡¯s just that you and Mr. Li have similar styles, you see¡­¡±


    ¡°You should fire him right away,¡± Mr. Zhang said dissatisfied, with a sneer on his lips, ¡°His style is outdated, yet he still thinks he¡¯s very fashionable. Everyone talks behind his back.¡±


    These two old enemies, their badmouthing of each other was exactly the same.


    Hearing this mix of Chinese and English from Mr. Zhang was giving Xiang Mo a headache, and he hesitated, ¡°If I fire Mr. Li, it might be difficult to explain to him¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain to him,¡± Mr. Zhang rambled on about Mr. Li¡¯s shortcomings, ¡°He¡¯s a shorty, why should he be a model? He keeps boasting about his past ads, but I think there were no other candidates at that time¡­¡±


    A light breeze blew, causing the leaves of the parasol trees to rustle.


    Xiang Mo pretended that the wind took his attention away, and he raised his head to look at the sky, trying to temporarily escape from Mr. Zhang¡¯s nagging.


    However, at that moment, he suddenly noticed someone standing on the balcony of his third floor.


    Du Chi was leaning against the balcony railing, seemingly enjoying the show, smiling at a forty-five-degree angle, gazing up at Xiang Mo.


    Xiang Mo furrowed his brows and sent a look of complaint to Du Chi with his eyes: Aren¡¯t you going to do something?


    Du Chi¡¯s smile deepened, and he pulled back his upper body from the balcony¡¯s edge. Just as Mr. Zhang was talking about how he had defeated Mr. Li at a high school sports event, Du Chi interrupted, ¡°Teacher Zhang, the studio¡¯s models have already been filled.¡±


    ¡°Filled?¡± Mr. Zhang muttered, ¡°Lao Li just told me they were still hiring.¡±


    Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t understand these two. Sometimes they seemed like mortal enemies, while other times they got along well.


    ¡°Just filled,¡± Du Chi said, glancing at Xiang Mo, ¡°Teacher Xiang has chosen me.¡±


    ¡­There was no need for him to phrase it that way.


    To avoid further trouble, Xiang Mo played along, ¡°Yes, Mr. Du has time on the weekends.¡±


    Since the model positions had been secured by Du Chi, Mr. Zhang decided not to say anything more, and after complaining about Mr. Li, he left the courtyard.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Xiang Mo said. He didn¡¯t want to hire any more models, so he took down the recruitment notice from the door.


    However, Du Chi suddenly asked, ¡°Can the hourly wage be increased a bit?¡±


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t understand why Du Chi was asking that, but he replied, ¡°No increase; I don¡¯t want to hire any more models.¡±


    ¡°I meant for me,¡± Du Chi raised his chin slightly, pointing at the last line on the notice, ¡°If I become a model, can we discuss the hourly wage?¡±


    The salary of outstanding candidates could be negotiated.


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t immediately respond. He was curious about why Du Chi was asking for more pay. But to keep the upper hand in negotiations, he deliberately said, ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed yet, you need to apply first.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Du Chi smiled and crossed his arms, his eyes full of amusement, ¡°How do I apply?¡±


    ¡°What are your strengths?¡± Xiang Mo asked.


    ¡°Strengths?¡± Du Chi raised his right hand, touched his chin, and pondered, ¡°I can undress.¡±


    Xiang Mo raised an almost imperceptible eyebrow. He was looking for ordinary clothing models, not nude models.


    Of course, nude models were even more valuable. Sometimes, when Xiang Mo was itching to paint some nudes, he couldn¡¯t find suitable models. If Du Chi was willing to ¡°contribute¡± himself, then the price could be discussed.


    Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Du Chi was precisely targeting his hobbies, offering him an irresistible temptation.


    But he wouldn¡¯t surrender immediately; it wasn¡¯t his style. He slightly raised his chin and looked at Du Chi critically, ¡°Then undress and show me.¡±

 CH 7

    The human perception of beauty originated primarily from the human body.


    The ancient Greeks discovered the beauty of freedom and health in the human body, providing humanity with a starting point for the concept of beauty. Regardless of class, religion, or ethical considerations, the gaze upon the human body is a gaze upon beauty.


    Due to various social constraints in interpersonal interactions, the last time Xiang Mo encountered Du Chi shirtless on the third floor, he did not ¡°gaze¡± at him.


    It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t want to, but it would be impolite to do so. Unspoken regret took root and sprouted in his heart. Because of this, when a proper opportunity presented itself, this tender shoot emerged like a resilient bud after a long winter.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Du Chi glanced around the courtyard, apparently not expecting Xiang Mo to be so bold, and asked skeptically, ¡°Here?¡±


    The perimeter of the small courtyard was surrounded by historical red brick walls instead of drafty iron railings. The courtyard door was closed, and even if someone passed by, they wouldn¡¯t be able to see what was inside the courtyard.


    The neighboring second and third floors could provide a clear view, but both sides were empty at the moment, so there was no need to worry about a bad influence.


    In all fairness, Xiang Mo didn¡¯t actually ask Du Chi to undress right here. His words blurted out like an interviewer¡¯s impromptu request for a cartwheel. If the interviewee said, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient,¡± it wouldn¡¯t affect the hiring decision.


    However, this situation was a bit unusual.


    Thinking back on their past interactions, Xiang Mo rarely had the upper hand. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Du Chi, asking, ¡°Why, are you scared?¡±


    Having just finished showering, Du Chi had changed into a white cotton short-sleeved shirt and gray linen pants, both of which were easy to take off.


    The hair on top of his head was slightly longer than at the back, seemingly blow-dried, flying refreshingly over his forehead. But the short hair on the sides and the back of his head was blown loosely and casually, and one could still see the dampness under the sunlight.


    Feeling certain that Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t joking, Du Chi smiled softly and confidently replied, ¡°Sure, why not?¡±


    A familiar playfulness flickered in his deep eyes, and an inexplicable sense of unease grew in Xiang Mo¡¯s heart. Yet, before he could react, he saw Du Chi¡¯s hands reaching for his waist and undoing his belt.


    Xiang Mo was taken aback, wondering why this guy wasn¡¯t following the usual pattern. Normally, people would take off their shirt first, right?


    He quickly held onto Du Chi¡¯s forearm and stared at him, saying, ¡°Are you a pervert?¡±


    He admitted that he was teasing Du Chi to some extent, but he had no intention of actually making him take off his pants.


    The corners of Du Chi¡¯s mouth lifted with a thick smile, as if he had already anticipated Xiang Mo¡¯s flustered reaction. He retorted, ¡°Who¡¯s the pervert here, the artist?¡±


    With a light and teasing tone, the words ¡°the artist¡± sounded like some sort of playful nickname.


    Xiang Mo almost forgot that it was him who asked someone to undress in broad daylight. If you had to put it that way, he was the one being a pervert.


    ¡°You passed,¡± he let go of Du Chi¡¯s forearm, awkwardly changing the subject, ¡°What¡¯s your hourly rate?¡±


    ¡°What does Teacher Xiang think is appropriate?¡± Du Chi no longer teased Xiang Mo, lowered his head, and slowly fastened his belt.


    ¡°How about 150 yuan?¡± Xiang Mo suggested fairly.


    Du Chi¡¯s movements paused, and he raised an eyebrow, clearly dissatisfied with the offer.


    However, he didn¡¯t try to negotiate further with Xiang Mo and simply said, ¡°Let¡¯s go with that for now. We can reconsider later.¡±


    Xiang Mo also felt that there was no point in negotiating the price now since if Du Chi only modeled once and didn¡¯t want to do it again, any amount of negotiation would be a waste of time.


    The students taking the advanced figure drawing class started coming to the studio around noon. Unlike the Saturday batch of students who complained endlessly, almost every student who entered the small courtyard today looked at Du Chi leaning against the motorcycle with astonishment and incredulously confirmed with the others, ¡°A new model?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Teacher Xiang specially found us a new model.¡±


    Without waiting for Xiang Mo to introduce him, Meng Yun always proactively chimed in with a flirtatious tone.


    Although she was supposed to be the substitute teacher helping with the class, she referred to herself and the students together as ¡°us.¡± It felt like she had divided the people in the studio into two small groups: her and the students, and Xiang Mo and Du Chi.


    Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it, but he felt that Meng Yun seemed particularly enthusiastic today.


    ¡°Pay attention to the forms,¡± Meng Yun approached Du Chi and advised the students behind the easels, ¡°The model¡¯s shirt is loose-fitting, be careful not to make it look bulky.¡±


    ¡°Teacher, you¡¯re blocking me!¡± a student protested.


    ¡°Also, pay attention to the proportion of the legs!¡± Meng Yun quickly stepped aside, ¡°The perspective of the Martin boots is crucial!¡±


    Xiang Mo had no room to perform, so he stood aside, occasionally looking at the bored Du Chi and then checking on the students¡¯ progress.


    In fact, at first, Du Chi hadn¡¯t changed his clothes. He was about to be the model for Xiang Mo, wearing flip-flops on his feet.


    Of course, Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t satisfied. He frowned slightly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s so artistic about a white T-shirt?¡±


    Du Chi looked down at himself and then changed into a black polo shirt.


    ¡°Still not working.¡± Xiang Mo crossed his arms and frowned as he looked up and down at Du Chi. ¡°Don¡¯t you have something more complex to wear?¡±


    T-shirts or polo shirts, the styles are all too simple, and they don¡¯t offer much value for teaching. Most of the students in the advanced figure drawing class have decent skills, so they need to feel the value of the course.


    However, Du Chi clearly didn¡¯t understand Xiang Mo¡¯s teaching standards. He simply said, ¡°Then you pick.¡±


    Following Du Chi, Xiang Mo went to the third floor. He couldn¡¯t enter the room, so he had to wait at the door.


    After a while, the door opened from the inside, and Du Chi appeared behind it, wearing a round-neck striped shirt. Xiang Mo took a glance and raised an eyebrow, ¡°Change.¡±


    Du Chi tugged at the corner of his mouth, as if he wanted to protest, but ultimately obediently returned to the room and changed into a gradient-colored casual shirt.


    This time, Xiang Mo hesitated for two seconds, but he still said, ¡°Change.¡±


    Du Chi seemed to have lost his temper, showing a speechless expression, and went back into the room again.


    Xiang Mo was considering settling for the previous gradient-colored casual shirt if the next outfit wasn¡¯t suitable. However, when the door opened again, Du Chi was not wearing any clothes, standing shirtless with a white dress shirt in his left hand and a V-neck shirt in his right hand. Lazily, he asked Xiang Mo, ¡°Which one?¡±


    It looks better without clothes.


    An untimely thought flashed through Xiang Mo¡¯s mind.


    He pursed his lips and looked at the loose-fitting white dress shirt, saying lightly, ¡°The one on the left.¡±


    ¡°Finally.¡± Du Chi heaved a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Any requirements for the pants?¡±


    ¡°Pockets can be bigger.¡±


    Finally, Du Chi put on a pair of cuffed cropped jeans. When he walked out of the room in his Martin boots, Xiang Mo finally looked satisfied.


    Having gotten used to Du Chi¡¯s appearance in flip-flops and sportswear, Xiang Mo had to admit that when he dressed up, he exuded a different kind of charm from his usual laid-back and sunny self.


    ¡°Thank you for your effort, Teacher Du,¡± Xiang Mo said.


    ¡°Teacher¡± was a respectful term Xiang Mo used for his collaborators. He would call Meng Yun ¡°Teacher,¡± and he would call a gallery owner ¡°Teacher.¡± It signified that they had established a professional relationship.


    However, Du Chi seemed indifferent to this title. When he heard the three words ¡°Teacher Du,¡± he just smiled and looked at Xiang Mo, saying, ¡°You seem like my wife.¡±


    Xiang Mo was taken aback, showing a bewildered expression.


    ¡°Always telling me what to wear,¡± Du Chi¡¯s tone carried a hint of complaint and teasing.


    Xiang Mo was accustomed to Du Chi¡¯s demeanor. He said matter-of-factly, ¡°Because I am your employer.¡±


    Although a lot of effort was spent on selecting clothes, the rest of the session went smoothly. Du Chi was professional; once he sat down, he didn¡¯t move around anymore.


    However, as Xiang Mo passed by him incidentally, Du Chi suddenly called out in a low voice, ¡°Teacher Xiang.¡±


    Xiang Mo stopped and turned his head to look at Du Chi.


    ¡°I want some water.¡± Du Chi said pitifully.


    In Xiang Mo¡¯s eyes, there seemed to be a large, aggrieved dog. He couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh but restrained the faint smile on his lips. He went to the kitchen on the second floor to pour Du Chi a glass of warm water.


    As he put the glass back on the second floor, Meng Yun followed behind.


    ¡°Teacher Xiang, are you still denying it?¡± As if she had finally found an opportunity, Meng Yun asked excitedly, ¡°He is your new boyfriend, right!¡±


    Xiang Mo finally understood why Meng Yun was so enthusiastic today. Apparently, she regarded Du Chi as his boyfriend.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not,¡± he said truthfully, ¡°He¡¯s just a neighbor.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain that he believed in being single, and having a boyfriend was simply non-existent in his life.


    ¡°Tsk, I don¡¯t believe it,¡± Meng Yun looked doubtful.


    ¡°Believe it or not.¡±


    Putting down the glass, Xiang Mo returned to the courtyard downstairs. Not long after, a familiar figure walked in through the courtyard gate.


    With exaggerated round sunglasses covering half of his face, Xiang Mo recalled for a moment and realized that this was the person he had argued with that night with Du Chi.


    If he remembered correctly, Du Chi called this person Ye Xing.


    ¡°I want to sign up.¡± Ye Xing took off his sunglasses, glanced at Du Chi, and said expressionlessly to Xiang Mo.


    Xiang Mo immediately felt a headache. Why was this soap opera still continuing?


    He instinctively looked at Du Chi, only to find Du Chi getting impatiently to his feet, leaving the students at a loss. He quickly frowned and said, ¡°Sit down.¡±


    The large dog obediently sat back down.


    Ye Xing looked at the interaction between the two and seemed to darken his expression.


    ¡°What do you want to learn?¡± Xiang Mo asked patiently.


    Regardless of the emotional entanglements between this person and Du Chi, it had nothing to do with him. After all, so many students were watching; he had to maintain a professional attitude.


    ¡°I checked you out.¡± Ye Xing put away his displeasure, looking arrogantly at Xiang Mo. ¡°Your drawings are indeed not bad. I want to learn figure drawing from you.¡±


    Not again! Xiang Mo¡¯s headache worsened. Why did this soap opera have to involve him?


    ¡°Figure drawing is difficult,¡± he said diplomatically. ¡°It might take many years to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I have a foundation.¡± Ye Xing interrupted Xiang Mo. ¡°I just want to learn your style.¡±


    Xiang Mo: ¡­


    He really wanted to tell Ye Xing that in the eyes of the person he liked, he was just an insignificant erotic artist. What was the point of learning from him?


    Du Chi: This is art.

 CH 8

    The art studio offered free trial classes for new students, and Xiang Mo didn¡¯t discuss the enrollment matter with Ye Xing. He simply allowed him to experience the class first.


    Ye Xing indeed had some basic skills; he quickly sketched a drawing in twenty minutes. Though the details were a bit rough, he grasped the main points well.


    His skill level left room for improvement. If it were any other student, Xiang Mo would have pointed out several areas for improvement. However, he didn¡¯t want to create any trouble for himself, so he let Ye Xing amuse himself.


    Seeing that Ye Xing was clearly aiming for Xiang Mo, Meng Yun also refrained from interfering.


    Soon, the class ended, and the students left the studio one by one.


    Ye Xing seemed to have something to say to Du Chi; he sat motionless behind the easel and showed no intention of leaving.


    Xiang Mo had no choice but to get involved in this soap opera earlier, but now that Ye Xing was affecting his work, he had no reason to sacrifice himself and be helpful.


    ¡°Teacher Du,¡± Xiang Mo politely called Du Chi, taking out his phone from his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll add you on WeChat and transfer the payment to you.¡±


    Settling the payment could wait; Xiang Mo just wanted to make a point to Ye Xing that he didn¡¯t have Du Chi¡¯s WeChat.


    No couple would be without each other¡¯s WeChat; anyone with a little brain could tell that Xiang Mo and Du Chi were not a romantic couple just by observing their WeChat interactions.


    Ye Xing indeed looked skeptical, and Meng Yun seemed to find it strange too, as she surreptitiously observed the two.


    At the same time, Xiang Mo¡¯s phone vibrated twice; it was a message from Du Chi.


    ¡¾Du Chi: Are you leaving me?¡¿


    ¡¾Du Chi: Sanmao frowns.jpg¡¿


    Xiang Mo looked at the phone screen expressionlessly, and his fingers moved rapidly.


    ¡¾Xiang Mo: Transferring 450 yuan¡¿


    ¡¾Xiang Mo: Deal with it yourself¡¿


    Everyone present was intelligent, and Du Chi naturally noticed Xiang Mo¡¯s intention. Fortunately, he was a sensible person and didn¡¯t insist on dragging Xiang Mo into the situation. Seeing Xiang Mo trying to distance himself, he didn¡¯t continue this poorly staged soap opera.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Du Chi put away his phone and said to Ye Xing, who had been rooted behind the easel. The person, who seemed like he was going to stay there forever, immediately stood up, eyes full of anticipation as he followed Du Chi¡¯s steps. Xiang Mo and Meng Yun seemed to have become invisible.


    The two went upstairs to the third floor, seemingly to have a thorough conversation. It would probably take a while before they came back down.


    While Xiang Mo and Meng Yun were tidying up the easels in the courtyard, Meng Yun, who had been holding back for a long time, finally seized the opportunity and curiously asked, ¡°Teacher Xiang, who was that just now?¡±


    Not wanting to be misunderstood again and not willing to entertain Meng Yun¡¯s curiosity, Xiang Mo casually said, ¡°Teacher Du¡¯s little lover.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Meng Yun seemed a bit confused.


    ¡°That¡¯s why,¡± Xiang Mo leisurely set up the easel and looked at Meng Yun, saying, ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡±


    Freed from the soap opera, not wanting to be gossiped about by Meng Yun, and having resolved two matters at once, Xiang Mo felt a sense of relief.


    His life didn¡¯t need dramatic twists; just focusing on each class and painting when he had time was enough for him to live a peaceful and comfortable life.


    At three or four in the afternoon, the sunlight was at its best. In April, before summer arrived, the warm sunlight on the skin felt just right.


    Thinking that the soundproofing in the old house was not good, Xiang Mo didn¡¯t want to overhear any of the conversation between Du Chi and Ye Xing, so after cleaning up the studio, he didn¡¯t go back to the second floor to rest. Instead, he went to the neighboring flower shop.


    The owner of the flower shop was a seventy-something-year-old lady named Zhou. Neighbors called her Aunt Zhou.


    It was said that Aunt Zhou and her husband had lived abroad with their children. After her husband passed away, she disregarded her children¡¯s objections and insisted on returning to the old house where she had once lived with her husband.


    In front of the old house¡¯s entrance, there were roses planted by Aunt Zhou herself. April was the season when roses bloomed. The full and beautiful flowers adorned the quaint street, creating a romantic atmosphere.


    Stepping into the courtyard of the flower shop, Xiang Mo felt like he was in an ocean of flowers. Aunt Zhou was at the first-floor workbench, arranging flowers. She wore a modified cheongsam, along with a small shawl. The marks of time hadn¡¯t taken away her elegance; instead, they made her appear even more graceful and composed.


    ¡°Aunt Zhou,¡± Xiang Mo walked inside confidently and looked at the blue roses on the workbench, asking, ¡°Is this a new variety?¡±


    ¡°Yes, do you like it?¡± Aunt Zhou replied as she trimmed the thorns on the stem and placed the blue rose into a vase.


    Xiang Mo had borrowed this vase for his students to use when drawing. It seemed that Aunt Zhou had taken a liking to the flowers she sold and decided to arrange them herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Xiang Mo picked up a white rose from a nearby bunch and gestured it beside the vase. ¡°How about adding some white roses too?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯ll look great.¡±


    The two chatted casually while working at the table. They talked about the recent weather, life in this area, and the new young man who moved in.


    ¡°He¡¯s quite a nice person,¡± Aunt Zhou¡¯s eyes showed admiration. ¡°Every morning, when he passes by here, he helps me take out the garbage.¡±


    The flower shop generated a lot of trash, like packaging cardboard, trimmed stems, and more. Every day, Aunt Zhou had to carry a bunch of garbage to the corner trash can.


    Xiang Mo considered himself helpful but only lent a hand when he occasionally bumped into Aunt Zhou on the street. He wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to take care of Aunt Zhou¡¯s garbage, like Du Chi did.


    His vague idea was now confirmed; Du Chi was indeed more considerate and kind-hearted than he was.


    As they arranged flowers, Xiang Mo reflected seriously. Why hadn¡¯t he thought of helping Aunt Zhou, a lonely elderly person?


    Perhaps because Aunt Zhou never asked for help, and also¡ª


    Xiang Mo had already prepared to spend his old age alone.


    The freedom and happiness of being single inevitably came with corresponding costs. The carefree days of his youth might result in a solitary life in his old age.


    Perhaps Aunt Zhou¡¯s current life was what Xiang Mo envisioned for himself in his later years¡ªdoing a small business based on her interests and enjoying the last stage of life.


    Xiang Mo had considered that when he grew older, he didn¡¯t want to be a burden to others. On the other hand, Aunt Zhou might not want to be seen as a frail elderly person by others.


    Of course, that was just his perspective.


    Based on Aunt Zhou¡¯s admiration for Du Chi, she might still need others¡¯ help.


    He spent over an hour in the flower shop, but eventually, Zhang Daye suddenly appeared, saying he was going to treat Aunt Zhou to a meal. Xiang Mo then left the flower shop.


    By this time, Du Chi and Ye Xing probably finished their conversation, but instead of going home directly, Xiang Mo went to the noodle shop on the other side of the art studio.


    He hadn¡¯t bought groceries in advance and didn¡¯t feel like cooking. He wanted to treat himself on the weekend, but unfortunately, the restaurant across from Luo Yang¡¯s place was already packed with people, so he settled for the noodle shop.


    The noodle shop owner and his wife came here years ago due to their daughter¡¯s schooling, seeking help from their wealthy relatives.


    Their relatives were kind and left them this house to live in after moving out of the old villa.


    This year, their daughter was already in her last year of high school, and perhaps after she entered college, this noodle shop, which didn¡¯t match the style of the old villa, would cease to exist.


    Xiang Mo entered the courtyard and found an empty table near the entrance.


    The tireless machine, Ultraman, was still cutting noodles into the soup. Thanks to it, nearby children nicknamed this noodle shop ¡°Ultraman Hand-pulled Noodles.¡±


    ¡°Teacher Xiang, would you like a 300-gram or 500-gram serving today?¡± Mr. Zhao, the shop owner, asked Xiang Mo familiarly.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll take a 200-gram serving,¡± Xiang Mo replied.


    A few minutes later, the piping hot hand-pulled noodles were served. Facing the courtyard entrance, Xiang Mo was just about to take a bite when he saw a familiar figure passing by the gate.


    He hurriedly lowered his head, but it was already too late.


    Ye Xing had obviously seen him. He changed his direction, walked into the courtyard, and sat opposite Xiang Mo.


    ¡­ Can¡¯t he just leave me alone?


    Xiang Mo put down his chopsticks resignedly and looked at the person in front of him, asking, ¡°Has Mr. Du already explained things to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did.¡± Ye Xing also ordered a bowl of hand-pulled noodles, taking off his sunglasses and placing them on the table. ¡°I¡¯ve completely given up.¡±


    Unlike before, his eyes were slightly red, indicating that he had probably just cried.


    Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache. He had no personal relationship with Ye Xing, so why was he the one being approached for comfort?


    ¡°I was his college classmate,¡± Ye Xing began to talk, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. ¡°I had a crush on him for many years, but he always treated me as a friend.¡±


    ¡°Then, just recently, after my breakup, I didn¡¯t want to find a new boyfriend, so I suggested being a bed companion with him¡­¡±


    Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t interested in their love story, but when he heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but think cynically. Didn¡¯t Ye Xing have a long-standing crush on Du Chi? It seemed he wasn¡¯t idle either.


    ¡°I want to give you a piece of advice,¡± Ye Xing suddenly said seriously.


    For some reason, Xiang Mo felt that the next words were the real reason Ye Xing wanted to chat with him.


    ¡°As someone who¡¯s been there, I advise you not to fall for Du Chi. He doesn¡¯t have feelings for anyone.¡±


    Xiang Mo: ¡­


    Hearing this, Xiang Mo finally couldn¡¯t hold back. He put down his chopsticks, took a tissue to wipe his mouth, and looked at Ye Xing calmly, asking, ¡°How old are you?¡±


    Ye Xing seemed slightly surprised by Xiang Mo¡¯s composed and distant attitude. He hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Twenty-seven.¡±


    He was a year younger than Xiang Mo, and apparently, so was Du Chi.


    ¡°What do you do for a living?¡± Xiang Mo asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting my own business, creating my own brand.¡±


    ¡°Is it so unbearable to live without being in a relationship?¡±


    Xiang Mo asked bluntly, but perhaps it was his aura that left Ye Xing somewhat shocked. He looked blankly at Xiang Mo and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Since you have your own career, why not focus on that?¡± Xiang Mo sighed, gently persuading, ¡°Not everyone wants to be in a romantic relationship. Instead of wasting time on love, you could use it to improve yourself.¡±


    Ye Xing seemed quite taken aback by Xiang Mo¡¯s expression.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Ye Xing stared at Xiang Mo and said, ¡°You¡¯re very confident.¡±


    In the end, Xiang Mo gave Ye Xing some advice, ¡°Focus on your career first.¡±


    After leaving the noodle shop, Ye Xing was supposed to walk in the opposite direction, but perhaps he still wanted to chat with Xiang Mo. He held Xiang Mo¡¯s arm and walked towards the art studio.


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t really need company for such a short distance, and he wasn¡¯t used to someone holding his arm while walking. But maybe because it was just a short distance, he didn¡¯t bother to push Ye Xing away and let him continue holding on.


    ¡°You know,¡± Ye Xing suddenly asked, ¡°What if Du Chi pursues you? To be honest, he¡¯s really handsome.¡±


    It seemed that Ye Xing couldn¡¯t change his mindset so quickly. Xiang Mo had just reminded him not to obsess over relationships, and now he was talking about love again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Xiang Mo replied. He was only interested in drawing Du Chi without his clothes.


    As soon as he said that, the courtyard door suddenly opened from inside. Du Chi came out holding Sanmao and seemed to be about to take the dog for a walk.


    Whether it was because he heard their conversation outside the courtyard walls or for some other reason, he glanced at the two of them holding each other¡¯s arms and teased, ¡°Are you two already becoming best friends so quickly?¡±


    Best¡­ friends?


    Xiang Mo forced a polite smile: Your dog¡¯s mouth is really something¡ª


    Du Chi: Woof.


    PS: Ye Xing went offline, there¡¯s no more scene with him later.

 CH 9

    A laid-back young man like Xiang Mo doesn¡¯t need ¡°best friends.¡±


    At this stage in his life, Xiang Mo became more selective about his friendships. Rather than focusing on material aspects, he valued the spiritual connection more. If someone couldn¡¯t enrich his inner world and he had to be the one constantly providing insights, he found it difficult to be interested in forming a friendship.


    He didn¡¯t enjoy shopping or watching movies with others; having drinking buddies meant nothing to him.


    So when Ye Xing wanted to add Xiang Mo on WeChat before leaving, Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t be bothered to accept the request. Instead, he let Du Chi give his business card to Ye Xing.


    An hour passed, and still no friend request came from Ye Xing. Apparently, Du Chi hadn¡¯t given him his WeChat.


    He had to admit that this ¡°understanding¡± made Xiang Mo feel quite comfortable.


    Though Du Chi could be rude with his words sometimes, overall, he was someone who knew boundaries.


    By letting Du Chi make the decision of whether to add Ye Xing on WeChat, Xiang Mo could immediately see that he was subtly rejecting the request. This at least indicated that Du Chi¡¯s way of thinking aligned with his, which was rare among people they weren¡¯t particularly close to.


    On Sunday evenings, a sense of weariness would hang over the city as people braced themselves for the approaching new week.


    Working professionals would start another five days of work, but for Xiang Mo, the weekdays at the art studio were more relaxed with fewer students compared to weekends. As a result, he thoroughly enjoyed Sunday evenings.


    Carrying his art supplies, he arrived at the third-floor balcony just as the sun was setting, creating a perfect scenery.


    Looking into the distance, below the horizon was a collection of lively residential balconies, while at the end of the view, skyscrapers stood tall, symbolizing the hustle and bustle of the city.


    The modern city and the old neighborhoods, the vigor of development and the weight of history¡ª the horizon seemed to divide the scene into two contrasting worlds.


    A massive red sun hung behind the skyscrapers, and the orange dusk crossed the horizon, casting its warm glow over both worlds, uniting the entire view.


    Xiang Mo picked up his paintbrush, dipped it into the watercolor palette, and made a stroke on the pure white paper.


    After a while, the paper above the horizon was filled with orange hues. At that moment, the silence between them was broken by the sound of a lazy footstep.


    ¡°You¡¯re still painting watercolors?¡±


    Du Chi, in his flip-flops, came over to the easel and sat down on the nearby lounge chair, holding a can of beer.


    He looked at the beautiful sunset scene in front of him and then at Xiang Mo, who was painting it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you doing sketches anymore?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Xiang Mo replied, lowering his head to clean the paintbrush in a water bucket. ¡°This scene is better suited for watercolors.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Du Chi said as he brought the beer can to his lips.


    The two fell into a comfortable silence, only accompanied by the brushstrokes of the paintbrush and the sound of Du Chi drinking his beer.


    Appreciating the sunset with a light breeze didn¡¯t require much verbal communication. But after a while, the couple next door suddenly started arguing over some trivial matters of daily life.


    Perhaps not wanting to hear any more, Du Chi suddenly spoke up, ¡°Teacher Xiang.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Xiang Mo was also hoping for a distraction from the nearby argument.


    ¡°Do you think lovers or friends are more important?¡±


    Different from the conversation with Ye Xing about love, this time it wasn¡¯t just Xiang Mo sharing his thoughts; Du Chi was also expressing his opinion. It made the conversation more engaging.


    And coincidentally, they both shared the same viewpoint.


    ¡°Are you trying to say,¡± Xiang Mo put down the paintbrush and looked at Du Chi, ¡°that you rejected Ye Xing because you¡¯re afraid of losing a friend?¡±


    After tumbling around in bed, the relationship between two people might change, but as long as they didn¡¯t cross the line, their friendship could still be maintained.


    Du Chi chuckled softly and raised his beer can to Xiang Mo. ¡°You understand me.¡±


    After saying that, he tilted his head back and downed the contents of the beer can, his Adam¡¯s apple moving up and down with each gulp.


    Moving his gaze away from Du Chi¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple, Xiang Mo changed the color and started sketching the outlines of the buildings. ¡°It seems you don¡¯t want to lose this friend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to avoid trouble,¡± Du Chi placed the empty beer can on the coffee table, thinking that he could have a conversation with Xiang Mo, he continued, ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why must people be in romantic relationships?¡±


    That sentence hit a chord deep within Xiang Mo¡¯s heart.


    A rare encounter with a kindred spirit, Xiang Mo blurted out, ¡°I don¡¯t understand either. Isn¡¯t it better to focus on ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! There are so many interesting things to do.¡±


    ¡°In the end, we¡¯ll break up anyway, so why waste time and emotions.¡±


    Casually chatting about their views on love, they felt like old friends who had known each other for years.


    Xiang Mo had never discussed these topics with anyone before, not even with Meng Yun, despite their close relationship. Meng Yun didn¡¯t know about Xiang Mo¡¯s ¡°single-ism.¡±


    Perhaps it was because Du Chi shared the same belief as him, that freedom was more precious than love, that Xiang Mo unconsciously let Du Chi enter his inner world.


    But the carelessness led to a consequence ¨C Du Chi suddenly looked at him and asked inexplicably, ¡°Isn¡¯t it? You have a boyfriend, right?¡±


    Just when they were enjoying their conversation, suddenly cold water was poured over them.


    Only then did Xiang Mo remember that Du Chi had heard the ¡°sounds¡± from that night, and knew he had a man. A normal person wouldn¡¯t think it was just a bed partner; they¡¯d instinctively assume it was his boyfriend.


    He hadn¡¯t thought of how to reply when Du Chi¡¯s eyes suddenly filled with laughter as he teased, ¡°Wait, Teacher Xiang, are you suppressing your true nature lately and not making any noises?¡±


    What did he mean by ¡°suppressing your true nature¡±?


    Xiang Mo felt a little annoyed, but he heard Du Chi say with a smile, ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Can you please not use the word ¡®noises¡¯?¡± Xiang Mo took a deep breath, suppressing his irritation. ¡°I didn¡¯t make any.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Du Chi¡¯s tone suddenly turned soft, and the orange sunset reflected in his eyes turned them into a clear light brown, making it hard for Xiang Mo to read him.


    ¡°What should it be then?¡± Du Chi lazily stared at Xiang Mo, and the light in his eyes became ambiguous. ¡°Breathing heavily? Or moaning?¡±


    Xiang Mo¡¯s heart skipped a beat; he suddenly understood why Du Chi had that extremely provocative expression ¨C he was remembering the sounds he heard that night.


    The sounds Xiang Mo made when he climaxed.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Before he could respond, Xiang Mo felt his throat dry, and in annoyance, he lowered his head to wash the paintbrush in the water bucket. The ripples in the water matched the waves in his heart at the moment. ¡°My boyfriend is busy and we rarely see each other.¡±


    Not knowing how to continue the conversation, he awkwardly changed the subject.


    Saying it out loud, even Xiang Mo himself felt it was absurd. Why did he use Tan Song as an excuse?


    However, even more absurd things happened. He actually heard Tan Song¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Mo Mo.¡±


    Surprised, Xiang Mo turned around and saw Tan Song standing at the balcony doorway.


    Tan Song knew the code to the courtyard gate, so Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t surprised that he could come in directly. He must have looked on the first and second floors but couldn¡¯t find Xiang Mo, so he came to the third-floor balcony.


    But that wasn¡¯t the point.


    Frowning, Xiang Mo asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    On weekends, Tan Song didn¡¯t dress in the usual suit and leather shoes like he did on weekdays; he was now casually dressed, looking quite handsome and casual.


    He picked up a convenience store plastic bag in his hand and said, ¡°Came to spend the weekend with you.¡±


    There was a hint of ¡°surprise¡± in his tone.


    Honestly, Xiang Mo really hated surprises.


    For example, in college, when someone set up a candlelit proposal for their loved one, the person being proposed to might find it romantic and touching, but Xiang Mo would just feel angry ¨C why force me into this situation without my knowledge?


    The same was true for Tan Song¡¯s actions.


    Today wasn¡¯t the day they were supposed to meet. If they were in a ambiguous relationship, Xiang Mo might understand this attempt to surprise each other. But he had told Tan Song repeatedly that he didn¡¯t want them to have any other interaction apart from being bed partners.


    Time and time again, Tan Song had pushed the boundaries of Xiang Mo¡¯s limits, and now he had crossed the line.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to come over like this?¡± Xiang Mo completely ignored Du Chi at the side. After the words were spoken, he realized that this wasn¡¯t the attitude he should have toward a ¡°boyfriend.¡±


    Du Chi, however, looked puzzled, and Xiang Mo didn¡¯t want to deal with this issue here. He was about to take Tan Song downstairs when Tan Song said, somewhat indignantly, ¡°Why are you reacting so strongly?¡±


    When they didn¡¯t think the same way, it was so hard to communicate.


    This ¡°lack of understanding¡± feeling really irritated Xiang Mo.


    ¡°Or is it that,¡± Tan Song looked at Xiang Mo with caution, ¡°you don¡¯t want me to come over at other times because you have other bed partners? Weren¡¯t we supposed to be exclusive?¡±


    Oh no.


    Xiang Mo wouldn¡¯t answer, so he quickly pushed Tan Song back inside. But before he could stand up, he heard Tan Song say in a displeased tone, ¡°Mo Mo, do you consider me your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Mo Mo, I think we need to talk!¡± Tan Song suddenly became very agitated. ¡°We should really talk!¡±


    Xiang Mo felt a headache coming on; he looked back at Du Chi, who had an amused expression. It was as if he was saying: Teacher Xiang, how could you deceive me?

 CH 10

    As Xiang Mo descended the stairs, his thoughts gradually returned to a normal track. In fact, the events of today had shown some signs beforehand, but Xiang Mo thought Tan Song would stop at an appropriate point, so he chose to ignore it. The result was that the vague thoughts in his mind eventually turned into an inevitable decision.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come here anymore, Tan Song.¡±


    Xiang Mo¡¯s footsteps stopped at the threshold of the first-floor studio. The open studio door faced the courtyard door leading outside, indicating his intention to see Tan Song off.


    The silence during their descent seemed to have made Tan Song realize that something was amiss. He snapped out of it and sighed with resignation, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand you, Xiang Mo.¡±


    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t want our relationship to get complicated.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you say I was your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Oh, because he wanted to pursue me.¡± After spending so much time with Du Chi, Xiang Mo had become quite skilled at fabricating stories. ¡°I used you as a smokescreen.¡±


    Another moment of silence passed between them.


    ¡°So, you really have no intention of settling down with someone?¡± Tan Song casually placed the convenience store plastic bag on the studio table, adopting the tone he used during their casual chats, ¡°I don¡¯t believe anyone can truly live without love.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± Xiang Mo replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t need it,¡± Tan Song paused, looking somewhat helpless as he gazed at Xiang Mo. ¡°You¡¯re just protecting yourself.¡±


    Tan Song and Xiang Mo had met on a social media group for broken-hearted individuals, so Tan Song knew a bit about Xiang Mo¡¯s situation.


    After being encouraged by his boyfriend, Xiang Mo had organized an art exhibition. It was supposed to be the most spirited time for him, but after the incident, not only did his boyfriend not stay by his side, he left for abroad to pursue his dreams.


    A person¡¯s edges were easily smoothed, needing just a series of setbacks.


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t deny Tan Song¡¯s point; he had indeed closed himself off. But it was also because he enjoyed his current life and didn¡¯t want to invest unnecessary emotional costs in trial and error.


    ¡°Think about it carefully,¡± Tan Song said as he stepped out of the threshold. ¡°Feel free to contact me whenever you need.¡±


    Xiang Mo knew he wouldn¡¯t initiate contact with Tan Song again.


    It wasn¡¯t that he subjectively wanted to be so decisive, but the situation had reached this point. If he initiated contact with Tan Song again, it would carry other ambiguous meanings and wouldn¡¯t be as simple as just fulfilling their needs, like they did before.


    Perhaps Tan Song would think Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t live without his body, or maybe he¡¯d think Xiang Mo had changed his mind and wanted a serious relationship with him.


    Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t the type of person who would say good morning to someone he didn¡¯t like, just for the sake of it.


    Since there was no such intention, he wouldn¡¯t let Tan Song misunderstand. So, Xiang Mo knew that his relationship with Tan Song had ended here.


    The sky gradually darkened, and only a hint of orange sunset remained, resisting the arrival of the night in vain.


    The watercolor that was half-finished had to be continued another day. But when Xiang Mo returned to the third-floor balcony, he found Du Chi sitting behind the easel, holding a paintbrush, and he had already completed most of the unfinished work on the paper.


    Seemingly having heard some commotion, Du Chi turned around, looking at Xiang Mo. ¡°Back so soon?¡±


    It¡¯s possible that some catastrophe occurred, as Du Chi¡¯s clothes were smeared with all sorts of paint, and even his right cheek had some on it, which he seemed to be unaware of.


    At first, looking at Du Chi in this state, Xiang Mo felt that he was somewhat cute, but unfortunately, as they say, a dog¡¯s mouth can¡¯t spit out ivory. Then, he heard Du Chi teasingly say, ¡°Your boyfriend can¡¯t last, Teacher Xiang.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Xiang Mo walked over to Du Chi, taking the paintbrush from his hand. ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s pursuing you.¡± Du Chi touched his chin with his index finger and thumb, adopting a look that he knew everything. ¡°You slept with him, but you don¡¯t want to take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think,¡± Xiang Mo slightly furrowed his brow, patiently explaining, ¡°We¡¯re just bed partners, and he crossed the line.¡±


    Suddenly, Du Chi¡¯s previous words echoed in his ears ¨C saying that they wouldn¡¯t talk about feelings, but who knew if he was serious.


    The two phrases had similar meanings, but the one explaining had changed to be about Xiang Mo. A sense of foreboding arose in his heart, and indeed, Du Chi lazily smirked as if he had been waiting for this moment, borrowing Xiang Mo¡¯s words to say, ¡°Oh, a scumbag.¡±


    ¡­ As the saying goes, ¡°an eye for an eye.¡±


    Looking at the paint on Du Chi¡¯s cheek, Xiang Mo suddenly realized that a mischievous bad dog should be well disciplined.


    ¡°Do you really know how to paint?¡±


    His fingers, separated by the tissue, softly touched Du Chi¡¯s face as he concentrated on the area stained with paint.


    Du Chi appeared visibly stunned, his gaze sweeping over Xiang Mo¡¯s lips, then resting on his collarbone, and finally¡­ looking at the deeper parts.


    Could he see it?


    He probably could.


    Xiang Mo¡¯s short-sleeved shirt was loose at the neckline. As he bent down, it naturally slipped down. From Du Chi¡¯s perspective, he should be able to see something that no one else could, something that only he could see at this very moment¡ªa secretive expanse of skin.


    Xiang Mo¡¯s skin was fair, smooth, and delicate. Even in the dim sunset, it was hard to see clearly, but one could still feel the allure of that hidden treasure.


    Du Chi¡¯s eyes were blatantly staring, his Adam¡¯s apple moving visibly up and down.


    Xiang Mo raised an imperceptible eyebrow, a trace of mischief flashing in his eyes.


    This smelly dog thought he could bully him.


    He straightened up, drawing the line at any further teasing. Xiang Mo picked up another paintbrush, dipped it in a darker color, and began to outline lines on the canvas. ¡°Your colors are a bit messy; the buildings and the background are mixed together.¡±


    Du Chi finally snapped out of his daze, realizing that his silly look just now was somewhat amusing. He gazed at Xiang Mo with eyes filled with surprise and unexpected pleasure. However, he didn¡¯t dwell on being ¡°teased¡± by Xiang Mo and instead looked at the delicate brushstrokes on the canvas. ¡°It seems you like to use lines precisely.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Xiang Mo focused on adjusting the composition. ¡°That¡¯s my style.¡±


    Especially in figure drawing, Xiang Mo would even depict the texture and fuzziness of the skin because if he couldn¡¯t replicate the beauty of the human body itself, he¡¯d feel it was better not to draw at all.


    ¡°When are you going to draw figures again?¡± Du Chi suddenly asked.


    Xiang Mo was in the midst of painting and didn¡¯t think much about it. He casually replied, ¡°No models available.¡±


    His figure drawings didn¡¯t always require real-life models. Some were based on public images online, while others were products of his imagination inspired by movie or television scenes.


    In the past, Xiang Mo had tremendous creative enthusiasm, and even for images, he would draw with great seriousness. But now, he no longer needed to improve his skills through quantity, so if there were no real models available, it felt like a waste of his energy to just draw images.


    After making some minor adjustments to the details, the composition suddenly became clean.


    Xiang Mo admired his twilight watercolor painting with satisfaction when suddenly his wrist was pulled by someone, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the side.


    Afraid of ruining the painting brush in his hand, Xiang Mo instinctively raised his right hand. However, focusing on the brush¡¯s movement had the consequence of him being caught off guard and falling into Du Chi¡¯s embrace.


    Du Chi held Xiang Mo¡¯s waist with one hand, took the paintbrush from his hand, and tossed it into the water bucket, looking straight into Xiang Mo¡¯s slightly dazed eyes. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my clothes off for you to paint, artist.¡±

 CH 11

    Unlike ordinary chairs, the reclining chairs on the balcony were designed for leisure. The horizontal seat leaned backward, giving one the feeling of sinking into the chair when sitting completely inside it. Du Chi¡¯s lower back was tightly pressed against the backrest, but his upper body leaned slightly forward, creating an angle of less than ninety degrees between his thighs and chest.


    The constrained space felt intense, and Xiang Mo even had the illusion that he had sunk into Du Chi¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need that.¡± The air was filled with a dangerous vibe, and Xiang Mo instinctively rejected the situation. He wrinkled his brows, supporting himself by placing his hands on Du Chi¡¯s shoulders, trying to stand up. However, the hand around his waist prevented him from moving.


    ¡°What are your plans for tonight?¡± Du Chi slightly parted his lips, looking at Xiang Mo.


    Due to their seating arrangement, their height difference seemed reversed. Xiang Mo¡¯s head only reached Du Chi¡¯s nose before, but now Du Chi was tilting his chin slightly upward to look at Xiang Mo, making the line of his neck exceptionally prominent.


    Inattentively, Xiang Mo thought, that line was the sternocleidomastoid muscle.


    The relationship between the head and neck was determined by the naturalness of that muscle¡¯s depiction. Just a few strokes could outline the rough form of the human body, and Xiang Mo loved drawing figures because he was addicted to this process.


    His hands itched to draw.


    ¡°Teacher Xiang?¡± It seemed Xiang Mo¡¯s distraction was excessive. Du Chi lifted his leg with a touch of displeasure, forcing him to focus. ¡°To your room?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly brought back to reality, Xiang Mo didn¡¯t understand why their conversation had shifted to his room. He could only produce a monosyllabic sound.


    ¡°Or,¡± Du Chi continued, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, ¡°would you like to come to my room?¡±


    His fingers gently moved on Xiang Mo¡¯s waist, indicating his intentions.


    Xiang Mo was taken aback, thinking, how could this person be so casual?


    Thirty minutes ago, he had casually watched Xiang Mo¡¯s entanglement with Tan Song, seemingly uninterested. Yet now, he was embracing Xiang Mo and making an overt invitation.


    Objectively speaking, Xiang Mo considered Du Chi quite attractive. His face and figure perfectly matched Xiang Mo¡¯s aesthetics, and their thinking seemed to be on the same wavelength. There probably wouldn¡¯t be any more ambiguous entanglements.


    But that wasn¡¯t the point.


    Xiang Mo and Du Chi had only known each other for two weeks; they weren¡¯t familiar enough to be rolling around in bed together. Xiang Mo didn¡¯t consider himself to be a casual person and couldn¡¯t seamlessly connect like that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a new bed partner.¡± As the grip around his waist loosened, Xiang Mo stood up from Du Chi¡¯s embrace. He focused on tidying up the art supplies, avoiding looking at the person who had made his heart race, but he suddenly heard a soft chuckle.


    ¡°Teacher Xiang.¡± Du Chi sounded extremely amused. ¡°I was talking about drawing, going to your room to draw. If you don¡¯t want to, you can come to mine. Where did your mind wander?¡±


    Daydreaming during class and not paying attention to the lecture¡ªXiang Mo was now like that.


    Being attracted to the line of Du Chi¡¯s neck had caused a break in his train of thought. He only heard ¡°your room¡± and ¡°my room¡± in Du Chi¡¯s words, and then¡­


    He let his imagination run wild.


    Fortunately, the sunset had completely set, and the balcony was only illuminated by the streetlights. Xiang Mo¡¯s cheeks blushed from embarrassment, but it wasn¡¯t as noticeable in the faint light.


    ¡°Could it be you have a habit of sleeping with models?¡± Du Chi touched his chin, continuing to tease. ¡°So, I come with a different price tag?¡±


    Embarrassed, Xiang Mo suddenly realized that something didn¡¯t seem right.


    Why did their conversation suddenly shift to him sleeping with models? Why was Du Chi holding him and talking about this?


    Initially, he thought it was a retort to Du Chi¡¯s playful attempt to wipe his face, so he didn¡¯t feel it was too inappropriate. But now, in retrospect, it seemed that Du Chi¡¯s intentions were far more than just a ¡°retort.¡±


    As mature adults, neither of them were na?ve. How could Du Chi not be aware that his actions might be misleading?


    Even if he was genuinely discussing drawing figures, Xiang Mo believed there was certainly an undertone of probing in his words.


    If Xiang Mo agreed, they might have already ended up in bed; if he disagreed, then it would simply be about drawing.


    Du Chi was playing it both ways, effortlessly and deftly. At this moment, Xiang Mo realized that this bad dog was even more wicked than he had imagined.


    ¡°Du Chi.¡± Not Mr. Du or Teacher Du, Xiang Mo called Du Chi¡¯s name directly for the first time.


    Raising his chin slightly, he looked down at Du Chi, calmly asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to sleep with me?¡±


    Even though the light was dim, Xiang Mo saw a flicker of surprise in Du Chi¡¯s eyes, likely not expecting such a straightforward question from him.


    Compared to the ambiguous words they had exchanged earlier, this was an overt invitation.


    But this invitation was, in fact, a trap, because Xiang Mo had no intention of letting Du Chi sleep with him.


    Du Chi didn¡¯t immediately respond, seemingly seeing through Xiang Mo¡¯s intention. However, he still raised an eyebrow, studying Xiang Mo¡¯s expression and hesitating whether to take the plunge into this trap.


    At this moment, the sounds of chaotic footsteps interrupted their inexplicable confrontation.


    Sanmei dashed out of the corridor, followed closely by Sanmao, running wild.


    This cat and dog duo always engaged in parkour-like activities, and seeing Sanmei about to run towards the easel, Xiang Mo quickly bent down to pick her up. This time, Sanmao slowed down and squatted beside the reclining chair where Du Chi sat.


    Sanmei began meowing again, as if complaining to Xiang Mo that this smelly dog always bullied her.


    Xiang Mo gently put down the cat and dog on the balcony and turned to walk back into the corridor. He stroked Sanmei¡¯s back and advised her, ¡°Don¡¯t provoke the bad dog.¡±


    Sanmao stuck out his tongue, looking at Du Chi with grievances.


    Once Xiang Mo¡¯s figure disappeared, Du Chi finally shifted his gaze away from the animals and rubbed Sanmao¡¯s head. He chuckled softly and said, ¡°He¡¯s talking about me.¡±


    The easel was still upstairs, but Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t suppress his itch to draw. He took out a piece of paper and placed it on the desk, quickly sketching the head and neck of a figure.


    The face of the figure didn¡¯t have specific features, only two intersecting centerlines. However, the neck¡¯s lines were exceptionally detailed, especially the prominent Adam¡¯s apple, exactly the same as what Xiang Mo had seen up close.


    Now that he had calmed down, Xiang Mo found it inexplicable why he had to compete with Du Chi.


    Before, Du Chi had teased him with mere words, but this time, he had directly touched his face and even exposed his chest, leading to the escalating loss of control.


    Looking at it now, it seemed like he was the one being unreasonable.


    His thoughts suddenly halted, and Xiang Mo put away his paintbrush. He had achieved his purpose of easing the itch in his hands, so there was no need for further self-reflection.


    As the new week began, Luo Yang invited Xiang Mo to try some new dishes.


    Xiang Mo was curious why it wasn¡¯t Du Chi coming to call him this time. However, when he arrived at the ¡°Eight Jins¡± restaurant, he saw Du Chi already seated behind the counter with a laptop in front of him.


    ¡°Teacher Xiang, come and take a look at my new sign,¡± Luo Yang waved at Xiang Mo.


    On the other side, Du Chi looked up from the screen when he saw Xiang Mo enter the restaurant. He straightened his body from a slightly leaning posture and greeted Xiang Mo, ¡°Teacher Xiang.¡±


    The incident from the previous evening didn¡¯t affect their neighborly relationship at all. Clearly, Du Chi, like Xiang Mo, had no interest in disrupting his daily routine.


    This could be considered a kind of ¡°understanding.¡± They could joke around and kill boredom, but once they crossed that line, they returned to their separate lives.


    ¡°What sign?¡± Xiang Mo came to the bar, leaning his elbows on the table, and looked at the screen of Du Chi¡¯s laptop.


    The screen displayed a design software, and in the center were the two large characters ¡°Eight Jins.¡± The font appeared to be meticulously designed, with the strokes being thicker in the middle and thinner on both ends, giving it an interesting look.


    For some reason, when Xiang Mo saw these two characters, he felt they perfectly matched the restaurant¡¯s ambiance.


    ¡°How is it? Designed by Du Ge,¡± Luo Yang asked Xiang Mo cheerfully, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look great?¡±


    Whether something was good-looking or not depended on personal aesthetics, and it was difficult to find a unified standard for such matters, especially when it came to something as common as text. Finding beauty in such things was quite challenging.


    But as Xiang Mo gazed at the neat baseline on the screen, he inadvertently became captivated.


    The simple two characters were not just written casually; each stroke and stroke end could be traced back to the baseline¡¯s pattern.


    For example, the diagonal strokes perfectly adhered to a certain angle of a spiral, and the horizontal and vertical strokes were accurately calculated in terms of length. The baseline dissected the two Chinese characters into numerous geometric forms, inexplicably highlighting a sense of geometric beauty.


    Xiang Mo loved this sense of neatness, just like his meticulous sketch lines. Du Chi¡¯s designed font was the same¡ªeach part was just right, not a single stroke too many or too few.


    ¡°Is it okay?¡± Du Chi¡¯s voice interrupted Xiang Mo¡¯s thoughts.


    Xiang Mo withdrew his gaze and looked at Du Chi, asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you not good at designing artistic fonts?¡±


    ¡°Just helping out,¡± Du Chi replied casually.


    ¡°Du Ge is really helpful,¡± Luo Yang added, seeming to remember the reason he called Xiang Mo over. He quickly brought two plates of food from the kitchen and said to both of them, ¡°Try the new dish, Cheese Toast with Caviar.¡±


    The caramelized toast was topped with a layer of black caviar, and the aroma of butter filled the air, whetting the appetite.


    Xiang Mo picked up a piece of toast and put it in his mouth. The caviar burst between his teeth, akin to the salty sea breeze blowing in, accompanied by the sweet and sour taste of cheese, creating an excellent flavor.


    After putting down his fork, he was about to say ¡°It¡¯s delicious,¡± when Du Chi suddenly asked, ¡°Is it domestic caviar?¡±


    ¡°Yes, how does it taste?¡± Luo Yang asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s good, domestic caviar is just as good as the imported ones,¡± Du Chi said, picking up another piece of toast and tasting it. ¡°But overall, it¡¯s a bit greasy. It might go well with champagne.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t want to pair it with alcohol,¡± Luo Yang said, ¡°I¡¯ll adjust the toast.¡±


    Listening to their conversation, Xiang Mo realized that he was an outsider.


    He didn¡¯t care much about the intricacies of food, at most, he could only tell if something tasted ¡°good¡± or ¡°bad.¡± As for caviar, he naturally couldn¡¯t discern its flavors since he had never tried it before.


    It wasn¡¯t because he couldn¡¯t afford it, but he always felt that these luxurious ingredients were too distant from everyday life and not necessary to deliberately indulge in.


    However, Du Chi seemed to be very knowledgeable about Western cuisine.


    He could afford to rent an old villa at such a high price and own an expensive heavy motorcycle, which at least indicated that money wasn¡¯t an issue for him.


    Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t someone who liked prying into other people¡¯s lives, but he suddenly found himself curious about Du Chi¡ª


    Curiosity was the beginning of falling into something.

 CH 12

    After leaving the ¡°Eight Jins¡± restaurant, they encountered a rush of incoming customers. Du Chi took the initiative to walk ahead, blocking the dense crowd, and Xiang Mo followed behind with his head down. Initially, the path was clear, but he underestimated the customers¡¯ craziness for good food. In the blink of an eye, he was pushed to the back, far away from Du Chi.


    Du Chi had already exited the courtyard and only noticed that Xiang Mo hadn¡¯t caught up with him.


    He let out a sigh, his shoulders naturally drooping, and looked at Xiang Mo with a somewhat helpless expression, as if saying, ¡°How did you manage to lose track of me?¡±


    Xiang Mo had no idea that these customers could be so aggressive, as if they hadn¡¯t eaten for days. Though he wasn¡¯t short, standing at 1.78 meters tall, perhaps due to his slim build and lack of interest in competing, he was no match for the large and robust gluttons.


    Moving forward slowly, his shoulders were bumped several times. Just when he managed to make a little progress, a tall human wall appeared in front of him.


    Xiang Mo was ready to step back two paces. After all, once all the people entered the restaurant, he could still leave.


    But at that moment, a hand suddenly reached out from the human wall, grabbing his wrist, and without saying a word, pulled him out of the crowd.


    It was naturally Du Chi who pulled him out.


    Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was strange, but he felt that neighbors shouldn¡¯t casually hold hands like this.


    If Luo Yang was blocked by the crowd, Xiang Mo would choose to wait outside. Leaving aside the fact that he might not even be able to squeeze in, just the thought of grabbing Luo Yang¡¯s wrist would make him feel extremely uncomfortable.


    If we imagine a different scenario, if Chef Zhao had an argument with a customer, Xiang Mo might try to intervene or persuade them, but he would never grab Zhao¡¯s arm. He felt they weren¡¯t that close.


    Moreover, if Aunt Zhou tripped on the road, Xiang Mo would definitely help her up, but that was a special situation, and physical contact couldn¡¯t be avoided.


    His thoughts returned to the beginning, and Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of oddity. Why did the contact between him and Du Chi feel so natural?


    Perhaps it was because of that day when he impulsively touched Du Chi¡¯s face, leading to some inexplicable changes in their neighborly relationship.


    ¡°You¡¯re not suited for crowded places,¡± Du Chi said, letting go of Xiang Mo¡¯s wrist. ¡°You¡¯ll easily get lost.¡±


    ¡°I never liked going to crowded places in the first place.¡± The warmth of Du Chi¡¯s palm still lingered on Xiang Mo¡¯s skin, inexplicably making him feel a bit flustered. He couldn¡¯t help rubbing his wrist.


    Unexpectedly, this casual movement was misunderstood by Du Chi. He slightly tilted his head, looking at Xiang Mo¡¯s wrist, and asked with concern, ¡°Did I hurt you by pulling you?¡±


    There was a clear tone of concern in his questioning, and Xiang Mo believed that if he said it hurt, Du Chi would definitely lift his wrist to take a look. But he didn¡¯t want that, and besides, it didn¡¯t hurt much. He simply lowered his hands naturally, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not painful.¡±


    Du Chi¡¯s gaze still didn¡¯t retract. Xiang Mo looked down at his own wrist and noticed faint red marks, slight impressions left by the pressure on his skin. They would likely disappear within a minute.


    ¡°This leaves a mark too?¡± Du Chi raised an eyebrow, his concerned tone suddenly changing to curiosity, as if a mischievous child had knocked over a vase but didn¡¯t feel remorse, thinking the vase¡¯s cracks were beautiful. ¡°Then can I apply more force?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xiang Mo didn¡¯t understand the latter part of Du Chi¡¯s sentence.


    Du Chi didn¡¯t continue, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Seeing the playful look in Du Chi¡¯s eyes, Xiang Mo suddenly realized that he was implying some form of ¡°exercise.¡±


    Indeed, Xiang Mo didn¡¯t like being forceful because it tended to leave marks on his body. In bed, he was always in absolute control, and what he said was law; Tan Song couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    Previously, they had heard noises coming from Du Chi¡¯s room until well past midnight, which was something that would never happen with Xiang Mo.


    Satisfying physiological needs should be healthy and moderate and not interfere with normal sleep. Sometimes, Tan Song wanted to go for another round, but Xiang Mo would lazily reply with three words: ¡°Not allowed to.¡±


    Returning to the topic at hand, Xiang Mo hid his wrist behind him, pretending not to understand the innuendo in Du Chi¡¯s words, and changed the subject, ¡°Are all your fonts designed like this?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Du Chi became serious again, his gaze fixed on the road ahead as he calmly explained, ¡°I start by searching for ancient books that I can reference, and I copy the fonts from them. The more I practice, the more I can find the style I want. Then I just need to draw the basic elements like horizontal strokes, vertical strokes, slants, curves, and dots to create all the radicals and components, and finally form a unified font library.¡±


    ¡°Are they all drawn on the computer?¡± Xiang Mo still didn¡¯t fully grasp the concept, but he somewhat understood that Du Chi was designing a font package.


    ¡°I start by drawing them by hand, making many drafts,¡± Du Chi said, then looked at Xiang Mo and asked, ¡°Do you want to see my room?¡±


    To be honest, Xiang Mo was curious and wanted to see the process of creating fonts. However, the font factory was in Du Chi¡¯s room, and he didn¡¯t want to intrude into Du Chi¡¯s private space.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it another day,¡± after hesitating for a moment, Xiang Mo found a feeble excuse, ¡°I still need to cook.¡±


    Neither Xiang Mo nor Du Chi ordered takeout. Xiang Mo had plenty of time on his hands, so he enjoyed cooking for himself. On the other hand, Du Chi was concerned about his physique and avoided unhealthy takeout, often preparing low-carb meals for himself.


    After leaving the ¡°Eight Jins¡± restaurant, they returned home around eleven o¡¯clock, just in time for lunch preparation.


    Xiang Mo started to wash rice and choose vegetables, preparing two simple home-cooked dishes, while Du Chi took out a barramundi from the refrigerator to thaw.


    Half an hour later, Xiang Mo finally prepared all the ingredients, and Du Chi had already coated the barramundi with breadcrumbs and baked it. He sat at the dining table, starting to enjoy his meal.


    Fortunately, the kitchen was spacious and well-lit, so the two big men moving around simultaneously didn¡¯t make the space feel cramped.


    However, Xiang Mo still felt uneasy.


    As he waited for the oil in the pan to heat up, he couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and looked at Du Chi at the dining table, asking, ¡°Could you stop watching me cook?¡±


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t consider himself a great chef, and the cooking process wasn¡¯t something to be observed.


    With a fork in one hand and casually leaning on the edge of the table with the other, Du Chi swallowed the food in his mouth before slowly responding, ¡°I have nothing else to do.¡±


    Xiang Mo glanced at the temperature of the oil, then turned to Du Chi, saying, ¡°Just focus on eating.¡±


    Du Chi forked a piece of barramundi into his mouth and commented, ¡°It¡¯s a bit boring.¡±


    Alright, this reason reluctantly convinced Xiang Mo.


    Eating alone could indeed be a bit dull. When he ate by himself, he would often use his phone to keep himself entertained.


    Seeing that the oil was hot enough, Xiang Mo stopped talking and began to stir-fry the prepared meat in the pan.


    Not long after, two home-cooked dishes were served on the table.


    Taking off his apron, Xiang Mo sat opposite Du Chi. At this moment, Du Chi had finished the barramundi on his plate. Instead of leaving right away, he looked at the two home-cooked dishes on the table and asked Xiang Mo, ¡°Are you eating all of this by yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the leftovers for dinner.¡± It wasn¡¯t meant to be consumed in one meal.


    ¡°But won¡¯t you be eating leftovers every day?¡± Du Chi asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s unavoidable.¡± Xiang Mo replied nonchalantly.


    If one had to say what was inconvenient about living alone, it was the issue of eating. Controlling portion sizes was difficult, and if he cooked every meal, it would be quite bothersome. Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t incapable of reducing the portion size to avoid leftovers, but then he¡¯d have to cook two meals a day. Even though he had plenty of time, he didn¡¯t enjoy cooking to that extent.


    Either eat leftovers or deal with more hassle¡ªXiang Mo chose the former. After all, it was just half a day apart, and leftovers weren¡¯t that hard to accept.


    ¡°Or,¡± Du Chi rested his elbows on the table, leaning slightly forward as he looked at Xiang Mo, ¡°how about we share meals?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xiang Mo¡¯s hand holding the chopsticks paused in midair.


    ¡°You cook one meal, and I cook the other,¡± Du Chi said, nodding toward the dishes in front of him, ¡°I can also make home-cooked dishes.¡±


    Xiang Mo immediately understood what Du Chi meant.


    If they shared meals, it would solve many troublesome issues and fundamentally resolve the inconvenience of eating alone. They wouldn¡¯t have to eat leftovers and wouldn¡¯t need to cook every meal.


    No matter how you looked at it, it was a great suggestion. However, Xiang Mo¡¯s hand remained suspended in the air, and he chose to return the dishes to his bowl first.


    ¡°You may not know,¡± seeing Xiang Mo¡¯s lack of response, Du Chi continued, ¡°I occasionally cook Chinese dishes too.¡±


    Previously, they had tacitly avoided using the kitchen at the same time, and it was rare for them to eat together like today. However, Xiang Mo knew that Du Chi could also cook Chinese dishes. After all, they shared the same kitchen, and just by looking at the trash bin, they could tell each other¡¯s menu.


    ¡°Is your cooking edible?¡± Xiang Mo asked.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it?¡± Du Chi raised an eyebrow.


    Indeed, there was no reason to refuse. Xiang Mo agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Du Chi seemed quite satisfied with this cooperation, pulling back his elbows and leaning against the back of the chair, casually chatting with Xiang Mo, ¡°I rarely cook Chinese dishes because it¡¯s inconvenient to buy ingredients.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Xiang Mo asked curiously.


    ¡°They won¡¯t sell me just one clove of garlic,¡± Du Chi explained.


    So, that was the inconvenience. Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Same here. When I go to buy two green onions, they just give them to me for free, and I feel embarrassed.¡±


    Only single people understood this point. It was the first time Xiang Mo had discussed this matter with someone, and he faintly realized that he and Du Chi seemed to have quite a lot in common.


    However, after bringing up this topic, Du Chi didn¡¯t continue the conversation. He looked straight at Xiang Mo, his eyes slightly lost in thought, ¡°You have dimples.¡±


    When Xiang Mo smiled, a small dimple appeared on his right cheek. Unlike polite social smiles, when this dimple emerged, it indicated that Xiang Mo was genuinely happy.


    It had been a long time since he had smiled like that, and even Xiang Mo had forgotten about the existence of his dimple. He restrained his smile, returning to his usual polite and distant expression, ¡°Then let¡¯s start sharing meals from tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°We can do it today as well,¡± Du Chi said, getting up to fetch bowls and chopsticks, then sitting back opposite Xiang Mo. ¡°I¡¯ll cook for dinner.¡±


    From the looks of it, he was going to help out with today¡¯s dinner, and the two of them would start sharing meals from tonight.


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t mind, but he felt a little nervous when Du Chi picked up the dish he had cooked.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Du Chi commented.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Xiang Mo sighed in relief.


    Originally, he thought Du Chi was just going to help with today¡¯s meal, and he¡¯d have to handle most of the cooking for lunch. But seeing Du Chi continuously eating with his chopsticks, Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but feel strange. Wasn¡¯t this guy focused on managing his physique?¡ª


    Du Chi: My wife makes me have an appetite.

 CH 13

    In the afternoon on a workday, there weren¡¯t many students in the art studio, and today was especially quiet with only two students present.


    Both of them were girls. One was a university student from a nearby college who had been learning from Xiang Mo for some time now. The other was a new student experiencing drawing for the first time, saying that she had been interested in drawing since childhood.


    The college student enrolled in an anime sketching course, and she already had some foundation, so it wasn¡¯t too difficult to guide her. But the new student was a complete beginner in sketching, so Xiang Mo had to start from the basics, such as explaining the types of pencils.


    Soft background music flowed through the art studio, and the dappled sunlight streamed through the wutong tree leaves, casting a serene atmosphere. Accompanied by the cheerful chirping of birds, it created a peaceful ambiance in the old western-style house.


    In truth, many of Xiang Mo¡¯s students didn¡¯t need to take formal courses, but finding a place to relax and draw in the bustling city wasn¡¯t easy. Therefore, many students considered Xiang Mo¡¯s studio a haven for relaxation, and the process of drawing was a way to cultivate their minds and spirits.


    ¡°When the ¡®H¡¯ value is higher, it means the pencil lead is harder,¡± Xiang Mo explained as he gently drew a straight line on the paper. Then, he handed the pencil to the student and asked her to try it herself.


    Following Xiang Mo¡¯s instruction on how to hold the pencil, the student tried to draw a line on the paper. However, the line that appeared was thick at the beginning and light at the end, clearly not straight.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite difficult,¡± the student said, attempting to draw two more lines, but they still lacked the graceful beauty of the straight lines Xiang Mo had drawn.


    ¡°Lines are fundamental; you need to practice more,¡± Xiang Mo said. ¡°Sketching can be discouraging because it¡¯s not easy to get the hang of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m mentally prepared,¡± the student said with determination. ¡°Since I¡¯ve made up my mind to learn drawing, I won¡¯t give up easily.¡±


    The adult students in the art studio were different from those in training institutions. Most of them were driven by their interests rather than purely for exam preparation. Teaching such students was easier since they were self-aware and motivated.


    ¡°You practice lines first, and later I¡¯ll teach you perspective,¡± Xiang Mo said, but just then, footsteps from upstairs interrupted their conversation.


    Dressed for going out and carrying a canvas bag, Du Chi came downstairs. It seemed he had something to do outside.


    Their eyes met, and Xiang Mo casually greeted, ¡°Heading out?¡±


    Without stopping his steps, Du Chi replied, ¡°Going to a used bookstore.¡±


    With such simple words, their rhythms of work were not affected by each other. Xiang Mo continued to attend to another student who was drawing an anime character, while Du Chi started his heavy motorcycle in the courtyard.


    Neighborhood relationships were like this¡ªgreetings exchanged, and then they didn¡¯t affect each other further.


    But what Xiang Mo didn¡¯t expect was that such a simple act could also be interpreted differently.


    As the roar of the heavy motorcycle faded into the distance, the student with a bun hairstyle turned her gaze back from the window, chuckling as she asked Xiang Mo, ¡°Teacher Xiang, is he your new boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°New boyfriend?¡± The new student who was sketching abruptly turned her head, and her ponytail swung to the side with her movement.


    There was a WeChat group for communication among the art studio members. Ever since Du Chi became known to the students as a new model, they had already assumed he was Xiang Mo¡¯s boyfriend in this group.


    Xiang Mo had denied it before, but it was futile. He had to deny it again, ¡°No, I¡¯m here to help you with your drawing.¡±


    The student with the bun hairstyle giggled a couple of times but didn¡¯t continue the topic. However, the curiosity in her ponytail eyes was evident¡ªgossip, as they called it.


    If everyone in the art studio were familiar students, Xiang Mo wouldn¡¯t mind their playful banter. However, since the ponytail girl was a first-time visitor, he didn¡¯t want people to think that the studio had an unprofessional atmosphere.


    As he put his phone aside, it suddenly vibrated twice. Xiang Mo picked it up and saw two new messages in the quiet art studio group.


    ¡¾I saw Teacher Xiang¡¯s boyfriend!¡¿


    ¡¾He¡¯s super handsome!¡¿


    Below were three to five people chiming in their agreement. Xiang Mo looked at the ponytail girl helplessly, and she stuck her tongue out playfully.


    Not wanting to explain further, Xiang Mo put away his phone and returned to the ponytail girl¡¯s side, teaching her about the principles of perspective.


    Not every student who came to the studio for an experience would enroll in formal courses. After all, the several-thousand-yuan tuition fee wasn¡¯t cheap. Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t good at using persuasive language for sales, so he could only earnestly teach each class. As for whether the students eventually enrolled, it all depended on fate.


    After a while, the sound of a revving engine approached from outside the courtyard gate.


    The previously attentive ponytail girl immediately looked toward the window, her eyes filled with that familiar thirst for knowledge.


    Du Chi came back inside, carrying his canvas bag. He seemed to be startled by the gaze of the two students and unconsciously slowed his pace. He looked at Xiang Mo and asked, ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Xiang Mo said, feeling a headache coming on. ¡°You came back so soon?¡±


    He should have stayed outside a little longer.


    ¡°Found a few books.¡± Fortunately, Du Chi didn¡¯t show any intention of lingering in the art studio. He glanced inexplicably at the two students and then went upstairs.


    The wooden staircase made its usual faint creaking sound.


    After Du Chi¡¯s figure disappeared in the corridor, the girl with the bun hairstyle eagerly popped her head out from behind the easel and asked Xiang Mo, ¡°Teacher Xiang, what does your boyfriend do for work?¡±


    The continuous creaking sound from upstairs suddenly stopped. Xiang Mo knew this old western-style house well enough to know that Du Chi must have heard that question while going upstairs.


    ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend,¡± Xiang Mo unconsciously raised his voice slightly, fearing that Du Chi would misunderstand that the students thought of him that way.


    ¡°Hehe, my mistake. I meant male friend,¡± the girl with the bun hairstyle quickly corrected herself. ¡°So, what does the handsome guy upstairs do for a living?¡±


    Xiang Mo suddenly felt that he spoiled these students too much. Once they became familiar, not one of them treated him as a teacher¡ªthey were even more casual than treating a next-door neighbor.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Xiang Mo chose to evade. ¡°Focus on your drawing.¡±


    He thought the remaining time would pass calmly, but not long after, the sound of footsteps from upstairs could be heard again. Du Chi came downstairs lazily, wearing flip-flops, and asked Xiang Mo, ¡°I¡¯m going to get a package. Do you want me to pick it up for you?¡±


    The rent for the old western-style house was expensive, and there was no nearby parcel station, so picking up packages had to be done outside the area.


    Xiang Mo indeed had an uncollected package. Before, he and Du Chi never helped each other with picking up packages, but since they started sharing meals together a couple of days ago, many things had become natural.


    Helping with garbage disposal, carrying things for each other¡ªthough Xiang Mo was used to living a single life, he had to admit that having two people together did save a lot of effort.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Xiang Mo said. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the pickup code.¡±


    He took a screenshot of the SMS on his phone and sent it to Du Chi through WeChat. When he lifted his gaze from the screen, he noticed the bun-haired girl and the girl with the ponytail were exchanging glances, their eyes filled with excitement at finding a fellow gossip companion.


    ¡°Focus on your drawing,¡± Xiang Mo said helplessly.


    Earlier, he thought adult students in the art studio were easier to teach, but now it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. He had to remain focused.


    In less than ten minutes, Du Chi returned to the studio with two packages.


    As before, after putting down the packages, he went upstairs without lingering.


    Seeing the eager desire to communicate in the eyes of the two students, Xiang Mo had no choice but to sit down next to the girl with the ponytail and let her focus on her drawing. Although this was a free trial class, it was still a class, and they should take it seriously.


    Under Xiang Mo¡¯s watchful eye, the art studio gradually quieted down. However, not long after, footsteps could be heard in the corridor again.


    The girl with the bun hairstyle and the girl with the ponytail gave each other a knowing look and simultaneously turned their heads to look at the stairs. For the third time in a few hours, Du Chi descended from upstairs.


    Xiang Mo looked at Du Chi helplessly. His eyes seemed to complain: Can¡¯t you stop interrupting my class?


    Du Chi looked somewhat innocent as well and asked, ¡°What do you want for dinner? I¡¯m going grocery shopping.¡±


    Xiang Mo felt a shiver running down his spine.


    Alright, there was no way to clear this up anymore. He gave up resisting, ¡°Minced pork with eggplant.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we have that yesterday?¡± Du Chi remarked.


    Xiang Mo hadn¡¯t forgotten, of course. He was already too lazy to consider the two students¡¯ feelings and simply said, ¡°You cooked it well.¡±


    The gasp from the two girls was even louder this time.


    As Du Chi left, the girl with the bun hairstyle couldn¡¯t wait to ask, ¡°Xiang Teacher, isn¡¯t he your boyfriend?¡±


    The girl with the ponytail nodded in agreement, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Xiang Mo was about to brush it off casually, but at that moment, his phone suddenly vibrated. Glancing at the screen, it was a message from Tan Song.


    ¡¾Tan Song: Mo Mo, I miss you¡¿


    Since that day, Xiang Mo hadn¡¯t contacted Tan Song, but he didn¡¯t expect Tan Song, who left so coolly, to come back to him now.


    He wouldn¡¯t reply to the message, of course, and removing him as a friend seemed a bit heartless.


    Distracted by thoughts of Tan Song, the two students were still waiting for his answer. Xiang Mo decided to end it with a random response, ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend; he¡¯s my husband. Can you focus on your drawing now?¡±


    Once the words were out, both students fell strangely silent.


    Xiang Mo put away his phone and looked up, only to find the two girls staring behind him. He turned his head instinctively and saw Du Chi standing at the entrance to the art studio.


    ¡°Forgot my phone,¡± Du Chi explained, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Husband.¡±


    Xiang Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    As a grown man, how could he forget to take his phone when going out?


    Du Chi went upstairs again, and the emotions in the eyes of the two students were incomprehensible to Xiang Mo.


    Like any teacher intentionally looking for trouble, Xiang Mo walked over to the girl with the bun hairstyle¡¯s easel and scolded, ¡°You¡¯ve been drawing for so long, and the figures still haven¡¯t taken shape?¡±


    Originally, he was just teasing, but suddenly Xiang Mo sensed that something was off. With the girl¡¯s skill level, she shouldn¡¯t be taking so long to draw.


    His gaze fell on the tape at the corners of the drawing paper, and he narrowed his eyes. The girl seemed to have realized that her secret was about to be exposed and quickly tried to stick the tape firmly to the drawing board, but Xiang Mo had already taken the drawing paper away from her.


    When he turned it over, just as he expected, the girl had drawn two men embracing each other on the back of the paper, and judging from their clothing, it was indeed him and Du Chi.


    At that moment, Du Chi happened to come downstairs, holding his phone. He curiously walked over to Xiang Mo¡¯s side, looked at the drawing with some amusement, and asked the girl with the bun hairstyle, ¡°Did you draw this?¡±


    The girl nodded and asked, ¡°How is it?¡±


    Du Chi tilted his head, mimicking the pose in the drawing, walked behind Xiang Mo, and hugged his waist, with his lips close to his ear, he said, ¡°Like this?¡±


    Caught off guard, Xiang Mo was hugged and had no idea Du Chi would play along like this. He turned his head stiffly and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Du Chi chuckled, ¡°Hugging my wife.¡±


    Xiang Mo felt like slapping himself. He shouldn¡¯t have said Du Chi was his husband just now.


    No matter how annoyed he felt inside, he couldn¡¯t show it in front of the students. Xiang Mo pushed away Du Chi¡¯s arms, put on a serious face, and was about to give the girl a lecture when, at that moment, the girl with the ponytail squeezed to the front excitedly and said, ¡°Teacher, can I reach this level too? I want to take your class!¡±


    The lecture on his lips was swallowed back again.


    He returned the drawing to his diligent student and said lightly, ¡°You drew it very well. But you¡¯re not allowed to draw like this again next time.¡±


    Xiang Mo: ¡°The higher the H value, the harder the pencil lead.¡±


    Du Chi: ¡°So the higher the H, the harder it gets? Understood.¡±

 CH 14

    Making eggplant dishes is more complicated than regular home-cooked dishes. If you don¡¯t soften the eggplant by frying it at the beginning, it will be challenging to bring out the flavors later during the stir-frying process.


    Xiang Mo enjoys eating eggplant but doesn¡¯t cook it often himself. One reason is that using too much oil feels wasteful, and the other reason is that frying makes the dish high in calories.


    However, the minced pork and eggplant dish that Du Chi makes doesn¡¯t have these issues.


    After seeing off the two students, Xiang Mo went to the kitchen on the second floor. Du Chi was wearing an apron and preparing the ingredients for cooking.


    There were two aprons in the kitchen. One was Xiang Mo¡¯s, with a hand-painted landscape on pure white fabric, and the other one belonged to Du Chi, with plain red and blue stripes and lacking any distinguishing features.


    In these past few days, Du Chi had been wearing Xiang Mo¡¯s apron while cooking, probably knowing that it looked more pleasing.


    Forgetting his annoyance at being watched while cooking, Xiang Mo walked over to Du Chi and asked, looking at the eggplant on the countertop, ¡°Can you avoid frying and still get the same effect?¡±


    The chopped eggplant was sprinkled with a little salt, which seeped into the eggplant, making it release some moisture. The originally tight eggplant pieces became soft and droopy, indeed looking as if they had been fried.


    ¡°We still need to squeeze out the water,¡± Du Chi said, his hands moving skillfully as he chopped some scallions.


    Xiang Mo, with nothing else to do, decided to lean on the countertop and watch Du Chi cook. Not long after, Sanmao suddenly came into the kitchen and stood up on his hind legs, placing his paws on Du Chi¡¯s arm.


    Du Chi looked at Sanmao on his left and then at Xiang Mo on his right, with a somewhat amused and somewhat helpless expression. ¡°Teacher Xiang,¡± he said.


    Only then did Xiang Mo remember their division of labor and said a bit awkwardly, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Both man and dog were waiting for Du Chi to feed them, so it was no wonder he had that expression.


    Not staying in the kitchen any longer, Xiang Mo went to the third-floor balcony with Sanmao for a walk. Since walking the dog was a daily routine, Xiang Mo didn¡¯t mind taking Sanmao out for a stroll.


    On the way, they ran into a neighbor walking their dog. The neighbor chatted with Xiang Mo, asking about Sanmao¡¯s age. Xiang Mo was at a loss on how to answer, so he said, ¡°This is a friend¡¯s dog.¡±


    Helping the neighbor walk the dog felt a bit strange, so he just said it was a friend¡¯s.


    When they returned home, the neighbor next door, Mr. Zhao, suddenly came to the art studio.


    It turned out that Mr. Zhao¡¯s elderly mother passed away, and he and his wife had to return to their hometown to handle the funeral arrangements. However, their daughter, Zhao Xiaoqiao, was preparing for the college entrance exam and couldn¡¯t leave. Therefore, Mr. Zhao asked Xiang Mo to look after Zhao Xiaoqiao, take care of her meals, and prevent her from wandering around.


    Seeing that it was not difficult, Xiang Mo agreed.


    Zhao Xiaoqiao was a well-behaved girl, with excellent grades in school, and everyone in the neighborhood knew she was a top candidate for a prestigious university. The girl was quiet and gentle, with a simple ponytail. If Xiang Mo had a sister, he would wish she was like Zhao Xiaoqiao.


    Mr. Zhao closed the noodle shop and left for his hometown, leaving a new member at Xiang Mo and Du Chi¡¯s dining table.


    ¡°How¡¯s my cooking?¡± in the somewhat silent dining room, Du Chi initiated the conversation.


    Xiang Mo¡¯s relationship with Zhao Xiaoqiao was quite good. If only the two of them were present, Zhao Xiaoqiao would probably be more relaxed. However, she was not familiar with Du Chi, so she kept her head down while eating, making the atmosphere a bit awkward.


    ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± Xiang Mo took the baton and asked Zhao Xiaoqiao, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The restrained girl finally lifted her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    ¡°Your older brother Du Chi¡¯s cooking.¡±


    Perhaps not needing Xiang Mo¡¯s help, Du Chi managed to strike up a conversation with Zhao Xiaoqiao about their high school life and shared interests. Now, Xiang Mo became the one who couldn¡¯t interject in the conversation.


    After the meal, Zhao Xiaoqiao took the initiative to clean up the kitchen, saving Xiang Mo a lot of trouble.


    Remembering Mr. Zhao¡¯s request before leaving the kitchen, Xiang Mo asked Zhao Xiaoqiao, ¡°Do you need to do your homework here later?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhao Xiaoqiao said, ¡°My dad might video call to check on me.¡±


    Mr. Zhao entrusted Xiang Mo to look after Zhao Xiaoqiao while she did her homework, not to keep an eye on her all the time, but to check in more often to prevent her from using her phone.


    Xiang Mo found it difficult to understand. With Zhao Xiaoqiao being so outstanding, why would Mr. Zhao be so strict with her?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been a parent, so I can¡¯t understand the worries of being one,¡± thought Xiang Mo. Nevertheless, he agreed to watch over Zhao Xiaoqiao for a while. He initially intended to let her handle things on her own, but he was surprised to see how obedient she was, finishing up in the kitchen and then sitting down to do her homework at the dining table.


    As May came, the weather gradually became hot, and annoying mosquitoes started to become active.


    Feeling sorry for Zhao Xiaoqiao being alone in the kitchen, Xiang Mo decided to bring the fan from his room to help her. However, he soon realized that the absence of airflow in the room made the fan essential, as the heat was stifling.


    Although turning on the air conditioning was an option, it wasn¡¯t quite that hot yet, and they didn¡¯t want to resort to it at this point. After hesitating for a moment, Xiang Mo put on his flip-flops and went to the third-floor balcony to catch some fresh air.


    At around 7 or 8 in the evening, the sky had already begun to darken, although the lingering warmth of the setting sun could still be felt in the air. The gentle night breeze outside felt much more comfortable than the stuffiness in the room.


    As Xiang Mo entered the balcony, he spotted Du Chi sitting on a reclining chair with a can of beer in his hand. Sanmao lay lazily at his feet, and the scene of the two of them in the evening sun looked quite harmonious.


    ¡°Getting some fresh air?¡± Du Chi noticed Xiang Mo¡¯s footsteps and turned to ask.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xiang Mo sat down on another reclining chair next to Du Chi, ¡°It¡¯s a bit stuffy inside.¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Du Chi shook the beer can in his hand, ¡°Want some beer?¡±


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t usually drink much. His alcohol tolerance was quite low, and half a can of beer would make his face turn red. However, on this hot and humid evening, a chilled drink seemed appealing.


    ¡°Is it in the fridge?¡± Xiang Mo inquired.


    Du Chi only had one can of beer at hand, and he had already drunk most of it. Xiang Mo didn¡¯t want Du Chi to go out of his way to get him a beer.


    ¡°In my room.¡±


    Du Chi disappeared into his room and returned with two frozen cans of beer.


    ¡°Your room has a mini-fridge?¡± Xiang Mo took the beer from Du Chi, popped the tab open, and took a sip.


    The cold sensation refreshed him, dispelling the remaining warmth in the air.


    ¡°Is it okay?¡± Du Chi opened a new can of beer and offered it to Xiang Mo.


    Xiang Mo raised his beer can in agreement and clinked it against Du Chi¡¯s. The two of them simultaneously took a gulp of beer.


    As the last rays of the setting sun vanished, the sky turned completely dark.


    As the alcohol started to take effect, Xiang Mo felt his mind lightening up, almost floating on clouds, pleasantly tipsy.


    Putting down the half-empty beer can, Xiang Mo turned to look at Du Chi beside him and said, ¡°Can I teach the students how to draw muscle structures in this weekend¡¯s sketch class?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The topic seemed a bit sudden, and Du Chi met Xiang Mo¡¯s gaze, slowly realizing what he meant, ¡°Using me as a model?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xiang Mo nodded, ¡°You just have to take off your clothes, and I¡¯ll use a marker to outline the muscle lines on your body as a demonstration for the students.¡±


    It might seem like an unreasonable request on a normal day, but perhaps because of the mood at the moment, Xiang Mo didn¡¯t feel anything was wrong with suggesting it.


    ¡°How would you demonstrate?¡± Du Chi asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use a marker to outline the muscle lines on your body,¡± Xiang Mo explained, ¡°Then I¡¯ll explain to the students which muscle is which and how to draw them naturally. The marker can be washed off afterward.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you want to draw on my body?¡± Du Chi seemed a bit hesitant about the idea.


    It wasn¡¯t really drawing; it was just marking the boundaries of each muscle, explaining to the students which muscles were which and how to draw them naturally. It was a fairly common teaching method in sketching classes. Nevertheless, from Du Chi¡¯s tone, he didn¡¯t seem too keen on the idea.


    ¡°Is it okay with you?¡± Xiang Mo raised the beer can again, thinking that if Du Chi wasn¡¯t comfortable with the idea, then they could forget about it.


    ¡°What if I have a reaction?¡± Du Chi suddenly asked.


    Cough, cough!


    Startled by the unexpected question, Xiang Mo wiped off the beer from his lips with the back of his hand and stared at Du Chi, asking, ¡°Can¡¯t you control yourself a bit?¡±


    Du Chi chuckled, lifted the beer can, and took a big gulp, making his words muffled, ¡°I¡¯ve been holding back for too long.¡±


    As they spoke, Sanmao suddenly climbed up from the floor and ran to the edge of the balcony. He leaned over the railing and emitted a low growl, alerting them to something happening downstairs.


    ¡°Sanmao.¡± Du Chi called out.


    Sanmao always became vigilant whenever a stranger appeared near the house. Xiang Mo figured there must be someone passing by downstairs, but since he felt like moving around a bit, he walked over to Sanmao¡¯s side, casually resting his elbow on the railing as he looked down with the dog.


    What they saw was quite surprising.


    Down below, where Zhao Xiaoqiao should have been doing her homework, she was with a boy in school uniform.


    The location was a small alley behind the old house, rarely frequented by people.


    Perhaps Xiang Mo¡¯s strange behavior of peering down caught Du Chi¡¯s attention, and he also came over to the balcony. As soon as he arrived, the two people downstairs embraced each other and started kissing.


    Xiang Mo raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat taken aback.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Du Chi¡¯s expression also showed surprise, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that.¡±


    Teenage romance was not encouraged, but the innocence and purity of such feelings were truly rare. Especially after entering society, where relationships became entangled with materialism, the pure love of youth seemed like a bygone era, leaving people with a sense of regret and nostalgia.


    ¡°Teacher Xiang,¡± Du Chi suddenly spoke.


    He turned his gaze away from downstairs, looking at Xiang Mo, and asked, ¡°When was your first kiss?¡±


    Xiang Mo instinctively tried to recall, but as his eyes roamed over Du Chi¡¯s lips, he inexplicably became entranced.


    Du Chi¡¯s lip contour was distinct, forming a perfect M-shape. The two vertical lines on his philtrum were prominent, adding a three-dimensional quality to his face. His lower lip was slightly thicker than the upper one, and Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would feel like to bite it.


    ¡°Xiang Mo?¡± Du Chi slightly parted his lips, leaning towards him, ¡°Do you like kissing?¡±


    Having only had one beer, he shouldn¡¯t be drunk.


    As Xiang Mo gazed at Du Chi¡¯s lips, his mind sent out danger signals repeatedly.


    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, it seemed like Du Chi wanted to kiss him¡ª


    Xiang Mo: Am I mistaken?


    Du Chi: You guess.

 CH 15

    Xiang Mo¡¯s first kiss was probably during high school.


    Out of curiosity, he had kissed a male classmate, but neither of them felt anything special, so it ended without any further developments.


    Xiang Mo had pondered why there were no feelings during that kiss and concluded that he didn¡¯t like the other boy. As a result, he formed a peculiar viewpoint that kissing was something only two people who liked each other could do.


    In itself, this perspective wasn¡¯t strange, but considering it in the context of Xiang Mo¡¯s committed relationship with Tan Song, it made Tan Song feel quite perplexed.


    As the lips before him enlarged infinitely, tainted with the intoxicating scent of alcohol, Xiang Mo inexplicably started thinking about the composition, contemplating how to capture the sensuality of these lips on paper. He was momentarily stunned, lost in thoughts of sketching and adding colors to replicate the alluring lips.


    ¡°If you keep looking at me like that,¡± the lips, not treated as inanimate objects, moved on their own, showing off a hint of teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll be unable to resist kissing you.¡±


    Suddenly, his drifting thoughts snapped back, and an overwhelming sense of shame crept up Xiang Mo¡¯s spine, spreading throughout his body.


    He must have been influenced by the passionate kiss of the young couple downstairs, causing these strange thoughts to surface involuntarily.


    Seeing Du Chi¡¯s lips slightly curling, teasing him in a somewhat familiar manner, Xiang Mo realized that Du Chi had the same idea ¡ª he thought Xiang Mo wanted to kiss him.


    Xiang Mo swore he didn¡¯t.


    Since he couldn¡¯t answer Du Chi¡¯s previous question about kissing, he didn¡¯t want the atmosphere to take an awkward turn.


    He glanced down at the lovey-dovey couple below, regained his composure, and asked Du Chi nonchalantly, ¡°Did you act like this when you were in school?¡±


    Du Chi seemed like a bad student, and he probably engaged in early romance. However, his answer was unexpected, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Xiang Mo was surprised, but Du Chi continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t do things so secretly.¡±


    Indeed, it matched Du Chi¡¯s style.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Du Chi suddenly asked Xiang Mo.


    ¡°I only started dating in college.¡± No early romance and no need to act secretly.


    Suddenly, he thought of his ex-boyfriend who left him, and the topic lost its appeal. Xiang Mo¡¯s gaze drifted away, and he didn¡¯t feel like reminiscing, saying, ¡°It was dull.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed uninteresting.¡± Du Chi chuckled softly, ¡°Being single is more comfortable, right?¡±


    ¡°Except for Ye Xing,¡± Xiang Mo was slightly curious, ¡°Has no one else pursued you?¡±


    With Du Chi¡¯s charm and qualities, there should be no shortage of admirers. But considering what Du Chi had said, Xiang Mo speculated, ¡°Or do you prefer being single?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Du Chi replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to disturb me when I¡¯m focused on something.¡±


    It resonated with Xiang Mo.


    If he planned to relax by himself, even if he did nothing, he wouldn¡¯t want anyone to disturb him. Perhaps some people remained single due to a busy work schedule, but for Xiang Mo, it was simply that he didn¡¯t want to share his time with others.


    However, compared to Xiang Mo¡¯s leisure time, Du Chi seemed to emphasize ¡°focus on something.¡± Xiang Mo found it strange and asked, ¡°Are you very busy with work?¡±


    Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t one to pry into others¡¯ private lives, but after confirming Du Chi¡¯s preference for being single, he felt a subtle change in his mentality. He no longer had to be overly cautious since both of them could maintain clear boundaries.


    ¡°A bit,¡± Du Chi rested his elbow on the balcony railing, gazing at the distant skyscrapers, ¡°There¡¯s a lot to handle during the early stages of starting a business.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re starting a business?¡± Xiang Mo was slightly taken aback.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Du Chi turned his gaze from afar and looked at Xiang Mo with a hint of amusement.


    To Xiang Mo, it wasn¡¯t that obvious. Who in the early stages of a business would rent such an expensive office in an old Western-style house?


    Well, he was different. He needed the atmosphere of an old house for his art studio, which would attract more students. However, Du Chi apparently didn¡¯t need to meet clients, so why not choose another place that wouldn¡¯t affect his work?


    Could it be because it was close to the second-hand bookstore? Or perhaps this environment stimulated his creativity better?


    Xiang Mo wanted to continue asking, but the next questions would involve money, and he hesitated to broach the topic. He decided to wait for Du Chi to talk about his business, but he heard Du Chi suddenly ask, ¡°Why don¡¯t you hold art exhibitions anymore?¡±


    This private question came out of nowhere, and Xiang Mo hadn¡¯t figured out how to answer when Du Chi continued, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it.¡±


    Xiang Mo was puzzled, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Du Chi replied, ¡°I heard about it.¡±


    Xiang Mo wanted to ask where Du Chi had heard about the exhibition, but his phone suddenly vibrated with a WeChat message from Tan Song.


    ¡¾Tan Song: Did you change the front door code?¡¿


    After Tan Song had left last time, Xiang Mo indeed changed the password, letting Du Chi come up with the numbers.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the main point now. Since Tan Song knew the password had been changed, it meant he was currently downstairs.


    In the next moment, Tan Song¡¯s call came through, and Xiang Mo realized that he had oversimplified things, thinking that cutting off contact would naturally lead to their relationship fading away. But now it seemed that they still needed to have a final resolution.


    Having a convenient tool at hand, Xiang Mo looked at his phone screen and said to Du Chi, ¡°You are my friend with benefits.¡±


    Du Chi¡¯s voice was filled with confusion, ¡°Friend?¡±


    ¡°Friends with benefits.¡±


    As Xiang Mo descended from upstairs and opened the courtyard gate, he found Tan Song waiting at the door.


    Tan Song naturally stepped into the courtyard, as if nothing had ever happened between him and Xiang Mo.


    ¡°Mo Mo¡ª¡±


    Even the way he called Xiang Mo was exactly the same as before, refusing to change no matter what Xiang Mo said.


    From the direction of the art studio, lazy footsteps approached. Du Chi, wearing slippers, came to Xiang Mo¡¯s side, casually putting his arm around his waist and asked, ¡°We have a guest?¡±


    Unlike last time, where Du Chi was just an observer, this time, he fully played his role as a tool.


    Tan Song glanced at Du Chi¡¯s hand, looking slightly puzzled. Xiang Mo still felt uncomfortable in such a situation, pursed his lips, and said, ¡°I have someone else now.¡±


    When the situation reached this point, a decent adult should no longer pursue the matter, at least Xiang Mo didn¡¯t misunderstand Tan Song on this point.


    He quickly accepted the current reality, sighed, and asked Xiang Mo, ¡°It¡¯s over, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± on Xiang Mo¡¯s side, it had ended long ago.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Tan Song nodded, seemingly unsure of what to say. In the end, he simply said, ¡°Take care.¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± Xiang Mo replied.


    The matter was resolved smoothly, just as expected. Xiang Mo climbed up the wooden stairs and went back upstairs, briefly emptying his mind.


    There wasn¡¯t much to ponder or reflect upon. Tan Song was like a friend met during a journey, encountered and parted ways with in a plain and unremarkable manner.


    Throughout one¡¯s life, there are too many such passersby. Once you get used to it, it doesn¡¯t feel like much.


    As Xiang Mo reached the bedroom door on the second floor, he stopped and turned around, intending to thank Du Chi. However, just at that moment, Du Chi, who had been following closely behind him, suddenly pressed him against the door, without any warning or explanation, and kissed him passionately.


    Their lips collided in the dim light, accompanied by the unbearable warmth of their breaths, like an accidental collision yet also as if it had been planned for a long time.


    Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t even push him away in time. By the time he reacted, Du Chi¡¯s tongue had already invaded his mouth, wreaking havoc inside.


    What was happening??


    Xiang Mo¡¯s mind was a little muddled.


    Compared to Du Chi, Tan Song was way too polite. He always sought Xiang Mo¡¯s consent in everything, and if Xiang Mo said no, he would never force anything.


    But Du Chi was different. He completely disregarded reason, and when he said he would do something, he did it, overpowering Xiang Mo, leaving him no room to refuse.


    However, Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t a fragile little flower. He bit Du Chi hard, making him wince in pain and back off, glaring at him and asking, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Hisss¡ª¡± Du Chi frowned, rather displeased, and retorted, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who said we should be friends with benefits?¡±


    ¡°That was¡­,¡± Xiang Mo tried to explain.


    His intention had been to be ¡°friends with benefits¡± for a short while, but only while Tan Song was around. After Tan Song had left, that situation had clearly come to an end. How could Du Chi not understand that?


    Wait a minute, something¡¯s not right.


    Xiang Mo almost forgot how malicious this big dog could be. He suddenly realized that Du Chi deliberately misinterpreted his words. After all, Xiang Mo hadn¡¯t been very clear, so Du Chi just pretended not to understand.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± realizing that being verbose was pointless, Xiang Mo gave a straightforward response, not giving Du Chi any more room for misunderstandings.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do, artist,¡± Du Chi clicked his tongue twice, shaking his head, and looked at Xiang Mo as if he were a scoundrel. ¡°You don¡¯t mean that, so stop messing around.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡ª¡ª


    On the way upstairs, as he watched the swaying hips in front of him, Du Chi suddenly decided he no longer wanted to be a tool doge.

 CH 16

    The two of them returned to their respective rooms, and Xiang Mo had a feeling that Du Chi actually understood everything and was intentionally being mischievous.


    It was like Sanmao, who knew he couldn¡¯t be mischievous with Sanmei, but since the punishment was not severe, he would still act mischievous. Du Chi seemed to be doing the same thing; he knew he could get away with it.


    There are all kinds of owners for different kinds of dogs.


    Being bitten by a dog for no reason, anyone would feel as if they were cursed.


    However¡­ Du Chi¡¯s kissing skills seemed quite good.


    The warmth of their lips and the soft yet assertive touch lingered on Xiang Mo¡¯s lips. His gaze unconsciously drifted towards the desk, where he had impulsively drawn a picture of Du Chi¡¯s neck and Adam¡¯s apple. He hadn¡¯t planned to continue the drawing, but after some hesitation, he picked up a pencil and outlined the contour of his jawline and lips.


    Even though he didn¡¯t have the actual subject in front of him, sketching was still challenging. But Du Chi¡¯s lips were so vivid, forming a clear picture in Xiang Mo¡¯s mind.


    He outlined the lip peaks, deepened the shadows of the corners of the lips, and brought the three-dimensional lips to life on paper.


    Suddenly, the footsteps of Du Chi coming downstairs to take a shower were heard outside. Startled, Xiang Mo quickly flipped the paper over. However, after the scare, he felt annoyed with himself for acting so guilty. Why did he feel like he was doing something wrong?


    The next day was the weekend, and Xiang Mo, who rarely slept well, was awakened by the aroma of food early in the morning.


    With sleepy eyes, he went to the kitchen and saw Du Chi wearing an apron, holding a frying pan, skillfully preparing toast. The fragrance of butter filled the entire kitchen, like an irresistible attack of deliciousness, triggering Xiang Mo¡¯s hunger signals.


    ¡°Morning, artist,¡± Du Chi turned around and greeted Xiang Mo.


    His tone was extremely casual, as if nothing had happened last night. Frankly speaking, Xiang Mo appreciated Du Chi¡¯s attitude and also hoped to treat it as if nothing happened, so as not to affect their lives. After all, they were neighbors, and he didn¡¯t want their relationship to become awkward.


    But the problem was Du Chi¡¯s way of addressing him.


    The three words ¡°artist¡± seemed to have become Du Chi¡¯s teasing nickname for Xiang Mo. Whenever Du Chi said those three words, they held more than just their literal meaning.


    Last night, after Xiang Mo pushed Du Chi away, he said that artists shouldn¡¯t act like that. Although Du Chi seemed to have brushed it off and didn¡¯t take it seriously, he continued to call Xiang Mo ¡°artist,¡± as if he were scratching an itch.


    Xiang Mo felt that Du Chi was scratching him, scratching him where it didn¡¯t hurt enough to retaliate.


    If he minded, he would seem petty; if he didn¡¯t, Du Chi might intensify the teasing.


    As Xiang Mo hesitated whether to tell Du Chi to stop calling him ¡°artist,¡± he suddenly heard a creaking sound of footsteps behind him.


    Du Chi was the first to notice the person behind Xiang Mo. He quickly put away his playful expression and asked, sounding normal, ¡°Can we have sandwiches for breakfast?¡±


    Zhao Xiaoqiao walked into the kitchen with some restraint and said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Now Xiang Mo was even more certain of his thoughts. Du Chi could speak normally in front of others, but he insisted on teasing him.


    ¡°What about Teacher Xiang?¡± Du Chi looked at Xiang Mo again, using a more serious title this time.


    He was acting more reserved in front of others, showing that he hadn¡¯t totally lost himself.


    Although breakfast wasn¡¯t part of their plan, free food was not to be missed. Xiang Mo politely replied, ¡°Sure, thanks.¡±


    After speaking, he looked at Zhao Xiaoqiao and hesitated for a moment. With a meaningful look, he asked, ¡°Did you finish your homework last night?¡±


    After all, he had promised Master Zhao to look after Zhao Xiaoqiao, and now was a critical time for her during her college entrance examination preparation. If anything went wrong at this time, Xiang Mo wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the responsibility.


    Zhao Xiaoqiao seemed to have caught the implication in Xiang Mo¡¯s words. Her face showed no expression as she nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, I finished it.¡±


    In the afternoon, it was the advanced sketching class again, and Lao Li was the model.


    Different from the past, today Lao Li came with a solid wood cane in his hand. The rosewood color of the cane matched his tie, indicating careful coordination. If it weren¡¯t for Lao Li¡¯s slightly unsteady gait, Xiang Mo would have thought the cane was just an accessory.


    ¡°Do you know how funny he is?¡± Lao Zhang said to Xiang Mo, following Lao Li. ¡°Playing chess with young people, he got so mad he ended up in the hospital.¡±


    Both Lao Li and Lao Zhang were competitive, and the fact that Lao Li got so mad he ended up in the hospital didn¡¯t surprise Xiang Mo at all. He helped Lao Li to sit on the wicker chair in the courtyard and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should go back and rest?¡±


    ¡°No need, it¡¯s nothing!¡± Lao Li waved his hand, putting the cane aside. ¡°Lao Zhang said he wanted to draw me today. I want to see how skilled he is.¡±


    Xiang Mo looked surprised at Lao Zhang, who was standing nearby. ¡°You can draw too?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lao Zhang said proudly, raising his chin. ¡°When I was studying abroad, I had exposure to Western art.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just boasting,¡± Lao Li said with disdain. ¡°Prove it by drawing.¡±


    ¡°I never boast. Mrs. Wu from the street next door even wanted me to draw her portrait, but I declined.¡±


    ¡°I bet you can¡¯t draw. You¡¯re just afraid I¡¯ll die and you won¡¯t be able to continue.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing the two grandpas starting to argue again, Xiang Mo quickly intervened and arranged a seat for Lao Zhang.


    Lao Zhang wanted to do an oil painting, and it seemed like he had some foundation in it. After preparing the necessary materials for him, Xiang Mo left him to his work.


    Soon, the students began to arrive one by one, but there were noticeably fewer students than last week. Normally, Xiang Mo could handle the class by himself, but Meng Yun still came to the studio. She made herself a cup of coffee and leisurely sat in one corner of the courtyard, treating the place like a cafe and enjoying her weekend.


    ¡°They¡¯re all waiting for tomorrow,¡± Meng Yun sipped her coffee, leaning back comfortably in her chair. ¡°They want to see our ¡®Master¡¯s wife.''¡±


    The two grandpas were bickering with each other, and the students behind their easels were focused on their paintings, not paying attention to Meng Yun and Xiang Mo¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°Master¡¯s wife?¡± Xiang Mo was puzzled.


    ¡°He¡¯s already called you that, so why deny it?¡± Meng Yun said with a look of understanding.


    It turned out they were talking about Du Chi, who would be the model for tomorrow¡¯s sketching class.


    The story about the bun and ponytail had already been shared in the group chat. Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain, but hearing the term ¡°Master¡¯s wife¡± made him chuckle.


    The person upstairs probably doesn¡¯t like being called that.


    Du Chi suddenly appeared in the courtyard with his canvas bag, probably going to the bookstore again.


    Usually, when Xiang Mo and Du Chi bumped into each other in the house, one of them would greet the other. But today, as soon as Du Chi stepped out of the house, his attention was drawn to Lao Zhang¡¯s canvas. He went straight to Lao Zhang and looked at Lao Li before pointing at the canvas, gesturing, ¡°Can you emphasize this part?¡±


    ¡°How do I emphasize it?¡± Lao Zhang stopped painting and looked at Du Chi.


    ¡°Like this.¡± Du Chi took the paintbrush from Lao Zhang¡¯s hand and made a couple of strokes on the canvas. ¡°Does it look more like this?¡±


    ¡°Amazing!¡± Lao Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up, giving Du Chi a thumbs-up. ¡°Incredible!¡±


    On the other side, Lao Li stretched his neck curiously. ¡°What about my painting?¡±


    Curious as well, Xiang Mo walked over to Lao Zhang¡¯s easel. What he saw was an abstract oil painting that was even more abstract than Picasso¡¯s style; you couldn¡¯t even make out where the eyes, nose, and mouth were.


    ¡°Great job, Lao Zhang,¡± Du Chi complimented, giving Lao Zhang a thumbs-up. ¡°You¡¯ve captured the essence.¡±


    What essence?


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t understand at all. As he was about to urge Du Chi to stop interfering with his class, the cheers erupted from the Eight Jin Restaurant across the street. Everyone turned their heads to see what was happening, and through the open courtyard door, Xiang Mo saw Luo Yang running out of the restaurant, shouting excitedly to curious neighbors, ¡°We got a Michelin recommendation!¡±


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t understand what he said, but Du Chi explained, ¡°Michelin recommended the restaurant.¡±


    Then Du Chi¡¯s gaze returned to Xiang Mo as he said, ¡°He made it.¡±


    In a daze, Xiang Mo recalled Luo Yang¡¯s dream he mentioned before. He had thought that Michelin would be an unattainable goal, but unexpectedly, Luo Yang turned his dream into reality.


    Through the street, Xiang Mo could feel Luo Yang¡¯s joy, like a refreshing breeze that swept through the entire street, spreading happiness to every corner.


    Every ordinary person has an extraordinary side, and Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit envious of Luo Yang.


    Not for achieving the Michelin recommendation, but for having his efforts recognized.


    Du Chi had once asked Xiang Mo why he no longer held exhibitions, and it wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to. He was just afraid of stirring up ripples in his peaceful life. In the end, he was still running away.


    ¡°I envy him a little,¡± Xiang Mo confessed.


    Du Chi¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in his ear. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Xiang Mo knew he didn¡¯t speak, he would have thought he was the one who said that.


    ¡°Everyone needs recognition, don¡¯t they?¡± Du Chi smiled lightly, answering himself nonchalantly.


    The atmosphere seemed a bit strange. Changing the topic, Du Chi asked in a casual tone, ¡°What do you want to eat for dinner tonight? I¡¯ll buy groceries on my way back.¡±


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t have anything particular in mind, but thinking about Luo Yang¡¯s restaurant specializing in seafood, he replied, ¡°I feel like having fish.¡±


    A familiar teasing smile appeared on Du Chi¡¯s lips. ¡°Does the artist want to go fishing again?¡±


    Xiang Mo: ¡°Silence could kill you.¡±

 CH 17

    When the afternoon class ended, Lao Li saw the portrait that Lao Zhang drew for him and nearly got so angry that he almost ended up in the hospital again.


    Finally, after sending off these two lively old men, the studio became peaceful. Meng Yun helped Xiang Mo tidy up the art supplies, while Sanmei lazily lay on the windowsill, basking in the sun.


    ¡°The restaurant across the street is really bustling,¡± Meng Yun licked her lips, looking at Eight Jin Restaurant across the street.


    Usually, starting at 4 pm, a queue would form at the entrance of the restaurant. But today, there were even more people, and the queue extended to the end of the street.


    ¡°They¡¯ve come because of the reputation,¡± Meng Yun said. With such a prestigious recommendation, it was only natural for their business to boom.


    Xiang Mo picked up Sanmei and walked to the courtyard door, looking at the queue¡¯s end. Sanmei wiggled a bit, finding a comfortable position in his arms.


    As he gazed toward the end of the street, a familiar figure interrupted his thoughts. Du Chi was walking toward him with a canvas bag on one shoulder and a grocery bag in his hand.


    Compared to riding the heavy motorcycle, Du Chi mostly preferred walking. It seemed like he didn¡¯t go to places far away.


    Arriving at the courtyard door, he looked at the queue across the street, and nonchalantly said to Xiang Mo, ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to go out in the future.¡±


    Xiang Mo immediately understood what Du Chi meant. He was talking about how they always left the restaurant against the crowd.


    In truth, if they really wanted to leave, they could always find a way. Besides, Xiang Mo shifted his gaze away from the queue and looked at Du Chi. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here with me?¡±


    Du Chi smirked lightly, ¡°Do you want me to lead you again?¡±


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t reply, turned around, and carried Sanmei back to the courtyard.


    Perhaps due to the whole building being empty, Meng Yun became more relaxed. Seeing Du Chi, she greeted him, ¡°Master¡¯s wife.¡±


    Du Chi¡¯s footsteps hesitated slightly, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Master¡¯s wife?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just calling you that,¡± Xiang Mo quickly turned around and interrupted their conversation. But in the process, Sanmei slipped out of his arms and went back to the windowsill, lazily yawning.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Du Chi looked thoughtful. ¡°Sure, why not.¡±


    Xiang Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Did he have to be so cooperative? What about your dignity?


    ¡°Will you come to model tomorrow afternoon?¡± Meng Yun asked. ¡°Many students will be there.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Du Chi quickly adapted to the term ¡°Master¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Tomorrow afternoon, you¡¯ll teach your students about human muscle structure.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± A mischievous smile appeared on Meng Yun¡¯s face, and her eyes carried a meaningful glance.


    After Meng Yun left to meet her friends for dinner, Xiang Mo followed Du Chi to the kitchen on the second floor, hesitatingly asking, ¡°Are you sure you want me to teach muscle structure?¡±


    For Du Chi, it was simply a matter of taking off his shirt, nothing significant. But for Xiang Mo, he had to mark the muscle structure on Du Chi¡¯s body, which gave the lesson a different meaning.


    While washing the fresh ingredients he bought, Du Chi heard Xiang Mo¡¯s question and casually replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you wanted to teach?¡±


    Indeed, Xiang Mo wanted to teach.


    In a way, it was an itch he couldn¡¯t scratch, like having skills but being unable to showcase them to others.


    However, last time when he mentioned it to Du Chi, the topic was dropped for some reason.


    ¡°What if you get a reaction?¡± Xiang Mo asked hesitantly, recalling what Du Chi said before. He didn¡¯t want any uncertainties in his class; Du Chi was too unpredictable.


    Du Chi finished rinsing the sea bass, turned off the tap, wiped his hands with kitchen paper, and turned to look at Xiang Mo. A faint smile played on his lips, ¡°That¡¯ll depend on you, artist.¡±


    ¡°Depend on me?¡± Xiang Mo was slightly startled, immediately understanding Du Chi¡¯s meaning.


    If he was professional enough, and during the class, he didn¡¯t do anything unnecessary, the teaching should go smoothly.


    But if his brush strokes triggered a bad association in Du Chi¡¯s mind, then¡­


    He really distanced himself from the matter.


    Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help feeling strange. After all, Du Chi wasn¡¯t his ¡°little brother,¡± so why should he be responsible for him? Shouldn¡¯t Du Chi be responsible for managing his own desires?


    ¡°I will teach seriously,¡± Xiang Mo put aside his strange thoughts. ¡°You also need to cooperate properly.¡±


    From the beginning, Du Chi had steered the topic in a playful direction, with a few improper implications. However, in a normal working environment, Xiang Mo believed that Du Chi would have some boundaries. Just like how Du Chi teased him as an artist in private, but in front of outsiders, he would immediately put on a more serious demeanor. At least, in front of others, he was like a well-behaved large dog.


    For dinner, they had steamed sea bass. The timing of the steaming was perfect, allowing the aroma of green onions, ginger, and garlic to infuse into the tender fish meat. Paired with the savory steamed fish soy sauce, every bite was a delight for the taste buds.


    Recalling the simple tomato and egg stir-fry he made for lunch, Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit embarrassed. With Du Chi¡¯s culinary skills, it seemed like Du Chi was the one who was at a disadvantage in their partnership.


    However, Du Chi didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. He would eat whatever Xiang Mo cooked for him, looking like an easy-to-please puppy.


    After dinner, it was Zhao Xiaoqiao who cleaned up the kitchen.


    Xiang Mo stayed in his room for a while, waiting for Zhao Xiaoqiao to finish her homework and leave. Then he went to the bathroom to take a shower.


    A summer night¡¯s shower was more comfortable than anything else. Xiang Mo felt refreshed as he stepped out of the bathroom. Just then, he heard the doorbell ringing downstairs.


    During the studio¡¯s business hours, the courtyard door wouldn¡¯t be closed because many of Xiang Mo¡¯s students would come in and out. However, after the business hours, hardly anyone would come to the Pen and Ink Studio unless it was for personal reasons.


    Feeling curious, Xiang Mo went downstairs and opened the door, only to find Luo Yang standing outside the courtyard.


    ¡°Teacher Xiang,¡± Luo Yang held a dozen beers, looking heartbroken as he gazed at Xiang Mo. ¡°Is Du-ge here?¡±


    Luo Yang had just broken up with his girlfriend.


    He had been striving for the Michelin recommendation to pursue his former senior. She told him that if his restaurant could earn a Michelin star, she would consider dating him. For so many years, Luo Yang had been working hard for this goal. However, when he finally achieved it and went to find his former senior, he discovered that she had already married and had a child who was even attending kindergarten.


    ¡°She was just fobbing me off,¡± Luo Yang said, tilting his head back and finishing the beer. Liquid dribbled from the corners of his mouth, making him look quite disheveled.


    Sitting on the side, Xiang Mo handed him a tissue, trying to console him, ¡°At least you are successful in your career.¡±


    Actually, Luo Yang wanted to confide in Du Chi. He didn¡¯t want his employees¡¯ emotions to be affected, nor did he want other friends to see his pitiful state. That¡¯s why he thought of this new neighbor.


    If it weren¡¯t for Du Chi being there, Xiang Mo believed Luo Yang wouldn¡¯t have come to him.


    Since he was there, he naturally joined the venting session. The three of them and the dog squeezed onto the small balcony, feeling a bit cramped. There were originally only two leisure chairs there, but Du Chi went to his room to bring over his office chair, making it barely enough for the three to sit.


    ¡°But I want love!¡± Luo Yang opened another beer, tears uncontrollably flowing from his eyes.


    ¡°Out with the old, in with the new,¡± Du Chi took away the beer bottle from Luo Yang¡¯s hand, ¡°Take it easy with the drinking.¡±


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t understand,¡± with no venting tool in his hand, Luo Yang cried even harder, ¡°I feel so miserable, and I just want to cry!¡±


    Luo Yang weighed at least two hundred pounds. Seeing him cry like a child, Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but be moved. He patted Luo Yang¡¯s shoulder and empathized, ¡°I understand.¡±


    In times of sorrow, other people¡¯s miserable experiences might be the best remedy. Luo Yang immediately stopped sobbing and turned to look at Xiang Mo, asking, ¡°Teacher Xiang, have you ever experienced heartbreak?¡±


    Du Chi on the other side also looked over.


    ¡°I used to be an art teacher at a school.¡± Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere, Xiang Mo unusually shared his own experience, ¡°My art exhibition was reported by the parents of my students. At that time, I really needed someone to be by my side, but my ex just left for overseas.¡±


    ¡°Your partner broke up with you when you were at your most vulnerable?¡± Luo Yang asked in surprise.


    ¡°More or less,¡± Xiang Mo hardly drank from the beer in his hand, tilting his head back and taking a sip to moisten his throat, ¡°I lost my job and my partner at the time. You are better off; at least you still have your career.¡±


    Luo Yang seemed to be comforted and gradually calmed down. Mumbling to himself, he said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Not everyone can get a Michelin recommendation.¡±


    After saying that, he suddenly looked at Du Chi and asked, ¡°Du-ge, have you ever experienced heartbreak?¡±


    To be honest, Xiang Mo was a bit curious as well. It was a venting session, and everyone should share their miserable experiences. There was no reason for someone to be just a spectator.


    ¡°Yeah, I got dumped for no reason,¡± Du Chi shrugged nonchalantly, ¡°but I didn¡¯t really feel that sad about it.¡±


    ¡°It means you never really cared,¡± Luo Yang complained, furrowing his eyebrows.


    ¡°Come on, that was back in high school,¡± Du Chi said somewhat defensively, ¡°and afterward, I found dating to be too troublesome, so I stopped doing it.¡±


    ¡°Why did you find it troublesome?¡± Luo Yang quickly asked.


    ¡°You want to stay at home, but your partner insists on going out. Would you stay at home or go out?¡± Du Chi gave a random example.


    Xiang Mo also pondered the question. It was true; situations like this could be quite annoying.


    ¡°I would go out,¡± Luo Yang said earnestly, ¡°because relationships require compromise.¡±


    Du Chi smiled and took a sip of beer, ¡°Then you¡¯re suitable for dating.¡±


    As Xiang Mo listened, he suddenly understood the fundamental reason why Du Chi was single¡ªhe wasn¡¯t willing to compromise. Judging from Du Chi¡¯s attitude, he and Xiang Mo were alike in this aspect; neither of them was suitable for dating.


    ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ve given up on love,¡± the topic returned to Luo Yang, ¡°I¡¯ve decided not to date and focus on my career, open more branches!¡±


    Du Chi returned the beer bottle to Luo Yang, and the three of them clinked glasses in the air.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Luo Yang wiped away the tears from his face, perhaps inspired by the topic of their careers, he curiously looked at Du Chi and asked, ¡°Du-ge, why do you work here?¡±


    It seemed that not only Xiang Mo but others also didn¡¯t understand Du Chi¡¯s actions. Just a few hundred meters away, there were numerous office buildings and commercial apartments that were reasonably priced and much more convenient in terms of transportation compared to here.


    ¡°Because I used to live here when I was a child,¡± Du Chi answered nonchalantly.


    ¡°Here?¡± Before Luo Yang could react, Xiang Mo leaned forward slightly, pointed his finger at the ground, and looked at Du Chi, asking, ¡°This building?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Du Chi looked straight at Xiang Mo, bypassing Luo Yang in between, ¡°You now live in the room I used to live in.¡±


    Xiang Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Luo Yang widened his eyes in surprise, ¡°This old building belongs to your family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been sold, but the furniture and layout haven¡¯t changed much,¡± Du Chi paused and shifted his gaze back to Xiang Mo, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re sleeping on the bed I used to sleep in.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± without hesitation, Xiang Mo denied, though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure.


    ¡°Then your family must be wealthy,¡± Luo Yang speculated as most people would, ¡°Why do you still need to work?¡±


    This was the first time Xiang Mo heard Du Chi talk about his family.


    Du Chi¡¯s father was a collector, and he wanted Du Chi to come back home to take care of his precious collection. But Du Chi had no interest in those antiques, so he quarreled with his family and came out to do what he wanted to do.


    Quite¡­ willful.


    ¡°Does designing fonts make money?¡± Luo Yang asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Du Chi said, ¡°I already have fonts in circulation. Whenever someone uses my fonts, I get paid.¡±


    ¡°Starting a business is the way to go,¡± Luo Yang nodded in admiration. As if being stimulated, he suddenly raised his beer bottle and exclaimed, ¡°Love is just a pile of dog poop!¡±


    As the one most heartbroken, Xiang Mo also raised his beer bottle and echoed, ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Sitting on the side, Sanmao also howled in response. However, Du Chi bluntly said, ¡°You don¡¯t have the balls, shut up.¡±


    Luo Yang had vented enough and stood up to bid farewell to the two.


    Although he had drunk quite a lot, there were no signs of him getting drunk. Xiang Mo and Du Chi didn¡¯t send him off.


    The moon hung high in the sky, illuminating a few clouds around it. The distant skyscrapers still had their lights on, but the old neighborhood of the Brush and Ink Studio was quiet.


    Xiang Mo still had half a bottle of beer in his hand, and seeing that Du Chi had about the same amount left, they continued drinking on the balcony, enveloped in a tranquil atmosphere. Xiang Mo felt it was too quiet and continued with the previous topic, asking Du Chi, ¡°Why do you like designing fonts?¡±


    Du Chi countered with a question, ¡°Why do you like sketching?¡±


    This question caught Xiang Mo off guard. He couldn¡¯t really explain why he liked it, but he just enjoyed doing it.


    ¡°I enjoy the process of breaking down fonts,¡± Du Chi continued, seeing that Xiang Mo didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Decomposing, adjusting, and reassembling fonts make me feel like my design has vitality.¡±


    Xiang Mo could somewhat understand that feeling, as he also felt that the process of his creation was about infusing life into the paper.


    ¡°You said you were going to break down hundreds of characters. Isn¡¯t that boring?¡± Xiang Mo asked again.


    ¡°It can be a bit,¡± Du Chi said, then seemed to remember something. He looked at Xiang Mo and asked, ¡°Do you want to go to my room and take a look?¡±


    For the second time, Du Chi invited Xiang Mo to his room.


    Xiang Mo was genuinely curious and wanted to see the process of breaking down the fonts. However, he still felt that he shouldn¡¯t go; once he went, there might be some boundary issues.


    All his hesitations were written all over his face, but Du Chi didn¡¯t get a response. He raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°You really won¡¯t go?¡±


    Xiang Mo pursed his lips and suddenly thought about Du Chi mentioning fishing. Given the current situation, who was fishing who?

 CH 18

    Luo Yang brought a dozen small bottles of beer, and he mostly finished them himself. Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t much of a drinker and had a low tolerance, so he only took one bottle of beer, which was now also empty.


    In this mildly intoxicated state, that part of the mind driven by primal desires, easily breaks free from its cage, surpassing the ego and the superego, compelling people to pursue their most primitive urges.


    Curiosity finally triumphed over inhibition. Xiang Mo set down the empty beer bottle in his hand and looked at Du Chi, saying, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    When he first rented this old house, Xiang Mo had visited the third-floor room before. It had a layout similar to the second floor, with a wardrobe and a desk. However, the previous owner cherished the marriage bed used by the couple, so they took it when they sold the house. Therefore, compared to the second floor, the third-floor room looked much emptier.


    Now, Du Chi had placed a simple iron bed in the room, and he adjusted the placement of all the furniture. The rest area and workspace were clearly separated. The relaxation area had a small fridge and a lazy sofa, while the workspace was filled with a computer and design tools.


    ¡°Do I need to take off my shoes?¡±


    As soon as he entered the room, Xiang Mo noticed the carpet that covered almost the entire floor. It wasn¡¯t the soft, long-pile type of carpet but the kind used in hotels for noise reduction. The elegant beige tone softened the coldness of the iron bed and gave the room a gentle atmosphere.


    ¡°No need,¡± Du Chi replied nonchalantly, stepping on the carpet with his slippers, ¡°I had it laid down for you.¡±


    In other words, Du Chi didn¡¯t really care whether it was there or not. He simply didn¡¯t want any noise to disturb Xiang Mo.


    From this perspective alone, Du Chi was indeed a rare and considerate neighbor.


    ¡°Are these fonts you designed?¡±


    Xiang Mo¡¯s gaze moved from the carpet to the desk. The wall next to the desk was covered with large hand-drawn characters. At first glance, all the characters seemed to be of similar size and shape, but upon closer inspection, the strokes and penmanship of each character differed.


    Somehow, they looked more like drawings than letters.


    Du Chi came to Xiang Mo¡¯s side, picked up a sheet with only the outline of a character, and said, ¡°The first step is always to draw the outlines.¡±


    ¡°It still looks a bit different,¡± Xiang Mo said while looking at the various sheets of similar outlines. ¡°When you draw, you redo it instead of making adjustments.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Du Chi put down the sheet in his hand. ¡°I need to understand the feel of writing; I can¡¯t afford to make repeated corrections.¡±


    Until now, Xiang Mo thought that Du Chi designed fonts like creating graphic posters. However, after seeing Du Chi¡¯s desk, he had a rough idea of the process. Still, he was curious and subconsciously asked Du Chi beside him, ¡°What do you do after the drawing?¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, it suddenly faded away.


    When he had lowered his head earlier, he didn¡¯t notice, but now their gazes suddenly met. Xiang Mo realized that he and Du Chi were very close, their shoulders touching each other, and they could even see each other¡¯s eyelashes when they locked eyes.


    Unpredictably, the sensation of their lips touching surfaced in his mind without warning, evoking the memory of that night in the corridor.


    Dangerous thoughts arose without explanation, and Xiang Mo quickly averted his gaze, continuing his question, ¡°How do you proceed with the design?¡±


    He split the sentence into two, and Du Chi was obviously aware of Xiang Mo¡¯s discomfort. Adjusting his posture to lean against the desk, Du Chi and Xiang Mo now faced different directions, avoiding any awkward eye contact.


    ¡°After sketching hundreds of characters, I can break down their strokes and adjust them to the style and state I want. The later steps are completed by scanning them into the computer, similar to what you saw at the Eight Jins restaurant that day.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean scanning the finished pieces?¡± Xiang Mo asked, pointing to the pile of smooth sketches and asked, ¡°Why are some colored, and others are not?¡±


    ¡°Those without color are directly colored on the computer,¡± Du Chi explained, ¡°As for the ones colored by hand, it¡¯s because the coloring process is very therapeutic.¡±


    ¡°Therapeutic?¡± Xiang Mo raised his head to look at Du Chi, feeling more comfortable with this perspective.


    ¡°You can try it,¡± Du Chi turned to face Xiang Mo and handed him a black marker, ¡°Just color the interior of the lines.¡±


    That seemed interesting.


    Accepting the pen from Du Chi, Xiang Mo randomly picked a sketch and started coloring inside the characters by moving the pen up and down.


    Seemingly not liking this casual approach, Du Chi directly held Xiang Mo¡¯s hand, guiding him to follow the outlines and color from top to bottom: ¡°This is not drawing a sketch; you need to trace along the edges.¡±


    As the characters gradually filled up with color, it did indeed provide a sense of release.


    But Xiang Mo¡¯s focus was no longer on that.


    To steady his right hand and wrist, Du Chi turned around, placing his left hand on the desk beside Xiang Mo¡¯s waist, encompassing him in the space in front of him.


    An inexplicable sense of oppression suddenly enveloped Xiang Mo, and he subconsciously turned his head, looking at his own hand by his waist. At the same time, Du Chi¡¯s guiding hand stopped abruptly.


    It seemed that Du Chi also noticed that the position wasn¡¯t quite right.


    With only one brushstroke left on the sketch, under normal circumstances, Du Chi should have let go and let Xiang Mo finish it on his own.


    At least that was what Xiang Mo thought.


    However, what actually happened was that Du Chi withdrew his left hand from the desk and then¡­ placed it on Xiang Mo¡¯s waist.


    Xiang Mo, who was already on edge, reacted like a startled cat. He quickly turned around and used his hand to support Du Chi¡¯s chest, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Defensively positioning himself actually worked in Du Chi¡¯s favor. He placed his hands on Xiang Mo¡¯s waist, slightly leaning forward, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to relax.¡±


    If one ignored the mischievous glint in his eyes and the slightly aggressive posture, they might mistake him for someone offering a helpful gesture.


    Xiang Mo had to lean back, warning him with a slightly stern tone, ¡°Du Chi.¡±


    Despite his words, Xiang Mo¡¯s gaze involuntarily drifted toward Du Chi¡¯s lips.


    The forgotten sensation seemed to grow clearer, and the breath of the moment when Du Chi kissed him echoed in Xiang Mo¡¯s ears.


    The face so close to him suddenly enlarged, and Xiang Mo panicked, meeting Du Chi¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t help but pick up a message that was as obvious as it could be.


    Du Chi wanted to sleep with him.


    He had anticipated that things might get out of hand after they entered the room, but his mind was in a state of chaos. Xiang Mo hadn¡¯t even had time to consider whether he should become intimate with his neighbor or not, when Du Chi¡¯s lips were already close to his.


    Unlike the previous time, Du Chi stopped on his own this time, evidently giving Xiang Mo time to think.


    And Xiang Mo didn¡¯t move.


    He could have pushed Du Chi away, he had the opportunity to do so, but he silently consented to Du Chi¡¯s actions.


    Sometimes, reaching a mutual understanding didn¡¯t require verbal agreements; a simple action could make both parties tacitly comprehend each other.


    However, Xiang Mo¡¯s thoughts were chaotic, and he thought maybe he should tell Du Chi that he didn¡¯t like kissing.


    But the expected kiss didn¡¯t happen. Du Chi chuckled softly instead, and his nose brushed against Xiang Mo¡¯s cheek as his lips moved close to his ear. He whispered, ¡°What bad things are you thinking about, artist?¡±


    The unexpected move quickly sobered Xiang Mo up. He knew that Du Chi wasn¡¯t teasing him but was indicating that both of them had already accepted what would happen next. So, Du Chi started to get into the mood, teasing him with suggestive remarks.


    By moving his lips away, Du Chi was also playing hard to get.


    But the problem was, Xiang Mo didn¡¯t like to be dominated in bed.


    For him, sex was merely a way to relieve stress, and he¡¯d rather not do it at all than be controlled by Du Chi.


    Xiang Mo tilted his head slightly, looking at Du Chi with a puzzled expression, and asked, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°In¡­ I was thinking maybe we should find another place,¡± Du Chi paused, ¡°Perhaps we can move to the bed.¡±


    He meant that they should continue on the bed.


    ¡°I also want to find another place,¡± Xiang Mo replied as he swiftly got off the desk. With ease, he pushed Du Chi away and walked toward the direction of the room¡¯s door. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    By ¡°finding another place,¡± he simply meant leaving the desk.


    Du Chi was taken aback, ¡°Xiang Mo?¡±


    Opening the door, Xiang Mo turned his head back, looking at Du Chi¡¯s disbelieving face, and nonchalantly said, ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    Du Chi: ¡°Why are you like this?¡±


    Xiang Mo: ¡°Silly dog.¡±

 CH 19

    Back in the room, lying on the bed, the slight tipsiness seemed to dissipate at this moment. The light from the street lamps outside filtered through the sycamore leaves, casting faint shadows on the ceiling. The breeze gently swayed the shadows, causing the play of light and shadow in the room, which made Xiang Mo¡¯s mind even clearer.


    If he hadn¡¯t been drinking on the balcony earlier, would he have gone to Du Chi¡¯s room?


    Or perhaps, if Du Chi hadn¡¯t been drinking, he wouldn¡¯t have been so proactive.


    Xiang Mo gazed at the ceiling absentmindedly, making meaningless and unanswered assumptions.


    But one thing was certain, if Du Chi hadn¡¯t played hard to get and had just thrown him onto the bed, then¡­


    The two of them would probably have already gotten intimate.


    Once he calmed down, he found it somewhat incredible upon careful consideration. The boundaries between neighbors should be maintained. Even ordinary couples, after breaking up, could avoid each other until they grew old. But if there were irreconcilable conflicts between neighbors, one party would likely have to move to resolve the situation.


    Xiang Mo was very satisfied with his current living situation, and he didn¡¯t want to move elsewhere.


    Du Chi did indeed suit his taste very well, but so what? Not getting intimate wouldn¡¯t cause anyone to die.


    He rolled over, intending to sleep. At that moment, he heard Du Chi¡¯s voice from outside, coming down to take a shower.


    Half asleep, half awake, vague thoughts crossed Xiang Mo¡¯s mind. Wasn¡¯t this guy taking an awfully long time to shower today?


    His sleep was shallow, and the next morning, Xiang Mo was awakened again, this time by the smell of food.


    With a sleepy expression, he went to the kitchen and saw Du Chi frying eggs while chatting with Zhao Xiaoqiao. Despite it being Sunday, Zhao Xiaoqiao still had to go to school, not for makeup classes but for self-study, according to the school¡¯s requirements.


    When Du Chi saw Xiang Mo, he greeted him as usual, ¡°Are you waking up at odd hours now? Artist.¡±


    It was the first time Du Chi referred to Xiang Mo as an artist in front of others. The tone was not strange, as if nothing had happened last night, just as Xiang Mo hoped.


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t really want to wake up so early, but he didn¡¯t feel like explaining his poor sleep from the previous night, so he simply replied, ¡°Is it not allowed?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s allowed,¡± Du Chi replied as he walked toward the refrigerator, ¡°Is an egg with salad okay?¡±


    Repeating the other person¡¯s answer just now, Xiang Mo said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    The refrigerator was right by the entrance to the kitchen, close to Xiang Mo¡¯s right. The refrigerator faced perpendicular to the kitchen door, so when Du Chi came over to open the fridge, Zhao Xiaoqiao was separated from the space behind the refrigerator door.


    ¡°Did you sleep well last night?¡± Du Chi whispered to Xiang Mo in a low voice.


    In the kitchen, there was only the soft sound of oil frying in the small pan and occasionally a few bird calls from outside the window. Du Chi¡¯s voice, not too loud but not too soft, should have been heard by Zhao Xiaoqiao.


    However, perhaps due to the obstruction of the refrigerator door, Xiang Mo somehow felt a hint of whispering.


    ¡°I slept well,¡± Xiang Mo said casually.


    ¡°You really are¡­¡± Du Chi smiled, with a hint of helplessness, and didn¡¯t say much more. He took an egg from the refrigerator and returned to the kitchen counter.


    Xiang Mo could somewhat guess what he wanted to say; it was probably something along the lines of ¡°carefree.¡±


    But the problem was, why did you talk so much? Xiang Mo thought, why not just get to the point? Who asked you to flirt?


    After freshening up in the bathroom, breakfast was already set on the dining table.


    Xiang Mo sat down in the empty seat across from Du Chi and asked Zhao Xiaoqiao beside him, ¡°Have you decided on your college major?¡±


    Zhao Xiaoqiao speared some salad with her fork and looked into her bowl as she replied, ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Her flat tone made Xiang Mo feel that something was amiss. Teenage girls wouldn¡¯t usually hide things, and perhaps no one could get to the bottom of it, but he still sensed that something was wrong.


    Unable to resist asking, Xiang Mo inquired further, ¡°Is there anything else bothering you?¡±


    Finally, Zhao Xiaoqiao turned to look at Xiang Mo and shook her head, saying, ¡°No.¡±


    Recalling the boy who kissed Zhao Xiaoqiao that night, Xiang Mo guessed that the matter was probably related to him, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask about it directly.


    Silence fell over the dining table, and the three of them ate their breakfast quietly.


    Xiang Mo took a bite of the soft-boiled egg and suddenly felt that maybe it wouldn¡¯t be bad to wake up early in the future. Sometimes, when he woke up late, he would combine breakfast and lunch. Although it wasn¡¯t particularly unhealthy, having someone prepare a delicious breakfast every morning seemed to give meaning to waking up early.


    Lost in these random thoughts, Xiang Mo suddenly felt something climbing up his thigh. He paused for a moment, realizing it was Du Chi.


    ¡°Can we have a good meal for lunch today?¡± Du Chi asked Xiang Mo with a usual tone, but his foot under the table reached the edge of Xiang Mo¡¯s chair, between his knees.


    Xiang Mo recalled Du Chi calling him an artist when he entered the kitchen just now. Now looking back, it was clearly a signal, a signal that this mischievous dog was up to something.


    ¡ª Or rather, that he wanted to take revenge for what Xiang Mo did last night.


    ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Xiang Mo asked calmly. However, under the table, he slightly opened his knees as he was wearing shorts and didn¡¯t want their skin to touch.


    Du Chi glanced at Zhao Xiaoqiao, who was eating with her head down, and mouthed to Xiang Mo, ¡°Eat you.¡±


    Rather than desire, Du Chi¡¯s eyes held more mischief, as if he was provoking Xiang Mo.


    Xiang Mo wanted to mouth something back to Du Chi, but he had asked a question just now, and if no one replied, Zhao Xiaoqiao would surely find it strange.


    ¡°Is tomato and scrambled eggs okay?¡± Xiang Mo continued to ask, feigning indifference, causing Du Chi to punch the cotton.


    But he underestimated the wickedness of this dog.


    ¡°What kind of eggs?¡± After saying this, Du Chi suddenly lifted his front paw and stepped on a certain part of Xiang Mo¡¯s leg, as if to say, ¡°Eat this egg?¡±


    The fork in Xiang Mo¡¯s hand dropped into the bowl, making a crisp sound of metal hitting ceramic, successfully catching Zhao Xiaoqiao¡¯s attention.


    Xiang Mo calmly picked up the fork, reassuring Zhao Xiaoqiao with a ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± and then lifted his right leg onto his left leg, pushing away the dog¡¯s leg between his legs.


    ¡°Scrambled eggs,¡± Xiang Mo stared at Du Chi and said.


    Perhaps because his face finally showed an expression other than indifference, Du Chi lightly chuckled, no longer causing trouble under the table.


    After breakfast, Zhao Xiaoqiao was still tidying up the kitchen.


    It was still some time before the studio opened, and Xiang Mo planned to go back to his room for a nap. Du Chi followed him out of the kitchen and suddenly called out, ¡°Teacher Xiang.¡±


    Hearing a formal address, Xiang Mo stopped and turned to look at Du Chi.


    ¡°For the afternoon sketching class,¡± Du Chi said, ¡°150 yuan per hour, is that too little?¡±


    To be fair, Du Chi¡¯s original price was already more than 150 yuan; they just hadn¡¯t settled on it during their last conversation. Not to mention that this afternoon¡¯s class would require Xiang Mo to remove Du Chi¡¯s clothes and draw on his body.


    ¡°What do you think is appropriate?¡± Xiang Mo asked.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Du Chi shrugged, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Xiang Mo felt that this was a rare opportunity, so he said, ¡°You name it.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± As soon as Du Chi finished speaking, he grabbed Xiang Mo¡¯s arm and pulled him into a corner of the hallway.


    The corner of the hallway was just a meter away from the kitchen door, where Zhao Xiaoqiao was still washing dishes. However, Du Chi pressed Xiang Mo firmly against the wall in the shadows. One hand gripped the back of his neck, and the other held his waist as he kissed him forcefully.


    The dim hallway was not lit, and the light from the kitchen window stopped right behind Du Chi, dividing the hallway into two parts, one dark and one bright.


    Xiang Mo was trapped in the shadows by Du Chi, forced to endure his dominant kiss.


    His aggressive tongue seemed to want to take all the air from Xiang Mo¡¯s mouth, and the hand gripping his neck seemed to accuse him of what he had done last night.


    Xiang Mo really didn¡¯t like kissing; it was something that only people who liked each other should do. He wanted to push Du Chi away, but perhaps because of what happened last time, Du Chi blocked his way with his entire body, and Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t escape as he did last night.


    His brain began to lack oxygen, and his legs showed signs of weakness. Xiang Mo felt Du Chi¡¯s hand, which was holding his waist, slipping into his clothes. Just then, the sound of washing dishes in the kitchen suddenly stopped.


    Du Chi let go of Xiang Mo without any hesitation and stepped back into the well-lit area, saying quite refreshingly, ¡°Then I won¡¯t charge extra, Teacher Xiang.¡±


    Xiang Mo¡¯s breathing was still erratic, and his disadvantage of not being good at cursing people was evident at this moment. After Du Chi had already left, he held back for a while before finally managing to squeeze out three words, ¡°You damn dog.¡±


    In the afternoon, more than twenty students arrived at the studio, far exceeding its capacity.


    Some students had made reservations with Xiang Mo, and he had clearly told them that the class was full, but they still came here, apparently wanting to get a taste of it even if they couldn¡¯t participate.


    Thinking about getting Du Chi to adjust as soon as possible, Xiang Mo sent him a WeChat message. Less than two minutes later, footsteps could be heard coming downstairs.


    Having been neighbors with Du Chi for a while, Xiang Mo had already learned the characteristics of his footsteps. If he had something to do outside, his pace would be faster, usually wearing sports shoes or casual shoes; if he was going out on a whim, his footsteps would be lazy and casual, probably wearing flip-flops.


    Today, his footsteps were neither fast nor slow, carrying a leisurely air. However, when he reached the first floor, his rhythm slowed down significantly because Du Chi saw the eager students inside the studio.


    He came to a standstill on the last step of the staircase, his expression slightly stiff as he asked Xiang Mo, ¡°So many people today?¡±


    Xiang Mo stood by the chair prepared for Du Chi and replied flatly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Du Chi hesitated and asked, ¡°How about not taking off my clothes today?¡±


    In his heart, Xiang Mo sneered. This damn dog was so decisive when it came to charging, but now he wanted to back out?


    He patted the back of the chair and raised his chin, looking at Du Chi, and said firmly, ¡°Sit down, take off your clothes.¡±


    Du Chi: ¡°Doggy feeling wronged.jpg¡±

 CH 20

    Even a social terror like Du Chi couldn¡¯t help but hesitate when surrounded by over twenty people urging him to take off his clothes.


    Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t give Du Chi a chance to back down and used his eyes to urge him a few more times. In the end, Du Chi reluctantly took off his shirt and sat down on the chair.


    The students reacted with a collective ¡°Wow,¡± staring intently at Du Chi, especially his bobbed hair and ponytail, whispering excitedly. While it seemed normal for someone with a bobbed hairstyle to attend the class, the presence of a ponytail seemed out of place, making it unclear why they joined in on the excitement.


    ¡°Today, our teaching will be divided into two parts, the front and the back.¡±


    With a marker cap covering the pen, Xiang Mo made a few imaginary strokes on Du Chi¡¯s body.


    The students immediately quieted down, stretching their necks to listen attentively to Xiang Mo¡¯s lecture.


    ¡°First, we know that there are two important muscles on the neck.¡± Xiang Mo opened the marker and used his left hand to grip Du Chi¡¯s chin, forcing him to look slightly upwards, while his right hand drew a diagonal line on Du Chi¡¯s neck.


    Their skin touched abruptly, and Xiang Mo felt the warmth from Du Chi¡¯s skin through his fingertips. Subconsciously, he glanced at Du Chi and found that Du Chi was also looking back at him.


    ¡°This is the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Pay attention to how its movement affects the position of the head.¡±


    Xiang Mo calmly withdrew his gaze and moved behind Du Chi. He placed his left hand on Du Chi¡¯s shoulder and used his right hand to hold Du Chi¡¯s chin, moving it left and right.


    ¡°When looking straight ahead, these two muscles are not visible, but you should be aware of their existence.¡±


    After saying this, Xiang Mo lifted Du Chi¡¯s chin again, using his left hand to press on his Adam¡¯s apple with four fingers. The sensual bulge became an unfortunate teaching prop, manipulated by Xiang Mo without any emotional attachment.


    ¡°The size and position of the Adam¡¯s apple should not be drawn carelessly. It depends on the length of the neck.¡±


    As his fingertips uncontrollably slid down the bulge, Xiang Mo lowered his gaze to look at Du Chi. He noticed Du Chi¡¯s slightly furrowed brow as he gazed up at him, seemingly very displeased with the posture.


    ¡°Next, the clavicle plays a significant role in the aesthetics of the shoulders.¡±


    Finally, Xiang Mo released his grip on Du Chi¡¯s chin and placed both hands on his clavicle. His fingertips slid from the middle outwards, reaching his shoulders. The places touched seemed to leave invisible marks, causing Du Chi¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple to slide again.


    ¡°This position is the deltoid muscle, connecting the pectoral and bicep muscles.¡±


    Xiang Mo drew a circle on Du Chi¡¯s right shoulder, then moved the marker to his chest, outlining the shape of his right pectoral muscle.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s chest shape is different¡ªsome have square shapes, while others have round shapes. As you can see, our model has a square pectoral muscle, which is considered relatively attractive.¡±


    Xiang Mo was kind enough not to touch Du Chi¡¯s chest randomly.


    ¡°Below the pectoral muscles are the serratus anterior and rectus abdominis muscles. Everyone¡¯s abdominal muscles are different¡ªsome have six-pack abs, some have eight-pack abs, and some are symmetrical while others are not. Our model has symmetrical eight-pack abs, although they disappear slightly at the very bottom¡­¡±


    The marker tip followed the lines of the abs, gradually approaching the waistband of the pants. Xiang Mo could clearly feel that the lower his pen went, the tenser Du Chi¡¯s muscles became, and the lines became more pronounced.


    For Xiang Mo, well-defined lines were undoubtedly a good thing. He didn¡¯t stop the pen at the appropriate point but reached the edge of Du Chi¡¯s waistband.


    Du Chi was wearing loose casual pants, and his waistband was casually tied with a knot, seemingly easy to pull open with a gentle tug.


    Xiang Mo still didn¡¯t stop his pen; instead, he used his little finger to push down Du Chi¡¯s waistband slightly. At that moment, his right hand was suddenly grabbed, and the ever-cooperative Du Chi raised an eyebrow, looking at him and saying,¡±Teacher Xiang?¡±


    The meaning in his eyes was clear: Does this come with an extra charge?


    A strange ¡°yiyi¡± sound came from below, and Xiang Mo stopped with the marker just in time. He looked at the students and said, ¡°The model¡¯s lower abdominal muscles on the right side are more pronounced than the left. When you draw later, pay attention to shading.¡±


    The students began to practice on their drawing papers, and the studio was filled with the sound of pencils and paper rubbing against each other.


    Ignoring the slightly crowded feeling, the light music flowing in the studio along with the sound of drawing was a comforting sound to Xiang Mo.


    However, there was always someone to disrupt this atmosphere.


    ¡°Teacher, how long have you been working out?¡± a student asked.


    Xiang Mo lifted his gaze from a student¡¯s drawing paper, intending to ask them not to disrupt the class. However, he heard Du Chi chime in familiarly, ¡°Since college until now.¡±


    ¡°And how long have you been together with Xiang Teacher?¡±


    This time, Du Chi didn¡¯t answer but instead looked at Xiang Mo, as if throwing him under the bus. Xiang Mo found the one who asked and slightly furrowed his brows, saying, ¡°Focus on your drawings.¡±


    At that moment, a strange sound came from one corner of the studio. Xiang Mo followed the sound and saw the student with the bobbed hair and ponytail squeezing behind a drawing easel, with several other students without seats gathered around, watching.


    Approaching to take a look, sure enough, the student with the bobbed hair was drawing something messy again.


    ¡°If you continue like this, I¡¯ll refund your tuition fees.¡± Xiang Mo looked at the drawing of two men kissing on the paper, feeling a bit of a headache.


    ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m sorry.¡± The student immediately flipped the paper over and started drawing Du Chi¡¯s sitting posture seriously.


    After a while, Xiang Mo noticed another student¡¯s proportions were off. He walked over and guided, ¡°Below the pectoral muscles, it¡¯s not entirely rectus abdominis; there¡¯s also the serratus anterior.¡±


    He made a few strokes on the drawing paper, then returned to Du Chi¡¯s side, picked up the marker, and drew a triangular area on his ribcage.


    ¡°This area resembles a shark¡¯s gills, so it¡¯s also called the shark muscle.¡± Xiang Mo filled the area with evenly spaced diagonal lines and continued drawing downward, outlining a section on Du Chi¡¯s waist, ¡°This is the external oblique, which looks similar to the rectus abdominis but pay attention to the different direction.¡±


    The external oblique had a larger surface area and was curved, making it inconvenient to draw the diagonal lines. Xiang Mo used his left hand to press against Du Chi¡¯s chest, and that area of muscle visibly tensed up.


    The marker with evenly spaced diagonal lines continued to fill down, and as it approached the waistband of the pants, Xiang Mo felt Du Chi¡¯s body tremble slightly.


    Could it be that this person is ticklish?


    A vague thought flashed through his mind. At the same time, Du Chi once again grabbed his wrist, frowning as he said, ¡°Xiang Mo.¡±


    Not ¡°Teacher Xiang¡± or ¡°Artist Xiang,¡± but just calling his name with a hint of a warning.


    Xiang Mo discreetly glanced at a certain area; the slightly rising lines showed no signs of awakening. Nevertheless, he promptly withdrew the marker to prevent any unexpected incidents.


    After the students finished drawing the front view, Xiang Mo explained the distribution of muscles on the human body¡¯s back.


    The three-hour class passed in the blink of an eye. Despite Meng Yun not assisting today and the number of students exceeding the capacity, Xiang Mo was relatively satisfied with the teaching results. Most of the students had drawn well.


    After tidying up the art supplies, it was only a little after 4 pm. Xiang Mo checked his phone while walking upstairs and realized that a documentary he wanted to watch had been released a couple of days ago. He planned to go see it tonight.


    The documentary showcased various art pieces from ancient Egypt and was part of the cultural exchange program between China and Egypt. Due to limited showtimes, Xiang Mo could only secure a ticket for the 10 pm screening. To his surprise, someone had already bought the seat in the middle of the theater for the same screening, and like him, they were watching it alone.


    ¡°Teacher Xiang.¡±


    Suddenly, Du Chi¡¯s voice came from above. Xiang Mo looked up and saw Du Chi standing at the kitchen doorway, wrapped only in a loosely hanging bath towel, wet from head to toe.


    ¡°I can¡¯t reach my back. Can you help?¡± Du Chi asked.


    While Xiang Mo was cleaning up the art studio, he knew that Du Chi went upstairs to take a shower. However, he completely overlooked one thing¡ªthe lines he drew on Du Chi¡¯s back were something Du Chi couldn¡¯t wash off by himself.


    If you draw the lines, you wash them off. Du Chi¡¯s request was perfectly reasonable, so reasonable that Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t find a reason to refuse.


    He approached Du Chi and asked, ¡°How can I help?¡± Surely, he doesn¡¯t expect me to bathe him?


    Du Chi didn¡¯t explicitly say but turned and walked into the kitchen, saying, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    The bathroom was accessible through the kitchen. Du Chi brought a chair into the bathroom and then turned around to straddle it, resting his elbows on the back of the chair. He turned his head and said to Xiang Mo, ¡°Help me scrub my back.¡±


    The bathroom was filled with lingering steam, and the bath towel loosened even more due to Du Chi¡¯s movements, revealing the connection between his lower back and buttocks. The tight curves tightened near his waist, then followed the firm muscles of his buttocks, giving a mesmerizing flow.


    Indeed, he¡¯s like a puppy, Xiang Mo thought, noting the seductive ¡°dog waist¡± of a man.


    He forced himself to look away and took advantage of Du Chi¡¯s still moist skin to take the scrubber and clean the ink lines on his back.


    ¡°This is the latissimus dorsi, the largest muscle on the back.¡±


    Recalling how audaciously he drew lines all over Du Chi¡¯s body, Xiang Mo regretted it greatly. If he had anticipated that he would end up helping Du Chi scrub his back, he would never have taught the students to draw the back.


    ¡°Teacher Xiang,¡± Du Chi lazily sprawled over the back of the chair. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me there would be so many people today?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it either,¡± Xiang Mo said as he pressed his left hand on Du Chi¡¯s shoulder and vigorously kneaded his back with his right hand. It seemed that touching Du Chi¡¯s skin had become a strange habit, as he was growing accustomed to his warmth.


    ¡°Then aren¡¯t you being a bit unfair?¡± Du Chi asked.


    Fortunately, the back muscles were not as complex as the front. Xiang Mo massaged his back in large strokes, quickly cleaning off the ink lines.


    ¡°Business is done now, so there¡¯s no use asking me,¡± Xiang Mo let out a sigh of relief, stood up straight, and put the scrubber aside.


    However, at that moment, Du Chi suddenly grabbed his wrist and placed his hand on a certain area.


    ¡°Also, this part,¡± Du Chi said in a nonchalant tone.


    The temperature in the palm of Xiang Mo¡¯s hand immediately skyrocketed, even feeling a bit hot.


    Realizing what he had touched, Xiang Mo tried to pull his hand back in a panic, but Du Chi firmly held onto his wrist, not allowing him to distance himself from that area.


    ¡°Do you mind?¡± Du Chi turned his head and looked at Xiang Mo, asking.


    Xiang Mo furrowed his brows, ¡°Du Chi!¡±


    Du Chi seemed to sense Xiang Mo¡¯s anger and let go of his wrist. However, in the next moment, he stood up and let the bath towel drop, turning around and sitting with his legs spread open.


    ¡°Do you mind?¡± Du Chi asked again.


    Looking at the impressive size before him, Xiang Mo almost forgot to breathe.


    Clearly seeking help, but his tone was so self-assured.


    Xiang Mo turned his head away, looking at the wide-open bathroom door, and in his confused mind, he wondered if he had forgotten to lock the front door of the courtyard. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone coming up, right?


    Waiting for a response but not getting one, Du Chi held the back of Xiang Mo¡¯s neck, and his lips approached.


    Xiang Mo suddenly tensed his back, firmly pushing against Du Chi¡¯s chest and glaring at him, ¡°Alright, I got it, no kissing.¡±


    His right hand circled around that spirited beast, toying with it up and down. His movements were somewhat perfunctory, but Du Chi didn¡¯t seem to mind. Looking at Xiang Mo, who was still turning his head away, he asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t I kiss you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± Xiang Mo frowned.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Du Chi lightly chuckled, and upon seeing Xiang Mo not saying anything more, he stopped.


    Feeling uncomfortable with being watched, Xiang Mo turned to Du Chi and said, ¡°Stop looking at me.¡±


    ¡°Why do you have so many demands?¡± Du Chi raised an eyebrow, lowering his head to watch Xiang Mo¡¯s perfunctory movements. ¡°When can I finish with you like this?¡±


    ¡°In that case, do it yourself,¡± Xiang Mo stopped his actions altogether.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Du Chi said, holding Xiang Mo¡¯s back, leaning down, and kissing his right nipple.


    Wearing a loose white casual shirt, Xiang Mo¡¯s body was already damp from Du Chi¡¯s water. Du Chi licked his nipple through the fabric, and soon the area was wet with his saliva, making the pink nipple appear even more seductive.


    With some time away from such activities, every part of him had become incredibly sensitive. Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but arch his back slightly, allowing Du Chi to lick more vigorously.


    ¡°Artist,¡± Du Chi lifted his head from Xiang Mo¡¯s chest, somewhat amused. ¡°You¡¯re quite lascivious.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Xiang Mo furrowed his brows, grabbing Du Chi¡¯s member without backing down this time, attentively playing with it.


    Du Chi¡¯s breathing clearly became heavier. He unbuttoned the three buttons on Xiang Mo¡¯s chest, pulling his shirt collar down to his right shoulder, revealing his whole right chest. He then bit down on the already erect nipple.


    The pleasure spread from Xiang Mo¡¯s chest to his brain, and he couldn¡¯t help but want to moan, but what came out of his mouth was a scolding, ¡°Don¡¯t bite me, you smelly dog.¡±


    Hearing someone call him that for the first time, Du Chi stopped his actions and pulled down Xiang Mo¡¯s pants zipper, retrieving the already hard and tiny Xiang from inside. ¡°Who are you calling a smelly dog?¡±


    ¡°You,¡± the pleasure coursing through him made Xiang Mo¡¯s voice slightly off-pitch. He bit his lower lip and looked at Du Chi, ¡°Both smelly and a dog.¡±


    The hand on Xiang Mo¡¯s back suddenly moved downwards, delving into his pants and roughly pinching his buttocks.


    ¡°You¡¯d better shut up, Artist,¡± Du Chi squinted his eyes, ¡°Unless you want me to fuck you right now.¡±


    The bathroom had no tools, so when Du Chi said ¡°help me,¡± both of them tacitly agreed to use their hands only.


    Feeling somewhat afraid that Du Chi might get carried away, Xiang Mo stopped saying anything and focused on enjoying the sensations.


    The disheveled shirt was somewhat in the way, so Du Chi took out Xiang Mo¡¯s member from under the shirt and skillfully manipulated it while looking at Xiang Mo, who was panting heavily, and asked, ¡°Why is even this part so beautiful?¡±


    Hearing this, Xiang Mo was slightly taken aback. Did Du Chi say that because he found him personally beautiful?


    The shirt was still only unbuttoned with three buttons, revealing a large expanse of skin on his right chest and shoulder. His lips were already bitten red by himself, just like the swollen nipples on his chest, both looking alluring and seductive.


    ¡°Xiang Mo,¡± Du Chi huskily called out and pressed his lips against Xiang Mo¡¯s jawline. ¡°I want to kiss you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Xiang Mo softly uttered three words.


    Du Chi didn¡¯t seem to be one to listen, as he held the back of Xiang Mo¡¯s neck and was about to kiss his lips.


    The saying goes ¡°things happen in threes,¡± so Xiang Mo immediately stopped his movements and pushed away Du Chi¡¯s chin, looking at him with a somewhat chilly gaze. ¡°I said you can¡¯t.¡±


    Having learned Xiang Mo¡¯s temperament well, Du Chi knew that if he didn¡¯t pay attention, the little cat would run away. So he stayed away from Xiang Mo¡¯s lips, but in frustration, he bit down on Xiang Mo¡¯s collarbone.


    ¡°Stinky dog, be gentle¡­¡±


    Once again scolded as a dog, Du Chi displeasingly pinched Xiang Mo¡¯s buttocks, and his middle finger slipped into the tightly closed fold.


    Xiang Mo didn¡¯t resist much because Du Chi had given up on kissing, which at least meant he was still willing to listen and not do anything reckless.


    As the sensitive spot was repeatedly stimulated, the pleasure in his chest and between his legs magnified countless times. Xiang Mo knew he wouldn¡¯t last much longer, so he quickened his hand movements, and his skilled techniques made Du Chi unable to help but emit a low moan.


    Both of them climaxed simultaneously, and the afterglow of pleasure lasted for a long time for Xiang Mo. He lay on Du Chi¡¯s shoulder, savoring the relaxation and laziness that followed the climax.


    Du Chi recovered faster than Xiang Mo. He turned his head and licked Xiang Mo¡¯s earlobe, asking in a low voice, ¡°Want another round?¡±


    Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but be a little stunned. They had just finished, what does he mean by another round?


    He quickly stood up from Du Chi¡¯s body, tidying up his messy clothes, putting away the remaining desire on his face, and with a calm expression, he said, ¡°You go cook now.¡±

 CH 21

    Returning to the room and changing into dry clothes, Xiang Mo brought the laundry basket to the third-floor balcony and coincidentally met Du Chi, who was also about to do laundry.


    The laundry machine on the balcony made it convenient to wash and dry clothes, improving the quality of life in Xiang Mo¡¯s eyes. Just holding the freshly dried clothes in his hand, warm and imbued with the scent of sunlight, even doing laundry felt enjoyable.


    However, the laundry machine worked for a long time, often taking three to five hours. If both of them needed to do laundry at the same time, one of them would have to wait for another day.


    In the bathroom just now, Xiang Mo¡¯s clothes had already been wet by Du Chi. Although he only had a few pieces of laundry, he didn¡¯t want to postpone it to another day.


    Looking at Du Chi¡¯s laundry basket, it was half full, and it seemed that today was his laundry day, so he probably didn¡¯t want to postpone it either.


    Both of them stood at the balcony door, looking at each other without any communication. After a moment, Du Chi asked, ¡°Do you want to do it together?¡±


    From the time Xiang Mo came upstairs until Du Chi made the suggestion, the two of them hadn¡¯t exchanged a single word.


    They only looked at each other a few times, skipping unnecessary communication.


    This feeling was great, Xiang Mo thought.


    He had encountered some neighbors before, polite and reasonable in general, but once it involved their own interests, they would never back down.


    For example, in this situation, if the other person was unwilling to compromise, Xiang Mo would have to explain that his clothes were wet and he didn¡¯t want to wait until tomorrow to wash them. The other person might say that today was their laundry day and they didn¡¯t want to disrupt their plans.


    In the end, perhaps one party would compromise, but it would still end in an unpleasant situation.


    However, from Du Chi¡¯s proposal, when he saw that Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t moving, he already understood that Xiang Mo didn¡¯t want to let his dirty laundry ¡°ferment.¡±


    Setting aside whether doing laundry together was feasible or not, at least Du Chi understood Xiang Mo¡¯s thoughts and was trying to find a solution for the current situation.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind,¡± Du Chi added.


    Putting clothes in the washing machine and adding laundry detergent and disinfectant didn¡¯t really require much consideration.


    Moreover, understanding goes both ways. Du Chi had extended an olive branch, and if Xiang Mo still refused, it might make him appear a bit unkind.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Xiang Mo put his few dirty clothes into Du Chi¡¯s laundry basket.


    After the beginning of summer, the afternoon sun was a bit scorching. The balcony¡¯s potted plants flourished, giving it the appearance of a small garden. However, for Xiang Mo, who was used to shade, he might enjoy the balcony more in the evening.


    With his hand shading his forehead from the sun, Xiang Mo endured the heat, and he didn¡¯t know why he was standing here waiting for Du Chi to set the washing and drying program.


    Perhaps it was because his clothes were inside, and he couldn¡¯t just stand by and do nothing. Symbolically standing by the side at least showed that he didn¡¯t treat Du Chi like a servant.


    Du Chi¡¯s skin was wheat-colored and didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of the sun. He obviously hadn¡¯t bothered to dry his hair properly, and the hair at the back of his head glistened in the sunlight.


    It was at this moment that Xiang Mo suddenly felt that something was not right.


    Washing clothes together with Du Chi seemed like a very natural thing, but the question was, did anyone really do laundry together with their neighbors?


    Xiang Mo seriously thought about it, and whether it was Luo Yang or Zhao Xiaoqiao, he couldn¡¯t really accept the idea.


    It wasn¡¯t that he looked down on these two, but doing laundry was a private matter, not something that neighbors should help with.


    Then why could he accept doing laundry together with Du Chi?


    The answer was obvious ¨C it was because he and Du Chi had already surpassed the level of neighbors and both accepted this fact.


    The washing and drying machine started its work, and Du Chi stood up, looking at Xiang Mo and asking, ¡°What do you want to eat tonight? I¡¯ll go buy groceries.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Xiang Mo was a bit distracted and replied absently, ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Thinking about it, normal neighbors wouldn¡¯t deal with each other manually like that.


    Although both Xiang Mo and Du Chi acted as if nothing had happened and maintained their usual demeanor, in fact, in the bathroom just now, both of them showed a side of desire that they shouldn¡¯t have shown to their neighbors.


    Xiang Mo even remembered the feel of Du Chi¡¯s¡­ like a restless beast in his hands.


    As he recalled, the places bitten by Du Chi were starting to itch faintly.


    ¡°How about mapo tofu?¡± Du Chi asked again.


    While his mind was filled with these improper thoughts, Xiang Mo was momentarily stunned. ¡°Eat mapo tofu?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know if his eyes betrayed him, but a perfectly innocent sentence seemed to have conveyed another meaning.


    Du Chi¡¯s eyes twinkled mischievously. ¡°Whose mapo tofu do you want to eat, Artist?¡±


    Maybe he really should ban this smelly dog from calling him an artist.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to buy groceries, hurry up,¡± Xiang Mo said, leaving these words behind as he turned to leave. However, at that moment, Du Chi grabbed his elbow.


    ¡°You better change your clothes,¡± Du Chi raised his chin, pointing at Xiang Mo¡¯s neck, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good if Zhao Xiaoqiao sees it.¡±


    At first, Xiang Mo didn¡¯t understand what Du Chi meant, but when he looked in the dressing mirror back in the room, he realized that his collarbone was covered in red marks.


    It seemed like he needed to add another rule: no biting allowed.


    Thinking of this, Xiang Mo suddenly snapped out of it. Why did he assume there would be a next time?


    Influence can be a little scary.


    Dinner consisted of mapo tofu, stir-fried beef, and coix seed winter melon soup.


    Du Chi timed the cooking perfectly, and Zhao Xiaoqiao came back from school. Just like when she left in the morning, she still seemed preoccupied.


    Even though he felt it might not be appropriate, as her temporary guardian, Xiang Mo couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Xiaoqiao, did you have a fight with your boyfriend?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t to gossip about the couple¡¯s relationship, but with only a month left until the college entrance examination, anyone would inevitably feel worried for Zhao Xiaoqiao.


    Zhao Xiaoqiao was startled, nearly choking on her food. She looked at Xiang Mo with a flustered expression and asked, ¡°Boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°I saw him before,¡± Xiang Mo didn¡¯t elaborate, ¡°You seemed upset.¡±


    Being the ¡°big brother next door,¡± Xiang Mo wasn¡¯t a real parent figure, so Zhao Xiaoqiao didn¡¯t deny anything. She sighed and said, ¡°It has nothing to do with him.¡±


    After a moment of silence, she continued, ¡°Yesterday, my mom called me. Although she didn¡¯t say much, I could sense that she¡¯s going to divorce my dad.¡±


    The topic came unexpectedly, and Xiang Mo subconsciously glanced at Du Chi across from them, who also seemed unprepared.


    If it was a relationship issue, they could still steer the conversation towards studying, but if it was a family matter, it became a bit tricky. Xiang Mo could only find something to say, ¡°My parents divorced as well.¡±


    ¡°My parents divorced too.¡±


    The same words were spoken from both Xiang Mo and Du Chi, and they looked surprised at each other.


    Xiang Mo was even more amazed, looking at Du Chi and asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t your parents even take the marital bed with them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Du Chi shrugged indifferently, ¡°They divorced too.¡±


    Xiang Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Alright, it seems that the shelf life of love is indeed short.


    ¡°The reason my parents are still together,¡± Zhao Xiaoqiao said with a low mood, ¡°is all because of me.¡±


    Xiang Mo often heard arguments from the next-door couple. They probably hadn¡¯t divorced yet because they wanted to wait until after Zhao Xiaoqiao¡¯s college entrance exam.


    This time, Master Zhao took his wife back to his hometown, and Zhao Xiaoqiao¡¯s mother probably suffered again at her in-laws¡¯ place.


    ¡°Divorce may not necessarily be a bad thing,¡± Du Chi spoke calmly, rather than comforting, it was more like casual conversation. ¡°My mom has formed a new family now, but she still treats me well.¡±


    ¡°So, whether to divorce or not depends on the individual¡¯s choice,¡± Xiang Mo followed Du Chi¡¯s lead, ¡°I followed my mom. She¡¯s living abroad now and is still living a good life.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Zhao Xiaoqiao was still worried, ¡°my mom can¡¯t do anything. How will she live if she leaves my dad?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she has the ability to open another knife-cut noodle shop?¡± Du Chi said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate your mom, I think she¡¯s pretty capable.¡±


    ¡°If she really wants to leave,¡± Xiang Mo said, ¡°you just need to respect her choice.¡±


    Perhaps the experiences of the two, as people who had gone through it, were convincing enough. Zhao Xiaoqiao was successfully comforted by them and no longer looked anxious.


    After the sun set, the temperature dropped.


    The place where Xiang Mo was going to watch the movie was on the busiest street nearby, only about a kilometer away, and he could get there in about ten minutes on foot.


    Staying in the room until 9:30 PM, Xiang Mo changed his clothes and prepared to leave. When he opened the door and stepped into the hallway, he suddenly heard Du Chi¡¯s footsteps coming down from upstairs.


    It wasn¡¯t the sound of flip-flops, so it seemed like Du Chi was going out for something.


    The two met in the hallway, and Du Chi slowed down his pace, greeting Xiang Mo, ¡°Going out this late?¡±


    Xiang Mo thought to himself, ¡°Aren¡¯t you doing the same?¡±


    Seeing that Du Chi was dressed in a simple sports shirt and sportswear, not looking like he was going to a bar, Xiang Mo casually asked, ¡°Going to watch a movie. What about you?¡±


    Du Chi raised an eyebrow in surprise, ¡°Me too.¡±


    Xiang Mo mentioned the name of the cinema he was going to, and Du Chi said he was also heading there.


    Since their destination was the same, there was no need to deliberately separate and go their own ways. On the quiet little road, the two walked side by side towards the bustling street. At this time, there were few people passing by on the road, and it seemed like the whole world was left with just the sound of their footsteps.


    Xiang Mo felt a bit awkward.


    His collarbone and chest were covered in marks from Du Chi, which could have been ignored as if nothing happened, but now they were walking together like they were on a nighttime stroll¡ªwhat was going on?


    ¡°What movie are you watching?¡± Du Chi broke the silence.


    ¡°A documentary,¡± Xiang Mo replied concisely.


    Du Chi suddenly stopped and said a keyword, ¡°Egypt?¡±


    Xiang Mo also stopped, looking slightly surprised, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I thought I booked the whole screening,¡± Du Chi said.


    Recalling the ¡°one in a million¡± on the ticket purchase page, Xiang Mo immediately realized that it was Du Chi.


    He subconsciously took out his phone and checked. Indeed, the entire screening only sold two tickets¡ªone in the sixth row and one in the seventh row, both in the middle seats.


    Du Chi glanced at Xiang Mo¡¯s phone screen and asked, ¡°Just the two of us?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Xiang Mo nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Du Chi seemed to find it amusingly coincidental and asked with a soft laugh, ¡°A date?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just going to the movies together,¡± Xiang Mo corrected him. He suddenly realized something¡ªhim and Du Chi seemed to be¡­ quite in sync in various aspects.


    Du Chi: I feel the same way.