Chapter 76

The swim trunks had been purchased in advance. Mi Zhao had secretly bought two pairs of the same style online, just in different sizes. It could almost count as a couple’s outfit.

However, the moment he put them on, he regretted it.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror in the bathroom, the two of them provided a textbook example of how comparison brings pain.

Mi Zhao had once been fairly active, frequently going out and moving around. But recently, he had been working nonstop to earn money, spending day and night drawing. When he wasn’t drawing, he was lying down and playing on his phone. His exercise time had dwindled to almost nothing. He had already accepted the fact that he didn’t have a six-pack, but how was it that Li Sipei, who also sat around all day, still looked so much more toned than him?

He reached out and poked Li Sipei’s abdomen. It was firm. His own, on the other hand, was soft and squishy—he could even pinch a bit of flesh.

“You’ve been secretly working out behind my back, haven’t you?”

Li Sipei caught his wandering hand and gave it a light squeeze. “I haven’t been hiding anything. I’ve been exercising ever since I started walking again.” As he spoke, he picked up a loose-fitting T-shirt and pulled it over Mi Zhao’s head.

Mi Zhao cooperated, standing still while pouting. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have bought matching swim trunks with you.”

“It’s not too late to start exercising now. Sitting for long periods is bad for your health. Proper exercise can prolong your life.” Li Sipei, unable to resist, reached out and pinched Mi Zhao’s puffed-up cheek. It felt just as good as he had imagined. He lowered his head slightly and patiently added, “I’ll work out with you from now on.”

“How?”

“There’s a gym downstairs in our building.”

The moment he heard the word “gym,” Mi Zhao’s face scrunched up.

Noticing his reaction, Li Sipei chuckled. “Or we can just go for walks in the mornings and evenings. The air outside is much fresher than indoors.”

At the mention of exercise, Mi Zhao let out a long sigh. He really didn’t like working out, especially the sticky, sweaty feeling afterward. In this regard, he and Yan Qinting saw eye to eye. He truly admired Li Sipei—despite the grueling rehabilitation he went through every day, he never complained.

Once Li Sipei was dressed, Mi Zhao suddenly remembered something. His eyes lit up. “Actually, I do work out.”

Li Sipei looked at him.

“When we do it, aren’t I always the one moving?”

“……”

Mi Zhao continued matter-of-factly, “If you think about it, I’ve spent just as much time exercising as you. Think about how many times I’ve been on top—there were even times when my knees turned bruised—”

Before he could finish, Li Sipei reached out and covered his mouth.

“Mmph—” Mi Zhao smacked his arm in protest, his eyes full of righteous indignation.

But Li Sipei remained unfazed, though the tips of his ears had turned completely red. He held eye contact with Mi Zhao for a moment before lightly tapping the tip of his nose. “That’s not something you should just blurt out.”

Mi Zhao pried his hand away and complained, “It’s just the two of us here. What’s there to be afraid of? These walls are thick; the neighbors can’t hear a thing.”

Faced with Mi Zhao’s blatant nonchalance, Li Sipei, for the first time, stammered. “Th-That doesn’t mean you can just say it whenever you want.”

Before he had even finished speaking, the redness on his ears had already spread to his cheeks, and even down his neck.

Mi Zhao’s gaze instinctively followed the movement of his Adam’s apple as it bobbed up and down. For some reason, his teeth itched.

Since he was far more shameless than reserved—especially when it came to teasing Li Sipei—the thought had barely formed before he acted on it.

He tilted his head up and bit down on Li Sipei’s Adam’s apple.

“……” Li Sipei didn’t say a word, but he sharply inhaled.

Mi Zhao could clearly feel the Adam’s apple shift upward in his mouth, pause for a moment, then slide back down—settling right between his teeth and tongue again.

The image of Li Sipei swallowing flashed through his mind, and he let out a quiet chuckle against his skin, eyes narrowing with amusement. He lifted his gaze, looking up at Li Sipei from below.

Li Sipei’s entire face was flushed, as if he were holding his breath, staring straight into Mi Zhao’s eyes.

Slowly, Mi Zhao released him. His hand, which had been resting against Li Sipei’s chest, lost strength and started to slip down—though its direction was quite intentional. “Fifteen minutes, is that enough?”

Li Sipei: “……”

“Then how about half an hour?”

Li Sipei caught his mischievous hand and let out a sigh. “Do you think I’m—” He paused, then simply said, “Forget it. Let’s go swimming first. Otherwise, it’ll be too late when we get back.”

Mi Zhao hesitated for a moment, frowning in contemplation, before finally compromising. He draped himself over Li Sipei. “Fine… I guess…”

Li Sipei patted his back. “Walk properly.”

But Mi Zhao just wrapped his arms tighter around Li Sipei’s waist, stubbornly refusing to stand up straight, practically melting into him.

Back in City A, Mi Zhao had never been this clingy. Maybe it was because they were in a new place—his whole body was brimming with an inexplicable excitement, like a fire rampaging through his chest.

He clung to Li Sipei and said, “How’s your leg? Carry me downstairs.”

Li Sipei touched his face. “Are you serious?”

“Of course.”

Without hesitation, Li Sipei walked ahead, crouched down, and tilted his head. “Get on.”

Mi Zhao hesitated. “Are you sure your leg is okay?”

“It’s fine.”

A grin spread across Mi Zhao’s face, his heart nearly bursting with joy. He happily climbed onto Li Sipei’s back, wrapping his arms around his neck and naturally resting his chin on his shoulder.

Even though Li Sipei looked more toned than him, he had still spent years in a wheelchair, leaving his frame somewhat lean. But as Mi Zhao lay against his back, he realized just how broad his shoulders really were—it felt incredibly secure.

With one hand supporting Mi Zhao’s thighs, Li Sipei easily stood up.

Mi Zhao blew a puff of air at his ear. “Am I heavy?”

Li Sipei’s ears twitched slightly, and the tips flushed a faint red.

Just as Mi Zhao expected him to say not at all, Li Sipei, without turning his head, calmly replied, “A guy weighing around 58-63 kg (130–140 pounds)—you really don’t know if you’re heavy?”

“……” Mi Zhao’s hair nearly stood on end. He yanked at Li Sipei’s shoulder. “Li Sipei! Is that any way to talk to someone?”

Li Sipei stifled a laugh.

Fuming, Mi Zhao bent down and bit his ear, though he couldn’t bring himself to bite too hard. After a while, all he did was hold it in his mouth and give it a soft lick.

“Alright.” Li Sipei patted his butt and stopped by the couch. “Grab the bag.”

Even though he was still annoyed, Mi Zhao grabbed the bag with their towels inside.

They were staying on the ninth floor. Outside their door was a long hallway, lined with rooms on one side and a view of the hotel’s garden on the other. Even though it was nighttime, the garden was brightly lit, making it easy to see the people walking around.

The hallway was empty. Aside from the occasional breeze, the only sound was Li Sipei’s steady footsteps.

Taking advantage of the solitude, Mi Zhao continued lying comfortably on his back.

But just as they reached the elevator, two young women approached from behind.

They had been chatting as they walked, but the moment they caught sight of Mi Zhao and Li Sipei, their conversation abruptly stopped a few steps away.

After a brief pause, they tiptoed toward the elevator, arms linked, remaining silent but sneaking occasional glances at them.

Mi Zhao buried his face into the crook of Li Sipei’s neck, leaving only one eye exposed as he discreetly observed them.

Both girls had Asian features and were wearing floral dresses. It was hard to tell where they were from—they looked somewhat Chinese but also a bit Japanese.

When the elevator arrived, Li Sipei carried him inside, and the two girls followed. One of them pressed the button for the first floor, then they stood side by side, facing away from them.

The numbers on the display slowly counted down.

For a moment, the elevator was quiet. Then, the two girls began whispering in Chinese.

“Are they Chinese?”

“They don’t look like it.”

After saying that, the girl turned to glance at them.

Mi Zhao met her gaze, his scalp tingling. He forced himself to feign cluelessness and tilted his head slightly in confusion.

The girl froze, her face instantly turning red. Then, in a flash, she whipped her head back around. This time, she didn’t even bother lowering her voice, assuming that Mi Zhao and Li Sipei wouldn’t understand. “They’re not Chinese. They don’t know what we’re saying.”

“I told you.” The other girl said, “Chinese people are more reserved. We wouldn’t cuddle in public like that.”

“But they’re really handsome.”

The two of them kept whispering until the elevator doors finally opened, and they walked out, still holding hands.

“……” Mi Zhao could barely breathe. If those girls had stayed any longer, his face would’ve caught fire. He quickly patted Li Sipei’s shoulder. “Put me down.”

Li Sipei acted as if he hadn’t heard him, briskly stepping out of the elevator with him still on his back.

The lobby was bustling with people coming and going, but none of them were grown adults being carried piggyback like Mi Zhao. Instantly, he drew more than a few curious stares.

His face paled as he struggled to get down. “Li Sipei!”

“Now you’re shy?” Li Sipei chuckled.

“Put me down! Are you seriously carrying me all the way to the pool?”

“I could.”

“I. Do. Not. Approve.” Trapped in his grip, Mi Zhao couldn’t get down. He clutched at the fabric of Li Sipei’s shoulder, gritting his teeth. “Quit messing around.”

Hearing the change in his tone, Li Sipei finally relented. Just as he was about to set him down, a crisp clicking sound of high heels echoed from a distance, followed by a sharp female voice.

“Sir?”

Both of them turned their heads.

A woman in a hotel staff uniform was striding toward them with a serious expression. Her eyes flickered between them before locking onto Mi Zhao.

Startled by her as if facing a great enemy demeanor, Mi Zhao completely forgot to keep struggling and just stared at her blankly.

It was Li Sipei who reacted first. He turned around and asked in fluent English what the issue was.

Since Mi Zhao had planned this trip, he had been the one handling all the communication. His English wasn’t great, so he often had to gesture to get his point across. Thankfully, it had worked well so far.

This was his first time hearing Li Sipei speak English—his voice was smooth, clear, and fast-paced, just like the radio hosts in the listening exercises he used to practice with.

Unfortunately, no matter how well he spoke, the woman didn’t spare him a second glance. She kept her sharp gaze fixed on Mi Zhao, motioning for Li Sipei to put him down.