HTC 16

There were a lot of people coming to the amusement park during National Day. When Jiang Xu and Xie Huai arrived, there was already a long line at the entrance for ticket checks.

Seeing this endless sea of people, Xie Huai suddenly regretted coming here.

“Follow me.” Jiang Xu said as he led Xie Huai in another direction.

The location Jiang Xu took him to was also a ticket gate, but there were few people there, in stark contrast to the one next door.

Xie Huai was puzzled, but after seeing the words “VIP Entrance” on the side, he understood, “No wonder there aren’t many people here.”

But still, it couldn’t be that only these few people were VIPs, right? After all, they didn’t have to wait in such a long line, so there should be many people who would buy VIP tickets.

Jiang Xu seemed to see Xie Huai’s doubts, so he raised his lips and explained: “The VIP entrance at this amusement park is upgraded to VIP status only when you spend over 50,000 here each year.”

“Fifty thousand?” Xie Huai choked.

Spending 50,000 a year at the amusement park? Each ticket costs 144 yuan, so wouldn’t you have to come here every day to spend 50,000? Who would come here every day to play and have nothing to do?

“I didn’t spend any money, so don’t look at me like that.” Jiang Xu pretended to be aggrieved and said.

“Then how did you…”

Jiang Xu said calmly: “This amusement park is owned by my parents’ company.”

Xie Huai’s mouth twitched inconspicuously: “…”

The two of them entered the amusement park through the VIP entrance, and what met their eyes was a variety of thrilling and fun amusement rides.

Xie Huai had never been here before, only occasionally seeing them on TV or in cartoons, so his eyes lit up when he saw them in person.

Then Xie Huai turned on the crazy play mode. His feet were still a little inconvenient, but it didn’t hinder him.

He pulled Jiang Xu and walked down the stairs, then took Jiang Xu on a ride on the pendulum swing. One ride wasn’t enough, so they went for another.

When Jiang Xu got off the ride, he could barely stand on his feet.

Next was the freefall ride, and Jiang Xu’s throat moved slightly. Nevertheless, he went up to play with Xie Huai.

Xie Huai was more interested in thrilling rides like this, but for Jiang Xu, it was a bit overwhelming.

After getting off the freefall ride, Xie Huai noticed that Jiang Xu was not okay.

Xie Huai looked at Jiang Xu’s slightly pale face in the sun and was stunned for half a second, with a worried look on his face: “Jiang Xu, what’s wrong with you?”

“It’s nothing,” Jiang Xu took a few breaths and shook his head.

It didn’t look like nothing to Xie Huai.

There were resting chairs nearby, and without a word, Xie Huai pulled Jiang Xu over to sit down. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked, “Jiang Xu, are you afraid of heights?”

Jiang Xu looked at Xie Huai but didn’t say anything.

Xie Huai confirmed it; okay, his boyfriend was genuinely afraid of heights.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were afraid of heights? I wouldn’t have let you come up with me to play these,” Xie Huai frowned.

The blood color on Jiang Xu’s lips slowly returned, and he said, “I didn’t want you to go alone.”

As mentioned before, he would accompany Xie Huai. Regarding his fear of heights, Jiang Xu didn’t think it was a big deal.

When he got off the ride just now, he had already tried his best to control himself, but he still got caught by Xie Huai.

Xie Huai asked, “You didn’t close your eyes?”

Jiang Xu paused for a few seconds and replied, “I… forgot.”

Xie Huai: “…”

In the past, Xie Huai had seen in cartoons that people said being in love could lower your IQ. Xie Huai didn’t believe it at first, thinking that it was impossible for a person’s intelligence to decrease just because they were in love. But now, he believed it.

Xie Huai looked at Jiang Xu with a complicated expression, not knowing what to say.

Around them, there were stalls selling barbecue, Indian flatbreads, Changsha stinky tofu, and some food stalls that were probably from other regions. Xie Huai’s gaze went beyond these and landed on a small supermarket.

He turned to Jiang Xu and said, “Wait for me.”

Then he walked through the crowd and entered the small supermarket.

Xie Huai saw the item on the shelf, took it, and then went to the checkout before returning.

Jiang Xu was replying to his mother on WeChat with his mobile phone when he saw Xie Huai slowly walking over and standing in front of him. Jiang Xu raised his head and Xie Huai handed the thing in his hand to him.

It was a bottle of milk with “six walnuts” written on it.

Jiang Xu slowly looked at Xie Huai, a little puzzled: “?”

Xie Huai said plainly, “To boost your brain.”

Jiang Xu: “…”

When he saw Jiang Xu’s blank expression, Xie Huai couldn’t help but laugh: “I’m just kidding.”

“Drink it and you will feel better.” Xie Huai put the ‘six walnuts’ in Jiang Xu’s hand.

Jiang Xu sighed quietly, but there was nothing he could do about Xie Huai, so he took a few sips.

Jiang Xu couldn’t do high-altitude sports, so Xie Huai planned to take Jiang Xu to do something less intense.

After trying out most of the thrilling rides, there was only a green roller coaster left. At first, Xie Huai didn’t plan to go on it, but Jiang Xu suggested they try it since they were already here. Xie Huai agreed, and as they were about to go, he stopped Jiang Xu.

Xie Huai said with a smile: “You just drank something, you can’t go on this one, wait for me below.”

After saying that, he left Jiang Xu behind and went up without looking back, leaving Jiang Xu waiting below the roller coaster.

He looked like a bad husband who left his loving wife behind to have fun all by himself.

Jiang Xu lowered his eyes and smiled. Xie Huai was worried about him, so he didn’t let him go on the ride.

So he took out his phone and posted a message on his WeChat Moments.

It was a photo of holding hands taken with Xie Huai just now on a rest chair.

There was no text, just the image of their intertwined hands.

Soon, there were replies.

Lu Yi: Damn it, Brother Xu, did you just get out of being single on the first day of National Day??? Who is it, who is it, who could capture your noble and aloof heart?

“Noble and aloof,” Jiang Xu sneered, restraining himself from expressing his desire to punch Lu Yi.

Xiong Qiqi: I want to report that the class monitor is in puppy love.

Lin Lan: Nice one, Jiang Xu, you’ve finally caught up after all this time?

These were comments from Jiang Xu’s childhood friends.

As more and more replies flooded in, Jiang Xu didn’t bother to read them anymore. He turned off his phone and continued to stand in place, waiting for Xie Huai.

After spending the whole day playing at the amusement park with Jiang Xu, Xie Huai was in a great mood. He had never had so much fun with anyone before.

They had dinner at the amusement park, and they even watched a circus performance.

Perhaps because they had played for too long and were exhausted, Xie Huai fell asleep on the way home, leaning on Jiang Xu’s shoulder.

Jiang Xu could only see Xie Huai’s soft and smooth hair and his clear and slender eyelashes, which were partially obscured by the disheveled hair on his forehead.

Looks well-behaved.

Jiang Xu couldn’t help but think of the narrow alley near the Yellow Jade Tree they had passed several times last semester. Every time he passed by, he would see Xie Huai fighting with students from other schools.

But no matter how many opponents there were, the one who always had the upper hand was Xie Huai.

Looking from the alley entrance, all he could see was the slender figure of the young man, throwing punches with wild and unrestrained energy.

However, fighting was never a good thing. One afternoon after school, Jiang Xu went to the alley by himself while Xie Huai was called to the office for a talk by the teacher.

Jiang Xu had never understood why this group of people, despite being beaten up by Xie Huai so many times, continued to bully younger students in that alley.

Did they enjoy getting beaten up?

When Jiang Xu arrived, there were already people in the alley. These people really couldn’t change their ways.

Jiang Xu was harsher than Xie Huai in his actions. Xie Huai probably didn’t want to hurt them too much, but when Jiang Xu threw a punch, Yuan Tao’s stomach acid almost came out. Since then, there had been no more sounds of fighting in the Yellow Jade Tree alley.

He was wearing a mask, so Yuan Tao didn’t recognize him when they met again.

The head on his shoulders moved, and Jiang Xu immediately came back from his memories.

Xie Huai just leaned towards Jiang Xu and did not wake up.

Xie Huai seemed to have dreamed of something unhappy in his sleep and frowned slightly. Jiang Xu held Xie Huai’s hand and rubbed it comfortingly.

The other hand hugged Xie Huai and asked him to get closer to him.

Xie Huai felt Jiang Xu’s breath, and his frown gradually calmed down, leaving only the sound of steady breathing.

The taxi driver occasionally glanced at Jiang Xu and Xie Huai through the rearview mirror. He watched Jiang Xu’s familiar gestures and hesitated to speak. He couldn’t help but think that boys these days were so intimate with each other.

Sure enough, he must be getting old and not understanding the thoughts of these young folks.

When they reached the entrance of the residential area, it was already past eight in the evening.

Just before getting out of the car, Xie Huai woke up. He quickly paid the fare and Jiang Xu observed Xie Huai’s actions with a raised eyebrow. He remembered the last time Xie Huai fell asleep in a taxi and woke up in a daze, following him home. This time, Xie Huai was clearly more awake.

As they got out of the car, Xie Huai stood by the roadside and held onto Jiang Xu, saying, “I need to go home tonight, so I won’t be going with you.”

“Alright,” Jiang Xu stood still and agreed.

Xie Huai was a little surprised: “You don’t ask me why?”

The cold white streetlight cast a long shadow as it illuminated Xie Huai and Jiang Xu.

There was a brief silence in the air.

“That’s your own home,” Jiang Xu said in a soft voice, “You can go back if you want.”

Xie Huai’s voice was filled with laughter: “Then will you miss me?”

How was it possible that he didn’t miss him? From the first year to now, he has been thinking about him all the time.

Jiang Xu lowered his head to look into Xie Huai’s eyes, and his chest heaved a few times as he said, “Yes.”

As the words left his mouth, Xie Huai raised up on his tiptoes, his hands encircling Jiang Xu’s neck, and placed a gentle kiss on Jiang Xu’s lips.

It was so light as if a feather had brushed against his heart, leaving him with an irresistible sense of longing.

Xie Huai let go and stepped away, pursed his lower lip, looked at Jiang Xu, and smiled leisurely: “I have to go now, and… goodnight, boyfriend.”

Xie Huai turned around to leave but was suddenly pulled back.

Jiang Xu held Xie Huai’s waist tightly with one hand, supported the back of Xie Huai’s head with the other, lowered his head, and kissed him.

Xie Huai’s fingertips trembled.

Jiang Xu captured Xie Huai’s breath, and Xie Huai was nearly breathless from the kiss. He tried to push Jiang Xu away, but couldn’t.

Xie Huai’s head was a little dizzy. He couldn’t help but think, it was obviously Jiang Xu’s first time falling in love, so why was he so good at kissing?

After what seemed like an eternity, Jiang Xu finally released him.

Xie Huai lowered his head and gasped for air. His neck and ears were red, which was particularly clear under the cold white street lights.

“Can’t breathe?” Jiang Xu lowered his head and asked Xie Huai with a light smile.

Xie Huai wanted to retort but realized that he indeed didn’t know how to. He felt a bit embarrassed, so he didn’t answer Jiang Xu’s question.

Jiang Xu found Xie Huai incredibly adorable.

“Take your time; you’ll learn. I’ll teach you, okay?” Jiang Xu whispered, trying to coax him.

Xie Huai raised his gaze and saw the watercolor hue on Jiang Xu’s lips. His face felt hot, and he mumbled, “Mmm.”

It was getting late, and Jiang Xu didn’t want Xie Huai to continue blowing outside, so he kissed Xie Huai gently on the lips and said, “Good night, boyfriend.”

When he left, Xie Huai glanced around to make sure there was no one nearby. Fortunately, they were at the back entrance of the residential complex.

Back home, Xie Huai first took a vitamin pill and then had a shower. He dried his hair and walked out of the bathroom when his phone chimed with a message from Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu: Are you coming to my place tomorrow?

Xie Huai: Yes QVQ

Jiang Xu: Rest early. I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow.

Xie Huai: Okay, you too.

He exited the chat with Jiang Xu and checked his friend’s moments. Scrolling down, he saw a post from Jiang Xu.

It was a picture of their intertwined hands.

Xie Huai chuckled and tapped on it, then saved the image. It was taken today at the amusement park when Jiang Xu was holding his hand.

There were many comments below the post, mostly from their classmates.

Lu Yi’s comment made Xie Huai laugh for quite a while. “Damn, the high and mighty ice-cold flower!” he thought. Why can’t they like comments on WeChat? If they could, he’d definitely give Lu Yi a thumbs-up.”

Xie Huai continued to scroll down the comments and saw another sentence from Lu Yifa.

Lu Yi: This hand…why does it look so familiar? And it doesn’t look like a girl’s hand. Is it my imagination, or does it resemble Brother Huai’s hand?

Xie Huai paused for a few seconds and thought to himself, was it so obvious?

He raised his hand and looked at it. It seemed that it was no different from other people’s hands. How could Lu Yi see that?

The following is Hao Xuexi’s reply to Lu Yi.

Hao Xuexi: You know, the more I look at it, the more it seems like it.

Xie Huai thought to himself, “Stop looking; that’s me.”

After reading these comments, Xie Huai gradually felt drowsy and turned off the light before going to sleep.

He had a dreamless night.

The next day, Xie Huai woke up to the sound of his alarm clock, which he had set the night before. Feeling a bit hungry, he boiled an egg and had it with a can of walnut milk.

Lu Yi had messaged him early in the morning, asking if he and Jiang Xu wanted to go watch a movie today. He mentioned that their other friends had been busy yesterday, so they had rescheduled for today. He also asked which movie they wanted to see.

Xie Huai pondered for a moment, then exited the chat with Lu Yi and messaged Jiang Xu, asking if he wanted to go.

Jiang Xu: Are you awake?

Xie Huai: Well, are you going?

Jiang Xu: If you go, I will go. I will listen to you.

Xie Huai smiled silently.

Since he didn’t have any plans today, Xie Huai thought for a moment and replied to Lu Yi.

Xie Huai: We’re going. Jiang Xu is coming too. You guys can choose the movie.

Lu Yi: OK, I’ll send you the address later.

Xie Huai: Sure, thanks.

Not long after, the doorbell rang. Xie Huai slipped on his slippers and went to answer the door.

As soon as he opened the door, he was hugged by Jiang Xu.

Xie Huai had never found Jiang Xu to be so clingy before. In his previous impression, Jiang Xu was quite aloof and distant. The phrase “Don’t come near strangers” seemed almost tailor-made for him.

He actually didn’t know when he fell in love with Jiang Xu. Perhaps in the first year of high school, when he climbed over the wall to leave school and was caught by Jiang Xu several times and brought back to the classroom, the seeds of love were planted in his heart.

Xie Huai took a half step back, leaning against the nearby marble counter. He tilted his head slightly towards Jiang Xu, and said with a commanding tone, “Jiang Xu, kiss me.”