PD Chapter 13: After Drinking

“…Is this the place?”

He Linzhou helped the wobbly Wen Xunchuan out of the elevator. Watching him pull a set of keys out of his pocket, Wen Xunchuan fumbled through them for ages before trying one that clearly didn’t match the lock, muttering under his breath, “Why won’t it open? Who changed my lock?”

Helpless, He Linzhou took the keys from the drunkard beside him, found the correct one, inserted it, and twisted it twice. He sighed to himself: Luckily, he hadn’t mistaken the apartment.

The room was pitch dark.

He guided Wen Xunchuan inside, closed the door behind them, and asked, “Where’s the light switch?”

Getting no response, he sighed softly and groped around the wall until his fingertips brushed the switch. But before he could turn on the light, his collar was suddenly yanked backward, and with a loud “bang,” his back collided heavily against the door.

Wen Xunchuan’s warm body pressed close to him, his voice low and soft. “I’ve never brought anyone home before.”

As he spoke, his breath lightly brushed He Linzhou’s face, laced with an intoxicating hint of alcohol.

He Linzhou replied, “I’m the one who brought you back.”

He leaned down slightly and felt his lips graze something cool and soft.

When vision falls into darkness, all other senses seem to intensify.

Wen Xunchuan’s gentle, steady breathing, the press of his chest against He Linzhou, the faint scent of woody cologne mingled with the smell of alcohol, and Wen Xunchuan’s lips just inches away.

He Linzhou raised a hand to rest on Wen Xunchuan’s waist, his fingers slipping under the hem of his sweater, brushing against his smooth skin. His voice lowered, slightly husky, “I’m no gentleman. You’d better not…”

“Hmm?” Wen Xunchuan’s soft hum of confusion interrupted him, followed by an arm looping around his neck, cool lips brushing his own as Wen Xunchuan murmured, “I can’t hear you.”

That “I can’t hear you” felt like a playful taunt in He Linzhou’s ears.

He wasn’t a saint, so he didn’t bother pretending anymore. He lowered his head and kissed Wen Xunchuan hard.

His tongue urgently slipped past Wen Xunchuan’s lips, diving in to entangle with his soft, slippery tongue. His hand, now under the sweater, roamed freely over Wen Xunchuan’s smooth back.

Wen Xunchuan pushed him harder against the door, responding with a fierceness that nearly took away his control, leaving him increasingly passive.

This experience, so different from past flings, stirred an odd excitement in He Linzhou.

Wen Xunchuan’s kisses moved from his lips, trailing down his jaw, finally landing on his neck.

He Linzhou’s breathing grew heavier, his head pressed against the door, neck tilted up. He gently stroked the head buried against his neck and asked, gasping, “Where’s the bedroom?”

Wen Xunchuan’s head nestled against his neck, his breath warm and teasing, brushing over He Linzhou’s skin. But he didn’t respond.

Irritated by the teasing sensation, He Linzhou wrapped an arm around his waist, his voice rough, “The sofa then, alright?”

Wen Xunchuan remained silent. He Linzhou chuckled lightly and leaned close to whisper in his ear, “If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes.”

Up close, he could hear Wen Xunchuan’s steady breathing against his neck.

He Linzhou hesitated, then patted his back, tentatively calling, “Hey, Wen Xunchuan.”

“…”

“Wen Xunchuan?”

“…”

He reached up and found the switch, turning on the main light.

Wen Xunchuan, who had been resting his head on He Linzhou’s shoulder, seemed bothered by the sudden brightness. Just like before, he rubbed his head against He Linzhou’s shoulder until he found a comfortable spot, burying his face into He Linzhou’s neck and going still.

He seemed to have fallen asleep.

He Linzhou was dumbfounded. “Are you a pig? You can sleep standing up?”

He glared at the head on his shoulder, annoyed. After glaring, he still wasn’t satisfied, so he reached out and pinched Wen Xunchuan’s face, not too hard, but enough to feel the smooth texture.

…It actually felt quite nice.

He couldn’t help but give it another squeeze.

In his sleep, Wen Xunchuan squirmed, his half-revealed face showing a slight frown, as if irritated.

He Linzhou lowered his hand and sighed deeply, leaning against the door, adjusting his breathing with a resigned expression.

Wen Xunchuan was awakened by the sudden ringing of his phone.

He groped for his phone beside the pillow, squinting at it before answering, his voice hoarse, “Hello?”

Once connected, he heard a few barks from the other end. It sounded like Wen Zhixu had taken Chun Mei to some pet event over the weekend.

Wen Zhixu must have picked up on the roughness in his voice. “…Still asleep at this hour?”

Still lying face-down in bed, Wen Xunchuan drowsily asked, “What time is it?”

“It’s 10:30.” Wen Zhixu sighed. “Drinking again last night? If you keep this up, your body’s going to give out eventually.”

“It’s not all the time; it’s my day off.”

“Fine, sleep a bit more. Call me when you’re up.”

“I’m already awake.” He yawned, asking, “What’s up?”

“Uh… The hospital is sending me out for training next week. I’ll be gone for over a month.”

“Oh.” Wen Xunchuan waited for more, but after a long silence, he couldn’t help but say, “Then go. Did you really need to call just to report this?”

“No…” Wen Zhixu sounded unusually hesitant, “I need to ask you a favor.”

“What is it?”

“…Is your place pet-proof?”

“Huh?”

Early that morning, Wen Zhixu had gotten notice to go on a business trip for training. He wasn’t comfortable leaving his little girl at a pet store for so long, and he didn’t know his friends at the pet club well enough to ask them for help. After some thought, he decided to entrust Chun Mei to her “godfather.”

Wen Xunchuan agreed readily, while Wen Zhixu seemed a bit uneasy. “Are you sure you don’t want to think it over?”

“A godfather bonding with his goddaughter is only natural. I’ll come by this afternoon, and I’ll bring your car back too.”

“Alright, dinner’s on me tonight.”

After hanging up, Wen Xunchuan lay in bed, eyes closed, massaging his temples, trying to shake off the lingering fog in his head.

But the more he rubbed, the clearer certain fragmented memories became as his mind gradually woke up…

Suddenly, he sat up in bed, his expression freezing.

Yes, Wen Xunchuan had a special skill.

He never forgot anything after sobering up.

The face leaning closer and closer in his mind wouldn’t go away. He never thought the ability he once took pride in would one day torment him like this.

With a long sigh, he flopped back onto the bed, raising an arm to cover his eyes.

This was pure self-sabotage.