As the serene ocean waves gently caressed the hull of Red Bane, Ji Yao lay down on his back his thoughts running rampant in his mind.
The image of Rui Fei's dejected look kept replaying in his head over and over again. There wasn't a trace of anger on his face only disappointment and if he had a tail it would be drooping so low that it would be sweeping the floor.
After excusing himself, Rui Fei left and hadn't come back since. Ji Yao had no idea where he went neither did he try looking for him because if he did look for him he would only make things worse.
Unless if he was going there to give him a positive answer then there was no point in going after him. Left all alone he couldn't get out of his head. He had genuinely never considered it and now that he had been confessed to he didn't know what to do.
He liked being around Rui Fei more than anyone else even his father. Rui Fei was like a ray of sunshine in a dark abyss with a peculiar personality. At first, he hated it when Rui Fei kept calling 'Yao-ge this, Yao-ge that' but now that he was used to it he wouldn't be settled if Rui Fei didn't call him that..
Ji Yao especially loved the silly smile Rui Fei puts on his face while dazedly staring at him. Though sometimes Ji Yao seemed upset or aloof his heart was very honest.
He felt a warm feeling spread all over his body as well as a smidge of happiness. Even he had to admit, Rui Fei made him happy and ever since he stepped into his life not a single day was boring.
He looked forward to the messy squabbles and silly little jokes by the cute cub but he would rarely show it on his face. If the question was does he like Rui Fei then it would be easy to answer. Yes, he does. He likes Rui Fei.
But when the question gets changed to, "Do you like Rui Fei? As in like like..... as a boyfriend?" he wouldn't be able to answer that immediately. But apparently, when he is drunk that question is easy to answer.
He shuffled over to sleep on his side only to be faced with Rui Fei's empty bed. Ji Yao could have slept in the captain's cabin and given Rui Fei some space alone which was the most logical thing for him to do but he couldn't do it. He wanted to see him and make sure he was okay so he slept in his cabin waiting for Rui Fei to come back.
Ji Yao waited and waited but Rui Fei was a no show. Ji Yao even fell asleep waiting for him but Rui Fei didn't show up. One place he did show up though was in Ji Yao's dreams.
Ji Yao dreamt he was sitting in the canola field again but this time the once bright blooming flowers were wilting as though the season had changed and fall was slowly creeping in. The scene was no longer bright but it still looked picturesque.
He was sullenly painting the wilting canola field on a canvas when he noticed a figure standing deep in the field while watching him. At a single glance, he could tell who it was. Unable to control his emotions he stood up abruptly and called him over.
His expression was normal but he was a little happy to see him. Okay, a little happy was an understatement. His heart almost leapt out of his chest in joy. Talk about being sold out by his own body.
Rui Fei hesitated for a moment. He hadn't fully disclosed to Ji Yao that he could enter his dreams as he pleased. Now that he had confessed he wasn't sure if he should be here. He hadn't returned to Red Bane because he and his uncle had camped onboard Lan Wu's ship which is another story that is to be told later.
He wasn't certain how to react when he met up with Ji Yao so he decided to sleep over elsewhere till he could look Ji Yao in the face without feeling awkward.
But he couldn't help himself. He paid him a visit in his dreams and watched him from afar but who would have thought the damn flowers were wilting. This meant he wasn't able to conceal himself well from Ji Yao.
This also meant he was caught not long after. Since Ji Yao had seen him he couldn't run away so he ambled over with slight hesitation in his steps. As he walked Ji Yao sat back down only to have his widening like lightbulbs.
Instead of having wilting canola flowers on the canvas, the image had changed to that of him and Rui Fei kissing the middle of the field. How that happened, he didn't know. It was a dream anyway and an explanation wasn't a priority right now.
"Shit," he mumbled as he grabbed the canvas from the easel and tossed it on the ground facing down before just as Rui Fei arrived.
Rui Fei raised a brow as he asked, "What is that?" He reached down to grab the canvas but Ji Yao stepped on it stopping him from turning it over.
"Ahem..... it's none of your business," replied Ji Yao not noticing his feet were suddenly bare. His boots had vanished into thin air exposing those nice-looking feet that could have anyone developing a foot fetish, Rui Fei included.
He would give up a nation just to touch Ji Yao's feet. "I thought your business is my business," replied Rui Fei a little absent-minded. His absent expression was because of what he was looking at.
Maybe it was the way they were shaped or his inference of their softness that had him hooked. He was especially mesmerised by the way the big toe wiggled on top of the canvas. He just wanted to touch but he would feel guilty about it later. He couldn't take advantage of Ji Yao in his dreams.
Ji Yao raised his head only to find Rui Fei staring at his feet. Thinking he was staring at the canvas he moved it with his foot hiding it from view before saying, "It is but not this."
Rui Fei who could no longer see the lovely feet turned to look at Ji Yao and said, "Yao-ge, if you keep saying that to me my urge to kiss you will only grow. You can't blame me if that happens," in a playful tone.
Ji Yao, "..."
Even the Rui Fei in his dream was a little pervert. "Why didn't you come back?" asked Ji Yao but he soon realised that was a stupid question. It was his dream so why would Rui Fei answer that? If he does it would probably be a response his brain makes up to appease him.