CH 52

As the words left his mouth, Zhou Qingbo himself was taken aback.

However, Pei You either had become used to his casual nonsense or for some other reason, as he didn’t react particularly to this statement. He simply blinked his eyes and asked gently, “How do I take care of you?”

His voice carried a faint smile, with a subtle hint of indulgence, softly landing on Zhou Qingbo’s heart, evoking a tingling sensation.

Zhou Qingbo shivered subconsciously and found himself at a loss for words.

He didn’t even know how he wanted Pei You to take care of him. But gazing into Pei You’s clear and gentle eyes, he suddenly realized that he had been testing Pei You’s boundaries all along.

Pei You had been overly accommodating to him, which led Zhou Qingbo to push his boundaries further, step by step, exploring just how far he could go with Pei You’s indulgence.

Even Zhou Qingbo himself hadn’t noticed that subconsciously, he was urgently seeking to understand whether this indulgence was a result of Pei You’s nature or if he was receiving special treatment.

So, in this delicate balance, he continued to indulge himself, becoming increasingly audacious. He was like a deer lost in a swamp, unaware that while he was gradually pushing the limits with Pei You, he was also unconsciously falling into the depths of Pei You’s tenderness.

This subtle transformation was like a chemical reaction, blurring the boundaries of their interactions and turning it into an inexplicable closeness.

Zhou Qingbo didn’t understand what this “closeness” truly meant, but in that very moment, a vague thought abruptly entered his mind.

— He wanted to keep Pei You by his side.

Zhou Qingbo had never encountered a friend who was so in sync with him. This contentment with their current peaceful life led him to feel a hint of reluctance, an unconscious desire to continue being with Pei You like this, for a long, long time.

Clumsy and slow to understand, he hadn’t quite grasped the implications, but he purely and stubbornly wanted to hold on to Pei You. He wanted to remain as the most special person by Pei You’s side.

This thought was like a seed, dropped into Zhou Qingbo’s heart in an instant, taking root and sprouting, becoming a subtle hidden aspiration.

Seeing Zhou Qingbo lost in thought and not speaking, Pei You didn’t know what he was pondering. He furrowed his brows in confusion and lightly tapped Zhou Qingbo’s face with his knuckles, calling his name.

Zhou Qingbo quickly snapped out of his daze. He blinked his eyes, gazing at Pei You with a complex expression for a while, then let out a soft, long sigh, leaning his forehead against Pei You’s waist.

“Hey,” Zhou Qingbo sighed, “what spell did you cast on me?”

Pei You: …

Pei You was perpetually unable to keep up with Zhou Qingbo’s jumping train of thought. He couldn’t help but laugh wryly, lowering his head to look at him and softly said, “Don’t talk nonsense. we’re in the police station.”

Zhou Qingbo’s behavior was like that of a soft bone; he lazily rested his forehead against Pei You’s waist, looking as if he was recharging.

He pursed his lips, mumbled a couple of times, and drew out his words in a vague manner, “I meant—”

Before Zhou Qingbo could finish his sentence, two knocks echoed from the door. Zhou Qingbo startled and subconsciously straightened up, only to realize that it was an unfamiliar officer on duty.

“Zhou Qingbo right? Come over, give a brief statement, sign some documents, and you can leave,” the officer on duty said matter-of-factly, “Save your discussions for when you get home.”

Zhou Qingbo: …

Normally, Zhou Qingbo had a thick skin, but he felt a bit embarrassed by this sentence, awkwardly cleared his throat, scratched his face to hide his discomfort, and agreed.

“You go ahead,” Pei You said at the right moment, “I’ll wait for you by the door.”

Zhou Qingbo nodded and took off his coat, handing it to Pei You. Then he followed the officer on duty to sign the documents, while Pei You went ahead to wait for him at the police station entrance.

During rush hour, Pei You stood by the entrance for a while and saw Lu Ye coming out of the office building, carrying a half-eaten flatbread in his hand.

Pei You understood that while getting into fights might be a big or small issue, it depended on how it was resolved. Although Zhou Qingbo’s situation wasn’t a major one, Lu Ye had indeed helped in some way, preventing Zhou Qingbo from unnecessary trouble and reducing his burden a little.

Considering this, he stopped Lu Ye and thanked him politely.

“It’s nothing, no need to thank me,” Lu Ye waved his hand nonchalantly and casually said, “Well, first of all, what you guys fought over wasn’t anything good. Secondly, you didn’t really cause any serious harm to the guy, so it doesn’t qualify as an offense against public order.”

“Plus,” Lu Ye chuckled, admitting openly, “I already had a decent impression of him , so I decided to cut some corners and skip some unnecessary procedures.”

Speaking of this, Pei You had actually been puzzled all along.

Their interaction at the bar had been brief, and Zhou Qingboi hadn’t even clearly seen Lu Ye’s face, let alone had any substantial conversation. Lu Ye’s goodwill seemed to come out of nowhere, and Pei You had been unable to figure it out.

He thought this way in his heart and decided to ask the same question. Lu Ye chuckled at his words and pulled out a cigarette box from his pocket.

“There’s nothing much to it,” Lu Ye took out a cigarette from the box, vaguely saying, “I just think he’s a good person—after all, not everyone has the ability to take responsibility for their actions.”

Lu Ye paused and then chuckled, saying, “We’re all the same. I won’t hide it from you either— I’ve been in two relationships before. They didn’t last long, and it was all very secretive, always sneaking around. In one of them, I even tried to deceive a girl secretly and get her to marry me.”

“I dislike people like that,” Lu Ye’s face showed a touch of disgust, and his tone turned cold, “But the funny thing is, these people are the majority.”

Pei You knew how chaotic the community could be. After all, being homosexual wasn’t mainstream in society, and under the labels of tradition and family, most people were timid and selfish.

Many people hid and deceived, very few could confront their own truth, truly taking responsibility for their choices.

Pei You instinctively followed Lu Ye’s words, imagining for a moment. He felt that if Zhou Qingbo were in that situation, he would never do something like that.

Zhou Qingbo looked carefree, seemed indifferent to most things, but Pei You always felt that deep down, he was a very stubborn and determined person. Once he made up his mind, he would give his all and wouldn’t step back.

“How should I put it, I don’t think your guy is like that.” Lu Ye lit a cigarette with a lighter, giving a vague smile. He said, “There aren’t many people like that nowadays. I think you two are a good match. Treasure him well.”

Pei You’s heart was gently stirred. He knew that the intimacy between him and Zhou Qingbo was far from the level of “treasuring him well.” However, for some reason, he hesitated to clarify with Lu Ye and simply made a non-committal sound of agreement.

Lu Ye’s words hinted at something to Pei You. He pondered thoughtfully for a while, sorting out his feelings towards Zhou Qingbo.

He undoubtedly wanted to take the next step with Zhou Qingbo and develop a more intimate relationship. But at the same time, he realized that achieving this goal would require some changes between them.

If I were to pursue him, Pei You wondered, would he agree?

Pei You, the model student, thought seriously about the feasibility of this. But being inexperienced, he racked his brain for a while and couldn’t come up with a plan.

Zhou Qingbo had finished signing the documents and came out of the station’s building. He saw Pei You standing at the entrance, lost in thought.

He rarely saw Pei You in such a state, looking serious and puzzled, as if he was immersed in his own world and couldn’t extricate himself.

Zhou Qingbo paused and had a mischievous idea. He silently approached from behind, stealthily reached out, and tapped Pei You on the shoulder.

“Hey ,” Zhou Qing Bai laughed, “What are you thinking?”

“How to pursue someone,” Pei You answered subconsciously.

Zhou Qingbo: …

That answer was clearly unexpected for Zhou Qingbo. His previously cheerful mood inexplicably plummeted, replaced by restlessness.

“Who are you pursuing?” Zhou Qingbo asked, “Do you have someone you like?”

Pei You regretted saying that right after he did. He wasn’t good at lying, but he couldn’t just say, “I want to pursue you,” to Zhou Qingbo. So, he evaded the topic with vague words.

“I…” Pei You said, “I just want to gain some experience.”

Pausing for a moment, Pei You cautiously formulated his thoughts and tentatively asked, “For instance… if it were you, how would you want someone to pursue you?”

Oh, Zhou Qingbo realized, so there isn’t anyone else.

Being a diligent teacher in love,  Zhou Qingbo’s mood was easily smoothed by the hypothetical “if.” The arc of his eyebrows and corners of his eyes relaxed, and he genuinely considered the question.

Seemingly forgetting his self-declared “single ideology,” Zhou Qingbo was genuinely pondering Pei You’s question.

“Well, when it comes to love, it’s pretty simple,” Zhou Qingbo said, appearing profound and mysterious. He pondered for a moment and then nodded his head thoughtfully, saying, “Love is supposed to be based on having feelings for each other. As long as you don’t act distant and reserved, you’re good.”

“Exactly how do you do that?” Pei You asked, not ashamed to ask for more details.

“For instance, don’t be too withdrawn. Create opportunities to spend time together,” Zhou Qingbo paused and continued, “At least, you have to let the other person know that you’re interested in them.”