CH 61

If he had known that the hangover from that round of drinking would be so severe, Zhou Qingbo swore he would’ve called a taxi to go home before that “last drink.”

At 8:30 in the morning, Zhou Qingbo’s alarm clock went off right on time. He had just opened his eyes, and his consciousness hadn’t fully returned when the memories from last night rushed into his brain like a cloud transfer.

At first, he thought he was dreaming. It took a moment for him to fully wake up and realize what happened. His entire being froze for a few seconds, then he slowly pulled the covers over himself, like a self-contained mushroom.

Zhou Qingbo: “…”

It was over. Zhou Qingbo thought helplessly. He should’ve known that the drinks he had last night weren’t alcohol, but rather fate.

Zhou Qingbo didn’t find it embarrassing for anyone to act drunk, even himself. He was carefree and open-minded, having seen all sorts of oddities in nightclubs. Even if someone was singing while drunk, or hugging a lamppost calling it their wife, it was nothing out of the ordinary. Nobody had the right to laugh at anyone else.

But the problem was that when he thought of how he had forced Pei You to confess his feelings in front of so many people, he felt that he had gone too far.

Last night, he was quite drunk and his mind wasn’t clear. His actions were purely instinctual. Now that he remembered, he realized that the scene was a disaster.

Zhou Qingbo now remembered it all too well. Last night, Pei You was fumbling, hesitating, stumbling, barely able to utter a complete sentence, his ears turning red as if they could drip blood. He was nothing like his usual composed and efficient self.

Oddly enough, Zhou Qingbo who was so drunk remained completely unaware of this and persisted in pestering Pei You with the question, ‘Do you like me or not?’ He didn’t stop until he got an answer, acting like a bully on the street targeting an innocent man

Zhou Qingbo couldn’t help but raise his hand to cover his face, and a faint blush began to creep up his ears.

Too… much, Zhou Qingbo thought, feeling a mix of confusion.

Pei You was reserved and introverted. Considering it from his perspective, Zhou Qingbo almost wished he could dig a hole out of the ground and throw himself in.

…Help, Zhou Qingbo thought with a sense of despondency. I might as well knock myself out with a wine bottle.

But embarrassment aside, everything that happened the previous night couldn’t just be erased. Zhou Qingbo fell silent for a moment, lowered his hand, and let out a deep sigh.

His mind was currently in a state of turmoil. He had only just realized his feelings for Pei You the day before, and he hadn’t carefully sorted through his jumbled emotions. He hadn’t figured out how to proceed after ‘liking’ and hadn’t planned to confess to Pei You this early. But who would have thought that within the span of a drink, everything would come tumbling out.

Zhou Qingbo couldn’t help but feel a bit of regret, along with an unsettling feeling of things going beyond his control. He pressed the back of his hand against his eyes and let out another sigh of worry.

Zhou Qingbo had been raised with proper upbringing and values. Deep down, a touch of traditional, upright thinking influenced him. He couldn’t act cowardly or retract into his shell.

He clenched his teeth, forcibly suppressing the overwhelming unease in his heart. He thought, might as well throw caution to the wind. After all, things had already reached this point. Since Pei You also seemed interested in him, it might be best to go along with it and take things step by step.

Zhou Qingbo gritted his teeth, giving himself a mental pep talk. Just as he was mentally preparing himself, he heard a faint splashing sound from the restroom.

Zhou Qingbo: …

Right, Zhou Qingbo realized belatedly. Last night, he was afraid that Pei You would go on a blind date, so he had pestered him to stay and made sure he didn’t leave. He ended up spending the night.

The next second, the restroom door opened and closed. Pei You came out, wiping his hands with a tissue, and glanced towards the bed.

Zhou Qingbo was lying rigidly on the large bed, wrapped tightly in a blanket. At first glance, it looked like a crime scene. Pei You blinked in confusion, a bit worried that Zhou Qingbo might be suffocating under the blanket. He walked quietly over, hoping to pull the blanket down a bit.

But when he tugged, the blanket didn’t move. Perplexed, he thought for a moment before realizing.

“Are you awake?” Pei You said in a gentle voice. “Don’t suffocate under the blanket. Come out.”

Zhou Qingbo didn’t say anything; he just rustled under the blanket for a moment before extending a hand out from the covers.

Seeing this, Pei You’s lips curved into a slight smile. He took a seat on the edge of the bed and, out of habit, held Zhou Qingbo’s hand as it reached out. He caressed it lightly in his palm.

The moment their skin touched, both Pei You and Zhou Qingbo remembered the intimate yet childish hand-holding from the previous night. The familiar sensation brought about an inexplicable flutter.

Zhou Qingbo seemed to be feeling the same way, as muscle memory overpowered rational thinking. He tightened his grip on Pei You’s hand.

They had already held hands, and further pretense was clearly unrealistic. Zhou Qingbo gave himself a final pep talk and then threw off the blanket. He took a deep breath and spoke, “Last night…”

Bringing up this topic was evidently difficult. Zhou Qingbo paused subconsciously for a moment. However, before he could continue, Pei You interrupted him.

“Last night, you were drunk,” Pei You said. “What you said doesn’t count.”

Zhou Qingbo hesitated for a moment, then quickly realized Pei You’s intention. He knew that Pei You was considerate, and if he sensed that Zhou Qingbo was in a tough spot, he would automatically offer an out.

“I know last night I was drunk and acted impulsively……” Zhou Qingbo explained, “but I remember everything—”

“I know,” Pei You said, his eyes curved into a rare smile. He playfully poked the blanket covering Zhou Qingbo and continued, “I figured.”

“However, you were drunk last night, so you don’t need to take responsibility for what you said,” Pei You said earnestly. “You can have more time to consider, and we should handle our relationship with caution.”

As they say, drunk words are sober thoughts. Pei You didn’t doubt whether Zhou Qingbo’s liking for him was genuine, but he just wanted to give Zhou Qingbo more time, rather than having him erratically accept the situation.

Zhou Qingbo: …

Zhou Qingbo finally understood. Apparently, Pei You’s upbringing and character weren’t enough to allow him to “take advantage of the situation,” which is why he insisted on wiping away everything from last night and having Zhou Qingbo reevaluate his decision again.

Having spent almost half a year together with Pei You, Zhou Qingbo had nearly forgotten his initial impression of Pei You. But in this moment, he suddenly felt that long-lost frustration when facing a gentleman.

However, it had to be said that Pei You’s suggestion did put Zhou Qingbo at ease and eased the tension he felt. The string that was tightly strung in his heart relaxed.

Once determined, confidence wavered, then faded, and eventually diminished. The mental preparations Zhou Qingbo had made were disrupted multiple times by Pei You’s interruptions. He pursed his lips, giving up the idea of “going along with the flow,” and silently agreed with Pei You’s words.

After all, while liking someone might be impulsive, it can also be involuntary. But expressing those feelings and defining the relationship is a responsibility that requires caution.

Zhou Qingbo wasn’t a child anymore. He could certainly tell whether he liked Pei You or not. However, the concept of “liking” was still very unfamiliar to him, like a newly opened territory, making him feel uneasy.

This new sensation once again shattered Zhou Qingbo’s comfort zone, leaving him torn between decisions and unsure of the right course of action.

From an emotional perspective, Zhou Qingbo’s instinct had always been urging him to get closer to Pei You. He wanted to possess him, to naturally stand by their side. But rationally, Zhou Qingbo felt the urge to retreat.

He wasn’t sure if he was prepared to be in Pei You’s life. He hadn’t sorted out his traditional family matters, nor had he made his own accomplishments.

Before he realized his feelings, Zhou Qingbo used to scrutinize the potential blind date candidates for Pei You. Now, those candidates had switched to him, and he hadn’t changed this habit, instinctively scrutinizing himself too.

They say that love gives rise to worries. When Zhou Qingbo was single, he thought others were being melodramatic, but now that he was in the same situation, he understood the feeling.

It turns out that liking someone can really put a person in a dilemma. He both wanted to get closer to Pei You and worried that he wasn’t good enough.

Pei You was unaware of the turmoil in Zhou Qingbo’s heart. He sat by the bed for a while, observing Zhou Qingbo’s absent-mindedness. Then, he pinched his hand and said, “Actually, I’m going on a business trip tomorrow. It could last for a week or even half a month. Let’s discuss this issue after I come back.”

“Such a sudden business trip?” Zhou Qingbo came back to his senses and asked, “For that long?”

“It’s a joint project,” Pei You explained. “The work isn’t difficult, but it’s tedious, and I need to be at par with my partner’s schedule.”

Zhou Qingbo thought the timing was quite coincidental. They had just confessed their feelings to each other and now they were going to be separated, making it seem like a beginning followed by an abrupt end.

“However, even though the words from last night don’t count, there’s something I still want to say,” Pei You paused and continued, “You mentioned earlier that you owe me a favor, and now I want to collect it.”

Pei You lowered his head slightly, looking into Zhou Qingbo’s eyes and softly said, “Give me a chance to pursue you.”

His voice was gentle and tender, yet carried a hint of seriousness. Zhou Qingbo’s heart trembled slightly, as if something had been gently touched and stirred inside him. He smiled lightly and suddenly said, “Do I really need to be pursued?”

Pei You was slightly taken aback, but Zhou Qingbo didn’t explain further. He simply used his fingertip to playfully tug at the cuff of Pei You’s sleeve and said, “Just come back soon.”