Chapter 20 Sleep in the Bedroom
After Tang Xiaomang's clumsy telling, I could not name the taste in my chest.
This kid looked soft, but his heart was clearer than anyone's.
He also knew how to bend and how to make room, better than that wolf cub who was stubborn as a mule.
"Enough. It's no big deal."
I waved a hand, cutting off that bit of self-pity.
"This place is a dump, but it's enough for the two of us."
"Qin Ye, I knew you were the best to me."
Tang Xiaomang cried again and dove into my arms.
Since I had decided to keep him, this doghouse of a room could not stay this slapped-together.
That same day I went out and bought a few things.
Two heaters, and some daily stuff.
There was no hoping this dump would hold heat. We would have to brute-force it with appliances.
Sleeping became a problem.
I had a one-bedroom, one-living-room, one-bath.
Inside the bedroom there was only a single bed that was not exactly wide.
I pointed him to the bedroom like it was obvious.
"You sleep in there."
Tang Xiaomang hung on the doorframe, blinking those wet eyes, looking at the bed, then at me.
He said quietly.
"Qin Ye, the bed... it's pretty big. If we squeeze, we can both fit.
"Back inside, we slept close too."
He did not finish. I glared him down.
"Cut the crap!"
My tone came out a bit harsh. "I told you to sleep there, so sleep there."
I knew what kind of man I was.
Liking men was not anything glorious inside, but it was not exactly a secret either.
That was exactly why I had to keep the line clean.
Tang Xiaomang was simple. What he had for me was all dependence and trust.
I could not use that to blur the boundary.
That rotten account with Ji Yanli was already enough of a mess. I did not want to drag another kid into it.