Chapter 25 #2
They clinked cups, and Zhang Yuwen felt a little ashamed.
After all, his motive for bringing them all together at Riverbay Road was far from pure.
If anything, he was the one who’d learned from his warm, kindhearted roommates.
He used to think he could live perfectly happily as a recluse, but their presence made his life so much more vibrant.
He had nothing to give to them. All he had was a bit of money. Surrounded by his friends, for the first time in his life, Zhang Yuwen felt just how inadequate his soul was.
Thankfully, the adulation of the sub-landlord ended before long. They were having beef hot pot, and as soon as it was served, everyone exclaimed in delight and whipped out their phones to take photos. Chang Jinxing even used his camera.
“Man, I wish I could stay here forever!” said Zheng Weize.
“I’ll bring you here again next time,” Zhang Yuwen told him.
“Isn’t home good, though?” Chang Jinxing laughed. “It doesn’t have a hot spring, but home is also very comfortable.” Thinking it over, Zheng Weize had to agree.
Hearing them speak about “home” made Huo Sichen look at Zhang Yuwen.
Zhang Yuwen knew that he was thinking about how they would see each other in the future, whether they would live together, where they should spend the night, and so on.
Those thoughts were a little premature. Yes, their relationship was progressing at lightning speed, but Zhang Yuwen still had no plans to discuss cohabitation just yet.
Having sex while they were dating was one thing, but cohabitation meant sharing a life…
But that didn’t mean that Zhang Yuwen wouldn’t tease him about it, seeing Huo Sichen lost in thought.
Huo Sichen sat across from him in the dining room laid with tatami mats.
He was shoulder to shoulder with Yan Jun, who was chatting with Chang Jinxing.
Listening to them joke around, Zhang Yuwen extended his foot, clad in a white athletic sock, found Huo Sichen’s foot under the table, and stroked it.
Yan Jun stopped talking and glanced at Zhang Yuwen. Realizing he’d gotten the wrong person, Zhang Yuwen yanked his leg back. “Sorry!”
Yan Jun understood that Zhang Yuwen had meant to flirt with Huo Sichen, so he said nothing.
Huo Sichen shot Zhang Yuwen a questioning look, but Zhang Yuwen couldn’t try his move again; Huo Sichen would realize immediately what had happened.
Instead, Zhang Yuwen sat in embarrassed silence.
Luckily for him, Chen Hong made a joke about working out and beef, and everyone cracked up.
And then it was night. Dinner without alcohol always seemed to be missing something. When they returned to their room, Huo Sichen closed the door and embraced Zhang Yuwen from behind.
“What are you doing?” Zhang Yuwen said. “Keep your sneaky hands to yourself. I’m too full.”
“But I’m not doing it sneakily; I’m doing it openly. I want to be intimate with you.”
No sooner did Huo Sichen say these words than a voice outside interrupted his romantic wish. “Yuwen, what are you guys doing?” Chang Jinxing asked.
Zhang Yuwen laughed uncontrollably. Huo Sichen felt a little helpless. “Shhh,” Zhang Yuwen said as he opened the door, “don’t wake Xiao-Qi.”
Yan Jun stepped out of his room into the common area. “She wouldn’t wake up even if we played mahjong next to her. Want to come out and play?”
“Play what?” Huo Sichen stepped out too. “Monopoly?”
Chen Hong, Zheng Weize, and Chang Jinxing each took a seat in the common area. Everyone brought over cushions and sat around the low table. Huo Sichen’s phone rang, and he went back to the room to answer the call. Zhang Yuwen reserved the spot next to him for when Huo Sichen returned.
“Let’s play truth or dare,” Zheng Weize suggested again.
Noooooo, everyone thought at the same time, but they were all waiting for someone else to object. Instead, the word that came out of each person’s mouth was, “Sure.”
“Okay, but let’s set a theme,” Zhang Yuwen said.
Everyone relaxed a little, thinking, That’s much safer than it was on the mountain.
“Fine with me,” Chen Hong said. “Dice? Or playing cards?”
“Lemme see…” Chang Jinxing said. “What topics are suggested online for a themed truth or dare?”
“Cards, I guess.” Zheng Weize shuffled the cards. “We can use the Monopoly money and chips to play.”
“Sure,” said Zhang Yuwen. Thus, they made the decision for the absent Huo Sichen.
Zheng Weize dealt the cards, and Chen Hong distributed the chips. They started a six-person game. “One truth per round, a total of six rounds. The one who loses the most will do a dare.”
“Okay,” Yan Jun said. “What’s the theme?”
“Lemme see… The first one is…” Chang Jinxing said. “This! Sexual preferences! What unspeakable fetish do you have? Let’s talk about your kinks! You must describe it in detail, no less than three thousand words.”
“Damn…”
Simultaneously, everyone thought, This is too much!
“Pick something else!” Zhang Yuwen said.
“We’re better off choosing this one than the others,” Chang Jinxing said. “Trust me.”
“Damn, this is a good one,” said Chen Hong. “I’ve been curious about your sexual fetishes for a long time.” Zhang Yuwen stared at him.
“Do we drink?” asked Chang Jinxing. “It’s no fun if we don’t. Just don’t drink too much.”
“Hm…” Zhang Yuwen thought for a moment. “It’s okay if it’s just a little. Something with a low alcohol content. I’ll go buy it.”
Zhang Yuwen left to make the purchase, and Chen Hong said, “Let’s all target Sichen. I’m curious as hell.”
Huo Sichen emerged, his call finished, and everyone looked at him. “Hm? Where’s Yuwen?”
“He went to buy some booze,” Zheng Weize said. “Maybe you can help him with his cards.”
Zhang Yuwen returned with a large bag containing fruit wine and milk wine in various flavors. The alcohol content wasn’t as high as sake, but it wasn’t low either. Everyone picked their flavor and started drinking.
Huo Sichen’s phone rang again, and he apologized and stepped away to answer the call. For a while, everyone played their cards carefully, fearing that they would be targeted.
“Remember, we agreed on this theme, okay?” Chang Jinxing said.
Zhang Yuwen played dumb. “What theme?” He had two sets of cards; his own hand was almost done, but Huo Sichen’s set was practically untouched.
Huo Sichen returned. “I’m really sorry. So much stuff came up tonight.”
“No worries,” the other guys said mischievously.
The card game was intense. They all knew that the moment of social embarrassment would eventually come calling, but they wanted to put it off for as long as possible.
Unexpectedly, the first round’s loser was the person who’d suggested the theme—Chang Jinxing! At one point, he had only one pair of cards left, but the others were too fast, catching him off guard as they outmaneuvered him. He was stunned.
Everyone started laughing, not having expected Chang Jinxing to be the first to lose. “Spill it!”
But Huo Sichen, who was still unaware of the stakes, looked confused. “Is there a rule I’m missing?”
Doubled over with laughter, Zhang Yuwen gestured to Huo Sichen to just listen and find out.
“I…” Chang Jinxing just couldn’t bring himself to say it. He could fabricate one, yeah, but this bunch of guys would see right through him.
“Don’t make it up,” Chen Hong warned. “We’ve been buddies for so long, you think we can’t tell?”
Chang Jinxing glanced at Chen Hong, then braced himself and said, “I…kind of, like…um…wanna experiment with…P-spot highs.”
“Oh, wow.” Everyone was scandalized. Zhang Yuwen was surprised too, though it was entirely plausible.
Huo Sichen still looked clueless. “Are we playing truth?”
“But I’m a top,” Chang Jinxing clarified.
“Aw, so what if you’re a bottom?” Yan Jun said. “What’s wrong with being a bottom? C’mere, gimme a kiss.”
Blushing, Chang Jinxing pushed Yan Jun away. Huo Sichen whispered to Zhang Yuwen, “What’s a P-spot high?”
Just as Zhang Yuwen was about to explain, Chang Jinxing clarified, “Prostate orgasm.”
“Oh, yeah. Prostate orgasm.”
Huo Sichen looked like he wanted to ask where the prostate was, but he wisely kept quiet.
Zheng Weize looked conflicted, as if the top he had a crush on was no longer pure. Chang Jinxing explained, “I had a girlfriend who I tried it with once or twice, and somehow, it became a bit of a kink. Of course, most of the time, I’m just fantasizing.”
“A lot of straight men are into it,” Chen Hong said. “I have a client who enjoys being rimmed by his wife.”
Zhang Yuwen didn’t find it all that shocking; instead, he was -intrigued. The way Chang Jinxing looked as he composed himself and candidly discussed his preferences was actually a little sexy. It was a stark contrast to his playboy persona.
“Is a prostate orgasm really that good?” Zhang Yuwen asked.
“It’s okay, I guess?” Zheng Weize said. “It depends on the top’s technique. If you do it yourself, you can pinpoint the good spots more accurately.”
Back when Zhang Yuwen was with his ex, he couldn’t figure out if his lover felt good or if he was just playing along because he loved Zhang Yuwen. He believed that he did feel pleasure, but over time, the frequency of their lovemaking decreased.