No Ghosting Allowed

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Zhou Qingbo was momentarily stunned, then swiftly stepped forward, deepening the kiss abruptly.

That kiss wasn’t tender or gentle. Instead, it was urgent and forceful, carrying a hint of post-traumatic relief. Pei You was caught off guard, stumbling back a step as a result. Before he could steady himself, Zhou Qingbo’s arm looped around his waist, holding him tightly.

Pei You instinctively reached out to steady himself by holding Zhou Qingbo’s arm. However, Zhou Qingbo seemed to misinterpret his intent, thinking he wanted to break away. He tightened his hold instead, enclosing him within his arms.

Amid Zhou Qingbo’s forceful actions, he managed to cut off all Pei You’s retreat, leaving him with only one choice.

Pei You seemed to sense something from this assertiveness. His fingers tightened and relaxed, eventually relaxing his body, sharing his weight with Zhou Qingbo.

A significant portion of the tension in Zhou Qingbo’s brows and eyes visibly eased. He lowered his eyes slightly, deepening the kiss with Pei You.

From the perspective of a first kiss, this experience was far from good – when Zhou Qingbo self-proclaimed himself as a “gold medal love mentor,” he boasted endlessly, but when things got real, he actually got nervous. His kissing technique was just as amateur as Pei You’s, and compared to a “kiss,” it might be more accurate to describe it as “nibbling.”

However, Pei You didn’t mind Zhou Qingbo’s reckless kissing technique. His eyelashes fluttered, and he felt his heart melt like water.

Because he belatedly realized a fact – in matters of love, Zhou Qingbo was just as inexperienced as he was.

So, they both felt uncertain, both hesitated, and both awkwardly fumbled through this inexperience, slowly drawing closer to each other.

That kiss, flavored with a touch of bitterness and sweetness, seemed to last for a long time yet was also fleeting. After an indeterminable amount of time, Zhou Qingbo gradually relaxed his arms that were wrapped around Pei You.

He took a step back, seemingly not satisfied with parting, and lightly bit down on Pei You’s lip, like he was throwing a tantrum or being seductive.

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“There’s something I originally wanted to say when things were more settled.” Zhou Qingbo spoke, “But I can’t wait anymore.”

“What?” Pei You asked.

A suspicion instantly arose in Pei You’s heart. His eyelashes trembled, and he became tense all over. Subconsciously, he stiffened, waiting anxiously for Zhou Qingbo’s words.

Before he went on a business trip, there was still an unresolved “issue” between him and Zhou Qingbo. In recent days, although Pei You didn’t say it out loud, he had always been mindful of it.

Obviously, Zhou Qingbo wanted to talk about the same thing. He subconsciously took a deep breath, then reached out and flicked the wet hair on Pei You’s forehead.

In the dim light, Zhou Qingbo stared at Pei You for a while, then suddenly relaxed his shoulders, smiled without warning.

“I was thinking…,” Zhou Qingbo muttered to himself, “Anyway, you can only be mine.”

Pei You was momentarily puzzled. He hadn’t taken in that sentence yet when Zhou Qingbo leaned forward and embraced him once again.

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“Pei You,” Zhou Qingbo rested his chin on Pei You’s shoulder, tilted his head to his ear, and said in a gentle tone, “You’re with me for a lifetime.”

Although his embrace this time was not as tight as before, Pei You felt that he couldn’t escape even more than before.

He was caught in a strange state, his heart pounding like a drum. His rationality was fluctuating, his chest filled with a strange itch.

Pei You seemed to hear the pounding of his own heart. His vision was blurred, and he felt weak, but his rationality was unusually clear. He not only heard Zhou Qingbo’s every word distinctly, but also felt the warm breath he was exhaling near his ear.

“I do think you’re a bit at a loss, but it’s too late to feel that way.” Zhou Qingbo said, his tone light.

Zhou Qingbo’s words indeed had a profound impact on Pei You. Emotions surged in his chest, and he wanted to say, “I feel the same way,” but before the words could come out, his throat choked up.

“I want to spend my life with you,” Zhou Qingbo said, “… Pei You, be my boyfriend.”

Zhou Qingbo admitted that he had hesitated, pondered, and contemplated if this relationship was right at the beginning. But when Pei You lost contact and he followed him to the disaster area to endure hardships without considering the consequences, Zhou Qingbo realized that he wanted to hold this person’s hand for the rest of his life.

Pei You took a deep breath. He finally recovered from the overwhelming emotions that had enveloped him. Leaning on Zhou Qingbo’s shoulder, he nodded slightly, then realizing that it seemed too casual, he nodded again, more firmly this time.

“Okay, and… I love you too,” Pei You finally found his voice, “But why do you love me?”

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Zhou Qingbo chuckled, amused by him. He said in a light and cheerful tone, “Isn’t it a bit late to ask that question after saying ‘okay’?”

Pei You also knew that his words were untimely. At this moment, in this atmosphere, he should have responded to Zhou Qingbo with endless sweet words, or at the very least talked about how he fell in love with Zhou Qingbo. But after struggling for a while, he could only come up with that sentence.

Up to this point, Pei You was still a bit confused. He didn’t know why Zhou Qingbo liked him—Pei You was uninteresting and bland, not particularly attentive, and not good at reading cues. During their relationship, he practically followed Zhou Qingbo’s lead, and it was Zhou Qingbo who taught him how to interact with people.

Zhou Qingbo also came from a wealthy family, had good looks, and was unapologetically confident. He should have had plenty of suitors, and they might even be better than Pei You.

However, Zhou Qingbo had set his sights on him. He treated him special, helped him out of tight spots, protected him and patiently guided him every step of the way. He had let down all his defenses in front of Pei You.

Pei You was delighted by their mutual affection, but also genuinely confused.

“I’m really nothing special,” Pei You said softly, “I’m just an ordinary white-collar worker, working in the office and going straight home—there should be plenty of people like me around you.”

“Yes,” Zhou Qingbo blinked and spoke with a clear smile in his tone, playfully responding to him, “If you put it that way, you’re right.”

In the Beijing business district, there were plenty of career elites. It was not difficult to find someone just like Pei You, who had the standard two legs and worked a white-collar job, whether in his home or at the company.

To everyone else, Pei You might be just one of the thousands in the crowd, not much different from every ID card in this world. But to Zhou Qingbo, he was unique.

“You’re not anything special.” Zhou Qingbo paused and continued, “My heart is what’s special.”

As Zhou Qingbo spoke, he tilted his head slightly back, finally raising his head from Pei You’s shoulder. He looked into Pei You’s eyes, a smile he couldn’t hide in his eyes.

He smiled, then took Pei You’s hand and placed it on his own chest.

“It has chosen you, I can’t do anything about it.” Zhou Qingbo said.

The sensation of his hand was clear and steady. Through the thick layers of the rescue uniform, Pei You could clearly feel Zhou Qingbo’s rapid and distinct heartbeat.

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As Zhou Qingbo said these words, the corners of his eyes unconsciously curved downward a bit. His eyes held fine and bright lights, the laughter concealed within them, more enchanting than the moonlight.

Pei You drowned in that gaze. Suddenly, he felt a sense of settling dust in his heart. As if in that moment, his gaze had moved beyond the misty future, seeing countless days and nights of him and Zhou Qingbo walking hand in hand.

“I…”

Pei You wanted to say, “I understand,” or even, “My heart also has you,” but before he could say anything, Zhou Qingbo leaned against his shoulder again.

“No more questions, save the rest for tomorrow.” Zhou Qingbo softened his voice, complaining lightly, “I’m exhausted.”