No Reason to Wait

Su Yan lowered his phone and turned to look at his boyfriend. "Is it strange that I don't understand anything?"

Nie Chang smiled wryly. "It might be because it's a new genre?" Ah, may he be forgiven for lying to his darling like this. He just didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.

"Mn, that must be it. It's a strange feeling though. I really should start reading all the novels you picked out."

Nie Chang coughed. "Uh, yes, maybe you should. Not now though. Why don't we go to sleep?"

Su Yan looked up at him and blinked.

"Well, you did have a look, right? You shouldn't be as nervous anymore."

"But it's so early."

It was indeed. After all, they had left work early, had left the first boutique right after entering and only bought one thing in the second one. The most time had actually been spent being trapped in the boutique Zhi Bao Yu had recommended him.

Oh. Right. Thinking of that … "How did we get out of the cubicle?"

Nie Chang nearly breathed a sigh of relief. This question was so much easier to answer than the one from before. "I called the counter and told them they should let us out."

Su Yan's face turned red. "You … How could you just call?! Wouldn't they think that we … we … you know!"

Nie Chang laughed and ruffled Su Yan's hair. "Don't worry, darling. We weren't in there long enough to have them think that."

"Are you sure?"

Nie Chang smiled brightly. "You don't think I have the stamina?"

Su Yan turned away and looked at the website again. He'd rather go and read the reviews than answer that. Nie Chang didn't want to let him go like that though.

He snitched Su Yan's phone and pulled him back against his chest. "Darling, you're being unreasonable. How can you not answer such a question and then pretend that nothing happened? That's virtually like saying that you really think I don't have any. That's a little mean, don't you think so?"

Su Yan shuddered. Nie Chang's breath was tickling his ear, making his face grow hot again. It seemed … this was the moment when he should admit defeat! "It wasn't like this! I was just too awed to answer!"

Nie Chang lifted his brows and was presented with a pleading gaze and a paw.

"Can I get my phone back now? I haven't read the reviews yet."

"Mn." Nie Chang rolled onto his back and lifted the phone. He took a look at the reviews himself, ignoring Su Yan's gaze. Hn, as if he'd get any attention if he gave this phone back! "Ah, look at this! The first one is actually a 5-star review!"

"Really?!" Su Yan snuggled closer and put his head on Nie Chang's shoulder in the hope of seeing something. He was disappointed though. With how his boyfriend held the phone, he wasn't able to read at all.

Su Yan pursed his lips. "So, what does it say?"

"Oh, she wrote that someone recommended reading the story on Weibo so she came and had a look. There's not much to read yet since only one chapter is up but it's tagged as bl so she'll just give five stars."

"Ah?" Su Yan's facial expression went from being over the moon that someone had actually recommended his story to down in the dumps when he found out that he had essentially gotten that rating just for the genre. "So she doesn't actually like the story?"

Nie Chang contemplated how to phrase his response and finally shook his head. "That's not it. She probably liked the beginning but there really isn't much she could say about it. I mean she doesn't even know for sure who the male lead is. So I guess she just gave five stars because she hoped for the best since it's a genre she likes."

Su Yan slowly nodded. "That makes sense." He pursed his lips. "If it was me, I'd wait for a few chapters before reviewing though. Then I could say something worthwhile."

Nie Chang laughed and once again ruffled his hair. "You're just miffed that she didn't praise your great writing skills."

Su Yan's cheeks turned red. "That … That's not it! Why would I need her to praise me? I know I'm a good writer."

"Of course. Lao Gong says you're the best."

Su Yan choked. He really wanted to get angry but Nie Chang looked like he really meant what he said. "You … You haven't even read the story."

"I haven't read that story yet but I read everything else you've ever written. So I'm fairly certain that this one will be good, too."

"Huh?" Su Yan tried to gauge from Nie Chang's expression if he was really being serious. It … seemed like it? But how could that be? "You never said anything like that!"

"There was no need to, was there? I was just happy that you were happy when writing. And I liked it when you talked about it. Wouldn't you have stopped telling me when you knew I was following you online anyway? That would have been such a pity."

Su Yan looked at his boyfriend whose face was only illuminated by the pale light from the phone's screen. He suddenly had the profound insight that he was truly too lucky to have such a caring person as his boyfriend. Nie Chang really loved him very much if he even went to the extent of keeping something like this a secret just because he feared they would have one thing less to talk about.

Probably … He didn't need to worry that Nie Chang would leave him anytime soon. Most likely, Nie Chang really wanted to stay with him forever. So perhaps … there was no reason to wait any longer.

Su Yan propped himself up on his arms and intently peered at Nie Chang's face. He hadn't really tried to imagine how having a relationship would be before he and Nie Chang got together. He had only thought of it in passing. But now, considering how they had gotten along so well all these years and the short time they spent together as a couple, he could also imagine spending the rest of his life with Nie Chang. So, why should he delay any longer?

He gently put his hand on Nie Chang's chest and leaned over to kiss him.

Nie Chang's lips parted. He wanted to ask what was going on but didn't get even a sound out. Why did this seem somehow strange? As if … Su Yan wanted to do something? This … couldn't be what he thought it was, right? Hadn't Su Yan said that they would wait for two weeks?

He couldn't understand but he wouldn't reject either whatever it was Su Yan wanted to do. He dropped the phone and gently reached up, cupping the back of Su Yan's head.

Just when their lips were about to meet the phone rang.