Shi Qing finally got up in satisfaction. The two of them leaned affectionately on the sofa, watching a food documentary for an hour.
Qin Yunsheng wasn't particularly interested in it; his attention was focused on Shi Qing. In fact, Shi Qing wasn't very interested either; his attention was on how to tease Qin Yunsheng.
So, with the food documentary playing in the background, they continued their playful banter.
It wasn't until Shi Qing sat up that Qin Yunsheng's ears turned red. He discreetly smoothed out his clothes that had wrinkled due to their close proximity.
The young marquis raised an eyebrow, clearly reverting to his usual demeanor now that he had the military man in his grasp. He spoke as if teasing, just like normal:
"Did you change your clothes today? You only wore the ones you took off for a day, right?"
Qin Yunsheng's face was still red, but he made an effort to sit up and looked at the young marquis who was smiling mischievously in front of him. His throat moved up and down as he tried to calm his emotions.
After he had calmed down, his voice remained husky and slightly lower, giving it a magnetic quality:
"The clothes I wore yesterday got a little wrinkled, so I changed."
"I see," Shi Qing's lips curved slightly as he intentionally sat at an angle on the sofa, making himself appear much shorter than Qin Yunsheng.
The young marquis extended a finger; his hand was pale, slender, soft, and smooth, a stark contrast to Qin Yunsheng's calloused hands from exposure to wind, sun, and training. He was well aware of this, which was why he always took special care to gently place his hand in the man's palm, avoiding any potential harm but still wanting to hold on cautiously.
However, this time, Shi Qing's hand didn't make it into the man's palm. He seemed genuinely interested in the seemingly identical new clothes, his delicate fingers exploring the patterns, buttons, and even the small star that every soldier's uniform in Hua Country had. But it didn't quite look like a military uniform.
While he was engrossed in examining the clothes, the military man remained still, allowing Shi Qing to explore.
Qin Yunsheng didn't ask why Shi Qing was so interested in his new clothes, but after fiddling with the buttons for a while, the young marquis grew unhappy. He let go of the fabric and pouted.
"Why are you as stiff as a log? I've been looking at it for so long, and you haven't even asked me what I'm looking at."
The military officer blinked nervously and asked in a low, deep voice, compliantly, "What are you looking at?"
With this cooperation, the young marquis brightened up again.
"I'm obviously looking at your clothes. They're really handsome. I have marquis' attire too; you would look great in it."
Complimented, Qin Yunsheng's face blushed even more.
Qin Yunsheng couldn't help but smile at the corner of his mouth.
He explained, "This isn't a military uniform; it's my casual outfit. I had it custom-made."
"Who did you get to tailor it? Their craftsmanship is so good. Introduce me next time, okay?"
Before the military officer could respond, Shi Qing raised the corner of his right lip, raised an eyebrow slightly, and glanced at his lover with a teasing look.
"Are you changing clothes because you want to appear cleaner today when you take them off?"
Shi Qing: "I thought you looked as clueless as a log, not understanding what to do in a relationship. But now it seems you do understand."
Qin Yunsheng: "?"
At first, he didn't understand why changing into new clothes would make him appear cleaner in Shi Qing's eyes, or why changing clothes had anything to do with being in a relationship. Although he did change clothes because he now had a little lover and wanted to appear neat and tidy in front of him, he suddenly realized it when he met the teasing gaze of the young marquis.
His face turned bright red.
The military officer stuttered, "What do you mean?"
Shi Qing confidently said, "It's something every couple does."
He added, "It's a necessary part of being in a relationship. I won't blame you for not knowing since you've never been in one."
Qin Yunsheng: ... No, he understood.
Just thinking about the scene made his face turn even redder. Although it was a necessary part of their relationship now that they were a couple, Qin Yunsheng had never paid much attention to this aspect throughout his life. His immediate reaction was, "What if I mess it up?"
Subconsciously, he wanted to delay.
The military officer stammered, "Isn't it... too soon?"
"Too soon?" The young marquis, with a nonchalant expression that seemed to suggest he had experienced more in life, responded, "Where's the rush? I don't think it's too soon."
Qin Yunsheng suddenly understood. Perhaps Shi Qing had liked him for a long time. Between the two of them, only he felt like they had just started dating yesterday. Naturally, Shi Qing didn't think it was too soon.
With this realization, the sweetness and guilt from earlier rushed back, and the military officer hung his head in embarrassment.
"If you want... I don't mind."
Saying such things was still embarrassing for him. He had barely finished when the persistent redness in his ears deepened.
Shi Qing said, "If you mind, then we shouldn't be in a relationship."
Qin Yunsheng quickly raised his head, a little nervous and even stuttering, "I don't mind. I really don't mind."
He gritted his teeth, "Whenever you want, I'm available!"
The young marquis nodded in satisfaction and stood up. "How about now?"
"Now??" Qin Yunsheng looked puzzled and a bit pitiful as he blushed, glancing around the lounge.
The military officer was on the verge of exploding with embarrassment. "This is the lounge, and it's not locked. Anyone could come in at any time."
Shi Qing responded, "If they come in, they come in. Why are you so hesitant? Let's get on with it!"
Qin Yunsheng: ...
His principles and integrity wouldn't allow him to do such things, especially in a lounge where anyone could walk in at any moment.
Definitely not!
Even if Shi Qing insisted, he couldn't!
The young marquis tossed his coat onto the sofa, his beautiful face filled with impatience as he looked at Qin Yunsheng.
"What are you standing there for? Why are you resisting such a small thing? Are you really committed to being my boyfriend?"
"If couples don't do this, can they still be considered a couple?"
Qin Yunsheng: ...
But couples don't usually do this in a lounge that's accessible to anyone...
The military officer bit his lip, determined, and took a step toward the door.
—Then he pulled over a nearby table and blocked the door.
He was nervous, his face flushed with determination. He still had his back to Shi Qing as he fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.
His well-fitted jacket was taken off. Qin Yunsheng carefully placed it on the sofa and proceeded to undo his tie.
Then he heard Shi Qing's soft voice behind him, asking softly, "What are you doing?"
The military officer stopped what he was doing, stood upright, but still had his back turned.
"I... I'm undressing."
Shi Qing sounded puzzled, "Why are you undressing? The jacket is enough."
Qin Yunsheng: !!!!!
Not removing the shirt?!
That doesn't seem right.
There was a hint of unease behind him.
The young marquis urged impatiently, "Why are you always hesitating? Hurry up."
Qin Yunsheng: ...
His principles and integrity were not going to allow him to do this. Especially in a lounge that anyone could enter at any moment.
Absolutely not!
Even if Shi Qing insisted, he couldn't!
The young marquis patted his shoulder from behind, causing Qin Yunsheng's body to shudder.
Shi Qing seemed quite pleased.
He was delighted, and his voice softened as he said, "Qin Yunsheng, turn around and look at me."
Nervously holding his breath, Qin Yunsheng turned his head.
In front of him, the young marquis was wearing the military officer's jacket. Despite being slightly oversized, it was forcibly tightened, revealing Shi Qing's slender waist.
Shi Qing was struggling to fasten the belt, making the previously ill-fitting jacket fit snugly.
Qin Yunsheng: ...
Shi Qing felt quite pleased with himself after finishing. His beautiful eyes were filled with happiness as he walked in place, raising his eyebrows with a smug look as he asked his lover, "How do I look in your clothes?"
He then went over to the sofa and picked up his white coat, putting it on without buttoning it. "This way, it doesn't look too big on me."
Qin Yunsheng: ...
The young marquis admired himself in the lounge's mirror, feeling that he looked good no matter how he looked. Satisfied with his appearance, he turned to his lover and urged him in a spoiled tone, "Why are you so slow today? Hurry up and put on my coat!"
Qin Yunsheng: ...
The military officer was completely confused by now. "Your coat?"
"Yes." Shi Qing smiled at him, pinching his waist with satisfaction. "It's a necessary step in a relationship – swapping each other's clothes. Of course, in heterosexual relationships, it's the woman wearing the man's shirt or something. But since we're both men, I wear your clothes, and you wear mine."
After saying that, the young marquis patted his flat stomach. "My clothes might be a bit big for you, and yours might be a bit tight for me, but it's okay. I always wear loose-fitting clothes, so you should fit into them."
Qin Yunsheng: ...
The military officer felt like he was being played with. He numbly asked his little lover, "But what's the purpose of doing this?"
Surprisingly, Shi Qing extended his hand and began counting on his fingers. "One, your clothes look good, and wearing them puts me in a good mood. Two, changing clothes with your partner can increase intimacy."
"Three, if we dress like this, everyone will know we're a couple, and you won't have to worry about Shi Yiyi, that old witch, clinging to you."
Qin Yunsheng: ...
The last point seemed to be the most important.
He helplessly looked at Shi Qing.
Shi Qing, with an air of righteousness, raised his chin and commanded, "I've given you reasons, now hurry and put it on!"
The military officer reluctantly put on Shi Qing's coat. His body was much better than Shi Qing's, so even though the coat was loose, it still appeared a bit snug.
Fortunately, it wasn't too tight, just accentuating his good physique.
After changing into the coat, Qin Yunsheng was about to move the table away when he heard the sound of someone trying to open the door from outside.
"Hey?"
Then came the voice of Tan Mingyi, sounding puzzled. He knocked on the door and asked loudly, "Who's inside? Why is the door locked?"
A colleague who was sitting nearby saw him knocking on the door so casually and hurriedly got up, quickly approaching Tan Mingyi and pulling him away.
"What are you doing, buddy?"
Tan Mingyi looked back at him in confusion. "I left my phone inside. Isn't the lounge unlocked? Why can't I open the door?"
The colleague whispered, "Don't talk right now. Qin-ge and Professor Shi are inside. I saw them go in."
"Qin-ge and Professor Shi? What's going on?"
As soon as Tan Mingyi said that, he was slapped on the mouth by his colleague, who hissed, "Shh! I'll tell you, those two are definitely..."
Qin Yunsheng moved the table away.
He opened the door and walked out, smiling at Tan Mingyi. "Go inside and find your phone."
Seeing that Qin Yunsheng was wearing Professor Shi's clothes, Tan Mingyi finally realized what his colleague had meant earlier.
Thanks to this information age, even though he was young, he knew quite a bit.
The teenager blushed instantly, hurriedly mumbled an apology, "Sorry, Professor Shi, I didn't mean to disturb you. I'm really sorry."
Saying that, Tan Mingyi grabbed his phone from the table and ran away as if escaping.
The young marquis watched his hurried departure and shook his head, then walked over and hung on the military officer.
"What do you want for lunch?"
Considering his lover's preferences, Qin Yunsheng suggested, "How about spicy chicken with rice? Extra spicy. You don't need to go down; I'll bring it up."
Shi Qing agreed, "Sure."
A colleague who had been eavesdropping on their conversation muttered to himself, "..."
He hadn't expected this. Qin-ge usually seemed pretty good to Professor Shi.
Why would he make him eat spicy food at a time like this?
It's not good for their health.
Before, they even said that Professor Shi wasn't good enough for Qin-ge, but now, it seemed that Qin-ge also lacked consideration.
Shi Qing was present, so he didn't dare to say much. He was afraid that if he said too much, he'd be seen as instigating trouble in their relationship.
He watched Professor Shi return to his seat and cautiously approached Qin Yunsheng.
Whispering softly, he said, "Qin-ge, I don't think it's a good idea to do this. Although Professor Shi is a bit dominant, I can still see which one of you is more dominant in bed. I don't have a problem with who's more dominant in a relationship like yours, but, well, Professor Shi is at a disadvantage doing this."
Qin Yunsheng: ...
While still whispering, he continued, "Even though Professor Shi is a bit strong-willed, you should be a bit considerate. Men and women have different body structures, so you should be more thoughtful. Otherwise, with Professor Shi's bad temper, what if he dislikes you?"
Qin Yunsheng: ...
"What are you talking about?"
The colleague gave him a look of disappointment, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Don't pretend now, Qin-ge. At a time like this, you should listen to me. Men have different physical structures from women, and you should be more considerate. Otherwise, with Professor Shi's temper, what if he despises you?"
Qin Yunsheng: ...
After understanding, his face turned red once again. Qin Yunsheng appeared somewhat vulnerable when facing Shi Qing, but in front of others, he always maintained his composure. Even though he blushed, his expression remained stern.
He furrowed his brows and spoke in a deep voice, "You've misunderstood."
"Oh, no need to explain. You were in the lounge, right? Don't worry; I won't tell anyone," his colleague chimed in.
Qin Yunsheng insisted, "It was a genuine misunderstanding."
His colleague chuckled, "Come on, don't pretend with me. You and Professor Shi were in there for over an hour, and when Tan tried to go in, you blocked the door. When you came out, you had even changed your clothes. If you really didn't do anything, Qin-ge, you'd be seriously suspected."
"Alright, I've said my piece. Stop pretending. Get some rice porridge for Professor Shi, don't let him tire himself out anymore."
Qin Yunsheng: ...
At lunchtime, Shi Qing was busy on the computer, occasionally taking sips of yogurt. Qin Yunsheng returned with their lunch.
Seeing Shi Qing absorbed in his work and not paying attention to him, Qin Yunsheng approached and unpacked the food.
A bowl of spicy chicken with rice.
A bowl of rice porridge.
Plus a small dish of pickles.
Shi Qing, catching a whiff of the aroma, put aside his work and prepared to eat. "Why did you buy rice porridge in the middle of the day?"
Hearing the young marquis's words, Qin Yunsheng quietly placed the rice porridge and pickles on his side of the table. Although the pickles were scarce, there were three of them, and they were relatively large, enough for him to eat with the rice porridge.
After setting up, the muscular military officer, who usually consumed at least two bowls of rice per meal, said softly, "I suddenly feel like having rice porridge."
Shi Qing, with a mischievous smile, looked at him. "Really?"
Qin Yunsheng lowered his gaze to the clear porridge on the table. "Yes, really."
Shi Qing: **(Comment: In the original text, there's an emoticon that indicates a smug or proud expression.)
Watching the officer reach for the pickles with his chopsticks, Shi Qing swiftly reached over and took two out of the three pickles, leaving one for Qin Yunsheng.
In the military officer's bewildered gaze, Shi Qing placed the two pickles he took into his own bowl.
Then he proudly declared, "I also like pickles. These two are mine."
The officer looked at his triumphant expression and softened his gaze.
He was actually quite happy. He raised his lips and used his chopsticks to place the remaining pickle into Shi Qing's bowl. "You like this one; you can have it."
The young marquis snorted, "Am I the kind of person who takes advantage of others?"
After his snort, he picked up the pickle from his bowl and took a bite. He then smiled at the military officer as if the flowers were in full bloom. "Yes, I am!"
After saying that, he pushed his bowl of spicy chicken with rice to the center of the table. "Come, let's eat together."
Qin Yunsheng's slightly upturned mouth curved even higher. He cast a sweet glance at Shi Qing and picked up a piece of potato, burying his head in his meal.
Ding! Qin Yunsheng's Repulsion Level: 50/100
Qin Yunsheng was a mature protagonist. He had grown up, and Shi Qing didn't need to do anything. He could naturally lower his repulsion level. If Shi Qing did something, it would lower even faster. Qin Yunsheng's mission was to protect Shi Qing, so he could rightfully stay by the young marquis's side 24/7.
In reality, Qin Yunsheng didn't think he was doing much, and what he did made him happy.
To others, however:
He wasn't taking care of his lover; it seemed more like he was taking care of a baby who couldn't take care of himself.
Although they appeared loving, it was just too strange.
The colleague who had the best relationship with Qin Yunsheng was sent to talk to him.
It wasn't that they didn't want him to be good to Professor Shi.
But at this rate, Professor Shi would become too dependent on him.
What if, when Qin Yunsheng's mission ended, Professor Shi got used to being taken care of and then found someone else?
Listening to the colleague's subtle advice, Qin Yunsheng couldn't understand why they thought he was doing too much.
He hadn't done much, and he was happy doing it.
Colleague: "You haven't done much...?"
Qin Yunsheng: "Not much."
He only gently woke up the young marquis in the morning, handed him his toothbrush and cup, and wiped his face meticulously after he finished brushing his teeth.
After his (helped him) grooming, the military officer dressed him, put on his socks, and shoes, and finally led him to work.
It couldn't be helped; what could they do when Shi Qing was still sleepy?
In the morning, the young marquis usually studied things that Qin Yunsheng couldn't understand, and he spent about 80% of his time on the computer.
This research must be quite important if it could keep him immobile for a whole morning, just sitting there yawning and waiting to be fed.
At such times, Qin Yunsheng would stay by his side, offering potato chips, fruit, biscuits, and fruit juice as snacks.
Even though they were snacks, they needed to be balanced.
If he didn't feed him, wouldn't Shi Qing eat indiscriminately?
From time to time, he would also free up a hand to massage the young marquis's aching shoulders.
It was only natural. After all, he was working for the country. A man who was working so hard for the country was already tired. What was wrong with giving him a shoulder massage?
During lunchtime, when Shi Qing had
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