Love Me, Please Look - Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Zhang Shixu started his internship at a well-known public company to secure the official certification he needed.
He woke up early that morning to the soft rise and fall of Qi Junhe’s breathing beside him. Qi Junhe was still buried under the quilt, one arm draped over Zhang Shixu’s waist.
Zhang Shixu silenced the alarm quickly, careful not to wake him, and tiptoed out to wash up.
While brushing his teeth, he got a call from Chen Nan. Not wanting to disturb the sleeping Qi Junhe, he slipped into the living room to answer.
“Hello?”
The voice on the other end was unusually quiet, and not at all like Chen Nan’s usual tone.
“Chen Nan? Did I dial wrong?”
“…Shixu,” Chen Nan’s voice finally came through, faint like the phone was far from his mouth.
“What’s wrong?” Zhang Shixu asked, puzzled by the odd energy.
“No worries. I’m fine,” Chen Nan said slowly, almost mechanically, each word a beat behind.
The odd pacing made Zhang Shixu tense, but he didn’t push.
“You’re not home? Didn’t Jin Heng come to find you?”
Jin Heng and Chen Nan hadn’t spoken since their argument, even with the summer break underway. Maybe Jin Heng had just been too caught up with work to return to the dorms and apologize.
“…No…” Chen Nan’s voice trailed off. Zhang Shixu couldn’t tell whether he meant he hadn’t gone home or if Jin Heng hadn’t shown up.
Before he could ask, Chen Nan quickly mumbled a goodbye and ended the call.
Still unsure what that was about, Zhang Shixu sent him a message on WeChat to check in, then went to get changed.
It was his first day on the job, and he dressed the part—white dress shirt, tailored slacks. He wanted to make a good impression.
As he stepped out of the bathroom, adjusting his cuffs, he found Qi Junhe waiting by the bedroom door, hair tousled, eyes still heavy with sleep.
Without a word, Qi Junhe stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him. Being taller, he had to bend slightly to nestle into Zhang Shixu’s embrace.
“You’re up early,” Zhang Shixu murmured, fingers gently ruffling his hair.
Qi Junhe didn’t speak—just buried his face into the crook of Zhang Shixu’s neck and breathed in deeply.
He smelled good. Familiar. Comforting.
Smiling, Zhang Shixu walked him back to bed and tucked him in. As Qi Junhe started to rise again for another hug, Zhang Shixu quickly held him down.
“Go back to sleep. If you make a fuss, I’ll be late.” He leaned down to kiss Qi Junhe’s forehead and got up.
Qi Junhe grumbled a sleepy goodbye, waving a hand before diving under the quilt again.
“Rest,” Zhang Shixu whispered before grabbing his bag and heading out the door.
His office wasn’t far—just a few subway stops away. Commuting was manageable.
⋯
His first day went smoothly. The work was light, and the atmosphere surprisingly welcoming. Everyone in his team was Beta, which spared him from any of the awkward dynamics that sometimes arose between different genders and classifications.
By the end of the day, Zhang Shixu was in a great mood. On his way home, he picked up fresh groceries, planning to cook for Qi Junhe.
“I’m back,” he called out as he entered the apartment.
Qi Junhe, who’d been waiting eagerly, ran to the door.
He always towered slightly over Zhang Shixu, but the look of joy on his face was so soft it melted any intimidation.
Zhang Shixu’s heart warmed immediately. He was so glad Qi Junhe had insisted on staying. Coming home to someone felt… grounding.
“I’m back,” Zhang Shixu repeated gently.
Qi Junhe nodded, stepped forward, and took the grocery bags from his hands.
“Thank you,” Zhang Shixu said, his voice low. Thank you for being here.
Qi Junhe didn’t say anything. Instead, he leaned in and gave him a tight hug.
After holding him for a moment, Zhang Shixu chuckled. “Okay, okay—I need to cook.”
He walked into the kitchen and stopped short when he saw the rice cooker already working.
Qi Junhe had started making rice.
Zhang Shixu turned around in surprise. “Did you cook?”
Qi Junhe looked a little embarrassed and nodded with a blush.
Despite his wealthy background, Qi Junhe wasn’t helpless. He had his pride—if cooking rice only required reading instructions, there was no reason he couldn’t handle it. He wasn’t going to let Xu Xinyi laugh at him for being useless.
Zhang Shixu was delighted. He walked over and gave him a kiss on the chin. “You’re amazing.”
Qi Junhe stayed silent, focusing on unpacking the dishes, ears still red.
Zhang Shixu helped him set up while chatting about his first day at the company.
By the time the food was ready—two dishes and a soup—it was already past 7 PM. Zhang Shixu sighed, realizing they’d lingered too long earlier playing around.
He carried the food to the coffee table while Qi Junhe brought over two bowls of rice.
They sat cross-legged, Zhang Shixu handed him a pair of chopsticks. “Let’s eat.”
After dinner, Qi Junhe, as always, took care of the dishes while Zhang Shixu went to shower.
Once he was out and lounging on the sofa watching a movie, Qi Junhe slipped in to take his turn.
It was around 9 PM when they were both finally clean and curled up on the couch again.
Zhang Shixu ran his fingers through Qi Junhe’s damp hair. “Was it boring being home alone all day?”
Qi Junhe lay against him like a contented house cat. At the question, he tilted his head—half nod, half shake.
“Do you get lonely?”
Qi Junhe shook his head. He could draw to pass the time. Zhang Shixu had even cleared out a corner of the living room for him to use as an art nook.
“Do you miss me?”
This time, Qi Junhe immediately nodded, eyes wide and sincere.
I missed you.
Though he didn’t say it aloud, it was written all over his face.
Truthfully, Qi Junhe had kept himself busy. After Zhang Shixu left that morning, he’d gotten up to do the laundry, clean the apartment, and prep dinner. He didn’t have time to be idle.
“When it comes to lunch, what did you eat?” Zhang Shixu asked, casually licking his lips.
Takeout, Qi Junhe signed.
Zhang Shixu frowned. He could eat at the office canteen, but Qi Junhe eating takeout every day wasn’t ideal.
Right then and there, Zhang Shixu decided to wake up earlier the next morning and prep lunch for him. That way, Qi Junhe could just heat it up at noon.
Qi Junhe noticed the look on his face and furrowed his own brows, misreading it as Zhang Shixu being upset about something.
⋯
Later, after both had showered and settled in, they could barely keep their eyes open. Qi Junhe dried Zhang Shixu’s hair gently until he drifted off to sleep.
Zhang Shixu didn’t have the same youthful energy—especially with work starting—so he was out like a light, safe and warm with Qi Junhe beside him.