OHD Chapter 37: I Promise

Chapter 37: I Promise

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

He Ye asked Zhou Kai if he was willing, and Zhou Kai was stunned for quite a while before he finally understood the meaning behind He Ye’s words. He blinked, the tears that had hung on his eyelashes falling, gently pushing He Ye away, looking at He Ye’s face, and softly snorting.

Zhou Kai didn’t want to. He didn’t want to in his heart, a hundred times over.

What did He Ye mean? He was saying that he wanted to be with him, but if He Ye didn’t pay off his father’s debt within ten years, they would have to break up, go their separate ways.

Damn, if that was the case, how could he possibly agree?

Zhou Kai didn’t want to break up with He Ye, no matter if it was ten years, twenty years, or even thirty years.

He Ye stared into Zhou Kai’s eyes, cautiously touching Zhou Kai’s cheek. He watched Zhou Kai pouting, glaring at him, and after a long time with no words, the courage in his heart began to sink bit by bit.

Just like how Zhou Kai could see He Ye’s unease, Zhou Kai took He Ye’s hand off his face, holding it in his own, sniffing before asking, “Why ten years? Why not twenty years, forty years, or even longer? Why does it have to be ten years?”

He Ye looked at Zhou Kai’s face, clearly showing his dissatisfaction. He grabbed Zhou Kai’s fingers and squeezed them tightly, sighing like an old man who had been through a lot. “Zhou Kai, do you know? Ten years seems like a long time, but it actually passes so quickly.”

Just like those five years that slipped away. He Ye had struggled through them, but when he thought back on those five years, he felt like time had passed so quickly. In five years, he’d earned so little money, just enough to pay some relatives, and even the high-interest loans were only partially paid off.

How many ten years could Zhou Kai waste for him like this? Zhou Kai was so good, he should have been living carefree. But now, he had dragged him into this mess, straying from the path he should have walked.

He Ye understood it all. He thought about it a lot.

There is no certainty in life. Anything could happen in ten years. Maybe before ten years passed, Zhou Kai and he would already be a thing of the past. After all, aside from the debt, there were other obstacles they had to face. He was alone, but Zhou Kai had a family. There were so many uncertainties.

Even thinking about that possibility made He Ye’s heart ache, but this was reality, and in reality, anything could happen.

He Ye said to Zhou Kai, “Ten years is a promise. Zhou Kai, after ten years, we won’t be young anymore, we can’t be reckless anymore. I—”

Before He Ye could finish, Zhou Kai pressed his lips to He Ye’s and kissed him loudly, interrupting his long speech. Zhou Kai smiled, happy, excited, and a little shy.

He said, “Alright, ten years. He Ye, I promise you, I’m willing.”

Though Zhou Kai said one thing, in his heart, his little plan was already flying high.

Hmph, did He Ye really think ten years meant just ten years? In those ten years, he would make sure He Ye depended on him, that He Ye wouldn’t be able to live without him. He’d make sure of it.

And anyway, Zhou Kai was confident. He Ye could do it. The debts? He Ye would definitely pay them off. He would work hard with He Ye, grow together, and struggle side by side.

What’s that saying again?

If you want to win, you have to work hard!

“…Have you really thought it through?” He Ye asked Zhou Kai, even though the corners of his mouth couldn’t stop lifting, “Are you sure?”

Zhou Kai was sure, very sure. He Ye asked him, but now it was his turn to ask He Ye. He grabbed He Ye’s collar and shook him, fiercely saying, “Hey, don’t ask me, you swear first that you won’t back out!”

He Ye hadn’t slept well or eaten well and was a little hypoglycemic. When Zhou Kai shook him, his vision blurred, and he bent forward, grabbing Zhou Kai, muffling a laugh as his heart softened, “How could I back out?”

Zhou Kai pinched his waist, but only caught his clothes, not his flesh, grumbling angrily, “I don’t believe you at all! Who was the one who kept saying not to mess with me, and then turned around and wouldn’t give up?”

He Ye laughed, “Wasn’t that you flirting with me? So provocative, how could I resist?”

Zhou Kai glared, grinding his teeth on He Ye’s neck, grumbling, “You’re the one who said we were done, but then you’re the one who wouldn’t let go, saying all that stuff.” His voice dropped, trembling slightly, “He Ye, I warn you, if you back out again, I won’t let you off.”

He Ye imagined what Zhou Kai would do if he actually didn’t forgive him and for some reason, his mind conjured an image of being tied to a bed while Zhou Kai whipped him. He couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a bit emotional, his nose and eyes stinging.

Good, if Zhou Kai didn’t forgive him, that was even better.

He stood up with Zhou Kai in his arms, gripping his hands tightly, leading him upstairs. Zhou Kai followed, heart racing, his face turning bright red.

But once they were upstairs, nothing of what Zhou Kai had imagined happened. He Ye let go of Zhou Kai’s hand as they entered the bedroom, walked over to the desk, tore a page from a notebook, and took out a pen from his bag, bending down to write.

Zhou Kai was stunned, muttering under his breath, “Damn,” covering his mouth and nose, blinking as he stood beside him. After He Ye finished writing a line, Zhou Kai leaned in to look.

What was He Ye writing?

Zhou Kai raised an eyebrow, grinning widely. He lifted his foot and kicked He Ye’s leg. “I told you to swear, not write a guarantee!”

He Ye finished writing, put a period, signed his name, then raised his left hand and pushed his finger into Zhou Kai’s mouth, who hadn’t closed his lips. “Bite it, a little harder.”

Zhou Kai held his index finger, his tongue pressing against the pad of He Ye’s finger, stunned. “What’s this for?”

He Ye picked up the guarantee, his face serious. “Press your fingerprint here.”

As soon as Zhou Kai heard this, his tongue pushed against He Ye’s finger, but just as the pad of his finger touched his lips, Zhou Kai stopped. He stared into He Ye’s eyes, his heart pounding faster.

When the taste of blood began to spread in his mouth, Zhou Kai hurriedly grabbed He Ye’s hand, pulling it away to inspect it. He Ye wouldn’t let him see clearly, but he rubbed his thumb on the wound until it turned red and pressed it against the name on the guarantee. Smiling, he handed it to Zhou Kai, saying, “Keep it safe. If I back out, throw it in my face and beat me up.”

Zhou Kai glanced down at the guarantee, both heartbroken and happy. He folded the paper carefully and tucked it into his pocket, zipping it up, treating it as something precious.

He Ye sucked on his finger to stop the bleeding, but as soon as he pulled it out, blood immediately started oozing again.

Zhou Kai looked at the bloodied, raw flesh and realized that maybe he had bitten too hard, but he didn’t regret it one bit. He looked at He Ye’s finger, then at He Ye’s smiling face, and leaned in for a kiss, wrapping his arms around He Ye’s neck and not letting go.

He Ye, worried about blood staining Zhou Kai’s clothes, used his right hand to hold him closer, kissing Zhou Kai back, sucking his lips.

Their mouths tasted of blood, mixed with saliva, swallowed down.

Outside, fireworks were going off from some neighbor’s house, each explosion lighting up the sky in brilliant colors.

Neither of them knew how long they kissed, but Zhou Kai was reacting, and He Ye wasn’t in any better shape. Breathless, they finally pulled apart. Zhou Kai’s head dropped onto He Ye’s shoulder, his eyes drifting toward the bed, where condoms and lubricant lay untouched, but he didn’t say anything.

He Ye’s right hand slipped inside Zhou Kai’s shirt, rubbing against his lower back. His warm breath fanned across Zhou Kai’s neck as his hips pushed against Zhou Kai’s, pressing him closer.

“Want to go back?”

Zhou Kai immediately stood up from He Ye, thinking back to the last time He Ye had told him to go home. His expression softened.

He Ye kissed his flushed lips gently and said, “Go back, it’s late. Your parents are waiting for you to reunite with them.”

Hearing the word “reunite” from He Ye made Zhou Kai feel uneasy. But He Ye was right; his parents and grandparents were all at home waiting for him. He had to go back, or they would worry.

Ugh, it was so hard, being torn between love for them both.

Reaching into his pocket, Zhou Kai grabbed He Ye’s left hand, only to notice a few drops of blood on the floor. He was startled. “Damn, how did you bleed so much?” He looked around the room, asking, “Do you have any medicine? We need to stop the bleeding, wait, first we need to disinfect it, don’t want it to get infected…”

He Ye glanced at the wound on his finger and didn’t think it was anything serious. It didn’t really hurt. He grabbed Zhou Kai, who was about to search the desk, pulling him back. “Stop looking. There’s no medicine. It’s just a small wound, it’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

Zhou Kai pinched He Ye’s finger to stop the blood flow, casting a disapproving glance at him. “Right, by tomorrow, your finger will be swollen like a little sausage.”

He Ye chuckled. Zhou Kai, in a panic, smiled too, and elbowed him playfully. “Come on, stop grinning like an idiot.”

As much as Zhou Kai said that, he was also the type who couldn’t help but grin like an idiot. Who could blame him? He Ye had finally relented and agreed to be with him.

In the end, they used paper to wrap the wound and stop the bleeding.

He Ye pulled Zhou Kai into his arms again, kissing him for a moment longer. Reluctantly, he said, “Let’s go. I’ll ride my bike and take you home.”

It was so cold outside. It had already been an hour back and forth, and Zhou Kai didn’t want to leave. But at the same time, he didn’t want to part from He Ye so soon, so he tried to come up with a compromise.

“You don’t have to take me all the way home. Just drop me off at the bus stop. And you can buy some medicine on the way, so you can take care of your injury.”

He Ye nodded, his entire body relaxing. The way he looked at Zhou Kai was different now, filled with happiness. He smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

Zhou Kai loved hearing that, and he looked up to give He Ye a kiss in return.