Pouting Won't Work

It's almost finished~ There's plenty to read, so please don't let it pile up! Daily updates have resumed~ I'll try to update around 12:03 a.m.~

Blurb:

[Born Mute, Warmhearted and Well-Behaved Shou x Cold and Forceful Gong]

The Sweet-with-a-Dash-of-Angst Version:

Jiang Shi likes to tease Chi Ran, especially in intimate moments, when Chi Ran's eyes turn red and tears well up. He clings to Jiang Shi and frantically draws hearts on his hand.

It's their agreed-upon signal, since Chi Ran can't speak. But sometimes Jiang Shi is too rough.

Usually, though, Jiang Shi pretends he doesn't understand and makes Chi Ran draw them anyway. Afterwards, he says he can't understand because the hearts aren't drawn properly, making the mist in the little mute's eyes grow even heavier.

Chi Ran protests by grabbing a piece of paper and writing a long complaint. But Jiang Shi's heart goes soft all over again. He hugs him, speaks to him gently, and can soothe him with just one sweet treat.

Jiang Shi thinks that after seven years apart, they've gotten each other back, and it feels as if nothing has changed.

Official Blurb:

Chi Ran is mute. He was born unable to speak.

While other children were learning to babble, he could only blink. Born with a disability, he naturally inspired extra tenderness and sympathy, and grew up almost entirely spoiled and cherished.

As a result, Chi Ran grew up optimistic and cheerful, and his sweet, gentle appearance won him countless admirers.

The first time he ever hit a wall was with Jiang Shi, the transfer student.

Rumor had it that the aloof, arrogant school bully Jiang Shi's parents were divorced, and he lived all alone with his grandparents.

Chi Ran's overflowing sympathy made him feel sorry for Jiang Shi, so he quickly decided to get closer to him. But becoming friends turned out to be far more difficult than expected.

Chi Ran would tap Jiang Shi on the arm, and Jiang Shi would tell him to get lost. Chi Ran would copy his homework for him, and Jiang Shi would scoff disdainfully.

Jiang Shi had no patience with the little mute. Communicating with him was difficult and exhausting.

Then, after a mock exam, Jiang Shi received a note Chi Ran had secretly passed him at lunchtime.

"Failing once doesn't mean you'll fail forever. You're smart, so don't give up on yourself." The note went on and on. It was clumsy and a little ridiculous, but every word was sincere.

Jiang Shi crumpled up the note. Then he caught Chi Ran sneaking glances at him. When their eyes met, Chi Ran's eyes curved into a smile, shining more brightly than the sunlight outside.

From then on, Jiang Shi had a little shadow following him around.

At meals, Chi Ran would put meat in his bowl. In PE class, he'd unscrew his bottle cap for him. When Jiang Shi scraped his skin playing basketball, Chi Ran would look worried and blow on the injury with narrowed eyes.

Chi Ran showed his warmth through his actions, but Jiang Shi didn't need it at all.

"Hand it over. We went over this problem yesterday."

Chi Ran was pinned to his desk, studying, while the cool, handsome, poor school bully across from him transformed into a wealthy second-generation academic ace. Jiang Shi rapped his ruler against the desk.

Chi Ran wondered if it was too late to start crying.

[Rekindled romance after a breakup. The first half takes place at school, the second half in the city.]

Reading Guide:

1. A bittersweet story with a warm, slow-burn beginning, focused on the romance.

2. The shou is cute, not a strong shou. If that's not your thing, please move along.

-Coming Soon: My Pretty Little Brother Cries Too Easily-

[Innocent, Gloomy, Clingy and Well-Behaved Shou x Cold Yet Gentle, Soft-Hearted Only with Him Gong]

Qi Sen received a message from a friend asking him to look after Jiang Runnian.

Jiang Runnian was his friend's younger brother, a new student at Nan University, and therefore Qi Sen's junior. On the first day, Qi Sen went to the airport to pick him up. The young man dragged a suitcase and wore a baseball cap. Beneath it was a fair, pretty, and well-behaved face.

Jiang Runnian was shy. When he called Qi Sen "big brother," his eyes lit up.

"You've grown quite a bit." Qi Sen bent down, took the suitcase, and pinched Jiang Runnian's cheek. "Do you remember the candy I bought you when you were little?"

Jiang Runnian took a piece of candy from his pocket and put it in Qi Sen's palm, to Qi Sen's surprise.

-

Qi Sen thought Jiang Runnian was very well-behaved, even more so now that he was grown up. He was just a little troublesome, with one problem after another, big and small.

Qi Sen would be out having dinner with friends when Jiang Runnian called to say he'd forgotten his keys and his roommate wasn't home, so he couldn't get in. During a holiday trip to a neighboring province, Jiang Runnian missed home but didn't want to go back, and said he was scared to be alone.

Whenever a woman appeared around him, Jiang Runnian wouldn't let go of Qi Sen's hand. Even when he had no reason to, he'd say, "Big brother, can I come with you?"

Being new to school and in an unfamiliar environment became Jiang Runnian's excuse for keeping Qi Sen close.

When Qi Sen's friends teased him, "You really believe him? Isn't that kid making a fool of you?" Jiang Runnian heard them. His eyes, always damp and shining, lifted to stare straight at Qi Sen.

Qi Sen chuckled and ruffled Jiang Runnian's soft black hair. His voice was gentle. "Of course not. Our Runnian is so well-behaved."

As the two of them left to buy drinks, Jiang Runnian's gaze stayed glued to Qi Sen's back. His intense yearning and attachment seemed impossible to hide any longer.

-

Jiang Runnian had waited a long time for Qi Sen, waiting until everyone around Qi Sen had left.

He couldn't bear to look away from Qi Sen for even a moment. So when he noticed how many people were around Qi Sen, his growing urgency became all the more painful to suppress.

He called Qi Sen "big brother," but he had no desire to be Qi Sen's younger brother. He wanted Qi Sen to do all sorts of things to him, things that would make him no longer feel like himself.

Qi Sen could make him cry, could leave him a complete mess. He often dreamed of this, because at times like that, Qi Sen's eyes would hold only him.

Mad thoughts grew in his heart. Under Qi Sen's increasingly frequent attention and gentle treatment, Jiang Runnian felt that he was about to lose control.

-

Qi Sen had been drinking. He knew Jiang Runnian had brought him home, and he wasn't very drunk. With his eyes half closed, he watched the person before him fidget helplessly. Jiang Runnian had changed into a pretty dress.

A smooth wig fell to his waist, tied with a transparent ribbon. When he turned around, his face was so beautiful that Qi Sen's breathing slowed for a beat.

Jiang Runnian took one step closer after another, biting his lip. His eyes were moist, and his hands trembled with nerves. The moment his lips touched Qi Sen's, their positions were reversed.

"Whose is this? How can someone be so pretty?" Qi Sen breathed heavily, his breath tinged with alcohol. He brushed his nose against Jiang Runnian's, and Jiang Runnian hugged him tightly in return.

Jiang Runnian looped his arms around Qi Sen's neck and rubbed himself against his chest. "I'm yours, big brother. You can do anything you want."

Theme: Keep your heart full of hope, and there will be light ahead