APCF – Chapter 119 First Anniversary

Unlike the perilous hotel, at home, they kissed deeper, more unrestrained.

While kissing, Bo Ye pressed Qi Xingchen toward the sofa. When his calf hit the sofa’s edge, Bo Ye gave a light push—

Qi Xingchen was sent tumbling onto the couch.

But he still wasn’t satisfied. He propped himself up halfway, instinctively chasing Bo Ye’s lips. His red tongue peeked out slightly, his eyes filled with longing.

Bo Ye had never denied him before. Half-kneeling on the floor, he continued their entangled kiss. Right now, those soft, full lips were like the most delicious, juice-filled candy in the world. A gentle bite, and sweet nectar would seep out, slipping into his mouth to be savored—yet no matter how much he tasted, he never got enough.

Qi Xingchen felt as if his soul was being pulled away with each kiss. His entire body tingled, aching with emptiness. He instinctively leaned into Bo Ye, murmuring softly, “Give it back…”

“What do you want back?” Bo Ye asked.

Qi Xingchen snapped back to his senses. “Nothing.”

“Do you want to take back what’s yours?” Bo Ye refused to let him off. “Or… do you want something of mine?”

Qi Xingchen’s gaze flickered away, refusing to answer. In response, Bo Ye traced the corner of his lips with his tongue, his fingers sliding downward—

After a passionate night, Bo Ye lay atop Qi Xingchen, planting gentle kisses on every beautiful inch of his body. He asked, “What were you asking me for earlier?”

Qi Xingchen, too embarrassed to face anyone after being reduced to such a mess, whispered, “…My soul. You took it away.”

“Then take it back,” Bo Ye said with a chuckle. “And while you’re at it, take mine too.”

“You can have whatever you want—it’s all yours.”

Qi Xingchen’s body trembled. After a brief pause, he turned and kissed him.

Between kisses, he whispered devoutly, “It’s okay… I’m yours.”

That night, Bo Ye was completely consumed by desire, like a wild beast in heat, needing to drink in every drop of Qi Xingchen to survive. He kept taking, over and over again—

Who knew how many times they did it? From the living room to the bathroom to the bedroom—until Qi Xingchen had nothing left to give. Only then did Bo Ye finally let him go, kissing him, holding him, falling into a deep sleep together.

The consequence of their indulgence was that they only woke up in the late afternoon the next day.

Qi Xingchen counted the small hickeys scattered across his arms and muttered, “Good thing I don’t have any shoots these days, or we’d be trending again.”

“Let me see.”

Bo Ye flipped him over and examined the disaster zone that was his collarbone and neck. He assessed it seriously, “Mmm… Yeah, you definitely can’t go out.”

Qi Xingchen: “…And yet you still bit me.”

“I’ll be gentler next time,” Bo Ye pulled him into his arms, rubbing his chin against his fluffy hair. “But there’s no fixing it this time. Stay with me for a few days.”

Qi Xingchen didn’t really have a choice. They hadn’t been particularly discreet when they returned last night—there were bound to be paparazzi lurking outside, waiting for a shot.

Even though they had already gone public and living together was perfectly normal, he still didn’t like having his private life exposed to public scrutiny.

He was both generous and possessive—generous enough to accept that Bo Ye was loved by ninety million people, yet possessive enough that he didn’t want to share Bo Ye’s private self with anyone.

“Don’t go, okay?” Bo Ye pressed on. “Hmm?”

“Alright, I won’t go. What about you? Don’t you have any work?”

Bo Ye’s lazy voice came from above. “Nope. I cleared my schedule this week just for you.”

“You cleared your schedule?” Something felt off to Qi Xingchen, like he had fallen into a trap.

As he was trying to figure out what was wrong, he suddenly felt the hand on his waist begin to knead him, and something pressing against his lower abdomen start to wake up again.

Qi Xingchen immediately recoiled, looking helpless. “Brother Ye, let me rest! My waist and butt still hurt!”

“Alright,” Bo Ye reluctantly agreed. “But call me ‘husband’ again.”

Remembering how he got tricked last night, Qi Xingchen refused without hesitation. “I called you that last night, and you still didn’t let me go!”

Bo Ye leaned in. “Are you going to say it or not?”

Qi Xingchen caved instantly. “Husband.”

“Mhm, I’m here,” Bo Ye’s voice dropped slightly, and he even blushed a little. “Wait here, I’ll get you some medicine.”

With that, he rolled out of bed and retrieved a bottle of ointment from the first aid kit.

Qi Xingchen suddenly recalled how Bo Ye had casually grabbed certain… supplies from the living room drawer last night.

Damn it. This sly bastard had planned everything from the start!

And to think he had acted cute like Pikachu, danced for him, even taken the initiative to— All of it was a damn scam!!!

Even though he felt indignant, the ship had already sailed—full speed ahead. At this point, all he could do was stay put.

After applying the medicine and waiting for the swelling to subside a little, Bo Ye helped the still-sore Qi Xingchen take a shower. Once they were dressed in high-collared long sleeves to cover up the marks, they prepared to go to a less crowded supermarket to buy some groceries.

They usually traveled in a nanny van, so this was Qi Xingchen’s first time sitting in Bo Ye’s personal car. He was stunned. “Wait, you drive a sports car?!”

Bo Ye leaned over to fasten his seatbelt. “Why? I can’t drive a sports car?”

“Isn’t that a bit too flashy?” Qi Xingchen thought about the internet trolls who were always looking for a reason to attack Bo Ye. “Aren’t you afraid of getting criticized?”

“I spent my own money on it. What does it have to do with them? Besides, I didn’t do the things they make up about me, so why should I care?”

Hearing this, Qi Xingchen suddenly understood why Bo Ye had stood strong in the entertainment industry for eight years, why he remained an insurmountable peak in the world of top-tier celebrities.

Fame was a double-edged sword. Enjoying its glory meant also bearing its burdens.

But Bo Ye was clear-headed and free-spirited, never letting the illusion of fame weigh him down. And because of that, he had gained even more.

Qi Xingchen admired him even more.

The engine roared to life, and the car glided out of the driveway.

As expected, two minivans were parked by the entrance, clearly filled with lurking paparazzi.

The moment Bo Ye’s car pulled out, the minivan doors cracked open, and several camera lenses of various lengths immediately poked out, all aimed at them.

Qi Xingchen instinctively wanted to lower his head, but Bo Ye said, “No need to hide.”

Then, with a press of the accelerator, the car shot forward with a deafening “vroom”, leaving the two paparazzi vans in the dust.

The stunned reporters exchanged looks. Holy shit, their idol had driving skills like that?!

G City was known for its livability, but its commercial scene wasn’t as developed as H City’s, so there weren’t many large supermarkets.

Bo Ye chose the biggest one available. After parking the car, they donned sunglasses and masks, looking very much like two criminals about to rob a bank.

Fortunately, it was a weekday, and the supermarket catered to a more upscale crowd. While they did get a few curious glances from customers and staff, no one recognized them, allowing them to slip inside unnoticed.

Since Qi Xingchen was still sore, Bo Ye took charge of pushing the shopping cart. As they passed each aisle, he kept asking:

“Do you want chips?”

“Do you want cotton candy?”

“Do you want chocolate?”

“Do you want beef jerky?”

Qi Xingchen sighed helplessly. “I’m an adult.”

“Snacks aren’t just for kids. If you want to eat them, just eat.”

“I don’t have a habit of eating snacks.” Qi Xingchen hesitated for a moment before continuing, “When I was little, there were too many kids at the orphanage, and we couldn’t afford snacks. Later, when I joined the acrobatics troupe, I was the youngest, so I could never grab any. By the time I went to college and could buy them with my own money, I had already lost interest in eating snacks.”

He chuckled. “Come to think of it, the first time I had a proper ice cream was the one you bought me during Travel on a Budget.”

Back when they had opened up to each other, Bo Ye had been too caught up in emotions to ask about Qi Xingchen’s past in detail. He knew it wasn’t good, but he hadn’t expected it to be this rough.

Bo Ye felt a tight squeeze in his heart. He reached out and gently hooked Qi Xingchen’s palm. “From now on, you have me.”

Bo Ye wasn’t a fan of snacks either, so after wandering around the snack aisle for a while, they finally reached their actual destination—the household goods section.

Other than toothbrushes, towels, and slippers, Bo Ye hadn’t prepared anything for Qi Xingchen. As Qi Xingchen threw items into the cart, he muttered, “I’m not picky. Next time, just buy whatever’s convenient.”

But Bo Ye refused. “No. You have to pick them yourself. I can accompany you, but you have to choose.”

“Why? We’re taking such a risk just coming out like this.”

“Because this is our home.” Bo Ye squeezed his hand lightly. “You have to take part in it.”

This is our home, so you need to be involved. Every little thing, no matter how big or small, should have traces of you arranging it with your own hands.

At that moment, staring at the scattered household items in the cart, Qi Xingchen was struck by a realization.

Yes, that villa wasn’t just some house—it was his home.

A place where he could finally put down roots. A place his heart could belong to.

During work, Bo Ye mostly relied on takeout for his meals. Now that he finally had a chance to rest at home, Qi Xingchen didn’t want him eating outside food again. He carefully picked out a few boxes of fresh meat and vegetables, along with two small bags of rice and flour, planning to cook for them.

But as soon as they got home and he stepped into the kitchen, Bo Ye shamelessly followed him in, insisting on showing off his dumpling-making skills.

During the New Year, Bo Ye had once mentioned making dumplings for him. Qi Xingchen hadn’t taken it seriously at the time, but who would’ve thought this young master had actually gone and learned it? And not just casually—he had learned properly.

Well… aside from not knowing how to knead the dough, mix the filling, or fold the dumpling pleats…

But the dumplings he wrapped were tight, the edges pinched firmly together. There was no risk of the filling falling out, making them inedible.

As the sun set and the moon rose, they sat across from each other at the dining table. Before them were two dishes: one was the signature dish of the Best Newcomer Award winner, and the other—top-tier dumplings, exclusive to an A-list celebrity.

With candlelight flickering and red wine in hand, the meal was neither fully Chinese nor fully Western. It looked mismatched but felt strangely harmonious, as if life was meant to be this way.

Bo Ye poured the wine into their glasses.

Qi Xingchen raised an eyebrow. “A toast to our housewarming?”

Bo Ye glanced at him. “No. Today is an important day.”

“An important day?” Qi Xingchen blinked. “Why don’t I remember anything special…?”

He started counting on his fingers. “Your debut anniversary was yesterday, your birthday isn’t for a few more days, and your first on-screen appearance anniversary is later this year… Today doesn’t seem to be any big occasion.”

“Enough, stop counting.” Bo Ye handed him a glass of wine and said calmly, “One year ago today, I went back to the company to find something, and I saw you in the practice room. Today is our one-year anniversary of meeting each other.”

At the time, neither of them could have imagined they would end up together.

Fate was truly incredible.

Bo Ye gently clinked their glasses together and smiled. “There are 7.6 billion people in the world. Thank you for choosing to be with the one in 7.6 billion that is me.”

“I love you.”

_{What’s happening with ML’s recently? How do they spout such cheesy yet wonderful lines. Same with ML of Reborn in the 1970s as a Rural Woman what a proposal it was.}