Ear Piercing

He slept on tenterhooks that night. Jiang Xu had barely managed to close his eyes in the latter half of the night. When he woke up the next morning, he only felt that half of his shoulder was numb. Groggily opening his eyes, he saw Gu Qingzhou leaning against his chest, rubbing against him. Strands of hair inadvertently brushed against his chin, so itchy it was unbearable.

Jiang Xu's voice was a bit hoarse as he said weakly, "My arm's cramping, hurry up and get up..."

Gu Qingzhou had been awake for a while. After washing up, he had lain back down on the bed for a snooze. Hearing this, he shifted his body slightly to the side, lifted Jiang Xu's arm, and kneaded it. "Better?"

Jiang Xu wasn't fully awake yet. He responded indistinctly with his eyes closed, then fumbled for his phone on the nightstand. Opening his eyes to check the time, he found it was still early, only eight o'clock.

Gu Qingzhou had gone downstairs to buy breakfast in the morning. He said, "Get up and eat."

But Jiang Xu said, "No rush, I'll sleep a little longer."

For him, sleeping until noon was considered good; his record was sleeping until dark. Gu Qingzhou narrowed his eyes at his words, wanting to remind him if he'd forgotten something. He lightly kicked Jiang Xu, "Hey..."

Jiang Xu didn't open his eyes, but his brows twitched. "Hm?"

Gu Qingzhou looked at him and reminded, "Ear piercing."

Jiang Xu seemed to smile at his words, deliberately pretending not to understand. "What ear piercing?"

Gu Qingzhou could tell he was teasing him. He simply flipped over and sat on Jiang Xu's waist, one hand propped beside him, the other grabbing his collar. He repeated with a low laugh, "Take me to get my ear pierced. You promised yesterday."

It was just a small, slightly intimate gesture. When the two of them were leaning on the sofa, Gu Qingzhou would occasionally sit on him like this. But this time was different. Before his words had even faded, Jiang Xu shot up as if he'd been electrocuted. Gu Qingzhou nearly collided with him and subconsciously rolled towards the inner side of the bed, not even realizing what had happened.

Jiang Xu was now like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He subconsciously looked at Gu Qingzhou, only to see the latter sitting on the bed with a look of utter confusion. He belatedly realized his reaction was a bit over the top, cleared his throat, and explained dryly, "You were pressing on my waist just now."

Gu Qingzhou froze. When had he pressed on Jiang Xu's waist? It was clearly...

Men tend to have certain urges early in the morning, especially since Jiang Xu wasn't fully awake. Gu Qingzhou finally, belatedly, realized something and couldn't stop himself from glancing at his lower body. Jiang Xu noticed his gaze, gave up on sleeping in, got out of bed, put on his shoes, and rushed straight into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him with a dull thud.

Gu Qingzhou stared at the closed door and blinked. Then, a beat later, he slowly sat up in bed. Seemingly remembering something, he lowered his eyes thoughtfully. His expression was calm, but the fair skin at the base of his ears grew slightly warm.

Jiang Xu was in the bathroom for a long time, doing who knows what—brushing his teeth, washing his face. Anyway, he finally came out with a heavy atmosphere around him and a very awkward expression. Gu Qingzhou had been waiting for him on the sofa. Seeing him, he raised his eyes slightly and asked in a low, teasing voice, "What took you so long?"

Jiang Xu said, "It wasn't that long."

Gu Qingzhou changed his sitting position, propping his head up with his hand. He said suggestively, "Had a reaction?"

Jiang Xu sat down on the other side of the sofa, never in his wildest dreams imagining he would one day be teased by Gu Qingzhou. He flopped lazily onto the sofa and said, "Who doesn't have a reaction early in the morning? The one who doesn't is what you'd call impotent."

Gu Qingzhou: "..."

On the surface, Jiang Xu was as calm as an old dog, but in reality, he was panicking. He felt that if he kept living with Gu Qingzhou, something was bound to happen. To put it seriously, his chastity might be at risk. He was already pondering how to avoid these overly intimate gestures from the other man.

At some point, Gu Qingzhou had quietly leaned over again, wrapping his arms around his neck to ask for a kiss in a very dependent way. And so, Jiang Xu's inexperienced brain instantly forgot what he had just said, and he habitually wrapped his arms around Gu Qingzhou's waist to kiss him back.

Gu Qingzhou pinched Jiang Xu's earlobe, a silent reminder of something.

Jiang Xu understood instantly and stopped teasing him. "Let's go. I'll take you to get your ear pierced."

Gu Qingzhou got up, ready to leave with him, but was pulled back by Jiang Xu. Jiang Xu didn't say anything, just reached out and messed up Gu Qingzhou's neatly slicked-back hair, pulling his bangs down over his forehead. He straightened them out a bit and then said, "You dress so old-fashioned every day. This makes you look younger."

Gu Qingzhou habitually wore a well-fitting suit, and his hairstyle was always impeccable. Although it made him look steady and mature, it ultimately lacked a bit of youthful energy. After Jiang Xu pulled his bangs down, he seemed to recall something and smiled. "I remember you had this hairstyle in high school too."

Fair-skinned, steady, and quiet—the very picture of a model student.

Gu Qingzhou couldn't remember what he was like in high school. He felt a little happy hearing Jiang Xu's words but didn't show it. He just changed his shoes in the entryway and let out a low "mm," his voice, as usual, betraying no emotional fluctuation.

Getting an ear pierced wasn't much trouble; an earring shop in a nearby mall could do it. Jiang Xu and Gu Qingzhou didn't even drive when they left. After walking just a few steps, they found a place. Jiang Xu pointed to the shop and, putting his arm around Gu Qingzhou's shoulder, said, "Hey, let's get it done there."

It was actually a tattoo parlor. The sign was flashy and a bit of a mess, and the storefront was quite small. An advertising board stood outside, listing various services like eyebrow shaping, eyebrow tattooing, ear piercing, and eyelash extensions, and the prices were quite cheap.

Gu Qingzhou felt some resistance inwardly. He said tentatively, "It doesn't look very hygienic, does it?"

Jiang Xu didn't really care about the size of the shop; he'd gotten his own piercing done at a roadside stall. Some of the big mall places weren't as skilled as these small shops. He had lived a pretty rough-and-tumble life. "It's probably fine. Maybe the owner is just versatile. Let's go in and see?"

Gu Qingzhou reluctantly followed Jiang Xu inside. The small glass door was very old, covered in various kinds of tape. The first push didn't open it; it only gave way after a second push, jerky and stiff like an un-oiled bicycle chain.

The space inside was tiny. A leather recliner in the center took up most of the room, probably for customers getting tattoos. Next to it was a plastic stool where a cool-looking, short-haired girl was sitting. She was cracking melon seeds while watching a drama with rapt attention, not even noticing the customers who had come in.

Jiang Xu had no choice but to speak up to get her attention. "Excuse me, we'd like to get an ear piercing."

The girl snapped back to reality, paused her phone screen, and dusted the melon seed shells from her hands. She glanced over him and Gu Qingzhou, and seeing two high-quality handsome guys, her mood seemed to improve. She stood up and said, "Sure, find a place to sit. It's twenty yuan for one ear, forty for two. Comes with a free stud."

The shop's environment was actually okay, just cluttered with too many things. A neat freak like Gu Qingzhou couldn't stand it anymore. He secretly tugged on Jiang Xu's sleeve and mouthed, "Why don't we find another place..."

However, before Jiang Xu could decipher what he was saying, the girl had already walked over, holding a box of studs for Jiang Xu to choose from. "Pick a style."

Jiang Xu glanced at it, skipping past the top few rows of flashy designs and picking the smallest solitaire diamond stud. "This one. He's getting his left ear pierced. Remember to disinfect it thoroughly."

Hearing this, Gu Qingzhou could only brace himself and sit down, his posture a bit stiff. The girl skillfully disinfected her tools while saying with a smile, "Hey handsome, don't be so cold. Or are you scared of the pain? It'll be over in a second, real quick."

Jiang Xu sat by his side, laughing without a care.

Gu Qingzhou shot him a subtle glare, then turned to the girl and asked, "Does it usually hurt a lot to get this done?"

Gu Qingzhou wasn't actually afraid of pain; he just found the feeling of sitting there and waiting to be pierced unbearable.

The girl used a marker to mark a spot on his earlobe. While holding up a mirror for him to see, she said, "It depends on the person. Everyone's pain tolerance is different. Some people don't feel anything, while for others it's an excruciating pain, like having their flesh gouged out. I can't say for sure, but your earlobe is quite thin, so it probably won't hurt."

As she spoke, she asked, "Is this spot okay?"

Gu Qingzhou didn't know anything about this. Jiang Xu leaned over to take a look and confirmed the spot wasn't off. Then he said, "Yes, that spot is fine."

The girl gave him a smiling glance. "You're pretty attentive to your bro."

Jiang Xu smiled and didn't say anything.

Gu Qingzhou felt a cool sensation on his ear, likely the disinfectant, and couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He unconsciously looked at Jiang Xu, only to find him also looking back. His tense fingertips relaxed without him realizing it.

Jiang Xu said, "It's fine. Your earlobe is thin, it won't hurt."

Gu Qingzhou seemed to want to say something, but before he could speak, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his earlobe, fiery hot like flesh being gouged. His brows knitted imperceptibly as he heard the girl say, "All done. Be careful not to get it wet for the next few days. It should be mostly healed in about a week. If it gets inflamed, just apply some medicine."

Jiang Xu had been watching from the side. He didn't miss Gu Qingzhou's momentary frown. He asked, "Does it hurt a lot?"

Half of Gu Qingzhou's face was numb from the pain. He looked at Jiang Xu, really wanting to hug him. His fingertips twitched slightly, but he held back, not letting any emotion show. "It's okay. It doesn't hurt much."

Jiang Xu didn't speak, just silently squeezed his other earlobe as if to comfort him. Then he went to pay the female owner. Seeing some nail polish bottles scattered on the counter, he couldn't help but remark, "You do nails too? You've got a lot of services."

The owner said, "Hey, just trying to make a living. More skills mean more opportunities. If you guys want tattoos or anything next time, just come on over. I'll give you a discount."

Jiang Xu thanked her casually, and then left with Gu Qingzhou.

The air outside was cool. Due to yesterday's downpour, the air carried a damp scent. A thick layer of sycamore leaves covered the road, swept to the sides by sanitation workers, but more were still continuously falling.

The left side of Gu Qingzhou's ear was both painful and numb. He didn't need to think to know it was badly swollen. He walked home side by side with Jiang Xu, a strange feeling welling up inside him. "Does it hurt a lot after getting it pierced?"

Jiang Xu scratched his head. "It shouldn't."

When he got his done, the feeling was gone after half an hour.

Gu Qingzhou said no more, only able to wait quietly, hoping the wound would heal quickly.

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. Before he knew it, the Huaji project was starting to wrap up. Jiang Xu was incredibly busy, running back and forth between the construction site and the office. He barely got a chance to breathe until the end of the month. During this time, Li Si'ao's love life finally saw rapid progress. Somehow, in a muddle-headed daze, he had successfully won over Fang Qia.

Jiang Xu could do nothing but applaud. "Bro, you have to treat us to a meal."

Li Si'ao was a little embarrassed. "Sure, I just got paid. I'll treat you guys to a big meal tomorrow."

Reminded by him, Jiang Xu finally realized it was the end of the month. He seemed to think of something and sat at his desk without a word for a long while. He checked his bank card balance on his phone and found that his commission for the month was quite high, so he wired some money home. As a result, he received a call from Mother Jiang that afternoon.

Mother Jiang's voice was a little frantic. "You child, I told you not to send money home, why are you still sending it? I can't even spend it all."

Jiang Xu was smoking in the stairwell. He replied, "If you can't spend it, just save it. Who would complain about having too much money?"

He was always like this, so Mother Jiang couldn't do anything about it. She switched to another topic, "You're not young anymore. If you meet a girl you like over there, bring her home for Mom to see. As long as she's down-to-earth, kind, and treats you well, that's enough."

Jiang Xu was evasive. "We'll see."

Mother Jiang said, "We'll see? See what? Your cousin has a child at your age. When you come back for the Spring Festival this year, if you still haven't found anyone, we'll have to ask relatives to set you up on some blind dates. You can't be a bachelor forever, can you?"

As she spoke, she suddenly sighed. "Mom isn't asking for much, I'm just worried you won't have anyone to take care of you..."

Jiang Xu didn't speak. He didn't know what to say either. He made an excuse about having work to do at the company and hung up.

People from small towns marry early. The buddies Jiang Xu grew up with had all started their own families and careers; he was the only one still single. Mother Jiang urged him to find a partner every year, but Jiang Xu currently had no thoughts in that direction and always just put it off.

The author has something to say:

Xiao Jiang lived a pretty rough life growing up, so he's not particular about these things and doesn't really have a concept of it. If any of you are planning to get piercings, it's safer to go to a proper hospital.