Cosmic Love Affair

Chapter 21 Sagittarius Four

Xie Li blinked his eyes, “Mr. Tan, you're back in the country.”

The little creature who had just woken up still had a bit of sleepiness in his eyes. He blinked and it brought out a hint of moisture, almost as if he was about to yawn.

Tan Ke finally couldn't hold back and reached out to ruffle the boy's hair. His hair was soft and still carried the warmth of the sun.

Tan Ke felt his heart soften as well, and he said gently, “Auntie won't be back until late today.”

Xie Li was a bit slow to react, and then he softly said “Ah”: “I forgot to tell the professor before coming today.” He stood up as he spoke, “Then I'll leave first.”

Tan Ke didn't stop him, standing there with his hands in his pockets, watching Xie Li walk towards the balcony door, getting slower and slower, as if he was really struggling. Finally, just before stepping over the threshold of the balcony, he turned around.

Xie Li was a bit nervous. He was always a bit reserved when facing Tan Ke, and even more so now.

He looked at the man and said, “Mr. Tan, the venue that day was so beautiful.”

“It was beautiful,” Tan Ke nodded with a smile, his response being meaningless small talk.

The words Xie Li had prepared were suddenly pushed back.

He tried to guess Tan Ke's attitude in his heart and tentatively asked, “Do you think I can visit there again in the future?”

He thought his probe was very skillful, like a tiny snail with a transparent shell, secretly poking its feelers out from behind a grape leaf, thinking no one would notice.

Tan Ke walked over, one hand resting on the frame of the sliding door of the balcony, just enough to cast his entire shadow over Xie Li.

He was very satisfied with this difference in height and size.

He looked down at Xie Li, “I'm afraid it won't be possible to go there again.”

Xie Li's heart suddenly sank, as if he had been kicked into the water by someone.

He felt disappointed and thought, Oh, well then.

But Tan Ke spoke again, “Because the conference room will still be useful in the future, so the screen and equipment will all be donated to the city science museum.”

There was a hint of huskiness in the man's voice, vibrating low in Xie Li's ear, making his heartbeat and thoughts all jumbled up.

Tan Ke reached out his other hand and brushed away the stray hairs on Xie Li's forehead.

His eyes were gentle, and his fingers were warm.

He traced the shape of Xie Li's eyes with his gaze. The boy's eyes were bright and beautiful, with clear black and white, like a pair of black pearls kept in clear water, with an innocent clarity.

His fingers gently caressed Xie Li's forehead, “After it's set up, I'll take you there. The venue there is larger, and with the sound effects, it will look even better.”

The Third Kind of Contact*.

This term popped into Xie Li's mind inappropriately, yet oddly fitting.

It wasn't a far-fetched association, nor a vague hint left by clues, but a definite signal.

The eye contact, the warm skin friction, the words full of infinite imagination.

This is the third kind of contact, Xie Li thought, this is Tan Ke making an advance to him.

He became extremely delighted, casting all his worries aside in an instant.

Like someone who found out they won the lottery but still tried to act calm when going to the lottery station to confirm, he reached out and grabbed the hem of Tan Ke's clothes, as if that could get more affirmation, and asked Tan Ke, “Is it because of me?”

A seemingly random sentence, but both of them understood.

Tan Ke's eyes curved into a smile, his usual sternness disappearing in an instant. He lightly tapped Xie Li's clean forehead with his hand, “What do you think?”

The straightforward and eager anticipation flowed out from Xie Li's eyes. He looked at Tan Ke and said softly, “Thank you, I really like it.”

Tan Ke hummed in response. Xie Li's gaze was so intense that it made his chest feel warm. He took Xie Li's hand, which was still holding his collar, and stepped towards the indoor area.

His hand was big and warm, with long and strong fingers. There were slight thin calluses in his palm, which brushed against the back of Xie Li's hand, tickling all the way into Xie Li's heart from the skin on the back of his hand.

Xie Li walked with his head down, an unconscious silly smile on his face, and stealthily turned the direction of his hand held by the man. Palm to palm, fingers intertwined.

The nanny walked into the living room with drinks and was shocked to see the two walking hand in hand, stopping in her tracks.

Tan Ke let go of his hand and pushed Xie Li, “Go change your shoes, I'm taking you somewhere.”

Xie Li nodded obediently, greeted the nanny politely, and quickly ran to the entrance hall.

Tan Ke stayed in the living room and comforted the shocked nanny, “Please help me with this today, Auntie, let me talk to my cousin myself.”

The nanny finally came to her senses, feeling very embarrassed, and agreed repeatedly, “Ah, yes, yes, you can count on me. But Teacher Fang will be back soon. Is Xiao Xie leaving?”

“I'll talk to my cousin, I'm taking him somewhere,” Tan Ke said.

Xie Li stood at the entrance hall, wearing his shoes, and watched Tan Ke come over to change his shoes. He held back but still couldn't help asking, “Where are you taking me?”

Tan Ke went around him, opened the door, and took his hand again to walk outside, “You'll know when we get there.”

He opened the car door for Xie Li and watched him get in.

As he walked around the front of the car to the driver's seat, his steps were light, carrying a long-lost pleasure.

Tan Ke got in the car, reached out to move Xie Li's school bag from his lap to the back seat, and glanced with a bit of regret at the seatbelt Xie Li had already fastened.

At first, neither of them spoke.

Xie Li calmed down and had many questions in his mind, the most important of which was still about the type.

This seems to be a romantic relationship. But how can two zeros be in a relationship? Someone has to be the one, right?

He furtively observed Tan Ke with his peripheral vision.

In fact, from his figure to his personality, Tan Ke really didn't seem like a zero at all. But since Song Yi had liked him for so long, she should be very clear about his type, right?

So he must be a zero, right?

Xie Li felt very complicated.

With Tan Ke's conditions, he could definitely be the one, but he still chose to be the zero, which means he didn't want to be the one.

Xie Li was worried and didn't know if it was difficult to be the one. But someone has to do it. If it really can't be helped, he could do it, right? After all, he had never really been a zero before, maybe he had the talent to be the one?

Besides, when it comes to being in a relationship with Tan Ke, what does it matter to be the one?

Song Yi could be the one, and so could he!

Fine, he would be the one!

Tan Ke noticed his little actions and spoke without changing his expression, “I've been on a business trip recently.”

Xie Li came to his senses, “I saw the news.” He paused, hesitating and somewhat concerned, “Was it not very smooth?”

Long Whale Investment is essentially a private equity fund. The capital raising is non-public and not subject to public supervision, so financial media and investors pay special attention to Long Whale's movements.

Ever since he saw the report about Long Whale in the cafeteria, Xie Li also began to pay attention to financial news that had nothing to do with him.

He knew that Long Whale had returned empty-handed from Hua Street.

Tan Ke was quite relaxed and didn't avoid talking about it, “Indeed, it wasn't smooth, otherwise I wouldn't be back so soon.”

As they were talking, the car stopped in front of a small alley. There was a hand-written sign at the entrance of the alley - Tomorrow Special English Education Center, fifty meters inside.

Xie Li looked around curiously, “Are we here?”

Tan Ke unbuckled his seatbelt, reached out to pinch Xie Li's earlobe, a small piece of fair skin that was soft and thin, he had wanted to pinch it for a long time.

“What were you thinking when you first got in the car?” Tan Ke leaned against the center console armrest, very close to Xie Li. His eyes were warm, staring at Xie Li without blinking.

Xie Li couldn't bear it, his heart pounding wildly.

But he thought, he was going to be the one, so the one should take the initiative and not always wait for the zero to speak.

So he boldly said, “Mr. Tan, I like you, would you be willing to be in a relationship with me?”

Tan Ke didn't speak for a moment.

Xie Li hesitated for two seconds, propped himself up and leaned towards Tan Ke, and without warning, planted a “smack” kiss on Tan Ke's face.

The lemongrass aftershave seemed to stick to his lips, with a hint of sweet and spicy flavor, filling his sense of smell and making him feel like he was going to burst into flames.

Tan Ke really didn't expect that after more than ten days of not seeing each other, the boy's courage had grown to such an extent.

He reached out to unfasten Xie Li's seatbelt, casually touched his slightly red cheek, and then asked seriously, “Did I agree to let you kiss me?”