Chapter 554 - He Finally Understood (1/2)

Qiu Ling ran out of the door and toward where he felt his beloved's presence. He finally saw Jing Yi at the edge of a bamboo grove. The sleeves of his white robe were fluttering in the wind and his black hair swaying in the breeze behind his back. With the desolate air about him, he looked surprisingly much like Jing He.

Qiu Ling accelerated his steps and just like Jinde had said he wrapped Jing Yi into his arms. Ah, it seemed he had forgotten to call out to him before! Well, it should still be effective to do it now.

”Jing He.” Qiu Ling whispered his name and tightened his grab around him.

Jing Yi involuntarily reached up and touched those familiar arms. This way of hugging him … He remembered that Tian had done it regularly. Sneaking up on him from behind and then embracing him without warning, it was a thing he seemed to like doing.

And his past self had loved it because it made it so easy to fall against his chest. If somebody saw, he could still pretend to have been too surprised to react. But if nobody was there … then he could snuggle up against his lover's broad chest and be his for a while. Only his person.

With his heart beating wildly, Jing Yi leaned back against Qiu Ling's chest and just like in his memories, his lover leaned forward, his hair tickling his shoulder and his lips brushing his cheek.

”Don't worry, my love. I'm here. Whatever it is I'll stay with you. I'll help you.”

Qiu Ling's breath tickled his skin, making Jing Yi shudder. In response, those arms tightened once more.

”Are you cold? Do you want to go back inside?”

Almost the same words as back then …

Jing Yi held onto those hands, his head spinning. He felt like he understood but at the same time, he was still confused. If he was Jing He, the Jing He that Qiu Ling had loved so much, then why had Qiu Ling never said anything? But if he was, it would at least explain how Qiu Ling had found him and fallen in love with him out of all people even though he had been so young back then.

And now that he thought about it, everything else made sense too, didn't it? The similarities that he had explained away just by him liking the same type of man before, the name he shared with Qiu Ling's previous lover, the strong feelings he had developed for Qiu Ling in such a short time.