Till Death Do Us Part Chapter 13

 

Not wis.h.i.+ng to get involved with Jenny w.a.n.g, Shen Liangsheng did not call and arrange a date with her. However, Miss Jenny was more open than expected and rung the Shen manor first.

  Although he did not wish to establish any kind of relations.h.i.+p with her, he had to put on a proper act for the sake of Old Man w.a.n.g. He never rejected any of her proposals, but his behaviour was mild, not too close and not too distant. It was polite enough so that not one fault could be found but still made the lady hot around the collar from frustration. After a few days, though, it became clear to Jenny that the man most likely had no interest in her. His mask of kindness was only to avoid creating hostility between the two families. All he was waiting for was her getting bored or annoyed and just leaving him alone. If she were another girl, perhaps one with a soft disposition, she might have sighed, “I shall leave you be if you hadn’t the heart for me.” If she were a stubborn one, she probably would keep fighting, pus.h.i.+ng harder after each failure until she came to a dead end. If she were a sa.s.sy diva, she would go right up to Shen Liangsheng with her finger in his face, demanding, “Yes or no, you better lay it out right this instant!” However, Miss Jenny w.a.n.g was in fact a roguish mischief-maker. Once the dreamy eyes disappeared, she saw through Shen Liangsheng’s calm facade and guessed his true intentions. This man was a t.w.a.t who, in her opinion, lived his life under a disguise. Thus, Miss w.a.n.g finally gave her old man a break and instead bugged Shen Liangsheng in her free time. As though playing with a dog or cat, she used Mr. Shen Jr. to combat her boredom while wondering how long this masquerade would last. On the other hand, Shen Liangsheng eventually understood the situation at hand. He was eighty percent sure that Jenny w.a.n.g was not romantically interested in him anymore, and that she simply wanted someone to play a game with her to not be bored. Hence, he dropped some of his act and even mocked her once when she got on his nerves. “Our chef must be terribly talented for Miss w.a.n.g to be here for dinner all the time.” “Well, the gra.s.s is always greener on the other side.” Jenny acted cra.s.s and graceless exactly like her dad. She sported a tomboy cut and even wore men’s fas.h.i.+on today. She sat unladylike in the lounge in Shen Liangsheng’s home, asking as she ate sunflower seeds. “Is my dear Ch’in-kekecoming tonight?” “Since when was he your brother?” At the end of the day, this was what bothered Shen Liangsheng the most. As Jenny came often to his house and most of the time without an invitation, running into Ch’in Ching became inevitable. She knew that he was the businessman’s close friend. The first time they exchanged names, the second time they got to know each other and somehow by the third time, “Mr. Ch’in” had become “my dear Ch’in-keke.” The reason for this was Ch’in Ching’s friendliness. First of all, Ch’in Ching thought that Jenny didn’t like Shen Liangsheng in that way, and secondly, even if she did, he didn’t think it was right for him to bully a girl. Jenny was not stupid; she realized that Ch’in Ching was an honest, straightforward person, unlike that ambiguous, half-hearted Shen Liangsheng. She didn’t care that he was not a son of the rich and wanted to be his friend nonetheless. During their chat, she found out that he was a crosstalker and began to pester him with requests to become his pupil. She claimed that she had artistic talent and could do a perfect imitation of Chaplin. She then performed an act and it was not half bad. The w.a.n.gs were native to Tientsin. Jenny was abroad for two years but was nonetheless a Tientsiner born and bred. When she and Ch’in Ching came together, nothing could stop their banter. Shen Liangsheng could have sworn that he was a bear with a sore head when he overheard their ridiculous chitchat in the Tientsin dialect. In addition, he had to stay wary in case Miss w.a.n.g decided to give up on him and instead go for Ch’in Ching. Out of the three, he was the only one troubled and constantly worried. He wished he could go on strike and force Old Man w.a.n.g to keep a stricter watch on his baby daughter so she would stop invading his peace and quiet.   December came to a trouble-free end. From Christmas to New Year’s Day, anyone who was anyone held gatherings. Naturally, Shen Liangsheng could not escape the tradition. He picked a date, sent out the RSVPs and waited for the guests to show up, have fun and leave. Sheng Kung was considered a Christian school since the investors of Sheng Kung were mostly pastors and devote members of the church. Thus, the school was closed for Christmas. Shen Liangsheng was annoyed that Jenny had been getting in the way of him spending time with Ch’in Ching and kept the schoolmaster in his manor since the holidays began until the new year. The party was set on New Year’s Eve. Jenny regretfully announced that she already had plans that night. Shen Liangsheng nodded, agreeing that it was a shame, while thinking secretly that it really was a shame she didn’t hurry up and get back to America to her education. Without Jenny, there was no one to keep Ch’in Ching busy, and he liked the peace and quiet, too. Disregarding the party downstairs, he stayed in the bedroom reading. He did not know any of Shen Liangsheng’s friends or acquaintances anyways, nor did he want to. Shen Liangsheng never introduced him to anyone, either. It was as though a line was drawn with Shen Liangsheng standing on top, to the left was a crowd – his social connections – and to the right was one person – his secret, taboo love.   “Have they all gone home?” “Not yet.” “Then what’re you doing here?” Ch’in Ching was sitting on the bed reading some book he had brought over. He looked up when Shen Liangsheng came into the room before quickly going back to his page. Shen Liangsheng approached the bed and sat down, but he did not speak. After Ch’in Ching read a few more lines, he noticed that the man still had not said anything and kept staring at him, so he placed the book down and stared back. Only then did he find that the man’s composed face was a bit pink. “Did you have too much to drink? Want to lie down for a bit?” “No, I’m fine.” “If so, then go downstairs,” Ch’in Ching said as he ma.s.saged his forehead for him. “What’s the host doing leaving his guests unattended?” Shen Liangsheng grabbed his hand and pulled the man into his arms. He replied in a slightly drunk voice while softly nuzzling his hair with his chin, “I missed you, wanted to see what you’re up to.” This took Ch’in Ching by surprise, but he quickly recovered and began to bask in his own glory. The taller man was acting so adorably that he couldn’t help but be wooed. He immediately took the opportunity to hug the man close and tease him, “If only I’d known that Mr. Shen Jr. would be so endearing after a few drinks….” Tired of the schoolmaster’s pointless quips, Shen Liangsheng went straight for the kiss and pushed the man down onto the bed. Ch’in Ching could taste some alcohol and tobacco from the kiss as he licked the other man’s tongue. When Shen Liangsheng teased him back, he returned the favour. They kept toying with each other, back and forth, and before it got out of hand, Ch’in Ching pushed the other man and urged in a whisper, “You should go downstairs, leave this for later.” “It’s pretty late now.” Shen Liangsheng was not going to actually do anything. He backed away and gathered his breath, but still returned with banter. “True,” Ch’in Ching sat up straight and looked at his watch, “Maybe I should go to bed.” Shen Liangsheng stood up and shot a look at the man while he fixed his clothes. “If you want me to wait for you, just say it. What are you rolling your eyes at me for?” Ch’in Ching snickered as he burst his bubble without hesitation. Noticing the crooked Windsor knot around the man’s neck, he got up as well and adjusted it for him. Looking down at the man fixing his tie for him and hearing the faint music coming from downstairs, Shen Liangsheng hooked an arm around the man’s waist and spun him around in an improvisational dance. The heater was turned high in the room. Ch’in Ching was wearing a s.h.i.+rt and dress pants but only satin slippers on his feet. On the other hand, Shen Liangsheng was clad prim and proper like the second time he met Ch’in Ching – the full white tuxedo made his hair appear especially dark and his eyes mysterious. The schoolmaster had started out smiling as he let the man sway him. He had underestimated how romantic this man could be despite his usual stern and cool appearance. But, slowly he began to feel dazed as though he had become drunk as well, and the smile faded from his face.   Ch’in Ching looked into those bottomless eyes and all the sounds, of the people and of the music, slipped faraway. All that was left was the pair of eyes, deep like a well undisturbed for centuries awaiting that one person in dire need of water. He couldn’t stop himself from initiating a pa.s.sionate kiss with the taller man. He stretched out for his tongue and swallowed his fluid in hopes to become that thirsty person. Shen Liangsheng’s ears buzzed as the l.u.s.t he had just managed to put out began to burn stronger than before. He returned the frantic kiss while rus.h.i.+ng to unfasten his own belt. He pushed his pants and underwear down and sat down on the bed, pulling Ch’in Ching down to his knees. “Suck it. Take it in deep.” Ch’in Ching knelt on the floor and ducked down to take the man deep into his mouth until he felt the hairs tickling his face. His nose was filled with his scent and his ears his m.u.f.fled moans. This made him suck harder so that he could perhaps hear the man lose control. The thought drove blood into his own member and wetted the cloth wrapped around its head. Shen Liangsheng was mostly self-possessed in bed. He would not lose his last line of self-restraint no matter how mad he drove Ch’in Ching to be. However, perhaps because he really had too much to drink tonight, he recalled that euphoric night long ago as he drowned in the ecstatic stimulation. He had also gotten drunk on the night he first met him and had an intense wet dream. Now, the person in his dreams was kneeling between his legs, sucking him hard and loud as if his life depended on it. The satisfaction and excitement of his dream becoming reality eventually hit him with an impact large enough that his mental barricade collapsed. The waves once trapped pushed through the broken dam with no signs of stopping. He felt like his member was going to melt in the man’s mouth. The warm flesh and nimble tongue tended to his manhood, stimulating each sensitive spot, and soon, he let his voice go just as Ch’in Ching had wished. Shen Liangsheng had a nice voice, deep and chilled like a gla.s.s of amber spirit on the rocks, cool but extremely easy to get drunk on. Ch’in Ching pressed his tongue along the length and licked down to swirl his tongue on the perineum. He sealed his lips around the bulging sac and sucked as seductive moans escaped from the man above. Hearing them made his own abdomen tighten and his erection harden even more – he almost wanted to come right then and there. “Suck it…ah….” Shen Liangsheng could feel his release upon him and pushed his hips forward as he teased breathlessly, “Do you like it?” “Mhm, I do,” Ch’in Ching purred before taking the head in again, hollowing his cheeks and sucking. He felt the shaft shudder from the eminent climax and began playing with the b.a.l.l.s in rhythm. Shen Liangsheng couldn’t hold back any longer. With a blissful cry, he exploded in the man’s mouth. By the time he was himself again, he realized the man had swallowed all his c.u.m save for the smudge by his lips that was evidence of his loss of self-control.   “Why are you so well-behaved lately?” Shen Liangsheng pulled him up by the hand and sat him down on his lap. He kissed the remaining traces of him from his lips while rubbing the bulge in his pants. “You must really like it to be this hard just from blowing me.” “Shut up.” Ch’in Ching was able to say those things because the man’s sultry voice made him lose his mind, but now that he was back to normal, his cheeks flushed from the very thought of having admitted that he liked the man’s member. He quickly changed the topic. “Just go back downstairs and do your business already.” “What’re you going to do if I leave?” Shen Liangsheng moved backwards and pushed Ch’in Ching into the spot between his legs before reaching to undo his belt. “Stop it already. Someone might come looking.” Ch’in Ching lay in his arms and warned softly, but it was not a real refusal since he was yearning for release as well. “I just want to see if your knees are red. What did you think I was going to do?” The taller man pushed his bottoms down past the knees and ma.s.saged the kneecaps as a reward for kneeling for so long. “Does it hurt?” “No.” Ch’in Ching was sitting between the man’s legs half-naked with his erection in plain sight. The thought of the man staring at it aroused him so much that the head started to ooze more juices. “Does it hurt here?” Shen Liangsheng finally put his hands on his member and began stroking it. “Yeah, it’s swollen.” Ch’in Ching couldn’t resist anymore and relaxed into the man’s embrace. He breathed, “But it’ll stop hurting if you touch it for me.” “If I just touch it?” Shen Liangsheng teased softly in his ear as he reached out for the lamp and brought it closer to s.h.i.+ne on the schoolmaster’s manhood. “I’d better take a closer look. We can’t have it developing further complications, now can we?” Under the soft glow of the lamp, Ch’in Ching watched as the man’s slender digits slid along his shaft. He tried to thrust his hips up but he had no strength in his waist as if all the bones in his body disappeared, the only thing left still strong was his erection. “Does it hurt here?” Shen Liangsheng was carefully examining his member, poking the slit on top with his finger. “No…oh….” “What are you groaning for then?” Ch’in Ching held his tongue. “How would I know what’s wrong if you don’t tell me?” “Nothing’s wrong.” Ch’in Ching couldn’t take the teasing anymore and grabbed his hand. “You have to finish what you started. You were the one who was making such s.e.xy sounds.” “It appears there is no problem. See for yourself, it’s hot and wet….” Shen Liangsheng ignored the man’s complaint and grabbed the man’s hand to continue stroking together. All the meanwhile, he whispered sweet-nothings in his ear. “You’re so cute, baby, even this little guy….” “Mhm…faster….” Ch’in Ching wasn’t in the mood for any of his embarra.s.sing nonsense and instead immersed himself in the pleasure. However, at the last moment right before his release, he felt something blocking it. He buckled in discomfort, “Don’t…ah…hurts….” “Does it really?” Shen Liangsheng sped up with his hand while pressing on the slit. The length in his hand pulsated but his words were cruel, “Hang in there a bit longer.” “No….” Ch’in Ching was too weak to dislodge his hand. Then, out of nowhere, he heard someone speaking on the other side of the door and remembered that it had not been locked. He stiffened from fright and bit hard on his lip to hold in any noises. “Tell them I’ll be down momentarily.” Unlike the man, Shen Liangsheng had heard clearly. He did not stop his hands and only let go after he had dismissed the intruder. He watched as the man shook in his arms and climaxed with a cry. Quickly, he dipped down and kissed the teary corner of his eye, comforting, “It was someone from the house. Nothing to be afraid of.” “Shen Liangsheng….” Ch’in Ching sat, panting. He realized that the person had been one of the servants, and their relations.h.i.+p had long been an open secret in the Shen manor. However, he was still annoyed that the man tormented him at a time like that. “Get out of here. I don’t want to see your face.” “I just cured you and now you want me to leave?” Shen Liangsheng caressed his half-hard member while kissing his crimson earlobes. “Burning the bridge after you cross; tossing me away like a used rag. Tell me, Mister Ch’in, did I use them correctly?” Ignoring the question, Ch’in Ching climbed out of the taller man’s embrace and into the blankets. He pulled the sheets over his head and played dead. “Alright, you don’t have to wait for me if you’re tired.” Shen Liangsheng stood up and straightened his clothes before patting the man’s head over the blanket. He still joked with him, “My baby has everything in the world anyways, well, except for a caring heart.” “I’m not sleeping.” Ch’in Ching not only was missing a heart, his shame was nowhere to be found either. He had just told the man to leave, but now he poked his head out from under the covers and made a silly face at Shen Liangsheng. “I’m going to wait for my dear Shen-keke to come to bed.”   The origin of “Shen-keke” came from Jenny w.a.n.g’s “Ch’in-keke­.” Shen Liangsheng warned her against creating familial relations when there previously were none, but Ch’in Ching and Jenny in turn began to bully the businessman. “Do you see what I’m seeing, Ch’in-keke? There’s a big green-eyed monster stomping around.” “I’ll be d.a.m.ned, you’re right!” “The poor fellow probably just wants to be called keke, too.” “Yeah, I bet.” “But if he wants people to call him keke, he shouldn’t act like he’s a tough bloke all the time. I mean, who’d have the courage to do it to a face like that?” “Hah, stop it already. He’s on the verge of tears!” “Oh, there, there. Don’t cry. We’ll call you Shen-keke­ if it makes you happy, alright?” “C’mon, Shen-keke, show us those pearly whites.” Of course, the so-called green-eyed monster did not bother to retort, or perhaps he was too frustrated to.   Now, Shen Liangsheng was watching by the bed as Ch’in Ching wrapped himself up like a spring roll with only the head poking out. Seeing his hair flying wild and hearing the playful tone when he called him keke, he almost didn’t want to leave him. Sadly, even so, he had to go. Tientsin was not quite China but not quite foreign land, either. They were celebrating the Gregorian New Year but the customs were more or less Chinese. The guests were all waiting downstairs for Shen Liangsheng to make the New Year toast in celebration for another smooth year in the business and to more wealth and prosperity in the year to come.   “Ch’in Ching,” Shen Liangsheng reached forward to flatten the messy hair. “It’ll be next year when I see you again.” “What?” Ch’in Ching faltered, but after he thought about it, he chuckled, “Oh yeah, you’re right.” “See you next year.” “Yeah, see you next year.”   After Shen Liangsheng left, Ch’in Ching lay on the bed and soon drowsiness threatened to take him. In order to stay awake, he began to look for things to think about. In the end, all he could think of was Shen Liangsheng – he was lying on his bed, wrapped in his blankets, smelling his scent – every thought revolved around him. He was still half-naked and the sheer friction against the soft sheets made him hard again. While he reprimanded himself, he flipped over and hugged the blankets that smelled like the man. He thought of the man as he lay amidst his scent, grinding his hips with frustration from his new erection but refusing to use his hands to relieve it. He wanted to wait for his return, for his hands and for the feeling of his manhood deep inside him…. Ch’in Ching sighed with his face red with embarra.s.sment as he ducked back under the covers again. He was really becoming shameless and there was no helping him.   The countdown might have pa.s.s already as it became very noisy downstairs with celebratory cheers and screams that seemed both strange and distant for some reason. Ch’in Ching looked up and out the window. It was like a picture framed behind icy gla.s.s, one of the silent night with faint stars and a waning moon. Then, flowers bloomed from between the lonely celestial bodies – someone probably lit up fireworks in the garden. A few exploded high by the window, illuminating the night. The flowers of fire budded and withered within mere seconds of existing in the night and in his eyes. When he thought back to this scene later, it seemed as short as everything they had between them, and as long as the rest of their lives.   However, in the moment, he could only think of what Shen Liangsheng had said earlier: See you next year. For some reason, his eyes felt sore and he wanted to cry, but in the end a smile appeared on his face. As he smiled, he was reminded of a cla.s.sic poem. The ancients died long ago but their poems had a new ring to it every time they were read. Every letter and every word just seemed to fit perfectly.   The ancients’ poem says: Being with him month after month, year after year The long night seems even longer yet.