Restricted Area

It was a Friday when Zheng Mingyi was released from prison. Jiang Chijing especially applied for a day’s leave from the prison.

When others came to pick up people released from prison, they’d normally wait at the prison entrance and go up to them as soon as they come out, pampering them with care and affection. But when Jiang Chijing came to pick up Zheng Mingyi, afraid that his colleagues would spot him, he’d deliberately stopped the car on the end of the long boulevard.

Fallen leaves draped both sides of the road. When Zheng Mingyi walked through the boulevard towards him, Jiang Chijing simply watched Zheng Mingyi quietly through the window, as though he was admiring an animated magazine spread.

Zheng Mingyi’s legs were long and straight, handsomely outlined by his suit pants. With every step he took, the high walls behind him shrank a little, and by the time he neared Jiang Chijing’s SUV, the prison gates in the background seemed a thing of faraway.

“New car?” Zheng Mingyi sat in the front passenger’s seat and asked.

“Mm,” Jiang Chijing said. “How’s it?”

Zheng Mingyi turned his head and checked out the space on the back seats, flippantly asking, “Did you have to buy such a big car?”

Jiang Chijing started the ignition and pointedly asked back, “What do you think?”

Zheng Mingyi smiled, saying, “Definitely.”

Both of them were already well-aware of the filth filling each other’s heads. Jiang Chijing trusted that Zheng Mingyi understood his real intent for buying an SUV the moment he saw the spaciousness of the back seats.

Having Zheng Mingyi seated next to him for the first time, the route that Jiang Chijing was used to taking for his commute unexpectedly felt rather refreshing.

By the time they reached home, only half the morning had passed.

The newly-bought couple slippers were placed at the step of the doorway. Jiang Chijing walked in ahead, changing his footwear first. But as he continued to walk towards the living room, Zheng Mingyi, catching him unawares, suddenly hugged him from behind.

“Jiang Jiang,” Zheng Mingyi buried his head into the dip of Jiang Chijing’s shoulders, murmuring softly.

Maybe it was the long-awaited freedom that made Zheng Mingyi emotional. Jiang Chijing could sense that his mood was somewhat different from usual.

“Why?” He reached back and stroked Zheng Mingyi’s hair, placating this large dog who was acting coquettishly.

The prison didn’t allow inmates to keep long hair. Zheng Mingyi’s short crop felt prickly to the touch, but as Jiang Chijing continued to stroke his head, he got addicted to the sensation of it. After all, Zheng Mingyi didn’t often wear his emotions as openly as he did now.

“I was thinking,” Zheng Mingyi said, “where I’d be now without you.”

It was hard to give an answer to this question. But what they could be sure of was that Jiang Chijing did save Zheng Mingyi multiple times, including when the man in black broke into Zheng Mingyi’s house, when Zheng Mingyi was ambushed by Old Nine in the showers, as well as when the bus overturned not too long ago. If it weren’t for Jiang Chijing, Zheng Mingyi would definitely be finished off with a bullet to the head.

“You can ask the you from an alternate universe,” Jiang Chijing said. “Who knows, he might have met someone completely different instead.”

This was obviously a whimsical suggestion, but Zheng Mingyi lifted his head from the hollow of Jiang Chijing’s shoulder, as though seriously contemplating this question. A moment later, he said, “Then I must be luckier than him.”

Zheng Mingyi, this logic freak, often made Jiang Chijing’s head swim. But he had to admit; sometimes, this logic would also poke him in his heart.

“All right now. C’mon, let go of me,” Jiang Chijing patted the back of Zheng Mingyi’s hand.

“Where’s your uniform?” Zheng Mingyi didn’t budge.

The moment these words left the tongue, the sentimental air immediately vanished into nothingness. Jiang Chijing, of course, had made his preparations. But he still had something more important to do now first.

“Go to the kitchen first,” Jiang Chijing said.

“Are we starting from the kitchen?” Zheng Mingyi asked.

People normally started from scratch, for example, start small, start out as friends, etc. Jiang Chijing had never heard anyone who started from the kitchen. Yet, the logic of this odd turn of phrase was actually still quite sound; one could only praise the breadth and depth of language, as well as Zheng Mingyi’s brain for being really weird.

“Come over and have a bite first.”

Jiang Chijing shook off Zheng Mingyi’s arms, walking in his new indoor slippers to the kitchen, taking out a milky white dish from the refrigerator.

Zheng Mingyi came up to Jiang Chijing and asked, “Tofu?”

People who came out of prison had to eat tofu to get rid of bad luck. However, this bowl of tofu was different from regular tofu. It looked silky and bouncy, even with red fleshy fruit pulp floating around it.

> Some people believe that eating tofu counteracts bad luck as it is very white and tender. Tofu also looks like a blank slate, so people who get out of prison eat tofu like they’re welcoming a new beginning. Moreover, tofu is very nutritious~

> Eating tofu also means to take advantage of someone; regional slang that got popular across the nation through its usage in literature.

“Strawberry milk tofu,” Jiang Chijing said. “It should be to your taste.”

Jiang Chijing had attempted this dessert no less than three times, and only after did he deem it presentable enough. He could very well have made Zheng Mingyi an ordinary bowl of tofu, but that was too boring. Maybe the biggest change that having a partner brought to Jiang Chijing was that he was getting a lot more inspired for life.

“Thanks.” Zheng Mingyi wrapped an arm around Jiang Chijing’s shoulders and pecked his lips, then pulled out the chair at the dining table and sat down.

While Zheng Mingyi was eating his strawberry milk tofu, Jiang Chijing slinked off to the second-floor bedroom and changed into the uniform that he had prepared beforehand.

Starting from the kitchen did sound like a good idea.

Jiang Chijing mused as he clipped the handcuffs to his waist; when he went down in a bit, he would start by cuffing Zheng Mingyi to the chair of the dining table, and have him repent for not getting out of prison quicker.

If Zheng Mingyi’s remorse was sincere enough, then it wasn’t as if he couldn’t eat him with relish.

Jiang Chijing made these delightfully wicked schemes as he went downstairs, heading straight for the kitchen. The bottom of the stairs led to the living room, and he had to turn around a corner to access the kitchen.

In the end, the moment Jiang Chijing rounded the corner, he was caught around the waist by Zheng Mingyi, who had been waiting behind the wall.

Jiang Chijing had also played pranks of lying in wait behind the wall to give people a scare when he was young, but it really tossed him off the loop that Zheng Mingyi would actually play such childish tricks with him at his age.

Zheng Mingyi circled an arm around Jiang Chijing, and with his other arm, unclipped the handcuffs from his waist, locking it around Jiang Chijing’s left hand.

Jiang Chijing was getting a bad feeling about this. He kept struggling, saying, “Did you get it wrong, Zheng Mingyi? These are my handcuffs!”

By which he meant: I should be the one cuffing you.

“Can your handcuffs not be used to cuff you?” Zheng Mingyi said. “I’ve been cuffed all day in prison, now it’s your turn.”

After which, Zheng Mingyi cuffed his right hand to his left, locking them behind his back.

“No, what is with your twisted reasoning?” Jiang Chijing protested, “What does you being cuffed in prison have anything to do with me?”

“The inmate is staging an uprising; why would he still talk reason with you.”Zheng Mingyi instantly entered his role, holding Jiang Chijing’s ass and carrying him up. “Officer Jiang. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

I’m screwed, Jiang Chijing thought to himself, I’m going to be fucked to tears.

Translated on ninetysevenkoi.wordpress

Quiet afternoons always carried a wave of drowsiness.

Jiang Chijing didn’t know how long it was, but by the time Zheng Mingyi woke him up, the view outside the car window had turned into a bustling city street.

All of Zheng Mingyi’s personal belongings had been burnt to crisps in the fire. Jiang Chijing could prepare the daily necessities for him, but personal items such as clothes could only be picked in person.

Well, be that as it may, in the end, the person really making the decisions was still Jiang Chijing.

Originally, Jiang Chijing was actually a little reluctant to step out of the house after having consumed a lot of energy in the morning. But now he was fully immersed in the joy of shopping, getting Zheng Mingyi to try on suit after suit for him to see.

As expected, suits looked more sensual than inmate uniforms.

Ahem, scratch that. As expected, suits did look better.

Zheng Mingyi bought over a dozen suits in a go, both formal and informal, suits for all occasions, and every suit perfectly aligned to Jiang Chijing’s kink.

The newly bought clothes were sent by the store clerk to the pick-up area in the carpark. Then, the two of them visited an Old Timepiece outlet.

Jiang Chijing didn’t really pay attention to Old Timepiece’s products, but in actuality, they did have some good designs, not losing out in the slightest to watches from international luxury watch brands. It was only that this local brand always gave people a ‘rustic’ impression, which was why its sales had been declining over the years.

However, with the war on the stock market a while ago, this national brand had entered the public eye again, and many people were willing to support its growth.

“Aren’t you going to wear your luxury watches?” Jiang Chijing casually asked Zheng Mingyi as he picked out the watch strap.

“Old Timepiece has more sentimental value,” Zheng Mingyi said.

Indeed, Jiang Chijing felt this way as well.

Wearing an Old Timepiece was like a constant reminder of how they fell in love, walking with each other to their present relationship.

Then, the two of them chose to have the same style for the dial, merely that Zheng Mingyi picked a gold strap, whereas Jiang Chijing had picked a leather strap.

The two of them placed their wrists together. Though their complexions starkly contrasted, the similar watches were able to perfectly blend their temperaments, practically elevating the concept of couple watches to a whole new level.

After leaving the Old Timepiece outlet, Zheng Mingyi brought Jiang Chijing to a perfume store.

Choosing a new cologne was a topic from long ago, but it was only now that they had the leisure to do so. Zheng Mingyi didn’t look around but directly requested the store clerk for a specific product, getting Jiang Chijing to see how he felt about this first.

The blotter strip was gently fanned under his nose. Jiang Chijing could smell an enthralling, enduring fragrance. The cedar wood that ran through its base tones was mature and quietly elegant, laced by charming top notes of rose above it.

“What is this?” A thought suddenly appeared in his head; Jiang Chijing looked at Zheng Mingyi and asked.

“The cologne I usually use,” Zheng Mingyi said.

As expected.

Jiang Chijing had thought of Zheng Mingyi the very moment he smelled this fragrance, for he realised that he had fallen in love with this cologne at first sight.

It was an intriguing feeling. It was like he was fated to come across this brand of cologne, just like how he was fated to fall in love with this person named Zheng Mingyi.

It all happened so naturally, as though their reciprocated love was an eternal law of nature.

“Do you like it?” Zheng Mingyi said, “If you don’t, then you can pick…”

“I like it,” Jiang Chijing directly interrupted Zheng Mingyi.

“You’re not going to keep looking around?” Zheng Mingyi asked.

“No need,” Jiang Chijing said. “I’ve already set my heart on this one.”

Jiang Chijing had learned to speak in a roundabout way from Zheng Mingyi, and Zheng Mingyi was naturally able to hear the subtext in his words.

Setting his heart on this cologne was actually also him setting his heart on Zheng Mingyi.

“You’re so sure that it suits you?” Zheng Mingyi asked with a smile.

“If it doesn’t suit me I can just change it away,” Jiang Chijing said blasely.

“You’re not allowed to change it,” Zheng Mingyi said. “You’ll have to use it for the rest of your life for me.”

Jiang Chijing didn’t respond to that, but both of them tacitly knew that he had intended to anyway.

Uniform, baton, handcuffs;

Strawberries, cologne, watches.

Their prison story had reached its close, but Jiang Chijing and Zheng Mingyi’s new life together was only just beginning.