Even if you are a boy, I will still love you.

Chapter 14: I need to know that you love me

Chapter 14: I need to know that you love me

 Author: Angelina

 Translator: Adrian Julian

 The movie Like love was adapted from this novel.

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Time always flies faster when you are having fun. And for our couple, the National Day Holidays went by in a flash. AnZiyan passed Mai Ding a set of his house keys. Since he was going to be his maid for a month, giving him his own set of keys would be a more convenient arrangement. And even though An Ziyan was not going to teach him how to drive, Mai Ding found another person to do so. Everything seemed to be going according to plan.

It was the start of school the next day. After having lunch with his parents, Mai Ding took the bus back to campus. For some reason, Liming was already in the dorm, and just like every other time, he was glued to his computer screen. Mai Ding also realized that he was spotting a tan. Liming nodded at Mai Ding when he saw him and said, ‘Hey Mai Ding. Haven’t seen you for a while but from the looks of it, you look mighty pleased with yourself, eh?’

‘My life is like an open book, isn’t it?’ Mai Ding thought. It was one thing that An Ziyan was able to read his mind so well. At least, one can say that that was a sign of compatibility. But for Liming tobe able to also read him so well, that’s another story.

‘Why are you back so early?’ Mai Ding said while tidying his bed.

‘I was tending to my parents’ shop every day. Look, even my snow white skin has been damaged as a result. If I could come back earlier, why wouldn’tI do so?’

‘Stop being disgusting. What snow white skin did you have?’

By the time Mai Ding was done clearing up his side of the room, it was already getting dark outside. He peered out of the window to see if An Ziyan was back but was disappointed by the fact that the room was still in darkness.

After a few minutes, he decided to head to the lobby to buy a simple bento box (translator’s note: a meat and rice takeaway set famous in Northeast Asian countries like China, Taiwan and Japan) for dinner: one for himself and one for Liming. Liming had asked him to when he found out that Mai Ding was heading downstairs. While queuing, however, he wondered if An Ziyan had had his dinner and was worried that he might be hungry. And so, after pondering for a while, he bought the most expensive bento set for his boy.

‘Hey, person in front.’ Someone was calling out to Mai Ding from behind.

Mai Ding turned and it was An Ziyan. Mai Ding couldn’t help but smile. ‘I see you’re back.’ And both boys trotted back to their rooms, walking side by side, shoulderto shoulder. ‘Luckily I bought an extra bento for you. We can eat together later.’

Actually AnZiyan hated bento sets. But seeing how happy Mai Ding looked, An Ziyancouldn’t bring himself to say it. All he could do was to grunt a ‘yes’ in response to what his boy had said.

Back in the dorm, after passing Liming his dinner, Mai Ding was practically skipping to the room next door. To some extent, Liming was a little jealous when he saw how happy Mai Ding was.  ‘Looks like I’d better get myself a girlfriend too.’He thought to himself.

Mai Ding was sitting next to An Ziyanwhile voraciously eating his dinner; Ziyan, on the other hand, was listlessly using his chopsticks to poke at his food, looking obviously disinterested with his meal. He decided to stuff some in his mouth but wanted to gag. To his horror, Mai Ding added more food into his bento box, thinking that he wanted more.

When dinner was over, Mai Ding looked at An Ziyan then knocked on An Ziyan’s desk. There was a pattern in the way he knocked on the desk: one decisive knock, and after about two seconds, three quick ones. And after another two more seconds, one final knock.