Without slowing down or looking back, Lin Wangye strode out, arms full of snacks and treats he’d swiped from his dad’s stash.
When he returned to Room 520, he pushed the door open — a little too forcefully — causing several bags of chips tucked under his arm to tumble to the floor.
He set the kettle down first, then dumped everything else onto the bedside table in one messy pile. Afterward, he hurried back to pick up the scattered chips.
“What do you like to eat?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder. “I’ll grab more next time.”
Seeing Lin Wangye lugging in all those snacks, Shi Yuan sat up straighter, pushing his glasses up his nose with a somewhat flustered expression.
“You really don’t have to do all this,” Shi Yuan said, voice a little softer than usual. “It was just a misunderstanding. I’m not gonna make things hard for him.”
“What do you mean ‘make things hard for him’?” Lin Wangye tilted his head and blinked innocently. “He’s the one who made things hard for you. I already scolded him — he’s resting for now, but he’ll come apologize in person soon.”
After saying that, Lin Wangye scooted his chair closer to the bed, then flopped down on it. He tilted his head back, his bright eyes sparkling as he grinned up at Shi Yuan like a fool.
That grin was contagious. Before he knew it, Shi Yuan found himself smiling back.
Seeing him smile, Lin Wangye jumped at the chance. “If I said I wanted to stay here and keep you company,” he asked eagerly, “would you mind?”
His eyes lit up with excitement, his tone carrying a hint of sweetness.
Meeting that gaze up close, Shi Yuan felt a faint itch in his chest — a strange, fluttering feeling he couldn’t quite place.
If he were being honest, even if someone had held a knife to his throat at that moment, he doubted he could’ve said no.
“I wouldn’t mind,” Shi Yuan said after a pause. “But I’m worried you’ll be wasting your time.”
Lin Wangye propped his chin on his hands, resting his elbows on the bed as he blinked up at him. With a playful smile, he said softly,
“I’d really love to waste my time on you.”
Shi Yuan couldn’t help but feel a little curious. “Why?”
Lin Wangye pressed his lips together, staying quiet. After a few seconds, he leaned in mysteriously and crooked his finger, beckoning him closer.
Catching the signal, Shi Yuan bent down, moving in a little.
“Secret.” Lin Wangye grinned slyly, cupping his hand over his mouth as he whispered in Shi Yuan’s ear, “One day you’ll know, but not now.”
The childish move made Shi Yuan chuckle, but the warmth of Lin Wangye’s breath brushing his ear seemed to trigger something in his brain — a spark that raced down his nerves, making his heart beat faster for no clear reason.
He slowly leaned back, his gaze fixed on the boy in front of him — someone who seemed special in so many ways. He stared into Lin Wangye’s eyes, searching for answers.
But all he found there was pure, burning sincerity.
So simple, so clear — not a trace of doubt or deception.
Shi Yuan knew that kind of honesty was nearly impossible to fake. Lin Wangye’s eyes practically shouted that every word he’d just spoken had come straight from the heart.
He couldn’t imagine what kind of situation would make someone want to spend all their time on another person. But right now, Shi Yuan knew his time was precious — too precious to waste even a second.
Lin Wangye kept his eyes on him, and suddenly, he realized what had felt off this whole time.
He’d always believed that Uncle Shi’s calm wisdom, gentle nature, and caring personality were the result of years of experience — something that only came with age and hardship.
That’s why Lin Wangye had always longed to grow up faster, hoping one day he could stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
But now he realized he was wrong.
Shi Yuan had already been like this at seventeen.
He wasn’t like Lin Shen, whose personality had changed drastically over the years.
The only difference was that the familiar Uncle Shi was always composed and unshaken, carrying himself with effortless ease.
But the person sitting in front of him now… something about him just didn’t feel right.
On the surface, Shi Yuan seemed calm and composed, but deep down, he felt like a tightly stretched bowstring — always pulled to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.
“Are you doing okay?” Lin Wangye suddenly asked.
Shi Yuan sat quietly at the edge of the bed. He didn’t answer right away.
But the moment Lin Wangye asked the question, he already knew the answer from Shi Yuan’s faintest expression.
While Shi Yuan hesitated, trying to figure out how best to respond, Lin Wangye shifted slightly, leaning forward with his upper body resting on the bed. The gap between them shrank just a little, and he started talking as if they were just casually chatting.
“I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately,” Lin Wangye said. “Can I talk to you about it?”
As he spoke, Lin Wangye’s entire posture seemed relaxed — like a cat curled up beside its owner, purring in its sleep.
It felt like some kind of powerful suggestion, weaving a dream-like sense of calm and comfort out of thin air — a moment where time seemed to slow down.
Shi Yuan let his guard down without even realizing it.
The boy’s soft hair was just a few centimeters from his fingertips, and for a moment, Shi Yuan felt an urge to reach out and touch it. But his sense of boundaries quickly forced that impulse down.
Instead, he chose to speak, his voice softer than he expected — even to himself.
“Why do you feel overwhelmed?”
Lin Wangye’s eyes drifted to Shi Yuan’s fingers. Bit by bit, he moved his hand closer.
“I’ve been through a lot,” Lin Wangye said quietly. “I’m carrying so many secrets — some of them are heavy, some are messy and hard to fix, but I have no choice but to deal with them. And at night, when everything’s quiet, my mind just won’t stop. I keep overthinking things, and I can’t sleep.”
He didn’t go into detail.
But somehow, those simple words described Shi Yuan’s own long-standing state of mind so perfectly — maybe even more accurately than Shi Yuan himself could put into words.
Shi Yuan stared at him, silent for a long time.
“But at the same time, I also feel like life is full,” Lin Wangye said earnestly. “And I feel happy.” He lifted his head, meeting Shi Yuan’s gaze directly, his eyes soft and sincere. “Are you happy?”
All this buildup — all these words — had been Lin Wangye’s way of steering the conversation toward this one question.
In his past life, Shi Yuan had seemed perfect in every way.
Mature, capable, confident — like he could handle anything the world threw at him. It felt like you could pile every positive word on him, and none would feel exaggerated.
But happiness? That always seemed out of reach.
Shi Yuan often smiled, yet it rarely seemed like he was truly happy.
Lin Wangye had spent countless hours scheming, carefully planning little moments, all just to figure out how to share his own joy with Shi Yuan.
Now, this question wasn’t just out of curiosity — it was to see how Shi Yuan would respond.
But to Lin Wangye’s surprise, Shi Yuan didn’t answer.
Instead, he asked in return, “Is happiness really necessary for survival?”
Lin Wangye had been talking about life.
But Shi Yuan’s focus was on survival.
Just a single word — yet worlds apart.
“It’s not,” Lin Wangye admitted honestly, quietly shifting his wrist. “But it helps. I’ll give you some of mine — hold onto it, okay?”
With that, Lin Wangye reached out and lightly tapped his fingertip against Shi Yuan’s.
Snap!
A faint crackle sounded as a tiny static shock sparked between them.
Both of them instinctively pulled their hands back at the same time, and Lin Wangye sat up straight, eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Magic!” he grinned.
Shi Yuan’s lips twitched into a faint smile. “It’s just static electricity.”
“Aha!” Lin Wangye straightened up like a magician mid-performance, holding his finger out dramatically. “That’s what people thought at first — just some ordinary static charge. Little did they know…” He paused, his voice dipping low for effect. “The ancient and powerful God of Joy was slowly awakening, ready to reclaim his rightful throne!”
Then, with a grin, he shrugged off his jacket, grabbed the sleeves in both hands, and started rubbing them together furiously. After a moment, he reached out to tap Shi Yuan’s fingertip again.
No spark. No crackle.
The magic… had failed.
Lin Wangye pulled his hand back in disbelief. “My powers have been sealed!”
Shi Yuan chuckled softly, a low, warm sound that somehow made the air feel lighter. He reached out, took Lin Wangye’s wrist, and guided his hand to the metal railing at the side of the bed.
“Here,” Shi Yuan said, voice still tinged with quiet amusement. He gave Lin Wangye’s hair a gentle rub, ruffling it just enough to build some static. Then, lifting his finger, he lightly tapped Lin Wangye’s nose.
Snap!
A tiny crackle of static sounded again.
Lin Wangye scrunched his shoulders at the tiny jolt, blinking rapidly before his eyes shot open wide with excitement. “Did you steal my throne?” he gasped dramatically. “Fine then, I’ll let you have it.”
With that, Lin Wangye propped his chin up on both hands, his eyes curving into a smile. “I’m a happy little puppy, and I wanna be your friend!”
His rabbit fur sweater had fluffed up his hair from the gentle friction, leaving several stray tufts sticking out in wild directions.
From Shi Yuan’s angle, looking down at him, it was… unbearably cute.
At that moment, Shi Yuan felt his heart soften in a way he’d never experienced before — like something warm and unfamiliar had quietly settled in his chest.
In truth, back when he’d first run into Lin Wangye at school, he’d already found him hard to ignore. There was just something about him that kept drawing Shi Yuan’s eyes back, no matter how hard he tried not to stare.
But back then, Lin Wangye’s brightness had been visible to everyone.
He was the kind of person who wore a smile everywhere he went — so full of youthful energy that it radiated from him like sunlight. People were naturally drawn to him, and he was always surrounded by friends and laughter.
Shi Yuan had never dared to get too close — just standing near him made him feel out of place.
And he’d never imagined that someday, he’d end up this close to that glow.
After all, Lin Wangye had plenty of friends. Even from across the school in Class A, people were always talking about him.
Shi Yuan couldn’t quite convince himself that whatever bond they had now was anything special.
Still, he couldn’t help but smile softly and reply, “I’m glad to be your friend.”
“If you’re happy, I’m happy too!” Lin Wangye beamed.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
This is so cute I can’t