HS Chapter 25

After several busy nights, when Ye Wenyu’s group paper finally came to an end, the recording time for the dubbing competition finally arrived.

[[Location]]

[The recording studio might be a bit far. Everyone should gather in front of the big stone at the south gate tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock and go there together.]

[P.S.: Don’t forget to bring your own script!]

The south gate is near the sports campus. From the dorms in the main campus, the straight-line distance crosses most of the campus, including two supermarkets and three cafeterias.

Yan Chen was the only one among them who wasn’t from the main campus. So after having breakfast, he would have to turn back.

Ye Wenyu replied with “1” in the group chat and sent a message to Yan Chen:

Ye Wenyu: [We’ll be passing by there on our way tomorrow. I’ll bring you breakfast. Do you want Shaomai or Xiaolongbao, or something else?]

Yan Chen: [I want Shaomai.]

Ye Wenyu: [Okay, what filling do you want?]

Yan Chen: [Glutinous rice.]

Ye Wenyu took note of it and left the dormitory after nine o’clock the next day. Worried that the breakfast would get cold if he bought it from the second cafeteria, he waited until they passed the last cafeteria before going in and buying one for himself as well.

When they were almost at the sports department dorms, he sent a message to Yan Chen: [We’re almost there, are you ready?]

Yan Chen: [/picture]

Yan Chen: [Waiting for you at the entrance.]

Ye Wenyu quickened his pace after seeing this and soon saw Yan Chen not far from the entrance of the dorms.

However, it seemed like he wasn’t alone. There was a thin boy standing next to him, smiling and handing him a blue gift box.

“Yan-ge, this is a gift I specially picked out after running around many streets. You really won’t accept it?”

Zhen Lin pushed the box forward a little more, speaking in a playful tone as though they were very familiar with each other: “I bought it just for you, I can’t use it myself. Come on, open it, what if you really like it?”

“You’re really not accepting it? Aww, if you don’t take it, I’ll just have to throw it away…”

He pouted and acted pitiful, and suddenly the box was taken from his hand.

He blinked and immediately smiled brightly. “I knew you wouldn’t have the heart to waste my efforts. Go ahead and open it, Yan-ge, you’ll definitely…”

The voice stopped abruptly, accompanied by the sound of a heavy object falling.

Yan Chen turned and threw the gift straight into the trash can without hesitation.

Zhen Lin’s smile stiffened. Before coming, he had considered both the possibility of acceptance and rejection, but he hadn’t expected Yan Chen to accept it and then throw it away immediately, especially in front of him.

He opened his mouth but had no words, while Yan Chen had already seen the person waiting for him not far away and started walking towards him.

“Your Shaomai.”

Ye Wenyu handed him the takeout box, and glancing at the boy still watching them from afar, he reminded Yan Chen, “Isn’t your friend looking for you?”

“He’s just a salesman, I don’t know him.” Yan Chen turned around. “Let’s go, it’s almost ten.”

As soon as it struck ten, everyone quickly gathered at the school gate. They finished breakfast at the bottom of the bus and then boarded one after another.

The bus was the kind that didn’t allow windows to be opened, and the space inside was almost sealed. As soon as Ye Wenyu stepped in, he felt his sinuses getting blocked which was very uncomfortable.

From his past experiences, this feeling would only get worse once the bus started moving, and it would last until they got off.

Yan Chen who was sitting next to him quickly noticed his discomfort.

When Ye Wenyu raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose for the third time, Yan Chen asked, “Are you carsick?”

Ye Wenyu nodded weakly, “I can’t really handle this kind of vehicle.”

Yan Chen: “You can lean on me and sleep for a bit.”

Ye Wenyu nodded.

The bus seats had backs that protruded, making it uncomfortable to lean against. Ye Wenyu was about to turn to rest his head against the window when his head was gently nudged, causing him to tilt and end up resting on Yan Chen’s shoulder.

Ye Wenyu froze for a moment, then remembered that night when Yan Chen had a fever and had lain on the sofa, using his legs as a pillow.

He wasn’t very social and didn’t understand, but it turned out this was how casually boys got along with each other?

He silently adjusted and felt it wasn’t so bad.

Yan Chen’s shoulder was broad, and resting against it didn’t feel uncomfortable like it would if leaning on the back of a chair or the window. It was actually quite comfortable.

Ye Wenyu thought randomly, and as the bus drove steadily, his consciousness began to fade.

Yan Chen tilted his head slightly. What met his eyes was Ye Wenyu’s forehead and the tip of his nose. His eyes were closed quietly, and the shadows beneath his long lashes formed soft arcs.

The bus stopped at a red light, and Ye Wenyu’s head slid forward due to inertia.

Yan Chen raised his hand to gently catch him, lifting him back into position.

His eyebrows raised slightly.

Such a small and thin looking face but the cheeks are surprisingly very soft.

Ye Wenyu woke up in the midst of the noise and realized the bus had already arrived at their destination. Everyone was tense and excited, chatting nonstop as they got off the bus.

Ye Wenyu was still half-asleep, and he lifted his head with a somewhat confused expression, “Are we here?”

“We’re here.” Yan Chen saw the red mark left on his right cheek from where it had been pressed and nudged him, “Is your face stiff?”

Ye Wenyu shook his head, “Let’s go, we should get off too.”

The recording studio was the largest in Xuan City, with excellent conditions and complete equipment, exuding a professional atmosphere built on capital.

Following the staff’s guidance, they entered the recording room. While the equipment was being set up, some classmates in the back patted their faces nervously: “What should I do, I’m suddenly a little nervous.”

“Suddenly? You’ve been nervous the whole way.”

“Me too, I’m afraid I’ll mess up my lines.”

“Don’t worry, if you make a mistake, you can re-record. We’ve rented this studio for the whole day.”

Ye Wenyu turned to look at Yan Chen, who was standing still and flipping through his script with a calm expression. It didn’t seem like he was affected at all.

But out of consideration, Ye Wenyu still asked, “Are you nervous?”

Then he saw Yan Chen nod calmly, his voice steady, “I am nervous.”

Ye Wenyu: “…”

Although he couldn’t tell, but based on his belief that “Yan Chen wouldn’t lie”, Ye Wenyu believed him and reassured, “It’s fine, soon the staff will leave, and it’ll just be us here. Just treat it like usual practice.”

Yan Chen: “Mm.”

The equipment was quickly set up, and the staff left for the monitoring and sound room.

The classmates each found a seat and sat down. Although they were nervous, they performed very well, even better than during their practices, with no major mistakes throughout.

Ye Wenyu sat beside Yan Chen. When it was Yan Chen’s turn, he noticed the tips of his fingers tapping lightly on his script from time to time.

Thinking of what he had said about being nervous earlier, Ye Wenyu moved his wrist and gently took his hand, offering a gesture of reassurance.

Yan Chen happened to reach the break in the sentence. He paused briefly, then quickly continued reading.

He kept his eyes lowered the entire time, never looking at Ye Wenyu, but he quietly flipped his palm over and completely enveloped the hand that was a size smaller than his.

After the group finished the first round of recording, they began checking for errors and re-recording any flawed parts. It didn’t seem like much, but somehow, after adding everything together, they didn’t finish until nearly 7 p.m.

They were finally done. As they walked out of the recording studio, everyone felt as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

“Where are we going now?”

“Do I even need to say it? Of course, we’re going to eat!”

“Exactly, come on, come on, I’m starving. The lunch box at noon was terrible, I wasn’t even full.”

“A lawn restaurant?”

“I made a reservation yesterday, comrades, let’s go!”

Ye Wenyu almost forgot about this.

To be honest, his alcohol tolerance wasn’t good, but from what Yan Chen had said, it seemed like he was even worse. What should he do?

He’d heard that drinking on a full stomach made it harder to get drunk, so he suggested they eat first and drink afterward. Fortunately, after a long afternoon of work, everyone was too hungry to argue, and the suggestion was unanimously accepted.

Then practice proved to Ye Wenyu that the idea of “drinking on a full stomach made it harder to get drunk” was not reliable, at least not for him; it had no effect at all.

The meal was over, and it had already grown dark.

The city’s lights covered up the stars, but the bright moon still hung in the sky.

They asked the waiter to remove the side tables and replace them with picnic blankets spread on the grass. Aside from fruits, desserts, and snacks, there were rows of colorful cocktails. It seemed they were really planning to get everyone drunk.

Also, today’s cocktails seemed to have a higher alcohol content than usual.

After three collective toasts, Ye Wenyu already felt like something wasn’t right.

In the past, he would have definitely given up and left early, but today was different. He was worried about Yan Chen and was afraid he might get forced to drink.

He helped block the next two rounds for him, and Ye Wenyu’s gaze began to lose focus.

“Hey, Wenyu, are you okay?”

“You’ve regressed, last time you could drink six cups.”

“Yes, but don’t you see how high the alcohol content in the drinks today is?”

“High? It’s just a little bit.”

Yan Chen didn’t expect Ye Wenyu’s alcohol tolerance to be so low. After all, Ye Wenyu had said he would help him block drinks, so logically, he should have a high tolerance.

He himself could barely drink a few sips, yet he was blocking drinks for others. Yan Chen felt both amused and helpless.

“Yan Chen, come on, your turn.”

Ye Wenyu’s hearing was still sharp, but his brain was slow to react. By the time Yan Chen had downed two drinks, Ye Wenyu finally said, “Don’t make him drink so much. He can’t handle it.”

“Really? He doesn’t look like it.”

“Ha-ha, don’t call people out, you’re not doing much better.”

“Wenyu’s just protecting him, I don’t believe it.”

“Exactly, Wenyu, you can drink five cups, so it wouldn’t be right for Yan Chen not to drink that many, right?”

They talked about five cups, but in fact, they were pushing seven or eight onto him.

Maybe it was the joy of finishing the recording, or maybe it was the courage brought on by alcohol, but the people who didn’t dare speak much to Yan Chen were all very lively tonight, delivering toast after toast.

By the time Ye Wenyu reacted, Yan Chen had already been temporarily let off the hook because of his open and polite attitude of accepting every drink.

It was unknown how many he had already taken.

He stared at Yan Chen’s unchanged expression for a while, and felt that something was wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what. So, he quietly asked, “Are you drunk?”

He asked if someone else was drunk while his own words carried the hint of drunkenness and Yan Chen felt amused. However, his eyes were unusually bright, as if reflecting the moonlight above.

Yan Chen said, “Just a little,” in a volume only the two of them could hear.

“You don’t show it when you drink,” Ye Wenyu said, looking a little envious.

When he drank, it was obvious, and the symptoms were quite unique. He wouldn’t get a flushed face like most people, only his nose would turn red, and if it got worse, the areas around his eyes would also turn red.

Like a little kid who had just cried after being bullied.

It looked quite pretty.

Yan Chen lowered his eyes casually, silently enjoying the view.

Suddenly, something brushed lightly against his lips.

Ye Wenyu, who had been leaning his cheek against his arm, reached out at some point and, without a word, used the pad of his thumb to wipe the alcohol stains from Yan Chen’s lips.

He moved very slowly, pressing down gently on the soft lips, pausing, and then slowly wiping to one side.

He stared at him, not blinking, focused and serious, as if he was doing something important.

Yan Chen’s eyes darkened and he looked at him steadily.

The person who normally would’ve been scared to even steal a glance was now emboldened by alcohol.

Ye Wenyu didn’t even realize how bold he had become.

He only thought that the lips stained by wine looked so beautiful and soft, and when his fingers touched them, there was an indescribable sensation, like a faint electric current was flowing through his blood, which made him reluctant to let go.

Fortunately, a small portion of rationality remained, telling him that this wasn’t appropriate or polite behavior.

He pulled his hand back reluctantly, rubbing his thumb. However, his eyes kept drifting back toward Yan Chen.

‘Would his lips smell like alcohol?’ He wondered.

‘What kind of wine did he have?’

‘Orange? Grape? Peach? Or lemon rum?’

The two of them were sitting very close, with their arms pressed together.

In the night, the color difference wasn’t as obvious, but it made Ye Wenyu’s arms look exceptionally slender, almost as if they wouldn’t have the strength to break free even if they were held.

Yan Chen’s face was right there, just a slight tilt and they’d be even closer.

He really wanted to take a sniff, to see what they smelled like.

His head was a bit heavy, and he lifted it, getting closer.

Yan Chen looked at him, not moving or evading. As long as he leaned in, he would catch him.

Someone accidentally knocked over a drink. There was a burst of laughter, and the noise made Ye Wenyu’s head heavier. He closed his eyes and rested his head back onto Yan Chen’s arm.

Yan Chen’s brows suddenly furrowed.

Ye Wenyu was completely unaware. After a brief pause, he opened his eyes again. Unwilling to give up, he raised his head once more, still thinking of getting closer.

The lights on the grass were like stars, and the sound of car horns drifted from afar, colliding with the wind, which seemed to carry a faint scent of alcohol.

This time, it was even closer. Under Yan Chen’s indulgent inaction, their breaths tangled in the night wind.

But it lasted only for a brief moment.

This time, Ye Wenyu grew lazy and gave up immediately as his neck grew tired halfway.

After the second failed attempt, a low “tsk” rang out in the air, filled with a hint of frustration and desire that couldn’t be fulfilled. It was as light as a breeze, dissipating as soon as it touched the wind.

Suddenly, the noise around them grew louder, vaguely mixed with Yan Chen’s and Ye Wenyu’s names.

Yan Chen shifted his gaze away from Ye Wenyu’s face, only to notice that an empty bottle had appeared in front of him, with the mouth of the bottle positioned right between him and Ye Wenyu.

“Is this Ye Wenyu’s or Yan Chen’s?”

“It doesn’t count?”

“It counts! Why wouldn’t it count? Both together!”

“Drink up, quick! We agreed on not helping to block.”

“If you don’t drink, you have to accept the punishment, hahaha, hurry, Wenyu, perk up.”

Yan Chen decisively downed his drink.

But Ye Wenyu couldn’t anymore.

“Wenyu, if you don’t drink, you’ll have to accept the punishment.”

“Drink or face the punishment, choose one?”

“Do you think Wenyu looks like someone who can drink?”

Ye Wenyu couldn’t drink. Not only could he not drink, but he also didn’t really understand what they were saying. He needed a while to process a single sentence in his mind.

Yan Chen asked for him: “What punishment?”

“Draw something on your face, and you can’t wipe it off for the whole day.”

“Huh? Draw what? A turtle?”

“I was planning to draw a turtle on your face, hurry up and lose!”

“Wenyu’s alcohol tolerance can’t be compared to yours. This is too unfair.”

“Then we won’t draw on the face, we’ll draw on the hand.”

“Fine, fine, fine, the pen…”

The chatter full of excitement suddenly stopped.

Ye Wenyu felt a dull pain on the back of his hand, as though someone was venting their frustration on him. He blinked rapidly and tried to pull his hand back, but it was held too tightly, and he couldn’t pull it away.

Yan Chen brazenly bit him in front of everyone, right at the fleshy part near the base of the thumb.

“Done.” He said casually, “No need to draw anything.”

Everyone was stunned, and they looked at each other in bewilderment. They’d never seen this kind of play before.

The leading boy was confused: “Is this even allowed?”

“Is it?” Someone else said uncertainly, “There were no rules that said it had to be with a pen.”

“Well… okay then, let’s continue.”

“Who’s next?”

With alcohol clouding their minds, logic didn’t exist. Amid the noise, a new round of the game started, but it had nothing to do with them anymore.

The distinct bite mark was being rubbed gently by a hand. It stood out starkly against the smooth skin of the hand, like a mark…subtle yet undeniably suggestive of ownership.

As soon as the thought surfaced, something seemed to bloom in the chest, quietly yet powerfully.

A subtle, indescribable emotion filled his chest, and Yan Chen couldn’t help but narrow his eyes, his expression hidden in the night as it remained unreadable.

Ye Wenyu, on the other hand, seemed to have just reacted. He frowned slightly and asked, “Why did you bite me?”

Yan Chen didn’t respond. He opened and closed his palm, easily enveloping Ye Wenyu’s entire hand.

Ye Wenyu: “?”

Yan Chen said calmly: “My hand is cold, I’m warming it.”

‘Cold? Hand…cold? So, he was using his hand to warm it up?’

Ye Wenyu broke down the sentence in his head over and over again, then finally understood.

So he pulled his hand out from Yan Chen’s palm, then reversed it and wrapped his hand around Yan Chen’s instead, transferring warmth from his palm to the back of the hand.

It’s just that it wasn’t wrapped as tightly as Yan Chen had done.

“Is this better?” He asked with a serious expression, “Are you still cold?”

‘…Why was he so well-behaved?’

Yan Chen stared at him intently, his breath uneven for a moment.

He didn’t say anything and simply curled his fingers tighter. After making the smallest fist he could make, he pushed it deeper into Ye Wenyu’s palm.

“No, I’m not cold anymore.”

As the night deepened, the crowd on the lawn dispersed, and they too prepared to leave.

After getting off the bus at the school gate, the crowd split into several groups. Some linked arms and sang songs, others whispered hand-in-hand, and a few walked in silence at the back, leisurely.

Ye Wenyu’s post-drinking skills were impressive…he didn’t throw a tantrum or act crazy. He could even walk steadily in a straight line.

Yan Chen accompanied him to the dormitory building, and watched as he followed a group of noisy boys into the dorm’s entrance. He stood there alone for a while before turning and leaving under the cover of night.

Ye Wenyu accurately inserted his key into the lock and pushed the door open.

Although his movements seemed normal, from the clear-eyed gaze, the slight redness under his eyes, and the faint smell of alcohol, Chi Dongting immediately realized the truth.

“It seems you’re drunk.” Chi Dongting stared at his eyes. “Hello Wenyu, can you shower by yourself?”

Ye Wenyu walked directly to the closet, took out clean pajamas, and walked toward the bathroom. He paused, turned around, and answered Chi Dongting, “I can.”

“Okay, looks like it’s fine.”

Reassured, Chi Dongting grabbed his laptop and rushed to the next room.

When Ye Wenyu finished his shower and came out, the dorm was empty. His phone was flashing on the table as a few drunkards were posting wild messages in the group chat.

Ye Wenyu picked up his phone, but his gaze involuntarily landed on the back of his hand.

He stared at it for a while, then took a photo of it with his phone.

Yan Chen hadn’t rushed back to his dorm after showering.

When he received Ye Wenyu’s message, he was standing on the balcony, both hands resting on the railing and gazing down. The empty campus below no longer showed any signs of life.

He opened the message, and it was a photo of Ye Wenyu’s hand.

The first thing that caught his eye was the obvious bite mark. Although it had faded a bit, the back of the hand was still red, like someone had deliberately and shamelessly left a mark.

Yan Chen thought of Ye Wenyu’s dazed expression when he was bitten. His nose was red, the corners of his eyes were red, and his eyes were so bright, as if he was about to cry any second.

His fingertips lightly brushed over the photo, and soon, he exited WeChat and dialed a number.

The person on the other end probably hadn’t put down their phone yet, because the call was picked up very quickly.

“What’s wrong?” He looked at the dark night, his voice slow and soft, as if it might be swallowed by the night: “Did it hurt?”

There was no answer from the other side.

Yan Chen waited for a while, guessed something, and asked another question: “Is Wenyu shaking his head or nodding?”

This time, the other side responded: “Shaking his head.”

Yan Chen silently curved his lips.

He asked again: “Then, are you angry?”

Ye Wenyu still shook his head: “No.”

Yan Chen: “Why did you suddenly send me a picture?”

Ye Wenyu thought for a moment, then said: “To keep a record, you bit me.”

‘To keep a record…was it the kind that meant holding a grudge?’

Drunk Ye Wenyu was a little dazed, and Yan Chen coaxed him in response: “Alright, next time I’ll let you bite me back.”

Unexpectedly, Ye Wenyu really hummed in agreement.

Yan Chen raised an eyebrow, the curve of his lips deepening.

“I’m a little sleepy, I want to sleep,” Ye Wenyu said, “Can you hang up?”

Yan Chen: “Okay, good night.”

Ye Wenyu: “Mm.”

He waited for a moment and noticed the other side hadn’t hung up. Just as he was about to ask, he heard a low voice from the receiver again: “Wenyu.”

He subconsciously replied: “Here.”

Yan Chen’s voice carried an unknown emotion: “Say goodnight to me too.”

Ye Wenyu felt nothing unusual and replied obediently: “Good night, Yan Chen.”

The call ended, and the night suddenly grew even quieter.

The glass door separated two spaces. The balcony light was off, and the light from inside the dorm room didn’t reach Yan Chen’s face.

He inhaled the night air, then suddenly bent over and buried his face in his arms.

It seemed that he had misjudged the direction things were heading, and perhaps what attracted him was no longer just the superficial act of touching or being touched.

Everything was vague, intense, and about to spiral out of control.