Yan Chen lowered his head, only a hair’s breadth from touching noses, and asked in a hoarse voice, “Why?”
“I want to kiss you.” The words he had buried deep in his heart for so long finally came out. But instead of feeling relieved, it felt like those words fermented in the air, making the impulse even stronger.
“Yan Chen, I want to kiss you.”
He lifted his face, his eyes and words both brimming with urgency and need. His palm pressed tightly against the side of Yan Chen’s face, his thumb tracing along the lips again and again. “I can’t hold back anymore.”
Ye Wenyu’s almost greedy eyes stayed fixed on one spot. The strangely familiar look made Yan Chen narrow his eyes. He recalled the compliment murmured earlier in the dorm and a strange light flashed in his eyes.
“Wenyu, explain clearly.” He pressed their foreheads together, his tone somewhere between coaxing and tempting. “Why do you want me to be your boyfriend?”
“Is it because you like me, or is it just because you just want to kiss me?” He grabbed Ye Wenyu’s hand and pressed it to his lips. “Is it me you want to kiss…or just this?”
Ye Wenyu didn’t answer. Or rather, he hadn’t even understood the confirmation hidden in Yan Chen’s words. He just kept staring fixedly at his lips, as if he was holding on to the last string of reason that kept him from lunging forward for a kiss.
There was no need to speak, his reaction was the clearest answer.
“You like them, don’t you?”
Yan Chen closed his eyes and tightened his grip on Ye Wenyu’s hand. The roiling emotions were all forced down to the deepest part of him, churning violently where they couldn’t be seen.
Finally, he understood the elusive variable that had stood between them, and he finally understood what Ye Wenyu truly wanted from him.
“You like them, you want to kiss them, and that’s why you want me to be your boyfriend.” Yan Chen asked quietly, “Wenyu, is that it?”
Ye Wenyu nodded subconsciously, and woke up as if from a dream when he saw Yan Chen’s fathomless pupils.
The secret he had hidden so carefully had suddenly been laid bare and Ye Wenyu was stunned.
His mind went completely blank and a chill rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Was he discovered?
Yan Chen had found out?
…It’s over.
The temperature on my hands quickly turned from scalding hot to tormenting, and all the beautiful thoughts scattered.
He looked at Yan Chen in panic, unable to move forward or back. His mind raced through the worst possible outcomes.
He was afraid he’d be angry. Afraid he’d show disappointment. Afraid he’d be pushed away for lying and deceiving…
The more he thought about it, the colder he felt. He couldn’t help pulling his hand back and gripping Yan Chen tightly, his eyes red with anxiety.
“Yan Chen, I…”
“Wenyu, I like you.”
Before Yan Chen’s words could soothe his panic, they sent his heart racing even faster. The collision of two extreme emotions left Ye Wenyu’s mind buzzing and blank.
He opened his eyes wide and his mouth opened wordlessly. But before he could make a sound, he heard Yan Chen say:
“So I’m rejecting your confession.”
Ye Wenyu’s heart dropped again.
This was what they meant by a rollercoaster of emotions.
“Why…” he stared blankly at Yan Chen, struggling to squeeze the word out from his throat.
Why did he like him, but still reject his confession?
“I’m not some selfless person. On the contrary, I’m selfish and greedy. I can’t accept a boyfriend who doesn’t like me…or doesn’t even realize that he likes me.”
Yan Chen cupped his face in his hands and spoke with a serious tone he had never used before, enunciating each word: “I really like you. But I don’t want to be the only one who does.”
“I told you, I can agree to everything you ask. I said I’ll agree to whatever you ask me, including if you want to get close to me or kiss me, I’ll agree.”
With that, he tilted his head slightly, supported the back of Ye Wenyu’s head with one hand and pressed a kiss to Ye Wenyu’s lips. In the midst of the other party’s suddenly ragged breath, he whispered against the corner of his lips:
“But Wenyu, I have a condition too. You need to learn how to like me.”
“If you don’t understand, then let me be the one to chase you.”
—-
A single-core processor overloaded with information would crash.
Ye Wenyu drifted through the afternoon in a daze and muddled through the night. When he arrived in the classroom the next morning, he was exhausted and sleepy, as if the sleep bug was about to crawl on top of his head.
Chi Dongting was busy playing mobile games with his head down, and when he looked up, he was startled: “Fuck, Wenyu, did you stay up all night?”
Ye Wenyu shook his head listlessly. “No.”
Chi Dongting: “Then what were you doing?”
Ye Wenyu: “System update and repair after a crash.”
Chi Dongting: “?”
He didn’t get it, so he switched to a topic he could understand: “Are the cherries good?”
It was one shot, one kill, and the sensitive word was hit accurately. Ye Wenyu’s fingertips trembled, and the book he couldn’t hold onto fell to the ground with a thud.
He completely failed at managing his expression and afraid Chi Dongting would see through something, quickly bent down to pick up the book. “They’re really good, thanks.”
Chi Dongting waved his hand. “No no, what are you thanking me for? Just remember to finish them quickly…they’re already very ripe, and they might spoil if left any longer.”
Ye Wenyu: “I’ve already shared them with my roommates. They all said they were really good, very sweet.”
Chi Dongting grinned. “If you like them, I’ll bring more next time. Does Yan Chen like them too? He doesn’t look like someone who likes sweets and fruits.”
Ye Wenyu couldn’t help but recall the only cherry Yan Chen had eaten. His ears turned red and he was about to speak when he saw Chi Dongting suddenly look up over his shoulder, his expression turning a little surprised.
He turned his head and saw a figure flash in front of him. Yan Chen was already sitting down beside him, blocking part of his view and drawing the attention of most of the classroom.
Indeed, a sports student showing up in the territory of the School of Foreign Languages was rare and unusual,
Especially when he was a well-known figure.
“Yan Chen? Why are you here?” Chi Dongting tilted his head, looking innocent. “Are you auditing the class?”
Yan Chen calmly said two words, “Accompanying class.”
Chi Dongting: “Huh? Accompanying what class?”
The bell rang, and the teacher knocked on the podium to start the lecture.
Yan Chen didn’t answer him again and instead looked at Ye Wenyu. “Did you eat breakfast?”
Ye Wenyu didn’t know how to react to his arrival and could only nod awkwardly.
He hadn’t figured out the logic chain, hadn’t fully digested Yan Chen’s words about chasing him and hadn’t gotten used to their roles suddenly being reversed, but Yan Chen had already started putting his promise into action.
“Are you sleepy?” Yan Chen asked again.
Ye Wenyu was just about to deny it when a big yawn slipped out of his mouth. As his eyes teared up from sleepiness, he felt speechless.
All night long, everything Yan Chen had said to him kept ringing in his ears and he barely slept. How could he not be sleepy now?
Yan Chen: “Get some sleep.”
“No way, you can’t sleep!” Chi Dongting quickly lowered his voice. “Mark the key points in this class and take notes. They are all the content that will be tested in the final exam. If you sleep, it will be over.”
Yan Chen naturally pulled Ye Wenyu’s textbook in front of himself. “I’ll take notes.”
Chi Dongting: “Huh? But this class is French grammar… oh! Right, you know French too.”
Chi Dongting: “No, you guys…”
Chi Dongting: “…?”
He looked at Yan Chen in surprise, then at Ye Wenyu, feeling like the two of them were having some kind of new, invisible interaction right in front of him.
Yan Chen probably had training later. He was still wearing his training uniform underneath, with a black jacket over it and a black baseball cap on his head. His face was expressionless as always, and as he sat there, he exuded a coldness from head to toe that made him seem unapproachable.
And now this cold guy casually took off his jacket while Ye Wenyu was in a daze, folded it, and placed it on Ye Wenyu’s desk. “The desk is too hard. Use this as a pillow.”
Chi Dongting: “?”
What’s going on?
How long had he even been separated from his best friend?
This wasn’t just a case of someone prying at the corner…damn, the crystal was almost gone!
Yan Chen was being this considerate already. Ye Wenyu could only hesitate for a moment before laying down. His nose was immediately filled with the clean scent of laundry detergent. It was very familiar, as he’d smelled it on Yan Chen many times before.
The fabric was soft against his cheek and still carrying the lingering warmth of its owner. Ye Wenyu couldn’t help but nuzzle it slightly with the tip of his nose, and the next second, his ears turned red from the unconscious action.
Worried that his little movement had been noticed, he guiltily turned his head to peek at the jacket’s owner.
The old professor had already started the lecture. Yan Chen leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed, eyes on the blackboard. From time to time, he lowered his head to make a mark on the book, or write a few key points with his elegant and neat French cursive.
It was pleasing to the eye, whether it was the writing or the person.
Ye Wenyu thought he wouldn’t fall asleep, but reality proved he had overestimated himself. Within minutes, he fell into a peaceful sleep with Yan Chen’s jacket as his pillow.
The eyes that had been falling on him disappeared. Yan Chen withdrew his eyes and quietly looked at the person beside him.
Half of Ye Wenyu’s face was buried in the pure black fabric, making his skin appear even whiter and more translucent in contrast.
His breathing was steady and soft, and his eyes were closed. His eyelids were so thin the faint blue veins underneath could be seen. His eyelashes cast a shadow under his eyes, masking the natural coldness there and leaving only docility.
Like a beautiful little cat curled up in its owner’s territory, it feels safe because of trust and can let down all its guard and act in the most relaxed manner.
So cute it made one want to hide him away.
He wasn’t the only one stealing a glance at the sleeping little cat. When he looked up, several heads quickly jerked back like guilty thieves, leaving only the backs of heads pretending nothing had happened.
Yan Chen curled the corner of his mouth.
When those heads sneakily turned again after the “danger” had passed, what they saw was only a stone-faced guy taking notes.
And the person sleeping soundly beside him had gained a black baseball cap on his head, which covered his face completely and nothing could be seen.
Ye Wenyu was woken up by the soft tapping of a pen against the desk.
He opened his eyes and stared blankly at the classroom for a while before remembering he was still in class.
The jacket under his hands was still there, but the seat to his right was empty and the jacket’s owner had already disappeared.
Chi Dongting, who had been playing with his pen out of boredom, noticed his deskmate had raised his head and exclaimed in surprise, “Wenyu, the second period is almost over, are you finally awake?”
Ye Wenyu: “…”
He turned his head, and the view that should’ve been Chi Dongting was mostly blocked. He lifted his hand and recognized that it was Yan Chen’s cap.
“Where’s Yan Chen?” he asked Chi Dongting.
“He said he had training, so he left after finishing your notes,” Chi Dongting said, a little sour. “Wenyu, how come the first thing you do when you wake up is look for him?”
Like a child who couldn’t leave his guardian.
Ye Wenyu didn’t know how to respond, so he didn’t. He put down the cap and reached for his book. Yan Chen had already written out all the notes for him, even more thoroughly than he would have done himself.
“What’s going on, Wenyu～”
Chi Dongting was still unwilling to give up after thinking about it, and of course he was also curious. Taking advantage of the teacher letting them review freely for now, he leaned in sneakily, “How have you and Yan Chen been developing your relationship lately? It’s ridiculously good.”
Ye Wenyu didn’t know how to dodge the question. He stammered for a bit before squeezing out, “What do you think?”
“What do I think?” Chi Dongting pondered, then covered his mouth and said with a serious face, “I heard, boys who are really close will help each other with their hands.”
The moment he said that, Ye Wenyu’s book dropped again with a clatter.
He bent down to pick it up in a panic, and this time it wasn’t just his ears that were burning, his whole body was burning.
Chi Dongting: “Wenyu, is your book becoming a spirit? Why does it keep falling today?”
Ye Wenyu covered his eyes and shook his head, but as soon as he remembered what that hand had done, he quickly pulled his hand away as if electrocuted.
After working hard to adjust his emotions under the desk and pretending like nothing had happened, he finally grabbed his book and slowly raised his head. “No, my hand slipped.”
Chi Dongting gave an “oh” and wanted to keep talking, but that little interlude made him forget what he originally wanted to say.
Unable to recall it, he switched to another topic, “How’s your cousin doing? Did it work out?”
Ye Wenyu: “…”
Ye Wenyu: “What if I told you… the situation has flipped and now the other party is chasing him?”
Chi Dongting: “?”
Chi Dongting’s eyes widened, “What the hell?”
–
In a place full of people and gossip, even the slightest breeze could turn into a big uproar.
For example, the friendly interaction between two candidates for school grass during class, and for example, the nightly gathering of “talents” in the campus forum:
[You all saw what happened today, right? And those who didn’t must’ve heard about it, right?]
[You mean, that incident where a certain Yan-surnamed school grass went to the Foreign Languages department early in the morning to accompany a certain Ye-surnamed school grass to class, and even took off his jacket to make him a pillow, removed his cap to block the light, helped him highlight key points, took notes for him, and took care of him down to the tiniest detail?]
[Well summarized! (Applause!) (Next time can you add some punctuation marks!)]
[There were so many words, but why did I only see the words: took, off, clothes… Am I done for?]
[It’s no exaggeration, I actually once said Yan Chen was cold and heartless and not the type to take care of others. Okay, I apologize for my shallow vision (kneels on all fours)]
[Why? Why?? I don’t get it. One’s from the Foreign Languages department, the other’s from the Sports department. How did they develop this kind of transcendent brotherhood?]
[…Brotherhood, yeah right, brotherhood…]
[Brotherhood my ass! If no one else is going to say it, I will! Isn’t it obvious? Yan Chen is totally chasing Ye Wenyu!]
[Even though I kind of thought that too at first, but how is that possible? Yan Chen, chasing someone?]
[He’s already done this much and you’re still saying “how is that possible”? I beg you, open your eyes and look at the world, ok? The way Yan Chen looks at Ye Wenyu is too suggestive. It couldn’t be more obvious.]
[Everyone, take my advice, stay pure. Why can’t it just be big brother-little brother affection?]
[Do you even hear yourself? Ye Wenyu took in Yan Chen as his little brother? Wow, you are so creative.]
[Why not? The “gentle big boss + cold little brother” combination is very popular these days.]
[…Please give that innocent little brain of yours a proper spin and think about why it’s popular.]
…
One post, two camps, and the “friendly” exchange over the relationship between the two candidates for school grass had already reached over 500 floors, with no signs of stopping.
Just as it was about to break through the 800th floor, a reply appeared under the ID of one of the involved parties:
Yan Chen: [You guessed right. I am indeed chasing Ye Wenyu.]
