TL: Hua
Chapter 131: Extra 28: Childhood Sweethearts If Line 8
His serious expression and earnest explanation were just like when he used to explain math problems Ye Rongxu couldn’t solve.
Ye Rongxu, of course, knew, but he was still stunned, lying in bed, watching him blankly.
Xie Chaoyan later said that this kind of thing was actually very common, and some good friends even helped each other solve it.
Ye Rongxu suspected he also wanted him to help, but Xie Chaoyan didn’t say anything and instead went to the bathroom for a cold shower.
He then thought he might have guessed wrong.
He didn’t know if good friends really helped each other like that. If so, and given how good their relationship was, helping the other person… might be okay?
But Xie Chaoyan didn’t bring it up. Perhaps the other person wasn’t willing, or… wait, what was he thinking?
Ye Rongxu took a deep breath.
Days had passed, but recalling it still made him want to find a crack in the wall to crawl into.
Actually, at that moment, couldn’t he have just closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep? Why did he have to say something?
Oh, dear, oh dear.
Ye Rongxu sat by the villa window, sighing.
Just then, Xie Yu called to ask him to hang out. It was too hot, and he didn’t want to move, so he told the other person to come to his house.
Unexpectedly, Xie Yu brought Cao Yuxuan along. Ye Rongxu happened to have an unsolved problem, so he discreetly led them to his room.
After closing the door tightly, he hesitated for a long time before quietly asking, “Hey, I want to ask you something… Do you guys, like, uh, solve that problem with your good friends?”
“What problem?” The two were puzzled.
“It’s…that,” Ye Rongxu stammered.
“What’s that?”
“It’s…” Ye Rongxu suddenly lost heart and regretted, “Never mind, pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Xie Yu and Cao Yuxuan were even more confused.
Ye Rongxu waved his hand, “Let’s not talk about that.”
Then he asked Xie Yu, “What did your message mean the other day?”
“What message?” Xie Yu was confused again, clearly having completely forgotten about it.
Ye Rongxu took out his phone and showed him the WeChat message where he complained about Lin Jiaojiao.
“Oh,” Xie Yu finally remembered. He said, “It’s just what I said on WeChat. Lin Jiaojiao said the outfits you and Xie Chaoyan wore that day looked like a couple’s outfits, and when you walked out together, the graduation banquet looked like an engagement party.”
Ye Rongxu immediately denied, “What nonsense are you talking about? Brother Yan and I are… good friends.”
Yes, that’s right. Xie Chaoyan had said that at the hotel.
Xie Yu looked confused. “I didn’t say you weren’t good friends; isn’t that something everyone knows? And the couple’s outfit thing wasn’t me who said it; it was Lin Jiaojiao.”
Unexpectedly, that explanation wasn’t good enough for Ye Rongxu, who said, “Then it’s not good for you to spread rumors; it makes you seem gossipy.”
Xie Yu stammered, “I was kindly telling you…”
Mid-sentence, he suddenly reacted, as if he understood something, and said, “I know, you’re biased towards your cousin.”
Cao Yuxuan watched them bicker, looking bewildered, and couldn’t help but interject, “Hey, didn’t we agree to play games?”
“Play, play, play!” Ye Rongxu quickly used the opportunity to change the subject.
However, he wasn’t really biased towards his cousin. The next day when Lin Jiaojiao came to his house, he lectured her about it, saying she shouldn’t talk nonsense.
Of course, to Lin Jiaojiao, this was called protesting.
She looked embarrassed and explained softly, “I only said it looked like it, not that it was.”
Then she cursed Xie Yu, “That guy is such a gossip; he spreads everything.”
Ye Rongxu “lectured” her for a few sentences, then suddenly received a call from Xie Chaoyan and quickly turned to walk to the balcony.
Lin Jiaojiao watched him rush to answer the phone, secretly shaking her head.
Xie Chaoyan interned with Xie Yunzhao for most of the summer vacation until just before school started, when he was finally released.
Ye Rongxu didn’t see him often, so he made a lot more calls.
On the first day of school, Xie Yunzhao and Lin Xue sent them both to Jing City, settled them in, and bought them an apartment near the school because Ye Rongxu’s health wasn’t suitable for dormitory life.
When Ye Rongxu first arrived at university, he joined the school’s anime club. The club members introduced him to the world of cosplay.
However, cosplay can be quite demanding, and since he wasn’t in the best of health, he usually only helped out with photography and odd jobs during events, never actually cosplaying himself.
In late October, a large-scale comic convention was scheduled to take place in Jing City.
The anime club at Jing University was planning to participate, but they were short on cosplayers. That’s when an upperclassman from the club “recruited” Ye Rongxu to fill in.
Ye Rongxu quickly shook his head, politely declining, “My health isn’t great. Wearing a cosplay costume for too long and standing all day might be too much for me.”
“It’s okay, we’ll assign you a character with a costume that has less fabric,” the upperclassman reassured him.
Ye Rongxu exclaimed, “!” That made it even more out of the question!
Finally, after much persuasion and persistence from the upperclassman, he reluctantly agreed to cosplay a character whose costume had a moderate amount of fabric, neither long nor short hair, and a lightweight weapon.
… Another reason is that he actually quite liked that particular character.
He didn’t expect, however, that Xie Chaoyan had made plans too. During dinner that evening, Xie Chaoyan asked him if he wanted to go see a movie over the weekend.
Ye Rongxu looked up with an “ah,” a grain of rice still clinging to his lip. “I’m going to a comic convention this weekend. My upperclassman asked me to cosplay a character.”
Xie Chaoyan’s chopsticks paused. He suddenly lowered his gaze, his long, thick eyelashes drooping, looking somewhat lonely.
Ye Rongxu let out an “uh,” feeling inexplicably guilty.
Xie Chaoyan quickly regained his composure, looking up with a seemingly relaxed demeanor. “You and Shi Jia seem to be quite close?”
Shi Jia was the upperclassman who had asked Ye Rongxu to help with the cosplay.
Ye Rongxu waved his hands frantically. “No, no, we just meet occasionally; we’re just more… familiar.”
More… familiar?
Xie Chaoyan mulled over those words for a moment. Then, he asked, “What character are you cosplaying? Can I see it first?”
Five minutes later.
Xie Chaoyan stared at the display screen, which showed a silver-haired boy with horns on his head and a tail trailing behind him, wearing a dark blue, hip-length short cloak on his upper body and black knee-length shorts on his lower body. His legs were as thin as chopsticks, and he had bandages wrapped around his arms. He was holding a black sickle in his hand… He must be a teenager, right?
He fell silent for a long time before asking, “What is this?”
“He’s Edgar, a character from a popular anime. He’s… a demon.” Ye Rongxu explained.
Xie Chaoyan clicked on the character’s encyclopedia entry. A moment later, he looked up and corrected, “He’s a succubus.”
Ye Rongxu’s ears inexplicably turned red. He nodded, “Mm-hmm,” and said, “It’s all the same.”
Anyway, he’s not human.
Xie Chaoyan seemed to offer a faint smile as he looked at Ye Rongxu again and said, “I’ll go with you this weekend.”
He paused, then added, “To help you take photos.”
Ye Rongxu had already guessed that Xie Chaoyan would come along, but seeing him smile so sweetly while saying it made his ears inexplicably warm again.
Just go if you want to. Why are you looking at me like that?
—
Early Saturday morning, Ye Rongxu received a message from his upperclassman asking why he hadn’t arrived for makeup and costume yet. He hurriedly washed up, grabbed a piece of bread in his mouth, and rushed out the door.
Just as he reached the entrance, his collar was suddenly pulled back, falling into a familiar embrace.
Xie Chaoyan plucked the bread from his mouth, helped him stand, and said, “Eat breakfast first. We’ll go after you’ve eaten.”
Ye Rongxu snapped out of his daze and quickly said, “There’s no time!”
Xie Chaoyan remained calm, handing him chopsticks. “I’ll drive you there later. There’s plenty of time.”
He had gotten his driver’s license during the summer vacation. He didn’t drive on campus but would drive when going out.
However, Ye Rongxu said, “My cousin said she’s coming too, with Cao Yuxuan. They’ll probably arrive at the airport around ten. I was hoping you could pick them up.”
Xie Chaoyan immediately pulled out his phone and called Xie Yu, who also attended university in Jing City. “Go to the airport later and pick up Lin Jiajiao and Cao Yuxuan.”
He hung up and looked at Ye Rongxu. “Done.”
Ye Rongxu blinked, sat down, and after taking two bites of a steamed bun, he nodded and said, “Alright.”
After breakfast, Xie Chaoyan drove him to the anime club.
As soon as Ye Rongxu arrived, the upperclassman eagerly pulled him away for makeup. Xie Chaoyan stood outside the door, leaning against the wall, twirling his phone with his long, slender fingers, his expression calm and unreadable.
Other members of the anime club walked past, glancing at him. They didn’t dare to breathe too loudly, quickly picking up their pace as they passed.
After an unknown amount of time, the door to the makeup room finally opened, and Ye Rongxu emerged, dressed in the same costume as the little succubus in the picture.
He wore a silver wig, one eye covered by an eye patch, while the other was blood-red and indifferent. His features were as beautiful as the succubus in the picture, exuding an aura of both abstinence and seduction. The cloak on his upper body completely covered his torso, with only his forearms exposed, wrapped in asymmetrical bandages. On the fair skin between the bandages, there were red bloodstains and several scars, giving him a “battle-damaged” look. Below his black shorts, his calves were long and straight, perfectly proportioned, and also tied with a few bandages, revealing dazzlingly white skin.
Xie Chaoyan’s breath hitched slightly. He felt there were too few bandages; his calves and arms should have been entirely wrapped.
But the little succubus in the picture indeed wasn’t fully wrapped.
Xie Chaoyan’s expression remained unchanged. His hand, holding his phone, slid to unlock the screen, and he instinctively took a picture.
Ye Rongxu, cosplaying for the first time, was a little self-conscious. A classmate, also in cosplay, quickly handed him a giant scythe taller than his head, eagerly saying, “Here, here, the weapon of the Succubus Lord.”
Ye Rongxu stared at the scythe, instinctively looking up. The upperclassman quickly reminded him, “Don’t worry, it’s made of paper; it’s not heavy.”
Ye Rongxu said, “Oh, oh.”
He instinctively took the scythe.
With that movement, Xie Chaoyan noticed a slender black tail hanging behind him, with a black spade at its end.
Xie Chaoyan’s fingertips tingled slightly, and he instinctively took another picture.
By the time they arrived at the comic convention, Xie Chaoyan had no idea how many pictures he had taken. A quick scroll through his phone’s album showed it was filled with photos of Ye Rongxu in the succubus costume.
After Xie Yu picked up Lin Jiajiao and Cao Yuxuan at the airport, he went directly to the convention center to meet them.
When Lin Jiajiao saw Ye Rongxu’s cosplay, her eyes immediately lit up. She walked over with her phone, excitedly saying, “Brother, why didn’t you tell me you were cosplaying a little succubus? Quick, quick, I want a photo with you!”
Ye Rongxu coughed lightly, looking embarrassed, and feebly defended himself, “It’s a demon.”
Lin Jiajiao barely heard him, holding her phone beside him, taking photos from every angle.
As she was taking pictures, she suddenly felt a gaze on her. She instinctively looked up and saw Xie Chaoyan subtly turn his head away.
Lin Jiajiao tutted. The vinegar jar has tipped over again. This wasn’t her wrongly accusing him. Although she enjoyed danmei and shipping couples, it was limited to 2D characters; she didn’t ship real people and wouldn’t bring her 2D hobbies into the 3D world.
The reason she had teased Ye Rongxu and Xie Chaoyan about “couple outfits” before was because she had personally seen Xie Chaoyan secretly kiss the sleeping Ye Rongxu on Ye Rongxu’s eighteenth birthday last year.
Honestly, she had never thought these two would have anything going on.
Although Ye Rongxu and Xie Chaoyan were usually as close as conjoined twins, the problem was, they had been like that since they were four or five, and they were even more clingy when they were younger.
Lin Jiajiao had grown up seeing them like this and had long since gotten used to it. If she hadn’t seen Xie Chaoyan steal that kiss that day, she really wouldn’t have thought in that direction.
Moreover, this matter was like window paper; once it was poked through, everything immediately became clear.
After realizing that Xie Chaoyan liked Ye Rongxu, Lin Jiajiao secretly observed them. Recalling their past interactions, she realized that everything had been “off” all along.
Xie Chaoyan and Ye Rongxu had always been as close as a young couple, going everywhere together. In high school, they even occasionally slept over at each other’s places. Xie Chaoyan would also bring Ye Rongxu milk and food every day. Is this really how “good brothers” act? Lin Jiajiao wondered.
As for later, when she accidentally overheard her mother and aunt chatting about an arranged childhood engagement between the two, she remained unfazed. She just felt that these two would end up together sooner or later.
Of course, during the summer vacation after the college entrance exams, her cousin still seemed oblivious, but he was incredibly protective of Xie Chaoyan in his words.
Lin Jiajiao saw everything clearly from the sidelines but never exposed it. After all, when it comes to feelings, it’s better for the people involved to realize it themselves.
Perhaps it was because she had discovered this secret that Lin Jiajiao now observed Xie Chaoyan’s gaze constantly revolving around Ye Rongxu. Whenever Ye Rongxu got close to someone, Xie Chaoyan’s eyes would turn cold, and she would simply enjoy eating the melon.
For instance, now, sensing Xie Chaoyan’s gaze, she quickly put away her phone and deliberately walked over to stand beside him, looking smug.
Ye Rongxu’s cosplay makeup was exquisite and perfectly matched the original character. His demeanor was also spot-on. Coupled with the fact that the original work was a huge hit and the little succubus was a popular character, he naturally attracted a lot of people for photos.
Indeed, in the short time Lin Jiajiao stood there, over a dozen people approached him for photos. Some even leaned in very close, tilting their heads and making “V” signs.
Lin Jiajiao distinctly felt Xie Chaoyan’s expression growing increasingly sour, his entire being like an ice cube, continuously radiating coldness.
She couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Doesn’t my brother look great in this outfit?”
Xie Chaoyan glanced at her but said nothing.
Lin Jiajiao deliberately added, “Everyone really likes him; they’re all taking photos with him.”
Xie Chaoyan finally spoke, his voice deep, “With so many people constantly taking pictures, Xuxu will get very tired.”
Lin Jiajiao “tsk-tsked” and watched for a while longer before slinging her small bag and heading to other exhibition areas. When she returned, she brought them plenty of food.
After the comic convention, the anime club members decided to have dinner at a restaurant near the school.
Ye Rongxu initially didn’t plan to go, but Lin Jiajiao was very interested in their school and the anime club, asking if she could join.
Ye Rongxu went to ask his upperclassman. In the end, not only he and Lin Jiajiao, but also Xie Chaoyan, Xie Yu, and Cao Yuxuan joined them.
Lin Jiajiao glanced at Xie Chaoyan and whispered to Ye Rongxu, “Brother, you’re bringing the whole family along.”
Ye Rongxu misinterpreted her meaning, thinking she was referring to the large number of people he brought. He cleared his throat and glared at her, “Didn’t you say you wanted to go?”
Otherwise, would he shamelessly bring so many people? Anyone who didn’t know would think they were going to a funeral feast; how heartless.
Of course, he would definitely pay for the dinner expenses for everyone he brought.
The anime club members chose a popular, internet-famous restaurant which also had a bar. By night, it was filled with lights and music, with live performances, creating a very atmospheric setting.
Ye Rongxu and his group didn’t go to a private room, opting instead for two large tables near the performance stage.
Starting at 7 PM, the restaurant gradually became lively. Besides the scheduled performers, some enthusiastic customers also took the stage.
Most of the anime club members could sing and dance a little. Since they had just returned from the comic convention, many hadn’t even had time to change out of their costumes. When the atmosphere reached its peak, they couldn’t resist going on stage themselves, singing and dancing to popular anime and game songs.
This restaurant was located in a university town, and most of its patrons were students from nearby universities. They would, more or less, be familiar with these anime and games. Some were even seasoned “otaku” and enthusiasts, unable to resist joining in the excitement on the spot.
Ye Rongxu had always been in poor health since childhood and couldn’t go to places that were too loud or chaotic. He had never participated in such a gathering before. He couldn’t help but look at the performance stage, swaying his glow stick and humming along to the songs being sung on stage.
However, he had been at the comic convention for too long during the day and was already feeling a bit tired. Additionally, turning his head to watch the performance was uncomfortable. Unconsciously, he leaned back, finding a “cushion” to lean against, and comfortably watched the performance.
Xie Chaoyan almost immediately noticed Ye Rongxu’s body leaning against him. Since he was facing the dining table and Ye Rongxu was turned sideways watching the performance, when Ye Rongxu leaned over, his slender back rested perfectly against Xie Chaoyan’s right shoulder and right arm.
Xie Chaoyan seemed to stiffen. His lowered right hand touched something behind Ye Rongxu. He squeezed it and found the fabric soft. It seemed to be… the little succubus’s tail.
Like most of the anime club members attending the dinner, Ye Rongxu hadn’t had time to change. He was still wearing the little succubus cosplay costume, only having removed his wig and horns. The fuzzy fabric tail hung behind him.
Xie Chaoyan instinctively grasped the little tail, knowing full well that it was just part of the costume and no amount of squeezing would be felt by the person wearing it.
Yet, his heartbeat inexplicably sped up. He gently wrapped the plush fabric around his fingers, finally grasping the black spade at the end and rubbing it playfully.
After lowering his gaze for a moment, he subtly shifted his body, allowing Ye Rongxu to lean directly into his embrace. At the same time, he squeezed the tail again, unable to resist fantasizing—
If the person in his arms truly were a little succubus, being squeezed by the tail would make him very sensitive and obedient, like his lifeline was being held, meekly allowing the person who caught him to bully him.
Maybe just like now, leaning softly in his arms, but his face will turn red and his eyes will be moist. Because the tail is pinched, the little demon will not have the energy to watch the performances of those people in the stands anymore and will focus all his attention on him.
He’d look at him pleadingly, then draw closer, begging him to release his little tail. And he…
Xie Chaoyan suddenly took a deep breath; he couldn’t let his thoughts wander any further.
He looked up, scanning his surroundings, trying to distract himself. Finally, his gaze landed on the table in front of him. After a moment, he used his free left hand to fork a piece of fruit and brought it to Ye Rongxu’s lips.
Ye Rongxu seemed completely unaware that he had, at some point, shifted from leaning against Xie Chaoyan’s shoulder and arm to leaning into his embrace, nor did he know what kind of mental storm Xie Chaoyan had just weathered.
His attention was entirely on the stage, his beautiful eyes fixed on his companions, who were singing and dancing to his favorite anime songs, unblinking.
When he found fruit being offered to his mouth, he opened it and obediently ate it. When he felt a straw being presented, he didn’t even look, just bit down on it and took a sip.
Lin Jiajiao, also an “otaku,” sat down to rest after getting hyped up by the stage performance. While drinking water, she accidentally caught this scene.
Even though she was accustomed to it, she couldn’t help but secretly shake her head.
Her cousin was far too trusting. Luckily, the person feeding him was Xie Chaoyan. If it were anyone else, in a place like this, eating something without even looking at it could easily lead to trouble.
However, it was clear that Ye Rongxu’s extreme trust and dependence stemmed precisely from knowing who the person beside him was.
Because alcohol had been ordered for the dinner, by the time it was almost time to finish, some people at the table had more or less become drunk.
A few sober members of the anime club called taxis, said goodbye to everyone, and then, supporting their drunken companions, staggered out of the restaurant.
Xie Yu and Cao Yuxuan were also still sober and kindly went to help.
Ye Rongxu had drunk some sweet wine and was now slightly tipsy, still nestled in Xie Chaoyan’s arms. His gaze had shifted from the stage. He tilted his head slightly, his dewy eyes now looking directly at Xie Chaoyan’s chin. The restaurant intentionally created an ambiance; each table had a light, but its brightness was limited, illuminating just that small space on the tabletop, leaving other areas in a dim, hazy glow.
The colorful stage lights would occasionally sweep over, carving out irregular spaces. The intersecting light hit the two of them, outlining three-dimensional light and shadow, making the atmosphere even more mesmerizing.
This scene was somewhat similar to Xie Chaoyan’s earlier fantasy.
However, the little succubus in his arms wasn’t having his lifeline squeezed and wasn’t pitifully docile. Instead, he was like a little drunkard, reaching out to grab Xie Chaoyan’s chin, giggling, “Xie Chaoyan, your jawline is so beautiful, so perfect to draw.”
As he spoke, he stretched out his other hand, cradling Xie Chaoyan’s chin with both hands, as if admiring a precious treasure or gently caressing it.
Xie Chaoyan’s body stiffened slightly, his jawline unconsciously tightening, and his voice became a little strained as he whispered, “Stop it.”
Ye Rongxu, however, seemed not to hear. Instead, he became even bolder. After a while of touching, his slightly cool fingertips gently moved upward, touching Xie Chaoyan’s cheek, then his ear.
Then, he gently squeezed Xie Chaoyan’s ears with both hands, still giggling, “Your ear shape is good too, so perfect! I have to draw that as well.”
Then his fingertips slid over Xie Chaoyan’s temples, rested on his brow, caressed his slightly deep eye sockets, his high nose bridge, and finally reached his lips…
Xie Chaoyan finally couldn’t sit still. He pressed down on Ye Rongxu’s mischievous hands, his heart racing, and he said again, “Stop it.”
His voice was actually a little hoarse.
After being restrained, Ye Rongxu suddenly struggled in his arms, insistent on continuing to touch his face, muttering something about “such beautiful features, I have to draw all of them.”
Drunkenly, he didn’t know that Xie Chaoyan, whom he was embracing, was not as calm and composed as he appeared on the surface.
Beneath his calm exterior, a hidden current of suppressed longing churned.
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I like the slow burn of their relationship in this what if extras. I thought they might get together in high school at least 🤭