SBS chapter 11

Because of what Bai Yue had just said, Ye Xi remained in a daze even as he went to wash up.

Naturally, he stayed in the guest room at Bai Yue’s house. It was usually unoccupied but meticulously clean, with fresh sheets and even pajamas that fit perfectly.

“These came as a gift with some clothes I bought, but the size was wrong. I just left them in the closet, thinking maybe a guest might use them one day,” Bai Yue explained.

Of course, that was a lie. He had bought those pajamas specifically in Ye Xi’s size. He rarely invited friends over.

Ye Xi hugged the pajamas, barely registering what Bai Yue was saying, just nodding numbly.

When he went into the bathroom to shower, he stood in front of the mirror for a long time, zoning out.

He raised his hand to touch his face, seriously doubting his own ears.

Had he really heard Bai Yue right? Bai Yue didn’t dislike him—and even said he wanted a well-behaved younger brother like him…

Well-behaved?

Ye Xi looked at himself in the mirror, struggling to associate that word with himself.

No one had ever called him that before—except Bai Yue.

In his mother’s eyes, he had always been gloomy and withdrawn, neither clever nor charming, lacking talent and never trying to please anyone.

At school, he wasn’t exactly rebellious, but he slept in class, had low grades, and occasionally fought—undeniably a headache for teachers.

And as for Zheng Yang… that was even worse. As soon as he got tall enough, he started fighting back. He even once kicked Zheng Yang into a pond.

Honestly, half his fighting experience came from practice with Zheng Yang.

Yet Bai Yue, Zheng Yang’s friend, had said he was well-behaved.

Ye Xi tilted his head in confusion, unsure if Bai Yue was blind—or if he had somehow managed to act so well in front of Bai Yue that even Zheng Yang’s trash talk couldn’t sway his impression.

But it didn’t matter…

None of that was important.

Ye Xi hugged the brand-new pajamas to his chest and leaned against the sink.

He still couldn’t help but feel giddy. At the very least, from Bai Yue’s words, he could sense that Bai Yue truly didn’t dislike him—he might even have a bit of affection for him.

Even if it was just the kind of affection one had for a younger brother.

That was more than enough to make Ye Xi overjoyed.

Just like the wish he had made that day in front of the Bodhisattva.

Ye Xi quickly showered, put on his pajamas, and climbed into bed.

He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but he felt like even the guest room’s quilt carried the same faint scent that clung to Bai Yue’s body, and he couldn’t help but bury his face into it, breathing it in lightly.

But he was exhausted. It was already late, and soon he drifted off to sleep, his thoughts hazy.

Just before completely slipping into unconsciousness, a light thought floated through his mind—maybe that temple Li Rui recommended was really spiritual. The love charm seemed to be working. When he had time, he should go back and return the favor.

After Ye Xi fell asleep, outside the guest room, the door creaked open, and Bai Yue stepped out of his bedroom.

He had also just finished washing up. Wearing a gray long robe, the open collar revealed a firm, pale chest. His hair was still damp, with a few droplets falling from the tips, forming dark, wet circles on the floor.

His bedroom was very close to Ye Xi’s—almost directly across the hall.

Bai Yue didn’t disturb him. He simply stood there, watching the door to Ye Xi’s room.

Like a lion watching prey that had wandered into its territory.

And the prey was completely unaware, curled up in the soft quilt Bai Yue had prepared, sleeping soundly in the warm den Bai Yue had built for him.

Bai Yue lifted the cup in his hand and took a sip. The beautiful Edo-style glass held chilled whiskey, which sparkled under the dim light.

His Adam’s apple rolled slightly, but the icy alcohol still couldn’t soothe the dryness in his throat.

He had, truthfully, thought about staying away from Ye Xi.

Ye Xi was Zheng Yang’s younger brother. Their families had ties. Ye Xi was so well-behaved, quiet, and had grown up following the rules—maybe in his entire eighteen years, he’d never even considered that love could exist between two men.

If Bai Yue acted impulsively, he would only scare Ye Xi, make him feel lost and panicked, even fear him deep down—possibly run the other way the moment he saw him.

There was no reason for him to force an innocent boy to bear the weight of his hidden desires.

So he had once tried to be noble. After graduating high school, he tried to stay away from Ye Xi, reduced their meetings, tried not to let Ye Xi affect him.

He told himself this was probably just a foolish teenage crush, not something deep-rooted. With time, it would pass.

But it didn’t. Not at all.

As time passed, not only did he fail to forget, but like a withdrawal symptom, his yearning for Ye Xi only grew stronger.

The moment he saw Ye Xi standing by the basketball court, he nearly dropped the ball in his hand.

Even while chatting with others, his eyes couldn’t help but linger on Ye Xi.

Who would go shoot hoops at their old high school alone for no reason? He had just made an excuse to see Ye Xi openly.

Bai Yue finished the last sip of whiskey in his glass. Looking at Ye Xi’s room, he silently whispered in his heart:

“Good night.”

He felt a little guilty toward Ye Xi.

But it was shallow—fleeting.

He had tried to let Ye Xi go, but it was just too difficult.

So, no matter what means he had to use, he hoped that one day, when he opened his eyes, Ye Xi would be lying beside him.

…..

That night, Ye Xi slept exceptionally well—deep and dreamless.

So when Bai Yue knocked on his door the next morning, he was still dazed and completely unawake.

But the knocking was relentless. Knock knock knock, knock… It wasn’t loud or urgent, but it was persistent.

Ye Xi had no choice but to crawl out of bed. He was grumpy from being woken up, and when he got up, he was full of silent fury. His pale face looked particularly cold, his messy black hair adding a few degrees of intimidation.

He completely forgot where he was. With a threatening aura, he stepped out of bed, slipped on his slippers, and stormed to the source of the noise, flung the door open with a swoosh—

And came face to face with Bai Yue’s gentle face.

Bai Yue wore a loose, pale blue drop-shoulder shirt, standing in the morning light, his features smooth and fair, his eyes calm and warm, like he carried a soft filter around him.

Ye Xi immediately sobered up. His previously scowling face relaxed, and he nearly stood at attention on the spot and saluted.

“Bai… Bai-ge… ge… g-good morning,” he stammered.

Bai Yue’s lips curved slightly. He could tell Ye Xi was stammering out of nervousness, but when put together, it sounded like he was calling him “Bai gege”—which put him in quite a good mood.

His eyes glanced briefly over Ye Xi’s slightly rumpled pajamas, and he said warmly, “Come eat breakfast. It’s already six-thirty. If you don’t get up now, you’ll be late.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

Only after Bai Yue had gone a few steps did Ye Xi finally come back to his senses. He rubbed his face to wake himself up, then dashed into the bathroom to quickly freshen up and obediently sat down at the dining table.

Breakfast was simple. They had the same meal: beef sandwich, a cup of coffee, and two soft-boiled eggs.

Bai Yue, now dressed in comfortable loungewear, wore a pair of rimless glasses as he read the news on his phone.

He took a sip of coffee and said to Ye Xi, “I’ll drive you to school later.”

Ye Xi froze, then quickly shook his head. “No need, Bai-ge. School’s not far—I can walk.”

“I’ll get you there faster,” Bai Yue shot back without room for discussion. “Alright, hurry and eat. Don’t be late again.”

Ye Xi hesitated for a moment but said nothing more.

He quickly finished the breakfast Bai Yue had made and silently thanked the heavens for that day’s blessings. Then he picked up his schoolbag, ready to head out.

But he didn’t notice that the magnetic clasp on his bag hadn’t snapped shut. The moment he lifted it, the flap opened wide, and his test papers, iPad, and headphones all tumbled to the floor with a clatter.

Crap.

Ye Xi immediately squatted down to gather his things.

Bai Yue also bent down to help. But just as he picked up a few of the scattered test papers, his movements noticeably slowed.

The weekly exam results had been handed out the previous day. Ye Xi had stuffed them carelessly into his bag, so they were a bit wrinkled, but still clear enough to see—each paper was covered in red Xs. His math score, in particular, was only 62.

Bai Yue, who had been in the honors class since childhood, had never seen such a low score before. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

He knew Ye Xi’s grades weren’t great, but this level of poor performance, displayed so boldly in front of him, was still a shock.

Ye Xi immediately snatched the papers from him, his face flushing red all the way to his ears.

Only after grabbing them did he realize it was a bit rude. Clutching the papers, he looked uneasily at Bai Yue.

But it was just too embarrassing.

He had never felt as ashamed of his grades as he did at this moment.

He thought in despair: Great. Now Bai Yue’s truly seen it all—he’s discovered that there actually exists someone this dumb.

Seeing Ye Xi’s pained expression, Bai Yue couldn’t help but let the corner of his lips twitch upward, though he quickly controlled himself. He said nothing more and bent down to help pick up the scattered pens.

A few minutes later, they were both in Bai Yue’s Maserati in the underground garage.

Caught in morning traffic, Bai Yue leisurely drove toward the school.

Glancing at Ye Xi, who was hugging his bag tightly in embarrassment, he nearly laughed aloud.

He teased him: “Why did you grab your test papers like that earlier? Were you afraid I’d see them?”

Really, just had to poke the wound.

Even though Bai Yue was the object of his affection, Ye Xi still felt thoroughly exposed and humiliated.

But Bai Yue had asked, so he couldn’t not answer. Reluctantly, he muttered, “…I didn’t do very well.”

That was putting it lightly.

This time, Bai Yue actually chuckled.

He had always known Ye Xi was terrible at studying. He’d seen him napping in class before, and when the school posted final rankings, he’d heard Zheng Yang complain about Ye Xi’s disastrous placement.

Zheng Yang’s exact words: “All his luck went to his looks—none left for studying.”

Not inaccurate.

Hearing Bai Yue laugh, Ye Xi’s spirits sank further. He knew that to a genius like Bai Yue, his pitiful score was downright absurd.

But what could he do? Ever since his grades slipped in middle school, they’d only gotten worse. Even when he wanted to concentrate, he just couldn’t understand anymore.

Ye Xi could only turn his gaze to the window, pretending to admire the scenery.

But a few seconds later, he heard Bai Yue say, “Zheng Yang told me your family hired tutors for you, but you didn’t get along with any of them, so they all quit. Is that true?”

Ye Xi’s mouth twitched. He made a mental note to get back at Zheng Yang—did that guy have to tell Bai Yue everything?

He gave a reluctant “mm.”

But then he heard Bai Yue say, “That’s not your fault. Sometimes even the best teachers aren’t a good match for every student. Besides, I heard your tutors were all known for being strict—they probably didn’t know how to guide you properly.”

Bai Yue looked ahead at the red light. Behind his glasses, his eyes sparkled like inanimate gemstones, gleaming faintly in the morning light. His voice was warm and coaxing.

He said to Ye Xi: “If you’re willing, you could come over on weekends. I can try tutoring you myself. Who knows—it might help improve your grades a bit.”

The sound of morning rush hour horns echoed all around, one after another.

Ye Xi pulled his gaze back from the window and looked at Bai Yue, his eyes slightly widening.

At first, he thought Bai Yue was joking. But looking at his expression—completely serious—there wasn’t a trace of teasing.

They were stopped at a red light. Bai Yue glanced at him too. “What? You don’t believe me? I actually used to tutor Zheng Yang, and it went pretty well. Your school is so close to mine, just think of it as coming over to hang out, and study a little on the side.”

He smiled at Ye Xi. “Maybe I’m being a little presumptuous and pushy, but you’re already in your final year. Only one year left. If you put in the effort, you could make real progress.”

Ye Xi clutched his backpack, unsure what to say.

He didn’t expect Bai Yue to be so kindhearted, even offering to tutor him.

But he knew all too well how hopeless he was academically. Plus, Bai Yue was a university student himself—how could he waste so much time on him?

So he shook his head. “Thanks, ge, but I’ll find a tutor on my own.”

He was being sincere.

Bai Yue’s smile faded slightly, and the traffic light had already turned green. The cars behind them started honking impatiently.

Bai Yue pressed the gas pedal, pretending everything was normal, his tone unchanged.

“Well, guess I failed at volunteering myself,” he said softly.

The distance to the school was short; they arrived quickly. Ye Xi hopped out of Bai Yue’s car, still wearing a jacket.

It was Bai Yue’s jacket—he had insisted Ye Xi wear it and even put it on him himself. The temperature had dropped suddenly, and Bai Yue was worried he’d get cold, so he gave him his own jacket.

“Thanks.”

Ye Xi stammered slightly again. He didn’t even know how many times he’d thanked Bai Yue over the past two days.

But Bai Yue truly thought of everything, so considerate it was almost ridiculous.

Even after stepping onto solid ground, Ye Xi still felt like he was walking on clouds.

“You’re welcome,” Bai Yue smiled at him from inside the car. “Go to class.”

Only after Ye Xi had walked far enough that his figure disappeared completely did Bai Yue slowly start the car again.