ISMW Chapter 35

When do humans blush?

 

The answer is when they’re shy or nervous.

 

Yun Xunlan wasn’t going to eat him, didn’t look fierce, and wasn’t angry or upset. Given Yu Chen’s psychological quality, able to score full marks in “War Psychology”, he certainly couldn’t be nervous.

 

Therefore, the only reason left for Yu Chen’s blushing was feeling embarrassed and shy about lying to him, right?

 

Yun Xunlan thought his deduction was very reasonable.

 

In fact, the truth was close to Yun Xunlan’s deduction—Yu Chen was indeed shy.

 

However, he was shy because of Yun Xunlan’s sudden, unexpected subtle hint and confession—”We’re both alphas. Does that bother you?”

 

The former was Yun Xunlan hinting: I’m gay.

 

The latter was Yun Xunlan confessing: If you don’t mind becoming gay too, then we can continue sleeping together.

 

Yu Chen thought he wasn’t gay before, but if Yun Xunlan was the object of his affection, then becoming gay in the future wasn’t a big deal. Could that stump him?

 

But due to his inexperience in relationships, and possibly his susceptible period, no matter how Yu Chen tried to control his emotions, he couldn’t suppress his gradually quickening heartbeat and the warmth spreading from his ears.

 

A strange excitement and joy filled his body, making it impossible for him to calmly look into the youth’s eyes again.

 

Because every time he looked into those golden eyes, Yu Chen would recall the memories of opening the lychee rose bud, smelling and licking the fragrance on his fingertips—those profane and casual memories.

 

But at this moment, the silver-haired alpha took a step towards him, coming closer, and asked in a slightly hoarse, bewitching voice: “Yu Chen, you’re blushing. Are you shy?”

 

Yu Chen flatly denied: “No.”

 

As he said this, his face became even redder, the flush spreading to his neck, making his denial very unconvincing.

 

So Yun Xunlan said: “It’s okay, if you really mind…”

 

Before he could finish, Yu Chen interrupted: “I really don’t mind.”

 

Then Yu Chen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled heavily. With his long lashes half-lowered, he said helplessly: “Alright, I admit, I am a bit… shy.”

 

“After all, I’ve never thought about these things before, and we haven’t known each other for long… But none of that matters now, because I’ve figured it out—”

 

The blue-eyed alpha raised his lashes, his irises like a calm sea reflecting the sky, deep and pure. With a slight tremor in his gaze, he called Yun Xunlan’s name seriously and solemnly: “Yun Xunlan, whether you’re an alpha, beta, or omega, as long as it’s you, I’m… willing. I swear.”

 

Yun Xunlan, looking at the blue sea in the alpha’s eyes reflecting his own figure, was stunned.

 

“Listen, listen!” The system asked Yun Xunlan, “I’m about to cry. How can you still doubt he’s lying to you?”

 

“I’m not doubting him anymore, I’m just a bit… surprised.”

 

Yun Xunlan paused for two seconds before finding an appropriate word to describe his feelings.

 

“I didn’t realize he had developed such a deep friendship for me without my knowing,” he told the system. “After all, if Yu Chen were an omega, I wouldn’t dare sleep with him at all. Alpha-Omega shouldn’t be too intimate, and Alpha-Beta wouldn’t work either.”

 

And Yu Chen could actually ignore all these external factors, wholeheartedly wanting to be his brother.

 

While marveling at this, Yun Xunlan was also very touched. He felt that the book “Interstellar Journey: The Supreme New Emperor” hadn’t lied to him after all. Good brothers really could be made through sleeping together. He and Yu Chen had only slept together once and already had this effect. If they slept together a few more times, who knows how deep their friendship would become.

 

He really wanted to fast-forward to the weekend and return to Crescent Moon Peninsula, where the bed was bigger.

 

Thinking this in his heart, Yun Xunlan also said it out loud: “Yu Chen, it’s very late today, and you’ve had a tiring day. You should go back and rest early. It’s a pity the bed here is a bit narrow, otherwise we could…”

 

“It’s okay, I don’t mind,” this time it was Yu Chen’s turn to ask Yun Xunlan, “Do you mind?”

 

Was this an unexpected surprise?

 

Yun Xunlan hurriedly said: “Of course I wouldn’t mind, but I don’t have new pajamas here.”

 

Although Yu Chen already knew that Yun Xunlan, as an alpha, was deep and scheming, and had mentally prepared himself for possible further intimate contact in the future after deciding to accept and respond to Yun Xunlan’s feelings, when it actually happened, his ears, which had just cooled down, burned up again.

 

He couldn’t be blamed for this.

 

Who told Yun Xunlan to want him to sleep naked?

 

Yu Chen felt they hadn’t even held hands or kissed yet, so jumping to sleeping naked was developing too fast. He asked: “What about old pajamas?”

 

These four short words stopped Yun Xunlan from saying “Wait, I’ll have Ni Chun bring you a new set of pajamas” which was already on the tip of his tongue.

 

He thought for a moment and replied to Yu Chen: “I have three sets, one of which is a sleeping robe. You should be able to fit into it.”

 

Sleeping robes aren’t picky about body size; they can be worn whether they’re a bit big or small. Besides, Yun Xunlan thought there was no problem with good brothers sharing pajamas for one night, it’s not like wearing old underwear. Moreover, it was late, and he had already sent Ni Chun away. It seemed unnecessary to call someone back for such a small matter.

 

Besides, Yu Chen didn’t mind wearing his old clothes, saying: “Okay, I’ll wear that one then.”

 

So Yun Xunlan unlocked the door and led Yu Chen into his dormitory.

 

This dormitory only had one bathroom, so they couldn’t shower at the same time.

 

Yun Xunlan found the sleeping robe and handed it to Yu Chen: “You go shower first.”

 

Yu Chen took the sleeping robe into the bathroom. Just as he had taken off his shirt and put his fingers on his belt, he suddenly remembered that not only were there no new bathrobes here, but also no new underwear. However, last time when he slept in Yun Xunlan’s bedroom at Crescent Moon Peninsula, new pajamas and new underwear were all provided.

 

But when he rummaged through the pile of clothes Yun Xunlan had given him, he found a brand new, unopened pack of men’s underwear.

 

Opening it and holding it up, he saw the size was too small.

 

…These must be the ones Yun Xunlan had prepared for himself to wear, right?

 

Yu Chen crumpled this white fabric into a ball, gripping it tightly in his hand. The redness on his ears and neck wouldn’t subside, and he became increasingly certain that Yun Xunlan had planned to sleep with him back at Crescent Moon Peninsula.

 

As for tonight’s sleep, there was also a high probability that it was Yun Xunlan’s premeditation.

 

What about having no new pajamas, what about new underwear of the wrong size…

 

It was probably all part of Yun Xunlan’s scheme to make him have no choice but to sleep naked.

 

He absolutely couldn’t fall for this trap.

 

At least not now.

 

So after showering, Yu Chen forced himself to wear these tight underwear.

 

When Yun Xunlan saw Yu Chen walk out of the bathroom as if nothing had happened, not mentioning the underwear, he said to the system in surprise: “Ah, you really can’t judge a book by its cover. Yu Chen’s body measurements are wider than mine, I thought he wouldn’t fit. But not preparing a new pair for him doesn’t seem quite right either.”

 

“Indeed,” the system said. “Since he’s already wearing them, you absolutely shouldn’t ask if they fit. Leave him some dignity.”

 

Yun Xunlan agreed: “Okay.”

 

Then he also pretended as if nothing was amiss, went into the bathroom to shower, changed into pajamas, and lay down on the bed next to Yu Chen.

 

Thanks to the narrow bed, Yun Xunlan didn’t have to fumble in the dark to find Yu Chen’s feet tonight. As soon as they lay down, their legs were pressed together, and their upper bodies were also very close, clearly feeling each other’s body heat.

 

Yun Xunlan couldn’t help but comment to the system again: “Only two alphas who aren’t gay could sleep like this. If it were gay alphas, or omegas and betas, how could they sleep? I’m having trouble falling asleep.”

 

The system asked him: “What’s keeping you awake?”

 

“Yu Chen’s body is so hot,” Yun Xunlan said honestly. “The air conditioning temperature isn’t set low enough, I’m hot.”

 

“It’s good that you’re hot, if you’re hot Yu Chen must be hot too. As you both get hotter, he won’t stick so close to you,” the system advised. “If you set the air conditioning temperature too low, you’ll easily get cold, and as you sleep you might end up hugging each other, getting even closer. How could you sleep as brothers then? Be careful not to sleep as lovers.”

 

Yun Xunlan closed his eyes: “Then let’s leave it. Good night, Little Ju.”

 

System: “Good night.”

 

But Yu Chen couldn’t sleep again.

 

—He was also hot.

 

This heat wasn’t just temperature, but also included the restlessness inside his body, to the point where Yu Chen even began to be grateful that the underwear was tight enough. Therefore, he didn’t dare get too close to Yun Xunlan, otherwise it would seem like he was feigning reluctance.

 

He lay with his eyes open, enduring the triple torment of tightness, restlessness, and heat, waiting until 5 AM when it was still dark and Yun Xunlan hadn’t woken up. Then he quickly got up and returned to his own dormitory to change clothes.

 

Unexpectedly, he was intercepted again by Fu Yanxi and Gui Yan on the way.

 

Fu Yanxi questioned sternly: “Yu Chen, you went to escort the Third Highness back to his dormitory yesterday, and once again, you didn’t come back all night.”

 

Gui Yan also spoke severely: “Speak! What did you do last night?”

 

Yu Chen: “…”

 

Yu Chen: “For the Third Highness…”

 

“Don’t tell us you went to tutor the Third Highness all night again,” Fu Yanxi seemed to guess what he was about to say and sneered coldly. “That’s two consecutive all-nighters. Aren’t you afraid of sudden death?”

 

“It’s okay, Fu Yanxi, Gui Yan,” Yu Chen raised an eyebrow at this, throwing Fu Yanxi and Gui Yan’s own words back at them. “Even if I die suddenly here today, I must go tutor the Third Highness all night.”

 

Gui Yan: “…”

 

Fu Yanxi: “…”

 

“Let us have this blessing… no, this suffering,” Gui Yan tried to persuade Yu Chen. “Brother Yu, look at how dark the circles under your eyes are from exhaustion.”

 

Yu Chen indeed had dark circles under his eyes. How could he not, after not sleeping for two consecutive nights?

 

He could still catch a nap if he went back to his dormitory now, so Yu Chen again pushed Fu Yanxi and Gui Yan aside, one with each hand, to return to his dormitory for a short rest.

 

On Yun Xunlan’s side, he wasn’t worried when he woke up and didn’t see Yu Chen. After all, the guards had to get up early for morning training, their wake-up time was different from his. He only went to the training ground to find Yu Chen to “complete” his daily task. When he saw the faint dark circles under the man’s eyes, he said to the system: “I still need to have Ni Chun change my dormitory bed to a wider one. That bed was too small, Yu Chen didn’t sleep well last night.”

 

The system agreed: “Good idea, this way it’ll be convenient for you two to sleep together every day, speeding up the process of becoming good brothers.”

 

“Yes, I feel it’s getting close.”

 

After saying this, Yun Xunlan opened his light brain, clicked into the main page of the novel “Interstellar Journey: The Supreme New Emperor”, wanting to give the author some tips to thank him for helping him and Yu Chen become good brothers.

 

Unexpectedly, when he scrolled to the reading area, Yun Xunlan saw that the reader who had been crying and shouting for everyone to come and see the friendship line between the male protagonist and his brother in this book had posted a new comment. Although it wasn’t pinned by the author, it had been liked and pushed to the homepage by other readers.

 

[Damn it!!! Avoid this book, the stupid author actually said he can’t write about friendship, so he wrote a gay couple and insists it’s friendship!!!]

 

Yun Xunlan: “…?”

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