PTCQT Chapter 12

Dinner at the Shen Family was indeed lavish that evening, but Shen Chun ate very little. Mother Shen, who was beauty-conscious and had a bird-like appetite, ate quickly and left soon after, leaving Father Shen to helplessly clink glasses with the two elder grandfathers.

The elderly tend to sleep early, and by just eight o’clock, Shen Chun’s grandmother and maternal grandmother had already turned in. Father Shen stayed to accompany the grandfather and maternal grandfather. Meanwhile, Mother Shen had plans with her close friend—she put on makeup, slung the handbag her son had gifted her over her shoulder, and cheerfully headed out for a shopping trip. Naturally, Shen Chun let her give him a ride on the way.

“Why are you going to school so late?” Mother Shen asked as she drove. “If your grandma and nana don’t see you tomorrow, they’re bound to miss you.”

Although Mother Shen loved her son dearly, her own mother—who adored her grandson even more—often made her feel a little jealous. After all, no matter how grown-up a daughter gets, she’ll always be her mother’s precious little girl.

“Chasing someone,” Shen Chun said with a soft chuckle.

Mother Shen clicked her tongue and laughed. “Well, look at you—my son’s really going places.”

The car came to a stop at the school gate. Shen Chun got out, carrying the gift box, and after saying goodbye to his mother, walked into the campus.

Red lanterns were strung up around the campus, adding a warm glow to the night. From time to time, couples could be seen passing by, whispering sweet nothings to each other. The lighting wasn’t too bright, so few people noticed Shen Chun walking by.

He made his way quickly to the dorms, his steps brisk. Just as he was nearing the door, he saw Xu Ze standing outside his dorm room, knocking. “President, are you in there?”

In his hands was a box of mooncakes—not the trendy snow skin kind, but the traditional five-nut variety. The kind that’s topped the list of most disliked mooncakes in recent years. But Xie Baiyuan liked them.

That was the kind of mooncake his grandmother had always given him growing up—packed with sugar and dotted with candied fruits.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, plenty of people sent mooncakes to Xie Baiyuan; Xu Ze was just one among many. But he was the only one who would ever think to give five-nut mooncakes, which made him stand out.

It was hard not to feel a little uncomfortable seeing someone you’re interested in being coveted by others. It wasn’t necessarily about love—just a possessiveness rearing its head.

Shen Chun paused for a moment, then walked over with a smile. “Hey, classmate—bringing mooncakes for the president?”

Xu Ze looked up at him and instinctively took a step back when he saw who it was. He stammered, “Y-Yeah.”

“The president might not be in,” Shen Chun said with a pleasant smile. “If you don’t mind, I can pass them along for you.”

Xu Ze hesitated for a moment, but then handed the gift box to Shen Chun. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Shen Chun replied.

Xu Ze turned and walked away. Shen Chun, out of habit, reached into his pocket for his keys—but when his fingers touched the empty fabric, he let out a soft hiss of annoyance.

He had brought his keys home, but he’d changed clothes—so the keys were probably still in the pocket of the other outfit.

521, noticing its host’s predicament, carefully pressed the shutter button to turn off the camera and gently tucked it away. This, it figured, must be what the advanced systems referred to as “blackmail material.”

Forgetting his keys was something that rarely happened to Shen Chun. He really should have double-checked before leaving. But now it was too late to go back, so all he could do was…

Shen Chun tucked the gift box under his arm and knocked on the door. “President, open up.”

Xie Baiyuan thought he was imagining things, but still got up and walked—slightly unsteadily—toward the door.

It was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Shen Chun would only ever spend that with his family. Why would he be at school?

The door swung open. When Xie Baiyuan saw the figure standing there backlit by the hallway light, his pupils widened noticeably. But after a moment of surprise, he leaned against the wall, released the doorknob, and gave a wry smile. “Guess I really did drink myself stupid.”

The dorm room light was off, with only a faint red glow seeping in through the window. A thick wave of alcohol hit the air, along with the sight of someone slumped against the wall, eyes half-closed.

His usually cold face was flushed deep red, and those half-lidded eyes held a kind of sheen that wasn’t normally there—like he’d been crying. But when Shen Chun looked closely, there weren’t any tears.

The strong scent of liquor lingered in the air. Shen Chun listened to the sounds coming from the hallway, wanting to avoid tomorrow’s headlines about the student council president getting drunk. He gently supported Xie Baiyuan, whose arm had been draped over the door, and helped him inside while casually shutting the door behind them.

In his effort to move him carefully, however, the mooncakes he had tucked under his arm fell to the floor. The room was pitch dark, and Shen Chun leaned back against the door. Xie Baiyuan’s head rested against his shoulder, his breath faintly smelling of alcohol.

“It’s getting dark…” Xie Baiyuan murmured, wrapping his arms around Shen Chun’s waist.

“Mm.” Shen Chun replied, turning his eyes to the side. “It’s getting dark. I was planning on spending the Mid-Autumn Festival with the president, but instead, you’re completely drunk.”

“Don’t call me president. Just call me Xie Baiyuan.” Shen Chun’s words seemed to strike a chord with him. Xie Baiyuan lifted his head, propping himself up with his arm as he stared at Shen Chun. There was an indescribable complexity in his gaze. “Why don’t you call me by my name?”

He didn’t want to just be friends. He wanted to try getting closer. The brilliant sun couldn’t belong to just one person, but somehow, he wanted it all to himself.

“Because ‘President’ sounds too ambiguous,” Shen Chun said, lifting the corners of his lips in a playful smile.

It sounded much more pleasant and ambiguous than calling him by his name.

The light outside the window wasn’t bright, but it was enough for Xie Baiyuan to see Shen Chun’s eyes clearly. He thought to himself that maybe he really was drunk, otherwise, how could he see such a deep, affectionate look in those eyes, and hear such a suggestive line? Xie Baiyuan’s fingers brushed over Shen Chun’s face, gently tracing his eyes, repeatedly caressing the corners. “Your eyes are really beautiful.”

“Then, do you want to kiss me and see?” Shen Chun lowered his voice, his words laced with a tempting allure. For that fleeting moment, his whisper made him seem like a siren, luring someone to their doom in the sea.

Xie Baiyuan swallowed, his Adam’s apple moving with the motion. He grabbed Shen Chun’s collar, but when his lips touched the corner of his eye, his actions were surprisingly gentle.

Shen Chun’s eyes fluttered slightly, his lashes brushing against the corner of Xie Baiyuan’s lips. His hand instinctively pressed against Xie Baiyuan’s chest, feeling the frantic beating of his heart, a silent testament to how much this person cared for him.

Love, he thought, was something that could be easily gained with certain methods or looks. Anyone else could have done the same; it wasn’t irreplaceable. But here, and now, this person liked him—so why not just let himself fall deeply into it?

First love? It didn’t feel as thrilling as he had imagined, but it wasn’t bad either. After all, he would never let him down.

Shen Chun’s hand slid around Xie Baiyuan’s waist, turning him around and pinning him against the door. Then, he kissed him softly on the lips.

It was gentle, infused with the scent of alcohol, and strangely comforting.

The kiss wasn’t deep. When Shen Chun pulled away, Xie Baiyuan had already fallen asleep, his head resting on his shoulder. His cheeks were flushed, and the way he slept was far softer than when he was awake—his usual coldness replaced by a childlike, harmless innocence.

In comparison to his age, Xie Baiyuan was still, in many ways, a child to Shen Chun.

As the older one, it was only natural to want to pamper a younger, more naive lover.

Shen Chun lifted him effortlessly. At over 130 pounds, Xie Baiyuan was surprisingly light in his arms.

At least 181 centimeters tall, Xie Baiyuan’s weight was relatively light for his height.

He gently placed Xie Baiyuan on the bed, took off the clothes stained with alcohol, and wiped his face and hands clean. Shen Chun set a basin by the bed, glanced around, and after a moment of contemplation, decided to take a shower before lying down on his own bed.

Everyone reacts differently when they wake up from a drunken stupor. He couldn’t help but feel a little curious about how Xie Baiyuan would respond when he woke up.

Xie Baiyuan had a decent tolerance for alcohol. Once asleep, he stayed that way—no midnight wake-ups or bouts of vomiting. He was surprisingly well-behaved.

When Shen Chun woke up in the morning, Xie Baiyuan was still deeply sunk into the pillow. He figured the other man wouldn’t wake up so early, so Shen Chun changed into his sportswear and went for his morning jog.

[Host, congratulations on getting into a relationship! Throwing flowers!] 521’s excited voice echoed, accompanied by the sound of flowers being thrown.

It must be because it was called 521, Shen Chun thought, that the first mission of the host was to fall in love. It shouldn’t be in the “breaking ties” group; it should be in the “red thread” group, where fates are tied by the thinnest of threads.

[Thank you.] Shen Chun chuckled.

[Let’s do an interview! What do you like about Xie Baiyuan?] 521 asked eagerly.

[He’s good-looking.] Shen Chun answered simply.

[Is there anything else?] 521 pressed on.

[Isn’t being good-looking enough? What do you want, more requirements? You’re such a greedy system.] Shen Chun clicked his tongue in amusement.

521 was taken aback by the sudden criticism, feeling unjustly blamed and aggrieved. [I didn’t! I didn’t!]

[Having a face is enough. In life, you have to learn to be content. Only then can you be happy.] Shen Chun said with a smile.

521 took the advice to heart and began taking notes seriously.

When Xie Baiyuan woke up, his head was pounding. As he tried to sit up, fragments of memory flashed through his mind.

Had Shen Chun come last night? He had pressed him against the door, complimented his eyes, and then they kissed?!

The fragments brought his consciousness to full alertness. Xie Baiyuan instinctively glanced toward the bed beside him. When he saw the clean and tidy sheets, he wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

So, had he really just dreamed of all that after getting drunk?

Xie Baiyuan rubbed his face and sighed. When he reached for his phone to check the time, his hand brushed against the water cup and the medication strip on the table.

“Naloxone, alcohol antidote…” Xie Baiyuan read the label, then picked up the thermos. As he twisted the lid open and noticed the lukewarm water inside, his thoughts momentarily faltered.

At that very moment, the dormitory door was pushed open from the outside. Shen Chun walked in, wiping sweat from his body. Seeing Xie Baiyuan lost in thought on the bed, he smiled and said, “President, good morning.”

The same voice, the same title he had used last night, but with different words.

“Because ‘President’ sounds too ambiguous…”

That whispered tone seemed to still echo in his ears. Xie Baiyuan’s eyes widened as he stared at Shen Chun, who was about to walk into the bathroom. “When did you come back?!”

Shen Chun raised an eyebrow slightly, looking entirely innocent. “Last night. What’s the matter?”

 

 

 

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