PTCQT Chapter 13

Xie Baiyuan couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or if his dream had really come true. But if Shen Chun had truly said those things and done those things last night, then his attitude now was far too calm.

“President, you drank so much last night—were you in a bad mood?” Shen Chun turned and walked over with a towel draped over his shoulder. “If I hadn’t come over, you would’ve spent the night on the cold floor. You’d be feeling awful if you caught a cold.”

President, president, president… Xie Baiyuan kept hearing that title over and over. He thought of the words from his dream—his heart warmed, but he didn’t want to let it. He forced himself to stay cold and cut him off: “Don’t call me President anymore.”

“Why?” Shen Chun’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.

For a moment, Xie Baiyuan didn’t know how to explain. He could only say, “Calling me ‘President’ feels too distant. Just use my name from now on.”

“Hm?” Shen Chun paused for a beat, then chuckled. “But ‘President’ sounds too ambiguous…”

As those words left his mouth, Xie Baiyuan suddenly looked up—only to meet Shen Chun’s lowered lips in a light kiss. Shen Chun smiled and said, “Good morning, President.”

Then he turned and went off to shower, leaving Xie Baiyuan sitting there in a daze, as if he could still feel the warmth radiating from Shen Chun’s post-workout body, his heart burning.

So it wasn’t a dream after all—he really was being toyed with.

Little bastard.

Xie Baiyuan took the hangover medicine, and the headache eased a little, but as he looked toward the bathroom and listened to the sounds coming from inside, he couldn’t help but feel restless.

He rarely got nervous about anything—no matter how difficult the situation, as long as he faced it, he could always work through it. But emotions were a different story—messy, tangled, impossible to reason with. It was like someone had stuffed a ball of glue into his usually orderly mind.

Last night hadn’t been a dream. They really had kissed. Shen Chun’s eyes really were beautiful, and his lips had been a little soft… Xie Baiyuan pinched the bridge of his nose, telling himself it was too early in the morning to be thinking about these things—otherwise, it would only make his heart race and his mind unsettled.

But what exactly were they now? Lovers?

The bathroom door opened, and Xie Baiyuan instinctively straightened up. When he saw Shen Chun coming out while towel-drying his hair, he couldn’t help but swallow.

The steam was still warm, making his skin look even more supple—moisturized, almost glowing. It also made the young man’s features stand out even more: red lips, white teeth, striking as ever.

Shen Chun’s gaze swept over Xie Baiyuan’s overly stiff posture, a flicker of amusement passing through his eyes. He calmly continued towel-drying his hair, then picked up the hair dryer to finish the job. Right in front of Xie Baiyuan, he casually took off his shirt and changed into clothes for going out. The sight of his bare skin made Xie Baiyuan instinctively turn his head away—only to realize there was no real need to. Still, as Shen Chun was getting dressed, he asked, “You heading out?”

“Breakfast, then class,” Shen Chun replied as he tugged down the hem of his shirt—then began to take off his pants.

Once again, Xie Baiyuan didn’t know where to look. He didn’t want to come off as overly lustful—but the truth was, he really did like this person.

If they really were together, he would treat him well—he was sure of that. But right now, Xie Baiyuan still couldn’t define what exactly their relationship was. After all, there were so many people who could share a bed one night and be strangers the next.

And yet, every time the words reached his lips, he couldn’t bring himself to say them. Swallowing them back each time left him feeling like his insides were burning.

“President, aren’t you going to change?” Shen Chun asked casually as he ran his fingers through his hair in front of the mirror, then glanced at Xie Baiyuan with a hint of confusion.

Xie Baiyuan blinked, just as confused. “What?”

“Breakfast, of course,” Shen Chun said as he walked over and sat down beside him. The mattress dipped slightly under his weight, and then—boldly—his hand reached out and pinched Xie Baiyuan’s cheek. “President, why do you look like you’re sleepwalking this morning? Don’t tell me the alcohol’s still in your system.”

He smelled fresh from the shower. The scent of his body wash—light, subtle, distinctly masculine—was surprisingly pleasant. Xie Baiyuan sat with his back ramrod straight. Very few people ever got this close to him, and he usually hated it when someone touched him without permission. But Shen Chun was different. Because Xie Baiyuan had realized—he liked it. And more than that, he was starting to look forward to his touch.

“Do you like men?” Xie Baiyuan looked at him, but didn’t push away the audacious hand on his cheek.

“President, that’s quite the question.” Shen Chun withdrew his hand, crossed his legs, and smiled. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to deny last night’s kiss now?”

Of course, that wasn’t what Xie Baiyuan meant. He just found it hard to grasp Shen Chun’s true feelings—he often couldn’t read his emotional shifts at all. Shen Chun was younger than him, yet carried himself with a maturity far beyond others his age. “I’m not.”

“Alright, you won’t admit it for last night, but you kissed me this morning too. You can’t just deny it,” Shen Chun said, propping himself up on one hand as he slowly leaned closer.

His lips, always curved in a faint smile, drew near, making Xie Baiyuan’s heart race. He felt this kind of closeness was a bit wrong, yet he stiffened his neck and waited for that familiar touch to land.

“Hmm… President, the wine you drank last night was probably baijiu,” Shen Chun said, wrinkling his nose playfully.

Xie Baiyuan snapped his eyes wide open and stared at the face so close to his own. Suddenly, he stood up hastily and said, “I’m going to brush my teeth.”

He hurried away, but Shen Chun just smiled to himself. Xie Baiyuan was actually easy to understand—those who caught his eye and touched his heart naturally earned his openness, while anyone else was met with cold distance.

Does he care about the image he holds in his lover’s heart? Hmm… that’s kind of interesting.

Shen Chun got up and followed him, pushing the half-closed door open. He leaned against the doorframe, watching Xie Baiyuan’s mouth full of foam as he brushed his teeth, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “President, are you planning to finish brushing before you kiss me?”

Xie Baiyuan, still surprised by Shen Chun’s presence, couldn’t help but cough, the foam choking him and making him cough even harder.

“You okay?” Shen Chun stepped forward and patted his back. “There, there. I’m not joking around anymore. Just finish brushing.”

Xie Baiyuan took a few sips of water to calm his coughing. Although Shen Chun wasn’t teasing him anymore, he still felt that the simple act of brushing his teeth carried an unspoken meaning—something subtle, though at first, that was exactly what he had intended.

Even though he was older, he always seemed to be led around by Shen Chun’s nose. But since Shen Chun was younger, he figured he should give in a little more—three years was a big enough generation gap. Luckily, they were only two years apart.

[Host, you’re amazing—took him down in one go!] 521 praised.

[Three years is a generation gap, but between him and me, it’s at least tens of thousands of Mariana Trenches,] Shen Chun laughed. [He’s so innocent, he deserves it.]

But 521 thought it wasn’t really about age: [But the host is forever eighteen~]

A good system always knows how to flatter its host.

Sure enough, Shen Chun’s eyes curved into a smile: [You’ve got a sweet mouth—who taught you that?]

[The host teaches well,] 521 said.

[Promising pupil, indeed.]

521 clenched its mechanical fist. They say things take after their owners, and following the host like this, one day it too would become as powerful as the host’s original system!

When Xie Baiyuan came out, Shen Chun was leaning against the edge of the table, looking at his phone. Xie Baiyuan walked over to the wardrobe to change, but his gaze couldn’t help lingering on Shen Chun. It hadn’t been long since the last time he tested the waters—when exactly did this person start liking him?

He buttoned his shirt, one button at a time, his eyes flicking sideways, but Shen Chun didn’t lift his head even a little, completely unlike the times before when he’d sneak glances but quickly look away. Could it be that Shen Chun wasn’t attracted to him at all?

A tinge of frustration appeared in Xie Baiyuan’s eyes. When he looked again with focus, he saw Shen Chun, who had been looking down, curl the corner of his lips and meet his gaze.

Shen Chun had definitely noticed Xie Baiyuan’s actions, including his deliberate probing last time. Honestly, this so-called aloof campus idol was anything but cold—he was quietly provocative. “President, don’t look at me while you’re getting dressed. First thing in the morning, I’m full of energy—something might happen.”

Xie Baiyuan froze for a moment, his face inexplicably warming. He turned away, suddenly feeling a little foolish—and his collar felt a bit tight.

Going out together, having breakfast together—others probably just saw them as friends, but it was different. For the first time, Xie Baiyuan truly understood how joyful it was to sit across from someone you liked and share a meal.

The morning light was warm, but it didn’t burn at all as it touched the body. Shen Chun looked at the person walking beside him; the golden sunlight seemed to trace a halo around him. The usually cold expression on his face appeared touched by warmth, and the tight corners of his lips involuntarily lifted—a fleeting smile, yet stunning enough to take one’s breath away.

Watching the passing students, Shen Chun glanced left and right, then gently tugged on Xie Baiyuan’s arm, guiding him around a grove of trees and past a teaching building. When Xie Baiyuan’s eyes filled with confusion, Shen Chun lowered his head and pressed a kiss to his lips.

The kiss wasn’t deep—tender and gentle—but it made Xie Baiyuan’s cheeks flush, and unable to control himself, he wrapped his arms tightly around Shen Chun’s waist and back.

As their lips parted, Xie Baiyuan took a deep breath, his gaze locking deeply onto Shen Chun’s. “Why suddenly here? What if someone sees us?”

“It just suddenly occurred to me that you look really good when you smile,” Shen Chun said, tracing the corner of Xie Baiyuan’s lips with his finger, smiling. “Besides, so what if someone sees? It’s not like it’s something to be ashamed of.”

Xie Baiyuan was a bit surprised, but also felt a warm comfort in Shen Chun’s fearless attitude. “Aren’t you afraid your parents will find out?”

“This Mid-Autumn Festival, I already came out,” Shen Chun said with a smile, watching Xie Baiyuan’s eyes widen. “So, President, don’t worry.”

Xie Baiyuan was genuinely surprised this time. “You came out to your family? Didn’t they hit you or anything?”

He wanted to check, but Shen Chun pressed down on his hand with a laugh. “President, you saw everything this morning, didn’t you? Still not sure if I got hit? Enjoy your advantage tonight—getting caught now isn’t something to joke about.”

He spoke about such a serious matter so casually, but Xie Baiyuan’s face flushed deeply. “That’s not what I meant.”

“All right, I know. Thanks for bringing me to class, President. Wait for me at lunch,” Shen Chun said naturally, planting a quick kiss on Xie Baiyuan’s cheek before walking away with effortless grace.

Sunlight filtered through the tree shadows, soft and delicate, making the scene in the woods feel exquisitely beautiful. Xie Baiyuan found it hard to put his feelings into words.

Though he was younger and looked like a flirt, he was actually extremely serious.

But… why was he always the one being kissed?

 

 

 

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