A few minutes later, Ye Xi was sitting on the living room sofa with Bai Yue, eating a late-night snack while watching a variety show.
It was a lazy and comfortable posture.
There was a soft, fluffy wool carpet under the coffee table, and it wasn’t uncomfortable at all eating with the plate on his lap while watching TV.
The show playing was coincidentally one Ye Xi liked, sparing him the stress of struggling to find topics to talk about with Bai Yue.
But from the moment he sat down, Ye Xi felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
He cautiously inched a little further away, trying to widen the distance between them.
But the next second, a joke played on the show, and Bai Yue—normally so gentle and composed—laughed without any restraint, his shoulder leaning right into Ye Xi.
Their bodies brushed together, the warmth transferring between them.
This was bad.
Ye Xi wanted to sigh. He looked helplessly at the armrest beside him.
He really had nowhere left to hide.
This sofa was clearly wide enough to be a bed—it could fit four or five people—but Bai Yue just had to sit beside him.
He was truly out of options. Staring mournfully at the pasta in his bowl, Ye Xi thought: this wasn’t him trying to take advantage—Bai Yue was the one who was offering himself up..
Trying to console himself, he ignored the heat in his cheeks, relaxed his shoulders, and focused on eating the pasta Bai Yue had made.
To be honest, Bai Yue’s cooking was surprisingly good—far beyond his expectations. It was hard not to wonder if Bai Yue had secretly taken cooking classes.
Compared to his own cooking “skills”—like turning apple pie into an explosive mess…
Ye Xi pouted in frustration.
Meanwhile, Bai Yue was watching Ye Xi from the corner of his eye.
If Ye Xi had looked up, he would’ve realized Bai Yue wasn’t paying any attention to the TV.
He had no idea how many celebrities were on stage or what chaotic things they were performing. None of it mattered.
Bai Yue’s grip on the silver fork tightened. His knuckles were tense, the veins on the back of his hand more visible than usual.
He knew he wasn’t acting right.
Ever since Ye Xi stepped into his home, his nerves had been abnormally tense.
He had to work hard to keep up his usual warm and calm appearance.
But he couldn’t stop his thoughts…
He had imagined countless times what it would be like to have Ye Xi in his quiet apartment.
Now Ye Xi was really sitting on the sofa he’d carefully picked out, sitting upright and proper, leaving a clear boundary between them—like the good boy he was.
Ye Xi lowered his head to twirl his pasta, his slender, pale fingers gently twisting the fork. Probably from avoiding homework, his hands were smooth, without calluses. His wrists were fair and delicate, like they’d snap with the slightest force—hard to believe this was the same boy who’d landed a punch just hours ago.
This light blue T-shirt suited Ye Xi so well—it made his already moon-like face appear even cleaner, brighter. His long lashes hung low, making him look unbelievably obedient.
Bai Yue tugged slightly at his own collar.
They were sitting so close that he could even see the blue veins under Ye Xi’s wrist.
And over the noise of the TV show, Bai Yue couldn’t stop wondering: if he held Ye Xi’s hand right now, pushed him down on the couch…
What would Ye Xi do?
Would he look at him in terror and punch him, like he did that mugger?
Or would he be too flustered to fight back, letting him press him down and kiss him?
He’d kiss Ye Xi’s lips, bite that soft, pitiful flesh again and again.
He’d nibble on Ye Xi’s ears—even if Ye Xi resisted or cried out in pain, he might not be able to stop.
In the end, he’d leave a mark on Ye Xi’s delicate wrist—a mark that would remind Ye Xi of him every time he saw it.
Maybe then Ye Xi would learn not to so easily accept an invitation from people, to not walk so casually into someone’s apartment.
Bai Yue pressed his tongue against a sharp tooth. The TV showed a black screen for a second, reflecting his calm but somber face.
But only for a moment—he quickly returned to his usual composed self.
He knew his thoughts were vile, shameful—enough to send Ye Xi fleeing a thousand times over.
But he couldn’t help it. Just Ye Xi sitting next to him was a test of his moral boundaries.
It was hard to say—if his rationality ever truly snapped, whether he would really act on these fantasies.
Bai Yue glanced at Ye Xi again. Ye Xi was still eating seriously, as if fulfilling some sort of mission.
There was only a little left in his bowl.
He was chewing on a twirl of pasta, his lips red but clean this time—unlike previously when sauce had smudged his mouth.
Bai Yue’s eyes darkened.
He looked down at his own green plate, slowly twirled some pasta with his fork, and placed it in his mouth.
Then, deliberately or not, the edge of his fork brushed against his cheek, and a small fleck of basil stuck to his face.
It was dark green, barely noticeable, but close enough to be seen.
“Don’t like this show? Want to change it?” Bai Yue asked.
Ye Xi was still focused on eating. When Bai Yue suddenly spoke, he was caught off guard and took a few seconds to respond.
“No,” he quickly said, stammering a bit. “I like it.”
As if worried Bai Yue wouldn’t believe him, he added, “I watch it at home too.”
But as he spoke, his eyes couldn’t help drifting to Bai Yue’s face.
The living room was dimly lit. He squinted for a better look before cautiously pointing to Bai Yue’s cheek.
“Bai-ge, I think there’s a bit of basil on your face.”
He tried to hold a straight face, but the corners of his lips curled up.
He never imagined that someone as perfect as Bai Yue would get food on his face while eating.
It was… kind of cute.
“Really? Where?” Bai Yue blinked, raising a hand to wipe his face. But his long fingers kept missing the spot with the basil.
“Still there?” he asked, leaning closer.
Ye Xi obediently said, “Yeah.”
He reached out carefully to point. “Right here.”
His fingertip nearly touched Bai Yue’s face, but he pulled back just in time.
Bai Yue felt the brief, ticklish touch and his eyes darkened again.
Smiling, he leaned in even closer—so close that Ye Xi momentarily forgot how to breathe.
“Then why don’t you help me take it off? I can’t see it myself.”
What the hell…
Ye Xi froze completely. His hand stopped in midair.
He was panicking—how could someone like him be worthy of wiping Bai Yue’s face?
But he also knew it was a perfectly normal request.
Just two guys, senior and junior, nothing weird about it. If he freaked out, it only made him look guilty.
Ye Xi swallowed hard, his mind blanking. Forgetting even to grab a tissue, he just lifted his hand and gently brushed Bai Yue’s cheek.
His fingers fully touched Bai Yue’s skin—so soft.
And they were so close, he felt like his breath would land right on Bai Yue’s face.
“All done.”
Ye Xi drew his hand back as if he’d been burned, then flusteredly wiped his fingertips with a tissue and threw it into the trash.
Bai Yue straightened up gracefully and thanked him gently, “Thank you.”
For the next few minutes, Ye Xi was even more silent than before, not daring to glance even once in Bai Yue’s direction.
He quickly finished the last bite of pasta and stood up as if escaping, blurting, “I’ll go wash the dishes.”
But before he could run off, Bai Yue grabbed his wrist.
“No need, there’s a dishwasher in the kitchen.”
Bai Yue said this while still seated on the sofa, looking up at Ye Xi from below. His soft hair fell slightly over his clear eyes. Despite being in the lower position, his gaze carried a certain pressure.
His palm was tightly wrapped around Ye Xi’s wrist. Even though he could feel Ye Xi’s stiffness, he had no intention of letting go.
Ye Xi could only stand there helplessly, turning back to look at Bai Yue in confusion.
And Bai Yue, as if in no hurry, just looked at him calmly.
His voice was slightly husky: “There’s something I’ve been a little curious about for a while…”
Bai Yue’s fingers lightly rubbed Ye Xi’s wrist.
He asked, “Am I that scary? You always seem afraid of me—at school, and even at your house. Whenever you see me, you avoid me. Just now too… I said you could crash at my place, but you seemed really resistant.”
He tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes dim and deep like a lake, filled with genuine curiosity. “Did I do something that made you dislike me?”
That question exploded in Ye Xi’s ears like thunder.
The hand Bai Yue was holding trembled slightly, and Ye Xi forgot to even try pulling away.
His eyelashes fluttered nervously, lips parted slightly from anxiety.
“I didn’t…” he instinctively defended in a small voice. But after only a few words, he trailed off again, lips pressing together in frustration, his brows furrowed with worry.
He had indeed been avoiding Bai Yue—but not out of fear, and certainly not dislike.
It was just the natural reaction of a coward in front of his crush.
Every time he saw Bai Yue, his heart would race, his limbs would freeze up, and he’d stumble over his words. He was afraid of making a fool of himself, even more afraid that Bai Yue might see through his feelings.
So even when they passed each other at school, he’d keep his head down, only daring to sneak a glance at Bai Yue’s back once he’d walked by.
And at the Zheng house, it was even worse. As long as Zheng Yang was around, Ye Xi would barely say a word to Bai Yue.
But Ye Xi always thought he’d hidden it well.
He assumed Bai Yue wouldn’t pay attention to some random nobody like him.
But now… Bai Yue had asked him about it so directly.
Ye Xi was so anxious that he started sweating at the tip of his nose, especially with the way Bai Yue was looking at him so seriously.
“I…” he struggled with his words, terrified that Bai Yue would misunderstand. “I don’t dislike you—not even a little. It’s just that… we’re not very close, so I feel shy.”
He couldn’t think of a better excuse, so he chose the safest one, looking at Bai Yue with pleading eyes, hoping to make it believable.
But Bai Yue wasn’t buying it.
He still held Ye Xi’s wrist and slowly stood up, stepping closer.
He was tall—even though Ye Xi wasn’t short for his age, he still felt like a skinny plant completely overshadowed by Bai Yue’s presence.
Bai Yue looked down at him, their faces almost touching.
“Really? But I thought we were quite familiar. I used to visit your house all the time when we were kids to see Zheng Yang. I even held you before, played on the swings with you.” Bai Yue leaned in imperceptibly, eyes locked on Ye Xi’s, no longer the understanding senior—he was quietly holding him accountable. “Just last year, didn’t I and Zheng Yang take you out for Christmas?”
Ye Xi’s breath caught—he had no words to argue.
It was true.
Bai Yue had always treated him gently. They didn’t interact much, mostly because every time they met, Bai Yue would get dragged away by Zheng Yang.
But Bai Yue never ignored him.
Whether it was out of politeness or sympathy, he always remembered to bring a little gift during visits, and he’d sit with him for a while.
Last Christmas, Ye Xi was supposed to spend it alone. It was Bai Yue who convinced Zheng Yang to take him along to a ski resort. Bai Yue had personally taught him how to ski and even bought him a limited-edition Christmas teddy bear.
The teddy bear had a little bell around its neck that jingled softly. Ye Xi now treasured it, keeping it on his backpack. Every time he looked at it, he’d feel a bittersweet warmth.
Ye Xi bit his lip.
From Bai Yue’s perspective, he must’ve felt so disappointed.
Bai Yue was already such a good person—despite Ye Xi’s less-than-glamorous background, despite Zheng Yang’s clear dislike of him—Bai Yue had still treated him kindly.
Yet in return, Ye Xi had acted like an ungrateful brat, avoiding him at every turn.
Ye Xi suddenly felt down and didn’t dare meet Bai Yue’s gaze.
Still, he quietly explained, “I really don’t dislike you…”
He racked his brain for an excuse: “It’s just… every time I see you, you’re always with Zheng Yang. I didn’t want to interrupt. And at school, you were the student council president, always doing inspections…”
At this point, Ye Xi’s words finally carried sincerity. He stopped stammering.
He looked down at his slippers, embarrassed: “I always break the rules—no tie, no uniform, always late or skipping… so I didn’t want to get caught by you.”
Truthfully, he didn’t care about getting caught by others.
At worst, it meant losing points or being punished with some meaningless chores.
But even someone as used to punishment as him didn’t want to show that embarrassing side in front of his crush.
Especially not when Bai Yue was the perfect model student—disciplined and outstanding.
Ye Xi stopped talking—he couldn’t think of any other excuse.
He had no idea if Bai Yue believed him. He just stared at his slippers, not daring to lift his head.
Bai Yue looked down at him.
He could tell Ye Xi wasn’t being entirely truthful, but he could more or less guess the reason.
After all, he was Zheng Yang’s friend.
And Ye Xi and Zheng Yang never got along. Zheng Yang was proud, stubborn, and hard to deal with—he might not hate Ye Xi anymore, but he refused to make peace, so the two of them were still at odds.
No wonder Ye Xi instinctively avoided even him.
But that wasn’t the outcome Bai Yue wanted. Disliking Zheng Yang was fine, but why drag him down too?
He looked at Ye Xi’s fuzzy black hair, feeling the slight tremble of Ye Xi’s wrist in his palm—like he wanted to escape but couldn’t bring himself to pull away.
Bai Yue didn’t widen the gap between them. Instead, he leaned down slightly and asked in a soft voice, “So… you don’t hate me, right?”
His voice was gentle, like the whisper of a lover.
Ye Xi nodded desperately.
“That’s good,” Bai Yue smiled. “If you really hated me, I’d be very sad.”
Those words made Ye Xi finally lift his head.
And when he did, he realized just how close they were.
Bai Yue’s eyelashes were right in front of him, long and distinct. If he leaned just a little closer, their lips would touch.
Ye Xi’s heart started pounding again.
But when he met Bai Yue’s gaze, he couldn’t help but ask the question he’d been holding in his heart: “Why?”
He always thought Bai Yue didn’t even care about him.
Bai Yue smiled, his hand still holding Ye Xi’s.
He looked into Ye Xi’s eyes and said, “Because I’ve always envied Zheng Yang for having such a well-behaved little brother like you. I even joked with him once, saying that if he didn’t want you, he could give you to me. I’d love to be your big brother and take care of you.”
