SBS chapter 39

Ten minutes later, Ye Xi, Bai Yue, and Zheng Yang were sitting together in the lounge.

Bai Yue was drinking the black tea that Ye Xi had brought him. Through the curling steam, he smiled at Ye Xi.

“I only got home yesterday. Since my flight landed late, I didn’t tell you,” he said with a laugh. “My parents are staying in the Netherlands a couple more days. They haven’t seen my second uncle’s family in years, so they’ll be there longer. But I said I had something to do, so I came back early on my own.”

Zheng Yang snorted from the side.

Ever since he had learned what was in Bai Yue’s heart, it was as if all his meridians had suddenly been opened.

Listen to that, just listen.

Anyone who didn’t know better would think Bai Yue had some urgent, life-or-death matter to deal with in Changhuan City.

But no—he had come back just to see Ye Xi.

Still, Zheng Yang couldn’t be bothered to call him out. After all, they’d been brothers for so many years. And he did remember that Bai Yue’s birthday was in just two days.

Grabbing a pastry off the table, he stuffed it into his mouth and mumbled at Bai Yue, “Alright, enough with the excuses. Your birthday’s in two days, right? But since you came back early, and your whole family’s in the Netherlands, no one’s throwing you a birthday party this year. So what are you gonna do for your birthday?”

He thought of himself as very kind when he asked, “Want me to treat you instead? We could go to that ocean-view restaurant at the top of Yunfeng. If you want a little ambience, I could even book out the place and set off some fireworks for you.”

The words fell into the lounge, but for a long while, no one replied.

Bai Yue slowly took another sip of his black tea before answering, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve already got plans.”

As for Ye Xi, it was like he had turned mute. He had been smiling at Bai Yue just a moment ago, but now he only lowered his head, drinking his milk in silence.

At that moment, Zheng Yang grew sharp. He glanced at Bai Yue, then at Ye Xi, and decisively sniffed out something unusual.

No, something’s off.

That little white-eyed wolf Ye Xi, who always sided with outsiders—how could he possibly stay quiet upon hearing that Bai Yue’s birthday was coming? Normally, he’d light up like a lamp and start asking questions with stars in his eyes.

Zheng Yang narrowed his eyes, staring at Bai Yue again: “Don’t tell me… you invited someone else to spend your birthday with you and you’re deliberately avoiding me.”

He popped the other half of the pastry into his mouth and gave a cold laugh. “That can’t be it, right? We’ve been best friends for so many years. Surely you’d want to spend your birthday with me.”

As he spoke, he kept sneaking looks at Ye Xi’s reaction.

Ye Xi wasn’t as thick-skinned as Bai Yue. Already flustered, he turned his face away, busy gulping down his drink—glug glug glug—half the cup was gone in no time.

As expected…

Zheng Yang sneered. He knew it. Why else would Bai Yue travel all the way back in such a rush?

Obviously, he wanted to drag Ye Xi out on a date—birthday, flowers, moonlight… who knew what terrifying things might happen!

He could hardly bear to imagine it.

The more he thought about it, the darker Zheng Yang’s face grew.

No way. He couldn’t trust Bai Yue’s character. This wasn’t a birthday celebration—it was a lamb being handed to a wolf!

But he didn’t panic. Instead, his eyes shifted and he suddenly smiled at Bai Yue.

“Actually, I was just planning to take Ye Xi out to have some fun in a couple of days. Since that overlaps with your birthday, why don’t the three of us go together?”

“Pfft—”

Ye Xi had been drinking milk properly, but the moment he heard that, he almost choked to death.

Covering his mouth with a tissue, he stared at Zheng Yang in horror.

Wait a minute—was he and Zheng Yang really on such terms that they could go out together?

Wouldn’t they end up murdering each other halfway through?

Zheng Yang must be crazy.

But Zheng Yang spoke with full confidence, raising his eyebrows:

“What? I’m your brother. What’s wrong with me taking you out to have some fun for a couple of days? Besides, didn’t you give me a cake a few days ago? I thought it tasted pretty good, right up my alley. So I figured I’d return the favor.”

Ye Xi coughed even harder.

He thought: If you like that cake so much, I’ll just write down the address right now—go buy out the whole shop.

But Bai Yue caught onto a sensitive word.

“What cake?”

Ha.

Zheng Yang had been waiting for a chance to brag.

Proudly, he looked at Bai Yue with a fake smile.

“Oh, nothing. Just that on Valentine’s Day, Ye Xi came home with a cake and gave it to me. Too bad you weren’t around—you could’ve had a bite.”

Bai Yue: “…”

Unbelievable. He had gone to so much trouble to give Ye Xi a Valentine’s Day gift, but it was Zheng Yang who ended up with a return present.

His mouth twitched. Hiding behind a cushion, he pinched Zheng Yang hard without holding back.

Zheng Yang almost yelped on the spot and immediately stomped hard on Bai Yue’s foot in return.

That made Ye Xi panic. He quickly set down his cup and stared at Zheng Yang warily:

“What are you doing?”

How could he bully Bai Yue right in front of him?

Zheng Yang was incredulous.

“Why are you taking his side like that? He pinched me first! What’s wrong with me kicking him once?”

But Ye Xi didn’t believe him at all.

His eyes clearly said: Can’t you at least make up a better lie?

Bai Yue wasn’t that kind of person.

Giving up on Zheng Yang, Ye Xi turned to fuss over Bai Yue instead.

“Bai-ge, does it hurt?”

Bai Yue smiled gently, adjusted his clothes dramatically, lowered his lashes, and said in a soft voice, “It’s okay. I’m used to it. Zheng Yang just doesn’t know his own strength.”

Ye Xi nodded in agreement. Zheng Yang really was like that.

Zheng Yang was fuming.

Seriously? These two? One of them used to beat him up as a kid, and the other once used him as a ball while teaching him tennis.

How could he possibly hurt Bai Yue?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He grabbed a throw pillow and started pummeling Bai Yue in the face, using both hands and feet.

“You think I’m rough? I’ll show you what really rough means.”

He launched himself without warning. Bai Yue wasn’t prepared and got pinned to the couch.

Ye Xi’s eyes widened. He jumped up to pull them apart, but Zheng Yang had already kicked off his slippers and climbed onto the couch. Ye Xi couldn’t hold him back at all.

And Bai Yue, tangled in his coat, couldn’t move his arms and legs. Knowing that Zheng Yang was fragile, he didn’t dare retaliate too hard. All he could do was shout, “Zheng Yang, get off! If you keep this up, I’m really going to hit you!”

The large lounge suddenly descended into chaos—pillows flew everywhere, two of them even soared through the air.

In the midst of the scuffle, someone must’ve pulled him into it somehow, and Ye Xi ended up climbing onto the couch, playfully smacking pillows at Zheng Yang.

He and Zheng Yang had been fighting like this since they were kids—might as well call it a nostalgic return to childhood.

Bai Yue finally managed to sit up from the couch, ditching his coat because the room was far too warm anyway. He tossed the dark gray wool overcoat onto the floor without a second thought.

But just then, Ye Xi let his guard down—and Zheng Yang reached out to tickle him.

“You—”

Ye Xi didn’t even manage to get a full word out before bursting into laughter from the ambush, his body instinctively retreating backward.

He lost his balance and fell straight into Bai Yue’s arms. Zheng Yang, proud of himself, swung his pillow right at them—only to crash down on Bai Yue too.

Bai Yue and Ye Xi both tumbled off the couch.

The world spun for a moment.

Bai Yue instinctively protected Ye Xi’s head, his own arm hitting the floor. Luckily, there was a carpet, so it didn’t hurt.

Ye Xi’s head landed hard in Bai Yue’s palm—not enough to cause injury, but the sudden jolt made him a little dizzy.

He instinctively tried to sit up, vision still slightly blurry, seeing stars.

And when he finally opened his eyes, something even more dizzying happened.

He hadn’t realized Bai Yue was barely a foot away.

He also didn’t notice that Bai Yue’s knees were on either side of his body.

The two of them were just too close.

So when Ye Xi dizzily sat up and lifted his head, his lips brushed right up against Bai Yue’s.

It was faint and light.

Completely accidental.

Barely more than a brush of their lips.

But—it really did happen.

Ye Xi froze completely, sitting there without even thinking to get up.

Bai Yue was stunned too.

The two stared at each other for a long while before Ye Xi, as if suddenly frightened, quickly backed away. Only then did some distance open between them. The air finally began to flow—but it still felt thick, frozen, almost suffocating.

Ye Xi was breathing fast.

Had he just… kissed Bai Yue?

That thought landed in his mind like a hammer, and his neck visibly flushed pink, the color rushing up to his cheeks.

“I…” he stammered, trying to apologize, “I didn’t mean…”

He might daydream about Bai Yue often, but this time he really hadn’t meant to do it.

Before he could finish, Bai Yue gave a soft laugh.

Bai Yue raised one pale, slender finger to his lips, making a “shh” gesture.

Then, glancing subtly at Zheng Yang, he mouthed two silent words:

“It’s okay.”

It’s okay.

Those two words slowly loosened Ye Xi’s stiff shoulders.

He stared absentmindedly at Bai Yue’s lips—rosy and vivid, thin but beautifully shaped. When he wasn’t smiling, they could even look a little cold.

But when kissed… they felt soft.

The lounge suddenly fell silent. No one said a word.

Bai Yue remained sitting on the carpet, one leg bent, not in any rush to stand. He simply smiled at Ye Xi, who still looked dazed and was staring at him in a trance.

But Zheng Yang, sensing the strange tension in the air, peeked his head out from the couch, eyeing them suspiciously.

“What’s with you guys? Got knocked silly?” Zheng Yang asked. From his angle, he hadn’t seen anything, but he definitely noticed how close Bai Yue and Ye Xi were sitting. He grabbed Bai Yue by the arm, “Why’re you sitting so close? I just gave you a little push—stop pretending. There’s a carpet, you’re not gonna get hurt…”

But again, no one responded.

Bai Yue rolled his eyes at him.

Ye Xi had already scrambled up and sat himself down in a single armchair on the side, not daring to look back.

My god… his mind was a mess, full of chaotic white noise.

Caught off guard and robbed of his first kiss—anyone would be devastated.

But he wasn’t.

Because the one he kissed… was the person he loved. Even if it was hasty and clumsy.

It was still unforgettable.

Ye Xi blinked slowly, still a little dazed even as he sat on the couch. What little consciousness he had left forced him to keep a straight face, avoiding any strange expressions. He didn’t even dare touch his lips.

But in a foggy corner of his mind, he thought, Li Rui really was sharp.

Thank god for that new lip balm.

His first kiss… tasted like strawberry.

……

Because Bai Yue and Ye Xi were both uncharacteristically quiet, no one responded to Zheng Yang anymore.

Zheng Yang, losing interest, tossed the pillow aside and flopped onto the long sofa alone.

But he hadn’t forgotten the main topic. He kicked Bai Yue again. “So? You wanna go on a trip or not? I thought it over. Me and Ye Xi have never traveled together, and your birthday’s coming up. Let’s make it a group trip.”

Worried that wasn’t convincing enough, he tilted his chin at Ye Xi. “Didn’t you have that classmate you’re close with? You just stayed at his place for over ten days—he basically hosted you. Invite him too, call it a thank-you.”

Ye Xi looked confused.

Li Rui?

Zheng Yang really didn’t hold back—inviting whoever he pleased.

But the more he thought about it, the more brilliant he felt this idea was. He’d figured it out—Ye Xi, that little traitor, always sided with outsiders.

If he didn’t let Ye Xi and Bai Yue go out together, Ye Xi would sneak off anyway. Might as well keep it all under his own watch.

“Go call him now,” Zheng Yang ordered, and even added a threat, “or I’ll just go with Bai Yue alone. Leave you behind.”

Blatant power move.

Ye Xi was dumbfounded. Ge, Bai Yue invited me first, okay?

He looked helplessly at Bai Yue, unsure who to listen to.

Bai Yue pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He could tell—if Zheng Yang wasn’t included, he’d never let it go.

If he dared refuse, Zheng Yang would probably camp out in Ye Xi’s room to keep him from sneaking out.

“Call him,” Bai Yue said, resigned, like a man accepting his fate. “The more the merrier.”

Five minutes later, Ye Xi huddled in a corner, dialing Li Rui.

He also gave him a quick summary of Zheng Yang’s third-wheel behavior.

But thanks to Zheng Yang, he’d accidentally scored a kiss from the one he constantly thought about. That warmth still lingered on his lips.

So he couldn’t quite bring himself to curse Zheng Yang out. He just grumbled, “He’s so annoying.”

“Exactly,” Li Rui growled in solidarity. Then he promised, “Don’t worry, I’ll come too. When the time comes, I’ll keep Zheng Yang busy—make sure you and Bai Yue get your alone time.”

A true ride-or-die.

Ye Xi was comforted. He kept it short: “Great. I’ll treat you to dinner when we’re back.”

“No biggie.”

…

The day before Bai Yue’s birthday, the four of them met up at Ye Xi’s house to get ready to leave.

Bai Yue shot Zheng Yang a cold glance, thinking It’s been a while since I’ve had such a noisy birthday.

Li Rui dragged along his little brown suitcase and politely thanked Bai Yue.

“Thanks, senior. Appreciate you letting me tag along. I’ve been wanting to visit the hot springs, so I shamelessly joined in.”

“No problem.”

Bai Yue smiled back. After observing for a while, he was sure Li Rui and Ye Xi were just bros—zero ambiguity. That made him treat Li Rui more kindly.

Besides, compared to Zheng Yang, anyone looked better.

“Thanks for the birthday gift too. You really put thought into it,” he added warmly.

Li Rui had given him a pair of headphones.

Li Rui waved it off with a grin. “No big deal.”

Zheng Yang scoffed nearby. He hadn’t gotten Bai Yue a gift.

And never would.

He’d rather buy something for his mom’s Pomeranian before getting Bai Yue anything.

Bai Yue didn’t care to argue, going to help Ye Xi with his luggage. “Do you want to sit in the back with Li Rui? I brought some snacks for the ride, and there are blankets too. If you get tired, you can nap.”

Their destination wasn’t far—just a short trip of two or three days, only three to four hours away from Changhuan City. Bai Yue was driving them himself, in an SUV.

Ye Xi nodded quietly.

He sat in the back with Li Rui, peeling pistachios and hazelnuts—but he didn’t forget to give some to Bai Yue.

He placed the clean, plump nuts in a soft white handkerchief and held them out next to Bai Yue.

Bai Yue smiled. “But I’m driving—I can’t take them. You guys eat.”

Ye Xi paused. Right, good point. Just as he was about to pull the handkerchief back, he saw Li Rui in the back frantically signaling at him.

Feed him!

Now!

Li Rui silently shouted, gesturing wildly like he wanted to leap forward and shove him.

This is too much…

None of the seduction guides ever mentioned this kind of move.

Ye Xi hesitated.

But seeing Li Rui ready to pounce, he shrank back a little and decided to give in.

He picked up a pistachio and, feeling extremely awkward, slowly offered it toward Bai Yue. “Then maybe I should just…”

Feed you?

But before he could finish that sentence—still in the middle of an inner war—a hand wearing a black watch suddenly shot out from the side, snatching the pistachio from his fingers.

“Sit back down,” Zheng Yang scolded. “Why are you leaning forward? Pay attention to safety.”

Then he let out a laugh, filled with undisguised malice, and shoved the pistachio toward Bai Yue’s mouth.

“Not worried,” he drawled lazily. “Bai Yue can’t eat while driving, so I’ll feed him. I’m right here—it’s convenient. No need to worry about him going hypoglycemic.”

The last sentence was directed at Ye Xi.

Then he took the opportunity to jab Bai Yue in the face with the pistachio a few more times—just to vent his own frustration.

Ye Xi was stunned. Was this even allowed?

He looked incredulously at Li Rui, who seemed even more shocked than he was, eyes practically bulging out.

Bai Yue, feeling the sharp edge of the pistachio pressed against his lips, stared daggers at Zheng Yang, his gaze icy like a blade.

His voice was laced with frost: “Are you looking to die?”

Zheng Yang, however, took the chance to toss the pistachio into Bai Yue’s mouth, then disgustedly pulled out an alcohol wipe to disinfect his fingers.

Even though he hadn’t actually touched Bai Yue’s lips, the whole thing still grossed him out.

Ugh.

As he wiped, he muttered slowly, “After all, it was peeled by Ye Xi himself. Quit whining. Be grateful.”

He intentionally said it softly, almost mumbling, so that it wouldn’t be clearly heard from behind.

Bai Yue glared at him viciously again.

But in the end, he still swallowed the pistachio.

The rest of the small handful of nuts ended up all going to Zheng Yang.

Ye Xi didn’t bother handing them forward anymore, feeling sulky as he munched on his strawberry cream cookies.

He shot Li Rui a look, silently saying: See? I told you Zheng Yang is capable of going crazy anytime, anywhere.

Li Rui nodded gravely.

Yep. Truly impossible to guard against.

He had a feeling this trip was going to be particularly tough for Ye Xi.