Chapter 5
Edward Quan ·
I had classes all day. The final one ended just as the day’s lectures finished.
I’d already messaged Ying Yanjue, telling him not to wait.
Gathering my books, I hurried out.
I was about to message Qiao Song when I saw him waiting at the door.
His hair was tied low as before. He was so slim that his clothes hung loosely.
“Wen Qi, here.”
He waved.
“My class was right next door.
“What did you want to tell me?”
I glanced at the people around us.
“Somewhere quieter.”
23
Few people were beside the campus lake at that hour.
“Can you tell me now? So mysterious.”
He tilted his head.
I cleared my throat awkwardly.
“What I said yesterday... don’t take it seriously.
“I... well... I do like Ying Yanjue.
“If you like him too—”
“I don’t.”
He cut me off.
“Before meeting him yesterday, I did think he seemed good.
“But once we met, I wasn’t interested.”
Smiling, he shook his phone.
“I deleted his contact.”
I opened my mouth blankly and swallowed everything I had prepared.
Watching my face, he suddenly changed the subject.
“Actually, I prefer you.
“You’re really cute, Wen Qi.
“I thought we had the same preferences. But for you, I could be a top for love.”
I froze.
What was happening?
Was Qiao Song confessing to me?
Alarmed, I backed away several steps.
“Like me instead. Don’t like Ying Yanjue.”
He came straight toward me, apparently reaching for my hand.
Before I could refuse, a long arm wrapped around me from behind and pulled me away.
The familiar scent of greenery filled my senses.
Ying Yanjue’s cold voice sounded behind me.
“Get lost.”
Qiao Song smiled, utterly unafraid. He even had the nerve to wink at me.
“I meant every word, Wen Qi. I’ll wait for you.”
He turned and left with easy grace.
I remained locked against Ying Yanjue’s chest.
Only after Qiao Song vanished did he let go.
He looked at me expressionlessly, his voice unusually cold.
“This is what you were busy with?”
24
I had no attention to spare for his inexplicable temper.
When had he arrived?
Why hadn’t Qiao Song warned me?
Had he heard me say I liked him?
Fuck!
The more I thought, the more flustered I became. Red spread down my neck.
“Nothing. Forget it. I’m going home.”
I couldn’t look at him. I threw out the words and fled.
I’d forgotten we took the same route home.
His long strides caught up.
Then he began nagging.
“Yesterday, you asked if I liked gentle, fair-skinned little artists with shoulder-length hair. That’s your type, isn’t it?”
“I don’t like him!”
The denial burst out.
He laughed coldly, his tone cutting.
“No? Then why are you blushing? Look in a mirror!
“You like him that much?
“Did I interrupt you two?
“Gentle, fair-skinned, shoulder-length hair, artistic. Such careful observation.”
His voice kept circling my ears.
I covered them and shouted, “Stop saying little artist!”
Another inexplicable cold laugh.
“What should I call him?
“Your boyfriend?”
What the hell?
I couldn’t follow his thinking at all.
“I said I don’t like him!”
But he was impossible. Not a word of my explanation went in.
He followed, making a few more barbed remarks.
So angry my head spun, I whipped around, grabbed his collar, and yelled, “I don’t like him! I like you! You! Satisfied?”
Only after saying it did I realize what had escaped.
He went utterly still.
His eyes slowly widened.
His ears turned red at once.
He blushed.
I blushed harder.
25
In the end, we went home wearing matching tomato-red faces.
After dinner, I rolled around on my bed, thinking about the afternoon.
Had I just confessed to Ying Yanjue?
What did that make us now?
His reaction...
The more I thought, the hotter I felt.
Just as my wandering thoughts sent my hand downward, a knock came at the window.
The familiar scene set the vein in my forehead twitching.
The familiar figure climbed nimbly inside.
I immediately pulled back my hand and coughed.
“The window again?”
He showed no mercy, exposing me at once.
“What were you about to do?”
Looking at his perfectly respectable expression, I almost laughed.
Who exactly had clung to me in the university changing room, doing morally depraved and utterly inhuman things?
I calmly watched him approach the bed.
When he came close, I reached out and yanked him down.
He was astonishingly obedient.
He fell onto the bed without resisting, watching me without blinking.
His face was composed.
His throat bobbed several times despite him.
Deliberately, I took off my shirt and straddled him.
With my right hand on his chin, I threatened, “You want to know what I’m doing?”
My left hand slid down and closed around him.
He frowned and drew a sharp breath.
I swallowed.
Seeing him so willing to let me do as I pleased, desire got the better of me. I bent and covered him in bites and kisses.
At some point, his hands settled at my waist.
Long fingers stroked my skin again and again.
Encouraged, I grew bolder.
I began tugging at his shirt.
Just as I was about to pull it off, my bedroom door banged open.
We both looked up.
Mom stood there, hand over her mouth, staring in shock.
Fruit lay scattered across the floor.
26
“Xiaojue, don’t be afraid. Tell me. Was that brat Wen Qi bullying you?”
She looked pityingly at the bite marks still bleeding on his neck and shoulders.
Guiltily, I touched his hand.
First time. A little too much force was understandable, right?
He shook his head and took my hand in return.
Looking at Mom, he spoke calmly.
“Aunt Qi, Wen Qi and I are together. He wasn’t bullying me. We’re very happy.”
Mom froze.
So did I.
When had we made it official?
Why hadn’t anyone told me?
“I told you he wasn’t being bullied. He’s probably delighted.”
Aunt Lin’s unhurried voice came from outside.
Entering, she saw us holding hands and gave an amused snort.
“Finally satisfied?”
“Mom...”
He sounded helpless.
I was stunned.
So my first guess had been right.
He really had been trying to make me fall for him.
Mom recovered too.
Her gaze moved between us. Then she dropped a bombshell.
“So you two have liked each other for ages.”
I refused to accept that.
“I didn’t like him before!”
She rolled her eyes.
“Oh, please. I’ve never seen a straight boy chase another boy around every day.
“When you first met Xiaojue as a child, you even said you wanted to marry him and make him your wife.”
That happened?
My eyes widened. I was about to argue when I noticed how unmistakably happy Ying Yanjue looked.
I swallowed the words.
What could I do?
My wife. Mine to spoil.
Looking at everyone’s satisfied faces, I made a bold decision.
I took out my phone and video-called Dad, who was abroad in another time zone.
Once his sleepy voice came through, I solemnly pulled Ying Yanjue to his feet.
“I’ve decided. As soon as we graduate, we’re going abroad to register our marriage.”
Mom froze.
Aunt Lin froze.
A heavy thud came from Dad’s end of the call.
Only Ying Yanjue’s eyes lit up.
“All right,” he said.