Chapter 39 IF Route: Meeting in Youth 4 I wonder if he'll have a hard time...

His heart pounded wildly as if it had gone out of control, and his heavy breathing almost drowned out the thunder and rain outside the window, giving Chi Chen the illusion of tinnitus.

His blood seemed to boil, and when he looked down, he could see the boy nestled against his chest, like a lazy kitten with its paws tucked in, looking up at him with its small face.

In the occasional glimmer of light from outside the window, his face appeared exquisitely beautiful, almost unreal. His eyes were dark, shimmering with a thin layer of moisture, suggesting an innocence of the world, or perhaps a lack of concern for anyone or anything.

Why did a sour feeling well up in Chi Chen's chest? He was tightly bound by immense grievances and anger.

He was the one who kindly saved Xu Yan, but now he's being treated like a villain with ulterior motives. In Xu Yan's eyes, he's no different from that brother or father—both are people who need to be pleased.

Chi Chen's rationality became clearer, but his body completely lost the ability to move. His rationality told him that he should push Xu Yan away immediately and stand firm in his position.

But the weight on his chest gave him an overwhelming sense of excitement, and the inexplicable palpitations made him unable to lift his hand.

What does this even mean?

"You...get out of my way!"

Chi Chen suddenly straightened up and almost awkwardly pushed away the person on top of him.

Caught completely off guard, Xu Yan fell to the side of the bed, letting out a muffled groan of suppressed pain, like a small animal whose tail had been stepped on.

He braced himself with his palms behind him, leaning back slightly. His wide collar slipped down a bit, revealing his snow-white neck and delicate shoulders. His half-covered fingers unconsciously tightened, pressing firmly against the mattress as if he were enduring discomfort.

Those dark eyes gazed at him from below, a faint pink tinge spreading at the corners.

Despite being beaten so badly, he showed no sign of weakness, yet now he looked pitiful and endearing.

"I'm sorry..." Chi Chen's body moved faster than his brain to bend down and reach out to help him, but just as he got close, the boy suddenly threw himself into his arms and wrapped his arms tightly around his neck.

Her body, which had been exposed to the elements and was somewhat cold, clung tightly to him, her cheek pressed against his neck. The sudden intimacy caused Chi Chen's mind to go blank for a moment, and his hand instinctively went to support her slender waist. So thin.

Chi Chen suddenly snapped out of his daze and shouted in a bluffing manner, "Let go of me! Stop seducing me like this!"

Having accidentally blurted out what was on his mind, Chi Chen's body stiffened abruptly.

But then he heard a short, soft laugh right next to him, as if it were mocking him.

This seems to be the first time I've heard Xu Yan laugh since I met him.

Chi Chen's breathing became increasingly erratic, and his heartbeat seemed to be out of control, getting faster and faster. The embarrassment of being toyed with also made him lose all reason.

Chi Chen angrily used almost brute force to press the mischievous person in his arms onto the pillow, while easily tearing off the arms and firmly pinning the slender wrists above the boy's head with one hand.

"Don't you fucking treat me like a man?" Chi Chen panted, looking down at him.

Xu Yan was under his control, her slightly long hair scattered on the pillow, making her face look even more like a bewitching demon. He still smiled gently, but his eyes were devoid of any emotion, and his voice carried a seductive quality, "I told you, Master can..."

"Shut up." Before he could finish speaking, Chi Chen instinctively covered his mouth with his hand. His beautiful eyes blinked, and with his arm and mouth suppressed, he finally became obedient.

Chi Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He realized that he really couldn't do anything with Xu Yan. Was this still the same quiet and reserved Xu Yan from the class...? He was so much like a fox.

He had just removed his hand when Xu Yan's light, airy voice came from beneath him, "So Master likes to play this kind of thing..."

"..." Chi Chen felt his temples throbbing.

Chi Chen felt that he might have owed Xu Yan something in his past life.

He took a deep breath and said seriously, "Fine, I won't hold this against you, but you can't do this back at school."

Xu Yan looked at him and nodded, which was taken as agreement.

Looking at the other person's overly obedient appearance, Chi Chen felt even more uneasy.

Judging from Xu Yan's current actions and completely distorted values, if she suddenly hugs him in a coquettish manner at school, or does something like forcibly kissing him or calling him "master," he will probably soon become a notorious gay bully at school.

Just to be on the safe side, he cautiously added, "At school, pretend you don't know each other, don't talk to each other, just like before, okay?"

After he finished speaking, the room seemed to become very quiet.

Xu Yan's eyelashes drooped slightly, concealing the emotions in her eyes.

"Okay," he said softly.

Why are you suddenly being so well-behaved?

After seeing Xu Yan agree, Chi Chen quietly lay down next to her, pulled up the blanket, and seemed to be getting ready to sleep.

Suddenly, when she stopped being so lewd, he felt a strange emptiness.

Oh well, this is fine too.

Chi Chen thought for a moment, then lay down side by side.

After a few seconds of silence, Chi Chen couldn't help but glance at the blurry figure beside him. "Um, I didn't mean anything by it, I was just worried about what people would say."

After saying that, he himself felt that it was a convenient excuse to cover up the truth.

"Hmm." Xu Yan's voice sounded somewhat indifferent.

In the darkness, Chi Chen couldn't see Xu Yan's expression; he could only imagine her expression in his mind through a single syllable.

I don't know if he's angry.

Forget it, why should I care whether he's angry or not?

It was clearly him who took Xu Yan in.

Chi Chen tried to sound more righteous, "Also, don't call other people 'master' casually in the future."

"Um."

"You can't just hug anyone." After saying that, Chi Chen felt his ears getting a little hot.

This time, the people around did not respond immediately.

"The master is none other than..."

"..." Chi Chen's breath hitched, though he didn't want to admit it.

But he was somewhat happy.

Xu Yan made no further sound, only her even breathing, indicating that she had probably fallen asleep.

Chi Chen felt a surge of excitement in his mind, as if all the events of the day were replaying in his mind.

I didn't fall asleep until midnight.

Early the next morning.

The jarring alarm clock rang from the bedside table.

Chi Chen had vaguely heard it, but his eyelids felt as heavy as lead.

Just as he was debating whether to lie down for another five minutes, he heard a slight movement beside him. Chi Chen suddenly remembered that he had picked up someone last night.

Those images from last night flooded back into my mind, making me blush.

What if... what if Xu Yan comes up with some unique way to wake him up, like kissing him? Chi Chen would immediately perk up.

He opened his eyes and jumped out of bed almost instantly.

"Hmm."

A muffled groan sounded, followed by a dull ache in his head.

Chi Chen understood the situation between the two.

Their heads collided. Xu Yan had indeed moved closer, kneeling beside him and maintaining a slightly forward-leaning posture, his intentions unclear.

Chi Chen cautiously jumped off the bed. "What were you trying to do again?"

Xu Yan looked a little dazed, as if he hadn't slept enough. His bewildered appearance was even more innocent than yesterday. He touched his reddened forehead and said, "Turn off the alarm clock, it's too noisy."

"Do you need to do this to turn off the alarm clock?" Chi Chen looked at the boy suspiciously. The way he was doing it made it seem like he was about to lean down and kiss him.

Xu Yan didn't speak, perhaps too lazy to explain, but simply raised her finger and pointed to the alarm clock next to Chi Chen.

“…Alright then.” Chi Chen’s gaze followed his finger to his alarm clock, realizing that he might be being too sensitive.

He looked a little embarrassed; his overreaction made it seem as if he was afraid of Xu Yan.

Fortunately, Xu Yan looked tired and didn't seem to notice.

They got up and washed up one after the other, and a delicious breakfast was already laid out in the restaurant.

They ate breakfast in silence before walking to school together.

Just across the street, Chi Chen reminded them again to pretend they didn't know each other.

Xu Yan nodded expressionlessly.

Chi Chen and Xu Yan walked into the school gate side by side, but something felt off.

He really couldn't understand what Xu Yan was thinking. Even though the other party had agreed readily, he was still a little afraid that something unexpected might happen.

Fortunately, it seems that Xu Yan has taken his words to heart and has remained silent the whole way.

When classmates passed by from time to time, Chi Chen always felt uncomfortable, as if he was afraid of being discovered because he was in a relationship.

"Hey, Brother Chen!" A loud voice came from behind him, and at the same time, Chi Chen felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. "Hey, is this... Xu Yan from our class?"

Chi Chen didn't need to turn around to know it was his childhood friend Qin Sen.

For some reason, he immediately became nervous and blurted out, "Yes, we just happened to run into each other."

"I see." Qin Sen raised an eyebrow and looked at Xu Yan thoughtfully. He felt that something was off.

Unexpectedly, after feeling his gaze, the other person only glanced at him coldly before quickening their pace and distancing themselves from the two.

Chi Chen: "..."

I'm still not used to this distance, even though we've only known each other for a day.

On second thought, it's also nice to be able to see that cute side of yourself all by yourself.

"He doesn't seem to like me very much." Qin Sen looked at Xu Yan's departing figure, somewhat puzzled.

"He's not even familiar with you." Chi Chen smiled slightly, unaware of the smugness in his own words.

"Oh? So you two are pretty close?" Qin Sen drawled, a teasing look in his eyes. "You two didn't come to school together, did you?"

He had known Chi Chen for so long, and he had never seen Chi Chen make friends with this type of classmate.

Especially the expression and demeanor when he said that.

They seem quite proud of it.

This is too bizarre.

"How is that possible?!" Chi Chen's voice unconsciously rose, drawing the attention of several classmates nearby.

He immediately realized his lapse in composure, a hint of annoyance flashing across his face. He forced himself to revert to his usual lazy and casual demeanor, saying, "Don't pry into my business."

They arrived at the classroom as the school bell rang, and Chi Chen finally relaxed after sitting down in his seat.

He's so tall that he's always in the last row, where he has a clear view and enjoys the peace and quiet.

Xu Yan was already sitting there. His seat was by the window, and by tilting his head slightly, he could see the boy's fair profile.

The morning light shone in, bathing him in a soft, warm glow, making even the fine hairs on his face clearly visible.

Like an angel.

Chi Chen was somewhat lost in thought.

I've always sat in this seat, and it's been a while since school started, so why have I never noticed that Xu Yan is actually so good-looking?

I was somewhat distracted throughout the entire class, my gaze constantly drifting towards Xu Yan's position.

When the bell rang, Xu Yan turned around without warning.

Their eyes met across half of the noisy classroom.

Just as Chi Chen was about to dodge, Xu Yan suddenly curved her lips into a smile, her lips moving silently.

Chi Chen's attention was instantly drawn to him. He held his breath and unconsciously imitated his lip movements.

zhu ren

Owner.

!!! !!! !

What happened?

It felt like fireworks were exploding in Chi Chen's mind.

He abruptly lowered his head to avoid the other person's gaze.

We clearly agreed not to call him "master" and to pretend we didn't know him.

Chi Chen suddenly remembered that Xu Yan didn't seem to have agreed to this last night.

It also said that the owner was none other than...

Chi Chen's cheeks were burning. He should be angry that the agreement was broken, but why did he feel a mixture of shame and secret excitement, as if he had been caught having an affair in front of everyone?

"Hey, Brother Chen, who are you looking at? Are you going to the bathroom?"

Qin Sen was taking Chi Chen out for some fresh air as usual when he suddenly noticed that Chi Chen's face was flushed.

"Damn, why is your face so red?"

Qin Sen's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for Xu Yan to hear slightly from his position.

Chi Chen suddenly stood up and dragged Qin Sen out of the classroom.

The cold wind blew in his face, and Chi Chen felt much calmer.

He looked at Qin Sen and suddenly asked curiously, "What do you think of Xu Yan?"

Qin Sen paused, thought about it seriously, and said, "Although she looks very pure and innocent, she seems to be quite aloof."

Pure and immaculate... Chi Chen's mind was in a bit of a mess. What did that word have to do with a fairy?

Everyone was fooled by his appearance.

"Brother Chen, the way you're asking this kind of question makes it sound like you like him," Qin Sen joked. He's quite popular with girls; if a girl asked him what he thought of a certain guy before, he'd probably be the next one to hand her a love letter.

"What nonsense are you talking about??" Chi Chen's eyes widened, and he denied it without thinking. "How could I possibly like men?"

"I know," Qin Sen scratched his head. "Why are you in such a hurry? Don't I joke like this all the time?"

Chi Chen breathed a sigh of relief and unconsciously looked around to see if anyone had overheard their conversation.

Turning around, he saw Xu Yan standing not far behind him.

Did he hear that?

...Chi Chen gritted his teeth in frustration.

It's all Qin Sen's fault.

I wonder if Xu Yan will be sad.

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Author's Note: [Thumbs up] What can a lone man do in the bathroom? [Shy]