Chapter 174 IF Line: Childhood Sweethearts (07)
Lin Yao felt stuffy and hot, wondering if it was because of the July weather.
Even though he was the one who kissed her, and he took the initiative, the other person seemed to have the upper hand more easily.
Xie Xingchen's hands were wide, cupping his cheeks and covering most of his face, obscuring almost all the details. Only Lin Yao knew that this was extremely audacious under everyone's gaze.
"You're really crazy," Lin Yao mumbled, his breathing unsteady.
"Bite it," Xie Xingchen laughed.
People nearby were screaming, timing, and jeering: "You two better not kiss until you're in your most vulnerable period!!!"
He Li blushed and her heart pounded. She raised her hand to cover her eyes and whispered, "Ten seconds? Is that too long?"
"The timer's broken, isn't it?" Cheng Boyan looked down at him, his gaze lingering on his lips for a moment. "Want to try kissing?"
He Li suddenly looked up, his gaze flickering for a moment, his whole body boiling with the heat of the alcohol: "What did you say...?"
Cheng Boyan calmly looked away: "Just kidding, you actually believed that."
"You scared me." He Li breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "I thought you were so beastly that you would harm your own brother just to experience this."
Cheng Boyan chuckled, his meaning unclear.
Xie Xingchen finally released Lin Yao, and when he spoke, his voice was a little hoarse: "Ten seconds, is that enough?"
"It's long over." Lin Yao had been mentally counting down the seconds, but he had stirred up his mind, leaving only a frantic heartbeat.
He remembered what he had originally intended to do, so he quickly stood up, turned around, and looked at everyone: "Is this punishment acceptable?"
"Hey, all the following ones should follow this standard, be very open and aboveboard." The host said with satisfaction.
Lin Yao sat back down in his seat, feeling a dry throat. He raised his hand and drank the glass of wine in front of him to moisten his throat, but he still felt dizzy.
He turned his head slightly and glanced at the person next to him out of the corner of his eye. The person next to him looked calmer than him and was still laughing and talking to his classmate.
It seems that the kiss just now was indeed just a form of punishment.
He hasn't kissed anyone else before, has he? He seemed so skilled at it.
The next second, Lin Yao denied this guess. From the moment they met, they spent almost all their time together, except when they went home separately at night. If Xie Xingchen was in a relationship, he would definitely be the first to find out.
"Are you stunned by the kiss?" Xie Xingchen reached out and gently pushed his forehead.
Lin Yao swayed slightly, his competitive spirit rising, and pretended to be experienced: "How could that be? Your skill level is only average."
Xie Xingchen raised an eyebrow slightly: "So-so? Compared to whom are you just average?"
Lin Yao was caught in a dilemma, so he made up a story: "Someone else."
"So, that wasn't your first kiss?" Xie Xingchen narrowed his eyes slightly. "You're lying to me, aren't you? Your reaction was quite something."
Lin Yao glanced at him, his competitive spirit getting the better of him: "No, it's not like that."
He paused, then started making things up: "After I left your place last night, I felt it was a bit early to go home, so I went to a bar. It was dark, so I really couldn't see who it was."
This point in time was indeed in Xie Xingchen's blind spot.
For a moment, he couldn't tell whether Lin Yao was talking nonsense or if there was something to it. His smile faded a little: "So bold, aren't you afraid that others are sick?"
"It's none of your business," Lin Yao said, lifting her chin slightly to provoke him. "Anyway, if it's not this, it'll be that. We were just playing a game, didn't you say you didn't mind?"
Xie Xingchen really wanted to shut him up again in front of everyone.
It's mostly nonsense, but it's still infuriating.
"You dare to do anything reckless." Xie Xingchen leaned closer and threatened him softly, "I'm going to teach you a lesson."
Lin Yao's heart skipped a beat when he heard him call him "brother". When they were little, he did feel like he was an older brother, who was tolerant, doting and caring. Although he was eight months older, he seemed like he was two or three years older, a mature and reliable elder.
That's why I've been willing to call him Brother Chen all these years.
But in this context, he distanced himself from the lingering ambiguity of that kiss and brought up his status as an older brother, making his secret crush suddenly taboo.
"How should we educate them?" Lin Yao was fearless.
Xie Xingchen gave a half-smile: "You really want to try?"
He didn't say anything more, but Lin Yao saw a sense of oppression in his eyes, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Then let's find someone else to try it tonight," Lin Yao said.
Xie Xingchen reached out and pressed his finger heavily against the man's rambling mouth, warning him in a low voice, "Go back to sleep if you've had too much to drink."
Even though it was still early, the students next to me were already making plans for the second half of the game.
Lin Yao turned to look at everyone, and the pampered young master began to show his rebellious nature, which was already showing signs of growing up: "I want to go."
He Li and Lin Yao were always inseparable, so when Yao-ge spoke up, He Li quickly followed suit: "Then I'll go too."
"I'll count the number of people so we can reserve seats later," the class monitor said, counting heads.
Xie Xingchen and Cheng Boyan exchanged glances, both looking troubled. Nightclubs were places teeming with all sorts of strange people, and with everyone having had a few drinks, trouble was bound to happen.
But everyone was still in high spirits after finishing the game, and as soon as they came out of the private room, they went to another venue in groups. This place was even darker and noisier than before, and they had to shout to talk to each other.
"Brother Yao!!! Shall we dance!!!" He Li sat in the booth, looking around curiously.
Lin Yao wasn't interested in that; he simply wanted to provoke Xie Xingchen. This person always acted so effortlessly, which was unfair, and he wanted to see him lose control.
This is to confirm whether there is any affection for her other than her best friend and brother.
He held up his glass of wine, lowered his head, and took a sip: "Okay, but I won't."
He Li, a little tipsy, grabbed him and ran towards the dance floor, saying, "I don't know how either, just mess around."
Xie Xingchen's gaze followed his retreating figure. He lowered his head, took a drag on his cigarette, and slowly exhaled.
Cheng Boyan leaned closer and laughed at him: "What's wrong, feeling melancholy? Isn't it because you spoiled him?"
Xie Xingchen hummed in agreement and said slowly, "Does he want to see me jealous?"
"I couldn't have guessed that." Cheng Boyan looked at the chaotic dance floor. Those two couldn't dance at all; they were just standing there like statues. But they were quite attractive, so just by being there, they attracted attention.
He paused, then said detachedly, "However, your rivals in love are increasing rapidly."
In just a few minutes, several people approached him to chat, including tall and cute ones.
Lin Yao wasn't as cold as usual; instead, he showed a rare, kind smile, giving the other person the illusion that things could progress further.
Xie Xingchen looked at it for a while, and for the first time, a troubled expression appeared on his face: "The main problem is our relationship. If we don't clarify things now, we might not even be able to be good friends anymore. Let's take it slow."
For sixteen years, he had been by Lin Yao's side since Lin Yao was two years old.
At first, saying I'd be his wife was a joke, but I don't know when it started, it suddenly changed.
Perhaps it was the "Brother Chen" that Lin Yao called out to when he relied on him countless times, perhaps it was a moment when their eyes met, perhaps it was the first unrestrained and absurd dream that made up his complex feelings for Lin Yao now.
Cheng Boyan, slightly tangenting in, said, "That's true. I've known He Li for six years, and I've always felt that I don't really want to break this balance. Sixteen years, it's hard to imagine."
Xie Xingchen was about to reply when he saw someone take out their phone to add him as a contact. Lin Yao reached out and scanned the phone, then turned around and looked directly at him.
She smiled faintly, her eyes seemingly hooked, drawing in the man who had struck up a conversation, and also captivating Xie Xingchen in the distance.
“The kid has definitely grown up.” Xie Xingchen stubbed out his cigarette and stood up briskly.
Cheng Boyan, seeing his reaction, laughed and said, "You just said to take it slow, but you're contradicting yourself now."
Xie Xingchen walked over quickly, and Lin Yao walked even faster. After exchanging contact information, they followed the other person out of the dance floor and into the corridor next door.
He followed the same route, and at the end of the dimly lit corridor, there was no one else but Lin Yao.
"Brother Chen." Lin Yao looked up and called out to him.
"What are you doing here?" Xie Xingchen walked over and asked as usual.
"I felt a little dizzy from the bright lights, so I came out to sober up." Lin Yao smiled at him, his deep blue eyes looking very bright.
Xie Xingchen asked directly, "I just saw someone add you, did you accept?"
"You mean this one?" Lin Yao swiped open his phone, showing him the contact information he had just added. He then deliberately clicked on the profile picture of the other person, who used himself as the subject, and praised, "You look pretty handsome. Dad said that you can date after you turn 18, so I added you first."
Xie Xingchen glanced at him for a moment, then said in a calm tone, like an older brother disciplining a rebellious younger brother: "He doesn't look like an Omega."
Lin Yao leaned against the wall, his heart pounding, but he maintained a calm demeanor: "Yeah, I know. I didn't say I had to be an Omega. Besides, you know I love provoking Daddy, it's so exciting."
He acted like a rebellious eccentric, his expressions and tone convincing, making it impossible to guess his intentions.
"I can tell you're not drunk; your mind is quite clear." Xie Xingchen lowered his head slightly, and his shadow slowly enveloped Lin Yao. "You know how to make people angry."
They were already very close; with just now, the button on Xie Xingchen's neck swayed and hit his chin.
Lin Yao looked up, met his gaze, and said softly, "Anyway, you always help me when Dad is angry, right, Brother Chen?"
Xie Xingchen hummed in agreement and told him very directly, "I used to, but not today."
"Why?" Lin Yao probed his reaction, his gaze lingering on his face. "Will you be angry because I date so many boyfriends?"
They were like two skilled chess players, carefully considering each other's intentions before daring to make their next move.
Xie Xingchen leaned closer, his lips stopping abruptly just before they touched Xie Xingchen's.
“There are many ways and people to make Dad angry,” he said in a low voice. “It doesn’t have to be a stranger whose name I didn’t even know before today. That’s very disobedient.”
Lin Yao's breathing became slightly erratic. He restrained himself from raising his chin, otherwise he would kiss him a second time tonight, and his feelings would be exposed.
As if anticipating his movements, the other person lowered their head even further and bent down.
“Brother Chen…” Lin Yao’s throat was dry and hoarse. His lower back was gripped by that big hand, and he couldn’t move or escape.
Xie Xingchen's lips were light and warm, almost touching, yet seemingly not touching at all, like the opening kiss in my dream last night.
"Looking for an Alpha? Here's one ready-made, I'll play with you."
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