Chapter 51 Taking Responsibility for Me
The air was silent for two seconds.
Chen Yubai turned his head to look at Peng Chengyi, as if to confirm something, or simply to state a fact: "Right?"
Peng Chengyi met his gaze and was suddenly captivated by the rare, almost stubborn expectation in his eyes.
The words that were on the tip of my tongue, "Who asked you to make decisions for me?" inexplicably took a turn and came out as a slightly flustered and compromising statement: "...Yes, I'm too busy with my second year of high school, I really don't have time."
The reason sounds reasonable, but it also has a hint of trying to cover something up.
Song Xingran nodded knowingly, her smile unchanged, and said tactfully, "Alright then, my studies are important, senior. But there will always be opportunities, we can talk about it later. I won't bother you any longer, seniors, have a good meal and drinks."
After saying that, he led his band members to an empty large table inside.
Peng Chengyi breathed a slight sigh of relief, but her heartbeat did not immediately calm down.
It was hard to tell whether it was because of the sudden conversation or because of Chen Yubai's inexplicable gaze.
It wasn't until her phone vibrated several times that she snapped out of her daze and exited the order page, only to find that Zheng Xinyue was frantically typing on WeChat:
"I'm dying from this! I'm dying from this!!!"
"No matter how you try to deny it, I'm locking you and Chen Yubai into this couple! I'll swallow the key!"
"If you two really get married in the future, I want to sit at the head table."
"Thanks"
Peng Chengyi's lips twitched, and she silently raised her eyes to look at Zheng Xinyue across the table.
Zheng Xinyue gave her a sly smile, secretly pinched her fingers under the table, and made a heart shape with her hands.
Peng Chengyi lowered her head helplessly, her fingertips tapping rapidly on the screen as she replied: "Although, please still ship some normal couples. The sun has risen in the west, and we're never going to get married."
Zheng Xinyue: "It's okay, I took a screenshot. I'll post it when I attend your wedding."
Peng Chengyi: "..."
"Hey, you two, stop staring at your phones!" Zhang Yang tapped the table and glanced at them. "Do you want to order anything else? I'm about to place the order!"
"Coming, coming..." Peng Chengyi quickly exited the chat interface and reopened the barbecue order page.
She didn't notice Chen Yubai's gaze lingering on her phone screen for a few seconds.
-
The excitement and bustle of the arts festival still seem to echo in my ears, but campus life has quickly returned to its original track.
Exams of all sizes came one after another, and this semester has quietly come to an end.
After the final exams, Peng Chengyi finally broke into the top 20 in her grade for the first time, ranking 18th.
After looking at the rankings posted next to the blackboard, she happily walked back to her seat, only to find Zheng Xinyue staring blankly at the test paper on the table, her eyes also somewhat dazed.
I couldn't help but ask with concern, "I just checked the rankings, and you've improved by almost twenty places since the midterms! You should be able to have a peaceful New Year now, right?"
“There has been progress…” Zheng Xinyue raised her head, forced a smile, and then quickly smiled again, “but it’s still not enough.”
"Not enough what?" Peng Chengyi asked, somewhat puzzled.
Zheng Xinyue wasn't as obsessed with rankings as she was; she often said that getting into a top-tier university would be enough.
Although I used to complain about my grades, I've never felt this way before. I feel like all my energy has been drained, and I feel completely powerless.
"It's not enough for me to stay in the science class." Zheng Xin gave a wry smile, her fingers unconsciously clenching the corner of the test paper.
Peng Chengyi was taken aback: "The science class... wasn't that our own choice?"
“It was voluntary,” Zheng Xinyue said in a low voice, “but my mom felt that after I entered the second year of high school, I was finding physics and chemistry increasingly difficult, and my grades were hovering at the bottom… She said that if things continued like this, I might not even get into a top university, so it would be safer for me to study humanities.”
"So you..."
"I'll probably be transferring to the humanities class next semester."
Zheng Xinyue's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples in Peng Chengyi's heart. She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what words of comfort she could say. She could only subconsciously reach out and gently place her hand on the back of Zheng Xinyue's hand, which was clenched tightly around the test paper.
Feeling the warmth of her palm, Zheng Xinyue smiled and tried to sound more relaxed: "It's okay. Actually, I didn't really like studying science... I'm just a little sad thinking about being separated from you guys in the future."
As they were talking, Chen Wei returned to her seat. She looked at the two people who seemed a bit off and asked, "What's wrong?"
“Yueyue is transferring to the humanities class next semester…” Peng Chengyi said, looking up with a tearful expression.
Chen Wei paused for a moment, then spoke with unusual calm: "It's okay, she didn't transfer out of the school. We're still living in the same dormitory, aren't we?"
"Maybe... we'll have to change dorms too," Zheng Xinyue added softly.
“They’re in the same dormitory building,” Chen Wei said, her tone still calm but carrying a reassuring quality. “We can go back to the dormitory together after class, and we can still have lunch and dinner together.”
“That’s right!” Peng Chengyi seemed to be awakened and immediately perked up, quickly adding to the reassurance, “It’s just changing classes, it won’t change anything! Look at Zhang Yang, he’s never been in the same class as us, but we still hang out together every day, right?”
“That’s true…” Zheng Xinyue looked at the concerned faces of her two friends, and the corners of her eyes finally curved slightly. Her low mood seemed to brighten up a bit like sunlight streaming through a window. “Then it’s settled, we’ll go to and from school together and eat together next semester!”
“Of course!” Peng Chengyi and Chen Wei answered in unison.
-
With the arrival of winter vacation, their birthdays also quietly approached.
Peng Chengyi is once again facing the annual dilemma: what birthday gift should she give Chen Yubai?
Having learned from last year's experience, she took action much earlier this year. As soon as she got home for the holidays, she sat cross-legged on her bed, swiping her phone screen and browsing all sorts of gift recommendations.
Suddenly, a fluffy Psyduck onesie popped up on the screen.
The picture shows Psyduck with its big, round eyes, soft, yellowish down, and three tufts of hair on its hat.
Peng Chengyi's shopping desire was instantly aroused, and she forgot that she was helping Chen Yubai pick out a gift. She immediately swiped her finger and clicked on the product page.
Once inside, she was surprised to find that in addition to Psyduck, the store also had pink Jigglypuff and blue and white Snorlax designs.
Her gaze lingered on the Snorlax for a moment, admiring its round belly, adorable expression, and refreshing yet not overly childish blue and white color scheme. She couldn't help but start considering it in her mind.
This style seems suitable for Chen Yubai as well.
And thinking about it carefully, he always seems to dress very casually at home in winter, and it seems that he doesn't really have any particularly warm and comfortable loungewear.
How about we give him this?
There was a 20% discount for buying two items, so she could naturally buy herself the Psyduck item.
Thinking of this, she smiled and happily placed an order.
After receiving the gift, in order to show that she had not been perfunctory in giving him the gift, Peng Chengyi specially went to a boutique to pick out a high-quality gift box with tiny snowflakes printed on it, and solemnly put the neatly folded Snorlax loungewear inside.
On her birthday, she earnestly handed the gift to Chen Yubai, who had come to her house for dinner: "Here, this is a gift I carefully selected for you. It's very practical and perfect for you!"
Chen Yubai stood at the door, glanced down at the gift box that was clearly made with care, and a slight smile unconsciously appeared on his lips: "It's rare that you actually put in a little effort this year."
"Tch, I only did a little bit perfunctorily last year..." Peng Chengyi pursed her lips guiltily.
Chen Yubai smiled noncommittally and handed her a box: "Yours."
Peng Chengyi weighed the box in her hand and looked at its size, but she couldn't guess what it was. Her curiosity was piqued, and she couldn't wait to sit on the sofa and start unpacking it.
Tearing open the packaging reveals a mint green tin box with a delicate guitar design printed on it.
"Huh? Is it something related to a guitar?" She looked up in confusion.
"Open it and take a look." Chen Yubai sat down next to her, carrying his own gift, and began to carefully open it as well.
Peng Chengyi looked it over and over before finding a rather inconspicuous button on the side of the box.
With a gentle press, the latch pops open with a "click".
She eagerly opened the box and was slightly taken aback to see a neatly stacked stack of printed guitar tabs inside. She then picked up the top tab and examined it closely.
It turned out to be an obscure song that she had been longing for for a long time but had never been able to find the sheet music for!
"Wow! Where did you get this?!" she exclaimed in surprise, her clear eyes lighting up.
"I dug it up myself." Chen Yubai said in a flat tone, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.
“Then these…” Peng Chengyi hurriedly scrolled down again, and sure enough, there were several more niche songs that she treasured in her playlist. “You didn’t find all of these yourself, did you?!”
"Hmm." He nodded slightly.
"Holy crap! Bro, you're so amazing!" Peng Chengyi was so moved she almost lunged at him, her voice brimming with joy. "How much time did this take?!"
“It didn’t take much time,” Chen Yubai said lazily, raising his eyes. “After all, I’m much better at sight-singing and ear training than someone else.”
"..."
This dog, it really can't stand not putting on an act, can it?
Peng Chengyi gave a speechless twitch of her lips, but considering that his gift had truly touched her heart, she decided to be merciful today and allow him to pretend like this just this once.
"Yes, yes, you're the strongest, the strongest in the universe!" she said with a smile, putting down the precious sheet music and standing up. "I'll go get the guitar and try it out now."
When she excitedly returned to the living room with her guitar, she saw Chen Yubai frowning, holding the blue and white Snorlax onesie with two fingers, examining it with a complicated expression: "...What is this?"
“Warm loungewear!” Peng Chengyi blinked and explained seriously, “I see you just throw on an old sweatshirt at home in winter, this is so practical! It’s thick coral fleece, feels amazing, and is super warm!”
"...Then can't you buy me some normal human loungewear?" Chen Yubai's lips twitched slightly. "How am I supposed to wear this?"
“What’s wrong with this?” Peng Chengyi said matter-of-factly. “Onesies are so convenient. You don’t even need to separate tops and bottoms. One set is all you need. It’s perfect for lazy people like you.”
"How am I, a conjoined twin, supposed to use the toilet? Tell me, where is the convenient spot?"
"There's a hidden zipper on the side of the pant leg! I checked it myself," she immediately pointed to the seam and assured them confidently, "You don't need to take your pants off completely to use the restroom, the design is very scientific!"
“…Alright, even if I don’t have to take it all off,” Chen Yubai took a deep breath, unfolded the garment, and pointed to the round Snorlax pattern and the憨厚 (honest and simple) smiling face on it, “What kind of design is this?”
“This is Snorlax from Pokémon! Haven’t you seen it too?” Peng Chengyi’s eyes sparkled as she tried to recommend it. “It sleeps all day long and has a lazy personality, which is a perfect match for you! That’s why I chose it at first sight.”
Chen Yubai: "..."
Seeing his still "Are you kidding me?" expression, Peng Chengyi pouted and muttered softly, "I really put a lot of thought into choosing it..."
"Please, I'm seventeen, not seven," Chen Yubai scoffed, giving her a cold, meaningful look. "You put your heart into it and this is the result? How childish!"
Peng Chengyi opened her mouth, originally wanting to retort, "Aren't you quite childish? That's perfect for you," but before she could finish speaking, she suddenly remembered his inexplicable reaction after she called him childish last year, which made her feel uneasy. She immediately stopped herself.
She changed the subject abruptly, waving her hand dismissively: "...Never mind, wear it or don't, it's up to you."
"Who would wear that?" Chen Yubai scoffed, but his movements were not exactly rough as he folded the fluffy garment neatly and stuffed it back into the gift box.
After enjoying the sumptuous birthday dinner prepared by Zhou Lifen for the two of them, snowflakes quietly began to fall outside the window.
"Looks like we'll have to stay indoors this year." Peng Chengyi shuffled to the window in her slippers, gazing at the snow falling heavier and heavier, and said with a hint of regret in her voice.
"Hmm." Chen Yubai responded, casually standing up. "Shall we go to my house to play 'Two-Player'?"
"Hey? When did you buy this game? I've seen a lot of people recommending it before." Peng Chengyi's eyes lit up.
"I bought it on a whim a couple of days ago because it was on sale," he said casually.
"Such a popular game is on sale..." She raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“…Yes.” Chen Yubai’s hand, which was hanging at his side, lifted slightly, then he put it back down somewhat awkwardly. “Are you going to play or not? If not, I’ll go back by myself.”
"Let's play!" Peng Chengyi quickly jumped up from the sofa and followed him back to the apartment across the hall.
Chen Yubai picked up the remote control from the coffee table, turned on the TV connected to the Switch, bent down, picked up the red controller, and tossed it into Peng Chengyi's arms: "You choose a character first."
"Hmm... I'll use Xiaomei then." Peng Chengyi crossed her legs and nestled into the comfortable sofa.
“Okay.” Chen Yubai picked up the blue handle, spread his long legs, and sat down next to her.
The sofa sank slightly, and the game's cheerful background music started playing.
At first, the two worked together quite well, but when they reached a certain point that required precise coordination, disagreements arose.
"Jump to the left! To the platform on the left!" Peng Chengyi stared at the screen, anxiously giving instructions.
“The one on the right is closer.” Chen Yubai said calmly, and then moved his character to the right.
"There's an obstacle over there! Can't you see it? Listen to me, to the left!"
Trust me this time, the right side will pass.
"Oh no! She's fallen! See? I told you it was on the left!" Peng Chengyi glared at him angrily as he watched Xiaomei fall off the platform on the screen.
"That's a problem with your operation," Chen Yubai scoffed.
"Nonsense! It was clearly your misjudgment! Give me the controller if you don't believe me, I'll jump from the left once and show you!" Peng Chengyi shouted indignantly, reaching out to snatch the controller from his hand.
Chen Yubai instinctively raised his hand to dodge, but Peng Chengyi, who missed his target, struck him squarely between the thighs due to inertia.
A subtle yet highly noticeable tactile sensation was clearly transmitted to her fingertips through the thin fabric of her pajama pants.
Immediately afterward, a suppressed, painful gasp came from above Chen Yubai: "Hiss..."
Damn it! We're doomed!
Did she accidentally hit something she shouldn't have?!
Peng Chengyi recoiled as if electrocuted, her ears burning as she sat up straight, nervously gripping the controller, her voice stammering, "I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to! Are you... are you alright?"
The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds, and the only sound was the background music from the game on the TV.
Chen Yubai slowly turned his head, his deep gaze falling on her earlobes, which were so red they seemed to be bleeding. His voice was slightly hoarse, carrying a hint of unspoken meaning:
"Why are you asking... If something really happens, can you take responsibility?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Peeking while covering face]
Thank you to 48695427, uoow, and colorwind915 for the nutrient solution!
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