Chapter 72 What exactly is wrong with me...?
The next morning.
Chen Yubai was awakened by the sunlight filtering through the hotel window and the slight vibration of his phone. He reached for his phone on the pillow, his fingertips still stiff with sleepiness.
He glanced at the sender and saw that it was Zhou Haochen, but he didn't bother to look. He simply locked the screen indifferently, tossed the phone aside, turned over, and closed his eyes again.
The competition over the past two days, coupled with the long journey, had taken a toll on him. Last night, he managed to stay awake until he heard the results of Peng Chengyi and the others' semi-finals. He breathed a sigh of relief, washed up, and immediately fell into a deep sleep, not wanting to think about anything else.
At this moment, he just wanted to stay in bed a little longer. It didn't matter if he skipped breakfast, since he had a return bus in the morning and nothing else to do.
My consciousness was drifting towards the edge of dreaming when a dull, continuous vibration came from beside my pillow. The buzzing sound pressed against my ear, stubbornly disturbing the rare peace and quiet.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance and had to pull out his phone again.
The light from the screen stung his eyes slightly. Seeing that it was still Zhou Haochen's profile picture, he frowned, his anger at being woken up rising, and swiped open the chat box in annoyance.
However, when his eyes fell on those few lines of text and the pictures that followed, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. All his weariness evaporated instantly, and he sat up abruptly from the bed, his back stiff.
Zhou Haochen: "Brother Yu! Something terrible has happened!! Ke Xingjian confessed his feelings to Peng Chengyi!"
The following are several photos that were clearly taken late at night.
Under the dim light, Ke Xingjian held a bouquet of flowers, with Peng Chengyi standing opposite him, surrounded by a crowd of people and flashing signs.
Zhou Haochen: "Oh my god, the forum is in an uproar!"
Zhou Haochen: "It seems she agreed..."
...
Zhou Haochen: "Brother Yu? You're still not awake?"
Zhou Haochen: "Wake up! Get up now!!"
Chen Yubai stared intently at the images on the screen, his fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure.
The photo wasn't high resolution, but he could still clearly make out Peng Chengyi's shy, downcast profile and the extremely unsightly bunch of roses in her arms.
The surrounding noise and blessings seemed to overflow through the screen, forming a sharp contrast with the quiet and desolate atmosphere of his hotel room in a foreign land.
His Adam's apple bobbed laboriously, and his chest felt as if a wad of damp cotton had been suddenly stuffed inside, heavy and suffocating, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
Outside the window, the faint sounds of traffic from the unfamiliar city drifted in, yet seemed so distant.
He steadied himself, his fingertips still trembling slightly, and exited the unsettling chat with Zhou Haochen, clicking on the pinned cat avatar.
"I heard you're dating Ke Xingjian?"
He revised and rewrote the short line, but in the end he still used the most direct and blunt way of asking the question.
The moment he sent the message, he instinctively held his breath, his thin lips pressed into a bloodless line. His heart pounded uncontrollably in his chest, and a mixture of disbelief and a hidden panic silently spread through the quiet room.
Time seemed to be slowed down by a sticky substance; the cicadas chirping outside the window and the faint footsteps in the corridor became indistinct background noise.
All his senses seemed to be focused on the small screen in his palm, waiting for the answer that might shatter even his last shred of hope.
After what felt like an eternity, the phone screen finally lit up, accompanied by a short vibration.
Peng Chengyi: "You're quite well-informed!"
Chen Yubai's heart sank, as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. He moved his fingertips, trying to make his emotions appear as calm and casual as possible: "I was just bored and came across the forum."
Peng Chengyi: "Ah! Everyone's on the forum? I'll go check it out!"
Her tone was completely like the joy of falling in love, light and bright, you could feel it even through the screen. Chen Yubai frowned and his eyes darkened little by little.
A sudden wave of helplessness surged up his chest, gripping his throat, and his fingertips involuntarily tapped on the screen: "What's so interesting? How boring!"
Peng Chengyi: "...What's so boring about it! Is it because I'm the first to find a partner that you, a single dog, are envious and jealous?"
She still used that lighthearted, teasing tone, but it was like tiny needles pricking his heart.
Chen Yubai gritted his teeth, barely suppressing the urge to dial the number and confront him, and jabbed the screen hard with his fingertip: "Who would envy you? I never planned to date anyway."
Peng Chengyi: "Then why do you speak so sarcastically and with such a barb?"
He stared at the words, stunned, his fingertips stiffening slightly. Silence seeped through his fingers, and he felt as if his heart was about to burst with a bitter ache.
After a long while, he forcibly suppressed his unwarranted sharpness and slowly typed, word by word: "No, I'm not jealous. When I get back, I'll treat you and him to a meal to celebrate you finding a boyfriend."
The message was sent, and the screen reflected on his face, like a layer of cold light.
Peng Chengyi: "Oh, at least you still have some humanity."
Chen Yubai didn't reply. He swiped his thumb across the screen forcefully, almost violently turning off the phone, and then placed it face down on the hotel's pristine white sheets.
The room was deathly silent, save for his slightly heavy breathing.
He raised his hand to cover his eyes, the veins on the back of his hand bulging slightly, his whole being enveloped in a silent, gloomy, low-pressure atmosphere.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a cold, hard shadow on his tightly pursed lips and taut jawline.
-
In the dormitory, Peng Chengyi put down her phone with mixed feelings.
She stared at the blacked-out reflection on the screen, her fingers unconsciously rubbing her palms together. She felt that Chen Yubai's tone just now was off. The awkward and stiff words made it clear at a glance that he was in a bad mood.
Could it be that the competition didn't go well?
The thought made her heart tighten slightly. She hesitated, then picked up her phone again, her thumb hovering over the input box, about to send a message, when a new message popped up at the top of the screen—
Ke Xingjian: "Are you awake, girlfriend?"
The word "girlfriend" seemed to carry warmth, instantly burning her ears. She hurriedly and clumsily clicked to reply: "Yeah, I'm awake."
Ke Xingjian replied quickly, with a natural air of closeness: "Shall we go to the second cafeteria for breakfast together later?"
Peng Chengyi pursed her lips: "Okay."
Ke Xingjian: "Then I'll go grab a seat first. Take your time, no rush."
Peng Chengyi: "Hmm"
She put down her phone and couldn't help but gently pat her burning cheeks.
To be honest, she was still a little unaccustomed to it. In just one night, she had become Ke Xingjian's girlfriend.
This change happened so fast, like a sudden summer rain, catching people off guard and leaving them with a sense of bewilderment and unreality.
She got out of bed and had just put on her slippers when she heard Wu Xian stretch on the bed and ask, "Want to go have breakfast together later?"
Peng Chengyi paused, her voice slightly weak: "Uh... I just promised Senior Ke..."
Wu Xian paused for a moment, then smiled with envy, "Oh, right, I almost forgot, you're not single anymore."
Fang Hao was wearing a headband and applying face cream when she heard this. She turned around and smiled mischievously: "But you still call him Senior Ke? Shouldn't you change your address and call him your boyfriend?"
"...I...I'm going to wash up first!" Peng Chengyi's cheeks flushed from their teasing, and she felt like she was about to burst into flames. She quickly grabbed the washbasin and practically fled into the bathroom.
She closed the door, and could still faintly hear her roommates' good-natured laughter outside. Looking at her flushed face in the mirror, she let out a long sigh of relief.
-
Stepping into the cafeteria, you are greeted by the sounds of bustling people and the warmth of the food.
Peng Chengyi spotted Ke Xingjian sitting by the window at a glance, with two breakfasts already laid out in front of him.
Seeing her approach, he smiled and waved to her.
Peng Chengyi walked over quickly, and when she saw the familiar soy milk, tea eggs and her favorite custard buns on the plate, she couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. Then she said a little embarrassedly, "Ah, senior... you could have just saved me a seat, why did you even buy me food... How much is it? I'll transfer it to you."
“No need,” Ke Xingjian interrupted her gently, pushing her breakfast towards her with his hand, his tone natural, “We’re boyfriend and girlfriend now, isn’t it normal for me to buy you breakfast? Giving you money would be too formal.”
His tone was nonchalant, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Looking into his smiling eyes, Peng Chengyi could only purse her lips and say softly, "...Alright then, thank you, senior."
She sat down awkwardly opposite him, her fingers unconsciously fidgeting with her chopsticks.
“Also,” Ke Xingjian picked up his spoon and reminded her, “you don’t need to call me senior anymore, just call me by my name.”
"Okay, I'll learn... okay." Peng Chengyi almost blurted out an honorific again, but quickly corrected herself, a slightly embarrassed blush creeping onto her face.
She quickly lowered her head and pretended to focus on eating the custard buns on her plate, as if that was the most important thing in the world at that moment.
Ke Xingjian's gaze lingered on the tips of her ears, which were slightly flushed, for a moment before casually asking, "By the way, does your childhood friend know about us being together?"
"Okay, I understand." Peng Chengyi nodded and swallowed the food in her mouth.
"You told him?" Ke Xingjian asked, his voice still sounding casual.
“No,” Peng Chengyi smiled somewhat embarrassedly, “He said he saw it on a forum…”
"Oh," Ke Xingjian responded, gently stirring the porridge in his bowl with a spoon, and seemingly casually asked, "Didn't he say anything?"
“He said he would treat us to dinner to celebrate when he got back from the competition,” Peng Chengyi answered truthfully.
Ke Xingjian paused almost imperceptibly in the hand holding the spoon, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze deepened, as if he were thinking about something.
After a while, he lowered his eyes and asked softly, "When will he be back?"
"This afternoon, perhaps." Peng Chengyi thought for a moment, then added, "But I probably won't invite him today; he might need to rest first. I'll let you know when he sets a time."
After she finished speaking, she smiled at him, as if to ease the barely perceptible tension in the air.
Ke Xingjian was silent for two seconds before nodding thoughtfully, his lips curving back into their usual gentle smile: "Okay."
-
After the afternoon algebra class ended, Peng Chengyi was slowly tidying up the books on her desk when her phone vibrated in her pocket.
She took out her phone and glanced at it; it was Chen Yubai: "Are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you to dinner."
Peng Chengyi was taken aback. He had just returned from a competition in another city that afternoon, and normally he should have taken a good rest first.
She held her phone in one hand, her fingertips tapping on the screen: "Don't you want to rest first? You can eat tomorrow or the day after."
The reply came shortly after the message was sent, a speed that was almost unlike his usual style.
Chen Yubai: "No need. I'll have to eat when I get back anyway, so it doesn't matter who I eat with."
His words were plain on the surface, but somehow they seemed to carry a coldness and hardness in the eyes of the reader.
Peng Chengyi stared at the line of words, and his heart tightened inexplicably, as if he had been pricked by a fine needle.
She replied with an "Oh," then hovered her fingertip over the screen, hesitated for a moment, and added, "Then I'll ask Ke Xingjian."
Exiting the chat with Chen Yubai, she clicked on the new pinned profile picture and quickly typed, "Chen Yubai said he's treating us to dinner tonight, are you free?"
Perhaps because he was busy, Ke Xingjian's message didn't reply as quickly as usual, and it popped up after a while: "Tonight? So urgent?"
The few words were spoken with a barely perceptible furrow of the brow.
Although Peng Chengyi herself felt that Chen Yubai's arrangement was a bit too hasty, as the middleman, she still subconsciously found a seemingly reasonable explanation for him: "He probably wanted to finish things as soon as possible..."
This time, Ke Xingjian replied quickly, with just one word: "Okay."
After a second, he added, "Let's eat tonight then."
Looking at the reply on the screen, Peng Chengyi breathed a sigh of relief; the matter was settled.
But for some reason, that inexplicable feeling of being suspended in mid-air did not subside.
She composed herself and then sent another message to Chen Yubai asking which restaurant they were going to.
After learning that the meal would be at the quiet and elegant Japanese restaurant near the South Campus entrance, she glanced at the time and decided not to take the detour back to her dorm. Instead, she found an empty classroom and started doing her homework somewhat absentmindedly.
When the sky outside the window turned a warm orange, she slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, mingled with the crowd of students leaving get out of class, and headed towards the school gate.
She hadn't gone far when she met Ke Xingjian at the corner; he was also heading towards the school gate. He was wearing a clean, light-colored shirt, as if he had dressed up specially.
The two smiled at each other and walked side by side naturally, chatting casually about the afternoon's classes. The relaxed atmosphere eased some of the unease in Peng Chengyi's heart.
Pushing open the elegant wooden lattice door of the Japanese restaurant, the waiter led them to their reserved private room.
The sliding door opened, and Chen Yubai was already sitting inside. He was facing the doorway, looking down at his phone screen, his figure appearing somewhat lonely in the dim, soft light.
Hearing the noise at the door, he slowly lifted his eyelids, his eyes seemingly veiled by a thin layer of haze, sweeping lightly between the two of them in an inscrutable manner before speaking in a flat tone devoid of any discernible emotion: "You're here? Have a seat, order whatever you like."
"Hmm." Peng Chengyi subconsciously wanted to walk towards the empty seat next to him. But after taking a few steps, her wrist was gently pulled.
Ke Xingjian smiled and lowered his voice: "Sit over here with me."
She paused for a moment, then suddenly realized that she was now Ke Xingjian's girlfriend, and it was only natural that she should sit next to him.
A slight tightness gripped my chest, and an uneasy flush rose on my face.
She could only smile awkwardly at Chen Yubai, then turned and sat down next to Ke Xingjian.
In the instant she looked away, she seemed to glimpse a certain light in Chen Yubai's eyes dimming rapidly and almost imperceptibly, so quickly that she thought it was an illusion caused by the flickering light.
To hide her unease, Peng Chengyi quickly flipped to the beautifully crafted menu. As her gaze swept over the prices, she couldn't help but gasp slightly, "Wow, it's rare to see you so generous."
"I've always been very generous, okay?" Chen Yubai chuckled, completely concealing the turbulent emotions surging in his eyes.
After ordering, the meal proceeded in a seemingly peaceful atmosphere.
Chen Yubai didn't say anything more to nitpick, but just lowered his eyes and ate his meal with little interest.
During the meal, Peng Chengyi mostly talked with Ke Xingjian, from funny stories in the band to her recent courses. She tried to make her laughter light and natural, but she could never completely relax.
Although he was no longer as sharp-tongued as before, which eased her pressure a bit, his unusual silence felt like a heavy stone weighing on her heart, making her extremely concerned.
After the meal, Ke Xingjian got up and went to the restroom. Chen Yubai then raised his hand to signal the waiter to pay the bill, his movements clean and efficient, as if he didn't want to linger for even a moment longer.
Peng Chengyi glanced at his profile as he looked down at the bill. Under the dim light, his features appeared particularly cold and sharp.
She hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking softly, "Why are you so quiet today?"
Chen Yubai's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around the bill, causing fine wrinkles to appear at the edges. He didn't answer immediately, but instead folded the bill in half, then in half again, as if trying to organize his chaotic thoughts.
After a few seconds of silence, he raised his eyes, his gaze meeting hers directly and unexpectedly.
The previous laziness or teasing was gone from his eyes; only a sharp, probing gaze and unfathomable, complex emotions remained.
"I'm thinking," he said, his voice low and slightly hoarse.
"What are you thinking about?" Peng Chengyi felt a tightness in her chest from his gaze and frowned slightly in confusion.
"Thinking..."
Chen Yubai slammed the folded bill onto the table, stared intently at her, and said, word by word.
"In what way am I inferior to him?"
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Author's Note: [Eating popcorn][Eating popcorn][Eating popcorn]
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