Chapter 52

Chapter 52

"Why should I show you? We're just ordinary classmates, aren't we?" Qi Yanyu's tone was composed as he sat up and straightened his pant cuffs.

Gu Jinglan watched him.

Qi Yanyu rolled down his pant legs and got up to go. He didn’t want to stay in the same room as Gu Jinglan.

Though Gu Jinglan had called him "brother" so many times earlier, with emotional matters, best not to leave things messy.

Gu Jinglan: "You got hurt saving me. Is it so strange that I’d care?"

"So that’s the reason," Qi Yanyu had already guessed. He said flatly, "My injuries healed long ago." He slipped on his slippers and walked out.

The person left in the room remained motionless, his lashes lowered. After a while, he gave a hollow laugh.

What was this feeling?

Trample on someone’s feelings, and you’ll be trampled in turn.

Wen Ruxu stood watching the barbecue on the lawn, surrounded by men and women who had shed their airsoft gear.

The grill sizzled with vegetables and marinated meat.

But there was no flickering warmth in his eyes—only darkness, stagnant like dead water.

Qi Yanyu hadn’t gone downstairs for the barbecue. Instead, he found an empty upstairs lounge, entered, and lay down on a sofa.

His gaze fixed on the ceiling unblinking, save for the occasional flicker.

He told himself: You’ve already tried.

There was no need to leap at someone like an excitable puppy just because they were nice to you or played with you.

Did you really need to take a few kicks to the ribs before learning it hurt?

Qi Yanyu stared at the ceiling a while longer, lost in thought, then closed his eyes.

He slipped into a hazy doze.

Gu Jinglan thought he had gone downstairs to join Wen Ruxu’s barbecue, but when he went down, Qi Yanyu was nowhere to be found.

He prowled the villas but saw no trace of him.

Gu Jinglan had never known the taste of regret.

Nothing had ever made him feel remorse.

He believed he had the ability to do his best at every stage.

In his memory, he had given his all in everything he was supposed to do.

But gradually, he realized his chest would clench with sporadic regret at some point, like a recurring sickness flaring up now and then, sending twinges of pain. Sometimes he’d joke darkly—had Qi Yanyu given him heartache?

Like a lost dog, he wandered aimlessly, utterly dejected.

He scoured every corner of the villas but couldn’t find the person he wanted to see.

And even if he found him, what could he possibly say?

Truthfully, he couldn't tell whether it was guilt, remorse, or just shame for teasing that person in the past.

Distracted while standing on the lawn, Wen Ruxu didn’t linger long before going to look for Qi Yanyu.

Qi Yanyu wasn’t in his room, and Wen Ruxu assumed he had gone on a private date with Gu Jinglan.

His chest was filled with a corrosive gas, burning like acid.

Heading downstairs, he spotted someone lying on the sofa.

Who would sleep on the sofa when everyone had their own room?

Wen Ruxu caught a glimpse of the person’s weird sleeping position—lying face down. He walked over to see who it was.

His heart suddenly quieted, and the acidic feeling disappeared.

So this is where he'd fallen asleep.

Why hadn’t he gone to his room to sleep?

Not far downstairs, people were grilling, with laughter from the group drifting up. Wen Ruxu walked to the living room and closed the balcony door.

Returning, he found the person hadn’t budged, still lying face down.

Thinking it might be too stuffy, Wen Ruxu turned the air conditioner to 27 degrees. He also took out a blanket from the cabinet and draped it over the person’s back.

Wen Ruxu sat beside him, noticing the messy bangs falling over the sleeper’s eyelids. His own restless, agitated heart also settled into a serene softness.

One of the person’s hands hung halfway off the sofa, and Wen Ruxu gently took it.

He placed it in his own palm, carefully avoiding the injured areas as he gave it a gentle massage.

Afraid of waking him, Wen Ruxu didn’t push his luck.

Holding his hand gently, he studied his face, his own face calm and content.

Until he seemed to sense someone watching them from behind for a long time.

Looking up, he saw it was his high school classmate.

A small smile played on Wen Ruxu’s lips as his gaze met Gu Jinglan’s dark, unreadable gaze, almost challenging.

Qi Yanyu wasn’t woken until past six by Wen Ruxu.

Wen Ruxu hadn’t wanted to wake him, but the smell of barbecue downstairs grew stronger. Worried that Qi Yanyu might miss it—not even sure if he liked grilled food—he decided to rouse him.

"Why didn’t you go back to your room to sleep?" Wen Ruxu brushed aside the messy bangs covering Qi Yanyu’s eyes, his gaze impossibly tender. "Sleeping like this, face down—does your back hurt?"

Maintaining the same position for so long had left him stiff. As the other handed him warm water, Qi Yanyu mumbled, "Senior..."

"Hmm, what is it?"

"My head hurts from sleeping."

"Of course it does. Why sleep on the sofa like that?" Wen Ruxu propped him up a little, holding the water to his lips to drink.

Still groggy from sleep, Qi Yanyu looked cutely disoriented, his complexion pale.

So Wen Ruxu leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

Qi Yanyu had been half-asleep, and with that slight touch, his eyes fluttered slightly open.

Then, his gaze fell upon Wen Ruxu, who was acting all warm and natural. Soon after, his eyes traveled past Wen Ruxu’s side and landed on Gu Jinglan, who was sitting on the single sofa beside the long couch where he had been sleeping.

Gu Jinglan had been watching him all afternoon.

His expression was darkly sullen, and after Wen Ruxu’s maneuver, Gu Jinglan’s chilling presence grew even more inscrutable.

While Qi Yanyu was downstairs grilling, his mind kept replaying Gu Jinglan’s unfathomable look.

Wen Ruxu was cheerful and asked the busy people in the kitchen, “What else needs washing?”

“Some vegetables and fruit. Later, we’ll wrap the grilled meat in the leaves,” a girl replied with a giggle.

Qi Yanyu and Wen Ruxu washed the fruits, while Gu Jinglan, before even stepping into the kitchen, was stopped by Chu Qinghan. “We’re short on hands outside. Come join us.”

Gu Jinglan didn’t enter the kitchen either, shooting Chu Qinghan an icy smirk. “Sure.”

Qi Yanyu turned on the faucet to rinse the lettuce and perilla leaves, his mind stuck replaying the moment. He wondered if he’d been too groggy from sleep—had Wen Ruxu leaned in to speak close to his cheek?

Had he gotten that close? Did he... kiss me?

That couldn’t be. He thought Wen Ruxu struck him as straight.

Why had Gu Jinglan been sitting there, silent, watching him the whole time he was waking up?

What had that expression meant?

Qi Yanyu questioned whether he'd imagined it. Why had Gu Jinglan looked so cold? Had he somehow offended him?

When had he ever offended him?

Even so, Qi Yanyu had no intention of asking Gu Jinglan directly—*Hey man, did I just piss you off?*

Wen Ruxu had already finished washing his share. Seeing Qi Yanyu still handling the vegetables, he took them over. “I’ll do it.”

“Senior?”

“Hmm?” Wen Ruxu lifted his gaze, his eyes settling on Qi Yanyu’s soft, flushed cheeks.

“Earlier, when you leaned in… did you say something?”

So, he still didn’t realize he’d been kissed. Wen Ruxu smiled, playing along. “Mmm, I did.”

“I didn’t catch it.” *Oh, so Wen Ruxu had only leaned in to speak—he hadn’t kissed him. Then what was that look on Gu Jinglan’s face about?*

“It's alright. I’ll tell you next time.” Wen Ruxu’s eyes were twinkling with amusement.

When they ate the barbecue, Wen Ruxu and Qi Yanyu stayed together.

Gu Jinglan had been dragged off to the living room by Chu Qinghan and the others.

Gu Jinglan maintained his 'easygoing' facade, knowing full well but staying silent, just smiling that unsettling smile of his.

Outside, some tended the grill while others racked up pool balls.

Since they’d eaten their fill, they gathered in one of the villas to play games.

They played an intense variation of King’s Game.

It's a card game where you draw playing cards. Before drawing, someone calls out a dare for two people. When two or more people draw the same number, they must perform that dare.

In the first round, Qi Yanyu drew a K. No one else had the same number. He watched as those with matching cards did the dare.

For example, two people dancing together.

Wen Ruxu was popular, and Chu Qinghan knew Qi Yanyu’s card.

Chu Qinghan suggested, "Same-number pairs have to hug."

Noticing a friend had drawn a K, Chu Qinghan swapped cards with them and then gave the K to Wen Ruxu.

Wen Ruxu called out, "I have a K. Does anyone else?"

Qi Yanyu was still looking at others when Chu Qinghan deliberately reminded him, "Didn’t you say you had a K in the first round?"

Qi Yanyu gave a dazed nod, so he and Wen Ruxu hugged.

When Wen Ruxu embraced him, his mind was still foggy, half-asleep. Maybe waking up from a nap left him groggy all day. He shouldn’t have slept like that in the afternoon—it left him disoriented.

Wen Ruxu stuck by Qi Yanyu, while Wen Ruxu’s friends had long since shoved Gu Jinglan to stand opposite Qi Yanyu.

He watched their hug with an expressionless face.

Qi Yanyu was held by Wen Ruxu for half a minute. When Wen Ruxu finally let go, Gu Jinglan saw that Qi Yanyu still looked bewildered. Maybe he didn’t understand the game, or maybe being kissed and hugged by his senior had left him disoriented.

Soon, Gu Jinglan met Wen Ruxu’s gaze—a challenge, a boast.

Gu Jinglan smirked, his eyes lingering on Qi Yanyu’s face.

Qi Yanyu hardly looked his way, occasionally eating from the fruit platter or watching others draw matching numbers.

When another pair drew the same card and performed an exaggerated action, the room burst into laughter. Someone bumped into Qi Yanyu, but Wen Ruxu quickly reached out, catching him and lacing their fingers together.

Chu Qinghan moved to stand beside Gu Jinglan. "Where’s that ‘one against a hundred’ energy from earlier?"

The taunt dripped with sarcasm.

Gu Jinglan’s cold gaze shifted to the pair opposite them, who had drawn matching numbers. At first, Qi Yanyu tried to carry Wen Ruxu on his back, but then Wen Ruxu suggested he carry Qi Yanyu instead.

"Thought you were hot stuff?" Chu Qinghan sneered.

Gu Jinglan walked over, pretending to help Qi Yanyu climb onto Wen Ruxu’s back. All his fury sharpened into one icy jab: "How could he not care that you’re injured?"