Chapter 27

Chapter 27

The cicadas chirped incessantly outside the window, and the greenery was lush, yet Lin Xingshu lay slumped over his desk like a deflated balloon, exhaustion heavy between his brows, his eyes glazed and vacant, as if his soul had left his body.

More than twenty days had passed, and he was still dreaming every night.

His mind wandered endlessly, filled entirely with the nightly visions. Just the thought of the boy’s face in those dreams made his skin crawl.

Too shocking, too shocking…

Lin Xingshu grabbed his head, disoriented. The memory of their shameless intimacy in last night’s dream turned his face even paler, his eyes brimming with terror.

Over twenty days ago, his dreams had suddenly changed.

The content shifted from the boy desperately begging him not to leave to the two of them engaging in taboo acts over and over—among the mountains, by the streams, or inside abandoned, empty huts—entangled in every conceivable position and scenario, never the same twice.

In the dreams, his body was limp, helpless against the boy’s advances.

Last night’s dream remained vivid. This time, the boy had taken him into a forest.

With those glistening spider silk threads, the boy bound his body, the strange substance coating his skin. Pressed against a boulder, Lin Xingshu could only watch helplessly as the boy’s hands explored his body. He wanted to scream in horror, but no voice came out.

The vile substance clinging to the threads emitted a strange odor, permeating every moment of the dream with its nauseating, slimy presence.

At the thought, his face turned deathly pale, his eyes wild with terror.

He couldn’t believe the shameless version of himself in his dreams was him. Even more unbelievable… the one plunging into debauchery with him was a man! A man!

And of course… the worst part was… the one pinning him down…

Was Xie Guan!

Too horrifying, too horrifying!

What normal person would have the same erotic dream for over twenty days, with no repetition? Was that guy some kind of soul-draining demon?!

And whether it was his imagination or not, every time he woke from the dream, his body felt strangely drained, his limbs sore and stiff, as if he’d actually done those things.

Enough… he couldn’t take it anymore. If this continued, he’d surely die. This weekend, he’d have to talk to his parents and see a psychologist…

“Xing Shu, what’s wrong? You’ve been like this since morning. Are you feeling unwell?”

Lin Xingshu was on the verge of losing it when suddenly, a cold touch grazed his cheek. The person’s fingertips brushed against his skin, making his hair stand on end.

He snapped back to reality, only to find Xie Guan staring at him with concern, his hand lingering on Lin Xingshu’s face.

The memories of last night’s lewd dream flooded his mind uncontrollably. Lin Xingshu’s eyes widened, and he instinctively jerked his face away, avoiding Xie Guan’s touch.

“Xing Shu?”

“I—I’m fine! Haha… really, don’t worry about me…”

Lin Xingshu let out a strained chuckle, tripping over his explanation. He didn’t dare look Xie Guan in the eye, quickly lowering his head and pretending to read, mindlessly reciting the classical Chinese text they’d just learned.

He could only be grateful that Xie Guan couldn’t hear his thoughts. If he knew about last night’s dream…

Just thinking about it made him tremble, his body trembling involuntarily.

“Xing Shu.”

Xie Guan called him again. Irritated, Lin Xingshu didn’t look up, snarling, “I already said I’m fine. Leave me alone—”

“No, I just wanted to say… your book is upside down.”

“Huh?”

Lin Xingshu jolted, then glanced down. Sure enough, it was upside down. Not only that, he’d been reciting classical Chinese from a chemistry textbook…

Instantly, a flush crept up his neck to the tips of his ears. He gritted his teeth, mortification making him want to vanish into the ground.

“Xing Shu really is amazing—so sharp and eloquent. Even with the wrong book, you recited today’s classical text so fluently. Truly impressive. I wish I had your memory.”

Xie Guan’s voice came again, this time with unabashed praise. Lin Xingshu’s cheeks flamed brighter. He bit his lip, fury sparking in his gaze as he shot Xie Guan a glare.

“Stop it!”

He was genuinely upset, his clear black-and-white eyes blazing with fury, his fair cheeks flushed red, clearly fuming.

He was truly angry. Though Xie Guan had tried to save face for him, Lin Xingshu felt there was an underlying mockery in his words, an intentional jab.

Xie Guan went still for a heartbeat before quickly lowering his gaze, his long, thick lashes hiding the hunger in his eyes.

*

*Ding dong—* The class bell rang. “Students, please…”

It was time for P.E. Under the teacher’s direction, the students made their way to the field, where the instructor was already waiting. After a brief warm-up, the teacher announced the day’s plan.

“Today, we’ll be conducting a sprint test. Follow the roll call order and be ready.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the teacher began calling names. A few girls, moaning about the sweltering weather, fanned themselves and escaped to the shade of a tree at the edge of the field.

“What is the P.E. teacher thinking? Testing sprints in this heat—does he want to kill us?”

“Right? So, who do you think will be the fastest this year?”

“Isn’t it obvious? The class monitor, of course. He’s always won in previous years.”

The girls’ chatter reached Lin Xingshu’s ears. Unconsciously, his lips quirked slightly as he bent down to make a show of tying his shoelaces.

Aside from academics, sprinting was one of his strengths. Every year, he was selected to represent the city in provincial competitions. While he didn’t always take first place, he was consistently in the top three.

He was quite confident in his sprinting speed.

The thought lifted his mood slightly, the weight of those disturbing wet dreams fading a little.

He straightened up, hands on his hips, idly flexing his calves.

Lin Xingshu wore a white short-sleeved school uniform today. With his narrow waist and fair skin exposed, he flexed his legs—his calves smooth and unblemished, free of scars or thick hair, the faint outline of muscle visible when he rose onto his toes.

His gaze fixed on the track ahead, he didn’t even notice the sweat dripping from his forehead into his collar. Under the scorching sun, a pink flush colored his pale cheeks.

A group of younger girls passed by the track. Their eyes lingered on him for a moment before they quickly looked away, tittering bashfully as they walked off.

Lin Xingshu remained oblivious. Thus, he didn’t see Xie Guan looming in the shadows beneath a tree, biting his knuckles until they bled, his gaze fixed on Lin Xingshu with raw possessiveness.

*Too dazzling.* His beloved was far too dazzling.

No matter where he was or what he did, he commanded everyone’s gaze. Even with the ability to manipulate minds, Xie Guan couldn’t stop people from looking at Lin Xingshu.

*How he longed to hide him away—lock him in a lightless den, make him dependent, ensure he could never leave.*

Staring at Lin Xingshu's pale legs, unbidden dirty images suddenly flashed through his mind.

In those dreams where just the two of them existed, he had tightly gripped Lin Xingshu's thighs and lifted them high.

Lin Xingshu's skin was fair, turning pink with arousal. With barely any pressure, he had left his skin reddened. Yet Lin Xingshu couldn’t speak, only burning holes into him with furious eyes.

But he didn’t realize that those shining, wet eyes held no intimidation—instead, they only turned Xie Guan on more.

"Next group, Lin Xingshu."

"Here."

Lin Xingshu hurried to the starting line. The gym teacher glanced at the roster, hesitated for a moment, then scanned the crowd before calling out tentatively:

"Xie Guan?"

"Here."

Lin Xingshu froze. He turned slightly and saw Xie Guan running toward the track from a short distance away. Noticing Lin Xingshu’s gaze, Xie Guan flashed him a smile.

"Xingshu, fancy meeting you here. We ended up in the same sprint test."

Dread pooled in Lin Xingshu’s chest. How could it be such a coincidence? Of all people, why was he paired with Xie Guan?

What if he got beat by Xie Guan...

The thought made Lin Xingshu tense. He only knew Xie Guan excelled academically—he had no idea about his physical abilities. Judging by his appearance, he probably couldn’t match his speed... Taking a deep breath, Lin Xingshu tried to psych himself up.

"Xie Guan, right? You’re the new transfer student?"

"Yes, teacher."

"Alright, wait for my whistle. On your marks—"

Startled, Lin Xingshu quickly crouched into position. The moment the whistle blew, he took off like a rocket, blazing down the track. The wind roared in his ears. During school competitions, he always held back, never pushing himself as hard as he was now. He was running at the same pace he used in major tournaments.

His eyes fixed ahead, he didn’t notice Xie Guan keeping up effortlessly—even gaining on him.

Just one step from the finish line, Lin Xingshu dug deep for the final sprint—only for a blur of white to shoot past him at the last second, crossing the finish line first.

As the whistle blew, a collective gasp went up from the surrounding students.

"Xie Guan was even faster than the class president!"

"Xie Guan is amazing!"

Lin Xingshu stood frozen, panting heavily, staring in disbelief at Xie Guan, who wasn’t even winded at the finish line.

The students mobbed Xie Guan, fawning over him with praise. But Xie Guan ignored them, slipping past his classmates with a smile before picking up a prepared bottle of water and jogging over to Lin Xingshu.

"Xingshu, here."

Lin Xingshu stared at the offered water and Xie Guan’s shit-eating grin, feeling as if he'd been doused in ice water.

How could this happen?

How could this happen?!

Sprinting was his claim to fame outside grades, a badge of honor. Yet to Xie Guan, it meant nothing. If he wanted, he could surpass Lin Xingshu effortlessly.

He felt like a joke.

The next second, Lin Xingshu slapped Xie Guan’s hand away, his gaze icy. "I don’t need your phony concern."

Without another word, he ignored the strange looks from his classmates and took off, his face cold.

Xie Guan watched his reddened hand, his lips curling slightly. Without hesitation, he followed.

Lin Xingshu power-walked, his eyes red with anger, brimming with frustration and resentment. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became—Xie Guan’s smile was unbearable.

Xie Guan had done it on purpose!

For the past month, Xie Guan had one-upped him constantly, always maintaining that cool-as-a-cucumber act, effortlessly surpassing him, then offering empty platitudes of encouragement. What was the point?!

Before, when he read novels, he thought those fake-nice characters were exaggerated. Now, experiencing it firsthand, he understood the helplessness.

Just now, Xie Guan had won but didn’t act arrogantly—instead, he put on this caring act, offering water. To outsiders, he seemed perfect and gracious.

But to Lin Xingshu, Xie Guan was clearly rubbing his win in his face!

Even the subject of his sex dreams... was Xie Guan. His life had been completely invaded by Xie Guan—even in his dreams, he wasn’t spared!

Sickening... just sickening!

Lin Xingshu had no intention of staying for the rest of P.E. He didn’t want to see Xie Guan’s face or watch him being surrounded by everyone. His pace quickened. Since it was class time, the school building was empty. He rushed upstairs toward his classroom.

"Xingshu, why the hurry?"

A familiar voice sounded in front of him. Startled, he looked up and met Xie Guan’s pitch-black eyes.

Xie Guan stood at the stairwell landing, arms crossed, a faint smile on his lips.

That smile again. Lin Xingshu nearly laughed in frustration. He remained silent, shouldering past Xie Guan to leave—only for an iron grip to seize his wrist. He gritted his teeth, trying to pull free, but Xie Guan tightened his hold.

"Let go!"

Lin Xingshu glared at him, his eyes full of disgust. But Xie Guan acted as if he hadn’t heard. He did release Lin Xingshu’s wrist—only for his fingers to drag teasingly over his palm, his thumb rubbing lazy circles.

Lin Xingshu stiffened, his mind suddenly flashing back to those heated dreams from the past month.

He remembered—the boy who looked exactly like Xie Guan would often caress his palm like this after their intense encounters.

Shocked, Lin Xingshu snapped, "What are you doing?!"

"Xingshu, are you angry?"

"Whether I’m angry or not is none of your business! Let go!"

Xie Guan’s smile deepened, his dark eyes devouring Lin Xingshu, emotions swirling within them that made Lin Xingshu freeze.

"You did it on purpose?!"

Instead of answering, Xie Guan suddenly lifted Lin Xingshu’s hand, pressing it to his lips as he inhaled deeply. Then, under Lin Xingshu’s horrified gaze, he dragged out his tongue, tracing a slow, deliberate path up the inside of his arm, his expression downright filthy.

Lin Xingshu’s brain went blank.

"AHHHHH! YOU PERVERT—!"

His face twisted in horror. Unable to hold back, his shriek echoed through the stairwell. A sharp slap rang out as he struck Xie Guan across the face before tearing off at lightning speed.

Lin Xingshu bolted in terror, his face twisted in fear as he frantically wiped the spot Xie Guan had licked while sprinting madly toward the classroom.

Xie Guan looked so refined on the surface, but who knew he was such a creep!

This was messed up, absolutely terrifying! No wonder he had been having all those strange dreams lately—Xie Guan must've been messing with his head!

Lin Xingshu ran back to the classroom in horror, grabbing his head as his mind went blank. The gross, wet feeling of Xie Guan’s tongue still felt vivid, and he flinched instinctively.

Not long after he sat down, the dismissal bell rang, followed by footsteps outside. Students began filing back into the classroom, all chatting and laughing—except for Lin Xingshu, who looked ghostly pale, his expression utterly lost.

*Creak—*

The seat beside him was suddenly pulled open. Xie Guan, the last to return, took his place with an unreadable expression, calm and composed. If not for the bright red slap mark on his face, Lin Xingshu might have truly believed the person who had just harassed him wasn’t him.

"Xie Guan, what happened to your face?" a female classmate asked curiously.

Xie Guan touched the red mark lightly and smiled, his eyes curving into crescents as they landed on Lin Xingshu.

"Ah… this? Got swiped by a kitten."

"Huh??"

The classmates exchanged bewildered glances, clearly skeptical. Even Lin Xingshu thought Xie Guan was full of crap.

That slap mark was unmistakably human—how could he blame it on a cat?

"Everyone back from the field?"

Their homeroom teacher had appeared in the classroom unnoticed, her sharp gaze sweeping over the students. The slight upward curve of her lips gave away her good mood.

"The midterm results are out. Some of you surprised me, while others disappointed me. But overall, our class ranked first in the grade, so I’m satisfied."

"The scores are posted on the bulletin board. Since it’s almost dismissal, those interested can go take a look."

As soon as she finished speaking, the kids rushed out of the classroom in a swarm—Lin Xingshu included.

He needed to see the results.

To surpass Xie Guan, he'd been grinding nonstop for nearly a month.

He stayed up late every night, partly to study more and partly to reduce the time he spent having those wet dreams. He could clearly feel his improvement compared to last semester.

Before he even reached the bulletin board, he heard everyone buzzing.

"Who is this Xie Guan? Damn… he's killing it!"

"I heard he transferred from the capital. To score like this on his first try—capital city kids are built different."

Lin Xingshu’s heart pounded faster, his palms sweating as he shoved through the crowd to the bulletin board. His eyes darted straight to the top of the list, his breath coming short.

*Lin Xingshu… The first place has to be Lin Xingshu!*

"First place is actually Xie Guan? Holy—"

*Boom—*

His mind went white with static, drowning out all other sounds. Only a sharp ringing remained in his ears.

Lin Xingshu’s face paled as he stared in disbelief at the name at the top of the list. The perennial first-place holder, "Lin Xingshu," had been pushed to second—while the top spot now bore the name "Xie Guan."

"How… how is this possible…?"

He staggered back two steps, his sight going fuzzy as the ringing in his ears grew louder. His legs gave out, and he slumped weakly against the wall.

None of his usually friendly classmates noticed his distress—they were too busy celebrating their own good results or praising Xie Guan.

In this midterm exam, he was the only one left heartbroken.

Soon after, the homeroom teacher called him into her office. She offered the usual words of comfort and encouragement, but he didn’t hear a single one—he felt completely empty inside.

After all his hard work, he still hadn’t beaten Xie Guan.

What had it all been for? Just self-indulgence?

By the time the teacher finished speaking, it was almost 6 p.m. Most students had already left, and Lin Xingshu dragged himself back toward the classroom in despair, his eyes finally welling up.

The teacher would definitely tell his mother about his midterm results. How would she react? She’d be crushed.

But… he had really tried his best.

Sniffling, Lin Xingshu walked toward the classroom. But as he got closer, he heard weird sounds.

He stopped, listening carefully.

It sounded like a male voice—heavy, husky breathing, interspersed with choked-off moans. At one point, he even thought he heard the person murmuring something.

Lin Xingshu’s eyes widened in shock.

Though he had no real-life experience, after a month of those dreams, he knew exactly what this was.

No freaking way… at school?! Were they insane?!

He took a few steps forward, only to realize the sounds were coming from *their* classroom. His gut clenched.

His bag was still in there—he needed his damn homework!

Lin Xingshu paced anxiously, unsure what to do. The noises from the classroom grew louder, making his ears turn red. He was about to cover them when, just before he did, he heard a male voice inside pant:

"Xing Shu… god… I want you…"

The hell?!

That voice… that name… Wait, was this person—*Xie Guan?!*

Lin Xingshu slapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a gasp. Holding his breath, he ducked down and sneaked up to the classroom door, peering through the gap—and what he saw would be burned into his brain forever.

Right now, Xie Guan was sitting on *his* desk, his shirt hanging open, the setting sun painting him gold as it streamed through the window and over his pale, sweat-slick skin. His usually sharp dark eyes were dark with want, the corners reddened as he heaved, his tongue dragging wetly over his lips between filthy moans—gasping Lin Xingshu’s name over and over.

And worst of all—the textbooks on the desk? Already completely trashed.