Chapter 28

Chapter 28

In the silence, Li Yang felt his breathing quicken and grow heavy, his heart pounding almost unbearably. He had no choice but to lower his head, avoiding Ying Xi’s gaze.

A moment later, Ying Xi broke the quiet. "Yangyang?"

Li Yang said nothing, the awkwardness and burning embarrassment inside making him wish he could vanish into the Pacific.

"Did I cross a line?" The gentle words made Li Yang close his eyes, feigning sleep.

After some rustling, a warm light filled the room.

Ying Xi sat by the bed in his pajamas, his eyes still heavy with sleep, his hair tousled, giving him a disheveled look.

Li Yang cautiously observed: the stuffed animal below was still in place, but the one above was now extremely close to him.

He was on Ying Xi’s side, having pushed Ying Xi to the very edge.

He was the one who had set the boundary, yet he had crossed it himself.

Li Yang wished he could put the stuffed animal on his head to hide.

The atmosphere felt strange, and a flicker of annoyance crossed Ying Xi’s face.

Li Yang couldn't understand it and wanted to ask what he was annoyed about, but he was afraid of hearing something he didn't want to.

"I was sleepwalking a little," he feigned calmness, unaware that his darting eyes completely betrayed his nervousness.

Ying Xi chuckled softly. "It’s fine. Let’s go back to sleep."

The suggestive words felt even more peculiar at this moment.

Li Yang didn't give himself time to think, quickly moving back to his side of the bed and bundling himself up in the blanket.

"Goodnight."

He closed his eyes, but a strange heat spread through him, his face burning so hot that he only realized he was blushing when it became unbearable.

Li Yang poked his head out from under the blanket.

The room was dark again, and Ying Xi’s breathing was steady; Li Yang couldn't tell if he was asleep or not.

Now Li Yang was the one who couldn't sleep.

Fortunately, morning came soon enough.

Li Yang yawned as he got up, trying to be quiet while getting ready before heading to the kitchen.

It was still early, so he took out ingredients and cooked a pot of seafood porridge.

The savory aroma filled the entire kitchen.

Just as Li Yang was about to call Ying Xi, footsteps sounded. Ying Xi stood at the doorway in his pajamas, smiling. "Next time, I’ll cook."

"Okay." Li Yang felt oddly guilty upon seeing him and brought over the bowls and chopsticks. "Why aren’t you in your school uniform?"

"It’s Saturday," Ying Xi said, taking the bowls and placing them on the table. "We’re going out."

Li Yang paused—he had completely forgotten it was the weekend. He must have been too tense lately.

"Are we going out, or..." Li Yang lowered his head to sip the porridge, trailing off.

Whether it was just going out or a date, there wasn't much difference given their current relationship.

"Just a walk to get familiar with the area." Ying Xi easily guessed his thoughts, his eyes curving into a smile, a hint of tenderness unconsciously showing.

Li Yang glanced at the study, but before he could speak, Ying Xi said first, "Time to relax a little."

Li Yang didn't argue, nodding in agreement.

After breakfast, he changed clothes, noticing Ying Xi was still in the walk-in closet. He knocked and entered.

Ying Xi hadn't noticed him come in, still standing in front of the mirror, rapidly trying on different outfits.

Seeing how seriously he was taking this, Li Yang silently looked down at his own casual clothes.

"Wait for me a moment." Spotting Li Yang, Ying Xi settled on an outfit and opened the transparent door.

Li Yang nodded, patiently sitting on a nearby chair to wait.

Three minutes later, Ying Xi emerged in a black overcoat.

His already superior physique was further accentuated by the coat, creating the illusion that he was all legs.

Though his demeanor seemed aloof and distant, the smile on his face softened him, the two contrasting qualities coexisting seamlessly without any awkwardness.

Li Yang even absurdly felt as if Ying Xi had been given a soft glow.

He hurriedly stood up. "Let’s go."

"Does it suit me?" Ying Xi stepped closer, asking in a low voice.

"Very much." Li Yang nodded vigorously. It wasn't even a date—why was he dressing so nicely?

He grumbled inwardly but couldn't help glancing at his own outfit again.

They hadn't discussed their destination yet. Li Yang had assumed they'd just walk around the mall, have lunch, and return.

But once in the car, Ying Xi instructed the driver to head to an amusement park.

Li Yang stiffened. "Amusement park?"

On such a cold day, there probably weren't many rides open.

Still, since arriving in this world, he had followed the same routine: school, home, study—rarely going anywhere else.

"Don't want to go?" Ying Xi noticed his subtle change.

Li Yang: "I do."

In his previous life, he had only been to an amusement park once—during summer after sophomore year, when his classmates organized a trip. The memory had long since faded.

But was this really okay?

Li Yang turned to look out the window.

His reflection was clear on the glass, his brows faintly creased with uncertainty.

He wasn't confident he could stop himself from falling for Ying Xi under these circumstances.

Five years can change so much.

Li Yang rested his head against the car window, slowly lowering his gaze as he absentmindedly turned his phone screen on and off.

The dark screen mirrored his dazed expression, and Li Yang suddenly froze.

If you don’t like someone, you just don’t—no matter how long they spend together, it won’t change much. Why had he assumed he’d inevitably develop feelings for Ying Xi?

At that moment, his thoughts seemed to lock up, unable to progress even a little. Li Yang blinked, and without hesitation, raised his fist to punch his own cheek.

The sting spread, instantly cutting off the unanswered thoughts. His mind went blank.

Li Yang exhaled in relief, instinctively avoiding those strange, complicated emotions.

Rubbing his reddened cheek, he caught Ying Xi’s slightly puzzled expression from the corner of his eye.

"A mosquito," he lied calmly. "So I hit it."

Ying Xi didn’t respond, only leaned slightly closer, taking Li Yang’s hand and gently massaging it.

That’s when Li Yang noticed his knuckles were red.

How hard had he hit himself…

Li Yang looked up, opened the mirror in front of him, and tilted his face to see the angry red mark where he’d hit himself.

No wonder it throbbed.

His knuckles hadn’t felt anything at first, but under Ying Xi’s soft touch, it was as if they’d been doused in chili oil—a burning sensation rapidly spreading, messing with his barely settled mind once more.

His attention was entirely focused on the cool touch of Ying Xi’s fingertips, until his gaze landed on those long, elegant fingers. Li Yang came to his senses and quickly pulled his hand away. "Thanks, but my hand doesn’t hurt anymore. No need to rub it."

The car came to a stop just then. Li Yang eagerly opened the door, but as he stepped out—whether it was the sudden absence of warmth or the cold air hitting him—his legs weakened, nearly giving out.

At the critical moment, he steadied himself against the car door, feeling a slight awkwardness from the motion. He glanced back at Ying Xi.

The boy hadn’t gotten out yet, discreetly looking away as if he hadn’t noticed.

Embarrassment burned through him. Li Yang’s eyelids twitched, a flush creeping up his neck.

But he was soon distracted by the crowd at the entrance.

Even in the near-freezing cold, a long line had formed at the amusement park’s ticket checkpoint.

Li Yang spotted a familiar figure hurrying toward them excitedly.

"Hey," Assistant Min greeted with a smile, handing over two tickets and pointing toward the nearby VIP entrance. "I’ve already bought your tickets; you can enter from there."

Li Yang thanked him, curious how he’d arrived early to purchase the tickets for them.

"It’s part of my job," Assistant Min replied, his grin widening.

Half an hour of waiting in line for tickets, and his pay was doubled—now this was a sweet gig! He could get used to this.

Ying Xi took the tickets and led the way.

Li Yang followed.

Assistant Min stretched, then changed his mind. "I think I’ll go in too."

Such a golden opportunity to boost his bonus—he couldn’t miss it.

"Uh…" The driver patted his shoulder. "Assistant Min, what exactly is the relationship between the young master and that young man? How should I address him in the future?"

That was a good question. Assistant Min wasn’t sure either.

"Madam" would be weird—their relationship wasn’t at that stage yet.

Calling him "young master" would be confusing.

After a moment’s thought, he said, "His surname is Li. We’ll just call him Classmate Li from now on."

The driver nodded. Noticing Assistant Min’s excited expression as he prepared to buy a ticket and enter, he patted his shoulder again, envious. "Assistant Min, has your salary doubled these past few days?"

"No," Assistant Min immediately waved his hands—discussing wages was taboo.

"But you’re beaming."

"Haha, I just think Classmate Li and the young master are perfect together," Assistant Min blurted before dashing off to buy his ticket.

The driver looked up at the two figures in the distance.

Hmm. They really did look good together.

It’s just that the young master seemed unable to walk properly, constantly leaning toward Classmate Li.

＊

Li Yang noticed that Ying Xi seemed to be struggling with his long legs, fumbling slightly with every step.

He paused, looking down at Ying Xi’s legs. "Are you uncomfortable somewhere?"

"No," Ying Xi, who had been trying to inch closer but never quite satisfied, immediately straightened up. "I’m fine."

"Then why…" Li Yang continued walking, this time discreetly observing his movements.

After a few tries, he finally figured out Ying Xi’s intention.

"If you want to be closer to me, just say so. Don’t do it like this," Li Yang said. The hesitant movements made it seem like Ying Xi was a magnet repelled by his presence.

Ying Xi stopped abruptly. "Really?"

Li Yang nodded. The next moment, Ying Xi eagerly pressed against his side, their clothes brushing together—eliminating the gap between them.

Li Yang tried walking and found it incredibly difficult. With every step, Ying Xi immediately followed, making him worry they’d start a fire from friction.

"You don’t have to be this close," Li Yang said helplessly. Without thinking, he reached out his hand. "If you need to, we can just hold hands."

His mind blanked at his own words, freezing in place. Li Yang blinked dumbly.

Before he could regret it, Ying Xi seized his hand and pulled it into his coat pocket.

Palm to palm, the searing warmth dispelled the cold in his palm. Only then did Li Yang realize how cold his hand was.

He tried to move slightly, but when he looked up and saw Ying Xi’s curved lips, what came out was: "You’re holding too tight."

Ying Xi loosened his grip slightly. "Sorry, I’m just too happy."

Heat flooded his chest. Heart pounding, Li Yang learned to convince himself: *It’s fine. Ying Xi helped me not long ago. It’s only holding hands.*

Don’t worry.

Upon entering the amusement park, the noisy chatter filled Li Yang’s ears, making his back stiffen from tension.

Compared to him, Ying Xi was far calmer, holding his hand as he led the way.

When their destination came into view, Li Yang momentarily forgot about the hand-holding, his words stumbling. "The...haunted house?"

Ying Xi sensed his reluctance and started to turn away. "No, we can go somewhere else."

"If you want to go, let’s go." Li Yang pulled him back, stepping closer to the haunted house. "I’m not afraid."

He really wasn’t afraid of haunted houses—in fact, he was quite interested.

What he feared was if something jumped out unexpectedly, he might leap up without warning.

Who knew how he’d react?

The haunted house line was the longest, but there was a VIP lane nearby. The two swiped their tickets and entered, drawing stares from others.

Not because they skipped the line, but because of their closely held hands and good looks, which drew all kinds of attention.

"We have solo and duo routes," the staff member explained, gesturing toward the dark passage ahead. "Left for solo, right for solo, and the middle for duo. The duo route is harder, while the solo one is easier. If you take separate solo paths, you’ll meet up halfway."

Li Yang: "Is it pure horror or puzzle-solving?"

"Scary with puzzles," the staff member replied with a mysterious smile. "We recommend the duo route."

Li Yang slipped his hand out. "I want to try solo."

Ying Xi nodded. "Then we’ll meet halfway."

The staff member handed them each a wristband with a smile. "These are exit wristbands. If anything unexpected happens, press the button, and a staff member will come to assist. Have fun!"

Li Yang put on his wristband and entered the left passage before Ying Xi.

Ying Xi paused for a moment, asking the staff, "About how many people are in there?"

"Each of the three passages has around twenty people. You won’t bump into others," the staff reassured. "The previous group entered five minutes ago and should be about one-fifth through by now."

Ying Xi gave a slight nod and strode into the right passage.

...

Everything went dark. With the faint glow of motion-activated lights, Li Yang quickly scanned the area.

The long corridor seemed endless, its walls covered in moss nearly black, the ceiling cracked and streaked with blood-red stains.

He guessed about five minutes had passed when he reached the first door.

Li Yang pushed it open, the creaking sound like muffled laughter in the dark.

Just as he was about to step inside, a hand shoved him from behind. Stumbling a few steps, he barely caught his balance when the door slammed shut behind him.

Before him was a circular room, its walls lined with windows that, under the overhead light, were clearly fake.

In the center sat a box giving off bad vibes. As Li Yang examined it, the previously silent box creaked open, a twisted face peeking through the widening gap.

Li Yang: "..."

Way too realistic, his palms grew clammy. Still, he had expected something like this.

He began searching for clues and soon spotted a line of black text in one corner of the wall.

"This room has a door. Look carefully—check everywhere."

Behind him, the creaking grew louder until the box fully opened. A long-haired NPC in a white dress slowly crawled out, limbs twisting as it crawled closer to Li Yang.

Li Yang retreated two steps, his gaze darting across the windows until he spotted a real one. The moment he rushed to push it open, the NPC was already right behind him.

"Stay with me," a chilling voice hissed in his ear.

Li Yang bolted through the window, but as he landed, something heavy dropped onto his head.

He reached up and touched a coarse, tangled wig, very long.

Glancing back, he saw the wigless NPC, still oblivious, swiftly closing the window.

Then, screams pierced the air behind him.

Li Yang turned to find a room full of players staring at him in terror, some even grabbing nearby props, poised to rush him.

He immediately ripped off the wig and flung it away. "I’m a player, not an NPC."

The screams died instantly.

Compared to the previous room, this one was normal and well-lit, allowing everyone to clearly see his fair, clean face once the wig was gone.

There was nothing frightening about him. If anything, eyes lingered on him.

The players holding props slowly lowered them.

The window he’d entered through was locked from the outside, leaving this room effectively sealed shut.

"We’ve been stuck here for half an hour. Every door spawns scary NPCs that chase us."

"With you, there are now eight players in this room."

"I’ll suffocate at this point."

"..."

Amid the chatter, Li Yang finished scanning the room and tapped the floor with his foot. "Have you checked underground?"

"Yeah, nothing there," the guy closest to Li Yang said, edging closer. "Stick with me—it’s safer."

Li Yang shot him a look, unmoved. "I have a companion."

"Oh..." The guy scratched his head, hesitating. "Your friend or... your partner?"

Who asks that?

Li Yang didn’t answer. Sensing his disinterest, the guy fidgeted before pulling out his phone.

"I like you. Can I get your WeChat? You’re a Beta, right?"

Li Yang declined politely. "I don’t have WeChat."

The guy persisted. "How about QQ?"

After surveying the entire room, Li Yang finally turned to face the boy.

His face was unreadable, radiating a keep-your-distance chill. His eyes were too calm, giving no clue to his thoughts.

But the more he was like this, the more it made you wanna crack him open, wanting to uncover everything about him.

Li Yang said, "I'm not interested in Omegas."

"That’s alright," the other replied with a smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'm an Alpha."

Li Yang: "..."

He found it hard to connect this jumpy mess with the stereotypical raging Alphas he had encountered in the past.

Someone opened a door, and as an NPC brandishing a chainsaw chased after them, the room erupted into chaos, filled with screams.

The Alpha standing next to Li Yang yowled and ducked behind him, reaching out to grab him.

The barest alpha musk hung in the air. Li Yang deftly avoided the outstretched hands, held his breath, and used the NPC's pursuit as an excuse to ditch the guy.

He couldn’t stand Alphas who leaked pheromones like bad cologne—even Betas weren't spared.

Li Yang frowned, pursing his lips tightly together in irritation.

So when the boy had the nerve to sidle up again, he smiled and said, "I have an S.O. Stay away from me. If he smells it on me, he’ll get jealous."

The boy didn’t believe him. "Bullshit. You’d have led with that. You wouldn’t have waited this long to mention it. You’re lying, aren’t you? But even if you do, it’s fine. You can break up with them and come find me."

Was this something a normal person would say?

Li Yang glanced at the NPC still chasing people and seriously eyed the chainsaw like he might ‘accidentally’ grab it.

"Fine," the boy sighed, finally sensing his disinterest. "This haunted house will take at least another half hour. If you change your mind, just let me know."

Li Yang ignored him, brushing at his sleeves like they were contaminated, trying to shake off the lingering pheromones.

The NPC chased them for a full three minutes before finally slinking back to his post with the chainsaw, leaving behind a cartoonish "Mwahaha!" laugh.

The three-minute chase caused a previously unnoticed corner of the floorboard to lift. Before Li Yang could investigate, someone else pulled it up first, revealing a hidden mechanism.

"Damn, so it was hidden here. If so many people hadn’t walked over it, we might never have found it." The person activated the mechanism, and one of the large doors automatically swung open. This time, there were no terrifying NPCs—just a corridor that made hearts race at first glance.

A row of ghost masks hung on the walls, suddenly springing forward with eerie laughter as people passed, getting right in their faces.

The place blew up with shrieks. Li Yang, caught in the crowd, was jostled into another room, where he turned to face a blank-eyed ghoul.

He froze, unsure if he was scared or not, only moving on autopilot to a safe spot.

A white-clad NPC swung their long hair—a ten-foot mane—clotheslining half the group and drawing complaints.

"Why hit me?"

"Does this NPC have some weird fetish or something?"

"Damn! Scaring me is one thing, but hitting me too? What kinda NPC are you?"

The NPC: "..."

They could only silently melt into the shadows, minimizing their presence.

This room was much larger than the previous one, with several coffins placed around. As Li Yang looked, the coffin lids began shaking violently, like something was clawing to escape.

Eerie music suddenly played, intensifying the tension as the caskets bucked like wild horses. Most people in the room huddled together, trembling.

Li Yang wanted to move closer, but his legs felt like lead, refusing to budge. He could only watch as the coffins shook harder before their lids flew off with a loud BAM!

Several figures rushed out, and the players' screams could’ve shattered glass.

Li Yang blinked, spotting a familiar face among those crawling out.

Ying Xi quickly noticed him too. Seeing Li Yang’s tightly pressed lips, stiff posture, and rigid stance, he approached with a smile. "Scared?"

"Not really," Li Yang said, his body unconsciously relaxing at the sight of Ying Xi. He pointed at the corner speaker. "The soundtrack’s doing most of the work. But why were you crawling out of a coffin?"

"I was walking in a room when the floor suddenly gave way. Next thing I knew, I was in a coffin. After waiting a bit, the lid flew off, and I climbed out." Ying Xi stood beside him. "Glad I ran into you. Solo haunting’s no fun."

The weirdly playful tone made Li Yang cock his head, staring at Ying Xi for a moment, unsure how to react. The contrast with his usual demeanor was too stark. Meeting that bottomless gaze, Li Yang quickly lowered his head.

Few people spoke to him like this.

Not long ago, He Shi had used a similar tone when chatting with him, but Li Yang had felt nothing.

Yet with Ying Xi, he couldn’t remain unaffected.

Why?

A stare that itched under his skin came from nearby. Ying Xi looked up, his smile fading.

His eyes immediately locked onto an Alpha in the crowd who kept staring their way, sizing them up like a free buffet. His gaze turned icy.

"Let’s look for clues," Li Yang said, oblivious to his shift in mood. He turned to examine the coffins but suddenly noticed Ying Xi’s cold expression and the temperature seemed to drop around him.

Following his gaze, Li Yang understood and tugged at Ying Xi’s sleeve. "Ignore him."

"Did he bother you?" Ying Xi asked, lowering his eyes.

"How’d you know?" Li Yang took a surreptitious whiff of his collar but detected no lingering pheromones. "He asked for my contact info. I said I had an S.O.—"

He abruptly trailed off, "Anyway, he stopped after that."

The Alpha might as well have evaporated, replaced by curiosity about Li Yang’s unfinished words.

Watching the boy’s awkward expression, Ying Xi finished for him, "You told him you have an S.O.?"

"In the ballpark," Li Yang murmured, his long dark lashes fanning down. After a pause, he gave an ambiguous answer. "Stop asking. Let’s find clues."

Footsteps approached. The Alpha, completely oblivious to the tension between them, butted in with a slimy grin.

"He said he has an S.O., but you two don’t look like a couple," the boy boldly called bullshit. "Were you lying to me?"

Ying Xi stared coldly at him, scrutinizing him from head to toe before speaking in a deadpan delivery.

"We’re on a date right now."

He paused, all traces of warmth gone, replaced by an oppressive, dangerous aura, like the air before a lightning strike.

"You wanna be the third wheel?"