Chapter 55

Chapter 55

The amusement in the young man’s voice deepened. "My daughter-in-law?"

Li Yang paused, then realized what he’d just heard. Silently, he buried his face, hoping to gloss over the topic.

Why did those three words make him so flustered?

Footsteps approached, and Ying Xi stopped behind him.

A shadow fell. Li Yang instinctively turned his head, his lips brushing Ying Xi’s cheek as he leaned in.

Both froze.

It happened too fast. Li Yang didn’t even register the touch. Far more composed than before, he pushed Ying Xi’s head away.

"It’s almost the college entrance exams. We should sleep separately—can’t risk affecting our focus."

Ying Xi fully agreed, though his gaze lingered on Li Yang’s flushed lips, deep with meaning. Slowly, he asked, "Then when can we live together?"

"After graduation," Li Yang forced out, turning his head to avoid Ying Xi’s stare.

"Okay." Ying Xi returned to his seat, surprisingly compliant.

The room fell silent. Soon, Li Yang tossed his pen down, exasperated. "Stop staring at me. It’s incredibly distracting."

"Okay." Ying Xi nodded, opening his book and focusing on the text—truly not looking at him anymore.

Li Yang exhaled, but as he looked at the questions, his mind kept drifting. Ying Xi’s earlier words echoed in his ears.

He tried to suppress the chaotic thoughts, but even Ying Xi’s breathing seemed amplified.

He was losing it.

Pursing his lips, a flicker of frustration crossed Li Yang’s bright, dark eyes. After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke softly, "Ying Xi, let’s study separately."

"Why?" Ying Xi set his book aside, tilting his head, his eyes sparkling with undisguised amusement. "I’ve been reading. I wasn’t looking at you."

Li Yang massaged his temples. "I know, but when I’m with you, I can’t focus on studying. I keep wondering what you’re doing."

The moment the words left his mouth, he knew Ying Xi would be thrilled.

Sure enough, Ying Xi, seated at the desk, couldn’t hide his smile, looking utterly pleased. He deliberately drew out his words, "Oh? So Yangyang cares about me that much?"

Li Yang, still thin-skinned, blushed fiercely at Ying Xi’s slow, teasing tone, daring even less to look at him. He faked a cough.

"Anyway, let’s just separate for now. It’s only two weeks anyway."

"Fine." Ying Xi’s expression didn’t change as he swiftly stood up. "I’ll go to the opposite room."

He packed up his things and left as quickly as he said he would, leaving Li Yang alone in the study before he could even react.

Ying Xi’s lingering scent still hung in the air, slowly fading.

Li Yang felt a little unaccustomed to the quiet. He blinked slowly at the empty seat, trying to concentrate.

When that failed, he propped his eyelids open with his fingers, forcing himself to focus on the questions.

Everything else could wait until after graduation.

He chanted to himself again.

They still left for school together.

Li Yang usually fell asleep the moment he got in the car, then pulled out his books upon arriving at the classroom, leaving Ying Xi no opportunity for conversation.

But Ying Xi didn’t mind, always grinning at him like a fool.

"I think your boyfriend’s smile is kind of scary," Wen Yun mumbled through a mouthful of bun. "Turn around and look."

Lately, Wen Yun had taken to calling Ying Xi Li Yang’s boyfriend, a title Li Yang never denied.

He turned his head, meeting Ying Xi’s bright smile, his heart sinking, his eyelid twitching uncontrollably.

"Maybe because we haven’t talked much recently," Li Yang said, pressing his hand against his twitching eye. "When I’m with him, it’s hard to concentrate. My mind is just full of him."

"If he heard that, I guarantee his smile would be even scarier than it is now."

Wen Yun finished his bun, then chugged his coffee in one go before showing Li Yang his dark circles.

"See my dark circles? Are they worse than yesterday?"

Li Yang nodded solemnly, examining his own face in the mirror.

His sleep quality hadn’t been as good lately. Though not full-blown insomnia, the stress kept him to a maximum of six hours of sleep a night.

His eyes in the mirror weren’t as clear and bright as before, always carrying a hint of fatigue. Li Yang propped his cheek on his hand, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Hang in there, Wen Yun. Just two more weeks."

"There’s no way I’m getting into the same university as you," Wen Yun said, slapping his own face. "Don’t forget me after graduation. Keep in touch."

"Of course." Li Yang curved his eyes into a smile. "You’re so adorable, how could I ever forget you?"

Wen Yun’s heart bloomed with joy, and he handed Li Yang a bottle of coffee.

"Try this. It’s great for staying awake."

Li Yang opened it with thanks, took a sip, and his face instantly crumpled, wishing he could spit it into the trash can right then and there.

So bitter.

He struggled to swallow it, his throat rebelling, making frantic swallowing motions for a full half-minute before he finally managed to get it down.

The bitter taste spread from his mouth throughout his body, his stomach churning. Li Yang broke out in goosebumps and nearly gagged.

He quickly capped it, not daring to try again. "How do you drink this? It’s dozens of times worse than traditional Chinese medicine!"

Wen Yun was used to it. "Is it really bitter? I think it tastes pretty good. Look, some people next door are even putting Tiger Balm in their eyes."

Li Yang froze, then looked, and sure enough, there were people doing just that. His impression of them changed.

Before, they’d all claimed to be too lazy to study, but now, with the college entrance exams approaching, each one was more ruthless than the last.

Even Jiang Su had stopped bickering with He Shi, occasionally jabbing himself with the tip of his pen.

"Holy shit!" A roar exploded in the classroom.

Jiang Su’s deskmate clutched his backside, glaring furiously at Jiang Su. "What do you mean? Why did you jab me?"

"I’m immune. Your scream just woke me up instantly," Jiang Su said with a mocking smirk.

"You’re a lunatic!" Hearing his brazen justification, the deskmate was furious and jabbed back forcefully, only to find Jiang Su truly unfazed, showing no reaction at all.

"Honestly, that scream really woke me up too," others chimed in, following suit.

The classroom erupted in various shouts, but soon everyone realized this method was more distracting than energizing and quickly gave up.

Li Yang felt conflicted, wondering if these people had swapped brains. How else could they be so different from before?

"Their families gave them ultimatums," Wen Yun yawned, pinching his own cheek and flinching violently from the pain, sucking in a sharp breath. "If their scores don’t satisfy their families, their inheritance might be at stake. Look at Jiang Su—if it weren’t for him wanting to inherit his family’s company, he wouldn’t be like this."

Li Yang nodded, unsure if the classroom atmosphere was affecting him, but he too started to feel drowsy.

He glanced at the black coffee pushed aside earlier, hesitated for two seconds, then picked it up and took two gulps.

His body jolted awake, instantly clearing his mind. Li Yang finally understood how Wen Yun could drink it.

After school, Li Yang immediately slumped into the car seat and fell asleep.

The car moved smoothly forward as Ying Xi propped his chin on his hand, his gaze intently tracing every detail of Li Yang’s face, his eyes deepening the longer he looked.

When the car stopped, Li Yang stirred, opening his eyes, stretching with a yawn.

"Are we here?" His voice was groggy and lazy from sleep, his long lashes fluttering as he rubbed his eyes.

Ying Xi cupped his face, wishing he could kiss him for half an hour before letting him out of the car.

Li Yang looked up, meeting his gaze, and his movements paused.

In the dim car light, Ying Xi’s unfathomable eyes swirled with an ink-like intensity, silently revealing his desires for Li Yang.

"Your eyes are very dangerous," Li Yang pushed his hand away. "Let’s get out and get some fresh air."

Summer had long arrived. The night wind carried a hint of coolness, but mostly oppressive heat.

Ying Xi stepped out with a knowing smirk, the breeze doing nothing to dispel the turmoil within him, only making his emotions more restless.

Li Yang walked ahead, Ying Xi following behind. Just before the elevator, Ying Xi suddenly grabbed his hand.

"Let’s take a walk."

Li Yang was a beat too slow, and by the time he processed it, he was already strolling through the neighborhood with Ying Xi.

The night sky glittered with stars, a crescent moon hanging high. The wind brushed past their ears, the air unusually fresh and clean.

Li Yang took a deep breath, the tight string in his mind finally getting a chance to relax.

"Yanyang," Ying Xi murmured, stroking his fingers. "Don’t stress too much. Believe in yourself."

"You too," Li Yang nodded firmly, his voice gentle. "We both can do it."

Their mock exam scores were similar. As long as they didn’t underperform, getting into the same university wouldn’t be a problem.

Ying Xi paused, gently ruffling Li Yang’s hair. "If you’re really stressed, tell me. I’ll teach you how to relax."

Li Yang wanted to ask what method he meant, but seeing the depth in Ying Xi’s eyes, he silently swallowed the question.

He had a feeling that method was out of the ordinary, so it was better not to ask.

After a half-hour walk, Li Yang returned home, his mind remarkably calm, and studied more efficiently.

Before bed, he took out his phone and texted Ying Xi: "Good night."

"Good night, Yanyang," Ying Xi replied, adding:

"Dream of me."

Li Yang chuckled, not expecting he’d actually dream of Ying Xi.

He saw a younger version of Ying Xi again, so vivid it felt less like watching someone else’s memory and more like something that had actually happened.

The dream ended with his parents moving to a new home, their living conditions worse than before, their relationship deteriorating.

They argued daily, often scolding Li Yang, mostly accusing him of being useless and saying he’d never amount to anything.

His heart felt like it was soaking in a sour can, making it hard to breathe. In the end, Li Yang had only one thought:

Just forget it. If he forgot, he wouldn’t be sad or disgusted.

Li Yang opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling for a while before fully waking.

His eyes were dry and uncomfortable. He couldn’t help but sit up, slowly blinking, then realized his pillow was slightly damp.

The suffocating emotions from the dream enveloped him like an airtight net, making his mood heavy and oppressive.

Li Yang got up and walked to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, his eyes were wet and noticeably red. Anyone could tell he had been crying.

Li Yang was silent for a moment, then quickly washed his face. He sat on the sofa and applied a cool compress to his eyes for a while before they felt better.

Yet, Ying Xi noticed the moment they stepped out.

"What happened?" Ying Xi cupped his face, examining him closely. "Did you cry?"

"Not really?" Li Yang searched for words, then murmured, "I just had a dream. Maybe the stress has been getting to me lately, and I cried in my sleep."

"What dream?" Ying Xi’s thumb brushed his eyelid.

The warm, dry touch was distinct. Li Yang half-closed his eyes, caught Ying Xi’s hand, and put it down, casually dismissing it: "Nothing much. I pretty much forgot it after waking up."

It was true—he’d forgotten most of the specific details, but the emotions from the dream were still vivid, like a long-submerged tide that surged back whenever he tried to push it down.

"Li Yang," a low voice rumbled in his ear. "Look up."

Li Yang, who had been looking down slightly, instinctively raised his head. A shadow flashed before him, followed by a firm press of lips against his left cheek.

The soft, fleeting sensation made Li Yang’s pupils contract. He stared at Ying Xi’s smiling face, his mind completely frozen, his entire body stiff as if turned to stone. Only his eyelashes blinked incessantly, trying to reboot his brain.

"This way, you won’t think about anything else," Ying Xi ruffled his hair, leaning close to whisper word by word into his ear.

They were so close that if Ying Xi moved just one more centimeter, his thin lips would touch Li Yang’s ear.

And indeed, nothing else crossed his mind.

A burning heat spread from his ears and swept through his entire body. Li Yang hastily responded with a sound, his mind a tangled mess beyond sorting.

He blinked blankly, operating on instinct as he entered the elevator, got into the car, and arrived at school—still reeling from the kiss, which had been too fast to fully process.

"Why are you spacing out so much?" Wen Yun poked his arm, finding him particularly odd. He studied Li Yang’s fair, slightly flushed cheek and couldn’t help but laugh. "Did something happen this morning? Your face is a little red."

Li Yang mumbled something, but Wen Yun didn’t catch it. Only when he leaned in closer did he notice Li Yang’s dazed, unfocused eyes and the faint murmuring under his breath.

"Ying Xi seduced me."