Chapter 58

Chapter 58

The pressure was so firm that Ying Xi thought Li Yang had woken up, but the hand grew bolder, wandering upward with brazen abandon, tracing his collarbone and Adam’s apple before returning to its original spot, finding a comfortable position and settling there.

It seemed he had a thing for pecs.

Ying Xi let him keep his hand there as he drifted back to sleep.

Li Yang blinked groggily, his palm resting on something soft. He thought he had touched Ying Xi’s face, but when he turned over, he realized his hand was pressed against Ying Xi’s chest.

He jerked his hand away, horrified, staring at it in disbelief.

Had he dreamed about groping Ying Xi all over, or had it actually happened?

His eyes widened as he slapped the offending hand with his other one.

*Serves you right for wandering.*

"Had enough, Yangyang?" A hoarse, sleep-rough voice spoke up.

Li Yang looked up to see Ying Xi resting his head on one hand, smiling as he invited, "Want to keep going? Last night, your hands got pretty adventurous—but you seemed to like my chest the most."

"Stop talking," Li Yang muttered, writhing in embarrassment before hesitantly suggesting, "I tend to do unexpected things in my sleep. Maybe we should sleep separately for a while?"

"No," Ying Xi refused bluntly. "I don’t mind you touching me. Feel free."

Li Yang was ready to cry. *He* minded. If this kept up, one day he might wake up *on top* of Ying Xi.

The thought was so horrifying that Li Yang shuddered, quietly escaping the bed to wash up.

Today was their graduation photo day, and the class had coordinated outfits—simple but sharp.

By the time Li Yang changed, Ying Xi was already waiting by the door.

"Let’s grab breakfast outside," Ying Xi said, pushing the door open.

Li Yang hurried after him, stealing a look.

"What is it?" Ying Xi caught his gaze.

"Nothing," Li Yang mumbled, "The outfit looks nice."

He really meant to say *Ying Xi* looked nice, but he didn’t dare.

Ying Xi took his hand, deliberately playing with his fingers as he teased, "The outfit looks nice, or *I* look nice?"

Li Yang turned his head away but answered without hesitation, "You."

Ying Xi laughed, satisfied. "Yangyang is so cute. I really do like you more and more."

That just made Li Yang more flustered, his mind flooding with inappropriate thoughts.

Assistant Min was driving, with Ying Sui and Li Xu also in the car.

Spotting them, Li Yang quickly pulled his hand away, embarrassed, and climbed in, greeting, "Good morning, Mom, Dad."

"Good morning." Watching Li Yang’s polite, well-mannered smile, Li Xu sighed. "My how time flies. It feels like just yesterday you were starting school, and now you’re graduating."

"Let’s go." Ying Sui checked his watch. "We’re almost late for the photos."

Assistant Min acknowledged and started the car.

As the scenery outside the window blurred past, Li Yang’s mood turned thoughtful.

Time really *had* flown by.

He looked down at the ring on his finger, turning it absently.

By the time they arrived, most classes had already begun taking photos.

Amid the crowd, Li Yang immediately spotted Wen Yun, whose hair was now dyed a blazing red.

Their eyes met, and reading the shock in Li Yang’s gaze, Wen Yun approached looking embarrassed.

"Your hair…?" Li Yang trailed off.

"Eye-catching, right?" Wen Yun laughed bitterly. "I asked for something darker, but they gave me *this*. I’ve been getting 100% stares since I stepped onto campus."

Li Yang bit back a smile. "It brings out your skin tone."

"Well, at least there’s that." Wen Yun brightened, running a hand through his hair.

Their classmates soon gathered, and the photographer started arranging everyone into position.

"Don’t stand too stiffly. Be natural—pose however you like."

"Can I ride on the teacher’s back?" someone joked, setting everyone off laughing.

The photographer chuckled but waved it off as a no-go.

Li Yang grabbed Ying Xi’s hand and quickly switched the ring from his middle finger to his ring finger.

Once done, he placed his hand in Ying Xi’s palm, eyes crinkling with amusement. "My turn."

Warm fingertips lifted his hand, removing the ring before slipping it back on.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion—at first, he could still distinguish the heat of Ying Xi’s touch, but soon, their warmth blended together, inseparable.

"Everyone, get set—we’re taking the photo now!" the photographer called.

Li Yang turned toward the camera.

"Look here, not elsewhere. Three, two, one—"

The moment the shutter clicked, Ying Xi clasped Li Yang’s hand, his dark eyes alight with amusement.

The graduation photos were ready quickly.

Standing in the front row, their joined hands faced the camera, the rings on their ring fingers shining noticeably.

Wen Yun took heat from classmates for his hair stealing the spotlight. He stretched his neck, running fingers through his hair. "Just the hair? My face is pretty eye-catching too."

The before-and-after versions of him were like two different people. His classmates stared, staggered by the change.

Wen Yun didn’t care.

Post-graduation, he'd resolved to live freely—doing whatever he wanted, ditching his old cautious self. The bright dye job was his way of declaring a new chapter.

Who would’ve thought...

"Congrats on graduating, Yangyang and Ying Xi!" Li Xu pushed bouquets into their arms. "How about a family photo?"

"Okay." Li Yang handed his phone to Wen Yun, asking him to take the picture.

Li Xu and Ying Sui stood behind them.

Ying Xi and Li Yang each cradled a bouquet in one arm, the other hanging by their side.

Since they had only held hands at the last second in the graduation photo, Li Yang felt a little shy with their parents behind them. His fingers flexed a few times, too nervous to grab Ying Xi’s hand—until Ying Xi reached for it first.

Their fingers laced together, warmth spreading straight to his heart.

At first, Li Yang froze, at a loss.

Only when he noticed Li Xu and Ying Sui weren’t paying attention to their stance did he relax.

Facing the camera, he floundered before flashing a V-sign while hugging the flowers.

"Change it up, don’t just do the V-sign," Wen Yun suggested. "Try a heart instead."

Li Yang switched to forming a heart with his hands.

"We know that one too!" Li Xu urged Ying Sui to join her. "Ying Xi and Yangyang did it in their photos—come on, raise your hand."

Ying Sui, clueless about the trend, copied Li Yang’s pose.

Li Xu, already holding up her arms in a heart, tapped her foot impatiently for Ying Sui to follow. "What are you doing? Do the heart thing!"

"I am," Ying Sui said. "Isn’t this how you do it?"

Li Xu waved her hands above her head. "No, *this* way—my arms are dying here!"

Finally understanding, Ying Sui adjusted his gesture.

Seizing the moment, Wen Yun clicked away, snapping dozens of photos from every angle.

The joyful atmosphere made them look like a real family—you’d never guess Li Yang wasn’t family.

While reviewing the photos, Li Yang couldn’t stop smiling—until he overheard Wen Yun discussing a novel with someone else. His grin faltered.

The things he’d been deliberately avoiding rushed back into his mind. Tucking his phone away, he hesitated as he watched Ying Xi posing for other group photos.

Just as the session ended, Ying Xi walked over, catching the turmoil in his gaze before messing up his hair.

Li Yang caught his wrist and lowered it. "Ying Xi, I need to tell you something."

"I think... I might be a transmigrator," Li Yang said carefully. "Someone who woke up inside a book. But I’m not sure anymore. I just wanted you to know."

"Transmigrator?" Ying Xi repeated the unfamiliar term. "This is a novel’s world?"

"I don’t think so." Li Yang shook his head.

When he first suspected he’d transmigrated, nothing had felt real.

But after spending so much time with everyone—seeing how vivid and genuine they were—he no longer saw this as a fictional world.

Though some of his former classmates had been certifiably unhinged, the memories surfacing in his mind lately didn’t feel like inherited ones.

They were *him*, through and through.

"I don’t think so either. You’ve always been you," Ying Xi said, cradling Li Yang’s face, gaze soft.

"Whether it was the cheerful, lively you as a child, the quiet and reserved you growing up, or the you I love now—it’s all been you."

The stifling air made his heart race faster. Li Yang stared into Ying Xi’s deep gaze.

At that moment, the world muted around them, leaving only the two of them in a silent world.

Memories he’d suppressed flashed through his mind like a kaleidoscope. Finally, everything became clear—he’d always been Li Yang—full stop.

There had never been any transmigration.

It was just a fantasy he’d constructed after spotting Ying Xi in their new class, a crutch to avoid facing life when it felt dull.

But now, Li Yang no longer avoided the things he didn’t want to face.

He had found the courage he’d lost along the way.

His tense body relaxed completely. Listening to the rabbit-fast heartbeat in his chest, he smiled in relief.

"I think so too. I’ve always been me—just... the old me liked bailing."

Lowering his eyes, he fiddled with the bouquet and mumbled, "I won’t do that anymore. Thank you, Ying Xi."

Ying Xi pulled him into a tight embrace, his whisper fanned over Li Yang’s skin. "I’ll always be with you."

Warm breath brushed his cheek with each word. Li Yang muttered, "The—the flowers’ll get wrecked."

Ying Xi chuckled and loosened his hold.

Li Yang salvaged the half-crushed flowers, his long lashes hiding his expression—though his flushed ears gave him away.

Ying Xi burst out laughing.

Luckily, the lively surroundings meant no one noticed Li Yang’s ears on fire.

After today, goodbyes were forever.

Many took the chance for one last photo after the graduation shoot.

Perhaps because the ring on Li Yang’s finger was too noticeable, no love confessions came his way today.

Except for Wen Xinci, who had been eyeing him all day, hesitating several times before ultimately staying away.

Near the end of the group photos, Wen Xinci finally slunk over. "Li Yang, can we take a picture together?"

"Sure." Li Yang agreed.

Wen Xinci perked up, opening his phone’s camera—then paused, glancing at Ying Xi with a meaningful look. "Cat got your tongue? No jealousy?"

Ying Xi cut him an icy side-eye. "Jealousy’s not my style."

Wen Xinci blinked at him, baffled, before handing his phone to Wen Yun for help.

"Look at the camera," Wen Yun said. The moment he pressed the shutter, Ying Xi’s fingers edged into the shot beside Li Yang’s shoulder—throwing up a peace sign.

Wen Xinci: "?? And you call that not liking vinegar?"

Ying Xi remained calm. "I truly don’t like vinegar."

Li Yang couldn’t help laughing.

"Take a few more shots," Wen Xinci called out.

In a good mood, Wen Yun helped snap a few more photos, each time with Ying Xi holding up peace signs (V-symbol) at different angles.

"Just a finger," Wen Xinci remarked while reviewing the photos, completely unbothered. "I can just Photoshop it out."

Ying Xi said nothing, simply taking Li Yang’s hand and lifting it before letting go.

Wen Xinci’s face fell. "What’s this? Public displays already?"

He abruptly changed the subject. "Li Yang, which university are you planning to attend?"

"You won’t be going to the same one as him," Wen Yun patted his shoulder. "The two of us are the most likely to end up at the same school."

Wen Xinci scoffed, shaking off Wen Yun’s hand. "My grades are a bit better than yours, so there’s no way we’ll be together."

Li Yang’s phone vibrated. He pulled it out and casually opened the message.

"You’ve graduated now, so you’ll probably get married, right? Give me money."

"I have no choice—I’m in a tight spot. It’s not much, just a hundred-some thousand. Hand it over."

The demanding tone instantly confirmed it was Su Shaoning.

"I’ll be doing summer jobs. I don’t have money," Li Yang replied coldly.

Seeing the words "part-time," Su Shaoning refused to believe it. "Impossible. You’re Ying Xi’s partner—why would he let you work some side gig? What can you even earn from that? You’d be better off sweet-talking Ying Xi and getting money without working."

"What does being his partner matter? First and foremost, I’m Li Yang," Li Yang shot back coldly. "You don’t give me money—why should anyone else?"

The response left Su Shaoning speechless.

After a pause, he finally came up with his reason. "No matter what, I’m your parent [sic]. I gave you life. I didn’t let you starve. If you don’t want to deal with me anymore, just give me the money."

Not wanting Ying Xi to notice his distress, Li Yang stepped aside, put down the bouquet in his arms, and typed rapidly, his eyes clearly irritated.

"If I give it to you, will you cut ties with me?"

"You’re that eager to cut me off? Fine, as long as you pay up, do whatever you want."

Su Shaoning wasn’t making much money these days, and with no desire to keep working, he was willing to sacrifice anything—except for getting money from Li Yang.

"If you don’t give it to me, unless I die, I’ll never leave you alone. You and Ying Xi won’t know peace."

"Fine," Li Yang replied with a single, composed word.

Su Shaoning: "You’re heartless."

Su Shaoning: "When will the money come? I want ¥199,999."

Right below ¥200,000.

Li Yang typed expressionlessly. "Later."

He should have felt relieved at the thought of finally cutting ties with Su Shaoning, but instead, a heavy feeling pressed on his chest, suffocating him.

Li Yang took a deep breath, struggling to shake off the gloom.

Ying Xi had been called away by a teacher for group photos. After finishing, classmates kept pulling him aside for more shots.

He seemed in good spirits, never refusing, though his expression remained so blank he looked completely blank.

Li Yang couldn’t help but laugh, the heavy mood dissipating as his head cleared.

Someone who had only ever made him doubt himself—cutting ties was for the best.

Meeting his gaze, Ying Xi politely declined the next person and strode over to Li Yang.

Amid the lively crowd, the expressionless guy approached him with clear affection and pulled him into an embrace.

"What’s wrong?" He easily sensed Li Yang’s low spirits, gently running fingers through his hair.

"It’s nothing now," Li Yang murmured, breathing in his scent and leaning into his warmth, gradually calming down.

Just as his emotions were calming, a sharp, stinging pain suddenly shot through the back of his neck—like ants biting his skin.

Li Yang snapped his hand up to press against the strange sensation.