Chapter 35

Chapter 35

In a flash, Shen Ju launched himself like a little cannonball, colliding with Pei Yan and making him sway.

It also made Pei Yan’s heart clench.

"Brother Pei, please comfort me..."

Shen Ju’s voice was muffled and subdued: "I'm really sad right now."

Pei Yan froze, feeling as if something delicate was gently brushing against his heart.

It was as if a tiny creature was circling around him,

then finally settling down, pressing its softness close.

Seemingly feigning weakness to seek attention, yet actually trying to warm others with its soft fur, as if worried its fur wasn't soft enough.

Pei Yan reached out, one hand touching the top of Shen Ju's head, the other resting on his back.

Then, his grip tightened, holding him closer.

He had lied.

He was still pretending to be pitiful.

But there was a gamble in that pretense.

So now, it seemed his gamble had paid off.

Pei Yan spoke in a low voice: "I told you, I'm not a good person."

Yes, he had deliberately said it again.

He didn’t want Shen Ju to judge him based on past perceptions anymore.

Pei Yan pressed Shen Ju's head against his chest, then moved his hand down to grip the nape of Shen Ju's neck.

It was like holding a small animal that trusted him implicitly, using this gesture to test the depth of that trust.

Shen Ju was completely enveloped in Pei Yan's embrace.

He had impulsively crashed into Pei Pei Yan’s chest, and now, with Pei Yan gripping the nape of his neck, he could only press his cheek against Pei Yan's chest.

But it wasn’t just his cheek; his entire body was pressed against Pei Yan's.

Shen Ju suddenly realized that he and Pei Yan were in an unprecedented "intimate contact."

In a public place...

Even though there weren’t many people around, it wasn’t completely deserted.

And yet, the two of them were openly embracing here...

Shen Ju finally became aware of his embarrassment.

He couldn’t help but squirm a little.

But the next second, the grip on the back of his neck tightened, and the hand on his back pressed harder, as if displeased with his movement, pulling him even closer to Pei Yan.

Their bodies were pressed together, seamless and tight.

Shen Ju could even feel Pei Yan's breath against the back of his ear.

His hands instinctively measured Pei Yan's waist, and he realized that Pei Yan could completely envelop him.

He thought of Pei Yan's height and build—a striking presence that commanded attention in any crowd.

Just like today, when Pei Yan appeared, almost everyone's gaze was instantly drawn to him, openly or covertly, with whispers rippling through the onlookers.

It was just unclear why no one dared to approach.

And now Shen Ju was incredibly close... closer than ever before.

He could smell Pei Yan's scent.

He could feel the warmth of Pei Yan's body.

Even... even experiencing the powerful strength of Pei Yan's embrace...

Shen Ju's hands suddenly clutched Pei Yan's clothes.

He didn’t even know what he was doing, just instinctively tugging the clothes backward, like a kitten trying to push someone away.

Pei Yan's eyes darkened.

He thought to himself, could it be that Shen Ju had finally realized—

"Brother Pei..."

Pei Yan didn’t respond.

Shen Ju’s slight strength couldn’t budge him at all.

He should be more ruthless, push him away harshly.

Not this cautious, hesitant tugging.

It only made Pei Yan want to tease the person in his arms even more.

"Brother Pei!"

Shen Ju's voice grew urgent.

He thought Pei Yan might still be upset, so he let go with one hand and hurriedly patted Pei Yan's back, both comforting and urging: "Brother Pei, we’re going to become a tourist attraction!"

"............"

Pei Yan hadn’t expected Shen Ju’s concern to lie there.

He lowered his gaze and saw Shen Ju’s reddened ears.

So he was embarrassed about being seen?

Pei Yan couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and reached out to pinch Shen Ju’s earlobe.

Shen Ju’s comforting hand paused, then he patted Pei Yan’s back even harder.

How dare he pull a sneaky move like that!

Come on, let him go already!

Out in public like this, it's totally embarrassing.

He should definitely wear a mask later!

Shen Ju felt his cheeks flushing and his ears burning, realizing he truly couldn’t adapt to such a close hug in this setting. He desperately wanted to escape, like an ant on a hot griddle, dying to stomp his feet and bolt, yet held back by some invisible force. His hands kept patting the other person’s back, his mind a complete mess, filled with a flustered, dizzy feeling, as if he were drunk.

Just as he was growing increasingly anxious, Pei Yan seemed to radiate calm composure.

Shen Ju wondered if Pei Yan wasn't even still upset.

Did I actually comfort him?

If so, why hadn't he let go yet?

Resting his cheek against Pei Yan’s chest, Shen Ju tried to sort through his jumbled thoughts to ponder seriously.

He had no idea he could break free from Pei Yan’s embrace at any moment.

Pei Yan had already eased his hold.

Pei Yan couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile.

But he quickly suppressed it.

He wondered if this "quirk" applied to everyone.

Still, you have to know when to stop.

Only after realizing and confirming that Shen Ju wasn’t truly rejecting him did Pei Yan finally let go, allowing Shen Ju to step out of his embrace.

After squirming out, Shen Ju was still in a daze.

He rubbed his cheeks and glanced down at the snow beneath his feet. The snowflakes were still falling, dancing lightly before landing on his and Pei Yan’s shoes.

Shen Ju couldn’t help but fidget with his toes.

He couldn't bring himself to look at the people around him.

His face still seemed to be burning.

How strange.

Before, when he went to the market with Jian Yi to sell small felt toys, lots of people had stared at him, but he'd never felt anything like this.

Oh, right—maybe it was because he’d never embraced Jian Yi so intimately in public.

But it couldn't be helped.

After all, he had been so worried about Pei Yan.

As if suddenly remembering something, Shen Ju abruptly jerked his head up urgently—

"Brother Pei—"

As soon as he looked up, he met Pei Yan’s gaze.

It was as though Pei Yan had been watching him the entire time.

Shen Ju’s lips parted, and the thought in his mind blurted out almost instinctively: "Even if you were a bad person, you'd still be good in my book!"

This was his response to what Pei Yan had said earlier.

Of course, that wasn’t the answer Shen Ju had originally intended. He had wanted to tell Pei Yan not to talk about himself like that—in his heart, Pei Yan was truly good.

But when he realized the position they were in while embracing, he had momentarily forgotten to reply.

And now, what he said seemed like the most honest answer from the bottom of his heart.

He didn’t care what kind of person Pei Yan was.

Because no matter what, Pei Yan was "good" to him.

This was undoubtedly favoritism toward Pei Yan.

Even Shen Ju himself was stunned after saying it.

He blinked, looking at Pei Yan.

A snowflake settled on the tip of his nose.

His little nose, red from the cold, now bore a tiny, glistening white snowflake.

The snowflake was pure and perfect.

It didn't immediately melt.

The next second, Pei Yan let out a soft laugh.

He reached out and gently brushed the snowflake from Shen Ju’s nose, whispering, "What am I going to do..."

Pei Yan said, "Now I want to hug you again."