“Pretending to be clean,” Jiang Yu muttered as he climbed up. “Godmom told me to come to your room to shower.”
Chen Zhiyan replied indifferently, “Whatever.”
He no longer had any strength or means to stop him. He knew that, in the end, he would be the one cleaning up anyway.
Jiang Yu let out a huff and headed into the bathroom. He tossed his discarded clothes into Chen Zhiyan’s laundry basket, used his body wash and shampoo, and even helped himself to his face cream. Eventually, he smeared the cream all over his legs out of sheer disdain. He walked back out wearing wet slippers, leaving a trail of water stains in his wake.
Seeing Chen Zhiyan’s furrowed brows, Jiang Yu glanced back. “Uh, that, I forgot again.”
Wait. Why was his attitude so weak?
“I stepped there. What the hell are you going to do about it?”
Chen Zhiyan pulled open a drawer, grabbed a fresh towel, and threw it over Jiang Yu’s head. He spoke coldly, “Are you a puppy? Why are you dripping so much water?”
“Don’t make it sound so suggestive. I just haven’t dried my hair yet.”
Case closed: this man was a certified flirt.
Chen Zhiyan went to the bathroom with a mop. Seeing the mess inside, the veins on his forehead began to throb. He was clearly at the limit of his patience. “Put things back where they belong after using them. Do you insist on being someone with so little upbringing?”
Jiang Yu’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re yelling at me?!”
“You actually dared to yell at me, and so loudly!”
Chen Zhiyan pressed a hand to his forehead, resigning himself to the cleanup. He tossed Jiang Yu’s underwear into the trash. Seeing this, Jiang Yu ground his teeth in anger. He jumped onto the bed and rolled around wildly until sleepiness finally took over. He fell asleep clutching Chen Zhiyan’s quilt.
His sleeping posture was truly unsightly: one foot was propped against the headboard and the other was stepping squarely on Chen Zhiyan’s pillow.
Chen Zhiyan approached with a cold expression. He grabbed Jiang Yu’s ankle and shoved it aside, successfully waking him up.
“What are you doing?”
“You are not allowed to sleep in my bed.”
“Why not? Besides, it is not the first time I have slept here.”
“Not allowed means not allowed. There will not be a next time.”
Jiang Yu glared at him. Unmoved, Chen Zhiyan picked him up and tossed him onto the sofa. Fuming, Jiang Yu treated the throw pillow as if it were Chen Zhiyan, gnawing and biting at it to vent his frustration.
During dinner, Chen Zhiyan went downstairs first, while Jiang Yu took his time joining them.
“Xiao Bao, the shrimp is delicious today,” Mu Chuxia called out to Jiang Yu.
“Coming, coming!”
Looking at the smile on Jiang Yu’s face, Chen Zhiyan felt a bad premonition rising in his heart. Consequently, when Jiang Yu tried to leave after dinner, Chen Zhiyan grabbed him and dragged him straight back to the room.
“What mischief did you do?”
“Nothing.”
Jiang Yu was always righteous until Chen Zhiyan found evidence. Even after evidence was found, he remained righteous. Calling him a “Little Overlord” was perfectly fitting.
Chen Zhiyan did not believe a word of it. He scanned the room and dragged Jiang Yu along as he searched. When his hand landed on the last drawer, he noticed Jiang Yu’s body stiffen. He pulled it open. All the underwear inside had been replaced with lace-edged ones, just like Jiang Yu’s.
“Surprised?”
“Where are my boxers?”
“These are them.”
Chen Zhiyan his lips. He grabbed Jiang Yu by the wrist and slammed him against the edge of the desk, radiating a cold aura. Through gritted teeth, he said, “I really want to strangle you.”
Jiang Yu was startled. He subtly reached behind his back to rub his waist and ease the pain. Seeing Chen Zhiyan so agitated and angry, he smirked triumphantly. “Then keep dreaming. Godmom likes me a lot, and besides, murder is illegal.”
Seeing Chen Zhiyan get even angrier, Jiang Yu pushed him hard. Not paying attention to his balance, he ended up being pulled down with him. With two successive thuds, they hit the ground. Jiang Yu landed heavily on top of Chen Zhiyan.
Worst of all, their lips were pressed right against each other.
“Ugh.”
Jiang Yu’s face turned pale. He jerked his head away instantly. “Fuck, that is disgusting! Chen Zhiyan, your breath stinks. Did you not brush your teeth?”
Chen Zhiyan’s expression was just as bad. He rubbed his lips hard with his knuckles, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot. He kicked Jiang Yu out of the room without even asking where his original underwear went. After locking the door, he went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth three times.
Jiang Yu ran straight home and began furiously brushing his teeth and wiping his mouth until his lips were bright red. The thought of it still made him gag. Looking in the mirror, he saw his face and ears were flushed deep red. He told himself that since Chen Zhiyan made him this angry, he hoped Chen Zhiyan would only have sons in the future!
At ten o’clock, lying in bed, Jiang Yu felt as if his entire body was being flushed with hot water. He frowned deeply, wondering if he was hallucinating. Fortunately, the feeling vanished quickly, and he curled up in his quilt to sleep.
The next day, Jiang Yu saw Chen Zhiyan leaving his house at the same time. His eyes flickered. When the car pulled up beside him, he raised a hand to stop it, rapped his knuckles against the window, and let out a rogue whistle. “Are the undies comfortable?”
Chen Zhiyan looked over with indifferent eyes. As Jiang Yu met his gaze, the sensation from the previous night suddenly resurfaced on his lips. He cursed under his breath, then sneered, “I picked those colors out very carefully. Do you like them?”
The only answer he received was a face full of exhaust as the car drove off.
Peking University
Jiang Yu slept through the first class. When it was time for Physical Education, he headed to the playground with a badminton racket and Li Heng. After faking a few hits, he handed his spot to Xu Zile and slipped away to the locker room to play on his phone.
Lin Jingyao: “Bro, going to the bar tonight?” J: “Not going.” Lin Jingyao: “Fang Li is back. She said she wants to see you.” J: “Am I the kind of person she can see just because she wants to?”
Jiang Yu looked at the screen with disdain.
Lin Jingyao: “She is your ex-girlfriend, after all.” J: “I did not deny it, but I did not agree to it either. Stop spreading rumors.” Lin Jingyao: “Bro, you are such a jerk.” J: “Thanks.” Lin Jingyao: “She is crying next to me right now. She insists on seeing you. She says she is pregnant.” J: “Heh, my reach is pretty long then, is it not? Tell her to get lost. First, she tried to seduce that idiot Chen Zhiyan and drugged him, and now she wants me to take over the mess? Do I look like a nice guy to you?” Lin Jingyao: “Understood. I will make her leave right now.” J: “What time tonight?” Lin Jingyao: “Nine o’clock at the ‘First Encounter’ Bar. Are you coming?”
Jiang Yu did not reply. He was still nursing his grudge from last night and wanted to trip Chen Zhiyan up. Before long, he slipped back to the classroom and dropped ants into Chen Zhiyan’s cup, then sat nearby scrolling through videos with a smug grin.
When the bell rang, everyone returned to the classroom. Out of the corner of his eye, Jiang Yu watched Chen Zhiyan. As the other man picked up the cup, Jiang Yu’s lips curled up uncontrollably. A moment later, he saw Chen Zhiyan pause as he opened it, then toss it into the trash. Jiang Yu’s smile instantly vanished.
Next, he watched as Chen Zhiyan’s hand bumped against the desk. Before Jiang Yu could even start laughing, a sharp pain shot through the back of his own hand.
Jiang Yu?
An illusion. It must be an illusion. But why did it feel so real? Who turned on his pain sharing?