Chen Qingtang curled his lips: “Hmm? Do not what?”
Shen He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and finally said that sentence: “Do not look at other men.”
It was a double entendre. Usually at school, Chen Qingtang always wore a mask, combined with his distant temperament that made people stay away, so few people would hit on him. Thus, Shen He had not noticed that Chen Qingtang was popular. But since coming camping, after removing the mask, one person after another surged toward Chen Qingtang.
There were so many.
So many that it made Shen He angry. Did they only see Chen Qingtang’s stunning appearance? Those people did not deserve to get close to Chen Qingtang. Nor did they deserve to share even a tiny bit of Chen Qingtang’s attention.
Chen Qingtang was satisfied. He reached out and felt his way to half-hugging Shen He’s neck, squeezing Shen He’s nape rewardingly: “Why, Shen He? Why do you not want me to look at others?”
Shen He opened his mouth, but no sound came out; then he suddenly realized.
Right, what right did he have?
He had no right to demand anything of Chen Qingtang.
Chen Qingtang felt that the baiting had gone far enough. The rest had to be left for Shen He to think about and understand thoroughly himself. So, Chen Qingtang brought the topic to a close: “Alright, then I will not date for now.”
Shen He felt a stone in his heart fall lightly to the ground.
At this moment, the crowd began to urge: “Is it not finished yet? How long has it been?”
So Chen Qingtang lowered his head to continue the game. Shen He was tense all over. Since just now, he had felt something, through the fabric of his shirt, poking against his neck. The strength was sometimes light, sometimes heavy, like an irregular drumbeat, every strike making one’s heart unsettled, hooking the heartbeat into increasing restlessness.
Chen Qingtang pulled back a little and sighed softly: “This is so hard; my tongue is getting sore.”
Shen He’s pupils slowly dilated, his ears ringing for a moment. So, Chen Qingtang was using his tongue…
That thing poking against his neck and Adam’s apple was Chen Qingtang’s tongue. He felt as if he could hear a massive roar; all the rationality he had been struggling to maintain collapsed in that instant. As soon as Shen He thought of that image, his entire body’s blood boiled; his ears and face flushed red. He stood frozen, not daring to move. His eyes were veiled by roaring desire, like a sudden, rushing tsunami, yet he was desperately suppressing it.
At that moment, someone sighed: “Damn it, that is so hot. If I could date someone like that in this lifetime, I would die ten years early for it.”
Shen He suddenly snapped back to reality and realized that everyone was watching them. Especially looking at Chen Qingtang. There were appreciative gazes, admiring gazes, and lewd, lascivious gazes. Shen He’s expression turned grim instantly. He snatched his jacket from the side and wrapped Chen Qingtang entirely within it. He wrapped him in his arms, tight and secure, so no one could see anything.
The crowd was dissatisfied: “Tsk, foul play!”
“What is the meaning of this! We cannot see anything now; what if he cheats?”
Everyone looked at Chu Xi, hoping he would serve justice. Chu Xi coughed: “Well, let it be. You have all had your fill; the game is just a formality, right? The result is not important.”
This bastard is quite possessive. He does not even let people look.
The crowd began to complain about Shen He. Shen He remained expressionless, glaring at them with a cold, grim reaper’s face, his eyes full of heavy warning. Like a wolf declaring its territory. So, the voices of the crowd gradually faded.
At this time, Chen Qingtang spoke: “I am finished; can I take off the blindfold now?”
Chu Xi: “Yes, you can!”
Chen Qingtang did not move, instead looking up at Shen He: “Help me take it off.”
Shen He lowered his head, seeing Chen Qingtang blindfolded by the black lace strip, head held up in complete trust waiting for him, like a kitten waiting for its owner’s affection.
Snap. Something broke free from its restraints. Shen He reached out as if possessed, touching Chen Qingtang’s face, his thumb rubbing the corner of his eye with a bit of force. In his gaze, something terrifying was surging, layer upon layer, wrapped in heavy mist.
Chen Qingtang felt the force on his face and tilted his head, seemingly expressing his confusion. The next moment, his blindfold was removed. Chen Qingtang blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the light. The Shen He in front of him was the same as usual—his expression as cool as moonlight, emotionless, except for his flushed ears and face.
Chen Qingtang curled his lips. So innocent; I only turned up the intensity a little, and his face flushed like that. How are you going to endure what is coming, Shen He? More importantly, the scale of what they had just done had exceeded that of normal friends, yet Shen He showed no sign of disgust. Truly intriguing.
Chen Qingtang thought to himself: It is time to move to the next stage. You better hold on, Shen He.
The game ended after a few more rounds. Everyone started doing their own thing—singing, flirting, or playing games. Chen Qingtang straightened his clothes and said to Shen He: “Do you want to go to the river to catch some breeze?”
Shen He hummed. The two stood up and left the group. After walking a few steps, a breeze blew, and Chen Qingtang shivered. The night wind in May was still a bit cool.
Chen Qingtang: “You go ahead, pick a spot with a nice view and wait for me; I am going back to get a blanket.”
Shen He nodded. He walked to the lakeside, compared spots very seriously, and finally chose a place with a large rock. Here, he could see the lake surface reflecting the moon in the sky.
His phone rang. Shen He clicked it open and saw a number he knew by heart, but he was not in a hurry to answer, just watching it. The harsh ringing noise went on for a long while before it finally disconnected itself. Just as Shen He was about to put the phone back in his pocket, it rang again. His hand slowly gripped the phone tightly, and he finally answered.
There was silence for five full seconds on the other end before Shen Father spoke: “May Day holiday has started, right?” A deep, calm male voice, yet imbued with invisible pressure.
Shen He: “Yeah.”
After another few seconds of silence, Shen Father asked: “Why did you not come home for the holiday?”
The calm question was as heavy as a mountain. Shen He replied coldly: “Went out to play with classmates.”
Shen Father: “Come home. Your mother and I are waiting for you.” He issued the ultimatum, leaving no room for refusal.
Shen He: “It is 11 PM; there are no cars running now.”
Shen Father: “Drive back.”
Shen He: “It is a three-hour drive.”
Shen Father: “Hmm. Then drive for three hours. I want to see you at home tomorrow morning.”
Shen He took a soft breath: “Is there anything that must be solved by me returning?”
Shen Father seemed to be smoking; he let out a long sigh: “While you are on holiday, your mother and I are taking you to a few dinners.”
Shen He: “Then I will not come back.”
After being refused, Shen Father did not show the irritation most parents would, merely stating calmly: “Come home. I will say this one last time.”
Shen He remained silent. This time, there was a full ten seconds of silence between them before Shen Father finally said: “Good.”
The call hung up, and the screen automatically switched back to the call history page. Shen He snapped his knuckles, quickly deleted Shen Father’s call history, and finally felt he could catch his breath.
Turning his head, he saw Chen Qingtang standing beside him. Shen He’s expression shifted, then quickly returned to calm: “When did you get here?”
Chen Qingtang sat down beside him: “I arrived just as you answered the phone.”
Shen He did not speak, just sat there watching the lake surface. Chen Qingtang did not know much about Shen He’s family. In his past life, he only saw Shen He’s parents a few times during their wedding and every Chinese New Year. Shen He’s father was a man as silent and cold-tempered as Shen He himself. But whether it was because he was an old hand in the business world and had been in a high position for too long, Shen Father exuded a stronger sense of pressure than Shen He. In front of that man, Chen Qingtang would also become cautious and reticent, as if speaking two extra words would be committing a capital offense. And Shen He did not take pride in his family either.
The lake shimmered under the moonlight, as if hiding fairytale treasures at the bottom. Chen Qingtang peeked at Shen He; he still wore that expressionless look. At this moment, Shen He’s phone lit up. Chen Qingtang accidentally caught a glimpse—it was a WeChat message from Shen Father.
Shen Father: I am stopping your bank card for now.
Shen He merely looked at it and hit the lock screen button. Seeing his grim complexion, Chen Qingtang nudged him with his shoulder: “Talk to me.”
Shen He was quiet for a moment: “You go play with them; I will stay here for a while.”
Chen Qingtang refused: “I love playing with you.”
Shen He lowered his eyes: “You will not be happy staying with me now.”
Chen Qingtang was perfectly candid: “People living in this world, how can they only be happy? Ah, when you make me happy, I cling to you, stick to you; when you cannot make me happy, I kick you away?”
“If that were the case, I might as well just hold a book of jokes and be happy all day long.”
Shen He finally looked up at him, his expression softening somewhat. Chen Qingtang knew well that someone as proud as Shen He would find it embarrassing to have their family affairs witnessed, so he smiled lightly: “Let us chat. I accidentally saw your privacy, so I will tell you a bit of mine as an exchange.”
Shen He sat there watching him, nodding slowly. Chen Qingtang draped the blanket over his shoulders, pulled half over Shen He, and once they were both covered, he said:
“I used to be a dog for someone; I pined for them for years.”
Opening with his own scars. Chen Qingtang did it on purpose. Exposing one’s own vulnerability and scars to the other party at the right time could rapidly accelerate changes in their relationship. And it was a qualitative change. Especially when the other party was also in a low mood, it could have double the effect.
Shen He’s expression was slightly surprised. He could not imagine a free-spirited person like Chen Qingtang getting trapped by love. Chen Qingtang looked into the distance, his voice slow: “At first I had a secret crush on him, then for some reason, we got together and dated for a few years.”
He intentionally blurred the timeline, as he was now just a college student under twenty. If he had revealed the actual duration, it would mean he had been pining since elementary school and started dating in middle school. Terrifying.
Shen He: “Was he not good to you during those years?”
Chen Qingtang thought for a moment: “I do not know. Let us put it this way: he was a qualified lover; he fulfilled every duty a lover should, perfectly.”
“I said it was raining, and he would bring me an umbrella; I said I wanted milk tea, he would go out of his way to get it; he gave me gifts for every holiday; he took time off work to care for me when I was sick…”
Chen Qingtang started laughing as he recounted it. Shen He saw such a gentle look on his face for the first time, yet his heart felt sour: “That… sounds okay.”
Chen Qingtang took a deep breath: “Maybe. But he was just fulfilling his duties as a partner like a textbook. My feelings were never reciprocated.”
“If I did not say it was raining, he would not bring an umbrella; if I did not say I wanted someone to take care of me when I was sick, he would not take time off; if I missed him on holiday, if I did not say I wanted to see him, he would only tell me to rest well…”
There were too many instances. Chen Qingtang stared at Shen He: “The sugar you have to beg for is not sweet, do you understand?”
Shen He’s heart trembled, and he suddenly could not meet his eyes: “Yeah.”
That feeling of trying so hard to get a response and failing, that sense of powerlessness—Chen Qingtang still remembered it vividly. If he had not been awakened after his car accident in his past life, realizing that Shen He just did not know how to love and was ridiculously dense in emotional matters, Chen Qingtang would really have thought the man was abusing him with cold violence. So in this lifetime, Chen Qingtang changed his strategy—he used hooking.