When Xu Qing finished his shower and came out, he found Pei Shiyu sitting alone in the training room, playing a game.
Xu Qing walked inside. Looking at Pei Shiyu, who had just finished a round and was about to start the next one, Xu Qing covered the screen with his palm just a second before Pei Shiyu could press the start button.
Pei Shiyu looked up. For the first time, a trace of astonishment appeared on his face as he watched Xu Qing naturally reach over and confiscate his phone. No one had ever dared to take Pei Shiyu’s phone away while he was gaming. Not only did Xu Qing dare to do it, but he also pulled the headphones off Pei Shiyu’s ears, just to make sure he could hear what he was about to say.
Xu Qing glanced at the time on the wall: “It is already 4:00 AM. Are you planning to pull an all-nighter?”
Pei Shiyu leaned back, sinking into his gaming chair. He still carried a faint scent of cigarette smoke, and he narrowed his long, slanting eyes at Xu Qing. He did not say a word, but Xu Qing could read the answer clearly from his expression: “So what if I am?”
“You do not pull an all-nighter every single day, do you?” Xu Qing paused, leaning in closer, “Is it because you have to sleep in the same room with me tonight?”
Pei Shiyu remained silent.
Xu Qing frowned, appearing genuinely troubled: “If I had known you were such a clean freak, I should have just gone home. I will go downstairs. Boss Cai’s shop has a simple bed, and I can sleep there.”
Xu Qing turned to leave, but his arm was caught the next second.
He turned his head, tilting it to look at Pei Shiyu, who had stood up to block his path. His freshly dried, short curly hair looked like roasted little chestnuts, perhaps even fluffier than the kitten’s fur.
Pei Shiyu frowned, feeling a sense of self-doubt: “What did I even say just now?”
Had it not been Xu Qing who entered the room without greeting, snatched his phone without asking, and then rambled on about nonsense? Yet, somehow, it felt like he was the one bullying Xu Qing.
Xu Qing opened his mouth: “I was just worried about disturbing your rest.”
At this moment, Xu Qing bowed his head slightly, appearing guilty. Still damp from his shower, his posture revealed a slender neck that looked blindingly white.
Pei Shiyu’s brow furrowed even tighter: “Did I say you were disturbing me?”
Seeing Xu Qing still looking dejected, Pei Shiyu made a rare move and offered a long explanation. “I play games every night, not just tonight. I was going to head to bed after this game anyway.” After a moment, he added, “You are not a bother.”
“I see.” Xu Qing lifted his head. A flash of cunning crossed his amber pupils; there was no trace of grievance or dejection left.
He smiled, revealing a row of small white teeth: “Then let us go back to the room and sleep together.”
Pei Shiyu lay in his bed, watching Xu Qing, who was curled up on his side with his back turned, showing only a round head. He still had not fully grasped the situation: how had he become so easygoing as to listen to Xu Qing and come to bed?
This was the first time in his life he had shared a bed with another man. Even though it was his own bed and his own quilt, he felt uncomfortable no matter how he lay.
Xu Qing’s long, steady breathing reached him from against the pillow. The sound was not loud, but because the room was near-silent in the early morning, even the humming of the kitchen fan downstairs was inaudible. His bed was certainly large enough, easily two meters wide, but because both were men and he was used to sleeping alone, he felt Xu Qing had an incredibly strong presence despite his peaceful sleeping posture.
“Are you not going to sleep yet?” Xu Qing did not turn around, as if he could sense Pei Shiyu watching him.
Pei Shiyu did not speak. A light rustling sound of fabric rubbing against the quilt followed.
Just as Xu Qing was about to turn over, Pei Shiyu extended his index finger and pressed it against his shoulder, answering: “Going to sleep now.”
The pressure of Pei Shiyu’s fingertip on his back was not heavy, but it was impossible to ignore. Xu Qing did not turn around, but for some reason, the image of Pei Shiyu’s hands while gaming appeared in his mind: knuckly, dry, and clean.
Xu Qing curled his lips slightly and yawned sleepily: “Well then, goodnight?”
Half a second later, Pei Shiyu replied in an awkward tone: “Goodnight.” He then turned on his side, back-to-back with Xu Qing, leaving enough space between them to fit the entire kitten family.
“I should find a housekeeper to tidy up the other rooms tomorrow,” Pei Shiyu thought, his eyelids growing heavy before drifting off.
In his dream, Pei Shiyu felt like he was being pressed down by a sheet-metal pot used for roasting chestnuts. His chest felt heavy and hot, and the pot kept shifting back and forth over his chest.
Drowsy and exhausted, he wanted to push the iron pot away. He raised his hand in his consciousness, but that was just wishful thinking. His heavy eyelids remained shut for a long time.
His mind woke up a few seconds before his body. It dawned on him that someone had slept with him last night.
“The charcoal-roasted black chestnut pot! If there is something heavy on my chest right now, do not tell me…”
Pei Shiyu’s eyes flew open. He saw Xu Qing sitting on the bed, reaching a hand toward him. Because Pei Shiyu had opened his eyes so suddenly, they stared at each other in surprise.
Pei Shiyu’s body reacted faster than his brain, grabbing Xu Qing’s wrist. Both spoke at the same time:
“What are you doing?”
“Did I wake you up?”
Xu Qing’s hand pushed forward again, but Pei Shiyu’s palm remained clamped around his wrist.
Xu Qing wiggled his hand, pointing his fingertip at Pei Shiyu’s chest: “Xiao Hei.”
Following Xu Qing’s finger, Pei Shiyu saw one of Xiao Hei’s siblings—a little tabby kitten—lying on his chest. It turned out it was the iron pot from his dream.
Pei Shiyu released Xu Qing’s wrist. The slender white hand, now freed, reached forward and deftly picked up the tabby kitten, stroking it comfortingly.
Xu Qing explained to Pei Shiyu: “They were crying this morning, so I opened the door. Who knew this little guy would use your chest as a trampoline?” His tone was filled with suppressed laughter; Pei Shiyu suspected Xu Qing had been watching the kitten’s mischief from the side for quite a while.
Pei Shiyu noticed that Xu Qing occasionally pulled these little pranks. He could not say he hated them, and it was not exactly offensive, but he was not used to it. He withdrew his gaze and noticed the rest of the kitten family gathered around the bed. Usually, he left the door ajar, but Xu Qing must have closed it last night, so they were clamoring to get in this morning.
Having only fallen asleep at dawn, Pei Shiyu checked his phone; only two and a half hours had passed. After settling the tabby kitten, he sank back into the quilt. His eyelids still felt heavy, and he was not in the mood to deal with anything else; he just wanted to keep sleeping.
What kind of e-sports player has a morning schedule? He had gone to sleep at the crack of dawn.
Though his eyes were closed, the sounds in the room became extra sharp. There were soft rustling sounds. Pei Shiyu engaged in a mental battle with himself for a while. Finally, he opened one eye and saw Xu Qing changing his clothes with his back turned to him. A glimpse of his waist flickered before him; it was incredibly white, and his mind seemed to blank out for a moment.