When Jiang Chen wasn’t sleepy, he could be quite lively. He hopped down the steps and stopped right in front of Gu Xin, pulling out the single wrapped rose. “Xin-bao, do you want to start dating someone?”
Gu Xin’s hand on his bike handlebar trembled slightly. “…What?”
Even the freezing wind couldn’t stop the sudden rush of heat flushing his face. What does Chenchen mean by this?
Jiang Chen didn’t have any hidden agenda. He just remembered how much Gu Xin had taken care of him over the past few days while his hand was hurt. Since the shop owner had thrown in a free rose, he simply wanted to surprise his friend. He stuffed the rose into Gu Xin’s hand and looked him up and down, thinking Gu Xin looked rather handsome holding a flower in his school uniform.
Jiang Chen evaluated him. “The rose actually suits you quite well.”
But then he imagined Gu Xin holding flowers to give to some girl, and a wave of discontent washed over him. He instantly lost interest in the dating topic.
If Gu Xin started dating, his commute times would belong to a girlfriend. Jiang Chen would have to bike to school and head home all by himself. If Gu Xin got a girlfriend, they would eat lunch together at school, leaving Jiang Chen to eat alone or with Wei Meng. Eating with Wei Meng was fine, but it felt like regressing to middle school. If Gu Xin got a girlfriend, he would explain study problems to her and stop nagging Jiang Chen to memorize texts and vocabulary, meaning Jiang Chen would have to track his own daily homework.
He swiftly came to a conclusion: Gu Xin staying single was the best possible outcome for him. It had taken so much effort to end up at the same high school; without Gu Xin, life would be miserable!
Meanwhile, Gu Xin’s brain was still buzzing, his mind entirely consumed by Jiang Chen’s sudden question. “What?”
Jiang Chen placed his grandmother’s bouquet into his bike basket. “Let’s go.”
Gu Xin finally realized Jiang Chen had just asked entirely on a whim. Biking behind him, he called out, “Do you want to date?”
Jiang Chen’s response drifted back through the wind. “No way, dating sounds so boring! Xin-bao, you aren’t allowed to date early either. You’re supposed to get into Tsinghua or Peking University!”
Gu Xin tucked the vibrant rose into the side pocket of his backpack and pedaled faster to catch up. “Chenchen, don’t just go giving roses to other people in the future.”
“I gave it to you, didn’t I? Not other people.”
They parted ways at the elevator, and Jiang Chen carried the flowers inside. The moment he stepped through the door, he saw a stylish old lady with sleek black hair sitting in the living room, deep in a discussion with Jiang Zheng about lipstick shades.
Catching sight of Jiang Chen, she immediately gestured for him to come over. “Xiao Chen is back! Come let Grandma see if you’ve grown taller.”
“Of course I have. I’m almost 1.8 meters now.” Jiang Chen handed her the flowers. “Grandma, these are for you.”
This was Jiang Chen’s maternal grandmother, Ms. Pang a trendy, high-fashion old lady who fiercely possessed her own mind. She beamed with joy. “Our Xiao Chen is always the one who thinks of his grandmother. These roses look incredibly fresh. I’ll go put them in water right away.”
At this point, no one dared accuse Jiang Chen of wasting money, given how ecstatic he had made the family matriarch. Jiang Chen’s mother let out a quiet sigh of relief; the old lady had been nagging her since she arrived in the afternoon. Having Xiao Chen around was truly a blessing!
When Jiang Chen wanted to be sweet, his words could melt anyone. “Roses match your style and elegance perfectly, Grandma. They look great with your little hat today.”
Grandma giggled, covering her mouth. “Xiao Chen has excellent taste, just like his grandma!”
Jiang Zheng quickly chimed in, eager to please. “I’ll go find a vase for Grandma!” If Grandma stayed happy, she might just buy her a couple of lipsticks later.
Considering their limited space at home, Jiang Chen began figuring out the sleeping arrangements for the night. He went to the kitchen to find his mom. “Is Grandma sleeping in my room tonight? I’ll head down to Gu Xin’s place to do homework and crash there for the night.”
It really was a space issue. Whenever Ms. Pang visited, she slept with Jiang Chen’s mom, forcing Jiang Chen’s dad to sleep on the sofa. It wasn’t quite right for him to share a room with any of the kids.
Mom hesitated. “Won’t that trouble Xiao Xin again?”
Jiang Chen: “It’s fine, I have to go down to try on the performance suit tonight anyway.”
Mom: “I made some dumplings tonight. Take a container down with you so you two can have them for breakfast tomorrow. Are his parents out of town on business again?”
Jiang Chen wasn’t entirely sure. “I think so.”
The Jiang family and Grandma enjoyed a boisterous dinner. Jiang Chen’s dad got tipsy, repeatedly insisting, “I’m not drunk!” Jiang Xin, thoroughly exhausted by exam prep, tried to sneak a drink but was firmly shut down by Mom. Grandma took advantage of the distraction to sneak a few sips with Jiang Xin anyway. Jiang Zheng was still hard at work acting cute to beg Grandma for lipsticks. Checking the time, Jiang Chen decided it was time to head down to Gu Xin’s place.
He packed his backpack, but after a frantic search around the house, he couldn’t find his school uniform pants. He texted Gu Xin.
Jiang Chen: Are my uniform pants at your place?
Gu Xin: You left them here after showering last time. I washed them, they’re in my room.
Jiang Chen: Grandma is taking my room tonight, so I’m crashing at your place.
Gu Xin: Cool, come on down.
Gu Xin was completely unfazed. If a day went by where Jiang Chen didn’t come looking for him, he would actually find it strange. In the four years since sixth grade, even though he had plenty of other friends to talk to, he had never quite adjusted to Jiang Chen not being around.
When Jiang Chen slipped out, his tipsy grandmother was currently patting Jiang Xin on the shoulder, telling her to relax about the college entrance exams. In this life, the most important thing is to be happy. Your own happiness comes first! Jiang Chen sighed with an affectionate smile and closed the door, leaving the lively chaos behind.
Gu Xin was currently in the shower. He had texted Jiang Chen the updated passcode to their front door lock, mentioning that his parents wouldn’t be home tonight. No parents meant complete freedom to roam around the Gu household at least Jiang Chen didn’t have to worry about anyone walking in on him while he sprawled out on the living room sofa. Though, truth be told, Jiang Chen much preferred the massive, comfortable bed in Gu Xin’s room.
He stowed the dumplings in the fridge and carried his backpack into the bedroom. Lifting his eyes, he saw a black tuxedo, crisp white shirt, and a matching bow tie laid out neatly on the bed. Gu Xin must have set them out for him to try on. It was hard to believe Gu Xin’s mother bought custom formal wear every single year just for one or two school stage appearances.
Even though Jiang Chen had never worn one before, he knew the basic mechanics. He shed his jacket and began slipping into the clothes. First the shirt, then the jacket.
“Why did Xin bao give me such a loose shirt? It literally covers my butt,” he muttered to himself. “Well, I guess it gets tucked into the trousers anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.”
The bathroom door clicked open. Gu Xin stepped out shirtless, a few stray water droplets clinging to his hair before tracing paths down his shoulders and chest. Seeing Jiang Chen, his first instinct was to reach for a shirt, but his gaze quickly locked onto the formal wear Jiang Chen was sporting. The sight resembled a child secretly trying on his father’s oversized shoes a bit comical.
Jiang Chen shook his arms, letting the loose cuffs flop around. “Xin-bao, the sizing on this is way off. It doesn’t fit me at all. If I wear this on stage, people are going to laugh themselves to death.”
Gu Xin pulled on a pajama shirt, chuckling. “That’s because that one is mine. My mom had it delivered today and left it on the bed for me to try. Yours is hanging right over there.” He reached into the wardrobe and pulled out an identical black tuxedo, though it was visibly a size smaller.
“You should’ve said so earlier.” Jiang Chen immediately began peeling off the oversized layers, stripping down completely until he was in nothing but his boxers.
Gu Xin watched him shed the clothes with a speed that far outmatched his own pajama-wearing pace. He handed over the correct tuxedo, his gaze shifting away slightly. “Hurry up and try it on so you can shower. Don’t catch a cold.”
Jiang Chen slipped into the correct set, and this time, the fit was immaculate. He stood before the full-length mirror, admiring his reflection. “Wow, I look incredibly sharp. I’m definitely going to steal your spotlight on performance day.”
Gu Xin smirked. “Keep dreaming. You’ll be sitting down while I’ll be standing up hosting. The spotlight is all mine; you can’t steal it.”
Jiang Chen ran a hand over the silky fabric. “Where’s the childhood brotherhood? Let me shine just this once, what’s the harm?”
Gu Xin decided to deploy a deterrent. “Sure, I can give it to you. But when a swarm of Omegas floods you asking for your WeChat, are you going to give it to them or not?”
“Of course I will, why wouldn’t I?” Jiang Chen suddenly bounded over to Gu Xin. “Hey, I want to experience the bliss of being pampered by Omegas too.”
Gu Xin raised the stakes. “They’ll text you every single day asking if you want milk tea, if you want water, and how to solve their homework problems. The more aggressive ones will corner you at our classroom door, finding every possible excuse to make physical contact. Would you like that?”
Jiang Chen envisioned the scenario. He was inherently lazy; managing that many people sounded utterly exhausting. He immediately backed down. “On second thought, never mind. You can keep those perks; you have more experience anyway.” Curiosity piqued, he added, “Wait a minute, Xin bao. Over all these years, so many Omegas have asked for your WeChat. Do you actually add every single one of them? Do you reply to every single message?”
Gu Xin hadn’t expected to dig a hole for himself. “I don’t just add anyone. I don’t have that problem because I reject them all.”
Jiang Chen recalled the Class 9 beauty who shared their advanced math class. “Even the Class 9 school beauty? You didn’t add her either?”
Gu Xin held his phone out right in front of him. “I didn’t. See for yourself.”
“Why would I look through your phone?” Jiang Chen changed out of the suit and headed to the bathroom, suddenly feeling a bizarre sensation almost like a mother checking a father’s phone. How creepy.
Gu Xin caught sight of a faint red mark on Jiang Chen’s pale back a small scar left over from his recent injury that hadn’t fully faded yet. Below that was an incredibly slender waist. Gu Xin mentally measured it with his hands; it seemed even thinner than those of the Omegas who constantly went on diets. Where did all the meat go when Jiang Chen ate so much every day?
After showering, Jiang Chen completely forgot about the formal wear. He dove straight onto Gu Xin’s bed and rolled around. “So comfortable. I’m going to sleep.”
Gu Xin easily hauled him up from the mattress. “You haven’t done your homework yet.”
Jiang Chen had zero desire to do homework. He planted his hands firmly on Gu Xin’s shoulders, tackling him onto the bed and burying his face against Gu Xin’s chest. “You’re so annoying, Class Monitor. Let me sleep.”
Suddenly pinned to the bed, Gu Xin stared up at the ceiling with a head resting right under his chin. His mind blanked for a second. His senses were entirely filled with the faint, pleasant scent radiating from Jiang Chen it seemed a fraction more potent than before. It took an immense amount of willpower to keep insisting on the homework, battling the chaotic swirl in his head.
Gu Xin’s voice turned slightly raspy. “No. Homework first.”
Jiang Chen wrapped both his arms and legs securely around him, clinging like a koala so Gu Xin couldn’t move. “Not doing it. I’m exhausted.”
But Gu Xin was an Alpha, after all. Using absolute self-control, he peeled the stubborn, clinging boy off his body. “Stop slacking. Get up and write. It’ll only take an hour.”
Jiang Chen slumped back onto the bed, staring up at the now-sitting Gu Xin. “Why are your ears so red?”
Gu Xin covered casually, “I probably just squished them. I’m going to the restroom. The homework is chemistry, math, and physics I’ve circled the pages for you.” With that, he quickly slipped into the bathroom.
Jiang Chen crawled out of bed and slipped into his slippers, teasing loudly, “Are your kidneys failing or something? You’re always running to the restroom.”
Gu Xin’s defensive shout echoed from inside: “Stop talking nonsense!”
When he didn’t hear Jiang Chen reply for a while, Gu Xin assumed he had finally settled down to study. But when he stepped out, he found Jiang Chen already fast asleep, slumped over the desk.
He walked over, gently cupping Jiang Chen’s chin with his palm, and whispered, “Chenchen? You can’t sleep yet. Homework.”
Jiang Chen was completely dead to the world, offering absolutely no response.
How can someone be this deep of a sleeper?