The next day.
“No way, Teacher Bai still didn’t confess to you?” Yang Jiayang’s face was filled with shock.
Su Yi’an curled up on the sofa and nodded weakly, looking dispirited.
“You two went to Peach Blossom Lake and just… walked around?”
Su Yi’an sighed helplessly. “We circled the entire lake twice. My feet hurt from all the walking and he didn’t say a single word.”
“Ah… well…” Yang Jiayang didn’t know what to say. In the end, he could only sigh. “There’s a reason Teacher Bai has been single for thirty years.”
“And you? Did you clear things up with Xie Chengye?”
The moment the topic shifted to himself, Yang Jiayang grew shy. He rubbed the tip of his nose. “You could say we talked it out… sort of.”
“What do you mean ‘sort of’?”
“It means we’re not officially together yet. We’ve been friends for years, so suddenly changing the nature of our relationship feels a bit strange.”
Su Yi’an nodded. “He’s probably afraid you might regret it, so he wants to give you more time to think things through.”
“That’s what I think too.”
As they chatted, the doorbell rang.
Su Yi’an asked, “Did you send me a package?”
“I sent some new products but I only shipped them not long ago. They couldn’t have arrived this fast.”
“Then who could it be?” Su Yi’an wondered.
“Could it be Teacher Bai?”
Su Yi’an slipped into his slippers and headed toward the entrance. “No way. He went out early this morning.”
Yet the moment he opened the door, he saw Bai Yunchi standing outside.
He froze for a second. “Teacher Bai? Didn’t you go out?”
“I went to pick something up.” Bai Yunchi pulled out two concert tickets. “BK is holding a concert in the neighboring city. Want to go together?”
BK?
Su Yi’an blinked in surprise, never expecting someone as calm and composed as Teacher Bai to like rock music.
After the initial shock faded, he realized this was also a chance to spend time alone with Bai Yunchi. He nodded and agreed.
The concert started at seven in the evening. After agreeing to leave at five, Bai Yunchi returned home.
Back in the living room, Yang Jiayang craned his neck, envy written all over his face. “It’s BK! My favorite rock band! I tried all day yesterday to get tickets and still couldn’t buy any!”
Su Yi’an didn’t particularly like rock music. His interest wasn’t in the concert itself but in the person accompanying him. With a small smile, he carefully put the tickets away, the gloom on his face completely gone.
At four in the afternoon, Bai Yunchi knocked on Su Yi’an’s door again.
The two ate dinner outside before driving straight to the neighboring city.
BK had a huge fanbase. Many fans carried glow sticks and dressed in coordinated outfits. Among them, Su Yi’an in sportswear and Bai Yunchi in a formal suit stood out awkwardly, drawing quite a few curious glances.
Noticing the surrounding gazes, Su Yi’an shifted closer to Bai Yunchi.
He whispered, “Teacher Bai, why did you wear a suit to your idol’s concert?”
But Bai Yunchi replied, “Isn’t BK your favorite?”
Su Yi’an looked confused. “No, I don’t like rock music. Don’t tell me you don’t like it either?”
Bai Yunchi didn’t answer directly. Instead, he looked at Su Yi’an with a faint smile in his eyes. “I saw a BK poster hanging in your entryway. I thought you liked rock.”
“That was a gift from Yang Jiayang. He loves BK. When I moved, he gave me a signed poster and insisted I hang it in the most noticeable spot.”
After finishing his explanation, a thought suddenly crossed Su Yi’an’s mind.
Teacher Bai didn’t even like rock music. He must have seen the BK poster hanging in his house, assumed Su Yi’an was a fan and deliberately brought him here for the concert.
Seeing him lost in thought, Bai Yunchi assumed he disliked the noisy crowd and said, “The concert hasn’t started yet. Do you want to step outside?”
Su Yi’an shook his head. Their seats weren’t bad at all. He lifted his gaze toward the stage and, upon spotting the band’s lead singer walking up with a guitar slung over his shoulder, he excitedly grabbed Bai Yunchi’s arm.
“It’s a celebrity! This is the first time I’ve seen a real celebrity!”
Bai Yunchi nodded, his eyes soft as he watched the boy beside him.
Once the music began, the pounding drums and roaring guitars made their ears buzz.
Bai Yunchi wasn’t used to such an environment. His brows unconsciously knitted together but when he turned and saw the boy waving a glow stick with sparkling excitement, the noise suddenly didn’t feel so unbearable anymore.
Two hours later, Su Yi’an walked out of the stadium with Bai Yunchi, his voice slightly hoarse.
“No wonder Jiayang loves live shows. Even if I don’t understand the music, it’s really exhilarating. Once the music starts, you can’t help but move along with the rhythm.”
Excitement had left a faint blush on his cheeks. His lips curled upward as he spoke, his eyes shimmering with bright delight.
Someone hurried past on the roadside. Bai Yunchi naturally reached out, catching the boy’s wrist and pulling him closer.
“Careful.”
Just a second ago Su Yi’an had been chatting nonstop but now he fell silent.
The tips of his ears flushed red as he lowered his head, noticing their joined hands. His heartbeat suddenly quickened.
“The amusement park is still open. Want to go play for a bit?” Bai Yunchi asked.
Not heading home?
Su Yi’an sneaked a glance at the man and, seeing no sign that he intended to leave, felt his heart race even faster.
Pretending indifference while his chest thundered, he nodded. “Sure. I haven’t been to an amusement park in a long time.”
Because of the concert, the amusement park, which usually closed at seven, had extended its hours to eleven this week. However, most of the high risk rides were shut down, leaving only a few attractions still operating.
From among the remaining options, Su Yi’an picked a haunted house said to be great for bringing couples closer. There wasn’t much of a line. After buying tickets, the two were led into the waiting area while staff reset the mechanisms inside.
The interior of the haunted house couldn’t be seen but the exterior design was strikingly eerie. A warning sign at the entrance clearly stated that children under fourteen were not allowed inside. There was no need to guess, it was bound to be terrifying.
For Su Yi’an, who already had a tendency toward fearfulness, the horror level instantly skyrocketed.
He took a small step forward, his arm brushing close against Bai Yunchi’s and swallowed nervously before asking, “Teacher Bai, are you scared?”
Bai Yunchi didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked at him with a trace of concern and asked, “Are you going to be alright?”
Summoning his courage, Su Yi’an said, “It’s fine. Anyway, it’s pitch black inside. Even people without night blindness won’t be able to see anything.”
That was true. Earlier, the two of them had even asked the staff about it and they’d been told that players with night blindness would actually find the experience more immersive.
While they waited, another couple arrived, two boys who looked quite fearless, along with three girls walking hand in hand. One of the girls, clearly timid, had barely stepped into the waiting area when she let out a startled scream at the sight of a headless ghost propped against the wall.
Su Yi’an hadn’t been all that frightened before but that sudden shriek made his nerves tighten.
Among the trio, the long haired girl was nudged forward by her companions. She glanced at Su Yi’an and Bai Yunchi, then asked hesitantly, “It’s our first time playing. Can we follow behind you?”
Although the question was directed at both of them, her gaze kept drifting toward Bai Yunchi. Alarm bells immediately rang in Su Yi’an’s mind. He straightened up and turned his head to watch Teacher Bai’s reaction.
Mindful of the girl’s feelings, Bai Yunchi didn’t refuse outright. Instead, he said, “The kid with me has night blindness. I might not be able to look after you when the time comes.”
“Alright then.”
The girl returned to her friends, disappointment evident on her face.
Su Yi’an looked at Bai Yunchi, the corners of his lips lifting unconsciously into a quiet smile.
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator sacrificed sleep for this chapter. A coffee offering seems reasonable.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · New neighborsChapter 2 · Let’s just wash it.Chapter 3 · Pretty little girlChapter 4 · It’s impossible for us.Chapter 5 · Not as handsome as Teacher BaiChapter 6 · Happy cooperationChapter 7 · Making breakfastChapter 8 · LostChapter 9 · He’s hopelessly in love.Chapter 10 · Three CloudChapter 11 · Am I Old?Chapter 12 · Victory celebration banquetChapter 13 · Power outrageChapter 14 · Online dating meetupChapter 15 · Am I really that bad?Chapter 16 · Boyfriend?Chapter 17 · ConcertChapter 18 · Use Privileges.Chapter 19 · A night AloneChapter 20 · Do You Like me?Chapter 21 · The End