Chapter 26

Xi Fei looked stunned, as if his mind had gone blank. "You made this?"

"That's right." Zhu Shiyan scooped up a spoonful of cream and fed it to him, muttering, "The shop manager said mine tastes much better than yours."

Xi Fei licked his lips, feeling a sudden dryness in his throat. He asked, "When did you make it?"

"Shh—"

Zhu Shiyan pressed a finger to his lips, whispering in a breathy voice, "Don't let Xiao Fei hear. He thinks I've just been out for my evening jog, hehe."

Xi Fei was struck dumb.

So that was it.

So the reason he had been going out for two hours every night was to make this cake for him. No wonder he had been so adamant about not letting him tag along.

His breathing quickened. He grabbed Zhu Shiyan’s hand, staring at him with dark, unfathomable eyes, his voice raspy: "Did you eat the cake I made before?"

"Hmm?" Zhu Shiyan tilted his head to look at him. "Who are you?"

"Xiao Fei. The cake that Xiao Fei made."

Zhu Shiyan frowned, as if recalling an unpleasant memory. He made a spitting sound, looking aggrieved. "It really tasted terrible..."

*Yet you ate it all anyway...*

Xi Fei’s breath hitched. No wonder he hadn't been able to find the remaining cake the following morning; he had assumed he’d thrown it out, never imagining he had eaten every bit of it.

For an instant, Xi Fei’s heart almost stopped beating. Then, it began to thrum against his ribcage with wild, ferocious intensity, the sound like thunder drumming against his ears.

He tightened his grip on Zhu Shiyan’s hand unconsciously, a tide of emotions surging within him, stinging his eyes until they turned red.

"It hurts..." Zhu Shiyan struggled a little, glaring at him unhappily. "Who are you? Where’s Xiao Fei?"

Xi Fei felt his heart melt at that glare. He rasped, "I am Xiao Fei."

Zhu Shiyan stared at him for a moment, then cupped his face and chuckled. "Oh, so you're Xiao Fei. It’s your birthday today. Did you have your longevity noodles?"

Xi Fei crouched before him, his heart softening completely.

"I did."

Long before Chu Junyuan and the others arrived, Zhu Shiyan had already cooked him a bowl of noodles, calling it his own private feast.

"That's good." Zhu Shiyan patted his shoulder, slowly pulled a small box from his pocket, and beckoned to him. "Lower your head."

Xi Fei obediently lowered his head.

Zhu Shiyan clumsily fastened the necklace around his neck. Because he was dizzy from the alcohol, it took him several tries to align the clasp.

Once it was on, he nodded with satisfaction. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips; his eyes were watery, but his expression was earnest. "A birthday gift for you. I hope everything goes your way, and that you are safe and sound every year."

The cold touch of the metal against his collarbone made Xi Fei tremble slightly. The love in his eyes was so tangible that he had to lower his head to hide the burning intensity of his feelings from Zhu Shiyan.

He rested his forehead gently against Zhu Shiyan’s knee, a surge of emotion making him desperate to do something, his fingers fidgeting restlessly against Zhu Shiyan’s leg.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Zhu Shiyan blocked his lips again, looking mysterious. "Shh, don't talk. Let me look at your chest."

The topic jumped too quickly. Xi Fei didn't react in time, his expression blank. "What?"

Zhu Shiyan ignored him, intent on opening his shirt. But he was drunk and lightheaded; as he leaned forward, his head hit Xi Fei’s chest with a dull thud, and then he went still.

Xi Fei didn't dare move. His throat bobbed, as if afraid to disturb him. After waiting for a long while, he asked cautiously, "Zhu Shiyan?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you asleep?"

"Shh."

As if finding him noisy, Zhu Shiyan covered his mouth, looked up, giggled twice, and then unexpectedly pulled open his shirt.

The sequence of actions was too familiar. Xi Fei paused for a second and looked down. Sure enough, Zhu Shiyan was staring unblinkingly at his chest.

Ever since he realized Zhu Shiyan had this peculiar hobby, Xi Fei had been working out intentionally. After getting a smartphone, he even searched for training methods online. Now, the muscle definition on his chest and abdomen was smooth and clearly visible, and the lines on his arms were equally toned.

The fact that Zhu Shiyan liked his body so much gave him an indescribable joy. He subtly puffed out his chest and, suppressing his shame, said, "You... you can touch it."

Zhu Shiyan’s eyes brightened. "Really?"

Xi Fei nodded.

Given permission, Zhu Shiyan tentatively reached out a finger and poked.

The black mist on Xi Fei’s chest had faded significantly, gradually revealing the shape of the creature within. It looked somewhat like a civet cat, with large, round eyes, a fluffy tail, and four pink paws.

Zhu Shiyan didn't know what it was, but he loved cats, and seeing this cat-like creature filled him with joy. He couldn't help but poke it a few more times.

The creature seemed to sense the touch; it rolled around happily, even trying to push through the mist to get out. Finding it impossible, it could only lie there piteously, its pitch-black eyes looking up at him with longing.

Zhu Shiyan’s heart softened. He stopped poking and instead stroked the fur through the air.

The little thing purred, squinting its eyes in comfort and rubbing its head against his palm.

Zhu Shiyan felt no physical sensation, but he felt an inexplicable softness, and a gentle smile tugged at his lips.

Xi Fei had been feeling embarrassed and at a loss, but after being poked several times, he noticed something odd. Zhu Shiyan appeared to be touching his chest, but he rarely made actual contact with his skin; his fingers seemed to be interacting with something invisible.

"...What are you looking at?"

Zhu Shiyan’s eyes sparkled, his tone excited. "There’s a cat on your chest!"

Xi Fei’s expression stiffened. "A cat?"

Zhu Shiyan nodded vigorously, gesturing with his fingers. "White, and so cute!"

Xi Fei: "..."

*What logic am I trying to apply to a drunkard?*

After looking at the "cat," Zhu Shiyan was clearly sleepy. His head bobbed, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. He looked up, pitifully. "I'm sleepy."

Xi Fei buttoned up his shirt, casting the imaginary cat to the back of his mind, and scooped him up with ease. He lowered his head and asked, "Shall we go to sleep?"

Zhu Shiyan rested his head obediently on his shoulder, humming. "Mm, want to sleep."

Xi Fei carried him into the bedroom and laid him gently on the bed.

Zhu Shiyan whimpered and fell asleep within a second, clutching the quilt.

Xi Fei didn't dare undress him fully, only using a towel to wipe his face and arms, and finally coaxed him to rinse his mouth.

Zhu Shiyan seemed to find him annoying; he swiped at him with his eyes closed, muttering curses under his breath.

When drunk, he was completely different from his usual self—like a child, willful and genuine.

Because of Xi Kuo, Xi Fei despised alcohol and loathed seeing others drunk. But for some reason, seeing Zhu Shiyan drunk made him feel an unusual tenderness, so sweet that his heart trembled.

After finally getting him to sleep again, Xi Fei couldn't bear to leave. He sat by the bedside, staring at him.

He knew clearly that he had developed an uncontrollable possessiveness toward the person on the bed. He was no longer content to stay by his side as a friend, only to watch him walk down the aisle with someone else one day in the future.

He wanted to tell him how he felt, to stand openly by his side, to be with him forever. He wanted a response—even if it was just the slightest flicker of emotion different from friendship, he would hold onto it tightly and never let go.

Xi Fei lowered his head, greedily watching Zhu Shiyan in the moonlight for a long while, before restraint gave way and he pressed a light kiss to his forehead.

"Wait for me, okay?"

When he was strong enough, when he had earned enough money, he would use everything he had to beg for an answer.

Before leaving, Xi Fei touched the two small ceramic figures on the nightstand.

Ever since Zhu Shiyan received them, they had been kept on his nightstand, protected and dust-free. When they moved, he had wrapped them in layer upon layer of padding, so they remained in perfect condition.

.

After the lingerie incident, Xi Fei enjoyed a long period of peace, during which he represented the school in national competitions several times.

Four months before the college entrance exam, he received news of his guaranteed admission to B University.

When the news reached the school, everyone was shocked. Xue Heng was so overjoyed that he wanted to set off firecrackers at the school gate for three days and nights.

This was B University, one of the top institutions in the country! Their class had actually produced a student with guaranteed admission!

When Xi Fei returned to the classroom with his admission letter, he was met with the collective gaze of the entire class. The letter itself was treated like a sacred object, placed on a pedestal for everyone to admire; from then on, students would go to pay their respects before every major exam.

Everyone was happy, except for Zhu Shiyan, who let out a long sigh.

Chu Junyuan asked curiously, "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"

Given how much Zhu Shiyan cared about Xi Fei, he should have been the happiest person that Xi Fei was guaranteed admission.

Zhu Shiyan rested his chin on his hand, looking both happy and troubled. "I'm happy he got in, of course, but the days ahead are going to be miserable for me."

Ever since senior year began, Xi Fei had been very strict about his studies. No matter how much he flirted or begged for mercy, Xi Fei remained unmoved. To him, studying was a matter of principle.

In the past, Xi Fei would occasionally go out of the province for competitions, and Zhu Shiyan could slack off, but now that he had guaranteed admission, he would surely keep an even closer eye on his studies. He could forget about having any easy days from now on.

Thinking of this, Zhu Shiyan shifted his chin to his other hand and sighed again.

For someone who had already lived through their senior year once, he had no interest in doing it again. Moreover, the plot of the book ended with Xi Fei’s entrance exam, and he had a nagging feeling that the time for his departure was drawing near.

What he worried about every day now wasn't his studies, but how to break the news to Xi Fei in a subtle way.

But he wouldn't have to worry about how to bring it up for long.

—Because Xi Fei’s biological parents had arrived.