Chapter 28

Bai Chen’s biological clock was set for six o’clock, but that was under the condition that he had gone to bed at his usual time.

However, last night, Zhu Yu had been very energetic, talking a lot, and Bai Chen enjoyed listening to Zhu Yu talk so much that they didn’t quiet down until very late.

It wasn’t until more than half an hour after Zhu Yu had fallen asleep that Bai Chen started to feel a bit sleepy.

So, given all of this, it was perfectly normal that Bai Chen didn’t wake up at six o’clock.

In the morning, the first light of dawn filtered through the curtains.

Bai Chen woke up from something soft and furry scratching his neck and chin. He furrowed his brows, slowly opened his eyes, and found that there was someone in his arms.

His gaze lowered, and he saw a pink head buried against his chest, warm and steady breaths coming from it. A hand was tightly clutching his shirt, and a leg was draped over his waist.

Zhu Yu had completely curled up in his arms, hanging onto him like a sloth, and Bai Chen seemed to have naturally placed his hand on Zhu Yu’s waist in return.

Liu Bo was lying in the empty space above them, snoring lightly. If their current relationship wasn’t considered, from an outsider’s perspective, this scene would seem incredibly tender.

Bai Chen closed his eyes.

Then he opened them again.

This wasn’t a dream.

They hadn’t been in this position before falling asleep.

So, did Zhu Yu climb into his arms first, or did Bai Chen pull him into his embrace?

Bai Chen didn’t spend too much time thinking about it.

He carefully removed his hand from Zhu Yu’s waist, then raised his other hand to reach for his phone on the bedside table.

But as soon as he moved his waist slightly, he suddenly realized something wasn’t quite right.

—

Bai Chen stayed still for two seconds in this awkward position.

Finally, in despair, convinced himself that it was perfectly normal for a grown man to wake up in this situation, right?

Zhu Yu’s pink, soft hair was still gently brushing against his neck and chin, lightly and tickling, as if thousands of ants were crawling across his chest.

It teased him, over and over.

His body felt inexplicably hot.

The room was very quiet, with Zhu Yu’s steady, even breathing lingering in his ears.

All of this made Bai Chen’s abdominal cavity tighten even more, and he even started to feel a growing heat. His breathing became noticeably heavier, and even a certain already-spirited part of him became even more spirited.  

This feeling was not good.  

Moreover, Zhu Yu’s waist was too close to the bulge in his pants.  

So close that… it was about to touch.  

So he gently held Zhu Yu’s calf, lifting his leg off his waist. Then, he bent his arm and grasped Zhu Yu’s hand, carefully prying open the fingers that were clutching his shirt hem.  

“Mm.” Zhu Yu burrowed even deeper into Bai Chen’s embrace.  

A faint, clean scent wafted unceremoniously into his nose.  

Fortunately, Zhu Yu’s hands and feet were still fairly well-behaved and didn’t start clinging all over Bai Chen.

Bai Chen carefully lifted the blanket and slowly sat up. Just as he was about to place his feet on the floor, the hand he had been propping himself up with was suddenly pressed down by a scorching hot hand.

“Mm… Senior? What time is it?” Zhu Yu’s groggy voice came from behind him.

He sleepily sat up, rubbing his half-closed eyes with one hand, and then looked at Bai Chen in confusion.

Bai Chen reacted quickly, and before Zhu Yu’s vision had cleared, he pulled the blanket over to cover his lower half.

Zhu Yu was completely confused, his mind still rebooting. But it seemed that Bai Chen was so nervous that his attempt to cover up was far too exaggerated.

It was so obvious that Zhu Yu only had to tilt his head and think for a moment before he seemed to figure it out. Then, seeing Bai Chen uneasily pressing his hand down on the blanket over his lap only confirmed his suspicion.  

Zhu Yu instantly shook off his drowsiness.  

“Senior brother.” He called out.  

Bai Chen kept his lips pressed together and gave a stiff hum in response. The hand pressing down on the blanket suddenly clenched, the veins on the back of his hand standing out, and even his ears were unnaturally flushed.  

Zhu Yu understood but didn’t shy away. “I get it! This…”—is normal!  

Bai Chen hurriedly cut him off, his tone filled with despair. “Xiao Yu, just… give me a moment.”  

Zhu Yu blinked, noticing the slight tremble in Bai Chen’s hand and the redness at the tips of his ears. He quickly nodded. “Oh, oh—okay.”  

This was… a little awkward.

Because if Bai Chen stayed in this position for too long, Zhu Yu’s eyes would unconsciously drift toward that area.  

A few seconds of silence passed.  

Zhu Yu spoke. “Senior brother, should we… go to the supermarket together this afternoon?”  

Bai Chen gave a low hum in response.  

“To buy candy? And we also need to get cat food for Liu Bo,” Zhu Yu continued.  

Bai Chen hummed again, but he felt that if Zhu Yu kept staying this close to him, no amount of waiting would help him calm down.

Zhu Yu’s heart inexplicably started beating faster. He lay back down on the bed, obediently closed his eyes, and said, “Why don’t you just pretend I never woke up?”  

After speaking, he pulled up a corner of the blanket to cover half of his face.  

Bai Chen remained silent.  

Zhu Yu added, “I won’t use the bathroom right now.”  

His hint was already very clear.  

Bai Chen pressed his lips together. If Zhu Yu stayed here, just sitting like this wouldn’t do him any good, so he resigned himself and finally said, “I’ll be quick.”  

He put on his shoes and stood up.  

Zhu Yu couldn’t help but peek. He flipped over, opened his eyes for a glance, then quickly covered them again. He didn’t say anything. Only when he heard the sound of the door closing did he lower his hand, his face flushed as he looked at the tightly shut door, thinking—there’s no need to be that fast…

He pulled the blanket over his head and grabbed Liu Bo, who was still sleeping soundly beside him, into his arms, ruffling the cat’s fur in a messy frenzy. Only when Liu Bo swatted him with a paw did he finally settle down.  

The water temperature in the bathroom was set lower than usual.  

Bai Chen braced one arm against the wall, resting his forehead on it. Water soaked his hair, streaming down, sliding over his broad back, past his chest, lower to his abdomen, and further down—his hand was there, veins bulging on his well-defined arm…  

The sound of running water, ragged breathing, mixed with indistinct, heavy pants.  

The cold water couldn’t wash away the heat burning in his chest, nor could it calm his erratic heartbeat.  

Nearly twenty minutes later.  

The sticky warmth in his palm was rinsed away down the drain along with the water.  

Why was it like this?

Was it just because he had dreamed of holding Zhu Yu in his arms all night? Bai Chen’s expression was a little pained.  

He felt that this wasn’t right. If Zhu Yu found out, would he be scared? After all, to Zhu Yu, he was just one of his very best friends.  

If they were only friends, then he had clearly crossed the line.  

Bai Chen didn’t want to think about it any further. He quickly changed into clean clothes and stepped out of the bathroom.  

At this moment, Zhu Yu happened to be coming out of the room, holding the cat in his arms.  

Their eyes met, and Zhu Yu hurriedly explained, “Liu Bo was hungry… I— I didn’t interrupt you, did I?”  

At first, Zhu Yu had thought Bai Chen, like himself, would finish in just a few minutes. But as time stretched closer to twenty minutes, he realized—not only did Bai Chen look impressive, but his endurance was also… quite something.  

Comparing like this—height? He couldn’t compete. Build? He couldn’t compete. Stamina? He definitely couldn’t compete. What was even the point?!  

His messy bedhead stuck out in all directions, and his sleepwear was wrinkled from tossing and turning, making him look a little like he had just come back from scavenging… Although Bai Chen really didn’t want to put it this way, Zhu Yu truly looked like an adorable little puppy.  

Bai Chen stepped forward, closing the distance between them as he said, “You didn’t interrupt me.”

Since Bai Chen had showered with cool water, Zhu Yu could only feel a damp chill radiating from his body. His white shirt was slightly damp, clinging to his skin in a way that was inexplicably both sexy and oppressive, making Zhu Yu instinctively straighten his back.  

“But sorry, did I wake you up?” Bai Chen’s voice was low and husky, slightly muffled, yet his gaze was gentle.  

There was a trace of frustration in his tone—perhaps feeling guilty for disturbing Zhu Yu’s sleep.  

So that sense of pressure was just his imagination. Realizing this, Zhu Yu immediately grinned, showing his tiger teeth. “Nope! I woke up on my own!”  

He shoved Liu Bo into Bai Chen’s arms and added, “Senior, I’m going to the bathroom. Help me feed Liu Bo!”  

With that, he brushed past Bai Chen and ran off to the bathroom.  

“Ah-choo!”  

The moment he stepped inside, the cold air wrapped around him from all sides, making him shiver from the sudden chill.  

It was obvious—young people really do run hot.

He reached out and touched a few droplets of water still dripping from the shower heater—it was icy cold.  

There was no way Zhu Yu could ever go that far. Forget about it being just a normal physiological reaction—even if he had been drugged with an aphrodisiac, he still wouldn’t choose that method to relieve himself.  

After using the toilet, he took the chance to wash up as well.  

Before leaving, he carefully arranged their toothbrushes to face each other, then walked out humming a cheerful tune.  

Glancing toward the storage cabinet, he saw that Liu Bo was already eating breakfast.  

Looking further into the kitchen, Bai Chen was also there, wearing an apron and making breakfast.  

Zhu Yu clicked his tongue twice, took a few small steps forward, and peeked his head out from behind Bai Chen’s arm, catching sight of the porridge cooking in the pot.  

“Senior brother, when are we going to the supermarket?” Zhu Yu had completely put this morning’s little episode behind him.  

Because to him, it was just something that happened to every normal adult man—nothing out of the ordinary.

Besides, if he kept bringing it up, Bai Chen might start feeling uncomfortable and awkward.  

Bai Chen lowered his gaze, his eyelashes casting a shadow over the emotions in his eyes. In a gentle voice, he replied, “Whenever you have time, we can go.”  

Zhu Yu was instantly cheered up by those indulgent words.  

“Senior, you’re so good to me,” Zhu Yu said, leaning against Bai Chen’s shoulder. “Your future partner will definitely be very happy.”  

A partner…?

Bai Chen had never thought about that before.  

Because of his past environment, he never believed love would be a part of his life.  

Of course, that was only before.  

He let out a quiet chuckle but didn’t respond.

In the afternoon, they went to a Chinese supermarket and bought a lot of things. Zhu Yu bought a lot of candy and many beautiful little gift boxes.

After they got home, he was busy packing the candy.

Seeing that Zhu Yu was overwhelmed, Bai Chen put down his work and went to help Zhu Yu pack the candy.

Zhu Yu said that only the children who praised him would be allowed to take his candy.

Bai Chen looked at him and jokingly asked, “If I praise you, do I get some candy too?”

He made the joke with his low, magnetic voice, causing Zhu Yu’s heart to race.

Zhu Yu’s ears turned bright red. “You don’t need to praise me. I’ll still give you candy.”

He said this and handed Bai Chen the most beautifully wrapped little gift box he had prepared.

Bai Chen didn’t like sweets, but he still accepted the gift box that Zhu Yu handed to him.

He already had many of Zhu Yu’s things at home.

With just a few steps, he could see things that belonged to Zhu Yu—like two people from different worlds starting to connect and blending harmoniously.

The dull world was painted with colors by the messy Samoyed holding a paintbrush.

—

Three days later, the Go tournament at the school ended, and the judges were announcing the results in front of the podium.

Bai Chen cooperated and took the photo, and then a handsome young man approached him and asked for his contact information in English.

Bai Chen politely declined as usual, then quickly grabbed his jacket from his seat and left the place.

Zhu Yu walked him into the competition hall and said he would wait outside for him.

So Bai Chen didn’t want Zhu Yu to wait too long for him.

He walked out, looked around, and then saw Zhu Yu squatting in front of a low flowerbed, making a phone call.

Zhu Yu had his back to the Go hall and didn’t notice Bai Chen approaching.

It was only when Bai Chen got closer that he saw Zhu Yu holding a stick in his hand, loosening the compacted soil in the flowerbed.

His phone was pressed to his ear, and his tone was upset: “I don’t want to go back to the country right now, at least let me stay until after the New Year.”

Something was said on the other end, and Zhu Yu became even angrier: “It’s not for anyone, I just want to stay for myself.”

“Don’t make me hate you guys!” Zhu Yu angrily hung up the phone, and his movements of poking the soil became more forceful.

Bai Chen listened but didn’t change his expression. He took a step forward and gently called, “Xiao Yu.”

“Hmm?!” Zhu Yu suddenly turned around, looked up, and saw Bai Chen. He quickly dropped the stick, stood up, and asked, “When did you finish?!”

Bai Chen replied, “Just now.”

Zhu Yu was curious: “What place did you get?”

Bai Chen answered calmly, “Second place.”

“So impressive!!” Zhu Yu was so happy he nearly jumped up, looking as if he had won second place himself. He walked while circling around Bai Chen, spreading his fingers and shaking them, “Throwing flowers, throwing flowers, manual flower throwing, congratulations, congratulations! Senior Brother, you’re the best!”

Bai Chen smiled silently, feeling a little as if he really had done something great, influenced by Zhu Yu’s enthusiasm.

He grabbed Zhu Yu’s hand and softly reminded, “Watch where you’re going, Xiao Yu.”

His broad, warm palm wrapped around Zhu Yu’s cold hand. Zhu Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly withdrew his hand, his heart racing. He awkwardly replied, “Uh.”