Chapter 10: Sharing a Bed with the Senior

“It… broke?” Yu Xun couldn’t believe it. He looked at Shao Huaizhi, then at the bed, and back again, still in shock.

No way, the bed couldn’t be that fragile, right? Before Shao Huaizhi arrived, they had placed things on it without any issues. How could it break so easily now?

Facing Yu Xun’s suspicious gaze, Shao Huaizhi calmly withdrew his hand and, despite being the one responsible, used the most innocent tone, “The bed’s material is poor. It looked fine but was rotting inside. I pressed lightly and it broke. If someone slept on it, it would be worse.”

Yu Xun was not entirely convinced but turned to seek Ling Geng’s support. However, instead of suspicion, he saw concern in Ling Geng’s eyes.

Ling Geng, looking worried, said, “This bed’s quality is terrible. But now that it’s broken, where will you sleep tonight, Senior?”

Yu Xun: ?

Ling Geng, aren’t you even a bit skeptical? You just believe him like that?

Feigning helplessness, Shao Huaizhi sighed, “Seems like luck isn’t on my side today. Tonight, I’ll have to share with Ling. Ling…”

Before he could finish, Yu Xun interrupted, “It’s too hot to share a bed in the summer. Our dorm has four beds, and there’s an unused one in the corner. If you don’t mind, senior, we could clean it up for you…”

“I mind.” Shao Huaizhi shot Yu Xun with a cold look.

A chill swept through the room.

The bed Yu Xun mentioned was used for storing miscellaneous items by Ling Geng and Yu Xun since no one else lived there. Thanks to dorm inspections, the items were neatly stacked, but cleaning it up would take time and effort, not to mention finding space for the relocated items.

Furthermore, tidying up and organizing are meticulous tasks, and Ling Geng and Yu Xun aren’t the types to fuss over such details. They likely wouldn’t be willing to do it themselves, and they certainly couldn’t ask Shao Huaizhi to do it.

Considering this, it might be better for Shao Huaizhi to share a bed with Ling Geng. After all, if they report the issue, it would be resolved by the next day at the latest.

“Then…” Ling Geng hesitated before suggesting, “Senior, you can sleep with me tonight.”

Yu Xun wanted to say something, but Shao Huaizhi had already agreed, “Okay.”

Yu Xun: ?

After helping Shao Huaizhi unpack, it was already nighttime. Initially, Ling Geng hadn’t thought much about sharing a bed, still associating it with the playful times he had with Yu Xun. But as night approached, he began to feel something was off.

This feeling intensified when Shao Huaizhi was in the shower. Ling Geng recalled the scene from a few hours ago in the hallway…

“Ling,” Shao Huaizhi’s voice came from the bathroom, “can you get me a towel?”

“Oh…” Ling Geng snapped out of his thoughts, rummaged through Shao Huaizhi’s cabinet for a minute or two, and found a light yellow towel. Without thinking, he handed it over, “Here.”

The bathroom door opened, and a pale, strong hand reached out through the steam, accompanied by a pair of misty, captivating eyes. 

That gaze sent a jolt through Ling Geng. There was an inexplicable feeling tugging at him. From their first meeting, Shao Huaizhi’s eyes had seemed gentle, establishing his impression as a warm and easygoing senior. But this one glance stripped away that familiar image, revealing something different, though Ling Geng couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.

The bathroom door opened again, releasing a wave of steam that momentarily blurred Ling Geng’s vision. When it cleared…

“Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?!” Ling Geng exclaimed, stepping back abruptly, nearly crashing into the cabinet behind him.

Breathing heavily to calm himself, he saw Shao Huaizhi, unbothered, casually wiping water off his body. Shao Huaizhi’s upper body was bare, droplets of water trailing down from his hair, along his throat, over his collarbone and chest. His skin was fair, but his physique was impressive—so much so that even Ling Geng felt a pang of envy. The droplets continued to trace their path over his well-defined abs and lower…

Ling Geng quickly averted his gaze, chastising himself for staring. Wait, had he just scanned Shao Huaizhi from head to toe? 

Feeling embarrassed, Ling Geng looked up, only to meet Shao Huaizhi’s amused expression. “Seen enough?” he teased.

The words struck Ling Geng like a thunderbolt. Flustered, he stammered, “I… I didn’t mean to look at you.”

Immediately feeling wronged, he added, “Who takes a shower and then doesn’t put on clothes? And standing there like that, am I not supposed to look?”

Even if it were snowing in June and Judge Bao was presiding, Shao Huaizhi had made the first move—it wasn’t like Ling Geng had impure intentions. Yes, that’s it, he reassured himself.

Shao Huaizhi couldn’t do much with Ling Geng’s stubborn refusal to admit guilt, but he explained, “Ling, I asked for a towel, not a hand towel. My clothes are still in the cabinet, so I can’t put them on.”

Living alone for so long, Shao Huaizhi had developed certain habits, such as not immediately dressing after a summer shower. Moving into the dorm hadn’t changed these habits right away, leading to the current situation.

In truth, it was a misunderstanding, but the result was clear. Seeing Ling Geng’s evasive eyes and the faint blush on his earlobes, Shao Huaizhi couldn’t help but smile.

“Huh?” Ling Geng finally realized that he had grabbed the wrong towel.

“Enough dawdling, it’s late. Go take your shower.” Shao Huaizhi, suppressing the urge to ruffle Ling Geng’s hair, chuckled and shook his head.

Watching Shao Huaizhi’s white skin disappear down the steps, Ling Geng reluctantly tore his eyes away. His mind, already muddled, now felt completely scrambled.

Anxious thoughts persisted even as he got into bed, his restlessness unabated. Ling Geng was so distracted that he didn’t notice how Shao Huaizhi joined him. Only when they were both lying on the same bed did he realize the oddity of the situation. His body reacted before his mind, inching towards the wall for more space.

Shao Huaizhi, seeing Ling Geng nearly plastered against the wall, reminded him, “Ling, that’s enough.”

“Oh…” Ling Geng stopped, but just as he was about to relax, Shao Huaizhi suddenly pulled him close.

Ling Geng: !

Face to face, their noses nearly touching, Ling Geng’s eyes widened, and his face flushed. Before he could speak, Shao Huaizhi gestured upwards. Though the lights were off, Yu Xun, who was on a call with his girlfriend, wore headphones but kept the volume low, making external sounds quite noticeable. If Ling Geng spoke now, it would surely be heard…

Shao Huaizhi lowered his voice and said, “Ling, don’t make a scene. Let’s not let Yu Xun hear us.”

Ling Geng: ?

Wait a minute, Shao Huaizhi was the one who pulled him over, but now his tone made it sound like they were having an affair! How ridiculous! What an affair?!

Ling Geng shot Shao Huaizhi a glare. “What are you doing? This kind of behavior…” He wanted to say that this behavior could be misunderstood, but he stopped himself. After a moment’s thought, he realized that such behavior could be justified among roommates in the summer heat.

Reluctantly changing his argument, he continued, “…behavior like this, it’s just too hot in the summer. We should keep our distance.”

“Heh…” Shao Huaizhi, taking advantage of the situation, leaned closer. “Too hot? I thought, with the air conditioning on, you might feel cold.”

His caring words and serious expression almost convinced Ling Geng. If it weren’t for Shao Huaizhi’s impure intentions, he might have believed him.

Ling Geng felt itchy all over, especially with Shao Huaizhi’s arm around his shoulder. Ling Geng was uncomfortable and wanted to break free, but he was afraid of making too much noise and waking up Yu Xun. He was torn.

In his dilemma, his free hand had nowhere to go. Fidgeting under the covers, he accidentally touched something he shouldn’t have.

“Ling,” Shao Huaizhi’s voice trembled slightly, carrying a hint of deeper meaning.

Ling Geng recoiled as if shocked, embarrassed and at a loss for words. “I… I didn’t mean to.” How did he manage to touch that thing…?

In the darkness, Shao Huaizhi sighed helplessly. This kid kept igniting sparks but wouldn’t let the fire spread. He had no choice but to coax him, “Let’s go to sleep.”

“You…” Ling Geng wanted to say something, but Shao Huaizhi had already closed his eyes.

And so, he lay there, defenseless, baring himself to Ling Geng.

Ling Geng felt dazed, staring fixedly at Shao Huaizhi’s sleeping face. Each breath seemed to be infused with his essence, like tangled threads without order.

As he looked, he realized a serious problem. He seemed to… 

Ling Geng urgently turned away.

His heart raced alarmingly, along with certain unspeakable impulses. Clenching his fists tightly, a glimmer of realization suddenly broke through his rusty mind.

He finally understood how his perception of Shao Huaizhi had changed at the bathroom door.

It wasn’t just a change in perception, it was… desire.

An unconscious, uncontrollable desire for Shao Huaizhi.

The author has something to say: Come on, it’s time for another guessing game! Why did Ling Geng turn away in the end? What happened to him? 

Also, I’ll secretly reveal that in the upcoming chapters, there might be some content that can’t be described in detail. Whether it’s something steamy or not, let’s keep it mysterious~