25

The two of them were watching a horror movie.

It was the senior who had picked the film.

It was like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, all too obvious… During tense moments in the movie, they could hold hands, or even dramatically pull the other into an embrace! But now that the senior was gone, this ‘benefit’ was left for Lin Xiao.

Halfway through the movie, Lin Xiao leaned closer to Su Bai and asked, “Are you scared?”

However, Su Bai remained calm: “Not scared.”

Lin Xiao was momentarily speechless, then added, “If you’re scared, you can lean on me.”

Su Bai, with a righteous expression, refused: “I believe in science and Marxism. Ghosts and gods are all fake, they’re not scary.”

Lin Xiao’s face instantly fell, and he sulkily sat back, glaring at the screen.

At that moment, a small head leaned over from the side, gently resting on Lin Xiao’s shoulder. Su Bai looked up and said seriously, “I’m not scared, but I just want to lean on you.”

Lin Xiao smiled softly, his arm wrapping around Su Bai’s thin shoulder. His lips lightly brushed against Su Bai’s hair.

Looks like this little guy is finally starting to get it?

At night, ten minutes before the lights out in the dorm.

Lin Xiao had just finished washing up and was lying on his bed, playing a game on his phone. Suddenly, the dorm door was knocked. Su Bai stood at the doorway, looking uneasy. His face was pale, and he seemed a bit embarrassed for some reason. “I’m looking for Lin Xiao,” he said.

Lin Xiao almost immediately jumped down from the upper bunk. He hurriedly shuffled in his slippers, pulling Su Bai into the hallway and closing the door behind them. “What’s wrong? Why’s your face so pale?” he asked.

Su Bai whispered, “I’m… the only one staying in my dorm tonight.”

Su Bai’s dorm leader had recently moved out with his girlfriend, and the other two roommates had gone to an internet café to stay overnight. Su Bai never went to those places, so he had to spend the night alone in the dorm.

Lin Xiao was silent for a moment, then said with a half-smile, “So what if you’re alone?”

Damn! Damn! Damn! Dammit! Could this little retard be… inviting me!?

— That’s what Lin Xiao thought.

Su Bai bit his lip and said pitifully, “I… I’m scared…”

Lin Xiao: …

Su Bai lowered his head, looking downhearted. “I turned off the lights and tried to sleep earlier, but as soon as I closed my eyes, all I could think about was the movie I watched today…”

Lin Xiao’s lips twitched. “You’re scared? Didn’t you say you believe in science and Marxism?”

Su Bai’s face turned red. “Stop saying that.”

Lin Xiao asked again, “When you leaned on me in the theater today, was it because you really wanted to, or because you were scared?”

Su Bai honestly replied, “…Both.”

“Both is fine,” Lin Xiao couldn’t help but pinch Su Bai’s cheek. In a teasing tone, he leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Don’t be scared, I’ll sleep with you.”

Su Bai’s head immediately dropped so low it almost touched his chest, his ears turning bright red.

Even though Su Bai’s reasons weren’t exactly what Lin Xiao had in mind, the chance to sleep together still made Lin Xiao feel quite satisfied.

The dorm bed was a bit narrow. While it could fit two people, adding two more blankets and pillows made it feel cramped.

Before Lin Xiao could say anything, Su Bai quickly spoke up. “You’d better not sleep on their beds.”

The little guy is getting smarter, Lin Xiao thought, feeling pleased. He quickly agreed, “Alright.”

Su Bai added, “They haven’t changed their sheets once since the semester started.”

Lin Xiao: …

Su Bai couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. “It’s bad for their health, but even if I tell them, they won’t listen.”

Lin Xiao: …

Su Bai crawled into bed, pressing against the wall, leaving a wide space for Lin Xiao. Feeling shy, as soon as his head touched the pillow, Su Bai closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Lin Xiao got into bed too, moving closer to see Su Bai’s face. He noticed that the delicate eyelashes were trembling.

At that moment, the lights went out.

Lin Xiao slowly lay down, the two of them just a tiny distance apart. Through that small gap, they could feel each other’s warmth, so close.

Lin Xiao called out, “Su Bai.”

Su Bai didn’t make a sound, so still it was like he wasn’t even breathing…

Lin Xiao asked, “Are you asleep?”

Su Bai: …

Lin Xiao, both annoyed and amused, lowered his voice and said in a creepy tone, “Since you’re asleep, I’ll just think about today’s movie. That ghost was really scary when it appeared—bloody, with no tongue…”

Su Bai quickly spoke up, “Wait!”

Lin Xiao laughed, “Are you awake now?”

Su Bai hesitated, “Yeah.”

Lin Xiao continued, “Then… how about we get a little closer? Look, you’re almost pressed up against the wall. I’m not going to eat you.”

Su Bai gave a soft “oh,” but didn’t make any move.

Lin Xiao reached out and pulled Su Bai into his arms. The narrow space between them disappeared, and through the thin layers of sleepwear, they could clearly feel each other’s warmth and the contours of their bodies. Su Bai turned to his side, resting his head on Lin Xiao’s shoulder, every part from his chest to his abdomen to his thighs, was tightly attached to Lin Xiao’s body.

Both of their breaths quickly became heavy and rapid.