Chapter 27

Zhu Yu, still half-asleep, had some messy dreams. First, he dreamed that he failed his finals and the school wouldn’t let him return to his home country. Then, he dreamt that Han Geonju was getting married and invited him and Bai Chen to be groomsmen.

While sneaking a bite of a small cake at the wedding banquet, he was arrested by the police. Zhu Yu, frightened, cried, asking if stealing a small cake was a crime. He suggested that, at most, Senior Brother could compensate them with a hundred cakes.

The police explained that they were arresting him for failing his finals. They locked him in an interrogation room and went out to eat their lunch boxes. The smell wafted into the room, and Zhu Yu, unable to eat, felt both hungry and angry, crying out, saying, “If you can’t bear this, then what can you bear? Torturing me like this is worse than using a little whip to make me give in.”

Then, Zhu Yu woke up, still irritated.

The overhead light was warm-toned, but it was still bright enough to hurt Zhu Yu’s eyes as he had just woken up. He raised his hand to shield his eyes, took a deep breath, stretched out in a big yawn, and moved Liu Bo, who had been lying on his chest, to the side.

He smelled the fragrance of stir-fried food.

In the next moment, the person who had been dozing off on the sofa suddenly sat up straight. He looked towards the kitchen and called, “Senior Brother! What are we having for dinner tonight?!”

No wonder he had such a dream.

The smell was enough to make Zhu Yu dizzy with hunger.

He didn’t wait for Bai Chen to turn around to respond. He hurriedly ran to the kitchen, wearing his cotton slippers, taking small quick steps.

Bai Chen turned his head to look at Zhu Yu and asked, “Are you awake?”

Zhu Yu nodded and bent over, getting closer to the stove. He saw a colorful mix of ingredients in the pan, including carrots, wood ear mushrooms, and something that looked like white radish.

“It’s yam stir-fry, something to eat when you’re feeling overheated,” Bai Chen explained.

Zhu Yu awkwardly touched his nose. Actually, he wasn’t really overheated.

“It smells so good,” Zhu Yu said, then quickly moved around Bai Chen to stand in front of the rice cooker.

“That’s the smell of corn,” Zhu Yu said, his eyes lighting up. “I’ve been craving corn recently!”

Bai Chen put down the spatula and used a ladle to scoop out a bowl of soup. “Winter melon, corn, and pork rib soup. It’s good for cooling the body.”

He handed the bowl to Zhu Yu and said, “Eat this first to settle your stomach.”

Zhu Yu blinked, took the bowl, and placed it aside, then playfully squeezed Bai Chen’s arm. “Senior Brother, you’re so kind. You’ve worked hard~”

His grip wasn’t strong, and he hadn’t learned professional massage techniques, so the “massage” was more like scratching an itch. Suddenly, Bai Chen reached out and grabbed Zhu Yu’s wrist. His expression darkened, and his voice became deeper. “Xiao Yu, dinner’s ready.”

“Okay!” Zhu Yu released his hand and quickly skipped over to open the cupboard. He took out the bowls and chopsticks for both of them and set them on the dining table.

His level of familiarity with these tasks was enough that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was the master of the house.

That night, Bai Chen cooked three dishes, all of which were good for cooling the body.

Zhu Yu finished all the corn.

He also drank two bowls of soup.

“Senior Brother, it’s delicious!” Zhu Yu said, holding up the half-eaten corn. He was always generous with his compliments to Bai Chen, and his praise was always sincere and overflowing.

Bai Chen’s lips curled into a smile, but he didn’t respond.

He lowered his eyes, watching Zhu Yu eat. Zhu Yu’s eating habits somehow made Bai Chen feel even hungrier, so after getting to know him, Bai Chen’s appetite had increased a bit.

As expected, dinner was completely finished that night.

—

“Senior Brother, I ran out of toothpaste. Can I use yours?” Zhu Yu asked, holding a cup of water in one hand and a toothbrush in the other as he walked out of the bathroom.

Bai Chen was cleaning up the Lego pieces that Zhu Yu had been playing with on the coffee table. Hearing Zhu Yu ask for toothpaste, he replied, “It’s in the first compartment above the sink. There’s a new tube of toothpaste in there. I bought it home and only realized there was another new one.”

“Okay!” Zhu Yu quickly returned to the bathroom, but within a few seconds, he was back by the door.

His voice was filled with excitement: “Senior Brother! You like this flavor of toothpaste too?!”

It was orange-flavored toothpaste.

“I like it too!” Zhu Yu said, then returned to the bathroom.

The whole process was so fast that Bai Chen didn’t even have a chance to respond.

Bai Chen waited until Zhu Yu finished washing up before heading to the bathroom. When he entered, the small bathroom was filled with the scent of body wash, and the air was hot from the steam.

Just thinking about lying in the same bed with Zhu Yu made Bai Chen’s movements stiffen, even during the simple task of washing up.

He felt he shouldn’t have suggested it.

Perhaps he could help pay for Zhu Yu’s hotel stay.

But deep down, he was also looking forward to Zhu Yu staying.

Bai Chen was a walking contradiction.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be troubled by things from the past.

The school wouldn’t schedule classes during the sports festival.

After Zhu Yu finished his shower, he quickly lay down on the bed.

He was lying on his stomach, playing on his phone, flipping through the list of sports events and schedules for the next few days.

Fortunately, Jon and the others’ events were scheduled in the afternoon, so Zhu Yu didn’t need to wake up early to cheer them on.

And since Zhu Yu’s competition had already ended today—so!!

He could sleep in tomorrow!!

No need for an early morning run, no classes, no part-time job, and when he woke up, Senior Brother would have already made breakfast… or rather, lunch!!

Zhu Yu laughed excitedly, covering his face and rolling around on the bed.

Bai Chen opened the door and immediately saw this scene.

Zhu Yu had rolled the bed sheets into a bit of a mess, his loose pajama top had ridden up, exposing his slender, toned waist, and his pajama pants had slipped down, revealing his beautiful ankles.

He had just finished showering, and his hair was still damp, his skin not as pale as usual.

It had a soft, seductive pink hue.

Bai Chen cleared his throat lightly.

Hearing the sound, Zhu Yu hurriedly pulled his hand away. He turned around and saw Bai Chen at the door, quickly scooting further into the bed. “Senior Brother! Come to bed!” he invited enthusiastically.

Zhu Yu was eagerly inviting him.

Bai Chen pressed his lips together.

His Adam’s apple moved noticeably.

Zhu Yu made a large space for Bai Chen, and when he sat down, the spot where Zhu Yu had been lying still had warmth in it. It was so hot that Bai Chen instinctively wanted to get up from the bed.

But Zhu Yu didn’t give him that chance. The moment Bai Chen sat down, Zhu Yu leaned in with his phone.

Their shoulders brushed against each other, so close that Zhu Yu’s breath sprayed across Bai Chen’s neck. Bai Chen instinctively stiffened his back.

“Senior Brother, look, this is the makeup I’m going to do for Halloween! Here’s the outfit, do you think it looks good?!” Zhu Yu’s eyes were sparkling, and he looked at Bai Chen expectantly.

Zhu Yu’s lack of boundaries made Bai Chen feel uncomfortable.

Obviously, if Bai Chen didn’t give an opinion, Zhu Yu would stay in this position.

Bai Chen took the phone, lowered his head, and began flipping through the images Zhu Yu showed him. Zhu Yu leaned in closer and said, “Senior Brother, what do you think, does this look good?”

In the photo, the blogger’s makeup was heavy, with a cross drawn under each eye, vampire fangs, red contact lenses, and bloody marks on the face. It didn’t look too scary but was very in line with the Halloween theme.

If this makeup was on Zhu Yu’s face…

Bai Chen tried to picture it. He spoke calmly, honestly: “It’s very cute.”

Zhu Yu suddenly sat up straight, looking incredulously at him. “Not scary?”

Bai Chen looked into his eyes, knowing what Zhu Yu wanted him to say. He furrowed his brows slightly. “Well, it’s a little… scary?”

“Really?” Zhu Yu took the phone back, zooming in and out on the makeup picture. “It doesn’t seem that scary.”

“But I really like this vampire look,” Zhu Yu said with a slight sigh.

Finally, there was a bit of distance between them, but why did it still feel like something was missing?

He didn’t have time to dwell on it, though, because he needed to comfort the beautiful, dejected little puppy beside him: “I think this makeup looks great. A lot of little kids will love it.”

“Really?” Zhu Yu came to life again.

Bai Chen nodded at him, meeting his burning gaze. “Of course.”

Zhu Yu was happy again. He chuckled and leaned back against the pillow he had brought with him, with the beautiful sunflower cushion he had just retrieved from the corner of the bed.

“Then I’ll go with this makeup,” Zhu Yu said, flipping through Halloween-related posts. Then he added, “Actually, Senior Brother, you could try one too.”

“I remember you have a black coat. You can wear your black shirt under it and add a white scarf—that’s a low-budget version of The Godfather,” Zhu Yu said, showing Bai Chen a photo of a vampire and Godfather combination.

Bai Chen hesitated slightly. “I’ve never attended such an event.”

Bai Chen had spent one New Year in the UK, and of course, had also experienced Halloween and Christmas.

The British celebrate these holidays, so there are all sorts of events, but Bai Chen had never attended any. He would only watch the colorful fireworks from his balcony alone when they went off.

“Is that okay?” Bai Chen asked.

Zhu Yu nodded. “Of course! You don’t think I’ve attended these kinds of things many times, right?! This is my first time too, but so what? Exactly because it’s my first time, I have to try!”

His tone was optimistic and bright, and it seemed like no setback could defeat him.

His personality was gradually affecting the person next to him.

Zhu Yu continued, “And didn’t I already say? If anyone asks, just tell them you’re my guardian.”

“Okay.” Bai Chen smiled lightly.

Zhu Yu took the pillow down and lay flat on the bed, his hair spread across the pillow. “Tomorrow I’m going to the supermarket to buy candy, and then I’ll wrap it into pretty little packages. On Halloween, whoever compliments how I look, I’ll give them candy!”

Halloween was still about a month away, but Zhu Yu was already looking forward to it.

Bai Chen lay down beside him, adjusting the light of the bedside lamp to its lowest setting.

The space between them was wide enough to fit another Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu wasn’t happy about it. He pulled his pillow closer to Bai Chen’s side and said, “Why are you lying so far away? It’s cold in the gap, isn’t it?”

He naturally leaned toward Bai Chen, their arms touching.

Zhu Yu wasn’t sleepy yet. He felt inexplicably excited, and he wasn’t sure if it was because of the food that had cooled his body down, but right now, Zhu Yu had no thoughts of random daydreaming.

Since he couldn’t sleep, he needed something to do. He turned over to look at Bai Chen’s serious profile and quietly asked, “Senior Brother, are you sleepy?”

Bai Chen didn’t turn around. He inhaled the scent of Zhu Yu’s shower gel, staring at the ceiling as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

He was about to tell Zhu Yu to sleep early, but Zhu Yu spoke faster:

“If you’re not tired, I’ll show you my high school life.”

Zhu Yu picked up his phone and opened the album, flipping to the section labeled “High School.”

The words Bai Chen was about to say were swallowed back. Someone inside him felt a slight stir. He was indeed curious about what Zhu Yu had been like in high school.

He turned to his side and looked at Zhu Yu’s phone.

Seeing that Bai Chen was interested, Zhu Yu flipped to the very bottom of the album.

“This was taken on my first day of school,” Zhu Yu recalled. “It was probably for the school’s promotional club, they came over to interview me and asked what meaningful things I wanted to do in high school.”

In the photo, Zhu Yu was wearing a white shirt, the first button undone. He looked very youthful, hadn’t yet pierced his ears, and his hair was still naturally black. His youthful spirit was impossible to hide.

At first glance, Zhu Yu looked like the well-behaved, studious boy next door.

“I said I wanted to fall in love,” Zhu Yu suddenly laughed, “So later they cut my interview.”

Bai Chen also laughed. He asked, “Did you fall in love?”

Zhu Yu’s tone dropped immediately. “No.”

“I’ve lived for 22 years and I’ve never had a boyfriend,” Zhu Yu’s voice was full of confusion. “I don’t think I’m unattractive. Could it really be that my personality was a little off?”

“Xiao Yu’s personality is great. They probably just didn’t have good taste,” Bai Chen replied in his usual calm tone, but there was a hint of amusement in it.

Zhu Yu was a little pleased by Bai Chen’s compliment and nodded in agreement. “I guess so.”

He stopped talking about it and flipped to the next photo. “This one… I remember now, this was the time I was late and climbed over the wall to sneak in, but the security caught me…”

—

Zhu Yu seemed to have endless stories to share. He happily talked to Bai Chen about his high school life, and when he finished, he turned off his phone, looked at Bai Chen, and said, “Senior Brother, you’re one of my best friends. Even if we go back to our own countries later, let’s not lose contact, okay?”

He looked up at Bai Chen, his eyes sparkling, like a little puppy.

Bai Chen pressed his lips together. “Do you have a lot of good friends?”

“Yeah, I can introduce you to them if you ever get the chance!” Zhu Yu sat up, excited as he looked at Bai Chen lying beside him.

Bai Chen felt a strange sense of discomfort in his chest. He raised his hand and gently covered Zhu Yu’s eyes. “Okay, but it’s time to get ready for bed, Xiao Yu.”

He stressed the word Xiao Yu.

“Aw.” Zhu Yu obediently lay back down on the bed. Once Bai Chen’s hand was removed, everything in front of him turned completely dark, with only the glow of the bedside clock illuminating the room.

Bai Chen turned off the lamp.

Zhu Yu wasn’t sleepy yet. He turned on his side and inched closer to Bai Chen, sniffing his arm curiously. “Senior Brother, what kind of body wash do you use? It smells so good!”

Bai Chen pressed his hand against Zhu Yu’s forehead, nudging him to move a bit farther away. He helplessly replied, “We’re using the same body wash.”

“Go to sleep.” When they hadn’t been sleeping together before, Bai Chen never noticed how lively Zhu Yu could be.

Zhu Yu responded, “Okay.”

This time, he really did settle down and lay still.

No one spoke anymore, and all Zhu Yu could hear was Bai Chen’s steady breathing. Perhaps he had fallen asleep.

Zhu Yu yawned, turned over to face Bai Chen, and closed his eyes to drift off to sleep.

Half an hour later, Zhu Yu had fallen soundly asleep.

However, Bai Chen, who was supposed to be asleep with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes.

He couldn’t sleep.

He felt so helpless.

His left arm was tightly pressed against Zhu Yu’s forehead, they were too close.

Zhu Yu’s warm breath kept brushing against his arm.

He had clearly said he liked guys, but he didn’t know how to behave when interacting with them. Was he only like this with himself, or was he like this with all his “best friends”?

Bai Chen turned over, using the light from the clock to gaze at Zhu Yu’s peaceful sleeping face, furrowing his brows in thought.