Editor: Amaris
This is awkward.
How could Shen Jiaze expect that karma would actually come so soon for him?
According to common sense, Shen Jiaze should dish out an explanation now, something like how he only said that without much thinking to put off the girl, that he didnât actually like Gu Xi.
But fate was truly a nonsensical thing.
Gu Xi who had come out from the shadow was standing right below a warm, white light.
Gu Xiâs facial features were beautiful. His skin seemed to be glossy because of the light, so delicate that not even his pores could be seen... At this moment, his amorous eyes were perked up and he was smiling faintly. There was something indescribable about his looks that they fell into Shen Jiazeâs heart and made him feel an inexplicable itch at its tip.
Shen Jiaze knew that Gu Xi was deliberately âprovokingâ him. However, President Shen feared neither Heaven nor earth at this point. Didnât he himself make it clear that he liked Gu Xi?
Shen Jiaze also smiled. He simply said without thinking logically, âYes, I like you.â
Gu Xi, â...â
What a bullheaded brat!
How could Gu Xi concede to him at this point? Thus, he decided to execute a killer move. âWhat a coincidence. I like you, too.â
Shen Jiaze knew very well that Gu Xi was talking nonsense, yet he couldnât help but clench his fingers into a fist.
Gu Xi himself didnât know what kind of mentality he had right now. He didnât even know the boyâs name and everything was still unclear. Nevertheless, seeing the boyâs look made Gu Xi blurted out a series of words, âSince we like each other, why donât we try dating?â
Shen Jiaze could almost be sure that his heart had stopped beating for a moment. His throat felt tight and parched that his voice sounded a lot lower when he asked, âYou want to date me?â
Gu Xiâs eyes were in a curve as he smiled. âIs that alright?â
Shen Jiaze stretched out his hand abruptly, grabbing Gu Xiâs wrist. He questioned Gu Xi closely, âGu Xi, you want to date me?â
Brother Xi felt a bit terrified at this moment. He didnât know how to describe it, he somewhat felt that there seemed to be a fireball in the boyâs eyes?
However, he had spoken so much and was already in too deep, he definitely wouldnât just admit defeat!
Besides, the boyâs look was absolutely Gu Xiâs type. It didnât matter even if they dated right away, because it wouldnât be him who would lose out.
Gu Xi completely portrayed what it meant by âno zuo no dieâ. He said, âYeah, I want to date you.â
Shen Jiaze suddenly tightened his grip and actually made Gu Xi feel a little pained.
The two were looking at each other in the empty meeting venue, waiting for each other to compromise. However, none of them would concede.
After some time had passed, Shen Jiaze finally asked, âDo you know my name?â
Gu Xi, â...â Man, I really have no idea.
Shen Jiaze approached Gu Xi, stared right into his eyes, then said with an exceptionally earnest voice, âShen Jiaze. Gu Xi, my name is Shen Jiaze.â
For some reason, Gu Xiâs heart skipped a beat.
Shen Jiaze left upon saying that.
It took quite a while before Gu Xi collected his thoughts.
Heâs very...handsome.
After waking up from a nightâs sleep, Gu Xi had nearly forgotten all of the joking matters from yesterday evening. He simply didnât take the confession and the dating things seriously at all.
However, someone else seemed to have taken it seriously.
Gu Xi had the habit of jogging in the morning. He usually went out to jog at around 6.30 AM. When he came back from his jog, he noticed that someone was standing at his dormitoryâs door.
The person was leaning against the wall as he looked down at his cellphone. His posture wasnât proper, but his figure made him look incredibly fine: broad shoulder, slim waist, and long legs. God really has his favorite child, huh.
The way he played his cellphone in a bored manner looked very good, as if it was a painting.
Gu Xi called out, âGood morning.â
Shen Jiaze raised his head and immediately saw the man who had just returned from his usual morning jog.
It was a warm spring season at that time, thus Gu Xiâs sportswear was drenched with sweat. It made his already exquisite features become sexier than ever.
Shen Jiazeâs throat felt parched that his voice was a bit hoarse when he answered, âMorning.â
Gu Xi asked, âYou came to see me?â
Shen Jiaze tried his best to shift his gaze away from Gu Xiâs collarbone. âMn.â
Gu Xiâs manner was friendly, yet somewhat estranged when he asked, âWhatâs the matter?â
His cold voice is really... Shen Jiaze felt like the wrath of his inner âdemonâ rushing into his head. He raised his eyebrows and said, âWeâre dating.â
Gu Xi, â...â He still remembers even though itâs a new day?
Shen Jiaze deliberately provoked Gu Xi when he asked, âWhy? Was Senior only teasing me yesterday?â
Yeah, I was only teasing you. Gu Xi sneered inside his heart: Doesnât it look like youâre the one teasing me now instead?
But since it seems like you want to continue âplayingâ, bring it on. Whoâs even afraid of you?
Gu Xi said with a smile on his face, âHow could I? Things like dating isnât some trifling matter that Iâd just speak thoughtlessly about it.â
Shen Jiaze continued to deliberately say, âIn that case, itâs normal for two people who are dating to have breakfast together, right?â
Gu Xi smiled. âVery normal.â
Shen Jiazeâs heart thumped in response to Gu Xiâs smile. He shifted his gaze and said, âIâll wait for you. You should take a bath and change your clothes first.â
After he said that, Shen Jiaze stepped aside and Gu Xi went to open the door. As their distance grew closer, Shen Jiaze saw Gu Xiâs fair-skinned neck at a glance... His heart thumped so wildly that he couldnât help but take a step back.
Gu Xi simply thought that it was funny. This boy couldnât even get used to approaching him, yet he dared to claim that they were dating? Really, what a bullheaded boy! His illness must be cured.
Gu Xi opened the dormitory door. He stayed in a single room, so it was pretty convenient for him to tidy things up. The room didnât look like most boysâ dormitory rooms at all.
Once Shen Jiaze had gotten inside, he was immediately astonished.
The university dormitory forbade housekeeping staff to go in and out as they please. One had to rely on themselves to clean their own rooms.
Shen Jiazeâs mother donated the school building, thus the schoolâs administrator authorized a dormitory administrator to clean Shen Jiazeâs dormitory.
Most mothers wouldnât go above and beyond like Shen Jiazeâs mom...uh...well. Hence, Shen Jiaze believed that Gu Xi had cleaned and taken care of his dormitoryâs cleanliness by himself.
Shen Jiaze knew Gu Xiâs family background well. Logically, he shouldnât have known how to do housework chores.
But then again, knowing how to do housework chores had nothing to do with family background. There were many students who were boarding at school; some came from a well-to-do family, but most came from an ordinary family. Nevertheless, the number of boys who didnât know how to clean up accounted for more than 90% of them.
After entering the room, Gu Xi said, âSit wherever you want. Iâll take a bath first.â
Shen Jiaze responded with a grunt. He couldnât help but look around for a while.
Gu Xi turned around and went inside the bathroom.
Shen Jiaze sat down in front of the table. He could more or less see Gu Xiâs character by looking at it.
The table was neat and organized. This showed that Gu Xi was probably a little bit of a neat freak
Shen Jiaze took a look at the books which were properly sorted according to the title and number of pages. Noticing that, he couldnât help but find it quite funny.
Moreover, there was a notebook on the left side of the desk. Looking closely, the book was placed in perfect parallel to the desk.
Shen Jiaze decided to take back his thoughts. He isnât a little bit of a neat freak, heâs a major neat freak.
The sound of water could be heard from the bathroom. Not long after, Gu Xi came out. He was wearing a bathrobe, drying his hair with a towel.
Shen Jiaze turned his head to look at Gu Xi. In the end, he became stiff all over, he turned his head around again stiffly.
Gu Xi, âI have to change.â
Shen Jiaze, â...â
Gu Xi said again, âHow about you go out for a bit?â
Shen Jiaze asked, âItâs alright, no? Arenât we dating?â
Gu Xi laughed. âThatâs true.â
After finishing his words, Gu Xi took off his bathrobe. He was only wearing black briefs underneath!
Shen Jiaze didnât look sideways. He focused himself on counting the number of the books on the desk carefully and seriously.
Gu Xi thought: Looking at me wonât gross you out to death.
Gu Xi turned around and looked for clothes in the wardrobe.
Shen Jiaze really didnât mean to take a peek, but there was a small mirror on the desk. As it turned out, the mirror reflected...
Gu Xiâs back was glossy and fair-skinned. He had a beautiful figure, probably because he exercised regularly. His waist was slender, but not feeble. His gorgeous back dimples were almost not covered by his black briefs...
The tip of Shen Jiazeâs nose grew hot. Then, he suddenly got up.
Gu Xi was startled by Shen Jiazeâs sudden movement. âWhatâs wrong?â
Shen Jiaze responded with a muffled voice, âI have to go out to answer the phone!â
Afterwards, he rushed out to the door with big strides.
Gu Xi laughed joyfully and thought: Iâd like to see how long youâre going to be cocky! Dating? What a naïve straight guy.
He thought that Shen Jiaze went out because he was grossed out, but Shen Jiaze actually went out to stop his bleeding...
Shen Jiaze turned on the tap, splashing water onto his face before he finally calmed down a long time later.
The impact of that scene was truly too extreme. It was hard for a young and vigorous youngster like him to control himself after seeing that.
Again, Shen Jiaze knew that Gu Xi was teasing him and that he didnât take things like dating seriously.
He didnât take it seriously, either, but he wouldnât concede no matter what. Itâs just...just...
Shen Jiaze closed his eyes. All that he had in his mind was Gu Xi.
Naturally, the two didnât get to eat the first breakfast after they were âdatingâ.
Still, Gu Xi was in a good mood after what happened. Ye Chen asked him, âWhat are you being so happy for early in this morning? Did something good happen?â
Gu Xi said, âI teased a little dog.â
How would Ye Chen understand what he meant? He thought that it was a real dog, thus his eyes immediately brightened up. âWhere did you find it? You arenât quietly keeping it in your dormitory, are you? Take me to look at it!â
Gu Xi smiled. âI didnât dare keep him.â
Ye Chen thought for a while, then said, âRight, you live at school, after all.â
Gu Xi shook his head. âNah... Iâm just afraid heâll bite me.â
Ye Chen was confused. He said after a while, âItâs a fierce one, huh.â
Gu Xi shot a glance at him. âCome on now, finish your meal.â
After finishing a spoonful of congee, Brother Chen even told Gu Xi considerately, âIf you want to keep a pet, you must vaccinate it. Especially the rabies.â
Gu Xi couldnât hold back anymore and burst out a rare laughter.
Ye Chen was even more confused. Whatâs going on? What he said was serious, what was so funny about them?
Gu Xi was in a good mood all day long. He wore a friendly look when he went to the student council that the administrators were discussing it spiritedlyâHis Majesty was in a cheerful mood today. Which lady had done good deeds?
Lady Shen...uh, nope...it was Shen Jiaze. He didnât dare to provoke Gu Xi for the whole day. When night came, he tossed about in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
I canât accept it.
I canât accept that I lose just like that!
The word âloseâ didnât exist in Shen Jiazeâs book!
The next day, Gu Xi was about to go out for a morning jog when he saw Shen Jiaze.
Shen Jiaze was also wearing sportswear. He asked earnestly, âLetâs go together?â
Gu Xi smiled. âSure.â
The scenery of the two jogging in the morning was especially wonderful.
On their way, they passed through an open space. There were a few people playing ball. It was unclear who was not being cautious, but a basketball suddenly flew straight to Gu Xi.
Shen Jiaze immediately caught the ball with one hand before it hit Gu Xi. He suddenly became furious. âLook where youâre throwing!â Afterwards, he threw the ball back to the person who had thrown the ball at Gu Xi.
What was impressive was that his aim was precise. That person shouted âowâ and crouched down while covering his face. His comrades became angry because of that. âWhat the hell are you doing!?â
Shen Jiaze squinted his eyes. One of the people in that group recognized him, so he promptly grabbed the person who had yelled at Shen Jiaze and told him something in whispers.
Even though he had been in the university for only a year, it was obvious that Shen Jiaze was quite infamous. When the group learned who he was, they behaved themselves and left. They were in the wrong, after all. This space wasnât a place to play ball. And if they created troubles, they were the ones who would get the worst of it.
Gu Xi teased Shen Jiaze, âYouâre pretty impressive, huh.â
Shen Jiaze was still angry, âIf that ball hits you, your face will be swollen.â Especially since you looked so dainty and lovely!
Gu Xiâs heart warmed up. âThanks.â
Great Young Master Shen, who initially had an âimpressive bearingâ, had his face suddenly feel somewhat burned after being thanked by someone. He didnât look away and simply said indifferently, âWhatâs there to thank?â
Gu Xi didnât know what was going on with him so he kept teasing him. âTrue. Youâre my boyfriend after all, saying thanks is too formal.â
Shen Jiazeâs back immediately became perfectly straight. He kept a straight face, but his hands and feet were moving at the same time for a moment.
Certainly, he quickly adjusted his emotions and began to run dazzlingly and elegantly as ever. He said calmly, âGood that you understand.â
Hey, you are so embarrassed that your hands and feet are going places, yet youâre still trying hard to pretend!? Gu Xi couldnât contain the smile in his heart anymore, everything was shown clearly in the corner of his eyes.
Fortunately, Shen Jiaze wasnât looking at Gu Xi at that moment. Otherwise, their morning jog session would be impossible to continue.
The two had breakfast together this morning. What was important was that they parted for a while to take a bath separately and meet again after they were dressed neatly.
When they were having a meal, Ye Chen saw Gu Xi from the distance and thought of approaching him, but he saw Shen Jiaze in the end.
Shen Jiaze shot a fierce glance at Ye Chen that he immediately halted his footsteps.
Shen Jiaze had taken Gu Xi away for this meal.
Ye Chen blinked, feeling puzzled as he thought: Since when did Brother Xi hang out with that Demon Lord?
At this time, one of Ye Chenâs little friends came closer and snatched his ham. He was immediately distracted and went to the other table while squabbling with his friends.
Shen Jiaze had indigestion throughout the meal.
It wasnât because of the food, it was because of Gu Xi.
After the two sat down, there would always be someone who kept trying to come over.
Firstly, that baby-faced clingy friend of Gu Xi (Ye Chen: Iâm being wronged here!), and then the people from the student councilâone person, two persons, three persons, four persons, and so on, they just keep coming... Shen Jiaze had stared at them until his eyes turned dry.
Nevertheless, Gu Xi was friendly towards everyone. When someone came over to talk, he would exchange a few words with them. He would also wear a smile on his face with whoever talked to him. It was no wonder that people wanted to approach him.
In the middle of eating the meal, someone who wasnât wary of the situation eventually sat down beside Gu Xi.
It seemed that he was the student councilâs secretary. There was something he had to discuss with Gu Xi, resulting in them talking for a long time.
With a thwack, Shen Jiaze put his chopsticks down.
Gu Xi and the secretary looked at Shen Jiaze at the same time.
Shen Jiaze said, âIâm having a meal with Gu Xi right now, could you please go away?â
The secretary had confusion written all over his face: ???
Gu Xi reacted, he was quite surprised.
Shen Jiaze said fiercely, âYou are a third wheel, yet youâre not aware of it?â
The secretary, â!!!â Wh...what the hell!?
Shen Jiaze unexpectedly blurted out, âIâm dating Gu Xi, so could you please not disturb our breakfast time?â
The secretary: Q!$#%@$%@$%@ï¿¥% (his mind had turned into mojibake!)
What was more surprising was that Gu Xi didnât get angry, nor did he refute it. He actually smiled and said, âWeâll talk about this later.â
Even the president was chasing him away!
The secretary truly had no idea how he should take his leave!
Shen Jiazeâs volume just now wasnât low. People on the next table mustâve heard everything he said.
He had quite the guts, huh.
Was Gu Xi scared? Jokes on you. The people sitting at the table beside them were mostly his acquaintances. Gu Xi picked up a slice of the roasted bacon and gave it to Shen Jiaze. âTry this, itâs pretty delicious.â
Shen Jiaze was a lot more âruthlessâ than Gu Xi. He slightly leaned forward and chomped on Gu Xiâs chopsticks.
This ...made it seem like Gu Xi was feeding Shen Jiaze.
Everyone around them inhaled deeply. Feeling refreshed, Shen Jiaze thought inside his heart: Iâll see if all of you could still approach him, approach my shit!
After eating the bacon, Great Young Master Shen had a tiny bit of guilty conscience. Gu Xi wouldnât disdain him, right? Because he knew very well that Gu Xi didnât like him.
Gu Xi was quite mysophobic, but he didnât really care about that now. His mind was filled with: You want to provoke me? Iâll change my name and surname if I donât get to cure your illness completely!
Hence, President Gu picked up another slice of bacon, then asked very tenderly, âDo you want to eat more?â
Shen Jiaze, â...â
This time, Gu Xi took the initiative to move his chopsticks to Shen Jiazeâs mouth.
Did Shen Jiaze end up eating the bacon? Yeah, he ate it, even though the tip of his ears grew a little hot after he did so.
Gu Xi said with a soft voice, âI know a restaurant that served really delicious bacon like this. Iâll take you there next time.â
Shen Jiaze agreed absent-mindedly.
There was this so-called idiom, âthe older, the wiserâ; even though only one year âolderâ, he would still be âwiserâ. Gu Xiâs âlevelâ was obviously higher than Shen Jiaze. Gu Xi took out the pocket tissue, got up a bit, then said, âYouâve got sauce in the corner of your mouth.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
After saying so, he helped Shen Jiaze wipe the sauce away.
Shen Jiazeâs whole body froze, and the melon-eating spectators around them were so shocked that they dropped their melons!
Gu Xi was tickled pink. Looking at the dumbfounded Shen Jiaze made him feel incredibly pleased.
Afterwards, they seemed to have been dating for real...
Shen Jiaze, who had forever gotten up late, began to wake up right at six oâclock in the morning. He also went on a morning jog with Gu Xi on time, eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner together with him.
When no one bothered them, they were well-behaved and looked like ordinary brothers.
However, Gu Xi was very likable. This resulted in Shen Jiaze starting to get angry whenever someone approached Gu Xi and couldnât stop himself to âdeclare his sovereigntyâ.
The instant he âdeclared sovereigntyâ, Gu Xi began to think that Shen Jiaze was provoking him, resulting in him promptly âgoing alongâ with whatever Shen Jiaze was doing.
Their âpublic display of affectionâ had almost made the melon-eating spectators around them blind!
Almost a month later, Ye Chen who was late to catch on finally noticed that they seemed to be âdatingâ.
Gu Xi didnât hide his sexual orientation. Most of his âtrusted aidesâ in the student council knew about it. Still, it was limited to them, of course; outsiders didnât know about it. Him making a âpublic display of affectionâ with Shen Jiaze was also limited to a few people.
They avoid getting involved in a taboo subject, after all. Otherwise, their parents might forcefully close the school down. Thinking about it sent chills down their spines.
In the classroom, Ye Chen poked Gu Xi and asked, âWhatâs going on with you and Shen Jiaze?â
Gu Xi replied, âIâm teasing him.â
Ye Chen paused for a moment to think, but still couldnât make heads or tails of it. âWhat do you mean by teasing him??â
Gu Xi eventually explained to Ye Chen about everything that had happened from beginning to end.
Hearing Gu Xiâs explanations, Ye Chen was flabbergasted. âYou two...are really...something...â
Gu Xi, âIâd like to see how long he could hold on.â
Ye Chen went silent. After staring at the book for a while, he approached Gu Xi and asked again, âYou think heâs competing with you?â
Gu Xi, âOtherwise?â Shen Jiaze was hot-tempered, and that was why Gu Xi loved to tease him most.
Ye Chen kept silent. A long time later, however, he couldnât help but say, âI donât understand you two.â
Gu Xi asked, âWhat made you think so?â
Ye Chen put himself in Shen Jiazeâs shoes and thought for a while before saying, âNo matter how I see it, itâd be impossible for me. Getting up at six to accompany you on a morning jog; waiting for you to have a meal together on time everyday; learning what you like to eat, the places you frequented, and what you like to do; all of them just to compete with you...â
Gu Xi was struck dumb by Ye Chenâs words.
Ye Chen shook his head. âI wonât be able to do it. Let alone the other thing, thinking about having to get up at six is enough to make me give up.â
After speaking for a while, Ye Chen himself still couldnât figure out the reason, but Gu Xi had come to a realization.
The spectators see the chess game better than the players. Even though Ye Chen didnât explain it in full detail, his words were enough to cause Gu Xi to have a sudden realization.
Gu Xi realized that...Shen Jiaze might have probably...
This doesnât look good!
Gu Xi immediately had alarm bells ringing in his head. He suddenly sobered up.
Competing and playing with each other were alright, but being serious was a no-go.
Gu Xi thought about it throughout the lesson. The more he thought of it, the more he realized that he had messed up.
Shen Jiaze had been continuously accompanying Gu Xi for morning jogs for a month. This kind of thing...wasnât something that anyone would be able to do for so long.
Although one could see that Shen Jiaze must have exercised regularly, it was different from a morning jog. Most people could get into the habit of running, that was true, but not everyone could get past the hurdle of getting up early.
Nevertheless, Shen Jiaze had been waiting for Gu Xi outside the door on time every morning.
Gu Xi began to feel that Shen Jiaze might have taken this âgameâ seriously.
Did Shen Jiaze truly like him?
Gu Xi didnât feel like provoking Shen Jiaze anymore.
The reason was no other but Shen Jiazeâs family.
Even though Gu Xi was originally not straight, he wouldnât cause trouble out of nowhere. He simply wanted to find someone he liked and be faithful to him to the end. As a result, he would consider a lot of things if he wanted to date someone seriously.
Gu Xiâs own family was already a large âbarrierâ for him, he didnât want to add more problems by getting involved with the Shen Family.
This was getting out of hand. The obstacles that came from oneâs family really could drive someone crazy.
Gu Xi wouldnât take the risks if he didnât intend to be serious in love.
Shen Jiaze was really amusing, but that was it; Gu Xi mustnât be in a serious relationship with him. The future would be a bumpy road ahead if they did. Gu Xi wouldnât ruin his own life.
Gu Xi was someone who would quickly act on what he had decided, thus, he began to alienate Shen Jiaze.
He felt a bit unaccustomed to it, but it was still not too late now. This would be the best for both of them.
When he went for his morning jog, Gu Xi would deliberately go out earlier. He would even use another jogging route, completely avoiding Shen Jiaze.
Gu Xi unexpectedly felt somewhat lonely now that he had suddenly returned to jogging by himself.
Gu Xi took a bath, then ate breakfast. Ye Chen glanced around, resulting in Gu Xi asking him, âWhat are you looking at?â
âWhereâs Shen Jiaze?â
Gu Xi replied, âI donât feel like teasing him anymore.â
Ye Chen was confused. âDid you two...break up?â
Gu Xi, âWhat break up? I was only teasing him.â
Ye Chen, âYou two are really...impressive...â
Hearing his words, Gu Xi inexplicably felt a bit distressed. âEat your meal!â
Shen Jiaze didnât show up until evening.
Gu Xi felt relieved yet upset at the same time.
He mustâve been overthinking. There was no way Shen Jiaze would like him.
In fact... Gu Xi was suddenly aware that they had actually not exchanged numbers even though they had been âtogetherâ for a month.
Which was why, he must have overthought it.
Gu Xi had a sleepless night, rolling on his bed all night.
In the end, Shen Jiaze didnât come to look for him even after two days had passed.
Gu Xi lived his life like usual. He looked relaxed but felt extremely restless inside his heart.
On the weekend, Gu Xiâs cousin pestered him to go window-shopping with her.
Gu Xi didnât exactly feel good staying at home, so he agreed to go out with her.
After strolling around for a while, Gu Xi was nearly tired to death. His cousin said, âAlright, alright, letâs rest for a while. Iâll treat you to a cup of coffee.â
Gu Xi needed a rest, indeed.
Hence, the two went to a café together. Just as they sat down, a low and cold voice could be heard, âGu Xi!â
Gu Xi turned his head and saw Shen Jiaze. He also noticed his arm that was put in a cast...
What happened to his arm? I didnât see him for only a few days, yet it was broken?
Gu Xi was worried, wanting to ask what had happened to Shen Jiaze.
However, Shen Jiaze had beaten him to it. He got up and approached Gu Xi with large strides.
It was dreadfully intimidating when tall people like him looked down on people like this.
Gu Xiâs cousin felt inexplicably diffident, she didnât even know why.
Shen Jiaze looked at them, then asked with a cold voice, âWho is she?â
Gu Xi spoke at almost the same time with Shen Jiaze, âWhat happened to your arm?â