15

 Even though the streetlights were dim and couldn't illuminate the person's face clearly, Xie Zhiyan could imagine the look of surprise and fear on that handsome face.

Xie Zhiyan had always been more composed than his peers since childhood.

But when facing Song Yu, he found himself unable to treat her with a normal attitude.

Especially after she chose Zhou Yanming as her dare, he was consumed by jealousy and couldn't sleep at night thinking about Song Yu's face, which had been kissed so intensely.

After that, he waited for the entire summer vacation.

Song Yu didn't send him a single message, but she kept in touch with Zhou Yanming frequently.

Two days into the semester, she didn't even greet him on the street.

What was this?

Did she not like him anymore?

Xie Zhiyan's palm tightened slightly, and he could feel the boy's thin shoulders trembling uncontrollably. He gave a faint smile, just like usual: "I've arrived. What did you want to see me about?"

At that moment, Song Yu's heart almost jumped out of his chest.

His eyelids trembled wildly as he bit his lower lip until it was raw and mushy, releasing a rich aroma, occasionally letting out muffled, wet sobs.

He was so frightened he couldn't even speak, but Xie Zhiyan seemed very patient, gently patting his shoulder and watching him as he waited.

His heart calmed down slightly, and Song Yu finally released his teeth, his dangling fingers tightly twisting the hem of his clothes as he said, "I...I wasn't looking for...I was just passing by. You...how did you get here too?"

A boy's lies have very obvious telltale signs.

For example, his eyes become round and dull with tension, the corners of his eyes turn red, and his thick, curled eyelashes tremble incessantly.

One blink after another.

Xie Zhiyan's breathing quickened instantly. He bent down, leaned close to Song Yu, and pointed ahead: "Is the letter on the chair for me?"

Song Yu was stunned for a moment, then shook his head frantically, his eyes still wet.

He couldn't tease him anymore.

If he kept teasing him, he'd cry.

"It wasn't for me." Xie Zhiyan smiled, his voice gentle as the wind, but what he said wasn't the truth. "But wasn't it you who sent me harassing texts, those kinds of photos, and stole a kiss from me during the power outage?"

Song Yu's face turned pale, and he almost stopped breathing.

He'd been...discovered...why was he discovered now?

Where was 009?

Song Yu called out a few times, but received no response, so he could only stare blankly at the boy opposite him.

"I'm sorry..."

he apologized, his cheek tickled by the breath from the other person, but he dared not move. After a moment, he heard Xie Zhiyan speak calmly: "It was my first kiss."

Song Yu was stunned for a moment before realizing that the other person was referring to the stolen kiss.

Part of his fear turned into guilt, and he apologized again in a low voice: "I'm...I'm sorry..."

Xie Zhiyan stood up straight: "Song Yu."

Song Yu looked up. He was sweating, and a light, cool fragrance wafted over him. Xie Zhiyan couldn't help but take a deep breath: "You need to think carefully about how to make it up to me."

The boy's voice didn't seem angry.

But Song Yu had never seen Xie Zhiyan angry before; perhaps this was how he felt now. He suddenly remembered the dream he'd had earlier. In the dream, Xie Zhiyan had invited him to a grove, smelling his scent and taking pictures of him.

Startled, Song Yu immediately said, "I'll give you back the pictures I took of you."

Xie Zhiyan's face turned cold: "You want to completely sever ties with me?"

This time, Song Yu could clearly feel the oppressive atmosphere emanating from the other man.

The streetlights were dim, the sky was covered by thick clouds, and everything was quiet.

The boy's body was shrouded in the shadow of the other man.

They didn't know how long they had been facing off, until strange sounds came from the nearby woods. The sounds grew louder, eventually evolving into muffled splashing and soft panting.

Even if Song Yu was slow on the uptake, he understood what those sounds were. He awkwardly lowered his eyes, not daring to look at Xie Zhiyan, unsure of what to say.

Xie Zhiyan saw the boy's shy and helpless expression and his flushed ears clearly.

"Let's talk about it back home."

Before Song Yu could react, Xie Zhiyan grabbed his hand and, before leaving, took the confession letter from the chair.

*

Song Yu was already a bit slow-witted, and this sudden shock completely stunned him. He

only reacted when Xie Zhiyan asked for his dorm key after they were taken back to the dormitory.

Song Yu's three roommates all needed to participate in special training, so he was the only one living in the dorm now. After the door was opened, Xie Zhiyan pulled Song Yu in as well before letting go and turning on the light.

"Click"—Song

Yu heard the noise and realized that Xie Zhiyan had already locked the dorm door.

This was a prelude to settling scores with him—harassing text messages, stolen kisses, taking photos without permission…it sounded so serious that even a few beatings wouldn't be enough to vent his anger.

"Sit down first." Xie Zhiyan brought over a chair.

Song Yu sat down uneasily, only to realize afterward that there was a table behind him and Xie Zhiyan in front of him—he was squeezed into a very small space with nowhere to hide.

And Xie Zhiyan was reading the confession letter.

Song Yu was incredibly embarrassed, his legs pressed tightly together, his hands resting on them, his eyes lowered as he waited for the other person to finish looking.

After what seemed like an eternity, Xie Zhiyan suddenly spoke: "Where are the photos?"

Song Yu was startled: "W-what?"

"The photos of me."

Song Yu gave a belated "Oh," took a small key from a compartment in his backpack, and bent down to open a drawer.

Xie Zhiyan stared at the boy's pinkish fingers resting on the gold lock. Once the drawer was open, he glanced inside: a cell phone, a stack of photos, a pen cap, and an empty water bottle.

Xie Zhiyan recognized the pen cap; it was the one he'd lost last semester. As for the empty water bottle…

"Is this the one I drank from?"

Song Yu's earlobes were bright red, and he gave a small "Mmm."

Some inappropriate, burning thoughts excited Xie Zhiyan. He rarely experienced such strong emotions; his chest heaved, his body temperature rose, and he desperately wanted to hug Song Yu.

In fact, he did.

"Xiao Yu." Xie Zhiyan wanted to keep calling him that; only he could call him that.

No matter how the other approached, Xie Zhiyan felt he couldn't escape.

He felt that compared to Song Yu, he was the darker one. From initial boredom, to interest in waiting for the other's texts, to becoming a jealous harasser.

He thought he was the hunter, but he was deeply trapped in the dreamlike and passionate web woven by Song Yu.

He had completely and uncontrollably fallen in love with Song Yu.

Song Yu felt a gentle brush against his neck; the other's tone was light and cheerful, with no intention of punishing him.

"Be with me, okay?"

After finishing his classes for the day, Song

Yu packed his bag. Reaching the stairs, he stopped, hesitated for a moment, then changed direction, taking a less crowded staircase.

Just as he reached the fourth floor, his wrist was pulled away forcefully, followed by a tall figure squeezing in.

"I sent you a message, why didn't you reply?" Xie Zhiyan leaned down, unable to resist pinching the boy's soft cheek.

Song Yu hadn't expected that changing the staircase wouldn't work, and resignedly let him pinch him: "I was listening to the lecture."

"Quite attentive." Xie Zhiyan smiled faintly. Even though they had only met that morning, he couldn't help but think about the other. "I've organized your notes."

Song Yu looked up, his eyes shining: "Really?"

Xie Zhiyan took a notebook out of his bag. Song Yu immediately reached for it, but the other deliberately held it up high.

"I don't give things away for nothing." The aloof-looking boy stared at him.

Song Yu immediately understood what he meant.

This was something Xie Zhiyan often did—an equivalent exchange. Trading notes or answers to problems for a kiss.

In just a few days, Song Yu had been kissed five times, and still owed three more.

A week ago, Xie Zhiyan proposed to be together, and Song Yu was stunned, unsure of what to do, only able to brush it off with words like "I'll think about it."

After 009 came out, he realized that although the plot had deviated, the progress bar hadn't regressed. After much discussion, they could only grit their teeth and continue along this strange path.

Song Yu said he would "think about it," but Xie Zhiyan clearly didn't think so.

After that day, the other party frequently came to see him, ate and went to class with him, and would text him if they didn't see each other for several hours.

It seemed that he was already dating him.

At this point, Song Yu acquiesced. Anyway, he would break up with Xie Zhiyan after a while, and the main characters would start dating again, putting everything back on track without any problems.

But the problem was... Xie Zhiyan really liked kissing.

However, he probably lacked experience, and his kissing skills were very clumsy, always making Song Yu's mouth uncomfortable.

And Song Yu was someone who wasn't good at saying no.

A gentle touch on his palm brought the boy back to his senses, and he slowly said, "Back to the dorm..."

Xie Zhiyan was satisfied, and handed him the notebook before taking Song Yu's hand and leading him downstairs. They

looked completely absorbed in love.

Song Yu tried to pull his hand away, but the other man was strong, so he had no choice but to give up.

Back in the dorm, Song Yu had barely put down his bag when he was pulled onto the table, and then a forceful, aggressive kiss landed on him.

Soon, the boy was breathless, making muffled sounds, and tried to push the other away by pressing his hands against his chest.

Xie Zhiyan separated them slightly, but his gaze lingered on Song Yu's face, and he couldn't resist launching another assault.

*

Zhou Yanming finished his day's training and was on his way back to his residence when he glanced at his phone.

Song Yu seemed very busy lately, not even having time to reply to messages.

What was she busy with?

Zhou Yanming couldn't see her, and his heart was pounding with longing. He irritably put his phone back in his pocket.

"Buzz"—Zhou

Yanming excitedly took out his phone, but then...

It wasn't from the boy I've been longing for.

Vice-captain: [Old Zhou, it's over!! Your base has been raided!!]

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