The next morning, Bai Yang was awakened by the alarm he had set on his phone. As usual, he reached out to press it off, but his arm felt as heavy as lead and couldn’t be lifted.
The events of last night slowly resurfaced in his mind. He suddenly opened his eyes, fully awake, his face turning completely red, and his heart racing.
He had actually been with Shao Cheng… It all felt like a dream.
Leaning against the head of the bed, Bai Yang gazed at the ceiling. Eventually, he couldn’t contain the excitement welling up inside him. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Shao Cheng wasn’t in the bed anymore. Bai Yang wanted to go find him downstairs, so he struggled to stretch his sore muscles and reached for the noisy phone on the bedside table. After turning off the alarm, he noticed a new message and opened it:
[The amount of 10,000 yuan was transferred to your XX Bank account ending in 0869 on XX day of X month, 20XX.]
Bai Yang rubbed his eyes, thinking he might not be fully awake yet. He looked again, making sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.
Could someone have sent the money to the wrong account?
He connected to the internet on his phone and then a new WeChat message popped up. It was from Shao Cheng.
[I’ve transferred the money to you. If it’s not enough, just let me know. Your clothes are on the sofa. I’m headed to school.]
Bai Yang was taken aback. His heart, which had been floating, suddenly felt like it was weighed down by heavy chains, sinking into the abyss.
Perhaps there is nothing sadder than sex devoid of love, except maybe sex treated as a monetary transaction.
He typed several lines of text, hesitated for a moment, then deleted them all and replied with a simple: [I’ll find you at school.]
Enduring the soreness, he got out of bed and walked to the sofa. Indeed, there was a set of clothes there. He tried them on and found that they fit him perfectly. Shao Cheng was taller and had a more strong build than him, so how could he have clothes that fit Bai Yang’s size? He puzzled over it for a moment but didn’t dwell on it. After getting ready, he left the room and headed to the school.
At the school gate, he ran into Ji Xiaoqian. She gave him a strange look, scanning him up and down, and asked, “Bai Bai, why do you walk so weird? Did you strain your waist?”
Bai Yang’s face heated up. Of course, he couldn’t reveal the real reason, so he just went along with Ji Xiaoqian’s assumption.
“Have you seen Shao Cheng? I need to talk to him about something,” he asked.
Ji Xiaoqian happened to have seen him, “Oh, you actually know him? I saw him walking to the back of the teaching building with Song Chi just now.” Both of them were well-known figures in the school, so she had some impression of them.
Bai Yang was somewhat surprised. Weren’t Shao Cheng and Song Chi always at odds with each other? Why would they be walking together? Were they going to fight? He quickly said goodbye to Ji Xiaoqian and hurried towards the back of the teaching building.
Before he even reached the back, he heard Song Chi’s voice. Bai Yang stopped in his tracks and leaned against the wall to listen carefully. If Song Chi dared to harm Shao Cheng, he wouldn’t show any mercy this time.
“Cheng, are you serious?” Song Chi’s tone was as disrespectful as ever.
“Yes,” Shao Cheng’s voice replied.
“Since you’re putting it that way, I’ll do as you say. But seriously, he’s terrible in bed. When he was with me before…”
“I’ve experienced it firsthand. You don’t need to worry about it,” Shao Cheng interrupted him coldly. “Anyway, you promised me, and I won’t hold your past actions against you. Otherwise, when I meet uncle in a few days, I’ll have a good talk with him.”
Song Chi hurriedly said, “Come on, Cheng, I’ve already told you, I’ll keep my word.”
“You better.” Shao Cheng finished speaking and seemed to leave. The sound of his footsteps faded, and then Song Chi left as well.
Bai Yang stood against the wall, lost in thought as he gazed at the floor.
Were they actually talking about him? Song Chi’s nonsense must have deepened Shao Cheng’s misunderstanding, but in this situation, Bai Yang couldn’t explain anything. He wasn’t sure what they had discussed, but it seemed like Shao Cheng had asked Song Chi to do something.
It was ironic that even Song Chi could help Shao Cheng. Yet Bai Yang, in his current position, could offer nothing except his body.
And even in terms of his body, perhaps he hadn’t satisfied Shao Cheng… If Shao Cheng had lost interest in him after last night, then Bai Yang had nothing left to offer.
Bai Yang stood there lost in thought for a while, then decided to meet Shao Cheng first. He needed to return the money at the very least. So, he hesitantly sent a message, asking for Shao Cheng’s whereabouts, and immediately headed there.
Shao Cheng was headed to a classroom in the teaching building. It wasn’t time for class yet, so no other students had arrived. When Bai Yang pushed the door open and entered, he saw Shao Cheng standing by the window in the empty classroom, lost in thought.
“What’s wrong? Was the money not enough?” Shao Cheng asked when he saw Bai Yang.
Bai Yang’s limbs were sore and the exhaustion from the previous night hadn’t worn off. The cold winter wind reddened his cheeks, and as he panted, he exhaled the chill from his chest.
He walked over to Shao Cheng, feeling his muscles ache. He looked up at Shao Cheng, his eyes red and watery, and said earnestly, “No, I don’t want the money.”
Shao Cheng’s lips curled into a mocking smile, and he raised an eyebrow as he looked at Bai Yang. “Then why did you do it with me last night?”
“I… I like you, and I did it willingly,” Bai Yang’s face turned even redder.
Shao Cheng straightened up, his tall figure stepping closer step by step. He looked down at Bai Yang, and although his expression wasn’t as cold as usual, there seemed to be a hint of warmth in his deep, dark eyes. Incredibly handsome, his gaze was impossible to avert.
“Do you really like me that much? You’re not even asking for money?” Shao Cheng’s low voice resonated in Bai Yang’s heart. He didn’t hesitate at all in his answer, and he looked directly into Shao Cheng’s eyes, speaking honestly, “Yes, I really like you and you mean a lot to me.” Just like his sister did.
Shao Cheng’s lips seemed to lift a bit more, and he murmured, “Keep the money then. Just do as I say in the future, and I’ll give you more. Got it?”
Bai Yang wanted to refuse, but Shao Cheng placed a finger against his lips, silencing him.
Unspoken tension grew in the air as Shao Cheng’s finger lingered, gently tracing Bai Yang’s lower lip. His gaze, enigmatic and obscure, seemed to hold an added warmth.
Bai Yang felt that Shao Cheng was different today, but before he could discern what had changed, voices from other students outside the classroom reached their ears. It seemed like people were coming in for class.
He knew he should leave. Shao Cheng wouldn’t want anyone to know about their unusual relationship, but he was reluctant to go. Bai Yang held onto Shao Cheng’s hand, the one resting against his lips, and lightly pressed a kiss to it. Looking into Shao Cheng’s eyes, he smiled faintly, “I’ll do as you say. I’ll go now.” With that, he slipped out of the classroom through the back door before anyone entered.
As Gu Weihao and Zhang Hongyi entered the classroom, they saw Shao Cheng standing still. Gu Weihao asked in confusion, “Cheng, why are you just standing there?”
Shao Cheng didn’t answer immediately. He stared at his own hand for a while before finally speaking:
“Just getting some fresh air. I need a moment to calm down.”
