ROBEPTQ chapter 27

Watching a movie almost made Bai Sijun feel suffocated, an experience he had never had before. After the movie ended, he quickly went to the restroom and washed his face thoroughly.

As the heat on his face gradually subsided, he couldn’t help but feel strange. Clearly, when he fed strawberries to Mei Yuchen before, Mei Yuchen was calm and composed. How did the roles reverse, and when Mei Yuchen fed him, he felt like a fool?

It must be because his skin was too thin, and Mei Yuchen’s skin was too thick.

Other than that, he couldn’t think of any other reason.

He grabbed a tissue to wipe the water droplets off his face, then leisurely walked out of the bathroom.

Outside the bathroom, many people were waiting for their companions, mostly girls. Mei Yuchen was quite conspicuous among the crowd, and Bai Sijun almost immediately noticed his unmistakable presence.

He walked towards him, and when he got closer, he saw Mei Yuchen lowering his head with two girls standing in front of him.

The two girls looked shy, saying something to Mei Yuchen, who seemed uninterested.

Bai Sijun quickly approached Mei Yuchen, and at that moment, Mei Yuchen suddenly lifted his eyes and said, “They asked for my WeChat. Can I give it to them?”

Bai Sijun thought he wasn’t Mei Yuchen’s literary agent; he shouldn’t be dealing with such trivial matters. However, before he could speak, the expressions on the faces of the two girls changed like a palette of colors. They looked at the two men with strange eyes, then each said, “Sorry to bother” and “Excuse us” before giggling and running away.

Bai Sijun was puzzled. Why did he feel that, after getting to know Mei Yuchen, he understood less and less about what girls were thinking?

He asked strangely, “Weren’t they asking for your WeChat?”

Mei Yuchen turned and walked towards the exit, casually saying, “They don’t dare to ask for it when the main character is here.”

Since Mei Yuchen faced forward, Bai Sijun couldn’t hear very clearly. He only caught the words “don’t dare to ask for it” and suddenly recalled his difficult process of courting Mei Yuchen. He couldn’t help feeling a little sympathetic to the two girls.

But the next moment, he was surprisingly a little happy.

It turned out that what he had strived to achieve wasn’t something anyone could accomplish.

Mei Yuchen turned his head, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “What are you standing there for? Let’s go.”

Bai Sijun smirked and followed his pace.

The two had dinner in the mall, and Mei Yuchen drove Bai Sijun back home.

Although Bai Sijun had impulsively suggested coaxing Mei Yuchen to sleep earlier, Mei Yuchen’s sleep condition didn’t seem as bad as he had imagined.

Moreover, Mei Yuchen didn’t bring up the matter again, and Bai Sijun guessed that Mei Yuchen might still have some concerns. After all, just as men and women wouldn’t easily share a bed, it was probably the same for Mei Yuchen regarding two men. So Bai Sijun wouldn’t force him to sleep with him.

For convenience, Bai Sijun had rented a place near the company. Therefore, starting from the underground parking lot of the mall, it took only about ten minutes to reach his residential area.

Mei Yuchen parked the car on the roadside. As Bai Sijun unfastened his seatbelt, he noticed that Mei Yuchen had also unfastened his seatbelt.

Bai Sijun was puzzled, “Are you also getting out?”

Mei Yuchen glanced at him indifferently and asked as a matter of course, “Can’t I go to your place?”

Images of Mei Yuchen’s large villa immediately flashed in Bai Sijun’s mind, as well as his own room that was roughly the size of Mei Yuchen’s bathroom. He quickly said, “I live with someone else. It’s better if you don’t come.”

Mei Yuchen frowned, refusing to be rejected, “it doesn’t matter.”

Alright, Bai Sijun thought, let Mei Yuchen take a look and see what it’s like. When he can’t stand it, he’ll leave on his own.

When Bai Sijun brought Mei Yuchen home, he didn’t expect that all three of his roommates were present, and they were playing cards in the living room.

As the two entered, the atmosphere became silent for a moment. Bai Sijun took the initiative to introduce, “This is my friend, here to hang out.”

Mei Yuchen stiffly nodded to the three people.

Bai Sijun then led him to his room, and then gestured, “Here, there’s nothing interesting.”

The room, less than thirty square meters, was cramped with a bed, wardrobe, and desk. Bai Sijun, who usually stayed alone in this space, didn’t find it narrow. However, with two tall men over 1.8 meters suddenly standing in the small room, it instantly felt a bit cramped.

Mei Yuchen looked at the room with a complex expression, and Bai Sijun found it amusing just by looking at his expression. This big shot’s disdain was almost impossible to hide; he had brought discomfort upon himself.

Bai Sijun wanted to say he could leave if he had seen enough, but at that moment, someone knocked on his door. The voice of the roommate from the master bedroom sounded from outside, “Xiao Bai, do you want your friend to join us for UNO?”

Bai Sijun guessed Mei Yuchen wouldn’t agree, and was about to refuse, but then Mei Yuchen said, “Sure.”

Bai Sijun was surprised, “You know how to play?”

Mei Yuchen seemed to sense his surprise, slightly narrowed his eyes, and asked displeasedly, “Do you really think I live in isolation?”

Bai Sijun smirked, thinking that this famous writer wasn’t as detached from the real world as he seemed.

A few minutes later, everyone sat around the coffee table in the living room to play. The guy from the master bedroom started dealing the cards. One of the girls looked at Bai Sijun and asked, “Xiao Bai, is your friend also an editor?”

The other girl continued jokingly, “Are editors this handsome nowadays? I really want to change jobs.”

“He’s not an editor,” Bai Sijun chuckled helplessly. “He’s Mei Yuchen.”

Bai Sijun didn’t need to introduce who Mei Yuchen was; the three people on the opposite side simultaneously held their breaths. After a while, the guy from the master bedroom asked uncertainly, “The one who got the Star Wood Award?”

“Yeah,” Bai Sijun casually picked up the cards, but there was a hint of indescribable vanity in his heart.

Although Mei Yuchen’s previous works had nothing to do with him, the thought of being able to handle Mei Yuchen’s next book made him feel a sense of self-satisfaction.

The next second, the girl sitting next to Mei Yuchen suddenly seemed to be injected with chicken blood. She rushed back to her room and brought out a book. Bai Sijun only glanced at the cover style and knew it was Mei Yuchen’s work.

“I-I-I love your book so much! Can you give me an autograph?” the girl nervously asked.

Mei Yuchen glanced at Bai Sijun, seemingly complaining that Bai Sijun shouldn’t have exposed him. Bai Sijun just smiled, and his smile contained a hint of schadenfreude.

Time flew by quickly when playing games, and Bai Sijun wasn’t sure what bad luck he encountered, but he lost almost every round. In this round, he finally got a good hand, but it seemed like everyone else also had good cards.

The guy from the master bedroom played a +4 card, the girl next played another +4 card, and it was Mei Yuchen’s turn next. Bai Sijun initially wanted to see Mei Yuchen’s embarrassed look, but unexpectedly, Mei Yuchen also played a +4 card.

The three roommates cheered, all looking at Bai Sijun. Mei Yuchen also appeared like he was waiting to see the excitement.

He glanced at the cards in his hand; not a single one could be played. He could only resign himself to fate and drew twelve cards from the deck.

The three roommates, already in a noisy atmosphere, witnessed Bai Sijun being taken advantage of and laughed even more recklessly. However, at this moment, Bai Sijun suddenly heard Mei Yuchen’s laughter. Turning his head, he saw him with a rare smile, revealing eight teeth.

If Bai Sijun remembered correctly, Mei Yuchen’s smile had always been reserved, never so open and carefree.

Sometimes he couldn’t be sure if Mei Yuchen’s smile contained any sincerity, but at this moment, he knew he was genuinely happy.

Bai Sijun lifted the corners of his mouth, realizing that even though he was thoroughly defeated in the game, he strangely wasn’t in a bad mood. While arranging the cards in his hand, he complained half-heartedly, “Why don’t you go back already?”

Mei Yuchen, seemingly having had enough laughter, retracted his smile and replied casually, “I’m not going back today.”

Bai Sijun swept a glance at the wall clock; it was already past 10:30 PM. If Mei Yuchen didn’t want to go back…

Well, let him be. It wasn’t a big deal anyway.

The group played until past 11:00 PM before dispersing. The two girls went to the shared bathroom to freshen up, and the roommate with the master bedroom returned to his own room.

Bai Sijun handed a pair of cotton slippers to Mei Yuchen and put on his summer flip-flops. Then, he found a clean T-shirt and sweatpants for him. After preparing Mei Yuchen, he brought out his usual sleepwear—a tank top and knee-length shorts.

Lifting the hem of his clothes, preparing to change, Bai Sijun suddenly remembered something. He turned to Mei Yuchen, sitting on the swivel chair, and said, “Um, you… don’t look this way.”

As the words came out, he felt he was being overly sensitive, something he hadn’t been before.

However, Mei Yuchen didn’t react much. He cast his eyes casually out the window.

After Bai Sijun took off his shirt and quickly put on the tank top, he unbuttoned his shorts in two or three moves and took them off. As he bent down to pick up the shorts, he always felt a scorching gaze on his back.

Lifting the shorts, he turned around and met Mei Yuchen’s unabashed gaze.

Bai Sijun was taken aback. He hadn’t expected his sixth sense to be so accurate. Feeling uncomfortable, he asked, “Didn’t I tell you not to look this way?”

Mei Yuchen shrugged, nonchalantly saying, “A few glances won’t hurt.”

This reasoning was unassailable. Bai Sijun suddenly felt choked, unable to find words. Just as he was about to say something, the girls outside the door informed him that the bathroom was available, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

Earlier, Bai Sijun had bought toothbrushes—two in a pack, one blue and one pink. He hadn’t thought much about it at the time, only considering it a good deal. Little did he know that it would come in handy at a moment like this.

He handed the brand-new pink toothbrush to Mei Yuchen. In the small bathroom, Bai Sijun, with the blue toothbrush, and Mei Yuchen, with the pink one, stood in front of the mirror brushing their teeth in silence.

It felt strangely eerie.

Bai Sijun couldn’t resist stealing a glance at Mei Yuchen through the mirror, only to find their eyes meeting.

He quickly lowered his head to spit out the foam, but the next second, Mei Yuchen also spat out the foam and unceremoniously took the cup from Bai Sijun’s left hand, following suit.

Bai Sijun suddenly thought of a proverb: “Near red, near ink.” Apparently, spending too much time with Mei Yuchen made him hallucinate that two men brushing their teeth together could create pink bubbles.

After finishing their hygiene routine, the two returned to the room. Bai Sijun’s bed was much smaller than Mei Yuchen’s, so when they lay down, they would squeeze together.

However, before Bai Sijun could get on the bed, Mei Yuchen sat cross-legged on it, furrowing his brow and picking up a long strand of hair.

It was clear that the hair did not belong to Bai Sijun or Mei Yuchen.

Seeing Mei Yuchen’s dark expression, Bai Sijun recalled and explained, “Didn’t I tell you I helped my ex-girlfriend out? She stayed here for a while last night, and later, her friends came to pick her up. The hair should be hers.”

Mei Yuchen, with an emotionless face, stepped down from the bed, throwing the hair into the trash can. “Change the sheets.”

Bai Sijun: “…”

Knowing Mei Yuchen’s pickiness, Bai Sijun couldn’t do anything but follow his instructions. From the wardrobe, he took out clean sheets and a duvet cover.

Changing sheets was a monthly affair, and Bai Sijun found it tiresome. However, Mei Yuchen sat on the side without offering any help.

Bai Sijun was tossing and turning on the bed, shaking the sheets and blankets. Occasionally, when he stopped, he noticed Mei Yuchen’s gaze either on his chest or his thighs.

It was more focused than watching a movie.

Bai Sijun couldn’t help but mutter, “What’s so interesting about changing the sheets?”

Mei Yuchen withdrew his gaze and cryptically replied, “It can spark imagination.”

“What imagination?” Bai Sijun continued shaking the blanket, following the thread of conversation.

“You wouldn’t want to know,” Mei Yuchen said with a smirk.

Bai Sijun’s movements paused, and even if he were slow, he could sense the meaning behind Mei Yuchen’s words. He furrowed his brow and said, “If you’re thinking of something messy again, I won’t let you sleep on my bed.”

Mei Yuchen fell into silence. Bai Sijun thought he had become obedient, but unexpectedly, Mei Yuchen suddenly spoke seriously, “You are my editor, and I have an obligation to remind you that your words have ambiguity.”

What ambiguity?

Isn’t it just suggesting that he go home?

Bai Sijun’s sheet-changing project reached its final stage, and he couldn’t be bothered to dwell on the ambiguity. When he finished changing the sheets, he was too tired to move and simply collapsed onto the bed.

“Turn off the lights and go to sleep,” he weakly said to Mei Yuchen.

Mei Yuchen followed, got into bed, turned off the lights, and then…

Familiarly, he wrapped his arms around Bai Sijun’s waist.

Bai Sijun suddenly felt that maybe he was too indulgent towards Mei Yuchen. He originally thought this person would have some reservations, but he kept breaking down the safety distance in his heart bit by bit. Bai Sijun shifted away a bit and couldn’t help saying, “Can’t you have some awareness of being gay? Don’t you know about personal space between men?”

Mei Yuchen chuckled.

Bai Sijun helplessly said, “Are you really having insomnia? I feel like you sleep better than I do.”

“It depends,” Mei Yuchen mumbled with his head down. “Sometimes good, sometimes bad.”

Bai Sijun thought for a moment. Writing is a job that relies on the mind, and it can indeed create mental stress. Considering Mei Yuchen hasn’t produced a new work in over three years, his pressure must be immense.

He sighed imperceptibly and whispered, “Thanks for today.”

Mei Yuchen raised his head, hugged him tighter, and in a hoarse voice near his ear, asked, “No reward?”

The tone sounded almost seductive.

The warm breath made Bai Sijun’s ear itch a bit. He shrugged his shoulders and without much thought replied, “I’ll buy you some snacks tomorrow.”

The person beside him suddenly quieted down. After a while, Mei Yuchen coldly responded, “Oh.”

In Bai Sijun’s mind, the “Mei Yuchen Mood Barometer” suddenly dropped into negative territory. He keenly sensed that Mei Yuchen was unhappy again. However, he didn’t understand why. He had promised to buy snacks; why wasn’t Mei Yuchen happy?

Feeling tired, he didn’t dwell on it. He fell asleep drowsily, unaware of the pair of eyes in the pitch-black night staring at his lips.