In the end, Bai Yang couldn’t find any good-quality and affordable clothes at the mall. He ended up buying a cheap, warm coat online for around a hundred yuan. To his surprise, the quality of the coat was quite good. So, he also bought sweaters, shirts, and pants from the same store online, spending a total of just over two hundred yuan. After changing into the new clothes, he didn’t look exceptionally stylish, but he appeared much more vibrant than before.
Wearing his new clothes, Bai Yang went to work at the restaurant. After finishing work in the evening, he hummed a song while riding his bike back home. Lost in thought, he almost collided with a car at a corner. Luckily, he managed to change direction in time, but he still lost balance and fell off his bike. His hands scraped the ground, causing a minor injury, and his clothes were covered in dirt.
“Sorry, sorry!” The owner of the car hurriedly approached, but when he got closer, he exclaimed, “Bai Yang?”
Bai Yang looked up and was surprised to see Shao Cheng’s friend, Gu Wei Hao.
“Are you okay?” Gu Wei Hao wanted to help him up, but Bai Yang gestured to show that he was fine.
“Ah, you’ve scraped your hand.” Sharp-eyed Gu Wei Hao noticed the wound on Bai Yang’s hand. “Let me help you dress the wound.”
“No need, it’s just a minor injury. I’ll take care of it at home,” Bai Yang replied. He didn’t like inconveniencing others.
Gu Wei Hao smiled, a bit teasingly. “Are you sure? I’m actually heading to Shao Cheng’s place now. How about I take you there to dress the wound?”
Bai Yang hesitated for a moment before swallowing the words of refusal that were on the tip of his tongue.
“No, it’s not… I wouldn’t be appropriate. I don’t want to disturb you.”
Gu Wei Hao was quite generous. “It’s no problem. There will be a lot of people there. Adding one more won’t make a difference. Just tell me, do you want to go or not? Do you not want to see Shao Cheng?”
Bai Yang’s clean face turned slightly red at that question. Of course, he wanted to go. Since the last time they had dinner, they hadn’t spoken or seen each other much. If he could see Shao Cheng up close again, even if he was just quietly observing from a corner…
After a few seconds of contemplation, he nodded earnestly. “I want to.”
And so, he got into Gu Wei Hao’s car, leaving his bicycle in the trunk.
During the drive, Gu Wei Hao informed Bai Yang that Shao Cheng was hosting a party at his villa with around twenty people. Gu Wei Hao had been delayed by something and received a call from Shao Cheng, urging him to hurry. That was why he was driving fast and almost collided with Bai Yang, who suddenly appeared at the corner.
“So, Shao Cheng likes these lively events too?” Bai Yang wondered.
Gu Wei Hao laughed. “Of course not! It’s Zheng Hanqin who’s throwing the party. He’s probably just feeling bored, so he wanted me to go over and keep him company.”
Bai Yang’s heart sank a bit. He suddenly asked, “Did Shao Cheng and Zheng Hanqin get back together?”
Gu Wei Hao was busy overtaking a slow-moving car in front, and without thinking, he said, “Get back together? They never even got together in the first place!” He realized what he had said and tried to backtrack. “Don’t tell anyone about this! If Shao Cheng finds out, he’ll kill me!”
Bai Yang had prepared himself for a certain answer, but he was shocked by this unexpected response. His brain struggled to catch up, and he was so taken aback that he couldn’t find words.
“… What’s going on?” After recovering from the surprise, his heart raced anxiously. “Could you tell me? I promise I won’t say anything. I swear!”
Gu Wei Hao glanced at him. “I can’t tell you everything, but since I like you, I’ll give you some reassurance. Shao Cheng doesn’t currently have a partner or anyone he likes. If you like him, you should be bold and pursue him. I think you have a chance.”
The last sentence made Bai Yang’s excitement gradually subside, and he returned to a calm state.
“I don’t have a chance. Even if he doesn’t have a partner, it’s not possible for me.”
He was saying this more to convince himself than anything else, a self-mocking smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Gu Wei Hao chuckled. “Weren’t you quite bold and confident when you confessed to Shao Cheng? You surprised all of us. Now, why are you hesitating?”
“That’s different. Liking him is my own business. I’ve already conveyed my feelings to him, and I have no regrets. But I know he couldn’t possibly like me. Why should I bother him or pester him with my presence? It’s not called hesitation; it’s called self-awareness.”
“Wow, you’re truly a top student in the Chinese department. Your way of speaking is quite something!” Gu Wei Hao teased.
Bai Yang smiled and remained silent.
Half an hour later, the car arrived at Shao Cheng’s private villa. Gu Wei Hao used facial recognition to enter, and Bai Yang, who was unfamiliar with the place, followed him. Upon entering, Bai Yang realized the villa was twice the size of an average one. On the ground floor, more than twenty people were chatting and having fun in the spacious living room. He saw Zheng Hanqin sitting on a couch, chatting with a gentle-looking guy, but he didn’t see Shao Cheng anywhere.
“Shao Cheng must be in his room,” Gu Wei Hao said. “Let me take you upstairs to find him.”
Bai Yang hadn’t even had time to consider if this sudden visit was appropriate. Gu Wei Hao pulled him up to the third floor.
The third floor was much quieter by comparison. Gu Wei Hao walked confidently to a door and pushed it open, loudly announcing, “Hey, Shao Cheng! I’m here!”
Shao Cheng, who was wearing headphones and sitting at a desk, turned his head. “Took you long enough.”
He seemed like he wanted to say more, but he suddenly noticed Bai Yang who had followed Gu Wei Hao into the room. Shao Cheng’s expression immediately turned cold, and his tone dropped in temperature. “Who told you to bring him here? Get out.”
Bai Yang was about to take a step forward, but upon hearing this, he hesitated and retreated to the door, clutching his clothes with unease.
Gu Wei Hao quickly explained, “You asked me to come over, but I was in a hurry to drive and nearly collided with him. He got a minor injury, so I brought him here to dress the wound. Do you have a first aid kit?”
Shao Cheng’s face remained cold. “What does it have to do with me if you hit someone? Take him to the hospital to dress the wound.”
Gu Wei Hao was taken aback by Shao Cheng’s response and fell into silence. The atmosphere became slightly awkward.
Bai Yang saw that neither of them looked too pleased, so he spoke up, “I’ll just dress the wound at home. You don’t have to worry about me. It’s just a minor scrape. I’m fine. I’ll leave now. Have fun.” He smiled apologetically at Gu Wei Hao, waving his hand to bid farewell. The pain in his hand had subsided by now.
Suddenly, Shao Cheng made a cold scoffing sound and walked over, his chilling gaze fixed on Bai Yang. However, his words were directed at Gu Wei Hao, “You leave first. I need to talk to him.”
Gu Wei Hao looked at Shao Cheng’s displeased expression and attempted to reason, “Shao Cheng… If I leave him here like this, I can’t be at ease…”
Shao Cheng gave him a glance. “Am I going to eat him?”
Gu Wei Hao glanced between Shao Cheng and Bai Yang, then chose to tactfully exit the room, closing the door behind him.
Bai Yang was unsure why Shao Cheng had changed his mind again and allowed him to stay. He was brought out of his thoughts when his injured hand was suddenly grasped tightly and raised between the two of them.
“Ahh…” A pang of pain shot through his scraped hand as it was moved.
Shao Cheng’s icy gaze bore down on him oppressively, his words dripping with scorn and mockery, “Pretending to be pitiful?”
“… What?” Bai Yang was baffled by the accusation.
“Isn’t it quite the coincidence? Gu Wei Hao was coming to my house, and you just happened to be brought along?” Shao Cheng’s voice was laced with sarcasm.
Bai Yang immediately understood the misunderstanding. “I’m not—”
“Is that girl the one who bought you these clothes?” Shao Cheng suddenly asked.
Bai Yang didn’t understand what he was talking about. “Which girl?”
Shao Cheng let out a cold laugh. “Still pretending? That day at the mall, didn’t a girl buy you clothes? You acted all superior in front of me, refusing to let me pay. What, you’re setting a trap to catch a big fish?”
Bai Yang’s heart sank. He was being misunderstood again. “She’s my friend. She didn’t buy me clothes. I bought these myself. Seriously!” He really didn’t want Shao Cheng to have the wrong idea. “I know what you’re thinking, but it’s really not like that. I didn’t intentionally get hit by Gu Wei Hao, and I don’t have any ulterior motives!”
Shao Cheng didn’t seem convinced. He leaned in slightly, his mocking gaze fixed on Bai Yang. “So, how is it that you always conveniently show up in front of me?”
Bai Yang suppressed his frustration and forced a smile. “Maybe it’s fate…”
A kind of fate he cherished but Shao Cheng despised.
“I know you dislike me.” Bai Yang let out a sigh, continuing with difficulty, “You can ignore me, or even chase me away. I won’t mind. But please don’t misunderstand my feelings for you.”
He managed to muster a smile, trying to appear nonchalant. “Besides, even if my intentions aren’t pure, what does it matter? You’re not going to like me anyway. Why do you care if I’m trying to deceive you?”
Shao Cheng was taken aback for a moment, then let go of Bai Yang’s shirt and turned away, his tone cold: “I want to know what your purpose is in getting close to me.”
“I’ve said it many times.” Bai Yang met his gaze directly: “I like you, so I want to see you, want to get close to you. Is there anything wrong with that?”
Shao Cheng carefully scrutinized the person in front of him for a long time but couldn’t find a trace of insincerity or flaws.
“You keep saying you like me, but what exactly do you like about me?”
Bai Yang could have said a thousand words in response to this question, but at the tip of his tongue, it condensed into just one sentence:
“You’re the kindest and gentlest person I’ve ever met.”
A trace of surprise flickered in Shao Cheng’s eyes, followed by a sneer:
“Are you blind?”
Anyone who knew him would never associate him with the words “kind” and “gentle.”
“I’m serious.”
Shao Cheng’s laughter grew deeper and more mocking: “Then tell me, how am I gentle?”
Silently, Bai Yang looked at the unyielding and cold expression before him, and his mind wandered back to the day he saw Shao Cheng on the video, that warm and encouraging gaze that could only belong to someone with a kind heart. Perhaps even Shao Cheng himself had never realized how gentle he could be.
In other words, only he knew, only he could possess this gentleness.
A surge of inexplicable enthusiasm rushed through Bai Yang’s heart. Before his brain could catch up, he took a step forward and quickly pressed a kiss onto Shao Cheng’s cheek, then retreated just as swiftly.
The smile on Shao Cheng’s face froze.
Bai Yang’s heart nearly leaped into his throat. Gu Wei Hao was right; sometimes he really was too audacious.
For several seconds, Shao Cheng didn’t move. Bai Yang let out a sigh of relief and jokingly said, “See, even though someone you dislike kissed you, you still didn’t hit me. It proves that you’re quite gentle.”
The next moment, he was grabbed by his collar and forcefully pressed against the door by Shao Cheng.
Bai Yang tried to look composed, but his hand had nervously grabbed onto his pants, ready to brace for a punch.
Shao Cheng remained silent, his deep and pitch-black eyes revealing no emotion. His intense gaze felt like a sharp blade piercing into Bai Yang’s eyes, making him feel uneasy. The silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity, and finally, Shao Cheng released his grip on Bai Yang’s collar, turned away, and refused to look at him.
“Get out.”
In the end, Bai Yang ended up riding his bicycle back home, declining Gu Wei Hao’s kind offer to give him a ride.
Back home, he sat on his bed, disinfecting and dressing his injured hand, unable to suppress a silly smile.
He had actually kissed Shao Cheng.
No matter how tough and sorrowful things might become in the future, just recalling this moment would make him smile happily.
