Xia Zhinian stiffened, alarms blaring in his mind. He curled up, wanting to hide, but Yan Ci firmly pressed him against his chest, forcing his head to rest on his shoulder.
He wanted to escape, but the sensation of his skin being pressed against him made him tremble uncontrollably. His entire body tensed, and his voice quivered.
“Yan Ci, what are you doing?”
Yan Ci’s fingertips teased his increasingly red lips, eyes cold. He curled his lips in a serene smile, pressing his fingers down.
“Classmate Xia, you haven’t answered me yet.”
He had heard people discussing Xia Zhinian and hurried over, only to see the young man on tiptoes approaching Chu Qingjian.
In an instant, Yan Ci’s smile vanished entirely. A layer of crimson spread from the corners of his eyes, making the small scar even sharper. His jaw emitted a sharp, harsh sound.
His special medicine, his little rice cake.
Trying to kiss someone else.
Yan Ci’s fingertips pressed against those lips, the feeling of their skin touching easing his pain and itch, but a sudden surge of anger twisted his heart, making it feel like a hammer was pounding in his head.
Yan Ci’s voice was soft, almost smiling, “Be good, tell me, did you touch him?”
Xia Zhinian tilted his head back, his lips aching. A flash of panic crossed his eyes as he struggled to pry Yan Ci’s arm away, trembling slightly.
“Yan Ci, Yan Ci, no.” Didn’t touch him.
His eyes widened, an instinctive fear of being devoured by a beast spreading in his heart, “Are you not feeling well? Where’s your… medicine?”
Yan Ci laughed softly, his fingertips brushing against the boy’s soft skin. His voice was gentle yet terrifying as he leaned closer and lowered his voice.
“Be good. Isn’t my medicine right here in my hand?”
Xia Zhinian didn’t understand, his amber eyes filled with confusion and trembling fear, trying to struggle.
Yan Ci watched the bewilderment and fear in his eyes, tugging at his lips, covering his eyes with one hand and pinning his wrists with the other, leaning close to his ear, smiling, and lowering his voice.
“Do you remember now?”
Xia Zhinian: “!!!!!”
Xia Zhinian suddenly realized, “The person in the hospital was you and Meng Chen.”
Yan Ci smiled satisfactorily, “Yes, Classmate Xia is brilliant.”
Yan Ci spun him around, grabbed his waist, lifted him effortlessly with one hand, and turned to walk inside.
Xia Zhinian’s pupils contracted, “Yan Ci! What are you doing? Put me down.”
The corridor was eerily quiet.
Yan Ci’s voice was very light, and from a distance, people only saw the eldest young master of the Yan family suddenly holding Xia Zhinian, speaking softly, while Xia Zhinian was immobilized and looked panicked.
Only Chu Qingjian and the girl near him heard what was said.
Chu Qingjian frowned as Yan Ci took Xia Zhinian away. He didn’t confront Yan Ci directly in his anger but went downstairs to find Xia Wenhan.
Xia Zhinian was taken to the fourth floor. Yan Ci pinned him with one hand, locked the door with the other, and put the key in his pocket.
He tried to jump down, but Yan Ci’s arm was like an iron clamp, holding him tightly, placing him directly in the corner of the bed.
Xia Zhinian’s almond-shaped eyes widened as he looked at him nervously, quickly standing up and trying to hide.
“What are you doing?”
Yan Ci had gone mad?
Yan Ci stared at him for a while, seeing the boy avoid him like a plague. The frustration in his heart eased a bit, and he calmed down a little.
“Classmate Xia.”
Yan Ci’s voice softened, “Chu Qingjian doesn’t like you, so why are you so persistent?”
Xia Zhinian stared at him intently, feeling that Yan Ci’s words were strange and his actions inexplicable.
When Yan Ci’s strange illness flared up, his aggression was brutal to hide, and his actions were hazardous. Could it be related to this?
He backed away a bit more, trying to put more distance between them, biting his lips.
“That’s my business.”
Yan Ci’s jaw made a cracking sound. His tongue tasted a bit of blood, and he pursed his lips. Seeing the little rice cake avoiding him more and more, his heart felt blocked, making him uncomfortable.
He watched the boy avoiding him from a distance, sighed lightly, and his lips moved slightly.
“Classmate Xia, can you touch me?”
Xia Zhinian: “???”
Xia Zhinian was stunned for a moment, thinking he had misheard, widening his eyes, “What?”
Yan Ci softly repeated.
“Can you touch me?”
“Knock, knock, knock.”
There was a sudden knock on the door.
“Nian Nian, are you in there? Come and open the door.”
Xia Wenhan’s deep voice came through, knocking again.
Xia Zhinian’s eyes lit up. Hearing the commotion outside, he moved towards the door, carefully watching Yan Ci like a frightened, alert little animal.
Yan Ci looked at him for a moment, pursed his lips, and turned to open the door.
Xia Wenhan stood coldly at the door, meeting Yan Ci’s gaze.
When the Chu family’s child came over, he only said that Xia Zhinian had a conflict with Yan Ci and was taken away by him.
Last time, this eldest young master of the Yan family coaxed him with candy when Xia Zhinian didn’t want to get an injection with a fever, which left a deep impression, so he hurried over.
“Is Nian Nian here?”
Xia Zhinian slipped to the door, still blocked by Yan Ci, and breathed a sigh of relief: “Brother, I’m here.”
Xia Wenhan’s cold eyes scanned him up and down, confirming he was fine, then looked at the silent Yan Ci.
“The Xia family has some matters to attend to, so we must leave. No need for you to see us off, young master Yan.”
Xia Zhinian slipped out the door, but Yan Ci suddenly grabbed his sleeve, startling him. He looked at Yan Ci with his almond-shaped eyes.
Yan Ci’s expression was calm, with a gentle smile.
“Classmate Xia, it’s not good to forcibly try to kiss someone in public without Chu Qingjian’s consent. Please don’t do that again.”
Xia Wenhan frowned slightly, looking at his younger brother.
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Xia Zhinian gritted his teeth.
Well, even when leaving, Yan Ci had to expose something about him.
Such a black sesame dumpling, black-hearted!
Xia Zhinian followed Xia Wenhan out the door, glancing at Chu Qingjian in the hallway. Thinking about the plot he had yet to follow through, he looked over twice with a headache.
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed something.
Chu Qingjian and the girl in the blue dress were nearby, and the girl was whispering to Chu Qingjian, lightly holding his arm.
“…?”
Xia Zhinian widened his eyes, turning his head to look more.
…Who is that?
“Still looking? Is it that good to look at?”
Xia Wenhan’s deep voice sounded, coldly pulling his brother back to look at the road.
The two of them turned the corner and disappeared from view.
Yan Ci stood there, retracting his gaze. Looking at his fingertips, long and slender like jade, the constant pain and itchiness of being soaked in ice water had dissipated.
Although his body felt comfortable, his heart was weighed down with dissatisfaction.
Full of unease.
Seeing Xia Zhinian trying to kiss Chu Qingjian, the burning anger in his heart felt like his cherished treasure was being coveted and spied upon.
He just wanted to lock this treasure by his side in a place no one knew about, only waiting for his arrival every day.
He suddenly realized why he endured and didn’t touch him when he flared up before.
The reason was simple. He wanted to possess this boy… make him his own.
Yan Ci looked up, seeing Chu Qingjian and the girl in the blue dress turning to leave. His calm gaze swept over Chu Qingjian; he tugged at his lips and turned to leave.
Chu Qingjian: “…”
–
Xia Zhinian’s attempt to kiss Chu Qingjian reached his elder brother Xia Wenhan without omission. His elder brother then asked about the conflict with Yan Ci.
But Xia Zhinian wasn’t very clear about it himself.
He didn’t understand why Yan Ci suddenly got so angry and said he wanted him to touch him. It was weird.
But fortunately, this time, he wasn’t ordered to stay home and reflect.
On Monday morning, as Xia Zhinian entered the classroom, the students fell into a strange silence. They all glared at him and then quickly looked down, picking up their phones.
Xia Zhinian: “???”
What’s going on?
Xia Zhinian’s almond-shaped eyes showed some confusion.
The school forum was lively early in the morning, with a hot post high on the front page.
[Rich Family Secrets: The youngest son of the Xia family tried to forcibly kiss Chu Qingjian but was directly pulled away by the eldest young master of the Yan family! Why did Yan Ci get involved in the grudge between Xia and Chu?]
[Want to see you]: Oh wow, what a title. Xia Zhinian still hasn’t given up on Chu Qingjian?
[Class Flower of Third Class]: Forceful kiss? Wow, Xia Zhinian is quite bold. What’s Yan Ci’s role in this?
[Study Hard]: Thanks for the invitation. I was there but didn’t witness it myself. Rumor has it that Xia Zhinian tried to kiss Chu Qingjian, and it seemed that Yan God stopped him and took him away afterward.
[Be Lighter and Lighter]: Everyone, look at this! My cousin took a photo!
In the dim corridor, illuminated by warm yellow light, a boy’s profile appears delicate and fair, with wide apricot eyes and a slightly panicked expression. Wearing a cream-colored suit, he is lifted entirely by his legs, with his trouser legs pulled up to reveal thin ankles. He looks tense and struggles.
The boy holding him only shows a side profile, with a low brow, deep black eyes, and an unhappy expression, as he grips the other boy tightly with one hand.
[Eating 300 Lychees a Day]: Is this a young master of a wealthy family? Wow, Xia Zhinian looks pretty good.
[Suffering and Still Studying]: Ah ah ah ah ah, this picture has such a strong CP vibe! The poor young master being forcibly taken!
[Four or Five Families]: … Upstairs, wake up. The one being forcibly taken seems to be Chu Qingjian.
[Han Ning Ning Ning]: … Hahaha, I can’t even imagine how beautiful this scene must be.
[Milk Tea Enthusiast]: Xia Zhinian should give up. Chu Qingjian has no feelings for him. Besides, hasn’t Chu Qingjian been getting close to a girl from Class 8 recently?
Xia Zhinian didn’t check his phone, unaware of the heated discussion on the forum. As soon as he sat down, his gaze swept over his desk mate and suddenly froze. He slowly turned his head to look again.
In what should have been Zou Ziqian’s seat sat a tall, slender boy with a gentle and refined demeanor. He was lying on the desk, facing Xia Zhinian with his eyes tightly closed, his lips pale, and his brow slightly furrowed.
… Yan Ci?
Xia Zhinian blinked in surprise, his amber, apricot eyes wide. When he looked at Yan Ci’s seat, sure enough, his actual desk mate was sitting there, grinning sheepishly at him.
Xia Zhinian: “??!”
Xia Zhinian gave him a reproachful look.
Zou Ziqian scratched his nose, giving an embarrassed smile as he closed the forum on his phone. “Deskmate, well…”
He knew Xia Zhinian had a conflict with the class president, but this was…
“I switched with him.”
A slightly hoarse male voice sounded.
Yan Ci straightened up, his face showing a trace of fatigue. He turned to the pouting little rice cake beside him, his expression as gentle as ever.
“Classmate Xia, I just didn’t sleep well and came to the last row to catch up on sleep. No need to avoid me.”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Xia Zhinian bit his lip, his clear amber, apricot eyes shifting away as he muttered softly.
“Then you sleep. I won’t disturb you. I’ll go somewhere else.”
Since he was unable to provoke Yan Ci, then he could avoid him. He stood up to find another seat, but as soon as he turned away from Yan Ci, his arm was suddenly grabbed and tightly held by a strong force.
Xia Zhinian: “!!”
“What are you doing?”
Startled, he tensed up, trembling slightly as the grip on his arm loosened.
“Classmate Xia.”
Yan Ci pursed his lips, gently pulling him back. His voice was soft. “Do I seem like a monster to you?”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
You dare say that? Aren’t you scarier than a monster?
All eyes from the front rows turned to watch them. Yan Ci pulled him back to his seat.
Xia Zhinian couldn’t break free from his grip. His body was tense, and his apricot eyes were wide. His lips pouted, and even his little tuft of hair drooped. He sighed weakly.
“Do you… need something?”
He was scared of this black sesame soup dumpling.
“Classmate Xia.”
Yan Ci looked at him, his expression gentle, almost coaxing, as he spoke softly.
“I told you, my weakness is in your hands.”
He lowered his voice soothingly. “You can use it to threaten me anytime.”
“Don’t be afraid of me.”
He didn’t want the little rice cake to run away whenever he saw him.
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Xia Zhinian let it go in one ear and out the other, turning his head away.
As if he’d believe that?
Threatening him would require the courage to do so.
He pulled his hand back, still wanting to escape.
But on second thought, it was ridiculous for a cannon fodder villain to be too afraid of the protagonist. He pouted but didn’t move, sitting at his desk and piling all the books on the right side to create a barrier between him and Yan Ci.
Chu Qingjian arrived a bit late, and when he looked back, he saw a tall stack of books. Moving slightly to the side, he was surprised to meet a pair of deep black eyes sitting next to Xia Zhinian and smiling gently at him.
Chu Qingjian: “…?”
“Brother Chu.”
Seeing him, Xia Zhinian called out in surprise. Chu Qingjian withdrew his gaze and nodded at him.
Xia Zhinian was a bit worried about last night’s events. He hadn’t managed to do it and didn’t know if it would affect the future plot.
In the original story, “Xia Zhinian” took advantage of a moment to kiss Chu Qingjian, which made Chu Qingjian hate him even more. The protagonist shou also got quite jealous, which led to the protagonist gong beating up the original “Xia Zhinian.”
But now…
Xia Zhinian’s head hurt as he looked at Yan Ci. Yan Ci was staring at Chu Qingjian, a gentle smile on his lips that seemed quite unsettling.
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Chu Qingjian: “…”
The classroom was still relatively empty and quiet, with a few students eagerly listening in and occasionally exchanging excited glances as they frantically typed on their screens.
Chu Qingjian looked at the two meaningfully, then silently picked up his just-placed bag and found another seat.
“I’m leaving.”
“You two carry on.”
“…”
Xia Zhinian’s head throbbed, and he couldn’t help but sigh, rubbing his thumb against his index finger joint.
Help.
The protagonist’s love line was falling apart.
–
Chu Qingjian had swapped seats with another student, and Xia Zhinian was still trying to figure out how to get back on the original plotline while thinking about the storyline.
He was playing with the toy snake he’d used to scare Yan Ci earlier, which Yan Ci had taken back and given him to use again. As he glanced at the boy beside him, the tall stack of books on the desk had already been ordered down by the teacher for damaging the class’s image. Yan Ci lay on the desk, looking unwell.
His face was pale, and he seemed to be suppressing some discomfort.
He said he came to the last row to catch up on sleep, but Xia Zhinian saw him frowning the whole time, unsure if he was sleeping. His lips pressed tighter, and the faint scar at the corner of his eye gradually showed signs of irritation.
… Is he having another attack?
Xia Zhinian remembered the night at Yan Ci’s dorm, and the danger Yan Ci displayed at the Yan family banquet, biting his lip as he observed Yan Ci.
After hesitation, he didn’t say anything, just moved more cautiously.
The teacher almost confiscated the toy snake in his hand, but Yan Ci asked for it back and borrowed it from Zou Ziqian to play with. Now, looking at it, something seemed different.
He turned the toy snake over, examining its belly and head, noticing a red scale painted on its belly and the mouth is lighter than before.
![Dissatisfied [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4997572.jpg "Dissatisfied [e-sports]")
