TPPCGEM Chapter 36

Xia Zhinian: “!!!”

“Ah, damn!”

Xia Zhinian lost his only foothold; his almond-shaped eyes widened, and he suddenly fell.

“Thud.”

Below was a gigantic soft sponge, and he was caught by the waist, firmly clasped in someone’s arms. The blocks were stacked like blocks, and he bounced twice, bumping his head against the hard shoulder of the person beneath him.

“Ouch.”

Xia Zhinian groaned, looked at Yan Ci underneath him, and quickly scrambled to his feet.

He looked a bit flustered and bewildered.

Yan Ci smiled, curling his lips slightly.

They landed in a new escape room. It wasn’t the end just because the little girl threw them down; there was a separate route to continue.

The room looked like a cellar, surrounded by old, dark wooden boards exuding a rotting smell. Not many people fell here, or the staff arranged it this way on purpose.

There was a lot of dust in the room.

“Yan Ci.”

Xia Zhinian wanted to quickly get out and rejoin the protagonist, so he searched around. He finally found a hidden door inside the wardrobe, and his almond eyes curved with a smile: “There’s a door here.”

Yan Ci turned his head, his expression slightly tense. He took a big step forward, speaking in a deep voice, “Don’t open it, let me—”

Before he could finish, the quick-handed youth had already opened the old door, and a damp, oppressive, dusty air rushed in, with floating dust particles sweeping all around.

Xia Zhinian, caught off guard, sneezed immediately, frowning as he stepped back, covering his mouth and nose to try to block the dust, but it was too late; he had already inhaled quite a bit.

His throat felt itchy, and he couldn’t help but let out a few muffled coughs.

“Cough, cough, cough.”

Yan Ci’s face darkened as he pulled Xia Zhinian from the doorway.

“Don’t hold back your coughs, can you breathe?”

Although the hospital’s test results last time showed that he wasn’t allergic to dust mites, this kind of environment could make anyone cough and feel out of breath, and it’s more likely to trigger an asthma attack in someone with the condition.

Xia Zhinian bit his lip, his face pale. “Cough, cough, I’m fine.”

“Dusty haunted house, so much dust, cough, cough.”

The youth looked shocked and aggrieved, frowning as he bit his finger.

Yan Ci reached out and patted his back, pulling his slender, white fingers out of his mouth. His lips were pressed tightly, and his voice was gentle.

“Let’s just leave, no more playing.”

Xia Zhinian: “?!”

“No, cough, cough.”

The youth was stunned, like a child who had just gotten candy and was about to have it taken away by an adult, looking pitiful with his round almond eyes, but then he got anxious and coughed again.

“Cough, cough, it’s rare to come here, leaving halfway is, ah, ah-choo—so boring.”

Yan Ci: “…”

Yan Ci saw that he couldn’t even speak properly, his brows furrowed, his face losing some of its usual gentleness, looking a bit cold, but his voice remained calm, “Did you bring your medication?”

The asthma inhaler that the hospital prescribed.

Xia Zhinian pursed his lips, his eyelashes trembling slightly, “I did.”

“You’re lying.”

Yan Ci scanned him up and down. When he came today, his hands were empty; he was only carrying a phone.

His slightly fitted jeans tightly hugged his slender, straight legs, with only a slight bulge where his phone was.

There was no sign that he had brought any medication.

Yan Ci looked down at him, his eyes dark, “The doctor told you to carry it with you, but you didn’t.”

Xia Zhinian bit his lip, trying to hold back his cough, cautiously looking up at him, his eyes pleading, “I’m really okay. Anyway, you’re smart; we’ll be out of here soon.”

His sleeve was gently tugged. Yan Ci looked at his pale lips and the unusual flush on his cheeks from suppressing his cough. His expression was slightly dark, and his voice was cool and firm.

“No.”

“We’re leaving now.”

Without the medication, it’s unlikely that the haunted house would have asthma emergency medication. This escape room was his idea; if he had an attack and ended up in the hospital again…

Yan Ci’s heart tightened, and a hint of regret showed in his usually calm demeanor. He turned and signaled to the camera in the room.

Xia Zhinian lowered his gaze, his lips pressed tightly together, quietly standing in the corner.

The staff arrived quickly and opened the door. Xia Zhinian got up and walked out, Yan Ci following close behind.

“You keep playing; I’ll wait for you outside,” Xia Zhinian turned back to stop him.

It was his fault.

He didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s good time because of him.

Yan Ci gently reassured him, patting his head, “It’s okay, we can come again next time.”

There’s not always a next time.

Xia Zhinian didn’t want to spoil the mood, so he smiled, hiding his true feelings.

“Let’s talk about next time. This is still a hidden route. You continue and tell me the storyline later.”

They could catch up with Chu Qingjian and Zou Ziqian soon.

“We can study the storyline next time.” Yan Ci didn’t want to argue with him and walked out.

Xia Zhinian: “…”

Seeing this, he stopped, pouting, “Only one of us can leave; you choose.”

Yan Ci stopped, his dark eyes staring at him intently, his voice low and deliberate.

“Xia Zhinian.”

Xia Zhinian smiled at him, pushing him back, “You go on, go on. Make sure you figure out the storyline, so I don’t waste my money and get nothing.”

He turned and followed the staff out.

Yan Ci watched him for a long time, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. Concerned that he might be affected by staying in the poorly ventilated escape room, he didn’t insist and turned to look for the mechanism.

But when he came out, the waiting area was bustling with people, yet that little rice cake was nowhere to be seen.

A message popped up on the temporary group chat they had made for the haunted house trip—

[I had to leave; you guys have fun.]

[Cat waving goodbye.jpg]

Yan Ci looked at the notification, his lips pressed tightly together and sent a friend request.

[YC]: Where are you?

——The friend request was rejected.

[ , ]: My brother called, said he wanted to eat zongzi, and picked me up.

Yan Ci lowered his gaze, his tongue pressing against his teeth, his eyes dark.

—

In truth, Xia Zhinian wasn’t lying. The Xia family had recently reunited for the Dragon Boat Festival, and they had all made time to have a family dinner at home to eat zongzi.

However, it was in the evening, leaving him plenty of time to hang out with his classmates.

He just took a cab home, saying he wasn’t finding it fun, so he left early.

At the dinner table, the Xia family sat together, amiable and close, while Xia Zhinian sat on the side, sighed softly, ate a zongzi, and then returned to his room, not coming down again.

The school forum was bustling even during the holidays.

[I’m just asking, is there some secret deal between the school grass and Young Master Xia?]

The main post showed a picture.

In the last row, a desk stuck out. Yan Ci casually rested his right hand on the desk, his left hand reaching into Xia Zhinian’s desk hole, his gaze following his arm.

The youth was leaning slightly, his hands also in the desk hole, fiddling with something. His almond eyes were focused.

[Sweet Potato Soup Color]: …??? Is there a treasure hidden in that desk hole?

[I Miss You So Much]: they look so good together! I’m tired of saying it.

[New CP Rising]: Are they secretly holding hands?

[Doing Homework]: What nonsense. It looks like it’s during class. Taken from the back window; where did you get this, OP?

[Doing Homework]: Could it be photoshopped?

[OP]: Purely shot, no Photoshop, not even a filter. I saw it accidentally while standing outside as punishment for not doing my homework. Believe it or not.

[Raising the “Blind Couple” Flag]: I believe it! This is so sweet!

[Raising the “Blind Couple” Flag]: Their arms are crossed in the picture, touching inside the desk hole; they’re holding hands secretly!

[,]: Is it possible they’re involved in some secret dark deal?

[Raising the “Blind Couple” Flag]: What deal could there be? Holding hands or studying? Aww, even sweeter!

[,]: No way it’s that. It’s some unpleasant deal. Just look at their expressions; neither of them seems happy.

[Raising the “Blind Couple” Flag]: Where are they unhappy? They both look pretty happy! @Upstairs, what’s up with you? Are you a Yan Ci solo stan or Xia Zhinian’s sworn enemy? Play somewhere else.

Xia Zhinian: “…”

Xia Zhinian rubbed his nose, speechless, lying on his bed typing.

[,]: Just asking, who is this “Blind Couple” in your username?

[Raising the “Blind Couple” Flag]: Hehe, Yan Ci × Xia Zhinian, the Yan Xia couple, or the “Blind Couple.” Isn’t it cute!

[Raising the “Blind Couple” Flag]: Happy little person spinning around.gif

Xia Zhinian: “…”

You really must be blind.

Cute? Where’s the cuteness in that?

Scary.

Xia Zhinian took a deep breath, clicked his tongue, and long-pressed the post to report it, stating the reason as tarnishing the reputation of the well-known and excellent student Yan Ci with malicious behavior that cannot be tolerated.

It would take a while for the report to be processed, so he scrolled down, finding more and more fans of the “Blind Couple” spouting nonsense in the comments.

Xia Zhinian was stunned, incredibly shocked, and amazed at how far people could go with their wild imagination, and proceeded to report them one by one.

But the post seemed endless.

He kept reporting until late at night when his phone made a “ding” sound.

[Sorry, you’ve been flagged for excessive malicious reporting. You are now muted for three days. Please remain calm.]

Xia Zhinian: “…”

Xia Zhinian: “…?!”

Xia Zhinian felt a mix of confusion and shock.

How was he maliciously reporting?!

If there was a couple involving Yan Ci, wouldn’t he know better than anyone else?

It was a pure business relationship, wasn’t it?

Xia Zhinian’s head buzzed, and he got hungry from the frustration.

He glanced at the time; it was 1:30 in the morning.

He’d only eaten a zongzi in the evening, and now he was starving, but his room had no food.

The security at the villa complex was strict, and it was late at night, making it inconvenient to order takeout.

Xia Zhinian took a deep breath, lying back down, thinking he could hold out until he fell asleep, but the hunger grew, and he couldn’t resist. He got out of bed, rubbed his empty stomach, and quietly went downstairs, fumbling into the kitchen.

There were still leftover zongzi from the evening, but they’d been put in the fridge. He found a small plate, took out two, and headed back.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed in front of him, a flashlight’s beam shining directly into his eyes.

Xia Zhinian squinted, stepping back to avoid the light. The flashlight quickly moved away, and a surprised, gentle voice spoke.

“Nian Nian?”

Jiang Yuan looked surprised. She had gotten up for a drink of water and heard some noise, so she came to check, not expecting to see her youngest son there.

It was rare; usually, Niannian only came downstairs for meals.

She glanced at the small plate in Xia Zhinian’s hand and smiled, “Hungry in the middle of the night?”

Xia Zhinian: “…”

Xia Zhinian had intended to take the food and go back up to avoid waking anyone else up in the middle of the night, but he hadn’t expected to run into her directly. His face turned a bit red, and he nodded slightly.

“A bit.”

More than a bit, probably.

He would’ve just gone to sleep if he weren’t that hungry.

Jiang Yuan took the small plate from his hand, feeling the coldness. “You ate too little for dinner. These zongzi were just taken out of the fridge; eating them cold isn’t good.”

She looked around the kitchen. “I’ll make you some noodles.”

“No need.”

Xia Zhinian instinctively refused. “It’s late; it’s too much trouble. I’m not that hungry. I can go without eating.”

“Hold this.”

Jiang Yuan handed him her phone. “Shine a light for me.”

Xia Zhinian held up the phone, pursing his lips, his fingers fiddling nervously with the edge of his pajamas, and spoke softly, “Really, it’s okay.”

Jiang Yuan ignored him, setting up a pot to boil water and taking some noodles from the cupboard. After a moment, she looked at the various seasoning bottles in confusion, her refined and elegant face showing a hint of bewilderment, muttering to herself.

“Oh no, which one is the salt…”

She wasn’t very good at cooking.

Xia Zhinian: “…”

Xia Zhinian’s eyes curved slightly, gently persuading her, “Maybe we should just not do this.”

Jiang Yuan was resolute, “We’re doing this, you stay right there.”

She put the noodles in when the water boiled, but the water level was too low, and the heat was too high. Soon, the water bubbled up, and the noodles began to stick together, looking like they were about to turn into a gooey mess.

“…Mom?”

“Nian Nian?”

Another voice suddenly sounded. A tall figure approached, with narrow eyes looking at them in confusion. “What are you two doing?”

Jiang Yuan was pleasantly surprised, “Xiao Han, you’re just in time. We were hungry, so you can make some noodles. Hurry, hurry.”

…We?

It seemed the original owner’s mother was afraid he might feel embarrassed, so she said she was also hungry.

Xia Zhinian looked up at her, and Jiang Yuan smiled without noticing his gaze. He lowered his head, his eyelashes fluttering lightly.

Xia Wenhan took over the pot of noodles, seeing that they needed to be in better shape. He started over, adding more water, and once it boiled, he threw in a handful of noodles.

“Xiao Han, that’s too much.”

Xia Wenhan’s expression was calm. “I’m a bit hungry too.”

With three people together, it inevitably made some noise. Soon, there was a thump of footsteps from upstairs as someone else came down.

Xia Hongyu stood in the kitchen doorway, looking at his wife and sons, and was taken aback. “What are you all doing? Why is everyone here?”

What kind of family activity was going on? Why wasn’t he invited?!

When they heard the voice, Jiang Yuan, Xia Wenhan, and Xia Zhinian looked at the pot and then turned to look at him.

Xia Hongyu: “…”

Xia Hongyu shuddered, momentarily confused, “What’s wrong?”

“Dad.” Xia Wenhan’s expression was, “Want some noodles?”

Xia Hongyu looked at the three of them one by one and nodded emphatically, “Yes.”

The noodles seemed a bit insufficient for four people sharing. Xia Wenhan heated a few more zongzi, and the four of them brought everything to the table.

The big lights were turned on, making it as bright as day. The four of them sat around the table as if it weren’t the middle of the night but the afternoon when they ate zongzi together. They sat close, chatting and laughing.

Holding a zongzi, Xia Hongyu was quite happy, “Why does it feel like this zongzi taste better than in the afternoon?”

Xia Wenhan nodded calmly; it was hard to tell whether it was superficial or genuine agreement.

Xia Zhinian glanced around. They all ate quite a bit; no one seemed to be forcing themselves to eat despite not being hungry… Maybe they didn’t eat much in the afternoon after he returned upstairs.

Xia Zhinian lowered his head and took a bite of the zongzi. The sweet, sticky flavor spread in his mouth, but suddenly, his nose felt a bit sour.

…If it were the original owner, perhaps he wouldn’t have distanced himself so quickly, and the Xia family could have had a good holiday together.

–

Yan Ci noticed that Xia Zhinian hadn’t been going back to the Xia family during lunch breaks recently. He had mostly ordered takeout, which was usually barbecue from Zou Ziqian’s place. He could devour a large amount all by himself.

In the afternoon class, Xia Zhinian sat with his still-round belly, sighing, his chin resting on the desk. His long eyelashes cast a slight shadow under his eyes, his mouth slightly pouting.

Yan Ci put away the printed notes Xia Zhinian had given him, his voice soft as he patted the youth’s drooping hair.

“Ate too much?”

Xia Zhinian nodded, sighing, “A little bit.”

Yan Ci patted his head gently and suddenly said, “About that haunted house last time, you still haven’t asked me about the storyline.”

Xia Zhinian perked up slightly, turning his head while holding his belly, “I’ll ask now. What’s the storyline?”

Yan Ci lowered his eyes to look at him, the fine scar at the corner of his eye visible, “A family of five, at night, the mother lulls the little girl to sleep, telling her to be quiet and peaceful because it’s bedtime. Then, a fire breaks out in the night.”

“The little girl dies in her sleep, unaware of her death, and her soul roams the house, scaring anyone who enters.”

“That’s it, a cliché storyline.”

Xia Zhinian chuckled a bit, “That’s quite interesting.”

Yan Ci’s lips curved slightly, looking at him with a meaning hard to decipher, his voice very soft, “Didn’t you say you’d wait for us?”

“I had something to do and left a message in the group chat.”

Xia Zhinian held his stomach, frowning slightly.

“Yan Ci.”

He bit his lip, calling the boy next to him softly. He leaned in a bit, lowering his voice, his almond eyes round, glancing at his right arm.

“How’s your injury?”

Yan Ci smiled gently, scholarly and refined. “It’s already scabbed over; it’s not a big issue, but it still hurts at night.”

Xia Zhinian’s eyes were round and wide. He blinked, sitting on the seat’s front rail like a little ball, soft and fair, his voice getting even smaller, almost just a breath.

“Then you, um… that thing…?”

Yan Ci: “??”

Yan Ci raised his eyebrows, feigning ignorance with a light smile, “What thing?”

Xia Zhinian’s ears were slightly warm, his gaze drifting, “You know, your… that…”

He bit his lip, his earlobes turning a tempting shade of red, his voice almost inaudible, “Do you, do you want to… touch me?”

Yan Ci paused slightly, his gaze darkening and his lips curving into a smile. He leaned in closer, his deep, pleasant voice landing straight in the boy’s ear. “Can I touch you just because you want to?”

“Classmate Xia, you’re being so nice to me.”

Xia Zhinian: “…”

A warm breath brushed past, making Xia Zhinian’s ears itch. The redness spread quickly to his earlobes and even his ear tips. He stiffened for a moment, stuttering.

“No, no, I…” He glanced at Yan Ci cautiously, thinking about the storyline he couldn’t delay any longer. He bit his lip, mustering his courage, “You said… one for one.”

Yan Ci’s expression changed slightly, his smile growing gentler, “Oh, does Classmate Xia have something he needs me to do?”

So that’s why he’s letting him touch?

Fine, it’s progress.

Yan Ci’s eyes, with the fine scar, held a touch of deep gentleness, making one’s heart skip a beat.

Xia Zhinian’s back felt a chill. He braced himself, “Just say yes or no.”

Yan Ci looked at him, his eyebrows arched gently as he smiled softly, “As long as I can do it.”

Xia Zhinian’s eyes brightened, sitting up straight, “Really? No takebacks.”

Yan Ci: “…”

Suddenly, he had a bad feeling.

Xia Zhinian’s almond eyes curved. He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention. He quickly took something from his backpack, slipping it into Yan Ci’s hand. His voice was so low only the two of them could hear, and his almond eyes sparkled.

“Can you help me, help me give this love letter… to Brother Chu.”

“…Love letter?”

A love letter for… Chu Qingjian?

Yan Ci held the light blue envelope in his hand, his lips pulling into a slight smile. The smile in his eyes quickly faded, leaving only a hint of coolness at the corners of his mouth.

Xia Zhinian shivered under his gaze, his heart pounding, his almond eyes wide, “Forget it if you don’t want to.”

Instinctively, he reached out to take the envelope back, but the person in front of him raised his hand to avoid it. His collar was suddenly grabbed and pulled forward, his upper body leaning uncontrollably towards Yan Ci.

Xia Zhinian: “!!!”

“Mm.”

What’s going on?!

He suppressed a groan, his eyes wide, his heart racing, wanting to back away, but the grip on his chest was frighteningly firm, pulling him forward.

His body tilted down, he stiffened all over, his eyes wide. His upper body was suddenly pressed against Yan Ci’s legs, his hands trapped beneath him, hidden behind the desk, completely out of sight.

No one could see him.

No one could save him.

Xia Zhinian’s body tensed up, panicking, supporting himself on Yan Ci’s long legs, trying to get up. But a hand settled on his back, leisurely patting his shoulder, holding him in place.

Xia Zhinian: “!!!”

Help, the black sesame dumpling is going to eat him!

“Classmate Xia.”

Yan Ci felt the boy’s panic and tension, stacking some books on the desk to block him from view. His face was gently smiling, his voice as sweet as if it had just come from a candy factory, wrapped in layers of decadent frosting.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay away from Chu Qingjian, hmm? Don’t you remember?”

His fingers brushed over the thin spine, and he chuckled softly, his smile gentle. “What? Knowing that Chu Qingjian is looking for a partner by reading love letters, you got tempted again?”

Xia Zhinian was forced to bury his face in his chest. He tried to get up but couldn’t. His heart was racing, his almond eyes round, shrinking back, his fingertips pale. Instinctively, he wanted to run but held himself in place.

“I-I know Brother Chu doesn’t like me, that’s why I asked you to give it.”

He gritted his teeth, feeling the fingers sliding on his back. He pouted, almost crying, shrinking his body to dodge, only to lean closer into Yan Ci’s embrace. His fingers clutched the sleeve, whimpering softly, steeling himself to continue.

“I won’t bother him. You don’t have to tell him it’s from me, or-or you could just… say it’s from you?”

Yan Ci’s smile disappeared, looking at him strangely.