Serenade

Jin Xi's words completely drained the strength Yang Xiaoyuan had mustered. She left early, looking very gloomy.

Jing Chi went out for a smoke, but at the corner of the stairwell, he saw Chu Zhao and Xu Chaoyang talking.

The stairwell lighting was dim, and the two stood facing the colorful glass mosaic windows, chatting while occasional tipsy passersby mumbled and stumbled by.

Jing Chi stood with his back against the wall around the corner, neither noticed by the two. He took out his steel lighter from his pocket with a "clack" and opened it.

Lighting his cigarette, he raised his eyes, a layer of obscure darkness shrouding them. After putting away his lighter, he turned and left.

In fact, Chu Zhao had merely bumped into Xu Chaoyang on the way, and Xu Chaoyang said he had something to tell her, so they came to the stairwell.

She used to not quite dare look him in the eye, his gaze electrifying her, involuntarily speeding up her heartbeat. That was the power of having a crush.

When you like someone, their gaze at you is electric.

Now, the energy in Xu Chaoyang's eyes had extinguished.

"I haven't congratulated you yet," he said, rubbing his hair awkwardly. "I'm really happy that you two are together."

"Thank you," Chu Zhao leaned against the colorful glass mosaic, conversing with him very casually. "I also hope you find happiness soon."

"It's as if it just happened yesterday."

"What?"

"When we went to the escape room together."

Chu Zhao reacted - it was around this time last year that they had gone to play escape room together. That was also when she started developing feelings for Xu Chaoyang.

"Back then, I was truly about to be scared witless. All my bravery was pretended so I wouldn't lose face in front of you girls. I'm terrified of ghosts."

Xu Chaoyang smiled, sunny and charming with his double eyelids slightly upturned.

It's said love stems from the heart - his looks were of the type that made people feel comfortable. His gaze was clear and pure, his heart guileless.

"I know, your acting was so bad it was obvious."

"In that, I'm certainly no match for you."

Chu Zhao knew what he was implying. Her smile also faded somewhat.

"I didn't mean anything else," he said to her. "I just wanted to say thanks."

"Hm?"

"Thank you for how you treated me in the past..."

He hesitated, flushing as he kept rubbing his hands. "Thank you for taking such good care of me back then. That time in the mountains when I had gastroenteritis, you stayed with me one night at the hospital. Jing Chi told me that. Back then I thought you were just kindhearted. I was too stupid. If I'd known earlier..."

Chu Zhao quickly interrupted Xu Chaoyang. "You're kindhearted too."

Xu Chaoyang looked up at her.

Backlit, she stood by the window, soft mosaic light falling on her face, bangs slightly covering her eyes, a few strands of hair dangling by her ears.

You're kindhearted too.

Even if you didn't like me, knowing I liked you, you would still be with me.

Chu Zhao didn't know what to say, but she was certain this wasn't the love she wanted, nor what love should be like.

Chu Zhao had never dated. In her earliest fantasies, love should be...ride or die.

Passionate, heartfelt.

Now older, she understood such love only existed in novels or TV shows.

Reality was...most times, love was Xu Chaoyang - unsure if you truly liked someone, how much you liked them, but you could be together, plain and simple, yet very happy.

Perhaps all the missed connections were heaven's arrangements to let her meet Jing Chi at her lowest point.

"Jing Chi is my best buddy. He's been great to me..." Xu Chaoyang said. "Of course, if he doesn't treat you well, you can tell me. I'll definitely stand up for you."

"Sure, I'll let Xu know."

Xu Chaoyang smiled. Chu Zhao smiled too, with acceptance and relief, drawing a close on this year-long secret crush.

Returning to the private room, Xia You and several other mic crooning boys were fiercely competing to grab the mic. She sat down beside Jing Chi.

Jing Chi was looking at his phone, the screen's glow lighting his features, shrouding his handsome looks in dim blue light that illuminated his clear eyes.

His business was always good, with dorm delivery orders streaming in daily.

Seeing Chu Zhao return, he put away his phone and pulled out a tissue to gently dab her slightly damp hair.

"Gone so long?"

"I just chatted with Xu Chaoyang."

Jing Chi's actions stilled for a second, though only briefly, before he tossed the paper ball into the trash can, calmly answering, "Oh?"

"He congratulated me and thanked me for always being so good to him."

"He's a lousy saint," Jing Chi said casually. "But you don't have to tell me what you talked about."

"I want to tell you." Chu Zhao looked up at him. "From now on I'll tell you everything. I won't keep anything from you."

A ripple of darkness passed through the boy's jet black eyes, his expression between his brows softening. "You're afraid I'll speculate?"

"Because you don't say anything, but I always feel you know everything." Chu Zhao sighed softly, pressing his hand. "That makes me uneasy."

Jing Chi felt the girl's soft palm, warm and moist.

"You're afraid of me?"

He saw right through her thoughts with one look. Chu Zhao felt she was almost bare before him. She glanced away, murmuring, "You know everything now."

Jing Chi's sharp lips quirked up as he moved closer, leaving a light kiss on her cheek.

Chu Zhao's heart jolted, feeling the boy's cool lips barely skim her soft skin.

Yet his arm still circled her waist, pulling her into his embrace.

He whispered by her ear, "Thank you for being honest with me. I cherish that."

"It's not like I wanted to hide anything from you..."

Before she could finish, she felt electricity shoot up her spine to the crown of her head, shuddering all over. "Mm!"

In the dark, Jing Chi had actually gently licked her earlobe.

"You..."

Jing Chi's mouth curled up as he softly took her earlobe into his mouth, his tongue swirling as the warm, damp air beat against her hairline, dizzying her.

"Zhao Zhao, the joy I can give you, no one else can."

**

After the gathering ended that night, Jin Xi and Bo Yan didn't return to campus but went to Bo Yan's apartment instead.

Egged on by the boys, Bo Yan had drank a bit more than usual, now somewhat tipsy with two blotches of red on his cheeks, looking a little cute.

"Xi Xi, how can you be so short?"

"Not only short, you got fatter too."

"Xi Xi, how come you're not talking."

He patted the trash can in front of him. "Why's your head so hard?"

Jin Xi: ...

Friends helped Jin Xi take the stumbling Bo Yan downstairs before leaving. Jin Xi supported him into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Bo Yan pinned her against the wall and kissed her.

He adeptly pried open her teeth, finding her soft tongue to entwine with hers feverishly, sucking and caressing, like a ravenous beast greedily stealing her breath as he explored every corner of her mouth.

Jin Xi felt her breath nearly plundered away. She opened her mouth wide, trying to breathe, which only seemed to encourage him to practically devour her with his wet lips and tongue.

Soon the elevator dinged, arriving.

Bo Yan simply hoisted Jin Xi up and carried her to the door.

From that alcohol-laden kiss in the elevator, Jin Xi already sensed trouble for the night.

Staggering to the door with her slung over his shoulder, Bo Yan fumbled in his pocket but failed to fish out the keys.

Jin Xi slid off him and reached into his pocket for the keys herself, but all she found was his phone and a tube of hand cream she'd left on the coffee table earlier. Aside from those, empty.

"Babe, you didn't bring your keys?"

Bo Yan seemed not to have heard her speak. His hand kept rummaging restlessly in the empty bag. He was really drunk.

Jin Xi pinched his face and forced him to look at her, "Idiot, you didn't bring the keys. What are you looking for?"

So Bo Yan reached into her pocket instead, and even opened up her sling bag to rummage through it.

"How could it be with me!"

Bo Yan still seemed unwilling to give up. He reached into Jin Xi's clothes and groped around everywhere.

"..."

If not for seeing that he was drunk, Jin Xi really wanted to kick him over.

"Do you have a spare key?"

"Yeah."

"Where is it?"

"It's in..." Before Bo Yan could finish speaking, he pounced on her again, kissing her cheeks and neck in confusion.

There was light stubble on his jaw that tickled her.

Jin Xi grabbed the back of Bo Yan's shirt: "Stop messing around. Where's the key?!"

There was a kind of hazy, sexy allure in Bo Yan's pitch black eyes. He nuzzled randomly on her chest, "Damn, how cute."

"..."

Jin Xi felt there was no chance of getting into the house tonight.

She looked at the time. It was already 11 p.m. She couldn't go back to the dorm anymore either, so she called Shen Dad. Shen Dad said he was still busy at work and probably wouldn't be home tonight.

It was common for him not to be home, so the house should be empty tonight.

Jin Xi rubbed the drunkard's head helplessly and sighed, "Let's go, come home with me."

"Where to?"

"My house."

"Where?"

"My house!"

"Where?"

"Get out!"

Bo Yan bumped his head on his own door again. Jin Xi pulled him back, "Bo Yan, please be quiet. I really have no strength left."

"Jin Xi, this is your home too." He pointed at his own door and mumbled, "My home is your home too, okay?"

"Okay, okay. You're the baby. Whatever you say is good."

Jin Xi finally managed to coax Bo Yan into a taxi. Half an hour later, they stopped at the entrance of the residential area.

Bo Yan asked her nervously, "Is your dad home?"

"No, he's working overtime."

"Then we can do bad things."

Jin Xi felt that in his current state, there was no way he could succeed in doing anything bad.

The two of them struggled up the building. Jin Xi took out her keys to open the door. Before she could turn on the lights, Bo Yan lifted her directly and put her on top of the shoe cabinet, then blocked her and kissed her, their bodies pressed tightly together.

Jin Xi smelled the faint alcohol on him as her hands wrapped around his neck. She laughed, "Baby, are you really drunk or just pretending?"

Bo Yan didn't answer her. His nose brushed against her sensitive chest as he buried his whole face in.

"Excuse me, I wonder what you two are doing..."

The sudden male voice made Jin Xi jump in fright. She quickly pushed Bo Yan away and jumped down from the shoe cabinet.

She saw Shen Ping Chuan standing at the entrance, holding a steaming hot cup of instant noodles, green onion still stuck to his oily lips.

Behind him, the TV screen glowed faintly, showing a basketball game.

"Bro, why didn't you turn on the lights when you were home!" Jin Xi said with a red face, "You scared me to death!"

Shen Ping Chuan pressed the light button in the living room and the hall instantly lit up brightly.

"I'm alone, so I save electricity." Shen Ping Chuan looked at Bo Yan askance, "Why did you bring him home?"

Bo Yan walked up to Shen Ping Chuan and stood at attention, giving him a military salute, "Bro Shen!"

Shen Ping Chuan was startled by his abruptness, and almost spilled the instant noodles in his hand. "Fuck, what are you doing?!"

Jin Xi quickly pulled Bo Yan to sit on the sofa, "He's drunk. He didn't have his house keys and couldn't go back to school either, so I brought him here to stay overnight."

"You're pretty gutsy." Shen Ping Chuan put down the instant noodles and ruffled Bo Yan's hair, "Not afraid of running into old Shen and getting this kid's legs broken?"

Jin Xi poked her head out of the kitchen. Seeing Shen Ping Chuan pinching Bo Yan's nose so he couldn't breathe, his cheeks flushed red.

She angrily said, "Shen Ping Chuan, don't mess with him!"

"Look at his little red face..." Shen Ping Chuan pinched Bo Yan's cheeks, "So cute! You never get to see him so obedient usually. I want to have some fun with him."

Jin Xi rolled her eyes. The water in the pot had already boiled so she hurriedly poured the noodles in.

When she came out with two bowls of noodles, she saw Shen Ping Chuan was actually taking off Bo Yan's shirt!

Bo Yan shrank back into the sofa in horror.

Shen Ping Chuan refused to give up, "Yan Yan, I heard you've developed eight-pack abs. Let me see!"

Bo Yan waved his arms around, almost falling over the back of the sofa. Jin Xi quickly shielded him behind her, away from her "pervert brother's" roaming hands.

She rushed over to pull Shen Ping Chuan back, "Don't do that to him, he's a boy!"

"Such a cute boy must be well loved." Shen Ping Chuan rubbed his hands excitedly, "I'm going to sleep with my cute brother-in-law tonight. Just thinking about it makes me happy!"

Jin Xi's mouth twitched, "You're so vulgar."

Shen Ping Chuan stroked Bo Yan's abs with an evil smile, "Good brother-in-law, big brother will treat you well!"

Bo Yan flailed his arms around, almost falling off the back of the sofa. Jin Xi hurriedly shielded him, keeping him away from her "perverted brother".