T/n: This chapter is made possible by our geneours supporter: Safida~ Thank you so much for your ko-fi. Many more blessings to you!
Chapter 75
In high school, teachers often said, “You’ll be able to relax once you get to university.” But after starting university, Chi Aibei felt that Lin Xiu was even busier. After military training ended, he hardly saw Lin Xiu except for during meals and sleep.
One morning, Chi Aibei had no classes. He took a stroll through the student clubs and returned to the dormitory. Upon opening the door, he saw an unfamiliar boy sitting on Zhuang Yuan’s chair.
“Hello,” the boy greeted him. “Zhuang Yuan went to the next dorm to borrow something.”
Chi Aibei nodded. “Are you Zhuang Yuan’s friend?”
Just as the boy was about to speak, Zhuang Yuan returned from next door and said, “He’s my boyfriend.”
Chi Aibei turned to look at Zhuang Yuan as he walked in, stunned. “…Boyfriend?”
The boy thought Chi Aibei was surprised because he didn’t know Zhuang Yuan liked boys. Zhuang Yuan said to the boy, “Don’t you have a class? You should go. I’ll find you at noon.”
Chi Aibei watched the boy pass by him, his gaze following him all the way to the door. Zhuang Yuan asked, “So, handsome, right?”
Chi Aibei said blankly, “He… why does he look different?”
Moreover, he seemed shorter than the previous one.
Zhuang Yuan: “Is it possible that it’s not the same person?”
Chi Aibei suddenly looked at Zhuang Yuan. “Not the same one?”
Seeing his exaggerated expression, Zhuang Yuan laughed. “Yeah, I changed partners.”
Chi Aibei was a bit shocked by the speed at which he changed boyfriends. “Why?”
Zhuang Yuan leaned against the table. “We’re not in the same school. Neither of us can guarantee the other’s loyalty. Instead of worrying every day about whether the other person will cheat, it’s better to break up early and find someone you can see every day.”
This was the first time Chi Aibei had heard this kind of dating logic. “Can you even do that?”
Seeing him like an innocent little white rabbit who didn’t know the ways of the world, Zhuang Yuan suddenly wanted to cause some mischief. “Haven’t you heard of the saying ‘the pavilion closest to the water gets the moon first’? University isn’t like that tiny bit of land in high school; people come here from all over the country. It’s a dazzling, confusing world. Never mind me—even Lin Xiu might not be able to escape it.”
At the sudden mention of Lin Xiu, Chi Aibei froze. “What about Lin Xiu?”
Zhuang Yuan said, “Lin Xiu seems quite busy lately. Do you know what he’s busy with?”
Chi Aibei shook his head. He also wanted to know what Lin Xiu was busy with, but when he asked, Lin Xiu wouldn’t say.
Zhuang Yuan said alarmingly, “Is it possible he’s busy dating?”
Chi Aibei countered without a second thought, “Impossible.”
Zhuang Yuan: “Why is it impossible? Who doesn’t date in university? Besides, Lin Xiu’s popularity is the highest among the freshmen, and he’s single. There must be plenty of people wanting to pursue him. Maybe Lin Xiu took a fancy to some bold pursuer.”
Seeing Chi Aibei frown, Zhuang Yuan curled his lips. He stood up, patted Chi Aibei on the shoulder, and leaned close to him. “If he really starts dating, your ‘Good Gege’ won’t just have one ‘Good Didi’ anymore. In the future, he’ll spend his free time with his partner and won’t be with you every day. Your status is no longer secure!”
…
Chi Aibei had sent Lin Xiu a message before returning to the dorm. By the time Lin Xiu came back, Chi Aibei was no longer there.
Lin Xiu glanced at Zhuang Yuan. “Was Chi Aibei here?”
Zhuang Yuan was playing a game. Seeing his entertainment return, he stopped playing and turned around. “He came back, then left again.”
Lin Xiu: “Did he say where he was going?”
Zhuang Yuan said with a smile, “He probably went to find you.”
Lin Xiu: “Where would he look for me?”
Zhuang Yuan: “How should I know? I just told him that the reason you’ve been so busy lately might be because you’re dating. As soon as he heard that, he ran out without a word. You should have seen how panicked he was.”
“…”
Lin Xiu knew this guy wouldn’t behave himself. “Are you that bored?”
Zhuang Yuan shrugged. “Not really.”
Lin Xiu turned to leave. Zhuang Yuan shouted, “No need to thank me! It’s what I should do!”
Lin Xiu: “I wasn’t going to thank you.”
…
Chi Aibei didn’t know where Lin Xiu was. He ran to Lin Xiu’s classroom and looked through the window, but couldn’t find him. Just as he was about to leave, someone called out to him.
“Chi Aibei, you’re Chi Aibei, right?”
Chi Aibei turned around. A boy about his height stood behind him. Chi Aibei asked, “Is something the matter?”
The boy looked him up and down. “You’re Lin Xiu’s partner? You’re not that great-looking.”
If you’re going to talk, talk, but why are you insulting me?
Chi Aibei: “I’m not.”
Boy: “Not what?”
Chi Aibei suddenly felt a bit irritable. He almost didn’t want to say the phrase “He is my brother, not my partner,” but in the end, he said it anyway.
As soon as the boy heard him say he wasn’t Lin Xiu’s partner, it was as if he became a different person. He leaned toward Chi Aibei and asked with a face full of joy, “Really? You’re not his partner? Then does he have one? What kind of people does he like? What do you think of me? I’ve taken a fancy to him. I was hesitating about whether to confess because I thought he had a partner. By the way, can you give me his WeChat?”
“No, you two aren’t a good match.”
Chi Aibei rejected the boy, whose speaking speed was fast enough to pop out twenty words a second.
Boy: “How are we not a match?”
How are they not a match? How would he know? He just felt it wasn’t right, that it wasn’t allowed!
Chi Aibei scrambled to find a reasonable excuse: “Your positions clash!”
Watching Chi Aibei throw out that sentence and run down the stairs, the boy was stunned. “…Positions… clash?”
…
Chi Aibei ran a long way in one breath. By the time he came back to his senses, he was almost at the male dormitory building.
He stood there with his head lowered. The gloom in his heart made him feel a bit breathless. He didn’t know why he was unhappy; he hadn’t felt this way before when girls gave Lin Xiu water to show their interest.
Lin Xiu saw him standing there from a distance. He called him several times, but Chi Aibei didn’t hear. Seeing him standing in the sun like he had been put under a paralysis spell, Lin Xiu walked over. “What are you doing here dazing off?”
Chi Aibei looked up. The sunlight was a bit dazzling. He narrowed his eyes before he could see clearly. “…Gege?”
Lin Xiu led him to the shade. “Are you making up for the days of military training you missed?”
Chi Aibei didn’t speak.
Lin Xiu asked, “Where did you go?”
Chi Aibei said with his head down, “I went to your classroom to find you.”
Noticing his off mood, Lin Xiu lifted his chin. “Who did you run into?”
Chi Aibei froze guiltily and quickly shook his head. “No one.”
Liar.
Lin Xiu was familiar with the expression he made when he lied. He clearly wasn’t telling the truth. Did he run into He Chenjiang? What did that guy say to him this time?
“Gege.”
Chi Aibei was a bit concerned about Zhuang Yuan’s words. “What have you been busy with these past few days?”
Lin Xiu: “Busy with classes, clubs, and such.”
Chi Aibei also had classes and clubs, but he wasn’t as busy as Lin Xiu.
It was truly too hot outside. The two walked back together. Chi Aibei pondered for a long time but couldn’t find a good way to fish for information. “Gege, will you date in university?”
Lin Xiu paused. “Probably.”
Chi Aibei hadn’t expected Lin Xiu to say “probably” so directly. He looked at Lin Xiu in surprise. Those words about focusing on studies were no longer appropriate. Chi Aibei couldn’t help but think of Zhuang Yuan’s words… It was a dazzling and confusing world. Was Lin Xiu entering a nest of vixens?
Lin Xiu glanced at him. “What is it?”
“Nothing.”
Chi Aibei shook his head, unable to resist digging more. “What kind of boys do you like?”
Lin Xiu: “How do you know the one I like will definitely be a boy?”
Chi Aibei was stunned… Could it be that it might not be?
Lin Xiu originally wanted to let him spill it himself, but seeing him suffer from holding it in, he couldn’t bear it. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
Chi Aibei’s shoulders slumped in despair. He stopped testing. “Gege, are you dating behind my back?”
Seeing him like a drooping little chick, Lin Xiu sighed. “Who would I be dating?”
How would Chi Aibei know who he was dating? “Those people who confess to you.”
Lin Xiu: “No one has confessed to me.”
Chi Aibei frowned and looked up. “Liar, there was just one—”
The abrupt silence made Lin Xiu raise an eyebrow. “One what?”
Chi Aibei felt he couldn’t hold it back anyway, so he just said it. “Just now when I went to find you, I met a boy. He asked if I was your partner, and I said no. Then he said he liked you and wanted to confess, and even asked for my opinion.”
Hearing him repeatedly deny it to others, Lin Xiu felt a bit exhausted. “And then? What did you say?”
Chi Aibei: “I said your positions clash, so you aren’t a match.”
Lin Xiu: “???”
Positions clash? Is that what I think it means?
Although he was used to his frequent startling remarks, this was too much. Lin Xiu laughed in exasperation. “Do you even know what my ‘position’ is?”
Chi Aibei, thinking he knew everything, scratched his chin. “I… I think I do.”
Although the novel was as plain as clear water without even a kiss, Chi Aibei was a “shou-con.” He could still tell the difference between Lin Xiu and He Chenjiang. It couldn’t be that He Chenjiang was the bottom, right?
Lin Xiu pinched his face. “You don’t know shit!”
Translator’s Note:
Hi everyone! University life is officially in full swing.
- “Positions clash” (撞号 – Zhuang Hao): This is a specific slang in the Chinese BL (Tanmei) community. It means two people both have the same role in a relationship (Top/Top or Bottom/Bottom). Aibei is essentially telling the pursuer that both he and Lin Xiu are “Bottoms,” so they can’t be together. It’s hilarious because Aibei is totally self-identifying as a “shou” (bottom) here!
- “Good Gege… Good Didi”: This is a play on the close relationship between the two. In Chinese culture, “Gege” (older brother) and “Didi” (younger brother) are often used between close friends, but can also have a romantic undertone in fiction.
- “Vixens” (妖精 – Yaojing): In this context, it refers to seductive or charming people who might “steal” Lin Xiu away.
Poor Aibei is so jealous! And Lin Xiu is just petty enough to enjoy it a little bit. See you in the next chapter! (っ˘ω˘ς)
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