Chapter 51: “That was my first kiss, Teacher Xie…”
Xie Shibai’s fingers lightly gripped Lu Ciheng’s arm which was braced beside him. The noisy sounds of the surrounding environment seemed to be blocked out in an instant; the quiet was filled only with the sound of their breathing and heartbeats.
As their eyes met, Xie Shibai could clearly see the smile hiding in the depths of Lu Ciheng’s eyes. It was like a tiny pebble suddenly dropping into a calm, ripple-less pool, creating circles of waves with a soft plip.
The hand resting on Xie Shibai’s jaw was somewhat scorching. The thin calluses on the fingertips felt slightly rough, transferring heat through the skin on the side of his neck.
Lu Ciheng lowered his eyes slightly and whispered, “Teacher Xie, don’t move.”
Xie Shibai maintained the posture of having his chin tilted up. Feeling the gradually approaching breath, his fingers tightened slightly.
As they bit down, the subtle sound of the biscuit crumbling could be heard.
The slow approach made every second and minute a torment. Xie Shibai’s eyelashes lowered slightly. A sense of physical discomfort began to spread, as if even this small area of contact was becoming difficult to soothe.
With the crisp sound of the biscuit, the distance between the two closed further.
Unlike the kiss borrowed by camera angles during the short drama filming last time, this time there was only a biscuit between them—one that couldn’t even serve a shielding function.
Lu Ciheng hovered for a moment, swallowing the biscuit he had eaten. His dark eyes rested on Xie Shibai, the thumping of his heart vibrating against his eardrums. His voice was pressed so low and soft that only the two of them could hear: “Bite it.”
Xie Shibai paused for a few seconds, then bit down on the end of the biscuit he was holding, just as Lu Ciheng said.
A crisp crack. The chocolate biscuit split down the middle, breaking at the point where they bit.
Lu Ciheng immediately leaned in, swiftly catching the small piece of biscuit that was in danger of falling.
Both men had a strong competitive streak, and Xie Shibai didn’t want to fail at the last moment either, so he subconsciously lifted his head to catch it.
Tip of the nose bumped against tip of the nose. Xie Shibai’s eyes widened slightly, and he abruptly jerked back.
A soft sensation grazed his lips.
When Xie Shibai felt that faint touch brush past his lips, his head buzzed, and his fingers went numb. The feeling on his lips was very light, just a gentle sweep, but it left a subtle itch.
We touched.
He subconsciously wanted to touch it, but suddenly remembering the cameras filming, he suppressed his movement.
Lu Ciheng was also stunned, but a second later, his dark eyes were bright with excitement and his heart pounded wildly. His invisible tail was practically wagging up to the sky.
He licked his lips; the slightly bitter chocolate tasted sweet. His gaze fell on Xie Shibai’s lips, wishing that one second of contact had been longer.
Xie Shibai bit his lip and pushed against Lu Ciheng’s chest, his voice pitched very low. “If you’re done eating, get lost.”
Lu Ciheng let out a muffled laugh. He wanted to say something, but considering the cameras, he swallowed the words back.
The heat in the livestream room was unprecedentedly high, and the bullet screen scrolled furiously.
[You two treat us too much like outsiders! Kiss more!]
[Did they kiss? Did they kiss?]
[I thought they were going for pure love at this moment, but that sudden lean-in by LCH at the end—they definitely kissed!]
[Guaranteed kiss. Teacher Xie lifted his head too.]
[Ahhh Brother Xie, I forbid it! Don’t kiss him ahhh!]
[Even if you forbid it, there’s nothing you can do. Tonight they’ll probably do the deed anyway [finger heart]]
[How can Dog Lu be this lucky? I’m dying of envy.]
After Xie Shibai and Lu Ciheng completed their punishment, it was time for the next round.
The one who drew the King was Mi Qiran.
He held the card and checked the associated accounts. Because of the number of people, when announcing a punishment, the King might inadvertently punish themselves. He cautiously chose a standard punishment.
“Then Number 1 and Number 3 must tie their hands together and maintain it for ten minutes.”
Su Xingran flipped over the Number 1 card. His expression management failed slightly, so he asked bluntly, “Director, do we have to play by the associated numbers? Can we set our own rules and switch people?”
His distaste for Li You was practically written on his face.
Sitting next to Xie Shibai, Lu Ciheng immediately stared at Su Xingran vigilantly.
Li You didn’t want to hold hands with Su Xingran either. “If we really have to hold hands, I apply to switch people too.”
Mi Qiran hadn’t expected his casual punishment to trigger such an issue. He stiffened imperceptibly, the smile on his face becoming a bit unnatural.
The production team replied: “No.”
Since the production team didn’t agree, Su Xingran could only watch helplessly as his hand was tied to Li You’s.
Li You’s expression was ugly too. Holding hands with him disgusted him to the point of nausea. Pulling a long face, neither looked at the other.
[What does Su Xingran mean? Li You is his peer at least, why act like this?]
[What’s wrong with our Ran-ran not wanting to hold hands with someone he doesn’t like? If you have time, focus on not letting your idol be a homewrecker.]
[Your idol is a wife-stealer too, and you have the nerve to talk about us?]
[Eye-opening. This time the two of them are actually fighting each other hahahaha.]
[Is this considered a work injury for both of them?]
[After this internship is over, neither will want to date anymore, right?]
[Don’t know about SXR, but LY definitely wants to. He’s a plainly marked homewrecker.]
The next question fell to Li You.
He couldn’t guess the corresponding numbers, so he just picked one at random. Not wanting anyone to be too comfortable, he simply said, “Number 4 feeds Number 5 that roasted oyster with lots of chili added.”
Mi Qiran flipped his card; it was Number 5. Number 4 was Qiao Jiayi.
Qiao Jiayi frowned. “Change the punishment. He’s allergic to chili.”
Involving health issues, the production team had no objections.
Li You was displeased. He seemed to still be holding a grudge over the hand-tying punishment just now. “Didn’t the director team just say we can’t switch?”
[Holy crap, LY is going too far. The guy is allergic to chili and he still wants him to eat it? Will he take responsibility if something happens?]
[Li You is just following the show’s rules. They didn’t let him switch just now either.]
[Are you stupid? Don’t you know what he was trying to do just now? Forcing someone to eat despite health issues is different.]
Mi Qiran waved his hand. “It’s okay. I’ll just take allergy medicine later.”
When their group was less famous in the early days, they often faced game punishments on variety shows. Some punishments couldn’t be dodged; dodging them would just get you scolded by others. He was long used to it.
Qiao Jiayi: “You feed me. Hurry up.”
Mi Qiran was stunned. “Better if I eat it.”
Qiao Jiayi kept a cold face and ate the roasted oyster loaded with chili herself.
[QJY is very worried about MQR eh.]
[Of course, the two of them have been public for so many years.]
[Weren’t there rumors of their divorce a long time ago?]
[Just rumors. Look at the two brothers next door; the circle rumored they were incompatible like fire and water, and they just kissed.]
Luckily, Xie Shibai and Lu Ciheng’s numbers weren’t called in the next few rounds.
Besides, Xie Shibai didn’t have much energy to pay attention. He took a sip of water. A sense of discomfort lingered in his body, as if the accidental touch just now had induced his condition again—he wanted contact, but felt very irritable.
He put down the cup and looked up, meeting Lu Ciheng’s shining eyes. He looked excited about something unknown.
Xie Shibai looked away, the agitation in his heart growing.
When the game ended, everyone braved the sea breeze to start cleaning up.
Xie Shibai retrieved the little local dog playing on the beach and carried the playful puppy back to the room.
The furry touch reduced the hidden agitation in his heart a little, but it still didn’t quell the strange craving for human contact.
The frequency of episodes after the shift in his condition was even higher than his haphephobia (fear of touch).
Contact obstacles had triggers; he only felt terrible when touching people. But this time, he wanted physical contact with a person for no reason.
Lu Ciheng took the dirty little dog, muttering about how dirty it was while washing its paws.
The sound of water came from the bathroom. Xie Shibai felt the room was a bit stuffy, so he went to the balcony to look at the night sea and get some air. It wasn’t until he couldn’t withstand the physical discomfort anymore that he returned to the room to rummage through his suitcase for medicine to control it. Just as he was preparing to get water, the bathroom door opened.
Lu Ciheng came out carrying the chubby dog with clean paws. His clothes had several wet patches, looking like marks left by the puppy’s struggle. He deftly stuffed the dog, whose paws had been blow-dried, into its nest, then casually took off his wet shirt, revealing a solid upper body. He casually touched his messy black hair. “Teacher Xie, let’s ta—”
Before the word “talk” could come out, Lu Ciheng noticed the medicine in Xie Shibai’s hand, and his eyes instantly darkened.
For some reason, Xie Shibai subconsciously felt the medicine in his hand was scalding hot. He squeezed the medicine box and asked nonchalantly, “What did you say?”
Lu Ciheng asked unhurriedly, “Teacher Xie, are you feeling unwell?”
Xie Shibai: “No.”
Lu Ciheng gave an expressionless “Oh,” covered the camera lens, and simultaneously turned off the microphone.
[????]
[I hate you Dog Lu!]
[No, what is it that we can’t see? If you have the guts, turn off the camera to do the deed!]
“Teacher Xie, didn’t the doctor say Diazepam is addictive and you should take less of it?” Lu Ciheng took the medicine from Xie Shibai’s hand and set it aside. His dark eyes stared at him. “If you felt bad, why didn’t you find me?”
“Last time you felt bad, you used me too.” His tone was unhurried. Approaching, his arm naturally wrapped around Xie Shibai’s waist, pulling him into his arms. He circled him firmly, tilting his head slightly. “Am I not more useful than medicine?”
Xie Shibai’s fingers tingled slightly, his long eyelashes trembling. Upon touching the scorching hot skin, his breathing shuddered uncontrollably. The noise in his heart gradually eased, like ripples on a lake slowly calming after a storm.
Lu Ciheng wasn’t wearing a shirt, so Xie Shibai’s hands made direct contact with his skin. The heat source transferred ceaselessly; the warmth left his hands with nowhere to rest.
Lu Ciheng looked down at Xie Shibai. His arms held him close. As he lowered his head slightly, his breath spilled onto Xie Shibai’s face. He whispered persistently, objectifying himself as if he had to compete with a box of pills. “Teacher Xie, am I useful, or is the medicine useful?”
Xie Shibai bit his lip. The large area of skin contact was so comfortable it made his nerves relax.
“You…”
Lu Ciheng’s lips hooked up.
Xie Shibai steadied his breathing, glared at Lu Ciheng, and continued, “You’re sick, comparing yourself to a box of medicine.”
“I’m better now. Let go.”
Lu Ciheng didn’t let go, hugging him tightly. “That’s too much, only caring about yourself. I’m not better yet. Don’t forget I was infected by you; this is a work injury.”
Xie Shibai: “…”
Lu Ciheng rested his chin on Xie Shibai’s shoulder and said slowly, “Teacher Xie, it’s time to talk about what happened between us.”
Xie Shibai stalled for a second. “What happened between us?”
Lu Ciheng raised an eyebrow, turned his head to look at him, and rubbed the tip of his nose against him as if dissatisfied. “You forgot so quickly? Just the game earlier.”
Xie Shibai dodged Lu Ciheng’s nose and pursed his lips. “What do you want to say?”
Lu Ciheng nuzzled over, the corners of his lips hooking up. “That was my first kiss. Teacher Xie, you have to take responsibility for me.”
Xie Shibai was stunned. He pushed Lu Ciheng’s face away. “What responsibility? You think you’re the only one?”
Lu Ciheng’s eyes instantly lit up, and his invisible tail wagged even more cheerfully. “Then I’ll take responsibility for Teacher Xie.”
Xie Shibai: “…?”
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