Chapter 50: Double: “You Can Treat Me as Him… It Doesn’t Matter if You Call His Name.” part 1
When Pei Lian opened his eyes, he was surrounded by darkness. The air was stiflingly hot, floating with the scent of mint—this was the scent of his brother’s bedroom when he was alive.
Light from the crack in the door not far away attracted him.
He heard a familiar voice, panting.
As if possessed, Pei Lian moved forward slowly, pressed against the crack in the door as if lured.
Peeping inside quietly, afraid to disturb the people inside. Just one glance, and his mind went blank.
Before his eyes was a scene of vivid, thick beauty. On the dark bed, the boy’s skin was very white, his joints a beautiful pink, making it impossible to look away.
Pei Lian’s vision trembled as if scalded. He had seen Tang Xingye calm and composed on the defense podium, seen his profile carefully picking out ginger slices in the cafeteria, but never seen this expression on him.
He arched his neck, crying unconsciously. His always cold, beautiful face revealed confusion.
Lips bitten bright red parted slightly, like asking the visitor for a kiss, carrying small hooks to lure people in for a taste.
Long eyelashes held teardrops, like dew on a branch, trembling lightly.
The person intimately connected with Tang Xingye had the same face as him.
No one discovered the dark voyeur.
The next second, the camera angle flipped.
Tang Xingye was sitting on him. He hugged the other tightly, feeling the warm body temperature.
His heart slowly accelerated, bursting out of his chest.
He slowly leaned down, mimicking the kiss. Tentatively licking at first, then gradually becoming bolder, roughly grinding and pressing, kissing more and more fiercely.
Tang Xingye didn’t seem to notice anything wrong, breathing shallowly, the corners of his eyes stained watery red. This made Pei Lian feel exceptionally excited and fascinated.
While rejoicing at not being discovered, he couldn’t help but be jealous that he wasn’t the only one enjoying such scenery.
Dark, damp thoughts spread continuously. Pei Lian couldn’t change the facts, so he could only leave his own mark on Tang Xingye through kissing and licking.
Tang Xingye suddenly tensed, stepping on his shoulder. His gaze was no longer on him but looking at the person outside the door.
Pei Lian followed his gaze, and his blood solidified.
Discovered. Brother is here.
“Get up.”
Voices overlapped between reality and dream, light piercing his eyes.
Tang Xingye patted Pei Lian’s shoulder. “If you want to sleep, go home to sleep.”
Pei Lian tensed his back reflexively. He pinched the web of his hand hard; the stinging pain of nails sinking into flesh woke him up.
He dreamed of that scene again—himself clinging to the door crack peeping like a rat in a gutter, himself wanting to replace his brother in the chaotic dream.
“…Pei Lian?”
Tang Xingye’s voice came from above. When he looked up, the other was frowning at the red marks he pinched.
“A bit stuffy.” Pei Lian quickly let go. He blinked, asking tentatively, “Picking glossy privet fruits this weekend… the quantity is large, probably will take until very late.”
His Adam’s apple rolled. Only by pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth could he suppress the trembling tail of the second half of his sentence. “Want to stay at my place for a night?”
Tang Xingye paused in organizing the experiment records. “There’s a lecture tonight.”
He didn’t even look up when he said this, the fountain pen tip scratching across the paper.
Tang Xingye was going to listen to that damn lecture with Lin Mo. Pei Lian’s chest felt stuffy instantly, feeling a huge sense of loss.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Tang Xingye noticed Pei Lian’s state was a bit off, his face a bit pale.
Does it count as a nightmare?
Can this dream be spoken aloud?
The wet gasping sounds from the dream seemed to stick to his eardrums. Pei Lian opened his mouth. “I dreamed…”
Just then, that annoying guy walked in, as if poking his wound, chatting with Tang Xingye about a project he wasn’t involved in.
His voice paused subtly upon seeing Pei Lian, then continued as if nothing happened.
Tang Xingye turned to look at Pei Lian. “What were you going to say just now?”
Pei Lian didn’t dare look into Tang Xingye’s eyes right now. “Leaving first.”
Tang Xingye looked at him steadily for a while, then gave a “Mn.”
After Pei Lian left, Lin Mo suddenly spoke. “Don’t you think he’s a bit clingy?”
“It’s okay, I guess.” Tang Xingye intuitively felt Pei Lian’s state was a bit off, but since the other didn’t say it outright, he couldn’t pry. “Why did you come back?”
Lin Mo: “Left my jacket in the lab.”
Tang Xingye was a bit surprised. Lin Mo didn’t seem like the type to leave things behind.
Tang Xingye hadn’t taken two steps after leaving the library when he suddenly remembered he forgot the umbrella hanging in the corner. He walked back quickly.
Running into Lin Mo, the other seemed to have noticed the lost umbrella and was standing in front of the umbrella stand.
“That’s my umbrella,” Tang Xingye walked up. “You’re studying here too?”
Lin Mo handed him the umbrella, saying calmly, “Just came to return books.”
He didn’t think much of it. On a campus, being roommates, the probability of running into each other was already high.
Meeting Lin Mo by chance in the study room for the third time, Tang Xingye felt it was a bit strange. He couldn’t help smiling and teasing, “I’m starting to suspect you put a tracker on me.”
Whether it was because that pervert had haunted him for so long that his sudden disappearance felt odd, Tang Xingye still felt a gaze constantly watching him, like slime left by a snail, sticking to his back.
Pei Lian touched his temple. The wound had healed completely, leaving no scar.
He arrived at the station an hour early. He checked WeChat repeatedly, deleting typed sentences one by one—finally sending only a restrained “I’ve arrived.”
The weather forecast said it would be sunny today.
Until the first drop of rain hit the glass, Pei Lian hadn’t reacted. Immediately after, the curtain of rain poured down suddenly, as if someone tore open the floodgates of the sky. The crashing sound of rain instantly swallowed the entire world.
Pei Lian: “…”
The message bubble hung lonely in the chat box, no reply.
He watched the white curtain of rain becoming denser, looking out at the crowd running for cover. Umbrellas collided, splashing fine water droplets. Pei Lian’s gaze swept over everyone, but didn’t see Tang Xingye.
The rain was noisy. His phone screen dimmed gradually, finally going black.
Pei Lian lowered his eyes. The phone suddenly vibrated. Pei Lian hurriedly lit up the screen, but froze upon seeing the sender.
Wen Yuyan: [Tomorrow is Ah-Ze’s birthday. Come home.]
Pei Lian stared at this message for a few seconds, sneered, and rejected it expressionlessly.
He stared at his distorted reflection on the glass. That similar face made him both disgusted and grateful.
Pei Lian pondered. If Tang Xingye didn’t come, should he go to the lab for a “chance encounter,” or wait directly downstairs at the dorm?
He fished a mint candy out of his pocket and crunched it between his teeth.
“Waited long?”
An unexpected voice appeared. Pei Lian turned his head.
Tang Xingye, wrapped in moisture, trotted into the station, hair tips still dripping water. Pei Lian instinctively reached out to wipe it but curled his fingers before touching, only handing over a tissue.
The rain was heavy, hitting the glass window with crackling sounds. The noise of people walking around was also loud.
Tang Xingye couldn’t hear what Pei Lian said clearly. He leaned closer, hand cupping his ear, signaling him to speak louder.
“…Not long.” Pei Lian’s voice was tight, gaze landing on the snowy-white earlobe. Water droplets slid down the earlobe into the collar. On the shoulder line wet by rain, a faint pink showed through.
“I thought you wouldn’t come.”
Tang Xingye paused in wiping his hair. “It started raining suddenly on the way. Thought it would stop.” He looked up, eyelashes still damp with mist like wet butterfly wings. “Didn’t expect it to rain harder and harder.”
Tang Xingye suddenly chuckled lightly. “Strange to say, Lin Mo reminded me to bring an umbrella, but I looked at the forecast and was too lazy to bring one.”
Hearing Lin Mo’s name, the corner of Pei Lian’s mouth tightened slightly. “How about we go to the mall to change clothes first? You’ll catch a cold easily like this.”
“Just a small wet patch, doesn’t matter.”
The rain curtain grew heavier, shrouding the world in white.
“Can’t pick glossy privet fruits today,” Pei Lian suddenly said, the disappointment in his voice thick enough to be palpable.
“It’s okay,” Tang Xingye was startled, then smiled comfortingly, gratified by his little cabbage’s ambition. “No rush for this moment; there’s plenty of time in the future.”
Really?
Pei Lian blinked, daring not to believe. Only the two of us in the future?
Tang Xingye sensed his hesitation and nodded at him. “Mn.”
“Didn’t you send me lots of photos of flowers you grew before? I remember it’s nearby; I want to go see.”
Tang Xingye was interested. Broadening horizons and perceiving fresh life was also part of maintaining enthusiasm for life.
He hadn’t expected Pei Lian’s “nearby” meant a half-hour drive. The temperature in the greenhouse was suitable, instantly driving away the damp cold on Tang Xingye.
Colorful flowers in the greenhouse dazzled the eyes.
He admired the inflorescences hanging from the shelves like purple waterfalls, while Pei Lian enthusiastically introduced how he raised them.
Tang Xingye could tell Pei Lian really liked plants. Infected by the other’s enthusiasm, he revealed a faint smile.
“You raised them well.”
The warm light sprinkled gently on that cold, beautiful face. Pei Lian watched obsessively, the growing pain descending once again.
“Give them to the Omega you like in the future; they will definitely be very happy.”
The next moment, he was knocked into hell. Pei Lian felt cold all over.
Tang Xingye saw Pei Lian suddenly fall silent and thought he was tired of introducing. He considerately wandered the greenhouse himself, but Pei Lian followed him stubbornly like a little tail.
Pei Lian closed his eyes, knowing that once this step was taken, there was no turning back. Then he chose to face the bleeding wound directly. “Do you like Omegas?”
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