Chapter 36: It Is Quite Sweet
Xie Yang stayed up late talking with Su Huai and didn’t wake up until ten in the morning.
Qi Xu had sent him many messages, none of which managed to wake him up.
CX330: [Good morning.]
CX330: [Are you awake?]
CX330: [What do you want for breakfast?]
CX330: [Baby, are you still not up?]
CX330: […]
Xie Yang quickly replied: Just woke up now. [Cute.jpg]
CX330: [Do you want to have lunch together?]
Caramel Pudding: [Su Huai is treating me to lunch.]
CX330: [I can treat you too, so have lunch with me.]
Caramel Pudding: [How about I treat you to dinner tonight?]
CX330: [No.]
Xie Yang was taken aback. He didn’t expect Qi Xu to refuse. He had planned to sneak out for spicy hotpot with Su Huai at noon.
Qi Xu didn’t allow him to eat instant noodles or oily, spicy food.
And since Qi Xu had recently been obsessed with a pig-raising game, Xie Yang could only “rebel” when he wasn’t around.
Caramel Pudding: [How about I take you to a movie?]
CX330: [Not enough.]
Not enough?
What did that mean?
Caramel Pudding: [How about I make you a knitted doll?]
CX330: [I want something else.]
Caramel Pudding: [What do you want?]
CX330: [Spend the night with me.]
Xie Yang saw this message and couldn’t help but smile. Somehow, the answer didn’t surprise him.
Even if he didn’t have lunch with Su Huai, Qi Xu would still find some reason to take him back to the apartment.
So Xie Yang decided to agree.
Caramel Pudding: [How about we play games at home tonight?]
CX330: [Okay.]
CX330: [Love you, baby.]
Xie Yang poked Qi Xu’s handsome but stern face on the chat background.
He changed Qi Xu’s contact name to [Clingy].
It was hard to imagine someone with such a cool face calling him “baby” all the time, being so sticky and mushy.
The canteen was very cost-effective, so it was always crowded at meal times.
Su Huai and Xie Yang chose a quiet corner.
Noticing the clear hickey on Xie Yang’s neck, Su Huai teased, “How come that hickey hasn’t faded at all? It looks like it’s been refreshed.”
Xie Yang instinctively touched his neck. The weather had warmed up, so he hadn’t worn a scarf today, forgetting about the mark. He could only smile awkwardly.
Su Huai said, “Qi Xu’s possessiveness is a bit over the top. Can you handle it?”
Leaving a mark in such an obvious place made his intentions clear.
Xie Yang didn’t understand why Qi Xu liked leaving so many marks on him, as if he were marking his territory.
He smiled and said, “I think he’s just overthinking it. I’m not particularly good-looking. Who else would be interested in me besides him?”
Su Huai frowned, “You’re not bad-looking at all. You just didn’t take care of yourself before. Now you look great. Qi Xu is lucky to be with you, and he’s obviously crazy about you.”
Just as Sheng Fei said, Xie Yang was completely Qi Xu’s ideal type.
Obedient, cute, and well-behaved.
Easily embarrassed and easy to tease.
Qi Xu must enjoy making him cry.
Su Huai felt like he understood all too well.
Xie Yang grinned foolishly, happily saying, “Yeah, that’s the best.”
Even without Su Huai saying it, he could tell. To Qi Xu, he was probably quite attractive. Qi Xu often stared at his face, especially when they were intimate.
He would always say I was very beautiful.
Maybe my appearance happens to be Qi Xu’s type.
Suddenly, an exaggerated snicker from nearby caught Xie Yang’s and Su Huai’s attention.
“Maybe he’s never seen what real beauty looks like.”
“Didn’t think so many beautiful people couldn’t catch his eye, and he ended up choosing the ugliest one.”
“Maybe his eyesight is bad.”
Xie Yang felt like they were talking about him.
It’s not that he was overly sensitive, but given the topic of his conversation with Su Huai, their remarks seemed deliberately targeted.
Su Huai responded sarcastically, “He’s still better looking than some ugly people around here. It’s good to have self-awareness. Maybe check a mirror next time.”
One of the guys slammed the table and angrily glared at Xie Yang and Su Huai, cursing, “Who are you talking about?”
Su Huai spread his hands, amused, “Did I say anything specific? Some people shouldn’t take everything personally. But it seems they do have some self-awareness after all.”
He recognized one of the three, the silent one who had once publicly confessed to Qi Xu at the entrance of the dorm.
The forum had been buzzing with this senior’s activity, posting constantly, only to have each post promptly deleted by the administrators.
It seemed he was now angry and humiliated.
This senior was indeed attractive and good at winning over others, making many in their circle want to date him.
He looked delicate like a morning glory, but in reality, he played with people’s emotions.
He was arrogant, thinking highly of himself and looking down on everyone else.
Rejected by Qi Xu and seeing Qi Xu’s boyfriend was another guy, he must have felt humiliated and triggered.
Many in their circle were waiting to see him embarrassed, and Su Huai was one of them, having some past grudges with him.
Seeing this senior get embarrassed brought Su Huai a certain satisfaction.
Their loud argument had drawn quite a bit of attention, especially during the busy lunch hour when everyone enjoyed some gossip.
Given their striking appearances, many were watching them with interest.
Xie Yang felt at a loss, his nature making him unlikely to argue with others.
So many eyes on him made him anxious.
Suddenly, the familiar scent of gardenias approached, and he was pulled into a warm embrace.
“What happened?”
The familiar voice sounded in Xie Yang’s ear, and he looked back at Qi Xu, tears welling up in his eyes.
Qi Xu’s expression darkened instantly. He coldly stared at the people opposite them, then softly whispered in Xie Yang’s ear, “Who bullied you?”
Xie Yang shook his head.
It wasn’t really bullying; they just said some unpleasant things.
And they hadn’t directly named him either.
He felt upset mainly because, in his moment of helplessness, Qi Xu appeared by his side.
He didn’t have to face it alone.
He didn’t have to face anything at all, as Qi Xu would handle everything for him.
The senior, feeling outnumbered and aware of the crowd watching, felt increasingly humiliated.
“Aren’t you going too far?”
“Qi Xu, do you remember why you rejected me?”
“So what are you now?”
“Don’t you find it ironic?”
Qi Xu, hearing his name and the nonsensical rant, bluntly asked, “Who are you?”
“Pfft,” Sheng Fei couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Even Xie Yang couldn’t help but look at Qi Xu, but he believed Qi Xu wasn’t lying—he genuinely didn’t recognize the senior.
It was like a butcher not remembering the face of every pig.
Su Huai couldn’t hold back his laughter, tears streaming from his eyes.
That line was so brutal, it obliterated the opposition in an instant.
Sure enough, the senior’s face turned ugly, and without a word, he spun around and left.
Sheng Fei: “Leaving already?”
How dull. He had hoped to witness some dramatic love triangle.
The commotion ended.
Qi Xu patted Xie Yang’s head, pulled him close, and gently asked, “Do you still feel upset?”
Xie Yang shook his head slightly.
He wasn’t really upset by those few words.
He clutched Qi Xu’s hand tightly.
“Why are you here?”
Qi Xu: “Sheng Fei said the spicy hotpot here is really good and invited me for lunch.”
Sheng Fei nodded, his face expressionless, “Yeah, that’s right.”
He had never seen Qi Xu eat such things. Qi Xu was notoriously picky about food.
Besides, he was used to being a scapegoat and a tool. There were always two others waiting to take his place.
Xie Yang asked sheepishly, “I ate this. Aren’t you mad?”
Qi Xu: “Why would I be mad?”
Xie Yang: “I thought you might be upset that I kept it from you…”
Qi Xu: “Silly, you can eat whatever you want. You don’t need Su Huai to accompany you. I can go with you anytime.”
Xie Yang smiled shyly.
He had overthought it. Qi Xu didn’t really mind.
Xie Yang didn’t notice that Sheng Fei and Su Huai were rolling their eyes.
That sounded so sweet, only Xie Yang would believe it.
In the afternoon, Xie Yang had just one class. With finals approaching, he planned to study in the library. He was in a last-minute panic, hoping not to fail.
Qi Xu’s class ended later than his, so he went to the library early and found a quiet corner by the window.
Caramel Pudding: [I’ve saved us seats, in the last row by the window. You’ll see me when you come in.]
Clingy: [Wait for me a few minutes.]
Caramel Pudding: [Okay. [Obedient.jpg]]
He took out his notebook and started working on problems. He got so absorbed in studying that he didn’t even notice Qi Xu sitting beside him.
Qi Xu waved the milk tea he bought in front of Xie Yang.
Xie Yang: “Hmm?”
Seeing Qi Xu, a smile instantly blossomed on his face. “When did you get here?”
“Just now.” Qi Xu inserted the straw for him and held it to his mouth.
Xie Yang took a sip. “So sweet.”
He offered the milk tea to Qi Xu. “Do you want to try it?”
Qi Xu bit the spot Xie Yang had just used, took a small sip, and said in a teasing tone, “It is quite sweet.”
Xie Yang’s heart raced a little. He stammered, “I meant the milk tea.”
Qi Xu raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on his lips. “So did I.”
Really?
Xie Yang had a feeling Qi Xu was teasing him.
Qi Xu: “You looked troubled earlier. Is there a problem you can’t solve?”
Xie Yang’s eyes lit up.
He handed his notebook to Qi Xu.
“Mm.”
Back in high school, Xie Yang had often wished that Qi Xu could help him with his studies.
Learning was really difficult, and he barely managed to keep up. Even though he ranked second in the grade, there was still a gap between them.
He used to think how wonderful it would be if they could study together in the library or the study room, helping each other and exchanging ideas, just like they were now.
Thinking of this, Xie Yang looked at Qi Xu with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
Qi Xu paused slightly and whispered in his ear, “Asking me for tutoring comes with a fee.”
Xie Yang turned his head, his lips brushing against Qi Xu’s cheek.
“What?”
Qi Xu: “What do you think?”
Xie Yang: “…”
Suddenly, he didn’t feel so eager to know anymore.