Chapter 6

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Last night, Xi Shi was truly exhausted, overwhelmed by sleepiness and fatigue, wishing he could drift off instantly. Yet, when he saw the man tear off the towel around his waist, bend down to pick up clothes from the floor, and dress, his eyes involuntarily widened slightly.

No wonder the strange feeling in that certain area was so intense—turns out the sleeping dragon was so exaggerated. Looking at Jing Chen’s figure, it was nothing short of perfection: smooth, balanced lines full of grace, like a meticulously carved statue.

Moreover, Jing Chen carried an air of refined nobility, a privileged grace. When silent, he appeared aloof and detached, naturally exuding an overwhelming presence that could captivate and intimidate. Such a man showing tenderness in bed was all the more beguiling, as if the beholder were the only one worthy of his gentle care.

Thankfully, with school starting soon, they wouldn’t see each other every day; otherwise, this man would have stolen both body and heart completely.

Ah, the beauty of a man—how utterly intoxicating.

Xi Shi swallowed his saliva.

Hearing the movement, Jing Chen turned his head and saw him staring unblinking. He said, “Did I wake you?”

“Yes, your beauty woke my eyes.”

“…”

Xi Shi’s face was openly dripping with desire, causing Jing Chen to chuckle. He had no idea who was begging for mercy in tears last night.

Approaching, Jing Chen covered his eyes with his hand and said, “It’s still early, go back to sleep a bit.”

Xi Shi was indeed very tired and soon fell asleep after closing his eyes.

Jing Chen’s early rising wasn’t really due to work, but because he needed to return home.

He was driving Xi Shi’s car, and the gate outside didn’t recognize the license plate.

The security guard waved dismissively, signaling no entry.

Jing Chen lowered the window. Upon seeing his face, the guard widened his eyes in disbelief, stunned for a moment before breaking into a respectful smile.

“Master, sorry, I didn’t recognize you. Please come in.”

He hurriedly opened the gate for Jing Chen.

Before closing the window, Jing Chen instructed, “Register this car with entry permission.”

“Ah? Oh, okay, okay.”

The guard watched the car leave, recovering from shock after a while.

It wasn’t unusual for the master to drive a car no one had seen before—rich people bought cars as casually as ordinary people bought vegetables. Besides, it was only a Panamera.

But this car was wrapped in a glaring lime green film, seemingly newly applied, spotless and shining under the morning sun, glaringly bright and utterly lacking in seriousness.

Previously, the master’s cars had all been classic black, fitting his reserved and mature temperament.

Such a... such an audacious color.

Jing Chen parked inside the courtyard. The butler, seeing him get out, also blinked in surprise and even rubbed his eyes unsteadily.

Their reactions didn’t escape Jing Chen’s notice, and a twitch appeared on his temple.

The day before yesterday, the car still had a vibrant sky-blue wrap; yesterday, it turned this lush green. Who knew what had triggered Xi Shi.

The butler regained his composure quickly and said, “Master, would you like breakfast? I thought you’d go straight to the company and didn’t have the kitchen prepare anything. If you’re in a hurry, I can order delivery.”

Jing Chen strode into the house, “Prepare it now. I want to work out for an hour.”

“Very well.”

The butler hurried to instruct the kitchen, expecting the master to have something else to do this morning or to skip the company.

After Jing Chen finished his hour of training, returned to his room to wash up, and changed into a suit, it was clear he was still heading to work.

So, in fact, the master’s trip home was just to... work out?

Although he exercised, it wasn’t daily. Normally, he would head straight to the company. This back-and-forth, as he put it, was a meaningless waste of time.

The butler, less constrained around him, asked out of curiosity.

“Master, why rush back just to work out? Did the health check a few days ago show any problems?”

Jing Chen paused mid-bite, then coldly uttered two words: “Mind your business.”

Having always been on top, used to others flattering him, he would never admit that he was worried about a certain someone’s constant remarks about his physique—that if he didn’t keep up on his abs, he’d be abandoned.

Butler: “…”

Though scolded, the master’s smile was unmistakable.

He hadn’t seen the master this happy in a long time. (Not really.)

——

Xi Shi’s nap wasn’t long. With school starting tomorrow, he had to register today.

When he arrived at the dorm, he happened to meet his roommate Guo Hao taking out the trash, who jumped at the sight of him dragging a suitcase inside.

“Brother Xi, why are you here? Didn’t you say you were renting off-campus this semester?”

Originally, Xi Shi was to marry Shao Xun. In their junior year, he applied for off-campus housing, and their marital home was bought just a short drive from school, convenient for the young couple to live together.

Now that the marriage was off, the marital home was unusable.

Xi Shi planned to rent another place, convenient for the things he did with Jing Chen.

He intended to rent a fully furnished two- or three-bedroom, nothing less would suit Jing Chen.

However, when he browsed rental listings, nothing satisfied him. The agent said it was the beginning of the semester, housing was tight, and around the school there were mostly single rooms; two- or three-bedroom suites were hard to find.

Xi Shi was particular and impatient to settle; he asked the agent to keep an eye out, planning to stay in the dorm temporarily.

His classmates didn’t know about his broken engagement; he just said he was renting elsewhere.

“The landlord suddenly stopped renting; I couldn’t find another place right away, so I’m back for a while.”

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Seeing Guo Hao’s strange expression, Xi Shi grabbed his shoulder. “What, you don’t welcome me?”

“Of course not, it’s just… well…”

Guo Hao scratched his head. “The counselor thought you weren’t coming back, so they assigned another student to your bed. The new student has already taken your spot.”

I see.

Their dorm originally had three occupants. When he moved out, it was normal for someone else to move in.

Xi Shi asked, “Has the other empty bed been taken?”

“No, if you want to stay, we’ll help tidy it up.”

There was an unused bed in the dorm, but it was cluttered with all sorts of junk, not easy to clear.

After Guo Hao took out the trash, he and another roommate, Xiao Nan, helped tidy up.

Xi Shi, a gentleman who never touched a broom, and having done strenuous exercise the previous two days, soon felt aches in his back and legs trembling.

Just as they were energetically cleaning, voices came from the door.

“Finally here, so heavy.”

“I said I’d come get it, but you insisted. Look, your hands are red.”

“No worries, I don’t want you to work too hard.”

One voice was quite familiar.

Wiping sweat, Xi Shi looked up and saw Shao Xun carrying bags into the dorm.

Their eyes met; the air seemed to freeze.

Xi Shi coldly averted his gaze, cursing inwardly.

Shao Xun had graduated early, so the new roommate was... Wang Yang, trailing behind him.

Great, just what they needed—melodrama.

The other two roommates, apparently having met before, cheerfully introduced them.

“You’re back from shopping! This is Xi Shi, our other roommate. Brother Xi, this is our new roommate Wang Yang, and this is his brother.”

Since Xi Shi didn’t want classmates to know about their past relationship and become gossip, Shao Xun had never come to visit him at Yan University, and their classmates didn’t know they had once been engaged.

Xi Shi merely nodded to Wang Yang, acknowledging him.

Wang Yang had never met Xi Shi but knew all about him from Shao Xun and had even looked up photos.

Seeing the pictures, Wang Yang thought the man was ridiculously vain, photoshopping himself beyond recognition. He wasn’t a celebrity; who was he trying to impress?

Yet seeing him in person, he realized the photos were barely edited; if anything, Xi Shi looked better in reality.

Wang Yang, once confident in his own looks, felt an unexpected surge of inferiority.

Some people truly were that stunning—surpassing ordinary beauty, as if the perfect beauties from paintings had stepped out into reality, breathtaking.

Yet, with his mediocre looks, lower family status, and even poorer entrance exam results—he barely got into Yan University after studying abroad for three years and leveraging connections to enter the foreign language department—he was the one who occupied Shao Xun’s heart, becoming his unrequited love.

What use was Xi Shi’s beauty if he was dumped by Shao Xun and laughed at by the elite circles of Yanjing?

Thinking this, Wang Yang felt a flicker of superiority.

Of course, he didn’t show it.

He awkwardly said, “Sorry, I thought you had moved out, so I took your bed.”

Xi Shi didn’t even bother to roll his eyes.

Wang Yang continued, “If you mind, I’ll pack up and switch beds with you.”

Xi Shi paused his work.

Like playing games, huh?

“Fine, I quite like that bed. Since you’re so sincere, I won’t refuse.”

Wang Yang: “…”

He hadn’t expected him to agree and bit his lip.

He had already made his bed and cleaned the desk beneath it. This spot was by the window, with good light and air, while the other bed near the bathroom was damp and prone to odors if the toilet wasn’t perfectly clean.

He assumed someone like Xi Shi, who couldn’t even accept a marriage agreement with Shao Xun, would be straightforward and strong-willed enough to refuse the offer.

Who knew he’d just agree?

Xi Shi gave him no chance to regret it, stepping up and handing Wang Yang a grimy rag.

“Here, wipe the desk yourself. I’ll take out the trash.”

“...”

Wang Yang was caught between advancing and retreating, hoping Shao Xun would come out and speak for him.

But when he turned, he saw Shao Xun standing there, eyes lowered, like a lost soul.

Wang Yang reluctantly took the rag, still thinking of how to back out, while Xi Shi already grabbed a large bag of trash.

“Can you carry it? I’ll help later,” Guo Hao said.

Xi Shi lifted the bag. “No, trash should be taken out promptly—don’t want it to get in the way or eyesore.”

Shao Xun, who hadn’t spoken, thought: Why does it feel like he’s being insulted?

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The bag was heavy. Xi Shi struggled mightily to carry it to the bin, resting on his knees for a moment before opening the lid to throw it in.

Just as his hand touched the bag, another hand reached out, took it, and tossed the trash straight into the bin.

“Thank...”

Xi Shi’s second “thank you” was cut off when he saw it was Shao Xun helping, instantly feeling unlucky.

He stepped away quickly to avoid bad luck.

“Wait,” Shao Xun blocked his path.

“Shi, I came to apologize.”

Xi Shi was fed up with this ex.

After breaking up, couldn’t he just behave like the dead?

He said ruthlessly, “We’re strangers now. You owe me no apology.”

“I do. I didn’t know Yangyang was using your bed; it wasn’t intentional, and I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Shao Xun was as stunned as Xi Shi to see this coincidence.

He worried Xi Shi would think he was deliberately antagonistic, especially since Xi Shi blocked him on WeChat, so he took this chance to explain.

He knew Xi Shi had poured all his heart into their engagement, loving him fully, but now, despite canceling the engagement, his feelings were tangled with love and hate.

When Wang Yang chose to abandon everything to study abroad, he felt the same.

Anger aside, his love only intensified.

He understood everything.

So he wanted to clarify: even if he couldn’t give Xi Shi what he wanted, he didn’t want to hurt him. Misunderstandings should be cleared to prevent Xi Shi from overthinking.

Besides, Xi Shi accepting Wang Yang’s offer to switch beds was a sign—if Xi Shi and Wang Yang broke up, he might still accept him.

Some things had to be said clearly.

“Though there’s no future for us, I bear no ill will. Rather than hurt you, I want you to be happy.”

“...”

Xi Shi couldn’t help but brush the goosebumps on his arm.

How had he never noticed before how cheesy and greasy this guy was?

Xi Shi said coldly, “I know. Just a coincidence.”

Shao Xun nodded, “Yes, a coincidence.”

Xi Shi: “You’re nowhere near that capable.”

“...”

Xi Shi impatiently asked, “Can you move aside now?”

He was resentful about being dumped. He was resentful about being dumped. He was resentful about being dumped.

Shao Xun silently repeated this thrice, calming down.

“The house in Lanyuan is empty, decorated to your taste. You can move in.”

The Lanyuan house was their marital home.

Xi Shi’s eyes lit up. “You’re giving it to me?”

If so, he wouldn’t mind bringing Jing Chen to make love on their marital bed.

Shao Xun’s temple twitched violently. “It’s a loan.”

That house was worth tens of millions. He dared to imagine, huh?

Xi Shi rolled his eyes.

After rolling, he looked behind Shao Xun. “Wang Yang.”

Shao Xun panicked and quickly turned around. Xi Shi took the chance to push past him and run off, not forgetting to step on him, causing Shao Xun to grimace in pain.

Still unsatisfied, Xi Shi ran a few steps, then turned back and gave Shao Xun the middle finger.

“Idiot.”

After cursing, Xi Shi felt much better and turned to leave.

Shao Xun limped back to the dorm, seeing Wang Yang moving his previously arranged belongings to the newly cleaned bed. He hurried over and quietly said, “Sorry for troubling you.”

Wang Yang was resentful, knowing Shao Xun hadn’t helped him speak up earlier.

Now that it was done, what was the use?

But it was settled; Wang Yang smiled gently. “It’s okay.”

At that moment, roommate Xiao Nan came out of the bathroom holding a clean mop, glanced at his phone, and said, “It’s noon. Let’s eat before the cafeteria is cleared out.”

Shao Xun quickly said, “No need for the cafeteria. It’s on me—we’ll eat out.”

Xiao Nan scratched his head, “That’s too much trouble.”

“No need to be polite. You helped Yangyang set up his bed; he’ll need your care. Go get Xi Shi back; I’ll call to reserve a spot.”

Another roommate, Guo Hao, raised his phone. “No need to wait for Brother Xi. He messaged me saying he has something this afternoon and already left.”

“Also, he said when he took out the trash, the strong green tea smell made him lose his appetite. Strange, I didn’t smell anything when I took out the trash.”

Shao Xun: “...”

Those words were too pointed, insulting two people at once, causing Wang Yang to overthink.

He felt something was off when Shao Xun suddenly went out—did Xi Shi talk to him while taking out the trash?

Wang Yang’s eye twitched.