So Well-Behaved

Duan Xu tilted his head slightly, wanting to hear what came next, and deliberately said, "Zhou Zhou's tastes even better."

"Is that so?" Shen Yanlang smiled generously, though he was nearly depressed to death inside. "Looks like I still need to work harder."

[I'll go back and learn from a professional barbecue chef.]

Duan Xu: "..."

That really wasn't necessary.

But... Duan Xu was still touched by those words. He blinked and smiled. "I was kidding. Yours tastes better."

Shen Yanlang raised his brows. "Really?"

"Mm." Duan Xu nodded. Just as he was about to say a few more words to praise him, a boy suddenly walked over.

The boy wore a light blue tracksuit. He had a sweet, delicate appearance and a slender figure, with a sort of fragile beauty. He looked like an omega, and he was holding a plate of grilled meat skewers.

He held the skewers out to Shen Yanlang and said shyly, "Shen Yanlang, I grilled this meat. Please have some."

Duan Xu blinked, immediately understanding the person's intentions.

But for some reason, back when they were in class or eating together, people often showed interest in Shen Yanlang or confessed to him, and Duan Xu had never felt anything about it. Now, though, something seemed different.

To hide the strange feeling in his heart, Duan Xu pretended not to care and kept eating his skewer.

Shen Yanlang understood as well. Ever since middle school, people had constantly shown interest in him, but he had never taken a liking to any of them. Besides, his studies had been more important back then.

His first reaction was to look at Duan Xu, but Duan Xu wore an utterly indifferent expression, leaving him somewhat disappointed.

When he turned back, Shen Yanlang put on an expression that kept people at arm's length, his tone cold. "No need. I have my own grilled meat. Thanks."

"S-sorry for disturbing you." The boy looked embarrassed after being rejected. Too mortified to stay any longer, he ran off with his grilled meat.

In fact, after Shen Yanlang arrived, quite a few people had wanted to come over and show interest, but no one had dared to be the first.

Now they had seen what happened to the first person. They figured the result would be the same for anyone else, so they all gave up on the idea.

After that person left, Duan Xu's eyelashes trembled. He could not put his feelings into words, and even he found himself strange.

[Xuxu doesn't care at all. Does he really have no feelings for me whatsoever?]

As the thought ended, Duan Xu stopped chewing. His other hand clenched tightly around his pants, and his breathing skipped a beat. He did his best to remain composed. "Yan-ge, I... I'm going to the restroom."

"Mm." Shen Yanlang nodded. His mood was somewhat low right now, so it was probably good that Duan Xu was leaving for a while. Otherwise, he was afraid he would not be able to hold himself back.

Duan Xu strode away in the direction of the restroom.

Once there, he did take care of his business. After washing his hands, he found a quiet, empty corner and squatted down, burying his face between his knees.

Duan Xu's heart was racing, and his mind buzzed. Again and again, he replayed Shen Yanlang's words in his head, unable to stop himself from recalling everything he had heard before.

When all those inner thoughts were linked together, he could seemingly feel the changes in Shen Yanlang's feelings for him, bit by bit, until now.

Shen Yanlang liked him?

Probably, right? Otherwise, why would he think that way? He had even wanted to take advantage of him.

But... didn't he have an official match?

Oh, right. The plot was strange now too. He had undergone a second differentiation, Han Xi did not seem to like Shen Yanlang either, and Shen Yanlang felt this way about him...

How had everything gotten so messed up?

Duan Xu felt that the situation was like a tangled ball of yarn, impossible to sort out no matter how hard he tried.

"Why are you hiding here? Did something happen?" Shen Yanlang's voice rang out above his head, startling Duan Xu. "Y-you, why are you here?"

"You hadn't come back for a long time." Shen Yanlang squatted down as well, meeting Duan Xu's eyes. "Did something happen? Can you tell me?"

Shen Yanlang had waited and waited for Duan Xu to return, until he could not help coming to look for him. When he found him, Duan Xu was squatting alone in a dark corner, hugging his knees with both arms and burying his head against them.

He did not know what Duan Xu had gone through, but he could tell that Duan Xu was in a bad mood.

"I can't." Duan Xu pressed his lips together. How was he supposed to talk about something like this?

Besides, he could not even sort it out himself right now. He did not know how to explain it, and he could not exactly reject Shen Yanlang when Shen Yanlang had never confessed to him.

Wait, no. Why was he acting as though he was looking forward to Shen Yanlang confessing?

Shen Yanlang fell silent for a moment. In the pitch-black corner, his eyes looked especially deep and dark as he asked softly, "Do you still want to eat?"

"If you don't, we can go back to school."

Shen Yanlang did not want to force Duan Xu, and Duan Xu saying "I can't" was better than clearly having something wrong while pretending nothing was happening.

[Still not enough.]

Duan Xu blinked. In the darkness, his eyes shone like stars. Pressing his lips together, he said, "I want to eat. It wouldn't be good if we left on our own."

"Then shall we go back now?" Shen Yanlang stood and held out a hand.

Duan Xu gave a soft affirmative sound, but he did not take Shen Yanlang's hand. Instead, he braced himself against the wall and stood up on his own.

Shen Yanlang casually withdrew his hand at the sight, though his gaze darkened slightly.

The two returned to the barbecue grill. Not long after, Huang Yonghe and Yu Qingqing came over, and there were two cans of beer beside their grill.

"Junior, how's your grilling? Let me have a taste." Huang Yonghe unceremoniously took a skewer, then handed one to Yu Qingqing. "Mm, it tastes great. You've got skills, Junior!"

"Thank you, Senior." Shen Yanlang's voice was low, without much emotion.

Huang Yonghe was too oblivious to notice, but Yu Qingqing felt that the atmosphere between Shen Yanlang and Duan Xu was strange. She could not figure out what was strange about it, though, and simply said, "Let's have a toast together!"

"Come on, come on!" Huang Yonghe and Yu Qingqing each took a can of beer.

Shen Yanlang picked up one can and popped it open, then hesitated as he looked at the other. [Should I let Xuxu drink?]

Before he could decide, Duan Xu had already picked up the other can and opened it. Smiling, he held it out. "Cheers! President and Senior Yu, you worked hard today!"

"Not at all, not at all. It's what we should do. Cheers!" Huang Yonghe laughed heartily.

Seeing this, Shen Yanlang stopped overthinking and clinked cans with them.

After chatting with them for a few moments, Huang Yonghe went over to Zhou Zhou's group, leaving only the two of them there again.

Duan Xu's thoughts were simple now. Alcohol could get people drunk. He wanted to get drunk; if he was drunk, he would not have to think so much.

Thus, Shen Yanlang watched as Duan Xu drank can after can, one more than he had last time.

"Xuxu?" Shen Yanlang waved a hand in front of him. "Are you drunk?"

After a long while, Duan Xu replied, "Drunk."

After saying that, he nodded earnestly.

Shen Yanlang: "..."

[So well-behaved.]

Duan Xu frowned and tried to open another can, but Shen Yanlang pressed it down with his hand, his tone firm. "You're drunk. You can't drink any more."

Duan Xu pouted unhappily, yet obediently said, "Oh."

Shen Yanlang could not help letting out a quiet laugh. Taking advantage of Duan Xu being drunk, he said it outright, "How are you so cute? So well-behaved?"

"I'm not cute." Duan Xu refuted him seriously.

But in Shen Yanlang's eyes, the sight of Duan Xu widening his eyes and solemnly insisting that he was not cute was unbearably adorable.