Confession

Duan Xu's body tensed. The spot where Shen Yanlang had draped his arm felt scorching hot, but he kept his composure. "Then let's head back to the dorm first."

"I still have something to do, so I won't go shopping." Duan Xu turned to Tang Che again.

Tang Che glanced at Shen Yanlang, his smile strained. "All right, then I won't go either. Let's head back together."

"...Mm." Duan Xu felt as if the entire right side of his body had gone numb.

Shen Yanlang never let go, keeping an arm around Duan Xu as they walked toward the dormitory building.

Duan Xu's dorm was mixed housing, so he and Tang Che were not in the same building. After walking for a while, they parted ways.

Once only the two of them remained, Shen Yanlang said nothing. Duan Xu did not dare speak either, and they returned to the dorm in silence.

The moment the door closed, Duan Xu's scalp tingled. He took his laptop bag from Shen Yanlang, but did not take the initiative to ask what Shen Yanlang wanted with him.

Yet as soon as he set down the bag, Shen Yanlang pulled over a chair, stepped over the ladder, and sat directly beside him.

Duan Xu jumped in fright. He had been standing, but dropped onto the chair with a thud. "Why did you come sit over here?"

Want to fuck you, but it's not the right time yet.

Duan Xu: "!!!"

Duan Xu's pupils shook as he stared at Shen Yanlang in horror.

Hm? We're only sitting a little closer. Why is he making that face again?

Hearing that, Duan Xu abruptly realized how close they were after sitting down. Their legs were pressed together, and it felt a little cramped, so he hurriedly shifted backward.

But when he moved, Shen Yanlang moved with him. When he shifted again, Shen Yanlang continued to follow.

In the end, Duan Xu's back was against the wall, with nowhere left to retreat. Shen Yanlang sat with his legs apart, one knee braced against the wall, completely trapping Duan Xu in the corner between the wall and the desk.

"What do you think I'm going to do?" Shen Yanlang countered, his peach blossom eyes fixed tightly on Duan Xu.

Duan Xu's heartbeat sped up. Only then did he realize how dangerous this position was, but it was already too late. He turned his head away, refusing to look at Shen Yanlang. "I-I don't know."

I know. You want to... fuck me!

Shen Yanlang was such a damned hooligan!

Shen Yanlang gave a low laugh and gripped Duan Xu's jaw with one hand, forcefully making him look over. "I knew you were pretending to sleep on the night of that dinner."

Duan Xu: "!!!"

It was like a bolt from the blue!

H-he-he-he actually knew!

Oh, heavens, I can't go on living!

Those startled deer eyes are back. They're really beautiful. I want to kiss them.

Duan Xu: "..."

Shen Yanlang smiled. His mood was clearly very good. "Don't you have anything to say?"

What was there left to say? He only wanted to die!

"No." Duan Xu shut his eyes, looking like a dead pig that wasn't afraid of boiling water.

Shen Yanlang raised his brows slightly, not too surprised. His thumb rubbed twice over Duan Xu's smooth chin as he said softly, "You don't, but I do."

After saying that, he added, "Open your eyes, or I'll kiss you."

Duan Xu's eyes flew open. They were still filled with shock, along with a trace of anger. "You're being a hooligan!"

"It's not the first time." Shen Yanlang felt no shame, only pride.

Duan Xu: "..." He actually had no way to refute that.

"Y-you'd better say whatever you have to say already!" Duan Xu found this torment unbearable. It would be better to just stab him.

Shen Yanlang narrowed his eyes, then released Duan Xu and sat up a little straighter, though he still kept him enclosed.

The next moment, Shen Yanlang put on a serious, focused, affectionate expression. Even his voice became much gentler. "Duan Xu."

That single call made Duan Xu's heart tighten and his breathing stall. He seemed to have guessed what Shen Yanlang was about to say.

"I like you."

With a whoosh, heat rushed to Duan Xu's cheeks and ears, dyeing them bright red in an instant.

At the same time, his heart raced, thump thump thump, each beat echoing in his ears.

Shen Yanlang watched Duan Xu's reaction. Seeing his lowered eyes and flushed cheeks, he could not help smiling before saying his next sentence. "Be my boyfriend."

Help! I need an oxygen mask!

Duan Xu felt like he was about to suffocate. Shen Yanlang was too fucking good at this!

Shen Yanlang stared at Duan Xu's tightly pressed pink lips, his gaze deepening.

Once he becomes my boyfriend, I can kiss him whenever I want, hug him whenever I want, and also...

Duan Xu: "!!!"

"No! You can't!" Duan Xu shouted instinctively.

Shen Yanlang froze slightly, then understood. "You're not agreeing?"

Xuxu should have feelings for me. Why won't he agree?

I don't! I don't have feelings for you! Stop talking nonsense!

Duan Xu was badly startled, and there were too many uncertainties. He simply had no spare mental energy to think about how he felt toward Shen Yanlang.

When people encountered a huge change beyond their control, their first reaction was to avoid it. Duan Xu was exactly like that.

He wanted to avoid it, and the best way to avoid it was to reject Shen Yanlang.

"I won't agree." Duan Xu curled himself up, trying to squeeze farther into the corner.

Seeing him like this, Shen Yanlang's expression darkened. He looked directly into Duan Xu's eyes, trying to find something there. "You don't like me?"

"I... I..." Duan Xu could not say the words "I don't like you." Shen Yanlang had always taken such good care of him, but he could not say that he liked him either.

Seeing this, Shen Yanlang's brows lifted slightly, his expression turning from gloomy to merely cloudy. "I understand."

He does like me. Just not enough yet.

Duan Xu: "???"

You're not a worm in my stomach. You're definitely just making things up!

Shen Yanlang tapped his fingers against the desk. "Then starting now, I'll pursue you until you agree."

What?!

"Wait!" Duan Xu suddenly shouted. "Y-you said you're going to pursue me?"

"Mm." Shen Yanlang nodded, propping his head up with one hand as he looked at Duan Xu.

Duan Xu swallowed and asked cautiously, "Brother Yan, I already rejected you. Why aren't you giving up?"

"Why would I give up?" Shen Yanlang found it amusing.

Knowing you have feelings for me, wouldn't giving up make me an idiot?

Duan Xu fell silent. After thinking through a mess of things, he finally asked the question that would bring trouble upon himself. "What do you think of Han Xi?"

The moment he said that, Shen Yanlang's gaze darkened. He sat up straight. "You like Han Xi too?"

Duan Xu: "???"

"No, no, no! I don't like him, really!" Duan Xu was startled and hurriedly shook his head in clarification.

After saying that, he paused, blinking. "Too?"

Shen Yanlang gave a soft snort. "You like me and also like Han Xi. Isn't that 'too'?"

What the hell? Wasn't it you... Fine, it wasn't you.

"I don't like him!" Duan Xu clarified himself again.

Shen Yanlang frowned. "Then why did you ask about him?"

You kept looking at Han Xi before, and now you're asking about him. Could you really have feelings for two people at once?

Then I need to hurry up.

Duan Xu: "..."

"I'm asking you what you think of him."

Shen Yanlang said expressionlessly, "Nothing much."

Duan Xu: "...Oh."