Can I hug you?

He couldn't stay away at all.

Compared with this little predilection of Pei Song'an's that made his scalp prickle, Li Shu wanted more to take a hundred million and return to his original world.

Naturally, he couldn't tell Pei Song'an what he really thought, but fortunately, Pei Song'an didn't seem inclined to press him.

After their meal, the two of them went to the pet shop where Zhaocai was boarding.

Sure enough, Pei Song'an bought Zhaocai several little outfits: a bee hoodie, two circus-themed sweaters, and a preppy knit top.

Li Shu dressed Zhaocai and rubbed the dog's head, laughing. "You're wearing a school uniform now, too."

Zhaocai barked happily twice in response. Seemingly realizing that someone else had bought the clothes, he went to rub his head against Pei Song'an's trouser leg, but after two steps, he seemed to change his mind and only sniffed it instead.

Since there was still evening self-study, and dinner had taken up some time, Pei Song'an waited for Li Shu to take a few photos of Zhaocai before they left the pet shop.

"Life's getting better. Even Zhaocai's coat is a lot shinier."

"I used to think that once I stopped living in the dorms and had my own room, I'd find Zhaocai a wife. But dogs can have several puppies in a litter, right? Wouldn't my whole place smell like puppies then?"

"Forget it, forget it. Zhaocai will just have to put up with being a little bachelor."

Li Shu talked the whole way while Pei Song'an listened, responding at appropriate moments. The walk from the residential area to the classroom building took nearly twenty minutes, but Li Shu was restless by nature, talkative and fond of running around, so he didn't feel tired.

When they reached the classroom building in Zone A, Li Shu was just about to head to his class's self-study room when Pei Song'an told him to wait.

Even while obediently waiting, Li Shu couldn't keep still.

He broke a branch as thick as his index finger off a nearby tree, then crouched beside the grass behind a stone bollard and happily poked and scraped away with it.

It had grown dark, and with something blocking the front of his body, Li Shu completely failed to hear anyone stop in front of him.

"Hey, have you heard? Li Shu's been getting pretty close to Pei Song'an lately."

"Yeah, I heard. The internet's blowing up over it. They had dinner at Cafeteria 2 tonight. Seriously, I can count on one hand how many times I run into the crown prince at a cafeteria during mealtimes in a whole semester."

"Honestly, Li Shu's a guy, for crying out loud. First he was close to Chen Yannan, saying they were like brothers, and now who knows what tricks he pulled to latch onto the crown prince. Has the Li Family fallen on hard times? They're letting their son go out and be a rent boy?"

"Hahaha, don't go making things up. Apparently, Li Shu fell out with his family over a man himself. But that's just what I heard. No idea if it's true."

"..."

The gossip, half true and half false, kept pouring into Li Shu's ears.

Whether they were talking about the former Li Shu or the current Li Shu, the Li Shu crouching there digging in the dirt couldn't stand another word.

He shot up from behind the stone bollard, his voice sharp and heated, without a shred of calm:

"What the hell are you saying?!"

"Do your parents pay for you to go to college just so you can gossip about other people?"

"You love running your mouths so much? Fine! I'm standing right in front of you now. Go on, let me hear what other nasty things you've got to say!"

Li Shu sprang out behind the two boys like a ghost, making them yelp in fright instead.

Pei Song'an emerged from the side with the hot drinks he'd just bought and was greeted by this chaotic scene.

Li Shu had the two still-shaken boys by their collars. His voice was neither loud nor quiet, but he sounded furious, with an indescribable hint of hurt.

As he approached, Pei Song'an could hear their argument.

Embarrassed at being caught bad-mouthing someone, one of the boys still tried to save face:

"Li Shu, are you trying to scare us to death? If what we said wasn't true, would you be getting this worked up?"

Li Shu didn't give an inch. "Bullshit! Did you see me being a rent boy? Did you say that, or was it a dog? Even a dog sounds better than you two! Did you eat shit for dinner?"

A male voice interrupted the argument.

"What happened?"

Pei Song'an strode over, piecing together what had happened from the few snatches of their argument he heard.

Li Shu was so angry his voice shook. "They're spreading rumors!"

Once he understood what had happened, Pei Song'an's expression darkened completely. "I'll be reporting this to your counselor. Apologize right now."

They had only meant to talk big in private, and no one dared actually act out in front of this crown prince. Worried about implicating their families, the two boys hurriedly admitted their fault, their faces pale.

"We're sorry, we're sorry! Please don't tell our counselor. We promise we won't say it again!"

Pei Song'an didn't answer on Li Shu's behalf, leaving the decision to him instead.

"I don't forgive you!" Li Shu's temper had flared, too, and he wasn't about to indulge them. "If I have to forgive you just because you apologize, doesn't that mean everyone can do whatever they want?"

No matter what they said, Li Shu wouldn't budge. In the end, the two gossiping boys had no choice but to slink away.

The moment they left, Li Shu's stern expression suddenly changed, his eyes curving. There was no trace of his earlier seething fury.

"Pei Song'an, you were so much like my dad just now!"

A wave of gratitude swept through Li Shu, and he looked at the man hopefully. "Can I hug you?"

Pei Song'an's brow twitched. "I don't want to be your dad, so no."

"Hehe, don't care, don't care. Can't hear you."

"Not afraid of people talking anymore?"

"If I've done nothing wrong, I've got nothing to fear."

With that, Li Shu shot toward him like a little rocket.

Pei Song'an's body was like a solid wall of flesh, hard and reassuring. Even through his clothes, Li Shu could feel the fine contours of his shoulders and neck, and with each rise and fall of his breathing, his chest kept pressing against Li Shu's body.

The tendons in his neck stood out, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

A fresh, pleasant scent of soap rushed headlong into Pei Song'an's nose, invading without restraint and bringing a lingering, tingling sensation.

The hug ended almost as soon as it began.

Pei Song'an tucked the hot drink into Li Shu's backpack, along with two packs of tissues.

"I don't get it. They clearly didn't see anything, so why would they say such nasty things?"

Li Shu still couldn't understand.

Pei Song'an stared at Li Shu's exposed neck, an emotion flashing through his eyes, and explained patiently:

"Most of the time, when faced with something they don't want to believe, people like to assume the worst of others. You can simply think of it as jealousy."

Li Shu thought Pei Song'an sounded like his high school homeroom teacher.

"Uh."

"Okay."

After watching Li Shu head inside with his backpack, Pei Song'an turned and walked toward Zone E of the classroom building.

Once he had disappeared from sight, someone emerged from around a corner nearby.

Cold, clear moonlight fell across Chen Yannan's gentle, handsome face. His restraint briefly broke its shackles, and a trace of viciousness slipped uncontrollably into his eyes.

Sometimes, there was no word for it but coincidence.

He had happened to see Li Shu rush over and hug Pei Song'an.

What good did seeing it do?

A missed chance was a missed chance~