After Becoming Arch-Enemies with My Best Bro - Chapter 18

Wen Huihan wasn’t actually asleep at all. The moment he heard He Chenshuang step out of the bathroom, he shut his eyes and began pretending to be in a deep slumber.

He felt a spike of nervousness when He Chenshuang walked over to the bedside to pick up his phone. Just before feigning sleep, Wen Huihan had been watching a BL anime and hadn’t managed to close the app in time.

Fortunately, He Chenshuang had no intention of snooping. He simply turned off the screen and placed the phone back on the nightstand.

Wen Huihan waited patiently, staying still until He Chenshuang finally flicked off the light and lay down beside him.

He waited a little longer, carefully counting the seconds until He Chenshuang’s breathing became steady and even. Now’s the time, he thought. Like a sleek fish, he slid right into He Chenshuang’s side of the covers.

It felt like stepping out of a cold ocean into another world. He Chenshuang’s bed was filled with a dry, radiating heat that didn’t quite match his usually cold exterior.

The moment Wen Huihan slipped in, He Chenshuang’s body went rigid. However, he relaxed again almost as quickly.

Wen Huihan did his best to maintain the appearance of being fast asleep. He stayed tucked under He Chenshuang’s blanket without making any further moves, making it look as though he had simply rolled over by accident.

“Wen Huihan?”

He heard He Chenshuang call his name in a low voice. The corners of Wen Huihan’s mouth twitched upward almost imperceptibly.

Go ahead, call me all you want, he thought. Even if He Chenshuang yelled at the top of his lungs, he wasn’t “waking up.” Tonight, he was staying in this spot no matter what.

Sure enough, after calling his name and seeing no sign of him waking, He Chenshuang let out a soft sigh.

It was a very faint sound, tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Wen Huihan’s ears perked up. A sigh? It seemed He Chenshuang really couldn’t stand the idea of sharing a blanket with another man.

That “homophobic straight guy” must be feeling incredibly restless right now, probably wishing he could bolt ten miles away just to get some distance.

Wen Huihan felt a surge of smugness, but he didn’t let it show on his face. He continued to play dead, using his fake sleep as a lure to provoke his “enemy.”

It was roasting under He Chenshuang’s covers. Heat continued to pour off the other man’s body, and Wen Huihan felt himself starting to break a sweat from the warmth.

Still, his goal was only half-accomplished. It wasn’t every day he got to get under He Chenshuang’s skin like this, so he wasn’t about to give up now.

He pretended to toss and turn again, trying to edge even closer to He Chenshuang.

Click.

He Chenshuang reached out and turned the light back on.

Wen Huihan immediately froze, becoming as still as a statue.

He Chenshuang sat up, looking down at the person on the bed.

The “sleeping” man’s eyelashes rested quietly against his cheeks, his dark hair a messy, fluffy pile. His exposed ears were a shade of dusty pink, and his face was flushed with a rosy glow from the trapped heat.

He Chenshuang’s gaze felt heavy and tangible. It lingered on Wen Huihan’s face for an unusually long time, so long that Wen Huihan almost cracked under the pressure and admitted he was faking.

Just as he was wondering what on earth He Chenshuang was planning to do, the man beside him finally moved.

He Chenshuang got out of bed and lay down in the spot Wen Huihan had originally occupied.

He had simply traded places with him.

Wen Huihan: “…”

Did He Chenshuang think he was just trying to steal the “better” side of the bed?

Please, he wasn’t that childish.

The room went dark again as He Chenshuang switched off the light.

Wen Huihan gritted his teeth and decided it was time for the “big guns.”

He waited even longer this time, gathering his strength for the perfect moment when He Chenshuang would be hovering right on the edge of sleep.

Like slamming on the gas pedal, he launched himself through the blankets and catapulted straight into He Chenshuang’s arms.

He Chenshuang: “…”

Wen Huihan: “…”

Crap, maybe that was a bit too much force.

“Wen Huihan.”

After a long silence, He Chenshuang’s voice was much deeper this time. It held a trace of strained endurance, as if the words were being squeezed through his teeth.

It was a complete departure from his usual lazy, arrogant tone.

Wen Huihan kept his eyes squeezed shut. He could feel that the part of the body he was touching was incredibly stiff. He Chenshuang really was as “homophobic” as they came.

Sorry, bro, he thought. He hadn’t intended to be quite so direct.

After all, how was he supposed to know He Chenshuang would be sleeping on his side, facing him? It resulted in Wen Huihan “taking off” too fast and landing squarely in He Chenshuang’s embrace.

He was currently half-encircled by He Chenshuang, his head tucked near the other man’s neck. Every breath he took was filled with He Chenshuang’s scent.

They were using the same body wash today. He Chenshuang, the “golden boy” from a wealthy family, couldn’t stand the cheap, generic hotel soap. Since Wen Huihan had recently bought a bottle that came with a bunch of travel samples, he had graciously “bestowed” a few upon him.

The citrus scent was fresh, a personal favorite of Wen Huihan’s. But for some reason, when it mixed with He Chenshuang’s own natural scent, it felt dizzying and intoxicating. He found himself wanting to take another whiff.

In the narrow space, he didn’t realize that every breath he exhaled was landing directly on He Chenshuang’s neck. However, he could feel the other man’s chest rising and falling more rapidly. Clearly, his heart was racing.

Is it really that terrifying? Wen Huihan wondered. They had been bros for years, was he really that repulsed?

A slight sense of annoyance rose in his chest. After all, he didn’t mind sharing a blanket with He Chenshuang.

Oh, right. He had forgotten one thing. There was a good chance He Chenshuang didn’t see him as a brother at all, so this level of rejection was actually quite normal.

Given how “homophobic” He Chenshuang seemed, Wen Huihan wondered if their friendship would eventually fall apart because he became “too gay” and He Chenshuang couldn’t handle it anymore.

Wen Huihan pushed his acting skills to the limit. Even an Oscar-winning actor couldn’t have played it better, managing to withstand the sheer intensity of He Chenshuang’s gaze.

If He Chenshuang ever became an interrogator, he wouldn’t even need to use force, one look and most people would confess everything.

Unfortunately for him, he was facing Wen Huihan, a man of “steely resolve.” Besides, at this point, it wasn’t a matter of whether he wanted to wake up, but whether he dared to.

He was afraid that if he “woke up” now, he wouldn’t get any sleep at all. He Chenshuang might drag him up for a duel, and since he wasn’t at full strength, the outcome would be hard to predict.

Luckily, the situation didn’t last much longer. He Chenshuang finally looked away and got out of bed again.

This time, he didn’t move to the other side to sleep. Instead, he got up and left the room. There was the sound of a door opening and closing, likely the bathroom.

Wen Huihan opened his eyes in the dark. What’s going on? He really left?

He waited for a while, but he didn’t hear any noise from the bathroom, nor did He Chenshuang return.

As he waited, instead of He Chenshuang, a wave of intense drowsiness washed over him.

His mind had been on high alert all day, and he was genuinely exhausted. With the lingering warmth of He Chenshuang still in the bed, his eyelids grew heavy, and he drifted off into a deep sleep.

The benefit of not being a picky sleeper showed itself then. He slept like a baby, having no idea when He Chenshuang finally came back.

He Chenshuang had washed his hands. When he came out and saw the person who had “usurped his nest” still sleeping soundly and peacefully, his heart felt strangely heavy with a complex mix of emotions.

…What exactly did Wen Huihan mean by this?

Was it a warning because he had only booked one room? Or was he testing his boundaries?

It couldn’t simply be that he wanted to be close to him, He Chenshuang knew Wen Huihan wasn’t that kind of person.

The once-simple Wen Huihan had become complicated. Logic told him there must be a reason. He had been sensing something off lately and had been doing his best to hide his own feelings.

Whether it was a warning or a test, He Chenshuang didn’t know. He couldn’t exactly wake the man up and ask him what his intentions were.

He could only process it in silence.

Wen Huihan slept straight through until eight o’clock the next morning.

When he opened his eyes, he was a bit confused for a moment. After a few seconds, his memory returned, and he remembered he was in a hotel.

He sat up, but He Chenshuang was nowhere to be seen. Even the other blanket was folded with meticulous neatness.

…He didn’t actually sleep in the bathroom all night, did he?

Wait, surely He Chenshuang didn’t just bail and run away in the middle of the night while he was asleep?

Just as Wen Huihan was reflecting on whether he had taken the joke too far, he heard the sound of a keycard at the door. He Chenshuang stepped inside.

Already dressed in neat, fresh clothes, He Chenshuang looked as cool and collected as ever, the picture of a high-achieving student.

He had likely gone for a walk downstairs. When he saw Wen Huihan sitting up in bed, he raised an eyebrow.

“The hotel has a breakfast buffet. Do you want to go down?”

Wen Huihan replied, “Oh, yeah. Give me a minute.”

He didn’t look like someone who had spent the night in a bathroom, he actually looked quite refreshed.

Wen Huihan felt relieved. He Chenshuang must have come back out after cooling off in the bathroom. As long as he didn’t end up sleeping on the floor, it was fine.

After all, he just wanted to mess with He Chenshuang’s head a bit, he didn’t actually want him to suffer.

Wen Huihan felt he had won a significant victory after seeing a rare, ruffled side of He Chenshuang. He washed up and changed as fast as he could, then headed down to breakfast with him.

During the meal, he caught himself stealing glances at He Chenshuang’s face multiple times.

He Chenshuang was stirring his soy milk, one hand propping up his chin. His sharp features wore a cold, disinterested expression, as if he had no appetite.

Everything seemed normal on the surface. He was never particularly enthusiastic about food unless it was something specific he liked. However, Wen Huihan inexplicably felt that something about him was different today.

Catching Wen Huihan’s staring, he looked up and asked, “What is it?”

He had been looking so frequently that even a fool would have noticed.

Wen Huihan blinked. “Uh, did you not sleep well last night?”

He Chenshuang looked at him silently for two seconds, then let out a short laugh. “No, I slept perfectly fine.”

So stubborn about saving face.

Wen Huihan didn’t believe for a second that He Chenshuang was unfazed. He just didn’t want to admit it. What a poser.

Unfortunately, Wen Huihan couldn’t call him out on it without revealing that he had been faking sleep the night before. He wasn’t that stupid.

So, he could only gloat internally while keeping a straight face, making it seem like he was just a concerned bro checking in on his friend’s sleep quality.

After breakfast, they followed the travel plan He Chenshuang had prepared for City C.

Even Wen Huihan had to admit that He Chenshuang was genuinely talented at planning trips. They managed to avoid the massive National Day crowds by visiting lesser-known, scenic spots.

Even so, they had a blast. Wen Huihan took a ton of photos and posted several updates to his Moments.

There were many comments, and he picked a few to reply to.

Lin Qihao: You can tell He Chenshuang took these. Even the angles look like they were calculated with precision.

[Reply] I’ve Gone Dark: Not really, it’s mostly my natural good looks doing the heavy lifting.

Zhao Zhao: Damn, where is this in City C? How have I never seen this place before?

[Reply] I’ve Gone Dark: He Chenshuang made the itinerary. Ask him for it.

Lin Mengling: On a date with He Chenshuang? Why aren’t you guys using the matching couple profile pictures I drew?

[Reply] I’ve Gone Dark: President, this is a comment section, not a private chat!

Wen Huihan’s heart skipped a beat when he saw Lin Mengling’s comment. He quickly and quietly blocked He Chenshuang from seeing the post.

He Chenshuang also had Lin Mengling on WeChat. If he saw that, he’d probably faint from shock. Better to keep him in the dark and save himself the trouble of explaining.

He really was a thoughtful friend.

On the other side of the table, He Chenshuang had just pulled out his phone to give Wen Huihan’s post a like, only to watch the nine-photo grid vanish from his screen instantly.

He Chenshuang: “…”

Was that another warning?

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