After Becoming Arch-Enemies with My Best Bro - Chapter 33

During the second half of the movie, Wen Huihan stopped dwelling on that minor little accident and immersed himself entirely in the film.

The finale of the third installment was every bit as explosive as promised. The protagonist successfully turned the tables, rescued the hostages, and unraveled the mystery that had persisted throughout the entire series.

Even after the movie ended, while sitting down to eat with He Chenshuang, Wen Huihan was still marvelling at the stroke of genius in the final scene, which seemed to elevate the theme of the entire trilogy.

“I really thought Dr. Yang was a good guy, I never expected him to be the big boss!”

He Chenshuang listened quietly the whole time, only occasionally reminding Wen Huihan to watch his step. Seeing the excitement in Wen Huihan’s eyes as he talked, and how he even reached out to tug on He Chenshuang’s sleeve at the most exciting points, He Chenshuang looked down and smiled discreetly.

“Yeah, I didn’t see it coming either,” He Chenshuang said slowly. “Even though it felt a bit off when he was hiding the chemicals, I just didn’t guess he was the one pulling all the strings.”

“Exactly. It’s just a pity he was undone by his own greed in the end, otherwise, with his abilities, there’s no way he would have lost that badly.” Wen Huihan sighed. “Now that this movie is over, my youth has officially ended too.”

He Chenshuang raised an eyebrow. “If you’re that reluctant to let go, I, the pervert, can perform a few more seasons for you.”

Wen Huihan burst out laughing. “Oh, so you know you’re a pervert now?”

If he wasn’t a pervert, how could he have fallen for his own brother? In Wen Huihan’s eyes, He Chenshuang had gone full deviant.

He Chenshuang used the serving chopsticks to place a piece of rib into Wen Huihan’s bowl, then heard him continue: “Sigh, honestly, watching this movie is all about the nostalgia. The significance is just different.”

When the first movie was released, he and He Chenshuang were in their senior year of high school. Despite the immense academic pressure, they had skipped an evening self-study session specifically to watch it.

Senior year was intense, and their weekends were entirely consumed by various classes. They originally had Sunday afternoons free, but even those were heartlessly snatched away by exams.

The idea of two top students skipping evening self-study at such a critical juncture in their senior year was something nobody would likely believe. Yet, for an act so rebellious and uncharacteristic of a “top student” image, He Chenshuang hadn’t said a single “no.”

Wen Huihan had been a “good kid” since childhood; forget skipping evening study, he had never even dozed off in class. He Chenshuang was even more of a model student, though he had a bit of an attitude, he was a good student at heart.

But when they decided to ditch school for the cinema, Wen Huihan followed behind He Chenshuang and watched him expertly locate the wall that was easiest to climb. He had felt then that He Chenshuang was scarily experienced.

Only later did he find out that the moment he suggested seeing the movie, He Chenshuang had already mapped out a plan to skip school. He had scouted the location, found the easiest wall to scale, and ensured it wasn’t captured by security cameras.

He Chenshuang wasn’t just good at making travel itineraries, he was also an expert at scouting walls and planning hooky, it seemed there was nothing that could defeat him.

Wen Huihan asked curiously, “Hey, is there actually anything you’re not good at?”

He Chenshuang replied, “Of course there is.”

Wen Huihan was instantly intrigued. If there was something in this world He Chenshuang wasn’t good at, he absolutely had to know what it was.

Under his expectant gaze, He Chenshuang casually uttered two words: “Love letters.”

Wen Huihan: “…”

He immediately glared at this outspoken guy, frantically signaling him with his eyes: We’re still in public, tone it down!

“Just kidding.” Under Wen Huihan’s threatening gaze, He Chenshuang turned a bit more serious. “Actually, there are quite a lot of things. For example, I can’t fly a plane, I can’t build a house, and I certainly can’t build a spaceship.”

Wen Huihan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “What’s the difference between saying that and saying nothing? I can’t do those things either.”

“Exactly. So there’s no real difference between you and me, we’re both just ordinary people.”

“I guess that’s true.”

Wen Huihan nodded. He Chenshuang had actually said something sensible for once.

Since everyone was an ordinary person, it followed that people have emotions and develop feelings for beautiful things. Occasionally falling for a straight guy seemed somewhat normal in that light.

Seen this way, He Chenshuang didn’t seem quite so villainous anymore.

But then Wen Huihan suddenly realized: “Wait, before you call yourself an ordinary person, why don’t you reach into your pocket and think for a second? What kind of ordinary person drives a luxury car right after graduating high school?”

He had been to the garage at He Chenshuang’s house. No joke, when he first walked in, he thought it was a car show.

“If you want to put your hand in my pocket, I don’t mind.”

“I mind, thank you!”

Wen Huihan quickly stuffed a mouthful of rice into his mouth, rejecting the olive branch the guy had thrown his way.

Though he often joked about putting his hands in a rich person’s pocket to keep them warm, when He Chenshuang actually invited him to, he lost his nerve.

Because He Chenshuang’s pocket might contain more than just money, it might contain a trap! This was a living, breathing guy who was currently pining for him!

Ever since Qi Run had educated him with those explosive web novels, Wen Huihan’s understanding of that side of things had become much deeper.

Whenever he thought about He Chenshuang having those kinds of urges toward him, he felt a chill in certain areas. His poor backside hadn’t gained any benefits from being with him all these years, but it stood to suffer some serious downsides.

Eat… just keep eating!

He Chenshuang sat opposite Wen Huihan, lost in thought. Seeing him suddenly bury his head in his food, with his bright red ears visible beneath his hair, He Chenshuang paused for a moment before his lips curled into a smile.

“You won’t turn into a big fat kid with just one bite, slow down.”

“Shut up!”

He Chenshuang laughed again. He didn’t seem upset at being snapped at, instead, he continued to enjoy the way someone was eating just to cover their tracks.

Actually, what he really wanted to say was that he was indeed an ordinary person, and Wen Huihan shouldn’t think of him as being so noble.

On the contrary, what he wanted in his heart had always been far more than what he showed on the surface. It was only their initial relationship that made him hesitate, keeping him within the safety line he had drawn for himself.

That safety line didn’t just divide the boundaries of how he interacted with Wen Huihan, it was more like a sharp divide between light and shadow. What he showed to others was the polished, bright side, while the dark side he couldn’t reveal was his obsession and desire to possess a certain person.

If even a tiny bit of that leaked out, would Wen Huihan be afraid?

If he wanted more, would Wen Huihan flee in terror?

He Chenshuang didn’t know the answers to these questions, and he didn’t want to push too hard. He didn’t want to force this dummy into making a wrong choice in a moment of panic. He also couldn’t take advantage of Wen Huihan’s desire to keep a good friend to force him into accepting his feelings.

Just like Wen Huihan, he deeply cherished the bond between them.

He Chenshuang had long since stopped eating. He rested his face in his hand, watching the person who had almost buried his entire face in his bowl, finding the sight endlessly entertaining.

As he watched, he suddenly reached out and gave Wen Huihan’s forehead a gentle flick.

Wen Huihan felt a sharp sting on his forehead. He looked up, his eyes wavering with shock.

“You want to fight?!”

“No,” He Chenshuang said lazily. “Seeing you eat so happily just makes me feel good.”

Wen Huihan: “…”

A total pervert. Seeing the person he’s crushing on makes him happy, so his way of showing it is to flick him on the head?

Who knows if he’ll turn into a domestic abuser later on.

He mourned silently in his heart.

After eating out, Wen Huihan and He Chenshuang took a taxi back to school.

After getting out, they walked side-by-side through the campus. For a brief moment, Wen Huihan felt as if they were back in high school.

Perhaps that movie ending his youth had stirred up deep memories. He remembered how, back then, they would walk home side-by-side in the night after evening self-study, just like this.

With full stomachs, it was the perfect time for a heart-to-heart. Wen Huihan and He Chenshuang chatted casually.

“Do you remember in senior year, when you messed up your psych evaluation test and Old Qiu called you into the office?”

“Yeah. Old Qiu thought I had psychological issues and was afraid I’d take a ‘flight’ off the roof. He insisted on having my parents come to school.”

Wen Huihan said with a laugh, “But your dad was busy and couldn’t come. I even planned to go out and hire a fake one for you.”

He Chenshuang’s lips curled up too. “Yeah. You were so picky, he had to look about thirty percent like me and have the composure of a successful businessman so as not to embarrass me. We never found one in the end, and I got a real earful from Old Qiu.”

“Haha, well, it was your fault for writing nonsense on everything except your exams and workbooks. Getting caught was inevitable.”

“I couldn’t help it, I thought it was just a formality.”

Wen Huihan found the memory hilarious. Old Qiu was their high school homeroom teacher, who usually treated He Chenshuang like a precious gem, but he could be brutal when he scolded him. He didn’t hold back at all, marking the first major crisis for the “Study God’s” dignity.

Talking as they walked toward the dorms, Wen Huihan kicked a pebble at his feet, feeling as if the road might never end.

This wooded path was a famous spot for couples at A-University. It was normal during the day, but at night it was filled with couples walking hand-in-hand. Unfortunately, this was the shortest way back to the dorm.

Wen Huihan focused on kicking his pebble, pretending not to notice the couples passing them.

It didn’t matter. They were two people, and he and He Chenshuang were two people, they weren’t any worse off.

Suddenly, as Wen Huihan’s eyes wandered, he caught sight of a somewhat familiar figure not far away. His footsteps stopped instantly.

He Chenshuang noticed the change and stopped as well, following Wen Huihan’s gaze.

It was two guys kissing under a tree.

One of the streetlights was broken and hadn’t been reported for repair yet. The two people kissing passionately were hidden in that small patch of darkness, biting each other’s lips with abandon, as if they were in a battle.

He Chenshuang took one look and looked away, uninterested. Noticing the person beside him hadn’t moved, he immediately turned to look at him.

In the low light of the night, Wen Huihan’s expression was hard to read. He looked like he was in shock, remaining motionless for a long time, staring toward that spot in an eerie silence.

He Chenshuang’s heart sank.

Wen Huihan was stunned. If he wasn’t mistaken, one of the guys kissing was Qi Run.

How bold. He could clearly see that Qi Run was the active one, pinning a taller guy against the tree and kissing him. The other guy had to hold his waist to keep them both from rolling onto the grass.

Wen Huihan held his breath. Just as he was trying to get a clearer look, his hand hanging at his side was gently grabbed. A warm sensation immediately traveled from his fingers through his entire body.

“Don’t look, come with me.”

Wen Huihan allowed himself to be led away in a daze, completely forgetting what he had been thinking a second ago.

He looked down and saw his hand tightly enclosed in another’s.

He Chenshuang’s hand was large, his palm hot, with a firm strength that wouldn’t take no for an answer. His pace was steady and fast, as if he were leading Wen Huihan away from a crime scene.

Only when they were far away from that spot did He Chenshuang slow down and release his hand.

Wen Huihan snapped out of his shock and looked up at He Chenshuang. The latter had his eyes slightly lowered, making it impossible to read his expression.

“What was that… for?”

He spoke with doubt, his fingertips still carrying the warmth of the other’s palm. Even his heartbeat had quickened, almost drowning out his own voice.

He Chenshuang looked up, a complex emotion flashing in his dark eyes. He stared at Wen Huihan for a moment, then shifted his gaze and turned his face away, leaving Wen Huihan with only a cold profile.

“If you find it unacceptable, then don’t look.”

Fiction was different from reality after all. Sometimes words spoken aloud don’t represent one’s true inner thoughts. He couldn’t simply assume that because Wen Huihan was unfazed or slightly moved by anime, he could accept intimacy in the real world.

Theory was too far removed from reality, and eventually, the dream had to end.

He had been too confident. Perhaps Wen Huihan’s attitude had softened initially because it was him, and he was trying to accept a feeling he hadn’t anticipated. But now, seeing a scene in person that didn’t match the beautified version in anime, he might have woken up and realized he still couldn’t accept doing the same with a man.

To continue would be too cruel to him, He Chenshuang thought. He should stop here and retreat behind the safety line.

While there was still time.

Wen Huihan, however, had no idea what kind of emotional turmoil his friend was going through. He was just confused: “What’s so unacceptable about it? I saw someone I knew and was about to go say hi, what’s the big idea dragging me away?”

“Say something. Why are you sulking like a statue?”

He Chenshuang: “…”

Right. He was overthinking it.

Since this dummy could secretly kiss him while he was asleep, he probably didn’t have such complicated thoughts.

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