After Becoming Arch-Enemies with My Best Bro - Chapter 6

A real man never looks back at the explosion.

Wen Huihan bolted the moment the deed was done, not sticking around to see how He Chenshuang would react. When you’re in the middle of a prank, no effort is too much; to sell the illusion of a power outage, he even flicked off the main lights in the dorm for good measure.

He Chenshuang didn’t have the habit of taking his phone into the shower. Now that the bathroom was pitch black, he was bound to be fumbling around in a blind panic.

The darkness heightened every sensation. Wen Huihan’s heart hammered against his ribs, and the rush of blood in his ears was the only thing he could hear. So this was the adrenaline-fueled high of being a villain.

He wanted to snicker, but fearing He Chenshuang might hear him, he had to bite his lip until it hurt.

But wait.  what was He Chenshuang doing? Why wasn’t there any noise?

Wen Huihan leaned over his desk, straining to listen. The dorm was eerily silent, as if he were the only person in the room. This was strange. Under normal circumstances, wouldn’t a person call out to their roommate? He Chenshuang wasn’t exactly “normal,” but this level of silence was unsettling.

There wasn’t a peep. Had he slipped and fallen?

Maybe the sudden darkness had startled him, causing him to lose his footing and crack his head against the wall? Wen Huihan’s overactive imagination went into overdrive, and he started to feel a gnawing sense of unease.

He wanted to be a villain, but he wasn’t that heartless. Besides, they hadn’t actually become sworn enemies yet. If the “Protagonist” met his end right now, would the world collapse?

Should he go and “rescue” him?

But if the guy really had fallen, rushing in meant seeing things he probably shouldn’t. He Chenshuang definitely wouldn’t be dressed.

Faced with the possibility of actual danger, Wen Huihan decided he couldn’t care less about modesty. So be it, he thought. He’s the one losing out anyway. Just as he was about to throw off his covers and stand up, a hand patted the top of his head with moderate force.

Afraid of the dark? What are you doing huddled over your desk?

Wen Huihan froze. It was He Chenshuang’s voice.

He’s a ghost. How can he walk without making a sound?

His heart, which had just started to steady, nearly jumped out of his chest again. His own pulse must have been so loud it drowned out the sound of the bathroom door opening. He hadn’t even realized the guy was standing right behind him.

He Chenshuang seemingly hadn’t realized who turned off the lights; he actually thought Wen Huihan was hiding because he was scared.

Well, it was a good thing he hadn’t risked seeing He Chenshuang naked to save him. Even in the dark, He Chenshuang’s first thought was to check on his “fearful” friend.

Wait.  Wen Huihan snapped out of it. Who is he looking down on? Since when am I afraid of the dark?

To prove his point, he sat up abruptly.

Click.

Just as he bolted upright, He Chenshuang flicked the dorm lights back on. The sudden brightness gave Wen Huihan a crystal-clear view of a bare, toned torso.

He Chenshuang still had his hand on the switch, arm slightly extended. His shoulder blades created powerful, aesthetic lines. He was still damp from the shower, a faint mist of steam clinging to his skin. It seemed he hadn’t had time to dry off properly; droplets of water were scattered across his defined muscles, trailing down his skin and leaving wet paths in their wake.

In all fairness, it was a perfect, high-energy physique.

Wen Huihan had always known He Chenshuang was in good shape, but the last time he’d actually seen it was back in their second year of high school at the swimming pool. Since then, the guy had been weirdly modest. While it was common for guys to walk around shirtless in a dorm after a shower, He Chenshuang was the exception.

He didn’t know if the guy was just conservative or what, but he never changed in front of anyone and kept himself covered up like he was guarding a national treasure. Wen Huihan used to tease him, saying he was a “precious young master” saving himself for a future spouse.

How had He Chenshuang responded back then? Wen Huihan searched his memory. The guy had probably just given him a freezing look and walked away as if he were dealing with an idiot.

Typical He Chenshuang.

Because it was such a rare sight, Wen Huihan found himself staring for an extra second or two. Zero admiration just pure, unadulterated envy. He wondered how long it would take for him to reach that level of fitness.

“The young master has finally emerged from his chambers,” Wen Huihan managed a mock whistle.

He Chenshuang had only been testing the switch to see if it was a circuit issue. Once he realized the power was fine, his expression became unreadable as he turned his gaze toward Wen Huihan.

Did you turn them off?

Wen Huihan knew he’d have to answer for it eventually, so he pulled out his pre-planned excuse. “Haha, I was looking for a movie. You know, movies are better in the dark.”

“There’s only one kind of movie that requires the lights off.” He Chenshuang paused, walking closer with a blank expression. “And why turn off the bathroom light? Did you want me to watch it with you?”

Wen Huihan’s eyes widened in shock. “Holy crap, He Chenshuang! Are you seriously making a dirty joke?”

It’s late at night, don’t start topics that make the blood boil. I don’t have those kinds of thoughts yet.

He Chenshuang said coolly, “I meant a horror movie. What were you thinking of?”

Awkward.

Wen Huihan scratched his cheek. I was also talking about horror movies.

By now, He Chenshuang was standing right in front of him, looking down. The overhead light hit his sharp, handsome features, and the stark contrast of light and shadow gave the half of his face in the dark an inexplicable, almost sinister edge.

“Why are you so close?” Wen Huihan felt a bit overwhelmed by the proximity of those abs and pecs.

He Chenshuang glanced down at him. “I didn’t even have time to dry off. What do you think?”

Wen Huihan: “Then go back and dry off!”

Under his wary gaze, He Chenshuang’s lips curled into a cold, faint smile.

A moment later, a frantic shout echoed from Room 909: God dammit, He Chenshuang, get away from me! Are you a dog? Why are you pouncing? You got water all over me, Gaaah.

*****

The next day, Wen Huihan headed to class feeling utterly drained. He walked with his head down, furiously messaging Vincent.

Blackened: Brother Wen, you there? 

Vincent: I’m here. Xiao Wen, what’s up with your profile picture?

Following the “light switch incident” last night, Wen Huihan had fully embraced his dark side. Not only had he changed his nickname, but he’d also switched to a completely black profile picture. Black for anger, black for cunning, black for the panic that swallows everything.

That bastard He Chenshuang had such a petty streak. He’d forced Wen Huihan to change his clothes all over again right after his shower. Since he wanted to play that way, Wen Huihan was going all in.

Blackened: It’s nothing. I just finally found my direction in life. 

Blackened: Do you have a tutorial on how to quickly turn into a ‘double-door refrigerator’ build? It’s urgent. 

Vincent: Your life’s direction is to become a double-door refrigerator? Ambitious! 

Vincent: The member’s needs always come first. I recommend this new ‘Enhanced Version’ course. I’ll even give you a 20% discount.

 [Vincent]: Coming to the gym this afternoon? I’ll explain the differences between the courses. [Blackened]: Can’t today. I have things to do this afternoon.

Wen Huihan had promised the President he’d help with club recruitment. For the next two days, he wouldn’t have time for the gym. To make matters worse, he had to do the recruitment with He Chenshuang.

He’d intentionally left without waiting for He Chenshuang this morning, grabbing his books and bolted. Their majors were different, so they didn’t share classrooms anyway. From this moment on, he was drawing a line in the sand.

Once he found a seat in the lecture hall, a message popped up from He Chenshuang.

He Aotian: Runaway Sweetheart, you took my textbook. 

Blackened: . 

He Aotian: ?

Wen Huihan looked down. Dammit. He really had grabbed the wrong one. He’d been in such a rush that he just swiped a book off the desk. Of all the books, it had to be He Chenshuang’s. Bad luck.

Blackened: I can make it work.

 He Aotian: Fine. I’m listing your textbook on the second-hand market then.

He Aotian: What’s with the name and the picture? A burst of dark energy?

He knows exactly why, Wen Huihan thought, choosing to ignore him. He flipped his phone face down on the desk, but then a realization hit him.

Normally, you can’t see someone’s nickname unless you click on their profile. Even Vincent only noticed the picture. He Chenshuang had mentioned both.

That meant either He Chenshuang had actively checked his profile, or He Chenshuang hadn’t set a nickname for him at all meaning the moment he changed his name, the new one popped up in the chat list.

The first possibility was creepy; the second was insulting. If it was the latter, it meant that after years of friendship, He Chenshuang hadn’t even bothered to set a contact name. He probably didn’t even see him as a brother!

It turns out the signs of their impending fallout were there all along; he just hadn’t noticed. Wen Huihan leaned toward the first theory, though—it felt like something He Chenshuang would do.

While Wen Huihan was lost in his mental storm, a tall figure appeared at the classroom door. A faint stir went through the room, but the figure ignored it, weaving through the crowd and sitting down right next to Wen Huihan.

Wen Huihan snapped out of it. “What are you doing here?”

He Chenshuang tossed a textbook onto the desk. “Taking back what belongs to me.”

He sounded strangely dominant, not even bothering to hide it. Wen Huihan looked down; it was the textbook he actually needed for this class. He Chenshuang had brought it for him.

He picked it up happily and tossed He Chenshuang’s book back. Seeing that the guy wasn’t leaving, he asked, “The bell is about to ring. Don’t you have class?” He looked at him in surprise. Is the ‘star student’ actually cutting class?

He Chenshuang: “My class isn’t until the next period.”

Wen Huihan: “Wait, if you don’t have class now, why did you say you were ‘taking back what belongs to you’?”

He’d assumed He Chenshuang needed the book right now. If his class wasn’t until later, Wen Huihan could have just dropped it off at the dorm afterward.

He Chenshuang turned his head. They locked eyes in silence until He Chenshuang finally let out a soft chuckle. “I came all this way just to bring you your book. Aren’t you touched?”

Not even a little.

Especially now that he suspected He Chenshuang might be plotting against him, Wen Huihan’s guard was at an all-time high. How could he expose this guy’s hypocritical mask?

Wen Huihan pressed his tongue against his cheek, struck by a brilliant idea.

“Hey, can you see Zhao Zhao’s latest post on Moments? For some reason, I can only see the one from five days ago.”

He Chenshuang glanced at him. “Why? You think he blocked you?”

Wen Huihan: “No, I think WeChat is glitching. It’s not showing everything. Can you take a screenshot of his latest post and send it to me?”

In reality, Wen Huihan could see every single one of Zhao Zhao’s posts and had even been the first to comment on them. If He Chenshuang sent a screenshot, Wen Huihan would see his own comments at the bottom and more importantly, he’d see the nickname He Chenshuang had given him.

I’m too smart for my own good, he thought. It’s a crime that I’m just a villain.

“Why bother with a screenshot? Just look for yourself.” He Chenshuang casually slid his phone over while flipping through his book.

Wen Huihan was stunned. Isn’t a phone the one thing you’re supposed to destroy before you die? He Chenshuang just handed it over? Wasn’t he afraid of Wen Huihan seeing something he shouldn’t?

Then again, knowing He Chenshuang, he probably wouldn’t care even if he did.

Seeing that he wasn’t joking, Wen Huihan cautiously picked up the phone. It was already unlocked. The wallpaper was just a random stock image, and the interface was incredibly clean. Aside from the essential apps, there were only the games Wen Huihan had forced him to download.

He didn’t poke around. He just opened WeChat.

He didn’t even need to click on Zhao Zhao’s profile. He saw his own contact name at the very top.

Next to a pitch-black profile picture was a string of text: Recruitment this afternoon with the Blackened Guy.

Wen Huihan: 

That idiot He Chenshuang. He’s using my nickname as a reminder note.

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