After Dumping the Scumbag, I Ended Up with His "White Moonlight” - Chapter 17

Qiu Yuyi hurriedly pushed Xia Di’an away. His cheeks flushed a deep crimson, like the colors of a sunset. Forcing his racing heart to steady, he widened his eyes in alarm. “You, why did you kiss me again?”

Xia Di’an gazed deeply at him, his voice low. “We’ve done far more intimate things than this. Are you really still this shy over a kiss on the cheek?”

The room was lit only by a single bedside lamp, yet Qiu Yuyi could clearly see his own reflection in Xia Di’an’s pupils. They were so close he could feel the other man’s every breath.

At Xia Di’an’s words, Qiu Yuyi felt a mix of shame and annoyance. He reached out and covered Xia Di’an’s lips with his hand. “We agreed not to mention that again. It was an accident.”

“Alright, alright. I won’t mention it.” Xia Di’an caught the hand over his mouth and let out a soft laugh. “It’s still early. Go rinse off quickly; let’s go soak in the hot spring.”

“Fine,” Qiu Yuyi nodded, pulling his hand back. “You go first.”

After showering and changing into his trunks, Qiu Yuyi walked out to the pool. “Why didn’t you get in first?”

“I was waiting for you,” Xia Di’an said, pointing to the sign by the water. “It says not to soak for more than fifteen minutes at a time.”

Lowering himself into the water, Qiu Yuyi closed his eyes and let out a content sigh. He heard the sound of Xia Di’an entering the pool. When he cracked one eye open, he realized Xia Di’an was less than half a meter away.

The private pool wasn’t exactly vast, but there was no need to be this close. Alarm bells rang in his head, and his earlier relaxation vanished, replaced by a flurry of scattered thoughts.

“Why did you and Shen Nian break up?” Xia Di’an asked casually after a long silence. Seeing Qiu Yuyi about to deflect, he added, “Don’t lie. I’m not a fool.”

Qiu Yuyi panicked slightly. He wondered if Shen Nian had told him everything. After a long hesitation, he said, “I didn’t want to lie to you. I just, I didn’t know how to say it. Besides, it’s all in the past.”

Xia Di’an turned his head toward him. “Do you still like him?”

“No,” Qiu Yuyi answered quickly this time. “It’s strange, isn’t it? We only just broke up, yet I find I don’t feel anything for him at all anymore.”

A faint smile touched Xia Di’an’s eyes at the answer. He suddenly leaned closer. “Then what about me?”

“Wh—what?” Qiu Yuyi’s head recoiled as Xia Di’an closed the distance and shifted the topic so abruptly.

“What about me? Do you like me?” Xia Di’an’s voice was gentle, his gaze focused intensely on the boy.

“I, I do like you,” Qiu Yuyi stammered. “I also like Brother Cao and Sister Xuemeng.”

“Xiao Yi.” Xia Di’an sighed, reaching out to stop Qiu Yuyi from moving. “You know that isn’t the kind of ‘like’ I’m talking about.”

Xia Di’an pinned him against the stone edge of the pool. The corners of Xia Di’an’s eyes were slightly flushed, and his breathing was ragged.

“Brother Xia, are you drunk?” Qiu Yuyi pressed his hands against Xia Di’an’s chest to keep him from getting any closer.

Xia Di’an didn’t say a word; he just stared deeply at him. Finally, he took a deep breath. “Sorry. I think I had a bit too much to drink tonight.” He released Qiu Yuyi, stood up, and threw on his bathrobe before heading back inside.

Qiu Yuyi was left alone in the water.

He tried to ignore the hollow sense of loss in his chest as he clutched his racing heart. He knew Xia Di’an wasn’t drunk; the man had only had one glass of wine at dinner. He wasn’t stupid, but he couldn’t understand why Xia Di’an would like him. They had only known each other for a few days.

He touched his burning cheeks, grabbed his robe, and followed him inside.

Xia Di’an was lying on the bed, staring at his phone. Qiu Yuyi walked past him in silence, took a hot shower, and changed into his pajamas.

There was only one quilt. Qiu Yuyi stood by the bed for a long time, hesitating. Eventually, Xia Di’an looked up, his expression unreadable. “If you’re that uncomfortable, I can sleep on the sofa for the night.”

“No, it’s fine,” Qiu Yuyi said quickly. Steeling his resolve, he crawled into the bed. The AC was set to 25°C, and under the covers, exhaustion finally claimed him.

Only after Qiu Yuyi fell asleep did Xia Di’an put his phone down. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had been too impatient tonight. He looked at the boy’s peaceful sleeping face and sighed; whenever he faced Qiu Yuyi, his usual composure simply evaporated.

The Next Day.

Qiu Yuyi immediately felt Xia Di’an’s distance.

Xia Di’an no longer walked beside him. On the van ride back to “Shao Guang,” he took a single seat at the very front. When Qiu Yuyi tried to start a conversation, Xia Di’an only gave him distracted, one-word answers.

Though he still smiled, the smile was different. Qiu Yuyi felt as though he was being treated like any other casual acquaintance—or perhaps, even colder than that. Watching Xia Di’an walk ahead to help Hu Shasha with her bags, Qiu Yuyi felt a pang of bitterness.

“What are you thinking about?”

Someone tapped his shoulder. Qiu Yuyi turned to see Shen Jiashi, who flashed a bright, boyish grin. “Jiashi-ge.” They rarely spoke, but Shen Jiashi seemed determined to bridge the gap.

Shen Jiashi slung an arm over Qiu Yuyi’s shoulder and whispered, “Did you and Xia Di’an have a fight?” Seeing the confused look, he laughed. “You two are usually glued at the hip. Now you’re walking alone and he’s off carrying Hu Shasha’s bags. If that isn’t a fight, I don’t know what is.”

Uncomfortable with the proximity, Qiu Yuyi shifted slightly but couldn’t dislodge the arm. “We didn’t fight. Shasha has a lot of stuff; it’s normal for Brother Xia to help.”

Shen Jiashi smiled. “I was thinking, if you did have a fight, you could move in with me.”

Spending another three weeks in a room with Xia Di’an in this state was a daunting prospect, but the thought of moving out felt worse. “Thank you, but I don’t want to trouble you, Jiashi-ge.”

“Suit yourself,” Shen Jiashi shrugged. “Just trying to help.”

“Xiao Yi, come here.”

Qiu Yuyi looked up. Xia Di’an had stopped and was looking back at them. His expression was grim, his eyes fixed on Shen Jiashi’s hand on Qiu Yuyi’s shoulder.

For some reason, seeing that look made Qiu Yuyi’s mood lift instantly. He said a quick goodbye to Shen Jiashi and jogged to catch up.

“What were you two talking about that made you so happy?” Xia Di’an asked as they walked. His expression softened slightly, and he reached out to pinch Qiu Yuyi’s cheek.

Qiu Yuyi glanced at Hu Shasha, who was still nearby. “Nothing much.”

Xia Di’an arched an eyebrow but didn’t press the issue. He carried Hu Shasha’s bags to the third floor and dropped them off before immediately grabbing Qiu Yuyi’s wrist and leading him into their room.

Once the door was shut, he asked again. “Tell me. What did he say?”

Qiu Yuyi lowered his head. “He just asked if we had a fight.”

“And?” Xia Di’an pulled him toward the bed.

“And.” Qiu Yuyi stole a glance at him. “He asked if I wanted to move in with him.”

Xia Di’an’s brow furrowed, a chill flickering in his eyes. He pursed his lips. “And did you agree?”

They hadn’t turned on the lights; the room was bathed in silver moonlight. Qiu Yuyi looked at him and murmured, “No.”

Xia Di’an’s voice turned incredibly gentle as he leaned in. “Why not?”

Qiu Yuyi could hear his own heartbeat thundering in the silence. He didn’t answer. Xia Di’an gently tilted his chin up, forcing him to meet his gaze.

Just then, a phone started buzzing with notifications. Xia Di’an glanced at it, picked it up from the nightstand, and handed it to the boy.

Later, Qiu Yuyi was lying lazily in Xia Di’an’s arms. “Who’s looking for me?”

“See for yourself.”

Qiu Yuyi buried his face in Xia Di’an’s chest. The man smelled wonderful; he couldn’t help but take a few deep breaths.

“Xiao Yi,” Xia Di’an’s voice was filled with helpless amusement. “If you keep sniffing me like that, we’re going to have to take another shower.”

Flushing, Qiu Yuyi scrambled out of the embrace. He checked the phone—it was a message from Su Yichen. He replied and tossed the phone aside. Xia Di’an pulled him back into a tight embrace.

“Brother Xia, can we, can we just be friends?” Qiu Yuyi whispered.

Xia Di’an chuckled. “The kind of ‘friends’ who help each other out like we did?”

Qiu Yuyi’s face turned redder. “This is all moving a bit too fast.”

That was only part of the reason. The other reason was a growing conflict in his heart. He felt a sudden, impulsive urge to tell Xia Di’an the truth—that he had spent two years as his stand-in. That secret was a thorn that refused to be ignored.

He thought of the conversation between Xia Di’an and Shen Nian. What if Xia Di’an looked down on him for being a substitute? What if he felt smug knowing Shen Nian had always loved him? The thoughts made his mood sink.

“It isn’t fast at all, Xiao Yi,” Xia Di’an said, idly stroking the boy’s hair.

Qiu Yuyi looked up at him. Xia Di’an’s gaze was tender and unwavering. “I’ve been watching you for a long time, Xiao Yi.”