After My Childhood Friend Misunderstood That I Had a Boyfriend - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Is this the man Chu Xi acts spoiled with and calls Gége

“Zhou Jinyan.” Chu Xi mustered his courage and called out. He paused, pursed his lips tightly, and his fingertips resting on his lap curled slightly.

Should he really ask?

Should he really break this atmosphere that had finally managed to soften?

Having finally summoned the courage, now that it was time to speak, Chu Xi hesitated again. His heart felt as though it were being pulled back and forth by a giant invisible hand, causing a wave of palpitations. A sudden, inexplicable sense of pressure from deep within made him feel weak.

Chu Xi’s long lashes, like raven feathers, trembled. The cold white light of the dormitory brewed a wintery chill, and the snow in his heart fell rustlingly due to his indecision.

When Zhou Jinyan’s gaze shifted back from elsewhere to land on him, Chu Xi felt as if he had fallen into an endless winter. He took a breath, but felt a heavy blockage in his chest; when he finally managed to exhale, his swaying heart finally sank in defeat.

Forget it. Chu Xi thought softly.

There was no need to make things so tense. Let the atmosphere stay softened like this; some things were better left ambiguous and left unsaid.

Let it be like this for now. It was all he could do. He could only choose to bury his head in the sand.

Seeing that Chu Xi had called his name but didn’t follow up, Zhou Jinyan couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Jinyan’s voice was light yet deep, but to Chu Xi, it felt like a small hammer striking his heart, snapping him back to reality.

Chu Xi forced himself to perk up, pulled at the corners of his mouth to form a strained smile, and found a random excuse: “It’s nothing. I just realized I’ve heard you mention the name ‘Tangdou’ so many times, but I haven’t met her once…”

Chu Xi didn’t know he was so good at making excuses; the words just tumbled out: “If you’re busy this weekend, I can help walk Tangdou. Consider it a ‘meet-and-greet’ with her…”

Chu Xi suddenly paused.

Wait.

The rest of his words stayed hidden behind his lips. He suddenly had an idea.

While he couldn’t walk the dog with Zhou Jinyan, helping to walk the dog meant there was a certain probability of getting into Zhou Jinyan’s house! Furthermore, it would leave Zhou Jinyan with an impression of him being kind-hearted and helpful.

Even though it was different from his original expectation, the end goal was effectively the same.

The more Chu Xi thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Even if he didn’t necessarily get inside immediately, it didn’t matter. He could build a relationship with Tangdou first, and then use the excuse of seeing the dog to “invade” the house later!

Aha.

He had actually thought of such a clever compromise. Chu Xi felt as if a holy light was radiating behind him.

The light of wisdom.

Chu Xi felt he was simply too brilliant he could repair the relationship and achieve his goal at the same time. He blinked and looked at Zhou Jinyan expectantly: “Then I’ll walk Tangdou this weekend. I’m not busy anyway.”

He asked hopefully, “Is that okay?”

Scalded by Chu Xi’s pure gaze, Zhou Jinyan replied hurriedly, “Okay.”

Of course it was okay. Who could say no to Chu Xi?

While he didn’t know who else Chu Xi had looked at like this, Zhou Jinyan felt that under this kind of visual assault, no one could refuse him. Least of all himself.

In the quiet dormitory, the temperature had dropped significantly after the cold snap, but Zhou Jinyan seemed oblivious. He closed his eyes. Now that he had thought things through, his spirit was no longer tense, and a long-suppressed exhaustion swept over him. He truly was a bit tired now.

Chu Xi, observing closely, asked: “Are you going to sleep?”

Zhou Jinyan took off the glasses he had forgotten to remove after class and whispered, “Mm.”

“Then go to sleep!” Chu Xi stood up, walked quickly to the door, and switched off the light. The room instantly fell into darkness.

“Rest well, I won’t disturb you.” Chu Xi made a ‘zipping his lips’ gesture as he spoke. He paused, then asked, “…Should I wake you up when it’s time for lunch?”

The darkness made it hard to see each other’s expressions. Chu Xi tried his best to look in Zhou Jinyan’s direction: “How about we go to lunch together? Do you have class this afternoon?”

The sound of Zhou Jinyan getting into bed stopped after a moment. His sleepy voice drifted out from behind the bed curtain: “No class. What do you want to eat?”

Chu Xi was a bit torn: “Hmm… let me think.”

Chu Xi wanted to eat at an “influencer” restaurant that had recently gone viral on Xiaohongshu. Christmas hadn’t arrived yet, but Christmas-themed restaurants were already trendy. He knew one near the school with decor perfect for a date.

Even though the photos from influencers were layered with a hundred filters, Chu Xi used his discerning eye to analyze what the place actually looked like. It was very “Instagrammable,” clearly suited for couples.

Day or night, the photos would have different vibes. As for how the food tasted that wasn’t currently within Chu Xi’s scope of consideration. He was going specifically for the environment and the “pretty food.”

Since Zhou Jinyan had asked proactively and seemed intent on smoothing things over, the returning feeling of being indulged made Chu Xi a little happy. He forwarded the post to Zhou Jinyan: “Let’s eat here, okay?”

When a person asks “okay,” they usually hope you agree.

Zhou Jinyan didn’t want to spoil Chu Xi’s mood: “Okay. Sure.”

Chu Xi became even happier: “Then rest well. I’ll call you at lunchtime.”

Hearing Zhou Jinyan about to say something else, Chu Xi felt a pang of pity for his dark circles and said fiercely: “Don’t talk anymore, go to sleep now!”

Zhou Jinyan’s final thousand words turned into a muffled “Mm.”

Perhaps the darkness made it easier to feel sleepy, or perhaps the sudden relaxation of his tense spirit did it—through the gap in his curtains, Zhou Jinyan saw Chu Xi sitting at his desk. From his angle, he could only see Chu Xi’s fluffy head, swaying slightly at times like the feathers on a dreamcatcher, inducing his drowsiness.

Zhou Jinyan had an urge to reach out and ruffle that hair, but ultimately he was woven into a dream. His eyes closed unconsciously, and he fell into a deep sleep shortly after.

Into the dream.

The dream scrubbed away the dust from long-hidden memories. Zhou Jinyan dreamed of his first meeting with Chu Xi. It was his birthday. Because he was staying at his aunt’s house, they held a simple birthday party there. Ms. Meng, who was invited, brought little Chu Xi to the banquet.

Zhou Jinyan had never seen a child as beautiful as Chu Xi. How could someone look like a porcelain doll? Big watery eyes, long lashes, fair skin with a rosy tint, and hair as soft as raven feathers. Zhou Jinyan couldn’t help but reach out and ruffle Chu Xi’s hair.

Even the texture was wonderful.

Before he could see Chu Xi’s reaction, the dream jumped. It froze on Chu Xi talking to Ms. Meng with a look of disappointment as they left the house, but he reappeared quickly. When he returned, he was holding a grinning brown teddy bear, shyly handing it to the young Zhou Jinyan.

He saw himself take the bear and say something to the little Chu Xi, who was a head shorter than him.

Before he could hear clearly, he saw little Chu Xi poke the bear’s forehead and look up laughing, his rosy lips moving as he said something.

In his half-awake state, Zhou Jinyan wanted to see the bear more clearly—

“Zhou Jinyan, Zhou Jinyan!”

The dream broke abruptly. Zhou Jinyan snapped his eyes open. The dormitory light was on, the darkness swallowed by brightness.

By his ear was Chu Xi’s clear voice. He didn’t know if he was projecting “little Chu Xi” onto the current one, but he felt the way Chu Xi called his name was incredibly soft and sweet.

So cute.

Chu Xi heard movement on the bed and paused, asking softly: “Zhou Jinyan, are you awake?”

Zhou Jinyan was still thinking about that brown teddy bear. Hearing Chu Xi, he gathered his wits, the post-sleep daze fading: “Mm. I’m awake.”

He sat up, his eyes not quite adjusted to the light. His voice was slightly raspy from sleep: “What time is it?”

Chu Xi replied brightly: “Ten minutes until twelve.”

“Mm.” Zhou Jinyan got out of bed, washed his face on the balcony to wake up, and when he came back in, Chu Xi was already fully dressed and waiting for him at the desk.

As soon as he entered, Zhou Jinyan noticed that Chu Xi had even changed his clothes. Getting closer, he could smell a faint scent of perfume—it suited him perfectly, making one want to get closer.

It was no different from before, but only after realizing Chu Xi liked him did Zhou Jinyan notice these small details.

Does he place this much importance even on an ‘extramarital fling’ like me?

Zhou Jinyan couldn’t help but feel jealous of Chu Xi’s “official” boyfriend again. Surely the attention that person received was even greater.

However, he didn’t show it. His aura remained mature and calm. His pupils were dark, making it hard for anyone to discern his emotions.

Chu Xi saw him come out: “Shall we go?”

Zhou Jinyan nodded: “Mm.”

“Great,” Chu Xi said. Looking up, he saw water droplets still on Zhou Jinyan’s face. He pulled out a tissue. “Zhou Jinyan, wait a second.”

Zhou Jinyan looked down at him: “What?”

Chu Xi realized this angle was perfect for wiping away the water on the side of Zhou Jinyan’s face. His hand moved faster than his mind: “Wipe the water off your face.”

Just as he said it, his hand had already reached up. With great speed and a light touch, he wiped away the droplets and the wet trails they left behind.

To Zhou Jinyan, it felt like being brushed by a dragonfly’s kiss. He let out a light laugh. “I’ll wipe it?”

He caught Chu Xi’s hand before he could withdraw it, took the tissue from his fingers, and repeated Chu Xi’s action: “Done.”

Chu Xi hadn’t even reacted yet when his ears turned beet red: “…!?”

His heart thundered, his pulse skyrocketing. He… he… was I just flirted with by Zhou Jinyan again?

Chu Xi didn’t know what to say. It had happened too fast. He couldn’t understand how Zhou Jinyan had woken up so “warm” toward him. Just then, a phone call came at the perfect time.

As if finding a way out, Chu Xi said: “I need to take this call.”

Zhou Jinyan nodded: “Go ahead.”

Watching Chu Xi’s fleeing back, Zhou Jinyan’s eyes flickered. Thinking of Chu Xi’s suddenly red ears and the corners of his eyes, he suddenly felt that Chu Xi was not only like a proud cat but also like a startle-prone rabbit.

But both were very cute. After struggling for so long, Zhou Jinyan finally faced his desire for Chu Xi.

He wanted to kiss him.

About three minutes later, Chu Xi hung up. He came back looking dejected and a bit embarrassed to speak: “Um, I can’t go to lunch with you anymore. Something came up.”

Chu Xi knew the feeling of disappointment when expectations were let down. He didn’t know how to explain, stammering clumsily: “It’s a very sudden trip… I didn’t mean to flake on you. Let’s move it to next time, okay?”

Seeing Chu Xi’s special outfit, Zhou Jinyan could tell he didn’t do it on purpose. He understood: “Okay, I’ll drive you.”

Chu Xi shook his head: “No need, someone is picking me up.”

Zhou Jinyan: “Where?”

Chu Xi answered: “The Small East Gate.”

Zhou Jinyan’s car happened to be parked near the Small East Gate, so it was on the way: “I’ll walk you there.”

“Okay!”

Zhou Jinyan walked him to the gate. The noon crowd was thick, with several electric scooters darting in and out. Zhou Jinyan stayed with Chu Xi as he looked around.

Suddenly, a steady male voice came from the side: “Xiao Xi.”

Fu Zhaosheng raised an eyebrow and waved for Chu Xi to come over. With vehicles moving between them, he reminded him caringly: “Be careful.”

The more Zhou Jinyan heard, the more his heart sank.

Is this the man Chu Xi acts spoiled with and calls “Gége”?

Zhou Jinyan scrutinized Fu Zhaosheng completely. From appearances alone, the man looked quite steady. He knew to tell Chu Xi to be safe and clearly knew how to take care of people.

But Zhou Jinyan wasn’t happy at all.

Damn it, this man’s traits matched exactly with the answer he had given when Chu Xi asked about his ideal type.