After My Childhood Friend Misunderstood That I Had a Boyfriend - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Such a Thin Waist

Chu Xi didn’t dare think any further. He covered his face with both hands, tossing and turning under the covers.

He thought back to the photo Jian Yu had sent, and for some reason, he recalled the warm sensation he felt through his clothes last night when Zhou Jinyan had been half-supporting him.

They had been so close. Chu Xi regretted that since he was drunk anyway, why hadn’t he just stayed “drunk” a little longer last night and let Zhou Jinyan keep holding him?

Ahhh! Chu Xi hugged his pillow. He admitted it! He was just a shameless male college student!!

The quality of the school beds wasn’t great; it made a sharp creaking sound following Chu Xi’s movements. After only two turns, he didn’t dare move anymore. He was afraid of waking his roommates.

Chu Xi’s restless heart suddenly calmed down.

From the front, there was a faint sound of the door opening. Chu Xi froze. At such an early hour, which roommate had just come back?

Confused, Chu Xi pulled back his bed curtain and poked his head out to look toward the dorm door. The morning light fell on the floor, and the very person he had been obsessing over was currently opening the door and walking in.

Seeing it was Zhou Jinyan, Chu Xi’s eyes widened. What? Zhou Jinyan is already out of bed?

Perhaps because Chu Xi’s gaze was too intense, Zhou Jinyan paused as he entered, and their eyes met for a fleeting second. Chu Xi’s heart skipped a beat.

A spark of inspiration flashed in his not-so-bright brain. A perfect greeting—one that maintained boundaries while closing the distance—popped out. He spoke up: “Good morning.”

Zhou Jinyan: “Morning.”

His voice carried a slight rasp typical after a morning run; it sounded less distant than usual.

Oh my god, he actually exchanged morning greetings with Zhou Jinyan! Chu Xi’s ears turned red. Moreover, Zhou Jinyan’s raspy voice was somewhat… seductive.

He couldn’t take it. Chu Xi’s face heated up, and his eyes crinkled into a smile. “You got up so early.”

Yeah, went for a morning run,” Zhou Jinyan replied, then changed the subject. “Have you had breakfast?

Going for a morning run… Chu Xi brainlessly praised him in his heart: Zhou Jinyan has such abundant energy!

Not having realized it just now, Chu Xi finally noticed that Zhou Jinyan was currently wearing a basketball jersey.

Chu Xi shook his head: “Not yet.”

He suddenly spread his arms, showing Zhou Jinyan the pajamas he hadn’t changed out of yet, clearly implying: I haven’t even changed into outside clothes, how could I have eaten breakfast?

Chu Xi felt this was a golden opportunity to get closer. His heart hammered against his chest. “Then… shall we go out and eat together in a bit?”

Zhou Jinyan was reaching for some clothes. Hearing this, he glanced at him. His gaze lingered on Chu Xi’s bright, smiling face for less than half a second before he quickly looked away. “Sure.”

Chu Xi’s eyes were sparkling; Zhou Jinyan felt inexplicably awkward.

Chu Xi wasn’t sleepy at all now: “Hey, great!”

Zhou Jinyan agreed to have breakfast with him! Chu Xi’s joy was written all over his face. “Then I’ll go change first!”

Chu Xi threw on a yellow sweatshirt, which made him look pure and bright. Once dressed, he pulled back the curtain, intending to get off the bed to wash up.

However, he saw Zhou Jinyan reaching up for something. Due to his movement, the jersey was inevitably pulled upward. The morning light was too bright, clearly outlining a firm silhouette. Chu Xi saw Zhou Jinyan’s obvious V-line (Apollo’s belt) and abdominal muscles that looked incredibly solid.

Chu Xi’s mind went blank for a moment.

The next second, his ears turned bright red, and his eyes felt as if they had been burned by something as he hurriedly looked elsewhere.

What… what was I looking at!

But Zhou Jinyan’s body is so good… The afterimage was too intense. Those abs clearly came from serious training—well-defined, tight, and beautiful. They looked like they would feel hard to the touch, containing a powerful sense of strength…

He wondered how they would feel under his hand.

Stop! Don’t think about it anymore!!

A battle between heaven and man raged in Chu Xi’s mind, but his body honestly held its breath as he decided to take one more look. Chu Xi’s eyelashes trembled as he quickly scanned again with his peripheral vision.

Okay, I’m done looking. Fine, one more look.

The last look.

Ah… He couldn’t see them anymore. Zhou Jinyan had finished grabbing his things, and the hem of his shirt had fallen back down, obscuring the spring scenery that inspired such fantasies.

Chu Xi hung his head and climbed down to wash up, feeling a wave of regret in his heart for not looking a few more times.

Chu Xi’s face was flushed. While washing up, he specifically used cold water to rub his face to calm his mood before coming out to say: “I’m all set.”

“Give me a second,” Zhou Jinyan said, holding the clothes he needed to change into. “Almost ready.”

Zhou Jinyan turned and walked toward the bathroom. As he passed Chu Xi’s bed, his footsteps paused imperceptibly. After about a few minutes, he came out with his discarded jersey, threw it into the washing machine, and started the cycle.

Amidst the rumbling sound of the washing machine, Zhou Jinyan came out and said: “Let’s go. Is the West Canteen okay?”

Chu Xi was fine with anything: “Sure!”

After breakfast, Zhou Jinyan had a class and left first. Chu Xi wasn’t in the same major; a Political Science class he was supposed to have today had been moved to next week because the teacher had an emergency, so Chu Xi had no classes all day.

Chu Xi sat on the canteen chair, watching Zhou Jinyan’s tall figure disappear through the exit. He looked down at the seats where they had just sat together, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curl upward.

All the way back to the dorm, Chu Xi was expressing his excitement to Jian Yu, but Jian Yu had gone MIA after the two of them finished breakfast.

Chu Xi nudged him: Asleep?

Five minutes passed without a reply. It seemed he had indeed fallen asleep.

Fine, fine. Chu Xi pinched a withered leaf that had landed on his head and gently placed it on the green bushes nearby. With nowhere to direct his urge to share, he could only store those joyful feelings in his heart and savor them repeatedly.

Now that Zhou Jinyan was gone, Chu Xi’s brain—which had been clouded by infatuation—was cleared by the autumn wind.

Besides the message from Jian Yu this morning, there was also one from his mother, Ms. Meng. Just as Chu Xi was about to reply, Ms. Meng, as if sharing a telepathic bond, made a WeChat voice call.

Chu Xi picked up: “Mom, I saw it! I promise I’ll be there on time!”

Meng Qingling was a bit surprised. Chu Xi had no classes today, yet he was actually awake to answer her call at this hour. And judging by his voice, he seemed to be in an excessively good mood.

Meng Qingling glanced at the sun: “Alright then, Xiao Xi. Come over around 4 PM. I still have one more class. After I’m done, we’ll head to your father’s celebration banquet.”

Chu Xi: “Okay!”

There was a questionnaire in the class group. Chu Xi filled it out while listening to Ms. Meng’s instructions. While filling it out, he couldn’t help but wonder: What is Zhou Jinyan doing? Does he take notes in class?

Chu Xi couldn’t help but associate things: Zhou Jinyan’s hands are quite beautiful; his handwriting must be very pretty too, right?

After the questionnaire was finished, a lucky draw popped up. Scam stuff. Chu Xi was about to exit, but because he was multitasking, his finger slipped and clicked into a Weibo push notification.

It was a trending topic for a movie. The title was: [Eye of the Storm] Box Office Exceeds 3.5 Billion. The first related video was an interview with the director by the Movie Channel. If you looked closely at the man’s features in the video, he looked forty percent like Chu Xi.

Meng Qingling: “The weather is turning cold lately, remember to wear more clothes… By the way, Xiao Xi, do you need Zhaosheng to drive and pick you up?”

Chu Xi seriously finished watching his dad’s interview and gave it a like. His thoughts began to drift again. Would Zhou Jinyan look at this kind of trending topic? He doesn’t look like someone who pays attention to the entertainment industry… I wonder what type of movies he likes to watch?

I’ll find a chance to ask him.

While thinking, Chu Xi replied to Ms. Meng: “No need, I’ll just take the subway there myself.”

Meng Qingling: “That works too. Then I’ll have Zhaosheng pick you up once you arrive.”

After the call ended, Chu Xi went back to the dorm intending to finish his coursework assignments. He opened the document, trying hard to chase away the Zhou Jinyan who was running around in his head.

Ahhh Chu Xi! Get a grip! You are not a love-brain! Wake up!!

Chu Xi poured his attention into his assignment, ordering takeout midway. By the time the work was done, it was already 1 PM.

Chu Xi cleaned up the takeout containers. He had the habit of taking afternoon naps. Just as he lay down on the bed, a WeChat voice call popped up.

Seeing the name “Fu Ling,” Chu Xi smiled. He felt a sense of familiarity with this friend’s habit of calling directly when something was up.

The two of them got along quite well in high school, but they went their separate ways after graduation. However, six months ago, Fu Ling had passed by his school, and the two of them had a meal together. Chu Xi was a nostalgic person; receiving contact from an old friend made him genuinely happy.

The call connected, and Fu Ling’s energetic voice came through: “Long time no see, Chu Xi! Are you attending the No. 1 High School Alumni Open Day this year? If you come, our high school classmates can have a reunion.”

Alumni Open Day? Chu Xi perked up: “Sure!”

Chu Xi: “It really has been a long time. I wonder if you’ve changed a lot, hahaha!”

Fu Ling bragged on the other end: “I’ve definitely changed! I’ve gotten thinner and stronger, and I’ve trained up an eight-pack. You definitely won’t recognize me then.”

An eight-pack? Chu Xi instantly remembered that fleeting glimpse from this morning—those tight, beautiful lines. Stop, stop, what am I thinking?

Chu Xi shook his head: “Wow, I’m looking forward to it then.”

Fu Ling and Chu Xi chatted a bit more about the changes at their alma mater. While responding verbally, Chu Xi opened the “Pursuit Guide” Jian Yu had sent and started studying.

As he was chatting idly with Fu Ling, he suddenly heard a cheerful female voice on the other end asking Fu Ling: “How is it? Will my ‘Little Beauty’ blogger come?”

Fu Ling replied with a smile: “He’s coming. Don’t worry, Yuanyuan.”

Zhou Siyuan happily grabbed Fu Ling’s arm. Ahhh, can I finally meet the little beauty I’ve been following for so long in person?!

So excited! The six degrees of separation rule never fails me!

Fu Ling looked at Zhou Siyuan somewhat helplessly. Zhou Siyuan liked following idols, and Fu Ling often followed her around the country to chase groups. Zhou Siyuan’s following list was full of great beauties; whenever she had the chance, she loved arranging offline meals with these beauties to appreciate their looks up close.

Chu Xi didn’t pay much attention to who the “Little Beauty” they were talking about was; he just felt that Fu Ling’s side seemed quite lively. After a moment, he took the initiative to say: “I have something to do here, let’s stop for now. Bye.”

Fu Ling: “Okay, go ahead. We’ll talk more when we meet.”

After finishing the chat with Fu Ling, Chu Xi clicked on his phone calendar. The Alumni Open Day was on the 26th of this month, which was this Friday.

Open days were nothing more than literary performances and speeches from the principal. Chu Xi was pulled into a group by Fu Ling; surprisingly, about a dozen people were attending.

Chu Xi scrolled through the chat history. The plan was to catch up with teachers, watch the performance of a certain classmate’s younger sister, and then go out for dinner.

Looking at the strange yet familiar names, Chu Xi thought it would be nice to see old classmates. Because of Zhou Jinyan, his mood had been very excited since yesterday; this was a good way to digest those hyperactive emotions.

Time passed unconsciously until it was 3 PM. No, I can’t stay in bed anymore. I have to go, I still have that celebration banquet.

Chu Xi gazed longingly at the covers for a few seconds before grabbing a random set of clothes from the closet and tidying himself up in a few minutes.

His phone reminded him it would rain tonight. Before leaving the dorm, Chu Xi stuffed an umbrella into his bag.

Students coming out of the Film Academy were fashionable and bright. Even among them, Chu Xi wasn’t overshadowed. His beautiful, exquisite face paired with that somewhat innocent aura was exceptionally eye-catching.

Jian Yu slept until this hour. After checking Chu Xi’s messages, he sent a congratulatory note.

Jian Yu: Just woke up. Was your breakfast date successful? Good progress.

Jian Yu’s message popped up just as Chu Xi arrived at the Film Academy. People were coming and going at the entrance. He looked down, smiling as he replied to Jian Yu’s message about the breakfast date, when he suddenly heard someone ask: Hey, can I add you on WeChat?

Chu Xi felt momentarily lost. He looked up and realized after a long pause that someone was hitting on him. He instinctively frowned, a subtle feeling of being disturbed rising within him.

Chu Xi pointed to himself: Me?

Xu Suizhao was amused by his somewhat dazed reaction and let out a light laugh: Yes, you. You are very beautiful.

Receiving the compliment, Chu Xi blinked. He couldn’t help but compare the man to Zhou Jinyan in his heart; his aura wasn’t as good as Zhou Jinyan’s. He returned the compliment with a serious yet perfunctory politeness: “You are good-looking too.”

Xu Suizhao: Then can we… add WeChat?

Before he could finish, a steady voice from not far away interrupted him: Xiao Xi.

Fu Zhaosheng walked over, standing between the two in a subtle stance. Seeing him, Chu Xi almost breathed a sigh of relief, his tone full of familiarity: “Brother.”

Seeing the two talking, Xu Suizhao tactfully left. His friend saw him return and asked how it went. Xu Suizhao shrugged: “He’s got a boyfriend.”

Friend: “…What bad luck.”

Xu Suizhao: “Well, what can you do? Beauties are always in high demand.”

There was a notification on WeChat. Xu Suizhao looked at it for a moment and shared it excitedly with his friend: “A pretty roommate moved into our dorm. Yang-zi said he’s exceptionally good-looking. Ah, too bad I’m staying off-campus these few days…”

Otherwise, he could have caught a glimpse of the pretty roommate.

Ms. Meng was in class. After picking up Chu Xi, Fu Zhaosheng also had his own business to attend to. Chu Xi simply told them not to worry about him and wandered around the area on his own.

Once Ms. Meng finished her class, she drove Chu Xi to the celebration banquet.

One couldn’t wear casual clothes to a celebration banquet. Chu Xi changed into the custom suit Ms. Meng had made for him. The well-tailored fabric perfectly outlined his waistline and long legs, making his waist look thin and his legs look long—beautiful and exquisite.

Looking at the person in the mirror with the thin waist and long legs, Chu Xi suddenly remembered a very unlucky day a year ago. His project progress had stalled, and the electric scooter he was riding malfunctioned—sometimes fast, sometimes slow—until finally, it lost control and he took a major spill.

Coming out of the hospital check-up, Chu Xi felt miserable. While taking the subway, he happened to see someone playing a public piano.

Pedestrians in the subway were rushing to and fro; no one stopped for him. Chu Xi didn’t know where to go either, so he simply listened to the person finish the piece.

His mood instantly improved. It was as if his sadness had been stolen by the music.

Jian Yu had curiously asked Chu Xi before why he had a crush on Zhou Jinyan.

Deeply influenced by his family atmosphere, Chu Xi gave a somewhat unexpected answer: “On a miserable day, when I was feeling exceptionally sad, I happened to run into someone playing a public piano. Don’t you think that’s romantic?”

Jian Yu expressed his lack of understanding.

After a long pause, Chu Xi added a very important reason: mainly because Zhou Jinyan was handsome.

At that time, listening to Zhou Jinyan’s piano, he even forgot the pain. When he left, he discovered their destination was the same: A-University.

What a coincidence! Chu Xi’s sense of romance returned. In one of his dad’s movies, this would definitely be the start of a romance!

Chu Xi didn’t dare go up and ask for his WeChat then. Later, after finding out the person’s name and WeChat ID, he recited “Zhou Jinyan” and his ID over and over again, yet still didn’t dare have any interaction with him.

Jian Yu teased him for being a coward. Chu Xi thought: What’s wrong with being a coward? Besides, I’ve already taken the initiative! I moved into Zhou Jinyan’s dorm and became his roommate. I’ll “boil the frog in warm water” until Zhou Jinyan is cooked!

At 7 PM, the celebration banquet began.

Chu Xi felt like he was sitting on needles at the banquet, surrounded by a group of enthusiastic artists. He was struggling to keep up with the social interaction when Ms. Meng’s friend, Zhou Qi, appeared just in time, smiling as she rescued him from the crowd of artists.

Chu Xi breathed a sigh of relief: Thank you, Auntie Zhou.

“No need for thanks,” Zhou Qi said with a smile as she pulled him away. Xiao Xi looks like a little prince today.

Chu Xi was exceptionally good at mutual praise: Auntie Zhou is also especially beautiful today.

Zhou Qi covered her mouth and laughed: “Oh, what a sweet talker. Can Auntie take a photo of you? I’ll send it to your mom in a bit.”

Chu Xi was in a great mood. His eyes crinkled into a smile as he readily agreed: “Sure!”

He even cooperatively found an angle with good lighting. He thought this was just an ordinary share between elders.

Having received Chu Xi’s permission, Zhou Qi lovingly took several photos. After sending them to Ms. Meng, she thought of her nephew’s unprecedented inquiry yesterday. Her lips curled into a smile, and her finger unhesitatingly clicked on another chat box.

 Zhou Qi: Oh my, look at the little childhood friend you were talking about yesterday. Speaking of which, what made you suddenly think of Xiao Xi? [Image] [Image] [Image]

week: He became my new roommate.

 Zhou Qi: What a coincidence! [Surprised.jpg]

Zhou Jinyan saw Zhou Qi’s message and thought: Yeah, it really is a coincidence. So much so that he found it a bit unbelievable. However, Chu Xi didn’t seem to recognize him.

The internet connection on Zhou Jinyan’s end was a bit poor. After a moment, the photos sent by Zhou Qi finally loaded.

The moment the photos finished loading, Zhou Jinyan’s fingertip paused above the screen. The slim-fit suit pinched out an extremely thin waistline on Chu Xi. This visual impact made his Adam’s apple roll unconsciously. The memory of the red-tipped ears on the person who had peeked at his abs this morning flashed back into his mind.

He clicked on the photo. The person in the photo had smiling eyes, soft black hair, and a pale complexion tinged with a shallow blush.

Zhou Jinyan’s gaze rested quietly on the screen. His eye color was so deep that no emotion could be seen. The custom suit fit his body perfectly, outlining a distinct waistline. Zhou Jinyan’s eyes flickered.

Only one crystal-clear thought remained in his mind:

Such a thin waist.