After My Childhood Friend Misunderstood That I Had a Boyfriend - Chapter 26

Chapter 26:This angle is perfect for a kiss

Is a person allowed to sleep or not!

Chu Xi stared at the photo of the abs for a long time, his body being more honest than his mind as he saved the image. After a while, he suddenly covered his face with a pillow, his legs kicking wildly at the bed as he let out a silent scream.

It was almost 1 AM! Chu Xi slammed the voice message button, issuing a strong condemnation of Zhou Jinyan’s behavior: “Shameless! Audacious!”

After finishing his condemnation, Chu Xi remembered that he was the one who suggested seeing the abs first. He realized a moment too late—did he just insult himself too?

He was silent for a moment. Whatever, whatever. Anyway, Zhou Jinyan was much more shameless and audacious than he was; he himself was just a pure male college student.

Before sleeping, Chu Xi set his phone to vibrate. A new WeChat message arrived, and the phone buzzed in his hand. Chu Xi glanced down, saw it was from Zhou Jinyan, and tossed the phone aside in a fit of shyness and stress.

The phone vibrated again. This time, Chu Xi didn’t turn it off; he simply closed his eyes and played ostrich, pretending he couldn’t hear it.

By the third vibration, curiosity overcame sleepiness. Chu Xi resentfully unlocked his phone to see what Zhou Jinyan had sent him.

 Gége: Didn’t you say you were going to sleep early?

Gége: You sound quite energetic. Gége: Let me see.jpg

Who’s the reason I’m still awake? Does Zhou Jinyan have no self-awareness? Chu Xi snorted and ignored him. Not only was the man disturbing his sleep, but he was also stealing his memes  that was a double offense!

And was it his imagination? Why did he feel like his two insults didn’t stir any guilt in Zhou Jinyan at all, but rather made him feel… good?

How bizarre.

Chu Xi ignored him, but Zhou Jinyan continued to “flaunt his feathers” like a peacock who knew Chu Xi was still awake: “What does Bao Bao think?”

Chu Xi stopped pretending to be asleep and replied stubbornly: “It’s just average.”

Since he was being stubborn, he decided to go all the way. He gritted his teeth and sent a voice reply: “It feels just so-so. Lots of people train well.”

As he spoke, he felt increasingly guilty. He bit his lip to end the message: “Alright, it’s really late, go to sleep. I don’t want to see dark circles on your face when we meet tomorrow.”

After all, dark circles wouldn’t be handsome.

After hitting send, Chu Xi switched his phone from vibrate to silent, turned off the screen, tossed it aside, and pulled the quilt over his head.

He was going to sleep too.

Perhaps because of Zhou Jinyan’s interruption, Chu Xi didn’t feel as much anxiety about tomorrow’s birthday party. With fewer worries, sleepiness quickly returned.

This time, he truly entered dreamland.

The next morning.

An undisturbed night of sleep. When Chu Xi woke up, he was hugging his quilt like a round glutinous rice ball. His usually smooth hair was sticking up in messy tufts, swaying in the air as he moved.

He sat there for a long time before fully waking up. He slowly got up to wash, and after shaking off the drowsiness, he flopped back onto the bed, rolled around, and fished out his phone to play.

He clicked into WeChat to see what messages were there…

Huh? Zhou Jinyan hadn’t replied to his voice message from last night.

By the way… is telling a man his physique isn’t good very damaging to his self-esteem? And it was late at night; would Zhou Jinyan secretly be “emo” and hide under his covers to cry?

No… surely not.

Chu Xi tried to imagine the scene, then realized he couldn’t imagine Zhou Jinyan crying at all.

Still, it was his fault first. He wasn’t actually a person who only knew how to be an unreasonable “drama queen.” He had to coax Zhou Jinyan a little.

But before coaxing, Chu Xi tentatively tested the waters to see how angry Zhou Jinyan was: “I’m awake. Good morning.”

Zhou Jinyan replied instantly.

Gége: Good morning.

An instant reply! He didn’t even give him the cold shoulder. Maybe he wasn’t angry? But today, he didn’t call him “Bao Bao” after the greeting like usual.

Then he must be angry.

It was like the calm before a storm.

The room was warm, but the wind outside carried a stinging chill—yet nothing was as cold as Chu Xi’s heart right now.

Chu Xi licked his dry lips, slid his finger, and placed a voice call to apologize.

Actually, your physique is great! I like it a lot. Saying I didn’t like it was just me being stubborn.

He was wrong! He wouldn’t be stubborn anymore! TT

The phone rang twice. No one picked up yet. Chu Xi’s heart shattered into pieces; he started praying in his mind: Don’t be angry! At least don’t be so angry that you won’t take my call!

Please, please, pick up and give me a chance to apologize.

The next second, the call connected. The other end was quiet; only the man’s steady breathing could be heard.

Chu Xi pressed the phone tightly against his ear. The cold body of the device made him calm down slightly. He tried to gain a sense of certainty through this contact and spoke dryly: “…Did you sleep well last night?”

What a terrible opening. Chu Xi’s vision went dark; he was frustrated by his own stupidity. He hurriedly tried to fix it: “No, wait, what I meant was…”

Everything I said last night was just out of spite, don’t take it seriously.

Before he could say it, he was interrupted by the man’s flat, unreadable voice: “Have you had breakfast?”

Given a way out, Chu Xi hesitated but eventually stepped onto the bridge Zhou Jinyan built for him. He said muffledly: “Not yet.”

“Auntie Wu made walnut buns and water chestnut cake. Didn’t you say you wanted to eat them again? I’ll send them over in a bit.”

Zhou Jinyan’s tone was normal, but Chu Xi’s heart sank with unease.

Chu Xi gripped the phone tightly. He suddenly remembered when he changed the “Nuisance” contact name back to “Gége,” Zhou Jinyan had stared at that nickname for a long time.

To coax him, Chu Xi softened his voice and called him: “Oh… okay. Gége, are you still angry?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end. Just as Chu Xi’s heart rose into his throat, he heard a heavy breath from the screen.

It was clear, exposing Zhou Jinyan’s turbulent mood.

Eh?

Chu Xi was stunned for a moment. This meant calling him “Gége” to make peace was working, right?

“I’m sorry, Gége, I was wrong.” Chu Xi struck while the iron was hot, acting spoiled to soften him. “Don’t be angry anymore, okay? Actually, your physique is great! I like it a lot!”

The other side remained silent.

Chu Xi pursed his lips. Why wasn’t Zhou Jinyan speaking? He couldn’t help but ask: “Are you even listening?”

The next second, Zhou Jinyan’s calm voice came through: “Mm.”

“I’m not angry, Bao Bao. We’ll talk about everything when we meet, okay? I’ll drive over to pick you up this afternoon. Auntie Wu has arrived; remember to eat breakfast.”

So he’s not angry?

Chu Xi was dazed for a moment. He wanted to say more, but he found Zhou Jinyan had already hung up. Chu Xi was instantly annoyed—how is this “not angry”?

So dishonest! Saying he’s not angry, but clearly he’s sulking in secret!

“Talk when we meet.” Chu Xi got out of bed, thinking gloomily about how he was going to make it up to Zhou Jinyan when they finally saw each other.

Chu Xi had added Auntie Wu on WeChat previously. He had just messaged her that he was ready. He opened the door and sure enough, Auntie Wu was outside with a thermal container full of breakfast.

Auntie Wu smiled at him: “Good morning, Xiao Xi.”

“Good morning! Auntie Wu, do you want to come in for some tea?”

“No need, I have to go back and watch my granddaughter in a bit.”

“Ah, okay then. I won’t disturb you. Bye-bye, Auntie Wu.”

Chu Xi took the thermal container back inside and obediently finished his breakfast as Zhou Jinyan told him to. While he was feeling gloomy, the photographer from his last collaboration sent him the final edits.

His mind immediately shifted to admiring his own beauty. He carefully selected a few photos he was particularly happy with, added some behind-the-scenes clips and life records, and happily prepared to manage his Xiaohongshu account.

After thinking about it, he sneakily included some “check-in” photos Zhou Jinyan had sent him, including the one from last night with the peace sign.

He used stickers to block anything that might reveal personal info, picked a slightly “pretentious” caption, and hit send.

Within seconds, there were likes and comments. Chu Xi clicked into the comments section. Ignoring the ones praising his face, some noted he hadn’t updated in a while and asked if he was busy being in love.

!! I’m not just busy being in love!

I’m living my life and working too, okay!

He couldn’t get through to these “love-brains.”

Annoyed, he exited the post and switched to his alt-account. He planned to post a thread asking how to coax a boyfriend back after making him angry.

“What kind of boyfriend is so much trouble to coax back? Just break up.” “Exactly, the next one will be better.” “Break up.” …

Chu Xi finished the last walnut bun, put the container in the dishwasher, and came back to find the post had gained traction. There were over a dozen new comments.

Chu Xi’s eyes lit up. With so many comments, there had to be one he could use, right? But as he scrolled, he was almost fainted by anger.

How could all a dozen comments be advising him to break up? Not a single useful suggestion!

Chu Xi was furious. He wondered if his caption was bad and misleading the netizens. He read it three times—he didn’t mention the word “break up” once!

It was very clear! So why were they telling him to break up?

Infuriated, he edited the post, adding: I don’t want to break up! Can I get some useful advice, please? 

“The FBI said if I keep looking at these love-brain posts, they’ll blow up my phone.” “Do you have to date him?” “Sorry to derail, but Bao Bao, you’re so good-looking [Heart-eyes emoji]”

Hmm? Praising my looks?

The usual comments he took for granted now seemed exceptionally pleasing to the eye amidst the sea of “break up” advice. Chu Xi’s anger dissipated slightly, and he replied: “Thank you!

After replying, Chu Xi tossed his phone aside. He was busy! He wasn’t some love-brain who only cared about dating!

Chu Xi knew his own limits; he was even a bit lazy. Rather than exploring on his own, he preferred the path his parents had paved for him.

He was currently preparing for his third internship—a host intern for a variety show on a satellite TV station. The internship was for one month, starting next week.

Xiaohongshu was completely forgotten. When he worked, he became focused. He collected materials based on the show’s current theme, and by the time he was done organizing, his lunch delivery had arrived.

Chu Xi brought his lunch in and ate half of it while zoning out. While staring into space, he suddenly remembered his Xiaohongshu.

When he clicked in, the message icon showed 99+. Likes and saves were one thing, but why were there 99+ comments too?

Chu Xi immediately became alert. These comments better not be about breaking up! This is too much! Netizens, stop being so possessive over other people’s relationships!

Chu Xi felt a surge of momentum; he decided to delete all the “break up” comments! That’s right—he was someone who only wanted to hear what he wanted to hear.

Chu Xi marched into the comments section. He thought the top-voted comment would be about breaking up, and he was ready to delete, delete, delete! …Eh?

The top comment wasn’t about breaking up. It was the “derailed” comment saying “Bao Bao, you’re so good-looking” that had been pushed to the top. Clicking “more replies,” a long string of people said, “Indeed.”

Below that, people were eager to see photos, and someone pointed them toward the first post on his alt-account. Chu Xi remembered—when he created the alt, he forgot to switch accounts and posted photos meant for his main. Since the engagement was good, he hadn’t hidden them.

There was only one photo of himself—the one Zhou Jinyan took of him holding a “Great Fortune” fortune stick.

Chu Xi swiped down. The direction of the comments had indeed changed from a chorus of “Break up” to “Bao Bao, your boyfriend is a bit ungrateful.”

“It’s okay, Bao Bao, your boyfriend will fix his own attitude and come beg for your forgiveness.” “I’ll be the judge of who is at fault here.”

Well, although there were still no practical suggestions, it was much more comfortable to read than a screen full of “Break up.”

Whatever, these netizens are unreliable. He’d figure it out himself.

With mixed feelings, Chu Xi switched back to his main account to clear his notifications. Since he was there, he decided to patrol the comments section of his latest post.

Then, he was pleasantly surprised to find someone finally noticed his subtle hint: “Xiao Xi, is this your boyfriend’s hand?”

Chu Xi was delighted inside. He replied reservedly: “It’s the photographer’s.”

“Is he your exclusive photographer? Hahahaha.” “Boyfriend is boyfriend, why call him an exclusive photographer [Meme]… but ‘Brother-in-law’s’ fingers look so long and thick, and the veins on the back of his hand are so prominent. He looks like he has a lot of strength.” “Wait, speaking of strength… I feel like he could pin Xiao Xi down completely [Meme]”

!!! Chu Xi’s pupils shook.

Pin down… is it THAT kind of pinning down?

The subsequent comments were unspeakable, severely “driving off-road”! Chu Xi was speechless. He felt like his comments section had suddenly become a massive NSFW scene.

Chu Xi was terrified he’d receive a notification from Xiaohongshu saying his post was “obscene” and getting him banned.

Chu Xi closed Xiaohongshu in fear.

But his mind was full of that comment about the hands pinning him down.

But is it really possible? Chu Xi suspiciously opened the photo of Zhou Jinyan’s hand. He stared for a few seconds, suddenly thinking of their obvious size difference… It seems like the comments might be right.

Ahhhh, stop thinking about it!

The sun hadn’t set yet. The sky was blue. The clear stream reflected the sky with not a hint of “yellow.”

Chu Xi shook his head and went to his walk-in closet to pick out clothes for going out. After coordinating his outfit, he spent ages on his hair. He was still fussing in front of the mirror when his phone rang.

It was the delivery for the flowers he had ordered.

Chu Xi went out to sign for them. He had bought Tweedia and Phalaenopsis orchids. The blue and white flowers were carefully arranged together, and their light fragrance was refreshing.

Just before the sun began to dip, Zhou Siyuan’s message arrived before Zhou Jinyan’s.

Zhou Siyuan tipped him off: “Sister-in-law—! Did you have a fight with my brother?” Zhou Siyuan: You have no idea, his face is so dark, it’s terrifying.

Ha! I knew Zhou Jinyan was sulking in secret!

Chu Xi replied: “Mm, I think I made him angry  Zhou Siyuan: Then he’s really being a bit ungrateful.

For a moment, Chu Xi felt like he was seeing the netizens from his help thread. He was about to tell Zhou Siyuan not to say that, but as he was typing, Zhou Jinyan called.

Chu Xi naturally took the call first. His voice became unconsciously soft: “Are you here?”

“Mm.” Zhou Jinyan looked up at the building. “In the usual spot. Is Bao Bao ready?”

“Ready, I’m coming down now.”

Chu Xi hung up, checked his image in the mirror one last time, and thinking of Zhou Jinyan waiting below, he rushed out in a flurry.

Halfway out, he felt like he was missing something. He froze, then remembered—Ah, I forgot the flowers.

He rushed back inside and scooped up the bouquet of Tweedia and Phalaenopsis.

Chu Xi once saw a romance film directed by his father. On the eve of the male lead’s confession to the female lead, there was a line that left a deep impression on him: “Bring flowers when you go to see the person you love.”

Even though it was just a normal meeting, as he approached Zhou Jinyan, Chu Xi’s heart began to throb. He walked quickly to the spot where they usually met, and sure enough, the familiar car was parked there.

Chu Xi first placed the flowers and gift in the back seat, then pulled open the passenger door as he had done countless times before. He sat down and buckled his seatbelt.

The car blocked out the cold air, forming a sealed space where the air felt thin, belonging only to the two of them.

Chu Xi turned his head to look at Zhou Jinyan’s profile. Ugh, I don’t know if it’s because we haven’t met in a while, but my heart is racing out of control. In the quiet car, there was nowhere to hide.

Zhou Jinyan lowered his gaze to meet Chu Xi’s. Today he was wearing half-rimmed glasses. The cold lenses were like a barrier, hiding all the emotions in his eyes.

Chu Xi could only judge if the man was teasing him by his tone: “Is Bao Bao checking to see if I have dark circles?”

“Mm… yeah!” Caught peeking, Chu Xi’s ears turned red. He wanted to say no, but meeting Zhou Jinyan’s gaze, he suddenly had the urge to take off the glasses.

And he did exactly that: “Yeah, right. Let me check if you rested properly.”

Chu Xi raised his hand. His fingertips brushed almost imperceptibly against Zhou Jinyan’s temple, feeling the warmth of the skin beneath. He paused for a moment before gripping the temples of the glasses and slowly lifting them off the bridge of Zhou Jinyan’s nose.

The man cooperatively lowered his head slightly. A few rebellious stray hairs swept across the inside of Chu Xi’s wrist. The soft, light touch felt like the finest feather stroking his most sensitive nerves, sending a tiny shiver through him.

Without the lenses, Zhou Jinyan’s eyes were revealed completely. The gaze was even more predatory than when filtered through glass, pressing down heavily.

Zhou Jinyan leaned in slightly. Chu Xi inexplicably felt that taking off the glasses was like a signal for a kiss.

This angle is perfect for a kiss.

Zhou Jinyan stared at Chu Xi’s rosy lips, thinking with regret: A pity I can’t kiss him right here, right now.

Zhou Jinyan spoke with a hint of regret: “Can Bao Bao see clearly now?”

Handsome as usual. Chu Xi’s heart fluttered again. Hearing the question, he stammered: “Seen… seen clearly.”

Chu Xi quickly shifted the subject, hurriedly putting the glasses back on him: “Okay, check-up over! Start the car!”

The half-rimmed glasses were back on his nose, but before the physical sensation settled, a crisp, faint scent arrived—like snow falling in early winter, melting at the tip of the nose, cold yet alluring.

Zhou Jinyan started the car and pulled out of the gate, thinking casually: What perfume is Chu Xi wearing?

After driving a bit, Chu Xi noticed a drink in the cup holder: “What’s this?”

“Raw coconut latte.”

Eh? Zhou Jinyan has the kind of face that looks like he only drinks Iced Americanos. He actually drinks sweet things? Chu Xi picked up the latte. It was still half full. He took a small sip through the straw.

Holding the straw in his mouth, he suddenly thought: Is this an indirect kiss?

So sweet.

Chu Xi put the latte back. The events of the morning were tacitly turned over by both of them. Half an hour later, they arrived at the destination.

The birthday party was at the Zhou family’s old residence. Chu Xi learned that Zhou Jinyan lived here until university. His thoughts drifted—Doesn’t that mean I can see traces of Zhou Jinyan growing up?

Chu Xi gave the gift to Zhou Siyuan and learned from her that their parents were away traveling. He breathed a sigh of relief, then felt annoyed that he had wasted so much anxiety last night.

When Zhou Siyuan learned Chu Xi got her a camera, she excitedly asked him to record a clip on it for her.

Looking at the result, Zhou Siyuan exclaimed how beautiful he looked, then asked if she could post it on Instagram to show everyone how pretty her “sister-in-law” was.

Thinking about her brother’s “ingratitude” in fighting with Chu Xi, she immediately became a “Love Bodyguard”: “Brother, you better hold on tight.”

Zhou Jinyan glanced at her, voice flat: “As long as you don’t cause trouble, it’s fine.”

What does he mean ‘as long as I don’t cause trouble’? Zhou Siyuan was unhappy and pulled up Chu Xi’s Xiaohongshu comments: “Look how popular he is! You’re already useless except for your face, you better hurry up. What if he’s stolen away?”

Zhou Jinyan wanted to ignore her, but his eyes honestly landed on the comments section. People were calling him “Bao Bao” and openly asking if he was single.

It was unpleasant to look at. Zhou Jinyan’s mood suddenly became irritable.

Seeing her brother clearly “adjusting himself” to go apologize to Chu Xi, Zhou Siyuan picked up her big skirt and walked away gracefully, having fulfilled her duty.

Zhou Jinyan took a deep breath and followed her. It was almost 8 PM—time to cut the cake.

When they reached the garden, a two-tier cake had been wheeled out to the center by a servant. Zhou Siyuan was surrounded by friends. Pink “Happy Birthday” balloons decorated the archway. Zhou Jinyan searched the crowd for Chu Xi.

He thought Chu Xi would be awkward since he didn’t know anyone and Zhou Jinyan wasn’t by his side. He looked through the crowd and found Chu Xi at the long table, chatting happily with someone.

Zhou Jinyan’s brow furrowed. Looking at the distance between them, is it necessary to stand that close?

The restlessness in his heart grew stronger. He realized profoundly just how popular his beautiful lover was.

Even if he successfully “usurped” the position from the current boyfriend, he would still have to be wary of other potential rivals.

And right now, he wasn’t even the “other man” yet. Chu Xi hadn’t given him a status.

The night he went back and checked his WeChat on the computer, he saw the full chat history. He intended to claim his “reward” the next day, but a project he and his elder brother were responsible for had an issue, and he was away on business for a whole week.

To hell with “no rush” and “taking it slow.”

“What if he’s stolen away?”

Looking at Chu Xi laughing at whatever the other person said, Zhou Jinyan had to admit Siyuan was right.

He really needed to hurry up. At the very least, he had to secure a “title” quickly.

At exactly 8 PM, the crowd sang the birthday song. As the music ended, wishes of “Happy Birthday” rose one after another. Someone set off a confetti cannon. With a “bang,” colorful confetti drifted down like rain.

“Ready to cut the cake—!”

Chu Xi heard the call but didn’t move. The boy he had been chatting with turned to him: “Aren’t you going?”

Chu Xi was waiting for Zhou Jinyan: “You go ahead, I’m waiting for someone.”

Chu Xi sat there obediently. He looked up and saw Zhou Jinyan watching him from not far away. Delighted, he flew to Zhou Jinyan’s side like a bird returning to its nest.

Chu Xi took his hand, about to say, “Let’s go cut the cake!”

But Zhou Jinyan suddenly put an arm around his shoulders. Before he could react, he was turned and pulled into Zhou Jinyan’s embrace. Using the archway as cover, their figures flickered in and out of the light.

Chu Xi met Zhou Jinyan’s eyes. His heart gave a sudden, heavy throb. He had a premonition, and his pulse quickened under the weight of it.

“You

BANG!

Another confetti cannon went off. Vibrant ribbons shot into the sky and drifted slowly down, reflecting the lights like falling stars. A few landed perfectly on their hair.

“Chu Xi.” Zhou Jinyan’s hot breath swept over him. Chu Xi could no longer hear the surrounding noise; he could only hear the voice of the person he loved.

The ribbons were still falling. One landed on Zhou Jinyan’s shoulder, mesmerizing Chu Xi: “Mm.”

Pink roses were wound around the archway, and the air was thick with a faint floral scent. Chu Xi blinked: “Did you find the answer?”

“I found it.” Zhou Jinyan leaned down, whispering in Chu Xi’s ear. For some reason, he suddenly felt a desperate urge to kiss Chu Xi right here. “Bao Bao, can I come and claim my reward now?”