Any Closer and I'll Lose Control - Chapter 13

“Senior, why did you keep her here?” The junior who had just confessed glared at Meng Tang with clear hostility.

“We’re friends, and I still have something to discuss with her,” Wei Chuan said bluntly. “As for you, you should leave now.”

“Senior, I haven’t even confessed yet, and you’re already shooing me away.”

Wei Chuan sighed. “Telling you to leave means I won’t accept your confession. Understand?”

“But-”

“No buts. My friend and I have things to talk about.” Wei Chuan’s tone carried a hint of impatience, his brows furrowed. His tall, imposing figure made him look intimidating.

Reluctantly, the junior walked away, glancing back every few steps.

Seeing this, Wei Chuan exhaled in relief.

Meng Tang chuckled. “Were you deliberately putting on a cold face just now?”

Wei Chuan shrugged. “After rejecting too many people, you learn a thing or two. Otherwise, they’d think I’m easy to persuade.”

Meng Tang laughed, teasing him for once. “Well, I’ve watched the show and played the shield. Should I go now?”

“Wait.” Wei Chuan stopped her. “I really do have something to tell you. I won’t be on campus for the next few days. Don’t go to the back basketball court alone to practice. If you want to train, go to the old gym. I can put in a word for you.”

“No, no need,” Meng Tang quickly declined. “I’m busy these days too, there’s a competition coming up, and I need to prepare materials. I might not even have time to practice.”

“Then wait till I get back.” Wei Chuan grinned, his eyes curving into crescents.

The unrestrained joy in his expression softened the sharp lines of his features.

Compared to Xu Heqing, Wei Chuan had a more vibrant, youthful energy. His smile was the kind that instantly won people over.

Meng Tang cleared her throat. “Do your fans really call you ‘Wei Sweet’?”

Wei Chuan let out a dry laugh, unsure how to react. “You can look it up if you want.”

Meng Tang hummed in response and opened a short-video app on her way back to the dorm.

She searched for Wei Chuan’s name, and related tags quickly helped her identify the right account.

Clicking on the profile with a white-jersey-clad dunking avatar, she saw the bio listed only his school and his status as a CUBAL player.

This was definitely Wei Chuan.

She randomly opened one of his videos, which had an astonishing 170k likes and 13k comments. The content, however, was surprisingly ordinary, just Wei Chuan demonstrating a few basketball moves before walking toward the camera.

Scrolling through his videos, she noticed this one had the highest engagement.

Curious, she checked the comments,

“He’s seducing me again.”

“This… tsk tsk tsk…”

“He’s wearing clothes, but it’s like he isn’t (so hot).”

“Eep! I won’t look, I won’t look!”

“Instant heart attack!”

“Gray sweatpants, the black stockings of men. Never fails.”

“Aww~ Change those pants now, or I won’t be able to control myself.”

“Can I have a man like this?”

“Drop the link for those pants, please.”

“…”

Meng Tang didn’t quite get it. She scrolled further, but the comments were all fixated on the gray sweatpants. The only conclusion she could draw was: “Men shouldn’t wear gray.”

Back in the dorm, Shi Lan had just washed off the smell of paint. Seeing Meng Tang return, she smiled. “You’re back early tonight. Lingyin isn’t here yet.”

Yang Ke sighed. “Lingyin had another fight with her family.”

“Again?” Meng Tang frowned. “What happened this time?”

“What else could it be?” Shi Lan rolled her eyes. “Just the usual favoritism toward sons over daughters. Lingyin comes from a well-off family, but every time she asks for money, she has to endure a long lecture. Her younger brother is abroad, spending millions a year, and her parents never say a word about it.”

Meng Tang didn’t comment. Her own parents weren’t much better.

“Don’t worry,” Yang Ke said. “Lingyin isn’t the type to suffer in silence.”

Shi Lan chimed in with a few words, and Meng Tang sighed. Just as she was about to head to the end of the hallway to swipe her card for water, she suddenly turned back.

“Hey, Shi Lan, I have a question for you.”

Shi Lan turned to face her. “Go ahead.”

“Do you know about gray sweatpants?” Meng Tang looked utterly clueless. “Is this some kind of meme? Why shouldn’t guys wear them?”

“Pfft!” Yang Ke choked on the water she was drinking. “Cough, cough, cough…”

Meng Tang stepped forward, patting her back with a worried expression. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Hahaha…” Shi Lan was laughing so hard tears came to her eyes. “You really don’t know?”

Meng Tang found Shi Lan’s laughter borderline hysterical and grew even more curious. “Know what?”

Shi Lan smirked at her. “Because gray sweatpants make guys’… outlines really obvious.”

“What outlines?”

“Shi Lan, stop teasing Meng Tang. She’s clueless.”

Yang Ke, torn between laughter and exasperation, pulled Meng Tang aside and whispered the answer in her ear.

Meng Tang froze for a long moment before suddenly covering her face and squatting down. She was officially out of touch.

Shi Lan crouched beside her, shaking her playfully. “Don’t be embarrassed. Come on, tell me, which video were you watching? Was it big? If it was, I might follow them too.”

Meng Tang shoved her away, swearing she’d never admit she’d been watching Wei Chuan’s videos.

“I’m going to get water.”

Watching Meng Tang flee in panic, Shi Lan cackled like a maniac.

Meng Tang clutched her card, her neck and ears burning red.

After filling her bottle, she still hadn’t fully recovered. She patted her cheeks and started walking back.

Pausing near the stairwell, she spotted Xie Lingyin by the window, wiping away tears.

Meng Tang set her water bottle down in a corner and walked over, deliberately making some noise.

Xie Lingyin quickly wiped her eyes and turned, forcing a faint smile. “Getting water?”

Meng Tang nodded. “There’s still time. Want to take a walk on the field?”

If she’d wanted to go back, she would have already.

Meng Tang was worried about her being alone. A walk might help clear her mind.

Xie Lingyin gave a quiet “Mm.”

The field was still crowded, so they stuck to the edges.

“You never cried before, no matter how upset you were,” Meng Tang said. “Is it really bad this time?”

Xie Lingyin sighed. “I’m just tired of it. I used to humor them, resenting how all the money went to my brother. But now I’m exhausted.”

Meng Tang wasn’t good at comforting words. “What are you going to do?”

“What can I do?” Xie Lingyin smiled bitterly. “Endure it. If I don’t, I won’t get any money. They’ll criticize me either way, might as well take the cash.”

Meng Tang glanced at her, concerned. “Are you going home for National Day?”

The holiday was approaching. Xie Lingyin hadn’t gone back last year.

Sure enough, she shook her head. “No.”

Meng Tang hesitated, then said, “Do you want to come home with me?”

“With you?” Xie Lingyin was surprised.

Meng Tang nodded. “My grandpa isn’t strict, and he loves having guests. You’re interested in woodcarving too, right?”

“Really? Can I?” Xie Lingyin was naturally overjoyed at the offer.

“Of course,” Meng Tang replied. “If you agree, I’ll let my grandfather know.”

Xie Lingyin hesitated slightly. “Wouldn’t that be too much trouble?”

Meng Tang reassured her, “Not at all. Don’t worry about it.”

Xie Lingyin wasn’t one to dither. Her heart swayed, and she agreed. “Alright.”

As National Day approached, the students grew restless, but Meng Tang remained composed, diligently working on her manuscript.

She usually returned to her dorm late, but today, she left the studio at dusk, only to be stopped by a freshman.

He merely wanted to ask a question, and Meng Tang was happy to chat with him for a bit.

Just then, Wei Chuan parked his car steadily by the north gate and spotted Meng Tang along with the boy beside her.

Recognizing the familiar car, Meng Tang instinctively turned to leave, but the freshman was right behind her, nearly causing them to collide.

From Wei Chuan’s angle, the scene looked suspiciously intimate.

He rolled down the window and called out, “Meng Tang.”

With nowhere to hide, she turned back with a forced smile.

Wei Chuan stepped out of the car, and Meng Tang’s gaze flickered downward, black pants. She exhaled in relief.

Only then did she realize she’d been staring at his pants. Her cheeks flushed as red as the evening sky.

“I-I-I… I have something to do. I should go.”

Wei Chuan circled around the front of the car and blocked her path, his expression dark. “What are you running from?”