Can't Shake Off My Arch-rival After Falling in Love Online - Chapter 1

“Baby, I like you so much!”

Xi Yang gently embraced the boy in his arms. The boy buried his head in Xi Yang’s chest and whispered this confession in a delicate, fragile voice.

Xi Yang had heard the boy say these words many times before, but it had always been over the phone. A voice converted through electrical currents and played through a speaker always sounded a bit different than hearing it in person.

Looking at the boy in his arms, Xi Yang could not help but curl his lips into a smile. He responded to the boy’s feelings with a tender tone: “I like you so much, too.”

Nuzzling against Xi Yang’s chest, the boy continued his sweet talk shyly: “Baby, you are so good to me. I really want, I really want to give you my everything.”

“Oh? How do you want to give it?” Xi Yang appeared calm and composed, but his heart was already leaping with joy. He reached up and tilted the boy’s chin, trying to lift his head so he could finally see his face clearly.

As the boy’s face was raised, his skin appeared fair and delicate. Beneath long eyelashes, a pair of tea-colored eyes looked watery and bright, and his moist, thin lips were slightly parted, breathing evenly.

The beautiful face shifted from a blur to a sharp focus. Once Xi Yang saw the boy’s features clearly, he was stunned to discover that the online boyfriend he was holding had the exact same face as his roommate, Shu Xing!

Xi Yang jerked awake from the dream instantly.

When Shu Xing woke up and opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Xi Yang, the guy from the opposite bed who always looked cold and miserable, staring straight at him.

The icy gaze immediately snapped Shu Xing out of his grogginess.

Shu Xing glared back and snapped, “What are you looking at?”

Xi Yang did not say a word. He gave him a faint, sweeping glance before turning over and climbing down from his bed.

Shu Xing clicked his tongue and muttered a soft complaint, “What is with the attitude?”

Shu Xing and Xi Yang had not gotten along since they first entered university as freshmen. It was not so much a mutual hatred as it was Shu Xing’s one-sided annoyance with Xi Yang.

When they first moved into the dorm, Shu Xing had tried to be friendly and approach Xi Yang to build a good relationship. However, every time he approached with a good attitude, Xi Yang would instinctively cover his nose and frown deeply, as if Shu Xing were carrying some kind of foul stench.

After noticing Xi Yang’s strange behavior, Shu Xing had specifically checked his own scent, but he could not smell anything other than the fresh fragrance of laundry detergent.

Shu Xing knew Xi Yang was a wealthy second-generation heir, but it was not like he smelled poor, right? If someone did not want to socialize, they could just say so; there was no need to keep making those gestures that hurt one’s self-esteem.

So, from that point on, Shu Xing stopped talking to Xi Yang. Since Xi Yang was the type who would not offer a smile if someone did not give him a pleasant face, the two eventually fell into a tacit “arch-enemy” relationship.

However, over a long period, their conflict remained a matter of cold violence. They had never actually engaged in hot violence, such as arguing or fighting physically.

Occasionally, when Shu Xing was dissatisfied with Xi Yang, he would drop a few sarcastic comments, but most of the time, he would be silenced by Xi Yang’s poisonous tongue.

Speaking of Xi Yang’s wealth, the guy loved to show off. No matter what new luxury item he bought, he loved to toss it onto his desk, though who he was trying to impress was anyone’s guess.

It was the same with his vehicles. A sports car today, a motorcycle tomorrow. The low roar of the exhaust would drone all the way from the South Gate to the boys’ dormitory. What is worse, people would often treat his car like a rare sight and line up to take photos with it. Shu Xing felt the school should ban students from driving on campus, but Xi Yang’s family donated a lot of money to the school every year, so the administration pampered him like a “Golden Daddy.”

Even more annoying was that the guy was not only taller than Shu Xing but also very handsome. With the combination of wealth and looks, he attracted many pursuers on campus.

Shu Xing gritted his teeth, wondering which window God had closed for this man. He also wondered who had stolen his own hundred-billion-dollar happy life.

There are rich people everywhere in the world; why cannot I be one of them?

After gritting his teeth, Shu Xing felt his cheeks grow sore. He puckered his lips and quickly relaxed his face. After all, the only thing he could actually use to compete with Xi Yang was this face; he could not let his jaw get lopsided from grinding his teeth.

There were four people in the dorm. The other two roommates usually stayed out of the cold war between Shu Xing and Xi Yang. To them, both Shu Xing and Xi Yang were indispensable; every time they went out, the roommates would drag one each, forcing a dormitory package deal. As a result, no matter how much Shu Xing disliked Xi Yang, their life trajectories on campus remained intertwined.

Shu Xing waited for a long time after getting out of bed before Xi Yang finally emerged from the bathroom. His expression was cold as he stepped out, and he spared Shu Xing a sideways glance that made it seem like Shu Xing owed him money.

Shu Xing chalked it up to Xi Yang’s young master morning grumpiness, glared back, and turned to enter the bathroom.

The dormitory’s attached bathroom was not very large, though it did have a wet-dry separation. This layout was a hassle because if someone locked the door to shower, no one else could use the toilet. Consequently, many residents often used the public restrooms in the hallway.

Only someone like Xi Yang would have the audacity to monopolize the entire bathroom alone so early in the morning.

Xi Yang usually had the habit of showering in the morning, but he normally waited until everyone else was finished. Since it was a holiday with no classes, the other two roommates were still in bed playing on their phones. Shu Xing felt Xi Yang was intentionally trying to annoy him by occupying the bathroom the moment he woke up.

When Shu Xing entered the bathroom, he smelled a strong scent of body wash. He suddenly felt that Xi Yang was even more of a poser; he could not understand why that fragrant body wash could not wash away the stink of pretentiousness on Xi Yang.

On his days off, Shu Xing usually went to a part-time job off-campus. After washing up, he changed into clean clothes and prepared to head out.

“Hey, Xing-mei.”

An arm dangled down from the bunk bed next to him, swaying in mid-air and blocking Shu Xing’s path.

It was his roommate, Cheng Xinyu.

To Cheng Xinyu, Shu Xing’s looks were a bit too pretty. Unlike the heroic and handsome look of other guys, Shu Xing leaned toward the feminine and beautiful side. Especially with his fair skin and watery eyes, he easily triggered a protective instinct in others. Over time, Shu Xing’s nickname became “Xing-mei.”

Cheng Xinyu poked his head out from the covers with a smiling, flattering look: “Can you bring me back a small cake when you come back?”

Whenever Shu Xing went to work, he would usually pick up things for his roommates. Accustomed to the request, he looked up and asked, “What flavor do you want?”

“Strawberry!”

“Got it.” Shu Xing ducked under Cheng Xinyu’s dangling arm. As he passed Xi Yang’s seat, he accidentally brushed against the back of his chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xi Yang, who had been looking at his phone, quickly flip it over to hide the screen as if intentionally guarding against Shu Xing.

Are you serious? Am I the type of person who loves to peek at your phone and chat messages?

Shu Xing was speechless at Xi Yang’s reaction, which made him dislike the guy even more. He pressed his lips together and offered a half-hearted “Sorry” before opening the door and leaving.

Shu Xing’s part-time job was in the city center, which required several subway transfers. He had loved cats and dogs since he was a child, so after starting university, he found a job as an assistant at a pet hospital.

The owner of the pet hospital was quite young, having graduated not too long ago. He was actually an upperclassman from Shu Xing’s high school and generally took good care of him.

The pet hospital was quite famous in the city. On weekends, many people brought their pets in.

Shu Xing did not leave very early today, so he was over ten minutes late. The lobby was filled with various cats and dogs, along with parrots and chinchillas protected in cages by their owners. A few familiar customers greeted him. One customer’s Golden Retriever, whom Shu Xing had cared for during its hospitalization, lunged toward him the moment it saw him for its follow-up visit.

“Ah, okay, okay, do not do that!” The Golden Retriever’s owner quickly pulled the leash to hold his son back.

“It is fine, it is fine,” Shu Xing said with a smile, his eyes curving into a beautiful arc that left the owner dazed for a moment.

A tall man walked out of the pet surgery room on the second floor. He leaned over the railing and called Shu Xing’s name. Shu Xing looked up to see his boss, Pei Chun.

Pei Chun also worked as a veterinarian. Wearing examination gloves, he pointed to the first-floor workspace and said, “You will be in charge of vaccinations and deworming today. If there are follow-ups, take them for their respective checks.”

Seeing that Shu Xing had not changed into his uniform yet, Pei Chun tilted his head: “Forget it, go change first.”

Shu Xing nodded from below: “Okay.”

After changing, Shu Xing first took the follow-up pets for their exams. Meanwhile, there were new patients needing blood draws and biochemical tests. Since the other assistants were busy, Shu Xing helped out.

There were not many animals for vaccinations today, so Shu Xing scheduled them for later.

When it came to the last cat, Shu Xing took special note. It was a chubby cow cat with a round face, likely a mixed breed.

The owner of the cow cat did not seem to care much about his pet. Once they entered the workspace and the glass door was closed, he sat in a chair and started playing on his phone as if no one else was there.

Just as Shu Xing prepared the syringe, the naturally shy cow cat suddenly hissed and puffed up its fur.

It would be a lie to say he was not startled. Shu Xing retreated, pulling back the hand he was using to scruff the cat, and asked the owner if he could help.

The owner, busy climbing the ranks in a game, did not even look up: “Oh, he is very good, he has a great temper. Just do it yourself, I am a bit busy right now.”

Shu Xing looked at the cat, which had already flattened its ears into airplane ears and arched its back, ready to bite at any moment. Bro, you call this “very good”?

But the customer is king. Shu Xing had no choice but to put on scratch-resistant gloves and quickly scruff the back of the cat’s neck.

As the needle went in, the cow cat let out a fierce, resistant cry.

The moment Shu Xing let go, the cat, freed from the restraint, turned and scratched Shu Xing’s abdomen twice with its claws.

“Hiss!”

Bad cat!

The work uniform was just a very thin short-sleeved T-shirt, which offered no protection against cat claws. Shu Xing felt a burning pain on his skin. The sound of him sucking in a breath finally caught the owner’s attention.

However, the man just pocketed his phone, scooped up the cat that had hidden on the floor, and said, “Thanks. I bought a group-buy voucher; how do I redeem it?”

Enduring the pain, Shu Xing put on the slightly bitter fake smile of a service worker and said politely through gritted teeth, “Just go to the front desk.”

After sending off the cat and its owner, Shu Xing’s eyes were watering from the pain. Seeing that the lobby was empty, he slipped into the staff breakroom.

The room was empty. Shu Xing pulled out his phone, which he had not opened all day. A string of unread messages flooded the screen, waiting for his reply.

[Baby, good morning!]

[Miss you so much, baby. I dreamed of you last night. Heart.jpg]

[Are you awake, baby?]

[Remember to eat breakfast, baby! (The other party has transferred 520 RMB to you)]

[Baby, it is noon. Have you eaten?]

[I just remembered it is a day off. Are you busy with work?]

[Reply to me as soon as you see this. Crying dog.jpg]

[Baby, it is evening. Still not finished yet?]

[Miss you, miss you, miss you, miss you.]

[The sunset this evening is so beautiful! (Image)]

[Thinking of you. Crying dog.jpg]

Looking at the messages and the pitiful dog emojis, Shu Xing could not help but curl his lips, a faint blush creeping onto his face.

The person messaging him was his online boyfriend, Yu Hui. They had met in an immortal-themed game during the summer before university. By coincidence, they became a Couples pair in the game. However, after starting university, Shu Xing was too busy with his part-time job to play, so his boyfriend had been helping him level his account.

His online boyfriend was very clingy and sent many messages every day. He was almost completely obedient to Shu Xing, not only sending money frequently but also providing great emotional value. Whenever Shu Xing had a problem, he would tell his boyfriend, who would always respond with warmth and concern.

After accepting the 520 RMB breakfast money from his boyfriend, the scratch on his abdomen rubbed against his clothes, sending a sharp sting. Shu Xing finally remembered why he had ducked into the breakroom.

He was looking for comfort from his online boyfriend.

Shu Xing lifted his T-shirt, revealing his fair abdomen. Sure enough, there were two long, bright red scratches.

Shu Xing did not exercise regularly, so he had no abs or V-line. He struck a slightly aesthetic pose and took a photo of the skin on his abdomen using the front camera.

He sent it to his online boyfriend, accompanied by a crying cat emoji. The cute cat image instantly maxed out Shu Xing’s sense of grievance.

Shu Xing: [Baby, I just finished work.] Shu Xing: [I got scratched by a cat today. Crying cat.jpg]

He waited for a moment, but there was no immediate reply. A new customer arrived outside, and the receptionist was calling for him.

Hearing the voices in the hallway, Shu Xing had to put his phone back in his pocket, quickly apply some medicine to the wound, and head out to help.

On the other side, Xi Yang, who had been dragged to the cafeteria for dinner by his two roommates, had just found a seat when he received a message from his online partner.

He opened the chat, and a photo of a fair, slender waist and abdomen instantly popped up.

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