Can't Shake Off My Arch-rival After Falling in Love Online - Chapter 12

The walk from the second floor back to the pet hospital was not long. Shu Xing and Sister Xiao Xiao walked ahead, teasing a kitten, while Xi Yang followed slowly behind them. He appeared indifferent, but in reality, his gaze never left Shu Xing’s back.

Perhaps it was because Shu Xing’s face was so beautiful, looking like the delicate and soft type at first glance, that he often gave people the illusion that he would only act spoiled and seek help from others when in trouble. Xi Yang felt that his previous prejudice against Shu Xing had been too severe. Shu Xing never seemed to be the weak person he had imagined. Aside from being occasionally willful, the boy was genuinely decisive.

Xi Yang had never explained the misunderstanding of comparing Shu Xing to a “Princess and the Pea.” He felt that he should make it clear today that he did not mean anything malicious at the time. He watched Shu Xing’s profile as the boy teased the cat, noting the beautiful curve of his smiling lips.

No wonder he always had an allergic reaction when Shu Xing was near. It turned out this person was constantly dealing with small animals. Xi Yang had been allergic to animal hair since childhood. He was extremely sensitive to the scent of cats and dogs. When his allergies flared up, he would not only sneeze incessantly, but in severe cases, he would break out in rashes. Therefore, he stood still at the entrance of the pet hospital and did not go inside. He was afraid that staying inside for too long would trigger a reaction.

Shu Xing saw Xi Yang stop suddenly and thought the young master was waiting for him to open the door first. Thinking that Xi Yang had contributed more or less to saving the kitten just now, Shu Xing opened the door and asked politely, “Do you want to come in and sit for a while? Have a glass of water or something?”

“No,” Xi Yang refused flatly. Perhaps realizing his tone was stiff, he added, “Go ahead and get busy.”

“Oh!”

“Shu Xing.”

Shu Xing had just turned to go inside when Xi Yang called out to him.

“Is there something else?”

Xi Yang stood against the light of the setting sun. After appearing to deliberate for a moment, he asked slowly, “What time do you get off work?”

“Huh?” Shu Xing clearly did not expect Xi Yang to ask this. His brain stalled for a few seconds. “Why? Are you going to wait for me to get off work?”

If it were any other guy, Shu Xing might narcissistically think the person had a crush on him. But since it was Xi Yang, Shu Xing always felt the man did not have good intentions. Regardless of the reason behind the question, Shu Xing raised his chin and rejected him coolly, “Want to ask me out? I usually do not get off work until the early morning.”

Xi Yang was stunned. “That late?” It seemed every pet hospital was exploitative.

“What else?” Shu Xing played the part to the end. “I am very busy.”

“Xiao Shu.” Behind him, Pei Chun had just finished surgery and came downstairs. He saw Shu Xing standing at the door chatting with someone. Seeing that the two were close in age and the visitor had no pet, Pei Chun guessed the person was Shu Xing’s friend.

Shu Xing turned at the sound. “Brother Pei.”

Pei Chun smiled slightly at Xi Yang as a greeting, then asked Shu Xing, “Your friend?”

“He is not,” Shu Xing started to say, but before the word “not” could leave his mouth, he heard Xi Yang say clearly to Pei Chun, “Hello.”

Pei Chun nodded. “Is your friend waiting for you to finish work?” He glanced at the shop and saw it was not very busy, so he said, “I happen to be free. Why do you not get off work early and go have some fun with your friend?”

Shu Xing, who had just claimed to work until morning and be very busy, was speechless.

Hearing this, Xi Yang tilted his head, his handsome eyebrows arching slightly as if to say, “Now you are free, right?”

Shu Xing had no choice but to accept the fact that he was getting off early. After changing clothes in the lounge and coming out, he asked Xi Yang rather crossly, “Fine, what is it?”

Xi Yang got straight to the point. “Have dinner together?”

“Dinner? Together?” Shu Xing thought he had misheard. He pursed his lips, looking quite reluctant. He had never eaten with Xi Yang anywhere other than the school cafeteria. Usually, he heard He Wennan and Cheng Xinyu mention that Xi Yang treated the dorm to big meals, but those were always on days when Shu Xing was working his part time job. Thinking about how Xi Yang took them to expensive restaurants, Shu Xing did not want to spend a lot of money going Dutch with this guy.

Shu Xing declined politely, “I think having dinner is unnecessary.”

Xi Yang said generously, “My treat. You pick the restaurant.”

The moment he heard it was a treat, Shu Xing’s eyes brightened instantly. He agreed decisively, “Fine, I want to eat at the most expensive French restaurant downtown!”

Xi Yang replied, “Deal.”

Shu Xing sat in Xi Yang’s limited edition sports car again. As soon as he got in, he saw Xi Yang hand him a bottle of mineral water. Based on his wariness of Xi Yang, Shu Xing took the water cautiously. “Thanks.”

Xi Yang’s voice was flat. “You are welcome.”

The car did not start immediately. Shu Xing caught a glimpse of Xi Yang taking a small tablet from the center console and swallowing it with water. His mind immediately jumped to social news about wealthy second generation heirs doing drugs. Although Shu Xing was not on good terms with Xi Yang, he did not want to see him go down the wrong path.

He blinked in surprise and asked, “What are you eating?”

Xi Yang was startled by the question and nearly choked on the pill. Once it was fully swallowed, he glanced at Shu Xing and explained, “Allergy medicine.”

“You are having an allergic reaction?”

“Not yet. Just a precaution.”

Shu Xing had seen videos of people with chronic allergies carrying medicine. There seemed to be many types of allergens. Some people were even allergic to cold air. It seemed God had closed a window for this man after all. At least Shu Xing did not suffer from allergies. Not wanting to pry further into Xi Yang’s medical history, Shu Xing just gave an “oh” to cover his misunderstanding.

The French restaurant downtown required a reservation. When Shu Xing and Xi Yang arrived, they were stopped by the waiter. Shu Xing thought the free meal was going to fall through, but surprisingly, after Xi Yang spoke with the manager, they were given a VIP private room.

Shu Xing sat in the room and only found out why they could dine there after asking. Xi Yang had paid triple the service fee and compensated the original reservation holder a sum of money to secure the room. The phrase “the wealthy can do anything” suddenly became very real in Shu Xing’s mind.

The words “that was expensive” were stuck on the tip of his tongue, but he could not bring himself to say them. Perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed, Shu Xing comforted himself internally. Xi Yang had offered to treat him. It was not as if he had held a knife to the man’s throat.

The French meal followed a set menu. Shu Xing ate quite slowly. Before he finished one course, the waiter was already bringing out the next. During the meal, Xi Yang hardly spoke to Shu Xing. It was as if they really were just there to eat. They did not seem like two acquaintances dining together, but rather like strangers sharing a table.

Shu Xing felt bored and began scrolling through his social media while eating. It had been over two months since his last post showing off a watch. Fans in the comments were already urging him to update them on his recent life. But lately, Shu Xing worked at the pet hospital during the day and went home to play games with his online boyfriend at night. He had not paid attention to any new luxury items. How was he supposed to post an update?

The meal was nearing its end. The last course was a dessert the waiter introduced as “Floating Island.” It was a combination of custard and meringue, garnished with strawberry slices. The taste was average, but the presentation was exquisite. Shu Xing took only one bite before putting down his spoon.

Looking at the barely touched dessert, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

“Hey, Xi Yang,” Shu Xing called out to the man across from him who was scrolling through videos. He leaned forward slightly and slowly curled his lips into a sweet smile.

Xi Yang was momentarily dazed by the smile when he looked up. After a brief pause, he asked, “What is it?”

Shu Xing handed over his phone and said with a grin, “Help me take a few photos?”

Xi Yang was silent. “I am not good at taking photos.”

It was a rejection, but Shu Xing felt that taking selfies in such a high end restaurant was meaningless. He said persistently, “It is fine. I am good looking, so just take a couple of shots.”

Xi Yang looked at the phone held in the air. His eyes moved, and he frowned slightly for a split second, but he eventually took it. Shu Xing had said to just take a couple of shots, but when they were done, he reviewed the album and found himself dissatisfied.

“My face looks a bit big in this one.”

“My eyes are closed in this one.”

“The posture in this one is not quite right.”

“The background is crooked in this one!”

“Oh, you really are bad at this.”

Xi Yang felt the veins near his temples throbbing. His fists under the table were clenched tight, but he endured it.

After checking the photos, Shu Xing finally looked away from the screen. He noticed Xi Yang was frowning and silent, looking a bit annoyed. He blinked and asked innocently, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing. Continue,” Xi Yang said, moving his gaze away from Shu Xing’s refined face.

Shu Xing was determined to get a good shot today. Hearing Xi Yang say “continue,” he took it as support for his photography session. He handed the phone over again, but this time he switched from the back camera to the front camera. Lacking any sense of social awareness, he suggested, “Xi Yang, how about you hold the phone, and when I say ‘take it,’ you press the side button?”

Xi Yang’s fists under the table could hardly restrain themselves. But when his gaze fell on Shu Xing’s face again and met those innocent, expectant tea colored eyes, he opened his hands and helplessly took the phone once more.

For the next while, Xi Yang acted like a heartless phone stand, following Shu Xing’s commands. Photos taken with the front camera were indeed better. Shu Xing’s determination to get the perfect shot reached its peak. He completely forgot that he was sitting across from someone he disliked. He lost himself in striking various poses for the camera. Some involved holding the dessert, others involved holding a glass. In short, he was as affected as could be.

It was only when the low battery warning popped up that Shu Xing finally stopped. Xi Yang had a surprisingly good temper, waiting until Shu Xing had completely lost the urge to take photos before suggesting they leave.

Outside the restaurant, Shu Xing was in a great mood because he had taken many beautiful photos. He smiled at Xi Yang and said, “Thanks for treating me to dinner today!”

“Yes, you are welcome,” Xi Yang said. He seemed tired from the photography session, and his voice was a bit flat.

Shu Xing was used to this tone. There was a subway station not far from the restaurant. It was still early, so Shu Xing could take the subway back and save money on a taxi.

“Where do you live? I will drive you back.”

“No need,” Shu Xing instinctively refused. The place where he currently lived was a house rented by his online boyfriend. With the salary from his part time job, he could not afford the rent even if he worked like crazy for two months. Although he really wanted to show off the prime location he lived in to Xi Yang, it would be a hassle to explain if the man started asking questions.

Shu Xing did not want to cause trouble for himself over such a small thing. He waved his hand and pretended to be considerate of Xi Yang. “I can just take the subway back. You should go home early. I do not want to trouble you.”

Xi Yang did not force him. He thought that since it was still early, he could go home and play some games with his baby.

“I am off then!” Shu Xing waved his thin arms at Xi Yang. “Bye bye!”

“Wait a moment.” Xi Yang suddenly remembered the purpose of treating Shu Xing to dinner today. He reached out and grabbed Shu Xing, who had already walked several steps away.

Shu Xing looked blankly at Xi Yang’s hand tightly gripping his own. The palm covering his wrist felt burning hot, searing his nerves.

“What… what are you doing?”

Xi Yang realized his action was a bit rude and intimate. He let go the moment Shu Xing asked.

“Nothing. It is just that there is something I have been meaning to tell you.”

“Oh, what is it? Go ahead.”

“I wanted to tell you,” Xi Yang went over the words in his mind, but every sentence seemed difficult to explain clearly. After a long mental struggle, Xi Yang lowered his eyes and said sincerely, “You are not a Princess and the Pea.”

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