Don't Bait Me Anymore! - Chapter 8

Gu Zhiyi’s pitiful, puppy-like expression was utterly irresistible to Sheng Yan. If the setting had been more appropriate, he would have leaned forward to kiss the tip of Gu Zhiyi’s nose without hesitation.

He barely restrained himself, deliberately implying, “I thought you were going to back out.”

Gu Zhiyi reacted swiftly, instantly understanding Sheng Yan’s meaning. He explained earnestly, “I had an exam this morning and just finished.”

In truth, he should have been in class by now.

But Gu Zhiyi didn’t voice the second part of his thought.

He just wanted Sheng Yan to know that he hadn’t deliberately avoided coming to the speech.

Yet Sheng Yan, from beginning to end, hadn’t thought to tell him, and had even been watching someone else here…

The mere thought of it made Gu Zhiyi’s temper rise inexplicably.

Even though he knew rationally that given their current relationship, Sheng Yan had no obligation to inform him in advance.

Gu Zhiyi’s explanation was as expected. Sheng Yan responded with a simple “Oh” of understanding, not pressing the matter further. Instead, he leaned slightly closer to Gu Zhiyi, tilted his head, and whispered in his ear, “So you came to find me now… have you made up your mind? Are you ready to give me your answer?”

The basketball court was already buzzing with activity, but Sheng Yan and Gu Zhiyi standing together drew an even greater crowd, their combined presence practically guaranteeing 200% more attention.

Yet, the moment Sheng Yan drew close, Gu Zhiyi completely lost awareness of anyone else.

All he could feel was Sheng Yan’s warm, ticklish breath on the back of his ear.

His brain short-circuited for two seconds before Gu Zhiyi finally registered what Sheng Yan had asked. He immediately suppressed a smile.

He’d skipped class to come find Sheng Yan.

Actually, he hadn’t had time to think at all. Seeing the photo had been enough to make him unable to resist.

But now.

Remembering Sheng Yan’s earlier remark about “appreciating beautiful young flesh” and glancing at the muscular athletes scattered across the field, Gu Zhiyi abruptly grabbed Sheng Yan’s slender shoulders and forced out a sentence from the depths of his throat: “If I say I haven’t decided yet, will you just pick someone from the crowd right here, brother?”

The moment Gu Zhiyi finished speaking, Sheng Yan couldn’t hold back his laugh.

Though Sheng Yan had indeed deliberately given Gu Zhiyi the wrong impression, he hadn’t expected him to ask so directly.

It seems teasing this little puppy is truly endless fun.

Sheng Yan deliberately remained noncommittal, even adding fuel to the fire: “Honestly, the quality of guys at your school is really impressive.”

As he said this, he didn’t look at Gu Zhiyi, his gaze drifting back to the basketball court.

Coincidentally, the sports student who had asked for Sheng Yan’s WeChat earlier seemed to sense his attention. He leaped up and made a beautiful three-point shot.

Amid the cheers and applause, he strutted like a peacock, glancing toward Sheng Yan.

But when his eyes met Gu Zhiyi’s icy “death glare” beside Sheng Yan, he quickly averted his gaze.

This time, Sheng Yan couldn’t hold back his laughter.

The next instant, the large hand gripping his shoulder suddenly tightened, nearly crushing his bones.

Sheng Yan winced slightly at the pain, his brow furrowing. He tilted his head to cast a sidelong glance at Gu Zhiyi’s large, bony hand, then looked up at Gu Zhiyi’s face, his tone teasing, “Such strength… are you sure it’s being used in the right place?”

In reality, Sheng Yan was half a head shorter than Gu Zhiyi, and his frame was noticeably slender and delicate. Yet when he looked up at Gu Zhiyi, his gaze carried an undeniable air of authority, as if he were the superior.

This stark contrast created a unique and captivating charm.

Gu Zhiyi snapped back to his senses, withdrawing his hand and apologizing in a low voice, “I’m sorry. I didn’t control my strength properly…”

Among his peers, Gu Zhiyi was widely regarded as calm and rational. Yet this man before him seemed to effortlessly make him lose control.

Sheng Yan gave a soft “Hmm,” accepting the apology.

He could tell Gu Zhiyi had more to say, but he didn’t press or prompt, simply waiting patiently for him to continue.

After a moment of silence, Gu Zhiyi pressed his lips together and spoke again, his voice tinged with resolute determination. “I’ve made up my mind.”

Sheng Yan chuckled softly, his eyes urging Gu Zhiyi to proceed.

Perhaps Gu Zhiyi found it too difficult to directly say, “I’m willing to be your stable FWB,” so he ended up phrasing it with an almost academic formality: “I accept your previous proposal.”

Sheng Yan chuckled again.

Though the answer was expected, he deliberately raised an eyebrow and added, “Are you sure you’ve thought it through? If not, you can take more time.”

He put on an act of genuine concern for Gu Zhiyi.

But this time, Gu Zhiyi shook his head without hesitation. “No need. I’ve already decided.”

If I think any longer, Sheng Yan will start scouting for someone else right here!

After a brief pause, as if remembering something, Gu Zhiyi added, emphasizing his point, “Just… uh, no feelings, no romance.”

It was hard to tell if he was reminding Sheng Yan or himself.

This statement, however, slightly surprised Sheng Yan.

Gu Zhiyi always managed to catch him off guard in these moments.

Like a large dog that resists the bit, always finding a way to express its untamed nature.

Sheng Yan found this quite amusing.

Of course, he had no interest in developing any kind of romantic relationship with Gu Zhiyi. A purely physical arrangement clearly suited his current desire to let loose.

Easy and unburdened.

But just because he thought this way didn’t mean he was willing to hear Gu Zhiyi emphasize it so strongly.

Sheng Yan hummed, a question in his voice, his tone rising slightly. “Would you be at a disadvantage dating me?”

As he asked, he suddenly leaned closer to Gu Zhiyi, deliberately and provocatively pinching the younger man’s earlobe in full view of passing students.

The gesture was quite intriguing.

Within their relationship, it was naturally intimate.

But sometimes, older men would pinch the earlobes of younger men to discipline or tease them.

To the eyes of their classmates, it might have looked like nothing more than a brother and younger brother playing a small joke.

Yet for those two fleeting seconds, Gu Zhiyi’s muscles tensed, and he froze in place.

A moment later, he snapped back to awareness, and as expected, a faint blush crept up his earlobes.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. Avoiding Sheng Yan’s burning gaze, Gu Zhiyi replied in a husky voice, “No, it’s just… I don’t want to date anyone right now.”

Love can make people unrecognizable, and his mother was a prime example.

Gu Zhiyi had no desire to follow in her footsteps.

Sheng Yan was grudgingly satisfied with this answer. He didn’t press Gu Zhiyi further, but suddenly changed the subject: “Are there any secluded spots at your school?”

His topic shift was abrupt, yet his tone was so natural that Gu Zhiyi didn’t immediately grasp his meaning. He instinctively replied, “The indoor stadium? There are private changing rooms…”

Before he could finish, he caught the playful smile spreading in Sheng Yan’s eyes and froze, belatedly realizing what he’d implied.

“If you don’t have class right now,” Sheng Yan said, winking slyly, “why don’t you show me?”

It was that same tone again.

“Buy you a drink?” “Help me out again?”…

Light and airy, yet with a hook at the end.

A tone Gu Zhiyi could never refuse.

Once again, his feet moved faster than his brain. By the time he realized what was happening, he was already walking toward the indoor stadium.

Sheng Yan fell into step beside him.

They drew countless curious glances along the way. Sheng Yan, of course, paid them no mind, and Gu Zhiyi had originally felt the same way. But this time, he inexplicably straightened his shoulders and back a little straighter.

Few students visited the indoor stadium during this season; most preferred outdoor sports.

As they approached the locker room, Gu Zhiyi’s outward composure remained unchanged, yet his slightly more hurried pace betrayed his inner turmoil.

Both he and Sheng Yan knew exactly what was about to happen.

Finally, they reached the locker room door.

Gu Zhiyi raised his hand and pushed open the door to the innermost corner.

Sheng Yan entered first, followed by Gu Zhiyi, who immediately closed and locked the door.

The soft click of the lock sent a jolt through Gu Zhiyi’s nerves.

His dark eyes widened slightly, as if only now fully realizing the absurdity of the situation.

Yet, even more absurdly, he felt no desire to retreat.

Gu Zhiyi leaned against the door, lowering his gaze to Sheng Yan, who was raising an eyebrow and looking back at him, his beautiful peach-blossom eyes full of amusement.

Sheng Yan was, of course, doing this deliberately.

The previous night, he had essentially controlled the entire rhythm, offering timely encouragement, stimulation, and necessary cooling.

But today, he deliberately refrained from initiating the flirtation, simply wanting to see how Gu Zhiyi would start things.

And soon, Sheng Yan got his answer. Gu Zhiyi didn’t disappoint him.

“Actually, there’s something I wanted to say on the basketball court earlier,” Gu Zhiyi began, his voice still low and deep, but with a hint of awkwardness, as if the words were difficult for him to say. “I play basketball too. And I’m… pretty good.”

Once he’d started, the rest came more easily. He closed his eyes briefly and spoke in a rush, as if to get it over with quickly: “My three-point shooting percentage is decent too. I even beat some of the basketball team’s players once. So, if you want to watch basketball again, would you consider watching me?”

Gu Zhiyi rarely, if ever, engaged in such self-promotion.

There had never been a need for it.

He was accustomed to being watched by many people, but he had never cared about most of their attention.

Yet Sheng Yan seemed different.

To earn Sheng Yan’s attention, Gu Zhiyi found himself involuntarily trying to “sell himself.”

But he was so awkward at it, he could hardly believe he was acting so childishly.

Would Sheng Yan think I’m childish too?

Gu Zhiyi looked at the person who hadn’t spoken a word since he’d started talking.

The clear depths of Gu Zhiyi’s eyes bloomed with an even more distinct smile.

Sheng Yan was genuinely charmed by Gu Zhiyi’s current appearance. Instead of answering “yes” or “no,” he suddenly stepped closer, his tongue darting out to lightly brush against Gu Zhiyi’s earlobe. Watching the tiny patch of skin ripple instantly, Sheng Yan finally chuckled softly. “I could have guessed. Our little Gu is so clever.”

Gu Zhiyi instinctively frowned at Sheng Yan’s condescending tone, which sounded as if he were coddling a child.

But the next moment, his body froze.

Sheng Yan had already lowered his hand, his fingers deftly unfastening the buttons.

A cool sensation instantly enveloped him.

His movements were as practiced as if he were playing piano keys, effortlessly disrupting Gu Zhiyi’s breathing.

Sheng Yan raised his gaze to meet Gu Zhiyi’s eyes, his voice a seductive whisper as he finished his sentence: “Let me give you a reward, okay?”

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