Fishing-Type Beauties Will Never Love Crematorium - Chapter 5

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class. Everyone began packing up, ready to head to lunch, and the classroom was soon flooded with a cacophony of voices. Chen Qingtang slowly raised his head, his eyes still clouded with sleep. Once his brain was fully awake and he realized he was hugging Shen He’s coat, he woke up instantly.

Oh my.

Chen Qingtang was only surprised for a brief moment before a slow smile spread across his lips. He had not done this on purpose; he had just been too groggy. Moreover, Shen He’s coat smelled so good that it made him yearn for him. He had been suppressing his feelings since his rebirth, and this was the first time he had been this close to Shen He; it was like a long awaited rainfall after a drought. He had accidentally fallen into a sweet dream, greedily touching in his sleep what he could not touch in reality.

Chen Qingtang looked at the empty seat beside him and touched the chair. It was cold. Shen He had probably been gone for a while, but since his books were still there, he had likely just gone to the restroom.

Chen Qingtang rested his head on his hand. Did Shen He see? Did he see me hugging his coat? How intimate that looks. Furthermore, he had dreamt of something delightful just now. As Chen Qingtang was thinking idly, the classroom door creaked open.

When Shen He’s cold, moonlight like eyes met Chen Qingtang’s gaze, he stiffened noticeably for a second before quickly looking away. Chen Qingtang tapped his fingers on the desk, feeling confident.

Shen He walked in and stood by the table to pack his things. Wei Yan slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Let us go, let us grab lunch. Xiao Chen, are you coming?”

Chen Qingtang glanced at Shen He and deliberately replied, “Sure.”

Shen He paused.

Luo Xin was still hunched over his desk, and Wei Yan grabbed him by the collar. “Come on, let us go before it gets crowded.” Luo Xin struggled. “Do not pull me.”

Shen He said, “You two go ahead. I will not be joining you.”

A faint arc appeared at the corners of Chen Qingtang’s lips. Is he avoiding me?

Wei Yan sighed, disappointed. “Do not do that, Shen Ge. We just talked about eating lunch together.”

Luo Xin added, “Yeah.”

Shen He finished packing his bag and was about to put on his coat. When his fingers touched the lingering warmth on it, he pulled his arm back unnaturally. In the end, he just carried the coat in his hand. “I have things to do.”

Shen He left. Chen Qingtang rested his head on his hand and stared at the door, lost in thought. Shen He is really quite stingy. Just from hugging his coat, he has treated me like some kind of terrifying monster, avoiding me at all costs. That will not do. Shen He still needs to help me move this weekend. With so many things to move, it is exhausting work, and I do not want to do it myself.

Wei Yan sighed and scratched his head. “Forget it. I will not go to the cafeteria either. I do not have afternoon classes, so I will just head back to the dorm and order takeout.” Luo Xin clutched his books. “Then I will not go either.”

Luo Xin was introverted, speaking in a soft, timid voice. He gave the impression of a little hamster peeking out from underground, cautiously observing the human world. Wei Yan hooked his arm around Luo Xin’s shoulder and said to Chen Qingtang, “Xiao Chen, we are off. We are going back to the dorm to lie down.”

“Alright,” Chen Qingtang replied.

Once they were gone, Chen Qingtang began to pack his books. Suddenly, his shoulder was tapped. Chen Qingtang turned around to meet Chu Xi’s bright eyes, which were filled with the anticipation of drama.

Chu Xi’s gossip soul was burning. “I saw it all. Shen He is obviously avoiding you. You two were just getting closer; why did he suddenly change?” Was there some minor twist he did not know about?

Chen Qingtang shrugged and told Chu Xi what had happened during class. Chu Xi spread his hands. “Ah, Shen He is so defensive. Do you think he assumes you did it on purpose? That you deliberately pretended to be asleep to steal a sniff of his coat and got caught red handed?” Gross, how creepy.

Chen Qingtang thought for a moment and concluded objectively, “That is a possibility.”

He then grabbed his bag, pulled up his mask, and walked out of the classroom. Chu Xi walked beside him, observing his nonchalance. “You do not care? And you should have explained it to Shen He right then, told him you were just sleepy?”

Chu Xi continued, “Why do you not send him a message to explain? This kind of thing is not a big deal; once it is cleared up, he will not get the wrong idea.”

Chen Qingtang shook his head meaningfully. “A blessing in disguise.”

He refused to clear it up. He wanted Shen He to think about him in endless loops, to rack his brains trying to figure him out, and to have his attention uncontrollably drawn to him. He wanted Shen He’s emotions to be stirred, to leave him restless because of him. Only then would the traces he left in Shen He’s heart be deep enough to make Shen He truly unable to resist him.

Chu Xi did not understand him. “What if Shen He starts to dislike you?”

Chen Qingtang pressed his lips together. That was indeed the critical question. Was Shen He avoiding him out of dislike, embarrassment, or something else entirely?

Chen Qingtang thought deeply. “I will eat dinner by myself tonight; you do not need to worry about me.”

Chu Xi said, “Oh. But Shen He is already ignoring you; what about moving this weekend? Should I go help you instead?”

“No need.”

Chu Xi squinted at him. “Are you still counting on Shen He?”

“Mhm.”

After Wei Yan and Luo Xin left the lecture building, they planned to pick up a package at the pickup station and then head back to the dorm to lounge around. Passing the library halfway, they suddenly spotted a familiar figure standing in the wind. Wei Yan and Luo Xin exchanged a glance.

Wei Yan: “Did he not say he was going home? Why is he standing at the library entrance in a daze?”

Luo Xin shrunk his neck. “Yeah, it is so cold. Why is he not wearing his coat, just holding it in his hand?”

Wei Yan softened his footsteps, hunched over, and crept up behind him. Then, with lightning speed, he slapped his paw onto Shen He’s shoulder. Shen He’s body trembled uncontrollably, his hand shaking so much he almost dropped the coat.

Wei Yan laughed heartily. “So you can be scared too! Did you not say you were going home? What are you doing here?”

Shen He was expressionless. “Borrowing two books from the library.”

Luo Xin glanced at his reddened ears. “Why are you not wearing your coat? Look, your ears are frozen red.”

Shen He opened his mouth but said nothing. In the wind, Shen He was standing there wearing only a thin sweater, looking uncharacteristically dazed. In such cold weather, if he were not physically strong, he would have been frozen solid long ago.

Wei Yan widened his eyes in surprise. “Shen Ge, you are blushing! Your face turned red in an instant! What is wrong with you?”

Shen He stiffened and looked away. “…Nothing.”

Wei Yan smacked his lips. “Fine. We are heading off. You should hurry up and put your coat on; it is freezing. Do not catch a cold.”

Just as they took a step, Shen He called them back.

Wei Yan: “Something else?”

Shen He tightened his grip on the coat and hesitated, holding it out to them. “Smell this.”

Perhaps it was because he was accustomed to his own scent, but he could not smell anything. What if others could? Wei Yan felt he was acting bizarrely but obediently leaned in. “Smelled it.”

Shen He looked at him: “Thoughts?”

Wei Yan sniffed twice more: “There is a fragrance, and it smells quite nice.”

Shen He held the coat out to Luo Xin: “You smell it too.”

Luo Xin: “A sweet floral scent.”

Shen He pursued the questioning: “Is there any strange or unpleasant odor?”

Wei Yan: “No. What is wrong with this coat?”

He reached out to grab it, but Shen He pulled it back first: “I am going to borrow books.”

Shen He turned and entered the library, leaving the two of them bewildered. By now, Shen He’s hands were frozen stiff; it was March, the cold had not faded, and the snow had not melted; it was truly freezing. It was only after entering the warm interior that he felt a bit better.

Shen He stood by the bookshelf, looking at the clothes in his hands and trying to sniff them. But the moment he brought them close to his nose, he remembered Chen Qingtang holding the coat and sleeping so peacefully. The boy’s originally fair cheeks were slightly flushed with sleep, leaning against the soft fabric inside the coat, occasionally rubbing against it like a little kitten, his warm breath lightly brushing against the fabric.

Shen He felt a wave of heat surge up from his spine. He sniffed lightly twice. He did not know if it was psychological, but he felt that the coat was shrouded in Chen Qingtang’s unique scent, the fragrance of osmanthus flowers after late autumn, carrying the dampness of morning dew. Smelling it this way, he felt as if his breathing was tightly intertwined with Chen Qingtang’s. Two seconds later, Shen He pulled the coat away, finally daring to breathe.

When Shen He eventually left the library, even with the biting north wind, he did not wear that coat. He ran home, frozen and wrapped in a cold chill.

After class in the afternoon, Chen Qingtang went to the cafeteria right on time. He walked around the first floor, did not find his target, and did not feel like eating anything. He headed straight to the second floor, where he immediately spotted Shen He, who was outstanding in both appearance and height, amidst the crowd.

Chen Qingtang pretended not to see him and queued at his favorite stall to buy food as usual. While waiting, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Wei Yan smiled. “Xiao Chen, eating alone? Join us; Shen Ge, Xinzi, and I saved a table over there.”

Chen Qingtang smiled: “Sure.”

Wei Yan bought the same meal and waited at the stall. Bored while waiting, he started a conversation: “Hey, you sat with Shen Ge during class this morning, did you not?”

Chen Qingtang: “Mhm.”

Wei Yan: “Is something up with him?”

Chen Qingtang: “Hmm?”

Wei Yan scratched his head: “On the way back to the dorm with Xinzi, we saw Shen Ge standing at the library entrance holding his coat. We said hello, but he stopped us and insisted that we smell his clothes.”

Chen Qingtang’s fingertips twitched: “What happened?”

Wei Yan was also puzzled: “Yeah, what happened? After we smelled it, he kept asking if there was any strange odor. He was acting really weird.”

Chen Qingtang’s smile rippled like spring water. He raised a hand to cover his mouth and gave a light cough to hide it.

Interesting.

Wei Yan muttered a few more things, then remembered something else: “Oh, I forgot to tell you. We are planning a dorm dinner tomorrow, the weekend. Are you coming?”

Chen Qingtang pondered: “Around what time?”

Wei Yan: “Saturday afternoon, probably after four or five. I am definitely going to play games all night tonight, so I will not be able to get out of bed until one or two tomorrow afternoon.”

Chen Qingtang smiled faintly: “I have something to do tomorrow, I will let you know then.”

He did not give a definitive answer. He wanted to go, but Shen He would have to be the one to invite him.

At that moment, the lady at the stall called the number, interrupting the conversation. After picking up his meal, Chen Qingtang followed Wei Yan to Shen He’s table. When Shen He saw Chen Qingtang, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, along with some unidentifiable emotion. After hesitating for two seconds, Shen He nodded at Chen Qingtang. When their eyes met, Shen He’s gaze retreated instantly, as if he feared that if he were a second late, lava would follow his gaze and burn him.

Chen Qingtang sat down across from Shen He naturally. Throughout the meal, Wei Yan chattered away while eating, and Luo Xin joined in from time to time. Shen He sat quietly, his head down as he ate, his expression unreadable. Chen Qingtang glanced at Shen He from the corner of his eye and suddenly felt that this meal was delicious.

After what happened that morning, Shen He’s first reaction was not repulsion or rejection, but caring about whether the scent on his coat was unpleasant.

What an intriguing reaction.

Since a seed had already been planted in Shen He’s heart, he might as well take the opportunity to push things forward and let that seed mature. Chen Qingtang enjoyed the ordinary meal thoroughly. When he was about to leave, his mask suddenly fell to the ground. Chen Qingtang picked it up and smelled it; it was already stained with the greasy smell of the food. He frowned with disdain and tossed it aside.

It was the peak dinner hour, and a massive sea of heads stretched out before him. Along the way, Chen Qingtang held his sleeve over his mouth and nose, trying to isolate himself from the mixed odors in the cafeteria that made his chest and nose ache. He squeezed as close to Shen He as possible. Only Shen He’s scent was pleasant and made him feel comfortable.

As Shen He walked out, he turned his head accidentally and found Chen Qingtang following closely by his side. For some reason, his heart skipped a beat. He quietly shifted to the side, trying to create distance between them. But soon, due to the crowded throng, they were pressed against each other once again. After several attempts, Shen He gave up.

Until they stepped onto the escalator, leaving the crowd, Shen He’s tense spine finally relaxed. Just as the breath he had been holding dissipated, a light breeze brushed across the back of his neck.

It was warm.

It felt as if someone had leaned in close and taken a light sniff.

An unknown itch spread from that patch of skin, seeping into his marrow, and all the hair on his body stood on end. Shen He clenched his hands tightly but did not look back. He knew that behind him was Chen Qingtang.

Shen He quietly shifted a small step to the side. Chen Qingtang had seen every one of his subtle movements and curled his lips into a seductive smile. He deliberately leaned into Shen He’s ear, lowered his voice, and whispered words that stirred Shen He’s heart into even greater chaos:

“You smell so good, Shen He.”